UN welcomes prisoner swap between Libyan parties

 Fighters loyal to military commander Khalifa Hifter imprisoned by forces from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli’s suburb of Ain Zara TRIPOLI, Dec 26 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday welcomed the exchange of prisoners between rival parties. “UNSMIL welcomes the…

Update: Human remains found near Nashville explosion site in US

WASHINGTON, Dec 26 (NNN-Xinhua) — Authorities on Friday found human remains near the site of what police believed was an intentional explosion that rocked downtown Nashville in the U.S. state of Tennessee earlier in the day, according to multiple media reports. It is not yet known whether the remains, now…

US unrest: ‘Intentional’ explosion injures 3 in Nashville; 20 buildings damaged

NASHVILLE (Tennesse, US), Dec 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three people were injured and hospitalized early Christmas morning, in a massive explosion in downtown Nashville in the US southern state of Tennessee in what is believed to be an intentional act, according to authorities.  Police officers were responding to reports of fired…

Ethiopia unrest: UN deploys humanitarian assessment missions to Tigray region

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet GENEVA, Dec 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it has deployed humanitarian assessment teams to the troubled Tigray region in northern Ethiopia.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said that two humanitarian…

Covid-19: Another new strain found in Nigeria, says Africa CDC

Discovery of new COVID strain came as cases surge in both Nigeria and South Africa ADDIS ABABA, Dec 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Another new variant of the new coronavirus seems to have emerged in Nigeria, the head of Africa’s disease control body has said, cautioning more investigation was needed.The discovery could…

Christmas celebrated under pandemic’s shadow

VATICAN CITY, Dec 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of millions acrossthe world celebrated pared-down Christmas festivities on Friday due tocoronavirus restrictions, as Pope Francis called for vaccines foreveryone, describing them as “glimmers of hope in this period ofdarkness and uncertainty”. The pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is…

Covid-19: Cases in Europe top 25 million

PARIS, Dec 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 25 million coronavirus cases have been officially recorded in Europe, according to official health statistics at 1100 GMT on Friday. The 52 nations are the world’s worst affected zone in terms of the number of infections, followed by the US and Canada at…

Afghan women’s rights activist shot dead

Afghan women’s rights activist Freshta Kohistani KABUL, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Gunmen on motorbike shot dead a women’s rights activist and her brother north of Afghanistan’s capital Thursday, officials said, as a wave of assassinations ravages the violence-wracked country. Freshta Kohistani, aged 29, was the second activist to be killed…

Cuban doctors arrive in Panama to fight COVID-19 amid US opposition

Panama City: Cuban medical personnel arrive at Tocumen International Airport PANAMA CITY, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A group of 220 Cuban health care professionals arrived in Panama on Thursday to help fight the coronavirus pandemic despite objections from the United States, Panama’s health ministry said. The Cuban medics will “reinforce the…

Covid-19: More than 600,000 people in UK get first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose

LONDON, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine since inoculations began in the country earlier this month, the British government said. “The government has today published figures which show the number of people who have…