Russia expels 2 German diplomats in tit-for-tat retaliation

Russian embassy in Berlin MOSCOW, Dec 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday declared two employees of the German embassy in Russia “personae non gratae” and demanded they leave Russia within seven days in retaliation for Germany’s expulsion of two Russian diplomats earlier this month. German Ambassador to…

Sudan’s leader calls for support by Arab countries

Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan KHARTOUM, Dec 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan urged Arab countries to stand in solidarity with Sudan. Al-Burhan made the remarks when addressing the conclusion of the 39th session of the General Assembly of the Arab States…

German FM rejects planned US sanctions over Nord Stream 2

A man works on the construction site for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany BERLIN, Dec 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected the planned sanctions by the United States against companies working on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany…

Turkey rejects US Congress bill as disrespect for sovereign decisions

ANKARA, Dec 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — Turkey rejected a bill supporting sanctions against Ankara passed by the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee as a disrespect for its sovereign decisions on national security. The initiatives conducted in both houses of the Congress through “internal political considerations and supported by known anti-Turkish circles…

EU removes Gabon from Euro airspace blacklist after 11 years

BRUSSELS, Dec 13 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Gabonese airlines have been removed from an European Union blacklist that meant that flights from the country could not access the European airspace. The EU Commission said it had “withdrawn them (Gabon) from the list following improvements in aviation safety in that country.” The decision…

Visa on arrival for all Africans entering Nigeria, starting January 2020

ABUJA, Dec 13 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Nigeria will issue visas on arrival for all African passport holders effective January 2020, president Muhammadu Buhari has announced.His tweet of the move confirmed an earlier tweet on Wednesday by Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister.Ambassador Ahmed Awad wrote: “I wish to profoundly commend President Muhammadu Buhari…

New Zealand volcano toll seen at 16; police plan to recover bodies on Friday

satellite image of Whakaari, White Island WELLINGTON, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police in New Zealand are planning a mission to volcanic White Island on Friday to retrieve bodies of people killed in this week’s eruption, while the known death toll from the disaster climbed to eight, with two people dying…

Immediate action needed as millions face hunger in Southern Africa, warns the Red Cross

GENEVA, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hunger is threatening the lives of 11 million people in Southern Africa due to deepening drought in the region. Red Cross teams across Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia are scaling up their response to emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity. “This year’s…

Libya: Flights resume at Mitiga airport in Tripoli

After a three month closure and upgrade and renovation, Tripoli’s Mitiga airport reopens  TRIPOLI, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mitiga, the only functioning airport in Libya’s capital Tripoli, resumed flight operations on Thursday after a nearly 3-1/2-month break, and is expected be fully operational by the end of this month, the…

South Africa: State-owned utility Eskom aims to stabilise grid by end-March after blackouts – Pres Ramaphosa

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa’s state utility Eskom will work to stabilise the national power grid by the end of March in the wake of the country’s most severe blackouts in a decade, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. A week of heavy rains across parts of South Africa has…