Five years of thirst: South Africa’s Eastern Cape battles brutal drought

Dessicated: An aerial view of Adelaide Dam in Eastern Cape Province, gripped by a brutal drought ADELAIDE (South Africa), Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South African farmer Steve Bothma heaved a sigh of relief when the weatherman finally predicted rain. His excitement was short-lived. Just a few days later, the forecast…

UN expert report unmasks Libya arms embargo violations

A picture taken in Tripoli shows fighters loyal to Libya’s UN-recognised government displaying Chinese-made shells bearing the markings of the United Arab Emirates which were reportedly seized from the forces of strongman Khalifa Haftar TRIPOLI, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — From buying an Irish navy boat re-registered as a “pleasure yacht”…

Fierce winds leave one dead, thousands without power in France

The Garonne river overflows due to strong winds and heavy rains in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on Friday. BORDEAUX, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One person has died in southern France and thousands of homes were left without power after strong winds swept across Atlantic coastal regions, gusting at times to 140 km/h,…

UNESCO pulls Belgian carnival from heritage list over anti-Semitism charges

A parade float at the Aalst Carnaval in Belgium featuring caricatures of Orthodox Jews atop money bags BOGOTA (Colombia), Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UNESCO on Friday withdrew an annual carnival in the Belgian city of Aalst from its heritage list over persistent charges of anti-Semitism. In an unprecedented move, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental…

Chile police response to protests ‘repressive’: UN

 Police shoot teargas and a shotgun during clashes with anti-government protesters in Santiago, Chile, in November. A UN team has called for an end to the indiscriminate use of shotguns.  GENEVA, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chilean police responded to recent mass protests in a “fundamentally repressive manner,” resulting in serious…

Brazil: Amazon deforestation climbs more than 100% in November over same month last year: Government agency

An aerial view of a tract of Amazon jungle burning as it is cleared by farmers in Itaituba, Para, Brazil SAO PAULO, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon jumped to the highest level for the month of November since record-keeping began in 2015, according to preliminary government data…

Chile starts identifying remains of plane crash victims

PUNTA ARENAS (Chile), Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) —  Remains of people killed in a military plane crash that claimed 38 lives were flown Friday to a military base in Chile for identification. The remains were brought in aboard a Hercules C-130 plane – just like the one that went down Monday off…

‘There’ll be war’ if Bolivia cuts coca growing, farmers warn

Harvesting coca leaves in Cruz Loma, a warm and humid area of the Andes COROICO (Bolivia), Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — For the coca farmers of western Bolivia’s Las Yungas region, the loss of president Evo Morales – himself a one-time coca grower, and a champion of indigenous rights – is less worrying…

France braces for holiday misery as pension strike persists

Packed suburban rail trains at the Gare du Nord station in Paris on Friday PARIS, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French commuters endured a ninth day of public transport strikes on Friday, with little relief expected in coming days as unions vow to keep up their protest against a pension overhaul through…

US, China says ‘phase one’ trade deal reached

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and China announced a major thaw in their trade war on Friday, including immediate cuts to punishing import tariffs. “We have agreed to a very large Phase One Deal with China,” President Donald Trump tweeted after officials in Beijing made a similar announcement.…