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 The EU Commission said it had “withdrawn them (Gabon) from the list following improvements in aviation safety in that country.”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…

North Korea says US ‘foolish’ for calling UN security meeting

PYONGYANG, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — North Korea’s foreign ministry criticised the United States as “foolish” for convening a UN Security Council meeting over growing concern about short-range rockets fired from the isolated state. Washington on Wednesday used the meeting to warn of consequences for North Korea if it followed through…

Election results 2019: Tories on course to win majority – exit poll

Conservative win announced in Blyth Valley, breaking Labour’s 50-year hold in the former mining constituency LONDON, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Conservatives are set to win an overall majority of 86 in the general election, according to an exit poll for the BBC, ITV and Sky News. The survey taken…

Two dead as Indian police fire at demo: medical source

GUWAHATI (India), Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two people were killed Thursday when police opened fire at a crowd demonstrating in northeastern India against a new citizenship bill, a local hospital source said. The pair were among a large group being treated for various wounds, Ramen Talukdar, a doctor at Guwahati…

Polls close in Algeria election denounced by protesters as ‘sham’

Security forces surround protesters in central Algiers ALGIERS, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Polls have closed in Algeria where a contentious presidential election, boycotted by tens of thousands of protesters nationwide and dismissed as a “sham,” was held.  Anti-riot police were deployed early on Thursday to block access to Maurice Audin Square…