Mexico to strengthen monitoring on Gulf coast to battle piracy

MEXICO CITY, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Mexico will reinforce military surveillance along its Gulf coast following recent incidents of piracy, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. “We are beginning to deal with that … it’s a plan by the Naval Ministry that will include control of the ports, all of…

UN chief sends personal envoy to Bolivia amid political uncertainties

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a personal envoy to Bolivia to offer UN support following the resignation of Evo Morales as Bolivian president. “The secretary-general has asked Mr. Jean Arnault to engage, as his personal envoy, with all Bolivian actors and offer United Nations…

Algeria’s presidential election campaign to start on Sunday

People walk past a campaign poster for presidential election in Algiers ALGIERS, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — The campaign of the presidential election will officially start on Sunday in Algeria, the official APS news agency reported. President of Algerian Independent Election Monitoring Authority Mohamed Chorfi said that all technical and human…

Argentine president-elect offers Bolivia’s Evo Morales asylum

Mexico grants asylum to Bolivia’s Evo Morales Former President of Bolivia Evo Morales MONTEVIDEO, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Argentina’s president-elect Alberto Fernandez on Thursday offered future political asylum to Bolivia’s ex-President Evo Morales. Speaking in Uruguay’s capital Montevideo, Fernandez said that once he takes office in December, it would be…

Lebanese political parties agree on naming new PM

Mohammad Safadi BEIRUT, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Lebanese political parties agreed on Thursday to appoint former parliament member Mohammad Safadi as new prime minister, local TV Channel LBCI reported. LBCI said that Hezbollah, Future Movement, Free Patriotic Movement and Amal Movement agreed on appointing Mohammad Safadi as next prime minister.…

7.1-magnitude quake strikes off central, eastern Indonesia, tsunami alert issued

JAKARTA, Nov 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — An earthquake with a revised 7.1-magnitude rocked eastern and central parts of Indonesia on Thursday evening and was potential for a tsunami, the meteorology and geophysics agency said. Previously the agency released the quake’s magnitude at 7.4 before the revision, head of quake department of…

More than a dozen tornadoes recorded over past 10 years in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 15 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — A severe thunderstorm that produced a tornado near New Hanover on Tuesday is among 17 which has ripped through parts of South Africa in the last decade. At least two people were killed and 20 injured in the storm, which the SA Weather Service (SAWS)…

Nigeria’s ‘sex for grades’ inquiry starts

ABUJA, Nov 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A public inquiry into rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria has started in the capital, Abuja.It will gather victims’ accounts and suspected violators’ defences.This is following a documentary by the BBC’s Africa Eye investigative unit, exposing sexual harassment and misconduct by lecturers…

South Africa parliament pays tribute to late Zimbabwean Pres Mugabe

The late Robert Mugabe PRETORIA, Nov 15 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — The South African Parliament yesterday paid tribute to the late former President Robert Mugabe, describing him as an icon of the liberation of Africa.The legislators said Zimbabwe should be allowed to solve its problems without the interference of external forces and…

Philippines deport 312 Chinese nationals for telecom fraud

MANILA, Nov 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Philippines on Thursday deported 312 Chinese nationals arrested in October over alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud, the Bureau of Immigration said.The Chinese nationals were among the 512 foreigners arrested on Oct 9, during a raid on an illegal business process outsourcing office in Pasay…