Police officer, 11 inmates die in Paraguay prison operation

ASUNCION, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A police officer and 11 inmates died in Paraguay Monday in a fierce gunfight that erupted during an attempt to transfer a drug trafficker who controlled part of a prison, authorities said. The drug trafficker, Javier Rotela, was captured in a section of the prison…

Moroccan navy rescues 23 migrants off Atlantic coast

RABAT, Dec 19 (NNN-XINHUA) — The Moroccan navy rescued 23 migrants from a boat off the Atlantic coast near the port of Tan-Tan on Monday, the official MAP news agency reported, citing a statement from the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces. The navy unit in charge of coastal surveillance intercepted the…

Hungary, Türkiye elevate bilateral ties to “priority strategic” level

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, Dec 19 (NNN-XINHUA) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed an agreement here on Monday elevating the bilateral ties to “priority strategic” level.…

Morocco, Malawi pledge to promote cooperation, strengthen ties

RABAT, Dec 19 (NNN-XINHUA) — Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Malawian counterpart Nancy Tembo on Monday agreed to further promote cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations. The bilateral relations have entered a “very positive” phase, marked by the signing of the bilateral cooperation roadmap for 2022/2024, Bourita told a…

South Sudan cracks whip on informal forex dealers

People jostle to exchange their currencies in a local bank in Juba, South Sudan JUBA, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Bank of South Sudan (BoSS) has moved to curtail the operations of informal foreign exchange dealers as part of the World Bank-funded financial sector modernisation and reform plan.The aim is…

Sudan expels Chadian diplomats in retaliatory move

Sudan’s foreign affairs ministry has ordered three Chadian diplomats to leave the country KHARTOUM, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan’s foreign affairs ministry has ordered three Chadian diplomats to leave the country within 72 hours, in retaliation for a similar move by Chad.Chad’s government had on Saturday declared four Sudanese diplomats…

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act challenged in Constitutional Court

Uganda’s LGBTQ rights activists regard the law as draconian, and want it scrapped KAMPALA, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality laws is being challenged in the Ugandan courts by rights groups.The law has caused global outrage, with the World Bank halting new loans to Uganda and…

South Africa violence: N West Premier condemns fatal shooting of nine people in Rustenburg

RUSTENBURG (South Africa), Dec 19 (NNN-SANEWS) — North West Premier Kaobitsa Bushy Maape has condemned the fatal shooting of nine people on Saturday at Popo Molefe informal settlement, near Rustenburg, in the North West.  According to police, a group of individuals were sitting at the house of one of the…

US: Man charged with drunk driving after crash near Pres Biden

Members of the US Secret Service rush to a car, after it hit a motorcade SUV, as US president Joe Biden was leaving his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware WILMINGTON (Delaware, US), Dec 19 (NNN-gencies) — A 46-year-old man is facing drunk driving charges after his car crashed into a…

Volcano erupts in southwest Iceland

REYKJAVIK, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A volcanic eruption began on Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said. For weeks, the Nordic country has been on high alert for a potential eruption at any moment after a period of intense seismic…