Ecuador renews state of emergency over prison violence

 QUITO, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ecuador’s president on Monday renewed for one month a state of emergency aimed at restoring calm in the country’s prisons, where riots have left more than 300 inmates dead this year.    President Guillermo Lasso signed a decree that allows for mobilization of police and…

Mexico: Over 95,000 registered as disappeared, impunity ‘almost absolute’ – UN

protest rally in Mexico City on the case of Ayoitzinapa rural school attended by the 43 disappeared students MEXICO CITY, Nov 30 (NNN-UNNS) — As of last Friday, more than 95,000 people have been officially registered as disappeared in Mexico. That includes a worrying increase in the number of women and children, a trend that has…

Magnitude 7.5 quake damages hundreds of houses in Peru

The arrival of the president, Pedro Castillo, to the area where an earthquake of 7.5 degrees on the scale occurred LIMA, Nov 30 (NNN-EFE) — A 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Peru Sunday left at least 12 people injured and damaged hundreds of homes in the remote Amazon region…

Honduras about to have first woman president; LatAm takes turn to the left

TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 30 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Chavist candidate Xiomara Castro seemed on track Monday morning to become the first female president of Honduras after 38.94% of the votes had been counted. Castro, a former first lady whose husband Manuel Zelaya was ousted by a coup in 2009, had obtained 53.44% of…

Sweden’s Andersson elected PM for second time in less than a week

Current Swedish Finance Minister and Scocial Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson (Right) receives applause after Swedish parliament Riksdagen voted for the second time on her appointment as prime minister in Stockholm STOCKHOLM, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sweden’s parliament on Monday elected Magdalena Andersson as the country’s prime minister, the first…

EU, Russia, Iran optimistic after resumption of nuclear talks

VIENNA, Nov 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Diplomats from EU, Russia and Iran expressed here on Monday optimism amid a fresh round of Iran nuclear talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal after a hiatus of more than five months. “I feel extremely positive about what I have seen today,” said…

Covid-19: Keep borders open as we tackle new variant says WHO

  BRAZZAVILLE, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The head of the World Health Organization in Africa urged countries to follow the science rather than imposing flight bans in a bid to contain the new Omicron coronavirus variant.    “With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting…

Covid-19: Swiss voters back Coronavirus law amid surge in infections

Voters cast their ballots at a polling station for three national bills, including the COVID-19 law and several cantonal and communal proposals, at the Zurich City Hall in Zurich, Switzerland GENEVA, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Swiss voters have back legislation to impose the use of a COVID-19 certificate that lets only people…

Covid-19: Cuba tightens restrictions on eight African countries over Omicron concerns

HAVANA, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cuba will ratchet up restrictions from Dec 4 on passengers from certain African countries over concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant, the country’s Communist-run government said. The World Health Organization said on Monday that the Omicron variant carried a “very high” risk of infection surges. Countries…

Covid-19: UN chief concerned about southern Africa isolation over Omicron

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the isolation of southern African countries after COVID-19 travel restrictions were imposed by several countries over the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. “I appeal to all governments to consider repeated testing for travellers, together with…