Covid-19: US Pres Biden warns Omicron variant will ‘spread much more rapidly’

  WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Joe Biden warned that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus will start to spread much more rapidly in the United States and urged Americans to get vaccinated or boosted.    “The only real protection is to get your shot,” he said, predicting “a winter…

Storms leave over 510,000 without power in central US

NEW YORK, Dec 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — A powerful storm system swept through the central United States with high winds that kicked up dust storms, fueled wildfires and knocked down power lines, leaving more than 510,000 customers without power, with no mass casualties reported as of early Thursday, according to major…

Unrest in Libya fuels doubts over planned election

Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 TRIPOLI, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tensions have mounted in Libya in the past few days, raising doubts that an election, seen as crucial to restoring stability to the conflict-ridden country, will be held as scheduled…

Ebola outbreak in DRC’s east declared over

The DRC had announced its 13th outbreak of Ebola KINSHASA, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An Ebola outbreak that emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) east more than two months ago, infecting 11 people and killing six, has been declared over.The DRC had announced its 13th outbreak of…

Spain: Cautious clean-up on La Palma as hopes rise for end to volcano eruption

LA PALMA (Spain), Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities on Spain’s La Palma island allowed evacuated residents to return to clear their ash-covered houses on Thursday as scientists suggested solidifying lava vents beneath the Cumbre Vieja volcano could herald an end to the three-month eruption. Deep banks of black ash had…

Part of Sudan 2020 peace deal suspended after eastern protests

KHARTOUM, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council suspended a section of a 2020 peace deal with rebel groups dealing with the east of the country following tribal protests against the deal. In October 2020, the government signed a peace pact with multiple rebel groups in Sudan’s far-flung regions…

Migrants push past outnumbered French police to make perilous Channel crossing

Migrants getting on an inflatable dinghy in a bid to cross the English Channel, in Wimereux, France WIMEREUX (France), Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In the early hours of Thursday on a beach in northern France, a small group of police with torches tries to stand in the way of dozens…

European stores pull products linked to Brazil deforestation

Amazon deforestation; most of the cleared land is used for cattle ranching PARIS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Several European supermarket chains are dropping Brazilian beef products linked to destruction of the Amazon rainforest and tropical wetland, the US activist group Mighty Earth said. Chains such as Carrefour Belgium have committed to…

Covid-19: Omicron injects urgency into EU summit as cases expected to surge during winter

  BRUSSELS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The lightning spread of Omicron in Europe and elsewhere has added a sense of urgency to an EU summit, with leaders struggling to present a united, bloc-wide approach.   Projections that the mutated and highly infectious Covid strain could be dominant in the EU…

UN says hunger on the rise in the Arab world; Somalia and Yemen worst-affected countries

 ROME, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A third of people in the 420-million-strong Arab world do not have enough to eat, the United Nations said, highlighting that 69 million suffered from malnutrition last year.   In a report, the world body’s Food and Agriculture Organization said that between 2019 and 2020,…