Somalia ‘willing’ to extend stay of African Union peacekeepers

Ugandan soldiers serving under Atmis disembarking from an aircraft MOGADISHU, April 25 (NNN-GNA) — Less than 20 months before the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia formally exits the stage, officials in Mogadishu say they are willing to prolong the stay of the regional force, signaling the challenge of beating…

South Africa: Energy crisis and climate change must be tackled together, says Pres Ramaphosa

PRETORIA, April 25 (NNN-SANEWS) — In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the South African government is determined to tackle both the energy crisis and climate change together. “The country is faced with both an electricity crisis and a climate crisis, which we must tackle together. Our position is…

UN launches major push for child vaccination amid Covid

GENEVA, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations kicked off a campaign Monday to reverse dangerous declines in childhood vaccination due to the pandemic, sparking rising outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio. The World Health Organization and the UN children’s agency UNICEF, along with Gavi, the Gates Foundation and…

Venezuela’s Guaido ‘forced’ to leave Colombia

BOGOTA, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia forced top Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido to leave its borders on Monday, hours after he arrived in Bogota for a conference on his crisis-torn country, an opposition source said. “It forced him,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding Guaido was…

India to pass China this week as world’s most populous nation: UN

UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country in the coming week, hitting almost 1.43 billion people, the United Nations said on Monday. “By the end of this month, India’s population is expected to reach 1,425,775,850 people, matching and then surpassing the population…

Nepal issues record 454 permits for Everest

KATHMANDU, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nepal has issued a record 454 permits to climb Mount Everest this spring, officials said, four years after at least four deaths on the world’s highest peak were blamed on overcrowding. “This is the highest number of permits the department has issued to summit Mount Everest,”…

Singapore, Shanghai sign 15 agreements to boost cooperation in areas like digital economy, healthcare

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling at the fourth Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation SINGAPORE, April 25 (NNN-CNA) — Singapore and Shanghai on Monday signed 15 agreements to boost…

Jerusalem: Five injured in Palestinian car ramming attack

The car hit people near the busy Machane Yehuda market area  JERUSALEM, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Five people have been injured in a car-ramming attack by a Palestinian in central Jerusalem, Israeli police say. The vehicle hit pedestrians near the busy Machane Yehuda market. The attacker was shot and killed…

Ghanaian capital Accra takes over as UNESCO’s 2023 World Book Capital

ACCRA, April 25 (NNN-XINHUA) — The Ghanaian capital Accra formally took over as the 2023 World Book Capital of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from the Mexican city of Guadalajara on Monday. “Books and reading are essential to us all, as a source of information, questions,…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: UN Sec-Gen Guterres proposes ‘way forward’ for Ukraine grain initiative

UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — United Nations chief Antonio Guterres presented a “way forward” on extending Ukrainian grain exports during a meeting with Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York Monday, the UN said.    Guterres gave Lavrov “a letter to President Vladimir Putin, outlining a proposed way forward…