South AFRICA: Safety of children in schools remains a priority – Education Minister

PRETORIA, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa’s Social Protection, Community and Human Development cluster says it is dealing with social ills in schools, such as bullying, gender-based violence (GBV), child pregnancy, alcohol, and drug peddling. Speaking on behalf of the cluster, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga reiterated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s…

South Africa: Government works to formalise informal settlements

PRETORIA, Feb 27 (NNN-SANEWS) — The Social Protection, Community and Human Development cluster says government is working around the clock to formalise the many informal settlements across South Africa to help protect residents from floods and fires.  In addition, the cluster has stressed the importance of accessing land in urban…

Mexicans protest Congress-approved controversial electoral reform

MEXICO CITY, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of Mexicans protested on Sunday against an electoral reform approved by the ruling party-controlled Congress that is widely perceived as an attack on democracy ahead of 2024 presidential polls. Political and civic organizations joined forces for the show of discontent, gathering…

Nigeria gets early results from tight election race

,Each ballot paper is being carefully checked ABUJA, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria announced initial results after a tight election for the presidency of Africa’s most populous nation, marked by widespread voting delays and early accusations of attempts to manipulate ballot counts. Nearly 90 million were eligible to vote on…

Hunger still blights the lives of Sudan’s children

KALMA (Sudan), Feb 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In Sudan’s sprawling Kalma camp for the displaced, Ansaf Omar lives with the gut-wrenching guilt of losing her toddler to a food crisis that has hit millions of people nationwide. “I am severely malnourished so I couldn’t breastfeed him,” said Ansaf, 34, a month…

At least 27 migrants dead after boat wreck off Italy: media

ROME, Feb 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 27 migrants died after their boat sank at dawn off the Italian coastal city of Crotone in the southern region of Calabria, Italian media reported on Sunday. News agency ANSA said at least 30 people were believed dead. The search for survivors was…

Two Brazilians arrested in Guyana for illegal mining; a helicopter seized

GEORGETOWN, Feb 26 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Guyanan authorities announced that they had arrested two Brazilian nationals after a helicopter and an illegal mining site were detected. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said in a statement that the intelligence-led operation was carried out on Feb 19 in an area known as the…

Chile’s Cochamó Valley awarded sanctuary status

SANTIAGO, Feb 26 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Chilean authorities have turned Patagonia’s Cochamó Valley into the South American country’s new 42-square-mile sanctuary to protect rivers and wetlands in addition to 6,500 hectares (about 25 square miles) of mature forest and more than 1,800 hectares (about 7 square miles) of thousand-year-old larches which…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Brazil’s Pres Lula determined to form Peace Club to end conflict

BRASILIA, Feb 26 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva launched through social media a negotiated peace proposal for the one-year-old war in Ukraine which has consequences the world over. Lula insisted on his idea to create a group of countries not involved in the conflict to act…

WHO worried human-to-human transmission of bird flu cannot be ruled out

GENEVA, Feb 26 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — World Health Organization (WHO) experts have expressed their concern after two cases of humans catching H5N1 avian flu were confirmed this week. During a virtual press conference, WHO Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Sylvie Briand said the situation was “worrying.”  The two…