World’s oldest Head of State: Cameroon president ‘succeeds’ Queen Elizabeth II

Cameroon president Paul Biya and late Queen Elizabeth II YAOUNDE, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cameroonian President Paul Biya is officially the world’s oldest head of state after Sept 8.The ‘post’ was automatically conferred on the 89-year-old following the death of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II on the same day.Buckingham…

UK police step up security for first state funeral since 1965

LONDON, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — As Britain prepares to stage its first state funeral in nearly six decades, security officials are planning what is expected to be the “biggest policing and protective operation” in UK history. Police are dusting off long-standing plans to keep safe attendees – including global political leaders…

Croatia: Three killed in train collision; 11 mostly-migrants injured – PM Plenkovic

ZAGREB, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) —  At least three people were killed and 11 were injured when a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train in central Croatia, officials said. The accident occurred at 9.30pm on Friday near the central town of Novska, some 100km southeast of Zagreb, an interior ministry…

Update: Massive California fire eases with rains

LOS ANGELES, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — California firefighters were able to beat back a massive wildfire outside Los Angeles after a tropical storm brought rains and cooler temperatures, US authorities said. The Fairview Fire was 40 percent contained as of Saturday evening after forcing evacuation orders and leaving two people…

Site in northern Switzerland picked for nuclear waste storage

GENEVA, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Swiss authorities have selected a site in northern Switzerland, not far from the German border, to host a deep geological storage repository for radioactive waste, they said Saturday. After nearly 50 years of searching for the best way to store its radioactive waste, Switzerland is…

New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists

 OXFORD (UK), Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A malaria vaccine with “world-changing” potential has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford. The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease. Crucially, say the scientists, their vaccine is…

US: New York declares State Of Emergency over polio

 NEW YORK, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The governor of New York has declared a state of emergency over polio as evidence emerges that the virus is spreading across the state. Health officials say wastewater samples in New York City and four adjacent counties have tested positive for a poliovirus that…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: UN says blackout threatens Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

 UNITED NATIONS, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The head of the UN nuclear agency has warned that the situation at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine is increasingly precarious. Rafael Grossi said shelling had knocked out power in the nearby city of Enerhodar which fed the plant, and it was…

US Marshals offer US$40,000 reward for info on Malaysian fugitive nicknamed ‘Fat Leonard’

SAN DIEGO (California, US), Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States government posted a US$40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard,” who disappeared weeks before he was set to be sentenced for one of the largest bribery scandals in the nation’s military…

IOC approves Olympic Forest Network to address climate change

GENEVA, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) approved the creation of an Olympic Forest Network to step up the fight against climate change. The project, inspired by the IOC’s Olympic Forest project set to plant around 590,000 native trees in Mali and Senegal, is…