Ship with wheat for drought-hit Africa docks in Djibouti

DJIBOUTI, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A UN-chartered ship loaded with thousands of tonnes of Ukrainian wheat arrived in Djibouti on Tuesday, destined for some of the 22 million people at risk of starvation in the Horn of Africa. The bulk carrier Brave Commander, which is carrying 23,000 tonnes of grain,…

Nigeria: Whereabouts of 14,000 children in Nigeria unknown, says ICRC

ABUJA, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, said that the whereabouts of no fewer than 14,000 children in Nigeria remained unknown. It also disclosed that these registered cases do not capture the full scope of the often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. In a statement…

West Africa: Burkinabé peacekeeper in Mali is UN Woman Police Officer of the Year

Chief Warrant Officer Alizeta Kabore Kinda of Burkina Faso UNITED NATIONS, Aug 30 (NNN-UNNS) — A peacekeeper from Burkina Faso serving in Mali has been honoured for her work to boost trust between the authorities and local communities, including survivors of gender-based violence. Chief Warrant Officer Alizeta Kabore Kinda is…

Venezuelan Pres Maduro sends letter of support to embattled Argentine VP CFK

CARACAS, Aug 30 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sent a letter expressing his solidarity to Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) after prosecutors requested a 12-year jail sentence against her. The Venezuelan leader also promised to defend the “heiress of Evita” saying that the “Bolivarian and Chavista…

Brazil elections: Presidential debate almost ends up in a fistfight

BRASILIA, Aug 30 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva and the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro took center stage Sunday in a TV presidential debate featuring all candidates due to participate in the upcoming Oct 2 elections. In the audience, a Lula deputy and a former Bolsonaro minister…

Two Air France pilots suspended over cockpit “physical altercation” during Geneva-Paris flight

PARIS, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French carrier Air France has suspended two pilots after a heated disagreement in which “inappropriate gestures were exchanged” in the cockpit of a Geneva-Paris flight in June, the company said Monday. “Following an argument between the two pilots at the controls of an Airbus A320……

Covid-19: Face masks now optional for Peruvian school kids, still mandatory for teaching staff

LIMA, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Using a face mask became optional for schoolchildren in Peru, for the first time since in-person classes resumed in late March. According to a government decree, “the use of a mask is optional for students at educational institutions, and adequate ventilation must be guaranteed, in…

Tunisia foils 51 illegal immigration attempts toward Italy

TUNIS, Aug 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tunisia foiled 51 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian coast, National Guard Spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli said. Tunisia’s Maritime Guard thwarted these illegal immigration attempts late Saturday and early Sunday off the country’s southern, central-eastern and northern coasts, Jbabli said in a…

Court blocks extradition of disgraced Nigerian ‘super cop’ to US, dismisses govt’s application

Hushpuppi and DCP Abba Kyari ABUJA, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit instituted by the Nigerian Government seeking to extradite the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari to the United States of America.Kyari is wanted in the US over alleged…

Greek parliament to probe phone-hacking scandal

ATHENS, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greece’s parliament on Monday set up a special committee to investigate a phone-hacking scandal that has roiled the conservative government. A total of 142 MPs out of 299 present voted to probe the wire-tapping of socialist politician Nikos Androulakis, a European Parliament MEP who is…