Covid-19: Queen Elizabeth tested positive but symptoms ‘mild’ – palace

  LONDON, Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain’s 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II  tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday but her symptoms are “mild” and she  intends to continue with light duties at her Windsor Castle residence, aides said.     The news comes after Prince Charles, the queen’s eldest son and heir, tested positive…

Mali’s army says eight soldiers and 57 fighters killed in clashes

BAMAKO, Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Eight Malian soldiers were killed, 14 others injured and four are missing following a clash with fighters in the northeast of the West African nation, the defence ministry said. The ministry said late on Friday that columns of fighters on motorbikes had pinned down the…

Nigeria’s looted Benin bronzes returned more than 100 years later

Some 90 percent of Africa’s cultural heritage is believed to be in Europe, according to an estimate by French art historians BENIN CITY (Nigeria), Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two Benin bronzes have been returned to a traditional palace in Nigeria, more than a century after they were pillaged by British troops, raising…

Passenger found alive on Greece-Italy ferry after blaze, 11 still missing

CORFU (Greece), Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A passenger listed as missing after a blaze swept through a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy has been found alive by rescuers, a Greek shipping ministry official said. The Greek coast guard rescued 280 out of 292 passengers and crew who were onboard…

East Africa: Germany grants €20m to FAO’s drought response in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Germany is providing assistance to the tune of 20 million Euro via the United Nations in order to mitigate the suffering from the ongoing severe drought in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Following a historic drought, the United Nations estimates that around 13…

108 Ethiopian’s suspected to be victims of human trafficking rescued

NAIROBI, Feb 20 (NNN-KBC) — Detectives from Kenya’s Transnational and Organized Crime unit have rescued 108 Ethiopian nationals suspected to be victims of Human Trafficking. The DCI Headquarters-based sleuths, acting on intelligence reports managed to trace the location of the victims to a house in Kiambu County’s Kirigiti area. After…

Ethiopia PM inaugurates electricity production at Nile mega-dam

 GUBA (Ethiopia), Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated electricity production from the country’s mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday, a milestone in the controversial multi-billiondollar project.   Abiy, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power generation station and pressed a series of buttons on…

World Bank readies US$350 million Ukraine disbursement, pledges more support

WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank Group said it is readying a US$350 million disbursement to Ukraine that the group’s board will consider by the end of March as part of a plan for short- and long-term financing for the country. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr…

Update: Presidents Macron and Putin to meet Sunday as Ukraine front line grows more volatile

KYIV, Feb 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Sunday to try to avert what Western powers predict will be an imminent invasion of Ukraine.   Over the weekend, civilians were evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions where Kyiv said Saturday two of…

Violence in 2021 in Colombia highest since Peace Accords

The President of Colombia, Iván Duque BOGOTA, Feb 20 (NNN-TELESUR) — 2021 was the year with the highest number of massacres and massive forced displacements in Colombia since the signing of the Final Peace Agreement, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, JEP, said in a statement. In that year, 93 massacres,…