US hate crime: South Korean diplomat has nose broken in random attack in New York City

NEW YORK, Feb 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — A South Korean diplomat in his fifties was beaten and had his nose broken on a street of New York City in a random attack which has drawn wide attention to the deterioration of public safety and persistent hate crime in the megacity. The…

US: California sizzles in February heatwave

The sun is shinning through the smoke and rubbles of a burnt down house as the Sycamore Fire is burning in Whittier, East of Los Angeles, California LOS ANGELES, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A heatwave was bringing unseasonably high temperatures to California on Thursday, sending sun-worshippers to the beach, but…

Colombia eyes 200 tonnes of galleon gold

The wreck of the San Jose galleon was first located off Columbia’s coast in 2015, but has been left untouched as the government determines rules for its recovery BOGOTA, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia took a step toward recovering a long-lost Spanish wreck and its fabled riches, but it may…

FAO calls on international community to mitigate drought situation in Africa

NAIROBI, Feb 11 (NNN-KBC) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol has expressed concern over the ravaging drought in pastoralist inhabited areas of Northern Kenya and called on the international community to urgently make interventions to mitigate the situation.  Speaking during a tour…

EU chief unveils 150-bn-euro investment plan for Africa

DAKAR, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU chief Ursula von der Leyen unveiled plans to muster investment of more than 150 billion euros for Africa, proclaiming Europe to be the continent’s biggest and “most reliable” partner.   The scheme is the first regional plan of the European Union’s Global Gateway — an…

IMF aiming to finalize loan for Argentina quickly

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — IMF staff are working closely with officials in Argentina to secure an agreement on a new financing deal “as quickly as possible,” a fund spokesman said.    Buenos Aires in late January announced it had reached an “understanding” with the International Monetary Fund on key policies…

Morocco to map makeshift wells after Rayan tragedy

RABAT, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Moroccan authorities plan to survey abandoned and unauthorised wells across the country, the official MAP news agency reported Thursday, after the death of a boy trapped in a borehole sparked global attention.    The boy, Rayan, had fallen down a narrow 32-metre dry well on…

UK: London police chief resigns as scandals rock force

LONDON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — London’s police chief announced her resignation after a string of scandals rocked the British capital’s force, including racism, sexism and a serving officer murdering a young woman.   Cressida Dick, who became the first woman to head London’s Metropolitan Police in 2017, said she had…

Another journalist killed in Mexico, the fifth this year

  MEXICO CITY, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A journalist was shot dead Thursday, a prosecutor said, the fifth such murder in Mexico this year.    Heber Lopez Vazquez, who worked for a news website called Noticias Web in the southern Oaxaca state, was shot while he was in his car, state…

US approves $14 bn sale of F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US State Department approved the potential $14 billion sale to Indonesia of 36 F-15 fighter jets and other assorted military equipment.    The proposed sale will improve “the security of an important regional partner that is a force for political stability, and economic progress…