Norway: Humanitarian aid tops agenda as Taliban meet Western officials in Oslo

 OSLO, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where hunger threatens millions, will be in focus at talks opening Sunday in Oslo between the Taliban, the West and members of Afghan civil society. In their first visit to Europe since returning to power in August,…

Burkina Faso forces fire tear gas at anti-government protests

Protesters take to the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou  OUAGADOUGOU, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Security forces have fired tear gas at protesters barricading the streets and throwing rocks in Burkina Faso’s capital, as anger grows at the government’s inability to stop armed attacks spreading across the country. Several hundred people marched…

Sudan deputy leader meets Ethiopia defence minister on rare visit

General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo ‘Hemeti’ is deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council ADDIS ABABA, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan’s second most powerful leader has met with Ethiopia’s defence minister on a rare visit to Addis Ababa by an official from Khartoum amid border tensions, according to officials. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, widely…

British national jailed in Iran begins hunger strike: Family

Aryan Ashoori, Sherry Izadi and Elika Ashoori, the son, wife and daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori, a British man who has been jailed in Iran, stage an ’empty chair’ protest opposite Downing Street LONDON, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A British national held in Iran for four-and-a-half-years on spying charges vehemently denied…

Brazil: Rio vows to revitalise two crime-racked slums

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The governor of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state announced plans on Saturday for massive investments aimed at revitalizing two long crime-infested slum districts. The announcement came just three days after 1,300 police swept through the Jacarezinho and Muzema favelas in a “reconquering” operation…

Covid-19: French vaccine pass opponents demonstrate

PARIS, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds joined a series of small-scale demonstrations in France on Saturday two days before tighter restrictions come into force against people holding out against having a COVID-19 vaccine. Opponents of the policy say the reinforced measures will impinge upon daily “freedoms” and railed against what…

Russian and UK defence ministers to meet over Ukraine

  LONDON, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has accepted an invitation to meet his British counterpart Ben Wallace to discuss the crisis on the Russia-Ukraine border, a senior UK defence source said.    “The Defence Secretary is glad that Russia has accepted the invitation to talk with his counterpart,”…

Covid-19: Italy reports 171,263 cases, 333 deaths

ROME, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy reported 171,263 Covid-19 related cases on Saturday, against 179,106 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of one-day deaths fell to 333 from 373. Italy has registered 143,296 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest…

US: Lab monkeys escape after road crash, one on the loose

HARRISBURG (Pennsylvania, US), Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The crash in Pennsylvania of a truck transporting 100 monkeys to a laboratory allowed four of them to escape, triggering a search by police who warned the public not to approach the animals. The vehicle collided with a dump truck near Danville, Pennsylvania…

UK lawmaker says she was sacked from ministerial job for her ‘Muslimness’

British MP Nusrat Ghani said her Conservative Party fired her from a ministerial job because of her Muslim faith LONDON, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A British lawmaker has said she was fired from a ministerial job in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government partly because her Muslim faith was making…