Peru says oil spill caused by Tonga waves is an ‘ecological disaster’

A dead bird lies on a beach during a clean-up LIMA, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An oil spill at a refinery in Peru during high waves caused by the explosion last weekend of a volcano in Tonga is an “ecological disaster”, the Peruvian government said. The foreign ministry said that the oil spill had…

US mulling redesignating Yemen’s Houthis as terrorist group after deadly drone attack on UAE

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden said his administration is considering redesignating Yemen’s Houthi movement as an international terrorist organisation following drone and missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) claimed by the group. His comment at a news conference came shortly after the Emirati Embassy tweeted that…

Eighteen, including Vietnamese ringleader, sentenced to jail in Belgium two years after British lorry deaths

Some of the convicts in court during sentencing BRUGES (Belgium), Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Vietnamese man was handed 15 years jail time in Belgium on Wednesday, for his role as ringleader of a people-smuggling operation that led to the deaths of dozens of migrants in a lorry in Britain…

Two arrested of Italian ambassador’s death in Congo

Luca Attanasio, the late diplomat was killed in 2021 KINSHASA, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two suspects in the 2021 killing of Italian ambassador, Luca Attanasio in DR Congo, have been arrested according to the police chief of the country’s North Kivu province.Another suspect, who allegedly fired shots at Attanasio, remains…

Covid-19: Tanzania hopeful of removal from the UAE’s ‘virus red list’

The UAE removed Rwanda, Ghana, Angola, Uganda, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire from its ‘Red List DAR ES SALAAM, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities in Tanzania are optimistic that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would soon drop the East African nation on its COVID-19 ‘Red List’.Tanzanians, along with Kenyans are still locked in…

Covid-19: EAC loses $3.4b to Coronavirus measures as trade declines

Pandemic containment measures negatively impacted free movement ARUSHA (Tanzania), Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uganda was the only country in the East African Community region to record a trade increase of 4.6 per cent in 2020, a year when the average economic growth for the entire region declined to as low…

UK firm set to design $246m Railways City in Kenya

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General, Mohammed Badi NAIROBI, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A plan to build a $246.6 million city has moved a notch higher after the Nairobi Metropolitan Service in partnership with Kenya Railways picked UK firm Atkins Global to design the project.The deal will see the firm design…

US shooting: 3 police officers charged with fatally shooting 8-year-old Fanta Bility, injuring 3 others

PHILADELPHIA, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US prosecutors have charged three policemen with an eight-year-old girl’s death, dropping a murder case against two teenagers who were initially held. The officers opened fire on a vehicle outside a high school football game near Philadelphia on Aug 27, 2021 after hearing gunshots a block…

Nigeria shoot-to-kill order issued over jail breaks after 5,000 escaped in the past year

Insecurity in some areas of the country means prisons are vulnerable to those wanting to free inmates ABUJA, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s interior minister has ordered prison guards to “shoot to kill” those involved in jailbreaks. Rauf Aregbesola made the comments in an address to prison staff in the southern…

Covid-19: WHO warns pandemic not over amid Europe case records

GENEVA, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning to world leaders that the coronavirus pandemic “is nowhere near over”. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against the assumption that the newly dominant Omicron variant is significantly milder and has eliminated the threat…