20 years on, US must close ‘ugly’ Guantanamo chapter: UN experts

   GENEVA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two decades after the first detainees arrived at Guantanamo Bay, a group of UN experts urged Washington to finally close the site of “unrelenting human rights violations”.    More than a dozen independent UN rights experts voiced outrage that the military prison in Cuba created…

Update: Russia, US make no breakthrough on Ukraine but agree to keep talking

 GENEVA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia told the United States at tense talks Monday that it had no plans to invade Ukraine, as the two sides agreed to more efforts to keep tensions from turning into a full-blown confrontation.   After more than seven hours of negotiations in Geneva, the Russian…

EU parliament president David Sassoli has died: spokesman

  STRASBOURG (France), Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, died early Tuesday in hospital in Italy, his spokesman said on Twitter.   The 65-year-old Italian had been seriously ill in hospital for more than two weeks due to a dysfunction of his immune system.   “David…

Weather expert predicts more disasters looming for Brazil

BRASÍLIA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The tragic collapse of a cliff that left 10 dead in Brazil on Saturday was caused by torrential rains and more disasters could be on the way, meteorologist Estael Sias said. Two months of downpours have caused deadly flooding in several Brazilian states, including Bahia…

South Africa: Airlink plane hit by bird strike, causing propeller to break off, smash through fuselage

An Airlink JS-41 suffered serious damage after coming into contact with a bird VENETIA (Limpopo, South Africa), Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Passengers onboard an Airlink private charter flight to Limpopo were left shaken after a large bird struck the aircraft causing a propeller to break off and smash through the…

Belize to host West Africa – Latin America Trade, Investment Conference

BELMOPAN (Belize), Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Belmopan, capital of Belize, is set to host the West Africa – Latin America Trade, Investment, and Sister City Conference, which is slated for Feb 13-20.Mayor of Belmopan, Sheran Sharon Palacio, the first woman mayor of the capital city, expressed delight that the city…

ECOWAS takes harsher sanctions on Mali, activates standby force

Photos of West African leaders displayed during an ECOWAS summit in Accra ACCRA (Ghana), Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will close its land and air borders with Mali and impose far-reaching economic sanctions for failure to stick to an agreed transitional election timetable.The…

Covid-19: Schools reopen in Uganda after nearly-two-year coronavirus closure

15 million pupils have not attended school in Uganda since March 2020 KAMPALA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uganda has ended the world’s longest school closure, ordering millions of students back to the classroom after a gap of nearly two years.Some 15 million pupils have not attended school in Uganda since…

Scala Dei Turchi: Sicily’s famed white cliffs streaked red by vandals

The red can clearly be seen on the white cliffs  NICOSIA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An investigation has been launched after Sicily’s normally white Scala dei Turchi cliffs were stained red. The marl cliffs, which attract thousands of tourists every year, were defaced sometime overnight on Friday. Sicily’s President Nello Musumeci…

Nigeria motorbike gang attack: Death toll rises to 200

The criminal gangs are well organised and operate in several states in north-west and central Nigeria ABUJA, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 200 people in Nigeria’s north-western Zamfara state have been buried after a wave of vicious attacks by gangs of gunmen over several days. Survivors said that motorbike-riding…