Ghana to plant about 5 mln trees to combat deforestation

ACCRA, June 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — Ghana aimed to plant 5 million trees on Friday as part of efforts to mitigate climate change and restore the country’s dwindling forest belt. In Accra, the capital, diplomatic representatives joined the Forestry Commission to plant tree seedlings in parts of the Achimota Forest, the…

Nigerian college suspends academic activities after gunmen attack

ABUJA, June 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — A polytechnic in northwest Nigeria on Friday suspended academic activities indefinitely following an attack by unknown gunmen on the institution late Thursday. At least one student was killed, another injured, and 10 others, including teachers kidnapped at the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic in the town of…

Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, UAE elected non-permanent members of UN Security Council

UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Friday for a two-year term. The newly elected members will take up their new responsibilities on Jan 1, 2022, and will serve till Dec.…

Algerians to elect parliament amid ‘repression’ of protest movement

ALGIERS, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algerians vote in parliamentary elections on Saturday as authorities seek to bolster their legitimacy and snuff out a long-running protest movement, under what activists say is a “climate of repression”. Pro-government parties have urged Algerians take an active part in what they call a “crucial…

Russian Pres Putin hopes Pres Biden less impulsive than Trump

WASHINGTON, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope that Joe Biden will be less impulsive than his predecessor Donald Trump, ahead of his first summit with the new US leader. In an interview with NBC News, Putin described Biden as a “career man” who spent his life…

Number of migrants at US border hits new record high

US Vice-President Kamala Harris  WASHINGTON, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The number of undocumented migrants reaching the US-Mexico border has hit the highest level in more than 20 years in the latest sign of the humanitarian crisis facing the Biden administration. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it caught 180,034 migrants, mostly single…

France to scale down West Africa military operations

France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel region PARIS,  June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France is to scale down counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region of West Africa after eight years, President Emmanuel Macron has said. The existing 5,100-strong task force will be incorporated into a broader international mission, he announced. French forces…

Macron slap: Four months for man who attacked French President

President Macron met members of the French national football team on Thursday ahead of Euro 2020  PARIS, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) —A medieval combat enthusiast has been given four months in jail after he admitted slapping French President Emmanuel Macron. Damien Tarel told the court it was an act of impulse, but the…

Puerto Rico electricity firm says hit by cyber-attack and fire

SAN JUAN, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A fire at an electrical substation left hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans in the dark, shortly after the power company reported a cyberattack that it did not immediately link to the blaze. Luma Energy confirmed the Thursday fire at a facility in the…

Over 30,000 children risk death in famine-hit Tigray: UN

At least 90 percent of the more than five million people in the Tigray region need emergency food aid, according to the UN GENEVA, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of malnourished children risk dying in hard-to-reach areas of Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, now hit by famine, the United…