UN calls for Somalia elections ‘as soon as possible’

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN envoy for Somalia called for an agreement on holding elections “as soon as possible” after gunfire broke out during an opposition demonstration in the capital Mogadishu last week. In a quarterly video conference of the UN Security Council, James Swan urged “all…

Myanmar: Huge anti-coup rallies after junta threat of death

YANGON, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of thousands of anti-coupprotesters rallied across Myanmar again Monday after a clear threat from the junta that it was prepared to use lethal force to crush what it branded as“anarchy”. The warning came after three demonstrators were shot dead over the weekend, and the…

Italian ambassador to DR Congo dies in attack on UN convoy

Luca Attanasio had been Italy’s head of mission in Kinshasa since 2017 and was made ambassador in 2019 KINSHASA, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and two other people have been killed in an attack on a United Nations convoy in the restive east of…

Boeing 747 cargo plane drops engine parts in Netherlands, two injured

Debris after pieces of metal fell from a Boeing 747 cargo plane on Sunday AMSTERDAM, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two people were injured after pieces of a cargo plane broke off and fell onto a town in the Netherlands, according to authorities there. Pieces of metal fell on the town…

Myanmar junta warns protesters could die as new rallies erupted Monday

YANGON, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Myanmar junta warned anti-coup protesters they could die but thousands of people took to the streets again on Monday, with tensions soaring over the deaths of four demonstrators. Much of Myanmar has been in uproar over the generals ousting and detaining civilian leader Aung…

Israel, Egypt agree to build new gas pipeline

Israel and Egypt’s energy ministers agreed to build a gas pipeline from the offshore eastern Mediterranean Leviathan field to Egypt JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Israel and Egypt’s energy ministers agreed to build a gas pipeline from the offshore eastern Mediterranean Leviathan field to Egypt, aimed at boosting exports to…

Indonesian capital Jakarta braces for more floods as rainy days expected this week

Volunteers evacuate elderly women with an inflatable boat in an area affected by floods, following heavy rains in Jakarta JAKARTA, Feb 22 (NNN-CNA) — The Indonesian capital of Jakarta could see more flooding and landslides this week as the meteorology agency predicted rains of moderate to heavy intensity to sweep through the…

UN refugee agency calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded in Andaman Sea

The Rohingyas have suffered persecution in Myanmar and many have fled in rickety boats, encountering often perilous journeys DHAKA, Feb (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations refugee agency called for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees who were adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea without food…

Covid-19: French city of Nice asks tourists to stay away amid surge

A man, wearing a protective face mask, rides his scooter in a local market in Nice PARIS, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The mayor of the French city of Nice called for a weekend lockdown in the area to stop the flow of visitors, saying tourists are welcome in normal times,…

Covid-19: Argentina president blasts ‘unforgivable’ vaccine line-jump scandal

Argentina President Alberto Fernandez (right) swears in Carla Vizzotti as the new health minister a day after the vaccines scandal broke BUENOS AIRES, Feb 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez blasted his former health minister over an “unforgivable” COVID-19 vaccine scandal. Gines Gonzalez Garcia resigned late on Friday after it…