One killed, 11 injured in explosion at German housing block

Police shared a photo of the damage BLANKENBURG (Germany), Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One person was killed and at least 11 were injured in an explosion Friday at a residential building in the German city of Blankenburg.The mayor of Blankenburg Heiko Breithaupt told reporters that 11 people had been injured,…

President pays tribute to soldiers after ‘dark day’ in Niger’s history

Niger’s army is struggling to contain the spread of armed groups NIAMEY, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The president of Niger has paid tribute to the 71 soldiers who were killed on Tuesday in the country’s worst ever jihadist attack.At a military airbase in the capital Niamey, Mahamadou Issoufou described the…

British PM Johnson accepts Queen invitation to form new government after thumping election win

Boris Johnson arrives for an audience with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, who invited him to become Prime Minister and form a new government. LONDON, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II on Friday, where she formally…

Famine stalks millions in South Sudan after droughts, floods – U.N

JUBA, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Famine threatens the lives of up to 5.5 million people in South Sudan, where droughts and flooding have destroyed crops and livestock, compounding “intense political instability”, the United Nations warned. The U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) said it needed $270 million urgently to provide food…

Libyan east-based general orders forces to capture capital from UN-backed government

General Haftar’s forces have been restricted in Tripoli’s outskirts by UN-backed government troop TRIPOLI, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libyan east-based military strongman General Khalifa Haftar has called on his forces to begin an advance aimed at capturing the capital, Tripoli.The General’s statement came in a rare, live television broadcast.In April,…

EU leaders prepare for Brexit after Johnson win

Irish PM Leo Varadkar [C} along with other EU leaders at the EU summit BRUSSELS, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — European leaders will charge EUnegotiator Michel Barnier on Friday with negotiating a close trade deal withBritain, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apparent election win set thestage for an orderly Brexit. Some…

Tropical Indonesia’s tiny glaciers to melt away in a decade: Study

Melting glaciers on a mountain range in Indonesia JAKARTA, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Indonesia’s little-known glaciers are melting so fast they could disappear in a decade, a new study says, underscoring the imminent threat posed by climate change to ice sheets in tropical countries. As the COP 25 summit wraps…

Despite growing protests, Indian president signs citizenship Bill into law

People stand next to vehicles that were set ablaze by demonstrators during Thursday protest in Assam state NEW DELHI, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A divisive citizenship Bill has been signed into law in India, a move that comes amid widespread protests in the country’s northeast that could force the cancellation…

Daesh claims responsibility for Niger attack which killed 71

NIAMEY, Dec 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Daesh group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an army camp in Niger which left 71 military personnel dead, the SITE intelligence group said. Hundreds of militants attacked the camp, near the border with Mali with shells and mortars on Tuesday, killing 71,…

Europe tells US to back off over Russian gas pipeline

Incoming pipelines leading to the Bovanenkovo gas field on the Yamal peninsula in the Arctic circle BRUSSELS, Dec 113 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Europe warned Washington to mind its own business after US lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would sanction contractors working on a Russian pipeline to the continent.…