Italy grants access to Spanish rescue ship with African migrants

ROME, Nov 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian authorities have agreed to grant the Open Arms ship access to a port to disembark 62 African migrants it has been carrying since Wednesday, the founder of the Spanish rescue mission said. Oscar Camps said the vessel is set to dock at the southern…

More refugees from Libya arrive in Rwanda

The refugees are mainly Eritrean and Somali nationals KIGALI, Nov 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The third batch of refugees, who were being held in detention centres in Libya, arrived in Rwanda in the early hours of Monday as part of a resettlement programme.A Rwandan government account has shared pictures of the…

Spain seizes submarine with cocaine cargo from South America

Spanish Civil Guard agents worked to raise the submarine to the surface MADRID, Nov 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A submarine carrying three tonnes of cocaine, worth approximately 100 million euros, has been intercepted after an international operation off the coast of Spain.  The vessel ran aground in waters off Galicia in northwestern Spain while…

South African president launches campaign against gender-based violence

LEPHALALE (Limpopo), Nov 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday launched a campaign to curb femicide and attacks against women, urging men to change their “sexist and patriarchal attitudes”. The mindset is fuelling gender violence in South Africa, which already has the reputation of being one of…

Dutch doctor dies after contracting Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone

Rodents spread Lassa virus via their urine and droppings. AMSTERDAM/FREETOWN, Nov 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Dutch doctor who was evacuated from Sierra Leone after contracting Lassa fever has died in a Dutch hospital. The medic was flown home on Tuesday after being infected in the northern Sierra Leone town of Masanga, an area not…

Death toll from Kenya storms rises to 52: official

NAIROBI, Nov 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from floods and landslides in Kenya’s west over the weekend has climbed to 52, an officialsaid, with more heavy rain forecast to lash the region. Bodies were still being recovered in the Pokot region, 350 kilometresnorthwest of the capital Nairobi, after powerful…

Russian space agency plans to place telescopes on Moon to track dangerous asteroids

MOSCOW, Nov 26 (NNN-TASS) — Russia’s State Space CorporationRoscosmos plans to place telescopes on its future lunar base in the southernpole of the Earth’s natural satellite to monitor dangerous asteroids andcomets, Roscosmos Executive Director for Science and Long-Term ProgramsAlexander Bloshenko said. “There are plans to install equipment on this [lunar]…

Death toll from Kenyan landslide reaches 43 as rescue efforts continue

NAIROBI, Nov 24 (NNN-Xinhua) — The death toll from landslides that hit villages in northwestern Kenyan county of West Pokot has reached 43 as search and rescue efforts for the missing victims gather pace, local officials confirmed. “I have received reports from search teams that the death toll has risen…

Uruguay’s presidential runoff results too close to call

MONTEVIDEO, Nov 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — The results of Uruguay’s presidential runoff on Sunday were a virtual tie and too close to call, local media and electoral officials have said. According to Uruguayan daily El Pais, the Electoral Court said the winner would be announced sometime between “Thursday and Friday,” given…

Exit polls show Romania’s incumbent president wins presidential runoff

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis BUCHAREST, Nov 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — Exit polls showed Romania’s incumbent President Klaus Iohannis has led significantly in the presidential runoff on Sunday, with 64.8-66.5 percent of the vote. Iohannis’ rival, Viorica Dancila of the Social Democratic Party, got 33.5-35.2 percent of the vote, according to two…