250,000 people affected by Djibouti flash floods – UN, govt

DJIBOUTI, Nov 29 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Flash flooding has hit the small but strategic East African nation of Djibouti, where the government and United Nations say the equivalent of two years’ rain fell in a single day.A joint statement says up to a quarter-million people have been affected in recent days…

Ex-PMs of Guinea-Bissau in presidential runoff slated for Dec 29, Pres Vaz eliminated after coming in distant fourth

Domingos Simoes Pereira (Left) and Umaro Cissoko Embalo to contest presidential run-off BISSAU, Nov 29 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Two former Guinea-Bissau prime ministers advanced to a presidential run-off vote, the electoral commission said, with incumbent Jose Mario Vaz finishing a distant fourth after a tenure marked by infighting and corruption scandals.Domingos…

47 Nigerian men plead not guilty to homosexuality charge

LAGOS, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Forty-seven Nigerian men pleaded innocent to a charge of public displays of affection with members of the same sex, an offence that carries a 10-year jail term.Homosexuality is outlawed in many socially conservative African societies where some religious groups brand it a corrupting Western import.The…

US state department warns against travel to Burkina Faso

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US State Department has urged Americans not to travel to Burkina Faso, which has been fighting an Islamist militant revolt since 2015.Burkina Faso is now at the highest level of threat to travellers “because of terrorism, crime and kidnappings,” said an updated travel advisory.“The…

Uganda deports 32 Rwandans for illegal entry

KAMPALA, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thirty-two Rwandans who were arrested in west Uganda, in an operation against people accused of illegally entering the country, have been deported.This comes after 24 Ugandans working in Rwanda were also expelled over the weekend, according to local leaders in Kisoro district.The expulsions come amid…

Zambia court sentences two men to 15 years for gay sex

LUSAKA, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A high court in Zambia has sentenced two men to 15 years in jail after they were caught having sex in 2017.Zambia is a conservative country and same-sex relationships are frowned upon and homosexual acts are illegal.The court heard that Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba…

UK election poll predicts Conservative majority

LONDON, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party would win a comfortable majority in Britain’s parliament if the upcoming election were held this week, according to a poll by respected research firm YouGov. Britain votes on Dec 12, with Johnson hoping to secure a majority to be…

Eight children among 15 civilians killed by mine in Afghanistan: govt

KABUL, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fifteen civilians, including eightchildren, were killed when their vehicle hit a land mine in Kunduzprovince in northern Afghanistan, a government official said. “At around 5:00 pm Wednesday evening a mine planted by the Taliban terrorists hit a civilian car… killing 15 civilians and wounding two…

UN launches probe after peacekeepers suspected in DR Congo protest death

GOMA (DR Congo), Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN peacekeeping mission inDR Congo said it was launching a probe after gathering evidence that its troops may have killed a young demonstrator, as a fresh protest unfolded in the east of the country. “The elements that we have indicate that it…

European parliament declares ‘climate emergency’

STRASBOURG (France), Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Parliament voted on Thursday to declare a “climate and environment emergency” in a symbolic gesture just ahead of the latest UN global crisis summit. The legislature, sitting in Strasbourg, backed the motion by a comfortable 429 to 225 majority, increasing pressure on…