Femicide: France gets tough on domestic violence as number of women killed grows

PARIS, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The French government announced plans to create 1,000 new places in shelters for the victims of domestic violence as outrage grows over the number of women killed by a current or former partner. France is one of the European countries with the highest number of…

Update1: Hurricane Dorian heads toward Florida after bashing Bahamas

MIAMI (Florida, US), Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hurricane Dorian churned along the southeastern coast of the United States as the storm’s death toll in the Bahamas rose to seven. Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis termed Dorian “one of the greatest national crises in our country’s history,” announcing the updated toll…

Update: Election bid looms as British MPs defeat Johnson on Brexit

LONDON, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised the prospect of a snap election after he suffered a major parliamentary defeat over his Brexit strategy that could delay Britain’s exit from the European Union. Just six weeks after taking office, the Conservative leader was hit by a huge rebellion…

South African police arrest dozens after riots in Johannesburg

Protestors loot stores, burn rubber tyres and block road junctions in the Johannesburg district. Photo courtesy of Moneyweb. JOHANNESBURG, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police arrested dozens of people in South Africa’s commercial capital Johannesburg after rioters looted shops, burned tyres and blocked road junctions – the second outbreak of urban…

Tanzania: Opposition lawmakers boycotted swearing of ruling party legislator who replaces critic of president

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Opposition lawmakers in Tanzania boycotted the swearing in of a ruling party lawmaker who replaced a fierce critic of the president following his expulsion from parliament. Tundu Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in September 2017 when he was shot 16 times by…

Algeria army chief demands presidential election by December

Army chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah ALGIERS, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria‘s army chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah has said the date of the country’s long-delayed presidential election should be announced by mid-September – a move that would result in polls being held before the end of the year. Gaid Salah – a…

Fifteen dead in building collapse in Mali’s capital

BAMAKO, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fifteen people were confirmed dead after a day of rescue in the remains of a three-storey building which collapsed in Mali’s capital Bamako, an official said. The residential building, which was under construction but was inhabited, fell down in the early hours of Sunday, and…

Nigerian insecurity requires urgent attention, U.N. rapporteur warns

ABUJA, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s multiple security problems have created a crisis that requires urgent attention and could lead to instability in other African countries if it is not addressed, a United Nations rapporteur said. Security forces in Africa’s most populous country are trying to tackle a decade-long Islamist…

Ebola epidemic crisis remains serious threat, says UN chief in DR Congo

BENI (DR Congo), Sept 4 (NNN-XINHUA) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Ebola epidemic remains a serious public health crisis for people in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), but also for the country in general. The UN chief was speaking from the Mangina…

Zimbabwe state doctors go on strike over pay

Striking doctors HARARE, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe’s public sector doctors went on strike on Tuesday, demanding a further salary increase of 401% that they want indexed to the U.S. dollar despite accepting an earlier offer from the government of a 60% pay rise. Zimbabwe is mired in its worst…