Nigerian government ordered by British court to pay $9bn to private gas firm

 LONDON, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) —A British judge has ordered the Nigerian government to pay $9bn in assets to a small private company. The firm, P&ID, had reached a deal with the Nigerian government in 2010 to build a natural gas plant – but the deal fell through two years later. P&ID…

Malta migrants: Sole survivor describes 11 days in dinghy

Mohammed Adam Oga is being treated at Malta’s Mater Dei hospital for dehydration  VALETTA, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) —“There were 15 of us on the boat and I am the only one alive,” says Mohammed Adam Oga from his hospital bed in Malta. The migrants had each paid a smuggler $700 to make…

DR Congo: First two Ebola cases confirmed in South Kivu – officials

Two Ebola cases have been confirmed in Congo’s South Kivu region KINSHASA, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A woman and her child were the first two cases confirmed with Ebola in Congo’s South Kivu region this week, opening a new front in the fight against the outbreak. Health officials said that…

Zimbabwe police beat protesters as opposition denounces ‘fascist’ government

HARARE,Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe police fired tear gas and beat scores of opposition supporters gathered in central Harare on Friday, as authorities moved to enforce a ban on an anti-government protest that the country’s high court had upheld. More than a hundred Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters clashed…

Hungary seeks Facebook guarantees on user info protection

BUDAPEST, Aug 17 (NNN-XINHUA) —Hungary is demanding guarantees from Facebook that it will not pass on the conversations of its Hungarian users to third parties, according to the National Authority for Data Protection and Information Freedom (NAIH). “Hungary will seek written guarantees from Facebook that the transcripts of Hungarian users’ conversations will not be…

UN denounces increasing attacks on civilian airports in Western Libya

TRIPOLI, Aug 17 (NNN-XINHUA) — The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) denounced increasing attacks on civilian airports in western Libya. “The UNSMIL deplores the ever-increasing and systemic attacks on airports in western Libya, including Zuwara and Mitiga. These attacks have endangered the lives of thousands of civilian travelers, including UN staff and humanitarian…

US: Pres Trump proposes mental asylums, but silent on gun laws

MANCHESTER (New Hampshire, US), Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More mental hospitals are needed to take potential mass killers off the streets, President Donald Trump said in response to recent mass shootings, while staying quiet on a pledge to toughen gun laws. Speaking to a crowd of supporters estimated at around…

Venezuela govt seeks to change framework for talks with opposition

CARACAS, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said the government would meet with Norwegian mediators in an effort to restart talks with the opposition aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis. Arreaza told reporters in Caracas that the government was seeking changes to the talks mechanism before…

Rome court says migrant ship can enter Italy’s waters, overriding Salvini

ROME/MADRID, Aug 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An administrative court in Rome ruled that a Spanish rescue ship carrying around 150 migrants should be allowed to enter Italian territorial waters in defiance of a ban imposed by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, quickly responded that he…

Norwegian delegation arrives in Venezuela to restart stalled dialogue -sources

CARACAS, Aug 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A delegation from the Norwegian government has come to Venezuela to restart talks between the government of President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition that were halted last week after Maduro’s allies pulled out. Maduro last week said the government would not attend a scheduled round…