Kenya calls for total protection for elephants at 18th CITES conference

#CITESCoP18 to strengthen #wildlife trade rules for fisheries, timber, exotic pets, #elephants & more; #WildlifeCrime, #rhino, #rosewood, #eels, #sharks, #BigCats GENEVA, Aug 18 (NNN-KBC) — Proposals to improve protection for elephants, giraffes, sharks and other species will be on the agenda as the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP) of…

Cameroon provides support to vigilante groups to fight against Boko Haram

Boko Haram. YAOUNDE, Aug 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Cameroonian government on Saturday provided material and financial support to community defense forces, otherwise known as vigilante groups, in the country’s Far North region to fight against Boko Haram. “This is a period when children will be returning to school and most…

UN chief congratulates Sudan on signing declarations

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Sudan on the signing ceremony of two documents instituting for a transitional period. “The Secretary-General warmly congratulates the Sudanese people on the occasion of today’s important signing ceremony of the documents on transitional civilian authority in the Republic…

Angola: Capital Luanda to host regional quadripartite summit on Wednesday

LUANDA, Aug 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — Heads of state of Angola, DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda will come together in the Angolan capital on Aug 21 to witness the understanding reached between Uganda and Rwanda. According to a statement from the Angolan presidency, the quadripartite summit will bring together President Joao…

US: Police make arrests as right-wing, anti-fascist groups rally in Portland

Members of the Proud Boys and their supporters march during a rally in Portland PORTLAND (Oregon, US), Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police in Portland, Oregon arrested at least 13 people on Saturday as a right-wing group marched to a downtown waterfront park and anti-fascist counterprotesters scuffled with officers who tried…

Update: Italy prosecutors probe Salvini over migrant ship limbo

ROME, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged kidnapping and abuse of office after Interior Minister Matteo Salvini prevented a charity ship carrying rescued migrants from docking. While the Open Arms rescue ship lies anchored within swimming distance of southern island Lampedusa with 134 migrants…

Russian opposition activists picket for free elections

MOSCOW, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian opposition staged a string of pickets in central Moscow on Saturday to call for free elections and for charges against protesters detained at recent rallies to be dropped. Moscow has been rocked by weekly protests for more than a month since the authorities barred…

Hundreds of Mexican women protest police rape of teenager

Women demonstrate at the “They Don’t Protect Me, They Rape Me” protest to demand justice for two teenage girls that local media reported were apparently raped by policemen, in Monterrey, Mexico MEXICO CITY, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of women demanding protection from Mexico City’s police force took to the streets…

Bulgaria seizes cocaine smuggled in banana shipment from South America

SOFIA, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A warehouse employee has found 75kg of cocaine hidden amongst bananas shipped from Ecuador to Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Burgas, prosecutors and police said. The drug have been packed in bricks wrapped up in steel foil and hidden contained in the cargo of 20,626…

Libya reopens southern airport closed since 2014

BENGHAZI, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libya reopened on Friday its airport in the main southern city of Sebha which had been closed since January 2014 due to security problems, residents said. A commercial flight landed from the main eastern city of Benghazi, they said. Southern Libya has been gripped by…