Severe flooding kills 23 in Malawi

Maize fields are immersed in flood water in southern Malawi, March 8, 2019. BLANTYRE, March 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — Twenty-three people have been confirmed dead in 13 southern Malawi districts following severe flooding resulting from heavy rains accompanied by strong winds. In a statement, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and…

Gulf of California harbor porpoises down to just 22, Mexican expert says

MEXICO CITY, March 9 (NNN-EFE) — Fewer than two dozen Gulf of California harbor porpoises, the most endangered marine mammal in the world, were spotted in Mexico during the summer of 2018, Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) researcher Jorge Urban Ramirez said. “Only 22 vaquitas were seen in…

Mexican scientists working to save bats to protect pollination network

MEXICO CITY, March 9 (NNN-EFE) — Mexican scientists are conducting conservation work with bats so that the flying mammals can continue contributing to the vital process of pollination, the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) reported. In a communique, the research institute – one of the country’s most prestigious such facilities –…

Panama maintains 2020 tourism target despite Venezuelan crisis

BERLIN (Germany), March 9 (NNN-EFE) — Panama’s tourism minister said here that the country is sticking with a target of 3 million tourist arrivals by 2020 despite a setback last year, when the industry was hit by a plunge in the number of visitors from crisis-hit Venezuela. In remarks to…

Mexico: Most agreements on investment in Pemex in 2019 already signed

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador MEXICO CITY, March 9 (NNN-EFE) — Mexico’s president said that most of the agreements covering investments this year in struggling state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) have already been signed. “We’re now signing agreements, contracts. I can tell you that the contracts already signed…

Rwandan Pres Kagame, Tanzanian Pres Magufuli Hold Bilateral Talks in Dar es Salaam

President Kagame together with his host, President John Pombe Magufuli at the State House, Dar es Salaam. DAR ES SALAAM, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rwanda and Tanzania will continue strengthening bilateral ties as well as cooperating on further regional integration in the East African region, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said.…

Zimbabwe: Pres Mnangagwa seeks ways to dodge US, EU sanctions

HARARE, March 9 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to use his industrialization agenda as a tool to counter sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US and European Union (EU). The US and EU recently renewed what they call targeted measures imposed initially on former President Robert Mugabe’s administration…

Nearly quarter-million Venezuelans sought asylum in 2018, UNHCR says

GENEVA, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More and more Venezuelans are seeking asylum abroad, with nearly a quarter of a million applications lodged in 2018 alone, double that of the previous year, the U.N. refugee agency said. In all, 414,570 asylum claims have been filed by Venezuelan nationals abroad since 2014,…

Some 50 migrants wounded by clash inside detention centre in Libya-UN

TRIPOLI, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 50 migrants were reportedly injured after they staged a protest that was suppressed inside a detention centre in the capital Tripoli, the United Nations said. The protest had been “driven by frustration and anxiety” as the migrants had been held for months “in…

On International Women’s Day, Sudan’s Bashir orders release of female detainees

KHARTOUM, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on International Women’s Day on Friday ordered the release of all women arrested in connection with anti-government demonstrations, hours after protesters marched in the two largest cities. Sudan has seen near-daily protests against Bashir since Dec. 19. The demonstrations were triggered…