France returns smuggled dinosaur skeleton to Mongolia

PARIS, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France was to hand over a 70 million-year-old dinosaur skeleton to Mongolia which was looted from the Gobi desert and seized by French customs. The “extremely rare” fossil of a Tarbosaurus baatar, considered to be the Asian cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, was seized by French officials…

UN slams world’s ‘apathy’ in launching aid appeal for 2026

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations hit out at global “apathy” over widespread suffering as it launched its 2026 appeal for humanitarian assistance, which is limited in scope as aid operations confront major funding cuts. “This is a time of brutality, impunity and indifference,” UN humanitarian chief…

Spain: Choppy wave kills four in Tenerife, a tourist island hotspot

MADRID, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A wave that crashed into Tenerife at the weekend has killed four after sweeping away bathers on the Spanish tourist island hotspot, according to the authorities. Two men and a woman died on Sunday after visiting a section of coastline closed to the public because…

Ivory Coast’s incumbent leader Ouattara is sworn in for a fourth term

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is inaugurated at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan ABIDJAN, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ivory Coast’s incumbent President Alassane Ouattara was sworn in on Monday for a fourth term after taking over 89% of the vote in an October election marked by low turnout and unrest. “This vote…

Greece: Protesting farmers disrupt airport flights in Crete

ATHENS, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greek farmers demanding the payment of EU subsidies on Monday shut down the two main international airports on the island of Crete after clashing with riot police in a growing showdown with the government. The shutdown forced the cancellation of several flights at Heraklion and…

Tanzania: Exports climb to 41tri/- amid gold, tourism growth

DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 8 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE export of goods and services in Tanzania rose to 17.09 billion US dollars (about 41.8tri/-) in the year ending September this year, up from 14.9 billion US dollars (about 36.4tri/-) in the same period last year. The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) revealed this…

Update: ECOWAS to deploy troops to Benin after coup attempt

PORTO-NOVO (Benin), Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of a regional standby force to Benin following a coup attempt. It will include soldiers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana, according to a statement from the bloc. The statement said…

Cuba reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy on drug trafficking

HAVANA, Dec 8 (NNN-ACN) — Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuban Foreign Minister, reaffirmed the zero-tolerance policy toward international drug trafficking and highlighted the nation’s commitment to the fight against this scourge.Cuban diplomat emphasized that his country is not a producer, storage facility, or transit point for illicit drugs, nor is there…

EU set to back migrant ‘return hubs’

BRUSSELS, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU countries on Monday are expected to approve a significant tightening of Europe’s immigration policy, including endorsing the concept of setting up “return hubs” for migrants outside the 27-nation bloc. Fearful of far-right parties making gains at the ballot box, governments across Europe are scrambling…

Peru: Hitmen murder journalist Fernando Nunez who dug into corruption; 3rd journalist killed this year

LIMA, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peruvian journalist Fernando Nunez, whose reporting dug into municipal corruption cases, was shot and killed by hitmen while returning from an assignment, Peru’s National Association of Journalists (ANP) said. Nunez, a reporter for the digital outlet Kamila TV, “was attacked by hitmen while riding a…