Nigeria: 6 killed in building collapse; 4 killed in boat mishap

ABUJA, Feb 28 (NNN-XINHUA) — A building under construction at a market in Nigeria’s southeastern state of Anambra collapsed Monday night, killing at least six and injuring some 20 others. A search was under way for other survivors at the Odu-Igbo Market in the state’s commercial city of Onitsha, the…

Jamaica authorities return 10 Cuban irregular migrants

HAVANA, Feb 28 (NNN-ACN) — Jamaican authorities returned 10 Cuban irregular migrants to the country onboard a commercial flight on Feb 24, the Cuban Interior Ministry (MININT) announced.The group was brought to the Antonio Maceo International Airport in eastern Santiago de Cuba. The Cuban nationals, all residents of Granma province…

East Africa looks to Tanzania’s mega project to plug regional electricity gap

The Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Plant (JNHPP) in Tanzania ARUSHA (Tanzania), Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — East Africa’s electricity supply is set for a boost once the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) goes online.At the 16th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers on Energy held in Arusha, the ministers said…

Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed’s visit a sign of improved ties between Addis Ababa and Nairobi

Kenyan President William Ruto with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ADDIS ABABA, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected in Nairobi this week on his first State visit since President William Ruto took over.Two diplomatic sources said the visit signals improved relations between Nairobi and Addis…

Strikes to mark one year since Greece’s worst train crash

TEMPI (Greece), Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Workers across Greece were set to strike on Wednesday to demand answers a year after the nation’s deadliest train crash, which killed 57 people and injured dozens more. The head-on collision prompted mourning but also days of angry protests that blamed official failings and…

South Africa: DP Mashatile urges parties to hold back on distasteful social media debates ahead of elections

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 28 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged political parties that hold robust debates on social media to uphold ethical standards and refrain from unjust, deceptive or hateful speech, as many African countries head to the polls this year.   “We can run campaigns on…

Mexico City flights canceled as volcano spews ash

MEXICO CITY, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ash spewing from the Popocatepetl volcano outside Mexico City on Tuesday led some airlines to cancel around two dozen flights in and out of the Latin American capital, authorities said. The Mexico City International Airport said on social media that national and international operators…

US announces $53 mln in new Palestinian aid, urges access

 WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States announced another $53 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians as the US aid chief pleaded for protections to relief workers in war-ravaged Gaza. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said the aid would go through the World Food Program and non-governmental…

US, Canada see record February heat

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cities across the United States and Canada reached record February temperatures this week, with multiple municipalities experiencing summer-like heat despite three remaining weeks of winter. The midwestern city of Saint Louis, in Missouri, saw the mercury hit 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday,…

Mali: 31 dead, 10 injured after bus plunges off bridge

BAMAKO, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thirty-one people were killed in Mali on Tuesday and 10 others wounded when a bus travelling toward Burkina Faso fell off a bridge in the country’s southeast, the transport ministry said. The accident occurred at around 5 pm at a bridge crossing the Bagoe river,…