Spain: Cautious clean-up on La Palma as hopes rise for end to volcano eruption

LA PALMA (Spain), Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities on Spain’s La Palma island allowed evacuated residents to return to clear their ash-covered houses on Thursday as scientists suggested solidifying lava vents beneath the Cumbre Vieja volcano could herald an end to the three-month eruption. Deep banks of black ash had…

Part of Sudan 2020 peace deal suspended after eastern protests

KHARTOUM, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council suspended a section of a 2020 peace deal with rebel groups dealing with the east of the country following tribal protests against the deal. In October 2020, the government signed a peace pact with multiple rebel groups in Sudan’s far-flung regions…

Migrants push past outnumbered French police to make perilous Channel crossing

Migrants getting on an inflatable dinghy in a bid to cross the English Channel, in Wimereux, France WIMEREUX (France), Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In the early hours of Thursday on a beach in northern France, a small group of police with torches tries to stand in the way of dozens…

European stores pull products linked to Brazil deforestation

Amazon deforestation; most of the cleared land is used for cattle ranching PARIS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Several European supermarket chains are dropping Brazilian beef products linked to destruction of the Amazon rainforest and tropical wetland, the US activist group Mighty Earth said. Chains such as Carrefour Belgium have committed to…

Covid-19: Omicron injects urgency into EU summit as cases expected to surge during winter

  BRUSSELS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The lightning spread of Omicron in Europe and elsewhere has added a sense of urgency to an EU summit, with leaders struggling to present a united, bloc-wide approach.   Projections that the mutated and highly infectious Covid strain could be dominant in the EU…

UN says hunger on the rise in the Arab world; Somalia and Yemen worst-affected countries

 ROME, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A third of people in the 420-million-strong Arab world do not have enough to eat, the United Nations said, highlighting that 69 million suffered from malnutrition last year.   In a report, the world body’s Food and Agriculture Organization said that between 2019 and 2020,…

Russia: Pres Putin says ‘errors’ in court documents revealing troops in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia said that court documents, which inadvertently revealed its troops are stationed in separatist-held regions of Ukraine, contained “errors” and denied its military had crossed Ukraine’s borders.     Kiev and its allies in the West say Russia is supporting breakaway fighters in the east of…

German court sentences man who ploughed car into parade to life in prison

BERLIN, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A German court sentenced a man to life in prison for ploughing his car into a carnival parade in the western German town of Volkmarsen last year, injuring dozens, including 20 children, tagesschau.de reported on Thursday. The local man, now 31 years old, was accused…

Nigeria busts forex syndicate, retrieves US$427,400 fake dollar bills

Exhibits of the fake currency displayed by the EFCC ABUJA, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, has reported the busting of a fake currency syndicate in the capital Abuja.In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the EFCC said they, “arrested members…

Record 488 journalists imprisoned, 46 killed in 2021: RSF

Reporters Without Borders said it had never seen so many female journalists detained, with the overall number of 60 representing a third more than 2020 PARIS, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — There are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world, the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more…