Nigeria: Pres Buhari orders ministers to dialogue with Twitter over suspension

Twitter has been banned in Nigeria since June 4 ABUJA, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has instructed a team of ministers to dialogue with Twitter, the global microblogging site which was banned in the country earlier this month.The Federal Government’s June 4 indefinite suspension said the platform was being…

South Africa’s record 10 babies ‘do not exist’ – Journalist apologizes

Thamara Sithole, the alleged record breaking mom PRETORIA, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Piet Rampedi, the journalist who broke the story of a South African woman having given birth to a record 10 babies at a time has apologized after it turned out the story was not true.Since news of the…

Argentina strikes deal with creditor countries to avoid July default

BUENOS AIRES, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina said it hadreached an agreement with the Paris Club of creditor countries to avoiddefaulting on a loan repayment in July, unlocking temporary relief of some $2billion.   “We have reached an understanding with the Paris Club” to avoid defaultingon July 31, when a…

World powers gather in Germany in new push for Libya peace

BERLIN, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — World powers are gathering Wednesday inBerlin to seek lasting peace in Libya by ensuring the conflict-wracked NorthAfrican country stays firmly on the path towards general elections onDec 24.   Representatives of Libya’s interim government will join US Secretary ofState Antony Blinken as well as the…

Strong earthquake shakes Peru’s capital

LIMA, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A strong earthquake shook Lima and regionsof central coastal Peru late Tuesday, with no immediate reports of casualtiesor damage.   The quake was of magnitude 6, Peru’s Seismological Center said, while theUS Geological Survey which monitors quakes worldwide pegged it at magnitude5.8.   The quake…

US: Biden administration takes aim at gun trafficking

WASHINGTON, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A day before US President Joe Bidenwas due to announce measures to combat a rise in violent crime, the JusticeDepartment on Tuesday revealed it had created five new units to tackle guntrafficking.   The units will be set up in the next 30 days and…

Covid-19: More than 150 Texas hospital staff fired or quit over vaccine ruling

HOUSTON, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 150 employees at the HoustonMethodist hospital in Texas were fired or resigned after failing to complywith orders to get a Covid-19 vaccination to continue working there, ahospital spokeswoman said.   Officials Houston Methodist told its staff they needed to have received aCovid vaccination…

US seizes Iranian state news websites

WASHINGTON, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Justice Department said Wednesdayit had seized 33 Iranian government-controlled media websites, as well asthree of the Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah, which it said were hosted on US-owned domains in violation of sanctions.   Visitors to leading Iranian media sites like Press TV and Al-Alam,…

Vote count under way in Ethiopia after contentious election

ADDIS ABABA, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ballot papers are still being counted following delayed parliamentary elections in Ethiopia, the first electoral test for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Africa’s second-most populous country went to the polls on Monday but an opposition boycott, a months-long war in the northern region of Tigray,…

Deadly Florida Pride Parade Crash Not Intentional, Police Say

The incident took place at a Pride parade in Wilton Manors, north of Fort Lauderdale  FORT LAUDERBALE (Florida, US), June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The man who drove a pickup truck into a Pride parade in Florida, killing one and injuring another, acted unintentionally, officials say. Fort Lauderdale police said the…