Uganda among six African states with half of world’s malaria cases

GENEVA, Dec 6 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Uganda has again been named one of six African countries that account for more than half of all malaria cases in the world, according to the latest 2019 World Malaria report.The 2018 report had also shown that Uganda accounted for 4 per cent of the…

Top Nigerian senator guilty of stealing $19.6m

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu ABUJA, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prominent Nigerian senator Orji Uzor Kalu has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of 39 fraud charges amounting to $19.6m.Kalu is a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress and a chief whip in the…

At least 265 dead in floods, landslides as rains batter East Africa

File photo NAIROBI, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two months of relentless rains have submergedvillages and farms and sent rivers of mud crashing into houses across East Africa, with at least 265 killed, as meteorologists warn of more to come. The extreme downpours have affected close to two million people and…

Floods: 6 people killed in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Dec 6 (NNN-Xinhua) — Over 15,000 people have been affected by heavy rains in Sri Lanka while six deaths have been reported, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) said. Four deaths were reported from the Nuwera Eliya District, in the central highlands, which is one of the worst affected by…

Australian ‘patriot’ found guilty of plotting terror attacks

SYDNEY, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An Australian man with links to far rightgroups was found guilty of plotting terror attacks against leftistorganisations, local media reported. A Melbourne court heard that Phillip Galea created a “Patriot’s Cookbook”— a document designed to encourage others to take up violent acts againstleft-wing groups and…

Strike snarls France in showdown over pension reforms

PARIS, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A nationwide strike brought much of France to a halt on Thursday as unions kicked off a massive protest against a pension overhaul by President Emmanuel Macron, which they say will force millions of people to work longer or face curtailed benefits. Most schools were…

Brazil court decision may ease creation of Bolsanaro’s new party

BRASILIA, Dec 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The majority of judges on Brazil’s electoral court voted late on Tuesday in favor of allowing digital signature collection to register new parties. The decision will likely benefit current President Jair Bolsonaro, who is trying to start his own party after falling out with the…

Colombian unions, student groups to hold third national strike

BOGOTA, Dec 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombian unions and student groups plan a third national strike on Wednesday amid fraught talks between protest leaders and the government over President Ivan Duque’s social and economic policies. The strike would be the latest demonstration in two weeks of protests, which have drawn hundreds…

Mexico arrests 10 over deadly firefight near US border

MEXICO CITY, Dec 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican authorities said they have arrested 10 alleged gunmen from a drug cartel commando that attacked a town near the US border, leaving six locals and 17 assailants dead. At least 60 gunmen terrorized the small northern city of Villa Union over the weekend,…

Venezuela slams use of UNHRC for “political” ends

CARACAS, Dec 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Venezuela denounced a handful of countries for using the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for “political” ends. Writing on Twitter, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said that the country “rejects the political use of the mechanisms of the UNHRC,” given the creation of…