Day: December 12, 2020

Nigerian military exchange fire with gunmen who abducted students in Katsina

The Nigerian military had located and exchanged fire with gunmen who kidnapped scores of secondary school students in northwestern Katsina state, according to a statement from the president on Saturday. The gang, armed with AK-47s, stormed the Government Science secondary school in Kankara district at about 9:40 p.m. on Friday, police and locals said. A… Read More Nigerian military exchange fire with gunmen who abducted students in Katsina

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Pope Francis commits Vatican to net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Pope Francis urged countries on Saturday to work towards net zero carbon emissions and committed Vatican City – the world’s smallest state – to reaching the target by 2050. Francis, who has championed environmental causes since his election in 2013, told a U.N. climate summit the 108-acre (44-hectare) city-state surrounded by Rome would be doing… Read More Pope Francis commits Vatican to net zero carbon emissions by 2050

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U.S. FDA approves emergency use of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine

The United States said it authorized the use of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, with the first inoculations expected within days, marking a turning point in a country where the pandemic has killed more than 295,000 people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for the vaccine, developed with German… Read More U.S. FDA approves emergency use of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine

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Israel establishes diplomatic relations with Bhutan

Israel established diplomatic relations on Saturday with Bhutan, a majority-Buddhist nation neighbouring India, the Israeli foreign ministry said. Israel’s new relations with the relatively-isolated Himalayan nation did not appear to be related to its budding ties under U.S.-sponsored accords with Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa. The agreement follows several years… Read More Israel establishes diplomatic relations with Bhutan

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Algeria rejects U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara

Algeria on Saturday rejected a decision by outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying the step would undermine efforts to end the decades-long conflict over the desert territory. Trump’s administration said it was recognising Moroccan claims to Western Sahara as part of a deal under which Morocco agreed to… Read More Algeria rejects U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara

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Austrian police seize weapons haul intended for right-wing extremists in Germany

Austrian police seized a huge cache of automatic weapons, explosives and hand grenades intended to arm right-wing extremist groups in Germany, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said on Saturday. Five people were arrested following a series of house searches, Nehammer told a press conference in Vienna. “We have struck a massive blow against the right-wing extremist… Read More Austrian police seize weapons haul intended for right-wing extremists in Germany

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Bolivia approves first same-sex union following two-year legal battle

Bolivia’s civil registry authorized for the first time a same sex civil union following a two-year legal battle, a decision activists in the Andean nation hope will pave the way for an overhaul of the country’s marriage laws. David Aruquipa, a 48-year-old businessman, and Guido Montaño, a 45-year-old lawyer, were initially denied the right to… Read More Bolivia approves first same-sex union following two-year legal battle

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Hundreds of students missing as armed bandits attack school in Nigeria’s Katsina state

Bandits armed with assault rifles attacked a secondary school in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state late on Friday, police said, and two local people said hundreds of students were missing. The gunmen stormed the Government Science secondary school in Kankara district at about 9.40 p.m., and police at the scene returned fire, allowing some students to… Read More Hundreds of students missing as armed bandits attack school in Nigeria’s Katsina state

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