News Digest: US airstrike 'kills 60 militants' in Somalia; Madagascar qualify for Afcon for first time

 US airstrike 'kills 60 militants' in Somalia; Madagascar qualify for Afcon for first time

US forces killed 60 al-Shabab militants in an airstrike last Friday on Harardere in central Somalia, the US military has said in a statement that updated the figure from four.

The "precision airstrike" carried out in coordination with the Somali government did not kill any civilians, the military adds.

It calls it "the largest airstrike against al-Shabab" for nearly a year.

In November last year the US said it had killed "100 terrorists".

2. Madagascar qualify for Afcon for first time

And 

Madagascar have made it through to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals for the first time after beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 at home.

Thailand-based midfielder Njiva Rakotoharimalala scored the only goal of the game right at the end of the first half.

The result puts Madagascar on 10 points in Group A to guarantee them a place in next year's finals, which are set to be hosted by Cameroon.

It will be the first time that 24 teams will feature in the competition.

Senegal will join them in the finals if they can win in Sudan later on Tuesday.

There are two more qualifying rounds left to play, one in November, and the final matches will be in March next year.

3. Charity CEO out after Liberia rape report

The CEO of a US-backed academy in Liberia has temporarily resigned after a report found that dozens of girls were allegedly raped by an employee.

Katie Meyler, the CEO of charity More Than Me, announced she would step aside after a report by ProPublica and Time magazine revealed the abuse.

More Than Me says they have taken steps to safeguard girls at the school, which is devoted to women's empowerment.

The group has also created a panel to review the investigation.

The non-governmental organisation's advisory board recommended an independent investigation into allegations of widespread abuse and negligence at the institution, which exists to protect young Liberian girls from sexual abuse and exploitation.

In a statement on Monday, a committee of seven Liberian government agencies said it met twice since the story was published on Thursday, with the aim "to taking the appropriate legal actions to protect the children and ensure they are safe", Time magazine reported.

4. UN worried by Angola explusions

The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, says it's concerned by the "fast-developing humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo sparked by mass returns from Angola over the last two weeks".

The return of Congolese, who had been working in the informal mining sector, came after the Angolan government issued an order to expel them.

"Mass expulsions are contrary to obligations under the African Charter and we ask both sides to respect the human rights of those affected," the UNHCR said in a statement.

There have been unconfirmed reports that a number of these migrants have been brutalised and even killed by Angolan forces before being deported, says the BBC's Louise Dewast in DR Congo capital, Kinshasa.

The reason for this crackdown remains unclear.

For many years, Congolese migrants have been living in Angola, where they dig for diamonds in artisanal mines.

It could be linked to an attempt by the new Angolan government to take control over its mining industry.

5. Legal battle over Cameroon vote begins

The legal tussle over Cameroon’s presidential election, held on 7 October, began on Tuesday with the Constitutional Council expected to adjudicate on 18 petitions that require the election to be either totally or partially annulled.

At least 100 members of the security forces surrounded the premises. Inside, all 11 members of the council, as well as some aggrieved candidates, their lawyers and supporters of various political parties, took up positions in the court room

Those bringing petitions include Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front and Cabral Libii of the Univers party. They say the elections were mired in fraud and should be completely annulled.

Even Maurice Kamto, who had earlier proclaimed himself victor in the election, was in court to call for the cancellation of the vote in seven of Cameroon’s 10 administrative regions.

He says there were far too many irregularities.

The Constitutional Council has at most six days to decide on the petitions, and at the same time go through the final tallies of the election made available to it by the electoral commission on Monday.

It has to declare the result by 22 October at the latest.

Mercedes delivers 1.5 vehicles in 8 months

Mercedes-Benz delivered 1,512,268 vehicles to customers worldwide in the first eight months of this year, thus setting a new record (+1.1%). Never before in the company’s history were sales of 1.5 million vehicles achieved earlier in the year. Mercedes-Benz sold 155,918 (-8.5%) vehicles worldwide in August, the 30th consecutive month with global sales of more than 150,000 units due to the ongoing strong demand for cars with the three-pointed star. As expected, however, there was an impact on unit sales in August from challenges relating to vehicle availability, including model changes and delays in vehicle certification in some markets. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz defended in the first eight months of the year its position as the best-selling premium brand worldwide. 

Read more at:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/mercedes-delivers-1-5-vehicles-in-8-months/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vanguardngr%2FdIeb+%28Vanguard+News+Feed%29

Flint airport attack: Michigan officer stabbed in 'act of terrorism,' FBI says

 

Published June 21, 

 referenced people being killed in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism, officials said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios said at a news conference Amor Ftouhi, a 50-year-old Canadian citizen, entered Bishop International Airport in Flint around 9:45 a.m. and went to a restroom before dropping both of his bags, coming out with a knife and yelling "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great," before stabbing Officer Jeff Neville in the neck.
Ftouhi said something similar to "you have killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die" as he was being arrested, accroding to Gelios. He also used a 12-inch knife with an 8-inch serrated blade, he added.
The Canadian citizen was motivated to come to the airport and conduct this act of violence out of a "hated of the United States," according to Gelios. He legally entered the U.S. at Lake Champlain in New York on June 16, and then made his way to Flint, according to Gelios.

Dolly Parton pledges additional $3 million to Tennessee fire victims

Cindy Watts - USA TODAY - Friday, May 05, 2017

More than five months after wildfires ravaged portions of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Dolly Parton hasn’t stopped surprising her hometown fire victims with her generosity.

In December, Parton announced her My People Fund and promised each family who had lost its primary residence in the fires $1,000 a month for the next five months. When Parton arrived this week to help dole out the final payments, she brought the nearly 900 families an unexpected bonus – another $5,000 each for a total of $10,000.
She also revealed another surprise – the creation of the Mountain Tough organization to provide ongoing support to fire victims over the next three years and the pledge to fund it with at least $3 million.
Mountain Tough will start June 1 and pick up where the My People Fund left off. Its goal is to help individuals and families impacted by the fire by providing resources for low-income individuals and families in Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas with an eye on the long-term needs of those impacted. The organization will be staffed with case managers who will identify the immediate needs of residents and the most effective ways to use funds to help, which could include transportation to a job or medicine for health conditions caused by the fire.
“It makes me feel humble,” Parton said of being able to raise and donate money to the fire victims. “It makes me feel proud that I’ve been able to do something. But I don’t put myself on any kind of pedestal for doing this because it’s the right thing to do. I’m a Smoky Mountain girl, and I’ve been blessed in my life to become a celebrity. And when you’re in a position to help, you should help.”
The Sevier County area is rebounding from the blaze. Parton said, “everybody has pulled together and things are back to normal ... “All of Sevier County is really up and running,” she said. “It’s better than ever.” www.mountaintough.org

N. Korea accuses CIA of plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un

North Korea on Friday accused the CIA of plotting with South Korea to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un, amid soaring tensions in the flashpoint region.
The CIA and Seoul's Intelligence Services have "hatched a vicious plot" involving unspecified "biochemical substances" to kill the hermit state's young leader during public ceremonial events in Pyongyang, the Ministry of State Security said.
For the CIA "assassination by use of biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano poisonous substance is the best method that does not require access to the target, their lethal results will appear after six or twelve months," the Ministry said in a statement carried by state media.
The accusation comes as Pyongyang issues increasingly belligerent rhetoric in a tense stand off with the administration of US President Donald Trump over its rogue weapons programme.The war of words between the West and the reclusive regime has spiked in recent weeks, and Pyongyang has threatened to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further inflame tensions.
The CIA and Seoul's Intelligence Services (IS) have "ideologically corrupted and bribed a DPRK citizen surnamed Kim" to carry out the attack on Jong-Un, the statement said."We will ferret out and mercilessly destroy to the last one the terrorists of the US CIA and the puppet IS of South Korea," the statement said, adding that the plot was tantamount to "the declaration of a war".
"The heinous crime, which was recently uncovered and smashed in the DPRK, is a kind of terrorism against not only the DPRK but the justice and conscience of humankind and an act of mangling the future of humankind."
The statement did not give any information on how the plot was foiled or what happened to the alleged spy.
North Korea maintains extensive surveillance operations over its own population, and open dissent against the regime is considered extremely difficult.

Aleppo battle: Hopes rise for evacuation of rebel-held area

Hopes have risen that the evacuation of rebel-held parts of Aleppo will now begin soon, following statements by rebel and pro-government sources.
Rebel fighters and civilians in the Syrian city had been due to leave early on Wednesday, but a truce collapsed.
Rebel sources said a new truce had been in effect from 03:00GMT and evacuations would take place early on Thursday.
Sources from the Syrian military, the pro-government Hezbollah and Russian media said preparations were under way.
Reuters news agency quoted one Syrian official source on Thursday morning as saying that the "operation to organise the departure of gunmen from eastern Aleppo has now started".

president Buhari unveils 2017 budget

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, has unveiled a record budget of more than 7 trillion naira ($24bn; £19bn) which is aimed at pulling the country out of its first recession in  25 years, Reuters news agency reports.
Presenting the budget at a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, Mr Buhari said It marks an increase of more than 20% on last year's spending plan.
The budget seeks to boost spending to revive the economy, he added.  
The recession was largely caused by low global oil prices, as crude sales account for two-thirds of the Nigerian government's revenue. 
The president also said he wants to restore oil output to 2.2 million barrels per day.
It had been severely disrupted following a series of attacks on energy facilities in the oil-rich Niger Delta by militants demanding a greater of the region's oil wealth.
The budget unveiled to the National Assembly is now to be debated by the MPs.
It must be agreed by the parliament before Mr Buhari can sign it into law.