Somalia’s army repels attack by al-Shabaab militants on military base

Al Shabaab fighters usually attack bases run by government forces, but the army repel and pushed them back MOGADISHU, Aug 24 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Somali National Army (SNA) said on Tuesday that its forces foiled an attack and inflicted heavy casualties on the militant group al-Shabaab. The suicide bombing attack…

Ukraine marks Independence Day vowing to reclaim annexed territory

KYIV, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ukraine held its first military parade in several years, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its independence and declaring it would reclaim areas of its territory annexed by Russia. Units of the Ukrainian army, tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and air defence systems marched along the…

Mozambique ‘tuna bond’ scandal: Ex-President Guebuza’s son on trial

One of the loans was for Mozambique’s tuna industry  MAPUTO, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The son of Mozambique’s ex-president and 18 others have gone on trial over the $2bn “tuna bonds” affair. Ndambi Guebuza, son of former President Armando Guebuza, and the others face charges of blackmail, embezzlement and money…

Record number of migrants cross English Channel in a day

Nearly 12,500 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after making crossings in small boats  LONDON, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 800 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK on Saturday – setting a new record for crossings in a single day. The Home Office said nearly…

Zimbabwe to compensate victims of Mugabe-era massacre

Zimbabwe’s late president Robert Gabriel Mugabe HARARE, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) –Zimbabwe is to open talks about compensation for victims of a notorious 1980s massacre that took place when former president Robert Mugabe was in power, Zimbabwe’s government said.Some victims will also be exhumed and reburied according to local customs, the…

US floods: Pres Biden declares ‘major disaster’ in Tennessee

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the southern US state of Tennessee and approved federal funding after devastating floods over the weekend left at least 21 dead, the White House said in a statement said Tuesday. Tennessee was hit Saturday by what…

America’s tallest man dies at age 38

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The tallest man in America — he stood 7 feet 8 inches (2.35 meters) — has died of a heart problem at the age of 38, his mother said on Facebook. Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy had a condition called pituitary gigantism that caused excessive secretion of…

Climate change made Europe floods more likely, intense: study

PARIS, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Climate change made the deadly floods that devastated parts of Germany and Belgium last month up to nine times more likely, according to an international study published Tuesday. At least 190 people lost their lives in severe floods that pummelled western Germany in mid-July, and…

Tunisian president extends suspension of parliament

TUNIS, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tunisian President Kais Saied has extended the suspension of parliament until further notice, the presidency said in a statement, a month after freezing it in a move that opponents decried as a coup. He also extended an order lifting immunity for the country’s lawmakers. Saied…

Covid-19: South Africa teen pregnancies surge during pandemic

PRETORIA, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Coronavirus lockdown measures in South Africa have limited young girls’ access to contraception and abortion, resulting in a surge in teenage pregnancies, Save the Children said. The number of children born to teen mothers in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province, has increased by at…