UN says no exodus of civilians from Sirte, envoy concerned about Libyans

Pic: UN Libya UNITED NATIONS, Jan 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — One day after the east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) said it had taken Sirte, a UN spokesman said there has been no exodus of civilians from the coastal city of the North African country. “In terms of the situation in Sirte…

Iran fired ‘more than a dozen’ missiles at US forces in Iraq: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Iran fired “more than a dozen” ballistic missiles Tuesday against two airbases in Iraq where US and coalition forces are based, the Pentagon said. “At approximately 5.30 pm (2230 GMT) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and…

Kenya: Four civilians killed in al Shabaab attack on telecom mast

Al Shabab militants NAIROBI, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four Kenyan civilians were killed in a gunfight between police and al Shabaab militants from Somalia who attacked a telecommunications mast in the third such deadly incident in Kenya this week, police said. Officers killed two attackers and recovered two assault rifles…

European powers reject Turkey’s decision to send troops to Libya

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — Top European diplomats emerged from a Tuesday meeting saying continuing outside interference is fuelling the crisis in Libya and that there is no military solution to it. Top diplomats from Britain, Italy, Germany, France as well as the European…

Togo: Pres Gnassingbé to seek another term, hoping to extend family’s decades-long rule

LOME, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Togo’s president Faure Gnassingbe confirmed his candidacy for elections next month that look set to see him claim a fourth term and extend his family’s decades-long rule. The incumbent has been in power for nearly 15 years since taking over after the death of his…

Liberia: Thousands protest against Pres George Weah’s poor handling of economy

The opposition is demanding greater financial accountability MONROVIA, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of people have marched through the streets of the Liberian capital, Monrovia, to protest against President George Weah’s handling of the economy – which has seen spiralling inflation. The demonstrators want Weah to say what happened to…

Joy as Nigeria doctors separate conjoined twins

Goodness and Mercy are now well enough to go home ABUJA, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A team of doctors in Nigeria have successfully separated one-year-old conjoined twins.Lead surgeon Emmanuel Ameh said the operation to separate Goodness and Mercy Martins at the chest and abdomen took place in November and the…

Nigeria-Cameroon border grenade blast kills nine

The injured were rushed to hospitals GAMBOROU (Nigeria), Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A grenade that a child picked up from a bin on the Nigeria-Cameroon border has exploded, killing him and eight others.Twenty-six people were also wounded in the blast on the Nigerian side of the border, a Cameroonian official…

NATO taking ‘some personnel’ out of Iraq

BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — NATO said it would take “some personnel” out of Iraq because of the increased danger there after the US killing of an Iranian general triggered revenge threats. The withdrawal is temporary but “the safety of our personnel is paramount”, a NATO official said in a…

Spain: Sanchez wins parliament vote to return as PM

MADRID, Jan 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Spain’s parliament on Tuesday confirmedSocialist leader Pedro Sanchez’s reappointment as prime minister by a razor-thin margin, ending almost a year of political limbo for the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy. Sanchez, who plans to form an unprecedented minority coalition government with far-left party Podemos, got 167…