US troops in Syria came under fire from Turkish incursion: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US troops near the northern Syrian border came under artillery fire from Turkish positions on Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said, warning that the US was prepared to meet aggression with “immediate defensive action.” The US military confirmed an explosion around 9pm within a few hundred…

Nile dam dispute: Egypt needs water, Ethiopia seeks electricity, Sudan wants both

ADDIS ABABA/CAIRO, Oct 12 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — While Egypt wants to guarantee a steady supply of water for its 100 millions citizens , Ethiopia is determined to power the homes of the over 100 million citizens. Sudan completes the triangle of nations that are currently deadlocked over the construction of a…

Ecuador protests: Police officers released after being taken hostage

The captive police officers were paraded in front of a crowd of thousands in Quito QUITO, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Protesters in Ecuador have released 10 police officers who were taken hostage amid violent demonstrations triggered by austerity measures. Indigenous demonstrators paraded the officers, including one woman, on a stage…

Key issues in Mozambique election

MAPUTO, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mozambique is due to hold presidential, provincial and legislative elections on Tuesday Oct 15, two months after the country’s two largest parties signed a peace deal that put a formal end to decades of violence. The governing Frelimo party is expected to maintain its near…

Hundreds of thousands forced from homes in Burkina Faso: UN

OUAGADOUGOU, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says more than a quarter of a million people have been displaced by violence in Burkina Faso over the last three months.The UNHCR says malnutrition and starvation are a real threat as exhausted people struggle to find safety.It says…

Brexit: EU and UK agree to ‘intensify’ talks

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU countries have agreed to “intensify” Brexit talks with the UK over the next few days.The development comes after a meeting in Brussels between Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, described by both sides as “constructive”.But UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson…

Nigeria’s president demands action after ‘sex-for-grades’ film

ABUJA, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four days after a BBC Africa Eye documentary was broadcast revealing cases of sexual harassment at two top West African Universities, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said more needs to be done to prevent abuse in educational institutions.Although First Lady Aisha Buhari reacted to the…

Furious with Turkey, EU threatens sanctions, arms embargo

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU governments threatened sanctions against Turkey over its offensive in Syria, angrily rejecting President Tayyip Erdogan’s warning that he would “open the gates” and send 3.6 million refugees to Europe if they did not back him. Turkey has stepped up its air and artillery strikes…

Uber launches boat service in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos

LAGOS, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Global ride-hailing firm Uber on Friday launched a pilot test of a boat service in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos to attract commuters seeking to avoid the megacity’s notoriously congested roads. The United Nations predicts that Nigeria’s population will more than double to 400 million by…

Cargo plane crashes in Congo, killing presidential staff on board

KINSHASA, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A cargo plane carrying presidential staff crashed in eastern Congo, killing all eight passengers and crew, a presidential advisor said. The plane, carrying President Felix Tshisekedi’s driver, a logistics manager and some soldiers, was headed for the capital Kinshasa and went off radar on Thursday…