Ethiopia rejects Egypt’s plan for operating giant dam on the Nile

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to be fully operational by 2022 ADDIS ABABA, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopia rejected a proposal by Egypt to operate a $4 billion hydropower dam the Horn of Africa country is constructing on the Nile, further deepening a dispute between the two nations over…

Central African militia suspects, one a soccer boss, hear war crimes charges

Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona THE HAGUE, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two alleged leaders of Central African Republic militias, one of them prominent in African football, heard details of war crimes accusations against them at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday. Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, who deny wrongdoing, were attending a…

Tunisia’s ousted president Ben Ali dies in Saudi exile-lawyer

ZINE El-Abidine Ben Ali TUNIS, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Tunisia’s ousted Pres Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali died in exile in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, days after a free presidential election in his homeland, his family lawyer said. “Ben Ali just died in Saudi Arabia,” the lawyer, Mounir Ben Salha, said.…

Saudi Arabia oil attacks: Weapons debris ‘proves Iran behind them’ – defence ministry

RIYADH, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry has shown off what it says is wreckage of drones and cruise missiles that proves Iranian involvement in weekend attacks on two oil facilities. It said 18 drones and seven cruise missiles were fired from a direction that ruled out Yemen as a source. Yemen’s…

Mozambique rebel group threatens attacks during election campaign

MAPUTO, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Breakaway Mozambique rebels threatened to step up violence if campaigning is not suspended for upcoming elections — the first after a landmark peace deal — as they claimed responsibility for two recent car attacks. The country is gearing up for Oct 15 polls as it…

Pakistan-administered Kashmir belongs to India, says FM Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, Sept 20 (NNN-BSS) – Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said Pakistan-administered Kashmir belongs to India and expected that India to have “physical jurisdiction over it one day”. “Our position on Pakistan-administered Kashmir is, has always been and will always be very clear, it is part of…

Mexico to relaunch probe of 43 missing students

MEXICO CITY, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Mexican prosecutor-general’soffice said it will re-investigate “almost from scratch” thedisappearance and suspected massacre of 43 students in 2014, a case thatstill haunts the country. The initial probe into the mass kidnapping has been marred by missteps and allegations that investigators tortured suspects, resulting…

US envoy to Afghanistan testifies before lawmakers

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US envoy who negotiated with the Taliban testifies behind closed doors to Congress on Thursday, 12 days after President Donald Trump abruptly ended talks with the Afghan militants. The House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee earlier issued a subpoena to force Zalmay Khalilzad to…

Liberia: 26 pupils, two teachers killed in Korani school fire

MONROVIA, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A huge fire at a Liberian Koranicschool on Wednesday killed at least 26 pupils and two teachers when flamesengulfed their dormitory, in one of the worst disasters of its kind for theWest African nation. The boys were sleeping at the school when the overnight fire…

US wants ‘peaceful’ solution to crisis over Saudi strikes: US Sec of State Pompeo

ABU DHABI, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States wants a peaceful solution to the crisis sparked by attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, after Iran raised the prospect of “all-out war”. After meeting with allies in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Pompeo said there was…