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Texas student charged with campus officer murder

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Hollis Daniels, 19, is seen in this photo.Image copyright Lubbock County jail

A 19-year-old Texas student has been charged with murder for fatally shooting a campus officer while in custody, police say.

Hollis Daniels allegedly opened fire as he was being questioned after officers found evidence of drugs in his dorm room at Texas Tech University.

The suspect reportedly removed the victim’s body camera before fleeing the scene at the Lubbock city campus.

He was caught by police in a nearby car park.

It was unclear whether the student had a gun on him when he was taken to the station or if he took the weapon from an officer.

The events unfolded after police made a student welfare check on the teenager on Monday evening at Texas Tech University, according to campus police Chief Kyle Bonath.

Drug-related evidence and drug paraphernalia were discovered in the freshman’s room.

Police took him into custody and were preparing to transfer him to Lubbock County jail when he allegedly opened fire.

The unidentified officer’s stolen body camera was later recovered by police, according to NBC affiliate KCBD.

The student was apprehended in the car park near Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.

The suspect was charged with capital murder of a peace officer, according to the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.

Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said: “The family of the officer is in the thoughts and prayers of the Texas Tech community.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also issued a message of condolence.

Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

Harvey Weinstein: George Clooney says alleged behaviour is ‘indefensible’

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George Clooney with Harvey Weinstein at the National Board Of Review Of Motion Pictures Awards.Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption George Clooney has called the alleged actions of Weinstein ‘indefensible’.

George Clooney and Jennifer Lawrence have joined the list of Hollywood stars condemning Harvey Weinstein.

The co-founder of The Weinstein Company faces sexual harassment claims dating back nearly three decades, which came to light in the New York Times.

Clooney, whose big-screen big break was a Weinstein film, said the producer’s alleged actions were “indefensible”.

Weinstein, who has been fired by the board of his company, disputes the New York Times report.

He has vowed to take legal action against the newspaper, which said in the report that he had reached at least eight settlements with women.

Jennifer Lawrence, who won an Oscar for his film Silver Linings Playbook, has also now spoken about the allegations, saying she was “deeply disturbed”.

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Jennifer Lawrence with Harvey Weinstein at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2013

Clooney, who was given his first big movie role as an actor by Weinstein in 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn and as a director in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, said he was previously unaware of the allegations.

“The part we’re hearing now about eight women being paid off, I didn’t hear anything about that and I don’t know anyone that did,” he said in an interview with The Daily Beast.

“That’s a whole other level and there’s no way you can reconcile that. There’s nothing to say except that it’s indefensible.”

‘Absolutely upsetting’

Clooney said he had known Weinstein for 20 years. “We’ve had dinners, we’ve been on location together, we’ve had arguments. But I can tell you that I’ve never seen any of this behaviour – ever,” he said.

“Maybe that’s what good will come out of this – that not just in Hollywood, although Hollywood is now the focus, but in all of these cases the victims will feel that they will be listened to, and that they don’t need to be afraid.”

Lawrence also released a statement, five years on from working with Weinstein on Silver Linings Playbook, for which she won the best actress Oscar.

“I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein’s behaviour,” she told Variety.

“I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting.”

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Jessica Chastain said she had been “warned” about working with Weinstein

Actress Jessica Chastain, who has appeared in The Martian and Zero Dark Thirty, also spoke out on Tuesday, saying she had been “warned” about working with Weinstein.

Unlike others in the industry, who have said they were not aware of his alleged actions, the Oscar winner tweeted her reaction.

“I was warned from the beginning. The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an environment for it to happen again.”

She also responded on social media to a statement from Kate Winslet, who said the allegations made her “angry”, and also noted that more men should be speaking up.

Cillian Murphy, whose TV drama Peaky Blinders is distributed by The Weinstein Company in the US, said the alleged behaviour was “appalling”.

“It’s great that it’s been exposed and I admire all of these women that have come forward,” he told BBC 5 live’s Afternoon Edition. “We can’t allow behaviour like that to be in our industry or in any industry really.

“When people are honest and speak up, that’s all that people need to do. It shouldn’t be tolerated in any walk of life so why should it be tolerated in the entertainment industry?”

Over the weekend, Weinstein stepped down from the board of directors at the US charity Robin Hood, which describes itself as “New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organisation”, the charity told BBC News.


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Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

Trump challenges Rex Tillerson to IQ test

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President Donald Trump (R) and Secretary of State Rex TillersonImage copyright AFP

US President Donald Trump has challenged his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to an IQ test, in the latest sign of discord between the two.

He made the remark in a magazine interview when asked about reports that Mr Tillerson had called him a moron.

“I think it’s fake news,” Mr Trump told Forbes, “but if he did that, I guess we’ll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win.”

Mr Trump is due to have lunch on Tuesday with Mr Tillerson.

Reports have swirled of a schism in the Trump administration between the commander-in-chief and his top diplomat, as the US faces a host of vexatious foreign policy conundrums, from North Korea to Iran.

Last week Mr Tillerson called a news conference to deny reports that he was considering quitting.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionRex Tillerson says he never wanted to quit as Secretary of State

But the former ExxonMobil chief executive did not refute an NBC News report that he had called his boss a moron after a July meeting at the Pentagon.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump publicly undercut the former Texas oilman by tweeting that he was “wasting his time” trying to negotiate with nuclear-armed North Korea.

Last week the New York Times reported that Mr Tillerson was astonished at how little Mr Trump grasps the basics of foreign policy.

According to the newspaper, quoting sources close to the secretary of state, Mr Trump has been irritated by Mr Tillerson’s body language during meetings.

Mr Tillerson is said to roll his eyes or slouch when he disagrees with the decisions of his boss.


A classic Trump counter-punch

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter

Donald Trump insists that the stories about Rex Tillerson insulting his intelligence – despite being heavily sourced – are “fake news”. Now, however, he’s lobbing one of his trademark counter-punches, just in case.

Mr Tillerson thinks he’s a moron? Well, he’s smarter than Rex, that’s for certain.

It’s classic Trump – a slightly less juvenile version of the “I guarantee you there’s no problem” retort Mr Trump snapped off during a Republican debate, when Senator Marco Rubio questioned the size of his, er, manhood.

Mr Trump tends to get touchy when people doubt his intellect. That’s probably why the “moron” line has prompted such a furious response from the White House and State Department. During the campaign he said he doesn’t have to consult generals because he has “a very good brain” and told a rally in South Carolina that he was highly educated and has “the best words”.

In August, he boasted that he was a “better student” and went to better schools than all his elite critics.

Mr Tillerson may have opened a difficult-to-repair rift with the president. While Mr Trump is quite comfortable with insult-trading, there’s one topic that’s clearly off-limits.

Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

Trump lays into ESPN anchor suspended over tweets

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Jemele HillImage copyright Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has pilloried a cable sports anchor who is suspended after politically charged tweets.

He tweeted: “With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have ‘tanked,’ in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!”

Ms Hill was reprimanded last month for calling Mr Trump a white supremacist and is now off air for two weeks after appearing to urge an NFL boycott.

ESPN said she made a “second violation of our social media guidelines”.

Mr Trump also called on Tuesday for the NFL to be stripped of tax advantages if it cannot stop players demonstrating during the national anthem.

He tweeted: “Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!”

Trump defends Pence NFL protest walkout

The demonstrations, which protesters have said highlight police brutality and racial injustice, have spread in recent weeks after Mr Trump called for the NFL stars to be fired.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionWatch: The history of anthem protests in the US.

ESPN did not specify how Jemele Hill, who is African-American, fell foul of its policies this time.

But on Sunday she argued that fans should shun an NFL team’s advertisers after its owner vowed to punish any of his players who kneel or sit during the Star-Spangled Banner.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Sunday warned his players they would be benched if they did not stand for the flag.

Ms Hill, co-host of the SportsCenter programme, tweeted: “Jerry Jones also has created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don’t kneel, some will see them as sellouts.”

She added: “If you feel strongly about JJ’s statement, boycott his advertisers.”

Ms Hill later posted: “Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.”

ESPN said in a statement about Ms Hill on Monday: “She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company down with an impulsive tweet.

“In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences. Hence this decision.”

Last month Ms Hill was disciplined after calling President Trump “a white supremacist”, a “bigot” and the “most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime”.

In a statement then, the network said her “inappropriate” remarks did not represent the company and that it had addressed the issue with her.

The president went on the attack on Twitter again after that incident, saying that ESPN “is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming)”.

“People are dumping it in RECORD numbers,” he added. “Apologize for untruth.”

Shares of all companies that broadcast NFL games – from ESPN-owner Walt Disney to Comcast, Fox and CBS – have been falling amid an industry-wide slump in viewing figures.

ESPN’s subscribers have tumbled from a 2011 peak of 100 million to 88 million today in the latest Nielsen estimates, according to Sports TV Ratings.

Its ratings have plummeted even more sharply, with average total viewers falling more than 19% from 2014-16, reports Variety.

Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

Boko Haram suspects on trial in Nigeria’s Kainji town

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Boko Haram militantsImage copyright AFP/Boko Haram
Image caption Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in the region

The first in a series of trials of more than 6,600 people, accused of being members of militant Islamist group Boko Haram, has opened in Nigeria.

The trials are being held in secret by civilian court judges at a military facility in north-central Kainji town.

Rights activists say they are concerned about the lack of transparency in what have been described as the biggest terrorism trial in Nigeria’s history.

Some 20,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram’s eight-year insurgency.

Only nine people have been convicted so far of being involved in the unrest.

Four judges have started the trials at the military centre in Kainji, sources at the ministry of justice told the BBC’s Ishaq Khalid in the capital, Abuja.

Up to 1,670 people will be tried in the coming weeks with a further 5,000 people after that, our reporter says.

More than 1,600 suspects are being held at the centre, where many have spent years.

In a report in 2015, Amnesty International said that the military had arbitrarily detained about 20,000 people as part of its campaign to end the insurgency.

One man who was held by security forces for nearly three years before being released without charge, told the BBC his family had thought he was dead.

A lengthy process?

The trials are likely to last for months, or even years, because of the huge number of suspects who will be tried individually, Justice Minister Abubakar Malami said.


Boko Haram at a glance

  • Founded in 2002
  • Known locally as Boko Haram, meaning “Western education if forbidden”
  • Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
  • Designated a terrorist group by US in 2013
  • Declared a caliphate in areas it controlled in 2014
  • Most territory now recaptured by army

Who are Boko Haram?

‘How I almost became a suicide bomber’


Barrister Alhassan Muhammad, who represented suspects in Nigeria’s first trial of Boko Haram militants beginning in 2009, says these trials could be very slow starting with the simple fact that each and every defendant’s name must be read out as the court session opens.

Islamist militants who surrender voluntarily are to be offered amnesty by Nigeria’s government, which is also running a deradicalisation programme for those deemed eligible.

Justice Minister Malami says this will programme will apply to Boko Haram members who are found not to be criminally liable.

Boko Haram no longer controls any territory but their presence is still felt in northern Nigeria.

One federal judge, John Tsoho, is reported by local media to have withdrawn himself from a recent trial of Boko Haram suspects because the defendants questioned his integrity.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

Namibia: More than 100 hippos die in suspected anthrax outbreak

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A hippopotamus sits in the Limpopo river at the Pafuri game reserve on July 22, 2010 in Kruger National Park, South Africa.Image copyright AFP
Image caption Namibia was home to 1,300 hippos before this outbreak (photo from South Africa)

More than 100 hippos have been found dead in a Namibian national park, with authorities suspecting anthrax could be to blame.

The animals are believed to have all died in the last week in the remote Bwabwata National Park, in the country’s north-east.

One ministry official said Namibia had never seen anything like this before.

Anthrax is a deadly bacterial disease which is known to kill game, cattle, and sometimes humans.

Pictures from the area show dozens of dead hippos – some on their backs – lying in rivers with low water levels.

Colgar Sikopo, director of parks and wildlife management at Namibia’s Ministry for the Environment and Tourism, told the New Era newspaper previous outbreaks in Namibia had only killed a couple of hippos and elephants.

“This is a situation that we have seen before,” he said, explaining outbreaks like this “mainly occurs when the level of the river is so low”.

Namibia’s environment minister Pohamba Shifeta told news agency AFP that the country’s veterinary services were working on establishing the exact cause. He warned that the exact death toll could be higher due to the possibility that crocodiles may have eaten some of the carcasses.

Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis and can be deadly – but usually it does not spread easily.

It largely survives as spores that hide away in soil for years before entering an animal through a cut or wound.

A previous outbreak in Uganda in 2004 left at least 180 hippos dead, while last year more than 2,300 reindeer died after being infected with anthrax during a heatwave in Siberia.

A child also died in the Siberian outbreak. Traditionally the people most at risk have been those who handle dead animals, such as abattoir workers.

Anthrax can be treated with antibiotics but treatment needs to start soon after infection.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

Liberia votes to choose Ellen Johnson Sirleaf successor

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VoterImage copyright Reuters
Image caption The streets of the capital are empty as people vote

Liberians are going to the polls to choose a successor to Africa’s first elected female president and Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Ex-football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are the main contenders in the race to succeed her.

Liberia, founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years.

Ms Sirleaf urged people to vote peacefully in a nation still recovering from a 14-year civil war.

“Your vote is about you and your family – not party, ethnicity,” she said in an address to to the nation.

A total of 20 presidential candidates are running to succeed Ms Sirleaf.

They include Alex Cummings, a former Coca-Cola executive, and MacDella Cooper, a former model and ex-girlfriend of Mr Weah.

Ms Sirleaf, 78, is stepping down at the end of her two terms.

When will we get results?

The head of the electoral commission, Jerome Kokoya, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that polls would close at 18:00 GMT and that he expects early results to be announced by 23:00 GMT.

Image copyright AFP
Image caption George Weah is hoping to be third time lucky in his presidential bid

He said that to avoid a run-off, the winner of the presidential race must get 50% plus one vote.

With so many candidates running, most analysts expect there to be a second round.

Provisional results could come as soon as Wednesday but might take up to two weeks due to the poor state of the country’s infrastructure.

Is Liberia peaceful now?

Ms Sirleaf took office in 2006, after her predecessor, Charles Taylor, was forced out of office by rebels in 2003, ending the long civil war.

Taylor is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence in the UK for war crimes related to the conflict in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

Mr Weah, 51, has chosen Taylor’s ex-wife Jewel Howard Taylor as his running mate.

This is the former footballer of the year’s third attempt to become president.

Ms Sirleaf has failed to campaign for Mr Boakai, fuelling speculation that the two have fallen out.


Discover Liberia:

  • Founded by freed US slaves in the 19 Century
  • Not had a smooth transfer of power between elected leaders in 73 years
  • Hundreds of thousands killed in Liberia’s two civil wars
  • At least 4,800 killed by the 2014 Ebola outbreak
  • Population 4.6 million
  • 2.2 million voters eligible to vote

Find out more about Liberia


‘We want a good leader’

By Charlotte Attwood, BBC, Monrovia

Image copyright Reuters

Hundreds of Liberians are waiting in a queue that snakes from the gates of St Theresa convent, through South Beach slum almost reaching the shoreline behind. Some elder members have brought plastic chairs to sit on – it is going to be a long day.

Charles Daniel, 70, had been waiting since 06:30 GMT. “We want a good leader, not a ruler,” he said.

Men and women carrying large buckets full of boiled eggs and other snacks to sell are here hoping to make a killing today.

Similar scenes can be found at hundreds of polling stations in and around the capital this morning as Liberians prepare to elect their new president.

The streets of the capital are almost empty – everybody seems to be waiting patiently in line to cast their ballot.


What are the main issues?

Almost 2.2 million people are registered to vote in the election.

Parliamentary elections are also being held at the same time.

Image copyright EPA
Image caption Joseph Boakai has been the vice-president since 2006

Campaigning has been dominated by promises to tackle poverty, corruption, and guarantee stability in the West African state.

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 50% of people living in poverty.

It was one of three West African states badly hit by the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak which left more than 11,300 people dead.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

Donna Karan defends Weinstein, suggests women ‘asking for it’

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Donna KaranImage copyright Mireya Acierto/Getty Images
Image caption Donna Karan subsequently apologised for her comments

Fashion designer Donna Karan has defended Harvey Weinstein, who was fired from his own movie company following accusations of sexual harassment spanning several decades.

Speaking on Sunday, the designer suggested women could be “asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality”.

Her comments have provoked a furious response on social media.

Actress Rose McGowan, who is reportedly among the film producer’s alleged victims, condemned the remarks.

“Donna Karan you are a deplorable,” she tweeted. “Aiding and abetting is a moral crime. You are scum in a fancy dress.”

Ms Karan later said her comments, recorded and published in the Daily Mail, were taken “out of context”.

She was attending the CineFashion Film Awards in Los Angeles when a red carpet reporter asked her view of the allegations against the former Miramax boss.

“I think we have to look at ourselves,” she said.

“Obviously, the treatment of women all over the world is something that has always had to be identified.

“Certainly in the country of Haiti where I work, in Africa, in the developing world, it’s been a hard time for women.

“To see it here in our own country is very difficult, but I also think how do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women?

“What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?”

Image copyright Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Image caption Actress Meryl Streep said she was appalled by the “disgraceful” news about Harvey Weinstein

Meryl Streep and Dame Judi Dench are among noted Hollywood stars to have spoken out against the movie producer already, but Ms Karan came to his defence.

“I don’t think we’re only looking at him,” she said. “I think we’re looking at a world much deeper than that.”

“I know his wife, I think they’re wonderful people, Harvey has done some amazing things.”

You may also like:

Many social media users called for a boycott of the Donna Karan fashion brand – although Ms Karan is no longer the chief designer for her brand – including actress and campaigner Mia Farrow.

The phrase “Donna Karan” has been among the top global Twitter trends, used tens of thousands of times on the social media platform since the news broke.

Actress Sarah Wynter suggested the fashion designer had ruined “any chance of her being respected as a champion of women’s causes ever again”.

In a statement, Ms Karan apologised.

“While answering a question on the red carpet I made a statement that unfortunately is not representative of how I feel or what I believe,” she said.

“My statements were taken out of context and do not represent how I feel about the current situation concerning Harvey Weinstein.

“I believe that sexual harassment is not acceptable and this is an issue that must be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual.

“I am truly sorry to anyone that I offended and everyone that has ever been a victim.”

Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

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