Iraqi government forces have seized several villages as they move towards an assault on the last area held by the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul.
Hundreds of military vehicles, backed by air power, rolled across the desert towards IS positions early on Sunday.
The progress on Sunday in the south of the city, the second biggest in Iraq, takes them within striking distance of Mosul airport.
Fears have been voiced about the safety of many thousands of trapped civilians.
The offensive was formally announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi early on Sunday.
Army Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement that elite Rapid Response units captured the villages of Athbah and Al-Lazzagah – two villages south of Mosul airport.
Government forces retook the eastern side of the city, the last major IS stronghold in Iraq, last month. But military officials say the western side, with its narrow, winding streets, may prove a bigger challenge.
For now, there is no advance from eastern Mosul as all bridges from there to the west of the city, across the Tigris river, have been destroyed.
16 people are feared dead, about 40 others injured in a car bomb blast in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Officials say, the car blew up in the southern Madina area of the Capital city, ripping through shops and food stalls.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but pointers are directed at al-Shabab terrorist group whose senior commander on Saturday vowed to target President Mohamed Abdullahi’s supporters.
This is the first major attack in Mogadishu the presidential election which took place earlier this month.
About 28 people were killed last month in a hotel bomb attack by militants in Mogadishu.
From all indications, the attack brings to limelight the challenge before the new president whose fragile government relies heavily on external support and does not control other parts of the country.
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari, under the umbrella of ‘coalition for Buhari’ and some youth groups in Kaduna on Thursday voiced out their support for the current policies and programs of the President.
The Youths who were drawn from different youth groups converged at the Murtala Mohammed Square for the pro-Buhari rally, while the coalition group brief the press on why it is standing with Buhari at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna state Council.
President Buhari has been away from the country for over three weeks on vacation and medical checkup to London, his date of return isn’t specific – that has created lots of speculations and mixed reactions among Nigerians, leading to various rallies; the recent was the one organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress on hardships faced by Nigerians.
On the essence of the ‘I stand For Buhari’ campaign, Leader of the Coalition, Zuwaira Sani Bakori, explained that they were speaking out because of the burden of integrity.
According to her, “We are here because we must stand up for Nigeria by standing up for President Buhari. We owe Nigeria and Nigerians a voice for a nation that is gradually breaking away from a terrible past. The days of wastages, leakages and impunity are fading away. But it will not fade easily because it has created vultures and monsters who enjoy the bleeding of Nigeria to death by mob rape.
“We are hearing their voices loud and clear, and they are claiming to speak for Nigeria. They are recruiting the sentiments of gullible Nigerians to blame President Buhari for the outcome of their sustained damages.
“They will not go down easily. They will bring all the alternative narration against. Mr. President. They were not vocal when their voices should have been loudest. They kept quiet and supported the draining of our treasury. Those who claimed Chibok girls were not abducted, or Boko haram never even existed.
“Those who made political opportunity and economic capital at the cost of human lives wasted in the North eastern region, especially. Those who are yet to recover from the hangover of the 2015 general elections; Those who cannot come to terms with the gradual decapitation of insurgency and the fight against corruption; Those who choose to ignore the gradual reversal of our systemic decay and cannot affirm change. Those who will look the other way as our economy is increasingly diversified and our critical infrastructures are being rehabilitated and expanded. Those who want to mislead Nigerians by twisting the narrative,” she said.
While calling for a push of legal reforms that would completely eradicate corruption, she tasked the national assembly to immediately pass the Anti corruption Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and strengthen all other enabling laws in support of the president’s fight against corruption and in the overall restoration of the nation’s glory.
She further noted that Buhari’s administration was able to put a stop to the diversion of billions of dollars signature bonus by allotters of oil blocs, while the economy is being diversified, budget padding is no longer an easy ride, with a great effort to recover the economy from recession.
“Are they happy that TSA has raked in NS.2 Trillion and the country has been saved over N3 trillion from rehabilitation of NNPC and removal of fuel subsidy?
“Are they unsettled that, this administration has increased the reserve to over $30 billion after it was massively depleted by the past government?
“Will they be humble to admit that, the journey to recession was initiated long ago and we are already on a journey to economic recovery?”She questioned.
She however urged Nigerians to pray for the quick recovering of the president, noting that, the country is at its threshold of getting back on track.
Another member of the coalition, Balarabe Sa’id, while responding to question from Journalists, explained that the group is a coalition of several groups that believe in Buhari’s leadership, ranging from Academia and Lawyers among others.
Angola has ordered the closure of a school linked to the Gulen movement, which is blamed by Turkey for a July coup attempt, an official source said.
Luanda also expelled all of the Turkish staff working at the Colegio Esperanca Internacional (Coespi) and their families – 66 people in total – saying that the closure was for “national security reasons”.
News24 reported that, the Hizmet movement which ran the school is linked to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and operates schools across the world, including in Africa.
Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan has rallied African leaders on the continent to help him fight Gulen’s influence, lobbying hard against his longtime rival’s African network during a recent visit to the continent.
The schools are popular among Africa’s middle classes and are often rated as some of the best performing where they operate.
Turkish officials accuse Gulen of using his vast private education network to build influence and of running a “parallel state” inside Turkey that attempted to topple Erdogan during a failed coup on July 15.
Gulen, a former Erdogan ally, vehemently denies the allegations. A reclusive figure, he has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.
Hizmet describes itself as promoting Islam through charity efforts and educational work from Turkey to countries in Africa and central Asia as well as the United States.
In the decree signed by President Eduardo dos Santos and seen by AFP, Angola’s long-time ruler said that the closure was to “protect the well-being and security of the citizens… and territorial integrity”.
All of the Turkish staff linked to the school and their families have already been removed from Angola, an official source said.
Coespi was the only school linked to the Gulen movement in Angola and had 750 students aged between five and 14 years old.
Morocco has also closed all Gulen-linked schools in the kingdom since January.
Last week, Angolan Interior Minister Angelo de Veiga Tavares defended the closure during an interview on state TV, saying that it was a “sovereign” decision for Luanda to take.
News24 reported that the Minister said, “The Angolan government decision has nothing to do with pressure from other countries.”
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Nigeria says it has completed 1,350 houses as part of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme designed by Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita.
Executive Secretary of the Federal Government Housing Loans Board, Hannatu Adamu-Fika, said the FISH programme was to address the issue of housing for federal civil servants and motivate them for better performance and provide federal civil servants with better housing since they are the least paid.
She said the fish programme has 20,000 registered members and is set to build 3,000 houses for members, and commended members for taking part in the programme.
Fika also urged Heads of Human Resources in Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the country to allow their workers take part in the fish programme.
Over 23,000 Nigerian workers had registered as members of the FISH Cooperative Society Limited.
Nigeria’s FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, has challenged the National Implementation Committee for the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria to evolve a robust mechanism to track all the cattle coming in from the neighboring countries.
The Minister gave this challenge on Tuesday, while receiving members of the Committee led by its chairman, AIG Charles Ugomuoh that were in the FCT Administration for Advocacy visit.
According to Bello, all such cattle could be tracked from the border thereby reducing friction often being generated by their activities in the hinterland, which can also be used for statistical purposes.
A statement by the FCAI Deputy Director of press, Muhammad Hazat Sule quoted the Minister to have said: “It would be a good idea for your Committee to set up a robust mechanism to track all those coming across the border even for statistical purposes.”
He further stated that majority of cattle rustling activities are being perpetuated by those coming from the neighboring countries hence the need for their actions to be nipped in the bud. He urged the Implementation Committee to take advantage of technology to track them and ensure that the herders pay for such services.
“The Implementation Committee needs to capture them by creating a data base with their names and identity because nobody can move in other countries without identity,” the Minister emphasized.
According to him, “the policy if well harnessed will go a long way to help reduce problems associated with cattle rustling in the country and make people to continue to live in peace and prosperity.
He called on the Committee to work in concert with existing committees in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory for greater understanding and better results.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the National Implementation Committee on the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria, AIG Charles Ugomuoh, remarked that they were in FCT for advocacy visit as an enlightenment programme to curtail their menace.
AIG Ogomuoh stated that cattle rustling in Nigeria have come with adverse economic and security implications with negative consequences on the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It may be recalled that the Minister recently set up similar committee consisting of 22 members on cattle grazing and rustling in the Federal Capital Territory.
Iraqi government forces have seized several villages as they move towards an assault on the last area held by the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul.
