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From Washington, this is VOA news. New airstrikes reported against the group calling itself the Islamic State. Somalia is on alert for possible attacks by al-Shabab. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington.
The U.S. Central Command has described attacks against militants from the group calling itself the Islamic State in northern Iraq as "a mix of attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft." The U.S. says these recent flights occurred Friday and Saturday, targeting fighters and military hardware near the northern town of Irbil. In nearby Syria, monitors say Syrian government airstrikes targeted the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, killing at least 25 people, including 16 civilians. Somalia is under a high alert. The country's Security Minister Khalif Ahmed Ereg said Saturday al-Shabab militants may be planning attacks against government facilities. U.S. officials Friday confirmed the death of Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of al-Shabab, in the U.S. military airstrike operation that took place earlier in the week. Now, new reports say the militant group reportedly has confirmed the death of Godane in the U.S. operation. The al-Qaeda-linked militants announced the selection of Abu Ubeid Ahmed Omar to replace him. New reports of violence in Ukraine -- witnesses in Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have reported sustained explosions outside the city late Saturday in an area where Ukraine's troops are holding a defensive line against pro-Russian rebels. It was not immediately clear whether the artillery fired described by Western reporters is an isolated incident or the first significant violation of a cease-fire declared Friday between rebels and the Kyiv government. More details on these stories at voanews.com. This is VOA news. The Iraqi parliament has postponed a vote on approving a new government under Prime Minister-designate Haidar al Abadi. The prime minister-designate had insisted his new government would be announced by then. The delay is happening over disagreements of who should hold key posts, including that of defense minister. Monday marks the constitutional deadline for Mr. Abadi to form his government, after which a new candidate must be chosen to do so. NATO forces have launched a major military training exercise 250 kilometers from the Russian border, in what is being described as a practical demonstration of support for Baltic states facing an assertive Russia. The maneuvers, launched late Friday, came just hours after NATO leaders attending a summit in Britain agreed to step up exercises in eastern Europe with a new rapid-reaction force, in response to Russian actions in Ukraine. Authorities in Sierra Leone are calling for people to remain at home for three days later this month as part of an effort to stop the spread of the Ebola virus. A spokesman for the government said Saturday that people will not be allowed to leave their homes [from late Saturday] from late September 18th until September 21st. Humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders has criticized the measure. Experts have said that quarantines and border closures do not help control Ebola. A lockdown last month in an area of Monrovia, Liberia, sparked riots. On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the United Nations is creating an Ebola crisis center to coordinate efforts to combat the disease. "Remember that Ebola can be avoided and controlled. The virus has been contained elsewhere in the past, and we can do it today as well. We know what to do and what needs to be done." U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to delay action on immigration until after the November congressional elections. White House officials Saturday said the president believes taking his own steps on the highly-politicized issue during the midterm campaign would hurt efforts to pass a broad overhaul. The decision drew fast criticism from Republicans and immigration advocates. White House officials say President Obama still plans to act on immigration before the end of the year. Egypt has charged ousted President Mohamed Morsi with leaking national security secrets to Qatar. The nation's top prosecutor says Mr. Morsi and 10 co-defendants will go on trial for providing Qatari intelligence with sensitive documents during [this] his year in office. A senior executive for the Qatar-owned al-Jazeera television network is among those charged. More at voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |