David Shadrach

US to stop arming anti-IS Syrian Kurdish YPG militia - Turkey The US is to stop supplying arms to the Syrian Kurdish militia the YPG, Turkey has said. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said President Donald Trump had made the promise in a phone call to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The White House said it was making "adjustments" to its support for partners inside Syria but did not explicitly name the YPG. Turkey has long complained about US support for the group. Washington has viewed the YPG as a key player in the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS), but Ankara brands the group's fighters as terrorists. Turkey says the YPG is as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group it has been fighting for decades in south-eastern Turkey. The US, however, has seen the YPG as distinct from the PKK. In May it announced it would supply arms to the Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which were poised to drive IS fro...

Mexico creates huge national park to protect marine life The Mexican government has created a large marine reserve around a group of islands home to hundreds of species including rays, whales and sea turtles. The Revillagigedo Archipelago is a group of volcanic islands off the country's south-east coast. With a protection zone of 57,000 square miles (150,000km), it has become the largest ocean reserve in North America. The move will mean all fishing activity will be banned, and the area will be patrolled by the navy. It is hoped the move will help populations hit by commercial fishing operations in the area recover. The park was designated by a decree signed by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. It will also forbid natural resources being extracted from the land or the building of new hotel infrastructure. The area, which is about 250 miles (400km) south- east of the country's Baja California peninsula has been described as the Galapagos of North America, because of its volc...

Zimbabwe: What citizens want from President Mnangagwa NEWS / ROBERT MUGABE Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe Africa SIGN UP Harare, Zimbabwe - Thousands of Zimbabweans from all walks of life have celebrated the inauguration of the country’s third president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a man in whom many are placing their hopes for the future. Mnangagwa is taking over from Robert Mugabe , the 93-year-old longstanding leader who resigned as the country's president on Tuesday after 37 years in power. Inaugurated on Friday, Mnangagwa symbolises a potential change from his predecessor. He promised economic change, political inclusiveness and unity in his inauguration speech, saying that the country belongs to "the [bigger] family of nations".some of the people spoke to Zimbabweans on the issues they want the country's new president to tackle: Theresa Hanga, 53, war veteran Theresa Hanga, 53, says she hopes the new president is 'not like Mugabe' I came all the way from Rusape [a small...

Egypt vows to avenge Sinai mosque massacre NEWS / SINAI PENINSULA WATCH 10:14 The silence in Sinai: Covering Egypt's 'war on terror' WATCH 25:00 Is Egypt's security crackdown working? Egypt Sinai Peninsula Middle East SIGN UP Egyptian media reports say at least 235 people have been killed in a bomb and gun attack on a mosque in the country's northern Sinai Peninsula. The attack occurred in Bir al-Abed, a town in North Sinai province, shortly after Friday prayers. Egyptian state media MENA put the death toll at 235, citing an official security source. It also said that 120 people were wounded in the attack. The mosque in Bir al-Abed, about 40km west of El Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai, was frequented by Sufis. The government declared a three-day period of mourning for the victims. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned the attack, which he described as "criminal" and "cowardly" in a televised statement on Friday. He expr...

Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as Zimbabwe president NEWS / AFRICA READ MORE Zimbabweans hopeful for better future post- Mugabe Zimbabwe Africa Politics SIGN UP Emmerson Mnangagwa became Zimbabwe's third president since independence [Mike Hutchings/Reuters] Harare, Zimbabwe - Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sworn in as president of Zimbabwe, marking the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year reign over the country. Tens of thousands of cheering supporters on Friday streamed into the capital's National Sports Stadium to witness Mnangagwa, a former vice president, take the oath of office. Read a profile of Emmerson Mnangagwa here. In his inaugural speech, Mnangagwa promised that elections would be held next year and vowed to work to advance the lives of all Zimbabweans. "As we focus on recovering the economy, we must shed misbehaviours and acts of indiscipline which have characterised the past," he said. "Acts of corruption must stop." Tribute to Mugabe Mnangagwa's...