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☆ Hijacked Bangladesh-flagged ship released after $5 million ransom paid, say Somali pirates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Somali pirates released a hijacked ship, MV Abdullah, and its crew of 23 early on Sunday after a $5 million ransom was paid, according to two pirates. “The money was brought to us two nights ago as usual… we checked whether the money was fake or not. Then we divided the money into groups and left, avoiding the government forces,” Abdirashiid Yusuf, one of the pirates, told Reuters. The MV Abdullah, a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier - a type of merchant ship used to transport large amounts of cargo - was hijacked in March as it was heading from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. Somali pirates caused chaos in the waters off the country’s long coastline from about 2008 to 2018.

Persons: Abdullah, ” Abdirashiid Yusuf Organizations: CNN, Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates, Yemen’s, Palestinian, Hamas Locations: Somalia, Bangladesh, Mozambique, United Arab, Somalia’s, Mogadishu, Somali, Yemen’s Iran, Gaza, Israel

☆ 3 dead and dozens injured in hotel attack close to Somalia’s presidential palace
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Three people were killed and 27 people injured in a “terrorist attack” at a hotel near Somalia’s presidential palace on Thursday, the country’s state broadcaster Somalia National Television (SNTV) has reported. According to SNTV, five armed gunmen attacked the SYL Hotel in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday night. All five were shot and killed by Somali security forces, SNTV cites Somali police as saying. While SNTV did not identify the organization behind the attack, Somali police spokesman Colonel Qasim Ahmed Roble told AFP that the assailants were from terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited injured victims of the attack at Erdoğan Hospital in Mogadishu on Friday, the state broadcaster said.

Persons: SNTV, Qasim Ahmed Roble, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, “, Josep Borrell, ”, ” Borrell Organizations: CNN, Somalia National Television, AFP, Erdoğan, High, European Union for Foreign Affairs, Security, Somali, United Locations: Somalia’s, Mogadishu, Shabaab, Somalia, Somali, al, Al, United Nations

☆ Shabab Gunmen Penetrate Heavy Security to Besiege Hotel in Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five assailants with the terrorist group Al Shabab stormed a hotel in a highly fortified area close to Somalia’s presidential palace on Thursday night, engaging security forces for about 12 hours in sustained fighting that left three people dead and injured 27 — including members of parliament — before the militants were finally killed, according to Somali officials. The attack underscored Al Shabab’s enduring capacity to stage attacks on a high-profile target in the capital, despite an aggressive counteroffensive by the Somali government, backed by the U.S. military. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud promised to eliminate the group by fighting it militarily, ideologically and financially, when he came to power in mid-2022. The militants with Al Shabab, a Qaeda-linked group, stormed the SYL Hotel in central Mogadishu after 9:30 p.m. local time, a police spokesman, Kasim Ahmed Roble, said Friday. Video footage broadcast on local television showed mangled cars and widespread destruction near the hotel’s entrance, while debris and blood covered the hotel’s floors inside.

Persons: Al Shabab, —, Al, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Kasim Ahmed Roble Organizations: U.S . Locations: Somali, Mogadishu

Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, which spearheaded the protest vote against President Biden last week in Michigan. “Elections have a certain amount of momentum,” said Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Democratic attorney general, who voted for Mr. Biden. Uncommitted Minnesota said it spent about $20,000 on the campaign since beginning last Monday. In Washington, organizers are pushing similar efforts to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s primary next week. It was not our first choice, but we have to let President Biden know that our votes are not to be taken for granted.”Nicholas Nehamas contributed reporting from Minneapolis.

Persons: Layla Elabed, Biden, Israel —, Mr, Uncommitted, Rashida Tlaib, Donald J, Donald Trump, ”, Elianne Farhat, Kamala Harris, “, Lauren Hitt, Cole Harrison, Trump, Keith Ellison, Ellison, Biden’s, Joe Biden, Abdullah Elagha, Harrison, Ilhan Omar, Rania Masri, —, uncommitted, Rami Al, ” Nicholas Nehamas Organizations: Democratic, Democratic National Convention, Somali, Trump, Uncommitted Minnesota, Hamas, Massachusetts Peace, Mr, “, Democratic Party, Colorado Palestine Coalition, Abandon Biden, Republican Party Locations: Michigan, Israel, Gaza, Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Colorado , Massachusetts, North Carolina, United States, American, Uncommitted Minnesota, In Minnesota, Georgia, Washington, Bothell, Minneapolis

☆ How the ‘Uncommitted’ Effort to Protest Biden Has Spread in Super Tuesday States
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Anjali Huynh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Organizers in several Super Tuesday states are calling on voters to oppose President Biden at the ballot box over his stance on the war in Israel and Gaza, building on momentum that began last month in Michigan. More than 101,000 Michiganders voted “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary, after a group of young Arab Americans started a campaign encouraging voters to protest Mr. Biden’s alliance with Israel — earning two delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Inspired by the campaign, pro-Palestinian groups around the country started similar efforts to push the president to call for a permanent cease-fire. In Minnesota, organizers knocked on doors and held get-out-the-vote events to promote the “uncommitted” category, with outreach to Muslim Somali Americans and young voters. And in Massachusetts, thousands of protesters at a rally in Cambridge chanted “no preference,” the similar designated protest option.

Persons: Biden, Israel — Organizations: Democratic, Democratic National Convention, Somali Locations: Israel, Gaza, Michigan, Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Cambridge

So The New York Times asked more than 5,300 people in the U.S. with this heritage how they describe themselves …No Box to Check: When the Census Doesn’t Reflect YouEgyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Amazigh, Arab, American. In the 2020 census, “Lebanese” and “Egyptian” were offered as examples for the “white” box on the race question. The other categories were “Black or African American,” “American Indian or Alaska Native,” “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander” and a variety of Asian ancestries. After all, there’s no agreed-upon set of countries or ethnicities that would fall under a Middle Eastern and North African category. The chart shows these responses after the MENA category was added: 69% chose “MENA,” 15% chose “MENA, White,” 3% chose “Another Race,” 5% chose “White” and 8% chose other combinations.

Persons: Brown, New York Times callout, Biden, ”, —, “, ” Martin Zebari, ” Samera Hadi, ” Imene Said Kouidri, ’ ” Faisal Ali, ” Joseph Hallock, Maya Berry, there’s, Margo J, Anderson, “ You’re, Tiffany Kindratt, ” Khelil, ‘, Dusty Haddad, “ White, Jeffrey S, ” Nadine Naber, Naber, I’m, ” Ceylan Swenson, ” Blake Bachara, ” Amin Younes, We’re, ” Rita Obeid, Barack Obama, It’s, ” Thomas Simsarian Dolan, ” Gabrielle Barbara Guliana, Christina Boufarah, I’ve, ” Michele Magar, ” Soufiane, ” Azita, Moustafa, ” Nawar Organizations: U.S ., New York Times, Arab, Israel, American Community, Management, Federal, Arab American Institute, University of Wisconsin, Census Bureau, Survey, North, Cornell University, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, University of Texas, The Times, Times, Pew Research, University of Illinois, Bureau, West Virginian Locations: Eastern, Sudanese, Southwest, U.S, East, North Africa, United States, Michigan, Gaza, Europe, Lebanese, Alaska, American, MENA, Milwaukee, —, Arlington, America, White, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Lebanon, Iran, N.Y.C, Israel, Turkey, Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, Armenia, West, I’m

☆ Home Depot broke labor law by firing an employee with ‘BLM’ on apron, NLRB rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday ruled that Home Depot violated the law by firing an employee after he refused to remove “BLM” (which stand for “Black Lives Matter”) messaging from his work apron. The NLRB ruled that Morales’ refusal to remove the messaging was a “protected concerted activity” to protest the racial injustice that took place at the store from August 2020 to February 2021. The Board’s reasoning flips rulings from lower NLRB judges on BLM messaging on employee uniforms in Home Depot and Whole Foods. A change in messagingThe decision by the Labor Board overturned a ruling by an NLRB administrative law judge in 2022. A decision by an administrative law judge can be appealed to the Board, made up of five members.

Persons: George Floyd’s, Floyd –, Antonio Morales, Morales, ”, Paul Bogas, ” Bogas, Ariel Sotolongo, Risa Lieberwitz Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Labor Relations Board, BLM, NLRB, ” Workers, National Labor Relations, Foods, Depot, Labor, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Appeals, First Circuit Locations: New York, United States, New Brighton , Minnesota, Minneapolis

☆ Artist Uman creates kaleidoscopic worlds on canvas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Suyin Haynes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I’m more of a fan of the destination,” the artist said, smiling behind sunglasses on a cloudy afternoon in London. Uman Joe PerezIt’s her studio — “my fortress,” as she calls it — where she feels most at home, happiest and freest. This sense of freedom is conveyed in Uman’s latest work, currently on display at Hauser & Wirth gallery in London. Uman Courtesy the artist/Hauser & Wirth/Nicola Vassell GalleryIn a way, each work in the show also extends beyond its own canvas, as Uman worked on several artworks simultaneously during the second half of 2023. “The mirrors came from nostalgia,” says Uman, who recalls growing up celebrating Eid wearing garments embellished with circular mirrors.

Persons: she’s, “, ”, Uman Joe Perez It’s, Hauser, Nicola Vassell, I’m, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Uman, Hauser & Wirth, Wirth, “, Art Basel Miami, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Locations: Uman, London, Somalia, Somali, Denmark, New York City, ”, New York, Kenya, ” Uman, Connecticut, Nairobi

☆ On Capitol Hill, Republicans Use Bigoted Attacks Against Political Foes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, stood on the House floor this month to announce her proposal to censure the only Somali-born member of Congress, she said she was seeking punishment for “Representative Ilhan Omar of Somalia — I mean Minnesota.”Earlier that same week, Representative Troy Nehls, Republican of Texas, called the Black husband of another Democratic woman of color, Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, a “thug.” He then said Ms. Bush, who is also Black, had received so many death threats because she was “so loud all the time.”At a hearing across the Capitol, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, grilled the chief executive of TikTok, Shou Chew, about his nation of origin. Mr. Cotton repeatedly demanded to know whether Mr. Chew, who is from Singapore, was Chinese, held a Chinese passport or was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. “No, senator — again, I’m Singaporean,” Mr. Chew responded with agitation after saying several times that he was not Chinese.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ilhan Omar, Troy Nehls, Cori Bush of, ”, Bush, Tom Cotton, TikTok, Shou Chew, Cotton, Chew, —, Mr Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Capitol, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Georgia, Somali, Somalia, Minnesota, Texas, Cori Bush of Missouri, Arkansas, Singapore

☆ Five Dead After Soldier Opens Fire at Military Base in Mogadishu
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) -Five people, including Somali military officials and a United Arab Emirates (UAE) soldier, were killed on Saturday after a soldier opened fire at a military base in the capital Mogadishu, an army officer and hospital staff told Reuters. The gun man, a newly-trained Somali soldier, was also shot dead in the Gordon military base managed by the UAE, the officer, who gave his name only as Ahmed, said. "The soldier opened fire on the UAE trainers and Somali military officials when they started praying. Al Shabaab, linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack via a statement on its Radio al Andalus and said its fighters had killed 17 soldiers. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 to try to establish its own rule.

Persons: Gordon, Ahmed, Al Shabaab, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Abdi Sheikh, Elias Biryabarema, Surbhi Misra, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Erdogan, Surbhi Locations: United Arab, UAE, Mogadishu, Somali, Israel, Gaza, al Shabaab, Somalia, Al, al Qaeda, Andalus, Nairobi, Bengaluru

The attack took place at the General Gordon military base in Mogadishu on Saturday night, the ministry said. UAE personnel had been training soldiers from the Somali Armed Forces as part of an agreement between the UAE and Somalia, the ministry said. A UAE army officer told Reuters that the gunman was a newly trained Somali soldier. “The soldier opened fire on UAE trainers and Somali military officials when they started praying,” the official said. “We understand the soldier had defected from al-Shabaab before he was recruited as a soldier by Somalia and UAE,” the UAE army official said.

Persons: Gordon, “, Shabaab, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Organizations: CNN, United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, Bahrain Defense Force, UAE, Somali Armed Forces, Reuters, ”, UN Security Locations: Mogadishu, UAE, Somalia, Somali, Andalus, al, Shabaab

☆ Somali pirates are back on the attack at a level not seen in years, adding to global shipping threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Piracy off the coast of Somalia had been on the decline in recent years after peaking in 2011 when Somali pirates launched 212 attacks. A 2013 World Bank study, still widelt cited today, estimated that piracy cost the global economy around $18 billion annually. The pirates have also been attacking fishing vessels, mostly Iranian, as well as many other small boats such as skiffs. Ocean piracy is rising across the worldData from 2023 shows that by many key measures, piracy is on the rise in key global shipping lanes. There were 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships reported in 2023, compared to 115 in 2022, according to the annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Persons: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin, Dan Mueller Organizations: Puntland Maritime Police Forces, Getty Images, Royal United Services Institute, United Nations Security Council, European Union Naval Force, UNSC, Eastern, Chamber of Shipping, ICC International Maritime Bureau, International Maritime Organization, CNBC Locations: PUNTLAND, SOMALIA, Puntland, Somalia, Anadolu, Africa, Horn of Africa, U.S, Eastern Region, Djibouti

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to boot Ilhan Omar from her committees over misquoted remarks about Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to censure Ilhan Omar and boot her from her committees. AdvertisementRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is forcing the House to vote next week to rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar for a widely misquoted speech she recently delivered about Somalia. The Georgia Republican's resolution would censure the Minnesota Democrat and remove her from the remainder of her committees. In November, she forced a vote on a censure resolution against Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan for "inciting an insurrection" by speaking at a pro-Palestinian protest. But Greene's Tlaib censure failed after 23 Republicans voted against it, and Tlaib was later censured via a much more narrowly-tailored resolution days later.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ilhan Omar, Omar, Greene, —, Rashida, Tlaib, Tom Emmer, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Somali, Service, Minnesota Democrat, House Republicans, House Foreign Affairs, Minnesota Republican Locations: Somalia, The Georgia, Michigan, Somali, Minnesota, U.S, United States, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Florida

The terrorist threat from al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and their affiliates remains high in conflict zones in Africa and in Afghanistan – and threat levels have risen in some regions including Europe, U.N. experts said in a new report. The Islamic State group broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and attracted supporters from around the world. In Iraq, they are carrying out “a low-intensity insurgency with covert terrorist cells” while in Syria attacks have intensified since November, the experts said. In West Africa and the Sahel, the panel said, “violence and threat have escalated again” in conflict zones, raising concerns among U.N. member nations. The experts point to “a deficit in counterterrorism capabilities,” which Islamic State and al-Qaida affiliated groups are continuing to exploit.

Persons: Abu Hafs al, Hashemi, “, ”, Al Organizations: Islamic State, . Security, Central, Islamic Locations: Africa, Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Pakistan, Central Asian, “, al, Iraq, Syria, Islamic, West Africa, Islamic State, Somali, Shabab, “ al, Mogadishu, Somalia, Israel, Gaza, Al, Islam, Jerusalem, France, Belgium

Somali authorities have spent years working to restore the national stadium in Mogadishu, and on Dec. 29 Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre inaugurated the national soccer tournament. Now, the air crackles with anticipation as thousands pour into the stadium each afternoon. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesBut many Somalis are willing to brave the stadium, which has a heavy security presence. Most recently, between 2012 and 2018, the stadium was a base for African Union peacekeepers. “When this stadium was used as a military camp, it was a source of agony and pain.

Persons: Hamza Abdi Barre, Siad Barre, ”, Mohamud Abdirahim, Khadro Ali, “, Ali Abdi Mohamed, Mohamed Barre Organizations: soccer, East, Hirshabelle, Ethiopian, African Union, Somali Football Federation Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, Mogadishu, East Africa, Shabab, Jubbaland, South West, Puntland, Somaliland, al

☆ US identifies 2 Navy SEALs declared dead after operation off Somali coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The two Navy SEALs who the US Navy declared dead after they went missing while conducting an operation on January 11 off the coast of Somalia have been identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher Chambers who was 37 and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram who was 27, the US Navy announced Monday. Blake Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, said in a statement that Chambers and Ingram “were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many.”“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” Chaney said. According to biographies provided by Naval Special Warfare Command, Chambers, from Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in May 2012 and had served with SEAL units on the West Coast since 2014. Ingram, from Texas, enlisted in September 2019, immediately going into pre-special warfare training after completing boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois. “During this expansive search operation, airborne and naval platforms from the US, Japan, and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles to locate our missing teammates.

Persons: Christopher Chambers, Nathan Gage Ingram, Capt, Blake Chaney, Chambers, Ingram “, ” “ Chris, Gage selflessly, ” Chaney, Ingram, CENTCOM, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Navy, US Navy, Special Warfare, NSW, Warfare, Central Command, US, Special Warfare Command, Marine, Recruit Training Command, Terrorism, Medal, National Defense Service, Numerical Meteorology, Oceanography Center, U.S . Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, University of San, Oceanography, Naval Research Locations: Somalia, West Coast, Iran, Yemen, Maryland, Texas, Lakes , Illinois, Japan, Spain, University of San Diego

☆ Two US Navy SEALs missing off the coast of Somalia are dead, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The two US Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia on January 11 are dead, US Central Command said after searching for them for 10 days. “We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” Central Command said in a statement Sunday. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, US CENTCOM commander. “We mourn the loss of our two brave Navy SEALs, and our hearts are with their families,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Sunday. In addition to training Somali forces, the US has also coordinated with the Somali government to carry out strikes against al-Shabaab.

Persons: ” CENTCOM, “, ”, Michael Erik Kurilla, Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Jim Sciutto Organizations: CNN, US Navy, US, Command, U.S . Navy, ”, Special Warfare, Navy, US Africa Command Locations: Somalia, Japan, Spain, Shabaab, Somali, “ Al, U.S

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A second man has been convicted on charges stemming from the death of an Ohio religious leader authorities said was killed in a botched robbery attempt. Isaiah Brown-Miller, 23, was convicted Friday of kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges in his third trial in the December 2021 death of 48-year-old Columbus imam Mohamed Hassan Adam, a prominent figure in the Somali community. A co-defendant was earlier convicted of murder in the case. Another jury in October convicted his codefendant, 47-year-old John Wooden, of aggravated murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and other charges in Adam’s death. He faces a mandatory life term in prison and at least 20 years before being eligible for parole.

Persons: —, Isaiah Brown, Miller, Mohamed Hassan Adam, Adam, Toure McCord, Brown, John Wooden, Paul Scarsella, Wooden Organizations: Columbus Dispatch Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, Ohio, Columbus, Somali, Franklin County, mistrials, Masjid Abu Hurairah, Franklin

☆ Somali president’s son convicted for fatal collision in Turkey, but spared jail time
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Scott Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The son of Somalia’s president was convicted in an Istanbul courtroom but spared jail time over a collision that killed a motorcycle courier in the city, in a case that has drawn anger and demands for justice across Turkey. Iyaz Cimen, the lawyer representing Gocer’s family, told CNN that his clients had agreed to drop their formal complaint against Mohamud. Cimen, the lawyer representing Gocer’s family, told CNN in December that Mohamud had left the country on December 2, before the warrant was issued. President Mohamud told the AP he was sorry for Gocer’s family for his loss, and said that he has advised his son to go back to Turkey for court proceedings. Last month, he told CNN Turk that his client was not speeding or under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision.

Persons: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, ”, Yunus Emre Gocer, Mohamud, Iyaz Cimen, Gocer, Cimen, Ekrem Imamoglu, Yilmaz Tunc, “, Musaeed Ahmed Musaeed Hussein, Yemen’s, Ahmed Musaeed Hussein, Hussein, Pakize Ozer, CNN Turk, Ozer, Kerim Bahadır Organizations: CNN, TRT Haber, TRT, Mohamud, BMW, Traffic, Department, Forensic Medicine Institute, ” CNN, Associated Press, AP, Anadolu Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Turkish, Istanbul’s, Somali, Ankara, Anadolu, “

☆ He Killed a Man. Turks Wonder Why a Well-Connected Somali Went Free.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Safak Timur | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First he was allowed to leave Turkey after he hit a motorcycle courier with his car in November. Then the police blamed the courier, who later died in the hospital, before reversing course. Widespread perceptions that the driver, Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, 40, a doctor, repeatedly received preferential treatment from the authorities have prompted outrage in Turkey and accusations that justice was denied to the courier, Yunus Emre Gocer, 38, a father of two young children. Many Turks speculated on social media that Mr. Mohamud had been treated differently because of his father’s position and vented about the unusually swift judicial process. Similar cases typically take 18 months to two years, legal experts say.

Persons: “, ”, Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Yunus Emre Gocer, Mohamud Locations: Turkey

Two members of the Navy SEALs remained missing on Saturday after a mishap two days ago while they were attempting to board a ship off the coast of Somalia, two current and two former Pentagon officials said. As part of those missions, the U.S. Navy and allies have been responding to distress calls. Over the past two days, the U.S. and allies have struck Houthi-linked targets in Yemen, trying to damage the militia’s offensive capabilities. In the latest incident, the members of the SEAL team were dispatched on Thursday to approach a suspicious vessel off the Somali coast, the officials said. It was unclear on Saturday what prompted the commandos to single out the vessel for a closer investigation.

Organizations: Navy, Pentagon, U.S . Navy Locations: Somalia, United States, Yemen, Red, U.S, Somali

☆ East Africa floods: More than 300 killed as heavy rains wreak havoc
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Bethlehem Feleke | Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The unusually heavy rains are largely caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon and are forecast to continue into the new year by the Kenya Meteorological Department. This phenomenon has been associated with severe flooding in eastern Africa, resulting in landslides, elevated waterborne diseases, and food shortages. Meanwhile, the northern and southern regions of the continent often endure prolonged periods of severe drought during El Niño events. That means the Horn of Africa may experience more drought as well as floods from heavy rain. In northern Tanzania, authorities said 49 people were killed by floods accompanied by mudslides following heavy rains in the country’s Manyara province.

Persons: William Ruto, Niño, Ruto, ”, Queen Sendiga, Samia Suluhu Hassan Organizations: CNN, Interior Ministry, Kenya Meteorological Department, Disaster, Communication, Somali, Afi, United, International Rescue Locations: East Africa, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mombasa, El, Africa, COP28, Dubai, Horn of Africa, Manyara, Hagadera

☆ USS Carney shoots down drones, responds to ballistic missile attack on commercial vessel
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Haley Britzky | Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The USS Carney shot down two Houthi drones headed in the ship’s direction in the southern Red Sea on Sunday and responded to a distress call from a civilian commercial vessel that was fired upon by a ballistic missile, a US defense official said. A US official said other commercial vessels were also “attacked by Houthi missiles today,” though it’s unclear how many or which vessels specifically. The Houthi-run Yemeni Armed Forces claimed on Sunday that its naval forces had carried out attacks against what it called “two Israeli ships” in the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandab strait. According to Yemeni Armed Forces’ statement, the vessels Unity Explorer and Number Nine were engaged with a naval missile and drone, respectively, after rejecting warning messages. Last month, the USS Thomas Hudner shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Yemen.

Persons: Carney, Burke, Gerald R, “, Bab, Thomas Hudner, Mason, Pat Ryder, “ That’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Arleigh, Ford Carrier Strike, Houthi, US, Yemeni Armed Forces, Unity, ”, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Hamas, Pentagon Locations: Sea, Red, vessel’s, “, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Somali, Persian, Iraq, Syria

☆ UN Security Council Due to Vote on Lifting Arms Embargo on Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Michelle Nichols and Giulia ParaviciniUNITED NATIONS/NAIROBI (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Friday to remove the final restrictions on weapons deliveries to Somalia's government and its security forces, diplomats said, more than 30 years after an arms embargo was first imposed on the country. The 15-member body is due to adopt two British-drafted resolutions on Friday, diplomats said - one to remove the full arms embargo on Somalia and another to reimpose an arms embargo on Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab militants. One of the draft resolutions spells out that "for the avoidance of doubt, that there is no arms embargo on the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia." Somalia's government had long asked for the arms embargo to be removed so it could beef up its forces to take on the militants. The Security Council began to partially start lifting measures Somalia's security forces in 2013.

Persons: Michelle Nichols, Giulia Paravicini, Mohamed Siad Barre, Al Shabaab, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, al, Grant McCool Organizations: Giulia Paravicini UNITED, United Nations Security, Government of, Security, Union Locations: Giulia Paravicini UNITED NATIONS, NAIROBI, Somalia, of Africa, Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Federal Republic of Somalia, Al, Somali, al Shabaab

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Researchers in South Africa say they have rediscovered a species of mole with an iridescent golden coat and the ability to almost “swim” through sand dunes after it hadn't been seen for more than 80 years and was thought to be extinct. The De Winton's golden mole -- a small, blind burrower with “super-hearing powers” that eats insects -- was found to be still alive on a beach in Port Nolloth on the west coast of South Africa by a team of researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the University of Pretoria. With the help of a sniffer dog, the team found traces of tunnels and discovered a golden mole in 2021. But because there are 21 species of golden moles and some look very similar, the team needed more to be certain that it was a De Winton's. Golden moles are native to sub-Saharan Africa and the De Winton's had only ever been found in the Port Nolloth area.

Persons: hadn't, “, Samantha Mynhardt, ‘ you’re, Winton's, Mynhardt, ”, Esther Matthew Organizations: —, Wildlife Trust, University of Pretoria, Associated Press, ___ AP Locations: CAPE, South Africa, Port Nolloth, African, Saharan Africa, Guatemala, Djibouti, ___, africa

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