Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionAttack started when a car bomb was detonated
Al-Shabab gunmen have taken hostages in a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu in an attack that has left at least seven dead, health workers say.
The Somali army is attempting to retake the Naso-Hablod hotel after militants detonated a car bomb and stormed it, police said.
Reports said the victims included three security guards.
Al-Shabab militants frequently carry out attacks in the city in their bid to topple the Western-backed government.
The group said it targeted the hotel which was "frequented by the apostate government members", Reuters news agency reported.
The Naso-Hablod, in southern Mogadishu, is often used by politicians and tourists.
Image copyrightAPImage captionHotel is popular with politicians and visitorsImage copyrightREUTERSImage captionGunfire erupted between Somali forces and the attackers
It is not known how many gunmen entered the hotel nor how many guests were inside.
A witness told the Associated Press news agency the gunmen shot randomly at guests.
"They were shooting at everyone they could see. I escaped through the back door," Ali Mohamud said.
At least 10 other people have been wounded.
Earlier this month at least 10 people were killed and 50 injured in an attack on another hotel in the Somali capital, which was claimed by al-Shabab.
The al-Qaeda-linked group was driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still remains a threat and frequently carries out attacks in the city.
The government, with the help of African Union forces, is fighting al-Shabab militants in several parts of the country.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionForeign ministers from the EU's six founding nations met in Berlin
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the European Union has "no need to be particularly nasty in any way" in the negotiations with Britain about its exit from the bloc.
She insisted that deterring other countries from leaving the EU should not be a priority in the talks.
And she added she was not in favour of pushing for a speedy withdrawal.
Britain narrowly voted to end its membership in a historic referendum last Thursday.
Mrs Merkel was speaking after several EU foreign ministers - including Germany's - had urged Britain to quickly implement its exit.
"It shouldn't take forever, that's right, but I would not fight for a short timeframe," she said.
She added that she was seeking an "objective, good" climate in the talks with Britain, which "must be conducted properly".
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had earlier said negotiations should begin as "soon as possible".
He made the comments after an urgent meeting of the six EU founder members to discuss the decision.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will step down by October to allow his successor to conduct talks.
The six countries attending the summit in Berlin - Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - first joined forces in the 1950s and still form the core of the EU.
"We say here together, this process should get under way as soon as possible so that we are not left in limbo but rather can concentrate on the future of Europe," Mr Steinmeier said.
His Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders said the continent could not accept a political vacuum, saying "this will not be business as usual".
There are warnings British financial institutions could lose their prized access to the EU if the UK leaves the single market
Britain's European Commissioner, Lord Hill, who oversees financial services, is to resign
The first summit of EU leaders with no British representation will be held on Wednesday, a day after Mr Cameron holds talks with members.
Global stock markets and the pound fell heavily on the news of the so-called "Brexit", while credit rating agency Moody's cut the UK's outlook to "negative"
The UK must now invoke Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty, which sets out a two-year timetable for negotiations on withdrawal.
European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU-UK split was "not an amicable divorce", but nor had they had a "deep love affair". He has also said exit negotiations should begin immediately.
"Britons decided yesterday [Thursday] that they want to leave the European Union, so it doesn't make any sense to wait until October to try to negotiate the terms of their departure," Mr Juncker said in an interview with Germany's ARD television network.
Germany wakes up to Brexit, by Jenny Hill, BBC News, Berlin
"OUTsch!"; "Well done little Britain"; "Completely detached".
Germany's press reflects the widespread shock at the British decision to leave the EU. At the highest level of government, no-one really expected this. And they are scrambling to defend German and European interests.
The German position is focused on two major, and delicate, decisions.
Firstly, whether to use Brexit as an opportunity to deepen European integration, or to view it as a "wake-up call" and create more flexibility within the union.
And, secondly, how to deal with Britain - an important trading partner - as a "third country".
Senior economists and business leaders warn against barriers to free trade.
But politicians are talking tough. Concessions, they say, might encourage other member states to leave. For this reason one senior MP told me: "There must be consequences for Britain"..
What comes next?
Image captionThe process to take the UK out of the European Union starts with invoking Article 50 and will take at least two years from that point
Allows governments to notify intent to leave. Talks then begin on a range of issues between the leaving nation and other EU members
If no deal is reached, membership will automatically cease two years after notification
The article is only a basic template for leaving, settling the date and some other matters. It does not automatically include issues such as movement of people or trade. The latter could take years to conclude
According to Sahara Reporters, Charles Okah who is a member of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has escaped from Kuje prison.
Okah who is the brother of Henry Okah who was the leader of the group escaped on Friday, June 25 by scaling the high fence of the prison walls.
Okah has been on trial for the 2010 Independence Day bombing that killed 27 people during the country’s 50th independence anniversary. The escape happened around 7:30 pm and he reportedly jumped the prison walls with another inmate.
Security operatives have begun a massive manhunt to apprehend him. Henry who is the senior Okah has since been convicted by a court in South Africa. MEND which used to be a notorious militancy group eventually accepted the federal government’s amnesty and stopped the destruction of pipelines and kidnap of oil workers.
However, Daily Trust has reported that the news of Okah’s escape from Kuje prison is not true. Francis Enobore who is the public relations officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service claimed he was in touch with security operatives on ground and that Okah was still in detention.
The prison wall
He said: “It is not true, Charlse Okah is still in custody. I have been in touch with our men in the prison facility and there is nothing like that [Okah escaping].” He however admitted that there was an incident at the prison on Friday. “Yes there was an incident yesterday, but Henry Okah was not involved.” Okah infamously tried to commit suicide in court in 2015 after he addressed Justice
Gabriel Kolawole and claimed that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was responsible for his travails. He had said: “I have been incarcerated for about five years now, and I have a family to cater for. “My children would grow up without feeling the warmth of their father. I am tired of this endless trial.” Earlier this year, Okah embarked on a hunger strike to protest against harassment by officials of the Kuje prison.
The grimsel car has helped its creators dominate this year's student racing competition
An electric racing car built by Swiss student engineers has broken the world record for acceleration by battery-powered vehicles.
The grimsel car took only 1.513 seconds to reach 100kph (62mph) - slashing about a quarter of a second off the previous record time.
So far, no petrol-powered production car has managed to hit the same speed in a comparable time.
The grimsel needed only 30m (98ft) of track to reach the landmark speed.
The previous record of 0-100kph in 1.779 seconds was set by a team from the University of Stuttgart last year. By comparison, the fastest production vehicle, the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid, takes 2.2 seconds to reach the same speed.
The car has been built and refined over the last year by 30 students studying at ETH Zurich (ETZ) and Lucerne's University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Almost all of car's parts have been custom built apart from its tyres, battery cells and the motor control units.
In a statement, ETZ said the four-wheel drive system used by the grimsel was key to its swift acceleration. A powerful motor is mounted on each wheel and the car has a sophisticated traction control system that adjusts the performance of each one to maximise torque.
The lightning-fast car weighs only 168kg (370lb) thanks to widespread use of carbon fibre in its construction.
The record was set on a race track on the Dubendorf air base near Zurich.
The grimsel, named after an Alpine pass. is not just a demonstration vehicle but has also been used extensively in the Formula Student race competition.
The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has reportedly breached a major protocol during the recent meeting with Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo.
This picture was taken recently when Aisha Buhari paid a visit to Oyo to promote her women health program.
During the meeting, Buhari’s wife extended her hand to shake the Alaafin.
Nigerians immediately reacted to the picture that gone viral. Buhari’s wife has become involved in a scandal with the Ekiti state Governor Ayodele Fayose over corruption allegations. The scandal began after Fayose accused Mrs. Buhari of involvement in a bribery Halliburton bribery scandal.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a conference of the Center for New American Security think tank in Washington U.S., June 20, 2016.
REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Friday the United States would have preferred Britain to remain in the European Union, but respected the result of the Brexit referendum.
"I must say we had looked for a different outcome. We would have preferred a different outcome ... but the United States has a long-standing friendship with the United Kingdom and that very special bond will endure,” he said in a speech in Dublin.
"We fully respect the decision they have made,” he said.
Following the alleged denial of the involvement of Zenith bank in the funding of his election in 2014, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has challenged the bank to come out with an official statement on the matter, Vanguard reports. Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, June 23, the governor said: “I stand by my claim that the bank majorly funded my election in June 2014.
Governor Ayodele Fayose
“I don’t expect an organisation like the accused bank to stay in a corner in matter of national concern like this and be talking.
“Rather, I expect it to issue an official statement not as feeble as this one being peddled in the media so that I can begin the second stage of my revelations. “My statement was made in the open and if I can accuse an institution like that in the open, I expect the institution to give official reply.
“All what have been claimed to have been said by the bank in the media can be situated in the realm of rumour.
“And I want to refer the All Progressives Congress (APC), the bank and the EFCC to John chapter 8 verses 6-7, which says; “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. “When they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone . “Let those orchestrating this know that failure awaits them.”
The EFCC, on Monday, June 20, froze two personal accounts of the governor and one belonging to his company, Spotless Investments, in the course of its investigations into N4.7billion Fayose allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser during his election campaign in 2014.
Fayose has since denied receiving any money, claiming it was Zenith Bank that majorly funded his campaign.
Becareful, armed robbers are posing as taxi driver in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, as taxi drivers as shown by the story of this young woman from Linda Ikeji's blog
Twitter user Adaeze Jacinth (@kingada40) fell victim to armed robbers posing as taxi drivers. She shared a photo of her lying in her hospital bed, narrating how she was attacked by the robbers along Stadium Road/MummyB Junction, Port Harcourt.
Donald Trump has touched down in Scotland in the middle of the UK’s biggest political crisis for decades to welcome Brexit, hailing the referendum result as a reflection of anger over loss of control to the European Union.
“The UK had taken back control. It is a great thing,” the Republican presidential candidate said.
He landed by helicopter on the front lawn of his Trump Turnberry golf resort shortly after 9am on Friday to find a Britain shell-shocked by the Brexit vote.
Wearing a white baseball cap, Trump strode the couple of hundred yards up the gravel path to the Ayrshire hotel accompanied by his family. He was not scheduled to speak to the press but could not resist responding to shouted questions from the media scrum. .
He described the referendum result as a historic vote and predicted many such uprisings around the world. “It will not be the last. There is lots of anger.”
Referring specifically to the UK, he said: “They are angry over people coming and taking control. They are angry about many things.”
He said the UK would recover. “It will heal,” he said.
He was asked about David Cameron but appeared to be saving himself for a later press conference, scheduled for 11am. Brexit is better for him than a remain vote and not just because he expressed vague support last week for leave.
He flew overnight from New York to Glasgow Prestwick airport, where he transferred to one of his three Trump helicopters: he keeps two in the US and one in the UK, with Trump in big red capital letters along the side. He took the short helicopter ride to his hotel.
He stepped down on the lawn to the sound of two pipers in full Highland regalia against the backdrop of the saltire, one of the biggest in Scotland, fluttering over the golf course.
The UK visit, Trump’s only overseas trip since he launched his White House bid, was set up primarily with business in mind, to cut a ribbon formally opening the renovated hotel.
It was a seemingly odd move for a presidential candidate, most of whom use such trips to demonstrate their grasp of foreign policy and be pictured with world leaders. But he may yet make a more conventional campaign trip by going to Israel.
US-based reporters travelled separately by charter, or at least those not put off in these financially strained times by the reported $10,000 price tag.
Image copyrightAPImage captionEuropean Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker went into crisis talks on Friday
Shocked EU leaders have called for stability and solidarity - but also for change and reform - after the UK voted to leave the organisation.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk said the remaining 27 members were determined to stay united.
But leaders like Italian PM Matteo Renzi said the EU had to change and become "more human and more just".
The UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU after 43 years. David Cameron has announced he will step down as PM.
Global stock markets fell heavily on the news and the value of the pound has also fallen dramatically.
The European parliament has called a special session for next Tuesday to assess the vote, while foreign ministers of the six founding nations of the EU - Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg, will meet in Berlin on Saturday.
Some leaders of EU member states, such as France's Francois Hollande, held their own crisis talks on Friday.
European parliament president Martin Schulz, president of the European Council Donald Tusk, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Dutch PM Mark Rutte also went into emergency talks.
Alarm bells - BBC Europe editor, Katya Adler
The EU worries Brexit could reverse 70 years of European integration.
In all my years watching European politics, I have never seen such a widespread sense of Euroscepticism.
Plenty of Europeans looked on with envy as Britain cast its In/Out vote. Many of the complaints about the EU raised by the Leave campaign resonated with voters across the continent.
Across Europe leading Eurosceptic politicians queued up this morning to crow about the UK referendum result.
But the mood in Brussels is deeply gloomy. The Brexit vote sends screaming alarm bells, warning that the EU in its current form isn't working.
Some EU politicians, including Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, have expressed fears of a domino effect from Brexit that could threaten the whole organisation.
Reacting to the vote, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said "the EU is dying".
But Mr Tusk said this was "not a moment for hysterical reactions".
He said he was "determined to keep our unity as 27" members.
Many EU leaders expressed shock and dismay at the vote. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday was "a sad day for Europe and for the United Kingdom", while Polish counterpart Witold Waszczykowski called it "bad news for Europe, bad news for Poland".
Tough line
But many also urged solidarity.
Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said: "We must... work hard so that we do not lose the unity of the European Union."
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said "the European project remains valid to defend the values that mark our common identity".
Danish PM Lars Loekke Rasmussen stressed his country "belongs to the European Union".
Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said: "Despite the disappointment many of us feel... we must realise that this is not the end of the world and it's absolutely not the end of the EU."
But he also echoed the voices of many in calling for change, saying: "Europe must be more operational, flexible, less bureaucratic and much more perceptive to the diversity that its member states represent."
Matteo Renzi tweeted: "We have to change it to make it more human and more just, but Europe is our home, it's our future."
Meanwhile, German MEP Manfred Weber, from the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, insisted on a tough line for the UK: "There cannot be any special treatment for the United Kingdom. Leave means leave. The times of cherry-picking are over."
As part of his attempts to win a Remain vote, Mr Cameron agreed a deal with the EU in February to protect London's financial markets, curb immigration and opt out of closer union.
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