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Sherman Oaks, CA– A local Islamic extremist group have killed 15 U.N. soldiers during a four hour attack on Thursday night in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At least 50 other U.N. officials were wounded. Congolese army troops attempted to come to their aid but were also ambushed and at least five soldiers were killed.

This is the deadliest attack suffered by the U.N. in a single day since 1993 when 26 Pakistani officials were killed in Somalia.

It reportedly happened in an eastern province that borders Rwanda and Uganda called North Kivu.

The U.N. is blaming the attack on an Islamic extremist group called the Allied Democratic Forces. They’ve been active in launching deadly attacks in recent months according to the guardian.

In October 26 people were killed in an attack suspected to have been carried out by the same extremist group.

North Hills,CA– European and African leaders met at a summit in Ivory Coast on Wednesday agreeing on  a plan to evacuate the migrants stuck in the Libyan detention camps.

Leaders from France, Germany, Niger, Chad and Libya reacted to the footage CNN released last month of slave auctions in Libya’s detention camps.

Thousands of African refugees have found themselves in Libya hoping to reach Europe by sea. Around 3,000 people have died each year for the past four years crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The Libyan Coast Guard cracked down on boats smuggling refugees with the help of the E.U. funding them. Many of the refugees have been stuck in the popular transit center between Africa and Europe– Libya.

An estimated 400,000 to 1 million migrants or refugees remain in Libya according to Time.

The European Union and the African Union plan to fly up to 15,000 people out of Libya. It requires source countries to take back their citizens. Libya’s government will need to allow the U.N. evacuation planes to land.

The president of France Emmanuel Macron said the slave auctions were “a crime against humanity.” He’s promised to accept at least 3,000 migrants from Chad and Niger in the next two years.

The detention camps have increasing reports of robbery, rape and murder according to the U.N. human rights agency. Libya agreed to open a transit center for vulnerable refugees.

The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley described the slave auction houses as there being few human rights and human dignity violations than slavery.

Monica Villacorta

Contribution by Time, theguardian

Image: Time

Video: Al Jazeera

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U.N. condemns slave trade

International Organization for Migration

No slave trade in our country

Sherman Oaks, CA — President Robert Mugabe resigned Tuesday after almost a week on house arrest imposed by the military.

Mugabe, who’d been in power for 37 years submitted his resignation to the parliament. The speaker of the parliament read the letter aloud to a cheering crowd.

Lawmakers had just begun the impeachment process after Mugabe had refused to leave office following his expulsion from the ZANU-PF party.

In just weeks the 93-year-old president went from tyrant to almost overthrown.

The spark that ignited the fire was on November 6 when he dismissed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Many speculated this was a power move to give entry to his wife Grace Mugabe, who was a long time favorite of the ZANU-PF party.

A few days later he attempted to arrest the nations top military commander. The military overthrew his government and took power placing Mugabe on house arrest. By Sunday the ZANU-PF party had dismissed him as their leader and urged him to step down as president.

Mugabe held on to his power despite threats of impeachment and ignored the deadline set by his own party. Finally, after resigning on Tuesday, the ZANU-PF party voted the former vice president to be the new leader.

Mnangagwa will take over presidency until next year’s elections.

Monica Villacorta

Contributions by New York Times, NPR, Aljazeera

Images: Associated Press/Ben Curtis

Video: New York Times/Barbara Marcolini and Sarah Stein Kerr

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National Hero to Tyrant

Zimbabwe Government Portal

Mnangagwa ‘the crocodile’

Sherman Oaks, CA — A U.S. citizen living in Zimbabwe was arrested for insulting President Robert Mugabe on Friday. 

The 25-year-old journalist was detained after making a tweet that read “we are being led by a selfish and sick man”. 

She’s been accused of trying to overthrow the government. The U.S. embassy confirmed her arrest and is monitoring the case. Martha O’Donovan works for Magamba Network, which is known for its political satire and comedy.

The Zimbabwe government has taken its social media precautions to new heights by establishing a cybersecurity ministry last month. The 93-year-old Zimbabwean president has been criticized in the past for abuse of power and has held his position since 1980.

O’Donovan is facing charges of subversion and undermining authority or insulting the president. If convicted she could be looking at up to 20 years in jail.

She’s the first person to be detained for such accusations since the start of the cybersecurity ministry. Zimbabwe’s high court has granted her a $1,000 bail saying she had shown a plausible defense.

Some of the conditions of her bail include that she remain in the country, give up her passport and report to the police twice a week until the case is settled.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s vice president and potential successor to the president was fired earlier this week. Many speculate it’s another power move by Mugabe to place his wife in a position to succeed him and continue the Mugabe dynasty.

Tiffany Le, 21

She should have followed the rules of the country, but it’s a bit extreme.

Serena Elfarra, 37

I’m not surprised, this needs global attention.

Jamie Mcgarity, 21

I support freedom of the press.

By Monica Villacorta

Contributions by CNN, New York Times, Africa News

Image: Reuters/Philimon Bulawayo 

Video: CGTN Africa

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Cyber Ministry

Zimbabwe Government Site

U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe

Northridge, CA- The death toll in Madagascar has reached 102 stemming from a recent outbreak of the Pneumonic Plague.

There is nearly 1300 cases reported of the plague. Almost all are from the pneumonic plague. The aid group Action Against Hunger said the outbreak hasn’t reached it’s peak.

The Indian Ocean island has 114 districts and 35 have reported cases.

The plague is a contagious disease. Yersinia Pestis is the name of the bacteria that causes it. Two types of the plague exist — Bubonic and Pneumonic plague.

. The country has dealt with plague outbreaks in the recent decades. There have been about 400 reported cases each year.

Usually they are fighting cases of the bubonic plague. This type is spread through rats and insects.

The pneumonic plague is airborne and it can spread from human to human. Simply coughing and sneezing can infect others. This has caused the disease to spread more quickly than usual.

Usually the disease has avoids city areas. This year the plague spread to the two biggest cities in Madagascar, Antananarivo and Toamasina.

Madagascar has normally dealt with cases during the rainy season between November and March. This year there are reports the disease started as early as August.

The Bubonic Plague evolves into the pneumonic plague if it’s left untreated. The infection spreads from the lymph nodes to the lungs. When it is left untreated it almost always becomes fatal.

Madagascar is a third world country. In a developed country like the U.S. this epidemic would end before it started. Making an assumption

Many parts of Africa including Madagascar don’t have enough resources or medical assistance available to combat outbreaks. Antibiotics can prevent and cure the disease.

Organizations like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are working to treat people in Madagascar. The World Health Organization has given over 1.2 million antibiotics in an effort to combat the epidemic.

“Our teams are working to ensure that everyone at risk has access to protection and treatment. The faster we move, the more lives we save,” said the WHO’s Madagascar representative, Charlotte Ndiaye.

By Monica Villacorta

Contributions by abc News, theguardian, CNN, BBC News

Video: africanews, Stop Over

Image: SBS Italian

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Theguardian, CNN, abc News, New York Post, History World, Doctors Without Borders, Baystreet, BBC News, Touropia, tripadvisor

North Hills, CA — China’s leader Xi Jinping revealed the new line of leadership on Wednesday at the Communist Congress Party. He broke tradition by not committing to a successor.

Xi began his second five year term standing alongside the six most powerful men in the country, forming the Standing Committee of the Politburo.

The country’s government expects leaders to present their successor at the end of their first term. Ignoring this informal rule has left people wondering if the Chinese president is planning to rule a third term. It is not custom for leaders to stay in power more than two terms.

China is the second largest economy in the world. It also holds one of the largest militaries and the man who commands it yields great power. The world is watching to see what Xi plans to do.

He was also enshrined into the constitution a day prior to the Communist Congress Party. Only two other leaders have had that honor, including the founder of modern communist party in China, Mao Zedong.

Xi spoke about his plans to further a green initiative for the country and be at the forefront of globalization. He announced a new era to green development.

“Mao established the People’s Republic of China, Deng brought the country wealth and now Xi is going to bring power,” said Frank Ching, a Hong Kong-based commentator and expert on Chinese politics.

By Monica Villacorta

Contributions by New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, CNBC

Images: CNN, Associated Press

Video: VOA News

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UNFCCC

XI Vows No Poverty

The China Threat