German vessel transfers 65 migrants to Malta
VALLETTA, July 08: Sixty-five migrants that were on board the vessel Alan Kurdi operated by an German NGO were transferred to an Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) patrol boat and disembarked at the army's Hay Wharf base late on Sunday evening. The German-flagged vessel changed its course to Malta after a standoff with the Italian government which refused its entry to Italian waters. — Xinhua
Germany will not send ground troops for Syria
BERLIN, July 08: Berlin said on Monday it had no plans to send ground troops to Syria, refusing a US request for Germany to ramp up its military involvement in the fight against IS militants. "When I say that the government intends to continue with its ongoing measures in the framework of the anti-IS coalition, then that means no ground troops," said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert. — AFP
19 perish in Nigeria road accident
KANO, July 08: Nineteen people were killed when four vehicles collided on a busy road in northern Nigeria's Kano state, a road safety official said on Monday. The accident occurred late Sunday at Dinyar Madiga village, 85 kilometres (52 miles) from Kano, the state capital, said Zubairu Mato of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). —AFP
Shells hit Libya's Tripoli airport
TRIPOLI, July 08: Three workers were injured and an airplane was damaged when Mitiga International Airport of the Libyan capital Tripoli was hit by shells of unknown source on Sunday. According to the airport's management, flights at the airport were suspended for a few hours due to the shelling. No party has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Mitiga International Airport is located about 8 km east of Tripoli's city center. — Xinhua
Tajikistan probes poisoning deaths of prisoners
DUSHANBE, July 08: Tajikistan has opened a criminal investigation after 14 prisoners were fatally poisoned while they were being transported between jails, the justice ministry said on Monday, suggesting that another inmate may have given them contaminated bread. The incident happened on Sunday as more than a hundred prisoners, including eight women, were being transferred in a convoy from prisons. — AFP
Israel shoots down drone that crossed from Gaza
JERUSALEM, July 08: Israel's military says it has shot down a drone that crossed into its territory from the Gaza Strip. The military says it recovered the downed drone and took it in for examination on Monday. There was no comment from Gaza. Its militant Hamas leaders are known to have developed a drone program with Iranian help. — AP
