World Tour - Cathedral fire confession, and St. Bernard rescue

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Next up on The World and Everything in It: World Tour, with Africa reporter Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Somalia prime minister removed—We start today here in Africa.

AUDIO [0:55] PARLIAMENT CHEERING, RAISING HANDS

Somalia’s parliament voted to remove the prime minister on Saturday. The delegates had gathered to work on the structure of the 2021 elections. But a parliamentary speaker said the prime minister had failed to pave the way for a fully democratic election. That led to a vote of no-confidence.

The prime minister’s allies called the vote unconstitutional and claimed “irregularities” in the process.

The dispute follows a power struggle between the prime minister and the president over the timing of the next election. Somalia is working toward a one-person, one-vote system. Right now, Somali clans select delegates who then vote for the president.

The former prime minister said the election must go ahead in February as scheduled. But the president has insisted it should only happen if it’s held on a one-person, one-vote basis.

Teen girl kills two Taliban militants—Next, we go to the Middle East.

AUDIO [0:05] QAMAR GUL SPEAKING

A 15-year-old girl killed two Taliban fighters in Afghanistan last week. Qamar Gul shot the militants when they stormed her home in a remote village.

Qamar’s father was head of the village council and a staunch government supporter, making him a target for the insurgents. A group of Taliban fighters broke down the door in the middle of the night and shot Qamar’s mother and father. Qamar grabbed her father’s rifle and killed two of the insurgents. One of them was her own husband, who had had a falling out with the family. Her 12-year-old brother injured a third attacker. Other villagers soon arrived and forced the Taliban to retreat.

Qamar and her brother have been moved to a safe location, and will soon leave for Kabul to meet President Ashraf Ghani.

Suspect confesses to setting French cathedral fire—Next, we go to Europe.

AUDIO [0:05] LAWYER SPEAKING FRENCH

French authorities arrested a man for setting a cathedral on fire last week. The suspect was a church volunteer tasked with locking up the 15th-century building. The blaze started in three different places, shattering stained-glass windows and destroying an iconic organ. Officials quickly identified the cause as arson. They questioned the cathedral volunteer, then released him…only to detain him again over the weekend. After further questioning, the man admitted to setting the fire. His motive remains unknown.

The arson charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $175,000 dollars.

Mountain rescue team saves St. Bernard—Finally, we end today in England.

AUDIO [0:13] “Good girl!” “Oh, good girl!”

Saint Bernard dogs are known for helping rescue stranded hikers in the mountains, but the tables were turned this weekend. A mountain rescue team spent nearly five hours saving Daisy, a 120-pound Saint Bernard.

Daisy collapsed Friday evening while descending England’s highest peak with her owners. The rescue team said the dog showed signs of pain in her legs and refused to move. They adjusted their human-sized stretcher to be more dog-friendly, then took turns carrying Daisy down the mountain.

That’s this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

Qamar Gul, 16, right, and her brother Habibullah, 12, pose for photograph in the governor’s office in Feroz Koh, the provincial capital of Ghor province, in western Afghanistan. (AP Photo)

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