Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 17

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Three Policemen Killed in PH

Three police men were reportedly killed in Port Harcourt on Thursday evening during an encounter with armed robbers. Though the state Police Public Relations officer, Mrs Rita Innoma-Abbey, confirmed the death of one, eyewitnesses said they saw three corpses of police men in a police patrol van at the end of the fierce shooting. The policemen were reportedly on escort duty when they ran into the robbers who opened fire on them. The robbers reportedly made away with N3 million and one AK 47 riffle.

Suspected Cultists Kill Policeman in Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed the killing of one its men by a mob in Yenagoa. Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Solomon Omoemin, said hoodlums were responsible for the violence in the Amarata-Onopa area of the state capital. Clashes among rival cults had erupted in Yenagoa on Tuesday, as they unleashed violence and shot indiscriminately. Omoemin said several suspects had been arrested in connection with a case of civil disturbance.

Rivers CJ Pardons 72 Prisoners

About 72 prison inmates were, Wednesday, granted pardon by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu, in continuation of an exercise he embarked upon to decongest prisons in the State. Most of the detainees were released based on health grounds, long years awaiting trial and those who committed minor offences for which if they were convicted, they would have finished serving the term since they were remanded in prison. The chief judge lamented the condition of the prisons and asked that something be urgently done to address the issue as Prisons are reformatory place, and not for punishment.

Appeal Court Upholds Amaechi’s Government

One of the petitions at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by governorship candidate of Accord Party in the 2007 elections, Chief Bekinbo Soberekon, seeking to sack Governor Chibuike Amaechi was on Wednesday, struck out for lack of competence. The court said that Soberekon, rather than appeal against the order refusing to release the petition by the lower tribunal, ought to have appealed against the order dismissing the petition for non-attendance at the practice session. Amaechi commended the judiciary and called on all opposition to join hands with him to develop the state. The petition by Ashley Anyadike of Labour Party is still pending as Anyadike has asked a new panel be constituted, claiming that lacks confidence in the present panel.

Court Dismisses Shell from Obio/Akpor

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has dismissed the appeal filed by multi-national oil giant, Shell, challenging its forfeiture of a parcel of land situated at Mgbuesilaru in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State. The court re-affirmed the decision by a Rivers State High Court that Shell should forfeit its terminal in Mgbuesilaru. The justices faulted the claim of Shell that the lease granted it in 1958 for 99 years was in existence when the Land Use Act was promulgated in 1978 which made it to become a deed holder of a statutory right. The court held that the landlord and tenant relationship, which created the agreement reached by the family and Shell, was regulated by customary law and that of yearly tenancy.

Kidnappers Abduct 2 Policemen in Aba
…as Abducted Germans Regain Freedom

Two persons, thought to be policemen, were on Tuesday abducted by gunmen in Aba, Abia state. The man, who helped to clear the vehicle of the victims left by the hoodlums off the road, said he was to have travelled with the duo that morning but for an urgent phone call he got. Nothing has been heard of the abducted men as their captors had not made any contact with their family. Meanwhile, the Abia state police spokesman, Ali Okechukwu, on Saturday, confirmed the release of the two Germans, who were abducted, penultimate Sunday, by gunmen in the state, as they were heading to their vehicle at the Imo River beach. Okechukwu said the police was not directly involved in the rescue and he was not sure any ransom was paid.

Two Suspected Kidnappers Nabbed

Two persons suspected to be kidnappers from Oruku community in Nkanu East LGA of Enugu state were arrested by the police, while a fake mobile policeman, identified as Umuode native, was arrested during a fresh  invasion of Oruku and shooting between the warring parties, penultimate Sunday. Chairman of the council, Mr. Ejike Ani, who confirmed the fresh violence, raised alarm over plots by some influential persons to escalate the crisis and jeopardize peace effort. He alleged that his life had   been threatened by these people, who, he said, had continued to sponsor attacks on Oruku people with the backing of the police.

Bakassi Returnees Protest Alleged Diversion of Resettlement Funds

The uproar over alleged “missing funds” meant for setting up of a new settlement for displaced Nigerians from Bakassi Peninsula, Thursday, reached a high as the displaced people protested round the streets of Calabar, alleging diversion of the funds by some government agents. Leaders of the displaced people of Bakassi, said their protest was based on the N600 million, which was allegedly released recently for the purpose of setting up a new settlement at the riverside of Akpabuyo Local Government Area in Cross River State, to enable them to carry out their fishing occupation. Several months after the N600 million was allegedly released by Federal Government, the people lamented that they were without accommodation, food and other basic needs.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Police Rescue NIFOR Boss, Parade 5 Suspected Kidnappers

An Executive Director of the National Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) Benin, Dr. Dere Okiy, was abducted by a four-man gang on Monday but regained his freedom at about 11pm same day. Okiy said he was on his way home from the office when the gun wielding gang attacked and shot his security aides. Okiy said he managed to escape to the road, where he saw a police patrol van, after the kidnappers left him unattended to in the bush. The state commissioner of police, Kachi Udeoji restated the commitment of the police towards the reduction of crimes in the state and called on the public to instantly furnish the command with information. Meanwhile, the command paraded five suspected kidnappers who attempted to collect N120, 000 as ransom from a would-be victim.

Police Brutality: Plumber Loses Teeth, Fails to Write Exam

A plumber, Mr. Iroroevun Isiakpere, has reportedly lost eight of his teeth and got a broken jaw after he was brutalised by a policeman at Kokori in Delta State. Isiakpere also failed to sit for his Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which took place on April 17, due to the battery by the policeman. The constable was said to have hit the victim with a baton after he was signalled to move on with his motorcycle. The Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, which has taken up his matter, said the police at Kokori was shielding the culprit from justice. National Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to institute a comprehensive investigation into the matter in a bid to arresting and prosecuting the said culprit.

IGP Orders CP, Others to Produce Ibori

The Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo has ordered the Delta State Commissioner of Police and other to produce the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori. The IGP gave the directive following a High Court order to produce Ibori. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had recently declared Ibori wanted over financial scam during his tenure as governor of the state. Meanwhile, reports from the State indicate that Ibori might have escaped from the country. But Ibori has faulted the order of arrest, purportedly placed on him by the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, describing it as a violation of a Federal High Court, Asaba, order that the status quo be maintained in the case between him and the EFCC.

Fire Destroys Warri Estate

A mysterious fire on Tuesday night broke out in the multi-million dollars Prodeco Estate in Warri, destroying property worth millions of naira. The cause of the fire said to have been first noticed at about 9:15pm could not be immediately ascertained, as security at the Estate shut out journalists and other visitors, thereby making any fair assessment of the extent of damage impossible. No life was lost.

WRPC Hits Full Capacity, Faces Product Evacuation Threat

The management of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) has raised alarm on the problem of low product evacuation system, currently posing threat to the operations of the refinery. This is coming on the heels of improved production by the refinery. The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Andy Yakubu, said that the plant has exceeded its designed petrol extrusion ratio after local engineers regenerated the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) of the refinery.

17 School Proprietors Nabbed in Benin for Forgery

About 17 private secondary schools proprietors have been arrested for allegedly forging the signature of the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Ngozi Osarenren in their bid to illegally register candidates for the 2010 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The proprietors were alleged to have gone through the back door to get the clearance of the Ministry of Education to register extra candidates for the examination. The commissioner, who disclosed this while addressing journalists, said her ministry had put strict measures in place to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the examination. She explained that private schools were expected to obtain clearance from the ministry’s using particular form, and producing the certificate of approval and renewal fees for three years.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Nab 6 over Illegal Possession of Arms

The police in Ajah, Lagos have arrested six men for unlawful possession of guns. They were arrested while reportedly harassing workers at a building site. Items recovered from them include four pump action rifles, one locally-made double-barrel gun with 50 rounds of live ammunition, charms and several bottles of liquor. A green Volvo car was also discovered at the site.

Lagos CJ Decries Child Abuse

Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Inumidun Akande, Wednesday, decried the continuous abuse of the rights of the Nigerian child, adding that protecting the rights of the child will ensure a better and greater society. Akande said there was an urgent need to protect Nigerian children and stem the tide of abuses being suffered by them. The Chief Judge urged all stakeholders to be part of the vanguard for a better tomorrow and brighter future for the Nigerian children.

Oyo Police Investigate Attempted Kidnap of Children

The Oyo State Police Command is investigating the case of a middle-aged man who allegedly feigned madness in a bid to kidnap some children. Vigilant residents of Shasha area of Ibadan had foiled the alleged attempt by the suspect to kidnap children in the area, using two crisp N200 notes dropped on the ground as bait, on Tuesday. Suspicious residents, who had watched the man pacing the street, pounced on him when one of the children allegedly drew their attention to the notes and the gestures of the man. A witness claimed that the suspect confessed that he was sent by some people to kidnap two children with the notes for an undisclosed fee. The state’s Police spokesperson, Olabisi Okuwobi, confirmed the incident.

Extra-Judicial Killing: Assembly Summons Oyo CP

Oyo State House of Assembly has summoned the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adisa Bolanta, over the alleged extra-judicial killing of a suspect, Mr. Monsuru Akanji, through torture. Bolanta disclosed that that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the matter, Mr. Fakere Adegboyega, who was also invited by the lawmakers, had been dismissed. The suspect was allegedly tortured to death on March 30, 2010, by the IPO while in police custody over an alleged theft of a laptop. Adegboyega allegedly disappeared for three weeks following the clamour for justice by the deceased family. The CP said that the reports on the death and the IPO’s absconding prompted him to order a thorough investigation.

GENERAL

Five Dead as Christians, Muslims Clash

Five people died Saturday in another outbreak of violence in Jos, Plateau state, as hundreds of Muslim youths went on rampage after a 17-year-old Muslim student was found dead on a building site. Police confirmed that a Christian was killed in the protests, while the army spokesman in Jos said three other Christians were stabbed to death. But the soldiers were able to bring the situation under control, after Muslim and Christian youths regrouped to attack each other, according to the spokesman of the Security Task Force, Brigadier General Donald Orji. Meanwhile, two persons were killed, penultimate Sunday in an attack on Bisichi Community in Jos South. The Chairman of the LGA, Da Moses Dalyop, said the attackers invaded the village at about 3am, and called on the military to live up to expectations.

Faulty Vehicle Foils Abuja Kidnap Attempt

An attempt to abduct a middle aged woman in Abuja was foiled on Monday when the car uses by the suspects developed a fault and forced them to abandon the woman and the car. The woman was supervising a construction work at her site when four young men appeared, took over the storey building structure and forced the workers to lie face down as they looked for her. As soon as they saw her, they allegedly forced her into their car and they drove off as they were pursued. Meanwhile, the body of a 62 year old female victim of kidnapping in Kano was penultimate weekend, dumped at a hospital even after her family paid a ransom of N2.2million.

Onovo Deploys DIGs for 2011 Polls

Ahead of 2011 general election, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ogbonna Onovo, has deployed all the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIG) to all the geo-political zones in the country. Sources say the deployment was aimed at acquainting the senior police officers with the problems and peculiarities of the respective states as well as how to team up with the governments and people of the states on crime prevention and control. Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed this.

10 Feared Killed in Attempted Jailbreak

About 10 inmates at the Kaduna Prisons were allegedly killed on Tuesday as they attempted a jail break. Crisis broke in the morning when the inmates broke loose from the cells and set some parts of the prison ablaze. Prison authorities, however, claim that only two inmates died. The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Prison Service, Olushola Ogundipe, blamed the crisis on congestion. But it was alleged that a convict on death row, Reverend King, was behind the crisis. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), at the weekend constituted a committee to reform the Prisons Decongestion Programme of the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Army to Get New Camouflage

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, has informed the Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode that the army has decided to change it camouflage uniform. The COAS said it had become necessary to change the former United States-styled camouflage for a unique one in order to check impersonation of the army. At the Defence headquarters, where he was received by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, the minister said he was set to ensure the operational readiness of the military by an enhanced welfare package. The CDS assured the minister and his team of military support.

Government to Execute Condemned Criminals

The Nigerian government has announced plans to execute all death row inmates in the country's prisons. The governor of Abia state, Chief Theodore Orji, spoke on behalf of the government after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council in Abuja. But human rights watchdog Amnesty International has criticized the decision as a flawed government's attempt to decongest the country's overflowing prisons, saying that some of them may not have received a fair hearing. But Orji disputed Amnesty’s claim, as he said that they were given several opportunities to defend themselves against the crime. Researcher Aster Van-Kregten said Nigeria had earlier pledged to halt all executions, adding that executions have never been a deterrent to crime. Van-Kregten called on the government to have a re-think.

Human Traffickers Adopt New Strategy

The Executive Secretary of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Simon Chuzi Egede, has described human trafficking as very dynamic as the actors have changed their mode of operation and are now operating through nominally reputable employment, travel or entertainment companies, or marriage agencies. According to him, victims are lured with false advertisement and promises of jobs as models, dancers, designers and maids in cities and designation countries. Egede called for the mobilisation of human energies and resources at all levels to combat the menace.

FG to Establish Special Security Fund

Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday said the Federal Government would soon create a special security fund for the country. The fund would be dedicated towards addressing all forms of security challenges across the country. The Acting President disclosed this to a delegation of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, during a courtesy visit to him in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He also promised that the erosion problem in the South-East would be tackled with input from the Ecological Fund. On the amnesty programme in the Niger- Delta, the Acting President restated government’s resolve to guarantee its implementation.

Police Shoot Man over Row on Branded Taxi

An automobile mechanic in Abuja, Sunny Egba, was penultimate Thursday, shot by a policeman in an estate at the Apo district. The mechanic, who had in the past visited the estate with branded taxis, was denied entry by the policemen on duty. Egba's insistence was rewarded by strokes of the policemen's horse wipe, forcing him to park his vehicle outside. On returning on foot, he was still refused entrance, thus he suggested that he called the client to speak with the police officers to confirm that he was being expected. But the man was shot on the feet by one of the officers before his client was contacted. One of the police officers, who accompanied him to the hospital, confirmed that he was not an armed robber.

Rainstorm Destroys Houses in Kuje

About thirty houses and property worth millions of naira were destroyed in a heavy rainstorm over the weekend in Pegi Village. Inspecting the affected areas, the council chairman, Hon. Danladi Etsu Zhin represented by the council secretary, Shabaan Tete, sympathised with the victims and promised to find ways of rebuilding the damaged structures. He urged the residents to remain peaceful as efforts are being made to curtail further reoccurrences adding that relief materials will be provided for them soon. Earlier, the Chief of Pegi, Mr Jeremiah Gade confirmed that no life was lost. The rain also destroyed properties worth over N170m in Ado LGA of Benue State. The paramount ruler of Ado, Chief Otiko Onazi, appealed for aid to his community.

Jonathan Signs 2010 Budget, Local Content Bill

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, Thursday, signed the 2010 Appropriation Bill of N4.6 trillion into law with a firm promise to closely monitor its implementation. He also pledged that the budget would accelerate Nigeria’s economic recovery through targeted fiscal interventions aimed at stimulating the economy, sustaining private sector growth and enhancing the pace of national development. The House of Representatives, same day, gave approval to the $915m World Bank credit facility requested by the Presidency to finance part of the 2010 Budget. Jonathan also gave assent to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Bill. Otherwise known as the Local Content Bill, the law seeks to make indigenous participation in the nation’s oil industry obligatory.

Seven Bodies Exhumed in Riyom after Weekend Attack

Seven fresh corpses believed to be those of slain travellers were on Tuesday exhumed by Military Special Task Force (STF) in Riyom LGA of Plateau State. They were believed to have been killed secretly in the early hours of the day, following a renewed attack in the area on Monday by suspected Fulani herdsmen that allegedly killed five in the area. The youth in the area were said to have gone wild after the attack, a development that allegedly led to the attack of the travellers. A group representing Fulani nomads in West Africa, the Pastoral Resolve (PARE), on Tuesday disclosed that armed men from neighbouring Plateau State attacked some Fulani pastoralist homesteads in various settlements in Kauru LGA of Kaduna State on April 15. But the police in Kaduna maintained that only three people were killed.

FG To Raise Rescue Fund for Police

Piqued by the poor infrastructural provisions to the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Government has disclosed that it would raise N2.1trillion from the three tiers of government as a ''rescue mission'' for the force in the next five years. According to Parry Osayande, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), the bail out fund would be spent on training, retraining, transportation, communication, welfare and all other things that would enhance the operational efficiency of the force. The PSC team also faulted the crude manner in which many policemen handle civilians, stressing that the commission was determined to parade policemen who are in tune with world’s best practices in policing.

Minister Kicks against Underage Marriage

Following the recent alleged marriage of former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Sani Yerima, to a 13-year-old Egyptian girl, the Federal Government has said it has called a stakeholders’ meeting to determine the measures to be taken against abuse of underage girls by men old enough to be their fathers. In addition, it said legal steps to be adopted against such offenders are also being considered as a deterrent against such abusive behaviour, according to the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih. The former governor and serving senator, had allegedly married a 13-year-old Egyptian girl. Such marriage is illegal in Egypt which prompted the senator to have allegedly moved the ceremonies to Nigeria.

19 Killed in Niger Auto Crash

About 19 people, Thursday, lost their lives in an auto crash involving two 18-seater buses along Tegina- Lagos road in Niger State. According to an eye witness, the vehicles ran into each other while attempting to dodge pot holes on the narrow road and they could not avoid each other as they were on top speed. The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Oguche, confirmed the accident, adding that two corps members were among the casualties. According to him, 25 other people were taken to the hospital as they all suffered various degrees of injuries.

Bank Chairman, Others Remanded in EFCC Custody

The Chairman, Afribank Nigeria Plc, Osa Osunde; the bank’s former Managing Director, Sebastian Adigwe and five others were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday on an amended 33-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charge was an amendment of an earlier one on which Adigwe, Ololo and his company were earlier arraigned and granted bail last year. Their alleged offences bordered on granting of loans without adequate securities, granting loan above their approval limit, manipulating the cost of the bank’s shares, amongst others. About N55 billion is said to be involved. The accused, except Adigwe pleaded not guilty. Adigwe refused to answer to the charge on the ground that he intended to challenge its competence.

Meningitis Outbreak Kills 35

No fewer than 35 people have died as a result of outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in Sokoto state this year. Director Medical Services and Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Haliru Alhassan, made the disclosure yesterday at the flag off of the distribution of CSM vaccines in the state. According to him, about 300 people from 19 LGAs have been affected its outbreak.

Nigerian on ‘No Fly’ List Nabbed on US-Bound Plane

The United States authorities have detained a passenger alleged to be Nigerian and said to be on the country’s “no fly” list on an Abuja-to-New York flight during a fuel stop in Puerto Rico. The pilot said he was informed about the passenger while over the Atlantic. The flight continued on to New York after the man was detained without incident. The US Customs and Border Protection agency identified the passenger only as a "potential person of interest" who was removed for questioning and remained in custody.

INTERNATIONAL

Tanzania Grants 162,000 ex-Burundi Refugees Citisenship

Authorities in Tanzania have granted citizenship to 162,000 former refugees from Burundi, affirming commitment to integrate them into the local society. Home Affairs Minister, Lawrence Masha, said the ceremony marked the completion of a process that began in 2008 to formalize their legal status as members of the Tanzanian community. Many of the former citizens of Burundi fled conflict in their original home country in 1972 and others were their children born in refugee settlements in Tanzania. Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, has praised Tanzania for its "unprecedented generosity and courageous decision" to find a lasting solution to the refugee problem.

China Mourns 2,064 Dead in Earthquake

China, Wednesday, mourned about 2,064 victims killed in a devastating quake that hit the Tibetan region, penultimate week. At the quake's epicentre in Yushu County, hundreds of rescue workers, residents and children stood silently for a ceremony held on a hill with rubble from destroyed buildings behind them. President Hu Jintao, along with other Chinese leaders, led a silent tribute, while soldiers in Tiananmen Square lowered the national flag to half-staff. The U.S. Embassy and its consulates in China, as well as the European Union delegation, flew their flags at half-staff to show solidarity with China's tragedy. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing also donated $100,000 to China's Red Cross for the quake victims.

Iran Commences War Games in Gulf, Strait of Hormuz

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard on Thursday started large-scale war games in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The war games have routinely heightened tension in the region, but they have more recently taken added significance as the standoff between the West and Iran, over Iran's nuclear program deepens. Iran has in the past indicated that it would close the Strait of Hormuz if attacked. Some 40 percent of the world's oil and energy supplies pass through the narrow waterway. Iran is angered by US President Barack Obama's announcement of a new U.S. nuclear policy in which he pledged America would not use atomic weapons against nations that do not have them. Iran and North Korea were pointedly excluded from the non-use pledge.

Rig Explosion Survivors Back on Land, 11 Missing

About 100 Survivors of a thunderous Tuesday night blast aboard an oil platform off the Louisiana coast are back on land to meet their families. Coast Guard rescuers are searching for signs of the 11 unaccounted for since the blast, which left 17 injured. The rig, which is owned by Transocean Ltd, was under contract to the oil giant BP and doing exploratory drilling. Authorities could not say when the flames might die out. A column of boiling black smoke rose hundreds of feet over the Gulf of Mexico as fireboats shot streams of water at the blaze. Officials said the damage to the environment appeared minimal so far. Adrian Rose, vice president of Transocean, said the explosion appeared to be a blowout, in which natural gas or oil forces its way up a well pipe and smashes the equipment.

Bangladesh Border Guards Jailed for Mutiny

A Bangladeshi court sentenced 56 border guards Monday to prison terms of up to seven years for their role in last year's mutiny over pay disputes that left 74 people dead, mostly army officers. The guards said they revolted over alleged discrimination and demands for parity in pay and other perks enjoyed by the army officers who command them. Fifty-seven army officers were among those killed. The court sentenced the 56 guards to prison terms ranging from four months to seven years.

14 Killed in Somali Violence

A landmine blast in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killed eight people, and mortar rounds fired by insurgents killed six on Sunday. Al Shabaab Islamist fighters fired the mortar rounds shortly after President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the parliament speaker landed at the Airport. Government troops and African Union peacekeepers responded by shelling rebel strongholds. The United Nations urged Somali security forces, AU troops and Islamist militants not to indiscriminately shell densely populated areas, saying this was a blatant violation of the laws of war. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

S/Korea Arrest N/Korean Spies for Assassination Plot

South Korean authorities arrested two North Koreans for posing as defectors to the South and plotting to assassinate the highest ranking North Korean official ever to defect to Seoul. Hwang Jang-yop, a former secretary of the North's ruling Workers Party defected to the South in 1997. The suspects, both 36, confessed to investigators that their military boss ordered them to report about Hwang's activities and be ready to "slit his throat," according to a senior district prosecutor. The duo allegedly violated the National Security Law, which carries a maximum sentence of death upon conviction, he said. A spokesman at the National Intelligence Service confirmed the arrest.

Pakistan Sacks Top Security Officials over Bhutto's Assassination

Several top Pakistani police and intelligence officials have been removed from their posts after a United Nations (UN) report into the killing of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto found that Bhutto's death in a gun and suicide attack in December 2007 could have been prevented, and that the authorities deliberately failed to properly investigate, presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, disclosed. Bhutto had twice served as Pakistan's prime minister, and had just returned from exile abroad to stand in elections when she was killed in the attack. The UN panel said it believed the Pakistani police's failure to effectively probe the slaying "was deliberate" and that the government failed to provide her with adequate protection.

Protesters Demand Freedom, Slam Violence Threat in Egypt

Protesters on Wednesday at a rally in central Cairo condemned calls by politicians and officials loyal to President Hosni Mubarak for security forces to open fire on pro-democracy demonstrations. Hundreds of police were on guard for the protesters, who included the Sixth of April Youth movement and political opponents to Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP). The protest came two days after a lawmaker loyal to Mubarak said demonstrators should be shot at. Rights advocates say security forces have used rubber bullets and tear gas to quell protests in the past; methods they say are meant to crush dissent and keep the government in power.

19 Arrested for Alleged Coup Plot in Madagascar

Security forces in Madagascar have arrested 19 people on suspicion of plotting a coup. Lieutenant Colonel Rene Lylison, the head of the security unit that carried out the arrests, said that the plan was to attack the prime minister's residence last Monday. There is growing disquiet in Madagascar over the rule of President Andry Rajoelina, a former mayor of the capital who seized power with the help of dissident soldiers in March 2009. The African Union imposed sanctions on Rajoelina and 108 of his backers in March this year for failing to install a unity government with the country's three main opposition groups. Analysts say some high-level military officials are frustrated at Rajoelina's failure to end the crisis and restore constitutional order.

East Sudan Parties Concede Defeat, Amidst Allegations of Fraud

Two political parties in East Sudan on Tuesday accused the president's party of using fraud and intimidation to secure election victory across their region, after its first open polls in 24 years, which is part of a peace deal to bring the nation back to democracy after decades of war. Much of the opposition boycotted the proceedings before voting started citing irregularities, and observers have already said the elections did not meet international standards. Few results announced showed a strong win for the National Congress Party (NCP), led by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. East Sudan's Beja Congress party, which is formally allied with the NCP, said it had only managed to win one seat in a local assembly.

Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Killed

A regional al-Qaida leader was killed on Tuesday as U.S and Iraqi forces put pressure on the terrorist organization following the reported deaths of its two top-ranking figures, penultimate weekend, officials said. Officials announced that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri were killed in a joint operation. Iraqi military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the slain insurgent was in charge of al-Qaida in Iraq's operations in the provinces of Kirkuk, Salahuddin and Ninevah.

Man Shoots Woman, Self Outside Hospital

Police on Tuesday began investigating why a man opened fire outside a Knoxville hospital, killing a woman, himself and injuring two other women. Police are still trying to determine a motive, but it did not appear any of the women were related to the gunman or that there was any connection between them.

Deputy Mayor of Kandahar Assassinated in Mosque

The deputy mayor of Kandahar, Afghanistan, was assassinated on Monday, during evening prayers. Azizullah Yarmal, 45, was praying in a mosque when an attacker walked in and shot him in the back of the head, Zalmai Ayoubi, a spokesman for the Kandahar government, said. Ayoubi said police have sealed off the mosque and are investigating the killing. Also in Kandahar on Monday, a donkey-towed cart loaded with explosives was blown up at a police post, killing at least three people and wounding four, officials said. A spokesman for the Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the bombing, said 11 people were killed in the explosion.

Flights Resume in Europe

A small number of flights have taken off in northern Europe after five days of inactivity caused by the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland. The Euro control air traffic agency says it expects up to 60% of flights over Europe to go ahead on Tuesday. Planes have been departing from Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt among others, though many flights are still grounded. A new ash cloud spreading from Iceland has meant that most of UK airspace, including London, remains closed.

Two Killed in Thai Grenade Attacks

A grenade attack on a group of police officers in Thailand's in Pattani province killed one and wounded 44 on Wednesday. Around the same time, a car bomb exploded near the same police station, wounding four more people. Deadly violence in the south of Thailand has always been blamed on a group of separatists who vowed to turn the region into a Muslim state, launching violent attacks. In another development,Protests in Thailand got violent on Thursday as grenades hit a commuter-rail-line station in Bangkok, killing one person and wounding 75. Soldiers arrested five suspects. Leaders of the demonstrators, the Red Shirts, demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call a new election, denied responsibility.

Somali Pirates Hijack Thai Vessels

Somali pirates have seized three Thai fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean in what the EU Naval Force said was the furthest off-shore attack to date. The three vessels, carrying a total of 77 crew members, were hijacked penultimate Sunday. An EU force spokesman said that the attack took place far outside the area in which the EU force operated, about 1,200 nautical miles from the Somali coast. The pirates were said to be taking the fishing boats back to Somalia. Meanwhile US Federal authorities are flying 11 suspected pirates from East Africa to Norfolk, Virginia, to be prosecuted for alleged attacks on U.S. Navy ships near Somalia. Five of the accused pirates were reportedly captured after the USS Nicholas was attacked by a pirate ship on March 31. Six others were captured in a separate incident on April 10 after a pirate ship fired on the USS Ashland, an official said.

Gunmen Slay Family of Council Leader

Gunmen stormed a house north of Baghdad, killing the family of a local Awakening Council leader, police said Tuesday. The attackers killed the man's wife and their four children, three of whom were beheaded. The father was not home when the attack took place Monday night, police said. The attack is the latest targeting Awakening Council or Sons of Iraq members and their families. Earlier this month, gunmen stormed houses and killed 25 people in a Sunni village near Baghdad. Most of the victims were shot in the head, and all were found handcuffed.

Iran to Evacuate 5 Million to Avert Quake Disaster

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Iranians of a possible nuclear strike by the United States, and a dangerous earthquake. The expected quake prompted him to ask five million of them to evacuate the capital. Ahmadinejad told housing officials they could no longer rely on the power of prayer to save Tehran from annihilation, if the quake struck. When the last major earthquake hit, in 1831, Tehran was tiny compared to the metropolis where today the work-day population can reach 15 million. As a huge quake is reckoned to hit the area around every 150 years, seismologists say one is now well overdue. The human and economic impact of a big quake in Tehran would be incalculably great.