Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 15

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Robbers Raid Police Armoury in Anambra

Suspected armed robbers, on Wednesday morning sacked Amichi Police Station in Nnewi South LGA of Anambra state. The incident, which saw the robbers severely wounding two policemen, carting away AK47 riffles from the police station’s armoury and releasing suspects in the station’s custody, came a day after four policemen were killed by armed robbers in the state. The police station and the vehicles parked at the station were riddled with bullets. A source said the assailants had a field day ransacking the deserted police station after they had released the suspects in the police cell and broke into the armoury.

FG Berates Oil Companies over Inadequate Training of Ex-Militants

The Federal Government has expressed its displeasure with the oil and gas industry’s inability to train 3,000 ex-militants it pledged to facilitate their training. Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Kingsley Kuku, said that the companies had given insufficient training to a paltry 1,200 youths in areas that were not relevant to the petroleum sector. He said it was ridiculous that oil and gas companies could be training youths in the Niger Delta region as tailors, caterers and other vocations that were of no relevance to the sector. Kuku explained that the target of the amnesty office in 2012 was to train over 8,400 ex- militants in many areas, such that people of the region could get job placement in the oil and gas sector, where expatriates are holding the economy to ransom.

Ex-Militants Claim Bombing of Oil Wells

Suspected ex-militants stormed some oil wells in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state; penultimate Sunday and bombed five cluster oil wells. The oil wells are reportedly located between River Niger and Tailor creek in Yenagoa LGA. It was reliably gathered that the bombing of the oil wells was led by an ex-militant leader, identified as “Commander” Cairo. The ex-militant leader, who confirmed that he actually led the “operation”, said that they were protesting the underdevelopment of Niger Delta by the Federal Government.”

Banker Killed in Rivers State

A manager with Afribank Plc in Port Harcourt, Honesty Uchendu, has been shot dead by gunmen on the outskirts of the Rivers State capital. He was said to have been killed late Monday night while on his way home. His killers took nothing from his car, thereby throwing up suspicion of assassination. Already, homicide detectives of the State Police Command have stepped up manhunt for his killers. It was revealed that the bank official was driving home at night when a vehicle, in an attempt to overtake him, forced his car in to the gutter. Shortly after, the gunmen emerged from the other car and shot him several times before speeding off. It was gathered that the man died before he could be rushed to the hospital. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Benjamin Ugwuegbulam, confirmed the incident.

IGP Unveils Special Anti-Crime Squad in Cross River

Acting Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Emergency Response Centre/Quick Intervention Squad set up by the Cross River State Government to rid the state of criminal elements. The development came after the IG on Tuesday directed the police to patrol all federal highways following the increasing robbery and rape incidents on major roads across the country. Abubakar, who expressed optimism that the facilities provided by the ERC would be put to use by the police and other security agencies, warned the squad to be polite, civil, and abide by the rules governing the country. The state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, said the upgraded ERC component of the facility was from the beginning a centre for the coordination of resources to tackle security and other emergency situations.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Police Chief, Officers Held for Delta Kidnappings

A Pastor, Head of Delta state Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad and his men are now answering questions at the force headquarters, Abuja over their alleged involvement in resurgence of Kidnapping in the oil rich city of Warri, Delta state. A Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Dickson Adeyemi, and some officers were also arrested. Adeyemi was in charge of the anti-kidnap squad of the state police command. The arrests were confirmed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan after the state security meeting at the Government House Annex, Warri. Adeyemi was arrested a few days after 40 suspected kidnappers and 18 others were arrested for kidnapping and armed robbery. They all mentioned Adeyemi as their boss. Residents had raised the alarm over the precarious state of insecurity, prompting series of security meetings. Uduaghan said the CSP, who was arrested owing to confessional statements made by some kidnappers last week, had been transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.

Kidnappers Release Abducted Doctor in Delta

A medical doctor with the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State, Dr Ngozi Chukwuebulim, who was kidnapped by gunmen, penultimate Sunday, has been released by the kidnappers, after the identity of one of them was exposed. The kidnappers of Dr. Chukwuebulim initially demanded N50 million ransoms before they would release the medical doctor, who was seized on her way from church, but her vehicle, which was also taken away, was found in a house somewhere in Warri. It was also gathered, that the leadership of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, in the state, has simmered down over the feud with the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, while the intervention of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), averted a statewide industrial action, which was observed by nurses only at the Central Hospital, Warri.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Arrest Driver, 4 Suspects over Rape of School girls

Ogun State Police, on Monday, said it had arrested the driver of the luxury bus in which 41 schoolgirls travelling to Lagos were allegedly attacked and raped penultimate Saturday. The girls, in their teens, included JSS 1 and 2 as well as SSS 1 and 2 classes of a Catholic School, who were travelling from Enugu to Lagos. The ugly development also led to protests by parents of the girls who lamented what happened to their children. Also arrested were four other suspected rapists, said to have defiled the school girls after their luxury bus broke down in Ogbere axis of Ijebu East LGA of the state. Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed arrest. According to him, the driver of the luxury bus, who was arrested late, on Monday, assisted the police in their investigations.

Magistrate Orders Arrest, Beating of Journalists

A magistrate in Lagos ordered policemen to beat up judiciary correspondents attached to the Ikeja division of the state High Court on Wednesday for allegedly flouting her directive not to report proceedings in her court. It took the intervention of some senior members of the Bar and the Chief Registrar of the court, before the journalists could regain their freedom after they were arrested and kept in custody for about two hours. The presiding Magistrate, who said she gave instruction to bar journalists from coming to her court because she presides over Juvenile Court, ordered the arrest of the newsmen and seizure of a camera. The matter eventually went before the Area Commander, who listened to the journalists and sought amicable settlement of the matter. The journalists and their phones and camera seized were later released.

Court Remands 7 for Alleged Kidnapping

An Osogbo Senior Magistrate’s Court, on Wednesday, ordered seven persons charged with the kidnap of a national of United Arab Emirate to be remanded in prison. The accused persons are facing a three-count charge of kidnapping, conspiracy and illegal possession of prohibited firearms. The State Security Service Prosecutor, Mr Michael Ubi, told the court that the accused persons “and others now at large on January 20, at Aboriogun Village in Osun did commit an offence to wit: kidnapping.” Ubi alleged that the accused while acting in contact with one Teslim Akerele, Prince Omo Oba, Ismail Owoeye and one Olaitan, whom the accused confirmed as their leaders, kidnapped one Mohammed Khamis in Lagos.

5 Kids Die in Ibadan School Bus Fire

Five pupils of Divine Wisdom Nursery and Primary School have now been confirmed dead after the school bus fire incident of Wednesday. Tragedy had struck when the bus caught fire while in motion, trapping about 15 pupils of the school who were being conveyed to the school. Eight of the pupils were diagnosed to have suffered shock as a result of the incident. The Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Oyo State Command, Mr. Oluwafemi Adekanye, who confirmed the incident, said the cause of the fire incident was not known. The school proprietress, Mrs Oke Ejemuta, it was learnt, has ordered the school shut following the incident. Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State Thursday ordered the immediate procurement of all the equipment needed by the UCH to treat the school children. Ajimobi, while commiserating with the parents and guardians of the children, said that thorough investigation would be carried out on the school to determine if there was any negligence that led to the incident.

Pastor Commits Suicide in Ogun

A pastor in Owode-Yewa in Yewa South LGA of Ogun State has committed suicide for being diabetic and nursing a wound for several months without healing. Pastor John Ibikunle, 39, allegedly hanged himself in one of the rooms in his house. Before his death, John was said to have been troubled that a wound he sustained at a Sawmill in the town refused to heal after several months.

Court Remands PDP Chief in Prison for Alleged Murder

A top member of Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adedotun Adebowale, and one other suspect, Francis Eluyera, have been remanded in prison for a murder charge. Both suspects pleaded not guilty to the charge that they were culpable in the killing of five persons in a church in Ile-Ife in April 2011. Five worshippers were killed inside the church by unknown gunmen on April 2, 2011. The gunmen opened fire on the supporters of a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Makinde, who were in front of his (Makinde’s) residence beside the church.

Robbers Attack Bank, Break ATM

About six armed bandits, penultimate Sunday raided Skye Bank, Ejigbo branch, Lagos, carting away an unspecified amount of money. The robbers, said to be armed with AK 47 riffles, tied up the security guards and broke the wall of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and carted away the money inside. The operation reportedly took two hours as they did not fire a shot to alert security operatives. Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, reportedly led a combined team of the Anti-Robbery Squad and Rapid Response Squad to the scene following a distress call. But the robbers had escaped before they reached the bank. It was learnt that the private security guards were being detained alongside the owner of a vehicle said to have been parked in front of the bank the previous day. Spokesman for the state police command, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, said that efforts were being made to arrest the culprits.

Archbishop Docked for Fraud

A popular Lagos cleric, Archbishop John Obiokeke of God’s Pentecostal Mission (GPM) has been arraigned in a Lagos High Court for allegedly stealing landed property from members of his Church. The Economic and Financial Crime commission (EFCC) slammed a nine-count charge on the cleric after investigating a petition brought against him by the victims of his alleged fraudulent activities. EFCC counsel, Ben Obi alleged that the accused forged several documents and signatories of the directors of Immortal Impex to perpetrate the fraudulent act.

GENERAL

38 Killed in Easter Day Bombing in Kaduna

About 38 people were confirmed killed in a bomb blast in front of the Kaduna central church on Easter Sunday. The bomb was reportedly planted inside a vehicle parked opposite the church. A week earlier, a suicide bomber was killed at Ungwam Muazu, an outskirt of Kaduna metropolis as a bomb exploded in the area. The suspected suicide bomber allegedly died in the blast while two persons were seriously injured. Witnesses said the injured persons were taken to an undisclosed destination for medical attention. They claimed that the suicide bomber drove from his house within the area to another part where he attempted to plant the explosive, which exploded on him. He died on the spot, sources said. The affected area was cordoned-off by security agents while residents abandoned the place.

51 Rocket Launchers Uncovered in Gombe

Security operatives Thursday seized 51 rocket launchers in a house in Barunde area of Gombe state which was being used to manufacture rockets and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The raid, carried out by State Security Service (SSS) personnel and the army, came a few hours after four persons were arrested with 60 explosive devices in another part of the state. The Director of SSS in Gombe State, Mr. Bitrus Asha, said one man had been arrested in the house. Asha disclosed that 51 rocket launchers, 48 bags of fertiliser, sulphuric acid and cortex items were recovered. Other items recovered are detonators, remote control devices, different types of chemicals, six containers for preparation of IEDs and other items. He advised people to report suspicious characters to security agents, adding that the SSS and other security agencies would reinforce the operation, which would be sustained.

Boko Haram Kills LG Boss, Other

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram, last weekend, shot and killed a local government chairman at his residence in Borno State. Hours earlier, the sect had attacked two police stations in Yobe State, and killed one civilian in Kano state. In the Borno incident, the gunmen had stormed the residence of the Chibok LGA Chairman, Wanangu Kachuwa and shot him severally, after which they fled the area. The spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt-Col Sagir Musa, confirmed the attack. The JTF also said it killed two suspected Boko Haram men in Maiduguri about 30 minutes before the council boss was killed. Col Musa said the incident happened when the JTF men heard sporadic gunshots around the area, adding that the men of the task force had to move to the area to ascertain the cause of the gunshots.

Angry Mob Torches Police Station in Jos

Rampaging youths in Miango, Bassa LGA of Plateau, penultimate Sunday evening, burnt the Police Station and the Area Court in the area after an annual festival. Police spokesman, Samuel Dabai, on Monday, said that the incident followed a disagreement between two youths after the festival. Dabai said that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident as the policemen on duty were few and had to “run for their lives’’. The military Special Task Force (STF) maintaining security in the State, said that the situation in the area had been brought under control. STF spokesman, Capt. Mdahyeslya Markus, said that some suspects had also been arrested in connection with the incident.

12 Killed in Fuel Tanker Explosion

A fuel tanker crashed and exploded in Adamawa state, killing at least 12 people. As residents swarmed the crashed truck, a spark “led to a huge explosion from the tanker which killed 12 people,” said Obana Jatau, the head of Ganigaku village in Adamawa state, where the accident occurred on Sunday. He said the tanker had skidded off the road and overturned when the driver attempted to avoid a pothole. Adamawa state police spokesman Nemuel Yoila confirmed the incident, but could not give details of casualties.

US to Assist Nigeria Battle Drug Cartels

The United States government has said that it would collaborate with Nigeria in the areas of training and logistics in dislodging drug cartels operating in the African continent. This was disclosed during a visit by a delegation of staff members of the United States House Subcommittee on Africa, Health and Human Rights with the management of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos. According to the visiting party, another area of cooperation being considered by the United States included legal framework and exchange of intelligence. United States Consul General, Mr. Joseph Stafford said that America is happy with the efforts of the Agency and is prepared to assist Nigeria in her drug control efforts. While speaking, Congressional Staff member, Gregory Simpkins, noted that they were in the country to observe how Nigeria is embarking on its anti-narcotics campaign so as to see where the US can come in and assist.

Boko Haram Kills 7 in Borno Market

Suspected members of Boko Haram Islamist sect have killed seven people in a market in Maiduguri. Seven traders were shot dead by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram on Wednesday, while three others sustained injury during the attack at Monday Market, according to Borno police spokesman, Samuel Tizhe. Meanwhile, a military spokesman in Maiduguri in the northeast says suspected sect members shot dead an auto parts dealer who is from the nation’s Christian Igbo people. Meanwhile, Borno State government and the Joint Task Force (JTF) Thursday blamed the residents of the state for the continued siege of Boko Haram on the state. They said the non-provision of vital information that would lead to the arrest of the sect members was the reason why there was no end in sight to the insecurity of the state and by extension the entire nation.

Nigerian Gets Jail Term for Registering as Voter in Ghana

For registering as a voter, 35-year-old Nigerian businessman, Monday Chukwu Ebere, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Koforidua Circuit Court in Ghana. Chukwu, who pleaded guilty for deceiving a public officer, would be deported after serving the sentence. Police Inspector Patrick Adzadza told the court that on March 27, Chukwu with voter Identity Card (ID) Number 2327681 in the name of Emmanuel Osei Kojo went to Tanaso South Registration Centre at Nsukwao to register and mentioned his name as Emmanuel Osei Kojo and showed his previous voter ID as a proof. Inspector Adzadza said the police had information that Chukwu was not a Ghanaian and had only arrived in the country about a year ago.

N4.63bn Saved from Police Road Blocks –Activist

Anambra State-based, Human Rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, has said Nigeria saved about N4.63 billion from absence of police road blocks. Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, ordered the dismantling of road blocks on assumption of office, a directive which the group said was a welcome development because, according to it, the police were using the check points to extort money from motorists. Chairman of board of trustees of the group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, said that the staggering amount was saved from about 3,500 road blocks that existed in the country before the ban. Umeagbalasi observed, however, that there were still pockets of road blocks and extortion, especially on inter-city and trunk B roads across the country, particularly in the Southern part.

Communal Clash Claims Three Lives

Three persons were killed while several others sustained various degrees of injuries, following renewed fighting between Tiv residents of Agboughoul community in Makurdi LGA of Benue State. It was gathered that the crisis erupted following a land dispute between the supposed original owners of Makurdi town, known as Tyoshin community and settlers, known as Kparev. According to sources, the conflict, which has led to burning of houses, has rendered hundreds of residents of the community homeless just as many of the inhabitants have fled their homes for fear of being caught in the cross fire. Police Public Relations Officer, Ejike Alaribe, said the police had moved their personnel into the crisis zone to forestall further destruction of lives and property in the community.

Police Academy Becomes University

Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, has been upgraded to a degree awarding institution. This followed an approval given to the institution by the National Universities Commission on Tuesday. Although the institution is meant to serve as a training ground for police cadets, its degree awarding status brings the total number of Nigerian universities to 124. Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, who conveyed NUC’s approval to the institution, urged the police authorities to ensure that standards were maintained. He stressed the need for adequate courses to be run due to its specialised capacity. Okojie said courses offered by the institution must be for capacity building.

GOC Defends Arrest of Suspected Boko Haram in Kaduna

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), First Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Garba Wahab, on Tuesday, defended the arrest of 33 suspected Boko Haram adherents in Kaduna, saying the suspects had perfected plans to cause havoc in the state. Kaduna State Information Commissioner, Alhaji Saidu Adamu had protested the arrest of the suspects, pointing out that those detained by the military were not members of the Islamic sect. But in an interactive session with community leaders and newsmen, General Wahab argued that the suspects had prepared to strike Kaduna had they not been arrested, noting that the Army had no reason to arrest innocent Nigerians. On the day of the raid we arrested 100 people but after interrogation, 67 of them were released since investigation proved they were innocent. However, 33 others are still in our custody out of which 13 are Nigeriens.’’

IGP Orders Patrol of Federal Highways

Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday directed the police to start the patrol of all federal highways across the country with immediate effect. The reported raping of 42 female pupils of an Enugu-based school by a 12-man robbery gang along the Ore-Shagamu Expressway, Ogun State on Saturday night and other cases have forced many Nigerians to demand immediate deployment of police patrols in highways. The IG, who met with senior officers in Abuja on Tuesday to review the security situation in the country, said the patrols would be complemented by a Rapid Response Structure. However, Abubakar ruled out the return of roadblocks, which were being used by corrupt policemen to extort money from motorists and commuters, saying the issue was closed.

Gunmen Kill Policeman, Lecturer in Kaduna

A police officer, Mr. Salisu Ahmed, and a senior lecturer at Kaduna State Polytechnic, Mr. Muhammad Abdulsalam Abubakar, were killed by suspected gunmen at Rigasa, Igabi LGA of Kaduna State. Ahmed and Abubakar were allegedly shot by the gunmen shortly after the evening prayers. An elder brother of the deceased lecturer, Mr. Mahmood Abdulsalam, who confirmed the incident, said his brother was shot after he left the mosque and went back to his residence. The gunmen who were said to have shot Abubakar before his 12 year-old-son. Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mr. Aminu Lawan (DSP), confirmed the incident, saying investigations had commenced.

JTF Kills 2 Boko Haram Members as Renewed Clashes Claim 9

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Borno state killed two Boko Haram members in Maiduguri, while an official of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Ibrahim Stanley Malgwi, was shot dead by sect members. Six persons, including two members of the sect were also killed on Tuesday feared killed in separate gun attacks with the security outfit in Kano state. However, reports alleged that the sect members were killed by their own members at the Sheka area of the metropolis in Kano State. However, eyewitness account said the sect members must have shot the two persons out of fear that their activities may be leaked to the security agents. Six persons, including a mobile police officer were reportedly killed in two separate incidents, same day in Barkin Ladi and Bassa LGAs of Plateau State.

Police Arraign 66 Suspects over Barkin Ladi Violence

The police on Tuesday in Jos arraigned 66 persons accused of taking part in the recent violent disturbances in some parts of Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau. The suspects, who appeared in four separate courts, were charged with masterminding the November 2011 crisis in which several lives were lost. Ten of the suspects arraigned before Chief Magistrate Helen Danboyi pleaded not guilty to the charges. Police Prosecutor Yahaya Adamu had urged the court to try the accused under the relevant sections of the law, having been arrested at the scene of the crisis by members of the Security Task Force, who handed them over to the police.

IGP Orders Policemen Stop Killing People

Acting Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, on Tuesday, warned officers involved in various operations to avoid indiscriminate killing of people. There have been reports of policemen opening fire on civilians in parts of the North, generating criticism against the security agencies. Abubakar said those found to be guilty of indiscriminate killings would be punished. Abubakar ordered that henceforth the police should stop parading suspected criminals before the public as such exercise was illegal. He said the police have arrested the armed robbers terrorising people in Kogi and neighboring states and they will soon be prosecuted. The IG said that the police have created the G’ department (information technology) and officers will soon commence wearing of the new camouflage uniform in various police operations.

Gunmen Kill Spare-Parts Dealer in Maiduguri

Two suspected Boko Haram gunmen, on Wednesday, in Maiduguri, Borno State, shot and killed a spare-parts dealer in the Ruwan Zafi ward of the metropolis. An eyewitness said that the slain spare-parts dealer was trailed from his residence to the shop where the gunmen shot him dead and fled. The Joint Task Force (JTF) Spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed the incident. An eyewitness alerted soldiers of the JTF, who responded immediately and pursued the culprits. Musa appealed to the public to courageously give information to security agencies, noting that “the killing of one of the culprits would not have been possible if the residents did not alert us”. The police last week in Maiduguri announced a reward of N500,000 and N1 million to any resident who provides useful information leading to the arrests of Boko Haram sect members and recovery of arms and ammunition used by the Islamists sect.

NNPC Revives 3 Refineries

The Group Executive Director (GED), Refining and Petrochemical, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Philip Chukwu, in Kaduna, on Tuesday, said with the coming on stream of the three major refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, fuel scarcity in Nigeria would soon be history. The NNPC executive that said the full operation of the three refineries in the country was a miracle. Chukwu said the refinery was strategic for the supply of fuel to the North, especially the North-West and North-Central, adding that “as long as Kaduna is producing, it will reduce the cost of our business”.

NSCDC Alleges Foreigners Involvement in Illegal Oil Bunkering

The Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ade Abolurin, has raised the alarm that aliens have begun to infiltrate the nation in the area of oil bunkering. Abolurin expressed at a meeting with all the corps’ anti-vandal officers across the nation and ceremonial parade by 50 NSCDC personnel selected to undergo intensive arms-bearing programme in Kaduna. He said the NSCDC operatives, with the support of other security agencies, had searched and discovered illegal refineries in some part of the country, adding that between January and March, over 150 of the illegal oil bunkerers and vandals were arrested. The commandant-general said a Chinese and Ghanaians were among some of those arrested in Lagos recently and were being prosecuted by the police.

Policeman Killed As Hoodlums Attack Police Station, Bank

The Borno State Police Command said that it had launched a manhunt for an armed group which attacked a police station and a bank in Askira, Askira-Uba LGA of the state. Alhaji Bala Hassan, the State Commissioner of Police, said that that the group destroyed the police station completely. Hassan said that a policeman in mufti was shot dead by the group while trying to escape. Hassan said that the group escaped through the Damboa axis after the sad incident.

INTERNATIONAL

Russian Plane Crash Kills 31 Persons

A Russian passenger plane crashed and burst into flames after takeoff in an oil-producing region of Siberia on Monday, killing at least 31 of the 43 people on board, emergency officials said. 13 survivors were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to hospital. It was not immediately clear what caused the UTair airlines ATR 72 to crash with 39 passengers and four crew members on board. Contact was lost with the plane just over three minutes after take-off. UTair said on its website that the twin-engine, turbo-prop plane had been trying to make an emergency landing when it came down 1.5 km (one mile) from the airport in the western Siberian city of Tyumen en route to Surgut, an oil town to the northeast.

Bomb Disposal Expert Killed in Afghanistan

Lisa Head, an Army bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, was killed in action. She was among just a handful of highly skilled American women soldiers trained as a bomb disposal expert to disarm improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Captain Head was horrifically injured when a Taliban booby trap bomb she was trying to disarm blew up. She was given first aid and flown to Camp Bastion before being evacuated to a specialist military ward at the Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital in Birmingham, but she died on Tuesday. Senior military officers described the Royal Logistics Corps officer as ‘the bravest of the brave’.

Israel Deports Prisoner on Hunger Strike

Israeli authorities, penultimate Sunday, deported to Gaza a Palestinian prisoner who went on a hunger strike for more than a month to protest her detention. Hana Shalabi, whom Israeli military officials were holding for alleged terrorist activity, agreed to the deportation deal last week and ended a 44-day hunger strike. Shalabi agreed to be deported to Gaza for three years, after which she will have the option of returning to her home in the West Bank, attorney Jawad Bulos said. Shalabi's attorney said her hunger strike was aimed at protesting "administrative detention," a controversial practice that allows Israeli authorities to detain people indefinitely without formally charging them. Israeli authorities detained Shalabi in February, after the military said it had intelligence reports that she had resumed terrorist activity.

Tornado Wrecks Havoc in Texas

A series of tornadoes have ripped through Texas, hurling Lorries into the air, destroying buildings and injuring at least 17 people. The United States National Weather Service confirmed that two separate "supercells" had formed on Tuesday afternoon. Preliminary estimates said up to 12 twisters struck in north Texas, but firm numbers were not expected until later on Wednesday when the full scale of the damage would be known. Electrical transformers could be seen exploding in some areas and overturned cars left some roads blocked.

US Marines Arrive in Australia

The first batch of 2,500 US Marines to be deployed in Australia began work on Wednesday as US bolsters its presence in a strategically vital region. Some 200 Marines touched down in tropical Darwin overnight as part of an enhanced defense cooperation outlined during a visit by US President Barack Obama in November 2011. The troops are in the Northern Territory on a six-month rotational basis. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Defense Minister Stephen Smith and Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson, welcomed what they said are the latest chapter in a more than 60-year alliance with the US. The US military currently has only a limited deployment in long-standing ally Australia, including the Pine Gap Joint Defense Facility spy station near Alice Springs.

France Arrests Suspected Islamist in Raid

Police in France have conducted new raids on Islamist suspects in the wake of the multiple killings by gunman Mohamed Merah. At least 10 people were arrested as police conducted operations in Marseille, Roubaix, Carpentras and a number of other locations, reports the BBC. Thirteen people arrested in raids last week face terrorism charges. President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to crack down on suspected radical Islamists after the Merah killings. Most of Wednesday's raids were in the south and south-west. There was also a raid in Roubaix, close to the Belgian border. The operation comes less than a week after raids that targeted men who are believed to be associated with a radical group called Forsane Alizza, which was banned last month.

UN Team Heads for Syria amid Rising Violence

A UN peacekeeping team is headed to Damascus to discuss deploying observers to monitor a cease-fire, a spokesman for special envoy, Kofi Annan, said. On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime promised to withdraw its forces from population centers by April 10. But on Tuesday, government forces pounded opposition-held towns in northern Syria and battled defectors, leading to over 150 deaths. The Syrian army shelled Binnish, Taftanaz and Taoum, and its helicopters fired on fleeing civilians, an opposition activist said. Meanwhile, the state-run News Agency reported that 10 soldiers, police and civilians were buried Tuesday. Al-Assad has promised Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria, that the government would pull back his forces from cities.

17 Killed in Russia Market Fire

An early-morning fire at a market in southern Moscow killed at least 17 people Tuesday. The fire burned down a two-story warehouse at the Kachalovsky market, which vendors used as living quarters. It took eight teams of firefighters two hours to put out the blaze. In an unrelated incident Monday evening, fire engulfed the top floors of an under-construction Moscow skyscraper that, when completed, will be Europe's tallest. No one was hurt. The fire at the Federation Tower broke out just before sunset and spread over the 66th and 67th floors of the building.

Airstrikes Kill Dozens of al Qaeda Fighters in Yemen

Yemen's Air Force has killed dozens of al Qaeda fighters in a series of airstrikes in the country's south, Yemeni officials said on Tuesday. At least 38 suspected al Qaeda militants were killed in continuous raids on jihadist hideouts in Yemen's southern provinces of Lahj and Abyan. But the militants still control key towns linking both provinces despite 48 hours of nonstop bombardment, according to officials. An official said the United States has taken part in three of the airstrikes, but said Yemen's air force is leading the operation. The offensive comes after militants killed dozens of troops and seized large quantities of weapons when they raided a military zone earlier in the week. Numerous other Yemeni soldiers are still being held hostage by militants since the attacks.

Gunman Kills 7 in California over College Expulsion

One Goh, a 43-year-old Korean-American man, who was expelled from school, shot and killed 7 people including a Nigerian woman at a small Christian college in California. Goh was self-conscious of his inability to speak English like a native and felt that students and others at the school made fun of him, police said. Oakland Police Chief, Howard Jordan, said it wasn't immediately clear why Goh had been expelled from the college. While Goh appeared close to his family, he struggled personally with significant debt, including a tax lien by the Internal Revenue Service, according to court records. Goh drove off in a victim's car, and surrendered to police at a grocery story in the Oakland suburb of Alameda. He told police he was angry about his expulsion from the college, police said.

US to Ease Sanctions against Burma as Opposition Wins Parliament

The United States has announced it will further ease sanctions against Burma. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said some travel and financial restrictions would be relaxed, with Burmese leaders allowed to visit the US. European Union leaders had said earlier on Wednesday that they would consider taking similar steps. The news follows by-elections in Burma on Sunday in which pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party secured a landslide win. The National League for Democracy (NLD) took 43 out of 45 seats up for grabs in the polls, which were generally deemed to be free and fair. Clinton praised President Thein Sein "leadership and courage". The recent by-elections are being hailed as an important step in Burma's transition from decades of authoritarian military rule towards a more open, democratic and representative system.

Septuagenarian Commits Suicide, Cites Greek Austerity

An elderly man took his own life near the Greek parliament building in central Athens, police said Wednesday, in what was apparently a protest over the austerity crisis gripping the nation. The man, who was in his mid-70s, wrote in a suicide note that the government had made it impossible for him to survive, according to Greek state TV. Athanassios Kokkalakis, head of press for the police, said a suicide note had been handed to the press by the man's daughter but did not confirm what it said. A police spokesman said there were other protesters in the area where the man killed himself and a gun was found nearby, a police spokesman said. Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos expressed his regret in a statement issued by his office.

Sudan, South Sudan Trade Words over Downed Fighter Jet

Sudan is denying that the South Sudanese military shot down a Sudanese fighter jet in an escalation of border violence. South Sudan accused rival Sudan of war mongering on Wednesday and said it had shot down a fighter jet sent to bomb the oil-rich Pan Akuac region. South Sudan officials said the nation's military shot down the MiG-29 jet fighter in its territory of Unity state. But Sudan called the claims false. The latest hostilities put a bitter note on negotiations between the two nations. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who heads a mediation panel, said both parties had laid out a six-point plan to reduce tensions that included an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of armed forces from each other's territory. The South Sudan delegation was ready to sign, but Khartoum declined and said President Omar al-Bashir would have to review the agreement.

US Navy Jet Crashes into Virginia Apartment

Officials have confirmed that a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet jet has crashed in Virginia after taking off from U.S. Naval Air Station Oceana, with the two pilots believed to have ejected before impact. There are currently no reports of injuries on the ground. A local witness said that the jet crashed into a local two-story apartment building. They are also reporting that two individuals have been admitted to hospital in connection with the crash. One of the individuals is reportedly one of the two pilots who ejected from the plane, while another is a civilian who is suffering from smoke inhalation.