Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 51

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Tanker Rams into Buildings, 18 Injured

About 18 residents along Ikot Ekpene Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were injured and burned after a petrol tanker rammed into some buildings and caught fire, penultimate Sunday. Property worth over N300 million were destroyed. The incident occurred when the driver attempted to make a u-turn but hit an electric pole in front of some shops, causing a spark that triggered the fire. Governor Godswill Akpabio thanked the state Fire Service for bringing the incident under control and pledged government’s readiness to mitigate the losses of the victims.

Shell Shuts Soku Again

Nigeria’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export has suffered yet another major setback as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has announced the shut down of its Soku Gas Plant in Rivers State, two months after the plant resumed operations. The gas plant was shut down for 11 months following the vandalism of its pipeline, but was reopened on October 15 after the company completed repairs. Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager, Mr. Tony Okonedo, confirmed in a statement that the plant had been shut down owing to a leak on the gas line.

Kidnapped Afribank Manager Rescued

Reprieve came the way of the South East Regional Manager of Afribank Nigeria Plc, Enugu, Mr. Uba Anichebe, as the police rescued him from suspected kidnappers after spending four days in captivity. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the rescue of the banker, on Thursday, said the victim was freed following a raid on the kidnappers’ hideout at Amodu Awkunanaw in Nkanu West LGA. He said that the police swooped on the community following the confession by a member of the kidnap gang, David Yakubu, who was arrested at Makurdi last Sunday while taking the banker’s car to the North for sale. The police said the kidnappers between that Saturday and Sunday, demanded a ransom of N20 million for his release.

Resource Control, True Federalism Top Agenda on Constitution Review

Calls for creation of more states,  resource control, true federalism, jettisoning of quota system, as well as Land Use Act, independent candidacy and removal of immunity clause from the constitution dominated presentations on Tuesday as the two-day Senate Public  hearing on constitutional review across the six geo-political zones ended. The South-South and South-East geo-political zones harped on creation of more states and resource control. Bayelsa State government aligned with earlier calls by other states in the region for a constitution that would promote true federalism, noting the relevance of fiscal federalism to a federation.

Supreme Court Clears Soludo as PDP Candidate in Anambra

Embattled governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2010 Anambra State election, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has won a major legal battle as the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal that barred him from contesting. The Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the Court of Appeal on grounds that it was issued in bad faith. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately accept his candidacy and allow him to participate freely in the election.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Court Stops JTF from Attacking Gbaramatu

A Federal high court in Asaba, Delta State on Monday issued an order restraining the Joint Task Force (JTF) from further attacking the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri, Delta State. The court also stopped the JTF from preventing the people from returning to their houses. The people of the Gbaramatu Kingdom went to court following attacks on the community by men of the JTF. They also asked the court to declare that “the wanton destruction of lives, property and mass displacement of persons, by the JTF bombardments” is illegal, and in gross violation of their fundamental rights and humanitarian protection. They asked the court to direct the FG to pay N100 billion as damages for the lives and properties destroyed.

Father Calls for Probe into Death Son in Cyprus

A call has gone to the House of Representatives to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of a Nigerian student in Cyprus International University, Cyprus. The father of the student, Alex Irabor, an indigene of Edo State, said his son, Celestine Irabor, 19, was killed and dumped at the cargo department of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. He said the late Celestine left for Cyprus in September after gaining admission to study business administration. He added that the authorities also stated that the ambassador of Nigeria to Turkey promised to intimate him on events that led to the son's death and plans to return his body only to receive a call that the body was at the airport in Nigeria already without any explanation from the ambassador or the school authorities.

Delta, UNDP Sign Pact on Climate Change

To tackle environmental devastation arising from climate change, the Delta State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC). TACC is a developmental initiative of the United Nations (UN) to assist developing sub-national governments to assess and manage the physical and socio-economic impact of climate change. By becoming part of the UNDP TACC programme, Delta State will deepen its capacity to regulate environmental issues, as well as to take advantage of many new sources of environmental funds, to implement climate change responses.

Court Acquits Ibori on Money Laundering Charges

A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital, Thursday, quashed the 170-count charge preferred against former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering. But the EFCC has said the decision of the court will not stand. Justice Marcel Awokulehin of the court struck out the case and discharged and acquitted Ibori for lack of evidence. The verdict emerged like an anti-climax of sort in the trial, which had begun before a Federal High Court in Kaduna in December 2007, where the then Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led EFCC arraigned the ex-governor. Justice Awokulehin held that the EFCC was unable to establish a prima facie case against the accused persons because there were no substantial facts and evidence.

Edo to Train Youths on Entrepreneurship Development

Edo State government on Wednesday launched a Youth Entrepreneurship Development programme designed to train unemployed youth, especially girls, in fashion designing. The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Anita Evbuomwan, said the 25 pioneer beneficiaries of the programme would be assessed monthly to monitor their level of learning. She said that only those who completed the 12 months' training would benefit from the incentives, which she added, included the provision of sewing machines and accessories for their business take-off.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Pipeline Explosion Claims Lives in Arepo

A tragic fire erupted Monday night from a vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at Arepo in Ogun State, leaving a number of persons dead, and others injured. It is feared that the incident may worsen the current fuel crisis in the country as the damaged pipeline transports products to Mosimi depot, which services parts of the South-West and the North. Both the spokesman of the NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma and the Public Affairs Manager of the Pipelines Products and Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Ralph Ugwu confirmed the incident and blamed it on the handiwork of vandals. The duo also confirmed that the fire was put out on Thursday.

Auto-Crash Claims 17 in Oyo

The remains of 17 supporters of former Oyo State governor, Rashidi Ladoja, who died in penultimate Saturday’s auto crash along the Iseyin-Okeho Road, were buried the next day amid wailings and tears. The victims were buried in a mass grave at the Sango cemetery in the heart of Ibadan. The deceased were on their way to Okeho, for a burial ceremony when they met their death, as their vehicle had a head-on collision with a truck loaded with planks, which ignited a fire that consumed them. Three people in the truck also died raising the casualty toll to 20.

Pastors Kidnap Pastor

Two pastors of a church in Lagos, Anointed Word Ministries, have been arrested by the police for allegedly kidnapping their colleague. The pastors, Godwin Adiele, 39 and Joseph Atoyebi, 51, were alleged to have kidnapped Pastor Chidi Ebube for leaving the church “after knowing too much.” The victim was allegedly abducted and held at Adiele’s residence for three days. He explained that he told the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor Adiele, about his discovery and decided to leave. But they kidnapped him and compelled him to take an oath not to disclose what he had seen. But he escaped from where he was chained and ran to the Igando Police Station.

Man Nabbed For Impersonating Police

A 30-year-old man, Oluwafemi Adeniran, has been arrested for impersonating a policeman. Adeniran, who allegedly defrauds unsuspecting motorcyclists at Alausa Task Force Office on the pretext that he is a police officer attached to the outfit and could assist them release their motorcycles, was arrested by an eagle-eared police officer who overheard his conversation with a motorcyclist arrested earlier. Adeniran had allegedly collected money from some bike riders before luck ran out on him. He was said to have confessed to the crime.

2 Men Electrocuted At Ogba

Two men were penultimate weekend electrocuted in quick succession, at one of the corner shops at Ogba Retail Market area, Lagos. Tragedy first struck when the brother of an electronics dealer, Victor Onyeka, oblivious that he was touching a live high tension wire, went to adjust a television antenna, got electrocuted, and was immediately rushed to a Hospital, where he died. While the first victim was at the hospital, the shop owner’s wife, Mrs. Lilian Azodandu, called an electrician, who had come to buy something, to help her look into the fault that led to her brother-in law’s predicament, but he was electrocuted instantly. The killer antenna was in contact with one of the four high tension wires of PHCN when the two victims touched it.

NAMA Probes Radar Failure at MMIA

The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has launched an investigation into the cause of the temporary breakdown of the radar at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (MMIA) penultimate Sunday. Many aircraft were delayed in the airspace for hours, fuelling the fear of collision. It is alleged that there was power outage and the radar automatically switched over the standby power source, but “the engineers did not remove the circuit breaker, so when public power source was restored it caused a spike as both sources of power supplied to the radar at the same time, forcing air traffic controllers to switch over to the procedural (manual) method of controlling the aircraft as they could no more see the aircraft in the radar.

GENERAL

IMB Rates Nigeria Low on Coastal Security

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported an increase in the number of violent attacks on vessels off the coast of Nigeria saying that the “nation’s coast is one of the worst in the world”. The attacks sometimes end up in violence. The Bureau also reported that most of the pirate attacks in Nigeria are not reported to the Piracy Reporting Centre of the IMB. Reacting to the recent attack on an oil tanker on November 24, where the Nigerian Chief Officer lost his life during the attack off Cotonou (Benin Republic) by Nigeria’s border, the bureau said  the tanker was boarded by eight or nine robbers, all armed with guns and knives.

Police Arrest 3 Students in Niger over Murder

The police in Niger State have arrested three students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, for the murder at the weekend, of Malam Mustapha Mohammed, the Special Assistant to the Secretary to State Government on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It was learnt that the late Mustapha, who was asked to manage a cyber café for a senior colleague, prevented some students from pilfering from the accounts of the café. Sources said he received frequent death threats, urging him to steer clear of the café or risk losing his life. His body was found in an uncompleted building in Minna Township with a deep cut around the lower part of his jaw. State Police Public Relations Officer, Richard Ogwuche, said that the trio had all confessed to the crime.

Kidnapped Adamawa NLC Boss’s Daughter Regains Freedom

The kidnapped 3-year-old daughter of the Adamawa State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) leader, Aisha Buba Dauda has regained freedom after a week in captivity. Her parents reportedly met the demand of the abductors. Father of the girl, Mr. Dauda Buba confirmed this.

NURTW Vows to Oppose Deregulation

The national president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Hamma Gidado, has said the Federal Government’s proposed deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector, would be strongly resisted by the union. Gidado said NURTW would join the organized labour in the country in adopting decisive measures to ensure that the policy is frustrated from being implemented. The NURTW President observed that the planned deregulation in the country would unleash severe economic hardship on Nigerians and warned the Federal Government to rescind its decision or face strong opposition.

PSC Wants N420bn to Reposition Police

Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Parry Osayande, Thursday, said about N420 billion is needed to reposition the Nigeria Police Force to enable it perform its statutory duties as enshrined in the constitution. Meanwhile the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Adamu Aliero said over 300 officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force had been engaged to enforce environmental and other municipal laws in the city daily. Aliero lamented that the daily deployment of that number of policemen for enforcement would have been avoided if residents observe their civic responsibility without being pushed.

FG Charges Navy to Waterways Security

The Federal Government has expressed concern about maritime security in the country. It has therefore called on the Nigerian Navy to checkmate activities of criminals and secure the waterways. Minister of State for Defence, Abdulrahman Adamu, gave the charge at the decoration of naval officers from the ranks of Commodore to Rear Admiral. Adamu said promotions are not done for the purpose of filling positions, but are carried out after careful study of individual’s character and performance in previous appointments.

NLC Denies Endorsing Deregulation of Oil Sector

Against earlier contention in some quarters, the Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alhaji Issa Aremu, has said that the Labour has not endorsed the proposed deregulation of the nation's oil industry. Aremu explained that the views of the spokesperson of NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma in which he reportedly said that NLC's current leadership has accepted the deregulation policy was a misrepresentation of Labour on the vexed issue of deregulation of the oil sector by the President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's administration.

Families of Slain Police Officers Get pay N48.3m from IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, on Thursday handed over cheques worth N48.3 million to 121 families of police personnel who lost their breadwinners between 2008 and 2009. The IGP, who noted that the police would continue to cater for the welfare of their personnel, whether alive or dead, warned that a situation where policemen became targets of mob attacks would no longer be tolerated. While commiserating with the affected families, Onovo urged them to make judicious use of the money in training the children left behind.

Nigerian Children Die from Preventable Diseases – UNICEF
The UNICEF country representative in Nigeria, Dr. Suomi Sakai, has lamented that about one million Nigerian children die annually of preventable and curable diseases.Dr. Sakai stated this, said about 43,000 maternal and 235,000 neo-natal deaths were said to have been estimated in Nigeria every year, adding that reports and the current Nigerian demographic health survey, showed that if Nigeria continues with the current pace of implementation, the country's progress would not be sufficient to meet the MDGs. The country representative, therefore called for better and improved funding and more advocacy for proper and effective coordination of the programmes, stressing that improved funding would accelerate better implementation of maternal and child survival strategy.

El-Rufai Drags Aondoakaa, Onovo to Court over Arrest Threat
Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has sued the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo, over plans by the government to arrest him. El-Rufai is seeking an interim injunction to restrain the government and its agents from arresting, detaining or prosecuting him on the basis of the recommendations of the Senate's Joint Committee on the FCT and Housing which are the subject of proceedings in El-Rufai versus the Senate (suit number FHC/L/CS/4703/08).

Husband, Wife Killed in Sokoto Fire

A fire incident claimed the lives of a couple at Kofar Rini area of Sokoto, penultimate weekend.  Malam Aminu Ibrahim and his wife were said to have been asleep when the fire swept their home Saturday night. Residents blamed the incident on an electrical fault during an interruption in electric supply. Efforts by neighbours to rescue the couple proved abortive as they could not easily break into the apartment. The fire had already done the damage before men of the fire service got to the area.

Reps Want Borno CP Sacked over Slain Corp Member

The House of Representatives has charged police boss, Ogbonna Onovo to remove Borno State police commissioner, Ibrahim Abdu, from office over the commands dismal handling of investigations into the death of Miss Grace Ushang, a youth corps member, killed in mysterious circumstances in Maiduguri. The lawmakers equally rejected the Police investigation and pathology reports of the killing of Grace, saying it was too shallow with many grey areas. Ushang was a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Borno State when she was allegedly raped to death in Maiduguri. The law enforcement agents are yet to fish out her killers.

Kano Youths Destroy Ritualists Den

A house suspected to be a hideout for ritualists in Kano was, penultimate weekend attacked by some youths in Dakata area of Kano. The attack followed the alleged abduction of 22-year-old Kabiru Abubakar in the area by suspected ritualists on Thursday, December 10. Abubakar was released on Saturday morning, but his parents claimed that when he came back home, he seemed to have suffered memory loss. The attack was predicated on the suspicion that the house was being used for ritual purposes, an allegation the occupants of the house and the police denied. It took the intervention of the police to stop the youths from setting the house ablaze. The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer SP Baba Muhammed Azare confirmed the incident, adding that arrested persons would be interrogated.

VP Launches Armed Forces Appeal Fund Emblem

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has launched the Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem Appeal Fund, asking Nigerians to demonstrate interest in the welfare of military personnel by giving generously. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is celebrated on January 15 of every year to commemorate the end of the Nigerian civil war and remember all heroes and heroines of the military who paid the supreme sacrifice. The Nigerian Legion uses launch of the emblem week to raise funds for the welfare of its members and families of deceased soldiers.

Police Prevent Clash as NCC Raids Kano

Prompt intervention of men of the Nigeria Police averted what could have resulted in a blood- bath, at the weekend, in Kano, when operatives of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) were attacked by some people during a raid carried out by the body where various pirated items worth millions of naira were impounded. The raid led by North- West zonal coordinator of the NCC, Mr. Aremu Adebayo, stated that the clampdown on the pirates was basically due to series of complaints by HiTv, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) management, alleging wide scale infringements on their ownership rights through piracy.

Inmates at Kano Prison Protest over ‘Selective Justice’

Inmates at the Kano Central Prison on Tuesday protested over alleged selective justice and shoddy deals by judicial officials. It took the intervention of the combined team of police and prison officials to prevent possible jailbreak. The Deputy Controller of the prison, Alhaji Kabiru Umar Funtua, said no one was injured, and attributed the incident to the ongoing strike by judiciary staff, saying that “many of the inmates were told that they will taken to courts when the courts resume, but to their dismay, some judiciary staff come with production warrants for inmates who have godfathers and get them out of jail”. He added that the production warrants usually carried judge’s signature, thus they must be obeyed. He however maintained that normalcy had been restored in the jail.

NNPC Imports 12 Cargoes of Fuel, Acquires 178 Filling Stations

In a renewed move to end fuel queues nationwide and forestall hardship during the yuletide, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has acquired 178 filling stations and ordered 12 cargoes of fuel. An NNPC statement on Wednesday said its Group Managing Director, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, has directed the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), to increase the importation and distribution activities of petroleum products. The NNPC blamed the petroleum product distribution challenge, which became manifest in the last few weeks on a plethora of extraneous factors and panic buying by the public due to refusal of filling station operators to dispense products due to the anticipation of the take-off of the deregulation.

Victims of ATM fraud Drag CBN, Others to Court

Some Nigerians who claimed to be victims of unauthorized Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals have instituted a N50 billion suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), all 24 banks in Nigeria and Interswitch Nigeria Ltd, at a Federal High Court in Lagos. In the suit, the plaintiffs prayed the court to give an order directing the banks, CBN and Interswitch to pay the sum of N50 billion as general damages for the withdrawals. Also, the plaintiffs were demanding the sum of N2.5 million, being the joint value of the sum lost by them at four of the banks as well as N100 million, as the cost of litigation and N10 million, as cost of providing appropriate notice to the defendants and administering the class action for their benefit.

UNDP Partners with EFCC over Misuse of Development Grants
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the weekend unveiled a new partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over rising cases of misappropriation of funds allocated to benefiting communities in Nigeria. They warned that the list of defaulting communities, government officials and traditional heads will be made available to the EFCC for review and possible investigation. The UNDP has reduced the number of states and communities to benefit from the various development initiatives due to insincerity, misuse of funds by officials of the indicted states and communities and failure of the nominated local councils to meet the required demands of an audited account, according to the Chief Technical Officer of UNDP, Dr. Edward Mugabi.

Police Brutalise Journalist in Abuja
A journalist with TheNews magazine, Mr. Desmond Utomwen, was penultimate Friday, brutalised by a team of policemen and staff of Guarantee Trust Bank in Abuja. According to Utomwen, he came across a peaceful protest around the premises of the Bank, and decided to find out what was happening. But he was stopped by the police on his way out and was asked to hand over his camera, which he refused. This caused him more trouble as they pounced on him with punches. He further alleged that the police held a gun against him and threatened to shoot him if he uttered a word. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Haruna, had ordered an investigation into the matter. This comes just a few days after Amnesty International indicted the Nigerian Police on extra-judicial killings and brutality.

Nigeria Spends $10bn Annually on Fuel Importation –Barkindo

Nigeria spends an estimated $10 billion annually on the importation of petroleum refined products to meet the daily demands of Nigerians, according to Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director. Barkindo, who stated this during a meeting with prospective investors in the proposed Lekki Greenfield Refinery project in Abuja, regretted that such amount, if channeled into the building of new refineries, would stem the importation and create more employment opportunities. The refinery, when completed, will be the first refinery in Nigeria after over 20 years.

INTERNATIONAL

Islamists Raid Philippines Prison, Rescue 31

Philippines' prison officials, penultimate weekend, said suspected Islamic militants attacked a jail in the southern part of the country and freed at least 31 prisoners. Two people, including a prison guard, were killed during a gunfight as the prisoners escaped. Basilan Island's Vice Governor, Al Rasheed Sakalahul, said that the gunmen wanted to free Moslem guerrillas held there. Meanwhile, President Gloria Arroyo has lifted martial law in a southern province where 57 people were killed recently. Martial law was imposed in Maguindanao to quell what the government said was a rebellion by the Ampatuan clan, blamed by police for the deaths.

Italy’s PM Berlusconi Assaulted after Rally

Italy’s Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, was punched in the face at the end of a rally, penultimate Weekend, by a man holding a small statue in his hand, police said. The 42-year-old man accused of attacking Berlusconi was immediately taken into custody. Officials at Milan’s police headquarters said the premier was conscious and apparently not badly injured. They said the attacker was wielding a miniature statue of Milan’s Duomo, the city’s gargoyle cathedral and symbol, but couldn’t say what the souvenir was made of.

U.S. Congress Approves More Sanctions against Iran

United States House of Representatives has approved new sanctions against Iran aimed at halting its disputed nuclear programme. The measure empowers President Barack Obama to ban foreign firms that supply Iran with refined petroleum from doing business in the U.S. This is coming on the heels of a claim by Tehran that it has tested an upgraded version of a surface-to-surface missile with a range that makes it capable of reaching parts of Europe. Iranian Defence Minister, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, said that the Sajil-2 missile has "great maneuverability" and can access targets more than 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles) away, making Israel and U.S. military bases in the Gulf reachable. Vahidi said the missile has a shorter launch time and is intended to boost Iran's deterrent capability.

US Gives Condition for Participation in Climate Change Pact

United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, Thursday insisted that the country would only take part in the Copenhagen agreement if there are enough guarantees that the deal would be implemented in a transparent and credible manner. Clinton said the US would join forces with other major world economies to mobilize $10billion to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing countries. Clinton said the U.S. would cut down its emissions in the range of 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020, which would be succeeded by 30 per cent by 2025. Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ojo Maduekwe said Nigeria "fully endorses the African position and that of G77 and China.

Mexican Navy Kills Drug Cartel Kingpin

About two hundred sailors from Mexican Navy raided an upscale apartment complex and killed a reputed drug cartel chief in a two-hour gun battle on Wednesday. Arturo Beltran Leyva, the "boss of bosses," and three members of his cartel were slain in the shoot-out in Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City, according to a navy statement. A fifth cartel member committed suicide during the shootout. Cartel gunmen hurled grenades that injured three sailors, the navy said. On Friday, sailors raided a party at mansion in the mountain down of Tepotzlan, near Cuernavaca, where they killed three alleged Beltran Leyva cartel members and detained 11.

No Deadline for Troop Withdrawal from Afghan

United States' (U.S.) Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, Thursday declared that no deadline exists for withdrawing American troops from Kabul. Also, Eikenberry reiterated the commitment of U.S. to helping to build the capacity and competence of Afghan security forces. American forces would begin a "gradual and responsible transition" in July 2011 conditional on the readiness of Afghanistan's own police and army to take over the security of their war-battered country, he said. Three journalists, who were captured penultimate week regained freedom on Thursday. They were captured by an armed gang in Kunar province, a mountainous region bordering Pakistan, according to reports.

United Nations Ends Military Operation DRC

The UN envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Alan Doss, has announced that a joint military operation against rebels, which has become a subject of criticisms from human rights activists, will be concluded at the end of this month. Doss told the UN Security Council that the campaign in the east of the country had "largely achieved" its goal of weakening the Rwandan Hutu rebels. Rights groups had accused Congolese government troops of killing and raping civilians. Also, UN experts had claimed that the campaign failed to dismantle militia infrastructure. But Doss declared that had not been the objective, as the rebel group, is deeply entrenched in eastern DR Congo.

HRW Describe Guinea Massacre as Humanity Crime

A new report into the killing of 157 protesters by the security forces in Guinea in September says it was a premeditated massacre to silence opposition. The report, by Human Rights Watch, claimed Guinea's presidential guard fired into the crowd until they ran out of bullets, and that the military tried to cover up the massacre by removing bodies from hospital for secret mass burials. Guinea's government puts a lower figure on the number of dead - 57 - and says most of these were trampled to death. The country's junta leader Capt Moussa Dadis Camara previously tried to distance his junta from the incident by saying he was not in full control of the officers at the rally. But a renegade soldier accused of the massacre, Lt Toumba Diakite, shot Capt Camara in an assassination attempt. Lt Toumba Diakite he shot Capt Camara in the neck to avoid being arrested and because he felt "betrayed".

Thousands Protest in Copenhagen over Climate Change

Thousands of protesters took to the streets and hundreds were detained penultimate Saturday in Copenhagen as they demanded a climate-change agreement that would curb greenhouse gas emissions and aid developing countries harmed by pollution. They marched to the Bella Center in the Danish capital, where the global climate change summit is being held. More than 900 protesters were detained, but nearly all were released. Only five were charged and will go to court, police said. Countries are expected to end negotiations in Copenhagen on an ambitious new climate deal by next Friday, the end of the two-week summit.

98-Year-Old Indicted in Death of Centenarian in Nursing Home

A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted a 98-year-old woman, accused of strangling her 100-year-old nursing home roommate, on a murder charge. Prosecutors say Laura Lundquist killed centenarian Elizabeth Barrow, after the two women had an argument. Barrow was found dead September 24 with a plastic shopping bag tied loosely around her head. District Attorney, Samuel Sutter, said Barrow repeatedly complained that Lundquist was making her life "a living hell", and that Lundquist remarked that she would outlive her roommate.

Rwandan Journalist Jailed for Genocide

A Rwandan journalist who encouraged Hutus to slaughter Tutsis during the 1994 genocide, Valerie Bemeriki, has been sentenced to life in jail. Bemeriki admitted to inciting violence. The journalist was one of the most prominent voices of Radio Mille Collines, a station that became notorious for its encouragement of the slaughter. The United Nation's Rwanda tribunal had previously sentenced two senior executives of the station to long jail terms. About 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered in 100 days in Rwanda.

Chadian Forces Battle Rebels

Chadian government forces have launched air and ground assaults against rebels in the east of the country, according to reports on Tuesday. Rebels from the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) said four civilians were killed and many more wounded in the clashes, near the Sudan border, but the government denies civilian casualties. Rebels almost succeeded in toppling the government last year but were repelled by French troops. Chad has suffered from rebellions by several armed groups for more than a decade.

Afghan Policemen Killed in Bomb Attack

Five Afghan policemen have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion. The incident happened when a police vehicle hit a bomb in Rubat-i-Sangin district on Tuesday night, officials say. This comes barely two days after suspected militants killed 16 policemen in two separate bomb attacks in the north and south. There is no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack. Roadside bomb attacks on police in the past have been blamed on the Taliban. On Monday, gunmen targeted police posts in Baghlan province in the north and in Helmand province in the south. In each ambush eight policemen were killed. Reports say that the insurgents have targeted those regarded as working with the government.

UK to Stop Arrest Threats to Israeli Officials

The United Kingdom (UK) has pledged to reform the legal concept of Universal Jurisdiction, which empowers judges to issue arrest warrants for visiting officials accused of war crimes in a foreign conflict, according to reports. The new reform was informed by Israel's stern reaction to a warrant issued by a London Court against former Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, but was revoked on Monday when it was found that Livni was not visiting the UK as earlier scheduled. Livni was in post during Israel's controversial Gaza assault last winter. Lawyers working with Palestinian activists in recent years have sought the arrest of senior Israeli civilian and military figures under terms of "universal jurisdiction."