Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 27

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Abducted Sailors in Nigeria Freed

A dozen foreign seafarers abducted on Friday off the coasts of the Niger Delta were freed on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha, spokesman for the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) said. Gunmen stormed a cargo vessel on Friday, injuring one of the crew in a shoot-out and capturing 12 others, including Germans and Russians. Security officials said they did not know who was responsible as the Navy spokesman, David Nabaida, said the sailors were dropped off on a fishing trawler and the navy went to collect them. Two Russian sailors and a Lithuanian skipper captured in May were also freed, a Russian sailors' union and a Lithuanian shipping firm disclosed.

Gunmen Abduct Anambra Party Boss, Transporter in Awka

The Anambra State Chairman of the Action Congress (AC), Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, was penultimate Sunday, abducted after being shot by gunmen in Awka. Another victim of the gunmen, who they had earlier abducted took advantage of the confusion and fled. Nwobu, who was said to have been released the following day after the payment of N1.2 million as ransom, is undergoing treatment for the gunshot injuries. Meanwhile, politicians in the state are jittery as some of them have alleged receiving threat messages. In a similar incident same day, six gunmen abducted a prominent transporter, Chief Nelson Emebo, in Onitsha from church, shooting into the air to scare the congregation before taking him away. The kidnappers have allegedly demanded N50 million as ransom.

Robbers Storm Construction Company, Cart Away N13m

Armed robbers stormed the premises of Gitto Construction Company in Port Harcourt, shooting and wounded a mobile policeman and two civilian staff before carting away N13 million. The robbers were said to have arrived at the company in two vehicles and parked at the parking lot like visitors at about 9.30 am. But later moved as if on a directive to the account section where the policeman in sight was fired at. The attack was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Dr. Rita Abbey who said the robbers fled with the N13 million after firing sporadically in the compound and spraying innocent bystanders with bullets.

GOC Parades Police Corporal for Illegal Arms Deal

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Isah, on Wednesday paraded a police corporal, Henshaw Okpor, for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to a syndicate. Okpor was paraded alongside two suspected accomplices, Chief Eugene Nwokedi and Hope Akpan. The GOC said Nwokedi, the suspected leader of the syndicate, was arrested at Ariaria market in Abia State, where he had been dealing in arms, following information given by Akpan, who was intercepted with a total of 1,283 bullets. Nwokedi said he never knew that it was an offence to deal in illicit arms. He said he had supplied weapons to members of vigilante groups in Abia State through an aide to the state governor. But the state government denies dealing with or knowing Nwokedi.

Anambra CP Parades 13 for Alleged Murder, Kidnapping

The Anambra State Commissioner of Police (CP), Philemon Leha, on Wednesday, paraded 13 crime suspects, and presented a new motorcycle to a commercial rider whose motorcycle was damaged as he assisted in the recent arrest of a kidnapper. Leha said that the suspects were arrested at different locations for various offences. Amongst the suspects, was one Chief Nwankwo Nnabugu, who was arrested for the January 9 killing of his wife, Adamma, after he accused her of infidelity and stealing N130, 000. Leha also disclosed the arrest of a 17-year-old girl, who dumped her 8-month-old daughter in a pit, where she later died. The teenage, who said she already has a 2-year-old daughter, said that she took the step so as to engender reconciliation with her mother who abandoned her and the baby.

Ex-Militants Begin Re-integration Training

The re-integration and rehabilitation training of 20192 ex-militants in the Niger Delta commenced on Monday in Obubra LGA of Cross River State. The exercise, designed to prepare the ex-militants for integration into the society, will end in December. Findings revealed that the ex-militants will undergo the training in batches of 2,000. Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Niger Delta affairs, Timi Alaibe, confirmed that all was set for the commencement of the training.

Kidnapped Priest Rescued

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. John Onaiyekan, has disclosed that the kidnapped Vice Chancellor of Veritas University of Nigeria, Obehie, Abia Sate, Rev. Fr. Justin Ukpong, has been released without a ransom paid. Ukpong and his driver were reportedly kidnapped, penultimate Thursday and the kidnappers had demanded for N6million as ransom. It is not clear how their rescue was facilitated.

Farmers Lament Oil Spill in Bayelsa

Oil spill from the Shell Petroleum Pipeline has destroyed farm land and economic crops in Ikaram community in Bayelsa State. The spill resulted from a ruptured underground pipe at the Taylor Creeks. One of the victims, Mrs Grace Yerizima, said the latest spill was the third in three years on her farm. But Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Spokesman, Precious Okolobo, who confirmed the spill, said it sabotage. However, Field Officer of the Environmental Rights Action, Mr Morris Alagoa, said the spill was the third in June alone, and that there had been no deliberate effort to find out the cause of the spills or to clean up the area.

Court Orders NAFDAC to Pay Firm N898.8m for Damages

The Federal High Court, sitting in Owerri, has ordered the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to pay a total sum of N898, 881, 145.20 as special damages to an Owerri-based pharmaceutical firm, Reagan Remedies Limited. The order was part of the judgment delivered by Justice F.A. Olubanjo, in a suit filed by the company’s Managing Director, Dr. Christian Igwe, against NAFDAC. Justice Olubanjo agreed that the factory was shut down in 2002, while the plaintiff was charged to court for allegedly manufacturing fake and sub-standard drugs. The court discharged and acquitted Dr. Igwe in all the charges brought against him by NAFDAC. Justice Olubanjo also fumed that NAFDAC refused to unlock the firm’s premises despite repeated appeals by the plaintiff.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

DPO Shot Dead in Asaba

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ibusa in Delta State, Mercy Dagogo, was shot dead on Monday by unidentified gunmen. Dagogo was transferred to the area barely four months ago to quell the mysterious killing of women on their farms.  The late DPO, an indigene of Rivers State, had gone to the Ogbogonogo Market to buy foodstuffs when a gang of assailants struck and shot her at close range at about 6.30p.m. It was gathered that the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Yakubu Alkali, had personally taken over investigation and was putting strategies in place with a view to apprehending the assailants. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, confirmed the killing and added that none of the killers was yet to be arrested.

NDLEA Nabs 128 in Edo

The Edo State Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, penultimate weekend, disclosed that it has arrested at least 128 suspects between January and June 2010. The Command also said that a total of 25,699.34kg of Indian hemp was seized within the period. The State Commander of the Agency, Mr. Okey Ihebom, said that of the 128 persons arrested, 19 are females while 20 of them have been tried and sentenced to various jail terms by the courts.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Shoot Teacher over N20 at Checkpoint

A policeman in Ekiti has shot a school teacher, Mrs. Fatima Afolabi, at a checkpoint at Oke-Ayedun, following the refusal of a taxi driver carrying the teacher to part with N20. It was learnt that as the driver was about to leave the checkpoint, after giving a policeman N20, when another stopped him and demanded for another N20. This infuriated the driver who attempted to drive past the checkpoint. But the policeman considered this as an affront and immediately shot at the car with the bullet piercing through the car and hitting the teacher where she was seated. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Jimoh Mohammed, said the policemen at the scene had been detained while investigation was ongoing.

Gunmen Raid Lawmakers House, Kill Two

Two guards were shot dead, penultimate weekend, as gunmen stormed the home of a House of Representatives member in Ondo State, Dr. Oluwole Olakunde. According to family sources, a 10-man gang, around midnight, forced themselves into the house, shooting sporadically and asking for the lawmaker. Olakunde, who overheard the robbers asking for his whereabouts, sent a text message to a friend to help contact the police. But the police, it was learnt, did not arrive until 1:20a.m., after the guards had been killed. The bandits were said to have escaped with two cars and other valuables. While confirming the incident, the police spokesman, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, said that the cars stolen had been recovered.

16 Burnt to Death in Akure Road Crash

At least 16 passengers were burnt to death in a fatal road accident along Akure/Owo Road in Akure, penultimate Sunday. It was gathered that a bus said to be travelling to Abuja, and a Kano-bound Hiace commuter bus were involved. An eyewitness said the buses were hit by a trailer causing them to somersault several times before bursting into flames. Several passengers sustained injuries. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adeniran Aremu confirmed the incident.

3 Arrested over Sacks of Cannabis

Three persons arrested in the Mushin, Lagos, for alleged possession of about 50 sacks of cannabis, have denied ownership of the hard drug. But one of them, an Archeologist, Ibrahim Solomon, confessed being a drug addict. He claimed to have come to the scene where he was arrested to buy cocaine. The state Police Command spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the suspects and the weeds would be handed over to the National Drug Laws and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for necessary action.

7 Dead In Ijora Mayhem

At least seven persons have been reported killed while several others were severely injured as Hausas and Yorubas in Ijora Oloye, Lagos State, clashed on Wednesday. It was gathered from eyewitnesses that the clash began when two young men, a Hausa and a Yoruba had a quarrel and started fighting in an Indian hemp joint where both of them had gone to smoke. But the fight degenerated into an ethnic one, when the Hausas and Yorubas in the locality took sides and joined in the fight. Weapons such as broken bottles, dagger, knives and cutlasses were freely used by them. The police quickly deployed men to control the situation under control. Normalcy had since returned to the area, but policemen are still patrolling the area.

Police Nab 3 Fake Pastors

An attempt by three men, parading as pastors to defraud a Zimbabwean woman of N500, 000 was foiled on Wednesday by the police in Lagos.It was gathered that one of the fake pastors met the lady on her way from church and asked for directions from her. The other two accomplices that later arrived the scene in a car picked the woman and while on the way, they told her they had visions about her, which she believed and agreed to pay N500,000 for their services. But during their discussion at a bus stop, a police patrol team drove by and the suspects, thinking the police was after them, took to their heels, prompting the police and some commercial bike riders to chase and arrest them.

NANS Condemns Police Assault on Ekiti Student

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the recent torture of a female student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Miss Abigail Ige, by the police. NANS President, Mr Jude Imagwe called for a thorough and transparent investigation of the issue with a view to bringing the culprits of the illegality to book. Ige was mercilessly beaten by four policemen, led by one Femi, for allegedly challenging them when conducting a stop and search at Fayose Market, Ado Ekiti. Imagwe said the welfare of Nigerian students was uppermost in his mind, stressing that NANS would not tolerate any form of oppression, suppression and intimidation meted out on any Nigerian student. He urged the Inspector-General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, to see that justice was done.

Mob Burns Four Suspected Robbers to Death in Ogun

Four young men, suspected to be armed robbers were burnt to death in Ilesha, Remo North LGA of Ogun State on Wednesday, following suspicion that they participated in a robbery incident in the early hours of the day. It was learnt that one of the suspected robbers, who had raided a house in the town, was caught and burnt. The three others were caught and set on fire when an irate mob was reported to have suspected that the strange men were making attempt to take away the burnt corpse. A resident of the town claimed that there was clear evidence that the suspects had participated at the Ago Ilara robbery.

Teenager Found Dead on Tree

The police in Badagry, Lagos State, have begun investigations into the death of a teenager, who was found dead with his legs and hands tied to a tree, on Tuesday. The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr Frank Mba, said that the case would be transferred to the Homicide Department of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department for detailed investigation. The body of the boy, which was found on a tree in a compound near the resident of his uncle who he was visiting, has since been deposited at the mortuary.

GENERAL

4 Dead in Nasarawa Bloody Clash

A bloody clash between a cult group from the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa and indigenes of Nasarawa, penultimate weekend, claimed four lives. Trouble started when youths from Nasarawa town stormed a male Hostel of the school, holding students hostage, and assaulting them following a disputed election of a strong member of the cult group. It was gathered that a cult group attacked a student who is from the community during the election, injuring him in the process, making the indigenes to mobilise for retaliation. Nasarawa LG Chairman, Mohammed Bawa, confirmed the attack, but denied any killing.

Collapsed Building Kills 14 Children in Kebbi

14 teenagers lost their lives on Tuesday in Gwandu LGA of Kebbi State when a building collapsed on 15 of them following a heavy downpour. An eye witness disclosed that the children, who are petty traders, aged between 14 and 16 were taking shelter in the building during the rainfall, when the building collapsed. The Gwandu LGA chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gwandu, said that the state governor visited and assisted the parents of the children with some amount of money. The deceased have since been buried in Gwandu according to Muslim rite.

11 Killed in Gombe Petrol Tanker Crashes

At least 11 persons were on Friday burnt to death when a loaded petrol tanker went out of control, crashed into buildings and burst into flames in Gombe State. At least 40 houses were also destroyed in the inferno. Fidelis Osakwe, Sector Commander of FRSC in Gombe, confirmed the accident. There was confusion when the accident occurred at noon as people ran in all directions for their lives. The fire extended far beyond the spot of the accident, as the fuel flowing from the tanker covered more than 200 square metres.

26 Killed in Adamawa Communal Clash

About 20 persons were killed in Adamawa state, on Wednesday, when a communal clash broke out between the people of Shobbo community and those of Dadiya community in Gombe State. About 27 others were seriously injured as machetes and other dangerous weapons were freely used. Trouble started when the people of Dadiya were denied access to a farmland by their Shobbo neighbours. The lingering land dispute was reported recently to have been resolved and both communities were living in peace, but Dadiya residents were alleged to have invaded those in Shobbo, killing, burning and destroying farm produce, farmlands and houses. The Chairman of Lamurde LGA of Adamawa state, Mr. Solomon Obadiah, appealed to the warring communities to embrace peace.

Court Upholds Death Sentence on Police Corporal

The Court of Appeal in Jos on Tuesday upheld a death sentence on a police corporal, Emmanuel Ochiba, for causing the death of Godwin Momoh in September 2001. Delivering judgment, Justice Bode Vivors, held that the court was convinced “beyond reasonable doubt’’ that the convict had committed culpable homicide punishable with death. The judge said that the court had relied heavily on the evidence given by the star witness, Mr Jonathan Mawiyau, a lawyer, who was together with the deceased when the policeman shot him on the chest without any provocation, even after complying with his instruction to kneel and identify himself.

Customs Nabs Suspected Drug Trafficker at Abuja

Men of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted bags of Cipro Tablets Medicaments and textiles suspected to be fake at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, penultimate Friday. The bags, totaling 87 and comprising 12 containers of medicaments and 75 bales of textiles, were said to have been flown in by one Mrs Anyaoha Margaret, 34, from Anambra State. The suspect denied knowing the contents of the bags as she only helped to deliver them. Parading the suspect, while handing her over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Customs Area Controller, U. K. Bello, said the suspect was intercepted during the normal clearance of a Lufthansa Airline from Frankfurt.

Boko Haram ‘Dead’ Deputy Leader Re-Emerges

The Deputy leader of the Boko Haram sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau, whom the police said they killed in Maiduguri during last year’s clashes, has re-emerged. The police said last year that Shekau was killed in the clashes, but a 25-minute video clip, shot on April 19 and obtained by a newspaper in Abuja, Daily Trust, showed Shekau in a chat with a journalist at his hideout. However, the police insist that Shekau is dead. There had been no conclusive evidence of the claim that Shekau was killed, unlike the case of Mohammed Yusuf, their slain leader, whose death was confirmed with the circulation of the photo of his corpse. Shekau said in the video that he was only shot in the thigh but was rescued by fellow believers. Shekau vowed to retaliate for the killings of his followers in Maiduguri and other places.

Lebanese Arraigned for Forgery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, arraigned a Lebanese contractor, Jihad Mohammad Ghraizi and his son, Mohammad Ghraizi, before an Abuja high court for allegedly forging several documents belonging to the Ministry of Interior. The duo pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charges preferred against them, but were ordered to remain in EFCC custody until their bail applications will be considered. They were alleged to have used forged documents from the Ministry to fraudulently secure shares of one Madeni Construction Company Limited.

House Summons Defence Ministers to Explain Mass Retirement

The House of Representatives Committee on Defence has summoned the Minister of Defence, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode and his Minister of State (Defence), Alhaji Murtala Yar’Adua, over the alleged premature retirement of about 79 officers from the Nigeria Armed Forces. They are to explain the circumstances surrounding the said mass retirement of some top military personnel. The Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Honourable Oluwole Oke, who confirmed the summon, disclosed that the meeting became necessary following the series of petitions the Committee has received on the issue as the aggrieved retirees had written petitions seeking a review of their sudden exit from the service.

Aviation Officials Arrested over Missing Exhibits on Transit

Operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), penultimate weekend, arrested four officials of Arik Air and Sky Aviation Company Limited for suspected complicity in the disappearance of a bag containing sensitive documents recovered from the home of a high profile suspect in Lagos. EFCC spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the operatives had checked-in a big bag containing the evidence and boarded an Abuja bound Arik Air flight, but after the operative arrived,  at about 2pm on Friday, the bag could not be found. The airline managers in Abuja had assured that the bag would arrive with any of the subsequent flights, but they waited in vain for over 12 hours.  The EFCC boss, Mrs Farida Waziri, ordered that Arik and SAHCOL officials that handled the bag be arrested for investigation.

NDLEA Convicts 72 Traffickers

The Kano state command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized 1,262.86 kilograms of hard drugs in the last six months, while 646 suspects were arrested in which 72 of them were convicted. State commander of the Agency, Haruna Kwetishe, said his goal is to inspire people and mobilise their support for drug control and also direct public consciousness on the drug problem in Kano.

Reps Restore Pensions to Ex-Military Leaders

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives reversed itself on a legislation, which had earlier excluded Former military rulers in Nigeria from enjoying the privilege of pension. Their exclusion was premised on the argument that military rule was an aberration and as such all those who seized power by force and imposed their authority on the people did not deserve pension. The Senate had equally held the same view and had passed the same legislation excluding the military rulers. However, the piece of legislation was returned to the lower house where the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Ita Enang, argued that between the time the bill was passed and now, some facts have emerged that tend to make the earlier decision untenable under the Constitution.

Report Rates Nigeria Police as Most Corrupt

A business survey on crime and corruption has identified the Nigeria Police as the highest corrupt public official hindering the smooth business operations in the country. The report, which identified crime and corruption as key obstacles to doing business in Nigeria, also rated the media high in the fight against corruption. The survey was jointly conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with the support of European Union (EU) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). According to the survey, which was based on performance and integrity of such organisations, lowest ratings were attributed to environment agency, political parties and Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL).

Firm Flees with Kano’s N80 million for Road Project

A Chinese construction company that allegedly collected millions of naira for a road project from the Kano State government has disappeared before executing the work, according to the state commissioner for projects monitoring and evaluation, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba. The Eighteenth Engineering Company (EEC) was awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of some roads and company collected N80 million and vanished without trace, the commissioner said. Garba said his ministry discovered that the road rehabilitation was not completed when the company left the site after collecting 50 percent mobilisation fees, and that they have been looking for the company since October last year.

INTERNATIONAL

18 Killed in Pakistani Deadly Blast

At least 18 people have been killed in a blast in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad, police have said. The blast took place in a truck parked outside a scrap yard. Police could not immediately confirm the cause but some reports said it may have been an accidental chemical tanker explosion. The site in the Hala Naka area has been cordoned off. Senior police official, Tahir Naveed, said at least 42 people were wounded.

Norwegian Soldiers Killed in Afghan Bomb Attack

Four Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan have been killed in a roadside bomb attack on their vehicle. The Norwegian military said they were killed while on a mission in Faryab province. Norway has a force of about 500 soldiers in Afghanistan, deployed in Kabul and the north, as part of the NATO-led coalition. The deaths are the highest number of Norwegian troops killed in a single incident in Afghanistan, the defence ministry said. A British soldier was killed in a gunfight in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. The soldier was part of the 101 Engineer Regiment, a bomb disposal unit. British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that British military forces must be out of Afghanistan by 2015.

China Landslide Traps 107
About 107 people were on Monday trapped in a landslide caused by heavy rains in South Western China. Large areas of southern China have been hit by flooding in the last week, with no fewer than 239 people killed and another 109 missing. More than three million people have fled their homes over the past two weeks, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Torrential rains have continued in the southwest, where the landslide occurred in the village of Dazhai, said Xue, a provincial official who works in the flood prevention headquarters.

Murder Suspects in Guatemala Surrender
Two Guatemalan brothers who allegedly helped a prominent lawyer organise his own murder, and then blame the president of Guatemala, have turned themselves in. Francisco and Jose Valdes Paiz were said to have hired a contract killer to murder Rodrigo Rosenberg. An international commission found in January that Mr Rosenberg had organised his own killing to highlight unsolved murders in Guatemala. Before he was shot dead in May 2009, Mr Rosenberg had warned in a video that he would be murdered on the orders of President Alvaro Colom. Mr Colom was later exonerated. Police had been searching for the two brothers since December, when they first linked them to the murder.

US Claims Arrest of Russian Spies

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has expressed his country’s irritation over the announcement by the US that it had arrested 10 suspected Russian spies, with one still at large. U.S. authorities said on Monday they had broken up a major spy ring that recruited political sources and gathered information for the Russian government. The Justice Department accused 11 suspects of operating under orders of Russia's SVR agency as ‘illegals’; the term applied in the intelligence world to agents infiltrated to live and operate under false identities, rather than officers who use diplomatic cover or other legitimate cover.

Insurgents Ambush Algerian Military Convoy, Kill 11

Suspected Islamic militants have killed 11 Algerian paramilitary police in an ambush in the Sahara desert, a security source has said. The assault took place during a military vehicle patrol in the town of Tinzaouatine, near the border with Mali. The attackers reportedly stole weapons and communication devices, and set the vehicles alight. It is the most deadly attack so far this year in Algeria. Armed Islamic groups in Algeria have linked themselves to al-Qaida to stage attacks.

Israeli Air Force Hits Weapons Facility in Gaza

The Israeli air force, Thursday, hit a weapon manufacturing facility and "terror" sites in Gaza, "in response to the rocket that was fired at Israel and damaged a factory in the Sdot Negev Regional Council on Wednesday morning, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said. The weapons facility was located in northern Gaza, while a terror tunnel and terror activity site were located. Israel claims that more than 90 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at its territory since January.

NATO Forces Repel Taliban Attack

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Wednesday, repelled Taliban militants after they set off a car bomb and used rocket-propelled grenades to storm the entrance of an airbase near the Pakistani border. The Taliban said six suicide bombers killed dozens of Afghan and foreign forces in the attack. But NATO spokesman, Brigadier General Josef Blotz, refuted the claim, saying that several insurgents were killed and the security perimeter was not breached. June has been the bloodiest month of the near nine-year-old war for foreign troops, with over 100 killed. The rising toll comes amid a troop surge for an operation that seeks to take on the Taliban in their heartland.

Somali President Joins Troops at Battle Front

President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of Somalia has joined his troops on the front lines as they fought Islamist militants in Mogadishu. Witnesses and officials said the president, dressed in military fatigues, was stationed with Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers. About seven people were killed in Mogadishu late on Wednesday as government forces traded shell and gunfire with al-Shabab insurgents. Sharif, a moderate Islamist, was elected by parliament 18 months ago to lead Somalia's fragile transitional government. About 21 people were killed and 42 wounded in the fighting, a human rights group said.

Court Jails Rwandan for Genocide

An international court investigating Rwanda's 1994 genocide has sentenced a 75-year-old man, its oldest detainee, to 25 years in jail for killing thousands of people. Yussuf Munyakazi, a father of 13, was found guilty of "genocide and extermination" involving Tutsis who had sought refuge in Catholic churches, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda said. The court said it accepted witnesses’ accounts that Munyakazi led groups of Hutu militants to the churches in southwestern Rwanda and participated in the killings that followed. Witnesses said the Muslim elder had led Interahamwe fighters to the Shangi parish on April 29, 1994.

Thousands Flee as Hurricane Alex Batters Northern Mexico

Thousands of people, Wednesday, fled northern Mexico’s coastal fishing areas as Hurricane Alex ripped off roofs and caused severe flooding. State officials reported no injuries or major damage. Hurricane Alex had whipped up high waves that frustrated oil-spill clean-up efforts on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico and delivered tar balls and globs of crude onto already soiled beaches. The storm made landfall on a sparsely populated stretch of coast in Mexico's Tamaulipas state. Abel Ramirez of San Fernando's Civil Protection and Fire Department said seven fishing villages, with a combined population of about 5,000, were evacuated.

Mexican Gang Fight Leaves 21 Dead

At least 21 people have been killed in a gunfight between two of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels near the border with the US, officials have said. The incident occurred off a remote dirt track near the city of Nogales, in the northern state of Sonora, they said. Nine people have been arrested, six of whom were wounded in the confrontation. There was no indication about what specifically triggered the gunfight between the Sinaloa cartel and an offshoot, the Beltran Leyva cartel. All of the victims were believed to be members of the gangs.

Suicide Bombers Attack Worshippers at Shrine in Lahore

Two suicide bombers, Thursday, carried out a deadly attack on a Sufi shrine in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 42 people, officials say.  At least 175 other people were hurt in the attack, believed to be the first to target a shrine in Lahore. Thousands of people at the time were visiting the shrine, which holds the remains of a Persian Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery. No group has claimed responsibility. The type of target, a Muslim shrine, is unusual. There are some elements among Islamist extremists, including the Taliban, who believe that worshipping at the shrines of saints is un-Islamic.

Priest Jailed for Sex Attacks on Boys

A Catholic priest in Australia has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in jail for sex attacks on 25 children over nearly two decades. John Sidney Denham, 67, pleaded guilty to a range of charges relating to attacks on boys at schools in New South Wales between 1968 and 1986. Denham, who apologised to the victims and their families, was sentenced to 19 years and 10 months in jail for crimes including sexual acts and indecent assaults. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years and 10 months. The abuse of children by Catholic priests has been a major issue in recent years as victims and relatives have sought justice.

Election Observer Killed in Somaliland

As Somaliland voted in a presidential election, penultimate weekend, officials said an observer from the electoral commission was killed. Ise Yusuf Mohamed, chairman of the electoral commission said the polling was peaceful, but acknowledged small outbreaks of violence. The observer's identity and further details were not given. Mohamed warned the Somaliland people and the three political parties involved in the election not to celebrate results before they are officially declared.

Gunmen Set Fire to UN Camp for Children at Gaza

Masked gunmen in the Gaza Strip have set fire to a United Nations-run summer camp for children. This follows a similar attack in May on another UN-run summer camp. Some militants view the UN as a symbol of the West and claim that the summer camps allow boys and girls to mix freely - something that the UN denies. The attackers tied up the guard at the camp in central Gaza before setting fire to chairs, tables, easels and other equipment. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees said the camp would be repaired and promised to maintain its 1,200 summer camps, at which about 250,000 Gazan children take part in activities including sports, swimming, arts and theatre during the summer months.

Turkey Bars Israeli Plane over Gaza Raid

Turkey has blocked an Israeli military flight from Turkish airspace, in apparent retaliation for Israel's raid on an aid convoy bound for Gaza. Turkey's prime minister confirmed that a "ban" had been implemented following the 31 May raid, in which nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed. However, it was not clear whether more than one flight had been affected. Israeli officials said the flight in question was carrying officers to Poland for a tour of Auschwitz.