Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 30

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Abia Sacks Monarch As Journalists Regain Freedom

Following the arrest of four suspects behind kidnappings in Abia, particularly the recent kidnap of four journalists, the state government has come down hard on traditional rulers with the dethronement and arrest of the traditional ruler of Amauba-Ime Oboro Community, Eze Vincent Okezie Uche, for allegedly sponsoring kidnapping and armed robbery. The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Orji, Mr. Kingsley Emereuwa, said three others in Obingwa LGA were suspended. The four journalists and their driver regained their freedom penultimate Sunday after one week in captivity. Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed this.

Jonathan Vows to Tackle Insecurity in S-East

President Goodluck Jonathan, Monday, reiterated Government’s determination to tackle insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East. Meanwhile, there are indications that Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, may have ordered the immediate transfer of a huge number of policemen serving in the zone to other parts of the country. This may be in response to the clamour by stakeholders in the zone for a total overhaul of police personnel in the zone, accusing them of complicity in the kidnap menace.

Robbers Threaten Mores Attacks in Aba

Armed robbers have again heightened tension in Aba, Abia State following a letter purportedly written to threaten attack on a bank. Tension gripped Aba when the business community woke up to find out that most banks operating in the city did not open for business and the few that did, provided skeletal services. But before noon, all the banks were put under lock. It was rumoured that the armed robbers sent letters to their offices, warning of more raids. About a month ago, some armed robbers wrote to traders in Alaojii, a motor spare parts market in Aba that they were coming, and they made good their threat, when they stormed the market with sophisticated weapons, operated for five hours without any challenge.

Police Lament Dearth of Boats to Combat Sea Piracy

The Bayelsa State Police command has blamed the inability of its men to combat sea piracy in the state on dearth of serviceable speed boats and pleaded with the LGA chairmen to assist it with logistics to enable it prevent and fight crime more effectively. The state Commissioner of Police, Onuoha Udeka, at an interaction with the LG bosses, lamented that the lack of adequate logistics had adversely affected operations in the predominantly riverine state. To effectively prevent and combat crime in the state, especially sea piracy along the creeks, the state police boss said the command needed sufficient vehicles and speedboats, among others.

Imo Police Arrest Trigger-Happy Cop

The Imo State Police Command has arrested a police corporal for allegedly shooting the tyre and windscreen of a tanker at the weekend in Owerri. The policeman allegedly demanded money from the tanker driver at a checkpoint on the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road and shot at the vehicle after the driver refused to part with his money. Following the incident, other tanker drivers mobilised and blocked the road for hours, until the intervention of law enforcement agencies. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aloysius Okorie, who condemned the shooting, said the police would not condone such “irresponsible and unprofessional” act from its officers and men. Okorie disclosed that the command had paid for the damaged tyre and windscreen, apologising for the action.

Soldiers Kill Suspect in Port Harcourt Army Barracks

One person suspected to be on a sinister mission was gunned down in the early hours of Tuesday, at the Bori Camp Army Barracks, in Port Harcourt. The Public Relations Officer of the barracks, Major Aminu Illyasu, said the suspect gunned down was with two others and they had tried to jump into the barracks through the fence at about 2am. He said soldiers on patrol ran into them and two escaped when they sighted the soldiers. He did not say what the intention of the men were, but there were speculations that the suspects were armed robbers, who were running from the law and  felt jumping into the barracks would be a safe place for them.

Police Recover N3.5m, Arrest Four as Kidnappers Fight Over Loot

Four persons have been arrested at Oba, Idemili South Council Area of Anambra State for their alleged involvement in the sharing of N5 million paid to the kidnappers of an Onitsha-based transporter, Chief Nelson Emebo, to secure his release. A six-man gang of gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had penultimate Sunday abducted Emebo from a church. However, the kidnappers allegedly disagreed about the sharing formula of the N5 million to the extent of shooting dead one of them, abandoning his corpse, the N5 million and fleeing the hideout. Some natives of Oba stumbled upon the bag of money in the bush, shared it. But the information leaked and the four that shared the money were arrested and the corpse of the dead kidnapper was recovered.

Chinese Citizens Petition Minister, Obi, over Missing Citizen

Chinese citizens living in the country have petitioned the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra, expressing displeasure over the court proceedings on the kidnap of some of their citizens in Anambra state. Two Chinese nationals, Niu Quijang and Shenyi Feng, were abducted in 2007, by gunmen, who accused them of living in the state of Biafra without visa. The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) succeeded in rescuing one of the Chinese and arresting the kingpin of the gang but the whereabouts of Fend remains a mystery. Those arrested were said to have mentioned the name of a businessman, as their sponsor. The case had been in court since 2007, while the alleged mastermind has refused to appear in court. The Chinese citizens and some human rights groups petitioned Adoke and the governor to intervene in the matter.

CJ Pardons 5 at Onitsha Prison

The Chief Judge of Anambra, Justice Paul Obidigwe, has discharged five inmates and granted bail to 14 others at the Onitsha Prison. Among the five inmates discharged was a suspected mental illness inmate, who was referred to a psychiatric hospital under the care of the state government. Obidigwe said that he would make the jail delivery a quarterly affair. The chief judge also called on philanthropists and businessmen to come and assist Onitsha Prison in order to facilitate the reformation of its inmates.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

JTF, Ex-Militants Disagree over Bribery Scam

The authorities of the Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta and the ex-militant leaders under the aegis of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) have disagreed over the allegation of bribery and extortion by some members of the JTF led by the commander, Major General Sarkin Yaki Bello. The JRC, through its spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, accused the JTF Commander and other senior officers of extortion and intimidating legitimate businesses. But the JTF denied the allegations, saying it was a plot by those involved in oil bunkering to damage the image of the JTF, describing the JRC as a criminal organization hired by oil bunkerers to frustrate the effort of the JTF to stop their activities.

Police Parade Suspected Criminals in Delta

The Delta State Police Commissioner, Yakubu Alkali, Tuesday, paraded 17 suspected kidnappers and 25 cultists. Alkali said that the alleged kidnappers were arrested in their different hideouts following a tip-off.  Items recovered from them included a car, a locally made gun, two live cartridges, a battle axe, one locally made single barrel gun, two motorcycles and one Motorola handset. The police chief also disclosed that the suspected cultists were arrested while initiating new members at Aladja, in Udu Local Council. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), has charged President Goodluck Jonathan to constitute a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the alleged involvement of security operatives in the crime, with a view to prosecuting indicted officials.

Protesters Invade Delta Assembly

Lawmakers in Delta state, Tuesday, abandoned sitting at the State House of Assembly premises, following protest by three different groups. A group of protesters sympathetic to Mr. Kingsley Philips, who was declared the winner of the Ika South House of Assembly election by the Court of Appeal, but yet to be sworn in, forced themselves into the office of the Clerk of House, demanding the Clerk to swear in Mr. Philips immediately. Although the Clerk, who had earlier sensed danger, fled, the protesters allegedly manhandled some of the staff. Another group of protesters expressed support for the amendment of the Bill seeking to rotate the Chairmanship of DESOPADEC to the oil producing communities, while another group kicked against it. Security agents tried to keep the protesters at bay.

Health Workers’ Strike Claims 10 Lives in Edo

Over 10 persons have died following the three-week-old strike embarked upon by health workers in Edo State. There was no government representative at the Thursday peace meeting called by the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity to broker peace between the workers and the state government. The workers are demanding that the state government pay the new salary scheme for health workers as approved by the FG. No reason was given for the state government’s absence. The industrial action has paralysed activities in all the state government’s health institutions. Civil Society Groups have urged the state government to enter into negotiation with the state health workers to save lives.

Five Killed in Scaffold Collapse

Five construction workers were on Wednesday feared dead and 18 hospitalised as the scaffolding being used in an eight-storey building under construction in Warri, Delta State, collapsed while work was in progress. The scaffolding of the building, which would house offices, a club house and shopping mall and allegedly owned by a former board member of Niger CAT Construction Company and contractor to some oil firms, according to witnesses, gave way under the weight of mixed concrete. About 23 workers who were supported by the scaffolding came crashing down in one fell swoop.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Court Orders Police to Pay N22m for Killing 3-Year-Old

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Lagos State Commissioner of Police and officer I. K. Nwabueze to pay Mr and Mrs Muritala Saliu the sum of N22 million for killing their three-year old daughter, Kausarat and assaulting the parents. Kausarat was hit by a police bullet at Obanle-Aro, in Ketu On April 5, 2009 after the policeman fired the gun at a taxi which was conveying them and others. The police then proceeded to assault her parents and detained both of them at Alapere Police Station because they protested and challenged the killing of their daughter.

Students Die in Ondo Road Crash

Three students of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, died penultimate Sunday when their 14-seater bus had a head-on collision with a lorry at Igba village near Ondo. The students, who are members of the Junior Chambers International (JCI), a leadership training organisation, were returning to their campus from Ado-Ekiti, after a JCI training retreat. Others who were injured were rushed to the hospital. It was learnt that the driver of the bus allegedly overtook other vehicles in a dangerous manner before it collided with the lorry. The accident occurred barely 24 hours after 18 people died in a road accident along the Akure-Owo road.

NDLEA Nab Fake Doctor, Another for Cocaine Trafficking

Two suspected drug traffickers, including a fake doctor, have been apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos. The fake doctor, Ndenojuo Obinna Franklin, 34, was nabbed last weekend with 1.020kg of cocaine in his stomach while trying to board a flight to London. The other suspect, Onyike Boniface Anya, 47, was caught with 950 grammes during the inward screening of passengers on South Africa Airline flight from Brazil. Franklin, who confessed to have dropped out of school in primary three, had a document addressed to him as Dr. Ndenojuo Obinna Franklin inviting him to an international conference in Manchester.

Man Arrested with Human Parts in Ogun

A man suspected of desecrating graves, Adelani Oriyomi, was caught in Atan-Ado-Ota LGA of Ogun State, penultimate Sunday. It was learnt that some persons at a motor park became suspicious when they noticed blood stains on the sack Oriyomi was carrying. When queried, Oriyomi became apprehensive and they insisted on searching his sack where some human parts were discovered. The residents immediately alerted the police. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the arrest, saying preliminary investigations revealed that the man exhumed the heads and other parts from a cemetery in Lagos State.

Motorcyclists, LASTMA Officials Clash

Hundreds of commercial motorcyclists, who were on their way to bury a dead colleague on Tuesday, clashed with the officials of Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), after LASTMA officials arrested a member in the convoy and impounded his motorcycle for allegedly violating traffic rules. After series of pleas to the officials were refused, the riders decided to protest at the LASTMA office along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. Trouble started when the LASTMA officials prevented the protesting riders from forcing their colleagues to join them. This degenerated into a fight as the riders used sticks, bottles and other dangerous weapons against the LASTMA until the intervention of the police. Police spokesman, Frank Mba, said the situation has been normalised. He added that no arrest was made and the police had secured the release of the seized bikes.

Illegal Oil Well Discovered in Lagos

Police operatives have bust a syndicate, which operates an illegal oil well in Idimu area of Lagos in the guise of a factory. The syndicate dug a well, which it uses in siphoning fuel from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline. A police source said the police has been suspecting movements of petrol tankers which were always going and coming out of the factory odd hours and had tried unsuccessfully to penetrate the company but were resisted until a new Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was posted to Idimu Division. The DPO, Mr. Ambrose Agbedo was said to have led a team of detectives to the factory where they discovered the well. Lagos State police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the report.

GENERAL

Police Record 46 Bomb Cases in 16 Months

The Nigeria Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) has said about 46 explosive related incidents were recorded across the country between January 2009 and April 2010. Commissioner of Police in charge of EOD, Mr. Chris Olakpe, disclosed this in Lagos, at the inauguration of the Command’s Police Explosive Community Relations Committee (PECRC). He said the increasing cases of illegal importation of explosive products and radioactive materials have become worrisome. He, however, added that the eradication of terrorism through denial of access to explosives and radioactive materials by criminals was a shared responsibility for all.

Boko Haram Threatens Reprisal

The State Security Service (SSS) in Yobe State has uncovered plans by the Boko Haram religious sect to organise reprisal attacks against the state and security agents for killing their leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in the Maiduguri religious violence, which claimed over 700 lives last year. Yobe State Director of the SSS, Ibrahim Likita Mashi, said the plan was disclosed in a “threat letter” to the Nigeria Army in Tarmuwa Council. It was learnt that the Boko Haram sect, had on January 1, 2006, attacked and set ablaze the Tarmuwa Secretariat complex and the house of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), killing two policemen. Mashi assured that the SSS in the region have met to adopt strategies on how to contain the security threats.

Police Foil Sectarian Clash in Sokoto

The timely intervention of the Sokoto State Police Command on Tuesday averted what could have been a sectarian clash in Sokoto. Witnesses said trouble started when some members of the Shiite Moslem sect embarked on a procession during which they allegedly clashed with some members of the Sunni Sect, which resulted in injuries to an unspecified number of people. The procession was reportedly held to commemorate a similar incident last year during which some Shiite Moslems were arrested. Sokoto State Police Commissioner, Muhammed Abubakar, confirmed the incident. He described the procession as illegal, disclosing that 10 of those who participated in it had been arrested.

Senate Amends Electoral Act

The Senate on Thursday passed the amendment to section 26 of the 2006 Electoral Act putting the presidential election after that of the National Assembly. But the House of Representatives Thursday deferred the conclusion of the constitution amendment for a week. The new bill passed by the Senate also provides that elections shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 120 days to the expiration of the current office holders. Based on this, the 2011 elections are expected to hold in January.

Bankole Wants State Laws on Emergencies

Speaker of the House of Representative, Mr. Dimeji Bankole has called on state governments and their legislative Houses to pass enabling laws empowering emergency relief agencies to function during time of disaster at the state level. Bankole said there was need for enabling laws and proper structures at the state level for the national body to relate with in time of emergencies stressing that there was need to avoid duplication of effort. Dr. Charles Agbo, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) said that NEMA’s effectiveness was premised on the functioning of state emergency agencies with proper structure and funding.

5 Killed in Fresh Plateau Violence

Five persons were killed in Plateau State, Wednesday, in another violence following the burial of some of those killed in the weekend’s attack on Mazah, near Jos. This sparked reprisals in Dutse Uku and Nasarawa Gwom areas resulting in deaths in both areas. The leader of the Anaguta community was said to have been killed by hoodlums who reportedly torched his residence. However, the special task force on security in the state prevented the situation from worsening and also uncovered a building booby-trapped with explosives and defused the bomb, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, disclosed. But President of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr. Titus Mann, has asked the FG to review the military operations in the State, saying that soldiers have failed to restore the peace.

NJC Suspends Zamfara Judge Over Bribery

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has placed Justice Musa Ibrahim Anka of the Zamfara State High Court on suspension for an alleged bribery. The NJC secretary, Danladi Halilu, said that the suspension is sequel to the petition written against the judge by the Zamfara State Director of State Security Service (SSS) that he received bribe from one Zubairu Abdulmalit in order to deliver judgment in his favour. The judicial disciplinary council said its action was governed by powers conferred on it by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Lulu’s Mum Regain Freedom

Mother of the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) former president, Alhaja Laruba Abdullahi, was on Monday night released at Obollafor in Enugu State. The woman was abducted by four men in her house in Idah, Kogi State penultimate Monday. The state Commissioner of Police, Mallam Abdullahi Magaji, confirmed her release. The old woman said that her abductors did not rough handle or molest her. Meanwhile, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has urged the FG not to grant amnesty to kidnappers, saying stiffer punishment should be meted out to them, adding that kidnapping was a high level criminal offence that is both shameful and against African culture.

One Killed as Youths Storm Police Post in Protest

One person was on Tuesday killed and several others injured in a clash between some youths and the police in Agaie, Agaie LGA of Niger State. The police outpost in the town was also burnt and weapons allegedly stolen. It was gathered that the clash resulted from the arrest by the police of 3 suspected Telecommunications cable vandals. It was gathered that some youths in the town protested the arrest and efforts to make the youths vacate the police station peacefully were abortive. In a bid to disperse the protesting youths, a policeman fired a gun into the air, but a stray bullet hit one of the youths, who died instantly. Following this, the mob attacked and set the police outpost ablaze. Police spokesman, Richard Oguche, confirmed the incident, but doubted if police weapons were stolen from the station.

4 Suspected Kidnappers in Abuja

The police and operatives of the State Security Service in the Federal Capital Territory have arrested a four suspected kidnappers. The suspects were at the point of collecting the N500, 000 they demanded from the families of their victims as ransom when they were nabbed by SSS operatives. The SSS Director, FCT Command, Mr. Mike Fubara, said they had asked for a ransom of N50m through their leader, identified as Chukwudi who was still at large, before reducing it to N.5m. According to Fubara, investigation have shown that most kidnap cases in the FCT were perpetrated by non –residents who lodged in small hotels in the suburbs, posing as construction workers which enable them to come and go at will without the management of such hotels suspecting their activities.

NLC Gives FG Ultimatum on New Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government two months to legalise the new minimum wage or risk industrial unrest. The NLC urged the FG to fast track the submission and passage of an amendment to the 2000 National Minimum Wage Act to give effect to the consensus reached by the minimum wage negotiating committee. The NLC said it had become imperative in the face of current economic situation which makes nonsense of the existing wages of workers.

FG Orders Security Alert on Toxic Waste Ship

The Federal Government has asked the security agencies in Nigerian ports to be on the look out as a Dutch vessel, MV Nashville, laden with toxic cargo, which has for the second time been intercepted and turned back while trying to berth at the Ivorian Port of Abidjan. A source at the National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) said the toxic bearing ship had earlier been turned back while attempting to berth at the Tin Can Island Port in Apapa, Lagos. The vessel was intercepted and turned back from Nigeria on April 15 following a tip-of from the Dutch environmental watchdog VROM Inspectorate.

Igbo Youths Warn against Attacking Igbos in Plateau

Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Monday, expressed dismay over the resumption of hostilities in Plateau State and warned that any attempt to destroy the lives of the Igbo and Christians under any guise would not be tolerated. Reacting to the violence that erupted in Mazah village in Jos North Local Council of Plateau, in which no fewer than 10 persons were killed, IYM alleged that the development was “politically motivated” and said the Federal Government must no longer treat perpetrators of the act with kid gloves. The IYM President, Elliot Uko, urged the government to ensure that it protects the lives and property of all Nigerians.

Prevention Therapy for HIV in Women Discovered

Scientists, Monday, reported a major stride towards a vaginal gel that can thwart HIV in women bearing the brunt of the AIDS pandemic. The proto type cream tested in South Africa reduced the risk of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by 39 percent overall, but by 54 per cent among those women who used it most consistently, they said. The results must now be validated in a third, wider phase to assess its safety and effectiveness. The findings appear as a bright ray of hope in the 3-decade campaign against AIDS.

28 Perish in Bauchi, Katsina Road Accidents

No fewer than 28 persons were confirmed dead, while seven others were hospitalised with various degrees of injuries in two road accidents in Katsina State and along the Bauchi-Jos road on Monday. The Bauchi accident involved a tanker travelling from Bauchi to Jos and a 14-seater bus. Mallam Zaradeen Babayo, who witnessed the accident, said the driver of the tanker lost control of his tanker and veered off his lane and ran into the on-coming bus. At least 18 persons in Katsina state were confirmed dead and several others injured in a ghastly motor accident which occurred along Katsina-Kano road, involving a trailer and a lorry that collided.

South Africa Deports 47 Nigerians

South African on Tuesday deported 47 Nigerians. According to Nigeria Immigration Service, the deportees made up of 46 males and one female were disembarked at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos from a chartered flight from Johannesburg. Some of the deportees said the South African Authorities have become hostile to Africans residing in the country with a regime of clampdowns and harassment, particularly immigrants from Nigeria.

INTERNATIONAL

Suicide Bomber Kills 43 in Baghdad

A suicide bomber killed at least 43 people and injured 40 others southwest of Baghdad, Iraqi police said, penultimate Sunday. The attack targeted government-backed Sunni militia members lining up to be paid in the neighbourhood of Radwaniya. The Sunni militia fighters were once allied with al-Qaeda, but turned against the militant group in 2006. Among the dead were at least six soldiers and three accountants.

Albania Bus Accident Claims 14 Lives

At least 14 people have died after a bus fell off a cliff in northern Albania, penultimate Saturday. At least 12 others were injured in the accident in the Puka district. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but some reports blamed bad weather. Police official, Hysni Burgaj, said a sudden downpour had caused the accident. The injured were airlifted to hospitals in Tirana and Shkoder and were later visited by Albania‘s President, Bamir Topi, and Prime Minister, Sali Berisha. The bus was reportedly returning holiday-makers from the coastal city of Durres. However, the exact number of passengers aboard the bus was not known.

Gunmen Kill 17 at Party in Mexico

Gunmen stormed a private party and killed at least 17 people in Mexico, police say. Sunday's massacre in the city of Torreon also left 18 persons injured as police attribute the slayings to an increasingly brutal battle between drug gangs feuding over territory. Investigators had no suspects or information on a possible motive in the attack. The attack on the party came just three days after a car bomb killed several people in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez — and a little more than a month after assailants raided a drug-rehab centre in the northern city of Chihuahua, killing 19 people in cold blood.

Editor Arrested in Burundi for Writing against Govt

Burundian authorities have arrested a journalist over an article questioning security forces’ ability to respond to attacks by Somalia‘s Al-Shabaab insurgents, his relatives disclosed. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for twin explosions in Uganda‘s capital, Kampala, on July 11, killing 73 people. The insurgent group has threatened more attacks unless Uganda and Burundi withdrew their peacekeepers from Somalia, where it is fighting the government. Burundian police arrested Jean Claude Kavumbagu who runs an online news agency. Kavumbagu had been arrested five other times for his stories that were critical of the government. Burundi had said it would keep its 2,500 peacekeepers in Somalia in spite of the threats.

Fear of Xenophobia Grips Foreigners in SA

Several Zimbabweans resident in South Africa have also fled the country for fear of xenophobia, as South African citizens are allegedly attacking them over jobs. The Zimbabwean government said on Monday it had been forced to set up temporary shelters for Zimbabweans leaving South Africa. A wave of xenophobic mob attacks hit South Africa in 2008 but subsided after two weeks. At the end of this period, 62 people were dead, including 21 South Africans, with at least 670 wounded; dozens of women raped. Meanwhile, Western Cape police are searching for two men suspected of shooting and killing a Somali shop assistant in Nyanga on Monday. A number of Somali shopkeepers have had their shops looted and burned following rumours of an outbreak of xenophobic violence in the last week.

Rescuers Search for Survivors as Floods, Landslides Hit China

Chinese soldiers have continued the search of survivors in Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces after 30 people were buried in landslides as flood waters from days of heavy rain surged past the Three Gorges Dam. Three people were killed penultimate Sunday by landslides in Shaanxi Province that also left 17 missing. In all, flooding and landslides in Shaanxi have killed 37 and left another 97 missing. The Ministry of Civil Affairs said that the death toll from summer storms stood at 146 with another 40 people missing. Over 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official warned Wednesday.

Ex-Soldier Jailed for Srebrenica Massacre

A Bosnian court has sentenced a former Bosnian Croat soldier to 10 years in prison for his role in the 1995 massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. Marko Boskic, 46, was found guilty of crimes against humanity after confessing to have taken part in killing hundreds of Muslims captured after the fall of Srebrenica, the court said. He is the second Bosnian Croat sentenced over Srebrenica, a town where the Bosnian Serb army killed 8,000 people in 1995.

CAR Govt Claims Control after Rebel Attack

The army in the Central African Republic (CAR), Monday, claimed control of the northern town of Birao, following an attack by rebels on its military base there. A source said that the military suspect dissidents of the Movement of Centrafrican Liberators for Justice (MLCJ) for the attack. The MLCJ is among rebel movements that signed up to a peace process with the government of President Francois Bozize. Around 300 UN peacekeepers are also based in the town. The poor, landlocked country is gripped by a humanitarian crisis due to army and rebel clashes, as well as violence against villagers by the Ugandan rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, which has fled military operations in neighbouring Uganda.

Amnesty Accuses Sudan of Suppressing Dissent

Amnesty International has accused Sudan of using arrests and torture to brutally suppress dissent. The group, in a report, accused Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) of perpetrating institutionalised human rights violations "for years." The report accuses the NISS of carrying out arbitrary arrests, detentions, ill-treatment, unlawful killings and enforced disappearances. During the first half of 2010, Amnesty International documented the arrests of at least 34 individuals by the NISS, including journalists, human rights activists and students.

French Police Arrest Four Shoot-out, Riots

French Police, last weekend, arrested four men for attempted murder after they allegedly shot at officers during riots in the city of Grenoble. The four were arrested after two nights of unrest in which rioters exchanged gunfire. Rioters shot at police and torched at least 50 cars overnight in the riots that broke out after a 27-year-old man was shot dead by police when he allegedly robbed a casino. Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux visited the scene on Saturday and pledged to quickly restore order to La Villeneuve.

Uganda Assures on Safety after Blasts

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has assured that his country would still host this month's African Union (AU) summit, despite the twin bomb attacks that left over 70 dead and many more injured, penultimate Sunday in Kampala. Museveni also explained that the Al-Shabab terrorists who have claimed responsibility for the attacks exploited “loopholes” in the country. The leader of the Somali Islamist Al-Shabaab, Sheik Muktar Abu Zubayr, has said his group was planning more attacks.

ICC President Urges More Support at Justice Day

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has commemorated for the first time, the Day of International Justice with its President, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, calling on States “to implement the provisions of the Rome Statute in their national legislation and also ratify the Rome Statute. July 17 was adopted by the States Parties during the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala (Uganda) last June. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the founder treaty of the ICC.

61 Killed in Indian Train Crash

A speeding express train crashed into a stationary passenger train in eastern India on Monday, killing 61 people. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, raised the possibility the crash could have been another case of sabotage, two months after Maoist rebels were blamed for a derailment that killed 145 people. Rescuers recovered 61 bodies from the crash site and 125 other people were injured, Banerjee said. The disaster was the second major train crash in the state of West Bengal in the past two months.

Israel Arrests Hamas Cell Accused of Shooting Policeman

Israel has arrested five Palestinians accused of being members of a Hamas cell responsible for killing an Israeli policeman in the West Bank, the Shin Bet security service said Monday. It said the men, in their 20s, confessed to killing the policeman on June 14 and handed over three Kalashnikov rifles they used. The arrests were carried out a week after the attack, which wounded two other policemen, but were only made public Monday. The men were from the southern West Bank village of Deir Samit, which is under full Israeli security control.

JEM Signs Child Protection Deal with UN

Sudanese rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), signed a landmark deal with the United Nations Wednesday, pledging to protect children caught up in the Darfur conflict. The JEM's humanitarian affairs coordinator, Suleiman Jamous, and UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Georg Charpentier, had signed the agreement in Geneva. The JEM committed to "release and handover to UNICEF all boys and girls associated and not directly associated with the JEM who might have been recruited or used by other parties to the conflict." It also committed to protect children from sexual violence. The JEM also agreed to allow officials from the UN children's agency and other monitoring officials "unimpeded and regular access to all relevant JEM places, persons and relevant documents".

Activists Want ICC to Prosecute Mugabe’s Militia for Rape

A rights group has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe alleged crimes against humanity after Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's youth militia launched a campaign of rape during 2008 elections. Statements by rape victims, vetted by a team of international lawyers, suggest that the ruling Zimbabwe’s African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) unleashed "sexual terror" against women who supported the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), it said. The probe detected a surge in rape ahead of the first round of Zimbabwe's blood-stained presidential elections. The right group, AIDS-Free World, said 70 personal accounts, supported by certified affidavits, have been collected and victims identified 241 men who raped them, and estimated the total acts of rape to be 380.

6 Afghan Policemen, 2 US Troops Killed in Bomb Explosions

Six Afghan policemen and two U.S. troops were killed on Monday by roadside bombs in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban are pushing back against Afghan and international forces efforts to move into the insurgents' stronghold. NATO said two U.S. service members died in separate blasts in the south. A suicide bombing, a day earlier, near a market killed three civilians and wounded dozens. Two brothers were also shot dead in a market by an unknown assailant over the weekend, according to the deputy chief of the Kandahar police. He said one of the men worked for the Afghan Army. Two British servicemen were also shot dead in southern Afghanistan as they went to the aid of a wounded comrade, said a military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith.

Texas Mom Kills Autistic Children

A Dallas woman accused of killing her two children told a 911 operator that she first tried to poison them because they were autistic and she wanted "normal kids," then choked them with a wire until they stopped moving, according to the recorded call. Saiqa Akhter was charged with capital murder in the death of her 5-year-old son, Zain Akhte and her 2-year-old daughter, Faryaal Akhter, who died Tuesday night, police spokesman, David Tull, said. The woman called 911, identified herself as Saiqa Akhter and repeatedly told the operator she killed her two children.

Terrorism: US Vets 780,000 Travelers

United States said it’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has vetted and enrolled over 780,000 travelers from over 100 countries in "four Trusted Traveler Programs" to facilitate legitimate travel and effectively deploy screening and security resources. The four Trusted Traveler Programs (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST, and Global Entry) are aimed at expediting travel for "members who voluntarily apply, provide biometric identification, pass extensive vetting, pay a fee, and provide comprehensive data to CBP for rigorous security threat assessment checks." Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made this known on Thursday while outlining advancements in the department's capabilities to protect against and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.

ICJ Okays Kosovo’s Independence

The United Nations' highest court, Thursday, said that Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia did not break international law. International Court of Justice (ICJ) President, Hisashi Owada, said international law contains no "prohibition on declarations of independence." Kosovo sparked sharp debate worldwide when it seceded from Serbia in 2008, following a bloody 1998-99 war and nearly a decade of international administration. Kosovo's statehood has been recognised by 69 countries, including the United States (U.S.) and most European Union (EU) nations. Serbia and Russia led a handful of others who staunchly condemned it.

Journalists Task AU on Members’ Safety

Citing insecurity of their members, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and 37 other unions and associations have petitioned government leaders attending the 15th African Union (AU) Summit in Kampala, Uganda, to make safety of African journalists a priority. In a letter to AU leaders, the unions, led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its African regional body, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), said 19 journalists have been killed in Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda and Angola over the past 19 months.