Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 33

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Ship Captain and Crew Member Taken Hostage in Bonny River

Suspected Sea pirates, who attacked a ship and it crew at the weekend in the Bonny River area, took away the captain and its chief engineer, after demanding all crew members to lock themselves in one of the ship's compartments. After a few hours, the crew members, seven from Russia and three from Ghana, emerged to find the pirates had gone with the captain and the engineer, without stealing any of the cargo on board the vessel. The crew berthed the ship, which is managed by a shipping company in the Netherlands, and reported the incident to the local authorities.

Anambra Laments Frustration of Prosecution of Kidnappers

The Anambra State government has cried out over its frustration, in the effort to prosecute suspects in the numerous kidnap-pings recorded in the state. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, expressed  the frustration, saying the state government had done all that was required, only that victims of kidnapping would not come out to assist the government in prosecuting the kidnappers. The state House of Assembly has passed the bill which completely changed the criminal procedure system in the state.

Imoke Assents to Bill on Security Trust Fund

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has assented to a Bill to establish the Cross River State Security Trust Fund and other related matters. The objective of the fund is to provide money for the procurement of security equipment, and such other hardware for the effective functioning of the State, Local Governments, and other security agencies in the State to meet the challenges of militancy, kidnapping, piracy, armed robbery and the growing trend of terrorism. Part of the fund is to be reserved for the training and retraining of security personnel. To ensure proper utilization of the fund in accordance with due process, the Bill also provides for the establishment of a management board to oversee the operations of the Security Trust Fund.

Navy Cautions Ships on Night Berthing

To check the incidence of sea robbery, the Nigerian Navy has renewed its call on ships to stop entering harbours at night. Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Benjamin Acholonu, said this in Calabar on Thursday while addressing newsmen at the end of his tour of naval facilities and oil companies within his Command. He stated that by entering the harbours at night, the ships were inadvertently encouraging sea robbery. He noted that the Navy, through the Nigerian Ports Authority, had earlier warned ships to avoid berthing at night but some ships are yet to adhere to the instructions. Acholonu said that the incidence of sea robbery and attacks on oil companies and their installations have reduced considerably.

Armed Youths Attack Monarch’s Palace in Bayelsa

Armed youths, on Monday night, attacked the palace of the traditional ruler of Nembe in Bayelsa state, King Edmond Daukoru Mingi XII, the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom. Sources said that the armed youths, in a speed boat attacked the palace in the dead of the night and destroy the stool of the respected traditional ruler, a former petroleum minister. It was learnt that the staff of office of the royal father was taken away during the raid. No reason was adduced for the criminal act, but the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr. Eguavon Emokpae, said the police were doing everything possible to unmask the perpetrators.

RSG Alleges Arms Build-up by Politicians

The Rivers State government has alleged a large scale importation of arms into the state by some persons for the purpose of determining the outcome of next year’s election. It has also accused some top politicians in the state of sponsoring miscreants to destabilise the government. Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Magnus Abe, made the allegations while explaining why security operatives arrested and arraigned some factional members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Court. Abe said disclosed that the government had uncovered huge importation of arms into the state and briefed the police authorities. Abe added that the government would not condone any act that could breach the peace of the state.

Schoolboy Hangs Self over Low Score in UTME

A 19-year-old boy in Ebonyi state, Chukwudi Ugwu, has hanged himself after being reprimanded by his parents for his low score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). The deceased was brought to the casualty ward of the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, on Wednesday, where he later died as all efforts made to save his life failed. The parents of the deceased told the hospital management that the boy became so annoyed when he was reprimanded and immediately left for his room where he was reported to have hanged himself on the ceiling fan.

Man Assaults Doctor over Father’s Death

The State Security Services (SSS) has invited the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, over the death of one Mr Ojukwu. He died on Wednesday in the hospital, in a circumstance that was not clear to his son, Mr Innocent Ojukwu, who accused the doctor of killing his father. The late Mr. Ojukwu, according to an eye-witness, was brought to the emergency ward of the FMC as an out-patient where he received treatment and was discharged before his death at the same hospital. His death led to physical attack on the doctor by the son of the deceased. Doctors in that hospital have protested what they described as lack for security cover for them.

ExxonMobil Resumes Oil Shipments from A/Ibom

Oil giant, ExxonMobil, has resumed oil deliveries from Nigeria after cleaning up a spill from an offshore platform in Akwa Ibom State. A statement by the company on Wednesday confirmed that it has lifted the force majeure it declared on May 12, 2010. The company declared the force majeure in May following a leak on a key pipeline in southern Akwa Ibom State on May 1.

Amaechi Promises Community Cash reward for Arrest of Kidnappers

To stem the wave of kidnapping and other related crimes in Omuma LGA, a border council  between Rivers and Abia States, Rivers state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has called on people of the council to arrest 50 kidnappers in their midst and get N10 million reward. He said if they are able to apprehend 30 kidnappers, they will get N2 million. The Governor urged them to collaborate with security operatives in this task. The area is notorious for kidnapping and other related crime. Governor Amaechi assured that more security operatives would be deployed to the area to assist in smoking out the hoodlums from their hideouts.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Aspirant Shot Dead after Declaring Intention

An aspiring member to the Federal House of Representatives was shot dead hours after announcing his intention to run in next year's general elections. Mr. Oghogho Omoregbe, 36, was shot dead by unknown gunmen outside his apartment in Benin, Edo state, penultimate Saturday night. Omoregbe had just returned from a political rally where he announced his intention to contest next year’s election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) when the gunmen shot him. Police spokesman, Peter Ogboi, said the motive behind the killing would only be known after the investigations were concluded.

670 Ex-militants Complete Second Batch on Non-Violence Training

Six hundred and seventy ex-militants have completed and graduated from a five-day-training on non-violence at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Obubra, Cross River State. The second batch was drawn from Edo, Ondo and Delta states. Addressing the ex-militants while presenting them with certificates issued by Emory University, Atlanta, USA; the National Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), Mr. Allen Onyema said the speed of transformation in the ex-militants was amazing.

Deputy Governor Charges Chevron to Take Responsibility for Oil Spill

Delta State Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama, has tasked Chevron Nigeria Limited to take full responsibility and be prepared to pay compensation for the oil spill that devastated fish farms at Ekpan in Uvwie LGA of the State. Utuama who visited the fish farm, said contrary to the claim by Chevron Nigeria Limited, the spillage was massive. He observed that the Ekpan Fish Farm which the state government had used as a reference point in its human capital development agenda was being threatened by the oil spillage. Management of Chevron Nigeria Limited had in the wake of the spill claimed that only eight litres of oil was spilled.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Fashola Makes Case for State Police

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has advocated for state policing arguing that its existence will tremendously help curb the rising cases of kidnapping.  He said there was dire need to quickly restructure what he referred to as the faulty federal structure in Nigeria. The governor noted that state policing was long overdue adding that it is very wrong for the States to always wait on the Federal Government to post policemen to it without taking due cognizance of its peculiarities.

1 Killed, 20 Arrested as NURTW Members Clash in Oyo

One person was killed during in the violence that erupted in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, penultimate Saturday, after the reinstatement of Alhaji Abdul Lateef Akinsola, a.k.a. Tokyo, as the chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), while several other people sustained injuries. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olabisi Okuwobi, said that the deceased was attacked by unidentified gunmen in Egbeda area of Ibadan and was shot from a moving vehicle during the clash. She said about 20 members of the NURTW had been arrested for allegedly causing mayhem in the state capital. After the state police command reinstated Tokyo, some aggrieved members of the union took to major streets, destroying vehicles and making bon fires.

Police Arrest One as Gang Robs Worshippers at Church

Police at Orile Iganmu in Lagos State have arrested one Chukwu Emeka, who alongside others at large, allegedly attacked a church in area and robbed worshippers of their valuables. Police anti-robbery detectives were quickly deployed to the scene and the robbers took to their heels, but Chukwu Emeka was not so lucky, as he was arrested. One locally made pistol was reportedly recovered from Chukwu Emeka, who has reportedly made useful statement on the whereabouts of his other gang members. Similarly, the police at Ijesatedo arrested one Lanre Ogidan for driving dangerously and killing a pedestrian along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

Three Dead in Lagos Road Crash

Three people died and thirteen were injuries in a road crash at Oworonsoki Expressway exit of the Third Mainland Bridge Lagos on Tuesday. The accident occurred when a fabricated commercial bus “Molue” lost control and ran into a moving 14-seater bus “Danfo”. The Danfo swerved into a truck belonging to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which was about to exit the express way. The result of the collusion completely wrecked the Danfo bus and resulted in the instantaneous death of two passengers, while a LAWMA staff died while receiving first aid treatment. Most of the injured were evacuated to a nearby hospital.

Father, Children in Hospitalised after Meal

A 65-year old man and his seven children were on Wednesday hospitalised after taking a meal of Amala (Yam flour). Mr. Kola Oseni, a retired Vice-principal and Chairman, Community Development Council (CDC) from Ofatedo in Osun State and his children were said to have been vomiting blood, feeling dizzy and unable to walk. Oseni and his children escaped death by the whiskers as neighbours quickly rushed them to a private hospital in Osogbo. Oseni disclosed that council officials have commenced work on how to evacuate the remaining yam flour. The Director, Primary Health Centre for the local government, Dr Elijah Adeyemi explained that the chemicals used in preparing the yam flour could be the cause of the poisoning.

GENERAL

FG Chides Police Strategy

The federal government, Monday, expressed the need for the Nigeria Police to change its operational strategy to reflect modern trends and advancement in crime fighting, even as it noted that the days of engaging in strategies like mass raiding of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detentions were antithetical to democratic norms. Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, who said this to officials of the ministry of Police Affairs and the Police High Command in Abuja, noted that new strategies had become non-negotiable because ‘new crimes are evolving with frightening speed due to advancement in technology”.

Cholera Kills 45 in Borno

About 45 people have been reported dead in six LGAs of Borno State, following an outbreak of cholera in the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Modu Fannami Gubio, confirmed the outbreak but insisted that only fewer people were affected. He said the victims might have used or drank water suspected to be contaminated.

Minister Warns Kidnapping may Become Political Terrorism

Ahead of the 2011 elections, Internal Affairs Minister, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho (rtd) has said kidnapping and hostage taking, may become the preferred tactic of those he described as political terrorists. Ihenacho gave the warning just as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, said there was need for stiffer penalty for kidnappers, explaining that the 10-year imprisonment punishment stipulated for such offenders was not enough deterrent. Chief Technical Adviser to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, called on Nigerians to brace up for a rise in cases of kidnappings as the 2011 election approaches on account of the massive injection of money into the system.

Police Sergeant Detained for Shooting 3

Sergeant Mohammed Yunusa of MOPOL 9 in Kano has been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for shooting at three innocent civilians. The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Gana, has ordered the SCID to investigate what prompted Yunusa to shoot the victims on Thursday. Yunusa, attached to Kano State Urban Development Agency Task Force, shot into a crowd at Jubilee Junction in the heart of the ancient city. The police bullet wounded three youths. The victims, who have been treated and discharged from Hospital, were among thousands of Kano youths and women who came to benefit from one of the numerous women/youth empowerment programmes of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.

Oil Majors Ignore Nigeria’s Content Law

Over three months after Nigerian Content Development Act came into effect, International Oil and Gas companies operating in Nigeria  are yet to submit their plans for all projects to be executed as required by the new law, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Ernest Nwapa has said. Nwapa said already implementation of the Act has commenced but the operators are yet to submit their plans because part of the mandate of the Board is to ensure that all projects are captured and banked.

NNPC Reaffirms Commitment on Gas Supply

As part of efforts to ensure the success of the Federal Government’s aspiration on steady electric power supply across the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) has expressed its commitment to ensure adequate gas supply to the power plants in the country. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Austin Oniwon, said power was the benchmark of most developed industrial economies in the world and as part of the corporation’s commitment to support the Federal Government aspiration on power; the NNPC was doing everything humanly possible to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas to power.

Rep Wants Probe of Police over Bauchi Killing

Rep Yakubu Dogara (PDP, Bauchi) has called for investigation into the circumstances that led to the killing of one person and injuring of four others by the police in Tafawa-Balewa town in Bauchi state. A fresh violence reportedly broke out penultimate Friday morning when some youths protested the installation of devices by a contractor to boost the signal of the state radio fm station in the area. Dogara advised the police against using of force on armless civilians. He called on the Inspector General of Police and the Bauchi state government to institute a probe.

Village Head Drowns in River

The traditional head of Gurdi village, Abaji in the FCT, Malam Musa Isa Ndanusa, slipped into Gurara River, penultimate Saturday morning and never surfaced. Councillor representing Gurdi ward in the council, Tanko Abdullahi Alfa, who confirmed the incident, said the members of the late village head’s family became worried when he did not return over night and mobilised themselves into the farm, where they discovered his slippers near the river bank. He blamed the slippery nature of the farm road and the heavy rain that fell the previous night. The chief’s corpse was yet to be seen.

SEC Prosecutes 260

Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ms Arunma Oteh, on Tuesday, said the SEC was prosecuting 260 persons for various offences in the Nigerian Stock market. She said the accused person had been dragged to court as a result of flurry of petitions and allegations of fraudulent activities that SEC received against them. She lamented that as a result of weak enforcement of regulations in the past, capitalisation level of the market dropped from N12 trillion in 2008 to N5.5 trillion in 2010. She said part of the actions taken at sanitising the market was the sack of some key officers of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and the launching of investigation into alleged sharp dealings. She introduced the new people on the helms of affairs of the NSE, saying they were all in acting capacity.

One Dead as Truck Rams into 15 Vehicles in Abuja

A Truck, conveying cement in Abuja, had a brake failure on Wednesday and rammed into 15 other vehicles, leaving one person dead and several others injured. Narrating the incident, one of the victims, Wan Ayuba, said that the driver of the truck lost control, as his conductor was screaming and waving at other road users to stay clear of the road. Ayuba noted that his own vehicle was smashed by the truck as well as several others. Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Asokoro Police Station, Ahmed Musa, confirmed the incident and said driver of the truck has been arrested.

Police Evict Illegal Occupants in Barracks

Following rampant cases of theft of rifles within police barracks in Jos, Plateau State, the State police command, on Thursday, evicted all illegal occupants and demolished all illegal structures within police formations in Jos. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, had declared that at least four AK47 riffles had been stolen in the barracks, recently. The men of the Squadron 8 of the Mobile Police Force, who carried out the demolition exercise, sent away some occupants and relocated others to appropriate places within the barrack. Explaining the rationale behind the eviction, the Plateau State police boss stated that the police action was as a result of the reform agenda of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, to rid the all police barracks of bad eggs.

124 Nigerians Deported from UK

A total of 124 Nigerians have been deported from London following issues of indistinctness in their travel documents and other immigration offenses. The deportees, who arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos last weekend, consist of 62 males, 52 females, and 10 children. According to reports, over a million Nigerians are resident in the United Kingdom, with a greater concentration in Southern London.

19 Killed in Building Collapse

A condemned building that collapsed in Abuja, on Wednesday, killed 19 people, police said. The collapse involved a half-built 3 or 4 storey building that authorities said had been declared structurally unsound, but residents said around 50 people lived there. 12 persons were rescued alive, according to FCT police spokesman, Abass Jimoh. National Emergency Management Agency deputy director, Daniel Balarabe Gambo, put the death toll at 17. Gambo said residents had been told to evacuate, but refused.

INTERNATIONAL

Soldiers Rescue Man Trapped as Over 700 Die in Mudslides

Chinese soldiers rescued a man alive on Tuesday after digging through the mud to reach the second story of an apartment building. Liu Ma Shendeng, 52, was alive and well after 60 hours trapped under mud. Meanwhile, the death toll doubled Tuesday to 702 in the massive mudslides triggered by rain in China's Gansu province, while about 1,042 people were still missing. The side of a mountain broke off, burying many homes and ripping others apart. The path of the mudslide is now covered in three and four stories of rock and mud.

Ex-NASA Head and Ex-Senator Feared Dead in Alaska Plane Crash

Former NASA, chief Sean O'Keefe, and ex-Alaska Senator, Ted Stevens, are believed to have been aboard a small plane that crashed in Alaska, officials say. The plane, which is believed to have been carrying eight passengers, crashed near the town of Dillingham. Rescue crews were despatched to the crash site on Monday night after a passing plane spotted the wreckage. The condition of those on board is not yet known, but officials have warned of possible fatalities.  The plane crash is the third in less than two weeks in the state.

Somali Militants Ban 3 Aid Groups

Al Qaeda-linked militants have banned three international aid groups from working in Somalia, claiming they are "actively propagating Christianity" in the predominantly Muslim nation. Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant group battling Somalia's government, ordered World Vision, Adventist Development and Relief Agency and Diakonia to cease their operations. As signatories of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement code of conduct, the Aid group have specific polices against proselytizing when distributing aid.

Man Held for Impregnating Widow in Afghanistan

A man accused of having sex with a widow and impregnating her remained in Taliban detention Tuesday, is still being held by the Talibans and his future unclear. The 47-year-old woman, Sanam Gul, was killed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan, penultimate Saturday morning, said Ashrafuddin Majidi, the provincial governor's spokesman. A Taliban commander carried out the execution, shooting the woman in her head, according to reports. Gul had been widowed for four years. She was accused of adultery for her relationship with the unnamed man. Local residents said the man had planned to marry Gul. Instead, the Taliban whipped him 200 times and detained him, Jabar said. The International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan condemned the killing.

South Korea Wants North to Release Seized Fishermen

South Korea, Monday, demanded that North Korea releases a seven-man crew and their fishing boat that the country seized off the east coast. North Korean authorities seized four South Korean and three Chinese fishermen aboard the 41-ton South Korean fishing boat penultimate Sunday for an alleged violation of the North's exclusive economic zone. The seizure came as relations between the rival Koreas are at their lowest point in recent years following the March sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on North Korea and the tension deepened when South Korea launched large-scale naval training in response to the sinking, prompting the north to threaten a "strong physical retaliation."

US Charges 14 over Links with Al-Shabaab

US officials have charged 14 people with providing money, personnel and services to the Somali militant group, al-Shabab. The charges stem from four separate indictments in the US states of Minnesota, Alabama and California. Concerns about al-Shabab have grown after the group carried out a bomb attack in Uganda. On Wednesday, a man was charged with attempting to support al-Qaeda and al-Shabab. Prosecutors said Shaker Masri of Chicago had sought to travel to Somalia to join al-Shabab, which the US and UK consider a terrorist group.

Mexican Police Clash in Juarez

Hundreds of Mexican federal police officers from two opposing groups clashed in Ciudad Juarez last weekend over allegations of corruption within their ranks. The confrontation was triggered by corruption allegations against federal police Commander, Salomon Alarcon Romero. Alarcon's critics say he has participated in kidnappings, killings and extortion in Juarez. The protest started penultimate Thursday after the arrest of an officer who critics say was falsely accused for drug crimes. About 200 heavily armed officers demonstrated in front of the La Playa hotel, which houses some federal police offices, while supporters of Alarcon pushed back against the accusers, defending their commanders. Several police officers suffered injuries during the protest, while Alarcon fled in an armored car.

Taliban Dismisses Report on Afghan casualties

The Taliban on Thursday rejected a United Nations report that blamed it and other insurgent groups for 76 percent of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the report released Tuesday was part of a propaganda campaign against the Taliban. He said the campaign is aimed at turning the people against the Taliban, and he said the Taliban reject that. The U.N. report said the human cost of the Afghan conflict is escalating, with killings and attacks on children by the Taliban and other insurgent groups soaring. Staffan de Mistura, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general said that from January 1 to June 30, 2010, the UNAMA Human Rights Unit documented a total of 3,268 civilian casualties, including 1,271 deaths and 1,997 injuries. Anti-government forces were responsible for 2,477 casualties. That is 76 percent of all casualties.

LRA on Forced Recruitment Drive

Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been accused of going on a massive forced recruitment campaign in remote areas of central Africa. Human Rights Watch said the group had brutally abducted at least 697 adults and children over the past 18 months. Civilians were said to have been taken in remote regions of the Central African Republic (CAR) and the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, has fought the Ugandan government since 1986. Its fighters, who are being hunted by Ugandan Special Forces, are now spread across northern DR Congo, Southern Sudan and the east of the CAR. Some of those abducted managed to escape, bringing with them tales of children forced to kill other children and trained to treat other human beings as animals.

Four Children Killed as Vampire Bats Bite 500 in Peru

Peru's health ministry has sent emergency teams to a remote Amazon region to battle an outbreak of rabies spread by vampire bats. Four children in the Awajun indigenous tribe died after being bitten by the bloodsucking mammals. Health workers have given rabies vaccine to more than 500 people who have also been attacked.  Some experts have linked mass vampire bat attacks on people in the Amazon to deforestation. The rabies outbreak is focused on the community of Urakusa in the north-eastern Peruvian Amazon, close to the border with Ecuador.

Uganda Arrests 'Masterminds' of July Bombings

Four suspects arrested in Uganda over the July bomb explosions have said that they had organised the attacks out of religious conviction. Investigators in Uganda have arrested four men who they say masterminded twin bomb attacks that killed more than 70 people. The men, all of them Ugandan, admitted their involvement in the Kampala attacks that struck a restaurant and a rugby club -the venues hosting fans watching the FIFA World Cup final. After the attacks, a Somali Islamist group, Al-Shabab, claimed responsibility said the bombings were in revenge for Uganda's role in sending troops to Somalia as part of the African Union's mission to support the besieged government there. Investigators in Uganda and Kenya have already detained a number of people they believe were connected to the attacks.

Lorry Plunges in DR Congo Lake, Kills 50

At least 50 people were killed after a lorry plunged into Lake Tanganyika in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials have said. The victims were travelling on the lorry to a town in South-Kivu province with goods they were planning to sell. A run radio station reported that six people had survived the accident. Road accidents are common in the DRC because of reckless driving, badly-maintained vehicles and poor roads. Last month, at least 220 people died when an overturned oil tanker exploded in Sange in South-Kivu.

Israel Threatens to Shun New UN Probe on Gaza

Israel has threatened to pull out of a United Nations (UN) probe into its deadly flotilla raid to keep the panel from grilling its troops, as Defence Minister Ehud Barak said another inquiry was a "planned provocation." Also, Israel dismissed as "ridiculous," Hezbollah claims to have acquired Israeli footage implicating the Jewish state in the murder of former Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri. Hassan Nasrallah, head of the Lebanese Shiite militia group, on Monday unveiled footage allegedly intercepted from Israeli surveillance planes off the site where Hariri was killed in a bombing in February 2005. Several undated clips, which were broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television, showed aerial views of the coastline off mainly Sunni west Beirut on various dates before the Hariri assassination.

8 Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Blast

Eight Iraqi soldiers have been killed and four wounded in a bomb attack in Iraq's northern Diyala province. The bomb exploded when soldiers raided a house in Sadiya, a town north-east of Diyala's capital Baquba, police said. The blast comes a day after six people were killed in attacks across the country, including two members of an anti-insurgent group and two policemen. Violence has spiked in recent weeks, ahead of a major withdrawal of US troops due to be completed this month. Iraqi officials say a gunman opened fire from a house near an Iraqi army checkpoint in Sadiya in the early hours of the morning. Soldiers then surrounded the house, which blew up, killing the eight of them.

Suicide Bombers Kill 3 at Afghan Guest House

Two suicide bombers attacked a guest house in central Kabul Tuesday, killing three people, said Afghanistan's Interior Ministry. The house in the Taimani neighborhood was being used by a British security company, a local security service staff member said. Two drivers for the security company and a gate guard were killed, said Interior spokesman Zamari Bashari. The two suicide bombers died as well, he added.

Earthquake Rattles Vanuatu

A strong earthquake struck the island nation of Vanuatu on Wednesday, the U. S. Geological Survey said. The 6.0-magnitude quake, with a depth of 41 kilometers (26 miles), struck 75 kilometers (45 miles) west-northwest of the capital, Port Vila. It was the second day in a row that a powerful earthquake hit the region, following Tuesday's 7.5-magnitude quake. No tsunami warning was issued. Vanuatu is in the South Pacific Ocean

Jailed Israeli in Libya Returns Home

An Israeli man, who had been held in Libya since March on suspicion of spying, has been released. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had been involved in negotiating Rafael Hadad's release. Hadad was arrested while photographing Jewish sites in Libya, Israeli officials have said.  There has been no comment on the case by the Libyan authorities. A dual Tunisian-Israeli citizen, Mr Hadad is reported to have been in Libya on behalf of an Israeli group dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of Libya's vanished Jewish community. His whereabouts were unknown until Sunday, when Israeli officials announced that he had been freed by Libyan authorities after prolonged negotiations.