Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 37

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Armed Men Kill 3 in Abia Church

Gunmen stormed a church in Ukwa West LGA of Abia State, penultimate Sunday, shooting three people to death and kidnapping the general overseer of the church, Reverend Kelechi. The suspected kidnappers stormed the church with the aim of abducting the newly inaugurated council’s transition committee chairman of Ukwa East LGA, Mr. Chizom Nwamuo, who had gone to the church for a thanksgiving service over his appointment. It was also gathered that the council boss managed to escape the attack, because members of the local vigilance group accompanied him to the church. The kidnapped general overseer regained his freedom on Monday.

Imo Doctors on Warning Strike over Kidnap of Colleague

Imo State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) commenced a warning strike on Tuesday to press home their demand for the release of the immediate past Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vin Udokwu, by his abductors. The NMA Chairman, Dr. Jide Egwim, also warned that if Dr. Udokwu was not released in good health, the association will embark on an indefinite strike. Udokwu was abducted barely three months after he addressed he spoke on the state of kidnapping and insecurity of doctors in the state. He appealed to Udokwu’s abductors to release him unconditionally for the good of humanity. He also pleaded with government and security agencies to recharge their security apparatus.

SSS Rescues Kidnapped Russians

Two Russians, Ivanoc Igov and Pukky Andrey, who were kidnapped off Bonny coast a few weeks ago, have been rescued by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The SSS also recovered about N91.2 million paid to the kidnappers as ransom. The Rivers State SSS Director, Douglas Dogo, on Thursday, explained that the men were kidnapped by 15 gunmen off their vessel. He further explained that one militant, Sotonye Kaneji Ikiba, led the operation. According to him, Ikiba was also responsible for the kidnap of 12 Germans on July 2, 2010. He added that Ikiba nominated one Osaki Emine to serve as his contact man with the parent company of the victims. Emine was arrested and the money recovered from his residence.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Four Killed, Several Injured in Delta Youths Clash

Four persons were killed and several others injured as rival youth groups clashed in Effurun, Uvwie LGA of Delta State, on Wednesday. Trouble started on Tuesday when some suspected miscreants from Ekpan clashed with youths over a leadership tussle. An eyewitness said the clash was triggered by an attempt to bury the remains of one of the youths, who was killed by some miscreants, but a cult leader insisted the corpse must not be buried since his permission had not been sought. This infuriated the youth leader from JJC, who decided to invite some youths from Ekpan to attack. The Divisional Police Officer in the area, Mohammed Muazu, confirmed the deaths, saying that the situation was brought under control by the police.

Generator Inferno Consumes Man, Wife, 2 Kids

Tragedy struck, on Monday at Ajamimogha, Warri, Delta State, when a midnight inferno allegedly caused by a generating set, consumed a 37-year- old man, his wife, and their two children. It was gathered that men from the fire service came on time, but had just little water, which could not put out the flame even with the efforts by hundreds of youths from the community. The over 50 inhabitants of the buildings are now quartered at the community’s town hall.

7 Killed in Delta Cult Clash

Seven people were confirmed dead in a violent gang war between two suspected rival cult groups in Ozoro, Delta State. The clash between the rival groups began penultimate Sunday, but turned violent on Monday, forcing the state government to deploy a combined team of mobile and Military Joint Task Force (JTF) in the community. A 7pm to 6am curfew has been imposed on the hitherto peaceful community, while the local chiefs had engaged the services of hunters to smoke out the cultists. It was learnt that the hired hunters had a fierce battle with the suspected cultists, who could not match their force and had to abandon the place before the arrival of state authorities.

Mother of Edo PDP Chieftains Killed

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the state government to convoke a security summit to holistically look at the security situation in the state. The call follows the brutal murder of 87-year-old former woman leader of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the old Bendel State, Madam Grace Obaretin Osakwe, by suspected assassins on Tuesday night at her residence in Uwasota, Benin City. She was the mother of Martin Osakwe, a chieftain of the PDP in the state. The assailants, after shooting her, walked away without taking anything from the house. Martins Osakwe called on security agencies to investigate the murder of his mother.

Dokpesi Banned from Niger Delta by Militants

A militant group, the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), has declared a chieftain of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA,) Chief Raymond Dokpesi, persona non grata to the Niger Delta people. This is after chiefs and leaders of the South-South, including prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, suspended him from the SSPA. The JRC, which comprises the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) and the Martyrs Brigade, said Chief Dokpesi did not mean well for the region. Their position may be connected with Dokpesi’s current job as the director-general of the campaign organisation of erstwhile military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

Edo Requires N100bn to Tackle Erosion

Edo State Government has said that it will cost it over N100billion to address the problems of erosion and flooding in Benin City. The State Commissioner for Land, Survey and Housing, Prince Clem Agba, who disclosed this, said that efforts to effectively tackle the problem and de-flood Benin-City had been prioritized into three.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Many Killed in another Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Inferno

Several persons were feared dead and about 20 vehicles burnt, penultimate Sunday, when a tanker crashed and went up in flames in Ibafo in Ogun State. The inferno raged for about five hours, despite efforts by a team of rescuers comprising law enforcement agents, to curtail the fire. Recently, about 40 persons died in a similar tragedy at the Lagos end of the road. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi and the Unit Commander Mowe/Ibafo unit of the state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Gbenga Aderibigbe, confirmed the development.

Police Nab Robbers Burying Gang Member

The Ogun State Police the Command, penultimate Wednesday, paraded three members of a five-man gang that were nabbed while trying to bury a colleague that was shot during an armed robbery operation. The Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Musa Daura, stated that the armed robber was killed during a robbery operation and buried somewhere in Ikenne, Ogun State by his accomplices, but the police upon receipt of the information, swung into action and arrested them.  Indigenes of the town gave useful information to assist the police. Items recovered from them included one pump action gun, three live cartridges, one pistol, one Nokia handset and a bag containing laptop and charms.

Lagos Police Arrest Trans-Border Robbers

The police in Lagos State have arrested 7 suspected armed robbers over the recent attack on a bureau de change market in Benin Republic and carted away several millions of naira. The suspects had invaded the market in Krake Village, Seme Podge, in Republic of Benin. A female accomplice identified as Nkiru Igboatu, who had attempted to rescue a stranded member of the gang was also arrested by the police. The Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, confirmed the arrest.

9 Lawmakers Impeach Ogun Speaker

The crisis rocking the Ogun State Assembly on Monday took a dramatic dimension following the decision of nine lawmakers to impeach the speaker, Hon. Tunji Samson Egbetokun, and suspend 14 others. The alleged impeachment exercise was led by Hon. Soyemi Coker. But in a quick reaction, Egbetokun said the impeachment was untenable and was meant to scuttle the much-awaited N100 billion controversial bond public debates. He declared that he still remained the Speaker of the House.

Inferno Claims 10 Lives in Lagos

No fewer than 10 people were feared dead in Lagos State on Tuesday after a fuel tanker truck loaded rammed into other vehicles, causing an inferno. The fire also consumed about 23 vehicles at Adodo junction by Mowo bus stop, Badagry. A version of the cause of the incident revealed that the truck had a break failure and lost control before running into some stationery vehicles parked at a Mechanic Village along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. But the Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the truck was trying to negotiate into another side of the road when it fell on some stationery vehicles and spilled its content. The impact, according to him, started the fire.

Three Arraigned for Assault on Policewoman

The Nigeria Police on Wednesday arraigned three suspects before an Osogbo Magistrates Court over an alleged assault on a policewoman, Corporal Bosede Okunola. The police had claimed that suspects committed the offence in Osogbo. But when the charge was read to the suspects, they pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the allegation. The magistrate, Mr. Olalekan Ijiyode, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety each and adjourned the case till September 24.

Court Summons Oyo Speaker, Others over Contempt

Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Moruf Atilola and 15 others were on Wednesday summoned by the state High Court to answer contempt charges preferred against them by the suspended Majority Leader of the House, Samuel Adejumobi. Adejumobi and seven others were suspended by the House after their failed bid to impeach the Speaker in June. But the court described the suspension as null and void and ordered their reinstatement. Upon their reinstatement, the House leadership set up a committee to probe the lawmakers who in turn went back to court to stop the Speaker and their colleagues from carrying out the act. Despite the pendency of the suit, the House at its Tuesday sitting again suspended the lawmakers and removed the principal officers among them.

Aspirant Raises Alarm over Kidnap Attempt

A gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State on the ticket of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr Adebayo Shittu, has raised the alarm over attempt by a faceless group to kidnap him ahead of the political campaign around the state, which he had put in place. Mr Shittu, who made this known from his hideout, said he was informed by a top security source that a group of people working for some politicians in the state were out to take him out of circulation.

GENERAL

President Replaces Service Chiefs

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday appointed new service chiefs. Air Marshal O.O Petirin replaces Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike as chief of defence staff; Major General O.A Ihejirika is chief of army staff to replace Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau; while Rear Admiral O.S Ibrahim is the new chief of naval staff and Air Vice Marshall Umar is chief of air staff. The four replaced military chiefs were appointed by the late president Yar'Adua in August 2008 and their tenures expired in August this year. Jonathan also appointed Mr Hafiz A. Ringim as acting Inspector General of Police and Ita Ekpeyong as the new director general of the State Security Services. No further reason was given for their removal.

Presidential Election for January

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed January 22, 2011 for Nigeria’s presidential election. INEC’s announcement comes with President Goodluck Jonathan yet to say whether he will run, and as officials face a monumental task in compiling a voter list. While Jonathan has not said if he will run, he is widely expected to do so soon. His backers are believed to be working intensely behind the scenes to line up the necessary support.

Cholera Death Hits 780

The cholera outbreak in Nigeria has claimed 781 lives from 3,000 reported cases, the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said. The minister also said that of the 11 affected states, Katsina State reported the highest number of casualties, with 175 deaths from 310 reported cases. The minister said the intervention strategies would include measures to ensure that after this episode, the country would not record any outbreak of cholera that would record such casualties. He stressed the need for proper disposal of faeces and the need to provide safe water for the people.

Suspected Islamists Attack Borno Prison

Suspected members of Boko Haram, the Islamist sect that launched an uprising last year attacked a prison in Borno state on Tuesday. Officials said the attack was aimed at freeing jailed sect members. State police commissioner Danlami Yar'Adua and an adviser to the state governor confirmed the attack, with both saying the situation had been brought under control. Interior minister, Emmanuel Ihenacho, said that the attackers, who freed some inmates, had "overwhelming firepower". The inmates who escaped included alleged members of the sect. Police statement late Wednesday said some 200 "suspected Boko Haram fanatics" armed with machine guns and homemade bombs were involved in the attack. Four people were killed and 721 inmates were freed, including 105 suspected sect members, the statement said.

200 Die at Police Roadblocks in 20 Months

No fewer than 200 people have been killed as a result of auto accidents caused by police roadblocks in the country in the last one year and eight months. Two human rights activists Comrades Emeka Umeagbalasi of Intersociety and Uzor A. Uzor, Anambra State Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), revealed that a breakdown of the crashes indicated that 90 lost their lives in Anambra State between October 2009 and June 2010, 40 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while died in the hands of police personnel as a result of disagreements when the police tried to extort money from them. The activists said that about N22 billion was extorted from poor Nigerians by the police within the period under review.

Police Nab Two over Attempted Murder

The police in Bida, Niger State have arrested two persons in connection with the alleged attempted murder of a security guard, Umaru Aliyu. The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Bida Area Command, Mr. Ayo Olatunji, said the police were still investigating the circumstances surrounding the attempted murder. Olatunji said that the two suspects would be charged to court over the alleged offence at the end of investigations. The victim was allegedly brutalised in a controversial rivalry over a love affair with a woman.

Suspected Islamists Kill Officer, Wound Five in Maiduguri

Suspected members of an Islamist sect have killed a retired police officer and wounded five other people, police said on Monday. Gunmen on Motorcycle opened fire on the victims in three separate incidents on Sunday in Maiduguri, according to the state’s police commissioner, Ibrahim Abdu. Police suspect that the Boko Haram sect was behind at least seven other similar killings that have occurred in recent months. Abdu said local chiefs helped police locate Boko Haram members after the uprising last year and the suspects may have targeted him because of that. Two people were also shot and wounded outside their home in another part of town on Sunday. Police have not made any arrests.

7 Die in Aspirant’s Convoy Crash

The convoy of a governorship aspirant in Kogi State was involved in an auto crash killing seven people. According to an eyewitness account, the governorship aspirant, Senator Nicholas Ugbane, was on campaign tour of the eastern senatorial district when some vehicles on his entourage got involved in an accident. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) which confirmed the report stated that only five people died in the accident. The accident was said to have occurred due to the recklessness of the drivers who were on high speed and one of the vehicles ran into others.

Labour Threatens Strike over Plans to Increase Fuel Price

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its warning to the FG that there would be nationwide disruption if it goes ahead with the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products by December this year or latest, end of 2011. The Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, last weekend, said the government is set to go ahead with the controversial policy. The removal is likely to mean a petrol price hike from N65 to N120 per litre. In a statement by its acting head of information, Onah Iduh, the NLC said that Mr. Aganga’s declaration is contrary to ongoing discussions with the government.

EFCC Arrests Jigawa, Kwara Officials over LG Fund Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arrested Jigawa State Accountant-General, Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, three Permanent Secretaries and two LGA Chairmen in Kwara State over alleged diversion of N25 billion LG funds. Jigawa State government is allegedly involved in a N15 billion LG fund scam, while its Kwara counterpart is alleged to be neck deep in a N12 billion LG fund fraud.

Borno Restricts Movement of Motorcycles over Mysterious Killings

As killing of police officers and civilians continues in Maiduguri, Borno State, the state of Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdul, has announced the decision of the state government to restrict the movement of motorcycles from 6pm to 7am from 5th September 2010. He added that the police were on top of the situation and had already arrested three suspects who were helping them in their investigations. The CP warned motorcycle riders to comply with the order as those who violate the law would be seriously dealt with. There have been series of killings of both policemen and civilians in the state in recent times.

Flood Claims 2, Destroys 131 Houses in Jigawa

Another torrential rain fall that lasted a week has claimed the lives of two aged persons with over 131 houses destroyed in 18 villages at Kazaure LGA of Jigawa State. It was learnt that the two persons who died were crushed inside a collapsed building, while hectares of farmland with crops worth millions of naira got flooded. The other injured victims are still receiving treatment at the general hospital, Kazaure. Other victims are taking refuge at the Houses of their neighbours and primary schools buildings, awaiting government response.

Muslims Mark Eid el-Fitr

Muslims in the country, on Friday, observed Eid-el-Fitr festival to mark the end of the 30-day Ramadan fast. The Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III declared Friday as sallah following the non-sighting of the moon on Wednesday. The Federal Government had declared September 9 and 10 as holiday while hundreds of Muslims from all over the country and abroad had gone to their hometowns to celebrate the sallah festival with their loved ones in expectation that the Ramadan fast would end Wednesday.

INTERNATIONAL

17 Killed in Pakistan Suicide Blast

At least 17 people were killed and 40 wounded in northwest Pakistan on Monday - the latest in a series of suicide attacks in the country. The explosion took place in Lakki Marwat district in the North West Frontier Province. Police say nine of the deceased were policemen, and eight were civilians. On Friday, at least 73 people were killed and 206 people wounded in a suicide attack in southwestern Pakistan. In another incident same day, but in northwestern Pakistan, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Ahmadi worship place in Mardan, killing himself and a pedestrian, police said.

Afghan Taliban Commander Killed

Afghan and coalition forces killed five insurgents in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, including a Taliban operational commander who participated in intimidation campaigns and assassinations, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Sunday. Intelligence reports indicate the commander, Qari Wali, was planning to conduct rocket attacks against area voting centers during elections this week, the force said. Afghan and NATO troops found him in a compound in the village of Kambu and engaged them, killing the five insurgents. ISAF did not say whether its forces sustained casualties in the firefight.

Gunmen behind Killing of 72 Dead -Officials

Six of the suspected gunmen responsible for the killings of 72 migrants in Mexico have been identified, Mexican authorities said Monday. However, all of the suspects are dead, said Alejandro Poire, the spokesman for Mexico's president on security issues. Three were killed in a confrontation with the Mexican navy after the bodies were discovered, and three others were found dead inside a vehicle on the side of a highway. The dead suspects were identified by the survivors of last month's massacre at a ranch near the town of San Fernando in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Three people are believed to have survived the mass killings, although only one -- an Ecuadorean man -- has spoken publicly.

Death Toll Rises in Guatemala Landslides

The toll from torrential rains and landslides in Guatemala moved higher on Monday, with 44 deaths reported, while 56 injured and 16 missing. Around 11,500 residents have been evacuated and 9,000 have taken refuge in shelters, the nation's disaster agency said. President Alvaro Colom, who declared a national emergency, decreed three days of national mourning Monday. Authorities closed parts of the Inter-American Highway after rains washed out sections of the road and caused at least two accidents. Thousands of homes, infrastructure and fields of crops, also were damaged by the heavy rains. The torrential downpours come several months after more than 150 people died when Tropical Storm Agatha hit Guatemala in May.

German Police Raid Neo-Nazi Group

German police raided offices of the country’s largest neo-Nazi group on Tuesday, searching for evidence that the organisation was acting illegally against the constitution. The interior ministry said in a statement the large-scale operation in nine states began against the “Help Organisation for National Political Prisoners and their Families,” an association which supports right-wing extremists and their relatives. Deputy Interior Minister, Klaus-Dieter Fritsche, called the HNG a threat to society. The liberal Free Democrats, junior partners in the centre-right government, have called for it to be banned as anti-constitutional. The group aims to strengthen neo-Nazi attitudes among like-minded felons who have been imprisoned, the ministry said.

Suicide Bomber Hits Airport in Somalia

At least eight people have been killed in a car bomb attack, and gun battle at Somalia’s main airport in Mogadishu, officials say. Insurgents opened fire on African Union peacekeepers after the explosion, airport officials said. Reports say AU soldiers and insurgents were killed in the battle. No-one has admitted carrying out the attack, but analysts have blamed al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda linked group which is fighting the government. The officials said several insurgents were killed, along with a Somali man working with a private airline.

Three Arrested in Pakistan over Times Square Plot

Three Pakistani men linked to Faisal Shahzad, the 30-year-old Pakistani-American who has pleaded guilty to the botched Times Square terror attack, were arrested and have confessed before a judge, authorities said Wednesday. The three were arrested in May in connection with the same plot, but they appear not to have been charged and were released. The three were arrested as they traveled in a car on the outskirts of Islamabad, police said. They appeared before a judge where they confessed, Islamabad Deputy Police Chief Bin Yamin said. Police also said they found Pakistani Taliban literature and maps of the parliament building and the houses of the president and prime minister.

15 Killed as Car Bomb Detonates in Russian Market

A suicide bomber set off a powerful blast near a busy market in Russia’s restive North Caucasus on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 77 others, authorities said. An attacker detonated a bomb in a car outside the entrance to the market in Vladikavkaz, capital of North Ossetia province. The attack came after an Islamist website said a fire that knocked a hydroelectric power plant in Dagestan out of commission this week had been caused by bombs planted by rebels. The bomb had been the equivalent of 30-40kg of TNT, the Investigative Committee said. President Dmitry Medvedev, who has called the North Caucasus unrest Russia’s most severe political problem, had ordered his envoy to the North Caucasus to fly to the region, the Kremlin said.

Two Soldiers Killed in Kashmir Blast

Two Indian soldiers were killed and six others injured in an explosion inside their vehicle in revolt-hit Kashmir, police said Thursday. The vehicle was part of an army convoy moving in northern Baramulla district when the explosion took place. The scenic Himalayan region is in the grip of a 20-year insurgency against Indian rule that has so far left more than 47,000 people dead by official count. The violence has declined sharply since India and Pakistan launched a peace process in 2004 to resolve all their pending disputes, including the one on Kashmir; the region they each hold in part but claim in full.

Siberia Wildfires Destroy 400 Homes

Wildfires swept through several villages in Siberia, burning down over 400 homes on Wednesday, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has said. According to reports, the fire followed a wave of blazes that killed over 50 people earlier in the summer. No casualties were reported from the flames in the Altai region bordering Kazakhstan. Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova disclosed that 433 homes were torched in one village, Nikolayevka, 15 kilometres from the Kazakh border, leaving 1,166 people without shelter. The wildfires originated from Kazakhstan amid strong gusts of wind. President Dmitry Medvedev pledged compensation for the victims and ordered the Altai regional governor to determine which officials were responsible for the failure to prevent the fire-driven devastation, the Kremlin’s press office said.

Ampatuan Family Plotted Philippines Massacre -Witness

A powerful family accused of being behind the worst political massacre in the Philippines plotted the killings over dinner, a court has heard. The witness, a former house servant, said the family had discussed killing their political rivals six days before the ambush in which 57 people died. He quoted key suspect Andal Ampatuan Jnr as saying "just kill them all". Lakmudin Saliao took the stand on the first day of the trial nearly 10 months after the massacre. The dead included members of a rival political family, the Mangudadatus, as well as 30 reporters travelling with them. Andal Ampatuan Junior denies multiple charges of murder arising from last year's mass killing. Five other members of the Ampatuan family are among 196 people facing charges related to the massacre.

Mortar Lands Outside Kindergarten in Israel

A mortar fired from Gaza landed outside two kindergarten buildings in southern Israel on Wednesday morning, the Israeli military said. No one was hurt. Security crossings into Israel will be temporary closed through Saturday, the Israeli military said. Israel says Palestinian militants have fired more than 115 rockets and mortars into Israeli territory since the beginning of the year.

18 Killed in Honduras Shoe Factory Attack

Gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed a shoe factory in Honduras, killing at least 18 people and wounding several others, police said. At least four men burst into the factory in the northern coastal city of San Pedro Sula and opened fire on workers. Police said the motive was not yet clear but the attack could be linked to a gang rivalry or a dispute over drugs. San Pedro Sula has suffered frequent gun battles between drug traffickers and also among the country's notorious street gangs. All the victims were said to be young men, aged between 17 and 24.

Drone Attacks Kill 19 Militants in Pakistan

A pair of drone attacks killed 14 suspected militants in Pakistan's tribal region on Wednesday, intelligence officials said. The attack killed four people. In an earlier strike, 10 suspected militants died, the officials said. Two missiles fired by a suspected U.S. drone targeted a militant's hideout in the village of Danday Darpakhel, also in North Waziristan. While the United States is the only country in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from drones - which are controlled remotely - U.S. officials do not comment on suspected drone strikes. Separately, the Taliban claimed responsibility for car bomb attack in North West Pakistan on Tuesday that killed at least 20 people and wounded nearly 100 others. Another drone strike killed five suspected militants in Pakistan's tribal region on Sunday morning, officials said.

Bodies of Massacre Investigators Found

Officials in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas have found two bodies that may be those of two men investigating the massacre of 72 migrants in the state. The bodies were found near the town of Comas Altas in the municipality of Mendes, the state attorney general's office said Tuesday. Both men have been missing since August 24. The officials were investigating the killings of 72 migrants whose bodies were found last week in northern Mexico. At least 27 bodies have been identified and returned to their home countries in Honduras and El Salvador. Three people are believed to have survived the mass killings, although only one has spoken publicly.

Peace Corps Volunteer Killed in Lesotho

An American aid worker, Thomas Maresco, died from a gunshot wound suffered in the southern African nation of Lesotho, the Peace Corps said in a statement. Inspector Lekhotla Mojete, of the Lesotho police, said they believe that the victim was observed leaving the hotel on foot and when he was returning, the assailant struck. He said the woman accompanying Maresco rushed back into the hotel to get help, but police were unable to find the gunman when they arrived at the scene. No arrests have been.

Over 230 Civilians Killed in Somalia

More than 230 civilians have died in fighting over the past two weeks between Somali transitional government forces and Al-Shabaab militants in Mogadishu, according to the UN refugee agency on Tuesday. At least 400 people have been wounded and 23,000 displaced. In these dangerous and difficult conditions, aid distributions are becoming rare and risky, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said. Somalia generates the largest number of refugees in the world after Afghanistan and Iraq, the agency said. At the end of August, there were more than 614,000 Somali refugees and over 1.4 million people displaced within the country.

Tropical Storm Hermine Hits Texas

Tropical Storm Hermine began its journey across Texas Tuesday morning, bringing fierce winds and the possibility of tornadoes. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was headed north-northwest at about 14 mph. Joseph Tomaselli, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas, said fallen trees, signs, power lines and power poles were reported throughout Brownsville and Cameron County on Tuesday morning. Tomaselli said flooding in Brownsville and Cameron County has also been reported.

NASA Shares Tips to Sustain Trapped Miners

A group of experts from the U.S. space agency have shared their advice for the 33 miners who have been trapped 2,300 feet underground in Chile since August 5. The team said creating a strict organizational structure for the miners' daily lives would be important, alongside healthy eating to help the miners survive. When rescuers first found them, the miners had survived for more than 17 days by sharing a jar of peaches and small amounts of tuna and mackerel that were in their shelter below. The Chilean government has said a drilling operation, which started a week ago and had reached a depth of around 295 feet (90 meters) by Monday, could take up to four months to reach the miners.

Flooding Prompts Evacuation of Victoria
Heavy rain and flooding have prompted the evacuation of hundreds of households in Australia's second-most-populated state, emergency officials said Monday. No deaths or significant injuries have been reported as a result of the flooding. The full extent of damage has not been measured as crews continue to investigate. The State Emergency Service has received more than 3,800 requests for help from community members, its website said. Flood warnings have been issued for about two dozen rivers across the state. Many roads have flooded, and drivers have been urged to avoid driving through standing water.

Crazed Coyote Attacks Kids

A crazed coyote that terrorized a tony Westchester town was gunned down Monday after attacking three people. The bloodthirsty beast began its rampage penultimate Sunday when it wandered out of the woods onto a Rye Brook cul-de-sac and made a beeline for a group of kids. Less than an hour later, the beast reappeared and bit a man after trying to snatch his daughter. All victims were given rabies shots. Town officials dispatched a trapper to hunt the coyote down. When trappers cornered the coyote, it viciously snapped off the head of one of its own puppies. It then lunged at an officer prompting him to shoot it dead. The area has become plagued by ugly coyote encounters this summer.