Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 29

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

285 Ex-militants Travel Abroad for Training

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Kingsley Kuku, has expressed hope that upstream oil companies operating in the Niger Delta would assist in training and absorbing some of the ex-militants. Kuku stated this at the weekend in Lagos during a farewell ceremony for 285 ex-militants, who were travelling to four different countries for training in courses ranging from maritime to crane operations and pipeline welding, under the post-amnesty re-integration programme. The special adviser also said after the graduation of the ex-militants, his office would get experts to look at the possibility of post-training engagements in compliance with the local content law.

Abia Police Smash Crime Syndicate, Others

A police patrol team in Abia State, has recovered a Honda Accord car, which was stolen from Abuja and was being taken to Aba for sale. Two men were arrested in connection with the act. Parading the duo and the car, the state Police Commissioner (CP), Bala Hassan, said when the police patrol team intercepted the car along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway near Umuahia. The CP also paraded nine suspected members of a syndicate, comprising stolen goods’ buyers and receivers, who specialised in store breaking and stealing in Umuahia. They allegedly broke into a store located at Okwulehie/Niger road, Umuahia on April 24, during which they made away with 50 bags of rice, 19 cartons of tin tomatoes, and seven cans of groundnut oil.

International Agencies Pledge Funding for N’Delta Projects

Relief appears to be on the way for residents of some states in the Niger Delta as four international organisations have agreed to provide substantial fund to some intervention projects in the region. The development came on the heels of a recent call by the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, Godsday Orubebe, for alternative funding of projects in the region. At a meeting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, European Union (EU), Japanese officials and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, the organisations pledged to contribute $150,000 each to intervention projects in the Niger Delta. The projects are to cost $750,000.

Youths Protest at Shell Flow Station in Bayelsa

Nigerian youths broke into a Niger Delta crude oil flow station owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Thursday in protest at what they said was the firm's failure to provide their communities with electricity. Shell said it was engaging with the protesters who had tampered with its Kolo Creek oil installations in a manner that posed a serious threat to people and the environment but it did not state that any production was affected. Witnesses said the youths had locked themselves in the flow station and the military had arrived to secure the area. A spokesman for a joint security task force said the protest could continue if it did not impact the general public.

20 Suspected Cultists Arrested for Forcing Girls into Lesbianism

Twenty persons suspected to be cultists were Friday paraded by men of the 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Enugu for allegedly forcing some female students into lesbianism. Assistant Director, Public Relations of the division, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, disclosed that the 20 cultists who belonged to six different cult groups were arrested in their hideouts in Agbani by troops of Anti-Kidnapping Unit between 8th and 12 July this year.

10 Injured as Task Force, Traders Clash in Onitsha

About 10 people were injured on Tuesday in Onitsha when men of Anambra State Special Task Force against Street Trading, clashed with Rug and Carpet traders in the area. Trouble started when men of the task force drove through the New Market Road where they stopped to carry four bundles of rug carpet bought by some customers. The traders resisted their move to carry their goods, which led to physical brawl between them. According to Ugochukwu Ugwu who was one of the victims of the task forces brutality, they resisted the move by the force from seizing their goods because they were not trading on the streets or along the road.  The police intervened to restore order. The Chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Onuora Ikonso, denied knowledge of the incident.

Crude Oil Production Soars as Shell Lifts Force Majeure

Nigeria’s crude oil export has recorded a major boost as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has lifted force majeure on about 300,000 barrels per day of Bonny Light crude, which it declared on loadings for June and July 2011. With the lifting of the force majeure, Nigeria’s total production capacity stands at about 2.6 million barrels per day. Shell did not disclose the volume of crude oil affected by the earlier force majeure but the US East Coast imported 322,000 barrels per day of Bonny Light from Nigeria in March 2011, representing about 32 per cent of total imports to the region.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Two Prisoners Escape in Warri Jail Break

Two prisoners escaped from Okere Prisons, Warri, Delta State, during last Weekend’s night jail break. A prison warder, who allegedly connived with the prisoners to escape, was said to be on the run since the incident. It was gathered that the runaway warder allegedly opened the gates to the prison and abandoned his duty post. The prisoners, shortly after, proceeded to the back of the prison and blasted the prison wall with an explosive to create the opening through which they escaped. Three prisoners escaped from the prison but one was caught in a nearby bush where he was hiding while the other two escaped. A combined team of armed military personnel, mobile policemen, State Security Service (SSS) officials and prison warders deployed to beef up security.

Student Beheaded in Cult War

A student of the College of Education, Ekiadolor in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State, was beheaded in a renewed cult war in the institution. The head was left in front of the institution’s gate, apparently as a signal to rival cult group. The slain student may have been killed in a gruesome manner as there was a gunshot wound and machete cut on the severed head while grasses were stuffed into the mouth. As at Press time, the whereabouts of the body was not known even as the police were said to have arrested several suspects. Residents of Ekiadolor, the college’s host community said they heard gunshot at night only for a fresh skull to be found in front of the school gate in the morning.

3 Children of Oil Worker Abducted in Ughelli

Three children of an oil worker have been kidnapped in Ughelli, Delta State. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded for N30 million as ransom before the children could regain their freedom. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the children aged three, seven and 16, were abducted at their father’s house, last week Wednesday. Police sources disclosed that two gunmen invaded the home of Mr Reuben Ogbon, a staff of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), and whisked away the children. The kidnappers were still insisting that the N30 million must be paid before they could release the children. Another source disclosed that undercover security agents were closing in on the kidnappers, with the aim of freeing the children and arresting the criminals. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Charles Muka, confirmed the incident.

MEND Accuses FG of Double Standards in Handling Boko Haram

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said on Thursday that it had begun the training of new fighters in its various camps with a view to resuming hostilities in the country. MEND said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, that results of the impending hostilities would be felt nationally and internationally. The militant group expressed dissatisfaction with a statement allegedly credited to the spokesperson of the State Security Service, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, that some Boko Haram members arrested in connection with the bombing of the police headquarters in Abuja would not be prosecuted. MEND said it viewed Ogar’s statement that the matter would be resolved politically with scorn, describing it as an insult to the people of Niger Delta and a disregard to Christians, who were killed by the Boko Haram sect.

Benin monarch commends Oshiomhole, Fashola

Oba Erediauwa of Benin Kingdom has commended Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State for the fast pace of development in their respective states. The Oba made the remark, at the weekend, while receiving governors of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who paid him a courtesy visit after their one-day retreat in Benin. Earlier, Governor Fashola, who spoke on behalf of the ACN governors, said they were at the palace to pay homage to the royal father and thank him for his support for the administration of Oshiomhole.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Lagos Submerged in Flood

An all-day rainfall, penultimate Sunday, flooded Lagos State, halting human and vehicular activities and forcing the state government to declare a holiday on Monday. A number of vehicles were submerged by the flood, while most motorcycle operators. The flood did not spare homes, as many houses were flooded, and properties were destroyed. The federal Government has allayed fears of a tsunami hitting the country, following reports that Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital, was hit by the phenomenon. This came as Lagos State government assured residents of its preparedness to curtail the negative consequences of a tsunami should it occur.

Suspects Admit Raping Teenage Student –Police

Two final year students of the University of Ado-Ekiti, who were arrested for allegedly raping a 17-year-old student of the same university, have confessed to the crime. The Ekiti state police spokesman, Mohammed Jimoh, said that the suspects would be charged to court immediately investigation into the case was concluded. The police also advised ladies to always be weary of visiting those who they did not know, especially in secluded places.  It was learnt that a friend of the victim had lured her to the house where she was allegedly raped by the two friends. The victim was reported to have said one of the suspected rapists had snapped nude photographs of her with his phone before, during and after raping her.

Suspected Cross-Border Car Thieves Arrested in Kwara

The Kwara State police command has arrested seven suspected members of two gangs of cross-border car thieves in Ilorin, the state capital. The Commissioner for Police, Peter Gana, said the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives were still making efforts to arrest other members of the gang at large. The police boss, who said the cross-border robbery suspects were stealing assorted cars in Ilorin and its metropolis, charged members of the pubic, particularly car owners to use car-tracking systems on their cars to aid recovery when stolen. He also said the command recovered locally made master keys and four bunches of assorted car keys used in stealing cars from the robbery suspects.

Aviation Minister Allays Fear over Bombing of MMIA

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Odua, has dismissed fears that the nation’s busiest airport, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos would be bombed. The fear was heightened when she ordered the reopening of the 700-car capacity abandoned underground parking lot at the basement of the international terminal of the airport as users of the facility say the park would pose security threat, which was the main reason why it was closed during the late General Sani Abacha regime. Odua explained that the matter was well thought out before she gave the directive for it to be reopened; stressing that security of lives, cars and the entire building was considered before she directed the revamping of the park.

Man Arraigned for Assaulting Police Officer

The police in Lagos have arraigned a 22-year-old man, Fatai Aremu, for assaulting a police officer and causing him bodily harm. Aremu is standing trial before an Apapa Senior Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a two-count charge of assault and breach of the peace. The prosecutor, Sgt. Umeh Kalu, told the court that the accused unlawfully assaulted Cpl. Francis Yilson with fist blow on his left eye while he was performing his official duties. He said the action caused bodily harm to the officer. Kalu said that Aremu also caused breach of the peace by instigating, shouting and calling people to attack the police.

GENERAL

NLC to Go Ahead with Strike over Minimum Wage Payment

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that it would go on with its planned 3-day warning strike, even with the affirmation by the 36 states governors of their readiness to pay the N18000 minimum wage. The strike to protest governments' and private employers' unwillingness to abide by the provisions of the revised National Minimum Wage Act will begin on Wednesday, July 20. It is expected to usher in an indefinite strike in the event of government's continued failure to implement the provisions of the Act. The NLC Deputy National President, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, explained that unless it was able to extract a signed agreement from all tiers of government stating that: the new minimum wage would be implemented based on salary relativity that would not distort payment tables, the strike would go on. He said such payment must take effect from March 23, 2011 which was the date President Goodluck Jonathan signed the bill into law.

30 Killed in Borno Military Operation

About 30 persons were killed during a joint military and police operation against Boko Haram in Maiduguri, last weekend. Commander of the JTF, Major General Nwachukwu Nwaogbo, said security forces launched a search operation after two suspected members threw two homemade bombs at patrol cars from a moving bus, injuring five soldiers. Nwaogbo disclosed that a 13-year-old boy, five men and 11 suspected members of Boko Haram were killed during the operation, but claimed that over 30 persons were killed by the soldiers who they alleged went into their homes, brought out their men and shot them.

FG to Monitor JTF -Shettima

Following the scathing criticism that greeted its last week’s killing of some indigenes of Maiduguri, Borno State; a fresh set of “rules of engagement” is being considered for the Joint military Task Force (JTF) in the state, Governor Kashim Shettima has said. Reports had claimed that the JTF killed about 25 people, including civilians, during an overnight confrontation with members of the sect. The confrontation forced thousands of residents to flee the city. Some others called on the military personnel to withdraw from the state, accusing them of raping and killing civilians.  He also urged Boko Haram to lay down their arms and open up lines of communication. Shettima also revealed that hotlines would be provided for the lodgement of complaints of excesses by the security personnel.

4 Killed, Seven Injured As Explosion Rocks Niger, Kaduna

A blast targeted at a church in Suleja, Niger State, led to the death of four persons, with many injured. No fewer than seven people were reportedly injured on Sunday following a bomb explosion that rocked Kaduna metropolis. Eye witness account said the bomb which exploded around 10:30 pm was hidden in a refuse bin near a popular drinking spot. Three of the seven persons affected by the blast were said to have sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a private hospital.

12 Killed in Taraba Communal Clash

Twelve people were killed on Tuesday in Taraba State, in the communal clash between the Jukun Kona and Mumuye communities at Minda in Lau LGA of the state.  As a consequence, displaced persons from the communities affected by the clash have continued to stream into Jalingo, the state capital. The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Gavel Yawel, who confirmed the escalation of the crisis and efforts being made by the government to bring the situation under control, stated that prominent government functionaries, traditional rulers and opinion leaders had been sent to the communities to mediate in the crisis. Describing the crisis between the Kona and Mumuye as unfortunate, Yawel stated that security men had been dispatched to bring the situation under control.

7 Killed in Katsina Rain

In Katsina State, 7 persons were killed and 120 houses destroyed last weekend due to heavy downpour. It was also gathered that over 340 houses were affected by the flood, while 120 of them caved in. The State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema sympathised with the victims and promised to assist accordingly. Shema urged the victims to respect the laws guiding construction to forestall future occurrence of the unfortunate incident.

NYSC Appeals to Kano on Safety of Corps Members

The Kano State coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mallam Lawal Zariya, has appealed to various communities and traditional leaders in the state to assist the organisation in ensuring the protection of life and property of corps members deployed in the state. The state NYSC coordinator, shortly after the swearing-in ceremony of the batch “B” corps members, disclosed that a total of 3,450 members registered for the scheme in the state. He, however, reiterated the commitment of the state NYSC to provide all necessary logistics that would made the corps members feel at home while serving in Kano State. The state governor, Dr Musa Kwankwaso, assured the corps members of their safety while serving in the state.

Gunmen Attack Banks, Police Station in Bauchi

Unknown gunmen late on Friday attacked a bank and a police station, carting away a huge sum in Bauchi, sources said. It was learnt that the gunmen had earlier made an attempt to rob a bank in Bauchi metropolis but failed. They later broke into the bank in Alkaleri and the police station, 60 kilometres away from Bauchi town. The robbers allegedly attacked the police station first, with explosives, and went on to attack the bank while attention was focused on happenings at the station. Some residents claimed that the robbers later littered the streets of Alkaleri with money stolen from the bank. A policeman attached to the bank was allegedly killed during the robbery.

Military Warns Borno Residents on Boko Haram Attacks

The Military Task Force in Borno State has warned residents of Maiduguri against allowing their premises to be used for attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants. The warning was contained in a statement by the Spokesman of the Task Force, Col. Victor Ebhaleme in Maiduguri. The Task Force has observed with dismay the unacceptable behaviour of some residents in Maiduguri, who willingly allow their surroundings or frontage of their business places to be used for nefarious activities. Ebhaleme said that such individuals, who allowed their premises to be used for criminal activities, would also be treated as criminals.

Major Shake-Up in Police
•25 CPs Affected

The Police high Command on Tuesday announced the immediate removal and redeployment of 17 state Commissioners of Police (CPs) and eight other heads of departments. The removal and redeployment of the 25 CPs contained in a Police wireless message is with immediate effect. Affected are the CPs of Borno State, Oyo State, Plateau State, Ebonyi State, Benue State, Nasarawa State, Katsina State, Niger State, Ogun State, Imo State, Ondo, Kebbi State and FCT. While some were redeployed to other states, others were moved to some police departments.

FG Arraigns Alleged Killers of Boko Haram Leader

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, arraigned four police officers alleged to have killed the Boko Haram leader, Mallam Mohammed, on July 30, 2009. The prosecuting counsel, R.N Ojabor, told the court that there was a similar matter which involved only one accused, Sgt. Adamu Gado, but which had similar facts, circumstances, evidences and witnesses with that of the other four accused. He, therefore, sought the leave of the court to amend the charge initially preferred against the four to include the name of the fifth accused person. Defense counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not oppose the application but asked the court to compel the witnesses to appear in court. The case was adjourned to July 19th.

CPC Senator Remanded in Prison

Thousands of members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and some notable members of the state branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Tuesday, besieged the premises of a chief Magistrates’ court to witness the trial of a senator representing Niger North Senatorial district on the ticket of the CPC, Senator Ibrahim Musa. The embattled senator was, on Monday evening, arrested by the police and summarily  arraigned at a Minna Magistrates’ Court, Presided over by Hajia Zainab Gani Tahir, on a four-count charges of  criminal conspiracy, forgery, presentation of documents that were presumed to have been genuine with the view to mislead the public and cheating. The court remanded the senator in prison custody and adjourned till Tuesday.

Road Accident Claims 36 Lives in Kogi

At least 36 deaths were recorded from road accidents across Kogi State, mostly on the Lokoja- Abuja road in the month of June. The sector commander of the Kogi State Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Sunday Maku, who disclosed this, said the deaths were recorded from 57 major accidents, especially those on night journeys, on the Lokoja-Abuja highway. He advised motorists to always obey traffic rules and desist from travelling at night, saying that it was dangerous and that when an accident occurred, it might be difficult for the victims to get help at the time.

25 Killed Military Raid –Amnesty International

At least 25 people were killed during a Nigerian military raid after a bomb blast blamed on Islamists and many others have been reported missing, a statement from Amnesty International said Friday. The statement referred to an incident last weekend in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, which has seen a wave of attacks attributed to an Islamist sect known as Boko Haram and where hundreds of troops have been deployed. The military had reported 11 dead in the wake of the incident, saying all victims were members of Boko Haram. Residents alleged that soldiers shot civilians and burnt down houses, but the military denied targeting innocent people.

4 Killed in Maiduguri

Suspected Boko Haram members, on Wednesday, bombed a Joint Task Force (JTF) patrol van, killing four people and injuring two soldiers in Maiduguri, Borno State. The JTF troops were said to have retaliated and opened fire in the direction from where the explosive was believed to have been thrown. Three people were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Residents say the victims were not Boko Haram men. The JTF through its Operational Officer, Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, insisted during a telephone chat with Daily Sun that those who died in the gun battle were members of the Islamic sect. Meanwhile, as the security situation worsens, thousands of residents are fleeing the city, while schools were forced to close. The Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd), said the FG was ready to dialogue with the sect for the sake of peace.

States Evacuate Indigenes from Maiduguri

Following continued violence in Maiduguri, Borno State, more state governments have ordered the evacuation of their indigenes studying in the town and those on exchange programmes. The Bauchi State government, in a release signed by the Director of Press, Office of the Governor, Maigari Khanna, made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, said it had arranged that its indigenes studying in Maiduguri be evacuated. Also, the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has ordered the evacuation of citizens of the state from Borno State. In a related development, the Edo State government has evacuated 100 students of the state origin at the University of Maiduguri and helped to evacuate 50 students of Ondo State origin stranded in the state.

FG, States Lose N15bn to Forgery -FRSC

An investigation by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has revealed that the federal and state governments have lost over N15bn in revenue to cartels involved in forging driving licences across the country. The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka, disclosed this, while unfolding a programme of action to clean up the database of vehicles nationwide. He noted that the new initiative would fully actualise the New Uniform Licensing Scheme introduced by the Federal Government in 1990. Under the new scheme, existing modes of licensing drivers and vehicles nation-wide would be unified. According to Chidoka, current vehicles plate numbers will be revalidated, with owners of existing numbers exchanging them with new ones, just as vehicle plate numbers will now be tied to individuals and not to a vehicle.

INTERNATIONAL

The World Greets South Sudan

Leaders across the globe have been sending their congratulations to South Sudan as it got its independence on Saturday July 9th. Statements recognising South Sudan's nationhood flowed from the US, UK, Russia and others as tens of thousands watched an independence and flag-raising ceremony in the capital, Juba. Salva Kiir took the oath as president. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir attended and called on the US to end sanctions against his country. A sea of people filled Freedom Square in Juba, next to the mausoleum of the late John Garang, the rebel leader who led the South Sudanese during the civil war.

Over 100 Killed as Russian Boat Capsizes
…31 Killed, Others injured in India’s Train Mishap

Divers continued to search the wreck of a Russian Volga river boat for bodies as they saw more than one hundred corpses trapped inside the pleasure craft, after it capsized on Sunday. Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman, Irina Andrianova said eighty people were rescued, but there is little hope anyone else has survived. President Dmitry Medvedev ordered investigators to determine the cause of the disaster. In India, at least 31 people were killed and 100 others injured after a packed express train derailed in northern India, penultimate Sunday. The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear.

Drought in Somalia, Creates Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

The head of the United Nations (UN) refugee agency said that drought-ridden Somalia is the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world after meeting with refugees who endured unspeakable hardship to reach the world's largest refugee camp. The Kenyan camp, Dadaab, is overflowing with tens of thousands of newly arrived refugees forced into the camp by the parched landscape in the region where Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya meet. The World Food Program estimates that 10 million people already need humanitarian aid. Antonio Guterra, the head of UNHCR, appealed to the world to supply the "massive support" needed by thousands of refugees showing up at this camp every week.

Taliban Kills 4 Workers from Demining Agency

The Taliban has killed four members of an international landmine clearing agency working in western Afghanistan, according to Mohammad Dawood Farahi, operation Manager of Demining Agency for Afghanistan. Thirty-one people working for the non-governmental agency were kidnapped in Farah province Wednesday, while Twenty-seven were set free, but given a warning not work for any domestic and foreign organization in the future, Farahi said. Naqibullah Farahi, a spokesman for the governor of Farah province, had earlier confirmed the death of one member of the group.

General Petraeus to Step Down in Afghanistan

General David Petraeus is to step down from his post as the top US commander in Afghanistan, after a week in which two of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's closest allies were assassinated. Petraeus is leaving to take charge of the CIA. Armed attackers murdered senior adviser Jan Mohammad Khan, the former governor of southern Uruzgan province, in a raid on his Kabul home on Sunday, police officials said. The assassination came just days after the president's half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was shot dead by his own head of security at his home in the southern province of Kandahar. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for both the killings.

700 Egyptian Policemen Face Sack over Killing of Protesters

Almost 700 senior police officers in Egypt are to be removed from service over the killing of protesters during the revolution earlier this year. Interior Minister, Mansour Essawy, said 505 generals and 164 officers would end their service on 1 August. The move comes as protests continue in Cairo's Tahrir Square, calling for the speedy trials of police officers and corrupt Mubarak-era officials. The military also confirmed that polls set for September would be delayed. Many of Egypt's new political parties have called for the vote to be delayed so that they can compete against better organised and more powerful opposition groups, notably the Muslim Brotherhood. On Tuesday, the military said it would draft guidelines for selecting the 100-member assembly that will write a new Egyptian constitution.

NATO to Probe Civilian Death Claims in Afghanistan

NATO said Friday it would investigate Afghan claims that six civilians were killed during a military operation targeting the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network. Provincial government officials said the six, one of them an 11-year-old girl, died during an operation on Thursday in the eastern province of Khost. NATO had said that only one civilian was wounded, but after President Hamid Karzai ordered Afghan officials to conduct an investigation, the force said overnight it would look again at the operation. Civilian casualties are an inflammatory issue between US-led foreign forces and Karzai, who last month issued a "last warning" to the military to avoid "arbitrary and unnecessary" operations that kill civilians. The United Nations said the number of civilians killed in the Afghan war in the first half of 2011 was up 15 percent.

Japan Boycotts Korean Air

South Korea has protested to Japan after Tokyo instructed its diplomats to boycott Korean Air in a territorial dispute between the two countries. South Korea's foreign ministry called the boycott "deeply regrettable". On Thursday Japan's foreign minister told diplomats not to fly Korean Air for a month after it carried out a test flight over disputed islands. The islands, called Tokto in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, are claimed by both but controlled by South Korea. On Friday South Korea's foreign ministry summoned a Japanese diplomat over the boycott.

Drug War: Mexico Finds Huge Marijuana Farm

The Mexican army says it has discovered a huge field with mature marijuana in the northern state of Baja California. Soldiers were patrolling the area, some 300km south of the US border, when they found the plantation. The field near the town of San Quintin, 300 acres, was surrounded by a hedge of cacti. It is the largest marijuana plantation ever found in Mexico, officials say. A Mexican army spokesman said it was unclear who owned the territory and about 60 people were working on the plantation, said the local army commander.

Drone Strike Kills 50 Militants in Yemen

A U.S. drone strike targeting militants in southern Yemen Thursday killed at least 50 people, security sources said. This comes as the United States and the Yemeni government step up their efforts to target militants, including those Islamists who've taken over several cities in recent weeks. The government claims that a U.S. drone was not involved in the attack and that its air forces conducted the raid. The interior ministry said on its website that nine fighters were killed, but dozens were injured and that the number of deaths is expected to rise. The airstrike occurred in al-Wathee district in Abyan province. One of the sources said more than a dozen people were injured. The strike targeted a police station which had been taken over by suspected al Qaeda fighters, the sources said. U.S. drones have been seen flying over the area daily and more attacks are expected, sources say.

Somali Refugees Die as Rain Hit Mogadishu

People who have fled the drought in Somalia to camps near the capital Mogadishu have now been hit by days of heavy rain. Aid workers say five people, including three children, had died of exposure, as the people could not find shelter from the cold rain. The victims have been displaced by a drought that has devastated large parts of the Horn of Africa. Some 10 million people are said to be affected across the region.

45 Suspected Militants in Drone Strikes

At least 45 suspected militants were killed by missiles launched by the United States (U.S.) drone aircraft in Pakistan’s North-West, local officials said. The attacks started on Monday night, when remotely piloted drones fired nine missiles into a militant compound and at a vehicle in North Waziristan, killing 25 suspected insurgents. Another strike in South Waziristan killed five suspected militants. Then on Tuesday morning, a drone fired two missiles at another compound in North Waziristan. There was no independent confirmation of the death tolls, and militants often dispute official death figures.

Court Okays Civilian Trials for Troops over Charges on Rights Abuse

Mexico's Supreme Court has said that soldiers accused of human rights abuses against civilians should be tried in civilian - not military - courts. Rights groups say violations by army personnel rose sharply since troops were deployed against the drug gangs in late 2006. Until now, soldiers have been tried by military tribunals. Activists hailed the decision but highlighted shortcomings in Mexico's civilian courts. The Supreme Court set out restrictions on the extent of the military code of justice in Mexico.