Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 34

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

NAFDAC Intercepts N30m Re-Labelled Expired Drugs

The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted 450 cartons of re-labelled expired drugs worth over N30 million in Onitsha, Anambra state. The Zonal Director of NAFDAC Zonal Office, Onitsha, Mr. Benson Kine, said the deadly consignments were discovered through intelligence gathering by the policemen attached to the office. According to him, the suspect had kept over 900 cartons of expired drugs where he was re-labelling them and selling to the public. Mr. Kine, however, said the drugs were genuine drugs bought from the company by the suspect, adding that the suspect, however, left the drugs to expire in 2009, before he decided to re-label them and started selling them in the market.

Mysterious Gunshot Kills Baker

A 21-year-old baker, Paul Wisdom, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was felled by a mystery bullet. His killing has created confusion among security agencies in the state, as fingers are pointing at an unknown official of the Nigerian Air Force. But the NAF had distanced its men from the incident. Wisdom was shot dead on Saturday at about 1am after robbers attempted to gain entry into the bakery. He was discussing the incident with policemen when the bullet flew in and hit him. The bullet was suspected to have been fired from a base of the Nigeria Air Force located close to the bakery. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Eguaveon Emokpai, confirmed the incident.

Police Kill Suspected Robbers Rivers State

Two armed robbery suspects who engaged a police patrol team in a shoot-out in Port Harcourt were killed by the police. It was learnt that before the gun duel on Thursday night, some robbers had blocked the road and were robbing villagers and traders on their way to Owerri, Imo State. It was learnt that a vigilance group patrolling the area alerted the patrol police teams to the activities of the robbers. An eyewitness said the policemen swung into action to dislodge the robbers, but the gang initially resisted. “When the robbers could no longer sustain their action, they ran away. But before then, some of their members had been hit by the police bullets.” The Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers Command, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, confirmed the incident.

Nigerian Navy Intercepts Vessel with Suspected Stolen Crude

Nigeria’s navy arrested a vessel carrying 441,953 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, Jerry Unoarumhi, a navy commander, disclosed at the weekend. The crew of the vessel, which was stopped near the Nun River by a military patrol on Aug. 16, “had no valid document to confirm the source of what it was carrying,” he said. The arrested crew members are being held at a military camp near the Brass oil export terminal, he added.

Oil Production To Resume in Ogoni

Irrespective of a damning United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report which says it would take 30 years and $1 billion to clean up the mess in Ogoniland, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) will soon restart production on the 30 Shell oil wells in the community. The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs at the NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, also confirmed that the re-entry plan was on course. He said NPDC would begin production from the oil wells after the necessary arrangements had been put in pace. The House of Representatives said it would take very “keen interest” in the proposed clean-up lands as well as the restoration of all other communities affected by oil spills in the Niger Delta.

Over 1000 Youths Turned Back from Amnesty Training Camp

About 1,075 youths, desperate to be part of the Post Amnesty training programme, have been turned back since the 16th batch of trainees began their training on August 14, according to Frederick Anesah, the camp commandant. Anesah said the 1,500 trainees in the camp from Rivers were currently undergoing the mandatory transitional training in non-violence. He said that those turned back included ex-militants who are women, who could not be accommodated in the current batch and those who decided to come on their own, without being scheduled.

Ex-Militants Repatriated from Sri Lanka after Brawl

Eight Nigerian ex-militants sent for a training programme in Sri Lanka have been brought back to face trial at home after they allegedly fought and destroyed property. They arrived in Nigeria last Friday. The ex-militants who were sent to Sri Lanka about a month ago for training in ship building and under-sea welding allegedly engaged in fighting among themselves and destroyed some training equipment. Their action was a breach of a code of conduct which they signed and promised to abide by.

Protesting Workers, Security Men Clash in Enugu

Protesting workers in Enugu state, on Tuesday, clashed with security personnel, who invaded the Christ the King Catholic Church, GRA, Enugu, in an attempt to arrest the chairman of the Enugu State Workers Forum, Osmond Ugwu who led his colleagues in a peaceful protest over the new N18000 minimum wage. But the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, said that the government had fully complied with the implementation of the minimum wage with effect from August, adding that Governor Sullivan Chime has even approved N18500 as minimum wage. Truck load of security men including the Army and Police cordoned off the Christ the King Church premises, while the men of the SSS went into the church to effect the arrest of Mr. Ugwu which proved impossible as the workers fought back to defend their leader.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Pastor Bathes Son with Acid

For sipping from a wine that was offered to him as a gift, a pastor has bathed his son with acid. The incident happened in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South LGA of Delta State. The pastor, identified as Matthew Erure, was said to have gone berserk after his son took a glass and drank from his bottle of wine. It was gathered, however, that the matter was not reported to the police. Pastor Erure, when contacted, earlier denied the incident but later owned up that the he did it to save his life and that of other members of his family. He alleged that his son “has been a pain in our neck”, saying that he deserved what he got because “the boy has committed a lot of atrocities against the family”.

Man Stabbed to Death in Delta

Tragedy struck as a 25- year-old-man, Mr. Nyerhovwo Omomo Enakirerhi was stabbed to death in a drinking parlour at Ofuoma community, Ughelli North LGA of the state. The deceased was allegedly stabbed to death during a scuffle. The deceased’s elder brother, Happy Enakirerhi, who narrated the incident, said that the reason for the scuffle was unknown to the family. He said six persons had so far been arrested by the police for their role in the murder saga. The deceased’s brother decried the lukewarm attitude of the leadership of the Ofuoma community to unmask the suspected assailants that were at large, calling on the police to do their investigations thoroughly.

Former Vice President Aikhomu is Dead

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, has died. Aikhomu, 72, died on Wednesday in a Lagos after he went for treatment of prostate cancer and has struggled with his health since then. He was the second in command from 1986 to 1993 during the rule of General Ibrahim Babangida. Born on October 20, 1939in Irrua-Ishan in southern state of Edo, Aikhomu got his military training from several countries including a Long Gunnery Specialist Course in India.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Govt Discovers Crude Oil in Kwara

Kwara is set to join the list of oil producing states in the country following the discovery of crude oil in Aran Orin in Irepodun LGA. The discovery comes as the state identified solid minerals development and mining as key sources of internally generated revenue to fund development programmes. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State announced the discovery in Ilorin, saying that the discovery was first highlighted by a farmer who discovered crude oil spouting from his farm and seven other adjoining sites and alerted the state government. According to the governor, the ministry officials not only confirmed the substance as crude oil but identified the blend as Bonny Light, a high-grade of crude oil preferred by European and American refineries due to its unique properties.

Suspects Survives as Cocaine Bursts in Stomach

A drug suspect escaped death as ingested cocaine wraps burst in his stomach. The man, Opara Uche Jeremiah, 39, who ingested 83 wraps of cocaine immediately raised alarm and started excreting the materials. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he was stabilised. He was returned to anti-narcotic officials for further interrogation. In a related development, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) also aborted an attempt to smuggle 2.250kg of cocaine in bed sheets. Consequently, three suspected drug traffickers, including a female were arrested over their alleged involvement in drug trafficking at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Eyewitnesses Blame Police for Lagos Multiple Accident

Three witnesses in the fatal multiple accident which claimed several lives on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on August 15, 2010 appeared before a coroner’s inquest on Monday, blaming the police for the incident. They alleged that the police checkpoint on the spot caused the accident. The witnesses told the inquest presided over by the Ikeja District Coroner, Mr. Tajudeen Elias, that the police allegedly mounted the checkpoint on a dangerous portion of the road. They claimed that the checkpoint resulted in a traffic jam after which a truck belonging to Dangote Sugar Refinery Company collided with other vehicles leading to an inferno. But the police and Dangote Sugar Refinery Company continued to trade blame on who was responsible for the accident.

6 Arraigned for Attempted Assassination

The police in Ogun State have arrested six people in connection with an alleged attempt to assassinate the traditional ruler of Ago Olowo community in Ewekoro LGA of the state. The accused, Rasheed Adeosun; Olasunkanmi Iskilu; Shodipe Olalekan; Gbenga Adeniji  and Oluwaseun Olatunbosun were, on Monday, arraigned before an Ogun State Magistrate’s Court in Ota. Five members of the gang were alleged to have waylaid the traditional ruler and attempted to assassinate him. The presiding magistrate granted the accused bail on the condition of providing two sureties each, with a sum of N500000 and two landed property around the magistrate jurisdiction. He also adjourned the case to December 15, 2011, after counsel for both the complainant and the accused had agreed to the granted bail.

Osun Students Protest against Lecturers Strike

Hundreds of Osun State students in Osogbo on Monday protested against the strike embarked upon by their lecturers to press home their demand for the minimum wage implementation. The students, who were from the four state-owned tertiary institutions in Osun, barricaded the Olaiya Junction road, which leads to the state capital, while law enforcement agents looked on. The students, who also protested against the expulsion of five of their colleagues by the state College of Education, Ilesa, alleged that authorities of the school were wrong by expelling them over a protest for students’ welfare. President of the state chapter of the National Association of the Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Seun Abosede, explained that it was to highlight their plight following the industrial action embarked by their teachers.

Customs Agents Protest Arrested of 400 Agents, Bystanders

Customs agents in Lagos State have accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos State of arresting 400 persons and holding them incommunicado for over a week. The agents said this during a protest at the Customs Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, on Monday. According to a protester all efforts to secure the release of the arrested persons have proved abortive. He said that those arrested included customs agents, truck drivers and passersby, and the reason for their arrest was not known. Another protester who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said after lawyers intervened, and bail terms had been met, the Customs authorities still refused to release them. The spokesperson for the Federal Operations Unit, NCS Zone, Ikeja, Mr. Innocent Nwobodo, said arrests had been made but denied that it was up to 400.

Teenager in Court for Murder of 65-Year-Old Man

Goni Hamidu, a teenager arrested for the murder of a 65-year-old man, Baba Ali, has been arraigned at an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court, Lagos. The prosecutor, Mr. Jack Asuquo, said Hamidu (19) killed Ali on June 17, 2011, by stabbing him with a dagger in the chest. The police had said that that the accused was contracted by an unidentified person, who paid him N15, 000 to kill the victim. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said that a family member of the deceased alerted the police when the victim’s body was found and an investigation revealed that the suspect had a hand in the murder. However, the charge was read to Hamidu on Monday, but his plea was not taken. The magistrate, Mr. O. Olatunji, ordered the accused be remanded in police custody pending the advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecution.

GENERAL

25 Killed in Jos Attacks

Twenty Five persons were reportedly killed by assailants in Jos, Plateau State, last weekend, in attacks on Heipang and Korut villages of Barkin Ladi LGA. Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGA, Hon. Emmanuel Lomang, who confirmed the killing of the 11 in Heipang and Korut, has pointed accusing fingers at some members of the armed forces as some victims alleged that the assailants were escorted by soldiers. It was learnt that the latest attack might have been in connection with a recent attack in a Fulani settlement in Jos South LGA in which two persons were killed and 400 cattle stolen on that attack. The Media Officer of the Military Special Task Force, Capt. Charles Ekeocha, confirmed the two incidents. Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yiljap Abraham, said that the state governor has directed the security agencies in the state to take steps to investigate and bring to justice “those who are bent on bringing grievous harm to the peaceful people of Plateau”.

Army General Arraigned over Boko Haram Suspects’ Escape

Brig. General Muraina Raji, former Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Special Court Martial over the escape of two detainees from the Brigade’s detention facilities. According to reports, the detainees were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram who were arrested in Bauchi in 2010. Inaugurating the six-member panel in Jos, the GOC, 3 Armoured Division, Major General Sunday Idoko, said Raji was indicted for complicity by a military investigation report. The GOC said the constitutional role of the military required the highest standard of discipline and professionalism, stressing that discipline and loyalty were essential requirements to success in professional soldiering.

Robbers Bomb Bank, Police Station in Bauchi

Suspected armed robbers bombed a police station around the Gamawa area of Bauchi State on Tuesday. The robbers were said to have robbed a microfinance bank in the area, carting away bags of cash and bombing the police station when making their escape. Eyewitnesses said the robbers had tried to attack another bank, but couldn’t get past its bulletproof front doors. Others said paramilitary police shot at the gunmen, leaving two bystanders wounded.  The police authority in the state said it was investigating the attack.

Would-Be Suicide Bomber Targeting Police Recruits Killed
…Bomb material supplier Arrested

Tragedy was averted in Maiduguri on Monday when a would-be suicide bomber was killed in front of the Police headquarters. His car was laden with explosives as he tried to force his way into the headquarters where thousands of applicants who were trying to get into the Police force were waiting to be screened. The exhibits retrieved from the car include six gas cylinders strapped with explosives, six jerry cans of fuel and a small drum. The police said on Friday they had arrested a shop owner who sold chemicals to people suspected of involvement in the failed attack. Simeon Midenda, Borno state police commissioner, gave no details of who the police believed the sponsors or bombers were. He said documents in the shop show significant purchases were made on dates prior to other bomb attacks over the last year.

Lebanese Shot Dead in Kano

The Kano State Police spokesman, Musa Magaji Majiya, has confirmed the killing of a Lebanese auto parts dealer, who was shot dead in Kano. Majiya says attackers shot dead Tafai Saifudeen, a 55-year-old man, in front of his shop on Thursday afternoon. Majiya said the police suspect an assassination because nothing was taken from the shop. He said the gunmen fired warning shots at about 2 p.m., leading the Lebanese shop owner to come out to see what was happening. A gunman then shot Saifudeen in the chest. The police say they are investigating the case and that no arrests have been made.

Gunmen Attack Police Stations Killing 7 People

Gunmen attacked two police stations in separate parts of the north on Monday, killing seven people. The assailants fired on a police station in the town of Tambuwal in Sokoto state, killing four officers and two civilians. In the other attack, gunmen robbed a bank in the town of Gamawa in Bauchi and detonated a bomb outside a police station while fleeing the area. One policeman was killed. The authorities are investigating the attacks.

Suspected Islamists Kill Policemen in Maiduguri

Suspected Islamists, on Friday, killed three police officers and a civilian in Maiduguri, according to officials. The gunmen reportedly burst into the house of one of the policemen and shot everyone dead. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the shootings, but police blame the attack on Boko Haram. The gunmen fled the scene after the shootings. Meanwhile, eight suspected members of Boko Haram were arrested after a shootout with police but no one was wounded, authorities said. The gunmen opened fire on police patrols on a highway linking Yobe and Bauchi states on Wednesday, resulting in a shootout, according to the police.

HIV-Positive Man, 40, Admits Raping Underage Girls

Gombe State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Thursday paraded 40-year-old Gambo Abare, an HIV-positive man, for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl. The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Altine Sani, said the alleged rapist was arrested in the act at about 6pm in his grain-milling machine shop. The girl was sent on errand by her parents when she was lured into the shop with sweets where she was defiled. Abare, who tested positive to HIV, admitted defiling Ramatu and also confessed to raping five other underage girls within the same week. He said he had been in the act of raping underage girls since last year and the same shop had been his crime scene. Ramatu’s father, Malam Mohammed Bala, said he was alerted of the heinous defilement of his daughter by some young boys.

Immigration Officer, 2 Others Arrested for Forgery

The police in Abuja command, on Thursday, arrested an immigration officer and two others over alleged forgery of some documents which they claimed belong to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). The other culprits were a former staff of the NTDC and an accomplice. The three suspects were allegedly circulating the documents, in order to discourage promotion of tourism in the country. Some of the documents were also intended to cause disaffection in the NTDC. A source disclosed that “when the police intercepted the suspects, many forged stamps and letters with NTDC letterhead were recovered from them.” The FCT police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, confirmed the arrest of the three suspects.

40-Yr-Old Man Jailed for Impersonation

A Bauchi Chief Magistrate’s Court, on Thursday, sentenced a 40-year-old man, Adamu Ibrahim, to 3 years imprisonment for parading himself as a Senior Special Assistant to Bauchi State governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda and forgery. Ibrahim was arraigned by the police for impersonation and forgery. The accused, according to police prosecutor, Corporal Emmanuel Murna, printed and was using three forged identification and complimentary cards bearing different names of Abdul Abubakar Casco, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Yakubu Lamai, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications and Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Talba, Managing Director and Special Assistant to the Bauchi State governor, adding that all of them were with his pictures.

Hoodlums Kill Exam Candidates in Jos

An unspecified number of candidates who were in Jos, the Plateau State, for the post-UTME examination organised by the University of Jos were alleged to have been killed by hoodlums in the wake of fresh violence in the state. It was gathered that some of the candidates unaware of the fresh hostilities were attacked as they left the Bauchi Road campus of the university. It was alleged that some of them were picked up by commercial motorcycles and deliberately taken to volatile spots where hoodlums attacked them. Meanwhile, panic again gripped the city on Tuesday following threats of fresh violence. Groups of youths along religious lines were said to have mobilized for a showdown over the renewed killings but were stopped by security men who fired warning shots to disperse them.

CJ Releases 72 Minna Prisons

Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Jibrin Ndajiwo, has set free 72 prison inmates from the old and new Minna prisons. Among those that regained their freedom were 48 inmates from Minna old prison and 24 inmates from the new prison, including a female inmate. Justice Ndajiwo said his attention was drawn to some of the prisoners who were very sick and needed urgent medical attention beyond the kind of medications provided within the prison. Other beneficiaries of the good gesture,   Justice Ndajiwo explained, were those that had almost completed their jail terms and as well, those inmates that had shown remorse for their bad habits and exhibited good behaviour while serving prison terms. He urged the ex- prison inmates to be of good behaviour and avoid acts that could lead them back to prisons.

FG Receives Interim Report on Boko Haram

The Federal Government has granted the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-East extra two weeks to tidy up its work, adding that it was important that lives and property were secured. The extension was at the request of the committee, which submitted its interim report on Thursday to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. Anyim said the suggestions and recommendations contained in the interim report remained sealed until the submission of the final report. He commended the committee for the urgency it attached to the work.

Footballer’s Father Missing

The father of Super Eagles player, Mikel Obi, went missing penultimate Friday in Jos, Plateau state. The father, Mr. Michael Obi, a retired civil servant, runs a transport company in the city of Jos, has not been seen since. The police made a general appeal to the public for information that could help solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance. The eldest son of Mr. Obi allegedly confirmed that his father’s car was found in Jos, but declined to say where. No further information was disclosed.

INTERNATIONAL

Upsurge in Violence Kills More Than 60 in Iraq

Twin bomb blasts in the southern Iraqi city of Kut killed 34 people on Monday, the worst of a spate of nationwide violence that left at least 66 dead. The surge of attacks in 12 cities, which left more than 200 people wounded, raise major questions over the capabilities of Iraq's security forces after the country's leaders agreed to open talks with Washington over a military training mission to last beyond a projected year-end American withdrawal. In Monday's worst attack, a roadside bomb in the centre of Kut, about 160 kilometres south of Baghdad, was followed minutes later by a nearby car bomb, medical and security officials said. Separate explosions in the disputed northern city of Kirkuk killed one and wounded 14, while twin blasts in the western city of Ramadi left one dead and injured seven others.

Cameron Vows to Rebuild “Broken Society

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has said tackling the "broken society" is back at the top of his agenda following the recent riots in London. As part of plans to tackle what he called a "moral collapse", he also pledged an "all-out war" on gangs. Meanwhile, courts have continued to hear cases of the hundreds of people involved in rioting, looting and disorder across England. Total arrests across seven police forces on Monday morning were 2,772 - 1,406 of whom have been charged. Cameron described the rioting, looting and arson that spread from London to parts of the East and West Midlands, Merseyside, Bristol, Manchester and Gloucester as "a wake-up call for our country".

Bomb Flattens Hotel in Pakistan

A bomb flattened a hotel, penultimate Sunday, in southwest Pakistan, killing at least 12 people, police said. The attack came hours after five rockets fired at a paramilitary training camp in the country's tribal region killed three people, a paramilitary spokesman said. The incidents took place as Pakistan celebrate its Independence Day. The bomb was planted inside a hotel in Dera Allah Yar, a town in Balochistan province, said police official, Israr Umrani. Dozens of people were inside the hotel when the blast took place, Umrani said. In addition to those killed, another 14 were wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Brazilian Judge Slain

Rio de Janeiro police are combing a suburb for clues in the murder of a high-profile criminal judge, ambushed and fatally shot at her doorstep by hooded gunmen. Patrícia Lourival Acioli, a 47-year-old mother of three, was known for her hard-line stance against Rio de Janeiro's criminal gangs and brutal militias, mostly former policemen-turned-drug runners who formed extermination gangs much like the ones seen in Mexico. Residents of Niteroi, a suburb on a bay across from Rio de Janeiro, hung black protest banners on the beach near Acioli's home to protest her death. Rio de Janeiro Police chief, Marta Rocha, said that while 12 suspects have been named by investigators, this is not a time to rush to judgment. In her 18-year career, she handed down about 60 sentences against policemen and former policemen despite recurring death threats against her.

Violence in Pakistan Kills 39 in Two Days

A wave of violence killed 39 people in two days in Pakistani city of Karachi, with many of the victims tortured, shot and stuffed in sacks that were dumped on the streets, officials said on Thursday. There has been a surge in killings in Karachi in recent weeks that many blame on gangs affiliated with the city's main political parties. Seventeen people were killed in Karachi on Wednesday and another 22 on Thursday, said Saud Mirza, police chief. Many of the victims were tortured, shot in the head and stuffed in burlap sacks, he said. A resident said people were afraid to leave their homes for fear of being killed.

Explosions Rock British Council in Afghan

Explosions and heavy automatic gunfire raged as well-armed suicide bombers attacked the British Council in the Afghan capital on Friday, leaving at least eight people dead, according to officials. Heavily-armed British and Afghan security forces cordoned off the area in the center of the capital, establishing a perimeter around the buildings. The attacks occurred inside a well-guarded Kabul neighborhood, leaving at least another 10 people wounded, the Afghan interior ministry said. The strike, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility, also coincides with the 92nd anniversary of Afghan independence from Great Britain.

Pakistan Mosque Suicide Bomber Kills 43

A suicide bomber hit a Pakistani mosque during Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people and wounding more than 100 others in the tribal district of Khyber, officials said. The explosion came as a US drone strike targeting militants in a house further south in the northwestern tribal belt killed at least four. The Khyber bomb exploded after more than 500 people had packed into the mosque in the town of Jamrud. The bomb had exploded seconds after the main prayer ended. The deputy chief of the Khyber tribal district administration said 43 people had been killed and 117 wounded.

Blast Hits Philippine Governor's Convoy

One man was killed and seven people injured in the southern Philippines on Monday when a car bomb exploded next to the convoy of a provincial governor, whose supporters were massacred in 2009, police and army officials said. Esmael Mangudadatu, governor of Maguindanao province on the southern island of Mindanao, escaped unhurt, army spokesman, Colonel Prudencio Asto, said. An improvised explosive device placed in a parked car was detonated as the mayor's convoy passed, Asto added. The third car in his seven-vehicle convoy was hit by the explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for Monday's bomb attack. A small group of Jemaah Islamiah-linked Muslim rebels has been blamed for previous bombings in the city.

Security Agencies Foil Attack on Russian Bullet Train

Russian authorities have reportedly foiled a plot by militants who were planning to attack a bullet train between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Reports revealed details of an alleged plot by militants from the North Caucasus that Russia's top security official had described to President Dmitry Medvedev last month as a "large terrorist attack" targeting transport, reports Reuters. Russia is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency in its mostly Muslim North Caucasus regions. The insurgents claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed 26 people on a Moscow-St. Petersburg train in 2009, as well as suicide bombings that killed 37 people at Moscow's busiest airport in January and 40 in the metro in March 2010. Militant leader, Doku Umarov has vowed more bombings in Russia's heartland.

Plane Crash Kills 12 in Canada, 3 Survive

Twelve people were killed when a First Air jet crashed near Resolute Bay in the far north of the Canadian Arctic, but three people survived. First Air, which flies to some of Canada's most remote communities, said the chartered Boeing 737-200 had 15 people aboard and it crashed just over a mile from the airport.

Somali Pirates Hijack Indian Ship with 21 Crew

Somali pirates, Saturday, hijacked a chemical-oil tanker with 21 Indian sailors on board near an Omani port. India's Directorate General of Shipping said the Fairchem Bogey, managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, was hijacked while anchored in Salalah port. A Salalah-based shipping source said the vessel was being loaded with methanol when it was seized. The port's operator, APM Terminals, however, said pirates boarded the vessel while it was two miles off the coast of Oman, awaiting a berth, and commandeered it towards Somalia.

Iran Sentences US Hikers to Eight Years 'for Spying'

Iran has sentenced two American hikers to eight years in prison on charges of "illegal entry" and "espionage". The two detained American citizens, have been each sentenced to three years in prison for illegal entry to the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to reports. It was also reported that they were also "sentenced to five years in prison on charges of espionage for the American intelligence agency."

Turkey Strikes Kurd Rebels in Iraq for Third Night

Turkish warplanes backed by heavy artillery struck Kurdish guerrilla targets in northern Iraq overnight, the military said on Saturday. The Turkish air strikes are the first against rebels in the mountains of northern Iraq in more than a year and mark a stark escalation of the 27-year-old conflict after the collapse of efforts to find a negotiated settlement. The raids also follow an increase in attacks by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels in south-eastern Turkey that have killed some 40 Turkish security personnel in just over a month. Turkey's General Staff said fighter planes had hit 20 rebel targets in Qandil mountain, Sinath-Haftanin, Hakurk and Gara in northern Iraq, adding the planes had returned safely.

US, Saudi Arabia Demand Halt as Army Raids Towns in Syria

US President, Barack Obama, has continued to demand an immediate halt to a crackdown on protesters in Syria, as activists said Syrian troops killed at least three people in raids on Latakia and other towns. Obama and Saudi King, Abdullah, expressed their concerns about the Syrian government's use of violence against its citizens. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two people were killed and 15 wounded during a military operation in the southern Latakia area of Ramleh, a nerve centre of anti-regime protests. Security forces raided the city's Asaliba district, arresting "more than 70 people" in a door-to-door crackdown, it said, adding that women who resisted the arrest of their children were harassed and beaten.

Coal Boss Jailed 20 Years for Corruption in China

A Chinese court sentenced a local coal boss to 20 years in prison for illegally running a mine and using earnings to amass dozens of homes. Hao Pengjun, head of the county coal office, collected 35 homes worth more than 26.5 million dollars. A local court gave Pengjun, in his early 60s, two decades in prison for corruption, reflecting what Chinese media called “loopholes” in China’s coal sector supervision. The court also hit Pengjun and his wife, an accountant at the Chengnanling mine, with tax evasion charges and 32.12 million dollars in fines and authorities billed it as the top anti-corruption case in the major coal producing province.