Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 23

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Ogoni Crisis Claims 2

At least two persons were feared dead and several houses destroyed, last weekend, in a fresh crisis that broke out between two communities in Khana LGA of Rivers state. The incident between Luusue and Gior communities in Ogoniland was attributed to the controversial acquisition of a huge hectare of farmland by the state government for the establishment of a banana plantation. A source said trouble started last year when the people of Luusue agreed to let government acquire their land for the project while the sister community, Gior, refused overtures of the government. Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Ben Ugwuegbulam, confirmed the incident, but said no life was lost.

Importers Seize Trailer Load of Arms, Ammunition in Onitsha

The Anambra State branch of Importers Association of Nigeria and the National Task Force against illegal importation of firearms and ammunition said on Wednesday that they had intercepted a trailer load of dangerous arms and ammunition in Onitsha. Chairman of the Association, Chief Emma Nwosu, said the weapons had been handed over to the police, explaining that in view of the development, the association was re-strategizing to fight illegal importation of arms and ammunition into the South Eastern states

Police Rescue 96-yr-old from Kidnappers

The anti-kidnap squad of Enugu State Police Command has rescued a 96-year-old woman, Theresa Okafor, who was abducted from her village in Ezeagu LGA, a week ago, penultimate Wednesday. The victim, who is the mother of a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Dr. Anthony Okafor, was abducted and held hostage in a forest at Ezema village in Imezi Owa community. The police said yesterday that the operatives of the anti-kidnap squad led by its Commander, Superintendent Stephen Osaghae, rescued the victim through painstaking effort. The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the rescue of the woman, said she regained her freedom at midnight on Monday following a tip-off to the security operatives.

Mother of Six Excretes 58 Wraps of Cocaine

A suspected drug trafficker, Mrs. Sekinatu Adaba, has allegedly excreted 58 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine under the close watch of officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Port Harcourt International Airport. The NDLEA Commander at the Airport, Olutekunbi Davies, said the 54-year-old widow was arrested on May 23, 2012, as she was trying to board a Lufthansa Airline on her way to London. Davies explained that Adaba was immediately taken to the Military Hospital where an X-ray scanner proved that she had ingested 839 grammes of cocaine.

Three to Die for Stealing

A High Court in Abakaliki, on Wednesday, sentenced three men to death by hanging for stealing. The condemned men dispossessed their victims the sum of N180, 925. Delivering the judgment, the Judge, Justice Paul Elechi, held that the prosecutor proved his case beyond reasonable doubt. Elechi, therefore, sentenced the accused persons to death by hanging.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Community Policing Committee Pledges Support in Edo

Edo State Committee on Community Policing has pledged to assist the state police Command to tackle security challenges in the state. The Committee Chairman, Chief Gabriel Akinluyi, made the pledge during a visit to the State’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Olayinka Balogun. Akinluyi noted that the geographical location of the state has exposed it to serious security challenges in Nigeria, hence the imperative of the committee made up of competent and reputable persons to bridge the gap between the people and the police. Responding, Balogun stated that there should be an internal arrangement that will take care of some of the needs of the command.

Group Alleges Neglect in Amnesty Programme

Peeved by its alleged exclusion from the amnesty programme, a group, Niger Delta Development Ex-militants, has drawn the attention of the National Assembly to what it called frustration and dehumanising treatment meted out to it and its members. In a petition to members of the National Assembly, national secretary of the group, Mr. Tam Odogwu, said the alleged exclusion of the group was worrisome, considering the fact that the erstwhile fighters duly surrendered their arms and ammunition of different categories totaling 21,000 to the Joint Task Force, State Security Service and the Police in four Niger Delta states of Delta, Edo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom and were issued certificates as a proof to their disarmament.

Police in Edo Smash Robbery Gang

A seven- man robbery gang in Benin City, Edo state, met their waterloo, on Tuesday when they were intercepted by policemen, who laid siege to them. Four of the robbers were arrested after a gun duel with the police. But the leader of the gang, identified as Director and another gang member, Sakpoke, escaped.  It was learnt that a member of the gang, who had been in police custody, provided the police with the information, which they used in bursting the robbers. Edo State Police Commissioner, Olayinka Balogun, said the gang members had on the day of their arrest robbed a bank official of his car and other valuables, after which they made for a hotel on Airport Road and attacked riot policemen at the hotel. Some of the items recovered from them were three double-barreled guns, one AK-47 magazine containing 30 rounds of 7.6mm live ammunition, police uniforms, 22 mobile phones and two UBA safe keys.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Offer Bounty on Killers of 4 Officers

The Ekiti State police command has announced a N1 million reward for any information on the killers of four police men and others in Ekiti state. A statement by the police spokesman, Victor Olu Babayemi, on Thursday, said that information on the killers can be provided through the following numbers: 080-23705471, 08126281782. He assured that any information provided will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Although the statement by the police did not state the number of people the robbers shot dead in the bank raid that threw Ilasa community into pandemonium, it was gathered that four policemen were shot dead in the operation, in which the robbers were said to have attacked the station from the back. Three policemen were killed at the station, while the fourth was shot at the entrance to the bank.

Armed Robbers Attack Bus, Rape Girls

Two females in a bus conveying passengers from Lagos to Abuja were on Tuesday raped by armed robbers who attacked their bus at Sagamu area of Ogun State. The gunmen also robbed all the passengers at about 12noon. It was gathered that the three-man gang armed robbers were among the passengers that boarded the bus at Jibowu area of Lagos. But on getting to Sagamu, they brought out their guns, ordered the driver to stop and then diverted the bus. The Station Manager, Ifesinachi Bus Transit, the operator of the vehicle, confirmed the incident and said the victims would be compensated. He admitted that the passengers were not checked before they boarded the vehicle.

Court Okays Extradition of Nigerian to US for fraud

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Tuesday, granted the request of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) that one Godwin Chiedo Nzeocha be extradited to the United States (U.S.) to face criminal charges over alleged Health Care Benefit Fund fraud involving $30 million. Nzeocha, 54, worked with the City Nursing Services in Houston, Texas, USA as a physical therapist aide between 2007 and 2009. The accused was alleged to have conspired with others and submitted claims worth $45million to the Medicare and Medicaid for health care services on behalf of some patients who are beneficiaries of the health insurance claims. Nzeocha and his accomplices were paid $30 million, but failed to remit the funds to the beneficiaries. Rather than face his trial, Nzeocha fled to Nigeria.

FG Re-names UNILAG after MKO Abiola

The Federal Government has renamed the 50-year-old University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola University Lagos (MAUL). Many have read several meanings into the presidential gesture of the institution, after the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, fondly regarded as the June 12, 1993 hero and democracy icon. The first kick came from the students of the institution, trooped out to protest the renaming. Chairman of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) of the institution, Dr. Karo Moses Igbinaka, calmed the students, stressing that UNILAG is a brand that has been built over the last 50 years. But expectedly, the President’s announcement excited the Abiola family.

Italian Kidnapped In Ilorin

An elderly Italian construction engineer has been kidnapped in Ilorin, Kwara State. It was learnt that the expatriate was monitoring a road drainage project by the state government when he was kidnapped on Monday evening. It was also learnt that the kidnappers were yet to make any contact with the associates of the Italian. The new spokesman of the Kwara State police command, Fabode Olufemi, who confirmed the incident, lamented that it was capable of frustrating the efforts of the state government at ensuring good governance.

NDLEA Arrests 5 over N2bn Heroin Import

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Thursday, arrested five suspected drug traffickers in connection with a large shipment of heroin worth N2.2 billion from Pakistan at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos. Chairman of NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, said the shipment was the agency’s first seizure of a large quantity of heroin in collaboration with British authorities. He said that the unadulterated heroin weighing 113.49kg was industrially concealed in three moulding machines imported from Islamabad, Pakistan, in a 20-feet container.

5 Killed In Multiple Tanker Accident

At least five persons were burnt to death in a road accident near Mowe in Ogun state on Thursday. The mishap involved a trailer loaded with petroleum product which rammed into some trucks parked along the sideways of the road. A witness stated that immediately after the collision, the tankers went up in flames, burning both the heavy trucks parked along the road and some motor boys caught unaware. An official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) lamented the accident, recalling that there had been efforts by the Commission to dissuade truck drivers from parking haphazardly on the expressway.

Five Killed as Building Collapses Under Heavy Downpour

A church building under construction at Ojoo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, has collapsed during a downpour on Wednesday. At least five persons were feared killed while others escaped with minor injuries. Residents scampered for safety as the flood tore through the council. A resident of Nasarawa Quarters said the flooding that followed was as a result of the blockage of the drainages because of the on-going road construction embarked on in the town by the state government. Rescue workers, including men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), state Fire Service, that arrived promptly, could not do much due to lack of sophisticated equipment to clear the debris.

Court Remands Five in Prison for Rape

An Oshogbo magistrate court has ordered that five young men be remanded in prison custody for allegedly violating a 16-year old girl. The accused were alleged to have committed the offence on May 20, 2012, at Gbongan, in Osun State. They were said to have accosted the victim, whose name was given as Queen while the unsuspecting girl was on an errand for her father and jointly had carnal knowledge of her in a toilet.

GENERAL

153 Killed as Passenger Plane Crashes in Residential Area

A passenger plane belonging to Dana Airlines crashed into a residential area in Lagos state on Sunday. All 153 persons on board are feared dead, with at least 15 on ground also killed. Some government functionaries, women and children were casualties in the crash. The flight, which took off from Abuja at 2.13pm, was expected to land in Lagos at 3.21pm, before it crashed 3 minutes to landing. President Goodluck Jonathan has declared three-day national mourning when flags are to be flown at half-mast. The Federal Government said it would ensure that the accident would be thoroughly investigated to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Bauchi: 12 Killed, 27 Injured in Fresh Bombing

At least 12 persons were killed Sunday in Bauchi when a suicide bomber forced his way into a church, Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel. The blast also affected another church close-by, Harvest Field Church. But the Bauchi State Police Command confirmed that only nine persons died in the incident. It was further gathered that the bomb exploded just as the second service was in progress. The blast hit another Church (Harvest Field Church) close to the main target, the Living Faith Church. The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan, confirmed the incident. He appealed to the citizens of the state to remain calm and go about their normal activities with an assurance that the situation had been brought under control.

50 Killed in Nasarawa Clash

About 50 persons were feared dead at the weekend following a tribal war between the Alago tribe and their neighbours, the Eggons in Nasarawa State. The incident, which started penultimate Friday as a little skirmish between the two tribes, degenerated into a major conflict on Saturday night. The state government has since waded into the matter to forestall any further breakdown of law and order as it has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the area to avert the killings and wanton destruction of property. Following this, the state command of the Nigeria Police has dispatched units of mobile policemen to the area to maintain law and order. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Cornelius Ocholi, confirmed the incident.

FG Adopts Rome Statute

The Federal Government, Wednesday, formally approved the Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes, Genocide and Related Offences Bill 2012. The domestication of the Rome Statute is expected to contribute to tackling impunity in the country. The decision to approve the law was taken at the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the approval was based on a memorandum presented to the council by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Muhammed Adoke. He said although Nigeria was a signatory to the law, the country had not been able to domesticate it before now.

Gunmen Kill Four in Kano Attack

Gunmen, last weekend, killed four people at a relaxation spot in Kano state. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen, who arrived on a motorbike at about 6pm, took positions and opened fire on the joint, which is mainly patronized by poker lovers. According to reports, the gunmen, armed with assault rifles, were heard speaking fluent local dialect and threatened to wipe off all those they said were 'transgressing against God' in the city. Spokesman of the Police in the state, Rilwanu Mohammed Dutse, confirmed the incident, adding that the command has commenced investigations.

New AIGs Deployed

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has approved the posting of new Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG) as part of efforts to restructure and reposition the Nigeria Police. Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the postings came a day after the AIGs had completed a two-week intensive course on “Leadership and Strategic Management” at the Centre for Management Development, Shangisha, Lagos.  He said the training was designed to prepare the officers for the challenges of their new ranks and postings. The IGP advised them to rededicate themselves to the service of their fatherland.

CP Warns Officers against Extra-Judicial Killings

The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Theophilus, has warned policemen against taking bribe, disobeying the laws and extorting motorists in the face of the current security challenges. Theophilus stated that the police should be seen to obey simple rules and regulations before they can enforce law and order on the public. He said the era of taking bribe before releasing suspects on bail or extorting taxi-drivers on the highways was gone, insisting that bail is free. The police commissioner warned officers warned that extra-judicial killings would not be condoned and any officer involved would face the wrath of the law.

Nigeria Records New Polio Cases

Nigeria is the only country in the world that reported cases of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) last week. According to the latest edition of Weekly Polio Update published by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), five new cases were reported in the past week, two type-three WPV (WPV3s) from Kano and Yobe states, and three type-one WPV (WPV1s) from Borno and Katsina states. All of the cases had onset of paralysis in 2012, bringing the total number of cases in 2012 to 35. The GPEI noted that although the number of polio cases was lower in the first four months of this year than during the same period in any other year, cases continue to occur in Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Chad.

Policemen Electrocuted in Kebbi

Two policemen in Kebbi State Command were, penultimate Friday, electrocuted at the Adamu Aliero Housing Estate Gwadangaji area of Birnin-Kebbi. A witness, Usman Bala Shehu, said that the incident occurred when the two men were riding on a motorcycle along unpaved road beside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office. He said when they attempted to dodge the sandy portion of the road; they ran over the 11KV wire which resulted in their sudden death. The Business Manager of Power Holding Company in Birnin-Kebbi, Engineer Umar Aliyu Yabo, has confirmed the incident.

62 Nigerian Soldiers Repatriated from Sudan

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, said that 62 soldiers were repatriated from the mission in Sudan for acts of indiscipline. Wahab made the remarks at the graduation ceremony of 26 Battalion pre-deployment training course 1 at the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre, Jaji, last weekend. He warned troops of the 26 Battalion against similar acts, adding that the army would not accept a repeat of such acts in mission assignments. The GOC also urged them to remain focused and highly professional in the discharge of their duties. The GOC said that those repatriated were being investigated to ascertain their culpability in the acts and would be punished if found wanting in the discharge of their duty.

Gaidam Frees Prisoners

In commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day on May 29th, and the first anniversary of his administration, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, has pardoned 11 prisoners, who had been serving various jail terms in the state. Announcing the pardon on Wednesday, he said some of the prisoners were pardoned following the recommendations of the committee on the Prerogative of Mercy on the state of health and ages of prisoners serving their jail terms in the state.

Police Arrest Car Snatchers in Kaduna

As part of efforts to check incidents of car robbery and theft in the state, the police in Kaduna State have impounded a total of 81 stolen vehicles and arrested eight suspects in connection with the stolen vehicles in the state. The state’ Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said the arrest was made during a raid at the New Panteka market along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway. He also disclosed the arrest of 12 suspected armed robbers in the state, who were arrested at the robbery scene, while others were apprehended through the raiding of some black spots and criminal hideouts.

Bandits Kill 10 in Borno

Suspected armed bandits Wednesday invaded a bakery in an outskirt of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, killing 10 persons in the process. Some of the residents alleged that the armed bandits who came in the wee hours of the night were members of the Boko Haram as they clearly marked out their target. Spokesperson of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said confirmed the attack.

Father, Son Arrested for Carjacking

Two suspected car snatchers, Mr Bala Mohammed and his son, Mohammed Bala have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nasarawa State command, for their alleged involvement in series of car snatching in Abuja and its environs, in recent times. Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the NCSDC, Soji Alabi, said the command was still in search of six other members of the group. Preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, Bala Mohammed (father) is the brain behind the syndicate. The suspect had confessed to have stolen about 30 vehicles in the last six months.

Abducted German Killed in Kano Crossfire

An abducted German, Raupach Fritz Edgar, was killed in a cross-fire between security operatives and his abductors at the Kano hide-out of the terrorists. Apart from Edgar, who was kidnapped in Kano on January 26 by the terrorists, four other persons lost their lives in the shoot-out. The German, who was an engineer on the employ of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Ltd, might have been hurriedly killed by the terrorists who had fallen under a heavy bombardment of the security forces that had traced them to their hideout opposite Bayero University Kano (BUK). The security forces found the handcuffed, gruesomely murdered corpse of the expatriate, spokesman of the Joint military Rask Force (JTF), Lt. Ikedichi Iweha, said.

Nigerian Navy Unveils First Locally Made Vessel

The Nigerian Navy has successfully completed the construction of a locally made vessel, the first of its kind in the West African sub region, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim has said. The Naval Chief said that the construction of the vessel was a bold step taken by the Navy as part of the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda.

JTF Arrest Gang Leader in Kano

The Joint military Task Force (JTF) has arrested a man in Kano believed to be a top militant leader. The JTF arrested the militant during an operation carried out on Tuesday morning. The man was arrested around the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) by Darmanawa quarters following a tip off. JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Ikedichi Iweha, who confirmed the arrest, refused to disclose the identity of the suspect.

Nigerian Police to Deploy Officers to Guinea Bissau

The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, has said that 142 policemen would be deployed to Guinea Bissau to maintain law and order in the country. Abubakar disclosed this at the graduation of 11 Assistant Inspectors General of Police trained on management and other courses at the Centre for Management Development (CMD), Shangisha, Lagos, last weekend. Guinea Bissau is currently under military rule after a coup. The Nigerian Police contingent, according to the IG would remain in the country until peace is restored.

Council Raises Crime Control Panel

In a bid to curb the rate of criminal activities, Kiyawa Local Council of Jigawa State has inaugurated a crime control stakeholders’ committee. The committee, which was established at the instance of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Theophilus, is to be replicated in all the 27 local councils of the state. The council chairman, Alhaji Dahiru Madaki Katuka, who spoke at the inauguration of the committee, assured members and the security agents working in the area of his council’s financial support at all times. The state Commissioner of Police solicited the support and cooperation of the general public to assist the police in the area.

Gunmen on Rampage in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kill 12

The spate of insecurity in the country claimed more lives across three states at the weekend with the death of 12 people in separate attacks. Six mourners were killed on Tuesday in Yola, Adamawa State, at the home of a slain Igbo trader, who was murdered in his shop days earlier. An Igbo trader, who survived the attack with injuries, disclosed that two men invaded the house of the deceased and opened fire on the people killing five on the spot. He said the attackers used sub-machine guns. In Borno state, the Police disclosed that a Police Sergeant, Malam Lawan and a traffic warden shot and killed by gunmen at their respective residences in Maiduguri. While in Potiskum and Damaturu, Yobe State, a gang of eight gunmen, in separate attacks, shot and killed two Islamic clerics, a driver and a retired Nigerian Prison Service officer. The Yobe State Police Commissioner, Moses Onireti, said Police had made no arrests over the killings.

Jonathan Promises to Tackle Corruption, Terrorism

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared he would discharge his responsibility in accordance with his oath of office and ensure that the life and property of every Nigerian is protected. In a message to mark the 2012 national democracy day, Jonathan said his government would confront the threat of terrorism and bring the perpetrators to justice. He further enjoined Nigerians to be loyal to the country.

Explosion Averted in Kaduna

Police in Kaduna successfully detonated a bomb planted at an intersection in Kaduna metropolis on Tuesday. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kaduna, Aminu Lawan, said that the command was alerted to the suspicious movement of a strange man close to the office of the Punch Newspaper at the Katsina roundabout area at about 6pm. The device was detonated and no casualty was recorded. The device was concealed in a television set and planted at Katsina roundabout along Ahmadu Bello way.

14 Soldiers Arraigned before General Court-Martial

Fourteen soldiers of the Nigerian Army serving in the Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau State, and Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, have been arraigned before a special military court set up by the 3 Armoured Division, Maxwel Khobe cantonment, Jos, Plateau State, for various offences committed in the course of peace operations in the two states. The 14 were arraigned on two-count charge, bordering on negligence and miscellaneous offences, which are punishable. Inaugurating the General Court-Martial, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Armored Division, Major-General Jack Okechukwu Uwaogbo, said that the Task Force was set up to restore order. The GOC said the action of the 3 division in setting up the special court is one of the procedures in the Nigerian Army to right the wrongs of its members and to inject discipline among its men.

INTERNATIONAL

Over 100 Killed in Syrian Massacre

About 108 people, including 34 children, were killed and 300 injured in the Syrian town of Houla, penultimate Friday. The UN Security Council has condemned the massacre, in which the Syrian government has denied any involvement, blaming "terrorists". The UK wants Russia, Syria's only major foreign ally, to put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to halt civilian deaths. Russia rejected a joint UK-French statement condemning the killings, diplomats say. Opposition activists say the Syrian military bombarded Houla after demonstrations. They say that some of the victims were killed during the shelling, while others were shot dead at close range by the regime militia known as the "shabiha". Syria's foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi said there was a clash in the area on Friday afternoon between security forces and armed terrorists.

Charles Taylor Gets 50 Years Jail Term for War Crimes
…Mubarak Gets Life Sentence

A war crimes court has sentenced former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, to 50 years in prison for arming Sierra Leone rebels in return for “blood diamonds”. Taylor was convicted on April 26 on all 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for aiding and abetting Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during the country’s 1991-2001 civil war. In return, the court said, Taylor was paid in diamonds mined by slave labour in areas under control of rebels who murdered, raped and kept sex slaves while hacking off limbs and forcing children under 15 to fight. He is the first head of state sentenced to prison for sponsoring atrocities since World War 11 and he will serve his term in a British jail. Similarly, former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarack, on Saturday, got a life sentence for the killing of protesters. He is the first former president put on trial and sentenced by his own people.

Rescuers Find Bodies at Pakistan Avalanche Site

Pakistani rescuers have recovered the first bodies from the site of an avalanche that buried 140 people at a high-altitude army camp more than seven weeks ago, the military said Sunday. A huge wall of snow crashed into the remote Siachen Glacier base high in the mountains in disputed Kashmir in the early hours of April 7, smothering an area of one square kilometre (a third of a square mile), reports AFP. Rescuers have been digging in tunnels in the hard mass of snow and ice that hit the battalion headquarters of the 6th Northern Light Infantry to try to recover the bodies of 129 soldiers and 11 civilians at the Gayari camp. Several foreign teams have visited the site, which is 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) up in the mountains, to assist the rescue efforts.

Four Arrested after Deadly Shooting

Four people have been arrested after a man was shot dead and three others were hurt in an attack at a pub in Greater Manchester. Mark Short, 23, was killed when a gunman walked into the Cotton Tree in Droylsden, Greater Manchester and began shooting. He opened fire on a group of men standing near a pool table. The gunman escaped in a Ford Focus and police believe another two men were waiting in the vehicle. It was later found abandoned and on fire in Hattersley, around six miles away. Police have said a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder following the shooting. A 52-year-old woman was held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and possessing class ‘A’ drugs. Two other men, aged 21 and 18, have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Qatar Shopping Mall Blaze Kills 19

A fire that erupted at a nursery in a huge shopping centre in the Qatari capital of Doha, on Monday, claimed 19 lives, officials said. The blaze at the Villaggio mall left 19 dead, including 13 children and four female teachers. The Qatari interior ministry said two civil defence personnel also died. The state minister for the interior, Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Thani, said that there was a lack of urgency from officials in the mall when alarms went off and complained of lack of planning and coordination in terms of evacuation of people. Health Minister, Khaled al-Qahtani, said all the fatalities were caused by asphyxiation. Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani ordered a special commission set up to probe the deadly blaze.

Fifteen Killed in as Earth Quake Hits Italy

Fifteen people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake hit northern Italy on Monday - the second in nine days. The 5.8-magnitude quake struck just after 9am local time in an area that was hit by a quake on May 20, in which 7 were killed. The latest tremor has claimed the lives of at least 15 people, and injured 200. There are fears other people could be dead beneath the rubble of buildings. Spokesman for the Italian Geophysics and Volcanology Institute Alessandro Amato said, confirmed this.

Sudan Bombs South Sudan

South Sudan, Monday, said that Sudanese war planes and artillery had bombarded its territory. This comes on the eve of peace talks, as officials of the two nations set off to attend the African Union (AU)-led negotiations in Ethiopia. South Sudan’s top negotiator, Pagan Amum, however, said he was still “optimistic” that the talks would go ahead and produce results. International pressure has pushed both sides to return to the long-running talks stalled by the fighting in April, when Southern troops seized an oil field from Khartoum’s troops for 10 days as Sudan launched repeated air strikes. Southern army spokesman, Philip Aguer, said that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) had launched bombing raids by warplanes as well as firing shells across their contested border. Sudan has repeatedly denied it has launched air strikes on the South.

Researchers Uncover International Cyber-Attack

Researchers have announced the discovery of a complex targeted cyber-attack that collected private data from countries such as Israel and Iran. Among other countries affected by the attack are Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. According to a Russian security firm, Kaspersky Labs, the malware, known as Flame, had been operating since August 2010. The company believes that it believed the attack was state-sponsored, but could not be sure of its exact origins. The research into the attack described was carried out in conjunction with the United Nations’ (UN) International Telecommunication Union. Researchers were investigating another malware threat, known as Wiper, which was reportedly deleting data on machines in western Asia when they stumbled on Flame.

Mali’s Rebel’s Claim Secession

Mali’s embattled transitional government has rejected a rebel alliance’s declaration of an Islamic state in the vast desert north, Azawad. The statement by Tuareg and Islamist rebels that they have joined forces to create “the transitional council of the Islamic state of Azawad” came as interim President Dioncounda Traore travelled for treatment after being assaulted by protesters. Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, however, insisted that the political transition in Mali remains in conformity with the accord signed between the military junta and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The accord between the Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) and the secular Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (Tuareg MNLA) comes after weeks of discussions between two groups that hold separate objectives and ideologies.

Guinea Bissau’s Ex-Army Chief, Others Detained in Gambia

Gambia’s Immigration Ministry announced on Wednesday that that Guinea-Bissau’s former army chief, elections chief and ousted interior minister are being detained “for security reasons” after fleeing to Banjul. It was reported that former army chief, Jose Zamora Induta, elections commission chief, Desejado Da Costa and Fernando Gomes, who was interior minister in the government overthrown in April, fled Guinea-Bissau last weekend. Gambia’s immigration department spokesman, Ba Ensa Jawara, revealed that the three, “arrived in Gambia last weekend and are being held.

Four Britons Nabbed for Drug Trafficking in Indonesia

Four Britons face death sentence after being arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth £1.6million on to the Indonesian island of Bali. Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old woman, was picked up by police after allegedly entering the country from Bangkok with the drugs in the lining of her suitcase. Four others, including an Indian were arrested after Sandiford was persuaded to take part in 'controlled delivery'. Police believe the other suspects were waiting on the island to receive the haul, which weighed 4.7 kilograms (11 pounds). If convicted, they will all face a maximum penalty of death by firing squad.

Two Remanded for Plotting Terror Attack

A Danish court on Tuesday remanded in custody two brothers of Somali origin, who are suspected of plotting a terror attack and for their links to the Islamist Shabaab network in Somalia. The brothers, aged 18 and 23, were arrested on Monday, Danish intelligence agency PET said. Police have also searched two separate addresses in Aarhus in connection with the arrests. Both men held Danish citizenship and had been living in the Aarhus area for the past 16 years. Since the suspected attack plot had been averted, PET said there was no need to raise the terror threat level in Denmark, which is nonetheless considered "serious".

Military Action an Option in Syria -France

UN and Arab League special envoy, Kofi Annan, has warned that the violence in Syria had reached "tipping point". This is as France said military intervention should not be ruled out. Annan stated this as governments across the globe expelled senior Syrian diplomats in response to the killing of at least 108 people in Houla, penultimate Friday. While French President, Francois Hollande, said military intervention to end the crisis in Syria could not be ruled out if it was backed by the UN Security Council, the US said it remained opposed to military action in Syria, reasoning that it would only lead to more carnage. Britain and several other countries, including the US, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey, expelled Syrian diplomats in their country to increase the pressure on the regime of Bashir al-Assad to stop the violence.

7 Killed in Baghdad Attacks

A series of explosions rocked several areas in Baghdad on Thursday, leaving seven people dead and several others injured, according to Iraqi police. One of the explosions occurred in a Shiite neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad. A parked car bomb exploded in a busy area of the neighborhood, killing four people and wounding 18 others, police said. In a Sunni neighborhood in western Baghdad, bombs planted near two homes left two people dead and seven others wounded. Four police officers were also wounded after a roadside bomb exploded in a Sunni district in the southern part of the capital city. It is not clear, which group carried out the attacks.

Gunmen Kidnap Tourists in Egypt

Gunmen kidnapped two American tourists on Thursday in Egypt's Sinai region and demanded the release of a man arrested a day earlier for drug possession. Authorities said the tourists, both 31, were in a car when they were stopped. The US Embassy in Cairo said it is aware of the kidnapping. The Sinai is one of the most underdeveloped areas in the country, and Bedouins have long complained of nonexistent government services.

Gunman Kills Five, Shoots Himself in Seattle

A gunman who opened fire at a Seattle cafe killing five people and critically wounding one other shot himself as officers closed in on him. Assistant Police Chief, Jim Pugel, said a plain-clothes detective spotted the cafe suspect in the south-western part of the city and called for more officers. As the officers arrived, the man put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He later died at a local hospital. Police also had to respond to another fatal shooting after a man killed a woman in an apparent carjacking and fled. Authorities believe one man was responsible for both attacks. The gunman was described as a man in his 30s wearing dark clothes.

FARC Rebels Release French Reporter

Colombia's FARC guerrillas freed French reporter, Romeo Langlois, on Wednesday, a month after taking him hostage in a fire fight. Langlois was taken hostage in the southern Caqueta region on April 28 after he was caught in crossfire between a Colombian military unit and FARC rebels. Langlois was wounded in his left arm, but appeared in good health after being released. He said he had been treated well during his captivity.

China Uncovers Kidneys Trafficking Syndicate

Police in Hangzhou, China’s Zhejiang Province, have busted a gang of human organ traffickers and arresting two suspects. The crime was exposed recently by a netizen who infiltrated a “kidney trafficking plant” by pretending to be a kidney seller. It was revealed that many desperate young men who wanted to sell their kidneys for purposes such as paying debt lived in the base, located in the city’s Jianggan district. Traffickers paid an average of 35,000 yuan ($5,521.5) for each kidney, while patients are charged 200,000 to 500,000 yuan for the organs on the black market. Hangzhou police launched an investigation immediately after the case was exposed and the two major suspects were caught in central China’s Hunan Province.

Israeli Soldier Killed by Palestinian Gunman

An Israeli soldier was killed on Friday in an exchange of fire with a Palestinian militant near the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said. The Palestinian gunman "was identified infiltrating Israel" and was shot dead after he opened fire on the Israeli soldiers. No information about the incident was immediately available from Palestinian authorities. The shooting comes a day after the Israeli government handed over the remains of 91 Palestinians killed in attacks against Israeli targets over the past four decades. Israel imposed an economic blockade of Gaza when the militant group Hamas took charge in 2007, which it says is needed to stop the transit of weaponry to be used by militants in attacks on Israel.