Joomla Templates and Joomla Extensions by ZooTemplate.Com
Joomla Templates and Joomla Extensions by ZooTemplate.Com
Latest News: Training and recruitment is ongoing - Wednesday, 02 March 2011 22:54

week 41

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Amaechi Assures Companies of Security, Power Supply

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has assured multinational companies operating in the state of adequate security to carry out their operations. Speaking at a gala night in commemoration of Nigeria’s 52nd independence anniversary, Amaechi said security was key in his administration’s drive to provide the enabling environment for multinationals and oil firms to operate favourably. Amaechi also expressed the commitment of his administration to provide regular power supply by December this year despite the inability of the Federal Government to conclude arrangements with the state government on the distribution of power to residents of the state.

Pipeline Fire Kills 20 in Abia

About 20 persons have so far been confirmed dead in Abia State following a fire outbreak from a broken petroleum pipeline. The deceased were burnt alive while try scooping the fuel at the scene of the incident, at Umueke village in Osisioma LGA. The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, Ugochukwu Emezue, on Monday, said the fire happened September 23, but it took days for the information to reach officials.

Government Evacuates 76,000 Anambra Flood Victims

More than 76,000 victims of the devastating floods that hit about 200 communities in five LGAs of Anambra State are being evacuated from their homes to relief camps in Onitsha and Nteje. The evacuation came as reports said two persons had died following the flooding that submerged their homes, penultimate Sunday night. Governor Peter Obi led the evacuation exercise on Monday as he abandoned the Independence anniversary parade review in Awka and headed for Ogbaru LGA whose communities are the hardest hit in the flooding. Personnel of the Navy, Army, Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, the Red Cross Society of Nigeria, the Peace Corps and other voluntary agencies were involved in the exercise.

FG Moves to Review ICJ Judgement on Bakassi

President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a committee to review the October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that made Nigeria cede the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun. The president’s action is reportedly based on the discovery of new evidence that was not made available to the ICJ during the litigation between the two countries on the ownership of the peninsula. The president announced on Thursday the setting up of a committee to review the judgment. The setting up of the committee signalled the preparedness of Nigeria to challenge the ICJ judgment. Jonathan’s decision came about a week after the National Assembly called on him to appeal the ruling that Bakassi belonged to Cameroun.

Man Rapes 12-Year-Old Girl

A local government employee in Ebonyi State, Chieze Nwankwo, was arrested on Tuesday, for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, who resides in his compound. The incident was reported to the police station in the area and later transferred to Obiozara Police Station for proper investigation. It was learnt that the victim, a primary six pupil was lured by Nwankwo with an apple when she went to fetch water to take her bath. Narrating her ordeal, the girl explained that the accused lured her with an apple and that before she knew what was happening, he had removed her clothes and overpowered her. Father of the victim, Mr Ogbonnaya, called on the state government and relevant security agencies to ensure that appropriate punishment is meted out on the culprit.

Constable Dies Day after Raping 11-Year-Old Girl

A police constable, who allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl, has died in his office in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state. The policeman, Eze Ogbonna, died on Monday and was alleged to have committed the offence on September 22. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sylvester Igbo, the mother of the girl noticed blood stains on the girl’s dress and upon questioning, she alleged that she was raped by the deceased policeman. He added that the police constable was arrested, but later released on self-recognition, stating that investigation into the matter was on when the corporal died. He further said that the girl had been taken to the hospital for treatment, adding that the law on rape provides for a lifetime imprisonment of any individual upon conviction.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Over 500 Houses Collapse in Delta, as 4 Die in Edo

More than 500 houses have collapsed in various communities ravaged by flood in Delta State. Worst hit are Ewulu community in Aniocha South-East of Delta State, which recorded over 100 houses as river Umuomi, a tributary of the River Niger, overflowed its bank. Scores of persons were trapped in the flooded Ewulu community, while others relocated to Asaba. The Delta State government has provided boats and buses to evacuate victims from the affected communities to various camps in the state. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Wednesday directed the heads of the flooded councils to drive the efforts to evacuate victims. The LGAs are Patani, Isoko South and North, Ndokwa East, Bomadi, Burutu, Oshimili North and South, Ughelli North and South. Also, four persons had been feared killed in Ekperi rehabilitation camp in Etsako Central LGA of Edo State.

Customs Impounds N14.8m Worth of Unregistered NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Edo State has taken delivery of a truck load of unregistered pharmaceutical products worth N14.8 million from the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone C. The state coordinator of NAFDAC, David West, said the truck was intercepted by men of Nigeria Customs Service on routine patrol on the Benin–Asaba highway.  He said that no arrest was made as the driver of the truck absconded on sighting the men of the Customs Service. The products, which were suspected to have been illegally imported into the country, had the countries of their manufacture as Pakistan, India and China.

Delta Commissioner Abducted

Kidnappers of the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha, are yet to make contact with the family members. Eghagha was abducted by armed gunmen who killed his police orderly at Owa-Ekei, near Agbor, Ika North East Local Council. Meanwhile, barely few weeks after she raised the alarm over the purported kidnapping of a Delta State Judge, Justice Marcel Okoh, an activist, Chief Rita Lori Ogbebor, has called for investigation into the matter.

143 UNIBEN Students Arrested for Forgery

Authorities of the University of Benin, on Wednesday, said it had handed over to the police 143 of its students for certificate forgery. The students, according to a statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Harrison Osarenren, are students of the faculties of Social Sciences, Engineering, Management Sciences and Life Sciences. Vice-Chancellor, of the institution, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin, said some of the students were arrested during the second semester examinations.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Five Killed in Oyo Bank Raid

At least five persons, including two traffic wardens and two members of an armed robbery gang, were reportedly killed in Iseyin, Oyo State, on Wednesday when some robbers reportedly stormed the town to rob a bank. The robbers, numbering about 11, were said to have forced their way into the bank and later blew off the security door with explosives. The traffic officers that lost their lives during the incident were said to be carrying out their duty at a junction near the bank. The robbers were said to have carted away unspecified amount of money from the bank while other banks in the neighbourhood were forced to close to business. Police spokesman, Daniel Oboyi, confirmed the incident.

Couple Arrested with N3.2m Hemp

The Nigeria Customs Service at Seme border has arrested a couple with 30 compressed blocks of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, whose value is put at N3.2m. The substance was seized while being conveyed into the country from the Republic of Benin through the Seme border in a Kia Sephia car with Lagos number plate KSF160AG. The Customs Area Controller, Mr. Othman Saleh, said that the substance was concealed in the bonnet and under the seat of the car. Apart from the couple, the CAC also said a baby was found in the car. Saleh said the suspects, along with the exhibits and the car had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.

Pakistani Man in Court over Drug Trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned a Pakistani citizen, Bukhari Syed Ahmed Waseem and his Nigerian accomplice, Benjamin Okereke, before Justice James Tsoho of a federal high court in Lagos for allegedly indulging in drug trafficking. Waseem was said to be a specialist in importing heroin and other hard drugs from Pakistan.

Man Arraigned for Kidnapping Boy in Osun

A 37-year-old man, Nurudeen Adeniyi, was during the week, arraigned before an Osogbo chief magistrate court for allegedly kidnapping a 10-year-old boy identified as Sikiru Salam. Nurudeen was accused of kidnapping one 10-year-old boy of Ansa-Ur-Deen (AUD) Primary School Isale Osun in Osogbo by pretending that he knew the boy. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge levelled against him when the charges were read by the court clerk.

Undergraduate, Others Arrested for Internet Scam, Robbery

Suspected bank robbers and a fraudster, Nurudeen Oyeniyi, were on Thursday paraded by the Oyo State Police command. Twenty-three year Oyeniyi, a 300-level student of Lead City University, Ibadan, was arrested for allegedly defrauding some foreigners of millions of dollars. The suspect, who confirmed his involvement in Internet fraud, told the police that he got into the business two years ago. He also accepted to have swindled two women of huge sums of money. The police also paraded one Kingsley Aniankan, a house keeper, who allegedly robbed the wife of his former employer.

NRC Official Stabbed to Death in Lagos

An Assistant Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nuhu Dibal, has died after being stabbed in the chest at his residence. It was learnt that the assailants stormed Dibal’s official residence on 76, Ahmadu Bello Road, Railway Compound, Ebute Meta, Lagos, on Tuesday around 2am. It was learnt that the assailants gained entry into the deceased’s duplex through the window of the toilet in his bedroom. Dibal (47), a father of five, rejoined the services of the NRC in 2010 and moved into the apartment six months ago while his wife and the children moved in with him last Friday. Thirty nine year-old wife of the deceased, Rahab, said two strange men in a red jeep parked in front of the compound on Monday at about 5pm and were spotted pointing at the building.

GENERAL

Gunmen Kill 46 Students in Mubi

It was a black Independence Day celebration for the inhabitants of Mubi town, Adamawa State, as unknown gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, massacred at least 46 persons, mostly students of three tertiary institutions in the town, on Monday night. Security agents have begun a manhunt and arrested some suspects over the killing. The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed the arrest. The search began just as President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the security forces to intensify efforts to fish out the killers, while Senate President David Mark called for capital punishment for the attackers. The gunmen who had attacked students of the Federal Polytechnic, Adamawa State University and the School of Health Technology, all in Mubi, were said to have gone from room to room and killed the people they found there with guns and machetes.

New CDS, Service Chiefs Named

Three new service chiefs emerged on Thursday with the retirement of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin. Petirin is succeeded by Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim. Ibrahim was the Chief of Naval Staff. In the new appointments approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, retained his position, while Air Vice Marshal Alex Sabunduh Badeh, replaces Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, as the Chief of Air Staff. Rear Admiral D.J. Ezeoba was named to take over from Ibrahim as the Chief of Naval Staff. The appointment of Ibrahim as the CDS makes him the second naval chief to hold the position after Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi. Meanwhile, Jonathan, Thursday, vowed to make the continuous strengthening of the Nigerian Armed Forces a top priority of his administration.

Navy Unveils New Camouflage Uniform

The Nigeria Navy has introduced an operational camouflage uniform for its personnel for internal security duties. The acting Minister of Defence and Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, while inaugurating the military uniform on Tuesday at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja, explained that the Navy at its inception in 1956, adopted the uniforms and accessories of the Royal Navy of Britain with some modification to suit Nigeria’s peculiar climate and operational environment. Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, said as evolving threats dictate a more combative role for the military, combat rigs like the camouflage uniforms had been adopted into the uniform system of most navies worldwide.

FG Approves Inclusion of 3,642 Ex-Militants in Amnesty Programme

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the inclusion of 3,642 ex- Niger Delta militants in the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The new figure brings the total number of ex-militants undergoing reformation under the programme to 30,000. It was learnt that the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, had forwarded a memo to the President seeking his approval for inclusion of more ex-agitators in the programme. The President was said to have approved Kuku’s request on Thursday and also instructed that the demobilisation exercise at the Obubra camp, Cross River State should commenced immediately.

Robbery Suspect among Police Recruits

The Nigeria Police College, Kaduna State, on Thursday said it found a robbery suspect among recruits undergoing training in the college. The commandant of the college, Alhaji Sanusi Rufai, said that the suspect was named by members of his gang after they were arrested by the police in Abuja. The commandant said details of the suspect’s identity were forwarded to the college, which withdrew, arrested and transferred him to the appropriate police unit for investigation. Rufai said the suspect was among 25 recruits the college disqualified for various inadequacies during training.

2 Killed As Gunmen Attack UNIMAID

Two students of University of Maiduguri were reportedly killed on Tuesday following an attack on their off campus hostel on Bama Road in Maiduguri. An eyewitness said the attack was carried out by some unknown gunmen who stormed the area around 4:30pm and opened fire on the students, killing them on the spot. It was not clear what the motive of the killing was, or who were behind the killing, but it had semblance with the massacre of over 46 students in Mubi on Monday night. Similarly, a lone bomber has hit a brothel in Zaria. The bomber escaped after attacking the hotel. Seven persons were said to have been injured.

Mark Wants Death Penalty for Terrorists

Senate President, David Mark, has strongly advocated death sentence for masterminds of the Mubi massacre and other terrorists in the country. He also demanded quick apprehension of the Mubi murderers for prosecution. Mark’s outburst was against the backdrop of the Senate’s resolution to condemn the attack in the strongest terms. They urged the Federal Government to expeditiously apprehend the perpetrators of the act. The senators also decried the recurrent tendency of government to forget to tackle terrorist attacks to a timely and conclusive end until another attack occurs.

Man Drops Bomb in Hotel

A suspected bomber, on Wednesday night, dropped a bomb in a hotel in Zaria, Kaduna State, injuring over 10 persons, including sex workers and hotel staff. The incident took place at Cosmopolitan Hotel, located on Uche Road, Sabo Garin area in Zaria. Eyewitness said the yet-to-be identified bomber strolled into the hotel and dropped a polythene bag containing the bomb and disappeared. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Aminu Lawan, said four people were injured in what he described as a minor blast.

Gunmen Kill Soldier, Four Others in Maiduguri

A member of the Joint Task Force (JTF) was, on Monday, killed in an explosion in Maiduguri. The explosion that left four others seriously injured. It was learnt that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which was targeted at the task force patrol vehicle by suspected members of the Boko Haram exploded along the popular Lagos Street, when JTF men were on routine patrol in the area. In another development, four people were said to have been shot dead penultimate Sunday night by gunmen in Damboa road area in Maiduguri. The sect also said it will target female government officials. It said between seven and 10 spouses of the group’s members are being held by security operatives. Sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, admitted that the spokesman of the group, Abu Qaqa, has been captured by security operatives.

Police Parade 30 Crime Suspects in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Police Command, on Wednesday, paraded 30 armed robbery suspects, including two suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. Police spokesman, Aminu Lawan, said the command was making tremendous progress in routing robbers, terrorists and other criminals in the state. Several guns, dynamites, ammunition, chemicals, tools and devices used in making hand bombs were also recovered from the suspects. Lawan disclosed that many Boko Haram suspects had been arrested in the cities of Kaduna and Zaria, during a joint operation by the police, the military and the State Security Service (SSS) which recently raided the hideout of some members of the Boko Haram. The command said it had arrested 28 suspected armed robbers including an ex-Air Force officer said to be terrorising the state in recent times. The arrest of the suspected members of the Islamic militant group came 72 hours after a joint military operation at Gaskiya in Zaria left two members of the sect dead.

Four Nigerian Peacekeepers Killed in Sudan Ambush

Four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and 8 wounded in an ambush on Tuesday night in Sudan’s western Darfur region, the UN-African Union Mission said on Wednesday. The attackers struck late Tuesday UNAMID Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba called on the Khartoum authorities to hunt down those responsible. Ethnic minority rebels rose against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in 2003. In response, the government unleashed state-backed Janjaweed Arab militia in a conflict that shocked the world and led to allegations of genocide. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday on Sudan to conduct a full investigation into an attack that killed four peacekeepers in Darfur, his spokesman said.

Northern Muslims Allege Genocide, Demand N105bn from FG

Muslims members of Southern Kaduna community in Kaduna State have asked the ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja to order the Federal Government to pay them the sum of N105bn as compensation for failing to protect them from an alleged ethno-religious cleansing carried out by indigenous members of the community after the April 2011 presidential election. The suit, which came up for hearing on Wednesday, was filed on behalf of the Southern Kaduna Muslims by the plaintiffs – the Registered Trustees of Jamaa Foundation. The plaintiffs claimed that, in the civil disturbances that ensued shortly after the road block was set up, their members lost lives and property while relevant agencies of the government failed to restore order in the community.

President Vows to Strengthen the Armed Forces

President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to continuously strengthen the Nigerian Armed forces, saying that the strength of any nation lies with its military. Jonathan made this remarks Wednesday at the inauguration of the first phase of the newly created 176 Guards Battalion, Kuje Barracks. He stated the welfare of the military was of utmost importance in the affairs of any nation and assured that the Federal Government would work closely with all the security services to strengthen the armed forces. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, said in line with the president agenda, the army had since realised that one of the best way to develop was to look inwards in order to maximise their potentials and augment government’s effort.

Police Recover Stolen Jewellery, Kill Two Armed Robbers

Kano State Police Command has recovered gold jewellery worth N30 million, property of Hajiya Maryam Abacha, widow of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. The Command also shot dead two armed robbery suspects, during a gun duel. State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Idris said that the items were recovered after a thorough investigation into the case, adding that the arrest of one Lawan Mohammed led to the recovery of the exhibits. The jewellery were said to have been stolen from the residence of the late Abacha family when a five-man robbery armed gang broke into their residence in Nassarawa Quarters in Kano metropolis. He said five of the armed robbers have been arrested, while one of them was shot during the operation.

FG Ready for Talks with Okah

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed the readiness of his administration to hold talks with a leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, who is on trial in a South African court for terrorism. According to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, dialogue with members of the warring factions has proved the best strategy in restoring peace to the oil-rich Niger Delta region. Okah, who is facing terrorism charges, is accused of masterminding the October 2010 bombings that led to the death of 12 people and injured 36 more in Abuja. He has been in custody since his arrest on October 2, 2010, with courts turning down all his bail applications. Defence lawyers denied Okah’s involvement in the fatal bombings, and accused the Federal Government of fabricating charges against him.

Floods: Crocodiles and Hippos Invade Homes

Despite the ravaging flood which has sacked thousands of persons in several communities, the National Emergency Management  Agency (NEMA) has warned that there will yet be even more flood in the days ahead. The warning is coming as dangerous animals like crocodiles and hippos are already invading homes in several communities in the north.  Residents of communities in flood prone areas that are yet to relocate have been urged to move now, for their own safety as more flooding is expected. Speaking at Lokoja, the Zonal Coordinator, Abuja office of NEMA, Ishaya Chinoko, said the country is likely to experience more flooding.

NAPTIP Smashes Child-Trafficking Syndicate

A woman and her brother have been arrested for child trafficking after her a 16-year-old mother, Peace Asugwo, alleged that her baby was taken away because her grandmother, felt she had disgraced the family by getting pregnant out of wedlock. Peace was impregnated at 16 by her boyfriend. But an Abuja-based driver, Kingsley Linus, was willing to marry her and the dowry was paid to her grandmother. Peace followed her husband to Abuja, where he arranged for his sister, Martina Onwelikwe, a nurse, to take care of the infant. The nurse left with Linus who soon disappeared. Peace reported to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and its agents were able to recover the baby alongside four others from the syndicate and the couples who they sold the children to. While Linus denied all the allegations, Onwelikwe admitted selling the babies.

Gunmen Kill 20 in Borno

Twenty people have been killed at the State Low Cost Housing Estate (SLHE) in Abaganaram ward, Maiduguri, Borno State. Also, the Kaduna State police command has arrested two suspected members of Boko Haram. Nine hours after the Abaganaram massacre, two gunmen suspected to be members of the same group, were also shot dead by men of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) at the Masidimami Bridge on Tuesday. The gunmen, according to sources, were said to have used the Ngadabul River to flee Maiduguri with their AK 47 rifles on their shoulders. Confirming the separate incidents, the Borno State Police spokesman, Gideon Jibrin, said that there were serial attacks on many residents of the Housing Estate, Abaganaram on Monday night. He also said that the armed hoodlums went from house to house at the estate in their selective and silent killings of 20 residents by slitting their throats.

Scores Killed in Iraqi Cities

Nine cities and towns in Iraq were attacked by militants with bombings and shootings in which about 32 people were killed and 104 wounded. Over 252 people were killed and 801 wounded in attacks in Iraq in September. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Syria, a suicide car bomb rocked the Kurdish city of Qamishli, in the first such attack in the region, which has kept out of the conflict between rebels and the regime. This came as Syrian government forces and rebels kept up the battle for the northern city of Aleppo.

Bomb Blast Kills 3 in Jalingo

About three people were Thursday night feared dead in a bomb explosion that rocked Jalingo, Taraba State capital. The blast occurred at Dorowa area in the heart of the town at about 8.pm. Though official casualty figures is yet to be released, sources at the federal medical centre, Jalingo said three people were brought to the hospital dead. Several others who sustained varying degrees of injuries were also seen being attended to by the hospital officials. Among the injured, 12 people were said to be in critical condition. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Amos Olaoye, confirmed the incident, but refused to give details.

Taraba Impeaches Dep Governor

Taraba State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sani Abubakar has been impeached by the state House of Assembly. Alhaji Sani Abubakar was impeached following the adoption of the report of the committee set up to investigate allegations of misconduct levelled against him. Twenty members, representing over two thirds of the 24 member House of Assembly voted in favour of the impeachment. However, three members, Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini, Hon. Aminu Umar and Hon. A. Juguilde from Lau, Jalingo and Gembu constituencies, were, however, absent from the emergency sitting. The impeached deputy governor was found guilty of all three allegations levelled against him

Nigeria Accounts for 25% of Global Kidnappings – AIO

The African Insurance Organisation has said Nigeria accounts for a quarter of kidnap for ransom cases reported worldwide in the last one year. The Insurance Institute of Mauritius, the official host of the 18th African Reinsurance Forum of AIO, disclosed this in its newsletter on kidnap and ransom insurance cover during the ongoing forum in Balaclava, Mauritius on Wednesday. For this reason, the insurance association said Nigeria had been designated as the global capital for kidnap for ransom due to the huge record of kidnap cases reported in the country yearly. In the first half of 2011, Africa’s proportion of the global total increased from 23 per cent in 2010 to 34 per cent. Nigeria is now the kidnap for ransom capital of the world, accounting for a quarter of globally reported cases.”

INTERNATIONAL

Mortar from Syria Kills Five Family Members in Turkey

A mortar bomb fired from Syria landed in a residential district of the south-eastern Turkish town of Akcakale on Wednesday, killing a woman and four children from the same family and wounding eight others. Residents infuriated by the increasing spill over of violence from Syria's civil war, took to the streets in protest. Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has reported the incident to the UN and also spoke with senior military officials and Syria crisis mediator Lakhdar Brahimi. Davutoglu signalled over the weekend that Turkey would take action if there was a repeat of a mortar strike.

Syria Conflict: Deadly Blasts Rip through Aleppo Square

At least 27 people have been killed and dozens wounded by five bomb explosions in the centre of Syria's second city, Aleppo, officials have said. Four of the blasts happened in the city's Saadallah al-Jabari Square, near a military officers' club and a hotel, reports the BBC. Pro-government al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast pictures of bodies being pulled out of buildings damaged by the blasts and large crater in a road. Government forces have been fighting rebels for weeks for control of Aleppo. Rebel fighters launched a new offensive last week to try to seize more districts and fires over the weekend gutted the historic central souk.

Four Officers Charged for Killing Cote d’Ivoire’s Ex-Leader

A Cote d’Ivoire's military court in Abidjan has charged four senior officers over the 2002 assassination of former junta leader, Robert Guei. The four were all senior officers under Laurent Gbagbo, the ex-president who was ousted following his refusal to concede defeat in a 2010 election. Similarly, a court in Ghana charged Justin Kone Katinan, the former spokesman of Gbagbo, with murder. Katinan and the former Ivoirien Minister, Dalo Desire, were charged with conspiracy and the murder of two men in Abidjan in March last year, reports say. Guei, who came to power in a Christmas eve coup in 1999 before losing to Gbagbo in polls the following year, was killed in unclear circumstances. His wife and interior minister were also killed on September 19, 2002 –the day Cote d’Ivoire‘s four-year civil war began.

11 Suspects Charged in Russian Military Exports Ring

A US Federal Prosecutor’s Office has announced criminal charges against 11 members of an alleged ring illegally exporting $50 million worth of high-tech military electronics to Russia under the guise of civilian deals. The microelectronics allegedly exported to Russia are subject to strict government controls due to their potential use in a wide range of military systems, including radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems, and detonation triggers. The alleged scheme ran between 2008 and recently, with defendants posing as civilian manufacturers. A Texas-based company called Arc Electronics, owned by Russian-American defendant, Alexander Fishenko, allegedly told U.S. suppliers that it made traffic lights.

48 Syrians Die, Several Injured in Aleppo’s Car Explosions

About three cars laden with bombs tore into the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday, killing 48 people and wounding 100, mostly soldiers. This came as the army launched a major offensive against rebel bastions near Damascus. Also two car bombs exploded in quick succession around Aleppo’s Saadallah al-Jabiri Square near a military officers’ club and a hotel. A third bomb went off soon afterwards at the nearby Bab Jnein district at an entrance to the Old City, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a military source said.

Opposition Wins Georgia’s Parliamentary Polls

President Mikheil Saakashvili has admitted his party has lost Georgia’s parliamentary election. Saakashvili said the Georgian Dream bloc of his main rival, billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, had won Monday’s election. Ivanishvili, whose coalition looks set for victory over Saakashvili’s ruling party after Monday’s vote, said officials who committed crimes under the former government would be prosecuted. Outlining his foreign policy priorities, he said he wanted to improve links with Russia at the same time as bidding to join NATO – an ambition that angered Moscow while Saakashvili’s government was in power.

Captains, Others Arrested after 38 Die in Ferry Accident

Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested the captains and five other members of crew of a ferry and a pleasure boat that collided, killing 38 people in the city’s worst maritime disaster in decades. Reports indicated that over 120 passengers and crew were on a Hong Kong Electric company vessel to watch a huge National Day fireworks display in Victoria Harbour Monday evening when the collision occurred near Lamma Island. People were thrown into the choppy water from the company boat, which sank within minutes, while the stricken ferry, Sea Smooth, limped to Lamma where it’s shaken but relatively unharmed passengers disembarked. Officials said the captain and three other personnel from the ferry had been arrested, along with the captain of the company vessel and two of its crew, for “endangering the safety of others at sea”.

Rioters Torch Buddhist Temples, Homes in Protests against Photo

Thousands of rioters reportedly torched Buddhist temples and homes in southeastern Bangladesh over a photo posted on Facebook deemed offensive to Islam. Bangladesh’s officials claimed that the mob comprising some 25,000 people, set fire to about five Buddhist temples and dozens of homes in Ramu town and its adjoining villages, some 350 kilometres (216 miles) from the capital, Dhaka. The rioters allegedly claimed the photo defaming the Qur’an was uploaded on Facebook by a young Buddhist man from the area, quoting district administrator, Joinul Bari, as saying. The man, who sparked the riots, has gone into hiding.

Scores Killed in Iraqi Cities

Nine cities and towns in Iraq were attacked by militants with bombings and shootings in which about 32 people were killed and 104 wounded. Over 252 people were killed and 801 wounded in attacks in Iraq in September. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Syria, a suicide car bomb rocked the Kurdish city of Qamishli, in the first such attack in the region, which has kept out of the conflict between rebels and the regime. This came as Syrian government forces and rebels kept up the battle for the northern city of Aleppo.

Mexican Politician Loses Son to Drug Lords

A son of the former chairman of Mexico's most powerful political party was found shot dead in a town south of the U.S. border notorious for drug traffickers. The body of Jose Eduardo Moreira, son of the embattled ex-chairman of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and former Coahuila state governor, Humberto Moreira, was discovered near Ciudad Acuna, across the Rio Grande River from Texas, late on Wednesday, the state's government said on Thursday. He had been reported missing several hours before his body was found. Military reinforcements were sent into Coahuila to assist investigations into the killing.

Turkey Authorizes Military Operations in Syria

Turkey's Parliament authorized military operations against Syria on Thursday and its military fired on targets there for a second day after deadly shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border town. For its part, Syria admitted it was responsible for the shelling that killed five people in Turkey and formally apologized for the deaths, a top Turkish official said. Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said Syria has reassured the U.N. that "such an incident will not occur again." The border violence has added a dangerous new dimension to Syria's civil war, dragging Syria's neighbours deeper into a conflict that activists say has already killed 30,000 people since an uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March 2011.

Drone Strike Kills Four al-Qaeda Militants

Four al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in a drone strike on Thursday in a remote part of the south of Yemen, a security official said. The security official and residents said the militants were killed in an air strike on their vehicles in the isolated area of Maqbala in Shabwa province. They said it was a drone strike. The militants were heavily armed, carrying weapons and explosives, said the official, who declined to be named. Two militants were wounded and another fled the scene after the strike. Overlooking one of the world's busiest oil shipping routes, Yemen is plagued by poverty and lawlessness that the toppling of Saleh has done little to change.