Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 47

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Nigerian Navy in Fresh Offensive against Piracy, Oil Theft

The Nigerian Navy has commenced a major offensive against illegal activities on the nation’s waters. The exercise, tagged ‘Exercise Farauta’, will be led by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba. Nigerian Navy Chief of Operations, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, said the exercise would enable the Navy assess its operational capability with a view to identifying gaps and taking necessary measures to fill such for enhanced operational readiness. He said the aim of the exercise is also to intensify naval operations in the Niger Delta region, with emphasis on Bonny-Akassa-Escravos axis, an area notorious for crude oil theft.

NOSDRA Confirms Mobil Oil Spill

The Director, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr. Idris Musa, has confirmed the receipt of a report of the oil spill from the facility of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN). Meanwhile, Mobil has moblised a team of responders to commence the clean-up of the areas affected by the oil spill. The General Manager, Public and Government Affairs of MPN, Paul Arinze, said that the company expressed regrets over the incident. The company said the clean-up activities are being coordinated with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and local community leaders. Mobil on Friday confirmed that it recorded another oil release offshore Akwa Ibom State.  Arinze had explained that the source of the leak, was identified and the pipeline isolated and shutdown.

Pirates Attack Returning Flood Victims

Gunmen operating along the creeks of the River Niger, penultimate Sunday afternoon, attacked a passenger boat conveying returning victims of the recent flood along the Orashi River in Biseni Community of Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, dispossessing them of over N.5 million and other valuables. The attack, according to a Police source, was carried out by a five-man gang armed with sophisticated weapons. It was also gathered that the gunmen, during their operation also made away with a 75 horsepower boat engine owned by the state government, which was provided as part of the government effort to assist in bringing back the victims to their home since the floods had started subsiding. It was gathered that the pirates commandeered the boat and took it into the creek to dispossess their victims. The spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mr. Felix Odunna, confirmed the incident.

Community, Police Trade Words over Killings

Ishiagu community in Ivo local council of Ebonyi State, last weekend, accused some policemen of invading it illegally and killing two persons with 10 others wounded while in search of hoodlums disguised as toll collectors that attacked innocent villagers of Okue community. President of Ishiagu Community Development Union (ICDU), David Ajah, condemned the way and manner the Nigeria Police invaded Okue community in the early hours of November 7, 2012. According to him, the policemen killed two persons after shooting sporadically. However, the State Police Spokesman, Sylvester Igbo, said that two persons have been apprehended for the confusion explaining that though one person died during the melee, only two persons were wounded when some police men went to make further arrests and were ambushed leading to the shootout.

Gunmen Abduct Oil Marketer in Nembe

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, on Monday, abducted an oil dealer, Chief Bertram Douglas, from his Ekpeinkiri community, Nembe LGA of Bayelsa State. The hoodlums were said to have shot sporadically into the air, creating panic in the area before forcing their victim into a speedboat. It was learnt that Douglas also sustained bullet wounds during the incident. Though the motive behind his kidnap was not known, there is speculation that he must have been abducted for a ransom. His abductors had yet to contact his family. Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Fidelis Odunna, confirmed the incident.

Fear of Epidemics Looms in Flood Ravages Communities

The Imo State government has called on individuals and corporate bodies making donations to flood victims to prepare for a second phase of disaster in the flood affected communities. The Secretary to the Imo State Government, Professor Anthony Anwuka, made the remark while receiving relief materials donated to flood victims of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs of the state. He explained that the call became necessary in view of the looming epidemics in flood affected areas. Professor Anwuka noted that the state government was not resting on its oars to ensure that the hardships of the flood victims were ameliorated.

Falling Iroko Tree Kills 2 in Anambra

A controversial 200-year-old Iroko tree at the market square at Ifite-Dunu, Dunukofia LGA of Anambra State, penultimate Sunday, fell, leaving two persons dead and 8 others injured. The Iroko tree was said to be the abode of the goddess of sands (Ajani), while its leaves and roots were reported to help fertility and quick delivery of babies. Traders and eyewitnesses said on the day of the incident, they noticed a sudden vibration around the tree. One of the eyewitnesses, Mr John Ikemefuna, said he raised the alarm which attracted people in the market, adding that the tree collapsed shortly after.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Ex-Militants Want Anti-Terrorism Bill Signed

Ex-militants, under the aegis of Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), have asked Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to sign into law, the Anti-Terrorism/Kidnapping Bill, stipulating death sentence for kidnappers and terrorists passed by the state House of Assembly. The group’s spokesperson, Mark Anthony, urged Uduaghan to jettison his opposition to death penalty for capital offences in order to purge the state of evil persons. However, Warri-based civil rights group, Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, disagreed with NDLF, saying it stood for total eradication of death penalty from the statute books nationwide.

Court Sentence Man to Death for Murder over a Pair of Canvass

A Delta State High Court has sentenced one, Eto Paul Ufuoma, to death by hanging for murdering his neighbour, Julius Oforofuo, on June 12, 2000. Justice Marshall Mukoro, who handed down the sentence acquitted and discharged two others for lack of evidence linking them to the murder. A minor disagreement with the deceased over a pair of canvass shoes kept in the deceased’s custody by the convict’s elder brother led to the gruesome killing.

Abductors of Demand N10 for Abducted Journalists’ Wife

Suspected kidnappers of Marian Onoyume, wife of The Vanguard Newspaper correspondent in Rivers State, Jimitota Onoyume, have demanded N10m as ransom for her release. Marian was kidnapped on Monday while driving out of her residence in Eku, Ethiope LGA of Delta State. Her abductors, who were said to be heavily armed, took her away in her vehicle. Onoyume said that the kidnappers called him around 7pm on Monday and demanded N10m from him as ransom. However, her wife’s car has been recovered. Delta Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka, confirmed the recovery of the vehicle. He said the police had begun investigation into the matter with a view to rescuing the kidnapped woman unhurt.

Residents Discover Unmanned Burning Boat Loaded with Diesel

Residents of three riverine communities in Warri, Delta State, woke up on Tuesday and saw a smoldering boat loaded with illegally refined diesel, allegedly set ablaze by Navy personnel, floating on the waters. It was gathered that residents of Firewood village, Obogbaigbene and Sandfill villages ran helter-skelter because of fear that the fire might engulf their communities. It was learnt that Navy personnel, at about 5am, intercepted the boat laden with illegally refined diesel, suspected to have been brought for sale in Warri by oil thieves. The suspected oil thieves probably jumped into the river to escape arrest, but men of the Navy, who intercepted the boat and set it ablaze. The blazing boat, with no pilot, glided towards some harboured houseboats, near Nigeria Ports Authority, which also caught fire. A human rights activist, Austin Ozobo, condemned the attitude of the Navy as harmful to the environment.

6 Killed, 25 Injured in Jesse Riots

Security agents shot dead six persons and left about 25 others injured on Tuesday at Idjerhe (Jesse) Kingdom in Ethiope-West LGA of Delta State. Soldiers allegedly opened fire when villagers, who wanted to lynch a suspected ritualist, stoned and prevented them from taking away the suspect from the palace of the monarch. In anger, irate villagers razed the palace of Ovie of Idjerhe, who, they suspected, invited the soldiers. Police spokesperson, Charles Muka, confirmed that three persons were shot dead, adding that the Police did not shoot anybody. Trouble started when the villagers seized a man, suspected to be a ritualist, and brought him to the palace of the king, expecting that he would authorise them to carry out jungle justice on him. Ritualists have been on the rampage in the area, killing about nine persons in two weeks, a development that made the monarch to set up a committee to probe the development.

Police, FRSC Partner on Road Accidents

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, Aashinue Salihu Argungu, and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Zonal Commanding Officer RS5, Wole George Olaniran, have promised to collaborate in tackling gridlocks in crash prone routes in the state during the Christmas period. The agreement was reached when Olaniran paid Argungu a courtesy visit to seek his assistance during the end of the year patrol activities for 2012. The FRSC zone comprises Edo, Delta and Anambra, while that of the police zone five include Edo, Delta and Delta States respectively. The FRSC commander, who solicited the support of the Police in the area of free-flow of traffic during the yuletide period, also sought for the release of the Police Heavy Duty Tow Truck for the removal of broken down heavy duty vehicles, especially tankers and trailers that cause heavy traffic on some major highways.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Policemen Shoot Robbery Victim, Security Guard

A banker, Femi Badejo, and his security guard, Joshua Moses, were shot by policemen in Lagos last weekend after they responded to a distress call about a robbery at the banker’s home in Ikota. It was learnt that the robbers had attacked Badejo and his neighbours around 4am and one of the neighbours made a distress call to the police. By the time the policemen arrived, the robbers had fled, but the policemen stormed the building, shooting sporadically. Badejo said after the robbers had fled, scores of policemen arrived at the house while one of them started shooting indiscriminately, adding that he was hit five times, while the security guard was shot in the pelvis and in the back. Badejo added that it took the intervention of the other neighbours as well as the Divisional Police Officer of the station to prevent him from being killed.

LASTMA Bars Junior Officers from Arresting Offenders

As part of measures to curb reported excesses on enforcement of the state’s traffic laws, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has ordered junior officers in its rank to stop arresting erring motor-cycle riders and motorists in the state forthwith. The action is taken in a bid to checkmate aggressive enforcement of the state’s traffic law by LASTMA. The General Manager of LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu, said that the move was a spontaneous measure to respond to the complaints against aggressive law enforcement by junior officers. He urged the public to report any junior officer who victimises or harasses them, saying they have been stripped of the power to arrest.

Robbers Kill Two Policemen in Lagos

Two policemen were on Sunday morning killed by armed robbers in the Ejigbo and Orile Iganmu areas of Lagos State. The robbers killed a police inspector in Ejigbo while a corporal was killed in Orile Iganmu in the separate incidents. Three other policemen were injured in the attack in Orile-Iganmu. Also on Sunday, armed robbers laid siege to Regal Seaview Estate, Lekki, Lagos, and ransacked houses for about an hour. It was learnt that the robbers, numbering over 20, besieged the estate in four vehicles. Eyewitnesses said the robbers, were armed with various sophisticated weapons. One of the security guards attached to the estate, who identified himself simply as Emmanuel, said the attack seemed like a war. Confirming the killings of the policemen, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer,  Ngozi Braide, said a pump-action gun was recovered at the scene of the Ejigbo incident while an AK 47 rifle with 20 rounds of live ammunition were recovered in Orile Iganmu.

Gunmen Invade Town, Shoot Residents

Kingship tussle in Ogbaagaa town, Ayedaade LGA of Osun State, on Wednesday, took a violent dimension, as gunmen stormed the town, shooting indiscriminately. One of those hit by the bullets, Mr Seyi Sangogboye, is currently receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife. The development, which had been reported to the Gbongan divisional police station by one of the contenders for the kingship position, Chief Oyelowo Oladeji, was been investigated though no arrest had been made. Oladeji, who allegedly accused his opponent, Chief Ajani Amusan of masterminding the attack, as he said Ekanade tried to impose himself on the people as their ruler, which they vehemently rejected. However, in his reaction, Ekanade denied the allegation. The state Police spokesman, Folasade Odoro, confirmed the incident, saying that investigation had begun.

Lam Adesina: Oyo Declares Seven Days of Mourning

The remains of former Governor of Oyo State and a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, who died penultimate Sunday, were interred a few hours after his demise at his Ibadan residence in accordance with Islamic rites. Adesina, 73, was elected on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999 and ruled Oyo State till 2003. He died at St. Nicholas’ Hospital, Lagos, where he was transferred some weeks ago from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, as a result of ill health. In his honour, the state government has declared a seven-day period of mourning during which all non-essential state activities will be suspended while the national flag will be flown at half-mast in the state.

Police Nab 6 Robbers, Recover Cache of Arms in Lagos

Police in Lagos have recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of six suspected armed robbers believed to be responsible for various bank robberies in the metropolis and other parts of the country. Also recovered from the gang were 12 AK47 rifles, a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 111 AK 47 rifle magazines, 5, 922 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, four GPMG chain bullets, 400 rounds of ammunition, 219 unloaded ammunition and 180 rounds of .9mm ammunition. The State Police Commissioner, Umaru Manko, on Tuesday, disclosed that the members of the deadly armed robbery gang were responsible for an attack in Lagos on Sunday, September 9, 2012 and First Bank Plc, Share town, Kwara state on September 11, 2012 where several innocent lives and police rifles were lost to the robbers. It was gathered that the gang usually merged with another gang led by Uche Okeagbu which was burst earlier.

NAFDAC Arrests Suspected Dealers in Fake Drug

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has carried out a major raid and mop-up exercise leading to the arrest of three persons, and closure of four medicines dealing outlets in Lagos for stocking and selling fake, unregistered and banned drug products. Officials of the Enforcement Directorate of the agency led by Uche Chidi, alongside security operatives, stormed Ajah area of Lagos in routine enforcement activities. The Director in charge of Enforcement, Garba McDonald, stressed that fake drugs were harmful to humans and reiterated the call by NAFDAC on Nigerians to shun such products and ensure that they purchase only genuine products registered by NAFDAC.

Robbers Attack Estate, Destroy APC

Armed robbers, last weekend, invaded an estate located next to Goshen Estate and Elf Estate in Lekki Lagos. A resident said the 15 armed men who arrived in two vehicles gained entrance by driving closely behind a resident and threatening the security guards. Their getaway vehicle was said to have been stolen at gunpoint in Isolo more than 30 kilometres away and arrived with the car owner still locked up inside the boot. They then began entering homes one after the other and robbed about six residents before police arrived in an armoured truck and blocked the main entrance of the estate, which however, did not stop the armed robbers from escaping. The car owner, who spent terrifying hours in the boot, said the robbers convened at what seemed to be a mechanic’s workshop to put finishing touches to their plans before they struck.

GENERAL

Groups Protest against Boko Haram Insurgency

Civil society groups in the North, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Cyclists’ Association, last weekend, in Kaduna, embarked on bicycle riding to protest activities of the Boko Haram Muslim group. The convener, Mallam Shehu Sani, President of Civil Rights Congress (CRC), called on politicians and other well-meaning individuals to speak against the atrocities that had been unleashed on innocent people in the north and the killing and maiming of children. A contingent of security operatives and personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on hand to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

Nigeria to Deploy Troops in Mali

Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in an extra ordinary session in Abuja and resolved to forward their recommendations on military intervention in Guinea Bissau and Mali to the United Nations (UN) towards ending the crises in the West African countries. The world body requires that ECOWAS submits a Strategic Concept of Operations (SCO) clarifying the need for use of force and the modalities that will be used to deploy forces to the countries. Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan’, restated his country’s commitment to using force if necessary to restore order in Mali and Guinea Bissau, emphasising that the people of both countries would only have relief if the result of the Abuja meeting was fruitful.

STF Recovers 2 RPGs in Jos

The Special Task Force (STF) deployed in Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday, discovered two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) behind Bass Klan Village in Bassa LGA. STF Media Officer, Kingsley Egbo, said the area was immediately cordoned off and the bombs evacuated by the state police anti-bomb squad. The STF further said that two persons were arrested and efforts are being made to uncover the circumstances surrounding the RPGs. In another development, unknown persons set fire on three huts in Campas village in Barkin Ladi LGA. One suspect was arrested in connection with the incident. In another incident, unknown gunmen attacked Shonong village in Barkin Ladi but were repelled by the men of the STF while one of the gunmen was captured. According to the statement no casualties was recorded during the attack.

Lecturer, 2 Others Killed in Borno, Kano

Two people including, a lecturer with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), and a Deputy Director in Borno State Ministry of Land and Survey were, during the week, killed by gunmen. The lecturer, Babagana Kolo, was trailed by his assailants to his house at about 5pm on Monday and shot dead, while the Deputy Director, Mallam Yerima, who was equally trailed to his house, was killed at 7:30am on Tuesday. A top security officer attached to JTF confirmed the separate killings. In Kano state, suspected armed robbers, dressed in police uniform, raided the Wapa Bureau de-Change, killing a teenager and carting away huge amounts in foreign and local currencies.

Security Operatives Kill Four Gunmen in Nasarawa

Four gunmen were killed on Saturday by security operatives in a crackdown on criminals in northern Nigeria, police said. Police Commissioner in Nasarawa State, Abayomi Akeremale, disclosed that the gunmen had terrorized travellers on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga road before they were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the police. He said the gang had seven members, of whom one was arrested in the raid by police and three others escaped. Necessary machinery has been set in motion to arrest the other gang members, Akeremale said. The suspect has provided useful information about the whereabouts of the others, he added. He appealed for more information on criminals.

Boko Haram Top Commander killed in Shootout

Nigeria's military on Thursday claimed to have killed a Boko Haram commander, Ibn Saleh Ibrahim, behind the recent assassination of a retired army general S A statement by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), said that Saleh Ibrahim and some of his commanders and foot soldiers, were killed by JTF in Maiduguri. Ibn Saleh was confirmed to be responsible for the recent assassination of General Mamman Shuwa (rtd), through the orders of the leader of the Boko Haram terrorists, Abubakar Shekau. Shuwa, 79, a key figure in the 1960s civil war, was shot dead on November 2 by gunmen at his home in Maiduguri.

China Cautions Citizens against Ill Treatment of Nigerian Employees

The government of the People’s Republic of China has warned its citizens living and doing business in Nigeria and other parts of Africa against ill-behaviour towards their employees, saying it will not condone any act capable of tarnishing China’s image and simultaneously hampering the good relations between the two countries. Director General of Information in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lu Shaye, said the government was aware of the misdemeanours of some of its citizens towards their employees in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, insisting that “we oppose such actions.” Shaye explained that the government was currently devising ways of correcting such anomalies.

ANPP Alleges Systematic Killing of Members in Borno

The Borno State Government has alleged that there was a systematic killing of the members of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in the state. The state government also stated that it doubted the claims made by the Boko Haram sect that it had opted for dialogue as a means of resolving the security challenges in the North. The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Inuwa Bwala, alleged that statistics had shown that members of the ANPP had remained targets, since the Boko Haram insurgency started. Bwala alleged that some people had been sponsoring assassinations and wreaking havoc in the state, using Boko Haram as a cover up for their nefarious activities.

Envoy Laments Trafficking of Nigerian Girls to Mali

An average of 30 Nigerian girls is being trafficked into Mali daily, the Nigerian Ambassador to Mali, Iliya Nuhu, has disclosed. According to him, the girls are between the ages of 10 and 15. Nuhu lamented that the problem had grown in “magnitude and sophistication’’. He said the traffickers were taking advantage of Nigeria’s economic problems to lure their victims with promises of setting them up in “very lucrative businesses abroad’’. Nuhu said the embassy was working with the Malian police to identify the traffickers and bring them to justice.

Gunmen Kill One, As Blast Hits Borno Cattle Market

A Bomb blast hit the Gambouru Cattle Market in Maiduguri, Borno State, last weekend. It was followed, hours later, by the killing of a technician at Gwange ward of the metropolis. According to an eyewitness, the explosion, which left a crater by the roadside, was without any casualty. Gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram members, killed the technician, a repairer of refrigerators, at his workshop. A resident said that the incident lasted about 15 minutes before men of the Joint Task Force rushed to the scene and repelled the attackers. Confirming the killing, spokesman for the Borno State Police Command, Gideon Jibrin, said there was an attack on a civilian in the Gwange area during which an Igbo fridge repairer was shot and killed by suspected Boko Haram gunmen.

20 Injured as PDP, ACN Supporters Clash in Benue

Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday in Makurdi, Benue State when members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) clashed. About 20 persons reportedly sustained various degrees of injuries, while over 10 vehicles, which were on the convoy of the ACN supporters, were destroyed. The clash began in Gboko, on Monday, between supporters of the PDP and ACN, where the aged mother of the member representing Gboko/Tarka Federal constituency, John Idye, was beaten to stupor, together with a gospel singer identified as Mike Jerusalem. The incident in Makurdi occurred when supporters of ACN had embarked on local government campaign rally and were allegedly attacked by members of the PDP. Police spokesman, Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident.

NCC Suspends Promos, Lotteries by Telecommunications Companies

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Monday, placed an indefinite ban on all telecoms promotions and lotteries. Director, Public Affairs for NCC, Tony Ojobo, who announced this, said the decision became necessary, following increased congestion across networks that was traced to incessant promos and lotteries. The ban, according to Ojobo, would cover all proposed and approved promotions and lotteries on which the Commission had given approval further to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC). This ban is with immediate effect and shall continue to remain in force until such a time as may be determined by the Commission. He, however, assured consumers of NCC resolve to ensure that the service quality offered across all networks delivers value to the consumers.

FG in Back Channel Talks with Boko Haram

The Presidency on Monday confirmed that it had commenced dialogue with the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram. It however said that the dialogue was not the type envisaged by Nigerians. . The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said that the talks are a back channel one in which those who know members of the group are talking with them on behalf of the government.

Nigeria loses $7b to Oil Theft Yearly -Report

Flooding and large-scale theft of crude drove Nigerian oil output to the lowest level for more than two years in October, the IEA said on Tuesday, highlighting challenges facing Africa’s biggest producer. Oil production in Nigeria fell to 1.95 million barrels per day in October, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly report, with production in recent months having ranged between 2.0 and 2.5 mbd. The IEA report cited heavy flooding which hit Nigerian production this rainy season as well as the continuing problem of large-scale and organised oil theft in the continent’s most populous nation.

INTERNATIONAL

Syrian Troops Bombard Rebel-held Border Town

A Syrian warplane struck homes in the town of Ras al-Ain on Tuesday within sight of the Turkish border, pursuing an aerial bombardment to force out rebels, witnesses and refugees said. The second day of jet strikes sent Syrians scurrying through the flimsy barbed-wire fence that divides Ras al-Ain from the Turkish settlement of Ceylanpinar. Medical workers and refugees in Ceylanpinar said bombing on Monday and Tuesday struck residential areas of Ras al-Ain, an Arab and Kurdish town that fell to rebels last week during an advance into Syria's northeast. Refugees say the fighters are taking cover in homes, many of them abandoned by residents who have fled for Turkey. Turkey is reluctant to be drawn into a regional conflict but the proximity of the bombing raids to the border is testing its pledge to defend itself from any violation of its territory or any spill over of violence from Syria.

Israel May Resume Gaza Assassinations

Israel is considering resuming its contentious practice of assassinating militant leaders in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in an effort to halt intensified rocket attacks on Israel's south, according to defence officials. With Israeli elections two months away, rocket barrages from Gaza are disrupting the lives of 1 million residents of southern Israel, pressuring the government to come up with an effective response. In the latest flare-up, Gaza militants have fired more than 100 rockets at Israel in recent days, triggering retaliatory Israeli airstrikes that have killed several people in Gaza, according reports. Some Israelis are demanding a harsh military move, perhaps a repeat of Israel's bruising incursion into Gaza four years ago. Others believe Israel should target Hamas leaders, a method it used to kill dozens of militants nearly a decade ago.

Israel Shells Syrian Targets

Israel's army fired tank shells into Syria on Monday and scored "direct hits" in response to a Syrian mortar shell that struck the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, the Israeli military said in a statement. Israeli military sources said Syrian mobile artillery was directly hit in the incident. It was the second time in two days that Israel has responded to what it said was errant Syrian fire. Israel has filed a complaint with the UN forces operating in the area, stating that fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity. Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad have been fighting his army for months in towns inside and adjacent to the Area of Separation between Israel and Syria, along the disengagement line drawn at the end of their 1973 war.

Man Beats 5-Year-Old Daughter to Death

A five-year-old girl has died after her father, a prominent religious scholar, allegedly beat her to death with “whips and hot metal.” According to reports, Lamaa died in the intensive care unit of a Riyadh hospital in Saudi Arabia after months of suffering from broken arms, skull fracture and head bruises. The girl's mother alleged that the injuries were inflicted by her ex-husband who she alleged had been abusing her daughter for eight months.  Lamaa's father has been named as Faihan Al Gameri. Reports say Al Gameri is a former drug addict, who won popularity by appearing on television programs to relate his story of repentance. The National Society for Human Rights in Riyadh said it has opened an investigation into the allegations against Lamaa's father.

Man, 20, Charged with Threatening to Kill Obama

A Colorado man was charged on Tuesday with threatening to kill U.S President, Barack Obama, during an October campaign visit. Mitchell Kusick, 20, was ordered held on a charge of making threats against the president pending a bond hearing. Kusick, who was arrested on penultimate Friday, allegedly made credible threats and took steps toward shooting and killing children at a trick-or-treat Halloween event sponsored by a Denver-area high school. Kusick apparently detailed his plans to his mental-health therapist, who admitted him to a hospital and reported the threats to police. Secret Service agents and police then interviewed Kusick in the hospital, and he admitted to having daily "homicidal fantasies" for five or six years.

Several Killed as Earthquake Jolts Myanmar

Teams of rescuers in Myanmar, on Monday, struggled to help villagers hit by an earthquake that killed about 13, injured dozens others and caused a bridge and mine to collapse. A series of powerful aftershocks rattled nerves after the 6.8-magnitude quake. Authorities said they were providing help to victims, including those without shelter after more than one hundred homes were damaged, but that communication problems made it difficult to assess the scale of the destruction. Patients at the local hospital were being treated in tents outside amid fears buildings could be vulnerable to further tremors. A United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report on Sunday said government departments had indicated significant damages.