Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 28

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

JTF Shuts Down Illegal Refinery Camps in Bayelsa

Operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta have shut down 40 illegal refinery camps in the creek of Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State. The council, which is one of the biggest in the country, is regarded as the hub of illegal crude oil distilling business in the region. The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Anka, said the camps were smoked out due to proactive intelligence gathering on the activities of the illegal oil bunkerers and oil thieves in Niger Delta. He added that troops of the Sector 1, anti-illegal bunkering squad of the special security intercepted and arrested four trucks loaded with products suspected to be illegally refined products and crude oil along Akpokoka Waterside in Koko, Warri North LGA of Delta State.

Three Students Feared Killed in Varsity Cult Clash

Three undergraduates of the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, have been feared killed in a clash between two rival cult groups on the campus. The alleged killings were said to have taken place before and during the school’s semester examinations which ended last week. It was learnt that a 300 level student was inflicted with machete cuts, while an engineering student was said to have died in a private hospital at Amassoma in the Southern Ijaw LGA. A student, who gave his name simply as Dan, claimed that a final year male student was also killed by a group of cultists who stormed the examination hall. Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa Police Command, Mr. Hilary Opara, who acknowledged that there was cult activity in the school, however, stated that no life was lost.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Court Jails Student, Other 14 Years for Kidnapping

A Delta State High Court in Asaba on Tuesday sentenced a student of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, and a businessman to 14 years for kidnapping. The student, Ndudi Ogwu, and Chukwudi Ifemeni were sent to prison with hard labour for kidnapping a nurse. Ogwu and the businessman were sent to 10 years for kidnapping and four years for conspiracy. The court held that the prosecution had proved its case against the two accused persons beyond reasonable doubt and thus convicted and sentenced them accordingly. The prosecution had told the court that Ogwu and Ifemeni with two others now at large kidnapped one Mrs. Kate Okogu, wife of Mr. Paul Okogu, a politician, on September 13, 2012 at Ughelli. The kidnappers were said to have taken the victim to a forest along Isoko-Patani Road where she was held captive. She was however rescued by a team of soldiers the next day. The convicts had admitted in their confessional statements to have committed the offence upon their arrest but later denied the charges during trial.

Court Acquits Two of Kidnap Charges

A Delta State High Court sitting at Asaba has discharged and acquitted one Aghogho Oghenekoko and David Akwele who were arraigned on charges of conspiracy and the kidnapping of a 70-year-old mother of the member representing Ethiope constituency in the House of Representatives, Akpodiegaga Emeyese. While discharging the two accused persons on the ground of insufficient evidence linking the duo to the crime, the court held that it cannot rely on their confessional statements alone without corroborations.

Delta Police Kill Robbery Suspect, Arrest Two

Operatives of the Delta State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), in Asaba have arrested two notorious robbery suspects who specialise in snatching exotic cars in Delta, Anambra, Imo States and environs. According to reports, the suspects, identified as Ifeanyi Anyaogu and Chidubem Nwaeke had successfully snatched a Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, from Owerri, Imo State and drove it to Asaba, where they used it to track down a man who was driving a Toyota Highlander SUV. Luck ran against them as operatives of the SARS intercepted them. The gang was said to have opened fire on the Police team who swiftly returned fire, and in the process one of them was shot dead.

Soldiers Kill Pastor, Injure 2 Others in Delta Community

Soldiers have shot dead a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and injured about three others at the quiet Opuraja community in Okpe LGA of Delta State. The pastor said to be in his 30s was married with four children. A security source said that the soldiers, led by a Captain, came in two Hilux vans to conduct investigation in the community, but were allegedly mobbed by villagers, who misconstrued their motive, as they took away vigilante leader and community chairman. The soldiers reportedly denied killing anybody, but admitted that they shot into the car when the villagers surged towards them. The Orodje of Okpe kingdom, HRM, Mujakperuo Orhue 1, a retired army officer, was said to have waded into the matter to calm frayed nerves after the fracas. He expressed his disappointment over the incident, saying the soldiers should not have fired at unarmed citizens.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Uncover Ritualist Den in Ilorin

The Kwara State Police Command has uncovered another criminal hideout in Ilorin similar to Sokas in Ibadan, Oyo State, where many people were strangulated to death by criminals for ritual purposes in the state. The hideout, according to reports, which is an abandoned complex along the Lagos-Ilorin Expressway around the Ilorin International Airport area was said to have been used by suspected criminals for the murder, dismembering and sale of body parts. Some of the items allegedly discovered in the six buildings of about 18 flats, said to be owned by an 85-year-old socialite, included decomposed human bodies, a decomposing headless body, decomposed human feet, snail shells, among other items. The state police commissioner, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, said the command’s special anti-crime squad, acting on intelligence, coupled with the supply of information from members of the public, discovered the hideout last weekend. Aisabor, who said no arrest had been made in the case, added that the aged socialite, who allegedly owned the buildings, was being interrogated. In a related development, the state police commissioner also paraded 3 suspected armed robbers, including two students of Kwara State College of Education.

Pupil Drowns in Lagos Drainage

A nine-year-old child, Gbenga Oladejo, and his sister, Tolani, were swept inside a drainage channel on Tuesday on Agege Motor Road, Mushin, Lagos. While Gbenga drowned and his body had yet to be recovered, 10-year-old Tolani held to an iron inside the channel and was rescued by residents. It was learnt that the victims were heading for school when the incident happened. An eyewitness, Bayo Olowa, said the incident happened around 9am. He disclosed that the incident occurred after a heavy downpour. According to him, they saw the child slip into the drainage channel, and his sister wanted to save him, but fell headlong into it as well. He stated that they quickly ran to the other end of the drainage channel and tried pulling the legs of one of them, but the water was too forceful.

Police Nab Pastor over Ikorodu Ritualist Den

The Police in Lagos have arrested the General Overseer of Holy Family Ministry, a.k.a House of Mercy, located in Ogolonto area of Lagos, Pastor Ernest Nwankwo, who was alleged to have sent a member of his church to kidnap a boy for ritual purpose last week. Pastor Ernest Nwankwo, who is 50 years old, is an indigene of Nsugbe, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State. It would be recalled that a ritualist’s den was uncovered in a building owned by the suspect last Wednesday, with at least eight victims said to have been kidnapped from different parts of the country, rescued. The den was uncovered following the apprehension of a mother of four, Mrs Rosemary Chukwu, who hid a seven-year-old boy inside a box. She confessed to have abducted the boy, identified as Emmanuel Emeka, on the instruction of her Pastor (Ernest Nwankwo) for ritual purpose.

Religious Leaders Urge Cooperation with Security Operatives

Religious leaders in Lagos State have urged the residents of the state, especially traders and transport operators, to cooperate with law enforcement agents to ensure the security of lives and property. The religious leaders spoke at the Oyingbo Market, Oyingbo area on Wednesday during an outreach programme organised by the Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI). LETI said the programme was organised in furtherance of the efforts of the government to stimulate cordial relationship between law enforcement agents and the various communities where they serve to improve voluntary compliance to traffic and environmental laws. The programme was also to boost partnerships between Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officials, their counterpart in the Kick Against Indiscipline taskforce and the residents of the state.

NDLEA Nabs Labourer with Drugs in Jeans

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) attached to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have arrested a 30-year-old man, Michael Orurno, with a kilogramme of methamphetamine during the outward screening of Egypt passengers en route to Malaysia. It was learnt that the suspect concealed the drugs inside the pockets of three pairs of jeans found in his bag. In his confessional statement, Orurno, who claimed to be unemployed, said he was lured into the act by yet-to-be-mentioned barons with a promise to be paid $3, 000 (about N488, 000) if the job was successfully done. NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the arrest was the product of a diligent search conducted by the NDLEA officials, adding that the drugs had been confirmed as methamphetamine.

Women Abduct Girl, Sell Her for N650,000

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four women for allegedly abducting and selling a nine-year-old girl, identified simply as Blessing, for N650,000. The women -Fausat Ogidan, Abibat Oresanya, Bola Obajuruwa and Idiyat Abass- were apprehended on Sunday, June 6, after a tip-off. The Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, had directed the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to go after the child sellers’ syndicate. Ogidan, who was with the nine-year-old girl, and collected the sum on behalf of others, was arrested in the Gbagada area of Lagos. The 51-year-old woman, who is married with four children, had arranged to sell the girl and on that Sunday. The girl was reportedly given to Ogidan by Obajuruwa, commonly known as Iya Alaje. Iya Alaje also confessed that she had told Ogidan to sell the girl for N350,000 before she was caught.

Man Docked over Kidnap of Neighbour’s Daughter

A 32-year-old bus conductor, Sunday Thomas, has been arraigned before a Lagos chief magistrate’s court, sitting at Ebute-Meta for allegedly kidnapping his neighbour’s four-year-old daughter. The bus conductor and others, now at large, were said to have conspired to abduct the girl, Favour Anani. The defendant, arraigned before Magistrate A. Demi-Ajayi, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnap. Thomas, an Ibibio from Akwa Ibom State, was alleged to have committed the offence May 26 at about 4 am at their residence. The prosecutor, Etim Nkankuk, told the court that the mother of the girl, Joy Anani, a Togolese, had informed the Police that she suspected the defendant because he had been telling her that he liked the girl and that one day he would take her away. The conductor, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Demi-Ajayi admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

GENERAL

Military Arrests Key Boko Haram Informant

Security forces have dislodged a terrorists’ intelligence cell headed by a businessman who purportedly participated actively in the abduction of 279 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on April 14. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major-General Chris Olukolade, who disclosed this on Monday, said that the suspect had also coordinated several deadly attacks in the north eastern part of the country. The suspect, Babuji Ya’ari, who is also a member of the Youth Vigilante Group popularly known as Civilian JTF, also spearheaded the murder of the Emir of Gwoza. According to him, the suspect's main role in the group was to spy and gather information for the terrorist group, Boko Haram. The Defence spokesman said the arrest of the suspect, also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell comprising women.

Boko Haram Razes Police Station, Kills Council Boss’ Son

Members of Boko Haram, Monday, invaded Shani LGA of Borno State, where they set ablaze the divisional police station and many other buildings in the town. They also blew up shops and vehicles using improvised explosive devices and petrol bombs. The caretaker chairman of Shani council, Alhaji Modu Walama who was said to have escaped a series of attacks by assassins and terrorists in the recent past, narrowly escaped being killed by the terrorists. They were said to have attacked the council boss’ family house in Walama and killed one of his sons when they discovered that the chairman was not in the house. It was gathered from sources that the heavily armed terrorists invaded the town on motorcycles and laid siege and bombed the divisional police headquarters at about 2.45pm after they realised that almost all the policemen on duty had fled the area.

17 Killed in Maiduguri Market Explosion

Pandemonium broke out in Maiduguri, Borno State on Tuesday when a suicide bomber suspected to be a member of Boko Haram detonated an impoverished explosive device (IED) at the Maiduguri Monday market, killing 17 persons and injuring 69 others. The Maiduguri explosion affected mostly petty traders and members of the youth vigilante group, popularly called Civilian JTF in the area. The Civilian JTF were said to have lost nine of their members. The chairman, Sector 3 of the youth volunteer group, Iliya Saidu said the vehicle carrying the explosives broke the mirror of a commercial tricycle, causing a quarrel that attracted the attention of several of his men. He said it was during mediation by the Civilian JTF whose members also assisted to push the vehicle off the road that the IED was detonated. Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who was at the scene of the blast around noon, condemned the act as un-Islamic, barbaric and inhuman.

House Wants Refugee Camps for Victims of Boko Haram Attacks

The Border Area Development Commission and the National Refugees Commission have been charged by the House of Representatives to establish camps for victims of Boko Haram attacks in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The action of the House was prompted by a motion brought by Hon. Abdulrahman Terab, who said the mayhem in the three states had led to the destruction of lives and property and had since assumed an alarming level. Noting that the United Nations Office in Nigeria recently put the figure of those directly affected at about six million, he said the number of towns and villages being deserted had also increased. According to him, about four million, including women and children are internally displaced and require “basic healthcare, sanitation, shelter and food.” But Hon. Bitrus Kaze (PDP, Plateau) kicked against the motion, arguing that locating displaced persons in camps would put their lives in danger as insurgents would target them easily since they are crowded in one place.

Man Hacked to Death by Suspected Fulani Herdsmen

A forty year old man whose name is yet to be ascertained was Wednesday hacked to death at Bantaji, a suburb of Wukari during a clash between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers. It was gathered that the crisis erupted when a Fulani herdsman whose name is unknown hit a Tiv man with sword at the popular Bantaji market following a minor disagreement and thereafter took to his heels while the Tiv man was rushed to an unknown destination. This sparked a serious crisis as other Tivs were enraged and demanded to know why their kinsman was assaulted by the Fulani and as tempers rose, both groups mobilized and started attacking each other, during which the 40 years old man was killed.

Senate Probes Alleged Move to Cede Nigerian Communities to Cameroun

The Senate on Tuesday asked its committee on states and local governments to investigate the ongoing boundary demarcation in Danare and Biajua communities in Boki LGA of Cross River State. The investigation is expected to help ascertain the facts revolving around alleged moves to cede the communities to Cameroun. The move followed a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, decrying the action of the Joint Technical Team, a sub-group within the Nigeria-Cameroun Mixed Commission, assigned by the United Nations to locate the boundary points between Nigeria and Cameroun in the two communities. Ndoma-Egba who said the team was led by one Paul Mbaya from Zimbabwe, recalled the October 10, 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment which ceded Bakassi Peninsula in the state to Cameroun. He however, said the judgment did not provide for land demarcation in any Southern part of Nigeria but only dwelt on maritime boundaries.

54 Killed in Bauchi and Kaduna

A total of 54 persons were killed in Bauchi and Kaduna states in separate attacks on Friday and Saturday. Eleven people were killed and 14 injured when gunmen attacked a hotel in Bauchi, Bauchi State on Friday night. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, disclosed that the attack occurred at Peoples Hotel, Bayan Gari. An eyewitness, Ahmed Maidoki, said that five persons in military uniform carried out the attack by detonating explosives and shooting at random. According to him, an explosion followed, after which the arena was covered with thick smoke. The Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Lawal Shehu, on Saturday said one suspect had been arrested in connection with the attack. Lawal said the suspect was being interrogated and efforts intensified to apprehend his accomplices that fled. The commissioner said the number of victims of the attack had risen from 10 dead and 14 injured, to 11 dead and 28 injured. He urged members of the public to be security conscious and observe happenings within their immediate environment.

Bailiff Charged with Forging Bail Documents

A bailiff of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Idris Mahmud, alongside one Danladi Ademu has been charged before an Abuja High Court for forgery. They were charged with forging documents to perfect the bail of a former Director of Pensions Office at the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi Shuaibu, who, alongside his companies, including Riba - Ile Petroleum Limited, is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged embezzlement of over N20 billion pension funds while at the helm of affairs at the Pension Office. They will be arraigned before Magistrate Oyeyipo sitting at Karu on July 25. Mahmud, according to the first investigation report filed by the police, was alleged to have conspired with Danladi Ademu, to commit forgery, an act said to be contrary to section 364 of the Penal Code Law. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja had admitted Teidi to a bail in the sum N500 million with two sureties in like sum.

Doctors Nationwide on Indefinite Strike

After several negotiations and behind closed-door meetings to find a lasting solution to the lingering health crisis, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), on Monday declared a nationwide indefinite strike. The strike came amid an order of interim injunction issued by the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, urging health workers across board to desist from embarking on any strike as well as halting the implementation of any agreement earlier reached between the government and members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) pending the hearing and determination of the case before it. The NMA President, Dr. Lawrence Obembe, said the union had reached its end point in trying to find a solution to the problem. The 24 demands the NMA sent earlier to the government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) included a discontinuation of the recognition of non-medical doctors as Directors and the ascription of consultant title to any other health worker other than a medical doctor within the confines of medicine and surgery.

Senate Confirms Shekarau, Adeyeye Others, as Ministers

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti), Dr. Stephen Orhu (Delta), and Dr. Abdul Bulama (Yobe) as ministers. The nominees, who answered questions from the senators on the state of the nation, agreed that an urgent review of the country’s education curriculum remained the best way to tackle unemployment, poverty and insurgency. Shekarau, a two-term governor of Kano State, lamented the high level of unemployment in the country which he linked to the disruption of the Universal Primary Education policy by the successive military administration in the country. Mark, after their confirmation,   charged the ministerial designates to make Nigeria as their constituencies and not their states or political parties.

Nigeria Gets IAEA Backing for Construction of Nuclear Power Plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Thursday, said Nigeria’s desire to build a nuclear power plant was capable of lifting its electricity supply base to a new level. The Deputy Director-General, Technical Cooperation of IAEA, Dr. Kwaku Aning, disclosed this when he visited the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, in Abuja. He said though complex, the desired nuclear power project was achievable. Aning promised that the agency was ready to assist Nigeria in ensuring a smooth and adequate preparation for the construction of the project, adding that it was better to put in place measures that avert pollution than trying to clean up possible disasters. He explained that the regulatory role of the international body is to ensure that countries which are deploying nuclear energy have the right technical staff as well as a safe environment because nuclear power is a complex energy source. Nebo, on his part, assured the IAEA that Nigeria was doing everything required to ensure that the programme is successful and safe.

Boat Mishap: NIWA Introduces Safety Measures

The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has directed all operators in the inland water transport business to ensure that all their water craft are painted white with green inscription of their names and that of the craft. The new directive is to take effect in July next year to give operators adequate time to prepare before the implementation commences. Disclosing this in Lagos at a meeting with the operators, Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Muazu Sambo, said painting of the water craft is necessary for easy identification in cases of emergency. Sambo and his management team at the meeting allowed the operators to vote on when the new directive is to take effect. He noted that the current position where all operators are free to paint their craft in whatever colour they preferred, was not in the best interest of the industry as most of the chosen colours are not visible even during the day. In addition, each craft is also expected to carry a flag it which it would be known.

INTERNATIONAL

Israel Bombs Gaza after Settler Bodies of Slain Teenagers are Found

The Israeli air force has launched a series of air raids on the Gaza Strip, hours after the bodies of three settlers were found in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military said it launched 34 raids in the early hours of Tuesday, in response to 20 rockets fired into Israel from the strip. A Palestinian was also shot dead on Tuesday in an Israeli operation in Jenin, in the West Bank. The Israeli military said the dead man was a member of Hamas and was attempting to throw a grenade, although this information cannot be independently verified. The attacks came hours after the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised that the Gaza-based group Hamas “will pay” after the discovery of the young settlers’ bodies near the West Bank village of Halhoul on Monday. They disappeared on June 12 while hitchhiking home from a religious school in Kfar Etzion, an illegal settlement between Bethlehem and Hebron, and were last heard in a brief emergency call to police. Their disappearance set off the largest military operation in the West Bank since the end of the second Intifada. More than 400 Palestinians were arrested in the 18-day search, thousands of homes raided, and five people killed by Israeli gunfire.

Iraq to Call for New Government

With their country ravaged by militants, Iraqi lawmakers will meet Tuesday for the first time since elections to try to find a way out of the crisis. The most pressing order of business: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s anticipated call to form a new government. Even the often-fractious parliament is expected to move fast as militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria threaten Baghdad. Al-Maliki and his Shiite-dominated government have been under pressure by Western and Arab diplomats to be more inclusive of Iraq’s Sunni minority, who say they have been marginalized and cut out of the political process by the government. American and Arab diplomats told CNN that the United States is unlikely to undertake any military strikes against ISIS and its allied fighters before a new government is formed in Iraq.

European Court Upholds Ban on Veil by France

The European Court has upheld the French ban on full body covering veil. A case was brought before the court by a 24-year-old French woman, who argued that the ban on wearing the veil in public violated her freedom of religion and expression. French law says nobody can wear, in a public space, clothing intended to conceal the face. The penalty for doing so can be a 150-euro fine (£120; $205). The 2010 law came in under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy. The court ruled that the ban “was not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing in question but solely on the fact that it concealed the face”. A court statement said the ruling also “took into account the state’s submission that the face played a significant role in social interaction. “The Court was also able to understand the view that individuals might not wish to see, in places open to all, practices or attitudes which would fundamentally call into question the possibility of open interpersonal relationships, which, by virtue of an established consensus, formed an indispensable element of community life within the society in question.”

Burundi Pardons 3,000 Convicts

Burundian President, Pierre Nkurunziza, on Monday pardoned 3,000 convicts on the occasion of the country’s independence anniversary. “We seize the opportunity of the celebration of Burundi’s 52nd anniversary to pardon 3,000 inmates,” said the president in a message to the nation. The amnesty does not include inmates who had been pardoned before but were sent back to prison for new offenses. Burundian Supreme Court Secretary-General Agnes Bangiricenge said at least 8,085 people are currently detained in various prisons throughout the country. Burundi won independence from Belgium on July 1, 1962.

22 Killed in Mexican Shootout

Soldiers on patrol in south-central Mexico killed 22 people early Monday in a shootout, the Defense Ministry said. Among the dead were 21 men and one woman. A soldier was injured.
Authorities said they seized various weapons, including automatic rifles and handguns. They also rescued three women, who said they had been kidnapped, the ministry said in a statement. The gunfight took place in Tlatlaya, located in Mexico State. Authorities said the shooting started after the soldiers came under fire.

Pakistan Family Kills Couple for Marrying

A young couple in Pakistan has been tied up and had their throats slit with scythes after they married for love, police have said in what is the latest reported case of “honour killings” in the country. The 17-year-old girl and 31-year-old man married on June 18 without the consent of their families in eastern Pakistan’s Punjabi village of Satrah, police said. The girl’s parents lured the couple home last Thursday with the promise that their marriage would receive a family blessing, but when the couple reached there, they tied them with ropes,” local police official, Rana Zashid, said. Police arrested the family, who said they had been embarrassed by the marriage of their daughter, named Muafia Hussein, to a man from, what they consider, a less important tribe. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 869 “honour killings” were reported in the media last year. But the true figure is probably much higher since many cases are never reported. The Pakistan government does not collect centralised statistics.

Two Killed as Blasts Hit Cairo Outskirts

Two bombs exploded at a small telephone exchange on Cairo’s outskirts, killing an 18-year-old woman and her mother, security sources said. The exchange building was still under construction, and it appeared likely that the devices that exploded had been intended for use elsewhere, security sources and a judicial source said on Saturday. The two women killed were the wife and daughter of a construction site guard who lived in an annex to the building in 6th of October City, a western satellite district of Cairo. Meanwhile, gunmen killed four Egyptian soldiers near Rafah in North Sinai, state media and security sources said. The gunmen forced the soldiers, who were returning from a holiday and dressed in civilian clothing, out of their vehicle and shot them before escaping. No group immediately claimed responsibility the attack.

North Korea Fires Short-Range Missiles

North Korea has fired two short-range missiles into its eastern waters, a South Korean official said, the latest in a series of launches staged in an apparent show of force ahead of a visit by Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to the South. The Defence Ministry official said the missiles were fired from Wonsan on Sunday and were presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles. The official said North Korea fired the missiles without designating no-sail zones, which the South Korean military viewed as provocative. North Korea has severally test-fired missiles and artillery to refine its weapons and to express its anger over various developments in Seoul and Washington. In recent days North Korea has alleged South Korean artillery firing drills near a disputed maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea that has been the scene of several bloody skirmishes between the rival nations in recent years. Sunday’s missile launches came days before the leader of North Korea’s only major ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping, is set to meet with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Seoul and Beijing have long pressed North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

17 Killed, Several Trapped in Indian Building Collapse

At least 17 people were killed when a building collapsed in southern Indian city of Chennai. Some 22 survivors have so far been pulled from the rubble, and 40 others are feared trapped in the debris. More than 70 workers were in the 11-storey building under construction when it toppled in heavy rain penultimate Saturday. India has seen frequent building collapses, many blamed on lax safety and substandard materials. At least six people, including construction company officials, have been arrested in connection with the collapse in the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. “It appears they have not adhered to approved plans. The building appears to have serious structural defects,” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said. Hundreds of rescue workers, including personnel from India’s National Disaster Response Force, worked to search for survivors.

Four Killed as Ukraine Repels Rebels in East

Four soldiers have been killed and five wounded after Ukraine’s military regained control of a checkpoint in the eastern region that had been earlier taken over by separatists. The fighting in Donetsk erupted overnight on Friday in violation of a ceasefire agreement between the government and pro-Russian rebels that was to last until Monday. Earlier on Friday, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko decided to extend the ceasefire, on the same day that he signed a trade agreement with the European Union – the deal that sparked the political crisis last year. The ceasefire extension had been undertaken, it said, in line with a deadline set by EU leaders for Ukrainian rebels to agree to ceasefire verification arrangements, return border checkpoints to Kiev authorities and free hostages including detained monitors of the OSCE rights and security watchdog. At a separate meeting, Poroshenko and national security chiefs ordered that recruitment centres for Russian fighters across the border in Russia should be closed.

Israel Vows to Find Killers of Teenagers

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to find those behind the kidnap and murder of three teenagers hitchhiking in the occupied West Bank. He also promised strong action against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which he blamed for the killings. Hamas denies any involvement. Thousands turned up to the funeral of the three youths on Tuesday in Modein. The teenagers' bodies were found on Monday evening, more than two weeks after the trio went missing. Israel's security cabinet met twice after the bodies of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach were found under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. An Israeli official said it appeared the youths had been shot soon after their abduction. Mr Netanyahu said the priorities were to find the teenagers' killers and kidnappers, weaken Hamas' infrastructure and manpower in the West Bank, operate against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, expanding the operation "if the need arises".

Slain Palestinian Teenager Buried in Jerusalem

The Palestinian teenager, allegedly killed in revenge for 3 slain Israeli teenagers has been buried in Jerusalem amid heightened tension. The killing of 17-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdair on Wednesday was condemned by both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The murder sparked fierce clashes amid claims it was in revenge for the killing of three Israeli youths. Meanwhile Palestinian militants in Gaza fired several rockets at Israel. Israel responded with a series of air strikes on the territory early on Thursday. Israeli officials said militants fired 20 mortars and rockets. “The Israeli Air Force attacked 15 terror sites in Gaza early Thursday morning,” an Israel Defence Forces official said. “The targets included weapons manufacturing sites as well as training facilities,” the official added. Ashraf Al Qidra, from Gaza’s ministry of health, disclosed that 10 Palestinians were injured in the air strike and taken to hospital.

Japan 'to ease North Korea Sanctions'

Japan is to lift some of the sanctions it has imposed on North Korea amid on-going talks on abducted nationals, its Prime Minister has announced. PM Shinzo Abe gave no details of the sanctions to be lifted but said it was "just a start" on a road to "complete resolution" of the issue. Japanese nationals were kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies in language and culture. North Korea says it has returned all those still alive. Japan disputes this. The issue is highly emotive in Japan and has been a major, long-running point of contention between the two nations, which do not have diplomatic ties. Mr Abe has made the issue one of his key priorities. The two sides agreed in May to reopen dialogue and have since held additional rounds of talks. North Korea had reportedly agreed a member of its powerful National Defence Commission would sit on a special panel to re-examine the abduction cases. Japan has imposed its own sanctions on the North, which are separate from those imposed by the United Nations over its nuclear and missile tests. North Korea has admitted kidnapping 13 Japanese nationals. It allowed five to return to Japan in 2002 and later released their children, but says the other eight died.

75 Migrants Lost at Sea off Italy

Around 75 migrants are lost at sea in the Mediterranean according to survivors of a shipwreck off Italy who were plucked to safety by the navy, the UN refugee agency said. A group of 27 people rescued on Tuesday off Sicily reported that there another 75 people on board their boat, who are therefore believed lost at sea, the agency said in a statement. Accounts of the shipwreck were gathered by UN workers in Sicily who spoke to survivors recovered by Italy’s “Mare Nostrum” (“Our Sea”) rescue operation. Salvi has opened an investigation into the shipwreck, news of which came just three days after the bodies of 45 migrants were discovered in the hold of an overcrowded fishing boat, where they appeared to have suffocated to death.

Four Crew Feared Dead as Cargo Plane Crashes in Kenyan Capital

A cargo plane crashed into a commercial building in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, shortly after taking off from the city's main airport on Wednesday and the four crew members on board were feared dead, the Kenyan Airports Authority (KAA) said. "A Fokker 50 cargo plane with 4 people on board has this morning crashed at a commercial building in Utawala after taking off from JKIA," KAA said on its Twitter feed. The plane crashed into shops in Nairobi's Embekasi neighbourhood near the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where a terminal was gutted by a major fire last year. JKIA is east Africa's busiest airport and acts as vital travel gateway to the region.

Poroshenko Names New Defence Chief

Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, won parliament's approval on Thursday to shake up the leadership of the armed forces as they struggle to end a rebellion by pro-Russian separatists. Parliament endorsed Colonel-General Valery Heletey as defence minister after hearing Poroshenko describe the 46-year-old as a man "who will work day and night for restoring the military capability of our armed forces." He also named a new chief of the general staff. Poroshenko took office last month with the country in crisis, as two eastern regions press demands to break away and join Russia, following the example of Crimea earlier this year. After months of unsuccessful attempts to quash the uprising, he wants to sharpen the army's effectiveness while exploring diplomatic options to end the crisis, which has revived East-West tensions in ways reminiscent of the Cold War.

Overnight Attacks Claims Lives in Ukraine

Donetsk, the main city of the east Ukraine, where separatists have controlled key buildings since April, came under heavy fire overnight Thursday, leading to the death of three traffic policemen, the interior ministry said. One Ukrainian soldier was also killed when rebels approached in a car bearing a white flag and then opened fire, a military spokesman, Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky, said. The border service also said nine border guards were wounded in a rebel mortar attack on their post in Luhansk region on the border with Russia. Poroshenko declared a week-long ceasefire on June 20 to give rebels the time to down weapons under an amnesty offered in his peace plan. He extended it by three days on June 27. But on Monday he refused to prolong it on the advice of his security officials, who said the ceasefire had allowed rebels to regroup and rearm and had cost the lives of government troops.

Saudi Arabia Deploys Soldiers to Border with Iraq

Saudi Arabia deployed 30,000 soldiers to its border with Iraq on Thursday after Iraqi forces abandoned the area, but Baghdad denied pulling forces back and said it remained in full control of its frontier. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, shares an 800-km (500-mile) desert border with Iraq, where Islamic State insurgents and other Sunni Muslim militant groups seized towns and cities in a lightning advance last month. The U.S.-allied kingdom overcame its own al Qaeda insurgency almost a decade ago and is wary of any new threat from radical Sunni Islamists. The Iraqi military spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassim Atta, described the news as false and “aimed at affecting the morale of our people and the morale of our heroic fighters." He said the frontier, which runs through largely empty desert, was "fully in the grip" of Iraqi border troops. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry security spokesman, Major General Mansour Turki, said there were no threats of insecurity close to their border, which remained secured and protected.

Gaza Hit by Israeli Air Raids

Eleven People have been wounded in Israeli air raids in Gaza, as Palestinians prepared for the funeral of a teenager who was killed in occupied East Jerusalem. The air raids in Gaza began as residents were preparing pre-dawn Ramadan meal, known as Sohour, on Thursday. The Israeli military said the air force struck 15 “terror sites” in Gaza. “The targets included weapons manufacturing sites as well as training facilities,” a military spokesman said. The pre-dawn raids came after at least 15 rockets struck southern Israel, two of which were intercepted by Israel’s anti-missile system, the army said. Police said that one of the rockets hit a house in Sderot, causing a power cut. The army reported no injuries. The armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades said in a statement that had they fired rockets. The murder sparked violence in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, with Palestinians saying that the 17-year-old’s murder was a revenge attack for three Israeli settlers found dead near Hebron earlier this week.

Trapped India Nurses in Iraq Conflict to be Freed

A group of 46 Indian nurses trapped in Iraq's weeks-long conflict are to be freed and will head to the Kurdish regional capital Arbil. An Indian diplomat said the group were expected later on Friday in Arbil, which is a short drive from Mosul but has been insulated from the unrest. The diplomat said that a team of Indian government officials were waiting in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, and that arrangements were being made to fly the nurses back home to India. He said the group was separate from another 39 Indian workers being held in Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city and the first to fall in a jihadist-led offensive that has overrun swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad.

Nine Killed in Landslide at Indonesian Gold Mine

A Landslide at an illegal gold mine has killed nine men in remote eastern Indonesia, an official said Friday, the latest deaths in an industry that is booming across the sprawling archipelago. Four people were still missing and two others were rescued alive after the landslide struck Wednesday near Dageuwo village, Papua province, local search and rescue chief Marsudi, said. Rescuers had to fly to the scene of the accident in the country's easternmost province, as the mountainous, remote area could not be reached by land, said the official, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. All the victims were believed to be illegal miners, he added. Illegal gold mining has boomed in Indonesia in recent years as the price of the precious metal has surged, and deaths are common. But experts warn that the widespread practice of using mercury to extract gold from ore is putting the health of miners at risk and poisoning communities where they work.

Hurricane Arthur makes Landfall on US East Coast

Hurricane Arthur made landfall on the North Carolina shore, packing 100 mph (160 kph) winds and drenching rains in an onslaught dampening America's July 4 celebrations. The US National Hurricane Centre said the first hurricane of the Atlantic season carried potential for big and damaging waves and powerful tidal surges as it came ashore late Thursday. It hit the Outer Banks, a series of long and thin barrier islands that are a popular resort area. Tens of thousands of people had hoped to enjoy the US Independence Day holiday there. But some evacuations had been ordered even as the hurricane approached. It finally came ashore as a category two hurricane, on a scale in which five is the highest. Thousands of people were already without power in North Carolina, reports said, and there was localized flooding in areas including the coastal city of Wilmington. Emergency declarations were issued by several counties in the southern state.

Bolivia to Allow 10-Year-Olds to Work

Bolivian politicians have approved child workers as young as 10 years old, under a new law that lays out specific conditions for their employment. Congress passed the measure by consensus on Wednesday, requiring employers to ensure the physical and mental health of employees, and prevent exploitation. "The age limit, as defined formally by the Code for Children and Adolescents, is 14 years old," Senator Adolfo Mendoza said after the enactment of the bill, which he co-sponsored. The senator stressed that required factors included a voluntary decision from the child to work, consent from the parent or guardian and permission from the public ombudsman. The previous code, which allowed no exceptions to the 14-year-old minimum, had prompted protests from critics who said that, in Bolivia, children must work from an early age out of necessity. The measure also establishes policies for adopting children, care and education of children with physical disabilities, and a maximum penalty of 30 years in jail for violent infanticides. It was sent to the president, Evo Morales, to be signed into law.

About 200 Arrested in Egypt

Nearly 200 people have been arrested in Egypt during a series of demonstrations and small bombings on the anniversary of the Mohamed Morsi's removal from the presidency. One of the bombs went off accidentally inside an apartment in Kirdasah, outside Cairo, killing two men who were handling the explosives, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Two other men fled after the blast, it said. A security official said one Morsi supporter was killed during clashes with security forces in Giza. Late on Thursday, a homemade bomb went off on a train in Alexandria, injuring five passengers, another official said.  Thursday's demonstrations took place in several provinces. Despite relatively small numbers, the protesters blocked some roads and chanted slogans against the military and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.