Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 33

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Bayelsa Community Shuts Down NAOC Oil Wells

The nation’s economy was dealt a devastating blow on Tuesday when the aggrieved people of Biseni clan in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State shut down five oil wells operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Idu Oil Field. The wells were said to be producing over 15,000 barrels of oil per day. It was gathered that the oil wells 3,6,8,11 and 12 were forcibly shut down by angry youths of the communities who were protesting against an alleged neglect by the oil company displayed by the alleged refusal of NAOC to provide a power generating set and other incentives for them one year after it promised to do so. They were said to have erected blockades on the roads leading to the oil wells, chanting solidarity songs. According to the Secretary of Egbebiri II community, Solomon Ogiama, the company had frustrated every peaceful move by the communities for the renewal of the GMoU. He warned that until they hold a meeting with the general manager in charge of the district and the generator set provided, they would not remove the blockades.

Anambra Demolishes Church, 3 Other Buildings Owned by Kidnap Suspects
…Police Parade 15 Suspects

Four buildings, including a church, said to belong to suspected kidnappers were, on Tuesday, demolished in Anambra State. It was part of the state government’s continued clampdown on criminals in the state. Governor Willie Obiano has already revoked the Certificates of Occupancy of the four buildings. Two of the buildings, including the church, belonged to one Pastor Ifeanyi Nwaezeagu, General Overseer of Unchangeable God Ministries, while the other two were located at Dusogu and Ifite villages all in Awkuzu. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Olafimihan Adeoye, led a high powered team to the demolition sites and the parade of the suspects. The demolition came as the Anambra State Police command paraded 15 suspected kidnappers and robbers who were caught with sophisticated arms and ammunition. Among the weapons displayed by the police include one rocket launcher, one rocket, 50 magazines for AK-47, 300 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, among others.

Child Traffickers Arrested in Calabar

Security officials attached to the Quick Intervention Squad in Calabar, Cross River State on Tuesday arrested two women alleged to be part of a child-trafficking syndicate. Commander of the QIS, which comprises various security agencies, Captain Mohammed Tanko, said the women were arrested at Eta-Agbor Road where they were transacting the sale of an unidentified, two-year-old boy for N600, 000. Tanko disclosed that the suspects also attempted to bribe the QIS officials with N500, 000 when they were rounded up. The suspects, who were 30-year-old trader and a 33-year-old Health Record Officer, both admitted to the crime. Both of them said they were married with children. One of the suspects from Akpabuyo, served as a middleman between the seller and the buyer. According to her, the buyer said she needed a child to adopt, but didn’t want to go through the proper process because she feared that one day the child would be collected by the government. The suspect from Etinan, who was the buyer, said she had already paid the said sum.

Gunmen Kill Two in Port Harcourt Bar Attack

A group of yet-to-be identified gunmen has shot and killed two men in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Two other persons were also injured by the rampaging gunmen, who stormed a bar located along Aggrey Road and opened fire on those sitting outside. The incident, which occurred at about 10pm on Monday caused pandemonium around the busy area popularly known as ‘Town’. It was learnt the attack on the bar took place few hours after a cleric was killed during a clash between two communities in Gokana LGA. It was gathered that one of the two persons killed at the bar died in a nearby hospital as a result of the gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. It is feared that the attack on the bar was connected with the rivalry between Icelanders and Greenlanders cult groups.

Gunmen Abduct Speaker’s Brother in Bayelsa

Some unknown gunmen have abducted Iniokpoemi Benson, the younger brother of Bayelsa House of Assembly Speaker, Kombowei Benson. It was learnt that Iniokpoemi was whisked away by his captors early Monday morning at his residence in Korokorosei in the Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State. It was also learnt that the victim, a community leader in the area, was the immediate past Chairman of Korokorosei Community Development Committee. The abduction of the Speaker’s brother is one in the rampant cases of kidnapping in the state in recent times. Just recently, Florentina, the nonagenarian mother of the Senator representing Bayelsa East, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, was abducted. Also, 86-year-old Benson Adigio-Eseni, an uncle to former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, was abducted in Okpoama, Brass LGA. Speaking on the kidnap of Iniokpoemi, Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Hilary Okpara, said that the police had got an Incident Report on the incident.

Bayelsa Parents Protest NYSC Posting of Children to North

Parents in Bayelsa State have protested against the posting of their children and wards to the North by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The parents cried that it was callous for the management of the NYSC to post their children to the North given the activities of insurgents in that part of the country. The parents lamented that since Boko Haram unleashed mayhem on the country, particularly in the northern part of the country, their children had been murdered in cold blood under the guise that they are serving their fatherland. They therefore called on the federal and state governments to intervene in their collective concerns and prevail on the NYSC authorities to drop the idea. The protesters, led by the National Women Leader, United for Goodluck Success Campaign, Mrs. Favour Alafuro, said many of their youths were allegedly murdered in the North in the past and that they had yet to see their corpses.

Igbo Leaders Allege Plot by Boko Haram to Bomb South-East

Igbo Leaders have urged the Federal Government and all stakeholders to avert what they termed desperate attempts by Boko Haram insurgents to bomb the South-East, warning that a successful attack in the region portended grave danger for the country. In a statement by their Deputy Secretary, Elliot Uko, the Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), described as worrisome the Sallah day arrest in Borno State of a long trailer laden with bombs and IED’s disguised as cattle merchants headed for Onitsha and Port Harcourt. In like manner, the Akwa Ibom State Government said that there are threats by the insurgents to bomb designated markets, churches and public places in the state. The Akwa-Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Aniekan Umanah, in a statement, said the threats were contained in “text messages from a terrorist group, Boko Haram threatening the peace and security of the state”.

Native Doctor Shot Dead by Vigilante

A native doctor was, last weekend, shot dead by some vigilante operatives for allegedly possessing some substances suspected to be charms and fresh animal parts. The incident occurred at the Immaculate Heart Sisters’ Convent, Nkpor, Idemili North LGA, Anambra State, during the first profession ceremony of 16 new Reverend Sisters. Trouble started when the victim was refused entry to where the sisters were being professed unless he surrendered himself for a search by the security operatives, but he was reported to have vehemently refused to submit himself for the search. It was gathered that as he was dragging his bag with the security operatives who insisted on seeing what was contained in it, he abandoned the bag and fled. One of the operatives opened fire and gunned him down as he was trying to run away and he died on the spot. On searching his bag, five padlocks, some pieces of fresh animal parts wrapped with polythene bags and powdered substances suspected to be charms were found in it. The operatives quickly alerted the police.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Armed Bandits Kill 3 in Delta State

Armed bandits terrorizing Warri metropolis and its environs in Delta State, last weekend, killed 3 persons including a middle aged man identified as Emmanuel Jokwo. It was gathered that the man was killed in the presence of his wife while they were on their way home after a church programme. Sources said that the victim ran into trouble when he met with the hoodlums having a verbal exchange. The police public relations officer in the state, Celestina Kalu, said that unknown to the victim that the boys were bandits, one of them confronted him to “sought” them; a demand he bluntly refused in the presence of his wife as they were left with no option than to pull their guns. Kalu said that two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder while the remains of the victim have been deposited in a private hospital in Warri.

Erosion Cuts Off Communities Delta Communities

Prevailing coastal erosion ravaging Burutu, Bomadi and Patani communities in Delta State, has consumed over 70 per cent of the houses, including residents’ farms in the areas. While the erosion menace had also destroyed unspecified buildings in the affected communities, major roads linking other communities in the affected areas, have reportedly been cut off, leaving its residents in confusion. A resident in one of the affected communities, Comrade December Gboro, said the erosion menace portends bad omen for residents of the three communities. He called on the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid. The state commissioner for works, Funkekeme Solomon, said the state government was doing everything possible to alleviate the sufferings of the affected communities.

3 Nabbed For Robbing Facebook Friends in Asaba

Men of the Delta State Police Command have arrested three persons in Asaba for allegedly robbing two persons they lured from Oyo State to Asaba, Delta State through Facebook contact. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Celestina Kalu, who disclosed this, said the three suspects would face the law after preliminary investigations. According to reports, Oleshade Akugbade and Olayinka Alake, both Oyo State, had on June 28, reported to the police that they were invited to Asaba by their Facebook friends -Daniel Fredrick, Nze Emeka and Kingsley Nwali- all residing at Shedrack Estate, Asaba but were robbed instead.

Trailer Crushes Man Fighting

Tragedy struck in Benin City, Edo State, when a middle-aged male hawker was crushed to death by a fast-moving trailer along Ikpoba Hill Expressway, while he was about to engage in a brawl with another hawker. According to an eyewitness, trouble started when the deceased and some other hawkers got into an argument which resulted to a fight between them. Attempts by passers-by to separate the fighting duo were unsuccessful, as they ignored all pleas to call a truce. The deceased was said to have been overpowered by his colleague who pushed him onto the express way, without seeing the heavy-duty vehicle bearing down the road, until it crushed the deceased, who could not pull himself up before his gruesome death. A police said arrests have been made and the corpse has been deposited in an undisclosed mortuary in Benin.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Ebola: Lagos Government Warns Churches, Mosques over Large Gatherings
…As Virus Claims First Nigerian Victim

Lagos State government has advised churches, mosques and other religious organisations to suspend all activities that involve large gatherings of people, until the Ebola outbreak is brought under control. The state Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris, said the move would help prevent the spread of the disease that had, so far, killed two people in the country. Describing the situation as dire, Idris asked health workers to come out and volunteer to help treat those already admitted. Idris also advised family members to be mindful of burial rites, where family members had direct contact with suspects who died from the virus. Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has described the Ebola outbreak as “a natural emergency,” saying “everyone in the world today is at risk.” The Lagos State government confirmed the death of one of the nurses who had first degree contact with the dead Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who died of Ebola virus disease in Lagos. As part of proactive measures to stem the spread of the Ebola virus, the Lagos State Government, has set up an emergency operations centre for the virus.

Pirates, Security Officials Clash Claim 7 Lives in Ondo

Seven persons comprising four members of a private security outfit operating in the coastal area of Ese-Odo LGA of Ondo State, Gallery Security Service and three suspected pirates were on Sunday killed while others sustained injuries when the two sides engaged each other in a gun duel. The suspected pirates said to have come from Igbimo area of Edo State attacked some coastal communities during an operation before they were challenged on their way by men of the private security outfit at Bolowo junction which led to a confrontation. It was gathered that two bodies of the suspected pirates killed had been recovered from the water, while one was still being searched for. The Head of the Gallery Security, Osaghale Aklugbemen, said the robbers escaped through Oroto-Ajapa Road. According to him, the hoodlums, who invaded the community at about 8a.m. on Sunday, were coming from the Ilaje end of the coastal area of the state, where they had gone for an operation. He said men of the Gallery Security made several attempts to resist the bandit but were overpowered.

Pastor Drowns Creating Pathway for Water after Heavy Downpour

Tragedy struck, on Tuesday morning in Ilorin, when a Pastor who was a volunteer member of his Community Development Association, was drowned in a flood while creating pathway for the water’s free flow in front of his house. The over 10-hour rain in the state capital started about midnight and lasted till about 11am. The deceased, according to residents in Kilanko area of the state capital, where the incident happened, used to create water channels whenever there was such heavy rain. The Pastor was going about this task when he slipped and fell into the gutter and the flood carried him away. Unfortunately, there was nobody to rescue him. It was when the rains subsided some 30 minutes later that the residents discovered that the pastor was missing. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident. He said his remains had been deposited at the morgue.

Court Remands Killer-Son in Prison Custody

The Ogun State Police Command, Tuesday, arraigned the 21-year-old student of Redeemers’ University, Tola Ajayi, who killed his 60-year-old father, Charles Ajayi, before a chief magistrate’s court sitting in Obafemi-Owode LGA of the state for murder. Tola was said to have stabbed his father to death at their residence. He was subsequently arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command for unlawfully killing his father during an argument. The suspect’s plea was not taken as his defence counsel was absent from court. Senior Magistrate Bolaji Ojikutu ordered that the suspect be remanded in Prison pending the advice from the DPP.

Two Killed as Military Men Clash in Lagos

There was confusion on Sunday morning after two military officers, identified as Hilary and Sheu Abdullahi, died after a brutal clash at a popular night club in Apapa area of Lagos. Hilary, a corporal in the Nigerian Army, had reportedly gone to the club with his girlfriend who was donned in a military outfit. A witness disclosed that the bouncers at the club stopped the lady and challenged her, asking if she was a soldier. But Hilary promptly objected, leading to an altercation. Abdullahi, a naval officer, who was also at the club, came out to intervene. He told Hilary it was wrong for his girlfriend to wear a military uniform when she was not one. Hilary allegedly got upset and stabbed Abdullahi, who died on the spot. It was gathered that Abdullahi’s colleagues, after getting wind of the situation, mobilised to the scene and beat Hilary to death. The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Lelma Kolle, confirmed the incident, and two arrests.

Cultists Lay Three-Day Siege to Lagos Streets

Residents of some streets in Somolu, Lagos have recounted how some suspected cultists attacked the area, injuring people and stealing their belongings last weekend. It was gathered that the cultists, numbering about 15 and armed with guns and cutlasses, attacked the area from about 10pm penultimate Friday evening, going from street to street. They were said to have struck on no fewer than seven streets by Saturday and Sunday evenings. A resident alleged that the police in the area were handicapped to curtail the situation because some of the suspected cultists had very ‘powerful’ godfathers.

Police Arrest Fleeing Robbers, Recover Loot

The men of the Ogun State Police Command attached to the anti-robbery team of the Ajuwon Police Division, penultimate Saturday, arrested two suspected robbers. The suspects ─ Opeyemi Ibiloye and Michael Sanusi ─ were nabbed after they had robbed a resident on Olatunji Street, Akute, Ifo LGA of the state. It was learnt that the robbers, who were six in number, had invaded the area during the early hours of the day. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said someone, however, sent a distress call to the police on the robbery, adding that they responded swiftly. Adejobi said the policemen arrived at the scene after the robbers had dispossessed the resident of money and other valuables and also injured him. They gave the robbers a chase and arrested two of them. They recovered the loot they took and their weapons. According to him, preliminary investigation done by the police revealed that the second suspect, Sanusi, is a son of one of the landlords in the area.

Men in Court for Sexually Abusing 3-Year-Old Girls

A 38-year-old man, Michael Edise, has been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly abusing the daughter of his neighbour. Edise, who resides with the victim’s parents, was said to have inserted his finger into the genitals of the three-year-old. The victim’s parents had, on Tuesday evening, left their child in Edise’s care and went inside for a while. On returning, the three-year-old was said to have told her parents the suspect allegedly inserted his finger in her private parts while they were away. Her enraged parents were said to have reported the matter to the police. Edise was subsequently arrested. The defendant said he was not guilty and elected summary trial. The Chief Magistrate, A.A. Demi-Ajayi admitted him to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties each in like sum. The matter was adjourned till September 22, 2014 for trial. In a similar incident, a 25-year-old security guard, Jubrin Asli, has been arraigned before an Igbosere magistrate’s court for allegedly inserting his fingers into the genitals of two minors, both aged three. One of the children had reported the defendant to her mother after she complained of having pains while urinating. However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the one count charge. The defendant was, however, remanded in Ikoyi prison until August 12, pending his bail application.

GENERAL

Kano Bombings Linked to Dislodged Female Beggars

The emergence of female suicide bombers mostly in Kano and other states in northern Nigeria have been linked to the possible conscription of female beggars by Boko Haram members, investigations have revealed. It was learnt from reliable security sources that the female beggars were banned and relocated outside the Kano metropolis by the state government sometime last year but were quickly recruited by the terrorists to disperse the attacks across Kano, Yobe and Gombe States, while the male recruits and Boko Haram members hold sway in Borno State. A military source, while dismissing the suggestion that some of the suicide bombers might be the abducted Chibok girls, added that some of the female suicide bombers who had been used by the terrorists might have been unaware that they were being strapped with deadly explosives. Security sources fear that the female suicide bombers might be the wives of slain or arrested members of the Islamic sect who have been indoctrinated and brainwashed to take revenge on behalf of their husbands.

Gunmen Kill District Head in Bauchi

Some gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers, on Saturday killed the District Head of Soro in Bauchi State, Mallam Abdulrahman Baba, and injured two other persons. The Bauchi State Police Command’s spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the killing, said the incident occurred at 7.45 pm on Saturday, 2nd of August 2014 when six gunmen suspected to be armed bandits, stormed Soro town in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, killing the District Head of Soro, Abdulrahman Isa Baba, and two other traders. They also carted away an undisclosed amount of money from their victims and escaped to an unknown destination. The entire surrounding has been cordoned off and efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects, he said. Mohammed also said that a 32-year-old man had been apprehended in connection with an improvised explosive device (IED) that was buried in a building site in Azare town of the state.

Hijacked Ship Released Near Nigeria

A hijacked Singaporean oil tanker carrying 21 sailors was released last weekend, a week after being seized by pirates in waters off Ghana in West Africa, Seoul’s foreign ministry said. The 3,200-tons tanker, carrying a South Korean captain and chief engineer, was hijacked on July 26 off the southern coast of Ghana, the ministry added. The vessel, which had loaded in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, was also carrying 12 Chinese, one Singaporean and six Burmese, it said. No sailor was hurt and it appeared that some of their fuel has been stolen. Piracy off the western coast of Africa has been rising in recent years, with attackers targeting ships playing a key role in the region’s thriving oil industry.

Cholera Claims 27 Lives in Borno

The Borno State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Salma Anas Kolo, said 27 persons had so far died of cholera in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Biu. The commissioner was in Maiduguri to monitor the case of cholera outbreak in one of the two camps established by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for over 10,000 displaced persons from Damboa, said 16 persons died in the camp and 11 others died at the hospital where they were taken to for treatment. She also revealed that the total number of cholera cases at the camp came to about 375 with about 30 of them hospitalised. The commissioner narrated that the victims contacted the disease as a result of the poor hygienic condition at the camp, adding that the state government in conjunction with UNICEF and the Red Cross had moved in to improve the condition in the camp and equally provided medical services.

28 Corpses Recovered as Calm Returns to Warring Taraba Community

After two days of a bloody communal clash, 28 corpses including those of the two soldiers killed in the crisis have been recovered at Ibi in Taraba State as calm finally returned to the troubled town. An indigene of the town disclosed that the corpses of his sister, Anoza Shata and a nephew, Samson Daniels, were among those recovered. However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Joseph Kwaji, said 14 people were killed in clash. Meanwhile, the state government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the town to forestall further break down of law and order though there has been a mass exodus of people from the town. As security operatives battle to restore normalcy to the town, the state acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, in the wake of the crisis is yet to return to the state even as tension continues to mount in Wukari and other surrounding communities. Ibi, Wukari, Donga and Takum as well as Bali and Gassol LGAs have seen clashes in the last seven months leading to the death of hundreds of people.

Iran Denounces Deadly Attack on Nigeria Anti-Israel Rally

A senior Iranian official has censured as “unacceptable” the deadly attack by Nigerian forces on a group of demonstrators taking part in the rallies held in support of the Palestinian nation on International Quds Day. “Whatever the justification, attacking people holding a peaceful march along with other Muslims across the world in support of the oppressed people of Gaza, is deplorable and unacceptable,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday. The Iranian official further called on the Nigerian government to shoulder its responsibility to identify and punish the perpetrators of the attack. Some 25 Nigerian demonstrators were gunned down by security forces during an anti-Israeli rally held to mark International Quds Day in the ancient city of Zaria in Nigeria’s Kaduna State on July 25. Among those killed was 18-year-old Syed Mahmud Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, a son of Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, the leader of Nigeria’s Islamic Movement, which had called for the rally. Reports say another son of the Muslim leader was injured and two others were arrested. Later, military forces reportedly killed all detainees, including the two sons of Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky.

Boko Haram Occupies Yobe Community
•Military Dislodges Terrorists from Damboa

Having sacked a town in Borno on Wednesday, the terror group Boko Haram has also allegedly taken over military camps in Gujba LGA of Yobe State, residents disclosed. It was also gathered that the recent bombing of the Katarko Bridge by the insurgents has temporarily cut off both vehicular and human movement between Buni Yadi and Damaturu. It was gathered that officials of the state Ministry of Works who went to assess the damage to the bridge narrowly escaped death in the hands of the insurgents who opened fire on them. It has also emerged that the whereabouts of the new Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Mohammed Idrissa Timta, have remained unknown, two days after the attack and capture of his town. Meanwhile, Damboa, which was captured by the insurgents about a month ago, has been recaptured by Nigerian troops. A member of the local vigilante group, Hassan Mohammed, who spoke in Maiduguri, said the attack on Gwoza was a reprisal by insurgents who had been dislodged by the military in Damboa.

Boko Haram Takes Over Gwoza

Residents of Gwoza town in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, have alleged that the town is now under the Islamic militants, Boko Haram, after dislodging the military formations in the local government. According to them, more than a hundred people were said to have been killed by the Islamic sect, who seized the town in the early hours of Wednesday. The insurgents’ capture of Gwoza was the second time the sect would seize a major town from Nigerian troops.  It will be recalled that some weeks ago, Boko Haram massacred many residents of the town of Damboa and dislodged Nigerian troops stationed to secure the town. He added that the Islamist militants killed residents freely, adding that the casualties included the elderly, women, and children.

Gunmen Attack Church in Kaduna

One person was reportedly killed while several others were injured following an attack on a Catholic Church in Ungwan Pau-Pau village, Kachia LGA of Kaduna state by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Sunday. The incident was said to have occurred at about 8am on Sunday when the gunmen invaded the Church during Sunday worship. Eye witness said a young man who was guarding the Church was killed while several others sustained injuries from gun shots. According to reports, the gunmen came with sophisticated weapons shooting sporadically and one person died instantly while several others were rushed to the hospital.

Niger Lawmaker Attacked by Robbers

A gang of armed robbers on Saturday night attacked the house of the Deputy Speaker of Niger state House of Assembly, Eng. Abdulrahman Gambo Bala, carting away some valuables belonging to him and some members of his family. It was gathered that the armed robbers numbering about four broke into the house along Abattoir road in Minna in the night through the back fence with dangerous weapons. The gang, which operated for about two hours, also dispossessed the deputy Speaker and his family members of some undisclosed amount of cash. As the armed robbers operated, it was learnt that the neighbors were not immediately aware but by the time they became aware, the armed robbers, who did not hurt anybody had already left the house. It was learnt that the case was reported to GRA divisional Police office Minna but no arrest has been made yet.

INTERNATIONAL

Russia Announces Military Exercises near Ukraine

Russia, Monday, announced new military exercises involving bombers and fighter jets in a show of strength near the border with Ukraine. An air force spokesman was quoted as saying more than 100 planes and helicopters would take part in the manoeuvres from Monday until Friday in its central and western districts. The spokesman, Igor Klimov, said the exercises were the first in a series to improve coordination in the military and made no mention of Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels are fighting Ukrainian government forces. The move is likely to alarm Western powers which have accused Russia of beefing up the number of troops along its border with Ukraine and arming the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies supplying the rebels with weapons.  Klimov said aircraft such as Su-27 and MiG-31 fighter jets, Russia's newest frontline bomber Su-34, and Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-28N helicopters would be used in the exercises and the aircraft would conduct missile practice.

Bangladesh Ferry with 200 Passengers Capsizes

A ferry with about 200 passengers aboard capsized on Monday in the river Padma southwest of Dhaka and rescue teams took about half of them to safety, the chief of the district administration said. Mohammad Saiful Hasan Badal, Deputy Commissioner of Munshiganj district, said about 100 passengers had been rescued from the vessel, identified as the MV Pinak-6. No deaths had yet been reported. Teams from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, fire brigade and the army were engaged in the rescue operation about 30 km (18 miles) southwest of Dhaka. "Most of the passengers were coming back to the city from home after celebrating Eid-al Fitr," Saiful said. Low-lying Bangladesh, with extensive inland waterways and slack safety standards, has an appalling record of ferry accidents, with casualties sometimes running into the hundreds. Overcrowding is a common factor in many of the accidents.

India Bank Chief Arrested over Bribery

Indian police have arrested the chairman of state-run Syndicate bank, Sudhir Kumar Jain, and several others over allegations of bribery. Jain has been accused of taking bribes to raise credit limits of firms. The Central Bureau of Investigation said it recovered 5m rupees ($82,000; £49,000) allegedly paid to Jain. The raids are being described as the first large scale anti-corruption moves since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office earlier this year. Ranjit Sinha, director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it had seized cash, documents and computer records after conducting raids across 20 different locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Bhopal. Sinha disclosed that other banks were also involved in the conspiracy. A total of 12 people, including Jain, are being investigated.

Britain Evacuates Nationals from Libya

A British navy ship has evacuated British nationals from Libya, according to the UK Defence Ministry, as worsening security there is forcing thousands to flee. The HMS Enterprise, which had been on a Mediterranean deployment, on Sunday evacuated 110 people, mostly British, from the capital Tripoli, according to Michael Aron, British ambassador to Libya. Britain is also planning to temporarily suspend its embassy operations in Libya, the Foreign Office said. Aron has said he has “reluctantly” decided to leave due to the worsening local clashes. Libya has suffered chronic insecurity since Gaddafi’s overthrow, with the new government unable to check armed groups that helped to remove him as well as the rise of conservative religious groups.

Libyan Soldiers Kill Egyptians at Tunisian Border

Seven Egyptians were killed by Libyan security forces at the transit point of Ras Jadir, on the Tunisian border, sources disclosed at the Tunisian city of Bengardane. An initial death toll revealed two dead following the arrival at the cross-border point of Ras Jadir of thousands of Egyptians, who had waited several days in Libya to get their visas to Tunisia. They were shot after a stampede which also left several others injured, according to the sources. Egyptians were fleeing the armed clashes in Libya which have already left 214 dead in three weeks, according to the Libyan Health ministry. Tunisian security officials had refused entry to Egyptians without transit visas and guarantees that they would continue their trip to Egypt. Report said that Tunisia suspended its consular and diplomatic activities in Libya two weeks ago.

UN Raises Alarm over Increasing Danger in East Ukraine

Civilians in eastern Ukraine are facing increasing hardships, with wrecked infrastructure and limited access to power and water supplies, the UN said on Wednesday. UN humanitarian chief, John Ging said “immediate action” was needed to halt the conflict and prevent the situation from putting more people in danger. At a UN Security Council meeting Russia blamed Ukraine for the hardships, but the UK said it was Russia’s fault. The UN estimates that 1,367 people have been killed since April. However, the true figure could be much higher, with the rebels saying they have lost at least 800 fighters and accusing the government of playing down its own losses. Eighteen Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 54 injured in clashes on Tuesday, the government said. The crisis erupted when well-armed pro-Russian gunmen took over various cities and attempted to break away from Ukraine. They have been slowly beaten back, and the fighting is now focused on the two rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Russia of fuelling the rebellion with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.

Airstrike Kills 60 Militants in Northern Iraq

An Iraqi army airstrike in the militant-held northern city of Mosul on Wednesday killed 60 fighters from the extremists Islamic State group. According to the report, the dawn strike targeted a downtown prison that was being used by Islamic State members as a religious court and detention facility. Sunni extremists from the al-Qaida-breakaway Islamic State group seized Mosul, Iraq's largest second-largest city, in a blitz offensive in June that also captured large swaths of the country's north and west. The militant onslaught plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011. The group has since imposed a self-styled caliphate in territory it controls in Iraq and Syria, imposing the militants' harsh interpretation of Islamic law. Since then, Iraqi government forces and allied Sunni tribal militiamen have been struggling to dislodge the militants but with no apparent progress.

Saudi Arabia Beheads Man for Torturing Toddler Son to Death

A Saudi man was beheaded Tuesday for torturing and beating his two-year-old boy to death, the interior ministry said. Maqbul bin Madi al-Sharari hit his son Mohammed “repeatedly with a cane on the back of his head and the rest of his body,” the ministry said in a statement. He also punched the toddler in the face repeatedly and “burned him in different parts of his body, torturing him several times, which led to his death,” the ministry said. Sharari’s execution in the northern Jawf region brings to 18 the number of death sentences carried out this year in the ultra-conservative kingdom. Saudi Arabia beheaded 78 people in 2013, according to an AFP count. Last year, the UN High Commission for Human Rights denounced a “sharp increase in the use of capital punishment” there since 2011. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia’s strict version of Islamic sharia law.

Egyptian Military Kills 11 Militants in Sinai

Egyptian military forces have killed eleven militants during separate shoot-outs in the restive Sinai Peninsula. The armed men were killed on Sunday, when Egyptian troops clashed with them during a raid in north Sinai, the army said on Monday. Egyptian soldiers also destroyed three cars and eight motorbikes belonging to the "terrorist elements" in the firefight. Sinai Peninsula has long been considered as a safe haven for gunmen who use the region as a base for their acts of terror. Since the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on July 3 last year, gunmen have launched almost daily attacks on the peninsula, killing members of security forces. In Cairo, at least three soldiers were killed and several others injured as gunmen attack a security checkpoint near al-Azhar University. The attack took place near the university’s dormitory in Nasr City on Monday night, security sources said.

Israel Air Strikes Resume in Gaza

Israel says it has resumed air strikes in Gaza after Palestinian militants fired rockets following the end of a three-day truce on Friday morning. The Israeli army called the renewed rocket attacks “unacceptable, intolerable and short-sighted”. Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, earlier rejected any extension of the truce, saying Israel had failed to meet its demands. Some 1,940 lives have been claimed in four weeks of fighting in Gaza. At least 1,890 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died, according to latest United Nations figures. Israel’s government says 64 soldiers have been killed, along with two Israeli civilians and a Thai national. It also claims that about 900 Palestinian militants have died in the violence. Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on 8 July with the stated aim of halting rocket fire from militants in Gaza and destroying the network of tunnels it said were used by militants to launch attacks inside Israel. The violence resumed after Egyptian-brokered talks between Israel and Palestinian factions hit a deadlock.

Obama Authorises Air Strikes on Iraq

US President Barack Obama says he has authorised air strikes against Islamic militants in northern Iraq but will not send US troops back to the country. He said Islamic State (IS) fighters would be targeted to prevent the slaughter of religious minorities or if they threaten US interests. No strikes have been made yet but the US has made humanitarian air drops to Iraqis under threat from the militants. IS has seized Qaraqosh, Iraq’s biggest Christian town, forcing locals to flee. Speaking at the White House on Thursday evening after meetings with his national security advisers, Mr. Obama said US military aircraft had dropped food and water to members of the Yazidi religious minority community who were trapped on Mount Sinjar by the IS fighters. Officials had warned that the Yazidis faced starvation and dehydration if they remained on the mountain, and slaughter at the hands of the IS if they fled.

Death Toll in China Earthquake Hits 580

The death toll in southwestern China’s earthquake has risen to 589 as search and rescue teams push into isolated mountain communities to clear debris from collapsed homes. The Yunnan provincial government said that more than 2,400 people were injured in Sunday’s 6.1 magnitude quake in the mountainous farming region of Ludian County – the country’s deadliest tremor in four years. No explanation was given for the sudden increase from a toll of 410 given on Tuesday, though rescuers have been pulling corpses from the wreckage. The ministry added that 2,401 people in Yunnan were injured by the quake, and 230,000 people had been evacuated, while more than 80,000 homes had fully or partially collapsed. China called for volunteers to stay away from the disaster zone on Wednesday as traffic blocked supply routes and “substandard” relief goods flooded into the area. Rescue efforts have also been hampered by landslides blocking roads. The quake struck an area of steep hills and narrow roads that are not well suited to all the traffic of the massive relief effort. The region is prone to earthquakes.

Christians Flee Iraqi Town as Islamist Militants Take Over

Thousands of Christians are reported to be fleeing after Islamic militants seized the minority’s biggest town in Iraq. The Islamic State group captured Qaraqosh in the north overnight after the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. An international Christian organisation said at least a quarter of Iraq’s Christians were leaving Qaraqosh and other surrounding towns. IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria to create an Islamic caliphate. Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, have been fighting the Sunni militants in the north for weeks. The town, home to some 50,000 Christians, is located 30km (19 miles) southeast of the city of Mosul, which was captured by IS in June. Iraq is home to one of the world’s most ancient Christian communities, but numbers have dwindled amid growing sectarian violence since the US-led invasion in 2003.

French Troops Kill Ex-Seleka Fighters in CAR

French peacekeepers killed several militiamen after they came under attack while on patrol in the Central African Republic (CAR), an officer with the African peacekeeping force said Tuesday. The French troops opened fire using heavy weapons on gunmen from the former rebel movement Seleka, who attacked them when they entered the northern town of Batangafo on Monday, the officer disclosed. Several ex-Seleka fighters were killed, he added without saying whether there were any French casualties. Last week at least 22 people were killed in clashes in Batangafo between the Seleka and the rival anti-balaka militia, according to African peacekeepers who are working with the French. Batangafo lies in the district of Ouham, home of former president Francois Bozize, who was overthrown by the Seleka rebels in March 2013. The mostly Muslim Seleka carried out a campaign of violence against the majority Christian community in the following months, prompting the creation of the anti-balaka militia.

Security Personnel Killed by Militants in Yemen

A group of militants using two pickup trucks on Saturday evening attacked a security patrol in Ataq city, the capital of Shabwa governorate, the Ministry of Interior reported on its website. The attack resulted in the death of four policemen and left another one injured. The ministry quoted both Brigadier General Awadh Thaiban, security chief of Shabwa, and Colonel Adlan Al-Dhali, the commander of the Special Security Forces in Shabwa, as claiming that evidence from the incident confirms it was a terror attack. In late April the Yemeni military launched an offensive in Abyan and Shabwa aimed at clearing the two governorates of suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants. The Defense Ministry said in May that its forces pushed suspected AQAP militants out of Azzan town in Maifa district in Shabwa, which the group took over in June 2011.