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Latest News: Training and recruitment is ongoing - Wednesday, 02 March 2011 22:54

week 36

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Port Harcourt Doctor Dies of Ebola, 70 Placed under Surveillance

The death of a doctor in Port Harcourt over Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was unknown to many has sparked fears across the country. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed that the doctor who died in Port Harcourt had his blood sample tested positive after death. He also said that 70 persons have been placed under surveillance in Port Harcourt. The minister explained that the wife of the doctor has also been quarantined alongside others believed to have had contact with the doctor and patient who he attended to. The minister disclosed that one of the patients was a primary contact of the index case -Patrick Sawyer. Even though presently he does not have EVD but further laboratory tests indicate that he had suffered EVD. The Minister disclosed that the total number of Ebola cases so far reported stands at 15, with 13 treated cases.

Bayelsa communities Threatens NAOC Oil Production

Operations of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Biseni in Bayelsa State face impending disruption over alleged failure of the oil company to meet its obligations to the host communities. The host communities had recently shut down five oil wells in Idu oilfield operated by Agip over its non-fulfillment of community development obligations to its hosts. The oil wells 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12 earlier shut and put out of production by youths of the area were reopened after a meeting between community representatives and Agip officials on August 5, 2014. Secretary of Egbebiri II community in Biseni, Chief Solomon Ogiama, said on Sunday that officials of NAOC who had pledged prompt implementation of agreements reached before the oil wells were reopened had allegedly reneged on their promise. Filipo Cotalini, Media Relations Office Manager at Eni, which operates in Nigeria as NAOC, had said the company was investigating the incident.

Kidnappers Collect Ransom, Hold Negotiator Hostage

Some unknown gunmen, who abducted the mother of Rivers State Commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari, have held the appointed negotiator hostage after collecting a ransom of N5m from him. The development was said to have angered a former militant leader in Bayelsa State, Reuben Wilson, who played a role in the appointment of the negotiator to secure the release of Madam Tolofari. During the meeting of the Niger Delta ex-agitators, under the aegis of the Leadership for Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, the abduction of the negotiator was condemned. Wilson said it was unfortunate that the kidnappers could be wicked to abduct the negotiator while delivering the N5m agreed upon as ransom for the woman’s release. It was learnt that the Rivers commissioner had contacted the ex-militant leader to assist in the delivery of the agreed ransom of N5m out of the N150m reportedly demanded by the abductors.

Gunmen Kill Lecturer in Anambra

A lecturer in the Department of Engineering at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Reuben Ikwu, was shot by a group of three unidentified gunmen last Sunday. Ikwu was said to have been mistaken for a Lagos-based businessman, who was on a visit to Umuawulu, Awka South LGA of Anambra State. Policemen attached to the compound promptly returned fire and shot two of the gunmen dead, while the third person, who sustained gunshot wounds, escaped with their driver. The incident occurred when the businessman’s driver was trailed back home, while the businessman was playing host to the late Ikwu. The Anambra Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Uche Ezeh, confirmed the incident.

Navy Intercepts Vessel with Illegally Refined AGO Worth N28.8m

The Nigerian Navy Central Naval Command, on Monday intercepted a locally-made vessel, MV MERCY with suspected illegally refined Automated Gas Oil, AGO, worth N28.8 million. It was learnt that the vessel, which was arrested by a naval patrol boat on the Furopa waterways in the Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State had seven suspected oil thieves on board. The product, said to be 180,000 litres, was valued at N28.8m. The suspects, vessel and substance were handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for further investigation and prosecution.

Abia Police Parade Suspected Robbers

The Abia State Police Command on Thursday paraded three suspects, Sunday Anyim, Ike Ahamefula and Ikenna Anyanwu, who allegedly robbed female corps members at the Abia Corps members’ Lodge, Umuahia. The state Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Adamu, while parading the suspects, said they were picked up in an uncompleted building, near Timber Market, Umuahia, following a tip off. He said upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime which occurred on August 24, adding that they would soon be charged to court. Paraded also were two robbery suspects, Ochieze Friday, aged 25, and Munachi Lemechi, 19, who allegedly ordered their victims to lie down on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in the course of their operation. According to the police, three persons among their hapless victims were crushed to death by an on-coming vehicle while lying face-down and the suspects later made away with their belongings, including iPad and cash.

Tricycle Operators Protest Police Brutality

Commercial tricycle operators in Bayelsa State, popularly known as Keke Napep, on Tuesday protested against the alleged excessive use of force and extortion by policemen on the roads following the hitting of a pregnant woman by a policeman along Azikoro Road, Ekeki in Yenagoa. The policeman, said to be an Inspector, was said to have hit the pregnant woman while trying to hit a Keke Napep driver with his gun butt for refusing to part with a N50 bribe. Though some security operatives described the action of the inspector as “careless” and denied the alleged use of the rifle butt, the irate protesters claimed the action of the police led to excessive bleeding by the pregnant women from the mouth. The victim, according to the protesters, was rushed to Glory Land Hospital. One of the protesting Keke Napep drivers described as unbecoming the activities of policemen at check points in the state capital.

Gunmen Kill Traditional Ruler in Calabar

The traditional ruler of Efut Esighi Isu Ekom in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, Effiong Odionka, was last Thursday shot dead by unidentified gunmen in his residence in Calabar. The late ruler’s wife, Mrs. Sarah Okon-Effiong, disclosed that her husband left the village last Thursday to Calabar, only to be killed that same day in his house at the Bayside area of Calabar-South by men suspected to be hired assassins. The killers, who were about six, had come with his photograph and traced him to his bedroom where they tied him to a cushion chair, shot at him and axed his head. Sarah said some family members had accused the deceased, along with some elders, of being responsible for the death of one of their relatives, Benjamin Etim, through witchcraft. She alleged that the family members might have organised her husband’s assassination. Spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, Mr. Hogan Bassey, confirmed the incident.

Son, 29, Kills Mother, Burns Corpse

A 29-year-old man, Ekele Ucheagwu has been arrested by the police over the killing of his mother, Agnes Ucheagwu, in Ogbunka community, Orumba South LGA, Anambra State. Ekele was said to have beaten his mother to a pulp and finally strangled her to death, after which he burnt her and buried the ashes in Ogba-Ukwu Evil Forest in the community. He alleged that his mother was an evil woman and “queen of the coast” alleging further that she was using her mystical powers to kill and maim innocent people and confessed that he took her to evil forest by 11p.m,  killed and burnt her. The Anambra State Commissioner of Police commended the community for reporting the crime promptly and added that the police would exhume the burnt ashes of Agnes, for proper burial by her kinsmen.

Enugu Records 51 Cases of Rape, Sexual Harassment in 5 months

No fewer than 51 minors were sexually abused or raped in Enugu State between April 2014 and August 2014, the Executive Director of Women Aid Collective, Dr Joy Ezeilo, has disclosed. Speaking at a media roundtable organised by the Sexual Assault and Referral Centre (SARC) in Enugu on Tuesday, Ezeilo said that 45 adults were also victims’ of rape in the state during the period of review. According to her, 77 persons out of the victims know the perpetrators while 15 do not know the perpetrators. She lamented that 16 persons out of the perpetrators were family members of the victims. The director also expressed dismay at the increasing cases of rape by Fulani cattle rearers in the rural areas. Ezeilo called on traditional rulers, community leaders and community members to help guard against rape in the different communities.

Enugu Deputy Governor Impeached

Embattled Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi has been impeached by the State House of Assembly. Onyebuchi's removal carried out at exactly 10.39 am was sequel to the adoption of the report of the 7-man panel that investigated allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him by 22 out of the 24 members of the House. The House Leader, Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye who moved motion for the adoption of the report said the panel of investigation had come up with the conclusion that the "allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Onyebuchi by the House have been proved".

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Police Kill Benin Robbery Kingpin, Arrest Suspect

The Police in Edo State on Wednesday said that the leader of a notorious robbery gang, which specialised in dispossessing residents of their mobile phones and cash along Oba Ovoramwen Square in Benin, has been killed. Police Public Relations Officer, Noble Uwoh, disclosed that the kingpin, Samson Ahigbe, popularly known as ‘Agada,’ was shot dead when a team of police investigators raided the hideouts of the gang, after a gang member, Israel Moses, who was allegedly caught with a stolen phone, made a confession. Uwoh said the command nabbed Moses while attempting to unlock one of the phones stolen. The statement said that the gang confronted the police with arms in an attempt to evade arrest, when Moses led security agency into their den. Uwoh said two of the robbers sustained bullet wounds while the gang leader died en route to the hospital.

Suspected Armed Robbers Killed In Edo

Four suspected armed robbers were on Saturday killed following a shootout with operatives of the Edo State Police Command, along Ewah Road, in Benin after they snatched a Toyota Camry. The Police Public Relations Officer, Noble Uwoh, disclosed that some policemen on a routine stop-and-search patrol along Ewah Road, chased the robbers, who zoomed off after they were intercepted by the patrol officers. A gun battle was said to have ensued when the police responded to shots fired by the robbers, resulting in the arrest of four of the suspected robbers, who sustained serious bullet wounds. Uwoh, however, noted that the injured four died on their way to a hospital. Items recovered from the robbers included one locally made pistol, one battle axe, two knives and five cartridges. The police also revealed that one John Osagie, a member of a robbery gang that unleashed terror on residents of Upper Siluko, had been apprehended.

Villagers Ground Erhoike Flow Station

Angry communities at Orogun, Delta State, have shut down operations at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30. Members of the communities vowed to leave the facility idle until its operator, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), meet their requests. It is estimated that the indefinite halt is at a loss of 44, 880 barrels of crude oil per day at the Erhoike Flow Station. Leader of the federated communities and ring leader of the protest, Morris Ochuko Idiowa, disclosed that over 2, 000 women, youths and men of 12 Orogun communities had moved into the Erhoike Flow Station, Ethiope East LGA and chased away workers. Women leader of the communities, Mary Dohwovevuroye Obuko, the NPDC had promised to remedy the situation left by the SPDC, but after six months, they came up with quick win projects, made their people borrow money, and have not paid for the project as promised.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

10 Arrested as Task Force Dislodges Adulterated Syndicate

Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences, Enforcement Unit, last weekend stormed the hideout of a diesel adulterating syndicate at Opebi area and arrested 10 suspects. The team also impounded three oil tankers from the scene. The suspects, who were arrested under the Opebi Link-bridge allegedly produce and sell adulterated diesel to the members of the public. The team also impounded several litres of adulterated diesel from the hideout. It was gathered that the adulterated diesel was produced by mixing large quantity of kerosene with some diesel. The illegal activities, according to government officials, have impacted negatively on the ecosystem within 100 metres radius. However, one of those arrested, Saheed Ibrahim, said they were not producing adulterated diesel. Taskforce chairman, Bayo Sulaimon, who led the raid, described the activities as sabotaging the country’s economy.

Couple, Child and Maid Slain in Lagos Assassination

Gunmen, in the early hours of Thursday, stormed an apartment in a block of flats in Unity Estate, Akowonjo area of Egbeda, killing a man, his wife, his child and their maid. It was gathered that the gunmen suspected to be assassins, stormed the building at about 2am and fired shots, apparently to wade off intruders. According to a neighbour, the gunmen had scaled through the fence of the building. They beat the gate man, tied his hands and asked him to leave the vicinity, threatening to kill him if he alerted the Police, before they proceeded to the building where several gunshots were fired. It was gathered that policemen later arrived and took the corpses away. In another development, robbers yesterday, went on the rampage in Ijoko Otta area of Ogun State, dispossessing residents of Elerinko Estate of cash and other valuables. Among those attacked was a man who reportedly just returned from Ghana.

NDLEA Destroys 50 Hectares of Cannabis Plantation in Ondo State

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) rekindled its war against the growing of cannabis in the South West as it destroyed over 50 hectares of cannabis plantation in Epele Forest Reserves, Ondo State. The agency deployed 70 operatives from its commands in the South West and 50 labourers in an operation which lasted all night from Monday to the early hours of Tuesday. The growers of the weed had gone deep into the forest to establish colonies of cannabis plantation, making it almost inaccessible to law enforcement agents. Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, described cannabis cultivation as a threat to national security. He also vowed to prosecute forest guards who turned a blind eye to criminal activities, as well as those conniving with cannabis cultivators.

Construction Arraigned over Rape of Minor

The police have arraigned a 29-year-old construction worker, Prince Isioma, before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl. The police said the incident happened on the Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos State. Nobody was around on the fateful day, when Isioma allegedly lured the victim into his room and had unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Isioma was arraigned on one count of rape. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial. His defence counsel, Melda Adebambo, urged the court to admit him to bail in liberal terms. The Chief Magistrate, O.O. Olatunji admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N300, 000 with two sureties, each in like sum. The matter was adjourned till October 15, 2014. Meanwhile, Policemen attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, in Lagos, were stunned on Friday when a five-year-old girl demanded a gun from them so that she would kill the man who defiled her. The suspect, identified simply as Okafor, 22, was said to have taken her into an uncompleted building at Dansa area of Badagry and forcefully raped her.

Abducted Lebanese Regains Freedom after 8 Days in Captivity

Kidnappers, who abducted a Lebanese, Mr. S. Sakalawi, about a week ago in Ibadan, Oyo State, have set him free. Sakalawi, the General Manager of an Ibadan-based plastic firm, Black Horse Industries, was abducted last week Tuesday in the premises of his company after being trailed by the gunmen. A police source, disclosed that Sakalawi was found on a road in the outskirt of Ibadan and was picked up by some policemen who were alerted by some people. It was learnt that the kidnappers numbering three, in an attempt to achieve their aim, followed the vehicle of a female staff of the company and entered into the compound beating security measures. It was also gathered that Sakalawi, coincidentally was also driving behind the gunmen into the compound and as soon as they sighted him alighting from his car, they pounced on him, bundled him into their car and drove off.

GENERAL

FCT Police Foils Robbery Attack

The Police said it foiled an armed robbery attack in Gwagwalada metropolis of the FCT last Saturday night. Mr Patrick Daaor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Gwagwalada Division, said on Sunday that the criminals had attempted to rob the residence of Mr Ogah Michael. He said that the three-man armed robbery gang entered Michael’s house at about 8:30pm, each of them brandishing a locally-made pistol and handcuff. Daaor said as soon as the suspects entered the house, the victim gave a loud shout which attracted the attention of neighbours, one of whom immediately dialed the police emergency number for help. The DPO said that his men responded instantly to the distress call and went straight to the residence following the description given by the victim’s good neighbour. He said that on hearing the sound of the siren of the police security vehicles, the hoodlums took to their heels, throwing away all their arms and escaped arrest. Daaor said that his men recovered all the weapons, while efforts are on to apprehend the criminals.

Katsina Disburses N100m to Gun Attack Victims

The Katsina State Government has begun disbursement of N100 million to victims of gunmen attack in Sabuwa and Faskari LGA of the state. Unidentified gunmen raided several communities in the two areas, killed 117 persons and injured 37 while 708 were displaced between March 11 and March 12. Presenting the cheques to families of the deceased and injured persons in Faskari, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Garba, said interim relief packages had earlier been distributed to the victims. According to him, the state government sponsored the treatment of injured persons. He said a committee, led by Brig. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, visited all the affected settlements and had direct contacts with the victims. He urged the beneficiaries to consider the packages as support and not compensation for the lives and properties lost during the incident.

Boko Haram Attacks Police Academy, Seizes Riffles

The Boko Haram insurgents, who attacked the Police Academy, Gwoza, Borno State, on Wednesday, seized not less than 200 assault rifles from the riot policemen on training. Investigations revealed that about 159 of the guns were seized from men of the three mobile police units from Mopol 50, Abuja; Mopol 38 and Mopol 58 based in Akwanga and Lafia respectively in Nasarawa State. It was gathered that the men of the Force Mobile Police had been grumbling about the circumstances that led to the routing of the police and the seizure of such a large cache of arms and ammunition at the training. Force Headquarters confirmed that 35 officers remained missing following the attack. The officers are being searched for with very promising prospect of locating them. Meanwhile the Adamawa State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Madagali LGA of the state, where suspected Boko Haram insurgents were said to have attacked the local government secretariat.

Customs Impounds Container of Expired Drugs

The PTML Area command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded a 40-foot container of expired drugs and laboratory equipment imported into the country from the United States of America. Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Adegoke Folunsho, said some of the drugs, which had expired since 2010, were imported by a non- governmental organisation for charity purpose. He explained that although the importer was granted waiver on request to import the drugs, most of them, after examination, were found to have expired, even before importation. He said the customs acted on the waiver letter which said the imported drugs must have a shelve life of six months after clearance. Meanwhile, the drugs have been officially handed over to officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Ebola: Schools to Resume on October 13

To ensure effective monitoring of the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) the Federal Government has directed that all public and private primary and secondary schools in the country must remain closed until October 13th, 2014. This, it said, is to ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place before the pupils return to school. The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, met with the States Commissioners for Education Forum in Abuja Tuesday to discuss how to handle the matter which continues to cause a lot of apprehension in the country. Director of Ports Health Service, Dr. Sani Gwarzo, urged the Ministry and the Forum of Education Commissioners to urgently come up with a policy document on EVD for schools, and back it up with a work plan, adequate funding, and collaboration with other stakeholders on the EVD such as the Ministries of Health and Environment.

Nasarawa Communal Clash Claims 60

No fewer than 60 people have been killed in another fight between the Alago and Eggon people of Nasarawa State. The victims were killed in the fight between the two ethnics at Tudun Adabu in the Obi LGA of the state. The fight between the Eggon and Fulani herdsmen started in the Assakio headquarters of Lafia East and spread to Tudun on Wednesday. Apart from the dead victims, thousands of people in the affected areas were said to have been rendered homeless. It was also gathered that all the inhabitants of Assakio, Tudun Adabu and Dedere had deserted their abode as a result of the crisis in the areas. Governor Tanko Al-Makura visited Wamba, Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon LGAs on Wednesday to ascertain the level of destruction. The governor, during the visit, also donated relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons affected by the crisis. Wednesday’s violence started when the Eggon people that the Alago youths had joined forces with the Fulani mercenaries to fight them. The Police spokesman, Ismaila Numan, confirmed the escalating crisis.

Boat Mishap Claims 30 Lives

Thirty persons, mostly traders, Wednesday, lost their lives when the boat they were travelling in from Budon to Jamata on their way to trade at the Lokoja International Market capsized in the middle of River Niger. The accident occurred at midnight when the engine of the speed boat developed a fault right at the middle of the river leading to the boat breaking into pieces and in the process, most of the traders drowned in the river. The General Manager Corporate Affairs, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Tayo Fadile, said preliminary enquiry revealed that the boat was sailing at night and was heading towards Lokoja.

Two Soldiers Killed as Gunmen Attack Military Static Point

Gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect, Thursday attacked an army static made up of about six armed soldiers stationed at Wunti-Dada, a suburb of Bauchi State capital, killing two soldiers. One of the sect members was however killed in the encounter, while others escaped. Resident of the area said a soldier was killed and another soldier had gunshot on his leg and one of the gunmen was also shot dead. They said the rest of the gunmen who came on two motorcycles ran away when the soldiers opened fire on them. Meanwhile the body of the fallen soldiers and the wounded had been taken to the army health facility while that of the dead unknown gunman was said to have been deposited at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.

Cameroonian Troops Kill 27 Boko Haram Terrorists

Cameroonian soldiers have   killed 27 members of the Islamist group, Boko Haram, near a border town with Nigeria. The insurgents had reportedly crossed the border into Cameroon earlier this week, after attacking a military base and police station in Gamboru Ngala in Borno State. “Cameroon soldiers have killed 27 Boko Haram elements during an attack in a locality near Fotokol in the far-north,” the state radio, CRTV said,. It added   that the deaths occurred on Monday and Tuesday. There was no word on any Cameroonian casualties. A Cameroonian soldier in the region said the militants had been pushed back into Nigeria, with calm returning to the area on Wednesday. Cameroon's army has attacked the Nigerian Islamist group, Boko Haram, shelling one of their camps across the border. A source disclosed that the army had shelled the camp on Wednesday evening, two days after the jihadist group had seized control of the town of Gamboru Ngala on the border with Cameroon. The shelling was confirmed by a local police officer.

NAFDAC Confiscates Contraband Products in Kano

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed off seven shops and confiscated contraband food products worth millions of Naira in Kano. The NAFDAC Assistant Director (Enforcement), Mr Shaba Mohammed, disclosed this in Kano on Thursday. Six of the affected shops were located at the popular Singer Market, while the other shop was situated at Galadima area in Sabon Gari. He explained that the operation was conducted on Tuesday to measure the level of compliance to regulation, particularly on food products. The items of interest in the operation are mainly sugar, flour, vegetable oil and macaroni or spaghetti which is contraband. He expressed regret that the environment where the seized palm oil was being repackaged at one of the affected shops was completely unhygienic. Mohammed said that this was unacceptable to the agency. The environment where these things were being done is very dirty and unhygienic that is why we sealed off the place.

Gunmen Kill Three Policemen in Bauchi

Gunmen have killed three policemen at a check point around Tilden Fulani village in Toro LGA of Bauchi State. The incident occurred, on Friday, between 10:30 and 11:30pm. The slain policemen were killed at their duty post, a regular check point in the area. A security source disclosed that five policemen had been on duty.  But two of them had gone out to eat when the assailants struck, killing the three that remained at the check point and taking the rifle of one of them. Their corpses were evacuated to the mortuary at Toro General Hospital in Bauchi.

INTERNATIONAL

UN Raises Alarm over Possible Massacre in Iraq

The UN has called for action to prevent what it says may be a possible massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amerli. Special Representative, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed serious alarm over reports regarding the conditions in which the town’s residents live. Amerli, under siege by Islamic State (IS) for two months, has no electricity or drinking water, and is running out of food and medical supplies. IS has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months. Since 8 August, the US has carried out 94 air strikes to support Iraqi and Kurdish troops tackling the insurgents. The majority of Amerli’s residents are Turkmen Shia, seen as apostates by IS. The town’s inhabitants say they have had to organise their own resistance to the militants and no foreign aid has reached the town since the siege began.

Gunmen Attack NATO Supply Tankers in Pakistan

Gunmen in northwest Pakistan opened fire on tankers carrying fuel for NATO troops in Afghanistan on Monday, killing a driver and wounding two others, officials said. The incident happened in Jamrud area of Khyber, one of seven semi-autonomous tribal regions where the military has been battling the homegrown insurgents for years. A convoy of six oil tankers was reportedly heading towards Afghanistan when four attackers on motorbikes attacked the first tanker and killed its driver. Senior local administration official, Irshad Khan, said the tanker overturned as a result of the firing. Two other persons including a helper and a passerby were injured. Khan said the remaining five tankers returned to Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after the attack. NATO supply trucks, which carry everything from fuel to munitions and food, often come under attack on their journey between the Pakistani port city of Karachi and border crossing points.

Deadly Riot In Southern Brazil Jail Claims Lives

Police in Brazil say rioters in a jail in the southern city of Cascavel have killed four fellow inmates and injured several others. Two of the victims were decapitated and others were pushed from the roof of the building, two of whom died. At least 700 prisoners are reported to be involved in the uprising, which began last Sunday morning. The prisoners are said to be unhappy about how the prison is run, as well as about food and hygiene there. The trouble broke out when warders delivering food to inmates were reportedly overpowered. As many as 1,000 prisoners then took over parts of the jail, ransacking and setting fire to much of it. The rioting prisoners have their faces covered with improvised balaclavas. The leaders of the rebellion are holding at least two prison guards hostage.

IS Fighters Take Control of Syria Airbase

Fighters from Islamic State (IS) have taken control of a key Syrian government airbase, activists say. The Tabqa airbase was the last remaining stronghold of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Raqqa province. Syrian state TV confirmed that government forces had “evacuated” the airbase, saying they were “regrouping” and were conducting airstrikes. More than 191,000 people have now been killed in the three-year-old Syrian conflict up to April, the UN says. IS, formerly known as Isis, has expanded its reach into large parts of eastern Syria and northern Iraq in recent months. The US has launched limited airstrikes against the group in Iraq but has not targeted them in Syria.

Ukraine: Donetsk Rebels Parade Captured Soldiers

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have marched dozens of captured government soldiers through the city of Donetsk. The incident came as Ukraine said it would spend $3bn (£1.8bn) on re-equipping the army to fight the rebels. President Petro Poroshenko made the announcement ahead of a military parade to mark Independence Day in Kiev. More than 2,000 people have died in recent months in fighting between government forces and the separatists. Some 330,000 have fled their homes because of the unrest in eastern Ukraine. The violence erupted when pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence from Kiev, after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March.

China Executes Eight over Terrorist Attacks

China has executed eight people in the north-western region of Xinjiang, for what it calls “terrorist” attacks, reports the state news agency Xinhua. Three of those executed had been convicted of an attack in Tiananmen Square in Beijing last October, in which five people died. The others were found guilty of crimes including bomb-making and arson. The government has accused separatist militants based in Xinjiang of carrying out a string of recent attacks. Xinjiang is the traditional home of Muslim Uighurs, who speak a distinct language and have different customs to the majority Han population elsewhere in China.

‘Terrorists’ Seize Libya Airport

Libya’s newly-elected parliament has condemned as terrorists the militia alliance which says it has captured Tripoli’s international airport. It said the alliance was now a legitimate target for the armed forces. The alliance includes Islamists and fighters from the city of Misrata. A spokesman for the militia said that the new parliament was illegitimate and called for the country’s former governing body, the Islamist-dominated General National Council, to reconvene. Libya has been by gripped by conflict between rival militias that spearheaded the 2011 uprising against long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Several hundred people have died in a recent upsurge of fighting.

47 Dead in Iraq Bombings

A wave of attacks targeting commercial areas in and outside Baghdad has killed at least 80 people, officials have said. They said the deadliest of Monday’s bombings was carried out by a suicide bomber who blew up himself among Shia worshippers who were leaving a mosque after noon prayers in the capital’s eastern New Baghdad area, killing at least 15 people and wounding 26 others. Six people were killed and 11 wounded when two car bombs detonated less than two minutes apart hitting a restaurant on a commercial street in northern Baghdad, officials said. In Karbala, an explosion killed 15 civilians and wounded 31 others. In Babel, two car bombs went off in separate areas, killing 11 people and wounding 29 others. In oil-rich Kirkuk, three bombs went off in a commercial district, killing 31 people and wounding dozens, Kirkuk deputy police chief, Tarhan Abdel-Rahman, disclosed. In Baghdad, a suicide bomber had earlier driven an explosives-laden car into the gate of the intelligence headquarters in Karrada district, killing six civilians and five security personnel, a police officer said. Iraqi President Fouad Massoum, a Kurd, condemned the attack and promised the incident would be “properly investigated and its perpetrators held to account.”

Migrant Boat Sinks with 170 Passengers on Board

Dozens of people are thought to have drowned after a boat loaded with migrants sank off the coast of Libya. At least 170 passengers are reported to have been on board, but so far the coastguard has only rescued 17 people. Local fishermen raised the alarm at dawn on Saturday, saying that a boat had capsized in the sea east of Tripoli. It had disappeared underwater by the time rescuers arrived at the scene, and the few people who were still alive were surrounded by the bodies of those who were not, coast guard official Mohammad Abdellatif, said. Coastguard officials said they had no boats of their own, so had to commandeer fishing vessels for the rescue operations.

Islamic State Seizes Syrian Air Base

Islamic State militants stormed an air base in northeast Syria last Sunday, capturing it from government forces after days of fighting that cost more than 500 lives, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 346 Islamic State fighters were killed and more than 170 members of government forces had died since Tuesday in the fight over Tabqa base. It was the Syrian army's last foothold in an area otherwise controlled by Islamic State, which has seized large areas of Syria and Iraq. Islamic State had also trapped around 150 retreating Syrian soldiers in an area near the base and was believed to be holding them captive, the Observatory said.  The Syrian army sent reinforcements to the base overnight on Friday to fight Islamic State, which controls roughly a third of northern and eastern Syria.

Five Die as Flood Ravages South Korean Communities

Flash floods brought on by heavy rain in southern South Korea have killed at least five people, officials say. One person was killed and four others are missing after a bus was swept away by floods near the southern city of Changwon. In Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, four people were killed after heavy rain battered parts of the city. Victims included two people who drowned in their car after driving through a submerged city underpass. An engineer is also believed to be missing after checking basement power lines in a flooded building. Monday’s heavy rain also disrupted train services in Busan, and a nuclear power plant was forced to halt operations after a cooling facility became flooded. Weather officials said that more heavy rain was forecast.

Ukraine Border Guards Clash with Rebels

Ukrainian government forces engaged with a separatist armored column near the southeastern town of Novoazovsk, about 10 km (6 miles) from the Russian border, Ukraine's military said on Monday.  Border guards halted the advance of the column about 5 km northeast of the town, which is on the Azov Sea. The new military thrust by the rebels, which a pro-government militia commander said might be aimed at capturing the government-held port city of Mariupul, appeared to open up a new southern front in the five-month conflict in Ukraine's east. Fighting has been hitherto concentrated around the two big rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk to the north.

Russian Soldiers Captured in East Ukraine

Russia says that a group of Russian military personnel who were captured in eastern Ukraine had crossed the border by mistake. Ukraine said 10 paratroopers had been captured. The incident comes ahead of a key meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents. Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin are at a summit in Minsk in Belarus. More than 2,000 people have died in months of fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The two regions declared independence from Kiev following Russia’s annexation of the southern Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March. Ukraine’s security service said its military had captured the 10 Russian paratroopers near the village of Dzerkalne, south-east of the rebel-held city of Donetsk and about 25km from the Russian border.

Israeli Warplanes Hit Gaza City Tower

Israel air strikes on Gaza City killed two Palestinians early Tuesday, while scores more were wounded when warplanes bombed two high-rise residential blocks, medics and witnesses said. The raids came as Israel stepped up the pressure on Hamas on day 50 of a bloody confrontation which began on July 8 and has claimed the lives of more than 2,100 Palestinians and 68 on the Israeli side. Medics said 25 people were wounded in the raid but no one was killed. Witnesses said that F16s fired at least six rockets at the tower block, in which there were 60 apartments and a commercial complex including dozens of shops, completely destroying it. The Israeli army confirmed carrying out 15 air strikes since midnight (2100 GMT Monday), among them buildings serving as Hamas "command and control centres". Since then, 21 rockets have been fired at Israel, 18 of which struck the south and one of which was intercepted over greater Tel Aviv, a spokeswoman said.

UN Helicopter Crash Claims 3 in South Sudan

Three people were killed and another injured when a helicopter belonging to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) crashed on Tuesday. The mission confirmed that one of its helicopters had crashed near Bentiu, the capital of the Unity state where government troops have been fighting with rebels led by former Vice President Riek Machar. UNMISS reported losing contact with the helicopter, which was on a routine cargo flight from Wau to Bentiu at 14:28 hours on Tuesday. The mission dispatched a search and rescue team to the site of the incident and added that investigations regarding the cause of the incident would commence soon. The incident took place only one day after the South Sudanese government and the rebels reached a fresh truce in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), who mediated the truce, gave the warring parties 45 days to reach an agreement on the formation of a transitional government of national unity.

IS Attacks: 60,000 Iraqis Prepare to Enter Turkey

Around 60,000 Iraqis are preparing to cross into Turkey from Iraq as attacks by the Islamic State (IS) continue to intensify, Kurdish civil society groups said on Monday. The Democratic Society Congress, a group of Kurdish non-governmental organizations, held a press conference in Diyarbakir on Monday night to highlight the issue. A member of parliament with the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) warned that on Sunday alone 3,000 people crossed into Turkey, while another 60,000 are waiting for entry at the border. Under the umbrella of congress, the HDP and the Democratic Regional Party have established two committees that have visited northern Iraq and Syria, pledging to help meet the basic needs of the displaced. Thousands of Iraqis are fleeing from the violence of the IS, an al-Qaida offshoot that has gained momentum while fighting in Iraq and Syria. After capturing large swathes of territories in the two countries, the IS has been accused of committing massacres against vulnerable Iraqi minorities, particularly the Yazidi people.

Girl Buried Alive by Relative Survives
…Police Search for Mother, Others

A seven-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly buried alive by relatives in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has been rescued by a villager. Police say relatives first tried to strangle her and then left her to die in a shallow grave. It is unclear why. The man who found her in Sitapur district alerted police – she was taken to a hospital and is said to be doing well. Police are looking for her mother, her uncle and aunt who they say have fled. The villager who rescued her followed the sound of muffled cries to the middle of a cane field where he found the soil moving. Police allege the girl’s uncle and aunt had promised to take her to a fair, but then strangled and buried her near the village of Semri Gaura where she lives. Reports say the girl lived with her mother. Her father apparently had no idea about the attack and has told police he is estranged from his wife and lives separately. Police say they have yet to establish a motive for the attack. But cases of baby girls being killed are not uncommon in India, where women are often discriminated against.

Six Killed as Deadly Landslide Hit in South-West China

At least six people have died and 21 others are missing after a landslide struck a village in south-west China. More than 70 houses in the village in Guizhou province were destroyed, while 22 injured persons had been transferred to hospitals for treatment. The landslide was believed to have been caused by a breach from a small reservoir. Officials said that they were expecting environmental conditions to "bring some difficulties" to ongoing search and rescue operations. The landslide which struck Yingping village on Wednesday night was the second disaster to hit China's south-western region this month. Earlier this month, an earthquake struck a remote region in neighbouring Yunnan province, killing 615 people.

Islamic State Militants Behead Kurdish Man

Islamic State has released a video appearing to show the beheading of a Kurdish man as a warning to forces fighting the group in northern Iraq. The video shows several men in orange jumpsuits said to be captured Kurdish fighters. The victim is then seen kneeling near a mosque in the IS-held city of Mosul before he is beheaded. The jihadists warn that others will be killed if Kurdish leaders continue to back the US. Kurdish “peshmerga” fighters from the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq have been trying to counter an advance by IS, backed by US air strikes. Earlier, IS videos from Syria appeared to show the mass killing of Syrian soldiers taken prisoner after their base was overrun. Activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the soldiers had been captured while trying to flee to Hama province after IS stormed the Tabqa airbase.