Group lights candles for fallen heroes

2015-01-16 10:07
Abuja - Nigerian Fallen Heroes, an NGO, on Thursday in Abuja lit candles in remembrance of Nigerian soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for the unity of the nation.

Founder of the NGO, Ms Amanda Mustapha, said the candle light was to demonstrate that Nigerians had not forgotten the fallen heroes.

Mustapha said the event was also to support the families of the dead soldiers.

“I stand before you today as a Nigerian youth to honour and pay respect to the men and women in the armed forces that had paid the ultimate price for our nation.”

“They are truly the heroes and to them we are eternally grateful,” she said.

Mustapha appealed to Nigerians to assist the relations of the fallen soldiers and extend same to those fighting the insurgents in the North East.

“Nigeria, in the current fight against insurgency, has lost a lot of people and the families they have left behind should be protected, preserved and taken care of,” she said.

Brig.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas thanked the group for organising the event. “I appreciate that someone outside the military can really come out to light candles for the military.”

“We are really very grateful to them and we implore other Nigerians to key into this and come up with programmes to appreciate the Nigerian military,” he said.

The media reports that the Armed Forces/Remembrance Day is an annual event held on Jan. 15 to honour Nigeria’s fallen heroes.

- NAN

Nigerian army kills 42 Boko Haram fighters

2015-01-16 07:41

Abuja - The Nigerian army killed 42 fighters from the radical Islamist group Boko Haram when repelling its attempt to take over the north-eastern town of Biu, the daily Premium Times reported on Thursday.

The Boko Haram members - who were killed on Tuesday - included 15 Chadians, said Mike Omeri, co-ordinator of the National Information Centre. It was the first official release of the death toll numbers.
Omeri said five insurgents were also captured while fleeing the town.

"Those found to have conducted any crime against the state will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Premium Times quoted Omeri as saying.

Equipment and logistics
It was not known if the army had suffered casualties.
President Goodluck Jonathan meanwhile visited Maiduguri, which has often been targeted by Boko Haram, telling soldiers the government had not shied away from its responsibility of protecting Nigerians.

"In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded," he said.

Jonathan's visit was seen by analysts as a bid for votes in next month's general elections.

"Nigerians have been dying on a daily basis in three states of the north-east being battered by Boko Haram, without the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces making out time to visit any of these places," journalist Mohammed Salihu told dpa from Maiduguri by phone.

"Nigerians are no fools, this visit now does not impress anyone," he added.

Bodies everywhere
Satellite images released by the rights group Amnesty International indicated that recent attacks by Boko Haram may have killed many more people than the government has said.

The government says about 150 people were killed in attacks that started in Baga in the north-east on January 3, downplaying reports that put the death toll at 2 000.

The images published by Amnesty showed that the neighbouring towns of Baga or Doron Baga were largely destroyed, with more than 3,700 structures damaged or burned down.

"These detailed images show devastation of catastrophic proportions in two towns," with Doron Baga almost completely wiped off the map, said Daniel Eyre, a Nigeria researcher with Amnesty.

Interviews with witnesses, officials and human rights activists suggest that Boko Haram shot hundreds of civilians.

"There were bodies everywhere we looked," one woman told the rights group. Another witness said the insurgents killed even small children and a woman who was in labour.

Eyre said the images suggested a "much higher" death toll than that given by the Nigerian government.
The attacks sent thousands of people fleeing to neighbouring countries.

Boko Haram, which wants to establish an Islamist state, killed thousands of people in northern Nigeria last year alone.
SAPA

'Pope's Charlie Hebdo comments do not justify attack'

2015-01-16 08:19

Manila - Pope Francis said there are limits to freedom of speech, especially when it insults or ridicules someone's faith, in comments that the Vatican later said on Friday did not mean justifying the attack on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Francis spoke about the Paris terror attacks while en route to the Philippines on Thursday, defending free speech as not only a fundamental human right but a duty to speak one's mind for the sake of the common good.
But he said there were limits.

By way of example, he referred to Alberto Gasbarri, who organizes papal trips and was standing by his side aboard the papal plane.

"If my good friend Dr Gasbarri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said half-jokingly, throwing a mock punch his way. "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."

His pretend punch aside, Francis by no means said the violent attack on Charlie Hebdo was justified. Quite the opposite: He said such horrific violence in God's name couldn't be justified and was an "aberration". But he said a reaction of some sort was to be expected.

The Reverend Thomas Rosica, who collaborates with the Vatican press office, issued a statement early on Friday stressing that the pope was by no means justifying the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

Limits
"Pope Francis has not advocated violence with his words on the flight," he said in a statement.
He said Francis' words were "spoken colloquially and in a friendly, intimate manner among colleagues and friends on the journey". He noted that Francis has spoken out clearly against the Paris attacks and that violence in God's name can never be justified.

Many people around the world have defended the right of Charlie Hebdo to publish inflammatory cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in the wake of the massacre by Islamic extremists at its Paris offices and subsequent attack on a kosher supermarket in which three gunmen killed 17 people.

Others, though, have noted that in virtually all societies, freedom of speech has its limits, from laws against Holocaust denial to racially motivated hate speech.

Recently the Vatican and four prominent French imams issued a joint declaration that, while denouncing the Paris attacks, urged the media to treat religions with respect.

Francis, who has called on Muslim leaders in particular to speak out against Islamic extremism, went a step further Thursday when asked by a French journalist about whether there were limits when freedom of expression meets freedom of religion.

"There are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others," he said. "They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr Gasbarri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit."

In the wake of the Paris attacks, the Vatican has sought to downplay reports that it is a potential target for Islamic extremists, saying it is being vigilant but has received no specific threat.

Francis said he was concerned primarily for the safety of the faithful who come to see him in droves, and said he had spoken to Vatican security officials who are taking "prudent and secure measures."

"I am worried, but you know I have a defect: a good dose of carelessness. I'm careless about these things," he said. But he admitted that in his prayers, he had asked that if something were to happen to him that "it doesn't hurt, because I'm not very courageous when it comes to pain. I'm very timid".
He added, "I'm in God's hands."
AP

Controversial surveillance foiled US Capitol bomb plot

2015-01-16 08:55

Hershey - A recently uncovered jihadist-inspired plot by a young American to massacre lawmakers in the US Capitol was discovered thanks to the government's controversial surveillance programs, House Speaker John Boehner claimed on Thursday.

"We would never have known about this had it not been for the Fisa program and our ability to collect information on people who pose an imminent threat," Boehner told reporters.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows US spy agencies to conduct electronic espionage internationally as well as on Americans suspected of involvement in terror-related activities.
It has been embroiled in controversy following revelations in 2013 about the extent of US dragnet surveillance including bulk collection of data on Americans.

"Our government does not spy on Americans unless there are Americans who are doing things that frankly tip off our law enforcement officials to an imminent threat," Boehner said at a Republican retreat in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

"And it was our law enforcement officials and those programs that helped us stop this person before he committed a heinous crime in our nation's capital."

Boehner did not explain what Fisa provisions helped foil the plot, saying "we'll let the whole story roll out”.

Different version
His abridged account differs from public statements by the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, which announced Wednesday that an FBI informant and the suspect's public Twitter account were key to the man's arrest.

The Justice Department announced that Ohio man Christopher Cornell, 20, was charged with attempted murder of US officers and employees and possessing a firearm to carry out violent acts.

It said Cornell this week allegedly made final plans to go to Washington and set off bombs, having purchased two semiautomatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition before he was arrested by FBI agents, according to the affidavit.

The complaint said Cornell had opened a Twitter account under the pseudonym Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, and posted messages supporting Islamic State militants.

"It was far more than just that," Boehner stressed about the social media connection, without providing details.

'Highly targeted'
In August, Cornell was approached by an FBI informant, and the suspect told him that he "considered the members of Congress as enemies and that he intended to conduct an attack on the US Capitol," the complaint said.

The FBI said he planned to "build, plant and detonate pipe bombs at and near the US Capitol, then use firearms to shoot and kill employees and officials."

In June 2013, former national security contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent to which the National Security Agency scoops up Americans' telephone data, triggering surveillance reform efforts that are ongoing.

Boehner's remarks should buttress arguments of some lawmakers opposed to any major NSA overhaul.
Critics have deemed Fisa, amended after the 9/11 attacks of 2001, too permissive.

Some of its most controversial elements expire in June, setting up an opportunity for Congress to amend, renew or repeal the legislation.

The Capitol plot, and last week's indictment of a bartender who threatened to kill Boehner, has elevated security awareness in Washington.

Law enforcement "told us on day one it was the most highly targeted terrorist spot in the world, and we're seeing that play out," Congressman Jason Chaffetz told reporters.
AFP

Niger bans Charlie Hebdo over Mohammed cartoon

2015-01-16 09:22

Niamey - Niger on Thursday banned distribution of Charlie Hebdo in the mainly Muslim country, with the government "vehemently" condemning the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in the latest issue of the French satirical weekly.

"The government vehemently denounces and condemns the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him, contained in the issue of Charlie Hebdo for Wednesday, which it considers an insulting provocation and totally unacceptable," it said in a statement read on radio and state television.
"Also, on the instructions of the president of the republic, the government has decided to ban the publication and sale of this issue across the country," said the statement read by government spokesperson and justice minister Marou Amadou.

President Mahamadou Issoufou was one of six African heads of state who took part in the march in Paris following the jihadist attack on the magazine.

He was strongly criticised by Muslim associations and local non-governmental organisations for saying on air "We are all Charlie".

"His participation" in the Paris march "stems from his commitment against terrorism and for freedom" and "does not imply any support for the abuses that can arise from a certain notion of press freedom", said Amadou.

Niamey also justified the president's participation in the march because of France's commitment to fight militants in the Sahel.

In Africa, Senegal has also banned distribution of the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo.
AFP

China diagnosed 104 000 new HIV/Aids cases

2015-01-16 08:35
China diagnosed 104 000 new cases of HIV/Aids in 2014, media reported Friday, highlighting growth in infections in the country despite a comparatively low overall rate.

The figure was a 14 percent increase on the number of new cases diagnosed in 2013, the Beijing Times cited the country's health administration as saying.

Chinese state-run media said last month that half a million people - less than 0.04 percent of China's total population - were living with the disease or the virus, although hundreds of thousands more are thought to be undiagnosed.

Discrimination against those with the virus remains an issue at schools, hospitals, workplaces and other establishments across China, a factor that experts say hampers efforts to diagnose and treat it.

The United Nations' anti-Aids body does not carry 2013 statistics for China on its website, but said in a 2012 report that HIV/Aids prevalence remains "low" in the country compared to global averages. It added that 39 000 cases were diagnosed in 2011.

China's National Centre for Aids/STD Control and Prevention last year estimated that as many as 810 000 people are living with HIV/Aids in the country, including those who have not yet been diagnosed, out of a total population of 1.36 billion.

That is a far lower proportion than India, where UNAIDS says there are more two million people living with HIV, in a slighter smaller total population.

Chinese officials have said that growth rates are particularly high among gay men and male sex workers, who are marginalised and stigmatised by mainstream society.

Jonathan visits survivors of Boko Haram massacre

48 minutes ago

Maiduguri - Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan paid a surprise visit Thursday to the heartland of the Boko Haram movement after satellite pictures showed massive destruction in two northern towns razed by the Islamist fighters.

Jonathan spent three hours in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, meeting with survivors of what is thought to be the worst attack in Boko Haram's six-year insurgency.

On a visit to a camp sheltering about 5 000 people who fled the 3 January attack on Baga in northern Borno, he said his security chiefs had promised "all the areas under the control of Boko Haram will soon be recaptured".

"I want to assure you that you will soon go back to your houses," Jonathan, who is seeking a second term in elections next month, told some of the displaced.

The attack on Baga, part of an upsurge in violence ahead of February's presidential and parliamentary polls, is feared to have killed hundreds, if not more.

Satellite images
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch published separate satellite images on Thursday that appeared to show massive destruction in both Baga and the adjacent town of Doron Baga, which is home to a regional military base.

Amnesty's images showed aerial shots of the towns on 2 January - the day before the attack - and 7 January.
The group said the images suggested "devastation of catastrophic proportions", with more than 3 700 structures, mostly in Doron Baga, damaged or completely destroyed.

HRW said 11% of Baga and 57% of Doron Baga was flattened, most likely by fire.
HRW said the exact death toll was unknown and quoted one local resident as saying: "No one stayed back to count the bodies.

"We were all running to get out of town ahead of Boko Haram fighters who have since taken over the area."
Nigeria's military, which often downplays death tolls, said that 150 died and dismissed as "sensational" claims that 2 000 may have lost their lives in the attacks.

'Crime against humanity'
US Secretary of State John Kerry accused the Islamist insurgents of a "crime against humanity".
The "evil" Boko Haram is a serious threat "to all of our values", Kerry said during a visit to Bulgaria, adding he had spoken to his British counterpart Philip Hammond about the possibility of "a special initiative" on Nigeria. He did not give details.

Amnesty said Boko Haram reportedly targeted civilians who had helped the army after the fighters overran a Multinational Joint Task Force base for troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad who have been involved in operations against them.

Cameroon announced Thursday that neighbouring Chad will send troops to aid his country's army fight Boko Haram, though no date for the deployment or size of the contingent was given .
Harrowing testimony has emerged from survivors of the killings in Borno, about the scale and brutality of the assault.

Amnesty said on Thursday it had received accounts of the attackers of firing indiscriminately, killing small children as well as a woman who was giving birth.

"Half of the baby boy [was] out and she died like this," an unnamed witness was quoted as saying.
A man in his fifties added: "They killed so many people. I saw maybe around 100 killed at that time in Baga. I ran to the bush. As we were running, they were shooting and killing."

'Stepping on bodies'
Witnesses who spoke to AFP described seeing decomposing bodies in the streets.
Amnesty cited reports of women being rounded up and detained at a school.

"The deliberate killing of civilians and destruction of their property by Boko Haram are war crimes and crimes against humanity and must be duly investigated," Amnesty added.

Meanwhile Gordon Brown, the UN special envoy for education, urged the world to condemn the use of young girls as suicide bombers by Boko Haram, calling it "barbaric."

At least 19 people were killed last Saturday when a young girl, thought to be aged about 10, blew herself up at a crowded market in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the Red Cross and local vigilantes said.
Jonathan's visit to Maiduguri - his first since March 2013 - was shrouded in secrecy and came after a previous trip to the restive region in May last year was cancelled at the last minute.

Nigeria's leader has come under fierce criticism for his failure to crush Boko Haram's bid to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria. Over 13 000 people have been killed in the violence since 2009.
The bloodshed has raised concerns about the security of next month's elections.

Nigeria's electoral commission said voting was "unlikely" to take place in rebel-controlled areas but that arrangements were being made to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people to cast their ballots.
AFP