US to deploy small number of special forces to Syria in advisory role

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama plans to deploy a small number of special operations forces to Syria to advise rebels Washington deems moderate, U.S. sources said on Friday, a step he has long resisted to avoid getting dragged into another war in the Middle East.
Obama was expected to send fewer than 60 special operations troops, said congressional sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. One U.S. official said the number was likely to be in the range of 20 to 30 but could not provide details.
U.S. officials stressed the forces were not meant to engage in front-line combat but rather to advise and assist moderate rebels. One official said their key role would be "logistical" to ensure that weapons and other supplies are delivered to the moderate forces whom the United States supports.
The sources said the move, expected to be announced later on Friday, reflected a wider strategy of strengthening moderate rebels in Syria even as Washington intensifies its efforts to find a diplomatic solution to end to the four-and-a-half year Syrian civil war in which at least 200,000 people have died.

Gay priest decries 'inhuman' treatment of homosexual Catholics

 

A senior priest in the Vatican who was stripped of his post after coming out as gay has launched a scathing attack on the Roman Catholic Church.

In a letter to Pope Francis this month, Krzysztof Charamsa accused the Church of making the lives of millions of gay Catholics globally "a hell".
He criticised what he called the Vatican's hypocrisy in banning gay priests, even though he said the clergy was "full of homosexuals".

American pilot killed in fighter jet crash on way home from Middle East

 
U.S. pilot killed this week when his fighter jet crashed in eastern England was on his way home from a six-month deployment in the Middle East, a U.S. military statement said.

Maj. Taj Sareen, 34, died when his F/A-18C Hornet went down Wednesday while en route from Bahrain to California, according to the statement.

Before his deployment, Sareen was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, and was returning after a mission against ISIS militants in the Middle East.

Sareen was among a squadron of six aircraft headed home. The remaining five landed safely.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The Hillsborough, California, native joined the Marine Corps a decade ago, and has deployed at various times, including to Afghanistan in 2010.

His jet took off from a U.S. base in Suffolk and crashed in Ely, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of London.

The Hornet is a fighter and attack aircraft known for its all-weather capabilities, according to the U.S. military.

Sareen was part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is conducting airstrikes against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria.

Processed meats do cause cancer - WHO

Processed meats - such as bacon, sausages and ham - do cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Its report said 50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.
Meanwhile, it said red meats were "probably carcinogenic" but there was limited evidence.
The WHO did stress that meat also had health benefits.
Processed meat is meat that has been modified to increase its shelf-life or alter its taste - such as by smoking, curing or adding salt or preservatives.
It is these additions which could be increasing the risk of cancer. High temperature cooking, such as on a barbeque, can also create carcinogenic chemicals.

‘DSS secretly arraigned Radio Biafra boss, Nnamdi Kalu’

on October 20, 2015   /   in News 1:00 am   /   Comments

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Reddit Print

Igbo World Assembly, World Igbo Congress  condemn arrest
By Emeka Aginam, Chidi Nkwopara & Francis Igata
ENUGU—Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kalu,who was arrested at Golden Tulip Hotel in Lagos by the Department of State  Service,DSS, after he returned from  the   United Kingdom has been granted bail by the Abuja Municipal Council Magistrate court where he was secretly arraigned by the DSS. He is, however, yet to fulfil his bail conditions.
According to the Indigenous People of Biafra’s lawyer,  Mr. Egechukwu Obetta, “Nnamdi was put in the same cell with terrorists. He has  a health challenge  which is life threatening. He is sensitive to delicacies. He told us that he will never eat any food served by the Federal Government of Nigeria.“
But midway into Vanguard‘s  chat with the lawyer, a call came in indicating that Kalu has been granted bail in the sum of N2 million  or  with surety of N2 million with a civil servant of grade level 16.
“The DSS secretly arraigned him before the magistrate’s court and he was granted bail. He is, however, yet to meet the bail conditions and that is holding him  still in detention.

Director of pirate radio, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu

“Last week, the Afenifere threatened to secede, but nobody was vilified. I am talking about the recent Olu Falae’s kidnap case. The militants in the Niger Delta have  done same  and at all times, the political gladiators have appealed to the FG to douse the tension instead of using political brigandage and executive lawlessness.”

buy a direct belgiun laptop

 CALL: +234(8069305772)
E-MAIL: josephwin08@gmail.com

Release The Director Of Radio Biafra – Umegbalasi To FG

The chairman of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Inter-society), Emeka Umegbalasi, on Tuesday October 20, reacted to the continued detention of the director of Biafra Radio and leader of  Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOD), Nnamdi Kanu who was widely reported to have been released on bail.

Director of the Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu

Speaking to Naij.com Umegbalasi said the bone of contention in the case of Nnamdi Kanu is not his arrest but the grounds upon which he was arrested.
It was widely reported yesterday that Nnamdi Kanu was released on bail but has not been able to meet his bail conditions.

Politics Why PDP Senators Did Not Ask Amaechi Any Question During Screening

Senators belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP refused to question Rotimi Amaechi during his ministerial screening because they felt betrayed by their APC counterparts.



Punch reports that the PDP senators alleged that senators belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) betrayed the agreement they had not to screen the former governor of Rivers state given the report of the panel that investigated the petitions against him.

A PDP Senator who spoke anonymously said, ''During the closed session, chairman of the ethics committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, briefed us on the report and indicated that the committee reported that the issue regarding Amaechi’s petition was in court and that the Senate should suspend action on his screening, pending the resolution of the court issues''.

The PDP senators were also said to have agreed to the suspension of the debate on the report of the ethics committee only if their APC colleagues would also ask the Rivers nominee to take a bow and go so as not to “cause controversy.”

CUPS Address To Buhari On Radio Biafra

Editor’s note: Idris Ahmed, president and founder of CUPS (Citizens United for Peace and Security), writes open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, sharing his views on why it’s high time to shut down Radio Biafra.

Why Radio Biafra is a terrorist organisation

As you might have been briefed by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the State Security Service (SSS), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), to the effect that Radio Biafra operating under the aegis of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a terrorist organisation, whose sole aim is to cause civil disorder and the eventual disintegration of Nigeria, we write you on this matter of grave national importance.
Your Excellency, it is rather unfortunate and regrettable that some fellow Nigerians are so disenfranchised, such that their capacity for common sense reasoning seems to have gone obsolete. Otherwise, how does one explain this bizarre phenomenon whereby a criminal with zero ideology and twisted morals, like the proprietor of Radio Biafra, can have a following of any description in Nigeria?
READ ALSO: Time To Finish Off The Biafra Nonsense

Radio Biafra broadcasts cause civil unrest

Today, Radio Biafra broadcasts lies, abuse, and hatred, with a view to causing civil unrest and eventual destruction of Nigeria. Cursing Nigerian leaders, calling Nigeria a “zoo” and Nigerians as “animals” is nothing but provocation and grandeur treachery. The attempts so far made by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to jam the treacherous Radio Biafra have not been successful. In any case, we are of the view that jamming the pirate station is like taking medicine to cure the symptoms of an illness, rather than curing the root cause of the illness itself.
The British Police and MI5 cannot deny knowledge of the threats posed to the corporate existence of Nigeria by this pirate radio station and its criminal proprietors. We have already witnessed senseless demonstrations and riots in certain states in the South South and South East. We have also heard how enemies of the Nigerian state, who brought us misery, death, and destruction over the last sixteen years are already taking advantage of this volatile situation to cause even more confusion among the population.
READ ALSO: Radio Biafra Director, Kanu Denied Access To Lawyer

 It is better to deal with pirate station decisively

Your Excellency, we at CUPS contend that it is better to deal with this matter decisively while it is in infancy, before things get out of order. We strongly believe that following diplomatic channels to shut down Radio Biafra is the most effective solution under the current circumstances.
To this end, it is our humble opinion, your Excellency, that you summon the British High Commissioner in Abuja to make Nigeria’s stand clear on the matter. Nigeria’s stand on IPOB and Biafra is no different to Britain’s stand on dealing with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and its stand on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.
Your Excellency, Nigeria is a major diplomatic and trading partner with Britain. This strategic relationship can be brought to bear, in order to bring this matter to an amicable conclusion.
May God Save Nigeria and Nigerians. Amen.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

Idris Ahmed, president and founder of CUPS (Citizens United for Peace and Security)

 

New Hartford, New York (CNN)Christopher Leonard spoke quietly, his head bowed, as he described the day his brother died.

One minute, they were standing in front of their church and facing questions from the pastor. Then, he said, the beating began.

"It was a black cord about 4 feet long," he testified in court on Wednesday. "It was folded twice."

The 17-year-old could be a key witness in a case that started in a small church in upstate New York and has drawn national attention. Police say Christopher Leonard and his brother Lucas were beaten in the sanctuary of Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford, New York, after Lucas expressed a desire to leave the congregation.

Lucas Leonard, 19, was later pronounced dead at a hospital. He suffered injuries so severe that emergency room doctors thought he had been shot, police said.

"He was laying on the ground moaning. ... I knew something wasn't right. ... I rushed over and saw he wasn't breathing, so I tried to give him CPR," Christopher Leonard testified Wednesday, describing the moments after the beating.

The accusations have shaken the tiny town about 250 miles north of New York City. The boys' parents, Bruce T. Leonard, 65, and Deborah R. Leonard, 59, are charged with first-degree manslaughter. Four other church members -- including Sara Ferguson, the brothers' stepsister -- were charged with second-degree assault, also a felony. All have pleaded not guilty.

Beijing looks west to keep TPP in check

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer
BEIJING -- After suffering a serious setback in its bid to effectively divvy up the Pacific, China is shifting the focus of its foreign policy. Beijing is now aiming to become the major Eurasian power by creating a sprawling economic zone linking East and West by land and sea.
     China wants to establish a "new Silk Road economic zone" to serve as a counterbalance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade pact that brings together a dozen Pacific Rim nations.
     Beijing's desire to control a significant portion of the Pacific became clear in June 2013, when President Xi Jinping made his first trip to the U.S. after taking office. "The Pacific Ocean has enough space for both China and the U.S.," Xi said at the start of talks with President Barack Obama in California.

DF-26 ballistic missiles are paraded through Beijing on Sept. 3. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara) 

OUR DREAM TO ACTUALIZE BIAFRA

 

In a quiet, dusty and fairly secluded corner of Enugu city, south-eastern Nigeria, a group of men unfurled a homemade flag and then sang.

"Biafra will live forever. Nothing will stop us," was the gist of their anthem in the Igbo language.
They were not exactly belting it out and instead of hoisting the flag up a pole, it was tied to a metal gate. But there is good reason for discretion - in the eyes of the authorities the gathering is illegal.
On 5 November, 100 men and women were arrested as they marched peacefully through the city's streets after raising the Biafran flag.
They were all imprisoned and accused of treason but then released when the charges were dropped. It appears the government is determined to ensure any agitation for secession is not allowed to gather momentum.
Forty-two years after the end of the devastating civil war in which government troops fought and defeated Biafran secessionists, the dream of independence has not completely died.
"No amount of threats or arrests will stop us from pursuing our freedom - self-determination for Biafrans," said Edeson Samuel, national chairman of the Biafran Zionist Movement (BZM).

Snake's belly slides on fatty film

Scientists have discovered a layer of very well-organised fatty molecules on the belly scales of snakes, which could be the key to life on the slither.

Snake scales are slipperier on the belly than the back, but the reason for this difference is not yet known.

Nnamdi Kalu's Arrest: Biafra Writes World Leaders

The Indigenous People of Biafra Worldwide, a group championing the secession of Biafra from Nigeria and which owns Radio Biafra used for this purpose , on
Sunday wrote an open letter to world leaders over the
plight of its leader , Nnamdi Kanu , allegedly in the hands of
the Directorate of State Service , DSS .
Kanu is believed to have been arrested in Nigeria by the
DSS , as claimed by the group.


In the letter written by Ifeanyi Chijioke on behalf of the
group, the members said that with the arrest of Kanu,
freedom of speech had received a knock of death.
“ The world leaders must stand up to its integrity , pride,
and in defense of the law they made, ” the group said
adding that the UN chatter on the rights of indigenous
people had become endangered with the arrest of this
“ leader of indigenous people of Biafra .
“ It ’ s in record that Nnamdi kanu is a law abiding leader
who has disciplined indigenous people of Biafra to strictly
abide by local and international law .
“ The gut for his arrest is nothing but slap on the face of
United Nations .

ISIS is attacking the U.S. energy grid (and failing)

"ISIL is beginning to perpetrate cyberattacks," Caitlin Durkovich, assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the Department of Homeland Security, told company executives.

Investigators would not reveal any details to CNNMoney -- or cite evidence of specific incidents.

Diagnosing The Agitation For Biafra Today

 
THE agitation for Biafra as a country – the Igbo nation, which was initiated at the advent of Nigeria’s independence and which culminated to the civil war between 1967 and 1970, should have become a bygone issue. The negative effect of this agitation, like the Niger Delta secession declaration, the war itself and the post-war regime on the Igbo as a people on one hand, and the continuous cohesion and knitting of the peoples of Nigeria of today on the other hand, should have relaxed any mania on any possible disintegration of Nigeria. The simple answer to the enigmatic question on the division of Nigeria as it stands today is the negative. Is Nigeria to be divided on the bases of geopolitical zones i.e. six countries, or on the ethnic lines i.e. over 350 countries or on religious concentrations i.e. at least three countries?

Iran broadcasts rare images of underground missile bases

At first glance it looks like the set of a James Bond movie -- a seemingly impregnable mountain base packed full of uniformed men and sinister-looking missiles on their launch vehicles parked along a long tunnel buried deep underground.

But this is in fact a real-life missile facility in Iran, according to the country's semi-official FARS news agency.

In a rare moment of openness, Iran on Wednesday broadcast pictures from The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force of a tunnel reportedly dug some 1,640 feet (500 meters) under a mountain.

The release of this footage comes just a few days after state media reported that Iran had test-fired new generation long-range ballistic missiles.

The weekend test likely violated a U.N. resolution, a U.S. administration official told CNN.

Based on information the administration has so far, the test appears to be in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929, which stipulates that Iran cannot engage in any activities related to ballistic missiles.

The U.S. official emphasized, however, that the test is not in violation of the nuclear agreement reached in July between Iran, the United States and five other world powers because that accord is focused on restricting Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.

Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates with 4 more attacks

 
Israeli-Palestinian tensions escalated as four violent attacks reverberated across the nation Tuesday morning.

The weapons of choice were knives, guns and cars.

Turkish PM blames Ankara bombing on Islamic State

 

The Islamic State (IS) group is the prime suspect in the Ankara bombings that killed nearly 100 on Saturday, Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu has said.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but the government believes that two male suicide bombers caused the explosions, hitting a peace rally.
The official death toll is 97 but rally organisers have put the figure at 128.
Funerals for more of the victims were held on Monday, with some mourners expressing anger at the government.

U.S. delivers 50 tons of ammunition to Syria rebel groups

military cargo planes gave 50 tons of ammunition to rebel groups overnight in northern Syria, using an air drop of 112 pallets as the first step in the Obama Administration's urgent effort to find new ways to support those groups.

Open Letter To Igbos: Forget Biafra, Focus On National Unity

 
My dear brothers from the east! Let me greet you in a more familiar manner: “Kedu, how market?” In my last open letter to you, I tried to convince you of the need to unanimously push a leader to the center. But, surprisingly, instead of focusing on how we can strive for political relevance during the new administration, some of my fellow brothers clamoured for the Biafra movement renewal.

Nigerians Discuss Independence Of Biafra, Unity Of Nigeria

Last week, the majority the Scottish people said “No” to the prospect of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. Following the much-discussed 2014 Scottish independence referendum outcome, Naij.com has asked its readers a similar question, but peculiar to Nigeria only. Below you may find various responses from Nigerians who explain why they would rather support a united Nigeria, or root for re-emergence of the Republic of Biafra.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

Republic of Biafra in May 1967

About 75% of the 850 commentators bitterly noted how multiple ethnicities and cultures inhabiting Nigeria often clah and subject each other to violence. They were adamant that separation and re-emergence of Biafra would be best.

Russia launches naval bombardment of targets in Syria

Russia launched a naval bombardment of ISIS targets in Syria on Wednesday, a senior official said, ramping up a newly muscular presence in the Middle East.

Four Russian ships fired 26 missiles into Syria, hitting 11 targets, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting.

Shoigu said the strikes were launched from the Caspian Sea using precise long-range missiles that flew 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) to their targets.

Wednesday also appeared to mark new and closer military cooperation between Russia and the embattled Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria's war, explained in graphics

Russia and Syria launched coordinated attacks on Islamist factions in numerous towns in Hama and Idlib provinces in western Syria on Wednesday, with Syrian shelling being conducted in apparent concert with Russian airstrikes, according to an opposition group.

Breaking News: Twin bomb blasts in Abuja, scores dead, injured

Boko Haram militants struck Friday night in Kuje and Nyanya parts of the Federal Capital Territory leaving many dead  and a some people injured.
The death toll was put at about 20 but the military, security agencies and the National Emergency Management Agency( NEMA) were mopping up last night.
Although NEMA confirmed that the explosions resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, it was silent on the toll.
Armed soldiers have been drafted to the affected parts to curtail the insurgents.
There was suspicion that the attacks were carried out in anger by the insurgents because some of their key commanders are being detained in Kuje Prison.
According to eye witness account, the insurgents launched simultaneous attacks on the Police Station and the market in the town

23 Things That Love Is

Last year I posted an Article with a long list of definitions of what love is, 23 definitions to be exact. Since you and I have the tendency to be distracted and forgetful, I want to post that list again.

Syria conflict: Russia air strikes stepped up

Russia has stepped up its campaign of air strikes against opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.