Nigeria attack: Students shot dead as they slep

 

Suspected Islamist gunmen have attacked a college in north-eastern Nigeria, killing up to 50 students.

The students were shot dead as they slept in their dormitory at the College of Agriculture in Yobe state.
North-eastern Nigeria is under a state of emergency amid an Islamist insurgency by the Boko Haram group.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow Nigeria's government to create an Islamic state, and has launched a number of attacks on schools.
Classrooms burned Casualty figures from the latest attack vary, but a local politician told the BBC that around 50 students had been killed.
The politician said two vanloads of bodies had been taken to a hospital in Yobe's state capital,Damaturu

Boko Haram at-a-glance

• Founded in 2002
• Official Arabic name, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad"
• Initially focused on opposing Western education
• Nicknamed Boko Haram, a phrase in the local Hausa language meaning, "Western education is forbidden"
• Launches military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state across Nigeria
• Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf killed in same year in police custody
• Succeeded by Abubakar Shekau, who the military wrongly claimed in 2009 had been killed
• Suspected to have split into rival factions in 2012
• Military claims in August 2013 that Mr Shekau and his second-in-command Momodu Bama have been killed in separate attacks; no independent confirmation

A witness quoted by Reuters news agency counted 40 bodies at the hospital, mostly those of young men believed to be students.

College provost Molima Idi Mato, speaking to Associated Press, also said the number of dead could be as high as 50, adding that security forces were still recovering the bodies and that about 1,000 students had fled the campus.
A Nigerian military source told AP that soldiers had collected 42 bodies.
The gunmen also set fire to classrooms, a military spokesman in Yobe state, Lazarus Eli, told Agence France-Presse.
The college is in the rural Gujba district.
In May, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered an operation against Boko Haram, and a state of emergency was declared for the north-east on 14 May.
Many of the Islamist militants left their bases in the north-east and violence initially fell, but revenge attacks quickly followed.
In June, Boko Haram carried out two attacks on schools in the region.
At least nine children were killed in a school on the outskirts of Maiduguri, while 13 students and teachers were killed in a school in Damaturu.

In July in the village of Mamudo in Yobe state, Islamist militants attacked a school's dormitories with guns and explosives, killing at least 42 people, mostly students.
Boko Haram regards schools as a symbol of Western culture. The group's name translates as "Western education is forbidden".
Boko Haram is led by Abubakar Shekau. The Nigerian military said in August that it might have killed him in a shoot-out.

Jews Arrested for Singing on Temple Mount

Ten Jewish men were arrested on Monday after they unfurled Israeli flags and sang the Israeli national anthem atop Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
What could be so wrong about public displays of national pride in one’s own national capital? Unfortunately for these 10 men, all expressions of Jewishness, be they nationalistic or religious, are strictly forbidden atop the Temple Mount, which ironically is Judaism’s holiest site.
Sheikh Yusuf Adeis, a senior local Muslim cleric, told Arabic media that the actions of these Jewish men constituted a “heinous crime” and a “violation of all treaties.”
Nor does it require such a conspicuous demonstration to get oneself expelled from the Temple Mount or even detained and questioned by police. Last Thursday, three Jewish men were led away for quietly reciting prayers at the holy site.
Citing Israel’s laws guaranteeing freedom of religion, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed the right of Jews to pray at the Temple Mount. However, the court also continues to permit police to halt any Jewish expressions of faith if they feel such actions could “disturb the peace.” And the Muslim authorities that control the compound have made sure Jewish prayers will indeed result in a disturbance.
Today, any Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount are closely monitored by Muslim guards, who will demand Israeli police action at even the hint that said Jewish visitors are praying.
Fearing an explosion of Muslim violence, Israeli police dutifully play along, leading to repeated criticism that Israel has effectively lost control of the Temple Mount.
Want more news from Israel?
to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

INCREDIBLE: Meet This Woman And Her Unusual Pet... A White Lion!

Annel Snyman, a 31-year-old, from the Waterberg region of South Africa, has adopted a tiny cob of a white lion last spring. Now the lion, called Tima, is a year and six months old, weighs 120 kg and eats not less than 4 kg of fresh meat per day.
As a cub Timba could often be found snoozing in Annel's bed but having outgrown the bedroom the friendly feline still tries to cuddle up with Annel on the sofa.
Annel's love for animals started six years ago when, with help from her mother and father, she opened a guest house - called Loebies Guestfarm - on the land where she lives.

In a bid to make the resort more appealing she decided to adopt various farm animals and this eventually turned into hand-rearing African cats and other wild animals after being approached by someone in the game industry in 2009.
Since then Annel has hand-reared dozens of animals including six serval kittens, a cheetah cub, five lions, a white lion and a leopard.
Annel admits she spoilt the first lions she cared for even more than Timba and would regularly go swimming with them.
She said: 'Being the first lions reared on the farm, they ruled the house, the bed and the couches and would regularly join me for swims in the farm dam up until they were rather large.

'While most people are amazed, this has become my life and part of who I am.
'There are times when it is difficult to do day-to-day things but I do manage to live a normal life - well normal for me anyway,' the owner of an unconventional pet stated.

Find out out how the lion grew up by seeing the photoset below

Iran: Prisoners hanging, inhumane punishments continue

Iran: Prisoners hanging, inhumane punishments continue

NCRI - The Iranian regime’s judiciary in Tehran sentenced an imprisoned young worker on Monday to the heinous punishment of gouging eye and cutting off ear.
Two days earlier, two prisoners, one the nephew of the other, were hanged in public in the city of Babol.
Also from September 30 to October 3, 15 prisoners were hanged in the cities of Bandar-Abbas, Ardebil, Shiraz, Shahrekord, and Yazd.
Five of the prisoners were hanged as a group in Yazd’s prison and 6 of them, including two brothers, were hanged in the Ardebil prison on September 30 and October 2.
During this period, in addition to thousands of prisoners who are awaiting execution, many more prisoners were sentenced to death.
Sadeq Larijani, the head of regime’s judiciary denied any claim of change regarding the state of political prisoners during Hassan Rouhani's term.
He said: “Some media have said that… the atmosphere has changed; yes, we agree that the atmosphere has changed but not for the conspirators."
Fearing people’s uprising, Larijani warned: “The conspirators must know that the atmosphere is by no means open for the conspirators, and the judiciary, tougher than before and tougher than its treatment of the conspiracy of 2009 [the 2009 uprising] is standing and if these conspirators want to come forward and start something of that nature or similar to the conspiracy of 2009 through their instigations or otherwise, they must know that judicial treatment is inevitable” (State-run TV, Khabar Network, October 2)
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 8, 2013

4 survive Lagos plane crash

 

              

              

 

 Only 4 of the 20 passengers traveling on the plane that crashed in Lagos on Thursday have survived.

The plane, owned by Associated Airlines, crashed at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos shortly after take-off and caught fire, killing 16 of the people on board.
According to a report by Reuters, a spokesperson from the Aviation Ministry, Joe Obi, had earlier said 27 people were on the plane, but Lagos state emergency management agency chief Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu said only 20 of the 27 seats were filled.
THE WILL reports that coffin which was removed from the aircraft contained the remains of Olusegun Agagu, the late former Ondo State governor.
According to the report, a number of the late governor's family members were on board the plane.

Lagos plane crash death toll increases to 11

        

                

                                            

Officials have confirmed that 11 passengers have died in the plane that crashed and caught fire at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos on Thursday.

An official from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said the crash occurred in the fuel dump area of the airport and caught fire.
Dr Oke Osayintolu, the General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed that 11 occupants of the aircraft died, while four other passengers were taken to the hospital.
Mr Rask Fadipe, the Director of Lagos State Fire Service, said they were notified of the incident at 9:30 am on Thursday morning.
Fadipe said he deployed three fire fighting vehicles which put out the fire.
The aircraft was broken into two pieces with the front section burnt beyond recognition and the back area almost intact, the fire official said.
He said the aircraft contained a coffin and other burial materials.
Rescue officials said the coffin had been safely recovered by local welders who managed to cut through the luggage compartment of the aircraft.

Jonathan mourns victims of Lagos plane crash

        

              

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday ordered a thorough investigation into the crash of an Akure-bound Associated Airlines aircraft in Lagos on Thursday.

This is according to a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Dr Reuben Abati.
Abati said the president directed all the relevant agencies to carry out the investigation with a view to determining the cause of the crash.
He said the president viewed the crash as "most unfortunate and regrettable, given the concerted efforts of the Federal Government to enhance aviation safety in the country".
Abati said the president received the news of the crash with "shock and sadness" and mourned the victims of the accident.
"On behalf of himself, his family and the Federal Government, President Jonathan extends condolences to all families, who lost members in the plane crash.
"The president also extends condolences to the government and people of Ondo State, who have been plunged into sorrow yet again, while preparing to lay their former governor, Olusegun Agagu, to rest.
"President Jonathan feels and shares the grief and pain of the Agagu family as they grapple with the further loss of beloved relatives and associates so soon after losing their husband, father and mentor.
"He prays that God Almighty will comfort the Agagu family, as well as their relatives and friends, and grant them the divine grace they will undoubtedly require to overcome the trauma of this most trying time," Abati said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ill-fated aircraft was conveying the remains of Agagu and relatives of the deceased from Lagos to Akure when it crashed.
Dr Oke Osayintolu, the general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, has confirmed that 11 people died and four others sustained injuries in the crash.
Copyright NAN
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission in writing from NAN.