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Greece Golden Dawn: Neo-Nazi leaders guilty of running crime gang

October 7, 2020 No Comments

After a trial lasting more than five years, the leadership of Greece’s neo-Nazi party has been convicted of running a criminal organisation.

Big crowds gathered outside the court in Athens as the judges gave verdicts on 68 defendants.

The criminal inquiry into the party began with the murder of an anti-fascist rapper in 2013.

Leader Nikos Michaloliakos and six colleagues were convicted of heading a criminal group. Supporter Giorgos Roupakias was found guilty of murdering an anti-racist musician and 15 others were convicted of conspiracy in the case.

Some 2,000 police were deployed around Athens Appeals Court as thousands of protesters demanded long jail terms, carrying banners that read “fear will not win” and “Nazis in prison”, Greek media reported.

Tear gas was fired into the crowd as some of the protesters clashed with police and threw petrol bombs.

image captionThousands of people crowded outside the court building in the centre of Athens

Eleven of the defendants were in the court when the verdict was read out, journalist Dmitris Parras told the BBC, along with 50 attorneys and 50 journalists.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said the verdict was an important day for the country’s democracy.

Hundreds of witnesses gave evidence in the trial, which was delayed this year by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Who was on trial?

At the centre of the trial are Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and 18 ex-MPs who were elected in 2012 when the neo-Nazi party came third in national elections on an anti-immigrant, nationalist platform. Golden Dawn no longer has any MPs in parliament.

image captionGolden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos, an admirer of the Nazis, formed the party in the 1980s

After they won almost 7% of the vote in May 2012, emboldened supporters attacked political opponents and migrants.

Golden Dawn supporter Giorgos Roupakias had already confessed to the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas. The musician was chased down by thugs and stabbed in Piraeus in September 2013.

As the verdict was delivered, Fyssas’s mother Magda cried out, “Pavlos made it, my son!”.

What were the verdicts?

The key verdict on Wednesday was that Golden Dawn – Chrysi Avgi in Greek – was a criminal group. Its leadership was found guilty of running it.

They included Michaloliakos and six former MPs – Ilias Kasidiaris, Ioannis Lagos, Christos Pappas, Artemis Matthaiopoulos, Ilias Panagiotaros and Giorgos Germenis. The other ex-MPs were found guilty of joining a criminal organisation.

image captionMagda Fyssa, the mother of murdered anti-fascist musician Pavlos Fyssas, reacted to the verdicts in courts

The three judges, led by Maria Lepeniotou, were due to deliver sentencing later.

As well as the deadly stabbing of Pavlos Fyssas, defendants in the trial were also convicted of other violent attacks on migrants and left-wing political opponents.

image captionPavlos Fyssas died after he was set upon by thugs outside a cafe in Keratsini in Piraeus

Five Golden Dawn members were convicted of the attempted murders of Egyptian fishermen and four of the attempted murder of communist activists in the PAME union.

Who is their leader?

Nikos Michaloliakos founded the movement in the mid-1980s and was admirer of Nazism and a Holocaust denier, giving the Hitler salute at party rallies.

But he had always denied any knowledge of the Pavlos Fyssas murder. When police raided his home in 2013, they found weapons and ammunition.

Golden Dawn officially denied being a neo-Nazi movement, but its badge closely resembled a swastika, some senior members praised Adolf Hitler, and the clothing of choice at anti-immigrant protests was black T-shirts and combat trousers.

Witnesses told the trial that members were trained to handle weapons and used Nazi symbols.

Last December, chief prosecutor Adamantia Economou prompted uproar, with a call for the party officials to be cleared, arguing there was no evidence they had any part in planning or carrying out the series of attacks.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.35.13/iframe.htmlmedia captionMourners laid tributes after Pavlos Fyssas’s death, as Mark Lowen reports

How has Greece reacted

There has been disgust at Golden Dawn across the political spectrum in Greece. The verdict was praised as “just” and “historic” by Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who was president of Greece until earlier this year.

Centre-left political leader Fofi Gennimata said the decision sent a strong message to Europe that “fascism has no place in our lives”.

At the weekend, centre-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote of Greece’s “traumatic, painful, and unfortunately, very bloody” experience of Golden Dawn, while ultimately praising the country’s democratic success in getting rid of it both in parliament and daily life.

Left-wing opposition leader Alexis Tsipras was adamant that “members of this criminal gang must go to prison”.

Nils Muiznieks of Amnesty International said the trial had been a serious test for Greek justice but that a “clear and unequivocal message” could help deter future racist violence.

Meanwhile, the Jewish cemetery in Athens was daubed this week with anti-Semitic graffiti and Nazi slogans, prompting condemnation from Greek ministers and the Jewish community

World News

2 NIGERIANS have been arrested by Cambodia police

October 7, 2020 No Comments

The anti-cybercrime department of the Cambodia Police has arrested two Nigerians, Makcava Femi Wisdom, 28, and Spark Onwa, 33 over an alleged online scam.

Also arrested was a 33-year-old Cambodian woman, Thon Sarem.

General Lieutenant Neth Savoeun, the director of National Police, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

According to Savoeun, the arrest was carried out by officers led by lieutenant Chea Pove, and coordinated by the Phnom Penh court prosecutor, on October 1.

He said they were brought to the Department of Technology Crimes for processing and later sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for legal action following a complaint.

More to come…

World News

Reactions as Boris Johnson references M people during speech

October 6, 2020 No Comments

The PM made a speech at the virtual Tory party conference and even ardent supporters would have to join in with Government critics and agree there was an awful lot of wind in the speech as the Prime Minister pledged a new concentration on creating clean energy sources, mainly wind.

Mr Johnson at one point stated: “As Saudi Arabia is to oil, the UK is to wind.”

With almost Trumpian bravado, Mr Johnson challenged the naysayers to physical jousts to prove his point, saying: “I could refute these critics of my athletic abilities in any way they want: arm-wrestle, leg-wrestle, Cumberland wrestle, sprint-off, you name it”

In a wide-ranging speech full of ambition but, as ever, lacking in detail he also promised to “fix the injustice of care home funding” by “bringing the magic of averages to the rescue of millions”, although aides were unable to set out what he meant.

He wanted to explore the use of one-to-one teaching for gifted pupils or those in danger of falling behind, saying it could be “transformational”.

Johnson also attacked “lefty human rights lawyers and other do-gooders” who had “hamstrung” the legal system.

Drivel

He shook off any doubters that he was too physically unfit for the job, saying “and of course this is self-evident drivel, the kind of seditious propaganda that you would expect from people who don’t want this Government to succeed, who wanted to stop us delivering Brexit and all our other manifesto pledges.”

Then the PM discussed his own experience with Covid. Johnson said he was “too fat” and had lost 26 pounds since he had the disease. The he went revealed himself to be a fan of 90s dance and soul band M People

He referenced one of the band’s biggest hits Search For The Hero, saying: “I am going to continue that diet, because you’ve got to search for the hero inside yourself in the hope that that individual is considerably slimmer.”

As you can imagine this comment left many on social media bemused.

World News

Three scientists share Nobel Physics Prize 2020 for their work on black holes

October 6, 2020 No Comments

One half of the award went to the American mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose who had in 1965 shown that Einstein’s theory of relativity led to the formation of black holes that engulf everything, including light because of the massive gravitational pull. Not even Albert Einstein thought that black holes could actually exist.

One half of the award went to the American mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose. The other half of the prize was shared by the German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel and American astronomer Andrea M Ghez whose groups have been focussing at a region called Sagittarius A* at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. (AGENCIES.)

One half of the award went to the American mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose who had in 1965 shown that Einstein’s theory of relativity led to the formation of black holes that engulf everything, including light because of the massive gravitational pull. Not even Albert Einstein thought that black holes could actually exist.

To prove that black hole formation is a stable process, Penrose needed to expand the methods used to study the theory of relativity with new mathematical concepts. It is still regarded as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein.

Earlier this year, researchers from Glasgow University used a ring of speakers and a sound-absorbing disk to practically demonstrate how energy can be obtained from a black hole as predicted by Penrose in 1969.

The other half of the prize was shared by the German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel and American astronomer Andrea M Ghez whose groups have been focussing at a region called Sagittarius A* at the centre of Milky Way galaxy.

With this, Ghez became the fourth woman to have received the award since 1901 when it was first given out. The other three are Donna Strickland who got it in 2018, Maria Geopperts-Mayer in 1963, and Marie Curie in 1903. Curie is also the only woman and one of four people to have received a second Nobel Prize; she received the Chemistry prize in 1911.

By mapping the orbits of the brightest stars in the region, both the groups observed that there was something both invisible and heavy forcing the stars to swirl around. This object has a mass of four million suns squeezed in a region not larger than our solar system. According to the current theory of gravity, there is only one candidate fitting the description – a supermassive black hole.

“The discoveries of this year’s Laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects. But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research. Not only questions about their inner structure, but also questions about how to test our theory of gravity under the extreme conditions in the immediate vicinity of a black hole”, said David Haviland, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics in a release.

World News

More, more and more leaders

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Mikhail Mishustin PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA contracted the virus in late April, forcing him to step down and hand over power to his deputy at the peak of coronavirus infections in Russia. Mr Mishustin, 54, had only been appointed four months previously and had been overseeing Moscow’s handling of the pandemic at the time of his positive test. His sickness — alongside a handful of other cabinet members and president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman — came as Russia’s virus cases grew at the fastest rate outside the US, undercutting Kremlin assurances that the situation was under control.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has recovered from coronavirus, a week after testing positive for the infection. Pashinyan on June 1 said that he and his family members have been tested for COVID-19.

The Armenian leader, in a Facebook post, said he and his family members’ test results have come negative.

“We have just received the results of repeated tests on members of my family. The results of all of our tests were negative.

World News

IS ANYONE SAFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE ?

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Trump’s press secretary tests positive

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has become the latest Republican to test positive for the coronavirus.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has tested positive for coronavirus, she disclosed on Twitter Monday, the latest high-profile official in President Donald Trump’s administration to do so.

In a Twitter post she wrote: “After testing negatively consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms.”

“As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American People at this time.”

McEnany added that she will quarantine and will “continue to work on the behalf of the American people”.

McEnany said she tested positive on Monday.

“As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American People at this time,” she wrote. “With my recent positive test, I will begin the quarantine process and will continue working on behalf of the American People remotely.”

She attended a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House late last month when Trump introduced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court. That was a common event for many of those who tested positive. Very few people were wearing masks that day.

McEnany last briefed at the White House on Thursday, however she held an informal gaggle with reporters on Sunday after appearing on Fox News. She was not wearing a mask in either instance.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett walks to the microphone after President Donald Trump, right, announced Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court, in the Rose Garden at the White House, Saturday, Sept.26,2020.

When asked, McEnany refused to give an update on the number of White House staff members who have been infected

World News

COVID19 CASES IN ARGENTINA

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Argentina Covid cases approaching 800,000

Against a drop in the number of Covid-related deaths and daily cases in Peru one Latin American country where infections continue to rise is Argentina.

Though sad but true, Health Authorities registered their highest number of daily cases so far on Friday with 14,687 confirmed infections. While the figures were lower on Saturday and Sunday, Argentina looks set to pass the 800,000 cases mark later on Monday.

The worst affected area is the capital, Buenos Aires, and its surroundings.

Argentina was one of the countries which imposed a strict lockdown early on but, as it has loosened restrictions, the number of infections has jumped up.

Experts warn that because the number of coronavirus tests being carried out in Argentina is very low, the real figure could be much higher.

World News

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SURPRISE VISIT

October 5, 2020 No Comments

What did the president do?

Mr Trump waved to well-wishers from behind the glass of a sealed car after tweeting that he would leave Walter Reed hospital, near Washington, to pay a “surprise visit” to “patriots” outside. Inside the car, at least two people could be seen wearing protective gear in the front seats, with Mr Trump sat in the back.

Experts say the president’s short car trip broke public health advice to quarantine when seeking treatment for the virus, and may have put Secret Service agents inside the vehicle at risk of infection.

“That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of Covid-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures,” tweeted Dr James Philips, a doctor at the same hospital where the president is being treated.

Those inside the president’s car would now need to quarantine for 14 days, he said.

Democrats have also criticised the trip, with House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries tweeting: “We need leadership. Not photo ops.”

But the White House’s Judd Deere defended the move, saying “appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE [personal protective equipment]”.

Meanwhile, NBC News reports that Melania Trump, who has remained at the White House with mild symptoms, decided against visiting her husband in hospital because of the risks to staff.

“She has Covid,” an unnamed official told NBC on Saturday. “That would expose the agents who would drive her there and the medical staff who would walk her up to him.”

It emerged the president’s condition was more serious than previously reported when he went to hospital on Friday evening.

The White House had said Mr Trump was experiencing “mild symptoms” of Covid-19, but then it was confirmed that he had received extra oxygen after his levels dipped twice in two days.

He was also given the steroid dexamethasone, which is normally reserved for serious cases, according to experts.

Remain glued to Naijapremiumgist for updates on president Trump and other news

World News

MORE AND MORE LEADERS THAT HAVE CONTRACTED COVID19

October 5, 2020 No Comments

MORE WORLD LEADERS THAT HAVE CONTRACTED COVID19. Naijapremiumgist brings to you popular and influential leaders around the world that have contracted COVID19. Some of them have been declared healthy and fit to continue ruling recently. The countries include:

Iranian leaders

Iran, the epicentre of the Mideast’s initial coronavirus outbreak, has seen several top officials test positive. Among them are Senior Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri and Vice-President Massoumeh Ebtekar. Cabinet members have tested positive, too.

Indian leaders

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, 71, recently tested positive but his office said he had no symptoms and was quarantined at home. Home Minister Amit Shah, the No. 2 man in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, was hospitalized for COVID-19 last month and has recovered. Junior Railways Minister Suresh Angadi last week was the first federal minister to die from COVID-19.

Israeli leaders

Israel’s then-Health Minister Yaakov Litzman tested positive in April and recovered. Litzman is a leader in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, which has seen a high rate of infection as many have defied restrictions on religious gatherings. The minister for Jerusalem affairs, Rafi Peretz, tested positive over the summer as cases surged in the country and recovered.

South African leaders

The country’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi were infected as cases surged in June and July.

South Sudanese leaders

From South Sudan, Vice-President Riek Machar was among several cabinet ministers infected.

Naijapremiumgist also observed the Canadian space and here is the information on Canadian politicians and COVID-19

Canadian politicians from federal party leaders down to the municipal level have also been personally affected by COVID-19. Here are a few who have either tested positive or needed to isolate themselves after possible exposure.

Erin O’Toole

The federal Conservative leader and his wife tested positive for the virus last month, not long after O’Toole won the leadership of the party. It’s believed he contracted the virus from a staffer who was in his immediate circle. He emerged from quarantine to deliver his official reply to the Liberals’ throne speech. “We all have to be very cautious,” he said upon his return.

Yves-François Blanchet

The Bloc Québécois leader and his wife also tested positive for the virus last month. He returned to Parliament the same day as O’Toole, saying he was lucky to have caught a mild case of the illness. “Some people go through it much more painfully than I did,” he said. “I was very, very, very lucky. Some people die of that thing.”

Justin Trudeau

The prime minister’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12 after a trip to the United Kingdom. The prime minister subsequently went into a 14-day isolation at home with his three kids, just as the pandemic lockdown was beginning in Canada. Trudeau remained in isolation for almost a month, not returning to Parliament Hill until April 8. He never developed symptoms and never got tested for COVID-19, but says he will take an antibody test when they are widely available.

Bill Morneau

The former federal finance minister was one of at least eight MPs who were tested for COVID-19 and self-isolated after meeting with United Nations World Food Program executive director David Beasley in Ottawa on March 11 and March 12. Beasley met privately with Morneau, attended a reception and appeared at a House of Commons committee. Beasley tested positive for COVID-19 about a week later.

Kamal Khera

The Brampton-West Liberal MP tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25. She was one of the MPs who met with Beasley, although her office said it was not clear where she contracted the virus.

Seamus O’Regan

The federal minister of natural resources was tested and self-isolated in early March after developing a bad cold. He had gone to a mining conference in Toronto attended by more than 23,000 people from around the world. At least three people at the conference tested positive for COVID-19, but O’Regan was not among them.

Sylvie Parent

The mayor of Longueuil, Que., on Montreal’s south shore, tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Her positive test led to the isolation and testing of at least seven other Quebec politicians, including three provincial cabinet minister

Politics, World News

All terrorists and their sponsors will not see 2021.- Pastor Adeboye

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Pastor Enoch Adeboye,the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), prayed that all terrorists and their sponsors will not see 2021 yesterday.

Adeboye also assured Nigerians that the Almighty God will arise against those pretending to be the country’s friends while planning to enslave the nation.

In his prayer, he said:

“Where they say there is no way, God will arise and make a way for Nigeria and everyone. Any form of stagnation in Nigeria will come to an end and every terrorist and their sponsors will not see the New Year in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Claiming that God has given the country victory over the Coronavirus pandemic, Adeboye admonished everyone to always praise God at all times.

He made a statement;

“We thank God for the victory over Coronavirus and we pray that the victory will be total and permanent.”

He said further;

“We also pray that God will help us to be united and let our tomorrow be alright.”

The RCCG General Overseer, who took his reading from the book of Psalms 68: 1 to 4, also said;

“God will fight for us, arise and make a way where there is no way.”

World News

ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S HEALTH

October 4, 2020 No Comments

Another employee at the White House has tested positive for coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections among Trump’s inner circle continues to rise.

This time, it is Trump’s personal assistant, Nick Luna, that tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.

Luna, whose official title is the Director of Oval Office Operations, travels frequently with the president.

He attended the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday as well as other more recent events.

ANY UPDATE ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STATUS?

We have the following to learn from Trump’s medical team, Dr Conley’s update especially.

Trump is being treated with dexamethasone, a steroid that’s given to patients with severe or critical Covid-19, in order to help their lung function

Despite this, Dr Sean Conley says the team was planning for Trump to potentially be discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center as early as Monday, to continue his course of treatment at the White House

The president has had two dips in his oxygen saturation level since Thursday – one episode where it fell below 94% and another where it was below 93%

Dr Conley recommended the president be given supplemental oxygen. Although Trump was adamant that he didn’t need it ,he was given oxygen

On Friday Trump was up and out of bed, but it was decided that he should go to Walter Reed

Asked why he didn’t reveal Trump had received oxygen earlier, Dr Conley said: “I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team… The fact of the matter is, he’s doing reall ry well.”

Naijapremiumgist wishes president Trump speedy recovery.

World News

POWERFUL STORM HITS FRANCE AND ITALY

October 4, 2020 No Comments

More than two people have died and up to 20 are still missing after a powerful storm hit south-eastern France and north-western Italy.

The storm brought fierce winds and torrential rain.

A number of villages north of Nice in France suffered serious damage from floods and landslides, with roads, bridges and homes destroyed.

What’s the latest in France?

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has deployed the army and released emergency funds to tackle the worst floods for decades in south-eastern France.

Up to 20 people are either missing or have not checked in with relatives.

“There are very many people of whom we have no news,” Mr Castex said.

Bernard Gonzalez, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes region, said: “Just because their loved ones haven’t been able to get in touch doesn’t mean that they have been taken by the storm.”He said the prospect of more rain was “a worry”.

Meteorological agency Météo-France said 450mm (17.7in) of rain fell in some areas over 24 hours – the equivalent of nearly four months at this time of year, reports Reuters news agency.

The southern Alps region appeared the worst hit, with serious damage in the Roya, Tinée, Esteron and Vésubie valleys.

The villages of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Rimplas were cut off, with roads inaccessible.

A collapsed bridge after heavy rains hit the village of Roquebillière in southern France

A road in Roquebillière was partially washed away during the storm

One 29-year-old resident of Roquebillière told Agence France-Presse: “I lost everything but we are alive. There must be one room left in my house.”

Two elderly people were swept away as their house collapsed in the village and their fate is unknown.

On Friday, the storm also buffeted France’s western Atlantic coast, causing tens of thousands of homes to lose power.

Winds of more than 180km/h (112mph) were recorded in Brittany on Thursday and Friday.

LATEST IN ITALY

In north-western Italy, flooding was described as “historic”. A section of a bridge over the Sesia river collapsed

The two fatalities were a 53-year-old firefighter in the Aosta Valley who died during a rescue operation, and a 36-year-old man whose car was swept into a river in the Piedmont region. His brother managed to get out of the car.

A section of a key bridge over the Sesia river in Piedmont’s Vercelli province collapsed shortly after it had been reopened on Saturday afternoon.

Damaged caused to a road near Cuneo in Italy’s Piedmont region

In the rest of Piedmont, several villages were cut off after the rains made roads impassable. The situation there was described as “extremely critical” by officials.

Piedmont President Alberto Cirio told La Stampa that 630mm of rain had fallen in 24 hours, an amount “unheard of since 1954”.

Hundreds of aid workers have been sent to help rescue efforts in the cut-off villages.

The storm also affected the north-western regions of Lombardy and Liguria. The Roja river in Ventimiglia has also flooded.

Flood alerts remain for sections of the Po river which have swollen by 3m in 24 hours.

One good piece of news was the rescue of about 20 people reported missing by Italian authorities just over the border in France.

Venice’s newly built Mose flooding system

The city of Venice, which had been braced for high waters after suffering violent storms in August, was successfully protected by a flood barrier system recently declared fully operational.

World News

IGP disbands SARS satellite offices across Nigeria

October 4, 2020 No Comments

Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), has banned operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), the Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Intelligence Response Team (IRT) from undertaking routine patrols as well as stop and search duties.

Frank Mba, police spokesman, disclosed the directive of the IGP in a statement on Sunday.

The directive is coming in the wake of an outrage over alleged criminal and extra-judicial actions of FSARS officers against citizens in various parts of the country.

In the statement, Mba said the IGP also directed that no officer should embark on a patrol in mufti.

The inspector-general of police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect,” he said.

“The IGP has warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.

“They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.”

Mba quoted Adamu as saying FSARS and other police tactical squads remain “a critical component of the Force in confronting prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country”.

“He however condemns every act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads,” the force public relations officer said.

“He has therefore ordered the X-Squad and the Monitoring Unit to embark on immediate and massive nationwide monitoring of activities of Tactical Squads and other police officers on the road.

“They are to ensure prompt arrest, investigation and prosecution of all erring police officers who violate these directives and other extant regulations of the Force.

The IGP has equally warned that henceforth, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).”

The police spokesman said two FSARS officers and one civilian accomplice have been arrested in Lagos for professional misconduct.

“Two operatives of the FSARS and their civilian accomplice operating in Lagos State, INSPR Sale James, INSPR Monday Uchiola and Okechukwu Ogbonna, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for acts of professional misconduct including extortion and intimidation of innocent citizens,” he said.

“The operational vehicle of the men has also been impounded and disciplinary procedure has already commenced against the defaulters.”

World News

More World Leaders that have contracted COVID19 !!!

October 4, 2020 No Comments

Alexander Lukashenko
The president of Belarus, who dismissed concerns about the virus as “psychosis” and recommended drinking vodka to stay healthy, said in July he had contracted it himself but was asymptomatic.

Alejandro Giammattei
The Guatemalan president said he tested positive for the virus in September.

Jeannine Anez
The virus drove the Bolivian interim president into isolation in July, but she said she was feeling well.

Luis Abinader
The newly elected president of the Dominican Republic contracted and recovered from COVID-19 during his campaign.

Pierre Nkurunziza
Questions have continued to circle around the death of the Burundi’s president-elect, who passed away on an unspecified date in early June

More to come…

World News

World leaders that have contracted COVID19

October 3, 2020 No Comments

Juan Orlando Hernandez
The Honduras president announced in June that he had tested positive, along with two other people who worked closely with him. Hernandez said he had started what he called the “MAIZ treatment,” an experimental and unproven combination of microdacyn, azithromycin, ivermectin and zinc. He was briefly hospitalized and released.

More to come…

Lifestyle, Politics, World News

Trump receives special COVID19 treatment in presidential suite at the National military hospital.

October 3, 2020 No Comments

US president, Donald Trump, was rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday night to be treated for Covid-19 after announcing on his social media handles that he had contracted the deadly disease.

The hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, is the United States’ biggest military medical center that cares for the wounded, ill and injured from global conflicts. It has close to 7,000 staff workers taking care of those who are hospitalized.

The hospital is located nine miles from the White House in Washington, DC and has 244 beds and 50 intensive care unit beds.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Friday ;

“Trump would be spending a “few days” in the hospital’s presidential suite”.

The suite, known as Ward 71, is equipped to allow the president of the United States to keep up with his official duties even while in the hospital.

The suite which is around 3,000 square feet includes bedroom-type areas, living rooms with couches, a doctor’s office, conference room, office space and a dining room.

According to USA Today, the presidential suite is one of six special patient rooms reserved for high-ranking military officers and members of the White House cabinet.

The White House controls the entire presidential suite unlike other parts of the hospital controlled by Walter Reed administrators and the Defense Department.

If the White House doctor can’t treat something specifically, the medical center has prescreened specialists whose background checks are already available to the president.

Trump’s chief of staff has his own office space in the suite. The White House doctor has sleeping quarters there, so they could be constantly there while Trump is constantly being treated 24/7.

If Trump’s condition worsens, he will have to transfer power to Vice President Mike Pence using the 25th amendment .

With just 5 weeks to the election, such a scenario will dramatically upset the US presidential election.

World News

Fashola: Obasanjo Should’ve Built Rails, Roads, Instead of $12bn Debt Cancellation

October 3, 2020 No Comments

Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as partly responsible for Nigeria’s weak infrastructural base, saying that instead of paying off Nigeria’s external debts, the ex-Nigerian leader should have invested in capital projects across the country.

According to Fashola, previous governments which he said had access to a lot of money, under-invested in the country’s infrastructure, saying if he had the $12 billion, like the Olusegun Obasanjo government in 2005, he would have built rails and more roads.

The former Lagos State governor, who has been minister under the present administration since its inception in 2015, spoke during an interview on Channels Television.

In 2005/2006, the Paris Club wrote off $18 billion or 60 per cent of the $30 billion Nigeria owed the cartel, after months of negotiations, a development touted as one of the biggest achievements of the Obasanjo administration.

Fashola said that rather than deploy the funds prudently, the Obasanjo government decided to pay the country’s creditors to the detriment of the country, insisting that today, Nigeria has gone back to borrowing because the governments in the past ignored investment in infrastructure.

He said rather, the Obasanjo government decided to pay the country’s creditors to the detriment of the country, insisting that today, Nigeria has gone back to borrowing because the governments in the past ignored investment in infrastructure.

Although he did not mention names, Fashola specifically said that in 2005 (when Obasanjo was president), Nigeria had the opportunity to revamp its roads and rails, but rather was pursuing debt cancellation as state policy.

“At one time in this country, in 2005, we had $12 billion. At that time, these roads were bad. At that time there was no rail. But what did we do as a matter of state policy, it was just to pay creditors to our own detriment.

I can only imagine if I had the opportunity then with $12 billion in my hand, we would have built rails and roads. What this government is dealing with, which I am responsible for the road side, is the infrastructure that will be enduring.

“Without the rails, we will not have roads that last. Trucks and heavy cargo is not meant for our roads. The jurisdictions we want to be like, don’t transport cargo, containers on their roads. That’s why I am so optimistic about tomorrow that if we advance this significantly, there will be a better tomorrow.

We lost the opportunity to invest $12 billion and then we went back to borrow and the problems haven’t gone away and they will have to be dealt with,” he maintained.

While defending the current administration’s tendency for borrowing, Fashola argued that the assertion that Buhari was mortgaging the future of the nation’s children was untenable, saying that the government was only ‘positioning’ for tomorrow’s children.

“Every generation that’s responsible enough like us must position for tomorrow’s children. We should not leave this for them to come and do because it will be more expensive.

That said, I think the way to go is to say that at the appropriate time, a tolling policy will be developed because for you to toll you must ordinarily develop alternatives. Government must also understand that not all of its infrastructure is of a commercial kind,” he stated.

The minister stressed that the Buhari government would continue to do its best to ensure that the country’s infrastructure is developed and brought at par with modern transportation systems like what obtains in other parts of the world.

World News

6 armed men, bandits, attack Ekiti bank.

October 3, 2020 No Comments

Armed robbers attacked a branch of WEMA bank in Iyin-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government area of Ekiti State , on Friday.

The six-man armed wielding bandits, who arrived the town around 3.30pm, blasted the security doors with an explosive device suspected to be dynamite and carted away several millions of naira in the operation which lasted 40 minutes.

This came barely 24 hours after the police raised the alarm that some bandits were planning to invade the state and wreak havoc on the people.

An eyewitness confirmed to journalists that the robbers had shot sporadically into the air, thereby scaring residents and traders at the nearby market before gaining entry into the banking hall.

The residents were said to have run in different directions due to the severity of the gunshots which the source said had caused tension.

Vehicles travelling along the Ado-Iyin-Aramoko-Efon road had to take a detour to prevent being caught in the web of gunshots.

“In fact, the police disappointed us. They disappointed the people of Iyin today. The robbers robbed for over 40 minutes without any challenge”.

“They came in two vehicles, shot into the air and scared the people around away. In fact, those in the nearby market left their commodities and ran for their lives”.

The police station in Igede Ekiti was not up to 500 metres, while the police patrol point along the Ado Ekiti road should be a kilometre away, but none of them responded for over 40 minutes the robbers operated.

“We thank God nobody was killed, but the agony of the gunshots was too much on the locals”.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. Sunday Abutu, said the police, upon receiving the information, immediately visited the place.

“We got a distress call from Iyin Ekiti about the robbery and we immediately dispatched our men and officers to the place. I want to confirm to you that the robbers are being chased as I speak with you and the determination is to effect their arrest. We are assuring the people that the hoodlums shall be arrested and brought to justice. Ekiti is not a safe haven for robbers”.

World News

OCTOBER 1 in Hong Kong!!!

October 2, 2020 No Comments

China in 2019

One year ago, Hong Kong saw one of its most violent days on 1 October as the pro-democracy movement raged, but this year the city was largely silent.

October 1 is also a significant day in Hong Kong. The date marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China, widely celebrated on the mainland.

In 2019, it was called “day of mourning” by Hong Kong protesters worried about China’s growing control.

This year, a Beijing-imposed security law and coronavirus have put a stop to most protests.

Requests for demonstrations were not granted by the authorities – with the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns cited as reasons.

Proponents of the security law say it was required to quell the kind of violence that was seen in Hong Kong for several months last year.

What Happened In 2020?
In the early hours of the day, city officials held a small ceremony with a flag raising and helicopters flying the colours of both China and Hong Kong.

Amid tight security and stepped up riot police presence, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam hailed that “stability has been restored to society while national security has been safeguarded, and our people can continue to enjoy their basic rights and freedoms”.

But while fear stopped many from protesting, some Hong Kongers did not hesitate to tell reporters what they really thought.

“Today is a day for national mourning,” Mr Choi told Reuters. “What should we celebrate for?”

“A lot of people want to voice out their demands peacefully,” Roger Tsang said but that the “severe police brutality” was threatening people into silence. “The so-called ‘peacefulness’ is an illusion.”

And protests were not entirely muted. Several small activists groups sporadically gathered to protest and chant slogans in Causeway Bay, the downtown shopping area.

Officials say that at least 86 people were arrested, most of them for unauthorised assembly.

What has changed since last year?
In response to the past years’ repeated waves of protests, Beijing this summer introduced a wide-ranging new security law for Hong Kong.

It introduces heavy penalties – up to life in prison – for offences including subversion and secession.

Critics have called it “the end of Hong Kong”, saying it effectively curtails protests and freedom of speech.

But supporters say it was needed to stamp out the chaos of anti-government protests.

The law, which came into effect on 1 July 2020, has already been invoked in a string of arrests and several prominent pro-democracy activists have fled the country for fear of arrest.

Just this week, the US said it would prioritise Hong Kongers – along with citizens from several other countries – for its refugee admission programme.

What did 2019 look like?

On 1 October, while Beijing was celebrating 70 years of Communist Party rule, Hong Kong experienced one of its most “violent and chaotic days”.

Demonstrations had started peacefully but escalated when the police used tear gas and water cannons to drive back groups of protesters who fought officers with poles, petrol bombs and other projectiles.

An 18-year-old was shot in the chest with a live bullet and at least 66 people were injured during the clashes.
The protests and violence had raged for months in Hong Kong with mass demonstrations calling for democracy and less influence from Beijing.

Large rallies repeatedly descended from peaceful protest into prolonged clashes between small groups of frontline protesters and police.

A former British colony, Hong Kong is part of China but residents of Hong Kong prize civil liberties such as free speech, the right to protest and an entirely independent and robust judiciary, as permitted in the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution.

World News

Deaths of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia

October 2, 2020 No Comments

More than three people died in detention centres housing thousands of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia,

The migrants, according to rights group Amnesty International, were facing “unimaginable cruelty” – including being chained together in pairs, and using their cells floors as toilets, the rights group said.

It also urged Saudi authorities to improve conditions of the centres.

The detainees were expelled from neighbouring Yemen.

The migrants from Ethiopia and other countries had been working in northern Yemen but were forced out by Houthi rebels, Amnesty said.

According to UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), some 2,000 Ethiopians remain stranded on the Yemeni side of the border, without food, water or healthcare.

Thousands of Ethiopians go to Saudi Arabia for work, making the kingdom nation a key investor and source of foreign remittances for Ethiopia.
Saudi Arabia has also been cracking down on illegal migrants.

There were up to 500,000 illegal migrants from Ethiopia in the country when Saudi authorities began the operation in 2017, according to the IOM.

At least 10,000 Ethiopians on average were being deported each month, but earlier this year Ethiopian officials requested a moratorium because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In recent months, Ethiopia has struggled to create enough space in quarantine to welcome the people back and make sure that they are not bringing coronavirus with them

Amnesty interviewed 12 detained Ethiopian migrants about conditions in the al-Dayer detention centre, Jizan central prison, and prisons in Jeddah and Mecca.

Conditions are especially dire in al-Dayer and Jizan, where detainees report sharing cells with 350 people, Amnesty says.
The organisation said two migrants reported personally seeing dead bodies of three men – from Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia – in al-Dayer.

“However, all those interviewed said they knew of people who had died in detention, and four people said they had seen bodies themselves,” the report said.

Amnesty said the allegations have been corroborated by videos, photos and satellite imagery.

The rights group urged the Ethiopian government to urgently facilitate the voluntary repatriation of its nationals, while asking the Saudi authorities to improve detention conditions in the meantime.

Ethiopia plans to repatriate 2,000 detained migrants by mid-October, Tsion Teklu, a state minister at Ethiopia’s foreign ministry, revealed last month.

She said the total number of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi detention facilities was 16,000 earlier this year but that it had since gone down.

Last month three migrants told AFP that visiting Ethiopian diplomats had warned migrants to stop speaking out about detention conditions.

More to come…