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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J He was thin but strong, in a new uniform and boots. After forcing his way into Hawo’s ragged shelter the man put a gun to her throat, then raped her, twice. “Mentally, I can see him,” Hawo said, recalling the late-night March assault in Dusta, a camp in the southwestern city of Baidoa for Somalis displaced by drought and hunger. As he raped her in her home made of sticks, plastic and old fabrics, Hawo’s youngest child, a breast-feeding baby, cried while her two other children slept. Dusta runs right up to the fence of a fortified compound housing troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is fighting the Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-aligned insurgency committed to overthrowing the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu. However residents say no one offers protection, not AMISOM, not the army, not the regional militia and not local nor UN police. AMISOM refused to comment. Most of those living in Dusta are women and children from Shabaab-...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Nigerians took to Google during the week to know more about Biafra and the history of democracy in Africa’s most populous nation. Google’s Spokesman Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade made the announcement in Lagos on Thursday. Kola-Ogunlade, who is Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Anglophone West Africa, said the searches were apparently to know more about Biafra. Some groups observed a sit-at-home protest on May 30, to commemorate the 50 th  anniversary since the Biafra uprising ended. Kola-Ogunlade said that Nigerians searched for Democracy Day, Biafra News, Biafra Day, Tiger Woods, Ernesto Valverde and Paul Pogba in the search engine. According to him, a group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected May 29 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, describing it as fraudulent, unrealistic and escapist. “The group asked the Federal Government to declare June 12 as Democracy Day instead. “May 29 was chosen by the last military regime of Gen. Abdul Sal...

http://ift.tt/2rLl7fB Spanish director and President of the Feature Film Jury Pedro Almodovar delivers a speech on stage on May 17, 2017 during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP The Cannes film festival ends Sunday with a movie about a hammer-wielding hitman, a moving story of AIDS activists and a parable of Putin’s Russia among the favourites to lift its top prize, the Palme d’Or. After 12 days of screenings and starry celebrations of the festival’s 70th anniversary — which were somewhat muted by the Manchester bombing — it is now up to the nine-member celebrity jury led by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar to decide which movie will triumph. Rarely has the race looked so open, with many critics complaining there was no standout film to get behind among the 19 in the official competition. That shifted Saturday when the final film, Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here”, had many reachi...

http://ift.tt/2r8FmTL Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a press conference at Manila international airport in Manila on May 24, 2017, after returning from a visit to Russia. Duterte threatened on May 24 to impose martial law nationwide to combat the rising threat of terrorism, after Islamist militants beheaded a policeman and took Catholic hostages while rampaging through a southern city. NOEL CELIS / AFP Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte came under fire Saturday for making a second joke about rape, with Chelsea Clinton leading online outrage and a rights group branding his sense of humour “sickening”. In a speech at a military camp on Friday aimed at lifting troops’ spirits after he imposed martial law across the southern Philippines, Duterte told them they were allowed to rape up to three women. “I will be imprisoned for you. If you rape three (women), I will say that I did it. But if you marry four, son of a whore you will be beaten up,” he said. Duterte, ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Washington – U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to hire “someone who will do a far better job” after firing James Comey as head of the FBI, defending the decision on Twitter Wednesday as his critics cried foul. “James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI,” Trump wrote. “Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!” he added. An earlier tweet claimed that “Democrats have said some of the worst things” about the top intelligence official, but that now the opposition was playing “so sad.” Tuesday’s shock announcement that Comey had been dismissed comes amid an ongoing investigation that he had been leading into potential collusion between the US president’s campaign team and Russia. The move sparked immediate accusations of political interference, with Republicans as well as Democrats expressing...

http://ift.tt/2pOAF02 A 32-year-old man, Saheed Alowonle, who allegedly assaulted and willfully destroyed the reflective jacket of a police officer while on duty, on Monday appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court. Alowonle , whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of assault and malicious damage. The accused, according to the prosecutor, Sgt. Babaji Ishaku, committed the offences on April 7 at Aguda, Ogba, opposite Excellence Hotel. He said the accused assaulted Sgt. Omege Folusayo, who was performing his lawful duty by holding his jacket.‎‎ “The accused destroyed the officer’s reflective jacket in the process.”‎‎ Alowonle denied the charge. The offences contravened Sections 172 and 348 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised). ‎‎ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 172 stipulates three years for serious assault, while Section 348 provides two years for offenders.‎ In his ruling, the magistrate, Mr J.A. Adegun, granted th...

http://ift.tt/2pJpHHf Oby Ezekwesili The Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) on Sunday applauded the Federal Government and security agencies on the release of the 82 Chibok girls. The commendation came in a statement signed by the Convener of the group, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili on Sunday in Abuja. “The Nigerian Presidency has confirmed that 82 of our missing 195 Chibok Girls have been released via a negotiated deal. ” The efforts were through the combined effort of security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs.” She said the group members were delighted by the good news which followed the release of 21 girls in October 2016. “We commend Mr President, the Federal Government and all the other partners for this heartwarming development. “We are also glad that the statement from the Presidency makes a strong commitment to rescuing the remaining 113 of our Chibok Girls that are still captives of terrorists.” Also in an i...

http://ift.tt/2oFq9Vk The Police spokesman in the state, DSP Kennedy Idirisu confirmed the abduction to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lafia. Unknown gunmen on Saturday night, abducted the mother and sister of Mr Kassim Mohammed-Kassim, member representing (APC) Akwanga South constituency at the Nasarawa state house of assembly. The Police spokesman in the state, DSP Kennedy Idirisu confirmed the abduction to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lafia. According to Idirisu, the gunmen in their numbers, stormed the residence of the lawmaker at Moroa in Akwanga at about 8 pm and shot sporadically before whisking the two women away. He said that the police was collaborating with the vigilante group in the area to locate the victims. “As we speak, our men are already combing the areas in search of the victims and to apprehend the perpetrators,” Idirisu said. He, however, appealed to members of the public to assist the police with useful information that cou...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J A Sokoto Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded seven men after they pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and defamation. The men are Felix Audu, Abdulmalik Abubakar and five others, whose names were simply given as Canis, Donatus , Jagodo, Jacob and Kasim, all of Ungwan Rogo Community in Sokoto. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Monday Kennedy, told court that on March 31, one Alhaji Mustapha Sani, reported to the Unguan Rogo Police Station that the seven men had defamed and assaulted him. Kennedy said that Sani had reported that the seven men had accused him of having sexual intercourse with boys and had beaten him up. The prosecutor said that the men while attacking Sani, forcefully removed N52, 000 from him. The accused men pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them. They were earlier arraigned on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, defamation, using force and assault, contrary to Sections 97, 392, 265, 288 of the Penal Code. The Magistrate, Mr A...

http://ift.tt/2qkLQii Arsenal's Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech leaves the field at the end of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane in London, on April 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / IKIMAGES / Ian KINGTON / Arsenal ‘keeper Petr Cech made no attempt to hide how “angry and disappointed” he felt after a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday dealt a huge blow to the Gunners’ bid to qualify for the Champions League. Goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane saw Spurs, second in the Premier League, move a huge 17 points clear of Arsenal and ensure they would finish above their local rivals in the table for the first time since 1995. Tottenham are still very much in the title race, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side just four points behind leaders Chelsea, with both the top two having four league games left this season. By contrast, Arsenal are sixth and six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City, who occupy the last Champi...