As Buhari, over 50 world leaders meet in Washington, experts warn of nuclear material falling into terrorists’ hands

As Buhari, over 50 world leaders meet in Washington, experts warn of nuclear material falling into terrorists’ hands

Heads of State from more than 50 countries are gathering in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit 2016 March 31-April 1. As leaders discuss ways to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, concerns about these materials falling into the wrong hands remain high.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the American capital early this morning to participate the 4th Nuclear Security Summit, the last to be hosted by President Barack Obama, with tons of loose nuclear material still not sufficiently secured and still potentially accessible to terrorists or other individuals with malicious intentions.
The White House says that while it is impossible to quantify the likelihood of a nuclear attack by extremist groups, there are 2,000 metric tons of highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium with civilian and military programmes around the world.
“We know that terrorist organisations have the desire to get access to these raw materials and their desire to have a nuclear device,” said deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, adding that that only “redoubles” the need for international nuclear security cooperation.
For the first time, the summit will include a special session on how to ensure that groups like Islamic State do not get their hands on nuclear materials.
The biennial event Thursday and Friday will include delegations from more than 50 nations who will discuss evolving nuclear threats and ways to prevent them.
Concerns about Islamic State
The Brussels terrorist attacks March 22 signaled again how dangerous and far reaching groups like Islamic State have become. Since the attacks, Belgium has put armed guards at its nuclear facilities.
Leaders are especially concerned about the security of nuclear materials and facilities in countries such as nuclear-armed Pakistan, where a terror attack in Lahore on Easter Sunday killed more than 70 people.
While progress has been made since the first summit in 2010, “the overall objective of securing the most vulnerable nuclear materials in four years… I don’t think has been achieved,” said Sharon Squassoni with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “There is still material out there and the material that we’re talking about is highly enriched uranium."
Experts say security gaps remain for several reasons: There still is no international framework to monitor nuclear materials; some countries are unwilling to open up supplies intended for commercial use; and some military forces have been unable to agree on how to deal with their nuclear material.
Obama launched the nuclear summits in a 2009 speech in Prague, when he called for a world free of nuclear weapons. The U.S. policies for achieving this goal have centered on nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear security and nuclear energy.
The White House has touted successes since then, such as the controversial Iran nuclear deal in which Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. It also cites more than 260 national security commitments, of which nearly three-quarters have been implemented.
Those commitments have led to the removal of nuclear materials in more than 50 facilities in 30 countries and territories, enough material for 130 nuclear weapons, the White House said. Some of those facilities were in Ukraine, Japan, Taiwan and nations across Europe and South America.
The commitments have also led to treaties being implemented, regulations strengthened and security practices improved, among other measures.
Looking at North Korea
But there have been setbacks. North Korea’s continuing nuclear threat in the Korean Peninsula will be a top agenda item at the summit.
On Thursday, Obama will meet with South Korean President Park Guen-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the threat posed by North Korea and how to increase security cooperation.
“Our three countries recognise that our security is linked and that it’s essential that we work closely together to meet this challenge,” said Dan Kritenbrink, National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs. “I anticipate that they will call upon all in the international community to join in vigilantly implementing U.N. measures on North Korea.”
Obama also will discuss North Korea’s nuclear activities during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of numerous meetings and conversations on areas of mutual interest the two leaders have had since Xi’s state visit to Washington in September.
The two also are expected to expect to discuss the sensitive issue of Beijing’s increasingly expansive actions in the South China Sea, which has raised tensions among many of its neighbourhoods.
“I think the high tempo of senior-level engagement with China is a recognition of the fact that this is where problems get solved and decisions get made,” Kritenbrink said. “I think they’ll have a candid exchange on areas where we continue to have significant differences, including things such as human rights, cyber, maritime issues, as well.”
The White House announced late Wednesday that Obama will hold a “brief” bilateral meeting Thursday with French President Francois Hollande.
Later that day, the U.S. president will host a working dinner at the White House for summit leaders.
Russia’s absence
Russia has declined to attend the final summit, saying the gatherings have played out their role. “We prefer that they participate constructively,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Wednesday.
Other U.S. officials raised concerns.
“Russia has been using increasingly harsh rhetoric with regards to nuclear policy and that has been very concerning,” said Frank Rose, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.
Olga Oliker, CSIS Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program, said Moscow’s absence is linked to strained ties following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
“They are in the midst of sending lots of signals to the United States and world that they’re important, a great power and that they chart their own course,” she said. “The other issue is that Russia has never been the biggest fan of this forum. It prefers broader international structures.”
During the summit, the White House will try to strengthen a network of international nuclear security organisations to push ahead on the issue. Obama will meet with officials of U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Interpol and representatives of other groups to discuss advancing nuclear security cooperation.
The summit ends Friday evening with a news conference and a communiqué with a set of action plans “designed to support the enduring institutions and initiatives that are related to nuclear security,” the White House said.
•Adapted from a VOA report. Photo shows President Buhari arriving Washington this morning for the Nuclear Security Summit 2016.

6 soldiers killed in Boko Haram ambush

6 soldiers killed in Boko Haram ambush

Six soldiers from Niger’s army were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram militants, the country’s interior ministry said.
The attack happened near the town of Diffa close to the border with Nigeria early on Wednesday.
It comes two weeks after a Boko Haram assault on a military convoy in the same area that left one soldier dead.
The Islamist group is based in Nigeria but is being tackled by a multinational force, including soldiers from Niger.
In the latest attack, three other soldiers were wounded. Niger’s military deployed aircraft to try and track those responsible soon afterwards.
Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has been praised in the West for rallying neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram.
On Wednesday, the country’s constitutional court confirmed the result of the second round of presidential elections, which saw Mr Issoufou re-elected with more than 92% of the vote, a result the opposition dismissed.

Hunt is on for Brussels bombings suspect; Islamic State warns of more, worse attacks

The immediate aftermath of the explosion at the departure terminal at Brussels' Zavantem airport was caught on camera on Tuesday.

Sheldon Chad , Christina Boyle and Corina KnollContact Reporter

 

Just days after a suspect in last year’s Paris attacks was taken into custody, another set of coordinated assaults was launched on a city that serves as the de facto capital of Europe.

Explosions at Brussels’ two main transit hubs Tuesday left at least 30 people dead and scores injured, and police launched a massive manhunt for one suspect seen wheeling a luggage cart at the airport shortly before the first of the blasts.

Bloodied travelers found themselves stranded in the Belgian capital, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, as it was forced into virtual lockdown. Residents and visitors were ordered to remain indoors as armed police and emergency services swept through the streets.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the explosions, attributing them to a “security group from the soldiers of the caliphate.” It warned ominously of more attacks: “What is coming is worse and more bitter, God permitting.”

French President Francois Hollande summed up what was on the minds of many. “Last year it was Paris. Today it is Brussels. It’s the same attacks.”

The Brussels attacks were precipitated by the arrest of a man who was believed to be a mastermind of the Paris attacks in November.

Denouncing the attacks as “cowardly,” and asking for people to remain calm, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel publicly mourned the dead.

“These are lives broken in mid-flight — people who were going around most likely without a care in their minds, on their way to work or to school, and who have now been cut down by barbarism of the most extreme kind,” Michel said.

About 8 a.m., two bombs exploded at Brussels Airport, sending terrified travelers fleeing across baggage carousels and floors littered with splintered glass and crumbled ceiling tiles. Both explosions were believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers. Images captured on shaky cellphone videos showed injured people walking in a daze or lying down. Some were herded onto the tarmac. Witnesses described victims with severed limbs.

Video from RTL Belgium showed overturned luggage strewn around a terminal thick with smoke and dust. In the background, the sound of a woman screaming could be heard.

“Everything is devastated. Nothing is left,” one man, who was inside the airport at the time, told Belgian TV.

About an hour later, another bomb exploded, this time at the Maelbeek metro station, near the political hub of the city and close to European Union offices. Witnesses said they saw about a dozen people lying outside on the sidewalk.

A spokeswoman for Brussels Metro told Belgian TV that the explosion appeared to have been detonated inside a train car as it pulled into the station.

Live updates: One suspect still on the run, two identified in Brussels attacks

Officials reported that 20 people were killed at the station and 14 at the airport, although they acknowledged that the numbers were provisional. Well over 100 people were injured.

All flights at the airport were canceled until further notice.

President Obama, in Havana, prefaced a speech to the Cuban people by condemning “these outrageous attacks against innocent people.”

“We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible,” he said. “We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of those all around the world.”

The White House said the president had spoken with Michel by phone, offering condolences and assistance. In Washington, the Justice Department said that FBI and counter-terrorism officials were working with their Belgian counterparts and that Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch had been briefed.

What we know about the Americans injured in the Brussels attacks

Among the seriously injured were three Utah men who had been in Europe to serve the Paris mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The men, identified by church officials as Richard Norby, 66, of Lehi, Joseph Empey, 20, of Santa Clara, and Mason Wells, 19, of Sandy, were at the airport to accompany a French missionary who was on her way to Ohio. The Mormon church website said all four were hospitalized.

A U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel stationed at Brunssum, the Netherlands, and his family were also injured in the airport attack, according to the Air Force, which did not give details about the injuries.

The State Department said it was unaware of any Americans who had died in the attacks. Belgian authorities did not immediately identify any of the dead.

Islamic State issued a statement saying its attackers chose the sites “carefully” and were “wrapped in explosive belts and carrying explosive canisters and machine guns.”

“Thanks be to God for his accuracy and success, and we ask God to accept our brothers among the martyrs,” the terrorist group said.

Belgian federal police released a still image taken from a Brussels Airport CCTV camera that shows three suspects. Two of the men were “probably involved in a suicide attack,” according to a statement released by the office of Belgium's federal prosecutor.

On Wednesday morning, Belgian police have identified two suicide bombers who blew themselves up at the Brussels Airport as brothers who had police records but until now had not been linked to terrorism, according to Belgium’s public television network RTBF.

Citing police sources, the network said brothers Khalid and Brahim El Bakraoui had been positively identified from images captured on a surveillance camera

A picture released on March 22, 2016 by the Belgian federal police by the order of the federal prosecutor shows suspects being sought in Tuesday morning's attacks at Brussels Airport.

 (- / AFP/Getty Images)

A cropped version of the photo was posted on the federal police's official Twitter account, showing only the third man. “Who knows this man?” the agency asked, referring to the suspect wearing a light-colored jacket, hat and glasses and pushing a luggage cart with a black bag.

During a raid conducted in Schaerbeek, a district in the wider Brussels-Capital region, authorities found chemicals, an Islamic State flag and an explosive device containing nails, according to the federal prosecutor's office.

The attack on Brussels came four months after Paris found itself under siege in a series of coordinated explosions and shootings that killed 130 people. During raids led by French officials, some of the attackers were killed while others were taken into custody.

One suspect was on the run until authorities apprehended him Friday in Brussels. Salah Abdeslam, a French national who was born in Belgium, had planned to be a suicide bomber, but backed out, authorities said. They also said Abdeslam had helped create a jihadist network centered in the city and was planning a fresh attack. A large cache of weapons had been discovered along with Abdeslam.

At least 30 people died in terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. Two bombs went off at the city's airport, and another explosion rocked the Maelbeek metro station. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Although the capture was touted as a success — and Abdeslam was reportedly cooperating with French authorities — it also appeared to show that the number of people involved in the Paris attacks could be far larger than first thought. Officials had warned of possible retaliatory attacks because other terrorists were still operating.

The Brussels attacks struck two obvious targets, demonstrating once again how difficult it is for governments to prevent terrorism.

They also shed light on the power of Islamic State to utilize radicalized Western Muslims already in place. Much as in Paris, some areas of Brussels have long had a reputation as incubators of Islamist radicalism.

Still, Belgium was among the first countries to join the U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State, carrying out airstrikes in Iraq and helping Americans train, advise and assist the Iraqi army. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the international military alliance, is based in Brussels.

The U.S. European Command, which oversees military operations on the continent, prohibited any Defense Department personnel from traveling to Brussels on Tuesday “as a precautionary measure” unless specially approved.

The State Department warned all Americans to be vigilant when traveling in Europe.

“Terrorist groups continue to plan near-term attacks throughout Europe, targeting sporting events, tourist sites, restaurants and transportation,” the department said.

Terrorist attacks in Brussels

U.S. cities stepped up security measures Tuesday, especially at airports and in transit systems, in the aftermath of the bombings in Brussels. However, the Department of Homeland Security said no credible threats have been detected against U.S. targets.

Shortly after the attacks, British, French and German government officials issued statements pledging support for Belgium. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for “solidarity with the victims” in the “fight against terrorists.”

The Eiffel Tower glowed in black, yellow and red — the colors of the Belgian flag.

Belgium’s King Philippe asked his people for a display of dignity.

“We are faced with a threat, but we will continue to work together,” he said. “We must continue to trust ourselves. This is our strength.”

Social media buzzed with condolences. Belgians began to reach out to stranded travelers via Twitter, offering shelter, food, even beer. And around the city, symbols cropped up that showed many refused to panic or live in fear.

On a sidewalk, someone had scrawled in chalk, “Faites des frites, pas le guerre”: Make French fries, not war.

Special correspondents Chad and Boyle reported from Brussels and London, respectively. Times staff writer Knoll reported from Los Angeles. Contributing to this report were special correspondents Erik Kirschbaum in Brussels, Kim Willsher in Paris and Nabih Bulos in Beirut; Times staff writers W.J. Hennigan, Brian Bennett and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington and Richard Winton and Braden Goyette in Los Angeles.

THERE IS A WAY

THERE IS A WAY

Six-year-old Kyle sat by his grandfather’s bedside, wondering why the old man had to lay there all day. He remembered how they went scavenger hunting during the last holiday, the fun they had and the promise of Grandpa Lee (as he was fondly called) that they would do the same thing this holiday. Imagine his disappointment when he got to Grandpa Lee’s house to find that he couldn’t get out of bed. The more painful part was that he didn’t seem to notice him.

Kyle’s disappointment gradually snowballed into frustration, and he decided to go out to the garden to play by himself.  But as he reached for the doorknob, he heard a strange weak voice call out his name. “That can’t be Grandpa Lee’s voice,” he said to himself. He walked back slowly to the bedside with a questioning look on his face. For a moment, he was inclined to think that his grandfather was trying to play pranks on him, but that thought was quickly dismissed when he saw his shaky hands motion him back to his seat.

He then remembered that his parents had told him that grandpa was ill, but he had never thought for a moment that the illness was that bad. He thought he would still be able to play with him even if it was just an indoor game. “Grand... pa... Lee,” he startled, unsure of what to say. ‘Are you going to be alright?”

Nodding his head weakly, Grandpa Lee smiled and said, “I’ll be better than I’ve ever been.”

Kyle frowned and continued with his probing. “How do you know that?” Grandpa f Lee’s attempt to reply resulted in a spasmodic - cough, attracting the attention of Ruth, Kyle’s mother She quickly gave him some water to drink, and after a while, he stopped coughing.

“Kyle, I think you should leave grandpa to rest awhile,” his mother suggested. He made move to get up from where he was sitting, but Grandpa Lee stopped him, insisting that he could use some company.

“Back to your question, Kyle,” the old man began hoarsely while Ruth excused herself. “I know I’ll be better because I’m going to...,” he coughed again, “a beautiful city! I’m going to a place of rest, a place where nobody feels pain, sorrow or sickness.” With great effort, he turned himself to face Kyle and continued. “Do you know that the streets of this city are made of gold?”

“Really?” Kyle intoned.

“Yes, it’s magnificent!” he exclaimed. “The river in the city is pure and glassy. Everyone desires this city, a perfect home to live in!”

Moving to the edge of his seat, obviously excited, Kyle breathlessly inquired, “Are children allowed in there? Do they have animals there? Will they allow someone to play with them?” The old man nodded to all his questions. He added quickly, “What about Cronut bugger and butter tart; do they have lots of them over there?”

His grandfather smiled again and said, “There will be no lack over there.”

Too impatient to listen, he interrupted the old man with his pleas. “Please Grandpa Lee, take me along with you, I’m sure my parents won’t mind. I promise to behave myself.”

Smiling, Grandpa Lee reached out for his hand and assured him, ‘I know you will behave yourself, but you will go there in your own time; this is my own time.”

Dissatisfied with his grandfather’s response, he decided to press his case further “But Grandpa Lee, if I don’t go with you now, how will I know the way to this city? You see, I won’t be able to get there on my own.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Grandpa Lee replied, “Come to think of it, son, you are right. You can’t get there by yourself. You need help, and I know the Person that can help you. Actually, He’s the only Person that can take you to that beautiful, magnificent city.” Kyle brightened up when he heard that he could get help from somebody. “This Person is Jesus!” Grandpa Lee announced. “But you need to make Him your best friend, stay close to Him, and listen to His instructions, because He’s the only Way to that golden city.”

That day, Kyle made a decision to make Jesus his pal by surrendering his life to Him as Grandpa Lee had counselled, and two weeks later; the old man passed on to glory. During his funeral, the officiating minister called on Kyle to address the congregation. Standing by the pulpit, the six-year-old smiled and said, “I’ll miss Grandpa Lee very much, but I’m not sad because I know where he has gone to. He’s in a beautiful city, a place where there’s no lack and where you don’t feel hunger, pain, sorrow, heartache and sickness.”

Shrugging his shoulders, he sighed and continued. “I wanted to go with him, but he told me to wait for my time to come. He counselled me to accept Jesus and lead His lifestyle, because He is the only Way to that glorious city. I have surrendered my life to Jesus and made Him my best friend, because I want Him to take me to where Grandpa Lee is. I’ll see grandpa again; therefore, I’m not mourning, but rejoicing. I employ you to do what Grandpa Lee did. Surrender your life totally to Jesus by repenting of all your sins and obeying His instructions so that He’ll take us all to that beautiful city, a place of rest, uninterrupted aid unlimited joy.

When Kyle finished his address, wailing and weeping rend the air as many accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, including an aged man who had consistently rebuffed Grandpa

In Gujarat, 94.4% of those seeking to convert are Hindu

(Representative iGandhinagar: In five years, the state government received 1,838 applications from people of various religions to convert to another religion. Of them, 1,735 applications (94.4%) were filed by Hindus who wanted to renounce the religion of their birth to embrace some other creed.

The state's anti-conversion law - Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act mandates that a citizen obtain prior approval from the district authority for conversion. The state government has not approved half of these applicants, only 878 persons got permission to convert. Apart from 1,735 Hindus, 57 Muslims, 42 Christians and 4 Parsis have applied for permission to convert. No one from the Sikh or Buddhist religions have sought such permission. Experts believe that marriage is the reason for some applicants, to convert to the religion of their spouse.

Applications received from Hindus were slightly higher than the proportion of the Hindu population in the state. These applications were received mainly from Surat, Rajkot, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and Junagadh. Still, experts believe the administration does not take all applications on record. Gujarat Dalit Sangathan's president Jayant Mankandia said, "If government records reveal only 1,735 applications from Hindus, it is clear that the authorities do not take all applications on record. The figure of Hindu applicants would have been nearly 50,000, if the correct data was presented." He cited a programme in Junagadh a couple of years ago, where nearly one lakh persons from dalit communities took diksha into Buddhism.

Troops recover Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier from fleeing Boko Haram, clear more terrorist camps

Troops recover Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier from fleeing Boko Haram, clear more terrorist camps

Troops of 120 Task Force Battalion of the Nigerian Army have recovered the Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) earlier captured by the terrorists during an attack on Buni Yadi on July 9, 2015. “The APC was discovered at Golgore River line and it has since been evacuated,” Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said today.

He said in a statement in Abuja that Golgore camp was cleared yesterday, Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

“During the operation, quite a number of the Boko Haram terrorists were killed while one of our soldier sustained gunshot wound. The solder’s condition is stable and is currently being managed at Damaturu General Hospital,” Col. Usman said.

“This operation has further proven our commitment to rid our country of the menace of Boko Haram terrorists and other criminal elements in the society,” he added.

The Army Spokesman also disclosed that the troops today cleared Boko Haram’s camp at Bulasari.

THE KING’S PALACE

THE KING’S PALACE

A royal palace is a building complex, which serves as the residence of a king. A full view of a royal palace reveals rooms filled with magnificent furnishing and walls covered with priceless tapestries, marble panels, gilded bronze carvings and soon. It has the most magnificent piece of architecture. Usually at the peak of worldly felicity, the king’s palace stands out as a beautiful sight, showcasing opulence, style, grandeur, luxury, reverence and royal significance. On its throne is a crowned king, impeccably dressed in royal apparel, displaying the insignia of his office, with the golden crown on his head and a sceptre in his hand.

The king asserts and wields authority and power over his subjects with absolute sovereignty. He dispenses justice, keeps his people safe and cares for their continued existence. His subjects pay homage to him and approach him with due reverence. In some parts of Africa, male subjects prostrate while female subjects knee before the king, singing his praises. The king’s power, grandeur and riches are a source of heartfelt exultation and delight to all loyal subjects. They consider themselves honoured to be in his presence.

God is the King of all kings, His palace is peerless; it cannot be compared to any earthly palace. No mortal can fully comprehend or vividly describe its glory, beauty and splendor. To reign and dwell with God throughout eternity is the hope and longing of all believers in Christ, for He has great things in store for them in his palace. (1 Corinthians 2:9).

As a Christian, you should consistently pay homage and reverence to God than you do to earthly kings, because He is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible and the only wise God” (1 Timothy 1:17). You should love, honour, obey and tremble at His Word, and rejoice in anticipation of His glory and constant presence. Consider yourself very fortunate to have Him as your Father and to be His heir and joint-heir with Jesus Christ who is His Prince and the Saviour of the world (Romans 8:17; Acts 5:31).

Heaven is God’s palace. It is neither a figment of somebody’s imagination nor a myth. Its grandeur is far superior to any royal palace or place on earth. The music, weather, fellowship of saints, absence of evil and of course, the presence of the Creator should make you excited about going there. Those who are privileged to make it there will experience the fullness of joy, for “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). The heavenly palace is actually a great and gigantic city, whose streets are paved with gold, the gates made of pearl and the wails made of precious jewels (Revelation 21-22). No violence, crime, power outage, sorrow, tears, regret, sickness, hunger, brutality, injustice or any form of vices exist there. Those who make it there will have a transformed body—a glorious, celestial body. But understand that no one gets there by accident or by chance. Jesus is the only way to this heavenly city. So if you’re a sinner, repent of your sins now and accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, and if you’re a Christian, live a holy life until you reach that magnificent palace of the King of kings.

Amnesty International indicts Buhari, urges “urgent action” on killer soldiers

Amnesty International indicts Buhari, urges “urgent action” on killer soldiers

Amnesty International says Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to prosecute soldiers who killed hundreds of detainees, despite promises to end impunity.

The London-based organisation says Buhari should “take urgent action,” starting with the soldiers who slaughtered 640 suspects on March 14, 2014, after a Boko Haram attack on Giwa Barracks in northeastern Maiduguri city.

Amnesty International documented the killings, verified video showing them and used satellite imagery to identify the locations of mass graves.

Amnesty last year found the military had executed at least 1,200 men and boys between 2012 and 2014 and was responsible for the deaths in custody of another 7,000 through torture, starvation, thirst and lack of medical care. (AP)

Prosecutors seek secret trial of Ese Oruru’s alleged abductor

Prosecutors seek secret trial of Ese Oruru’s alleged abductor

Prosecutors of Yunusa Dahiru, alleged abductor of Ese Oruru at Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday requested the judge to take evidence from the victim behind closed doors.

Dahiru was on March 8, 2016 charged with abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation by the police.

Dahiru pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him.

Counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Kenneth Dika, who made the oral application before the trial judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, noted that the victim, 14-year-old Ese Oruru, is a minor and deserves the protection of the court.

Opposing the application, counsel to Dahiru, Mr. Kayode Olaoshebikan, urged the court to rule on the pending bail application which, according to him, was filed on March 8, 2016.

However, the prosecuting counsel Dika, who opposed the bail application, argued that the accused is not resident within the court’s jurisdiction and is likely to jump bail.

The judge in his response noted that the lawyers on both sides had failed to provide the authorities they had cited to buttress their various arguments before him. He adjourned the case to March 21 to enable counsel to provide the authorities.

Justice Nganjiwa ruled that the accused should be remanded in prison custody till March 14, 2016 when he will rule on the bail application.

•Photo shows Yunusa Dahiru (right), alleged abductor of Ese Oruru, stepping out of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa after Monday’s court session.

THE NARROW WAY THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN

THE NARROW WAY THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN

Matthew 7:13, 14

“Enter ye in at the strait.. .because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Before Christ came, the religious leaders among the Jews assumed and assured themselves and others that they had already entered the gate of heaven through circumcision, and were already walking in the way that would lead to eternal kingdom through their religious activities (Luke 18:9-14; John 8:33-44; Romans 2:17-29). As the Jews thought that they were already citizens of God’s kingdom from infancy, likewise, many people erroneously think that they have already entered through the gate of infant baptism into the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees believed that they were on the right way, the way of self-righteousness, but it was a dangerous error. The Spirit of God called them a “generation of vipers”; the Son of God called them “an evil and adulterous generation” who were on their way to “the damnation of hell” (Matthew 3:7; 12:39; 23:33). The situation is the same today. Multitudes are religious and they troop to religious and Christian gatherings. Many of them think they are on the way that leads to heaven, but Jesus said “few there be that find” the way.

The multitudes who first heard the Sermon on the Mount were adults, not infants or little children (Matthew 5:1,21-24; 6:2; 7:11,28,29), yet He said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate”. He was calling them to adult decision and conversion. Here, conversion is likened to entering a gate; so conversion is an instantaneous experience, not a gradual process. “Enter ye in at the strait gate”. It is not enough to listen to preaching about this “gate “, nor to study its structure or admire its place and position: each of us must “enter”. Sermons on repentance and faith in Christ avail us nothing unless they move our hearts to truly repent and believe in Christ.

1.    THE NECESSARY GATE TO ETERNAL LIFE FOUND BY FEW

Matthew 7:13,14; Luke 13:24-30; Mark 1:14,15; Acts 2:38-40; 3:19,26; 17:30,31; 20: 20,21; 26:18-20; Luke 24:45-47; Matthew 18:2,3;John3:3-5; 10:9-11.

          “Enter ye in.” This definitely implies that those Christ addressed were yet outside - they were still unsaved. They were not pagans or heathen idolaters; they had heard sermons and messages from preachers who sat in Moses’ seat (Matthew 5:21,27,33; 7:28,29; 23:1,2). Many of them had also gone with the multitudes to hear the message of John the Baptist who was to “prepare the way of the Lord “and “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Matthew 3:1-9; Luke 1:13-17). These multitudes who were being instructed to “enter in” had seen and received great and spectacular miracles of healing and deliverance (Matthew 4:23-25; 5:1). Yet they were outside the Kingdom of God and the Lord now called on them to “enter in” so that they would be saved. He also wants them to begin to walk in the narrow way that leads to heaven. Attending a good church, worshiping with multitudes of worshippers, listening to good, sound, spiritual preachers, receiving great miracles of healing and deliverance - all these good and wonderful things do not save anyone, they do not guarantee a place for anyone in heaven unless he “enters in at the strait gate “ and walks in the narrow way, the way of truth, life and righteousness, till the end.

          “Enter ye in at the strait gate.” AU who do not enter in through this gate will be eternally barred from the presence of God and will be denied the eternal joy and happiness of the blessed forever. What does it mean to “enter in-at the strait (narrow) gate”? It means to come out of the city of destruction, and then come in through the gate of repentance into the way or life of righteousness which leads to the eternal city “wherein dwelleth righteousness”. The gate is strait, that is narrow. None can go in through the narrow gate except he drops all his sins. He must “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset him” (Hebrews 12:1). True - repentance is necessary and is not possible except we see sin to be deeply sinful indeed and hate every sin and detest all sins as deadly poison. True repentance includes genuine sorrow for all the sins we have committed, “for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Turning away from sin, we turn to Christ in faith, believing and receiving forgiveness and salvation from Him.

2.  THE NARROW WAY TO EVERLASTING LIFE, FOLLOWED BY FEW

Matthew7:14; Psalms 119:30-33; 143:8,10; Proverbs 15:24; 12:28; Isaiah35:8-l0; Jeremiah 32:38-40; Matthew 22:16,37-40; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:7; Luke 1:74-79; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Isaiah 30:20,2 1.

We enter in at the gate in order to walk in the way and keep walking until we reach our final destination. We do not stand still at the gate after entering in, neither should we stop our journey halfway. “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Getting saved is the beginning not the end of the Christian life. Entering in at the strait gate is not the climax of our decision to follow the Lord; it is important but we have to take His yoke upon us and learn of Him, living by the teaching of His word if we are to inherit “life” at the end. This narrow way that leads to life has no attraction for multitudes in the world who are given to worldly pursuits and fleshly pleasures. So, our companions on the narrow way will be “few”. The vast majority of those who profess to have received Christ as their personal Saviour but who love the world and are carnal and worldly-minded will not want to keep company with the few on the narrow way. They prefer association with their dishonest and fraudulent business partners on the broad way that leads to eternal doom and damnation. With a miracle of grace performed in the heart of the true believer, he denies self, he loves the narrow way, he delights in the word of righteousness, he perseveres in times of trials and temptations, continually receiving grace from God to live an overcoming life. Walking along the narrow way implies a steady perseverance in faith, obedience to God, crucifixion of the flesh and submission to God’s will in all things. It means also that we reject all temptations to turn away from the highway of holiness to follow the way of the world. To get to heaven, which is the chief aim of all pilgrims on the narrow way, our minds, our affections, our wills, our motives, our prayers, our desires, and our actions all have to be brought under the control of God’s Word.

3.       THE NEVER-ENDING WONDER IN ETERNITY FORTHE    FAITHFUL FEW

Matthew 7:14; 5:10-12; Psalm 16:11; John 17:6, 14-17,24; John 12: 23-26; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Daniel 12:2,3; lJohn3:1-3; Matthewl3:43; l Peter l:3,4; Revelation 2l:4-7; 22:3-5.

          “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto LIFE.” In that single word “LIFE” our Lord includes all the joy, glory, inheritance, state, bliss, happiness and perfect rest for believers when we get to heaven. He came from heaven, He went back to heaven, He is now in heaven, He is preparing mansions for His people in heaven. He knows what no man on earth knows about heaven and He has revealed much about our “life” in heaven when we get home (John 3:13; Acts 1:9-1 1;Luke 24:50,51; Mark 16:19; John 14:1-3).

          The future destiny of those who persevere on the narrow way till the end is glorious beyond what human tongues can tell. In heaven, we shall be in a “far better” state (Philippians 1:23), we shall be “present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8), we “shall shine as the sun” (Matthew 13:43; Daniel 12:3), like the radiance of Christ on the Mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). In heaven, we shall be “as the angels of God” (Matthew 22:30; Luke 20:36) and we shall be with Christ where He is (John 14:3). We shall behold His glory (John 17:24) and we ourselves shall have His glory revealed in us (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).

Heaven is a better place than the most beautiful place on earth (Hebrews 11:10,16) and the Lord has gone to prepare a place for each pilgrim who endures to the end (John 14:2). It is a place of perfect security (Revelation 21:25) and perfect rest (Hebrews 4:9). We shall be like Him (1 John 3:2) and be with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). In heaven, there will be no sorrow, no tears, no hunger, no thirst, no more curse, no pain, no death (Revelation 7:13-17; 21:4; 22:3). We shall forever be in the presence of God, in the company of shinning angels and dazzling saints, everyone loving and holy, living and worshipping, beholding endless wonders of glory in heaven through endless ages.

Thai PM boosts security in Muslim south after attacks

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives at a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2, 2016.

REUTERS/CHAIWAT SUBPRASOM

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told the army on Monday to increase security in the country's Muslim-majority southern provinces following attacks at the weekend.

Seven soldiers were injured following multiple gun and bomb attacks in Narathiwat, one of three provinces near the Thailand-Malaysia border, including a gunfight in a hospital.

"The prime minister has ordered the military to increase security in populated areas," junta spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd told reporters.

"The government can't accept actions that are above the law."

The three southernmost provinces of Buddhist-majority Thailand have been gripped by a bloody insurgency that has killed more than 6,500 people since 2004. The region was once part of a Malay sultanate until it was annexed by Thailand a century ago.

Local history and a failure by successive governments to quell the violence have fanned distrust of the Thai state in the south.

The order by Prayuth, who came to power after a couple in May 2014, follows what government and non-governmental agencies said was a sharp drop in the number of attacks in the south.

Deep South Watch, which monitors the violence, said there was a 16 percent drop in violent incidents in 2015 compared to 2014.

The latest attack began on Sunday, when gunmen opened fire on police at a train station in Cho-airong district in Narathiwat.

Shortly after, a group of around 30 insurgents fired grenades into a nearby military base before fleeing to a hospital, said Colonel Yutthanam Petchmuang, a spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command.

There they briefly took a 29-year-old pregnant nurse hostage and exchanged gunfire with security forces.

"Around 30 bad guys took over the hospital's second floor," Yutthanam told Reuters.

"It was a very serious incident. There were three attacks altogether yesterday and seven people were injured."

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks which authorities have blamed broadly on insurgent groups.

(Reporting by Surapan Boonthanom and Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Writing by Aubrey Belford and Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Nick Macfie)

India Hindu nationalist RSS to replace shorts after 91 years

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionThe uniform change is expected to be fully implemented within the next six months

India's right-wing Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has confirmed it will change its uniform from khaki shorts to brown trousers.

The decision was taken at the annual meeting of the highest decision making body of the organisation.

The distinctive loose khaki shorts have been an integral part of the RSS uniform for 91 years.

The RSS is the ideological mentor of India's ruling BJP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a former member.

The organisation's general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi told reporters that the "major change" in uniform was because the organisation was "not rigid" and wanted to keep in step with modern times.

The PTI news agency quoted him as saying that there was no "specific" reason for changing the colour of the uniform from khaki, except that brown was "commonly available and looks good".

The uniform change is expected to be fully implemented within the next six months.

Established in 1925, the RSS (also known as the Sangh) has been banned three times in post-Independence India.

Critics of the organisation say that the RSS (National Volunteers' Organisation) is a sectarian, militant group, which believes in the "supremacy of Hindus" and "preaches hate" against Muslims and Christian minorities.