Monday, 19 August 2013
Merkel cancels election rally after hostagetaking
MUNICH (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel was forced to cancel an election rally in the southern German city of Ingolstadt on Monday after a man took several people hostage in the town hall hours before she was due to speak.
Police said they were in contact by telephone with the man who described himself as armed but had not made any demands. There was no sign of a connection with Merkel's visit, they added.
Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) issued a statement saying her pre-election rally with Horst Seehofer, head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), had been called off. Germany holds a federal election on September 22 and Bavaria a regional vote one week before that.
"The reason for this is the hostage taking in Ingolstadt," the CDU said of the cancellation.
Authorities evacuated the town hall and closed off the immediate area. Television footage showed emergency vehicles waitingoutside the building.
According to the city's website the town hallis a 14th century building, home to the mayor, some administrative posts and the tourist office. Ingolstadt, a city of roughly 125,000 near Munich, is best known as the home of Audi, the luxury unit of German carmaker Volkswagen.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Egypt cabinet debates Brotherhood's fate, death toll climb
Alistair Lyon and Tom Finn
1 hour ago
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army-backed rulers met on Sunday to discuss their bloody confrontation with deposed President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood amid contrasting proposals for compromise and a fight to the death.
In a televised speech to military and police officers, army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed to crack down on anyone using violence, but also struck an apparently inclusive note, telling Mursi's supporters: "There is room for everyone in Egypt."
The Brotherhood, under huge pressure since police stormed its protest camps in Cairo and killed hundreds of its supporters on Wednesday, staged several more marches across the country to demand the reinstatement of Mursi, ousted by Sisi on July 3.
Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, is grappling with the worst bout of internal bloodshed in its modern history, just 30 months after President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow was hailed as heralding democratic change across a region ruled by autocrats.
Seventy-nine people died and 549 were wounded in political violence around the country on Saturday, state news agency MENA said on Sunday, quoting the government. That pushed the death toll since Wednesday to 830, including 70 police and soldiers.
It was not immediately clear how Saturday's deaths had occurred. Previously only one person had been reported killed.
On Saturday, Mursi supporters exchanged fire with security forces who eventually cleared protesters from a central Cairo mosque where they had sought refuge from clashes the day before.
The clampdown has earned the military rulers criticism from Egypt's major ally, the United States, and the European Union, but support from wealthy Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, which fear the spread of Brotherhood ideology to the Gulf monarchies.
Before the cabinet met, the liberal deputy prime minister, Ziad Bahaa el-Din, had floated a conciliatory proposal, seen by Reuters, advocating an end to a state of emergency declared last week, political participation for all parties and guarantees of human rights, including the right to free assembly.
"NO RECONCILIATION"
But his initiative seemed at odds with the stance of Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who suggested outlawing the 85-year-old Brotherhood, which would effectively force it underground.
"There will be no reconciliation with those whose hands that have been stained with blood and who turned weapons against the state and its institutions," Beblawi told reporters on Saturday.
The cabinet meeting lasted about four hours, but ended with no immediate announcement of any major decision.
A middle-ranking security officer, who asked not to be named, said no political proposals or foreign condemnation would be allowed to deflect the suppression of the Brotherhood.
"We have the people's support. Everybody is against them now as they see the group as an armed terrorist organization with no future as a political power," the officer said.
The capital's frenetic streets, unusually empty in the past few days, were returning to normal, although the army kept several big squares closed and enforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
At night, soldiers standing by armored personnel carriers man checkpoints and vigilantes inspect cars for weapons.
Banks and the stock market reopened for the first time since Wednesday's carnage, and shares plunged 3.9 percent.
"As long as we have bloodshed on the streets, it takes away any reason for foreign and regional investors to buy in Egypt," said Amer Khan, director at Shuaa Asset Management in Dubai.
Egypt's new rulers blame the Muslim Brotherhood, which won five successive national polls held after Mubarak's fall in 2011, but which drew charges that it was incompetent and bent on consolidating its own power during Mursi's year in office.
Sisi said: "We will not stand idle in face of the destruction and torching of the country, the terrorizing of the people and the sending of a wrong image to the Western media that there is fighting in the streets."
Brotherhood leaders accuse the military and other state institutions of sabotaging their time in government.
In calibrated rebukes to the army, the United States has delayed delivery of four F-16 fighters and scrapped a joint military exercise, but it has not halted its $1.55 billion a year in aid to Egypt, mostly to finance U.S.-made arms supplies.
The European Union has said it will urgently review relations.
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy sought to pre-empt any Western attempt to use aid flows as a lever by saying he would look at all such assistance to see "what aid is being used to pressure Egypt and whether this aid has good intentions and credibility".
He told a news conference Egypt was not seeking to reshuffle its friendships, but would widen them to increase its options.
"The relationship between Egypt and the U.S. has been there for a long time. It has been through ups and downs in the past. We hope things will go back to normal promptly," Fahmy said.
ACCUSATIONS OF BIAS
As part of a concerted push to drive home the state's narrative of events, Fahmy's aides distributed a pack of photos said to show Muslim Brotherhood members carrying firearms and wooden staves - and in one picture a black al Qaeda-type flag.
The Brotherhood denies links to the global militant network.
Officials have accused Western media of biased coverage of the unrest, saying they have ignored attacks on police and the destruction of churches blamed on Islamists.
The army crackdown has drawn wide support among Egyptians tired of political turmoil and hard-hit by its economic fallout.
"I tried to sympathize with the Brotherhood but could not," said Hussein Ismail, 32, on holiday from his job in the Gulf, who took part in anti-Mursi protests late last year.
"They stormed our protests at the presidential palace, they hit our women protesters," he said.
"They defended the army when they attacked and killed Christian protesters in 2011. They slammed liberals, women and Copts when they asked for more freedoms, rights. Do you think those people really cared about democracy?"
At least 173 people were killed on Friday during a "Day of Rage" called by the Brotherhood two days after police destroyed its protest camps. The Brotherhood put the death toll at 213 protesters. Police have since arrested more than 1,000 Brotherhood "elements". The state news agency said 250 faced possible charges of murder, attempted murder or terrorism.
The Brotherhood has called for daily street protests this week, but there were no reports of trouble by Sunday evening.
Hundreds of Mursi supporters staged six separate marches in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, late on Saturday in defiance of the curfew. People in civilian clothes attacked and dispersed two of the processions. No casualties were reported.
At dawn, police raided the homes of 34 Brotherhood members in Alexandria and arrested seven people, security sources said.
(Additional reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Patrick Werr in Cairo, Paul Taylor in Paris and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Egypt cabinet debates Brotherhood's fate, death toll climb
Alistair Lyon and Tom Finn
1 hour ago
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army-backed rulers met on Sunday to discuss their bloody confrontation with deposed President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood amid contrasting proposals for compromise and a fight to the death.
In a televised speech to military and police officers, army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed to crack down on anyone using violence, but also struck an apparently inclusive note, telling Mursi's supporters: "There is room for everyone in Egypt."
The Brotherhood, under huge pressure since police stormed its protest camps in Cairo and killed hundreds of its supporters on Wednesday, staged several more marches across the country to demand the reinstatement of Mursi, ousted by Sisi on July 3.
Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, is grappling with the worst bout of internal bloodshed in its modern history, just 30 months after President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow was hailed as heralding democratic change across a region ruled by autocrats.
Seventy-nine people died and 549 were wounded in political violence around the country on Saturday, state news agency MENA said on Sunday, quoting the government. That pushed the death toll since Wednesday to 830, including 70 police and soldiers.
It was not immediately clear how Saturday's deaths had occurred. Previously only one person had been reported killed.
On Saturday, Mursi supporters exchanged fire with security forces who eventually cleared protesters from a central Cairo mosque where they had sought refuge from clashes the day before.
The clampdown has earned the military rulers criticism from Egypt's major ally, the United States, and the European Union, but support from wealthy Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, which fear the spread of Brotherhood ideology to the Gulf monarchies.
Before the cabinet met, the liberal deputy prime minister, Ziad Bahaa el-Din, had floated a conciliatory proposal, seen by Reuters, advocating an end to a state of emergency declared last week, political participation for all parties and guarantees of human rights, including the right to free assembly.
"NO RECONCILIATION"
But his initiative seemed at odds with the stance of Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who suggested outlawing the 85-year-old Brotherhood, which would effectively force it underground.
"There will be no reconciliation with those whose hands that have been stained with blood and who turned weapons against the state and its institutions," Beblawi told reporters on Saturday.
The cabinet meeting lasted about four hours, but ended with no immediate announcement of any major decision.
A middle-ranking security officer, who asked not to be named, said no political proposals or foreign condemnation would be allowed to deflect the suppression of the Brotherhood.
"We have the people's support. Everybody is against them now as they see the group as an armed terrorist organization with no future as a political power," the officer said.
The capital's frenetic streets, unusually empty in the past few days, were returning to normal, although the army kept several big squares closed and enforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
At night, soldiers standing by armored personnel carriers man checkpoints and vigilantes inspect cars for weapons.
Banks and the stock market reopened for the first time since Wednesday's carnage, and shares plunged 3.9 percent.
"As long as we have bloodshed on the streets, it takes away any reason for foreign and regional investors to buy in Egypt," said Amer Khan, director at Shuaa Asset Management in Dubai.
Egypt's new rulers blame the Muslim Brotherhood, which won five successive national polls held after Mubarak's fall in 2011, but which drew charges that it was incompetent and bent on consolidating its own power during Mursi's year in office.
Sisi said: "We will not stand idle in face of the destruction and torching of the country, the terrorizing of the people and the sending of a wrong image to the Western media that there is fighting in the streets."
Brotherhood leaders accuse the military and other state institutions of sabotaging their time in government.
In calibrated rebukes to the army, the United States has delayed delivery of four F-16 fighters and scrapped a joint military exercise, but it has not halted its $1.55 billion a year in aid to Egypt, mostly to finance U.S.-made arms supplies.
The European Union has said it will urgently review relations.
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy sought to pre-empt any Western attempt to use aid flows as a lever by saying he would look at all such assistance to see "what aid is being used to pressure Egypt and whether this aid has good intentions and credibility".
He told a news conference Egypt was not seeking to reshuffle its friendships, but would widen them to increase its options.
"The relationship between Egypt and the U.S. has been there for a long time. It has been through ups and downs in the past. We hope things will go back to normal promptly," Fahmy said.
ACCUSATIONS OF BIAS
As part of a concerted push to drive home the state's narrative of events, Fahmy's aides distributed a pack of photos said to show Muslim Brotherhood members carrying firearms and wooden staves - and in one picture a black al Qaeda-type flag.
The Brotherhood denies links to the global militant network.
Officials have accused Western media of biased coverage of the unrest, saying they have ignored attacks on police and the destruction of churches blamed on Islamists.
The army crackdown has drawn wide support among Egyptians tired of political turmoil and hard-hit by its economic fallout.
"I tried to sympathize with the Brotherhood but could not," said Hussein Ismail, 32, on holiday from his job in the Gulf, who took part in anti-Mursi protests late last year.
"They stormed our protests at the presidential palace, they hit our women protesters," he said.
"They defended the army when they attacked and killed Christian protesters in 2011. They slammed liberals, women and Copts when they asked for more freedoms, rights. Do you think those people really cared about democracy?"
At least 173 people were killed on Friday during a "Day of Rage" called by the Brotherhood two days after police destroyed its protest camps. The Brotherhood put the death toll at 213 protesters. Police have since arrested more than 1,000 Brotherhood "elements". The state news agency said 250 faced possible charges of murder, attempted murder or terrorism.
The Brotherhood has called for daily street protests this week, but there were no reports of trouble by Sunday evening.
Hundreds of Mursi supporters staged six separate marches in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, late on Saturday in defiance of the curfew. People in civilian clothes attacked and dispersed two of the processions. No casualties were reported.
At dawn, police raided the homes of 34 Brotherhood members in Alexandria and arrested seven people, security sources said.
(Additional reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Patrick Werr in Cairo, Paul Taylor in Paris and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Egypt cabinet debates Brotherhood's fate, death toll climb
Alistair Lyon and Tom Finn
1 hour ago
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army-backed rulers met on Sunday to discuss their bloody confrontation with deposed President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood amid contrasting proposals for compromise and a fight to the death.
In a televised speech to military and police officers, army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed to crack down on anyone using violence, but also struck an apparently inclusive note, telling Mursi's supporters: "There is room for everyone in Egypt."
The Brotherhood, under huge pressure since police stormed its protest camps in Cairo and killed hundreds of its supporters on Wednesday, staged several more marches across the country to demand the reinstatement of Mursi, ousted by Sisi on July 3.
Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, is grappling with the worst bout of internal bloodshed in its modern history, just 30 months after President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow was hailed as heralding democratic change across a region ruled by autocrats.
Seventy-nine people died and 549 were wounded in political violence around the country on Saturday, state news agency MENA said on Sunday, quoting the government. That pushed the death toll since Wednesday to 830, including 70 police and soldiers.
It was not immediately clear how Saturday's deaths had occurred. Previously only one person had been reported killed.
On Saturday, Mursi supporters exchanged fire with security forces who eventually cleared protesters from a central Cairo mosque where they had sought refuge from clashes the day before.
The clampdown has earned the military rulers criticism from Egypt's major ally, the United States, and the European Union, but support from wealthy Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, which fear the spread of Brotherhood ideology to the Gulf monarchies.
Before the cabinet met, the liberal deputy prime minister, Ziad Bahaa el-Din, had floated a conciliatory proposal, seen by Reuters, advocating an end to a state of emergency declared last week, political participation for all parties and guarantees of human rights, including the right to free assembly.
"NO RECONCILIATION"
But his initiative seemed at odds with the stance of Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who suggested outlawing the 85-year-old Brotherhood, which would effectively force it underground.
"There will be no reconciliation with those whose hands that have been stained with blood and who turned weapons against the state and its institutions," Beblawi told reporters on Saturday.
The cabinet meeting lasted about four hours, but ended with no immediate announcement of any major decision.
A middle-ranking security officer, who asked not to be named, said no political proposals or foreign condemnation would be allowed to deflect the suppression of the Brotherhood.
"We have the people's support. Everybody is against them now as they see the group as an armed terrorist organization with no future as a political power," the officer said.
The capital's frenetic streets, unusually empty in the past few days, were returning to normal, although the army kept several big squares closed and enforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
At night, soldiers standing by armored personnel carriers man checkpoints and vigilantes inspect cars for weapons.
Banks and the stock market reopened for the first time since Wednesday's carnage, and shares plunged 3.9 percent.
"As long as we have bloodshed on the streets, it takes away any reason for foreign and regional investors to buy in Egypt," said Amer Khan, director at Shuaa Asset Management in Dubai.
Egypt's new rulers blame the Muslim Brotherhood, which won five successive national polls held after Mubarak's fall in 2011, but which drew charges that it was incompetent and bent on consolidating its own power during Mursi's year in office.
Sisi said: "We will not stand idle in face of the destruction and torching of the country, the terrorizing of the people and the sending of a wrong image to the Western media that there is fighting in the streets."
Brotherhood leaders accuse the military and other state institutions of sabotaging their time in government.
In calibrated rebukes to the army, the United States has delayed delivery of four F-16 fighters and scrapped a joint military exercise, but it has not halted its $1.55 billion a year in aid to Egypt, mostly to finance U.S.-made arms supplies.
The European Union has said it will urgently review relations.
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy sought to pre-empt any Western attempt to use aid flows as a lever by saying he would look at all such assistance to see "what aid is being used to pressure Egypt and whether this aid has good intentions and credibility".
He told a news conference Egypt was not seeking to reshuffle its friendships, but would widen them to increase its options.
"The relationship between Egypt and the U.S. has been there for a long time. It has been through ups and downs in the past. We hope things will go back to normal promptly," Fahmy said.
ACCUSATIONS OF BIAS
As part of a concerted push to drive home the state's narrative of events, Fahmy's aides distributed a pack of photos said to show Muslim Brotherhood members carrying firearms and wooden staves - and in one picture a black al Qaeda-type flag.
The Brotherhood denies links to the global militant network.
Officials have accused Western media of biased coverage of the unrest, saying they have ignored attacks on police and the destruction of churches blamed on Islamists.
The army crackdown has drawn wide support among Egyptians tired of political turmoil and hard-hit by its economic fallout.
"I tried to sympathize with the Brotherhood but could not," said Hussein Ismail, 32, on holiday from his job in the Gulf, who took part in anti-Mursi protests late last year.
"They stormed our protests at the presidential palace, they hit our women protesters," he said.
"They defended the army when they attacked and killed Christian protesters in 2011. They slammed liberals, women and Copts when they asked for more freedoms, rights. Do you think those people really cared about democracy?"
At least 173 people were killed on Friday during a "Day of Rage" called by the Brotherhood two days after police destroyed its protest camps. The Brotherhood put the death toll at 213 protesters. Police have since arrested more than 1,000 Brotherhood "elements". The state news agency said 250 faced possible charges of murder, attempted murder or terrorism.
The Brotherhood has called for daily street protests this week, but there were no reports of trouble by Sunday evening.
Hundreds of Mursi supporters staged six separate marches in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, late on Saturday in defiance of the curfew. People in civilian clothes attacked and dispersed two of the processions. No casualties were reported.
At dawn, police raided the homes of 34 Brotherhood members in Alexandria and arrested seven people, security sources said.
(Additional reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Patrick Werr in Cairo, Paul Taylor in Paris and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Kenny Ogungbe Gives Jaywon Serious Warning
For some time now,
it has been making the rounds underground that Filebe singer, Jaywon, is
having issues with his record label, Kenny Ogungbe’s Kennis Music.
While some have alleged that Jaywon has called it quits with the label that made 2face into an international brand, others have said that he will call it quits.
All along, there has been nothing really concrete from both parties, but Kennis Music’s parent company, Kennis Communications, has come out to warn the musician over his contract situation, probably in a bid to forestall such problems it had with another of its artists, Maga Don Pay singer, Kelly Hansome.
In a statement lucidly titled ‘Jaywon signed for 3 full albums,’ Kennis Music reminded Jaywon that he signed a 3-album deal and only one, Meet Jaywon, has been released so far.
The statement also cemented the label’s position on the Jaywon issue by declaring that “discussion of Jaywon’s contract renewal is not on the front burner.” In recent times, artists having problems with their labels has been rife in the music industry.
Celebrated cases that readily come to mind are the ongoing BrymO, Chocolate City faceoff; May D, P-Square brouhaha and Eva, Trybe Records sudden split. A respected music egghead has however warned Jaywon to honour his contract with Kennis Music as Kelly Hansome who reneged on his is yet to get his career back on track since then. source naij.com
While some have alleged that Jaywon has called it quits with the label that made 2face into an international brand, others have said that he will call it quits.
All along, there has been nothing really concrete from both parties, but Kennis Music’s parent company, Kennis Communications, has come out to warn the musician over his contract situation, probably in a bid to forestall such problems it had with another of its artists, Maga Don Pay singer, Kelly Hansome.
In a statement lucidly titled ‘Jaywon signed for 3 full albums,’ Kennis Music reminded Jaywon that he signed a 3-album deal and only one, Meet Jaywon, has been released so far.
The statement also cemented the label’s position on the Jaywon issue by declaring that “discussion of Jaywon’s contract renewal is not on the front burner.” In recent times, artists having problems with their labels has been rife in the music industry.
Celebrated cases that readily come to mind are the ongoing BrymO, Chocolate City faceoff; May D, P-Square brouhaha and Eva, Trybe Records sudden split. A respected music egghead has however warned Jaywon to honour his contract with Kennis Music as Kelly Hansome who reneged on his is yet to get his career back on track since then. source naij.com
Islamists Hit Christian Churches
After torching a Franciscan school, Islamists paraded three
nuns on the streets like "prisoners of war" before a Muslim woman
offered them refuge.
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Islamists Hit Christian Churches
After torching a Franciscan school, Islamists paraded three
nuns on the streets like "prisoners of war" before a Muslim woman
offered them refuge.
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Islamists Hit Christian Churches
After torching a Franciscan school, Islamists paraded three
nuns on the streets like "prisoners of war" before a Muslim woman
offered them refuge.
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Islamists Hit Christian Churches
After torching a Franciscan school, Islamists paraded three
nuns on the streets like "prisoners of war" before a Muslim woman
offered them refuge.
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Islamists Hit Christian Churches
After torching a Franciscan school, Islamists paraded three
nuns on the streets like "prisoners of war" before a Muslim woman
offered them refuge.
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Two other women working at the school were sexually harassed and abused as they fought their way through a mob.
In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The campaign of intimidation appears to be a warning to Christians outside Cairo to stand down from political activism.
Christians have long suffered from discrimination and violence in Muslim majority Egypt, where they make up 10 percent of the population of 90 million. Attacks increased after the Islamists rose to power in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove Hosni Mubarak from power, emboldening extremists.
But Christians have come further under fire since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, sparking a wave of Islamist anger led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide source naij.com
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/44089.html
Why Oshiomhole Deserves Vice-presidential Ticket Of APC’
Mr. Odaro Omoregie is a chieftain of the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and a member of the Publicity Committee in Oshiomhole's Campaign Organization in 2012.
In this interview, he urges GeneralMuhammadu Buhari to jettison his presidential ambition in the interest of the party, just as he declares that Governor Adams Oshiomhole's leadership in Edo will guarantee victory for the APC in future elections in the state. Excerpts: How optimistic are you that the APC will form the Federal Government in 2015? You need to deploy wisdom when you play politics.
It is becoming clearer by the day that there is aconspiracy from the PDP in trying to jettison this new wind that is taking over the country now, the APC. They tried to thwart the registration but it did not work; and even today we are aware that there are groups working seriously to divide the APC by supporting certain elements as candidates. Odaro Omoregie Odaro Omoregie I think internally we should have a new brand of leadership in the APC. For APC to continue to enjoy the support of the public, they should beable to bring out their best candidates and they must be young men and women.
With the rumours going round now that people like General Buhari want to run for President, we are also hearing that Tambuwal is joining the APC, we must ensure that we bring in new breed of politicians different from the PDP style. The APC governors are doing well and I believe some of them are also qualified to fly the presidential flag of the party.
Some of them could also be Vice-President, people like Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who is doing very well in Edo state. We are believingthat the APC can choose Oshiomhole as vice-president, then get somebody who will begenerally accepted from the North as President. Buhari's presidential ambition I know General Buhari very well, and I know that he is a man of integrity and man of his words. So if there is an arrangement that he should step aside with Tinubu so as to have anacceptable candidate, I think he will honour that. But don't forget he is a man with broad based support and most of his supporters would want to see him rule this country once again.
But we will not give our support on emotional ground; I believe we must do what is best for the party to be able to kick out PDP from power. We really need the new breed to take over the leadership of Nigeria and that is whatAPC should focus on.
Buhari has exhibited leadership both as a military president and a civilian, but I think the APC arrangement now will necessitate him to become a statesman or a national leader of theparty and play advisory role to ensure that younger people are brought into the system. I believe he will honour the agreement but I know that some persons will push him but I know he should be wiser than that because for the APC to defeat the PDP, the leaders must make painful sacrifices. Nigerians will appreciate him more now if he stays at the back ground and assist the party to grow.
APC optimism I am very optimistic about that. It is only in Nigeria that we don't remember that election is a game of numbers and performance. If you go back to the last 14 years of the PDP government, the impact has been minimal, if you want to compare the revenue of the Federal Government with the development we are seeing, there is nothing to write home about.
Jonathan was our hope when he became President but if you look at what we are getting today Yar'Adua's administration was even better. There is so much insecurity, poor road network, lack of steady power, poverty, unemployment, nothing is working. So I don't think the PDP slogan of being the largest party in Africa will go beyond 2015, they will be defeated across board because they have failed the people.
Edo State APC I don't think we still have PDP in Edo; it is only on the pages of newspaper you hear comments as if they still exist here. But if you look across the state, in local governments,state Assembly, the PDP is no where and I believe we will finally bury them in the 2015 National Assembly election. That is why I laughed when I read the former chairman of Owan West Local Asekhame saying that APC will not survive in Edo, he is day dreaming.
I think what he is supposed to say is that the PDP might disintegrate into a different name both in Nigeria and Edo. The last local government election in Edo gave a clear picture of what the people want and gone are the days where rigging was acceptable because of the lack of awareness of the electorate. Curled from naij.com
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Midfielder dreams of Reds switch Liverpool,
Slovakia star Juraj Kucka is hoping he can get a move to Liverpool at some point in the future.
The Genoa star has been linked with the Redson a couple of occasions and has had an excellent season for Genoa in Serie A so a summer switch has been mooted.
The holding midfielder says he has read the reports of a possible move to Brendan Rodgers' side and the very thought of it excites the international who has made 29 appearances for his country.
He said: "It's good news - I have read it on the internet.
"I am a Genoa player so I have to think that I'llplay in Genoa the next season.
"But I can imagine what it would mean to wear the Liverpool shirt." via clubcall.com
Carroll to reject £15m WestHam move & fight for Liverpool future #LFC
The Hammers have agreed a deal with the Reds for the 24-year-old striker, buthe is keen to establish himself at Anfield or at least secure a shock return to Newcastl
Andy Carroll looks set to turn down a permanent £15 million move to West Ham after telling Liverpool he will fight for his place at Anfield, Goal understands.
The 24-year-old striker is ready to accept a role as a bit-part player at Liverpool next season in order to force his way into the side following a successful loan spell at Upton Park.
West Ham agreed a £15m deal with the Reds last week after Carroll scored seven goals while on loan in east London, but he is unsure about a move as he focuseson re-establishing himself at Anfield and earning a place in England's World Cup squad.
"Things haven't worked out for Andy at Liverpool but he went there with high hopes and isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet," a source told Goal.
"He enjoyed his time with West Ham but feels he has unfinished business at Anfield."
Reds manager Brendan Rodgers had hoped to cash in on Carroll to boost his transfer spending this summer, having only been given £20m by owners FSG to improve the squad that finished seventhin the Premier League table.
Carroll is also thought to be keen on a shock return to Newcastle. The Magpies, though, are not believed to be in the running for his signature, with bad blood from the original £35m transfer in2011 meaning Liverpool are reluctant to negotiate a return.
Carroll faces up to four months on the sidelines with a heel injury, and has withdrawn from the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil via: Goal.com
Liverpool set to miss out on Dortmund-bound Christian Eriksen #LFC
AJAX playmaker Christian Eriksen is closing in on a move to Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund for a fee see to be between £10m-£13m.
Denmark and Ajax star Christian Eriksen looks set to snub interest from the Premier League
Liverpool were closely watching developments regarding Denmark star Eriksen, who will be out-of-contract with Ajax next summer.
However, the Amsterdam club have opened talks with Dortmund over a transfer this summer, who look set to trump the interestof the Reds.
According to reports on the continent, Eriksen has agreed a five-year-contract with the Bundesliga club who are just to negotiate a fee with Ajax.
Eriksen is likely to join Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, with an agreement close
It's definitely a club [Dortmund] I want to play for. It has many young players and an interesting style of play, and Jürgen Klopp is one of the best coaches
Christian Eriksen
While Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insists on €12 million (£10.3m), Ajax want closer to €15m (£12.8m).
An agreement is likely to be made shortly however, with Liverpool forced to turn to other midfield targets for recruitment this summer.
Eriksen recently told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf : "It's definitely a club [Dortmund] Iwant to play for. It has many young players and an interesting style of play, and Jürgen Klopp is one of the best coaches."
Danish team-mate Daniel Agger had tried topublicly convince the 21-year-old to move toAnfield this summer, but it appears his appeal has fallen on deaf ears.
Liverpool season review - Rodgers’ revolution begins to take shape #LFC
Liverpool - 7th
FA Cup - Fourth round
League Cup - Fourth round
Europa League – Round of 32
Seasons like this are becoming the norm for Liverpool. Another season of transition, another season of frustrating inconsistency and ultimately, another season where the five-time European Cup winners have failed to qualify for a place in the Champions League. Brendan Rodgers has witnessed many highs and lows in his first campaign as the Reds’ boss, but it is somewhat difficult to determine how much progress the Anfield outfit have made under the former Swansea manager.
There are those who suggest that Liverpool exist to win trophies, that silverware is the most important thing for a club which has such a rich history. Last season, legend KennyDalglish guided the Reds to three Wembley trips, two cup finals and one trophy. For some, silverware equals success. Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League under the Scot, but he had brought smiles back on faces with the League Cup trophy.
Rodgers has failed to win any silverware this season. In fact, the Reds have not even come close to a cup final. In addition to this, Liverpool only managed to improve their league standing by a single position this term. With that in mind, have the Merseysiders made any real progress in the 2012/13 campaign?
Some further statistics may provide a better indication. Liverpool finished the season with61 Premier League points – their highest tallysince the Rafael Benitez era. They also finished 12 points behind that all-important fourth spot this season – an improvement of five points compared to last term. Rodgers will argue that the gap between Liverpool and Champions League football is gradually being closed. Finally, the Reds found the net on 71 occasions in the top-flight this term – their best record in front of goal since finishing as league runners-up in 2009. Perhaps there has been progress, after all.
But the harsh reality is that Liverpool ended the season in seventh place, which is simply not good enough for a club of this size. A poor record against the Premier League’s topfour – the Reds failed to beat Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal this season – contributed to that position, but crushing defeats at the hands of West Brom, Aston Villa, Stoke and Southampton didnot help either. Fixing such inconsistency will not be easy, but Liverpool will need to experience more good days than bad if they are to kick on and fight for a Champions League spot.
As good as the Uruguayan is, starting the season with Luis Suarez as the only fit, seniorstriker at the club was not ideal. Thankfully, Liverpool ended the campaign with Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini also among the goals. Early signs suggest that the January arrival of Brazilian attacking midfield Philippe Coutinho was something of a masterstroke. Ifthe Reds can add more players of his quality to the squad early on this summer, then they may just finish above both Everton and one or two other higher-placed teams next term.
Manager - Brendan Rodgers : Rodgers’ first season as Liverpool’s manager was never going to be easy, but there are some positive signs that the players are grasping his methods. More goals, more points and the use of more young players have been encouraging signs, but further improvement will be needed next term.
Player of the season - Luis Suarez : The Uruguayan has been superb in front of goal this season and was even leading the Premier League top scorers’ chart until receiving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Therein lies the problem. An improvement in discipline would work wonders for Suarez and Liverpool – if he stays that is.
Turning point - January : Liverpool lost just two Premier League games since the end of January and two factors played a key part – the reintroduction of Jamie Carragher in the first team and the arrivals of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho. Combined, those two factors helped the Reds improve at both endsof the pitch and finish the season strongly.
Any other business : Jamie Carragher’s retirement leaves Rodgers with a massive gap to fill ahead of next season. Superb organisation and leadership, huge commitment, passion and desire and great reliability are just some of the things Liverpool’s loyal servant offered to the team. He will be sorely missed and almost impossible to replace.
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