Friday, March 07, 2014

DR Congo warlord, Katanga, faces ICC verdict

Judges at International Criminal Court are due to give their verdict at the war crimes trial of Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga.

He is accused of being behind the 2003 massacre of more than 200 villagers in the gold-rich Ituri province of north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Other charges include sexual slavery, rape and enlisting child soldiers.

Mr Katanga, who was transferred to The Hague by the Congolese authorities in 2007, denies the allegations.

The fighting in Ituri, which broke out in 1999 and continued until 2003, started as a struggle for control of land and resources.

But it escalated into inter-ethnic war, exacerbated by the presence of Uganda troops, that killed an estimated 50,000 people.

The charges against Mr Katanga all relate to an attack on Bogoro that took place on 24 February 2003.

ICC prosecutors at The Hague say the assault was designed to “wipe out” the entire strategically important village, which is close to the Ugandan border.

According to the prosecution, the attack happened in the early hours of the morning and some villagers were shot while they slept, while others were cut up with machetes to save bullets.

At the time Mr Katanga was 24 years old and the alleged commander of the Patriotic Resistance Force of Ituri, which had the support of the Lendu ethnic group.

The prosecution say as the FRPI’s leader he was to blame for the atrocities committed by his fighters against the villagers from the Hema ethnic group.

It is also alleged that the women who survived the massacre were raped or kept as sex slaves.

Another person was charged by the ICC in connection with Bogoro attack.

But in December 2012 Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was acquitted as judges found there was insufficient evidence to show that he was the commander of National Integrationist Front, which also took part in the raid.

The BBC’s Maud Jullien in DR Congo says Mr Katanga was known to his men as “Simba”, meaning lion.

Those who knew him describe him as a discreet man but ruthless on the battlefield, she says.

After the end of the Ituri conflict, peace deals were signed and Mr Katanga was given a position in the Congolese army.

But a year after joining the military he was imprisoned for bad behaviour and was still in prison when the ICC issued its arrest warrant for him.

His is one of the longest-running cases at the ICC.

In July 2012, Thomas Lubanga, who was also a militia leader in Ituri, was sentenced to 14 years in jail by the ICC for recruiting and using child soldiers.

Malaria spreads to higher altitudes -Study

Warmer temperatures are causing malaria to spread to higher altitudes, a study suggests.

Researchers have found that people living in the highlands of Africa and South America are at an increased risk of catching the mosquito-borne disease during hotter years.

They believe that temperature rises in the future could result in millions of additional cases in some areas.

The research is published in the journal Science.

Prof Mercedes Pascual, from the University of Michigan in the US, who carried out the research, said: “The impact in terms of increasing the risk of exposure to disease is very large.”

Areas at higher altitudes have traditionally provided a haven from this devastating disease.

Both the malaria parasite and the mosquito that carries it struggle to cope with the cooler air.

Prof Pascual said: “The risk of the disease decreases with altitude and this is why historically people have settled in these higher regions.”

But the scientists say the disease is entering new regions that had previously been malaria-free.

To investigate, scientists looked at densely populated areas in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia, where there are detailed records of both temperature and malaria cases from the 1990s to 2005.

They found that in warmer years, malaria shifted higher into the mountains, while in cooler years it was limited to lower elevations.

“This expansion could in a sense account for a substantial part of the increase of cases we have already observed in these areas,” said Prof Pascual.

The team believes that rising temperatures could cause a further spread.

In Ethiopia, where nearly half of the population live at an altitude of between 1,600m (5,250ft) and 2,400m, the scientists believe there could be many more cases.

“We have estimated that, based on the distribution of malaria with altitude, a 1C rise in temperature could lead to an additional three million cases in under-15-year-olds per year,” said Prof Pascual.

The team believes that because people living in areas that have never been exposed to malaria are particularly vulnerable to the disease, attempts to stop the spread should be focused on areas at the edge of the spread. The disease is easier to control there than at lower altitudes where it has already established.

According to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization, there were about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 and an estimated 627,000 deaths. Most deaths occur among children living in Africa.

EPL: Agger defends himself over tackle that injured Wilshere

Daniel Agger has defended his tackle on Jack Wilshere which left the Arsenal and England man with a broken foot.

Liverpool defender Agger caught Wilshere on the foot with a heavy challenge during England’s 1-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday night.

Wilshere played on for almost 50 minutes after receiving treatment for the injury, but after being cleared of any serious injury straight after the match Arsenal and England’s worst fears were confirmed on Thursday when scans showed the midfielder has suffered a hairline fracture to his left foot.

Wilshere is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines meaning he is set to miss the run-in to the rest of the Premier League season and his World Cup hopes are now hanging by a thread.

“It was 50-50. You have to go for those challenges,” Agger told the Daily Mirror.

“I was going for the ball and I think I got the ball, but the referee didn’t.”

England boss Roy Hodgson absolved Agger of any blame for the injury and admitted he felt sorry for Wilshere.

“It’s always sad when you have a player come from a club, use him on international duty and he gets an injury,” noted Hodgson.

“It’s very sad and disappointing for Jack and Arsenal but unfortunately these things happen.

“It was an honest challenge but he took a nasty kick and I can only hope he recovers as early as possible

Actor Emeka Enyiocha and wife welcome son...

The actor & his wife welcomed a son today March 6th. Today is also Emeka's birthday. Big congrats to them

Maheeda gets naked again in new video: See behind the scenes pics

Maheeda recently shot the video for her new single 'Lasgidi Chick' and like her last video for 'Naija Bad Girl' she was also naked in this video shot Frizzle N Brizzle Films, same people that shot Naija Bad Girl. See behind the scenes pics after the cut. If you're viewing from your office, be careful..:-)


Dencia claims someone from Lupita's camp told her there was never a letter

Dencia is claiming that someone from Lupita's camp reached out to her and told her that the Oscar winning actress and her PR team made up the letter she claimed to have received from a fan.
I see she got her name wrong...lol. The world knows her name. Anyway, Dencia goes further to say that Lupita is condemning bleaching but hanging out with Rihanna. Is Rihanna a bleacher? See what Dencia posted on her instagram after the cut...



The Media has told their version about how the Lupita Dencia ish started & claimed it was Dencia when I didn't know this woman until she mentioned me & I can Authoritatively tell u she lied about the letter,someone who works in her Camp reached out to me & told me the was no letter & the story was made up after I said I didn't know who she was.I know u guys are like why I'm I still on it but I was really disappointed when I was told she lied,I was really hoping the's a letter,the person in her camp who reached out doesn't wanna go public but the person said it Infront of me & 2 other people.They read about me,I am doing charity work,building and orphanage and she has nothing charitable going on so standing for a cause she can't even ever fight n Tryna come 4 me is total BS,u wanna talk bleaching but u are smiling ur eyes off in pictures with Rihanna?smh make up ur mind on a cause n fight for it woman by the time I turn 31 which is 6yrs from now,come back let's talk. I rest my case & done with this topic!!!

HOW JKF SPENT THE 20 BILLION NAIRA BOND

SPENDING OF THE ( # 20b) BOND #
 Here are d facts & figures involved on how Governor kayoed Fayemi spent d BOND:
 (1)-Refinancing of Local Loans=#1,354,970,377.33;
(2)-Ado Water Works=#335,500,000.00;
(3)-Ero Water Works/Dam Scheme=#468,645,000.00;
 (4)-Ekiti State School of Agriculture=#750,000,000.00;
 (5)-Road Construction=#9,678,184,623.00;
(6)-Lagos Liason Office=#500,000,000.00;
 (7)-Ultra-Modern Market=#2,750,000,000.00;
(8)-Ultra-Modern Civic Center=#1,000,000,000.00;
(9)-Governor's House=#633,000,000.00;
(10)-Governor'sOffice=#400,000,000.00;
 (11)-Ikogosi Warm Spring Development=#1,500,000,000.00.
THE TOTAL PROJECT COST=# #19,370,300,000.00.

ANY COMMENT ?? 

Hello