Gordon Brown flags off safe school initiative

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IT will take a delicate operation to secure every of the Chibok girls back to their home, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon brown, has said.

Brown, in his story, ‘Update from Nigeria: Launching the Safe Schools Initiative’ on his Huffington Post page, welcomed the Nigerian military statement that it had located the girls. Calling on the international community to play a  vital role in making education a reality for all Nigerian children, Brown said this week, his outfit, along with the Nigerian government, will flag off what he called Safe Schools Initiative aimed at making schools more secure for Nigerian children and to help end a situation where 10.5 million Nigerian girls and boys do not go to school.

The aim of the initiative, Brown said, is to ensure that young people are not only safe in going to school, but that we also provide an environment ripe for learning, growth and development free of fear

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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The strings of David releases New Single

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The strings of David comprises of  four young Nigerians based in Finland with a common passion to declare the praises of the most high God till it reaches the uttermost part of the Earth. Their debut single was released in Finland in December 2013. This generated very positive response from listeners and gospel music lovers both at home and abroad. In essence, they have released a follow up single titled “COME MAKE WE SING”

The new single is a mixture of Yoruba, Igbo and English language representing the beauty of praise from the Nigerian and sub- saharan african perspective. A blend of African rhythm with some contemporary instrumentation and syncopation.” COME MAKE WE SING” is danceable and also carries the message of unconditional praise. The bedrock of the song is the message that unconditional praise is a prelude to unconditional blessings and breakthrough.

 Also considering the plights of our sisters in custody of terrorists, Our praise can stir God to intervene and break the girls and Nigeria as a whole loose from terrorism and corruption. special credit to Samkorg production (Studio 2206).
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About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Heavy clashes reported as Ukrainian forces tackle pro-Russian separatists

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Read Time:7 Minute, 0 Second
(CNN) — Ukrainian security forces battled pro-Russian militants in the eastern flashpoint city of Slovyansk on Monday as Kiev tackled the gunmen who have overrun the region.
Military gains were evident on the main highway into Slovyansk, a rebel stronghold, as government forces moved in.
A CNN team on the ground saw a substantial number of militants bolster their defensive positions and checkpoints inside the city. One civilian car was hit in the fighting, its exterior damaged by bullet holes.
At a local hospital, the CNN team saw several people injured from the heavy clashes. One woman had been shot in the head, probably in a crossfire, and two pro-Russian militants were also brought in.
 
Ukraine's Interior Ministry said four people were killed and nearly 30 injured in the city. It quoted local residents as saying the attackers had shot at residential buildings and set them on fire. Militants blamed Ukrainian forces for the civilian casualties.
In a separate statement, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said a military helicopter was shot down "during a combat mission and patrolling in the area" of Slovyansk on Monday, but the pilots survived after it crashed into a river. They were later rescued.
Ukraine's embattled new leaders have launched their most intensive effort yet to dislodge pro-Russian separatists who have reportedly seized government buildings in nearly a dozen cities and towns.
Kiev authorities describe the separatists as "terrorists." But the rebels say they are defending Russian-speaking areas of the east against Ukrainian "fascists" trying to root out Russian influence in the country.
In a statement Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the Kiev government of "continuing a war against the people of their own country."
"We again urge the Kiev organizers of terror against their own people to come to their senses, stop the bloodshed, withdraw troops and sit down, finally, at the negotiating table to start a normal dialogue on ways to resolve the political crisis," the ministry said.
Many experts say Russia may be provoking unrest in eastern Ukraine to justify an incursion.
Riot-hit Odessa
The uprisings began when President Viktor Yanukovych, a supporter of closer ties with Moscow, was toppled by demonstrations led by pro-Western figures in February, namely in Kiev, the capital.
Violence soon erupted in the east and south of the country, escalating dramatically last week.
On Sunday, pro-Russian sympathizers smashed their way into a police station in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, demanding their detained comrades be released.
In another victory for a violent crowd in east Ukraine and yet another humiliation for state authorities, police didn't try to stop them. Instead, they offered the crowd a deal, releasing 67 alleged enemies of the state if the furious crowd went home.
Sunday's storming of the Odessa police station — just two days after more than 40 people were killed in a street battle and deadly blaze in the city — was one more example of how Ukraine's new Western-backed leaders are struggling to maintain law and order in the south and east of the country.
It also raises questions about the ability of the army and police to confront an uprising that Kiev says is backed by Moscow — an accusation the Kremlin denies.
The men released Sunday had been detained over the weekend after bloody clashes between supporters and opponents of Russia in Odessa on Friday, which ended in the deadly blaze. Forty-six people were killed in the bloodshed — the deadliest since Yanukovych was ousted.
Video posted on YouTube appeared to show supporters of Kiev's government throwing Molotov cocktails at the building where pro-Russian separatists had reportedly taken up positions. The footage, which CNN could not independently confirm, showed people sitting on ledges trying to escape the fire and thick smoke.
In an attempt to reassert Kiev's authority, Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk went to Odessa to appeal for unity while accusing Russia of provoking the clashes. Ukraine's Cabinet said it would offer financial assistance to the victims' families.
"This is the wake-up call for the entire country, for reconciliation. We need to realize that Russians want to eliminate our country," Yatsenyuk said.
His message is a tough sell in a city where so many now believe people who speak Russian are being killed and arrested by forces loyal to the Ukrainian government.
Military action
Ukraine's government reported some progress over the weekend in its military campaign. Officials said security forces had regained control of a TV tower in Kramatorsk, some 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Slovyansk.
Residents in Kramatorsk reported hearing gunfire and a CNN team on the outskirts of Kramatorsk saw troop carriers moving toward the city center Saturday. Amateur video posted online — the authenticity of which could not be confirmed by CNN — showed burned buses, plumes of smoke and residents calmly observing it all.
Saturday actually featured a rare bright spot in the volatility: the release of seven international military observers and five Ukrainians from the Defense Ministry who had been held hostage for eight days in Slovyansk.
However, in another challenge to Kiev, separatist leader Valeriy Bolotov in Luhansk declared a state of emergency and announced the formation of a "South-East" army for the entire region. In a video statement aired on local stations, Bolotov introduced a curfew, a ban on political parties and his expectation that local law enforcement officials will take an oath of allegiance to the people of Luhansk.
In Donetsk, separatists say they are preparing their own referendum on May 11 to ask residents whether they want sovereignty from Ukraine — an echo of events that led to Moscow wresting Crimea from Kiev.
Denis Pushilin, the self-declared chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic, told CNN the question on the ballot paper would read: "Do you support the act of state sovereignty of the Donetsk Republic?" to which voters can respond with "Yes" or "No." He said enough ballot papers had already been printed to hold the vote.
Tensions with Russia
Separatists — many of them of Russian descent — say they believe the government in Kiev is illegitimate because it formed after what they call the illegal ousting of Yanukovych in February. Officials in Kiev accuse Moscow of meddling by supporting the separatists.
NATO has estimated that up to 40,000 Russian troops are now near the border with Ukraine, which has made Kiev's government and neighboring nations wary of invasion.
A senior U.S. official told CNN on Monday that the latest intelligence still showed 40,000 to 50,000 Russian troops on the border.
"There has been no major change in force disposition or readiness and no indications of preparations for an invasion," the official said, adding that the U.S. continues to assess the situation. The troops are so close to the border, an invasion could happen with little or no warning, the official said.
Russia and the West squared off diplomatically over the fate of Ukraine when Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March after a hastily called referendum and Yanukovych's ouster. He was pushed from office after months of protests by people upset that he had turned away from Europe in favor of Moscow.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned Monday there could be fresh sanctions on Russia if Ukraine's presidential elections do not take place on May 25.
Russia has condemned Kiev's military action in the volatile east.
Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, said Russia's government had received thousands of calls since Friday from people in southeastern Ukraine. The callers described the situation as "horrendous" and pleaded for Russia's involvement. "Most of the people literally demand active help from Russia," he said.
The government in Kiev is bracing for further unrest in the run-up to May 9, a national holiday to commemorate the end of the second world war. Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov told local TV that checkpoints had been set up around the capital in case of possible "provocations."
 

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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China splurging on military as US pulls back

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Read Time:4 Minute, 32 Second

QINGDAO, China (AP) — China's navy commissioned 17 new warships last year, the most of any nation. In a little more than a decade, it's expected to have three aircraft carriers, giving it more clout than ever in a region of contested seas and festering territorial disputes.

Those numbers testify to huge increases in defense spending that have endowed China with the largest military budget behind the United States and fueled an increasingly large and sophisticated defense industry. While Beijing still lags far behind the U.S. in both funding and technology, its spending boom is attracting new scrutiny at a time of severe cuts in U.S. defense budgets that have some questioning Washington's commitments to its Asian allies, including some who have lingering disputes with China.

Beijing's newfound military clout is one of many issues confronting President Barack Obama as he visits the region this week. Washington is faced with the daunting task of fulfilling its treaty obligations to allies such as Japan and the Philippines, while also maintaining cordial relation with key economic partner and rising regional power China.

China's boosted defense spending this year grew 12.2 percent to $132 billion, continuing more than two decades of nearly unbroken double-digit percentage increases that have afforded Beijing the means to potentially alter the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific. Outside observers put China's actual defense spending significantly higher, although estimates vary widely.

Increases in spending signal "strength and resolve to China's neighbors," requiring other countries to pay close attention to where Beijing is assigning its resources, said China defense expert Abraham Denmark, vice president for political and security affairs at the U.S-based National Bureau of Asian Research.

At the same time, the U.S. military is seeking to redirect resources to the Asia-Pacific as it draws down its defense commitment in Afghanistan, although officers warn that budget cuts could potentially threaten plans to base 60 percent of U.S. naval assets to the region. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert recently warned that U.S. capabilities to project power "would not stay ahead" of those of potential adversaries, given the fiscal restraints.

Meanwhile, China's navy is rapidly developing into a force to contend with the U.S., long the dominant military player in the Asia-Pacific region.

China commissioned its first aircraft carrier — a refurbished Ukrainian hull — in 2012, and another two indigenous carriers are expected to enter service by 2025, significantly increasing Beijing's ability to project power into the South China Sea that it claims virtually in its entirety.

Analysts say China will have as many as 78 submarines by 2020, part of an expansion that has seen it leap past the U.S. and Russia in numbers of warships delivered annually, according to experts and available figures.

"That's very much in line with the leadership's call for China to become a major military-industrial power," said Tai Ming Cheung, director of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation at the University of California, San Diego.

By comparison, the U.S. Navy takes on about 10 major vessels per year, while Russia averages slightly less.

Despite the impressive hardware, uncertainty still surrounds the capabilities of China's armed forces, which haven't seen significant combat since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Home-grown technologies have yet to be tested in battle, and training and organization are hampered by a risk-adverse attitude and overemphasis on political indoctrination that reflects the People's Liberation Army's essential role as the defender of the ruling Communist Party.

"Being the world leader is all about software and networking," said Denny Roy, an expert on the Chinese military at the East-West Center in Hawaii, referring to problems with China's command structure and communications.

Concerns about Chinese aggression focus on three scenarios: An attack on self-governing island democracy Taiwan that China claims as its own territory; an attempt to seize uninhabited East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China; and a move to drive off claimants to waters and islands claimed by China in the South China Sea.

All those situations pose considerable risks for Beijing, ranging from a lack of transport and resupply capabilities, to the near certainty of the formidable U.S. military responding in defense of its allies. Japan and the Philippines are U.S. treaty partners, while American law requires Washington to respond to threats against Taiwan.

Although tensions with Japan have grown sharper over the islands dispute, Beijing takes great pains to play down the impact its military may have on the region. Its explanations about its military buildup, however, mix a proclaimed desire for closer cooperation with prickly nationalism.

Addressing navy chiefs from two dozen nations gathered at a forum in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Wednesday, one of China's most powerful generals said China is committed to maintain peace and stability but would never compromise its national interests.

"No country should expect China to swallow the bitter pill of compromising our sovereignty rights, national security and development interests," said Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Ukraine crisis talks: Diplomats urge end to violence, security for all

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Read Time:11 Minute, 14 Second
Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN) — Diplomats meeting for emergency talks on the crisis in Ukraine issued a joint statement Thursday aimed at de-escalating the tensions and ensuring the security of all Ukrainians.
The statement — which appears to be the biggest step toward calming the situation in days — followed talks lasting several hours between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, his acting Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Deshchytsia, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
The pact calls for all illegal armed groups to be disarmed, all illegally seized buildings to be returned to their legitimate owners and all occupied public spaces to be vacated. It promises amnesty for protesters who leave buildings and give up their weapons, apart from those convicted of capital crimes.
It also urges a halt to violence in Ukraine and condemns all extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism, in the country.
Kerry, speaking alongside Ashton, said the sides had worked hard to narrow the differences between them.
But he stressed that the agreement was just words and that the proof of it would be in its swift implementation on the ground.
"What is important is that these words are translated into actions and none of us leave here with the sense that the job is done, because the words are on the paper," he said. "The job will not be done until these principles are implemented and are followed up on."
Kerry warned that Russia could face "further costs" if the situation does not de-escalate in line with the concrete steps set out in the statement. Ukraine's leaders must also play their part in calming the situation, he said.
Asked about what NATO has said is a large Russian troop build-up near the border with Ukraine, Kerry said "our hope is" that Russia will withdraw more troops from the area as steps to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis are implemented.
Russia indicates that it has withdrawn one battalion from the area in response to the West's calls for deescalation, Kerry said.
All sides have agreed to ask for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has a mission in Ukraine, to help implement the measures.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed negotiations, while stressing that the situation in Ukraine remains "extremely volatile."
Ban "expects all sides, moving forward, to show their serious intention to continue to engage, in a good-faith effort, and to implement the steps laid out in the Geneva Statement, which will contribute to a lasting solution to this crisis," a U.N. statement read.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Thursday that he was happy but cautious after the Geneva talks.
Yatsenyuk said he was willing to grant more autonomy to eastern Ukraine in order to defuse tensions.
He took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, saying that Putin wants to restore the Russian empire and that a new Soviet Union would be a disaster for Europe.
Obama: U.S. military options not on the table
"I don't think we can be sure of anything (in the Ukrainian crisis). I think there is the possibility, the prospect, that diplomacy may de-escalate the situation," U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday at the daily White House news conference when asked about the meeting in Geneva between top officials from the United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union.
He said referred to "a promising public statement" to disarm all groups that have been occupying buildings in eastern Ukraine, pointing out that the Russians have signed on to that statement. "We're not going to know whether there is follow-through on these statements for several days," Obama said.
The President stressed that he has emphasized to Putin that the United States will continue to uphold the basic principles of sovereignty of all countries.
"It is our belief … that Russia's hand is in the disruptions and chaos that we've been seeing in southern and eastern Ukraine," Obama said. "But there is an opportunity for Russia to take a different approach. We are encouraging them to do so. In the meantime, we're going to prepare additional responses should Russia fail to take a different course."
The President emphasized that he's been very clear that U.S. military options are not on the table in dealing with the situation in Ukraine.
Lavrov: 'Disgusting expressions'
Kerry said Ukraine's interim leaders had made an impressive commitment toward listening to the demands of people in different regions of Ukraine, including the restive east, for increased autonomy and had promised constitutional reforms.
He said the agreement offered the best prospect for a positive way forward for Ukraine.
Lavrov, giving a separate news conference in Geneva, echoed the commitments of the joint statement, as well as stressing the need for Russian speakers in Ukraine to be protected from discrimination.
Speaking about the agreement to condemn extremism in Ukraine, Lavrov alleged that members of Ukraine's Parliament had made "absolutely disgusting expressions" against those who speak Russian.
He urged a national dialogue in Ukraine, saying the process of constitutional reform must be transparent, inclusive and accountable — and that it was down to Ukrainians themselves to decide their future.
Russia has said it reserves the right to intervene in eastern Ukraine to protect ethnic Russians.
The four parties stressed the importance of Ukraine's financial and economic stability, the statement added, "and would be ready to discuss additional support as the above steps are implemented."
Military base attacked
The emergency talks in Geneva were called in the hope of resolving a deepening crisis that has seen armed pro-Russian protesters seize swaths of Ukraine.
The unrest in the east, which shares a border with Russia, has been spiraling so fast it has left diplomacy in the dust, amid the worst crisis in East-West relations since the end of the Cold War.
 
Kiev's embattled new leaders have been struggling to reassert their authority in eastern towns largely controlled by armed pro-Russian separatists. They have tried dialogue and a show of force, both to little effect.
In the southeastern city of Mariupol, a gang of 300 attacked a Ukrainian military base Thursday, leading to gunfire between the two sides. In Donetsk, the self-declared chairman of the people's council said he wants a referendum by May 11 to ask residents whether they wanted sovereignty.
And in Slaviansk, pro-Russian militants are firmly in control.
The Geneva gathering, held amid talk in the United States of fresh sanctions, was the first meeting since the crisis worsened.
Speaking earlier in the day in a televised question-and-answer session, Putin said the talks were important "to figure out how to get out of this situation."
However, he also reiterated his thoughts about Kiev's new interim government — in place since pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February after months of protests — calling it "illegitimate" and without a national mandate.
Presidential elections in May are taking place under "unacceptable conditions," he added
"If the elections are to be legitimate, the constitution of Ukraine needs to be revised," he said.
 
Attack on military base
Earlier Thursday, about 300 pro-Russian militants repeatedly attacked a military base in Mariupol, Kiev said.
Soldiers opened fire, killing three attackers, wounding 13 and detaining 63 others. But some soldiers surrendered.
"The 25th Airborne Brigade whose soldiers showed cowardice and laid down weapons will be disbanded," acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told Parliament. "Guilty soldiers will stand before the court."
Vitaliy Naida, a senior counterintelligence officer with Ukraine's security service, the SBU, said investigators are still trying to determine the nationalities of the 63 people detained in Mariupol.
He said that 16 of them were not carrying ID at the time of arrest and that he was not able to confirm whether any are Russian citizens at this stage.
Since March, officers have taken around 40 Russian citizens and their recruited Ukrainian agents into custody, he said. Five of these people have Russian military backgrounds.
Seeking another referendum
In an ominous echo of what happened in Crimea just weeks ago, the Donetsk People's Republic wants to follow that region's lead and hold a referendum early next month, said Denis Pushilin, the self-declared chairman of the people's council. The referendum will essentially ask residents which country they want to be a part of: Russia or Ukraine.
Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula last month after its predominantly Russian-speaking residents voted yes in a referendum.
The moved was deemed illegal by Kiev and the West, but Putin has repeatedly defended it.
 
"The threats to Russian-speaking people were absolutely clear, and that is why people of Crimea voted for their future and asked Russia for help," he said. "Russia never planned any annexation, never, quite the contrary."
Putin also said Russian forces had been active in Crimea in order to support local defense forces, the first time he has acknowledged the deployment of Russian troops on the Black Sea peninsula.
The interim authorities in Kiev said Thursday that Ukraine has tightened its border controls while efforts to contain the uprising in the east continue.
Sergey Astahov, a spokesman for Ukraine's Border Service, said it is restricting the entry of Russian males aged 16 to 60, letting them enter only under exceptional circumstances. He said the tighter checks are due to the ongoing anti-terror operation announced this week by the government.
Russian airline Aeroflot also said on its website that Ukraine was imposing tighter border controls on Russian men and Ukrainian citizens registered in Crimea and the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Russia is demanding an immediate official clarification from Ukraine regarding the steps taken by the Ukrainian border services, the Russian Foreign Minister said in a statement Thursday.
Threats of sanctions
Kiev and the West dispute Putin's claims that Russia is not involved in the current unrest in Ukraine's east. They accuse Moscow of backing the pro-Russian protesters and point to the 40,000 Russian troops that NATO says are assembled near the Ukrainian frontier.
Moscow insists that the troops are merely conducting exercises.
There are no Russian divisions in eastern Ukraine, Putin reiterated Thursday, adding that all evidence pointed to the groups causing the unrest being local residents.
He said the presence of tanks and planes constituted "a very serious crime" that authorities in Kiev were committing.
Moscow has warned in the past week that Ukraine was "on the brink of a civil war."
On Wednesday, Obama said Russia's actions risk more sanctions for the country.
"What I've said consistently is that each time Russia takes these kinds of steps that are designed to destabilize Ukraine and violate their sovereignty, that there are going to be consequences. And what you've already seen is the Russian economy weaker, capital fleeing out of Russia," Obama told CBS.
Obama has signed off on sending more nonlethal aid to the Ukrainian military, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced Thursday.
The Pentagon is still not supporting lethal aid for Ukraine "because it could exacerbate the situation, which is what we do not want to do," a senior Pentagon official said.
"If we provide arms and ammunition, then we are in the fight. We don't want that."
Ukrainian lawmakers voted Thursday to reinstate military service in the country. Until it was dropped last year, it was compulsory for all males in Ukraine.
Lawmakers have now voted to bring it back because of what has been termed "Russian aggression." The legislation must still be signed off by the acting President.
Advance stalled
Since Yanukovych's ouster, Kiev's interim government has faced a wave of protests in the predominantly Russian-speaking east.
Pro-Moscow protesters took over government buildings in several cities.
And when Ukraine's armored vehicles rolled Wednesday, its attempt to take back eastern towns from pro-Russian militants seemed to stall.
In Donetsk, six armored vehicles sent into the nearby city of Kramatorsk in the morning later showed up carrying Russian flags in Slaviansk.
Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told CNN's Christiane Amanpour those Ukrainian soldiers "preferred to switch sides and join the people."
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said the vehicles had been seized by militants.
Gas supplies
Separately, in a reply to a letter from Putin in which he warned of gas supply disruption, the European Union said it was willing to hold talks with Russia and Ukraine on gas security.
"We believe that this approach allows for the most useful process with the Russian Federation and other third parties," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in his reply, released by the commission.
Russia supplies 30% of Europe's gas needs. It has threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine because of debts.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Spain, South Africa, Security Council Console Nigeria

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Read Time:1 Minute, 54 Second

 International outrage continued to trail Monday's attack on Nyanya Motor Park, which led to the death of over 72 people  as Spain, South Africa and the United Nations (UN) Security Council yesterday condemned the incident.

The two countries and the UN council in their separate reactions also commiserated with Nigeria and offered support to the federal government to defeat terrorism.
Spain, in a statement by its embassy in Abuja,   described the latest Abuja bomb attack and others in recent time  as unjustifiable.

It said: "Spain condemns in the strongest of terms the series of terrorist attacks of the Boko Haram group, which has once again brought death to three cities of northern Nigeria, as well as the explosions at a bus station in the outskirts of Abuja.

"The Government of Spain conveys its most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, to the wounded, to the Nigerian authorities and to the friendly people of Nigeria in general. The government reiterates its solidarity and closeness to Nigeria, with which it will continue to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, which has claimed so many victims."  

South Africa, while condoling with Nigeria, said terrorism, no matter the grievances of the terrorists, should not be condoned. A statement by the country's International Relations Department issued yesterday, said: “South Africa believes that terrorism, in any form and from whichever quarter, cannot be condoned."

Condemning the Abuja bomb attack, the UN Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations was criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation.

It said in a statement yesterday in New York that terrorism, “wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, it should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group.’’

The 15-member council reiterated the need to combat threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice,’’ the statement said.

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, had earlier expressed shock and suddenness by the attack.
He strongly condemned all indiscriminate killings and acts of violent extremism.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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France tries mass DNA test in hunt for rapist

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Read Time:1 Minute, 9 Second

French police have taken DNA samples from hundreds of male pupils and staff in the hope the mass test could help them find the assailant who raped a 16-year-old girl in the toilets of a school in western France last September.

Two police officers were deployed on Monday to take DNA samples from under the tongues of 475 school boys, 31 teachers and 21 staff believed present at the premises of the Catholic secondary level school in La Rochelle at the time of the attack.

The victim was attacked in the dark and unable to identify her attacker but police managed to retreive her attacker's DNA imprint – the equivalent of a unique genetic barcode – from her clothing.

Six months on, the public prosecutor in the area, Isabelle Pagenelle, decided to order mass DNA tests, which are due to be completed by mid-week, with test results expected in a month.

"The operation began calmly at 8am," Anne-Sophie Guilbot, a spokeswoman for the Fenelon-Notre-Dame school, told the Reuters news agency.

Mass testing of the kind is rare even if DNA-checking has become far more widely used since it emerged in the late 1990s that police might have been able to arrest serial rapist and killer Guy Georges earlier had they matched a DNA sample he had given before several further killings.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Ukraine: Forces ready for pro-Russia rebels

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Read Time:2 Minute, 8 Second

Ukraine's acting defence minister has said the country's army is preparing for delivering on the tasks defined by the national security council to tackle pro-Russian activists in the east.

Mikhail Koval made the remarks as Russian President Vladimir Putin said accusations of his country's involvement in Ukraine were "unfounded".

Koval said in a televised address to the nation on Monday that the armed forces would act without imposing a martial law in the framework of the anti-terrorist operation.

"The reasons for using armed forces exists," he said.

The announcement came a day after Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov warned pro-Russian activists in the country's eastern cities on Sunday that a full-scale security operation would include the army would be unleashed unless they put down arms until 0600GMT on Monday.

Armed rebels defied the deadline, storming a police station in Horlivka and continuing to occupy government offices in at least nine other eastern towns.

On Monday, Turchynov suggested in a telephone conversation with Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, that UN peacekeepers could get involved in stabilising the country's east.

Meanwhile, Russia's envoy to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Monday that any use of armed force against pro-Russian demonstrators could spark a civil war in Ukraine.

"There are units being organised of paramilitary people who will be given weapons and who will be under command of officers. It will be, as we hears, nearly 12,000 of these people. This is dangerous," Andrey Kelin said.

"In Moscow, we strongly believe in might lead to a civil war. We are very worried."

Blaming the Kremlin

The EU discussed fresh sancrions against Russia on Monday as foreign ministers blamed Russia for fomenting trouble in restive eastern Ukraine.

Events of the last 48 hours in eastern cities of Ukraine are "clearly a further escalation of the crisis", William Hague, British foreign secretary, said on arriving for the talks with his 27 counterparts.

There could be no "doubt that this has been planned and brought about by Russia," he said, adding that Russian denials of involvement "do not have a shred of credibility".

Later on Monday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin told US counterpart Barack Obama that charges of Russia meddling in eastern Ukraine were "unfounded", the Kremlin said, referring to a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Syrian sides trade blame over new gas attack

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Syrian state television and rebel forces have traded accusations over a poison gas attack that reportedly caused "suffocation and poisoning" of residents.

Details of the attack on Friday in Kafr Zita, a village in Hama province about 200km from Damascus, remain sketchy.

The Syrian National Coalition, the Western-backed opposition group, said the poison gas attack hurt dozens of people.

Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which gathers data on the conflict from activists inside Syria, said: "Regime planes bombed Kafr Zita with explosive barrels that produced thick smoke and odours and led to cases of suffocation and poisoning."

But state television claimed that the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front had released chlorine gas in the deadly attack on the town.

"There is information that the terrorist Al-Nusra Front released toxic chorine … leading to the death of two people and causing more than 100 people to suffer from suffocation," it said.

"There is information that Al-Nusra Front is preparing to hit Wadi Deif in Idlib province and Morek in Hama province with toxic chorine or sarin," the state broadcaster added.

There was no independent verification of either of the claims. The latest reported poison gas attack comes after a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus last year.

The opposition and much of the international community blamed that attack, which reportedly killed as many as 1,400 people, on the Syrian regime.

The regime denied responsibility, in turn blaming the rebels, but agreed under threat of US military action to turn over its chemical weapons stockpile for destruction.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Anti-austerity protest in Italy turns violent

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Read Time:1 Minute, 55 Second

An anti-austerity protest in Italy has turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police in the capital Rome.

Police fired tear gas and made a number of arrests in attempts to bring the crowd under control on Saturday as clashes with the police left several people injured, according to medics and an AFP news agency photographer.

Protesters threw eggs and oranges at government buildings before turning on police, as officers tried to disperse the crowd by surging towards the group and blasting them with tear gas, leaving many protesters fleeing down side streets.

According to the interior ministry, six people were taken into custody, and one protester was seriously hurt after a firecracker apparently exploded prematurely in his hand.

Made up of workers, students and anti-austerity campaigners, the demonstration, which was against high housing costs and unemployment attracted 15,000 according to protest organisers.

Taking aim at 39-year-old Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his plans to reform labour rules, protesters were angry over plans to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees.

Al Jazeera's Claudio Lavanga, reporting from Rome, said some of the protesters were angry over issues the Renzi government inherited from previous governments, but many opposed his labour market reforms.

"So far Italians seem cautiously optimistic about Renzi's proposed tax cuts, but two months in the job, he has faced the anger of those who oppose his drive for reforms," he said.

Federico Bicerni, the youth head of the Italian Marxist Leninist Party told the Reuters news agency: "They are reducing democracy. Renzi's labour reforms will worsen the situation for workers without job security, hitting young people when they are already struggling. The rage of the people in the squares today is justified."

Renzi, who came to power in February, has put forward an ambitious economic reform programme which will see public spending reduced by $6.2bn dollars.

With the country's unemployment rate reaching a record 13 percent in February, he says reforms are a "precondition for economic recovery".

Speaking last week, Renzi said the changes were needed as "there are those who have taken much, too much over the years, and it is time they give some back".

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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