Nigeria's University of Port Harcourt closes after protests of student killings →

dynamicafrica:

The University of Port Harcourt has been shut down indefinitely following violent protests by students of the institution over the gruesome murder of four of their colleagues by youths in Omuokiri-Aluu community, spokesman of the university, Dr William Wordi has confirmed.

According to reports, the students had stormed the village in anger, setting ablaze no fewer than 12 houses in the community during the Tuesday protest. Students from other institutions under the aegis of National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, stormed the university to mobilise students in Port Harcourt to protest against the brutal killing of four of their colleagues youths in Omuokiri-Aluu community last Friday.

The rampaging students blocked the East West road for several hours before allegedly marching to Omuokiri-Aluu community to start wrecking havoc setting fire to about twelve houses. The aggrieved students who blocked the East West road, reportedly insisted that they would only move out of the road after the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Joseph Ajienka had addressed them.

The Vice Chancellor reportedly obliged them after securing assurances that he would not be rough handled. However, during the address he was pelted with sachet water. Meanwhile, Dr Williams Wodi, the spokesman of University of Port Harcourt, has disowned the protesters, saying that students of the institution were not among those who demonstrated along East-West road in Port Harcourt.

The protesters had disrupted the flow of traffic on the busy road in a protest over the extra-judicial killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt. The four students were murdered by a mob at Omuokiri village, near the university, for allegedly stealing a laptop and blackberry phones.

Wodi said that the protesters took to the streets because the vice-chancellor of the university refused to meet with them due to security concerns. “Some students who claimed to be representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) came to the campus yesterday (Oct. 8) insisting on seeing the vice-chancellor. “The vice-chancellor declined to meet with them; he told them that he had met with the students of the university and they had agreed to cancel the celebration of the students’ union week. “The essence of the cancellation was to discourage the gathering of students which can escalate the already deepening security situation in and around the university,” he said.

The university spokesman called on students of the university to remain calm and law abiding; promising that perpetrators of the `dastardly act’ would be brought to book.

numol:

text in image:

MISSING

TAMALA WELLS: DETROIT, MICHIGAN

9/10/2012: Tamala Wells (33) of Detroit, Michigan hasn’t been seen or heard from since 8/6/2012 and the white, four-door Pontiac Grand Prix she was driving was found abandoned on Coventry Street, between Lantz Avenue and Emery Street.  At the time of her disappearance, the mother of two was living with her boyfriend who claims Tamala was “just going out to take care of some business.”  Tamala’s brother, Ricardo Wells, said he talks to or sees his sister usually 5 times a week and says it’s totally uncharacteristic of her not to contact anyone.  Tamala is 5’6” and 150 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.  She was last seen wearing a white shirt and jean shorts.  Anyone with information on Wells’ whereabouts is asked to call the Detroit police at 313-596-5240 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

facebook.com/seeking.thelost.news

Source Link

via the Help Find Kalisha “Mocha” Madden facebook page (post link)

(via popular-slut-club-deactivated20)

globalvoices:

As the tension between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands (also known as the Senkaku Islands) has elevated, large scale anti-Japan protests have taken place all over China in more than 50 cities over the weekend. Free More News’s video shows how protesters in Changsha attacked and mobbed a Japanese shopping center in September 15.

But what lies behind the scenes of the weekend’s demonstrations?

globalvoices:

Eleven protesters are reported missing after the police clashed with thousands of protesters on the streets of Lomé, Togo, on August 23.

Lithuanian man fined for racial abuse towards Nigeria →

dynamicafrica:

PETRAS Lescinskas, who was arrested during the Lithuania-Nigeria match, has pleaded guilty to racially aggravated offence.

The Lithuanian man who gave a Nazi salute during an Olympic basketball match has become the first person to be convicted of a racially aggravated offence at the Games and fined £2,500.

He was told that his behaviour and that of other Lithuanian fans was “despicable”.

Lescinskas, 36, an accountant from Lithuania, was arrested on Tuesday at the Olympic basketball arena during the Lithuania-Nigeria match. S

Stratford magistrates court was told that he and other Lithuanian supporters had been behaving in such a loud and aggressive manner that other spectators moved away from them. There were “monkey-style noises when Nigerian players had the ball”, the court heard.

Becky Owen, prosecuting, told the court. “He was seen to make a Nazi salute,” while placing his fingers across his lips. Lescinskas, a married man who had come to London for the Games, told police after his arrest that it was common practice in his country to celebrate in that way and it was something he has been doing for some time, the court was told.

He pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated offence under the Public Order Act. He said, through his lawyer, that he was “deeply embarrassed” and “deeply remorseful” about what he had done.

Fining him £2,500 plus £85 costs, district judge Sonia Sims told him: “This type of conduct tarnishes the whole ethos of the Games.” She said that his Nazi salute had been an insult to all those who had lost their lives in the Holocaust and his behaviour was “despicable.”

She said she did not accept that what he had done was acceptable in Lithuania. He was told that he would serve 28 days in prison if he failed to pay the fine.

Undercover police were at the basketball arena after complaints about the behaviour of Lithuanian fans in their previous match against Argentina on Sunday.

discoverynews:

Why Are Sockeye Salmon in Trouble?

The answer could point to big problems looming in Earth’s waters.

keep reading

Image: Ocean conditions may be making life harder for some groups of wild salmon like these sockeye salmon on a spawning migration. Corbis

Anyone who believed your voice could make a difference, I want to reaffirm your belief: You made this happen.

— President Obama, signing a bill just now to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling. Tumblr, he means you. Keep it up. (via barackobama)

the-star-stuff:

Physicists Have Found the Higgs Boson??

At a meeting held at CERN this morning, scientists presented the latest results from the search for the long-sought Higgs particle. After 30 years of research and $9 billion of investment, they’ve changed the face of physics forever: they’ve found the Higgs boson.

(UPDATE: They haven’t found the Higgs boson yet. What they’ve found, is a boson which is like the Higgs. They still need to prove it if is really the Higgs boson.)

(via escapekansas-deactivated2012082)

dynamicafrica:

Sudanese protest against austerity measures

Sudan’s government is facing growing public anger over its austerity measures.

The country lost $2.5bn worth of oil revenue a year when South Sudan gained independence last year, causing Khartoum to introduce a number of cutbacks

Inflation has soared, with food and fuel prices increasing by over 30 per cent overnight, after the government stopped subsidising basic commodities.

In the last two weeks, hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets over the rising food and fuel prices.

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall reports from Khartoum.

discoverynews:

Warning: This YouTube video of the harassment Karen Huff Klein endured is heartbreaking and really hart do watch. The “internets” did a good thing.

Bullied Bus Monitor Gets Internet Payback: Bus monitor Karen Klein was horribly bullied by a busload of kids on a trip in Greece, NY that she was hired to help monitor.

Reddit user Max Sidorov of Toronto started a fundraiser for Klein after he heard of her salary of $15,506. He decided she did not make enough money to have to put up with that type of harassment, according to Mashable.

The site has pulled in more than $117,000 as of 6am ET. (The amount continues to rise.)

keep reading

globalvoices:

There is a new mapping tool that documents the disturbing loss of forest cover in Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Sumatra, one of the largest islands in the world, is known to be the only place where elephants, rhinos, tigers and orangutans coexist.

Sumatra’s rich biodiversity is under threat since 50 percent of the island’s natural forest has been destroyed since 1985 mostly because of aggressive promotion of palm oil production.

The mapping tool was developed by WWF-Indonesia, the NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest, and Google Earth Outreach.

dynamicafrica:

Al Jazeera: Closing in on Kony?

Major General Ceasar Achellam, a key commander of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, has been captured by Ugandan forces in the Central African Republic. But the big question remains: does this mean the Ugandan army and its allies are, after 25 years, finally closing in on the LRA’s leader Joseph Kony?

LRA movements suggest Kony called a meeting of all LRA units in the Central African Republic around September or October 2011. After that, it seems they all dispersed in small units – some to DR Congo, others in CAR and a few in South Sudan, plus unconfirmed rumours of some in Sudan.

Small groups of people are hard to spot from the air in thick bush or forest, and there is plenty of cover for LRA fighters to run to if they ever hear aircraft coming. The LRA used to communicate using satellite phones, but stopped after 2008 when they were attacked by Uganda’s air force in Operation Lightening Thunder, for fear of being traced, and so hi-tech electronic spying equipment has proved ineffective.

Both the Ugandan army, and the US Special Forces assisting them, say their main sources of intelligence are LRA escapees, defectors and captured fighters – simply asked about who was where, and when.

In that sense, a high-ranking officer like Achellam could be an intelligence goldmine, if he divulges what he knows.

On the other hand, since the LRA have been communicating largely by sending messengers with hand-written notes, walking sometimes for weeks, information exchanged between the many small units must be slow and sparse. As they are always on the move, it’s possible that very few of them know exactly where Kony is, or even where he was weeks before, when the last messenger was dispatched.

Following the attention drawn to Kony and the LRA by Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 YouTube video, that attracted over 100 million views, it is certainly a good time for the Ugandan army, the US and all other parties involved to publicly display their efforts and successes. The LRA appears to be on the back foot, but whether or not Kony’s killing or capture is close is hard to say.

Also don’t forget that Kony is no spring chicken. He is in his fifties, has lived in the bush for over 20 years and no longer has the same access to supplies – including medicines – that the LRA had when supported by Khartoum, or during the Juba Peace Talks. If the hunt for Kony takes a lot more time, then one day it could be over, without him ever having been caught.

Black Culture: Cancer and African American Men →

black-culture:

Cancer and African Americans

African Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers. Death rates for all major causes of death are higher for African Americans than for whites, contributing to a lower life…

Student forgotten in cell by DEA files $20 million torture lawsuit →

sinidentidades:

Daniel Chong, the 23-year-old student at UC San Diego who was left in a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) holding cell for five days without food or water, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the agency, according to NBC San Diego.

“The deprivation of food and water for four and one-half days, while the person is handcuffed the entire time, constitutes torture under both international and domestic law,” Chong’s claim says. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has asked Attorney General Eric Holder for a formal probe.

“Given the seriousness of this incident, I urge you to personally ensure that the Department of Justice conducts a full and thorough investigation to find out what happened, who was responsible and what steps must be taken to make sure it never happens again,” the senator wrote. “After the investigation is completed, I ask that you please provide me with the results and the actions the department will take to make sure those responsible are held accountable and that no one in DEA custody will ever again be forced to endure such treatment.”

On April 21, DEA raided an apartment where Chong and his friends were smoking marijuana. Nine people were arrested and the agents reportedly seized ecstasy pills, marijuana, prescription medication, psychedelic mushrooms and weapons. Seven of those arrested were taken to jail and one was released.

Chong, however, was left handcuffed in a 5 ft. by 10 ft. holding cell. There he sat, unattended, for nearly five long days, allegedly losing over 15 pounds and drinking his own urine to survive. “I had to do what I had to do to survive… I hallucinated by the third day,” Chong said, according to NBC San Diego. “I was completely insane.”

Chong said he screamed and kicked the door, but to no avail. After days without any human contact, he tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses with his teeth, and using the glass to cut himself.

Surprisingly, Chong says he found a bag of methamphetamine in the holding cell, which he used to stay awake. Finally, almost five days after his ordeal began, Chong’s cries were heard by a DEA worker who immediately called paramedics.

He spent three days in intensive care near kidney failure, but appears to have physically recovered. Speaking to reporters in San Diego, Chong called the incident “life-altering.”

The DEA has since apologized to Chong, and special agent William Sherman, director of the San Diego DEA, said in a prepared statement that he was “deeply troubled” by the incident. “I extend my deepest apologies to the young man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to,” he added.

The agency said it is conducting an internal probe into Chong’s ordeal.

I would make all the agents involved contribute to this compensation fund. so they learn to treat people with RESPECT.

(via escapekansas-deactivated2012082)

NC pastor’s ‘apology’: ‘Effeminate behavior is ungodly’ →

escapekansas:

sinidentidades:

A North Carolina pastor who in a recent sermon advocated giving gay children “a good punch” now says he was just joking.

Berean Baptist Church pastor Sean Harris told The Fayetteville Observer on Tuesday that he had made the comments in “in jest,” but defended the idea of reinforcing traditional gender roles.

“If I had to say it again, I would say it differently, no doubt,” Harris said. “Those weren’t planned words, but what I do stand by is that the word of God makes it clear that effeminate behavior is ungodly. I’m not going to compromise on that.”

Video of the evangelical preacher’s Sunday sermon went viral after he told parents in his congregation to use violence to punish children for showing any perceived signs of LGBT inclinations or urges.

“Dads,” Harris urged, in a sermon that was broadcast as part of a “Marriage Sunday” event at churches across the state, “the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. OK?”

Harris issued an “official statement of retraction” on his church website on Wednesday.

“I should not have said what I said about ‘cracking,’ ‘punching,’ and particular bias toward outward attraction of girls,” he wrote. “I have never suggested children or those in the LGBT lifestyle should be beaten, punched, abused (physically or psychologically) in any form or fashion.”

“I apologize to anyone I have unintentionally offended,” Harris added. “I did not say anything to intentionally offend anyone in the LGBT community. My intent was to communicate the Word of God concerning marriage. … To those in the greater body of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the world — I seek your forgiveness if I have offended or hurt the cause of Christ.”

“However, I do not apologize for the manner in which the Word of God articulates sexual immorality, including homosexuality and effeminacy, as a behavior that is an abomination to God. Nothing in this official statement of retraction should be perceived as an apology for the overarching intent and message of the sermon and the need to define marriage as one man and one woman and to maintain the gender distinctions that God created from the beginning when He made them male and female (Genesis 1).”

tl;dr

“I don’t want to hurt the homos feelings but you’re all going to hell. God says so. Also, I guess you shouldn’t be beaten or murdered. But if you are it’s only cuz you were acting queer”

Which God are we talking about?! The same one that went to dinner with Tax Collectors (corrupt extortionists) and included alcoholics ( Nobody drinks like a fisherman. NO ONE) and a hooker?! Who are you to judge?! even the bible says not to judge for that is for God. But people don’t read. same way they don’t listen. A lot of LGBT people will see heaven before a lot of ‘Christians’. QUOTE ME.

(via escapekansas-deactivated2012082)