Chemical attack' in Idlib kills 58

 At least 58 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in north-western Syria, a monitoring group says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes on Khan Sheikhoun by Syrian government or Russian jets had caused many people to choke.

Later, there were unconfirmed reports that aircraft had fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.

If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria since the civil war began six years ago 

Mohammed Rasoul, who is in charge of a charity ambulance service in Idlib, told BBC Arabic that he received news of the air strikes at about 06:45 (03:45 GMT).

When three of his ambulances arrived at the scene about 20 minutes later, medics found people choking in the street, he said.

"Our team is still there, moving patients from one place to another because of overcrowded hospitals."

"I am speaking to my team and they are doing fine, but the situation over there is very bad and most of those who are suffering are children," he added. 

Rescue workers said many children were among those killed or injured in the attack

The Syrian Observatory could not confirm the nature of the substance that was dropped

Mr Rasoul reported that 67 people had died and that 300 were injured, while the pro-opposition Step news agency put the death toll at 100.

The Syrian Observatory cited medical sources in Khan Sheikhoun as reporting that 11 children were among the dead, and that the symptoms among those affected included fainting, vomiting and foaming at the mouth.

The pro-opposition Edlib Media Centre (EMC) posted a large number of photographs of people receiving treatment, as well as images showing what appeared to be the bodies of at least seven children in the back of a pick-up truck. It was not immediately possible to verify the images' authenticity.

The Syrian Observatory said it was unable to confirm the nature of the substance that was dropped, but the EMC said it was thought to be the nerve agent sarin. 

The Syrian opposition demanded the UN Security Council open an investigation immediately

Idlib province, where the air strikes took place, is largely controlled by an alliance of rebel factions and the al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The region is regularly targeted in air strikes by the government and its ally Russia, as well as the US-led multinational coalition against so-called Islamic State.

The main Syrian opposition alliance, the National Coalition, accused President Bashar al-Assad's government of being behind the attack on Khan Sheikhoun and called on the UN Security Council to order an immediate investigation.

"Failure to do so will be understood as a message of blessing to the regime for its actions," it warned in a statement. 

Rescue workers from the Syria Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, were also overcome

In August 2013, the government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with sarin at several rebel-held suburbs of the capital Damascus, killing more than 300 people. Mr Assad denied the charge, but did agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal.
Despite this, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has continued to document the use of toxic chemicals in attacks in Syria.
A joint investigation with the UN concluded last October that government forces had used chlorine as a weapon at least three times between 2014 and 2015. It also found IS militants had used the blister agent sulphur mustard.
Human Rights Watch also accused government helicopters of dropping bombs containing chlorine on rebel-held areas of Aleppo on at least eight occasions between 17 November and 13 December, during the final stages of the battle for the city. The attacks killed at least nine civilians.

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Ife boils again, 10 injured in fresh communal clash

Ife communal clash

Few days after the violent clashes between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile-Ife, a fresh communal clash has broken out in Osun state.

According to Vanguard, the clash broke out on Friday, March 31 in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun.

No fewer than 10 people were injured in the fresh violence.

Investigations revealed that the fresh clash was between the people of Ipetumodu and Asipa in Ife north area of the state.

According to an eyewitness account, the clash started on Wednesday evening shortly after an alleged misunderstanding that broke out after an inter house sports football competition in the Community High School Ipetumodu, not far away from Asipa.

Youths from both communities were allegedly involved in the fight. Some unidentified youths were said to have taken advantage of the face off between the students and set ablaze the popular Akinola Market in Asipa, a development that escalated the crisis between the two communities.

Gunshots were reportedly fired into the air to heighten tension in the area and no fewer than ten persons sustained injuries.

Policemen arrived later to maintain law and order.

According to one of the traditional chiefs who spoke on condition of anonymity, Asipa community was to blame.

He alleged that the other community turned a mere school riot to community clash to burn the market.

He also alleged that this was not the first time that such attack would be carried out against his people.

However, a leader of Asipa community, Julius Ogerinde denied the allegation saying that they were aggrieved because of the government white paper on the disputed land which favoured the other community.

“They only used the avenue of the Inter house Sport competition to perpetrate their grievances and three of our people were shot,” he said.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, Mrs. Folashade Odoro confirmed the clash, saying policemen had been drafted to the area to maintain law and order and normalcy has since returned to the area.

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Silly snake swallows porcupine, immediately regrets it (photos, video)

- A video of a poor boa constrictor filled with porcupine spikes is going viral - The reptile writhes around in pain

- The footage was taken somewhere in Brazil A grimacing video has been going viral, which shows a boa constrictor all filled with porcupine spikes, after it had tried to eat the other animal. 

The snake is pierced by dozens of large spines, firmly stuck in its skin, and is seen writhing in pain. A man captured the images at a rural area in Brazil, and though he did get close enough to film the poor reptile, we believe not enough to help him take them out, just in case he was the next attacked. 

It is not known if the snake survived the impaling. Users on the video-sharing platform LiveLeak posted scores of comments. “Help the poor thing out,” one user said. Another one posted: “Bad day for the snake. Put it out of its misery. Looks painful.” 

There were some with a twisted sense of humor, with one claiming “that's a new fashion statement!” The boa was recorded for almost two minutes, with a dog barking on its side. Not easy situation for the poor creature! 

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Two fraudsters apprehended at their shrine in Ogun, Nigeria.

Two suspected fraudsters, Olayinka Adeola and Ibrahim Balogun, were recently apprehended by policemen in Ogun state at a shrine during one of their operations.

@TVOTWorld gathered that the operatives of the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), while on routine patrol at about 10pm, along Owode Obafemi Ofada road, on March 27, 2017, discovered a sienna bus packed in a suspicious manner.

The suspects at the shrine

The operatives moved close to the bus, accosted the occupants, and it was during interrogation that it was discovered that the occupants are suspected fraudsters who always lure people into a shrine and dupe them of their money. 

Upon further investigation it was discovered that the suspected fraudsters had lured their victim, a 64-year-old nurse named Goodluck Ogbodu of Effa street, Ughelli Delta state to Lagos state in the disguise to make him rich. The suspected fraudsters had obtained a sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) from the victim. The loot was recovered from the shrine. The suspects who later confessed to the crime also stated that they have used the same mode to dupe many unsuspected victims.

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Man raped girlfriend’s 4-year-old son to death and his mum helped him escape from the cops

A Pennsylvania man is accused of raping and killing his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, and his mum is accused of helping him escape. 20-year-old Keith Jordan had been asked by his girlfriend to take care of her son, Bentley Miller, on March 21, because she had to go to work.

After Mackenzie Peters left for work, Jordan called his mother, Kristen Harold, 43, that same morning, telling her that Bentley was in need of medical attention.

On getting to the Super 8 motel in Butler, Pennsylvania where her son was staying, she picked Bentley who was bleeding profusely and started driving him to his biological father’s house. When he became unresponsive, she pulled over and called 911 at around 9:30 a.m. Bentley later died at Butler Memorial Hospital where he was rushed to.

Police disclosed that Kristen hid her son in the attic of an abandoned home in Butler to avoid police detection. They were both arrested and are being held in Butler County Prison. Court documents show that Bentley died as a result of severe blood loss due to sodomy.

He also had a severe burn to his left hand, bruises on his head, pelvic region, and extremities. Police said Jordan was alone with the child when he was assaulted.

He was charged with criminal homicide, rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse causing serious bodily injury. Bentley’s mother was at work at the time of the incident, and investigators do not suspect she had any involvement in his death. She was charged with child endangerment and hindering apprehension.

The boy’s mother, Mackenzie Peters, was at work when the assault took place, yet police said she may be charged in the future as well, though what charges are unclear. Lambing was already facing charges of burglary, criminal trespass, and conspiracy as well as terroristic threats and harassment, and had failed to show up for a court appointment the day before the boy’s murder.

He had been arrested for retail theft in 2013 and had a bench warrant out for required payments as restitution. There is a possibility that the prosecutor may seek the death penalty for Lambing.

The baby Mackenzie and Jordan have together has been placed in protective custody.

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Rivers Police recovers empty bullion van as robbers escape with millions of Naira

Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police (IGP)

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the attack on a bullion van by some suspected armed robbers in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer DSP Omoni Nnamdi disclosed that the bullion van had been recovered but the robbers made away with millions of naira.

Nnamdi said the suspected armed robbers in a Toyota Highlander SUV shot at police officers escorting the bullion van and made away with undisclosed amount of money suspected to be in millions of Naira.

The police spokesman said the recovered bullion van is now in the custody of the police at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters.

Nnamdi also disclosed that a combined team of security personnel are now on the trail of the armed robbers in Ikwerre and adjourning local government areas.

Some witnesses of the incident said that the suspected armed robbers shot sporadically into the air before carting away the money.

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Aung San Suu Kyi pledges to quit if public judges her a failure

Myanmar leader admits democratic government has fallen short of first-year hopes

Aung San Suu Kyi admitted her administration had not made as much progress as hoped

The former pro-democracy campaigner admitted her administration had not made as much progress as hoped in grappling with the legacy of half a century of military rule. Her remarks in a televised speech echo wider fears that the Southeast Asian country is struggling to deal with a daunting range of social, economic and security problems. Her address also marks an inevitable comedown from the euphoria of a transition from junta rule that last year yielded the first civilian-dominated government since the 1960s. Ms Aung San Suu Kyi used the 25-minute speech on Thursday to defend her record as well as acknowledge people’s disappointment. The leader widely known as “the Lady” or “Mother Suu” said she and her government had done what they could, but that the year since they were sworn in was “not a long period”. “So, if you all think I am not good enough for our country and our people, if someone or some organisation can do better than us, we are ready to step down,” she added. Her offer to quit appears largely rhetorical, as she still has reserves of support from her long campaign — including 15 years of house arrest — against the repressive former junta. She has no challengers from within her National League for Democracy, while the main opposition party remains tainted by its links to the former dictatorship. Myanmar is among the poorest countries in Asia and the government has faced pressure as growth has slowed, the currency has slid and foreign direct investment has dipped. It is also confronted by a resurgence in decades-old internal conflicts involving ethnic regional militias, some near the border with China. A statement from Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s office highlighted the conflict between the ambitions of a nationwide peace process she launched in August and its difficulties in bringing the country’s myriad armed groups to the table. The nation was “now seeing red rays of hope spraying forth with brilliant colours,” the announcement insisted, before warning: “At such a time of great importance, undesirable destructive elements and instigations intended to harm peace might emerge.” Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s domestic critics have also raised concerns about her allegedly autocratic style and the continuation of some repressive military-era practices, including the arrests of people for defaming officials. She has been attacked overseas over her reluctance to take stronger action over reports of large-scale abuses of the Muslim Rohingya people by the military, which some state officials and media have dismissed as fabrications. The UN last week announced a probe into the claims of crimes including murder, rape and arson. The Myanmar leader’s allies at home and abroad have defended her approach and pointed out that the military still controls crucial security ministries and a quarter of seats in parliament, giving it a veto on constitutional change. Ms Aung San Suu Kyu is forced to rule as “state counsellor”, a bespoke title created for her a year ago to skirt a military-drafted constitutional rule that bars anyone whose children have foreign nationality from becoming president. The law — widely seen as aimed at Ms Aung San Suu Kyi — precludes her because her sons by her late British husband are UK citizens.

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