Mercyvill

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has praised militants in Iraq Continue reading the main story Boko Haram Army pride wounded Girl bombers City under siege Deadliest phase Bodies remain littered on the streets of a northern Nigerian town two days after it was seized by militant Islamists, a lawmaker has told the BBC. Boko Haram fighters were patrolling the streets of Bama, preventing people from burying the dead, Ahmed Zanna said. On Wednesday, the state government denied the town had fallen. Officials said about 26,000 people had been displaced by fighting in Bama, a key town in the battle for control of Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state. Earlier this week, the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) think-tank said the group had made "lightning territorial gains" in recent months, raising fears that the country could disintegrate like Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State (IS) rebel group has declared a caliphate. 'Fought gallantly' Boko H

Ukrainian forces have been losing ground to the rebels in the past two weeks Continue reading the main story The Ukrainian and Russian presidents have agreed that a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is "largely holding". Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to discuss steps to make Friday's truce durable. The comments come despite reports of shootings by both pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops. Meanwhile, Russia vowed to respond if the European Union imposed new sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The EU says the sanctions, targeting more Russian individuals, will be introduced on Monday but could be later suspended if Russia withdraws troops from eastern Ukraine and observes a current truce. Russia has repeatedly denied accusations by Ukraine and the West that it has been sending regular troops into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels. Some 2,600 people have died in fighting after pro-R

Islamic State has set up an administrative system and controls shops including bakeries in Raqqa Continue reading the main story Syria conflict 'No-one cares' 'Till the last drop of blood' Suffering in west Aleppo Defiant rebels Syrian government jets have hit a training camp and a bakery run by the Islamic State militant group in Raqqa, killing 25 people, activists have said. Civilians and militants died in the strikes, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IS fighters joined the three-year civil war in Syria last year and have since pushed forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad out of Raqqa province. Raqqa city is now the headquarters of its so-called caliphate. Experts estimate the group has taken over about one-third of Iraq and Syria. It has established courts, a central bank and an administrative system. Many young men have welcomed IS in Raqqa, a bastion of anti-government sentiment The militants have released dozens

Jane and Larry Glazer had been flying from New York to Florida Continue reading the main story An unresponsive private plane has crashed in the sea off Jamaica, officials on the island have said. The Jamaican Defence Force said the plane went down about 14 miles (22km) north-east of Port Antonio. The US had earlier scrambled two F-15 fighter jets when the plane failed to respond to air traffic control. The two people known to be on board have been named as Larry Glazer, a property developer from Rochester, New York, and his wife Jane. The couple were both licensed pilots. The plane's pilot had indicated there was a problem and twice asked to descend to a lower altitude before permission was granted, according to a recording of the radio conversation with US traffic controllers. 1. Plane departs 08:26 local time Friday 2. F16s scambled at 10:00 3. Plane passes destination; F15s take over observation 4. Cuba authorises US fly-over 5. Suspected crash site Contac

Man builds pirate ship in Felixstowe back garden. Tim Jones used discarded wood to build the pirate ship in his garden Continue reading the main story A man has built a pirate ship in the back garden of his home in Suffolk Tim Jones, 47, spent about six months erecting the captain's cabin, deck and 25ft (7m) mast in Felixstowe. The ship takes up about half of his garden. He cut down some of his trees to build features such as a cannon, and has added finishing touches including a toy parrot and a pirate flag. "Everyone loves it," he said. "I'd love to make it bigger but I really don't have the room." Mr Jones said the idea for the pirate ship came from his themed birthday parties, which previously focused on Mexico, the 1940s and a Medieval banquet. About eight people can sit in the captain's cabin, with space for a further six on the deck Tim Jones said the pirate ship had been a hit with his friends, both young and old Mr Jo

Ebola is one of the world's most deadly viruses but is not airborne, so cannot be caught like flu. Medical experts say avoiding it should be quite easy if you follow these tips: 1. Soap and water Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean water - and use clean towels to dry them. This can be difficult in slum and rural areas where there is not always direct access to clean water - but it is an effective way to kill the virus. Ordinary soap is all that's needed. Shaking hands should also generally be avoided, Dr Unni Krishnan of Plan International told BBC Africa, because Ebola spreads quickly when people come into contact with an infected person's body fluids and symptoms can take a while to show. Other forms of greeting are being encouraged, he says. 2. No touching So if you suspect someone of having Ebola, do not touch them. This may seem cruel when you see a loved one in pain and you want to hug and nurse them, but body fluids - urine and stools,

Continue reading the main story Ebola outbreak How to avoid Ebola Doctor's report Why so dangerous? Economic 'devastation' Sierra Leone - one of the countries worst hit by West Africa's Ebola outbreak - has announced a three-day lockdown to try to tackle the disease. From 19 to 21 September people will not be allowed to leave their homes, a senior official said. The aim of the move is to allow health workers to isolate new cases to prevent the disease from spreading further. The outbreak has killed about 2,100 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria in recent months. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that health workers could be given vaccines as from November, when safety tests are completed. More than 20 health workers have lost their lives to the virus in Sierra Leone since the start of the outbreak in March. Rights issue Sierra Leone officials said more than 20,000 people would be deployed to make sure re

Climate change is not a far-off problem. It is happening now and is having very real consequences on people’s lives. Climate change is disrupting national economies, costing us dearly today and even more tomorrow... CONTINUE

The first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples will be held on 22-23 September 2014.. CONTINUE

FRIDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2014 SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES UKRAINE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT In a statement, the Secretary-General  welcomes  the positive news that today’s consultations between the Contact Group and representatives of armed groups have resulted in the agreement of a cease-fire. He also welcomes the recent discussions between the Presidents of  Ukraine  and Russia have played a part in today’s breakthrough and strongly encourages those contacts to continue. The Secretary-General stresses that credible and comprehensive monitoring and verification are essential elements for successful implementation of the cease-fire and the peace plan. He encourages all who committed to the agreement to display good will and take concrete steps towards urgent, full and effective implementation. He calls on the entire international community to rally behind these agreements to serve the interests of a sustainable peace based on a solution that leads to full respect of Ukraine's territ