Orphans of the Sahara: Rebellion

Part two of this series explores northern Mali in 2012 as it falls to Tuareg separatists and their al-Qaeda rivals.

Early in 2012, as the massive Tuareg rebellion sweeps northern Mali, defeated Mali Army officers stage a coup d'etat in the south leading to the total collapse of government in the country.

Tuareg rebels declare an independent state in the north called "Azawad", but al-Qaeda emerges from the Sahara to take over historic Timbuktu, and compete with the secular rebels for control of northern Mali.

Isolated, illiterate and imploding from extreme poverty, Tuaregs provide the foot soldiers of both separatism and jihad.

Orphans of the Sahara: Rebellion features music from the bands Toumast, Tamikrest and Terakaft. Listen to their music.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Fanning Lebanon's sectarian flames?
Last updated: 4 hours ago

We ask if the Rafik Hariri assassination trial will bring closure to a troubled chapter or fuel further violence.
It was a political assassination that sent sectarian shockwaves through Lebanon and the region.

Now, nine years after the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the trial of four suspects has begun at The Hague.

Hariri was among 22 people killed by a truck bomb in Beirut on February 14, 2005.

To Lebanese people [the trial] means the dream of Rafik Hariri to build Lebanon, the country of constitution, the country of freedom, the country of coexistence. The start of this tribunal is a dream and it's a historic moment for all the Lebanese people. We have been attacked as politicians in Lebanon for years. It is not only the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. We have had so many assassinations for tens of years and we now believe this will be the first time we reach justice.

Kazem Kheir, an MP with Saad Hariri's Future Movement

The billionaire businessman was a Sunni leader; those charged with his murder belong to the Shia armed political group Hezbollah.

The four men on trial face nine charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and murder. They are being tried 'in absentia' because Hezbollah has refused to hand them over.

A fifth suspect was charged late last year.

Hariri's son Saad, who is also a former prime minister of Lebanon, was in court to watch the start of proceedings.

He said the trial marked an important step for Lebanon: "Today for the first time this act of terror that happened in Lebanon hopefully will see the time of impunity ending and the time of justice coming."

The trial opened against a backdrop of ongoing sectarian violence in a country where the Syrian war has spilled over with increasing frequency.

Even as the hearing began, a car bomb exploded in the Hezbollah-stronghold of Hermel in northern Lebanon, close to the border with Syria.

The case is being heard by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (SLT). The SLT was established by the United Nations in 2007, at Lebanon's request, to deal specifically with the Hariri attack.

The court is the first of its kind to deal with terrorism as a distinct crime, and the first international tribunal to try crimes under national law - in this case, Lebanese law.

Critics say the trial is politically motivated and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has dismissed it as a US-Israeli conspiracy.

He has refused to hand over the suspects, adding: "No Lebanese government will be able to make any arrests, whether in 30 days, 30 years or even 300 years."

Lebanon is a country plagued by political killings. There have been more than a dozen high profile assassinations since Hariri's death.

The latest was former finance minister Mohamad Chatah, who was killed in a car bomb attack in December, close to the site of Hariri's assassination. He was an adviser to Saad Hariri, and a critic of Syria and Hezbollah.

Sunni, Christian, Druze and Shia figures have all been targeted, as well as members of the army and security forces, but as yet, no one has been held accountable for any of the deaths.

So, will the tribunal mark the first time suspects have been held to account? Will it bring closure to a troubled chapter in Lebanon's history? Or will the trial further inflame sectarian tensions?

To discuss this Inside Story presenter Laura Kyle is joined by guests: Kazem Kheir, an MP with Saad Hariri's Future Movement, the largest member of the March 14 Alliance; Nicholas Noe, an author and scholar; and Ahmad Moussalli, a professor of political science at the American University in Beirut.

"I think Hezbollah's position on the tribunal is very clear, and they reject it .... It is obvious for them that this is a political tribunal coordinated by different world powers in order to corner Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. At the time of the composition of the tribunal and even before ... was, for them at least, an indication that this was going to be a political trial."

Ahmad Moussalli, a professor of political science at the American University in Beirut
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

No respite for Rohingya in Bangladesh

Refugees forced to flee Myanmar are living in camps without adequate access to food or health services.
Rohingya refugee Shajida Begum, 18, has lived in northern Britain for four years, and 2014 will be the year she finishes high school and hopefully begins a university degree in accountancy. 

It is a very different life from the one she left in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, where she was born and spent her first 14 years. Shajida is grateful for her new existence in the UK, but is constantly reminded of those she left behind.

"We still miss the people who live in the refugee camps. We are happy, we have rights, we have got everything, but people who are still back home have got absolutely nothing," she told Al Jazeera.

"I was worried about leaving them because I can imagine how difficult it is to stay there. There is no electricity, no facilities, no health and safety."

About 30,000 Rohingya refugees officially live in Bangladeshi camps today. Unofficially, there are more are 200,000 unregistered Rohingya there. The registered are provided with aid and support by The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Bangladesh government. Unregistered refugees receive nothing.

Bangkok-based UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan described what she has witnessed as a "dire situation".

The number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has increased since violence in neighbouring Arakan state in Myanmar erupted between Muslim Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in June 2012, which caused some of the 140,000 internally displaced to attempt to flee across the border.

Tayub Uddin is the vice president of the newly formed Democracy and Human Rights Party. He described in an email from his base in Yangon, capital of Myanmar, the current situation for Rohingya in that country. 

"There is completely no law and order in Arakan state for us. We are no more than animals in our motherland," he told Al Jazeera.

Since 2010, rapid democratic reforms in Myanmar have reopened diplomatic channels and an international spotlight has been shone on the plight of the Rohingya, but little is known about refugees living in Bangladesh. Even less is known about what the future might hold for tens-of-thousands of unregistered refugees.

Cramped conditions

Nijam Mohammed, 29, is a human rights activist and Rohingya refugee who, like Shajida, also lives in Bradford in northern Britain. About 350 Rohingya refugees have settled in the UK, 300 of them in Bradford.

Nijam visited Bangladesh's Kutupalong camp in October 2013. Extended families live in a room four metres by three metres, and movement is often restricted within the camp. However, Nijam acknowledged a "good" education system for registered refugees since 2004 there, despite it only reaching primary levels, as well as the provision of basic healthcare assistance from UNHCR.

This is in stark contrast to some of the estimated 70,000 out of 200,000 unregistered Rohingya refugees that he witnessed living outside Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh.

"They live under open sky, with no support from the United Nations or the Bangladeshi government," Nijam said. "People are dying every day, there is a lack of food, treatment and education. You can't imagine how life is."

This is the case for the large majority of refugees in Bangladesh, aid groups say. The Bangladeshi government banned aid agencies - including Médecin Sans Frontières (MSF), Action Contre le Faim and Muslim Aid - from operating in the refugee camps in August 2012. 

A Bangladeshi official told Al Jazeera the charities were "encouraging an influx of Rohingya refugees". Restrictions remain today, but MSF currently runs a clinic that serves both Bangladeshi and Rohingya patients.

"According to international law, if you are forced to leave your country because of political or religious persecution, you have a right for refugee status," said Nijam.

"My question is why are these people not getting refugee status in Bangladesh? Why are the Western countries silent? Are they not interested because there is no oil or gas in Arakan state [in Myanmar]?"

New strategy

The mass exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar after the 2012 riots in Arakan state was the most recent episode of decades of persecution and forced evacuation.

In 1991-92, more than 250,000 fled across the border into Bangladesh after an alleged escalation of killings, torture, rape and forced labour at the hands of the Myanmar's notorious military. A similar mass departure also occurred in 1977.

Much of the modern-day ethnic division and persecution was created and entrenched by the 1982 Citizenship Act, which effectively withdrew citizenship from the Rohingya.

The Citizenship Act accorded Rohingya only "temporary registration cards" because they were not a recognised "national race". The majority of Rohingya did not then - and still don't have today - the required identification documents to gain full citizenship status.

Even those with proper identification have often had it forcibly removed. As a consequence Rohingya are popularly perceived to be illegal Bengali immigrants, despite the fact they have settled in Myanmar - formerly Burma - for centuries.

In Bangladesh, I didn't have a chance

Salah Uddin, Rohingya student 

The 2012 riots are believed to have begun after the alleged rape and killing of a Buddhist Rakhine woman by three Rohingya males, who were then sentenced to death. A government report stated the 2012 violence resulted in nearly 200 deaths, and Rohingya areas were razed to the ground by angry Buddhists.

Human Rights Watch has described the events in Myanmar as ethnic cleansing, and the United Nations has called for its government to provide Rohingya citizenship in the country.

According to the UNHCR, Bangladeshi authorities may propose a new system to provide humanitarian assistance that will include the unregistered refugees currently stranded in Bangladesh.

But UNHCR's Tan when asked about the issue said she was unsure whether this would happen this year. "Unfortunately, there is no clarity on when exactly the government strategy will be unveiled." 

She said, however, more pressure on the government of Myanmar was urgently needed to help resolve the refugee issue.

"A crucial element in resolving the plight of the Rohingya in Bangladesh lies in improving conditions in Rakhine state," Tan said.

"The Myanmar government needs to step up efforts to promote reconciliation after the inter-communal violence of 2012. More must be done to encourage peaceful co-existence between the communities, and ensure that everyone can enjoy their basic rights."

'Didn't have a chance'

Today, a generation of refugees born in camps in Bangladesh enjoy a life they'd never thought possible.

Salah Uddin, 17, who speaks with an endearing Yorkshire inflection that has distilled his accented English, is a cricketing all-rounder and business student.

"I always prayed to God to bring happiness in our life. Suddenly it's happened and we are in the UK," Salah told Al Jazeera. "But it doesn't make me delighted. In Bangladesh, lots of people couldn't leave. In Bangladesh, I didn't have a chance."

The future of the refugees in Bangladesh remains uncertain, with the Bangladesh and Myanmar governments unwilling to provide any sort of long-term protection for those stranded and by law, effectively stateless citizens.

In this small corner of northern Britain, the fight for the Rohingya continues. The activist Nijam recently returned from a conference held by the European Rohingya Council in Stockholm, Sweden.

"We do not fight for our independence, we only fight for our rights," Nijam said.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Herders fight farmers over Tanzania water

The government is trying to mediate as conflicts over scarce land and water resources boil over into violence.

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania - Tanzanian authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with ongoing conflicts between farmers and pastoralists as they fight over limited land and water resources in this East African nation.
From Tanzania's Coast Region to Kilimanjaro, violent and sometimes deadly clashes have been raging for decades as farmers and pastoralists scramble for resources.

Most recently, on January 12, ten people were killed in Kiteto district in central Tanzania when Maasai pastoralists allegedly invaded villages in the disputed Embroi Murtangosi forest reserve and set homes ablaze. Local farmers accused district officials of colluding with the Maasai to intimidate farmers living on the reserve in an attempt to chase them off their land.

"It's no secret, we are being harassed because there are certain people who are getting paid to evict us from this area," said Kisioki Mesiaya, a farmer in Kiteto district. 

Pastoralists, who are generally more affluent than farmers here, have been accused of influencing political decisions through bribery.

Tanzania has approximately 21 million head of cattle, the largest number in Africa after Ethiopia and Sudan. According to the ministry of livestock and fisheries development, livestock contributes to at least 30 percent of agricultural GDP.

Tanzania's ministry for agriculture, food security and cooperatives says that small-scale farmers produce more than 90 percent of the country's food. Of the country's 94.5 million hectares, only half - 44 million hectares - is arable land.

The worst conflict between pastoralists and farmers here occurred in December 2000 in Kilosa district, in the Morogoro region, where 38 farmers were killed. Hostilities reignited in 2008 and eight people were killed, several houses set alight and livestock stolen.

Disputes 'fuelled by officials'

Deputy national assembly speaker Job Ndugai accused government officials of siding with pastoral communities to intimidate farmers.

"Land disputes are fuelled by officials… who have been soliciting bribes in terms of money and livestock from pastoralists to evict farmers on the pretext that the land occupied by farmers is a reserved area," Ndugai said in December from his constituency in Kongwa.

We have seen the influx of investors who take swathes of land to start commercial farming ranching or mining activities, in the process triggering conflicts with local people who are evicted from their land without due process

Yefred Myenzi, Land Rights Research and Resources Institute 

Kiteto district commissioner Martha Umbulla, however, dismissed this as false. "There's nothing like that, those allegations are not true," she said.

Experts say that these resource-based conflicts are also fuelled by ethnic hatred, dwindling resources, poor land management and population growth.

Yefred Myenzi, a researcher from the Land Rights Research and Resources Institute known locally as HakiArdhi, said that most of the fighting over land was the indirect result of decisions and actions taken by the state through its various agencies.

He said that the struggle for land and water resulted from a lack of public awareness and knowledge of the country's laws, inadequate participation of local people in policy and law formation, and violation of laws by district officials. Of Tanzania's 42 million people, only 0.02 percent have traditional land ownership titles.

"We have seen the influx of investors who take swathes of land to start commercial farming ranching or mining activities, in the process triggering conflicts with local people who are evicted from their land without due process," he added.

He blamed the existing land tenure system for sidelining pastoral communities, since no land has been set aside for them. "Although land laws require every village to have in place a land use plan, many villages are yet to implement this due to conflict," he said.

Myenzi warned that, although a conflict resolution mechanism offered hope, disputes over land were likely to persist due to corruption and a weak system of reinforcement.

'Growing social problem'

Henry Mahoo, professor of agricultural engineering at Tanzania's Sokoine University of Agriculture, said that in order to resolve tensions between the two groups, a land use plan, which would clearly identify areas under pastoralists' ownership and those controlled by farmers, should be drawn up.

"The problem [behind] these clashes is deeper than we think. All concerned parties must be involved in the negotiation process, and there must be a forum where farmers and pastoralists openly talk about their problems," he said.

"I think these conflicts are a sign of a growing social problem. There are so many idle minds out there who can be incited to do anything," he added.

Meshack Saidimu, a Maasai pastoralist in Mbalali, said that most of the disputes occurred because the government had not set aside areas for pastoralists.

"I think we are being made scapegoats for all these problems. The Maasai are disciplined people, they don't just hurt somebody for the sake of it," he said.

The disputes over land and water have also caused food insecurity among farmers, many of whom have been unable to harvest crops for fear of reprisals from enraged pastoralists.

"In analysing land conflicts we need to critically look at the issue. The farmers complain that pastoralists let their animals trample on their crops while searching for water and pasture but herders argue that there are paths that cattle use without causing damage to crops," Myenzi said.

But he said a lasting solution could be found only if pastoralists and farmers respect and value each other.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Israel summons envoys over pro-Palestine bias

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says four European states called over 'one-sided' view of settlement conflict.

Israel has summoned envoys from four European states to protest their "one-sided" stand in favour of the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said.

The action on Friday is likely to escalate a quarrel over Israeli settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal by much of the world.

It comes a day after Britain, France, Italy and Spain called in Israeli ambassadors to hear protests against Israel's latest announcement of settlement-building on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the European criticism "hypocritical", and in a tit-for-tat move, Lieberman said envoys from the four EU countries had been summoned to a meeting in the foreign ministry in Jerusalem.

In a statement, he said Israel would make clear "that the one-sided position they constantly take against Israel and in favour of the Palestinians is unacceptable and creates a feeling that they are only looking to place blame on Israel."

Last week Israel announced plans to build 1,400 new homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, where more than 500,000 Jewish settlers already live.

Israel and the Palestinians resumed US brokered peace talks in July after a three-year deadlock.

'Obsessive and messianic'

The negotiations, which have shown little sign of progress so far, were dealt a further blow after a diplomatic row erupted after the Israeli foreign minister described US Secretary of State John Kerry as obsessive and messianic.

"The American plan for security arrangements that was shown to us isn't worth the paper it was written on," Yaalon was quoted as saying in private conversations with Israeli officials.

Defence minister Moshe Yaalon apologised for the remarks after the US State Department said his remarks were "offensive."

The future of settlements is a core issue in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel says the issue should be solved within negotiations.

"Israel is making great effort to allow the dialogue with the Palestinians to continue and the position these states are taking, beyond it being biased and unbalanced, is significantly harming the chances of reaching an accord," Lieberman said.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Putin says gays should feel welcome at Sochi

Russian President says gays are welcome at the Winter Olympic Games, but must "leave the children in peace".
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said gays should feel welcome at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but they must "leave the children in peace".

Putin told volunteers Friday that gays visiting Sochi "can feel calm and at ease", and vowed that there would be no discrimination at the games.

But he emphasised that, according to a law banning homosexual "propaganda'' among minors, gays cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone underage.

"We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia," Putin said in televised comments from host city Sochi, with three weeks to go until the event. 

International outcry

The president's comments were unlikely to appease critics of the ban. United States President Barack Obama has pointedly announced he was sending an Olympic delegation that includes several openly gay sports figures.

Putin and other politicians have defended the June propaganda law as a protection of child rights, but critics believe that the law discriminates against sexual minorities.

In the wake of international outcry against the bill, Russian authorities have put limits on the right to protest during the Sochi games, which run Feb. 7-23.

A senior cleric from the Russian Orthodox Church, which is closely allied to Putin, this month called for a national debate on returning a Soviet-era law repealed in 1993 that criminalised gay sex. 

One of the volunteers, set to assist visitors at the Games, commented on their rainbow-coloured uniforms and asked if they could be breaching the ban on gay propaganda, the Interfax news agency reported.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Many injured in explosion during Thai protest

At least 28 hurt by blast at opposition protest march in Bangkok aiming to shut down government.

A bomb blast at an opposition protest march in Bangkok wounded at least 28 people, emergency officials said, in the latest unrest during a "shutdown" of the capital aimed at toppling the government. 

"The bomb went off shortly after 1pm," said the deputy national police spokesman, Anucha Romyanan.

Police were investigating what type of explosive device caused the blast. Television footage showed several people lying on the ground as ambulances took away wounded.

Protesters were seen searching nearby buildings for the attackers.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has faced more than two months of street demonstrations aimed at forcing her elected government from office and installing an appointed body to oversee loosely defined reforms such as an end  to alleged vote buying.

Eight people have been killed and hundreds injured in street violence since the protests began.
"Yingluck must take responsibility," one of the protest leaders, Satit Wonghnongtaey, said on stage soon after the blast.

The protesters aim to curb the political dominance of Yingluck's billionaire brother, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom they accuse of controlling the government from self-exile.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Syria regime proposes ceasefire in Aleppo

Foreign minister presents plan to Russia hours before vote by opposition on whether to attend Geneva II peace talks.
Syria's foreign minister has said he has handed Russia plans for a ceasefire in Aleppo, and was ready to exchange lists with rebel forces on a possible prisoner swap.

In a news conference on Friday in Moscow, Walid al-Moualem said he had handed his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, details of the ceasefire, plus plans for a prisoner exchange and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Syria.

The offer came hours before the main opposition bloc, the Syrian National Coalition, was due to decide whether it would participate in peace talks scheduled by the UN next week in Geneva.

Washington and Moscow have been trying to negotiate confidence-building measures to force the two sides to the table in Geneva. The SNC has previously demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad before it commits to talks.

"Taking into the account the role of the Russian Federation in ending the bloodshed in Syria, as well as our trustworthy relations, I have handed Minister Lavrov today a plan of security measures in Aleppo," Moualem said.

"In that regard I asked Minister Lavrov to use his contacts to implement this plan and to establish a specific time when all military actions in this area should be ceased."

Moualem said his government was committed to ending bloodshed in the country and fighting "terrorism" - the regime term for rebels.

The meeting between Lavrov and Moualem took place less than a week before the "Geneva II" peace conference. 

Dissent and disarray

The opposition coalition is due to vote on attendance later on Friday. One of its internal groups, the self-style government in exile Syrian National Council, said earlier this month that the Assad regime had not declared a strong commitment to the aims of the original Geneva talks, held last June, such as bringing in a transitional government and ending the war.

Syria's centrist internal opposition group, which rejects the armed rebellion against the Assad regime, said on Thursday that it would not attend the Swiss conference.

Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan, reporting on the Syria-Russia meeting, said that Moualem's offers put Assad's government in the position of being part of the solution.

"Russia and Syria are trying to drive the agenda in the days before Geneva. It says 'we are going to Geneva II', effectively throwing down the gauntlet to the opposition to attend," he said.

More than 120,000 people have been killed in the ongoing Syrian conflict, with hundreds of thousands more displaced because of the violence.

Fighting between al-Qaeda-linked fighters and more moderate opposition groups has added another layer of complexity to the nearly three-year conflict that rebels have been waging against the government.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Uganda president refuses to sign anti-gay law

Yoweri Museveni says there are better ways to "rescue" gays from their "abnormality" than jailing them for life.
Uganda's president has refused to approve a controversial bill that would see homosexuals jailed for life, saying there were better ways to "rescue" people from their "abnormality".

In a letter to parliament, Yoweri Museveni said gays would go "underground and continue practicing homosexuality or lesbianism for mercenary reasons", according to the independent newspaper, Daily Monitor.

The anti-gay bill passed through the Ugandan parliament last month after its architects agreed to drop a death penalty clause.

"The question at the core of the debate on homosexuality is what do we do with an abnormal person? Do we kill him/her? Do we imprison him/her? Or we do contain him/her?" the president was quoted as writing in a letter to parliament.

He said that homosexuality was caused by either "random breeding" or a need to make money.

And lesbians, he said, chose female partners because of "sexual starvation" and the failure to marry a man. But he said improving the nation's economy would stop people becoming gay.

Museveni continued: "You cannot call an abnormality an alternative orientation. It could be that the Western societies, on account of random breeding, have generated many abnormal people," he said, adding that other people became gay for "mercenary reasons", or, in the case of lesbians, a lack of sex with men.

The report said the president believed that improving Uganda's economy - including rapid industrialisation and modernising agriculture - was the best way to "rescue" young people from the risk of "disgusting behaviour".

Gay men and women in Uganda face frequent harassment and threats of violence, and rights activists have also reported cases of lesbians being subjected to "corrective" rapes.

In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays in Uganda on its front page along with a yellow banner reading "Hang Them".

AIDS activists say that if passed the bill would have prevented gays from having access to essential public health information, such as how to protect themselves from HIV and how to access life-saving treatment and support services.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Several die in rocket strike on Lebanon town

At least seven killed and 15 wounded in attack on centre of border town, home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

Rocket fire on the Lebanese border town of Arsal killed at least seven people and wounded 15 others, Lebanon's state news agency said.

The agency said on Friday one rocket hit Arsal, but local security sources said at least seven rockets hit the area.

The deaths came as at least 20 rockets and shells, launched from Syria, hit border areas in the eastern Lebanon Bekaa Valley, which has seen frequent violence related to the Syrian conflict.

Arsal sits on the frontier with neighbouring Syria, which is mired in a nearly three-year civil war.

This is the first time rockets landed inside the town centre. Rockets have been landing on the outskirts of the town in recent months.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said it was unclear if the town was specifically targeted or whether the rocket was a stray. There were several battles raging between Syrian rebels and the Syrian regime along the border area, she added.

Arsal is a Sunni area in the Bekaa region that hosts tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled the violence in their country.

Its population sympathises strongly with the revolt in neighbouring Syria against President Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmad al-Hojairi, an official in Arsal, said it was unclear if Friday's casualties were Lebanese or Syrian.

"What we can confirm is that six or seven rockets launched from Syria hit a residential area. Two of the rockets hit houses."


www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Oscar nominees attend Critics' Choice Awards

Sandra Bullock was named best actress in an action movie and Steve McQueen collected the best picture award for 12 Years a Slave.

A host of Oscar nominees came together for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, which saw Gravity win a record seven prizes.

The awards are a likely indicator of Oscar success and have predicted many of the winners in recent years.

Gravity was named best sci-fi film, while Alfonso Cuaron won best director and Sandra Bullock took best actress in an action movie.

However, 12 Years a Slave collected the coveted best picture prize.

Determined by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the best picture winner has gone on to win the best picture Oscar in six of the past seven years.

Matthew McConaughey collected best actor for Dallas Buyers Club

Cate Blanchett won best actress for Blue Jasmine
The ceremony saw Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett win the top acting awards for their performances in Dallas Buyers Club and Blue Jasmine.

The pair also both won Golden Globes for their roles at the weekend.

McConaughey thanked the late Ron Woodroof, whom he portrayed on screen, saying he had "a life that was damned well worth putting to the big screen".

12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong'o was named best supporting actress, while McConaughey's co-star Jared Leto picked up best supporting actor.

Leto, who plays a transsexual woman in the Aids drama, dedicated his award to "all the people around the world who are living with HIV [and] all the people who have lost their lives to this horrific disease".

Lupita Nyong'o was named best supporting actress for 12 Years a Slave
American Hustle - which received 10 Oscar nods - collected four awards in total, including best comedy film, acting ensemble, hair and make-up and best actress in a comedy for Amy Adams.

Leonardo DiCaprio followed up his Golden Globe win another best actor in a comedy prize for The Wolf of Wall Street.

Mark Wahlberg picked up best actor in an action film for war film Lone Survivor, which also collected best action film.

French film Blue is the Warmest Colour, which was snubbed by the Oscars, won the best foreign language film award, with its star Adele Exarchopoulos named best young actress.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Oscar talk dominated the red carpet from the nominees.

American Hustle director David O Russell said he was "very grateful to be part of it all", while 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen said he was "happy to be amongst" the best picture shortlist.

British 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor - who is Oscar nominated for best actor - said the day had been "completely thrilling".

"It was excellent and I was so excited, obviously for myself, but I was excited for everybody in the film and in the project."

Bruce Dern, who is nominated for his role in Nebraska, added: "It's nice to have your fellow teammates stand up and say, 'Hey, you had a good year, congratulations'."

The complete list of winners:

Picture - 12 Years a Slave

Actor - Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Actress - Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Supporting actor - Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Supporting actress - Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

Young actor/actress - Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue Is The Warmest Colour

Acting Ensemble - American Hustle

Director - Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Original screenplay - Spike Jonze, Her

Adapted screenplay - John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

Art direction - Catherine Martin (production designer), Beverley Dunn (set decorator), The Great Gatsby

Editing - Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger, Gravity

Costume design - Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

Hair and make-up - American Hustle

Visual effects - Gravity

Animated feature - Frozen

Action movie - Lone Survivor

Actor in an action movie - Mark Wahlberg, Lone Survivor

Actress in an action movie - Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Comedy - American Hustle

Actor in a comedy - Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

Actress in a comedy - Amy Adams, American Hustle

Sci-fi/horror movie - Gravity

Foreign language film - Blue Is the Warmest Colour

Documentary feature - 20 Feet From Stardom

Song - Let It Go, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen

Score - Steven Price, Gravity
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Mourinho's 'rules of football punditry'

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho explains his "rules of punditry" to Football Focus presenter Dan Walker.

The Portuguese boss criticised broadcasters last month for employing too many Liverpool-supporting pundits, with a lack of Chelsea voices heard.

On his return to the Premier League, Mourinho has led his side to third in the table - just two points off the top - and also to the last 16 of the Champions League.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Mikaeel Kular: Hundreds help with search as concern deepens

Mikaeel Kular, who is thought to be wearing his coat, was last seen when his mother put him to bed on Wednesday
Hundreds of volunteers have gathered at a community centre in Edinburgh to help search for a missing three-year-old boy.

Mikaeel Kular has not been seen since his mother put him to bed at his home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, at about 21:00 on Wednesday.

A police helicopter, sniffer dogs, coastguard and lifeboat teams have been involved in the ongoing search.

Officers said they are now deeply concerned for Mikaeel.

Responding to a police plea for help, hundreds of people turned up at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens on Thursday morning to assist with efforts to find the young child.

They were briefed on where and how they should search, so that all efforts are coordinated and no area is missed.

Hundreds of people gathered outside a local centre to help with the search
The charity Missing People will be showing the three-year-old's face on big screens in public places such as railway stations.

Police urged anyone with information to telephone the 0300 200 0200 number and asked local residents to check their gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups.

The temperature dropped to about 3C in Edinburgh on Thursday night.

Police Scotland said that more than 100 people had already called the hotline.

Specialist teams are on standby and ready to act on any significant information provided, they added.

Forensic officers have been at the house
Overnight, police issued a photograph showing the boy in the coat he was believed to be wearing when he disappeared - a beige hooded jacket with grey fur-lined hood.

He may also have been wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top featuring an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clark shoes with two Velcro straps.

He is 3ft tall and has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left side of his mouth.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Supt McAinsh said there was "no evidence of any criminality at this point" and it was still a missing person inquiry.

She said there were "many, many lines of inquiry" and that all lines were being pursued.

"I remain optimistic but as time passes we are becoming deeply concerned," she said.

Supt Liz McAinsh renewed the appeal for information, urging anyone who may have seen Mikaeel to contact police.

"Significant policing resources were deployed throughout the night but there is still no trace of Mikaeel," she said.

There were no signs of a door being left open at the property, police said
"There has been a fantastic response from the public with the dedicated phone number, which we issued yesterday, receiving numerous calls. However, we continue to urge anyone who may have information relating to Mikaeel's disappearance or current whereabouts, who hasn't yet contacted us, to get in touch via 0300 200 0200."

Earlier, Supt McAinsh confirmed there were no signs of a door being left open in the property and said she was not aware of anyone else having access to the flat.

Responding to reporters' questions on Thursday night she said Mikaeel would have been capable of opening doors and leaving the house by himself.

She added that a number of people were helping officers with their inquiries, but there were no suspects and had been no arrests or formal detentions.

Searches have been going on since Thursday morning
Cammy Day, a local Labour councillor, told BBC Scotland the community had come together to search for Mikaeel.

He said: "People have been asked to particularly search their own gardens, out houses and bins, anything a young child might hide away in.

"They have also been asked to search the wider open areas in north Edinburgh, the golf courses, the playing fields etc.

"That continued all day yesterday and into the night, with torches, looking everywhere across north Edinburgh to compliment what Police Scotland are doing to try to find young Mikaeel, and that will continue throughout today."

Mikaeel, who is British with Asian parents, was at home with his mother and four siblings, including his twin sister, when he was last seen.

He normally sleeps in the same room as his twin sister, police said, but was alone on Wednesday.

Supt McAinsh confirmed that police had spoken to Mikaeel's father and his family were being very helpful.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Comedians have ‘high levels of psychotic traits’

Some comedians may use performance as a form of self-medication, say researchers
Comedians have personality types linked with psychosis, like many other creative types, which might explain why they can entertain, researchers claim.

They score highly on characteristics that in extreme cases are associated with mental illness, a study by Oxford University researchers suggests.

Unusually, they have high levels of both introversion and extroversion.

The team says the creative elements needed for humour are similar to traits seen in people with psychosis.

The idea that creativity in art and science is connected with mental health problems has long captured the public imagination.

However, there has been little research on whether comedians have some of the traits - in a healthy form - associated with psychosis (delusions or hallucinations that can be present in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).

Unusually introverted

Researchers from the University of Oxford and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust studied 523 comedians (404 men and 119 women) from the UK, US and Australia.

The comedians were asked to complete an online questionnaire designed to measure psychotic traits in healthy people.

The four aspects measured were:

Unusual experiences (belief in telepathy and paranormal events)
Cognitive disorganisation (distractibility and difficulty in focusing thoughts)
Introvertive anhedonia (reduced ability to feel social and physical pleasure, including an avoidance of intimacy)
Impulsive non-conformity (tendency towards impulsive, antisocial behaviour).
The questionnaire was also completed by 364 actors - another profession used to performing - as a control group, and by a group of 831 people who worked in non-creative areas.

The researchers found that comedians scored significantly higher on all four types of psychotic personality traits than the general group, with particularly high scores for both extroverted and introverted personality traits.

The actors scored higher than the general group on three types - but not on introverted the personality aspect.

The researchers believe this unusual personality structure may help explain the ability of comedians to entertain.

Thinking 'outside box'

Professor Gordon Claridge, of the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology, said: "The creative elements needed to produce humour are strikingly similar to those characterising the cognitive style of people with psychosis - both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."

He said although schizophrenic psychosis itself could be detrimental to humour, in a lesser form it could increase people's ability to associate odd or unusual things or to think "outside the box".

Manic thinking, which is found in those with bipolar disorder, may help people combine ideas to form new, original and humorous connections, he added.

Prof Claridge told BBC News: "Comedians tend to be slightly withdrawn, introverted people who may not always want to socialise, and their comedy is almost an outlet for that. It's a kind of self-medication."

Dr James MacCabe, of the Institute of Psychiatry, at King's College, London, said: "Psychosis is not a problem with personality, it's a more severe disorder than that.

"People with psychosis and schizophrenia have a very impaired ability to appreciate humorous material.

"This study tells us some interesting things about the differences between comedians and actors but not about the link with psychosis."

Paul Jenkins, CEO of the charity Rethink Mental Illness said these were interesting findings, but we must guard against the "mad creative genius stereotype".

"Mental illnesses like schizophrenia can affect anyone, whether they are creative or not. Our knowledge and understanding of mental illness still lags far behind our understanding of physical illnesses, and what we really need is much more research in this area."

The research is published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

In Pictures Singer Emmy Gee Shoots Video For ‘Rands & Nairas’ In SA

According to Emmy Gee's representatives, "The video was shot in Johannesburg by Nick of Molotov
Cocktail. It was a two days shoot, packed with loads of beautiful girls selected from across Africa.'

New pictures and a video teaser reveal that singer, Emmy Gee, has shot the music video for his trendy song, 'Rands And Nairas', which features Ab Crazy and Dj Dimplez.

According to Emmy Gee's representatives, "The video was shot in Johannesburg by Nick of Molotov Cocktail.

It was a two days shoot, packed with loads of beautiful girls selected from across Africa.'

There were cameo appearances from A-top (Teamtalkless Artist), Shizzi (HKN Producer and Member of Teamtalkless), Skuki, Dj Speedsta (South African Famous DJ), Buffallo Souljah (African Dancehall King),
DJ Snypes (Top DJ in South Africa and Nigeria).

The official video for Rands and Nairas premieres on MTV Base Spanking New on Monday 20 January, 2013 at 3pm (Nigerian time) / 4pm (South African time) and online
one hour later.

Emmy Gee was styled by SneakerBoy, while Ab Crazy and Dj Dimplez were styled by Sarah Langa.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Ultimatum Fergie Ordered To Quit Black Eyed Peas By Husband

Actor Josh Duhamel wants wife, Fergie to have solo career plus depart from Will.I.Am Fergie's husband/actor, Josh Duhamel has allegedly urged her to ditch the Black Eyed Peas for a solo career and take off Will.I.Am from her forthcoming second solo
album. This comes amidst claims that the singer is struggling with her self-esteem.

According to RadarOnline, "Josh is pushing hard for Fergie to make a much cleaner and clearer break from
The Black Eyed Peas so she can re-invent herself as a solo artist without the looming spectre of Will.I.Am
influencing every creative decision she makes.' The hunky actor is reportedly adamant he'll boost her confidence when she goes singly.

The 38 year old singer and mother of one [4 months old son, Axl], took a break from the Black Eyed Peas in
2006 to release The Duchess and is allegedly working on a follow up.

Fergie told In Touch Magazine recently: 'I'm still trying to find my footing and balance it all. I think all
new moms can relate to that.'

The source explained: "Josh is her biggest fan and he's getting a lot more assertive and interested in Fergie's business. She had recently told reporters that Will.i.Am would be handling the production of her second solo release, but it is now believed she is beginning to side with Josh.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Celeb Battle Singer Dencia And Writer Kola Boof At War

Nigerian-Cameroonian singer, Dencia and Ethiopian-American writer, Christian hater and gay activist, Kola Boof, are celebrities in their own rights and whenever they decide to take on themselves, it will surely make frontline news.

And this time, their Twitter war is getting messier and interesting at the same time. Dencia who recently
launch a skin whitening cream and has been marketing them all over the world, must have incurred Kola Boof's wrath when she replied to the
former mistress of terrorist, Osama Bin Laden's tweet about losing her identity by trying to be whiter than
an African.

This is what Dencia said via her Twitter handle: @IamDencia: "Dear Kola Delusional Boof, I'll take u
seriously when you can buy a strong bra 2 hold yo Saggy Ass titties. i ain't no Kimora @KolaBoof."That was when all hell broke loose. Ms. Boof saw Dencia's reply and since then, the controversial singer has been on the receiving end of some scathing,
mocking, derisive and abusive barrage of tweets from the American writer.

Here are some of them as we will keep updating them as they come.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Top Secret Rapper Phyno Puts Singer Rita Edmond In The Family Way

This is supposed to be a hush-hush affair but as it is, it has been blown open, because we hear from the grapevines that hot and talented rapper , Phyno, may soon be a
father.

If information gleaned from close sources is anything to go by, then he will soon father a child by up and coming singer, Rita Edmond, the pretty upstart who launched her career last year with the release of singles like ' Tic-Tok', 'Crazy About You' and 'Baby Boo'.

We hear that one of Rita's friends, had unknowingly, told another friend via a telephone conversation that Rita was carrying the rapper's baby and before she knew it, the official secret had been blown open.

Phyno who made waves last year with the release of his song, Man of The Year that won his several
accolades, we also gathered, is excited about the news that he is going to be a father and has been treating the babe to sumptuous holidays in exotic resorts in Dubai
and other places.

Though the said friend hinted that Rita had wanted to abort the baby so as to concentrate on her budding
career, Phyno is said to be keen on having the baby even though he has no plans to be tied down with marriage at the moment.

Those in the know say that Phyno and Rita have been in a secret relationship for years and that she was actually the one who had been helping the Enugu born rapper
financially when things were tough for him and that she is the one the rapper was always going to spend the nights with at a guest house in Lekki Phase 1, last year.

Well, we will have to wait to see if the rumour mills have got it right this time.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Jesus vs Yeezuz Kanye West Champions New Religion 'Yeezianity'

Kanye seem to compete with everyone; Jay Z, Nelson Mandela and now...God??

Yeezuz star Kanye West is allegedly now a 'god' of a new religion called 'Yeezianity'; less than 48 hours after
news broke that the rapper intents to sue the folks behind a digital currency called 'Coinye west." His novel religion is about people who believe "that the one who calls himself Yeezus is a divine being who has been sent by God to usher in a New Age of humanity," according to the official website.

Yeezianity was created about a month ago and the group's founder, who has chosen to remain anonymous claims the religion is real.
He spoke with Noisey (curtsy euroweb.com), "In a lot of ways, after I created it, I reflected on it and
thought that this was just a rehashing of Christianity, but just throwing Yeezus instead of Jesus," he explained to Noisey.

"And you know what? That's why I felt Kanye did it. He just put the name there. Jesus has all this baggage and all these connotations, and Yeezus is this new thing — and
that's why I say in the 'Our Savior' part of the site, 'We don't speak of his public persona.' Because Yeezus is
when Kanye elevates to that God-level, which I feel like we all have the potential to do. That's why if it takes
off, in the future, people would forget Kanye and his antics, and instead focus on what the message is."

In the same interview, the founder dished out the procedure to become a member and one simply has to
believe in a few key principles that the group calls the "5 Pillars":

1. All things created must be for the good of all.

2. No human being's right to express themselves must ever be repressed.

3. Money is unnecessary except as a means of exchange.

4. Man possesses the power to create everything he wants and needs.

5. All human suffering exists to stimulate the creative powers of Man.

Guys, what do you think? Question is, 'How does a 'god' get into so many bizarre situations all the time?'
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Posthumous Cash Michael Jackson Family Wins Millions From Llyod’s Of London

M.J is literally still making more money even in death. 17.5 million dollars ain't small mulla.

Michael Jackson's Estate just scored big over lawsuit filed by British company Lloyd's London who claimed it did not have to honor the policy it issued to cover losses
from the failed " This Is It" tour.

Lloyd's felt it had been deceived because no one ever disclosed Michael had serious drug problems.

According to TMZ, "Lloyd's of London has dropped its claim that it doesn't have to honor a huge insurance policy on grounds it was never told Michael Jackson was a drug addict ... and they've now agreed to a payout."

And payout means, the MJ Estate allegedly just got a whooping $17.5 million, which was the under the 'policy' agreement. But according to gossip site, TMZ, "it's not the full amount under the policy that was paid." But claim Lloyd has paid something to settle and the reason a
payout is so important is because Lloyd's essentially folded on its fraud claim.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Singer 9ice To Contest In 2015 General Elections

The Nigerian music star has announced plans to run for political office in 2015 specifically as a
House of Representatives member representing the Ogbomoso North Constituency in the National Assembly.

Nigerian singer, 9ice, is set to combine music and politics, as reports reaching Pulse.ng has it that
the artiste will be running for electoral position in the forthcoming general elections.

The Nigerian music star has announced plans to run for political office in 2015 specifically as a House of Representatives member representing the Ogbomoso North Constituency in the National Assembly.

9ice who has had difficulty reviving his musical career, might have thrown in the towel, capitalizing on his popularity in his home state to give himself, new lease of life.

9ice is not the first musician to tow this line. He joins a growing list of entertainers who have taken the dive into Nigerian music. Actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo, singer Tony One Week, actress Nkiru Sylvanus, and many
others have all actively participated at different levels of governance.

We will love to see how he will balance his music and political schedule. Wishing him the best of luck.
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

JoJo Is Free From Evil Old Label. Signs New Deal With Atlantic Records

After 7 years, singer JoJo owns her voice again departing from former record label, Background Records.

Get Out songster Joanna_Levesque aka JoJo can sing again! After spending 7 years under a dreadful contract with Background Records, she is again in fully control of her voice under Atlantic Records thanks to her incredible team of lawyers. The former label reportedly prevented the singer from releasing new projects after just two albums.

JoJo's nightmarish ordeal started after the release of her 2006 sophomore album, The High Road, when her former label ran into a few distribution hiccups that left the singer in limbo. Having signed a seven-album deal with the company at age 12 in 2004, JoJo ended up suing Blackground last year, citing a New York law that bars minors from signing deals lasting more than seven years, and stating that the contract should have expired in 2011.

According to LA Times, things went so bad that she wasn't even allowed to sing in movies [soundtracts]. In
November 2013, while attending the premiere of her new movie, G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend), she made the revelation: "I don't sing [in the movie]. I'm actually in a lawsuit right
now because I don't own my voice. It's a really — it's a pretty f**ked up situation, but I'm getting out of it"
Fortunately for the singer, her fans were loud and clear, on sites not to mention social media, and after ganging up a well efficient legal team, and fighting for her rights, she
has finally been released from that contract. The singer has now signed a new deal with Atlantic Records – home of Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars, Trey Songz, and B.O.B — and will be releasing her third album sometime
this year.

Someone shout Hallelujer!!!! Earlier today, the excited diva hopped on Instagram to thank her lawyers because they sure as hell did a great job : #FREEDJOJO @absatlantic Superb lawyering @DJD & litigation team #letsWORK #teamjojo #yourethefuckingbest According to NecholeBitchie, "despite the long battle and not being able to release any official music, JoJo remained on her grind, releasing two mixtapes in the span of two years, Can't Take That Away from Me (2010)
and Agápē (2012)."

Catch up on her talent: JoJo Covers SWV's 'Weak' & JoJo Covers Drake's Marvin's Room .

What do you think about a 'JoJo Comeback?'
www.benlatestnews.com

Read More

Celebrity Birthday AGN President Ibinabo Fiberesima Becomes A Year Older Today

This pretty mother of three, Ibinabo Fiberesima, has cause to be happy as she is a year older today.

The actress, who against all odds, became the first female national president of the Actors' Guild of
Nigeria (AGN), and the National Director of Miss Earth Beauty pageant, still has the looks of a teenage girl without blemish despite all she went through in the past after being jailed for manslaughter after her car hit and killed a Lagos doctor some years back.

Actor Fred Amata's baby mama » came out stronger and has shown that where there is a way, there is a will.

We wish her a very happy birthday.

www.benlatestnews.com

Read More