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Trump appoints foreign policy adviser Grenell as special missions envoy His style was appreciated by president-elect who sees value in blunt talk with allies Richard Grenell, a top advisor to US president-elect Donald Trump and former Acting Director of National Intelligence, speaks to the attendees of a Muslims and Bangladeshi Americans for Trump outreach event in Hamtramck, Michigan, US November 2, 2024. — Reuters WEST PALM BEACH, Fla: President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he’s picked longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell to serve as an envoy for special missions, tasking him with helping the incoming administration deal with some of the toughest foreign policy challenges, reported international media. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Grenell served as ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first administration, special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, and did a stint as acting director of national intelligence. He was also a contender to serve as secretary of state, but Trump opted to nominate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump said in a posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, announcing the appointment. Grenell during Trump’s first term developed a reputation for employing a sometimes contentious approach to diplomacy that rankled allies and the foreign policy establishment in Washington. But his style was appreciated by the president-elect who sees value in blunt talk with allies. Grenell remained close to Trump after he left office in 2021, serving at times as a key adviser on foreign policy. He was in the room when Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September. Grenell has advocated for a peace deal that would preserve Ukraine’s territory while still allowing for “autonomous regions” where Russia could remain in control. He’s also advised against expanding NATO to include Ukraine, saying — as Trump has — that the alliance shouldn’t grow until current members meet the alliance’s defense spending targets. Members of the transatlantic alliance have committed for years to spending 2% of their GDP on defence, but several countries still fall short of the target. He was an early supporter of Trump’s 2024 campaign and held multiple events for the Republican nominee focused on economics and national security. Speaking at the Republican National Convention, Grenell echoed Trump’s mantra that “it’s time to put America first” on the global stage and argued that China and Russia saw President Joe Biden’s administration as weak. Trump raised concerns among some allies during the 2024 campaign when he said he would not defend NATO members that failed to meet defense spending targets, and warned he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to alliance countries that he considered “delinquent”. Grenell has downplayed Trump’s criticisms of NATO and said the only talk of leaving the alliance altogether “was really from the media.” “What we’re saying is, don’t come to the wedding without a gift,” Grenell said. Grenell was part of the Trump campaign’s outreach to Arab American voters in Michigan, where the president-elect made gains with a traditionally Democratic constituency despite his history of banning immigration from several majority-Muslim countries. Grenell orchestrated pro-Trump events with Arab American voters, including a May meeting held in Troy, Michigan. A US spokesman at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration, Grenell, like many other Republicans, has his own history of criticizing Trump before embracing him. Once an adviser to GOP moderates like 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney and a supporter of gay marriage, Grenell, who is openly gay, deleted social media posts blasting Trump as “reckless” and “dangerous” once the former reality TV star became the Republican nominee in 2016. Trump also announced Saturday that he’s appointing Devin Nunes, the chief executive officer of the president-elect’s Truth Social platform, to head a presidential advisory board that will keep tabs on the US intelligence community. Nunes will continue leading Trump Media & Technology Group. Trump is the company’s largest shareholder. The former California lawmaker chaired the House Intelligence Committee and was one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress during the president-elect’s first term.Barbara Graham’s life and death received plenty of attention in the 1950s, but she is about to return to the spotlight, courtesy of a new book, “Trial by Ambush” by author and former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark . In 1953, a group of criminals used Graham to get a Burbank widow named Mabel Monahan to open her door so they could follow Graham in and rob her of a supposed stash of money. Things quickly went awry, and Monahan was killed. One of the men involved testified to the police but soon disappeared and was likely murdered by his colleagues; another took advantage of the situation and told the police a version of the story in which he tried to stop the violence and save the woman (in reality, he was likely the killer). SEE ALSO : Sign up for our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and more That man, Jack True, pinned much of the blame on Graham, who’d had a troubled life from almost the beginning but who had never committed a violent crime. While two other men were also tried and sent to their deaths for participating (True barely served time), all the headlines were reserved for Graham as the media tripped over themselves to convict this alleged ice-cold Jezebel in the press before the jury even had their say. But the police and prosecution weren’t taking any chances and they went after Graham with all available legal tools and some that were illegal – they hid evidence and witnesses, lied to judges and pressured a woman in prison to seduce Graham and then get her to hire a man (who actually worked for law enforcement) to provide a fake alibi. They used Graham’s willingness to go along with the scheme as evidence that she was guilty, distorting and lying about what really happened. After being vilified and then convicted, Graham was executed. But her image was partly rehabilitated a few years later when Susan Hayward won an Oscar for portraying her in the melodrama, “I Want to Live!” But while Graham’s story has been told over and over, Clark, who worked as a public defender before becoming a prosecutor, saw that the story of the trial – with the media sensationalism and misogyny as well as the police and prosecutors’ misogyny and misbehavior – had never been fully examined. Clark, who knows a thing or two about headline-grabbing trials as a prosecutor in the Simpson murder trial, saw a chance to “write something with current-day resonance in terms of the issues raised for society, the media and our criminal justice system.” Clark spoke by video recently about Graham and why her story still matters. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q. You’ve lived through the media circus. How much had it changed from this case to the O.J. Simpson trial and how much has it changed since? Is this still relevant today? We’re more aware of it but it’s still there. The media fell into lockstep, all of them vilifying Barbara as though they spoke with one voice, calling her a coldhearted evil temptress, which was incongruous given that she was a misdemeanor fringey player who had no violence in her background whatsoever. So even though I have thought, “Thank all the gods there was no Twitter, Instagram and TikTok when I was working on the O.J. case,” with social media and podcasters there would’ve been opposing points of view, which was especially true in Barbara’s case. The multiplicity of outlets today encourages dissenting voices. So there’s a plus to today’s craziness. Q. Based on the law at the time, Graham was likely guilty because she was at the scene of the crime. What do you make of the woman who swore under oath that Barbara was home fighting with her husband? I think the neighbor was being truthful in terms of what she believed had happened. She probably heard them fighting so many nights that it wasn’t very hard for her to be confused. The press covered this young woman in a wheelchair like she was an angel and the jury seemed to fall in love with her. Had Barbara not already been so screwed over by the ambush that occurred in the case, it might’ve won her the case. Q. So Graham went to her death because of a miscarriage of justice by the police and prosecutors. But she might have gone free with a mistaken alibi, which would also have been a miscarriage of justice. Is there a difference? That would have been less upsetting. It is a miscarriage of justice in the sense that Barbara should not be allowed to be completely acquitted. We have a felony murder rule and California is now in the process of refining our understanding of the liability that a defendant should have for being involved in a felony where a homicide occurs. Back in the day, if you were involved it doesn’t matter whether you meant to kill or not, even if it was an accident, everybody’s on the hook for murder. Nowadays, if you are the getaway driver or the lookout and didn’t furnish weapons or know people were armed then you couldn’t anticipate that a murder could happen. so you are liable for the felony but not the murder. I think that’s appropriate. The person should do some time but not be liable for murder. Barbara went to the house as the lure to get this elderly woman, Mabel Monahan, to open the door. Since she left her gun in her bag in the car, then you’d be able to argue under the modern law that she should only be responsible for the felony. Back then, the only defense she had was alibi. If you’re there, you’re done. Today, I would be arguing vigorously that she should not be held liable as a major participant who acted with reckless indifference. SEE ALSO : Nearly 66 years after a notorious killing spree, ‘Starkweather’ aims to find the truth Q. Why did you feel compelled to go after these long-dead prosecutors for their behavior, some of which was illegal but some which was legal although probably unethical? Reading those transcripts and the way that the case was handled made me so upset that I had to stand up and walk away multiple times. They hid evidence. I can easily imagine that there was a cowboy attitude in the DA’s office then, to get ’em at all costs, to put the notch in your belt. That’s why they went after Barbara as they did, because she was the jewel in the crown. You don’t get laurels for convicting the two thugs sitting next to her. So I think there is value in standing back to look at what we now see as malfeasance, but back then probably was accepted as the mission of the prosecutor. I also think it’s good to step back years later and look at what’s moral, what’s ethical. Prosecutors have enormous power. With this book, it’s like I’m holding up a big red flag saying, “Think about what you’re doing. You know what’s right.” Q. What do you hope people take away from the case? All of the malfeasance in this case was truly upsetting, but it could happen today. It does happen today. We really do need to be aware of that. We also need to be aware of confirmation bias and groupthink – the police need to stand back and look logically and rationally at what the evidence is and what the circumstances are of all players, and not be sucked into the hive mind. But so do the prosecutors because they are the next layer. The prosecutor has to be logical and rational about what the evidence does and does not show and not just go blindly forth. Look at what you’re not seeing, look for what is not there as well as what is there. The most important thing is to see both sides and search for the truth. More: On Dec. 20, Clark will appear on the free SCNG Premium Virtual Series “Bookish” discussing “Trial by Ambush.”

Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.Carbon Revolution Announces Receipt of Non-Compliance Letter from NasdaqWhat happens when 'The Simpsons' join 'Monday Night Football'? Find out during Bengals-Cowboys

Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.

Leaders of the Ruruma Community in Southern Kaduna State have called on the Federal Government to establish a military base in the community due to the hardship they have been through as a result of the insecurity in the state. This is even as they said that they have paid billions of Naira in ransom to kidnappers. The zone, like some parts of the country suffering from insecurity, had been dealing with the payment of ransom, killing, and inability to go to the farm and even harvest their crops for some time now. Recently, the Ruruma community, frustrated by the development, decided to voice out their concern and called on the authorities to come to their aid. According to a statement signed by their National President, Mr. Daniel Dallah, the community alleged that a staggering amount not less than N1 billion in ransom has been paid out to bandits and kidnappers by the communities in the last two years. They said in the recent past, not less than 13 people have been brutally killed, and over 200 abducted by kidnappers. “There has been a continued escalation of insecurity in our communities, leading to brutal killing and displacement of community members,” they said “A former CBN director was abducted in Kwasam where millions were paid as ransom. Also, communities like Fagen Rawa, Kaibi, Kusheka, Fadei, Ruruma, Rafin Rimi, Kurera, Kitimi, Kakude and Kiwollo are all displaced by bandits. “Bandits have rendered our communities incapacitated, as farmers are afraid to go to their farms for fear of being killed or kidnapped for ransom.” the statement said. Before now, the umbrella organization of all Southern Kaduna people, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) had also called for military assistance to the communities. Apart from military assistance, the last leadership of the union led by a one-time member of the House of Representatives, Jonathan Asake, had also contemplated the setting up of a security outfit like the one in the South West, Amotekun. The former SOKAPU National President had said: “As a peace-loving people, who do not want anything to happen to us and our desire to live in peace with all and sundry, irrespective of any difference, we are forced to look elsewhere for the protection of our people and we strongly believe that a security outfit such as Amotekun is an answer to our much-desired peace in Southern Kaduna.” Recently, the state Governor, Mallam Uba Sani, pardoned repentant Bandits, who had decided to lay down their arms and renounce banditry. The governor, who spoke in Birnin Gwari, where he received the first set of repentant bandits, noted that he wants to be fair as a panacea towards tackling insecurity in the state. “I will be fair to everyone, be they farmers, herders and traders, to achieve lasting peace and development,” Mr Sani stated. Sani added: ‘’Through numerous meetings and extensive discussions, we have built bridges of trust. Several senior bandit leaders had laid their arms and embraced peace, along with their followers. “This programme adheres to international standards of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, ensuring that these individuals can return to society as productive citizens,’’ he said. The governor warned that the rehabilitation of the repentant bandits was based on the principle of carrot and stick. “While we welcome those who chose peace, we will not hesitate to take decisive action against anyone, who continues to perpetuate violence. “The security, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have already achieved significant results, neutralising bandits’ kingpins, dismantling criminal networks and rescuing kidnapped victims,’’ the governor stressed. However, on how to end banditry and kidnapping in their area, the Ruruma community said what was needed was a military base to assist them dislodge the criminal elements. The community appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s administration to establish a military presence in Kwasam, its local government headquarters to halt escalating killings and abduction of their people by bandits. The National President stressed that establishing a military presence in the Kwasam area would not only bring stability to the region but also help restore normalcy in neighbouring vulnerable communities that have been displaced over the years. “The military formation in the Kwasam axis will enable the communities that have been displaced to return to their ancestral land as they have abandoned their farms and farm produce. Currently, our Chief, Alhaji Dauda Abdulsalam, the Pogom Kumana, for some years, has not been at home, due to escalating insecurity in the region. “Bandits have continued to occupy surrounding communities and farmlands unchallenged by security operatives.” He lamented. Also speaking on how to find solutions to the challenges, the Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) Kaduna State chapter, Luka Binniyat, said the people desire more military formations and presence in Southern Kaduna as a whole. However, he said that the formation of the Volunteers Citizens Guards, where youths from the Middle Belt will be trained to assist the military will be an added advantage. Comrade Binniyat told Sunday Telegraph: “We very much desire more military and police formations in Southern Kaduna, being the larger part of Kaduna State. Kaduna State has a landmass of about 46,000 sq.km with 23 LGAs. Southern Kaduna occupies 26,000 sq.km and has 12 LGs. Yet, 80 per cent of military formations in Kaduna State are in the northern part. So, we need more permanent military presence.” He, however, said the way forward is a very simple: “We have always maintained in the MBF. We have millions of able bodied youths that are educated, easy to train and imbued with basic security training. And most of them are very willing to assist the military as Volunteers Citizens Guards. Why not train them and give them rudimentary arms? “With their sheer numbers and under the command of professional soldiers, I bet you that we can wipe out these bandits under a month. Imagine the billions of dollars or trillion of Naira used in importing jets and sundry arms and the little results we are getting. Deploy a fraction of that into training and arming our idle and willing youths and see the results.” According to him:” It is the refusal of the government to heed to this simple suggestions that makes us doubt the political will of the government to end this evil.” He, however, said the volume of attacks has reduced in the recent past, unlike what opens years ago, adding that, “the mass invasion, mass killings and arson in Zangon Kataf, Kaura, Jemaa, Sanga and Kachia LGAs parts of the Middle in Southern Kaduna has reduced drastically by about 90 per cent. We praise the efforts of the Nigeria military on this. But that has been replaced by mass kidnappings, target individuals and random kidnapping by bandits.” Binniyat, who alleged that those attacking the Southern Kaduna part of the middle belt are “Fulani Ethnic Militia” (FEM) also alleged that apart from the violence, they have “placed taxes on some captured communities before they can farm and before they can harvest their crops.”

New Home Bargains store in Inverness is given the green lightUnion Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday promised that he would pursue the demand for establishing an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) either in Mandya or Mysuru region, with the Centre. “Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda fought for bringing the IIT to Hassan. Finally, the IIT was granted to the State and was set up in Dharwad. The demand for another IIT in the State will be taken up with the Centre,” the Union Minister said, while responding to a memorandum he received from Dinesh Gooli Gowda, MLC, for setting up an IIT near Krishnaraja Sagar in the district or in Mysuru region, at the valedictory function of the 87th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana here. “After fighting for over 15 years, the State was granted the IIT. I am with the people on the demand for another IIT,” he said. Mr. Kumaraswamy pointed out that he was also making serious efforts to bring industries to Mandya, Tumakuru, and the North Karnataka districts to generate employment for the local youth. If the State government cooperated with his Ministry, efforts would be made to establish industries in the region and provide jobs to the youth, who are facing unemployment, he said. Sammelana in Delhi He said the Kannada Sahitya Parishat can consider holding a Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in New Delhi. “Before KSP president Mahesh Joshi demits office, the sammelana can be organised in Delhi,” Mr. Kumaraswamy felt. The Union Minister said he was making sincere efforts to revive Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Ltd. (VISL) and the watch manufacturing company Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) after he took over the Ministry in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. A sum of ₹15,000 crore was essential for reviving VISL and HMT. The process of their revival was under way, he added. Published - December 22, 2024 08:39 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit