Ambode Constitutes Christian Pilgrims Board

 
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday constituted the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board with a charge on them to discharge their duties without fear or favour.
The governor in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the six-man membership Board is expected to coordinate intending pilgrims from Lagos to this year’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The Board has Bishop Sola Ore as its chairman with Ms. Jibike Babatunde, Mrs. Arin Ajose and Pastor Laja Diele as members.
Other members of the Board include Mr. Tunde Temionu and Mr. Thomas Adefolusho Adekoya.
The Governor in the statement also urged the Board to ensure a hitch free exercise and adequate welfare for the state pilgrims in the Holy Land.

Incessant Hajj Tragedies: The Urgent Need For Muslim World To Take Over Operation

Let the piece of this week start with the heart – felt condolence to the entire Muslim world and the actual families affected by the loss of our dear sisters and brothers, – the honourable guests of Allah – who lost their lives in the sincere service of the Most High!
A lot has been said and written on the unfortunate 9/11th crane collapse and the subsequent stampede that killed the only Allah knows number of pilgrims. With the read contrasting versions between the Saudi kingdom and international stakeholders including victims in the incident, most important thing is the measure to take to avert recurrence, and this is the focus of the discourse this week.
ENDLESS PRAYERS TO THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGEDY
Based on the earlier statistics made available by the Saudi authorities, the figures of the loss was disclosed as; Iran: 131, Morocco: 87, Nigeria: 35, India: 14, Pakistan: 7, Algeria: 3, Indonesia: 3 and Netherlands: 1. The earlier 9/11th crane collapse has claimed 111 lives and 331 injured. Our continuous sympathy to the families of those affected by the tragedy and prayers to Allah to accept them as martyrs and give the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
In Nigeria, we lost prominent personalities like Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf, mni, and Professor Tijjani El-Miskin. A veteran journalist, freedom fighter and human rights activist, Hajiya has immensely contributed in a multi – faceted dimension in the socio – economic development of our society and the world at large. I can recall her excellent presentation on the Zionist atrocities in Palestine at the Arewa house – Kaduna, in 2008. The programme was organised by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria on the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Palestine.
Similarly, she has attended the recent (July), first annual conference on the 2014 Quds day massacre in Abuja. Her write up on Al – Quds day For Palestinians and Martyrs was very exciting and enlightening.
We have also shared a number of functions with the late Professor El-Miskin as a prominent Islamic scholar. Our last meeting was in Kaduna when he paid a condolence visit to the family of a brother.
Consequent to the sad event, Muslim leaders, organisations and individuals all over the world expressed their views. Some of the few captured from both print and mass media include the following;
SAYYID ALI KHAMNE’I: THE LEADER OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION, IRAN
The full text of Grand Ayatollah, Sayyid Ali Khamne’i following the Mina tragedy killing hundreds of pilgrims including 141 Iranians as translated into English, 24th September, 2015.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. “To Allah we belong, and to Him we return” Qur’an 2:156
The today’s catastrophic event in Mina, during which a large number of Gods guests and believers who had migrated towards God from different countries lost their lives, caused great sorrow in the world of Islam and turned their Eid (celebration) into mourning. In our dear country too, tens of families, who were eagerly waiting for their dear ones to return from their Hajj pilgrimage, are now mourning for them.
With a sorrow – stricken heart and sympathy of this grievous event – to the immaculate soul of the Great Messenger (God’s greetings be upon him and his household), to the holy presence of God’s Wali, the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him), who is the principal mourner of this tragedy, to all the families of the deceased and to all mourners throughout the world of Islam particularly in dear Iran.
I ask God the Forgiving, the Merciful and the Rewarding to bestow His special mercy on these honorable guests of His and to help, with His kindness, the injured to recover as soon as possible.
I would like to point out the following matters;

1. My representatives and the Hajj organisations should continue their strenuous effort – as they did throughout today to identify the deceased, to cure the injured, to return them back to the country, and to provide the public with information on this regard as quickly as possible. And all people who can help them in this effort should do so.
2. They should also extend their help to pilgrims from other countries in whatever ways they can and they should fulfill their brotherly and Islamic obligation towards them.
3. The Saudi government should accept its heavy responsibility in this bitter event and it should meet its obligations based on the principles of truth and fairness. The mismanagement and improper measures that caused this catastrophe should not be overlooked.
4. By Allah’s favour, those who lost their lives in this event are among those mentioned in this enlightened Qur’anic verse “He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth many a refuge, wide and spacious. Should he die as a refugee from home for Allah and His Messenger, his reward becomes due and sure with Allah” Qur’an, 3:100.

This is a great comfort for the families of the deceased. They rushed towards the worshipped, after doing Tawaf, endeavoring in the way of God and spending the blessed hours of Arafat and Mash’ar and while performing Hajj rituals. For this reason, they will benefit from the One’s grace and mercy.
With my condolences once again to the mourners, I declare three days of national mourning in the country.
Greetings be upon Allah’s righteous servants.
Sayyid Ali Khamne’i.
EMIR OF KANO AND AMEERUL HAJJ, – NIGERIA
The emir has strongly disputed claims by Saudi authorities that Africans were largely responsible for the stampede. “we are therefore urging the Saudi authorities not to apportion blames for pilgrims for not obeying instruction. He said pilgrims who complete the ritual should not cross those who are approaching the holy site. They should not cross each other”
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI
After extending his sincerest condolence through his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the president has urged the king Salman to ensure a comprehensive and thorough exercise that would identify any flaws in Hajj organisation with a view to avoiding a recurrence of such tragedies during the annual pilgrimage”
SHEIKH IBRAHEEM ZAKZAKY
In a response to a question on the Thursday’s tragedy, the leader of the Islamic movement said the management of the hajj, the two holy mosques and other sanctuaries in Saudi Arabia are responsibilities of the Muslim world, and not the exclusive preserve of the Al-Saud royal family. In a similar statement during a condolence visit to late Hajiya Bilkisu’s family, the sheikh said the city of Makkah is home to every Muslim and whatever therein belongs to all Muslims. Muslims of all nations should be involved in the management of the hajj operations for effective coordination, welfare and safety of pilgrims.
EMIR OF ARGUNGU, AMIRUL HAJJ OF KEBBI STATE
“….. we were walking up to around 10:30 am when we stumbled. In front of us, about 50 – 100 metres, we sighted Saudi security officers barricaded the road. That was how everybody stumbled. Those at the back were not aware that the front was no longer moving, and those at the front were stopped by the Saudi security.
On the solution to the frequent problem, the emir said “ I think all the countries need to be part of the Hajj operation, because these people only think the hajj is for them alone, they arrange it the way they like. If all the Muslim countries would have a stake in the way the hajj preparation and the security arrangement are done, I think that will help”
BALA MUHAMMAD, A COLUMNIST.
“…..though this may not be the time for apportioning blames, there are a lot of blames to apportion. There are many questions that need answers. A certain Saudi prince has been reported to have blamed Africans for the tragedy. It may be true; but another report says some princes claimed royal right of way and had the poor pilgrims’ road blocked. Wallahu Aalam – only Allah knows, but we must also be made to know”.
IMAM KHOMEINI OF BLESSED MEMORY
With greater concern and spiritual foresight, the late Imam insisted on the need for the Muslim world to be responsible for the management of the holy sites and the conduct and control of the entire Hajj rite. He has observed the need for a better and more scientific means to handle the ever capacity expanding affair irrespective of the huge revenue generated by the kingdom and fluctuating nature of petroleum market. Devising a better means of resources as observed by the Imam is very inevitable, as every Muslim will be happy to send his or her donation to that cause weather opportuned to perform Hajj or not.
INVESTIGATING THE UNFORTUNATE TRAGEDY
The need for a thorough investigation for a decisive action cannot be overemphasized. The question is who will do the investigation to the confidence of Muslim world? The tragedy has become frequent and there was strong allegation that a Saudi prince, his military and police convoy were responsible for painful incident.
Many people misinterpret such unfortunate event as destiny. Even if it was, that does not exonerate anyone responsible. The national hajj commission, Nigeria has already demanded Saudi Arabian authorities to include Nigeria and other countries whose citizens were involved in the prove. The Saudi authorities should know that only such an independent and united investigation will be meaningful and acceptable to the Muslim world.
Wassalamu alaikum

Angry Mob Lynch Naval Officers Over Causing Death Of Truck Conductor In Kirikiri

- Kirikiri area of Lagos, was yesterday, thrown into pandemonium, following attempt by a mob to lynch some naval personnel whom they accused causing of the death of a conductor attached to a truck driver. 
The deceased was reportedly crushed by the  truck he was attached to, while the driver, Ibrahim Salima, was reportedly  running away from   naval personnel stationed at the Kirikiri bridge, by Tokunbo car park road,  to control the perennial gridlock.
There were, however, different accounts to how the tragedy happened. A version of the account, alleged that naval personnel stationed there usually collect N500 from truck drivers who wait on the queue to get petroleum products from jetties, daily.

How truck conductor died
However at about 9am yesterday, Salisu  was said to have refused to part with the amount, an action that was taken as affront by the naval ratings. One of them was said to have chased the moving  truck, in the process of which he allegedly dragged the motor boy, identified as Abass Kasali,  out.
Unfortunately, Kasali   reportedly fell right under the truck and was crushed by the moving truck.
Another version of the account, said when the truck driver sighted the naval rating approaching, he reportedly jumped into the truck  started the ignition, with a view to vacate the illegal parking spot.  In the process, the conductor followed suit, but reportedly missed his steps and fell right under the truck, causing the tyres to run over him.
A  third  version also  had it that the truck had a break failure and in the driver’s bid to control it, it rammed into a commercial motorcyclist, killing him on the spot.
The incident reportedly sparked off a protest, as an angry mob reportedly descended on the  naval rating. Some of his colleagues who were on their way to work reportedly stopped to rescue him from the angry mob. But they were reportedly overpowered.
It took the combined efforts of armed military men,  including the Police to quell the situation.
Eye witnesses said: “The man was sitting down here (pointing to a position) when the tanker driver approached him to come and work with him, explaining  that his real motor boy was ill. It was not up to two hours that we saw him struggling with a known naval personnel who usually comes around to collect N500 from all tanker drivers. By  this time, the driver had  veered off his lane  in a bid to move. In  the process,  he hit a  car with the  number plate BX 941 ABC  and  a motorcycle with plate number KSF342 QE.
“Along the line, the rating succeeded in dragging the motor boy down from the truck. Unfortunately, he fell and had his head crushed by the tyres of the  truck and died  instantly.
“A mob held the naval personnel hostage and locked him inside a shop until the arrival of his colleagues who came and rescued him.  Tanker drivers and their conductors  started protesting the death of their member. But the Navy condoned off all routes leading to their barracks and shot sporadically to wade off the  protesters.”
When Vanguard arrived the scene, blood stained as well as particles suspected to be  the deceased’s skull were sighted on the spot.  The incident  worsened the traffic situation in the area, as vehicles remained stand still position  for the better part of the day.
However, when this reporter attempted to take shots of the scene, some men in plain clothes who identified themselves as naval personnel apprehended this reporter. Her phone was seized, as she was whisked into a waiting van, to a place where some uniformed naval personnel were, with threat from some of them to beat her up. It took the intervention of some officers of the ranks of Lieutenants to free this reporter from the the ratings.
Petroleum tanker drivers react
National spokesman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers,PTD branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG,  Adebayo  Akande said, the deceased  was yet to be identified at the time of filing this report.
Akange also said the group had got in touch with the Naval Base in Satellite Town, noting that  investigation into the cause of the death of the conductor  was still  ongoing.
“The Navy has  also commenced its own investigation and both groups will compare notes at the end of the exercise,” Akanga said,  informing that the outcome of the investigation would determine the association’s next line of action.
Naval sources speak
Efforts to reach the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS WEY, whose jurisdiction controls the point, failed as he was not in the office when Vanguard called. But Naval sources debunked allegation that the ratings were extorting money from tanker drivers. Rather sources stated that the Ratings were stationed there to control the flow of traffic.
Naval sources said: “The Navy is not responsible for the death of the conductor as alleged. And  the Navy does not collect dues from tanker drivers. The dues  is between the tanker drivers and the  designated union Task Force.
“When the incident happened, our men were held hostage by a mob and in the process, they sustained injuries. Even when a reinforcement went for their rescue, stones were hauled at them, with the mob threatening to kill at least one of our men.  What we did was to fire warning shots into the air to disperse them and nobody died as a result of the bullets fired.
“The area is calm now. Driver of the truck , Ibrahim Salima,  has been arrested by the Police. We did not lose any of our personnel as widely rumoured. The Commanders NNS Beecroft and NNS WEY were at the scene to get on the spot information.”

UNESCO Reveals That 65 Million Nigerians Are Still Illiterate

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has disclosed that about 65 million Nigerians are still illiterate.

National Programme Advisor on Education, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Dr. Mohammed Alkali made this disclosure during an advocacy visit to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Kastina State.

Alkai said people could be lifted out of poverty if they were empowered with basic reading skills, adding, “just nine months of literacy increases a person’s earning by up to 10 per cent.”

He, however, pointed out that the non-formal education sector had suffered from very low funding and urged political leaders to develop the political will to fulfill their mandates by recruiting and paying UNESCO-trained facilitators.

He also revealed that UNESCO in collaboration with the National Mass Education Commission (NMEC) had embarked on a project to revitalise adult and youth literacy with the target of reducing Nigerian illiteracy rate by between five to six million youths and adults.

Dr. Alkali stated that the project was developed with “strategic partnerships initiatives sharing responsibilities between UNESCO, Federal Government, states and local government areas to achieve the target results.

D’Tigress Shoot Down Algeria, Berths In Q’Final

Nigeria’s D’Tigress berthed in the quarter-final of the Afrobasket 2015 tournament on-going in Yaounde, Cameroon, after they defeated their Algerian counterparts 79-49 in their last group game.
Algeria showed some spirit through Sarah Nemmouchi, after trailing the West Africans in the opening quarter, rallying to an 18-16 lead, before surrendering the first half 30-21, thanks to Olayinka Sanni’s hard work.
In the second quarter, Nemmouchi came good for her team, but the Algerians could not keep the momentum going for long.
Algeria’s marauding play threatened to expose Nigeria’s perimeter defence as they reaped 15 points from the quarter, but the West Africans regrouped in time to clinch their fourth straight win.
As the team heads into the quarter final, with just a loss against Angola four days ago, Coach Scott Nnaji heads into the last eight with a four-game winning streak.

SHOCKING: Kunle Mamowora Popularly Known As Mammok Shot Dead In Oshodi

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) to a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya with the moniker, MC OLUOMO, Kunle Mamowora popularly known as Mammok has been shot dead, source reports.

Kunle was shot by thugs believed to be from a rival political group on Wednesday, September 30, 2015, by a mosque  three houses away from his father’s house at 52, Mosaku Street, Oshodi, Lagos. Shortly after he was murdered by the unknown gunmen in his Honda End of Discussion (EOD) model car, the gunment shot sporadically into the air, and the entire area was engulfed by palpable fear.

Mammok as he is fondly called is  a step-brother of a former Lagos Speaker and one time Senator,  Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora.  There are speculations Mammok, a loyal aide to charismatic MC Oluomo, lost his life to an intense power play over who controls the highly lucrative transport union and calls the shot in the politics.

Mammok,  a graduate of Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, featured prominently in the BBC documentary ‘Law and Disorder in Lagos’ shot in 2011 by investigative reporter, Louis Theroux in his search for who wields power  in Lagos. Mammok had also once being an aide to  a former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

Muslim Rights Commision Urges CBN and FG To Inscribe Arabi Ajami Script On Naira Notes

As Nigeria celebrate her 55th Independence anniversary on Thursday, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has called on the Federal Government to immediately return the Arabic Ajami script removed from the nation’s naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
MURIC Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, made the call on Wednesday in his independence anniversary message to felicitate with the government and Nigerians.
“We call for the reinstatement of the Arabic Ajami which was removed from the naira by the last administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan after subterranean pressure from some unpatriotic religious leaders. Nigerian Muslims regard the removal as an act of hostility taken to spite Muslims. We consider it as a step taken to satisfy a section of Christians who had been secretly agitating for the removal of Arabic graphics from some official emblems used in Nigeria.
“We see the removal of Arabic from the naira as absolutely unnecessary and an action taken by Jonathan to spite Nigerian Muslims. We hereby state without any fear of contradiction that the use of Arabic as part of the graphics on our emblems does not in any way portray the imposition of Islam or its landmarks on Nigerians. This is so because Arabic stands parri pasu with English graphics wherever the former is used. “English graphics represent Westo-Christian civilisation while Arabic graphics symbolise Islamic culture. Those who insist that Arabic must be removed from our emblems nurse an agenda of domination by elimination”, Akintola said.
The MURIC boss argued that whoever insists on the removal of Arabic Anjami from the naira and from other emblems must accept the equal removal of English graphics from the same materials, adding that after all English is the language of the Bible as it is known in Nigeria and it is on the nation’s naira and all other emblems.
He added: “By the way, apart from massaging the ego of Goodluck Jonathan and satisfying the narrow interest of Muslim-haters, what has Nigeria gained from removing Arabic from the naira? We appeal to the Federal Government to redress this wrong”.
But majority of secular oriented Nigerians it is better to leave all written words on the Naira notes to be as it is now, because Nigeria is a secular state not a religious state.

Cruel Elephant Rides on the Rise in Africa

Tourist attractions that offer rides on the backs of captive elephants are cruel and dangerous for the animals, a conservation group has alleged, and in Africa, they’re on the rise.

These types of operations have long existed in Asia and started appearing in Southern Africa about 25 years ago. An investigation by World Animal Protection found 39 elephant tourism sites are now online in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, and one or two new venues are opening every year.

Some of the sites offer photo ops, while many make their elephants perform. At least 25 venues offer elephant rides, the report found.

WAP interviewed handlers at the facilities earlier this year and found that they use a variety of techniques to break the elephants’ will. The animals are typically restrained with ropes or chains and beaten or prodded with metal bull hooks, wooden poles, and whips.

The cruel techniques, the group says, are often inflicted on young elephants recently removed from their mothers and can leave emotional scars equivalent to post-traumatic stress disorder in humans. The investigation also found that open, bloody wounds on the elephants’ skin were common.
Even with international laws designed to protect elephants—mostly aimed at stopping the poaching crisis that kills an estimated 96 elephants a day—these practices are all pretty much legal.
“Each country involved has national and local laws that currently allow these activities,” said David Olson, WAP’s wildlife programs manager in Nairobi, Kenya. “South Africa does have animal cruelty laws that are rarely enforced, though the National Council of [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] has brought cruelty charges against two elephant venues.”
Olson estimates the $100 rides and elephant-centered activities generate about $20 million every year for the facilities, which attract 200,000 to 300,000 tourists annually.
The parks could be doing more than harming their animals. WAP fears the need to bring in new, younger elephants puts the animals at risk in the wild.
“It’s been confirmed that 24 young elephants were also recently sold and exported by the Zimbabwean government to Chimelong Safari Park in China,” Olson said. “They will suffer a life of abuse performing in shows and giving rides.” A similar fate may be in store for young elephants whose mothers are killed for the ivory trade, with poachers selling the orphans to tourist facilities.
Tourists visiting the region are likely unaware of these behind-the-scenes workings and are simply looking for a unique experience. “People do not widely know that elephants are taken from the wild for these facilities,” Olson said.
Seeing elephants performing tricks may lead people to mistakenly believe that the animals are doing well in the wild. Research a few years ago found that people who saw seemingly happy chimpanzees performing in commercials did not understand that the species was at risk.

WAP has been working with the tourism industry in Asia to stop promoting elephant rides. Now it hopes to do the same in Africa by getting operators to sign an elephant-friendly tourism pledge. It also encourages tourists visiting Africa to avoid these facilities and, if they still want to see elephants, sign up for ethical safari expeditions where they can see the magnificent animals where they belong: in the wild.

Trump and Carson's attacks on Muslims worry some GOP elders

WASHINGTON (AP) — The candidates atop the GOP presidential field are ramping up political attacks aimed at Muslims, a move designed to appeal to hardline conservatives. But party elders worry that escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric could cost Republicans the White House in 2016.

The aggressive words, in particular from front-runners Donald Trump and Ben Carson, have exacerbated a widening rift between the GOP's pragmatic and ideological wings as the party tries to avoid losing a third consecutive presidential election.

His relationship with the nation's Hispanic community already strained, Trump vowed on Wednesday to deport any Syrian refugee taken in by the U.S. Most likely would be Muslim, and Trump warned they could be Islamic State militants in disguise.

"If I win, they're going back," the billionaire businessman said.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, launched a petition on Thursday challenging the nation's largest Muslim advocacy group's tax-exempt status, escalating his ongoing rift with the U.S. Muslim community.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations last month called for Carson to quit the presidential race after he said a Muslim should not serve as president. He has since clarified his position, stating he wouldn't support a radical Muslim who did not support the Constitution. And in a Thursday radio interview, Carson said the same standard should apply to a Supreme Court justice.
He said Islam is "a lifestyle" that he'd "need to know about" before making an appointment to the nation's highest court.
"If I were the one nominating such a person, I would spend a good deal of time looking at their background and seeing if it is consistent with the kinds of standards that we expect from such a position," Carson told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, adding that a nominee would have to publicly reject Islamic law.
There are currently no Supreme Court vacancies and no presidential candidates adhere to Muslim law, although some conservatives have repeatedly tried to link President Barack Obama to Islam. He is a Christian.
Carson's fortunes have surged since he first said he wouldn't support a Muslim president. He raised roughly $700,000 and added more than 100,000 Facebook friends in the 36 hours after making the comment, said campaign manager Barry Bennett.
The focus on Islam comes as Republicans work to repair a strained relationship with the nation's surging Hispanic population, a critical voting bloc in presidential elections. The U.S. Muslim population is a fraction of the size of the Hispanic community, yet the party's overall tone could complicate broader outreach efforts.
Political observers in both parties agree, among them, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney. More than anything, he said of his lessons from his failed campaign, is that Republicans must do a better job at connecting with minority voters.
"I think it's been unfortunate that some of the rhetoric has so clouded the picture that some people think we're anti-immigrant. Nothing could be further from the truth," Romney said, prompting audible laughs of disbelief from the crowd gathered at a Washington conference on Wednesday.
"Hey guys. My party is pro-legal immigration. Massively," Romney pleaded and later added, "The rhetoric has been terribly unfortunate in many respects."
Foreign policy analyst Rula Jebreal cited a sharp shift in the GOP's present-day tone compared to 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain and former President George W. Bush, who visited a mosque shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to demonstrate religious tolerance.
"Islamophobia is now an industry," Jebreal said. "In the long run it will hurt the Republican Party and it will hurt the country in general."
Yet there is some evidence that anti-Muslim rhetoric resonates with voters in both parties. A June Gallup poll found that 54 percent of Republicans would not vote for a well-qualified Muslim nominee from their own party; 39 percent of independents and 27 percent of Democrats said the same.
The U.S. Muslim population is growing, according to a May survey by the Pew Research Center, which found the group remains extremely small, representing just under 1 percent of the U.S. population.
Meanwhile, some Republican presidential candidates have adopted a softer tone.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whom conservatives have been slow to embrace, said Trump should show "some sensitivity" to the Syrian refugee crisis.
"We have an obligation to make sure that people coming here are legitimate, but send them all back? To a hellhole?" Bush said Wednesday.
Democrats are trying to capitalize, with 2016 front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton casting Trump as the poster boy for the Republican Party and someone who has been "trafficking in prejudice and paranoia." She criticized his comments about Syrian refugees following a campaign stop in Massachusetts.
"I don't know what country he thinks he's living in," Clinton said Thursday in an interview with WHDH-TV in Boston. "We have a long and proud tradition of accepting refugees from conflict."
Meanwhile, Romney downplayed Trump's chances in 2016.
"I will support the Republican nominee. I don't think that's going to be Donald Trump," Romney charged.

Trump fired back Thursday, writing on Twitter that Romney let his party down in 2012. "Should've won," Trump tweeted. "He choked!"

Teen Confesses to Stabbing His Pregnant Mom More than 20 Times, Say Police

A 14-year-old boy who was charged earlier this week with killing his pregnant mother has confessed to the crime, investigators said on Thursday.

Read: 14-Year-Old Son Charged With Murdering His Pregnant Mother at Their Home

The teen said he stabbed and strangled his mom, 33-year-old Nita Moseley, more than 20 times when he attacked her at their home outside Houston, according to The Associated Press.

An autopsy performed on Wednesday showed that most of the stab wounds were to her back and neck. She was about five months pregnant.

"The son did provide a voluntary statement in which he confessed to causing the death of his mother,” investigators said in a statement, although they didn’t indicated a motive.

Child welfare authorities said the boy and a younger sibling had been removed twice from her custody because of her substance abuse and her partner's domestic violence.
The teenager's father also defended him to local reporters after Moseley's death, calling him "a good kid who was dealt a bad deck of cards."
The unidentified man told KPRC: "This is a story that will let people know that families need to stick together. When they don't, this is the kind of thing that takes place."
Read: Newborn With Umbilical Cord Still Attached Is Found Dead Behind Apartment Building

The boy was charged with a juvenile count of murder and is currently being held at a juvenile detention facility.

He was initially reported missing, but was discovered a day later in Houston when a member of his family called police.

Afghan security forces try to flush out Taliban from Kunduz

Afghan security forces were hunting the remnants of a Taliban insurgency in Kunduz on Friday, going from house to house after days of clashes with the militants who briefly captured the city in a rapid strike.

Officials said they were in control of the northern provincial capital hours after a US military transport plane crashed in the east of the country, killing 11 people including six US soldiers.

The Taliban claimed to have shot the C-130 Hercules down near Jalalabad, however, US Major Tony Wickman told AFP: "With a high degree of confidence I can say that an enemy attack did not contribute to the crash. It is under investigation."

The Taliban's offensive in Kunduz, their biggest tactical success since 2001, marks a blow for Afghanistan's NATO-trained forces, who have largely been fighting on their own since December.
Officials said Friday that Afghan forces had secured the city after days of fierce clashes with the insurgents clouded by confusing and contradictory claims by the government and the Taliban over who was in control.
"Today our security forces are deployed all over Kunduz," provincial police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told AFP. "We are searching the lanes of the city and residential houses looking for Taliban militants... We will target and kill them."

View gallery

Afghan military personnel stand guard near the airport during fighting between Taliban militants and …

The city was under the control of Afghan forces, he said, including at the government offices and police headquarters.
Residents told AFP Friday morning that the fighting appeared to have ceased.
"You don't see anyone in the streets, the shops are closed, and there is no fighting between the Taliban and government forces," Zabihullah, a Kunduz resident who goes by one name, told AFP.
Some people injured during the fighting are too afraid of Taliban attack to leave their homes and go to hospital, he said, adding that food is short and there is no electricity.
Shahir, another resident who goes by one name, also told AFP there were no sounds of gunfire or explosions in the city Friday morning.

View gallery

A US drone aircraft lands at Afghanistan's Jalalabad Airport where a US C-130 military transport …

However, he added: "We can not move from our houses and walk in the streets because the Taliban have taken positions in tall buildings, they are firing on everyone, civilians and military."
Late Thursday residents had said fierce gun battles and explosions were still echoing in parts of the city, and the streets were littered with Taliban bodies and charred and mangled vehicles.
- 'Hit list' -
Amnesty International on Thursday condemned the insurgents' "reign of terror" in Kunduz, citing civilian testimonies of mass murder, gang rapes and house-to-house searches by militant death squads.
The report, which cited rights activists, claimed militants had a "hit list" and were using young boys to help conduct house-to-house searches to track down their targets, especially women.

View gallery

Afghan military personnel walk near the airport during fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan …

Precise losses in the fighting are not known, but around 60 people have been killed and 400 injured in the fighting in the province, health ministry official Wahidullah Mayar said on Twitter.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday it had received 37 bodies at its trauma centre in Kunduz.
It was treating 345 wounded, 59 of whom were children, while 89 patients had arrived in critical condition.
- Opening gambit? -
The fall of Kunduz showcased the stubborn insurgency's potential to expand beyond its rural strongholds in the south of the country.
Concerns are now mounting that the Taliban's success in Kunduz, even if temporary, was merely the opening gambit in a new, bolder strategy.

It is also seen as a game-changer for the fractious militant movement that has been dogged by a leadership crisis since the announcement in July of founder Mullah Omar's death, with analysts calling it a boost for new Taliban chief Mullah Mansour.

The renewed energy of the Taliban offensive has also undermined support for President Ashraf Ghani, and raised questions about Washington's plan to withdraw most US troops from Afghanistan next year.
Most NATO combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year but a small contingent focused on training and counter-terrorism operations remains, including roughly 10,000 American soldiers.
NATO said the other five people aboard killed in the C-130 crash were contractors working for "Resolute Support", the NATO-led training mission.
The C-130 Hercules is a cargo plane used extensively by the military to ship troops and heavy gear.

Jalalabad is situated on a key route from the Pakistani border region -- where many militants are based -- to Kabul, and it has been the scene of repeated attacks in recent years.

Israel army launches manhunt after couple killed

Beit Furik (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israel deployed hundreds of troops on Friday in a hunt for suspected Palestinian gunmen after an Israeli couple were killed in front of their children in the occupied West Bank.

Eitam and Naama Henkin, both in their 30s, were gunned down while driving on Thursday night between the settlements of Itamar and Elon More, in the north of the Palestinian territory.

Their four children, aged between four months and nine years, were found unharmed in the back of the car.

Israeli army spokesman Arye Shalicar said security forces were conducting an "intensive search" on the ground combined with intelligence efforts.

The Henkins were residents of the central West Bank settlement Neria, northwest of Ramallah. They were to be buried in Jerusalem's Har Hamenuhot cemetary at 0800 GMT on Friday.

In the Palestinian village of Beitillu, a short distance from Neria, assailants torched a car and spray-painted "Revenge Henkin" on a nearby wall, the army said on Friday, noting that nobody was hurt.

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The shooting came just hours after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offered in a speech at  …

Apprehensive of rising tensions among settlers and Palestinians, the army said it would be deploying "four battalions in order to prevent an escalation of violence in the area adjacent to the location of the attack."

Thursday's shooting came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the United Nations General Assembly, and a day after that of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who said that Israel's refusal to release prisoners and stop settlement activity was hampering fresh peace talks.

Netanyahu condemned the killings, which he called "the effects of Palestinian incitement," vowing security services would work to "capture the murderers and improve security for all Israeli citizens."
- 'Crimes of the Zionists' -
Tensions have been running high between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.

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A member of the Palestine delegation listens as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks duri …

The site of Thursday's shooting was near the Palestinian village Beit Furik, where a Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces during clashes last month.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said security forces would "spare no efforts to arrest the killers and their sponsors".
The Palestinian militant group Hamas for its part hailed those behind Thursday's deadly attack, while not taking responsibility for it.
"This operation was in response to the crimes of the Zionists," it said in a statement.
Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War in a move never recognised by the international community.
Hardline Jewish nationalists see the entire West Bank as part of Israel, which refers to the territory as Judea and Samaria, the names for the ancient biblical kingdoms located there.

The last killing of an Israeli in the West Bank happened on June 29 when a settler died and three others in a car with him were wounded.

On July 31, suspected Jewish extremists firebombed a Palestinian home in the village of Duma that killed toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha and his parents.

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