Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Holocaust survivors say the anniversary is a time not for celebration but for grappling with loss and sadness. Pavithra George reports.

…read more      

Japan calls for the immediate release of a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State, after an audio recording claims a fellow Japanese captive has been executed. Justin Mitchell reports.

…read more      

Defence Minister Edgar Lungu wins Zambia’s presidential election for the governing Patriotic Front with 48.3% of the vote. …read more      

Thousands of Palestinians march in the streets of West Bank cities of Ramallah and Hebron in protest against Charlie Hebdo’s Mohammad cartoon. Pavithra George reports.

…read more      

Violence and indiscriminate shooting by unidentified gunmen marred a political campaign rally of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Okrika in Rivers State on Saturday.

The campaign ground was being set up when the gunmen arrived at the venue.

The attack came barely three weeks after a similar attack on an earlier rally.

Eyewitness said the gunmen came to the event ground with explosive devices and guns, shooting sporadically and disrupting the process, as those setting up the stage had to run for safety.

According to the eyewitness, youths numbering over 20 were seen shooting into the arena at about 3:45am sending shock waves across the area.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Dan Bature, confirmed the incidence at a press briefing in Port Harcourt.

“This incident has heightened tension and from our assessment of the situation has the capability of degenerating to a situation where the protection of lives and property would be threatened.

“Consequently, the command has advised the All progressives Congress to reschedule the really for another dare, where better arrangement can be put in place.

“All political parties are hereby warned to adhere strictly to the code of conduct guiding political activities in the state,” Mr Bature said.

He said that the police had launched an investigation into the incident.

No group has claimed responsibility of the attack.

Several pleas have been made by stakeholders in the political sector and international bodies against violence, with the electoral commission asking Nigerians to reject any form of violence before, during and after the elections.

The post Violence Mars Political Campaign In Rivers’ Okrika appeared first on Channels Television.

…read more      

Nigerians have been advised to unite and ensure a violence-free general elections in February.

The advice was given at the launch of a project on mitigation of violence in elections organised by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and held in Abuja on Friday.

Participants at the event also called on politicians to be committed to ensuring that the elections would be free and fair and be ready to go to court if they feel the electoral process had violated the provisions of the constitution.

After Nigeria’s 2011 elections there were cases of violence in some northern states, a situation that the participants at the event are trying to make sure would not occur again.

Many persons at the event had words of advice to the different segments of the society.

The Country Director, IFES, Shalva Kipshidze said: “Violence will not, it has never changed an election result.

“If an election is conducted fairly, politicians should accept the majority view.

“If it is not fair, if it is clearly not fair, the courts are the place to go. And i think everyone here knows that courts in Nigeria have overturned election results in the past where elections were not conducted fairly”.

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, urged security agencies to uphold their primary responsibility as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, which was to ensure law and order.

Reject Electoral Violence

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, also stressed that the commission would do its best to ensure that the election would be free, fair and credible.

“We are aware of importance of a violence free election. We have learnt from the 2011 post-election violence. The commission is preparing much better than it did four years ago.

“We will continue to explain to the public the challenges we are facing and will request …read more      

Police in Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta arrest two pairs of brothers suspected of belonging to a militant Islamist network. Pavithra George reports.

…read more      

U.S. President Barack Obama will cut his India trip short to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and meet its new King Salman, after the death of his predecessor Abdullah. Jillian Kitchener reports.

…read more      

Greeks head for a snap election on Sunday which is likely to give power to the first euro zone government committed to scrapping austerity and unpopular reforms pursued during the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Justin Mitchell reports.

…read more      

Briton’s Prince Charles, Prime Minister David Cameron, visit Saudi Arabia to offer condolences and meet its new King Salman after the death of his predecessor Abdullah. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

…read more