Ethiopians 'surrender' in Saudi after clamp down

 

About 23,000 Ethiopians have surrendered to Saudi authorities since a clampdown on illegal migrant workers began in the oil-rich kingdom last week, officials have said.

The clampdown has led to clashes in the capital, Riyadh, with at least five people killed.
Saudi authorities say they are trying to reduce the 12% unemployment rate among native Saudis.
An estimated nine million migrant workers are in Saudi Arabia.
They are said to make up more than half the workforce, filling manual, clerical and service jobs.
On Sunday, Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Minister Tedros Adhanom said he had information that three Ethiopian citizens had been killed in clashes since last week.
However, Saudi authorities say two foreigners have been killed, along with three Saudis.
Riyadh governor Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz said the clamp down was aimed at illegal migrants, and not any "specific group".
"We will continue these campaigns until we ensure all residents in our country are staying legally," he is quoted by al-Riyadh newspaper as saying.
Earlier this month, the authorities began rounding up the migrants following the expiry of a seven-month amnesty for them to formalise their status.
Nearly a million Bangladeshis, Indians, Filipinos, Nepalis, Pakistanis and Yemenis are estimated to have left the country in the past three months.
More than 30,000 Yemenis have reportedly crossed to their home country in the past two weeks.
Four million other migrants obtained work permits before the deadline expired.

 

Paul Bhattacharjee killed himself after being declared bankrupt

 

An actor who appeared in the James Bond film Casino Royale and EastEnders killed himself after he was declared bankrupt, an inquest has heard.

The body of Paul Bhattacharjee, 53, was found at Splash Point cliffs in Seaford, East Sussex, on 12 July.
The actor, from south London, was a "proud" man who had a "darkness inside him that was irreparable", according to his partner Emma McKie.
East Sussex corner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of suicide.
'Final straw' In a statement read to Eastbourne Magistrates' Court, Ms McKie said he was a "protective man and he couldn't have handled the bankruptcy becoming public knowledge".
"He would not have wanted to let me down or hurt me or his friends.

"The bankruptcy was the final straw after a life of major highs and lows."

Mr Bhattacharjee was last seen leaving the Royal Court Theatre in London's Sloane Square two days before his body was found.
A post-mortem examination found he died from multiple injuries.
Ms McKie told the inquest she last saw her partner on 10 July when he complained of having an upset stomach.
She called him at 19:00 to say she was heading home and he later sent her a text message, telling her to have dinner without him because he would be very late.
The final text message Ms McKie received from him at 21:16 contained the words: "I'm sorry".

 

President Obama announces 'Obamacare' fix

 

US President Barack Obama has announced a one-year reprieve for millions of Americans facing cancellation of their health insurance policies under his embattled healthcare law.

He said insurers could extend individually purchased plans that would otherwise be cancelled.
While pushing for the law's passage, he vowed people with individual plans who liked their policies could keep them.
"We fumbled the rollout on this healthcare law," he said.
 
Growing impatience

In recent weeks insurance companies have sent letters to their customers announcing cancellation of coverage that does not meet the Affordable Care Act's strict new requirements for policies sold on the individual private market.

While Mr Obama said on Thursday that those people could keep their old plans, he encouraged them to shop around for better, more cost-effective coverage.
Under the change announced on Thursday, insurance companies that extend those plans will be required to inform customers of which medical care they do not cover, and inform them that other insurance options offering more coverage may be available.
Mr Obama also said he expected to have to "win back" credibility and the "confidence" of the American people in the wake of ongoing issues with the health law, his signature domestic policy initiative.
"I completely get how upsetting this can be for many Americans," particularly after his assurances that everyone who wanted to keep their plans would be able to, he said. "To those Americans: I hear you loud and clear."
Ahead of Mr Obama's announcement, Republican House Speaker John Boehner insisted it was time to "scrap this law once and for all".
"You can't fix this government-run health care plan called Obamacare,'' he said of the law, which relies mostly on health insurance plans offered by private, for-profit companies.
"It's just not fixable."

A 'burden'

At the White House briefing room, Mr Obama acknowledged the flaws with the law's rollout had put a "burden" on his fellow Democrats.
The American public has remained divided over the law since its 2010 passage and subsequent rollout. Republicans, who were unanimously opposed to the law and have tried to undermine it at every turn, have sought political advantage in every reported problem with the law.
The law, known to both sides as "Obamacare", is certain to be an issue in the 2014 mid-term elections.
Before Mr Obama announced the change, the White House had said it was against proposals that would allow insurers to continue selling medical coverage that did not offer the level of benefits required under the law.
"The old individual market was not working well," Mr Obama said on Thursday. "And it's important that we don't pretend that somehow that's a place worth going back to."
Meanwhile, the Obama administration is still struggling to fix ongoing glitches with the healthcare.gov website, established by the law to enable consumers who do not get health insurance from their employers or from the government to shop for private plans.
Among other issues, the site has been plagued by long wait times to sign up for an insurance plan and serious flaws on the back end where customers' data are processed and sent to insurance companies.
The problems have proven so severe that fewer than 27,000 people in 36 US states have successfully enrolled in healthcare programs on the site since it launched on 1 October.
The 1 October launch of the insurance marketplace websites run by the federal and state governments was the culmination of more than three years of political combat in Washington over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by Mr Obama in 2010.
The law establishes the healthcare.gov medical insurance marketplace website and others run by the states, bolsters coverage requirements, mandates that people carry insurance or pay a tax penalty, and offers subsidies to assist in the purchase of the insurance, among other provisions

 

Mayor Rob Ford’s driver punches Global News camera person

TORONTO – A Global News camera person was punched by Mayor Rob Ford’s security guard and driver following his afternoon press conference.
The incident occurred after the mayor’s brief press conference as he and his wife were led by city hall security through the crowd of reporters and photographers.
Global News’ Jackson Proskow said Ford’s security team gave the crowded room of more than 50 reporters less than 40 seconds to clear out.
Proskow said that a Global camera person was punched in the stomach by a member of Ford’s security detail as the mayor was being escorted out.
“A Global camera was punched right in the gut. I think a City News camera caught it on tape,” Proskow said.
The security guard and driver, Jerry Agyemang, was hired to drive the mayor approximately two weeks ago at the request of Norm Kelly and the mayor’s executive committee.
The Global News camera person was not injured during the alleged incident.
The mayor held the press conference to apologize for “graphic remarks” he had made earlier in the day about allegations contained within unredacted police documents released to the media Wednesday.

 

Teenager arraigned for pouring hot water on girl

 

An 18-year-old female student of a Lagos secondary school, Amaka Egolee, has been arraigned before the Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court. Lagos State,  for allegedly pouring hot water and kerosine on one Morufat Olayinka during a scuffle.

Olayinka was still receiving treatment for burns and other injuries when the matter was brought to court on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the two lived on Olayinka Street in the Ifako-Gbagada area.

The victim was said to be in the habit of returning home late at night.

She was said to have been reported to her aunt by Egolee.

This made Olayinka angry, which led to a spat between the duo.

The defendant allegedly seized the water she was boiling on the stove and emptied the content on the victim.

Before she could be restrained, she had also wet her with the kerosene in a gallon.

A co-tenant, identified as Kayode, reportedly averted the looming tragedy by overpowering the defendant.

She was handed over to the police who arraigned her for assault.

The charge read, “That you, Amaka Egolee on November 10, 2013 at 26, Olaleye Street, Ifako-Gbagada Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Morufat Olayinka by pouring hot water and kerosine on her body which caused her bodily harm.”

The prosecutor, Inspector Peter Nwangwu, said the offence was punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. M.A Ladipo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

The matter was adjourned till January 1, 2014.

One Passenger Dies As Police Raids Hangers on Train in Lagos

A passengers hanging on a train coach along the Ikeja boarding station died on Wednesday in a police raid at the rail station in Lagos.

The victim was reportedly running atop the coach to escape violence with which the police swooped on the passengers when he snapped off at edge of the train.
Other passengers who were eye witnesses of the incidence told our correspondent that the policemen appeared with a suddenness that caught the passengers unawares. The police raid, which passengers said had noticeably begun few days ago also saw some passengers severely injured as they snapped off from top of the coaches to avoid police brutality or arrest.

The aggressive passengers avoided cameras, and some attempted to mob the journalist who tried to fetch information regarding the incidence.
Some passengers however volunteered information. A passenger complained that the trains were not enough and they had to wait to catch anyone at sight going their way.

"It is faster when compared to buses because there is no traffic on the rail tracks", one passenger said.

Others preferred the rail transport system due to its lesser cost.
"I live in Ijoko and if I must get to Ikeja by road, I'd spend up to N400, but the train will only cost me N150", a female passenger said. She explained that her abode is much indented in Ijoko and she would have to board a bike to connect the road at cost of N100 and then board to Sango for additional N50 before beginning the journey to Ikeja-Oshodi at a cost between N200 and N300, depending on the circumstance.

Mostly, the passengers often justified their resolve for the rail transport with blames on poor state of roads and traffic situations in Lagos State.
"Imagine spending four hours on the road. If I leave workplace by 6pm and spend four hours before reaching home, not forgetting that I must be out as early as 5 a.m the following morning, I'll grow physically old so soon", complained another passenger.
He added; "You don't want to experience the traffic between Ile-epo and Oja-Oba. The road is dead and government is doing nothing about it. One car passes at a time because the road is completely collapsed. Lagos-Abeokuta express road for that matter"

A staff member at the Ikeja station who pleaded anonymity suggested that the number of coaches to a train could be increased to accommodate more passengers.
"What we are facing here is that passengers are more than the coaches available. Most of those hanging on the train bought their boarding tickets but there is no space in the coaches for them to sit", the railway worker said.

The worker added that although some touts habitually hung on the train without paying, she however decried the poor provisions made for the rail system.
"One train always waits for the other coming opposite ways to go first before continuing its own journey. But even if one rail track is all we have, the coaches could be more for each engine to contain those who had to hang due to shortage of space in the coaches", the worker said further.

On top of a train on Wednesday, a passenger hanging on the train coach snapped off as he attempted to escape police raid, and he died shortly after. Saharareporters could not immediately confirm the victim's name as passengers and staff of the Ikeja railway station said they only saw him in the incidence.
The staff said Railway transport system has suffered neglect, whereas it should be better alternative to poor roads and traffic in Lagos State and throughout Nigeria.

Ahly suspend goal hero over Islamist salute

 

Egypt’s Al-Ahly football club on Tuesday suspended forward Ahmed Abdel Zaher from next month’s FIFA Club World Cup for celebrating a goal with a salute in support of Islamists.

Al-Ahly said they would also sell the 28-year-old at the end of the season and deprive him of prize money from the Cairo club’s victory Sunday in the final of the African Champions League.

Abdel Zaher held up four fingers when he scored Al-Ahly’s second goal in the 4-0 win over South Africa’s Orlando Pirates.

The four-finger salute has been adopted by supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who the army overthrew on July 3.

The player has apologised to fans for the political stunt, and said in a statement that he would be willing to accept whatever punishment the club metes out.

Al-Ahly’s football committee had on Monday recommended Abdel Zaher be suspended from the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, following uproar in the media.

Egypt remains deeply polarised between Morsi’s supporters and the military-installed government four months after his ouster.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have died in clashes since, many of them killed when police dispersed a protest camp in Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya square.