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The human rights situation in Boko Haram-held areas of northern Nigeria is one of “absolute terror” and “grave” violations, the top United Nations human rights official said today amid a wider call for Nigerian authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of abuses committed by the country’s armed forces.

Armenian armed forces violated ceasefire with 72 times on various parts of the frontline within a day, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

L’Observatoire européen des drogues et des toxicomanies a rendu public ce jeudi son rapport annuel. Il constate une baisse de la consommation d’héroïne mais s’inquiète de la consommation excessive de combinaisons de médicaments psychotropes vendus légalement comme substituts aux drogues illicites. L’observatoire alerte également sur la consommation de cannabis, devenue préoccupante.

Russia has more interest in other formats.

Azerbaijani Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov has met Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Janusz Piechocinski to discuss prospects for cooperation in the field of education, AzerTag reports.

Réunie à Vienne, l'Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole a confirmé sa politique : le maintien de son quota officiel de production de 30 millions de barils par jour.

Among the countries participating in the upcoming Baku 2015- the first ever European Games, delegation and journalists from Spain, Britain, Israel and Sweden arrived in Azerbaijan, APA reports.

Turkish Minister Taner Yıldız said it is not possible for Turkey to cancel the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant as the project has been made upon an intergovernmental agreement between Turkey and Russia, in contrary to the opposition parties’ claims.

June 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar, has dismissed report that its forces were receiving weapons from Sudan.

A photo included in CAR's report showing small calibre ammunition in hessian bag pictured in Malakal on 11 December 2014

In a report published this week, Conflict Armament Research (CAR) unveiled what it said were findings pointing to evidences that Khartoum was supplying the rebels based on weapons and ammunition captured by pro-government forces from opposition forces in Jonglei state late last year.

Some of the weapons examined by the CAR's investigation team at South Sudan army headquarters in Upper Nile reportedly provided important details in the sources of arms supplied to the armed opposition forces.

The document pointed to new weapons manufactured in Sudan or from China in the possession of the rebels while some appeared damaged which suggested they were airdropped to the rebels.

But opposition officials refuted the claims made by the London-based entity, saying South Sudan's government had been buying weapons from Sudan many of which the rebels also captured in several military encounters against president Salva Kiir's government.

“For those who may not know it, South Sudan government buys weapons from Sudan. They also buy others from China as revealed last year when a consignment of $38 million worth of weaponry were shipped through Port Mombassa of Kenya destined for South Sudan,” Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

“Since we have been capturing sizable quantities of weapons from the government, seeing a Sudanese or Chinese manufactured weapon shouldn't be a surprise. It shouldn't also be alleged as evidence of receiving weapons from Khartoum,” he said.

Dak explained that even if the descriptions indicating sources of the weapons were to be true, this did not necessarily mean the weapons were delivered directly to the rebel forces.

He also said when the crisis erupted in December 2013 in South Sudan, the army began to split right from the national capital, Juba. In some areas as the fighting spread to states, he said, forces that joined the opposition also managed to take weapons and ammunition with them.

He said many of the weapons used by pro-government forces were purchased from Sudan and ended up in the hands of the different opposition forces in the country over the years.

(ST)

June 3, 2015 (RUMBEK) - Lakes state authorities have acknowledged that local communities were not in their control or cooperating, saying the public refused to share information with security agents of the government in ending the crisis in the South Sudan's central state.

Map detail of South Sudan showing Lakes state in red

Top state officials pessimistically confirmed that insecurity had further worsened in the state and effort to restore trust in the rural communities was becoming more difficult.

Lakes state security advisor, Marial Amuom Malek, an outspoken politician who also serves as member of state parliament representing Yirol West county, said communities had continued to turn their back on the government as inter-communal fighting escalates coupled with threats from rebels allied to former vice president, Riek Machar, under the command of General Abdel Latif, who hails from the state.

Amuom was reacting to current complex clashes that left 13 people dead on Monday. Two rival communities of Gony and Thuyic have 11 dead from both sides and two policemen were also killed in Abeer in a separate clash on Monday.

“It has been very difficult for the security apparatus to address this situation. We have tried all the levels that we have but still this situation will never give us a chance to rest,” he lamented.

He said the situation had been exacerbated by proliferation of arms in the hands of the civil populations, making it difficult for the security forces to control the heavily armed Dinka youth who had been turning against each other.

He also added that another challenge was those who intended to go for revenge attacks usually avoided areas where the police and army were being deployed.

“They go to the bush somewhere far from where we deployed our forces and they begin killing whoever they come across. This is a major challenge,” Amoum further explained.

He called on the government to carry out disarmament of the youth throughout the state as the best option in order to arrest the situation.

Activists and traditional leaders also criticized Lakes state government for allegedly having failed to stem violence, accusing the state administration of using violent approach that allowed pastoralist youth to become more hostile. The activist also said disarmament is not the best solution because of rebellion threats in the country.

Moses Ater, a Lakes state activist however suggested that disarmament by relatives and friends within the families would be the best model to disarm the hostile youth in the state. He also said intermarriage between the Dinka rival sections should be encouraged while justice is served without favouritism.

Lakes state has been embroiled in cycles of revenge attacks with many citizens blaming government for allegedly failing to curb insecurity. Hundreds of citizens have been killed over the last few years due to inter-sectional fighting.

The situation recently worsened when a joint force of the police and military withdrew from all hotspots in the state, claiming they had no way to collect information due to communities' failure to cooperate with the state authorities.

Data from the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reported an increase in crime-related incidences within the volatile region. Youth activists and traditional authorities have repeatedly called for the removal of the military caretaker governor Matur Dhuol amid claims he had failed to stem the violence. President Salva Kiir has however overlooked these calls.

Dhuol was appointed in 2013 after president Kiir sacked elected governor Chol Tong Mayay.

(ST)

Négy színész, tizenkettő szerep egy háborúellenes előadásban, a színtér London, Bécs, Berlin, Belgrád és Európa. Nenad Prokić darabjában, az Ujj, ravasz, golyó, pisztolyban az első világháború előestéje elevenedik meg a színpadon.

AUTÓVERSENYZÉS

16.00, 20.00, Sportklub 1: Formula–1, Kanadai Nagydíj, Montreal, szabadedzések.

KÉZILABDA

Német élvonal, 34. forduló: Kiel–Lemgo (20.00, Arena Sport 4), Magdeburg–Löwen (20.00, Arena Sport 5).

18.00, RTS2: Spartacus/Železničar–Radnički–Vojvodina (szerb férfi kupadöntő).

20.25, Duna World: Ausztria–Magyarország (női világbajnoki selejtező, első mérkőzés).

KOSÁRLABDA

18.30, Sportklub 2: Trabzonspor–Efes (török élvonal, rájátszás, elődöntő, negyedik mérkőzés, az állás: 0:3).

20.45, Sportklub 3: Reggio Emilia–Venezia (olasz élvonal, rájátszás, elődöntő, negyedik mérkőzés, az állás: 1:2).

21.30, Arena Sport 2: Barcelona–Unicaja (spanyol élvonal, rájátszás, elődöntő, első mérkőzés).

LABDARÚGÁS

Barátságos mérkőzések: Magyarország–Litvánia (18.00, Duna), Hollandia–Egyesült Államok (20.30, Digi Sport 1, Sportklub 2), Chile–El Salvador (0.00, szombat, Arena Sport 3).

Ifjúsági torna, Toulon, B csoport, 5. forduló: Marokkó–Mexikó (17.00, Arena Sport 1), Kína–Anglia (19.00, Arena Sport 3).

9.00, Eurosport2: Ukrajna–Egyesült Államok (U20-as vb, Új-Zéland, A csoport, 3. forduló).

RÖPLABDA

20.40, Arena Sport 1, RTS2: Olaszország–Szerbia (világliga, A csoport, 3. forduló).

TENISZ

11.30, Eurosport2, 13.00, Eurosport: Roland Garros.

Earlier discussions on violent extremist movements such as the Islamic State and the Levant (ISIL) give credence to the reasons why religion, nationality, organisation or even ethnicity, as points of reference in defining this phenomenon, are moot. This vortex of violence, as we have c

A peine deux ans et demi après le début de sa mission, François Goldblatt va quitter la Grande île de manière anticipée. Les autorités malgaches ont demandé à la France de le remplacer car les relations entre l'ambassadeur et les autorités d'Antananarivo étaient devenues tendues. Ce rappel par Paris a été décidé avant la procédure de destitution qui vise le président. Il n'a donc pas de lien avec la crise institutionnelle que traverse actuellement le pays. François Goldblatt, ambassadeur au langage peu diplomatique, serait allé trop loin dans ses critiques du pouvoir.

Sans savoir comment, un commerçant égyptien a réussi à prendre Google, le géant des moteurs de recherche, à son propre jeu.

Sans en avertir l’opinion et en s’affranchissant d’un débat public, le gouvernement Obama a autorisé la NSA à surveiller des communications sur Internet dans le but de repérer des pirates informatiques.

Voilà près d'un an que la population de Beni réclamait le changement de la chaîne de commandement militaire dans le Grand Nord. Car ces derniers mois, l'armée a assisté impuissante à la multiplication de massacres. Plus de 350 morts en cinq mois. Plaintes de la société civile, journées villes mortes... Finalement, c'est une grande opération de toilettage qui démarre. Le commandement de l'opération chargée de lutter contre les rebelles ADF change ce vendredi. Le général Muhindo Akili va être remplacé par le général Marcel Mbangu Mashita, tout comme toute une série de commandants de régiments. La cérémonie de passation devait avoir lieu ce vendredi matin à Beni.

En Algérie, une solution se dessine pour mettre un terme aux violences des quatre dernières semaines dans le nord du Mali et particulièrement à Ménaka. Les différents mouvements armés du Nord, les représentants du gouvernement de Bamako et la médiation internationale qui sont réunis dans la capitale algérienne ont mis au point un texte qui devait être signé ce vendredi matin. Ce texte prévoit que tous les mouvements armés quittent la ville de Ménaka.

L'Ukraine a mis en garde jeudi contre la menace d'une « guerre totale » avec la Russie, accusée de soutenir la rébellion dans l'est séparatiste, au lendemain d'intenses combats dans la région de Maryinka qui ont fait 26 morts. L'Union européenne, les Etats-Unis, ainsi que Paris et Berlin ont unanimement exprimé leur préoccupation concernant une reprise tous azimuts des affrontements, Moscou avertissant de son côté que le processus de paix risquait de « voler en éclats ».

Americas

• Lockheed Martin saw a $920.4 million advanced acquisition contract on Thursday for the F-35 program. This award covers the production of 94 low rate initial production Joint Strike Fighters, with these spread across the three F-35 variants.. 78 F-35A models will be manufactured and delivered, with 44 of these destined for the Air Force and the remainder earmarked for international partners. The other 16 aircraft are split between the -B and -C models, with fourteen of the former going to the Marine Corps, as well as Italy and the UK, while two -C models will go to the Navy and Marines.

• The Navy has accepted a third Lockheed Martin-manufactured MUOS communications satellite, with the satellite successfully completing testing in orbit following its launch in January. The Navy has ordered five Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellites, which are intended to provide UHF SATCOM capabilities using an Internet Protocol-based system. The first two MUOS satellites were launched in 2012 and 2013, with the fourth scheduled for later this year.

• The Army has begun testing Black Hornet micro UAVs, with the tiny helicopters previously seeing service with the British Army in Afghanistan, as well as with the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Black Hornet has also seen more limited use by US Special Forces.

• Logos Technologies Inc. was awarded a $32.8 million Navy contract on Thursday to research compact sensor packages for unmanned aerial systems, such as the RQ-21 Blackjack and RQ-8 Firescout, specifically looking at wide area airborne surveillance, hyperspectral imaging, high resolution imaging and light detection and ranging capabilities.

Europe

• The UK and France are exploring the possibility of collaborating for Reaper UAV training, logistics and support services. The British operate ten of the aircraft, with these all deployed on operations over Iraq, with France taking delivery of a third Reaper at the end of May, with twelve set to be delivered by 2019.

• A Russian MIG-29 crashed in Southern Russia on Thursday, with both pilots managing to safely eject. Russia bought 16 MIG-29SMTs in 2013, with these set for delivery by 2016.

• The Lithuanian Air Force has taken delivery of the first of three Airbus AS365 N5+ Dauphin search and rescue helicopters, following a contract in October 2013.

Middle East

• Lebanon has requested 1,000 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles from the US, with this potential deal estimated to value $146 million. The missile is in service with many countries worldwide, with a href=”http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/iraq-wants-hellfires-lots-and-lots-of-them-026078/”>Iraq ordering 5,000 of the missiles in August last year.

• Egypt is also looking to buy a border security system from the US, in order to better equip its border with Libya, in a potential sale valued at $100 million. The proposed sale would include a commercially available system produced by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and DRS Technologies.

Asia

• Following yesterday’s news that the US and India have signed a set of technology development agreements, the head of the US Navy’s carrier program office Rear Adm. Tom Moore will meet with officials from the Indian Navy later this month to discuss the future of India’s second carrier. The two nations formed a joint working group in January, with development work for the country’s second indigenous aircraft carrier – the INS Vishal – already underway.

• Indian firm Larsen & Toubro has been awarded a $73.1 million contract to design and construction of a floating dock for the Indian Navy. The floating dock will be self-sufficient and capable of operating day and night to service and resupply surface vessels and submarines. The company saw fourth-quarter profits fall by 27% at the end of May.

• Following the latest Indian Air Force Sukhoi SU-30MKI crash in May, Russia & India Report has published an insightful piece assessing the likely causes of the high accident rate amongst the IAF’s SU-30MKI fleet.

Today’s Video

• A RQ-21A launch and recovery at sea…