Saudi Arabia: A Bomber killed, two police wounded in blast outside U.S. consulate in Jeddah on July 4th!

The 4th of July, U.S. Independence Day, celebrations in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah were marred by violence as a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque opposite the U.S. consulate.
The attacker was killed and two police officers were injured in the blast. A Suicide bomber has detonated an explosive device near the US consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Initial reports indicate the bomber died in the explosion and two people were injured.

Counter Extremism Project Against Boko Haram, ISIS And Al-Qaeda - Introduction Video

The Counter Extremism Project acts to shine a light of transparency and accountability on those persons, businesses and institutions that financially underpin the activities of extremist groups.

Visit here to sign up -Counter-Extremism Country Reports

Turkish town hit by Syria rocket fire, 16 Died!

Ankara - Two rockets fired into Turkey from an area of Syria controlled by the Islamic State group (ISIS) hit the border town of Kilis on Sunday, leaving 16 people injured, media reports said.

One of the rockets hit the roof of a house in the Okcular neighbourhood while the other hit a backyard. Six of the wounded were Syrian.

Residents marched on the governor's office in Kilis in protest, only to be dispersed by police, the Hurriyet Daily said, adding that marches and protests had been banned for a month by the city's officials.

Why Africa’s top 4 economies are in trouble

Growth in Africa has outpaced most emerging markets in recent years, but that’s changing fast as a slew of problems beset its leading economies.

Cheap oil, political uncertainty and weak banks are all to blame. Here’s what you need to know about sub-Saharan Africa’s big four:

Africa’s top 4 economies are in trouble

South Africa

Breaking News: Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Abuja and Lagos Attacks In New Video

The Nigerian Boko Haram Islamist sect has claimed responsibility for Abuja and Lagos attacks in a new video, as reports by AFP.

The group claims responsibility for 25 June bombings in Abuja and Lagos in new video which the authorities have tried to cover up as an industrial accident.

Also Boko Haram chief voices support for Islamic State's Baghdadi, Al-Qaeda in new video.

Ekiti Poll And Boko Haram: Jonathan Destroying Nigeria Faster Than The US Predicted

On Ekiti election today, Jonathan's Federal Government deployed over 36,000 security agents to Ekiti for the gubernatorial elections. Security sources confirmed that there are 12,340 regular policemen; 26 sniffer dogs; 20 Helicopters; 3170 anti-riot policemen; 4,280 soldiers; 1800 Nigerian secret police operatives and 15,000 civil defense personnel on ground in the state for today's election.

Therefore, are you still asking who is Behind BoKo Haram? So FG have 20 helicopter for one day election that Jonathan needed badly, yet 3 states under state of emergency for over a year does not have Helicopter patrolling except for given food and arms to Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen?

UN Map: Nigeria now an al-Qaeda affiliate country - UN

UN has added the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to its list of terrorist organisations formally recognised as being associated with al-Qaeda, according to a report by Defenseone.com. The listing puts Nigeria on the UN map of countries having an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The website said the UN in its statement stated that Boko Haram, “has maintained a relationship with the Organisation of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb for training and material support purposes.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had on Thursday in a national broadcast declared a full war on the group following its abduction of over 200 school girls on April 14, 2014.

How Osama’s Al-Qaeda group back Boko Haram — France president

After the Paris summit on security situation in West Africa, French President Francois Hollande said Saturday that Nigeria’s Boko Haram had “established links” to  Osama’s Al-Qaeda group and urged countries in the region to devise a common strategy to combat its threat.

Speaking at during the  summit in Paris with Nigeria and neighbouring countries, Hollande said: “Boko Haram has become a major threat for all of west Africa and now for central Africa. Its links to AQMI (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and other terrorist organisations have been established.”

How Cameroon, Chad, Niger became a den of terrorists: Boko Haram get cross-border assistance for their operations

Take a very close look, if you have the heart, at the gory pictures of the wreckage at Nyanya Mass Transit Park, Abuja rocked by bomb blast in the early morning of Monday, April 14, 2014. About 100 people were killed, over 200 others sustained injuries, many maimed, burnt beyond recognition while nearly 18 high capacity buses, several smaller commercial vehicles and cars filled with passengers ready to leave, all destroyed in the explosion planned and mindlessly executed by Boko Haram Islamist insurgents.

Immediately following on the heels of the Nyanya deadly blast about 234 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by the Boko Haram sect after sitting for the West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations. This has caused international outrage as USA, Britain and other western European countries have pledged to assist Nigeria in efforts to rescue the abducted school girls.

REVEALED: ‘Islamist Boko Haram Got Over N11 Billion To Maim And Kill Nigerians’ (SPECIAL REPORT)

The Islamist group, Boko Haram,  may have got over $70million between 2006 and 2011 for its insurgent activities in Nigeria which claimed  lives, the most recent of which is the Friday Nyanya, Abuja bombing, from its sponsors. At a conservative exchange rate of 1 to 160, that amount comes to N11.2billion.

This and many others were part of  the revelations by retired Major Chris Moghalu of the United States of America’s military. And whereas he first made the disclosure on the African Independent Television, AIT, morning magazine programme, FOCUS NIGERIA, hosted by Gbenga Aruleba, Sunday Vanguard was able to track Major Moghalu.

In a telephone conversation preparatory, Moghalu disclosed that he was “bothered about the embarrassment of the specific issue of the abduction saga, but more worried about the insurgency that has given Nigeria a bad name.” He added: “All  what people like us want to do is help”.

Sources said trans-national criminal activities including kidnap for ransom, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and  armed robbery  were  sources of revenue for Boko Haram.

Exclusive: Nigerian Girls 'alive' and Deal is 'within reach'

A hostage negotiator in direct contact with the kidnappers of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria tells Channel 4 News their safe release is "within reach", but that their fate rests on a knife-edge.

"The girls, we believe, are alive but they have been moved from the location to which they were originally taken," the intermediary told Channel 4 News. "It would not be hard to engineer a deal. It looks like they want to release them."

The kidnappers have warned, however, that attempts by the military to launch a rescue attempt "may result in the deaths of many of the captives".

"They want a way out," said the negotiator, who has long experience of dealing directly with the Islamist group Boko Haram in previous hostage crises.

234 Abducted School Girls: Women To Organise Protest March In Abuja

Nigerian Women and mothers are set to mount an all-red attired massive protest march for the release of the 234 girls abducted by Book Haram insurgents on April 15.

Women will march on Abuja on Wednesday to press for the release of the girls kidnapped from their hostel at the Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state. Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu hinted yesterday of the planned protest in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during an emergency meeting convened by the wife of the governor, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima.

The meeting was on the way forward for the release of the school girls.

Prof. Biu, speaking last week on behalf of the Coalition of Borno Women, said women were ready to storm the Sambisa forest where the girls are believed to be held, to secure their freedom.

Punch: I was chased out of Sudan when I raised the alarm about Boko Haram – Ambassador Bola Dada

Ambassador Bola Dada shares his experiences in international affairs as a former diplomat with ADEOLA BALOGUN and JESUSEGUN ALAGBE

When did you retire and how are you spending your time now?

I retired from the federal civil service in June 2009, and since my retirement, I have been working in the farm. I am a farmer as well as a consultant. I consult for people on oil and gas and on any business connected to any of the countries where I worked before. I provide information and materials to anybody who is interested in businesses in such countries like Iran, which is the last country I was posted to. I am now into snail farming.

Apart from Iran, where else did you serve?