26/05/2013

Opinion: Win over youth to beat Boko Haram

Posted by MereNews On May - 25 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS


A female student stands in a classroom burnt by Boko Haram in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, on May 12, 2012.

Editor’s note: ‘Funmi Olonisakin is the founding director of the African Leadership Centre, and director of the Conflict, Security and Development Group, at King’s College London.

(CNN) — President Goodluck Jonathan’s response to the Boko Haram insurgency, including his recently declared state of emergency in three northern Nigerian states, is eerily reminiscent of previous approaches to sectarian violence in that region.

The Maitatsine uprising of 1980 is perhaps the single most important precedent-setting example. In December 1980, the confrontation between the Al-Masifu Islamic sect — which advocated purity in the practice of Islam — and the people of Kano came to a head. The Nigerian army and air force mounted a campaign against the sect. In the end, more than 4,000 people were dead with double this number injured alongside massive destruction of property.

Times have certainly changed. Nigeria’s population has doubled since the Maitatsine uprising. Nigeria continues to experience the “youth bulge” — a growing youth population — that was not planned for. The resulting pressure on socio-economic systems is evident in limited education and health and dwindling economic opportunities for young people.

'Funmi Olonisakin

Poor policies and bad planning have produced youth vulnerability and exclusion from mainstream life. This is doubly so in northern Nigeria, where class divides have further created a community of people with nothing to lose.

Read this: Nigerians ask, are we at war?

The global environment has also changed amid growing transnational threats. Al Qaeda continues to lurk in the neighborhood. Excluded groups in the region with affinity for Boko Haram are potential support networks amid an ever-rising flow of illicit weapons into the region.

One thing has hardly changed: elite behavior. Nigeria’s power elite remains far removed from the realities of life experienced by ordinary citizens.


2012: Who are Boko Haram?


Empowering Nigerian youth


Gadhafi’s end unleashes flood of weapons

The ruling elite’s framing of the Boko Haram challenge lends itself easily to just one set of responses — the use of force to rout Boko Haram, although more recently the federal government of Nigeria proposed an amnesty for Boko Haram.

To be certain, a military approach is only part of the solution. It is by no means a panacea. This military campaign, coupled with amnesty, rings hollow. It does not offer much hope for dealing comprehensively with the underlying causes of the Boko Haram phenomenon.

It is no wonder Boko Haram has treated the offer of amnesty by the Jonathan-led government with disdain. For one, it may be worth holding out for a greater prize, knowing that it probably has this regime by the jugular. Besides, how could it trust that the offer of amnesty — which will unveil Boko Haram — is not a ploy by the regime to round them up and execute them? The allegedly extra-judicial killing of the sect’s late leader, Mohammed Yusuf, serves as a constant warning.

Watch this: Who are Boko Haram?

Perhaps more importantly, this military solution and current state of emergency is potentially damaging for the military. The Nigerian military only recently managed to repair its image, winning accolades abroad for its peacekeeping role. Asking it to employ maximum force in internal operations — causing casualties in the process among the very people it is meant to protect — has repercussions. Surely, this will diminish its stature abroad and reduce citizens’ confidence in the military at home, while drawing more support to Boko Haram and weakening troops’ morale.

That said, it is also the case that Nigerians far removed from the locus of the crisis may not see the military’s role in such negative terms.

This crisis will potentially deepen religious and regional cleavages. Perhaps the country’s saving grace is that for the time being, Nigeria’s youth population mostly buys into these divides. They do not yet have a common narrative about who their “real enemy” is. Barring a small number of states, where genuine effort is being made to confront serious governance deficits, the picture of elite marginalization and widening inequality is consistent countrywide.


Spreading the wealth in Nigeria


Workers abducted in northern Nigeria

Boko Haram commands the loyalty of the excluded at several levels. At this moment, Boko Haram is obviously asserting influence, and that assertion of influence is accepted by a significant number of people who see no change in their primary condition.

This factor partly attracted large crowds to the preaching of Boko Haram’s late leader, Yusuf. His narratives about the ills of Western education were enriched by evident gaps in governance. The breakdown of the education system, growing youth unemployment and insecurity amid rampant corruption swelled the ranks of Boko Haram. When the sense of “nothing to lose” is mixed with these strong narratives, the issue is not whether or not they are true but that there are no strong counter-narratives or genuine counter actions.

A lasting solution to the crisis in northern Nigeria might lie in a missing trinity: a meaningful but powerful narrative to counter Boko Haram’s narrative; an action plan akin to a “Marshal Plan” for northern Nigeria; and isolation of what Jonathan has described as Boko Haram sympathizers in the government and security forces.

Developing a powerful counter narrative will demand a measure of sincerity and consistency among the country’s ruling elite. Such a narrative must stand up to the seeming lure of Boko Haram and have the ability to hold a young population captive for the foreseeable future.

An action plan akin to a Marshal Plan for northern Nigeria must be developed to suit the context. The federal government’s investment in regeneration of northern Nigeria, with a focus on youth sensitization, education and development of social and economic entrepreneurship, will be key. This might entail deliberate forms of youth cantonment, census-based planning, community-based programs, and innovative education schemes to kick start regeneration.

To be sure, an action plan for northern Nigeria will not be sustainable in an environment where youth exclusion is a countrywide problem even if it is more chronic in the north. Expressed intention to do this nationally in due course might persuade a captive youth audience.

The question remains as to whether alleged Boko Haram sympathizers among the elite can be dislodged from this process. This might be the single most important obstacle in a situation where retaining political power in 2015 seems more valuable to the regime than the welfare of a few million disposable citizens.

In the immediate term, we can expect the Nigerian military to record successes against the Boko Haram sect. But the victory will be hollow. Without the trinity of measures earlier described, Jonathan’s government risks sacrificing the ordinary people of northern Nigeria, the military’s reputation, and innocent bloodshed.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ‘Funmi Olonisakin.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/vh8hcSk_mSQ/index.html

Report: Militants claim Niger attacks

Posted by MereNews On May - 25 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS


Niamey, Niger (CNN) — An Islamist militant group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s deadly attacks on an army barracks and a uranium mine in Niger, saying they were responses to Niger’s cooperation with France in a “war against Sharia,” CNN affiliate BFMTV reported.

Twenty soldiers and five assailants were killed, and at least 30 other people — including civilians — were injured in attacks about 200 kilometers (124 miles) apart in Niger early Thursday, the African nation’s defense minister said.

Karidjo Mahamadou said later security forces were in charge of the two sites, including one where an attacker had taken hostages.

“I ensure that the situation is under control and that the Niger security forces have renewed the vow to secure the country and the people,” he said.

A spokesman for the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJAO, said that “thanks to Allah, we have carried two operations against the enemies of Islam in Niger,” BFMTV reported.

MUJAO is among the radical Islamist groups that have been fighting Malian and French forces in Mali, which borders Niger.

Both attacks — at the army barracks in Agadez in central Niger and a Somair uranium mine in Arlit in northern Niger — happened about 5 a.m., Niger Domestic Affairs Minister Abdou Labo said.

In Agadez, a regional capital to the southeast of Arlit, a truck carrying armed assailants and explosives detonated in front of the army barracks, Labo said.

A battle ensued in which the 20 soldiers were killed, Labo said. A breakdown of how many deaths were attributable to the bombing and how many happened in the battle wasn’t available.

The surviving assailant closed himself in a building with cadets and threatened to detonate explosives, Labo said.

Mahamadou didn’t say whether the suspect had been captured when he said everything was under control.

At the Somair mine, operated by French nuclear power group Areva, a truck with explosives blew up at the gates, killing two assailants, Labo said. At least 14 civilians were wounded, Mahamadou said.

Areva said the injured included at least 13 workers.

MUJAO spokesman Abu Walid Sahraoui said the group “attacked France and Niger for its cooperation with France in the war against Sharia,” BFMTV reported Thursday.

France deployed about 4,000 troops to Mali, the country directly to Niger’s west, in January to drive out Islamist militants — including MUJAO members — who had attempted to take control of the country.

Islamic extremists with links to al Qaeda carved out a large portion of northern Mali last year, taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup in March 2012. France took military action this year after the militants began to push into the southern portion of the country.

MUJAO is a splinter group of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, according to the United Nations.

France strongly condemned Thursday’s attacks, the French foreign ministry said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius spoke with his Nigerien counterpart and expressed France’s solidarity with Nigerien authorities in the fight against terrorist groups, the ministry said.

Niger, a former colony of France, gained independence in 1960.

Journalist Ibbo Daddy Abdoulaye reported from Niamey, Niger. CNN’s Jason Hanna and Pierre Meilhan reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Amir Ahmed also contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/Ue9ccUt_sN8/index.html

Winnie Mandela’s financial woes

Posted by MereNews On May - 25 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS


Winnie Madikizela Mandela, seen in a file photo from 13 March, 2010.

Johannesburg (CNN) — “This shouldn’t be happening” — these were the words of a visibly nervous and frustrated sheriff of the court as he rang the outside bell and knocked at the gate belonging to a woman still considered by many in South Africa as the “mother of the nation.”

Joe Maluleke and two other officials arrived at Winnie Mandela’s house in Soweto on Tuesday to execute a court order granting a Johannesburg school permission to auction her belongings and pay an old debt. Among the goods meant to go under the hammer were 50 paintings, a round table, chairs and a silver tea set.

The problems started when the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black president and an international icon, registered her great niece, Nobantu Vutela, as a boarding student at Abbotts College in Northcliff, Johannesburg, according to court papers filed in 2008.

The accommodation fees for the year were 40,000 South African rand — the equivalent of about $4,000 today. Winnie Mandela, 76, who earns an annual salary of around $90,000, as a member of parliament, was given six months to pay the full amount. It’s unclear why she and not the girl’s own parents enrolled her into the private school.

Despite the documents stipulating that R10,000 ($1000) be paid up front, lawyers representing the school say Mrs Mandela never paid a cent. They started instituting proceedings against her in October 2008. The case dragged on for five years. A lawyer acting on behalf of the school told CNN Mrs Mandela made her first payment last year but that she still owes nearly $5,000 with interest included. Mrs Mandela’s lawyer is disputing the interest amount.

With dozens of journalists surrounding him, not a single bidder in sight, and Mrs Mandela’s bodyguards stationed on the other side of the wall, Sheriff Maluleke knocked in vain. People could be seen moving around inside and outside the house, but nobody came out to let the sheriff in. At one point a car sped out of the premises using a side entrance. It is unclear who was in the car.

Maluleke was instructed by lawyers to get a locksmith and force his way into Mandela’s house, but he was understandably reluctant. At one point a spectator shouted, “Why don’t you climb over the wall?” The sheriff’s irritated retort: “And get shot at?”

The tense standoff lasted for about two hours. Maluleke left Winnie Mandela’s property empty-handed and dejected. He later admitted that the task he was expected to carry out was a difficult one. “Is it because she is the mother of the nation?” he was asked. “Exactly,” he responded.

Read this: How South Africa avoided ‘bloody racial war’


Outrage at pictures of ailing Mandela


2012: Nelson Mandela’s early years


Nelson Mandela’s family wine venture


Celebrating Mandela at 94

On Monday night Winnie Mandela’s lawyer Yandisa Dudula had been frantically trying to stop the auction from going ahead.

“Mrs. Mandela has given me a check for R16,000 ($1,696), and another R4,000 ($212) has been given to the sheriff,” he told CNN. “The auction is not necessary.”

The school’s lawyers insisted on getting the money in cash, failing which, they said the sale of her goods would go ahead as planned.

Confused neighbors looked on as the spectacle at Mandela’s property unfolded.

“We thought she had money, it is very surprising that her goods are now having to be auctioned in order to recoup funds for a debt,” one of them told CNN.

When asked what it is like to live next door “the mother of the nation,” the neighbor said, “We never see her. When the old man (Nelson Mandela) lived in Soweto he would walk around, shake people’s hands, greet and talk to them, he even invited us into his home.”

“Winnie keeps to herself, but we still call her ‘mother of the nation’ and no-one wants to see her humiliated,” the neighbor said.

Commentators say Winnie Mandela has become increasingly isolated, not only by her political family, the ruling African National Congress, but seemingly by her biological family as well.

“Internal tensions within the family could have played a role in no one coming to Mrs Mandela’s aid,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told CNN. “The family is fragmented and recent squabbles over money have further emphasized these divisions.”

Two of Nelson Mandela’s daughters — Makaziwe Mandela and Zenani Dlamini — are currently embroiled in a legal battle over the former political prisoner’s money. They have filed court papers in an attempt to remove Mandela’s longtime lawyer and friend, 84-year-old George Bizos, and others as directors of companies owned by the Mandela Trust.

The children’s legal battle over their iconic father’s monies has come under heavy criticism in South Africa. Bizos told local media the lawsuit is “a ploy to resuscitate the sale of Mandela’s artworks” whose proceeds go to the companies at the center of the dispute.

Andrew Mlangeni, who was incarcerated on Robben Island with Mr Mandela, told CNN: “This is a matter that should have been resolved internally within the family.”

Makaziwe recently rebutted accusations that her intentions are motivated by greed, telling the New York Times: “This issue that we are greedy, that we are wanting this money before my dad passes away is all nonsense.”

The feud over Nelson Mandela’s millions and now the threat of an auction at his former wife’s residence underscore the contradictions and complexities in what many consider South Africa’s political “royal family.”

Read this: Big brands target South Africa’s middle class

This is by no means Winnie Mandela’s first brush with the law, although for years many saw her as untouchable.

The former freedom fighter was implicated in the 1980s murder of 14-year-old anti-apartheid activist Stompie Seipei. Her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, stood by her, despite a mountain of damning evidence. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping Seipei and for being an accessory to assault, but her six-year jail term was reduced on appeal to a fine and a suspended sentence.

In 2003 Mrs Mandela was convicted for theft and fraud in connection with an elaborate bank loan scheme where the ANC party letterhead was used to obtain loans for bogus employees including her youngest daughter Zinzi. The conviction carried a jail term, but that sentence too was suspended.

A few months ago police confirmed that they have reopened the murder case of two more former freedom fighters, allegedly last seen at her house more than 20 years ago. Their bodies were exhumed in March.


Musical tribute to Nelson Mandela


Securing the release of Nelson Mandela


Securing the release of Nelson Mandela


From prison number to fashion line

In recent years, “the mother of the nation’s” influence in the country and within the ruling party has waned, and the protection she once enjoyed along with it. Last year she was voted second-last in the party’s national executive committee. She had been top of the list at the previous ANC conference in 2007.

Still, respected columnist and journalist Justice Malala says he is astonished Winnie Mandela couldn’t get help from a single one of her former comrades.

Malala told CNN: “It’s great that she was paying for her great niece’s school fees but I’m surprised that firstly she didn’t feel she could raise the money from her own salary and secondly that no-one in the ANC was willing to help her. She could have also approached the Mandela Trust. Mandela has given money to president Jacob Zuma before when he was in trouble.”

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the tale is why her children and grandchildren appear to have stood by and watched as threats of an auction became more serious.

Two of her grandchildren, Zaziwe and Swati Dlamini have recently launched a reality show in the U.S. called “Being Mandela.” They also have a clothing line named “Long Walk to Freedom” after their grandfather’s autobiography. Their mother Zenani Dlamini, Winnie’s eldest daughter, is South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina.

Despite the family’s many ventures and connections, Winnie’s lawyer says money isn’t always readily available.

Winnie Mandela has often courted controversy, but she is still adored by many in South Africa.

She endured years of torture, torment, banishment and imprisonment by the apartheid regime while fighting resolutely for racial equality in the country.

And despite her legal and financial troubles over the years, very few South Africans are celebrating her downfall. Many of them took to Twitter to express their solidarity. “We cannot forget Winnie Mandela who stood tall for three decades” wrote one person.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/FnfcWA7m3fI/index.html

Swedish capital hit by fifth night of riots

Posted by MereNews On May - 25 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS


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Firemen extinguish a blaze at a nursery school in the Stockholm suburb of Kista after riots in Sweden early Friday, May 24. Early media reports said the riots, which started Sunday, might have been triggered by police killing a 69-year-old man wielding a machete. But police say they are unsure of the cause.Firemen extinguish a blaze at a nursery school in the Stockholm suburb of Kista after riots in Sweden early Friday, May 24. Early media reports said the riots, which started Sunday, might have been triggered by police killing a 69-year-old man wielding a machete. But police say they are unsure of the cause.

Firemen extinguish a burning car parked in an indoor garage in the Stockholm suburb of Tureberg on May 24.Firemen extinguish a burning car parked in an indoor garage in the Stockholm suburb of Tureberg on May 24.

A man examines the debris around a row of burnt cars in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby on Thursday, May 23.A man examines the debris around a row of burnt cars in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby on Thursday, May 23.

Firemen extinguish a burning car in Rinkeby outside of Stockholm on May 23.Firemen extinguish a burning car in Rinkeby outside of Stockholm on May 23.

People attend a demonstration against police violence and vandalism in the Stockholm suburb of Husby on Wednesday, May 22.People attend a demonstration against police violence and vandalism in the Stockholm suburb of Husby on Wednesday, May 22.

An injured man rests on a street bench after a stone hit his head during a demonstration in Husby on May 22.An injured man rests on a street bench after a stone hit his head during a demonstration in Husby on May 22.

Firemen extinguish a burning car in Kista on Tuesday, May 21.Firemen extinguish a burning car in Kista on Tuesday, May 21.

Police officers secure an apartment building after overnight riots in Husby on Monday, May 20. The building had to be evacuated after a fire spread inside the parking garage.Police officers secure an apartment building after overnight riots in Husby on Monday, May 20. The building had to be evacuated after a fire spread inside the parking garage.


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Editor’s note: Are you there? Send us your photos and videos, but please stay safe.

(CNN) — Police in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, have called in reinforcements after the city’s suburbs were hit by a fifth night of riots.

Gangs set fire to two schools and a police station in the city on Thursday, police spokesman Kjell Lindgren told CNN.

About 30 cars were also torched, with the blaze from one vehicle spreading to a nearby shop.

“Police and firemen were also attacked again with rocks overnight, but no one was severely hurt,” Lindgren said. “The level of violence has decreased,” he added, “but the problem remains.”


Third night of riots hits Sweden

Extra police have been called in to help officers deal with the riots and a number of other events, including football matches, planned to take place in the city over the weekend.

Read more: Swedish suburbs shaken by violence

“Our resources are very stretched, so we need additional officers to make sure we cope with all the events and this violence,” Lindgren said.

The riots broke out after days of rising tensions following the death of a 69-year-old man who was shot by police earlier this month while wielding a machete in the Stockholm suburb of Husby.

However, police say they are not sure what sparked the outbreak of violence.

The area is blighted by high unemployment and crime levels.

A total of 29 people have so far been arrested in connection with the riots, Stockholm Police said in a statement on their website.

Read more: Swedish capital sees 3 nights of riots

The city’s police chief pledged that more culprits would likely be arrested in the coming days.

“Initially we encountered a lot of violence, so our priority was to ensure the safety of the firemen,” Mats Lofving said in a statement. “Now we are gearing up our ambition to start arresting more people.

“We have a lot of filmed material that we will be studying closely. We hope to arrest more of those who may think that they have gotten away with it because the worst is over.”

Earlier this week, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt vowed to take a stand against the rioters.

“We have to show that we won’t allow a group of young men who believe in the use of violence to run society,” Reinfeldt said.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/x6kZVn7TnKU/index.html

London (CNN) — London’s Heathrow Airport is “fully operational” and returning to normal after an emergency landing Friday forced the closing of both runways, the airport said – but many travelers are likely to suffer delays anyway.

British Airways has canceled all its inbound and outbound short-haul flights until 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) as a result of the incident.

And Heathrow Airport has warned of disruption to travel that could last all day.

So far, 23 planes have been diverted to other airports and 19 flights canceled, some arrivals and some departures, a spokeswoman said Friday morning.

The airport is working to return to normal service as soon as possible, she said, but passengers are advised to check with their airlines.

A British Airways plane bound for Oslo was forced to make the emergency landing “due to a technical fault,” the airline said.

Flight BA762 turned back less than half an hour after taking off for the Norwegian capital, it said.

The Airbus A319 aircraft was carrying 75 passengers and five crew members, the airline said. The passengers were evacuated from the plane on emergency slides.


Emergency plane lands at Heathrow

“Airline colleagues are now caring for customers in the airport terminal,” said British Airways.

London Ambulance Service treated three patients for minor injuries after the emergency landing, it said on Twitter.

British Airways said it would be carrying out a full investigation into the incident, alongside the Air Accident Investigation Branch, part of the UK Department for Transport.

The slides were deployed on the left side of the aircraft, indicating that the problem was with the right engine, said CNN’s Richard Quest.

Planes can fly safely even if only one engine is operational, he said.

London Fire Brigade said one of its crews helped the airport fire service put out an aircraft fire. “We believe the fire is now out,” it said via Twitter.

Heathrow, which is a major international hub, was ranked the third busiest airport in the world in 2012 after Atlanta and Beijing, according to Airports Council International.

Monday is a holiday in the United Kingdom, so many people will be taking flights Friday to take advantage of the long weekend.

Holidaymaker Aileen Wilson was one of many travelers whose flight was grounded by the incident.

“We’ve just been sitting, waiting in a plane meant to take off” this morning, she told CNN iReport. “At first we were told ongoing incident and then emergency landing. We (are) still waiting to take off (and) not allowed out of plane!”

Instagram user Shazia Shaikh took a photograph from the office where she works at Heathrow Airport of emergency vehicles surrounding a plane.

“Runways closed (and) lots of smoke,” she told CNN iReport. “The rain doesn’t help. Emergency vehicles were quick to the aircraft I’m told.”

On average, 190,000 passengers travel through the airport each day, half arriving and half departing, according to Heathrow’s website.

CNN’s Claudia Rebaza, Richard Allen Greene, Sarah Brown and Dominique Van Heerden contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/4lBZVLzMBgU/index.html

Opinion: Win over youth to beat Boko Haram

Posted by MereNews On May - 25 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS


A female student stands in a classroom burnt by Boko Haram in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, on May 12, 2012.

Editor’s note: ‘Funmi Olonisakin is the founding director of the African Leadership Centre, and director of the Conflict, Security and Development Group, at King’s College London.

(CNN) — President Goodluck Jonathan’s response to the Boko Haram insurgency, including his recently declared state of emergency in three northern Nigerian states, is eerily reminiscent of previous approaches to sectarian violence in that region.

The Maitatsine uprising of 1980 is perhaps the single most important precedent-setting example. In December 1980, the confrontation between the Al-Masifu Islamic sect — which advocated purity in the practice of Islam — and the people of Kano came to a head. The Nigerian army and air force mounted a campaign against the sect. In the end, more than 4,000 people were dead with double this number injured alongside massive destruction of property.

Times have certainly changed. Nigeria’s population has doubled since the Maitatsine uprising. Nigeria continues to experience the “youth bulge” — a growing youth population — that was not planned for. The resulting pressure on socio-economic systems is evident in limited education and health and dwindling economic opportunities for young people.

'Funmi Olonisakin

Poor policies and bad planning have produced youth vulnerability and exclusion from mainstream life. This is doubly so in northern Nigeria, where class divides have further created a community of people with nothing to lose.

Read this: Nigerians ask, are we at war?

The global environment has also changed amid growing transnational threats. Al Qaeda continues to lurk in the neighborhood. Excluded groups in the region with affinity for Boko Haram are potential support networks amid an ever-rising flow of illicit weapons into the region.

One thing has hardly changed: elite behavior. Nigeria’s power elite remains far removed from the realities of life experienced by ordinary citizens.


2012: Who are Boko Haram?


Empowering Nigerian youth


Gadhafi’s end unleashes flood of weapons

The ruling elite’s framing of the Boko Haram challenge lends itself easily to just one set of responses — the use of force to rout Boko Haram, although more recently the federal government of Nigeria proposed an amnesty for Boko Haram.

To be certain, a military approach is only part of the solution. It is by no means a panacea. This military campaign, coupled with amnesty, rings hollow. It does not offer much hope for dealing comprehensively with the underlying causes of the Boko Haram phenomenon.

It is no wonder Boko Haram has treated the offer of amnesty by the Jonathan-led government with disdain. For one, it may be worth holding out for a greater prize, knowing that it probably has this regime by the jugular. Besides, how could it trust that the offer of amnesty — which will unveil Boko Haram — is not a ploy by the regime to round them up and execute them? The allegedly extra-judicial killing of the sect’s late leader, Mohammed Yusuf, serves as a constant warning.

Watch this: Who are Boko Haram?

Perhaps more importantly, this military solution and current state of emergency is potentially damaging for the military. The Nigerian military only recently managed to repair its image, winning accolades abroad for its peacekeeping role. Asking it to employ maximum force in internal operations — causing casualties in the process among the very people it is meant to protect — has repercussions. Surely, this will diminish its stature abroad and reduce citizens’ confidence in the military at home, while drawing more support to Boko Haram and weakening troops’ morale.

That said, it is also the case that Nigerians far removed from the locus of the crisis may not see the military’s role in such negative terms.

This crisis will potentially deepen religious and regional cleavages. Perhaps the country’s saving grace is that for the time being, Nigeria’s youth population mostly buys into these divides. They do not yet have a common narrative about who their “real enemy” is. Barring a small number of states, where genuine effort is being made to confront serious governance deficits, the picture of elite marginalization and widening inequality is consistent countrywide.


Spreading the wealth in Nigeria


Workers abducted in northern Nigeria

Boko Haram commands the loyalty of the excluded at several levels. At this moment, Boko Haram is obviously asserting influence, and that assertion of influence is accepted by a significant number of people who see no change in their primary condition.

This factor partly attracted large crowds to the preaching of Boko Haram’s late leader, Yusuf. His narratives about the ills of Western education were enriched by evident gaps in governance. The breakdown of the education system, growing youth unemployment and insecurity amid rampant corruption swelled the ranks of Boko Haram. When the sense of “nothing to lose” is mixed with these strong narratives, the issue is not whether or not they are true but that there are no strong counter-narratives or genuine counter actions.

A lasting solution to the crisis in northern Nigeria might lie in a missing trinity: a meaningful but powerful narrative to counter Boko Haram’s narrative; an action plan akin to a “Marshal Plan” for northern Nigeria; and isolation of what Jonathan has described as Boko Haram sympathizers in the government and security forces.

Developing a powerful counter narrative will demand a measure of sincerity and consistency among the country’s ruling elite. Such a narrative must stand up to the seeming lure of Boko Haram and have the ability to hold a young population captive for the foreseeable future.

An action plan akin to a Marshal Plan for northern Nigeria must be developed to suit the context. The federal government’s investment in regeneration of northern Nigeria, with a focus on youth sensitization, education and development of social and economic entrepreneurship, will be key. This might entail deliberate forms of youth cantonment, census-based planning, community-based programs, and innovative education schemes to kick start regeneration.

To be sure, an action plan for northern Nigeria will not be sustainable in an environment where youth exclusion is a countrywide problem even if it is more chronic in the north. Expressed intention to do this nationally in due course might persuade a captive youth audience.

The question remains as to whether alleged Boko Haram sympathizers among the elite can be dislodged from this process. This might be the single most important obstacle in a situation where retaining political power in 2015 seems more valuable to the regime than the welfare of a few million disposable citizens.

In the immediate term, we can expect the Nigerian military to record successes against the Boko Haram sect. But the victory will be hollow. Without the trinity of measures earlier described, Jonathan’s government risks sacrificing the ordinary people of northern Nigeria, the military’s reputation, and innocent bloodshed.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ‘Funmi Olonisakin.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/vh8hcSk_mSQ/index.html

(CNN) — A valuable necklace was stolen from a party at the Cannes Film Festival, the second major jewelry theft at the event this year, police said Thursday.

Jeweler de Grisogono said the necklace, which was part of a collection making its debut, was worth 2 million euros ($2.6 million).

The company said it was the first theft in the company’s 20-year history.

Police in Nice, France, confirmed the heist but said the necklace was only worth 1 million euros ($1.3 million U.S.).


Thieves steal red-carpet jewels at Cannes

A view from the Cleopatra cocktail at Cannes on May 21.A view from the “Cleopatra” cocktail at Cannes on May 21.

Director James Gray and stars Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner attend the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Director James Gray and stars Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner attend the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Actor Michael Cera attends the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Actor Michael Cera attends the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Marion Cotillard attends the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Marion Cotillard attends the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Joe Jackson attends the Cannes screening of Michael Kohlhaas on May 24.Joe Jackson attends the Cannes screening of “Michael Kohlhaas” on May 24.

Heidi Klum attends the Cannes premiere of Nebraska on May 23. Heidi Klum attends the Cannes premiere of “Nebraska” on May 23.

The Vampire Diaries actress and singer Kat Graham attends the Cannes premiere of Only God Forgives on May 22. “The Vampire Diaries” actress and singer Kat Graham attends the Cannes premiere of “Only God Forgives” on May 22.

Jessica Chastain attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22.Jessica Chastain attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Model Alessandra Ambrosio attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Model Alessandra Ambrosio attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Star Trek Into Darkness star Zachary Quinto arrives at the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. “Star Trek Into Darkness” star Zachary Quinto arrives at the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Robert Redford arrives at the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Robert Redford arrives at the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Petra Nemcova attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Petra Nemcova attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Kristin Scott Thomas attends the Cannes premiere of Only God Forgives on May 22. Kristin Scott Thomas attends the Cannes premiere of “Only God Forgives” on May 22.

Sharon Stone attends the Cannes premiere of Behind the Candelabra on May 21.Sharon Stone attends the Cannes premiere of “Behind the Candelabra” on May 21.

Matt Damon attends the Cannes premiere of Behind the Candelabra on May 21.Matt Damon attends the Cannes premiere of “Behind the Candelabra” on May 21.

Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas kiss at Cannes' Seduced and Abandoned photocall on May 21.Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas kiss at Cannes’ “Seduced and Abandoned” photocall on May 21.

James Franco attends the Cannes premiere of As I Lay Daying with Ahna O'Reilly and Beth Grant.James Franco attends the Cannes premiere of “As I Lay Daying” with Ahna O’Reilly and Beth Grant.

Adrien Brody attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21 with Lara Nieto.Adrien Brody attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21 with Lara Nieto.

Milla Jovovich attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Milla Jovovich attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Chris Tucker attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Chris Tucker attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Dita Von Teese attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Dita Von Teese attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Clive Owen and Marion Cotillard attend the Blood Ties premiere on May 20.Clive Owen and Marion Cotillard attend the “Blood Ties” premiere on May 20.

Zoe Saldana attends the premiere of Blood Ties at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20.Zoe Saldana attends the premiere of “Blood Ties” at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20.

Rosario Dawson attends the Cannes premiere of As I Lay Daying on May 20.Rosario Dawson attends the Cannes premiere of “As I Lay Daying” on May 20.

Emmanuelle Riva arrives at the May 20 Hiroshima mon Amour screening at Cannes.Emmanuelle Riva arrives at the May 20 “Hiroshima mon Amour” screening at Cannes.

Aishwarya Rai attends the May 20 Cannes premiere at Blood Ties.Aishwarya Rai attends the May 20 Cannes premiere at “Blood Ties.”

Paula Patton and Robin Thicke attend The Weinstein Company Party at Cannes on May 19.Paula Patton and Robin Thicke attend The Weinstein Company Party at Cannes on May 19.

Inside Llewyn Davis co-stars Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan attend a Cannes photocall on May 19.“Inside Llewyn Davis” co-stars Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan attend a Cannes photocall on May 19.

Jessica Biel attends the Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes on May 19.Jessica Biel attends the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes on May 19.

Kirsten Dunst attends the May 19 Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes.Kirsten Dunst attends the May 19 “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes.

Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake attend the Inside Llewyn Davis screening. Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake attend the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening.

Christoph Waltz attends the May 19 Cannes screening of Inside Llewyn Davis. Christoph Waltz attends the May 19 Cannes screening of “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

Jane Fonda attends the Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes on May 19.Jane Fonda attends the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes on May 19.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attend the Inside Llewyn Davis screening on May 19.Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attend the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening on May 19.

Director Francis Lawrence and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth attend the Cannes Hunger Games: Catching Fire party on May 18.Director Francis Lawrence and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth attend the Cannes “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” party on May 18.

Eva Longoria attends the May 18 Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.Eva Longoria attends the May 18 Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

U.K. singer Cheryl Cole attends the Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.U.K. singer Cheryl Cole attends the Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

Jennifer Lawrence attends the May 18 Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.Jennifer Lawrence attends the May 18 Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth arrives at the screening of Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian on May 18.“Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth arrives at the screening of “Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian” on May 18.

Berenice Bejo attends the May 17 Cannes premiere of Le Passe.Berenice Bejo attends the May 17 Cannes premiere of “Le Passe.”

Emma Watson attends the May 16 screening of The Bling Ring.Emma Watson attends the May 16 screening of “The Bling Ring.”

Fruitvale Station's Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer attend the movie's Cannes screening dinner on May 16.“Fruitvale Station’s” Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer attend the movie’s Cannes screening dinner on May 16.

Solange Knowles attends The Great Gatsby premiere in Cannes, France, on May 15.Solange Knowles attends “The Great Gatsby” premiere in Cannes, France, on May 15.

Leonardo DiCaprio at The Great Gatsby premiere.Leonardo DiCaprio at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Elizabeth Debicki and Leonardo DiCaprio arrive at The Great Gatsby premiere. Elizabeth Debicki and Leonardo DiCaprio arrive at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire pose together at The Great Gatsby premiere.Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire pose together at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan at The Great Gatsby premiere. Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Carey Mulligan and director Baz Luhrmann at The Great Gatsby premiere.Carey Mulligan and director Baz Luhrmann at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Joel Edgerton and Baz Luhrmann at The Great Gatsby premiere.Joel Edgerton and Baz Luhrmann at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Isla Fisher at The Great Gatsby premiere.Isla Fisher at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Freida Pinto at The Great Gatsby premiere.Freida Pinto at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Julianne Moore at The Great Gatsby premiere.Julianne Moore at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Cindy Crawford at The Great Gatsby premiere.Cindy Crawford at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Lana Del Rey at The Great Gatsby premiere.Lana Del Rey at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Steven Spielberg at The Great Gatsby premiere.Steven Spielberg at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Jimmy Jean-Louis at The Great Gatsby premiere.Jimmy Jean-Louis at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Hayley Roberts and David Hasselhoff at The Great Gatsby premiere.Hayley Roberts and David Hasselhoff at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Georgia May Jagger at The Great Gatsby premiere.Georgia May Jagger at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Zhang Yuqi at The Great Gatsby premiere.Zhang Yuqi at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Paz Vega at The Great Gatsby premiere. Paz Vega at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.


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Police in Cap d’Antibes, the posh resort town where the party was held, gave a third figure — $1 million (773,000 euros).

The de Grisogono statement said it had hired more than 80 security guards for the event at the Cap Eden Roc hotel in Cap d’Antibes, just east of Cannes.

On Friday, police in Nice said that more than $1 million in jewels belonging to the Swiss firm Chopard had been stolen from a hotel room in Cannes.

Chopard later said in a statement that the value of the stolen pieces was “far lower than those in the figures circulating in the media.”

The theft of the jewels occurred May 16, on the second day of the festival, which runs through May 26.

Commandant Bernard Mascarelli of the Nice police said the jewelry was stolen from a room in the Suite Novotel hotel on Boulevard Carnot in Cannes.

A Chopard employee who was staying in the room left it for several hours to go to dinner, he said. She returned to discover the whole safe containing the jewels had been unscrewed and taken away.

No detailed description of the stolen jewels has been given, but a Chopard spokeswoman said they were not part of the firm’s “Red Carpet Collection 2013″ and were not due to be worn by any actresses in Cannes.

There was no immediate indication the two thefts were connected.

The annual festival brings together the rich and famous from around the world for movie screenings and glittering parties.

Police: Man who fired blanks on Cannes set ‘wanted to change world’

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark, Bharati Naik, Chelsea J. Carter, Pierre Meilhan and Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/B6st3PPLqHA/index.html

(CNN) — A valuable necklace was stolen from a party at the Cannes Film Festival, the second major jewelry theft at the event this year, police said Thursday.

Jeweler de Grisogono said the necklace, which was part of a collection making its debut, was worth 2 million euros ($2.6 million).

The company said it was the first theft in the company’s 20-year history.

Police in Nice, France, confirmed the heist but said the necklace was only worth 1 million euros ($1.3 million U.S.).


Thieves steal red-carpet jewels at Cannes

A view from the Cleopatra cocktail at Cannes on May 21.A view from the “Cleopatra” cocktail at Cannes on May 21.

Director James Gray and stars Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner attend the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Director James Gray and stars Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner attend the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Actor Michael Cera attends the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Actor Michael Cera attends the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Marion Cotillard attends the Cannes premiere of The Immigrant on May 24. Marion Cotillard attends the Cannes premiere of “The Immigrant” on May 24.

Joe Jackson attends the Cannes screening of Michael Kohlhaas on May 24.Joe Jackson attends the Cannes screening of “Michael Kohlhaas” on May 24.

Heidi Klum attends the Cannes premiere of Nebraska on May 23. Heidi Klum attends the Cannes premiere of “Nebraska” on May 23.

The Vampire Diaries actress and singer Kat Graham attends the Cannes premiere of Only God Forgives on May 22. “The Vampire Diaries” actress and singer Kat Graham attends the Cannes premiere of “Only God Forgives” on May 22.

Jessica Chastain attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22.Jessica Chastain attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Model Alessandra Ambrosio attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Model Alessandra Ambrosio attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Star Trek Into Darkness star Zachary Quinto arrives at the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. “Star Trek Into Darkness” star Zachary Quinto arrives at the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Robert Redford arrives at the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Robert Redford arrives at the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Petra Nemcova attends the Cannes premiere of All Is Lost on May 22. Petra Nemcova attends the Cannes premiere of “All Is Lost” on May 22.

Kristin Scott Thomas attends the Cannes premiere of Only God Forgives on May 22. Kristin Scott Thomas attends the Cannes premiere of “Only God Forgives” on May 22.

Sharon Stone attends the Cannes premiere of Behind the Candelabra on May 21.Sharon Stone attends the Cannes premiere of “Behind the Candelabra” on May 21.

Matt Damon attends the Cannes premiere of Behind the Candelabra on May 21.Matt Damon attends the Cannes premiere of “Behind the Candelabra” on May 21.

Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas kiss at Cannes' Seduced and Abandoned photocall on May 21.Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas kiss at Cannes’ “Seduced and Abandoned” photocall on May 21.

James Franco attends the Cannes premiere of As I Lay Daying with Ahna O'Reilly and Beth Grant.James Franco attends the Cannes premiere of “As I Lay Daying” with Ahna O’Reilly and Beth Grant.

Adrien Brody attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21 with Lara Nieto.Adrien Brody attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21 with Lara Nieto.

Milla Jovovich attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Milla Jovovich attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Chris Tucker attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Chris Tucker attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Dita Von Teese attends the Cannes premiere of Cleopatra on May 21.Dita Von Teese attends the Cannes premiere of “Cleopatra” on May 21.

Clive Owen and Marion Cotillard attend the Blood Ties premiere on May 20.Clive Owen and Marion Cotillard attend the “Blood Ties” premiere on May 20.

Zoe Saldana attends the premiere of Blood Ties at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20.Zoe Saldana attends the premiere of “Blood Ties” at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20.

Rosario Dawson attends the Cannes premiere of As I Lay Daying on May 20.Rosario Dawson attends the Cannes premiere of “As I Lay Daying” on May 20.

Emmanuelle Riva arrives at the May 20 Hiroshima mon Amour screening at Cannes.Emmanuelle Riva arrives at the May 20 “Hiroshima mon Amour” screening at Cannes.

Aishwarya Rai attends the May 20 Cannes premiere at Blood Ties.Aishwarya Rai attends the May 20 Cannes premiere at “Blood Ties.”

Paula Patton and Robin Thicke attend The Weinstein Company Party at Cannes on May 19.Paula Patton and Robin Thicke attend The Weinstein Company Party at Cannes on May 19.

Inside Llewyn Davis co-stars Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan attend a Cannes photocall on May 19.“Inside Llewyn Davis” co-stars Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan attend a Cannes photocall on May 19.

Jessica Biel attends the Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes on May 19.Jessica Biel attends the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes on May 19.

Kirsten Dunst attends the May 19 Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes.Kirsten Dunst attends the May 19 “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes.

Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake attend the Inside Llewyn Davis screening. Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake attend the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening.

Christoph Waltz attends the May 19 Cannes screening of Inside Llewyn Davis. Christoph Waltz attends the May 19 Cannes screening of “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

Jane Fonda attends the Inside Llewyn Davis screening at Cannes on May 19.Jane Fonda attends the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening at Cannes on May 19.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attend the Inside Llewyn Davis screening on May 19.Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attend the “Inside Llewyn Davis” screening on May 19.

Director Francis Lawrence and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth attend the Cannes Hunger Games: Catching Fire party on May 18.Director Francis Lawrence and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth attend the Cannes “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” party on May 18.

Eva Longoria attends the May 18 Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.Eva Longoria attends the May 18 Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

U.K. singer Cheryl Cole attends the Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.U.K. singer Cheryl Cole attends the Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

Jennifer Lawrence attends the May 18 Cannes screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.Jennifer Lawrence attends the May 18 Cannes screening of “Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.”

Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth arrives at the screening of Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian on May 18.“Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth arrives at the screening of “Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian” on May 18.

Berenice Bejo attends the May 17 Cannes premiere of Le Passe.Berenice Bejo attends the May 17 Cannes premiere of “Le Passe.”

Emma Watson attends the May 16 screening of The Bling Ring.Emma Watson attends the May 16 screening of “The Bling Ring.”

Fruitvale Station's Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer attend the movie's Cannes screening dinner on May 16.“Fruitvale Station’s” Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer attend the movie’s Cannes screening dinner on May 16.

Solange Knowles attends The Great Gatsby premiere in Cannes, France, on May 15.Solange Knowles attends “The Great Gatsby” premiere in Cannes, France, on May 15.

Leonardo DiCaprio at The Great Gatsby premiere.Leonardo DiCaprio at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Elizabeth Debicki and Leonardo DiCaprio arrive at The Great Gatsby premiere. Elizabeth Debicki and Leonardo DiCaprio arrive at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire pose together at The Great Gatsby premiere.Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire pose together at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan at The Great Gatsby premiere. Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Carey Mulligan and director Baz Luhrmann at The Great Gatsby premiere.Carey Mulligan and director Baz Luhrmann at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Joel Edgerton and Baz Luhrmann at The Great Gatsby premiere.Joel Edgerton and Baz Luhrmann at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Isla Fisher at The Great Gatsby premiere.Isla Fisher at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Freida Pinto at The Great Gatsby premiere.Freida Pinto at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Julianne Moore at The Great Gatsby premiere.Julianne Moore at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Cindy Crawford at The Great Gatsby premiere.Cindy Crawford at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Lana Del Rey at The Great Gatsby premiere.Lana Del Rey at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Steven Spielberg at The Great Gatsby premiere.Steven Spielberg at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Jimmy Jean-Louis at The Great Gatsby premiere.Jimmy Jean-Louis at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Hayley Roberts and David Hasselhoff at The Great Gatsby premiere.Hayley Roberts and David Hasselhoff at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Georgia May Jagger at The Great Gatsby premiere.Georgia May Jagger at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Zhang Yuqi at The Great Gatsby premiere.Zhang Yuqi at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.

Paz Vega at The Great Gatsby premiere. Paz Vega at “The Great Gatsby” premiere.


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Police in Cap d’Antibes, the posh resort town where the party was held, gave a third figure — $1 million (773,000 euros).

The de Grisogono statement said it had hired more than 80 security guards for the event at the Cap Eden Roc hotel in Cap d’Antibes, just east of Cannes.

On Friday, police in Nice said that more than $1 million in jewels belonging to the Swiss firm Chopard had been stolen from a hotel room in Cannes.

Chopard later said in a statement that the value of the stolen pieces was “far lower than those in the figures circulating in the media.”

The theft of the jewels occurred May 16, on the second day of the festival, which runs through May 26.

Commandant Bernard Mascarelli of the Nice police said the jewelry was stolen from a room in the Suite Novotel hotel on Boulevard Carnot in Cannes.

A Chopard employee who was staying in the room left it for several hours to go to dinner, he said. She returned to discover the whole safe containing the jewels had been unscrewed and taken away.

No detailed description of the stolen jewels has been given, but a Chopard spokeswoman said they were not part of the firm’s “Red Carpet Collection 2013″ and were not due to be worn by any actresses in Cannes.

There was no immediate indication the two thefts were connected.

The annual festival brings together the rich and famous from around the world for movie screenings and glittering parties.

Police: Man who fired blanks on Cannes set ‘wanted to change world’

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark, Bharati Naik, Chelsea J. Carter, Pierre Meilhan and Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/B6st3PPLqHA/index.html

Editor’s note: Are you there? Share your photos and videos.

London (CNN) — Police arrested two men Friday on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a flight from Pakistan to the United Kingdom was diverted to Stansted Airport, outside of London.

A UK fighter jet was scrambled to escort Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK709 from Lahore as it was diverted from northwestern England’s Manchester Airport to Stansted.

Essex Police, who cover the area near Stansted airport, said officers had arrested the men and removed them from the plane, which had 297 passengers aboard.

Police declined to release the identities of the two men, saying only they are British nationals ages 30 and 41.

Police said the incident is being treated as a criminal offense, and did not mention a terrorism angle.

Wajid Hasan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, told CNN that the two passengers “got into an altercation with air stewardesses and threatened to blow up the plane.”

The flight attendants contacted the pilot, who contacted UK air traffic control authorities, who then scrambled the fighter jets, he said.

The plane later continued onto Manchester from Stansted after all the passengers and cargo were screened, a process that took about four hours, according to the high commissioner’s office.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Mashood Tajwar said the aircraft would then fly from Manchester back to Lahore, Pakistan.

Passengers arriving at Stansted told CNN they were delayed by what several called a “terrorist scare.”

‘Unruly passenger’

A top official with Pakistan International Airlines earlier said the diversion was prompted by an unruly passenger.

“The passenger was simply causing a disturbance on the plane and threatening passengers and staff. This is a lesson to angry passengers,” the official said.

Tajwar told CNN that the plane was 20 minutes away from Manchester Airport and preparing to land when air traffic controllers there received reports of a “terror threat.”

British police had not yet been in touch with the airline to confirm if this was actually a terror threat related to passengers on board the PIA flight, Tajwar said.

“This information may be a bomb threat but we are not sure yet, it could be a fake threat,” Tajwar told CNN.

A security source in London told CNN that early indications suggested the diversion of the flight to Stansted Airport was not a terror-related incident.

A representative for Stansted Airport said the plane was on an isolated stand away from the normal airport and police were handling the situation.

Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby to investigate the incident, the UK Defense Ministry said.

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London, where Nic Robertson also reported, and Shaan Khan reported in Islamabad. CNN’s Aliza Kassim, Claudia Rebaza, Per Nyberg, Susannah Cullinane, and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/p4IABkfRXIw/index.html

Editor’s note: Are you there? Share your photos and videos.

London (CNN) — Police arrested two men Friday on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a flight from Pakistan to the United Kingdom was diverted to Stansted Airport, outside of London.

A UK fighter jet was scrambled to escort Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK709 from Lahore as it was diverted from northwestern England’s Manchester Airport to Stansted.

Essex Police, who cover the area near Stansted airport, said officers had arrested the men and removed them from the plane, which had 297 passengers aboard.

Police declined to release the identities of the two men, saying only they are British nationals ages 30 and 41.

Police said the incident is being treated as a criminal offense, and did not mention a terrorism angle.

Wajid Hasan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, told CNN that the two passengers “got into an altercation with air stewardesses and threatened to blow up the plane.”

The flight attendants contacted the pilot, who contacted UK air traffic control authorities, who then scrambled the fighter jets, he said.

The plane later continued onto Manchester from Stansted after all the passengers and cargo were screened, a process that took about four hours, according to the high commissioner’s office.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Mashood Tajwar said the aircraft would then fly from Manchester back to Lahore, Pakistan.

Passengers arriving at Stansted told CNN they were delayed by what several called a “terrorist scare.”

‘Unruly passenger’

A top official with Pakistan International Airlines earlier said the diversion was prompted by an unruly passenger.

“The passenger was simply causing a disturbance on the plane and threatening passengers and staff. This is a lesson to angry passengers,” the official said.

Tajwar told CNN that the plane was 20 minutes away from Manchester Airport and preparing to land when air traffic controllers there received reports of a “terror threat.”

British police had not yet been in touch with the airline to confirm if this was actually a terror threat related to passengers on board the PIA flight, Tajwar said.

“This information may be a bomb threat but we are not sure yet, it could be a fake threat,” Tajwar told CNN.

A security source in London told CNN that early indications suggested the diversion of the flight to Stansted Airport was not a terror-related incident.

A representative for Stansted Airport said the plane was on an isolated stand away from the normal airport and police were handling the situation.

Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby to investigate the incident, the UK Defense Ministry said.

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London, where Nic Robertson also reported, and Shaan Khan reported in Islamabad. CNN’s Aliza Kassim, Claudia Rebaza, Per Nyberg, Susannah Cullinane, and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/p4IABkfRXIw/index.html

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