A gorilla who spent her whole life in a zoo has died in her sleep less than a month after her 60th birthday.
Colo, a Western lowland gorilla, began her life at Columbus zoo in Ohio on 22 December, 1956.
She was the first gorilla to be born in captivity and went on to have three children, 16 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Colo was found dead in her enclosure by zoo staff and a post-mortem examination is planned.
The gorilla recently had a malignant tumour removed, but was thought to be recovering well. It is not known at this stage whether the cancer contributed to her death.
Tom Stalf, zoo president, said: "Colo touched the hearts of generations of people who came to see her and those that cared for her over her long lifetime.
"She was an ambassador for gorillas and inspired people to learn more about the critically endangered species and motivated them to protect gorillas in their native habitat."
A party was held at the zoo in December to celebrate Colo's achievement in living around two decades longer than expected.
The enclosure was decorated with paper chains and special cakes prepared for her.
Colo's body will be cremated. Her ashes will then be buried at an undisclosed location in the zoo.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Nigerian Warship And Troops Head For Gambia To Sack Jammeh
Nigeria soldiers will, on Wednesday (today), arrive at a base of the Economic Community of West African States troops in Senegal to ensure that President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia steps down on Thursday, January 19.
Nigerian warship, NNS UNITY, is also heading for the coast of The Gambia to join the operation.
The PUNCH learnt from a top military source in the Nigerian Air Force that the troops would be briefed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in the early hours of Wednesday, before leaving for Senegal.
It was gathered that apart from the NAF and the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army would also contribute troops, although the number of deployment could not yet be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
The source said some of the NAF fighter jets were expected to airlift the troops.
He said, “I can confirm to you that men of the Air Force will leave for Senegal tomorrow (Wednesday). They will be briefed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at the Kainji base in Niger State.
“That Nigeria is deploying troops is now a certainty after several meetings with The Gambian president yielded no result. The Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS countries came to Abuja on Saturday, where they discussed what components each member state is expected to contribute to the troops that will force Yahya Jammeh out.
“The troops are expected to stay for two weeks and they will be received at a base in Senegal.”
Another military source added, “The NNS Unity is currently sailing off the coast of Ghana, after leaving from Lagos. It is not only Nigeria. Senegal is the host country for the troops, as it would be easy to launch an attack from there.”
The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, however, said it could not confirm the deployments, adding that it was a matter being coordinated by political leaders.
The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said, “We should not drag the Nigerian military into a political issue. What is happening is a political discussion between the ECOWAS leaders, aimed at solving a political impasse in one of its member states.
“Whatever they agreed to do is what will happen. Therefore, the military is not for any engagement regarding Jammeh or any other person for that matter.”
Adama Barrow of the opposition party won the December 1, 2016, presidential election but Jammeh, who initially conceded defeat by congratulating Barrow, made a U-turn a week later, saying he would challenge the results.
Despite interventions by the African Union and ECOWAS, Jammeh insisted he would not hand over power to Barrow.
This stance informed the decision of the leaders to withdraw their recognition for Jammeh as the Gambian president after Thursday.
Meanwhile, Jammeh, on Tuesday, declared a 90-day state of emergency 24 hours to the end of his tenure.
He warned security forces against violating the order or engaging in acts likely to cause a breach of the peace, and denounced “foreign interference in The Gambia’s election.”
The declaration of a state of emergency by the embattled President followed a rejection of his injunction to stop Barrow’s inauguration by the Gambian Chief Justice, Emmanuel Fagbenle, on Monday.
In a televised announcement on Tuesday, Jammeh said, “Any acts of disobedience to the laws of the Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace are banned under the state of emergency.”
He directed security forces to “maintain absolute peace, law and order.”
Barrow is currently in Senegal and due to security fears, he was unable to attend the funeral of his eight-year-old son, who died on Monday after a dog bite.
Nigerian warship, NNS UNITY, is also heading for the coast of The Gambia to join the operation.
The PUNCH learnt from a top military source in the Nigerian Air Force that the troops would be briefed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in the early hours of Wednesday, before leaving for Senegal.
It was gathered that apart from the NAF and the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army would also contribute troops, although the number of deployment could not yet be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
The source said some of the NAF fighter jets were expected to airlift the troops.
He said, “I can confirm to you that men of the Air Force will leave for Senegal tomorrow (Wednesday). They will be briefed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at the Kainji base in Niger State.
“That Nigeria is deploying troops is now a certainty after several meetings with The Gambian president yielded no result. The Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS countries came to Abuja on Saturday, where they discussed what components each member state is expected to contribute to the troops that will force Yahya Jammeh out.
“The troops are expected to stay for two weeks and they will be received at a base in Senegal.”
Another military source added, “The NNS Unity is currently sailing off the coast of Ghana, after leaving from Lagos. It is not only Nigeria. Senegal is the host country for the troops, as it would be easy to launch an attack from there.”
The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, however, said it could not confirm the deployments, adding that it was a matter being coordinated by political leaders.
The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said, “We should not drag the Nigerian military into a political issue. What is happening is a political discussion between the ECOWAS leaders, aimed at solving a political impasse in one of its member states.
“Whatever they agreed to do is what will happen. Therefore, the military is not for any engagement regarding Jammeh or any other person for that matter.”
Adama Barrow of the opposition party won the December 1, 2016, presidential election but Jammeh, who initially conceded defeat by congratulating Barrow, made a U-turn a week later, saying he would challenge the results.
Despite interventions by the African Union and ECOWAS, Jammeh insisted he would not hand over power to Barrow.
This stance informed the decision of the leaders to withdraw their recognition for Jammeh as the Gambian president after Thursday.
Meanwhile, Jammeh, on Tuesday, declared a 90-day state of emergency 24 hours to the end of his tenure.
He warned security forces against violating the order or engaging in acts likely to cause a breach of the peace, and denounced “foreign interference in The Gambia’s election.”
The declaration of a state of emergency by the embattled President followed a rejection of his injunction to stop Barrow’s inauguration by the Gambian Chief Justice, Emmanuel Fagbenle, on Monday.
In a televised announcement on Tuesday, Jammeh said, “Any acts of disobedience to the laws of the Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace are banned under the state of emergency.”
He directed security forces to “maintain absolute peace, law and order.”
Barrow is currently in Senegal and due to security fears, he was unable to attend the funeral of his eight-year-old son, who died on Monday after a dog bite.
Nigerian airstrike kills dozens in refugee camp
A Nigerian airstrike meant for Boko Haram militants has killed at least 52 people and injured dozens more in a refugee camp.
The strike hit Rann in Borno state - a stronghold for the jihadist group - with charity workers from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) among the dead and injured.
Nigerian general Lucky Irabor said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident.
MSF said as many as 200 people had been wounded in the bombing while an ICRC spokeswoman said six Nigeria Red Cross members were killed and 13 injured.
Photographs of the carnage showed a man in bloodstained clothes carrying a wounded child, as well as bloodied victims being treated on the ground outside a tent clinic overflowing with the wounded.
Nearby, corpses lay covered by blankets and prayer mats, alongside mounds of hastily dug graves.
Robert Hugues, head of emergency programmes for MSF, said: "It is total chaos there, the team is completely overwhelmed with more than 200 people wounded.
"So they are trying to stabilise the patients that need the most acute care, and right now it is night there, so the team is trying to find a solution to stabilise these people during the night.
"It is very complex because the place is very insecure, so it will be probably a mix of air evacuation and also road evacuation, so we hope that during the night not many people will die because we don't have there the capability to properly stabilise people."
The airstrike came amid an offensive by the Nigerian military against Boko Haram, which has been going on for weeks.
A spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement: "The president pledges federal help for the state government in attending to this regrettable operational mistake."
President Buhari's office said the bombing - coming several weeks after the military claimed to have taken control of a key camp in the jihadists' Sambisa forest base - happened during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the northeast".
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in recent weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush.
Villagers have previously reported civilian casualties in airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in the region.
Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by the insurgents in 2014 and freed last year said three of their classmates had been killed by airstrikes.
Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.
Boko Haram's seven-year-old uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes.
The strike hit Rann in Borno state - a stronghold for the jihadist group - with charity workers from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) among the dead and injured.
Nigerian general Lucky Irabor said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident.
MSF said as many as 200 people had been wounded in the bombing while an ICRC spokeswoman said six Nigeria Red Cross members were killed and 13 injured.
Photographs of the carnage showed a man in bloodstained clothes carrying a wounded child, as well as bloodied victims being treated on the ground outside a tent clinic overflowing with the wounded.
Nearby, corpses lay covered by blankets and prayer mats, alongside mounds of hastily dug graves.
Robert Hugues, head of emergency programmes for MSF, said: "It is total chaos there, the team is completely overwhelmed with more than 200 people wounded.
"So they are trying to stabilise the patients that need the most acute care, and right now it is night there, so the team is trying to find a solution to stabilise these people during the night.
"It is very complex because the place is very insecure, so it will be probably a mix of air evacuation and also road evacuation, so we hope that during the night not many people will die because we don't have there the capability to properly stabilise people."
The airstrike came amid an offensive by the Nigerian military against Boko Haram, which has been going on for weeks.
A spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement: "The president pledges federal help for the state government in attending to this regrettable operational mistake."
President Buhari's office said the bombing - coming several weeks after the military claimed to have taken control of a key camp in the jihadists' Sambisa forest base - happened during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the northeast".
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in recent weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush.
Villagers have previously reported civilian casualties in airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in the region.
Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by the insurgents in 2014 and freed last year said three of their classmates had been killed by airstrikes.
Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.
Boko Haram's seven-year-old uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes.
Migrants fear deportation as Donald Trump prepares to take office
Millions of undocumented migrants face deportation from the US if Donald Trump sticks to his hard-line campaign promise on immigration.
And amid all the uncertainty for Americans about what their unconventional new president will do in the White House, there is huge anxiety among those who had no choice in deciding to enter America illegally.
As many as a million of people who do not have official authority to remain in the US were brought to the country as children.
An executive order by President Barack Obama has deferred deportation action against them. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to create a border force to remove all undocumented migrants.
The President-elect has softened his tone since winning the election, but it is not clear what his policy will be once in the Oval Office.
:: Cowboy Church of Jerusalem rides to DC for Trump's inauguration
Maria Etcheverry was brought to the US from Bolivia as a child and remains undocumented. She says her deportation would tear her family apart.
She told Sky News: "My only purpose here would just go down and that's why we're scared.
"We know how hard we have worked to get here, we know how hard it has been for our families to get us to where we are and it would just be very difficult."
Maria is studying to become an immigration lawyer. At her university alone there are more than a thousand undocumented students; so many, they have established a support centre.
Cities like Los Angeles have vowed to fight to defend immigrant communities from Mr Trump's policies.
Police in so-called "sanctuary cities", like Los Angeles, say they will continue a policy of not co-operating with federal immigration authorities.
Robert Garcia, mayor of Long Beach in Los Angeles county, is himself an immigrant and says the undocumented should not be targeted.
He told Sky News: "What we are looking for is: Is this person a criminal? Has this person committed a crime? Are they causing problems in the community? And that has nothing to do with whether they have documentation.
"It's not our job to be the immigration police."
Trump denounced "sanctuary cities" like LA on the campaign trail.
Since the election, Mr Trump has shifted his position on removing immigrants, focusing on those who have committed crimes only.
It is the same policy followed by the Obama administration.
But Mr Trump risks a backlash from those who voted for him on a promise of deporting all in the country illegally.
Mike Simpfenderfer, secretary of Make California Great Again, says the President-elect is being pragmatic and that immigrants should not be worried.
He said: "Don't steal, don't rob, pay your taxes, contribute to society, because you're asking to be part of society, so act like it."
Maria's mother Monica sums up the feelings of many.
She said: "It's about families. We are in his hands. He has the power to cancel a dream."
And amid all the uncertainty for Americans about what their unconventional new president will do in the White House, there is huge anxiety among those who had no choice in deciding to enter America illegally.
As many as a million of people who do not have official authority to remain in the US were brought to the country as children.
An executive order by President Barack Obama has deferred deportation action against them. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to create a border force to remove all undocumented migrants.
The President-elect has softened his tone since winning the election, but it is not clear what his policy will be once in the Oval Office.
:: Cowboy Church of Jerusalem rides to DC for Trump's inauguration
Maria Etcheverry was brought to the US from Bolivia as a child and remains undocumented. She says her deportation would tear her family apart.
She told Sky News: "My only purpose here would just go down and that's why we're scared.
"We know how hard we have worked to get here, we know how hard it has been for our families to get us to where we are and it would just be very difficult."
Maria is studying to become an immigration lawyer. At her university alone there are more than a thousand undocumented students; so many, they have established a support centre.
Cities like Los Angeles have vowed to fight to defend immigrant communities from Mr Trump's policies.
Police in so-called "sanctuary cities", like Los Angeles, say they will continue a policy of not co-operating with federal immigration authorities.
Robert Garcia, mayor of Long Beach in Los Angeles county, is himself an immigrant and says the undocumented should not be targeted.
He told Sky News: "What we are looking for is: Is this person a criminal? Has this person committed a crime? Are they causing problems in the community? And that has nothing to do with whether they have documentation.
"It's not our job to be the immigration police."
Trump denounced "sanctuary cities" like LA on the campaign trail.
Since the election, Mr Trump has shifted his position on removing immigrants, focusing on those who have committed crimes only.
It is the same policy followed by the Obama administration.
But Mr Trump risks a backlash from those who voted for him on a promise of deporting all in the country illegally.
Mike Simpfenderfer, secretary of Make California Great Again, says the President-elect is being pragmatic and that immigrants should not be worried.
He said: "Don't steal, don't rob, pay your taxes, contribute to society, because you're asking to be part of society, so act like it."
Maria's mother Monica sums up the feelings of many.
She said: "It's about families. We are in his hands. He has the power to cancel a dream."
David Cameron and George Osborne cash in with big-money Davos visit
David Cameron and George Osborne are being paid tens of thousands of pounds each to make speeches for leading financial institutions at the World Economic Forum.
The former Prime Minister and Chancellor, who this time last year were leading figures at the forum, will this year only attend the fringes of the event held in Davos, including a number of parties and private dinners.
Mr Cameron is to give a speech at a dinner held by accounting firm PwC, while Mr Osborne will appear at an HSBC event for 20 clients.
The fees charged by them are understood to be "in the high five figures", plus travel and accommodation expenses.
The former ministers are entitled to earn money from private appearances, though as a sitting MP Mr Osborne is bound to declare his earnings.
:: Five reasons why you should care about the World Economic Forum in Davos
They have both done numerous such events since leaving office, though eyebrows may be raised this time about the proximity to Theresa May, who also arrives in the Swiss resort on Wednesday to discuss Brexit at the full WEF.
Last autumn, it was revealed that the former Chancellor received £320,000 on top of his salary in the months after his departure from Number 11 for a number of speeches given in the US.
Mr Cameron is understood to have commanded six-figure fees for some of his appearances for leading US financial institutions.
Although neither politician has broken any rules, some observers have called for a three-year ban on such fees after leading ministers have left office, so as to ensure there is no question about them standing up to big business during their tenancies.
Notably, in his final year in office, Mr Osborne cut the banking levy paid by major financial institutions, in what was seen as a bid to persuade HSBC to maintain its headquarters in the UK.
The former Prime Minister and Chancellor, who this time last year were leading figures at the forum, will this year only attend the fringes of the event held in Davos, including a number of parties and private dinners.
Mr Cameron is to give a speech at a dinner held by accounting firm PwC, while Mr Osborne will appear at an HSBC event for 20 clients.
The fees charged by them are understood to be "in the high five figures", plus travel and accommodation expenses.
The former ministers are entitled to earn money from private appearances, though as a sitting MP Mr Osborne is bound to declare his earnings.
:: Five reasons why you should care about the World Economic Forum in Davos
They have both done numerous such events since leaving office, though eyebrows may be raised this time about the proximity to Theresa May, who also arrives in the Swiss resort on Wednesday to discuss Brexit at the full WEF.
Last autumn, it was revealed that the former Chancellor received £320,000 on top of his salary in the months after his departure from Number 11 for a number of speeches given in the US.
Mr Cameron is understood to have commanded six-figure fees for some of his appearances for leading US financial institutions.
Although neither politician has broken any rules, some observers have called for a three-year ban on such fees after leading ministers have left office, so as to ensure there is no question about them standing up to big business during their tenancies.
Notably, in his final year in office, Mr Osborne cut the banking levy paid by major financial institutions, in what was seen as a bid to persuade HSBC to maintain its headquarters in the UK.
Gambia's Yahya Jammeh declares state of emergency
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh has declared a state of emergency, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month.
In a national TV address, Jammeh said on Tuesday the measure was necessary because of "the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" in a December 1 presidential vote, which he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.
Jammeh also cited external interference in "the internal affairs of The Gambia and the unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country".
The state of emergency, which is supposed to last 90 days, bans "acts of disobdience" and "acts intended to disturb public order".
A former coup leader who has ruled the small West African country since 1994, Jammeh initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the poll's results stating irregularities.
Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, is scheduled to take office on January 19.
He insists his inauguration will proceed as planned.
"The decision to declare a state of emergency was taken by the national parliament, but the only people who are sitting in parliament are the members of Jammeh's political party," Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from neighbouring Senegal's capital, Dakar, said.
Haque said the declaration of the state of emergency raised concerns about freedom of speech and arbitraty arrests in the country, as well as the potential implementation of a curfew and the closure of borders.
"Gambia, as of right now, is effectively on lockdown," Haque said.
Jammeh is refusing to step down despite international pressure and a threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.
He has lodged a challenge to the election result with Gambia's Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.
Last week, the Supreme Court said Jammeh's challenge to the election result could not be heard for several months as it did not have a full bench, and the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.
The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts due to a lack of its own trained professionals.
Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, have repeatedly called on the long-serving rule to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.
"Military and diplomatic sources in Abuja say they are not overthrowing Jammeh," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital, said, "but are enforcing the mandate of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as ensuring that the choice of the Gambian people is realised at the end of Jammeh's term.
"There's been a lot of diplomatic and military activity and preparations ahead of the deadline given to Jammeh to leave office."
The announcement of the state of emergency came hours after Gambia's ministers for finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment resigned from Jammeh's government.
In a national TV address, Jammeh said on Tuesday the measure was necessary because of "the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" in a December 1 presidential vote, which he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.
Jammeh also cited external interference in "the internal affairs of The Gambia and the unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country".
The state of emergency, which is supposed to last 90 days, bans "acts of disobdience" and "acts intended to disturb public order".
A former coup leader who has ruled the small West African country since 1994, Jammeh initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the poll's results stating irregularities.
Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, is scheduled to take office on January 19.
He insists his inauguration will proceed as planned.
"The decision to declare a state of emergency was taken by the national parliament, but the only people who are sitting in parliament are the members of Jammeh's political party," Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from neighbouring Senegal's capital, Dakar, said.
Haque said the declaration of the state of emergency raised concerns about freedom of speech and arbitraty arrests in the country, as well as the potential implementation of a curfew and the closure of borders.
"Gambia, as of right now, is effectively on lockdown," Haque said.
"What is clear is that the state of emergency is supposed to last 90 days, which entails that Jammeh wants to stay in power beyond Thursday's inauguration."
Jammeh is refusing to step down despite international pressure and a threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.
He has lodged a challenge to the election result with Gambia's Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.
Last week, the Supreme Court said Jammeh's challenge to the election result could not be heard for several months as it did not have a full bench, and the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.
The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts due to a lack of its own trained professionals.
Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, have repeatedly called on the long-serving rule to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.
"Military and diplomatic sources in Abuja say they are not overthrowing Jammeh," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital, said, "but are enforcing the mandate of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as ensuring that the choice of the Gambian people is realised at the end of Jammeh's term.
"There's been a lot of diplomatic and military activity and preparations ahead of the deadline given to Jammeh to leave office."
The announcement of the state of emergency came hours after Gambia's ministers for finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment resigned from Jammeh's government.
Midwife shortage makes women feel like 'cattle' during childbirth
Half of all women in labour experience a "red flag" event where basic care is delayed or undelivered, according to new research.
The report by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) claims this highlights the worrying shortage of midwives.
Examples of red flag events include waiting times of more than 30 minutes for pain relief during childbirth, medication doses being missed, and delays of more than an hour for stitches.
Elizabeth Duff, a senior policy adviser at the NCT, believes the study exposes a crisis in maternity care.
"No women should have to suffer a red flag event when bringing a baby into the world. Severe staffing shortages must be acted on so that every family receives an acceptable level of care," she said.
Sky News spoke to mothers at a play centre in southwest London.
Most felt their labour hadn't gone to plan, and said staff often appeared under pressure.
The report by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) claims this highlights the worrying shortage of midwives.
Examples of red flag events include waiting times of more than 30 minutes for pain relief during childbirth, medication doses being missed, and delays of more than an hour for stitches.
Elizabeth Duff, a senior policy adviser at the NCT, believes the study exposes a crisis in maternity care.
"No women should have to suffer a red flag event when bringing a baby into the world. Severe staffing shortages must be acted on so that every family receives an acceptable level of care," she said.
Sky News spoke to mothers at a play centre in southwest London.
Most felt their labour hadn't gone to plan, and said staff often appeared under pressure.
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