Deadliest year in Iraq since 2007

Government figures show 2014 was the most violent year for Iraqis since 2007, with more than 15,000 people killed.

Violence in Iraq killed more than 15,000 civilians and security personnel in 2014, government figures have shown, making it one of the deadliest years since the 2003 US-led invasion.
Figures compiled by the health, interior and defence ministries and published on Thursday put the death toll at 15,538, compared with 17,956 killed in 2007 during the height of Sunni-Shia sectarian killings.

Ex-New York governor Mario Cuomo dies at 82

Son of Italian immigrants became eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during three terms in office.

Cuomo loomed large in New York politics as governor from 1983 through to 1994 [AP]

Mario Cuomo, a son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as governor of New York, but could not quite bring himself to run for president, has died.

Economist Piketty spurns France's top honour

homas Piketty declines Legion d'Honneur saying he does not think it is up to a government to say who is honourable.

Once close to France's ruling Socialist party, Piketty has become very critical of President Francois Hollande [EPA]

French economist Thomas Piketty, who shot to fame and topped best-seller lists in 2014 with his controversial book on wealth and inequality, has declined the country's highest award, the Legion d'Honneur.

Sierra Leone leader urges prayer to end Ebola

President Ernest Bai Korom asks country to begin week-long fasting and prayer in bid to end Ebola scourge.

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has asked the country to begin a week of fasting and prayers to end the Ebola virus that has killed more than 2,700 people in the country.In a New Year's Day broadcast on Thursday, Koroma said the seven days of prayers and fasting would begin immediately. "Today I ask all to commit our actions to the grace, mercy and protection of God Almighty," he said.

Most cancer types 'just bad luck'

Most types of cancer can be put down to bad luck rather than risk factors such as smoking, a study has suggested.

A US team were trying to explain why some tissues were millions of times more vulnerable to cancer than others.
The results, in the journal Science, showed two thirds of the cancer types analysed were caused just by chance mutations rather than lifestyle.

‘2015 elections will not split Nigeria’

The founder of Champions Royal Assembly, Joshua Iginla, has said that contrary to a prophecy that Nigeria may break up this year, the country will not split, but will overcome its challenges.  

New naval warship arrives Lagos today

Nigerian Navy is set to boost its policing of the nation’s maritime environment with the coming of a new warship, NNS Okpabana, from the United States of America.
NNS Okpabana, a former United States Coast Guard vessel, Daily Sun learnt, would, like its sister vessel, NNS Thunder, join in the policing of Nigeria’s water ways, in response to the mandate by President Goodluck Jonathan to rid the water ways of crude oil thieves.