ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

(CNN)-ISIS has executed 3,895 people, more than half of them civilians, since announcing the establishment of a "caliphate state" in June 2014, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday.

Of the 2,114 civilians killed, 78 were children and 116 were women, the SORH said in a press release. Civilians were killed by firing squad, beheaded, stoned, thrown off high buildings or burned, SOHR said.

The other people executed included fighters for the Syrian regime, militiamen loyal to the regime and rebel groups like al-Qaeda in Levant, SOHR said.

CNN could not independently verify the information from SOHR. Its website says SOHR is a nonprofit group not connected to any political body or nation.

ISIS even executed 422 of its own members for offenses such as trying to defect, spying for foreign counties and acts of "extremism" against Islam, such as ascribing divine characteristics to Islamic figures or another person, SOHR said.

The origins of ISIS

SOHR said people were killed for apostasy, cursing Allah, adultery, espionage, being a member of the national defense, contacting the Al-Nusra Front and homosexuality. A woman was killed for escaping from her husband.

Civilians were massacred in several places: 939 Arab Sunni civilians were killed in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor; 223 Kurdish civilians were killed in Kobani and the nearby village of Barkh Botan; and 46 were killed in the village of Al-Mab'oujeh.

During the period of December 29 to January 29, ISIS killed 188 people, including 113 civilians, the release said. Sixty-four were Syrian regime forces or militiamen loyal to the regime, the release said.

The extremist group announced the establishment of a "caliphate," an Islamic state stretching across the western and northern Iraq, in June 2014.

The leader of the caliphate is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al Samarrai, more commonly known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Chelsea complete loan signing of striker Pato

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea completed the loan signing of Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato until the end of the season.

The 26-year-old Pato joins from Corinthians following previous spells with Internacional, Sao Paulo and AC Milan.

"I am so happy to sign for Chelsea. It is a dream for me. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know my new team-mates and cannot wait to play," Pato said Friday after completing his move.

"I thank Chelsea for their support and hope I can repay this faith to the club and its fans," Pato added.

Defending Premier League champion Chelsea has struggled for form this season and is currently 13th in the standings with Jose Mourinho having been sacked in December, seven months after he led them to the title.

Interim manager Guus Hiddink does not think Pato's arrival is a risk, with the Brazilian international joining a forward line alongside Diego Costa, Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao.

"It's not a gamble. Coming on loan makes it possible to view if he can adapt to the league," Hiddink said.

Pato could make his debut away to Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Hope the naira falls

“GIVE me lucky generals,” Napoleon is supposed to have said, preferring them to talented ones. 

Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, has not had much luck when it comes to the oil price. 
Between 1983 and 1985 he was Nigeria’s military ruler. Just before he took over, oil prices began a lengthy collapse; the country’s export earnings fell by more than half. The economy went into a deep recession and Mr Buhari, unable to cope, was overthrown in a coup.  
Now he is president again. (He won a fair election last year against a woeful opponent; The Economist endorsed him.) And once again, oil prices have slumped, from $64 a barrel on the day he was sworn in to $32 eight months later. Growth probably fell by half in 2015, from 6.3% to little more than 3% (see article). Oil accounts for 70% of the government’s revenues and 95% of export earnings. The government deficit will widen this year to about 3.5% of GDP. The currency, the naira, is under pressure. The central bank insists on an exchange rate of 197-199 naira to the dollar. On the black market, dollars sell for 300 naira or more.

In this section

Instead of letting the naira depreciate to reflect the country’s loss of purchasing power, Mr Buhari’s government is trying to keep it aloft. The central bank has restricted the supply of dollars and banned the import of a long list of goods, from shovels and rice to toothpicks. It hopes that this will maintain reserves and stimulate domestic production.
When the currency is devalued, all imports become more expensive. But under Mr Buhari’s system the restrictions on imports are by government fiat. Factory bosses complain they cannot import raw materials such as chemicals and fret that, if this continues, they may have to shut down. Many have turned to the black market to obtain dollars, and are doubtless smuggling in some of the goods that have been banned.

 

In charts: Explore Nigeria’s economy and politics

Nigerians have heard this tune before. Indeed, Mr Buhari tried something similar the last time he was president. Then, as now, he resisted what he called the “bitter pill” of devaluation. When, as a result, foreign currency ran short, he rationed it and slashed imports by more than half. When Nigerians turned to the black market he sealed the country’s borders. When unemployment surged he expelled 700,000 migrants.

Barking orders at markets did not work then, and it will not work now. Mr Buhari is right that devaluation will lead to inflation—as it has in other commodity exporters. But Nigeria’s policy of limiting imports and creating scarcity will be even more inflationary. A weaker currency would spur domestic production more than import bans can and, in the long run, hurt consumers less. The country needs foreign capital to finance its deficits but, under today’s policies, it will struggle to get any. Foreign investors assume that any Nigerian asset they buy in naira now will cost less later, after the currency has devalued. So they wait.

Those who fail to learn from history...

Mr Buhari’s tenure has in some ways been impressive. He has restored a semblance of security to swathes of northern Nigeria that were overrun by schoolgirl-abducting jihadists. He has won some early battles against corruption. Some of his economic policies are sound, too. He has indicated that he will stop subsidising fuel and selling it at below-market prices. This is brave, since the subsidies are popular, even though they have been a disaster (the cheap fuel was often sold abroad and petrol stations frequently ran dry). If Mr Buhari can find the courage to let fuel cost what the market says it should, why not the currency, too? You can forgive the general for being unlucky; but not for failing to learn from past mistakes

The best way to deal with stress, according to a 69-year-old monk who scientists say is the 'world's happiest man'

Matthieu Ricard, a 69-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monk, has been called the "world's happiest man."

That's because he participated in part of a 12-year brain study on meditation and compassion led by University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson. And Davidson found his brain waves and activity to be off the happiness charts.

In 2008, Davidson had a group of expert meditators (including Ricard) and a group of controls (people who were not experienced in meditation) meditate on compassion, he reported in Scientific American. 

Then he had them listen to the sounds of several stressed-out voices. Davidson found that two brain areas known to be involved in empathy showed more activity for the meditators than for the non-meditators, suggesting that people like Ricard have an enhanced ability to respond to the feelings of others and empathize without feeling overwhelmed.

He also noted that when he exposed Ricard to an outside stimulus meant to startle him — like an alarm going off unexpectedly or a stranger accosting you in the street —  while he was meditating, he was far less put-off by the stimulus compared with someone who was not meditating. 

So, how does the "world's happiest man" feel happy all the time and get rid of anger and stress?

We spoke with Ricard at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last Thursday. He says feeling happy comes down to being altruistic and benevolent. He also believes the mind can be trained to be happy through meditation.

And as for dealing with stress? Ricard says the key is let things go. 

Most things you think are problems aren't actually problems

Ricard admits that sometimes, feeling stressed is warranted. "Sometimes there's legitimate stress, like if a rhinoceros is running behind you, it is maximum stress," he says.

Sometimes there's legitimate stress, like if a rhinoceros is running behind you, it is maximum stress.

"Or if you are in a situation that is really oppressing and there's a sense you can't move out of that and you feel so powerless — mentally and physically it's not very pleasant."

Most other kinds of stress — ones that don't cause actual physical or mental harm, Ricard says — should be shrugged off.

"This idea of constantly feeling like there's a rhinoceros running behind you is very unhealthy," Ricard explains. "It will destroy your neurons, it destroys your immune system. Basically it happens when we put too much emphasis on our outer condition. 'If I don't have that I can't be happy.' 'If that thing remains, it's just like hell breaking on me.' So it's underestimating that we can say to those things, 'Oh, you know, okay — no big deal.'"

Living a stress-free life just comes down to the way you deal with perceived problems.

Don't worry about things you can't change or control

Ricard admits that of course, problems pop up in life. The trick is to not worry about the ones you can't control, and to focus on solutions for the ones you can. 

"Having some kind of inner resources to deal with the ups and downs of life, whether that's resilience or inner strength — that's a huge advantage against stress," Ricard says.

"If something unpleasant happens, just say: 'First, it won't last. Second, I can deal with that because I know I can keep my balance. And after all, it's not such a big deal so okay, no problem.' Or if people criticize you just say, 'So what? Why is this going to prevent me from being healthy and from sleeping?' 

"The stress doubles the problem. First you have the worry, then you have to worry about the problem, which is totally unnecessary because if there is a solution then just do it. If there is no solution, then why worry? That's just adding to your problems."

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Wenger opens up on Arsenal future

Arsene Wenger has ruled out managing another club once he leaves Arsenal, while he is not interested in taking charge of FIFA either.

Arsene Wenger has made it clear that he is not open to managing another club when he leaves Arsenal, but is keen to remain active in the game in another role.

The Frenchman has been in charge or Arsenal since September 1996 and he is determined to end his reign on a high before moving into another role.

Wenger's deal expires at the end of next season - which will be his 21st in charge of Arsenal .

"There's 18 months left on my current contract, that's an eternity in football. I'm committed to this club and completely focused on doing well," he said at a news conference.

"I want to give absolutely everything until the end of the season. Then I want to go through the next season. 

"I don't see myself managing another club. Not really, no. I completely commit to this club and I don't imagine managing anywhere else at the moment.

"Will I stop working once I stop managing on a competitive level? No. I will always try to work if I have hands and try to be useful at some stage and some level. Maybe it will be a different level but I will always work. 

"I don't know whether that will be as a director of football. I could be managing kids, developing young players, it can be all kinds of roles.

"But I will not run for FIFA, you can count on that!"

Barcelona advance to Copa semis, where neither Madrid team awaits

I am not saying Spanish football officials should just hand Barcelona the Copa del Rey trophy right now, before the field for the semifinal round is even set, but I am  not saying they shouldn’t, either.

The Blaugrana survived a bit of a scare in the quarterfinals on Wednesday — as much as a side possessing the three-headed monster of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez can be given, at least — when they fell behind 1-0 (level at 2-2 on aggregate) to a very game Athletic Bilbao side that already hammered the reigning Spanish, Spanish cup and European champions once this season.

With three-quarters of the quarterfinal tie in the books, Barca’s standing was tenuous; one more goal from Bilbao would put the underdogs in the driver’s seat for a place in the semifinals.
What happened next was predictable: Suarez restored the aggregate in the 53rd minute; Gerard Pique made it 4-2 on aggregate in the 81st minute; Neymar rounded out the scoring in the 90th.

Now past perhaps the trickiest remaining opponent, it’s hard to see anything other than a red and blue coronation on May 21, much of which they have to think their biggest, richest Spanish oppositions, the Madrid clubs — Real, who were forced to withdraw last month, and Atletico, who were knocked out on Wednesday — for making Barca’s path to a 28th Copa del Rey trophy that much easier.

Los Rojiblancos fell behind Celta Vigo, who for half of the league season put together a real push for a top-four place in La Liga, after 22 minutes, when Pablo Hernandez opened the scoring. Antoine Griezmann fired Atlti level on the day, but behind on away goals in the aggregate (0-0 first leg).

Not long after halftime, former Manchester City youngster John Guidetti made it 2-1, and Hernandez made it 3-1 just past the hour mark. Angel Correa pulled one back late for Atleti, but the damage was done and two more goals were still needed, none of which would come.
And with that, Barca’s path to another domestic cup goes through two of Celta, Mirandes and Sevilla, who play Thursday, and Las Palamas and Valencia, who also play Thursday.