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United States House of Representatives voted in the early hours of Sunday to pass a short-term government funding bill proposed by Republican leaders to fund the federal government's operations through December 15 and delay the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, for one year, reports Xinhua. The bill passed by the lower chamber of Congress contained a one-year delay in the implementation of Obamacare, a repeal of the medical device tax in the ACA to fund Obamacare and a measure ensuring service members to get paid in the event of a government shutdown. The bill increased the prospect of a partial federal government shutdown on Tuesday, as U.S. President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats had vowed to reject any bill delaying or defunding Obama's signature healthcare law passed in 2010. The 2.3 percent medical device tax, which took effect in January, is levied on manufacturers and importers for sales of medical devices in

(Nigeria) Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, says that it will begin to prosecute universities running courses that are not accredited by the National Universities Commission, NUC. ICPC Chairman, Mr Ekpo Nta, said this in Abuja on Saturday, while speaking with journalists at a public lecture organised by the Abuja chapter of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, UIAA. He also said the commission had arrested some officials running fake Nigerian Youth Service Corps, NYSC, orientation camps or recruiting fake NYSC members for the one-year compulsory service. ``We have arrested some of the officials involved in this and now, we are going back to even approved universities that are running unapproved programmes for these youths. ``If you give a young person admission to do run a programme that is not approved by NUC, knowing that he is not going to be accepted for NYSC; why then are you admitting him without telling him the consequen

(Nigeria) The Nigerian Senate says it will resume another round of public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, on October 9 following allegations of exclusion of some key stakeholders. The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA and  Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, among others, had alleged that critical stakeholders were prevented from participating in reforms of the oil sector. To this effect, four Senate Standing Committees: Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Gas and Judiciary, Legal and Human Rights were mandated to conduct the hearing. A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Chairman of the joint Committee, Sen. Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa) said the decision of the senate to resume the hearing was to ensure that the new oil law was an aggregate of opinions in the oil and gas industry in the country. Paulker, who is the Chairman of the Petroleum Resources Committee (Upstream), said: ``This time around, the joint committee decided to involve all stakeholders

(Nigeria) Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, on Sunday called on all Nigerians to rededicate themselves to building a strong and virile country in spite of various challenges. Oshiomhole made the call while speaking at a special thanks giving service to commemorate the country's 53rd Independence Anniversary at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Benin. The governor stated that Nigerians still had cause to celebrate the nation's independence anniversary despite the challenges facing the country. ``In spite of the challenges that the nation has faced both in recent times and in the past, the country is still united and moving forward, `` the governor said. Oshiomhole explained that independence was celebrated, not because the world was perfect or without challenges, but because birthdays were usually celebrated. He advised Nigerian youths to emulate leaders that had distinguished themselves in acts of selflessness and patriotism. In his sermon, the Arch-Bishop of

(Nigeria) Akwa Ibom government says the oil producing communities in the state have more representations in the administration, than their non-oil producing counterparts, contrary to their cry of marginalisation. Mr Anietie Ukpe, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Godswill Akpabio, made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo. Ukpe spoke against the backdrop of agitation by the communities for the establishment of a development commission for oil bearing area of Akwa Ibom State. ``People from the oil producing area occupy priority positions in this administration. They have more opportunities than others. ``I know that His Excellency has reached out to them; they have been a part of this administration more than they had been under past administrations,” Ukpe said. The governor’s spokesman said that the agitation for the establishment of oil producing areas development commission in the state was not justified. The South-South Coordinat

The President of USOSA, Kabir Nuhu, represented by the National Assistant Secretary, Salim Ibrahim, made the announcement at the inauguration of the BoT of FEGOCOOKOSA Endowment fund. Recognizing that government alone cannot bear the burden of delivering on quality education alone, the Unity Schools Old Students Association will hold a one-day education summit in Abuja. The revelation was made at the formal inauguration of the Board of Trustees to manage the N100 million Endowment Fund of the Federal Government College Okigwe Old Students in Association in Abuja on Thursday. The President of USOSA, Kabir Nuhu, represented by the National Assistant Secretary, Salim Ibrahim, made the announcement at the inauguration of the BoT of FEGOCOOKOSA endowment fund. Nuhu assured the association of the support and collaboration of the umbrella unity schools association in “this noble and worthy enterprise.” Ibrahim disclosed that the summit, to be hosted at the Transcorp Hilton

Boko Haram gunmen, who, Sunday, opened fire on College of Agriculture in Gujba's hostel in two separate attacks on Nigeria northeast border town of Yobe State, as the students were sleep, have killed at least 40 people, a hospital source said. "We now have 40 bodies brought to the morgue from the attack," and all are believed to have been students of the College of Agriculture in Gujba, said the official from the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, who requested anonymity. Security forces were at the scene but details on the number of dead and injured were not yet available, area military spokesman Lazarus Eli said. The early morning assault targeted the College of Agriculture in the town of Gujba in Yobe State, Eli said. It was carried out by "Boko Haram terrorists who went into the school and opened fire on students," while they were sleeping, he added. A police source, who requested anonymity, told AFP that initial reports indicated the death toll coul

(Nigeria) As the world marks the International Right to Know Day, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to drop threat of attacks against social media, as “any such threat can only continue to strangle freedom of expression and limit the accountability of government.” In a statement dated September 29, 2013 by SERAP’s Executive Director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, in Lagos, the organisation said “The 2011 Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression has underscored the importance of freedom of expression on the Internet, and urged governments not to arbitrarily restrict this right. “The call by government officials for censorship of social media is entirely unnecessary as social media has played an important role in educating the ordinary citizens about the performance of their governments, and on issues of transparency and accountability. Social media are important to the work of

A new United States space freighter Cygnus, which has been orbiting already for 10 days, is to dock with the International Space Station, ISS on Sunday, reports Itar-Tass. The docking will begin at 04:30 EDT (12:30 Moscow time) on Sunday, NASA reported. All partners in the ISS programme approved the docking operation. When the cargo freighter approaches the ISS, crewmembers of the 37th ISS expedition U.S. astronaut Karen Nyberg and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will take it with a robotic arm and will dock to the U.S. module Harmony, the U.S. space agency added. Cygnus is to bring about 600 kilograms of cargoes, including water, foodstuffs, clothes and materials for scientific experiments, to the ISS crew. Cygnus went on its first flight to the ISS on September 18 by the rocket Antares, which was launched from the NASA spaceport on Wallops Island, State Virginia, off U.S. Atlantic coast. The docking with the ISS should have taken place on

The death toll of a blast that hit Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Sunday morning has risen to 39, said a local hospital official, reports Xinhua. Local media quoted Chief Executive of Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital, which admitted all the blast victims, as saying that the killed include six children and three women. Over 100 others were injured in the blast, said the hospital official. Local media reported that 12 members of a family who happened to be shopping at the blast site were killed. The deadly blast took place at 10:50 a.m. local time at Qissa Khawani Bazar, one of the busiest markets in Peshawar. The bomb was planted inside a car parked about 20 meters away from a police station in the market and it was detonated through a remote control device, said police. No policemen have been killed or injured in the blast. Shafqat Malik, assistant inspector general of Bomb Disposal Squad, said that an estimated 200 kg of explosives were used in the bo

A Nigerian, Lawal Babafemi, was on Friday arraigned  in a United States  Federal Court, Brooklyn, on charges of providing material support to al Qaeda and criminal use of firearms. Babafemi, 33, also known as ``Ayatollah Mustapha’’, was arraigned on a four-count charge of indictment, conspiracy, providing material support to AQAP, and use of firearms. He allegedly provided the support to the group in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist organisation’s Yemen-based affiliate. A local media stated that between January 2010 and August 2011, Babafemi travelled twice from Nigeria to Yemen to train with leaders of al Qaeda, known as AQAP. According to the media, a statement by U.S. prosecutors said that he helped AQAP's media operations, including the publication of its magazine, called ``Inspire’’. It said that the group's leadership, including Anwar al-Awlaki, paid Babafemi almost $9,000 to recruit English-speaking people from Nigeria. According to prosecutors, Awlaki,

(Nigeria) No fewer than 11 people were on Saturday killed in a renewed attack in Zangang village in Attakar Chiefdom, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State. News Agency of Nigeria learnt that the gunmen attacked the village early in the morning, leaving several houses completely burnt. A resident of the village, Isuwa Jiga, told NAN that more corpses were likely to be discovered as many residents were still missing. ``We have not seen some of our family members yet,’’ Jiga said. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP. Aminu Lawal, confirmed the incident. Lawal said that a combined team of security operatives had been deployed to the area. NAN recalls that Zangang village had witnessed three consecutive attacks since the beginning of this year, while several lives and property were lost in the attacks. 

(Nigeria) The Joint Military Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta has nabbed 29 oil thieves and destroyed 127 illegal oil refineries in various locations in the area. The Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, who made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday in Yenagoa, said that the anti-oil theft operations were carried out between September 16 and 28. ``Between September 16 and 28, we carried out multiple anti-oil-theft operations in which a total of 29 suspects were arrested for oil theft related offences. ``Anti-oil theft troops of the Joint Task Force `Operation Pulo Shield’ also crushed 127 illegal crude oil distillation sites in the Niger Delta.’’ The JTF spokesman explained that troops of the 19 and 3 Battalions of the JTF, covering Edo and Delta also scuttled 24 illegal oil distillation camps and 73 wooden boats. ``31 of the 73 boats were intercepted at an illegal crude oil loading point close to an abandoned oil well-head in Okpoghare in Warri No

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Thursday berated the United States and former colonial power Britain and its allies for trying to control his nation and its resources. ``Shame, shame, shame to the U.S. Shame, shame, shame to Britain and its allies," Mugabe, 89, said in a speech to the UN General Assembly. ``Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, so are its resources. Please remove your illegal and filthy sanctions from my peaceful country.'' Mugabe said that the sanctions imposed by the EU and the U.S. violated the UN Charter on state sovereignty and condemned them as a "foreign-policy tool to effect regime change". The U.S. and the EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwean state firms and travel restrictions on Mugabe and dozens of his associates after a violent 2000 election, and at the start of sometimes violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms for black resettlement. Mugabe did not refer to the lifting of EU sanctions on September 17 against Zi

(Nigeria) The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, on Thursday released 129 inmates from the Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos. Justice Phillips ordered the release when she paid a visit to the prison, as part of activities marking the 2013/2014 Legal Year of the state Judiciary. NAN also reports that the Chief Judge had on Wednesday released another batch of 119 inmates from the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Security Prisons in Lagos. Releasing the inmates, Phillips admonished them to ``go and sin no more". She reiterated her commitment towards decongesting the prisons, adding that the inmates being released had spent many years awaiting trial. Phillips said: ``It is very sad to note that there are so many inmates awaiting trial despite our modest attempt to decongest the prison. ``However, I am very glad to hear that none of the inmates released on my last visit to Ikoyi Prison, Lagos in November 2012, have made their way back here." She, therefore, adv

(Nigeria) Over 8,000 women on Thursday matched to the Zamfara State Hisbah Commission seeking the state government's assistance to enable them get married. Led by the Chairperson of the Zamfara Widows Association, Hajiya Suwaiba Isa and their patron Alhaji Sa'idu Goshe, the women said they were not living a normal life and needed husbands to become whole. ``Many of us cannot afford two meals in a day because there are no men to support us," they said. The patron, said the association has over  8,000 women, comprising 5,380 divorcees, 2,200 widows, 1,200 orphans and 80 others, whom he said, were looking for men to marry. He said the women also needed assistance to purchase household items such as beds, mattresses and other basic necessities needed to move to their husband houses. Goshe appealed to the commission to assist the association in screening suitors for the women. He said the screening would determine the suitors health status, source of livelihood an

The Iranian authorities before the chemical attack near Damascus had warned the United States that the terrorist groups acting in Syria had access to chemical weapons, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday in an interview with the U.S. PBS television channel, reports Itar-Tass. He said that the Iranian side had informed U.S. officials that the facilities (for the production) of chemical weapons were in the hands of terrorist groups in Syria. Rouhani stressed that Iran strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons by anybody. As for the chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus, according to the Iranian president, it was necessary to carry out additional work to find out who did it.

(Nigeria) The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has confirmed Malam Rislanudeen Muhammad as the acting Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc. This followed the retirement of Mr Ado Yakubu Wanka. A statement issued by the bank on Thursday in Lagos said the appointment was contained in a letter to the bank, dated Sept. 20 and signed by CBN Director of Banking Supervision, Mr A. O. Idris. The statement said that Muhammad started his banking career over two decades ago in one of the nine legacy banks that merged to form the Unity Bank Plc., in 2006. ``He also holds a B.Sc degree in Economics from the Bayero University, Kano, and an M.Sc degree in the same field from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,’’ it added. The statement said that Muhammad was part of the management team that built the strong corporate governance culture of the bank.

(Nigeria) Justice Daniel Okungbowa of the Edo State High Court has been abducted in the state. Meanwhile, the Edo State Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Thursday protested the  abduction of Justice Okungbowa. Okungbowa was reportedly kidnapped in Benin on Wednesday. The Chairman of the association, Mr Oriene Akhere, who led the protesting NBA members to the state police command, called on the state's Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, to ensure that the judge was released unhurt and unconditionally. The command's Public Relations Officer, Mr Moses Eguavoen, who received the angry lawyers on behalf of the commissioner, promised to bring the perpetrators to book. ``We appreciate your effort and we identify with you. We assure you that we are working tirelessly to arrest the situation in the state. ``It is not the first time incident like this is happening. We cannot do it alone, that is why we need your cooperation. ``We urge you to help the police

(Nigeria) The National Commercial Tricycles and Motorcycles Owners and Riders Association NATOMORAS, has appealed to the Federal Government to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery behind the Apo killing. The FCT Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Usman Gwarzo, made the appeal at a one-day seminar on the Challenges of Tricycle and Okada Operators in Abuja. The seminar was organised by the Alliance for Credible Elections, ACE, an election monitoring group in collaboration with NATOMORAS. `` We shall immediately be embarking on protest throughout the entire FCT, if this is not adhered to within the next seven days,’’  Gwarzo said. According to him, about eight tricycle operators lost their lives, while about 13 of them sustained various degrees of injury as a result of the shooting. He, however, commended the support of the Senate, the Human Rights Commission and concerned citizens of the country for independently raising panels to probe the Apo killing. Gwarzo r

Interpol said on Thursday it had issued an intentional arrest notice for Samantha Lewthwaite, the British woman dubbed the "white widow", at the request of Kenya, reports Xinhua. "An INTERPOL Red Notice, or internationally wanted persons alert, has been issued for UK national Samantha Lewthwaite at the request of authorities in Kenya," Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble announced in a statement. "Lewthwaite, aged 29, who is also believed to use the alias 'Natalie Webb', is wanted by Kenya on charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011," said Interpol. "Through the INTERPOL Red Notice, Kenyan authorities have ensured that all 190 member countries are aware of the danger posed by this woman, not just across the region but also worldwide," said the head of Interpol. The Interpol's notice comes after Kenyan forces on Tuesday defeated attackers from Som

China has lodged solemn representations to the United States for selling anti-submarine aircraft to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Thursday, reports Xinhua. Hong called on the United States to comply with the One-China policy and the three China-U.S. joint communiques at a daily news briefing after the U.S. delivered Taiwan 12 anti-submarine aircraft on Wednesday . "The U.S. should stop arms sales to Taiwan in whatever form and refrain from any act that might damage China-U.S. ties and cross-strait relations," Hong said. He reaffirmed China's opposition to arms sales from any countries to Taiwan.

(Nigeria) Chief Magistrate Ramatu Gulma of an Abuja Magistrate Court on Thursday ordered eight fake corps members to be remanded in prison custody. Gulma also directed the Defence Counsel, Mrs Ijeoma Utchay, to apply formally for the bail of the accused, and adjourned the case to November 25,  for hearing. The chief magistrate also ordered for a one-week hearing on the case, starting from November 25, to ease the transportation of the accused as they do not reside within the FCT. The accused are Agatha Azuma, Amarachukwu Okoro, Nicholas Eze, Blessing Samuel, Wisdom Nwoke, Paulyn Worgu, Cordelia Ugwuata, and Blessing Duru. The Prosecutor, Mr Moses Idakwo, of the Department of State Services, DSS, objected to the bail application. He said that the first accused, Azuma, had, on January 21, presented herself to Patrick Orem, a mobilisation officer at the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Maitama, for mobilisation. Idakwo said Azuma claimed to be a graduate of Manonmamian Sundaranar

(Nigeria)  After two months of deep reflection, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Thursday, rendered an unreserved apology to Ndigbo over the July 24 dumping of 72 alleged destitute in Onitsha, Anambra State, by his administration. Speaking at the silver jubilee symposium of Igbo think tank Aka Ikenga at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos, in South-West Nigeria, Fashola declared that he has no problem with Igbos, saying that his action had been misunderstood. He said it was easier for him to ask Ben Akubueze, the Igbo financial expert serving as Lagos Commissioner for Budget, to represent him at the event but decided to come in person. Fashola disclosed that the highest number of cattle he got during the burial of his father early last month came from Ndigbo. He made it clear that his relationship with Ndigbo “dates back to our ancestors and is built on tolerance and fidelity and I place value on that relationship.” It is bel

(Nigeria) The Joint Task Force, JTF in Yobe State on Thursday confirmed the killing of a pastor and two others in an attack in Dorowa village, Nangere Local Government Area of the state. A statement on the incident,  by JTF spokesperson, Capt. Eli Lazarus, did not give the names of the victims, but said  the deceased were killed by suspected members of Boko Haram sect in the early hours of Thursday. ``In the early hours of Thursday, September  26, unknown gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, attacked Dorowa village, Nangere local government area of Yobe State." The statement also said that a Church and two houses were razed down by the attackers. ``Efforts are ongoing by men of the 3 Division Special Operations Battalion, to arrest perpetrators of this dastardly act." said the statement, which did not give detailed account of how the incident occurred.

(Nigeria) The police in Rivers State on Thursday denied allegations that it used tear gas to disperse newly recruited teachers at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Mbu, said at a news briefing that over 18,000 people had thronged the stadium to collect their appointment letters. ``The police did not tear gas new teachers; over 18,000 people thronged the Liberation Stadium. They were deceived to come and collect their letters of appointment. ``When they got there, sheets of cardboard were handed over to them and they were told to write: `Amaechi for Vice-President’; `Goodluck Jonathan, respect your agreement’. ``Some of the good ones among them called me, saying `Oga, something is about to happen here; it is not about appointment letters; there is more to it. ``We are being given placards to write,’’ the police chief quoted them as saying. Mbu said that when a lady (who he did not identify), called that ministry of ed

(Nigeria) The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, says  it will henceforth withdraw the licence of any  oil marketer who supplies  products to unlicenced filling stations across the country. Mr Gbenga Koku, DPR’s Controller of  Operations, Lagos/Ogun,  gave the warning at the 2013 Annual General Meeting of the agency with stakeholders on Thursday in Lagos. Koku said that the act was capable of distorting the country’s distribution chain and creating  room for the adulteration of petroleum products. He appealed to operators to conform to the laws and regulations guiding petroleum products distribution in the country. ``We have severally warned marketers on this issue but sadly the practice is still on. “It is our intension to deploy more stringent monitoring regime to bring this practice to an end,” he said. He said DPR would continue to monitor the quality and quantity of products being received and loaded from the depots. Koku  said DPR would soon sample products fr

Russia has demanded the release of seven its crewmen, detained in Nigeria since October 2012 for allegedly carrying arms and ammunition on board MV Myre Seadiver. This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Russian Embassy in Abuja. The statement said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the demand during a meeting with Nigeria’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri. It said the two ministers met on the sidelines of the ongoing 68th session of the UN General Assembly, UNGA, in New York. ``The discussion was focused on the topical issues of bilateral relations in political, commercial, economic and other spheres. ``Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasised the necessity to release seven Russian crewmen of the MV Myre Seadiver in the nearest time, and Onwuliri vowed to facilitate the release in every possible way’’. It will be recalled that the Nigerian Navy arrested the vessel belonging to Moscow-based consortium, Moran Group, on October

(Nigeria) "My wife is dating our Community Development Association, CDA, Chairman, but I still love her,’’ a security guard, Mr Ibrahim Hambolu, 40, on Thursday told an Igando Customary Court, Lagos. Ibrahim, the respondent in a divorce suit filed by Modinat, his wife of 15 years, alleged that the CDA chairman also regularly visited their home to take his meals.  ``My wife is dating our CDA chairman; she cooks for him and the man comes to our house to take his breakfast, lunch and dinner, while my wife denies me food. ``My wife later packed out on March 20 without my consent to an unknown destination. ``I believe our chairman has rented an apartment for her and now she wants to divorce me,’’ the security guard said. However, Ibrahim, who broke down in tears, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the union as he still loved Modinat. ``After she packed out, I have plead with her on phone to come back but she refused," he said. Modinat, 36, a trader, told the co

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced a 17-year-old son of a famous military singer to 10 years imprisonment for gang-raping a woman. Li Tianyi was convicted alongside four others.  Tianyi and other men raped the woman at a Beijing hotel after meeting her in a nightclub in February, the court ruled in a case that provoked an online outcry over the behaviour of China's elite families. The other four defendants, three of whom were also under 18, all admitted rape. Tianyi, the son of People's Liberation Army entertainer Li Shuangjiang, denied the charge and said that the woman left the club with them voluntarily after agreeing to paid sex. But Beijing's Haidian District Court said there was no evidence to support his claim, ruling that Li led the group in attacking the woman, who was employed by the club part-time as a "drinking companion" for customers. The court sentenced a 22-year-old co-defendant to 12 years in prison. Another under-18 defendant w

(Nigeria) A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere on Thursday adjourned the trial of an ex-Ecobank Customer Service Manager, Tosin Lawal, and her husband, Michael, charged with an alleged N179.8m fraud, till October 9. The adjournment was made due to activities bordering on the commencement of the 2013/2014 legal year. Justice Christopher Balogun had at the last hearing, adjourned trial in the substantive criminal charge after the prosecuting counsel, Mr Ayokunle Fayanju, told the court that he thought the case was adjourned for mention. He explained that that was the reason he had no witnesses in court. Fayanju then urged the court to fix an adjournment date to enable him produce his witnesses, to which the defence counsel did not object. Justice Balogun said the case was initially adjourned for hearing, which the prosecuting counsel was aware of, but was now saying that he had no witnesses in court because he thought it was adjourned for mention. ``This is a transferred

A mortar shell fell on the territory of the Iraqi embassy in Damascus on Thursday, reports ITAR-TASS. According to Al Arabiya TV channel reports, the only victim of the incident became a female citizen of Iraq. The shell hit the visitors’ hall of the diplomatic mission, injuring three people. The building was impaired extensive damage. It is not known yet who stands behind this attack. The US embassy in Syria is located next to the Iraqi Consulate. It was closed in February 2012 due to aggravation of situation in the country.

The parliaments of China and Russia on Thursday released a joint statement on the crisis in Syria , stating that negotiation is the only feasible resolution to the issue, reports Xinhua. The joint statement was signed by the foreign affairs committees of both China's National People's Congress and Russia's Federation Council. The statement said the two countries are very concerned about the situation in Syria. Turmoil, civilian casualties, refugee flows, ruin of cultural heritage and other tragic events have made the crisis one of the most horrible tragedies in the world, it said. The people of China and Russia hope for an early settlement to the crisis, the restoration of peace and an end to the bloodshed, it said. The two countries hold that the threat of forces or external military intervention is absolutely unacceptable. The two countries are worried about reports of the use of chemical weapons and support an accurate and objective international investigati

Unknown gunmen stormed a police station on Thursday, killing two Administration Policemen (AP) officers and injuring three others in northern Kenyan town of Mandera, reports Xinhua. Regional police commander, Charlton Mureithi confirmed the incident which took place at 3 a.m. Thursday that also left over 10 vehicles extensively damaged after being burnt. Witnesses said the gunmen who hurled a rocket propelled grenade at the local administrator officer's office before burning it, and they spent a lot of time in the police station before escaping. "No arrest has been made but we hope to catch up with them. They caused huge destruction," Mureithi said by telephone. He said they have launched investigations to establish the motive of the attackers who also threw the explosive device on a house at the police station and then escaped. The attack came hours after a civilian was killed and four others injured in Wajir town on Wednesday evening after unknown gunmen

Former South African president Nelson Mandela is ``sitting up and looking around’’ almost a month after being discharged from hospital, his grandson told a local newspaper `The New Age' on Thursday. Mbuso Mandela said his grandfather was able to spend time with his children and grandchildren. ``I just saw him again on Wednesday at lunch. He is doing very well,’’ the grandson said. ``He is sitting up and looking around. We are keeping him company.’’ The 95-year-old statesman and global icon was discharged from hospital on Sept. 1, after spending almost three months at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria for a recurring lung infection.

The decision of the Special Court for Sierra Leone’s Appeal Chamber to uphold the conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor sends a clear message to leaders across the world that no-one is immune from justice, Amnesty International said Thursday. “The Court’s landmark ruling underlines that no-one is above the law. The conviction of those responsible for crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s conflict has brought some measure of justice for the tens of thousands of victims,” said Stephanie Barbour, Head of Amnesty International's Centre for International Justice in The Hague.  “The conviction of Charles Taylor must pave the way for further prosecutions.”  The sentence of 50 years was upheld as fair and reasonable in the totality of the circumstances.  The Special Court for Sierra Leone, SCSL, was established through an agreement between the United Nations and the state in 2002. Its remit was to prosecute crimes under international law committed in Sie

(Nigeria) The Commander of the NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Duja Effedu, on Thursday said the command arrested a suspected six-man oil bunkering syndicate behind the various pipeline ruptures in Rivers State. Effedua, who made this know, when he presented the suspects to newsmen, said they were arrested during a routine patrol of the Nkpodiagha Creek, Aker Base, Port Harcourt. He said that items recovered from the suspects include a 33,000-litre capacity tanker with registration number Lagos GGE 934 XS suspected to have been used in transporting crude oil. The commander said the NNS had also seized two pumping machines, a long hose and two large wooden boats containing petroleum products suspected to be Automated Gasoline Oil. He said the wooden boats were destroyed at the scene of the crime, adding that the suspects would be handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution. ``The Nigerian Navy is committed and will continue in its zero tolerance pol

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday fixed October 17 and 18, for the trial of Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, charged with money laundering. Ikuforiji, speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly  is standing trial alongside Atoyebi, on an amended 56-count charge bordering on the alleged offence. The case, which was fixed for the prosecution to open its case, could not go on, due to the absence of judges, who are said to be away for the annual judges conference. A new date, October 17 and 18, was therefore fixed for the trial. It will be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on June 24, re-arraigned the accused before Justice Ibrahim Buba, following the retirement of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, the former trial judge. This led to the case beginning afresh before Buba, who becomes the second trial judge to hear the matter. The accused had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charg

(Nigeria) The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, on Wednesday set free no fewer than 119 inmates from Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Security Prisons in Lagos. ``Go and sin no more,’’Phillips told the inmates during a visit. The visit was part of activities marking the 2013/2014 Legal Year of the state judiciary. Twenty inmates were released from the maximum prisons, while 99 were set free at the medium prisons. She said the exercise was aimed at decongesting the prisons of inmates particularly those who had been awaiting trial for several years. ``This is my third visit to Kirikiri since I was sworn in as chief judge on June 14, 2012. ``I must say that despite my routine visits, the figures of inmates keep rising. So, for those of you who are fortunate to be on the roll today, I admonish you to refrain from crimes. It will indeed be so painful that after your release you are again found wanting and brought back here. ``It will be a mockery on me and ot

(Nigeria) A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday fixed October 10 to rule on whether or not it had jurisdiction to hear a suit by the Alhaji Kawu Baraje's faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie fixed the date after hearing arguments filed by parties on the preliminary notice of objection to the suit. The action had filed the suit against the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on September 1. The other claimants in the suit are -- Dr Sam Jaja and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The faction had asked the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining Tukur and three others from parading themselves as PDP National Executive Committee members. Other defendants in the case are -- Mr Uche Secondus, Deputy National Chairman; Dr Kema Chikwe, Women Leader and Mr Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary. The defendants had on September 18 asked the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

(Nigeria) A man claiming to be the leader of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram appeared in a video Wednesday taunting world leaders after military claims that he may have been killed. "Here is Shekau, Shekau, Shekau, Shekau, original ... I want the whole world to know that I'm alive by the grace of Allah," said the man, who resembled past images of Abubakar Shekau, in a video seen by AFP.

(Nigeria) Mr O’Tega Emerhor, has defeated  a human rights lawyer,  Mr Festus Keyamo, at the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries for the forthcoming by-election into the Delta Central Senatorial Seat held on Wednesday. Emerhor polled 1,674 votes to defeat Keyamo, who had 36 votes in spite of boycotting the exercise earlier. Keyamo, who came into the election venue in Ughelli at 3.00 p.m., alleged that the voters registration held on Tuesday in the Delta hotel in Sapele was marred by violence. He said that his opponent Mr O’Tega Emerhor, hired thugs to steal election materials and disappeared. Keyamo said that there was no registration of voters in Sapele, Ughelli South, Ughelli North and Ethiope-West. ``The thugs of my opponent came to hijack materials and went to unknown destination. It is concocted and designed to rig the process. I will not allow this brand of politics in my state. I am going to fight for other people who want to join the party. We must not encour