Live updates: Search intensifies after EgyptAir 804 wreckage, body parts found

The search for missing EgyptAir flight 804 intensifies after crews spot airplane parts and human remains in the Mediterranean Sea. (Egyptian Defense Ministry) Crews searching for the wreckage of EgyptAir flight

Chinese jets conduct 'unsafe' intercept of US spy plane: Pentagon

The South China Sea has become a growing source of tension between China and the US (AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe)   

Two Chinese fighters have conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US spy plane in international air space over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said, as tensions mount in the strategically vital waters. Tensions between China and the United States are high in the disputed waterway, an important shipping route thought to be home to vast energy deposits, and which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. "The Department of Defense (DoD) is reviewing a May 17 intercept of a US maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft by two tactical aircraft from the People's Republic of China (PRC)," Pentagon spokesman Major Jamie Davis said in a statement Wednesday.

Queen Elizabeth II hosts Obasanjo, Kofi Anan, Dayo Israel, others at Commonwealth Africa Summit/Commonwealth Day Service 2016!

 

Nigeria’s Former President and Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Africa Initiative (CAFI) Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former UN Scribe Dr. Kofi Anan, and Africa Regional Director for GLEEHD Foundation/Commonwealth Africa Initiative Africa Engagement Director Ambassador Dayo Israel, were among the Key Guest at the recently concluded Commonwealth Day Service & Commonwealth Africa Summit activities in London in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.


The Commonwealth Africa Summit is an annual event hosted as part of the activities to celebrate the Commonwealth Week in London and organised by the Commonwealth Africa Initiative and GLEEHD Foundation. This year’s Summit was supported by New Commonwealth Initiative, Heritage Bank Nigeria, Pan African Minerals Sierra Leone, Memorial Gate Trust, Royal Commonwealth Society, BEN television, Phoenix Newspaper, TVC News Africa, Joseftree Consult, Amandla Consulting, Stones and Stellars, The Times of Africa, CNBC Africa, Association of African Owned Enterprise in the UK, Business Council on Africa, PK Media UK, The Dream Center Nigeria and others.

Photos: Gov Wike swears in 1st female Chief Judge of Rivers State

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has sworn in the First Female Chief Judge of Rivers State Justice Daisy Wotube Okocha at a ceremony that took place at the state government house today January 4th. Justice Okocha has been the state Acting Chief Judge since June 1, 2015.

Iran warns Nigeria to release Shiite leader El-Zakzaky

The Iranian government says it has employed all her diplomatic channels including warning the Nigerian government to release the leader of the Shia Muslim group in Nigeria Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky. He was arrested alongside other members of his group following a clash with the Nigerian army in Zaria, Kaduna state on Saturday December 12th. Over 60 people died in the fracas.

IG of Police bans policemen from illegally accessing mobile phones of Nigerians

Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase has issued a circular banning police officers from illegally accessing the mobile phones of civilians. Officer in Charge of Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police, Abayomi Shogunle tweeted this.

FFK blasts Buhari's worshippers

As he posted on Twitter some hours ago...

Photo: Police arrests a suspected pipeline vandal in Enugu..

A suspected petroleum pipeline vandal and truck driver, Okechukwu Okeke was on December 30, 2015, arrested by the operatives of the Aninri Division of the Enugu state command of the Nigeria Police Force while a tanker truck with 13,800 litres of stolen Premium Motor Spirit was seized.

 

According to the Command, the suspect alongside with others now at large had allegedly stormed Umurah Ndeaboh bush on December 24, 2015 at about 12 midnight where petroleum pipeline is said to have passed with their pipeline drilling equipment, two pumping machines,pipeline sealants, generator, some spanners and with a leyland 13,800 litres truck with registration number XF 312 PHC and had already tampered with the pipeline and were siphoning it into their waiting truck kept at a very long distance out of the vandalized area before the eagle eyed operatives already acting on a tip closed them up.

Indian car mechanic invents car that runs on water

44-year-old Mohammed Raees Makani who has been a car mechanic for fifteen years from India has no formal education and cannot read or write but this has not stopped him from accomplishing a scientific feat of epic proportions. He claims to have designed a car that runs on water.

Photos: Yola South Main market gutted by fire

Goods worth millions of Naira was lost in a fire incident that occurred in the early hours of this morning at the Yola South main market in Adamawa state. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Men of the state fire service have arrived the scene and are working to put out the fire. See more photos after the cut...

Escaped prisoner sets new world record after being on run for sixty years

The world’s most elusive fugitive is still on the run after breaking out of jail 60 years ago. John Patrick Hannan used knotted bedsheets to scale the walls of Verne Prison , Portland, Dorset, in December 1955.

Hannan, who holds the world record for longest escape from custody, disappeared without a trace and would now be aged 81. The Irishman broke free just 30 days into his 21-month sentence for car theft and assaulting two police officers.

Dorset Police, who have officially given up looking for him, believe he returned to his native country soon after he vanished.

Filling station in Nnewi, Anambra gutted by fire this morning (photos)

Organiser filling station at located Amunko, Nnewi Okpuno Nnewichi in Anambra state, was razed to the ground this morning after an explosion...suspected to have been caused by a fuel tanker. Fire service and police are currently at the location to deal with the situation. Not sure of casualties... hopefully, there isn't any. More photos after the cut...

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension

Iran’s foreign ministry accused Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension Monday after the kingdom broke off diplomatic relations and said Iranian embassy staff must leave.

“Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside,” said ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari.

Saudi Arabia announced its measures after its embassy in Tehran was firebombed and its interior destroyed by a mob who attacked the building in protest at the kingdom’s execution of a Shiite cleric.

The violence was condemned on Sunday by Iran’s president.

Ansari said that by severing diplomatic relations, SaudiArabia was “continuing the policy of increasing tension and clashes in the region”.

AfricanSunTimes Names Jonathan International Person Of The Year

Posted by conyeani
The African Sun Times, Africa’s number one and largest newspaper in America, has announced its Persons-of-the-Year, as well as the Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year. The categories the newspaper has chosen this year include International Person of the Year, African Statesman of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year, Pan-African Person of the Year, Diaspora Person of the Year, Most Influential Person of the Year Under 40, and the African Tourism Ambassador of the Year. The individuals named include:

Edo APC vows to petition EFCC, Presidency over the diversion of Jonathan’s campaign rice

APC in Edo State has accused members of the PDP of diverting rice meant for the state by the campaign organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The party threatened to take evidence of the diverted rice which indicated how the sticker of the aspirant was super-imposed on the sack of the 2KG rice while under it was the map of Nigeria with the inscription “Feed Nigeria Campaign 2015”, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Presidency for probe.

Some leaders of the PDP, led by Okharedia Ihimekpen, had last week, alleged that the governorship aspirant seized the rice meant for PDP members during Jonathan’s presidential campaign and shared it to his supporters last Christmas.

They urged the EFCC and the Presidency to investigate the matter, adding that they also diverted funds meant for the Jonathan’s election campaign.

Jonathan’s campaign rice: Edo APC vows to petition EFCC, Presidency

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State has described as laughable, the defence by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state that none of its governorship aspirants diverted rice meant for the state by the campaign organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The party threatened to take evidence of the rice which indicated how the sticker of the aspirant was super-imposed on the sack of the 2KG rice while under it was the map of Nigeria with the inscription “Feed Nigeria Campaign 2015”, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Presidency for probe.

Some leaders of the PDP, led by Okharedia Ihimekpen, had raised alarm last week, alleging that the governorship aspirant seized the rice meant for PDP members during Jonathan’s presidential campaign and shared it to his supporters this Christmas.

They urged the EFCC and the Presidency to probe the matter, adding that it was the same way that funds meant for the Jonathan’s election were siphoned in the state.

Buhari’s social intervention package not one-off scheme — Osinbajo

Abuja— The social welfare intervention programme of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, for which N500 billion has been allocated in the 2016 budget, is not a one-off scheme, says Mr Laolu Akande, the vice presidential spokesman.

Akande, who is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity in the Office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

He said the scheme “is a combination of several well-thought out programmes emphasising direct connections with the extremely poor, and the needy among other categories of the masses of this country.”

A breakdown of the welfare programme is contained in the 2016-2017 and 2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (PSP) submitted to the Senate for consideration and approval.

Soldiers aided us in the creeks —Suspected pipeline vandals

By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS—Two suspected pipeline vandals, who were arrested weekend in Isolo area of Lagos by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Anti Pipeline Vandalisation Unit, have alleged that soldiers aided them to load their truck in a creek in Ijedodo area of Lagos.

The suspects, Moshood Jubril 40 and Friday Joseph 37 were arrested at the verge of conveying a 33,000 truck laden with the siphoned petroleum product to Ibadan, Oyo state ,where a petrol station owner was waiting to receive the product.

While Joseph, driver of the truck with plate number XA 898 ABC drove ahead, Jubril, an escort, reportedly drove behind in a Toyota Camry car with plate number AAA 208 DU.

NEDCOM bill to rebuild N’East’s destroyed communities, resettles IDPs

By Ndahi Marama

MAIDUGURI—The North East Development Commission, NEDCOM, Bill before the Senate will address the “comprehensive rebuilding” of communities destroyed by Boko Haram in the North East geopolitical zone, before the over 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in camps return to their respective communities, the Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ndume, has disclosed.

Ndume spoke, Sunday evening, to newsmen in Maiduguri at his Government Reservation Are, GRA, residence, on the rebuilding of destroyed communities; and return of IDPs to their communities in the affected Northeast sub-region of the country.

ISIS throws Syrian teenage boy off a roof for being gay but the ISIS chief who raped him is spared

Militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) executed a teenage boy by throwing him off a roof in Syria’s eastern city of Deir ez-Zor for being gay, local sources reported on Friday.
The 15-year-old boy was arrested by ISIS militants on charges of homosexuality and he was thrown from the top of a building in central Deir ez-Zor.

“The horrific execution took place in front of a large crowd,” a local media activist and an eyewitness told ARA News in Deir ez-Zor.