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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Dennis Agbo ENUGU- The Movement for Actualization of Soverign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has swiftly reacted to the quit notice issued to Ndigbo and Biafrans in general, residing in northern Nigeria. Leader of MASSOB, Comrade Uchenna Madu in a statement, yesterday, said‎ “The latest quit notice order by the Coalition of Northern youths under the umbrella of Arewa youths is not a surprise gift to Biafrans residing in Arewa land. “MASSOB is aware that such rascality will happen. As a matter of facts, this is the only rascality exhibited by sponsored Arewa youths to forcefully exit the people of Biafra residing in Arewa land that MASSOB will hundred percent support. Their Boko Haram tactics didn’t work as planned. “MASSOB gladly received the good news of quit notice order to the people of Biafra living in Arewa land. We pledge our total support towards this divinely approved quit notice. “MASSOB congratulates the Arewa political, religious, traditional and opin...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J A Myanmar military plane carrying 116 people went missing on Wednesday between the southern city of Myeik and Yangon, according to the office of the army chief and an airport source. “Communication was lost suddenly at about 1:35 pm (07:05 GMT) when it reached about 20 miles west of Dawei town,” the commander-in-chief’s office said in a statement. Ships and planes have been scrambled to search for the plane, which was flying over the Andaman Sea when it went missing, the statement added. An airport source said the plane was carrying 105 passengers and 11 crew when it took off. The passengers were believed to mainly be family members of military men based in the coastal region. “We think it was a technical failure. Weather is fine there,” the source told AFP, asking not to be named, adding there was no news of the plane so far. The post Breaking: Military plane carrying 116 passengers goes missing appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://i...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Federal Government on Wednesday expressed “deep displeasure” over remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al-Hussein for describing Nigeria as being an “uncooperative” member and for blocking multiple UN expert visits to these human rights hot spots. Foreign Affairs Ministry, Permanent Secretary Sola Enikanolaiye, registered Nigeria’s displeasure at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In a statement, Enikanolaiye said: “Nigeria has has always cooperated with international experts and committed to discharge its human rights obligations. “This amounts to gross misrepresentation capable of eroding the confidence and credibility of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the eyes of Nigerians,” he said Enikanolaye, who led Nigerian delegation to the conference, said that the attention of the UN would be drawn to the impeccable record of Nigeria in the sphere of human rights protection and scrutiny by the ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Twelve people were killed in twin attacks on Iran’s parliament complex and the shrine of its revolutionary leader claimed by the Islamic State group on Wednesday, its emergency services chief said. A total of 39 people were wounded in the two attacks, and rescue operations are continuing, Pir Hossein Kolivand said. The post Breaking: 12 killed, 39 wounded in Iran’s parliament attack appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2rLveOQ

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has urged the federal government and leaders of northern extraction, including traditional rulers “to beg the youths of the region to refrain from statements and actions that could build up tension across the country”. In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, Frank begged the northern youths to give peace a chance, calling on security agencies to rise up to the task of protecting both northerners in the South and the Southerners in the North. Frank, who was reacting to a “quit notice” issued to the Igbos by some coalition of Northern youth groups cautioned Nigerian youths not to give in to the antics of the few who want the country divided at all cost. At a joint press conference addressed Tuesday in Kaduna, the Arewa Citizens for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youtn Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum and Northern Emancipation Network ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Two days from a national election, Britain’s ruling Conservatives and opposition Labour Party battled to defend their records on security after an Islamist attack that killed seven people in London upended the campaign. After police named two of the attackers and revealed that one was previously known to security agencies, Prime Minister Theresa May faced further questions about her record overseeing cuts to police numbers when she was interior minister. The latest opinion poll, by Survation for ITV, had the Conservatives’ lead over Labour narrowing to just one point from six points in the same poll a week earlier. However, the consensus among pollsters remains that May’s party, who have been in government since 2010, will win a majority. In Britain’s third Islamist attack in as many months, three men rammed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday evening before running into the bustling Borough Market area, where they slit throats and stabbed peop...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Two days from a national election, Britain’s ruling Conservatives and opposition Labour Party battled to defend their records on security after an Islamist attack that killed seven people in London upended the campaign. After police named two of the attackers and revealed that one was previously known to security agencies, Prime Minister Theresa May faced further questions about her record overseeing cuts to police numbers when she was interior minister. The latest opinion poll, by Survation for ITV, had the Conservatives’ lead over Labour narrowing to just one point from six points in the same poll a week earlier. However, the consensus among pollsters remains that May’s party, who have been in government since 2010, will win a majority. In Britain’s third Islamist attack in as many months, three men rammed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday evening before running into the bustling Borough Market area, where they slit throats and stabbed peop...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The U.S. threatened to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council unless reforms are ushered in including the removal of what it sees as an “anti-Israel bias”, diplomats and activists said. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who holds cabinet rank in President Donald Trump’s administration, said on Friday that Washington would decide on whether to withdraw from the Council after its three-week session in Geneva ends this month. Under Trump, Washington has broken with decades of U.S. foreign policy by turning away from multilateralism. His decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement last week drew criticism from governments around the world. The Council’s critical stance of Israel has been a major sticking point for its ally the U.S. Washington boycotted the body for three years under President George W. Bush before rejoining under Barack Obama in 2009. Haley, writing in the Washington Post at the weekend, called for the Council to “end its pract...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J BY UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE ABA-Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB, has said that the South South geopolitical zone and the entire Eastern Nigeria constitute the Biafra territory and remains committed to actualize an independent state of their own. In an interview with Vanguard, MASSOB Leader, Solomon Chukwu who stated this while reacting to reports that South South is not part of Biafra, described those holding such view as ignorant of the history of the struggle to liberate their people from the marginalization of the Nigerian government and warned them to stop deceiving the public. Chukwu stated that the May 22 and 30, 2017, anniversary in commemoration of Biafra heroes which was observed throughout Eastern region have proven to the Nigerian government and their agents that the people of Biafra can no longer be held back in their struggle to have a homeland where they could find greater accommodation and satisfaction. According to...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Lagos-based MFM fringe midfielder, Waheed Akanni, has described the narrow win over FC Ifeanyi Uba in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 22 as a big relief. Akanni, who scored the only goal of the match, said after the game on Sunday at Agege Township Stadium that “it is a heavy load put off the back of our team’’. Akanni had put MFM in front with a sublime kick in the 19 minute of the game after an assist by Monsuru Bashiru. He was also a thorn in the flesh of the visitors with his accurate passes. On the match, Akanni said that the visitors made them to sweat for the win. “The most important thing is the three points either we are made to sweat or not, it does not matter. “The win is a big relief and we appreciate our efforts at winning this game. It was a heavy load put off our back. “We are condemned to win the match, so the approach is different,” he said. MFM had started the match in their usual passing style which mad...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The U.S. threatened to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council unless reforms are ushered in including the removal of what it sees as an “anti-Israel bias”, diplomats and activists said. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who holds cabinet rank in President Donald Trump’s administration, said on Friday that Washington would decide on whether to withdraw from the Council after its three-week session in Geneva ends this month. Under Trump, Washington has broken with decades of U.S. foreign policy by turning away from multilateralism. His decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement last week drew criticism from governments around the world. The Council’s critical stance of Israel has been a major sticking point for its ally the U.S. Washington boycotted the body for three years under President George W. Bush before rejoining under Barack Obama in 2009. Haley, writing in the Washington Post at the weekend, called for the Council to “end its pract...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J BY UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE ABA-Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB, has said that the South South geopolitical zone and the entire Eastern Nigeria constitute the Biafra territory and remains committed to actualize an independent state of their own. In an interview with Vanguard, MASSOB Leader, Solomon Chukwu who stated this while reacting to reports that South South is not part of Biafra, described those holding such view as ignorant of the history of the struggle to liberate their people from the marginalization of the Nigerian government and warned them to stop deceiving the public. Chukwu stated that the May 22 and 30, 2017, anniversary in commemoration of Biafra heroes which was observed throughout Eastern region have proven to the Nigerian government and their agents that the people of Biafra can no longer be held back in their struggle to have a homeland where they could find greater accommodation and satisfaction. According to...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Lagos-based MFM fringe midfielder, Waheed Akanni, has described the narrow win over FC Ifeanyi Uba in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 22 as a big relief. Akanni, who scored the only goal of the match, said after the game on Sunday at Agege Township Stadium that “it is a heavy load put off the back of our team’’. Akanni had put MFM in front with a sublime kick in the 19 minute of the game after an assist by Monsuru Bashiru. He was also a thorn in the flesh of the visitors with his accurate passes. On the match, Akanni said that the visitors made them to sweat for the win. “The most important thing is the three points either we are made to sweat or not, it does not matter. “The win is a big relief and we appreciate our efforts at winning this game. It was a heavy load put off our back. “We are condemned to win the match, so the approach is different,” he said. MFM had started the match in their usual passing style which mad...

http://ift.tt/2rYwH34 Britain's Andy Murray celebrates beating Sam Querrey of the US during their men's singles third round match on day five of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN / Andy Murray admits he struggled to stay motivated after a scintillating surge in form that propelled him to the top of the world rankings only a few months ago. The Briton usurped Novak Djokovic to become world number one for the first time at the end of last year, but approaches the French Open next week on a poor run. Murray turned 30 last week but there has been little to celebrate on the court, with his latest defeat coming at the Rome Masters when he lost his second-round match to local favourite Fabio Fognini. Rafael Nadal’s red-hot form makes him the favourite at Roland Garros when the French Open begins on Sunday and Murray told AFP in Paris: “Maintaining your motivation, your focus and concentration for a very long pe...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Investigators raided the headquarters of Paris Saint-Germain and the homes of the Ligue 1 club’s Argentine players Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore on Tuesday in a tax fraud probe in France, legal sources said. The investigation was launched in December following revelations by the “Football Leaks” website concerning financial transactions and other details involving top football players. The post PSG headquarters, Di Maria, Pastore homes raided in tax probe appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2rLSAn4

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Gambia’s former president, Yahya Jammeh stole “at least” $50m from the state before he left the country in January, says Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou. According to the minister,  Jammeh withdrew the money via a state telecoms company. The BBC reported that a court has ordered all his remaining assets in The Gambia to be frozen. Mr Jammeh flew into Equatorial Guinea after 22 years in power. He lost an election in December and only agreed to step down after regional powers sent in troops threatening to force him out. Luxury cars and other items were reportedly loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane as Mr Jammeh left the country. The amount was initially suggested to be more than $11m (£8.8m) by Interior Minister Mai Ahmad Fatty then an aide to new President Adam Barrow. But on Monday, Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said Mr Jammeh had withdrawn $50m between 2006 and 2016. He accused Mr Jammeh of directing the “unlawful withdrawals” from ac...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Bishop of Ijumu Anglican Diocese, Dr Ezekiel Ikupolati, has advised the acting President Yemi Osinbajo to quickly scrutinise and sign the the 2017 budget into law. Kupolati gave the advice on Tuesday at Iyara, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi, during a press conference as part of activities marking the 9th anniversary of the creation of the diocese. He said the budget was long overdue for implementation, saying Nigerians are yearning for improved living standard. While decrying the delay in the passage of the budget by the National Assembly, the cleric pleaded with the presidency to quickly commence its implementation. “Accent to the budget should not be delayed; full implementation must commence. “I want to advise the Federal Government to constitute post budget committee to monitor and supervise the implementation of the budget,” he said. The bishop urged Kogi government to pay the outstanding salaries and pensions of civil servants to reduce povert...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J In their bid to sensitize maritime industry stakeholders and practitioners on the maritime documentation, bill of lading involving, transaction of imported and exported documents for cargoes into the country, Land and Sea international Nigeria Ltd, is set to organize a two day national conference themed, “Bill of Lading “As a contract of carriage”. Billed to take place on 24th and 25th of May at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, the event is aimed at educating practitioners and stakeholders in the sector on the role and key features of bill of lading in the international transaction and carriage of goods by sea contract. How to deal with short-landing, Shop Shipment and damaged to cargo. How to detect, handle and prevent frauds related to bill of lading, examine critical clauses for bills of lading, and address practical implications of Hague/Visby rules and to clarify issues on identify rights and obligations of carriers. The conference also is top discuss maritim...