John Cardinal Onayikan, the Cardinal of the Abuja Catholic Diocese has called on Nigerians to rise above religious, political and ethnic divides to save the country from drifting into anarchy.

Onaiyekan handed down the advice on Tuesday during a sermon for the burial of two catholic priests; Rev Frs. Felix Tyolaha and Joseph Gor, at Ayati, a small agrarian hilly village in the outskirts of Ikpayongo in Gwer East local Government Council of the state.

He said the killings across the country must stop and called on well meaning Nigerians to unite in fighting the great evil that had befallen the country.

The cleric warned: This must not be politicized. The nation is in a state of emergency. We demand for synergy; division, especially on tribal lines will only throw our nation to anarchy.

He called on the Federal Government to act decisively to end the spate of killings across the country.

The cardinal called on the people to be vigilant and be your brothers keeper.

He warned that if murderers were allowed to continue killing without checkmating them it will come to a time when people will begin to use other means of self defense.

Onaiyikan called for forgiveness and warned against reprisals and said the souls of the righteous were in the hands of God.

He appealed for calm and advised the Christian faithful to show appreciation to God in all situations.

This is our hope which is based on our trust in God, the cardinal said.

He described the death of the priests and the others as a horrific massacre which will not be forgotten for a long time.

The cardinal said the killed priests and their worshippers were martyrs of the church.

Earlier, the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, said the decision to bury the victims of Saint Ignatius Parish, Mbalom at the Se Sugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, was to honor them as martyrs of the church.

He said the barbaric acts perpetrated against the victims would attract the wrath of God and lamented the act of desecrating the church of God.

If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to in this country, Anagbe said.

He expressed optimism that their blood would restore peace and end the killings in the state and across the country.

Sympathizers, mostly Catholics, dressed in their societal attires besieged the Ayati prayer ground as early as 7a.m to secure seats for the historic event.

Security around the burial site was tight as only identified dignitaries apart from the clergy, were allowed entry.

Source: NAN

A Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan on Tuesday dissolved a 15-year-old marriage between one Mr Akanmu Kasali and his ninth wife, Mujidat, over allegations of threat to life.

Mujidat approached the court with claims that her husband was wicked and troublesome.

She told the court presided over by Chief Ademola Odunade that she had suffered enough in the marriage and was no longer in love with Kasali with whom she had three children.

My lord, he beats me at will; he once locked me and the children inside a room at night.

I have every reason to believe that he intends to kill me and the children; if not, why would he put poison in the food I was cooking. He is a threat to my life.

I am fed up with this marriage. I plead that you will allow us to go our separate ways, she said.

The petitioner also told the court that Kasali was uncaring.

In his response, Kasali consented to the divorce, but denied attempting to poison Mudijat and the children.

I seduced her from another man about 15 years ago, and we have three children.

The poison she mentioned was just special leaves we used in cooking beans for the entire family; she is very much aware of this.

I did not lock her in a room.

However, I am in support of divorce, he said.

In his ruling, Odunade dissolved the union on grounds of irreconcilable differences.

He gave the custody of the children to Mujidat, and ordered Kasali to pay N10,000 monthly for their feeding.

You are to equally take responsibility of the childrens education and healthcare, the President told Kasali.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari is meeting with 10-man senate delegation raised to address the ongoing impasse between the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Inspector-General of Police over a criminal case involving some suspected cultists.

Members of the senate delegation included former governors of Nasarawa (Abdullahi Adamu), Gombe (Danjuma Goje) and Akwa Ibom, Mr Godswill Akpabio.

NAN observed that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Mr Ita Enang also accompanied the senators to the meeting with the president.

It would be recalled that the Senate had on May 9 passed vote of no confidence on the IGP, describing him as enemy of democracy over his failure to honour its invitations twice.

Idris, however, asked the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Joseph Habila to represent at the senate.

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Wednesday also accused the IGP of plotting to implicate him and Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara in a murder case involving some suspected cultists.

The Senate on Thursday raised a 10-man panel to meet with President Buhari over the allegation leveled against the IGP by Saraki.

Source: NAN

Dr Hannatu Fika, the Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), said that the board had helped over 30,000 workers to access loans to own houses.

Fika made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja.

She said that public servants were the engine room of good governance, adding that one way the government could encourage workers was to provide them with shelters.

She said it was for this reason that the current administration had used FGSHLB to enable Federal Government workers to build houses.

Fika disclosed that the board had helped over 30,000 workers access loans to own houses, and reaffirmed the commitment of the board to the welfare of Public Servants.

This is a change era, the good thing any government can do for its workers is to provide certain basic welfare needs so that they too can work effectively, diligently and willingly for the country.

Until 1974 the programme was only situated in the Lagos territory but was expanded to all the states of the federation.

So as of today, from the statistics of loans that we recently disbursed, we can proudly say that we have touched the lives of over 30,000 federal public servants, who now own their own homes through the FGLSHB revolving scheme, she said.

Fika said the housing deficit in the country might persist if the relevant agencies lacked the resources to operate.

We will continue to pressurise government to make fund available for housing programmes.

We have over hundreds of thousands number of civil servants that come under our purview they are so many, she stressed.

She, however, said as long as funds are not there, we have to utilise what is in the mortgage agency to be able to build these houses.

Fika lauded the efforts of the present administration in providing houses for Nigerians, especially through the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housings projects in all the states.

According to her, amendment to the act establishing the board is long overdue.

Let me begin by saying this is a change era, and the art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings. Progress is impossible without change, therefore, change is inevitable.

The last amendment was in 1974, about 44years, without sentiment, there are provisions that are obsolete like Section 3 (1h) of Cap F.II.LFN 2004 no longer exist in service, she said.

She disclosed that some critical areas like area of partnerships required a law for sustainability, appropriate designation of officers of the Board, offences.

According to her, to participate in partnership for the affordability and availability of housing for eligible public servants, the board signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both government and private organisations.

She said that this was in an effort to look outside the box in order to address the housing need of teeming population of federal staff.

NAN recalls that the board has disbursed over one billion naira as renovation loan to 2,000 civil servants across the country.

The renovation loan was being managed by the loans board on behalf of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2015 by the two agencies.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said those who mismanaged Nigerias economy in the past, through fraudulent electricity projects and misuse of revenue earnings from oil, had no love for the country.

One of the former Heads of State was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion dollars on power in Nigeria. Where is the power? the President asked, without mentioning any name.

The president stated this when he received members of the Buhari Support Organisations (BSO) led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Most of the electricity projects, President Buhari spoke about were awarded during the second term of the Obasanjo administration(2003 and 2007), and the result has only been creeping into the national grid, to the extent that 11 years after, Nigeria is yet to enjoy stable power supply.

President Buhari urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and ensure that only people of conscience are in-charge of governance at all levels, as the nation prepared for general elections in 2019.

One of the former Heads of State was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion dollars on power in Nigeria. Where is the power? the President asked.

I challenge anybody to check from Europe, America and Asia; between 1999 and 2014, Nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil per day at an average cost of 100 dollars per barrel and it went up to 143 dollars.

When we came it collapsed to between 37 and 38 dollars and later was oscillating between 40 and 50 dollars.

I went to the CBN Governor, with my cap in my hand, and asked if we had savings. He told me we had only debts, no savings. Some of the roads were not repaired since the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) days.

I dont care the opinion you have about Abacha but I agreed to work with him and we constructed roads from Abuja to Port Harcourt, Benin to Onitsha and so on. We also touched education and health institutions.

On the mismanagement of the economy by previous administrations, President Buhari noted that the perpetrators lacked imagination and plans for the development of the nation.

Sometimes, I wonder about those who can afford to send their children abroad for studies and yet continue to sabotage the economy, I wonder what kind of Nigeria they want their children to return to and work. There is a lot of lack of imagination.

If you are working for the country, then you shouldnt be misappropriating and misapplying public funds the way people did, he said.

The President noted that under his watch, the 2016 and 2017 budgets recorded the highest appropriation and releases in capital projects, with over N2.8 trillion disbursements in two years.

The President urged Nigerians to reject those bent on dividing the country along religious and ethnic lines, warning that they do not mean well for the country.

I have said severally that we do not have any other country than Nigeria and we will remain here and salvage it together.

We have nothing to regret. Absolutely nothing. God has given Nigeria everything. We are rich in human and material resources. Let us keep on praying to God to put people of conscience in-charge at all levels.

On the activities of the support group, President Buhari apologised for not rallying them before announcing his intention to seek re-election in 2019 during a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress on April 9, 2018.

He thanked members of the group for their resolute support to him as a Presidential candidate in 2015 and all through his term in office, adding that their voluntary sacrifices were an indication of their trust and belief in the great future of the country.

In his remarks, Ali said the group and majority of Nigerians are passionate about a second-term for President Buhari because of his integrity, honesty, love and patriotism.

He noted that President Buhari had entrenched fiscal discipline and prudent management of resources, improved the nations security and delivered on his promise to revamp agriculture, as a major revenue earner for the country.(NAN)

Source: NAN

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Osun State, said it was not aware Senator Iyiola Omisore has joined the party.

State Secretary of the party, Elder Femi Awe, told DAILY POST that the party has no record of Senator Omisore as a card carrying member.

Well, in his usual style and way of doing things, he has been announcing to whoever cares to listen that he has joined our party.

In actual fact, Omisore has not personally or officially met the party leadership to express his interest of becoming a member.

We have a laid down procedure and rules in which an intending member must follow, which he has not done, not to talk of submitting letter of intent to contest on our platform, Awe said.

Omisore, a former deputy governor of Osun state formally announced his switch to the SDP from the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday.

Our quest for an alternative political platform is basically in pursuit of a credible political structure that would guarantee that our people enjoy the benefits of accountable leadership at the state level from now.

Notwithstanding my enormous contributions over the past years or so to building the PDP, after very deep thought and the widest consultations with my God, my family, my supporters in and outside Osun state,

It is with great concern that I have made a very expedient decision today, to withdraw my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the Social Democratic Party (SDP); a party that believed in a balanced, equitable and truly functional Nigeria.

On the platform of the SDP, I shall with the support of my supporters, followers, and the electorate of the state, seek the nomination to contest for, and by His grace, be elected as the Executive Governor of Osun state on September 22, 2018.

Meanwhile, a leading governorship aspirant of the SDP in the state, Chief Yemisi Oladeji has promised to give Omisore a tough fight for the governorship ticket of the party.

Oladeji, in a statement sent to DAILY POST on Sunday said the former Deputy Governor is not more than a friend of SDP in the state.

This is just a wishful thinking brought about by certain elements trying to create confusion in the peaceful process of our partys primaries. From records available to us, Senator Omisore is not a member of SDP in Osun.

I advise Chief Omisore to first and foremost, properly approach the party to regularise his membership, and until that is done, he is not a member of our party.

I would like to sound a note of warning to Omisore that if he felt the primary process in PDP is rigorous, he should wait and see a far more challenging one in SDP. If he opts for the membership of SDP and presents himself as a governorship candidate.

I want to assure him that I will give him a good and competitive run, putting in all that it will legitimately require to clinch my partys ticket for the poll.

Also, we need to drum it loud and clear to the ears of Omisores supporters that they should not think we will fall for their delusional belief that Omisore has what it takes to win the governorship poll on any platform.

We need to remind them that even on PDP platform, Omisore lost miserably to Aregbesola in 2014, even in spite of the backing of the federal government and all its security apparatuses. All those factors that guarantee electoral victory are no longer within the beck and call of Otunba Omisore.

On behalf of other aspirants on the platform of SDP, we demand free and transparent primary. Since we may end up having another aspirant bringing into the fold baggage of corruption cases, damaged reputation and questionable personality, I have resolved to give all that it legitimately takes to win SDP governorship ticket and fly our partys flag in the September 22, 2018 poll.

Source: NAN

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi on Monday said the party would overcome its present challenges and become more stronger.

Olusi, a member of the APC Elders Forum in the state, made the remarks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said the holding of parallel congresses in some states on Saturday, though an issue did not mean differences among members were not reconcilable.

According to him, the development is not unusual as such differences are normal in a growing democracy like Nigerias.

Olusi said the issue should not be seen as an end to the partys ongoing reconciliation process being led by a former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said the parallel congresses would rather help the process to succeed as it had exposed all the places where the committee needed to do serious work.

The chieftain charged the Tinubu committee to rise to the occasion, expressing the optimism that the party would be more cohesive and stronger at the end of the process.

You see disagreements are normal in politics, and we have seen that in the last congresses of our party; but that is not to say there is big crisis or that the reconciliation process is dead.

I believe a reconciliation effort led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is still on course.

The truth is, the issue of congresses came in the midst of reconciliation and the various parties to be reconciled had to go for congresses, that is why things happened that way.

The good thing is that the results of the congresses had shown the enormity of reconciliation the party has to do.

I believe the party is in control; all grievances will be addressed as some held parallel congresses just to prove a point.

I think the party will overcome all of these problems to become better at the end of the day, he said.

Olusi, however, said he believed that only one congress was held in Lagos, saying any other one could not stand.

He said any other congress aside that of the party Secretariat was a nullity, but expressed the optimism that all issues in the state chapter would also be resolved.

There was no parallel Congress in Lagos; you cannot build a house on nothing. There must be a foundation.

We had ward and council congresses and they were not challenged, since there were no parallel versions of the previous congresses, we cannot have a parallel state congress.

However, I understand that some people are aggrieved, we are all brothers and I am sure everything will be resolved, he said.

Source: NAN

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) says none of its members was involved in an auto crash over the weekend in Benin City.

The union described as false and mischievous speculations that some of its members were involved in a road accident.
This is contained in a statement signed by JOHESUs National Secretary, Mrs Florence Ekpebor, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

The statement identified those involved in the accident outsourced staff working as cleaners in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

It stated that most of the victims were from companies belonging to the Chief Medical Director of UBTH and Managing Directors of Federal Government owned hospitals.

The statement further described the rumour as a cheap blackmail by medical doctors for cheap publicity and propaganda.

We want to draw the attention of our members across the country that no JOHESU member was involved in the road traffic accident that occurred in Benin, Edo State.

However, our hearts go to the victims of the road crash as we join in wishing them a quick recovery.

We also advise NMA to respect life by desisting from propaganda that disrespects the sanctity of man, for the purposes of recruiting public sympathy especially through falsehood and rumours, it said.

The union also described the purported court injunction ordering JOHESU to stop its on-going strike by some publications as rumour.

Meanwhile, the union said it was not unaware of the alleged machination and propaganda by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) that were bent on thwarting the on-going nationwide action.

JOHESU leadership feels and empathises with members of the public on the pains they are going through.

However, we want to inform the general public that if it is true that there is court order to stop the strike, we are not aware neither has JOHESU been served with any court processes or order to stop the on-going nationwide strike.

This is just a figment of the imagination of mischief makers, busy bodies and interlopers.

Members of JOHESU do not live in the moon; they are Nigerians who have a sacred duty to provide health services to the sick and the wounded.

Therefore, they also have mothers, fathers, friends, sons, daughters, cousins, among others, who require medical services at this point in time, but the ugly situation brought about by the insensitivity of the Ministry of Health for fairness in the health sector has brought us to this ugly situation, the statement read in part.

It specifically noted that the union after several meetings had collapsed was left with no choice but to continue with its demands for a better health system where efficiency, manpower development, fairness and better remuneration would be the corner stone of the health system.

JOHESU appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Ministers of Labour and Health to do the needful by bringing these unwanted circumstances to an end through the implementation of signed agreements and MoU between the Federal Government and the union.

The leadership of JOHESU therefore insists that no amount of intimidation, arm-twisting and harassment will cow us from pursuing our constitutional and fundamental rights to protest and strike.

Therefore, our members across the federation have been advised to stand firm and fight for the good of our country.

The Ministry of Health should be reminded that all over the world no mistreated worker can put in his best, it stated.

The union however assured the federal government of its determination and desires of members to support this administration for better healthcare services to all Nigerians.

Source: NAN

Zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, the group said Monday, marking a major step in the countrys international re-engagement after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year.

Mugabe angrily pulled Zimbabwe out of the bloc of former British colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year.

The Commonwealth said it had received a letter dated May 15 from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa applying to re-join.

Member countries very much look forward to Zimbabwes return when the conditions are right, said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in a statement from London.

Zimbabwes eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion.

Scotland confirmed that the Commonwealth would send observers to elections due in July or August, the first polls since Mugabe was ousted in November after a brief military takeover.

Mugabe was replaced by his former deputy Mnangagwa, a veteran ruling ZANU-PF party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers.

Mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections, and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment.

Scotland called for a credible, peaceful and inclusive (election) that restores citizens confidence, trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country.

Britain said last month that it would strongly support Zimbabwe returning to the Commonwealth.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted Monday: Fantastic news that Zimbabwe wishes to rejoin the Commonwealth.

Zimbabwe must now show commitment to Commonwealth values of democracy and human rights, Johnson added.

Zimbabwe had fractured relations with the West under Mugabe, who had held power since independence from Britain in 1980.

The government in Harare was not immediately available to comment.

If readmitted, Zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the voluntary association of mostly former territories of the British empire, after Gambia, South Africa, Pakistan and Fiji.

The Gambia re-joined the Commonwealth in February this year after the impoverished west African nation was in 2013 suddenly pulled out of the bloc by ex-president Yahya Jammeh.

The other countries to have quit the organisation are Ireland, which left in 1949 and the Maldives which exited in 2016.

The Commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people, under a charter pledging commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law.

The last country to join was Rwanda, in 2009.

The organisation also holds an Olympics-style multi-sport event every four years, most recently in Australias Gold Coast in April.

Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth at the height of violent land seizures, when white farmers were evicted in favour of landless black people in a policy that wrecked the agriculture sector and triggered national economic collapse.

Source: NAN

Federica Mogherini, the EUs foreign policy chief warned Monday there was no alternative to the Iran nuclear deal, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed unprecedented sanctions against Tehran following Washingtons withdrawal from the pact.

Pompeo a longtime Iran hawk and fierce opponent of the 2015 agreement earlier Monday outlined an aggressive series of painful measures designed to hurt Tehran, in his first key address since moving to the State Department from the CIA in April.

Secretary Pompeos speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Irans conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA, the European Unions foreign policy chief Mogherini said in a statement.

She stressed there is no alternative to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is officially known.

US President Donald Trump sparked an international outcry earlier this month when he announced his country would pull out of the landmark accord struck in July 2015 between Tehran and major world powers.

His move came despite the fact that the UNs nuclear watchdog, in charge of monitoring Irans compliance with the deal, has confirmed that Tehran has so far abided by the terms.

Trump wants Brussels and others to support his hardline strategy and push for a fresh agreement.

Iran will never again have carte blanche to dominate the Middle East, Pompeo said Monday, outlining 12 tough conditions from Washington for any new deal with Tehran.

But Mogherini called on the US to keep its commitments as part of the agreement signed under Trumps predecessor Barack Obama.

The JCPOA is the result of more than a decade of complex and delicate negotiations, based on dual track approach and therefore the best possible outcome, striking the right balanceThis deal belongs to the international community, having been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago,Mogherini

The JCPOA is the result of more than a decade of complex and delicate negotiations, based on dual track approach and therefore the best possible outcome, striking the right balance, Mogherini said.

This deal belongs to the international community, having been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago, she added.

She reiterated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed already 10 times that Iran has implemented all its nuclear related commitments under the agreement.

The re-establishment of the US punitive measures will likely force European companies to choose between investing in Iran or trading with the United States.

The EU has been trying to persuade Iran to stay in the 2015 agreement, even without Washingtons participation.

Source: NAN

Guinea President Alpha Conde on Monday named Ibrahima Kassory Fofana as the countrys new prime minister amid heightened political tensions and suspicion about his intentions ahead of a 2020 election.

Fofana, a Conde loyalist and former minister of investment and public-private partnerships, replaces Mamady Youla, who resigned last week along with his government, according to a decree read on state television.

About 10 people died when riots erupted in the capital Conakry and other cities in February and March following local elections that the opposition said were marred by fraud.

Condes opponents also fear he intends to try to modify the constitution to stand for a third term in 2020. Conde has not yet commented on his intentions.

He did not provide an explanation for the latest government shakeup, but an official at the presidency, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the president wanted an experienced man capable of making decisions.

Condes government has also faced repeated protests by civil servants and residents of mining towns, who complain that the countrys rich mineral deposits have not translated into improved public services or job opportunities.

Guinea is Africas top producer of bauxite, which is used to make aluminium. It also has significant reserves of iron ore.

Source: NAN

Czech Republic has delivered some arms to army to boost Nigerias counter insurgency operations.

The Army confirmed on Monday its receipt of support arms from the Czech Republic.

The military took delivery of different calibre of ammunition and spare parts, including rockets and projectile to boost the war against terrorism and other forms criminality.

Brig.-Gen. Olufemi Akinjobi, the Chairman of the Arms and Ammunition Reception Committee, told newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja that more weaponry were being expected from other countries.

Akinjobi declined to name the calibre of arms the committee took delivery of, saying they are support weapons for the operation Lafiya Dole and ongoing Operation Last Hold Borno North and Lake Chad region.

A few foreign military officers and senior officers were engaged to inspect and open the pallet containing the arms. (NAN)

Source: NAN

A senior Iranian military commander poured scorn on U.S. threats to tighten sanctions on Tuesday, saying the Islamic Republics people would respond by punching U.S. Secretary of States, Mike Pompeo in the mouth.

Pompeo said on Monday Washington would impose new penalties if Tehran did not make sweeping changes, including dropping its nuclear program and pulling out of the Syrian civil war.

Two weeks after President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, his administration has threatened to impose the strongest sanctions in history, setting Washington and Tehran further on a course of confrontation.

The people of Iran should stand united in the face of this and they will deliver a strong punch to the mouth of the American Secretary of State and anyone who backs them, Ismail Kowsari, the deputy commander of the Sarollah Revolutionary Guards base in Tehran said, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.

Limiting Irans missile capabilities was one of Pompeos main demands.

Who are you and America to tell us to limit the range of ballistic missiles? Kowsari said, according to ILNA.

History has shown that with the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, America is the top criminal with regard to missiles, he added.

Qassem Soleimani, the head of the branch of the Revolutionary Guards that carries out operations outside Irans borders, was singled out by Pompeo as a top troublemaker in the Middle East.

Kowsari said that the Iranian people back Soleimani.

Soleimani is not a single person. The great people of Iran support him, Kowsari said.

Separately, Irans government spokesman said that the plan outlined by Pompeo would exacerbate the publics hostility to the U.S.

Do the Americans think that the silk glove that theyve taken out and the iron hand that theyve extended to the people, a hand thats backed by Israel and the [Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organisation], will make Iranian people think that America wants democracy? Mohammad Nobakht said on Tuesday, according to state media.

The Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) is an exiled Iranian armed opposition group which has called for the overthrow of the Iranian government for decades.

John Bolton, the U.S. national security advisor, has been a supporter of the MKO, which the Iranian government sees as a terrorist group. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN

Malaysias new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad made good his campaign pledge when he set up a task force to probe allegations that billions of dollars were looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in an audacious fraud overseen by ousted ex-leader Najib Razak.

Mahathir led a reformist alliance to a shock victory at the May 9 polls over Najibs coalition, which had governed Malaysia uninterrupted for over six decades.

A major reason for their success was public disgust at allegations of endemic corruption among the countrys ruling elite, and in particular an explosive scandal surrounding state fund 1MDB.

The fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was set up in 2009 ostensibly to promote the development of the Malaysian economy.

But it is alleged that Najib, his family and cronies looted the investment vehicle in a massive fraud stretching from the Cayman Islands to New York, with stolen funds used to buy everything from real estate to artworks.

Mahathir who first served as premier from 1981-2003 and came out of retirement to take on corruption-mired Najib had pledged to reopen probes into 1MDB.

The special task force will be charged with seizing back assets and pursuing legal action against those suspected of breaking the law in relation to the fund, said the prime ministers office.

The government hopes the setting up of this task force, comprising a multi-agency enforcement unit, will help restore the dignity of Malaysia that has been tainted by the 1MDB kleptocracy scandal, said a statement from the office.

The task force will include representatives of the anti-graft agency, the police and the attorney-generals office, as well as members of a previous task force set up under Najib but disbanded as speculation mounted he was due to be charged.

Heading the body is Abdul Gani Patail, the former attorney-general who was removed from his post in 2015 at he was leading investigations into 1MDB.

Its work will include reaching out to law enforcement agencies in other countries, including the US, Switzerland, Singapore and Canada, according to a statement from Mahathirs office.

Huge sums of money from the fund are believed to have been funnelled round the world in a complex web of transactions.

Najib and 1MDB have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Police have already launched raids on properties linked to the toppled leader as they probe the fraud, seizing a huge stash of handbags and suitcases stuffed with cash, but Najib insisted at the weekend he had not stolen public money.

Source: NAN

China and the Netherlands early Monday successfully launched a lunar satellite which will listen for evidence of the Big Bang, the chain event that triggered the origins of the universe.

Xinhua news agency reported the satellite named Queqiao launched aboard a Long March-4C rocket that blasted off at 5:28 a.m. (21.28 GMT) from Chinas Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the countrys south-western province of Sichuan, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The launch is a key step for China to realise its goal of being the first country to send a probe to soft-land on and rove the far side of the Moon, Xinhua quoted Zhang Lihua, manager of the relay satellite project, as saying.

About 25 minutes after liftoff, the satellite separated from the rocket and entered an Earth-Moon transfer orbit, Xinhua reported.

Queqiao is carrying the Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer, which will listen for low frequency radio signals that carry clues to the time a few hundred million years after the bang, when clouds of hydrogen were spawning the universes first stars, according to science news website space.com

Such frequencies are blocked by the earths atmosphere, according to the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, which built the Explorer.

Queqiao will be positioned 64,000 km from the farthest side of the Moon and will alsobe used in further lunar exploration by the China National Space Administration.

Besides the Explorer,Queqiaowill also launch two additional satellites Longjiang-I and Longjiang-II for Chinese experiments, according to space.com.

T(dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Police on Monday said 13 people died after consuming toxic alcohol in Indias northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Kumar said five people died on Saturday and eight on Sunday after consuming the locally-brewed alcohol in Kanpur district.

Kumar said 10 others are being treated at various hospitals and the death toll could rise.

So far 11 people suspected of being involved in the manufacture and sale of the alcohol have been arrested.

Sale of the spirit with brand name Madhuri-442 has been banned.

We are carrying out raids to confiscate stores of the alcohol, Kumar said.

An average of 1,000 people, mostly from the poorer sections of society, die in India each year after consuming locally brewed alcohol, according to National Crime Records Bureau.

Trade in locally brewed alcohol thrives in India, because it is much cheaper than commercially produced alcohol.

The liquor is usually made with poor-quality ingredients, and sometimes mixed with industrial alcohol and toxic substances and incidences of deaths from consuming such alcohol hit the headlines regularly.

In some of the worst cases of such poisoning, 200 people died in 1992 in Orissa state, 180 in West Bengal in 2011 and 100 in Mumbai in 2015. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Mr. Olisa Metuh,former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has collapsedat the Federal High Court in Abuja as he was making his way to the dock for his resumed trial .

Metuh is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the N400m he allegedly received fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.

He fell down shortly after the case was called on Monday.

Details later

Source: NAN

Notable politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have paid solidarity visit to former Plateau Governor Jonah Jane, being remanded in Jos prison over allegation of money laundry and misappropriation.

Mr Luka Ayedoo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Plateau Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jos.

Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau High Court, Jos, had on May 16 ordered that the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly be remanded in prison after refusing him bail.

Ayedoo listed others that also visited Jang at the weekend to include Prof. Jerry Gana, a PDP chieftain, some senators from the South-South region and Chief Chris Giwa, another PDP chieftain in Plateau.

Ayedoo said: at the weekend, we received Prof. Jerry Gana, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, senators and other notable Nigerians who came on solidarity visit to Sen. Jonah Jang.

Even though Jang is in prison custody, he still reserves the right to be visited and so we wont deny him that right, he said.

The PRO, however, said restrictions were placed on the caliber of people to visit the former governor so as not to turn the prison yard into a political arena.

Those we give express permission to see him are few political allies, family members, his doctor and his lawyer, he said. (NAN).

Source: NAN

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi on Monday said the party would overcome its present challenges and become more stronger.

Olusi, a member of the APC Elders Forum in the state, made the remarks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said the holding of parallel congresses in some states on Saturday, though an issue did not mean differences among members were not reconcilable.

According to him, the development is not unusual as such differences are normal in a growing democracy like Nigerias.

Olusi said the issue should not be seen as an end to the partys ongoing reconciliation process being led by a former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said the parallel congresses would rather help the process to succeed as it had exposed all the places where the committee needed to do serious work.

The chieftain charged the Tinubu committee to rise to the occasion, expressing the optimism that the party would be more cohesive and stronger at the end of the process.

You see disagreements are normal in politics, and we have seen that in the last congresses of our party; but that is not to say there is big crisis or that the reconciliation process is dead.

I believe a reconciliation effort led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is still on course.

The truth is, the issue of congresses came in the midst of reconciliation and the various parties to be reconciled had to go for congresses, that is why things happened that way.

The good thing is that the results of the congresses had shown the enormity of reconciliation the party has to do.

I believe the party is in control; all grievances will be addressed as some held parallel congresses just to prove a point.

I think the party will overcome all of these problems to become better at the end of the day, he said.

Olusi, however, said he believed that only one congress was held in Lagos, saying any other one could not stand.

He said any other congress aside that of the party Secretariat was a nullity, but expressed the optimism that all issues in the state chapter would also be resolved.

There was no parallel Congress in Lagos; you cannot build a house on nothing. There must be a foundation.

We had ward and council congresses and they were not challenged, since there were no parallel versions of the previous congresses, we cannot have a parallel state congress.

However, I understand that some people are aggrieved, we are all brothers and I am sure everything will be resolved, he said.

Source: NAN

Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday as Eden Hazard scored the winner with a first-half penalty.Here are three lessons from the Wembley showpiece:

In what could prove to be his final match as Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte enjoyed a sweet moment of vindication as he won his battle with old rival Jose Mourinho.

Conte had spent much of the season locked in a vitriolic feud with United boss Mourinho and although both claimed to have buried the hatchet this week, there was no doubting the Italians desire to beat his nemesis.

Conte played his part in Chelseas success, sending them out on the front foot in the first half and then ordering them to soak up Uniteds pressure after the interval.

It was a risky gambit but one that produced a handsome reward.

Yet Conte is aware his future at Chelsea is precarious after 12 months of tension behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge and their failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Our job is very difficult. Sometimes you can win but the club decides to sack you anyway, he said recently.

Contes dismissal would not be without precedent two years ago, United sacked manager Louis van Gaal within hours of winning the FA Cup.

It remains to be seen whether the Italian suffers the same fate after leading Chelsea to their first FA Cup since 2012.

For Mourinho, it was a rare disappointment on the big stage as he was beaten for only the third time in his 15 appearances in cup finals with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and United.

Criticised for adopting a cautious approach in Uniteds biggest games this season, Mourinho once again paid the price for being too conservative in the first half.

Mourinho had instructed Ander Herrera to stick close to Hazard, but that man-marking role left United out-numbered in midfield and the Belgian made and scored the winner anyway.

United improved in the second half, but it was too late to stop Mourinho finishing the season empty-handed as Conte celebrated.

Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez cost United over 120 million in total transfer fees, with their combined weekly wages amounting to around 500,000-per-week.

But all that eye-watering investment bought United was the latest in a long list of underwhelming displays from their supposed superstars.

Former Arsenal forward Sanchez had scored eight goals in as many games at Wembley for club and country, but in keeping with his lacklustre start to life with United, he was largely anonymous against Chelsea.

It didnt help that Pogba once again played for long periods as though engaged in nothing more serious than a Sunday kickabout in the park.

The duos lack of cohesion was encapsulated in the second half when Pogba and Sanchez fell over one after the other as the France midfielders miscued pass to the Chilean was intercepted to stifle a United break.

Pogba was so out of sorts that he didnt even hit the target with a late header that could have forced extra-time.

Hazard was the lynchpin of Chelseas two Premier League title triumphs over the last four seasons, but, like many of his team-mates, this had been something of a lost year for the Belgium playmaker.

The 27-year-old had sparked talk of a move to Real Madrid this week when he flexed his muscles with Chelseas hierarchy, insisting he wanted to see who they sign in the close-season before deciding whether to sign a new contract.

But if that was concerning for Chelsea fans, they could at least take heart from Hazards whole-hearted commitment to tormenting Uniteds over-matched defence.

Phil Jones was brutally exposed when Hazard caught him out of position with a sublime touch in the 22nd minute, accelerating away from the United defender, who responded by conceding a penalty that the unruffled Chelsea star converted with nonchalant ease.

It was only Hazards second goal in his last 16 appearances.

But it was his crafty contributions that kept Chelsea in control as the Belgian, who departed to a standing ovation, won the FA Cup for the first time.

Source: NAN