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Badaru chairs APC National Convention Committee
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governor abubakar badaru of jigawa state is the chairman of the ruling all progressives congress apc national convention committee the party announced on sunday1 according to apcs organising secretary sen. osita izunaso in the partys news social media handle the 68-member committee has governors of imo borno katsina oyo yobe kaduna plateau adamawa kogi and edo as members1 membership of the committee which also included serving and former senators and members of house of representatives and notable party chieftains has ondo state governor rotimi akeredolu and sen. ben uwajumogu as deputy chairman and secretary respectively1 the news agency of nigeria na gathered that stakeholders in the party settled for badaru after much negotiation between the different power blocs in the party1 it was learnt that governors elected on the partys platform settled for their jigawa counterpart because he is one of them and could best protect their interest1 this is especially so because he was a member of the defunct action congress of nigeria and the tinubu bloc is believed to have seen him as a bastion of its ideals. nan1 -
Al-Assad cannot be part of Syria solution German Minister
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the syrian crisis needs a negotiated solution involving all powers in theregion german foreign minister heiko maas said on monday adding he could not imagine anyone who had usedchemical weapons against his own people to be part of that process1 maas was asked whether syrian president bashar al-assad could be part of a solution to the crisis in syria1 there will be a solution involving everyone who has influence on the region he told reporters on arrival to a meeting of eu foreign ministers in brussels.1 nobody can imagine someone who uses chemical weapons against his own people to be part of this solution1 nan reports that the u. s. britain and france fired more than 100 missiles at syria on friday in a one-time shot the pentagon said followed evidence that al-assad was responsible for a chemical weapons attackusing at least chlorine gas.1 while turkey is cooperating with both russia and iran to wind down some of the violence in syria ankara has long demanded that president al-assad must go and has backed rebels against him. assads main supporters are moscow and tehran.1 turkey has also been at loggerheads with washington over u.s. support for the syrian kurdish ypg militia which ankara considers a terrorist organisation linked to kurdish militants waging a decades-long insurgency in turkish soil.1 turkey supported the air strikes by u.s. british and french forces saying the move sent a message to al-assad.1 -
How Macron convinced Trump to strike Syria
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macron made the confession while appearing in a two-hour live broadcast on french television bfm and online investigative site mediapart2 it has been revealed that french president emmanuel macron persuaded president donald trump not to pullout u.s. soldiers in syria to enable him launch airstrikes as punishment for the bashar al-assad led-government for an alleged chemical weapons attack on his people1 the 40-year-old leader said the u.s. britain and france had full international legitimacy to intervene in order to enforce international humanitarian law1 the allies fired missiles early saturday at three chemical-weapons facilities in syria to punish the regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons in the town of douma1 it was retaliation not an act of war macron said in justifying the operation a day before the french parliament was set to debate it1 the airstrikes marked macrons biggest foreign policy yet. nearly a year into his term the new president declared france the most active country on the diplomatic field and at the united nations1 ten days ago president trump wanted the united states of america to withdraw from syria. we convinced him to remain he said speaking in the majestic room of chaillot national theater with the eiffel tower shining in the background1 he said france now wants to involve western powers russia and turkey in a new diplomatic initiative to find a sustainable political solution in syria1 macron also offered to play the role of intermediary between the united states and russia1 -
Gov. Emmanuels aide Etang abandons PDP for APC
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according to him he has refused overtures from pdp leaders in the state in the last few days not to defect to apc1 mr ibanga etang an aide to gov. mr udom emmanuel of akwa ibom has defected to the all progressive congress apc1 etang a former chairman of esit eket local government resigned on april 9 as special assistant to the governor on projects andformally registered with the apc at his etebi ward 7 along with over 300 followers on april 101 addressing his supporters at a post-defection meeting on friday etang said with their entry into apc the party stood 70 per cent chance of winning esit eket local government area1 etang who was also a former president of afigh iwaad ekid the umbrella youth organization in eket federal constituency said he left the pdp because of impunity1 i blame the continuing exodus from the esit eket pdp on a situation where an individual takes esit eket as his personal property he stated1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that etang had also served as special assistant to former gov. godswill akpabio1 it would be recalled that few months ago the governors special assistant on electoral matters mr chris okorie also dumped thepeoples democratic party pdp for apc1 he said i vowed that my supporters and i have decided to move on and no going back1 in his resignation letter to the governor he said he was leaving because it was necessary to depart now in line with the dictates of my conscience and highest level of sincerity1 receiving the defectors mr bassey dan-abia jnr a former member of the house of representatives said the apc has been increasing in number andexpressed optimism that the party would take over the state in 20191 he commended the defectors for their courage and boldness and assured them of federal government lofty programmes for the state1 nan reports that seven chieftains of the pdp in the local government have so far defected o apc1 they include sen. etang umoyo a former managing director of niger delta development commission nddc bassey dan-abia a former nddc commissionermr imaobong inyang a retired permanent secretary dr. mike eyo and two former house of representatives members bassey dan-abia jnr. and eseme eyiboh1 -
Ekiti Guber: Olujimi, tested former deputy Gov. joins race
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olujimi who has served as a deputy governor in the state officially submitted her nomination form at the headquarters of the peoples democratic party pdp in abuja1 olujimi who was accompanied by sen. stella oduah and and several of her colleagues is the only female principal officer in the senate and the first female candidate to officially join the race1 speaking to newsmen shortly after submitting her form she said that her candidature was for the people of ekiti state saying that moving forward their concerns must always come first1 let me be clear todays submission of this form is not just an intent to run it is an intent to serve. it is a message to the people my people of ekiti state that the time has come1 the time has come for a government that will always put your concerns first. this form that has been submitted today represents the interests the best-wishes and the prayers of millions of people in ekiti state who want a government that will always put their needs first1 she underlined the need for nigerians going into the 2019 elections to always look at the track record of candidates and vote for issues performance and track-records1 my track-record speaks for itself the deputy minority whip said1 the ekiti people know this and the members of my party know this. now that i have submitted this form it is time to hit the ground running. it is time to sell my vision for the future of the great state of ekiti both to the people of ekiti and my party members1 other senators who accompanied olujimi for the submission of her form include senators attai aidoko mohammed hassan and matthew uroghide1 -
Adesina: Why Ill vote Buhari again and again
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he told me look at this sprawling place. just two of us waiting to see the president. it didnt use to be like this. up to 3 a.m daily the place used to be like a market filled with men women from within and outside the country. they would come to seal all kinds of deals on petroleum power transport iron and steel and all others. and of course the president and his household would always have a cut. the wheeler-dealers would also have their cut. who dares approach this president with such proposa1 -
Shooting at Enugu burial: One woman killed, another wounded
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it was further gathered that as the burial ceremony hit up and the suspect tried unslinging his gun it allegedly discharged accidentally and hit one ngozi eze 40 from amanato mburumbu community who was confirmed dead1 the police have commenced investigation into an alleged accidental shooting at an enugu burial ceremony which led to the death of a woman and wounding of the chief mourner on saturday1 amaraizu said the incident occurred at amanato mburumbu community in nkanu east local government area adding that the police recovered a locally-made single barrel gun at the scene of the incident1 amaraizu said the victims were a woman and the chief mourner1 it was gathered that tragedy struck when a man identified as daniel chukwu of amanato mburumbu community stormed the burial ceremony arena with his single barrel locally-made gun and perhaps never knew it was already set for action1 the enugu state police commands spokesman sp ebere amaraizu made this known in a statement on saturday1 the chief mourner identified as one hawaya nworiuzo was also injured hence he was rushed to hospital for medical attention1 the situation shocked sympathisers who scampered for their safety at about 12 noon today he said1 amaraizu said that the suspect was helping the police in their investigation1 he also said the corpse of the dead had been deposited in a nearby mortuary for autopsy. nan1 ksnjce1 -
40,000 bid Winnie Mandela final goodbye
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she lived in constant naked contact with danger prepared to lose her life even the lives of her own children who were put into danger by her political activities malema said to loud cheers in the stadium1 more than 40000 south africans from across the political spectrum gathered at the funeral ceremony of winnie mandela in her beloved soweto to wish her a final goodbye on saturday. and it was a glorious exit for the famous anti-apartheid heroine1 the official funeral service for the ex-wife of the late nelson mandela took place on saturday morning in soweto the johannesburg township at the forefront of the battle against apartheid where she lived1 president cyril ramaphosa said that just as south africa grieved for madikizela-mandela it was comforted by the profound meaning of her life1 in death she has demonstrated that our many differences along political party and racial lines and the numerous disputes we may have are eclipsed by our shared desire to follow her lead in building a just equitable and caring society he said1 loudly and without apology she spoke truth to power. it was those in power who insecure and fearful visited upon her the most vindictive and callous retribution. yet through everything she endured. they could not break her. they could not silence her1 the afternoon burial ceremony at fourways memorial park cemetery north of johannesburg ended a nearly two-week mourning period declared by the government1 earlier mourners sang and cheered as madikizela-mandelas body was brought into the 40000-seat orlando stadium filled to capacity for the funeral service1 many mourners were clad in the green and yellow colors of the anc. members of the leftist economic freedom fighters eff party also attended in large numbers1 eff leader julius malema an admirer of madikizela-mandela who echoes her fiery rhetoric said she had always put the country above her own personal safety in the fight against apartheid1 madikizela-mandelas death on april 2 at the age of 81 after a long illness was met by an outpouring of emotion across the country with the ruling african national congress anc and opposition parties holding memorials to remember her courage in the struggle to end white-minority rule1 fighting spirit1 during mandelas 27-year incarceration for his fight against apartheid madikizela-mandela campaigned for his release and for the rights of black south africans undergoing detention banishment and arrest1 i appreciate many things about her. she represents a fighting spirit because even though she lived through the apartheid era she never gave up said 20-year old college student gift mokale. im very grateful to be here today1 also present at the funeral service were former presidents thabo mbeki kgalema motlanthe and jacob zuma dignitaries from african countries and celebrities such as british supermodel naomi campbell and u.s. civil rights activist jesse jackson1 for many south africans the most memorable image of madikizela-mandela is of her punching the air in a clenched-fist salute as she walked hand-in-hand with mandela out of victor verster prison near cape town on feb. 11 19901 for husband and wife it was a crowning moment that led four years later to the end of centuries of white domination when mandela became south africas first black president1 madikizela-mandelas legacy however was later tarnished1 as evidence emerged in the dying years of apartheid of the brutality of her soweto enforcers known as the mandela united football club some south africans questioned her mother of the nation soubriquet1 in 1991 madikizela-mandela was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault but her six-year jail sentence was reduced to a fine and a two-year suspended sentence on appeal1 -
Video: Nigerias Population: A Blessing or Curse?
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he therefore advised that irrespective of religious beliefs population be included in the nations political agenda saying that we need to enact policies that will help us manage our population better1 since the news agency of nigeria broke the news that nigerias population has been officially estimated at 198 million as announced by the national population commission npc the subject has been trending especially in relation to what it portends for the nigerian economy1 nan-tvs iyiola pedro captured one of such debate at the vanguard economic discourse held at the civic centre victoria island lagos1 nan reports that the event was chaired by mr. bukar kyari chairman nigeria economic summit group nesg while the panelists included mr. olabode agusto chief executive officer of agusto and co mrs patience oniha director-general debt management office dmo mr muda yusuf director-general lagos chamber of commerce and industry lcci comrade issa aremu vice president global union african region mr opeyemi agbaje chief executive officer rtc advisory services and mr tony okpanachi managing director devel1 filmed1 according to mr bode agusto founder bode agusto1 however while some people believe the newly released figure is as an asset there are those who feel otherwise1 when we got independence in 1960 the population of nigeria was 46 million the united kingdom great britain and northern ireland 52 million 6 million people more than us1 by 2015 the uk moved from 52 to 62 million nigeria moved from 46 to 185 million1 according to the population pyramid by 2070 the uk will be 80 million nigeria will be 552 million1 it means that demand for primary school is going to be much bigger the number of teachers well need will be more vaccines to inoculate will be more number of secondary schools and classrooms1 we need to send them to secondary school keep them healthy and after they leave school we would have to find work for them otherwise they will become what we call in finance non earning assets1 so at the end of the day we measure the wealth of a nation by the number of yams we have produced divided by the number of people who are going to eat it yam per head he said1 -
Banks, churches very corrupt: Femi Falana
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renowned human rights activist femi falana san has hit hard on the private sector and churches as being nests of corruption more than government institutions1 falana made the remark at the 2018 edition of the vanguard economic discourse themed economy in recession pitfalls trajectories and resetting1 the event held at the civic centre victoria island lagos1 -
Nigeria rise, Argentina, Iceland and Croatia fall in April Fifa Ranking
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russia 201812 argentina2 however2 super eagles’ 2018 world cup group d foes plunged no thanks to their unimpressive performance during the fifa international window2 nigeria rise1 iceland and croatia fall in april fifa ranking1 -
FG commits to assist 36 states without bias
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he said abia had blazed the trail in the utilisation of global system of mobile telecommunication gsm in the delivery of quality healthcare to the people of the state1 vice president yemi osinbajo has said government would continue to assist the 36 states irrespective of their party affiliation and also commit to the peoples welfare especially the poor and vulnerable1 osinbajo made the commitment on thursday in umuahia at the inauguration of the states tele-health initiative dial-a-doctor which he described as commendable effort in the healthcare delivery system in the state1 at the inauguration of the national economic council nec in 2015 the president publicly declared that our own nec will assist every state because poverty in our nation is no respecter of ethnic group religion or party affiliation1 the vice president said that in line with the decision the federal government had so far supported states without discrimination along party lines to the tune of n1.91 trillion1 today we are feeding 7.9million children in our own school feeding programme in 22 states1 we have employed over 200 000 graduates in our n-power scheme and 300000 more awaiting funding1 we are giving loans to over 300 000 traders and we are heading for a million traders and artisans1 we are giving 5000 monthly to 300000 of the poorest families in all the states of nigeria without discrimination along party lines osinbajo said1 he also spoke on the federal governments school feeding programme saying that 125684 pupils in 724 schools in abia were being fed with no fewer than 2000 cooks handling the contract1 this is one state where there is collaboration between the state government and the federal government in the school feeding programme1 the federal government is feeding classes one to three and the state government is feeding classes four to six1 this is exactly the way the federal government designed it to be he said1 osinbajo further said that the federal government had given out loans to over 7500 small businesses in the state1 in the healthcare sector we have the save-one-million lives programme which has made available 1.5 million to each state to improve the quality of basic healthcare especially to women and children he said1 on the tele-health initiative he said that it has become expedient for nigeria to embrace technology to close the healthcare gap between the urban and rural areas1 he said the gesture was a clear departure from the primordial practice where past administrations at the centre limited their assistance to states ruled by the party at the centre1 this is an especially exciting project because it is leveraging on available technology in this case the mobile phone to deliver affordable healthcare to the people1 osinbajo said that available records showed that abia had about 1.5 million mobile phones1 according to him the state has taken the lead in utilising the potential that mobile phone has as a means for delivering healthcare for the people1 i am told that citizens can through a dedicated telephone line and affordable prepaid cards access medical care through a state-wide network of doctors and communicate1 the initiative would cut the time spent travelling to see a doctor or waiting in line to see a doctor in a healthcare facility1 it will make abia stand out in the healthcare delivery as a people-centred state that is open to life-changing innovation1 this is a very commendable initiative osinbajo said1 he however said that the success of the programme would depend on the willingness of stakeholders to take on feedback and make the adjustments necessary to meet the evolving needs of the target beneficiaries1 according to the vice president this initiative would be helpful to the state and other states that would want to copy it1 he assured abia government of the unwavering commitment of the federal government to continue to partner and collaborate on any programmes designed to better the lives of the people1 in his speech gov. okezie ikpeazu described the programme as a dream come true saying the initiative is the future of healthcare delivery in nigeria and africa1 ikpeazu said that the state government would leverage on the programme not only to improve life expectancy in abia but surpass the average national life expectancy1 in a goodwill message the minister of health prof. isaac adewole commended the state government for the initiative1 adewole who was represented by the medical director federal medical centre umuahia dr. chuku abali said that the programme had the potential to make healthcare accessible to millions of abia residents if properly harnessed1 the commissioner for health dr. john ahukanna said that the programme would make it possible for people to dial a dedicated gsm number and get medical attention from a doctor in the comfort of their homes. nan1 -
Maritime University starts lectures
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the take-off of the university is yet another promise fulfilled to the people of niger delta by the buhari administration1 granted approval in january by the national universities commission nuc to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 20172018 academic session1 the joint admissions and matriculation board jamb also listed the university in its central admissions processing system in january 24 2018 while interviews for academic staff positions were conducted between 1and 2of march 20181 the nuc had approved that academic activities commence in three faculties namely transport engineering and environmental management with a combined total of 13 departments with various specialisations from marine engineering marine economics to climate change fisheries and aquaculture1 president muhammadu buhari approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the university from the n2bn earlier announced to n5bn1 the allocation was included in the 2018 budget presented to the national assembly in november 20171 similarlyan additionaln1billion was approved by the president to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the universityin november 20171 also following the commencement of operations in 2017 the university had in november 2017 invited job applications for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies1 the delta state government had also donated two 500kva generators to the university1 following president muhammadu buharis meeting with leaders of pan niger delta forum pandefin november 2016 vice president yemi osinbajo san was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities in 2017 and thetake-off of the maritime university was one of the major requests tabled before the federal government1 -
New Sierra Leones government includes opposition in cabinet
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source63 sierra leones president julius maada bio has rolled out names of his cabinet including some members of opposition1 mr margai was one of 16 candidates who contested the march 7 first round presidential election1 he backed brig rtd bio in the second round on march 311 the veteran politicians father and uncle both of who served as prime ministers were among the founders of the governing sierra leones peoples party slpp1 mr margai ditched his kins party in 2007 after losing the contest to lead it in presidential elections that year1 he formed the peoples movement for democratic change mpdc which joined forces with president ernest bai koromas all peoples congress apc to defeat slpp in a hotly contested run-off1 mr margai soon fell out with president koroma who he accused of undermining his party1 veteran politician and lawyer charles francis margai was named as attorney general and justice minister1 a total of 12 ministers were named on thursday including those for finance health and energy1 former world bank development expert jacob jusu saffa takes over the finance ministry while medical scientist and renowned educationist dr alpha wurie was given the health docket1 primary and secondary education went to dr alpha ousman timbo and the energy went to mr kanja sesay1 other ministerial appointments include information and communication mohamed swaray marine resources mrs emms kowa labour and social security adenkunle joliff milton-king water resources dr jonathan tengbe and social welfare gender and childrens affairs ms baindu dassama1 there were also appointments for internal affairs edward a. suluku and deputy defence minister brig rtd simeon n. sheriff1 mr sahr lahai jusu was named financial secretary1 president bio also named his long term personal assistant yusuf keketoma sandi as press secretary1 his appointment will particularly provoke questions around the commitment of the new president to his campaign promise of separating the office of attorney general from the justice ministry which has been seen as a hindrance to justice delivery1 -
Bomb kills 5 during football match in Somalia
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we believe al shabaab was behind it and that the target was officials who were not seated there at the time of the match.1 a bomb killed five spectators at a football match in southern somalia police and a lawmaker said on friday the first time an explosion has targeted a stadium1 police said it appeared to have been detonated by remote control1 the bomb killed five people and injured a dozen others in the football field1 all the casualties were from the onlookers mahad dhoore a lawmaker for south west state told reuters1 police officer mohamed aden said al shabaab group was suspected of being behind the attack and put the number of dead at four and wounded at 12.1 the blast went off in the port town of barawe in the lower shabelle region when residents were watching a football match on thursday afternoon police said adding that al qaeda-linked al shabaab could be behind the attack.1 the bomb looked like a remotely controlled one that was planted there aden told reuters from barawe1 al shabaab are fighting to topple somalias western-backed central government and establish their own rule based on their strict interpretation of islamic law.1 the group frequently carries out bombings and gun attacks in the capital mogadishu and other parts of somalia1 al shabaab carried out an explosion that killed teenagers who were just playing football in barawe town1 al shabaab is the only enemy we have president mohamed abdullahi mohamed said during a farewell party for somalias outgoing parliament speaker.reutersnan1 -
Duterte threatens to arrest ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda
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the office of the prosecutor in the hague and the philippine foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.1 president rodrigo duterte of philippines on friday threatened to arrest international criminal court icc prosecutor fatou bensouda if she conducts activities in his country1 hitting out at what he said was an international effort to paint him as a ruthless and heartless violator of human rights duterte withdrew the philippines from the iccs rome statute in march and promised to continue his crackdown on drugs in which thousands have been killed.1 icc prosecutor bensouda in february announced the start of a preliminary examination into a complaint by a philippine lawyer which accuses duterte and top officials of crimes against humanity and of killing criminals as a policy.1 duterte has cited numerous reasons why he believes the icc has no jurisdiction over him and on friday suggested that any doubts about that should have been dispelled by his withdrawal.1 what is your authority now if we are not members of the treaty why are you in this country told reporters in comments aimed at bensouda.1 you cannot exercise any proceedings here without basis. that is illegal and i will arrest you1 it is not clear whether bensouda or the icc has carried out any activities in the philippines related to the complaint against duterte.1 he argued that philippines was no longer an icc member so the court had no right to carry out any investigation1 police have since july 2016 killed more than 4000 people they say are drug dealers who resisted arrest1 activists say many of those were executions which police deny1 duterte has told security forces not to cooperate with any foreign investigators and last month said he would convince other icc members to withdraw.1 duterte had earlier vowed to face the icc and critics say pulling out is futile because the icc has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes committed in the period from when the philippines joined in 2011 to when its withdrawal takes effect in march 2019.1 under the rome statute the icc can step in and exercise jurisdiction if states are unable or unwilling to investigate suspected crimes.1 the mercurial former mayor and his legal aides argue that technically the philippines never actually joined the icc because it was not announced in the countrys official gazette.1 if there is no publication it is as if there is no law at all duterte said on friday. reutersnan1 -
DPRK relishes bilateral relations with Nigeria
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the democratic peoples republic of korea dprk has pledged to build on the gains of the bilateral relations with nigeria to achieve meaningful growth1 mr jon tong chol the ambassador dprk made the promise at an event to mark the 106th birthday anniversary of the late korean leader kim il sung organised by the embassy in abuja1 he described the sung as one who devoted his lifetime to preach on the importance of independence self-reliance and self-defence in korea and in the world1 according to him his revolutionary cause has succeeded and even brought about the external relationship with countries like nigeria they enjoy today which brought about economic ties between both countries1 the traditional relationship and cooperation between the federal republic of nigeria and dprk have further consolidated and developed1 we sincerely wish the nigerian people greater successes in maintaining the peace and security1 also to consolidate the national unity in making nigeria prosperous under the wise leadership of president muhammadu buhari1 he wished the government and people of nigeria success in the fights against corruption and terrorism1 kim il sung born april 15 1912 was the leader of north korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death on july 8 19941 -
Hezbollah rules out `111 World War over Syria
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lebanons hezbollah does not believe the latest syria crisis will spiral into a direct u.s.-russia conflict or a wider all-out war its deputy leader said in comments published on friday1 the heavily armed and iranian-backed shiite movement has been a vital military ally of president bashar al-assad in the seven-year-old syrian war1 we rule out the situation developing into a direct american-russian clash or a wide state of war1 the conditions do not point to a total war unless u.s. president donald trump and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu completely lose their minds sheikh naim qassem told newsmen1 trump has threatened strikes against assads forces after a suspected gas attack on a rebel town where dozens of people died and a russian envoy has voiced fears of a wider conflict between washington and moscow1 the threat of confrontation between russia the syrian states key ally and the west loomed after trump said on wednesday missiles will be coming and lambasted moscow for standing by assad1 trump has tempered those remarks since and even as he consulted allies britain and france there were signs of efforts to prevent the crisis from spiralling out of control1 the white house said no final decision has been made on syria after trump met his national security team on thursday. reutersnan1