Projecting World Power: End to Syrian War Only Possible if Russia Involved

It will be impossible to find a solution to the Syrian conflict without Russia, which has played a key role in fighting terrorists in the country, according to German lawmaker Dietmar Bartsch.


Speaking at a talk show that was aired by the German public-service television broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Dietmar Bartsch of the German left-wing party Die Winke touted the significance of Russia's role in resolving the ongoing Syrian gridlock.
"The fact is that without Russia — and I agree with you on this – finding a solution to the Syrian crisis will be an impossible task. And we need to act in this region, but only with Russia," Bartsch said.

‘Freedom to Offend’: Satanic Temple to Deliver City Council Invocation

A brand new chapter of the Satanic Temple, based in Arizona, is causing quite the stir as they fight to lead the invocations at city council meetings throughout the state.

Satanic Temple member and criminal lawyer Stu de Haan was browsing a forum for the church when he saw a call from Lucien Greaves, who had heard that a secular humanist had been blocked from delivering the invocation at a Phoenix City Council meeting. Next thing de Haan knew, he was putting in an application to lead it — and making national news.

Saudi Arabia to Send Jets to Turkish Base for Air Missions in Syria

Saudi Arabia is deploying warplanes to the Turkish Incirlik base to fight Daesh, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"They (Saudi officials) came, did a reconnaissance of the base. At the moment it is not clear how many planes will come," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the Yeni Safak and Haberturk newspapers after taking part in the Munich Security Conference.

IST Presents 2015 Budget To Reps For 2016

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Capital Market, led by Tajudeen Yusuf, was shocked to discover that the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) presented same copy of its 2015 budget in 2016.

This discovery put on hold the budget defence session of the agency.

Yusuf said: “We expected this yesterday to take the budget defence of the IST but we realised that the budget for IST in the 2016 budget proposal is just an exact copy of its 2015 appropriation. It is word for word, figure for figure. And Items dealt with and completed in 2015 were repeated.

Mass Defection From APC To PDP In Edo State ahead of 2016 elections

Massive defection hit the APC in Edo state as half of the current elected local government officials including the supervisory councillor for works in Ovia south and over 350 members of APC in Ovia south dump the Party for PDP. The members were received into the PDP by the chairman of the party Chief Dan Osi Orbih... When we say the days of APC in Edo state are numbered we know what we are saying.... The Affliction APC has unleashed on Edo state and Edo people will not rise again.

IST Presents 2015 Budget To Reps For 2016

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Capital Market, led by Tajudeen Yusuf, was shocked to discover that the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) presented same copy of its 2015 budget in 2016.

This discovery put on hold the budget defence session of the agency.  Yusuf said: “We expected this yesterday to take the budget defence of the IST but we realised that the budget for IST in the 2016 budget proposal is just an exact copy of its 2015 appropriation. It is word for word, figure for figure. And Items dealt with and completed in 2015 were repeated.

Army Sends 12 Officers To EFCC

The Acting Director, Nigerian Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman has said the Nigerian Army has sent a 12-man list of very senior officers to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) for investigation. Though silent on the names of the officers, Usman in an e-mail said, “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that 12 Army officers have been sent to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), for investigation.This comprised of 3 serving Major Generals, and one retired, 3 Brigadier Generals, 4 Colonels and 1 Lieutenant Colonel. However, it should be noted that at the end of the Commission’s investigations those found culpable will be tried by a military Court Martial.”

CBN Bans Use Of Dollars For Overseas Fees, Medical Trips

According to Boason Omofaye, the head of business news at Channels television, who made this assertion this morning, overseas school fees and medical tourism have been placed on CBN’s foreign exchange prohibitive list. By this directive, Nigerians who may need to go outside the country for education purpose or health care will have to get the foreign currency from the parallel market to carry out their engagements.

APC, PDP Reps Clash Over Amaechi

The All Progressives Congress members of the House of Representatives clashed with their Peoples Democratic Party colleagues on Thursday over the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi appeared before the joint Committee on Marine/Land Transport to defend the 2016 budget proposals of the ministry, but the lawmakers tried to turn the session into a venue for political party supremacy battle.

The APC members, who control the majority of 213, out of the 360-member legislature, felt that the former Rivers State governor deserved some protection from the committee, as he came under a barrage of questions.

One Civil Servant Collects 20 Salaries - Finance Minister

The outcry over the menace of ghost worker fraud reverberated in the Senate yesterday when the finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, threw a bombshell by revealing that, with the help of the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) policy, it has been discovered that one civil servant alone collected 20 salaries every month.

She also told the Senate Committee on Finance that the 23,000 ghost workers discovered in the Federal Civil Service would be handed over to EFCC for prosecution.

The adoption of BVN in processing salary payments by the federal government had stunningly thrown up no fewer than 23,000 ghost names on its payroll, a development that raised concerns about the huge amount of monies that may have been stolen from the nation’s coffers through such leakages in the federal civil service.

Making the Same Mistake ? US Resumes Training Of Nigerian Troops For Anti-terror War

Fourteen months after a U.S. army-led combat training for Nigerian soldiers was aborted, American authorities have announced a resumption of the programme.

The American Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, Tuesday, that the training would resume this February.  Speaking on U.S. strategy against Boko Haram at a meeting in Washington DC, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said U.S. expects would “inaugurate the first round of training for an infantry battalion later this month.”

Naira Falls To 325 On Dollar Shortage -punch

The naira hit a record low of 325 to the dollar at the parallel market on Thursday as desperate importers scrambled for dollars to meet their obligations overseas.

The local currency had closed at 318 against the greenback on Wednesday, after hitting 313.5 and 310 on Tuesday and Monday, respectively.“The dollar is falling because importers need forex to bring in their goods. They cannot keep on folding their arms because there is scarcity; they must keep buying; the only thing is that the quantity may reduce,” a forex dealer told our correspondent under condition of anonymity.

Any difference between Saudi Arabia and ISIS ?

Facts on ground are that saudi arabia is the major sponsor of Wahhabi ideology in Syria and Nigeria as their affilliate boko haram has claimed allegiance several times to this terrorist intistuition. Cutting someone's else hand is only common with Sharia law practiced in Saudi. What's allarming is that the west continue to back this terror states and using all sorts of media propaganda against any force fighting against them. Is this another confirmation that Saudi arabia is in to to ISIS ?

Facts on ground are that, ISIS gets dirrect supply of arms from Turkey and that implicates turkey is the main player here.

Fayose Destroys Olukere’s Billboard: Riot In Ekiti

The destruction of a billboard bearing the picture of the Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Ayodele Obasoyin, by Governor Ayodele Fayose on Wednesday has sparked a riot in the town.

The violence, which began at 6pm when Fayose was passing through the town on his way from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, where he attended the thanksgiving service to mark the electoral victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel, continued yesterday.

Youths blocked major roads leading to the town, condemning Fayose for “descending too low” and vowed to “spill their blood” to defend the Olukere.

Why Supreme Court Declared Wike Winner

Supreme Court; Tribunal Denied Wike Fair Hearing

The supreme court on Friday explained why it declared Nyesom Wike, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11 2015 governorship election in Rivers state, as the duly elected governor of the state.

The court held that the judgment of the appeal court affirming the judgment of the election petition tribunal sacking Wike was a nullity because the governor did not get a fair hearing as the facts he presented were not considered by the tribunal.

Swept Under the Carpet: British Middle East Crimes Brought to Light

The British political elite is making every effort to prevent an investigation into their criminal policies in the Middle East, Czech-based analyst Martin Berger stresses.

The Cameron government is going to cut its social spending to be able to contribute more to overseas military operations, most notably those taking place in the Middle East, Czech-based journalist and political analyst Martin Berger notes. Needless to say, the British Army still enjoys substantial budgets to the benefit of the UK's major military contractors and their lobbyists in the British parliament.

DSS Arraigns Suspect For Threatening To Blow Pipelines

The Department of State Security (DSS), Thursday, dragged Mr. Nengi Samuel Ikiba, to the Magistrate Court 11, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, accusing him of threatening to blow up a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

Ikiba was said to have threatened the management of Agip through a text message he composed and sent to the company on January 25, 2016. The suspect in the text message allegedly asked the company to either award him a surveillance contract or risk an attack on its pipelines.

Murtala Nyako Wrongly Removed, Appeal Court Rules

After 18 months of being removed from office, former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako has now gotten some restitution from the court, although delayed.
The Yola Division of Federal Court of Appeal on Thursday declared his impeachment by the PDP dominated House as unconstitutional, null and void.
The House had on July 16, 2014, impeached and removed Nyako for gross misconduct, few days after a panel was set up and without Nyako appearing to give his own side to the various allegations levelled against him.

Don’t Allow Corruption Kill Nigeria, Magu Tells NBA

The acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has charged members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to join hands with the Commission to stamp out corruption from the Nigerian society.
He also decried the practice by some members of the NBA who have been aiding some individuals and corporate organizations to perpetrate economic and financial crimes.

Uganda Polls: I’ll Repatriate Idi Amin’s Remains If Elected – Presidential candidate

Amama Mbabaz, a candidate in Uganda’s presidential elections has promised to repatriate the remains of the former dictator, Idi Amin, and build a museum in his honour. Idi-Amin Former Ugandan dictator, Idi-Amin Mbabazi, a former prime minister, is quoted as saying that the move would help reconcile Ugandans divided over the legacy of Amin and other leaders. Mr Mbabazi is running against President Yoweri Museveni in next week’s polls. Amin’s rule was notorious for its brutality. He was overthrown in 1979 and died in exile in 2003.

Don’t Expect Much From APC — Lamido

Dutse—Former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Dr. Sule Lamido, on Wednesday, dismissed President Muhammad Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC-led government change mantra.
The former governor insisted that with over 80 percent of APC members being Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members who had served in various capacities during the PDP regime, Nigerians should not expect anything exceptional. *Sule Lamido *Sule Lamido Lamido argued that with the caliber of PDP defectors who were at present occupying various positions in the Buhari’s administration, it would be difficult for him to fulfill the promises he made to Nigerians because they joined the APC to achieve their personal ambitions.

NBA To Buhari: Fight Corruption Within The Law

ABUJA — The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his fight against corruption was conducted within the ambit of the law. President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country, decried what it described as over-zealousness by security agencies currently engaged in the prosecution of alleged corrupt persons, who it said had by their conduct, exhibited little regard for the due process of the law.

Top Lawyers Frustrating War Against Corruption – Magu

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, yesterday passed a damning verdict on members of the inner bar as he accused prominent lawyers of frustrating the ongoing war against corruption in the country.
According to him, these prominent members of the bar collect corruption-tainted briefs, then aid and abet those who commit crimes by furnishing them with technical knowledge of how to escape the long arms of the law, as well as how to hide the loot they had stolen.

Russian Operation in Syria Has Changed the Outlook in Washington

Russia's operation in Syria has weakened the position of US-backed Islamic militants, changed opinions in the US and brought a resolution to the conflict closer, Northeastern University professor and terrorism expert Max Abrahms told Sputnik.

Washington and the Syrian rebels who are backed by the White House are coming to terms with the impact of Russia's involvement in the Syrian conflict, a "game-changer" which has strengthened the government's position and brought a resolution to the conflict closer, Northeastern University professor and terrorism expert Max Abrahms told Radio Sputnik.

Lagos Assembly makes Yoruba language compulsory in public, private schools

Worried by the dwindling popularity of Yoruba language among residents of the state, the Lagos State House of Assembly has directed that teaching and learning of the language be made compulsory in all public and private schools in the state.

The House, in a Motion, ruled that Yoruba language should be taught for at least three periods in a week for proper effect.

Members of the House, on the seventh year anniversary since the adoption of Yoruba language for Thursdays’ plenary, bemoaned the non-familiarity with the language often called “vernacular” in schools, particularly the private ones, just as the “ban” on speaking Yoruba and other indigenous languages in some homes is not helping matters.