Uganda dismisses US sanctions for anti-gay laws

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Uganda's government Friday said US sanctions slapped on the country for tough anti-gay laws would have little impact and rejected rights groups' reports that the legislation had led to a rise in assaults.

"Ugandans know they are moving away from donor dependency," government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told AFP Friday.

"We cannot compel the Americans to give us their money. Ugandans must be ready and we are rightly doing so, paying our bills. We need to be frugal."

UN places blame on Ukraine's gov't for war crimes

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The United Nations Human Rights monitoring commission has published a report on the Ukrainian issue. The report might stir Kiev, the US and the EU up, if only the West still respects the UN. The report says that the Ukrainian government violates human rights and the international conventions in the Federal State of Novorossiya, which is southeastern Ukraine.

The violations include detentions, kidnapping, tortures and killing of people, including women and children.

US does not need UN mandate for Iraq military action - UN chief, Ban Ki-moon

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The US would not need the approval of the UN Security Council for military operations in Iraq if it acts on a request by the Baghdad government, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.

The US "will have to decide whether they intervene in the conflict with ground troops or other military means, and whether they will coordinate such a course of action with the regional power of Iran," Ban told the Swiss daily, Neue Zuercher Zeitung.

EC, Ukraine discuss conditions for upcoming Association Agreement as fight continues in the eastern Part of the country.

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The European Commission is assessing legal consequences of Crimea’s secession from Ukraine and offers economic, trade and financial restrictions on Crimea with immediate effect, according to a draft roadmap of the EU-Ukraine association deal released on Friday. In compensation, the EU offers Ukraine the most favored-nation treatment in trade, the creation of a free trade zone with a positive effect of €500 million a year from the removal of trade barriers and Ukraine’s participation in the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) program with a seven-year budget of €12 billion.

Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko said on Thursday he would sign the economic part of the Association Agreement with the European Union on June 27.

Iraq's top Shiite cleric says Jihadists must be expelled from country now

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Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said Friday that Sunni jihadists who have overrun swathes of territory must be expelled from the country before it is too late.

If the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is not "fought and expelled from Iraq, everyone will regret it tomorrow, when regret has no meaning," his spokesman announced on his behalf.

Donetsk militia gathers evidence of phosphorous bombs use by Ukrainian military

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The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic is planning to carry out tests to prove that the Ukrainian government forces used prohibited weapons in Semyonovka.

"The video evidence of phosphorous bombs being used in Semyonovka is not a signal either to Europe, or America, or international organizations. Nothing convinces them, so we had to take soil from Semyonovka and bring it to Donetsk where it is currently being tested," DPR Supreme Council Chairman Denis Pushilin told a press conference in Moscow on Friday.

He said the test results will show whether chemical weapons were used.

33 gov'ts help NSA to monitor internet data worldwide

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Huge volumes of private emails, phone calls, and internet chats are being intercepted by the National Security Agency with the secret cooperation of more foreign governments than previously known, according to newly disclosed documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Using the codename RAMPART-A, the NSA would work with these third-party countries to attempt to intercept as much of the world’s online communications as possible, says the Danish privacy news website Dagbladet Information.

Just in: Footballer, Yaya Toure’s Younger Brother Dies At 28

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Ibrahim Toure, younger brother of Yaya and Kolo Toure, has died suddenly at the age of just 28. Ibrahim Toure was also a professional footballer, playing as a striker for clubs including Egypt’s Misr El-Maqasah and Lebanese side Al Safa.

Both Yaya and Kolo are currently in Brazil with the Ivory Coast national team, who have taken three points from their opening two games at the World Cup.
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6 Men Arrested In India Yesterday For Smuggling Heroin

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Yesterday, Wednesday 18th June 2014, the Punjab police arrested six Nigerian men in Delhi, India. It is said to be a major breakthrough in Delhi’s drive against drug trafficking.

According to The Hindustan Times, the men whose names include Sydney Obinna, Uzochekwu Clement, Alogsis Ezechinelu, Mike, Victor and Peter, were caught by a joint team of the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) from Mohali and Patiala.

The news outlet reports that the men had been obtaining heroin smuggled from Pakistan, through Punjab and J&K borders.
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Former Customs Officer And Her Daughter Killed by Fraudsters in Lagos

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A suspected fraudster, Alhaji Olatunji Azeez, has allegedly killed a 64-year old retired customs officer, Angela Uzo Kery and her adopted 10-year-old daughter, Obiagulum after selling the victim’s landed properties.
Azeez was arrested with two alleged accomplices by the police at Oko Oba Division under Area ‘G’ Command, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, after the missing victims was traced to him during investigation.

"Beat Bosnia" -- Okonji-Iweala Begs Eagles

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Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has charged the Super Eagles of Nigeria to beat Bosnia in their next round of game in the ongoing World Cup tournament in Brazil.

According to the Minister, Nigeria could still make it even after the draw with Iran Monday.

Video: Unidentified Woman found Dead on the Street In Benin

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Unidentified Woman Found Dead In ezoti street, Benin, edo state
A middle aged woman was found lying dead along Ezoti Street in Benin City, Edo State. The unidentified woman's death caused disruption in the area as security agencies gathered to spot the cause of her death before taking her to the mortuary.
Watch the video(Link) after the break.

Impeachment: I'm not bothered by Plot to remove me - Nyako

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Nineteen out of 25 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly yesterday endorsed a move to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy Barrister Bala James Ngilari.

This is the first time in this political dispensation that a state assembly, will serve an impeachment notice on a governor and his deputy in line with section 188 of the1999 Constitution (amended).
The latest move followed weeks of intense altercation between the executive and legislative arms of government which led to the invitation and even arrest of some commissioners who failed to honour the House’s invitation to answer charges of financial recklessness levelled against them.
But Nyako who spoke through his spokesman Mallam Ahmad Sajoh stated that he is not bothered about the move of the lawmakers to remove him.
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16yr old kidnapped, beaten and left for dead in a shopping trolley by Paris vigilantes

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These are the shocking pics of a Roma teenager who was beaten and left for dead in a supermarket trolley. Vigilantes kidnapped the 16-year-old boy, known only as Darius, from the camp he shares with his family near the northern commuter town of Pierrefitte-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris.

The thugs rang the youngster's mother demanding a €12,000 ransom for the safe return of her son. The figure was later reduced to €4,000, but when it was not paid, the gang battered Darius before dumping him in a shopping trolley before leaving it on the roadside....

Gov. Amaechi Arrested, Detained By Soldiers In Ondo – Rivers Govt.

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The Rivers State Government has issued a statement saying the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has been arrested and detained by security operatives in Odudu, Ondo state.
Governor Amaechi had arrived Ondo state en-route Ado-Ekiti where he was to join his fellow APC Governor, Kayode Fayemi for the last lap of his re-election campaign today in when he was refused entry into the state. He decided to turn back to Ondo state to go board the private jet that brought him but was however arrested by security agents.

Fast rising singer Cynthomania aka Ada Owerri dies.

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According to her management, Cynthia, who was getting ready to drop her 1st album, died yesterday June 18th after a brief illness. They didn't give any further details. She was in her 20s. Too sad! May her soul rest in peace...
Ase.. 

PDP Accuses APC of Diverting Lagos Funds for Ekiti Election

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• State ruling party denies allegation
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and his predecessor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, have been alleged of siphoning funds meant for the local government areas in the state to finance this weekend re-election bid of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Taofiq Gani, who said his party had a grapevine information to buttress the claim in a statement yesterday, alleged that the chairmen of the 57 councils in the state were compelled to contribute N25 million each from their May, federal allocation or source it from the banks to support Fayemi.

Chime Begins Annual Vacation, Jets off to the states.

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• Fail to indicate who takes charge in his absence
The vacation, according to a statement from Commissioner for Information, Chuks Ugwoke, commenced from June 18.
The statement, which was issued after the weekly state executive council meeting chaired by the governor however did not state how long the vacation will last.

Ekiti Poll: Police IG Restricts Movement in & Out Of The State

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In a bid to ensure maximum security, ensure proper coordination of security operations and organise a hitch-free election, devoid of electoral fraud in Ekiti State, Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has restricted movement in Ekiti state.

Abubakar has also deployed an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Bala M Nasarawa and five Commissioners of Police to supervise security arrangements. CP Ikechukwu Aduba will function as CP in charge of Ekiti State for the period of the election. The other Commissioners of Police are Danladi Y. Mshelbwala (Ekiti-North), Mohammed Ibrahim (Ekiti-Central) and Augustine Eubakhabokum (Ekiti-South).
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Our Governors Barred from travelling to Ekiti, Says APC

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• Alleges detention of Gov. Amaechi's convoy
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cried out that its Governors were being prevented by security agencies apparently acting
on ''orders from above'' from going to Ado-Ekiti for the party's final campaign on Friday for the Ekiti State Governorship election.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said at least three