US, Nigeria’s relations under threat over arms purchase

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There are strong indications that the relationship between Nigeria and the Western countries, especially the United States, is being adversely affected by the reluctance of the Western powers to assist Nigeria with arms and ammunition.

Our correspondents gathered on Thursday that Nigeria had not made much progress in its efforts to procure arms and ammunition to prosecute the war against the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Investigations showed that   the security leadership in the country might have taken a decision to look in the direction of Russia, Ukraine and China for military hardware for the prosecution of the campaign against the insurgents.

US stock markets shaken by Apple slide

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Leading US shares have fallen on Wall Street, dragged lower by Apple, which slipped 3.5% after the technology giant was forced to pull an update to its iOS 8 operating system

The main Dow Jones index was down almost 250 points, or 1.4%, at 16,964 in morning trading.

Investor confidence was also knocked by weak durable goods orders figures released by the Commerce Department.

European markets also fell sharply after Wall Street opened.

Six ministers to Exit Jonathan’s cabinet

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At least, six ministers may quit President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet in October as preparations for the 2015 general elections peak.

The affected ministers are expected to resign their appointments in order to pursue their governorship ambitions on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

As of press time, the ministers who have governorship ambitions in their respective states include Senator Bala Muhammed (Federal Capital Territory), Mr. Labaran Maku (Information), Chief Emeka Wogu (Labour), Mr. Nyesom Wike (State, Education), Dr. Samuel Ortom (State, Trade, Industry and Investment) and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (State, Defence).

Police arrest woman for burying baby alive

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The Police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested Miss Patience Aaron of Afaha Abia village, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state, for allegedly burying her day-old baby alive.
Briefing newsmen in Uyo, the Commissioner of Police, Gabriel Achong, said the baby, who was buried in a shallow grave, was rescued alive about seven hours later.
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EFCC arraigns fishermen for fishing in unauthorized waters

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday September 24th arraigned six fishermen Adekunle Oshingbosi; Momodu Ibrahim; Idowu Tuesday; Togbosi Christian; Benjamin Eyinle; Anthony Medoho,  and their company, Oshine Resources Ventures Limited before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly fishing in unauthorized waters.

According to the EFCC, the men were arrested on March 27th by officers of the Nigerian Navy for fishing in Nigerian territorial waters without getting authorized approval thereby violating Sections 1(1)(2) of the Seas Fishery Act Cap S4, 2004. 

Lagos House of Assembly members ask Fashola to rename IDH after Adadevoh

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Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly moved a motion yesterday September 24th asking the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola to rename the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, where Ebola disease patients were recently treated, after Doctor Stella Adadevoh. The motion for her to be immortalized was moved by Hon Adefunmilayo Tejuoso and seconded by Hon Muyiwa Jimoh. 

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Senate approves GEJ's $1billion loan to fight Boko Haram

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The Senate has approved the $1billion (N165bn) loan requested by President Jonathan in July to simply help in the fight against terrorism and tackle insecurity in the country. The loan will be use to purchase  military equipment and working out of military personnel. The loan approved will addition to N968.127bn voted for Defence in the 2014 budget by the federal government.

Confusion in Liberian villages as two Ebola Victims resurrect

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There's currently panic, fear and confusion in two villages in Nimba County in Liberia after reports that two female Ebola victims have risen from the dead. According to local reports, 44 year old Dorris Quoi who lived in Hope Village Community and a 67 year old woman identified as Ma Kebeh, died of the Ebola virus and were about to be taken for burial when they resurrected and are now walking among the living. According to reports in a local newspaper, New Dawn, Ma Kebeh had been indoors for two nights without food and medication before her death, while Dorris had suffered for several weeks before she died alone in her family home. This is the first report of dead Ebola victims resurrecting. Despite some people's reservations about the story being true, it hasn't stopped them from panicking

Pro-Ayo Fayose thugs allegedly beat up Judge in Ekiti State

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Pandemonium broke out this morning at the Ekiti state High court after a judge, Justice John Adeyeye, was allegedly beaten up by thugs believed to be loyal to Governor-elect, Ayo Fayose, for allegedly being rude to him.  According to Premium Times, Fayose arrived the court house in company of about twenty of his 'supporters' for the Ekiti State Governorship Election petition tribunal which was to hold today.  The judge, seeing the number of supporters that accompanied Fayose to the court house asked him to direct them outside as they were not allowed inside the court premises. This is said to have infuriated Fayose and his supporters...

Muslim Youths Beat Up Principal, Teachers, Students To Pulp Over No-Hijab Policy

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The new education policy in Osun State claimed its first casualty on Monday as fierce-looking Muslim youths invaded the Baptist High School, Ejigbo, and beat up the students and teachers.

The principal of the school, Mr. Layi Oguntola, was thoroughly beaten and injured. Oguntola, as of the time of this report, was said to be receiving treatment at the Baptist Medical Centre, Ejigbo.

The attackers said they came because the school authorities stopped some Muslim pupils from wearing the hijab.
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PhotoNews: Pres. GEJ & Nigerian delegation at the 69th session of the UNGA in NY

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President Jonathan gave a beautiful speech in the UN Assembly NY(if you missed it, see here) and his Nigerian delegation are now participating in the UN General Assembly in New York. The president first met with UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-Moon on the sidelines, he later met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a bilateral meeting. See more photos when you carry on after the jump. 

Ebola cases could reach 1.4 million in months, cdc predicts

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Infections from the Ebola epidemic in Liberia and Sierra Leone could soar to 1.4 million cases by mid-January unless the global community mounts a rapid response to the West African crisis, according to estimates released Tuesday by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

This projection is based on a new CDC model that assumes people are being infected with Ebola at a geometrically increasing rate, and that there are 2.5 times more cases than are being reported, the agency said in its new report.

However, this worst-case scenario may be averted, given the international relief response to the epidemic during the past month, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a morning news conference.
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2015: Jonathan Not Eligible To Contest – PDP, APC Members

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Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have approached a federal high court sitting in Abuja to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the attorney general of the federation (AGF) from allowing President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2015 presidential election.

In a suit filed by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, the plaintiffs argued that by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the president, having contested the presidential election twice, won and took the oath of office and allegiance twice in respect of that office can no longer present himself for election to that office the third time.

Great Speech: President Goodluck Ebele Call for fast Tracking Of UN reforms

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President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan declared Wednesday in New York that pressing challenges to global peace and security have made it imperative that urgent action be taken on the reformation of United Nations Security Council. 

Delivering Nigeria's annual statement to the United Nations General Assembly, President Jonathan also called for an urgent review of United Nations peacekeeping operations across the world. 
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Why Ukraine Will Never Retake Crimea

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Written especially for Russia Insider

The Ukrainian Defense Minister Valerii Geletei is hardly a credible figure.

Not only did he recently declare that Russia had threatened the Ukraine with nuclear strikes, he even told a Ukrainian journalist that Russia had already executed two tactical nuclear strikes on the city of Lugansk (apparently to explain why the Ukrainian forces had to retreat from there). The Junta later denied the story and blamed it on the journalist who first published it. 
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Russia's Lavrov Calls US Interference in Ukrainian Internal Affairs 'Inappropriate'

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Events in Ukraine are an internal affair of that country, and it is inappropriate to dictate the conflicting sides how to implement ceasefire agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.


Kiev authorities and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine signed on September 5 a ceasefire agreement (the Minsk Protocol) in the Belorussian capital, Minsk, and on September 19 supplemented the document with its detailed implementation plan (the Minsk Memorandum).
"The Ukrainians met in Minsk several times. They signed two documents there, while representatives from Russia and the OSCE have helped them to establish dialogue," Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session.

UN Official Claims 10,000 Child Combatants are Fighting in South Sudan

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The number of child soldiers, fighting in South Sudan has risen to almost 10,000, UNICEF chief for child protection in the country Fatuma Ibrahim told Anadolu Agency Wednesday.
“Now the figures have reached 10,000… around 70 percent or so are [with] the white army [Nuer White Army], where thousands of these youths are being recruited," Ibrahim said, referring to Riek Machar's rebel forces.
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Shocking: Obama places Russia between the Ebola virus and international terrorism

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Full speech here.
Video of speech here.

This is the except in which Russia and the Ukraine are mentioned:

(...)  Russia’s actions in Ukraine challenge this post-war order. Here are the facts. After the people of Ukraine mobilized popular protests and calls for reform, their corrupt President fled. Against the will of the government in Kiev, Crimea was annexed. Russia poured arms into Eastern Ukraine, fueling violent separatists and a conflict that has killed thousands. When a civilian airliner was shot down from areas that these proxies controlled, they refused to allow access to the crash for days. When Ukraine started to reassert control over its territory, Russia gave up the pretense of merely supporting the separatists, and moved troops across the border. 

China Offers Benin Ebola Prevention Materials: Reports

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The government of China has offered Ebola disease prevention materials worth $840,000 to Benin, an unnamed source in Cotonou told Xinhua on Wednesday.  The corresponding agreement was signed by Benin's Foreign Minister Arifari Bako Nassirou and China's ambassador to the country Tao Weiguang on Monday.  Weiguang also announced that the Chinese Embassy would give $20,000 to the Benin Red Cross to speed up preparations for the Ebola disease.

ISIS-linked terrorist group beheads Frenchman abducted in Algeria

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  55 year old Herve Gourdel, has been beheaded by the ISIS-linked Islamist group Jund al-Khilifa in Algeria in revenge for France launching airstrikes on Iraq. The French man was captured in Algeria while hiking in the Djurdjura National Park on Sunday September 21st just 1 day after he arrived the country for a walking holiday. The terrorists threatened to kill the Frenchman unless France stops bombing militants in Iraq. They killed him several hours later and released the video showing his beheading. France started bombing ISIS in Iraq last Friday...