Splash Instablog

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted by the Bild newspaper's website Saturday as saying that a "symbolic tank parade on the eastern border of the alliance" would not ensure security. He argued for "embedding Russia in an international partnership of responsibility" through cooperation on arms control, the Middle East, and efforts to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Some 31,000 troops from 24 NATO and partner nations last week rehearsed defensive operations in Poland and Lithuania. German troops were among them. Russia's conflict with non-NATO member Ukraine has led to financial sanctions against Moscow and more attention to military readiness, but Western governments sometimes differ on how tough a stance to take. The 28 European Union member countries last week extended for another year sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region barring imports from there. A diff...

Police officers carry the coffins of the two police officials killed by an extremist claiming allegiance to IS, during a ceremony, Friday June 17, 2016 in Versailles, near Paris. Police commander Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and his companion, police administrator Jessica Schneider were stabbed Monday by attacker Larossi Abballa, who was killed in a police raid. here was a morning deadline to release Charaf-Din Aberouz and Saad Rajraji or pursue charges, and the prosecutor moved to prolong their detention. The decision to charge the suspects will be technically validated by an anti-terrorism judge later Saturday. Both individuals, aged 27 and 29, had been convicted along with the police killer, Larossi Abballa, in September 2013 for their roles in a jihadi network on the Pakistan-Afghan border and claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group. Larossi Abballa, 25, knifed to death Officer Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and police administrator Jessica Schneider in the...

Members of the media set up outside Westminster Magistrates Court, London, Saturday June 18, 2016, where Thomas Mair was due to appear charged with the murder of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox. Labour Party lawmaker Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed to death Thursday after getting out of her car in the town of Birstall in her home constituency. This courtroom sketch by Elizabeth Cook shows Thomas Mair, center, appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, London, Saturday June 18, 2016, charged with the murder of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox. Labour Party lawmaker Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed to death Thursday after getting out of her car in the town of Birstall in her home constituency.

BENIN-CITY- Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has responded to critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, saying the President is already delivering on his electoral promises and the APC Change agenda. Speaking at the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association where President of the Association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh asked the Niger Delta Avengers to sheathe their sword and embrace dialogue, Oshiomhole said “I know that right now, everybody is talking in the country. Is this the change we asked for? And my answer is Yes. It is the change we asked for. For all of us in this hall, you know that the challenge of fixing a house that has been destroyed is much more cumbersome than even building a completely new house because for the one that has been destroyed, you have to start by removing the debris. You have to check whether the foundations are weak so that you remove them. You must first do a lot of cleansing and excavation. Read mor...

In mid-June, the bodies of 34 migrants were found in the Niger desert, 20 of them were children. They had been abandoned by smugglers. On June 3, Boko Haram carried out an attack in the Diffa region of eastern Niger. More than 30 soldiers were killed, and around 50,000 people were forced to flee. The people of Niger, a landlocked country almost entirely covered by the Sahara Desert, face unemployment, the threat of armed groups, hunger, poverty and drought.  Niger is one of the world's poorest countries and one with the highest percentage of people under the age of 20. Yet, hope remains for many young Nigeriens who are most affected by the country's lack of opportunities. In March 2016, we sat down with three young people in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to find out what they want to accomplish and what the dangers are as they try to build a future in an uncertain environment. In a Niamey neighbourhood, we meet Abdel Nasser Boubacar who has bui...

He spoke at the Center for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels while attending the Center’s 2016 Summer Photography Exhibition as a Special Guest of Honour. The exhibition, which largely focused on Lagos under the theme ‘Dey Your Lane – Lagos Variations’, was an attempt to understand Lagos through those who feel it the most and can express these cognitive and emotional responses in an engaging and creative manner. Governor Ambode seized the opportunity to call on all political leaders to partner with artists so that they can benefit from their creative and artistic imagination to tackle some of the challenges confronting megacities such as exponential urbanization. He also used the medium to announce his administration’s determination to develop a new museum in the State. Governor Ambode emphasized that his government’s engagement with the art, culture and entertainment sector, was in fulfillment of one of his key campaign promises, to vigorously pursue Project THESE, which sta...

  Military police officers attend the scene of a deadly shooting in Vihti, Finland Saturday, June 18, 2016. Authorities in Finland say a shooter has killed a police officer and seriously wounded another after they approached a remote countryside property where gunfire had been reported. Police in Vihti, northwest of Helsinki, dispatched several officers to the property late Friday. They were targeted by gunfire as they approached the house and one shot fatally wounded a 30-year-old policeman and seriously wounded another. The condition of the wounded policeman was not immediately known. The shooter eventually committed suicide, possibly by shooting himself, police told a news conference. President Sauli Niinisto said Saturday the Nordic country was "upset" and Interior Minister Petteri Orpo wrote on Twitter that he was "shocked." Since Finland's independence from Russia in 1917, 130 police officers have been kill...

 Lorries disembark from a ferry that arrived at the Port of Dover in south east England, Thursday, June 9, 2016. On a clear day, the coast of France is visible from Dover’s famous white cliffs, and they provided a vital vantage point for the early spotting of German bombers heading toward London during World War II. The concern now is not enemy attack, although an armed Russian submarine was recently intercepted in the Channel. Instead, it is Europeans who arrive legally under EU rules guaranteeing the free movement of people. He's tired of Eastern Europeans arriving on these shores, and he plans to use his vote to make that point. "In Dover, the biggest issue is immigration," said the proprietor of the W&G Hall convenience store. "I'm speaking for a lot of people here — we've been inundated, and they've changed the face of the town, not for the better."   A British Border Force vessel patrols in the Strait of Dover, south east Englan...

Iraqi security forces celebrate as they pose with a flag of the Islamic State group they captured in central Fallujah, Iraq, after fight against the Islamic State militants Friday, June 17, 2016. Iraqi special forces entered the center of Fallujah city early Friday, taking over a government complex and a neighborhood that served as a base for the Islamic State group militants after intense fighting. Iraqi security forces advance their positions during the fight against Islamic State militants in Fallujah, Iraq, Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Fallujah has been locked in a cycle of conflict since 2003, when it emerged as a bastion of the insurgency against the U.S. Militant attacks and bombings were followed by sweeping arrest raids, which further stoked local grievances. In 2004, U.S. troops launched two massive assaults on the city, where they fought their bloodiest battles since Vietnam.  Military operations were ongoing in Fallujah, with the air force hitting targets in...

  An International Space Station crew including an American, a Briton and a Russian landed safely Saturday in the sun-drenched steppes of Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-19M capsule carrying NASA's Tim Kopra, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency and the Russian agency Roscosmos' Yuri Malenchenko touched down as scheduled at 3:15 p.m. local time (0915 GMT) about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. All descent maneuvers were performed without any hitches and the crew reported feeling fine as their ship slid off the orbit and headed down to Earth. Helicopters carrying recovery teams were circling the area as the capsule was descending slowly under a massive orange-and-white parachute. Support crew helped the trio get out of the capsule, charred by a fiery descent through the atmosphere, and placed them in reclining chairs for a quick check-up. Squinting at the sun, Peake said he felt "elated," adding that "the smells of Earth ar...

Across Belgium parties were being planned Saturday to watch live broadcasts of the country's soccer team playing Ireland at the European Championships in neighboring France and some media said such events could have been the targets. Prime Minister Charles Michel said the nation would remain "extremely vigilant, hour by hour," but that the terror level across the nation would remain at the second-highest level, meaning a threat of an attack "is possible and likely." Belgium has been living under such a threat level since the Nov. 22 attacks on the Brussels subway and airport which killed 32. "It will be the case in the coming hours that we will take additional and adapted measures," said Michel after a meeting of the nation's security council. He refused to elaborate on the nature of the threat. The federal prosecutor's office said Saturday that homes and car ports were searched in 16 municipali...

The Lagos State Government on Friday said its decision to serve eviction notices to Tarzan Marine Enterprises and Metro Ferry, both operators of commercial jetties in the State, was in line with overriding public interest and quest to ensure strict adherence to safety measures and international best practices. In a statement signed by the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Ms Abisola Kamson, the State Government said that Messrs Tarzan was served an eviction notice on its operation in Ijede and Badore jetties as they could not validate their claims of a purported 25 years concession which the operator alleged to have entered with the government in 2006.  According to Kamson, the previous administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola had investigated the claim by setting up a Task Force in 2010 to validate the claim that they had made two payments totaling N2.1million to the defunct Lagos State Ferry Services for a 25 years concession, but the claims co...

Stakeholders and subscribers to Pen Jewel Estate, Mowe, Ogun State, a project for female journalists in Lagos State, have reached an agreement for its commencement, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. The project is the brain child of Ifeyinwa Omowole, the National President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, to provide affordable mass housing for journalists in the country. The pilot scheme, which began in Lagos in 2014, has the Lagos STATE chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, who supplied the land, as partners. At a rowdy interactive session at NUJ secretariat in Ikeja on Friday, subscribers said the NUJ and NAWOJ took critical decisions behind them. Some of the issues included changing the investors, reduction of the sizes of plots to provide facilities within the estate and opening a naira account without involving subscribers. But Omowole said NAWOJ sourced for local developers because delay in payments by subscribers led to loss of opportunity for ...

The House of Representatives yesterday said it has commenced investigation into allegation of sexual misconduct leveled against three of its members by the United States embassy. The three lawmakers are Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Mark Terseer Gbillah (APC, Benue) and Emmanuel Ikon (PDP, A/Ibom). They were part of a 10-man delegation that went to US for an international leadership programme. Describing how the incident happened in a letter addressed to Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, said while one of the lawmakers “grabbed” a female hotel staff in his room, the two others requested some staff to assist them get “prostitutes.” He said the “conduct could affect some participants’ ability to travel to the United States in the future.” Mr Entwistle said in the letter that “It is with regret that I must bring to your attention the following situation. Ten members of the Nigerian National Assembly recently traveled to Cleveland, O...

Ahead of today’s All Progressives Congress, APC governorship primaries in Edo state, a major contender for the party’s ticket, Mr. Kenneth Imasuagbon, has lamented President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence from the country at a time the ruling party is conducting primary poll in the state. A video of Imasuagbon shedding tears inside a commercial aircraft lamenting why Buhari should be away at this time has been trending on the internet. He is heard in the video saying: “Why is Buhari ill now that I want to win election?” Daily Trust reports that Imasuagbon, who confirmed the contents of the video while speaking with journalists by phone, attributed what was happening within the Edo State APC to Buhari’s absence, stressing that Buhari’s presence in the country would have stopped the purchase of Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, and a situation where aspirants were denied equal opportunities. He accused the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole of using state machinery to intimidate deleg...

Bosso - Rotting bodies, looted buildings and a grim silence mark the once bustling town of Bosso in southeastern Niger following one of Boko Haram's deadliest ever attacks in the west African nation. In the empty, dusty streets, soldiers outnumber the few remaining residents - including the elderly who were unable to flee the insurgents, and some who have returned briefly to collect their possessions. "Corpses littered the streets," said Abdelaziz Zembada, a 50-year-old local shopkeeper on a visit to see if it was safe to return for good. Boko Haram attacked a military post in town on June 3, killing 26 soldiers, including two from neighbouring Nigeria, and a number of civilians as well. Everywhere, there are traces of people's rush to escape. A single abandoned sandal rests in the courtyard of a building. Pots, pans and containers are scattered on the ground. Inside one earth-and-straw home there is nothing, save a mattress and broken tea cups. Trucks a...

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, fixed June 20 to whether or not to grant bail to former Special Assistant on domestic affairs to ex president Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa. Dudafa is charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Taiwo Ebenezer who is also known as Olugbenga Isaiah on 23 counts bordering on N5.1 billion fraud. They were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris . On Wednesday, Justice Idris adjourned the case till June 20 for ruling on the accused's bail application, after listening to arguments from counsel. When the case was called, counsel to the accused, Mr Gbenga Oyewole argued that his client was entitled to bail as provided by the 1999 Constitution. Citing a plethora of authorities, the lawyer insisted that his client will attend court to defend the case if granted bail. He argued further that his client had stayed in custody of the EFCC for 60 days and prayed the court to be liberal in granting the bail. Co...

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has raised an alert meant to create awareness in the country, concerning a mobile app developed by the Islamic State (ISIS), targeting children for their jihad campaign. Lai Mohammed , the Minister of Information and Culture, mentioned this in a statement released on Thursday, June 16, 2016, Channels reports. According to Mohammed, the application with the name, “Huroof” , was designed to teach children the Arabic alphabets using guns, military tanks and cannons. “The application utilises colourful illustrations that attract and engage the attention of young children." ISIS, one of the most notorious Islamic sects, has gone on a worldwide campaign in a bid to create a sovereign Islamic state. This has however met worldwide condemnation by western powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France .

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused the former Gombe state Governor, Danjuma Goje of illegally awarding a N1b contract for the purchase of dictionaries for schools. A statement obtained from the anti-graft agency’s website said “Furthermore, he was alleged to have paid 85 per cent of the contract sum upfront to the supplier, Real and Integrated Hospitality Company as against the prescribed fifteen per cent as contained in the Board’s guideline when he was the Governor.” The statement also reads: “This revelation was made at the Federal High Court, which sat in Jos yesterday, at the continuation of trial of the senator by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.  The prosecution witness, Salisu Abaji, who was the former secretary to UBEB made this testimony against his former boss. He further submitted that one Aliyu El-Naffty, former UBEB chairman, also an accused standing trial along with Goje, awarded the contract the same day and order...

Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro has said he won't be honouring any form of invitation from the Ibrahim Magu led Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC. In a recent interview with Premium Times, Obanikoro said he would not honour any form of invitation from the anti-graft body saying it will be a part of the country's charade as perpetuated by the ruling party, All Progressive Congress. Gbolahan, Musiliu and Babajide Obanikoro " Let me tell you, I will not honour any invitation from the EFCC and neither would I allow my children to be part of that charade. Having gone to my house without inviting me or inviting my children. They subjected my grandkids, my teenage kids, my wife and daughter-in-law to this kind of embarrassment, it is evident that I cannot get any fair hearing from them, " the former Senator said in his interview. Speaking on why his sons are out of the country, Obanikoro said, " Now, talking about my sons. Le...