SINGAPORE: Moody's revises outlook of Singapore banks to negative

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has lowered the outlook on Singapore’s largest banks to negative from stable.
The affected banks are DBS Bank, its parent company DBS Group, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) and United Overseas Bank (UOB).
Moody’s said the rating reflects its expectation that a more challenging operating environment for banks in Singapore this year, and possibly beyond, will put pressure on the banks’ asset quality and profitability.

Russian Government Draws Up Rescue Plan for VEB Development Bank

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Russian officials are discussing sweeping measures to save the government's development bank after its bailout needs rose to about $20 billion.
Vneshekonombank, also known as VEB, ran into difficulty after Western sanctions cut its access to international lending in 2014. The bank had borrowed heavily to fund Russia's Sochi Winter Olympics and other politically driven projects, and the sanctions left it struggling to repay the debts.
Despite an economic slump that is squeezing the government's finances, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at a board meeting on Tuesday announced the government would give VEB 150 billion rubles ($2.2 billion) to boost its capital this year.

Pinnick: I Will Not Resign, Focus Now on Russia 2018

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has said that he would not resign amid public outcry and flak that have trailed the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon next year.

His uncompromising stance is against the grain that it was under his watch that Nigeria missed two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations finals, a setback that is unprecedented in the nation’s football history.
Following the 1-0 loss to Egypt in Alexandria on Tuesday, the Super Eagles will now miss the plane to Gabon 2017 in same manner they were absent at the event in Equatorial Guinea in 2015.

Libya's UN-backed government sails into Tripoli

Source: ALJAZEERA

Members of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday, defying threats by rival factions that it was not welcome in the capital.
Reports of sporadic gunfire and road blocks leading into Tripoli later emerged, with questions raised whether violence would erupt, or a peaceful transition of power would ensue.
The Presidential Council was formed under a UN-mediated peace deal late last year in an effort to end the political chaos and conflict that has beset the country since the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi five years ago.

Boko Haram attack in Niger kills six soldiers

Source: BBC

Six soldiers from Niger's army were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram militants, the country's interior ministry said.

The attack happened near the town of Diffa close to the border with Nigeria early on Wednesday.
It comes two weeks after a Boko Haram assault on a military convoy in the same area that left one soldier dead.
The Islamist group is based in Nigeria but is being tackled by a multinational force, including soldiers from Niger.

Trump sounds off on abortion; criticism comes from all sides

Source: REUTERS

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Wednesday that women who end pregnancies should face punishment if the United States bans abortion, triggering a torrent of criticism from both sides of the abortion debate, including from his White House rivals.
After MSNBC broadcast a clip of an interview with Trump, the billionaire businessman rowed back his remarks, first saying that the abortion issue should be handled by states and later that doctors who performed abortions should be the ones held responsible.
"The doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman," Trump said in his last statement. "The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb."

Salesians await further news on priest kidnapped in Yemen

Source:  CATHOLIC HERALD

Fr Thomas Uzhunnalil was abducted from a care him run by the Missionaries of Charity
The fate of a kidnapped priest in Yemen is still unknown, his religious order has said.
The Salesians said they had received no further information about Fr Thomas Uzhunnalil, a member of the order kidnapped from a home for the aged and disabled run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden, Yemen, on March 4.
Four Missionaries of Charity and 12 others were murdered in the attack.
Fr Filiberto González Plasencia, the Salesians’ Councillor General for Social Communication, released a statement on Tuesday that said the order had “no further news” on Fr Uzhunnalil, a priest from India.

Kerry’s 'Pleasant Surprise' For Putin Revealed to Be Century's Biggest Anti-Climax

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

The mystery contents of the briefcase that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was carrying when he arrived in Moscow last week have been revealed as paperwork for talks on Syria, the state-run TASS news agency reported Friday.
The briefcase caused quite a stir when Kerry was photographed clutching the cherry-red luggage on his arrival in Russia last week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“There were documents for discussions with Putin and Lavrov [in the case],” Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists, saying that he could not specify the exact documents contained in the briefcase.

'Somalia-bound' ship of weapons seized by French navy

Source: BBC

French naval forces patrolling the northern Indian Ocean have seized a ship full of weapons they say was heading towards Somalia.

Hundreds of assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank weapons were found.
They seized the weapons under a UN embargo to prevent arms from getting to Somali Islamist militants.
Earlier this month, the Australian navy intercepted a cache of arms on a fishing boat off Oman, also believed to be on its way to Somalia.

Nigerian Military Captures Boko Haram’s Spiritual Home, Alargano

Abducted army colonel found dead
Senator Iroegbu in Abuba and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
After a ten-day siege on Alargano forest, troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces on Monday successfully captured what has long been considered the spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram in the Northeast.

Addressing a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State on Tuesday, the head of the counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor said the troops offensive to capture Alargano since March 18 was successfully concluded on Monday.

ABUJA: Nigerian Army Offers N1m Reward for Information on Kidnapped Colonel

 

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The 1 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, has offered a N1 million reward to anyone with any useful information that could lead to the arrest of the abductors of Colonel Samaila Inusa who was kidnapped in the state on Saturday.

The military officer, serving with the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, near Kaduna, was abducted at about 7.30 pm when he went to visit his in-laws at the Kamanzo area, near NNPC junction, Kaduna.

Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Abdul Usman who disclosed this in a phone interview with THISDAY, said any information would be treated with utmost confidentiality. 

Suicide bomber kills three, wounds 27 in central Baghdad: police

Source: REUTERS

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Tuesday morning in central Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 27, a police spokesman said.
The blast happened near a gathering of workers in Tayaran Square, about a kilometer (mile) from a sit-in held by supporters of influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to demand political reforms.

Belgium police still hunting third airport suspect

Source: ALJAZEERA

Belgian authorities have issued a new appeal for information about a man caught on CCTV at Brussels airport with two others who are thought to have blown themselves up in the check-in area last Tuesday.
Belgian Federal Police released on Monday a 32-second video of a mysterious man in a hat seen in the company of the airport suicide bombers, indicating that he could still be at large.
Earlier this week, Belgian media had claimed that a detained man named Faycal Cheffou was the mysterious suspect in the white jacket and dark hat.
Police at the time would not comment on those reports, but charged Cheffou on Saturday with "taking part in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder".
But Cheffou was freed on Monday following a lack of evidence linking him to the carnage, Belgian prosecutors said.

Russia Arming Up in Disputed Kuril Islands

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday decided it will begin deploying new military hardware to the Kuril Islands — a disputed territory that the Soviet Union seized from Japan in the aftermath of World War II. Both Tokyo and Moscow claim sovereignty over the four islands, and Russian fortification there could exacerbate the dispute.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by the Vedomosti newspaper on Monday as saying Russia would deploy top-of-the-line Bal and Bastion coastal defense systems — with ranges of up to 450 kilometers — as well as Russia's new Aeleron-3 drones. The apparent goal is to create an area-denial zone around the Kuril Island chain similar to those recently fielded in Crimea and Syria.

EgyptAir hijack: Most passengers freed at Larnaca airport

Most of the passengers on board a hijacked Egyptian airliner that was forced to divert to Cyprus have been freed, the airline says.

EgyptAir said negotiations had resulted in the release of all those on board Flight MS181 apart from the crew and four foreign passengers.
Video from Larnaca airport has shown people leaving the plane and boarding a bus.
It was taken over after a passenger said he was wearing an explosives belt.
It was carrying 81 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo.

U.S. succeeds in cracking Apple's iPhone, drops legal action

Source REUTERS


The U.S. Justice Department said on Monday it had succeeded in unlocking an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters and dropped its legal case against Apple, ending a high-stakes legal battle but leaving the broader struggle over encryption unresolved.
The abrupt end to a confrontation that had transfixed the tech industry was a victory for Apple, which vehemently opposed a court order obtained by the Justice Department that would have required it to write new software to get into the iPhone.
"From the beginning, we objected to the FBI's demand that Apple build a back door into the iPhone because we believed it was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent," Apple said in a statement late on Monday. "As a result of the government’s dismissal, neither of these occurred. This case should never have been brought."

BRAKING: US Treasury Department Sanctions Supporters of Iran's and Bahan Air

The US Treasury has sanctioned supporters of Iran's Ballistic Missile and Terrorism-Designate Bahan Air.

In a statement on its site the Treasury Department states that 'the actions are taken pursuant to Executive Orders (E.O.) 13224 and 13382 which blocks any property and interest in property under US jurisdiction of the designated entities and individuls'. It went on 'In addition, foreign financial institutions or persons that facilitate significant transaction for or provide material or certain other support to the designated entities or individuals risk exposure to sanctions that could server their access to US financial system or block their property or interest in property under US jurisdiction'.

ABUJA: Shekau (BOKO HARAM Leader) appears in new video, says he is alive

 
Source: TODAY NIGERIA

For the first time in seven moths, the leader of Nigeria’s militant Islamist group Boko Haram has appeared in a new propaganda video rallying his fighters who have been under heavy pressure from regional forces.
In the seven-minute video released today, a subdued Abubakar Shekau appears in a military uniform with a rifle resting on his left shoulder and said he wanted to thank his followers for their dedication.
The group has recently been on the back foot in its violent campaign to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

President Obama Hits the Floor with a Pro

Source: Yahoo News

State dinners can be staid. But not on Wednesday, when US President Barack Obama, on a visit to Argentina, was game for a go at tango -- with a pro, no less.

Looking relaxed practicing a few steps with dancer Mora Godoy, while his wife First Lady Michelle Obama gave it a whirl with dancer Jose Lugones, the Obamas held their own on tango's home turf.

The US president "was telling me he didn't know how to dance (tango)", Godoy said. "I told him 'just follow me'."

Brussels attacks: Names of attackers and victims emerge

Source: ALJAZEERA

Details are emerging about the men who carried out the deadly bomb attacks in the Belgian capital Brussels on Tuesday, and their 31 victims.
Police continued to hunt a fourth suspect on Thursday, whose identity is unknown, but all three men who succeeded in blowing themselves up were named.
Two of the attackers who targeted Brussels Zaventem airport were named as Brahim el-Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui.

ABUJA: After Delays, N’Assembly Passes Record N6tn Budget

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Ndubuisi Francis, Omololu Ogunmade and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

After a three-month delay, the National Assembly wednesday passed the 2016 budget of N6.060 trillion, the first that will be implemented from scratch by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, thus laying to rest the numerous controversies which trailed its presentation by the president last December.

The budget that was passed by the legislature had a reduction of N17 billion from the N6.077 trillion proposed by the executive.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, while presenting the budget report to the Senate, said never in the history of the National Assembly since 1999, has an annual budget witnessed more cuts as was the case with this year’s budget.

Business Under Pressure: Putin Meets With Entrepreneurs, Law Enforcement

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES


When it comes to elections and politics, Russian businessmen usually remain tight-lipped.
Following the announcement made by party leadership that he and other prominent entrepreneurs would join the board of the Right Cause political party, Wimm Bill Dann founder and Petrocas Energy Group co-owner David Yakobashvili, claimed innocence. "I will come and listen, but I am far from politics. I'm not joining," Yakobashvili told The Moscow Times.
Metals tycoon and billionaire Oleg Deripaska has also denied reports that he would join the board of the Right Cause party.
There is a reason for this adamant lack of interest. Russian business has learned two major lessons over the past 15 years: political engagement is more trouble than it's worth and no pro-business political party has been a success.

Somalia Prime Minister Sharmarke backs anti-FGM campaign

Source: BBC

Somalia's prime minister has publicly backed a campaign to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) in his country.

It is currently against the constitution but parliament has not yet passed a bill outlawing the practice.
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has joined more than a million others by signing an online petition calling for a comprehensive ban.
The UN children's agency, Unicef, estimates that more than 90% of Somali girls undergo FGM.

Turkey says Brussels attacker deported in 2015, Belgium ignored warning

Source: REUTERS

One of the attackers in the Brussels suicide bombings was deported last year from Turkey, and Belgium subsequently ignored a warning that the man was a militant, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Erdogan's office identified the man as Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the two brothers named by Belgium as responsible for the attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels on Tuesday and were claimed by the Islamic State group.
In previous cases, officials have said that without evidence of crime, such as having fought in Syria, they cannot jail people deported from Turkey. Among such cases was Brahim Abdeslam, one of the suicide bombers in Paris in November, who was also sent back to Belgium from Turkey early last year.

Savchenko Convicted to 22 Years in Prison: Court Diary

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

DONETSK (Rostov region) - A Russian court has found Ukrainian military pilot Nadezhda Savchenko guilty of abetting in killing two Russian journalists near Luhansk, east Ukraine in 2014. Savchenko was sentenced to 22 years in a penal colony and a 30,000 ruble ($440) fine for illegally crossing Russian border, after a panel of three judges rejected as “inconsistent” all the defence’s arguments, testimony and expert statements. The verdict, delivered following a highly contested trial, is likely to further increase tension between Russia, Ukraine and the West.
Judge Leonid Stepanenko read the verdict all of March 21 and for half of March 22 — the document ran to more than 200 pages.

Attacks on Brussels airport, metro kill 34: public broadcaster

Source: REUTERS

Thirty-four people were killed in attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, according to public broadcaster VRT, triggering security alerts across Europe and bringing some cross-border traffic to a halt.
A witness said he heard shouts in Arabic and shots shortly before two blasts struck a packed airport departure lounge at Brussels airport. The federal prosecutor said one of the explosions was probably triggered by a suicide bomber.
The blasts occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of a suspected participant in November militant attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Belgian police and combat troops on the streets had been on alert for reprisal but the attacks took place in crowded areas where people and bags are not searched.

Nigerian state oil firm 'withheld $25bn over five years'

Source: BBC

Nigeria's state-owned oil company has failed to pay the government $25bn (£17.5bn) over five years, the nation's fiscal commission has said.

It includes $15bn that the nation's auditor general last week said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failed to pay in 2014 alone.
Oil revenue accounts for roughly two-thirds of the government's funding.
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to crack down on corruption since coming to office last May.

Vladimir Putin Starts His Own Ratings Firm

Source: BLOOMBERG

Vladimir Putin’s homegrown credit-ratings firm is up and running and foreign competitors are already feeling the heat.
In the past three weeks, Moody’s Investors Service Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd. have said they plan to stop issuing local ratings rather than agree to having their Moscow branches regulated by the Russian government at the cost of breaking international sanctions. As the New York-based firms scale back, the venture known as ACRA is poised to fill the void when it starts publishing opinions in the second half.

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria: Battle for Rivers Gets Bloodier, Army Major, Soldier Killed

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The battle for the control of Rivers State got bloodier on Thursday when a major in the Nigerian Army and a soldier were slayed in cold bold in the Abonnema creek in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

It was gathered that a troop of soldiers from the 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, which was on patrol, was ambushed by people suspected to be pirates. In the exchange of gunfire, the major and soldier were gunned down, while two other soldiers were said to have sustained serious injuries.

The fatal confrontation was blamed on tomorrow’s rerun elections, in which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is slated to take on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the control of the oil-rich state.

North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea

• PHOTOS

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA


SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be at least one medium-range ballistic missile into the sea on Friday (Mar 18), just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered further nuclear warhead and missile tests, South Korea's defence ministry said.
A ministry spokesman said the missile was launched from Sukchon in the country's southwest at 5.55am (4.55am Singapore time) and flew 800 kilometres into the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan.
He did not confirm the type of missile, but South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited military sources as saying it was a Rodong missile, a scaled-up Scud variant with a maximum range of around 1,300 kilometres.

Syria war: Woman speaks out on 'sadistic' regime jails

Source: ALJAZEERA

A woman who says she was jailed in Syria for seven months has revealed the extent of torture she and her brother – who was killed in prison – suffered at the hands of Bashar al-Assad's government.
From being forced to eat from toilet pots and being interrogated in a room covered in vomit and blood, to being badly beaten for days on end and receiving constant death threats, activist Hanada al-Refai said the treatment meted out to her was inhuman.

I want to be a voice for the victims of this war. The conditions in jail are very sadistic, very criminal Hanada al-Refai

Deploy more patrol ships to turn refugee boats back to Libya, says Cameron

Source: THE GUARDIAN

David Cameron has pressed EU leaders for more international patrol ships to start turning back boats of refugees as soon as they set off on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean from Libya.
At a European summit on Thursday night the prime minister pushed for a tougher deterrent strategy, similar to the controversial Australian approach of turning away boats containing migrants, as he argued it is essential to destroy the people smugglers’ business model.
Tens of thousands of refugees are picked up in the Mediterranean by rescue boats every year and taken to European countries, but thousands have died during the passage, particularly on the route from north Africa to Italy.

Cost of Russia’s Syrian Campaign Revealed as $480 Million

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the military operation in Syria has cost Russia approximately 33 billion rubles ($484 million).
“The military operation in Syria demanded a certain level of spending, and for the most part, was already already included in the Defense Ministry’s 2015 budget for drills and military training,” Putin was quoted as saying by TASS.
The RBC news agency earlier this month estimated the cost of Syrian campaign at 38 billion rubles ($557 million) minimum, but the Kremlin did not confirm the estimate.

Australia, NZ property prices the strongest risers, Asia prices lag, Knight Frank survey finds

Source: CNBC

Housing prices in Australasia rose the most last year, with both Australia and New Zealand seeing climbs exceeding 10 percent, while prices slumped in Singapore and Taiwan, Knight Frank said Friday.
The average 12.4 percent increase in housing prices in Australasia compared with a global average of 3 percent in the 55 housing markets tracked in Knight Frank's Global House Price index. Overall, housing price growth globally accelerated from a 2.3 percent increase in 2014, the report said.
Australia and New Zealand both ranked among the least affordable housing markets in the world when comparing house prices with income, according to the report, which used data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Migrant crisis: EU agrees joint position to put to Turkey

Source: BBC

EU leaders have agreed a joint position to put to Turkey in an attempt to reach a deal over the migrant crisis, Luxembourg's prime minster says.

Xavier Bettel said the common EU position would be put to Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday morning.
The proposed deal would see all migrants travelling to Greece from Turkey sent back.
In return it is thought the EU might offer Turkey financial aid and visa-free access to Schengen countries.

Cameroon sentences 89 Boko Haram fighters to death

Source: BBC

Cameroon has sentenced 89 members of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram to death, local media report.

They were convicted on terror charges by a military court for their roles in several attacks in Cameroon's northern region which borders Nigeria.
Cameroon passed an anti-terror law in 2014 which introduced the death sentence.
This is the first time the death sentenced has been used since that law was passed.

House Speaker Ryan says contested Republican convention more likely

Source: REUTERS


House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday it is increasingly likely that the Republican Party's presidential nominating convention will be a contested one this summer.
If no candidate can assemble 1,237 Republican delegates by July, the party's presidential nominee for the November election will be chosen by convention delegates in Cleveland, Ohio, in what could be four days of political drama, carried live on national television.
Republican front-runner Donald Trump warned on Wednesday of "riots" if he is denied the party's presidential nomination, after he scored big wins in primaries in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina on Tuesday. It is uncertain whether Trump can get the 1,237 convention delegates he needs before July.

BREAKING: ISIS actions in Iraq and Syria 'genocide' - Kerry

Source: RT

 

The United States has determined that the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Thursday.

"In my judgment, Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims," Kerry said, using another term for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

Coke Thinks Designer Milk Could Be a Billion-Dollar Brand

Source: BLOOMBERG BUSINESS

In its quest to slake the world’s thirst, Coca-Cola is intent on making milk a billion-dollar brand. But not just any kind of milk. Coke has joined forces with a dairy cooperative to create Fairlife, which produces a filtered, high-protein, low-sugar, lactose-free designer milk also called Fairlife. It costs about $4 for a 52-ounce bottle—more than organic milk and about double what the conventional stuff sells for. In its first year on shelves, Fairlife reached about $90 million in sales, giving a sizable boost to the specialty milk category, which includes milk with more calcium or no lactose.

ABUJA, Nigeria: FG targets 4,000MW from nuclear energy

Source: THE PUNCH

The Federal Government is working towards generating 4,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear energy.

The plan is to start a programme in the coming years that will give the country 1,000MW in the first instance, which will be increased to 4,000MW thereafter.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, this was disclosed during a meeting that President Muhammadu Buhari had with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Yukiya Amano, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Protests in Brazil after Lula appointed chief of staff

Source: ALJAZEERA

Protests have erupted across Brazilian cities after President Dilma Rousseff appointed her predecessor Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva as chief of staff and a taped conversation fed opposition claims the move was meant to shield the former leader from prosecution.
Tens of thousands of protesters on Wednesday took to the streets of the capital Brasilia and Sao Paulo, the country's financial hub, demanding Rousseff's resignation.

Critics said Lula's appointment as chief of staff could help him avoid possible detention in an expanding corruption investigation that has now touched the top of Brazil's political leadership.
"Brazil cannot continue with them anymore," opposition politician Rubens Bueno said. "They are using their positions to stay in power at all cost."

Asia markets mostly up on Fed, Nikkei falls on stronger yen

Source: CNBC

Asian markets opened higher on Thursday as investors welcomed more clarity on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.

Most Asian markets advanced Thursday as investors cheered new clarity from the Federal Reserve and a rise in oil prices, but Japan shares lost ground as the yen strengthened.
The Fed left rates unchanged at between 0.25 percent and 0.5 percent at its March meeting, but it cut its projection for the number of 2016 rate hikes from four to two, and projected just two hikes in 2017. Uncertainty over how many times the Fed would hike rates this year has weighed on markets since the central bank raised them for the first time in almost nine years in December.

South Africa Gupta row: Mcebisi Jonas 'offered job'

Source: BBC

South Africa's deputy finance minister has confirmed reports alleging that he was offered the position of finance minister by a member of the wealthy and controversial Gupta family.

Mcebisi Jonas says he rejected the offer, calling it "a mockery of our hard-earned democracy".
The opposition has long accused President Jacob Zuma of letting the Guptas wield excessive influence.

As appellate judge, Garland viewed as friend of government regulators

Source: REUTERS

Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland has been sympathetic to government regulators in his almost two decades as an appeals court judge, frequently rejecting business-led challenges to federal action.
His overall record, however, suggests he is a moderate who follows Supreme Court precedent and is not eager to spearhead efforts to adopt novel legal theories.
Garland sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which hears a large proportion of the legal challenges to major federal regulations in areas such as environment and labor.
They are often brought by business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Cases are assigned randomly to three-judge panels. Garland has avoided some of the most contentious cases of recent years, including challenges to government efforts under President Barack Obama to curb carbon emissions and ensure equal access to Internet data via its so called "net neutrality" rule.

First Groups of Russian Warplanes Withdraw From Syria

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that the first groups of Russian aircrafts have been withdrawn from Syria, the TASS news agency reported Tuesday.
The news comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave orders on Monday to withdraw Russia’s main military contingent from Syria beginning on March 15, claiming their objectives have been “carried out in full.”
The first group of planes has flown from Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Syria and are making their way to permanent airbases in Russia, TASS reported.

ABUJA; Nigeria: Inflation Spirals to 11.4% on Higher Food Prices, Imported Goods

Source: THISDAY LIVE

• Nigeria currency peg in focus after Egypt devalues
James Emejo in Abuja
Despite the federal government’s refusal to devalue the naira, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, rose significantly to 11.4 per cent in February compared to 9.6 per cent the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.

It attributed the 1.76 per cent rise in the headline index to the faster pace of increase across almost all major divisions that contribute to the index with the exception of the restaurants and hotels division which also rose, albeit, at a slower pace.

4 radicalised Singaporeans dealt with under Internal Security Act

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

SINGAPORE: Four radicalised Singaporeans have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for engaging in overseas armed conflict, or intending to do so, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Mohammad Razif Yahya, 27, and Amiruddin Sawir, 53, were both detained under the ISA in August 2015 for voluntarily taking up arms and participating in the sectarian conflict in Yemen, the MHA said in its press release on Wednesday (Mar 16).
They started religious studies in an institution in Yemen in January 2010 and July 2013, respectively, and volunteered to take up armed sentry duties at the institution against any incursion by the Houthis, the ministry said.

News sites hit by malicious ad attack: Report

Source: CNBC

Several leading news websites have been affected by malicious adverts which have caused some users to be infected by ransomware, according to the BBC.

The U.K. broadcaster reported that its own website had been targeted. It also reported that sites including MSN, the New York Times, AOL and Newsweek had been effected. MSN and Newsweek were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
A spokesperson for the NYT told CNBC that it was still investigating whether it was affected and said the software was impacting ads from third parties that were beyond their control. AOL declined to comment.

Kerry to Discuss Syria With Putin, Lavrov in Moscow

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in official statements Tuesday that he would travel to Moscow next week to discuss the Syrian crisis with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Kerry is traveling to Moscow “to discuss how we can effectively move the political process forward and try to take advantage of this moment,” he said, the U.S. Department of State reported on its website.
“Today, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the start of this horrific war, we may face the best opportunity that we’ve had in years to end it,” Kerry said.

Syrian Kurds planning to declare federalism

Source: ALJAZEERA

Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria are expected to declare a federal system imminently, a Kurdish official said, as peace negotiations continued to be held in Geneva about how to end the country's five-year war.
The step, which would combine three Kurdish-led autonomous areas of northern Syrian into a federal system, is sure to alarm neighbouring Turkey, which fears growing Kurdish sway in Syria is fuelling separatism among its own Kurdish minority.
Idris Nassan, a Syrian Kurdish official and former leader in the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), said the announcement would mean "widening the framework of self-administration" across northern Syria.

Obama poised to unveil Supreme Court selection

Source: REUTERS

President Barack Obama was poised to announce his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday at the White House, setting the stage for a potentially ferocious political showdown with Senate Republicans who have pledged to bar anyone Obama selects.
Obama said in a statement released by the White House that he will unveil his nominee at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) in the White House Rose Garden. He is likely to announce one of two federal appeals court judges, Sri Srinivasan or Merrick Garland, as his choice, a source familiar with the selection process told Reuters.
The Indian-born Srinivasan, 49, would be the first Asian-American and first Hindu Supreme Court justice. Garland, 63, is a long-time appellate judge and former prosecutor who Obama also considered when he filled two previous Supreme Court vacancies.

BREAKING: Nigeria mosque hit by Maiduguri suicide bombers

Source: BBC

Two female suicide bombers have attacked a mosque in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing 22 worshippers, the army says.

The first bomber struck inside the mosque, while the second blew herself up outside as survivors tried to flee, eye witnesses told the BBC.
Eighteen other people were wounded in the attack, the army added.
Maiduguri is the birthplace of Islamist group Boko Haram's insurgency which has killed 20,000 people since 2009.

Mother Teresa to be made a saint on 4 September, Pope Francis confirms

Source: THE INDEPENDENT

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on 4 September, Pope Francis has said.
Francis made the announcement at a meeting of cardinals to give the final approval to several sainthood causes.

Close Suu Kyi confidant elected Myanmar's president

Source:  ALJAZEERA

tin Kyaw, a close confidant of Myanmar's Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was chosen on Tuesday as the new president, the latest step towards democracy after decades of military rule.
Htin Kyaw, 70, was elected president by parliament as the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party takes power.
Because Suu Kyi was married to a foreign national, she was constitutionally unable to become president, though she has stated she will be in charge of the government.
Until last week, Htin Kyaw was hardly a household name and most people in Myanmar would not have seen him becoming president of the country's first democratically elected government in more than a half-century.

Nigeria to Become Exporter of Refined Fuel

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has said that Nigeria will begin to export refined petrol and other petrochemical products within the next four years if plans to ramp up the country’s domestic refining capacity work out well.

Kachikwu stated this recently in Abuja when he briefed journalists on his plans for the country’s petroleum sector.
He noted that if the plans to co-locate new refinery investments within the country’s existing refinery complexes in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt become successful, and the private refinery owned by the Dangote Group comes on stream, Nigeria will produce more petrol than she needs and then export the excess.

Crude Oil Slips to Below $40 as Iran Dashes Hopes of Output Freeze

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Despite the pledge by Saudi Arabia to cooperate with other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to stabilise the oil market, the price of crude oil fell by almost three per cent yesterday after Iran dashed hopes of a coordinated production freeze in the nearest future.

Saudi Arabia and several fellow OPEC members had agreed with non-OPEC Russia to freeze output at January levels in an attempt to prop up prices.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in Doha, Qatar early this month, also told OPEC and non-OPEC producers that low oil prices were no longer acceptable.

Putin Orders Russian Forces to Withdraw From Syria

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of “the main part” of Russia’s forces in Syria, the TASS news agency reported Monday.
The pullout will begin on Tuesday, Putin told a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to the report.
Putin was cited as saying that the withdrawal was a result of the “completion” of the Defense Ministry’s objectives in the war-torn country.

GE's John Rice says China infrastructure deals trickier

Source: CNBC

Industrial giant General Electric (GE) is committed to weathering China's restructuring, Vice Chairman John Rice told CNBC on Tuesday.
"As that huge market reforms, we should expect more uncertainty ... Does it change the way we think about China or our investments in China or the nature of what we do in China? The fact is that it doesn't," Rice said on the sidelines of the Australian Financial Review Business Summit in Melbourne.

Apple fight could escalate with demand for 'source code'

Source: REUTERS


The latest filing in the legal war between the planet’s most powerful government and its most valuable company gave one indication of how the high-stakes confrontation could escalate even further.
In what observers of the case called a carefully calibrated threat, the U.S. Justice Department last week suggested that it would be willing to demand that Apple turn over the "source code" that underlies its products as well as the so-called "signing key" that validates software as coming from Apple.

French nationals killed in Ivory Coast beach attack

Source: BBC

Four French nationals are among the 18 people who were killed by Islamist militants at a beach resort in Ivory Coast on Sunday, the French President Francois Hollande has said.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said it was behind the gun attack.
Grand Bassam beach is popular with locals and foreigners and people from at least six countries were killed in the attack.
It is the first jihadist attack in Ivory Coast.
A total of 21 people died in the attack, including three gunmen and three security force members, officials said.

Merkel down—but not out—in Germany

Source: CNBC

German Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered one of her largest political setbacks at the weekend after her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party saw sharp losses in regional elections with many conservative voters punishing Merkel for her refugee policy.
Exit polls from broadcaster Deutsche Welle following the Sunday vote showed that the CDU lost ground in the Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt regions where elections were held.
The party came second in two out of the three states having suffered strong losses in Rhineland Palatinate (where the center-left Social Democratic Party won) and Baden-Wurttemberg (where the Green party won) and only retaining its lead in Saxony-Anhalt.

Kachikwu: Nigeria is Targeting 2.4mbpd Oil Output in 2016

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Nigeria is targeting 2.4 million barrels of crude oil per day (mbpd) in output in 2016, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has disclosed. Kachikwu spoke recently in Abuja while outlining his broad strategy for the country’s oil and gas sector for the year.

He said that even though the target of 2.4mbpd was not used as a production benchmark for the 2016 budget, he explained that the production volume would be pursued by his ministry.

The minister however noted that about 200,000bpd of the planned total would be dedicated to domestic refining, while 2.2mbpd would be kept for export.

According to him, the country would have been doing 2.3mbpd, but for the attack that was recorded on one of Shell’s Forcados pipeline recently.

Egyptian minister sacked for pledge to jail Prophet Muhammad

Source: BBC

Egypt's Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zind has been sacked after boasting that he would jail Islam's Prophet Muhammad himself if the prophet broke the law.

Mr Zind made the remark in a televised interview on Friday. He immediately said "God forgive me" and apologised the following day.
He was sacked by the Prime Minister, Sherif Ismail.
It was not immediately clear who would replace Mr Zind, an outspoken critic of the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed al-Zind ... of his position," a government statement said, giving no more details.