Source: REUTERS

A judge, called a "hater" by Donald Trump for his handling of a lawsuit related to the businessman's Trump University real estate school, has unsealed documents related to the case.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election, is fighting a lawsuit that accuses his school venture of misleading thousands of people who paid up to $35,000 for seminars to learn about the billionaire's real estate investment strategies.
In an order signed on Friday, U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel said that materials, including Trump University procedures on dealing with students and the media, should be unsealed.
He noted they had already been published by the media organization Politico and that a magistrate judge described them previously as "routine" and "commonplace."
At a rally in San Diego on Friday, Trump criticized Curiel for his handling of the Trump University case.

Hissene Habre: Chad's ex-ruler convicted of crimes against humanity

Source: BBC

Chad's ex-ruler Hissene Habre has been convicted of crimes against humanity at a landmark trial in Senegal.

The judge convicted him of rape, sexual slavery and ordering killings. He is still reading out the verdict.
It is the first time an African Union-backed court has tried a former ruler for human rights abuses.
The prosecutor at the court in Senegal's capital Dakar has requested a life sentence for Habre, who refuses to recognise its legitimacy.
The ex-president denied accusations that he ordered the killing of 40,000 people during his rule from 1982 to 1990.

Savchenko Ready to Become Ukrainian President

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who was freed this week after two years in a Russian jail, has announced her readiness to become Ukrainian President, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.
“Ukrainians: if you need me to become your president, then I will be president,” said Savchenko at the first press-conference following her release.
Later on in the press-conference, Savchenko said that she was not going to become president yet, Ukrainian news website hromadske.tv reported
Savchenko also said that although she would like to serve again in the Ukrainian Air Force she would work wherever she was needed most.

Putin says Romania, Poland may now be in Russia's cross-hairs

 Source: CNBC

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned Romania and Poland they could find themselves in the sights of Russian rockets because they are hosting elements of a U.S. missile shield that Moscow considers a threat to its security.
Putin issued his starkest warning yet over the missile shield, saying that Moscow had stated repeatedly that it would have to take retaliatory steps but that Washington and its allies had ignored the warnings.

Earlier this month the U.S. military -- which says the shield is needed to protect from Iran, not threaten Russia -- switched on the Romanian part of the shield. Work is going ahead on another part of the shield, in Poland. 

Donkeys ordered to wear nappies in Kenya's Wajir town

Source: BBC

Donkeys have been banned from entering Kenya's north-eastern town of Wajir unless they wear nappies.

Officials say the rule is to protect the town's newly laid tarmac road.
A letter told donkey-cart owners they must manage their animal's faeces "to avoid poop all over the tarmac road creating nuisance".

Trump's San Diego rally draws more than 1,000 chanting protesters

Source: REUTERS

Donald Trump brought his message of walls and deportations to the doorstep of America’s busiest border crossing on Friday as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee greeted supporters in San Diego, amid one of the largest counter-protests organized against him.
The scene inside the San Diego Convention Center during Trump's speech was relatively placid, while outside demonstrators opposed to his controversy-ridden White House bid marched and chanted, carrying signs criticizing his rhetoric against illegal immigration.
Waving U.S. and Mexican flags, more than 1,000 people turned out for anti-trump rallies in San Diego, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border whose San Ysidro port of entry sees nearly 300,000 people a day cross legally between the countries.

NIGERIA: FG Finds Solution to Ravaging ‘Tomato Ebola’

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Friday said the federal government has developed a home-grown solution to the ravaging tomato pest, tuta absoluta, otherwise known as tomato ‘Ebola’

The disease, the minister averred, has ravaged hundreds of hectares of tomato farms resulting in dire scarcity of the farm produce and thereby skyrocketing the prices of tomatoes in the market.

NIGERIA: Again, Militants Bomb Chevron Crude Pipeline in Warri

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Alike Ejiofor in Lagos, Chineme Okafor in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri with agency report

Niger Delta militants again last night bombed Chevron’s crude oil pipeline located at Abiteye in Warri South West Local Government of Delta State, forcing the company to shut in crude oil output from some fields in the western Niger Delta.

Checks on Thursday revealed that the militants, who arrived the spot about 10 pm in two boats, bombed the crude oil pipeline, the company’s major trunk used to convey oil for export.
Army and Navy personnel deployed in the area, according to sources, put up no resistance to the attack.

Top EU Politicians Say Russia Sanctions Will Likely Be Extended

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that it is “too early” to discuss lifting the European Union's sanctions on Russia, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday.
Her statement is one of several made by high-ranking officials and politicians indicating that sanctions introduced as a result of Russia's role in the Ukrainian conflict are unlikely to be lifted in the near future.
Merkel made the statement at the G7 summit in Japan, a meeting that Russia is currently excluded from attending.
Head of the European Council Donald Tusk also used the high-level talks as a platform to discuss the measures, saying before the event that he was “quite sure” sanctions would be extended.
"I want to state clearly that our stance vis-a-vis Russia, including economic sanctions, will remain unchanged as long as the Minsk agreements are not fully implemented," Tusk said.
Earlier in the week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that she believed that sanctions against Russia would be extended.

G-7 leaders say Brexit poses ‘serious risk’ to global growth

Source: CNBC

G-7 leaders warned on Friday that a British vote to leave the EU next month would seriously threaten the world economy, as they promised "more forceful" policies to boost global growth but papered over differences about fiscal stimulus.
"There are potential shocks of a non-economic origin," the leaders said in a declaration issued during their summit in Ise-Shima, central Japan. "A U.K. exit from the EU would reverse the trend towards greater global trade and investment, and the jobs they create, and is a further serious risk to growth."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came into the summit determined to win support for stimulus. He failed to move Britain or Germany but has raised a G-7 alarm about weak global demand.
The summit is unlikely to change economic policy except in Japan, where Mr Abe is set to use it as reason to postpone a rise in consumption tax from 8 per cent to 10 per cent scheduled for next spring.

Uganda al-Shabab World Cup bomb mastermind found guilty

Source: BBC

The mastermind of the 2010 bomb attacks in Uganda's capital, Kampala, which killed 74 people, has been found guilty of terrorism.

Ugandan Isa Ahmed Luyima was one of seven to be convicted on this charge.
The Somalia-based Islamist militant group al-Shabab said it was behind the bombings, which happened during a screening of the World Cup final.
This is thought to be the first major conviction of al-Shabab suspects outside Somalia.

Thirteen men were standing trial on charges relating to the attack on two sites, a rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant.

Trump vows to undo Obama's climate agenda in appeal to oil sector

Source: REUTERS


Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, promised on Thursday to roll back some of America's most ambitious environmental policies, actions that he said would revive the ailing U.S. oil and coal industries and bolster national security.
Among the proposals, Trump said he would pull the United States out of the U.N. global climate accord, approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada and rescind measures by President Barack Obama to cut U.S. emissions and protect waterways from industrial pollution.
"Any regulation that's outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers or contrary to the national interest will be scrapped and scrapped completely," Trump told about 7,700 people at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, the capital of oil-rich North Dakota. "We're going to do all this while taking proper regard for rational environmental concerns."

Greece and Russia to Sign New Oil Supply Deal

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

State energy company Rosneft is to sign a new deal supplying Greece with oil, the RBC news outlet reported Thursday.
The contract between Rosneft and the Greek Hellenic Petroleum company will be signed on Friday to coincide with President Vladimir Putin's visit to Athens, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.
Ushakov did not reveal how much the deal was worth.
Energy Minister Alexander Novak announced in July 2015 that Russia was ready to “support Greece's economic recovery through increased cooperation in the energy sector,” and was looking into ways of directly supplying the country with raw materials, the Vedomosti newspaper reported.

BREAKING: Migrant crisis: Dozens feared dead in shipwreck off Libya

Source: BBC

Up to 30 migrants are feared dead after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast while some 50 were rescued by EU vessels from the sea.

Ships from an EU task force and Italy's coast guard raced to the scene 35 nautical miles (65km) off the coast as survivors clung to the hull or swam.
The alert had been raised by a Luxembourg reconnaissance plane which saw the capsized boat.
The Italian navy rescued 562 migrants from a capsized boat on Wednesday.

Chelsea's bizarre reason to delay Mourinho's Man Utd appointment

Source: GOAL.COM

ose Mourinho's appointment as Manchester United manager is being held up as Chelsea still own the rights to his name, according to The Independent.

The Portuguese has agreed personal terms with United but, as detailed by the European Union's Intellectual Property Office database, 'Jose Mourinho' is a trademark registered of Chelsea.

Mourinho's signature was also registered by the club but expired in January 2016, although the ownership of the manager's name will not expire until March 31, 2025.

Spectacular Tornado sweeps through Kansas

Source: THE TELEGRAPH

Several tornadoes swept through the Dodge City area on May 24, as part of a storm system that hit western Kansas. Structures were reportedly flattened and vehicles overturned, due to the severe weather.

ABUJA, Nigeria: Senate Asks FG to Recover N42bn Waivers Granted Dangote, Bua, Others

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The Senate on Tuesday asked the federal government to recover N42 billion grants as import duty waivers to six companies including Dangote Limited and BUA Sugar Refinery between 2013 and 2015.

The upper chamber also asked the federal government to compel Olam International Limited, Popular Foods, a subsidiary of Stallion Group, and Milan Group to pay the import duty demand notice of N24 billion served on them by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for exceeding the quota granted to them on rice importation during the period.

HSI, Nikkei lead gains as most Asian markets advance

 Source: CNBC

Asia markets mostly closed higher on Wednesday, with Hong Kong leading gains and several major indexes advancing more than 1 percent each.
Japan's Nikkei 225 closed up 258.59 points, or 1.57 percent, at 16,757.35, with shares receiving an additional boost from a relatively weaker yen against the dollar. Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi advanced 22.83 points, or 1.18 percent, 1,960.51. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was higher by 2.47 percent.

Down Under, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed up 76.92 points, or 1.45 percent, at 5,372.50, led by gains in the heavily-weighted financials subindex, as well as the energy and materials sub-indexes.
Chinese mainland markets gave up morning gains, with the Shanghai composite and the Shenzhen composite trading nearly flat.

Trump, aiming to offset money disadvantage, escalates Clinton attacks

Source: REUTERS

Donald Trump this week took his use of sordid accusations against Democrat Hillary Clinton to levels unprecedented in modern U.S. presidential campaigns, in the latest example of the Republican's unorthodox playbook.
The presumptive Republican nominee is working to gain stronger footing and offset a big advantage Clinton is likely to have ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election - a huge campaign war chest that she and her allies intend to use to launch a barrage of attacks against him.
Trump is using the same strategy he used repeatedly during the Republican nomination fight against rivals like Ted Cruz - making incendiary statements that U.S. television networks can't resist covering, giving him hours of free media and putting his opponents on the defensive.

Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour

Source: BBC

The Afghan Taliban have announced a new leader to replace Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a US drone strike.

In a statement, the Taliban acknowledged Mansour's death for the first time and named his successor as Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Little is known of the direction he will take the militants but analysts say he is an uncontroversial choice.
Last year the Taliban were plunged into turmoil when Mansour replaced the group's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.
Mansour was killed in a strike on his car in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday. The US and Afghan governments said he was an obstacle to the thorny peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan authorities. Indeed under his stewardship militant attacks escalated and became more daring.

Nigeria's Kaduna state declares 'tomato emergency'

 

Source: BBC

A state of emergency has been declared in the tomato sector in Kaduna state, northern Nigeria, local media report.

A moth called the Tomato Leaf Miner, or Tuta Absoluta, has ravaged 80% of tomato farms, Commissioner of Agriculture Daniel Manzo Maigar said.
He said 200 farmers together lost at least 1bn naira ($5.1m; £3.5m) over the past month.
The price of a basket of tomatoes has increased from $1.20 less than three months ago to more than $40 today.

Jonathan Calls THISDAY from Cote d‘Ivoire, Says I’m Not in Exile

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disputed THISDAY’s monday report that he had opted to go on exile in Cote d’Ivoire, confirming, however, that he was indeed in the West African country, but was not in exile.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY on the phone monday, the former president confirmed that he had been out of the country for over a month, revealing that he travelled to some cities in the United States of America, then departed the country for London before arriving Cote d’Ivoire via Paris.

IMF calls for 'unconditional' debt relief for Greece

Source: CNBC

The International Monetary Fund is calling on European creditor nations to commit to "upfront unconditional" debt relief for Greece as part of an international rescue program for the debt-laden nation.
The IMF is involved in talks on making Greece's debt sustainable to approve the country's latest reforms and make new loans available.

In an analysis released Monday, the Washington-based lender says that debt relief is "critical" to show markets that Greece's creditors are committed to helping it navigate the crisis.
The statement comes a day ahead of a meeting among Europe's top officials in Brusse

ls to discuss the issue.

Syria civil war: Russia calls for 'regime of calm'

Source: AL JAZEERA

Russia has called for a temporary truce to begin in two towns in the Damascus countryside after multiple attacks in northwestern Syria killed at least 150 people.
The Russian defence ministry wants the truce in the towns of Daraya and Eastern Ghouta to begin on Tuesday and last for 72 hours.
Monday's announcement came as the United States continued to urged Russia to pressure President Bashar al-Assad's government to stop bombing opposition forces and civilians in Damascus and Aleppo.
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, by phone and urged him to press the Syrian government to halt its attacks on Aleppo in the north and Daraya near Damascus.

Pay Rises Continue Amid Crisis at Russia's Top Companies

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Two-thirds of executives at Russia's largest companies saw pay rises in 2015 despite the country's economic crisis, the RBC news website reported Monday.
RBC analyzed the pay checks of top managers and board directors at 15 of the biggest Russian companies on the MICEX Stock Exchange, including Gazprom, Sberbank, and communications company MTS.
Out of the 15 companies, ten boosted the pay of top staff in 2015, RBC reported. As a whole, key staff earned a combined 63.8 billion rubles ($951 million) in 2015, a ten percent increase from 2014, when they earned 58.1 billion rubles ($865 million). It also made a 13 percent rise on 2013, when managers claimed 56.5 billion rubles ($841 million).

EgyptAir: Crashed flight MS804 'did not swerve'

Source: BBC

An EgyptAir flight that crashed in the Mediterranean did not swerve and change direction before disappearing, an Egyptian official says.

The Airbus A320 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people aboard when it vanished from radar early on Thursday.
Greece's defence minister said the plane turned 90 degrees left and then did a 360-degree turn towards the right before plummeting.
But a senior Egyptian aviation official said there was no unusual movement.
Ehab Azmy, the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services, told the Associated Press that the plane had been flying at its normal height of 37,000ft (11,280m) before dropping off the radar. Some debris has since been found.
"That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar," he said.
The reason for the discrepancy between the Greek and Egyptian accounts of the plane crash is not clear.

Bangladesh Bank heist trail goes cold in Manila as probes falter

Source: REUTERS


More than three months have passed since $81 million was stolen in a brazen cyber-heist from Bangladesh's central bank and sent to Manila – yet authorities in the Philippines appear no closer to nabbing those who laundered most of the money through a bank and casinos here.
Nobody has been arrested, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) - the nation’s equivalent of the FBI - has not been allowed to get fully involved in the probe, and a Philippines Senate investigation petered out last week.
Several official and private investigators said they had hoped to make headway by following the money trail in the Philippines, but they told Reuters it has gone cold. They said the perpetrators probably knew the Philippines well and likely chose it because of the weakness of its money laundering laws.

EgyptAir: Submarine searches for missing flight data recorders

Source: REUTERS

Egypt has deployed a robot submarine to search for the flight data recorders of the missing EgyptAir plane.

"We are moving hard to retrieve the two boxes," President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said in his first public comments on the crash.
The Airbus A320 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people aboard when it vanished from radar early on Thursday.
Mr Sisi said there was "no particular theory we can affirm right now" for what caused flight MS804 to crash.
Investigators say smoke was detected in various parts of the cabin three minutes before it disappeared.

$10 Billion Illegally Transferred Offshore From Russia in 2015

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

More than 700 billion rubles ($10.5 billion) was transferred illegally from Russia into offshore accounts in 2015, the Russian Interior Ministry announced Friday, the TASS news agency reported.
Head of the Department for Economic Security, Andrei Kurnosenko, said that ten banks and 20 offshore companies had been involved in the transfers.
“We identified almost 23,000 crimes linked to the transfer of money abroad. In total, more than 700 billion rubles were illegally moved first to Moldova and then to offshore accounts,” he told the TASS news agency Friday.

Obama to lift arms embargo on Vietnam

Source: BBC

President Barack Obama has announced the US is fully lifting its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its one-time enemy.

Mr Obama was speaking during a visit to Vietnam after meeting the communist country's leaders.
The trip comes amid warming ties between the countries as the US seeks to build relations with Pacific allies.
Vietnam had been arguing for the lifting of the arms embargo, which has been in place for decades.

Trump rallies gun owners with fiery anti-Clinton speech

Source: REUTERS

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assured gun owners on Friday he would protect their constitutional right to bear arms and eliminate gun-free zones if elected, accusing Democrat Hillary Clinton of wanting to weaken gun rights.
Trump, who will almost certainly be the Republican presidential nominee, picked up the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, a politically powerful lobbying group which claims more than 4 million members.
Trump's remarks at the NRA's national convention in Louisville, Kentucky, were not a surprise, but they could solidify his status among conservatives who see protecting the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment as a top priority.

Zika virus strain 'imported from the Americas' to Africa

Source: BBC

The WHO said it was concerned that the latest strain was spreading and was "on the doorstep of Africa".
It is currently circulating in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the north west coast of Africa.
Zika has been linked to neurological disorders including babies being born with small brains.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: "This information will help African countries to re-evaluate their level of risk and adapt and increase their levels of preparedness."

Nigeria’s GDP Falls to Historic Low, Heads Towards Recession

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate declined to -0.36 per cent in the first quarter of this year (Q1 2016) compared to 2.11 per cent in Q4 of 2015, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated yesterday.
This negative GDP growth apparently confirms an earlier statement by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that the federal government was broke and taking painful decisions/tough adjustments.

He said the decision to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)from N86.50 to N145 per litre was one of those decisions to free funds for government’s other financial obligations. By this negative growth rate, the country appears to be on a recessionary mode as it requires one more negative growth rate in the next quarter to enter into recession.

Chibok girls: Second schoolgirl rescued - Nigerian army

Source: BBC

A second schoolgirl from the more than 200 seized in the Nigerian town of Chibok has been found, the army says.

Spokesman Col Sani Usman said Serah Luka was among 97 women and children rescued by troops in operations in the north-eastern Borno State.
This comes two days after the rescue of the first Chibok girl, Amina Ali Nkeki.
In all, 217 girls remain missing after their abduction by the Boko Haram Islamist group from a secondary school in north-eastern Nigeria in 2014.

In a statement on Thursday, Col Usman said: "We are glad to state that among those rescued is a girl believed to be one of the Chibok Government (Girls) Secondary School girls that were abducted on 14 April 2014 by the Boko Haram terrorists."

Belgium to launch air strikes against Isis as it joins Syria coalition

Belgium will join the international coalition and begin launching air strikes against Isis in Syria, the government has announced.

German economy more than doubles growth pace in first quarter

 Source: CNBC

Germany more than doubled its economic growth rate in the first quarter of 2016 as higher state and household spending, as well as rising investment on construction and capital goods offset a drag from foreign trade, preliminary data showed on Friday.
The economy grew by 0.7 percent on the quarter between January and March after it expanded by 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2015, the Federal Statistics Office said.

Militants Give Oil Firms Two Weeks to Shut Operations, Evacuate Staff

Source: THISDAY LIVE

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the new face of violent agitation in the oil-rich Niger Delta, yesterday issued a two-week ultimatum to owners and operators of oil concessions in the region to shut down their businesses and evacuate all their staff or face a “bloody attack”

The group had recently claimed responsibility for the destruction of Chevron and Shell’s oil facilities in the western Niger Delta, resulting in the shut-in of several thousands of barrel of crude oil, disruption of crude supply to the Kaduna and Warri refineries, disruption of gas supply, and the attendant drop in power generation nationwide.

A statement by the group’s spokesperson, ‘Col Mudock Agbinibo’, warned Chevron not to embark on the repair of the valve blown up last week, or several casualties would be recorded during any confrontation.

U.S. foreign policy veteran warns Trump would make world less stable

Source: REUTERS

Donald Trump's foreign policy proposals would make the world a less stable place, former Secretary of State James Baker told a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday as the Republican presidential candidate met elsewhere with party congressional leaders.
Under questioning from Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a former Trump rival in the presidential race, Baker said the world "would be far less stable" with a weaker NATO or if more countries had nuclear weapons as Trump has proposed.
"We've a got a lot of problems today, but we'd have a hell of a lot more if that were the case," Baker told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, adding that U.S. commitments around the world "promote U.S. security."
Trump met with Baker on Thursday at Trump's request, said a Baker spokesman, who declined further comment.

South Africa gold miners to sue over lung disease

Source: BBC

Former gold miners in South Africa can go ahead with a class action against mining companies over health damage allegedly caused by their work, a court in Johannesburg has ruled.

The high court decision paves the way for what would become the largest class action in South African history.
The ex-miners say they contracted silicosis, an incurable lung disease, from years of working in the mines.
The court said that a class action was "the only realistic option".

Cameron Makes U-turn, Praises Nigeria’s Fight Against Corruption

Source: THISDAY LIVE

British Prime Minister David Cameron wednesday attempted to reverse his unguarded remark about Nigeria and Afghanistan, two countries which on Tuesday, he, described as “fantastically corrupt”, when he was briefing Queen Elizabeth II on the ongoing anti-corruption summit being hosted by the United Kingdom.

While briefing Members of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons wednesday, the British PM said Nigeria and Afghanistan had taken “remarkable steps forward” on corruption, reported the BBC.
The PM said the countries’ leaders were “battling hard” to tackle the problem.

Brazil Senate to vote on Dilma Rousseff's impeachment

Source: AL JAZEERA

Brazil's senators are debating whether to put President Dilma Rousseff on trial over allegations that she illegally manipulated the budget to hide a growing fiscal deficit.
The debate, which continued into the early hours of Thursday, will be followed by a vote that could suspend Rousseff, the first woman to become Brazilian president, for the duration of the investigation, which would be 180 days.
After 18 hours of debate, in which each senator were given the opportunity to give a 15-minute speech, a majority had said Rousseff should face an impeachment trial.
Al Jazeera's Latin America Editor Lucia Newman, reporting from Brasilia, said Rousseff was expected to lose by an overwhelming majority.

Muslim ban proposal temporary, just a suggestion: Donald Trump

Source: TIMES OF INDIA

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump, who courted global controversy with remarks on "temporarily" banning Muslims from entering the US, appeared to be slightly softening his hardline stance saying the proposal was "just a suggestion" until the issue is worked out.

"We have a serious problem, it's a temporary ban, it hasn't been called for yet, nobody's done it, this is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on," Republican presumptive presidential nominee Trump told Fox Radio.

Russia Convenes Presidential Council to Boost Economy

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Stuck in a second year of recession and facing a long period of economic stagnation, Russian officials are searching hard for ways to stimulate growth.
On May 25, a presidential economic council will convene for the first time in three years. According to presidential aide Andrei Belousov, it aims to achieve stable 4 percent annual growth before the end of the decade.
If that target is missed, Belousov warned, Russia's tax base will stagnate and its infrastructure will degrade. Moreover, he told the Vedomosti newspaper, "without new investment, social infrastructure will degenerate and social dissatisfaction will grow."

Gold demand is off to its fastest start ever in 2016

Source: CNBC

Amid a world of negative interest rates and slow growth, investors have stepped up demand for gold in record-breaking fashion.
Gold demand surged 21 percent in the first quarter of 2016, which is the fastest pace on record, according to a World Gold Council report released Thursday, which said the rise came even as central bank buying dipped and demand for jewelry slowed as well.
Even though inflation — considered a cornerstone to gold's popularity — remained in check throughout much of the developed world, global uncertainty fueled investor desire for the yellow metal. The price of gold is up more than 20 percent year to date and rose nearly 16 percent in the first quarter alone. It was the strongest price performance in nearly three decades.
Council officials attributed the rise to three principal factors: negative interest rates instituted by central banks in Japan and Europe (and talk that the Fed also was discussing negative rates); Chinese currency devaluation; and the likelihood that the the trajectory of interest rate hikes in the U.S. will be slower than initially expected.

U.S. to activate $800 million missile defense site in Romania

Source: REUTERS


The United States will switch on a $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday, part of an umbrella from Greenland to the Azores against Iranian rockets that Russia aims to knock out its nuclear weapons.
At the remote Deveselu air base in Romania, senior U.S. and NATO officials will declare operational the ballistic missile defense site capable of shooting down rockets from so-called rogue states that Washington says could one day reach major European cities.
"Iran continues to develop, test and deploy a full range of ballistic missile capabilities and those capabilities are increasing in range and accuracy," said Frank Rose, deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for arms control.

Nigeria petrol prices to rise in bid to ease shortages

Source: BBC

Nigeria has decided to allow petrol prices to rise by two-thirds, in a bid to ease crippling fuel shortages.

Petroleum Minister Ibe Kachikwu said a litre of petrol would now cost a maximum of 145 naira ($0.73; £0.50), up from about 86.5 naira.
As retailers get more money, the government aims to further cut back on costly subsidies.
Fuel shortages have seen Nigerians paying up to 250 naira a litre on the black market.
Despite being one of Africa's largest oil producers, Nigeria has to import fuel to meet demand.
Nigerian refineries are dilapidated and work at a fraction of their capacity.

Buhari Dismisses Cameron’s Remark Describing Nigeria as ‘Fantastically

Source: THISDAY LIVE

President Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed the remark made by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who in a conversation with Queen Elizabeth II described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “fantastically corrupt

Buhari, who departed for the United Kingdom yesterday to attend a global summit on anti-corruption, said the British PM’s unguarded remark was not reflective of his administration’s fight against corruption.

A statement by the president’s media aide, Mr. Garba Shehu, said: “It is certainly not reflective of the good work that the president is doing. The eyes of the world are on what is happening here.

“The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria. Things are changing with corruption and everything else.

‘Killer herdsmen not Nigerians, government to set up ranches’

Source: THISDAYLIVE

No! The herdsmen inflicting violence on their host communities in the country are not Nigerians, let alone being the usual Fulani known for cattle rearing and roving grazing in Nigeria. This was the position of the Federal Government yesterday.
The government also announced plans to establish cattle ranches ‎across the country as part of the solution to the perennial clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, who spoke at a public hearing convened by the Senate as part of its investigation into the clashes, said that government believed that those attacking villages and killing people were still elements of the Boko Haram insurgents.
In the heat of arguments that ensued during the public hearing, the Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee, Abdullahi Adamu, had to shout down some stakeholders who spoke against the creation of ‎grazing reserve routes.

Clinton loses to Sanders in coal state of West Virginia

Source: REUTERS

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in West Virginia's primary, winning over voters deeply skeptical about the economy and signaling the difficulty Clinton may have in industrial states in the general election.
The loss slows Clinton's march to the nomination, but she is still heavily favored to become the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 8 election.
In a November match-up with Donald Trump, Clinton will need to win over working-class voters in the U.S. Rust Belt, which includes key states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Trump, 69, won contests in West Virginia and Nebraska handily on Tuesday. The presumptive Republican nominee is set to meet with party leaders in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, including U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan.

Suspected Terrorist Recruiter Detained in Moscow

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

An alleged recruiter for radical Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami has been detained in Moscow, the RBC news website reported Tuesday.
The Russian national was involved in recruiting new members into the banned armed groups operating in Syria and Iraq, said spokesperson for the Interior Ministry Irina Volk.
The man, who features on the federal wanted list, has been handed to law enforcement agencies in Russia's Tatarstan.
Some 97 suspected Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami members were detained in Moscow in October last year, including the head of the local cell, RBC reported. A further 17 alleged members were detained in Tatarstan in March last year during raids carried out by the police and security services.

Nigeria Giwa barracks 'a place of death' says Amnesty

Source: BBC

Amnesty International says at least 149 detainees have died "in horrendous conditions" at a military detention centre in north-east Nigeria this year.

In a report, Amnesty says 11 of those who died at the Giwa barracks were young children, including four babies.
It called the centre "a place of death" and said it should be closed.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in Abuja says it is the latest in a series of damning reports on the Nigerian military's treatment of suspects.
The army has not commented on the latest report but has previously said it has set up a human rights department to check claims of abuse.

Russia Parades New Weapons in Syria on Victory Day

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

A smaller version of Moscow's massive Victory Day parade, held on Red Square, took place on Russia's Khmeimim air base in Latakia, Syria, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Monday.

The parades were held to mark the 71st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian servicemen carried a Russian flag and World War II victory banner through the air field at Khmeimim and performed the country's national anthem. Military vehicles and hardware, including Russia's advanced S-400 "Triumph" anti-aircraft missile system, were on display.

Several military transport and fighter helicopters flew over the airfield and were followed by six Russian fighter and bomber jets, including the Su-35, Su-30 and Su-34, the planes taking part in Russia's military operation in Syria, RIA Novosti reported.

Pakistan ex-PM's kidnapped son rescued in Afghanistan

Source: BBC

The kidnapped son of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has been rescued in Afghanistan in a joint Afghan-US special forces operation.

Pakistani officials said he would be transferred to Pakistan after undergoing medical checks.
Ali Haider Gilani was kidnapped three years ago in Multan as he was campaigning in elections for the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP).
The Taliban were long believed to be behind the kidnapping.

U.S. government and North Carolina escalate legal fight over transgender law

Source:  REUTERS

A fight between the Obama administration and North Carolina over a state law limiting public bathroom access for transgender people escalated on Monday as both sides sued each other, trading accusations of civil rights violations and government overreach.
The U.S. Justice Department's complaint asked a federal district court in North Carolina to declare that the state is violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act and order it to stop enforcing the ban.
Hours earlier, North Carolina's Republican governor, Pat McCrory, and the state's secretary of public safety sued the agency in a different federal court in North Carolina, accusing it of "baseless and blatant overreach."
The so-called bathroom law, passed in March and known as HB 2, prohibits people from using public restrooms not corresponding to their biological sex.

Kim hails North Korea's nuclear prowess at rare party congress

• Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Journalists watch a television broadcast showing a speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the 7th Workers Party Congress, in the media room of the Yanggakdo hotel in Pyongyang on May 6, 2016. (Photo: AFP/Ed Jones)

PYONGYANG: Kim Jong-un on Friday (May 6) opened North Korea's first ruling party congress for nearly 40 years with a defiant defence of the "magnificent" strides made in the country's nuclear weapons programme.
Hailing the historic test of what North Korea claims was a hydrogen bomb in January, the isolated state's young leader said it had shown the world it would not be cowed by sanctions or outside pressure.
Dressed in a western style suit and tie, Kim's speech was delivered to thousands of party delegates who had gathered in Pyongyang for the once-in-a-generation conclave.
In particular, he praised the country's scientists for "creating milestone miracles with the magnificent and exhilarating sound of the first H-bomb of our republic".

Boko Haram: Bindow Govt insensitive to Security Issues, Says Gulak

Source: THISDAY LIVE

A former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on political matters and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Barrister Ahmed Gulak, has said that the current government of Senator Umar Jibrilla Bindow in Adamawa state is not serious about security issues.
He was reacting to the security situation in Michika town of Adamawa state where, before the onslaught of Boko Haram insurgents, the weekly market day used to be one day for all but it  has now been divided into two days due to distrust and suspicion among returnees of the town.

Ex-Union minister Shourie says Modi treats people like 'paper napkins'

Source: TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: In a strong attack, former Union minister Arun Shourie on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of "narcissism" and of running a one-man "presidential government", the direction of which was "dangerous" for India.

Shourie, a Cabinet minister in the Vajpayee government who has drifted away from BJP in recent years, called the Modi government "a presidential government without checks and balances" and said that the direction of the government under his supervision "is not good for India".

Syria civil war: Aleppo ceasefire extended

Source: AL JAZEERA

The US State Department has confirmed an extension of the ceasefire in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.
Russia late on Friday announced the extension of the truce in Aleppo for 72 hours starting at midnight on Saturday.
State department spokesman John Kirby said that "the cessation of hostilities has reduced violence in Aleppo, and the United States is committed to keeping it in place as long as possible".
"While we welcome this recent extension, our goal is to get to a point where we no longer have to count the hours and that the cessation of hostilities is fully respected across Syria," Kirby said.
The renewed truce extends a 48-hour ceasefire that came into effect on Wednesday at midnight Damascus time and was due to expire at midnight on Saturday.

Labour's Khan elected mayor of London

Source: CNBC

Labour lawmaker Sadiq Khan was elected mayor of London on Friday, beating the ruling Conservatives' candidate Zac Goldsmith to the coveted position, Sky News reported.
The official result was due to be announced shortly and Sky based the report on its own calculations.
The position of London mayor provides an influential platform to lobby the government in the interests of London's 8.6 million residents.

Kenya building collapse: Demolition of unfit houses starts

Source: BBC

Authorities in Kenya's capital Nairobi have begun demolishing homes in an area where the collapse of a building killed at least 42 people last week.

Eight buildings deemed unfit to live in were the first to be destroyed in the district of Huruma. More than 200 are to follow.
Officials say many of the houses are substandard or built on unsafe grounds.
A recue operation continues at the collapsed building, which had been declared unfit for human habitation.
At least 70 people are still missing, while 140 have been rescued.

Obama tells Trump: 'This is not a reality show'

Source: REUTERS


U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Friday that occupying the Oval Office "is not a reality show," in a swipe at outspoken Republican candidate Donald Trump who is vying to replace him in the White House.
Fighting with Obama is a battle Trump would likely relish as he tries to rally support within his own party. During hard-fought Republican primary campaigns, the billionaire delighted in responding to attacks from rivals and found that his support grew when he lashed out at his opponents.
Asked about Trump at a media briefing in the White House, Obama called on the press and public to weigh past statements by the Republican but did not point to any specific issues or remarks.
"This is not entertainment," Obama said, a reference to Trump's television background. "This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States," he said.

Niger Delta Avengers Blow Up Oil Pipelines To Kaduna, Warri Refineries‎, Dare Military

Source: SAHARA REPORTERS

A newly formed Nigerian Niger Delta militia group, the "Niger Delta Avengers," has carried out its threats to wreak havoc country's economy by blowing up oil and gas pipelines. 

The latest attacks on pipelines occurred 24 hours after a major destruction was carried out on Chevron's platform at Escravos.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, the group  claimed responsibility for blowing up "crude line feeds that links Warri and Kaduna refineries respectively". It also claimed to have damaged  the gas line that feeds the Lagos and Abuja electricity power supply. "With this development, the Warri and Kaduna refineries will be shut down and all cities that depend on the gas line for power will all be in total darkness like the creeks of the Niger Delta," the group said.

BREAKING: At last, Buhari signs 2016 budget

Source: PUNCH NIGERIA

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law ending weeks of face-off between the National Assembly and the Executive.
The budget was signed at a brief ceremony held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Those who witnessed the event included Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun; and chairmen of the Appropriation Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly.

Ukraine Expresses Readiness to Invest $1bn in Ajaokuta Steel Plant, Nigeria

Source: THISDAYLIVE

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Valeriy Aleksandruk, has revealed his country’s readiness to invest $1 billion towards the resuscitation of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company.

Speaking in Abuja during a courtesy call on the acting Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Akporaire, the envoy added that the Ukrainian company that built the plant, Tiajpromexport (TPE), had already made a proposal to the federal government on its willingness to revive the plant.

Dozens killed in air strike on refugee camp near Idlib

Source: ALJAZEERA

An air strike on a camp for internally displaced Syrians near the country's border with Turkey has killed at least 30 people, activists said.
The attack on the camp in Idlib province on Thursday also left dozens of others injured, with a number of those killed children, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian regime accused of targeting civilians

The Observatory said the dead included women and children and the death toll from the air strikes was likely to rise.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said activists were split on whether Russian or Syrian planes were behind the attack.

Last Chance for Poroshenko

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

This month marks the two-year anniversary of Petro Poroshenko being elected president of Ukraine.
The elevation of the chocolate magnate to the top chair came following tragic events at Maidan, the flight of former President Viktor Yanukovych and the annexation of parts of Ukrainian territory by Russia. Poroshenko was eventually elected president in one round, but this was only made possible after a clever media campaign and deals with leading politicians and oligarchic clans.
The results of such deals continue to undermine Poroshenko's presidency. The oligarchs are as strong as ever, parliament remains riddled with corruption, and the president still can't decide who he is: statesman or businessman.
All the while, Poroshenko's task has been weighed down by peace negotiations for eastern Ukraine. The Minsk agreements, which contain his signature, have become a black mark in Ukrainian politics. Indeed, the very first stage of their implementation — the adoption of amendments to the constitution — was marked by live grenades, bloodshed and the death of four national guardsmen on the square in front of parliament.

Sadiq Khan looks set to be London Mayor as well as Labour's lone bright spot in local elections

Source: CNBC

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan looked set on Thursday to become the first Muslim elected mayor of London, loosening the ruling Conservatives' hold on Britain's financial center after a campaign marred by charges of anti-Semitism and extremism.
His expected victory may be a lone bright spot for Britain's main opposition party in local elections in England, Scotland and Wales. Opinion polls and voters suggested Labour would lose seats in some traditional strongholds, testing the authority of its new left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Britons trickled in to voting stations to cast their ballots in elections that some campaigners fear could fail to attract many voters, as the contests have been overshadowed by next month's referendum on whether Britain should leave the European Union.
The fight to run London - the top prize in the local elections - has pitted Labour's Khan, 45, the son of an immigrant bus driver, against Conservative Zac Goldsmith, 41, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier.

Nairobi survivors freed from Nairobi rubble six days after collapse

Source: BBC

Four people have been rescued from the ruins of a residential building in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, six days after it collapsed in heavy rains.

The first person to be pulled from the rubble was a young woman who was eight months pregnant.
Several hours later, three other people were brought out and taken to hospital.
Thirty-six people have been confirmed dead following the collapse of the six-storey residence last Friday and more than 70 people are still missing.
The crowd clapped and cheered as 24-year-old Elizabeth Night Odhiambo was rescued, in scenes broadcast live on Kenyan TV.
Rescuers had smashed through slabs of concrete to reach her. They managed to provide her with oxygen and an intravenous drip of water and glucose.
Ms Odhiambo was rushed to hospital and underwent an emergency Caesarean section but doctors said her baby had already died in the womb.

Republican House Speaker Ryan not ready to support Trump

Source: REUTERS

The top elected Republican, Paul Ryan, said on Thursday he was not ready to endorse Donald Trump, a sign of the challenges the party's presumptive presidential nominee faces rallying the Republican establishment behind his White House bid.
Ryan, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said conservatives wanted to know if Trump shares their values.
"I hope to support our nominee, I hope to support his candidacy fully," Ryan said on CNN. "At this point, I'm just not there right now."
Trump, who has built a huge following with an anti-establishment message, shot back at Ryan in a statement.

Syria conflict: Air strike on refugee camp 'kills dozens'

Source: BBC

Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in an air strike on a refugee camp in rebel-held northern Syria, monitors and witnesses say.

Images on social media showed tents destroyed at the Kamouna camp near Sarmada in Idlib province, close to the Turkish border.
Some reports say the attack was by Syrian or Russian warplanes but this has not been confirmed.
The strike comes a day after the extension of a truce was confirmed.
The Syrian military and non-jihadist rebel forces had agreed to a temporary truce around the the city of Aleppo, following pressure from the US and Russia.

Catholic Bishops Meet Buhari behind Closed Doors

Source: THISDAYLIVE

President Muhammadu Buhari monday met behind closed doors with 16 Catholic bishops under the aegis of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.

The meeting which started at about 9p.m. was held inside the First Lady’s Conference Hall at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. 

Buhari was joined at the meeting by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, among other aides.

President of the Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, who is also the Archbishop of Jos, led the group to the president.

Wildfire forces evacuation of Canada's Fort McMurray

Source: ALJAZEERA


The entire population of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray was ordered to evacuate late on Tuesday as a massive wildfire swept through Alberta province's oil sands region.
More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee after an earlier evacuation order was extended to tens of thousands more people as flames continued to make their way into the city.
No casualties have been reported but damage has been extensive, with petrol stations exploding and a hotel and one of the town's many motor home parks going up in flames, local media said.

Shell profit tumbles as lower crude price hurts

Source:  CNBC

Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) posted a sharp fall in earnings for the first three months of 2016 on Wednesday, as the tumble in oil prices continued to take its toll.
Earnings on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis came in at $0.8 billion, versus $4.8 billion in the first quarter of 2015.
A first quarter dividend of $0.47 per ordinary share and $0.94 per American Depositary Share (ADS) was announced.

China and Russia to Hold Joint Military Drills

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Moscow and Beijing are to hold their first computer-assisted missile defense drill in May, the TASS news agency reported Tuesday.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced in a press release that the exercise will use “the combined operations of Russian and Chinese air and missile defense task forces” to provide protection “from accidental or provocative ballistic or cruise missile attacks.” Both countries maintain that the drill is not directed against a third party.
Although Russia and China have not entered into a formal military alliance, the two countries recently agreed to increase bilateral military cooperation.
On Friday, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the two countries will increase the number of joint military exercises in 2016.