The secret bribes of big tobacco

 

Source: BBC

Panorama found British American Tobacco illegally paid politicians and civil servants in countries in East Africa.
The payments were revealed when a whistleblower shared hundreds of secret documents.
BAT told the BBC: "The truth is that we do not and will not tolerate corruption, no matter where it takes place."
Paul Hopkins, who worked for BAT, a British company, in Kenya for 13 years, said he had begun paying bribes after being told it was the cost of doing business in Africa.
"BAT is bribing people, and I'm facilitating it," he said.
"The reality is if... they have to break the rules, they will break the rules."

LAGOS: Army Arrests Many Dislodged Boko Haram Suspects in Lagos

Source: THISDAYLIVE

As the war against terror intensifies in the North-east, many dislodged Boko Haram terrorists fleeing into Lagos have been arrested, interrogated and sent for profiling by the Nigerian Army in Lagos.

The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division Headquarters, Major General Isidore Edet, made this disclosure on Monday evening at the decoration of 12 officers to the ranks of lieutenant-colonel, colonel and brigadier-general.

While seven senior officers were promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, four others were promoted to the rank of colonel and one other person to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Syria, Yemen, Libya — one factor unites these failed states, and it isn’t religion

Source: REUTER

As world leaders gather in Paris this week to address climate change, they will labor under the shadow of recent attacks by Islamic State. Yet as they think about climate issues, they should remember that the connection between climate change and Islamic State — and more broadly, between climate change and political instability — is not just a coincidence. It may instead be the key reality of the 21^st century.
The rise of IS was a direct result of the failure of the Syrian regime, as it was beset by urban uprisings in 2011. Yet those uprisings did not come out of nowhere, and were not merely inspired by protests in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Syria was an increasingly prosperous country in the 1990s, with its various ethnic and religious groups working together in cities.
Yet between 2006 and 2009, Syria was crippled by its worst drought in modern history. A recent article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that this drought was not natural. Rather, hotter temperatures and the weakening of winds that bring moisture from the Mediterranean were likely the region’s reflection of rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to computer simulations.

Ankara shot down Russian Warplane to Protect isil's Oil - Putin

Source: ALJAZEERA

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ankara of shooting down a Russian warplane to protect supplies of oil from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group to Turkey.
"We have every reason to think that the decision to shoot down our plane was dictated by the desire to protect the oil supply lines to Turkish territory," Putin said during a news conference on Monday on the fringes of UN climate talks near Paris.
"We have received additional information which unfortunately confirms that this oil, produced in areas

US government says it can confirm Russian jet entered Turkish airspace

controlled by [ISIL] and other terrorist organisations, is transported on an industrial scale to Turkey."
Putin's strongly worded statement came hours after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu again refused to apologise for the downing of the plane near the Syrian border last Tuesday.

Roch Marc Christian Kabore elected Burkina Faso president

Source: BBC

Roch Marc Christian Kabore has won presidential elections in Burkina Faso, the electoral commission says.

It says Mr Kabore, a former prime minister, secured 53.5% of the vote on Sunday.
It was the first election since last year's popular uprising which toppled longstanding President Blaise Compaore.
The vote was due to have been held last month but was delayed by a failed coup in September led by members of the elite presidential guard.
Mr Compaore, 64, is now living in exile in neighbouring Ivory Coast.

The Independent National Electoral Commission says Mr Kabore, 58, won the elections outright, and there is no need to hold a second round.
It says his main rival, former Economy and Finance Minister Zephirin Diabre, gained 21.6% of the vote.

Condemning attacks, leaders in Paris make careful leap to climate change

Source: REUTERS

For world leaders attending a long-planned climate summit in Paris just weeks after 130 people were killed by Islamic State militants in the French capital, addressing the coincidental convergence of global warming and terrorism was unavoidable.In a series of some 150 opening speeches at the heavily guarded facility on the outskirts of Paris, most heads of state and prime ministers offered condolences to their French hosts, pivoting quickly, sometimes awkwardly, to the climate talks.
Many said the decision to press on with the summit in Paris so soon after the attacks was itself a rebuke to extremists trying to sow fear and disrupt normal life. French President Francois Hollande said the two issues were inseparable, "two big global challenges" to be addressed for the next generation.
A few, including U.S. President Barack Obama, went further, linking the threat of heatwaves, floods and drought to the potential for climate refugees and political instability.
He warned of a possible future with "political disruptions that trigger new conflicts, leaving more floods of desperate peoples seeking the sanctuary of nations not their own."

Asian shares firm as focus turns to China PMI surveys

Source: REUTERS

Asian shares were solidly higher on Tuesday, shrugging off one Chinese factory survey that did little to ease persistent concerns about cooling growth in the economy, while a private survey showed a hint of stabilization.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS extended early gains and was up 1.1 percent, while Japan's Nikkei .N225 added 0.9 percent.
Wall Street lost ground overnight, though major U.S. indexes still gained for the second straight month and U.S. stock futures ESc1 were up 0.5 percent in Asian trade.
China's official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at a three-year low of 49.6 in November, compared with the previous month's reading of 49.8 and below both forecasts for a reading of 49.8 as well as the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction.
But the private Caixin/Markit China Manufacturing PMI showed factory activity contracted at a slower pace than in October, fuelling hopes the economy may be slowly leveling out in response to a series of government support measures.

Abuja: Missing cash: Defence Hqtrs detains Generals, recalls others

Source: THE VANGUARD

In a bid to recover stolen defence cash running into trillions of Naira, the Defence Headquarters might have started recalling no fewer than 20 Generals said to have been involved in the purchase of arms and ammunition for the country.
Competent military sources told Vanguard last night that the suspected top military officers were being detained at a military facility in Abuja and would soon be made to face the music for their roles in fleecing the nation.
Similarly, the sources hinted that key military, naval and air force officers, who had retired within the last three months, were also being recalled to face an investigating panel probing the purchase of arms for the nation since 2009 with a view to ascertaining their roles in the missing defence funds.
According to one of the sources, who spoke in confidence to our correspondent yesterday, the investigative panel, which was raised by the Chief of Army Staff, is headed by a Brigadier General, whose name was not also disclosed for security reasons.

Trump cancels event with black pastors after other clergy raise concerns

Source: REUTERS

Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump has canceled a public event set for Monday where he had planned to announce endorsements from black pastors, after a group of African-American academics and clergy members urged them to reconsider, citing Trump's "racially inaccurate ... rhetoric."
Trump sent out word to media outlets last week that he would hold an early afternoon news conference Monday to announce the endorsement of his campaign by "100 African American Evangelical pastors and religious leaders...after a private meeting."
He did not reveal the names of the people he expected to meet.
On Sunday he tweeted: "Will be meeting on Monday at Trump Tower with a large group of African American Pastors. Many I know-wonderful people! Not a press event."
In an open letter published on the website of Ebony Magazine, 114 academics and church leaders warned the pastors that meeting with Trump would be a mistake.
"We are concerned that your choice to meet with Mr. Trump, particularly in such a visible way, will not only de-radicalize the Black prophetic political tradition, but will also give Trump the appearance of legitimacy among those who follow your leadership and respect your position as clergy," the letter said.

Counting under way in Burkina Faso elections

Source: BBC

Counting is under way in Burkina Faso where voters have been choosing a new president and parliament after a year of political turmoil.

It is the first election since last year's popular uprising which toppled longstanding president Blaise Compaore.
The vote was due to have been held last month but was delayed by a failed coup in September led by members of the elite presidential guard.
Provisional results are expected by Monday evening.
Long queues formed outside many polling stations before they closed at 18:00 GMT.
Security has been tight with up to 25,000 troops and police deployed across the country and foreign observers oversaw the poll.

ABUJA: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Demands Kanu’s Release, Decries Exclusion of Igbos in Decision-making

Source: THISDAYLIVE

By Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday asked the federal government to order the immediate release of the detained Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu,  in order to diffuse the ongoing mass protest by pro-Biafra agitators led by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). 
In a seven-point communique issued end of its Imeobi meeting held at the headquarters of the organisation in Enugu and signed by its President-General,  Chief Gary Igariwey and Secretary-General,  Dr Joe Nworgu, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said the release of Kanu would go a long way in arresting the current Biafra agitations from deteriorating. 

New Yeltsin Center to Answer Questions About Russia's 'Wild '90s' Legacy

 Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

The opening of the center devoted to the legacy of Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first president, on Nov. 25 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, came on the heels of speculations surfacing among politicians that the notorious presidential elections of 1996, when Yeltsin won in the second round of voting, were conducted with violations and cannot be considered fair.
Just two months ago the former Kremlin official Oleg Morozov said in an interview with the Gazeta.ru news website that in the 1996 presidential elections — when Boris Yeltsin went neck and neck with the Communist candidate — were "solid evidence" that in the "wild '90s" the voting process could easily be manipulated.
He echoed the rumor that gripped public attentio

Pope Francis tells CAR to 'arm themselves with justice'

 

Source: BBC

Pope Francis, speaking during Mass in the Central African Republic (CAR) capital Bangui, has called on fighting factions to lay down their weapons.

Instead, he said, they should arm themselves "with justice, love, mercy and authentic peace."
Earlier he said he hoped next month's polls in the CAR would open a "new chapter" for the country.
CAR has been torn apart by violence between Muslim rebels and Christian militias.
It is the pontiff's first visit to a conflict zone and the final stop on his landmark three-nation African tour.
Acting President Catherine Samba-Panza has asked him for "forgiveness" for the country's recent religious violence.

Large crowds lined the road from the airport to welcome the Pope - and people cheered and sang when he arrived at a refugee camp.

Asia shares fall on China caution, yuan jumpy ahead of IMF decision

Asian shares fell on Monday as Chinese stocks extended last week's sharp losses, while the yuan bounced in volatile trade hours ahead of an IMF decision on whether to promote it to a basket of global reserve currencies.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 0.7 percent, and was on course to log a loss of about 2.7 percent for the month of November, after making its first gains in six months in October.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 dropped 0.4 percent, though still looked set for a monthly gain of more than 3 percent.

EU reaches $3bn deal with Turkey to curb refugee crisis

Ankara promised cash and closer ties with EU in return for handling the flow of refugees into Europe on its territory.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

The European Union has struck a deal with Turkey in Brussels that aims to limit the flow of refugees into the continent.
Leaders from 28 EU members states met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday, finalising an agreement that offered Ankara $3.2bn, along with closer ties with the EU, in return for handling the refugees from war-torn countries on its territory.
"Our agreement sets out the clear plans for the timely re-establishment of all our shared frontier," said Donald Tusk, the European Council president, after the meeting.
"We will also step up our assistance to Syrian refugees in Turkey through a new refugee facility of 3bn euros [$3.2bn]."
Tusk also said Turkey's accession process to the EU bloc would be "re-energised".

"But let me stress that we are not rewriting our enlargement policy. The negotiating framework and conclusions remain to apply, including its merit-based nature and the respect for the European values and also on human rights," he said.

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria: Kidnappers free Samson Siasia’s Mother

Source: THENATION

Madam Beauty Siasia, the kidnapped 72-year-old mother of Nigeria’s Under 23 Coach, Samson Siasia, regained freedom yesterday after 12 days in captivity.
She was abducted on November 16, 2015.
The abductors reportedly abandoned her at about 1.30am on  the popular East-West Road,  the major gateway linking the South-South to other parts of the country.
The police claimed the kidnappers abandoned her on realizing they were being pursued by police operatives.
The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N150 million, then reduced it to N50 million and then N32 million.

LAGOS-Nigeria: Edu: Strict Regulation is Paying off in Insurance Industry

Source: THISDAYLIVE

Chairman, Quicklink Insurance Brokers Limited, Mr. Rotimi Edu in this interview with Femi Ogbonnikan, spoke on various issues including apathy towards the insurance industry, claims payment and the roles of National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)

Edu

How has the ‘no premium, no cover’ impacted on the insurance industry in Nigeria?
I think it is one of the best things that have happened in the industry, but at the same time, we have not been able to achieve 100 per cent, because the lawmakers themselves are breaking the rules. Although government has tried, they have been trying, but it should be 100 per cent policy such that assets of the nation are insured, immediately. Some institutions in the federal and state levels do that, but some still are not attuned to insurance. It seems, they don’t even talk about insurance in their budget. It is funny in this century, but I think with time, that will be corrected.

Gazprom Is Facing a Perfect Storm

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

A perfect storm has struck Gazprom: falling gas prices, increasing competition and a transformation in the way gas is sold internationally have coincided with fallout from Russia's damaged political relations with Europe and are putting the world's biggest gas producer under increasing pressure.
Up until 2009 when Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine, gas exports were Russia's most powerful source of influence in its relations with Europe. Gazprom was supplying around one third of the EU's gas needs and its customers seemed happy to continue to import increasing volumes of Russian gas on a business model that had not changed for decades.
Those times are over and Gazprom is scrambling to re-cast its export strategy faced by new political and commercial constraints in Europe. At the same, its move to the Asian markets has run into difficulties

Mass grave of Yazidis killed by ISIL discovered in Iraq

Source: ALJAZEERA

Authorities in northern Iraq have announced the discovery of a mass grave near the town of Sinjar containing the remains of more than 120 Yazidis.

Kurdish forces finds mass grave in Iraq's Sinjar

This is the sixth time that a burial site containing victims of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been discovered near the town this month, an official told the AFP news agency on Saturday.
Mahma Khalil, the official in charge of the area where the bodies were found, said fighters had rigged the graves with explosives in the event of Kurdish forces liberating the area.
Those buried at the site are believed to have been killed by the group during its control over the area, which began in the summer of 2014.
The grave, located about 10km west of Sinjar, has not yet been excavated, but the victims were not buried deeply, and some of their remains have been exposed by rainwater, Khalil said.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass for martyrs in Uganda

 Source: BBC

Pope Francis has celebrated Mass in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands of Ugandan faithful.

He spoke at a Catholic shrine dedicated to Christians martyred for their faith in the 19th Century, on the second stage of his three-country Africa tour.
The Mass marks the 50th anniversary of the martyrs' canonisation.
After the mass he addressed thousands of young people, encouraging them to turn to their faith when faced with difficulties.

There were huge cheers as the Pope began the open-air ceremony at Namugongo, near the capital Kampala.
It was where many of the 45 Anglican and Catholic martyrs were burned alive.
Their execution was ordered by a king worried about the spread of Christianity.

Colorado shooting suspect said 'no more baby parts

Source: REUTERS

The man accused of opening fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado and killing three people said "no more baby parts" while he was being arrested, NBC News and other media reported on Saturday, citing unidentified law enforcement sources.The utterance from suspect Robert Lewis Dear, 57, would appear to reference the controversy surrounding the organization's health services, which include abortion, and its role in delivering fetal tissue to medical researchers.
It could hint at a possible motive for the rampage on Friday, though NBC reported that its sources said investigators still did not know what had motivated the gunman.
Authorities have not discussed a motive for the attack at the Colorado Springs clinic, which left a police officer and two civilians dead and nine people wounded. Federal law enforcement authorities referred questions to local police. Colorado Springs police could not be reached for comment.
"This unconscionable attack was not only a crime against the Colorado Springs community, but a crime against women receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood, law enforcement seeking to protect and serve, and other innocent people," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
The wounded included five police officers and four civilians, who were listed in good condition at area hospitals.

Bombing Syria: Thousands hit the streets in Europe

Protesters in UK and Spain demand their governments not launch air strikes against ISIL in Syria after Paris attacks. 

Source: ALJAZEERA

Thousands of people demonstrated in London and Madrid against the potential participation of their countries in air strikes in Syria, as political momentum grows to broaden the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
At least 5,000 people gathered in central London on Saturday carrying placards reading "Don't bomb Syria", "Drop Cameron, not bombs", and "Don't add fuel to the fire."
"[Prime Minister] David Cameron's incoherent proposals for action in Syria will do nothing to weaken ISIL, but will instead inflame the civil war, deepen the misery of the Syrian people, and increase the terrorist risk," said the Stop the War Coalition protest movement.

Mali attack: Rocket kills three at UN base at Kidal

 Source BBC

Three people have been killed in a rocket attack on a UN peacekeepers' base in northern Mali, the UN says.

Two UN peacekeepers from Guinea and a civilian contractor were killed in the attack in Kidal, officials said.
Eight days ago, gunmen attacked a hotel in the capital, Bamako, taking scores hostage. Twenty-two people were killed.
The peacekeeping mission in Mali was approved in 2014 after France led a military campaign to drive out Islamist militants from the north.
The Minusma force comprises some 10,000 soldiers from dozens of different contributor countries - the majority from Mali's west African neighbours.

U.S. store sales down slightly for Thanksgiving and Black Friday

 Source: REUTERS

Sales at U.S. brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday were down slightly from last year, but the performance was still seen as strong in a holiday shopping season where discounts spread well beyond the weekend and many shoppers moved to the web. Online sales were up by double digits, according to data released on Saturday.
Data from analytics firm RetailNext showed overall sales for both days fell 1.5 percent on flat customer traffic, while average spending per shopper dropped 1.4 percent.
Preliminary data from ShopperTrak showed sales at stores totaled about $12.1 billion on Thursday and Friday. The company said it is an "estimated decrease from last year" but did not give the percentage decline due to an internal change in the way it calculates data. Last year, it reported sales of $12.29 billion for the same period.
ShopperTrak will release its final sales numbers on Tuesday. It stuck by its forecast of a 2.4 percent increase for November and December sales.
The data highlights the waning importance of Black Friday, which until a few years ago kicked off the holiday shopping season, as more retailers start discounting earlier in the month and open their doors on Thanksgiving Day.

Boko Haram claims responsibility for Kano suicide bomb: SITE

 Source: REUTERS

Militant Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a procession of Shi'ite Muslims that killed at least 21 people in northern Nigeria's Kano state, the SITE monitoring service reported on Saturday.Friday's attack near the village of Dakozoye took place a week after two female bombers blew themselves up at a mobile phone market in Kano, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than 100.
Jihad monitoring service SITE Intelligence said Boko Haram -- which rarely claims responsibility for attacks -- had named the bomber in a message on Twitter.
"When our brother reached his target, he detonated his explosive belt amidst their gathering," SITE quoted the message as saying. Reuters could not immediately verify the statement or the authenticity of the Twitter account.
Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state adhering to strict Sharia law in northeast Nigeria since 2009. About 2.1 million people have been displaced and thousands have been killed during the six-year insurgency.

Twin suicide bomb blast rocks northern Cameroon village

 Source: ALJEERA

At least seven people, including two attackers, have been killed in a twin suicide bomb attack in northern Cameroon, security sources and an official have said.
The attacks on Saturday in the village of Dabanga in Cameroon's Far North Region are suspected to have been carried out by members of Nigeria's armed group Boko Haram.
"The provisional toll is seven dead, including the two suicide bombers, as well as two soldiers injured," a senior government source told the Reuters news agency, requesting anonymity.

One of the security sources said a woman and her children were among the dead, Reuters reported.
Two other security sources said a gendarme had been killed.

NIGERIA: Court of Appeal sacks Sen. David Mark

Source: THE VANGUARD

SThe Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, has annulled the election of the immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark.
The Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct fresh elections in the Benue South senatorial district within 90 days.
Mark’s victory at the March 28th., 2015 National Assembly elections, was challenged by Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who petitioned the Benue state Legislative Houses elections tribunal asking for the cancellation of the election and an order detailing INEC to conduct fresh election in the district.
The Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu led trial panel had on October 7th., 2015 dismissed Onjeh’s petition on the ground that evidences tendered before the tribunal were documentary hearsay evidences.
However, in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Peter Ige, the appellate court dismissed the judgement of the tribunal and upheld the plea of the appellant that Mark’s election failed substantially to meet with the provisions of paragraphs 39 and 40 of the INEC approved electoral guidelines and sections 73 and 74 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

Greek crisis, China crash and low rates: hedge funds’ horror year

Source: THE TELEGRAPH

The panic that swept the markets in August was tough for investors the world over, but particularly for the macro hedge funds, who bet big on economic trends.

Despite a reputation as “the smartest guys in the room”, earned from promises to defy market volatility with complicated trades, hedge funds suffered some of the most startling losses in the stock market bloodbath that started in China in June and sent the London market reeling by August.

Third Point, the $18bn (£12bn) fund run by the American billionaire Daniel Loeb, has described recent trading as “a harrowing round trip”, with danger lurking in China that “seems more intimidating than ever before”.

ABUJA: NNPC loses N241bn in 10 months

 Source: THE PUNCH

A total of N240.98bn was lost by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation between January and October this year, latest figures from the firm’s oil and gas report for October 2015 have shown.

The NNPC made a total revenue of N1.71tn and group expenses of N1.95tn during the period under review.

The report noted that the firm’s loss for the month of October alone was N12.22bn, down from N46.49bn recorded in September 2015.

Similarly, in the month of October, the country’s refineries lost a combined sum of N7.06bn as against N11.38bn lost in the preceding month of September.

The refineries also recorded zero capacity utilisation in the month of October.

The refineries include Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company and Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.

Japan to resume whaling in Antarctic despite court ruling

Source; BBC

Japan has decided to resume hunting whales in the Antarctic after a break of more than a year.

The decision comes despite an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling for Japan to cease all whaling.
The Japanese fisheries agency said it would go ahead with a revised plan by the end of March next year.
Under this plan, it will reduce the number of minke whales being caught each year by two thirds to just over 300.

Turkey-Russia jet downing: Moscow beefs up defences in Syria

Source: BBC

Russia has strengthened its anti-aircraft defences in Syria by moving a cruiser towards the coast and deploying new missiles at its main base.

The Moskva cruiser's long-range air defence system will provide cover for Russian aircraft, as will the S-400 missiles which arrived on Thursday.
The row over Turkey's downing of a Russian combat jet on Tuesday rages on.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Russia not to "play with fire" with its operations in Syria.
Russia has suspended its visa-free arrangement with Turkey and is planning to introduce a wide range of economic sanctions. President Vladimir Putin wants an apology from Turkey before he will speak to Mr Erdogan.

Polish sailors kidnapped from Szafir cargo ship off Nigeria

Source: BBC

Five Polish sailors have been abducted from a ship off the coast of Nigeria.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said the men - including a captain and three officers - were kidnapped on Thursday night from the cargo ship Szafir.
Pirates boarded the vessel as it travelled from Belgium to Nigeria, according to Polish media reports.
Eleven other sailors evaded capture, apparently by locking themselves in the engine room.
Mr Waszczykowski said they were safe and their ship had been located about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. The exact location has not been reported.
The foreign minister told a news conference on Friday that the kidnappers had not yet established contact.

Black Friday crowds thin in subdued start to U.S. holiday shopping

Source: REUTERS

America's annual Black Friday shopping extravaganza was short on fireworks this year as U.S. retailers' discounts on electronics, clothing and other holiday gifts failed to draw big crowds to stores and shopping malls.Major retail stocks including Best Buy and Wal-Mart closed lower while Target, picked out by one analyst for its promotion strategy, saw its shares tick up.
Bargain hunters found relatively little competition compared with previous years. Some had already shopped Thursday evening, reflecting a new normal of U.S. holiday shopping, where stores open up with deals on Thanksgiving itself, rather than waiting until Black Friday.
Retailers "have taken the sense of urgency out for consumers by spreading their promotions throughout the year and what we are seeing is a result of that," said Jeff Simpson, director of the retail practice at Deloitte. Traffic in stores was light on Friday, while Thursday missed his expectations, he said.

Gunman kills three in US abortion clinic shooting

Attacker surrenders after deadly five-hour stand-off at Planned Parenthood hospital in the central United States.

Source: ALJAZEERA 

Police arrested a gunman who stormed an abortion clinic in the central United States and opened fire with a rifle in an attack that killed three people and wounded nine others.
The dead included one police officer and two civilians, Colorado Springs Police Chief Peter Carey told reporters after the suspect had been captured on Friday.
All nine surviving victims - five police officers and four civilians - were listed in good condition at area hospitals, Carney said.
The suspect - later scene in a white T-shirt handcuffed and led away by officers - first engaged in a protracted gun battle with police, but ultimately surrendered about five hours after the start of the violence.

Russia Suspends Visa-Free Travel for Turkish Citizens

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

Russia has suspended visa-free travel for Turkish citizens from Jan. 1, 2016, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.
The move comes as the Russian government announces a series of economic measures against Turkey after a Turkish F-16 interceptor shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber on the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday, resulting in the death of two servicemen.

Suicide attack hits Nigeria Shia march

Source: BBC

A suicide bomber has killed at least 21 people in an attack on a Shia Muslim procession in Nigeria's Kano state, eyewitnesses and organisers say.

The bomber ran into the crowd and detonated his device before he could be spotted, an organiser told AFP.
The attack happened shortly after a man was arrested in possession of a bomb, a witness told the BBC.
The blast took place in the village of Dakasoye, about 20km (13 miles) south of the provincial capital, Kano.
"We lost 21 people and several others have been injured," Muhammad Turi from the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) said.
Police said they did not know who was behind the attack, but IMN organisers blamed the Sunni militant group Boko Haram.

Republican Trump drops 12 percentage points in poll

Source: REUTERS

U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump's support among Republicans has dropped 12 points in less than a week, marking the real estate mogul's biggest decline since he vaulted to the top of the field in July, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.Trump was the favorite of 31 percent of Republicans in a rolling poll in the five days ended on Nov. 27. That was down from a peak of 43 percent registered on Nov. 22.
The dip follows criticism of Trump for comments he made in the aftermath of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more.
Following the attacks, Trump told an NBC News reporter that he would support requiring all Muslims within the United States to be registered to a special database, which his critics have likened to the mandatory registration of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Trump has also been criticized for flailing his arms and distorting his speech as he mocked a New York Times reporter, Serge Kovaleski, who is disabled.
Trump mocked the reporter as he defended his unsubstantiated assertion that during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, he watched on television as "thousands and thousands" of people in New Jersey cheered while the World Trade Center fell.
Still, Trump is not the only front-runner to slide in the latest survey.

BREAKING: Nigeria: Suicide Bomber Hits Muslim Procession In Kano

Source: NIAJ.COM

A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up among crowds in a Shia Muslim procession in the village of Dakasoye, on the outskirt of Kano on Friday, November 27.
This was disclosed by organisers of the procession, The Guardian reports.

Examining in more detail what countries with significant Muslim populations think about Isis

Source: THE INDEPENDENT

Whether the UK should directly intervene in the conflict in Syria is dominating Westminster at the moment, following attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad claimed by Isis.
Surveys by the Pew Research Centre in April and May gauged sentiment towards Isis in certain countries with large Muslim populations.
As we have reported before, none of the countries had more than 15 per cent of the population in favour of Isis.
Pew has also broken down the figures into subsets from these countries, finding that the majority of all countries surveyed had an unfavourable view of the terrorist organisation.

BREAKING: Mali arrests 2 suspects in hotel terror attack

Source: CNN

Malian forces arrested two men linked to a cell phone found at the scene of a deadly hotel attack by militants last week, authorities said Friday.

The men are suspected of helping execute the attack that killed 19 people at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, an army spokesman said

"They were found after a phone at the scene was connected to both suspects," spokesman Modibo Naman Traore said.

Authorities arrested both men, who are in their early 30s, on the outskirts of the city. The spokesman did not provide details on what their exact role was.

Police budget can barely buy stationery – Arase

Source: THE PUNCH

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, said on Thursday that declining budgetary allocations lately had boxed the Nigeria Police into a corner where its annual recurrent budget could barely buy stationery for formations across the federation.

“The money that is released to the police cannot even buy stationery for all the police formations in the country,” Arase opened up to the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs in Abuja.

Amid rising security challenges in the country, the IG urged the committee to do everything within its powers to give more money to the police in the 2016 budget to improve on facilities and boost the morale of personnel.

For example, Arase stated that in 2010, the police made a recurrent proposal of N45bn, out of which it got only N16bn.

Institute honours Nigerian researchers for developing typhoid vaccine, others

Source: THE PUNCH

The International Institute for Training, Research and Economic Development has awarded prizes to three Nigerian researchers for developing typhoid fever vaccine, micro-needles and anti-snake venom respectively.

The prizes were given at the 2015 Distinguished Research Seminar and IITRED Research Prize Award/Dinner on Thursday in Abuja.

The recipients were Prof. Samuel Garba of Federal University of Technology, Minna, who developed typhoid vaccine and Dr. Ololade Olatunji of University of Lagos, who developed micro-needles from fish scales.

The third award recipient was Prof. John Aguiyi of the University of Jos, who developed anti-snake venom.

In a welcome address at the prize presentation, the Chairman of IITRED, Dr Hassan Adamu, said that the award was meant to promote local research and provide solutions to societal needs.

Represented by Mr. Abdulhameed Usman, the IITRED chairman decried the lack of support for local technology and innovations.

Nigeria to raise N129b in T-Bills Dec. 2

Central Bank of Nigeria

Source: THE GUARDIAN

Bond yields fall on rate decision

THERE were indications that Nigeria would raise N129.17 billion ($649.10 million) worth of local currency denominated Treasury Bills (T-Bills), with varying maturities of three months and one year on December 2.
The debt instrument, according to Central Bank of Nigeria, will be made up of N17.85 billion for the three-month paper; N18 billion in the six-month paper; and N93.32 billion in the one year bill, through the Dutch Auction System.
Meanwhile, yields on Nigeria’s bonds fell below 10 per cent across maturities on Wednesday’s trading session, a day after the apex bank announced a surprise interest rate cut aimed at stimulating lending.
Traders said they are expecting lower returns on the short-date paper at the auction next week in tandem with the prevailing trend in the secondary market. The naira and bond yields fell sharply on Wednesday while stocks rose.
CBN had cut benchmark interest rate to 11 per cent from 13 per cent, its first reduction in the cost of borrowing in more than six years, amid hard hit condition by a plunge in crude prices.
“On the back of the reduction in policy rates … investors are reconsidering investment in the equities market to earn higher return. We anticipate further moderation in bond yields,” the Head of Research at Afrinvest Securities Limited, Ayodeji Ebo, said.

Nigeria Central Bank Cuts Rates For First Time In Six Years

Source: THE GUARDIAN

Nigeria’s central bank surprisingly cut the benchmark interest rate to 11 percent from 13 percent on Tuesday, its first reduction in the cost of borrowing in more than six years, in an effort to stimulate growth in Africa’s biggest economy.
The bank also reduced the cash reserve ratio for commercial banks to 20 percent from 25 percent, another move to try to inject liquidity into the banking system and encourage lending.
The central bank has been injecting cash into the banking system since October in a bid to stave off recession in Africa’s top oil producer, which has been hit hard by the sharp fall in crude prices over the last year.
“We must stimulate growth,” Governor Godwin Emefiele said, adding that committee members had voted by a margin of eight to two in favour of the reduction.
He said the step was taken “in consideration of the weakening fundamentals of the economy, particularly the low output growth, rising unemployment and the uncertainty of the global economic environment”.

Asia shares retreat, euro subdued on ECB stimulus bets

Source: REUTERS

Asian shares fell and the dollar held near an 8-1/2-month peak on Friday, while the euro hovered around seven-month lows on expectations of additional stimulus from the European Central Bank next week. The broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside of Japan slid 0.5 percent, extending losses for the week to 0.7 percent.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 reversed earlier gains to slip 0.3 percent, but was on track for a weekly gain of 0.2 percent. The Shanghai Composite index .SSEC retreated 0.6 percent, heading for a 0.5 percent drop for the week.
The dollar index DXY against a basket of major currencies was little changed at 99.852, after scaling 100.170 earlier in the week, the highest since March. It is up 0.3 percent for the week.
U.S. stock futures rose 0.3 percent to their highest level since Nov. 9 after a market holiday on Thursday for Thanksgiving Day.

More Chinese investment expected in Poland

Source: CNTV

Business leaders from more than 80 Polish companies are visiting Shanghai with their newly-elected president. President Andrzej Duda will attend the fourth leaders' meeting between China and countries from central and eastern Europe today. And on Monday, the companies were at a China-Poland economic forum.
Poland is the only co-founder of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank from Central and Eastern Europe. Its involvement is a sign of its ties with China.
"We want to be a hub not for Chinese trade to Central and East Europe, that's not enough; we'd like to be a transfer hub, for the trade of China with its greatest trading partner, which is European Union, in various dimensions of the vision, economic, logistical, transport, and political," said Slawomir Majman, president of the Polish Information & Foreign Investment Agency.
To begin with, Poland has made great efforts for boosting its cargo train logistics between China, Poland and Europe.
"We're operating with our Chinese partners in Chengdu, Sichuan, and we're now opening our new joint venture with our partners in Beijing," said Tomasz Grzelak, CEO of Htrans Logistics.
A widening trade deficit partly explains the need to increase the movement of cargo.
"There is the statistics of the (trade) balance between Poland and China economic exchange, but it's still very different. It's 1 to 10. But we hope the cargo trains are the new solution for our market," Grzelak said.

Russia Preparing Economic Sanctions Against Turkey

Source:  THE MOSCOWTIMES

Russia plans to impose sanctions and freeze investment projects in Turkey in response to its downing of a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying Thursday.
Medvedev said the government had been instructed by President Vladimir Putin to adopt retaliatory economic measures against Turkey and was empowered to place restrictions on financial operations, trade deals, the tourism industry, transport links and to impose new customs tariffs, according to the Interfax news agency.
He also said at the government meeting that “agreements and investment projects could be frozen or simply scrapped,” and proposed canceling talks on a preferential investment framework with Turkey, Interfax reported.

Pope Francis warns Africa on illegal ivory and diamonds trade

Source: BBC

Pope Francis says that the illegal trade in ivory and diamonds fuels conflict and could destroy Africa's environment.

Speaking on the second day of his visit to Kenya the Pope linked trafficking to "organised crime and terrorism".
He also warned world leaders not to let special interests prevail over common good in next week's climate talks.
The Pope earlier addressed a Mass in Nairobi where he urged people to create a "just" and "inclusive" society.
He turned his attention to environmental issues when he was talking at the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme in the Kenyan capital.

But that was being threatened, by "human selfishness of every type" as people's poverty was being exploited to push them into the illegal trade of diamonds, rare metals, timber and ivory, he said.
"We cannot be silent about forms of illegal trafficking which arise in situations of poverty and in turn lead to greater poverty and exclusion," Pope Francis said.

Russia raiding Turkish firms and sending exports back

 Source: ALJAZEERA

Russian police have been raiding Turkish companies in different regions of Russia and, in some cases, have suspended their operations, two Turkish businessmen with investments in the country have told Al Jazeera.
Moscow has also started sending back Turkish trucks loaded with exports at the border and stopped Turkish tourists - who normally do not need visas  - entering the country, at least two businessmen said.

Turkish companies in Russia, particularly construction companies, are being raided. Turkish businessman

Turkish and Russian foreign ministries, contacted by phone, had not replied to Al Jazeera's questions at the time of the publication of this story.
Moscow's move comes after Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 warplane on Tuesday for allegedly violating Turkish airspace.

Putin says to keep cooperating with U.S.-led coalition over Syria

 Source: REUTERS

Russia will keep cooperating with the United States and its partners to fight Islamic State in Syria, but that cooperation will be in jeopardy if there are any repeats of Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet, Russia's Vladimir Putin said.Speaking after talks in the Kremlin with French President Francois Hollande, Putin voiced lingering anger at Turkey's actions, saying he viewed the downing of the jet as an act of betrayal by a country Moscow had thought was its friend.
But he said he would order Russia's military to intensify cooperation with the French armed forces - including exchanges of information about targets - and viewed that as part of creating a broader international coalition bringing together Russia and Western states.
"We are ready to cooperate with the coalition which is led by the United States. But of course incidents like the destruction of our aircraft and the deaths of our servicemen... are absolutely unacceptable," Putin said at a news conference, standing alongside Hollande.
"And we proceed from the position that there will be no repeat of this, otherwise we'll have no need of cooperation with anybody, any coalition, any country."

Egyptian Coptic pope pays historic visit to Jerusalem

Source: ALJAZEERA

Pope Tawadros II has arrived in Jerusalem in a historic visit that marks the first time that a head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church has visited the city since Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
The website of the Coptic Church in Jerusalem said the pope's only reason for the visit on Thursday was to attend the funeral prayer of the Bishop of Jerusalem Anba Abraham, the head of the Coptic Church in the Holy Land, who died on Wednesday.
The late Egyptian Pope Shenouda III had issued a ban in 1979, in the aftermath of the Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel, preventing Egyptian Coptics from pilgrimage to Jerusalem while under Israeli occupation.
Father Boules Halim, the spokesman for the Coptic Church in Cairo, said that the visit was arranged for an  "exceptional situation".

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Abuja: INEC Weighs Its Options on Kogi, Lawyers Disagree

Source: THISDAYLIVE

The death on Sunday of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the Kogi State governorship election, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, has thrown up issues that may require judicial interpretation of the courts on the legal status of a gubernatorial election in which a candidate dies before the declaration of results by the electoral commission.

While some lawyers, including Prof Itse Sagay and Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), said the death of a candidate before the declaration of results or emergence of a winner renders the election inconclusive and mandates the conduct of a fresh election, others held the opinion that the election would have to be concluded and the party that wins, even when the candidate is dead, would have to be declared the winner.

Of paramount consideration for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be the glaring fact that this is the first time a candidate will die midstream into an election, after it has started and before it was concluded with the declaration of a winner and losers.
This dilemma was not envisaged by the framers of the constitution or the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended). All the constitution provides for is a situation in which a declared winner dies or is unable to be sworn into office after the election while the Electoral Act provides for a situation where the candidate dies after his/her nomination, but before the election.

Asian shares edge up, euro under pressure as ECB looms

Source: REUTERS

Asian shares advanced on Thursday, while the euro remained under pressure on growing bets that the European Central Bank will roll out more stimulus soon even as the U.S. Federal Reserve looks set to raise interest rates.
European markets are set to open marginally higher, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE and France's CAC40 .FCHI to gain about 0.2 percent each, and Germany's DAX .GDAXI to start the day up 0.1 percent.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.5 percent, after Wall Street put in a nearly flat performance ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday and most of Friday afternoon.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 ended the day up 0.5 percent.

Russian Republic Blocks Access to Charlie Hebdo Twitter Feed

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

A city court in Russia's predominantly Muslim republic of Chechnya has blocked access to the Twitter account of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, accusing it of insulting believers' feelings and lampooning the downing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Chechen prosecutors reported Tuesday.
Charlie Hebdo's official Twitter account contains no caricatures of the downing, however. The last tweet is dated Jan. 7, the day armed Islamic extremists attacked Charlie Hebdo's Paris offices — killing 12 people — and months before the Oct. 31 downing of the Russian passenger plane.
The Chechen prosecutor's office claimed to have seen caricatures of the plane downing, which killed 224 people, on Charlie Hebdo's Twitter account this month.
“During monitoring conducted on Nov. 11, 2015 of the Twitter social network, a page titled 'Charlie Hebdo' was discovered, which contained images aimed at insulting the religious feelings of believers by expressing a disrespectful attitude toward the images of prophets, as well as caricatures ridiculing the catastrophe of the Russian A321 airplane in Egypt,” the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
A city court in the Chechen capital of Grozny ruled on Monday to block access to Charlie Hebdo's Twitter account, the statement said.

China pledges to work with Africa in fighting militancy after Mali attack

Source: REUTERS

China will strengthen its cooperation with Africa in the fight against violent extremism after an attack last week by Islamist militants in Mali killed 19 people, including three Chinese citizens, China's foreign minister said on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for relevant departments to boost security work outside China's borders last week after gunmen attacked a hotel in Mali's capital on Nov. 20.
The three Chinese citizens killed in the hotel attack were executives from the state-owned China Railway Construction Corp.
"As China continues to promote pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa, we will strengthen bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism and the fight against extremism," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech to diplomats and reporters.
He did not give any details.
Wang also reiterated China's stance that its assistance to Africa would be without political conditions. A senior Chinese official said on Wednesday China was set to announce new aid to African nations when Xi visits Zimbabwe and South Africa next month.

Pope Francis celebrates rain-soaked Mass in Kenya

Source: BBC

Tens of thousands of people have been celebrating Mass with Pope Francis at a university campus in Kenya.

Pope Francis made a plea for traditional values, saying "the health of any society depends on the health of its families".
The Pope earlier urged Kenyans to work for peace and reconciliation on his first trip as pontiff to Africa, amid a rise in militant violence.
He arrived in Kenya on Wednesday, the first stop on a three-nation tour.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and ululating crowds had welcomed him at the airport in Nairobi, the capital.

Crowds waited in the rain at the University of Nairobi sports ground since the early hours of Thursday morning. More than one million were expected to attend the Mass.
Pope Francis told them: "Our faith in God's word calls us to support families in their mission in society, to accept children as a blessing for our world, and to defend the dignity of each man and woman, for all of us are brothers and sisters in the one human family."

Russia and Turkey refuse to back down in row over jet downing

Source: REUTERS

Russia sent an advanced missile system to Syria on Wednesday to protect its jets operating there and pledged its air force would keep flying missions near Turkish air space, sounding a defiant note after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet.
Underscoring the message, Russian forces launched a heavy bombardment against insurgent-held areas in Latakia on Wednesday, near where the jet was downed, rebels and a monitoring group said.
The United States and Europe both urged calm and continued dialogue in telephone conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a sign of international concern at the prospect of any escalation between the former Cold War enemies.
The downing of the jet on Tuesday was one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member and Russia for half a century, and further complicated international efforts to battle Islamic State militants in Syria.
President Tayyip Erdogan made no apology, saying his nation had simply been defending its own security and the "rights of our brothers in Syria". He made clear Turkish policy would not change.
Russian officials expressed fury over Turkey's action and spoke of retaliatory measures that were likely to include curbing travel by Russian tourists to Turkish resorts and some restrictions on trade.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described it as a planned act and said it would affect efforts towards a political solution in Syria. Moscow would "seriously reconsider" its relations with Ankara, he said.

Biafra: Clergy Women Caution MASSOB, IPOB

Source: THISDAYLIVE

Some pro-Biafra protesters

Nigerian Women in Clergy has cautioned pro-Biafran groups, Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to suspend their street protests in the interest of peace.

The clergy women under the leadership of Prophetess Nonnie Robberson emphasised the importance of dialogue against violent protests that will further lead to deaths and destruction of property in the South-east.

A statement issued on behalf of the group by its President, Prophetess Nonnie Robberson, said violent agitation that led to the Biafran war was to the disadvantage of all, asserting that victims of the war who managed to survive have continued to tell their horrible stories. She said Nigeria as a country would have gone beyond the level it finds itself today, if not for the setback of the war.

KOGI, Nigeria: Constitutional CrisisBrews in Kogi over Audu Abubukar's Death

Source: THE NATION

Supplementary  poll holds December 5
WHO SAID WHAT
The issue is very straightforward.  Section 33 of the Electoral Act is very clear in case of death. The right for substitution by a political party is sustained by Section 33             —AG
We are going to proceed with the process of organising primary to provide a substitute candidate for Prince Abubakar Audu. That is the situation at this point in time                —APC
We are at a loss as to which sections of these … laws, INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate                      —PDP

The only logical and solution closest to the law on ground now is to allow his running mate to step into his shoes for the supplementary election
                              —Sagay

Asia stocks stumble on geopolitical tensions, oil retreats

Source: REUTERS

Asian stocks were on edge on Wednesday with most markets stumbling as geopolitical tensions flared after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet, while crude oil prices eased from two-week highs.Australian shares dipped 0.5 percent . South Korea's Kospi .KS11 lost 0.2 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI dropped 0.5 percent. Japan's Nikkei .N225 shed 0.5 percent.
Adding to investor nervousness that followed the attacks on Paris earlier this month, Turkey shot down a Russian aircraft near the Syrian border on Tuesday, saying the jet had violated its air space. It was one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member country and Russia for half a century.
"The individual impact on the market from those events like the Paris attacks and heightened security in Brussels may be small, but there is also uncertainty that's worrying investors," said Masaru Hamasaki, head of market & investment information department at Amundi Japan.
"The stock market does not like uncertainty," Hamasaki said.

Turkey and Russia in war of words over downed jet

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Turkey, Russia and their respective allies have entered a war of words about the downing of a Russian warplane near the Turkey-Syria border - raising tensions in a region struggling to cope with the ongoing Syrian conflict.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-24 warplane was  shot down  for violating Turkish airspace on Tuesday morning, Turkish officials said, angering Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who likened the incident to being "stabbed in the back".
The plane crashed in Syrian territory in Latakia's Yamadi village.
"Today's loss is linked to a stab in the back delivered to us by accomplices of terrorists. I cannot qualify what happened today as anything else," a visibly angry Putin said in televised comments.

U.S. Will Not Lift Russian Sanctions in Exchange for Syria Cooperation

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

The United States will not lift sanctions imposed on Russia in exchange for an expansion of its counter-terrorism operation in Syria, White House spokesman Josh Earnest announced at a press conference Monday, posted on the White House briefing room website.
"I do not envision a scenario in which sanctions relief is offered to Russia in exchange for greater contributions to Islamic State," Earnest said.
The sanctions were imposed over Russia for its role in the Ukrainian crisis and would be lifted only after full implementation of the Minsk agreements, he said.
He added that the United States would welcome Russia in an anti-terrorist coalition if Russia would change its strategy to focus on the fight against terror rather than supporting regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Tunisia blast: Explosion hits bus carrying presidential guards

Source: BBC

An explosion has hit a bus carrying presidential guards in Tunisia's capital, Tunis, killing at least 12 people, officials say.

President Beji Caid Essebsi has declared a 30-day state of emergency and the capital is under curfew.
No group has yet said it was behind the attack.
Tunisia has been targeted by the Islamic State (IS) group, including an attack by a gunman on the beach resort of Sousse in June, killing 38 people.
The North African state is believed to be the biggest exporter of jihadis, with the authorities saying at least 3,000 of its nationals are fighting in Iraq and Syria.
The explosion happened at a bus stop where the presidential guard picks up and drops off its staff, near the former headquarters of the party of deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Roads in the city were already clogged because of heavy rain and flooding when the explosion hit.
Exactly what caused the blast is unclear but one source told Reuters a bomber had probably detonated explosives in the vehicle.

Chicago charges officer in black teen's death, releases video of shooting

Source: REUTERS

A white Chicago policeman who fatally shot a black teenager was charged with murder on Tuesday, hours before authorities released a long-awaited video that shows the youth walking away from officers as he is slain by a volley of 16 gunshots.The graphic footage of last year's shooting, taken from a camera mounted on the dashboard of a police car and made public under orders from a judge, sparked mostly peaceful street demonstrations in Chicago on Tuesday.
The clip showed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who authorities said was carrying a pocket knife and had the hallucinogenic drug PCP in his system, as he was gunned down in the middle of a street on Oct. 20, 2014. McDonald is seen jogging away from patrol vehicles pursuing him from behind, and then veering off diagonally at a walk as two more officers pull up in a squad car ahead of him.

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Two policemen are seen jumping out of their vehicle in the center of the road, and drawing their weapons while advancing toward McDonald, who continues to move away. Within seconds he is struck by bullets, spins and crumples to the ground, his body jerking as he is hit by additional rounds of gunfire.

Obama meets with national security advisers on Islamic State threat: White House

Source: REUTERS

President Barack Obama met with his National Security Council on Tuesday to discuss the response to recent attacks by Islamic State militants, and told his team to "continue to intensify ongoing efforts" against the group, the White House said."The president was briefed that there is currently no specific, credible threat to the homeland" from Islamic State, the White House said in a statement.

Mutant mosquitoes 'resist malaria'

Source: BBC

US scientists say they have bred a genetically modified (GM) mosquito that can resist malaria infection.

If the lab technique works in the field, it could offer a new way of stopping the biting insects from spreading malaria to humans, they say.
The scientists put a new "resistance" gene into the mosquito's own DNA, using a gene editing method called Crispr.
And when the GM mosquitoes mated - their offspring inherited the same resistance, PNAS journal reports.
In theory, if these mosquitoes bite people, they should not be able to pass on the parasite that causes malaria.
About 3.2bn people - almost half of the world's population - are at risk of malaria.

Turkey 'down Russian warplane on Syria border'

Source: BBC

Turkish warplanes have reportedly shot down a Russian military aircraft on the border with Syria.

Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying that a Su-24 had crashed in northern Syria, and that its two pilots had ejected.
Turkish military officials said Turkish F-16s had shot down the plane after repeatedly warning its pilots that they were violating Turkish airspace.
Video footage showed the plane crashing into mountains in Latakia province.
Russia launched an air campaign to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in late September.
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It says it has targeted only "terrorists", but activists say its strikes have mainly hit Western-backed rebel groups.