The Artic Tern Post

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Austrian radio jockey punished for playing 'Last Christmas' 24 times

An Austrian radio station has punished one of its moderators after he locked himself in the studio only to play the song 'Last Christmas', a cult hit from the 1980s by British band Wham!, 24 times in a row.

Only once the moderator's daughter called the studio to beg her father to stop because the song made everyone "mad" did he finish his one-song marathon, according to a video on Youtube.

Timm Bodner, programming Chief of the station Antenne Kaernten in Austria's province of Carinthia, told Reuters on Wednesday the 27-year-old disc jockey barricaded the studio last Friday with a wooden stick to play the prank on his listeners.

"In general, it was funny but there must be consequences," Bodner told Reuters in a telephone conversation. "As a consequence he will have to work tomorrow on Christmas and on New Year's eve."

The leak of Quentin Tarantino's latest movie has been traced back to this unfortunate Hollywood exec

ATP - Quentin Tarantino's latest blockbuster, "The Hateful Eight," is due to open in cinemas in the US on Friday — but good-quality pirated versions of the movie are already being shared on the internet.

These kind of leaks are becoming an annual occurrence, and it's all because of the time of year: awards season.

Ahead of the Oscars, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and a bevy of other big industry events, studios send the judges a selection of the year's best films for consideration — even if they haven't been released in the cinemas yet.

And inevitably, some of these make their way online.

"The Hateful Eight" was first shared online by a piracy group called Hive-CM8, but The Hollywood Reporter thinks it has identified the person who the original "screener" copy of the film belonged to — a Hollywood executive named Andrew Kosove.

Light at the End of the Tunnel: Putin 'Puts Things in Order' in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been on fire lately – he not only managed to push through a Russian strategy in the Middle East, but also made both the United States and Saudi Arabia finally accept his point of view on finding a peaceful solution in Syria, French journalist Eric Verhaeghe wrote for Atlantico.

ATP - Recent events regarding peace negotiations in Syria speak for themselves: Moscow significantly decreased the military might of Daesh (Islamic State) with its airstrikes and has also played a leading role in finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis with the successful passing of a UN resolution on Syria, the author said.

The fact that US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Russia and Washington's agreement to talk about the Syrian issue with Moscow show the decline of Western influence in the Middle East.

Islamic nation of Somalia follows Sultan of Brunei's example and bans Christmas celebrations

ATP - Somalia has banned Christmas and New Year celebrations because they are 'contrary to Islamic culture' – days after a similar move by the Sultan of Brunei.

Director General of Somalia's Ministry of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow, warned that security forces would break-up any gatherings held in the capital Mogadishu.

He said: 'All events related to Christmas and New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture, which could damage aqidah (faith) of the Muslim community.

'There should be no activity at all.'

Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan, deputy chairman of the Supreme Religious Council of Somalia, said Christian events might provoke further attacks by the Muslim terror group Al Shabaab, it was reported by Ugandan daily New Vision.

ATP - Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s presentation of the 2016 budget of the over N6 trillion before a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode has accused the President of mortgaging the future of Nigerians stressing that the budget was insincere.

The former PDP Presidential Campaign spokesman, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, accused the Buhari administration of spending money like a drunken sailor.

Teen rescued Under rubble in china

ATP - A teenager was pulled out of the rubble alive Wednesday morning more than 60 hours after a massive landslide overtook an industrial park in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the Chinese news agency reported.

Police rescued 19-year-old Tian Zeming and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors worked to save his foot, Wang Guangming, the president of the hospital was quoted by the Chinese Xinhua news agency as saying.

One of Tian’s ankles had been stuck in the debris that overtook 33 buildings in the industrial park at noon on Sunday, Wang said. He said the teenager was in stable condition and had undergone surgery at the Guangming New District Central Hospital.

Reports: 1 killed in blast at Istanbul airport

ATP - ISTANBUL, Turkey -- An explosion at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport has killed one cleaner on a plane and wounded another, the BBC reports. The cause of the blast was not clear, and authorities were investigating whether it was the result of a bomb.

The airport is the second largest in the city.

Pegasus airline said the blast occurred at 2:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday (7.05 p.m. EST Tuesday), when no passengers were in the area, and that operations were continuing normally.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said police armed with rifles and protective vests imposed tight security at entrances to the airport after the blast, searching vehicles in the area.

The agency said one cleaner had suffered a wound to the head, while the other suffered a wounded hand.

U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Putin Allies

ATP - WASHINGTON—The Obama administration slapped fresh sanctions on Ukrainian and Russian businessmen and politicians close to President Vladimir Putin, a move that was designed to show support for Kiev but could undercut U.S. efforts to cooperate with Moscow on ending the Syrian war.

The Treasury Department on Tuesday said the penalties were aimed at forcing Russia to comply with diplomatic agreements designed to stabilize Ukraine and force Russian troops out of Crimea, which the Kremlin formally annexed last year.

The timing of the sanctions highlights the complicated ties between the two powers. While opposing Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the administration has worked to secure Moscow's cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group and in efforts to end the Syrian conflict.

ATP - The Anonymous hacktivist group has taken responsibility for a powerful cyber-attack on the Turkish sector of the internet last week. It promised to continue waging cyber warfare on .tr domains until Ankara stops the “insanity” of supporting Islamic State.

The massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on Turkish websites last week, initially attributed to spooky “Russian hackers,” has been clarified with Anonymous issuing a video claiming responsibility and declaring cyber war on Turkey for supporting terrorists of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

The DDoS attack (measured in gigabits per second, or plainly how much traffic is being sent to a site) on Turkish DNS servers reached 40 Gbps, quite enough to shut down altogether any domain.

ATP - MOSCOW, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Russia's bombing of Syria may amount to a war crime because of the number of civilians its strikes have killed, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, presenting what it said was evidence that the air raids had violated humanitarian law.

"Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and caused massive destruction in residential areas, striking homes, a mosque and a busy market, as well as medical facilities, in...attacks that show evidence of violations of international humanitarian law," Amnesty said in a new report.

ATP - Secretary of State John Kerry met Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week and announced that he will accept Putin's demand that President Bashar Assad stay in power in Syria. This is the latest in a long list of Kremlin victories in undercutting President Barack Obama's global leadership and undermining the likelihood that we'll see peace and stability in Syria.

The Obama administration hopes that Putin will be a constructive partner in our war against the Islamic State. But the latest gesture will lead to the same disappointment that we've had every other time we've tried to work with Putin.

Happening Now: President Buhari presents 2016 Budget

President Muhammadu Buhari is presenting the 2016 national budget before a joint session of the National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives today, December 22.

The National Assembly complex has been locked down by presidential guards ahead of the presentation.

There are strong indications that lawmakers are ready to ensure that the 2016 Appropriation Bill gets speedy consideration and is passed into law.

Once the budget is presented today by the president, the Senate and the House of Representatives will go to their various chambers to commence work.

FG to slam another fine on MTN if they fail to meet December 31 deadline

ATP - Shittu said, “it is the right of MTN to approach the court but there was an infraction, which MTN admitted to have committed before it pleaded for leniency that led to the reduction of the fine from N1.4 trillion to N780 billion and the subsequent December 31, 2015 deadline to pay.

“If it has decided to go to court, it is still within the ambit of the law. I will not intervene, since they have gone to court, we will allow the court to decide if it is right for MTN to commit those infractions and breach the laws of the land.”

“it is unwise for MTN to go to court after the Federal Government had magnanimously reduced the fine. It will surely be fined for violating the rule at the expiration of the deadline, should it fail to pay the initial fine.”

ATP - MTN has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos to challenge the $3.9 billion fine imposed on it by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). MTN is asking the court to quash the fine.

MTN wass in October slammedwith a fine of $5.2 billion for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers. The initial fine was later reduced by 25 per cent to $3.9 billion earlier this month, with a payment deadline set for December 31.

ATP - The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed fresh charges of treasonable felony managing an unlawful society on Nnamdi Kanu.

In the charge-sheet signed by the Director, Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Saidu Diri, for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu and the two others were charged with treasonable felony which is punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

ATP - Biafra proponent, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has cautioned expelled members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, against using the organisation to collect money from politicians.

Uwazurike, who is the founder of MASSOB, while speaking through the body’s National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, pledged not to compromise his leadership of the organization and the Biafra Independent Movement, BIM, noting that the two organizations have been repositioned to actualize the independent state of Biafra.

ATP - The mobile phone was found with one of the killed ISIL leaders in the Northern parts of Salahuddin province two days ago," Jabbar al-Ma'mouri told Soumeriya news on Monday.

He said that the mobile set and history files contain messages from the Turkish intelligence agency which show that Ankara supports the ISIL terrorist group through providing security at the points of entry used by ISIL militants from Turkey to Iraq.

"The mobile phone also contains other important information which cannot be disclosed now, and it has been delivered to the specialized security groups for further scrutiny," Ma'mouri said.

Top U.S. General Ignored Obama, Led Secret Plot to Protect Assad and Bring Russia Into Syrian War

ATP - President Obama’s top military commander secretly orchestrated intelligence sharing with military leaders in Germany, Israel and Russia to thwart the president’s policy to remove Bashar Assad from power in Syria and lay the groundwork for Russia’s military entrance into the Syrian civil war, because he believed Obama’s anti-ISIS strategies were hopelessly misguided.

That is just one of the astounding takeaways from a 6,800-word expose by venerated investigative reporter Seymour M. Hersh, that was just published in the London Review of Books. Hersh, whose sources include top senior aides to the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, which commands all U.S. military forces, also described in great detail how Turkey’s president Recep Erdoğan has deceived the White House by siding and arming ISIS and other extremist Islamic militias in Syria, in a gambit for Turkey to emerge as a regional power akin to the Ottoman Empire.

One third of London’s buses to run on waste fats and oils

ATP - Almost a third of London’s bus fleet will soon be running on a greener blend of diesel, resulting in a huge reduction in CO2 emissions of 21,000 tonnes each year which comes on top of the 48,000 tonne CO2 reduction from 2013 levels as a result of the introduction of lower emitting buses such as hybrids.

Two bus operators, Stagecoach and Metroline, have signed deals with Argent Energy to supply them with B20 green diesel. The cleaner burning fuel is made from blending diesel with renewable biodiesel from waste products, including cooking oil and tallow from the meat processing trade.

Saudi air defense intercepts rocket fired from Yemen

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen says Saudi air defense units have intercepted a rocket fired from inside Yemen in the southwest border city of Jazan.

A statement by the coalition said the rocket, which was fired early Monday, did not cause injuries or material damage and that the Saudi Air Force reacted immediately and destroyed the launching pad inside Yemen.

Nigerian troops kill 12 Boko Haram fighters: military

ATP - Nigerian troops have killed 12 Boko Haram fighters and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the hardline Islamist group whose six-year insurgency has claimed thousands of lives, a military spokesman said.

"As part of their determined efforts to rid the society of all known Boko Haram terrorists enclaves and hideouts, troops... conducted a fighting patrol along Damboa-Njaba-Bale road in Borno state" in the northeast of the country, Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement late Sunday.

Nigerian troops kill ‘notorious’ Boko Haram chieftain, members in Borno — Army

The Nigerian Army on Sunday said its troops in Borno killed a notorious member of the extremist Boko Haram sect as well as two other members known for terrorising remote community in the North-east state.

The spokesperson for the army, Sani Usman, a colonel, said the suspected terrorists were killed by personnel on ‘fighting patrol’.

ATP - Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday said there was no justification for people in North-East of Nigeria to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Osinbajo stated this when many members of PDP decamped to the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital.

Osinbajo, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said it was never too late for anyone wishing to join APC to do so.

“There is no justification for anyone in the north-east to remain in PDP.

Ukraine Refuses to Repay All Debt to Russia

Ukraine's government said that it will not repay any debt owed to Russia, which could trigger an international court case and jeopardize its IMF "lifeline."

ATP - Ukraine has officially declined to repay Russia its $3 billion loan, due on December 20, effectively defaulting on its foreign debt.

Although the Ukrainian Finance Ministry announced that it would not repay the debt on Thursday, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk reiterated the announcement on Friday, calling the inability to pay a "moratorium."

Other than the eventual court case against Ukraine, the deal may jeopardize the International Monetary Fund's bailout program for Ukraine, which requires the borrower country to reach a deal "in good faith."

Over 30 Iraqi Soldiers Killed in US Air Force Strike, 20 Others Injured

ATP - At least 30 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 20 others injured in US air strike, Hakim al-Zamili, the head of Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee said.

"Thirty soldiers from the Iraqi Army's 55 brigade were killed and 20 were injured in a US airstrike on the town of al-Naimiya in the al-Fallujah province," al-Zamili's statement obtained by Sputnik reads.

The politician stated that he demanded "the [Iraqi] prime minister to conduct an investigation into the airstrike against the 55 brigade, which had previously had huge success in the fight against Daesh terrorists."

NATO Chief Misunderstood Putin on Russian Volunteers as Military in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Jens Stoltenberg misunderstood Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement by assuming that Russian “volunteers” located in eastern Ukraine meant “members of the military.

ATP - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg misunderstood Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement by assuming that Russian “volunteers” located in eastern Ukraine meant “members of the military,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

“There was a war going on and people went there to fight, to shoot, and to participate in combat…that’s the military sphere,” Peskov told journalists in response of what the Russian president had in mind when he was speaking about military issues during his annual press conference on December 17.

When journalists asked Peskov to be more precise of what Putin was speaking about when discussing the military in eastern Ukraine that he meant Russian volunteers had been there and not regular military troops, Peskov said, “Yes.”

ATP - The warning is consistent with previous ones concerning the Ukraine conflict, reflecting continued uncertainty about the fate of the fragile cease-fire, which, despite a marked reduction of fighting since September, hasn’t taken hold fully.

“There have been multiple casualties due to land mines in areas previously controlled by separatists, and separatist leaders have made statements indicating their desire to push the front line to the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts,” the State Department warned, referring to the two separatist-controlled territories.

The statement continued: “Individuals, including U.S. citizens, have been threatened, detained, or kidnapped for hours or days after being stopped at separatist checkpoints.”

Packed within the warning, however, is a piece of good news: The cities of Kharkiv and Odessa (Ukraine’s second and fourth largest cities, respectively) were taken off the State Department’s latest advisory. A July travel warning included the two cities.

In an emailed statement to the Daily Signal, the State Department said it had “eliminated language urging citizens to exercise extreme vigilance in Odessa and Kharkiv” after “ongoing assessments of the security situation in those areas.”

BIAFRA| Five Killed as Soldiers Open Fire On Jubilating Crowd

ATP - Five members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Onitsha, Anambra State, were killed yesterday.

The unfortunate incident happened as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were rejoicing over the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja to unconditionally release the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, when soldiers attached to the 302 Artillery Regiment in Onitsha opened fire on them, killing five instantly and injuring 25 others.

The soldiers wrongly believed that IPOB supporters had trooped out to protest against the detention of their leader,Nnamdi Kanu, not knowing that they were celebrating his release. The incident happened at the Onitsha end of the River Niger Bridge and immediately caused panic among motorists and commuters who scampered for safety as tension pervaded the city.

ATP - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the conflict in Syria could be finished in “less than a year” if foreign support for terrorism ends.

“If the responsible countries take actions against the flood and the flowing of terrorists (into Syria) and the logistic support, I can guarantee that it will take less than one year,” he said.

The Syrian president made the comments in an interview with Dutch television station NPO2 on Thursday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

Assad said the problem is that the backing for terrorists operating in Syria continues on a daily basis in a bid to make the situation more chaotic and to put obstacles in way of any solution to the crisis.

ATP - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Dec. 18 to discuss a complaint by Iraq over Turkish troops deployed to a camp near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Turkey deployed around 150 troops in the Bashiqa area this month with the stated aim of training an Iraqi militia to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Iraqi government says they are not welcome and must withdraw.

Turkey withdrew some troops this week, moving them to another base inside Iraq's Kurdistan region, but Baghdad said they should pull out completely.

In a Dec. 11 letter to the 15-member Security Council, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari complained that Turkey had violated his country's sovereignty and territorial unity and integrity.

ATP - Captain Alexander Shvarts watched on as the iron covers whirred open on the air defense system aboard the Russian navy's Mosvka missile cruiser off the Syrian coast.

"This system can fire up to twelve missiles at any one time," Shvarts said Thursday during a highly choreographed press tour of the ship arranged by the Russian defense ministry. "The range is around 70 kilometers (43 miles)."

The Moskva - flagship of Russia's Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet - is the largest warship the Kremlin has sent to support its bombing campaign in the war-torn nation.

It is patrolling some 10 nautical miles (13 kilometers) offshore in the eastern Mediterranean.

Until about three weeks ago, the Soviet-era craft, built in 1983, was further out to sea providing protection for ships delivering supplies for the Russian base on land.

But after a Turkish F-16 fighter blasted a Russian jet out of the sky along the Syrian border it was ordered closer to shore to help ward off any future attacks on Russian planes bombing across Syria.

Kerry says Assad can stay in power

US Secretary of State, John Kerry, told journalists that “the United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change” in Syria

John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov in moscow

ATP - The US changed her mind regarding the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the Secretary of State, John Kerry, told reporters in Moscow, Russia that the US and her partners “are not seeking so-called regime change” in Syria.

After meeting with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, Kerry told reporters that the focus for the two rival countries, is “not on our differences about what can or cannot be done immediately about Assad.” Rather, it is on facilitating a peace process in which “Syrians will be making decisions for the future of Syria,” the US official said.

Russian support for Syrian government and Ukrainian separatists top agenda

ATP - Russian support for the government in Syria and separatist rebels in Ukraine topped the agenda Tuesday as Secretary of State John F. Kerry sat down with Russia’s foreign minister in advance of talks with President Vladimir Putin.

As Kerry and Sergei Lavrov settled on opposite sides of a table in an opulent conference room in Russia’s foreign ministry, Kerry reiterated the U.S. position that the primary threat comes from the Islamic State fighters both Washington and Moscow consider terrorists, not the anti-government fighters Russia has been bombing heavily.

“These are the worst of terrorists,” Kerry said. “They attack culture, history, and all decency. And they leave no choice but for civilized nations to stand together, and to fight and push back, and destroy them.”

ATP - Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has said he handed over the N10 billion given to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) nomination convention delegates to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa and the aide-de-camp.

He said the money was given out by the two aides, on the directive of Jonathan, noting that, apart from collecting the cash, he had nothing to do with it.

As at press time, no slush funds had been traced to Dasuki’s personal accounts, it was learnt.

Dasuki, who protested that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had subjected him to “media trial”, said such a treatment might jeopardise his defence.

Also yesterday, it was gathered that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that the N10 billion was sourced from the Signature Bonus Account (oil block Account).

But the ex-NSA expressed regrets that he was being vilified by the EFCC when he acted on the instructions and approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

ATP - The Iranian parliament held an open session in Tehran on Tuesday, during which the legislators underlined the necessity for helping the Shiite population in Nigeria.

They also called for leaving no stone unturned, including trying back chennels at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), to assist the Muslims in Nigeria's Zaria region.

In response to the lawmakers' demands, Larijani underscored at this morning session that "specific measures are underway".

The Nigerian army attacked two religious centers of the country's Shiite community on Saturday, killing hundreds of defenseless civilians there. A few hours later on Sunday, the military wounded and arrested Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky after raiding his house and killing his son, assistants and hundreds of followers.

The Saturday and Sunday crackdown on the Shiite community by the Nigerian army that ended in the massacre of the Shiites in several raids has caused serious concerns in Tehran.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Nigeria's charge d'affaires in Tehran over the massacre of the Shiite Muslims in Zaria.

Saudi Arabia forms Islamic counterterrorism coalition

ATP -Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that 34 nations have agreed to form a new "Islamic military alliance" to fight terrorism with a joint operations center based in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh.

The announcement published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency said the alliance will be Saudi-led and is being established because terrorism "should be fought by all means and collaboration should be made to eliminate it." The statement said Islam forbids "corruption and destruction in the world" and that terrorism constitutes "a serious violation of human dignity and rights, especially the right to life and the right to security."

The new counterterrorism coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt as well as war-torn countries with embattled militaries such as Libya and Yemen. African nations that have suffered militant attacks such as Mali, Chad, Somalia and Nigeria are also members.

KERRY IN MOSCOW FOR TALKS ON SYRIA, UKRAINE

ATP - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Russia to try and narrow gaps with Russian leaders over a political transition to end Syria's civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine.

After spending last week at climate talks outside the French capital, Kerry arrived early Tuesday in Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Before departing Paris, Kerry attended a French-hosted foreign ministers meeting to compare notes on the results of a conference of Syrian opposition figures held last week in Saudi Arabia that are key to the peace effort. He also met separately with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.

The trip is Kerry's second to Russia this year - he met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May - but his first since frosty relations over Ukraine were exacerbated by Moscow's intervention in Syria in late September. President Barack Obama has seen Putin briefly twice since then at international summits in Turkey and France.

A U.S. diplomat in Paris, who demanded anonymity to discuss the talks, said a meeting in Geneva on Friday between Russian and American diplomats on Syria was aimed mainly at clearing up Russian "grievances" ahead of Tuesday's Moscow meeting.

Obama warns Islamic State leaders 'you are next'

US PresidentBarack Obama voiced fresh determination to destroy the Islamic State Monday, vowing to kill the group's leaders and win back territory in the Middle East,APA reports quoting AFP.

Sounding a notably more strident tone, Obama said that the United States and its allies were taking the fight to Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

"We are hitting ISIL harder than ever," said Obama, in a second address following the seemingly Islamic State-influenced attack in San Bernardino that has raised questions about his strategy.

"As we squeeze its heart, we'll make it harder for ISIL to pump its terror and propaganda to the rest of the world," Obama insisted at the Pentagon, after meeting with top military and national security advisors.

Listing eight Islamic State figures killed in coalition operations, Obama issued a stern warning.

"ISIL leaders cannot hide and our next message to them is simple: You are next."

Obama said that US special forces were now in Syria and were helping local groups squeeze the Islamic State's proclaimed "capital" at Raqqa.

A Russian company says it plans to begin sending tourists to Syria, including visits to the frontline of the battle against terrorism, next year. It has already applied for registration of the ‘Assad Tour’ trademark.

The application to register Assad Tour – apparently, named after Syrian President, Bashar Assad – has already been submitted to Russian Agency for Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent), Moscow City News Agency reported on Monday.

The applicant, Megapolis Ltd., expects to launch tours from Moscow to Syria next year, with the possibility of a trip to the front line,” Anatoly Aronov – president of the First Patent Company, which assisted in filing the application – told the news agency.

The tours will be intended for individuals or small groups of tourists, lasting between four or five days, he said.

Nigerian Envoy Summoned over Mass Killing of Shiite Muslims

The Nigerian army attacked two religious centers of the country's Shiite community on Saturday, killing hundreds of defenseless civilians there. A few hours later on Sunday, the military arrested Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky after raiding his house and killing his son, assistants and followers.

The Iranian foreign ministry on Monday afternoon summoned the Nigerian envoy to voice Tehran's serious concern over the incident.

At the meeting, Head of the foreign ministry's first office for African affairs condemned the the Nigerian army attack on the Shiite community as unacceptable, and reiterated the Nigerian government's responsibility for protecting the lives of the Shiites and religious centers, specially the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran seriously demands clarification of the dimensions of the incident, treatment of the wounded people and compensation of the damages incurred at the earliest," the Iranian diplomat said.

DSS says Nnamdi Kanu funding terrorism as court adjourns until Thursday

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Thursday to decide whether or not to admit the Radio Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on bail.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola on Monday fixed the date after taking arguments from both parties involved in the bail application.

Kanu has been in detention of the Department of State Services (DSS) since October.

Tribune reports that Counsel to the DSS, Mr Moses Idakwo, while objecting to Kanu’s bail application, asked the court not to admit the suspect on bail because he was allegedly involved in terrorism acts.

The DSS counsel told Justice Ademola that the Federal Government was in possession of bank accounts of the accused person for dollars and pound sterling from where he had allegedly been financing terrorism acts against the country.

Shell and Akon unveil Africa’s first player & solar powered football pitch in Lagos

ATP - Music star Akon joined Shell to shine a light on the power of innovative options for access to smarter energy by unveiling Africa’s first human and solar powered football pitch at the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos. The new pitch is the latest initiative from Shell’s #makethefuture programme, which puts bright energy ideas into action to bring benefits to local communities around the world.

The football pitch was refurbished by Shell using more than 90 underground tiles that capture kinetic energy created by the movement of the players. The tiles are the invention of a young British entrepreneur and founder of Pavegen, Laurence Kemball-Cook, who has been supported through Shell LiveWIRE. The kinetic energy is then stored and combined with power generated by solar panels to operate the new floodlights. This bright energy idea allows the students to play at night and provides a safer and more secure space at the heart of the community.

Four Nigerian female scientists, others win L’Oréal, UNESCO award

L’Oréal, UNESCO has hounoured 12 female scientists from across Sub-Saharan Africa among which are four Nigerians .

The L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO in a statement announced the recipients of the 2015 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Fellowships

They were honoured for their work and impact in the scientific field.

This year 19 applications were received from 19 countries which according to the statement released is testament to the increasing awareness of the program and their commitment to advancing women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

“Science knows no boundaries, and that includes gender as well as age. African women have once again displayed inventiveness and excellence when it comes to the sciences.

COP21: 195 nations in landmark deal to cut carbon emissions

A landmark deal to tackle climate change was agreed at the COP21 summit in Paris over the weekend is a “monumental triumph”, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said.

The agreement, which was reached on Saturday following two weeks of talks, commits all 195 signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to cutting emission for the first time.

All countries have agreed to work to reduce their emissions in order to hold global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees celsius, with an aim for a maximum increase of 1.5 degrees.

The agreement also sets out a roadmap to increase funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation and clean energy generation to $100bn by 2020.

Paris climate change deal ‘signals end of fossil fuel era’, say experts

The international climate deal agreed in Paris is a turning point in history which signals the end of the fossil fuel era, it has been claimed.

The final draft of the agreement has received a largely positive response from environmental and aid campaigners, experts and analysts, although there are concerns it does not go far enough to tackle climate change.

Emma Ruby-Sachs, acting executive director of campaign group Avaaz, said: “If agreed, this deal will represent a turning point in history, paving the way for the shift to 100% clean energy that the world wants and the planet needs.”

Wednesday 23 December 2015

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Monday 21 December 2015

Friday 18 December 2015

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Monday 14 December 2015