Thursday, 7 January 2016
End 'business as usual' with North Korea, U.S. tells China
The United States called on China on Thursday to end "business as usual" with its ally North Korea after Pyongyang defied world powers by announcing it had tested a hydrogen bomb.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he made clear in a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that China's approach to North Korea had failed.
"China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, that we agreed and respected to give them space to implement that," Kerry told reporters. "Today in my conversation with the Chinese I made it very clear that has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual."
China is the North's main economic and diplomatic backer although relations between the two Cold War allies have cooled in recent years.
The vast majority of North Korea's business dealings are with China, which bought 90 percent of the isolated country's exports in 2013, according to data compiled by South Korea's International Trade Association.
North Korea carried out a nuclear test on Wednesday, although the U.S. government and weapons experts doubt Pyongyang's assertion that the device it exploded was a powerful hydrogen bomb.
The test angered both the United States and China, which was not given prior notice.
As of Thursday morning, "sniffer" planes and other sensors had yet to detect any evidence, such as particles in the air, that would substantiate the North Korean assertion that it had set off an H-Bomb, a U.S. government source said.
North Korea also said it was capable of miniaturizing the hydrogen bomb, in theory allowing it to be placed on a missile and threatening the U.S. West Coast, South Korea and Japan.
U.S. CONGRESS TO ACT
U.S. Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives could join forces in a rare display of unity to further tighten sanctions on North Korea.
Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, told reporters that Democrats would support a North Korea bill likely to be brought for a vote by Republicans next week. A congressional source said it was expected as soon as Monday.
The legislation was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last February but it was stalled until Pyongyang jolted the world by setting off an underground nuclear bomb test.
The House measure would target banks facilitating North Korea's nuclear program and authorize freezing of U.S. assets of those directly linked to illicit North Korean activities. It would also penalize those involved in business providing North Korea with hard currency.
"We understand Republican leadership plans to move a bill strengthening U.S. sanctions on North Korea. That will have strong bipartisan support," Pelosi said, adding that "we will support it."
It was unclear how more sanctions would deter North Korea, which has conducted four nuclear tests since 2006 while paying little heed to international pressure.
The United States and its ally South Korea are limited in their military response. After North Korea last tested a nuclear device, in 2013, Washington sent a pair of nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers on a sortie over South Korea in a show of force. At the time, North Korea responded by threatening a nuclear strike on the United States.
The test also alarmed Japan. Its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephone call that a firm global response was needed, the White House said.
Obama also discussed options with President Park Geun-hye of South Korea.
A South Korean military official told Reuters that Seoul and
Washington had discussed the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the divided Korean peninsula, but declined to give further details.
A White House spokesman said there had been no talk with South Korea about any introduction of the so-called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, a move opposed by China.
"There have been no discussions or consultations with the South Koreans" about the deployment of anti-ballistic missile capability," the spokesman, Josh Earnest, said.
The system has radars that can track multiple ballistic missiles up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away, a range which would reach deep into China.
In response to the latest test, South Korea said it would resume propaganda broadcasts by loudspeaker into North Korea from Friday, which is likely to infuriate its isolated rival.
The South raised its military alert to the highest level in areas along the border near its propaganda loudspeakers, the South's Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.
"Our military is at a state of full readiness, and if North Korea wages provocation, there will be firm punishment," a South Korean national security official, Cho Tae-yong, said in a statement
Dow off to worst January start ever as China fears grow
U.S. stocks sold off further on Thursday, giving the Dow its worst start to a year since the 30-stock index was created in 1928, dragged down by another drop in Chinese equities and oil prices at 12-year lows.
China allowed the biggest fall in the yuan currency in five months, adding to investor fears about the health of its economy, while Shanghai stocks .SSEC were halted for the second time this week after another steep selloff.
Oil prices fell to 12-year lows and copper prices touched their lowest since 2009, weighing on energy and materials shares. Shares of Freeport McMoran (FCX.N) dropped 9.1 percent to $5.61. All 10 S&P 500 sectors ended in the red, though, and the Nasdaq Biotech index .NBI fell 4.1 percent.
"People see the weakness in China and in the overall equity market and think there's going to be an impact on corporations here in the United States," said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Boston Private Wealth in New York.
"When you have a market that begins a year with weakness, people are sort of suspect anyway. The economy isn't moving all that well, the outlook is modest at best, and they don't want to wait for the long term. China creates more uncertainty."
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI closed down 392.41 points, or 2.32 percent, to 16,514.1, the S&P 500 .SPX had lost 47.17 points, or 2.37 percent, to 1,943.09 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC had dropped 146.34 points, or 3.03 percent, to 4,689.43.
The Dow has lost 5.2 percent since the end of 2015 in the worst first four trading days since the 30-stock index's creation.
Stocks extended declines late in the session, and the CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, the market's favored gauge of Wall Street anxiety, ended up 21.4 percent at 24.99, its highest since Sept. 29.
Investors also braced for Friday's U.S. government jobs report, which could show how well-insulated the U.S. economy is from international stresses.
Billionaire investor George Soros, speaking at an economic forum in Sri Lanka, drew similarities between the present environment and the financial crash of 2008. He said global markets were facing a crisis and investors needed to be very cautious, Bloomberg reported.
Apple, which generates a lot of its business in China and is still the most valuable U.S. company, fell 4.2 percent to its lowest level since the August market swoon.
Yahoo (YHOO.O) fell 6.2 percent to $30.16 after Business Insider reported the company was working on a plan to cut its workforce by at least 10 percent. Alibaba (BABA.N), in which Yahoo has a stake, was down 6 percent at $72.72.
Volume has been heavy this week. About 9.9 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges Thursday, well above the 7.2 billion daily average for the past 20 trading days, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,704 to 415, for a 6.52-to-1 ratio on the downside; on the Nasdaq, 2,492 issues fell and 390 advanced for a 6.39-to-1 ratio favoring decliners.
The S&P 500 posted 1 new 52-week highs and 82 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 16 new highs and 302 new lows.
(Additional reporting by Tanya Agrawal and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Nick Zieminski).
Tech executives, U.S. officials to confer on militants' social media use
In an escalation of pressure on technology firms to do more to combat online Islamic militant propaganda from groups like Islamic State, the meeting follows attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California that focused increased attention on the role played by social media sites such as Twitter(TWTR.N), YouTube and Facebook(FB.O).
Invited participants include White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, presidential counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey, National Intelligence Director James Clapper and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers, one of the sources said.
A source familiar with the meeting said it would focus on social media content, not encrypted communications, another topic of discussion between Silicon Valley and the White House.
Twitter last week updated its policies for policing its content to explicitly prohibit "hateful conduct." Other websites have similarly updated and clarified their abuse policies within the past 18 months.
The meeting's priorities, outlined by an agenda circulated with participants, include how to make it harder for militants to recruit and mobilize followers on social media as well as helping ordinary users create, publish and amplify content that can undercut groups like Islamic State.
According to the agenda, the meeting also will touch on how technology can be used to disrupt paths to violent radicalization and identify recruitment patterns, and how to make it easier for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify militant operatives.
Twitter Inc confirmed that it will have at least one representative attending the meeting but said its CEO Jack Dorsey will not be participating.
The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters
Arms scandal: No $2.1bn is missing, FG’s lying, says Dokpesi
Arms scandal: No $2.1bn is missing, FG’s lying, says Dokpesi
Former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi has described the alleged missing $2.1bn arms fund as a hoax, saying the charges were meant to decimate the leadership and membership of the opposition party.
Dokpesi said this Abuja when members of the PDP Youth Vanguard named him as the group’s patron.
He said, “Our party is indeed experiencing a massive persecution, political repression and vendetta of the kind never before seen on our shores, targeted at the leadership, membership and indeed sympathisers of the PDP by the All Progressives Congress government of the day.
“I speak with regard to several matters before the law courts of our country concerning the PDP members and especially my humble self on charges filed against us by the Federal Government.
“I must hasten to assure you that there is nothing like the much-flaunted $2.1b arms gate. The competent courts of our land would sooner or later prove this coinage, aimed at decimating the leadership and membership of our great party, to be nothing but a hoax.”
Dokpesi told the youths group that the PDP had not and would not die.
The EFCC had arrested Dokpesi following an investigation into the interim report of a presidential committee on the procurement of arms and equipment for the Armed Forces and the defence sector from 2007 to date.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has preferred six counts of money laundering and procurement-related charges involving N2.1bn against him.
Dokpesi had, however, in a statement, said the money he collected from the NSA’s office was meant for publicity and media campaigns during the 2015 general elections, describing it as a contractual transaction.
The prosecution said Dokpesi and his company had, by the deal, violated the provisions of the EFCC Act, Public Procurement Act and Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
He was granted bail in the sum of N400m on December 14.
EXPOSED! How Amaechi Diverted Over N40 Billion Into Buhari’s Presidential Campaign
Funds running into billions of naira were unaccounted for in sleazy misappropriations allegedly facilitated and presided over by the former Rivers State governor. Sources informed about the shady deals under Amaechi availed IGBERETV, details that show how Rivers State’s treasury was emptied into private concerns of the former governor as well as the APC presidential campaign.
In October 2015, a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate the sale of state assets in Rivers State under Amaechi demanded the immediate prosecution of Amaechi and all his cronies involved in the illegal sale of Rivers State assets. According to the panel report, Amaechi misappropriated over N97 billion in the sale of the state valued assets.
“The commission recommends that the former governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, along with his former commissioners for Finance and Power, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside and Augustine Nwokocha, respectively, should be held to account for their roles in the sales of the power generation assets of First Independent Power Limited and the disbursement of the proceeds therefrom.
“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the office of the Honorable Attorney-General and commissioner for Justice, to promptly set in motion the appropriate machinery for the recovery of the proceeds of the sale of the gas turbines from the former governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and every other persons implicated in the commission’s report,” the Commissioner of Housing in Rivers State, Emma Okah, who spoke on behalf of the State Government, said.
In August 2015, reports in the Nigerian media were awash with Amaechi’s ownership of several foreign accounts. In one of the reports, it was alleged that “the sum of over 757 million U.S. dollars was stacked by Amaechi in a foreign U.S. Bancorp/Minnesota account.”
In swift reaction, the Integrity Group, a non-governmental organization, sent a petition to President Buhari as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairman to investigate Amaechi for the over N70 billion allegedly stolen from the Rivers State government.
According to investigative reports, backed with several documents attached to the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry report, this amount is separate from the N21 billion which the PDP claims Amaechi transferred from the Power Assets proceeds account of Access bank to the accounts of three private companies with a 25 Trans-Amadi Road, Port Harcourt address. Those companies are Advante Consulting and Management Company, Result Imports Experts Company, and Capital Ltd.
The PDP in Rivers State claim that there are many more instances of fraud and theft perpetrated by the former Governor, which is why they are asking President Buhari to probe Rotimi Amaechi’s past. But instead of probing Amaechi, his role as the benefactor of President Buhari’s campaign was fatly rewarded with a government appointment as Minister of Transport under Buhari.
A source who did not want to be named disclosed to IGBERETV that the sum of N6 billion was single-handedly provided by Amaechi to support President Buhari for the APC presidential primaries alone. “The N6 billion largesse Amaechi donated to Buhari just for the primaries alone is what was partly spent settling over 8,000 APC delegates. Buhari outspent Atiku, Kwankwaso and the other aspirants. Delegates were settled in hard currency before and on the grounds of the primaries. Seven bullion vans brought Amaechi’s money into the arena of the APC presidential primaries. How do you think Buhari got the ticket? It was Amaechi’s money that did the job”, the source said.
Amaechi also allegedly funneled over N30 billion into the overall presidential campaign of the APC across the thirty-six states of Nigeria. “Amaechi was the one spending most of the money for media, for the US consultant David Axelrod and most of the private jets and vehicles used by APC during the campaign were provided by him. That’s why he became known even within his party’s circles as the ‘ATM’”, an informed source who pleaded anonymity told this newspaper.
As fresh facts continue to emerge, Amaechi is alleged to have drained Rivers state reserves from N55 billion to N1.24 billion within the time frame of a single year. Out of the amount allegedly withdrawn by Amaechi, N53.93 billion was said to be without a list of expenditure. BudgIT, a civic startup that disseminates budgets and public data, made the revelation via its Twitter handle. BudgIT stated that it obtained the information from FBN trustees, while disclosing the figures.
“Amaechi had access to over N3 trillion during his eight years as Rivers State governor, but failed to leave funds for the development of the state. His only ambition was the wastage of Rivers State money like a prodigal son on his political ambitions”, a senior Rivers State government official who did not want to be named told our correspondent.
More sleazy revelations on how Ameachi ran Rivers State into penury have continued to filter into the public space, the recent being how he allegedly lavished the sum of N82 million on the 80th birthday dinner of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Despite the deluge of allegations, the former governor has continued to deny the reports. In one report, he denied ownership of bank accounts in the United States and Switzerland. In a statement, Mr Amaechi said the stories were concocted to ridicule his person and achievements. Efforts by IGBERETV to get Amaechi’s side of the story have proved abortive.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Buhari’s ruling party has risen in stout defence of Amaechi insisting that officials of anti-graft agencies cannot probe Amaechi without evidence. The party said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would not touch leaders of the ruling party except it has solid evidence.
FULFILL YOUR AGREEMENT WITH BOKO HARAM, DECLARE NIGERIA FULL ISLAMIC STATE, SEN. SHEHU TELLS BUHARI
FULFILL YOUR AGREEMENT WITH BOKO HARAM, DECLARE NIGERIA FULL ISLAMIC STATE, SEN. SHEHU TELLS BUHARI
S-H-O-C-K-I-N-G!!!
Buhari Must Fulfil His Agreement With Boko Haram Leaders – Sen Shehu Sani.
**declare Nigeria a full Islamic state and Implement Sharia law across Nigeria.
Buhari Must Fulfil His Agreement With Boko Haram Leaders – Sen Shehu Sani.
**declare Nigeria a full Islamic state and Implement Sharia law across Nigeria.
“President Buhari should keep his own part of the bargain if he wants
Boko Haram to stop the terror. He should stop the begging, and keep his
part of the deal;
1] declare Nigeria an Islamic state,
2] free the captives,
3] implement Sharia across Nigeria
4] abolish Western education.
That was the promise Buhari made to Boko Haram leaders, to get their
support. Buhari can afford to renege on his electioneering promise to
Nigerians but not Boko Haram.” – Senator Shehu Sani, Kaduna state
Central.1] declare Nigeria an Islamic state,
2] free the captives,
3] implement Sharia across Nigeria
4] abolish Western education.
ABIA CHARTER OF EQUITY: A MIX-UP IN THE ISSUE OF THE UPCOMING SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT- BY CHUKS DIGITS
ABIA CHARTER OF EQUITY: A MIX-UP IN THE ISSUE OF THE UPCOMING SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT- BY CHUKS DIGITS
Anybody that is bringing up Abia Charter of Equity or Charter of Unity (Peace accord) as precedence to the upcoming Supreme Court judgement is bias, naive, lopsided and not been fair to Abia People. As far as this contest and the awaiting Supreme Court judgement is concern, the so called charter of equity and unity has no place in it and anybody that wants the supreme court to observe it as precedence of ruling the final judgement is talking shit. Talking about charter of Equity when Isuikwuato people were denied their slot is raising more uproar in the means of ongoing argue baggy. By right it was even the turn of Isuikwuato to produce the governor base on the charter as the name ABIA goes which stands for A for Afikpo, B for Bende, I for Isuikwuato and A for Aba. One will even be surprise that Obingwa people are not been fair to other part of Ngwa let alone the entire state. We have to recall that this same local government alone that is shouting marginalization has produced two deputy governors Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe now 3 times senator and Hon Eric Acho Nwakamma. Though their senatorial zone (Abia South) have also produce all the deputy governors Abia ever had and also the highest political office in Abia state represented by former senate president Aldophus Nwagbara from Ugwa but Obigwa is dominating other Local Governments that made up of Abia South. The same overriding attitude which they have been exhibiting is what they want to use to intimidate the entire state but it might not work. From above assertion, anybody who wants call spade a spade should let Obingwa people know that they are been greedy, domineering and call them to order. It is the same greedy that is causing the problems we are facing today in Abia State. It will be illogical to use Abia Charter of Equity or Unity as a tool to toy other part of Ngwa or the entire state and anybody that is asking for the Supreme Court to use any form of Charter for their Judgement is bias and agent of destabilization. If we must expose what was said during election, some of the statement we heard during election alleged that Okezie and clique have mission of seizing power for 16 years, it was an agenda they intend doing because they said that today’s Abia was originally divided into Ngwa and Old Bende. Old Bende which included Umuahia and they were of opinion that Old Bende have produced governors for 16 years and will make sure power did not reach them again until next 16 years. But because Dr. Ikpeazu who might be willing to dance to the tune of some selfish politicians from the zone, they now want to be silent over the fact that Ngwa people are one and allow Dr. Otti to enjoy his mandate but the rhetorical question is; who is fooling who? One article was made by Kodilinye Obiagwu of South East Bureau Chief and published in guardian with caption APGA, PDP, Supreme Court and questions for Abia’s charter of unity. Having read the article, the article itself is a malapropism which lost focus, dangling and digressing. The issue at stake was not fully address but it is rather a systematic call for Supreme Court judges to tamper justice with mercy and have sympathy with Obingwa people and the entire Abia South. Is that what a rational mind should tell a respectful arm of government that shouldn’t be biased? One of the names he mentioned in his article for example Dr. Uche Ogah who comes from Isuikwuato, a local government that was denied their slot in the stance of the equity decided to keep quite not because he cannot fight but because he sees politics as not do or die affairs. It is not that Dr. Ogah cannot arrange boys to cause pandemonium in the state BUT because he did not want to destroy the state he loved and his only state BUT today’s do or die politicians are willing to burn down the State as far as it will enable them intimidate others to take over the power. As far as this issue has gone beyond Abia State settlement, we must not be bias in action and reasoning. We must not resurrect buried hatches because it will create more problems in the state. We should rather allow the Supreme Court to decide and not putting words into them in order to sympathize with any set of people. In fact if the court should have sympathy, it should be for the suffering poor masses of Abia State that voted for Alex Otti so that they will experience the needed positive changes in Abia State. If the Court should tamper justice with mercy, it should be mercy to the common man in Abia State that has been suffering because of poor leaderships going on in the state. Nobody is disenfranchising Obi Ngwa or others but if we must be sincere we must accept the fact the figure they are presenting is like false and overwhelming even when the entire local government could produce 50,000 votes during the presidential election. It is obvious that such figure has been there as tools for election rigging even before the time of Okezie and they still want it to be applicable in this era of card reading which might not work.
Chuks Digits- From Abia State, a Preacher and a Software Specialist.
Anybody that is bringing up Abia Charter of Equity or Charter of Unity (Peace accord) as precedence to the upcoming Supreme Court judgement is bias, naive, lopsided and not been fair to Abia People. As far as this contest and the awaiting Supreme Court judgement is concern, the so called charter of equity and unity has no place in it and anybody that wants the supreme court to observe it as precedence of ruling the final judgement is talking shit. Talking about charter of Equity when Isuikwuato people were denied their slot is raising more uproar in the means of ongoing argue baggy. By right it was even the turn of Isuikwuato to produce the governor base on the charter as the name ABIA goes which stands for A for Afikpo, B for Bende, I for Isuikwuato and A for Aba. One will even be surprise that Obingwa people are not been fair to other part of Ngwa let alone the entire state. We have to recall that this same local government alone that is shouting marginalization has produced two deputy governors Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe now 3 times senator and Hon Eric Acho Nwakamma. Though their senatorial zone (Abia South) have also produce all the deputy governors Abia ever had and also the highest political office in Abia state represented by former senate president Aldophus Nwagbara from Ugwa but Obigwa is dominating other Local Governments that made up of Abia South. The same overriding attitude which they have been exhibiting is what they want to use to intimidate the entire state but it might not work. From above assertion, anybody who wants call spade a spade should let Obingwa people know that they are been greedy, domineering and call them to order. It is the same greedy that is causing the problems we are facing today in Abia State. It will be illogical to use Abia Charter of Equity or Unity as a tool to toy other part of Ngwa or the entire state and anybody that is asking for the Supreme Court to use any form of Charter for their Judgement is bias and agent of destabilization. If we must expose what was said during election, some of the statement we heard during election alleged that Okezie and clique have mission of seizing power for 16 years, it was an agenda they intend doing because they said that today’s Abia was originally divided into Ngwa and Old Bende. Old Bende which included Umuahia and they were of opinion that Old Bende have produced governors for 16 years and will make sure power did not reach them again until next 16 years. But because Dr. Ikpeazu who might be willing to dance to the tune of some selfish politicians from the zone, they now want to be silent over the fact that Ngwa people are one and allow Dr. Otti to enjoy his mandate but the rhetorical question is; who is fooling who? One article was made by Kodilinye Obiagwu of South East Bureau Chief and published in guardian with caption APGA, PDP, Supreme Court and questions for Abia’s charter of unity. Having read the article, the article itself is a malapropism which lost focus, dangling and digressing. The issue at stake was not fully address but it is rather a systematic call for Supreme Court judges to tamper justice with mercy and have sympathy with Obingwa people and the entire Abia South. Is that what a rational mind should tell a respectful arm of government that shouldn’t be biased? One of the names he mentioned in his article for example Dr. Uche Ogah who comes from Isuikwuato, a local government that was denied their slot in the stance of the equity decided to keep quite not because he cannot fight but because he sees politics as not do or die affairs. It is not that Dr. Ogah cannot arrange boys to cause pandemonium in the state BUT because he did not want to destroy the state he loved and his only state BUT today’s do or die politicians are willing to burn down the State as far as it will enable them intimidate others to take over the power. As far as this issue has gone beyond Abia State settlement, we must not be bias in action and reasoning. We must not resurrect buried hatches because it will create more problems in the state. We should rather allow the Supreme Court to decide and not putting words into them in order to sympathize with any set of people. In fact if the court should have sympathy, it should be for the suffering poor masses of Abia State that voted for Alex Otti so that they will experience the needed positive changes in Abia State. If the Court should tamper justice with mercy, it should be mercy to the common man in Abia State that has been suffering because of poor leaderships going on in the state. Nobody is disenfranchising Obi Ngwa or others but if we must be sincere we must accept the fact the figure they are presenting is like false and overwhelming even when the entire local government could produce 50,000 votes during the presidential election. It is obvious that such figure has been there as tools for election rigging even before the time of Okezie and they still want it to be applicable in this era of card reading which might not work.
Chuks Digits- From Abia State, a Preacher and a Software Specialist.
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