AznewsUpdates

Tuesday 9 August 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talk during their meeting in the Konstantin palace outside St.Petersburg, Russia

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

(1 of 4) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talk during their meeting in the Konstantin palace outside St.Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. President Erdogan travels to Russia to meet with President Putin for the first time since apologizing in late June for the downing of a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border in November last year.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pressed the United States to extradite the man he claims was behind the failed insurrection, and has sought more funds and visa-free travel from the European Union, but it's unclear what leverage improved ties with Russia could give him.

Putin, in turn, expects Turkey to become more accommodating of Russia's interests in Syria and move faster on major energy projects — demands Ankara could find difficult to meet. After their talks in St. Petersburg's ornate Konstantin Palace, both leaders emphasized their shared desire to rebuild ties, but it remained unclear if they could reach common ground on the Syrian crisis. While Moscow has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the nation's civil war and further bolstered that support by launching an air campaign last September, Turkey has pushed for Assad's removal and helped his foes.

Putin said he and Erdogan would have a separate discussion on Syria later Tuesday involving top diplomats and intelligence officials. Repeatedly calling Putin his "dear friend," Erdogan refrained from mentioning any sticking points after the talks, saying he expects ties to fully blossom again soon. He said Turkey is ready to implement a natural gas pipeline project proposed by Moscow and a deal for Russia to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

Both projects were announced years earlier, but had been held back by commercial disputes even before Turkey's downing of a Russian jet at the Syrian border last November. The shoot-down, which Putin called a "treacherous stab in the back," brought relations to a freezing point where they remained for seven months until Erdogan apologized to Russia in June. Putin responded by ordering his government to start rebuilding ties with Turkey, and when Erdogan faced the botched coup attempt on July 15 the Russian leader quickly offered his support.

Erdogan emphasized that pledge of support, saying "it was very important for us psychologically. It offered us moral support and showed Russia's solidarity with Turkey." While Putin also spoke of rebuilding ties, he sounded more cautious, warning that it will take time to fully restore them.

Moscow has accused the Turkish government of turning a blind eye to the flow of weapons and supplies to the Islamic State group and other extremists in Syria. While the Kremlin has tempered its rhetoric amid the rapprochement, Putin will most certainly push Erdogan to cut support for the rebels engaged in a fierce battle with Assad's forces in Aleppo.

Moscow could use economic levers to force Turkey to compromise on Syria. Turkey badly needs the flow of Russian tourists to resume, and Turkish farmers, construction companies and other businesses badly need to regain access to the Russian market, which has been shut to them after the plane's downing.

Putin said Tuesday that charter flights to Turkey could resume "in the near future," but added that "painstaking work is ahead to revive trade and economic cooperation." "This process has been launched, but it will take some time," the Russian leader said.

While ties with Russia can't substitute Turkey's economic and security cooperation with the U.S. and the EU and its membership in NATO, Erdogan clearly hopes to use the Russia card to strengthen his hand in disputes with his Western partners.

Turkey has pressed the United States hard to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric the government blames for the failed coup. Gulen has repeatedly denied any involvement. The dispute has strained U.S.-Turkish ties, with some Turkish officials implying Washington could have been behind the coup. The Obama administration has strongly denied that.

Speaking after the talks with Putin, Erdogan reiterated his contention that Gulen was behind the failed insurrection and alleged that the coup plotters were also responsible for the crisis in relations with Russia. He didn't touch on Ankara's demand for Gulen's extradition.

The failed coup saw renegade Turkish military officers using jets, helicopters and tanks try to take power in a night of violence that left more than 270 people dead. Since then, about 18,000 people have been detained or arrested and nearly 70,000 others suspected of links to Gulen have been suspended or dismissed from the civil service, judiciary, education, health care and the military.

Turkish officials have fumed at expressions of concern over the sweeping crackdown from European officials and rights groups, and accused the West of failing to show support for a democratically elected government. Ankara also lashed out at the EU for failing to uphold its end of an EU-Turkey agreement on migration.

The deal, struck in March, helped stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to the nearby Greek islands in exchange for an EU pledge of funds and visa-free travel for Turks. But plans to ease visa rules have run into trouble and Erdogan accused the EU earlier this month of failing to deliver the promised funds.

In contrast with his criticism of the U.S. and the EU, Erdogan heaped praise on Putin for offering support after the coup, saying: "We are strongly determined to take our relations to the pre-crisis and even higher level."

Putin responded in kind, saying that "higher interests of our peoples, our nations require the restoration of our ties."

Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.

Ashley D. Bell speaks during an interview with The Associated Press Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Washington.

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

(1 of 2) Ashley D. Bell speaks during an interview with The Associated Press Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Washington. Bell, who was one of the 18 black delegates at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, started this week as an RNC senior strategist and national director of African-American engagement.

Ashley Bell, who was one of the 18 black delegates at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, started this week as an RNC senior strategist and national director of African-American engagement.

Bell is also founder and co-leader of the 20/20 Leaders of America, LLC, a bipartisan group of African-American leaders and elected officials "united to elevate issues disproportionately affecting communities of color above partisan politics," according to the group's website. Its Democratic leader is Mayor Aja L. Brown of Compton, California.

Bell said if Republicans can get personal conversations started with the African-American community about issues that blacks care about, their candidates may have a chance in contests against Democrats. It's healthy for blacks to have actual choices between the two major parties, he said.

"If we leave every African-American voter where they feel they have a legitimate choice, then we've won the day," Bell said. He will be joined by Elroy Sailor and Shannon Reeves. Sailor, who used to work for Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, said he will serve as an advisory capacity to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus while Reeves, a political science professor at Alabama A&M University, will work with the party on creating a database of black voters.

All of them have important jobs to help convince black voters to consider the GOP that extends beyond this November's election, Sailor said. "Ashley is focused on tactics, strategies, elections; Shannon is focusing on the X's and O's, the number, the data; I'm focused three-dimensionally on institutional infrastructure, sustainability," he said. "So when you look at the approach, it is a very comprehensive, that is a winning approach."

The Republican Party has made a focus on getting more minority voters into its ranks, in part because racial and ethnic minorities are expected to make up a majority of Americans within about 30 years.

"We are growing our long-term commitment to engaging with black voters and being the party that promotes new models to solve old problems," Priebus said. The number of African-American voters has increased steadily: 12.9 million in 2000, 14 million in 2004, 16 million in 2008 and 17.8 million in 2012. In the last presidential election year, 2012, blacks for the first time voted at a higher rate, 66.2 percent, than did whites, with a rate of 64.1 percent, or Asians or Hispanics, with rates of about 48 percent each.

Few of those votes went to Republican candidates; most African-American voters do not identify themselves as Republican. Exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and the networks showed that only about 6 percent identified themselves as GOP voters in 2004, and 4 percent did so in 2008 and 2012.

"We are growing our long-term commitment to engaging with black voters and being the party that promotes new models to solve old problems," Priebus said.

Some Delta systems haven't recovered fully from outage

By Unknown On August 09, 2016 In Travel

(1 of 5) Delta passengers stand in line as the carrier slogged through day two of its recovery from a global computer outage, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Salt Lake City. By early afternoon, Delta said it had canceled about 530 flights as it moved planes and crews to “reset” its operation. Nearly 1,200 Delta flights had been delayed, according to tracking service FlightStats Inc.

DALLAS (AP) — Delta Air Lines said Tuesday that some computer systems are still working slowly more than a day after an outage crippled the airline and led to more than 1,500 canceled flights. The system the airline uses to check in and board passengers as well as dispatch its planes is still slow, said Gil West, Delta's chief operating officer.West offered Delta's most detailed explanation yet of what happened Monday to trigger the global computer outage: A critical piece of equipment failed at the airline's Atlanta headquarters, causing a loss of power, and key systems and equipment did not switch over to backups as designed.

Delta passengers endured hundreds more canceled and delayed flights as the carrier slogged through day two of its recovery from the meltdown. By late afternoon Tuesday, the airline said it had canceled 680 flights as it moved planes and crews to "reset" its operation. Another 1,900 Delta flights had been delayed, according to tracking service FlightStats Inc.

In a video posted on the airline's website, CEO Ed Bastian said Delta probably will have cancelations and delays Wednesday too, although he didn't give numbers. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx's office said the government was talking to Delta about technical issues surrounding the outage, but gave no specifics.

The Transportation Department said it also made sure Delta provided information about customer refunds on its website and was reviewing the consumer complaints that it had received. Delta's hub in Atlanta was the epicenter of problem flights on Tuesday, with lines that were much longer than the day before. Debbie McGarry left Switzerland on Monday and was still stuck Tuesday at the Atlanta airport, far from her Arizona home. Hopes of getting on a plane were raised and dashed overnight. By 3 a.m., passengers were getting irate.

"Some of the men were yelling," she said. "I thought there might be a fistfight." Tuesday's disruptions followed about 1,000 cancelations and 2,800 delayed flights on Monday. The airline's computer systems were back online after a few hours Monday, but the ripple effects lingered.

"We are still operating in recovery mode," Dave Holtz, senior vice president of operations, said Tuesday. Delta extended a travel-waiver policy to help stranded passengers rearrange their travel plans. It offered refunds and $200 in travel vouchers to people whose flights were canceled or delayed at least three hours. And Delta said it gave hotel vouchers to "several thousand" customers including 2,000 in Atlanta.

Delta's challenge Tuesday was to find enough seats on planes during the busy summer vacation season to accommodate the tens of thousands of passengers whose flights were scrubbed. Airlines have been packing more people in each plane, so when a major carrier has a technology crash it's harder to find seats for the waylaid. Last month, the average Delta flight was 87 percent full.

Confusion among passengers Monday was compounded as Delta's flight-status updates crashed as well. Instead of staying home or poolside at a hotel until the airline could fix the mess, many passengers learned about the gridlock only after they reached the airport.

They were stuck. A spokesman for the local electric company, Georgia Power, said the problem started with a piece of Delta equipment called a switchgear, which direct flows within a power system. No other customers lost power, he said.

Airlines depend on huge, overlapping and complicated systems to operate flights, ticketing, boarding, airport kiosks, websites and mobile phone apps. Even brief outages can now snarl traffic and, as the Delta incident shows, those problems can go global in seconds.

Last month, Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over four days after an outage that it blamed on a faulty network router. United Airlines and American Airlines both suffered outages last year — United has struggled with several meltdowns since combining technology systems with merger partner Continental Airlines.

Joan Lowy in Washington, AP video journalist Johnny Clark and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.

David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter

Okah brothers to sue Goodluck Jonathan for alleging they want to assassinate him

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has released a statement in response to former President Goodluck Jonathan's statement that the group and their leaders,Charles and Henry Okah were after his life. Jonathan in a statement released by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, yesterday denied claims of sponsoring the Niger Delta Avengers and also alleged that MEND and it's leaders were after his life.
Reacting to Jonathan's claim, MEND released a statement saying Jonathan failed to state whether he was or wasn't a sponsor of NDA. The group stated that Charles and Henry Okah's lawyers have been instructed to institute lawsuits againstthe former President. Read the statement below

1. The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to a statement issued by one Ikechukwu Eze, on behalf of former President Goodluck Jonathan purporting to dissociate the former President from the allegation leveled against him by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) that, the former President was the Grand Patron of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

2. With all due respect, the entire statement was deeply provocative and embarrassingly misconceived as it woefully failed to address the core the issue of whether or not; the former President was indeed, the Grand Patron of the NDA.

3. Rather, the statement employed diversionary Tactics which dwelt extensively on sour grapes! Any follower of events in Nigeria and the Niger Delta who was privileged to read the statement released by Mr. Jonathan would immediately observe that the former President had a score to settle with the Okah brothers as well as with MEND who have since May 30, 2014, stopped attacks on Nigeria's oil and gas assets; and are currently engaged in dialogue with the Federal Government to find sustainable ways and means of ending the festering Niger Delta crises which were exacerbated by the former President's ineptitude, incompetence and corruption during the 6years he governed the country.

4. Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do with the current Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Far from it! The problem is simply, the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues confronting the region when he was at the helm. Even though he was from the impoverished region; and had, by his own admission in numerous electioneering campaigns, experienced the utter poverty and abject neglect of the region foisted by successive Nigerian Governments and the International Oil Companies since the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri (a few meters away from his native Otuoke) in Bayelsa state, Mr. Jonathan disappointingly frittered away the opportunity to rescue his people when the Nigerian Presidency fortuitously landed on his laps, virtually on a platter of gold. For 6 whole years, Mr. Jonathan was busy drinking, making merry and generally chasing shadows at the State House. Such a fellow deserves to be ostracized from the assembly of reasonable men; because the Nigerian Presidency might never comeback to the Niger Delta region as cheap as it came to Mr. Jonathan; perhaps, in the next 100 years. 5. Lest we forget, MEND was at the forefront of the armed struggle back in 2006/2007 which forced the then Government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to consider the option of drafting an Ijaw into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. That was how the perpetually timid and naïve Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became Vice President and later, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When he assumed the reins as President, he did the unthinkable; he tracked down perceived MENDleaders and promptly got them imprisoned on a trumped-up charge of attempt to assassinate him. Up until today, Mr. Jonathan is still suffering from an assassination paranoia complex (APC).

6. Secondly, a substantial portion of Mr. Jonathan’s statement, unfortunately, dwelt on judicial matters which are pending in various courts in Nigeria and South Africa. For instance ,Mr. Henry Okah's Appeal in South Africa's Supreme Court is due for Hearing this August; while his brother, Charles' ongoing trial in Nigeria is pending before Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

7. The former President's statement was therefore, most highly contemptuous, injurious to the credit of MEND and the Okah brothers; and, above all, prejudicial to the eventual outcome of the ongoing trials in South African and Nigerian courts, respectively. Consequently, both brothers shall, on account of the former President's prejudicial statement, institute legal action against him in South Africa and Nigeria within 60 days, commencing from today, August 9, 2016. Accordingly, they have briefed their respective Solicitors to formally engage the former President in litigation.

8. Back to the core issue. MEND cannot hold brief for the RNDA who pointedly accused Mr. Jonathan of complicity in fueling the ongoing Niger Delta crisis ;and patronizing the NDA, apparently for political reasons. We are however ,quick to point out the fact that, the RNDA has merely vindicated MEND's belief and conviction that, the former President and his cronies who lost the 2015 Presidential election were using the illegal and treasonable NDA platform to destabilize President Buhari's Government.

9. Finally, MEND is committed to working with the current Administration to bring peace, stability and development to the Niger Delta region. The process has since commenced with the constitution of the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-MEND AARON TEAM 2, Dialogue, Peace and Development Initiative. Between August 22, 2016 and October 7, 2016 the AaronTeam shall embark on a tour of the Niger Delta region.

The proposed tour is code-named "OPERATION MOSES." The key focus of the tour is to persuade militants to ceasefire and support President Muhammadu Buhari in his determined and sincere effort to develop the region.

The tour shall also help to boost Nigeria's oil production capacity as well as improve host community relations with oil and gas companies in the country.

JOMO GBOMO

Linda Ikeji spends N85m moving into new office that cost N10m/year rent

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

Blogger, Linda Ikeji has finally heeded the advice of some of her friends who have for long urged her to establish a proper business with a practical structure.

According to Sunday Scoop, Linda moved into an office whose rent has been estimated to be about N10m per annum in highbrow Lekki Phase 1.

The building, we learnt, has been partitioned into 22-room offices, housing studio, editing suite, two lounges, VIP waiting room, radio booth, section for her yet- to- be
unveiled Linda Ikeji Music, LIS administrative office, bloggers office and her own office.

Ikeji, who has engaged the services of top professionals to man different departments, is launching two additional businesses that are online related, TV programmes and an online radio.

One of the businesses she will be launching is Linda Ikeji Music, which we learnt will be in competition with NotjustOk. The other one is LIS which might have something to do with fashion.

“Linda has finally registered her company and is planning to move on to greater things beyond the success that everybody can see. She feels there is still much that she could still achieve, there are unconquered territories and many unexplored opportunities between the worlds of social media she needs to explore.

She is not just satisfied with being the number one blogger and she doesn’t want to remain a one-man business anymore. She has the track record and what it takes to function as one of the business houses in Africa and that is what she is doing,” A source in the know told Sunday Scoop.

Sunday Scoop visited the office and while interacting with some of the workers on site, it was revealed that equipping the office has so far cost the blogger about N85m.

Despite repeated enquiries, the blogger told Sunday Scoop that when she is ready she would speak about the new development.

NFF, Gernot Rohr seal two–year contract

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

The long awaited signing of a new Super Eagles Technical Adviser has been finally laid to rest with the Nigeria Football Federation and Gernot Rohr sealing a two –year contract.

According to reports monitored on thenff.com, the simple ceremony at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja saw NFF President Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi signing on behalf of the Nigeria federation, in-between Rohr’s own signature.

Pinnick told thenff.com that the agreement is for two years, with the former German defender, who also coached top French club Girondins Bordeaux and elite Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel, handed a target of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

“We are happy that this has been sealed and we can now focus on other arrangements for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers starting in October,” said Pinnick.

Rohr, clad in a simple shirt and jean trouser and wearing a smile, said: “I am enthusiastic to get to work. This is a big challenge because Nigeria has big players everywhere and has the ability to do well internationally.

“I have a German heart – the heart of a winner. I have confidence that with the right atmosphere and the right support, the Super Eagles have the capacity not only to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, but get to the latter stages of the competition.”

Rohr, 63, will step out with the Super Eagles for the first time when Nigeria host Tanzania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Port Harcourt in a few weeks. Although the match is a dead rubber as both teams are out of the running for the tournament, it serves as a test game for the Eagles ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier away to Zambia on 3rd October. Nigeria will also play Cameroon and Algeria in the qualifying race.

Officials confirmed to thenff.com that Coach Rohr is scheduled to embark on VIP scouting immediately, which includes flying to Spain to watch the NPFL All-Stars play against Atletico Madrid and Malaga in Cadiz on Friday, in the Trofoe Carranza tournament

His face looks serious sha. I hope he delivers

Statement by blogger Abubakar Sidiq Usman, after his release

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

The blogger who was arrested by EFCC yesterday and released today has released a statement via his Twitter handle. Read the rest after the cut...

Read from bottom up

Kylie Jenner shows off her new red wig

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

Kylie Jenner showed off her new red braided wig. It looks like she braided her hair but if you look at it closely, you would see it's a wig, from the frontal, the baby hair and flesh tone film over her scalp.
Looks great on her.

Mocheddah wows in a stunning white jumpsuit to Seyi Tinubu's wedding

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

Mocheddah was a vision in white as she stepped out with her longtime boyfriend, Prince Bukunyi Olateru-Olagbeji. The singer rocked a white curve-hugging jumpsuit from her online fashion store to the wedding reception of Seyi Tinubu and Layal Holm. More photos after the cut..

Khloe Kardashian shows off her new hairdo and thinner frame

By Unknown On August 09, 2016

Khloe Kardashian looked nice as she stepped out wearing a Raiders Jersey, new blonde hairdo, a 'koko' choker and black boots.

Edo 2016: Traditional Rulers Endorse Obaseki

By Unknown On August 09, 2016 In Afrrica News

The governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, received a boost yesterday as traditional rulers in the northern senatorial district of the state endorsed him as their choice for the Osadebe House.
The traditional rulers, who made the endorsement at the palace of the Otaru of Auchi, on Monday, also made cash donations to the Obaseki Campaign Organisation and pledged to mobilise their people to ensure his victory at the poll.

Speaking on behalf of the royal fathers, the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Haliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, assured the outgoing governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that all the royal fathers were strongly behind Obaseki.
“This meeting is under the auspices of the Edo North traditional rulers. The reason for this is that our son has transformed Edo State in all aspects of human life. From Edo South to North and Central senatorial districts, there has been a transformation of surpassing dimensions. The level at which the state has been transformed defines a man sent by God to give heritage to performance”, he said.
In his response, Oshiomhole said with the endorsement, he was sure the subjects would take a cue and support the APC flag bearer in the September 10 governorship poll in the state.
It was learnt that 23 royal fathers from different kingdoms and communities across Edo North, were at the Otaru of Auchi’s palace to endorse Mr Obaseki.

We Don’t Miss GEJ, Nigerians React To Senator Ben-Bruce’s Tweet

By Unknown On August 09, 2016 In Afrrica News

Nigerian Senator and businessman, Ben Murray-Bruce took to his Twitter to say how much Nigerians miss President Goodluck Jonathan and how people come to value something more after they have lost it. A lot of his followers did not agree with him and weren’t exactly gentle in disagreeing!

The Senator tweeted;

And Nigerians came at him with no chill at all. To them, they’d rather have president Buhari than former president Jonathan and all other corrupt Nigerians will miss the later.

Only corrupt people will miss GEJ