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Singapore on Thursday inaugurated its first female president amid stinging criticism that she is taking office without a vote. Halimah Yacob, a former speaker of parliament from the Malay Muslim minority, won the presidency in a walkover after authorities decided her rivals did not meet strict eligibility criteria. While the role is largely ceremonial, the president has veto powers on key government appointments and safeguards the country’s substantial financial reserves. In her first speech as president, Halimah, 63, addressed the racial tensions that have sprung up as a result of the process and vowed to be president of all Singaporeans “regardless of race, language or religion”. “I look forward to the day when we will no longer need to… have reserved elections, and Singaporeans naturally and regularly elect citizens of all races as presidents,” she added. The president also pledged to be independent in exercising her custodial powers over th...

The 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, on Thursday said it has commenced investigations to ascertain the veracity of a video clip, currently trending on the social media, which shows troops humiliating some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra at a check point in Aba, Abia State. Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Col. Sagir Musa, disclosed this in a statement which was made available to journalists in Enugu. Musa disclosed that, if the video clip is found to be factual, the soldiers involved in the incident would be punished according to military justice system. “The attention of the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, has been drawn to a video clip trending on social media and other platforms purportedly showing troops humiliating some people at a check point in Abia State, Nigeria. “The issue is being investigated with the view to ascertain the source and the actors in the clip. “Our Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement ...

Ten Nigerians have been arrested by the cyber department of India police for fake fund transfer. According to the police, eight laptops, twenty-six mobile phones, one ipad and thirty- five sim cards were recovered from the fraudsters. Online sources state that a 36-year-old victim who works as a Nurse in India accepted a friend request to one Augustin William, who claimed to be a pastor working from Northern Ireland. After chatting for three months, the accused promised to send the victim gifts worth $50,000 along with an Iphone, a wrist watch and a gold set with pearls. In March, however, the victim received a call from a man who said he was a custom official working at Delhi Airport. He asked the victim to deposit Rs 27,500 as registration fee to claim the courier and then continued to persuade her to spend money. After the victim paid Rs 9,37,000, she grew suspicious and approached the Cyber Cell, which registered a complaint and began investigations. Based on the co...

The US government banned the use of Kaspersky security software in federal offices Wednesday, saying the Russian company has risky ties to Russian intelligence that threaten US national security. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke ordered all government offices to remove and replace any of the company’s popular anti-hacker software in use within 90 days. “The department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies,” Duke said in a statement. She also expressed concern that Russian intelligence agencies can by law request or compel assistance from Kaspersky, including in intercepting communications transiting Russian networks. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates US national...

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday backed out of planned talks between the secessionist group and the South-East Governors Forum. The IPOB leader had met with the governors at the Enugu State Government House on August 30, and both parties agreed to hold further talks to seek an amicable resolution of issues raised by the pro-Biafra group. Another meeting was scheduled to hold between Kanu and the governors on Friday, September 15, but, in a statement he personally signed, which was made available to journalists, the IPOB leader said he would no longer continue with the talks. He blamed the development on an alleged plot by soldiers to assassinate him while on his way to the meeting with the governors. He also disclosed that he was currently attending to his injured and bereaved followers, who had fallen victim to attacks by the military in the course of the ongoing ‘Operation Python Dance 2’, launched by the Nigerian Army in the South...

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Wednesday, described as illegal, the deployment of soldiers in the family house of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in Umuahia, Abia State. Falana, in a statement on Wednesday, said as there was no legal basis for the involvement of soldiers in the place, President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the armed troops “to withdraw and return to their barracks forthwith.” He said the Commissioner of Police in Abia State should be allowed to take over Kanu’s case in line with the provisions of the Constitution and the Police Act. Tracing the involvement of the military’s involvement in civil issues since successive military regimes in the country, Falana said, “regrettably, no conscious efforts have been made by the civilian government to demilitarise the country since power was transferred from former military dictators to the civilian wing of the political class in May 1999....

A detachment of soldiers from the Nigerian Army has surrounded the Afaraukwu country home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. The soldiers arrived the community on Tuesday barely 48 hours after the clash between the Army and IPOB members on Sunday evening. The soldiers returned with about 10 Armoured Carrier Vehicles and seven Hilux vans.

Tension has returned to Umuahia, the Abia State Capital, as a detachment of soldiers from the Nigerian Army has surrounded the Afaraukwu country home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. The soldiers arrived the community on Tuesday barely 48 hours after the clash between the Army and IPOB members on Sunday evening, which left three people injured. The soldiers returned with about 10 Armoured Carrier Vehicles and seven Hilux vans. The development has caused panic in the area, forcing shop owners to close immediately. Some of the soldiers also invaded the Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Aba Road, Umuahia, and destroyed laptops and other valuables. According to journalists at the secretariat, the soldiers claimed they saw somebody taking photographs of them from the building. The Chairman of Council Mr. John Emejor has confirmed the incident. Emejor who expressed disappointment over the incidents said a National officer of the ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has been scheduled to address the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. The President of Nigeria is listed as number seven on the provincial list of speakers. Buhari is expected to speak after the leaders of Brazil, the United States, Guinea, Switzerland, Jordan and Slovakia. Since his return to Nigeria on August 20, 2017, after 103 days of medical leave in London, Buhari has not attended any public event outside of Aso Villa and his country home in Daura, Katsina State. Also, he has attended only one Federal Executive Council meeting since he returned three weeks ago. Acting on the President’s instruction, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo recently visited flood-ravaged Benue State where thousands have been displaced. Osinbajo, while representing the President, has also received members of the United States Congress as well as the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign and Comm...

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to fight corruption like never before if given the chance to preside over Nigeria’s affairs. Atiku also challenged those he described as his self-righteous political enemies to either prove his alleged corrupt activities or keep quiet. The APC chieftain said this during a facility tour of the new ultra-modern Yaliam Press Limited in Jabi area of Abuja on Monday. This was contained in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja. Atiku was quoted as saying, “he would fight corruption like never before if he is given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country.” The former Vice-President said, “It is sickening to continue to regurgitate allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office.” He noted that people who lacked initiative, personal resourcefulness and ideas about wealth creation, “always ...

The Abia State Government has urged the Nigerian Army to undertake its Operation Python Dance II with caution and urged the state residents to desist from confronting armed men in uniform while performing their duties. In a statement signed by the Deputy Governor of the state, Ude Oko Chukwu, and sighted by one of our correspondents on Monday, he said the state government had the responsibility to ensure the safety of all persons resident in Abia State. He said Abia had been a peaceful state and it was the desire of the government to ensure that it remained so. The Deputy Governor advised all persons living in the state to go about their lawful business without fear of molestation. Chukwu said, “Abia State is a peaceful state and we want it to remain so and that is why the state government condemns Sunday’s unfortunate incident. We also want to warn Abia State residents to desist from confronting security men who are on a lawful duty of protecting the people of the sta...

President Muhammadu Buhari says he is thankful for the improved rainy season in the country in the last two years, admitting that he would have run away from the country if there was no rain. Buhari said this on Monday when he received the National Council of Traditional Rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad SAbubakar III, in Aso Villa, Abuja. He said, “We are lucky this year that last year and this year the rainy season is good. If it were not good, I must confide in you that I was considering which country to run to. But God answered the prayers of many Nigerians. The rainy season last year was good and this year with the report I’m getting is good. We thank God for that otherwise there would have been a lot of problems in this country.” Buhari said the mismanagement of resources over the years was responsible for the current economic hardship. The President said that he would continue to pursue programmes that would improve the lives of Nigerians. Earli...

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, has lamented the constant harassment of the Senate by Nigerians, adding that the upper legislative chamber cannot disclose its salaries and allowances. Abdullahi said this during a live programme on Channels Television  titled, ‘Politics Today.’ The Senate spokesman also refused to state how much the lawmakers earned in salary and allowances. When asked to say how much he earned, Abdullahi said it was rude of the presenter to ask him how much each senator earned. Abdulahi said, “You don’t expect me to come out on national television to say this is what I earn. It is not done. I cannot ask you as a journalist how much you earn. It is not done. “If anybody is interested in how much we are getting paid, you know where to get the information. The documents are available. If Nigerians won’t believe that, is it what I will say that they will believe?” The...

Authorities recovered more bodies Monday from the rubble of the Mexico’s huge earthquake, bringing the death toll to 96 as the president prepares to visit the worst-hit region, his office said. The latest deaths were reported in the southern state of Oaxaca, which bore the brunt of Thursday’s quake and which President Enrique Pena Nieto was expected to visit on Monday. Mexican authorities gave a toll of 90 on Sunday. Pena Nieto’s spokesman said the president would supervise the delivery of food aid and blankets during his trip, but did not specify where. The defense and navy ministries had organized an airlift to Oaxaca and neighboring Chiapas and were bringing in heavy machinery to remove rubble, presidency spokesman Eduardo Sanchez told Televisa. He acknowledge that the distribution of food and shelter is complicated as both regions are mountainous and the worst-hit areas were “very difficult to reach.” Oaxaca’s governor Alejandro Murat said...

The Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 1,100 rifles which were imported into the country from Turkey under false declaration. The Comptroller-General of NCS, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, told journalists in Lagos on Monday that the seizure was the third interception of ammunition at Lagos ports within nine months. See photos: