Obama Announces Halt of U.S. Troop Withdrawal in Afghanistan

The United States will halt its military withdrawal from Afghanistan and instead keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of his term in 2017, President Obama announced on Thursday, prolonging the American role in a war that has now stretched on for 14 years.
In a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Obama said he did not support the idea of “endless war” but was convinced that a prolonged American presence in Afghanistan was vital to that country’s future and to the national security of the United States.

“While America’s combat mission may be over, our commitment to Afghanistan and its people continues,” said Mr. Obama, flanked by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his top military leaders. “I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe havens to attack America again.”
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TSA: FG freezes INEC’s accounts over non-compliance



The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,  has frozen all bank accounts operated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following the commission’s failure to comply with Federal Government’s directive that all ministries, agencies and departments must operate Treasury Single Account, TSA.
Findings by Vanguard revealed that the directive was carried out last week.
The commission is now cash strapped and is unable to discharge most of its responsibilities
Informed sources at the commission had revealed that INEC had failed to comply with the government’s directives on the TSA, due largely to the peculiar activities of the body as the nation’s electoral umpire which should qualify it for exemption from the new directive.

Kim Kardashian Baby Shower Canceled After Lamar Odom Hospitalization





Kim Kardashian has canceled her baby shower, originally scheduled for this weekend, in the wake of Lamar Odom’s hospitalization.
As Gossip Cop has reported, Odom remains unconscious in a Las Vegas hospital nearly two days after being found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel. Kim and Kris Jenner flew to Vegas on Tuesday night within hours of finding out about the medical emergency, accompanying Odom’s devastated estranged wife Khloe Kardashian. Since then, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner have joined the family vigil, which also now includes Odom’s kids, the mother of his children, and his father.

Jean-Claude Van Damme: 'I can save the world'



The 54-year-old actor claims the human race faces extinction in the next 50 or 60 years but says he can stop it by lobbying the world's leaders, who he knows personally, to save the animals.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast, he said: "The human being is a wonderful species and they have a way of fixing everything and hopefully they are going to help themselves, but if they don't then it [the world] is over in 50 or 60 years."

No sacred cow in anti-corruption war—OSINBAJO



Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday in Abuja stated that the government of President Mohammadu Buhari will not spare any corrupt person in the fight against corruption.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday in Abuja stated that the government of President Mohammadu Buhari will not spare any corrupt person in the fight against corruption.
The Vice President spoke at Day Two of the ongoing 21st National Economic Summit in Abuja on the topic: ‘’Reforming Public Institutions to Ensure Competitiveness And Accountability.”
He said: “there is always a sense that it is someone else that will effect this desired change. I think we must be one in deciding in this country that we want a change.”
According to him, individual Nigerians would like the rules to be enforced as long as it is not enforced on them.

Untold Stories About Osama Bin Laden's Life & Death



Mark Bowden was watching a ballgame — the Phillies versus the Mets — on the night of May 1, 2011, when the network cut away to President Obama in the East Room of the White House. “Tonight,” the president said, ‘‘I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children.’’

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 Five minutes or so after the president wrapped up his brief remarks, as thousands of Americans gathered in front of the White House and at ground zero chanting ‘‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’’ Bowden’s cellphone rang. It was Mike Stenson, the president of Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Bowden had worked with Bruckheimer on the film adaptation of his 1999 best seller, ‘‘Black Hawk Down.’’

BUHARI: ALAMIEYESEIGHA'S DEATH LOSS TO BAYELSA, IJAW

 President Muhammed Buhari has described the death of former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as a loss to the state and the Ijaw people at large.

The president said this on Monday in a condolence message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu.

President Buhari called on the Ijaw people to take heart over the loss of one of their notable indigenes.
The president commiserated with the family of the late former governor, asking them to take his death as God’s will.

40 ROBBERS LOOT LAGOS BANKS, KILL MOTHER & BABY

 No fewer than forty heavily armed robbers, yesterday morning, invaded two second generation banks in 4th Avenue, Festac area of Lagos state and carted away huge sums of money.
During the operation which lasted hours, a two-year-old toddler, Mmesoma Ndirika, and her mother, Jane, who were inside their apartment in an adjoining building, were reportedly hit by stray bullets from the bandits who were shooting sporadically in all directions.
Reports said both mother and child later died as a result of injuries they sustained from the bullet. A commercial motorcyclist who was also hit by stray bullets reportedly died later in an undisclosed private hospital.

NEW NYSC CERTIFICATES TO BEAR OWNERS

 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that the certificate of national service, exemption letters would now bear pictures of the owners.
Speaking during a briefing yesterday in Abuja, Acting Director, Certification of the NYSC, Alhaji Aliyu Taura said with effect from Batch C 2014, all certificates of service would have passport photograph of the corps members at the upper right hand corner of the certificate.
He said it was a move to improve the security of the certificates from forgery and to block all chances of impersonation.

Why Nigerians Seek Medical Treatment Abroad



The popularity of Medical treatment abroad is expanding globally mainly due to its greater capacity to provide safe, high quality treatments to those who cannot receive comparable care in their country of origin; many turning to India and Israel.

Medical Tourism once broadly focused on provision of health care and emergency treatment provided by higher-income countries to less developed nations, has since expanded to include patients from many parts of the world to countries with the full range of health care system infrastructure and modernity. Medical Tourism (MT) has become particularly popular in the United States, mainly due to high living costs and costly health services and care. In the United States, a staggering 50 million people are uninsured and over twice as many are uninsured for dental care. Nevertheless, insurance may not cover specific treatments and many are unable to meet the financial requirements specified for medical procedures that they require.