It's PluxTIME: 2017-08-27

Army plans to decapitate Boko Haram – Buratai

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<img alt="General Tukur Buratai:" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Buratai.jpg" /> 
 
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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said the main thrust now of the military operations in the North-East is to decapitate all the remaining terrorists’ factions.</div>
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“With this feat achieved, the relevance of Abubakar Shekau, leader of faction of Bok Haram, is no longer of any consequence,” Buratai said.</div>
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In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, Buratai commend the Theatre Commander, Operations Lafiya Dole and troops for neutralising five top commanders of the Boko Haram terrorists.</div>
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He expressed satisfaction with the zeal and determination of troops to capture the Boko Haram terrorists’ factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, dead or alive, in line with his directive which is yet to be achieved.</div>
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The army chief, on July 21, gave the Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, 40 days deadline to capture the terrorists’ leader.</div>
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The deadline expired on Aug. 30.</div>
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He noted that the five key leaders of the insurgents recently eliminated by the troops “were the closest associates and right hand men of the terrorists’ group leader – Shekau.”</div>
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“Within the same period, 82 of the Boko Haram terrorists were eliminated.</div>
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“Therefore, the commander (of theatre command) was very close to achieving the directive.</div>
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“The theatre commander has asked for the extension of the deadline and it was granted.</div>
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“Given deadlines and extensions are strategic means of focusing troops’ efforts in the theatre,” Buratai said.</div>
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He urged the people of the North-East and indeed Nigerians to be more confident of the Nigerian troops and go about their normal activities. (NAN)</div>
</div>

Army plans to decapitate Boko Haram – Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said the main thrust now of the military operations in the North-East is to decapit...

Stop brute force against agitators, Fayose tells FG

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 <img alt="" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" height="168" src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/fayose-4.jpg" width="299" /></div>
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Ekiti 
State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has praised his colleagues in the 
South-East for meeting with leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra 
(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, August 30, 2017.</div>

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The meeting, said Fayose, provided a 
veritable platform, which the Igbo should key into “otherwise they will 
remain guinea pig as long as this country exists.”</div>

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The governor urged the Federal Government
 to allow political solutions to agitations by Nigerians as against the 
use of brute force and added that he remains committed to the call for 
full and total restructuring of Nigeria through dialogue and 
negotiation. The governor declared it is too late for Nigeria to 
disintegrate.</div>

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Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Fayose 
said he was “particularly glad that South-East governors have come to 
the realisation that they cannot ignore their own in times like these as
 agitations are normal and must not be ignored, although the approach 
should be handled with caution.”</div>

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He blamed President Muhammadu Buhari’s actions and utterances for agitations in the country. </div>

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“The father figure of this country is 
president Buhari and, if his language does not represent unity, there 
will be agitations like we are seeing now. A father figure rallies even 
the bad boys in his house. The utterances and actions of Buhari, when he
 became president, were against the unity of this country. </div>

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“How can a president say he will only 
attend to the needs of those who gave him 97 percent vote and neglect 
others who did not vote for him? For Nigeria to move forward and in 
unity, there must be no sectionalism, there must be no oppression and 
there must be justice and equity.” </div>

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“The governor, who commended northern 
leaders for standing up to ensure that the Arewa youths’ quit notice 
against Igbo in the North was resolved and withdrawn without arresting 
and detaining anyone, added: “I am sure that the same can be achieved by
 Igbo leaders as arresting or re-arresting Kanu may be 
counter-productive; it may be perceived as vilification of the entire 
South-East, not necessarily Kanu as a person.”</div>

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The statement read in part: “This meeting
 has provided a veritable platform, which the Igbo must key into 
otherwise they will remain guinea pig as long as this country exists.</div>

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“That Eze Israel Kanu, father of the IPOB
 leader, Nnamdi and elderstatesman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, were part of the
 meeting is a sign of strong determination and unity on the part of the 
South-East leaders and their governors, which I believe will end up in 
the amicable resolution of all issues involved, especially by pro-Biafra
 activists and IPOB.</div>

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“While I appeal to the federal government
 to allow political solutions to agitations by Nigerians as against the 
use of brute force, which, regrettably, has become the hallmark of this 
administration, I remain committed to the call for full and total 
restructuring of Nigeria through dialogue and negotiation. Even though 
it is too late for Nigeria to disintegrate, we do not need the All 
Progressives Congress kind of restructuring.</div>
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 </div>
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<a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/stop-brute-force-against-agitators-fayose-tells-fg/" target="_blank">Read More on the Sun</a> </div>
</div>

Stop brute force against agitators, Fayose tells FG

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has praised his colleagues in the South-East for meeting with leader of the Indigenous People...

Kogi workers reject half salary

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<img alt="" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" height="213" src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kogi-State-Map-300x160-300x160.jpeg" width="400" />  
 
 
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Kogi state workers turned down a 50 percent salary offer from the state government for Sallah.</div>

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The rejection came as many workers, who 
were screened in the last workers’ verification are yet to receive any 
salary since January 2017. </div>

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In Bulletin No. 09, which was released 
yesterday, organised labour in the state, made up of the Nigerian Labour
 Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Public Sector
 Joint Negotiation Council (PSJNC), said it rejected the proposed half 
salary. The half salary was for July. </div>

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“This is to inform all workers that 
government is at it again as it is proposing 50 percent salary for the 
month of July, after collecting the first and second bailout tranches of
 the Paris Club refund and the normal, monthly allocations.</div>

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“To our dismay, government, for the first
 time, met with the leadership of organised labour over the July salary 
issue, having noticed a shortfall in the monthly allocation for July and
 the meeting was deadlocked.”</div>

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Labour also stated in the bulletin that the present administration inherited a N2.7 billion wage bill  before screening of workers.</div>

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“This amount took care of purported ghost
 and genuine workers in the state. We hereby demand an explanation; on 
how government arrived at N3.1 billion wage bill, even when reasonable 
number of workers have not been paid for several months.</div>

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“As workers, it would be better to take 
this stance today and save tomorrow as any attempt to take half salary 
shall be the beginning of percentage salary payment in Kogi state. We 
wish our members a happy sallah, even though on empty stomach.”</div>

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The bulletin urged all workers to remain calm and be law-abiding and await further directives from organised labour.</div>

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Meanwhile, the state chapter of the 
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has also expressed displeasure over 
the half salary arrangement.</div>

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NMA said the proposal was unacceptable.</div>

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In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr
 Godwin Tijani and made available to newsmen, yesterday, the association
 said it was not invited to any meeting between the state government and
 labour leaders where it was agreed that workers in the state will 
collect half salary.</div>
 
<a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/sallah-kogi-workers-doctors-reject-half-salary/" target="_blank">Read more on The SUN</a> </div>

Kogi workers reject half salary

Kogi state workers turned down a 50 percent salary offer from the state government for Sallah. The rejection came as many worker...

ISIS is the most evil entity – Coalition commander

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<img alt="ISIS child soldiers" class="size-full wp-image-74980" height="225" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ISIS-child-soldiers.jpg" width="400" />  
 
Lt.-Gen. Stephen Townsend, the Commander of the coalition forces 
confronting  the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS),  says the 
terrorist group is the most evil entity in the world. 

“There is evil in the world, and good people of all faiths and 
nations have joined together and made progress against the evil that is 
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. 

“ISIS is the most evil entity I have encountered in my lifetime,” the
 commander said on Thursday in a statement issued by the U.S. Department
 of  Defence. 

“In 2014, ISIS swept across Syria and Iraq and declared it as the 
heart of the new caliphate, with a capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa. 
They did not hide their atrocities,” the general said. 

“They tortured, beheaded and burned those that did not agree with them. 

“ They posted the evidence of their evil for the world to see on 
social media. They enslaved millions under their twisted ideology,’’ he 
said. 

He said Iraqi security forces were at first overmatched and were 
backed up to Baghdad and Kurdistan,  adding that  Iraq asked for help 
 and a coalition led by the U.S. formed against ISIS. 

According to him, the coalition forces helped train and equip Iraqi 
security forces  and they provided the air support needed to keep ISIS 
from making any further gains. 

“To date, more than 110,000 Iraqi security forces have been trained 
and equipped by the coalition to defeat ISIS in Iraq,” Townsend said. 

He lauded the forces for liberating Tikrit, Ramadi, Fallujah, 
Qayyarah, Sharkot and countless smaller villages in 2015,  adding that 
 the nine-month-long liberation battle for Mosul “was a brutal urban 
fight” as well as Thursday’s victory over ISIS in Tal Afar. 

“The coalition of more than 60 nations was there every step of the 
way to provide that support. But make no mistake about it – this is an 
Iraqi plan. This is Iraqis liberating Iraqis,” Townsend said. 

In Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces have gone from almost being 
pushed out of the country to pushing into Raqqa, the general said. 

“The fighting is difficult, but they have made much progress  and I 
have no doubt they will succeed. You have to remember that the Syrian 
Democratic Forces are not the Iraqi security forces. 

“They do not have tanks, helicopters or fighter jets. They are really
 an irregular light infantry force with a comparative handful of light 
armoured vehicles and heavy weapons who, with coalition assistance, are 
fighting well above their weight class. 

“They have been and remain the most effective counter-ISIS fighting 
force in Syria,” he said,  adding that “  our partners in Iraq and 
Syria, with coalition help, have made substantial accomplishments in the
 fight to defeat ISIS.’’ 

“Together, we have liberated approximately 75,000 square kilometres 
 of ISIS-held terrain, and, more importantly, 5.5 million citizens had 
been liberated from ISIS captivity. 

“The coalition is strong, united, and we remain committed to our 
partners to bring a lasting defeat to ISIS in Iraq and Syria  to prevent
 ISIS from exporting their terror around the world, and to protect our 
own homelands,” he further  said. 
</div>

ISIS is the most evil entity – Coalition commander

Lt.-Gen. Stephen Townsend, the Commander of the coalition forces confronting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), says the t...

U.S. retaliates, orders closure of Russian missions

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<img alt="Consulate of Russia in San Francisco U.S. ordered for closure" class="size-full wp-image-77760" height="266" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Consulate-of-Russia-in-San-Fransisco-U.S.-ordered-for-closure.jpg" width="400" />  
 
In a retaliatory move, the U.S. has  given Russia 48 hours to close 
three of its missions in San Francisco, Washington  D.C. and New York. 

The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of  State, Heather Nauert, 
said in a statement on   Thursday that  the move was to achieve parity 
in diplomatic missions. 

Moscow had asked Washington to reduce its missions officials in 
Russia in  retaliation for  the seizure of property belonging to 
Russians and expulsion of dozens of Russian nationals by President 
Barack Obama. 

Obama took the decision on the eve of the end of his tenure in 
January in retaliation against Russia’s alleged meddling in the Nov. 8, 
2016 U.S. presidential election. 

“The United States has fully implemented the decision by the 
Government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission 
in Russia. 

“We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries. 

“In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring 
the Russian Government to close its Consulate General in San Francisco, a
 chancery annex in Washington  D.C.  and a consular annex in New York 
City. 

“ These closures will need to be accomplished by Sept.  2. With this 
action,  both countries will remain with three consulates each. 

“While there will continue to be a disparity in the number of 
diplomatic and consular annexes, we have chosen to allow the Russian 
Government to maintain some of its annexes in an effort to arrest the 
downward spiral in our relationship,’’ the department said. 

The U.S. said it hoped that having moved toward the Russian 
Federation’s desire for parity, it could avoid further retaliatory 
actions by both sides and move forward to achieve the stated goal of 
 both of the two countries’  presidents. 

The department noted that the goal of both President Donald Trump and
 Russian President Vladimir Putin was  improved relations between the 
two  countries and increased cooperation on areas of mutual concern. 

“The United States is prepared to take further action as necessary and as warranted,” the department  added. 

It  said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson phoned his Russian 
counterpart,  Sergey Lavrov,  “to inform him that we had met their 
required reduction in size by their deadlines.’’ 

“And he also informed him of our plans to close the facilities in question. 

“There was also a meeting between our acting Assistant Secretary for 
European and Eurasian Affairs John Heffern, who conveyed the decisions 
and our response to the Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Dmitry Zhirnov,”
 it added. 
</div>

U.S. retaliates, orders closure of Russian missions

In a retaliatory move, the U.S. has given Russia 48 hours to close three of its missions in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and New Y...

N30trn scam: Blackmail won’t stop probe – Senate

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<img alt="Senator Hope Uzodinma, Chairman Senate Committee on Customs and Excise" class="size-full wp-image-66156" height="240" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Senator-Hope-Uzodinma.jpg" width="320" />  
 
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The Senate has vowed to continue its ongoing investigation 
into alleged N30 trillion revenue scam in the import and export chain.</div>

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Its Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine 
Transport, chaired by Sen. Hope Uzodinma, made this known while briefing
 newsmen shortly after its investigative meeting with some of the 
companies.</div>

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He said the interest of the Senate in the investigation was
 to assist the executive in recovering monies trapped in the import and 
export chain.</div>

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”There are allegations that the investigation is borne out of personal interest.</div>

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”Once a Senate in a committee of the whole passes a 
resolution such as this, it cannot be termed as the decision of a single
 senator.</div>

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”You may not like my face as a person but it is important to look at the credibility of the work we are doing.</div>

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”This is so that together we will succeed in making sure 
that the import and  export circle is sanitised, trade is facilitated 
and non-oil revenue is recovered and strengthened.</div>

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”In that manner, government will not rely so much on oil and with that whether crude oil is sold or not,” he said.</div>

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The lawmaker further said that while some detractors had 
alleged that the investigation was a sham, some of the indicted 
companies had started refunding monies running into billions of Naira to
 the Federal Government</div>

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”As a result of this investigation the banks which are the 
authorised dealers in the export and import chain have been making 
effort to remit everything collected by them to the Central Bank.</div>

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”We are doing this on a friendly note because we do not want to send a wrong signal to the market.</div>

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”Although more funds other than the N120bn I announced some
 time ago have been recovered we do not want to send the wrong signal, 
so we are limited to speak further on how much has been recovered so 
far.</div>

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”However, we will definitely come up with the figures recovered at the end of the investigation, ” he said.</div>

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Uzodinma explained that the committee was saving the 
figures till the end of the investigation because some of the companies 
were quoted on the Capital Market adding that revealing the figures 
would send panic to the market.</div>

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He also explained that the committee resorted to 
interfacing with individual companies rather than meeting with them in 
group to enable them open up to the committee.</div>

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Uzodinma added that the strategy had yielded positive result, particularly in recovering trapped funds.</div>

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He said” the companies are now free to admit and some of them have promised to make payments.</div>

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”Today alone three companies came with receipts of payment.</div>

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”If we did not embark on this investigation we would not make these recoveries.</div>

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”Through this investigation we have helped the federal 
government to recover some money and we are sure that government will 
recover more money because we have detailed information that will aid 
more recovery.</div>

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”The companies are no longer contesting most of the documents of infractions we confronted them with.”</div>

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The chairman called for the support of relevant stakeholders including the media in the ongoing investigation.</div>

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He added that the country would not be able to make the 
necessary progress if Nigerians were not committed in ensurimg that 
national interest was continually protected.</div>

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He said though Nigeria was populated enough be known as the
 giant of Africa, there was a need for commensurate commitment by 
citizens.</div>
</div>

N30trn scam: Blackmail won’t stop probe – Senate

The Senate has vowed to continue its ongoing investigation into alleged N30 trillion revenue scam in the import and export chain. ...

It is ilegal to torture suspects- Kaduna Police

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<img alt="IGP Mr Ibrahim Idris" class="size-full wp-image-49708" height="358" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IG-Idris-4.jpg" width="400" />  
 
The Kaduna State police command has frowned at the torture of suspects during investigations and described it as illegal. 

The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna, Mr. Agyole Abey, has therefore 
warned officers to stop the use of torture to forcibly extract 
information from suspects. 

Abey, said the act was illegal and no longer fashionable and warned that the command would no longer tolerate any such act. 

The Commissioner stated command’s position at a training of Judiciary
 Actors on promoting the United Nations Convention Against Torture in 
Nigeria. 

Represented by Mr. Abdulazeez Sanni, an Assistant Commissioner, Abey 
said that the command was aware of certain force was applied on suspects
 to compel suspects to confess to an alleged crime. 

This, he said constitutes a criminal and act of human cruelty by any police personnel involved. 

The commissioner said: “The use of force is criminal but with law 
enforcement, some existential conditions must be met to remove criminal 
liability. 

“Accordingly, the UN basic principles on the use of force and 
firearms state that its use by law enforcement officials must be 
prescribed by law, necessary, proportionate and none-justifiable. 

“Prompting the United Nations Convention Against Torture (PROCAT) in 
Nigeria is arduous task embarked upon by the organizers of this workshop
 ASF france and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).”he said 

Speaking earlier, Head of Nigeria Office, ASF, France, Mrs. Angela 
Uwandu, said that, CSO had provided free legal services to over 80 
victims of torture in Kaduna State since 2014. 

She said the essence of the continued training of stakeholders was to
 lead the advocacy against torture in the various states where the CSO 
was working in the country according to the United Nations Convention on
 torture. 

“We brought all these professionals together because when you look at
 the issue of torture, it requires some level of technicality. 

“This issue for instance is not being highlighted and reported 
enough, that is why we are engaging the media. We need to bring about a 
change, because people act as though it is normal. 

“This is not about the police or security agents alone, everyone has a
 role to play and in the cause of this training everyone will know their
 importance and we see ourselves as partners in progress.” she said. 

Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF), otherwise known as “Lawyers Without 
Borders” is the organizers of the training as part of effort to check 
the prevalence of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment. 

This professionals who attended the training are from the Judiciary, 
Police, Prisons Service, Media and Civil Society Organizations (CSO), 

They developed a Network Against Torture (NAT) Kaduna.  
 
(NAN) 
</div>

It is ilegal to torture suspects- Kaduna Police

The Kaduna State police command has frowned at the torture of suspects during investigations and described it as illegal. The Commiss...

“Talking is not the answer”- Trump rules out any diplomatic talk with North Korea

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<img alt="Trump done with talking on North Korea" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_5161-e1501705455940.jpg" /> 
 
 
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U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out any diplomatic talks with North Korea over its missile programme saying “talking is not the answer.”</div>
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Trump who spoke after the missile launch over Japan took to his twitter handle @realDonaldTrump on Wednesday to stress that the U.S. has been talking for the past 25 years.</div>
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he said that the United States had been in diplomatic talks with the country and paying them exotic money for the past years and now “talking was not the answer.</div>
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Trump, who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States, also said in a statement on Tuesday that “all options are on the table.”</div>
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North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to “contain” the U.S. island territory of Guam.</div>
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The United Nations on Tuesday condemned as “outrageous” North Korea’s firing of the missile over Japan, demanding that the isolated country halt its weapons program but holding back on any threat of new sanctions.</div>
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A U.S. Congressional Research Service report said between 1995 and 2008, the United States provided North Korea with over $1.3 billion in assistance. Slightly more than 50 percent was for food and about 40 percent for energy assistance. The assistance was part of a nuclear deal that North Korea later violated.</div>
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Since early 2009, the United States has provided virtually no aid to North Korea, though periodically there have been discussions about resuming large-scale food aid.</div>
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The latest tweet by the Republican U.S. president drew criticism from Democrats in Washington.</div>
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Responding to Trump’s message, Senator Chris Murphy wrote on Twitter: “Bar is high, but this is perhaps the most dangerous, irresponsible tweet of his entire Presidency. Millions of lives at stake – not a game.”</div>
<div data-reactid="44" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North’s KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.</div>
</div>

“Talking is not the answer”- Trump rules out any diplomatic talk with North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out any diplomatic talks with North Korea over its missile programme saying “talking is not the a...

Warren Buffet becomes the major shareholder in Bank of America

Warren Buffet becomes the major shareholder in Bank of America

American billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway group has officially become the top shareholder in Bank of America after exerci...

Germany’s Allianz takes over Nigerian insurer

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<img src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Allianz_Bilanzmedienkonferenz_2017_02_Baete_Oliver_600.jpg" /> 
 
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Germany’s Allianz plans to pay $35 million for 98 percent stake in Nigerian insurer Ensure Insurance in a push for growth in Africa, where many people are uninsured.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Foreign insurers are banking on growing premiums as the continent develops its infrastructure and a consumer class demands protection from risk.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Allianz said that it would acquire the stake from UK-based holding company Greenoaks Global Holdings. Ensure Insurance offers life and non-life cover to businesses and retail clients and generated 11 million euros ($13 million) in gross premiums last year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
The Allianz group has operations in 16 African countries and views the Ensure acquisition as an opportunity to tap into Nigeria’s strong demographics and economy.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“The transaction gives Allianz access to the fifth-largest insurance market in Africa and is in line with our strategy to capture long-term growth opportunities on the continent,” said Allianz Africa spokeswoman Bettina Sattler.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“It is also a market with significant entry barriers, which is another reason why this acquisition is a great opportunity for us. Entering Nigeria with a team that knows the market was essential for us.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Allianz expects the acquisition to close this year and said it intends to retain Ensure’s management team.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
The german insurer plans to focus on property and casualty insurance, particulary underwriting industrial and speciality risk in the energy sector as well a large complex risks such as infrastructure.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“In the past two years, we have been quite visible in Nigeria, sharing our risk-management expertise in power, oil and gas, as well as cyber insurance,” Sattler said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“Now that we have a company locally … the retail sector is another growth sector for us.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Allianz follows British insurer Prudential which last month bought a majority stake in Nigeria’s Zenith Life to gain access to the African country’s fast-growing insurance market.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
South African insurer Liberty Holdings, which bought remaining shares it didn’t already own in Nigeria’s Total Health Trust in August 2015, said in February that it would acquire a 75 percent stake in an unidentified Nigerian long-term insurer for 160 million rand ($12 million).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
France’s AXA acquired Nigeria’s fourth-largest insurer Mansard Insurance three years ago.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
*Reuters</div>
</div>

Germany’s Allianz takes over Nigerian insurer

Germany’s Allianz plans to pay $35 million for 98 percent stake in Nigerian insurer Ensure Insurance in a push for growth in Africa, whe...

Anyone caught using pornographic material would be handed over to the police- Ugandan Ethics Minister

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<img alt="Ugandan authorities wants its youth to be free from pornography" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Ugandan-authorities-wants-ponograhpy-film-stopped.png" /> 
 
 
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Ugandan Ethics Minister, Simon Lokodo, said on Tuesday that a committee to eradicate pornography in the country has started work.</div>
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Lokodo said that the government blamed sexually explicit materials for everything, from drug abuse to homosexuality.</div>
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The minister said that the nation will invest roughly 500 million dollars yearly to stop “one of the deadliest moral diseases in the country”.</div>
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Lokodo, a former Catholic priest, blamed porn for “escalating cases of drug abuse among youths, incest, teenage pregnancy and abortion, homosexuality and lesbianism and defilement.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“The nine-member investigate team will be outfitted with “top-end gadgets” to monitor or intercept the downloading, watching, sharing or transmission of pornographic material.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
“In addition, inspectors will be assigned to conduct on-the-spot checks for pornographic material.</div>
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“The team will also be supported by 30 to 40 technical and administrative staff and anyone caught distributing or using pornographic material would be handed over to the police,” the minister said.</div>
</div>

Anyone caught using pornographic material would be handed over to the police- Ugandan Ethics Minister

Ugandan Ethics Minister, Simon Lokodo, said on Tuesday that a committee to eradicate pornography in the country has started work. Lok...

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Inside the politics of JAMB's cut-off marks

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<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-74649" height="240" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Prof.-Oloyede-Registrar-of-JAMB..jpg" width="400" />  
 
By Reuben Abati 

I have followed with keen interest the controversy over the 
announcement of cut-off marks for Nigeria’s admission processes for the 
2017/2018 session, with many commentators and the general public 
insisting that it is unwise, insensitive and retrogressive, to reduce 
the cut off mark for admissions into our tertiary institutions: 120 for 
universities, 100 for polytechnics and monotechnics, and a tentative 110
 for Innovative Enterprise Institutions (IEIs). Whereas the complaint 
has been that there is a dumbing down and lowering of standards, which 
is of course an obvious reaction, I argue that there is need for a 
better understanding of the context in which the decision was taken in 
the hope that this would shed some light on this controversial matter. 

I write as a reporter and as a stakeholder who attended the 2017/2018
 Policy Meeting on plans and modalities for the conduct of admissions 
into tertiary institutions in Nigeria at the Andrews Otutu Obaseki 
Auditorium, National Judicial Institute in Abuja, on August 22. The 
meeting started on Sunday, August 20, 2017. On Monday, August 21, there 
was a special session for admissions officers of all tertiary 
institutions in Nigeria. There are 524 tertiary institutions in Nigeria 
(minus the IEIs) and every institution was represented on Monday and 
again on Tuesday, when a special policy session was held and decisions 
were taken at a combined session of Registrars and Vice Chancellors, 
Provosts and Rectors. The Obaseki Auditorium was filled up at this 
meeting, which was attended by over 1, 600 stakeholders in the education
 sector. In other words, it was a meeting of stakeholders and the 
decisions were decisions taken by all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. 
It is therefore wrong to accuse JAMB or report that it is JAMB that is 
fixing cut-off marks for university admissions. 

I recall that at the meeting, when we were about to go into the 
policy making session, the Minister of Education had to excuse himself 
on the ground that he had other commitments; all JAMB officials were 
also asked to leave the hall. The JAMB Registrar explained that he 
wanted the heads of tertiary institutions to be the ones to take the 
decisions, not JAMB, not the Minister, and he didn’t want either the 
Minister or his own staff in attendance so nobody would turn around to 
accuse JAMB or the Ministry of Education of imposing decisions on the 
tertiary institutions. 

There were other stakeholders in attendance, the heads of the 
National University Commission (NUC), TETFUND, the National Board for 
Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of 
Education (NCCE), NECO, NYSC and the West African Examinations Council 
(WAEC) – all as observers. The heads of IEIs stayed away from this 
particular meeting because they had earlier informed JAMB that the heads
 of other tertiary institutions are in the habit of out-voting and 
outnumbering them at policy meetings and they would rather have their 
own separate meeting to serve their own interests. I concluded, there 
and then, that students’ admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria
 has become big business and politics, with stiff competition between 
public and private institutions. 

This clarification is necessary because as I see it, some of the 
participants in that meeting have since gone on a holier-than-thou 
expedition to distance themselves from it. At the meeting, the JAMB 
Registrar repeatedly pointed out that the University of Ibadan had made 
it clear that its cut-off mark would never go below 200. There are other
 universities like that, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 
and the University of Ilorin. I am surprised however that there has been
 so much uncomfortable hypocrisy from some universities that attended 
the meeting. The Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the Afe Babalola 
University, Ado-Ekiti were both in attendance and the former spoke 
enthusiastically in support of the decisions. Yes, the ABUAD VC was 
there, but curiously, his employer, the proprietor and founder of the 
Afe Babalola University was the first person to denounce the decisions. 
We should take special notice however, of the intervention of the Vice 
Chancellor of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Professor 
Oluyemisi Obilade, and Professor Femi Mimiko. Out of over 1, 600 
participants at a policy meeting, only two persons are standing up to 
report the truth? 

The objectives of that policy meeting were inter alia, to brief the 
Degree, National Certificate in Education and National Diploma-awarding 
institutions on the plans and modalities for the conduct of the 
2017/2018 admissions exercise, introduce the Central Admissions 
Processing System (CAPS), seek the cooperation and understanding of 
stakeholders, discuss and agree on submissions of estimated intakes and 
compliance with the current prescribed quota from the NUC, NCCE, and 
NBTE, adherence to institutional/programmes cut off marks, compliance 
with entry requirements, procedure for selection of candidates who may 
not be admitted at their first choice institutions, adherence to 
admissions schedule as approved at the Policy meeting and implementation
 of the science-arts ratio. These issues were tabled, discussed, voted 
upon and decisions were taken. The states and private tertiary 
institutions were exempted from the last criteria, to be determined by 
their proprietors. 
<blockquote class="blockquote-style-1 position-center text-center width-100" data-align="center" data-position="center" data-style="style-1" data-width="100">
I
 am surprised however that there has been so much uncomfortable 
hypocrisy from some universities that attended the meeting. The Vice 
Chancellor and the Registrar of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 
were both in attendance and the former spoke enthusiastically in support
 of the decisions. Yes, the ABUAD VC was there, but curiously, his 
employer, the proprietor and founder of the Afe Babalola University was 
the first person to denounce the decisions.</blockquote>

 

 

It is important to understand the three main backgrounds to this 
policy meeting. At a similar policy meeting held on June 2, 2016, the 
various stakeholders at this same 2017 meeting, had adopted 180 as the 
minimum cut-off mark for admissions to all tertiary institutions in 
Nigeria. The regulator’s subsequent discovery is that most of the 
tertiary institutions did not respect this decision. They admitted 
students who scored below 180 and never reported same to JAMB; they 
introduced all kinds of back-door schemes and programmes under which 
admissions were offered. 

In effect, the admissions process into Nigerian tertiary institutions
 was compromised; standards were violated. JAMB therefore decided that 
every institution must declare a lowest cut off point for its programmes
 and that every admission must be properly reported and documented, and 
brought to the notice of the regulator in order to enforce standards and
 have accurate statistics for educational planning. I got the impression
 for example, that some higher institutions must have been admitting all
 kinds of persons who did not have basic qualifications and never passed
 through the central admissions body. It is curious, isn’t it, that the 
same schools that voted for 180 in 2016, are now asking for 120, 110 and
 100? 

Secondly, the evidence was provided to the effect that many tertiary 
institutions do not respect the admission quota in line with the Federal
 Character prescribed by the Constitution. Most universities simply 
admit students from their catchment areas and ignore students from other
 parts of the country. Bayero University, to cite a notable example, 
admits over 50% of its students from Kano state, and yet it is a Federal
 University. Even when students from other parts of the country who 
apply to such universities have high, qualifying scores, they are 
ignored. 

Thus, every year, many qualified students from different parts of the
 country are left stranded. They miss the opportunity to go to 
university not because they are not qualified, but because they have 
been shut out by the politicization of education in Nigeria. To correct 
this mischief, JAMB has now created a second tier admissions platform 
called the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). It is an 
admissions-market where students who have been rejected by their first 
choices can seek alternatives, where JAMB can help rejected candidates 
seek other offers, and every institution can go in search of qualified 
candidates who may have been rejected elsewhere. This is to help 
increase the admissions ratio in the country, reduce the politicization 
of admissions, check the exodus of Nigerian students to foreign 
universities, create more opportunities and ensure greater equity. The 
only ouster clause in this arrangement is that at the end of the day, 
the candidate is free to reject any offer that he or she does not find 
acceptable, and that has no limit whatsoever. 

JAMB in its explanation further recognized that ordinarily, a school 
certificate result should be enough requirement for admission to 
tertiary institutions as is the case in many countries of the world. In 
order to raise standards, Nigeria has a system whereby secondary school 
graduates still have to sit for UTME conducted by JAMB and Post-UTME, 
further testing conducted by the tertiary institutions, and confront 
other unwritten hurdles. The higher education seeker in Nigeria is thus 
taken through greater rigour than similar applicants elsewhere. In 2016,
 the Policy Meeting on Admissions had banned further conduct of the 
Post-UTME to reduce the burden faced by Nigerian students. At the 2017 
meeting however, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu lifted 
the ban, noting that the tertiary institutions deserve the independence 
they have always asked for over their admissions process. 

Indeed, this was the main point of the August 22 meeting. Tertiary 
institutions in Nigeria are the ones to determine their own admissions 
process. Cut off marks are to be fixed by the Senate of each 
institution, not JAMB. What JAMB has created through the CAPS is an open
 market that empowers admission-seekers, promotes healthy competition 
and provides an avenue for students to raise queries when they feel they
 may have been short-changed. The insistence on reporting is to aid 
transparency and data collection, we were told. 

If this works, in no time, every tertiary institution will establish 
its own brand equity. As is the case elsewhere, the labour market in 
Nigeria will soon begin to differentiate between the students who 
graduated from a school that admits with 100 over 400 marks and another 
school whose cut off mark is as high as 250, in the same manner in which
 there is a marked difference in the UK between a graduate of 
Metropolitan University and a graduate of the Universities of Oxford and
 Cambridge. This differentiation in quality and standards is perhaps 
long-needed in the Nigerian education market. 

<blockquote class="blockquote-style-1 position-center text-center width-100" data-align="center" data-position="center" data-style="style-1" data-width="100">
Indeed,
 this was the main point of the August 22 meeting. Tertiary institutions
 in Nigeria are the ones to determine their own admissions process. Cut 
off marks are to be fixed by the Senate of each institution, not JAMB. 
What JAMB has created through the CAPS is an open market that empowers 
admission-seekers, promotes healthy competition and provides an avenue 
for students to raise queries when they feel they may have been 
short-changed. The insistence on reporting is to aid transparency and 
data collection, we were told.</blockquote>

 

That is as far as the meeting went, and the report of what I saw and 
heard. My real concern, and a probable justification for the outcry over
 the reduction of cut–off marks below the average score is, however, 
traceable to the fact that Nigeria’s education system is now terribly 
commercialized and unequal. The law of supply and demand is probably at 
the root of the politics of cut-off marks. We have more than 524 
institutions looking not for students but customers! Ordinarily, most 
students want to attend elite schools and the Federal institutions, 
which charge subsidized fees. For instance, Federal Universities charge 
as low as N35, 000, the state universities about N150, 000-N200, 000, 
and the private universities as much as N750, 000. 

The competition for space in the schools with lower fees is much 
higher, often leaving the ones with expensive school fees with fewer 
applicants. While the more economically attractive schools can afford to
 have high cut off marks, it is not impossible that lower cut-off marks 
would attract more students to the less patronized schools! The 
implication is not far to seek. Beyond the policy meeting of August 22, 
and all expressed good intentions, and regardless of the choice of the 
stakeholders, therefore, JAMB’s next and biggest challenge, in my view, 
is to ensure that market forces do not ultimately subvert quality and 
standards in the tertiary education sector. It is also up to parents to 
determine the kind of school that they want their children to attend, 
and for every institution to choose between mediocrity and excellence. 
 
</div>

Inside the politics of JAMB's cut-off marks

By Reuben Abati I have followed with keen interest the controversy over the announcement of cut-off marks for Nigeria’s admission pr...

Buhari working with US to recover looted funds- VP Osibanjo

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<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-77513" height="309" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1.-VP-receives-the-US-Congress-HMITI-and-HM-of-Agric.1-e1503958784366.jpg" width="400" />  
 
<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125023">
The
 Buhari administration has urged the US government to step up its 
assistance in ensuring that corrupt officials don’t get a safe haven 
abroad for their loot, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125029">
The
 Vice President, who made the call yesterday during the visit of a US 
Congressional Delegation to the Presidential Villa, said both countries 
were working on a prompt repatriation of the funds.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225gmail-m_466636660656072201gmail-msobodytext3" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125038">
According
 to Prof. Osinbajo:  “We have reached out to the US government with 
respect with helping with repatriation of proceeds of crime and proceeds
 of corruption.’’</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225gmail-m_466636660656072201gmail-MsoBodyText3" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125041">
Prof.
 Osinbajo, who was appreciative of the support given by the US so far 
said the Buhari administration regarded “corruption is an existential 
threat’’ that must be dealt with at its root.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125046">
“We
 have worked quite closely with the US government on repatriation of 
funds, we have seen some results’’, adding that the Federal Government 
is hoping for more improvement in the process.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal">
“We think that this is very important 
because what tends to happen with corrupt public officials is that if 
they are able to find a safe haven for the proceeds of their 
criminality, not only are they encouraged as individuals but there is 
the general feeling that if I am able to get the proceeds out of the 
country I might just get away with it,’’ the Vice President said.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal">
According to him, “this is one of the 
reasons why we have taken several actions to ensure that we are able to 
deal with it because some of the major  dislocations in the economy are 
on account of the problems that we have seen with corruption.’’</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125102">
He
 said the Buhari presidency’s strategy which is one of “the most 
effective ways of fighting corruption is ensuring that these proceeds 
are unsafe and for people to know that they would be found out and they 
would be punished for it and we would seize whatever profit they had 
gain.’’   </div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125099">
On
 the return of the Chibok girls, the Vice President said, “it is a front
 burner issue for us all the time. There is no question of not 
continuing to negotiate and looking for the girls.’’</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125090">
He
 expressed gratitude to God for the hope that the girls are still alive 
and would be released, noting that “negotiations were continuing and 
government would keep looking for the opportunity to bring them back.’’</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125088">
The
 Vice President thanked the US government for its recent decision to 
sell Super Tucano aircraft to Nigeria to aid its fight against 
insurgency in the North-East.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125083">
Sen.
 Christopher Coons who led the delegation said the visit was to reaffirm
 the relationship between Nigeria and the United States, noting that the
 US has “an enduring enthusiasm and partnership with Nigeria.’’</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125079">
Other
 members of the Congressional delegation include, Sen. Gary Peters, Sen.
 Jeff Merkley, Sen. Michael Bennet, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Rep. 
Terri Sewell, Rep. Charlie Dent, Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Frederica 
Wilson. They were accompanied by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington.</div>

<div class="yiv5736889225MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503865358361_125072">
Also
 in attendance were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffery 
Onyeama, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, the National 
Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, and the Chief of Air 
Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.</div>
</div>

Buhari working with US to recover looted funds- VP Osibanjo

The Buhari administration has urged the US government to step up its assistance in ensuring that corrupt officials don’t get a safe ...

North Korea fires missile over Japan

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<img alt="North Korea talks tough on latest UN sanctions" class="size-full wp-image-76170" height="180" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/North-Korea-talks-tough-on-latest-UN-sanctions.jpg" width="320" />  
 
North Korea, looking to create crisis in the Korean Peninsula  fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan. 

The missile landed in the Pacific waters off the northern region of Hokkaido, South Korea and Japan said. 

The last North Korean projectile to fly over Japan was in 2009. The 
United States, Japan and South Korea considered that launch to have been
 a ballistic missile test while North Korea said it was a rocket 
carrying a communications satellite into orbit. 

South Korea’s military said the latest missile was launched from the 
Sunan region near the North Korean capital Pyongyang just before 6 a.m. 
(2100 GMT Monday) and flew 2,700 km (1,678 miles), reaching the altitude
 of about 550 km. 

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the North Korean 
missile fell into the sea 1,180 km (733 miles) east of the Cape of Erimo
 on Hokkaido. 

“It is an unprecedented, serious and grave threat to our nation,” 
Suga told a briefing, adding the government had protested the move in 
the strongest terms. 

Suga said the launch was a clear violation of United Nations 
resolutions and Japan will work closely with the United States, South 
Korea and other concerned nations on a response, he said. 

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported the missile broke into three pieces and fell into the waters off Hokkaido. 

The Japanese government’s J-Alert warning system advised people in the area to take precautions. 

The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, 
which passed over Japanese territory around 6:06 a.m. time (2106 GMT). 

The Pentagon confirmed the missile flew over Japan but did not pose a
 threat to North America and said it was gathering further information. 

The launch marks a sharp escalation in tensions over Pyongyang’s 
pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of U.N. 
sanctions. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this month threatened to fire
 missiles into the sea near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and U.S. 
President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang would face “fire and fury” if it
 threatened the United States. 
 
NAN </div>

North Korea fires missile over Japan

North Korea, looking to create crisis in the Korean Peninsula fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan. The missile lan...

More U.S. states, cities in danger over Harvey

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Harvey devastates Houston " class="size-full wp-image-77516" height="265" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Harvey-devastates-Houston.jpg" width="400" />  
 
More states and cities in the United States (U.S.) are ready for the 
worse as rescue crews raced to rush people and families to safety Monday
 night in the Houston area as Louisiana braced for flooding of its own 
from the mega storm, Harvey. 

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned people in his state that “the worst is likely to come.” 

Meanwhile, floodwaters reached the rooflines of single-story homes in
 Houston and people could be heard pleading for help from inside. 

The nation’s fourth-largest city remained largely paralyzed by one of
 the largest downpours in U.S. history and there was no relief in sight 
from the storm that spun into Texas as a Category 4 hurricane, then 
parked itself over the Gulf Coast. 

Nearly 2 more feet of rain is expected on top of the 30-plus inches in some areas of the state. 

Harvey “does remain a tropical storm and it’s going to drop an awful 
lot of rain” on Louisiana, Edwards said at a news conference Monday. “We
 do have a long way to go with this particular storm.” 

“Harvey’s circulation is crawling eastward and the center of the 
storm is forecast to track through the state of Louisiana later this 
week,” said Fox News Meteorologist Janice Dean. 

“The steady flow of winds over the Gulf will put Louisiana in line 
for a steady stream of heavy rain, including cities like Baton Rouge, 
Lake Charles and New Orleans.” 

Southwestern Louisiana could get 15-20 inches of rain from Harvey. 
Flash floods warnings went into effect through Thursday as areas along 
the coast faced tropical storm warnings. 
 

Read more: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/28/harvey-flood-fears-expand-to-louisiana-as-texas-braces-for-more-feet-rain.html">Fox News</a> 
</div>

More U.S. states, cities in danger over Harvey

More states and cities in the United States (U.S.) are ready for the worse as rescue crews raced to rush people and families to safety...

S/Korea replies N/Korea with bombs

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Missile launch over Japan: South Korea kicks" class="size-full wp-image-71879" height="266" src="http://18694-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/North-Korea-bluffs-every-threat-of-attack-by-U.S.-fires-multiple-missiles-Photo-KCNA.jpg" width="400" />  
 
South Korea’s air force effectively fired back at North Korea’s 
missile launch over Japan by conducting a live-fire drill involving 
powerful bombs, officials said early Tuesday. 

Four F-15 fighters dropped eight MK-84 bombs that accurately hit 
targets at a military field near South Korea’s eastern coast, Seoul’s 
presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun said. 

Each bomb has an explosive yield of a ton, according to the country’s air force. 

Park also said South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong
 called President Donald Trump’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster
 to discuss the North’s launch. 

North Korea typically reacts with anger to U.S.-South Korean military
 drills, which are happening now, often testing weapons and threatening 
Seoul and Washington in its state-controlled media. 

But animosity is higher than usual following threats by Trump to 
unleash “fire and fury” on the North, and Pyongyang’s stated plan to 
consider firing some of its missiles near Guam. 

The Pentagon told reporters it was investigating the launch over 
Japan, adding: “North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) 
determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to 
North America.” The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said the Japanese 
military did not attempt to intercept the missile. 

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile travelled around 1,677
 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the 
northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. 

The launch appeared to be the first to cross over Japan since 2009. 

The South Korean military said it was analysing the launch with the 
United States and strengthened its monitoring and preparation in case of
 further actions from North Korea. 
 

Read more: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/28/south-korea-tests-bombs-in-response-to-north-korea-missile-launch.html">Fox News</a> 
</div>

S/Korea replies N/Korea with bombs

South Korea’s air force effectively fired back at North Korea’s missile launch over Japan by conducting a live-fire drill involving p...