Shooting in Swiss cafe kills two Albanians…Read full details

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Police collect evidence at the site of a shooting in the Swiss city of Basel on March 9, 2017 which left two people dead and one seriously injured<br />

Swiss police said Friday that a shooting by two gunmen at a cafe in the city of Basel was a targeted killing with no “terrorist” motive.

The assailants dressed in dark clothes burst into Basel’s Cafe 56 at around 8:15 pm (1915 GMT) late Thursday and fired several rounds, according to police in the picturesque city on the Rhine river.

The three victims were all Albanian nationals, including two dead aged 28 and 39, while a 24-year-old was seriously injured, police said in a statement.

A bullet hole pierced one of the cafe’s windows.

Terrorism is “excluded” as an element of the crime, which appeared to be a “targeted” attack on the victims, the statement said.

Locals said Cafe 56 has a checkered past.

It “was previously an establishment known for its links to the drug world”, one resident told local newspaper Basler Zeitung.

“But since the ownership changed several years ago it became an ordinary cafe.”

After the shooting, the gunmen believed to be in their thirties fled towards the train station, police said, adding that initial evidence suggests they are also from eastern Europe.

Public broadcaster RTS has previously reported that Albanian criminal organisations in Switzerland have ties to heroin trafficking, but police stressed that the motive for Thursday’s shooting was not immediately clear.

A 2013 report from Swiss federal police said Albanian gangs operating in the wealthy Alpine nation have a track record of using commercial businesses like restaurants and travel agencies as a front for drug trafficking.

Gun crime is infrequent in Switzerland, even though the country has one of the highest rates of firearm ownership in the world.

Citizens are allowed to keep their army-issue weapons at home outside periods of mandatory military service.

This right has been controversial as the weapons are sometimes used in domestic incidents.

The number of weapons held at home is believed to be two million for a population of eight million, according to Swiss press.

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Tusk re-election would be ‘sign of stability’ for EU, says Merkel…Read full details

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaves after addressing the Bundestag, the German lower house of parliament on March 9, 2017 in Berlin. Merkel, who spoke ahead of a EU summit in Brussels, said the planned re-election of Poland's Donald Tusk as president of the European Union is a "sign of stability" for the bloc, despite bitter opposition from Warsaw. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ

The re-election of Poland’s Donald Tusk as European Union president would be a “sign of stability” for the bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday, despite bitter opposition from Warsaw.

“Today we will decide on the re-election of Donald Tusk as president of the EU for another two and a half years,” Merkel told parliament before heading to a Brussels summit of EU leaders.

“I see his re-election as a sign of stability for all of Europe, and I am happy to continue working with him,” she added.

Merkel’s strong support for Tusk came as Poland’s right-wing government threatened to derail the EU summit if leaders went ahead and re-elected their countryman Tusk as the bloc’s president.

Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told TVN24 channel that “we’ll do everything we can to ensure that the vote won’t take place today”.

“We have informed the Germans that it isn’t necessary to elect the EU president today,” he added.

Poland’s eurosceptic government on Saturday proposed MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski as its official candidate to replace Tusk, but Warsaw appears to have won no support from other EU members.

Turning to refugee policies — a key issue dividing the bloc — Merkel said the EU had “undoubtedly made progress, but more progress still needs to be made”.

She made a fresh call for “solidarity” from other EU members, in terms of accepting refugees, and urged reform of the asylum system to share the burden more equally.

“We need to reform it for more solidarity, and above all, strengthen it against crises,” she said.

Countries including Hungary and Slovakia have proposed paying financial contributions instead of actually taking in any asylum seekers.

But others such as France and Germany insist that no country can shirk its duty to admit a minimum number of refugees under the plan, which was pushed through in September 2015.

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Abike Dabiri-Erewa advises Nigerians to avoid non-essential travel to US (Read full details)

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Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal II

Nigeria is advising its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States because of the lack of clarity on new immigration rules, the government said on Monday.

A special adviser to the president on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement that Nigerians “without any compelling or essential reasons” should consider delaying.

“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria,” she said.

“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.”

Dabiri-Erewa said “no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities”.

The recommendation to postpone trips was given “until there is clarity on the new immigration policy” from Washington, she added.

Of the 2.1 million African immigrants living in the United States in 2015, 327,000 were born in Nigeria, according to data from the Pew Research Center, published in February.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 to bar people from seven, Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States for 90 days.

It also stopped all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees permanently. The ban caused global outrage, as well as chaos across the United States, before it was frozen by a legal ruling.

Trump is expected to sign a revised travel ban on Monday.

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Video: Ranveer Singh Has The Most Hilarious Commentary As He Plays Cricket In The Snow…Read full details

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Trust Ranveer Singh to constantly surprise us with his antics. He’s confident, funny, and will even dance in the middle of the road for you! How’s that for entertainment? The actor shared this video of him playing cricket in the mountains, and the commentary is so hilarious that nothing I write here will do justice to it.

Take a look!

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Hahaha LOVE this guy!

The post Video: Ranveer Singh Has The Most Hilarious Commentary As He Plays Cricket In The Snow is copyright of MissMalini.

Source: Miss Malini

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Big Brother Naija: Tboss narrates own story over Kemen’s disqualification (watch video)

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Nigerian-Romanian Big Brother housemate, TBoss, who was sexually harassed by kemen has finally spoken up to douse tension in the house.

She told fellow housemates that she was not aware Kemen was touching her while she was asleep, admitting she had taken alcohol and passed out all night.

She said she realized Kemen sexually harassed her after Big Brother showed her a video in the diary session.

“I was called to diary session and showed a video on a laptop. I broke down after seeing what looked like. I was being fingered by Kemen.

“I wondered what my father would be thinking when he finds out about this even though he does not know I’m currently in Big Brother house.”

TBoss also explained why she kept mute about the matter, saying Big Brother asked her not to confront Kemen or anyone as it may lead to her being disqualified from the show as well.

Bisola alongside other fellow housemates, however’ apologized to Tboss for judging and blaming her wrongly.

Watch vide below…

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Murray says fully fit for Dubai ATP…See full details

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Britain's Andy Murray gestures to his team during his men's semi-final singles match against Canada's Milos Raonic on day seven of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London on November 19, 2016.<br />Glyn KIRK / AFP

Andy Murray leads a trio of Grand Slam champions into the Dubai Tennis Championships, their first matches since the Australian Open, with the Scot now fully fit after a bout of shingles.

The world number one revealed on Sunday that he had consulted doctors in London earlier this month about the painful skin condition upon his return following a fourth-round Melbourne loss to Mischa Zverev.

“I’m fine now, I’ve been training flat-out for the past few weeks,” Murray said in Dubai after light rain interrupted preparations for the tournament starting Monday.

He said he had “had to go easy for a little while.I didn’t notice anything anyway until I got back from Australia.”

Murray, 29, the top seed, begins his campaign in the Gulf against Tunisian Malek Jaziri in the first round. Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland is seeded second with compatriot and seven-time champion Roger Federer third.

“I know him fairly well but I’ve never trained with him, he’s very talented with big forehand,” Murray said of Jaziri.

Murray, losing finalist to Federer five years ago here, is competing in the emirate for the first time since 2015, when he lost a quarter-final to Borna Coric.

Defending champion Wawrinka is on the way back from injury which kept him from the Rotterdam indoor event earlier this month. Federer will be testing himself with back-to-back matches after his historic Australian Open title.

“This is a little bit of the unknown,” the 35-year-old Swiss said. “I’ve said it’s going to take me until April to know exactly where I stand and see if I feel my best.

“I’m still a work in progress, let’s see how my body will react. My recent weeks in the Swiss Alps means I’m fresh again.”

Wawrinka takes on Damir Dzumhur while Federer opens against Frenchman Benoit Paire, whom he has defeated three times but last played four years ago.

France’s Gael Monfils will make the quick-change from Marseille indoors to take part as fourth seed, ahead of Czech Tomas Berdych and Spain’s sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut, crowned Chennai champion in January.

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Sudan’s Bashir frees jailed Czech missionary…Read full details

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Omar al-Bashir / AFP PHOTO / ASHRAF SHAZLY

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has ordered the release of a Czech Christian aid worker sentenced to 24 years in jail on charges of spying and inciting hatred, a minister said Sunday.

Petr Jasek, 53, was arrested in December 2015 and a court sentenced him to jail last month.

Jasek, a member of a small Protestant Czech church called Cirkev Bratrska, had travelled to Sudan to help local Christians, according to Czech media reports.

Sudanese authorities said he had entered the country “illegally” from neighbouring South Sudan and gone to the conflict-riven state of South Kordofan.

In January, a court found him guilty of entering Sudan without a visa, spying, taking pictures of military installations and inciting hatred, according to his lawyer.

But Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour announced Sunday at a joint press conference with his visiting Czech counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek that Bashir had ordered Jasek’s release.

“President Bashir has pardoned Czech national Petr Jasek because of good relations between Sudan and the Czech Republic,” Ghandour said, adding that Jasek was to be handed over to Zaoralek later on Sunday.

“Mr Jasek will accompany the Czech foreign minister to his homeland,” Ghandour said.

Zaoralek flew in to Khartoum earlier the same day to press for Jasek’s release.

Release International, a group which says its mission is to helps persecuted Christians worldwide, said Jasek and three Sudanese men were detained after helping to finance the medical treatment of a student from the conflict-hit region of Darfur who had suffered burns during a rally.

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Auditor-General plans weekly audit in government agencies (Read full details)

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Auditor-General for the Federation, Anthony Mkpe Ayine

The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr Anthony Ayine says his office plans to send auditors to do weekly audit in government agencies to improve compliance in provision of reports.

Ayine said this when he visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Muhammad Bello in Abuja on Monday.

Ayine said that one of the purposes of sending auditors was to ensure completeness and timely rendition of accounts to the office of the Auditor-General.

“Ideally, we expect to receive the Consolidated Financial Statements from government agencies on or before May 31, so that we can work on them promptly for accountability.

“This is because for accountability to be meaningful, timely preparation and submission of financial statement is key.

“We also have a mind of reintroducing internal auditors. The reintroduction will be of mutual benefit to us.

“Internal control is very important and internal audit is a key component of internal control. When you have an effective internal control, it can help to strengthen other controls in place.

“We will encourage that the internal audit be brought in, and will submit internal audit report to you and to us because it will help you to strengthen your internal controls and attention drawn to areas that needs immediate attention,’’ he said.

Ayine also sought the minister’s assistance to create an additional exit point for the Audit House, location of the office of the Auditor-General for safety purposes.

Ayine also sought permission of the FCT minister to convert the open space behind the Audit house into a parking lot for his members of staff.

Responding, Bello expressed the willingness of his office to collaborate with the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

“This government has a deliberate policy to give the office of the Auditor-General the ultimate support.

“This is something we have discussed at high levels and we feel very strongly that your office has to be given the full support it needs or else its strength will be wasted.

“If government is able to handle what you suggest, proper internal auditing, internal controls, we can then use all our energies for more progressive work, not trying to go back to what has already been done.

“So you can be rest assured that we are fully with you in respect to resident auditors.

“For the FCT, it is very important because we are not just a Ministry, we are also a territory that has approximately sis million people, which is more than some states.

“It will be welcoming to have your auditors working closely with our internal audit departments so that we work more efficiently and enhance good governance,’’ he said.

Bello said that although the reality was that every land within Abuja had already been allocated, his office would see how the Auditor-General’s request could be accommodated.

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Women named to head Saudi bourse, major bank…Read full details

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Women have been named to head Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange and a major bank, the institutions announced, despite the kingdom’s social restrictions on females.

Samba Financial Group on Sunday said Rania Mahmoud Nashar had begun work as chief executive officer.

The announcement came three days after the Saudi stock exchange, known as Tadawul, named Sarah al-Suhaimi as chairman of its board.

While other Saudi women have already assumed corporate leadership positions, their rise comes against some of the world’s tightest restrictions on women.

The kingdom is the only country in the world where women cannot drive.

Under the “guardianship” system a male family member, normally the father, husband or brother, must grant permission for a woman’s study, travel and other activities.

Although the government no longer requires guardian permission for women to work, activists have said many employers still demand guardian consent in order to hire a woman.

In a notice to the Saudi stock exchange, Samba said Nashar had almost 20 year’s experience in banking and had followed an “executive career” programme at Samba.

Samba also said that Nashar was the first Saudi woman certified as an anti-money laundering specialist by a respected American association of experts who combat financial crime.

Her appointment as CEO followed the resignation of general manager Sajjad Razvi for personal reasons.

Tadawul’s Sarah al-Suhaimi is the CEO of NCB Capital, the investment banking arm of National Commercial Bank.

She was the first female head of a Saudi investment bank when named to that post in 2014, according to Bloomberg News.

It said she is expected to remain at the bank while leading Tadawul, the Arab world’s largest bourse.

As part of a wideranging social and economic reform drive to cope with fallen oil revenues, Saudi Arabia is trying to get more women working.

In the third quarter of last year the unemployment rate for Saudi females was 34.5 percent, compared with 5.7 percent for Saudi males, according to figures cited by the firm Jadwa Investment.

By 2020 the Islamic kingdom wants to boost the proportion of women in the job market to 28 percent from 23 percent last year.

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Buratai urges soldiers to sustain peace as army celebrate WASA in Lagos (Read full details)

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Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS), Lt.-Gen.Tukur Buratai, has urged army officers and men to remain committed in the discharge of their duties to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Buratai made the appeal at the 2017 West Africa Social Activities (WASA) celebration which ended on Saturday in Apapa, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WASA is an annual army event aimed at promoting team spirits and confidence within and outside the barracks.

It is also a forum for informal and social interaction and an avenue for the barrack community to showcase the rich and diverse cultures of the country.

Buratai, represented by Maj.-Gen. Babatunde Oyefolu, GOC 81 Division, said the Nigerian Army must remain focused, dedicated and resilient in order to consolidate the achievements recorded so far.

“As we commence another training circle, I urge you all to remain committed in the discharge of your collective responsibility of ensuring peace and stability across the country.

“You must remain focused, dedicated and resilient in order to consolidate on the achievements so far recorded.

“I also pay my tribute to our fallen heroes who paid the supreme price to keep the country safe,” he said.

The COAS noted that the 2016 training year saw the revival of army activities, hitherto, suspended, and urged the officers and men of the army to remain proactive in the discharge of their duties.

“Such activities include the Nigerian Army Sports Festival which was held last year after a seven-year break.

“We significantly and successfully curbed criminality and other nefarious activities.

“The climax of these exercises and operations was the ‘Operation Rescue Finale’ in the North East which led to the fall of the Sambisa forest and the capture of camp zero,’’ Buratai said.

He urged the army to remain proactive in the discharge of their duties and assured the officers and men that the government would continue to prioritise their welfare.

“We will provide decent accommodation and other social amenities to our personnel and ensure that our troops get adequate logistics in all operational areas in 2017,” Buratai said.

The COAS also commended the efforts of the Senate Committee on Defence for supporting the army in fulfilling its mandate.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chief of Account and Budget, (NAFC), Brig.-Gen. Jahadi Jakko, said WASA was customarily observed to mark the end of the training year and usher in a new year.

Jakko said that the Nigerian Army had successfully been operating under the Treasury Single Account to ensure transparency and accountability.

He commended the soldiers for their discipline and dedication during the year and called for peaceful coexistence.

NAN reports that the colourful event featured tug of war, dances by cultural groups as well as presentation of gifts and awards to distinguished soldiers and guests.

Top serving and retired military officers and captains of industry graced to the occasion.

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Leverkusen eye Atletico after Bellarabi milestone…See full details

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Leverkusen's Mexican forward Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) and Frankfurt's Spanish defender Jesus Vallejo vie for the ball during the German First division Bundesliga football match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt in Leverkusen, western Germany, on February 11, 2017.<br />SASCHA SCHUERMANN / AFP

Karim Bellarabi said hitting the German league’s 50,000th goal in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 win at Augsburg was a confidence booster for Tuesday’s Champions League home clash against Atletico Madrid.

The Germany winger wrote himself into Bundesliga history on Friday as his 23rd-minute goal hit the milestone mark when he converted a precise cross from 17-year-old midfielder Kai Havertz.

“I was glad to be involved, it’s of course something really special,” said Bellarabi.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico are the visitors in the Champions League on Tuesday in the last 16, first-leg, with the return in Madrid on March 15.

“But now we have to look ahead. We want to really put our foot down against Atletico and give it all we have,” added Bellarabi.

His milestone score gave Leverkusen the lead before Javier Hernandez netted twice to leave the ex-Manchester United star with five goals in his last three games.

‘Chicharito’ is on fire again after an 11-match goal drought in Germany’s top flight.

Leverkusen have won their last two league games to ease the pressure on coach Roger Schmidt, amidst reports the club contacted namesake and Mainz coach Martin Schmidt as a possible replacement.

Leverkusen have not got past the Round of 16 since reaching the 2002 Champions League final and have suffered knock-out stage heartbreak in recent years.

They lost to Atletico Madrid on penalties in 2015 in the last 16, after it finished 1-1 on aggregate.

In 2014, they were hammered 4-0 at home by Paris St Germain at the same stage, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted twice, before a 2-1 loss in France.

That followed a 7-1 thrashing in the last 16 in 2012 at the hands of Barcelona, for whom Lionel Messi scored a record five goals, in a 10-2 aggregate loss after a 3-1 defeat at Leverkusen.

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