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Putin says U.S.-Russia ties worse since Trump took office

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said the levels of trust between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Asked about relations since Trump became president, according to a transcript of the interview released by the Kremlin on Wednesday: Putin said, “One could say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military level, has not improved, but rather has deteriorated.” Asked about accusations that Syria’s government launched a chemical weapons attack in Idlib province, Putin said that Damascus had given up its chemical weapons stocks. He said he believed there were two main explanations for the incident in Idlib province: that Syrian government air strikes had hit rebel chemical weapons stocks, releasing poisonous gas, or that the incident was a set-up designed to discredit the Syrian government. Trump’s administration accused Russia of trying to shield Syria’s government from blame for a deadly gas attack. ...
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Syria war: Russia's Lavrov warns US over Syria in heated start to talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began a meeting with his US counterpart Rex Tillerson in Moscow with a warning -- do not strike the Syrian regime again. The two top diplomats are sitting down together in Moscow on Wednesday for what are expected to be painstaking talks, after a chemical attack in northwestern Syria plunged the old Cold War enemies to a new low. The two countries have traded barbs over last week's chemical attack, which killed 89 people, and prompted the US to carry out its first air strikes against the Syrian regime in the six-year conflict, taking out aircraft and infrastructure at a Syrian military air base. The White House on Tuesday accused Russia and Syria of carrying out a confusion campaign over who was responsible for the chemical attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made comparisons between the US response and its 2003 intervention in Iraq, calling it a "tedious" story. The deaths have been widely blamed on Syrian President Bas...
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Corruption in Nigeria: Whistle-blower leads EFCC to suspected stolen N4 billion

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A whistle blower on Tuesday led the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to N4 billion suspected to be proceeds of corruption. The commission disclosed this in a message sent to the media on Tuesday evening. However, EFCC did not state where and how the latest discovery was made. It said investigations revealed that the money belonged to a former deputy governorship candidate in Niger State. “The suspect uses the names of two companies – Katah Property & Investment Limited, and Sadiq Air Travel Agency – in laundering the funds. “Each of the company has N2 billion fixed in its deposit account domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank. “The suspected owner of the account and the account officer are currently on the run,” the commission said. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the EFCC on Monday intercepted huge sums of money in various currencies totalling about N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos. According to its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the ...
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Latest: Magu to remain acting EFCC Chairman as Presidency declares ‘full support’ for anti-corruption chief

The presidency on Tuesday gave the clearest indication yet that it would not succumb to the Senate and remove Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the anti-graft EFCC. The Senate recently refused to screen presidential nominees for the position of the resident electoral commissioners, saying it would not do so until Mr. Magu is removed as Acting EFCC Chairman. The Senate had twice rejected the president’s request to confirm Mr. Magu. But speaking at an interview on Tuesday night, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said Mr. Magu enjoys the confidence of he and the president. “I’m fully in support of Magu as the EFCC Chairman just as the prgesident is…” Mr Osinbajo said. Speaking on the Senate rejection, the vice president said “it is up to the Senate to make their judgement. If our candidate is rejected, …, we can represent our candidate.” The Senate, while rejecting Mr. Magu the second time had said it would no longer consider him if his name is sent again by the president. But Mr. Osinbajo ga...
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Dollar Naira ;Naira sustains loss against dollar

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Dollar and Naira bills The Naira on Tuesday sustained its loss against the dollar at the parallel market. This was in spite of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s intervention at both the interbank market and Bureau De Change (BDC) window. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the naira on Tuesday afternoon exchange between N405 (buying rate) and N410 selling rate at the parallel market. NAN reports that it was weaker than N405 traded on Monday. Also, the Pound Sterling and the Euro closed at N490 and N430 respectively. At the BDC window, the Naira was sold at N362 to a dollar, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro traded at N500 and N428 respectively. Trading at the interbank market saw the Naira closed at N306.20 to the dollar. A currency trader told NAN that dollar had remained scarce in the market in spite of the injection of foreign exchange at the interbank market and the BDC window. Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, the President, Association of Bureau De C...
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Trump News: North Korea is looking for TROUBLE!' Donald Trump sends warning to Kim Jong-un

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President Trump suggested on Tuesday that he could sweeten the terms of a trade agreement China if Beijing assists in solving the North Korea “problem” — but that the United States is prepared to move forward in the western Pacific without Chinese help. “I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!” Trump tweeted early Tuesday, three days after hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “North Korea is looking for trouble,” Trump wrote. “If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.” I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017 North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them...
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Syria conflict: Ap fact check; overlooking doubt on Syria chemical weapons

WASHINGTON (AP) — In defending President Barack Obama's decision not to enforce his chemical weapons "red line" against Syria in 2013, Obama and other former officials repeatedly pointed to a U.S.-Russia agreement to remove Syrian stockpiles as proof that the president got results without resorting to a military response. While it's true that some 1,300 tons of Syria's declared chemical weapons and precursors were removed under the agreement, serious concerns always existed that not all such armaments or production facilities were declared and destroyed or otherwise made unusable. Those concerns, aired publicly and privately by United Nations and other officials almost since the deal was struck in September 2013 in Geneva, gained credence last week when President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes on a Syrian air base in retaliation for the most recent chemical weapons attack blamed on the Syrian government. Obama administration officials, starting with t...
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