NATO chief asks Russia to pull back troops

Rasmussen tells Kremlin to stop backing rebels in eastern Ukraine as NATO leaders meet in UK amid calls for ceasefire.

Pro-Russia separatists have been fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine since mid-April [EPA]

NATO Secretary General has told the Kremlin to pull back Russian troops from Ukraine and to stop supporting rebels in eastern Ukraine, as leaders from the trans-atlantic military alliance meet in the UK. "We call on Russia to pull back its troops from Ukraine and to stop the flow of arms, fighters and funds to the separatists," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday at the NATO summit near the Welsh city of Newport. We call on Russia to pull back its troops from Ukraine and to stop the flow of arms, fighters and funds to the separatists Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO chief The NATO chief asked "Russia to end its illegal and self-declared annexation of Crimea". But Rasmussen said that NATO would not supply arms to Ukraine, saying it was up to individual members to decide whether to supply arms to the conflict-wracked country. Earlier, the White House said that key NATO leaders had agreed during the meeting that Russia should face increased sanctions for its actions in eastern Ukraine. "The leaders reiterated their condemnation of Russia's continued flagrant vioaltion of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and agreed on the need for Russia to face increased costs for its actions," the statement on Wednesday said. NATO leaders, including US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande, earlier met President Poroshenko on the sidelines of the summit described as the most important since the end of the Cold War. Poroshenko and Western leaders are to hold a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, set up after the country became an alliance partner in 1997, the AFP news agency reported. Rasmussen said that the "meeting sends a clear message that NATO stands with Ukraine". Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Newport, said that Rasmussen's language sends a very strong message to Moscow. "It is clear, according to NATO, that Russian forces are heavily engaged in Ukraine," our correspondent said. Peace deal Meanwhile, statements from Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists gave indications that the warring sides might sign a deal to end four months of fighting that the UN estimates has killed nearly 2,600 people. Ukrainian president said he was ready to order a ceasefire in the east on Friday if a peace deal was signed at talks in Minsk, the Belarusian capital. The rebels said they were ready to declare a truce but demanded "proper guarantees" from Kiev. "There wll be no ceasefire without guarantees because in the past we had some ceasefire agreements Poroshenko didn't honour," said rebel leader Oleg Tsaryov. Al Jazeera correspondents report on the Ukraine crisis Poroshenko had discussed the outlines of the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Putin had unveiled a seven-point peace plan. A statement by the Russian foreign ministery said that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius "voiced hope" the ceasefire proposed by President Putin would help bring the sides together at talks. Earlier, Lavrov said that reports of Ukraine seeking to join NATO were "a blatant attempt to derail all the efforts'' to seek a peaceful solution. Amid the ceasefire talks, a woman has been killed in new shelling of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, according to Reuters. At least five buildings had been hit, including a church, and their windows had been blown out. Walls had been strafed by shrapnel. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe rights and security group were surveying the scene.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Another shirtless selfie of Flavour

Flavour and his half-nude selfies. He shared this one tonight. Meanwhile, I see you, dear bulge! :-)

EFCC arrest Nigerian man for duping 75 year old Dutch woman of €200k

A 31 year old Nigerian man, Adio Opeyemi Micheal (pictured above) has been arrested by the EFCC for duping a 75 year old dutch woman of €200,000 in an internet romance scam. Find the EFCC press statement below...

"For swindling a 75 year old woman of 200,000 Euros in a romance scam, a 31-year-old confidence trickster, Adio Opeyemi Michael, an indigene of  Owu LGA of Ogun state, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. The victim, a certain Jeanet De Jonge, is a Dutch national." Continue...

Adio allegedly met the victim on the ‘Net log’ dating site and pretended to be a 41-year-old American citizen, working as a chef in a Nigerian restaurant and needs a wife. The profile attracted Jeanet and, in no time, began sending him money through Western Union and Money Gram.

"She was sending me money monthly, ranging from $800 to $900 from June 2012, through Western Union Money transfer and Money Gram to the extent that Western Union blocked her from sending money to me in Nigeria.  So she requested that I should go to London to enable her send me money there. I contacted a friend of mine in London called Osas Odiah, so that he can receive the money and send to me here in Nigeria. She first sent €2000 to my friend’s account in London, and later to my Keystone bank account, which was actually a Forex Trade account. We started using this account when we discovered that my friend was not remitting all the money sent by Jeanet to me,” the suspect revealed.

Investigations further revealed that the suspect collected the various sums under the pretext that he was going to use the money to perfect his travel plans and obtain the required documents that would enable him travel to Holland to join or visit Jeanet. But his inability or refusal to honour the invitation from Jeanet prompted the petition to EFCC.

The suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity

She's gone! Legendary comedienne Joan Rivers dies at 81

Hollywood has lost a legend, the world has lost a star.

Joan Rivers, 81, host of Fashion Police on E!, longtime comedian, red carpet host and mother of one, passed away in New York City, USA, today September 4, 2014.

The comedienne had been brought out of a medically induced coma after her heart stopped beating during a vocal cord surgery last week. Here’s a statement from her daughter and producer of Fashion Police, Melissa,

“It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers.”

“She passed peacefully at 1:17 PM surrounded by family and close friends. My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother.”

“Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support and prayers we have received from around the world.They have been heard and appreciated.”

“My mother’s greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon.”

The world mourns her loss … RIP.
Statement via TMZ
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Angela Weiss

Seun Kuti shares old pic of his parents, calls out Buhari

He shared the pic above and wrote something really profound. See it after the cut...

Nicki Minaj wears see-through top to the airport

You can almost see her nipples in the first pic. She was photographed at LAX airport this week wearing that net top without a bra. Guess the semi-nudity is not only reserved for music videos and red carpets

Court freezes Dangote’s accounts in 20 banks

No, not Aliko Dangote but his younger brother, Sani Dangote. According to reports, a Federal High Court in Lagos today September 4th ordered 20 Commercial banks in Nigeria to dishonour all withdrawal cheques from Sani Dangote and his companies, Dansa Foods Limited and Bulk Pack Services Limited until September 11th. 

According to Punch, the high court judge, Justice Okon Abang, gave the order while presiding over a case brought against Dangote by Union Bank. Union Bank had dragged him and his companies to court over alleged refusal to pay up the N5.2bn loan granted his company since September, 2008. 

 

The bank, through its lawyer, Mr. Chukwudi Enebeli had instituted suits seeking an order of mareva injunction to restrain all the defendants’ banks in Nigeria-  Access, CITI, Diamond, Ecobank, Enterprise, Fidelity, Keystone, Mainstreet, Skye, Wema, Heritage, Sterling, Unity, Zenith Banks,  First Bank, First City Monument Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Standard Chartered Bank and United Bank for Africa - from allowing Mr Dangote and his companies to withdraw funds from their accounts pending the determination of the suits.

In the affidavits in support of its suits, Union Bank Plc urged the court to urgently grant the mareva order  because in a bid to evade payment of the loan, Dangote has been making frantic efforts to deplete the funds in the accounts of his companies, and that the bank’s investigations revealed that the defendants had started diverting the funds to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Switzerland.

An official of the bank, Olufunmilola Ayoola, while speaking about the suit said the failure of Mr Dangote's companies to pay up the loan had negatively affected the Nigerian economy, a development which the bank claimed necessitated the suits. She said this has made the bank handicapped in supporting small scale businesses because of the lack of Funds.

When the case was called up for hearing, the counsel to Dangote and his companies told the court that that they had filed objections challenging jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit. Officials of Diamond and Zenith banks who were present revealed that Mr Dangote was owing them as well.  Zenith Bank specifically said Dangote was indebted to the bank to the tune of seven million euros.

In view of the defendants’ objections contesting jurisdiction, the judge said the matter would be adjourned  till September 11, 2014 to be able to take all the applications.