Sacked DG in trouble for blowing N200b on poll

Of the 26 Directors-General and Heads of parastatals sacked yesterday, no fewer than 10 may be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) for investigation, a source said last night.

It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari opted to give some of  the chief executives the push, following  reports of large-scale fraud in their agencies. One allegedly spent N200 billion on last year’s Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential campaign.

The agencies under the searchlight of either the EFCC or the ICPC include National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Broadcasting Commission(NBC), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE), National Women Development Centre(NWDC); Industrial Training Fund(ITF); Nigerian Investment Promotion Council; Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSIT), among others.

China warns US of 'serious consequences' over Washington plaza name

China`s Foreign Ministry warned the United States on Tuesday there would be "serious consequences" if a plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington was named after a pro-democracy dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

By unanimous voice vote, the U.S. Senate on Friday backed a plan to name the plaza after Liu Xiaobo, jailed for 11 years in 2009 on subversion charges for organising a petition urging an end to one-party rule.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the move ran "contrary to the basic norms of international relations" and China was resolutely opposed to it.

"If the relevant bill is passed into law it will cause serious consequences. We demand the U.S. Senate stop promoting the bill and hope the U.S. executive authorities put an end to this political farce," Hong told a daily news briefing, without elaborating.

On Sunday, the Global Times, an influential Chinese state-run tabloid, said the naming scheme was "futile".

"The U.S. has been at its wits` end in dealing with China as it is reluctant to employ military threats or economic sanctions that may backfire. The only option for Washington seems to be petty actions that disturb China," it said in an editorial.

Publisher of `offensive` anti-Islam book arrested in Bangladesh

Bangladesh police have arrested and charged a publisher after Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation warned of violent protests over one of his books which they deemed offensive, an officer said Tuesday.

Police also shut down Shamsuzzoha Manik`s stall at the country`s book fair in Dhaka where he was selling copies of "Islam Bitorko" (Islam Debate), which includes a controversial chapter on sex and Muslims.

"There was a chapter entitled `Muslim Manosher Jouna Bikriti` (sexual perversion of the Muslim mind). The contents were offensive," said senior police officer Abu Baker Siddique.

"We got complaints from many people and we were worried that it could trigger a serious deterioration of law and order," he told AFP.

Man Meets Facebook Friend For Valentine's Day, Gets Killed

 For 27-year-old Delhi native Ishwar, the decision to come to Gurgaon's posh Sushant Lok area to celebrate Valentine's Day with a Facebook friend turned tragic, as two men allegedly assaulted him and threw him off of a multi-storied building leading to his death.

"We had received information from a hospital about a critically injured man, who was admitted at around 9 pm last night."

"We rushed there once we got the information. The hospital again called us at around 1 am, saying the man succumbed to his injuries", said Sandeep Ahlawat, SHO, Sushant Lok Police Station.

According to Hawa Singh, CPRO Gurgaon Police, as per the girl's (victim's Facebook friend) statement to police, Ishwar was in constant touch with her for the past seven months and he had asked her to celebrate Valentine's Day together in Gurgaon.

She had received him from Huda City Centre Metro Station last evening and she took him to a flat in a  multi-storey building in Sushant Lok area.

"While they were interacting with each other in the flat, her brother-in-law, identified as Ramesh (30) and his driver Anil Kumar (25) reached there. And, seeing Ishwar there, the duo brutally assaulted him in a fit of rage, and later threw him down from the balcony", Mr Singh said.

"An FIR in this regard has been lodged against Ramesh and Anil under 302 (murder), 201 (dispersing evidences) and 34 criminal conspiracy in Sushant Lok police station and both the accused have been arrested," Deepak Saharan, DCP (East) Gurgaon Police said.

Since the victim did not die on the spot, the accused then took him into a car and went to Khandsa Road, situated on the other side of the city, and dumped him on the road to make the case look like a road accident before fleeing, police said.

New Sex Abuse Claims In Central African Republic: United Nations

The United Nations says it is investigating new allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic, including against minors.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed the new investigation Monday. He also announced the planned repatriation of peacekeepers from Congo and the Republic of Congo, whose soldiers allegedly were involved in previous incidents of sexual abuse and exploitation.

The United Nations has been unable to explain why so many rapes and other sexual abuse by peacekeepers have been alleged in Central African Republic, which has been gripped by deadly violence between Christians and Muslims since late 2013.

Thousands of peacekeepers from the United Nations, African Union and Europe have been deployed since then to help restore peace to the country.

Donald Trump Vows To Sue Ted Cruz Over Birthplace If 'False Ads' Stay Up

                                                              US Republican Presidential Front-Runner, Donald Trump

US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump blasted his close rival Ted Cruz on Monday, where he threatened to file a lawsuit challenging his eligibility for the White House if the Texas senator does not take down his "false ads."

The billionaire, whose campaign has been littered with insults, said Cruz was "totally unstable," and that he is "the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them."

 He was speaking at a news conference in South Carolina, where he said he could "fight back" by bringing a lawsuit against Cruz over the accusation that he was born in Canada, which Trump argues makes him ineligible to become president.

"If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately," he said.

The White House Expects China To Support New Sanctions On North Korea

President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Susan Rice said on Monday that she expects China will support new international sanctions on North Korea for its recent rocket launches.

"I think it unlikely that China wants to be seen by the international community as the protector of North Korea given its recent outrageous behaviour," she told reporters at a briefing at the White House.

"With that, I expect that they will indeed come on board with significant new sanctions and we're working toward that goal," she said.