China: North Korea will 'pay a price' for its recent behaviour

China's foreign ministry on Monday urged the United States and North Korea to sit down with each other face-to-face and resolve their problems, as tension continues to climb on the Korean peninsula after North Korea's latest rocket test.

While China was angered by the launch, it has also expressed concern at plans by Washington and Seoul to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system, saying it would impact upon China's own security.

"The focus of the nuclear issue on the peninsula is between the United States and North Korea," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.

"We urge the United States and North Korea to sit down and have communications and negotiations, to explore ways to resolve each other's reasonable concerns and finally reach the goal we all want reached."

Benue APC Leaders Want to Kill Me, Mark Petitions IG

                                                                          Former Senate President, Sen. David Mark 

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase, alleging that two prominent leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue State have perfected plans to assassinate him ahead of next Saturday’s rerun election in Benue South senatorial district.

A statement by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, alleged that the APC candidate at the forthcoming election, Daniel Onjeh, through his Campaign Director,  Okpokwu Ogenyi, in connivance with the state’s Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, had hired the services of cultists to unleash terror in Benue South and in the process, eliminate Mark.

The statement also claimed that the cultists had hired one notorious Supreme Vikings Squad from Jos, the Plateau State capital, and another dreaded Black Axe in Makurdi, Benue State to execute the plot.

Furthermore, the statement said Mark had petitioned Arase, about the alleged plot by the APC stalwarts in Benue to assassinate him.
The statement added that the petition was signed by his counsel, Ken Ikonne, where it was alleged that Ogenyi was the arrow head of the plot.

I can’t turn down PSG — Eden Hazard

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has admitted it would be hard to turn down a move to Paris Saint-Germain if the opportunity arose.

The Belgium international has set his sights on winning the Champions League and would only move to a club he believes would enable him to fulfill that objective.

And in an interview with Le Parisien ahead of Chelsea’s visit to PSG in the last-16 of the Champions League, Hazard said: ‘It’s hard to say no to PSG, as with all teams capable of winning the Champions League.

‘Now, PSG are part of this category. And for me, winning the Champions League is the main objective. But for now, I do not dwell on it.’

Angelique Kidjo says ‘Africa on rise’ in latest Grammy win

The Beninese-born singer won her 3^rd  Grammy for Best World Music Album for “Sings,” a collection of her songs infused with Western classical traditions in a collaboration with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. She dedicated the award to the aspiring artists in the continent of Africa.

This is the second straight year that Kidjo has won the Best World Music Album prize, after last year’s “Eve” that paid tribute to African women.

A visibly happy Kidjo, dressed in a colourful African dress, ran to the stage to accept the award and danced to James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” performed by a pit orchestra.

“I want to dedicate this Grammy to all the traditional musicians in Africa, in my country, to all the young generation,” Kidjo said.

“Africa is on the rise, Africa is positive, Africa is joyful,” she said.

“Let’s get together and be one with music, and say no to hate and violence,” she said to applause.

The album merges African song writing and rhythms with European classical instrumentation, a fusion on which Kidjo has repeatedly experimented.

Kidjo described the album as an artistic challenge as traditional African bands follow the lead of the soloist much more closely, unlike Western orchestras that generally play off refined scores.

Kidjo, who is based in New York and plans another concert at Carnegie Hall in the upcoming season, said she was open to further work with artists of other genres.

“I work with everyone who believes that music is the tool of peace. For me, music is the only form of art that connects the entire world,” she told AFP after accepting the award.

UCL: Terry to miss PSG clash with hamstring problem

Chelsea captain John Terry will miss the Blues’ Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain after being ruled out with a hamstring problem.

The former England defender trained with his team-mates on Monday morning after limping out of the club’s 5-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday, but he has not been deemed fit enough to travel to France for the Round of 16 clash.

Terry was replaced by Baba Rahman at Stamford Bridge, the versatile left-back filling in at centre-half with Kurt Zouma also injured.

While the 35-year-old will miss the clash with PSG Oscar has travelled with the squad to Paris.
Oscar failed make the matchday squad for the encounter with the Magpies due to a calf injury, though he may feature against Laurent Blanc’s side.

The meeting at Parc des Princes will be the third time in the last three seasons that the two teams have faced off, with Chelsea progressing in 2014 and PSG emerging triumphant last year.
The other match of the day is between Benfica and Zenit St. Petersburg.

EFCC may go after ex-First lady

                                                            Former Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan

The wife of a former president may soon be invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain her role in the sourcing and disbursement of huge funds spent by the Presidency in the last two weeks before the general elections.

The fund, estimated at over a trillion naira, was routed and disbursed through the Amnesty Office to some notable politicians in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Investigations have revealed that the disbursements and release of about 40 per cent of the funds was authorized by the former First Lady.

Also under investigation by operatives of the anti-graft agency is the source of the funds, which has not been established due to the absence of the Amnesty office’s boss from the country.

According to sources, the failure of the former head of the presidential Amnesty Programme to return to the country has slowed down investigations of how the funds were sourced, “because he allegedly disbursed the bulk of the money, which was not part of the funds allocated to his office,” the investigators revealed.

It was gathered that the suspected Amnesty boss who will face 14 petitions written to the EFCC against him, left the country soon after preliminary investigations into the sourcing and disbursement of funds for the elections.

Naira falls to N345 against dollar in parallel marke

The naira yesterday exchanged at N345 to the dollar in the parallel market. The exchange rate  volatility worsened thereby forcing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to devalue the official exchange rate to narrow the gap between it and the parallel market.

The local currency eased 1.47 per cent from Friday’s close of 340 to the dollar, while the official rate remained at 197.50 to the dollar at the close of trading yesterday.

Traders said the black market rate had slipped as Nigerians with school and medical bills to pay abroad anticipated the CBN would stop allocating currency for such payments. The bank has not denied or confirmed any such plans.

Tumbling global oil prices have battered Nigeria’s crude exporter, with foreign exchange reserves down to an 11-year low at $27.85 billion by February 11.

Nigeria’s government is concerned that further depreciation will hurt poor Nigerians, but the bank’s refusal to revise the pegged exchange rate has widened a chasm between official rates and the parallel market.