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The Obama administration on Friday ordered Volkswagen to recall nearly a half million cars from the road, saying the German automaker used software intentionally designed to circumvent environmental standards for reducing smog.

The Speaker of Burkina Faso’s National Transition Council (CNT, interim parliament) Cherif Moumina Sy on Friday issued a statement declaring himself the interim president.

Saraki The Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki on Friday condemned the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for what he described as a “disregard” for the order of the Federal High Court,

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, admitted that Aso Rock, Abuja is far bigger than Dodan Barracks, the Government House he left in 1985, adding that he still gets lost when in the Villa. Buhari: Aso Rock is a palace. At times, I can’t find my way around… Buhari who departed Nigeria for France on Monday, during an exclusive interview with France 24 TV, when asked if Aso Rock was the same as the Government House he left in 1985, replied: “It was not the same place. The last time I was there, I was in the barracks. This time I am in a palace. At times, I can’t find my way around.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja begins its hearing over Senate President Bukola Saraki for supposed “false declaration of assets.’’ UPDATE: The CCT has ordered Solomon Arase, the Inspector General of Police, and other related security agencies in ‎the country to arrest Saraki. The Ministry of Justice appealed the Justice Umar-led panel to demand for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in absentia”.

Senator Ighoyota Amori (PDP), Delta Central has taken a swipe at Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national publicity secretary. Senator Ighoyota Amori According to him, the trio have turned themselves as Minister of Information and Defence and are taking advantage of the vacuum President Muhammadu Buhari created by not appointing his ministers from the onset.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. While visiting a family friend in Brisbane, 2-year-old Alexander Kenney was discovered floating face down in a dam by the family dog, Leala. Alexander was nearly dead when he was discovered. While he was still completely unconscious, Leala tried to bring him back to shore. When that failed she did the next best thing: she ran to the house, soaked and anxious, and barked to get dad’s attention.

The suspension is over for the 14-year-old Muslim student garnering national support after he was handcuffed for bringing a homemade clock to class. But he won't be in school. VPC

(Photo: Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images) Pope Francis’ visit to the USA will include stops at landmark churches that attract both worshipers and sightseers. In Washington, the pontiff will visit the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He will stop at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.

General Gilbert Diendere. (File: AFP) Ouagadougou - A general close to ousted strongman Blaise Compaore took the lead in a Burkina Faso coup Thursday and promised elections would be held "soon", as the death toll from gunshots fired at protesters rose to three. The latest unrest hit the landlocked west African nation just weeks ahead of presidential and legislative elections slated for October 11 - the country's first since veteran leader Compaore was forced out last year.

Jerome Valcke in Russia, June 10, 2015. REUTERS/MAXIM ZMEYEV For the second time in his career, Jerome Valcke leaves FIFA with a cloud hanging over him. Sepp Blatter's lieutenant for the past eight years, Valcke became the highest profile figure in the corruption-plagued organization to fall during the current series of scandals when he was "released from his duties" on Thursday and it appears unlikely he will return.

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. REUTERS/U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILES China said on Friday it was "extremely concerned" about a suggestion from a top U.S. commander that U.S. ships and aircraft should challenge China's claims in the South China Sea by patrolling close to artificial islands it has built.

Soldiers arrive to repel an attack on an air force base in Peshawar, Pakistan, September 18, 2015. REUTERS/FAYAZ AZIZ Taliban gunmen stormed a Pakistani Air Force base early on Friday, killing at least 17 people, a military spokesman said, the deadliest attack on a military installation this year. Sixteen of the dead were killed in a mosque as they offered morning prayers, and a captain died leading the counter-attack against the raiders, 13 of whom were killed, Major General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter.

Niger soldiers provide security for an anti-Boko Haram summit in Diffa city, Niger September 3, 2015. Despite years of intimidation by the violent extremist group Boko Haram, the people of southeastern Niger's Diffa region had never held a summit to confront the threat - perhaps with good reason. "One person could come here and kill us all!" Diffa's prefect, Inoussa Saouna, told 75 village leaders assembled along with politicians and military commanders in the city's pale blue-walled cultural center.

OSA OKHOMINA reports that the contest to clinch the APC Bayelsa governorship ticket is realistically a tussle between Timipre Sylva and Timi Alaibe. The ongoing struggle to secure the nod of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to be its flag bearer for the 2016 Governorship race in Bayelsa has pitched 19 aspirants.

"I thought it would just spread the word locally in Dallas, I didn't know it would get this big," she says. "It's amazing to see other people stand with us." TEXAS - A 14-year-old student who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school that was mistaken for a bomb. Ahmed brought the clock into MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, to show his engineering teacher. After another teacher saw it, police were summoned and Ahmed was interrogated, handcuffed and placed in juvenile detention. No charges were filed. The police later acknowledged that Ahmed's work was not dangerous

Paul Zerdin on "America's Got Talent."  NBC "America's Got Talent" has another winner. On Wednesday, ventriloquist Paul Zerdin won season 10, taking home the $1 million prize. He topped a list of talented finalists that included Piff the Magic Dragon, the Craig Lewis Band, the Professional Regurgitator and Uzeyer Novruzov.

Dr. Akin Baruwa The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has concluded arrangement to prosecute two lecturers allegedly involved in rape cases. The Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old Law student in the institution, while a lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr. Akin Baruwa, allegedly raped a young lady seeking admission to University.

Malaria death rate has plunged by 60 per cent since 2000, translating into 6.2 million lives, mainly children saved, a joint World Health Organisation and UNICEF report released on Thursday has said. The report, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos, was entitled, “Achieving the Malaria Millennium Development Goal Target.’’ It shows that the malaria MDG target of halting and reversing the incidence of malaria by 2015 has been met “convincingly,’’ with new malaria cases dropping by 37 per cent in 15 years.

The Nigerian Army has deployed 3,032 pardoned soldiers in the North-East to fight Boko Haram insurgents. The affected soldiers had been summarily dismissed from the military in 2014 over offences allegedly committed as part of the troops involved in counter insurgency operations in the North-East. The soldiers were dismissed by their unit commanders at the peak of the Boko Haram attacks in the North-East in 2014.