A church roof has collapsed in southeastern Nigeria killing at least 60 people, with local media reporting the death toll to be much higher.
The evangelical Reigners Bible Ministry in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom state, was packed with worshippers when the roof, which was still under construction, collapsed, local media said on Saturday.
Bodies of at least 60 victims have been retrieved, according to a rescue official who spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity.
Governor Udom Emmanuel was also reported to be inside when metal girders crashed onto worshippers and the corrugated iron roof caved in. He did not take any injuries in the incident.
"We have never had such a shocking incident in the history of our dear state," Emmanuel said on his Facebook page.
The governor's spokesman, Ekerete Udoh, said the state government will hold an inquiry to investigate if anyone compromised building standards.
President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences "over the many deaths and injury recorded following the incident," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement.
The state-run Nigerian News Agency said "between 50 and 200" people could have been killed, adding that a rescue operation was under way.
In September 2014, 115 people including 84 South Africans, were killed in Lagos in the collapse of a church belonging to the famous televangelist TB Joshua.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
PM aide and MP Nicky Morgan clash over leather trousers remark
A spat has erupted between a top aide to Theresa May and Nicky Morgan after the former Cabinet minister was banned from a Downing Street meeting in a row over the PM's leather trousers.
Fiona Hill called the former education secretary "that woman" after Ms Morgan publicly criticised the PM's decision to wear the Amanda Wakeley-designed trousers worth nearly £1,000 during a photo shoot for a newspaper.
She had previous met with Ms Morgan and fellow Conservative Alistair Burt and invited them to meet Mrs May about their views on Brexit next week.
But text messages obtained by the Mail on Sunday show Ms Hill texted Mr Burt and told him "don't bring that woman to No 10 again".
Ms Morgan found out about the message, and according to the newspaper replied: "If you don't like something I have said or done, please tell me directly.
"No man brings me to any meeting. Your team invites me. If you don't want my views in future meetings you need to tell them."
Ms Hill, thought to have been referring to a previous meeting the two attended together, replied: "Well, he just did. So there!"
It comes after the PM insisted she was not out of touch because of her choice to wear expensive clothing.
Speaking during a trip to Bahrain, she said: "Look, I stood on the steps of Downing Street and said what I did about the importance of a country that works for everyone because that is what I have heard from people as I have gone around the country, as I have met people in a whole variety of circumstances.
"I believe it is important for politicians to get out and about and that's exactly what I continue to do.
"It is important that we have a country that works for everyone."
Ms Morgan said the "bitter chocolate" trousers had been "noticed and discussed" among the Tory party, and added: "I don't have leather trousers. I don't think I've ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress."
Fiona Hill called the former education secretary "that woman" after Ms Morgan publicly criticised the PM's decision to wear the Amanda Wakeley-designed trousers worth nearly £1,000 during a photo shoot for a newspaper.
She had previous met with Ms Morgan and fellow Conservative Alistair Burt and invited them to meet Mrs May about their views on Brexit next week.
But text messages obtained by the Mail on Sunday show Ms Hill texted Mr Burt and told him "don't bring that woman to No 10 again".
Ms Morgan found out about the message, and according to the newspaper replied: "If you don't like something I have said or done, please tell me directly.
"No man brings me to any meeting. Your team invites me. If you don't want my views in future meetings you need to tell them."
Ms Hill, thought to have been referring to a previous meeting the two attended together, replied: "Well, he just did. So there!"
It comes after the PM insisted she was not out of touch because of her choice to wear expensive clothing.
Speaking during a trip to Bahrain, she said: "Look, I stood on the steps of Downing Street and said what I did about the importance of a country that works for everyone because that is what I have heard from people as I have gone around the country, as I have met people in a whole variety of circumstances.
"I believe it is important for politicians to get out and about and that's exactly what I continue to do.
"It is important that we have a country that works for everyone."
Ms Morgan said the "bitter chocolate" trousers had been "noticed and discussed" among the Tory party, and added: "I don't have leather trousers. I don't think I've ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress."
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Two blasts outside Besiktas stadium in Istanbul kill 29
QTwenty nine people have been killed in two explosions outside a football stadium in Istanbul, according to the country's interior minister.
At least one of the blasts was caused by a car bomb and targeted a riot police bus directly outside the Besiktas stadium, Suleyman Soylu said.
He later said it was believed that a suspected suicide bomber had struck Macka Park, next to the stadium, also known as the Vodafone Arena.
At least one of the blasts was caused by a car bomb and targeted a riot police bus directly outside the Besiktas stadium, Suleyman Soylu said.
He later said it was believed that a suspected suicide bomber had struck Macka Park, next to the stadium, also known as the Vodafone Arena.
Trump pushes back against Russia hacking investigation
President Barack Obama's order to intelligence officials for a full-scale review of campaign-season cyberattacks has prompted President-elect Donald Trump's transition team to say it is "time to move on".
Trump's transition office issued a statement on Saturday criticising the Central Intelligence Agency officials for revealing that Russia had aimed specifically to help Trump win the presidency.
"These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," the statement said.
"The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It's now time to move on and 'Make America Great Again'."
Trump has been repeatedly dismissive of the intelligence community's determination that Russia sought through hacking to disrupt the US election, and Obama's new initiative was similarly brushed off by the Trump transition team.
The investigation ordered by Obama will be a "deep dive" into a possible pattern of increased "malicious cyber activity" timed to the campaign season, Eric Schultz, White House spokesperson, said on Friday.
Schultz said it will look at the tactics, targets, key actors and the US government's response to the recent email hacks, as well as incidents reported in past elections.
The president ordered up the report earlier in the week asked that it be completed before he leaves office next month, Schultz said.
Russia has rejected the hacking accusations.
In the months leading up to the election, email accounts of Democratic Party officials and a top Hillary Clinton campaign aide were breached, emails leaked and embarrassing and private emails posted online.
Many Democrats believe the hackings benefited Trump's bid.
Schultz said the president sought the probe as a way of improving US defenve against cyberattacks and was not intending to question the legitimacy of Trump's victory.
"This is not an effort to challenge the outcome of the election," Schultz said.
Obama's move comes as Democratic politicians have been pushing Obama to declassify more information about Russia's role, fearing that Trump, who has promised a warmer relationship with Russia, may not prioritise the issue.
Trump's transition office issued a statement on Saturday criticising the Central Intelligence Agency officials for revealing that Russia had aimed specifically to help Trump win the presidency.
"These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," the statement said.
"The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It's now time to move on and 'Make America Great Again'."
Trump has been repeatedly dismissive of the intelligence community's determination that Russia sought through hacking to disrupt the US election, and Obama's new initiative was similarly brushed off by the Trump transition team.
The investigation ordered by Obama will be a "deep dive" into a possible pattern of increased "malicious cyber activity" timed to the campaign season, Eric Schultz, White House spokesperson, said on Friday.
Schultz said it will look at the tactics, targets, key actors and the US government's response to the recent email hacks, as well as incidents reported in past elections.
The president ordered up the report earlier in the week asked that it be completed before he leaves office next month, Schultz said.
Russia has rejected the hacking accusations.
In the months leading up to the election, email accounts of Democratic Party officials and a top Hillary Clinton campaign aide were breached, emails leaked and embarrassing and private emails posted online.
Many Democrats believe the hackings benefited Trump's bid.
Schultz said the president sought the probe as a way of improving US defenve against cyberattacks and was not intending to question the legitimacy of Trump's victory.
"This is not an effort to challenge the outcome of the election," Schultz said.
Obama's move comes as Democratic politicians have been pushing Obama to declassify more information about Russia's role, fearing that Trump, who has promised a warmer relationship with Russia, may not prioritise the issue.
Patti Smith forgets lines while performing Bob Dylan Nobel tribute
Patti Smith has given a stumbling performance of Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall at a gala ceremony for Nobel laureates.
The American rock star appeared either to forget the lyrics or was overcome with nerves and she apologised to the 1,500 guests at the event in Stockholm, which was marked by Dylan's absence.
"I apologise. I'm sorry, I'm so nervous," she said, asking the orchestra to start again, as the audience comforted her with applause.
Dylan, 75, is the first songwriter to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for creating "new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
The American rock star appeared either to forget the lyrics or was overcome with nerves and she apologised to the 1,500 guests at the event in Stockholm, which was marked by Dylan's absence.
"I apologise. I'm sorry, I'm so nervous," she said, asking the orchestra to start again, as the audience comforted her with applause.
Dylan, 75, is the first songwriter to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for creating "new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
Exxon Mobil boss Rex Tillerson 'to be US Secretary of State'
Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson is to be selected by Donald Trump as his Secretary of State, NBC News reports.
He emerged as the President-elect's leading candidate to be America's top diplomat on Friday and met the billionaire on Saturday, a transition official said.
His expected appointment comes after former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani formally withdrew from consideration for the job.
Ex-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who lost to Barack Obama in the 2012 election, is also said to have been among those in the running.
Mr Tillerson, 64, has been chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil since 2006 and he is set to retire from the company next year.
Mr Trump's spokesman Jason Millerin said there would be no official announcements on the Secretary of State job until next week at the earliest.
Should Mr Tillerson be nominated, his business ties will come under scrutiny.
Exxon Mobil operates in more than 50 countries and explores for oil and natural gas on six continents.
In 2011, his company signed a deal with Rosneft, Russia's largest state-owned oil company, for joint oil exploration and production.
Since then, the companies have formed 10 joint ventures for projects in Russia.
In 2013, President Vladimir Putin awarded Mr Tillerson his country's Order of Friendship.
The oil chief has been a vocal critic of US sanctions against Moscow after Russia's 2014 incursion into Crimea.
Following the incursion, Exxon Mobil was forced to scrap some projects and it suffered at least $1bn (£800m) in losses.
Mr Trump has spoken of wanting closer relations with Moscow, which has sparked concerns in Congress he could lift or loosen some Russian sanctions.
Climate change could be another divisive issue if Mr Tillerson is nominated.
The company is under investigation by the New York Attorney General's office for allegedly misleading investors, regulators and the public on what it knew about global warming.
He emerged as the President-elect's leading candidate to be America's top diplomat on Friday and met the billionaire on Saturday, a transition official said.
His expected appointment comes after former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani formally withdrew from consideration for the job.
Ex-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who lost to Barack Obama in the 2012 election, is also said to have been among those in the running.
Mr Tillerson, 64, has been chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil since 2006 and he is set to retire from the company next year.
Mr Trump's spokesman Jason Millerin said there would be no official announcements on the Secretary of State job until next week at the earliest.
Should Mr Tillerson be nominated, his business ties will come under scrutiny.
Exxon Mobil operates in more than 50 countries and explores for oil and natural gas on six continents.
In 2011, his company signed a deal with Rosneft, Russia's largest state-owned oil company, for joint oil exploration and production.
Since then, the companies have formed 10 joint ventures for projects in Russia.
In 2013, President Vladimir Putin awarded Mr Tillerson his country's Order of Friendship.
The oil chief has been a vocal critic of US sanctions against Moscow after Russia's 2014 incursion into Crimea.
Following the incursion, Exxon Mobil was forced to scrap some projects and it suffered at least $1bn (£800m) in losses.
Mr Trump has spoken of wanting closer relations with Moscow, which has sparked concerns in Congress he could lift or loosen some Russian sanctions.
Climate change could be another divisive issue if Mr Tillerson is nominated.
The company is under investigation by the New York Attorney General's office for allegedly misleading investors, regulators and the public on what it knew about global warming.
Islamic State re-enters historic Syrian city of Palmyra
Islamic State fighters have re-entered Palmyra in Syria nine months after they were expelled by pro-Assad forces backed by Russia.
The Palmyra Coordination Collective reports that militants have overrun the city's military warehouse and its northern and western districts after taking several government positions, oil fields, and strategic hilltops in the surrounding countryside in a lightning three-day campaign.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says IS forces reached the city's Tadmor Hospital and its strategically located wheat silos.
:: Syria 'agrees to Aleppo ceasefire' to allow civilian escape, says Russia
"IS entered Palmyra on Saturday and now occupies its northwest. There is also fighting with the army in the city centre," said the group's spokesman Rami Abdel Rahman.
A statement by Islamic State's news agency Amaq said the group had taken the strategic Jabal al Tar and Jabal Antara mountains that overlook the city in some of the heaviest fighting since the group lost the city.
The US-led coalition which is separately fighting the militants said late on Friday it had taken out 168 IS oil tanker trucks near Palmyra in a large air raid.
The militants destroyed several of the city's famed ancient Roman monuments and executed its archaeological director after sweeping into the city in July 2015 and holding it for 11 months, causing extensive damage to many of its ancient sites.
They were ousted from Palmyra in March by Syrian regime forces backed by Russia.
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