US President Barack Obama led calls Tuesday for Turkey and Russia to end their dispute over the downing of a Russian fighter jet and focus instead on Islamic State, the real enemy. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged key ally Turkey and Russia to change tack and find ways to avoid a repeat of an incident which threatens to scupper efforts to forge a common front against IS after the group’s attacks in Paris left 130 dead.

Jos – Prof. Mathew Sule, the Executive Chairman, Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, on Tuesday called for establishment of health clubs in public schools to enlighten minors on prevention of HIV/AIDS. Sule said in Jos that these clubs would be a good platform to elighten minors with the ultimate target of eradicating the pandemic […]

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Mr Roch Marc Kabore of the Movement of People for Progress Party on his historic election as the second civilian President of Burkina Faso. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.

The Zone B of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Tuesday commended Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra for giving youths opportunities to be senior members of his cabinet. The students, led by the zone’s Coordinator, Mr Okorie Ikechukwu, gave the commendation when they paid a solidarity visit to Mr Tony Ezekwelu, the governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Youth Mobilisation.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians of better times ahead, saying they will soon get the change they voted for.

Adele beat all comers on the U.S. Billboard 200 album charts on Monday. She did it with a record-breaking debut for “25’’, leaving other top acts like Justin Bieber and British boy band One Direction looking like also-rans. The British songstress sold 3.48 million copies in the first week of release for “25’’, making it the biggest-selling album of 2015.

Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, urged Moscow on Monday to reconsider economic sanctions it issued after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane on Nov. 24, but refused to apologise for the incident. “We hope that Russia will reconsider these reactions, these measures, which will be against our interests both,” Davutoglu said.

No fewer than 10 suspected armed robbers have been killed in the last 12 days in different parts of Lagos State during exchange of gunfire with the police. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, made the disclosure on Monday while addressing newsmen on the activities of the command in the last two weeks.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is solidly behind the former Senate President, Sen. David Mark, to repeat his electoral victory in the re-run election ordered by the Court of Appeal. A statement signed by Chief Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity Secretary and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, described Mark as `an asset to the nation.’

Rep. James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, who participated in the Nov 21 governorship election in Kogi, has rejected the party’s decision to present Yahaya Bello for the Dec 5 supplementary election. INEC declared the Nov 21 election as inconclusive following the cancellation of voting in 91 polling units across the state.

The al-Qaeda branch in Syria has freed 16 Lebanese soldiers who were abducted in August 2014, in a swap deal, a Lebanese security source close to the negotiations said. “The soldiers have been set free in a swap deal during which the Lebanese government handed over 13 prisoners, including five women, who have links with al-Nusra in return for the release of the 16 soldiers,” the source said.

Burkina Faso’s electoral body on Tuesday announced Mr Roch Marc Kabore as winner of the presidential election.
Provisional results from Sunday’s election showed Kabore won 53.5 per cent of the votes to defeat former Finance Minister Zephirin Diabre, who scored 29.7 per cent, and 12 other candidates, the electoral commission said.

A 31-year-old -trader, Oluwaseyi Ajofoyibo, on Tuesday at the Igando Customary Court , Lagos state, accused her husband, Kamoru Ajofoyibo,33, of allegedly raping her cousin in their matrimonial home. Oluwaseyi also told the court that her husband was in the habit of beating and blackmailing her at the slightest provocation.

An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun on Tuesday remanded a 41-year-old man, Yusuf Garuba, in prison custody for allegedly defiling a four-year-old girl.

The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, Director of Radio Biafra, suffered a setback on Tuesday due to the absence of Magistrate Shuaibu Usman of the Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja. Kanu is standing trial on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and belonging to unlawful society, to which he pleaded not guilty.