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cc lalasticlala mynd44

Senator Atai Aidoko in the upper chamber speaks
on Court of Appeal's ruling

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had sacked the
senator representing Kogi east Senatorial District

Aidoko was sacked on grounds that he was not
dully elected in the PDP senatorial primary that
was conducted in 2014

Senator Atai Aidoko, on Tuesday, December 19,
has repeated that his seat has not been
declared vacant by the Court of Appeal.

Aidoko, representing Kogi East while raising a
point of order on the floor of the Senate said
the court only ruled that the matter be taken
back to the High Court.


He added that at no point did the issue of
candidacy or vacant seat come up during the
judgement.


“Yesterday, the media, both social and
mainstream was awashed with news that,
satanic fake news that my constituency seat has
been declared vacant by the Court of Appeal,”
he said.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the Court of
Appeal in Abuja on Monday, December 18, had
sacked the senator representing Kogi east
Senatorial District, from the national assembly
Justice Abdul Aboki declared the seat vacant
while ordering the matter be taken back to the
High Court for retrial.

President Muhammadu Buhari received the report of the panel on the review of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in the afternoon of December 19 as he met with the committee chairman, Babagana Kingibe.

NAIJ.com learnt that the duo met at the State House, Abuja where Kingibe handed the report to President Buhari
“President Buhari receives the report of the presidential review panel on National Intelligence Agency (NIA) from the Panel Chairman, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe at the State House, Abuja,” a tweet by the government stated.

Governor Willie Obiano has reacted to some media reports alleging that he might run for the 2019 presidential election
Governor Obiano declared that he does not have any presidential ambition
The governor described the reports as totally untrue, false and misleading

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state on Tuesday, December 19, denied some media reports alleging that he might run for the 2019 presidential election.
Daily Trust reports that Obiano in a statement issued by his senior special assistant on media James Eze said the report was a manifestation of speculation carried too far and have no shred of truth in them.

The national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance Victor Oye had said the party would field a presidential candidate in 2019.

The governor, through his media aide, described the reports as totally untrue, false and misleading, insisting that he has no intention of running for president.
According to him, "After recording a historic victory at the November 18, gubernatorial election in which Ndi Anambra gave him an overwhelming mandate, Governor Obiano is totally committed to initiating new revolutionary projects that will transform the state and justify the people's confidence in his second term in office.’’

Eze however urged the general public to disregard such reports in their entirety as they are totally false.

source :naij.com

cc lalasticlala mynd44

Some gallant security operatives have apprehended a
young Nigerian man who attempted to use his parents
for money rituals.


According to multiple online reports, the 24-year-old
University graduate identified simply as Prosper, who
confessed after he was caught, revealed that life has
been hard and he only took to this wicked way because
he wants to help his parents.


In a video clip which emerged on social media, the
young man is seen holding clothing materials which he
says belongs to his parents and are the items he would
have used to perform the ritual.
The state in the country where the incident happened,
and what the security operatives did to him afterwards,
were not ascertained by TORI News as at the time of
filing this report.



watch video:www.newshelmng.com/2017/12/photos-young-graduate-caught-trying-to.html?m=1

A South African man, Sandile Mashele is on the run after he reportedly stabbed his girlfriend, Nomcebo Mokoena to death in Mpumalanga last weekend. The two who were dating before the tragic incident were co-workers at a shoe shop in SA. The police is now looking for him.

A power cut at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson
international airport on Sunday led to a partial
shut-down, affecting tens of thousands of
people.

The airport is the world's busiest, handling more than
250,000 passengers and almost 2,500 flights every day.

Passengers were left in darkened terminals or on board
planes.

Power is now restored at the airport, but over 1,000
flights were cancelled with hundreds more cancellations
scheduled for Monday.

Many flights scheduled to arrive from other airports were being diverted elsewhere or held at their departure
airport.


In a statement, the airport confirmed they had suffered a power cut shortly after 13:00 (18:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Flights are expected to resume at 06:00 on Monday
(11:00 GMT).


Georgia Power, which supplies the airport's electricity,
said it believed a fire at an underground electrical facility
was to blame for the power cut. Officials said a piece of
its switchgear could have failed and started the fire,
causing cable damage.

Power was fully restored to the airport late on Sunday.

Atlanta's mayor confirmed the fire's cause was under
investigation, and apologised to the thousands affected.

A number of major airlines, including United, Southwest
and American Airlines, completely suspended their
operations on Sunday.



continue reading: www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42387392

antzlaive:
Where is the broken internet?

how about we search for it together

A photo of an Australian police officer encountering a python has drawn a large reaction on social media.

The officer and his partner were on a night patrol in northern Queensland when they came across the "monster" scrub python on a road, police said. Spotting an opportunity, the officers snapped a picture with the reptile.


"Fair to say that the snake was over five metres [long] but not really the type of reptile that you want to take a tape measure to," police told the BBC.

Queensland police shared the photo, taken earlier this year, across its social media accounts on Monday. They said it had since received more than two million views and 10,000 comments.

'Reports spreading round from my home state in Oye
Ekiti to be precise indicates the evil act of the men of
the clueless, heartless and uncivilized men Nigeria
PoliceForce again. It was stated the driver was shut
because he refused in giving just 50naira. What a
tragedy?


The concerned stake holders must do something on this.
The young activists in the area must take meaningful
action.
The Governor must take action.
This is totally inhuman'



www.newshelmng.com/2017/12/photos-policeman-shoots-driver-dead-in.html?m=1

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese , Bishop Matthew Kukah , joined stakeholders on Wednesday in opposing the Non- Governmental Organisations Bill at the National Assembly .

The House of Representatives Committee on
Civil Society is holding a public hearing on
the bill.


Kukah observed that much as the bill might
appear to have good intentions, Nigeria did
not need it .


“ The intentions of the bill may be right but
we should channel our energy to other
things” , he told the session

No fewer than 20 vehicles and four
commercial motorcycles were , on Wednesday
afternoon, burnt when a tanker laden with
petrol fell and spilled its content on the
Festac Link Bridge in Awuwo Odofin LGA of
Lagos State .


The fire started at noon and raged for about
an hour.
Fire fighters arrived at the scene about 30
minutes later but did not have enough water
to quench the fire .


A witness, Mr . Olufemi Popoola , told the
News Agency of Nigeria that the tanker ,
coming from Apple Junction and going to
FESTAC Town, was ascending the bridge but
suddenly rolled back and fell


The impact of the fall separated the tank
from the truck’ s body , resulting in an
explosion , according to Popoola .



He said some residents and passers- by
attacked the fire with buckets of water to no
avail.


Popoola , who lives in FESTAC , said the fire
from the tanker spilled over to nearby
vehicles, forcing their occupants to run,
abandoning them .


“ The fire then spilled into a car shop on the
foot of the bridge , burning some of the cars,
while the attendants quickly drove out some.
“ Furniture items , bags and boxes displayed
for sale on the foot of the bridge were all
burnt, ’’ he told NAN .


NAN reports that the vehicles burnt included
a 2010 Toyota Highlander and a commercial
bus.

The fire caused gridlock on the bridge and in
the adjoining roads .

It was not clear at the time of the report
whether any life was lost to the fire . (NAN )


punchng.com/breaking-20-vehicles-burn-as-tanker-explodes-in-festac/


Cc: lalasticlala

society groups and Non- Governmental Organisations have stormed the National.
Assembly to prevent the passage of a bill for an act to provide for the establishment of the Non- governmental Organisation regulatory commission .


The House of Representatives Committee on Civil Society is holding a public hearing on the bill.
All speakers so far have demanded, “ Kill the bill.”


punchng.com/photos-protesters-storm-nass-over-ngo-bill/


cc: mynd44

There was pandemonium and panic Friday in Asaba, Delta State capital when daredevil armed robbers numbering over five attacked a bullion van around Koka junction along the Asaba-Benin Expressway and carted away a yet to be disclosed amount of cash, running into as much as several millions of naira.

According to an eyewitness account, the heavily armed hoodlums, who came in a grey Sienna car, were seen shooting sporadically before overpowering the security personnel serving as escort to the bullion van said to belong to United Bank for Africa, (UBA), and thereafter took possession of the van and emptied its vault and zoomed off to an unknown destination.

It was not however clear where the van was coming from and going to when the incident occurred.A middle-aged man who narrowly escaped the armed robbers' bullets that left his car severely damaged, told our correspondent that "I want to thank God for saving my life.

Before the police could arrive the scene the robbers have zoomed off with their Sienna car with serious gunshots into the air.

Voters can use the next general election to have
their say on a final Brexit deal, Michael Gove has
said.

The environment secretary praised Theresa May's
"tenacity and skill" in securing a last-minute deal to end
phase one negotiations on Friday.

But, writing in the Daily Telegraph , he said if British
people "dislike the arrangement", they can change it.

Reports suggest the cabinet will meet on 19 December to discuss its "end state" plans for Brexit.

Mr Gove, one of the cabinet's leading Brexiteers, said the primary agreement between the two sides had "set the scene for phase two" negotiations - where issues such as trade will be discussed.

But he said that "nothing is agreed until everything is
agreed" at the end of the process, and the British people
would then "be in control" to make the government
change direction if they were unhappy.


"By the time of the next election, EU law and any new
treaty with the EU will cease to have primacy or direct
effect in UK law," said Mr Gove.

"If the British people dislike the arrangement that we
have negotiated with the EU, the agreement will allow a
future government to diverge."

'Breakthrough'

Friday's deal between Theresa May and European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed on
three key aspects:

No "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the
Republic

The rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in
the EU to live, work and study will be protected. The
agreement includes reunification rights for relatives
who do not live in the UK to join them in their host
country in the future

The so-called "divorce bill" will amount to between
£35bn and £39bn, Downing Street sources say. This
includes budget contributions during a two-year
"transition" period after the UK leaves the EU in
March 2019


Mr Juncker said it was a "breakthrough" and he was
confident EU leaders would approve it at a European
Council summit next week.

Talks can then move onto a transition deal to cover a
period of up to two years after Brexit and the "framework for the future relationship" - preliminary discussions about a future trade deal.


However, the EU says a deal can only be finalised once
the UK has left the EU.

A final withdrawal treaty and transition deal will have to
be ratified by the EU nations and the UK Parliament,
before the UK leaves in March 2019.


Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, whose
opposition on Monday led to talks breaking down, said
there was still "more work to be done" on the border
issue and how it votes on the final deal "will depend on
its contents".

engrtee:
so the Bible can be remixed,revised,edited and mistranslated and someone says God word can never change

God's word can't be changed.....God didn't come down and write the bible!!. It was translated from the original greek and hebrew or Aramaic into present day English....hence the flaws. Or why do you think there are different translations. It's only a language thing I hope you learn

Pope Francis has called for a translation of a
phrase about temptation in the Lord's Prayer to
be changed.


The current wording that says "lead us not into
temptation" is not a good translation because God does
not lead humans to sin, he says.


His suggestion is to use "do not let us fall into
temptation" instead, he told Italian TV on Wednesday
night.

The Lord's Prayer is the best-known prayer in
Christianity.


The pontiff said France's Roman Catholic Church was now using the new wording "do not let us fall into temptation" as an alternative, and something similar should be used worldwide.


"Do not let me fall into temptation because it is I who
fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and
then sees how I fell," he told TV2000, an Italian Catholic
TV channel.

"A father does not do that, a father helps you to get up
immediately."

It is a translation from the Latin Vulgate, a 4th-Century
Latin translation of the Bible, which itself was translated
from ancient Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic.



Since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has not
shied away from controversy and has tackled some issues head-on, Vatican observers say.


He has previously said the Roman Catholic Church
should apologise to gay people for the way it has
treated them .

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42279427

Hmmm

PM Theresa May has struck a last-minute deal
with the EU in a bid to move Brexit talks on to
the next phase.


There will be no "hard border" with Ireland; and EU
citizens in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, will see
their rights protected.


The so-called "divorce bill" will amount to between £35bn and £40bn, the BBC understands.
The European Commission president said it was a
"breakthrough" and he was confident EU leaders will
approve it.


They are due to meet next Thursday for a European
Council summit and need to give their backing to the deal if post-Brexit trade talks are to begin.

The UK will then have about a year to hammer out an
agreement on future relations, which will have to be
ratified by the EU nations and the UK Parliament, before
the UK leaves in March 2019.


Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, whose
opposition on Monday led to talks breaking down, said
there was still "more work to be done" on the border
issue and how it votes on the final deal "will depend on
its contents". Mrs May depends on the party's support to
win key votes in Westminster.


The pound was trading at a six-month high against the
euro as news broke of the draft agreement.


The Irish border - and regulatory alignment


The joint report agreed by Mrs May and Mr Juncker
states, that if a trade deal cannot be agreed, the UK will
maintain "full alignment" with elements of the EU single
market and customs union mentioned in the Good Friday agreement.

Some in the DUP would have liked to remove "full
alignment" from the report altogether, but that would not have been acceptable to the Irish government, says the BBC's Chris Morris.


It is a fallback position, he adds, and the detail of how it
might be done remains to be negotiated, and is likely to
be highly controversial.


EU negotiator Michel Barnier told journalists that it would apply only to the "island of Ireland", not the rest of the UK: "It's a unique situation, therefore specific solutions are needed."


Citizens' rights

Mrs May said that EU citizens in the UK would have their
rights "enshrined in UK law and enforced by British
courts". But the agreement also says the European Court of Justice will continue to have a role in overseeing their
rights for eight years after Brexit, a move which may
concern some Brexiteers. Guarantees will also apply to UK citizens living in other EU countries.


The divorce bill

Theresa May said it would be "fair to the British taxpayer" and would mean the UK in future "will be able to invest more in our priorities at home, such as housing, schools and the NHS".

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU had
agreed to drop the cost of relocating UK-based EU
agencies from the final divorce bill.


What has changed since Monday?
The DUP, whose opposition on Monday led to talks
breaking down, say there have been six "substantial
changes" to the text.

In a crucial passage, which appears to have been added
to satisfy DUP concerns, it states that "no new regulatory barriers" will be allowed between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and that the province's businesses will continue to have "unfettered access" to the UK internal market.


Party leader Arlene Foster said they would mean there
was "no red line down the Irish Sea" - meaning no
customs barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.


BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg's analysis;

Theresa May has achieved what she wanted - the green
light to move on. Had she not, she was in deep, deep
political trouble.

But the 15 pages, described as a "personal success" for
Theresa May by Donald Tusk in the last few minutes, give her what she needed for now.

There are additional guarantees for Northern Ireland and the border, but an undefined statement on "full
alignment", if there is no big trade deal.

The implications of what "full alignment" will mean will
still be fought over by the two wings of the Conservative
Party.


How has it been received?

In the UK, ministers lavished praise on the prime minister with Environment Secretary Mr Gove saying it was a "significant personal political achievement" for Mrs May while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted:

"Congratulations to PM for her determination in getting
today's deal."



Read more; www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42277040

- Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, paid a visit to former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, at the latter’s Minna hilltop mansion.
- After the 2-hour meeting with IBB, the former vice president emerged wearing a long face, and refused to speak with journalists.
- Atiku was driven straight to the airport afterwards, where he also refused to wave to his supporters and reportedly shunned them.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, emerged with a long face, after paying a visit to former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, in Minna, Niger state, on Thursday, December 7, Daily Trust reports.
The former vice president who is seeking the presidential ticket after his recent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by the deputy governor of Niger state, Ahmad Muhammad Ketso, and ex- governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, after touching down at the airport at 10:45am.
NAIJ.com gathers that Atiku and his entourage were received at the former head of state’s hilltop mansion; however, Aliyu was excused from the meeting.
The former VP reportedly emerged from the meeting 2 hours later wearing a long face, and refused to speak with journalists. Atiku was then driven straight to the airport, where he also reportedly shunned his supporters and refused to wave, even after they had thronged the airport as early as 8am, to await his arrival.
According to sources, Atiku had made the visit to Minna, to discuss issues concerning the PDP national convention with IBB.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, disclosed his position on the upcoming convention of the PDP, and the defection of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to the opposition party.
Babangida made his comments when he was paid a courtesy visit by the Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; the chairman of the PDP caretaker committee, Ahmed Makarfi; and other top party officials, at his Minna hilltop mansion, on Wednesday, December 6.
IBB expressed confidence that the Okowa-led organizing committee would deliver a top notch convention.

https://www.naija.ng/1139382-atiku-shuns-supporters-meeting-ibb.html

Awesome innovation. But even if the government trys to support this the stakeholders who benefit from the petrol we use in powering our generators will do everything to sabotage. Only God will save us from this kind of wickedness!!

It's Ronaldo all the way

😂😂😂
what shan't we see in Nigeria

Not again!!

when will we get out of this?

All eyes are on Jerusalem, which US President
Donald Trump has officially recognised as Israel's
capital despite warnings not to do so from within
and beyond the Arab world.
The city - home to holy sites for Jews, Christians and
Muslims - is a unique and symbolic place, and its status is
one of the key issues that divide Israel and the
Palestinians.
Jerusalem is Israel's declared capital and seat of
government, but no other country has recognised it
officially as so until now.
But the discord over the US decision raises questions
about what capital cities represent, and why they are
located where they are.
Here are four reasons:

1. A means of control, and a symbol of unity
The word "capital" originates from the Latin capitalis,
meaning "of the head".
As the city at the head of the territory, it is linked to the
state and hosts the seat of government and, if they exist,
usually royalty too.
The capital needs to be protected, but also able to exert
control and project unity.
For that reason many capitals are built in the centre of
countries - they need to be seen as representative and
accessible.
Madrid is located at almost the dead centre of the Iberian
peninsula, while Abuja, which became Nigeria's official
capital in 1991, was built as a brand new, geographically
central city to signify the unity of a nation divided along
religious and geographic lines.
Likewise, Brazil moved its capital from coastal, crowded
Rio de Janeiro to inland Brasilia in 1961 - the idea being
to build a brand new capital "to bring progress to the
interior of Brazil", as architect Oscar Niemeyer described
it.
Brasilia: Does it work as a city?




2. Political compromise
Unlike the deeply divided Washington of today, the
founding of the US capital in Washington DC in 1790 was
grounded in political compromise.
Alexander Hamilton and the northern states wanted the
federal government to take on states' debts and struck a
deal with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who
wanted the capital in the South.
George Washington chose the exact spot on the Potomac
River and the rest is history.
In Australia, curious tourists are often shocked to find
Sydney is not actually the capital city, and usually told
the inland city of Canberra was built as the "bush capital"
as a compromise somewhere between Australia's largest
city and its competitor to the south, Melbourne.
Some historians say, however, that this is not exactly
true, and that the scorching heat in Sydney and
Melbourne in summer is one of major reasons that cool
Canberra was chosen.
Australia debates 'city to visit' Canberra
"The most significant reason, which all politicians agreed
with at the time, was that whites could only really thrive
and lead by living in a cold climate," historian David
Headon told the Australian Geographic.




3. Complicated history
Berlin or Bonn? That was the question when the Berlin
Wall came down in 1989 and Germany reunified and had
to decide on a capital.
During the years of Cold War division, Bonn was the
capital of West Germany and east Berlin was the capital
of East Germany (the German Democratic Republic).
Today, few of the travellers thronging Berlin's nightclubs
and taking pictures of the wall's colourful remnants may
know about Bonn - but the decision on which two cities
became the capital actually came down to just a few
votes in the Bundestag on 20 June 1991. Berlin
triumphed with 337 votes to Bonn's 320.
And while Germans fought over two prospective capitals,
South Africa actually has three.
The branches of government are split between Cape
Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative) and
Bloemfontein (judiciary), though the Constitutional Court
is in Johannesburg.
This dates back to the creation of the Union of South
Africa in 1910 after four British colonies were unified andagreement could not be reached on where the capital
would be located.
In 1994, after apartheid ended, there was a movement
for a new capital to be created à la Canberra or Brasilia -
to allow a fresh start, but this never happened.



4. The whims of strongmen
Astana - which became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997
- is a gleaming futuristic playground and a totem to the
ambitions of authoritarian president Nursultan
Nazarbayev, who has ruled since 1991.
Among the landmarks are the Palace of Peace and
Harmony - a concrete and glass pyramid designed by
Norman Foster that boasts a 1,500-seat opera venue.
This windswept city in the frozen steppe was briefly
called Akmola but changed to Astana because the former
means "white grave".




The pyramid that reveals Kazakhstan's ambitions
Another country - Myanmar (formerly Burma) - also has
remote capital city, and its one is four times the size of
London.


Nay Pyi Taw was built in 2005 as an isolated refuge for
the paranoid military government, at a time before the
country began its rocky transition to democracy.
The huge capital has everything - huge roads, a zoo and
golf courses - but few people.



www.bbc.com/news/world-42258989

At least 16 Palestinians have been wounded in clashes in the occupied West Bank, during protests against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Reports suggest the injuries are mostly from tear gas and rubber bullets, but at least one was hurt by live fire. Israel has deployed hundreds of extra troops in the West Bank. Mr Trump's announcement - met with worldwide dismay - reversed decades of US policy on the sensitive issue. Palestinians in the both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have gone on strike and taken to the streets in protest.

Many of Washington's closest allies have said they disagree with the move, and both the UN Security Council and the Arab League will meet in the coming days to decide their response. There are fears the announcement could lead to a renewed outbreak of violence. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has already called for a new intifada, or uprising. What did Trump say? The US president said on Wednesday that he had "determined it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel". "I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump's right-wing base. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital was "nothing more or less than a recognition of reality", he added. "It is also the right thing to do."
Mr Trump said the US would support a two-state solution - shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent Palestinian state within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel - "if agreed to by both sides". The president also refrained from using Israel's description of Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided capital". The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of any future Palestinian state. What has been the reaction? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was profoundly grateful to Mr Trump, who had "bound himself forever with the history of the capital". He also said Israel was "in touch with other countries to follow suit. I have no doubt other embassies will move to Jerusalem - the time has come". He did not name any of these countries, although the Philippines and the Czech Republic have been mentioned in Israeli media. The mood has been very different on the Palestinian side. Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas which runs the Gaza Strip, has called for a "day of rage" on Friday and said it should "be the first day of the intifada against the occupier". "We have given instructions to all Hamas members and to all its wings to be fully ready for any new instructions or orders that may be given to confront this strategic danger," he said in a speech in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' rival Fatah movement is seeking to protest through diplomatic means, by filing a complaint to the UN Security Council and pushing for a strong stance by the Arab League. "We are going to declare the United States disqualified as co-sponsor of any peace process or political process," spokesman Dr Nasser Al-Kidwa said. "In our mind, it has lost its ability to do or perform any efforts in this regard." Which countries condemned Trump's move? There has also been widespread condemnation across the Arab and wider Muslim world, with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Mr Trump that he was "throwing the region into a ring of fire". The leaders of the UK, France and Europe have all said they disagree with the US announcement. French President Emmanuel Macron said it contravened international law and UN Security Council resolutions. Why is the announcement significant? Jerusalem is of huge importance to both Israel and the Palestinians. It contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. What are the alternatives to a two-state solution? Why settlement issue is so difficult East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but before now it has not been internationally recognised as part of Israel. According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.


www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42265337

Residents of Los Angeles' wealthy Bel-Air neighbourhood have found their homes under threat after another wildfire erupted in California. The so-called Skirball Fire destroyed several homes in the exclusive area, quickly spreading over 150 acres. It is the latest eruption of wildfire in the state, which has already seen widespread destruction from a series of uncontrolled blazes. The largest, named the Thomas Fire, has covered some 90,000 acres. By Wednesday night local time, California's fire service said it had threatened 12,000 buildings, destroyed 150, and was only "5% contained".


Mandatory evacuation orders remained in several areas, as strong winds helped to spread the flames. Authorities issued a purple alert - the highest level warning ever issued in the state - amid what it called "extremely critical fire weather". Ken Pimlott, head of California's fire response, told reporters: "There will be no ability to fight fires in this kind of wind." He said evacuations would be prioritised. The nearby University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) cancelled all classes on Thursday, despite the university campus lying outside the evacuation zone on the city's west side. It said it had taken the decision "given the array of uncertainties". Many schools have also been closed. In Bel-Air on Wednesday, firefighters were seen removing artwork from opulent homes as they attempted to contain the fire. The neighbourhood is home to celebrities and business leaders including Beyoncé and Elon Musk. Singer Lionel Richie cancelled a Las Vegas performance that had been scheduled for Wednesday evening, saying he was "helping family evacuate to a safer place".
A large estate and vineyard owned by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch was also threatened, and suffered some damage. The Los Angeles Times said Mr Murdoch had paid $28.8m (£21.5m) for the estate four years ago - a sum 12 times the average family home price in Bel-Air of $2.45m. The Getty Museum, which is also at risk, said it would remain closed on Thursday. It said it had not removed its artworks and that air filtration systems were protecting its collection - which includes pieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh and Turner - from smoke damage. The Thomas Fire in Ventura County remains the largest of the current blazes, having spread as far as the Pacific coast, with satellite images showing large areas of scorched earth. Another blaze north of Los Angeles, named the Creek Fire, was also only 5% contained and covered some 12,600 acres. But it has only destroyed four buildings in the more sparsely populated area. Across the entire state, more than 200,000 people have been evacuated. One LA resident, 84-year-old Patricia Moore, was loading her belongings into her car when she told the AFP news agency: "Yesterday it was further north, but this morning we woke up and it was east of us. "We heard the fire engines before six o'clock this morning, and we said, 'Maybe we should start getting our stuff into the car.'"