Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

President Goodluck Jonathan The year 2014, being the last year before  the next round of general elections is  bound to be decisive as politicians from  across different political hues take  position. Some Nigerians who are bound  to direct the pace of political activities  in the country are mentioned underneath President Goodluck Jonathan will be the centre of action in the coming year. As president of the country eligible for a second term, the pace and posture of his politics would largely determine the pattern of political activities in 2014. President Jonathan who had in the past pooh-poohed questions on whether he would seek re-election had said that he would make his plans known in 2014. With that year now at hand, the president can no longer wave aside a response to the issue. Will he or will he not? Though his body language has all but indicated that the president would be contesting the election, it is not impossible for him ...

A Lebanese soldier examines of one 20 the shells that were fired by the Israeli army into southern Lebanon on December 29, 2013 Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel on Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israel Defense Forces said. Israeli forces fired toward the source of the launch, the IDF said. At least 20 Israeli rockets landed in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF and the Lebanese official National News Agency. There were no initial reports of injuries on either side. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the weekly meeting of the Israeli Cabinet, said he blames the Lebanese government for allowing Hezbollah to position rockets in neighborhoods while attacking civilians. "This is a double war crime that is being perpetrated under the aegis of the Lebanese government and army, which are not lifting a finger to prevent this arming and these crimes," he said. He said the IDF responded quickly and forcefully. "We will not allow a dr...

Three Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian security forces, with the government saying at least one of them met with members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Correspondent Peter Greste, producer Mohamed Fahmy and cameraman Mohamed Fawzy were taken into custody Sunday evening in Cairo, the network said. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said on its Facebook page that security forces arrested a Muslim Brotherhood member and an Australian journalist at a Cairo hotel. Greste, an Australian, previously worked for CNN, Reuters and the BBC. The ministry said the Muslim Brotherhood member used the hotel to meet with other members and as a media center to broadcast damaging news about the government for Al Jazeera. Egypt has been in political turmoil since former President Mohamed Morsy was removed from office in a July 3 coup. Last week, the military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Police and members of the Muslim Brotherhood have cl...

Witnesses described a scene of carnage following the blast At least 10 people have been killed and more than 20 others hurt in a suspected suicide bombing on a trolleybus in the Russian city of Volgograd. The blast comes a day after 17 people died in another suicide attack at the central station in the city. Security has been tightened at railway stations and airports across Russia. Moscow is concerned militant groups could be ramping up violence in the run-up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in the city of Sochi. The Olympic venue is close to Russia's volatile north Caucasus region. The explosion was the second in the city in 24 hours. A blast hit a train station on Sunday. Volgograd lies about 900km (560 miles) south of Moscow, 650km north of the North Caucasus and 700km north-east of Sochi. The latest explosion took place near a busy market in the city's Dzerzhinsky district. Maksim Akhmetov, a Russian TV reporter who was at the scene of the blast, said the trol...