THE US PRESIDENT HAS THREATENED TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL $200BN TARIFFS ON CHINA

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $200bn (£151bn) of Chinese goods in a growing trade row.

Mr Trump said the 10% tariffs would come into effect if China "refuses to change its practices".

The move would be a major escalation of the dispute. World stock markets have suffered sharp falls as a result.

China responded by accusing the US of "blackmail", raising fears of a full-blown trade war.

Mr Trump insists that China has been unfairly benefitting from a trade imbalance with the US for years.

During the 2016 election campaign, he promised to use tariffs to cut the US trade deficits.

But many economists have warned that tariffs are likely to make products more expensive for US consumers and hurt some of the businesses the administration is trying to protect, which depend on China for parts or assembly.

Asian markets sank on Tuesday in response to the latest news. Global shares had already fallen on Monday

How did the latest spat unfold?

Last week, Mr Trump announced the US would impose 25% tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese goods.

Beijing responded by saying it would hit 659 US products worth $50bn - including agricultural products, cars and marine products - with a similar tax.

Late on Monday, the US president condemned China's "unfair practices related to the acquisition of American intellectual property and technology".

He added: "Rather than altering those practices, it is now threatening United States companies, workers, and farmers who have done nothing wrong."

Mr Trump added that new tariffs would "go into effect if China refuses to change its practices, and also if it insists on going forward with the new tariffs that it has recently announced".

"If China increases its tariffs yet again, we will meet that action by pursuing additional tariffs on another $200 billion of goods."

China's commerce ministry reacted swiftly, saying: "If the US acts irrationally and issues a list, China will have no choice but to take comprehensive measures of a corresponding number and quality and take strong, powerful countermeasures."

The US tariffs previously announced affect more than 800 Chinese products worth $34bn in annual trade. They are due to come into effect on 6 July.

The product lines range from aircraft tyres to turbines and commercial dishwashers.

In his latest statement, Mr Trump said that he had asked his advisers to identify additional Chinese products on which to impose new tariffs.

The Trump administration says China encourages transfer of intellectual property - design and product ideas - to Chinese companies, through measures such as requiring that foreign firms share ownership with local partners to access the Chinese market.

The US announced plans for tariffs in April, after an investigation into China's intellectual property practices.

On 1 June, the Trump administration separately imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminium imports, citing security reasons.

US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP REFUSES TO LET THE COUNTRY BECOME A MIGRANT CAMP

President Donald Trump has said he will not allow the US to become a "migrant camp", as he stood by his administration's immigration crackdown.

"The United States will not be a migrant camp," he said at the White House. "And it will not be a refugee-holding facility - it won't be."

Photos over the weekend showed undocumented children being held in fenced enclosures at a Texas facility.

The UN human rights chief has condemned the policy as "unconscionable".

Mr Trump said on Monday: "You look at what's happening in Europe, you look at what's happening in other places.

"We cannot allow that to happen to the United States. Not on my watch."

Earlier, he said European countries had made a big mistake by allowing in millions of migrants.

Mr Trump criticised Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in particular, saying her people were turning against their leaders because of the issue.

Mrs Merkel is in a migration dispute with her interior minister, Horst Seehofer, who wants to refuse migrants if they have already registered for asylum elsewhere in the EU.

The Republican president blamed Democrats for not coming to the table to negotiate immigration legislation.

What's the policy?

Nearly 2,000 children have been separated from their parents at the border between mid-April and the end of May.

The administration's "zero tolerance" policy entails criminally charging those entering the US illegally, including asylum seekers.

This has led to parents being separated from their children, who are not charged with a crime.

As a result, hundreds of children are being housed in detention centres, including warehouses and converted supermarkets.

Some shelters and foster homes have said they are running out of space.

On Sunday, Father's Day, Democratic lawmakers visited shelters and processing facilities in New Jersey and Texas, demanding to see detainees.

Officials have also announced plans to erect tent cities that will hold hundreds more children in the Texas desert where temperatures regularly reach 40C (105F).

Who's criticising it?

Democrats and some in Mr Trump's own Republican Party have strongly condemned the administration.

The crackdown has even provoked fierce criticism from the president's wife, Melania Trump, who said over the weekend she "hates to see children separated from families".

Former First Lady Laura Bush meanwhile wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that the tactics were "immoral" and evoked Japanese-American internment camps during the Second World War.

Image Copyright @MichelleObama@MICHELLEOBAMA

Report

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Mr Trump's widely debunked claims that the family separations were mandated by law was "an outright lie".

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, cited the "inhumane" policy on Monday as he reversed his decision to contribute National Guard resources to the southern US border to help enforce border security.

Most congressional Republicans, however, have declined to criticise Mr Trump over the policy.

A conservative commentator, Ann Coulter, claimed young people pictured crying at the border after being separated from parents were "child actors".

"Do not fall for it, Mr President," Ms Coulter said on Fox News.

What does the Trump administration say?

US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Monday the undocumented children were being "very well taken care of" in US custody.

"Don't believe the press," she added.

"We will not apologise for the job we do or for the job law enforcement does for doing the job that the American people expect us to do," she told the National Sheriffs' Association annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Illegal actions have and must have consequences. No more free passes, no more get out of jail free cards."

Ms Nielsen was widely criticised on Sunday when she tweeted that her department does "not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period."

Addressing the same conference, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blamed previous White House administrations for allowing adults to illegally cross the border with children.

"Why wouldn't you bring children with you if you know you will be released and not prosecuted?" he asked rhetorically.

Desperate to leave

Kirstjen Nielsen has taken on a huge responsibility. Not only is she supposed to fix immigration, she's dealing with a volatile boss.

He's reportedly yelled at her, and I was in the room with them recently when strain in the relationship showed. During a briefing on hurricane preparedness, President Trump started to praise her work - only to blurt out: "What do I say about you?" She laughed, but it was an awkward exchange.

Also recently Chief of Staff John Kelly spoke to me and a few other reporters about Ms Nielsen, his protege, making it clear he's tried to convince her to stay - though she's been desperate to leave.

Like other officials, she's reflecting the boss' strategy: in the midst of blistering attacks, they're digging in their heels, lashing out at the media and - this morning at least - showing they won't be swayed.

A 25 YEAR OLD KABIRU SAKA WAS CHARGEDTO COURT FOR ALLEGEDLY TOUCHING A MARRIED WOMAN'S BREAST IN LAGOS

A 25-year-old unemployed man, Kabiru Saka was on Thursday tried before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly touching a married woman’s breasts.

Saka, a resident of Alagbado, Lagos, is arraigned on a three-count charge of assault, indecent act, and stealing.

Police prosecutor, Sgt. Dada Wasiu told the court that the accused committed the offence on Monday at Moshalasi Alagbado, Lagos.

He said that the accused unlawfully and indecently assaulted Mrs Faith Ijiogbe by, “repeatedly” touching her breasts.

Wasiu said that on the day, the accused had begged the complainant to give him a carton of canned drinks which accidentally fell off a motorcycle when she was conveying them to her shop.

“The accused ran to the complainant, demanded the drink that fell, claiming he wanted to use it as a sacrifice to the gods.

“The complainant put the drink that fell down back inside the carton and gave the carton to her husband.

“The accused, then, started touching her breasts and when her husband asked him to stop, the accused hit him with a weapon which caused him grievous harm.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant’s phone valued at N35, 000 was also stolen in the process.

The prosecutor added that the offences violated Section 134, 173 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Magistrate Mrs A.K Dosunmi, ordered that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The case was then adjourned until July 23 for mention.

LAGOS STATE GOVMERNOR AKINWUNMI AMBODE CELEBRATES HIS 55TH BIRTHDAY TODAY

Akinwunmi Ambode (born June 14, 1963) is the Governor of Lagos State. He was a civil servant for 27 years and a financial consultant before running for public office as Governor of Lagos State in 2015. (Wiki)

Ambode ran for office of the Governor of Lagos State in April 2015 as a member of the All Progressives Congress, the state’s ruling party. He won the election, just defeating the second-place candidate Jimi Agbaje of the People Democratic Party by 150,000 votes. He began his tenure as the governor of Lagos on 29 May 2015, succeeding former governor Babatunde Fashola.

Akinwunmi Ambode was born on 14 June 1963 in Epe, Lagos, into the family of Festus Akinwale Ambode and Christianah Oluleye Ambode. Akinwunmi Ambode is one of ten children of his father Festus Ambode

From 1974-81, Ambode, attended Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State. From 1981-1984, he attended University of Lagos where he studied Accounting, graduating at the age of 21.

He also has a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, and he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

In 1991, Akinwunmi Ambode got married to Bolanle Patience (née Odukomaiya) Ambode. They have three children together, twin boys and a girl. Ambode identifies as Christian

Drop Your Well Wishes Below!

FOMA RECORDS SUCCESS IN THE ONGOING 5 DAYS MEDICAL OUTREACH IN AKWA IBOM STATE

By Uduak Inwang


The Foundation For The Marooned, Inc.(FOMA) recorded a huge success of over 820 patients being treated in three days, and conducted 26 successful surgeries while 30 patients are being booked for surgeries in the ongoing 5 days free medical outreach.

 FOMA, established in Nigeria since 2007 and became a US 501c3 Public Charity in 2016, are dedicated to feeding/clothing the poor, disaster relief, training & scholarship programs, medical assistance & outreaches, advocating & speaking for rape victims and women in domestic violence etc.
According to the International Coordinator of Projects, Mrs Emaeyak Egharevba , the health outreach exercise which started on Monday 11th June 2018, will end on the Friday 15th of June 2018 and is aimed at giving life time solutions to people’s health issues.

She said the Foundations aim is to feed, cloth, and provide shelter for needy children and women, while also offering medical interventions & outreaches to individuals and poor communities in Africa.

This medical outreach is in partnership with Office of The Leader, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Sir) Udo Kierian Akpan, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) AKS branch and Foundation for The Marooned Inc. - USA.
She advised people who are yet to be treated, to Show up and get treated for FREE!!!

Ukraine blames Russia for shooting of journalist Arkady Babchenko

• 30 May 2018

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Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has accused Russia of being behind the killing in Kiev of the Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko.

"I am confident that the Russian totalitarian machine did not forgive him his honesty and principled stance," the prime minister posted on Facebook.

A Kremlin critic, Babchenko was gunned down outside his apartment on Tuesday.

Russia has called for an investigation but said "bloody crimes" had become routine for the "Kiev regime".

Relations between Russia and Ukraine remain tense following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the seizure of parts of eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian forces.

What is known about the killing?

Babchenko, 41, was found bleeding at the entrance to his block of flats by his wife and died in an ambulance.

He was reportedly shot several times in the back.

Ukrainian lawmaker Anton Herashchenko said the journalist had gone out to buy some bread, and that the killer was waiting for him.

Kiev police chief Andriy Kryshchenko told local media they suspected Babchenko was killed because of his "professional activities".

In his last Facebook post just hours before the attack, Babchenko recalled a lucky escape four years ago - exactly to the day.

He wrote that he had planned to fly with Ukrainian soldiers on a helicopter to the war zone in Ukraine's east.

He was not allowed on board, because there was not enough space. The helicopter was shot down by pro-Russian rebels, leaving 14 people dead.

"I was lucky. A second birthday, it turns out", Babchenko wrote.

What has the official reaction been?

In his reaction, the Ukrainian prime minister referred to Babchenko's last Facebook post.

"This is the last post of Arkady Babchenko. Ten hours ago he wrote about his second birthday. And then they killed him.

"I am confident that the Russian totalitarian machine did not forgive him his honesty and principled stance. He was a true friend of Ukraine who told the world the truth about Russian aggression."

Mr Groysman added: "The killers should be punished."

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement: "We demand that the Ukrainian authorities make every effort to promptly investigate."

It added: "Bloody crimes and total impunity had become routine for the Kiev regime", while offering condolences to Babchenko's family and friends.

Who was Arkady Babchenko?

While studying law in Moscow aged 18, Babchenko was conscripted into the Russian army and served during the Chechen wars from 1994 to 2000.

His memoir, One Soldier's War, chronicles his experiences in the conflict, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands on both sides.

He then became a journalist, working for a number of different outlets.

A well-known Kremlin critic, he stood in unofficial elections organised by the opposition in 2012 and denounced Russia's actions in Syria and eastern Ukraine.

In December 2016, Babchenko wrote a Facebook post (in Russian) about a crashed Tu-154 transport plane, which crashed into the Black Sea while carrying a Red Army choir to Syria.

 He claimed this Facebook post, in which he described Russia as an "aggressor", led to death threats and abuse from the Russian state.

He wrote in a piece for The Guardian that this forced him to leave "a country I no longer feel safe in".

Babchenko also wrote for the BBC, reporting from the scene about a Ukrainian army helicopter that was shot down in the east of the country in 2014.

He first moved to Prague and later to the Ukrainian capital.

A former war correspondent, he worked in Kiev as a presenter on Ukraine's channel ATR TV.

Kiev has in recent years seen a number of deadly attacks on high-profile journalists and politicians. Most of them were vociferous critics of the Kremlin

UNKNOWN GUNMEN ASSASSINATE BENUE STATE TRADITIONAL RULER

Unknown gunmen assassinate Benue traditional ruler 

Author: Aniekan

    The gunmen stormed the victim (Godwin's) residence at the GRA and demanded to see him - He was shot and killed on the spot immediately he stepped out and identified himself - The police have confirmed the incident and have launched a preliminary investigation into the matter A traditional ruler in Benue has been killed by some gunmen at the GRA area of Katsina-Ala town in the middle belt state. 

Daily Sun reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, May 26 when the assailants shot dead Godwin Tor Geri Gbajur, a market chief in Katsina-Ala local Government area of the state. The gunmen were said to have stormed the GRA residence of the chief on a motorcycle at about 6:30am and demanded to see him. 

APC The victim was shot point blank by the gunmen immediately he stepped out and introduced himself. “They shot him at close range and as soon as they were convinced that he had died, they jumped on the Bajaj motorcycle they came with and rode off shooting sporadically as they left,” a source who spoke on grounds of anonymity told Daily Sun.

 The police spokesman in the state ASP Moses Yamu confirmed the assassination, saying the victim died on the spot after being shot at close range. 

    He said: “The Benue State Police Command wish to report that at about 0648hrs of today, one Godwin Gbajur (Katsina-Ala Township Leader aka Tor Gari) was assassinated in his GRA residence at the outskirts of Katsina-Ala LGA by two armed bandits. “Eye witness account reveals that, the assassins rode on two Bajaj motorcycles to the house of the victim and inquired from him if he was Godwin, which he answered in affirmative before he was eventually shot dead. Eight (8) empty shells of AK-47 ammunition were recovered at the scene. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the assassins are gang members of Terwase Akwaza aka “Ghana”, the notorious wanted criminal in the state.” In a separate but similar vein, 

It was previouslyreported recently that the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, alleged that there were plans to assassinate him in a crowd and claim accidental discharge. The governor while speaking at the third year anniversary thanksgiving service of his administration at the Living Faith Church in Port Harcourt on Sunday, May 20, said there are intelligence reports available to support his claims. Wike said no level of intimidation by the All Progressives Congress or the federal government would deter him for carrying out his responsibility as the governor of Rivers state. Read more

CASES OF EBOLA PROMPT VACCINATIONS IN DR CONGO

New Cases Of Ebola Prompt Vaccinations In DR Congo

By Malawizzy

In this photo taken Saturday, May 12, 2018, a health worker wears protective clothing outside an isolation ward to diagnose and treat suspected Ebola patients, at Bikoro Hospital in Bikoro, the rural area where the Ebola outbreak was announced last week, in Congo. (Mark Naftalin/UNICEF via AP)

Congo will begin administering an experimental Ebola vaccine Monday in Mbandaka, the northwestern city of 1.2 million where the deadly disease has infected some residents, Congo’s health minister announced.

“The vaccination campaign begins tomorrow, Monday, in Mbandaka, capital of the province. It will target, first, the health staff, the contacts of the sick and the contacts of the contacts,” Minister of Health Oly Ilunga told The Associated Press Sunday.

The death toll of the current Ebola outbreak has risen to 26.

In this photo taken Monday, May 14, 2018, members of a Red Cross team don protective clothing before heading out to look for suspected victims of Ebola, in Mbandaka, Congo. (Mark Naftalin/UNICEF via AP)

Initially, the campaign will target 600 people, mainly medical staff, contacts of suspected cases, and those who have been in contact with the contacts, said Ilunga. Officials are working urgently to prevent the disease from spreading beyond Mbandaka, which lies on the Congo River, a busy traffic corridor, and is an hour’s flight from the capital.

More than 4,000 doses are already in Congo and more are on the way, according to officials. The vaccine is still in the test stages, but it was effective in the West Africa outbreak a few years ago.

A major challenge will be keeping the vaccines cold in this vast, impoverished, tropical country where infrastructure is poor.

Four new cases have been confirmed as Ebola, said the health ministry in a statement released early Sunday. A total of 46 cases of hemorrhagic fever have been reported, including 21 confirmed cases of Ebola, 21 probable and four suspected.

In this photo taken Monday, May 14, 2018, members of a Red Cross team don protective clothing before heading out to look for suspected victims of Ebola, in Mbandaka, Congo. ((Karsten Voigt/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies via AP)

Congo President Joseph Kabila and his Cabinet agreed Saturday to increase funds for the Ebola emergency to more than $4 million. The Cabinet also endorsed the decision to provide free health care in the affected areas and to provide special care to all Ebola victims and their relatives.

The spread of Ebola from a rural area to Mbandaka has raised alarm as Ebola can spread more quickly in urban centers. The fever can cause severe internal bleeding that is often fatal.

The risk of Ebola spreading within Congo is “very high” and the disease could also move into nine neighboring countries, the World Health Organization has warned. The WHO, however, stopped short of declaring the outbreak a global health emergency. WHO said there should not be restrictions to international travel or trade.

While Congo has contained several Ebola outbreaks in the past, all of them were based in remote rural areas. The virus has twice made it to Kinshasa, Congo’s capital of 10 million people, but was effectively contained.

The outbreak was declared more than a week ago in Congo’s remote northwest and its spread has some Congolese worried.

“Even if it’s not happening here yet, I have to reduce contact with people. May God protect us in any case,” Grace Ekofo, a 23-year-old student in Kinshasa, told AP.

Schools in Mbandaka are implementing preventive measures by instructing students not to greet each other by shaking hands or kissing, said teacher Jean Mopono, 53.

“We pray that this epidemic does not take place here,” Mopono said.

The WHO appears to be moving swiftly to contain this latest epidemic, experts said. The health organization was accused of bungling its response to the earlier West Africa outbreak —the biggest Ebola outbreak in history which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

In this photo taken on Sunday, May 13, 2018, a health care worker wears virus protective gear at a treatment center in Bikoro Democratic Republic of Congo. (AP Photo/John Bompengo)

There is “strong reason to believe this situation can be brought under control,” said Robert Steffen, who chaired the WHO expert meeting last week. But without a vigorous response, “the situation is likely to deteriorate significantly,” he said.

This is Congo’s ninth Ebola outbreak since 1976, when the disease was first identified. The virus is initially transmitted to people from wild animals, including bats and monkeys. It is spread via contact with bodily fluids of those infected.

There is no specific treatment for Ebola. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding. The virus can be fatal in up to 90 percent of cases, depending on the strain.