PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONGRATULATES MUTHARIKA, AL-SISI

Peter Mutharika
Malawian President

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONGRATULATES MUTHARIKA, AL-SISI

On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and people of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates Mr. Peter Mutharika on his recent election as President of Malawi.


The President applauds President Mutharika's statesman-like extension of hands of fellowship to his predecessor and other leaders of the Malawian opposition in the aftermath of his election and urges all Malawians to set aside their political differences and work in harmony with their new leader for peace, political stability and national development.

President Jonathan fully expects that the cordial and mutually-beneficial relations between Nigeria and Malawi which blossomed in recent years, will continue to grow under President Mutharika's leadership. He looks forward to working with the new Malawian President to strengthen and expand areas of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Malawi.

Egypt’s Mubarak jailed for embezzlement

A court in Egypt has sentenced former President Hosni Mubarak to three years in prison after finding him guilty of embezzling public funds.

His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, were also convicted and given four-year terms.

The three were also fined $3m (£1.8m) and ordered to repay the $17.6m (£10.4m) they were accused of stealing.

The 86-year-old is also on trial for abuse of power and conspiring in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that forced him to resign.

He was found guilty of the charge relating to the protesters in 2012 along with his former Interior Minister, Habib al-Adly, and sentenced to life in prison.

But in January 2013 the Court of Cassation upheld an appeal by the two men against their convictions and ordered a retrial.

In August, a court ordered Mubarak’s release from prison and transfer to a military hospital in Cairo, where he is being held under house arrest.

Source: The Punch

Egypt's government resigns

Egypt's government resigns
Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi says government offered its resignation, without giving clear reason for the decision.

Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said his government is to resign, a step likely to pave the way for army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to declare his candidacy for president.

"Today the cabinet took a decision to offer its resignation to the president of the republic," Beblawi said in a televised statement on Monday.

U.S. ambassador killed after chaotic, hours-long siege

Gunfire, a burning building, "heavy, dark smoke" that separated Chris Stevens, the late U.S. ambassador to Libya, from a security officer: American officials painted a harrowing picture late Wednesday of the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that left the widely respected diplomat and three others dead. The officials, speaking to reporters on a conference call arranged by the State Department, shared what they readily acknowledged were incomplete details subject to change as a clearer picture emerges from the bloody raid.

The early details sketch out a chaotic situation in which apparently outgunned U.S. and Libyan security personnel fought for hours to retake the diplomatic compound in the eastern Libyan city from unknown gunmen and lost the ambassador. The account was provided to reporters on the condition that the officials giving it not be identified.