Armed Syrian opposition & Assad govt reps gather for talks in Kazakhstan

RT News RT LIVE search Menu mobile HomeNews Armed Syrian opposition & Assad govt reps gather for talks in Kazakhstan Published time: 23 Jan, 2017 05:01 Edited time: 23 Jan, 2017 09:20 A leader of Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush © RT Negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups, which include Jaysh al-Islam, a major armed group, have kicked off in the Kazakh capital of Astana as part of an initiative led by Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Trends Syria unrest Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev opened the talks, stressing that the Syrian conflict could only be solved “via negotiations.” “The current difficult situation in Syria has drawn the attention of the entire world. I have to admit that the bloody conflict, which has continued for about six years, has brought nothing but misery and sorrow to the holy land where different civilizations and cultures lived,” he said. The rebel groups told Reuters the opposition and Syrian government will not have face-to-face negotiations in Astana. However, the live broadcast from the opening remarks showed the presence of Abdullah Mohammed Alloush, the leader of Jaysh al-Islam, which is a coalition of Islamist and Salafist units operating in the Damascus area, particularly in the city of Douma and region of Eastern Ghouta. A leader of Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush © RT The head of the Russian delegation in Astana and the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentiev, confirmed on Sunday that the negotiations would be attended by delegations of the host nations – Russia, Iran, and Turkey – as well a UN delegation headed by the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and the US ambassador to Kazakhstan, who has been granted observer status in Astana.

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SAD DAY for Nnamdi Kanu as he misses out on son's 1st birthday (photos) - 38 minutes ago

The son of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu is one-year old today, January 5. Nnabuikem Nnamdi Okwu Kanu was born in 2016 to Kanu and his wife Uchechi Kanu in the United Kingdom. READ ALSO: Read what ex-governor Orji Uzor-Kalu told Nnamdi Kanu’s parents Sources within the family said there would be a quiet family party to celebrate Nnabuikem’s first year in the UK. The source however said messages are already coming from friends and other family members in celebrate the young Kanu's first year on earth. The source however said messages are already coming from friends and other family members in celebrate the young Kanu's first year on earth. "Today is a good day for us, we have receiving messages on the boy's birthday from all over the world, I wish him Happy Birthday! Long life and a fulfilled life here on earth," the source said.

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This must be the best job in the world

Not everyone who works is employed, and not everyone who is employed "works". The twist to the statement stems from the fact that some people are actually paid very well to do little or nothing. Vacancy Alert! This might be the best job in the world This can be said for the job vacancy listed below, it is one job that many have termed the best job in the world, the reason is quite simple. According to Metro UK, all you have to do is take three Instagram pictures a day while cruising around the world and while getting paid the equivalent of a £52,000 salary. Royal Caribbean International is looking for someone to join their team who will simply document their travels on three different cruises over a three-week summer internship. The job requirements are: Post 3 x photos on Instagram each day while on each cruise, to comprise of: 1 x view (can be of sea, port, horizon, or ship exterior / interior, facilities etc). 1 x extraordinary experience (ship based or land / excursion based). 1 x extraordinary person (can be someone met on board with an interesting story to tell, a crew member with a unique role or an extraordinary local person met during a shore excursion. Go on a minimum of three different shore excursions, on each cruise itinerary (or a total of nine shore excursions across the full itinerary). Use Instagram posts each day to invite other Instagram users to make recommendations to them on what he or she should experience in each destination. They’ve also got to make a video of their experience, but still… it’s hardly the most taxing of jobs. Applications can be made via Instagram (naturally) by posting your best travel picture and tagging @RoyalCaribbeanUK with the hashtag #ExtraordinaryExplorer. Royal Caribbean UK Managing Director Ben Bouldin ‘Our cruise holidays are filled with extraordinary moments and we want to find a talented storyteller who can help us capture the unique experiences that make holidays so special.’

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Army takes Boko Haram war to another level, 1400 suspects arrested

Major-General Leo Irabor has revealed that Nigerian troops have in the last eight days arrested 1400 civilians as they move to end the Boko Haram insurgence in the northeast. Army takes Boko Haram war to another level, 1400 suspects arrested The commander of the ongoing counterinsurgency operation made this known during a weekly briefing on the activities of the Nigerian military in the six states of northeast Nigeria. The figure brings the number of suspects arrested by the Nigeria troops, within two weeks, to about 2700.

Premium Times reports that on Wednesday, December 28, 2016, Irabor had at the same weekly briefing said that troops arrested 1,240 Boko Haram suspects following the fall of Sambisa forest. The suspects were not paraded before the media, as top military officials said doing so may jeopardize ongoing investigations. Army takes Boko Haram war to another level, 1400 suspects arrested It was not clear what they were accused of. Irabor said troops have cleared many villages in Borno and Yobe States, following the fall of Sambisa Forest. The commander said “a total of 1,400 civilians were arrested by our troops during all our operations conducted between 28 December 2016 – 4 January, 2017”. He said a couple of top Boko Haram insurgents, including kidnappers, have been arrested within the period under review. Irabor also said that troops had on December 29, 2016 carried out an ambush attack on Boko Haram fighters at a village called Rann, killing 15 of the insurgents. He said four soldiers were wounded during the gun battle. He said troops successfully reopened the Maiduguri-Gubio-Damasak Road on December 25, 2016, which allowed displaced residents of Damasak border town to return to their communities, either from Maiduguri or from border communities in Niger Republic. Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued another one of the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014. According to the report, the girl was rescued with her baby near Sambisa Forest The rescue was made by troops of the 27 Brigade of the Nigerian Army around Alagarno near Ajigin in Damboa local government area of Borno state. Rakiya makes the 29th Chibok girl rescued out of the more than 200 girls abducted by Islamist Boko Haram fighters in April 2014 while preparing for their secondary school examinations.

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Buhari kicks-off N5000 monthly payment to 1 million impoverished Nigerians

- One million very poor Nigerians are to get N5000 monthly says the Federal Government (FG) - The FG says the programme has begun in earnest - Funds for the commencement of the payments in four states were released last week The Federal Government (FG) has started disbursing the N5000 stipend which was promised to poor Nigerians by President Muhammadu Buhari. One million most vulnerable Nigerians will be rewarded with a N5,000 monthly stipend through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of its Social Investment Programmes (SIP). The Tribune reports that, the presidency announced that the Federal Government has begun the payment. Buhari kicks-off N5000 monthly payment to 1 million impoverished Nigerians Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that the implementation of the programme was part of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s determined efforts to touch the lives of Nigerians positively.

“Funds for the commencement of the payments in four states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government’s social intervention programmes. Funds for another set of five states to complete the first batch of nine states would follow soon,” he revealed. The statement said beneficiaries in Borno, Kwara and Bauchi states have started receiving the money under the first batch, which also includes Cross Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti states. The nine pilot states were reportedly chosen because they have existing social registers that successfully identified the most vulnerable and poorest Nigerians through a tried and tested community based targeting (CBT) method working with the World Bank. “Those states are featured in the first batch, with the added inclusion of Borno State where a validated list of IDPS was compiled in addition to the Social Register, which is expected to go round the country. “Working with the World Bank, the CBT process has now been adopted for developing the Social Register in the other states around the country, for transparency, objectivity and credibility in the selection of the poorest and most vulnerable beneficiaries for the programme,” the statement read. The statement, also revealed that the sequence for the payment of the money would be operationally managed by NIBSS. In a similar vein, the FG has started the payment of N30,000 monthly stipends for beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme, the job creation programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Laolu Akande, the senior special assistant, media and publicity, office of the vice-president, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, December 30, stating that: “all successfully verified beneficiaries who have provided bank accounts are being processed for payment’’. According to him “some beneficiaries will receive their first stipends on December 30.’’

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See what the world's largest bridge looks like

China has again shocked the world with its advancement in technology. Only recently, the Beipanjiang bridge in southern China opened to traffic following three years of construction. See what the world's largest bridge looks like See what the world's largest bridge looks like The bridge was built above the Beipangjiang valley in Guizhou province, the bridge boasts a 1,341-metre span, making it the world's new highest bridge.

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