Saudi King Salman greets hundreds of well-wishers after the burial of his brother, King Abdullah. Mana Rabiee reports.

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Argentina suspects rogue agents from its own intelligence services were behind the death of a state prosecutor investigating the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

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Senegal go top of Africa Cup of Nations Group C after coming from behind to hold South Africa. …read more      

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of 26 billion Naira to cater for the 2015 dry season farming in Nigeria.

The President announced the release of the funds on Friday at the AGRIFEST 2015, organised to mark the fourth year of aggressive agricultural reforms and implementation of his administration’s agriculture transformation agenda.

President Jonathan said the approval was to appreciate the contributions of rural farmers to massive food production in the oil rich nation and to encourage the farmers to crop three times within a year. He said that the strategy was expected to boost food production and eliminate hunger and poverty.

The event was held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

‘The Farmers President’

The square came alive as over 20,000 farmers drawn from the 36 states of the federation converged on Abuja for the one day agriculture festival designed to showcase the results of the agriculture transformation agenda.

To attend the event, President Jonathan took a break from the presidential campaign tour.

He called himself ‘the farmers president’, as he receives cheers of acknowledgement from the farmers who thronged the various stands.

Before announcing the approval of the fund, President Jonathan kicked against importation of food items like rice, emphasising that the government would support Nigerian farmers to increase yield that would be enough for Nigerians.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, thanked the President for the foresight in the Agriculture sector.

“No other time could be appropriated to celebrate agriculture in Nigeria than now,” he said, calling on the farmers to ensure that they give full support to the President in order to receive more.

Some farmers that had benefited from the agriculture transformation programme expressed their gratitude to the government, saying that the grants had boosted their produce.

The event also showcased the advancement in the agriculture sector and the glamorous display of …read more      

Ghana coach Avram Grant says captain Asamoah Gyan is “one of the greatest players” he has ever worked with. …read more      

The man who ruled Saudi Arabia as king or de facto regent since the mid 1990’s is buried in a simple shroud in an unmarked grave, according to strict Wahhabi tradition. Mana Rabiee reports.

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After the first round of official talks between diplomatic delegations from the United States and Cuba to discuss the normalization of relations between the two countries, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson says that freedom and human rights are the issues on which there is most disagreement. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)

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Giant specs, high jinks and carnival trumpets …read more      

A day after the Yemeni president resigned, two explosions, believed to be aimed at Shi’ite rebel leaders, rocked the capital Sanaa early Friday morning. Pavithra George reports.

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The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has demanded a public commitment to restructuring of Nigeria’s governance structure from the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

The demand was made in Abeokuta on Thursday by the Group’s National Chairman, Olawale Oshun, at the public lecture organised by the Ogun State Chapter of the group led by Olusegun Odegbami (MON).

The lecture was delivered by the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

In his brief remark titled “The Change We Demand”, Oshun said there are “clear and strong indications that there is need for change” and Yoruba people are insisting that “the change that must occur must include some assurances that never again should the issue of equity amongst Nigerian nationalities be blatantly sacrificed as Federal Government has done in recent times”.

“The change that we demand include an assurance to restructure the country in such a way that power will devolve to the most efficient federating unit. The Yoruba people have witnessed how over-centralisation of power has been instrumental to the abuses of power and the institution of ingrained corruption that is destroying our country today,” he said, adding that restructuring must be made a national electioneering agenda.

“ARG uses this opportunity to demand these assurances from the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) This should not be an assurance given in private anymore; let it be an assurance given in public.

In his lecture titled, “Before Nigeria’s oil runs dry: options for development in the Southwest of Nigeria”, Fayemi argued that if the political activism for restructuring of Nigeria’s polity had been ignored as an ethnic agenda, its economic reality, which can no longer be ignored, makes the case of urgent devolution of power.

According to him, the mantra to diversify the economy in Nigeria …read more