North Korea has test-fired four short-range missiles into the sea, Seoul's defence ministry says, in an apparent show of force to coincide with South Korea-US joint military exercises. A ministry spokesman said the missiles, with an estimated range of 200km, were fired off the east coast of North Korea. "Our military will maintain tight vigilance in preparation for additional launches or any military provocation from the North," the spokesman said. North Korea carries out short-range missile tests on a fairly routine basis, and has used them before to display its anger at the annual military exercises. Observers said the tests were unlikely to trigger a significant rise in military tensions. The South Korea-US drills kicked off on Monday, despite vocal opposition from Pyongyang which views them as rehearsals for invasion. This year, they overlapped with the end of the first reunion for more than three years of families divided by the Korean War – an event that has raised hopes of greater cross-border cooperation. Pyongyang had initially insisted that the joint exercises be postponed until after the reunion finished on Tuesday. But Seoul refused and – in a rare concession – the North allowed the family gathering on its territory to go ahead as scheduled. [AFP]
President Goodluck Jonathan Igbo group threatens to sue British govt. As the country marks 100 years of its existence, Nigerians have urged the federal government to brace up for future challenges and to work harder to ensure a prosperous nation. They urged government at all levels and stakeholders to work together in addressing the myriad of problems facing the country. Some Nigerians, who spoke in separate interviews to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, called on the government to address the issues critical in the drive to move the nation forward rather than dwell in the past. "We must sincerely as a people forge stronger bonds as we strive to build a united and prosperous country," Dr Shola Adeyanju, a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) said. Adeyanju, who is of the Department of Mass Communication, said there was need for change in behavior among the citizenry. According to him, rather than waste energy and resources on the centenary, the govern...
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