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UN Sanctions N’ Korea Over Nuclear Weapons
Faced with a fresh refusal by North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme, United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the communist regime has “no friends left” to shield it from United Nations penalties.
“North Korea’s continued pursuit of its nuclear ambitions is sure to elevate tensions on the Korean peninsula and could provoke an arms race in the region,” Clinton told a news conference after conferring with officials from 26 other countries and organisations. She cited near unanimity on fully enforcing the latest U.N. sanctions against North Korea for its repeated nuclear and missile tests.
Clinton said the U.S. will continue to insist that North Korea return to the bargaining table and verifiably dismantle its nuclear programme. At the same time, she held out the prospect of restoring U.S. diplomatic ties to North Korea and other incentives — actions the Obama administration would be willing to consider only if the North Koreans take irreversible steps to denuclearize.
Just before she spoke, a North Korean official declared that six-party talks on denuclearising North Korea was over. And the North Korean Foreign Ministry ridiculed Clinton, saying in a statement that she has “made a spate of vulgar remarks” that “suggest that she is by no means intelligent.”
Before departing for Washington after a weeklong trip to India and Thailand, Clinton offered a somewhat more optimistic message about another trouble spot on the U.S. foreign policy agenda: Myanmar, the military-run southeast Asian nation also known as Burma.
“There is a positive direction that we see with Burma,” she said. She praised Myanmar’s government for committing to enforce the U.N. sanctions against North Korea, calling it important in light of Myanmar’s suspected secret military links to North Korea.
And she suggested Myanmar may have played a role this month in persuading a North Korean cargo ship suspected of carrying weaponry in violation of the sanctions to return home instead of continuing to its destination, which U.S. officials said was probably Myanmar.
Clinton also called on Myanmar to unconditionally release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is accused of violating the terms of her house arrest.
On North Korea, Clinton stressed a point she has made repeatedly — that a fully nuclear North Korea might compel other countries in Asia to follow suit. She mentioned no names, but Japan and South Korea are thought to be among those that might go nuclear under circumstances in which they felt threatened by the North and less than fully confident of protection under a U.S. nuclear umbrella.
Clinton also said, “I wanted to make very clear that the United States does not seek any kind of offensive action against North Korea.” She said a North Korean delegate at Thursday’s meeting complained of being subjected to U.S. nuclear threats, but she said this showed a disconnect with reality, given that U.S. nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea nearly 20 years ago.
She said the world — including China, which has been North Korea’s most loyal supporter — has made it clear to Pyongyang that it has “no place to go.”
“They have no friends left that will protect them from the international community’s efforts to move toward denuclearization,” she said.
Just moments before she spoke at this southern Thai seaside resort, a spokesman for the North Korean delegation at the Phuket conference said his government will not return to six-party talks with the U.S., Japan, South Korea, China and Russia, citing the “deep-rooted anti-North Korean policy” of the United States.
“The six-party talks are over,” Ri Hung Sik said.
The Phuket forum, known as the Asian Regional Forum and drawing senior officials from 27 nations, is one of the rare instances of U.S. and North Korean diplomats appearing together, although U.S. officials said there was no substantive contact. Clinton told the news conference she was disappointed in what she heard from the North Korean delegate who addressed the conference.
“The question is: Where do we go from here?” she asked.
Her reply, essentially, was that the U.S. and its negotiating partners will not back down from their insistence that North Korea not only resume negotiations but scrap its nuclear program in a verifiable way and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And she said the U.N. sanctions will be applied as strictly and fully as possible.
“The bottom line is this: If North Korea intends to engage in international commerce its vessels must conform to terms” of the U.N. sanctions, “or find no port,” she said.
Clinton said the Obama administration would soon send Philip Goldberg, its coordinator for implementing the U.N. sanctions that were approved by the Security Council in June, back to Asia for a new round of consultations on enforcement.
And, in what she called an illustration of U.S. concern about the welfare of North Korea’s people, Clinton said the administration intends to appoint a special envoy to focus on North Korean human rights.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, still smarting from an earlier Clinton comment likening the regime to “small children” demanding attention, released a statement Thursday saying: “We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international community. Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping.”
The Federal Government has approved three transformative policies aimed at boosting productivity and enhancing service delivery across the civil service. These are the Rewards and Recognition Policy, the Incentive and Consequence Management Policy, and the Civil Service Mentoring Policy.
The approval was granted during the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
The move marks a new era of performance-driven governance, strategic talent development, and enhanced accountability, with the policies designed to work in synergy to motivate staff, foster a culture of excellence, and significantly improve service delivery to Nigerians.
According to a statement signed by MrsEnoOlotu, Director of Information and Public Relations, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, MrsDidi Esther Walson-Jack, affirmed that the policies are central to staff welfare and the enhanced value proposition of civil servants and also align with the 2021 Public Service Rules (060101–060111).
She commended the President for his commitment to transforming the civil service and fostering a workplace culture that is efficient, productive, incorruptible, and citizen-friendly. The Head of Service noted that the approval demonstrates the government’s firm resolve to value public servants, reward excellence, and systematically groom the next generation of leaders.
The Rewards and Recognition Policy establishes a comprehensive framework designed to attract, nurture, develop, and retain top talent within the service. It seeks to promote excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement, thereby strengthening overall institutional performance.
The Incentive and Consequence Management Policy introduces a clear, transparent, and equitable system where exceptional performance is rewarded and under-performance is addressed through structured corrective measures. It aims to entrench fairness and accountability at all levels while providing developmental support to staff requiring improvement.
The Civil Service Mentoring Policy, described as a strategic investment in the future of the service, is intended to bridge experience gaps and ensure the systematic transfer of institutional knowledge.
“It will equip the next generation with the requisite skills, values, and ethical grounding for strategic leadership, while preserving invaluable institutional memory against the tide of retirements, thereby ensuring continuity and sustained excellence,” the statement added.
MrsWalson-Jack reiterated that the President’s approval for the implementation of these policies is not merely an administrative milestone, but the foundation upon which a modern, agile, and empowered civil service will be built. She assured civil servants that their dedication will be recognised, excellence rewarded, and personal growth supported.
The Rivers State Government has charged journalists to serve as a bridge between the government and the people by reporting effectively on government’s policies, projects, programmes and achievements, thereby keeping the public informed on its activities.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. BeniboAnabraba, gave the charge during a courtesy visit by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, led by the Chairman, Mr. Paul Bazia-Nsaneh, in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Anabraba emphasized that as the fourth estate of the realm, journalists owe the public a duty to provide a platform for constructive criticism of government and serve as watchdog of society.
He indicated that public opinion via the mass media is significant to help the government appreciate public perception, and also to create awareness on government initiatives, programmes and policies as they affect the citizenry.
“As a Government, we also appreciate the fact that you are our partner in conveying government policies and activities to the people, for their consumption, appreciation and review. We implore you to continue to publicise matters of importance in governance and encourage civic participation particularly on issues such as civil rights, voters’ registration, actions against gender-based violence, etc.
“You also have an obligation to promote morality and balanced criticism of government,” he stated
The chairman of the Rivers Council of NUJ, Mr. Paul Bazia-Nsaneh thanked the State Government for receiving them and intimated him of their desire to work with the government.
He explained that the union is poised to positively portray the State through an agenda of development communications, adding that the union has also outlined strategic projects to this effect.
“As a union, we need to change the narrative and to talk about development communications. If we don’t put out the opportunities that are available in River State, then we can not have people who will be interested in investing in the opportunities that are available to us. So we decided to put out some key areas that we need to focus on development communication trajectory,” he added.
The Police Command in Ondo State says it has dismantled a notorious sex trafficking syndicate exploiting young women under the guise of job recruitment and social media content creation.
This is contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen, yesterday, in Akure by the command’s spokesperson, DSP OlusholaAyanlade.
Ayanlade said one Jayeola Joshua was arrested along with two others, while 15 young girls aged 20 to 26, accommodated in an apartment in Alagbaka, Akure, for illicit activities, were rescued.
The Police spokesperson, who said the sex syndicate was arrested by the command’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), explained that efforts were on to apprehend the remaining accomplices.
According to him, investigations revealed that the syndicate lured victims across the country with false promises of lucrative employment, including domestic work, ushering services, and overseas placements.
He said the syndicate’s arrangement not only facilitated exploitation but also highlighted how organised criminal elements prey on the vulnerability of unsuspecting young women seeking legitimate opportunities.
“Further inquiry uncovered that the victims were manipulated into sending nude images and videos, which were subsequently transmitted to clients procuring sexual services.
“The principal suspect reportedly received the largest share of the proceeds, while the operation was disguised as producing “relationship content” on social media, misleading the public and masking criminal intent.
“Following the rescue, the 15 victims were taken to the Police Hospital, Akure, for medical care, psychological evaluation, and counseling,” he said.
Ayanlade explained that evidence indicated the apartment was specifically rented to facilitate these activities, prompting the Commissioner of Police (CP) to direct the landlord’s invitation for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
He also stated that the CP directed the case be transferred to the command’s Gender Desk for further investigation, counseling, and the reintegration of the victims into society.
According to the spokesperson, the CP issued a marching order that all arrested suspects must be prosecuted to demonstrate the command’s zero-tolerance stance on human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“This reaffirms the command’s determination to eradicate criminal and sex networks engaged in human trafficking and sexual exploitation,
“The CP has urged parents and guardians to verify job offers and recruitment agents before allowing their wards to travel.
“He also encouraged the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that can aid in preventing and detecting crime across the state, underscoring the vital role of community partnership in maintaining public safety,” he said.
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