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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.”
News
We’ll Drive Tinubu’s Vision in Rivers With Vigour – Fubara …Inaugurates Dualized Ahoada/Omoku Road ….Debunks Rift With RSHA
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that he will lead Rivers people to galvanize support for President Bola Tinubu to drive the vision and objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the State with vigour.
The governor, who joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, explained that his decision to join the APC was not for personal interest but for the overall benefit of Rivers State.
Fubara disclosed these while inaugurating the extension of the dualized Ahoada/ Omoku Express road in Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
He commended the contracting firm, Julius Berger, for timely delivery of the project, saying the project is a campaign promise fulfilled which will bring economic benefits to the people and tackle issues of insecurity associated with the route.
He said his administration has remained focused in delivering democratic dividends in the state despite facing glaring challenges.
The governor thanked the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas for their continuous support, and urged his supporters to remain steadfast and also support President Tinubu who he said, has demonstrated love to Rivers State as a father.
Fubara denied having rift with the Rivers State House of Assembly, stating that his meeting with the lawmakers was stalled as a result of delay in the agreed meeting to be convened by former Governor Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders for him to meet with the state lawmakers.
“I have made every effort to meet with the Assembly members, but it is not within my leadership to initiate the meeting process.
“The arrangement was for my leader, Wike, and the elders led by Anabraba to call for a meeting with the the lawmakers.
“I’m a gentleman and principled. I can’t go behind to call them when we’ve already agreed. Whoever that tell them that I don’t want to meet with them, or I rejected proposal meant for them isn’t saying the truth,” Fubara said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry Works, Mr Austin Ezekiel-Hart, who gave the project description, said the delivery of the project was a fulfillment of long time dream by the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas.
He said the road was previously a single lane and has now been dualised to 14.6 meters wide, complete with solar-powered streetlights with drainages.
He said the road significantly would reduce travel time between Ahoada and Omoku while improving economic activity in the region.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area, Hon. Chuku Shedrack Ogbogu, described the road as a symbol of unity, oneness, and development, thanking the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises.
On his part, the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Engr. Peer Lusbash, said the project was awarded to his company in 2023 with a completion period of 18 months which was achieved in best quality.
He added that Julius Berger enjoyed a good support from the Fubara administration, and assured to complete all ongoing projects being handled by Julius Berger on specification, especially the Ring Road project which is a legacy project.
Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring good healthcare for the people of Rivers State.
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?Governor Fubara stated this when he played host to the Country Director of UNICEF, Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef and her management team in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.
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?The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, said he would continue to provide the necessary facilities in order to ensure accessible and good health care for all Rivers people.
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?”We are constructing new zonal hospitals across the State. The Ahoada Zonal hospital will be commissioned in December and others are near completion.
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?”We are grateful to UNICEF for all they have done and believe we can always work together to care for the vulnerable in the society. We appreciate your physical presence, and believe that your staff working remotely, can also do more virtually. We have a capable Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, to help foster our relationship, communication and greater collaboration,” he said.
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?The Country Director for UNICEF Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, assured Governor Fubara of UNICEF’s support to the programmes of the State Government. She appealed that health facilities such as the Oxygen Plant at Eleme Local Government Ares and the New Born Care Units be solarized.
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?”Be assured that UNICEF will continue to work and support the programmes here in Rivers State. We have seen the Oxygen Plant at Eleme LGA which has been effective because of the Public Private Partnership. We appeal that the plant be solarized.
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?”I commend your leadership of the State and assure that we are here to support your effort and assure you that you can count on our support and partnership. Rivers State is one of the states we can showcase how things are working so others can learn,” she added.
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Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has announced a N100 billion annual education support programme aimed at keeping financially vulnerable Nigerian students in school.
Speaking at the launch of the national scholarship scheme in Lagos, yesterday, Dangote said too many brilliant young people were being forced out of classrooms because of poverty.
He described education as the “strongest engine of social mobility” and a critical foundation for national development.
The initiative, funded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, will run for ten years beginning in 2026, costing over N1 trillion in total.
Dangote said the scheme would support 45,000 scholars each year at inception, expanding to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by its fourth year, and maintaining that level for the rest of the decade.
By 2036, he said, the programme is expected to have reached at least 1,325,000 students.
“We cannot allow financial hardship to silence the dreams of our young people, not when the future of our nation depends on their skills, resilience and leadership,” he added.
A major component of the fund is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars programme, which will provide annual scholarships for 30,000 undergraduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics in public universities and polytechnics.
Each beneficiary will receive tuition support aligned with the fees of their institution and course of study. Dangote said the goal is to expand access to higher education, empower innovation, and give young Nigerians the tools to compete globally.
“STEM drives development. If Nigeria must compete globally, our young minds must have the tools to learn, imagine and innovate,” he said.
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