The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Theresa

  • Britain expels 23 Russian diplomats over chemical attack on ex-spy

    Britain expels 23 Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack on a Russian former double agent in southern England, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday, adding it was the biggest single expulsion in over 30 years.

    May told parliament Britain would also freeze Russian state assets wherever there was evidence of a threat and downgrade its attendance at the soccer World Cup this summer.

    Former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and remain in hospital in a critical condition.

    May has said the pair was attacked with Novichok, a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent.

    She had asked Moscow to explain whether it was responsible for the attack or had lost control of stocks of the highly dangerous substance.

    Russia has denied any involvement, and May told parliament Moscow had provided no credible explanation for the attack.

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    “There is no alternative conclusion, other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Skripal and his daughter, and for threatening the lives of other British citizens in Salisbury,” she said.

    “This represents an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the UK.”

    May said the expulsion of the 23 diplomats, identified as undeclared intelligence officers, was the biggest single expulsion for over 30 years and would degrade Russian intelligence capabilities in Britain for years to come.

    “We will freeze Russian state assets wherever we have the evidence that they may be used to threaten the life or property of UK nationals or residents,” May said.

    She said no ministers or members of the royal family would attend the World Cup in Russia.

    Russia said Britain should expect retaliation for its actions.

    NAN

     

  • Theresa May to lead UK

    Theresa May to lead UK

    Theresa May is to become the UK’s prime minister tomorrow evening – after David Cameron announced he would quit after Prime Minister’s Questions.

    Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron said he would offer his resignation to the Queen on Wednesday afternoon at Buckingham Palace.

    Mrs May’s only rival to succeed Mr Cameron as Conservative leader, Andrea Leadsom, pulled out earlier on Monday.

    In a brief statement outside No 10, Mr Cameron said Mrs Leadsom had made “absolutely the right decision” to stand aside and that he was “delighted” Mrs May, the home secretary, was to succeed him.

    He said a “prolonged period of transition” was not necessary, and added: “So tomorrow I will chair my last cabinet meeting. On Wednesday I will attend the House of Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions.

    “After that I expect to go the Palace and offer my resignation.”

    The prime minister praised Mrs May as “strong” and “competent” and he said she was “more than able to provide the leadership” the UK needs in the coming year.

    “She will have my full support,” he added.

    BBC chief political correspondent Vicki Young said events were “moving very rapidly”.

    She said Mrs May had begun the day launching her leadership campaign to take to the party membership – and within the space of several hours found out she would be prime minister by Wednesday.

    Mrs May would now have to decide the make-up of her new cabinet, she said.

    Mr Cameron announced his intention to resign as prime minister on 24 June, after finding himself on the losing side of the EU referendum, with the UK voting by 52% to 48% in favour of leaving.

  • Letter to Pastor Kris Okotie

    Letter to Pastor Kris Okotie

    SIR: Initially, I did not want to write this. For one, I never believed it when people said that while preaching in your church you said all Catholics will go to hell. You did not stop there; you even went as far as calling Pope Francis an anti-Christ and a friend of Satan’s. And that the Church is a counterfeit church set up by Satan.

    When ever we are ignorant of anything we create false impressions in our mind. But as the scriptures say “there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is destruction”. And your ignorance about the Catholic Church is manifest.

    I know people like you often say Catholics worship idols because of the images that Catholics use. God never condemned these images that were used to worship him. Even the world stood still when the revered Nelson Mandela’s statue was unveiled. People and even tourists flock to see it, almost deifying him. Even today people, even atheists keep the picture of Mother Theresa in their homes.

    And for Mary, we will not stop to honour her as we would honour anyone who is outstanding. Even some football and music fans have given more honour to their idols. But any right thinking person will honour a woman whom God’s son took her flesh. It is proper to fulfil God’s words through angel Gabriel that she is “full of grace”, and that the Lord is with her. And Christ himself made us adopt her as our Mother when he spoke to Saint John on the cross. In Mary, perhaps, as a writer said, God the Father has a feminine side.

    The contributions of the Catholic Church to the world cannot be quantified. Western civilization today owes a lot to the Catholic Church. Think of culture, art and philosophy. Even the Easter and Christmas holidays are Catholic heritages. Pope Gregory XIII’s Gregorian calendar is what is used internationally as the civil calendar; even time is measured by the West from the date taken as the birth of the Church’s founder, Jesus of Nazareth: the Year One AD (Anno Domini). The Catholic Church fought against slavery, human sacrifice, abortion, incest, polygamy and infidelity in marriage.

    But for me, it is not so much what you said about Catholics as the effect a brainless utterance can have on your person. Unless your presidential ambition is a joke, no right thinking person who has his eyes set on 2015 will want to play with votes. As they say in politics every vote counts, not to talk of the votes of Nigerian Catholics, and perhaps even Nigerian Christians and non Christians in general who have come to love Pope Francis. By your actions alone you have committed political suicide even before INEC blew the whistle.

    • Dr Cosmas Odoemena

    Lagos

  • Why Yeye Bola Dare is dubbed Mother Theresa

    Why Yeye Bola Dare is dubbed Mother Theresa

    THAT Yeye Bola Dare is another lady that wields a lot of power in Abuja and close to the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is not debatable. So powerful is the former media practitioner that she could be referred to as madam ‘fix it’ in the capital city of Abuja.

    Not only is she madam ‘fix it’, the vivacious woman who loves wearing white on Wednesdays and Fridays has been dubbed Mother Theresa, no thanks to the orphanage she runs in Gwarimpa, Abuja. The stylish and glamorous society woman takes delight in giving life and hope to the less-privileged children whom she named after world presidents and past Nigeria leaders. Her involvement in philanthropy is not unconnected with her calling to be mother of many children.

    A woman of many parts, the socialite cum politician also has her hands in event management and interior decorations.