State Broadcaster
2023: Southern lawmakers back governors call for power shift to South, electronic transmission of election results
The members of the House of Representatives from the 17 Southern states have unanimously and unequivocally endorsed the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) that the next President should emerge from the southern region. They also described the attempt to tamper with the Electoral Act to remove electronic transmission of results as a malicious and unpatriotic act aimed to emasculate the electoral system, undermine democracy and destabilise the country. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Southern Caucus, Hon. Victor Nwokolo in a statement issued Tuesday said the alleged attempt to remove electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act amendment Bill cannot be condoned or justified under any guise whatsoever. The southern lawmakers said the resolution by the ...
21 runners dead as extreme weather hits China ultramarathon
Twenty-one people were killed after hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners taking part in a 100-kilometre (62-mile) cross-country mountain race in China, state media said Sunday. The extreme weather struck a high-altitude section of the race held in the scenic Yellow River Stone Forest near Baiyin city in northwestern Gansu province Saturday afternoon. Among the dead were elite Chinese long-distance runners, local media reported. Official news agency Xinhua confirmed the death toll had risen to 21, citing the local rescue command headquarters. State broadcaster CCTV also reported the final missing competitor had been found dead. Baiyin city mayor Zhang Xuchen said that at around midday Saturday a section of the rugged ultramarathon course — between kilometres 20 and 31 — was “sudde...
China takes over closed US consulate in Chengdu
The American flag was lowered at the US consulate in China’s Chengdu city on Monday and Chinese authorities entered the building, as Beijing carried out a Cold War-style retaliatory closure of the mission. Earlier in the morning state broadcaster, CCTV showed footage of the flag being lowered, after diplomatic tensions soared between the two powers with both alleging the other had endangered national security. Beijing later confirmed the consulate had closed at 10am (0200 GMT). “Afterwards, Chinese authorities entered through the front entrance and took it over,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Relations have deteriorated in recent weeks in an intensifying standoff, with the Chengdu mission Friday ordered to shut in retaliation for the forced closure of Beijing’s consulate in Hou...
