The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee, retired Army General Lloyd Austin, to serve as Secretary of Defense – the first Black American in the role. The vote was an overwhelming 90-2 in the 100-member chamber, far more than the simple majority needed. Lawmakers from both parties said they were pleased that Austin would be installed to lead the Pentagon just two days after Biden was sworn in as president on Wednesday. Senator Jack Reed, the incoming Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted the wide range of challenges facing the country – including the coronavirus pandemic and competition with China and Russia. “General Austin is an exceptionally qualified leader with a long and distinguished career in the U.S. military,” Reed said before t...
<img width="696" height="464" class="entry-thumb" src="https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13125818-696×464.jpg" srcset="https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13125818-696×464.jpg 696w, https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13125818-300×200.jpg 300w, https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13125818-630×420.jpg 630w, https://www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13125818.jpg 699w" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" alt="(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 14, 2018 Wyoming US Representative Liz Cheney speaks following the House Republican leadership vote at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. – Senior Republican Con...
News Agency of Nigeria The Senate of the Lagos State University, LASU, has appointed Professor Oyedamola Oke as the acting vice-chancellor of the institution. Oke was appointed at the emergency senate meeting held on Monday. He was, before his appointment, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration. Sources at the meeting said 113 professors attended the meeting and Oke polled 61 votes to beat Prof. Wahab Elias, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, who got 51 votes. One person did not reportedly vote. Prof. Oke emergence was contrary to speculations that Elias would emerge and that he was the candidate of the establishment. The Governing Council of the university headed by Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, later met to ratify the choice of Oke. The Council will convey the decision of the Senate to ...
Ghanaian soldiers intervened overnight to quell a clash between opposing parties in parliament ahead of the body’s swearing-in set for Thursday. Chaotic scenes erupted after a ruling party deputy tried to seize the ballot box during the vote for parliament speaker. The ensuing clash lasted several hours until the army stepped in, with national television broadcasting the drama live. “There was total breakdown of law and order,” said MP-elect Kwame Twumasi Ampofo of the opposition National Democratic Congress. “Looking at a member of parliament and a minister of state snatching ballot papers… was so shameful.” The new parliament will be virtually split down the middle between the two main parties, posing the risk of gridlock with key issues on the agenda including how to turn around an econ...
A band of President Donald Trump’s Republican allies planned a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to undo his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, a bid almost certain to fail that comes on the same day their party is poised to lose its majority in the Senate. The Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House of Representatives were due to meet to formally certify Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election in proceedings that could stretch past midnight. In a joint session of Congress, Trump’s allies plan to challenge the results from a handful of states won by Biden. Thousands of pro-Trump protesters converged on Washington ahead of the session at his urging. Some clashed with police overnight. Biden won the election by a 306-232 count in the state-by-state Electoral College and by a marg...
The village head of Ikot Obio Inyang in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state, Chief Emem Okon Akpan, has been dethroned over alleged fraud and other criminal activities in the community. Akpan was accused by his community of sabotaging the water scheme provided by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in their area. This is contained in a 14-point resolution signed by Enefiok Umoh the President of Ikot Obio Inyang Development Association, IKODA, 89 other members of the community and made available to newsmen in Uyo. They pointed out that a police report of February 17, 2020, indicted the village head, and therefore passed a vote of no confidence on his leadership. It stated; “This led to a petition to the state police commissioner who ordered an investigation into the ma...
Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has urged a former Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, not to subvert the will of the people and to jettison the plan to overturn the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki at the September 2020 governorship election through the Judiciary. Shaibu during an empowerment programme for Afemai Youths in Ogbona and Jattu respectively at the weekend reaffirmed confidence in the judiciary and President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the nation’s democracy and the collective will of Edo people. The Deputy Governor said that Oshiomhole was instrumental to the Supreme Court victory of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and alleged he is ready to do the same to upturn the popular victory of Obaseki in Edo State. He said, “The Nigeria Jud...