According to a report by Pulse.ng during an unusual press briefing on Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied news reports that he had considered leaving the administration.
In a short statement, Tillerson said that a report that he had openly criticized President Donald Trump after a meeting with his national security team and Cabinet officials at the Pentagon was “petty” and characterized it as an attempt by the media and others to undermine the administration.
“I’m not gonna deal with petty stuff like that,” he said in response to a question about an NBC News report that he called Trump a “moron.”
“The places I come from, we don’t deal with that kind of petty nonsense, and it’s intended to do nothing but divide people,” Tillerson said. “And I’m just not going to be part of this effort to divide this administration.”
He more specifically denied reports that he had to be persuaded by Vice President Mike Pence to stay in his position last summer.
“The vice president has never had to persuade me to remain as secretary of state because I have never considered leaving this post,” he said, later adding, “There’s never been a consideration in my mind to leave.”
Tillerson went on to praise Trump, the administration more broadly, and his colleagues at the State Department.
Of Trump, he said: “He’s smart, he demands results wherever he goes, and he holds those around him accountable.”
Both before and after Tillerson’s press conference, Trump slammed the NBC report on Twitter.
“NBC news is #FakeNews and more dishonest than even CNN,” Trump tweetedbefore Tillerson spoke. “They are a disgrace to good reporting. No wonder their news ratings are way down!”
After the press conference, Trump said in another tweet that Tillerson had denied the NBC report.
“The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence,”he tweeted. “It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!”
An NBC News spokeswoman told Business Insider on Wednesday that the news organization stood by its reporting. Carol Lee, a political reporter, also said on Wednesday that she and her NBC colleagues “extensively reported” the story, speaking with a dozen sources.
Days earlier, Trump publicly undermined Tillerson’s efforts to negotiate with the North Korean government. On Sunday, the day after Tillerson told reporters in Beijing that he had a direct line of communication open with Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear tests, Trump said diplomacy with the rogue nation was useless.
“I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” the president tweeted, using his nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!”
According to a report by Pulse.ng during an unusual press briefing on Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied news repor...
President Muhammadu Buhari has presented Aishah Ahmad to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. She is to replace a former Deputy Governor, who retired early this year.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2007, President Buhari urged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to consider the expeditious confirmation of Mrs. Ahmad, who would then resume work immediately.
In the same vein, the president has written the Senate, seeking the confirmation of appointment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN. They are to replace four members, whose tenure expires at the end of this year.
The nominees are: Adeola Adenikinju; Aliyu Sanusi; Robert Asogwa and Asheikh Maidugu. After Senate clearance, the new members of the Monetary Policy Committee are to resume duties next January. Aisha is the Consumer Banking & Investment Head at Diamond Bank
President Muhammadu Buhari has presented Aishah Ahmad to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN....
12 tips to better moisturize your skin and keep it that way:
1. Use Makeup remover first. One fundamental skincare tip ladies always miss is to remove their makeup with an oil-based makeup remover first before cleansing. When you do it this way, it will be easier to loosen up tough makeup first rather than washing away with water which only makes your makeup smudge.
2. Always cleanse with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser. If you haven’t already noticed, water that is too cold or too hot instantly dries up your skin just as extreme weather conditions would suck out moisture. Cleanse your skin without stripping it off with moisture. as for your cleanser, you should match it with your skin types and skin needs as well. Acne-prone skin types will benefit the most from cleansers that contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
3. Use essential Oil. It’s hard to pick up the right moisturizing product. When commercial products raise red flags, you know you can always rely on essential oils to do the moisturizing for you.
4. Use antioxidants in your routine. Antioxidants protect your skin from further damage as it revitalizes your skin cells and improves its ability to hold moisture in. When you are looking for ways to get rid of dehydration wrinkles , antioxidants will act as a catalyst. These are also often laden with beneficial vitamins your skin needs to recuperate from stress.
5. Moisturize more. When the essential oils and antioxidants have seeped in, follow through with additional layers of moisture-rich products. You do have to find one that suits your skin and leaves it with a silky, soft feel.
6. Moisturize the skin around your eyes. Check if the proprietary ingredient, Processed Skin Proteins, found in many products is what can lift your eye skin and make it look less fatigued and more radiant. An eye cream will be required for skin already undergoing early signs of skin aging.
7. Always use Sun protector cream.
The sun’s UV rays is the main cause of premature skin aging, including extreme and chronic skin dryness that deplete your skin’s moisture levels. When your skin matrix is damaged by UV, it becomes less efficient in keeping moisture in, making it unable to bounce back from a wrinkled state as it loses elasticity. Keep that sunscreen on and always carry it around for reapplication.
8. Exfoliate regularly. Make exfoliation a constant but not daily part of your skincare routine. The agenda for exfoliation is simple: you want to slough off dead skin so that newer, younger skin can show through.
9. Flood skin with moisture overnight. Different skin types at different ages will require varying kinds and amounts of moisture-giving nutrients. In general, mature skin will require anti-aging creams to moisturize skin as it treats the damages on the skin. Skin at any age will benefit from products such as sleep packs and sheet masks that flood skin with moisture. Give yourself these treatments as frequently as you can.
10. Adopt a healthier lifestyle. Eat foods that promote healthier body and healthier skin. Generally, these are fresh produce rich water and essential nutrients. Exercise to pump up your circulation.
12 tips to better moisturize your skin and keep it that way: 1. Use Makeup remover first. One fundamental skincare tip ladies always miss i...
According to Ionigeria, The Senate, yesterday, raised the alarm that the nation’s diplomatic missions were facing challenges of inability to pay home-based officers allowances, local staff salaries, rent for residences, chanceries and other staff official quarters.
According to the Senate, with these myriad of issues and financial woes, the collective and corporate image of Nigeria is suffering at the moment, thereby resulting in the loss of prestige and influence in the comity of nations.
It, however, vowed to come up with ways to fix what it described as total mess and embarrassment to the country.
The resolution of the Senate was sequel to a motion by Tijjani Yahaya Kaura (APC, Zamfara North), entitled: “The urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fund our Foreign Missions.”
The senators, who painted a gloomy picture of Nigerian diplomatic missions, said there was also paucity of funds for other sundry expenses, adding that there were threats by host countries to revoke building permits of some property belonging to Nigerian missions.
The threat of revocation of the permits was said to have been informed by the buildings’ poor structural conditions, which constituted hazard to the communities they were located.
Presenting the motion, Kaura said: “The Senate notes that Nigerian diplomatic missions are facing several challenges, including their inability to pay home-based officers allowances, local staff salaries, rent for residences, chanceries and other staff official quarters, in addition to the dire lack of funds for other sundry expenses such as visits to Nigerians in jail and provision for other consular services.
“It regrets that there are threats by host countries to revoke building permits of some property abroad belonging to Nigerian missions, following their poor structural conditions, which constitute hazard to the communities where such buildings are situated, and lack of routine maintenance that will bring such structures in line with the building codes of host countries.”
“It further regrets that the Ministry’s budget envelope is grossly inadequate to meet its expenditure requirements, even at headquarters and with this situational analysis, the ministry’s approved 2017 budget would hardly provide the needed impetus required to achieve Nigeria’s foreign policy goal and objectives in pursuance of our national interest;
“Consequent upon these myriad of issues and financial woes, the collective and corporate image of Nigeria suffers, resulting in the loss of prestige and influence in the comity of nations.
“The Senate is worried that some of these problems arise as a result of over staffing in our foreign missions; following our flagrant refusal to comply with the provisions of the presidential ceiling of the staff strength of individual missions based on the Ministry’s grading.”
At the end of deliberations, the only recommendation that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, Minister of Finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele be summoned to brief the Senate on the poor condition of foreign missions, was thrown out.
Instead, the senators resolved to set up an adhoc committee to engage the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors, high commissioners, Charge d’ Affairs, other stakeholders and come up with possible ways of addressing the problem raised in the motion.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has not announced the composition of the committee.
According to Ionigeria , The Senate, yesterday, raised the alarm that the nation’s diplomatic missions were facing challenges of inability...
US Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials intervened to persuade Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to resign during the summer as tensions rose between President Trump and the nation’s top diplomat, NBC News reported on Wednesday.
In July, Pence met with Tillerson in an effort to ease growing discord over policy, NBC reported, citing 12 current and former senior administration officials and other people close to Trump.
Their meeting came days after Tillerson, in a session with Trump’s national security team and Cabinet officials at the Pentagon, openly criticized the president and reportedly called him a “moron,” NBC said, citing three officials familiar with the incident.
As NBC notes, Tillerson’s “moron” comment followed a meeting on Afghanistan where Trump compared “the decision-making process on troop levels to the renovation of a high-end New York restaurant.” Also around this time, Trump made a politicized speech to the Boy Scouts of America which Tillerson once led.
Representatives for the State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the NBC report by Reuters.
Tillerson, in late July, had weighed whether to return to Washington from a personal trip to Texas but was reassured after discussions with General John Kelly, now Trump’s chief of staff, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, the network reported, citing four people with direct knowledge of the exchanges.
Tillerson said publicly in late July that he was “not going anywhere.”
The White House declined to comment to NBC, and a State Department spokesman told the network Tillerson did not consider quitting in July and did not call the president a moron.
“Wow, so many Fake News stories today. No matter what I do or say, they will not write or speak truth. The Fake News Media is out of control!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning shortly after NBC published its report. It was not clear what stories Trump was disputing.
Over the weekend, Tillerson said the United States had direct channels of communication with North Korea to see if it was interested in dialogue in hopes of reducing tensions. The next day on Twitter, Trump said Tillerson was “wasting his time.”
After the NBC report on Wednesday morning, foreign policy experts came out to encourage Tillerson to resign.
“Rex Tillerson has been dealt a bad hand by the Potus & has played it badly. For both reasons he cannot be effective Sec State & should resign,” Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haas tweeted.
Haas wrote it would be hard for anyone to be successful as Secretary of State right now, given Trump’s policies such as leaving TPP and the Paris climate according, as well as the lack of staff and money given to the State Department, and the role of White House staff. Haas also cited Trump’s tweeting habits as an impediment.
Likewise, Eurasia Group President Ian Brenner tweeted that Tillerson should leave his position.
“I know Rex and he’s extremely capable. But he’s now in an impossible position & should step down,” Bremmer said.
Tillerson is not the only Cabinet official to have publicly diverged from the president on policy issues.
Mattis said on Tuesday the United States should consider staying in the Iran nuclear deal unless it was proven that Tehran was not abiding by the agreement or that it was not in the U.S. national interest to do so.
Trump has called Iran’s 2015 deal with six world powers an “embarrassment.”
Mattis has played down any tensions between Trump and Tillerson over their apparent split, most recently over North Korea.
Trump’s White House and State Department have also taken differing stances on other foreign policy issues.
Earlier this year, Trump backed Gulf Arab leaders in their boycott of Qatar even as Tillerson and the Pentagon cautioned against the military, commercial and humanitarian effects of the dispute.
US Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials intervened to persuade Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to resign during the summe...
Doctors have warned that Tattoos can cause infections 15 years after they are drawn, as a woman was admitted to hospital suffering enlarged lymph nodes.
The 30-year old Australian lady feared she had developed cancer when she noticing painful lumps in her armpit and visited the hospital for treatment.
Doctors at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sidney were able to remove the tissue which they discover was harmless. The experts came to the conclusion that the lumps were caused by a reaction to tattooing which had been done 15 years previously, and have urged doctors to ask about tattoos when patients are suffering from lymphoma.
For a long time, doctors have known that tattoo ink travels to the lymph nodes because the nodes can change to the same colour of the ink, but a new study has shown the effect can still happen several years after a person gets the tattoos.
Another recent research by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) found that toxic nanoparticles of titanium dioxide found in tattoo ink can travel through the body and become lodged in the lymph nodes where they can cause problems.
This was confirmed by one of the authors of the study and scientist at the ESRF, Hiram Castillo who said people are usually more concerned about the sterility of the needles used in drawing tattoos than the ink itself.
“When someone wants to get a tattoo, they are often very careful in choosing a parlour where they use sterile needles that haven´t been used previously,” Castillo said.
“No one checks the chemical composition of the colours, but our study shows that maybe they should.”
Few studies have looked at the toxic impact of tattoo ink, which can contain preservatives and contaminants like nickel, chromium, manganese or cobalt.
Bernhard Hesse, one of the two first authors of the study and ESRF visiting scientist also added that pigments from tattoos would travel to the lymph nodes because of visual evidence since the lymph nodes become tinted with the colour of the tattoo.
“It is the response of the body to clean the site of entrance of the tattoo. What we didn’t know is that they do it in a nano form, which implies that they may not have the same behaviour as the particles at a micro level. And that is the problem: we don’t know how nanoparticles react,” the doctor said.(Buzznigeria)
Doctors have warned that Tattoos can cause infections 15 years after they are drawn, as a woman was admitted to hospital suffering enlarge...
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for “predictable and mutually beneficial” ties with the United States as he received diplomatic credentials from Washington’s new ambassador to Moscow, Today reports.
The US Senate last week confirmed businessman, veteran diplomat and former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia, filling a crucial post at a time when ties are at dangerously low ebb.
“As far as bilateral ties with the United States are concerned, their current level cannot be satisfying,” Putin said at the Kremlin after he received diplomatic credentials from Huntsman.
“We are in favour of constructive, predicable and mutually beneficial cooperation. We are convinced it should be based on the meticulous adherence to the principles of equality, respect of national interests and non-interference in domestic affairs.”
Putin again expressed condolences to the American people following the Las Vegas shooting which killed at least 59 people and wounded more than 500.
‘Problems of reciprocity’
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier Tuesday that the Russian president wanted to restore ties with the United States but stressed he could not do it alone.
“So far there are certain problems when it comes to reciprocity,” Peskov told reporters.
“But we hope that with the new ambassador at the helm at least the US diplomatic mission in Moscow will be able to contribute to the restoration of our relations.”
US President Donald Trump has pledged to improve ties between the two countries which slumped to their lowest point since the Cold War over the Ukraine crisis.
But allegations of collusion between Russia and members of Trump’s election campaign team overshadowed those promises.
The 57-year-old Huntsman, who served as governor of Utah, has worked in numerous US administrations, notably as ambassador to China under Democrat president Barack Obama, before running unsuccessfully for president as a Republican in 2012.
Huntsman said during his confirmation hearing last week that there is “no question” Russia interfered in the US presidential race and that Moscow continues to “threaten stability” in Europe.
“I look forward to working to rebuild trust between our two countries and to strengthening the bilateral relationship based on cooperation on common interests,” the new US ambassador said after the Kremlin ceremony.
“I will seek out Russian people from all walks of life to share perspectives, to relay American values, and to deepen my growing appreciation for Russia’s rich and fascinating history and culture,” he added.
The US embassy in Moscow said Huntsman would return to Washington for “final consultations” before assuming his post in Russia next week.
Huntsman will be performing one of the most difficult jobs on the diplomatic circuit.
One of his predecessors, Michael McFaul, left the post under a cloud after just two years in Russia.
McFaul, who left in 2014, sparked Moscow’s fury with critical comments and meetings with Russian opposition leaders and was harassed by pro-Kremlin youth activists and TV channels.
His successor, career diplomat John Tefft was summoned out of retirement and served as US ambassador to Russia between 2014 and 2017.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for “predictable and mutually beneficial” ties with the United States as he received dipl...
Mrs Patience Jonathan, wife of the former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is persecuting her because of her role in the 2015 election.
Mrs Jonathan, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission called on Buhari to treat her with some respect as her husband did to Mrs Aisha Buhari in 2011 election.
She said that former president Jonathan never victimized Aisha, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011 after he won the presidential election.
Mrs Patience Jonathan said that her role during the 2015 presidential campaign was a normal thing to do to support her husband Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement by her Chief Press Secretary, Belema Meshack-Hart, the former first lady called on Buhari to caution the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu to stop harassing her.
She said Buhari should take a cue from the United States President, Donald Trump, who did not go after Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, despite the fact that she campaigned against Trump.
Mrs Jonathan is being investigated for various crimes, including money laundering, financial misappropriation and illegal acquisition of property.
Mrs Patience Jonathan, wife of the former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is persecuting her be...