I will defeat terrorists, Jonathan boasts

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday vowed that as the Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Armed Forces, he would defeat Boko Haram in Nigeria.

He said, as the President, he hears the cries and share the sorrow and pain of victims of insurgency that have been turned to widows and orphans by the terrorists and he would not abandon them.

Jonathan made the commitment in his New Year message broadcast on radio and television networks.

The President said, “We are re-equipping and re-positioning our armed forces to enhance their capacity to win the ongoing war against terror and insurgency. 

“Regrettably, terrorists have unleashed much pain and agony on our land. They have made widows of our mothers and sisters and orphans of our children. 

“They have shut down businesses, desecrated places of worship and brought untold hardship to both men and women. They have violated the culture and peaceful way of life in our country, which took generations to build. 

“They have destroyed countless schools and displaced people from their communities, driving them into exile. 

“want to assure you that the terrorists will not get away with their atrocities: they will not win; they will be routed. As President, I feel the pain of all affected communities and families. I hear their cries and share their sorrow and pain.

 “We will not forget; we will not look the other way. We have done a lot of painstaking planning and work to resolve the current security challenge. We will bring justice to the savage terrorists known as Boko Haram. They will be defeated. 

“That is the solemn commitment I make today as President of the Federal Republic, and Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces.”

welcome to 2015 from Distribute inc.

The entire Distribute inc crew wishes all our clients,partners and followers a happy new year,filled with love,prosperity and exceeding greatness.

Get ready for the best year of your life.

Defend yourselves against B’Haram, JNI tells Muslims

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on Wednesday asked Muslims in the country to defend themselves against attacks by the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The JNI said it had become obvious that the Federal Government was incapable of dealing with the insurgents.

“That Muslims are strongly urged to defend themselves, in appropriate manner against any attack by insurgents and all other acts of violence by criminals, as it is a religious obligation to do so, particularly that government forces currently seem to be incapable,” a communiqué signed by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, said on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Appraising the Federal Government’s efforts in curbing the activities of the insurgents, the   body said the government had failed and was indeed incapable of tackling the Boko Haram members.

The communiqué was the outcome of a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on “the security situation in the country,” organised by the JNI.

It partly read, “That the current security challenges bedevilling the country persist largely as a result of the inability of government to deploy effective strategies to tackle them.

“That the manifest low morale of troops due to inadequate welfare, lack of desired weaponry and failure of intelligence among other reasons are severely hindering the fight against insurgency.

“That despite the devastation being caused by the incessant sophisticated bombings evidenced by huge losses of innocent lives and gross destruction of properties, our politicians at all levels and in all political parties regrettably show very scanty or no concern about the national predicament and anguish but are only busy with political campaigns.

“That the economic base and development of the country are being systematically and grossly crippled by all forms of insurgencies, from Boko Haram to cattle rustling, oil bunkering/theft and other militancy.

“That Muslims are strongly urged to defend themselves, in appropriate manner against any attack by insurgents and all other acts of violence by criminals, as it a religious obligation to do so, particularly that government forces currently seem to be incapable.”

The Sultan-led JNI , therefore, noted that for Nigeria to regain and maintain its glory anchored on peace and progress, government must wake up to its fundamental constitutional responsibility of providing adequate security to the citizens of this country so as to stop the increasing human carnage and destruction of valuable properties.

It advised the government to consider alternative means of finding solution to the Boko Haram menace, such as infrastructural development, youth employment programmes and stepping up the dialogue option “rather than depending on force alone since it has so far proved to be ineffective.”

It added that there was the urgent need to deploy necessary intelligence and security measures to curtail or possibly stop the illegal importation and proliferation of arms and ammunition, saying these had been contributing to the escalation of insurgency and other related criminal activities.

Besides, the JNI said the Civilian Joint Task Forces, hunters and retired security officers, who had gallantly assisted the Nigerian security forces in the fight against insurgency, cattle rustling and other crimes should be given all the necessary support and encouragement as their intervention had helped positively in frontline states.

Seven terrorists die in explosive-laden vehicle while targeting biu traders/customers

Seven suspected Boko Haram terrorists were on Monday killed when an Improvised Explosive Device hidden in a Toyota Pick-up van they were driving in exploded before they could get to Biu Market, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity with our correspondent from Biu, said the suspected terrorists hid the explosives among bags of beans and maize to create the impression that they were traders going to the market. But the IEDs exploded before they could get to the market, which the source said was their main target.

He said, “A Toyota pickup van loaded with maize and beans with IED hidden under it belonging to Boko Haram insurgents exploded near Chikwarkir village of Biu killing all its seven occupants.

“The insurgents must have intended to sneak into Biu Market to detonate the explosives and thereby kill many people. As you know, it is harvest period and people are taking their farm produce to the market but thank God the bomb exploded before they could get to the market.”

The soldier said that the insurgents must have specifically chosen Monday because they knew that Monday and Thursday were market days in Biu town, the headquarters of Biu Local Government Area of the state.

A transporter, Yusuf Ahmed, said they saw on Monday the corpses of the dead Boko Haram members along the roadside near Chikwarkir village.

He said, “We thought they were victims of an auto crash but the villagers told us they were members of Boko Haram sect that were trying to carry explosives to Biu Market but it exploded before they even got to Biu.”

In a related development, scores of people were also said to have been killed and houses and shops burnt when Boko Haram insurgents attacked Kautikari village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

A resident of the area, who fled to Biu, told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday that the insurgents stormed the village on Monday night and killed scores of people and burnt some houses and shops.

He said, “We had to flee to the bush in the night before returning to the village the following day to pick our belongings.”

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Nigeria’s problems increasing –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday admitted that Nigeria’s problems were increasing, instead of abating.

Noting that the situation would have been worse if not for the prayers of Nigerians, Jonathan said he was optimistic that God would, in the same way he tackled the problems of the Israelites, do same for Nigeria.

The President spoke   at the last Sunday of the year service by   the Christ Apostolic Church, Area 1, Durumi, Abuja.

He said , “One of the reasons I go round churches, at least in Abuja, is to   thank my brothers and sisters for the prayers they have been having for the country, the government and me.

“We are facing a lot of challenges now as a nation.   The challenges did not start today but somehow, instead of abating, the problems started increasing for one reason or the other.

“But I am convinced that it would have been worse than this but for your prayers. With the prayers you continue to offer to God, God will see us through.

“I always say that whenever I read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, particularly the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, the kind of challenges they faced; their confrontations, the wars up to the days of King David, they were always fighting. You may need to ask, why should children of God   continue to be fighting?

“I believe what is happening to us is not even as serious as sometimes the passages we read in the Bible and God saw them through.”

Jonathan promised that despite the challenges, his administration would continue to do its best to reposition the country.

He said although the results might not be immediate, his government had introduced a lot of policies that would change the nation’s fortunes positively.

According to him,   if the steady progress is sustained, Nigeria will be a better place in the next four or five years.

He added, “The God we believe in will see us through. What I will request from you is to continue to pray for us.

“For me and members of my team, in spite of the challenges, we will continue to do our best.

“As a nation, we have not reached where we want to go, definitely not. But we are coming up with a number of policies.

‘‘Those who are taking pain to look at what we are doing will agree with us that if we progress as a nation steadily in this manner, in the next four or five years, this country will be a better place.

“Only a few days back, the Vice President was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to flag off the Eastern railway. The Western one moving from Lagos to Kano has been running. We will start using the modern one from Kaduna to Abuja by the first quarter of next year and the one from Port Harcourt.

“When we were small, there were railways. But I believe most of our children of about 30 years only see railway as cartoons on the television but now, they are seeing it.

“We relied on agriculture before the oil boom or doom and all that died. We are reviving it and the whole world has appreciated that we are moving forward in agriculture.

“When something is started, people do not see the benefits immediately. We know that as a nation, we have a lot of challenges in terms of getting jobs for our young ones and we have set up a lot of programmes that can bring job opportunities for our young men.

“The result may not be obvious immediately but God willing, job opportunities will continue to increase and many more young people will be engaged.”

Jonathan reiterated his position that his administration was working hard to ensure that the effects of the drop in oil price did not affect the nation’s economy adversely.

He said since the nation survived a similar situation between 2008 and 2009 when oil price dropped to $40, it would survive the current one

He said although there might be temporary inconveniences, the situation would not bring the economy down.

Jonathan described 2015 as a tempting year for the country, saying elections year in third world countries is always a turbulent year with all kinds of predictions.

Despite the charged atmosphere ahead of the elections however, he said God would see the country through.

He urged the congregation to continue to pray for politicians for God to guide their utterances and actions.

The President observed that if indeed aspirants to various public offices were interested in the well-being of the people, they would not kill or maim people to win elections.

Jonathan said, “All that I will request of you is to continue to pray for   politicians for God to guide us in our utterances and what we do so that we will not sacrifice the lives of Nigerians because of our ambitions.

“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. Pray for God to give us that wisdom and mind to make sure we conduct ourselves in a way that will not set the country ablaze because of our own personal ambitions.

“There are so many good Nigerians that can hold the offices we are occupying or aspiring to occupy. It is by   God’s plan that we are here in positions of authority.

“None of us should begin to think that he is the best person to occupy any public office. There are a thousands and one Nigerians that are more qualified than those   aspiring to occupy offices.

“The development of Nigeria is what all of us want. If every aspirant has the mind to develop the people, then you do not need to kill or maim people to get there.

“You do not need to kill the people you want to develop in order to get to the office you want except if you are aspiring for that office for a different reason.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the President of CAC Worldwide, Pastor Abraham Akinosun, had said that God had promised to make Nigeria a great nation.

Akinosun’s message was read by the Chairman of the church’s Federal Capital City Zonal Headquarters, Pastor Michael Olatunde.

He regretted that despite God’s promises to the nation, the devil had also appointed some people to truncate Nigeria’s progress.

He said such people and their activities were manifesting in various ways.

The clergyman said the position of such people who had vowed to make the nation ungovernable was not strange.

He recalled that Jesus Christ, Nehemiah and Ezekiel among other Biblical characters also faced stiff opposition from their people.

He urged Jonathan not to be distracted but to remain focused on rebuilding the country.

Jonathan was accompanied to the service by his mother, Eunice; his Chief of Staff,   Jones Arogbofa; his Chief Personal Physician, Dr. Fortune Fiberesima; and the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, among other top government officials.

Special prayers were made for the President, the country and the success of the forthcoming elections during the service held under tight security.

Gifts were also presented to the President by the church authorities.

Mutiny comment: Amaechi meant to undermine FG, says DSS

The Department of State Services has warned Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and other politicians against inciting and unguarded statements ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The service frowned at the statement credited to the governor in which he said that soldiers have the right to protest if their welfare was not taken care of, noting that his utterance was meant to undermine the Federal Government.
Amaechi, who is Director-General, All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation, had said, “The challenge of the Nigerian military is not funding but corruption. Now they want to kill some 50 officers for their own failure to equip them properly to fight terrorism. The soldiers have the right to protest for the federal government’s failure to fully equip them.”
But the DSS in a statement by its Deputy Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, on Monday in Abuja, said the governor’s statement was meant to achieve a selfish desire, against the collective well-being of the nation and warned that it would not condone acts that are inimical to the general interest of the nation.
“Political office-holders must not hide under the privileges of their offices to perpetrate and encourage the commission of acts inimical to the general interest of this nation, as this will henceforth not be tolerated,”the statement said.
The service said that such similar unguarded statements by politicians in the past had encouraged violence that resulted in loss of innocent lives and property.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to inciting and unguarded statements and utterances by some politicians ahead of the 2015 general elections.
“Of particular interest is the statement of a serving governor calling on men of the armed forces to rise up in protest against constituted authority, with the intent to undermine the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This statement therefore serves as the last warning to all those seeking to truncate the nation’s democracy by their careless and obviously mischievous utterances and actions to desist and retrace their steps immediately.
“This Service and indeed all security agencies will not rest on their oars and are committed to the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.”

FG tackles ISIS threat

Coordinator, National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri,

Following intelligence reports that the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is making frantic moves to recruit Nigerian youths, the Federal Government has taken a decision to restrict Nigerians from travelling to Iraq, Syria and other volatile countries in the Middle East.

Reporters also reliably gathered on Friday that intelligence agencies such as the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency had issued an international warning, requesting that other countries should refuse visa to Nigerians going to war-ravaged countries in the Middle East.

This would make it almost possible for Nigerians to get a visa from the country to any of the countries listed under the restriction alert in the Middle East.

Similarly, Reporters learnt that the screening of inbound international passengers at major airports in the country had been intensified in the past one week. Airports where such screenings are being carried out include those in Kano, Lagos and Abuja.

It was learnt that apart from the bomb detectors used for all passengers, movements of some citizens of some Middle East countries were monitored right from their arrival in the country.

Senior aviation security officials who spoke to our correspondents noted that the recent security alert by the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, had been taken seriously.

Omeri, in a statement on Tuesday, had said that agents of ISIS were in the country to recruit Nigerian youths to fight for the terrorist group.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, David Okoji, Omeri said three South Africans were among fighters recruited by ISIS under the guise of humanitarian support groups for refugees in Nigeria.

Speaking in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday, Omeri confirmed that three South Africans had been hired to recruit young fighters for ISIS from Africa.

He said, “This is why we are alerting Nigerians to beware. They could come in the name of offering scholarships, visas or recruitment into international humanitarian organisations. Young Nigerians should be wary of such offers because they would come through subtle means.

“We are raising the alarm so that no Nigerian would fall victim. This is security information from highly dependable sources. Government agencies have been put on the alert and if any of them is not aware, they should please ensure that they put the necessary measures in place to thwart the effort.”

Omeri said government would work with foreign and international bodies to frustrate any effort to recruit young Africans, especially Nigerians to fight for the terrorist organisation, ISIS.

He also disclosed that NOA would explore the existing structures it had in the states to ensure that the campaign went down to the grass roots through traditional institutions and authorities.

It was learnt that although flights from Syria and Iraq hardly came into Nigeria, especially since the crisis in the countries, passengers from the Middle East nations were under surveillance.

An official with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Nothing seems to be impossible nowadays but if they (ISIS) are in Nigeria, they must have passed through our land borders, which are porous. We have however increased the intensity of our passenger screening.”

A top aviation security officer, who also pleaded anonymity, said, “Apart from the regular screening through the security doors and bomb detectors, we monitor movements and gestures of travellers.

“Any move that is unusual will be checked immediately.”

Speaking further on the visa ban on Nigerians who wish to travel to the Middle-East, another top security officer said, “There is the issue of recruitment of terrorists within the country as shown by the story of the 13-year-old suicide bomber in Kano, whose father was said to have forced her into the act.

“The security agencies have issued a visa refusal request to embassies to prevent Nigerians from travelling to such countries.

“The situation now is such that if you are a Nigerian and you try to get a visa from anywhere to those countries, you will attract serious suspicion and you would be questioned rigorously.

“It may be possible in some cases for you to travel without visa within Africa but it is impossible for you to travel outside the continent without one.”

The Syrian Embassy could not be reached for comments as calls made to the mission’s mobile line failed to connect. Also, an email to the embassy did not elicit any response.

Efforts to get the Iraqi embassy to speak on its alleged visa restrictions to Nigerians was abortive. Repeated calls to the embassy mobile line went unanswered. An email that was sent to its mail box, failed to deliver.

Caution your children, Military tells parents

The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, has urged parents and organisations in the country to observe a high degree of vigilance to foil any plot by terrorist groups to recruit unsuspecting youths to carry out their activities.

He said, “All parents and organisations in the country must maintain a high degree of vigilance against the plot and caution the youths against getting involved.

“The security agencies are already on the watch to frustrate the evil design. No information will be ignored; all hands must equally be on deck.”

A top government official, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said Omeri’s statement should make Nigerians be on the alert.

He said the alert was necessary, following the discovery that ISIS was recruiting from African countries through the Internet.

He added that the government felt it was necessary to warn Nigerians, especially the youths, so that they don’t fall into terrorists’ trap unknowingly.

The government official said, “What the Defence Department has done is a trend analysis of what is happening. It is on the basis of this that they are advising parents to be vigilant and to educate their children not to fall into the trap of the terrorists and get recruited without knowing what it is all about.”

Efforts to know what the Department of State Services was doing to thwart the alleged moves by ISIS to recruit Nigerians did not succeed as calls to its spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, were not responded to.

Famous last words of American Presidents

Whether realized at the time they are said or only in hindsight, nearly everyone will express a word, phrase or sentence that proves the last thing he or she ever says while alive. Sometimes profound, sometimes everyday, here you will find a select collection of the last words spoken by U.S. presidents.

George Washington (1732-1799)
I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.
John Adams (1735-1826)
Thomas Jefferson...
Adams' last words are often cited as "Thomas Jefferson still survives." While both men died July 4, 1826 -- the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- Jefferson actually died several hours earlier that day. While Adams would not have known this, there is no conclusive evidence that he actually included the words "still survives" before he expired.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
No, doctor, nothing more.
Jefferson's last words are often cited as "Is it the Fourth?" -- the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. While he did earlier ask this on his deathbed, these were not his last words.
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)
This is the last of Earth! I am content!
James Polk (1795-1849)
I love you, Sarah. For all eternity, I love you.
Polk said this to his wife, who was at his side when he died in bed.
Zachary Taylor (1784-1850)
I regret nothing, but I am sorry that I am about to leave my friends.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
She won't think anything about it.
Lincoln spoke these words in answer to wife Mary's question concerning what another woman, seated next to them in Ford's Theatre, would think if she spotted the Lincolns holding hands.
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875)
I need no doctor. I can overcome my own troubles.
Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)
Water.
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919)
Please put out the light.
Warren G. Harding (1865-1923)
That's good. Go on, read some more.
Harding said this to his wife, Florence, as she read complimentary newspaper pieces about the president in their San Francisco hotel suite during a presidential trip to Alaska and the West Coast.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)
I have a terrific pain in the back of my head.
"FDR" died of a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) not long after.
Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969)
I want to go. I'm ready to go. God, take me.
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
No, you certainly can't.
Jacqueline Kennedy testified on June 5, 1964, that these were Kennedy's last words -- or "something" to this effect -- in response to the statement by Nellie Connally, the wife of Texas Governor John Connally, who remarked just before an assassin's bullet struck the president: "You certainly can't say that the people of Dallas haven't given you a nice welcome."
Richard Nixon (1913-1994)
Help.
While suffering a stroke, Nixon called out to his housekeeper. The president died the next day.

Al-Shabab leader surrenders to police in Somalia

In this Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 file photo, hundreds of newly trained al-Shabab fighters perform military exercises in the Lafofe area some 18km south of Mogadishu, in Somalia. A Somali intelligence official says Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi, a leader with the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab who has a $3 million bounty on his head, has surrendered to police in Somalia. Farah Abdi Warsameh—AP

Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi turned himself into Somali police, an intelligence official said

A leader from the Islamist extremist group al-Shabab has reportedly surrendered to Somali police.
Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi was one of eight leaders of the extremist group that has been on the Obama Administration’s wanted list since 2012, according to the Associated Press. A total of $33 million was offered in exchange for information that could lead to their capture. There was a $3 million bounty out on Hersi.
The leader’s surrender comes just days after an attack by al-Shabab Christmas Day on an African Union base in Mogadishu killed nine people, including three African Union soldiers. That attack was allegedly in retaliation for the killing of Ahmed Abdi Godane, al-Shabab’s former top leader.
An intelligence official told the AP that Hersi may have surrendered because he had fallen out with al-Shabab extremists loyal to Godane.

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AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 to Singapore missing

courtesy BBC

An AirAsia Indonesia airliner flying from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board has gone missing.

Flight QZ8501 lost contact with air traffic control at 06:24 local time (23:24 GMT Saturday) over the Java Sea.
The plane, an Airbus A320-200, disappeared midway into the flight of more than two hours from the city of Surabaya. No distress call was made.
Bad weather was reported in the area, and an air search operation has now been suspended for the night.
Planes from Indonesia and Singapore had been scouring an area of sea between Kalimantan (Borneo) and Java. Some boats were reported to be continuing to search as night fell.
No wreckage has been found, an Indonesian official told the BBC.
AirAsia's Chief Executive Tony Fernandes, who has flown to Surabaya, said: "We don't want to speculate but right now of course the plane has been missing for 12 hours and there's a deep sense of depression here."

The flight left Surabaya in eastern Java at 05:35 local time (22:35 GMT) and was due to arrive in Singapore at 08:30 (00:30 GMT).
The missing jet had requested a "deviation" from the flight path to avoid thick storm clouds, AirAsia said.
Indonesia's transport ministry said the pilot had asked permission to climb to 38,000 ft (11,000m).

At the scene: Saira Asher, Changi Airport, Singapore

Flight QZ8501 was supposed to arrive early this morning. Hours later the families of the passengers gathered here have very little information.
Airport officials are keeping them well away from the media and trying to make them comfortable.
The scenes at Changi are reminiscent of those in Kuala Lumpur immediately after MH370 went missing in March: anxious relatives waiting for any news on their loves ones, a media frenzy, but no answers.
At the scene: Ashleigh Nghiem in Surabaya airport

A few hours ago many of the relatives at the crisis centre in the airport still seemed calm - glued to their phones, perhaps trying to find any news of the plane or stay in touch with friends and loved ones
But more than 12 hours since the plane took off they are looking increasingly worried. Officials still have no idea what happened to the aircraft. The governor of East Java, Soekarwo, the mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, and the chief executive of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes, have come to talk to the relatives to assure them that all is being done to locate the missing Airbus.

AirAsia, a budget airline which owns 49% of AirAsia Indonesia, is based in Malaysia and has never lost a plane.
However, 2014 has been a difficult year for aviation in Asia: Malaysia's national carrier Malaysia Airlines has suffered two losses - flights MH370 and MH17.
Flight MH370 disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew. The wreckage, thought to be in southern Indian Ocean, has still not been located. MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July, killing all 298 on board.

The Airbus, pictured here on an earlier flight, disappeared about an hour after takeoff

There was a similar scene at the flight's intended destination in Singapore

The flight arrivals board at Changi Airport in Singapore, where the AirAsia flight was due

Emergency contact There were 155 passengers on board, the company said in a statement:

• 138 adults, 16 children and one infant
• Most on board were Indonesian
• Several were from other countries: one UK national, a Malaysian, a Singaporean and three South Koreans
• Two pilots and five crew were also on board - one French, the others Indonesian

AirAsia has set up an emergency line for family or friends of those who may be on board. The number is +622 129 850 801.
Dozens of passengers' relatives have been gathering at Juanda airport in Surabaya and Singapore's Changi airport to hear news.
Changi airport authorities have set up a holding area for relatives. It said 47 had arrived and care officers and counsellors were on hand to provide support.
AirAsia Indonesia operates domestic flights round the Indonesian archipelago as well as international services to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand.
AirAsia Indonesia, along with other Indonesian airlines, was banned from flying to the European Union in 2007 due to safety concerns but this was lifted in July 2010.

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Liberia senate race: Landslide win for George Weah

courtesy BBC

 

 

 Mr Weah comfortably beat off a challenge from Robert Sirleaf, the son of President Sirleaf

The former football star George Weah has won a landslide victory in Liberia's senate elections, in polls disrupted by the Ebola outbreak.

Mr Weah got 78% of the vote for the Montserrado county seat, which includes the capital Monrovia.
He beat Robert Sirleaf, the son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who took nearly 11%.
Low turnout in the poll, which was first planned for October, was blamed on concerns about Ebola.
Strict health controls were in place to try to prevent the spread of the disease.

 

Health workers took the temperatures of voters as a precaution against Ebola 

Turnout was low, despite safety measures

Those who came to polling stations had their temperature taken, were told to stand a metre (3ft) apart and wash their hands before and after voting.
Liberia has been one of the countries worst affected by Ebola, with almost 3,400 deaths, the UN says.
Other winners in the senate elections include Jewel Howard-Taylor, the ex-wife of the jailed former president Charles Taylor, and the former rebel leader Prince Johnson. Both retained their seats.
The National Elections Commission chairman, Jerome Korkoya, called the conclusion of the vote "the end of a crucial journey".
Mr Weah won the first round of the 2005 presidential election, losing the runoff to Ms Johnson-Sirleaf.
He is the only African to be named Fifa's world player of the year, winning in 1995.

Where Christmas really came from

courtesy CNN -- As Christmas arrives, eyes turn naturally toward Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace was supposedly born just over 2,000 years ago. Countless Christians -- some devout, others wedded to force of habit -- arrive at a vast array of churches that represent one of the thousands of known denominations. Indeed, the World Christian Encyclopedia suggests that over 33,820 denominations can be identified in almost 200 countries. That's a lot of splintering over two millennia!

Still, it's difficult to keep in mind that Christmas is a religious and not a shopping thing, and retailers deck the halls with whatever it takes to draw you in: candy canes, evergreen wreaths, mangers, images of Santa, Frosty the Snowman, you name it.

The loudspeakers in malls throb with lousy holiday Muzak: "Sleigh bells ring. Are you listenin?" In fact, Christmas is as much a secular event as a spiritual one, a civil holiday that accounts for over 19% of yearly retail sales; that translated to $3 trillion in sales last year.

For purveyors of goods, there is every reason to believe in Christmas.

But what do Christians who take their religion seriously really think about Christmas? Most of them, I suspect, don't think about it much.

They enjoy the lead-up to the day itself -- the sense of expectation -- in the month before Christmas, a time known as Advent, with its special hymns and prayers. The rhythms of the so-called Church Year are heavily dependent on Christmas, with the 25th of December as a peak of sorts -- a moment of hope that comes at the darkest time of the year, not incidentally related to winter solstice, a calendar moment when the day is shortest, the night longest, at least in the Northern Hemisphere.

In fact, midwinter festivals, including Saturnalia and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, were broadly celebrated in ancient Rome. In ancient Egypt, there was a festival that marked the birth of a child sun-god, Horus, whose mother (called Isis) was a virgin. Indeed, this child was "laid in a manger," one of many similarities with the Christmas story.

Scholars have been all over this, going back to one of the earliest Christian writers, St. Epiphanius of Salamis, who noted the similarities. (The details of this connection will be found in a recent book by Barbara G. Walker and D.M. Murdock, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays".)

There is just no doubt that ancient cultures felt a strong need to proclaim the season of a new "sun," the start of the fresh agricultural and astrological season that signaled hope "in the bleak midwinter," as the beautiful Christian hymn puts it well.

But the earliest Christian writer, the Apostle Paul, whose writings precede the four Gospels by decades, seems never to have heard of Christmas. Although his many famous letters occupy a large space in the New Testament, Paul fails to mention even once the manger in Bethlehem, the hovering star, the wise men, angels keeping watch over their flocks by night, Joseph and Mary on the run -- anything that we normally associate with this major church festival.

Why is this? Was the early Christian church wholly unaware of the origins of Jesus?

It's worth noting that the earliest of the gospels, Mark, makes no mention whatsoever of Christmas. Nor does the fourth Gospel, John, where the only vague allusion to the origins of Jesus occurs in the opening hymn, where we read: "In the beginning was the Word." No manger, no hovering star. Nothing but this haunting mystical Greek hymn about "the Word," which in Greek is logos, one of the least translatable of Greek words and one that I would myself translate as "understanding."

But there was, among early Christian gatherings, a strong need to have a myth of origins, a story about the beginnings of the man who ultimately became the Messiah, the Christ. Probably drawing on Persian myths, Matthew and Luke came up with Christmas stories that have almost nothing in common. They can't be reconciled, in fact.

In Matthew, we get the three kings. We get Herod the Great issuing an order that all children under a certain age should be killed. We get Jesus being whisked away by his parents to Egypt, where he remains in hiding until it's safe to return.

In Luke we get a kinder and gentler Christmas, with no wise men, no mean Herod, no flight to Egypt. Instead, we get the shepherds keeping a watch over their flocks by night. As any Jewish male would, if born to devout parents, the baby Jesus was taken to the great Temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised. It's a lovely story.

Christians didn't celebrate Christmas in the first two centuries. In fact, the major early writers of Christianity fail to mention the holiday at all, and one of them -- Origen of Alexandria -- actually made fun of birth celebrations, regarding such anniversaries as a pagan practice.

It wasn't until the middle of the fourth century that almanacs began to list Christmas as a celebration. As Christianity moved into Western Europe, the idea of Advent as a major season that culminated in Christmas obviously caught on.

It linked to various local traditions, in Germany and Scandinavia and elsewhere. There were old Celtic celebrations associated with the winter solstice that connected to the idea of "Yule," which means "Wheel of the Year," and these ceremonial occasions involved the burning of a "Yule log." Brightly decorated trees were also part of the celebration, and this obviously carried over into Christian practices.

The great success of Christianity in the world had much to do with its ability to assimilate earlier religious traditions wherever it was transplanted, and the Christmas season must be considered a melange of many ancient and meaningful practices.

But one must never forget that Christians themselves -- and I am one of them -- consider this a holy time, a time of spiritual renewal, a time of the year when darkness opens to the possibility of light.

Whatever the specifics of his birth, Jesus became the Light of the World for those who follow his path. He is, indeed, the Prince of Peace, and he invites us to a change of heart, a way of overcoming violence in the world with love and grace.

ISIS governor of Mosul killed in coalition airstrikes

courtesy CNN -- The latest ISIS-appointed governor of Mosul was killed in coalition airstrikes on Thursday, according to Iraqi police.

Hassan Saeed Al-Jabouri, also known as Abu Taluut, was killed 18 miles south of Mosul in the village of Qayyara, according to Maj. Gen. Watheq Al-Hamdani, a senior regional Iraqi police commander who is leading the government's efforts to retake Mosul from ISIS.

Jabouri is the second ISIS-appointed governor of Mosul killed by airstrikes and had been in office for less than 25 days.

Photos: The ISIS terror threat

Earlier this month, U.S. airstrikes killed one of his predecessors, Radwan Taleb Al-Hamdouni, according to U.S. security officials.

Mosul is a key stronghold for ISIS fighters and was taken from Iraqi forces earlier this year. The Pentagon said that it has a strategy to retake the city beginning in January.

Meanwhile, more than 100 people were injured or killed in six airstrikes by Syrian forces on the ISIS held city of al-Bab and the town of Qbasin in the northeast of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In the village of Abo Qassayed, 30 ISIS militants were killed Tuesday as Syrian Kurdish forces captured that town held by ISIS, according to the observatory.

ISIS captured a Jordanian fighter pilot Wednesday after his plane crashed over Raqqa.

"Evidence clearly indicates" that the terrorist group "did not down the aircraft," U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

Turkey warming up to Iraq

Relations between Iraq and Turkey are improving because of the new government in Baghdad, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.

"Now that the coldness between Turkey and Iraq is over, we will accelerate our relations in every possible way," he said in a televised interview.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Iraq and Turkey share common economic and security goals, according to Anadolu Agency, Turkey's government news agency. Iraq wants to reach global oil market's through Turkey, Al-Abadi said.

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu promised that Turkey will not allow any foreign fighter access to Syria, whether they be Syrian opposition or ISIS fighters, according to Anadolu Agency.

Man, 23, drowns on Christmas day in Lagos

Tragedy struck on Christmas day in Lagos when, Sodiq Ojomo, working with a catering service, drowned in a swimming pool at an event centre, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, disclosed this on Friday to NAN while reacting to the service activities for the year.
Fadipe said that the incident occurred at No. 3/5, Durosinmi Etti Street, Victoria Island.
He said that the 23 year-old man was at the centre with his colleagues to entertain some guests with food.
He said that the victim allegedly jumped into the swimming pool against the advice of his supervisor.
The director said police from Maroko division came and picked the corpse and deposited at the public mortuary.
In the meantime, the director has said that the fire service responded to 1, 621 fire incidents between January and Dec. 21.
Fadipe said that 172 incidents were recorded in March, which was the highest in the period while October recorded the lowest with 94 incidents reported.
He said 108 rescue calls were responded to, while nine collapsed building calls were also recorded.
The director, who said that they received 275 false calls, did not mention how many deaths were recorded within the period under review.
NAN reports that 2,005 fire incidents were recorded during the same period in 2013.
Fadipe advised members of the public to avoid any act that could cause fire outbreak, especially candle light, generating set, power surge and over loading electrical appliances

Death toll in Edo cult clash rises to 12

The death toll in recent cult clashes in Benin has risen to 12, following reprisal attacks by suspected rival cult groups in the Edo State capital.

This came nearly a week after ‎similar attacks claimed the lives of at least seven persons in some parts of Benin.
In the latest attack which occurred on Thursday, three youths were said to have been killed at New Benin while the other two deaths were said to have occurred at Upper Sakponba in the state capital.

It was learnt that those allegedly behind the New Benin attack brandished their weapons after committing the act.
Our correspondent gathered that among the victims of the December 19 incident were a popular car wash operator and another man identified as Jude.
Similar incidents were also reported on Erediauwa Street, Off Upper Sokponba road and Okhoro, where two persons lost their lives.
‎
‎Confirming the incidents, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, told our correspondent on telephone that no fewer than five persons had been arrested by the command in connection with attacks.

“We have made several arrests. We cannot disclose the number. But we have made arrests; not two; not three; not‎ four,” he said.

I’ll meet other generals to draft anti-terror plan – Buhari

Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday said that though Nigeria is a rich nation, its people are extremely poor due to bad governance.

He also promised to involve serving and retired military generals to devise an effective strategy to crush insurgency in the country, if elected as President in 2015.

Buhari, in his Christmas goodwill message signed by the Director of Communications, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, expressed displeasure at the security challenges in the country and the poor state of Nigerian roads.

He said his administration would focus on how best   to “make the condition of living of the common man the index for the assessment of our policies and not the amount of billionaires our administration would have made.”

Buhari felicitated with Christians in the country as they celebrated Christmas, assuring Nigerians that they would have better reasons to celebrate the festival if he is elected in 2015.

He said, “On my part, I intend to initiate consultations with serving generals and those who have served our country and distinguished themselves on the battlefield across the world to work out an alternative and effective strategy to crush this insurgency within the shortest possible time if elected president on February 14, 2015.

“I have said that I live the life of a pensioner. I share the burden and anxiety of majority of our poor, powerless people. I have offered myself on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, the party of change, because I desire to give back to a country that clothed, fed and trained me to be what I am today. Our people are poor. But our country is rich.”

The former Head of State, who berated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration over   rising poverty in the country, said, “In a nation where a few individuals could raise N21bn because they wanted to make their friend President, millions of citizens, who truly own the resources being accumulated by a few, are left to suffer in sorrow, tears and blood.

Buhari said while many Nigerians travelling towards the eastern part of the country would encounter “the failed promises of the Second Niger Bridge;” those travelling through the South-West would “have to bear the gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”

He noted that millions of Nigerians would celebrate the Christmas season in poverty and misery because “the system of production and distribution of national resources has been rigged against the vast majority of our people.”

He said, “We promise that, by Christmas 2015, our administration would have brought out efficiency in management and allocation of public resources to make the inter-state roads smoother and easier to ride.

“Christmas is a season when we all embark on journeys to join our brothers and sisters in our native towns to hold town hall meetings, inaugurate community projects and exercise our cultural rights.

“This year’s celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ symbolises peace, love and togetherness to mankind. It reminds us, once again, of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ and the ordinary yet spectacular circumstances of His birth. His life enjoins all of us to follow his path by offering to sacrifice our selfish desires for the good of our country and mankind in general. This event, however, is taking place at a period of serious security challenges across the length and breadth of our dear country.

“The right to life, guaranteed by our constitution, is under savage assault. The stories of murder in the print and electronic media make you shiver to the bones. The daredevilry of the Godless Boko Haram, which penetrated battle lines in the North-East to commit suicidal blasts in the north central capital cities of Bauchi and Gombe, demonstrates the crucial need to review the military strategy of our defence forces.”

Buhari also promised to initiate policies that would ensure the empowerment of the masses, adding that his presidential ambition was borne out of the need to alleviate poverty and establish a system where the rule of law prevails.

He added, “Certainly, there will be changes in policies. We cannot continue to enslave our country to those who tell us that we are in economic crises because of loans.”

Military uncovers bomb factory in Kano, kills suicide bomber

Nigeria Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade

The Defence authorities have said that a suicide bomber who rammed a Honda car primed with Improvised Explosive Devices into a military checkpoint in Bajoga, Gombe, State has been killed by soldiers.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Wednesday that the suicide bomber successfully rammed the bomb-laden Honda car into the military checkpoint but the bombs failed to explode.

Olukolade said that the soldiers reacted swiftly by killing the bomber, who was trying to flee the scene of the incident.

He stated that the troops retrieved the IEDs from the car and handed them over to the police.

“A suicide bomber who rammed into a military checkpoint in Bajoga, Gombe State yesterday (Tuesday), failed to achieve his mission.

“His attempt to escape also failed as he was brought down by vigilant soldiers when he tried to flee after hitting a military Armoured Personnel Carrier with his IED-laden Honda car. The explosives which failed to detonate have been evacuated and handed to the police,” Olukolade stated.

He added that security agents also raided a hideout of terrorists in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano, Kano State and discovered a bomb-making factory in the area.

Olukolade said that some bomb-making experts arrested by the security agents were already undergoing investigation.

According to him, the security forces were expecting the latest arrests to give some useful clues into the activities of the sect.

The Defence spokesman added that the military authorities had issued a directive to all the troops involved in the counter-terrorism operation to sustain the tempo of their operations by ensuring that the insurgents were prevented from attacking civilian targets during the period.

“The troops deployed in all locations of the counter-terrorism campaign have been directed to sustain the tempo of operations all through the period of seasonal celebrations and ensure that the intention of terrorists to attack civilian targets while avoiding troops is duly frustrated,” he added.

the entire Distribute inc family wishes you all a lovely Christmas celebration.

Christmas season are for gifts and feasts,a time to spend time with family and loved ones.

As we relish in the season,let us always remember that love is the essence of it all...we are one people.

Go out there, have fun and share love this Christmas.

My dad died twice- ex-minister’s son.

Ashiru, ex-Foreign Affairs minister

Femi, the son of the late former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, has said that his father died and came back to life, before he finally gave up the ghost on November 29.

Femi made this revelation during the service of songs organised in honour of his late father at the All Souls Anglican Church, Lekki, Lagos on Sunday.

In an emotion-laden voice, Femi narrated how his father spent his last days on earth and how his mother stood by him.

“If there should be an example to qualify the phrase ‘for better for worse’ in marriage, my mother is a perfect example. My father would not have lived for so long without my mum. She was there all through his trying times and she made sure he got the best treatment during those times.

He said, “My mother and I were there the day my father died the second time. Permit me to use the word a second time. While in the hospital room, the life support machine stopped, meaning he died. While my mum was still trying to come to terms with what was happening, the thing came up again.

“It was a miracle. We called the nurses to ask if they did anything to the machine and they said no. His final demise was like a second death but in all, we thank God.”

Earlier, colleagues and friends of the deceased had taken turns to pay tribute to the late Ashiru, who they all agreed was God-fearing, kind and hardworking.

The Vicar, Ven. Oludare Otoki, in his sermon, advised the congregation to always fear God.

He praised the late Ashiru, who according to him, lived a fulfilled life in the service of God and the nation. He urged the congregation to emulate him.

Ashiru died in a South African hospital after a long battle with a terminal disease said to be brain tumour on November 29. He was 66.

One of the deceased’s brothers, a professor of Anatomy/Consultant Reproductive Endocrinologist, Oladapo Ashiru, had described Ashiru as “one of the illustrious sons of Africa; a gentle soul; a gentle man to the core; an ambassador extra-ordinary, who rose to the peak of his career.”

He added that the family was proud of his performance when President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

NLC protests planned sacking, rejects salaries

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Kogi State chapter, has directed civil servants in the state to reject their December salaries to protect the jobs of over 6,000 workers slated for sack by the government.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the NLC gave the directive on Sunday in Lokoja, in a communique issued at the end of the meeting of its executive committee.

The communiqué was signed by Mr. James Odaodu, chairman, and Mr. John Kolawole, secretary, respectively.

It stated that the leadership of the NLC was piqued by the arbitrary removal of the names of over 6,000 workers from the December payroll.

It added that the only way to protect the interest of the affected workers was for the entire workforce to reject this month’s salaries.

The congress accused the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning and the Accountant-General of ‘hijacking’ the job of the committee constituted by the state government to implement the report of the recent screening of the state workforce.

It urged the officials to “hands-off to ensure a thorough implementation of the report of the exercise.”

While appreciating the government for involving labour in the efforts to sanitise the state civil service, the NLC frowned on what it called “selective” implementation of the report of the screening.

“We condemn the plan by the government to implement part of the report. We have other issues in the report, such as cash backing of promotion and annual increment, among others,” the communiqué said.

It warned that failure by the government to “do the necessary things” could jeopardise the existing peaceful industrial atmosphere in the state.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has promised workers in the state of prompt payment of their salaries.

Amaechi, who spoke with labour union executives at the inauguration of a secretariat complex constructed by the state chapter of the Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria at Rumuagholu, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, on Saturday, also pledged to pay workers their December salaries without delay.

The governor explained that such a step would be taken in order to allow workers go home and celebrate Christmas, adding that his administration had been labour-friendly.

He expressed sadness that federal allocations to states had depleted to the point that state governments had been struggling to pay workers, disclosing that a large chunk of state funds had gone into the payment of civil servants’ salaries and arrears.

Amaechi pointed out that despite the difficulties faced by his administration as a result of the current fund shortage, the state government had managed to ensure judicious expenditure on meaningful projects to meet the needs of the people.

He expressed the need for the rotation of the governorship position among the various ethnic groups in the state to ensure justice and fairplay.

The governor also emphasised his preparedness to steer the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign to success in the 2015 elections, following his appointment as the Director General of the party’s presidential campaign.

Amaechi said, “The political equation is no longer the same as it was in 2011. In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan was our brother. We gave him our votes because he was our brother.

“Today, is he still our brother? My brother is the man who cares if I feed. Our President has lived all his life in Rivers State; let him show us one project he has done in Rivers State.”

He described the Jonathan administration as corrupt and inefficient, even as he accused the PDP-led administration of failing to implement the UNEP report for the clean-up of Ogoniland.

The governor observed that the Federal Government infrastructure in Rivers States, like the Eleme Petrochemicals were built by non South-South leaders.

Earlier, the Chairperson of Health Workers Union in the state, Beatrice Itubo, had expressed gratitude to Amaechi for inaugurating the secretariat complex.

Itubo explained that Amaechi’s leadership drive had pushed her to conceive ideas to construct the modern state secretariat for medical and health workers in the state.

Air Bombardment Will End Boko Haram Incursions – Amosu

---

 

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, says the air bombardment against the Boko Haram sect members in the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states was to restore law and order in the troubled zone.

He said this while addressing cadets of the Direct Short Service Course 24 during their passing out and piping ceremony at the Air Force Base in Kaduna.

Amosu explained that the air bombardment would force the insurgents into a negotiation table, stating further that the aerial operation of the Air Force has drastically reduced the activities of the sect members in the troubled areas.
He added that with the heavy military onslaught against them, the insurgents would soon give up and accept dialogue.
Air Marshal Amosu noted that the challenges of tackling the spate of terrorism and other internal security threats in the country remain the highest priority of the Federal Government and by extension, the Nigerian Air Force.
He called on both the military and civilian populace to build a national cohesion that transcends primordial sentiments for the unity and development of the nation.
The Air Chief stressed that the armed forces have a crucial role to play in defending the territorial integrity of the nation.
Therefore, the new officers would be deployed to crisis prone areas and other parts of the country to assist the military in protecting lives and property of the citizens.
He urged them to contribute their best to the fight against ‘a few misguided elements amongst Nigerians’.

North Korea denies Sony hack but warns U.S. : Worse is coming

courtesy CNN -- North Korea is accusing the U.S. government of being behind the making of the movie "The Interview."

And, in a dispatch on state media, the totalitarian regime warns the United States that U.S. "citadels" will be attacked, dwarfing the hacking attack on Sony that led to the cancellation of the film's release.

Obama: North Korea's hack not war, but 'cybervandalism'

Obama: We're not going to be intimidated

North Korea slams U.S. government

McCain: Sony hack not 'cybervandalism'

'Dr. Evil' hijacks 'SNL,' slams North Korea

While steadfastly denying involvement in the hack, North Korea accused U.S. President Barack Obama of calling for "symmetric counteraction."

"The DPRK has already launched the toughest counteraction. Nothing is more serious miscalculation than guessing that just a single movie production company is the target of this counteraction. Our target is all the citadels of the U.S. imperialists who earned the bitterest grudge of all Koreans," a report on state-run KCNA read.

"Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism," the report said, adding that "fighters for justice" including the "Guardians of Peace" -- a group that claimed responsibility for the Sony attack -- "are sharpening bayonets not only in the U.S. mainland but in all other parts of the world."

The FBI on Friday pinned blame on North Korea for a hack into Sony's computer systems.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN, Obama called it "an act of cybervandalism," not war.

While the film was the work of private individuals, North Korea insisted otherwise in its statement. "The DPRK has clear evidence that the U.S. administration was deeply involved in the making of such dishonest reactionary movie," it said.

"The Interview" is a comedy, with plans for an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a central plot point.

In a CNN interview on Friday, Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said the studio had not "given in" to pressure from hackers and was still considering ways to distribute the movie.

But that's not what the company initially said after canceling the film's release.

On Wednesday night, a studio spokesperson said simply, "Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film."