News
Shiite cleric, 93, replaces 97-year-old as Iranian council chairman
A 93-year-old Shiite cleric in Iran was elected on Tuesday to a two-year term as chairman of the influential Assembly of Experts, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported.
The arch-conservative preacher Mohammad Ali Kermani replaced the former chairman, Ahmad Jannati, who is 97.
The council is composed of 88 Shiite clerics who were elected to eight-year terms.
They determined the successor to the supreme leader in the event of his death.
Two members of the council were killed in the helicopter accident that occurred at the weekend that led to the death of President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran.
Mohammed-Ali Ale-Hashem was an imam who led the key Friday services in the city of Tabriz.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who turned 85 in April, was the most powerful man in Iran.
The Assembly of Experts was reappointed by Iranian voters at the same time as this year’s parliamentary elections.
Before the election, some criticised the disqualification of moderate ex-president Hassan Ruhani, who was a member of the assembly for more than 20 years. (dpa/NAN)
Another explosion occurred at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
This incident follows a similar explosion that shook the Trans Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell, in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area just hours earlier.
The latest explosion reportedly took place at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep within the forest, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
While the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed, community sources reported seeing massive flames and thick smoke rising from the oil installation in the forest.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that she would investigate the incident but had not provided a response at the time of this report.
A video obtained by our correspondent displays a large fire burning in a remote location.
In a separate development, Ijaw youths blocked the Ahoada section of the East-West Road leading to Bayelsa State on Tuesday in protest.
The demonstrators, numbering over 100, carried placards in solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid his political dispute with the state House of Assembly. Some of the placards read: “We demand Wike’s dismissal as FCT Minister” and “Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers have defected and lost their seats.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the House had on Thursday last week, considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance which made some recommendations, particularly in controversial areas such as the Value Added Tax and inheritance tax.
While awaiting the Senate to similarly pass the bills, the proposed reforms are expected to be transmitted to the President for his assent in the days ahead.
Details shortly…
Two members of the house of representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced the defections in a letter read on the floor of the lower legislative chamber on Tuesday.
More to follow…