Ex Budget Officer in ICPC net over N5.5m gratification
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by harrison arubu5 the icpc image maker said however that the suspects would be arraigned as soon as investigations are completed2 icpcs spokesperson mrs rasheedat okoduwa identified the suspect as henry oyibo in a statement issued in abuja2 according to the statement oyibo formerly with the budget office of the federation is at the moment with the ministry of niger delta2 she said that preliminary investigation by the commission revealed that oyibo received the money to facilitate the release of funds budgeted for the federal medical centre lokoja between 2014 and 20152 okoduwa alleged that the inducement came from the director of finance and accounts mr sule otu and three other members of staff of the centre2 the independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission icpc on thursday said it had arrested a former federal budget officer for allegedly receiving gratification to the tune of n5.5 million2 the actions of the officials which border on corrupt offer and receipt of gratification by public officers are contrary to sections 8 9 16 and 19 of the corrupt practices and other related offences act 20002 further investigation also revealed that oyibo owns assets valued far beyond his legitimate earnings in breach of section 44 2 of the icpc law2 all the suspected staff of the federal medical centre who had been in custody before were granted bail and released by the commission2 oyibo who is now in custody will be released upon the fulfillment of his bail conditions she said2 according to her the suspect was at the time acting as the liaison officer between the budget office and the medical centre2

Nigeria records N6.57bn foreign trade in Q2 NBS
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by lucy nwachukwu4 this it explained was a 8.36 per cent increase from the figure in the first quarter n2.17 billion and against n471.48 billion in the first quarter of 20172 the bureau disclosed this in its foreign trade in goods statistics q2 2018 report released on thursday in abuja2 it said the figure was 8.9 per cent less than 7.21 billion recorded in the first quarter and represents a 14.56per cent growth from the n5.73billion recorded in the second quarter of 20172 according to the bureau the contraction of total trade in the quarter under review is mainly driven by the decline in both imports and exports2 the national bureau of statistics nbs said the country recorded foreign trade valued at n6.57billion in the second quarter2 this represents a -4.9 per cent contraction over the first quarter 4.70billion and a 43.8 per cent growth compared to second quarter of 20172 likewise the total import component in the second quarter 2.11billion also recorded a decline of -16.3 per cent2 this is lower than the first quarter 2.52billion and -19.9 per cent lower than the first quarter of 2017 the report said2 it said the trade balance in the second quarter was a surplus of n2.36 billion2 the total value of exports in the quarter under review is n4.46 billion2

How more than half Worlds population flew in 2017 IATA
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according to the document airlines in the asia-pacific region once again carried the largest number of passengers with 36.3 per cent market share 1.5 billion passengers2 by adekunle williams2 the figure is more than half of the worlds population currently put at 7.2 billion2 the information is contained in the 62nd edition of the world air transport statistics wats the yearbook of the airline industrys performance2 the news agency of nigeria nan in lagos obtained a copy of the document after it was released by iata from montreal canada2 nan observed that the document showed that the 2017 performance represented an additional 280 million trips 7.8 per cent increase by air compared to 20162 it said worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded four billion for the first time2 it is supported by a broad-based improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares2 at the same time airlines connected a record number of cities worldwide providing regular services to over 20000 city pairs in 2017 more than double the level of 19952 such increases in direct services improve the industrys efficiency by cutting costs and saving time for both travellers and shippers alike2 the international air transport association iata on thursday said that 4.1 billion passengers were transported in 2017 compared to the 3.8 billion passengers recorded in 20162 the documented also showed that europe recorded 26.3 per cent market share 1.1 billion passengers while north america recorded 23 per cent market share 941.8 million passengers2 it also indicated that latin america recorded 7 per cent market share 286.1 million passengers2 also middle east recorded 5.3 market share 216.1 million passengers while africa recorded 2.2 per cent market share 88.5 million passengers2 the document also showed that the top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passenger kilometers flown were american airlines 324 million and delta airlines 316.3 million2 others are the united airlines 311 million emirates airlines 289 million and southwest airlines 207.7 million2 it also stated that citizens of united states of america topped the travellers chart with 632 million passengers followed by the peoples republic of china with 555 million passengers2 also india had 161.5 million passengers the united kingdom recorded 147 million passengers and germany had 114.4 million passengers2 the director-general of iata mr alexandre de juniac commenting on the development said in 2000 the average citizen flew just once every 43 months. in 2017 the figure was once every 22 months2 flying has never been more accessible. and this is liberating people to explore more of our planet for work leisure and education. aviation is the business of freedom2

Breaking: Homosexuality legal says Supreme Court
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the position of the court then was that overturning the outdated law was the job of parliament which can decide on scrapping laws3 indias supreme court has legalised homosexuality and gay sex and decriminalised section 377 of the indian penal code holding out promise of a new dawn in personal liberty and sexual orientation3 chief justice misra observed that lgbt community has same rights like any ordinary citizen. respect for each others rights and others are supreme humanity. criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible3 no one can escape from their individualism. society is now better for individualism. in the present case our deliberations will be on various spectrums cji misra said3 sustenance of identity is the pyramid of life cji misra added3 no one can escape from their individualism. society is now better for individualism.indias chief justice3 indias supreme court had in 2013 restored section 377 a british-era law that bans gay sex. it had overturned a landmark judgement by the delhi high court in 2009 which had ruled that consenting intercourse between two adults was not illegal3 the five judge-bench headed by chief justice of india dipak misra delivered the much awaited verdict on thursday according to3 section 377 of the indian penal code bans carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man woman or animal3 gay sex is punishable by up to 10 years in jail under the 1861 law. prosecution under section 377 is however not common but activists complain that authorities use the law to harass or scare gay people3 after the 2013 verdict five high-profile petitioners bharatnatyam dancer navtej johar documentary filmmaker sunil mehra restaurateur ritu dalmia hotelier and historian aman nath and business executive ayesha kapur challenged it and became the human faces of this battle3 before their entry the battle was fought since the early nineties by ngos the naaz foundation being one of them3 while reserving the verdict on july 17 this year misra and justices r f nariman a m khanwilkar d y chandrachud and indu malhotra brushed aside as far-fetched the arguments from opponents of decriminalisation of section 377 that it could also legalise incest group sex and sodomy3 the top court had also said no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality3 the five petitioners had argued that section 377 violates rights principles enshrined in the constitution like equality before law no discrimination based on religion race caste sex or place of birth and freedom of speech and expression3

Council inducts 45 foreign trained laboratory scientists
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by felicia imohimi11 she further appreciated their parents for investing in their academic pursuit in order for them to actualise their dreams and aspirations. nan2 mr tosan erhabor acting registrar of the council while inducting the professionals in abuja said the graduands were inducted having scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination2 erhabor who described the induction as third in the series noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination2 while congratulating the inductees for their success erhabor described them as the future of the profession2 he however urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead in order to move the profession to an enviable height2 in spite of how profound or robust your training or the pedigree of your training or sophistication of training apparatus mlscn still owed it a duty to ensure you went through the process of adaptation and integration as part of prerequisite for licensure2 act 11 2003 section 4a empowers the council to determine from time to time the standard of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become medical laboratory scientists medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants2 the medical laboratory science council of nigeria mlscn has inducted 45 foreign graduates of medical laboratory science2 erhabor tasked the inductees of ideal teamwork efficiency dedication due process among other elements that would ensure international best practices2 he reminded them that the council had zero tolerance to all forms of professional misconducts adding that such could bring disrepute to the profession and cherished families2 erhabor said the profession needs your services at every level of healthcare delivery and you must profitably harness your full potentials as young scientists2 it is expected of you to bring ideal teamwork efficiency dedication adherence to due process respect for self and others and other elements of international best practices as you have imbibed in the course of your training overseas2 if you are unable to make a difference through exemplary conduct you would be contributing to the sad narrative of those who failed to live up to their full potentials2 one of the inductees oyinloye olayemi who spoke on behalf of the inductees thanked the almighty god and the council for deeming them fit for the induction2 section 4 empowers it to assess evaluate and register foreign graduates of medical laboratory science erhabor noted2

Buhari gets China support for Mambilla, signs $328m ICT agreement
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i was very pleased to hear about the positive experiences these hard working and law abiding citizens are having in their host communities. i also had the pleasure of meeting young chinese students learning three nigerian languages2 president muhammadu buhari wednesday in beijing won the crucial support of the chinese president xi jinping for the countrys aspiration to build the 3050 megawatts mambila hydroelectric power project2 four airport terminal projects as well as the abuja light rail project2 president buhari told his chinese counterpart that since his last visit to china in 2016 the brotherly relationship between both countries had continued to flourish2 according to the president in the past 24 months the chinese government has provided humanitarian aid to our conflict-affected areas scholarship to nigerian youth military training and security support to our personnel and agricultural modernization training2 president buhari noted that in the period under review china had provided concessionary loans to fund critical infrastructure projects in nigeria adding that these interventions have positively impacted millions of nigerians and will continue to do so for generations to come2 mr president as we celebrate these successes i would like to once again solicit your support for the mambilla hydropower project which remains a key priority for my government. our hope is to fund the project with concessionary loans from china as any alternative funding arrangement will adversely impact the projects viability2 we have been informed that our submission on this project is undergoing assessment by the relevant chinese agencies. we hope with your kind intervention this assessment will be expedited. your excellency mambilla is nigerias equivalent of the three gorges dam. my wish is that you join me for the groundbreaking ceremony of this project in the not too distant future president buhari said2 on lake chad basin the president thanked china for accepting to support the international efforts to recharge the lake2 the inclusion of this project in the focac action plan 2019 to 2021 will go a long way in supporting our efforts to rehabilitate and resettle the conflict-impacted north east region he said2 on people-to-people relations president buhari told his host that in the course of his visit he interacted with nigerian students and entrepreneurs living in different parts of china2 the two countries also signed the agreement of 328m for the information and communication technology infrastructure backbone phase ii nictib ii project2 we must continue to support such exchange programmes to enhance our people-to-people contacts he said2 similarly president buhari noted thateasy movement of citizens of both countries would complement the currency swap agreements recently signed by the central banks of both countries2 since our last meeting two years ago nigeria has relaxed its visa requirements to chinese citizens. today i am pleased to inform your excellency that chinese citizens receive nigerian visas in less than 48 hours2 another measure that will improve our trade volumes will be to introduce import duty waivers on nigerias commodity exports to china. today our commodities such as sesame seeds hibiscus and cassava amongst others attract import duty in china he said2 the nigerian leader also lauded chinas support for two permanent seats for africa at the united nations noting that the reform of the security council would ensure equitable representation for the continent2 in his remarks president xi who commended nigerias fight against terrorism and the progress that has been made so far promised chinas support in capacity building and intelligence sharing2 he also pledged 50 million chinese yuan support to nigerias military noting that buhari is as decisive in dealing with terrorism as china2 president xi said china would import more agricultural products from nigeria and expressed gratitude to president buhari on nigerias interest to participate in the forthcoming chinese import fair2 the relationship between nigeria and china is as best as ever especially given the deepening mutual trust. china will continue to stand with nigeria he said2 on mambilla the chinese leader told president buhari we understand how critical the project is to your country and we will take a serious look at it and ensure that it succeeds because of its social and economic benefits2 meanwhile at a separate meeting with chinese premier li keqiang president buhari reaffirmed nigerias commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with china2

Nigeria reaps $5b from partnership with China
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furthermore less than 3 months ago nigeria signed an additional 1billion loan from china for additional rolling stock for the newly constructed rail lines as well as road rehabilitation and water supply projects1 nigerias partnership with china through the forum on china-africa cooperation focac resulted in the execution of vital infrastructure across the country valued at over 5 billion in the last three years1 highlighting specific projects under focac the president said that through the chinese support nigeria has impressively addressed significant challenges in the areas of infrastructure human capacity development power transport agriculture and humanitarian assistance1 for nigeria our partnership with china through the focac platform has resulted in the construction of the first urban rail system in west africa. this 500 million project in abuja was commissioned in july this year1 the president also cited the construction and operation of the first rail system in africa that uses modern chinese standards and technology1 this 180km rail line that connects abuja and kaduna was commissioned two years ago at a cost of 500 million. today the rail line is functioning efficiently with no issues indeed a sign that chinese technology is world class he noted1 nigeria is leveraging chinese funding to execute 3.4 billion worth of projects at various stages of completion1 these include the upgrading of airport terminals the lagos kano rail line the zungeru hydroelectric power project and fibre cables for our internet infrastructure1 president muhammadu buhari said on tuesday in beijing at the focac round table meeting attended by african leaders and chinese president xi jinping1 the nigerian leader said that the aforementioned projects had demonstrated the high level of consistency and commitment china has shown in boosting its relations with african countries under the umbrella of focac1 i am optimistic that this summit will offer new opportunities that would build on these past achievements mr. garba shehu senior special assistant to the president media1 he added nigeria will continue to support the focac initiative and also seek to key into the belt and road initiative as an additional chinese mechanism to build further cooperation in our quest for infrastructural and economic development1 president buhari dispelled insinuations about the so-called death trap by chinese government on developing countries insisting that nigeria would be able to re-pay the loans1 these vital infrastructure projects synchronize perfectly with our economic recovery and growth plan. some of the debts incurred are self-liquidating. our country is able to re-pay loans as and when due in keeping with our policy of fiscal prudence and sound housekeeping he said1 while applauding china for its overall commitment to the ideals of focac the president acknowledged that since the launch of the forum in 2000 china and africa had striven to implement the declarations and follow-up action plans for the benefit of both parties1 president buhari also commended president jinping his government and people for successfully hosting the beijing summit aimed at further strengthening china-africa partnership1

DSS says dark forces trying to bring it in collision with government
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it therefore deserves and desires to be focused and supported by all stakeholders to play the expected role in a democracy. only a professionally driven dss can support and consolidate nigerias democracy1 the department of state servicesdss said some dark forces in the society are fuelling a series of speculative reports about its internalaffairs with the aim of bringing it in collision with the federal government1 in a statement on tuesday the dss frowned on the various speculations and slammed them as unhealthy for the service and the nation1 these speculations to say the least are unhealthy for the service and indeed nigeria. the dss has undoubtedly remained a committed service with focus on the stability and security of the nation dss spokesman peter afunanya said1 over the years the service has been known to be both a strategic stabiliser and a unifying factor in the nigerian project1 it was the first time that the secret agency was reacting to the flurry of speculative reports in the media about its affairs.the various uncorroborated reports have ranged from the recall of the sacked dg lawal daura and some reorganisation allegedly made by the acting dg matthew seiyefa1 though intelligence services world over operate covertly it is also held accountable in a democratic practice. to accomplish this they design strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders. the media is one of such partners1 held in utmost respect the media is called upon to report issues of national security with caution to avoid a breach of peace. no deliberate effort should be made by self serving interests to bring the service to ridicule. no country or its media can afford to undermine their own security forces because of the dire consequences that portends1 the service as an institution of government will continue to carry out legitimate orders support democratic institutions respect the rule of law and protect the citizens in line with global practices and standard operations procedures sops in intelligence gathering and law enforcement. dark forces should not bring the service into a collision with the government it is meant to diligently serve1 the service is undaunted and will pursue noble goals only meant to uphold integrity in security and intelligence governance1 this is a global trend for accountability. its personnel across the commands and formations have been enjoined to be calm loyal and united in the discharge of their duties as the service has remained of the few institutions in the country that has exhibited unquestionable oneness and commonality of purpose in advancing the interest of the nation1

Breaking News: IGP Idris begs Edwin Clark
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the inspector general of police ibrahim idris has apologised to elder statesman chief edwin clark over an unauthorised raid carried out by some policemen on his house in abuja1 idris who has already detained the informant and the four policemen who carried out the illegal raid sent a delegation led by a dig and some commissioners to convey his apology1 the team was led by dig habila joshak who is in charge of operations at the headquarters1 a statement by police spokesman jimoh moshood said idris was not aware and did not also authorise the search1 he said joshak apologized on behalf of the nigeria police force and the igp for the misconduct of the said police personnel and the attendant embarrassment the search has caused on the elder statesman and his family1 the delegation was received by chief edwin clark and the apology was accepted by him moshood said1 moshood said the the four policemen after investigation will be tried within the force disciplinary procedures before appropriate punishments are meted out to them1 the igp has directed the immediate parade of the informantsuspect on wednesday 5th september 2018 in the presence of the press and the public before his prompt arraignment and prosecution in court he added1

Breaking: Group pays N45m for Buharis nomination form
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nigeria is now an exporter of agricultural products as opposed to what it was three years ago he said2 according to musa buhari is not among presidents who meet at night to strike shady personal deals2 the national co-ordinator said that there was need to consolidate on the gains so far made by the present administration in the country2 under his administration nigeria has become a country sought after for investments in the world and has assumed its leadership role in not just africa but also the world2 today nigerias moribund infrastructure is being revived. there is no state in nigeria that does not have several major federal government infrastructure projects either completed or being executed under president buhari2 we have a stable and steadily growing economy that is departing from the monotonic oil dependence. agriculture is now an attractive venture as farmers are becoming multi-millionaires2 according musa the group embarks on the project based on the recognition that the president has started laying a foundation for a better nigeria2 looted funds are being recovered and ploughed back to develop our country deficit infrastructure2 almost a million farmers under the anchor borrowers programme are benefiting from low interest loans and 500 000 previously unemployed graduates are now employed under the npower scheme2 today and for the first time in our history we have a government that is honest and sincere in investing in the poor the masses and the underprivileged2 we cannot afford to destroy the future of our children. the foundation laid by president muhammadu buhari must be reinforced2 it is for this reason mr chairman that we have decided to pull our meagre resources together to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms for president buhari2 he has presented himself to our party members to be chosen as their candidate for the 2019 general elections2 it is my singular honour and rare privilege to present to you a cheque of n45 million as payment for the expression of interest and nomination forms for president muhammadu buhari he said1 he noted thatfor the first time since the return of democracy nigerians had a president who could beat his chest and state that he had never stolen government funds1 this made buhari the first aspirant to pick the nomination form as the apc commenced sales of the forms to aspirants for the 2019 general elections1 he added that the president was poised to ensure that every agreement entered into by nigeria was in the interest of the people and the countryand its unborn generations1 this he noted had indeed boosted the confidence of investors into the country and theinflow of direct foreign investment into the country1 the nigeria consolidation ambassadors network a group on wednesday in abuja picked the all progressives congress apc expression of interest and nomination forms for president muhammadu buhari to re-contest the presidency in 20191 buhari had in april declared his intention to seek re-election at the apc national executive committee nec1 he also noted that n400 000 extremely poor families were already receiving n5 000 monthly stipend while over n8 million children were being fed daily in public schools across the countryas promised by the buhari-led administration1 wehave no doubt that mr president has both in action an word been working to lay a foundation for a greater and prosperous nation that our generation and future generation will be proud of1 musa maintained thathis group could not fold its hands and watch while the foundation laid by the buhari administration would be destroyed by some other persons1 the group which paid a total of n45 million to obtain the forms was received by the mr adams oshiomohle the apc national chairman in abuja1 speaking on why the group decided to purchase the forms on behalf of the president its national co-coordinator sunnsi musa said the president was not multi-millionaire cash wise1 but he has millions of supporters who are always ready to come together to pay for his nomination form1 oshiomhole while receiving the group thanked its members for their gesture and for believing in president buhari and the apc administration1 the group paid the mandatory n45 million for the expression of interest and the nomination form1 the sum of n40 million is the form and the n5 million for the expression of interest1 the cheque was received by the chairman of the all progressives congress apc comrade adams oshiomhole in abuja1

Buhari, a millionaire in persons Group
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nigeria is now an exporter of agricultural products as opposed to what it was three years ago he said2 according to musa buhari is not among presidents who meet at night to strike shady personal deals2 the national co-ordinator said that there was need to consolidate on the gains so far made by the present administration in the country2 under his administration nigeria has become a country sought after for investments in the world and has assumed its leadership role in not just africa but also the world2 today nigerias moribund infrastructure is being revived. there is no state in nigeria that does not have several major federal government infrastructure projects either completed or being executed under president buhari2 we have a stable and steadily growing economy that is departing from the monotonic oil dependence. agriculture is now an attractive venture as farmers are becoming multi-millionaires2 according musa the group embarks on the project based on the recognition that the president has started laying a foundation for a better nigeria2 looted funds are being recovered and ploughed back to develop our country deficit infrastructure2 almost a million farmers under the anchor borrowers programme are benefiting from low interest loans and 500 000 previously unemployed graduates are now employed under the npower scheme2 today and for the first time in our history we have a government that is honest and sincere in investing in the poor the masses and the underprivileged2 we cannot afford to destroy the future of our children. the foundation laid by president muhammadu buhari must be reinforced2 it is for this reason mr chairman that we have decided to pull our meagre resources together to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms for president buhari2 he has presented himself to our party members to be chosen as their candidate for the 2019 general elections2 this he noted had indeed boosted the confidence of investors into the country and the inflow of direct foreign investment into the country1 the national co-coordinator of the group mr. sunnsi musa said it is my singular honour and rare privilege to present to you a cheque of n45 million as payment for the expression of interest and nomination forms for president muhammadu buhari1 we have no doubt that mr president has both in action and word been working to lay a foundation for a greater and prosperous nation that our generation and future generation will be proud of1 he also noted that 400 000 extremely poor families were already receiving n5 000 monthly stipend while over 8 million children were being fed daily in public schools across the country as promised by the buhari-led administration1 president muhammadu buhari is not a multi-millionaire in cash but has millions of supporters nigeria consolidation ambassadors network a group that paid n45 million for the nomination forms for the president has declared1 musa maintained that his group could not fold its hands and watch while the foundation laid by the buharis administration would be destroyed by some other persons1 he noted that for the first time since the return of democracy nigerians had a president who could beat his chest and state that he had never stolen government funds1 president buharis supporters came together to pay for his nomination forms as well as for the expression of interest for his re-election on the platform of the ruling all progressives party apc1 he added that the president was poised to ensure that every agreement entered into by nigeria was in the interest of the people and the country and its unborn generations1 the chairman of the party adams oshiomhole who received members of the group thanked them for the gesture and for believing in president buhari and the apc administration. nan1

Thiem bagels Nadal but falls short in New York marathon
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im very sorry for dominic nadal added. hes a close friend on tour a great guy and i wish him the very best he is young and has plenty of time to win tournaments1 austrian dominic thiem became the first tennis player in 14 years to hand a bagel to world number one rafa nadal in a marathon match that ended in nadals favour at 2am new york time on wednesday1 thiem who was doubtful about his capacity to prevail over the defending champion shocked him in the first set by preventing him from winning a game. but nadal fought back to claim the next two sets and the decider winning 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-74 7-651 nadal won just 40 percent of his first serves in the first set as he struggled with the high humidity on the arthur ashe stadium court1 its been a great battle an exhausted nadal said. the conditions were tough very humid for me1 for thiem the defeat will stay with me forever1 thiem who lost to nadal in the french open final but who has beaten the spaniard three times in 10 previous meetings struck 74 winners including 24 with his stylish single-handed backhand to keep the champion under constant pressure1 american andy roddick was the only other player who performed the feat at the same arena in 20041 after nadal roared back to take a 2-1 lead the fourth set went to a tiebreak. thiem raced to a 3-0 lead before nadal fought back but the austrian held his nerve to level the match1 there were no breaks of serve in the deciding set and a second tiebreak ensued. the two were neck-in-neck at 5-5 when nadal carved out a match point with his forehand1 thiems wayward overhead smash handed the match to nadal who stood midcourt with his head thrown back and arms raised in the air in celebration1 thank you very much everybody for staying here tonight nadal said after the four hour 49 minute marathon1 its been an amazing feeling. im playing a lot of hours this year at this beautiful stadium1 next up for the top seed is a semi-final clash with big-serving argentine and third seed juan martin del potro1

NFF slams one-year ban on Coach Salisu Yusuf
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that the two players could have made the team to 2018 chan competition in morocco on the basis of their talent and performance1 the nigeria football federation nff committee on ethics and fair play has bannedsuper eagles chief coach salisu yusuffrom all footballrelated activities for one year with immediate effect1 members of the committee were malam nuhu ribadu chairman mainasara illo rev. justin okoroji and mr joshua onoja secretary1 he also saidthat the coach had been directed to pay 5000 us dollars as a fine to nff within three months1 according to him this decision wassequel to a complaint forwarded by the nff as well as the coachs defence against a documentary in which he was seen accepting 1000 us dollars from an undercover reporter disguising as a players agent1 olajire said that the ribadu-led committee made the following submissions1 established from the admission of coach yusuf and also found as a fact from the documentary and video evidence before it that he accepted the cash gift of 1000 us dollars offered by tigers players agency an undercover reporter purportedly interested in acting on behalf of players osas okoro and rabiu ali for their inclusion in the list of players for 2018 chan competition in morocco1 the committee found as a fact that it was not an error of judgment on the part of coach yusuf but a conscious and deliberate decision to have accepted the cash gift of 1000 us dollars from the decoy player agentundercover reporter purportedly interested in acting on behalf of players osas okoro and rabiu ali even though the evidence before the committee did not establish that his conduct influenced the choice of the two players1 the four-man committees decision was announced in a statement by ademola olajire nffs director of communications and made available to the news agency of nigeria nan on wednesday in abuja1 that coach yusuf did not accept the offer of 15 per cent of the anticipated transfer fees of the said players as there was no followup action on the promise1 that the act of the coach which was widely published on the british broadcasting corporation has a damaging effect on the reputation and integrity of nigerian football as he ought to have conducted himself more professionally in line with the code of conduct signed alongside his contract with the nigeria football federation as his conduct in public and in secret should be exemplary since coaches are role models1 that the fifa code of ethics nff code of ethics and fifa disciplinary code did not contemplate negligence or error of judgment as a defence to violation of any of the provisions as contained therein as punitive measures must be adopted to serve as deterrent to other intending offenders even though that he is a first time offender1 olajire also said that the committees decision was as follows in accordance with art. 22 fifa disciplinary code he is hereby banned for the period of one year from partaking or involvement or participation in any football related activity effective from the date of this decision1 he is also fined in the sum of 5000 us dollars to be paid within three 3 months beginning fromthe date of this decision1 he noted thatthe ethics committee also ruled that an appeal against the decision can be made to the nff appeals committee1 the nffs spokesmanquoted the committee as saying that it passed its verdict on the defendant based on article 20 21 1 and 21 3 of the nff code of ethics1 he explained that it also made reference to article10 and 11 of the fifa code of ethics in arriving at its verdict1

Nishikori faces Nadal in US Open semi-final
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afp25 two-time champion novak djokovic ended john millmans fairytale us open run on wednesday beating the 55th-ranked australian in straight sets to book a semi-final clash with japans kei nishikori1 he lifted the trophy in 2011 and 20151 nishikori the 21st seed advanced with a 2-6 6-4 7-6 75 4-6 6-4 victory over marin cilic the man who beat him in the 2014 final1 millman who stunned five-time champion roger federer in the fourth round kept djokovic running and was kept running himself for 2 hours 49 minutes on another hot humid night on arthur ashe stadium1 you survive on the court then thrive with a win said djokovic who converted just four of his 20 break points and made 53 unforced errors before he was finally able to accomplish what federer couldnt in seeing off millman1 very tested said djokovic who admitted that like many he was surprised to find himself facing millman not federer across the net1 but millman is the kind of a player that makes you miss the balls makes you win the point earn the point1 he doesnt miss a lot himself so he just runs left right gets a lot of balls. tactically youve got to find the right balance between being patient but constructive in the point but at the same time be aggressive and take the chance when you have a shorter ball. its easier said than done1 it was clear that it could be a long night when the players battled for more than 15 minutes in the sixth game of the opening set millman saving four break points1 the aussie saved another four in the opening game of the second set and as the duel continued both players were clearly feeling the effects of long entertaining rallies1 millman his clothes soaked made the unorthodox request to go change after the fourth game of the second set djokovic agreeing1 he was apologizing he felt very sorry that he has to leave the court and change. i said man go ahead1 the serbian star who ended a 54-week title drought with his 13th grand slam title at wimbledon defeated the tenacious aussie 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach his 11th us open semi-final in his last 11 appearances1 i gave it a crack said the 29-year-old millman who has battled a litany of injuries in his career1 i definitely left it all out there today and pulled up a bit short. novaks a champion. hes played a lot of grand slams and he knows how to win them1 japans nishikori who missed last years us open after a season-ending wrist injury joined compatriot naomi osaka in reaching the semis the first time that a japanese man and woman have reached the last four in the same grand slam1 nishikori stunned then-world number one djokovic in the semi-finals in 2014 to become the first man from an asian country to reach the championship match of a major1 but he hasnt returned to a grand slam final since falling in the us open semis in 20161 against cilic he laboured for 4 hours and 8 minutes1 i dont know why but its always a battle with marin said nishikori who stretched his career record over the seventh-seeded croatian to 9-61 nishikori appeared to be in control of the fifth set with a break for a 3-1 lead1 he had two game points for a 5-2 lead but a double fault and a backhand wide opened the door for cilic who stormed through shouting got it when he secured the break to narrow the gap to 4-31 but nishikori broke cilic in the final game capturing the match with a blistering service return1 i try to fight every point said nishikori who boasts an impressive record in decisive sets1 especially in the end i really focus on every point he said but added i wish i dont go to five sets every time1 i needed that rest said djokovic who finally gained the decisive break in the penultimate game of the final set then served it out at love1

Schiavone says goodbye to tennis
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schiavone won the 2010 french open as the no. 17 seed beating li na maria kirilenko caroline wozniacki and elena dementieva before defeating samantha stosur 6-4 7-6 2 in the final. at the time schiavone was just shy of 30 years old and had never advanced to a grand slam semifinal in her previous 38 majors1 former french open champion francesca schiavone who once reached a career-best ranking of no. 4 has announced her retirement from tennis at the u.s. open1 because my head when i arrive here says please go to the court fight because i can beat many other players1 but my heart says that i am at peace like this that i am very happy about my career my life and everything1 schiavone 38 hangs up her racket with eight singles titles three fed cup championships for italy a 614-479 singles record a 105-69 showing in grand slam singles events and more than 11 million in prize money1 when i was 18 years old i had two dreams schiavone said on wednesday. the first one was to win roland garros and the second one was to become top 10 in the world. and i completed them so im very very happy and lucky1 i arrive at this decision to say goodbye to the tennis with my heart said an emotional schiavone who became the first italian woman to win a grand slam when she captured the 2010 french open1 schiavone was also successful on the doubles circuit winning seven wta titles and reaching the semifinals at all four grand slam tournaments1 after 20 years of career and life i have new dreams said schiavone who added shed like to return to the u.s. open and other events as a coach1 schiavone who is 3-9 this season and has watched her ranking fall to 454th won the longest grand slam womens singles match outdueling svetlana kuznetsova 6-4 1-6 16-14 in 4 hours 44 minutes in the fourth round of the 2011 australian open1 schiavones last match was a 6-3 6-2 loss to stosur in the round of 32 at the ladies championships at gstaad switzerland in mid-july1 i look sad but i am happy too schiavone said during the news conference. tonight i will drink a good champagne for sure1

Group wants increased government commitment in checking human trafficking
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he said that as the united nations had committed to working with civil society organisations as well as internally displaced persons victims of mostly sexual abuses and organ harvesting1

Breaking: Homosexuality legal says Supreme Court
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the position of the court then was that overturning the outdated law was the job of parliament which can decide on scrapping laws3 indias supreme court has legalised homosexuality and gay sex and decriminalised section 377 of the indian penal code holding out promise of a new dawn in personal liberty and sexual orientation3 chief justice misra observed that lgbt community has same rights like any ordinary citizen. respect for each others rights and others are supreme humanity. criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible3 no one can escape from their individualism. society is now better for individualism. in the present case our deliberations will be on various spectrums cji misra said3 sustenance of identity is the pyramid of life cji misra added3 no one can escape from their individualism. society is now better for individualism.indias chief justice3 indias supreme court had in 2013 restored section 377 a british-era law that bans gay sex. it had overturned a landmark judgement by the delhi high court in 2009 which had ruled that consenting intercourse between two adults was not illegal3 the five judge-bench headed by chief justice of india dipak misra delivered the much awaited verdict on thursday according to3 section 377 of the indian penal code bans carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man woman or animal3 gay sex is punishable by up to 10 years in jail under the 1861 law. prosecution under section 377 is however not common but activists complain that authorities use the law to harass or scare gay people3 after the 2013 verdict five high-profile petitioners bharatnatyam dancer navtej johar documentary filmmaker sunil mehra restaurateur ritu dalmia hotelier and historian aman nath and business executive ayesha kapur challenged it and became the human faces of this battle3 before their entry the battle was fought since the early nineties by ngos the naaz foundation being one of them3 while reserving the verdict on july 17 this year misra and justices r f nariman a m khanwilkar d y chandrachud and indu malhotra brushed aside as far-fetched the arguments from opponents of decriminalisation of section 377 that it could also legalise incest group sex and sodomy3 the top court had also said no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality3 the five petitioners had argued that section 377 violates rights principles enshrined in the constitution like equality before law no discrimination based on religion race caste sex or place of birth and freedom of speech and expression3

Council inducts 45 foreign trained laboratory scientists
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by felicia imohimi11 she further appreciated their parents for investing in their academic pursuit in order for them to actualise their dreams and aspirations. nan2 mr tosan erhabor acting registrar of the council while inducting the professionals in abuja said the graduands were inducted having scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination2 erhabor who described the induction as third in the series noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination2 while congratulating the inductees for their success erhabor described them as the future of the profession2 he however urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead in order to move the profession to an enviable height2 in spite of how profound or robust your training or the pedigree of your training or sophistication of training apparatus mlscn still owed it a duty to ensure you went through the process of adaptation and integration as part of prerequisite for licensure2 act 11 2003 section 4a empowers the council to determine from time to time the standard of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become medical laboratory scientists medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants2 the medical laboratory science council of nigeria mlscn has inducted 45 foreign graduates of medical laboratory science2 erhabor tasked the inductees of ideal teamwork efficiency dedication due process among other elements that would ensure international best practices2 he reminded them that the council had zero tolerance to all forms of professional misconducts adding that such could bring disrepute to the profession and cherished families2 erhabor said the profession needs your services at every level of healthcare delivery and you must profitably harness your full potentials as young scientists2 it is expected of you to bring ideal teamwork efficiency dedication adherence to due process respect for self and others and other elements of international best practices as you have imbibed in the course of your training overseas2 if you are unable to make a difference through exemplary conduct you would be contributing to the sad narrative of those who failed to live up to their full potentials2 one of the inductees oyinloye olayemi who spoke on behalf of the inductees thanked the almighty god and the council for deeming them fit for the induction2 section 4 empowers it to assess evaluate and register foreign graduates of medical laboratory science erhabor noted2

Buhari gets China support for Mambilla, signs $328m ICT agreement
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i was very pleased to hear about the positive experiences these hard working and law abiding citizens are having in their host communities. i also had the pleasure of meeting young chinese students learning three nigerian languages2 president muhammadu buhari wednesday in beijing won the crucial support of the chinese president xi jinping for the countrys aspiration to build the 3050 megawatts mambila hydroelectric power project2 four airport terminal projects as well as the abuja light rail project2 president buhari told his chinese counterpart that since his last visit to china in 2016 the brotherly relationship between both countries had continued to flourish2 according to the president in the past 24 months the chinese government has provided humanitarian aid to our conflict-affected areas scholarship to nigerian youth military training and security support to our personnel and agricultural modernization training2 president buhari noted that in the period under review china had provided concessionary loans to fund critical infrastructure projects in nigeria adding that these interventions have positively impacted millions of nigerians and will continue to do so for generations to come2 mr president as we celebrate these successes i would like to once again solicit your support for the mambilla hydropower project which remains a key priority for my government. our hope is to fund the project with concessionary loans from china as any alternative funding arrangement will adversely impact the projects viability2 we have been informed that our submission on this project is undergoing assessment by the relevant chinese agencies. we hope with your kind intervention this assessment will be expedited. your excellency mambilla is nigerias equivalent of the three gorges dam. my wish is that you join me for the groundbreaking ceremony of this project in the not too distant future president buhari said2 on lake chad basin the president thanked china for accepting to support the international efforts to recharge the lake2 the inclusion of this project in the focac action plan 2019 to 2021 will go a long way in supporting our efforts to rehabilitate and resettle the conflict-impacted north east region he said2 on people-to-people relations president buhari told his host that in the course of his visit he interacted with nigerian students and entrepreneurs living in different parts of china2 the two countries also signed the agreement of 328m for the information and communication technology infrastructure backbone phase ii nictib ii project2 we must continue to support such exchange programmes to enhance our people-to-people contacts he said2 similarly president buhari noted thateasy movement of citizens of both countries would complement the currency swap agreements recently signed by the central banks of both countries2 since our last meeting two years ago nigeria has relaxed its visa requirements to chinese citizens. today i am pleased to inform your excellency that chinese citizens receive nigerian visas in less than 48 hours2 another measure that will improve our trade volumes will be to introduce import duty waivers on nigerias commodity exports to china. today our commodities such as sesame seeds hibiscus and cassava amongst others attract import duty in china he said2 the nigerian leader also lauded chinas support for two permanent seats for africa at the united nations noting that the reform of the security council would ensure equitable representation for the continent2 in his remarks president xi who commended nigerias fight against terrorism and the progress that has been made so far promised chinas support in capacity building and intelligence sharing2 he also pledged 50 million chinese yuan support to nigerias military noting that buhari is as decisive in dealing with terrorism as china2 president xi said china would import more agricultural products from nigeria and expressed gratitude to president buhari on nigerias interest to participate in the forthcoming chinese import fair2 the relationship between nigeria and china is as best as ever especially given the deepening mutual trust. china will continue to stand with nigeria he said2 on mambilla the chinese leader told president buhari we understand how critical the project is to your country and we will take a serious look at it and ensure that it succeeds because of its social and economic benefits2 meanwhile at a separate meeting with chinese premier li keqiang president buhari reaffirmed nigerias commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with china2

Radio Kwara workers insist on sack of Sole Administrator
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there has been no improvement since he came2 by olayinka owolewa2 the workers had embarked on the strike on wednesday over lack of operational equipment and poor staff welfare2 a correspondent of the news agency of nigeria nan who visited the radio station on thursday reports that the premises located on police road in ilorin metropolis were still under lock and key2 nan also reports that the workers used their vehicles to block the main entrance of the station completely preventing access to the premises2 the workers also denied the general manager of the station alhaji adedeji adebowale entrance into the premises as he remained inside his official vehicle when nan visited the radio station2 speaking with our correspondent the chairman of radio kwara chapel of radio television theatre and art workers union of nigeria rattawu rasaq aremu said the strike would continue as long as akorede remained in office2 our main agitation for now is for the sole administrator to be removed2 if he is removed right now as i speak with you we will resume and continue further deliberations with the government2 his removal will bring peace and sanity back to the station because he is running his administration all alone without consultation with our management and staff2 he knows little about broadcasting what is the point if we are not being carried along2 workers of kwara state broadcasting corporation radio kwara on thursday continued their strike insisting that government must sack their sole administrator dr muideen akorede2 anyone can just come and see our premises we want akorede to go aremu said2 he further said that the agitation was not about salary alone insisting that the workers were also protesting the lack of operational equipment in the media outfit2 aremu questioned the propriety of workers collecting salaries without justifying it due to no fault of theirs2 he urged the workers to remain resolute until akorede who is also the senior special assistant to the governor on media was removed2 but akorede had in a statement on wednesday confirmed the release of n5million as part of the subvention for the radio station2 he said that he had always engaged the management of the station and its union leaders on issues regarding their operational expenses2 akorede added that the delay in releasing funds to the station was due to the economic challenges the country was facing2 he said the monthly allocation to the state was received on monday while salaries and overheads of parastatal agencies including radio kwara were expected to be paid before the end of the week2 akorede stressed that like other parastatal agencies subventions to media houses were being paid regularly2 subvention he said was always released directly to the station and disbursed based on the budget and operational needs as approved2 he said the state government had prioritised payment of salaries as first line charge followed by operational expenses of parastatal agencies2