Saraki, Ganduje set to clash in Osun
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by emmanuel oloniruha8 mr. gboyega oyetola is osun apcs candidate while pdp is parading senator ademola adeleke for the september 22 governorship election1 pdp on monday in abuja urged the campaign committee to do everything within the law to win the sept. 22 governorship election in osun just as the all progressive congress apc earlier tasked its 63-member campaign council1 national chairman of pdp mr uche secondus gave the charge when he inaugurated the partys national campaign committee for the election1 secondus said that members of the committee were carefully nominated because of the importance of osun to the pdp1 he said that pdp believed that its candidate was the best for the state and assured that it would not allow itself to be rigged out in the election1 we will not allow vote-buying in osun because that is rigging and rigging is corruption1 i believe that the international community is watching and all eyes are on this nation he said1 secondus advised security agencies not to allow themselves to be used reminding them that they had sworn to uphold the constitution not an individual or politician1 he urged them to the loyal to nigerians the constitution and the electoral process and law1 he also called on all stakeholders to rise and condemn rigging vote-buying and intimidation in elections by security agencies1 seconduc said that the committee had the responsibility to augment all activities of campaign and reach out to all the critical stakeholders1 it should mobilise all our people in all the local government areas of osun and to do everything necessary within the law for us to win the state1 in his response saraki promised that the committee would ensure that the pdp won the osun poll1 the pdp has picked senate president bukola saraki to lead its national campaign committee to face kano governor abdullahi umar ganduje s apc committee for osun governorship election1 we must win osun to prove that osun is the home ground of the pdp. this is a state where salaries are not being paid he said1 saraki said that winning the osun poll was not just about the state but to also serve as a momentum for the 2019 general elections1 he expressed hope that president muhammadu buhari would live up to his promise to world leaders that the 2019 elections would be free and fair1 the all progressives congress apc had last week constituted a 63 campaign council made up of 14 governor and 8 ministers and 41 other members of the national assembly and seasoned politicians include former akwa ibom state governor godswill akpabio to spear head the partys campaign for the governorship election in osun state1 the governors in the campaign council are abdullahi umar ganduje kano who will serve as the chairman of the campaign council abdulazeez abubakar yari zamfara who will serve as deputy chairman akinwunmi dapo ambode lagos sen. ibikunle amosun ogun sen. abiola ajimobi oyo ogbeni rauf aregbesola osun arakunrin olwarotimi akeredolu san ondo owelle rochas okorocha imo godwin obaseki edo yahaya bello kogi simon bako lalong plateau kashim shettima borno sen. mohammed umar jibrilla adamawa and mohammed b1 the campaign council also include eight serving ministers namely gen. abdulrahman dambazau rtd interior alh. manir dan-ali defence alh. adebayo shittu communications dr. ibe kachikwu petroleum babatunde fashola san power works1 the deputy national chairman south of the party otunba niyi adebayo leads members of the national working committee who are members of the campaign council while former akwa ibom state governor godswill akpabio leads members of the national assembly who will join in the campaign to ensure that the apc retain the governorship seat in the state1 the national chairman of the party comrade adams oshiomhole said the task before the was to ensure that the apc retain the governorship seat in osun state by working with party leaders in the state and mobilizing the people to vote massively the apc candidate1 oshiomhole said many of you present here have been very much involved in helping to provide leadership in most of the campaigns that we have had in recent times after the last general elections1 the most recent one is that of ekiti state where your excellences did very well and some of the governors who were much involved in that exercise are not here but some of you here were very much involved in it1 so we have a body of experience to go about and the whole idea is to sustain the values and the ideals of our party which is based on transparent elections on the basis of one man one vote and joining forces with the party leadership in the state to work hard to mobilise people of osun state to vote wisely for the1 the importance of any election doesnt require much elaboration. as a governing party nigerians resolve in our favour that the all progressives congress should not only preside at the centre1 they have expressed so much trust and confidence in our party that on our partys platform 24 governors were elected even though the supreme court judgment had said it is parties that win election not an individual1 he said that the election was important because pdp had lost two governorship elections in the south-west ekiti and ondo1

Edo to benefit from $60b Chinas support
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osagie said the discussions were the last lap of talks to secure final investment decisions and commence full scale development of the benin river port project the benin industrial park and the modular refinery1 edo government is to clinch a chunk of the 60 billion proposed chinese governments financial support for the african continent1 he said obaseki is currently attending ongoing 2018 beijing summit of the forum on china-africa cooperation focac where he is formalising partnership with chinese investors on the states critical projects1 osagie quoted the chinese president xi jinping that in the next three years china would float eight major initiatives with african countries to realise a closer china-africa community of shared destiny1 the chinese president noted that the fields of interest for china included industry investment trade infrastructure health culture environmental protection and security1 obaseki with representatives of the federal government in beijing has engaged representatives of the chinese government and top officials of the china harbour engineering company chec limited1 mr crusoe osagie special adviser media and communication to governor godwin obaseki confirmed in a statement on monday1 the project is expected to open the state for foreign trade and boost local production leveraging the states strategic location to attract investment and grow manpower1 before leaving for china obaseki approved the release of n700 million for the benin refinery project which the state government is executing partnership with a chinese consortium1 with the initial investment capital approved experts conversant with the project say the state government is well placed to seal the deals for the projects so that development work can commence in earnest osagie said1 according to osagie the governors investment drive is to steer the state away from dependence on oil and set it on the path of prosperity anchored on a solid industrial base1 we are excited about the modular refinery project and are certain that with our chinese partners we will begin work on the project in no distant time1 the project is going to transform the states economy and position us as a hub for fabrication of refinery parts with the setting up of sips fabrication yard to groom local capacity in that sector1

Congos Bemba gets definite ban from December polls
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but fears persist of further violence with kabilas opponents accusing him of trying to rig the vote to ensure ramazanis victory1 democratic republic of congos top court has definitively excluded opposition leader jean-pierre bemba from decembers presidential election because of a witness tampering conviction at the international criminal court1 his defeat to kabila in the 2006 election touched off deadly clashes in the capital kinshasa between his supporters and state troops. he then spent a decade in prison in the hague before his war crimes convictions for murders and rapes committed by his militia in central african republic were quashed in may1 in a judgment broadcast on national television on monday the constitutional court said the election commission had rightly invalidated bembas candidacy last month finding that witness tampering is a form of corruption as stipulated in the electoral law1 the dec. 23 election is due to usher in congos first democratic transition of power after kabila agreed last month to respect constitutional term limits and step aside in favour of close loyalist emmanuel ramazani shadarys candidacy1 that announcement has calmed tensions that exploded into deadly street protests when kabila refused to step aside at the end of his constitutional mandate in december 20161 bemba a popular former vice president was tipped as one of the leading candidates to replace outgoing president joseph kabila. his exclusion from the race could spark a violent reaction by his supporters1 congo has fallen very low the secretary-general of bembas mlc party wrote on twitter after the judgment1 kabilas camp denies that it is improperly trying to influence the election1 besides bemba opposition leader moise katumbi was barred from re-entering congo last month to register his candidacy after two years in exile1 katumbi placed joint first in a rare public opinion poll in july with 19 percent of the vote. another opposition leader felix tshisekedi also received 19 percent while bemba placed third with 17 percent1 ramazani did not receive enough votes to be included in the results1 the constitutional court also on monday upheld the invalidation of former prime minister adolphe muzitos candidacy but reinstated another former prime minister samy badibanga as a candidate1

A 20-year-old Instagram star is dead after being found on a billionaire's superyacht in Greece
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a 20-year-old instagram star is dead after being found on a billionaires superyacht in greece1

Three APC’s chairmen die in Saudi Arabia
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three apc’s chairmen die in saudi arabia1

vulcanisers, Hair dressers, to access N220bn MSME fund
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vulcanisers1 hair dressers1 to access n220bn msme fund1

Modric, Salah, Ronaldo in the race for FIFA’s world player
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modric1 salah1 ronaldo in the race for fifa’s world player1

Monument for Althea Gibson African-American tennis pioneer
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shes very important to our society in our sport particularly back in the 50s to be able to pave the road and provide pathways for others like arthur ashe zina garrison lori mcneil chanda rubin venus serena myself and others to be where we are today. its a proud moment to be able to say that we will be putting a monument on the usta billie jean king national tennis center premises next year1 a new interactive monument honouring african american althea gibson and set to be revealed at the 2019 us open will capture the spirit of an iconic pioneer1 gibson was the firstafrican-american player to break the colour line in international tennis and in 1956 she became the first person of colour to win a grand slam title1 now she will be immortalised alongside arthur ashe who is honoured with a statue outside the stadium that bears his name and billie jean king after whom the tennis centre was renamed1 the monument was commissioned by the usta in collaboration with sothebys. the usta also sought the input of fran gray one of the committee members and long-time friend of gibson whoruns her estate1 katrina adamschairman of the board and president of the usta saidapproval was granted in december to erect a monument to celebrate her greatness1 she is an historic icon said adams. in our sport of tennis she was the one that really broke the colour barrier. she is the jackie robinson of tennis1 while the exact design and placement on the grounds of the usta billie jean king national tennis center will be determined at a later date renowned sculptor eric goulder is planning a larger-than-life bronze figurine that will feature a combination ofdigital media and augmented reality a nod to both the past and the future1 goulder said the monument will probablybe made in clay cast in bronze and feature an element of stone1 it really got me thinking of how i could approach a sculpture of a sporting figure in a new way instead of just a figurine and also to make something that doesnt just memorialize her but tells more of her story which i think is really important goulder said1 added sotherbys chairman ben doller i think eric is one of the best sort of figurative and modernist sculptors out there. i think erics project and proposal combines something that will have a magic a genius of capturing a personality and then also has a concept of having something be traditional but really looking forward as well1 born in 1927 in south carolina gibson won the u.s. national championship in 1957 and 1958 in addition to two wimbledon titles and a french open crown. gibson also won the 1957 u.s. national championship mixed doubles and five womens doubles titles and became the world no. 1 in 1957. she was inducted into the international tennis hall of fame in 19711 for her to grace us to grace our sport with her talents and to be able to have the accomplishments that she did is one of the main reasons why we are celebrating her and we have in our own way but now the world will be able to see it adams said1 written by ashley marshall for usopen.org1

Serena Williams daughters picture sets Instagram on fire
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other commenters offered their own takes and tagged the instagram user1 serena williams daughter alexis olympia kept social media users busy over the weekend as her first birthday picture shared on instagram by her father alexis ohanian received more than 75807 likes and 1361 comments1 since it was posted the image of his adventure princess has received comments from fans of the family1 and down in the comments section the 35-year-old father took time to respond to an instagram user1 its so sad that olympia will not have a first bd party the person wrote1 williams recently shared at a news conference that the toddler wouldnt be celebrating the big occasion1 olympia doesnt celebrate birthdays the 36-year-old athlete was quoted as saying by a media outlet people. were jehovahs witnesses so we dont do that1 alexis ohanian shared a snap of olympia his daughter with his wife professional tennis player serena williams on instagram for the girls first birthday saturday1 no its not. lol. sad for who she will not even remember it one person said1 another wrote who remembers that anyway respect their beliefs1 im sure her parents make her feel special every day and she doesnt need one day out of the year to be celebrated someone else said1 the remark also drew the attention of ohanian himself1 im not a witness but i considered how made up it all is the purpose of celebrating a birthday is to celebrate life with the people who love you and to eat cake he told the user1 ohanian added this baby is loved and will get to celebrate life with people who love her plenty of times with plenty of parties and eat cake in moderation throughout her life1

Sen. Mark hands over Benue PDP to Gov. Ortom
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he said that other governorship aspirants of the party should not be worried because even as a leader of the party now he could not compromise the rules and constitution of the party1 he said that both the old and new members of the party had equal rights in the party stressing that it was on that basis that the partys executive positions had to be reviewed so as to accommodate the people that just defected to it1 also ortom promised that all the political leaders of the party in the state would continue to work together and it would be sustained1 the governor said that in politics there was neither permanent enemy nor friend but what was permanent was interest1 our coming together was for the interest of the state and that was what brought them together he said1 he commended the partys leadership for agreeing to review the partys structure in order to accommodate the people that defected with him to pdp1 we have constituted an integration committee which will work 247 to ensure proper harmonisation right from the council ward upwards he said1 there will be a level playing field for all the aspirants he said1 former governor of the state mr gabriel suswam informed the people that the officers whose offices were affected by the review would be given immediate appointment by the state government1 suswam said that the decision was arrived at for the best interest of the state stressing that the party was considering the future and all affected should accept the decision in good faith1 earlier the state chairman mr john ngbede warned local government chairmen against preventing people from joining the party at the local government level1 you do not have the right to deny anybody membership card of the party he said1 he expressed optimism that ortom would move the party to lofty heights now that he assumed leadership of the party1

Suu Kyis image now in tatters
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another person at the same meeting said there was shouting and a charged atmosphere1 the jailing of two reuters journalists shreds what remains of nobel laureate aung san suu kyis reputation as a rights champion critics say after she failed to come to their defence or speak up for the persecuted rohingya minority1 during her long years of house arrest under the former junta which choked the media inside myanmar it was foreign correspondents who carried her message of peaceful defiance to the outside world1 glowing profiles burnished her image with comparisons made to the dalai lama nelson mandela and martin luther king1 suu kyi remains adored inside myanmar. supporters of her democracy battle say she has limited control over the military which ceded full control in 2015 after almost 50 years in power1 but her response to the rohingya crisis has sent her international reputation into a tailspin1 former friends and supporters have looked on aghast at her lack of criticism of last years military campaign against the rohingya1 un investigators last week said that campaign was pursued with genocidal intent1 mondays conviction of two reuters journalists wa lone and kyaw soe oo and their seven-year sentence has sent a chill through myanmars already embattled press community1 yet throughout the trial suu kyi has been unmoved by calls to intervene or even criticise the court case1 bill richardson a us diplomat and until recently a suu kyi confidante alleges that she denounced the two journalists when he tried to raise their plight in person1 suu kyis response was filled with anger referring to the journalists as traitors the former new mexico governor told afp1 shortly after the set-to in january richardson quit his position on an international advisory body into the rakhine crisis labelling it a whitewash1 suu kyi was once a staunch advocate for the free press and a darling of the foreign media1 in that heated exchange i wouldnt dismiss that the word was used said retired thai lawmaker and ambassador kobsak chutikul who was secretary for the panel and who also later resigned1 it would have fitted the emotions and sentiments at the time he added1 since sweeping to power three years ago suu kyis relationship with the press has been fraught1 prosecutions of journalists and media intimidation more redolent of the junta years have been common1 around 20 journalists were prosecuted in 2017 many under a controversial online defamation law1 at the same time suu kyi has been accused of backing misinformation and distorted reports about the rakhine crisis1 state media published by the suu kyi-controlled ministry of information has continuously echoed the military line rejecting allegations of atrocities against the rohingya as fake news1 that has put her at odds with a mountain of evidence and an international community calling for justice1 to say that aung san suu kyis star has faded is a massive understatement said matthew burgher from free speech advocacy group article 191 suu kyis defenders say her hands are tied by an army that still controls all security matters as well as 25 percent of parliamentary seats1 the stateless rohingya are also a deeply unpopular cause among the buddhist-majority public in myanmar where islamophobia has surged in recent years1 that reality gives suu kyi little political incentive to defend the muslim minority or reporters who write about their plight1 but some analysts note a transformation in suu kyi in recent months from trying to avoid talking about them to supporting the militarys kickback against terrorists1

Police confirm abduction of Catholic Priest in Delta
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the source who pleaded anonymity said the victim who is also the principal of st. peters clavers college aghalokpe left aghalopke sapele at about 900p.m1 the delta police command has confirmed the abduction of rev. father christopher ogaga a catholic priest in aragba oviri-okpe okpe local government area of the state1 mustafa said that operatives of the command had begun a search to ensure the safe release of the victim1 yes we are already searching for the kidnappers he was kidnapped two days ago the police chief said1 meanwhile a source said that ogaga was allegedly kidnapped by gunmen around arava-oviri-orere-okpe road on his way to warri on saturday1 the commissioner of police in delta mr muhammad mustafa confirmed the priests kidnapped to newsmen on monday in warri1 the source said the kidnapped priest was going for the sunday morning mass at the parish priest of mother of redeemer catholic church airport junction effurun uvwie local government area of delta1 ogaga was driving alone on his way to warri when he was kidnapped1 he left the house and was heading to warri through arava-oviri-orere-okpe road that is the route he usually take to warri1 he usually travelled to warri alone every sunday. we were supposed to go with him that saturday the source said1 the source however said that the kidnappers were demanding for a ransom of n15 million to secure the release of the cleric. nan1

Britain set to deport Ghanaian Adoboli over UBS loss of $2.3billion
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british authorities are preparing to deport kweku adoboli a 38 year-old ghanaian former ubs trader jailed for the countrys biggest fraud which cost the swiss bank 2.25 billion1 his case made global headlines when he was arrested in 2011 and tried in 2012 over the huge losses to ubs caused by trades far in excess of his authorized risk limits which he had pretended to hedge by booking fictitious off-setting trades1 hopewell-smith added that he understood adoboli had now been moved to an immigration removal centre and that the interior ministry had indicated its intention to deport him to ghana on or after sept. 101 it is still hoped that the interior minister will have the common sense not to deport an individual that is so obviously an asset to our community hopewell-smith said referring to adobolis work which includes campaigning for cultural change in financial services1 even though adoboli has lived in britain since he was 12 he does not have citizenship. he has been appealing against a 2014 order by british authorities that he should be sent back to ghana as a foreign criminal1 adoboli says he is remorseful and should be allowed to stay in britain because of strong personal ties in the country and the public interest in his advocacy work1 regulators banned him from working in the financial services industry in 2015 while ubs was fined 29.7 million pounds 38 million for systems and control failures1

Buhari rejects error-filled Electoral Bill 2018
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for clarity may i provide some details of the provisions referenced clause 87 14 states1 president muhammadu buhari has declined assent to the amended electoral bill 2018 due to some drafting issues that were not addressed following the prior revisions to the bill1 the presidential aide said that already the president had communicated his position to the senate and the house of representatives on aug. 301 mr president is declining assent to the electoral amendment bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the bill1 mr president invites the senate and house of representatives to address these issues as quickly as possible so that he may grant assent to the electoral amendment bill1 enang listed the outstanding issues that need to be resolved to include a cross referencing error in the proposed amendment to section 18 of the bill1 the appropriate amendment is to substitute the existing sub-section 2 with the proposed subsection 1a while the proposed sub-section 1b is the new sub-section 2a1 the proposed amendment to include a new section 87 14 which stipulates a specific period within which political party primaries are required to be held1 it has the unintended consequence of leaving inec with only nine days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well as manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections1 he explained that the electoral amendment bill did not amend sections 31 34 and 85 which stipulated times for the submission of lists of candidates publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention congresses for nominating candidates for elections1 sen. ita enang the senior special assistant to the president on national assembly matters senate made this known in a statement in abuja on monday1 the dates for the primaries shall not be earlier than 120 days and not later than 90 days before the date of elections to the offices1 the electoral act 2010 referred to herein states in section 31that every political party shall not later than 60 days before the date appointed for ageneral election submit to the commission the list of candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections1 section 34 that the commission shall at least 30 days before the day of the election publish a statement of the full names and addresses of all candidates standing nominated1 section 85 1that a political party shall give the commission at least 21 days notice of any convention congress etc. for electing members of its executive committees or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices1 according to him for the avoidance of doubt neither the constitution nor any written law allows a president or a governor to whom a bill is forwarded by the legislature to edit correct amend or in any manner alter the provisions of any such bill to reflect appropriate intent before assenting to same1 he is to assent in the manner it is or to withhold assent1 he further disclosed that buhari had communicated his action to the national assembly on the national agricultural seeds council bill 2018 and the advance fee fraud and other related offences amendment bill 2017 earlier transmitted to him1 the presidents actions on the chartered institute of entrepreneurship establishment bill 2018 and nigerian maritime administration and safety agency amendment bill 2017 were also communicated to both chambers of the assembly1 others are the subsidiary legislation legislative scrutiny bill 2018 national institute of hospitality and tourism establishment bill 2018 and national research and innovation council establishment bill 2017.nan1

4 commercial banks donate N980m to Police in 2017
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he said the donations by banks were meant to secure banks facilities and the environment around the banks noting that the support started a long time ago1 speaking on the contributions mr moses igbrude publicity secretary independent shareholders association of nigeria said that the donations were not voluntary but imposed on banks in the name of improving security1 you want banks to create employment to kick start the economy by providing funding yet they are burdened with various impediment like amcon levies among others1 so what is the role of government in all these igbrude asked1 he said the government and the regulators should allow the managements of banks to contribute to security through their individual corporate social responsibility initiatives rather than by compulsion1 mr boniface okezie national coordinator progressive shareholders association of nigeria said there was nothing wrong with the donations provided it was channelled for specified purpose1 okezie said banks should identify urgent needs of the police such as accommodation or provision portable boreholes1 he said the provision of basic amenities would be preferable instead of donating cash1 okezie said shareholders should not be shortchanged and that every fund was important when it had to do with return on investment1 also speaking mazi okechukwu unegbu former president institute of bankers of nigeria said it was the responsibility of the government to provide security for its citizens and to make the business environment right for businesses to thrive1 while i have no problem with corporate bodies contributing or donating toward improving or assisting the npf it should not be by force or seen as if it is the banks duty to fund the police force1 unegbu said the question remained whether the police utilised the money for the purpose it was meant1 he said the banks were trying in terms of support but could not control the police or do more than contributing the money1 according to him in other countries banks do not fund the police because they have good security environment contributed by various police divisions unlike nigeria where it is centralised1 he however called on banks to sponsor specific projects that would affect the lives of the police instead of donating funds1 prof. sheriffdeen tella professor of economics olabisi onabanjo university ago-iwoye told nan that banks just like any organization must engage in corporate social responsibility csr1 since the police assist the banks in security matter it is important that part of the csr be spent on them as organisations not individuals1 for example purchase of vehicles for operations can be taken up under csr not building police station1 however mr nnamdi okonkwo fidelity bank managing director told the shareholders recently that it was an initiative of the bankers committee aimed at supporting the nigerian police1 okonkwo said that the committee agreed to support the police by equipping them and as well as provide other things needed to make their jobs easier. nan1

Serena Williams ruthless against sister Venus
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serena next meets kaia kanepi the 33 year-old estonian star who beat rebecca peterson 6-3 7-6 in an earlier third round match1 serena williams despatched her older sister in two straight sets 6-1 6-2 on friday making the 30th career showdown at flushing meadows in new york a one-sided affair1 venus tried though to salvage things but it was not just her night as serena played her best match since her return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter olympia in september. she played pitch-perfect tennis to outlast her elder sister after 71 minutes on arthur ashe stadium1 however in her post match interview serena showed her sister a lot of respect1 its not easy. shes my best friend. she means the world to me. shes supportive of my career and im supportive of her career serena said1 every time she loses i feel like i do. its not very easy but its a tournament and we know theres more to life than playing each other and playing tennis1 i love her with all my heart. shes the reason im here. shes the only reason im still out here. after god i definitely owe everything to her1 the 23 grand slam winner was literally on fire against her sister merciless in her blistering returns and making venus look more like her apprentice1 kanepi had defeated simona halep 62 64 in the first round becoming the first player in us open history and just sixth in grand slam history to beat the top-seeded player in the first round1 serena and kanepi last played at this very tournament in 2014 and is the six-time grand slam quarterfinalist only defeat in a round of 16 match at a major tournament1 the highly-anticipated encounter between serena and venus was their first at the us open in three years when they faced off in the 2015 quarterfinals as serena aimed to complete the elusive calendar year grand slam1 after each held serve to start the match serena quickly caught fire winning the next seven games to edge ahead a set and a break even saving a break point early in the second set1 venus who reached the semifinals at this event last year narrowly losing to eventual champion sloane stephens interrupted her sisters momentum with a service hold but serena would not be denied on friday night. she had an insurance break and served out the victory shortly thereafter1 in all serena struck a dazzling 34 winners to just 22 unforced errors including 10 aces and won a whopping 88 per cent of points behind her first serve1 with reports by wtatennis.com1

Ekiti APC elders beg Oni to withdraw suit against Fayemi
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we hereby wish to appeal to chief segun oni and his group towithdraw the case from the federal high court abuja as to facilitatean out-of-court settlement in the interest of the apc family in ekitistate in particular and nigeria in general1 the ekiti state all progressives congress apc elders forum on fridayappealed to former gov. segun oni to withdraw the suit challengingthe eligibility of the governor-elect dr. kayode fayemi for the july14 governorship election1 the meeting which was presided over by its chairman chief george akosile asked oni to withdraw the case against the governor-elect in the interest of the party1 according to a communiqu issued at the end of the meeting the apcelders said the withdrawal of the case by oni and his group willfacilitate an out-of-court settlement1 in the communiqu signed by akosile and the forums secretary chief abiodun ajayi the apc elders resolved to send a five-man delegationto oni with a letter appealing for the withdrawal of the case1 nan reports that the ekiti apc elders forum also resolved to send a memo to fayemi toreconcile with the aggrieved segun onis group with a view to withdrawing thecase from court and their inclusion in the forthcoming administration1 from our findings the elders forum is aware that thecase is still pending in the federal high court abuja1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the apc elders came out with the position at the end of a marathon meeting heldin igbara odo in ekiti south west local government area of the state1 nan recalls that a group loyal to the former governor approached the court in abuja after the apc primary urging it to nullify fayemis candidacyon grounds that he fayemi did not properly resign from his position asminister of mines and steel development 30 days before the apc primary as dictated by the law1 fayemi had won the apc governorship primary held on may 12 in ado-ekiti the state capital by polling a total of 941 votes beating segun oni who scored 481 votes to the second place and 31 other aspirants1 the oni group also dragged fayemi to court on grounds that he was indicted by ekiti state judicial commission of inquiry set up by governor ayo fayose and handed a 10-year ban from holding public office1 oni as the claimantapplicant filed the suit before a federal highcourt abuja presided over by justice nnamdi dimgba. the suit ismarked fhcabjcs663181 joined as defendantsrespondents in the case are dr. fayemi apc and independent national electoral commission inec1 justice dimgba on 20th august issued an ex parte order for substituted service on the defendants1 nan reports that segun onis supporters said the court case was triggered by allegednon-inclusiveness ostracisation marginalisation and demonstration ofopen hatred for them by fayemis supporters1

Nigeria develops $6.7b plan for Northeast
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the nigerian envoy stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among countries of the lake chad the donors as well as humanitarian and development partners1 nigeria has developed a 6.7 billion buhari plan of action for the reconstruction rehabilitation and resettlement of northeast that had been devastated by boko haram activities sincd 20091 the nigerian envoy said that the comprehensive socio-economic plan known as buhari plan aimed to advance the humanitarian and development nexus in the country1 bande said nigeria was spearheading the event based on the need to promote across board collaboration and cooperation among countries of the lake chad region the donors and a whole range of humanitarian and development partners1 at our national level the 6.7 billion buhari plan of action for the comprehensive reconstruction rehabilitation and resettlement of the north eastern nigeria and the lake chad represents an ambitious humanitarian cum development initiative on the part of a national government1 it is to demonstrate its total and unshakable commitment to the socio-economic development of the entire area1 it is unmistakably true that beyond the current challenges lie numerous prospects for harnessing the capacity of the people and natural endowment of the area to facilitate integrated regional socio-economic development1 therefore the occasion of this side event and its subsequent follow up actions would present opportunity for enhancing the objectives of several initiatives on the lake chad such as the all lake chad governors forum which held its inaugural meeting in maiduguri nigeria in may1 also the berlin conference on the lake chad has been slated for the first week of september 2018 and would build substantially on the outcomes of the february 2017 oslo donors conference on the lake chad1 i would like to take this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to redouble efforts and commitment towards making the coming berlin conference on the lake chad of sept. 3 to 4 2018 a watershed1 this is in our collective resolve to further mobilise resources and demonstrate implicit commitment to plans that will ensure moving quickly beyond the immediate humanitarian need to concrete sustainable developmental projects capable of substantially elevating the lives of the majority of people in the region1 nigerias ambassadorpermanent representative to the un prof. tijjani bande unveiled the plan at a side event tagged strengthening the humanitarian and development partnership in the lake chad region at the un headquarters1 according to him collaboration between the humanitarian and development agencies has gained traction at the un in recent times such that the involvement of national governments is needed to make it work1 he said the protracted humanitarian and development challenges in the lake chad region had place enormous responsibilities on all to remain engaged in discussion aimed at scaling up national regional and global responses to the crisis1 these responses need to be bolstered by strengthened coordination at the un level to ensure a more synergised delivery of assistance the nigerian envoy emphasised1 let me emphasise that the recharge of the lake chad basin capacity building and restoration of livelihood through facilitation of occupational opportunities job creation skill acquisition and others are central to finding lasting solution to the problem in the region1 to realise all these would entail our collective commitment to a broad range of actions facilitated by strong international cooperation and partnership involving the un agencies and development partners like the world bank and african development bank among others bande said1 magagi louan minister of humanitarian action and disaster management of the republic of niger said the political leadership from the region were working together to ensure comprehensive response to the crisis in the lake chad1 louan said several mechanisms to address the problem included the institutionalisation of joint security architecture such as the multinational joint task force and promotion of collaborative social-economic projects under the auspices of the lake chad basin commission1 also commenting alifei moustapha permanent representative of chad to the un disclosed that chadian government had set up a new coordination mechanism across the ministries to identify local requirements and develop flexible coherent responses to address the lake chad problem1 on his part michel monthe the permanent representative of cameroon to the un stated that his country would finance resilience and socio-economic projects and called for response to humanitarian needs while simultaneously reducing risk and vulnerability1 the event sponsored by nigeria cameroon niger chad un development programme and un office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs also featured presentations by un humanitarian coordinators for the four countries. nan1

Brazils electoral court guns down Lulas candidacy
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he said either party would also be able to lodge an appeal with the supreme court over the constitutional nature of the electoral courts ruling1 a majority of brazils top electoral court shot down late friday the candidacy of popular leftist luiz inacio lula da silva in the countrys upcoming presidential vote telling the jailed former leader he cannot participate in octobers critical election1 in an extraordinary session the superior electoral court dashed lulas hopes after hours of debate with the judges voting an overwhelming 6-1 against him1 shortly thereafter the former presidents workers party pt vowed to fight with all means to secure candidacy for the leftist icon1 we will present all appeals before the courts for the recognition of the rights of lula provided by law and international treaties ratified by brazil said the party in a statement1 we will defend lula in the streets with the people because he is a candidate of hope1 lulas case was a last-minute addition to the court session. the result was expected but the vote of judge edson fachin the second to speak had momentarily rekindled suspense1 he relied on lulas recent backing from the un human rights committee which ruled that the former leader cannot be disqualified from the elections as his legal appeals are ongoing1 but the votes that followed torpedoed the former presidents bid for a third term1 lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison for accepting a luxury seaside apartment as a bribe from a construction firm1 he vehemently denied the accusations and has dismissed the charges as a political plot aimed at preventing him from standing in the elections1 the pt has stubbornly kept up its attempts to force lulas name onto the ballot box registering him as a candidate two weeks ago1 the courts decision would be open to appeal magistrate henrique neves a former electoral court member told afp1 the vote punctuated a gripping case that has roiled the country for months with lula 72 remaining the top contender among brazilians to lead latin americas largest economy despite sitting behind bars since april for accepting a bribe1 the court decision dropped late in the night but before the spots of presidential hopefuls were set to broadcast1 lula was found guilty in july 2017 and then lost a first appeal in january1 nonetheless un committee member olivier de frouville told afp that lula should be allowed to organize and campaign even from jail1 brazil is technically obliged to abide by those findings but the government in brasilia described the committees conclusions as a recommendation that is not legally binding1 former trade union leader lula is also involved in another five ongoing court cases1 but he is adored by millions of brazilians due to the prosperity brazil enjoyed under his leadership from 2003 to 20101 he left office with a popularity rating of over 80 percent1 despite the uncertainty over his ability to stand lula currently leads polls with more than double the share of his nearest challenger the right-winger jair bolsonaro1 but the pts second choice looks hopeless1 former sao paulo governor fernando haddad who will stand if lula is barred commands little popular support1 however the political chaos has had wider repercussions in the country with the currency losing 20 percent of its value against the dollar since january1 lulas social media followers remain upbeat though. the pt launched an appeal for support on twitter after which a hashtag translating as lula on the ballot box quickly began trending1

Bush, Obama set to wish McCain the final farewell
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the president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honour and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life in uniform and in public office1 late us senator john mccain will receive his final public sendoff saturday in a nationally televised ceremony featuring eulogies from two ex-presidents but with current commander in chief donald trump conspicuously absent from the proceedings1 that the men who vanquished mccain in their presidential battles were asked to speak is testament to the former war prisoners commitment to looking beyond party and signalling that americans regardless of political affiliation are rowing together in the same boat1 amid todays inflammatory political environment the message could serve as a soothing balm for a nation bruised by two years of divisive discourse1 and the absence of trump whose bitter feud with mccain has wrangled us politics during that time will serve as a final rebuke of the president highlighting the clash between a republican elder statesman and the current president from his own party1 mccains last public event before he is laid to rest sunday in a private ceremony at the us naval academy in annapolis maryland comes a day after he was accorded the rare recognition of lying in state in the us capitol1 while members of congress honored one of their own in a touching ceremony that featured an address by vice president mike pence trump was again not there1 instead he holed up in the white house and remained uncharacteristically silent on twitter during the ceremony before flying to a political event in north carolina later in the day1 mccains widow cindy his seven children and his 106-year-old mother roberta mccain joined scores of members of congress state governors diplomats and other dignitaries at the somber rotunda ceremony1 pence in his tribute told mccains family that it is deeply humbling to stand before you today at the united states capitol to commemorate the life and service of an american patriot1 republican george w. bush and democrat barack obama will deliver remarks honoring their friend and former white house challenger at a memorial service in washingtons national cathedral that mccain planned himself in recent months as he battled brain cancer1 it was an awkward message to deliver from a president who has studiously refrained from praising mccain either during his illness or since his death1 their feud took root during trumps 2016 campaign when he questioned the notion mccain was a war hero because he had been captured after his navy fighter jet was shot down over hanoi in 19671 mccain pushed back in the following months calling trumps behaviour petty and disgraceful and in one of his final acts in the senate blocked the republican effort to repeal obamas health care law known as obamacare1 mccain the aviator spent more than five years in a vietnamese prison camp returning home to launch a political career that saw him eventually run for president in 2000 but lose the nomination to bush1 eight years later he won the nomination in a contest that seemed almost predestined only to lose the election to obama who became americas first black president1 saturdays ceremony could serve as a rehabilitation of sorts for bush who will be delivering one of his most high-profile addresses since leaving the white house nearly 10 years ago1 he has endured deep criticism for controversially leading the us into war in iraq an invasion that mccain steadfastly supported at first but eventually grew to believe was a mistake1 for obama the moment will allow him to share his thoughts about a presidential campaign rival whose magnanimity in defeat only boosted his stature as an american statesman1 tonight more than any night i hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens whether they supported me or senator obama mccain said at the time1 i wish godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president1