Gov. Lalongs Director of Press dies in India
News & Trends •
by peter amine2 mr emmanuel nanle director of press and public affairs to gov. simon lalong of plateau is dead1 nanle died on tuesday night in an indian hospital according to family sources1 the sources said nanle was flown to india last thursday when his situation could not be handled locally1 mr mark longyen senior special assistant ssa to gov. lalong on media and publicity confirmed the death to news agency of nigeria nan in jos on wednesday1 longyen said the state government received the news of nanles death with shock1 the ssa could not however disclose what nanle died of but a source told nan that he died of colon cancer1 according to the source the late director was treated of the disease in january in india1

Gas explosion kills 2 in Nasarawa
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at least two persons died and 37 others injured in a gas explosion that occurred in lafia on monday . the nasarawa state government expressed shock and sadness over the explosion.1 the deputy governor mr silas agara said during on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene of the incident that the government would take the necessary steps to unravel the cause of the accident1 agara was accompanied by the commissioner of police mr. yahaya bello and chairman lafia local government malam aminu muazu1 he described the incident which occurred at monaco gas plant within the premises of natson filling station on jos road lafia as most unfortunate1 he expressed his condolences and sympathy to the victims on behalf of gov. umaru al-makur and assured the people of governments readiness to respond to the emergency and ensure a thorough investigation of the incident1 agara applauded the security and emergency response teams for their quick intervention and advised the public to stay away from the scene to allow relevant agencies carry out their investigation into the matter1 he and his entourage later visited the 37 victims with various degrees of injuries at the dalhatu araf specialist hospital lafia1 on the casualty figure mrs faustina alegbe the federal road safety corps frsc sector commander in the state told nan that two persons died while 37 people were injured1 so far 37 people are receiving treatment in the hospital but two have been confirmed dead by the doctors1 tomorrow we will go back to the hospital to do an update. but i can tell you that i was in the hospital myself to do a physical count and as at now 37 are receiving treatment with two dead she said. nan1

Minimum wage: Labour draws battle line with govt
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according to him this is where we are and we think that it is proper that we put the fact before our members1 there are fears that nigerian workers will not enjoy the new minimum wage being proposed by government any time soon as members of the committee on national minimum wage set up for the new salary have started trading blames for the delay in their assignment1 mr ayuba wabba nlc president told newsmen on monday in abuja that the labour committee wasable to complete its own assignment but was disappointed that governments side had failed to deliver 1 however just before we conclude the minister of labour spoke at an occasion as a representative of the federal government that they needed to go and consult before arriving at a figure1 we felt that since this committee was inaugurated in november and everybody was aware that all stakeholders needed to tidy up whatever consultations they needed to do and make sure that we are able to work within that timeline1 clearly speaking they are not prepared to produce a figure by that date. but our report has been completed. what is left is just to agree on a particular figure as minimum wage1 all the parameters to be used to arrive at a figure are there. i can say clearly that states have sent in memorandums1 in fact 21 states sent in memorandums with about 12 quoting figures neca has submitted a figure organised labour has submitted a figure1 with this new development they are saying that they want to consult we could say that it is not a fair process if somebody is saying at this point that he has not consulted he said1 wabba noted that the organised labour would meet formally and issue a formal statement and also see how they would ensure that the interest of nigerian worker was not in any way undermined1 the nigeria labour congress nlc says the committee on national minimum wage has yet to agree on a figure for the new minimum wage for the nigerian workers1 labour leaders have already called for our organ meetings where we will brief our members1 already it is in public domain that both the government and labour agreed that the timeline must be respected and they were saying that september is not feasible1 we are committed to respecting the timeline and that is why we left everything we are doing to do the needful to be able to do a good job1 all the parameters you can think of have been considered and the report is ready. but the only thing missing is the issue of the figure1 the nlc president also recalled that individual states had quoted figures and every state was given the opportunity to make its own presentation1 he also noted that a letter was written to every state by the secretariat to send in their memo making their inputs and 21 of them actually made inputs1 you are aware of the figures quoted by organised labour. we have enough data to do justice to the work and we have actually done justice to the work. i am telling you that this is what has happened1 so there was enough time for everybody to make input. this should have been consummated but some people are saying they need time for consultation1 we thought that should not have been the situation because of the importance of the issue to nigerian workers and the workers can also not continue to be patient he said1

FEMA confused over cause of Abuja earth tremor
News & Trends •
abass however said that the activities of the drillers had since been stopped adding that if it was man-made it should not reoccur until their activities returned1 by bukola adewumi1 mr idris abass the director-general of the agency told the news agency of nigeria nan on tuesday in abuja that the agency was yet to establish whether it was man-made or natural1 he however said that if it was a natural phenomenon nothing would stop it because it could only stop on its own1 like the information we earlier passed it only happened for a while and stopped but today we are happy to report that there is no case of the tremor again1 the d-g said that it had not been established whether the tremor was man-made or natural1 he noted that if it was natural it was bound to happen again after 12 years1 if it is caused by the activities of those who are blasting and drilling boreholes around the areas it can also reoccur1 few days after some abuja residence experienced earth tremor in areas such as mpape maitama gwarinpa and kubwa the fct emergency management agency fema has expressed uncertainty over the cause1 we are carrying out adequate steps to determine what happened last week maybe it is a natural cause but we want to assure the public that nigeria is not on the zone of earthquakes1 some people are arguing that tremor is an earthquake earthquake is the total destruction of activities buildings and the earth itself1 from what we have seen there is no trace of any crack on the wall or on the earth when the shaking occurred he said1 he said that fema would collaborate with other agencies especially the geological survey of nigeria to ensure that it unraveled the situation1 on our own part we are developing the response plan for this kind of emergency disaster1 he said that fema would embark on advocacy and sensitisation to the general public to tell them what to do and what not to do in case of any reoccurrence1 he said that fema would also inform the public that if it was a natural phenomenon adding that nothing could be done to stop it1

I earn more than university graduates Tricyclist brags
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by ahmed abba1 a young tricyclist keke napep rider on tuesday in damaturu has proudly stated that he makes more money than what a fresh graduate earns as salary1 bukar babagana a tricyclist disclosed in an interview with new agency of nigeria nan in damaturu that he averagely made four thousand naira every day1 most of the times i make five to six thousand naira unless am not fit or my vehicle is grounded1 after all expenses i save two thousand naira everyday which is more than what most of the university graduate who so lucky to be employed earn as their take home1 while responding to a question whether he envies other young men that work and earn salaries babagana said i dont envy them sometimes i help some of them1 he added that this business is a secret to financial freedom to whoever takes it serious1 significant portion of nigerian youth have ventured into keke napep business due the fact that it gives them a better option of not staying ideal1

Group plans protest march to NASS over INEC budget delay
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election monitor wants to remind all members of the national assembly that they were elected to serve in the best interest of nigerians. inec has an approved election project plan epp which guides it in effective election implementation1 a civil society organisation election monitor says it will moblise nigerians to march to the national assembly in protest against continued delay in passage of budget for the 2019 general elections1 he said it was unfortunate and completely unacceptable that the national assembly was considering postponing its resumption until the second week in october because its members were going to take part in political party primaries1 ajijola queried thee logic in going for primaries and refusing to conclusively approve the budget for the same election the legislators wished to participate in1 he said that nigerians needed to ask why it was taking so long for the national assembly to pass the 2019 general elections budget and the implications of further delay1 the convener said that there was no urgency on the part legislators to pass the budget for the 2019 general elections even as the political party primary window had been open for three weeks1 abiodun ajijola convener election monitor in statement on tuesday in abuja said the peaceful protest would be held on sept. 131 with the current and proposed delays it would be arduous if at all possible to meet all necessary benchmarks within the required timelines1 therefore there must be no further delay the current intentional delay of approving the general elections budget is precarious for the peace and stability of nigeria1 election monitor and the movement for transparent elections is calling on all well meaning nigerians to come out for a peaceful march to the national assembly at 8am on sept. 13 to demand that the 2019 general elections budget is passed on or before sept. 181 take off point is unity fountain abuja the dress code is white with a touch of green green cap hat. you should bring a nigerian flag any size is okay1 according to him if there is further delay in passing and releasing the 2019 elections budget beyond sept. 18 the group will call for sustained protests daily and simultaneously nationwide until the whole election budget is passed and released to inec1 he expressed optimism that the nation would overcome every agenda and attempt to truncate the hard-fought democracy1

Amaechi: N45m paid for Buharis forms contributed by hundreds of people
News & Trends •
the president has put the first step forward to show that he wants to run for the second time for the presidency of the federal republic of nigeria he said1 the minister of transportation rotimi amaechi said on tuesday that the expression of interest and nomination forms presented to president muhammadu buhari were purchased by a large number of people who made contributions1 a group known as nigeria consolidation ambassador network ncan presented expression of interest and nomination forms to buhari for the 2019 presidential election1 the group said it purchased the forms to encourage the president to seek re-election and continue his developmental strides1 amaechi said that the gesture showed that the all progressives congress apc was ready for the 2019 election1 this is a group of persons some people paid less than n1 million some paid n50000 it is a group of hundreds of thousands of people that came together to buy form for the president1 i do not see any law we have broken by that1 not one person bought the form for mr president not one person brought the money not two persons not three what we saw from their database is hundreds of thousands of persons that raised the money1 you can see the huge delegation that came it is an indication that we are prepared for the election1 amaechi who is also the director-general buhari campaign organisation made this clarification while briefing state house correspondents shortly after the forms were presented to buhari at the presidential villa1 on his part apcs national secretary alhaji mai mala buni said that even in advanced democracies once the national executive committee nec of a party passed a vote of confidence on the president nobody would contest with him1 according to buni nec is the highest organ of the party to take decisions where every interest is represented1 so nec of apc has passed vote of confidence on mr president that means every apc member endorsed mr president1 it is a democracy we are not saying nobody should come out and contest but the president has right of first refusal he said1 more so farouk aliyu chairman board of trustees ncan told state house correspondents in an interview that the forms were purchased with contributions from across the country1 he said the ncan was excited that buhari accepted the forms adding that the group would go back to their localities and work towards the re-election of buhari in the 2019 presidential polls1 what motivated the young nigerians to buy the forms is their belief that whatever the president is doing is for the future of the younger ones he said1 apc had earlier pegged its presidential nomination fee to n55 million but later reduced it to n45 million1

Gov Ortom swears in first female HoS in Benue
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anything that you do in secret god will definitely see and he will ask you to give account1 by nicholas dechi1 ortom said in markudi that since the creation of the state in 1976 a woman had not been appointed as its head of service1 this is the first time the state will be having a woman as the head of service. this is made possible by divine providence and because my administration is gender sensitive he said1 the governor urged the new hos to be committed to her duties stressing that the oath she had taken was a commitment to god and humanity1 if you do otherwise on the day of reckoning you will give account of your stewardship1 makurdi sept. 11 2018 nan benue state governor samuel ortom on tuesday swore in mrs veronica onyeke as the first female head of service hos in the state1 your appointment came at a time the civil service was facing a lot of challenges ranging from indiscipline absenteeism and inability of the government to clear salary arrears among others he said1 ortom charged the hos not to fail in disciplining and motivating the staff for optimum performance1 the governor told the head of service to evolve policies that would turn around the civil service by rekindling hard work and dedication to duty in the civil servants1 he expressed his belief in the ability of the new head of service to discharge her responsibilities creditably1 responding onyeke said she was overwhelmed with joy for the privilege given her to serve in the exalted position1 she assured the governor that she would not disappoint the government and thanked him for the confidence reposed in her1

Buhari commits to building corrupt-free Nigeria, collects nomination form
News & Trends •
president buhari however condemned the way and manner the 2007 general election was handled saying the result of the election was a disgrace to the nation2 president muhammadu buhari on tuesday received expression of interest and nomination forms and reiterated his administrations determination to continue on the path of building a strong virile and corrupt-free nigeria2 he observed that the all progressives congress apc would now be stronger as the weakest politicians had left the party2 president buhari who was referring to the defections that engulfed the party in recent times said those who left the party could not place national interest above their selfish interest in line with the objectives of the administration2 the president who highlighted the achievements of his administration in the past three years said corruption has been fighting back from both within and outside the administration2 these achievements over the past three years had not been easy. corruption has been fighting back from both within and outside but we held our ground2 today im pleased to say the weakest amongst us those whose selfish expectations did not align with our patriotic zeal had exited our party2 we are now a party of strong and patriotic individuals who are ready willing and able to continue on this journey of building secured self- sufficient and corruption-free nigeria2 i am honoured today to receive this nomination form which your members from all over the country contributed to buy2 it is a gesture from an association of patriotic nigerians which i was made to believe comprises of over three million members which believed in our principle of bringing positive things to nigeria he said2 president buhari who expressed gratitude for being honoured by the ncan said that his vision to rescue the nation began in 20022 the president who narrated his political history said his decision to contest for the presidential seat in 2007 was informed by the sorry and hopeless state the nation had found itself in 20062 he added that his decision was predicated on the state of hopelessness in the country where selfish interest of elected leaders superseded national interest2 the president spoke after receiving the forms bought for him by the nigeria consolidation ambassador network ncan at the presidential villa abuja2 he thanked the leadership and members of ncan who contributed part of their meagre resources to buy the expression of interest and nomination forms2 the deputy chairman board of trustees of the ncan mr chukwuemeka nwajiuba said the association is a network of young nigerians in various fields of endeavour who had been keeping tab of the policies programmes and projects of the buhari administration2 he said the association was doing this with a view to making an informed contribution towards the growth of a virile and stable country2 according to him in spite all the challenges the buhari administration has delivered and continues to deliver on its promises and other matters arising in the course of governance2 from the massive re-establishment of security of life and property by reclaiming the territorial integrity of our country even in the face of threat from within to the redirection and strengthening of our economy by increased productive capacity in agriculture and financial prudence even in the face of an almost negative balance sheet in 20152 the massive infrastructural development whilst growing our reserves2 he has also reined in systemic corruption by firmly enforcing even erstwhile policies which no one had the courage or the strength of character to enforce be it the tsa the ippsa the egp the operating freedom of law enforcement in dutiful compliance with the laws of our land. the list is endless2 nigerians for the first time in many years could see a leader who painstakingly took decisions solely on the bases of national interest above his or anyone elses2 a leader who belongs to all and behooving to our country and to god only who in his infinite mercy brought our president back from the brink of death and restored him to strength and vigour2 he said the association whose network seeks to consolidate these gains has decided to contribute its intellect and little earnings towards ensuring that the president was encouraged to continue with his good works to nigeria2 it is on account of the resolve of these ambassadors that they proceeded to obtain the nomination form for the president from the all progressives congress to encourage mr president to seek to be re-elected for another term to help consolidate the work he is doing he said2 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the highpoint of the event was the handing over of the apc presidential nomination form by the national coordinator members of the board of trustees of the consolidation ambassadors network of nigeria to the president2

Okupe, Accord Party chief, chairs Sarakis media campaign team
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dr doyin okupe has been appointed the chairman of the media council of the bukola saraki campaign organisation2 okupe until now was the south west leader of the accord party and chairs the partys committee to discuss with the coalition of united political parties2 the director general of the campaign mohammed wakil said dr okupe will work with other professionals on the team to effectively communicate the campaign messages of the senate president to nigerians and the international community2 okupe who is a medical doctor and politician served as the national publicity secretary of the defunct national republican convention nrc in the aborted third republic2 he has also worked as the director of communications during the presidential campaigns of two former presidents olusegun obasanjo and goodluck jonathan2 he later served as a senior special assistant on media and public affairs to both presidents2

Addressing suicide on a united front
People •
addressing suicide on a united front1

Djokovic wins 3rd US Open, matches Sampras record
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i was so happy to be playing the final against this magnificent idol added del potro of his close friend djokovic1 novak djokovic clinched his third us open title on sunday with a 6-3 7-6 74 6-3 triumph over juan martin del potro taking him level with pete samprass mark of 14 grand slams1 it was also the third time the 31-year-old serb who missed last years tournament with an elbow injury which sent his career into a mini-crisis completed the wimbledon-us open double1 i want to say pete i love you youre my idol said djokovic of sampras1 to the support of the loved ones my kids my wife my small team of people that has been there with me through difficult times as well added the serb who underwent elbow surgery after the australian open in january1 for world number three del potro it was a heartbreaking experience coming in just his second slam final nine years after he was crowned us open champion before a long battle with wrist injuries pushed him into depression and to the brink of retirement1 when i had my surgery i could truly understand what juan martin was going through when he had surgeries that kept him away form the tour for two or three years added djokovic1 it was djokovics 15th win over the del potro and fifth in five at the slams1 it came in a final which was business-like rather than thrilling a relief for a tournament still reeling from the controversial womens final on saturday1 the result also means that 50 of the last 55 majors have been won by the big four of federer nadal djokovic and andy murray1 del potro backed djokovic to surpass federers mark of 20 slams1 of course he can. novak has everything to make records in this sport said the argentine1 djokovic playing in his eighth final in new york and already the champion in 2011 and 2015 is now just three slams behind rafael nadal and six back from the all-time record 20 held by roger federer1 he knows that hes one of my friends on tour and he knows hes one player i want to watch win on tour. of course im sad to lose but im happy for novak as well. you deserve to win1 with the arthur ashe stadium roof closed as heavy rain swept new york conditions were slow and sluggish1 after taking just two points off del potros first three service games djokovic in his 23rd final at the majors pounced to break for 5-31 the key was his success with a lung-busting 22-shot rally and he pocketed the set when the 29-year-old del potro netted a forehand1 it was only the second set dropped by the argentine at the tournament1 for djokovic it was an illustration of him growing into the championships as he took his run of consecutive sets won to 14 stretching back to the second round against tennys sandgren1 djokovic was soon 3-1 up in the second set before del potro carved out his first break point of the match to level at 3-31 he had three more chances in the eighth all saved by djokovic in a marathon 20-minute game which left even hollywood superstar meryl streep clasping her head in astonishment1 the effort took its toll on a suddenly weary-looking del potro as a 95-minute set was claimed by djokovic in the tiebreak1 del potro was looking at having to become the first man since pancho gonzales in 1949 to win the us title from two sets down1 djokovic sprinted into a 3-1 lead in the third set before a battling del potro clung on hitting back for 3-31 but off the back of a 24-shot rally djokovic broke again for 5-3 and he was within tantalising touching distance of his 14th grand slam title just three months after he had left roland garros in despair after a shattering quarter-final exit1

Serena Williams gathers support over sexism charge
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when a woman is emotional shes hysterical and shes penalized for it king tweeted. when a man does the same hes outspoken1 serena williamss claim that the code violations that sparked her meltdown in the us open final were sexist stirred debate with wta tour chief executive steve simon backing her on sunday1 osaka out-played her childhood hero to become the first japanese player to win a grand slam but her accomplishment was swamped in the controversy surrounding 23-time grand slam champion williams1 the american superstar claimed that chair umpire carlos ramos meted out penalties for infractions that male players could have gotten away with specifically a violation for verbal abuse after she called him a thief and a liar for warning her for coaching from her players box then docking her a point when a racquet abuse violation followed1 eventually she was docked a game putting osaka on the brink of victory1 simon said the affair brought to the forefront the question of whether different standards are applied to men and women in the officiating of matches. the wta believes that there should be no difference in the standards of tolerance provided to the emotions expressed by men vs. women and is committed to working with the sport to ensure that all players are treated the same he said.1 we do not believe that this was done last night1 williams was most incensed by the first code violation she received for coaching from her box1 its not clear if she even saw the hand gestures by coach patrick mouratoglou sitting her box although he admitted in an interview with espn that he was trying to advise her and said all coaches do it1 yes i was coaching just like everybody else. we have to stop this hypocrisy. furthermore serena didnt even see my gestures. she felt humiliated by the warning said the frenchman1 simon said the sport as a whole should examine the rules on coaching noting that the wta already allows on-court coaching during regular tour events if a player requests it1 us great billie jean king addressed both issues also seeing things williamss way1 williams was handed three code violations and docked a point and then a game in her 6-2 6-4 loss to naomi osaka in the flushing meadows final1 national organization of women president toni van pelt weighed in with a statement calling for the usta to sever any ties to ramos for a blatantly racist and sexist move1 williamss pleas to referee brian earley and a grand slam supervisor called to the court after she failed to get satisfaction from ramos were to no avail1 the usta said in a statement after the match that the decision to hand out the final code violation and game penalty was not reviewable1 because im a woman youre going to do this to me she fumed on court and after the match williams didnt walk back that charge1 ive seen other men call other umpires several things she said. im here fighting for womens rights and for womens equality and for all kinds of stuff1 mens champion novak djokovic treaded warily when asked to weigh in on matter1 djokovic noted that it was an awkward situation for both competitors and tough for the umpire1 i have my personal opinion that maybe the chair umpire should not have pushed serena to the limit especially in a grand slam final he said1 he did change the course of the match. it was in my opinion maybe unnecessary. we all go through our emotions especially when youre fighting for a grand slam trophy1 however he said he wasnt sure sexism was at the root of ramoss decisions1 its hard to generalize things he said1

China outlaws Zion Church
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churches across china have faced new waves of harassment and pressure to register since a new set of regulations to govern religious affairs in china came into effect in february and heightened punishments for unofficial churches1 beijing city authorities have banned zion church one of the largest unofficial protestant churches in the city and confiscated illegal promotional materials amid a deepening crackdown on chinas underground churches1 but since april after they rejected requests from authorities to install closed-circuit television cameras in the building the church has faced growing pressure from the authorities and has been threatened with eviction1 on sunday the beijing chaoyang district civil affairs bureau said that by organizing events without registering the church was breaking rules forbidding mass gatherings and were now legally banned and its illegal promotional material had been confiscated according to images of the notice sent to reuters late on sunday and confirmed by churchgoers1 i fear that there is no way for us to resolve this issue with the authorities zions pastor jin mingri told reuters1 chinas religious affairs and civil affairs bureaux did not immediately respond to requests for comment1 chinas constitution guarantees religious freedom but since president xi jinping took office six years ago the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling communist party1 the church had for years operated with relative freedoms hosting hundreds of worshippers every weekend in an expansive specially renovated hall in north beijing1 in july more than 30 of beijings hundreds of underground protestant churches took the rare step of releasing a joint statement complaining of unceasing interference and the assault and obstruction of regular activities of believers since the new regulations came into effect1 chinas christian believers are split between those who attend unofficial house or underground churches and those who attend government-sanctioned places of worship1 churchgoers were also given a notice from the district religious affairs bureau saying that the great masses of believer must respect the rules and regulations and attend events in legally registered places of religious activity1 zions attendees were also given pamphlets of officially sanctioned churches that they might attend instead1 but for many worshippers and pastors such as jin accepting the oversight and ultimate authority of the communist party would be a betrayal of their faith1 on this land the only one we can trust in is god jin said1

Jack Ma finally sets date to quit Alibaba
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the group has the ability to nominate the majority of directors on the companys board1 jack ma the co-founder of chinas largest e-commerce firm alibaba group holding ltd will step down as chairman in exactly one year on sept. 10 2019 the company said1 ma who turned 54 on monday relinquished the role of chief executive in 2013. zhang 46 has been in the job since 2015 after serving as chief operating officer and is known as a key architect of alibabas singles day the nov. 11 event that has become the worlds largest online shopping event1 under his stewardship alibaba has seen consistent and sustainable growth for 13 consecutive quarters starting the process of passing the alibaba torch to daniel and his team is the right decision at the right time ma said in a letter released by the company1 zhang will also retain the ceo title the company said1 ma who co-founded alibaba in 1999 is one of chinas richest people with a net worth of 36.6 billion according to forbes. the company has grown to have more than 66000 full-time employees and a market value of some 420 billion1 ma said that after he steps down from his current roles he will continue to mentor management as part of the alibaba partnership a 36-member group of core company managers1 current alibaba chief executive daniel zhang will replace him as chairman while ma will complete his current term on alibabas board of directors following the companys annual general meeting in 20201 a former english teacher with no technical background ma has a large popular following in china and is seen as an icon of self-made wealth1 he is also known for his eccentric personality and has donned wigs and costumes to perform highly choreographed pop routines at company events. last year he starred alongside chinese action star jet li in a short kung fu film1 since handing over the ceo role ma has concentrated on philanthropy and promoting alibaba internationally at business and political events1 last year ma invested 300 million yuan 45 million in a rural education project in china. he has also established a scholarship program in newcastle australia1 ma who also controls alibaba payment affiliate ant financial [antfin.ul] is stepping back amid more challenging times for chinese tech companies as sales growth in chinas eastern mega-cities shows signs of slowing1 alibaba maintained robust revenue growth in the first half of 2018 but its profit margins have been squeezed by big-ticket investments as it battles to maintain pole position in payments and e-commerce1

Trump battles ICC
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the draft speech says the trump administration will fight back if the international criminal court formally proceeds with opening an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by u.s. service members and intelligence professionals during the war in afghanistan2 the united states on monday will adopt an aggressive posture against the international criminal court icc in the hague threatening sanctions against its judges if they proceed with an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by americans in afghanistan2 the united states will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court bolton will say according to a draft of his speech seen by reuters2 bolton will also say that the state department will announce the closure of the palestine liberation organization plo office in washington out of concern about palestinian attempts to prompt an icc investigation of israel2 the plo office in washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment2 the united states will always stand with our friend and ally israel says boltons draft text2 president donald trumps national security adviser john bolton is to make the announcement in a midday speech to the federalist society a conservative group in washington. it will be his first major address since joining the trump white house2 if such a probe proceeds the trump administration will consider banning judges and prosecutors from entering the united states put sanctions on any funds they have in the u.s. financial system and prosecute them in the american court system2 we will not cooperate with the icc. we will provide no assistance to the icc. we will not join the icc. we will let the icc die on its own. after all for all intents and purposes the icc is already dead to us says boltons draft text2 in addition the united states may negotiate more binding bilateral agreements to prohibit nations from surrendering americans to the hague court says the text2 the courts aim is to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes crimes against humanity and genocide2 the united states did not ratify the rome treaty that established the international criminal court in 2002 with then-president george w. bush opposed to the court. president barack obama took some steps to cooperate with the organization2 we will consider taking steps in the u.n. security council to constrain the courts sweeping powers including to ensure that the icc does not exercise jurisdiction over americans and the nationals of our allies that have not ratified the rome statute says boltons draft text2

PDP Akwa Ibom hit by another major defection
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reported by the nation2 the peoples democratic party pdp in akwa ibom state has been hit with another defection as the partys leader in ika local government area dr francis udoikpong joined the all progressives congress1 dr udoikpong a pdp state caucus member and former commissioner for health defected with about 5000 others including sir godwin idungafa a former ika local government vice chairman mr harry eduo a former ika local government secretary and councillor and uyo udom a lawyer and politician1 the defection of the pdp leader happened barely a month after deputy inspector-general of police udom ekpoudom rtd and obong otu robert akpan his counterparts in etim ekpo and ini local governments joined the apc with senator godswill akpabio former senate minority leader1 dr udoikpong also a former chairman of ika local government and past chairman of the state agency for the control of aids saca said they were leaving the pdp because the udom emmanuel administration had neglected ika a boundary local government with abia state1 he condemned inclusion of their names in emmanuel campaign organisation without their consent and demanded their names be removed1 mr ini okopido state chairman of apc who received the defectors noted that with their coming ika is now apc1 mr okopido himself an indigene of ika assured them of accommodation and equal rights as old members in the apc1 gabriel toby member for ikaetim ekpo state constituency who joined the apc recently told the crowd that with major ika political gladiators in one camp apc would sweep the 2019 elections in the area1 among apc chieftains that witnessed the defection were sir ernest ukpong and akanimo edet former house of assembly members and chief edem obot the adaha ika1

3,000 Lagosians benefit from rent-to-own scheme
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he said ambode administration also met a mortgage system on ground which had been reviewed downward because most applicants could not afford the 30 per cent down payment1 no fewer than 3000 residents have so far benefited from the lagos state governments rent-to-own schemes according to the commissioner for housing mr gbolahan lawal1 he said that the informal sector constituted about 65 per cent of the population of the state and that a mechanism had been put in place to determine their incomes and eligibility for the homes1 all our estates are for everybody irrespective of your status. we have special consideration for lagosians and we have accommodation for all categories of people in lagos1 my christmas promise will be achieved for those prospective buyers who have applied for gbagada igbogbo amuwo odofin sangotedo phase 1 houses. celebrating christmas in their new homes is feasible1 it is important to also use this medium to let lagosians know that we are committed to completing all the projects we met on ground and we are also building new ones1 so far over 3000 lagosians are now beneficiaries of our rent-to-own scheme he said1 the commissioner said the housing deficit of about 2.5 million was huge adding that the various sustainable efforts were underway including an affordable housing trust fund to be inaugurated soon1 he said that the initiative would be unveiled before the expiration of gov. akinwunmi ambodes administration in may 2019 which would give cooperative societies ample opportunities to take part in housing finance1 lawal disclosed that the ministry took over 27 housing estates at various stages of between 20 and 60 per cent completion from the last administration which needed more resources to complete1 lawal said in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan that the states housing policies captured both those in the formal and informal sectors1 the state government introduced the rent-to-own scheme where beneficiaries are required to pay only five per cent of the cost of building as commitment fee while the balance is spread over a period of 10 years1 a recent study revealed that the housing deficit for lagos is 2.5 million and the government also found out that it will take 187500 housing units yearly for five years to bridge the gap1 the government of lagos state alone cannot bridge the existing gap and so we decided to come up with lagos state affordable public housing and that is working with the private sector as a joint venture initiative1 government contribution is land then all the statutory charges the permits will also be part of the governments equity while the private sector will come up with the technical expertise the finance and all that are geared towards the supply side. the rent-to-own is the demand side he told nan1 on the various estates lawal said the igando gardens which has 492 units was more than 90 per cent completed and that the sewage would be fixed before delivery1 gbagada estate is over 95 per cent completed while igbogbo in ikorodu which has 360 units is at 85 per cent completion. amuwo odofin estate which has 84 units has been completed and will be handed over in few weeks to allottees1 akerele estate in surulere has only two blocks and the beneficiaries are already moving into their houses1 sangotedo estate in lekki has 1118 units and is at an advanced stage of completion and phase 1 is above 80 per cent completed the water and sewage will be ready before the end of september the commissioner said1 on the eganigando estate in alimosho council area which was started by the bola tinubu administration he said efforts were on to rehabilitate and complete the houses after successful integrity tests of the buildings adding that a major road leading to the estate had been constructed1 before may 2019 we should be able to hand over keys to the allottees1

FIRS goes after 6,700 billionaire tax defaulters
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firs goes after 61 700 billionaire tax defaulters1

Fayose allays Fayemis fears on debt
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fayemi was already preparing excuses for his impending failure at the tribunal fayose said1 outgoing governor ayodele fayose of ekiti on sunday allayed the concerns of governor-elect kayode fayemi who feared he would inherit humongous debt nearing n117 billion1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the governor did not cooperate with the transition committee set up by incoming-governor dr. kayode fayemi1 fayose snubbed the request by the committee for certain records of his tenure1 he claimed the committeee is illegal1 fayose in a statement by his special assistant on public communications and new media lere olayinka urged the governor-elect to stop spreading falsehood about him or the finances of his administration1 he described as mere fabrication the claim that his government had accumulated a debt of n117 billion as against the n18 billion it inherited1 with exactly 35 days to leave office fayose said his handover note was ready for the scrutiny for those making enquiries about his government1 fayose insisted that the state government under him has no obligation to relate with any committee not empowered by law stating that the governor-elect should wait for the handing over note that will be handed to him on october 161 he said it was funny that the same transition committee that claimed it did not get any information from the state government estimated the state debt at n117 billion1 he reiterated that his government only received n10 billion grant from the excess crude account which was released to all states for capital projects as well as budget support fund released to states by the federal government1 it is on record that ekiti state government was indebted to the tune of n86 013689097 as at october 16 2014 that governor fayose took over1 the debts are broken down as follows bank loans n15 831613425.62 bond n26 749796784.75 outstanding warrants n15 522552900.76 outstanding to road contractors n21 286126749 outstanding remittances to fg n709 883656.75 outstanding remittances state govt n592 995374.89 and eksg public servants outstanding emoluments n5 137888224.37 he said1 the governor counselled fayemi to face the task of defending the mandate that he stole and his fraudulent emergence as the apc candidate instead of treading the usual path of deceiving the public to cover up his failure nan1