Sarkozy blasts trial for lack of evidence
News & Trends •
i stand accused without any tangible evidence through comments made by mr kadhafi his son his nephew his cousin his spokesman his former prime minister he added1 former french president nicolas sarkozy blasted what he said was a lack of evidence for the corruption charges against him1 in his court statement published thursday morning after he was charged in one of frances most explosive political scandals in years the 63-year-old rightwinger said he had been in living hell since the allegations first emerged in 20111 demanding he be treated as a witness rather than a suspect he urged magistrates to consider the violence of the injustice if it was proven as he claims that the accusations are a manipulation by the dictator kadhafi or his gang1 in the 24 hours of my detention i have tried with all my might to show that the serious corroborating evidence required to charge someone did not exist sarkozy said in his statement1 he is being accused that late libyan dictator moamer kadhafi funded his 2007 election campaign1 judges decided they had enough evidence to charge the combative one-term president wednesday after five years of investigation and two days of questioning in police custody1 sarkozy who served from 2007-2012 was charged with corruption illegal campaign financing and concealment of libyan public money1 ive been living the hell of this slander since march 11 2011 when kadhafi first made the allegations sarkozy said1 and he lashed out at franco-lebanese businessman ziad takieddine who claims to have delivered three cash-stuffed suitcases from kadhafi in 2006 and 2007 when sarkozy was preparing his first run for president1 takieddine who claimed he provided 1.5 to 2 million euros 2.5 million in 200-euro and 500-euro notes has highly suspect characteristics and the questionable past sarkozy retorted. afp1

Dapchi schoolgirls: FG says PDP plumbs depth of infamy
News & Trends •
the federal government has accused the opposition peoples democratic party pdp of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying the abduction and release of the dapchi schoolgirls were stage-managed.2 in a statement issued in abuja on thursday the minister ofinformation and culture alhaji lai mohammed said such postulationportrays the pdp as an inhuman insensitive unpatriotic and unworthyparty2 he said since the release of the dapchi girls were negotiated byfriendly countries and reputable international organizations it wouldhave taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have stage-managed the adoption and release of the girls.2 alhaji mohammed said the reaction of the pdp amounts to an expression of sour grapes especially because the party failed woefully when itwas in power to quickly resolve a similar abduction of schoolgirls.2 as we have said many times since the abduction of the dapchischoolgirls no government is exempted from its own share oftragedies. what makes the difference is the way such tragedies aremanaged. whereas it took the pdp all of 18 days to even acknowledge the abduction of the chibok girls in 2014 the apc federal governmentacted promptly and responsively when the dapchi schoolgirls wereabducted 19 feb. 2018 hence their quick release he said.2 the minister said it is unfortunate that the pdp that failed woefullyas a ruling party has also failed grievously as an opposition partygoing by its insensitive and crude response to the release of thedapchi schoolgirls a development that calls for non-partisancelebration2 in its 16 years in power the pdp redefined governance ascluelessness massive looting of the public treasury and crudeexhibition of power. in its over three years in opposition the pdp has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition in ademocracy. how then can the pdp convince nigerians that it has learntits lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again nigeriansmust say never again to this primitive and soulless party hesaid2 alhaji mohammed said the federal government has not been responding to the amateurish and jejune statements from the pdp precisely becausethe party has failed to learn the ropes of being an opposition partyeven when we have advised them to take a crash course on the role ofthe opposition in a democracy.2 we broke our own rules this time because the pdp over-reached itselfand scored an own goal at a time it could simply have congratulatedthe government and people of nigeria on the release of the girls or just keep quiet he said.2 the minister assured nigerians that the federal government willintensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining chibokgirls and return them safely to their families just like over 100 other chibok girls who have so far been released unlike the pdp thatcould not secure the release of even one of the girls before it wasbooted out of power.2

Alleged N5.6bn fraud: ICPC to declare Jang wanted
News & Trends •
by harrison arubu5 in the light of the foregoing the commission may have no other option than to declare the former governor wanted okoduwa said1 indication to this was given by spokesperson of the commission mrs rasheedat okoduwa in a statement on thursday in abuja1 she said that jang was being investigated over alleged fraud involving about n5.6 billion but that he had continued to evade invitations to appear before the investigating team1 according to okoduwa the commission has been on the trail of the former governor now a senator since october 2017 when it opened investigation into alleged corruption-related activities during his tenure1 evidence before the icpc so far indicates that sen. jang allegedly committed the offences in march 20151 the independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission icpc said it may declare former governor of plateau sen. jonah jang wanted for refusing to honour its invitations1 she alleged that the former governor also illegally received n400 million of funds meant for plateau state universal basic education board subeb1 she added that jang also allegedly caused a former commissioner for finance in the state to illegally transfer n3.2 billion of subeb funds to the project account of the ministry of finance1 icpc has sent several invitations to jang through both the senate president and the clerk of the national assembly to come and clear his name but he has refused to honour the invitations1 also efforts to procure an arrest warrant from two different magistrates courts in the federal capital territory have been futile1 the magistrates declined to sign them even after the requisite sworn affidavit had been presented by the commission1 he allegedly received n2 billion in cash illegally out of the money which was allocated to micro small and medium enterprises msmes under the pretext of a loan to be spent on classified expenditure1

Saraki meets Bill Gates, Dangote over health financing
News & Trends •
share information on long-term vaccine financing challenges2 the president of the senate dr. bukola saraki on thursday met with microsoft founder bill gates and african business mogul alh. aliko dangote to proffer solutions to financing healthcare in nigeria2 top on the agenda of the meeting were polio eradication sustainable health financing and primary health care strengthening2 our correspondent reports that the meeting was also attended by other federal law makers the nigerian minister of health prof. isaac adewole and other internation ngos and foundations2 the meeting aims to strategise on how to provide legislative leaders with a good understanding of the gates foundations engagement in nigeria and work with the dangote foundation2 discuss ways to ensure continued polio commitment2 saraki who was accompanied by the speaker of the house of representatives rt. hon. yakubu dogara had the breakfast with the business magnates and philanthropists at the transcorp hilton in abuja2 hear thoughts from legislative leadership on government commitment and leadership to primary health care strengthening and discuss possible areas to work together2 speaking at the meeting the american business magnate gates commended saraki for his efforts in the healthcare systems in nigeria especially in the fight against polio2 gates particularly hailed the senates president for his role in 2009 as chairman of the nigeria governors forum ngf saying that his intervention then was a turning point in the fight against polio in nigeria2 some of the talking points of the meeting include recognition of the important role that nigerian legislators play in improving health care delivery in nigeria through appropriate legislation and accountability2 updates on polio in nigeria and discussion of ways to ensure continued effort and appropriate resourcing2 gates and dangote foundation investments in immunization and challenges nigeria may face in long-term financing including transition from gavi2

Video confession of 23-year-old serial bomber found
News & Trends •
read more18 the 23-year-old mark conditt serial bomber whose deadly attacks terrorized austin texas for weeks left a 25-minute video confession on a cell phone1 conditt an unemployed man from the suburb of pflugerville detailed how he made all seven bombs that have been accounted for five that exploded1 one of the bombs was recovered before it went off and a seventh he detonated as officers rushed his vehicle early on wednesday1 but the video failed to reveal a coherent motive for the attacks spread over the past three weeks police said1 he does not at all mention anything about terrorism nor does he mention anything about hate but instead it is the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his personal life austin police chief brian manley told reporters1 i would classify this as a confession manley said1 the phone was found after he blew himself up on wednesday as officers closed in to make an arrest police said1 based on their search of the suspects home and his video statement authorities said they felt confident that there were no other bombs and that the public was safe from further harm1 fbi special agent christopher combs said investigators believe the suspect would have continued his attacks had he not been apprehended1 police recovered a target list of addresses for future bombings the los angeles times reported citing u.s. representative michael mccaul of texas the republican chairman of the house homeland security committee. even so the video gave no explanation for the individuals and addresses singled out as recipients of the bombs that were planted or shipped manley said.1 police previously said they had considered the possibility that the attacks were racially motivated noting that the first several victims including the two who died were either african-american or hispanic1 conditt likely recorded the video between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on tuesday1 according to manley conditt said he believed police were getting very close to him and he was right. authorities filed a criminal complaint and issued an arrest warrant around that time1 conditt who had never before been in trouble with the law killed two people and wounded five with a campaign of violence that began on march 2 authorities said1

Dapchi schoolgirls: FG says PDP plumbs depth of infamy
News & Trends •
the federal government has accused the opposition peoples democratic party pdp of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying the abduction and release of the dapchi schoolgirls were stage-managed.2 in a statement issued in abuja on thursday the minister ofinformation and culture alhaji lai mohammed said such postulationportrays the pdp as an inhuman insensitive unpatriotic and unworthyparty2 he said since the release of the dapchi girls were negotiated byfriendly countries and reputable international organizations it wouldhave taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have stage-managed the adoption and release of the girls.2 alhaji mohammed said the reaction of the pdp amounts to an expression of sour grapes especially because the party failed woefully when itwas in power to quickly resolve a similar abduction of schoolgirls.2 as we have said many times since the abduction of the dapchischoolgirls no government is exempted from its own share oftragedies. what makes the difference is the way such tragedies aremanaged. whereas it took the pdp all of 18 days to even acknowledge the abduction of the chibok girls in 2014 the apc federal governmentacted promptly and responsively when the dapchi schoolgirls wereabducted 19 feb. 2018 hence their quick release he said.2 the minister said it is unfortunate that the pdp that failed woefullyas a ruling party has also failed grievously as an opposition partygoing by its insensitive and crude response to the release of thedapchi schoolgirls a development that calls for non-partisancelebration2 in its 16 years in power the pdp redefined governance ascluelessness massive looting of the public treasury and crudeexhibition of power. in its over three years in opposition the pdp has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition in ademocracy. how then can the pdp convince nigerians that it has learntits lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again nigeriansmust say never again to this primitive and soulless party hesaid2 alhaji mohammed said the federal government has not been responding to the amateurish and jejune statements from the pdp precisely becausethe party has failed to learn the ropes of being an opposition partyeven when we have advised them to take a crash course on the role ofthe opposition in a democracy.2 we broke our own rules this time because the pdp over-reached itselfand scored an own goal at a time it could simply have congratulatedthe government and people of nigeria on the release of the girls or just keep quiet he said.2 the minister assured nigerians that the federal government willintensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining chibokgirls and return them safely to their families just like over 100 other chibok girls who have so far been released unlike the pdp thatcould not secure the release of even one of the girls before it wasbooted out of power.2

India successfully tests supersonic BrahMos cruise missile
News & Trends •
india thursday successfully flight tested its supersonic brahmos cruise missile in the western state of rajasthan the countrys defence minister said1 the missile was flight tested from pokhran test range in rajasthan on thursday morning1 defence minister nirmala sitharaman tweeted the precision strike weapon with indian-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory and hit the target with pin-point accuracy1 the successful test will further bolster our national security1 the land and sea variants of brahmos supersonic cruise missile are already operational with the indian army and the indian navy1 in november 2017 india successfully flight tested the air version of brahmos missile from its fighter jet sukhoi-30mki against a sea-based target in the bay of bengal1 nan reports that a brahmos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine as its first stage which brings it to supersonic speed and then gets separated1 it is the worlds fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation. xinhuanan1

In Kaduna, technical colleges get tech. production centres
News & Trends •
we were recently at the technical college kajuru and i can say that i am particularly fascinated by the kind of products the students of the college were producing1 by philip yatai1 mrs kande bage the permanent secretary ministry of education science and technology gave this hint in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in kaduna1 according to her the effort is to promote skills development creativity innovation and invention for self-reliance and to encourage local production of goods in nigeria1 bage who said that the centres would be equipped with all the needed facilities and equipment to make the project a success noted that the development would boost the morale of the students1 the permanent secretary expressed optimism that the centres when established would encourage the students to produce those things that they know how to produce with ease1 she said that the state government would ensure that the host communities of these technical colleges as well as government ministries departments and agencies patronise them1 the kaduna state government said on thursday that it would establish technology production centres in all its technical colleges to further develop the technical skills of students1 they were fabricating soya beans threshing machines as well as producing folded chairs tables beds and so many other fascinating products of high quality1 if they continue with this tempo i assure you that most of them will become self-reliant1 this will help to eradicate poverty and promote locally made goods bage said1 she said that the state government had distributed tablet computers to the students of the college to encourage technical skills and innovation1 we have so far distributed 15000 of these computers to 31 boarding schools in the state as part of the efforts to equip our students with information and communication technology skills bage said1 the permanent secretary said that she was at the college to inspect the facilities and to solve a problem in one of the hostels1

Saraki meets Bill Gates, Dangote over health financing
News & Trends •
share information on long-term vaccine financing challenges2 the president of the senate dr. bukola saraki on thursday met with microsoft founder bill gates and african business mogul alh. aliko dangote to proffer solutions to financing healthcare in nigeria2 top on the agenda of the meeting were polio eradication sustainable health financing and primary health care strengthening2 our correspondent reports that the meeting was also attended by other federal law makers the nigerian minister of health prof. isaac adewole and other internation ngos and foundations2 the meeting aims to strategise on how to provide legislative leaders with a good understanding of the gates foundations engagement in nigeria and work with the dangote foundation2 discuss ways to ensure continued polio commitment2 saraki who was accompanied by the speaker of the house of representatives rt. hon. yakubu dogara had the breakfast with the business magnates and philanthropists at the transcorp hilton in abuja2 hear thoughts from legislative leadership on government commitment and leadership to primary health care strengthening and discuss possible areas to work together2 speaking at the meeting the american business magnate gates commended saraki for his efforts in the healthcare systems in nigeria especially in the fight against polio2 gates particularly hailed the senates president for his role in 2009 as chairman of the nigeria governors forum ngf saying that his intervention then was a turning point in the fight against polio in nigeria2 some of the talking points of the meeting include recognition of the important role that nigerian legislators play in improving health care delivery in nigeria through appropriate legislation and accountability2 updates on polio in nigeria and discussion of ways to ensure continued effort and appropriate resourcing2 gates and dangote foundation investments in immunization and challenges nigeria may face in long-term financing including transition from gavi2

$9 Million Dollars Cash found in Boroh's Residence
News & Trends •
efcc4 paul boroh1 niger delta1 coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme1 retired brig.-gen. paul tarelah boroh1

Lassa fever : Ebonyi to campaign against rat consumption
News & Trends •
by chukwuemeka opara4 we encourage the people to keep their environments clean to improve their health he said. nan2 the state commissioner for environment chief donatus njoku told the news agency of nigeria nan on monday in abakaliki that the government would explore all avenues to dissuade the citizens from consuming rats2 nan reports that lassa fever outbreak in the state in january resulted in four deaths and it is believed thatinhabitants of the state erroneously believe rats have high nutritional value2 njoku said rats are the primary vectors of the disease and we are vigorously carrying out enlightenment through mass media workshops seminars and various ministries communication channels2 we will collaborate with traditional rulers and other opinion leaders at the grassroots to educate rural dwellers to shun such a notion and realise that rat is the diseases primary vector2 we have also continued to sensitise the populace to urgently report suspected cases to relevant health agencies2 in an effort to prevent further outbreak of lassa fever ebonyi government is to begin intensive campaigns against rat consumption in rural areas2 on sanitation njoku said that contrary to insinuations non-observance of the monthly sanitation in the state did not affect effective sanitation2 state and federal government functions sometimes fall on the last saturday of the month and when this occurs we have to comply2 the state government has evolved policies which make the populace to clean their environments on daily basis and not wait for designated days he said2 njoku told nan that the state ministry of environment ensured that state government ministries and parastatal-agencies cleaned their environments daily as directed by the governor2 we assess their performances to ascertain the level of compliance to show his seriousness toward the directive the governor visits the ministries for on-the-spot assessments2 with the total functionality of the state government-owned south-east virology centre such an occurrence can be expeditiously handled2

Toyin Saraki named WHO adviser
News & Trends •
wife of the president of the senate toyin saraki has been named as special adviser to the independent advisory group iag of the world health organisations who regional office for africa afro2 the media office of toyin saraki in a statement in abuja on monday said the appointment was made earlier this month by whos regional director for africa dr. matshidiso moeti2 this move is intended to bring mrs sarakis considerable frontline experience to bear on whos strategy and policy2 toyin ojora-saraki had since accepted the appointment based on the advisory groups focus on women and childrens health and in view of her role as a global champion for universal healthcare coverage uhc2 i welcome the advisory group meetings focus on the health of women children and adolescents as flagship indicators for universal healthcare coverage uhc progress2 as a global champion for uhc i advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects2 as global goodwill ambassador for the international confederation of midwives i particularly welcome the introduction of who afros focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of midwives and nurses in africa she said2 i am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special adviser at the independent advisory group meeting this week in johannesburg2 the experience i have gained as founder-president of the wellbeing foundation africa working closely with our midwives on the frontline as part of the global every woman every child strategy to end all preventable maternal newborn and child deaths including stillbirths by 2030 will inform my advice to the who she added2

NDLEA arrests trailer load of cough syrups containing codeine
News & Trends •
the trailer was arrested by the ndlea operatives at the companys warehouse located in dutsen-reme area1 by zubairu idris1 the ndlea state commandant hajiya maryam gambo sani disclosed this during a press briefing to newsmen on tuesday in katsina1 she said that six persons were arrested in connection with the drug cargo. according to her those arrested were the driver of the vehicle his assistant and two conductors1 sani said other people arrested were the manager of sunglow equity nig ltd who is suspected to be owner of the drugs and the salesman of the company1 state governments north of nigeria are generally suspicious of cough syrups containing codeine as people abuse the codeine content a kind of opiate like cocaine or heroin. users get high on it leading to many cases of drug addiction1 according to reports many users actually buy it when they cannot afford more expensive drugs such as heroin diamorphine or other opiateopioid drugs1 as an opiate codeine is also used to treat pain and diarrhea. internationally codeine is not a banned drug1 the katsina state government is yet to make a law banning the use of the drug and it is unclear under which law the ndlea will prosecute the suspects1 the national drugs law enforcement agency ndlea has arrested a trailer loaded with 24000 bottles of cough syrups containing codeine in funtua local government area of katsina state1 sani said that the trailer came from onitsha1 she said that the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution1 sani also said that 12 students of tertiary institutions in the state were arrested for drugs related offences1 the commandant said that the items seized from the students included 159 bottles of cough syrups with codeine 160.6 grams of cannabis sativa and 50.7 grams of rohypnol rochee1 she also said that a total of 186 persons were apprehended between january and march 2018 for drugs related offences in the state1 sani said that 57.8 kilograms of assorted hard drugs and 25254 bottles of cough syrups with codeine were seized from the suspects1 she added that 8.4489 kilograms of psychotropic substances were seized from the suspects during the period under review1 sani urged the public to continue to assist the command in its efforts of fight against drug abuse and trafficking1

Germany confirms H5N6 bird flu case on island farm
News & Trends •
german authorities have confirmed outbreak of the highly pathogenic h5n6 bird flu type at a farm on an island off the german north sea coast the schleswig-holstein state agriculture ministry said on wednesday1 the virus was found on a farm of with 57 chickens turkeys ducks and geese on the island of hallig suederoog. all the birds on the farm have been culled1 it is said to be the first case on a farm in germany the ministry said1 a case of h5n6 bird flu was also reported by a farm in the netherlands in february and in southern england in january1 the schleswig-holstein state agriculture ministry said there is no record of the strain of the disease spreading to humans1 some past outbreaks of bird flu have required expensive slaughtering campaigns and costly orders to farmers to keep poultry indoors1 sourcehttpsuk.reuters.comarticleus-birdflu-germanygermany-confirms-h5n6-bird-flu-case-on-island-farm-idukkbn1gx11

Bill Cosbys trial: Judge rejects 90-day delay
News & Trends •
the trial irrevocably damaged the once towering icon of us popular culture loved by millions as americas dad and best known for his seminal role as a father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 tv series the cosby show1 a us judge on monday delayed by just a few days the start of bill cosbys sexual assault trial throwing out a bid by defense lawyers for a three-month postponement1 cosbys defense team headed by tom mesereau the celebrity los angeles attorney who got michael jackson acquitted of child molestation in 2005 had requested a longer delay of 90 days which oneill denied1 it marks the second time that 80-year-old comedian will go on trial accused of drugging and molesting a former university basketball official at his philadelphia home in 20041 in june oneill declared a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in norristown pennsylvania1 judge steven oneill moved jury selection to april 2 instead of march 29 as originally scheduled to hear outstanding pre-trial motions on march 29 and 301 around 60 women have publicly accused the emmy-winning actor of being a serial sexual predator but most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute meaning that the trial last year concerned only one of the alleged victims1 the pennsylvania judge ruled last week that five additional women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by cosby can testify at the re-trial having last time ruled that only one other accuser could take the stand1 cosby now frail and isolated risks spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted1 the actor denies the charges saying his relations with andrea constand were consensual1 the canadian has said cosby gave her pills that left her semi-conscious then made sexual advances a story similar to those recounted by many of the other accusers1

Actress Cynthia Nixon joins New York governorship race
News & Trends •
new york the fourth most populous state in the united states goes to the polls to elect a governor on november 6. but nixon remains a left-field candidate with cuomo very much the favored contender ahead of the democratic party primary on september 131 cynthia nixon the us actress who shot to international fame as workaholic lawyer miranda on sex and the city is running for new york governor unveiling monday a progressive platform championing greater equality and eschewing big business1 the move confirmed growing speculation that nixon intended to challenge incumbent democratic state governor andrew cuomo which went into overdrive last week when her wife christine marinoni stepped down from her job at the citys department of education1 i love new york and today im announcing my candidacy for governor. join us1 cynthia nixon @cynthianixon1 the actress and liberal activist who has campaigned for gay marriage public schools and access to womens healthcare threw her hat into the ring saying she was sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us1 our leaders are letting us down. we are now the most unequal state in the entire country with both incredible wealth and extreme poverty. half the kids in our upstate cities live below the poverty line. how did we let this happen she said on the video1 i love new york. ive never wanted to live anywhere else but something has to change. we want our government to work again on health care ending mass incarceration fixing our broken subway1 together we can win this fight finished the new york born and raised nixon who said she grew up with her mother in what she called a one-bedroom fifth-floor walk-up1 the 51-year-old declared her candidacy with a two-minute campaign video posted on twitter that showed her at home with her wife and children riding the subway taking her young child to school and speaking at liberal political causes1 despite the stardom brought by her role alongside sarah jessica parker and kim cattrall on the wildly successful television comedy sex and the city which aired on hbo from 1998-2004 and spawned two spin-off movies the actress lags far behind in the polls1 a recent siena college research institute poll found that cuomo is overwhelmingly favored by democrats over nixon by 66 to 19 percent1 it remains unclear how much cuomo may be damaged by the recent conviction of an aide for bribery. according to the new york times his name was mentioned 163 times during the eight-week federal trial1 nixon worked for years as an actress before hitting the big-time with sex and the city and won a tony award americas most prestigious stage acting awards for her role last year in play the little foxes1 in addition to the video nixon has set up a campaign fundraising page that echoes some of the language used by 2016 democratic party presidential contender bernie sanders who electrified the left before ultimately losing to hillary clinton1 the page stipulates that nixon wont be accepting any corporate contributions and that instead our campaign will be powered by the people1 the mother of three is far from the first us actor to venture into politics. republican president ronald reagan got his political start after the world of entertainment as a two-term governor of california from 1967 to 19751 arnold schwarzenegger the austrian-born body builder is another actor turned two-term california governor who was in office from 2003-20111 former television comic al franken for whom nixon once campaigned also served as democratic senator of minnesota from 2009 to 2018 until he was forced to step down over sexual misconduct allegations1

Naomi Osaka wins first WTA title
News & Trends •
afp25 unseeded naomi osaka has won her first wta title and simultaneously she logged the record as the first japanese player to win the indian wells final routing russian daria kasatkina 6-3 6-2 on sunday3 i just knew that she was going to fight for every point too said osaka. so i couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves and i had to keep making the right decisions3 osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court3 the japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one simona halep3 she was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the indian wells final with the most recent before her being kim clijsters in 20053 the loss ends a brilliant run in the california desert by kasatkina who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in dubai3 she was much better today than me so she really deserved to win kasatkina said. of course we were both nervous at the beginning because the biggest finals so far3 but during the match she was able to manage her nerves and stuff and i was still a little bit tight during the match. so it is what it is3 kasatkina was two points from defeat against venus williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph3 kasatkina who wasnt even born when williams first competed at indian wells said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final3 world number 44 osaka rolled over kasatkina breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes3 i mean i already forgot what he told me. i was so nervous that i really forgot she said3 osaka blasted five aces made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points3 i wasnt really trying to hit hard today said osaka who was born in osaka japan but is a dual citizen after living in america since the age of three3 i felt like it would be better for her to take my pace3 so i wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and i was going to sit back and see what she does3 like osaka kasatkina was playing in her first indian wells final. this was the first time both indian wells finalists were under age 21 since serena williams beat clijsters in 20013 the opening set was even until osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. she then broke kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game3 osaka pounced on kasatkina from the beginning of the second set starting with an opening break of serve3 she also broke kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back3 kasatkina is now 1-3 in wta singles finals winning in charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in moscow and this year at dubai3 she called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her3

PDP plans online membership drive
News & Trends •
as a political party with mass support of nigerians and representing all across the six geo-political zones the 36 states of the federation and the fct our new leadership has succeeded in bringing all our members on board1 the peoples democratic party pdp would soon commence an online registration to capture the old new and returning members as part of its re-positioning1 the national publicity secretary of the party mr kola ologbondiyan said that with the proposed membership drive through the online registration it is certain that the party was being returned to the people whose financial contributions would make them the true owners of the pdp1 ologbondiyan added that the pdp was also receiving new members from other political parties1 ologbondiyan added that the party had since perfected a level playing ground as no individual or group can claim ownership or control of the party under the present leadership of pdp1 it is also obvious to all that our great party under the leadership of prince uche secondus has since been thrown open to all nigerians for equal and unhindered participation.1 this is a development that has led to the renewed interest of nigerians on our platform as the only true vehicle to return the nation to good governance1 furthermore we have already moved forward by inviting members who had left the party and the responses which we have received so far have been very encouraging1 he said that the fears expressed by the former minister of niger delta elder godsday orubebe in his open letter were no longer obtainable in the repositioned pdp1 he described orubebe fears as misplaced as the issues contemplated in his open letter were no longer obtainable in the repositioned pdp1 ologbondiyan reassured that repositioned and rebranded pdp platform remains the best political vehicle to return nigeria to the path of good governance and national unity1 he said that pdp had been aggregating opinions of its members and nigerians at large on the way forward1 the party was being repositioned to provide every member with equal rights opportunities and privileges1 he added that pdp leadership were now working together more than ever before to rescue nigeria from misrule1 ologbondiyan urged all members to continue to propagate the ideals of pdp1 he also urged nigerians to engage only in activities that promote unity and the tenets of democracy in line with the vision of our founding fathers and the overall interest of our dear nation1 today nigerians across board are waiting on the pdp to navigate our collective quest for a return to good governance national cohesion and economic prosperity and we cannot afford to disappoint them.1 orubebe in his open letter to secondus has said that the pdp was suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder and would need sustainable ideas to bounce back to reckoning1 he said the party is now under the control of certain individuals who are exhibiting dangerous levels of undemocratic behaviours1 pdp is still lost in depression and suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder ptsdp the platform has crossed the bridge from pride to shame the letter read1 we have gone from a party of pride to a party of shame and gradually receding into the abyss of political reality1 for the simple reason that the nation is witnessing calls for the rise of a third force we are fast becoming a shadow of ourselves1 one of the biggest challenges that the pdp faces is balancing its needs for funding with established egalitarian values and internal systems1 if the party continues to be held hostage by few major donors it will continue to find it difficult to instil the values that will endear us nigerians orubebe said. nan1

Saif, son of ex-Libyan leader, eyes presidency
News & Trends •
source63 mr. saif al-islam gaddafi second son of ex-libyan leader late muammar gaddafi is set to launch his election bid for presidency1 local media reports say saif who had been detained by a militia in libya until his release last year will be joining the race to be the strife-torn country1 saif who is reportedly inside libya since his release will in a matter of days appear on television to pitch his presidential ambition before voters1 saifs manifesto is reportedly revolving around a clarion call for administrative reforms national reconciliation and the building of a modern state1 it is not known what libyans made of his alleged presidential ambitions1 the 45-year-old who was never part of his fathers administration had an arrest warrant from the international criminal court over his head over his alleged role in the bloody persecution of political opponents1 politically fragmented libya goes to the polls later this year to get a leader that would unify the country1 with libya still blighted by a deadly civil war shortly after his father was killed saif was captured in the south of the country by militiamen originating from zintan1 while being held in zintan he was sentenced to death four years later by a tripoli court in a trial in absentia1 he was released from custody in june 2017 and continues to live in libya although his exact whereabouts remain unknown1 since the overthrow of his father in an armed uprising in 2011 libya has been caught up in a struggle for control by two rival governments based in tripoli and benghazi1 a un-funded election is expected to take place toward the end of 20181 confirming its involvement in january the un said it was encouraged by number of libyans who had registered to vote in what would be the countrys first western-style democratic election in decades1 he was widely regarded as a potential successor to his father a theory which he had severally attempted to debunk1