Trump, journalists at light-hearted gala
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trump brought up his recent calls for tariffs on steel and aluminium which have been criticized by us trading partners. he suggested they were good for dying industries whose executives have asked the white house for protection1 us president donald trump was warmly received by members of what he calls the fake news media on saturday night at a light-hearted gala that is one of washingtons longest-running traditions1 the event featured journalists in costumes satirizing us politics and the white house culture in raucous skits songs and speeches1 about 600 people attended including members of congress trumps cabinet and several ambassadors and prominent politicians1 trump said he had looked forward to attending the event and appeared to enjoy the show clapping and laughing at the skits1 in his response trump made fun of the leaders of the opposition democratic party but didnt spare members of his own party even vice president mike pence who also attended the dinner1 he called him one of the best straight men youll ever meet -a veiled reference to his anti-gay policies1 trump largely stayed on script as he read from notes in a joking tone. he touched on international politics with regard to tensions on the korean peninsula saying that he would not rule out direct talks with north korean leader kim jong un. but he quipped that it was kim who faced the risk of dealing with a madman1 he also said north korea had called and asked to begin talks but he said he responded that they would have to denuke first before talks could go forward1 trump was the guest of honour at the 133rd gridiron dinner where prominent washington-based journalists traditionally make fun of the president and take jabs at the us political scene1 the president also referred to the numerous staff departures from the white house during his first year in office. he said he liked turnover and chaos because it was exciting and invigorating and brought in new thought1 in an awkward moment that invoked his marriage trump joked about who would be next to leave the white house first lady melania trump or political adviser steve miller1 he then attempted to repair any inference that the first lady might leave him by praising her for the job shes done and by saying shes actually having a great time1 but of course trump couldnt resist taking a swipe at washingtons left-leaning press corps. he said spending the evening with them was the best time hed had since watching their faces on election night1 the famously thin-skinned trump refused to attend last years show opting to send pence in his place1 that show poked fun at trump and many people in his inner circle including steve bannon the presidents chief strategist at the time by portraying him in a devils costume1 the show is produced by the gridiron club and foundation founded in 1885 by journalists from major us newspapers1 with the exception of president grover cleveland every president since the club was founded has attended the gridiron dinner at least once.dpanan1

PDP celebrates with former President Obasanjo at 81
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by ericjames ochigbo6 the peoples democratic party pdp has congratulated former president chief olusegun obasanjo as he turns 81 on march 51 the party in a statement issued on sunday by its national publicity secretary mr kola ologbondiyan said it remains proud of the former president1 it said obasanjo had excelled as an international figure and made outstanding contributions toward global peace and development particularly in the african sub-region1 the party described the former president as an outstanding nationalist a courageous and a dedicated leader who has made immeasurable sacrifices towards the development stability and growth of the nation1 indeed the pdp intensely celebrates former president obasanjo who stands tall as one of the best performed nigerian presidents chiefly because his administration founded and anchored its policies and programmes on pdps people-based manifesto and ideology.1 the pdp also commends chief obasanjo for his continued engagement on national issues particularly his disposition against poor governance corruption bloodletting and confusion that now pervade the nation in the last three years.1 while we value chief obasanjo for his concerns for the political future of our nation we note that our repositioned and rebranded pdp remains the only credible political platform for the much desired broad-based engagements among nigerians and coalitions across board the party said.1 the pdp said it was more than prepared to salvage the nation in the all-important task of returning her to the path of good governance national unity and prosperity for all come 20191 the party prayed god to grant obansanjo good health wisdom and strength as he continues to be of service to the nation1

Oldman, McDormand best actors, Shape of Water best movie at Oscar
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reuters9 fantastical romancethe shape of water won best picture u.s. hollywood film industrys most prestigious honor at sundays oscar ceremony1 the fox searchlight movies mexican filmmaker guillermo del toro took home the best director oscar dashing the hopes of a rare win by a woman or a black filmmaker1 the movie about a mute cleaning woman who falls in love with a strange river creature had gone into the ceremony with a leading 13 nominations and won a total of four academy awards1 as expected britains gary oldman was named best actor for playing world war two leader winston churchill in warner bros.darkest hour while frances mcdormands woman in a fury was a popular best actress winner for fox searchlights dark comedythree billboards outside ebbing missouri1 elsewhere awards were spread around recognizing first-timers lgbt movies and films inspired by other cultures1 oscars host jimmy kimmel tackled hollywoods sexual misconduct scandal with jokes on a night heavy with nods to activism on issues ranging from lgbt issues and school shootings to sexism and racism1 gay romancecall me by your name won best adapted screenplay and racial satireget out won best original screenplay1 a fantastic woman chiles groundbreaking story about a transgender woman played by transgender actress daniela vega won best foreign language film and mexican-inspiredcoco was named best animated feature1 sam rockwell and allison janney took home their first oscars for their supporting rolesthree billboards and independent ice-skating moviei tonya respectively1

Irrfan Khan Slumdog Millionaire star critically ill
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khan has acted in more than 100 films mostly in hindi1 bollywood actors and fans across india posted messages for a speedy recovery for slumdog millionaire actor irrfan khan after he announced on twitter that he had a rare disease1 his english-language films include life of pi slumdog millionaire and the amazing spider man1 sometimes you wake up with a jolt with life shaking you up. the last fifteen days my life has been a suspense story khan said in a tweet1 he asked fans not to speculate as i will myself share with you my story within a week ten days when further investigations come with a conclusive diagnosis1 i have never given up and have always fought for my choices and always will khan wrote1 khan 51 has acted in several award-winning bollywood films as well as british and hollywood productions1 he won indias national film award in 2013 for his depiction of an athlete who becomes a bandit in the biographical movie pan tomar1 his sensitive portrayal of a lonely accountant who mistakenly receives a colleagues lunchbox in the film the lunchbox won him the viewers choice award at the 2013 cannes film festival1 several fellow actors and fans wished khan a speedy recovery on twitter1 you are a fighter you will shoo off whatever that rare disease is prayers read a tweet from one fan1 i see you out-performing this one as well @irrfank its gonna pass good things happen to good people power to you sir said another1

FA charges Guardiola for wearing Catalan yellow ribbon
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his much-publicised stance over the controversy in catalonia has become a major issue in his homeland where according to reports in spain the city managers private plane was searched at barcelonas el prat airport two weeks ago by police looking for exiled catalan leader carles puigdemont1 manchester city manager pep guardiola has admitted a charge from the football association for wearing a political symbol the english governing body announced on monday1 the fa ruled it breached their rules on kit and advertising regulations1 guardiola said in november if one day in prison was already too much look how many days theyve been there now1 like everybody knows hopefully sooner or later i can stop wearing it1 the 47-year-old has been wearing the ribbon in support of the political leaders jailed following the catalonia independence referendum last october which was declared illegal by spain1 an fa statement read manchester city manager pep guardiola has admitted an fa charge for wearing a political message specifically a yellow ribbon in breach of the fas kit and advertising regulations. a paper hearing has been requested with a date to be set in due course1 guardiola has said he wears a yellow ribbon to support imprisoned pro-independence politicians in his native catalonia1 since the charge was issued guardiola has either covered up the ribbon during games or not worn it1 however guardiola insists that even though his protest aims to highlight the fates of a jailed group that includes catalan politicians jordi sanchez and jordi cuixart it is not a political issue1 when men and women put on a pink ribbon its because of the support for the breast cancer initiative he said1 the same when i wear the the prostate cancer badge its the same the idea is the same there are a lot of ribbons1 im pretty sure there are people all around the world in spain and catalunya who do not want to be independent but they are not agreeing with putting people in prevention jail1 the fas stance on the matter differs from european governing body uefa who allow the ribbon to be worn. city also believe the symbol is not generally considered offensive1 the yellow emblem worn by guardiola during sundays premier league win over chelsea was the daffodil of the marie curie cancer charity1

Mourinho: United lucky to escape from Palace
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i cannot tell you half of the things i told my team at half-time because there would be lots of bleeping on television1 jose mourinho admitted manchester united rode their luck as nemanja matics late thunderbolt capped a dramatic 3-2 win at crystal palace on monday1 but chris smalling got one back for united and romelu lukaku equalised with 14 minutes remaining1 that set the stage for serbia midfielder matic to score for the first time since his move from chelsea last year with a blistering blast from the edge of the area in stoppage-time1 it was an escape act that seemed unlikely when united fell 2-0 behind after being out-fought and out-played by a palace team fighting gamely to avoid relegation1 but mourinho took heart from the way his players shrugged off their limp opening to move back above liverpool into second place in the premier league and within 16 points of runaway leaders manchester city1 you always need that little bit of luck to win a match in the last few minutes mourinho said1 we played very good quality football in the second half but we made so many defensive mistakes1 that disgraceful childish second goal changed everything. but the players kept an amazing attitude1 mourinhos side trailed to andros townsends early opener and patrick van aanholts second half effort at selhurst park1 to come back from 2-0 away from home against a team that is desperate for points it gives us a great feeling1 third bottom palace deserved better but they remain one point from safety after a heartbreaking loss1 united paid the price for their lethargic start in the 11th minute1 christian benteke was allowed to jink into the united penalty area unchecked by smalling and when his pass picked out townsend 18 yards from goal the palace winger unleashed a shot that took a wicked deflection off lindelof as it looped past david de gea1 with matic and paul pogba rattled by palaces relentless pressing united were unable to match their opponents intensity1 the out of form pogba dropped several times by mourinho recently was a major cause of the visitors woes as the france midfielder wasted possession and was caught out of position time and again1 stole the points1 he was playing so badly that united legend gary neville working for sky sports was moved to say its like everything he does is like a youtube or instagram video1

Group wants primary election debate introduced
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by ericjames ochigbo6 the united nigeria group tung has called for the introduction of election debates at the level of primary elections so as to get the right candidates1 with particular reference to the peoples democratic party pdp the group said that primary election debate will further improve democracy in the country1 the tung which said it is interested in fostering peace unity and community sensitisation on political issues gave the advice in abuja on monday1 speaking in an interview the spokesman of the group dr bright emenena said that with election debates at level of primary election the pdp could take democracy to new height even as an opposition party1 we want to use this opportunity to put pressure on the peoples democratic party pdp to make more impact even as an opposition party by taking democracy to the next level in nigeria1 they must ensure that the process of choosing a candidate at the primaries is fair they should go further by ensuring the contestants engage in public debate at the level of the primaries1 in this country there have never been a time when a sitting president had made himself available for public debate but pdp can start something1 they can take democracy to another level by introducing debate at the primaries level so that contestants can make public their vision to enable the delegates and general public make informed decision he said1 emenena said tung believes in the unity of the nation and engages only in activities that fosters the peace and security of the country1

Mark showers encomium on Obasanjo at 81
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immediate past president of the senate sen. david mark has showered encomiums on the former president of the federal republic of nigeria chief olusegun aremu obasanjo on his 81stbirthday1 sen. mark in a goodwill message to former president obasanjo described him as an uncommon patriot who put the interest of the nation first in all he does1 mark said that obasanjo is the father of modern day nigeria who has stood firm against all odds to keep the nation one1 according to him no one is in doubt that chief obasanjo has demonstrated steadfastness uncommon commitment and faith in the nigerian project. all of us owe him that respect and honour1 mark added that obasanjo even after leaving office has continued to champion the cause of a united nigeria saying that it takes a good conscience and love for fatherland to do so1 he prayed that god in his infinite mercies continue to grant obasanjo good health wisdom and courage in the years ahead1 he however urged obasanjo to continue to make his wealth of experience and knowledge especially in leadership available for the younger generation of leaders to tap from1 he urged nigerians to emulate the indomitable spirit of obasanjo in order to faithfully serve the nation for the good of all1

Buhari tours troubled states, arrives in Taraba
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he said having received and studied the reports the president has decided to undertake an on the spot assessment of the various occurrences and to meet and console the communities affected1 president muhammadu buhari on monday arrived in taraba as part of his tour of troubled states which included benue yobe zamfara and rivers1 the president would also embark on a trip to ghana to attend the 61st independence anniversary of the country1 a statement by mr femi adesina the presidents special adviser on media and publicity issued in abuja on monday said the president decided on the visits after reviewing security reports on the incidents1 the presidential aide noted that the unfortunate incidents in the affected states had led to tragic loss of lives and kidnapping of innocent nigerians including 110 schoolgirls stolen by boko haram on 19 february in dapchi yobe state1 adesina recalled that the president had earlier directed the armed forces and other security agencies to compile comprehensive reports on the various incidents1 buhari would visit mambilla taraba state where some people were killed in a communal clash last week1 from today march 5 he will visit taraba and subsequently benue yobe zamfara and rivers states1 according to adesina president buhari has been receiving daily briefings and is in constant touch with the governors for update on the situations1 npower beneficiaries welcome buhari to jalingo1 he quoted the president as calling on all nigerians especially those in the affected areas to cooperate fully with security agencies to enable them curb the spate of crimes prevent further occurrence arrest perpetrators and bring them to justice1 in a tweet n-power team taraba state welcomes president muhammadu buhari to taraba at the entrance of the taraba state government house. pmbintaraba pic.twitter.comgolfhgr9k51 m.kabir salim babajo @salymbabajo march 5 20181

Saraki presents Africas map-painted ostrich egg to Ghanas President
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the president of the nigerian senate dr bukola saraki has presented an ostrich egg with the map of africa painted on it to the the president of ghananana addo dankwa akufo-addo1 saraki who is in ghana for the 25th anniversary celebration of the ghanaian parliament presented the painted and lacquered egg which was made in bauchi state nigeria to promote made in nigeria goods and arts1 decorated ostrich eggs were traded as luxury items from the middle east to the western mediterranean during the iron age 1200-300 bc1 the presentation of the egg was the highlight of the meeting between the president of the nigerian senate and the president of ghana on the sidelines of the anniversary celebration1 speaking at the meeting with ghanaian president saraki reviewed the history of nigeria-ghana diplomatic relationship submitting that it has improved democracy and good governance for the people of both countries1 he appreciated the relationship of the countries pointing out that the invitation of president mohammadu buhari and himself to witness the celebration of ghanas 25 years of parliamentary democracy is a sign of the growing good relationship between the two nations1 according to saraki nigerias senate and the national assembly in general is committed to improving the quality of governance in favour of the people a resolve which he said had resulted in the enactment of several laws and passage of important resolutions1 in his remark ghanas president akufo addo noted that because of the key roles played by parliaments in good governance the two countries are paying much attention to boosting parliamentary relationship1 akufo addo who noted that parliaments in both countries had become very robust and rich in the quality of legislations said that it was in the best interest of the people that support must be accorded the legislature to continue its work1 he stated that the collaboration between nigeria and ghana in good governance and democracyhas been of great benefits to africa and its people1

Jonathan, other monitors pledge fairness in Sierra Leones election
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according to the missions the new ecowas commissioner for political affairs peace and security gen. francis behazin had joined the prof. sawyer-led ecowas observation mission as leader of the commissions technical support team to the mission2 former nigerian president goodluck jonathan and three other heads of international election observation missions in sierra leone on monday pledged to remain impartial and ensure that the election complied with the relevant regional protocols and international best practices2 sierra leoneans would vote in the countrys presidential parliamentary and local council elections on wednesday2 the meeting of the monitors coordinated by ecowas and the african union was held to strategise on effective value addition to the electoral process ahead of the election on wednesday2 the meeting was attended by prof amos sawyer liberias former interim president for ecowas and kgalema motlanthe the former south african president for au2 the two other leaders were ghanas former president john dramani mahama for the commonwealth and nigerias former president goodluck jonathan for the election institute for sustainable democracy in africa eisa2 after an exchange of information on the work of the observers on ground the heads of missions discussed the level of preparations for the poll2 they also discussed emerging scenarios identifiable challenges especially the and legal issues before the supreme court and the way forward2 they noted that while international observers could render support the success of the electoral process is the primary responsibility of sierra leoneans the missions said2 mr paul ejime spokesman of the ecowas network of electoral commissions econec on behalf of otherssaid the missions agreed to continue constructive engagements with the countrys stakeholders and to hold further consultations among themselves before and after the elections2 nan reports that the sierra leone telegraph reported that both dr samura kamara of the ruling all peoples congress apc and dr kandeh yumkella of the national grand coalition ngc presidential candidates are facing separate suits against them at the sierra leone supreme court2 the separate petitions are to determine if they are qualified to contest the presidential election2 the petitioner against kamara wants the supreme court to disqualify him for violation of electoral laws which states that all public officials wishing to contest the elections must have resigned from their posts at least 90 days prior to the elections2 he is alleged to have been receiving his government salary as foreign minister and had failed to resign his job in accordance with the law2 it is also alleged that samura has both sierra leone and british citizenships and has failed to renounce his british citizenship before his nomination as the presidential candidate of the ruling apc2 on the other hand the case against yumkella who is also contesting parliamentary election at the same time was filed by apc claiming he is ineligible to contest the constituency election in kychum his place of birth in the northern district of kambia2 the sierra leones national electoral commission nec has declared that yumkella was free to contest the parliamentary election until decided otherwise by the supreme court2 it was reported that yumkellas name is on the ballot papers for both presidential and parliamentary elections2

Andy Uba condemns SARS- Umunze youths clash
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peace must be restored in the community1 the senator representing anambra south senatorial district in the national assembly senator andy uba has condemned the violent clashes between youths of umunze and operatives of the special anti-robbery squad sars in the state1 as the senator representing the good people of anambra south i received the news of the clash between the youths of umunze and agents of sars with immense sadness1 i immediately reached out to my constituency office members and mandated them to do an on the spot assessment of the present situation and report back to me1 i will also get in touch with the inspector general of police and request for immediate investigation and resolution of the crisis1 in a statement issued by joseph itazi media assistant to the senator uba called for peace and restraint on the part of the two waring parties1 i hereby urge the warring youths and sars operatives to desist from any action that will further fuel the clash1 i am calling for peace and restraint from both parties enough blood has been shed already further loss of lives will not help in solving the problem. he said1 the senator expressed optimism that the police ig will do all in his power to ensure peaceful resolution of the clashes1 many people are feared dead after youths in umunze community in orumba south local government area of anambra state clashed with men of the state anti-robbery squard sarsover the weekend1 according to reports trouble startedon the evening of saturday march 3rd when a hilux car belonging to sars parked in front of a popular relaxation spot known as guzoro and operatives of the squad started have altercations with customers that were having drinks1

Tottenham upbeat on Juventus showdown
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moving there for the entire 2017-18 home campaign they started with a loss and a draw to leave them with just two wins in 12 games at wembley since it re-opened in 20071 tottenham hotspur will look to use the momentum of a brilliant comeback as a springboard to the champions league quarter-finals1 that scoreline seemed unlikely after gonzalo higuains brace in the first nine minutes put juve in control1 but striker harry kane pulled one back and after higuain missed a penalty christian eriksen completed the fightback1 that leaves it all to play for at wembley stadium and tottenham are brimming with confidence with two away goals possibly proving crucial1 probably we were not the favourites before but people are looking at us after that performance at juventus and saying we should go through now kane said1 we know we played well out there and on another day we could have won but we are not getting carried away1 we know it is a big game. champions league nights are what we all want to be involved in and this is a chance to get into the quarter-finals1 spurs are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions and wembley their temporary home while their new stadium is being built has become somewhat of a fortress1 that couldnt be said back in august when talk of a curse ran rampant following their past failures at the english national stadium1 tottenham won just one of four champions league and europa league matches there last season as construction on their new ground began1 spurs host juventus in the second leg of their last-16 tie on wednesday with little between the sides following an opening 2-2 draw in italy1 however they rebounded to beat borussia dortmund 3-1 in their champions league group-stage opener kick-starting a current run of one loss in 21 home games1 i think its a fantastic run at home manager mauricio pochettino said1 we can say wembley is our home and that is so important for the team1 since the beginning of the season and last season when we used to play here in the champions league or europa league it was a strange feeling a difficult feeling1 now i think for our fans and us its like our home1 pochettinos men seem to relish playing big teams at wembley this season1 since losing to chelsea in august theyve beaten liverpool dortmund real madrid manchester united and arsenal there1 and next up is italian giants juventus twice champions league winners and runners-up twice in the past three seasons1 of course we are going to play one of the best teams or clubs in europe pochettino said1 it will be very tough but i think we are going to arrive in a perfect condition to challenge them.dpanan1

Lagos most peaceful for doing business Dangote
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the governor explained that pensioners owner occupiers ngos churches and mosques are exempted from the payment of land use charge2 africas richest business mogul alhaji aliko dangote on tuesday described lagos as the most convenient and peaceful state for doing business2 he also supported the governor akinwumi ambodes appeal to lagos residents and business community to continue to pay tax2 you should pay your taxes to lagos state dangote said2 during the question and answer session ambode assured every lagosian that he would make their taxes work for them with a transparent and incorruptible government with good value for taxes paid2 we are not true citizens until we become responsible tax payers2 if the vision of a prosperous lagos is to be achieved the state must retreat from borrowing to finance its infrastructure and pay back later in the future with high interest rate2 he also appealed to residents to embrace the land use charge and ensure that commercial property owners pay the charge2 i am not advertising for lagos but try another state you will see hell he said in a terse remark at the forum of lagos means business2 the good part of the arguments trailing the lagos land use charge is that the state government is ready for dialogue and will welcome the complaints of dissatisfied members of the public in this regard2 the good part of the arguments trailing the lagos land use charge is that the state government is ready for dialogue2 business owners paying land use charge should see it as part of their corporate social responsibilities2 he also urged citizens to have a change of orientation on how governments properties were handled2 the properties should be protected so that resources expended on repairs could be channelled to other areas of needs2 although the state spends a large chunk of its revenue on recurrent charges but could not retrench civil servant2 they are only about 103000 taking care of 24 million people. they help to keep the social fabric together he said2

How to save Lake Chad from extinction Expert
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we need to build capacity tell people the signs of climate change because some people dont understand that1 by ijeoma ndubisi1 ayuba an environmental scientist at the nasarawa state university keffi nsuk made the proposal in an interview with news agency of nigeria nan in abuja on tuesday1 he said that water transfer was the first option in restoring the lake adding that this would require the movement of water from another river1 suppressing evaporation can also help in the restoration of lake chad. we live in the tropics and we receive much water from rainfall1 the water disappears through evaporation we can suppress the evaporation which is the amount of moisture that goes up into the atmosphere1 part of the reasons for the drying up of lake chad is the high rate of evaporation of water he opined1 the don said that there was need to create more awareness through stakeholders on how to devise measures to save the shrinking of the lake1 climate change is a developmental issue every hand must be on deck1 an expert prof. haruna ayuba has proposed evaporation suppression as an alternative technique of restoring lake chad to save it from extinction1 we need all the experts stakeholders to develop a policy framework that people need to follow he said1 similarly he said that science and technology if properly utilised by indigenous scientists could ameliorate the challenges of restoring the lake1 according to him development of science and technology in the country is still laid-back adding that there is lack of a strategic plan to build the sector1 he decried lack of equipment in tertiary institutions for the study of science-related courses adding that it remained the bedrock of technology development1 ayuba noted that polytechnics in the country which were established to drive the technology sector had been allegedly disregarded1 we have also killed our polytechnics the polytechnics are supposed to help in building the technical manpower in the country1 now the emphasis is on paper qualification even those who graduate from polytechnics are coming to take degrees all over again he said1 he stressed the need for the nation to lay serious emphasis on practical application of acquired knowledge as against the present craze for paper qualifications1 lake chad basins 25000 square kilometres size in the 1960s had shrunk to 2500 square kilometres in 20001

Florida lawmakers pass gun control Bill
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source63 florida lawmakers have voted to enact new gun control measures weeks after one of the worst school shootings in us history took place in the state1 the senate narrowly passed a bill that would raise the age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21 and require a three-day waiting period for most weapons1 senators voted 20-18 in favour after an amendment removed a provision to arm classroom teachers1 the law now requires approval from the house of representatives and1 seventeen people were killed at marjory stoneman douglas high school in the florida city of parkland on 14 february by former student nikolas cruz1 many of the1 the national minimum age to buy a handgun is already 21 with a three-day waiting period. however a person can be as young as 18 to buy a rifle in florida with no waiting period1

Insurgency: Saudi Arabia donates $10m to Nigeria
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saudi arabia has donated of 10 million to aid the fight against the insurgency as nigeria1 saudi arabias donation is part of the king salmans humanitarian aid and relief programme1 kingdom of saudi arabias defence minister mr. nasir mutbak said in abuja on tuesday that the donation is for the provision of food and basic amenities in camps of internally displaced persons idps in the north-east1 we are here to implement king salman issued to help our brothers in idps and refugees in north-east we are here to reach out and provide assistance for our brothers in that region. and of course the donation will be 10 million1 nigerias defence minister retired brigadier general mansur dan while receiving the team from saudi arabia said the fund will go a long way in helping to fight terrorism in the country1

France to peg legal age of sexual consent at 15
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under the existing legislation if there is no violence or coercion proved1 france plans to fix the legal age of sexual consent as 15 so that an adult who has sex with someone younger than that will be charged with rape1 currently prosecutors must prove sex with someone under-15 was forced in order to bring rape charges1 the change came amid uproar over two recent cases of men accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls1 the government is to approve the new age limit as part of a package of other laws against sexual violence and harassment in the coming weeks1 it had been discussing whether to set the age as 13 or 15 which is what groups fighting violence against children had campaigned for1 equality minister marlne schiappa welcomed the move with advice from doctors and legal experts1 this has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of 75000 66000 870001 but rape convictions carry much harsher punishments1 ms schiappa told afp news agency that she was very glad that the higher age was chosen. the limit is also supported by president emmanuel macron1 minister of solidarity and health agns buzyn saidand that everyone would see what was legal and illegal le figaro newspaper reports1 read more at httpwww.bbc.comnewsworld-europe-433003131

Retired military officers reviving SDP for 2019 elections
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source63 less than 48 hours after some top members of opposition pdp defected to the moribund social democratic party sdp reports emerged that some retired military officers were also among those reviving the party1 the reported that at least two frontline members of the groups that have coalesced into the party1 the report reveals that there was an imminent exodus of members of the national assembly elected on the tickets of the ruling all progressives congress apc and the peoples democratic party pdp to sdp in march1 professors jerry gana and tunde adeniran as well as a former deputy senate president alhaji ibrahim mantu who are pdp stalwarts have joined sdp after the signing of a memorandum of understanding mou with the sdp leadership1 the ex-military officers are among the brokers leading talks to put the sdp on a good stead ahead the 20191 he said some influential individuals were talking to former president olusegun obasanjo to collaborate with the party1 according to a coordinator of the coalition for nigeria movement cnm was fully discussing with others on the need to strengthen the sdp1 a lot of the members of both the pdp and the apc have not only been working underground for us but have indeed joined the fray unofficially1 so one or two things will soon happen one of which is the imminent exodus from the two parties to the pdp in fact before the end of march 20181 many influential personalities were seriously engaging other power brokers for collaboration towards making the sdp the party to beat in the next round of elections1

Germany, EU plan 500MW renewable energy for Nigeria
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she added that it was also to support nigerias provision of stable data for electrification planning sustainable on-grid and off-grid electricity as well as creating an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments1 germany is collaborating with the european union to increase power generation in nigeria by 500 megawatts mw through renewable energy to serve 100000 people1 hommers said that 33 million euros had been earmarked to execute the project which is the second phase of nesp to enhance further developments in nigerias power sector especially renewable energy1 she said the eu would provide 20 million euros in the programme while the german government through its federal ministry of economic cooperation and development would give 13 million euros to support it1 the programme will ensure as part of its schedule that up to 500 mw of solar photovoltaic electricity would be procured and generated to serve about 100000 people1 it will also provide support to renewable energy operators to scale up their electricity provision she said1 iner hommers the programme head nigerian energy support programmme nesp said in abuja at a presentation of a compendium of the achievements of the deutsche gesellschaft fr internationale zusammenarbeit gmbh giz1 hommers explained that the new financial package would be used in the second phase of the nesp which would last from december 2017 to november 20201 she stated that the first phase of the nesp was successful and contributed in providing electricity to about 10000 people in sokoto niger ogun cross river and plateau1 the european union ambassador to nigeria and ecowas mr ketil karlsen stated at the event that studies had shown that nigeria could generate up to 53950mw of electricity from solar and hydro sources1 he said there was a need for to ensure that right investments were made in this regards1 karlsen explained that the success of the first phase of the nesp inspired the eu to continue with its support for the second phase1 he called for a replication of the same expertise that was used in implementing the first phase. nan1