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The resurgence of Silvio Berlusconi
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yet berlusconis revival cant be fully realized since his criminal record bars him from holding public office. he is also at odds with far-right ally and league party leader matteo salvini on the eu protectionism and who should be prime minister in case of victory1 italys general elections on sunday could see the phoenix-like resurgence of scandal-tainted ex-premier silvio berlusconi or condemn the eurozones third-largest economy to becoming nearly ungovernable1 a hung parliament or a narrow parliamentary majority for the centre-right are the two most probable scenarios predicted wolfango piccoli co-president of teneo intelligence noting that the latest projections had conservatives falling short of an outright win1 with that in mind many analysts foresee a post-election realignment in which berlusconi and the centre-left pd would join forces in a re-enactment of the grand coalition that has held sway in germany since 20131 current government leader paolo gentiloni a pd stalwart respected across the political spectrum or european parliament president antonio tajani a former berlusconi spokesman have been singled out as possible compromise candidates for the premiership1 however rising anti-establishment sentiment could also usher in a radical m5s-led government that would unsettle financial markets and italys european union partners1 alternatively there could be major deadlock leading to new elections before years end1 opinion polls are not allowed in the last two weeks of campaigning but before the ban kicked in pollsters had the berlusconi bloc near 40 per cent and the m5s and a pd-led alliance each under 30 per cent1 those figures are a testimony to berlusconis stunning resilience after a tax fraud conviction and parliamentary ejection in 2013 and open-heart surgery three years later1 he is now courting voters with unrealistic promises to slash taxes and expel 600000 immigrants1 in his latest guise the 81-year-old has reinvented himself as a wise pro-eu statesman in contrast with the untested m5s1 im like good wine i get better with age and now im perfect he quipped this month1 the tycoon-turned-politicians resurgence has taken place amid a tense campaign marred by political violence most notably in the central town of macerata where a nazi sympathizer wounded six african migrants in a drive-by shooting spree1 but while berlusconis bloc has a poll lead over the anti-establishment five star movement m5s and the incumbent democratic party pd it may not win overall control of parliament it doesnt help that berlusconis bloc is also internally divided fuelling doubts about its ability to last in government1 with pollsters estimating that about one third of almost 51 million eligible voters are undecided the election outcome is still wide open especially in swing southern regions where the m5s could score a historic breakthrough1 the pd is crumbling the race now is between us and the centre-right m5s prime ministerial candidate luigi di maio a 31-year-old university dropout and deputy leader of the lower house of parliament told rai state radio on tuesday1 the preppy-looking di maio replaced comedian beppe grillo as party leader last year and has steered the protest party towards more moderate positions for example by dropping plans to hold a referendum on exiting the eurozone1 it is time to embrace change because there is no longer any reason to be afraid of it di maio said pledging to exclude from his government team the same faces you have seen for 20 years1 di maio is expected to unveil his team on thursday1 to detractors the partys main weakness is inexperience which is exactly what appeals to many of its fans who are pining for a clean slate in italys often-corrupt politics and are attracted by the partys promises to introduce minimum income subsidies for the poor1 the pd meanwhile is struggling despite some success in office with voters listing the economy and migration as their biggest concerns the party can claim credit for reducing boat arrivals from libya and lifting the country out of a record double-dip recession1 are you better or worse off compared to four years ago this the question we will pose to voters renzi told journalists earlier this month a message that seems to be failing to make inroads1 italys economy is still lagging behind its eu peers and most of the 1 million new jobs renzi has touted are of a low-paid temporary nature which helps explain why there is not much of a feel-good factor benefiting his party1 in addition to bleeding left-wing votes to free and equals a splinter group formed last year the pd is being hobbled by renzis popularity crisis exacerbated by the 2016 referendum defeat on constitutional reforms that led to his resignation1 according to pollsters the pd has a lot of potential for improvement in its poll standings if it can win back some of its estranged voters. the results due monday will show whether a polarizing figure such as renzi was the right man for that task1 news analysis by dpa1 -
Pollution : Rome to ban diesel cars
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the city regularly tries to ban older more polluting vehicles from roads on days when pollution reaches critical levels1 the mayor of rome virginia raggi has said that rome will ban diesel cars in an attempt to combat air pollution1 raggi announced the decision on her facebook page on tuesday saying if we want to intervene seriously we have to have the courage to adopt strong measures1 her comments followed a court ruling in germany that cities there can ban the most heavily polluting diesel cars from their streets1 about two-thirds of the 1.8 million new cars sold in italy last year were diesel according to industry figures1 the italian capital is one of the most traffic-clogged cities in the world. but the damage done by those engines is threatening the thousands of historic monuments that are found there1 rome has no major industries so nearly all of the air pollution in the italian capital is caused by motor vehicles1 now cars with diesel engines will be banned from heading into the centrethe mayor said1 it has also tried to reduce pollution by allowing only cars whose number plates end in either odd or even numbers to circulate on alternate days1 but both regulations are widely flouted and lightly enforced by traffic police. to skirt the alternate days regulation many families buy a used car with a different number plate1 apart from health issues pollution from combustion engines causes severe damage to romes many ancient outdoor monuments1 according to a study last year by a branch of the culture ministry 3600 stone monuments and 60 bronze sculptures risk serious deterioration because of air pollution1 ahead of celebrations marking the start of the new millennium in 2000 the darkened facade of st. peters basilica at the vatican was cleaned as part of a project that lasted several years1 but fresh signs of pollution-related stains are visible again1 before the german courts ruling on tuesday officials in highly industrialised milan in northern italy had already announced plans to make the city diesel free by 20301 -
Husband abandons family over house rent
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by david adeoye1 a divorce-seeking woman funke adeyemi on wednesday told an idi-ogungun customary court agodi ibadan that her husband wasiu adeyemi abandoned from home because of n24000 unpaid rent on their apartment1 the 29-year-old woman said that her husband of 12 years ran away from their home when the landlord demanded for payment of the outstanding rent leaving her and their three children. she stated that the defendant had refused to pay the debt and had not been seen since june 2017.1 the landlord has ejected me from the house and i have been living with my parents since then1 all efforts to contact him proved abortive and i have been shouldering the responsibility of the three kids alone1 i pray the court to dissolve our union and order him to be responsible to his paternal roles she pleaded1 the defendant was not in court to defend the allegation but the court registrar said that he adeyemi was duly served the court summon1 president of the court chief mukaila balogun said that evidence before him coupled with the deliberate non-appearance of the defendant in court had proved that there was no more love in the union1 balogun dissolved the marriage and ordered the defendant to pay n12 000 monthly for the upkeep of the three children1 he directed the court registrar to serve the defendant with a copy of the judgment1 -
Nadi Declaration: Education ministers applaud COL
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the nadi declaration was adopted at the final session of the 20th conference of commonwealth education ministers 20ccem held in nadi fiji1 the declaration which was adopted on feb. 23 outlined the priorities and agenda for education across the commonwealth for the next three years 2018 20211 building on the outcomes of the 19ccem ministers reaffirmed that education is a fundamental human right and is indispensable for achieving sustainable development1 they expressed a commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and to promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all1 ministers recognised the valuable service provided by the commonwealth of learning col over the last 30 years1 they appreciated cols focus on promoting learning for sustainable development through the use of technologies and for its emphasis on lifelong learning for employment entrepreneurship and empowerment all of which support the ongoing efforts of member states to achieve sustainable development goal 41 col was commended for the growing impact of the virtual university for small states of the commonwealth vussc in strengthening tertiary education in small states and for its global leadership in open educational resources oer and innovation in educational technologies1 prof. asha kanwar col president and chief executive officer said col will work in partnership with sister organisations and stakeholders in the field to ensure that development outcomes are not just achieved but exceeded1 -
Heavy winter hits UK, Europe
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heavy snow and freezing conditions are causing delays in many parts of britain with roads and train service hit particularly hard1 many rail systems were disrupted in the northern and eastern parts of britain and several lines of londons subway system were experiencing severe delays including the piccadilly line that links central london to heathrow airport1 train service to gatwick airport was also slowed by wintry weather1 emergency officials said many drivers had to be rescued from stranded vehicles. hundreds of schools were shut for a second day in a row1 the weather also forced a number of hospitals to cancel elective procedures and outpatient care1 in denmark police say a 54-year-old man who suffered from dementia was found dead in the snow on the baltic sea island of bornholm1 sourcehttpswww.washingtonpost.comworldeuropeheavy-winter-weather-batters-uk-european-mainland201802283aec8128-1c7e-11e8-98f1 -
Emulate Kwara, stop ex-governors pension Saraki to States
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bukola saraki @bukolasaraki8 i am happy that following my conversation with kwara speaker @honaliahmad two months ago the bill to suspend the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies when they hold a political or public office was passed into law yesterday by the kwara house of assembly1 saraki in a series of tweets on his handle @bukolasaraki said that he was indeed happy that the the chat he had with the assembly speaker ali ahmedhad resulted in the passage of the bill1 in 2017 the senates president had said that he already directed the state government to stop paying him pensions adding that he had refunded those that he had collected earlier1 i am happy that following my conversation with kwara speaker two months ago the bill to suspend the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies when they hold a political or public office was passed into law yesterday by the kwara house of assembly1 the president of the senate dr. bukola saraki has called on states of the federation to emulate kwara state and stop payment of pensions to former governors still holding elective or appointive positions1 this is even as he commended the kwara state house of assembly for passing the bill to stop payment of such pensions1 moving forward it is my hope that other state assemblies take a cue from kwara state and pass similar pieces of legislation into law1 the kwara state house of assembly on tuesday passed an amendment bill halting payment of pension to former governors deputy governors and other officers holding political offices after their tenure in office1 the passage of the bill followed the consideration of the report of the house committee on establishment and public service at the committee of the whole house sitting in ilorin. the motion for the passage of the bill was moved by the deputy house leader segilola abdulkadir and was unanimously adopted by members1 the deputy speaker matthew okedare who presided over the plenary directed the clerk of the house alhaji mohammed katsina to prepare clean copy of the bill for governors assent1 the bill which was forwarded to the house by gov. abdulfatah ahmed sought to review the existing law where payment of pension for former governors and deputy governors after their tenures would be suspended1 -
Tambuwal loses Special Adviser
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by habibu harisu1 alhaji zayyani bello-gandi the special adviser to gov. aminu tambuwal of sokoto state on primary health development phcd is dead1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that bello-gandi 52 died on tuesday after a protracted illness and was buried according islamic rites on wednesday in sokoto1 the deceased was the former chairman of rabah local government area of the state and he left behind three wives and 20 children1 the deputy governor of state alhaji ahmad aliyu commissioners special advisers and other government officials as well as politicians attended the burial ceremony. they prayed god to console the family of the deceased. nan1 -
I will free Dapchi schoolgirls, vows Aisha Wakil called Mama Boko Haram
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her relationship with the sect members earned her the name mama boko haram1 aisha wakil the maiduguri based lawyer and rights activist with links with boko haram said she will do everything possible to get the 110 abducted dapchi schoolgirls freed1 wallahi i will go after them even if it will take my life to save these girls. they call me mummy but they dont listen to me. i keep on talking to them begging them to lay down their arms and embrace peace but they will say insha-allah mummy we are going to stop. sometimes they will say they are scared they are going to be killed but i will tell them nobody is going to kill you she said in an interview published on prnigeria website today1 she appealed to the abductors to release the young female captives said to be aged between 12 and 19 years. acccording to a list published by the federal government on tuesday 37 of the girls are in jss1-3 while 73 are in sss1-31 aisha wakil was a former member of the committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the northern region of nigeria under the administration of former president goodluck jonathan1 she had in previous efforts brought military officers and boko haram commanders together during negotiations1 she was also credited for the release of some abductees including chibok schoolgirlsfrom the boko haram sect via phone calls to the leadership1 prnigeria quoted her as saying she was ready to sacrifice her life to rescue the girls from their abductors1 the activist was reported to have helped in circumcision of some of the boko haram members when they were kids over two decades ago1 aisha also called mama boko haram believed the girls were captured by the barnawi group of the terror sect appealed to the group to free the girls. she said she was ready to get them out even at the risk of her life1 disturbed about the latest abduction of 110 students of government girls technical college dapchi aisha has renewed her commitment to fight to end the boko haram insurgency1 the activist who cried during the interview said this thing that is happening is really breaking my heart. these children dont even know what they are doing. some of them were not even born at the time this thing started1 she appealed to the leader of the barnawi group to release the girls1 i heard you are now been called abu mussad albarnawi but i know you as habib and i am begging you to stop the killing and abduction. i have sent many messages to you. i dont know if you are getting these messages or you just choose to continue to hurt your mother and make her cry1 dear habib nuru and others i was told you may be the ones responsible for the kidnapped of these girls. whereever you may be if you are listening to me i beg you in the name of allah to release the girls back to their families1 what type of children will continue letting their mother to continue crying. dear habib i pray allah touches your heart and that of your colleagues to stop what you are doing. please come out. i will never deny you even if the whole world did. those who know you know your heart. they know you are no longer interested in the fight anymore1 i will hold all of you and wrap you with my wrapper and bring you out and no one is going to shoot you. if they will shoot you they will have to shoot me first. i dont mind sacrificing my life if you will stop what you are doing. if i die stopping boko haram i know i will go to paradise1 aisha wakil has been actively involved in efforts to end boko haram through her ngo complete care and aid foundation aimed at restoring peace to the northeast by rehabilitating the youth against warped ideologies that mislead them to join the terror group1 the organisation is designed to provide a free feeding centre fight drug abuse sex hawking human trafficking female genital mutilation and de-worming among persons displaced by the insurgency1 -
Church of Holy Sepulchre opens tomorrow
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netanyahus office said the measures would be suspended pending discussions1 christian leaders in jerusalem said that they would on wednesday reopen the ancient church of the holy sepulchre closed since the weekend in protest at israeli tax measures1 the closure which seemed to be the longest since at least 1990 has left thousands of pilgrims and tourists seeking to visit the site locked outside1 some have kneeled in front of its massive wooden doors to pray on the cobblestones of jerusalems old city1 we hereby announce that the church of the holy sepulchre will be reopened to the pilgrims tomorrow february 28th 2018 at 400 am 0200 gmt said a joint statement by church leaders issued on tuesday night1 the church is built where christians believe jesus was crucified buried and resurrected. custody of it is shared by the greek orthodox armenian and roman catholic denominations1 tuesdays statement was signed by senior clerics of the three faiths in the holy land1 we give thanks to god for the statement released earlier today by prime minister netanyahu and offer our gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly to uphold the christian presence in jerusalem it said1 christian leaders are in part angry over attempts by israeli authorities in jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church-owned property they consider commercial saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching1 the announcement came hours after israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahus office said a professional team would be appointed to resolve the financial dispute1 israeli regional cooperation minister tzachi hanegbi will also look into the issue of land sales in jerusalem by christian bodies1 during that time a proposed law that christian leaders say would allow israel to expropriate church land is to be shelved the statement said1 an official of the roman catholic custody of the holy land welcomed the prospect of talks with the israeli authorities1 from the beginning we said that we have duties to have a dialogue and not let ourselves be forced to make drastic decisions he told afp1 dark period1 jerusalem mayor nir barkat says the city is due 650 million shekels 186 million152 million euros in uncollected taxes on church properties1 he stresses the church of the holy sepulchre and all other churches are exempt with the changes only affecting establishments like hotels halls and businesses owned by churches1 christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work which also includes social services to those in need1 -
Thierry Henry said it would be a “dream” to manage Arsenal
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arsenal1 thierry henry1 thierry henry wants to manage arsenal1 arsene wenger1 arsenal’s legend and all-time top scorer thierry henry said it would be a “dream” to manage the club1 whose season is threatening to unravel after their capitulation to manchester city in the league cup final1 -
EFCC battles Patience Jonathan in Court
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efcc battles patience jonathan in court2 efcc has filed a counter-affidavit asking the court not to give ms. bola shagaya access to the account which was frozen in december 20162 efcc filed the affidavit at the federal high court sitting in lagos not to unfreeze the bank account2 economic and financial crimes commission1