Tony Iwobi, an Italian man of Nigerian origin, who is the chief immigration spokesman for the far-right League party, has been elected as the first black senator in the country.

Iwobi, whose party has been accused of stirring up xenophobia in Italy, was elected in the industrial city of Brescia in northern Italy a major immigration hub.

It is with great excitement that I can tell you I have been elected senator A new adventure is about to begin, Iwobi said on Facebook on Tuesday following Sundays elections.

Born in Gusau in northern Nigeria but living in Italy since the 1970s, Iwobi has been a supporter of the League for more than two decades and used the campaign slogan #StopInvasion a reference to the more than 690,000 migrants who have landed on Italian shores from North Africa since 2013.

Along with party leader Matteo Salvini, Iwobi has argued that illegal immigration into Italy has led to an increase in racism.

Discrimination begins when there are no rules and the state lets anyone in. Illegality leads directly to violence and a racist response, he said in January.

The League supports healthy and controlled immigration which can act as a bulwark against racism, he said.

Italys general election left the country with a hung parliament in which no single party or coalition commands an overall majority. Political horse-trading is underway as parties bid to form a working coalition government.

The League, led by Matteo Salvini, was the winning party in the right-wing alliance that took the most votes on Sunday but fell short of an overall majority.

Source: NAN

(Sputnik/NAN)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine must embrace peace and stop paying terrorists in order to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Netanyahu said this while on official visit to Washington DC, United States (U.S.).

To get peace, President Abbas has to embrace peace and to stop supporting terror He pays about $350 million a year to terrorists and their families, Netanyahu said during remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference.

The prime minister added that he is committed to achieving peace with all of Israels neighbors, including the Palestinians.

On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministrys Deputy Director-General Alexander Ben-Zvi said Israel is still ready for direct talks with the Palestinians, but a meaningful proposal is needed in order to start the dialogue.

For decades, Israel has been in conflict with the Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

Source: NAN

Agency reports said Bios home was surrounded by police, at about 6pm when counting of votes began at polling stations.

They were initially refused entry, reports said.

After an intervention by former Ghanaian president and election observer John Dramani Mahama, police were allowed to enter, they said, refusing to comment on the purpose of the raid.

He was able to persuade them to allow us access to the building, said Mohamed Kamara, head of the police criminal investigation.

We came in with a warrant, he added, saying officers observed material on several laptops before dispersing by 8pm.

SLPP spokesman Lahai Lawrence Leema said it was an act of intimidation aimed at rigging elections.

The APC and SLPP have dominated Sierra Leones politics since independence in 1961, but third parties are hoping to make their mark after mounting charismatic campaigns based on the two parties shortcomings.

President Ernest Bai Koroma, who cannot run again after two consecutive five-year terms, has anointed former foreign minister Samura Kamara as his successor for the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC).

A statement released by civil society groups mentioned scuffles in a rural area that were quickly brought under control.

An AFP journalist also witnessed riot police being deployed on the streets of the capital Freetown, with Chief Superintendent Mohamed Bangura confirming two arrests after scuffles involving rival parties.

The export-dependent economy of the mineral-rich but impoverished country is in a dire state following the 2014-16 Ebola crisis and a commodity price slump that has driven away foreign investors.

A presidential runoff is likely, according to experts, as the threshold to win outright in the first round is 55 percent.

The APC broadly relies on the Temne and Limba people in its northern strongholds, while the SLPP is more popular in the south with the Mende ethnic group.

The National Grand Coalition (NGC), headed by former UN diplomat Kandeh Yumkella, is challenging the two-party system by appealing to young and better-educated urban voters deemed less likely to vote along regional and ethnic lines.

Its communications chief said it had reported some irregularities to the National Election Commission (NEC).

Source: NAN

The Senate on Wednesday said it would be forced to withhold budgetary approvals for any government agency and parastatalwhich failed to submit at least two previous years audited reports to the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF).

The decision followed the adoption of a report of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented to the chamber by its Chairman, Sen. Matthew Uroghide during plenary.

The report indicated that at least 85 agencies of government including the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had never submitted audited reports since their creation.

In adopting the report, the Senate issued a May 2018 deadline to all parastatals to submit audited reports in line with Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution.

According to Urhoghide, out of 447 agencies and parastatals, only 40 have complied with the submission of the 2017 audit reports.

He said that the constitution mandated the AGF to receive audited reports from the agencies and submit the same to the National Assembly.

The lawmaker added that the agencies and parastatals should ensure that their accounts were audited by making use of the recommended auditors from the AGF.

He said: EFCC is of the opinion that once they come for budget defence, it amounts to submitting their audited reports. The EFCC Act itself says they have to submit their audited reports six months into the financial year.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki condemned the development saying that the situation was unhelpful to the war against corruption.

He said: Imagine that out of 447 parastatals, only 40 have complied with the 2017 audited reports. When they say we are not making much progress in the anti-corruption fight it is because of the fundamental issues, they are right, the foundation is still very weak.

If we have 447 parastatals and only 40 have sent their audited reports, there is a serious problem. Now, we find out that the agencies that are even meant to supervise are part of those who have not sent in their audit reports.

Now, we have taken a resolution here today to say that unless the remaining agencies do that their budgets for 2018 is withheld.

Therefore, let us remember that when we are passing the 2018 budget, the committees that are presenting the reports of the parastatals should please confirm to us whether they have complied with the auditors report.

In the meantime, we will make sure that we also communicate to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF) to ensure that all these parastatals get their accounts audited and submitted, Saraki said.

Source: NAN

UNAIDS is elated with mid-way results from two studies that show a vaginal ring releasing long-acting antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infection in women.

Reports say that the results show that studies is up to 54 per cent effective in preventing HIV.

The ring, which is replaced monthly, slowly releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine and could give women an additional HIV prevention option that is discreet and that they can control.

Michel Sidib, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said: These results are significant. Structural, behavioural and biological factors make women more vulnerable to HIV infection.

So it is extremely important that they have the opportunity to protect themselves from HIV, on their own terms.

The interim results are from two large open-label studies conducted in South Africa and Uganda, which trials enrolled women between the ages of 20 and 50 years.

Open-label studies are studies in which the participants know which medicine is being used; that is, no placebo substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect is used.

The HOPE trial, which began in August 2016 and enrolled more than 1,400 women by October 2017 the time of the interim review found a 54 per cent reduction in HIV risk.

This means that the rate of new HIV infections was 1.9 women newly infected for every 100 participants in a given year.

Based on statistical modelling, the researchers determined that the rate of new infections would have been 4.1 for every 100 had the women not been offered the ring.

The DREAM trial, which enrolled 940 women from July 2016, had similar findings, with a 54 per cent reduction in the HIV incidence rate.

However, the final results from both studies are expected in 2019, according to the UN HIV/ AIDS agency.

UNAIDS said adherence was shown to be high in both of the trials, although the measures of adherence were not able to determine whether the women used the ring all of the time, most of the time or just some of the time.

It said the DREAM study showed that more than 90 per cent of the women in the study used the ring at least some of the time, based on residual drug levels, and the HOPE study showed that 89 per cent of returned rings indicated that the ring was used at least some of the time within the previous month.

This is the first time that efficacy of more than 50 per cent has been observed in HIV prevention trials involving only women.

Two previous phase III trials presented in 2016 ASPIRE/MTN-020 and the Ring Study/IPM 027 which did include a placebo group showed only modest protection (30 per cent) against HIV infection for women.

Women from both ASPIRE and the Ring Study were included in the HOPE and DREAMS trials, UNAIDS explained.

Other scientific advances in HIV prevention presented in recent years, according to UNAIDS, included the PROUD and IPERGAY studies, which in 2015 reported an 86 per cent reduction in HIV acquisition among HIV-negative men who took antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV.

Another is the 2011 HPTN 052 trial announcement, which showed that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy can reduce the risk of transmission to an uninfected partner by 96 per cent.

Similarly, the 2011 Partners PrEP and TDF2 studies, showed that a daily antiretroviral pill taken by people who do not have HIV infection can reduce their risk of acquiring HIV by up to 73 per cent.

Finally, the South Africa Orange Farm Intervention Trial, funded by the French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA (ANRS) and published in 2005, demonstrated more than a 60 per cent reduction in HIV infections among circumcised men.

These important breakthroughs show just how critical it is to continue to invest in research and development into new and effective HIV prevention options, Sidib said.

The latest reports show that in 2016, funding for HIV prevention research and development was its lowest level in a decade, with no indications that investments are set to increase.

UNAIDS stressed that in spite of the recent scientific discoveries, there was still no single method that was fully protective against HIV.

To end the AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS strongly recommended a combination of HIV prevention options.

These could include the correct and consistent use of male or female condoms, waiting longer before having sex for the first time, having fewer partners, and voluntary medical male circumcision.

Other options are avoiding penetrative sex, the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at higher risk of HIV infection and ensuring that all people living with HIV have immediate access to antiretroviral medicine. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Kenyan health officials have issued an alert after samples taken from patients confirmed the presence of H1N1 prototype 9 influenza virus.

The samples were taken from the patients suffering from flu in Laikipia County, central Kenya, reports.

Mr Donald Mogoi, a chief officer in charge of health in the area, said a child is suspected to have died of the flu two weeks but the deadly virus was confirmed on Tuesday by the National Public Health Laboratories.

The five-year-old boy died at the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital and was being treated for pneumonia, his dad said.

Mrs Evelyn Obongo, a clinical officer at the regional hospital, Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, said Wednesday that her team is attending to at least 60 cases with 15 cases already admitted to the wards.

Most of the patients are children, Mrs Obongo said.

Cases of the flu have been on the rise in the last two weeks, she added.

The diseased is characterised by high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, dry cough and general body weakness.

Source: NAN

Eleven ships laden with various products, including petrol, are at the Lagos ports waiting to berth, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday.

The NPA, in its daily bulletin Shipping Position said nine of the vessels, carrying petroleum products, were already waiting to berth.

It said that two other ships with bulk fertiliser and containers would also berth at the ports.

According to NPA, 31 other ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected at Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports between March 6 and March 24.

The expected ships are carrying containers, steel products, containers, bulk sugar, empty container, crude palmolein, bulk gypsum, bulk fertiliser, diesel and petrol, NPA said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Africas richest business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday described Lagos as the most convenient and peaceful state for doing business.

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 Business.

He also supported the Governor Akinwumi Ambodes appeal to Lagos residents and business community to continue to pay tax.

You should pay your taxes to Lagos state, Dangote said.

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 paid.

We are not true citizens until we become responsible tax payers.

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 rate.

He also appealed to residents to embrace the Land Use Charge and ensure that commercial property owners pay the charge.

The governor explained that pensioners, owner occupiers, NGOs, churches and Mosques are exempted from the payment of Land Use Charge.

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 regard.

The good part of the arguments trailing the Lagos Land Use Charge is that the State Government is ready for dialogue.

Business owners paying Land Use Charge should see it as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

He also urged citizens to have a change of orientation on how governments properties were handled.

The properties should be protected so that resources expended on repairs could be channelled to other areas of needs.

Although the state spends a large chunk of its revenue on recurrent charges, but could not retrench civil servant.

They are only about 103,000 taking care of 24 million people. They help to keep the social fabric together, he said.

Source: NAN

Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has commended President Mohammadu Buharis refusal to sign the Peace Corps bill as a decision in national interest.

The group said the action of the president was anchored on the need to avoid proliferation of security agencies and unnecessary overlapping of their functions.

BMSG emphasised the need for Nigerians and federal lawmakers to appreciate the restraint exercised by Buhari in refusing assent to the 2017 Peace Corps Bill, and to shun any form of dissention against the action.

The Coordinator of the group, Mr. Austin Braimoh and Secretary, Mr. Cassidy Madueke, stated on Tuesday in Abuja they the group stood by the reasons adduced by Buhari for rejecting the bill.

Taking into cognizance his concern of Peace Corps, if created
by law, would in no small measure, duplicate the functions of the Nigerian Police which constitutional role of providing security at the grassroots is already being complemented by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

To us, the President could not have accepted to impose additional financial burden with the government through a new security outfit being canvassed, given that the existing security agencies have at the moment been struggling with financial constraints.

The group appealed to sponsors of the Peace Corps Bill in the House of Representatives to reconsider their threat of working to over-ride the Presidents veto of the Bill.

As doing so will expose them as having ulterior motives in ensuring that the Bill becomes law by fire by force.

BMSG said the Peace Corps has been in existence since 1998 when it got registered by one of its founders, with the stated objectives of capacity building for youth development, empowerment in agriculture; peace, education and conflict resolution.

We believe that nothing stops it from continuing to operate as a voluntary organisation to fulfil its aims.

In advanced economies, organisations such as Peace Corps operate on voluntary basis, making huge impacts in the societies in very diverse ways without necessarily transmuting into government outfits.

Peace Corps over the past few years of its existence has been enmeshed in crises and controversies, getting into conflict with security agencies, which viewed its existence as questionable.

This is needless in a country like Nigeria that is currently battling with security challenges.

It is against this background that we salute the courage of President Buhari to withhold assent to the Bill on Peace Corps, his action having demonstrated that he has a good grasp of the incongruities surrounding efforts to pass the Bill into law.

Source: NAN

Liverpool strolled 5-0 into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in nine years despite settling for a goalless draw with Porto, in an uninspiring last 16, second leg at Anfield on Tuesday.

Sadio Mane inflicted most of the first-leg damage on the Portuguese league leaders with a hat-trick and came closest to breaking the deadlock with a first-half effort that came back off the post.

With the job done three weeks ago, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could even afford the luxury of starting top-scorer Mohamed Salah and club-record signing Virgil van Dijk on the bench with one eye on Saturdays vital visit to Manchester United in the Premier League.

Klopps men have made a habit of fast starts in Europe this season, but took time to warm to their task with the German having made five changes in all from the side that beat Newcastle at the weekend.

It took 17 minutes for the hosts to threaten when Joe Gomezs cross was acrobatically flicked towards goal by Mane, but looped just over the bar.

Porto coach Sergio Conceicao made 10 changes from the first leg, but top-scorer Vincent Aboubakar was one of those to come back into the side having missed the first leg through injury.

And the Cameroonian showed what Porto missed in their heaviest-ever European home defeat as he got in behind the Liverpool defence only to be denied by Loris Karius rushing off his line to mop up the danger.

Mane was inches away from his fourth goal of the tie on the half-hour mark when he controlled James Milners lofted pass on his chest before smashing the inside of Iker Casillass far post.

Dejan Lovren then headed narrowly over as Liverpool threatened to raise the pulse of an understandably more subdued Anfield than is customary on a European night.

Casillas was given a standing ovation by the Liverpool fans in the Kop end as he took to the field after the break on his record 167th and possible farewell appearance in the Champions League.

However, that was one of few moments that got the home fans off their feet as Liverpool settled on their substantial lead.

Milner sliced a good opening wide just two minutes into the second half, whilst at the other end Karius was stretched to turn Majeed Wariss shot behind.

Roberto Firmino had one clear chance to add to his seven Champions League goals this season when his shot was blocked by Porto captain Felipe before the Brazilian was protected by Klopp for the weekend as Danny Ings was introduced for the final half hour.

Salah was given 15 minutes to find the winner when he replaced Mane.

The Egyptian had one opportunity to extend his scoring streak to eight straight games, but Casillas smothered his low effort.

And the Spanish veteran made his best stop of the night two minutes from time to deny Ings and hold onto his clean sheet.

Speaking about Portos opponents on Tuesday, Porto coach Srgio Conceio said: Liverpool are definitely one of the teams who can win the Champions League this year. They might not have been at their best this evening, but theyre definitely one of the contenders to win the competition.

Source: NAN