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Netanyahu struggles to form government as Israel moves towards new vote

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Netanyahu struggles to form government as Israel moves towards new vote

Israel moved closer towards a new election on Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to form a government after last month’s national ballot remained deadlocked.

In a preliminary vote, parliament decided to dissolve itself. In order to disperse and set an election date, legislators would still have to hold a final vote, likely to take place on Wednesday.

Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party, has until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to put a government together, after being delegated the task by President Reuven Rivlin following the April 9 poll.

NINE ILLEGAL ZIMBABWEAN MINERS DIE AFTER MINE COLLAPSE

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NINE ILLEGAL ZIMBABWEAN MINERS DIE AFTER MINE COLLAPSE

At least nine illegal gold miners have died in Zimbabwe after they detonated explosives underground and were trapped at a mine owned by unlisted London-headquartered Metallon Corporation north of the capital Harare, the company said on Monday.

Metallon put its Mazowe Mine on care and maintenance last September, citing viability problems. One of Zimbabwe’s biggest gold producers, it still operates three other mines.

Metallon said in a statement the mine collapse happened on Sunday when illegal miners gained access to underground shafts and blasted explosives.

“Tragically nine panners lost their lives. None of these miners were employees of Metallon and all those involved with keeping the mine on care and maintenance have been accounted for,” Metallon said.

At least 24 people died in February when underground shafts were flooded at two abandoned mines in Battlefield, which is to the west of Harare.

With formal unemployment above 80 percent, thousands of young men risk their lives daily working in dangerous underground tunnels in search of gold, Zimbabwe’s largest mineral export earner.

The southern African nation has been working to regulate thousands of people who illegally dig for gold everywhere, including on farms and abandoned mines, mostly under the cover of darkness.

NIGERIAN AIRFORCE KILL SCORES OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENTS IN SAMBISA

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NIGERIAN AIRFORCE KILL SCORES OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENTS IN SAMBISA

An attack aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force has bombed Bula Korege area of Borno State on the fringes of Sambisa Forest, where Boko Haram terrorists were holding a meeting.

The strikes, which were coordinated by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole, reportedly killed scores of the terrorists.

The Airforce said on Monday that the insurgents were attacked on Saturday, following “successive days of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions, coupled with human intelligence reports.”The military surveillance found some buildings within the settlement used as logistics base from where the insurgents launched attacks against troops of the Nigerian Army and civilians.

READ ALSO: Court sacks Imo APC Reps member-elect, orders INEC to issue Certificate of Return to PDP candidate

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who confirmed the air strikes in a release, said the NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, would sustain its operations against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

He said, “The ATF has decimated a location at Bula Korege on the fringes of Sambisa Forest being used by the Boko Haram as a meeting venue. The attack was conducted on Saturday following successive days of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions, coupled with human intelligence reports.

“A fighter aircraft attacked the hideout, scoring hits within the target area and leading to significant degrading of the Boko Haram structures as several terrorists were also killed.”

Court sacks Imo APC Reps member-elect, orders INEC to issue Certificate of Return to PDP candidate

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Court sacks Imo APC Reps member-elect, orders INEC to issue Certificate of Return to PDP candidate

A Federal High Court in Owerri on Monday sacked the member-elect for Nkwerre/Nwangele/Njaba/Isu federal constituency of Imo State, Ugonna Ozurigbo.

Ozurigbo had, last Wednesday, resigned his position as the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.

Justice P.A. Rigime, who delivered the judgment, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Kingsley Echendu of the Peoples Democratic Party.Neither PDP nor its candidate was a party to the suit.

The court said that Harrison Nwadike, who is the plaintiff, was the “rightful winner” of the All Progressives Congress primary election in the federal constituency.

Nwadike had taken his party, APC, and INEC to court over the submission of Ozurigbo’s name as the candidate of the party.

Nwadike, who prayed the court to declare him as the APC’s rightful candidate, contended that automatic tickets were unknown to the Constitution.

The court, in its judgment, agreed with the petitioner that automatic tickets were unknown to law.

The justice, who said that the candidacy of Ozurigbo was illegitimate, ordered INEC to issue the PDP candidate, Echendu, who came second in the general election, with a Certificate of Return as the rightful winner of the election.

The petitioner, who spoke to our Correspondent after the judgment was delivered, said that while he agreed with the court that he was the rightful winner of the APC primary election in the federal constituency, it was wrong for the court to have declared the PDP candidate the lawful winner of the general election.He said he would go to court to challenge the aspect of the judgment which ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate.

But Stanley Imo, counsel to the PDP candidate who is the beneficiary of the court judgment, told our correspondent that the court was right to have declared his client the rightful winner of the election.

He said, “The law is very clear on this. Harrison Nwadike did not participate in all the stages of the election but my client did.

“Now, the court held that Ugonna Ozurigbo was not the rightful candidate of the APC (and) said that the second runner-up, who is my client that participated in all the stages of the elections, should be issued with the Certificate of Return.”

The PDP publicity secretary in the state, Damian Opara, urged INEC to waste no time in issuing its candidate the Certificate of Return as ordered by the court.

Opara, who spoke to our correspondent, said the judgment “has shown that impunity and illegality are bad. PDP did perfect primary elections and we are reaping the dividends.”

Efforts made by our Correspondent to reach Ozurigbo proved abortive, as he had yet to reply to the text messages sent to his mobile phone as of the time of filing this report.

Court Summons Niger CP over failure to arrest of ex-Niger gov, Aliyu

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Court Summons Niger CP over failure to arrest of ex-Niger gov, Aliyu

A Federal High Court in Minna on Monday ordered the Commissioner of Police in Niger State to appear before it and offer explanation over his failure to execute the bench warrant issued for the arrest of former governor of the State, Babangida Aliyu and Umar Nasko.

Justice Aminu Aliyu ordered the commissioner of police to appear with the two defendants on June 13, the next adjourned date.

NAN reports that Aliyu and Nasko were due to appear in court on May 23 for re-arraignment over alleged N1.9bn fraud but failed to show up, prompting Justice Aliyu to issue a bench warrant against them.

When the matter came up on Monday, Aliyu and Nasko were once again absent, with only the counsel to the former governor, Olajide Ayodele (SAN) present in court.

Ayodele, however, said he would undertake to ensure his client is informed of the next adjourned date.

On his part, prosecution counsel, Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), expressed surprise at the defendants’ absence without any cogent reason.

The case was adjourned until June 13.

WE’LL CREATE 20 MILLION JOBS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS – FG

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WE’LL CREATE 20 MILLION JOBS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS – FG

The Federal Government on Monday unveiled fresh plans to create about 20 million new jobs in four different sectors of the economy.

The strategy was disclosed in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting on job creation.

The minister said that with the huge level of unemployment in the country, it had become imperative to come up with a pragmatic approach to creating jobs for the people.He said the ministry had directed the Industrial Training Fund to come up with innovative solutions to create 20 million jobs in four sectors of the economy within the next four years.

The sectors, according to the minister, are agriculture, transportation, services and construction.

Enelamah who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Sunday Akpan said the need to focus on these sectors was borne out of the conviction that they held the key to the diversification efforts of the Federal Government.

The minister said with the huge contributions of these sectors to the Gross Domestic Product of the Nigerian economy, it had become imperative to explore their job creation potentials to reduce the level of unemployment in the country.

He said, “In order to sustain and build on the successes recorded in this regard in the first tenure of Mr. President, we are articulating and strategizing with a renewed impetus towards combating the twin evils of unemployment and insecurity.

“It is on this basis that the ministry charged the Industrial Training Fund to come up with revolutionary multi-faceted job and wealth creation strategies that would lead to a lasting solution to this hydra-headed problem.

“From the report, I have received, the ITF has been able to propose pragmatic strategies that within the tenure of the next level, will generate about 20 million jobs from four key sectors of the Nigerian economy.“These key sectors are the Agriculture, Construction, Transport and the Services sectors.”

BUHARI WILL NOT SIGN STUPID BILLS FROM NASS – PRESIDENCY

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BUHARI WILL NOT SIGN STUPID BILLS FROM NASS – PRESIDENCY

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected a high number of bills because he has to analyse such documents closely so that he will not sign stupid bills into law.

Shehu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said this in Abuja on Monday.

The President’s spokesman had accused the 8th Assembly of frustrating Buhari especially in the area of delaying the passage of the budget in 2018.When challenged with facts showing that President Buhari had rejected more bills from the National Assembly than any other President in Nigeria’s history, Shehu said the President did it for the right reasons as he could not sign stupid bills into law.

Shehu was asked to react to claims by the Senate that it had passed 306 bills which is the highest number of bills passed by a legislative arm of government in Nigeria’s history while Buhari had the record for the highest number of rejected bills.

In his reaction, however, Shehu said Buhari was known to be meticulous with his work.

The President’s spokesman said, “Let me say that the President is very methodical in dealing with matters such as this. A President could sit in that powerful office and act like he knows it all and I think in this country, we have had such Presidents but President Buhari is different because whenever bills come for signature, he will ask that a long list of stakeholders be drawn up. For example, the minimum wage bill he which signed.

“Prior to that, labour groups had been demanding that he sign immediately but he refused and identified all stakeholders, ministers and even the judiciary were made to sign off on it and when this process is on, it takes a lot of time.

“Sometimes deadlines are issued and re-issued. However, the point is that at the end of it, a thorough job is done so that the President does not sign stupid documents and that is important for this country.”He said the seven-month delay in passing the 2018 budget should be featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Shehu said, “The delay which was experienced in 2018 in which the National Assembly held unto the budget for seven months is good enough for the Guinness Book of Records and the President lamented this.”

When asked if ministers who failed to appear before the National Assembly to defend their respective budgets did not contribute to the delay, Shehu said the parliament should have summoned such ministers if it were true.

He said the legislative arm of government had the power to order the arrest of persons without immunity but the fact that they did not enforce such powers showed that they were only looking for excuses.

The President’s aide, however, failed to explain why Buhari had failed to sign the Electoral Amendment bill 2019 into law.

Pastor Joshua Iginla Acquires Private Jet

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Pastor Joshua Iginla Acquires Private Jet

Founder of Abuja-based pentecostal church Champions Royal Assembly, Prophet Joshua Iginla has acquired private jet, according to his church members “to further the cause of the ministry”

Brexit: Michael Gove joins race for UK PM

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Brexit: Michael Gove joins race for UK PM

The prospect of a “no deal” Brexit was fast becoming the central battle of the race to succeed Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday, as environment minister Michael Gove became the latest candidate to declare.

May said on Friday she was quitting over her failure to deliver Brexit, potentially opening the way for a new leader who could seek a more divisive split with the European Union and lead to confrontation with the bloc or a possible parliamentary election.

President Macron suffers defeat as Le Pen edges ahead in EU votes

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President Macron suffers defeat as Le Pen edges ahead in EU votes

Marine Le Pen’s far-right party edged just ahead of the centrist alliance of President Emmanuel Macron in exit polls as French voters led what pollsters expected to be a nationalist surge in an EU parliament election on Sunday.

The defeat for the president was narrow amid a sharply increased turnout that was matched across the continent in what Brussels is portraying as a positive sign, in spite of gains for anti-EU groups.

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