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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J A Nigerian peacekeeper serving with the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has been killed in Darfur, the UNAMID said said on Thursday. UNAMID, in a statement said the Nigerian soldier was killed by an unidentified group in a carjacking incident in Nyala, South Darfur State. The Mission extended its condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper and the Government of Nigeria. “UNAMID strongly condemns this attack, which constitutes a violation of international law. “The incident has been reported to the relevant Sudanese authorities. “UNAMID calls on the Government of Sudan to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice. “The Mission extends its deepest condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper, his colleagues, and the Federal Government of Nigeria.” The UN, at a press briefing by Mr Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, confirmed the death and extended its condolences to the family, colleagues...

http://ift.tt/2sbfT9p Although details were still murky, the gunman — Willie Cory Godbolt, 35 — told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper after his arrest on Sunday that he had gone to a home in Bogue Chitto to talk about getting custody of his children. A gunman on a rampage during a domestic dispute in rural Mississippi fatally shot eight people, including a sheriff’s deputy, US news reports said on Sunday. The shootings took place late Saturday in two small hamlets, Brookhaven and Bogue Chitto, both about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the city of Jackson. Although details were still murky, the gunman — Willie Cory Godbolt, 35 — told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper after his arrest on Sunday that he had gone to a home in Bogue Chitto to talk about getting custody of his children. After the conflict escalated, neighbors called police, and Godbolt shot the arriving deputy. “My pain wasn’t designed for him. He was just there,” Godbolt said of the officer. “We was talking about me trying ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Senate on Thursday passed the first part of the much anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) after 17 year of consideration. The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) has been passed to take care of the governance aspect of the PIB. The Bill which has gone through 5 sessions of the National Assembly beginning from the 4th Assembly which was inaugurated in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. The bill seeks to open up the sector to more and better business opportunities, make the sector more transparent and ensure better accountability of revenue derived from oil. If the bill scales through assent by the President, it would restructure the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation, Department for Petroleum Resources and also create new agencies with more responsibilities. Below are key benefits of the PIGB: 1. It will create a conducive business environment for petroleum operations 2. Enhance exploitation and exploration of petroleum resources in N...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J GoOnline Nigeria has announced plans to roll out a business growth programme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria to enhance their competitiveness. GoOnline is a business growth programme for SMEs in Nigeria delivered by an alliance of programme partners and SME growth drivers across the technology, internet, payments, financial services, media and allied industries. Foluso Busari, Executive Director of GoOnline said at a stakeholders’ retreat in Lagos that the programme will aggregate Nigerian entrepreneurs and SMEs to lead and unlock business innovation, efficiency, competitiveness and profitability in the digital age. According to him, GoOnline programme partners representing SME growth drivers in the technology, banking and financial services, media and other sectors have a shared vision to unlock entrepreneurial possibilities that foster innovation, job creation and overall economic growth across the SMEs sector in Nigeria. “SMEs are a ve...

http://ift.tt/2oh8Ie9 At the Bureau De Change (BDC). the local currency was sold at N362 to the dollar, while the pound sterling and Euro closed at N495 and N420, respectively. The naira on Thursday appreciated marginally against the dollar at the parallel market at N390 to the dollar, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. The pound sterling and Euro exchanged at N495 and N420, respectively at the segment. At the Bureau De Change (BDC). the local currency was sold at N362 to the dollar, while the pound sterling and Euro closed at N495 and N420, respectively. Trading at the interbank market saw the naira closing at N305.70 to the dollar. The naira, however, depreciated at the new investors and exports window as it closed at N383.19, weaker than N382.19, its opening rate. Currency traders in Lagos said that the offer of 20, 000 dollars to each of the BDCs on Wednesday helped to stabilise the naira. NAN reports that the each of the BDCs received 40, 000 dollars weekly f...

http://ift.tt/2pxCsaj (FILES) This file photo taken on January 17, 2017 shows French Front National (National Front – FN) far-right party's President, European MP and presidential candidate for the 2017 election Marine Le Pen.<br />FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP With a week to go before France’s presidential election runoff, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen stayed on the offensive against frontrunner Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, trying to close a 19-point gap in the polls. After a surprise visit to a controversial aluminium plant in the southern town of Gardanne, the 48-year-old Le Pen went on to lay a wreath at a World War II monument in the nearby port of Marseille. Hours later, Macron, who if elected would become France’s youngest president at 39, paid his respects at Paris’s Holocaust memorial, where he was greeted by France’s grand rabbi, Haim Korsia. “What happened is unforgettable and unforgivable,” Macron said after pausing before the wall bearing the names of 76,0...