Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J •Jacks up capital by N595m By Emmauel Elebeke IF the recently approved 2017 national budget finally gets the nod of the Presidency by way of asset, then the ministry of communications and its two affiliate agencies, the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, NigComSat and the Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST, respectively, they would  actually be spending more on capital and less on recurrent as earlier proposed. This followed the adjustment of its appropriation bill sent to the National Assembly which saw an increase in the total budget for the ministry from N18.8 billion to N19.3 billion for the fiscal year. Vanguard checks showed that the increase reflected in the capital budget which was increased to N8.1 billion from N7.5 billion earlier appropriated by the ministry. Also, the approved budget revealed that the recurrent expenditure for the ministry was slashed to N11.192 billion from N11.206 billion earlier budgeted for the year. The budget which...

http://ift.tt/2rSxeUq Pope Francis (R) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican on May 24, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Evan Vucci US President Donald Trump met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday in a keenly-anticipated first face-to-face encounter between two world leaders who have clashed repeatedly on several issues. The private audience with the pontiff was preceded by a cordial handshake for the cameras and was expected to last around 20 minutes. It came on the third leg of Trump’s first overseas trip as president, which has already taken him to Saudi Arabia and to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The two men had never met before Wednesday morning but they have significant history having clashed publicly over subjects ranging from migration to unbridled capitalism and climate change. They also disagree on issues like the death penalty and the arms trade but share a fervent opposition to abortion. Trump was accomp...