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Alarm over number of female MPs stepping down after abuse

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  Nicky Morgan (L) and Amber Rudd are among those standing down. Composite: PA/Reuters Women’s organisations have expressed alarm at the number of female MPs standing down at the upcoming general election who have cited the abuse they face in public office. Figures suggest female MPs are retiring from parliament prematurely. Of the 58 politicians who have announced they will not stand again, 18 are women and 41 are men, which is roughly proportional to the current makeup of parliament. However, since cohorts of retiring MPs usually reflect historical intakes, the expectation would be that the number of outgoing female parliamentarians would be lower. Among Tory ranks, the female MPs stepping down are on average 10 years younger and have spent a decade less in parliament than retiring male MPs. Diane Abbott speaks out on online abuse as female MPs step down   Read more The cabinet minister Nicky Morgan has said she will  not be standing  as a candidate, with o

Operation Positive Identification: Why I Am Suing Nigerian Army – Falana I

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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has given reasons why he is suing the Nigerian Army over the planned Operation Positive Identification. Falana who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s  Politics Today  on Thursday, said the Armed Forces have no constitutional rights to usurp the powers vested on the Nigeria Police in the nation’s internal security. He advised the armed forces to concentrate their efforts in containing the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast rather than embarking on the “planned harassment and intimidation of Nigerians.” “I am praying the court to restrain the Armed Forces, the Nigerian Army permanently from subjecting Nigerians to such ridiculous harassment as they are planning. “I am actually telling the court that majority of Nigerians do not have any means of identifying themselves. They do not have passports, driving licences, voters cards or international passports,

Nigeria and South Africa try to “reset” relations

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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari (L) and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa give their opening remarks during his official state visit at Union Buildings in Pretoria, – Recent xenophobic attacks threaten to dominate Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s three-day official visit to South Africa and the presidency in Abuja has said he would use the state visit to discuss the “welfare of Nigerians”. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP) President Muhammadu Buhari’s three-day state visit to South Africa this month took some political courage. He was under enormous pressure from some of his advisers not to travel to Johannesburg following the recent xenophobic attacks against Nigerian businesses that led to about 600 of its citizens (many of them professionals) being evacuated back home. An estimated 500,000 Nigerians are thought to live in South Africa. Though the Binational Commission (BNC) between both countries was celebrating its 20th anniversary and had been elevated from vice

Kante Set For Return To Training, Says Lampard

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France’s World Cup winning midfielder N’Golo Kante is due to return to training with Chelsea after almost a month on the sidelines, said Chelsea manager Frank Lampard. The manager is counting on the  28-year-old’s return to ease the workload being shared by Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, who both played the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 League Cup fourth round defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday. Defeat ended Chelsea’s seven match winning streak and Lampard suggested that the setback was due to a shortage of midfield options. “He (Kante) is hopefully going to join in training in the next two or three days,” said Lampard. “Hopefully he will be back before the international break. “I would have liked to have given Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic a rest because of the work they are putting in. “I couldn’t because of N’Golo, Ross (Barkley), and Ruben (Loftus-Cheek) out long term.” Should Kante’s groin injury not suffer a reverse he could be fit to play a role in Chelsea’s home ma

Emilia Clarke spills beans on Game of Thrones' coffee cup culprit

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Caffeine queen? Emilia Clarke as Daenerys. Photograph: HBO Emilia Clarke has revealed the culprit behind the errant coffee cup which made a viral cameo in the final season of Game of Thrones: co–star Conleth Hill. The British actor made the claim on Tonight With  Jimmy Fallon  on Wednesday, telling the late-night host that the actor who played Lord Varys in the HBO hit was responsible for the blunder. The white takeaway cup made headlines around the world earlier this year, after being spotted during a feast scene in Winterfell castle in the episode The Last of the Starks. Clarke’s character Daenerys Targaryen was seated at a table close by, leading to a string of online memes about the mother of dragons’s fondness for caffeinated drinks. While it was later edited out, even HBO acknowledged the gaffe, with the official Game of Thrones Twitter account  tweeting  that the real mistake was that Daenerys had actually ordered a herbal tea and not a coffee. Facebook Twitter Pinteres

Atiku to judiciary: You are sabotaged by dictatorial cabal

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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s lead counsel, Dr. Levi Uzuokwu (right), with other members of the legal team during the ruling on the case on Wednesday, October 30, 2019. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA • Ex-VP warns Nigeria against self-destruction • Buhari, APC hail ruling, PDP, CUPP, others kick “One man, one woman, one youth, one vote, should be the only way to make gains in a democracy. And when that is thwarted, the clock starts to tick. Two and a half millennia ago, Sophocles said, ‘If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: ‘Thou shalt not ration justice.’ Nigeria will do well to observe this warning. “This is not a time for too many words. It will suffice for me to remind Nigeria of this – we are an independent nation and we are the architects of our fate. If we do not build a free Nigeria, we may end up destroying her, and God forbid that that should be the case.” With the above words, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

South Sudan declares state of emergency after floods kill nine, displace 25,000

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South Sudan on Thursday declared a state of emergency after flooding killed nine people and displaced 25,000 others. South Sudan President Salva Kiir made this known in a statement. The emergency was declared in 27 out of the East African nation’s 32 states after torrential rains had submerged many villages. “The state of emergency is declared to allow aid workers and other humanitarian agencies to access people affected by the floods who are in need of aid,” the president said. According to Kiir, at least nine people have died due to the floods earlier this week in the Upper Nile region.