Scoring against Argentina isn’t that difficult, says Ahmed Musa

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The Super Eagles could find themselves relying on the Group D leaders – who plan to leave big names out against Iceland – to reach the knockout stages.

Two goals from Ahmed Musa ensured Nigeria remain in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages as they saw off Iceland in Volgograd.

Nigeria Super Eagles needs a victory over Argentina in Saint Petersburg to reach the last 16 for the fourth time in history.

And though a defeat to the Argentina would confirm their elimination, a draw would mean they require Croatia to do them a favour against Iceland.

Croatia have already booked their place in the latter stages of the competition, and as such manager Zlatko Dalic has vowed to leave out some of his star players in a bid to conserve their fitness.

Nigeria have faced Argentina four times in their previous five World Cup appearances, losing on all four occasions, but the form of the South American outfit have raised hopes that the Super Eagles can end that run.

Despite having Lionel Messi in their number, Jorge Sampaoli’s side have picked up just one point from their two games thus far, including an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Croatia on Thursday.

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Google has announced it is to open its first African artificial intelligence research centre in Ghana in 2018.

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The Federal Government has issued an Executive Order for the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from “All Forms of Shared Transportation,” which we believe includes air transport.

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American Deontay Wilder has agreed terms to fight Anthony Joshua in Britain later this year, in a bout that would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000, ESPN reported on Monday.

Briton Joshua (21-0) is the holder of the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles while Wilder (40-0) is the WBC world champion.

Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told ESPN they had agreed to the latest terms offered by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

“We have agreed to the terms that Eddie has put out to us for a fight in the U.K. Deontay has accepted his terms to fight in the U.K.,” Finkel said.

Wilder, in a message posted on his Twitter account, confirmed he had agreed to fight in Britain but said an offer to Joshua of $50 million to fight in the United States was still on the table.

“The $50M offer for him to fight me next in the US is still available,” Wilder said on Monday.

“Today I even agreed to their offer to fight Joshua next in the UK. If he prefers the fight in the UK, the ball is in their court.”

The WBC title is the only one remaining on Joshua’s radar after he added the WBO championship to his collection, by defeating New Zealand’s previously unbeaten Joseph Parker in March by unanimous decision.

(Reuters/NAN)

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The post 2017: Rise in life expectancy & drop in infant mortality in China appeared first on Nigeria News.

By : Mayowa Michael Adeleye

The Executive Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) on Sunday June 10, 2018 met Mr Zhang Shuping (张术平), the Mayor of Línyí in the south of Shandong province in China in the presence of over 90 investors and other government delegations from Nigeria and China.

A letter of intent was also signed for Ondo State, Nigeria and Línyí, Shandong, China  to establish sister-cities relations.

Zhang Shuping expressed a warm welcome to Ondo State delegation. He said that Línyí being the largest prefecture-level city in Shandong, both by area and population is a well-known historic and cultural city and one of the top tourist destinations in China.

Linyi’s economy is based around its wholesale markets. The Linyi Wholesale City is ranked 3rd in its category in China with an annual trade volume of 40 billion RMB (~US$5 billion). The Linyi prefecture has developed more than 1,500 specialized villages, over 80 specialized towns and nearly 800 industrialized agricultural enterprises.

In 2014, Linyi’s economy GDP was 369 billion RMB with its main industrial products are: textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, electronics, chemicals, building materials, coal, medicines, gold and porcelain. Machinery is exported to Europe, the Americas and south-east Asia. Linyi prefecture has an annual capacity of 3 million tons of compound fertilizers.

He also said that Kunming will continue consolidate relations and friendship between the two cities, promoting development and cooperation in the economy, culture, education, technology, tourism, and etc.

In his remarks, Governor Akeredolu said that Linyi Wholesale City is impressive. He is also hoping to strengthen ties and cooperation between the Ondo State, Nigeria and Línyí, Shandong, China, especially natural resources exploration, agriculture and industrialization.

After meeting, a letter of intent was signed for the Ondo, Nigeria and Linyi, China to establish twin-sister relationships.

Furthermore, Ondo State of Nigeria Government signed and sealed Six (6) MOU agreements with Linyi, China which include:

1. Bitumen mining and exploration

2. Establishment of a paper mill in Ondo State

3. Establishment of Cassava to Ethanol factory in Ondo State

4. Establishment of Diary Industry in Ondo State

5. Establishment of Cement Factory in Ondo State.

6. Establishment of Ondo-Linyi Industrial Park (OLIP) in Ondo State

With the execution of the twin-sister agreement, Ondo state becomes the first Nigeria state to have twin relationship with any city in People’s Republic of China.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of Ondo state, said that his administration is ready to partner both local and foreign investors in the area of mineral resources exploration, agriculture and industrialization of the state.

The governor emphasized that his trip to China is part of his continued efforts at wooing investors to the state.  In line with the vision of his administration in creating jobs for the youths of the state, Ondo State Government is talking to foreign investors to come and co-invest with the state government in building industrial and agricultural parks in the state.

Governor Akeredolu was accompanied to China by the CEO of Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), Mr. Boye Oyewumi, the CEO of Klick Konnect Network International Ltd, Chief Alexander Ajipe and a team of entourage.

Ondo State produces 12% of Nigeria’s Oil & Gas output. Other mineral resources found in the state are; Quart sand, Clay, Granite, Limestone, Talc, Kaolin, Coal, Columbine, Rock, Tin, River, Mineral deposits, Bitumen which is the 2nd largest in the world, Ocean fronts and the largest Coastline in Nigeria.. It is abundant in mineral resources and tourism.

(Editor: Mayowa Michael Adeleye)

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After lashing back at Canada in response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s criticism of his new tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that he loves Canada — but also floated the idea of killing the North American Free Trade Agreement that Canada supports and instead creating separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico.

Canada and Mexico both want to stay in the three-country NAFTA that has existed since 1994. Trump’s Friday comments come nine months into the negotiations, which he initiated, that are intended to make changes to that three-country pact.

“To be honest with you … I wouldn’t mind seeing NAFTA where you’d go by a different name, where you make a separate deal with Canada and a separate deal with Mexico. Because you’re talking about a very different two countries,” Trump said outside the White House.

Canada and the U.S. had their own two-country trade agreement from 1989 until the three-country NAFTA replaced it in 1994.

Trump has been criticized by Canadian and Mexican leaders and numerous members of his own party for hitting such close allies with steel and aluminum tariffs. Trump responded: “They’re our allies, but they take advantage of us economically.”

“I love Canada. I love Mexico. I love ’em. But Mexico’s making over $100 billion a year and they’re not helping us with our border,” Trump said, falsely describing a trade deficit that was $69 billion (U.S.) last year and has never been $100 billion.

Trump’s latest remarks cast further doubt on his commitment to an agreement he described again as “a terrible deal for the United States.” Negotiations have stalled amid several serious disagreements.

Negotiators, however, have shrugged off previous musings from the president in the past and continued with the three-country negotiations. Canada has not ruled out the idea of a two-country agreement without Mexico.

Trump criticized Canada on three separate occasions on Thursday and Friday after Trudeau delivered an unusually pointed rebuke of Trump’s tariffs and vowed to retaliate with Canadian tariffs on more than 100 U.S. products.

Trudeau taped a Friday interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, which airs Sunday, to make his anti-tariff case to an American audience.

“The idea that we are somehow a national security threat to the United States is quite frankly insulting and unacceptable,” Trudeau said, repeating his Thursday argument against the national security provision under which the tariffs were officially imposed.

In a rare nighttime statement on Thursday, Trump called out Trudeau by name: “The United States has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade. Those days are over. Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United State (sic) will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all.”

In a tweet Friday morning, Trump returned to his familiar complaints about Canadian agriculture.

“Canada has treated our Agricultural business and Farmers very poorly for a very long period of time. Highly restrictive on Trade!” he wrote. “They must open their markets and take down their trade barriers! They report a really high surplus on trade with us. Do Timber & Lumber in U.S.?”

U.S. data has consistently shown that the U.S. has a trade surplus with Canada. Canadian data, calculated differently, has shown that Canada has the surplus. Regardless, economic analysts agree that the relationship is largely balanced and that the existence of a surplus or a deficit is not a good way to measure the quality of a trade relationship.

Trump has periodically complained about Canadian agriculture policy, particularly with regard to milk. His administration is demanding changes to Canada’s supply management system as part of the NAFTA talks.

In his Friday remarks outside the White House, Trump falsely claimed: “Canada doesn’t take — I mean, they’re very restrictive as to taking our agricultural product and other things.” Trump’s Agriculture Department reported in March that Canada bought more U.S. agricultural products in 2017 — $20.5 billion (U.S) worth — than any other country.

Trudeau had long attempted to maintain a positive posture toward the impulsive president, responding only indirectly to Trump’s jabs at Canada. The prime minister’s remarks on Thursday represented his sharpest criticism to date.

By DANIEL DALE

Washington Bureau Chief

The post “I love Canada. I love Mexico. I love ’em,’ Trump says after lashing back at Canada over Trudeau’s tariff criticism appeared first on Nigeria News.

Federal NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan has asked Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to look into what she calls a systemic problem with the way Hussen’s department is treating applications under the spousal sponsorship program.

“To me, it’s completely inappropriate and I think it’s offensive and insulting,” Kwan said.

“I would like for the government to look at the systemic issue of this letter and why such letters are being sent out through those spousal sponsorship applications.”

The letter, from a Canadian immigration officer based in London, England, to a female applicant from Pakistan, says her permanent residency application appears suspect for a number of reasons — including that she is three years older than her husband, a Canadian citizen who has lived in Canada since 2005.

“You and your sponsor (husband) do not appear well matched,” the letter states, a copy of which was provided to The Canadian Press.

“You are three years older than him, he comes from a town four hours from where you live and you are not related, so it is unclear to me why the match was made.”

It is unusual for Pakistani men to marry older women, especially if they are not related, the unnamed immigration officer writes. The officer also notes their wedding guest list of 123 people was small compared to traditional Pakistani weddings.

“This apparent deviation from the cultural norm raises concerns that your wedding may have taken place in order for you to gain permanent residence in Canada.”

Kwan said she followed up with the department, only to find letters with such language are routinely sent to spousal sponsorship applicants from Pakistan to “’tease out a response.’”

“Who are they judge whether or not that marriage is well-matched?” Kwan said.

“It’s one thing to say, ‘I do not believe in the authenticity of this marriage,’ it’s another to make a judgment on the quality of the marriage…. I find that offensive.”

Kwan raised the issue in question period this week and again with Hussen during a Commons committee meeting Thursday, asking for the government to review its treatment of spousal applicants.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the program during question period, saying he was pleased his government has reduced a backlog of applications under spousal sponsorship and has also reduced waiting times from two years to 12 months.

“We also know there is more to do,” Trudeau said.

Improvements to the program have been made, and scrutinizing spousal sponsorship applications is an important part of the work of his department, Hussen added.

“Our department continues to uphold measures to safeguard against marriage fraud and other program integrity risks.”

Indeed, it’s not uncommon for the immigration minister to become involved in cases involving spousal sponsorship that go before the courts.

Last week, a Federal Court judge rejected a judicial review application from Hussen’s office in a spousal case that was initially rejected and then won on appeal. The office felt there was evidence contradicting the wife’s claim that her marriage to a Nigerian man in 2014 was legitimate.

The Canadian Press

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