Growing number of malls threatens small retailers

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The nation has witnessed an upsurge in retail malls in recent times but industry watchers say the development has its limitations, MAUREEN IHUA-MADUENYI writes

With a growing middle class, rising economic prosperity and changing demographics, retail malls are daily springing up in major cities across the country.

The retail and wholesale trade sector, according to economists, is a leading sector of the nation’s economy and the second largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product at 17 per cent per annum.

But there are also concerns that with the estimated 200,000 square metres of retail mall space expected in the next two years, the economy may be exposed to low value addition as well as loss of jobs, especially among start-ups.

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2015: PDP, APC battle to woo Obasanjo

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The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have begun what can be described as the last battle to woo former President Olusegun Obasanjo ahead of the presidential primaries.

Investigations by our correspondents on Sunday showed that separate meetings the former president held with Senate President, David Mark, and an APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, marked the beginning of the last attempt to get Obasanjo’s support ahead of party primaries.

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Ebola: Lessons for US from Nigeria

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In the comity of West African nations affected by the Ebola Virus Disease, Nigeria and Cameroon have been singled out for their prompt response and effective contact tracing mechanism. Less than seven weeks after the late index case, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, imported the EVD into the Nigeria from Liberia, there is yet to be any suspected or confirmed case.

Stakeholders have said that the United States, which recorded its own index case on September 20, when a Liberian, Mr. Thomas Eric Duncan, travelled from Liberia the US, can take away a lesson or two from Nigeria’s quick response.

Transcarpathia, Transnistria & Gagauzia SitRep 28 Sep - 05 Oct

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by "Y" 

Transcarpathia

ATO 
Charitable events continue as a means of supplying aid to troops in the east. Returning troops from the 15th Mountain Infantry Battalion of the 128th Brigade have stated the prime need is for diesel generators, fuel, heaters, thermal underwear and winter clothing. Collections and other actions have raised funds of at least 41,000 UAH (~ $3000) for supplies such as canned food, fast food, coffee and tea. A group of Svoboda supporters have provided a Grand Cherokee Jeep for use in the ATO. This was used to transfer supplies to the front. The local regional coordinating committee has been disbanded, and replaced by volunteers, seemingly part of the 'lustration' process aimed at removing corruption and giving greater transparency.

Venezuelan President Accuses Ex-Rival After Stabbing Death of Socialist Congressman

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 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that he believes former Colombian President Alvo Uribe may have been involved in the plot to kill Socialist Congressman Robert Serra, who was stabbed to death along with his partner; Serra was laid to rest on Friday, the BBC reported.

Speaking at Serra’s funeral on Friday, Maduro said that the plot was masterminded “abroad, in Colombia and in Miami” by “the band of criminals that ex-President Alvaro Uribe has directed all of his life.”

Female YPG Commander Detonates Herself in Islamic State Bastion

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Kurdish Peshmerga troops participate in an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants in a village on the outskirts of the province of Nineveh near the border province of Dohuk, August 9, 2014

A female commander of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) has broken into an Islamic State bastion and detonated herself with a grenade, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Sunday.
"Aleppo province: a female commander in YPG broke into [Islamic State] bastion around the eastern outskirts of [Ayn al-Arab], clashed with them, fired grenades then detonated herself with a grenade," the organization wrote.
According to the Observatory, clashes continue "around dozens of points" near Ayn al-Arab, as the IS has taken over 350 villages around the city.

Chechen Leader Offers Condolences to Family Members of Grozny Bombing Victims

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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has offered his condolences to the families and friends of those, killed in the Grozny bombing on Sunday and expressed confidence that all those guilty of this crime will be punished.

"These devils have shown their true colors. We'll show them that they do not belong to this soil. All those involved in this bombing will be found and destroyed," Kadyrov told reporters. Kadyrov also stressed that the police officers had given their lives to prevent a terrorist attack, which could lead to casualties among the civilians, who celebrated the City Day. "Police officers have stopped this devil at the earliest opportunity and thus prevented a terrorist attack," Kadyrov said.

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Islamic State Occupies Part of Strategic Mountain in Kobani: Reports

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Islamic State militants have occupied the southern part of Mashtat Nour mountain near Kobani, Xinhua reported Sunday. According to the newspaper, the mountain is of strategic importance for the jihadist group to further extend its offensive on Kobani.  Kobani is city in Syria's Aleppo Governorate, which the Kurdish People's Protection Units took control of in 2012 as a result of the civil war in Syria.
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Elections in Peru Leave 22 Dead in Several Road Accidents: Reports

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Amid the Sunday municipal and regional elections in Peru, 22 people have died as a result of three road accidents, Peru's Terra reported. According to reports by the country's authorities, one of the road accidents was caused by a bus turning over on the Pan-American Highway. The bus was carrying 10 people, who were going to cast their votes in the elections. Ten people died and 22 were injured in the incident.
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US Vice President Apologizes to UAE for Terrorism Accusations: Reports

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US Vice President Joe Biden has apologized for his implications that the United Arab Emirates has provided extremist organizations with financial support, Emirates news agency WAM reported.
Biden issued his apologies in a phone call to General Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the agency wrote late Sunday evening.

Germany Ready to Help Ukraine, Iraq Despite Problems With Armed Forces: Defense Minister

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Germany is able to assist Ukraine and Iraq, despite problems within its own armed forces, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told ARD.


The conflicts in Ukraine and Iraq are calling for Germany to take responsibility and it is ready to do so, von der Leyen said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD on Saturday.
German media have previously reported equipment problems within the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, because of which the country had temporary difficulties, fulfilling its military duties.
According to the defense minister, the problems are related to the late delivery of spare parts for aircraft and the technical failure of some helicopters belonging to the naval forces. These problems are not solely due to her own faults, she stated, but also to the mistakes of the defense industry.

Son Stabs Mother to Death in Enugu

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A woman, Eunice Ugwuozor, has been stabbed to death by her son, Uchechukwu, in Enugu.
And according to reports, the unsavory incident took place in Ubiekpo Abor community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, on October 2, 2014. A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, explained that the woman was asleep when her
son stabbed her last Thursday around 5:00 am. Uchechukwu reportedly abandoned the mother’s lifeless body in the house and escaped, before he was apprehended.

Anambra to clamp down on touts extorting lorry, trailer drivers

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The Anambra State Government on Sunday said it had directed its Joint Security Taskforce to rid the state of touts extorting lorry and trailer drivers.  The state Commissioner for Information, Chief Tony Onyima, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Onitsha that the government could not tolerate the illegal activities of the touts on the roads.

Onyima expressed surprise that the touts had regrouped after being dislodged earlier in the year, promising that the government would move against them again.
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Shelling Strikes Donetsk’s Kievskaya Area, Inflicts Casualties: City Council

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Shelling has struck Donetsk's Kievskaya area, inflicting casualties among civilians, reads the statement published on Donetsk's City Council's website Sunday.
"As of 13:00 p.m. [10:00 GMT], the situation in the city remains critically grave. The sounds of single shots from large-caliber weapons and artillery volleys do not subside. Once again, the shelling has struck Kievskaya Area – the neighborhood of Gladkovka. The units of the MES [Ministry of Emergency Situations] are in place. According to preliminary records, there are casualties among the civilian population. Due to military actions, tram services via route №1 have been stopped since 11:30 a.m. [08:30 GMT]," the statement reads.
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Israel Regrets Sweden’s Decision to Recognize Palestinian State

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Sweden’s ambassador to Israel will be summoned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem Monday over Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s remarks before Swedish parliament on its readiness to recognize the state of Palestine, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website reported Sunday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that he regrets the newly-inaugurated Prime Minister’s “hasty” remarks, saying that Lofven “apparently has not yet had sufficient time to study the matter and to understand that it is the Palestinians who have...been an obstacle to reaching an agreement with Israel,” a statement posted on the ministry’s website reads.
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Tajikistan Blocks Access To Facebook

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A popular social networking website Facebook is now blocked in Tajikistan. On Sunday evening, all 8 internet providers in Tajikistan blocked access to the website, while users started experiencing problems with using Facebook on Saturday. People in Tajikistan now use proxy services or anonymizers, trying to avoid restrictions. Due to the Eid al-Adha (or Kurban Bayram) religious holiday celebrations in Tajikistan, officials are not commenting on the situation. Local experts argue that the website could have been blocked after a call to join the demonstration against the Tajik government on October 10, earlier published on Facebook. From June, users in Tajikistan are denied access to the popular video sharing website Youtube. Access to Facebook has already been restricted in the country twice this year, in June and in July. The authorities in the Central Asian republic have attracted international criticism in recent years for repeatedly blocking and unblocking access to foreign social networking sites, including Facebook, Vkontakte and Twitter.

Four Policemen Dead, Four Injured Trying to Prevent Terrorist Attack in Russia’s Grozny

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Chechen Grozny , Russia

Four policemen died and four were injured while trying to prevent a terrorist attack in Chechnya's capital, Grozny, Russian Interior Ministry said Sunday. "On Sunday evening a concert was scheduled to take place in Grozny, dedicated to City Day celebrations. Policemen who worked by metal detectors have noticed suspicious young man. When police officers decided to inspect and identify him, he blew himself up," Ministry's press service said. The press service reported about four police officers dead and four injured. At the moment, there is no information about any victims among civilians. Earlier the same day, a RIA Novosti source said he had heard an explosion at Isayev Avenue near the railway station.

Dear Children of Hong Kong

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Article written by an anonymous resident of Hong Kong

Dear children of Hong Kong:

Most if not all of you are very concerned about the puzzling scenes and conflicting interpretations/comments (some with fake photos) flying around, each perhaps serving some untold purposes. Concerned but not necessarily adequately informed (not as those who have followed the socio-political development in Hong Kong as a cool pursuit of truth rather than passion – to look for sometimes unpalatable truth rather than what you might prefer to believe, and have done so for a considerable length of time), this must have been a difficult time– though to some, they may actually have a privately congratulatory feeling of “being part of history or history making” as they do what they usually cannot on the streets. 

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Photos From Late Brig. Gen Benjamin (Black Scorpion) Adekunle's Burial

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Cross section of soldiers on parade during the funeral service

The funeral service in honour of Late Brigadier General Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle (retired) popularly referred to as ‘BLACK SCORPION’ was held at Tafawa Balewa, in Lagos State on Friday 3 October. Enjoy the last moment of the civil war hero in pictures.
See more pics bellow.

US Ebola Survivor Readmitted to Hospital & Put in Isolation

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The third US patient, Dr. Rick Sacra, to be treated for Ebola on American soil has been isolated again in hospital after suffering a persistent cough and fever.

DailyMail reports that Dr Rick Sacra, 51, who contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia was readmitted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, two weeks after he was cleared. He was treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for the infection last month and was released.
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