Suspended Welsh Labour minister Carl Sargeant found dead after 'personal misconduct claims' was 'thrown to the wolves'

Mr Sargeant, 49, is understood to have taken his own life just four days after he was removed from his role


Former Welsh government minister Carl Sargeant was "thrown to the wolves" after he was sacked and suspended from the Labour Party over allegations about his personal conduct, a colleague has reportedly said.

Mr Sargeant, 49, is understood to have taken his own life just four days after he was removed from his role as secretary for communities and children.
There is growing criticism from within his own party over how the situation was handled by First Minister Carwyn Jones after the allegations surfaced last week.
One Welsh Labour Assembly Member has told of "deep unease" within the party after Mr Sargeant was "humiliated" and "isolated".

Another has said that Mr Sargeant "wasn't dealt with fairly" because details of the allegations weren't revealed to him.

An anonymous Labour AM who raised concerns told the BBC that there is a suspicion that it was a political decision to remove Mr Sargeant from cabinet.
The AM said First Secretary of State Damian Green was allowed to remain in his post while under investigation over claims that he made inappropriate advances towards a woman.
The AM said Mr Sargeant had been "humiliated" and "isolated without any decision being made that he's guilty", adding: "It's hard to understand why Carl was thrown to the wolves.
"There's deep unease in the group about the way this has been handled."

Labour AM Jenny Rathbone told BBC Radio Wales that Mr Sargeant "wasn't dealt with fairly in the most basic sense".
She told how he was "devastated" after being sacked and suspended, and she wasn't aware of him receiving any form of formal pastoral care.
She added: "If allegations are made against you, you must know what they are so that you can respond to them."

There have been calls for an independent review into how the situation was handled.
Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, has suggested a review be carried out by a senior lawyer.

A spokesperson for Welsh Labour said the party would not comment in response to the criticism. Mirror Online has contacted the Welsh government for comment.
Before he died, Mr Sargeant had written on Twitter on November 3 that he had been told that allegations had been made about his personal conduct.

The married father-of-two wrote that it was "shocking and distressing to him" but the details of the allegations had not yet been disclosed at that time.
He added that he had resigned from his cabinet position so he could focus on efforts to "clear" his name, but Labour said he had been sacked.
Mr Sargeant wrote on November 3: "I have written to the General Secretary of Welsh Labour requesting an urgent independent investigation into these allegations in order to allow me to clear my name.

"Given the nature of the allegations, I agreed with the First Minister that it was right that I stand aside from cabinet today. I look forward to returning to Government once my name has been cleared."

The nature of the allegations has not been made public.
Mr Sargeant's family announced on Tuesday that the Alyn and Deeside AM had died, with police confirming they were called to a home in Connah’s Quay, North Wales, at 11.30am after a man's body was found.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
A family statement said: "Carl was a much loved husband, father and friend. He wasn't simply a part of our family. He was the glue that bound us together. He was the heart of our family. We loved him so very much."
In a statement, Mr Jones said: “Carl was a friend as well as a colleague and I am shocked and deeply saddened by his death. He made a big contribution to Welsh public life and fought tirelessly for those he represented both as a Minister and as a local Assembly Member.
“He will be a great loss both to our party and to the Senedd. My heartfelt sympathies are with his family at this difficult time."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the death was "terrible and deeply shocking news".
Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: “My thoughts are with the friends and family of Carl Sargeant following his tragic death.”


SUSPENDED WELSH LABOUR MINISTER CARL SARGEANT FOUND DEAD
Former Welsh government minister Carl Sargeant was trying to clear his name (Image: South Wales Echo) LOADING
PIERS MORGAN ACCUSED OF MAKING INSENSITIVE REMARKS OVER LABOUR MP CARL SARGEANT'S SUICIDE
READ MORE
Carl Sargeant dead at 49: An industry man who forged a political career promoting social justice. 

ONE MONTH TO PAY: Ultimatum on Brexit bill hangs over UK to move to trade talks

THE UK government has just one month to make offers on the Brexit divorce settlement if they want European Union trade talks to begin in December.

The EU has warned the UK it must make a financial offer within the next month
Despite EU members beginning to prepare for trade talks with the UK, talks have stalled since Theresa May’s Florence speech, with EU chiefs saying her offer of €20billion was not good enough.

And EU chiefs refuse to move to phase two of negotiations until “sufficient progress” is made on the divorce terms – largely surrounding the exit bill.
Senior officials in Brussels say the EU will not agree to trade talks at its December summit if more is not offered.

Fri, October 20, 2017
The EU is expected to say that they will start internal preparatory work on a post-Brexit transition period and a future trade deal with Britain
PLAY
Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on the second day of European Council meetings
Italy’s Europe minister, Sandro Gozi, said there remains “a lot to do on financial obligations”.
The other main divorce issues are EU nationals’ rights in the UK, the status of the Ireland-Northern Ireland border.

Brexit breakthrough? Britain unveils new citizens rights plan to sm...
Professor SAVAGES Brussels and claims they are out to PUNISH Britain RELATED ARTICLES

During Mrs May’s Florence speech, she pledged the UK will “honour commitments we have made during the period of our membership”.
Brussels have demanded as much as £53 billion, which Mrs May could be willing to accept so talks can progress to Britain’s relationship with the bloc in December.
However, if the money is paid, Mrs May could face criticism in the UK for bowing down to the EU’s demands.

Barnier has said not enough progress has been made to move to the next stage of talks
An EU official said: “Some believe that the worse it gets for the British, the better for us, that maybe we could delay it all until for instance March, increasing the uncertainty and triggering the contingency plans in the corporate sector.

“That would be ruthless and risky, but people have different views on what is risky.”
May could face criticism if she gives the EU all the cash they want
After the fifth round of talks ended in October, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there was “deadlock” over the UK’s Brexit bill.
Mr Barnier said not enough progress has been made to move to the next stage of Brexit trade talks.

Coronation Street spoilers: Cancer torment for Robert Preston

Coronation Street look set to be lining up a traumatic new storyline for Robert Preston as he tries his best to hide some troubling symptoms. Could he be set to be diagnosed with a serious illness as he buries his head in the sand.?

Michelle Connor is thrilled as Robert arrives home after being released from prison and the pair are loved up following their reunion with Robert making Michelle a partner in the bistro.
However, Michelle soon notices that Robert is in pain as he sits down and questions him but he plays it down, insisting that he has suffered a strain to his groin.

As Robert determines to avoid the repeated instances of pain he is experiencing, he draws up a training and exercise plan but Michelle is worried both that he is pushing himself too far and that he isn’t taking his symptoms seriously.
Robert later lies and tells her that the doctor confirmed he has aggravated his groin strain but will Michelle accept this?

Or is this the start of the rumoured storyline that will see Robert diagnosed with testicular cancer?
One to watch: Monday 13th November at 8:30pm on ITV.

Chinese exports slow, as US banks voice Brexit fears - business live

All the day’s economic and financial news, including the latest trade figures from China and a Bank of England Agents report

Wall Street banks: Brexit ‘point of no return’ looms
Chinese exports fell last month
US trade gap still wide as Trump arrives
Graeme Wearden
Wednesday 8 November 2017 08.28 GMT


Topics FT: Wall St warns Trump team of Brexit fears
Brexit continues to loom over the City of London, as the clock ticks towards 31 March 2019 when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.

The Financial Times reports that major banks warned the US commerce secretary last week that they will soon start shifting jobs out of London, unless there is more clarity.
The Wall Street titans, including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, reportedly cited Britain’s unstable government and the lack of progress in planning Britain’s future.
Collectively they employ tens of thousands of people in the City.
Crucially, they warned Wilbur Ross that they are approaching the “point of no return” -- where they have to trigger their Hard Brexit contingency plans and begin shifting jobs, capital and infrastructure overseas.

As the FT puts it :
Those briefed on the talks, which were held over lunch at Wilton’s restaurant in London’s exclusive St James’s district, said the banks were particularly concerned by the failure of Britain to provide clarity over whether it will secure a transition deal to smooth the changing regulatory regime after the UK leaves the EU.

They warned they had even less clarity over what a final Brexit deal will look like.
Absent clarity from the government about post-Brexit plans, the executives said jobs would move back to the US or to other European capitals as banks begin to enact their worst-case contingency plans, the sources said.

”There was broad discussion around the lack of progress in the Brexit talks and some discussion around various political scenarios,” one person briefed on the talks said.
UK business chiefs have also been urging Theresa May’s government to nail a transition deal by the end of this year. So, with Wall Street’s major players getting nervous, the pressure is growing.

The City of London Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
(@JolyonMaugham)
Donald Trump warned of our chaos.
Just let that sink in. pic.twitter.com/Y5dAbCiJtw
November 7, 2017 Jo Maugham QC
Updated at 8.28am GMT
China’s trade figures landed shortly before Donald Trump touched down in Beijing for a state visit.

And I’m sure the president will want to know that China posted a trade surplus of $26.6bn with the US in October. That’s $1.5bn less than in September, but 12% higher than in October 2016.
It means that China has racked up a trade surplus with the US of $223 billion so far this year, on track to match 2016’s total, despite Trump’s promises to trim it.
US and Chinese companies are expected to sign several commercial deals during Trump’s visit (these agreements are typically lined up to give politicians some good news to share).
The South China Posts says Beijing has four key goals :


President Donald Trump and Melania Trump arriving in Beijing today for a state visit. Photograph: Xinhua / Barcroft Images
1 Persuade Washington to lift export restrictions on hi-tech products, so US firms could sell more to China
2 Create more cooperation between the US and China in research and development in fields such as space and aviation
3 Boost US participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative - a massive economic expansion drive - and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
4 Press the US to tone down its probe into alleged Chinese IP violation
Updated at 8.25am GMT
The agenda: Chinese trade data disappoints
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business.
New trade figures from China have missed expectations, which may be a sign that global growth isn’t as punchy as we hoped.
Chinese export growth slowed to 6.9% in October, below expectations of 7.2% growth, and down on September’s robust 8.1%.
Import growth also slower, rising by 17.2% last month after a blistering 18.7% in September.
The figures could signal that China’s economy, after a solid year, is flagging a little this autumn -- as Beijing cracks down on pollution and tries to shift from manufacturing to services.
Capital Economics China economist Julian Evans-Pritchard says:
“The big picture is that both outbound and inbound shipments have softened recently, a trend that continued last month.
“We suspect that this reflects a slight easing of growth in other emerging markets along with weaker domestic demand as a result of slower infrastructure spending.”
Mubina Kapasi , analyst at ET Now , points out that China imported less iron ore than usual, and also shipped out less steel.
Given China’s key role in the world economy, these trade figures may weigh on European stock markets today.
David Madden of CMC Markets says:
China is making a concerted effort to move towards a more service focused economy. That being said, their demand for minerals is still a major driver of commodity prices and mining companies.
The agenda:
High street retailer Marks & Spencer, housebuilder Persimmon , energy group SSE and pub chain JD Wetherspoons are all reporting results.

Woman opens up about being abducted and raped for nine months when she was 14

Elizabeth Smart has opened up about her abduction 15 years on (Picture: Fight the New Drug)Elizabeth Smart was snatched from her bedroom as a teenager and then raped for months by her twisted kidnappers.

On June 5 2002 – at just 14 – she was taken from the room she shared with her nine-year-old sister Mary Katherine in Salt Lake City, Utah, US.
The teenager was held captive in woodland for nine months where she was raped and drugged.
Her captors forced her to drink alcohol and watch pornography and she was regularly tied to a tree.
Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee also starved the young girl for extended periods during the horrendous abuse.
Eventually, Mitchell was recognised walking down the street with the teenager wearing a wig and sunglasses.

Police found Elizabeth less than 24 hours later.
Now 30, she has marked 15 years since her abduction from home with an Ask Me Anything question and answer session on Reddit.
In her AMA post she said: ‘I’m Elizabeth Smart, Abduction Survivor and Advocate, Ask Me Anything.’

She described her experience to Reddit users, saying: ‘There were lots of times I thought, this is it I’m going to die, whether if it was directly at the hands of my captors, or through consequences of their actions.
‘It was hard to believe it was over until I was in my dad’s arms being hugged at the police station.’

But one of the top rated questions involved tips for parents to protect children from similarly harrowing incidents of abuse.
Elizabeth was asked: ‘In your opinion as a children’s advocate, what are some practical, commonsense steps parents can take to help their children avoid abuse? And I guess I mean abuse in a general way, anything from extreme bullying to abduction.’
She said:
1. Make sure your child knows that they are loved unconditionally, and make sure your child knows what unconditionally means.
2. Make sure that your child understands that no one has the right to hurt them or scare them in any way. It doesn’t matter what that person may be: family, friend, religious leader, community leader, it doesn’t matter.
3. Should anyone hurt your child or threaten them in anyway, they need to tell you.
She later told parents to ‘practice screaming’ with their children.
‘Encourage your kids to fight back, there is a place and a time when it’s not only acceptable, it’s encouraged,’ she said.

Elizabeth has since become a campaigner against pornography and abuse.
Mitchell is currently serving a life sentence for the abhorrent crime.
His wife Wanda Barzee was sentenced for 15 years for aggravated kidnapping.

Manchester United star to Real Madrid stories usually centre around David de Gea. Not today.

Juan Mata is apparently under the microscope of the Bernabeu club to make an incredible return to the club he left as a youngster.
As the Express report, Mata wasn't in United's matchday squad for their loss at Chelsea which made some wonder what Jose Mourinho's plans are for him.

Mourinho's already sold Mata once, when he was at Chelsea, and the Spanish star has spent the majority of his time playing out wide rather than through the middle.
Gary Neville identifies the one player Manchester United MUST sign
Gary Neville has identified the type of player he believes Manchester United need to sign if they have any chance of catching Man City this season.

And it seems Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho is in full agreement with the former Red Devils favourite, as his side are linked with his suggestion - Cesc Fabregas.
Man United were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and lacked a creative spark in the middle of the pitch.
Fabregas played 80 minutes of the game, and helped his side dominate the midfield alongside Eden Hazard.
The Red Devils, who seemingly missed the presence of Paul Pogba, offered very little in terms of an attacking threat.
And the result turned out to be a comfortable won for the Blues, who recorded their seventh win of the season - closing the gap on United to a single point.
Sign Up For DStv Now and Start Watching Amazing Shows, Movies, Sports & More DStv Ad
Discussing the ways Man United can improve, Neville told Sky Sports: "Jose Mourinho, since the Liverpool game, has talked about not being able to freshen it up. I thought Herrera, Matic and Mkhitaryan got absolutely ambushed.
"Kante was doing his job brilliantly, Bakayoko was running off him, Hazard and Fabregas were dropping in and controlling the match.
Full story here
Manchester United star Anthony Martial admits he is unhappy
Anthony Martial is desperate for more starts at
Manchester United after struggling to oust Marcus Rashford from the first team.
The Frenchman has six goals in 16 appearances this season but feels he could contribute more if he was not always coming off the bench.
Martial complained that it was tough to get going in games when you come on as a substitute, but added that he was nonetheless happy with his performances.
"It’s easier to start the game," Martial told SFR Sport . "When you come off the bench, the other players are warmed up, they’re totally in the game, and you have to get into it straight away. I prefer to start the game, I have more time to get myself into the game.
Premier League report cards: How your club has fared so far this season as we grade EVERY team
"I have faith in my qualities, and I think the manager has confidence in me, too, so it’s up to me to continue putting in good performances, and if I do that, I think I’ll play a bit more.
"We all prefer to play, even if at United when I come off the bench, I make a difference. I prefer to start games and show what I’m capable of.

Chelsea news: Roman Abramovich makes key decision amid Antonio Conte and David Luiz saga

Chelsea news: Roman Abramovich makes key decision amid Antonio Conte and David Luiz saga

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is reportedly ready to have a more hands-on role at Chelsea.


A turbulent week ended on a positive note on Sunday when Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

The build-up to the game was dominated in part by Antonio Conte’s mind games with Jose Mourinho, as well as David Luiz’s reported bust-up with his manager.
Conte dropped Luiz for the United game, a decision that paid off as Andreas Christensen produced an accomplished display in the victory.

But Abramovich, who has often been in the background since taking over the club in 2003, wants more involvement.
Roman Abramovich wants to get more involved at Chelsea
Chelsea player ratings against Manchester United
Sun, November 5, 2017
Express Sport brings you Chelsea's player ratings from their clash with Manchester United
PLAY

The Daily Mail claim he wants to have more of an oversight of the day-to-day running of the west London outfit.

Abramovich is aware of the issue concerning Luiz, but he isn’t questioning the Italian’s handling of it.
The Russian billionaire has had problems before with rifts in his squad.
Roman Abramovich wants to see if Antonio Conte has a problem with David Luiz (pictured)
Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2015, which in part was due to tensions with the players.
And the Mail claim Abramovich wants to know whether he might have a similar problem on his hands with Conte.

Chelsea travel to face West Brom after the international break on Saturday November 18 (3pm).

Babies near North Korea's nuclear test site are being 'born with birth defects'

Defectors from Kilju county, where the Punggye-ri underground nuclear test facility is located, also said 80% of trees that are planted die and underground wells have run dry.
The shocking witness accounts come from a group of 21 defectors who were interviewed by the Research Association of Vision of North Korea, according to the South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

They emerged as US President Donald Trump urged North Korea to ‘come to the table’ and discuss giving up its nuclear weapons.
Mr Trump said he ‘hoped to God’ he did not have to use the US military against Pyongyang.
He was speaking at a press conference with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Seoul, as part of his tour of Asia.

The US leader has previously threatened ‘fire and fury’ against Pyongyang.
He is on a five-nation tour of Asia, where North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have been high on his agenda.

One defector said people in North Korea are worried about contamination from radiation.
Another said: “I heard from a relative in Kilju that deformed babies were born in hospitals there.”
Another former resident, referring to the rogue regime’s most recent nuclear test, said: “I spoke on the phone with family members I left behind there and they told me that all of the underground wells dried up after the sixth nuclear test.”

The defectors, who include one person who experienced two nuclear tests in October 2006 and May 2009, said locals were not warned in advance.

The defector said: “Only family members of soldiers were evacuated to underground shafts. Ordinary people were completely unaware of the tests.”

Other sources said Kilju residents had been banned from making hospital appointments in the capital, Pyongyang, since the most recent nuclear test.

Officials are reportedly attempting to contain leaks from the area by arresting anyone caught boarding trains from Kilju with samples of soil, water or leaves, and sending them to prison camps.

Jose Mourinho concerned for Marcus Rashford after Chelsea defeat

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is concerned over Marcus Rashford’s workload during his international break with England, according to reports.


The 18-year-old has already made 17 appearances for United in all competitions this season and is now set to feature prominently in England’s upcoming friendlies against Germany and Brazil.


The Manchester United stars Jose Mourinho could sell to fund Mesut Ozil transfer


The Daily Mail reports that Mourinho is anxious about the ‘load’ placed on his United players during this current break, in particular with Rashford who may not be rested by Gareth Southgate due to England’s limited attacking options.

The report also claims that the United boss is fully aware that Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool have already withdrawn players.

Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph withdrew from the England squad on Tuesday along with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.

Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Harry Winks have also pulled out of the squad.
Mourinho and United head into the international break following a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea which has left them eight points behind leaders City in the Premier League table.

Taylor Swift shares Reputation album track list after it leaks online - and it includes a song with Ed Sheeran

Taylor Swift has released the full track list for her latest album, Reputation.
Along with the four songs that the Love Story pop star has already released, other titles include I Did Something Bad, Don't Blame Me and This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things.
There's also a song called End Game in which she teams up with close pal Ed Sheeran and US rapper Future.

PROMOTED STORIES

Along with Taylor, producers credited on the CDs back cover include Max Martin, Shellback and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, all of whom contributed to her previous album, 1989.

Taylor shared the tracklist on social media along with a countdown.
Earlier in the day, several Twitter accounts posted a photo of the CD's back cover, which revealed the full 15 tracks and some of the production credits.

The full track list:

1. …Ready For It?
2. End Game (featuring Ed Sheeran and Future)
3. I Did Something Bad
4. Dont Blame Me
5. Delicate
6. Look What You Made Me Do
7. So It Goes…
8. Gorgeous
9. Getaway Car
10. King of My Heart
11. Dancing With Our Hands Tied
12. Dress
13. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
14. Call It What You Want
15. New Year’s Day


The album is out on November 10

Chris Hurst, who lost girlfriend in live TV shooting, beats NRA candidate in Virginia

Democrat’s victory , two days after Texas church massacre left 26 dead, is hailed by gun control advocates as proof progress on gun violence is possible

Lois Beckett
Wednesday 8 November 2017 06.03 GMT

A first-time politician who lost his girlfriend to gun violence has defeated the National Rifle Association-backed incumbent in a state house race in Virginia . Chris Hurst, a former television journalist, ran on a platform that included gun violence prevention.
Hurst’s victory, just two days after a mass shooting at a Texas church left 26 people dead, was hailed by gun control advocates as proof that it is possible to make progress on America’s gun violence crisis at the local level.
Despite a series of increasingly frequent, deadly mass shootings, congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump continue to block any attempt at gun law reform in Washington.

Hurst’s girlfriend, 24-year-old journalist Alison Parker, was shot dead on live television during a routine morning broadcast in 2015, along with WDBJ7 cameraman Adam Ward. Parker had been quietly dating Hurst, another reporter at the station, and they had just moved in together. A reported 40,000 people watched the shooting live.
A year after Parker’s death, Hurst was sent to cover a very similar workplace shooting, this one at a Roanoke rail car manufacturing company. Hurst covered the news, but he was shaken by the similarities between the two shootings, and said he decided to leave his job as a television journalist that day.

“I would not be who I am right now if the person I love was not killed with a gun,” he told the Guardian in February, the month he announced that he was running for state office in Virginia’s house of delegates.
While he emphasized he was far from a one-issue candidate, Hurst said from the beginning that gun violence prevention was one of his issues, along with support for more funding and emphasis on mental health care.
“We must change the way we address the thousands of Virginians who die each year by bullets from guns,” his campaign website reads. “I will take the same objective, pragmatic approach to investigating solutions as I had when I worked as a journalist.”
On Tuesday, Hurst won with 54% of the vote to defeat Joseph Yost, an incumbent with an A-rating from the NRA.

In an interview with the Guardian in February, Hurst described an approach to gun violence prevention that was strikingly different from the gun control positions endorsed by Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential bid, and by other
Democrats of Clinton’s generation.
“We have a lot of work to do to cut out the BS when it comes to gun violence prevention,” Hurst said.
He questioned the utility of gun bans, saying: “I think it’s difficult to ban any type of weapon without real data to demonstrate it shouldn’t be in the hands of the common resident.”
Instead, he said he wanted to focus on more targeted policies designed to keep guns out of the hands of people at moments when they are most at risk of violence. That’s an approach that researchers and mental health experts have endorsed.

For instance, he supported a “gun violence restraining order”, which would create a way for police or family members to ask a judge for a temporary confiscation of guns from someone who seems to be heading towards violence. This year, advocates across 20 states have launched a joint effort to pass these extreme risk protection order laws .

“What I care about most is trying to reduce the number of people who die with a gun, whether it’s homicide or suicide. The last thing I would want to do is to try to change someone’s culture or their way of life,” Hurst said. “A gun violence protection order – we could build a consensus around it. It would be effective. It would work.”
On his campaign website Hurst emphasized the need to address domestic violence, accidental shootings and the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Americans of color.

Gun control groups that had supported Hurst celebrated his victory on Tuesday night.
“Gun sense champions won up and down the ballot,” Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund said in a statement. The gun control group said it had endorsed and contributed more than $2.2m to five Democratic candidates who won in Virginia, from Hurst to Ralph Northam, who was elected governor.

“Hurst’s victory is proof that pro-LGBTQ and pro-gun reform candidates can win, even in rural south-west Virginia,” said the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, which also endorsed him.
The NRA spent at least $30m to put Trump in the White House. “You came through for me and I am going to come through for you,” he subsequently told NRA members at their annual meeting.

Night To Remember "American Fate Metamorphosied"

Trump Re-Elected, I spoke to political insiders and reporters who had a front row seat for election night 2016.
From a campaign assured they were entering the history books with the first female president, to a victorious but surprised Trump team surrounded by the raucous supporters who brought them there.

My election night started at Hillary Clinton's victory party at the Javits Convention Center, where crowds were gathering to witness what they thought would be a night that would change America.

It was, but not like they imagined.

JIM MARGOLIS, senior Clinton campaign consultant
"You know I'm normally a glass half empty kind of guy… I'm always thinking we are never going to make it, even in 2012, in that race with President Obama. This was the first big presidential campaign - and I've been involved in a lot of them - where I was absolutely convinced we were gonna win."

AMY WATERS, national editor, The Cook Political Report
"The mood suggested a Hillary Clinton victory was on its way."

Among the thousands in the Javits Center was someone with a very different view: Charlie Spiering, the White House reporter for Breitbart, the conservative website headed by Steve Bannon, which had done much to propel Donald Trump's campaign.

CHARLIE SPIERING, White House reporter, Breitbart
"I was really looking for a sort of weird night for me, because this is a candidate who attacked my news organisation, as well as my boss, [Steve Bannon]. We showed up and they'd put most reporters in this massive basement with these huge TVs, so there wasn't very much to do other than to talk to other journalists."

Meanwhile at Donald Trump's victory party a few blocks away at the Hilton hotel, it seemed the set-up was geared more for a concession speech - or a least a final party before his team members went their separate ways.

MARK MCKINNON, presenter and executive producer, The Circus
"You know, in all their body language and all the signals we look for in campaigns, they looked like a campaign that was preparing for a bad night."
SEBASTIAN GORKA, Trump campaign adviser
"I guess if I was honest with myself I was more than a little concerned. But hopeful…"
JOSH GREEN, author, Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency
"There was a sense they had done all they could."
WATERS
"And then the early exit polls came in… which also showed her ahead in the key states. And then election night started to unfold."

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, columnist and conservative pollster
"On election night I was on ABC News in New York City, I was going to be on-air with their team. We had a meeting to discuss these exit polls.

JENNA JOHNSON, Washington Post campaign reporter
"I was in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Even though I had been covering the campaign and could have been at the election headquarters, I wanted to be out amidst the people who voted for him, and people who believed in him.

I talked with all sorts of people. A lot of people in their 50s and 60s who hadn't voted in a couple of elections who used to be Democrats, but just really believed in Trump and really wanted to vote for him.
That night I was in a bar in Latrobe called Sharkeys, and there was a dozen or so people there. Nearly all of whom seemed to have voted for Trump, and they were watching the results come in."

GREEN
"Bannon told me that he was never worried, he always believed Trump was going to win. The only time he admitted to me his confidence was shaken was just after 5pm, when the first exit polls came out and showed Clinton either ahead, narrowly in a lot of swing states, or tied in states the Trump campaign had been sure they were going to win.
And that shook his faith briefly."
In this election, the two candidates both claimed New York as their home, and their election night headquarters were set up within mere blocks of each other.

GREEN
"The 5th floor of Trump Tower, which was a wide-open, almost industrial-looking space, had
once been used to film The Apprentice. There was nothing there except for some card tables and a room that had been constructed out of plywood so ugly that Dave Bossie, the deputy campaign manager, dubbed it the crack den.
And that was where the Trump brain trust had decided to set up, it was their VIP room. Bill Stepien, the political director, had a laptop which he could project onto the walls of the crack den, so they could see the returns as they came in and figure out what they wanted to do and respond.
A lot of people would cycle in and out. This was the place with the information.
And of course Trump and Melania were high upstairs in their penthouse waiting for the proper moment to come down."

MARGOLIS
"I spent the evening in what was [Clinton's]
private office, near Times Square.
That included a lot of the senior folks from the campaign, chairman John Podesta, a lot of senior staff, pollsters and so on.
Early, before results started to come in, there was a sense it was going to be a good night. We had a pretty strong turn-out operation in a lot of the states, and it was just standing by to get results.
The first sort of warning sign was early when we began to look at Florida…"

STEVE SCHALE, Florida political consultant, involved in Obama campaigns
"I was actually in a bar in Orlando, Florida. I was hosting a group of election dignitaries because I was not working the election cycle. What's interesting is about 70% of Florida voters had voted before election day. So between 7 and 7:05 a lot of of the early counties reported huge numbers of votes, and actually, early in the night it looked very, very good for Secretary Clinton. "

WATERS
"Democrats had been boasting for the last couple of weeks about the early vote, how they had bagged all these early voters, especially Hispanic, younger voters."
ANDERSON
"And eventually I began noticing, sure, Hillary Clinton is doing perfectly fine in Orange County, a typical bellwether county, but look at what is happening in Sumter County, just to the north of Orlando, where you have The Villages, a very popular senior citizen retirement community. It looks like turnout is very high there. What's going on in Sumter County? Maybe Orange County is not the bellwether."
SCHALE
"By 7:45 it became pretty obvious she was not going to be where she needed to be."

MARGOLIS
"And we were quickly trying to talk to anybody we knew in Florida."
SPIERING
"I remember at some point around 7pm, when the media atmosphere was very celebratory, and they were pretty certain they had a story ready for the conclusion, but around 7pm it got serious again. I remember taking a picture of everyone getting ready really quickly."

MARGOLIS
"And as we were starting to get some of our numbers in at headquarters... I want to talk to Schale, I wanna know what's going on down there."
SCHALE
" In Florida, about 10 counties vote in the central time zone. Democrats traditionally lose those counties by 100,000 votes, so she was actually not ahead by enough votes knowing what she was going to lose in the panhandle. So about
7:45 I called the Clinton operation and pretty much told them that they were going to lose."
"What was interesting [was] for over the next hour there was a lot of disagreement with my observations."

MARGOLIS
"[Schale] was one of the first people, he said 'Look, this isn't over but I got real concerns about what's taking place down here.' I think he was probably the first person that said, to me at least, 'This isn't going to happen.'"
SCHALE
"I was surprised it took the news networks until 11 o'clock to call Florida. I thought they could have called it at 8:15pm
They really thought they had Florida… She was ahead by almost 250,000 votes going into
Election Day. So they had reason to be optimistic, and they were just shocked, as we all were."

MICHAEL STEELE, former Republican National Committee chairman
"Republicans were still sort of scratching their heads going - "He can't win this, can he?"- and that was the thinking for almost an hour and a half afterwards, as it became very apparent that something was going on in parts of the country that was going to change the dynamic of this race, and potentially its outcome."
For Trump's supporters, there was a sense that their calculation about the electorate was paying off.

GORKA
"The thing about this election, it was being measured by prior models. They just didn't apply. States that were deemed to be a given blue state were no longer blue states."
JONATHAN ALLEN, journalist, author of Shattered: Inside Clinton's Doomed Campaign
"He is far outperforming Mitt Romney in [Florida], not just rural areas, but also suburban areas. And they see that and start to realise if they start -
[meaning] her data analysts and campaign manager - if they extrapolate that North Carolina is going to look the same. It's the same in Pennsylvania, same thing in Wisconsin and Michigan. And so she may lose."

GREEN
"When I was down in the [Trump] campaign bunker, a couple of weeks before the election, they had a tool - the battleground optimiser path to victory - which spit out the likeliest path through the states. And Florida was far and away the most important state to them."

GORKA
"Steve was always optimistic and Steve said to me - 'We will win this.'"
Now that a path to the presidency was opening for Donald Trump, attention shifted to the Trump campaign victory party. Breitbart's Charlie Spiering concluded a change of location was necessary as it became apparent that Trump was on a path to victory.

SPIERING
"There really wasn't much left at Hillary HQ for us as Breitbart reporters, so we decided to head back to the Trump campaign.
I remember looking back and seeing this massive glass cage, and I joked they are literally inside a glass cage of emotion. So we took a cab up."

ALEEM MAQBOOL, BBC News
"The mood changed really quickly, and never went back. From that moment it felt there were no doubts. It did turn into a victory party, hours before the results were announced."
Security was tight, only credentialed media and invited guests could get into the hotel.

McKINNON
"It became a riot. People just going crazy as you do on any election, but more so when you just don't expect it. People were just going mad."
In the Javits Center, the mood turned tense. Amanda Litman, Clinton's email director, had arrived there after 10pm, having been at the Clinton campaign office in Brooklyn.

AMANDA LITMAN, email director, Clinton campaign
"That night we were already a little anxious. The news wasn't looking as good as we had thought."

MARGOLIS
"People in the campaign are still trying to see how you might win. 'Oh there are still this many people who haven't voted in Wayne County,
Detroit. We're going to make it all up when we get to Detroit.'
And you are doing it over and over again."
LITMAN
"I have a very visceral memory of one of the communications staffers standing in front of the team of about 50 of us."


"There was a sort of swagger about the place, then there was a little bit of anxiety, then deep depression, then total disbelief. And this was played out in the course of three or four hours. People arriving six or seven in the evening, really upbeat, by nine o'clock, that's when the dawning realisation came that they had failed, Trump had succeeded. Oh my goodness, what a night of misery."
Donald Trump supporters cheered as state after state that was supposed to vote for Hillary Clinton was carried by Donald Trump.

MAQBOOL
"They were much more critical of the media, the political elite and were more bullish as the evening wore on, to the extent that I got poked in the chest."
JOHNSON
"And there's just this feeling of optimism and excitement."
ALLEN
"David Siemens, the White House political director, at one point called Robbie Mook, the
Clinton campaign manager, with words to the effect that [Obama] doesn't want to see this dragged out.
Mook's response was, 'We don't really have a concession speech, she's not ready to go out and face the public.'"
But in Trump Tower, Donald Trump was still watching the results.
GREEN
"Trump didn't want there to be any doubt at all that he had won. [He] was absorbing most of this through cable TV, Clinton's staff were saying it's not over.
So Trump didn't want to take any chances, but as soon as the Associated Press called Pennsylvania, it became clear they were going to head over to the Hilton hotel."
ALLEN
"So then the president himself calls Clinton and says more or less, Hillary you need to concede. And he doesn't think he's done the job entirely, because then he calls John Podesta, who is the campaign chairman."
SOPEL
"And then you had that terrible moment, memorable moment, when John Podesta came onto the stage."
MARGOLIS
"John was dispatched to the Javits Center to talk to the crowd. And at that point in the evening it was unclear what we were going to do. It was still conceivable based on absentee votes and precincts that had not yet reported that, even late into the night, there was a conceivable way that she could have won enough electoral votes."
In a recent interview on the BBC, Hillary Clinton described the mood.
CLINTON
"There was just a dead silence in our hotel, people were so distraught, we went into the dining room, and we sat down because I hadn't even prepared a concession speech."
Once Pennsylvania was finally called for Donald Trump, he, his family and entire entourage set off for the hotel where his fans were waiting in jubilation.
GREEN
"Miller, Priebus, Spicer, Bannon... a lot members of the Trump family were all huddled off to the side of the stage, trying to prepare Trump for the remarks he was about to give when the phone rang."
CLINTON
"I had to call Donald Trump."
MARGOLIS
"I was on with Robbie, the campaign manager, when the secretary made the call to Trump. I could hear the call in the background because he stopped to listen as well."
CLINTON
"So he was very obviously ebullient, and I wished him well and said if I could help I would do so - and it was painful."
GREEN
"With that formality out of the way, the only thing left for Trump to do was to go out on stage."
McKINNON
"They wandered in like nobody had really prepared for that moment. And the fact is nobody really had.
It was not choreographed at all, but that's sort of the way the whole campaign was."
SPIERING
"They were all lined up on stage... Reince Priebus, my former boss, Bannon, and many more, it was definitely this feeling of a shared victory."
GORKA
"We cracked open the cigars."
To the theme of Air Force One movie, Trump, his family, aides and supporters descended from the balcony to speak to the crowds.

Democrats score key poll victories in Virginia and New Jersey

Democrats have scored two significant victories in the US - in the first statewide elections since President Donald Trump came to power in January.
In Virginia, Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie in a governorship race marked by tussles on immigration and Confederate statues.
Phil Murphy, who beat Kim Guadagno, will be New Jersey governor.
The results could give an early indication of how next year's midterm congressional elections will turn out.

New York City's Democrat mayor was also comfortably re-elected.
Meanwhile, Virginia voters also made history by electing their first openly transgender state legislator.
Democrats have been craving something to celebrate after defeat in four congressional special elections this year, despite a groundswell of grassroots opposition to President Trump.

Overcoming the flip-flops
With nearly all the votes countered in Virginia, Mr Northam had 53.9% against 44.9% for Mr Gillespie.

Mr Northam, the lieutenant governor of Virginia, will now replace popular Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat.
Mr Northam won despite a series of flip-flops during the campaign.
Progressive supporters were outraged after Mr Northam reversed stance to say he would oppose any attempt by a Virginia city to provide sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
Pain of defeat still lingers for Democrats
The Democrat offered to work with President Trump after previously calling him "a narcissistic maniac".

Mr Northam also vowed to lead efforts to remove Confederate statues, only to say later that he would leave the decision to local authorities.
And his camp was further embarrassed by a racially charged advert, released by a group supporting his candidacy.

Mr Gillespie, a Washington lobbyist and former Republican party chairman, had accused Mr Northam of failing to curb gang violence and seeking to tear down statues honouring Civil War, pro-slavery secessionists.
Mr Gillespie's style was combative - but he distanced himself from President Trump.
Responding to the election result, Mr Trump tweeted that Mr Gillespie "did not embrace me or what I stand for".

Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Meanwhile, Virginia voters elected their first openly transgender state legislator in Danica Roem.
The 32-year-old journalist and stepmother ousted a long-time, pro-Trump, incumbent Republican in a race that focused on traffic issues.
Her rival, Bob Marshall, described himself earlier this year as Virginia's "chief homophobe".
In New Jersey, Mr Murphy was comfortably leading the race with 55.5%. His Republican rival Ms Guadagno has 42.6%, with about 90% of the votes counted.
Mr Murphy will replace Republican Chris Christie, who was in office for eight years.


Democrats finally have a victory of the non-moral kind. After coming up short in a handful of special elections across the US, they went to the polls in a battleground state and posted a huge win.

How the Democrats, from governor candidate Ralph Northam on down, swept through election night in Virginia should be particularly concerning to Republicans across the US.
Turnout from Democratic supporters surged. They ran up huge margins with college-educated voters and residents in the wealthy Northern Virginia suburbs. The legions of rural voters who turned out for Donald Trump in 2016 were a non-factor.

Democrats won legislative races that were considered to be in play only in the rosiest of Democratic wave scenarios. Exit polls show a plurality of Virginians went to the polls to send a message to Mr Trump. Their top issue was healthcare. At least in Virginia, the president's dismal approval ratings translated into ballot-box poison.
The stage is now set for the midterm elections in 2018. Republicans will have a year to brace for what could be an anti-Trump tsunami forming on the horizon. What they - and Mr Trump - do next could decide their fate

Irish PM wears 'shamrock poppy' in parliament

The prime minister of the Republic of Ireland has worn an Irish-themed red poppy badge to remember Irish soldiers who fought in World War One.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar appeared with the "shamrock poppy" in the Dáil - the parliament in the capital, Dublin.

He is the first leader of Fine Gael political party to do this.
The move has triggered debate about how more than 200,000 Irish soldiers who served in the British army are remembered.
Between 1914 and 1918, some 35,000 of them died.
"The Shamrock Poppy recognises Irish soldiers who fought in World War One," a spokesman for Mr Varadkar said.

"It was commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War by the Irish branch of the Royal British Region.
"Proceeds from the Shamrock Poppy go to Irish veterans and their families, and towards the upkeep to memorials to Irish soldiers in Ireland. All money stays in Ireland," the spokesman said.

In 2012, Mr Varadkar's predecessor Enda Kenny attended a Remembrance Sunday service in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.
A green shamrock is traditionally used as a symbol of the Republic of Ireland.
A red poppy - known as the remembrance poppy - has been used in the UK and several other countries to commemorate servicemen and women killed in all conflicts.
In April 1916, Irish republicans led an armed insurrection to end British rule.
The Anglo-Irish war in 1919-21 led to the creation of an independent Republic of Ireland.

Buhari bans recruitment by MDAs, presents N8.612tn budget

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday banned fresh recruitment by all Federal Government Ministries , Departments and Agencies, except by presidential approval.
He said this was to manage a rising personnel expenditure that was expected to increase to 12 per cent in 2018 .

He disclosed that overhead cost would also rise by N 26bn in 2018 or 12 per cent increase .
Buhari spoke when he presented the estimates of the 2018 budget to a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives in Abuja .
The President laid a budget size of N 8 . 612 tn before the legislature for 2018 , an increase of N 1 . 7 tn from the N 7 . 44tn appropriated in 2017 .
Buhari , who wore sky - blue Hausa native attire and a matching cap , addressed lawmakers for 1 hour and 13minutes amid applause and intermittent murmurs by senators and members of the House .

The President said he had released up to N 450 bn out of the N 2 . 2 tn budgeted for 2017 capital projects as of the end of October .
He promised to raise the implementation of 2017 budget to “about 50 per cent ” by the end of December , blaming the delayed in the release of funds partly on the “late passage of the 2017 budget. ”
He said to check a bloating personnel cost , he had directed all MDAs to halt fresh recruitment , else they would face sanctions .
He said, “I have directed agencies not to embark on any fresh recruitment unless they have obtained all the requisite approvals . Any breach of this directive will be severely sanctioned . ”

From the proposed N 8 . 612 tn for 2018 , the President said recurrent costs would be N 3 . 494 tn, while N 2 . 652 tn was earmarked for capital expenditure .
He added that debt servicing would cost N 2 . 014 tn; and statutory transfers, N 456 bn .
The amount earmarked as Sinking Fund “ to retire maturing bond to local contractors” was N 220 bn.

On statutory transfers , Buhari said , “N 456 . 46 bn is provided in the 2018 budget for statutory transfers . The five per cent increase over last year ’s provision is mainly due to increases in transfer to Niger Delta Development Commission and the Universal Basic Education Commission , which are related directly to the size of oil revenue . ”
The budget came with a deficit of N 2 . 005 tn , a drop from the N 2 . 36 tn contained in the 2017 budget, or “1 . 77 per cent of Gross Domestic Product . ”
On how to fund the deficit , the President stated , “We plan to finance the deficit partly by new borrowings estimated at N 1 . 699 tn.

“Fifty per cent of this borrowing will be sourced externally , while the balance will be sourced domestically . The balance of the deficit of N 306 bn is to be financed from proceeds of privatisation of some non - oil assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprises . ”
Other key assumptions of the budget are a crude oil benchmark of US $ 45 per barrel ( $ 44 in 2017 ); and oil production estimate of 2 . 3 million barrels per day , including condensates ( 2 . 2 mbpd in 2017 ) .

The exchange rate of N 305 / US $ was planned for 2018 , the same rate for 2017 budget.
The President also spoke on how his administration would tackle the country’ s debt challenge , saying , “We are closely monitoring our debt service to revenue ratio . We shall address this ratio through our non - oil revenue -generation drive and restructuring of the existing debt portfolio .
“Presently, domestic debt accounts for about 79 per cent of the total debt . Our medium - term strategy is to reduce the proportion of our domestic debt to 60 per cent by the end of 2019 and increase external debt to 40 per cent .
“It is noteworthy that re - balancing our debt portfolio will enhance private sector access to domestic credit . In addition, annual debt service costs will reduce as external debts are serviced at lower rates and repaid over a longer period than domestic debt . ”
Buhari gave a detailed analysis of the country’ s overall revenue expectations in 2018 and the anticipated jump in the shares of the three tiers of government.
He said, “Based on the fiscal assumptions and parameters , total federally - collectible revenue is estimated at N 11 . 983 tn in 2018 . Thus , the three tiers of government shall receive about 12 per cent more revenues in 2018 than the 2017 estimate . Of the amount, the sum of N 6 . 387 tn is expected to be realised from oil and gas sources .
“Total receipts from the non - oil sector are projected at N 5 . 597 tn .
“The Federal Government ’ s estimated total revenue is N 6 . 607 tn in 2018 , which is about 30 per cent more than the 2017 target .

“As we pursue our goal of revenue diversification , non - oil revenues will become a larger share of total revenues . In 2018 , we project oil revenues of N 2 . 442 tn and non - oil as well as other revenues of N 4 . 165 tn .
“Non- oil and other revenue sources of N 4 . 165 tn include share of Companies Income Tax of N 794 . 7 bn ; share of Value Added Tax of N 207 . 9 bn; Customs & Excise receipts of N 324 . 9 bn; FGN independently- generated revenues of N 847 . 9 bn; Amnesty Income of N 87 . 8 bn ; and various recoveries of N 512 . 4 bn, and N 710 bn as proceeds from the restructuring of government’ s equity in Joint Ventures and other sundry incomes of N 678 . 4 bn . ”

Buhari gave the indication that the government would recover more funds from treasury thieves , saying the whistle - blower policy would be exploited to recover looted money .
For sectoral allocations on recurrent expenditure , N 510 . 87 bn was budgeted for Ministry of Interior ; N 435 . bn for Education ; N 422 . 43 bn for Defence and N 269 . 34 bn for Health.
For the sectoral allocations on capital expenditure , Power/ Works / Housing got N 555 . 88 bn; Transport got N 263 . 10bn ; Special Intervention Programmes , N 150 bn; Defence got N 145 . 00 bn; Agriculture and Rural Development, N 118 . 98 bn; Water Resources, N 95. 11 bn; Industry, Trade and Investment , N 82. 92 bn; Interior : N 63. 26bn ; Education N 61. 73 bn; Universal Basic Education Commission , N 109 . 06 bn; Health, N 71. 11 bn and Federal Capital Territory, N 40 . 30 bn. ”

Others are Zonal Intervention Projects , N 100 bn; North - East Intervention Fund , N 45. 00bn ; Niger Delta Ministry , N 53. 89bn ; and Niger Delta Development Commission , N 71 . 20 bn.
Reps abort planned protest
Members of the House of Representatives had planned to protest against the non -implementation of the 2017 budget while Buhari delivered his address .
The members had held placards and filed into the chambers with a plan to raise them to register their protests, but they later dropped the idea .
Findings indicated that an executive session the Speaker, Mr . Yakubu Dogara , called shortly before Buhari ’ s arrival , helped to douse tension .
Saraki gives conditions for passing budget
President of the Senate , Bukola Saraki , in his opening speech at the ceremony , stated that the 2018 Appropriation Bill would enjoy speedy passage if there was cordial relationship between the executive and the National Assembly .
Saraki told Buhari to lobby members of the National Assembly to ensure successful implementation of the programmes and policies of his administration .
He said , “Mr . President , I will like to advise and caution that there is no better time in this administration than now for a rigorous drive for good working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

“The early passage of the 2018 budget will depend on this good working relationship. The passage of important executive bills that improve the ease of doing business is also dependent on this . So , Mr. President , the 469 members in this chamber are your true partners that will ensure the success of your administration in achieving its goals and objectives . So , lobby them – not the PDP way ; close ranks and let them work for you .
“Let me assure Mr. President that , in considering the 2018 budget proposal , the National Assembly will work with your team , as we are convinced that more can be achieved together . ”

Dogara seeks improved relationship
The Speaker of the House of Representatives , Dogara , told Buhari to improve on executive -legislature relationship for government polices to progress smoothly .
He noted that any attempt by the executive to work alone could only end in failure .
Dogara said the implementation of the 2017 budget had so far not been impressive .
He said, “ Mr. President , as legislators , what agitates us is the prospects of totally abandoning the 2017 budget and the dire consequences of doing so.
“The questions that must be answered include whether we have effectively enforced 2017 fiscal targets and whether managers have complied with the budget as authorised by the legislature.

“We have to redouble our efforts in implementing the 2017 budget. No need to remind us that fiscal indiscipline is as grievous a problem as corruption which this government is busy eliminating. ”

Senators differ on estimates

Members of the Senate however differed on the feasibility of the projections in the 2018 Appropriation Bill as well as the proposed January - December cycle for 2018 .
Senator Mao Ohuabunwa ( Abia - North ) , said the proposal was unrealistic. He stated that the 2017 Appropriation Act was still in operation .
“The 2017 Act is supposed to run for a full year ; what are we going to do ? This is the dilemma that we must resolve before we touch the 2018 budget ( proposal ) .
“We also talk about the level of implementation ( of the 2017 Appropriation Act) because now that they have presented the budget, the committees will go on oversight ( visits) and part of the oversight to be done before the discussion of the budget is to look at the implementation of the 2017 budget .

“From the records available , the 2017 budget is still below 20 per cent ( implementation) but the President had said the 2017 budget would be implemented up to 50 per cent . This budget was assented to in June and five months after, we have only 12 per cent implementation. I don ’ t know what magic we are going to perform to make it 50 per cent by December . ”

Also , Senator Foster Ogola ( Bayelsa - West ) said Buhari did not address the issues affecting the oil - rich Niger Delta region . He pointed out that the Ministry of Niger Delta, which was created to tackle the socio - economic and environmental challenges in the South - South geopolitical zone , had been inadequately funded in successive budgets .
Ogola said, “This year , what do they have for the Niger Delta? I ’ m not convinced with the mention of Ogoni ( clean - up ); what is the percentage of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. In the entire Bayelsa State , what is the Federal Government project there? What is for the Ijaws in Delta, Ondo and Akwa Ibom ?
Senator Sani Yerima also stated that the National Assembly had yet to pass the 2018 - 2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, which should preceded the budget presentation .

“You know that the budget was supposed to be drawn from the MTEF, but we can carry the two along . We decided that we should receive the President so that we can start tackling the MTEF next week , then we will start with the budget and pass it before the 31st of December of this year , ” he said.
In his submission , Senator Magnus Abe ( South -East ) , described Buhari ’ s speech as a good presentation , saying every part of the country “got something out of the budget. ”
He said , “Like every other budget, the challenge is the implementation of what was passed.
“I think the projections are sound . I also think that his explanation as to what we need to do in order not to lose time while we reorganise the budget year to January - December by rolling over some projects and plans from 2017 , is also realistic if well managed . ”
APC leaders accompany President
Buhari was accompanied by members of the Federal Executive Council and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress .

Ministers on the President ’ s entourage include Finance , Kemi Adeosun ; Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma ; Power, Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola; Communications , Adebayo Shittu ; Foreign Affairs , Geoffrey Onyema ; Trade and Investment , Okechukwu Emenala; Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi; and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu .
Also on the entourage were the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation , Ben Akabueze ; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora , Abike Dabiri - Erewa.

National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun led the leadership of the ruling party .
The Governor of Zamfara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors ’ Forum, Abdul- Azeez Yari , was also in attendance , as well as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

Missile Titans :Donald Trump warns North Korea: 'Do not cross your bound'

US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un in an address to South Korea's parliament.
"Do not underestimate us. Do not try us," he said, while also condemning the "dark fantasy" of life in the North.

He addressed Mr Kim in his speech, saying "the weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer, they are putting your regime in grave danger".
The US leader is on a two-day visit to South Korea as part of an Asian tour.

Mr Trump began his speech to lawmakers in Seoul by praising the South's achievements since the Korean War, in contrast to the North's. He likened it to "a tragic experiment in the laboratory of history".

He said North Korea was ruled by a "military cult" with the "deranged belief in the leader's destiny to rule as parent-protector over a conquered Korean peninsula and an enslaved Korean people".

He warned Pyongyang that while it may have interpreted past restraint by the US as weakness, there was now a different US administration in place, and urged Mr Kim to give up his country's nuclear weapons.

"North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned. It is a hell that no person deserves," he said, referencing Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea and Mr Kim's grandfather.

Mr Trump also called on the rest of the world - while singling out China and Russia in particular - to exert pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
"The world cannot tolerate the menace of a rogue regime that threatens it with nuclear devastation. All responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea, to deny it any form of support, supply, or acceptance," he said.


Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump was forced to drop a surprise visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea due to bad weather.
Mr Trump's helicopter took off from US Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul - but then turned back, US officials said.
North Korea's nuclear ambitions have been high on Mr Trump's agenda as he continues with his five-nation tour of Asia.
Mr Trump began his trip in Japan, then moved on to South Korea. He is due to fly to China later on Wednesday, and will also be visiting Vietnam and the Philippines this week.