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                The Nigerian Senate and the United Kingdom {UK} parliament yesterday thursday pledged to collsborate towards deepening the nation's democracy and strengthening the ties that exits between both countries.The pledge was made when United Kingdom parliamentarians in the International Development Committee led by Mr Stephen Twigg visited the Senate President,Dr Abubakat Bukola Saraki,in Abuja.The Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President,Sanni Onogu,in a statement in Abuja said Saraki urged the UK through its Department for International Development {DFID} to extend their attention to parliamentarians in Nigeria,saying such move will make the legislators more assertive,autonomous and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Nigeria electorate.He called on the parliamentarians to assist the country in building the capacity of her legislators and their aides in order to boost their skills in the act of legislation and support services respectively.Saraki said 

                          Today friday,two Italian civilians held hostage in Libya since last July were freed,just 48 hours after two fellow captives were allegedly executed by Islamic State militants in the north African state.The four were employees of Italian construction company Bonatti and were seized last year near the western Libyan city of Sabratha,near a compound owned by the energy group Eni.The families of Gino Pollicardo and Filippo Calcagno confirmed the pair had been released and photos posted on social media showed the bearded men calling home.A handwritten note written by Pollicardo and published online by the Sabratha Media center reads ''We are free and physically OK,but psychologically we are devastated''.A spokeman for security forces in Sabratha,Sabri Kshada,said the two men were released during aa raid early today friday.''They were found alive during a raid by the local fighters against one of the hideouts of Islamic State in Sabratha'

                                   Yesterday thursday,30 people were killed in  Z imbabwe when a bus collided with a commuter minibus near a town to the west of the capital.Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said several people were injured in the accident when the bust lost control after it burst a tire and rammed into the oncoming minibus.At least 36 people were seriously injured in the crash near Kwekwe,2 1 3 km from Harrare.One more photo below.                                                                                                         

                      A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja today friday struck out an application filed by the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and its engineers seeking to stay proceedings in their trial by the court.This followed the withdrawal of their applications seeking to stay proceedings on the charges preferred against them by Lagos State Government.The withdrawal of the applications was sequel to the ruling of the Court of Appeal,Lagos which dismissed their bid to stop the trial before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo at the Lagos High Court,Ikeja.The state government had filed a  1 1 0-count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter over the September  1 2,20 1 4 collapse of its six storey guest house in the church.At the resumed sitting of the court today friday,counsels to the 3rd and 5th defendants,Mrs. Titilola Akinlawon and that of the fourth defendant,Olalekan Ojo,said in view of the ruling of the Court of Apeal,they were constrained to withdraw t

                                     The Chief of Army Staff,Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai has reiterated the plede of the Nigerian Army {NA} to sponsor the edcation of children of NA personne who lost their lives during the counter insurgency operations in the North East.He made the pledge through the Chief of Administration Army,Major General Adamu Abubaka,during the presentation of the Group Life Assurrance cheques to the znext of Kins each of the bereaved families at the Army Headquarters yesterday.In his remarks,Gen Abubakar said the Cheques were to provide succour to the bereaved families to cushion the economic impact caused by the loss of their bread winners.Maj Gen Abubakar added that aside from the cheques,the NA would sponsor four children each of the bereaved families,from primary up to the tertiary level of education.The families present at the occasion were full of gratitude to the Nigerian Army for showing commitment in alleviating their plight.More photos belo