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PrettyElla
Rare Gold Coin Of Julius Caesar's Assasination Resurfaces After 2000 Years (Pix) - Foreign Affairs - Nairaland
~1.7 mins read
An incredibly rare Roman coin commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar could be worth millions of dollars.
The golden coin has resurfaced after being hidden away in a private collection – and is just one of three in the world.
On the front of the coin is the face of Brutus, who famously killed Caesar at the Theatre of Pompey in Rome in 44BC. And the back depicts two daggers flanking a pileup – a type of cap given to free Roman slaves.
It's believed that this was to signify Rome was free from Caesar, who was seen by some to be a cruel and power-hungry dictator.
This type of coin is known as 'Ides of March', which is how the Romans marked March 15. Caesar was killed on the Ides of March, and this coin was created to commemorate the event just two years later.
"It was made in 42BC, two years after the famous assassination," said Mark Salzberg, of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, which verified the coin.
"The front has a portrait of Marcus Junius Brutus, one of Caesar's assassins. "And the other side dramatically has two daggers and the words EID MAR, a Latin abbreviation for Ides of March."
There are around 100 Ides of March coins made from silver around the world. But just three examples of a golden Ides of March coin are known.
This particular coin is in mint condition, and was held in a private European collection. It's due to be auctioned by Roma Numismatics on October 29, and could fetch millions.
"The conservative pre-auction estimate is £500,000," said Salzburg. "But considering the coin's rarity, artistry and fabled place in history, I would not be surprised if it sold for several million."
Caesar is one of Rome's most famous rulers, known for his military expertise, skilled economics and political reforms. But many Roman senators saw Caesar as power-mad, some of whom eventually plotted to kill him.
He was assassinated on March 15 during a senate meeting at the Theatre of Pompey. A group of senators stabbed Caesar 23 times, claiming the act as "tyrannicide" – killing a tyrant.
It's believed that as many as 60 senators were involved in the conspiracy, and were led by Marcus Brutus, Gaius Cassius and Decimus Brutus.
Soon after, the Roman Republic gave way to the Roman Empire – as Caesar himself was never considered an emperor by historical standards.
After his death, Caesar was cremated and the Temple of Caesar was erected on the s
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Udken
Debts Salaries Take 52.6% As FG Budget #13.08trn For 2021
~7.7 mins read
• Govt plans N4.28tn new borrowings, votes N3.85tn for capital projects
• PDP Reps say budget unrealistic, APC believes proposed spending achievable
John Alechenu, Sunday Aborisade, Leke Baiyewu and Ife Ogunfuwa
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday,
presented to the National Assembly, N13.08tn budget estimates for 2021 with
N3.12tn (23.85 per cent) earmarked for debt servicing.
Buhari, who said the nation’s economy might relapse into recession, stated
that N3.85tn (29.43 per cent) was voted for capital projects, while personnel
costs (salaries and allowances) would gulp N3.76tn (28.75 per cent).
With 23.85 per cent allocated for debt serving and personnel costs gulping
28.75 per cent, it means 52.60 per cent of the budget or N6.88tn will be spent
on both items next year.
Giving other highlights of the appropriation bill, Buhari said the budget was
premised on daily crude oil production of N1.86m and oil price of $40 per
barrel.
The President, who tagged the proposed fiscal document, ‘Budget of Economic
Recovery and Resilience’, assured Nigerians that his regime would do
everything possible to take the economy out of recession in 2021.
The President said, “The Nigerian economy is currently facing serious
challenges, with the macroeconomic environment being significantly disrupted
by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Real Gross Domestic Product growth declined by 6.1 per cent in the second
quarter of 2020. This ended the three-year trend of positive, but modest, real
GDP growth recorded since the second quarter of 2017.
“I am glad to note that, through our collective efforts, our economy performed
relatively better than that of many other developed and emerging economies.
“The GDP growth is projected to be negative in the third quarter of this year.
As such, our economy may lapse into the second recession in four years, with
significant adverse consequences.”
Giving a breakdown of the 2021 budget proposal, Buhari put aggregate
expenditure at N13.08tn, which includes N1.35tn spending by government
owned firms and grants/aid funded expenditures of N354.85bn.
He added that the proposed N13.08tn expenditure also comprised a non-debt
recurrent costs of N5.65trn; personnel costs of N3.76tn; and pensions,
gratuities and retirees’ benefits of N501.19bn.
The President said overhead would gulp N625.50bn; debt servicing, N3.12tn;
statutory transfers N484.49bn; and sinking fund of N220bn meant to retire
certain maturing bonds.
He said, “ The 2021 budget deficit, inclusive of government owned enterprises
and project – tied loans, is projected at N5.20tn, representing 3.64 per cent.”
The President added that the fiscal document would be predicated upon the
2021 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper
already approved by the National Assembly
The assumptions, according to him, include an oil benchmark of $40 per barrel
and daily oil production estimate of 1.86m barrels, inclusive of condensates of
300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day.
Buhari said the exchange rate would be based on N379 per dollar, GDP growth
projected at 3.0 per cent and inflation closing at 11.95 per cent.
He said the Federal Government revenue, based on the above fiscal
assumptions and parameters was estimated at N8.433tn in 2021.
He, however, said the total revenue available to fund the 2021 federal budget
was estimated at N7.886tn.
This, according to him, includes grants and aid of N354.85 bn as well as the
revenues of 60 government-owned enterprises.
The President put the projected oil revenue at N2.0tn, and non-oil revenue at
N1.49tn.
He noted that the country still faced the existential challenge of coronavirus
pandemic and its aftermath, stressing that the development had provided a
justification to exceed the threshold as provided for by the appropriation bill.
FG plans N4.28tn new borrowings
According to him, the deficit will be financed mainly by new borrowings
totalling N4.28tn; N205.15bn from privatisation proceeds and N709.69bn in
drawdowns on multilateral and bilateral loans secured for specific projects
and programmes.
He added that N484.49bn provided for statutory transfers in the 2021 budget
represented an increase of N56.46bn or 13 per cent, over the revised 2020
provision.
The beneficiaries of the statutory transfers, according to him are the North-
East Development Commission, N29.70bn; the National Judicial Council, N110bn
and the Universal Basic Education Commission, N70bn.
Others are the Independent National Electoral Commission, N40bn; National
Assembly, N128bn; Public Complaints Commission, N5.2bn; Human Rights
Commission, N3bn and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, N35.03bn.
He said, “In our efforts to enhance national security and human capital
development, a major part of the 2021 recurrent cost estimate is allocated to
paying salaries and overheads in MDAs providing the critical public services.
“These include, N227.02bn for the Ministry of Interior, N441.39bn for the
Ministry of Police Affairs, N545.10bn for Ministry of Education, N840.56bn for
Ministry of Defence, and N380.21bn bn Ministry of Health.
“Personnel cost is still our largest single item of expenditure. In the seven
months to 31st July 2020, it accounted for 34 per cent of total Federal
Government spending and is projected at 33 per cent of 2021 expenditure.
Only federal workers on IPPIS will receive salaries, Buhari insists
“To check the incidence of payments to non-existent personnel and
unauthorised allowances, only federal staff that have been captured on the
Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System platform will receive salaries.
All agencies must get approval before fresh recruitment
“All agencies have been directed to ensure that they obtain all necessary
approvals before embarking on any fresh recruitment. Any breach of these
directives will be severely sanctioned.
“We remain committed to meeting our debt service obligations. Hence, we have
provisioned N3.12tn for this in 2021, representing an increase of N445.57bn
from N2.68tn in 2020.
“A total of N2.18tn has been set aside to service domestic debts, while
N940.89bn has been provided for foreign debt service.
“N220 billion is provided for transfers to the sinking fund to pay off maturing
bonds issued to local contractors and creditors.”
Buhari said total overhead costs of MDAs and government-owned enterprises
were projected to rise to N625.50bn in 2021, mainly due to the inclusion of the
overheads of an additional 50 firms. He said provisions had been made for
newly created agencies.
Buhari said N3.85tn would be made available for capital projects in 2021, with
MDAs getting N1.80tn.
He added that N745bn had been earmarked for capital supplementation;
N355bn for grants and aid-funded projects; N20bn for the Family Homes
Fund, N25bn for the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund; and N336bn for 60
government-owned enterprises.
Buhari said N247bn had been earmarked for capital component of statutory
transfers; and N710bn for projects funded by multi-lateral and bi-lateral
loans.
He further explained that the 2021 capital budget was N1.15tn higher than the
2020 provision of N2.69tn. According to him, the provision moves closer to the
regime’s policy target of 30 per cent.
He said the capital expenditure would focus on the completion of as many
ongoing projects as possible, rather than the commencement of new ones.
He said, “We have also made efforts to ensure equity in the distribution of
projects and programmes in the proposed budget. I will be providing the
National Assembly a list of some of the most critical projects which we must
work collectively to ensure they receive adequate funding.
“Until projects reach completion, they do not deliver the dividends of
democracy that Nigerians rightly deserve.”
Revenue projection can lead to large budget deficit –LCCI
Commenting on the budget, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce
and industry, Dr Muda Yusuf, in an interview with The PUNCH, commended the
President for early presentation of the budget.
He said this was an indication that the regime was committed to sustaining the
return to January to December budget cycle.
The LCCI DG, however, expressed concern over the revenue projection, saying it
could lead to a large budget deficit.
APC lauds Buhari
On its part, the All Progressives Congress commended the President over his
management of the nation’s economy amidst the global COVID -19 pandemic.
This was contained in a statement titled “APC hails 2021 budget of economic
recovery, resilience…urges ASUU to join the IPPIS, signed by its Deputy National
Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja, on Thursday.
It said the budget was in tandem with the regime’s vision for Nigeria, adding
that it was achievable.
Buhari’s budget, unrealistic —PDP Reps
But members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives
condemned the appropriation bill.
The opposition lawmakers, in separate interviews with journalists, dismissed the
budget proposal as unrealistic.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Toby Okechukwu, said the proposed N13.08tn
budget was not different from the previous ones, noting that while the size was
increased, value of the naira had fallen against the dollar.
Okechukwu said, “For me, for the past five to six years, there has not been any
increase in the volume of the budget, we only have an increase in the volume
of naira.”
Another member of the PDP, Mr Bamidele Salam, said,” We need to assess this
size of the budget in comparison with the international benchmark of global
currencies. As of this time last year, it was about N360 to a dollar. Today it is
about N500. Although the size appears big, comparatively, it is not.”
Another PDP member, Mr Ben Igbakpa, said he was worried about borrowing to
finance the budget.
Budget achievable –Presidency, APC Reps
The Presidency and the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Mr
James Faleke, who is a leader of the APC caucus, however, said the proposal
was achievable.
Faleke agreed with the President that new projects would not be introduced in
2021 to allow completion of the ongoing and abandoned ones

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Bkay
These Five Tips Will Help You Lose Your Belly Fat
~2.0 mins read
These Five Tips Will Help You Lose Your Belly Fat by greenhouse2012: 11:08pm On Oct 09
Some people wish to get rid of belly fat because of how they feel it makes them look. Others are not bothered by the looks because they in fact like the way it looks.

Irrespective of how you feel about it, belly fat poses health risks and this is the main reason why you need to get rid of them.

Health conditions that are linked with high amounts of belly fat include Stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Follow these 5 tips and you will be able to reduce your belly fat and stay healthy.

Avoid foods high in sugar

Eating too many sugary foods causes your body to convert the excess sugar into fat and this fat is deposited in different parts of the body including your belly.

As an alternative to sugar, you may try sweeteners instead.

Particularly notorious for being high in sugar content are soft drinks, energy drinks, and common snacks such as puff-puff and cakes.

Watch the quantity of food you eat

The quantity of food you eat each day has a big impact on how much fat your body stores up. To maintain a healthy weight and waistline, it is important to be mindful about eating just enough portion sizes to keep you going on a day to day basis.

You could also calculate the calories that your body requires either to maintain your current weight or lose weight. There are many online tools available for this purpose.

Eat foods high in fibre

Fibre in food, also known as roughage, helps us feel fuller after eating without necessarily eating a lot in terms of quantity, or calories. Foods high in fibre include beans, vegetables, nuts, fruits like oranges, and whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread.

Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting refers to an eating pattern that involves alternating periods of fasting and usual feeding. For example, you can fast for 24 hours once or twice weekly. Alternatively, you could limit your food intake such that you eat all your meals within 8 hours, for example between 9 am and 5 pm every day; eating nothing outside of this time period.

There is good evidence to suggest that this type of eating pattern helps to reduce body fat.

Exercise

Exercise always comes up whenever we talk about weight loss or healthy living. Regular moderate-intensity exercises such as brisk walking, running and swimming can help to reduce belly fat and contribute to general wellbeing. It is advisable to do 30 minutes to 1-hour exercise daily for good results.

Abdominal fat might look good on you, however, it poses health risks which can be minimized by ensuring you are eating healthily and exercising regularly.


more @ patientnaija.com
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PrettyElla
Genevieve Nnaji Writes Open Letter To Buhari, Asking Him To End SARS Brutality - Celebrities -
~0.6 mins read
Genevieve Nnaji Writes Open Letter To Buhari, Asking Him To End SARS Brutality (Photos)
Genevieve Nnaji has written an open letter to president Buhari, asking him to end the brutality meted out to Nigerian youths by SARS, IgbereTV reports.
The actress/producer began by narrating her niece's encounter in the hands of officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Genevieve stated that she's getting "weary and tired of being optimistic about change."
She called on Buhari to act and command his troops to "stand down".
"Mr President, it's time to lead," she added.
She wrote in the caption:
"Enough is enough. We are better than this. #endsars #endsarsbrutality."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIQUQusoJe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Read her open letter to the president below.
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Bkay
COVID-19: Nigeria May Record Surge In Cases – PTF
~2.0 mins read
COVID-19: Nigeria May Record Surge In Cases – PTF by Perfecttouchade: 8:07am On Oct 09
Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, PTF yesterday, raised alarm that the full reopening of the country’s economy may bring about a surge in the number of positive COVID-19 cases even as it urged Nigerians not to relent in an effort towards curbing the spread of the virus.
Speaking in Abuja while briefing the media, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said that as schools, economic activities and international flights resume, there are heightened concerns about a surge in number of positive COVID-19 cases which may frustrate the success recorded so far.
“We are worried about an increase in the number of cases in certain countries where we used to record high volume of human traffic. This calls for concern that there may be a surge in the number of positive cases if we do not take steps and respond properly with our strategy of trace, test, and treat.”
Ehanire who advised that people should desist from non-essential trips to high burden areas especially people with non-communicable diseases, said: “All travelers especially arriving passengers should please cooperate with border authorities in our effort to reduce COVID-19 cases to the minimum,” he stressed.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the level of testing, the minister noted that Nigeria’s testing rate is below expectations.
“We have the capacity to test 3,500 people per day but what we are getting on a daily basis is below that. This makes our development partners to start doubting our data.”
On his part, the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapha said that the situation of COVID-19 continues to give serious concern especially as relate to testing.

Mustapha said: “The week before independence celebration, we notice a drop in a number of confirmed cases and reduction in a number of states reporting confirmed cases while the rest of the world continued to declare high a number of cases.
We are going to have National testing week when we will carry out testing in all Local Government Areas. “
Calling for caution, he said: “Although Nigeria is no longer in the top five cumulative death countries in Africa, the PTF urges Nigerians to change their nonchalant attitude towards the virus because the virus is real and deadly.

“The PTF is conscious of the fact that our recovery rate is fast and encouraging. We encourage people to test, isolate, and treat. The success recorded needs to be sustained. We are working with the European Union on flights into Nigeria, and once the negotiation is completed we will inform Nigerians.”
“On a daily basis Abuja and Lagos record not less than 4,500 passengers so we cannot afford to relax. We need to do more to survive and we have the solution in our hands. Together, let us take responsibility,” he remarked.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/10/covid-19-nigeria-may-record-surge-in-cases-ptf/

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PrettyElla
COVID-19 Update For October 8 2020 In Nigeria - (3,150 Tested) - Health
~0.5 mins read
151 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;
Lagos-71
Ogun-26
Kaduna-17
Osun-10
Oyo-8
FCT-6
Rivers-6
Plateau-5
Akwa Ibom-1
Ekiti-1
https://twitter.com/NCDCgov/status/1314691060921257985?s=19
Highlights
On the 9th of October 2020, 151 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria
Till date, 59992 cases have been confirmed, 51614 cases have been discharged and 1113 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
The 151 new cases are reported from 10 states- Lagos (71), Ogun (26), Kaduna (17), Osun (10), Oyo ( , FCT (6), Rivers (6), Plateau (5), Akwa Ibom (1), Ekiti (1)
A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activitie
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