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Showing posts from February 17, 2019

Nigeria counts cost of postponed presidential poll

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© Thomson Reuters Electoral materials are seen at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices following the postponement of the presidential election in Daura, Nigeria February 16, 2019. REUTERS/Luc Gnago Nigerians who were surprised when the country's presidential election was postponed Saturday might suffer a second shock when they learn the cost, some economists and business leaders say. "The cost to the economy of the postponement of the election is horrendous," said Muda Yusuf, general director of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry who advanced an estimate of $1.5 billion. "The economy was on partial shutdown the day before, and total shut down on Saturday for the elections" that did not take place, he explained. The streets of Lagos were still empty early Sunday as the sprawling economic capital of 20 million people recovered from the disappointment and anger provoked by a last minute, one-week delay blamed on logistical iss

Get ready for the 'Super Snow Moon': The biggest and brightest full moon of the year will light up the skies on Tuesday

Stargazers will enjoy a stunning sight this week as a rare 'super snow moon' is set to appear in the night sky.  The supermoon will emerge on February 19 and will be the largest and brightest full moon of 2019.  It's the second of three supermoons to light up the skies this year, following the Super Blood Wolf Moon that took place on January 21 and preceding yet another on March 21. The spectacular lunar display is known as the 'snow moon' because it often appears along with heavy snowfall around this time of year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.   The full moon names date back to Native Americans living in northern and eastern parts of the U.S.  'The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occured,' according to the almanac.   But what exactly is a supermoon?   A supermoon is a phenomena that occurs when the moon's orbit