■ Nigeria
Faction's office blockaded
Police blockaded the newly designated headquarters of a faction of the ruling party over the weekend, saying on Sunday that they sealed off the building to prevent a "breakdown of law and order" in the capital. About 100 members of the main People's Democratic Party broke away from the group on Friday and selected the building as their new headquarters. Faction member Bode Ojomu said they deserted the ruling party because of unfairness in the way officials were appointed at a December convention.
■ France
Justice changes pledged
Justice Minister Pascal Clement said on Sunday he will propose changes to the country's justice system to try to prevent a repeat of mistakes that led to more than a dozen people being wrongly accused in a pedophilia case. Clement said he would also seek an opinion from the top authority for judges about the handling of the so-called "Outreau affair," named after the northern French town where an alleged pedophilia ring operated. The case, which centered on the abuse of 18 children between 1995 and 2000, gripped the nation's attention for several years. It ended in acquittals last December by an appeals court for six people.
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