Author: Chronicle Editor

There’s a new manager at Arsenal but the transfer targets of the north London club appears not have changed much heading into the new season. The north London club are in talks to sign Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free when his contract at Juventus expires this summer, if a deal is agreed he will be Unai Emery’s first signing. The 34-year-old, who is expected to captain Switzerland at the World Cup in Russia, joined Juventus from Lazio in 2011, was recently linked with Borussia Dortmund after confirming he would exit the Serie A club. “I’m playing in one of the…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Tuesday, May 29, as public holiday to celebrate the 2018 Democracy Day which will be led by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the declaration on Friday in Abuja on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement issued by Dr M. Umar the Permanent Secretary. Dambazau congratulated Nigerians on the occasion and pledged government’s continued dedication to entrenching democracy in the country. READ: Born Free urges Zambian President to spare lives of 2,000 wild hippos He also urged all Nigerians to trust and support the government…

Nigeria captain Jon Mikel Obi believes the West African country can surpass expectations at the World Cup finals by demonstrating the same fighting spirit and teamwork that got them to Russia. The Super Eagles are currently 47th in the FIFA world rankings — the lowest of their opponents in Group D, Argentina (5th), Croatia (18th) and Iceland (22nd). But former Chelsea star Obi said that could spur the Super Eagles on and beyond their previous tournament best of reaching the round of 16. “Being underdogs is good for us. It means we have to do more, we have to be…

Animal welfare and conservation organisation, Born Free, is urging the Zambian President Edgar Lungu to help ensure the safety of 2,000 wild hippos. Born Free claims that in a shocking and secretive move, Zambian authorities have overturned their 2016 decision to suspend the brutal culling of up to 2,000 hippos in the world-famous Luangwa Valley over the next five years. The cull is once again being promoted to trophy hunters as a hunt, this time by the South African hunting outfitter Umlilo Safaris. Wildlife charity, Born Free, who led efforts to stop the slaughter in 2016, is calling for the…

…As Lagos Gov Receives Leadership award Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke on Thursday raised alarm over the danger of abandoning Lagos State to shoulder the developmental challenges posed by incessant migration from all parts of the country alone. Warning that the continued expansion of the 24 million population within a territorial land mass of 923, 773 square kilometres is leading to huge infrastructural deficit that federal allocations and internally generated revenue have not addressed, both urged State Governments to create productive economies to stem the drift to Lagos. Duke…

Ten international NGOs including Amnesty International and Oxfam called Friday for the release of 26 civil society activists detained since March after a banned demonstration in Niamey. A joint statement published on Oxfam’s website called on “the authorities in Niger to ease the situation by releasing the detainees and bring an end to the prosecutions”. Adama Coulibaly, Oxfam’s regional director for West Africa, said in the statement: “This situation is of deep concern for international human rights and development organisations who believe that widening the civic space does not impinge on the government, but instead allow citizens to engage in…

Malaysian police say they found $28.6m (£21.3m) in cash stuffed in bags during a search of several apartments linked to ousted leader Najib Razak. The raids were related to an investigation into state development fund 1MDB, from which billions of dollars were allegedly stolen. Mr Najib himself was accused of pocketed $700m, but was cleared of wrongdoing by Malaysian authorities. His political party has said the cash found by police is campaign funds. United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) said it included party contributions and money left over after Mr Najib’s shock election loss to his former ally Mahathir Mohammad this…

YouTube star and popular video game critic John Bain – known as TotalBiscuit and the Cynical Brit – has died aged 33 after battling cancer. He had 2.2 million YouTube subscribers, but retired from reviewing games in April after bowel cancer spread to his liver. In a lengthy post on Reddit, he wrote that he did not “have long left” and said that his cancer was terminal. Mr Bain first contracted bowel cancer in 2014 but under treatment the disease went into remission. However, the cancer returned and spread to his liver and spine. After a tweet appeared on his…

Australia and the Netherlands have formally accused Russia of being responsible for downing the MH17 passenger jet in 2014. All 298 people on board the plane, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, died when it broke apart during flight over eastern Ukraine. On Thursday, Dutch-led international investigators concluded that the missile belonged to a Russian brigade. It was fired from rebel-held territory in Ukraine. READ: Cape Verde investigates how migrant boat carrying Nigerians sails to Brazil Russia has denied any involvement in the plane’s destruction. The decision of both the Netherlands and Australia was announced in a…

Cape Verde has opened an investigation after 25 African migrants including Nigerians were found off the coast of Brazil after reportedly spending five weeks at sea. The country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Filipe said the migrant boat started its great journey in the west African archipelago. “There were no Cape Verdeans on board but because the ship began its crossing in Cape Verde we are going to investigate so that other cases do not occur,” Filipe Tavaras said on TV Wednesday night. On Saturday, local fishermen found the catamaran, flying the Haitian flag, drifting off the Brazilian coastal town of…