Author: Chronicle Editor

A French student union leader Maryam Pougetoux who has been accused by ministers of using her headscarf for political gain has hit back, calling the claims “pathetic”. France’s interior minister has personally criticised Maryam Pougetoux, who is Muslim, for being interviewed while wearing her headscarf. “It’s my faith,” the student told Buzzfeed News, adding: “[My hijab] has no political function.” Ms Pougetoux, 19, is the president of the student union at Paris’s Sorbonne. She appeared in a documentary talking about student protests against the French president’s educational reforms while wearing a hijab, or Muslim headscarf. The French Equality Minister Marlene…

Olisa Metuh, former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has collapsed at the Federal High Court in Abuja as he was making his way to the dock for his resumed trial. Metuh is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the N400m he allegedly received fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014. He fell down shortly after the case was called on Monday. READ: Atkiu, Jerry Gana, others visit Jonah Jang in prison More to follow…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former minister Jerry Gana have paid solidarity visit to former Plateau Governor Jonah Jang, being remanded in Jos prison over allegation of money laundering and misappropriation. Mr Luka Ayedoo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Plateau Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jos. Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau High Court, Jos, had on May 16 ordered that the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly be remanded in prison after refusing him bail. Ayedoo listed others that also…

Alvaro Morata, Cesc Fabregas, Marcos Alonso and Hector Bellerin are the main absentees from Spain’s 23-man squad this summer’s World Cup. Julen Lopetegui, the manager, has named his selection following the completion of Spain’s domestic season on Sunday, but the three Premier League players miss out. Morata, the Chelsea forward, has been a consistent selection under Lopetegui and he was La Roja’s joint-top scorer in qualifying with five goals. However, he has scored just one league goal in 2018 and has been usurped in the squad by Diego Costa – who also netted five times in qualifying – Rodrigo, the…

Roberto Martinez left out midfielder Radja Nainggolan from Belgium World Cup squad in what has been referred to as a shock. The Roma ace, 30, has been a big player for Belgium after a slow start to his international career, which saw him miss the 2014 tournament. He will have expected to make the cut after helping his club side into the Champions League semi-finals. But Martinez – who takes on England in Group G – does not want the 29-cap ace in his 28-man preliminary group ????️Our #WorldCup squad list ! Final 23 ➡️ 04/06#REDTOGETHER ???????? pic.twitter.com/nxOLAv28MS— Belgian Red…

Nigeria’s economic growth slowed in the first quarter of 2018 for the first time since the country pulled out of recession last year as the non-oil sector struggled, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday. The economy grew by 1.95 percent in the first quarter lifted by the oil sector. That was a slight dip from 2.11 percent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2017. The economy shrank 0.91 percent in the first quarter of 2017, the bureau said. Growth rates had been bouncing back since the third quarter of 2016, when the recession, its first in 25 years,…

Police on Monday said 13 people died after consuming toxic alcohol in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state. Senior Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Kumar said five people died on Saturday and eight on Sunday after consuming the locally-brewed alcohol in Kanpur district. Kumar said 10 others are being treated at various hospitals and the death toll could rise. So far 11 people suspected of being involved in the manufacture and sale of the alcohol have been arrested. Sale of the spirit with brand name Madhuri-442 has been banned. READ: UK used to hide corrupt assets of Vladimir Putin, his allies –…

The UK has been accused of turning a “blind eye” to Russia’s “dirty money”, putting national security at risk. The Commons foreign affairs committee said London was being used to hide the “corrupt assets” of President Vladimir Putin and his allies. It said it was “business as usual” for the UK despite the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. This undermined the UK’s efforts to confront the full spectrum of President Putin’s offensive measures, it said. The UK’s “lethargic response is being taken as proof that we don’t dare stop them… London’s markets are enabling the Kremlin’s…

A Nigerian drug dealer is on the run after India police say they successfully extracted 106 cocaine capsules from a woman who was allegedly trying to smuggle the drugs into the country. The 106 capsules weighing around 930 grams of pure South American cocaine were extracted from her body between May 14 and 20 by administering her laxatives at the Safdarjung Hospital. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested a 25-year-old Brazillian woman at the Indira Gandhi international (IGI) airport. Vishwa Vijay, superintendent of NCB’s Delhi unit told the Hindustan Times newspaper that the woman was caught on May 14…

The US Department of Justice will investigate whether FBI agents spied on President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign for “inappropriate purposes”. In a tweet, Mr Trump said he wanted to know whether his predecessor’s administration ordered such a move. The call comes after US media reports suggesting the FBI had an informant meeting campaign aides. US Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein said action would be taken if any infiltration was found. “If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,” Mr Rosenstein said in a statement.…