Author: Chronicle Editor

Pope Francis says men who frequent prostitutes are criminals with a “sick mentality” who think that women exist to be exploited. He insisted Monday: “This isn’t making love. This is torturing a woman. Let’s not confuse the terms.” Washington Post reports. The Pope further asked forgiveness for all Christians who buy sex from women. Francis spoke during a four-hour long listening session with 300 young people invited by the Vatican to brief church leaders about what kids these days think about the Catholic Church. READ: IGP Idris withdraws policemen attached to politicians It’s a preparatory meeting for a big synod…

The Inspector-General of Police, I-G, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all policemen attached to Very Important Personalities, VIPs, political and public office holders in the country. Idris gave the order at the monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and above on Monday in Abuja. “A directive for the withdrawal of all police officers deployed to VIPs, political and public office holders, with immediate effect, is hereby given,”he said. He said that the order became expedient in view of the current security challenges in the country, adding that it was aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing…

An economist, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, on Monday described the nation’s debt stock of N21.73 trillion as worrisome and urged the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to stop external borrowing. Tella, a professor of Economics at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, expressed his views in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. He said that the current size of the country’s external debt was worrisome. NAN reports that the Debt Management Office (DMO), on March 14, said that Nigeria’s external debt had risen to 18.91 billion dollars (N5.79 trillion) as at December 31, 2017. The…

A 13-year-old girl in Mississippi has died after allegedly being shot by her nine-year-old brother over a video game, police say. They said the boy grabbed a gun on Saturday afternoon after his sister would not give up the controller. He allegedly shot her from behind, and the bullet entered her brain. A local sheriff announced on Sunday that the teen had died of her injuries in a Memphis hospital. It was unclear how the boy obtained the gun. It is also unclear what consequences the nine-year-old will face. READ: Ebonyi begins campaign against rat consumption “He’s just nine,” Monroe…

In an effort to prevent further outbreak of Lassa fever, Ebonyi Government is to begin intensive campaigns against rat consumption in rural areas. The state Commissioner for Environment, Chief Donatus Njoku, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki that the government would explore all avenues to dissuade the citizens from consuming rats. NAN reports that Lassa fever outbreak in the state in January resulted in four deaths and it is believed that inhabitants of the state erroneously believe rats have high nutritional value. Njoku said: “Rats are the primary vectors of the disease, and we are…

The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) on Monday predicted a growth of up to 100,000 megawatts electricity generation in the country by 2030. Prof. Eli Bala, the ECN’s Director-General, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Bala said that the projection would be possible with an annual economic growth rate of 7 per cent and steady implementation of the national energy plan by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. “With the incremental power programme; every time, every year, we must have increment in power generation. “We will also increase our capacity…

As a teenager working for his dad’s construction business, Noah Ready-Campbell dreamed that robots could take over the dirty, tedious parts of his job, such as digging and leveling soil for building projects. Now the former Google engineer is turning that dream into a reality with Built Robotics, a startup that’s developing technology to allow bulldozers, excavators and other construction vehicles to operate themselves. “The idea behind Built Robotics is to use automation technology make construction safer, faster and cheaper,” said Ready-Campbell, standing in a dirt lot where a small bulldozer moved mounds of earth without a human operator. The…

Real Madrid have agreed a deal in principle to sign Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, 29, from Bayern Munich next season. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish) Burnley are willing to double goalkeeper Nick Pope’s wages to stave off interest from fellow Premier League side Newcastle. The 25-year-old, who has been called up to the England squad for the first time, is currently on £15,000 a week at Turf Moor. (Sun) Manchester United have triggered a 12-month extension to keep full-back Ashley Young, 32, at the club until 2019. (Mail) As many as 10 Manchester United first-team players including the retiring Michael…

As a boy, Justice Osei from Ghana discovered he had an unusual talent: imitating the sounds of his sheep, goats and other local wildlife. Since then he has taught himself many more, and now has more than 50 species in his vocal menagerie. He performed some of them for BBC Pidgin. READ: Oregon court suspends judge for refusing to marry gay couples Osei the animal imitator has Guinness World Record ambitions.

An Oregon judge who, among several other offenses, refused to marry same-sex couples has been suspended for three years without pay by the Oregon Supreme Court. The state’s high court on Thursday upheld a decision by the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability that found Marion County Circuit Judge Vance Day had engaged in several counts of misconduct while on the bench. One of those counts related to his refusal to solemnize the marriages of same-sex couples. “We conclude that a lengthy suspension is required, to preserve public confidence in the integrity and impartial­ity of the judiciary,” the ruling…