Author: Chronicle Editor

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake has left two people dead and 65 people injured in south-west Peru, the Peruvian government said. The earthquake occurred at 04:18 local time (09:18 GMT) on Sunday. The epicentre was in the Pacific Ocean and tremors could be felt over 36km (22 miles) away, according to the US Geological Survey. Peruvian officials initially said there were unconfirmed reports of 17 missing miners. Peru’s health minister, Abel Salinas, said a rescue team have arrived at the mine to access the damage. READ: VSF spends N6.7b on rebuilding schools, hospitals in Northeast Nigeria The government also said strong tremors…

Victims Support Fund (VSF) spent N6.7 billion in 2017 on rebuilding infrastructure in areas in the NorthEast of Nigeria, ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency. Part of the fund was also used to empower victims of the insurgency. VSF Executive Director, Prof. Sunday Ochoche told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the bulk of the amount was spent on rebuilding schools and hospitals that were destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. “Twenty four primary and secondary schools have been rebuilt by VSF” along with some general hospitals and local government secretariats which were…

Liberia’s outgoing president has been expelled from her own party, for allegedly failing to support its candidate to succeed her. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is accused of encouraging people to vote against her vice-president, Joseph Boakai. Former footballer George Weah won the presidential elections in December, defeating Mr Boakai. Ms Sirleaf, who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Africa’s first elected woman president, could not stand again. READ: US begins trial of Nigerian Osa Alohaneke for killing Cameroonian fiance A spokesman for the governing Unity Party said Ms Sirleaf had violated the party’s constitution as she was seen campaigning with…

Borussia Dortmund look to have beaten Manchester United in the race to sign Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, according to German media reports on Saturday. The 22-year-old centre-back is set to cost Dortmund around 21.5 million euros ($26.2m) from Swiss side Basel, according to German daily Bild, Blick and football magazine Kicker. Akanji, who has made four international appearances, was reportedly also being chased by Premier League giants Man United. Dortmund had reportedly initially offered 15 million euros for Akanji, who cost Basel 700,000 euros from Winterthur just two years ago, but upped their bid after problems in defence so far…

Liverpool are ready to join Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign Arsenal and Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, 29. (Sunday Mirror) As well as Sanchez, Manchester United want to sign 29-year-old Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil from the Gunners.(Independent on Sunday) United boss Jose Mourinho is prepared to sacrifice summer moves for Atletico Madrid’s 26-year-old France striker Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale, 28, in order to sign Sanchez on wages of £350,000 a week. (Mail on Sunday) The player has been given until Friday by Manchester United to sign for them or they…

Fort Bend County Courtroom in Houston, United States has opened the murder trial of Osa Alohaneke, a Nigerian accused of stabbing his fiancé to death in 2015. Alohaneke, 59, was living in an area of southwest Houston with his fiancé, 52-year-old Cameroon-native Evelyne Ebane Epiepang, when he allegedly attacked her and her friend, Veronica Taku, with a kitchen knife. Taku survived but Epiepang was dead when investigators arrived, Houston Chronicle reports. On Thursday, January 10, Taku testified how Alohaneke stalked his fiancé and threatened to kill her repeatedly in the hours leading up to the murder. Taku said Epiepang was…

United States whistleblower and transgender Chelsea Manning who was jailed for leaking classified documents, is seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run for the US senate in Maryland. The former US intelligence analyst was sentenced to 35 years after being found guilty of 20 charges, including espionage in 2013. But former US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence. The 30-year-old, who was born Bradley Manning, will challenge Democratic Senator Ben Cardin for the nomination. The former US soldier moved to Maryland after being released from prison in May 2017. Manning was arrested in Iraq in 2010 for sharing more than…

An oil tanker burning in the East China Sea for more than a week has finally sunk, Chinese media say. The Sanchi and a cargo ship collided 260km (160 miles) off Shanghai on 6 January, with the tanker then drifting south-east towards Japan. Iranian officials now say all 32 crew members – 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis – on the tanker are dead. The tanker was carrying 136,000 tonnes of ultra-light crude but Chinese officials say there is no major slick. READ: Shi’ite leader, Zakzaky, makes first public appearance in two years China Central Television said that the Sanchi had…

Harry Kane scored twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 win against Everton on Saturday evening to become the club’s top all-time Premier League goalscorer. Teddy Sheringham had previously held the record of 97 goals in England’s top flight for the club, but Kane met and surpassed the tally with his double, tapping home early in the second half (47) before bobbling the record-breaking goal into the net 12 minutes later. Heung-Min Son (26) had opened the scoring in the first half, and matched his own Tottenham record as he netted in his fifth consecutive home Premier League game – equalling Jermain Defoe’s…

Real Madrid all but relinquished their grip on the La Liga crown as they conceded a late goal to lose 1-0 at home to Villarreal. The misfiring champions were beaten by an 87th-minute strike from Pablo Fornals at the end of a superb break by the visitors as Real pressed for a winner. Cristiano Ronaldo was out of sorts as Real toiled in the rain at the Bernabeu, and the forward was left aggrieved when he was denied a penalty after a trip from Mario Gaspar late in the first half. The defeat leaves Real trailing Barcelona by 16 points,…