Author: Chronicle Editor

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says he has never doubted President Trump’s mental health after a new book claimed staff saw him as a child. Author Michael Wolff said White House employees believed Mr Trump’s “mental powers were slipping”. His book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, went on sale early despite the president’s attempts to block its publication. Mr Trump says the book is “boring and untruthful” and Wolff a “total loser”. READ: Texas couple ordered to pay enslaved Nigerian nanny $121,000 He said it was being pushed by the media and others to…

A Houston-area couple who pleaded guilty to federal charges related to forcing a Nigerian woman to work nearly 20 hours taking care of their home and five children without pay for two years was ordered Friday to pay her more than $121,000 in restitution. Chudy Nsobundu, 57, and his wife Sandra Nsobundu, 49, also were sentenced by US District Judge Nancy Atlas to seven months in jail and seven months of home confinement, plus three years on probation. The naturalized US citizens originally from Nigeria recruited the woman there with the promise of a $100 monthly wage. Instead, authorities say…

The Nigerian Army on Friday claimed that one of the factional leaders of Islamist sect, Boko Haram, Mamman Nur, was wounded in an ongoing clearance operation by troops in Lake Chad region. Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri. Nwachukwu said that Nur sustained “fatal injuries” following artillery and aerial bombardments of Boko Haram insurgents enclaves in Lake Chad basin. He said evaluation report indicated that Nur was wounded while trying to flee the area, adding that a great number of his commanders were also injured…

Newcastle are keen to offer West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart, 30, first-team football at St James’ Park. (Daily Mirror) City rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan are both keen on Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele, 30. (Sky Sports) Barcelona will have to pay £145m to sign midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 25, from Liverpool. (Daily Mail) Liverpool will try to replace Coutinho with Leicester City playmaker Riyad Mahrez, 26. (L’Equipe, in French) Manchester City want to sign Arsenal’s 29-year-old striker Alexis Sanchez for £35m this month, to fend off a summer move to Paris St-Germain when his contract expires and he will be…

The Nigerian Army on Saturday revealed 1, 050 insurgents had surrendered to troops in Lake Chad and Monguno general area of operations, as it also warned that many of them are on the run. The army urged abutting communities to watch out for the fleeing Boko Haram insurgents as their enclaves in Lake Chad region come under intense onslaught. Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri. Nwachukwu disclosed that 250 fighters of the Al Barnawi-led faction of the insurgents had surrendered to Nigerian Army, sequel to…

Manchester United left it late to beat Derby County in an entertaining FA Cup third-round game at Old Trafford. A replay looked on the cards until Romelu Lukaku laid the ball off to Jesse Lingard, who took a touch and sent a 20-yard shot on the bounce into the top corner. And half-time substitute Lukaku sealed the win after playing a one-two with Anthony Martial to cap off a counter attack. United striker Marcus Rashford had hit the post in both halves – with a close-range header that he should have buried and a fierce shot across goal. Rams keeper…

Virgil van Dijk scored a match-winning goal on his debut following his £75m move to Liverpool as the Reds edged past Everton to move into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Van Dijk, the most expensive defender in world football after his move from Southampton earlier this week, headed in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s corner for an 84th-minute winner in a frantic Merseyside derby at Anfield. Gylfi Sigurdsson had earlier equalised with a curled finish from 20 yards after a quick breakaway move that also involved Yannick Bolasie, Ademola Lookman and Phil Jagielka to set up a replay at Goodison Park.…

Everton manager Sam Allardyce says the club’s new £27m signing Cenk Tosun is “the best in Europe” at that price. The club announced the deal during half time of their FA Cup third round tie against city rivals Liverpool, after the Turkey international agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract. Tosun, 26, had been in London awaiting permission to complete his move. “This lad looks like he is strong mentally and has a good pedigree,” said Allardyce. The deal had been delayed as Tosun’s previous club Besiktas held out for more than the £25m Everton thought would be enough to seal the transfer.…

Michael Wolff, the author of a controversial book on Donald Trump says that all his White House aides see him as a “child” who needs “immediate gratification”. Wolff said his book was based on about 200 interviews, and rejected Mr Trump’s claims that it was “phony” and “full of lies”. The president says he never spoke to him but Wolff told NBC’s Today show that they spent three hours together. The book has now gone on sale early despite Mr Trump’s attempts to stop it. Mr Trump’s lawyers had tried to block publication of Fire and Fury: Inside the…

A woman who tried to sell her one-month-old twin babies has been sentenced to 10 months in prison, but can avoid jail time if she pays a court-ordered fine of 10,000 naira ($27; £20). She was arrested last month in Katsina, northern Nigeria, after attempting to sell the children for 350,000 naira ($973; £718). Judge Nuradeen El-Laden said he chose not to give the woman a heavy sentence over fears for the babies’ health, Punch reports. The news site also says the judge was lenient because he understood the mother’s attempt to sell her children to be a result of…