Author: Chronicle Editor

Firefighters battling deadly blazes in Northern California face a daunting new challenge Wednesday: Winds are expected to pick back up, threatening to spread wildfires that already have killed 21 people, destroyed hundreds of buildings and forced thousands of evacuations. Most of the fires were ignited Sunday, driven by winds of up to 79 mph and dry conditions. The winds died down early this week, but gusts around 40 mph are possible Wednesday, and no rain is forecast for the next few days. “Any time you get a wind gust over double digits, like 12 or 13 mph, that’s when embers…

The U.S. men’s national team will only be spectators during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. That’s because the USMNT lost 2-1 at Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night in the final match of the hexagonal group stage. After going down 2-0, the U.S. got a goal from Christian Pulisic but couldn’t get the one more it needed. The loss, plus a winning goal from Panama in the dying seconds against Costa Rica gave the Panamanians the third and final direct spot in the group, eliminating Bruce Arena’s squad. Honduras defeated Mexico to earn the fourth spot. Read Also Messi…

US President Donald Trump tore into the press and questioned whether broadcasters should have their licenses revoked after an unflattering story about his nuclear policy. “It’s frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write, and people should want to look into it,” Trump fumed as he met his Canadian counterpart in the Oval Office. But the president — who has a history of being combative with the media — said he did not want to see formal restrictions. “No. The press should speak more honestly, I mean, I’ve seen tremendously dishonest press. It’s…

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of 56 houses situated in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke. The value of the properties was put at 22 million dollars. The forfeited properties include 21 mixed housing units of eight four-bedroom penthouse apartment, six three-bedroom apartments, two three-bedroom apartment and one four-bedroom apartment. The properties located at 7, Thurnburn St., and 5, Raymond St., Yaba, are valued at N937 million and bought through Chapel Properties Ltd. The 16 four-bedroom terrace located at Heritage…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bayelsa Command, on Wednesday, said it arrested 38 drug suspects and seized 29.751 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in the state in September, 2017. The command’s Principal Staff Officer and Superintendent of Narcotics, Osakwe Ikenna, gave the figure in a statement obtain by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa. Ikenna stated that the suspects included 26, male adults and 12, female offenders. He said that the illicit drugs seized from the suspects comprised cannabis sativa, psychotropic substances, heroin and cocaine. READ: Dolapo Osinbajo, Udom, Bindo for 2017 COWLSO women conference Ikenna said…

…Food Security, Skill Development, Others Take Centre Stage, Says Ambode’s Wife Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Udom and his counterpart in Adamawa State, Alhaji Jibrilla Bindo are among top dignitaries expected to grace this year’s edition of the 2017 of the National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO). Addressing journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on Wednesday, Chairperson and wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said the wife of the Vice President would serve as the mother…

• Seeks monarchs’ support to curb crimes • Assembly questions gov’s request to re-order 2017 budget Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday promised that no fewer than 224 roads would be comprehensively reconstructed in the next six months. The governor, who spoke while addressing party faithful, residents and community leaders at the fourth quarter 2017 town hall meeting, said 181 of the roads would be local council roads while the remaining 43 would be major link roads. However, Ambode has called on traditional rulers to support the Neighbourhood Safety Corps and co-operate with security agencies, especially during this ember months,…

The last Leonardo Da Vinci painting dating from around 1500, “Salvator Mundi” — which depicts Jesus Christ as the world’s saviour, will go under the hammer next month in New York. The Christie’s auction house on Tuesday, estimated its worth at $100 million, the AFP reported. The painting which was long believed to be a copy of an original by the Italian master, was eventually certified as authentic. Fewer than 20 works by Da Vinci, whose art was already highly sought after during his lifetime, have survived to this day — all of them held in museum or institutional collections,…

A Lionel Messi hat-trick ensured Argentina came from behind to win in Ecuador and avoid missing a World Cup finals for the first time since 1970. The 2014 runners up began the day sixth in the group and needing a top-four place to qualify automatically. They made a terrible start in Quito, losing a goal inside 38 seconds, but fought back with Messi to the fore. “Luckily the nationality of the best player in the world is Argentinian,” said coach Jorge Sampaoli. “We must be sure everything does not depend on Leo [Messi] but today he brought his great ability.…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the death penalty Tuesday, insisting it has “no place in the 21st century.” He urged member states that still execute convicts to join the 170 countries that have halted or abolished the practice, warning that the risk of a miscarriage of justice is an “unacceptably high price” to pay. “I want to make a plea to all states that continue this barbaric practice: please stop the executions,” Guterres said at an event marking the 15th World Day Against the Death Penalty. Capital punishment “does little to serve victims or deter crime,”…