Author: Chronicle Editor

Twitter has picked a number of users to test the doubling of its characters from 140 tweets to 280 tweets. “We want every person around the world to easily express themselves on Twitter, so we’re doing something new: we’re going to try out a longer limit, 280 characters,” the San Francisco-based company said on its blog on Tuesday. The tweet limit of 140 characters, in place since Twitter was launched in 2006, has led to “cramming” in most languages, meaning users had to leave out words to make their messages fit. “140 was an arbitrary choice based on the 160…

An accident involving an articulated truck at Nataco junction, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway on Wednesday morning killed a student of the nearby Kogi State Polytechnic and five others. The tension that descended on the area spread to the International Market, as students protesting the death of their colleague in the accident went on rampage. They destroyed a traffic light and the GYB billboard mounted at the road intersection. Read Also CAC reduces cost of business registration A detachment of policemen that came to the scene were forced to make a retreat, having exhausted the teargas canisters they brought to the…

Blessing Egbe, the producer and director who brought us the wave-making Lekki Wives returns to the cinemas this independence weekend with a thrilling drama, The Women. The film stars heavy hitters Ufuoma McDermott as Omo, Kate Henshaw as Ene, Omoni Oboli as Teni and Blessing Obiang as Rose, who play four dysfunctional friends whose friendship is marked by rivalry, gossip and competition. The movie also stars Kalu Ikeagwu as Bez, Femi Branch as Ayo, Gregory Ojefua as Chubby and Anthony Monjaro as Maro. The core of the movie is summed up by Teni who tells her husband Bez (Kalu Ikeagwu)…

Saudi Arabia appointed its first female spokesperson ever at its embassy in Washington, hours after Saudi women were granted the right to drive. “Proud to serve the @SaudiEmbassyUSA as the spokeswoman. I’m grateful for the opportunity, the support, and well wishes,” the spokeswoman, Fatimah Baeshen, wrote on Twitter. Baeshen previously worked at the ministries of labour and economy between 2014 and 2017, according to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya broadcaster. She also worked as a consultant at the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank. On Tuesday, King Salman ordered the Interior Ministry to give “licences to women and men equally.”…

Cameroon has deported 100,000 Nigerian refugees in the hope of stemming the spread of terrorist group Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch (HWR) said on Wednesday. The group said in its new report that the deportation defied a plea by UN refugee agency to not return anyone to north-eastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram killed thousands of people, until security and human rights situation improved considerably.” The HRW report noted that the deported people were likely to face new violence, displacement and destitution. The group, which investigates allegations of human rights abuses worldwide, says the report is based on interviews with more…

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), says only 50 per cent of private schools in Nigeria have complied with its directive to deploy only professional teachers to classrooms. Malam Adamu Bello, the Deputy Director, Professional Operation of the council made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Enugu on Wednesday. Adamu said the council would continue to enforce the directive until all teachers get the mandatory certification to teach in schools across the country. He stressed that the 2017 deadline for all categories of teachers in the country to obtain the required professional qualification remain sacrosanct. READ:…

US President Donald Trump’s pick for Alabama’s Senate race has lost the state’s Republican primary to a firebrand Christian conservative. Incumbent Luther Strange, 64, said he had called rival Roy Moore to concede the race. “We wish him the best as he goes forward,” he told supporters. Mr Moore is a populist former chief justice in the state, who rode to the voting booth on a horse named Sassy, and brandished a gun at a rally. The news is likely to rattle Washington Republicans, including President Trump, who had confidently pitted Mr Strange against the party’s anti-establishment wing. Mr Trump…

Harry Kane’s hat-trick in Tottenham’s 3-0 win over APOEL in Nicosia means he is currently the Champions League’s top scorer this season with five goals. Doing it in this competition is underlining his world-class credentials, writes Adam Bate. Sometimes it is the stage that is significant not the quality of the opposition. After all, Harry Kane has already scored against Manchester United and Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton. He has struck against Germany and France for his country too, so nobody will be too surprised to see him putting three past the champions of Cyprus. But doing…

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time, state media say. Government ministries are to prepare reports within 30 days and the order will be implemented by June 2018, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to forbid women from driving. Under the current system, only men are allowed driving licences and women who drive in public risk being arrested and fined. Because of the law, many families have had to employ private drivers to help transport female relatives. Rights groups in the kingdom have…

Nigeria have named an unchanged 23-man squad for the crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia next month. The Super Eagles face 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winners Zambia at home in the south-eastern city of Uyo on 7 October. If Nigeria can win the tie they will seal a sixth World Cup appearance. Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi is named again after he was forced to withdraw from September’s two games against Cameroon due to injury. Leicester trio of Ahmed Musa, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are also included, while former England youth international Ola Aina could make his long…