Author: Chronicle Editor

Former Ralph Lauren fashion model and interim White House Communications Director Hope Hicks will serve in the role on a permanent basis. The longtime Trump aide is the fourth person to fill the position, replacing Anthony Scaramucci, who was fired in July after just 10 days on the job. Ms Hicks has served as President Donald Trump’s strategic communications director and campaign press secretary. The ex-Trump Organization employee is one of his most trusted aides. As White House communications director she will be responsible for shaping the administration’s message – although in a less visible way than press secretary Sarah…

Manchester United made a winning return to the Champions League with a deserved home victory over Swiss side Basel. Marouane Fellaini, who came on for the injured Paul Pogba in the first half, rose highest to head United ahead from an Ashley Young cross with 10 minutes to go to the break. Romelu Lukaku strengthened their grip on the encounter by converting from among a group of players in the box from a Daley Blind cross following a short corner. Marcus Rashford fired in his side’s third from a Fellaini low cross seven minutes after coming on. The striker has…

Davide Zappacosta scored a wonder goal on his full debut as Chelsea made a resounding return to the Champions League with a 6-0 win against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag at Stamford Bridge. Zappacosta beat goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic with a spinning cross-shot from almost on the touchline to put Antonio Conte’s team two up following Pedro’s fifth-minute 20-yard strike. Cesar Azpilicueta headed a third early in the second half, before a first Chelsea goal from Tiemoue Bakayoko and a brace from Michy Batshuayi saw Conte’s side blitz Qarabag with three strikes in 11 minutes. The tournament debutants from Azerbaijan rarely looked like…

Lionel Messi scored either side of half-time as Barcelona brushed aside Juventus 3-0 in their opening Champions League Group D clash on Tuesday night. Messi made the breakthrough in the final minute of the first half, the first time the playmaker had scored against Gianluigi Buffon in his career. Ivan Rakitic then doubled the Catalans’ lead with a composed finish 11 minutes after half-time, before Messi completed the scoring 21 minutes from time with his 515th goal for the club. Both goalkeepers were called into making impressive early stops, with first Marc-Andre ter Stegen getting fingertips to Mattia De Sciglio’s…

Celtic sustained their heaviest ever home European defeat as Neymar led the way for Paris St-Germain in the Champions League group stage opener. The world’s most expensive player coolly finished and then had a hand in PSG’s second, which was finished emphatically by Kylian Mbappe. Edinson Cavani converted a penalty for the visitors’ third before the break. Mikael Lustig’s own goal was followed by Cavani’s second of the night, a superb diving header. Elsewhere in Group B, hosts Bayern Munich won 3-0 against Anderlecht, who had a man sent off. Celtic have hosted many of the great powerhouses of European…

Crystal Palace have confirmed the appointment of Roy Hodgson as their new manager on a two-year deal. The former England head coach succeeds Frank de Boer just 24 hours after the Dutchman was sacked by the Eagles, and will bring Ray Lewington with him to the club as his assistant. The 70-year-old has been tasked with turning around Palace’s poor Premier League start after they suffered four defeats in their opening four games, all without scoring a goal. Hodgson, who has been out of management since resigning as England boss after they were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland,…

Singaporeans were meant to go to the polls at the end of next week to vote for a new president, but they’ll no longer have the chance, with only one candidate qualifying for the race. Former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob has emerged victorious by default, after other presidential hopefuls fell foul of new rules. “I can only say that I promise to do the best that I can to serve the people of Singapore and that doesn’t change whether there is an election or no election,” she told reporters Monday. Read Also Toni Kan reads from the carnivorous city…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said more than 500 people have so far died in cholera epidemic sweeping the Democratic Republic of Congo. The world body said in a statement that outbreaks of the water-borne disease occur regularly in Congo, mainly due to poor sanitation and the lack of access to clean drinking water. It stated that this year’s epidemic, which hit at least 10 urban areas including Kinshasa, was particularly disturbing as about 1.4 million people were displaced by violence in the central Kasai region. Read Also OANDO holds shareholder meeting after sec greenlight The WHO said…

South African football chiefs have agreed a 2018 World Cup qualifying tie against Senegal should be replayed “on ethical and moral grounds”. World governing body Fifa ordered the replay after the referee for the original game, Joseph Lamptey, was banned for manipulating the match. The South African Football Association (Safa) had been considering an appeal but now says it agrees with Fifa. However it said it would appeal should the referee’s ban be overturned. Read Also Crystal Palace sack Frank De Boer as manager South Africa beat Senegal 2-1 in the original tie last year. On Tuesday Safa said it…

A Russian national convicted of being an ISIS fighter has been sentenced to death by a criminal court in Baghdad, Iraq’s High Judicial Council announced Tuesday. This is the first time that a foreign ISIS fighter in Iraq has received a death sentence. The man was arrested by Iraqi forces during an operation to retake the eastern bank of Mosul — the country’s second largest city — from ISIS earlier this year. In July, Iraq’s Prime Minister announced that all of Mosul had been recaptured from the terror group. Read Also Sacking FBI director was Trumps’s worst mistake – Bannon…