Author: Chronicle Editor

Sierra Leone has been “gripped by grief” after massive mudslides near the capital city of Freetown, the country’s President said in a speech to the West African nation. Hundreds of people are feared dead after landslides swept through the outskirts of the rain-soaked city early Monday, according to government officials and aid agencies. A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sierra Leone said authorities have recovered the bodies of 205 people and the number is expected to rise, with more than 1,000 others affected. “Many of our compatriots have lost their lives, many more have been…

Despite the uncertainty arising from President Muhammadu Buhari’s prolonged absence from the country over health concerns, one of his media aides, Mallam Garba Shehu, Monday has maintained that the president is “good enough to continue” if given the opportunity to contest the 2019 presidential election. However, the presidential spokesman expressed ignorance over Buhari’s ailment, stating that the president would speak to Nigerians when he returns from his medical vacation. Shehu spoke in an interview on ARISE News Network, a THISDAY sister company, in London Monday, two days after the presidential media team paid him a visit in the British capital.…

Adebayo Akinfenwa’s latest celebration has received the approval of its creator, Hollywood star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Wycombe Wanderers striker Akinfenwa, nicknamed ‘the Beast’ and known as the strongest man in football, dropped the ‘People’s Elbow’ on team-mate Luke O’Nien after scoring his second goal in the 3-2 win against Port Vale. READ: Liverpool drops Coutinho from Champions League squad The ‘People’s Elbow’ – an elbow drop – was the signature finishing move of Johnson in his WWE wrestling days. Man like @daRealAkinfenwa dropping the Peoples' Elbow after scoring at the weekend ????????pic.twitter.com/C8hyfSPWUa— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) August 14, 2017 Johnson praised…

Tiger Woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in May, according to a toxicology report. A urine test revealed a mixture of strong painkillers, sleep and anxiety drugs and THC, which is a chemical component of marijuana. The former world number one, 41, sought “professional help” after his arrest. The 14-time major winner pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge last week. Woods, who is recovering from a fourth back operation, is now expected to admit a lesser charge of reckless driving and enter a 12-month probation…

A media adviser to ailing Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said he has no idea who is bankrolling the president’s medical treatment in London. Femi Adesina, however, acknowledged that as a president, Buhari’s medical bill can be footed by Nigeria. “I do not know who is paying, but as a president, he has a right to be treated by the country,” Adesina, who is Buhari’s special adviser on media and publicity told Channels TV on Monday night. The Nigerian president left the country on May 7 for London for a second of treatment for an undisclosed ailment, transferring power to…

Pop star Taylor Swift has won a sexual assault case against ex-radio DJ David Mueller, who she said had groped her at a 2013 concert. He assaulted her by grabbing her bottom beneath her skirt during a photo shoot, a jury in Denver, Colorado, found. BBC reports that she was awarded a symbolic $1 (77p) in damages that she had sought. Mr Mueller had originally tried to sue the pop star, saying that her claims had cost him his job. But that lawsuit was thrown out by a judge last week. On Monday, the jury also rejected similar claims Mueller…

Two communities in Kogi, Okudigbo and Odochala in Ibaji Local Government have been submerged by flood which also destroyed property. The increasing menace of flood has forced the Kogi government to declare a state of emergency on environment and decided to give priority to environmental issues. The state Deputy Governor, Mr Simon Achuba, unveiled the plan when he received a officials of Ecological Fund Office in the office of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The officials arrived in Lokoja for the assessment of the flood and erosion sites in Kogi. He said the government…

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government (FG) to look into the plight of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or face the wrath of students. Mr Chinonso Obasi, National President, NANS who gave the threat in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday said the FG has just 21 days to resolve its outstanding issues with ASUU in the interest of longsuffering Nigerian students. According to him, Nigerian students will be forced to ground activities in the country if by the expiration of their 21days ultimatum, the issue was…

Heavy flooding has severely ravaged at least 46 communities in Abia, killing two children, an official of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said. Mr Sunny Jackson, the Head, Planning, Forecasting and Operations of the agency, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday. Jackson said that the children drowned when flood submerged their home in Akoli Ohazu Autonomous Community in Aba South Local Government Area (LGA) sometime in July. He said that SEMA gathered that the mother of the deceased was busy trying to salvage her property when the…

Sky sources understand that Chelsea expect Diego Costa to return the club and train, as per the terms of his contract. The striker is currently in his native Brazil and has threatened to remain there rather than return to London, and then leave on a free transfer. But such a scenario is not acceptable to Chelsea, who want Costa to return to training and put himself in contention for selection. We reported earlier on Monday that Costa has been fined two weeks’ wages by Chelsea for failing to return to pre-season training with the club. The 28-year-old was given an…