Author: Chronicle Editor

Philippine military airstrikes aimed at Islamist militants who are battling soldiers in a southern city instead killed 10 troops and injured seven others, the defence secretary said on Thursday. “A group of our military armed men were hit by our own airstrikes. Ten killed,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters in Manila, adding the incident happened on Wednesday. Security forces have been battling militants flying the black flags of the Islamic State (IS) group in Marawi, a major Muslim city in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, since Tuesday last week. The military has bombed and fired rockets from attack helicopters throughout…

Golf superstar Tiger Woods looks disoriented and unsteady in police video of his Monday arrest on a charge of driving under the influence, according to footage obtained and broadcast by US media on Wednesday. The video, from a dashboard camera in the vehicle of Jupiter, Florida, police officers, shows Woods unable to tie his shoe and wobbling as he tries to walk along a straight line in a field sobriety test. Tiger Woods has blamed the DUI arrest near his home on an adverse reaction to prescription medication. The police report on the incident, made public on Tuesday, said Woods…

Nigeria is to begin production of vaccines in Lagos this year, it was announced yesterday. Health Minister Prof Isaac Adewole said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a proposal to go into a joint venture with pharmaceutical giant May & Baker. The government will hold 49 per cent equity and the company will have the rest. According to the plan, the company will have an initial capital of N100 million and equity contributions of N1.3 billion and N1.27 billion. “It will take off in 2017. The company will between 2017 and 2021 produce basic vaccines that we need,” the minister…

Chelsea Ladies moved top of Women’s Super League One with one match remaining with a 4-0 win at Bristol City. The Blues will start the final day of the Spring Series leading on goal difference from Manchester City, who earned a late victory at Sunderland thanks to Georgia Stanway’s goal. Third-placed Arsenal stayed within one point of the top two with a 1-0 home win over Reading. And Yeovil earned their first point in the top flight, drawing at Birmingham. Chelsea, City and Arsenal were each playing their game in hand on former leaders Liverpool, who drop to fourth place.…

Irked by the activities of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the South East Peoples Assembly (SEPA), has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to revoke the bail granted to Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, a pro-secession leader. IPOB in collaboration with other groups, on Tuesday organised a successful sit-at-home in South East, an action SEPA regards as a breach of the bail conditions granted Kanu. Kanu, leader of IPOB, has been facing trial for treason and terrorism, being a major sponsor for the secession of South East from Nigeria on the platform of IPOB. He was arrested on October 15, 2015 in…

The Nigerian Navy has begun investigation to unravel the cause of the ugly incidence between the Navy and Police in Calabar. The Director of Information, Nigerian Navy (NN), Navy Captain Suleman Dahun, said in a telephone interview it was an unfortunate incidence that led to loss of lives and property. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that normalcy had since returned to Calabar after its personnel clashed with the Police on Tuesday. He said that the service would do everything humanly possible to avert future occurrence of such ugly clash. Dahun told NAN that everything had been resolved,…

Disturbed and alarmed by the rising incidents of suicides and attempted suicides across the country, the Aart of Life Foundation, Nigeria’s pioneer Grief and Trauma Counselling Services since 2004, is pleased to announce a programme to provide counselling to Nigerians needing help. Aart of Life is providing a toll free counselling hotline that people can call and unburden themselves in times of distress. In a statement signed by Chief Taiwo Taiwo, president of Aart of Life Foundation, the NGO noted that “we are developing a comprehensive programme to address this specific problem and in collaboration with our partners, Psychiatrists and…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said Indonesia has indicated its interest in increasing its purchase of crude oil from Nigeria. The NNPC in a statement signed by Mr Ndu Ughamadu NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs division in Abuja on Tuesday disclosed that Indonesia currently purchases about 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Nigeria. According to the statement this is in addition to about 140,000 barrels per day from Saudi Arabia to supplement its 900,000 barrels per day production. Speaking during a visit to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Mr. Maikanti Baru, the Indonesian…

Three persons have been arrested over last Thursday’s kidnap of six pupils of Lagos State Model College in Igbonla, Epe, The Nation learnt yesterday. The pupils – Yusuf Farouk, Ramon Isiaka, Pelumi Phillips, Peter Jonas, Adebanjo George and Judah Agbaosi – were snatched away from their school premises. The kidnappers contacted some of the parents, demanding N400 million ransom. They had also threatened to relocate the children to the South south creeks should the parents fail to pay the ransom. The suspects are believed to be members of a gang that is behind kidnappings in Epe and its environs. The…

International non-profit organisation, The Hunger Project (THP) recently honoured the World Hunger Day on May 28 to raise awareness about hunger and the world’s progress in tackling it, and has invited people everywhere around the globe to be part of the solution. In a release issued in New York, USA and sent to THISDAY, the organisation noted that “As millions of people in our global human family face famine, this year World Hunger Day explores the root causes of hunger and highlights the need for holistic solutions. “The chronic hunger in which 795 million people live – 1 in every…