Author: Chronicle Editor

Two Indonesian men arrested for having gay sex have been sentenced to 85 lashings with a cane. The defendants, aged 20 and 23, are the first to be sentenced to punishment for gay sex in Aceh. The law put into place in the region two years ago allows for up to 100 lashes for ‘morality offences’. Prosecutors asked for 80 lashes, but the judge decided to increase on this already horrific recommendation. Gay sex is legal in the rest of Indonesia. The men, who were identified in the court in Banda Aceh City by their initials – MT and MH…

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank, is to construct 700 kilometres of rural roads in Kano State. Mr Ubandoma Umarama, the National Coordinator, Federal Projects Monitoring Unit, disclosed this at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop in Kano on Monday. The workshop is on the identification of intervention areas and selection of high priority rural roads for the ADB/World Bank-funded RAMP III in Kano State. Umarama, who was represented by Mr Aminu Mohammed, said the project was an initiative of the federal government, which when completed would address the challenges being faced by…

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid the money for the repatriation of the corpse of popular Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya who died in Canada last week, to Nigeria. A film maker and Publicity Secretary, Moji Olaiya Burial Committee, Yomi Fabiyi, posted on Instagram that Tinubu paid for the repatriation of the body of the late Nollywood actress who died last week in Canada. Fabiyi wrote: “The Committee after due deliberation consulted our father and a National Grand Patron of our association (TAMPAN) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the 21st May, 2017 to…

South Korea’s former President Park Geun-hye has pleaded not guilty at her trial for corruption, the latest stage in her dramatic fall from grace. The ousted president faces charges including bribery, abusing state power and leaking state secrets. In her first appearance in public since her arrest in March, she arrived at court handcuffed in a prison van. The maximum sentence for corruption in South Korea is life. Ms Park is accused of colluding with her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to extort money from some of South Korea’s biggest companies, including Samsung, in return for political favours. Ms Choi Soon-sil, who…

President Donald Trump’s first full budget which will be presented to lawmakers today has slashed funding for healthcare and food assistance programs for the poor while it trims the deficit. Trump, currently traveling in the Middle East and Europe on his first foreign trip since assuming office in January, will miss the unveiling of his plan. According to Reuters, the plan would cut $3.6 trillion in government spending over 10 years, balancing the budget by the end of the decade. More than $800 billion would be cut from the Medicaid program for the poor and more than $192 billion from…

The Lagos State Government on Monday said that it was shopping for new investors to take over the 4th Mainland Bridge project. Mr Adebowale Akinsanya, Lagos Commissioner for Waterfront Development said this at the 2017 Ministerial Press Briefing of the ministry in Alausa to commemorate governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s second year in office. Akinsanya, while fielding questions from journalists said that the old contractors were not able to meet the expectations of the state government on the project. He explained that investors from various countries which include South Korea, Europe and America had indicated interest in the project. “The pace the…

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has terminated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of firms to build the 4th Mainland Bridge at the cost of N844 billion. The MoU for the 36 km bridge, which two past administrations had promised to do, was signed on 25 May, 2016. The project was to be financed by Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank, and other private investors who have already signified intention to be part of the construction, while Visible Assets Limited would be the coordinating firm. But Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adebowale Akinsanya during a ministerial briefing in Alausa, Ikeja…

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti has said that he was not bothered by the ongoing strike by petrol dealers in the state as he vowed to demolish the stations in residential areas. The governor spoke during his monthly public enlightenment programme, “Meet Your Governor in Ado Ekiti. He said he would not rescind his decision to stop further erection of filling stations in residential areas, even if the petrol dealers strike for one year. He said full demolition of such fuel stations, including those erected near schools would commence on Tuesday. Besides, he placed a ban on commercial activities in…

Nineteen people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suspected terror attack at Manchester Arena. The blast happened at 22:35 BST on Monday following a pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande. PM Theresa May said her thoughts were with those affected by “what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack”. Paramedics at the scene told the BBC they had treated some of the wounded for “shrapnel-like injuries”. North West Ambulance Service said it had taken 59 casualties from the explosion to hospitals and treated a number of walking wounded. Greater Manchester…

Several explosions have rocked Manchester Arena, in northern England, at the end of American Ariana Grande gig Monday night. The number of casualties is yet unknown, but multiple reports said several people died while many were injured. It was not clear whether the blasts were the handiwork of terrorists. Video footage showed people fleeing in tears from the venue after bangs rang out immediately after the concert finished. Bloodied concertgoers were pictured being helped by emergency services outside the gig and armed police were seen patrolling the arena. Evie Brewster, who attended the concert, told MailOnline: ‘Ariana Grande had just…