Author: Chronicle Editor

Families, businesspeople, athletes and tourists from seven countries in the Middle East and Africa found their travel plans — and even their futures — in a state of suspension on Friday after President Trump signed an executive order temporarily barring thousands from obtaining visas to travel to the United States. The order is expected to freeze almost all travel to the United States by citizens from the Muslim-majority countries of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 90 days. Three of those countries are considered sponsors of terrorism (Iran, Sudan and Syria), and three are designated…

Nigeria is, no doubt, becoming one of the most violent countries in the world. Almost every day comes with news of deaths and other violent activities. As killings by Islamic militants Boko Haram is going down, multitudinous butcheries by Fulani herdsmen, who seem to come out of woodwork, has climbed to the top of the many list of carnages that has characterized our checkered history as a Nation. A few weeks ago, Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai, went public with information that his government had “traced” some “aggrieved Fulani headmen” to their countries and paid them to stop killing…

A campaign for California to secede from the rest of the country over Donald Trump’s election is gaining momentum, with supporters allowed to start collecting signatures for the measure to be put to a vote. The state’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla gave the green light on Thursday for proponents of “California Nationhood” — also known as Calexit — to start collecting the nearly 600,000 signatures needed for the measure to qualify on the November 2018 ballot. The 585,407 signatures required by July 25 represent eight per cent of registered voters in California — the most populous state in the…

The Primate of Inri Evangelical Church, Rev Babatunde Elijah, on Saturday urged religious leaders to desist from making inciting statements to avoid civil unrest in the country. Elijah in Lagos said that religions were tools used by politicians to win most religious leaders to their side to get what they wanted. He said that many religious leaders were fond of talking about unrest in the presence of their congregation. “Nigeria is in a trial time at the moment and I don’t expect any Pastor or Imam to talk about war in front of their followers. “Peace should be the slogan…

An armed gang is reported to have stormed the High Court in Owerri, Imo State in South East Nigeria and rescued their member, Chibueze Henry, popularly known as Vampire, a notorious kidnap kingpin. Daily Sun repots on Saturday that the gunmen laid a siege at the premises of the court unknown to the Prisons Officials who were conveying the suspect and other inmates to the court . Immediately the alleged kidnapper alighted from the prison vehicle, his gang members who were already waiting opened fire on the people, including the prison armed squad, who were taken unawares and as the…

Having managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti thinks the World Footballer might not be as superb as football fans think he is. Ancelotti thinks there Thomas Muller have got better technical quality than Ronaldo. The German did not score at Euro 2016 and has netted only a handful of goals for Bayern Munich this season but he still has the backing of his manager. Carlo Ancelotti has coached some of the world’s best players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Bayern Munich manager insists they do not possess the tactical ability of Thomas Muller. Having only…

Serena Williams beat sister Venus in straight sets to win her seventh Australian Open and an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. Serena, 35, won 6-4 6-4 to pass Steffi Graf in the all-time list of major winners since the Grand Slams accepted professional players in 1968. The American regains the number one ranking from German Angelique Kerber. Australia’s Margaret Court, with 24, is the only player still ahead of Serena in terms of Grand Slam singles titles. “Congratulations Serena on number 23,” said Venus, who at 36 was the oldest Australian Open finalist in the Open era. “I…

Rafael Nadal set up a much-anticipated Australian Open final against old rival Roger Federer with an epic, five-set semi-final win over Grigor Dimitrov. The Spaniard won 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 in almost five hours to reach a first Grand Slam final since 2014. Dimitrov’s wait to reach a maiden Slam final continues after Nadal, 30, inflicted his first defeat of the year. Nadal, who is bidding for a 15th major title, will face Swiss rival Federer, 35, in Melbourne on Sunday. The ninth seed will meet Federer, who needed five sets to beat compatriot Stan Wawrinka in…

Drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a legend in Mexico for his dramatic prison escapes and years of staying just ahead of the law, has been arrested and extradited to the United States. Nigeria’s Buruji Kashamu might just be next in line after a US appeal court upheld a ruling against Kashamu, a senator from Ogun State who faces drug charges related to the hit TV show “Orange is the New Black.” In a ruling on Monday, the court insisted that Buruji must be extradited to the United States to face drug charges. Chicago prosecutors accuse Buruji Kashamu of heading…

Malam Mohammed Aliyu, the Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Kano state, has cautioned commuters in the state to always use designated motor parks to avoid kidnap and other social vices. Aliyu gave the advice in a statement issued on Friday in Kano by Mr Olayinka Olawore, the Public Relations Officer of the agency in the state. Olawore quoted the director as having made the call following the frequent reports of passengers becoming victims of kidnap, robbery and other crimes, mostly women and school children. Aliyu said that all designated motor parks in the state had all the facilities to…