Author: Chronicle Editor

Venus Williams reached the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time in 14 years with a straight-set win over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Williams, the 13th seed, saw off 24th seed Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the first of the quarter-finals. The 36-year-old American has never won the title, her best effort a runner-up finish to sister Serena in 2003. She goes on to face unseeded American Coco Vandeweghe, who thrashed Spain’s seventh seed Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-0. andeweghe, 25, followed up her win over world number one and defending champion Angelique Kerber with a crushing defeat of French Open champion…

President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government has released N72 billion counterpart funding for the construction of Lagos-Ibadan modernisation railway project. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi made this known at the quarterly Presidential Business Forum which was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Banquet Hall, Abuja, on Monday. NAN reports that the Lagos-Ibadan rail project which was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation would cost about 1.5 billion dollars (N458bn). Amaechi, who commended the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun for ensuring full release of the counterpart funds for the project, enjoined the National Assembly to…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the number of internet users in Nigeria’s telecommunications networks drifted to 91,910,341 in December 2016. The telecommunications industry umpire made the disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for November, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos. The data indicated that internet users on both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks dropped by 536,346 in December as against 92,446,687 users recorded in November. It showed that out of the 91,910,341 internet users in December, 91,880,032 were on GSM networks, while 30,309 users…

West Ham have rejected a third offer from Marseille, worth around £22.5m, for their France attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet, 29. (Sky Sports) Paris St-Germain are set to sign Benfica’s 20-year-old winger Goncalo Guedes, who has also been linked with Manchester United. (Bein Sports – in French) Crystal Palace are close to agreeing a £12m deal to sign Sunderland’s 26-year-old Netherlands left-back Patrick van Aanholt. (Guardian) The Black Cats have offered former Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott a short-team deal after the 34-year-old was released by AEK Athens. (Mirror) Chelsea players have recommended manager Antonio Conte signs Manchester City keeper Joe…

Algeria crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage after failing to win a single game in Gabon. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Group B winners Senegal in a match they had to win to have any chance of avoiding an embarrassing early exit. Islam Slimani scored both their goals, a two-yard volley and a scuffed effort that wrong-footed Algeria’s goalkeeper. But Senegal twice equalised, Papakouly Diop and then Moussa Sow both firing in efforts from the edge of the area. Algeria went into the tournament as one of the favourites for the…

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been charged by the Football Association for verbal abuse and pushing during Sunday’s game against Burnley. Wenger pushed fourth official Anthony Taylor after being sent off in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League win. He had been dismissed for reacting angrily to a 93rd-minute penalty given to Burnley, who trailed 1-0. After the game, Arsene Wenger, 67, apologised. He has until 18:00 GMT on Thursday to respond to the charge of misconduct. An FA statement read: “It is alleged that in or around the 92nd minute, Wenger used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official. “It…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State says Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State lacks decorum to function as the Chairman of Governors’ Forum of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). APC made its stance known in statement issued in Akure on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya. “PDP is on a voyage of total destruction and abandonment with the emergence of uncultured governor like Mr Fayose that lacks decorum, whose past records, attitude and public utterance are seen as affront. “It shows PDP is lacking in men and women of proven integrity with high level of mental alertness considering…

The Kogi State Staff Verification and Complaints Review Committee submitted its final Report which classified 43,522 workers as ‘Cleared’, 32,753 as ‘Uncleared’ and 8,879 as confirmed ghost workers. The stringent application of the recommendations of the Report is expected to impact on civil servants in no small measure. Therefore, as a demonstration of Governor Yahaya Bello’s magnanimity to workers on the ‘Uncleared’ list, this APPEALS PANEL is being inaugurated in order to provide a soft landing for some categories of persons within that classification. The 32-member Committee comprising representation from public service, labour union, civil society organization in the State…

Nigeria must not scare away MTN , its minister of communications said, as lawmakers investigate alleged illegal money transfers just three months after the government fined Africa’s biggest telecoms firm over $1 billion. The comments by Adebayo Shittu are the government’s first statement on the latest investigation into MTN, indicating the government does not want to see the South African company punished unduly in Nigeria, its biggest market, if the latest allegations prove to be true. “Nobody will say that MTN is not important to Nigeria – we must encourage them, we must not scare them away from Nigeria,” Shittu…

Sunderland defender Papy Djilobodji has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association for an incident involving West Brom’s Darren Fletcher on Saturday. The Senegalese’s arm appeared to make contact with Fletcher’s face in the 86th minute of his side’s 2-0 defeat. The incident was not seen by the match officials but was caught on video. The FA said Djilobodji, 28, has until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday to reply to the charge. As the former Chelsea player has been sent off once already this season – against Hull on 19 November – he would face a four-match ban if…