Author: David Great

Chelsea were held to a barren draw by Liverpool on Tuesday in their first Premier League match since sacking coach Graham Potter with the Blues showing the same inability to turn chances into goals that led to the manager’s downfall. The fourth goalless stalemate in a row between the two teams – including last season’s FA and League Cup finals which Liverpool won on penalties – summed up the problems that have hamstrung the two English heavyweights this season. Chelsea dominated much of the Premier League encounter but spurned one opportunity after another. Joao Felix and Mateo Kovacic went close…

Donald Trump, the former US president and front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records after an investigation into hush money paid to a porn star. Wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, Trump, 76, exhibited little emotion on his face when he waved to a crowd assembled outside the courthouse after he was driven in a motorcade from his New York residence at Trump Tower. He sat with his hands folded as he entered his plea flanked by his lawyers. “Not guilty,” Trump said when asked how…

Nigeria’s Senate has approved China Development Bank as the new financier for the country’s Kaduna-Kano rail project at a cost of $973 million after another Chinese lender withdrew from the project in 2020, lawmakers said on Tuesday. The national assembly had in 2020 approved China’s Exim Bank as financier for the rail project, which was lumped in with the government’s external borrowing plan of $22.8 billion, before the bank withdrew. Nigeria’s lower house of parliament has also approved the new financier, which will grant a 15-year loan to the rail project at an interest rate of 2.7%. President Muhammadu Buhari…

Donald Trump, the former president and front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, arrived at a Manhattan courthouse to be formally charged on Tuesday in a watershed moment for the United States as his supporters and detractors noisily rallied outside. Wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, the 76-year old, exhibited little emotion on his face as he waved to a crowd assembled outside the courthouse after he was driven in a motorcade from his New York residence at Trump Tower. He held his fist in the air in a gesture to reporters as he departed Trump Tower. The first…

Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of the sum of N725,345,897.77 and a property situated at Plot J 37A 218 Close, 2nd Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos linked to Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. The judge gave the order against Akpobolokemi following a motion ex parte filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Moving the application on Monday, April 3, 2023, counsel to the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, submitted that the money was “reasonably suspected to be…

Michael Keane scored a thrilling last-gasp goal to lift Everton to a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Monday, a big boost for the team’s desperate battle to avoid relegation. Keane’s blistering shot from 30 yards out completely caught out keeper Hugo Lloris, who remained rooted to his spot, and provided some consolation for the 30-year-old defender after an earlier tackle on Cristian Romero led to Spurs being awarded a penalty. Harry Kane converted the penalty in the 68th minute. “I am buzzing,” Keane said. “You won’t believe but I do hit the ball like that…

A federal jury in San Francisco on Monday ordered Tesla Inc to pay about $3.2 million to a Black former employee after the electric-vehicle maker was found to have failed to prevent severe racial harassment at its flagship assembly plant in California. The verdict came after a week-long trial in the 2017 lawsuit by plaintiff Owen Diaz, who in 2021 was awarded $137 million by a different jury. He opted for a new trial on damages after a judge agreed with the jury that Tesla was liable but significantly reduced the award to $15 million. Diaz accused Tesla of failing…

A Chinese national, Che Gou Yao, has been remanded at the Ikoyi facility of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), by a Lagos Federal High Court, over alleged conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, multiple frauds, and attempted suicide. Justice Abimbola Awogboro ordered the remand of the China businessman, after he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him by the police following complaints by his compatriot, Jin Jiaoni and a company, Longshen Construction International Limited. The defendant who resides at 23 Sule Abuka off Opebi Road, Ikeja, Lagos, according to the prosecutor, O. Ekweizor of legal section of the Force Criminal…

Nigerian Premier League club Lobi Stars has dismissed reports linking its manager Muahmmadu Ganaru with a move to Premier League club, Chelsea. Lobi Stars top Group of the Nigerian league and were quick to dismiss any news making the rounds on its Facebook page. “Lobi Stars head coach, Muhammad Baba Ganaru has denied media reports linking him to Chelsea,” the post said. Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday after the London club slipped to 11th on the table and has since announced Bruno Saltor as the interim head coach. Former Bayern Munich manager, Julian Nagelsmann tops the shortlist of managers…

Spanish clubs Real Valladolid and Espanyol sacked their coaches on Monday, after weekend LaLiga defeats left both teams on the brink of relegation. Espanyol, who are 17th on 27 points after 27 games and level on points with 18th-placed Almeria, suffered a fourth straight league loss at the hands of Girona on Saturday in Diego Martinez’s last game in charge of the club. “The sporting results have led the club to take this decision with the sole and clear objective of achieving continuity in the top flight,” Espanyol said in a statement. Valladolid, in 16th, parted ways with Jose Rojo…