Author: David Great

Chelsea are set to offer Spain defenders Cesar Azpilicueta, 32, and Marcos Alonso, 31, plus £51m to beat Manchester United in the race to sign Barcelona’s 25-year-old Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong. (Sport – in Spanish) Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, 27, from Manchester City. (Times) Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, this summer amid interest from Chelsea and Napoli. (Sky Sports) Paris St-Germain want to sign Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, 33, and Sassuolo and Italy forward Gianluca Scamacca, 23. (Footmercato – in French) Newcastle have joined Liverpool in being interested in 26-year-old Real Madrid and Spain winger Marco Asensio. (Sport – in Spanish) Tottenham are close to signing Barcelona’s France…

Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while campaigning for a national election the government said, with public broadcaster NHK saying he appeared to have been shot from behind by a man with a shotgun. Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting in the western city of Nara had been arrested. Kyodo news agency and NHK said Abe, 67, appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital, after having initially been conscious and responsive. “Such an act of barbarity cannot be tolerated,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told…

says relevant authorities must be sanctioned faults lack of CCTV at correctional centre Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said that Tuesday’s attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre by terrorists speaks volumes about the failure of the country’s security architecture. Lawan stated this on Thursday when he led a delegation of the leadership of the Senate to assess the level of attack on the correctional facility by insurgents. Lawmakers on the Senate delegation, which also had some members of the Committee on National Security and Intelligence, were conducted around the facility by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service,…

Canada’s Express Entry draws for all programs resumed on Thursday after a hiatus of over 18 months. Canada has invited skilled immigrants overseas for the first time since December 2020. “Today, I am pleased to announce that Express Entry draws have officially resumed and applications will be processed at our 6 month processing standard,” Canada’s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told CIC News. “I want to thank the candidates from around the world for their patience, as we worked to reduce the backlog before resuming Express Entry draws. He added that, “I look forward to welcoming skilled workers who will are…

Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, says the ministry will ensure that the changes in corporate governance do not impact on the service and stability of the Distribution Companies (DisCos). Isa Sanusi, special adviser on Media to the Minister of Power, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday. Sanusi said that the minister had reassured electricity consumers that the recent changes in the governance of the DisCos would not adversely impact on the ongoing reform initiatives including the National Mass Metering Programme. He said that the minister had been briefed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and…

Nicki Minaj’s husband has been sentenced to a year of home detention for failing to register as a sex offender. Kenneth Petty was required to inform authorities when he moved due to an attempted rape conviction from 1995. But the 44-year-old admitted failing to do this when he relocated to California with Nicki Minaj in 2019. He’s now been sentenced and fined $55,000 (£46,000), according to the US Attorney’s Office. Under US law, registered sex offenders have five days to update their details if their residence changes. Nicki Minaj’s father killed by hit and run driver Petty had previously pleaded…

The Westminster magistrate court in the UK has ruled that David Ukpo, a supposed kidney donor for the daughter of Ike and Beatrice Ekweremadu, is not a minor. The court gave the ruling on Thursday when Ekweremadu, a former deputy president of the senate, and Beatrice, his wife, appeared before for trial. The senator representing Enugu west and his wife are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. The judge then adjourned the case till August 4. Ekweremadu and his wife are to remain in custody till…

US basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to a drugs charge in a Russian court on Thursday but denied she had intentionally broken the law. Griner was speaking at the second hearing of her trial on the narcotics charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, days after she urged US President Joe Biden to secure her release. read more “I’d like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said, speaking quietly in English which was then translated into Russian for the court. “I’d like…

Doyin Okupe, a former spokesperson to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has withdrawn from his position as vice presidential candidate to Peter Obi of Labour Party. Chronicle NG had reported that Okupe was announced as a place holder for the vice presidential slot to enable the Labour Party beat the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Announcing his withdrawal for the substantive vice presidential candidate, Okupe said he was “greatly blessed” to have been part of the foundation of the success of Labour Party. The Labour Party is gaining wide acceptability among Nigerian youths who account for 60…

The Federal Government has declared July 11 and 12 (Monday and Tuesday) as public holidays to mark 2022 Eid-el Kabir celebration. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement on Thursday congratulated all Muslims and Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion. “I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at…