Socioscope News Agency

Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, has said that he does not expect Alvaro Morata to be out for too long. Morata was forced off during the first half of their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, holding his left hamstring. “It’s a muscular problem,” Conte told reporters afterwards. “I don’t think it’s a serious problem because he stopped before it will become a serious injury. “He said to me, ‘Coach, I prefer to stop myself otherwise I risk a bad injury’. I don’t know. “The doctor now in the next days has to check the situation, but I don’t think he’s available for the national team. “It’s normal when you play three massive games in only seven days, you must consider this aspect [fatigue]. “We needed to take this risk because Morata for us is an important player.”

LOSC’s supporters react as their tribune falls down following the goal by LOSC French defender Fode Ballo-Toure during the French L1 football match between Amiens and Lille LOSC on September 30, 2017 at the Licorne stadium in Amiens. FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP Eighteen Lille fans were hurt, including three seriously, in Amiens on Saturday when a stadium barrier collapsed in the away section as supporters celebrated a goal in a Ligue 1 match. The fixture between Amiens and Lille was interrupted in the 16th minute, and later abandoned, after a fence separating fans from the pitch crumbled under their weight as they celebrated a goal by Fode Ballo-Toure. Several supporters tumbled around 1.5 metres onto the side of the pitch and were crushed by fellow fans before emergency services rushed to the scene. Members of the stadium staff stand by the stadium barrier that collapsed during the French L1 football match between Amiens and Lille LOSC on September 30, 2017 at the Licorne stadium ...

SPORTMourinho tells Manchester United players to do better after 4-0 win over PalacePublished on September 30, 2017 By Ifreke Inyang Jose Mourinho has demanded more consistency from his Manchester United side, despite their 4-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. Marouane Fellaini scored twice, while Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku also got on the scoresheet, as the Red Devils ran riot at Old Trafford. It wastheir fourth 4-0 triumph of the campaign, but Mourinho was left disappointed by elements of his side’s display. “Three points were very important,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “I told the players we had to respect and play seriously against an opponent in a difficult situation but are better than the results are saying. “Probably the result is bigger than our performance because I don’t think our performance was consistent. We had good periods, good moments, always control of the game. “But I think we could do better, but the important thing are the t...

Real Madrid will be without Dani Carvajal ‘indefinitely’ because of heart problems. The La Liga champions just published a medical report on the right-back on Saturday night. “Following tests carried out on Dani Carvajal, he has been diagnosed with a viral pericardium infection. His recovery will continue to be assessed,” the statement read. Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, will also be without Marcelo or Theo Hernandez against Espanyol on Sunday, meaning he will most likely have to start Achraf Hakimi on the right side of the defensive line as Nacho will play as a left back. Zidane could also start Lucas Vázquez on the right if he feels Achraf isn’t ready to start just yet. Carvajal recently signed a contract extension tying him to the club until 2022. The new deal sees his release clause rise to an eye-watering £308million.

Aggrieved residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, took to the streets on Saturday to protest the killing of a sachet water seller by a police corporal. The boy was said to have been shot by the policeman for coming out to sell sachet water during the period of sanitation. Nnamdi Omoni, spokesman of the state police command, confirmed the incident to TheCable but said its cause was yet to be ascertained. Omoni said the incident happened on Saturday morning along Okporo road in the city. “The lance corporal cocked his gun and suddenly it (the bullet) went off and hit the boy. They were about 200 meters away from each other,” he told TheCable on phone. “The boy did not die on the spot, he died when they got to the hospital before help could come.” Omoni also said the policeman in question had been disarmed and placed in detention. “Investigation has also been ordered to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing,” he added. When asked if it was not a case ...

Some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have asked British police to arrest Nigerians based in the UK. Singing and chanting pro-Biafra slogans during a demonstration in London, the protesters, who wielded placards with the inscription: ‘Biafra Exit’, made some uncomplimentary remarks about the Nigerian government. They paid tribute to members of the group who were allegedly killed by security forces. “We want the whole world to know what is going on. We are Biafrans; we want to be free. We don’t want to be part of Nigeria,” said a man who addressed the crowd. “What Nigeria represents is?” to which the crowd chanted: “Evil.” It is not clear when the video was released. Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader, is a dual citizen of Britain and Nigeria. He was based in London.

The  Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) has suspended its industrial action. This followed a meeting between the leadership of the union and representatives of the federal government in Abuja. Biobelemoye Josiah, chairman of the union, has directed members to resume work on Wednesday, saying the strike was suspended “in principle”. Josiah said another meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, explaining that the agreements reached on Saturday would be ratified next week. Stephen Ocheni, minister of state for labour, led the federal government team at Saturday’s meeting which lasted nine hours. The union embarked on a nationwide strike on September 20, to protest among other issues, salaries adjustments, promotion arrears, and improved work environment for its members.

Abubakar Jimoh, the Spokesperson of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says Mr Ademola Magbojuri has taken over from Mrs Yetunde Oni as Acting Director-General (DG). Jimoh disclosed this while reacting to the conflicting reports in the media over the retirement of Oni in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja. He explained that the immediate past acting director-general reached the retirement age of 60 years on Sept. 21, and Federal Government directed that the most senior director in the the agency takes charge. He said that Magbojuri, who would pilot the affairs of NAFDAC until a substantive D-G is appointed, had received handing over notes on Friday. NAN reports that Magbojuri, until this appointment, was in charge of NAFDAC’s training and research institute in Kaduna. NAN observed that as at Friday, the NAFDAC head office in Abuja was still sealed by the union that is agitating over non-payment o...

Nigeria’s electricity grid has recorded a total system collapse, the Transmission Company of Nigeria announced on Friday. However, it swiftly stated that restoration of the grid was at an advanced stage and explained that the total collapse was due to tripping of three generator units at Egbin power generation station. The daily report on Nigeria’s power sector that was made available by the transmission company on Friday in Abuja stated that the grid collapsed totally on Thursday, September 28, 2017, after the country generated 3,515 megawatts of electricity the preceding day. The TCN said, “A total system collapse was recorded on September 28, 2017 at 20:03Hrs. - Advertisement - “Reports obtained from stations and the sequence of events generated by the SCADA system indicated that the system collapse was triggered by the tripping of Egbin Units ST4, ST6 and ST5 at ‘20:03:15, 20:03:32 and 20:03:34’ respectively. “By this incident, the Nigerian electric power grid lost gener...

IRBIL: The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq refused to relinquish control of its border crossings to the Iraqi government, Irbil-based TV Rudaw said on Friday, citing a KRG official. Relinquishing control over border crossings with Turkey, Iran and Syria was a demand made by Iraq, Iran and Turkey in retaliation for the Kurdish independence referendum held on Monday in northern Iraq. Backed by Ankara and Tehran, the Iraqi government has demanded that the Kurdish leadership cancel the result of the referendum or face sanctions, international isolation and possibly a military intervention. An embargo on direct international travel to Kurdistan has been imposed by the Iraqi government to force the KRG to hand over the control of its airports to Baghdad. Talar Saleh, the general director of Irbil International Airport, said Kurdish authorities were unaware of how to comply with Baghdad’s demand to hand the airport over to federal authorities before Friday evening in ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday cracked down on government officials using charter aircraft following the resignation of health secretary Tom Price over his use of private planes for government business. In a memo to government agencies, White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said commercial air travel is “appropriate” with few exceptions even for very senior officials, and the use of chartered aircraft must be approved in advance by the White House chief of staff.

MADRID — Catalonia’s secessionists, who are trying to organize an independence vote from Spain on Sunday, may be getting aid from Russia as part of the Kremlin's ongoing strategy to destabilize the European Union, according to European Union analysts. Spain’s central government has deployed thousands of police to contain expected disorder. They have threatened local officials who support the referendum with stiff fines and jail. Spain’s constitutional court has declared the pending vote illegal. A national police officer watches a person casts a symbolic 'No' vote during protest against the Catalonian referendum in Madrid, Spain, Sept. 29, 2017. Despite what some see as a heavy-handed response by Madrid, the United States and most EU governments have backed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in his efforts to keep Spain united. Russian state media have disseminated reports consistently favorable to Catalan independence in a move some analysts consider to be Mosco...

U.S. officials said Friday that a military aircraft crashed in Syria, injuring two service members and damaging their Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Officials said the injuries were not life-threatening after what was called a "hard landing." The service members have reportedly been released from medical care. A source told CNN that the crash was not due to enemy activity. Another said the aircraft was not salvageable. The U.S. military often uses Ospreys to move troops within Syria, where U.S. military advisers are working with the Syrian Democratic Forces to train them in combat against Islamic State militants. Hospitals at risk Also Friday, reports from doctors and medical aid groups say Syrian troops have renewed the bombing of hospitals, an act one human rights group calls "an egregious violation of the laws of war and a callous attempt to inflict suffering on civilians." FILE - Damage at a hospital is seen after an airstrike in Deir al-Sharqi village...

Russian police released opposition leader and would-be presidential candidate Alexei Navalny on Friday after several hours in detention. Police charged Navalny with repeatedly organizing unauthorized rallies, an administrative offense punishable with a fine of up to a 300,000 rubles ($5,200) and compulsory work for up to 200 hours. "We were finally presented with a charge and released, and the trial will be on October 2 at the Simonovsky Court of Moscow at 15:00 Moscow time," Navalny's lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, told Interfax. Police had stopped Navalny early Friday as he was headed to a campaign rally in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, where at least one other rally leader was also detained — Navalny's campaign chief, Leonid Volkov. "I'm in a police station now and they're going to accuse me of repeated violation of the procedure for holding a mass event," Navalny told VOA's Russian service reporter Danila Galperovich earlier Friday. "It...

NYSC TO STRATEGIZE FOR EMERGING CHALLENGES The National Youth Service Corps is to take proactive steps towards responding to emerging challenges in the pursuit of its mandate. To this end, a think tank is to be set up to articulate strategies on the Scheme's policy thrust and administration to make it more responsive to national needs at all times. This was part of the resolutions made at the 2017 Annual Management Conference of the Scheme, which took place in Jos, the Plateau State capital. The forum also resolved that opportunities would be explored for deeper involvement of the private sector and other stakeholders in the successful implementation of the NYSC programmes. Participants agreed that the Scheme should critically analyze the terms of its partnerships with some bodies, and seek reviews, where necessary, in order to adequately cater for its interests, especially with regards to the gains for Corps members. It was further agreed that research and development would ...

PIONEER private Islamic university in Nigeria, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, has produced 16 First Class graduates out of 916 students across various programmes, departments and faculties in this year convocation ceremony. Speaking with journalists on seventh convocation ceremony of the university in Ilorin on Tuesday, the vice chancellor of the Islamic University, Professor Taofeek Ibrahim, said that breakdown of the graduates included 827 undergraduates and 89 postgraduates. The vice-chancellor said that 208 bagged Second Class Upper, 434 with Second Class Lower, adding that 143 had Third Class while 26 got a pass. Professor Ibrahim, who said that 2017 result of the graduating students showed remarkable improvement in academic performance, added that the authorities remained committed to doing better until it eliminated students graduating with Pass and Third Class grades. The vice-chancellor also said that the nation's educational system should be restructured to address nat...

Kwara State University (KWASU) is sets to host the meeting of the Vice Chancellors, under the auspices of Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) between 8th and 12th of next month. About 600 management team members from 147 universities are expected to participate in the meeting where they are expected to rub minds on the challenges and prospects of running a 21stcentury university in country. Senate President Bukola Saraki, Kwara state Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed, renowned lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola, as well as university heads from the United States of America, England, Eastern Europe, are all set to headline the meeting, it was gathered. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration Designate) of KWASU, Prof Sakah Mahmud and chairman, Local Organising Committee of the meeting said the institution will use the forum to make the development of local tourism its main goal at the meeting. He said the institution would work wit...

Mr Awoyemi Kazeem, a Chief Accountant at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday revealed at an Ikeja High Court the salaries and allowances of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia at her ongoing trial for corruption and obstruction of justice. Kazeem is the 11th prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to testify against Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos. Kazeem, in his evidence, revealed that Ofili-Ajumogobia initially received a salary of N193,000 in 2004 on appointment as a judge which was increased to approximately N528,621 in 2008. While being led in evidence by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecution counsel for the EFCC, Kazeem said: “I know Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia very well, she is a honourable judge of the Federal High Court and she has been in the service of the court since 2004. “In the course of her job, we have been paying her statutory allowances as sent to us by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) as well as other allowanc...

Dr Qasim Olalere Akinreti of the Voice of Nigeria, VON on  Friday emerged the new Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ,  Lagos State Council. Akinreti defeated Mr Leye Ajayi of the News Agency of Nigeria by 288 to 272 votes to emerge winner of the NUJ election held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Eko FM, Agidingbi, IKeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Abiola Beckley of Daar Communications also won by 282 votes defeating Innocent Anaba of the Vanguard who polled 275 votes to emerge as the Vice Chairman of the Council.

The Lagos State Government has clarified the ongoing insinuations and diverse interpretations given to the recently unveiled new Awolowo statue claiming that it is a piece of artwork expressing the artist’s impression of the late Sage and not a photograph, adding that it can be subjected to several interpretation. This clarification was made by Mrs. Adebimpe Akinsola, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, who stated that many sculptures had been made to illustrate the other essence of the late sage, particularly the ones that portray him as a ‘dogged fighter’ standing with his popular victory sign, but the new bust, depicting him in an entirely new mode, simply alludes to his multi dimensional standing. “The reality is that Chief Awolowo was a colossus who cannot be stereotyped. Stereotyping such a highly intriguing personality only exposes the lack of depth of the totality of what the late sage represents,’’ she said. She stated further that great men all...

The Federal Government has restated its resolve to complete work on the second Niger Bridge as well as other federal projects in the South-East zone. The Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo gave the assurance during a funeral mass for late Mrs Roseline Akabueze, the mother of Mr Ben Akabueze, the Director-General, Budget Office, Abuja at St Gabriel Catholic Church, Ifitedunu, Anambra State. Osinbajo explained that the FG under President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to completing every federal project in the South East especially the second Niger Bridge. According to him, “President Buhari went to China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road. He said that everything has also been put in place to ensure the completion of Enugu-Onitsha expressway. Osinbajo urged the National Assembly to consider and accommodate all the federal projects during their deliberations. He re-stated that one of the cardinal principles of Buhari administration was fai...

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, at a Federal High Court in Abuja. Delivering the ruling, a three-man panel led by Justice Peter Ige held that the order was to enable Dasuki to testify in the N400-million-fraud suit brought against former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Spokesman, Olisa Metuh. The other members of the panel were Justice Emmanuel Agim and Justice Mohammed Mustapha. The panel ordered the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to without delay, sign the subpoena filed by Metuh to compel DSS to produce Dasuki in court. The panel also directed Abang to indicate the date which DSS must produce Dasuki in court. “Once the subpoena is signed by the judge and served, the person has statutory duty to appear before the court or tribunal unless such person could convince the judge otherwise. “It is an order of the state ...

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has jokingly blamed Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, for “all the bad things” that happened to the country during his tenure between 1999 and 2007. Obasanjo was speaking in Owerri, at the graduation ceremony of students of Rochas Foundation. He said the worst advice he got while in office was from Okorocha, one of his then advisers. “As you may all know, Rochas was one of the advisers I had when I was president,” he said. “All the bad things that happened to this country under my presidency was advised by Rochas Okorocha,” he said. Obasanjo however extolled the qualities of the Governor, who he said never ceased to surprise him. “He (Okorocha) has never stopped to surprise me. He is a man of vision, of ideas. He is a thinking man. And when he explained to me his ideas about education, what he has done, I was marvelled. I doff my hat for you, Okorocha. “Let me say this, the beginning of the development for any country is educatio...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has described French midfielder, Paul Pogba’s injury as “long-term” and hence will be facing a longer time on the sidelines than expected. Pogba, 24, suffered a hamstring injuring in the 3-0 Champion’s league win against Basel on September 12. The decision to opt for surgical therapy is yet to be made. Speaking at a news conference ahead of United’s Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Mourinho said: “He’s injured, he cannot play tomorrow and it’s not an injury that I can have the hope like I have with [Antonio] Valencia or [Phil] Jones. “I have the hope to see them in training and to have a positive answer, so long-term injuries I don’t speak about them. “So Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] and Pogba and [Marcos] Rojo, these players I don’t think about them.” Share with friends:

Sport Five players who ganged up against Ancelotti at Bayern Munich revealedPublished on September 29, 2017 By Ifreke Inyang The inside details of how Carlo Ancelotti lost his job as Bayern Munich manager, has been revealed. Bayern president, Uli Hoeness, had revealed that five senior players had seen enough of Ancelotti . According to Sport 1, the players who ganged up against the Italian were Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Matt Hummels and Jerome Boateng. The report read in parts: “Before the game Carlo put a sheet with the names of the 11 players that will start and left without saying a word. Many were stunned and angry. “Boateng was told that he will be on the bench but he was surprised that he was not included in the squad. Carlo gave him no explanation. “The players and board felt that Ancelotti wanted to provoke everyone by his acts. There was huge anger and dissatisfaction before the game. “There was ‘extreme dissatisfaction’ with Carlo’s training me...

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has been summoned to appear in a Madrid court on November 3, two days before he takes his team to his old club, Chelsea, in the Premier League. Spanish authorities opened a case against Mourinho in June, for alleged tax evasion during his time as Real Madrid boss. The 54-year-old allegedly did not declare revenue related to his image rights in 2011 and 2012 and owes the Spanish state nearly £2.9million. Mourinho’s agent issued a statement at the time denying the allegation and pointed out he paid nearly £23m in taxes during his stint in Spain, at an average tax rate of more than 41% It also stated that he had reached a settlement agreement with the Spanish taxman in 2013. Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi have all been convicted of tax evasion in recent years.

Antonio Conte has challenged Eden Hazard to repeat his dazzling performance against Atletico Madrid when Chelsea face title rivals Manchester City on Saturday. Hazard was in fine form, during the week, as Chelsea became the first English team to win at Atletico with a 2-1 success in the Champions League. The 26-year-old was making only his second start of the season in Madrid following three substitute appearances after surgery on his ankle. Now Hazard is poised for his first Premier League start of the campaign With Manchester City looking strong, Chelsea boss Conte wants Hazard to help the champions draw level on points with the leaders at Stamford Bridge. “If he was able to play one game like the last game against Atletico Madrid it means he’s ready now to play with continuity,” Conte told reporters on Friday. “For us he’s an important player. Last season he had an important season, he played very well, he performed as a top player. I’m very happy for him.”

The new statue of the first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria, Chief Awolowo, who played a key role in Nigeria’s independence movement, has sparked criticism from Nigerians. Awolowo’s statue was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, who said it was in recognition of his “good legacies “, describing his works as the template for measuring progressive governance in the country. The statue, which is situated on Awolowo Road, by the Lagos Television junction in Ikeja, Lagos, was said to be lacking in creativity and aesthetics in its depiction of the late sage. However, a large number of social media users and public affairs commentators have taken a swipe at the statue, saying it was a misrepresentation of the mannerism that the late sage was known for. On Twitter, one Julius Umogbai, expressed disappointment at the way the image was moulded. “That Obafemi Awolowo statue, with those funny shoes, is terrible. I would have preferred something h...

Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has fired back at the presidency following the arrest of Toyin Ojo, his Commissioner for Finance and also compared his Presidential bid to that of Donald Trump. He said that those arresting people today will be arrested tomorrow. Fayose, in a series of tweets on insinuated that some people in Aso Villa were using the security and anti-graft agencies to intimidate him. “The arrestors of today would be arrested tomorrow. “Those who gave reasons @realDonaldTrump won’t be POTUS know better now. I want to be President of Nigeria, that’s what I will be. “They think they can use @officialEFCC to intimidate us, we are waiting. But tell the Villa hawks that last year, they used DSS, it failed. “They remembered bailout fund the moment I made it public that I was declaring for President. So, Ekiti was the only state that got bailout?,” Fayose tweeted.

A young unidentified man was stoned to death by an angry mob effect he was accused of allegedly stealing motorcycles in Aliade Part of Benue State. Reports do not disclose the identity of the victim but states that he might have had an accomplice who escaped the mob. This present violent display of Jungle Justice is just one of many cases in the state. It was reported that before the local authorizes were contacted the individual was already confirmed dead as he was stoned and beaten till he was lifeless. We await further clarification and detailed investigation from the Benin state police command.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Thursday awarded N60 million in scholarship awards to 400 indigent undergraduates from Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers States. The undergraduates, who are studying in different universities across the Niger Delta region, received a cheque of N150,000 each as scholarship for the 2015/2016 academic session. Mr Igo Weli, SPDC General Manager, External Relations, said at the award giving ceremony in Port Harcourt that the SPDC-JV-sponsored scholarship scheme was for indigent undergraduates of its host communities. He said out of thousands of undergraduates who sat the SPDC-JV University Scholarship examination, only 400 passed after undergoing a transparent screening process. “The scholarship programme provides opportunity for the less privileged to pursue their dream of acquiring higher education. “Selection for the scholarship programme was based solely on performance while it covers all fields of study in both arts and sci...

Kparatao village in northern Togo has become the epicentre of a challenge to Africa's longest-ruling dynasty With its dirt roads of red earth, children playing with old tyres and succession of dilapidated mosques, northern Togo is an unlikely home for a movement that's challenging Africa's longest-ruling political dynasty. But small, out-of-the-way Kparatao is where Tikpi Atchadam was born to a local farmer and food seller in 1967 and spent his childhood. Until just a few weeks ago, the former law student, hailed by his supporters as someone who "stops power from sleeping", was a relative unknown. But the head of the Panafrican National Party (PNP) has become the new face of Togolese opposition after organising the recent mass protests against President Faure Gnassinge. In Kparatao as in the neighbouring city of Sokode, most of the street lights don't work while the tarmac doesn't go beyond the main road linking Togo with Burkina Faso.

Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraq's Kurds announced a massive "yes" vote for independence on Wednesday following a referendum that has incensed Baghdad and sparked international concern. Official results showed 92.73 percent of voters backing statehood in Monday's non-binding referendum, which Iraq's central government rejected as illegal. Turnout was put at 72.61 percent. In a retaliatory move, airlines from Turkey as well as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon said Wednesday they will halt flights to and from Iraqi Kurdistan this week until further notice at the request of Baghdad. Longtime Iraqi Kurd leader Massud Barzani said the vote would not lead to an immediate declaration of independence and should instead open the door to negotiations. But Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told lawmakers on Wednesday there was no question of using its results as the basis for talks

The UK has fallen down a global list of the most competitive nations and experts are warning that Brexit could see the country slip further. The World Economic Forum’s annual competitiveness index ranked the UK as the eighth best economy in the world, down from seventh last year. The WEF said the Brexit vote had not yet fed through into the rankings, but that it will likely do so in over the coming years. 130 European firms expected to apply for new licences to operate in UK Switzerland topped the rankings for the ninth straight year, thanks to an efficient labour market, strong innovation and technological readiness, according to the WEF’s report. The US moved up one place to second, despite fears that a Donald Trump presidency could mean a more protectionist future for the world’s largest economy. The WEF said Brexit is "likely to further undermine the country’s competitiveness" in future. The organisation has previously warned that Brexit is likely to have neg...

FILE PHOTO: U.S. student Otto Warmbier speaks at a news conference in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang February 29, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA/File Photo (Reuters) - An American student who had been imprisoned in North Korea for 17 months died from lack of oxygen and blood to the brain, an Ohio coroner said on Wednesday. Otto Warmbier’s death on June 19 was due to an unknown injury that occurred more than a year before his death, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco said at a news conference. “We don’t know what happened to him and that’s the bottom line,” Sammarco said. Warmbier’s parents could not be reached for comment on the coroner’s report. The University of Virginia student was held by North Korea from January 2016 until his release on June 15. Warmbier, 22, was returned to the United States in a coma. The coroner and a Sept. 11 report by her office cited complications of chronic deficiency of oxygen and b...

Reuters) - University of Louisville basketball head coach Rick Pitino was placed on administrative leave in the wake of a federal bribery investigation, the university’s interim president said on Wednesday. Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach who steered the Cardinals to a national championship in 2013, was placed on unpaid leave a day after a probe alleged that coaches with four college basketball programs participated in a scheme to pay recruits’ families. “While the investigation is continuing and no charges have been filed against the University of Louisville or any of its employees, the allegations are serious,” Louisville’s interim president, Greg Postel, told a news conference. “It is vital for this university to strictly adhere to NCAA rules and enforce federal law. Doing nothing would be a tacit endorsement of unethical and criminal behavior,” he added. Postel said Pitino’s employment with the men’s program will be reviewed at a later date and that he hopes to name an interim...

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks about North Korea as he sits beside U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tom Price (L) during an opioid-related briefing at Trump's golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was “not happy” with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price amid reports he used expensive private charter jets to travel for government business rather than cheaper commercial flights. Asked if he would fire Price, Trump told reporters: “We’ll see.” The House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee opened an investigation on Wednesday into travel by top officials. The panel wrote to the White House and 24 federal agencies requesting information about senior officials’ aircraft use. Asked if he had confidence in Price after the reports on his travel, Trump said: “I am looking at that very closely. I am...

A promising Nigerian student and other individuals have lost their lives in an ill-fated road mishap which took place in the confluence state of Kogi. An accident involving an articulated truck at Nataco junction, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway on Wednesday morning killed a student of the nearby Kogi State Polytechnic and five others. The tension that descended on the area spread to the International Market, as students protesting the death of their colleague in the accident went on rampage. They destroyed a traffic light and the GYB billboard mounted at the road which . A detachment of policemen that came to the scene were forced to make a retreat, having exhausted the teargas canisters they brought to the scene. Some of the concerned residents of the area however criticised the policemen, saying “in such situation they shouldn’t have used teargas on the angry youths.” The cement-carrying truck reportedly ran into a tricycle (Keke NAPEP), killing the student and others, i...

Data Science Nigeria is set for the second edition of its bootcamp aimed at bridging capacity gaps in data science. In a statement on Wednesday, the organisers said the programme is targeted at intermediate and expert-level Nigerian professionals and students, who are “interested in machine learning, R or python programming languages and statistics for advanced data analytics”. “This is part of an effort to make Nigeria the data science outsourcing hub for Africa before 2019 and to create one million new jobs during the next 10 years,” the statement read. “The bootcamp is expected to run for four days between October 12 and 15 in the Lekki axis of Lagos. “It will include a face-to-face teaching, virtual online classes, and a hands-on hackathon using the Kaggle platform.” The statement said the sessions will be facilitated by leading local and international PhD-level data scientists, in the industry and the academia. “This second edition will be heralded by a national summit...

NEWSI have no intention to depose Olubadan – AjimobiPublished on September 27, 2017 Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that he had no plans of deposing the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, no matter the level of provocation and opposition to the recent installation of new obas in Ibadanland. He also appealed to members of the Obas-in-Council and all other newly installed obas in Ibadanland to extend the olive branch to the Olubadan by visiting him as a way of assuring the paramount ruler that they bore no grudge against him. The governor spoke at a meeting he held with the traditional council of the 11 local governments in Ibadanland, which are being headed by the Obas-in-Council, formerly known as members of the Olubadan-in-Council, at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan. The meeting was also attended by senior chiefs in Ibadanland, members of the Ibadan Elders’ Forum, chairmen of the 11 local governments and 14 local council development areas...

NEWSBiafra: IPOB members decamping to other separatist groups – FMNPublished on September 27, 2017 By Ameh Comrade Godwin A group, under the umbrella of Federalist Movement of Nigeria has stated that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are decamping to other separatist groups since the court declared it a terrorist group. The group therefore called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately bring the weight of the law to bear on criminal elements that were hiding under agitation against marginalization to breach the constitution and the extant laws of the land. FNM made this know via a statement signed by its convener, Emmanuel Ogah and obtained by DAILY POST on Wednesday. The group said that the call became imperative following reports that many members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have started migrating to other separatist groups that are becoming virulent and could soon continue acts of aggression from where IPOB stopped before the court o...

Executive Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has been told by the PDP not to waste his time and resources on a Presidential bid in 2019 as the position has already been zoned to the North. Recall that Fayose had spoken on his Presidential ambition earlier stating that he would like to be PDP’s flagbearer at the polls. According to the Punch, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye reacting to Fayose’s move said that the governor has an obligation to respect PDP’s zoning formula which is already known to party members. Adeyeye was surprised that Fayose, a leader within the party, would do such a thing. He said; “The highest organ of the party, which is the national convention, zoned the presidential ticket of the PDP to the North. That has not changed. The same national convention zoned the position of the national chairman to the South. The convention has yet to change any of these two. “That (national convention) is the supreme organ of the party. T...

The general overseer of the Redeemed Christian church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has described his counterpart, Bishop David Oyedepo as the Rolls Royce of all Bishops. He said this to liken the bishop as a distinct man of God among its contemporaries. He said this while sending a birthday message to Oyedepo. “I am proud to be his father. It is only in Christianity that you see a bishop who is a son to a pastor.” Adeboye added. Read the full text below: Some years ago, someone gave me an article on cars to read. It listed the Mercedes Benz as the STRONGEST car. It listed BMW as the FASTEST car It listed LEXUS as the most comfortable car. I turned to the man that gave me the article to read and asked in my confusion “so where do we place Rolls Royce”? The man smiled and said “sir, you can’t place Rolls Royce in this category; when we are rating cars, Rolls Royce is in a class of it’s own”. There are bishops and there are bishops and When you are rating bisho...

The Delta House of Assembly has suspended one of its members, Reuben Izeze of the Ughelli South Constituency, for allegedly misconducting himself. The lawmaker’s suspension followed a motion moved by the Assembly’s Majority Leader, Tim Owhefere, during the legislative body’s plenary session. According to Tim, “the behaviour of Mr. Izeze was unbecoming of a lawmaker and such attitude would do the Assembly’s image no good. He, therefore, moved that the lawmaker should be suspended for three months to enable him learn more about legislation. The motion was seconded by the Chief Whip of the House, Pat Ajudua, representing Oshimili North Constituency. It was then unanimously adopted by the Assembly after it was put through a voice vote by the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori. “The member representing Ughelli South is hereby suspended for a period of three months for gross misconduct,’’ the Speaker ruled.

Yesterday, the Governor of Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, unveiled The statue of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, first Premier of Western region (March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987) but little did he know that he paraded a big fashion blunder. The statue at the junction of Obafemi Awolowo Way and Lateef Jakande Road, Ikeja (Lagos) had the sage dressed in agbada adorned with a lace-up shoes. Apart from being trained in the United Kingdom as a lawyer, Awolowo was a cosmopolitan man who would never commit such an error in real life. The Oxford shoes could not have been worn by a style leader like Awolowo with traditional attires. Only loafers or shoes without laces are worn by the Yorubas with traditional attires…

Saturday 30th September 2017: The Final Date for OAU Post-UTME All candidates that missed their 2017 Post-UTME Aptitude Test have been re-scheduled for Saturday, 30th September, 2017 8am prompt at Computer Building of the University. Please, note that this is the final date. Kindly re-print your eSlip to confirm your new date/venue/time. Candidates that have also recently changed institution to OAU, Ile-Ife, and have scored above 200 but could not apply because their JAMB data has not been sent to the University may also come on Saturday, 30th September, 2017, by 8am with their JAMB print out and Aptitude Test Fee (N2,350 - Two Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Naira, Only). Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Tel: +234 70-3300-9650, +234 807-3131-174 Email: admissions@oauife.edu.ng | enquiry@oauife.edu.ng Copyright © 2017 - OAU POST-UTME

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Management has rescheduled 2017/2018 Post UTME Aptitude Test to hold from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th October, 2017. Candidates should generate new examination passes from Thursday 28th September, 2017 and come to the test venue with two coloured copies of the examination passes. GSM phones and other personal belongings are not allowed in the test venues. Further Clarification may be obtained via email:admissions@unilag.edu.ng and the following phone numbers: 08182716045, 07046537158, 07043359831, 07026079596 and 07026079595. Dr. (Mrs.) Taiwo F. Ipaye, FNIMRegistrar & Secretary to Council

What a remarkable achievement. Salihu Dasuki has made Nigeria proud once again as he becomes the youngest senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom. The 29-year-old Nigerian gratefully announced his resumption to work as a senior lecturer of Information Systems yesterday, Monday, September 25 on Twitter. He made the announcement with the following words: “By Allah’s grace, not only am I the youngest, I resume teaching as a senior lecturer of computing at Sheffield Hallam University, UK” Dasuki in another tweet says he was an assistant professor at the age of 24 when he was in Nigeria for five years. Dasuki also has a brilliant academic records in foreign universities. He graduated with a first class degree in Information Technology from Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), North Cyprus at 21. He went further to have his Master’s degree at Brunel University, UK and bagged his PhD in the same university in 2012. At this time, he was reportedly the younge...

The Senate has summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and her Budget and National Planning counterpart, Sen. Udo Udoma, to brief Nigerians on developments in the economy. Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, made this known when he briefed newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. Abdullahi said that the invitation of the ministers was to get assurance on measures being put in place to prop-up and continuously support the economy to forestall relapse to recession. He recalled that it was on the floor of the Senate that Nigeria was declared to be technically in recession. According to him, we had cause to discuss the issue of recession that came up last year. “We are glad that we have at least exited recession by virtue of the 0.55 per cent marginal growth we have recorded.” Abdullahi, however, said that there was need for managers of the economy to explain its state to citizens, especially with the issues of recession. He urged t...

The attention of the management of the University of Ilorin has been drawn to media publications on Monday in which our peace-loving and pace-setting University was described as a "terrorist organisation" by the University of Ibadan Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Ayodeji Omole. This is unfortunate, especially coming from someone who is expected to know the gravity of such appellation. While the University is not ready to join issues with this fellow, who appears hell bent to drag the good names that Unilorin has made for itself over the years, in the mud, we want to make it abundantly clear that the disciplinary action recently taken by the University against two of its staff, which is the basis for his outburst, followed due process and it was in line with the laid down rules and regulations as contained in the University�s Conditions of Service. We wonder when an internal affair of the University of Ilorin has now become the busin...

Xabi Alonso is set to reveal more about his plans to become a football manager Former Spain midfielder has posted a video announcing his next venture 35-year-old has told fans they will 'find out soon' where he shall cut his teeth Alonso retired from playing in May after three successful years at Bayern Munich Former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso has announced he will pursue a career in football management having hung up his boots at the end of last season. Alonso, who won 114 caps for Spain and won the Champions League twice during a glittering playing career, has been doing his coaching badges since his final game for Bayern Munich in May. There were reports that the 35-year-old could be in line to return to Liverpool as a coach, where he would be reunited with the club's Under-18s manager Steven Gerrard.

FIFA has backed down in its row with British football authorities over the wearing of poppies by players in international matches as a tribute to those killed in war. Football associations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were fined by FIFA for ignoring warnings not to commemorate Armistice Day during their World Cup qualifiers last November. FIFA's stance -- based on a strict interpretation of its laws against the use of personal, political or religious slogans or symbols -- sparked widespread condemnation in Britain, with Prime Minister Theresa May calling it "utterly outrageous" in Parliament.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Shakhtar Donetsk, who his side face in the Champions League on Tuesday, are "one of the best teams". This will be the seventh time Guardiola has faced the Ukrainian side.

Basketball star LeBron James has praised the American football players who have protested against Donald Trump, and accused the US president of "using sports to try and divide us". Trump said on Friday that NFL players who fail to stand during the national anthem should be sacked or suspended. In widespread protests at the weekend, players responded by kneeling, linking arms or staying in the locker room. James praised the players' unity, and said: "The people run this country." The 32-year-old added: "I'm not going to let one individual, no matter their power, ever use sport as a platform to divide us. "Sport is so amazing, what it can do for everyone. No matter the shape, size, weight, ethnicity, religion or whatever - people find teams, players and colours because of sport. It brings people together like none other." James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers and has won three NBA championships, campaigned for Hillary Clinton,...

The France striker - who has scored in each of those home wins - headed into an open net in the 20th minute after West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster tipped Alexis Sanchez's free-kick onto the crossbar. West Brom felt they should have been awarded a penalty before the opener when Shkodran Mustafi brought down Jay Rodriguez with a sliding challenge - but no foul was given by referee Bobby Madley. Instead of staying on the ground following the contact, Rodriguez chose to continue but his shot was tipped onto the post by a diving Petr Cech. After the break, Arsenal were themselves rightly awarded a spot-kick when Allan Nyom barged over Aaron Ramsey close to the byeline. Lacazette stepped up and calmly slotted into the bottom right corner - his fourth goal since his club record £46.5m summer move from Lyon. The Baggies caused Arsenal problems in the first half in particular, with Nacho Monreal brilliantly clearing a Rodriguez header off the line in the 38th minute. Victory for ...

The management of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has recalled a graduate of the College, Quadri Adewale Fasasi, from the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC). Fasasi was alleged to have been involved in examinations fraud. Fasasi and another student had had outstanding cases pending. It was learnt that Fasasi was wrongly cleared for national service by the College and based on a petition, the management wrote to the Director General of NYSC, Abuja, demanding for the his recall. The letter dated July 19, 2017 and signed by Deputy Registrar, Mrs. T.A. Obadimu, reads: ‘’Mr. Fasasi has a pending academic case in the college. He was wrongly listed on the graduand list for 2014/2015 academic year’’. Fasasi, Higher Diploma student in Accountancy department with matriculation F/HD/12/3610016 and with call letter number NYSC/YCT 10016/373713, Daily Sun gathered, was involved in examination malpractice with one other student. He was said to have used his connection to get clearance....

Mass graves of dozens of slain Hindus have been found in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state, according to government officials. Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye told VOA’s Burmese Service he witnessed another 17 bodies recovered Monday, after 25 bodies were found in two mass graves a day earlier. Aye said most bodies were of women and children, many with their hands tied, and some which haird been beheaded. Aye and a police chief both told VOA Burmese they believe the bodies belong to more than 100 Hindus who have been missing for a month. The military, which said it discovered two mud pits with 28 Hindu corpses Sunday outside the village of Ye Baw Kyaw in northern Rakhine, has blamed Rohingya "extremist terrorists" for the killings. Violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, which has caused more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh and resulted in widespread claims of atrocities and ethnic cleansing, was a discussed fr...