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Showing posts from March 7, 2018

World markets dive as Trump sparks trade, North Korea worries

Global stocks sank Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with talks that are aimed at averting a trade war with China. Equities were also dented by poor eurozone economic data, and as Trump cast doubt on a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Trump (is) continuing to drive uncertainty over global trade,” said analyst Joshua Mahony at trading firm IG. “European markets are following their Asian counterparts lower, as a pessimistic tone from Trump is compounded by downbeat economic data,” he added. Markets had surged Monday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said they had agreed to pull back from imposing threatened tariffs on billions of dollars of goods, and continue talks on a variety of trade issues. However, Trump has declared that he was “not satisfied” with the status of the talks, fuelling worries that the world’s top two economies could still slug out an economically pain...

PSG project called into question after latest European let-down.

After an honourable defeat to Barcelona on away goals in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013, Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated the club’s objective was to win the competition “in the next five years”. That deadline expired with Tuesday’s limp defeat to holders Real Madrid in the last 16, leaving the French side as far away from being European champions as at any point since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought the club in 2011. For all their lavish spending, PSG have still not made it past the quarter-finals of the competition this decade, and there have now been consecutive exits in the last 16, the 5-2 aggregate loss to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real coming after a spectacular collapse saw them crash out in Barcelona a year ago. The strategy after that defeat was to commit to paying the two biggest transfer fees in football history last August to sign Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for a combined 402 million euros ($499 million), an attem...

Clash Averted Between Hausa, Yoruba In Ile-ife.

One year after a round of violence in Ile-Ife, another clash between the Hausa community and the Yoruba people may have been averted in the town. Daily Trust gathered that some northerners came to Ile-Ife enmasse to do menial jobs and when the Ife indigenes sighted them, there was apprehension. It was learnt that the matter got the attention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and he sent some top chiefs to handle the matter but those that he delegated could not manage the situation. The chiefs, according to reliable sources, invited the Sarkin of Arewa community of Sabo Ile-Ife, Alhaji Mahmoud Madagali and mandated him to sign some documents before the northerners could be allowed to stay in Ife but the Sarki declined on the basis that as Nigerians, the northerners should be allowed to stay in Ife. This led to serious altercation. Sources said that the Ile-Ife chiefs were infuriated. Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola heard about the matter and set up a committee led by his ai...

Mikel Obi, Moses head list of invitees for Poland, Serbia friendlies.

Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr has invited Mikel John Obi, Victor Moses to the 28-man squad to play in the friendly matches against Poland and Serbia this month. Joel Obi and Al Ahly’s Junior Ajayi received their first invites under Gernot Rohr with Obi’s last invitation coming in September 2014 for the Africa Nations Cup qualifier against South Africa. Ajayi, who has been impressive in the Egyptian League could be in line for his debut with the Super Eagles. He was part of the team that won a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic. Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho and left-back Brian Idowu, both make a return after impressing briefly on their debuts against Argentina. Leicester City duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho make the list as well as Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi. The released list has three members of the CHAN Eagles including Enyimba goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Akwa United’s Gabriel Okechukwu and Lokomotiv Plovdiv’s Stephen Eze. Hapoel Be’er She...

Original FIFA World Cup Trophy Finally Arrives In Nigeria, Lands In Abuja..

The FIFA World Cup trophy has landed in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. The trophy which is currently on a tour of 91 cities in 51 countries across six continents before the finals, touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport aboard a chartered flight at 11am today. The trophy was received by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung; the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola; President of The Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick; NFF Vice Presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko and; NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi... From the airport, the trophy, accompanied by several top officials of Coca-Cola’s Global Office and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, including Coca-Cola Nigeria Managing Director Bhupendra Suri and Managing Director of Nigeria Bottling Company Georgios Polymenakos, will make its way to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel for a press conference. This is the fourth Global Tour by the FIFA World Cup Trophy, and the third t...

Iwobi elected Italy’s first black senator.

An Italian man of Nigerian origin, who is the chief immigration spokesman for the far-right League party, has been elected as the country’s first black senator. Tony Iwobi, whose party has been accused of stirring up xenophobia in Italy, was elected in the industrial city of Brescia in northern Italy — a major immigration hub. “It is with great excitement that I can tell you I have been elected senator… A new adventure is about to begin,” Iwobi said on Facebook on Tuesday following Sunday’s elections. Born in Gusau in northern Nigeria but living in Italy since the 1970s, Iwobi has been a supporter of the League for more than two decades and used the campaign slogan #StopInvasion — a reference to the more than 690,000 migrants who have landed on Italian shores from North Africa since 2013.   Along with party leader Matteo Salvini, Iwobi has argued that illegal immigration into Italy has led to an increa...

Explosive’ eruptions at Japan volcano.

Powerful eruptions at a volcano in southern Japan spewed ash thousands of metres into the air Wednesday, as authorities warned locals not to approach the mountain. “The plume reached the height of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) for the first time since April 3, 2011” following a total of 29 eruptions at Mount Shinmoedake, Japan’s weather agency said in a statement. The volcano, which featured in the 1967 James Bond film “You Only Live Twice”, has been grumbling since Thursday. But on Wednesday and the previous day, the volcano produced so-called “explosive” eruptions, which also feature air blasts. Footage captured by the Meteorological Agency showed lava and thick grey smoke rising from the mountain around midnight Wednesday. People were ordered to stay away from the volcano as major ash deposits spread from the crater, the agency said. There have been no injuries reported as a result of the volcanic activity. Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the...

Police Command gives 10-day ultimatum to militias, bandits to surrender arms in Jigawa.

Mr Bala Zama, the Police Commissioner in Jigawa, has issued a 10-day ultimatum to militias, bandits and vigilance groups to surrender prohibited arms in their possession. Zama gave the ultimatum in a statement he personally signed in Dutse on Wednesday. He said the ultimatum followed a directive to all Commissioners of Police nationwide to commence the disarmament and recovery of all prohibited firearms in possession of militias, bandits and vigilante groups. “The IGP, Ibrahim Idris, directed all Commissioners of Police nationwide to immediately commence the disarmament and recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in possessions of all militias, bandits and vigilante groups.” He said the ultimatum affected “groups of any kind or individuals/bodies bearing prohibited, locally fabricated and modified weapons manufactured for the purpose to cause security breach, or threat to law and order in the country”. “Therefore, members of the public, individuals ...

Mr Champions League Ronaldo shows Madrid are still the team to beat.

The Portuguese netted twice in the first leg and popped up again with a key header on Tuesday as Zinedine Zidane's side advanced at the expense of PSG Real Madrid rarely looked in trouble. Los Blancos beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 14 and at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, the European champions finished the job. Once again it was Cristiano Ronaldo who punished PSG. The Portuguese had netted nine times in the Champions League group stages and added two more in the last-16 first leg at home to Unai Emery's side to take his tally to 11. That victory also saw Zinedine Zidane's side travel to Paris with an advantage that had seldom seemed possible in the teams' meeting at the Bernabeu, which was swung very much in Madrid's favour by goals in the 83rd and 86th minutes. RELATED RONALDO EQUALS ANOTHER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RECORD WITH GOAL AT PSG 'REAL MADRID NEED THE BEST AND NEYMAR IS ONE OF THEM' - CAMACHO BACKS PSG ...

Why world-class Dembele has been compared to Ronaldinho and Maradona.

The 30-year-old has taken his time in coming to prominence in central midfield but his performances have been at an outstanding standard this year Mauricio Pochettino said last month that if he and his coaching team had got hold of Mousa Dembele when he was 18 or 19 he would have gone on to become of one the best footballers in the world. He compared the midfielder to Jay-Jay Okocha, Diego Maradona, Ivan De La Pena and Ronaldinho – all ex-teammates of the Tottenham manager – describing him as one of the five “genius” players he has had the pleasure of encountering in his career. Dembele’s ability on the ball has never been in doubt but it has been other factors limiting his potential. As an attacker, when he first came to England, he was not productive enough. He played throughout his time in the Netherlands with AZ as a No. 10 or a wide attacker and was signed with that in mind by Fulham. RELATED SON DOUBLE LEADS SPURS TO VICTORY POCHETTINO'S MARADONA AND RONALDINHO...