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Boko Haram killed at least 60 civilians in an attack on the remote town of Rann in northeast Nigeria earlier this week, Amnesty International said on Friday.

The human rights group’s Nigeria director Osai Ojigho said “at least 60 people” were killed while satellite imagery showed “mass burning” of structures used by displaced people.

“Eleven bodies were found within Rann town, and 49 were found outside,” the group said in an emailed statement, adding that some 50 people were still missing.



It quoted one of 10 civilian militia members who travelled to Rann to bury the dead as saying the bodies found outside the town all had gunshot wounds.

“This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crime, and those responsible must be brought to justice,” said Ojigho.

The death toll made it the “deadliest” by Boko Haram on Rann, she added.

In January 2017, a botched Nigerian air strike intended to hit jihadists killed at least 112 people as aid workers distributed food.

– Burning buildings –

Rann, which is some 175 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, has now been hit four times since March last year.

In the first attack, three aid workers were killed while three others were kidnapped. Two of the three were later executed. The second attack happened in early December.

On January 14, fighters loyal to the Boko Haram faction led by Abubakar Shekau attacked a military position.



Some 9,000 people fled across the border into Cameroon but were sent back, as troops from Nigeria’s eastern neighbour were deployed to Rann as reinforcements.

Cameroonian forces were withdrawn last Sunday, which the United Nations said forced more than 30,000 people to flee in fear of another attack.

AFP has been told the remaining Nigerian soldiers also withdrew because they were not enough to fight off Boko Haram if they came in greater numbers.

Amnesty’s Ojigho said “environmental sensors detected fires” in and around Rann on Monday and Tuesday, indicating the jihadists returned after the troops pulled out.

Analysis of satellite images indicated the two attacks had left most of the town “heavily damaged or destroyed”, and “well over 100” structures had been burned down.

Many of the structures destroyed date back to 2017, indicating they had been constructed for those who had fled to Rann in search of refuge from the fighting.

(AFP)

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde believes Real Madrid are enjoying one of their best periods of the season ahead of the teams’ Copa del Rey semi-final first leg next week.

Barca drew Madrid in the draw on Friday, meaning there will be three Clasicos in a month and two in four days, with the second leg on February 27 coming just before their La Liga fixture on March 2.

Chasing a record fifth Copa del Rey success in a row, Barcelona will be favourites, particularly after they thrashed Madrid 5-1 at the Camp Nou in October.



But their opponents have found form in recent weeks. Santiago Solari’s side have won six out of their last seven matches in all competitions.

“We see it as very even,” Valverde said at a press conference on Friday. “In the league, they arrived at a complicated time for them psychologically but now they are in a different moment, with more confidence.

“They are much better, getting better results and that changes a lot. A bit like Valencia tomorrow, we play them in one of their best moments of the season.”

Barcelona host Valencia at home in La Liga on Saturday and then face a trip to Athletic Bilbao next weekend, four days after the first leg against Real.

Valverde has rotated key players in the Copa del Rey this season and suggested he could do so again, admitting “we cannot neglect our job in La Liga”.

The Champions League also restarts this month, with Barca up against Lyon in the last 16.

“They are two great matches that come at a time when both teams are fighting for the top spots in the league and at the same time as the Champions League gets going again too,” Valverde said.

“It is a lot of important matches but we know that they are exciting for people, also for us, and it’s a great semi-final. Let’s see if we can make it through.”



Ousmane Dembele is close to recovering from an ankle injury but it is not clear whether the Frenchman will be fit for the first leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.


“I don’t know, we will evaluate him on Monday to see how he is,” Valverde said. “We thought for next week he could be available but I don’t know. On Monday we will have an answer.”

Barcelona also unveiled new signing Jean-Clair Todibo on Friday after the 19-year-old’s summer move from Toulouse was brought forward.

“He’s a signing for the future,” Valverde said. “But given his situation at Toulouse, it was decided he could join us now with the idea of settling in with his new team-mates.”

(AFP)

Jamaican dance hall singer, Sean Paul, has sent a shout out to Nigerian superstar, Davido on his recent music achievement.

The Jamaican dance hall artist made major waves in the early 2000s and is presently in London where he met with Davido.

He says he is proud of all that Davido has achieved on the music scene.


Writing on his Instagram page, @duttypaul, Paul says: “I had watched Davido perform when I came to Nigeria and I was proud of his achievements and success in the music industry’’.

Davido recently added another major landmark in his career with his successful headline concert at the O2 Arena, in the UK.

Davido is also into songwriter and record producer, who has produced songs for Naeto C, Skales, Tiwa Savage, Sauce Kids and lot of other up-coming artistes.

(NAN)

The US Department of Homeland Security on Thursday announced that it will stop issuing some visas to citizens of Ghana, following the government’s refusal to take back citizens the US has tried to deport.


“Ghana has failed to live up to its obligations under international law to accept the return of its nationals ordered removed from the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said.


“The United States routinely cooperates with foreign governments in documenting and accepting US citizens when asked, as appropriate, as do the majority of countries in the world, but Ghana has failed to do so in this case. We hope the Ghanaian government will work with us to reconcile these deficiencies quickly.”

Nielsen asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to sanction visas this week, and the top diplomat instructed US consular officers in Ghana to impose visa restrictions on certain categories of applicants, which the DHS statement did not specify.

Auditions for the fourth season of the reality TV show, Big Brother Naija kicked off on Friday across different states of the federation.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a large number of people had turned out at the different venues for the auditions as early as midnight.

Fans of the show had also taken to the social media to express amazement at the turnout of people.



@chi_derah tweeted, “the crowd is so massive. Abuja people are not here to play.”

@tosinolugbenga tweeted, “no jobs, ASUU is on strike. BBNaija auditions got a high crowd at the venues as early as 4:45a.m. Apparently, some people slept at the venues.”


@madukaegbuonu tweeted, “Lagos auditions happening now at 12am (midnight). We are happy to sacrifice our night sleep.”

According to organisers of the show, the fourth edition would be held in Nigeria after the general elections as opposed to it holding in South Africa.

NAN reports that the last season of BBNaija tagged “Double Wahala” was won by 23-year-old Miracle Igbokwe.

Nigerian female striker, Asisat Oshoala, has joined the female team of Spanish club, Barcelona.

On her Twitter handle, Oshoala expressed her delight at joining the football club on loan from her Chinese club, Dalian Quanjian F.C.

She tweeted, “Delighted to join @FCBfemeni on loan. 2019 let’s go.”

A Nigerian man, Oluwaseyi Dada, 21, has been sentenced to 27 months in jail over charges of manslaughter.

The London court presided over by Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, found that Dada’s late girlfriend, Katrina Makunova, 17, had died after she fell over a knife, she had in her handbag, reports Irish Examiner.

The judge told Dada, “She died from a single knife wound.



“The kitchen knife that caused her death was hers and had, it seems, been brought to the scene by her in a handbag you had given her.

“It appears that somehow in the struggle between you and her, the blade of the knife was pushed through the bag from the inside and tragically pierced her chest and heart.


“There is no evidence that you ever touched it before she received her fatal injury.”

The court ruled that Dada would serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.

Makunova died during a row with Dada, falling on to a 19.5cm knife she had inside her handbag, which pierced her chest and heart, with the blade penetrating about 17.5cm.

The incident happened in Camberwell, south London, on July 12, 2018, at the block of flats where Dada lived.

The United Nations has said that no fewer than 32,000 Cameroonians fleeing insecurity and violence are currently taking refuge in Nigeria.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Cameroon, Ms Allegra Baiocchi, while presenting the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the country, described the situation in the country as “forgotten crisis”.

Baiocchi and Cameroon’s Civil Protection Director, Ms Yap Mariatou, warned at the inauguration in Geneva that there was a drastic increase in humanitarian need across the country.



The UN chief for Cameroon regretted that with attacks on the rise, around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, were in need of lifesaving assistance.

She said, “Insecurity and violence in these regions have uprooted 437,000 people from their homes and forced over 32,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring Nigeria. Four million people are affected by the conflict in Cameroon’s west.

“In addition, due to the deteriorating situation in northeast Nigeria, more than 10,000 new refugees arrived in Cameroon in 2018, bringing the number of Nigerian refugees to 100,000,” she said.

“Humanitarian needs are likely to increase in coming years,” Baiocchi said, lamenting paucity of funds in the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for the country.

“Underfunding means we cannot do all we can to make a difference in the life of most vulnerable people across Cameroon, whether it is the girl who is missing school due to violence, the displaced mother struggling to feed her children, or the father who has lost his entire family.

“Hundreds of thousands of people on Cameroon’s territory need urgent assistance and protection,” Baiocchi said.

She added that “attacks against civilians have increased and many conflict-affected people are surviving in harsh conditions without humanitarian assistance due to the dramatic underfunding of the response.



“Cameroon today can no longer be a forgotten crisis; it needs to be high on our agenda”.

With needs rising by 31 per cent in a year, the UN estimated that around 4.3 million people in Cameroon – one in six people and mostly women and children – require lifesaving assistance.

The joint Humanitarian Response Plan 2019 seeks $299 million to assist 2.3 million vulnerable people, more than half of those in need.

In 2018, a $320 million response plan for Cameroon was only 40 per cent funded.

The aggravation of the conflict in western regions is the main driver behind the increase, with armed attacks in the far north, and new refugees coming from the Central African Republic also increasing demand for urgent aid.

The representative of the Cameroonian Government at the launch, Mariatou, said, “The Government of Cameroon is responsible for the protection and wellbeing of its people and has been at the forefront of the response with its national and international partners.

“We acknowledge the scale of the different crises we face, and we encourage all the actors to work in close partnership to address the needs of Cameroonians and of the people we host”.

(NAN)

It was billed as the world’s cheapest car and shaped like a jelly bean — but after a bumpy 10-year-ride India’s Tata Nano is nearing the end of the road.

Tata Motors, India’s top automaker, said on Thursday that it could stop manufacturing and selling the vehicle from April next year due to new safety and emissions rules that would require major investment.

“We may not invest in upgrading all the products and Nano is one of them,” Mayank Pareek, president of passenger vehicles at Tata, told reporters in Hyderabad.



Tata launched the Nano, a compact four or five-door hatchback, with great fanfare in 2009 when its first edition went on the market for around $2,200.

READ ALSO: 2019 elections: There will be consequences for manipulation, violence —US, UK

It was the brainchild of the former boss of the tea-to-steel Tata Group conglomerate Ratan Tata, who wanted a budget car for the masses.

Tata, now 81, was sure that aspirational lower-class Indian families would trade in their two-wheel motorcycles for the prestige, and comfort, of owning a car.

Analysts were similarly convinced, believing the Nano would transform how millions of Indians travelled, and it quickly became known around the globe as “the world’s cheapest car”.

It was a tag that would prove to be the vehicle’s undoing, however, as sales of the car failed to take off.

“It was a marketing failure,” Hormazd Sorabjee, the editor of Autocar India magazine, told AFP Friday.

“The car was positioned as a poor man’s car and India is very status conscious.



“The whole thing about it being an alternative to a motorcycle was great as a concept but not as a marketing slogan,” he added.

The car was also plagued by safety concerns after a number of high-profile cases of engines bursting into flames.

Tata, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, had initially hoped to sell 25,000 units a month but within a couple of years they were shifting just a few hundred.

In 2013 Tata Motors unveiled a new version in a bid to reverse the sales slump but the following year the Nano and several other small models from India failed independent crash tests.

A spokesperson for Tata Motors told AFP on Friday that a final decision on whether to upgrade the Nano so that it meets the new regulations coming into force next year, or kill it off, had yet to be taken.

But Indian media said Pareek’s comments, carried by the Press Trust of India news agency, sounded the death knell for the Nano.

“The end of a dream,” ran a headline in Mint, a business daily.

(AFP)

Barcelona have won the race to sign highly-rated Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, the Spanish club announced on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old will join Barca on July 1 for 75 million euros ($85 million), with a further 11 million euros due to Ajax in additional payments.

De Jong, who is considered one of the most exciting young players in Europe, will begin a five-year contract with his new club.



“Barcelona and Ajax have reached an agreement for the transfer of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who will be joining the Catalan club from July 1, 2019,” a Barcelona statement read.

“The cost of the transfer is 75 million euros, plus a further 11 million in variables. The player will be signing a contract for the next five seasons, through to 2023/24.”

De Jong had attracted interest from a host of European clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City reportedly among those keen.

After coming through the ranks at Willem II in the Netherlands, De Jong signed for Ajax in 2015. He has been a first-team regular for the past two seasons.

“He’s a great player, who certainly has a great future,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said on Saturday.

De Jong will also follow a prestigious line of Dutch players to represent Barcelona, which includes Johan Cruyff, Ronald Koeman, Patrick Kluivert and Frank de Boer.

He will be given an early taste of Spanish football when Ajax face Real Madrid next month in the last 16 of the Champions League.



(AFP)

The police command in Osun State has arrested six suspected highway robbers all dressed in military camouflage uniforms operating along Ife-Ilesa Expressway in the state.

Mr Fimihan Adeoye, the State Commissioner of Police paraded the suspects at the command headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday.

He said the suspects were arrested at the scene of a robbery operation by his men with the aid of local vigilance group on Monday night.



Adeoye said two other suspected highway robbers who planted spikes on the road to puncture vehicle tyres in order to rob motorists and passengers were equally arrested.


He said before their arrest, the two-man robbery gang had used handcrafted wooden guns, covered with black cello tapes to rob their victims.

He said police investigations established that the suspects were all from Lagos State, but came to operate in Osun and always returned to their base.

The police commissioner also announced the arrest of one Yekini Kareem, 62, who had been on the police wanted list for the last two years.

He said Kareem, also known as Abija, lured a rice seller from Saki in Oyo to Osogbo, in May 2017 and engaged some criminals to dispossess him of his goods and money, before killing him.

He also said the command had so far arrested five persons in connection with the case between the period of the incident and December 2018.

He said the prime suspect was arrested at his hideout in Lagos on Monday.



He added that other arrested criminal suspects would be charged to court soon.

(NAN)

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested the prime suspect in the vandalism of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s pipeline, which caused an explosion, that destroyed properties worth several millions of naira in the Abule-Egba area of the state on December 19, 2018.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, had in a statement, declared wanted the prime suspect, one Adedipe Ewenla, adding that the four arrested suspects had given an account of how the fire that burnt over 100 houses, several shops and 77 vehicles, started in the Abule-Egba area.

The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said at a press briefing on Tuesday that operatives of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, who were mobilised to investigate the incident, arrested Ewenla and his accomplices, Abdulazeez Agbola, 29; Akin Ayansola, 44; one Kazeem, 50; and Saheed Isiola, 36.

He added that evidence gathered at the scene of the incident led to the arrest of one Rasak Oyakunle, who confessed to having his workshop on the spot where the pipeline was ruptured in order to be scooping fuel undetected.

Imohimi said, “On Thursday, December 19, 2018, around 2am, there was a fire outbreak at Isopako Awori, Abule-Egba area of Lagos State. The fire emanated from the NNPC pipeline that was deliberately ruptured by vandals in their bid to siphon Premium Motor Spirit from the broken pipeline. The consequence was a huge ball of fire that consumed about 100 houses and 77 vehicles worth several millions of naira.

“Based on the development, operatives of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, were detailed to investigate the incident and ensure the arrest of those behind the crime. The operatives mobilised to the scene and picked up some pieces of evidence for analysis, which led to the arrest of one Rasak Oyakunle, aka Akeregun.

“During interrogation, he confessed to committing the crime. He further revealed that he owned a generator repair workshop situated right on the spot where the pipeline was ruptured. He said that the location of the workshop on the petroleum pipeline was to enable them siphon fuel undetected. His partners in the illegal business currently in our custody are Abdulazeez Agbola, 29; Akin Ayansola, 44; one Kazeem, 50; and Saheed Isiola, 36.

“Also arrested is one Adedipe Ewenla, 40, who was on the police wanted list as a result of the stealing of petroleum products for many years until he met his waterloo on December 19, 2018.”

Copyright PUNCH.

A murder suspect in Niger State, Adelowo Adedayo, 31, on Tuesday led police detectives to a shallow grave at the APC Quarters, Suleja in the Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, where he allegedly buried one Abdullahi Liman.

The suspect was apprehended by detectives from the ‘B’ Division, Suleja, who were acting on information from the family of the deceased.



Northern City News gathered that the suspect murdered Liman before burying him in a shallow grave behind his house at the APC Quarters in Suleja.

The suspect was said to have carted away his victim’s belongings, including a set of chairs, an LG plasma television, mattress, three pairs of shoes and two bags of clothes.

The incident reportedly happened on January 16, 2019.

The suspect confessed to our correspondent that he killed his victim in order to steal his property.

Adedayo said, “I have been planning to steal from his house for the past six months; unfortunately, the day I went there, he was at home and the only option left for me was to kill him.

“Liman’s house was well furnished and I wanted to have some of the property; but when I met him in his house, I killed him so that he would not expose me to people.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, confirmed the development.

He said the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation.

Abubakar added that the operatives recovered the stolen items from the suspect, noting that the matter would soon be charged to court.

Copyright PUNCH.

Many people, including two officers and other members of the enforcement team of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, were injured in a clash that occurred on Tuesday between the Customs personnel and hoodlums in the Owode Yewa area of Ogun State.

According to eyewitnesses, trouble started on Monday night when the Customs operatives went to raid a place of worship and some houses in the community, which they suspected as being used as stores for smuggled rice.



The team was said to have faced stiff resistance from the hoodlums, which led to the exchange of fire.

In the process, the officers and other members of the team were said to have suffered injuries, while some of their patrol vehicles were destroyed.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that the Customs personnel withdrew from the scene on Monday night but some people later barricaded the road leading to Idiroko and attacked the team.

Maiwada said the hoodlums battled law enforcement agents to gain access to Customs formations for further confrontation.

In their defence, some youths in the area, who were said to have set up bonfire and blocked the road, on Tuesday, explained that the Customs operatives shot and killed one Kunle after the youths tried to stop them from carrying out a raid on the Celestial Church of Christ in the community.

“They wanted to ransack the house of God, but we stopped them and they started shooting. One of our colleagues, Kunle, was shot dead. We mobilised today (Tuesday) to teach them a lesson,” one of the aggrieved youths told our correspondent.

On Sunday, January 6, 2019, the Ogun State Command of the NCS lost an officer, who sustained machete cuts from suspected smugglers.


According to Maiwada, the January 6 incident paved the way for concerted efforts by the command to inform and educate the public on the menace of smuggling and the implication of conspiring against the service.

“Finally, we wish to commend the patriotic roles of our sister agencies and law-abiding citizens in assisting the command to carry out its lawful duty of revenue collection and suppression of smuggling in the interest of our dear country. We wish to categorically state that we will continue to carry out the anti-smuggling crusade against all odds,” a statement from the command read on Tuesday.

When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he had not received any report about death in the community as a result of the clash.

He, however, declined further comments, saying that the matter was a Customs affair and the police would not like to interfere as the NCS had already issued a statement on the incident.

Copyright PUNCH.

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof Itse Sag*y (SAN), has criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for attacking President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sag*y, in a seven-page response titled ‘Obasanjo and the Power Withdrawal Syndrome,’ on Tuesday slammed Obasanjo’s “boisterous, aggressive and hectoring attitude towards succeeding presidents”.

He said with Obasanjo’s “meddlesomeness, rude and uncouth attitude towards later heads of state,” it was clear that he was addicted to “a substance called power”.

Sag*y added, “The status of an ex-president is one of quiet dignity, respect, discretion, decorum, discipline and restraint. Obasanjo does not have a single one of these qualities. We have had a number of former heads of state, namely, (Yakubu) Gowon, (Shehu) Shagari, (Ibrahim) Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and (Goodluck) Jonathan.

“These former heads of state have exercised discretion, restraint and self-discipline in relation to their successors, but not Obasanjo. Gowon was Obasanjo’s boss from 1966 to 1975 (nine years). Not once did Gowon utter a public criticism of Obasanjo throughout his tenure from 1976 to 1979 and 1999 to 2007.

“The same thing applies to Abdulsalami Abubakar, who handed over power to Obasanjo in 1999. Not a single word of public excoriation against Obasanjo was uttered by Abdulsalami Abubakar throughout Obasanjo’s eight years in power. Abubakar demonstrated only decorum and self-respect.”

Copyright PUNCH.

The police on Tuesday arraigned the Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, on nine counts bordering on obstruction and resistant to lawful arrest.

He was arraigned alongside his domestic worker, Silas Omenka, before Justice Halilu Yussuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.



Justice Yussuf on Friday ordered the police to release the senator after spending 15 days in detention without being charged to court.

But the police quickly filed the charge against him while perfecting his bail conditions.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Yussuf while ruling on a fresh bail application moved by Melaye’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said the bail conditions set for the lawmaker last week should be maintained.

Ozekhome urged the court to sustain the bail conditions as granted on Friday, which he said his client had already met but the police refused to release him.

Although, lawyer for the Inspector-General of Police, Magaji Labaran, did not oppose the bail application.

Ozekhome argued that Melaye had been given his passport to travel abroad and returned to the country.

He also submitted that the police must have concluded investigations before arraigning his client.



Melaye’s counsel further explained that the accused would stand for election on February 16 and would not jump bail.

While ruling on his application for enforcement of fundamental rights on Friday, the court ordered the senator to provide three sureties, two of who must be residents of Abuja with evidence of landed property in the FCT.

The third surety must be the clerk of the National Assembly who is to give an undertaking that Melaye would attend trial after being treated.

Meanwhile, the police agreed to release Melaye on Tuesday after perfecting his bail conditions.

A family source told The PUNCH that “the Senator is home now and resting”.

Copyright PUNCH.

Paris Saint-Germain outcast Adrien Rabiot has won a judgement ordering the club to include him in first-team training, AFP learned on Tuesday evening.

In response to a complaint by Rabiot, the French league’s legal committee ruled that forcing the contract rebel to train with the reserves, who play in the French fourth division, goes against the “professional footballer’s charter”.

The 23-year-old French international midfielder has not played for PSG since early December after failing to agree on a new contract.



His existing deal expires at the end of the season and Rabiot has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, although the player is reportedly happy to stay at PSG for the remainder of the campaign before moving to La Liga as a free agent.

The footballer’s charter allows for players to be ordered to train apart only “on a temporary basis” and for “exclusively sporting reasons”.

If PSG do not relent, the committee could hand out punishments.

“I respect the club’s decision and I can understand it,” said coach Thomas Tuchel when asked about Rabiot’s absence last week.

(AFP)

French side Marseille have finally secured the signing of Mario Balotelli from Nice after agreeing to take on the remaining six months of the Italian striker’s contract, sources said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old has a reputation of being difficult to manage but has played for clubs such as Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool and more recently Nice, as well as scoring 14 goals in 36 games for Italy.

Sources told AFP that ‘Super Mario’ will undergo a medical on Wednesday, but would not be available for this weekend’s Ligue 1 game with Lille.

“Balotelli is our number one priority,” Marseille coach Rudi Garcia said this week.

Marseille are seventh in Ligue 1 and have struggled to score after failing in an attempt to bring Balotelli to the Stade Velodrome in the summer.

The club’s two main strikers, Valere Germain and Kostas Mitroglou, have scored just three goals each so far this season. Balotelli netted 18 league goals from 28 appearances for Nice last term, but has failed to open his account in this campaign.

(AFP)

Police on the British island of Guernsey on Tuesday suspended a search for a missing plane carrying new Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala, warning that survival chances were “slim” if the aircraft landed on water.

Guernsey police said a 15-hour search covering a 1,155-square-mile (3,000-square-kilometre) area in the Channel spotted “a number of floating objects in the water”.

“We have been unable to confirm whether any of these are from the missing aircraft,” the police said in a statement.

“We have found no signs of those on board. If they did land on the water, the chances of survival are at this stage, unfortunately, slim.”

The search included aircraft and sea vessels from the Channel Islands, the UK and France, and will resume on Wednesday, the police said.

Sala, 28, was flying to Cardiff aboard a small plane that disappeared from radars around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Guernsey on Monday night.

The Argentine striker was signed by the Welsh side on Saturday from France’s Nantes for a reported fee of 17 million euros ($19.3 million).

He scored 13 goals in all competitions this season and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Cardiff, subject to receiving international clearance.

(AFP)

Some Fulani leaders on Tuesday distanced itself from a purported endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for re-election in the February 16 presidential election.

Specifically, the group also knocked the leadership of the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria for dabbling into partisan politics.
Chairman of the group, Senator Walid Jibrin, while addressing a press conference in Kaduna State, disagreed with the Miyatti Allah’s endorsement of the President.



He described the purported endorsement of Buhari as unfortunate, noting that the laws guiding the affairs of the association do not permit it to dabble into partisan politics.

He said neither the executives nor the national chairman of the association could take a major decision without consulting and seeking the consent of members of the Board of Trustees and patrons of the association.

He said, “Such decision, taken recently by the association without the acknowledgment of the BOT, patrons, and majority of registered members is anarchy and amounts to dragging our paramount ruler into politics.”

Jibrin who is also the Sarkin Fulani Dangi Nasarawa said the Miyatti Allah owed the Sultan of Sokoto, Emir of Kano, Emir of Katsina, Emir of Zazzau and Lamido of Adamawa apologies for being ignorant of the rules guiding the association and for not running the MACBAN for the full benefit of members.

The Sarkin Yakin Dangawa Yaan Tumaki of Katsina, also disclosed that concerned Fulani groups and Ardos and members of MACBAN who are not in support of the Miyatti Allah’s decision will soon meet to counter the stand.

“I want Nigerians to know that we have over 25 Fulani associations in Nigeria that are fully registered and over 500 categories of Fulani race living in Nigeria with even some who are unable to speak Fulfulde(Fulani language) due to the general global changes like the current global climate change affecting the world,” he said.

Jibrin said representatives of these groups would attend the forthcoming Fulani conference and would tell the world their stand in the forthcoming election by choosing their presidential candidate who was ready to satisfy the demands of the Fulani and who would settle the feud of farmer communities with herdsmen.

“We don’t want an association that is self-centered, who is not ready to settle the recent problems of Herdsmen/Farmers and wanton destruction of properties and killings.

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday authorised President Donald Trump’s administration to block the recruitment of transgender military personnel pending the outcome of litigation on the sensitive issue.

The White House had asked the Supreme Court to intervene after lower courts prohibited Trump’s administration from implementing controversial restrictions on transgender service.

The administration said there is “too great a risk to military effectiveness and lethality” to allow transgender people to serve openly — a policy enacted under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.



The court decided by a narrow 5-4 majority to suspend prohibitions restricting transgender service as litigation moves forward in lower courts.

Under the Obama-era policy, transgender recruits were to start being accepted by July 1, 2017. The Trump administration postponed that date to January 1, 2018, before deciding to reverse the policy entirely.


But the ban on transgender people in the military was repeatedly challenged in court, leading to an updated policy that also contained major restrictions on transgender service and which was also suspended because of its similarity to the original measure.

Transgender troops have been serving openly since January 1, 2018, but the government appealed and asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, requesting that it suspend the rulings of the lower courts.

Otherwise, “the nationwide injunction would… remain in place for at least another year and likely well into 2020 — a period too long for the military to be forced to maintain a policy that it has determined, in its professional judgment, to be contrary to the nation’s interests,” the Trump administration argued.

The number of transgender troops among America’s approximately 1.3 million active duty service members is fairly small, with estimates topping out at 15,000.

(AFP)

Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, says it will begin three days warning strike on January 28 over the shortage of house officers and resident doctors.

Dr Fatai Balogun, President, Association of Resident Doctors, said at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos that the strike would be total.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the association had in September 2018 went on an indefinite strike to demand for the replacement of the exited house officers and resident doctors in LASUTH.



Balogun said that the strike was suspended based on the promises by the management to replace the exited officers and the affirmation of the approval by the state government.

He said that all available means of communication with both the hospital management and government had proved abortive.

“This crisis has been a recurring event over the past years without any structured policy put in place to ensure seamless replacement of the exited and existing doctors.

“This, however, creates loopholes in the provision of optimal clinical service delivery.

“It is made to appear that the only language understood by them is an avoidable industrial action.

“All we are asking for are seamless employment of resident doctors and house officers; this should not be a tall order.

“The association is left with no option, but to reluctantly resume the suspended strike with a three-day warning strike which inevitably commences at 8am on Monday, January 28, “ he said.



The president said that shortage of doctors at the hospital had resulted in long waiting period by patients and inefficient sub-optimal healthcare service.

He also said that available doctors at the hospital were being overworked and falling ill due to the workload.

According to him, 80 house officers are being budgeted for every year.

“Until our struggle in September, the government did not employ doctors.

The state government, after the struggle, employed only 55 house officers and promised to employ the remaining 25 in December, 2018.

“Up till now, the remaining 25 have not been employed,“ he said.

Reacting, the LASUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said that positive action would be taken to avert the proposed strike.

Fabamwo said that the Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, would ensure that all the paper works needed in the recruitment of doctors would be made possible.

“The new Head of Service believes there should be a template for automatic replacement of doctors; he says he will work toward that in order to address the shortage,“ he said.

(NAN)

The following are the nominees for the best picture Oscar, which will be handed out on February 24 in Hollywood:

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”



“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

(AFP)

Rafael Nadal continued his relentless march towards an 18th major title Tuesday as an emotional Petra Kvitova swept into her first Grand Slam semi-final since a terrifying knife attack almost ended her career.


On day nine of the Australian Open, the fairytale runs of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Danielle Collins were also extended as they too swept into the last four.

Second seed Nadal inched closer to winning an event he has only claimed once before when he trounced unseeded American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in another ruthless display from a man who has not dropped a set so far.



Tiafoe had announced himself by beating fifth seed Kevin Anderson but was no match for a player at the peak of his powers as he attempts to become only the third man to win all four Slams twice and the first to do so in the Open era.

“I had some trouble at this event all my career, so I’m very happy with the way I played tonight,” said the Spaniard, who faces another young gun Tsitsipas in the semi-finals.

“I feel lucky to be where I am.”

Greek sensation Tsitsipas powered into the last four with a measured 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) win over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.

The 20-year-old, who ended Swiss great Roger Federer’s tournament, became the youngest man to reach the semis at Melbourne Park since Andy Rodd**k in 2003 and the first player from Greece — man or woman — to get so far at Grand Slam.

“I’m just living the dream, living what I’ve been working hard for,” said the 14th seed, who lives in Cyprus but trains at the academy of Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou in France.

“I feel a bit emotional but not too much -– I know I really worked hard to get here, playing in semis of a Grand Slam.”



Czech Kvitova had not gone past the last eight at a major since a burglar slashed her left hand in December 2016, forcing her out of the game for six months and leaving her with lasting nerve damage in the fingers of her racquet hand.

But the eighth seed has bounced back and is on a sensational 10-match unbeaten streak after claiming the Sydney International warm-up title.

She proved too much for Ashleigh Barty, crushing the local hope 6-1, 6-4, and was in tears afterwards as she reflected on her long journey back to the top.

“Really, I didn’t imagine to be back on this great stadium and play with the best,” the two-time Wimbledon champion said.

“I’m calling it as my second career. So it’s the first semi-final of the second career. I’m really enjoying it.”

Kvitova will face unseeded American Collins in the semi-final on Thursday and she desperately wants to reach Saturday’s decider.

“I want it bad, that’s right,” she said.

Collins, the world number 35, had never won a Grand Slam match before entering this year’s tournament but she stunned three-time major champion and second seed Angelique Kerber in round four.

And the 25-year-old from Florida continued her Cinderella run by bouncing back spectacularly to down Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the quarter-finals.

Collins, who has spent long stretches of her career playing small tournaments to build up her ranking points, was in big trouble after losing the first set to the world number 44.

But she fearlessly battled back into the match to again stamp her mark on the tournament.

“This has all been a really incredible experience,” she said.

“This time last year I was playing a challenger (tournament) in Newport Beach. But, yeah, I think I’m really embracing it. It makes it a lot easier when you play in front of great fans and really good energy.”

(AFP)

The Independent National Electoral Commission and National Union of Road Transport Workers have signed Memorandum of Understanding for the provision of vehicles for the transportation of election materials in Nasarawa State.


Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Uthman Ajidagba, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday in Lafia.

He said some of the vehicles, 265 in all, would also be used to transport election officials during the forthcoming polls in Nasarawa State.



According to REC, the meeting is part of preparations toward achieving successful conduct of the 2019 general elections in the state.

“The Federal Road Safety Commission is also part of the agreement, as a critical stakeholder, to ensure smooth transportation of electoral materials and officials during the polls.

“All the vehicles will be required at the various INEC local government offices by 6 a.m on the eve of both rounds of the general elections.

“This is to ensure that electoral materials and officials get to their destinations on time for the smooth conduct of the polls,’’ Ajidagba said.

According to him, arrangement has also been concluded for boats, canoes and motorcycles in areas to be available, where necessary, to ensure hitch-free exercise.

Mr Salihu Adamu, the Nasarawa State Chairman of NURTW, assured INEC that the union would make available required number of vehicles for the exercise.

“We will ensure that all the vehicles to be deployed are in good condition and made available as early as required by INEC for the general elections,’’ Adamu assured.

Mrs Faustina Alegbe, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the state, said that personnel of the command would be available for the success of the exercise.



She promised all the vehicles and drivers would be properly checked and certified fit for use for the exercise.

Alegbe stressed that any vehicle or driver found short of the conditions, set by the command, would be replaced.

She also said that all the certified vehicles would be given special stickers for easy identification during the elections.

“Any vehicle conveying electoral materials and persons during the election, without the certification sticker, will be arrested,’’Alegbe said.

(NAN)

FIFA, UEFA and several of the world’s top football leagues on Tuesday condemned alleged piracy of television rights by the “beoutQ” network, which Qatar claims is backed by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, and the Doha-based beIN Media Group have described beoutQ as a vast and sophisticated Saudi bootlegging network that has been transmitting stolen programmes via Riyadh-based satellite provider Arabsat.

FIFA, UEFA, the English Premier League, La Liga, the German Bundesliga and the Asian Football Confederation weighed in on Tuesday by blasting beoutQ’s actions as “a clear and flagrant breach of our intellectual property rights”.

“Collectively, we, as rights-holders in various football competitions, condemn the pirate entity beoutQ, which continues to abuse the operations of rights holders and legitimate broadcasters through its persistent and illegal screening of events for which it has made no effort to secure the rights,” the powerful football bodies said in a joint statement.

FIFA and the Premier League have previously said they were preparing to take legal action in Saudi Arabia against the pirates, but Tuesday’s statement makes no mention of the kingdom.

In October, beIN launched a compensation claim worth $1 billion (880 million euros) against the Saudi piracy channel while Qatar filed an action at the World Trade Organization.

Saudi Arabia has denied the claims and even said the piracy was operating out of Cuba.

The spat over beoutQ’s actions comes amid a 19-month economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies, who accuse Doha of backing terrorism and seeking closer ties with rival Iran.

Qatar has refuted the claims.

(AFP)

As primary and middle school teacher shortage exacerbates in major New Zealand cities such as Auckland, the government is welcoming overseas teachers into Kiwi classrooms.

The Ministry of Education estimates there is a shortage of 850 teachers in 2019.

According to the ministry, recruitment agencies have received over 7,300 overseas teachers’ applications to teach in New Zealand, and have selected almost 1,000 applicants for further interviews.



“The agencies are arranging the teachers to attend the interviews and complete the requirements to come to New Zealand.

“The ministry is also working on increasing the number of Kiwi teachers.

“Such as attracting more people into the education sector,’’ Ellen MacGregor-Reid, the ministry’s deputy secretary for Early Learning and Student Achievement, said.

New Zealand is a small country, similar in size to Great Britain or Japan, with a population of only four million people.

New Zealand, with a patchwork history of Māori, European, Pacific Island and Asian cultures, has become a melting-pot population, however one with some uniting features that make it unique in the world.

(Xinhua/NAN)

A 55-year old retired police officer, Mr Oliver Ugbaga, was on Monday arraigned at a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court for allegedly raping a minor.

Ugbaga was charged with “Procuration of a Minor and Rape’’ punishable under Sections 276 and 284 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue State, 2004.

The Prosecutor, Sergeant Regina Ishaya, told the court that a petition by one Mrs Grace Okoha of Iniongum, Wadata, Makurdi, addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Benue Command, was received on December 14, 2018.

Ishaya said that the petitioner stated that her 14-year-old daughter went out on December 7, 2018, but did not come back.

“She stated that all efforts to trace her whereabouts proved abortive until December 8, 2018, when the accused came to her house and told her that he had taken the girl as his wife.

“The petitioner further stated that the accused thereafter, warned her not to report the matter to anybody,’’ she said.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused was arrested during police investigation and he confessed committing the crime.

She also informed the court that investigation into the matter was in progress and pleaded for adjournment to give time for the investigation to be concluded.

Mr Prince Agbo, counsel to the accused, applied for bail for his client, promising to comply with the bail conditions.

The Magistrate, Mr Peter Chaha, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in like sum.



Chaha adjourned the matter to February 27, 2019.

(NAN)

That said, Lagos has its fair share of challenges like just about every mega city across the world. In its 2017 analysis, the INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard rated New York as the third most traffic congested city after Moscow and Los Angeles. So the Lagos case with congestion is not peculiar. Optimal waste management, ease of doing business, access to affordable healthcare and education are ideals that visionary administrations in big cities across the world continually evolve innovative strategies to achieve. As such, Lagos deserves technocrats motivated by selflessness who are willing to hit the ground running because residents are out of patience with mere words. Lagos needs APC Governorship aspirant Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, a banker and technocrat who holds a platinum award from the Lagos State Public Service Club and emerged the ‘Best in Human Capital Development’ awardee of the Industrial Training Fund as far back as 2009. But he is not asking for accolades. He only requests that we align with his vision and believe in his five-point THEME (Traffic, Health, Education, Making Lagos 21st Century Compliant and Entertainment) for the radical transformation of Lagos State while we are still alive to witness it.

Traffic Management & Transportation

A survey conducted by Planet Projects in 2016 showed that Lagosians lose at least three of every 10 years spent in Lagos to traffic. Obviously, this challenge needs to be tackled head-on to keep residents productive and scale up the state’s economic fortunes. Sanwo-Olu has rolled up his sleeves to not only identify but roundly address this if he gets our mandate. On the campaign trail, he has discovered from on-the-spot assessments that traffic congestion in Lagos is mostly caused by oversized roundabouts, closed laybys, inadequate traffic lights and the population explosion which statistics on vehicular renewals show.

He has identified over 60 gridlock points across the state, including the Lagos-Apapa Road. The spill-over from this stretch runs from Apapa to the toll gate on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. As of August last year, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N72.9 billion for the road project. Sanwo-Olu has pledged to work with the Federal Government to complete the venture, even as he envisions a 5000-capacity trailer park to tackle the hazard of long-haul vehicles clogging up the road network. He is looking at a partnership with the Nigerian Port Authority for a strict on-call system that notifies trailers when to pick-up containers. This will eliminate the long wait that keeps them on the road even if they have no reason to be.

But road traffic congestion is just one part of the challenge. Lagosians have long advocated for diversification that will eliminate the seeming overdependence on land for transportation. Sanwo-Olu is aligned with this yearning. His vision is to integrate road, rail and water transportation so Lagosians have the freedom to choose. At the helm, he will ensure the completion of the on-going Blue Line rail project from Okokomaiko to Marina and the Red Line from Agbado to Marina. Upon its completion, residents of those areas will heave a sigh of relief from the hours of dust and fumes that they put up with in their daily commute.

We need a governor whose visionary leadership guarantees there are no potholes on our major roads or inner cities that make commuting a hassle. Sanwo-Olu’s pledge is to pick up from where the current administration has left off by fixing these roads and expanding the existing infrastructure. The least he deserves is a chance to prove his mettle.

Health & Environment

Every administration looking to make a difference cannot overlook the vulnerable and less privileged in society, especially those without access to affordable healthcare. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was established by the Federal Government under Act 35 of the 1999 Constitution to achieve this feat. But at the last count, less than seven million out of the 180 million people in Nigeria are covered by the scheme.



Last month, Lagos launched the state health insurance scheme (LSHS) to ensure that residents are able to access fit-for-purpose and affordable healthcare. The scheme, which will be jointly managed by the Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Management Agency (LSHMA), aims to reduce mortality rates fuelled by out-of-pocket payment for healthcare by the indigent. Sanwo-Olu is aligned with the sustainability of this laudable project. In fact, he is taking it a notch higher by ensuring that not just some, but all residents, have access to the scheme – especially the less privileged for whom the LSHS will be heavily subsidized. Even better, he is looking at creating an environment conducive to the health of residents that will eliminate their susceptibility to preventable illnesses. He aims to rejig the existing waste management system by getting the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to deliver better on its mandate as the regulator of waste collection. He is a firm believer in the waste-to-wealth scheme and his strategy is to incentivize waste sorting by interested individuals who will ensure the separation of organic from household waste for processing by recycling companies.

Education & Technology

Education is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) for good reason. It unlocks lifelong opportunities for individuals, communities and entire nations. In fact, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) pegs the benchmark for the funding of the sector at 26 per cent of the national budget and 6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to reinforce its importance.

Lagos has always prioritized qualitative educational programmes for this reason, with a vision to ensure there is meaningful progress that keeps youths off the streets and gives every family equal access to opportunities available.

Sanwo-Olu is particularly irked by the plight of the less privileged who cannot afford the skyrocketing costs of private education. As such, he is on a mission to subsidize costs and increase budget allocation in line with the specified benchmark. He aims to renovate existing public schools and enhance the capacity of teachers so they can embrace teaching as a lucrative field rather than just a pastime which often constrains them to churn out half-baked students. In the short run, he wants to work with educational institutions to improve curriculums and include entrepreneurial studies in educational programmes.

Like the best of us, Sanwo-Olu understands the transformative power of technology and its wide-ranging impact on the rule of law, ease of doing business and government processes.

His vision is to create a smart economy for Lagos which will include incubation hubs for technology start-ups and coding education in the public school curriculum. He foresees that if technology is included in the public system, it will help entrepreneurs and SMEs thrive, generating more jobs and public-private sector partnerships.

Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy

Governments across the world do not directly create jobs. Rather, they create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive – with employment as a by-product. Sanwo-Olu is a 30-year veteran of the public and private sectors. He recognises that a synergy between both arms generates funds for laudable projects and fast tracks growth. He is looking at a collaborative system where government and the private sector work hand-in-hand to provide the basics that will make residents proud to call Lagos State their home.

Sanwo-Olu has identified stable power supply and security as two major enablers for the growth of any 21st century-compliant economy. His strategy is to simplify access to government services to make the private sector thrive. Most importantly, he will work with the power distribution and power generating companies to tackle the power supply challenge such that the state will generate enough power to drive its economy and improve the lives of residents. He envisions Lagos as a 24-hour economy with security agencies equipped with high-tech equipment that will make residents sleep with two eyes closed at night.

Entertainment & Tourism

Lagos is celebrated as the hub of culture and entertainment in Africa. The task before any forward-looking administration is to translate these tourist opportunities into money-generating and employment opportunities for the teeming number of the state’s population. Lagos boasts renowned tourist spots such as the Afrikan Shrine, Tarkwa Bay, Lekki Leisure Lake, Kalakuta Museum and the National Museum, to mention a few. These sites should not exist in isolation for local fun-seekers on weekends.

Sanwo-Olu plans to create a calendar around these priceless assets. He has pledged to work with the music, film and fashion industries to make Lagos an international tourist destination. The reason is not far-fetched. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that Nollywood is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria which at the last count, generates 1.42 percent of the country’s GDP. Sawo-Olu is not out to overlook this. He feels the industry requires professional representation at the higher levels of government so it can voice its needs where it matters. He has pledged to address this at the state level if given the nod by the Lagos electorate in due time.

The Future

After all is said and done, some Lagosians might claim they have heard similar assertions from gubernatorial aspirants that never saw the light of day. But the truth is, Sanwo-Olu’s illustrious track record inspires trust and deserves our confidence.

As a dyed-in-the-wool technocrat with a 30-year track record of integrity cutting across the public and private sectors, he is on a game-changing mission. He cut his teeth in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, the London Business School and the Lagos Business School. Lest we forget, each of those institutions is built on visionary leadership, ethics and financial propriety. Even if we displace his experience as a banker and politician, we must recall that Sanwo-Olu virtually made a career of public service light years before he even thought about dabbling into politics. How much more now that the collective aspirations of the City of Excellence look set to rest on his shoulders?

France and Germany will on Tuesday sign a new friendship treaty to deepen their alliance at a time of crisis for the EU, drawing fire from the far right and a flurry of alarmist fake news reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to sign the accord to deepen ties at a time when Britain is preparing to leave the European Union and tensions are rising with populist leaders in the bloc.

The treaty pledges stronger economic and defence ties and restates the countries’ commitment to the European Union.



It has been attacked by the far right, which accuses the pair of signing away their countries’ sovereignty.

The leader of France’s National Rally, Marine Le Pen, accused Macron of “an act that borders on treason”.

One of the leaders of German’s far-right AfD party, Alexander Gauland, said Paris and Berlin were seeking to create a “super EU” within the European Union.

“We as populists insist that one first takes care of one’s own country. But we don’t want Macron to renovate his country with German money.”

The French presidency defended the bid to build up the “bedrock” of the EU as being “in the service of reinforcing the European project”.

The two leaders are to sign the treaty in the German city of Aachen, on the Dutch and Belgian borders — a place rich in European symbolism as the seat of power of Charlemagne, the 9th-century emperor who ruled over swathes of western Europe.

The ceremony comes on the anniversary of a similar treaty in 1963, signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer.



The new treaty aims to strengthen the so-called the “Franco-German motor” that has been seen as the driving force behind European integration.

“We’re seeing an existential crisis in terms of European integration, with Brexit and the expected strengthening of nationalists at the next European elections” in May, said Claire Demesmay, a political scientist at German research institute DGAP.

“In this context, confirming this belief in Franco-German cooperation has symbolic value,” she told German public radio.

Macron took office in May 2017 promising major reforms of the EU to restore faith in its institutions and quell rising populism.

But his ideas met with only lukewarm support from Merkel and other EU leaders, and Paris and Berlin have also differed on other issues including how to tax big internet firms.

The French leader’s hand has also been weakened by more than two months of domestic “yellow vest” protests.

– Far-right complaints –
The treaty commits France and Germany to closer military ties, including possible joint deployments — in the event of a terror attack, for example.

The two countries could also cooperate more closely on procurement, such as the purchase or development of new tanks or fighter jets.

And it includes a “mutual defence clause” in the event of one of them being attacked, although they are already committed to this as members of NATO.

Macron sparked a row with US President Donald Trump late last year by urging Europe to reduce its military dependence on the United States, even calling for a “real European army”.

Macron’s critics on both the far left and far right slammed the latest accord as an erosion of French sovereignty.

A wave of false rumours have spread online that Macron is going to Germany to sign away parts of French territory to Merkel and that France will agree to share its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council with its neighbour.

– Weakened leaders –
Some other European leaders have also bristled at the idea of an all-dominating “Franco-German motor”.

Italy’s far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has said ahead of the European Parliament elections in May that he wants to challenge Merkel and Macron’s pro-European message with a eurosceptic “Italian-Polish axis”.

Amid the headwinds, German magazine Spiegel Online noted that while the treaty “is full of good intentions, it lags far behind what is necessary”.

“After all the crises and upheavals of recent years, Merkel and Macron have failed to rekindle the fire of European enthusiasm.”

Business weekly Handelsblatt also called the contents of the treaty “timid and fainthearted.”

Both the French and German leaders have seen easier times, with Germany already looking to a post-Merkel future after she announced she would step down as chancellor in 2021.

In France meanwhile, the “yellow vests” have forced Macron to loosen the state’s purse strings, throwing his deficit reduction drive off target.

Both leaders will speak at the signing ceremony at Aachen’s historic city hall before taking part in a “citizen debate” with French and German students.

(AFP)

Juventus striker, Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges in Spain.

He was sentenced to two years in jail and ordered to pay a €19mln fine after his guilty plea.

He will, however, avoid serving a 23-month prison sentence after agreeing to a deal.



Details later.

South Korea will hold its largest ever investigation into s*xual abuse in sports, its human rights watchdog said on Tuesday.

The move has come after an Olympic speed skating star accused her former coach of abuse to trigger a wave of similar accounts from athletes. The inquiry will aim to address “systematic, sustained” abuse in sports.

This had been hushed up for generations by victims afraid of being banished from their sport, said Choi Young-ae, chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission. “We will conduct a fact-finding inquiry that will be the largest in scale ever,” Choi told a news conference.



A commission official said up to about 30,000 people — athletes from all sports, coaches, officials and others — are likely to be interviewed over the course of the year-long investigation.

The #MeToo movement has taken off belatedly in male-dominated South Korea where discussion of s*xual misconduct has long been taboo. But the issue exploded in the world of sports after 21-year-old Shim Suk-hee accused her former coach, Cho Jae-beom, of s*xual assault.

Cho, a former national short track speed skating coach, had already been convicted of assaulting the two-time Olympic champion, especially for punching and kicking her during training. He was jailed for 10 months last September.

In December, Shim made accusations of s*xual abuse against him. Cho denied the accusation of s*xual abuse, the media cited his lawyer as saying. Since then, more athletes from various sports, including judo and archery, have come forward with accounts of assault and s*xual abuse, the media has also reported.

Choi said for too long, victims had not spoken out because of a “results-centred culture focussed on medals.” An “independent, constant, national surveillance system” would be established to gather data, conduct inquiries, and educate officials on human rights, she said.

Investigators would look into cases without the requirement of an initial accusation, and would take measures, including protection, for victims. They would then refer cases quickly to police and prosecutors, a spokeswoman for the commission said.

President Moon Jae-in said last week that the spate of accounts of abuse was a shameful tarnish on South Korea’s “bright image as a sports powerhouse.” He called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment.

The commission, noting that it had carried out an investigation into abuse of student athletes in 2008, said it would work to end a “nothing changes” culture.


(Reuters/NAN)

The Non-Academic Staff Union of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Tuesday embarked on a peaceful protest over their salary arrears.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protest disrupted both academic and administrative activities on the institution’s campus as the entrance gates were locked.

A NAN correspondent, who monitored the development, also reports that there was traffic snarl in front of the institution on the Sango – Eleyele road as workers, students and visitors were locked out by the striking union.

The Chairman of the union, Ibrahim Akande, said NASU had embarked on indefinite industrial action since Jan. 14 and had yet to receive the attention of the school’s management and the government.

“We are agitating for eight months salary arrears owed us by the government since 2017.

“We have held series of meeting with the management and Oyo State Government all to no avail.

“So we are agitating for our right; we have shut down the institution because there is nothing we can do than to go on strike.

“We are staging a peaceful protest and there will be a press conference at the NLC secretariat today(Tuesday),” Akande said.

(NAN)

Eighth seed Petra Kvitova powered past local hope Ashleigh Barty to make the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday in the Czech’s best Grand Slam performance since she was injured in a terrifying knife attack.

The two-time Wimbledon champion broke down in tears after defeating Barty 6-1, 6-4 to set up a final four clash with unseeded American Danielle Collins.

“Thank you guys, I didn’t really imagine being back in this great stadium again to play with the best. It’s great,” said the 28-year-old left-hander, who was attacked in her home in the Czech Republic in late 2016.



Kvitova required extensive surgery after the burglar slashed her racquet hand, leaving her with permanent nerve damage, but she has put together one of the best winning streaks of her career this year.

She has 10 straight victories this year, claiming the Sydney International warm-up tournament and speeding to the Open final four without dropping a set.

She had already defeated Barty — the first Australian to make the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park in a decade — and was not intimidated by her opponent’s hometown support.

Kvitova hushed the crowd when she went up a break in the second game then held off a Barty to go up 3-0.

Barty had no answer to the power of Kvitova’s forehand return as the Czech repeatedly stepped in and cracked cross-court winners.

It took the Australian 17 minutes to get on the board, desperately holding serve to make it 3-1 as she searched for a way into the match. Kvitova gave her no openings, breaking again then serving it out 6-1 after 27 minutes.



Barty hit only two winners to 12 in the first set but did not panic, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly at her box after conceding the set.



She held serve with an ace, energising the crowd but Kvitova responded with two of her own to fend off Barty’s first break point of the match.

A frustrated Barty tried a drop shot followed by a lob against Kvitova’s serve but nothing worked and Kvitova took a decisive break in the ninth game.

(AFP)

Two electricity companies have each been fined 40,000 Australian dollars (US $28,589) for cutting power to people on life support, it was announced on Tuesday.

“The firms Energex and Evoenergy were found to have put lives in danger during planned outages by failing to warn customers on life support that their electricity would be cut,’’ the Australian Energy Regulator said in a statement.

“Protection of life support customers is a high priority, as the consequences of an unexpected loss of supply for customers who rely on life support equipment can be dangerous or even fatal.



“Life support customers must receive advance notice of any planned interruptions to their energy supply, allowing them to make alternate arrangements,” AER chair, Paula Conboy, said.

AER regulates electricity and gas providers, using retail law to enforce protective measures for households and businesses.

Energex, a subsidiary of a Queensland state government authority, is a repeat offender.

It has been fined no less than $60,000 annually since 2016 for cutting off power to people on life support without proper warning.

Both firms said customers were not seriously affected.

Energex blamed human error, while Evoenergy blamed a fault in its automated system.

(dpa/NAN)

The Nigerian Navy on Tuesday said it had arrested Mr Shaibu Ogunmola, an alleged notorious pipeline vandal kingpin under its Operation Awase in Lagos State.

Operation Awase was set up by the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy in 2014 to tackle the vandalism of the NNPC pipelines in Majidun, Ikorodu and other parts of the state and to crave the maximum cooperation of host communities.

Rear Admiral Obed Ngalabak, Leader of the operation, told newsmen that Shuaibu and his boys were known for vandalising oil pipelines under the Altas Cove covering about 70 kilometers.



The Atlas Cove Depot in Lagos was designed to receive imported petroleum products and through the line, products are distributed to various parts of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that at the Ilashe Community where Shuaibu operates, drums were buried by the sides of the each pipeline to siphon products when being released from the Atlas cove to other depots.

“Two weeks back, we got information about the operation of some people in Ilashe, part of Atlas Cove.

“Following that information, we came and realised that the oil pipelines have been divided into fields by three people, Shuaibu, Barshiru, and Dele.

“The arrest of Shuaibu which we did last week on Jan. 17 was in line with the operation Awase which is about the protection of oil pipelines.

“He is the ring leader and has been in this business for over 30 years,’’ he said

He said that Shuaibu had groomed some boys in the business adding that his arrest was significant in ensuring the end of vandalism in Nigeria.

Ngalabak said Shuaibu would soon be handed over to the relevant agency for immediate and proper prosecution to serve as a deterrent to his boys and others in the line of business.



“We hope that Shuaibu’s arrest will yield results and that proper people in position will do all that is required to punish him,’’ he added

He said that the operation would not rest until all those involved in oil pipeline vandalism were arrested and brought to book.

“We still have about three Shuaibu’s, we have Dele, we have Bashiru, and one other person and we are after them.

“We are not going to rest until we get them, except if they leave Nigeria but we will make sure that we get them.

“And we know that they will not leave because this is where they make their money; but if they leave here, that is good for us because that is our aim but if they come back, we will get them,’’ he said.

He called for support on logistics for the operations to work effectively and urged Nigerian to support every effort that would help to curb pipeline vandalism for economic growth and development in the country.

(NAN)

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin will be sidelined for six to nine months after knee ligament injury in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Chelsea, according to British media reports.

Bellerin, who was making his first start after returning from a calf injury, went down clutching his knee while challenging for the ball in the second half.

After some first aid treatments on the pitch, the right back was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.



The injury to the Spaniard is another blow to manager Unai Emery, who had already lost defender Rob Holding for the rest of the season to a similar knee problem last month.

The Spanish coach said he had players to fill in for Bellerin and was unlikely to dip into the transfer market to sign a replacement.

Emery had previously said he could only take players on loan in the January transfer window.

“We have Ainsley (Maitland-Niles). He can help us by playing like a right back or a right winger. And also, (Stephan) Lichtsteiner is another player.

“I don’t forget (Carl) Jenkinson… he played some matches and if we need (him), he is okay to help us,” Emery said.

Arsenal next host Manchester United in an FA Cup fourth round tie on Friday, before returning to Premier League action against Cardiff City at home on Jan. 29.

(NAN)

The boyfriend of Japan’s Princess Mako insisted Tuesday his family had no financial difficulties hanging over them after reports of an unpaid loan apparently forced a postponement to a fairytale wedding between the two college sweethearts.

Kei Komuro and Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, had been scheduled to become formally engaged in a traditional Japanese court ceremony last year before a royal wedding planned in late 2018.

But the marriage was dramatically called off last February amid reports Komuro’s family had run into financial difficulties, with his mother failing to repay a four-million-yen ($36,000) loan from a former fiance of hers.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Komuro said: “My mother and I both understand that the (financial) support from the ex-fiance of my mother has been settled.”

Komuro said that when his mother and her fiance split up in 2012, the man had said the money he had offered them during the engagement did not need to be repaid.

But he changed his tune the year after, according to Komuro, demanding the money back in a letter in August 2013.

Komuro’s mother met her former partner and told him she could not repay the money and there was no further request.

Komuro said he and his mother were then “bewildered” when reports surfaced in December 2017 that the ex-fiance still wanted his cash back, just two months after the royal engagement was announced.

“My mother and I both appreciate the support we received from the former fiance, and we will make efforts to gain understanding from him,” Komuro’s statement concluded.

However, the former fiance said Tuesday that the claim had not been settled.



“The money trouble has not been resolved and there has not been any contact from Mr Komuro’s side,” he told the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun.

– ‘Clear the problem’ –
In February 2018 the pair postponed the wedding until 2020, saying they needed more time to prepare, but rumours swirled in Japanese gossip magazines that there was more to the delay than simple money problems.

“We have come to realise that we do not have enough time to prepare for the ceremonies and our new life before the wedding planned in autumn,” Mako said in a statement released through the imperial household agency at the time.

She said the announcement of their planned engagement was made “too hastily” after the news leaked out.

“We should have thought carefully whether the pace was actually right for us … Now, we’d like to have the marriage, a major life event, in a better way.”

She apologised to those planning the royal wedding, blaming the couple’s “immaturity”. They are both 27.

Mako’s father Prince Akishino told reporters in November the pair “should take proper measures” if they still hope to get married.

Unless they “clear the problem”, we cannot hold the ritual for a formal engagement, he said.

The Japanese royal family has a packed schedule this year, as the 85-year-old Emperor Akihito abdicates on April 30 — the first time for more than two centuries that a Japanese emperor has stepped down.

His eldest son Naruhito is set to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne a day later.

Mako is the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, Naruhito’s brother, and Princess Kiko.

(AFP)

A proposal to lower the age of criminal liability in the Philippines to nine years old has come under fire from human rights groups and legislators, local media reported on Tuesday. They warned that the move could harm rather than protect children.

The justice committee of the House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill proposing to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine. The Senate’s justice committee began deliberating the proposal on Tuesday.

A number of senators have expressed concerns about the move, which is aimed at protecting children from being used by criminal syndicates, saying it could end up punishing the minors instead.



“If our problem is that a lot of children are being used to commit crime, then maybe what we should do as a policy is to increase the penalty of adults who used kids to commit crime,’’ Senator Joel Villanueva said.

Senator Grace Poe warned that the Philippines would be creating “kindergarten prisons’’ if the bill was approved.

“Throw these kids in a congested jail with adult criminals and chances are they will emerge from prison and rejoin society not as reformed and skilled individuals but as bitter young men,’’ she added.

Human rights group, Karapatan, said the proposal would place millions of children at “greater risk of being criminalised and stigmatised for life.’’

House justice committee chairman, Doy Leachon, has defended the proposal.

“This bill was brought about by the alarming increase in the number of criminal syndicates using minors to carry out criminal acts based on recent news reports,’’ he said in a statement.



(dpa/NAN)

The Nigeria Immigration Service says it will commence issuance of new passport in the Federal Capital Territory from March 4.

This was disclosed by NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunday James in Abuja, on Monday.

It will be recalled that the new e-passport was officially launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, January 16.



According to James, the existing passport booklet will run concurrently with the new enhanced passport booklet until the former expires.

Other scheduled dates, James said, included Ikoyi in Lagos — March 25; Kano — April 1; Alausa, Lagos –April 8; and London, United Kingdom April 15.

He said the phase two multiple rollout in New York, Washington, and Atlanta, USA would follow immediately after London on April 22; while other locations, local and abroad, would follow in sequence from April 29.

The PRO further said that the passport reforms which included introduction of new enhanced passport booklet and passport with 10-year validity had various category of passports and approved fees.

He said that the cost of 32-page five-year standard passport stood at N25,000; 64-page five-year standard passport at N35,00; 64-page 10-year standard passport at N70,000; and 32-page five-year official passport at N15,000.

According to James, the new passport has enormous advantages which comprised passport with 10-year validity, self-tracking of application and express centers for urgent application.

Other advantages he said included weather friendliness, compliance with latest ICAO standard, polycarbonate technology that reduced incidence of damage as well saves Nigerians in the Diaspora time of frequent visits to Nigerian Embassies.

“We urge Nigerians to take advantage of the reforms, avoid patronising third party or touts and utilise the online platforms provided by the service for their passport application,” he said.



(NAN)

WhatsApp is limiting worldwide the number of times a user can forward a message to five, starting on Monday, the popular messaging service looks to fight “misinformation and rumours”, company executives said on Monday.

Previously, a WhatsApp user could forward a message to 20 individuals or groups.

The limit of five is an expansion of a measure WhatsApp put in place in India in July after the spread of rumours on social media led to killings and lynching attempts.



“We’re imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today,” Victoria Grand, Vice President for Policy and Communications at WhatsApp, said at an event in the Indonesian capital.

WhatsApp, which has around 1.5 billion users, has been trying to find ways to stop misuse of the app.

This followed global concern that the platform was being used to spread fake news, manipulated photos, videos without context, and audio hoaxes, with no way to monitor their origin or full reach.

The app’s end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the oversight of independent fact checkers or even the platform itself.

WhatsApp will roll out an update to activate the new forward limit, starting on Monday, WhatsApp’s head of communications Carl Woog said.

Users of devices running Google’s Android system will receive the update first, followed by users of Apple iOS.

(NAN)

The Presidential Investigation Panel on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Reforms, sitting in Abuja, on Monday ordered SP Philip Oshiri to appear before it with a suspect.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oshiri, an officer in charge of Intelligence Response Team, Lagos SARS, was the Investigating Police Officer in a case involving one Biodun Olaroye.

Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, who doubles as the chairman of the panel, gave the order during a public hearing on some petitions against SARS.



Ojukwu gave the order after a petitioner, Mr. Olatunde Olaroye, had told the panel that following the arrest of Biodun, his brother, by the SARS, the family had not been able to establish contact with him.

The chairman said all efforts to get Oshiri to appear before the panel proved abortive, hence the order.

Ojukwu said that apart from the IPO’s appearance before the panel, Biodun should also be produced with his case file on January 25.

Olatunde had written to the panel requesting them to look into the alleged unlawful arrest, detention and disappearance of his younger brother, Biodun, who was in the custody of the Police.

He alleged in the petition that his brother, then 37, was arrested at Ikorodu, Lagos, between May 11 and May 13, 2017.

He said the family later traced him to the Police Headquarters in Ikeja, while Oshiri, who was in charge of the case, did not allow them to see him.

The petitioner alleged that the Police boasted that they had the legal right to detain and investigate his brother for three months, two weeks before he could engage legal services to defend Biodun.

Olatunde added that they (Olaroye family) mounted pressure on the Police to tell them who the IPO for Biodun was, but that they were warned and threatened to steer clear of the Police station.



He said that his brother was held for about four months, after which he was paraded, alongside others before the Inspector General of Police as criminals in custody.

The petitioner claimed that afterwards, his brother was moved from Lagos SARS to Abuja and they have since refused to disclose his whereabouts.

Olatunde said that 18 months after their brother’s arrest, no member of the family knows his whereabouts.

NAN reports that the Federal Government had, in August 2018, set up the panel to look into public complaints of human rights abuses by the squad and to recommend the way forward.

(NAN)

Contract rebel Adrien Rabiot is hoping to force Paris Saint-Germain to allow him to train with the first-team squad again amid ongoing uncertainty about his future at the French club.

The 23-year-old French international midfielder has not played for PSG since early December and has been ordered to train with the reserves after failing to agree a new contract.

His existing deal expires at the end of the season and Rabiot has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, either for free in the summer, or even before the January transfer window closes.



The French league (LFP) confirmed on Monday that Rabiot has taken the matter to their legal committee, claiming that PSG’s decision to banish him goes against the “professional footballer’s charter”.

That charter only allows for players to be ordered to train apart “on a temporary basis” and for “exclusively sporting reasons”.

Rabiot is reportedly happy to stay at PSG for the remainder of the campaign before moving to La Liga.

His enforced absence comes at a time when PSG are short of options in midfield and have just lost Italian playmaker Marco Verratti to an ankle injury.

With the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United just three weeks away, PSG desperately need to bring in reinforcements before the January window shuts.

“I respect the club’s decision and I can understand it,” said coach Thomas Tuchel when asked about Rabiot’s absence last week.

“I need to focus on my team, on who is available.”



Hatem Ben Arfa was also frozen out and ordered to train with the PSG reserves last season. He joined Rennes at the start of this campaign.

(AFP)

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Monday, charged the people of Agatu to support the reelection of Governor Samuel Ortom in 2019.

Mark said that God would not forgive them if they failed to do so considering his struggle for them.



Senator Mark made the call today in Obagaji, Agatu Local Government Area during the Peoples Democratic Party’s campaign tour of the council.

Agatu was attacked in 2016 by herdsmen resulting in the loss of over 500 lives.

Mark said that the governor had put his life on the line by signing the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.

The former Senate president said that Ortom stood in the gap for the people of the state and urged them to reciprocate the good gesture by ensuring that no vote goes outside the PDP in the forthcoming elections.

Mark stated that the Idoma nation has no option other than the PDP, even as he charged the traditional rulers to ensure that no single vote goes to another party emphasising that their votes should be protected as the ruling APC was planning to rig the elections.

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as one of the “expired leaders” that should have retired to his Ota Farm and remain quiet.

He boasted that if the association of persons he described as “angry old men” refuses to vote Buhari, he’ll still get 95% of votes.



Speaking at Ramat Square Complex, Maiduguri, Borno State on Monday during President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign, Tinubu said, “It is unfortunate that expired leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo is ranting and lying. Don’t trust him.

“We are sweeping all the cobwebs of corruption away with broom out of Nigeria. Ota Farm should be enough a retirement place for Obasanjo.”

Delving into the 16-year administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tinubu said, “Who among Nigerians will recall how the PDP government under Obasanjo had been notorious for rigging elections.

“No government has upheld the tenets of democracy like the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We asked for the recognition of June 12 from Obasanjo, he refused; but President Muhammadu Buhari, as an honest man with integrity, heard our cry and recognised June 12.

“Even if the Forum of Association of Angry Old Men refuses to vote for Buhari, we will give him 95 percent votes.”

In his speech at the campaign, APC chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said Obasanjo’s “attack” was done “out of frustration” when he said that the South-South which used to be the stronghold of PDP had “caught the Buhari fever.”

He said Obasanjo was “unsettled” when he saw what happened in Delta State during the APC campaign there, and “hurriedly went to the toilet for five times due to running stomach.”



Oshiomhole asaid: “The people writing epistle now watched how money meant for security was appropriated by not only the PDP but Generals.

“Under their watch, over 20 local government areas of Borno State was taken over by the Boko Haram terrorists before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Today, no matter what they want to say, there is no local government where Boko Haram is hoisting their flag. All the 27 local government areas of Borno have been liberated by APC government.”

When the turn of the Director General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation and the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, came, he said that under the PDP government, his security details were withdrawn as a result of “impunity.”

He added that due to the PDP’s “rigging formula,” votes did not count in South South during election, and that election results were based on party’s wishes.

In his remarks, the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, assured President Muhammadu Buhari of over two million votes from Borno State.

“We in Borno don’t know any other party than the APC. Allah brought President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver people of Borno from the hands of our oppressors.

“By the grace of Allah, come February 16th, 2019, if we are not the first highest voters for you, we will be the second.”

President Muhammadu Buhari who addressed the crowd in Hausa thanked them for their support and restated the commitment of his administration to the fight against corruption, insecurity, and improvement of the economy if re-elected.

Fabio Borini and Suso scored late as AC Milan bounced back from last week’s Italian Super Cup defeat to Juventus by reclaiming fourth spot in Serie A with a 2-0 win at Genoa on Monday.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side have 34 points from 20 games and sit in the final Champions League berth, overtaking Roma who are one point behind in fifth and Lazio, who are a further point behind in sixth after their 2-1 defeat at Napoli on Sunday.

Just four points separate Milan and eighth-placed Sampdoria in a tight race to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

Gattuso’s side — unsettled by their defeat to Juventus in Saudi Arabia and mounting speculation surrounding Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain’s loan move to Chelsea — struggled early against Genoa, who are in 14th position following their 10th defeat of the season.

Gattuso left Higuain out of his squad after saying he was not “mentally ready” while Genoa’s Krzysztof Piatek, who is set to replace Higuain at Milan, was suspended.

Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off key saves and new Brazilian signing Lucas Paqueta also impressing as his long-range volley rattled the post just before the break.

Donnarumma again came to the rescue in the second half with a double save on Miguel Veloso and Daniel Bessa.

However, Milan got into their stride as the game edged into its final period, with Andrea Conti setting up Borini to tap in with 18 minutes left.

Donnarumma then got his hand to a powerful Veloso strike before Patrick Cutrone sent Suso free on the counter-attack, the Spaniard shaking off Genoa’s defenders to shoot home the decisive goal from an angle 10 minutes later.

Seven-time reigning champions Juventus take on bottom club Chievo later on Monday looking to pull back nine points ahead of second-placed Napoli.



(AFP)

Zimbabwe’s High Court on Monday ruled that State Security Minister Owen Ncube had no power to order the internet shutdown which took place during last week’s nationwide protests.

“It has become very clear that the minister had no authority to make that directive,” judge Owen Tagu said in a case brought by human rights lawyers and journalists.

The shutdown occurred as the security forces cracked down on protesters following a wave of anti-government demonstrations which turned violent.

David Halimana, the lawyer representing the complainants, said the ruling meant “mobile network operators are with immediate effect required to give full and unrestricted access of internet to all their subscribers”.

Halimana said that, in terms of the law, only the state president has powers to order an internet shutdown.

(AFP)

Three employees of the University of Lagos on Monday told an Ikeja s*xual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how an alleged rapist, John Otema, attacked students on campus.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Otema, a Unilag alumnus, is facing three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm before the court.

He, however, denied committing the offences which contravene Sections 173 and 260(1)(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.



The Unilag employees who testified during Monday’s proceedings include Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi, a member of the Crime Section, Unilag Security Unit, who is also the Investigating Security Officer in the case.

The others are Dr. Adedoyin Solola from the University of Lagos Medical School; and Dr. Aishat Bello of the Unilag Medical Centre.

Ajayi, who gave evidence-in-chief on December 11, 2018, was cross-examined by Mr. Fred Onyeka, Otema’s defence counsel, during Monday’s proceedings.

NAN reports that Ajayi, while being led in evidence on December 11, 2018 by the state Prosecutor, Mrs. K. A. Momoh-Ayokambi, narrated how the first complainant (name withheld) told him how she was allegedly raped by the accused.

“On Wednesday January 17, 2018, while coming from her hostel to Moremi Hall, an unknown man parked his car and asked for directions to Moremi Hall; he compelled her to enter the car.

“The unknown man drove her to the Distant Learning Institute area where he assaulted her by punching her face several times; he bit her back and ordered her to remove her clothes.

“He took her nude photos and had carnal knowledge of her twice without a condom. The defendant deflowered her that day, he asked her to bring a handkerchief which she used to clean her private part.

“He collected the handkerchief, took her pant and bra and took her to a dumpsite. He ordered her to leave his car and told her to count from one to 50 and he drove off,” he quoted the student as narrating.



Ajayi also testified on December 11, 2018 that another student (name withheld) had, on February 1, 2018, lodged a complaint at the Unilag Security Post that the accused raped her twice at 11.30p.m. on January 31, 2018 in his apartment at Bariga, Lagos.

He said that the accused was apprehended when the second student saw him outside New Hall (a hostel in Unilag) and alerted the university Security Section.

While being cross-examined on Monday by Onyeka, Ajayi denied assaulting Otema when he was apprehended by the security team of the university.

“I never poured water on the defendant; I did not tell the defendant to kneel before his car. I did not run a scan of the car’s plate number to determine whether it belonged to the defendant, as we do not have such gadget in our security unit.

“The last time I saw that car was when I went to the Adeniji Adele Police Station,” Ajayi said.

The witness told the court that though Unilag Security did not have jurisdiction outside the campus, the security team would be involved investigating cases of students’ assault.

In her evidence, Solola, who has been a staff of the Unilag Medical School for 12 years, explained her findings when she medically examined the first student.

“On examination, she had a swollen face, black eyes, and scratches on her neck and a visible bite mark on her upper back. She also had bruises on her arms.

“I asked her if she would do a V*g*nal exam and she consented. She had a small laceration on the posterior aspect of the V*g*na; there was remnant of hymen seen and some clotted blood but she was not bleeding as at that time.

“We sent her for post-exposure propolatis and post-coital exposure and we also gave her an anti-tetanus injection, and the scratches and bite mark were healed,” she said.

Momoh-Ayokambi, the Prosecutor, sought to tender a Certified True Copy of the medical report but Onyeka objected on the grounds that it was not served on him as part of the proof of evidence.

Justice Sururat Soladoye upheld the rejection of the report on the grounds that it was not served on the defence counsel.

While being cross-examined by Onyeka, Solola said she had no physical contact with the accused while she conducted her investigation.

“During the examination, I only asked the victim about the identity of who perpetuated the act, and she said it was someone who was in a car, who had asked for directions,” Solola said.

Testifying, Dr. Bello, a staff of the Unilag Medical Centre, narrated her findings when she examined the second victim.

“A young lady came in at 2.30p.m. on February 1, 2018. She complained that she was s*xually assaulted; she said she visited a male friend (the defendant) and was s*xually assaulted.

“On examination, I saw a sad looking lady, areas of redness around both eyes and there was a bruise at the left part of her neck. On examination of the V*g*na, there was tenderness around the vulva. There was a cut around the opening of the V*g*na and a whitish discharge from the V*g*na.

“An assessment of s*xual assault was made based on the examination, and we further sent the patient for some investigation such as HIV, Hepatitis B and a pregnancy test which came out negative.

“There was a documentation done in the hospital in her case file; a report was made to the security unit at Unilag,” she said.

While being cross-examined by Onyeka, Bello also said she had no contact with the accused during her investigation.

The judge adjourned the case until February 18, for continuation of trial.

(NAN)

The International Monetary Fund on Monday cut its world economic growth forecasts for 2019 and 2020, due to weakness in Europe and some emerging markets.

It said failure to resolve trade tensions could further destabilise a slowing global economy, in its second downgrade in three months’

The global lender also cited a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China’s economy and a possible “No Deal” Brexit as risks to its outlook, saying these could worsen market turbulence in financial markets.

The IMF predicted the global economy to grow at 3.5 per cent in 2019 and 3.6 per cent in 2020, down 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point respectively from last October’s forecasts.

The new forecasts, released ahead of this week’s gathering of world leaders and business executives in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, show that policymakers may need to come up with plans to deal with an end to years of solid global growth.

“Risks to global growth tilt to the downside. An escalation of trade tensions beyond those already incorporated in the forecast remains a key source of risk to the outlook.

“Higher trade policy uncertainty and concerns over escalation and retaliation would lower business investment, disrupt supply chains and slow productivity growth.

“The resulting depressed outlook for corporate profitability could dent financial market sentiment and further dampen growth,” the IMF said in an update to its World Economic Outlook report.

The downgrades reflected signs of weakness in Europe, with its export powerhouse Germany hurt by new fuel emission standards for cars and with Italy under market pressure due to Rome’s recent budget standoff with the European Union.

Growth in the euro zone is set to moderate from 1.8 per cent in 2018 to 1.6 per cent in 2019, 0.3 percentage point lower than projected three months ago, the IMF said.



The IMF also cut its 2019 growth forecast for developing countries to 4.5 per cent, down 0.2 percentage point from the previous projection and a slowdown from 4.7 per cent in 2018.

“Emerging market and developing economies have been tested by difficult external conditions over the past few months amid trade tensions, rising U.S. interest rates, dollar appreciation, capital outflows, and volatile oil prices,” the IMF said.

The IMF maintained its U.S. growth projections of 2.5 per cent this year and 1.8 per cent in 2020, pointing to continued strength in domestic demand.

It also kept its China growth forecast at 6.2 per cent in both 2019 and 2020, but said economic activity could miss expectations if trade tensions persist, even with state efforts to spur growth by boosting fiscal spending and bank lending.

“As seen in 2015–16, concerns about the health of China’s economy can trigger abrupt, wide-reaching sell-offs in financial and commodity markets that place its trading partners, commodity exporters, and other emerging markets under pressure,” it said.

Britain is expected to achieve 1.5 per cent growth this year though there is uncertainty over the projection, which is based on the assumption of an orderly exit from the EU, the IMF said.

The rare bright spot was Japan, with the IMF revising up its forecast by 0.2 percentage point to 1.1 per cent this year due to an expected boost from the government’s spending measures, which aim to offset a scheduled sales-tax hike in October.

The IMF has been urging policymakers to carry out structural reforms while the global economy enjoys solid growth, with its managing director, Christine Lagarde, telling them to “fix the roof while the sun is shining.”

The IMF has stressed the need to address income inequality and reform the financial sector.

However, as growth momentum peaks and risks to the outlook rise, policymakers must now focus on policies to prevent further slowdowns, the IMF said.

“The main shared policy priority is for countries to resolve cooperatively and quickly their trade disagreements and the resulting policy uncertainty, rather than raising harmful barriers further and destabilizing an already slowing global economy,” it added.

(Reuters/NAN)

which 50,000, please stop spreading this NNU everywhere... they are begining to act like ponzi scheme. using new memebers fund to pay old members..

A university student, Archie Day, 20, hanged himself in his room just hours after ‘sobbing uncontrollably’ because he had lost his iPhone, during a night of drinking.

Day, 20, who is a eenk video blogger and journalism student was so upset at the loss of the Apple iPhone after a night out in Manchester, reports Daily Mail.


The day after the drunken night,which happened in October 2018, Day was found dead by a duty manager at Peel Park halls of residence at Salford University in Greater Manchester.


In a statement read at Bolton Coroner’s Court Archie’s flatmate Kane Markham said broadcast journalism student Mr Day had not shown signs he would take his own life after the night out at ‘Venue’ in Manchester.

He said, “I knew that he suffered from depression, but I didn’t realise how bad it was as he was so outgoing. His Instagram page said ‘Should have died already’ and he was into musicians who rapped about depression – but I think he got comfort from those artists.

“He was a loud and charismatic character and he always seemed to be a bit of a ringleader. That night he had least four drinks of Stella there and was also sipping out of other people’s drinks. He did seem to talk to anyone and at 2:30am he sent a message to our WhatsApp group asking where we were and, as a joke, we said that we went home.

“We booked a taxi and got in to leave and when we got to it, we noticed that Day wasn’t there. I tried to call Day but there was no answer but as we got back, we spoke to another student who was talking about Day and he said that he Day was in his room and he had been mugged. There was a security guard in the room with Archie and was sobbing uncontrollably.”

Mohammed Zafar, a security guard at Peel Park said he could hear Day crying from the other side of the door when he was called up.

The device was later located 220 miles away in Romford, Ess*x but was never recovered.

Archie’s family believe he did not intend to kill himself – blaming excessive drinking for contributing to him “not thinking rationally.”



Tests showed Day had 225 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood in his system. The alcohol limit for driving is 80mg.

World number one Simona Halep on Monday shrugged off a fourth-round loss to Serena Williams that ended her Australian Open hopes and threatens her top ranking.

The Romanian top seed lost 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 but remained upbeat after a gutsy display against 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams, who is on a mission this year for a record equalling 24th title.

Halep, 27, a finalist in 2018, arrived at Melbourne Park on a five-match losing streak, equalling the worst run of her career and trying to shake off a back injury that curtailed her season.



After appearing listless through the early rounds, the French Open champion lifted to defeat Venus Williams then played her best tennis of the tournament against Serena after weathering an early onslaught.

When asked to rate her campaign she replied: “Close to 10.”

“I have the courage to say that because I took the risk to stay home so much (for off-season rest).

“I haven’t prepared for the highest level in tennis, but I didn’t play bad, so I’m happy about the way that it’s been going this tournament. I take only the positives. I had great matches.”

Halep was not concerned her fourth-round exit could cost her the number one ranking, saying she preferred to concentrate on tournament results.

“The main goal is just to play as good as I can every match, to win every match I play, so the ranking doesn’t really matter,” she said.

“At this stage I have to work hard to get the level back, to feel 100 per cent every match. So I’ll work for that.”

As for her immediate plans, Halep said she would be resting up and closely watching the rest of the season-opening Grand Slam.

“I’ll just go home, I will rest and I will watch tennis,” she said. “I’m also curious about who is going to win.”

(AFP)

Arsenal announced on Monday that head of recruitment Sven Mislintat would be leaving the Premier League club next month.

In a statement on their website, Arsenal said the German, who has been in his position for less than 14 months, had “done a truly outstanding job”.

Mislintat, who was appointed in the final months of Arsene Wenger’s reign, will leave on February 8, the Gunners said.



“It’s been an amazing experience to work at a great club like Arsenal in what has been a big time of change,” he said.

“I am excited about what the future holds for the club and am looking forward to new challenges for myself.”

Arsenal hailed Mislintat as one of Europe’s “most respected player recruitment experts” when he joined the club from Borussia Dortmund.

The club said he was credited with creating the pipeline of talent at the Bundesliga club that developed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, now with Arsenal, Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembele.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 on Saturday to close to within three points of their London neighbours, who are in fourth place in the Premier League.

Aside from Aubameyang other players to have joined Arsenal during 46-year-old Mislintat’s spell there include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another former Dortmund player, who moved from Manchester United in January 2018 as Alexis Sanchez went in the opposite direction.

Defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was another arrival from Dortmund, while Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Matteo Guendouzi have all become integral members of Emery’s starting XI.



Weekend reports suggested former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars could come into the club as Mislintat’s successor.

(AFP)

Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, a socio-political pressure group, says former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent media address is unfair to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group also said Obasanjo’s comments were insufficient to sway power to his preferred presidential candidate in the coming election.

The Secretary General of the Group, Mr. Akin Malaolu, made this known on Monday in Abuja in reaction to Obasanjo’s media address ahead of the general election.



According to Malaolu, “allegations and ambiguities made by Obasanjo are not only inaccurate but also a tragedy of an unusual kind in this era of information.”

“Obasanjo has already endorsed a presidential candidate, he should allow Nigerians to pick through a decent and fair democratic contest which this Buhari government has promised to give.

“Endorsement of his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, now Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, after highlighting his huge moral shortcomings in a published book, My Watch, has already made Obasanjo a study in desperation.

“Unlike previous governments, Buhari’s administration has not emboldened any religious or tribal leader to threaten peaceful conduct of the coming election.

“Nigerians must remember the tribal and religious cards used for the 2015 presidential election when some elders threw caution into the wind, threatening the nation with fire and brimstone,” he said.

The forum also condemned Obasanjo for criticising Buhari’s efforts in ensuring security in the country.

“Issue of insecurity and spasm of communal bloodletting is the fault of all leaders, both in religion and politics, but this government has been confronting them with results.

“The recent acceptance of Buhari in Jos must be unbearable for the oppositions and their masters, it had put a lie to Obasanjo’s religious and tribal accusations,” he said.



Malaolu added: “We must warn agents who are likely to provoke chaos by all means that they have no impregnable amours to shield them if push becomes a shove.

“We in Yoruba Ronu Forum with millions of our supporters shall vote All Progressive Congress in defence of the noble ideals of the party and its presidential candidate.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that February 16 has been fixed for the Presidential and National Assembly election; while March 2 has been slated for governorship and state house of Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

(NAN)

Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for two weeks after spraining his ankle at the weekend, the Spanish champions announced on Monday.

“Tests carried out on first team player Ousmane Dembele have confirmed a sprained ankle that will keep him out of action for approximately 15 days,” the club said in a statement.

The 21-year-old will miss both legs of Barca’s Copa del Rey quarter-final with Champions League-chasing Sevilla after picking up the injury during his side’s 3-1 home win over Leganes on Sunday, which maintained the Catalans’ five-point lead at the top of La Liga.

France international Dembele opened the scoring in the 32nd minute of his 50th Barca appearance with his 13th goal of the season.

He will also be unavailable for La Liga clashes with Girona and Valencia.

(AFP)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has taken his “warriors” to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp where he will search for a solution to his defensive dilemma.

The Premier League leaders, four points ahead of Manchester City, are not in action this coming weekend because they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the last round.

But James Milner’s sending-off in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Crystal Palace leaves Klopp with a headache at right-back for next week’s visit of Leicester.

Joe Gomez, sidelined with a broken bone in his foot, will step up his recovery in Dubai and could have an outside chance of making the game but Trent Alexander-Arnold is still a couple of weeks away from fitness.

Fabinho would have been an option in a position he has played for Brazil but he came off injured late on against Palace and even if fit he may be needed in midfield, with Georginio Wijnaldum out with a hamstring problem.

Klopp gave 18-year-old Rafael Camacho his Premier League debut for the final few minutes at the weekend and he may be a one-off answer against Leicester.

The Liverpool boss, who has no intention of seeking a solution from the transfer market, told liverpoolfc.com: “Now we need the time to recover obviously because we had a few injuries.

“Hopefully we can bring a few back. ‘Millie’ (Milner) will be out for sure, unfortunately, but we will see, as long as we have enough players we will find a solution.

“These boys are real fighters,” added the German. “It’s a bunch of proper warriors — I love that. They all stick their leg in or whatever.

“It would have been a massive challenge if we had to play Wednesday and then Saturday. I have no idea how we would have done that, to be honest.



“Now we have two days’ recovery for the boys with the most minutes then we start preparing them for the Leicester game, which is another tough task. It will not be a real break, we have to use it for training.”

(AFP)

An Abuja Federal High Court, has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police from arresting or detaining Femi Fani-Kayode and Yinka Odumakin.

Justice John Tsoho, gave the order on Monday, following an ex parte application argued by Mr Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume (SAN) on behalf of the duo.

Machukwu-Ume told the court that the three security agencies were planning to arrest and detain his clients over comments they made with regard to the travails of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.



“The spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Tony Orilede, was alleged to have made the threat to arrest them publicly at a conference where he represented the EFCC chairman.

“He said they are doing everything possible to arrest these two gentlemen just for speaking their minds.

“The EFCC is established to pursue corruption and not comments made by Nigerians, expressing themselves,” he said.

The lawyer told the court that his clients had gone into hiding for fear of being arrested for merely expressing their freedom of speech, alleging that their family lives had also been affected by the alleged threat.

Machukwu-Ume told the court that the application was brought pursuant to Section 6 (6)(b) and Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution as well as Order 4 Rules 3 of the Fundamental Rights Procedure Rules.

He urged the court to grant the order restraining the respondents from arresting and detaining his clients pending the determination of the application on notice.

Justice Tsoho said that he was satisfied that the applicants had made a case that their lives were being threatened.

“I am satisfied that the applicants have made out a case for the court’s intervention.
“Accordingly, the respondents are restrained from either arresting or detaining the applicants on grounds of the applicants’ public statements pending the determination of the application on notice,” the judge ruled.



The Judge adjourned the matter until February 4.

(NAN)

Kevin De Bruyne has described how coming back from successive knee injuries was “mentally hard” but says he is happy with the way he is playing.

The Belgium playmaker was pivotal to Manchester City’s title success last season but has been restricted to just eight league appearances during this campaign due to ligament injuries, first in his right knee then in his left knee.

De Bruyne returned to action last month but City manager Pep Guardiola has taken a cautious approach with him.



“I’m getting better obviously,” said De Bruyne.

“You need the run of games where you play a lot because I’m not used to playing every three days.

“But I’m getting there. I’m happy with the way I’m performing. It’s not the same like it was last year, but that’s what you can expect.

“I’ve been out since the World Cup and to come back twice is mentally hard, but I’m happy to be here to play football again.”

The 27-year-old made his first league start since December 26 in Sunday’s 3-0 win at managerless Huddersfield, which lifted the defending champions back to within four points of leaders Liverpool.

“There’s two teams and even Tottenham, who have so many points at this stage of the season,” said De Bruyne, whose side finished 19 points clear last season and had clinched the title with five games to spare.

“It’s quite remarkable because in a lot of seasons you would already be 10 or 12 points ahead, but this season it’s tight and I like it. I like it to be competitive. In the end that’s what it’s all about.”



Guardiola’s side notched their fourth straight league win courtesy of Danilo’s deflected first-half effort and quickfire goals early in the second period from Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.

Danilo’s opener at the John Smith’s Stadium was City’s 100th goal in all competitions this season. They have scored 22 in their past four matches without conceding.

(AFP)

The Federal Government has alleged that the opposition political parties are busy mobilising bandits and members of Boko Haram to cause crisis in order to stop the forthcoming elections in the country.

It further alleged that the plan included planned attacks on some state governors as well.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the allegations at an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Among the states which he alleged were being marked for attack included Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna and Zamfara States.

A fired-up Serena Williams slugged past world number one Simona Halep Monday as she inches ever closer to a 24th Grand Slam title on a day that saw Alexander Zverev implode at the Australian Open.

In a towering performance, the American great scored her biggest win since giving birth to break down the Romanian top seed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and move into a quarter-final against seventh seed Karolina Pliskova.

Czech Pliskova is another form player, winning the warm-up Brisbane International and easing past two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-1 to set up the Williams clash.



“I’m such a fighter, I never give up,” declared Williams after the epic encounter.

“It was an intense match and there were some incredible points but I love playing tennis and being out here and I love this court, it’s really cool to be back.”

While Williams stayed cool, highly-rated German fourth seed Zverev lost the plot against Canadian Milos Raonic, crashing 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) and demolishing a racquet in a massive meltdown.

Women’s fourth seed Naomi Osaka was more composed as she beat crafty Latvian Anastasija in three sets to set up a meeting with ambitious Ukrainian Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals.

But it was the dominant Williams who overshadowed them all and is overwhelming favourite to win an eighth Australian title, with defending champion Caroline Wozniacki and second seed Angelique Kerber already out.

She has been in ominous form at Melbourne Park as she seeks one more major title to put her alongside Margaret Court’s record 24, and it looked like French Open champion Halep would be another easy scalp after a first set rout.

But the nuggety Romanian isn’t world number one for nothing and she bounced back to set up a huge power struggle that Williams finally won with a break in the seventh game of the third set.



“I really needed to elevate my game. She’s a great player,” said Williams.

– Handled the pressure –
Fourth seed Osaka emerged from an error-strewn first set against Sevastova to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“I think the biggest thing for me is the belief. I think I believe in myself more this year than I have last year,” said the bubbly 21-year-old, who beat Williams in the US Open final last year.

She next faces sixth seed Svitolina, who battled past American Madison Keys 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

It will be a new experience for whoever wins that showdown, with neither going beyond the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park before.

Svitolina needed to dig deep to overcome 17th seeded Keys, a US Open finalist in 2017.

“I had to put my level up, I’m glad I handled the pressure,” said Svitolina, who scored her biggest career win at the WTA Finals in Singapore last October.

Svitolina was a quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park last year and has set her sights high after her breakthrough in Singapore, targeting a Grand Slam win and world number one.

Earlier on Rod Laver Arena, Zverev self-destructed to slump out at the hands of Raonic.

The German has routinely been anointed as the flag-bearer for the next generation, but again failed to live up to his reputation and has now missed out on making the last eight of a major 14 times in 15 attempts.

So furious was he with his form, the 21-year-old had a major temper tantrum in the second set, whacking his racquet into the ground eight times to leave it a crumpled mess.

“I just tried to stay composed and it worked out well for me today,” said cool 16th seed Raonic, who will now face Frenchman Lucas Pouille after he battled past Croat Borna Coric in four tough sets.

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic, who was taken to four sets by teenage Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the third round, plays later against another young gun in Russia’s Medvedev, seeded 15.

The winner will have a quarter-final against Japan’s eighth seed Kei Nishikori or Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.

(AFP)