Worldwide Updates

Demands intensified this week for the sack of Bashir Magashi as President Muhammadu Buhari's defence minister, fuelled by a PREMIUM TIMES report that uncovered his sordid past as one of those who stole Nigeria's wealth under dictator Sani Abacha. The article, published exclusively on Wednesday, detailed how Mr Magashi, a retired major-general, stole a huge amount of public funds during Mr Abacha's junta and banked it abroad, a method typical of both Mr Abacha and others who stole under him. At least $550,000 of the stolen fund by Mr Magashi was later detected by former President Olusegun Obasanjo's investigation of the now infamous 'Abacha Loot.' About $3 billion of the Abacha Loot had been recovered out of at least $5 billion estimated by Transparency International. Of the $550,000 (N200 million today) that was traced to Mr Magashi, he was immediately asked to return $400,000 and keep the rest to himself - an arrangement he accepted after pleading with the ad

Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga on Friday hinted at endorsing Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for the Presidency, but added that time is not yet ripe for that. Mr Odinga, who was addressing mourners during the burial of former assistant minister Hezron Manduku in Nyanturago, Kisii County, said those pushing for Dr Matiangi’s endorsement for the presidency could jeopardise his chances. The clamour, Mr Odinga said, could also ruin the March 9, 2018 peace deal between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta. “He is a very hardworking man. As such, don’t remind me what I am supposed to do. Time is not yet ripe. Hold your horses,” the ODM chief said. The elevation of Dr Matiang’i to the position of chief minister by Mr Kenyatta put him in the limelight and some politicians, especially those from his Gusii backyard, have been urging him to contest the presidency in 2022.

The Accra Sports Stadium will host the reverse fixture involving Ghana’s Black Queens and the Panthers of Gabon in the 2020 Olympic qualifiers on Tuesday, September 3. The crunch encounter initially fixed for the Cape Coast Sports Stadium has been moved to the capital. The Women’s Senior National team, posted a convincing 3-0 win over Gabon in the first in Libreville and are poised to continue the fine form in the return leg. Goals from Elizabeth Owusuaa, Portia Boakye and Priscilla Okyere were enough to secure Ghana her first win in the qualifiers played on Wednesday. The winner of the two-leg tie would advance to the next stage of the qualifiers. Out of 16 African teams, Ghana would be chasing the single slot to represent the continent for the Summer Games to be hosted in Tokyo, Japan.

The calls from an unknown number had been coming for weeks, but Osman, a household-goods trader in the Somali capital's largest market, disregarded them - until he got the text message. "Will you pick up our call? Yes or no. This is the mujahideen," it said. The mujahideen, the Islamist militants, al-Shabab. He knew right away what they wanted: to capture him in a protection money racket that the militant group has been expanding across Somalia for years. "My heart could barely pump blood in that moment," said Osman, 45, a father of seven, who spoke on the condition that only his first name be used out of fear for his life. "If I don't pay, they kill me." When Osman replied "yes," he found that al-Shabab knew the size of his business and even how many containers of goods he imported through the city's seaport. Don't lie to us, they told him, we have the manifests from the ships to cross-check. Interviews with a dozen business owne

MDC supporter and constitutional law expert, Alex Magaisa, has criticised Mnangagwa for not understanding geopolitical and economic dynamics when he described the just ended Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) as the "first common platform to discuss African development". According to Magaisa, this would fly in the face of China whose Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is a similar effort. FOCAC has been running since 2000. Magaisa says the two countries are in 'scramble' for a piece of Africa. Said Magaisa: Our all-weather friends won't be amused by this: "The TICAD process initiated by Japan is the first common platform to discuss African development" Maybe ED was excited by #TICAD & wanted to flatter the Japanese thinking the meeting was private or he had forgotten China's #FOCAC The brief should have advised him of the geopolitical & economic dynamics in the Far East where the two giants, China

The recently introduced reciprocity visa fees introduced by the U.S. government for Nigerians will remain for now. This is because the American government is yet to be formally notified of any reduction by the Nigerian government, an official said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the U.S. introduced an increased visa fee on Nigerians, saying it was in retaliation for that introduced by the Nigerian government on Americans. Following the announcement, the Nigerian government announced a reduction in visa fees for Americans.

A Japanese company has expressed interest in Zimbabwe after singing an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the government yesterday The Herald reports. Afro Japanese Business Consultant, the Japanese company interested in Zimbabwe is eyeing these sectors. Mthuli Ncube and The President oversaw the signing of the MOU. Speaking after the signing of the MOU, the President welcomed Afro Japanese Business Consultants and said : You are most welcome and I am happy that you want to cooperate with Zimbabwe; I am happy with the offer that you have made to set up a consulate establishment here in one of the cities in Japan because that will facilitate a lot of people to come and invest in Zimbabwe. We will be able to reach many people that way. The other projects you have mentioned are also very important and most welcome, like the venture capital, are most ideal. We are an economy in transition and we need such support because then, it facilitates us in assessing global capital for our own

David Alaba scored a superb free-kick as Benjamin Pavard and Ivan Perisic opened their Bayern Munich accounts in a 6-1 Bundesliga win over Mainz. Mainz were thrashed 6-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, and although Jean-Paul Boetius' sixth-minute header put them ahead at Allianz Arena, they were again dismantled. Bayern were in a ruthless mood, and after Perisic atoned for a poor miss by teeing up Pavard's equaliser, Alaba's pinpoint strike put Niko Kovac's side in control. Perisic marked his full debut with a powerful header shortly after the restart, with Kingsley Coman then prodding in from a corner. In-form Robert Lewandowski got in on the act with 12 minutes remaining, with substitute Alphonso Davies then adding further gloss to an emphatic victory.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola fears defender Aymeric Laporte could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he was carried off on a stretcher during his side’s 4-0 victory over Brighton. The French defender appeared to injure his knee during the first half of Saturday’s game at Etihad Stadium after attempting to tackle Brighton defender Adam Webster. The 25-year-old stayed on the turf in obvious pain and after lengthy treatment had to be carried from the field and replaced by Fernandinho. Speaking after the game, Guardiola gave a gloomy assessment as to the severity of the injury and fears the former Athletic man could be out for some time. “I think he's gone to hospital. It doesn’t look good,” Guardiola told reporters. “I don’t know right now what he has but we will know tomorrow. They’re diagnosing what he has right now. “I’m waiting for the doctor to call me. He might be out for a while.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lamented a 'dip in results, not in form' after Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday, with the Red Devils now having won only one of their opening four matches in the 2019-20 Premier League. “The strange thing about it is the three other games that we haven't won were better than the Chelsea one,” Solskjaer told BT Sport after the game. “The Chelsea one was a game where they pressed us and pushed us back and we counter-attacked. The other three we've been dominating, creating chances and haven't been clinical enough in front of goal to win the games. “We've missed some penalties, we've missed some great chances, we should have won today as well... so it's not a dip in form, it's a dip in results. Definitely.” Daniel James found himself on the scoresheet yet again for United on Saturday, cutting in from the left wing after just 10 minutes to fire home into the top corner in what was another confident disp

Frank Lampard was denied a first home win as Chelsea manager as Kurt Zouma's 89th-minute own goal enabled Sheffield United to complete an unexpected comeback and claim a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had looked in a comfortable position on Saturday when striker Tammy Abraham scored twice before half-time. However, Callum Robinson pulled a goal back for United with a close-range finish in the first minute of the second period. French forward Lys Mousset, a 79th-minute substitute, then played a key role in earning the Blades a surprise point when he connected with a Robinson cross and saw the ball deflect in off Zouma's shin.

Manchester United were held to a third successive Premier League match without a win as Jannik Vestergaard earned 10-man Southampton a 1-1 home draw on Saturday. Danish defender Vestergaard broke his duck for the club with a towering 58th-minute header to cancel out Daniel James' opener. The latter had secured United an early lead with a well-taken third goal in four games but United were unable to add a second, even after Kevin Danso's dismissal in the 73rd minute. Another frustrating result for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side comes in the wake of a deflating 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace and sends them into the international break on a sour note.

Sergio Aguero scored twice but a suspected knee injury for Aymeric Laporte cast a shadow over Manchester City's comfortable 4-0 home win over Brighton and Hove Albion. Laporte's celebrations of a long-awaited France call-up this week appear likely to be short-lived after he was taken off on a stretcher in the first half. The 25-year-old went down in discomfort following a collision with Adam Webster, an incident that is sure to give Pep Guardiola several sleepless nights over the international break. City were leading courtesy of Kevin De Bruyne's second-minute opener and Aguero added two more either side of the interval before teeing up Bernardo Silva to add the icing 17 seconds after his introduction.

Ansu Fati became Barcelona's youngest LaLiga goalscorer as they came from behind but could only draw 2-2 with Osasuna in Saturday's clash at El Sadar. The 16-year-old cancelled out Roberto Torres' opener just six minutes after coming off the bench, before fellow substitute Arthur buried a well-taken second goal for the defending league champions. Torres sealed a point from the penalty spot after a Gerard Pique handball, though, with the result likely to add further pressure to Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde. Valverde was again unable to call upon the injured Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez or Ousmane Dembele and left Ivan Rakitic on the bench. The match was preceded by a minute's silence for Luis Enrique's daughter Xana, who died this week after a five-month battle with bone cancer.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that war is not an option to deal with the Kashmir issue amidst fresh India-Pakistan tensions over New Delhi revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. His remarks came at a time when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been repeatedly threatening the possibility of a nuclear war with India over Kashmir after his efforts to internationalise the matter failed to gain any traction. Asserting that abrogation of Article 370 was its internal matter, India has strongly criticised Pakistan for making “irresponsible statements” and provocative anti-India rhetoric over issues internal to it. In an interview, Mr. Qureshi said Pakistan never followed an aggressive policy and always preferred peace, adding that the current government of Pakistan has repeatedly offered India to start talks because the two nuclear-armed neighbours cannot take the risk of going on a war.

Airstrikes on Syria’s northwestern Idlib region stopped on Saturday, a war monitor said, after the government agreed to a Russian-backed ceasefire following four months of deadly bombardment. The truce is the second such agreement since an August 1 ceasefire deal broke down only days after going into effect, prompting Damascus and regime ally Moscow to resume bombardment. Russia-backed regime forces have been pressing an offensive against the major opposition stronghold in Idlib despite a deal with rebel backer Turkey in September last year to protect the area. Heightened airstrikes by Damascus and Russia have killed more than 950 people since the end of April, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence has also displaced more than 4,00,000 people, according to the UN. On Friday, Moscow announced that Damascus government forces would observe a new ceasefire from Saturday morning in Idlib. It said the truce aimed “to stabilise the situation” in the

A Sudanese judge formally indicted former President Omar al-Bashir on charges of possessing illicit foreign currency and corruption on Saturday. Questioned in court for the first time, Bashir said that he had received $25 million from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as funds from other sources, but that he had not received or used the money for his own benefit. A lawyer for Bashir said that his client denied the charges against him and that witnesses for the defence would be presented at the next hearing. The judge denied a request for bail and said a decision on the duration of Bashir’s detention would be taken at a hearing on September 7. Sudan’s military ousted and arrested Bashir in April after months of protests across the country. His prosecution is seen as a test of how far military and civilian authorities now sharing power will go to counter the legacy of his 30-year rule.

The unexplained explosion of a rocket at an Iranian space centre grew more mysterious on Saturday as President Donald Trump tweeted what appeared to be an American surveillance photo of the site and Tehran showed off a satellite meant to be launched. Trump’s tweet showing the aftermath of Thursday’s explosion at the Imam Khomeini Space Center drew a taunting tweet from Iran’s Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi. However, Jahromi declined to say what went wrong while showing local journalists the Nahid-1 satellite meant to be launched. “I have no idea about the Americans’ comment about Semnan space site and I think it is more appropriate that the respected minister of defence talk about this because it is within his realm of responsibility,” the minister said. “But what could be seen today is that the Nahid satellite is here and has not yet been handed over.” Thursday’s explosion marked the third failure involving a launch at the centre, whi

Demonstrations are taking place across the UK against Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament in the run-up to Brexit. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities including Manchester, Leeds, York and Belfast. In London, Whitehall has been brought to a standstill, with demonstrators chanting "Boris Johnson, shame on you". A small group of counter-protesters, marching in support of the prime minister, also arrived in Westminster. Mr Johnson's plan to prorogue Parliament prompted an angry backlash from MPs and opponents of a no-deal Brexit when he announced it on Wednesday. When Parliament is suspended, no debates and votes are held. This is different to "dissolving" Parliament - where all MPs give up their seats to campaign in a general election. If this prorogation happens as expected, it will see Parliament closed for 23 working days. Critics view the length and timing of the prorogation - coming just weeks before the Brexit deadlin

Hong Kong police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched in the city, defying a ban. Demonstrators lit fires, threw petrol bombs at riot police and attacked the parliament building. An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out fully democratic elections was banned in China's special administrative region. On Friday, several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were arrested. The protest movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill - now suspended - which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent.

Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, will allow users to cloak their telephone numbers to safeguard Hong Kong protesters against monitoring by Chinese authorities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort. The update to Telegram, planned for release over the next few days, will allow protesters to block Chinese authorities from discovering their identities in the app's large group chats. Thousands of Hong Kong protesters take their cues from more than 100 groups on Telegram. Protesters use encrypted apps like Telegram to mobilise swiftly through multiple group chats, with less risk of police infiltration, Reuters found in a report published earlier this month. The groups are used to post everything from news on upcoming protests to tips on dousing tear gas canisters fired by the police to the identities of suspected undercover police and the access codes to buildings in Hong Kong where protesters can hide. Protesters have grown concerned that Chinese auth

Alphabet's Google will spend up to $200 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission investigation into YouTube's alleged violation of a children's privacy law, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. Politico reported the settlement is expected to be between $150 million and $200 million. The settlement is set to be announced next week and will be the largest ever fine imposed for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule by collecting personal information from kids without parental consent. The FTC voted 3-2 to approve the settlement and sent it to the Justice Department as part of the review process, Reuters confirmed, citing a person familiar with the matter. The Washington Post reported the settlement's approval in July but did not detail the amount of the civil penalty. The settlement will far surpass the previous record set in February, a $5.7 million civil penalty imposed on Musical.ly, which did not ask for users' ages for three yea

Skype has introduced several new features for desktop and mobile users in its latest update. This includes the ability to save unsent messages as drafts, the ability to bookmark messages, as well as preview media and files before sending. There's also a new split window feature that has been made available only for desktop users for now. Users will need to update to the latest version of Skype to be able to see the new features. This comes after Skype introduced the Screen Share feature for Android and iOS users in June this year. The latest Skype update brings the ability to save messages that didn't get sent. Any message that a user may have typed, but hasn't been sent will be saved in the chat, and will be marked as ‘draft'. It will show up with a ‘draft' tag in your chat list for easy discovery. It essentially looks to remind you of an unfinished conversation. Messages saved as drafts are even available when you leave and come back to your Skype app.

OnePlus 7T Pro key specifications and alleged renders have surfaced online. The phone is reported to be identical to the OnePlus 7 Pro when it comes to the design, but it will come with Snapdragon 855+ SoC. Furthermore, it is tipped to run on Android 10 out-of-the-box, pack 4,080mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T fast charging support. A report also suggests that there may be an OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition launched alongside the OnePlus 7T Pro, just like last year's OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. Tipster Ishan Agarwal says that the OnePlus 7T Pro looks identical to the OnePlus 7 Pro phone. He notes that the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC and will run on Android 10 software out of the box. It is also said to pack 4,080mAh battery with support for Warp Charge 30T that can charge 0 to 50 percent in 20 minutes and 0 to 100 percent in 65 minutes. Other features of the phone include Macro Mode, HEVC, and Hybrid Image Stabilisation.

Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert has passed away aged 22 after sustaining injuries in a crash during the series’ feature race at Spa-Francorchamps.   The Renault junior – the reigning GP3 Series champion – was fighting to break into the top 10 with his Arden-prepared car when he was caught up in an accident with Giuliano Alesi – who lost control of his car at Eau Rouge. Hubert was then hit at high speed by Sauber Junior Team driver Juan Manuel Correa at the exit of the Raidillon corner. The FIA has confirmed that Hubert succumbed to his injuries at 18:35 local time, over an hour after the accident. Correa was taken to hospital and is described in the FIA statement as being in a stable condition. Alesi has been released from the medical centre. Hubert has won two races in Formula 2 this season – at Monaco and Paul Ricard – and was eighth in the championship as the series’ second-highest placed rookie in the standings.

Liv Tyler goes high fashion on the cover of Tatler‘s October issue, on newsstands September 5th. Here’s what the 42-year-old actress had to share with the mag: On getting back into film: “It was really nice for me to do a film again. I love TV; TV’s been kind to me in the past few years and I’ve found some characters that I really like, but I think in my heart of hearts, I really love making films.” On whether she wants to get married to fiance David Gardner: “I love being engaged, but I don’t really have a desire to get married. I always felt like marriage should be more of a reward…For surviving your relationship…I feel everyone’s got it backwards.” On the differences between living in America and the UK: “As an American, I find the [British] class system really oppressive. We’re raised that anyone can be anything they want; if you work hard at something, apply yourself, you can come from nothing and have everything. You can also have everything and go to nothing.”

Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke gave her fans a sneak peek into her Eat Pray Love moments from her vacation in India. The 32-year-old actress, who appears to be holidaying with her Game Of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie in the Himalayas now, shared a series of pictures from her vacation on her Instagram profile on Friday. Emilia began her post with the greeting, "Namaskar India" and clarified that it is not an advertisement. In her post, Emilia also talked about how she and her friend Rose Leslie were "robbed blind by monkeys." Emilia signed off her postcard-worthy post on a spiritual note and she wrote: "Figuring out that all you're ever looking for can be found within. Corny as hell but my god is it true." Emilia Clarke wrote in her post, "Namaskar India, This is not an ad, this are just two girls who buzzed off their faces on India. Peace, being robbed blind by monkeys, (we hardly put up a fight). The best two books I've read in years (The

Matthew McConaughey is adding a new title to his growing resume - professor and his classes are now in session! The Oscar-winning actor is settling into his new role as a faculty member at the university he formerly attended. The 49-year-old star is now a professor at The University of Texas at Austin where he is set to teach the Script to Screen class for the Moody College of Communication, reported People. The university announced the happy news on Twitter on Wednesday with a photo of the actor alongside several students in a classroom. The Interstellar actor has been a visiting professor at the university since 2015. Most recently, the star has been co-teaching the “script to screen” class alongside director Scott Rice. “It’s the class I wish I would have had when I was in film school. Working in the classroom with these students gives me a chance to prepare them,” McConaughey told the university. He added, “Making movies, turning words on paper into the film, is both a science and

Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom take the dreaded Vanity Fair Lie Detector Test. Can Orland Bloom speak Elvish? Does he like being famous? Is he a father? Where is Cara from? What is her horoscope? How many instruments can she play? Watch to find out the answers to these questions and more! 📹:  http://v.duta.us/KvQVpQAA

The international couple, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra are one of the most adored and celebrated couples on the planet. The two often treat their fans with PDA moments on social media as well as at prestigious red carpets. Pictures and videos of the duo together take over the internet in no time! And now, PeeCee and Nick were snapped on the streets of New York City with their family. Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra and other family members were snapped along with the couple. The actress looked absolutely beautiful in a light green checkered outfit teamed with white heels and a handbag. On the other hand, Nick wore a blue denim shirt paired black jeans and white shoes. They were all smiles as the paparazzi snapped them together in NYC. Check out the photos here: 📷:  http://v.duta.us/V-IdYAAA 📷:  http://v.duta.us/nD7TcQAA

Benny Blanco and Juice Wrld‘s new music video for “Graduation” features so many celebs! The 31-year-old musician and the 20-year-old rapper collaborated on the song and visual, which they released on Friday (August 30). Hailee Steinfeld, Lil Dicky, Noah Cyrus, Justice Smith, Olivia Munn, Dove Cameron, Ross Butler, Tommy Dorfman, Tony Revolori, Maddie Ziegler, and more all make cameos. Watch the video to see what happens to all of the stars’ characters after graduation! 📹:  http://v.duta.us/GFK9wQAA

Juventus have confirmed that veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini has suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee. Chiellini suffered the injury in training on Friday and is now set to miss several months, with his entire 2019-20 season now in doubt. The Serie A champions said that the 35-year-old is set to undergo surgery in the coming days. Chiellini's absence will be a major blow for Juventus as the club looks to win its ninth straight Serie A title in 2019-20, as well as its first Champions League title since 1995-96. The veteran has been a stalwart for Juve since joining the club prior to the 2005-06 season, making 25 league starts last season as the Bianconeri won their eighth consecutive Serie A title.

Mauro Icardi is not part of the first-team plans at Inter and the Serie A club remain hopeful of selling their former captain before Monday's transfer deadline, according to CEO Giuseppe Marotta. Although Icardi's wife and agent Wanda Nara had suggested the forward could be staying, it appears there is no way back for him at the club following Sanchez's arrival, with Marotta confident a deal will be found by the transfer deadline. "When we acted, we did so with a conscience and a sense of responsibility," Marotta told Tuttomercatoweb. "The club have the duty and right to choose their stance. They have to make decisions. We're certainly not self-harming. We always act with respect for our players. After that, great difficulties arose. "There are only three days left, but I still hope that it can be resolved in a positive way. We can't say everything publicly, but we always do things responsibly." The Argentina striker missed a large chunk of

Romelu Lukaku has fired back at pundit Gary Neville for questioning his professionalism, citing the praise of his former coaches as proof of his commitment to the game. Lukaku completed a £74 million ($90m) move to Inter this summer, bringing to a close a two-year spell at Manchester United that was filled with ups and downs. The Belgian was subject to criticism on the way out, with former United player Neville tweeting Lukaku, having admitted to being overweight “will score goals and do well at Inter Milan but unprofessionalism is contagious!” "Don't question my professionalism," Lukaku told BBC Sport. "I live for this game. I am at home all the time. I try to do everything to improve." "He (Neville) can talk about my fitness but he should never say anything about my professionalism, that I don't work hard enough. That is something he cannot say. All the coaches I have had say the same thing about me. "What did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer say when I was

Roma have signed England defender Chris Smalling on a season-long loan from Manchester United. The 29-year-old flew to the Italian capital early on Friday to undergo a medical and finalise the move. The Italian side will pay a €3 million (£2.7m/$3.2m) loan fee for Smalling, who has been handed the No. 6 shirt by the Giallorossi. He will seemingly replace Kostas Manolas in the heart of the Roma defence after the Greek international joined Napoli earlier this summer. “This is the perfect opportunity for me,” Smalling told Roma's website. “The chance to experience a new league, with a big team that has got big aspirations is exactly what I needed. "Hopefully I can hit the ground running. I’m looking forward to joining up with my teammates."

Paris Saint-Germain doubt they will receive an acceptable offer from Barcelona for Neymar ahead of Monday's transfer deadline, according to the French club’s sporting director Leonardo. Speaking after the club’s 2-0 win against Metz on Friday, Leonardo reiterated PSG’s willingness to let Neymar leave, but stressed that it was up to Barcelona to come up with an acceptable offer before the deadline. "Our position was always clear, they always knew what we wanted, it was clear in every way,” he told reporters. “The first written offer was on August 27th, five days before end of the transfer window, we were even open to talking to other players to do the deal, but we never had an agreement on what we wanted. “It all depends on Barcelona, we are three days from the end of the transfer window. Today, the agreement is not there. We were open but we are three days from the end of the transfer window. "Neymar's position has always been clear, our position too, and if an offer

Hurricane Dorian powered toward Florida with increasing fury Friday, becoming an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm but leaving forecasters uncertain whether it would make a direct hit on the state’s east coast or inflict a glancing blow. The storm’s winds rose to a howling 130 mph (215 kph) as Dorian gained new strength while crossing warm Atlantic waters. The hurricane could wallop the state with even higher winds and torrential rains late Monday or early Tuesday, with millions of people in the crosshairs, along with Walt Disney World and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Though Dorian is growing in intensity, some of the more reliable computer models predicted a late turn northward that would have Dorian hug the coast, the National Hurricane Center said. Mr. Trump declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster-relief efforts.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister on Friday said that his country is successfully extinguishing the fires in the Amazon region that have generated international concern after discussing the situation with President Donald Trump at the White House. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said earlier in the day that his son and Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo were heading to Washington to discuss possible U.S. aid in fighting the fires. The far-right president said he asked Mr Trump for help and the U.S. President had said that “he couldn’t make a decision without hearing from Brazil.” Mr Araujo told reporters after meeting with Mr Trump that the fires “are not an excuse to promote ideas of international management of the Amazon,” though he said the South American country is open to cooperation with other countries. “The fires that exist today are already being fought and we are being successful in extinguishing most of the fires,” he said, adding that the meeting with Mr. Trump did not bring up spe

Afghanistan’s government says the Taliban have again attacked one of the country’s largest cities, Kunduz. Presidential spokesman Sediq Seddiqi says Afghan security forces are repelling the attack in some parts of the city, a strategic crossroads with easy access to much of northern Afghanistan as well as the capital, Kabul. The spokesman says the insurgent group has taken positions in civilian areas. Officials in Kunduz cannot be reached by phone. The attack comes as the Taliban and a United States envoy continue negotiations in Qatar on ending America’s longest war. Both sides in recent weeks signaled they are close to an agreement. Kunduz fell to the Taliban in 2015 and has come under attack several times since then. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a Twitter post calls this attack “large-scale.”

The co-founder and chief executive of Twitter had his own account on the service briefly taken over by hackers. A group referring to itself as the Chuckling Squad said it was behind the breach of Jack Dorsey's account. The profile, which has more than four million followers, tweeted out a flurry of highly offensive and racist remarks for about 15 minutes. Twitter said its own systems were not compromised, instead blaming an unnamed mobile operator. "The phone number associated with the account was compromised due to a security oversight by the mobile provider," Twitter said in a statement. "This allowed an unauthorised person to compose and send tweets via text message from the phone number. That issue is now resolved."

India has published the final version of a list which effectively strips about 1.9 million people in the north-eastern state of Assam of their citizenship. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list of people who can prove they came to the state by 24 March 1971, a day before neighbouring Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan. People left off the list will have 120 days to appeal their exclusion. It is unclear what happens next. India says the process is needed to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants. It has already detained thousands of people suspected of being foreigners in temporary camps which are housed in the state's prisons, but deportation is currently not an option for the country. The process has also sparked criticism of "witch hunts" against Assam's ethnic minorities. A draft version of the list published last year had four million people excluded.

The US Treasury has blacklisted an Iranian tanker it claims is being used to ship oil to Syria. The Adrian Darya 1, previously known as Grace 1, was detained by British authorities in Gibraltar in July after it was suspected of moving oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. It was released earlier this month after Iran gave assurances that it would not discharge its cargo in Syria. The US has since tried, unsuccessfully, to have the ship detained again. Its initial seizure sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran, which saw Iran seize a British-flagged and Swedish-owned oil tanker, the Stena Impero, in the Gulf. In a statement, the US Treasury said the Adrian Darya 1 was being used to transport 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil for the benefit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard - a branch of the country's armed forces that the US has designated a terrorist organisation.

At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed when a bus carrying them fell in a ditch in northwest Pakistan, police said The incident occurred when the jeep, carrying 35 passengers, was going to Kandia from Bagru of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “All 24 people belonging to the same tribe drowned when a bridge collapsed and the jeep they were travelling in plunged into a stream,” Ahsanul Haq, the chief civil defence warden said. The incident happened because the bridge, which was in a dilapidated condition, could not bear burden of the heavily loaded bus, Mr. Haq said. District police chief of Upper Kohistan Raja Abdul Saboor said: “The police and rescue teams rushed to the spot to retrieve the bodies.” “It is a rugged mountainous area with no communication facilities and the people engaged in rescue activities are facing difficulties because of darkness.”

Former Barcelona and Spain head coach Luis Enrique has confirmed his daughter Xana has died after suffering from bone cancer. Luis Enrique stepped down from the Spain post in June after missing their three previous matches, having been granted leave in March for what was described as a family emergency. Robert Moreno was confirmed as Luis Enrique's successor, although Luis Rubiales, head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said: "Our doors will always be open to him". On Thursday, the ex-Barcelona boss confirmed nine-year-old Xana has passed away. "Our daughter Xana has died this afternoon at the age of nine, after fighting for five intense months against an osteosarcoma," he said in a statement posted on Twitter. An outpouring of support has followed for the coach and his family, from players, clubs as well as many outside the sport.

The group stage draw of the upcoming UEFA Europa League season has been determined. English giants Arsenal and Manchester United have been handed easy draws while the only tricky group looks to be Group which has Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg. Here are the groups in detail: Group A: Sevilla, APOEL, Qarabag, Dudelange Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Copenhagen, Malmo, Lugano Group C: Basel, Krasnodar, Getafe, Trabzonspor Group D: Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Rosenborg, LASK Group E: Lazio, Celtic , Rennes, Cluj Group F: Arsenal, ** Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liege, Vitoria Group G: Porto, Young Boys, Feyenoord, Rangers Group H: CSKA Moscow, Ludogorets, Espanyol, Ferencvaros Group I: Wolfsburg, Gent, Saint-Etienne, Oleksandriya Group J: Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir, Wolfsberger

Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede has said that criminals would no longer have easy access to the country as NIS has gotten access to Interpol database information. NAN reports that Babandede said this at the August edition of Lunch Time Reform Seminar organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) on Thursday in Abuja. He said that having access to the interpol database information was an opportunity for NIS to track and prevent any criminal wanted globally from entering or doing business in Nigeria. The comptroller general also spoke on activities of cyber criminals and advised Nigerians to desist from patronising fake recruitment sites as the Service was not recruiting. ”This notice became necessary due to the increasing activities of fraudsters that have remained unrepentant. After several arrests and arraignment they continue to open fake recruitment sites through which they defraud unsuspecting citizens of their money,” he sai

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Yokohama, Japan, sought the support of the Asian government in combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea as well as illegal fishing in that region. The President made the request during a bilateral meeting between the Nigerian delegation and Japanese officials led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on the margins of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7). In his remarks, Prime Minister Abe welcomed President Buhari’s participation at TICAD7 and the country’s signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Commending Buhari administration for taking Nigeria to the Next Level, Mr Abe pledged a $300,000 support for Nigeria’s Defence College as well as 12 million Yen for the country’s public health sector. He also pledged his country’s support for Nigeria’s Presidency of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, while seeking Nigeria’s support for Japan’s bid to occupy some global positions. Also on Thursday

Jurgen Klopp hailed Virgil van Dijk's UEFA Men's Player of the Year award as a prize for all of Liverpool's players. Van Dijk enjoyed a supreme 2018-19 campaign, helping Liverpool to Champions League glory and captaining Netherlands to the Nations League final. The former Southampton defender has maintained his form heading into this season and edged out superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the honour in Monaco on Thursday . Klopp was quick to laud Van Dijk's individual displays but pointed out his triumph was one that would not be possible without all of Liverpool's squad. "Brilliant! It's really big. I wanted to call him immediately, but he had to go on stage. I'm so happy for him," Klopp told Liverpool's official website . "I'm happy for us as well because he knows that without the boys around him, he cannot win that prize. "It's a prize for all of us – but we send our big man there to get it. It's really ra

President Donald Trump's new tariffs on Chinese goods are a "job killer" that will slam consumers and could make a recession more likely, industry groups said Wednesday. The latest cry for peace in Trump's year-long trade war came just days before the first in series of tariff increases is due to go into effect -- potentially raising prices ahead of the crucial holiday shopping period. In a sharp deterioration in the US-China trade war, Trump last week ramped up the punitive duties for the vast majority of US imports from China. The five per cent increases, which will take the tariffs to 15 per cent and 30 per cent, are due to roll out in stages through December and target some popular items, such as laptops, mobile phones and some shoes.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is in Beijing for a meeting with counterpart Xi Jinping. Mr Duterte is expected Thursday to bring up a 2016 ruling on the South China Sea dispute that has for years strained relations between the two countries. The Hague arbitration, citing violations of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, mostly invalidated China’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. Mr Duterte has sought warmer ties with Beijing and has long been criticized by nationalists and left-wing groups in the Philippines for not immediately demanding Chinese compliance with the ruling. The South China Sea’s waters are a major shipping route for global commerce. They are also rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves.

At least seven people died Wednesday when a river burst its banks and flooded a village football pitch where a game was being played in south Morocco, local authorities and a witness said. Eight men who had sought refuge in the changing rooms were swept away in the floodwater after heavy showers hit the Taroudant region late in the day, an eyewitness told on condition of anonymity. Search and rescue operations were under way to find further victims, officials said. Morocco's national weather service had warned of the risk of stormy rains on Wednesday afternoon in several provinces. The heavy downpour followed a dry spell, making the floods more violent, local media reported.

Eleven people were killed in fighting between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers in a dispute over trampled crops in southern Chad, the local governor said Wednesday. The violence broke out in the district of Koumogo on Monday, causing the death of three herders and eight farmers, the governor of Moyen-Chari province, Abbadi Sahir told. Clashes between settled farmers and the nomadic Arab herders are a worsening problem in the arid Sahel, where tensions over access to land are frequent. According to the chief, a herder was killed after cattle trampled some crops. In retaliation, herders used firearms to attack a farmers' camp, he said. Police have been deployed at the camp and the governor said he was in negotiations with both sides to calm tensions. President Idriss Deby this month declared a state of emergency and deployed troops to two eastern provinces, Sila and Ouaddai, where 50 people have died since August 9 in fighting.

The prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament has prompted an angry backlash from MPs and opponents of a no-deal Brexit. It sparked protests across the country, a legal challenge and a petition with more than a million signatures. The government said the five-week suspension in September and October will still allow time to debate Brexit. But critics said it was an "undemocratic" attempt to stop MPs from blocking no deal. Cabinet minister Michael Gove told the suspension, which was approved by the Queen on Wednesday, was "certainly not" a political move to obstruct opposition to the UK leaving the EU without a deal. He said there would be "plenty of time" to debate Brexit before the scheduled departure date of 31 October. On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said a Queen's Speech would take place after the suspension, on 14 October, to outline his "very exciting agenda". He said he did not want to wait until after Brexit "before getting on

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday said that Latin America’s Amazon countries will meet in September to discuss both protecting and developing the rainforest region, which has been hit by weeks of devastating fires. The Brazilian leader also escalated a deeply personal dispute with French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of portraying himself as “the one and only person” concerned about the environment. Mr. Bolsonaro’s remarks pushed back at international allegations that, on his watch, the weakening of environmental safeguards in Brazil had set the stage for farmers, developers and others to set fires more aggressively this year as a way to clear land, much of it already deforested. They also highlighted the Brazilian government’s contention that some international offers of help to fight the fires were an infringement of Brazilian sovereignty over the region.

A heavy downpour on Tuesday that lasted till the early hour of Wednesday has ravaged a section of the Ado Ekiti capital city and cut off certain parts of the metropolis from the main city. Mainly affected is the Ureje area, along Polytechnic road and other adjoining communities like Boom Town, Eminrin and Ijelu village, fondly called Aba Oyinbo by commuters. The torrential rainfall started around 8pm on Tuesday and fell intermittently throughout the night until 6am on Wednesday. A resident of the area, Mr Idowu Adaramoye, said the bridge on Ado-Ijan-Ikare road, which also linked the capital city to the Federal Polytechnic region was overrun by the flood. He said commuters travelling along that route between that six hours had to parked their vehicles at the nearby filling stations and waited until it subsided. The source said the flood also surged into a church and about five houses located within the vicinity of Ureje Bridge. “Nobody could cross that bridge to the Polytechnic side or

Thousands of taxis blocked several roads in the Pretoria CBD on Wednesday morning as protests in the area continued. Angry taxi drivers also littered the streets with an array of objects after a taxi driver was shot dead on Tuesday. The atmosphere is tense and volatile. According to Sowetan, taxi operators found people, believed to be police officers, were allegedly involved in the selling of drugs on Tuesday. Angry taxi operators then used the city's buses to block traffic to "deal" with the nyaope (drug) boys. "A shooting which resulted in the death of a taxi driver is reported to have incited the riots, which led to two A Re Yeng buses, three Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) buses, a Gautrain bus and two trucks being utilised to blockade the roads. A Re Yeng and TBS operations were halted for the rest of the day in the interest of safety," Tshwane Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge said.

Deputy President William Ruto has said the constitutional review should be a win-win for Kenyans and not a tool to divide the country. He asked Kenyans to ignore leaders who want to take advantage of calls for a referendum to amend the Constitution as a route to create division, hatred and confusion in the country. He said matters pertaining to the Constitution were weighty, and required the input of all Kenyans. Speaking during a development tour of Uasin-Gishu and Nandi Counties on Tuesday, the Deputy President said there was a need for a sober debate on issues pertaining to change of the Constitution. "We want to ensure that as nation, whatever it is going to be proposed, in any format, does not create losers or winners. Kenyans must speak to each other without necessarily creating camps," said Ruto. 

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday received another batch of 153 stranded Nigerians from Libya. The Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Maihajja, represented by Mr Slaku Lugard, an official of the agency, received the returnees on Wednesday in Lagos. Maihajja said that the Nigerians arrived in the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 3:45a.m. According to him, they were brought by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union on the platform of the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) Programme. He added that the returnees comprised 59 female adults, four female children and seven female infants as well as 78 adult males, three male children and two male infants. DAILY POST recalls that NEMA had received another batch of 171 stranded Nigerians from Libya. Alhaji Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Public Information Officer, said

Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda that will see the two countries cooperating and exchanging experiences from the extractive industries to develop their respective mining sectors. Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando signed on behalf of the Government, while Rwanda’s Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board Minister Francis Gatare signed on behalf of his country. The MoU is part of bilateral engagements that were initiated by President Mnangagwa and his Rwandan counterpart President Paul Kagame, which saw President Mnangagwa visiting Rwanda last month and expressing Government’s willingness to tap from the East African country’s economic revival model. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Harare yesterday, Minister Chitando said the two countries sought to cooperate in areas of training, shared expertise to capacitate mining institutions, which allows Zimbabwe to tap best practices f

South Sudan government has for the first time launched a Country-Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD) according to the country’s National Communication Authority (NCA). The .SS will be the country’s first segment of a domain name that will be recognized globally. There are currently more than 190 unique country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) worldwide, which are assigned to different countries, and are intended to indicate the relevance and their links to each country. They also have their own rules and regulations governing their ccTLDs. The official launching ceremony of the South Sudan Top-Level Domain (.SS) is being held today in the capital, Juba and was organized by the National Communications Authority (NCA). South Sudan, which gained independence from the north in 2011, continues to suffer from an economic crisis due to a civil war that has also forced millions of people to flee their homes.

The Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) will kick off Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan, headed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency Bassam Rady said that the conference will run from August 28 to 30, under the joint presidency of Japan and Egypt, which currently presides over the African Union. The conference is one of the most important international forums for cooperation in development between Africa, Japan and international institutions, Rady said. He added that African heads of state, and a number of representatives from international organizations and institutions led by the United Nations and the World Bank, will take part in the conference. The conference will focus on various important events, including the second session of the public-private seminar on high-quality infrastructure between Japan and Africa to be organized by the Japanese ministries of Territoria

A senior State Department official of the United States of America has said that the US is continuously getting disappointed by the Zimbabwean government. The remarks come as reports of human rights violations by suspected state security agents have been increasing lately. Only last week, there were reports of the abductions of opposition MDC members, human rights defenders and government critics. Subscribe to Pindula Newsletter here   Speaking to the media on Monday, the senior State Department official said: The disappointment just keeps getting worse and worse, unfortunately. The government seems to be getting even more violent in their response to any form of opposition. The Zimbabwean government however denies responsibility in the abductions saying that some purported kidnappings were stage managed. Some officials have also opined that there is a third hand behind the abductions. They say that it is likely that disgruntled former government officials who are loyal to former presi

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will limit Parliament's ability to derail his Brexit plan by cutting the amount of time it will sit between now and EU exit day on Oct. 31, infuriating opponents who urged Queen Elizabeth to intervene. In his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union with or without a divorce deal, Mr. Johnson set October 14 for the Queen's Speech - the formal state opening of a new session of Parliament that is proceeded by a suspension of the House of Commons. The Queen agreed to the date, effectively shutting parliament from mid-September for around a month. Incensed, Opposition leaders wrote to the Queen to express their concern and asked for a meeting, threatening to drag the 93-year-old monarch into the constitutional crisis. "There will be ample time in Parliament for MPs [Members of Parliament] to debate the EU, to debate Brexit and all the other issues, ample time," Mr. Johnson told reporters. Asked if he was trying to

OnePlus is hosting a Music Festival on November 16 in Mumbai, and megastar Katy Perry will be headlining the event. The tech giant has announced the first singer for the OnePlus Music Festival, hinting that there will be more such announcements running up to the big night. The event will be held at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai, and Insider.com is taking registrations for early access. These registered users will get early access to tickets whenever OnePlus decides to start selling them. The Chinese company has confirmed that Katy Perry will be headlining the OnePlus Music Festival in Mumbai. This is the first time OnePlus is hosting a music festival in the country, and it could be possible that the company will launch the OnePlus 7T during the event, or at least tease it. The OnePlus 6T launch event in Mumbai had artists like Brodha V and DJ Ishani performing, and OnePlus is clearly taking it up a notch this year. Of course, this is pure conjecture from our end.

Google will shut down its job application tracking system "Google Hire" that was launched just two years ago, the company said in a statement. The company had built "Hire" with Diane Greene, a former Alphabet board member. The aim was to simplify the hiring process, with a workflow that integrated things like searching for applicants and scheduling interviews into Google's G Suite offerings like Search, Gmail, Calendar, and Docs, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. "Hire" came into existence after Google acquired Bebop -- a company started by Greene -- for a reported $380 million in 2015. Greene left Alphabet's board earlier this year. "While 'Hire' has been successful, we're focusing our resources on other products in the Google Cloud portfolio. We are deeply grateful to our customers, as well as the champions and advocates who have joined and supported us along the way," Google said in a statement.

The Video Music Awards fell in the ratings again — but not as steeply as they had in the past couple of years or in comparison to some other recent awards shows. Monday's kudocast on MTV drew 1.93 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49. That's an all-time low for the flagship channel, down from the previous low — set last year — of 2.25 million viewers and a 1.1 in the demo. The VMAs have hit all-time ratings lows in each of the past three years. The MTV telecast was off by 14 percent in viewers and 18 percent in adults 18-49, somewhat smaller declines than either of the past two years — when the total audience fell by 18 percent and 18-49 ratings by more than 20 percent each time. The awards were also simulcast on 11 other Viacom channels (VH1, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network, CMT, MTV2, TV Land, MTV Classic, Logo and BETHer). The 12-network telecast recorded a 6 percent drop among adults 18-49, which is a better showing than the M