Author: Chief Editor

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was confirmed by the English giants on Tuesday as Premier League clubs scrambled to strengthen before the close of the transfer window. United announced on Friday a deal had been struck with Juventus to bring the five-time Ballon d’Or winner back to Old Trafford for a fee that could rise to 23 million euros ($27 million, £20 million) for the 36-year-old. The Portugal captain scored 118 goals in 292 games during his first spell at United, winning his first Ballon d’Or and Champions League title, as well as three Premier League titles, one FA…

A dizzying transfer window that has seen Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo change clubs went into its final hours on Tuesday with the issue of whether Kylian Mbappe could make a blockbuster move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid still unresolved. The future of Mbappe dominated the final day of a remarkable window in which Messi moved to PSG after spending his entire career at increasingly cash-strapped Barcelona and Ronaldo made a sensational return to former club Manchester United. While the moves for 34-year-old Messi and 36-year-old Ronaldo represented a shift in world football’s tectonic plates, the future of 22-year-old…

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has signed the state Security Challenge Containment Order, in which the government adopted 12 measures to contain banditry in the state. Alhaji Abdu Labaran, the Director-General, Media to the governor disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Katsina. According to him, the Governor announced that the Order comes into effect from Aug. 31. “The governor has ordered for the immediate total closure of Jibia-Gurbin Baure road to motorists until further notice. Travellers plying the road are advised to go through Funtua. “Immediate closure of Kankara-Sheme road for all commercial vehicles,…

Johnson & Johnson’s highly anticipated HIV vaccine failed to demonstrate adequate protection in a clinical trial involving more than 2,600 young women in sub-Saharan Africa, the company and US health authorities said Tuesday. Though the vaccine was found to be safe, with no serious side effects, its efficacy in preventing HIV infection was just over 25 percent. As a result, the “Imbokodo” trial that began in 2017 will now be halted, and the participants, from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be told whether they received the vaccine or placebo. But the company will continue a parallel trial…

Anyone wondering why the heavy loan portfolio of the Federal Government appears a mismatch of visible projects may not need to dig too far, going by revelations emanating lately from the Senate. The recent allegation of a misappropriation of external loans by officials in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) to the tune of US$274.2 million or approximately N54 billion smells sour and very disturbing. For one thing, it seems to indicate a culture of mismanagement of loans meant for public purposes; and for another, it signposts a failure of the Buhari government’s anti-corruption campaign. Either…

Scores of All progressive Congress (APC) chieftains says they would not retrace their steps in rallying support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2023 poll. The group under the aegis of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) at the weekend embarked on an advocacy visit to Katsina state where they met with the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, the Emir of Daura Emirate, Alhaji Faruk Umar Faruk and APC members from all the 34 local councils of the state. areas in Katsina State was a big success. PCG led by Aliyu Rabiu…

Unsettled by abysmal leadership currently on offer by the political class, Nigerians earnestly look forward to a rescue mission at the 2023 general polls. Statesmen, groups, and even politicians are not left out of the anticipation, with some interesting permutations in the jostle for the next Presidential candidate. But beyond primitive sentiments of ethnicity, religion, and age cap, the primacy of noble character, commitment cum capacity to building a country that is as rich as its diversity should not be an afterthought. In reality, turning a broken nation into a hopeful one will require more committed leadership and citizens’ engagement…

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will be a notable absentee due to coronavirus travel restrictions when the group phase of qualifying in Africa for the 2022 World Cup finally kicks off on Wednesday. Salah plays for Egypt, who is on the United Kingdom travel ‘red list’, and he would have to quarantine for 10 days when he returns from his homeland, sidelining him for four fixtures. Both world body FIFA and African confederation CAF have pleaded, without success, for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exempt African footballers on World Cup duty. Stars in other European countries could also be affected…

Manchester United confirmed on Monday that Edinson Cavani will miss Uruguay’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador after his call-up was withdrawn by the Uruguayan Football Association. The Premier League announced last week that its clubs will not release players for international matches played in countries on the United Kingdom government’s red-list for travel. Players who do travel to red-list countries on international duty have not been given an exemption from quarantine on their return so would have to spend 10 days in a government-allocated hotel. “Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani is set to remain in England…

Arsenal’s worst start to a league season for 67 years will see the Gunners spend the next fortnight during an international break bottom of the table without a point or even a goal to show from their opening three games. Mikel Arteta’s position as manager is under increasing pressure with the Spaniard reportedly given four more Premier League games against Norwich, Burnley, Tottenham and Brighton to save his job before the October international break. To rub salt into Arsenal wounds, for the first time ever they sit bottom of the English top-flight table while north London rivals Spurs are top.…