Iheanacho deal reportedly stalled due to buy-back clause

West Ham’s interest in Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been well documented over the course of the last couple of weeks.

A bid has been submitted for the Nigerian and it’s clear to see that West Ham are keen to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.
However, according to a report from Own Goal Nigeria, the Hammers and City are struggling to come to an agreement over the transfer’s prospected buy-back clause.

It’s stated in the report that Pep Guardiola’s side are demanding that they have the option to re-sign Iheanacho for a fee of £30m, which is not too much more than what West Ham would likely sign the striker for.

However, the Hammers are insisting that the buy-back clause should be worth £40m as they attempt to reach a positive conclusion in the negotiations.
City are claimed to want the clause to be active for a duration of four years, whereas West Ham only want the possibility to last for two-and-a-half years.

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It looks as though there’s much more to come in this ongoing transfer saga.

Climate change : John Kerry compares Trump to OJ Simpson

If the deal doesn’t fit, Trump must quit?

Former Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday mocked President Trump’s claims that he will handle climate change — likening it to O.J.
Simpson hunting for his ex-wife’s murderer.

“When Donald Trump says we're going to negotiate a better deal — you know, he's going to go out and find a better deal?” Kerry said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

“That's like O.J. Simpson saying he's going to go out and find the real killer...Everybody knows he isn't going to do that because he doesn't believe in it.”

Trump on Thursday announced his plans to pull the United States out of the Paris climate deal, making it one of the few counties in the world to not support the first international agreement to cut back on pollution.

Trump framed it as a mostly economic decision, claiming he planned to “negotiate” a climate deal that would not burden the United States with as many costs and regulations.

But hundreds of business leaders argued that the deal, written as is, would have been a boon to the American economy, and the leaders of France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement the Paris deal “cannot be renegotiated.”

Trump has publicly wavered about global warming, hinting that he believes in some climate change while never going back on his prior claims that it is a “hoax.” It is unclear if he and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt even discussed climate change before leaving the Paris deal.

Kerry said Trump’s exit says everything one needs to know about where the President stands.
“If he did believe in it, he wouldn't have pulled out of Paris,” he said.
“America has unilaterally ceded global leadership on this issue.”

Trump abandoned the deal despite its support from some of his top advisors — including Kerry’s successor, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Tillerson is a former CEO of ExxonMobil, the energy company that snuffed climate change awareness for years but, even so, came out in support of the Paris accord.

Kerry wondered what made Trump think he knows better.

“I mean, what does Donald Trump know that Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, doesn't know?” he asked.

 

Saudi-led Alliance Moves to Isolate Qatar Over Iran Tensions

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries cut off most diplomatic and economic ties to Qatar in an unprecedented move designed to punish one of the region’s financial superpowers for its ties with Iran and Islamist groups in the region.

Oil jumped after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt said in statements they will suspend air and sea travel to and from Qatar. Saudi Arabia will also shut land crossings with its neighbor, potentially depriving the emirate of imports through its only land border.

Qatar is one of the world’s richest countries and of strategic importance, being the biggest producer of liquefied natural gas and home to one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. It also hosts CENTCOM, the U.S. military’s central command in the Middle East.

Emboldened by warmer U.S. ties under President Donald Trump, the Saudi-led alliance is seeking to stamp out any opposition to forming a united front against Shiite-ruled Iran. And while Monday’s escalation is unlikely to hurt energy exports from the Gulf, it threatens to have far-reaching effects on Qatar.

“There are going to be implications for people, for travelers, for business people. More than that, it brings the geopolitical risks into perspective,” Tarek Fadlallah, the CEO of Nomura Asset Management Middle East, said in an interview to Bloomberg Television. “Since this is an unprecedented move, it is very difficult to see how it plays out.”

Brent crude rose as much as 1.6 percent to $50.74 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, before paring gains to 1.1 percent by 11:58 a.m. Singapore time. Heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, and Iran typically draw market attention to the Strait of Hormuz, through which the U.S. Department of Energy estimates about 30 percent of seaborne oil trade passes. 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it’s important that the Gulf states remain unified and encouraged the various parties to address their differences. Tillerson, who spoke at a news conference in Sydney, said the crisis won’t undermine the fight on terrorism.

“What we’re seeing is a growing list of some irritants in the region that have been there for some time,” Tillerson said. “Obviously they’ve now bubbled up to a level that countries decided they needed to take action in an effort to have those differences addressed.”

Monday’s action is an escalation of a crisis that started shortly after Trump’s last month trip to Saudi Arabia, where he and King Salman singled out Iran as the world’s main sponsor of terrorism.

Verbal War
Three days after Trump left Riyadh, the state-run Qatar News Agency carried comments by Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani criticizing mounting anti-Iran sentiment. Officials quickly deleted the comments, blamed them on hackers and appealed for calm.

Saudi and U.A.E. media outlets then launched verbal assaults against Qatar, which intensified after Sheikh Tamim’s phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the weekend in apparent defiance of Saudi criticism.
“Qatar is right in the middle of the GCC countries and it has tried to pursue an independent foreign policy,” said Peter Sluglett, director of the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore. “The idea is to bring Qatar to heel.”

Past Crisis
Disagreements among the six member Gulf nations have flared in the past. In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Bahrain temporarily withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar. That dispute centered on Egypt, where Qatar had supported a Muslim Brotherhood government while the Saudis and U.A.E. bankrolled the army-led regime that toppled it.

This time, Saudi Arabia cited Qatar’s support of “terrorist groups aiming to destabilize the region,” including the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State and al-Qaeda. It accused Qatar of supporting “Iranian-backed terrorist groups” operating in the kingdom’s eastern province as well as Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain and the U.A.E., gave Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave.

“Qatar is economically and socially most vulnerable from food and other non-energy imports,” said Paul Sullivan, a Middle East expert at Georgetown University. “If there is a true blockade this could be a big problem for them. Rules stopping citizens of the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia and Bahrain from even transiting via Qatar could cause significant disruption, "

'Martial not leaving Man Utd'

Anthony Martial's agent has poured scorn on speculation linking the Manchester United forward with an exit this summer.

Signed from Monaco for £36m in 2015, Martial kicked his United career off with a scintillating first campaign at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in his debut season.

But a testing second term, which yielded just eight goals and public criticism from manager Jose Mourinho, has seen question marks rise over his future.

Paris Saint-Germain have long been linked with the France international, while West Ham emerged as surprise suitors for the 21-year-old.
However, Martial's agent, Philippe Lamboley, is adamant his client has no intention of leaving United.

Speaking to Journal du Dimanche, he said: "Martial has two years left and there is no reason for him to leave Manchester today.
"If [executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward tells me they want him to leave, things are different.
"But that is not what he told me during our last meeting."

Marcus Rashford's re-emergence reduced Martial's first-team opportunities last season and prompted Mourinho to demand more from the Frenchman.
"Is Anthony Martial a player with great potential? Yes," the United boss said.

"Can he play successfully for me? Yes. But he needs to give me things that I like very much."
And Martial clearly took the advice on board, ending a testing campaign strongly as he racked up 25 Premier League appearances and starred in United's EFL Cup and Europa League triumphs.

London : Uber is refunding customers caught up in terror attack

Uber is planning to refund any passengers that were caught up in the London Bridge terror attack on Saturday night.

Following the attack, which took place around 10pm, Uber's prices automatically rose as demand surged in the area surrounding London Bridge and Borough Market. Social media users quickly realised and started criticising the taxi app company through their accounts.
Once the company realised what had happened, it cancelled surge pricing and fares returned to normal.

 "We are ensuring all rides from around the affected area were free of charge," said Tom Elvidge, the general manager of Uber in London, in a statement.

"As soon as we heard about the incident we immediately suspended dynamic pricing all around the area of the attacks — and shortly afterwards across the whole of central London," he added.
Surge pricing was deactivated at 10:50pm around London Bridge and across the whole of Central London by 11:40pm, according to CNN.

Osinbajo is not favouring Christians – his stewards are Muslims, says aide

Bilkisu Saidu, senior special assistant on legal matters to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, says that most senior positions in the office of her principal are held by northerners, and that his meals are even served by Muslims.

Saidu was reacting to comments credited to one Ismaila Farouk from Zamfara state that appointments made by the acting president into some federal agencies and in his office were lopsided.

Speaking in an interview on BBC Hausa Radio on Sunday, the vice-presidential aide described the nepotism charges “as simply laughable, untrue, unfair and should not be taken seriously”.

According to her, “most senior positions on the vice president’s office are held by Muslims including by individuals who are from the north”.
“If you are talking about religion, the most senior official or position in the Office of the Vice-President apart from the vice-president himself is the office of the deputy chief of staff to the president and the name of the person occupying that office is Abdulrahman Ipaye and he is a Muslim,” she said.

“The positions following the chief of staff’s in the order of hierarchy are the special advisers in the office of the vice-president. Here there are three special advisers and two out of the three special advisers are Muslims, Senator Babafemi Ojudu and Barrister Mariam Uwais from Kano state.”

Saidu also said that a look at other senior positions in the vice-president’s office indicate that religious consideration was not a factor in the appointment of the officers, adding that “If you look at the remaining senior positions in that office, most of them are in the hands of Muslims from the north”.

“For instance the person in charge of protocol (the director of protocol) is Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary from Yobe state; those in charge of welfare and health in the office of the vice-president are mostly Muslims and from the north,” she added.
“Worthy of note are the stewards, those who serve the vice president’s meals, they are mostly Muslims, so what do the critics mean when they talk about religion.”

Dokpesi, Nwanyanwu float new ‘political party’

Dokpesi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joined some notable politicians to unveil a new political association – the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) – on Monday.

Dan Nwanyanwu, former chairman of the Labour Party, is also at the occasion which is ongoing at Reiz Continental Hotels in Abuja.
The slogan of the association is ‘Stronger Toget‎her’, and one Shitu Kabiru is its interim national chairman.

The national executive committee of the political association is yet to be constituted.
Dokpesi is the founder of DAAR Communications, owner of African Independent Television (AIT).

Before Monday’s event, there had been speculations that “disgruntled” members of the PDP were planning to establish‎ a new party

The PDP slid into a crisis after it lost the 2015 presidential election. Some of its members left the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and many more have threatened to defect to other parties if Ali Modu Sheriff wins the disputed PDP chairmanship at the supreme court.
Ahmed Makarfi, chairman of the caretaker of the PDP, had distanced himself from APDA. - The cableNG

Northern politicians bent on causing crisis between Osinbajo and Buhari – Shehu Sani

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has claimed that some Northerners are bent on causing conflict between the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani said the Northerners were trying to cause disaffection through the constant attack on the Acting President.

He noted that the attack on Osinbajo can create room for a North-South crisis.

Some politicians from the North at the weekend accused the acting president of nepotism in appointments.

Speaking in Kano, on Sunday, Sani said Northern politicians “who have suddenly derived the pleasure in attacking the acting president are hell bent on creating religious and ethnic disaffection among Nigerians.

‘’The actions and utterances of these northerners are designed to ignite disturbances and conflict between Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari.

‘’The acting President has proved to be a consistent and absolute loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari. It is unfair for anyone to accuse him of ethnic or religious bias or tribalism. Osinbajo has kept the flame of progress alight since the absence of the President. Those attacking Osinbajo are reactionary conservative elements.

‘’I believe that they have the fundamental right to express their opinion and make public their own perception but we must be very careful not to instigate crisis and conflict between the North and the Southern part of Nigeria

600 Billion Naira Oil Search In North-east Suffers Major Setback

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil search in the Northeast on the order of President Muhammadu Buhari is said to have suffered a major setback over the deferment of the return of equipment and personnel to exploration site in the Lake Chad.

New Telegraph put it that over N600 billion ($2 billion) had been invested.

The Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had on May 15 to return to site in “six weeks” might not come to fruition due to inability to move the equipment last week, which is the third week, based on the failure to secure clearance from the military just two weeks to the time promised.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar el- Kanemi, in Maiduguri, the NNPC’s helmsman, who promised his corporation’s determination to return to site “in six weeks,” stated that this decision would majorly be made after a “green light” to go ahead from the military authorities.

London-Paris Club refunds: Two governors to lose $3m, N500m

As part of the ongoing probe of the London-Paris Club refunds, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to apply for interim forfeiture of $3 million and N500 million linked to two governors.

Also, two suspects have been listed for trial in connection with the $3 million a governor allegedly laundered through a member of the House of Representatives and his brother.

The said $3 million was said to have been paid into the account of an investment company (name withheld) whose owner is said to be one of the suspects about to be tried.

The affected member of the House of Representatives was said to have gone underground while the serving governor is seeking soft-landing.

The second governor, who had allegedly laundered N500 million from the refunds through a consultancy firm, was fingered in the coordination and bankrolling of a protest march against the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, in Abuja on Thursday.

Investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that the EFCC was set to lay the facts of its probe of the London-Paris Club refunds which have matured for legal action before the court.

The Presidency had so far released N1.266.44 trillion to the 36 states in the past one year, including the N713.70 billion special intervention funds to states.

Following protests by states against over-deductions for external debt servicing between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of N522.74 billion (first tranche) to states as refunds pending the reconciliation of records.

Each state was entitled to a cap of N14.5 billion, being 25 per cent of the amounts claimed.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the payment of the claims would enable states to offset outstanding salaries and pension which had been “causing considerable hardship.”

The governors had sought for the loan refunds to states and local governments in a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on May 24, 2016.

But the alleged mismanagement of about N19 billion and $86 million meant for payment of consultants and legal advisers by some governors is under investigation.

Of the huge sum, EFCC has traced $3 million and N500 million to two of the governors.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Contrary to the noise being made, we are ready to approach the court for interim forfeiture of $3 million and N500 million linked to two governors through their fronts.

“By the time we file all necessary papers in court, Nigerians will know that we have conducted due diligence in tracking some of the London-Paris Club refunds.

“This is not a case of media trial. Many suspects have appeared before our team and made confessional statements.

“So far, two suspects will face trial on the alleged laundering of $3 million from the London-Paris Club refund for a governor

“On the $3 million, we have been trying to track down a member of the House of Representatives who we suspected had gone underground because he and his younger brother were implicated on how the cash was laundered through an investment company (names provided but withheld).

“As for the N500 million, the other governor allegedly laundered it from the London-Paris Club refunds through a consultancy firm.

“The same governor has been desperate to avoid being probed and to shield his fronts from being prosecuted.

“It was out of desperation that the governor allegedly bankrolled a protest march against the Acting EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by engaging an amorphous group called Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption (GLOCCOLAC).

“Our detectives are already probing how the governor funded the protest. The cash was openly shared in front of a posh hotel in Abuja with evidence obtained by our detectives.

“The governor was also sighted at a building near the hotel from where he monitored the protest march.

“Despite the fact that he disguised, intelligence picked him up.

“The building where he stayed is not far from EFCC’s office, and it is located near a new complex where electrical fittings are sold. All these places are within the vicinity of EFCC.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “We will apply for the forfeiture of the $3 million and N500 million in order to return them to the treasury. These are public funds allegedly laundered.”

Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004 empower the anti-graft agency to invoke Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause on any serving or former public officer or any Nigerian under probe. - The Nation

Man Docked For Stealing Wine At Shoprite

A 26-year-old man, Tajudeen Balogun, was  brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing two bottles of wine valued at N65, 200.

Mr. Balogun, a residing in Ikorodu, near Lagos, allegedly stole the wine at the Shoprite in the Ikeja Shopping Mall at Alausa.

The prosecutor, Clement Okuoimose, said the accused committed the offence on May 28. “The accused came into the mall under the pretext of buying some goods and stole two bottles of Laurent wine and hid them inside his shirt.

“When he got to the entrance, the security men stopped him for checking and they discovered the items under his shirt. “He was handed over to the police,” the prosecutor said.

The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 287 prescribes three-year jail term for stealing.

Mr. Balogun, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence and was granted bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Y.O. Ekogbulu, adjourned the case until June 28 for mention. - NAN

Video : Man caught having sex with female passenger while driving on a MOTORWAY

A motorist has been filmed having sex with his passenger while driving his Hyundai at 45mph on a highway in Moscow.

The scene was caught from another car on the road and posted by the Mash public group on a major Russian social network .

The report said he was driving his Hyundai - motto 'New Thinking, New Possibilities' - and "attentive to his partner at the same time".

"This guy is a true Caesar," reported the group.

"He is doing several things at the same time, he is driving his car and having sex.

"We only hope that this risky couple did not break any traffic rules.

"We do not recommend repeating it."

The scene was caught from another car on the road and posted by the Mash public group on a major Russian social networThe report said he was dri

Photo : Man fleeing London attack with beer in hand goes viral

A picture of the man was posted on Twitter by Howard Mannella, who said, "People fleeing #LondonBridge but the bloke on the right isn't spilling a drop. God Bless the Brits!" His post went viral, and was retweeted thousands of times.

One person tweeted, "People flee a terrorist attack LIKE LONDONERS." 

Another person said, "Evacuate? Well, OK. But this beer cost £6 a pint. I'm taking it with me."

Another post said, "That's London Pride, in a glass! Fair play to that fella #LondonAttacks"

Bill Cosby goes on trial for sexual assault

Bill Cosby is going on trial on Monday, in the only sexual assault case resulting from over 50 claims made against him.

The US entertainer is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constand in early 2004, when she was 31.
Constand knew Cosby because she helped to run the basketball team at Temple University in Philadelphia, and Cosby sat on the college's board.
The pair met in 2001 and he often gave her career advice.

Constand, who is Canadian, claimed the alleged incident happened when she went to Cosby's mansion in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
She said the comedian and star of TV's The Cosby Show gave her wine and what he called 'herbal' pills to relieve stress.

After 30 minutes she said she was left unable to move or speak, which is when Cosby allegedly sexually assaulted her.
She said that before this incident she had refused two other "embarrassing sexual advances" from Cosby.
Nearly 60 other women have made similar allegations against the actor, and some of them are pursuing civil cases against him.

But nearly all of those alleged incidents happened too long ago to be prosecuted in the criminal courts.
Constand's case is the only one that has made it to trial, and even that took over a decade.
It was approximately 12 months before Constand reported the alleged assault, and the first criminal case fell apart as a result of several complications, including insufficient evidence.

Constand and Cosby eventually reached a civil settlement in 2006 after she came forward again with the supporting statements of 13 other women who also accused Cosby of similar sexual assaults.
In the ensuing years more women told their stories and in 2015 Constand tried again, successfully filing a motion to unseal the civil suit deposition in which Cosby admitted to drugging and having sexual contact with Constand and other women but that it was consensual.

In 2015, the Montgomery County District Attorney decided to reopen the criminal investigation and in 2016 a judge ruled it could proceed to trial.
However, Constand's lawyers will be prevented from referring to much of the civil case.

They are also prohibited from using all but one of the nearly 60 other women as supporting witnesses in court.
Cosby has said his celebrity status means he won't be treated fairly by the justice system.
He has also suggested the case against him is motivated by racism and politics.

His trial is being held at the Montgomery County court house in Morristown, outside Philadelphia, and is expected to last around two weeks.

He denies all three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault, but if convicted faces up to 30 years in prison.

ISIS lures youth with women, meat, chocolates to recruit in Kerala

In heavily-encrypted audio transmissions from the mountains of Khorasan, he's heard extolling jihad, offering chocolates, housing and women to young Indians. Kerala's Abdul Rashid Abdulla is believed to have started ISIS recruitment and fundraising operations in the southern state in July 2015. In less than two years, he has risen through the terror ranks as the group's recruiter-in-chief for India based out of Afghanistan.


An India Today investigation has cracked open tightly-guarded tools of communications he has been using to lure young men back home into ISIS fold. Audio signals accessed exclusively by the network shed new light on the Islamist outfit's India module recruiting new insurgents, mostly from Kerala.

INSIDE THE ISIS RECRUITMENT ROOM

A resident of Kasaragod district, Abdulla had led 21 youth from the state to ISIS dens in Afghanistan. Reports suggest two to three of them died in security ops this year. But the India handler continues to send audio clips back to Kerala via the highly-secure Telegram messaging app in order to fill his rosters with insurgents from India, the investigation found.

His messages in Malalayam aim to radicalise youth in the name of Islam and a ballyhooed promised caliphate. Highly-places sources in the country's intelligence establishment have confirmed the authenticity of Abdulla's voice on Telegram audio files obtained by India Today.

ISIS AFGHANISTAN TERROR TAPES

"IS has much more territory than you can imagine in Iraq, Sham, Libya, Khorasan, Africa, etc. These lands are ruled by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He is the leader of all Muslims in the world. Therefore, it is obligatory to give bayat (oath of allegiance) to him," he says in Malayalam in one of the transmissions from his Afghan hideout to Kerala. In tapes, he repeatedly glorifies ISIS as a "normal country" espousing shariat. "This is just like a country here, just like any other government.
We lead a normal life here in Islamic State Khorasan. Everything allowed in sharia is done here and anything not allowed by sharia cannot be done here. There are different departments here under the Islamic State government, such as the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Police, Wealth, Zakat (charity), Finance and Department of Jihad." Without demanding tough commitments, Abdulla is heard tossing out baits to induce his target audience.

ON OFFER: WOMEN, MEAT & CHOCOLATES

In his messages, he presents housing, meat and even chocolates to future recruits. "There are houses here. All facilities are there including electricity and water in houses. There are individual houses. Most of the houses are owned by the government. There are markets here where everything is available.

Everything that is available back in our country is available here also -- chocolates, biscuits, meat, vegetables," Abdulla says. The ISIS' Afghanistan-based India handler is also heard enticing young men with women, saying guerrillas in the group are encouraged to marry widows of slain militants. "My friend, Murshid, married a virgin woman," he says, "Sajid married a widow with two children and Manjat a widow with one child. So whatever the case is, getting married here is easy." 

Indoctrination follows next as he gives his own interpretation of sacred texts and sharia, calling ISIS purely Islamic. In the same vein, he justifies use of brutal violence as part of jihad. "It's a sunnah to do jihad. Islamic state also does jihad - against the mushrikeen, kuffaar, murtadeen and the munafiqeen. Let Allah show the correct path to all and may we all meet in heaven."

According to top security officials, Abdulla took 17 people from Kasargod and four from Palakkad in Kerala to ISIS camps in Afghanistan. In January, the NIA named him a key motivator for the terror outfit in India. His recruits, security officials say, included professionals doctors, engineers and management experts.

Till March this year, as many as 75 people have been arrested from across India for suspected links with the ISIS. Of them 21 belonged to Kerala, 16 to Telangana, nine to Karnataka, four to Tamil Nadu, eight to Maharashtra, six to Madhya Pradesh, four to Uttarakhand, three to Uttar Pradesh, two to Rajasthan and one each to Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal, highly-placed officials told India Today.

Nigerian victim Of Sex Trafficking In Italy Tells Her Shocking Story

Cynthia recounts her story: “I had problems back in Nigeria, family problems.” Cynthia says. “My aunties, well, a woman I was so close to in my village I called her auntie, said her brother ran a pharmacy in Italy and he needed a girl to help him there.”

“Straight away I asked her if it was prostitution,” she remembers, “but she took me in like her own daughter, and we were so close, so when she said if it was prostitution, I wouldn’t let you go, I believed her.”

“She was lying. When I got to Libya, the boga –a man– told me I wouldn’t be working in a pharmacy, but that I was going to be a prostitute.” Cynthia says. “I cried all through the night, but I could not go back, I could only move forward to Italy.”

“When I arrived on 25 June, 2016, they transferred me to [a hotspot in] Trappani for a week, then to a camp in Reggio Calabria. There a woman gave me a telephone to call my auntie.” She says. “I said, ‘I’m here.’ And then that phone that I used was ringing all the time, a woman was calling to arrange for a man to come and get me out of the camp.”

“One day, a man came to get me. We waited in a supermarket, and another man came who drove me somewhere in Sicily. I don’t know where it was, but when we got there, they took me to the woman I spoke to on the phone. She gave me a bed, and in the morning she woke me up and said she works with my auntie, and that now I was her prostitute.”

“I argued and fought with her all day until the night.Then she took me into her bedroom and she cut my wrist and collected my blood. She took pieces of my hair, and took my menstruation pad and put it all into a bag. She said if I go away from her, she will take my blood to Nigeria and use Juju to poison my blood.”

“The next day, we took a train to Calabria, and the woman gave me the things I need to work – panties, a bra, and condoms,” Cynthia remembers, “She told me I owed her €30,000 for the trip and I was going to work to pay it off. I told her the trip wasn’t that much, but she said ’That’s not my concern and if I ran to the police they would deport me.”

“I was scared of her, of the police, of everything, so I agree,” she says.

“I saw the man who took me from the camp again, and he took me to the place I would be working. We called it Lentini, and was a road between that town and Catania. It was just a road in the bush, with so many girls working on it.”

“He said I needed to change my clothes and into the underwear they gave me, and if a car came, I had to take the driver into the bush for sex.” Cynthia says. “In the bushes and on the small roads there were beds, he said.”

“I worked from morning until the nighttime. I can’t remember how many men I was with, but it was a lot. When I got back to the house I was crying and I told the madam I wanted to call my parents, but she said no and demanded the money I had made.”

“I did the same thing every day in June, July, August, September, and October. In October, in the early morning, the police came to the door and knocked and shouted ‘Open up!’ The madam was running everywhere and she locked me and some other girls in the bedroom. I hid in the bath, and the police took the other girls and the madam.”

“Eventually I followed them to the police though, because I spoke to one of the girls and she said it was okay.”

Cynthia was transferred to the safe house for women who are victims of sex trafficking where she awaits her paperwork to be processed.

“I’m hoping that the government helps me with my documents, and that I can find a job. That’s my only way out of this. I’ll be okay and earning money and sending it home to my family. I would finally be happy because my family would be happy.” 

Bodies of seven African migrants recovered from truck in Libya

Seven African migrants died, apparently from suffocation, after being locked for two days in a refrigerated truck that was abandoned by people smugglers on the Libyan coast, officials said.

Twenty-eight others, including five women, were rescued on Sunday when the truck was discovered at Garabulli, a town some 50 km (30 miles) east of Tripoli that is a common departure point for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.

"We got a call from a civilian who reported that he could hear voices coming from a truck, which he believed contained Africans, based on their language," said Adel Mostafa, an anti-illegal migration official in Tripoli.

The survivors said they had been left there by smugglers, according to Hosni Abu Ayana, a second official at the Tripoli detention center to which they were brought. The migrants said the truck driver left the vehicle at the side of the road after unknown gunmen began firing at the tyres.

Libya is the main gateway for migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. The North African country slipped into turmoil after its 2011 uprising and migrant smugglers operate with impunity, packing people onto ill-equipped boats that often sink or break down. - Reuters

It's in the interest of Africa for Israel to be reinstated in AU - Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on African leaders to reinstate Israel’s observer status in the African Union (AU).

Israel lost its observer status in 2002 when the Organisation of African Union was dissolved and replaced by the AU.

“Israel should once again be an observer state of the African Union … I fervently believe that it’s in your interest too, in the interest of Africa. And I hope all of you will support that goal,” Netanyahu told West African leaders at the 51st ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State in Liberia’s capital Monrovia on Sunday.

“I ask for your support in rejecting anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, and in bodies such as the General Assembly, UNESCO and the Human Rights Council,” he appealed.

He likened Israel to Africa and said a change of mind is what will bring peace to the world.

“With determination and conviction, you won your independence … This is very much our story. Our people too were denied independence … Many Arab countries no longer see Israel as their enemy. They see Israel as their ally, I would even say, their indispensable ally in the fight against terrorism and in seizing the future of technology and innovation,” he said.

Netanyahu added that the change of attitude in the Arab world “is new and I believe it’s the best hope for peace, not only between Israel and the countries in the region, but ultimately between Israel and the Palestinians. This is what changes minds and hearts.”

Palestine was granted an observer status in the African Union in 2013 and its leader Mahmoud Abbas has addressed the Union on a number of occasions.

Israel strongly believes its absence in the African Union has affected the country in terms of votes in international forums as a result of the country’s voice not being heard.

Before his visit to Liberia, he told local media that the purpose of the trip was to “dissolve this majority, this giant bloc of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the U.N. and international bodies.”

“Israel is a small nation that dreams very, very big. Lets work together to realize big dreams for all our people. Let our dreams be so audacious. But just as those who doubted Israel were proven wrong, let us ensure that the skeptics who doubt Africa are also proven wrong,” he told the West African leaders.

Netanyahu concluded by saying: “Israel is a nation that loves and respects all … In Israel, Jews, Christians and Muslims live side by side as equal citizens. This is the real Israel.”

africanews

Protest against ECOWAS forces in Jammeh's village claims one life

One person was declared dead, two injured and 22 arrested after a protest on Friday night in the village of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh against the presence of ECOWAS forces referred to as ECOMIG.

The figures were disclosed by Interior Minister Mai Ahmed Fatty in a televised statement on Saturday adding that efforts are being made to arrest leaders of the Kanilai village who are behind the illegal protest.

“During the exchange two protesters and one ECOMIG officer were injured. Unfortunately, one of the injured protestors died this morning at the EFST Hospital in Banjul … There were 22 people arrested from the incident while the village head of Kanilai and others went into hiding but efforts are on the way to find them,” he said.

He added that an emergency security meeting has been convened by the president to address the situation but warned the public to abide by the laws of the country.

You either abide by the law or you will be consume by the law,” he said, justifying the presence of the ECOMIG forces who were deployed to the country after the refusal of Jammeh to step down when he lost the December 1 elections.

President Adama barrow said on Sunday that the Kanilai event is violent and cannot be tolerated again.

“I’ll promote democracy,freedom & reconciliation. Kanilia event is violence & no respect for rule of law. I’ll not tolerate it again #Gambia,” he tweeted from Liberia’s capital Monrovia where he is attending the 51st ECOWAS Summit.

According to local media, some of the protesters were wielding homemade weapons threatening security forces who controlled the situation.

The protesters were also reported to have called for the ECOMIG forces to leave the residence of the former president where they are based.

Yahya Jammeh is in exile in Equatorial Guinea and over 200 of his assets in The Gambia have been frozen, with a number of them in the control of his siblings in Kanilai.

He ruled the country for 22 years and for six weeks he refused to accept his election defeat by Adama Barrow. Jammeh finally agreed to leave power after the ECOMIG military intervention and last minute negotiations by Presidents of Guinea and Mauritania.

There are hundreds of ECOMIG forces presently in The Gambia upon the request of President Adama Barrow to maintain security.

What do Man Utd need?

Where do Manchester United need to strengthen in the transfer window? And which players will they be after?

Here, we take a look at Jose Mourinho's potential transfer targets and what the manager has had to say about his plans for the summer.
We also have expert opinion on what areas of their squad United need to address…

What do they need?

Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier: "It's going to be an interesting transfer window for Manchester United. First of all, I think they need a standout centre-back. They've got numbers in that area and I think Eric Bailly will be decent but they will need somebody to partner him long-term. They've got a couple of young lads coming through as well but again they'll be used as back-ups, so they can probably move a few of the other ones on.

"Further up the pitch, I like Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be better next season but I still think they could do with another option behind the striker with Wayne Rooney unlikely to still be there.

"In terms of strikers, I think we'll see Marcus Rashford play more centrally next season. If Zlatan Ibrahimovic can prove his fitness then he'll stay on and we'll see a better season from Anthony Martial. So even if they can't get Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, I don't really see too much happening in that area."

What has the manager said?

Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho: "I have no idea if Antoine Griezmann will come to United. Ask [executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward. He knows since March who I want, what I want and how much I want. Now is for him to work."
"If, in the next transfer window, we manage to be successful, I think we can [challenge for the title]. There is work to be done. The good thing is the club knows, the board knows, I know and we are together on this process."

Who will they target?

Manchester United are targeting four top signings this summer, according to Sky sources. Griezmann was their primary target, however, it looks as though the Atletico Madrid forward will now be staying in Spain. Instead, they could be looking into a deal to bring Alvaro Morata to Old Trafford.
Signing a central defender is a priority, with Burnley's Michael Keane, Southampton's Virgil van Dijk and Benfica's Victor Lindelof the three options United are considering for the position.
In addition, United are also looking to add a central midfielder and a versatile defender capable of playing either right or left back.

22-Year-Old Lady Robber Sold 20 Kidnapped Kids. See How Much She Sold Her Own Child

Twenty-two-year-old Chinaza Onwuasoanya, is now gnashing her teeth in the custody of the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Anambra State Police Command, after refusing to retrace her steps and turn a new leaf.

Onwuasoanya was impregnated by her boyfriend in Lagos and returned to Anambra State to have the baby but was too ashamed to go back home to her parents. After giving birth to a baby girl, a friend introduced her to 45-year-old Goodness, who runs an orphanage, which the police allege, was a cover for a baby-trafficking operation.

Onwuasoanya easily handed over the baby girl in exchange for the sum of N150,000 paid to her by Goodness and moved on with her life. The money she made from the evil transaction apparently opened her eyes to the possibility of earning more from the same source. Without batting an eyelid, she moved into child-trafficking, thereby sinking deeper into iniquity.

Recounting her journey into child-trafficking, Onwuasoanya told Sunday Sun: “I got into child trafficking two years ago. I have sold 20 male and female children to Madam Goodness who operates the orphanage. She paid me between N150,000 and N200,000 for each baby I sold to her. I got to know her when I became pregnant and gave birth to a girl on October 4, 2013. After I delivered the baby, a friend introduced me to Madam Goodness. I took my daughter to her and she gave me N150,000.00, to take care of myself.

After that time, I decided to go into child trafficking by kidnapping children coming back from school or getting them in the street. Then I would take them to Madam Goodness. And she would sell them between N150,000 and N200,000. But I was arrested on May 1, 2017, when I stole a set of twins at an estate in Onitsha and took them to my house. Suddenly the father of the twins traced me to my house and came with policemen and I was arrested.”

Onwuasoanya who hails from Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, made interesting revelations to the police while being interrogated. She confessed to being a member of the gang of robbers who killed two policemen, Inspector Shuaibu Usman and Sergeant Julius Matthew, of Police Mobile Force 29 in February, 2017 at Nkpor fly-over, Onitsha and took their AK-47 rifles, which were later used to commit robberies in Nkpor, Obosi, Ogidi, Nkpor Old Road, Awka, Oye-agu. She also assisted the SARS operatives to arrest three members of the gang while the other six members escaped and are still at large. She disclosed that she was always given her own share of the money made during robbery operations, saying that she got between N50,000 and N80,000.

Though the prodigal daughter is now filled with regret, it appears too late, as the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Okaula, indicated. Besides, she passed up the opportunity to retrace her steps after giving birth to the baby. As she noted, her parents are still alive and probably agonizing over their daughter who deviated from the strait and narrow path and chose the way that has now put her in police custody for allegedly associating with armed robbers and engaging in child-trafficking.

“I have regretted what I did. My parents are alive. It was my friend who introduced to child trafficking and which led me to armed robbery today,” Onwuasoanya said, the reality of what lies ahead weigh heavily on her mind.

Meanwhile, the Commander of SARS, Supol Sunday Okpe confirmed that Ownuasoanya’s confession led to the arrest of three people alleged to be members of the gang. The suspects are: Ifeanyi Onwukwe a.k.a Nger, 22; Chidubem Osita a.k.a Kabaka, 23, and Chijioke Obi a.k.a Abababa, who is 23 years old.

When prodded by Sunday Sun for comments, Onwukwe said: “It is true that we killed two policemen at Nkpor, we went with one vehicle and three motorcycles which we always used for our robbery operations. We always met at the football field at Nkpor to plan our strategies. The SARS operatives recovered an AK47 rifle from us. We used the AK47 rifle to carry out our operations.”

Goodness who admitted to running an orphanage, which had 15 children, however, denied engaging in child trafficking. She added: “Students who got pregnant come to us to deliver their babies, and we take care of them. Also children whose parents died are brought to us too.

I don’t sell children rather I take care of them. I have never known Chinasa Onwuasoanya in my life.”