Illinois man charged with threatening to assassinate Trump

 An Illinois man has been charged after posting online several times that he wants to assassinate President Donald Trump.

Joseph Lynn Pickett of Edwardsville was charged June 15 with threatening the president of the United States, the Belleville News-Democrat (http://bit.ly/2ssw5WM ) reported.

U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Vincent Pescitelli said in a criminal complaint that Pickett "did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm" against Trump on Facebook.

The posts included frequent profanity as well as detailed death threats to the president.

After making the online threats, Pickett also posted several times that he was "still waiting" for the Secret Service to come arrest him.

The complaint said two of Pickett's co-workers at Lowes contacted the Secret Service indicating that Pickett had posted threatening messages against Trump on Facebook.

Pickett also bragged about having weapons.

"Please call the Cops on me now so I have an,excuse to use my firepower .... AR 15, AK 47, s and w 40, Sig sauer 9 mm. Oh I'm so afraid of the police now..," he wrote.

Pickett will be detained until a trial because the court can't ensure the safety of other people in community due to "mental instability," according to court documents.

A phone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Public Defender Thomas Gabel was not immediately returned.

Jackie Kennedy watch fetches nearly $380K in New York

An engraved gold Cartier watch given to Jacqueline Kennedy and a reciprocal thank-you painting from the former first lady sold for $379,500 at auction in New York on Wednesday, Christie's said.

The Tank watch was given to Kennedy by her brother-in-law, Prince Stanislaw "Stas" Radziwill, in February 1963 to commemorate a 50-mile hike in Palm Beach championed by former president John F. Kennedy in a drive to make Americans fitter.

The back of the timepiece is engraved: "Stas to Jackie, 23 Feb. 1963. 2.05am to 9.35pm" -- the start and finish of what turned into a 19-hour, 30-minute hike.
In exchange the first lady gave Radziwill a painting she made of him and Chuck Spalding, a close friend of the president's, with the dedication: "February 23, 1963 2.05am to 9.35pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration."

Kennedy was often photographed wearing the watch, which smashed pre-sale estimates of $60,000 to $120,000, together with the painting, to sell after three minutes of bidding and more than a dozen individual bids, Christie's said.

"In 20 years I've been selling watches, I've never seen so much excitement," John Reardon, international head of watches at Christie's, told AFP ahead of the sale.

"Many of the most iconic photographs of her, you can see the Cartier Tank in the corner of the picture on her wrist," Reardon said.
The identity of the buyer was not immediately disclosed, but Reardon said potential buyers from Asia, Europe and the United States expressed interest in having "a little piece of Camelot to put on their wrist."

He described the condition of the more than 50-year watch as "extraordinary considering its age" and said its current strap had been worn by Kennedy.

"She preferred to wear a lizard strap, when she had this piece on her wrist for decades, and this is the actual strap that she wore for many years," he said.
Kennedy is one of America's most iconic first ladies, remembered for her style, elegance and sophistication. Plunged into mourning by her husband's assassination in 1963, she later married Greek shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis.

She died in Manhattan in 1994 at the age of 64.

Radziwill was an emigre aristocrat who escaped from the German invasion of Poland at the end of World War II and later married Jackie's sister, Lee.

US Govt. Did Not Grant Apostle Suleiman "Honorary Citizenship"

A widely publicized claim that controversial Nigerian preacher, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, has been granted 'honorary citizenship" by the US government is absolutely false Sahara Reporters

can authoritatively reveal. Apostle Suleiman is the founder of the Auchi-based Omega Fire Worldwide Ministries.

Mr. Phrank Shuaibu, the preacher's publicist, had claimed extravagantly that the US government granted Apostle Suleiman “honorary citizenship” as a non-resident of  South Carolina.
Contrary to the claim, SaharaReporters discovered that the alleged honorary citizenship is an insignificant gesture usually made by state legislators in the US.

According to our investigations, John Richard C. King, Chairman South Carolina Legislators Black Caucus representing a South Carolina county in the state house of assembly issued a letter to Apostle Suleiman conferring on him the honorary citizenship of the state of South Carolina.  
      
Made in the letter was a promise to confer the “honor” on Mr. Suleiman at the State Capitol building in Columbia. However, the lawmaker hurriedly took the award to Inglewood in California to present to Apostle Suleiman, where he was having a church program.

US state legislators routinely give letters and plaques that carry official proclamations with no real value. Sometimes, such gestures are used to raise campaign funding. SaharaReporters cannot confirm whether or not Apostle Suleiman paid for the letter and plaque. In its entire history, the United States has only granted  8 honorary citizenships, the last one was granted in 2014 posthumously to Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez, a Spaniard American war hero.


Apostle Suleiman is currently nursing a reputational injury arising from allegations of sexual liaison made by Canada-based singer, Stephanie Otobo.

Herbalist Charged With Raping Woman For Days

A 30-year-old native doctor, Lucky Okon, who allegedly raped a woman for days and defrauded her of N800,000, on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The accused was arraigned before Magistrate J.A Adigun on a two-count charge. Okon, who resides on Ajasa Command Road, Ipaja, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty, and was admitted to bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awazie, the accused committed the offences on March 14 on Abesan Housing Estate, Ipaja.

Awazie said that the accused raped a 25-year-old woman and defrauded her of N800,000. “The accused accosted the complainant on her way from work.

“He hypnotised her with a substance suspected to be charm, and asked her to give him her N800,000, which she did,” he said

Awazie said that the accused also took the complainant home and raped her for days.

“It was when the complainant regained her senses that she reported the case to the police, and the accused was arrested,” he said

Awazie said that the offences contravened Sections 260 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (revised).

The accused may be jailed for life if found guilty of rape, according to the provisions of Section 260.

The case has been adjourned until June 29 for mention.

'Robinho thought he'd be playing rugby in England!'

Former Manchester City striker Jo has claimed that Robinho thought he would be playing “rugby” in one of his first games for the club, such was the size of his opponents!

Both Brazilians joined City in the summer of 2008, following Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's takeover of the club.
And both were selected to face Portsmouth at the City of Manchester Stadium by manager Mark Hughes, with Sol Campbell, Peter Crouch and Papa Boupa Diop all lining up for the opposition.

Robinho was subsequently taken aback by the height and physicality of Pompey’s XI, according to Jo, and the two shared a joke in the tunnel prior to kick-off.
“In Robinho’s game against Portsmouth in 2008 I scored my first goal with Manchester City’s shirt, but this game had a really funny story before,” he told ESPN.

“We were positioned in the tunnel and their defence was Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell, one of the midfielders was Bouba Diop, and there was Peter Crouch in the attack. It was almost a team only of giants.

“Then Robinho looked at the guys and said to me, ‘F***, Jô, are we going to play rugby? Look at the size of the guys!’ I just replied: ‘Yes, Robinho, welcome to the English League.”
Both Robinho and Jo scored as City won 6-0. Sometimes giants can be slayed.  

Former Chelsea star Oscar fined £4,620 for mass brawl - but will earn nearly £3million during eight-match ban

Now you'd think that Oscar - the Brazilian midfielder who used to be seen flitting in and out of Chelsea matches - is most definitely "not that sort of player".

When he was at Stamford Bridge he never used to say boo to any geese, but it seems as though everything has changed for him every since he made the move the Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in December.

The CSL outfit, who are managed by ex-Chelsea and Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas, have seemingly brought out the dark side in the 25-year-old, at least if the huge brawl which happened against Guangzhou R&F at the weekend is anything to go by.

And after inciting the huge fight by blasting the ball at an opponent, Oscar has been fined £4,620 and been banned for eight matches - ruling him out of action for Villas-Boas' side until August 13.

But thanks to his huge wages of £20.8m a year, the midfielder can sit back and watch the money roll in during his enforced time away from the game.
Because according to Bet365, Oscar will earn a staggering £2,971,436 during his 52-day suspension, which amounts to being paid £57,143 a day and means that he can earn enough to pay that £4,620 fine in less than two hours. - Mirror

Liverpool told transfer target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will cost £63m

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has set a £63m asking price for Liverpool transfer target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, stating that the club will listen to any offer which shows “its appreciation” for the forward in “a financial way”.

Liverpool have been linked to the in-demand forward, who scored 42 goals for club and country last season, as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Aubameyang has spoken publicly of his desire to leave Dortmund, stating in January that “If I want to go to the next level, I need to leave in summer”, and Watze has confirmed that the club are willing to sell the striker for the right price.

The forward had initially looked set for a summer move to Paris-Saint Germain but despite making an official approach, the Ligue 1 side pulled out in a development that opens the door to Liverpool and other interested parties.
And speaking to Bild, Watzke revealed that any offers worth £63m and beyond for Aubameyang would bring Dortmund to the transfer table.

“We will listen to it when a club is willing to show its appreciation for Aubameyang in a financial way as well,” he said.
“If an official bid were to reach more than £63million, it would have to be reported as a necessary to proceed. This has not happened so far.”

The Gabonese forward has scored a total of 85 goals from 125 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, and has been crowned the Bundesliga top scorer, Bundesliga player of the year and African footballer of the year during his time in Germany.

For now, Liverpool are in the process of signing Mohamed Salah who was due to arrive at the club for a medical earlier this week.
Salah could be the first of a number of new arrivals at Anfield in a deal understood to be worth £35m, though such a figure could rise with add-ons. - The Independent

Spurs willing to wait for Barkley

Tottenham are prepared to wait for Everton to lower their asking price for Ross Barkley as the transfer window progresses, according to Sky sources.

Spurs are concentrating their early efforts in the market on a replacement right-back for Kyle Walker, should he leave for Manchester City, and a new No 10 - with Barkley their top target.
Sky sources understand Everton value the 23-year-old at £50m, despite Barkley having only a year left on his contract and indicating he will not sign a new one this summer.

Though Spurs have baulked at the fee, their interest in Barkley will remain until the deadline. However, it is understood the north London club will not rule out moving for a different target should an attractive deal present itself.
National newspapers

National newspapers have reported that Arsenal are also interested in Barkley this summer.
The England international made 39 appearances and scored six goals for Everton last season, but was accused of inconsistency by manager Ronald Koeman.

Barkley is a product of the Toffees' academy, making his debut in 2011, and has made over 175 appearances, scoring 27 goals. 

Police caught demanding to have rape victim on bed before arresting suspects

A 37-year-old woman has revealed that an investigating officer, Jai Prakash Singh refused to arrest two men who raped her at gunpoint until she had sex with him.

The woman, who hails from northern Uttar Pradesh province, said she was left in fear after police failed to detain 55-year-old Ameer Ahmad, and Sattar Ahmad, 45, after she reported them for rape.

She said her requests were repeatedly ignored by officer Singh who instead questioned her on the lurid details of the alleged attack, before suggesting she “fulfill my desires.”
The case was reported by Times of India, which says it has recordings of Singh making his advances.

The woman explained that Ameer and Satar offered her a lift home from a relative’s house, only to return and raped her later when they discovered she was home alone.

She reported the case to police, but said officers failed to file charges until she went to a local court to complain.

She lamented that her attackers, who live in the same village, were left free to roam the streets, leaving her in fear of her life.
She said despite making desperate pleas to Singh to jail the pair, he instead began messaging her phone asking to meet in private and propositioning her.

When she complained about his behaviour, she claims he closed the case.
But Singh kept on harassing her, at which point she made secret recordings and took them to the police chief.

Speaking about the tapes, police superintendent, Vipin Tada said, “The voice in the audio clip doesn’t match with that of the [investigator]. But we will investigate her charges thoroughly.” 

Six European countries deport 34 Nigerians

Thirty-four Nigerians deported from six European countries for immigration-related offences arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday.

The deportees, who arrived at 6:30am, were sent back home from Switzerland, Germany, Iceland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary.
They comprised 32 males and two females, and were brought back in a chartered Airblue Panorama aircraft.

Joseph Alabi, spokesman of the Lagos airport police command, confirmed the development to NAN.
“This morning, we received 34 Nigerians who were brought back from Europe. They were made up of 32 males and two females,” NAN quoted him as saying.

He said all the deportees were alleged to have committed immigration-related offences in their host countries.
Alabi said the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the police.

Also on the ground to receive them were officials the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The deportees were profiled by immigration authorities and were allowed to depart to their various destinations.

Many Nigerians have been deported (some pictured) from different parts of the world in the last one year.

In April, nine European countries — Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Hungary — deported 90 Nigerians. - Cable Nigeria

Bride catches groom in bed with bridesmaid and her best friend tweets EVERYTHING of course.

Strap yourselves in, guys.

An anonymous American bride has caught her fiance in bed with one of her  bridesmaids on the night before their wedding.

Another bridesmaid (not the one in bed with said fiance) has given a blow by blow (sorry) account of what followed on Twitter, and honestly, it’s better than any daytime soap we’ve ever seen.
There’s a potluck, a spontaneous Las Vegas wedding, a paintball attack and some very odd Harry Potter references.

The bridesmaid, who goes by the Twitter name Starlight Witch, begins live tweeting the event by saying her friend wants to "keep the drama off Twitter".

The bride then comes out with the best one liner ever: "“I didn’t dodge a bullet, I dodged a f---ing atomic bomb", and she is our new feminist hero.
The s----y ex-fiance and the bridesmaid from hell then announce they're going on a REAL honeymoon and why is this all playing out on social media? (but also please don't stop).

Starlight Witch finishes up her livetweeting by saying they've given the dirtbag groom's passport and personal items to his mum, and now he'll have to deal with her wrath.

And we all know hell hath no fury like a mother of the groom scorned.
Let's hope she live tweets it.

Australian senator breastfeeds baby while moving a motion in parliament

An MP in Australia has addressed Parliament while breastfeeding her baby, admitting that she moved a motion only moments before her daughter “moved her own motion”.

In a first for the nation, Larissa Waters, a Greens MP, addressed the chamber – she was speaking about black lung disease, a condition affecting coal miners - while feeding her baby, a 14-week-old  named Alia Joy.

The three-month-old previously made history in May after she became the first baby to be breastfed in Australia’s Parliament and has become a regular attendee at Australia’s Senate, or Upper House.

The MP’s decision to speak while feeding appeared to be warmly welcomed and was greeted with smiles in the chamber.

After delivering her address, Ms Waters said in a tweet: "First time I've had to move a Senate motion while breastfeeding! And my partner in crime moved her own motion just before mine, bless her."

In 2009, Sarah Hanson-Young, a Greens MP, was forced to remove her two-year-old child from the chamber – an incident she described as “humiliating”.

The two-year-old girl could subsequently be heard bawling from just outside the chamber doors.

In 2015, Kelly O’Dwyer, a Liberal MP and cabinet minister, was told by the government whip to express more milk to ensure she did not miss votes in Parliament.

But the Parliament last year changed its rules to allow mothers to breastfeed in the chamber.

Previously, mothers had to leave the chamber to breastfeed and were required to seek a proxy for any votes.

The Senate – at Ms Waters’ urging – has also changed its rules  to ensure mothers or fathers can enter the Senate to briefly assist with the care of children.

“I am so proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the Federal Parliament,” Ms Waters said in May.

“We need more women and parents in Parliament. And we need more family-friendly and flexible workplaces, and affordable childcare, for everyone.” - The Telegraph

Costa wants Atletico move

 

Diego Costa has told Atletico Madrid he wants to sign for them again, according to Sky sources.

The Chelsea striker revealed on June 8 that he had received a message from manager Antonio Conte telling him he was not in his plans at Stamford Bridge for next season.

If Costa moved back to Atletico he would not be able to play until January because FIFA has banned them from registering players during this transfer window.

Costa, 28, scored 20 goals in 35 league appearances in their title-winning campaign last season,
The London club signed Costa from Atletico three years ago for £32m when Jose Mourinho was manager.

Following Spain's 2-2 draw with Colombia at the beginning of the month, Costa said: "I'm a Chelsea player, but they do not want me there.

"Antonio Conte has told me by message that I do not follow at Chelsea and that's it. Conte said he did not count on me for next season.
"It's a shame, I've already forwarded the message to Chelsea people to decide. But it is clear that the coach does not count on me and does not want me there."

The Spain international has always stated a desire to one day return to Atletico where he played between 2010-2014.

Conte repeatedly said during the season he could not guarantee Costa would stay, but Conte continued to pick his top scorer in the Premier League finale.

Costa missed Chelsea's trip to Leicester in January when Sky sources said a training-ground row ended with Conte telling the player to "go to China".

Trump using Trump hotel to hold Trump re-election fundraiser

President. Candidate. Businessman. Three of President Donald Trump's roles converge next week as he holds his first re-election fundraiser at his hotel in Washington.

Trump can see the Trump International Hotel from the White House lawn, making it a premier and convenient location for the June 28 major-donor event, his campaign director Michael Glassner said.

But the choice also raises ethics questions, according to conflict of interest attorneys who have been critical of Trump's decision not to cut financial ties with his global business empire.
Kathleen Clark, a former ethics lawyer for the District of Columbia, said that while not illegal or even unusual for Trump, it's a bold example of self-dealing that deeply concerns some Americans.
"It's another example of him trying to get a twofer, promoting his brand through his campaign or his government work," she said.

Norman Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's lead ethics attorney, said Trump is "becoming more and more brazen in his efforts to monetize the presidency."
Eisen is suing Trump for violating a clause of the Constitution that prohibits foreign gifts and payments; Trump and the Justice Department have called such lawsuits baseless.

Trump has commingled business and politics right from the June 2015 day he glided down an escalator at Trump Tower in New York City to announce his candidacy.

Ethics experts say his continued appearances at his own for-profit properties — he's visited such locations 37 times as president, according to an Associated Press tally — double as a form of advertising that inappropriately enriches him.

The annual financial disclosure Trump filed last week shows that Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort he visited on seven weekends this winter, saw a revenue bump to $37 million from $30 million during the period covered in his previous filing.
The Washington hotel opened in October, and Trump reported $20 million in income from the property.

Throughout the 2016 presidential race, Trump's campaign account cycled about $8 million into his businesses. At the same time, he contributed more than $66 million out of his own pocket over the course of the primary and general election campaigns.

So far, Trump's re-election campaign is raising money exclusively from other donors.
He officially kicked off his 2020 bid on Inauguration Day by filing Federal Election Commission paperwork, making it the earliest such effort by a sitting president.

It's paying off: The campaign raised more than $7 million by the end of March from appeals to small donors and the sale of merchandise such as the ubiquitous red "Make America Great Again" ball caps.
The money helps pay for political rallies. He's held five of them since becoming president, including one Wednesday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The fundraiser next week is aimed at high-dollar donors. His campaign and the Republican National Committee will share proceeds.
Trump himself foreshadowed the choice of location last week in a text message to supporters. Trying to encourage small donors to participate in a drawing to gain admittance, the campaign wrote, in the voice of Trump: "Do not worry about a thing. We will fly you to DC, we will take a picture together, and you will stay at a beautiful hotel. BIG LEAGUE."

He and his supporters have referred to the Trump hotel as "beautiful." The Trump Organization completed a $200 million renovation of the government property weeks before Election Day.

With the General Services Administration as his landlord — and the president as the GSA's ultimate boss — Trump has tried to distance himself from the property's finances. Government watchdogs have argued that the steps he's taken fall short of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

Under a restructuring outlined in letters between the Trump Organization and the GSA, profits from the hotel will go to an account of the corporate entity that holds the lease, Trump Old Post Office LLC.

The letters do not address what might happen to any profits from the hotel after Trump leaves office, or whether they will be transferred to Trump at that time.

Woman allegedly kidnaps teenager for marathon sex

A 26-year-old woman, Oluchi Paul, has been arraigned before an Ikeja chief magistrate’s court over the alleged kidnap of a teenage boy for the purpose of regular sex.

The accused, a trader, who resides at 6, Yanusa Lane, Water Works, Iju, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a three-count charge bordering on kidnapping

The prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offences were committed between March and May at the residence of the accused.
According to Ogu, “the accused abducted a 17-year-old boy for the purpose of having regular sex with her, while his parents were looking for him. They were informed that their son was staying with a woman.

“The victim’s parents reported the incident at the police station. The Police went to the residence of the accused and found the victim and the accused.”

Ogu said the boy and the accused were taken to the police station for further interrogation.

“The accused told the Police that she and the boy are lovers and that she is already pregnant.”

The offences, he said, contravened Sections 141 and 166 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni admitted the accused to N200,000 bail with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case until July 19 for mention. DailyPost

Mother of four arrested for defrauding Facebook lover of property, money worth N5m [PHOTO]

The Lagos State Police Command, has arrested a 33-year-old single mother of four, Aishat Akintunde, for allegedly defrauding her Facebook lover of money and property worth N5m.
Akintunde was able to swindle her France-based lover, Ayobami Adeniyi after she promised to marry him and also help him procure a filling station in Nigeria.

The suspect who resides in Lagos was initially arrested for selling an unregistered Renault bus with property sent to her by Adeniyi valued at about N2.5m for just N1m.
Following her arrest, she told investigators that Adeniyi sent the bus to her to sell.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of Akintunde to PM, Adeniyi said they met on Facebook in November 2016, where Akintunde told him that she was a divorcee.

Adeniyi said he told her that if she was ready for a relationship he should send some money to her to rent an apartment.
He said, “I sent the sum of N100k to her because I was desperately in need of a wife from Yoruba land.
“In February 2017, she told me that her mother was a big time oil dealer in Nigeria managing 3 filing stations. She later told me that her mother was about to sell off one of them for N4m and she advised me to purchase it.

“She sent three pictures of the three filing station to me to convince me. I accepted her advice thinking that she was a honest woman who would be a good house wife. I confirmed the alleged sales from her “mother” on phone.”
Disclosing that he transferred the sum of N1.85m into the suspect’s account, Adeniyi also alleged that he also sold his Peugeot car in Nigeria for N1m and remitted the money into her account.
“I also shipped a Renault bus with properties inside valued at about N2.5m to her to sell and pay for the filing station.

“But she instead converted all my money to her personal use and plunged me into debt,” he added.
However, the accused argued that she only received N1.5m from the complainant and not N5m.
Akintunde maintained that she sold the bus for N1m and used the proceeds to buy an uncompleted building at Sango Ota, Ogun State. - Daily Post

Salah having Liverpool medical

Roma forward Mohamed Salah is having a medical ahead of his proposed £34m move to Liverpool according to Sky report.

The 25-year-old will later head to Liverpool's Melwood training ground in order to complete the formalities of his move.

Formerly with Basel and Chelsea, Salah has been a long-time Liverpool target and the Reds had a £28m bid turned down earlier this month.
But discussions continued between the clubs and they went on to reach an agreement in principle, with Liverpool set to pay a fee close to £35m for the Egypt international.

Salah joined Chelsea in January 2014 but only made 19 appearances for the Blues and spent time on loan with Fiorentina and Roma, who signed him on a permanent deal last summer.

And he went on to enjoy an excellent 2016/17 campaign, scoring 15 goals for the side from the Italian capital as they finished second to Juventus in the Serie A standings.

Juve want United's Darmian

Juventus are interested in signing Manchester United's Matteo Darmian as a replacement for Manchester City-bound Dani Alves, according to Sky  sources.

The Serie A champions are looking for a right-back after deciding to let Alves leave this summer, with Pep Guardiola's City in talks to sign the 34-year-old.

As well as Darmian, Sky sources understand Juve are looking at the likes of Danilo at Real Madrid and Monaco star Fabinho.
Darmian has struggled to hold down a first-team place at Old Trafford since joining in a £12.7m deal from Torino two years ago.

He made just 15 Premier League starts last season and 39 overall across two, and has made 68 appearances for United overall.
He did start United's victorious Europa League final victory against Ajax at left-back.

INTERVIEW: I don’t care what people say, I badly want to get back to music, says Omotola Jalade

After 22 years in the movie industry, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nollywood actress, who was among the 2013 Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, has surely made her mark as an actress. 

In this interview with TheCable Lifestyle, the 39-year-old entertainer spoke about getting married early, music, her new movie Alter Ego, and how Nollywood has helped change the image of Africa in the diaspora.

What made you accept Alter Ego script? 
Every story has a soul, some come to you quickly and some writers don’t understand that and then they give it to you at the end of the movie. The movie got me on time. I have a very short attention span, I don’t like to waste my time so if the movie doesn’t get to me in the first 20 pages, I might not read it to the end because it will be too much for me. With Alter Ego script, I understood what they were trying to achieve from the onset and I loved it but it was a diamond in the rough. I knew what we could do with it so I called the director and I said, “I see where you are going with this movie and I think it would be great but we are going to have to tear it and rebuild it. Are you ready?” A lot of filmmakers don’t want to do that but he agreed on the condition that I was also involved.

Alter Ego was the type of script you had been waiting for, is that right? 
It’s not the first film that I will see that has prospects but some filmmakers are not ready, they don’t have big minds; it takes a big mind to do Alter Ego. There are some scenes that won’t make the final cut because it is a big movie and it takes a big mind to visualise where we’re taking the movie to and they were ready, they inspired me.
There were times we worked through the night because it’s not a secret that I have insomnia and I exchange ideas with the director through the night. If filmmakers are ready to push it, I think Nollywood is big enough. We have human resources, the wherewithal and tenacity. I have shot in other climes, I have shot in Hollywood and I understand why they have huge budgets, they go on breaks as they please and even postpone shootings based on weather forecast. Even Jamaicans that are rugged, I have seen them fear Nigerians because we have trained ourselves to work under any kind of circumstance. If we bring that and refine it so that we are not careless, I don’t think there is any industry that can stand us.

The previous government appeared to be more supportive of the industry than the present dispensation, what are your thoughts on that? 
I think the government needs to wake up. They go around the world and they brag about Nollywood. Why would you brag about something you’re not developing? It’s not as if they are not doing anything but it’s not enough. They need to understand that Nollywood is a force in itself, it needs a ministry of its own.
For a long time, Nollywood was the only thing Nigerians in the diaspora had to brag about Nigeria. We also have a problem in this country, we won’t allow ourselves to be great because we know each other but we support white people if they try to do something. If people in the diaspora say anything bad about Nigeria, Nigerians there use Nollywood movies to show that there are mansions in Nigeria.
My daughter, who is schooling in America, had to show some students Nollywood movies because some of them think that Africans still swing from trees and have children with catarrh running down their noses. I just came back from India where I attended the African Development Bank convention about Agriculture.
Nollywood is the second employer of labour after agriculture. I think they are even lying, if they want to be sincere, Nollywood might be number one but they say Agriculture because everyone plants. That’s how much Nollywood has achieved. I think it is a challenge to Osinbajo who is not in charge, it might take Buhari a long time to understand or be difficult for him because he is coming from another generation but Osinbajo needs to understand how important this is and quickly start steps that will develop the industry.

How have you managed to reinvent yourself after all these years? 
Knowing what matters and being authentic has helped me know how to remain relevant; hopefully, your authentic self makes sense. I’m blessed that from a very tender age, I found God and my Christian values helped me differentiate wrong from right. I like the real me and what you see with me is what you get so it helps me to be consistent.
With my job, dreaming big helped me. I dreamt big early in my career and the things I see, I have not even gone halfway. I also took it seriously, I have never taken my career for granted. I took it seriously from the beginning and I am taking it serious now. At times I deviated, I was able to find my core self back and coupled with being inspired, you can’t go wrong.

Did getting married early help you? 
Getting married early is one of the biggest blessings of my life because I look back now and wonder if I would have been married now if I had not gotten married then. It’s hard to find people you can trust and love you for who you are. I can understand what my other colleagues are going through, it’s not easy. Getting married to my friend and a powerful man who is confident in himself helped me. He has allowed me to have that stability and still go out and fly.

You ventured into music at some point, what’s the latest? 
I want to get back to music so bad and I am coming back viciously. It’s not like I cared about what people said before. I would have loved for my son to produce but we fight a lot. I used to complain a lot but I am now used to it. He’s not a star yet and he already knows what he wants and pushes for it. I don’t know if we can ever work together because we’re both headstrong but I would love to work with him because he is a fantastic producer and I’m not saying this because I am his mother. I hope we can find a place we can work together.
I would love to do music in a way that I can be in concert, have something like what Barbara Streisand has. I won’t be like a Tiwa Savage because that’s her first career, I can’t compete with her. I love music, almost more than movies. It’s how I express myself, I write a lot and I love to perform. -Thecablestyle

Victim of corruption and injustice : Kidnapper Evans Faces Death Penalty, Life Imprisonment As Ambode Signs Bill

The Lagos state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has signed into law, the state kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016 which prescribes Life Imprisonment or death penalty for the offence of Kidnapping and forceful extortion in Lagos State, meaning that the recently arrested kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans may get a life imprisonment or death penalty sentence.

The law provides for death penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.

He said that kidnapping had become a major threat to the safety of residents and, therefore, required decisive action by the government.

“This law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment for kidnapping for ransom. “The law stipulates that, where a victim dies in the course of kidnapping, the suspect is liable on conviction to death. “Security is of utmost importance to our administration, and we are confident that this law will serve as a deterrent to anybody who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of Lagos State. “Our justice system will be required to execute this law in absolute and make sure that any criminal caught faces the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Recall that Evans himself had advised kidnappers or intending ones to desist from the act, saying it does not pay any longer. He had said that if he can be caught, then nobody can escape the police being that the force has improved greatly in her anti-crime fight.

Evans, a  billionaire kidnap kingpin had successfully  coordinated and masterminded several high profile kidnappings and armed robberies within Lagos, Anambra and Enugu States. According to him, “My advise to them is that as they are watching me standing here with policemen, they should stop everything about that, it doesn’t pay.” He gave the advise to other kidnappers while leading police operatives to two houses in Ejigbo and Igando areas of Lagos state where he keeps his victims until huge ransoms are paid. According to him, he keeps most of his victims in the two houses for months. He said he even pays up to seven hundred thousand Naira, (700,000) yearly for a three bedroom flat çells’ where the victims are kept. Upon departure from Igando area Evans had opined, “The Nigeria Police is not what it is used to be. They are far more advanced than they were. If they could arrest me, there is no criminal they can’t arrest.” - Vanguard