I am open to international return - Allardyce

 Sam Allardyce has admitted he could be tempted back into international football management.

The former England manager took charge of the national side just once - a 1-0 win against Slovakia last September - before he left the role by mutual consent after just 67 days because of corruption allegations.
"International football is completely different from Premier League football," said Allardyce. "And having worked at six clubs and kept three of them up after coming in midway through the season - what more can I achieve?

"Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal aren't going to come in for me so maybe international football would be a challenge I would be willing to take. It would depend on the opportunity and how successful that international team can be."
The 62 year old has been out of football since leaving Crystal Palace in May. After joining them in December he successfully guided the club to Premier League safety in the penultimate game of the season - a 4-0 victory over Hull.
"We achieved a really special thing at Crystal Palace," he said. "By saving them with such difficult fixtures and then seeing the joy on the fans' faces when we beat Hull - that's why you do it.

"But when I sat back and looked at the end of that, I thought it was time for me to chill out for myself and my family. Whether that's going to be forever, who knows?"
Allardyce plans to do some media work during the upcoming season, and admits he has enjoyed a summer away from the game.

"The time to chill out and relax has been great for me with the family," he said. "The grandchildren are off school at the moment, and going out with them is very important for me because in many ways when you're a manager you neglect that side of things.
"I'm sure I will get the tingle somewhere in the season, but for me to do some radio and TV will keep me close to it. It'll be very interesting to see how the season starts and pans out again." - SKY

PL news : I am king, he is Kong - Zlatan apes around

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury-enforced absence means he has more time to ape around.

The former Sweden captain is without a club at present after suffering knee ligament damage in Manchester United's Europa League tie with Anderlecht in April.
The injury ruled him out of United's last 10 games of the season and brought his one-year stay at Old Trafford to a premature end.

United boss Jose Mourinho has hinted Ibrahimovic will be offered a new deal when he proves his fitness but, in the meantime, the shy and retiring 35-year-old was happy to show his rehabilitation was going well by showing off his impressive torso and comparing it to fictional movie character King Kong.

OMG : Man begs female neighbour for sex to test son’s manhood

There was a mild drama at Area M Command, Idimu, Lagos as a man begged his female neighbor to allow his teenage son have sex with her teenage daughter to test his manhood over allegation of his missing penis.

This, however, threw those present into serious laughter as the female neighbor asked the man, what will then happen if her daughter gets pregnant after the test. The boy’s father could not respond.

The boy’s father in a bid to know if his son’s penis is still working insisted he does not want his son to do the test with a commercial sex worker as the boy was too young to be exposed to such act, PMexpress reports.
It was gathered at the police Command, that the incident started along the road in Idimu, where the suspect raised the alarm of the sudden disappearance of his penis after coming in contact with the suspect identified as Taoheeb.

The boy said the suspect touched him and his penis got missing. This made people to attack the middle-aged suspect, before the police rescued him and took him to the station.

Taoheeb, when questioned at the police command, denied taking the boy’s penis, claiming he was ready to face the full wrath of the law if found guilty.

However, the police said the boy’s penis shrinked and he didn’t experience erection.
Suggestions that the boy should go and test his manhood with sex workers birthed the drama as his parents said it was against their faith and besides the boy was still young to be exposed to such.

Report clams the boy’s father took his son home and did not return to the station. - Daily Post

Wrecked nation !!! Fayose: How Obasanjo used me to wreck Atiku, Makarfi

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo used him to wreck the presidential bids of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Ahmed Makarfi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking with ‘The Interview’, Fayose alleged that Obasanjo thwarted the chance of Makarfi becoming the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2007.
He said Makarfi was sidelined in favour of a “sick and stubbornly reluctant” Umaru Yar’Adua. The governor also explained his role in it as chairman of the presidential selection committee.
Fayose said in his naivety, Obasanjo used him to attack Orji Kalu, former Abia state governor and other political foes.

In a statement, Azu Ishiekwene, MD/editor-in-chief of The Interview, described the current edition as “a window on a dark and troubling past and a must read for any important political figure who has crossed Fayose’s path in the last 18 years.”
Fayose said the scale fell off his eyes when on a trip with Obasanjo to Tripoli, Libya, where Obasanjo had gone to ask Muammar Ghaddafi to support his third term bid, the former Libyan president treated Obasanjo “like a serf”.
Recalling the encounter, he said, “It was such a pathetic scenario, so shameful. Obasanjo was speaking rapidly like a parrot. I was shocked beyond words. I never knew Obasanjo would be that humble.

“He was on one knee till the end of the conversation. Ghadaffi kept quiet and was just watching Obasanjo. When Obasanjo stopped rambling, Ghadaffi said, ‘Have you finished? Just know that I will not attend that meeting. I have other engagements.”
He also revealed how on two major occasions when he went to visit Abubakar at the height of Obasanjo’s third term bid, security details promptly reported him to the former president, even before he left the venue, leaving him feeling spooky and vulnerable.

On the Obasanjo-Atiku saga, Fayose said, “Obasanjo told me that when you capture a general and you don’t kill him, he’ll come back and kill you; that since Atiku tried to stop him and failed, he must pay for it. And he (Atiku) is still paying for it.”
Fayose also said he knew, as an insider at the time, that Obasanjo betrayed former Liberian president, Charles Taylor to induce US support for this third term bid, after promising Taylor safe haven in Nigeria.

He warned Orji Kalu against “selling” the Igbo down the river “for cheap politics” and blamed President Muhammadu Buhari’s government for making IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu popular.
He also spoke on his attempts to reach President Muhammadu Buhari directly; relationship with Kayode Fayemi, his predecessor, Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives (APC); and the futile attempt to discourage Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers, from accepting Obasanjo’s “dummy that he was heir apparent”.
Fayose was first elected governor in 2003 but could not complete his tenure as a result of his impeachment. - Cable Nigeria 

Transfer news :Juventus confirm bid for Hammers target Keita Balde

Lazio’s Keita Balde Diao has been linked with a move away from the Italian side for the majority of the transfer window now but it seems the 22-year-old could stay in Italy, playing for Juventus or Inter Milan.

Gianlucadimarzio.com reports that Juventus have now made an official offer and rivals Inter Milan are considering whether to make another bid for the forward who is wanted by Premier League outfit West Ham.

Despite the Italian champions have offered only €20 million, compared to West Ham’s accepted bid of €32 million, it’s thought he doesn’t want to join the Hammers.
He can play anywhere across the frontline and he grabbed 16 goals to show for his fine form as he looks for a more exciting move away.

It was once a possibly the Senegalese international would move to the Premier League with West Ham due to his friendships with Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate in particular. It would have been a huge coup but it seems Keita will instead opt for a move to Juventus or Inter as he looks to progress his career in the Serie A. - Read Sport

Pre-season training : Costa trains solo in Brazil

Diego Costa has taken pre-season training into his own hands with an improvised training session on a Brazilian beach.

In a video uploaded to Costa's Instagram account, he is seen exercising on the sand with the help of two assistants, one holding him back while the other feeds him the ball.
Blues boss Antonio Conte opted to omit the player from the club's recent pre-season tour of Asia and Costa did not join the squad as they returned to training at Cobham on Monday.

Costa, who has netted 58 times since arriving at Stamford Bridge, is reportedly keen to return to Atletico Madrid but the Spanish club's current transfer ban means they are unable to register players until January 2018.
The Spain international last month revealed he received a text from Conte which explained he no longer featured in the Italian's plans, to which the 47-year-old last week responded with the claim Costa's situation with the Premier League champions was "very clear" for the player and the club in January.

Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, Costa seems keen to remain fit and shared his latest workout with 2.5m followers.

Transfer updates :Mourinho says he didn't 'feel the need' to sign Hernandez

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says that he “didn’t feel the need” to sign Mexican striker Javier Hernandez because he has younger options in Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku, according to a report on the Telegraph.
The ex-Manchester United striker joined Premier League rivals West Ham United for £16 million from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and when Mourinho was questioned about the Mexican he said:

“He left the club a few years ago, I’m not sure it was his decision or the manager’s but he’s a good player, he’s a player that will always score goals. We move in another direction in a younger player in Lukaku and we have Rashford who can be a striker so we didn’t feel that need.”

 Hernandez was sold for a fee of £7.3 million when Louis van Gaal was in charge of the Red Devils which had some fans upset as he had become a fan favourite at Old Trafford.
Mourinho was impressed with West Ham and believes that they have done a brilliant piece of business in signing a player with the quality of Hernandez.

“He doesn’t need many minutes on the pitch to score. West Ham to get a player of his experience and quality is very good.”

Mourinho showed that he has confidence in his current strikers Rashford and Lukaku as he looks to challenge in all competitions this season. - Read Sport

PL news : Chelsea boss Conte wary of dressing-room 'anarchy'

Antonio Conte says a successful coach must retain "total control" of the dressing room to avoid "anarchy", as the Chelsea manager prepares to offload Diego Costa.

Costa was dropped in January amid interest from the Chinese Super League, only to regain his place in the first team and help Chelsea to win the Premier League title.
He is not expected to remain at Stamford Bridge in the long term, though, Conte having spent big to sign striker Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid.
And the former Juventus and Italy boss has made it clear he will offer no concessions to unruly stars, regardless of their seniority or importance to the team. 

"If I go and am very strict only with the young players and not the old players, it is not the right way to have respect from the dressing room," he said.
"The players are at the same level and sometimes I demand more from the older players than the young players — they have more experience to teach the young players the right behaviour.
"The coach must be in total control of the dressing room. 

"Otherwise, there is anarchy. Yes, anarchy.
"When I was a footballer, [Marcello] Lippi and [Giovanni] Trapattoni and ­[Carlo] Ancelotti and [Arrigo] Sacchi - my coaches - were totally in control of the dressing room.
"Otherwise, you are preparing to die - 'Morira'. If this doesn't happen, you are preparing yourself for death."

Chelsea had to part with a club-record fee to take Morata away from the Santiago Bernabeu and, according to Conte, the Blues were unable to compete with Manchester City for the signing of England international fullback Kyle Walker, who is believed to have cost Pep Guardiola's team approximately £50million.

"We tried to buy Walker," the Italian said. 
"Honestly, I think now every single player is expensive. For you to even enquire about one player, he is expensive. 
"You go to buy a right-back, a left-back or a central defender and he is expensive. 
"It is very difficult in the transfer market for the teams that need to improve their squads."

PL : Sanchez to return to Arsenal training amid continued transfer speculation

Alexis Sanchez is set to return to training with Arsenal on Sunday, but the Chile international's future remains unresolved.

With Sanchez having entered the last year of his contract, clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old.
Arsene Wenger has regularly indicated he intends to keep Sanchez and risk losing him for nothing at the end of the 2017-18 season, with the forward having been given time off following the Confederations Cup.

Sanchez and Germany centre-back Shkodran Mustafi are poised to return to the club at the weekend, but the duo will not take part in Arsenal's pre-season fixtures against Benfica and Sevilla in the Emirates Cup.
"Alexis and Mustafi, their first training session will be on Sunday, the day we play against Sevilla," Wenger, who last weekend dismissed speculation linking Sanchez with PSG as "media imagination", told the Arsenal website. "They are practising on the day.

"First of all you make a really good check up of where they are, how much they have worked during their break. After, once you know where you stand, they need an adjusted programme and to see how quickly you can fit them in again.
"Of course it depends as well on what is the need in the squad, what is their quality. All of these things together make your decision. Do you put them on the bench when they are not ready [to start]?

"It is easier to put a striker on the bench than a defender, sometimes. Because in a short period they can make an impact. We'll see."
Arsenal face Chelsea in the Community Shield on August 6 before getting their Premier League campaign under way against Leicester City five days later. - Goal

Photo : Physics teacher Eleanor Wilson who had sex with pupil in plane toilet

Eleanor Wilson 28-year-old, pictured above  worked at a school in Bristol, engaged in drunken sexual activity with the pupil while returning home from a school trip to visit the Large Hadron Collider Geneva in 2015.

Miss Wilson, who had trained as a Royal Navy Reservist, engaged in oral sex with the pupil in the toilet cubicle and then had full sex with him, a disciplinary panel found.
Giving evidence, the unnamed pupil told the hearing the Miss Wilson was intoxicated during the encounter and admitted drinking five miniature bottles of wine himself on the flight.
Their relationship continued for several months and they communicated by text message and met outside school, with Pupil A, who Miss Wilson had worked with since 2013, thinking he loved her.

The tryst only came to light when another student heard about it and threatened to tell the school unless Miss Wilson engaged in sexual activity with him.
She was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute by a National College for Teaching and Leadership panel who found she had also tried to cover up the relationship.

Miss Wilson was struck off following the hearing.
"During the flight home from the trip, Pupil A gave evidence that he and Miss Wilson were flirting at the back of the plane, whilst looking after another pupil who was unwell," the panel said in its findings.
"Pupil A gave evidence that Miss Wilson was intoxicated and that he had himself drunk approximately five miniature bottles of wine on the flight.

“Pupil A gave evidence that he and Miss Wilson entered the toilet, kissed and had oral sex and intercourse without using protection.
"Miss Wilson denied this allegation in its entirety, as evidenced within the notes of the school's investigation."
In its conclusions, the panel found said it was "satisfied that the conduct of Miss Wilson fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.

"The panel did not consider that Miss Wilson demonstrated insight into the consequences of her actions.
"Whilst she did express remorse as to the impact of her actions on Pupil A and his family, Miss Wilson demonstrated herself to be more concerned with the impact of her dismissal from the school on her own career and personal life."

An NSPCC spokesman said: “As a teacher, Wilson was trusted by parents, her school and the local community to prioritise pupils’ welfare and wellbeing, but instead she abused this trust for her own sexual gratification.
“Teachers have a key role in safeguarding, but this hearing has highlighted significant shortcomings in Wilson’s approach to this over an extended period of time.

“Her behaviour fell a long way short of expectations, and it is right that she has faced the consequences.”

Meet the world’s richest man

Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, with a fortune of over $90 billion.
According to Forbes and Bloomberg, the Amazon CEO had a net worth of over $89 billion as of the close of markets Wednesday, while Bill Gates had a net worth of just over $90 billion.

Amazon's share price has jumped by more than $15 a share overnight, and was recently trading near that level, while Microsoft is down slightly. If the stocks hold up today, Bezos — who has around 80 million shares of Amazon — will add more than $800 million to his fortune. That would put him past Gates, assuming the valuations of their non-stock holdings haven't changed.
Of course, Amazon stock could pull back, or Microsoft could rally. But even if Bezos doesn't end the day as the richest man, he will likely take the crown from Gates more permanently in the coming days and weeks.

When he hits the mark, Bezos, who started selling books from his garage 22 years ago, becomes the first man to bump Gates from his perch in seven years and is only the sixth man to hold the "richest person" title in the past 30 years, according to Forbes.

Bezos' rise carries important symbolic weight — signaling Amazon's unbridled power and value, presenting a new face of outsized wealth to the world and heralding a new kind of billionaire who is skeptical of philanthropy and has massive reach in culture, technology and media. Bezos will be a stark contrast to his fellow Seattle-area resident Gates, who has topped the list for much of the past quarter-century and devotes his time and money to philanthropy.

What's most astounding about Bezos' rise is his recent wealth surge. He has been a billionaire for nearly 20 years, first making the Forbes list in 1998 with a net worth of $1.6 billion after Amazon's IPO. He chugged along for the following decade, reaching $4.4 billion in 2007, gradually rising to $18.4 billion by 2012, ranking him 26th on the list.
But over the past two years, as Amazon's stock has soared, so has Bezos' fortune. He owns 79.9 million shares, or just under 17 percent of the company. His net worth has grown by $70 billion over the past five years, surging by $45 billion in the last two years alone — possibly the largest wealth-creation surge in history.

Of course, Bezos avoids talking publicly about his wealth. Like most tech tycoons, he insists he's trying to change the world rather than get rich. In his commencement speech at Princeton, Bezos said he had the idea of selling books on the internet while he was working at a New York hedge fund. Torn between his high-paying job and a risky start-up, he chose the start-up.
"I took the less safe path to follow my passion and I'm proud of that choice," he said. - CNBC

Social media : 1 Billion people now use WhatsApp every single day

WhatsApp just hit its greatest user milestone yet: 1 billion people now use the app every single day. That’s one out of every seven or eight people on the planet.

While WhatsApp hit 1 Billion monthly users last year, it’s now reached the milestone for the people who are bound to the app every day. It’s a sign of Facebook’s continued dominance in digital communications. We don’t have daily active user figures for all of Facebook platforms, but Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook have 700 Million, 1.2 Billion, and 2 billion monthly users, respectively.

There are only so many people in the world though – so we wonder where Facebook will go next. Maybe once Facebook can breach China – a country of 1.4 billion where pretty much all its services are banned – we’ll see it grow some more.

Science : Astronauts gear up for space with tough Russian training

Wearing helmets weighing 100 kilos, spinning in a centrifuge and exercising while weightless: Russian cosmonauts and astronauts from abroad have to undergo a gruelling training process before blasting off into space.

Helped by an instructor at the famed Star City outside Moscow, cosmonaut Sergei Ryazansky slowly puts on his helmet as he hangs from the ceiling suspended by a thick metal cord and practises opening a lock while wearing a thick spacesuit.
The 42-year-old cosmonaut is no novice. He has already spent five months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013 and 2014 and will return for another mission on July 28, teamed up with US astronaut Randy Bresnik and Italian Paolo Nespoli.
"In weightlessness, the weight of the helmet isn't felt. But the cosmonauts feel great pressure which makes them swell up and become very stiff. They have to make an enormous effort to walk, bend their arms or move their legs," said the instructor Dmitry Zubov.

Space walks are especially tough because they are often carried out weeks after astronauts arrive at the orbiting space laboratory when their muscles are already growing weaker due to lack of gravity.
"I adore space walks. That's the most exciting part of the flight," said Ryazansky, who completed three space walks on his first space trip. Two space walks are planned for his next stint on the ISS.

'Master emotions'
"The most important thing for a cosmonaut is knowing how to master your emotions," said the deputy director of the cosmonaut training centre, Yury Malenchenko, who himself has made six space voyages, the last landing in 2016.
"When you train for a long time on Earth to go out into space, you feel like you don't have emotions any more.

 "But when the airlock opens and you look down before taking the first step into the void, you feel like you're going to plunge down," said Malenchenko, who has done stints both on Russia's ditched Mir station and the ISS, flying out on a US shuttle and a Russian Soyuz craft.
Two of the toughest exercises are the zero gravity simulation on nausea-inducing flights in Soviet-era planes and hurtling around in a giant centrifuge to prepare for the rigours of take-off from the Earth's surface.

While inside the centrifuge, the future space visitors experience forces of up to 8G and their body "weighs" eight times more than usual.
"At first you feel like you're in an armchair, as if you were driving a powerful car at high speed," said cosmonaut Alexander Lazutkin who spent six months on the Mir station.
"Then you go through some very unpleasant sensations. You feel like you can't breath, it feels as if your stomach is glued to your back. Your tears flow because your eyes are pushed back in the cavities by the effect of the overload."
"You start breathing very quickly. You feel your heart beating very quickly, And you realise that if you relax, you risk losing consciousness immediately," said Lazutkin.

'Romantic attraction'
Cosmonauts no longer enjoy the glory in Russia they had in the Soviet era, but the profession is still prestigious and dreamt of by children. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and pioneers such as constructor Sergei Korolyov are still looked up to as heroes.
"Their example made a big impression on us and inspired us," said Malenchenko.

"Today we don't get free apartments and cars. But there is still that romantic attraction" to the job, said Ryazansky.
"And in the end, the hardest thing is to wait to go into space... I waited 10 years," Ryazansky said.
Twenty-seven cosmonauts are currently training at Star City. Apart from physical exercises, they also study medicine, astronomy, IT, diving, parachute jumping and even foreign languages.

In March, Russia's space agency Roscosmos announced a new public recruitment drive. Space officials will look at hundreds of applications before selecting a maximum of eight people. - AFP

Transfer news : Kane 'dream signing' - Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed his dream striker signing would be Tottenham's Harry Kane.

The Italian, who has brought in Alvaro Morata for £58m, was not suggesting the Blues are looking to buy the England striker, but spoke of his admiration for the 23-year-old.
Kane has finished as the Premier League's top goalscorer for the past two seasons, and when answering a question about Tottenham's title ambitions, Conte said: "Tottenham is a really good squad if they are able to keep all the players.
"For me, Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world.

"If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he's strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left.
"He's a complete player. He's one of the top strikers in the world. If you go to buy Kane now it would be at least £100m.
"At least. For me, if I see this price for a striker I know for sure he's a big striker."

Conte also revealed that Chelsea missed out on right-back Kyle Walker, who moved to Manchester City earlier this summer for an initial fee of £45m which could rise to £50m.
"We tried to buy Walker," he said. "Honestly, I think now every single player is expensive. For you to even enquire about one player, he is expensive.

"You go to buy a right-back, a left-back or a central defender and he is expensive. It is very difficult in the transfer market for the teams that need to improve their squads." - Sky Sports

Man Utd can win the Champions League -Barca boss

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde expects Manchester United to challenge for the Champions League in 2017-18.

United finished sixth in the Premier League last season but returned to UEFA's elite club competition courtesy of their victory over Ajax in the Europa League final.
They have since strengthened their ranks by signing defender Victor Lindelof and striker Romelu Lukaku from Benfica and Everton respectively.
And Valverde, whose Barca side defeated United 1-0 in an International Champions Cup match in Maryland on Wednesday, believes Jose Mourinho's team can pose a threat in Europe this term.
"For me, they are contenders to win and they are going to be hard to beat in the Premier League and the Champions League," he said.
"Obviously it hasn't gone well for them lately, but I mean they won the Europa League.

"This year they are going to be in the Champions League. Their presence by itself is impressive. They impress. I think they are going to be a really hard team to beat.
"I wouldn't want to face them in the Champions League." - Goal

Summer transfer : Chelsea target Moussa Dembele

Antonio Conte still wants to add another forward to his squad with Diego Costa set to leave and Michy Batshuayi yet to convince the Italian he’s worthy of a first-team role.

A player the Blues have been looking at is Celtic star Moussa Dembele. The France U21 international signed for the Bhoys last summer on a free transfer from Fulham and hit the ground running, scoring 32 goals in 49 appearances in his debut season at the club.
With a return like that, clubs will be looking at Dembele and Chelsea are amongst the likes of Borussia Dortmund and West Ham chasing the striker.

French source RMC believe that the 21-year-old is pushing for a move from Celtic during the transfer window given the considerable interest in him. Celtic are ready to sell the striker if their valuation is met in full.

Currently sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury, Dembele may be forced to wait on his big move away from Celtic if clubs are worried about his fitness. - Read Sport

Ten governors, including Republicans, come out against Obamacare "skinny repeal"

A group of 10 governors, including Republicans, is urging the Senate to reject a proposal for a so-called "skinny repeal" of Obamacare.

"The Senate should also reject efforts to amend the bill into a 'skinny repeal,' which is expected to accelerate health plans leaving the individual market, increase premiums, and result in fewer Americans having access to coverage," they said in a letter Wednesday to Senate leaders.
The Republican governors who signed the letter are:
Brian Sandoval of NevadaCharles Baker of MassachusettsJohn Kasich of OhioLarry Hogan of MarylandPhil Scott of Vermont
The following Democratic governors also signed it:
John Hickenlooper of ColoradoJohn Bel Edwards of LouisianaSteve Bullock of MontanaTerry McAuliffe of VirginiaTom Wolf of Pennsylvania
They are urging Senate Republicans to set aside the House-passed health care bill under consideration in the upper chamber, which they call "flawed," and they call for bipartisan negotiations and to work directly with governors. The governors' positions could be a major factor in how senators from their states would vote this week.

"True, lasting reforms can only be achieved in an open, bipartisan fashion," they said.
Congress should be working to stabilize the insurance market and make insurance more affordable, argued the governors, who said that the proposals pending in the Senate don't fulfill those goals.
"The bill still threatens coverage for millions of hardworking, middle class Americans. The bill's Medicaid provisions shift costs to states and fail to provide the necessary resources to ensure that no one is left out, including the working poor or those suffering from mental illness or addiction," they said.

Two major proposals to dismantle the 2010 health care law failed in the Senate Tuesday and Wednesday. One would have repealed and replace Obamacare, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) and the other would have delivered a partial repeal of Obamacare, delayed for two years to come up with a replacement.

Senate Republicans are now talking about a "skinny repeal," which could repeal the individual and employer mandates as well as the medical device tax. They were still debating on Wednesday, however, what provisions could be wrapped in. They are aiming to include items that would qualify for a simple majority vote.

Terrorism: 5 university lecturers feared killed in ambush at Borno Yesu

Contrary to claim by the Nigerian Army on Wednesday, that, troops were able to rescue all victims of attack at Borno Yesu village in Magameri local government along the Gubio, Magumeri road. Friends, spiritual leaders, Associates, wives and relations of some of the victims, particularly lecturers of the Department of Geology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State have different stories all together.

Many, who also belong to the University Community also wondered why issues on the unfortunate incident on Tuesday were being kept away from the people.

Family members of some of the affected victims who spoke with DAILY POST Correspondent, Thursday morning, made a striking revelation that five lecturers from the University were killed in the ambush.

According to them, they were at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) morgue where they saw some corpses brought and one of the lecturers killed was identified. However, they could not get through to their husbands, friends or relations said to have been rescued by the military on Wednesday.
“We have been trying to get them on their phone, but they cannot be reached. All attempt to find out from the Army failed. I even went to the army barracks at Maimalari yesterday, but I did not see any of them. However, I was reliable told that my friend, Dr. Joseph died in the attack. What about the rest of them that were said to have been rescued?” Mr. Adams Biyu asked DAILY POST in Maiduguri.

Prompted by too many enquiries, DAILY POST sought response from the University.
Speaking to former HOD Mass Communications, Dr. Mohammed Gujibawu, he said there were reports of such all over the place, but claimed he had no details.
Also, the Chief Spokesman of the University, Professor Danjuma Gambo, who spoke to DAILY POST on phone said, he was not on ground at the moment and had limited access to information on happenings at the University. He, however, promise to get more information on the claims as soon as he returns from Abuja.

While speaking with Col. Kingsley Samuel, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations on the matter, he told DAILY POST that, his powers are limited regarding information on the incident as it was not directly under the 7 division, Nigerian Army.
“You have to get in contact with Abuja on this, as I have no available information. It is under the 8 division,” he said.

Abuja, however, did not reply to a WhatsApp message sent to the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman Kukasheka, who earlier in a statement claimed that, the military succeeded in rescuing all victims of the attack. - Daily Post

Face of fraudster !!! N650m Fraud: Court Grants Ex-Minister, Akinjide’s Application to Travel Abroad For Medicals

A vacation judge, Justice Chuka Obiozor, sitting at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, granted an application filed by a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, for the release of her international passport to enable her travel abroad for medical treatment.

Akinjide and one Olanrewaju Otiti had been arraigned on June 22, 2017 before Justice J.O. Abdul-Malik of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on an amended 12-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N650million.

 

The accused allegedly conspired to receive the money from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke in the build-up to the 2015 general election.

 

The money was part of the $115 disbursed by Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election by some top officials of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC.

 

Justice Abdul-Malik had ordered the accused to be remanded in the EFCC custody.

 

Consequently, the former minister had, on July 20, 2017, through her counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, approached the Lagos Federal High Court to allow her travel abroad for medical check.

 

However, Justice Obiozor  turned down the application on the grounds that the matter was not listed for hearing on the day

 

Justice Obiozor further said he might not be inclined to grant the application, as the accused was not being tried before him and he was not the one who admitted her to bail.

 

He, therefore, deferred ruling on the application to today.

 

At today’s sitting, Ayorinde moved an application asking the court to release the international passport of his client unconditionally for a period not exceeding 30 days within the months of August and September 2017.
Ayorinde further sought the leave of the court to allow his client to travel on any future date for further treatment upon a written request by his chambers.

 

In his short ruling, Justice Obiozor turned down the application on the grounds that the initial bail was granted to the defendant on self-recognition, with the condition that her international passport must be deposited with the court.

The judge further ruled that he would only grant the application if Ayorinde would stand surety that the accused would come back to face her trial within 30 days.

 

Ayorinde then agreed to stand surety for the ex-minister as spelt out by the judge.

 

The case was adjourned to September 12, 2017 for continuation of trial in Ibadan, Oyo State. - EFCC

Video : Man caught stealing from shoe shop in Kwara

Security camera caught a man stealing shoes from a store in Kwara state.
A Facebook user, Kemi Fajana, shared photo of the incident.

She wrote: “Everyday is for the thief, one day is for the owner! Beware and run from temptation that will make you sin against God and a disgrace to you and your family.”

Watch video below…

 

 

5 suspected kidnappers killed in Ogun state -Police

Police in Ogun State on Tuesday night shot dead five suspected kidnappers after a failed attempt to collect a N100 million ransom.

The command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this yesterday while  parading  the corpses of the suspected kidnappers to reporters at the Egba Owode Divisional Police Headquarters in  Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

Oyeyemi said the kidnappers had engaged the police in a shootout during the rescue of the victim, who had been  in captivity for five days.

He said the suspects had on Friday waylaid the victim, dragged him out of his car at gun point and took him to a forest, where they kept him for five days.

The spokesman explained that the kidnappers within the period the victim was in their custody made contact with his family to demand the sum of N100 million.

Following the development, he said the Commissioner of  Police, Ahmed Ilyasu,  gave a marching order for the  rescue of  the victim and arrest of  the suspects.

He said the police raided the hideout  in the forest and five of the suspects died in the ensuing shootout. One suspect escaped with bullet wounds.

Oyeyemi, however, gave an assurance that the fleeing gang member would soon be arrested.

The victim, Stephen Adesokan, said he was driving on the  Ajura-Ogere road in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area when the suspects accosted him.

Adesokan,  the  orderly to the Divisional Police Officer of Ibara Divisional Police Headquarters in Abeokuta, said he was full of gratitude to  God and  the command for  rescuing  him.- The Nation

We’ve trained officers to battle fake news - 'Liar' Muhammed

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, says the federal government has trained information officers to indentify and tackle cases of fake news in the media.

The minister said this at a workshop organised by the office of the national security adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the Nigeria stability and reconciliation programme (NSRP).
The workshop was tagged: ‘Mainstream strategic communication across government for national security’.
He said considering that technological advances have redefined the media landscape, the ministry is leveraging on various social media platforms to reach its audience, especially the youth.
He said the ministry also developed short videos on government activities and share on our You-Tube channels which are operated by our information officers.

“It is relevant to mention that on 15 December, 2016, we launched a federal government information application as part of strategic communications activities to bridge communication gap and bring our people a click away from government,” he said.
“The resident information officers (RIOs) across MDAs generate contents which are analysed and uploaded on the information APP on a daily basis.
“Faced with the prevalence of fake news we took action by preparing information officers with the skills to identify and counter such fake news through engagement and counter narrative.

“Information officers are assigned to monitor both online and offline news media to identify such fake news and develop timely and credible counter narratives to respond to such fake news.”
Lai, who also heads the ministry of culture, further said the ministry’s mandate to manage the image, reputation and promote the culture of the people and government is centred on the information officers.

“Therefore, the role of information officers is to disseminate accurate and timely information about government policies, programmes and activities,” he added.
“This role ensures that our national image and message is communicated to audiences at home and abroad.” - Cable Nigeria

Another 262 Nigerians ‘voluntarily’ return from Libya

Two hundred and sixty-two more Nigerians voluntarily returned home from Libya on Wednesday with the help of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian embassy in that country.

NAN reports that the returnees arrived aboard a chartered Libyan Airlines aircraft with registration number 5A-LAR, which landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 10pm.
The returnees, who had been stranded in Libya, were made up of 108 males, 135 females, eight children and 11 infants.

They 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 ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Addressing journalists, Mustapha Maihaja, the director general, NEMA, said the agency in collaboration with the IOM was working to ensure that Nigerians stranded in Libya are brought back home.

The director general who was represented by Suleiman Yakubu, zonal coordinator, South West, NEMA, said both the federal government and state governments had initiated various programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate the returnees into the society.

He further advised Nigerians, especially the youth, to take advantage of the enormous opportunities available in the country.
NAN reports that thousands of Nigerians have been flown back home from the North African country with the help of the IOM.

Teenager found 'electrocuted' on track

A 16-year-old girl whose body was found on railway tracks in Kent is thought to have been electrocuted.

Taiyah Pebbles was discovered on the tracks at Herne Bay station shortly before 7am on Wednesday.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
British Transport Police said her death is being treated as unexplained and an investigation is under way.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Langley said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this young girl as they try to come to terms with this awful news.
"We have deployed specially trained officers to the family to provide them with support.

"Understandably the family are now desperate for answers and my officers are focused on understanding how this girl came to be on the tracks.
"What we know so far is that the girl was with a group of friends near the station shortly before 11pm yesterday evening.

"Some time between then and 7am this morning, she came to receive these injuries.
"Therefore, I would be looking to speak with anyone who might have been near to Herne Bay station during this period."