We must avoid 'Jose season' - Conte

 Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is determined to ensure his Premier League champions do not suffer another "Mourinho season" and slump from first place to 10th.

The Blues won the title in 2014/15 under Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho - now in charge of Manchester United - when he returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell as manager.
However, Chelsea picked up just 11 points from their first 12 league games the following season and Mourinho departed in December, with the London club finishing in mid-table under Guus Hiddink.

Conte, 47, who won the Premier League at the first time of asking following his appointment last summer, is wary of letting his players repeat that fall from grace.
Following Chelsea's 2-1 friendly defeat by Inter Milan in Singapore on Saturday, the Italian said: "We know the difficulty of the next season and for sure we want to avoid the Mourinho season with Chelsea.

"Personally, I want to try to avoid the last two seasons. Because two coaches were sacked, from Chelsea and then from Leicester after they won the league. For sure I want to avoid that.
"And we are working very well. I hope to find the best solution in the future. We have a lot of young players and then if it's necessary we have to try to improve these players."
Conte believes record signing Alvaro Morata still has plenty of work to do ahead of the new campaign, which kicks off against Arsenal in the Community Shield next weekend.

"Morata has just started training with us and has only been able to improve slightly in that time," Conte said.
"He has a long way to go with his physical condition to get up to speed with the style of football we play. He is working very well and today he tried his best but he still has plenty of improving to do."

Chelsea fly back to England on the back of two straight pre-season defeats - a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich and the 2-1 reverse at the hands of Inter, for whom Stevan Jovetic and Ivan Perisic scored.
Geoffrey Kondogbia then inadvertently recorded a consolation for Chelsea with his comical own goal.

Conte, who did oversee a 3-0 friendly win against Arsenal last week, blamed fatigue at the end of a month spent training and playing in hot conditions in the Far East.
"We played against two strong teams in Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in a period that is very important as we are working very hard," said the former Juventus boss.
"To play three games with the same players means you finish and are tired. - Sky Sports

Friendly : Arsenal hit five past Benfica

Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal stepped up their preparations for the new season with a resounding 5-2 victory over Benfica in the Emirates Cup.

Benfica took the lead in slightly fortuitous circumstances as Franco Cervi saw a well-struck effort bobble into the net courtesy of a couple of deflections off Per Mertesacker.
Arsenal responded well to that setback with Walcott scoring a quickfire double thanks to a couple of precise finishes from close range before Eduardo Salvio capitalised on some dreadful defending to equalise on the stroke of half-time.
However, the hosts cruised to victory in the second half with a Lisandro Lopez own goal and further strikes from Olivier Giroud and Alex Iwobi handing them a comfortable win in front of an expectant home support.

Both sides started the game well but it was Benfica who broke the deadlock on 11 minutes through Cervi's low shot from the edge of the box that deflected past David Ospina via two ricochets off both of Mertesacker's feet.
The visitors were not ahead for long, though as Walcott brought Arsenal level after 24 minutes by firing in a close-range volley following an intelligent cut-back from Sead Kolasinac after the Bosnia international had doggedly won the ball inside Benfica's box.

Shortly afterwards, Walcott added his and Arsenal's second with another simple finish after being picked out at the far post by Francis Coquelin, who had combined well with Kolasinac down Arsenal's left flank.
With just five minutes remaining until half-time, Arsenal gifted their opponents a second goal as a slack pass from Mertesacker eventually found its way to Salvio, whose shot on the edge of the six-yard-box looped over Ospina following an unfortunate intervention by Rob Holding.

Arsenal regained the initiative just after the interval with Walcott this time turning provider by crossing into the box and Lisandro Lopez diverted the loose ball onto the post and into his own net.
Walcott then passed up a glorious opportunity to complete his hat-trick by blazing the ball over the bar with the goal gaping but his blushes were spared as Giroud volleyed in Arsenal's fourth from Reiss Nelson's pinpoint cross.

Iwobi rounded off the win 20 minutes from time with a ferocious shot that flew past Cesar in goal after Giroud had held the ball up well inside the area before club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette came off the bench to a rapturous reception late on to mark his home debut.

Transfer updates : 'Keita 100 per cent stays'

RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuttl insists it is "100 per cent clear" sought-after midfielder Naby Keita will remain at the German club.

Sky Sports News on Friday reported the Reds have ended their interest of the 22-year-old, having had two bids for the Guinea international rejected over the summer.
Keita, a shining light in the Leipzig side which stormed to a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga last season, scored eight goals in 31 appearances to help his team qualify for the Champions League.

Leipzig confirmed they turned down an offer of £67m from an unnamed club and, reacting to the Reds' withdrawal from the race for the star's signature, Hasenhuttl stressed he is fully confident the player will now stay put.
"The chance [of Keita leaving] is "null," the manager said.

"It's 100 per cent clear that Naby will play this year in Leipzig.
"At the beginning of the transfer period that we said we would start with the same team and of the players we had last year no-one will go.
"For us, everyone can see how important Naby Keita is for our game. It's 100 per cent sure that he will be with RB Leipzig in the Champions League."

Speaking after Leipzig's 1-0 Emirates Cup defeat to Sevilla, in which Keita played the whole game, Hasenhuttl stressed the player is more than happy to stay put as the club begin their Champions League adventure.
"When you play such a famous season as last year it is normal players get interest, that other clubs are watching us is normal," he said.
"I said for all the players it is very important to stay together as it's the first time we play Champions League and that is a new situation for every one of us.

"We are a very young players and I think for them it is very important to play the first year in the Champions League as a team. He is more focused on us and has more fun now than last year.
"He knows this season it will be fantastic for us.
"It is the first time Champions League and also for Naby Keita it is a great thing. I think he is more focused than last year."

There has been speculation a clause in Keita's contract would allow him to leave for a set fee next summer, but the Australian, who admitted he expects plenty of interest surrounding the player in a year's time, refused to confirm if such a term exists.
"I don't tell you about the details of his contract. You have to ask other people," he added.

"Liverpool will not be the only one [to look at Keita next summer] I think. Until next summer we keep the door closed and then we have a look."

PL : Caballero praises Conte's focus on tactics

New Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero has praised manager Antonio Conte's focus on tactics in training.

Caballero joined the Blues this off-season after spending three seasons with Manchester City, which saw him coached by Pep Guardiola in the last of those three campaigns. 

The Argentine couldn't help but be impressed by the dedication and focus shown at his new club by another of world football's top managers.
"He is a very good coach," Caballero told Goal. "He is always focused on how we have to play in every training.

"He is very focused on what he wants. In every training session, we train a lot on strategy, tactics and movement to do everything what the team did last season by winning a lot of games.
"So he is a very good coach."
Chelsea topped the Premier League table last season, which earned the Blues a showdown with Arsenal in the Community Shield next Sunday. 

"It was a great pre-season," Caballero said. "Not the best result but... we played every game until the last minute against great teams.
"We have to take this and start the Community Shield on a strong note as it will be a great match."

Though the Blues were defeated 2-1 by Inter in their final pre-season match on Saturday, Caballero thinks his side will take a lot of positives into the rematch of last season's FA Cup final, which the Gunners won 2-1. 

Crime : How 3 Okada men kidnapped married woman for sex in Lagos

Three commercial motorcyclists, names given as Koffi David, Hakimi Adamu and Saidu Ibrahim, have been charged to court for allegedly abducting a housewife, Hadiza Goma, for sex.

The men, who also threatened to kill the woman’s husband, were arraigned before an Igbosere magistrate’s court, Lagos.

The defendants reside at number 9, Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, abduction and threat to life.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Ingobo, had earlier told the court that the defendants committed the offences on July 4, at about 11:30p.m. at 9, Flood Gate Close, Alasia Ajah, Lagos.

Ingobo further explained that the defendants conspired and abducted one Hadiza with the intention of having sexual intercourse with her.

He said, “The trio abducted Goma from the custody of her husband, one Seriki Goma, with the intent of having sexual intercourse with her.
“They abducted Goma without her consent.”

He said that on July 19, one of the defendants, David, threatened to kill Mr. Goma through phone calls.

The prosecutor said the offences are punishable under Sections 56, 269 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the Magistrate, Martins Owunmi, granted them N100,000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum. - Daily Post

Man nabbed for enticing underage girls with N500 to fondle his manhood

A 36-year-old man (name withheld), who allegedly enticed some underage girls to pat his sexual organ affectionately for N500, was on Friday in Lagos nabbed, according to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).

The suspect was apprehended by some residents of Silver Crescent Estate, Oke-Afa in Isolo area of Lagos.

The Coordinator of the team, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the agency’s intervention followed a report by residents of the community.
DSVRT is a collection of professional service providers and officials that respond as a group and in a timely fashion to the various needs of domestic and sexual violence survivors by providing legal, medical and emergency assistance.

It also provides counselling and psychological and psycho-social support as well as encourage and create unprecedented level of collaboration among professionals working to end sexual and gender-based violence.

To report domestic and sexual violence as well as other gender-based abuses, the agency has advertised the following numbers — 112, 08137960048 and 07032165181.
Vivour-Adeniyi said:“The man was nabbed on July 27 at 8.00 a.m. in the community; some young girls in the area said they once reported the case to a woman in the neighbourhood, who alerted other residents to watch out for such acts and strange faces in the area.

“Luck ran out of the man on Thursday morning when one of the young girls in the area sighted him in the street and called the attention of some residents.

“The suspect, who said he had a shop at Ladipo in Mushin, blamed it on the devil.”
“The residents asked him to call his relatives which he did and his wife and children arrived at the scene.
“The Divisional Police Officer, following a distress call by the community, took the suspect accompanied by his wife and children, the girl that identified him and others to the station,” she said.
Vivour-Adeniyi said after investigation had been concluded, the agency would prosecute the suspect in court. 

Beast !!! I’m not stepping down – Mugabe

Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, said on Saturday he was not stepping down nor dying.
He said there was no one with his political stature who could immediately take over from him.

The 93-year-old leader has been in charge in the former British colony since independence in 1980.
His health is closely watched by Zimbabweans, who fear the country could face chaos if he dies without anointing a successor.

Mugabe told tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in the town of Chinhoyi, in his home province, that doctors were recently surprised by his “strong bone system.”
He has travelled to Singapore three times this year for what officials said is routine medical treatment.
“There is the issue that the president is going. I am not going,” Reuters quoted Mugabe as saying to supporters on the grounds of a local university, 100 km (60 miles) west of the capital Harare.
“The president is dying. I am not dying. I will have an ailment here and there but bodywise, all my internal organs are very firm, very strong.”
Mugabe, who looks frail, had walked onto the stage slowly but without assistance.
The issue of who will succeed the veteran Zimbabwean leader has deeply divided the ruling party, with two factions supporting Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s wife, Grace.

Grace had on Thursday challenged Mugabe to name his preferred successor, to end divisions over the future leadership of ZANU-PF.

Emir of corruption !!! False assets declaration: Why Saraki’s acquittal cannot stand —FG

The Federal Government has argued that the acquittal granted Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in his trial for false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) cannot stand because the tribunal erred in law in reaching its decision.

The FG therefore, urged the Court of Appeal in Abuja to remedy the error committed by the CCT headed by Danladi Umar, by reversing its decision and ordering the continuation of the trial.

The FG’s position is contained in a brief of argument filed yesterday at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, for the office of the Attorney General of the Federation by a team of lawyers led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

The CCT, in its judgment on June 14, 2017, upheld the no-case submission by Saraki, and acquitted him of the 13 counts of false assets declaration brought against him by the state

In the FG’s brief of argument sighted by The Nation shortly after it was filed yesterday, the FG argued in detail, the 11 grounds contained in the notice of appeal it filed earlier this year.

The FG described the CCT judgment as “unconstitutional and without jurisdiction.” It added that the CCT erred in law by upholding Saraki’s no-case submission “when the onus of proof” was on him to show “that there was no infraction in the Code of Conduct Forms.

“By the provisions of paragraphs 11 (2), (3) and (13) of Part 1, 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), once the Code of Conduct form filled by the public officer is investigated and found to be false or that some assets are beyond the legitimate income of the public officer or that the assets were acquired by means of corrupt practices, the public officer concerned is deemed to have breached the Code of Conduct and it is for him to show to the tribunal that there is no infraction in the form.

“The honourable tribunal wrongly placed the onus of proof on the prosecution contrary to paragraphs 11 (2), (3) and (13) of Part 1, 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) clearly excluded the presumption of innocence on the allegation of infraction of the Code of Conduct by public officers and the Tribunal wrongly applied the presumption of innocence contrary to the constitutional requirement. The tribunal’s decision is unconstitutional and without jurisdiction.

The tribunal’s decision is against its earlier ruling delivered on March 24, 2016 and the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/A/172C/2016 where it was decided that the defendant need not to be invited. The tribunal wrongly overruled the decisions of the Court of Appeal and itself,” it

 The FG argued that the CCT erred when it described the testimony of a prosecution witness as hearsay.

It said: “PWIII is an investigator with the Code of Conduct Bureau who gave evidence of the role he played, what he saw and the outcome of his investigation.

“The Tribunal failed to consider paragraphs 11 (2), (3) and (13) of Part 1, 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which imposed the onus of proof on the respondent to justify his declaration. The evidence of PWIII is not hearsay evidence.”

The FG also faulted the decision of the co-member of the CCT, William Agwaza, who held that the joint investigative team, comprising operatives of the EFCC, the Department of State Services and the CCB was unknown to law.

It said:”The respondent, by his own application dated 1st March, 2016, had raised the same issue that it is only the Code of Conduct Bureau that could investigate him and that the power of investigation cannot be delegated to the EFCC or any other body or agency.

“The tribunal, by its ruling delivered on 24th March, 2016, ruled and dismissed the application of the respondent and he appealed to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/A/172C/2016.

“The Court of Appeal in the judgment delivered 27th October, 2016, by Aboki, PJCA, dismissed the appeal and held that “there is nothing in any law preventing the Code of Conduct Bureau, an agent of the FG, from collaborating or acting in concert with any other organs of the FG, which are also engaged in investigations and prosecution of criminal matters in order to achieve its mandate under the constitution and the law.

“By the ruling of Hon. Agwadza, he has unwittingly sat on appeal and overruled the earlier decision of the Tribunal and the decision of the Court of Appeal. The decision of Hon. Agwadza borders on judicial rascality and impertinence.”

The FG equally faulted the CCT pronouncement that the prosecution did not tender the original asset declaration forms of the respondent and his statement when they were available.

It said: “Exhibits 1 to 6, 26 and 45 qualify as public documents under Section 102 of the Evidence Act, 2011, and there is no law that makes only the original of public documents admissible in law.

“The Tribunal failed to consider the provisions of Sections 102, 104, 105 and 146 of the Evidence Act, 2011 to the effect that a certified true copy of a public document or part thereof may be produced in proof of the contents of the public document or a part thereof.

“The Tribunal effectively overruled the decisions of the Supreme Court in Odubeko v. Fowler (1993) 7 NWLR (Pt. 308) 637 and the Court of Appeal in Tumo v. Muwana (2000) 12 NWLR (Pt. 681) 370 that courts must presume certified true copies of public document as genuine and act on it unless there is a contrary evidence.

“The Tribunal completely closed its eyes to the fact that the prosecution produced the original of the assets declaration forms before the Tribunal and requested the Tribunal and the defendant to compare the original with the certified true copies without any objection from the defendant.

“The Code of Conduct Tribunal erred in law in upholding the no-case submission raised by the respondent at the close of prosecution’s case and in discharging the respondent.

“By the authorities cited, the prosecution only has a duty to show that there are some infractions of the Code of Conduct prescribed for public officers under the Constitution and the prosecution had established those infractions through his witnesses.” - The Nation

Miserable country !!! Contractor ‘suspends work’ on Lagos-Ibadan expressway over low cash flow

Reynolds Construction Company, assigned the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan dual carriageway, has reportedly suspended work on the project due to an outstanding debt of N8.94bn.

According to PUNCH, the company in a letter dated June 2 called the attention of Babatunde Fashola, minister of works, power and housing, to the financial constraints of the project and pleaded for his intervention.
The letter, signed by the firm’s managing director, simply identified as M. Nakhla, stated that RCC was committed to the successful completion of the project, but maintained that funding was a challenge.

The letter is said to have been received and acknowledged by the office of the minister on June 5.
“In view of the dire situation, we shall be constrained to suspend further execution of work unless there is an appreciable improvement in the project’s cash flow and adequate funding arrangement is put in place for further works,” the letter read.

“This painful decision is bound to delay the scheduled completion of the project, in addition to the inherent cost implication.
“This letter is, therefore, a notice of our intention to suspend further execution of the project, pursuant to Clause 68(8) of the Conditions of Contract. In that unfortunate event, we shall require payment of the outstanding debt as well as full coverage of our attendant expenses and losses before the resumption of work.
“A corresponding extension of time shall also become imperative, pursuant to Clause 44 of the CC.” - Cable Nigeria

Internet : MPs demand compensation for poor broadband speeds

A new report calls on Ofcom, the media and telecoms regulator, to get tough on broadband providers that promise fast speeds but fail to deliver.

Millions of broadband customers who do not get the connection speeds they pay for should receive compensation, MPs have said.

The British infrastruture group of MPs, led by former Tory party chairman Grant Shapps, estimates that as many as 6.7m UK broadband connections may not hit the 10Mb minimum that the government wants to be the UK standard for a basic decent service.
The Broadband 2.0 report, which is backed by 57 MPs, calls for automatic compensation for customers who do not get the level of speed promised from the internet packages they buy.
“Although broadband is increasingly considered to be an essential utility, the quality of customer services has simply not caught up with demand,” said Shapps. “It is unacceptable that there are still no minimum standards in the UK telecoms sector to protect customers from protracted complaints procedures, and ensure that broadband providers are fully accountable to their customers.”

Ofcom administers a voluntary code of practice on broadband connections – which the UK’s main internet serivce providers such as BT, Sky and Virgin Media have all signed up to – that empowers customers to walk away from a contract without penalties if the speed consistently falls below a minimum level set by their provider.
A spokesman for Ofcom said the code was being reviewed to potentially make it tougher, but there was currently no penalty compensation related to speed failures for customers.

In March, Ofcom unveiled proposals to make providers pay for slow repairs and missed deadlines and appointments, which could result in millions of broadband and landline customers who suffer poor service receiving millions of pounds of money back automatically.
“We share concerns that broadband must improve and we’re already taking firm, wide-ranging action to protect customers,” said a spokesman for Ofcom. “These include new plans for automatic compensation, faster repairs and installations, and ensuring providers commit to giving accurate speed information to customers.”

Ofcom disputes the scale of the issues claimed by the MPs’ report. The regulator said only about 1.4m households and businesses in the UK – about 5% of the total – were not able to get a minimum 10Mb service because they were in rural, hard-to-reach locations.
Ofcom has previously found that three-quarters of premises with standard broadband could get superfast speeds, which it determines as 30Mb and faster, if they upgraded.

“Almost 95% of the UK can now get superfast broadband, but we know millions of homes and businesses have not yet chosen to upgrade,” said a spokesman for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. “We want everyone to have access to fast broadband and the universal service obligation [of 10Mb minimum nationwide] will make sure that no one is left behind.”
BT’s subsidiary Openreach, which runs the UK’s broadband infrastructure, is poised to outline a plan to the government to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to make 10Mb broadband available to the last 5% of homes that have been left behind in the internet rollout.

The proposal is yet to be made public but rivals such as Vodafone, Sky and TalkTalk, who have to pay Openreach to offer their internet packages to customers, fear that they may be charged more and that consumers will receive higher broadband bills. - The Guardian 

CEO : Huawei promises the Mate 10 will be better than the iPhone 8

Pictured mobile phone, Huawei’s Mate 9 is one of the best big phones you can buy right now, but the company promises the next one will be better – even better than the iphone 8, in fact.

Richard Yu, Huawei’s consumer product chief, had the following to say in an interview with Bloomberg: “We will have an even more powerful product. The Mate 10, which has much longer battery life with a full-screen display, quicker changing speed, better photographing capability and many other features that will help us compete with Apple.”

Of course, this is just a company executive promoting his own product, but there was a lot to like about the previous device already. If Huawei can minimize the already-small bezels and further improve on its product, it might have a winner in its hand.
The other interesting bit of news is that Huawei says it’s giving up on “very low-end devices” because of the low margins. Hopefully that doesn’t mean it also plans on jacking up prices on its higher end models, which have generally been pleasantly affordable for their specs.

That said, Huawei is the third largest phone maker in the world, but it’s so far had trouble breaching the American market. Competing at a more premium price point might help give it a bit more mindshare. 

Shocking !!! Chinese woman undergoes plastic surgery to evade $3.7 million debt

A 59-year old woman from the central Chinese city of Wuhan transformed her appearance through plastic surgery in order to avoid 25 million yuan (£2.8 million) of personal debts, state news agency Xinhua said.

In a case highlighting the challenges facing China as it tries to establish a "credit society", police officers were reported to be "astonished" after apprehending the woman, who fled to the southeastern Chinese city of Shenzhen after a court in Wuhan ordered her to pay off her debt.
"We were very surprised at the scene," the official Xinhua news agency quoted a policeman as saying. "She looked in her thirties and was different from the photos we had."

The woman, identified as Zhu Najuan, also confessed to using other people's identity cards to travel across the country by train. She financed her plastic surgery using borrowed bank cards, Xinhua said late on Friday.
Representatives from more than 300 Chinese cities released a declaration earlier in July promising to make more credit available for consumer spending, part of the country's efforts to find new sources of economic growth and reduce its dependence on heavy industry and state-driven infrastructure investment.

But as the country strives to make more credit available to individuals, it is also facing a surge in household debt, which is estimated to have reached around 50 percent of gross domestic product last year, more than doubling in less than a decade.
As regulators try to establish a reliable nationwide credit rating system, authorities across the country are also exploring new ways to crack down on those who do not pay debts.

According to state media, one court in Jiangsu province has drawn up a blacklist of defaulters. Anyone who telephones an individual on the blacklist will first be forced to listen to a pre-recorded message saying "please urge this person to fulfill their legal obligations".

The local news agency said the city of Wuhan has also launched a series of crackdowns on debt defaulters, and detained a total of 186 people in the first half of this year. - Reuters

Pochettino Demands 'More Respect' From Chelsea Boss Antonio Conte After Ambition Comments

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has hit back at comments made by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte regarding Spurs' ambitions.

Speaking at the Nissan Stadium, Nashville, ahead of Spurs' game against Manchester City, Pochettino said: "I like to show respect [to other clubs] but I expect the same from people who compete with us."
The prickly response came after the Chelsea manager had questioned the ambitions of Pochettino's side, and claimed that the Argentine is not working under as much pressure as his counterparts due to reduced market activity.

However, the Spurs' manager refuted the claim, explaining:  "For different clubs who have spent a lot of money, the expectation and pressure is massive. For us it is the same. It is our own pressure and ambition."
Spurs have been by far the least active of the top six Premier League sides in this summer's transfer market, and are yet to make a signing. Kyle Walker's departure to Saturday's opponents Manchester City has been the highest-profile movement so far. 

Pochettino eased any worries that the fans may have, claiming: "Our moment will arrive. We are calm because our squad is competitive. We have a plan. We have a very clear idea of what we want."
"There are a lot of rumours about the big sides spending money and it looks like Tottenham is not ambitious. I want to tell our fans 'don't be worried' because we will move in the market."

Transfer updates : Bartomeu warns PSG: Pay release clause or Neymar stays

 Neymar will not leave Barcelona unless the full amount of his €222million release clause is paid, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said.

The latest reports in France have claimed that the Brazil star has agreed personal terms over a world-record transfer to the Ligue 1 side, meaning that a deal could be completed as early as next week.
It has been suggested that PSG will offer Angel Di Maria in a part-exchange deal in order to reduce the cost of bringing Neymar to Parc des Princes, but Bartomeu insists that nothing less than the full buy-out clause stipulated in his contract will be accepted.

"They have to pay the clause, down to the last peseta," he told ESPN.
"We want Neymar to stay but the clauses are there. If he wants to go, they can pay it and he goes."
Bartomeu also suggested that PSG could find themselves in danger of flouting UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions if they pursue the transfer.
"UEFA has Fair Play controls and if any club exceeds them, they will be punished," he said.

Talk in Spain has begun to turn to possible replacements for Neymar at Camp Nou, with Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho among those to be linked.
Barca reportedly began talks with the player in London this week but, although he indicated that they are looking to sign a player who can play in midfield, Bartomeu would not be drawn on the Brazilian.

"He's a great player but we can't say anything. You have to be discrete," he said.
"[Head coach Ernesto Valverde] said a few days ago that he wants a competitive team who understand our needs very well. More players will come. One in the middle, for sure." - Goal

PL : 'Destroyed' Conte loses 3kg a game

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says he loses up to three kilos during games because of his touchline antics and often feels "destroyed" afterwards.

The 47-year-old Italian made a stunning impact in guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season in England after arriving last year.
But the former international midfielder also quickly won a reputation for displaying his full range of emotions on the sidelines, including jumping into the arms of Chelsea fans to celebrate goals.
He admits he will need to tone down his behaviour one day.

"I finish the game and I'm destroyed. I think I lose 2-3 kilos (over six pounds) during the game," he told reporters in Singapore, where Chelsea are on a pre-season tour.
"I try to transfer all my passion into my work. I know that in the future it will be very difficult to continue to have this because to stay on the touchline and have this passion, you must have a lot of strength.

"In the future my strength will be less and then maybe I will try to keep myself calm and more seated."

Wenger : Arsenal still active in transfer window

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the club remain "active" in the transfer window despite concerns over the "huge inflation" in the market.

The Gunners have made just two signings since the end of last season, bringing in Alexandre Lacazette for a reported club-record fee of £52.7million and full-back Sead Kolasinac on a free transfer.
Wenger is rumoured to be keen on another raid of Ligue 1 before the market closes, with Arsenal linked with bids for Monaco duo Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe.

The 67-year-old is concerned by the fees some clubs are demanding for their players, with Mbappe reportedly valued at €180m and Barcelona star Neymar said to be nearing a €222m move to Paris Saint-Germain, but he maintains Arsenal are still on the hunt for reinforcements.

"What’s next is to remain active," he told Arsenal Player. "Not a lot [has] happened.
"I believe there are actually two ways to improve the team. First of all to improve the quality of what we do in training to improve the squad and improve the players we have, and secondly to bring more top-level players in.
"The difficulty is to bring top-level players in because you pay a huge amount of money for very normal players at the moment. As well, all the big clubs are chasing the same players and that provokes huge inflation. Maybe this will be the first time we [football clubs] pay over £200m, maybe over £300m with Neymar and around £200m with Mbappe.

"So there is a huge inflation. But we are active, we are working hard and I think we have done well with Kolasinac, we have done well with Lacazette and we are continuing to work."
Arsenal's previous record signing was Mesut Ozil, who arrived from Real Madrid on the final day of the window in August 2013 for a reported fee of £42.5m.

Wenger expects plenty of transfers to be completed in the final days of next month and made it clear that he will be "on alert" for any sudden opportunities.
"There's the usual acceleration in the final part of August," he said. "But I think you have always to be on alert every day, because a good opportunity might turn up.

"Sometimes people you are after for a long time are not available and suddenly they become available. So you have always to be on alert. That's what we do." - Goal

Really ??? Northern governors set up committee on restructuring

The northern states governors forum (NSGF) on Friday constituted a committee to collate views and comments on the current agitations for the restructuring. 

The governors had at their meeting with northern traditional rulers on Thursday declared that the north would adopt a unified position regarding the debates on restructuring on Friday.
However, at the end of the meeting which was held at government house, Kaduna, the governors set up a 12 member committee headed by Aminu Waziri, Sokoto state governor, to collate views on the agitation for restructuring from individuals, groups and corporate organisations in the north.

Other members of the committee include the governors of Nasarawa, Gombe, Benue, Bauchi and Kaduna states as well as the emirs of Kano, Zazzau (Zaria), Gummi, the Etsu Nupe and the Gbong Gwom Jos and Sonni Gonle Tyoden, deputy governor of Plateau state, as secretary.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Kashim Shettima, 
chairman of NSGF and Borno state governor, the committee “is to come up with acceptable, tenable and sustainable position for the northern region in consonance with the provisions of the 1999 constitution, taking into cognisance, the current constitutional amendment process going on at the national assembly”.

The governors decried the escalating clashes between farmers and “cattle-rearers”, saying the situation was being worsened by the infiltration of criminal elements from outside the north who pose as Fulani herdsmen.
“The forum therefore, discourages ethicising the deadly conflicts and crimes with the Fulani tribe as other tribe could be cattle-rearers too,” the communiqué read.

“The free movement of persons, goods and services within the West African sub-region as ratified by the  ECOWAS Convention should be subjected to the laws of individual member states in order to check cross border crimes, especially cattle rustling.
“Creating more grazing reserves and providing adequate infrastructure in such reserves by way of addressing the needs of cattle-rearers and those of their animals before the enactment of the appropriate legislation will ameliorate the challenges.”

The governors also condemned the recent attack on some NNPC staff, security personnel and the staff of the University of Maiduguri, Borno state which resulted in the suspension of oil exploration activities in the Lake Chad Basin.
They called on the federal government to urgently ensure the reconstitution of the Federal Character Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to enable them to discharge their constitutional responsibilities, saying that the failure to do so had so far resulted in lopsided appointments.

“We re-assure all Nigerians who live in the north of our readiness to protect their lives and property and we therefore call on our colleagues in the south to emulate this gesture.” - Cable Nigeria

Biafra : We fully control the people… Anambra election will not hold - Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), says the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state will not hold until the federal government agrees to a referendum.

The Radio Biafra director expressed confidence that his quest for a sovereign state of Biafra will come to fruition.
Kanu has been agitating for a Biafra state, a struggle that had landed him in prison until he was recently granted bail 
on strict conditions.

During his recent visit to Enugu state, PUNCH reports that Kanu told journalists he is not deterred in the struggle no matter what happens to him and/or IPOB.
Kanu wondered why people think his insistence on the referendum would lead to bloodshed, saying such could only be obtainable in Nigeria, “because those in the political class are not educated enough to understand or distinguish between self determination and war.

“There will not be any election in Anambra on the 18th of November, 2017, and there won’t be any going forward until they give me a date for a referendum.
“They know what to do, it is very simple. They should convene a meeting, I attend or I send my representative and they give us a date. That is very simple. That is the only way we can have elections.
“If Anambra doesn’t (boycott the) election on the 18th of November, the glory of the Most High God will depart from them. I didn’t curse them. I asked them to wake up and rise up to their responsibility as the head of not just Igboland but Biafra and they must do that and vindicate us come the 18th of November 2017.

“I’m not bothered (that Ohanaeze and other Igbo leaders have distanced themselves from the call for election boycott) because the people are with us. We control the people 100 per cent. And come to Anambra on the 18th of November, 2017, the whole world will be amazed.
“Nobody can stop us. We are unstoppable. I can say with every ounce of confidence, Biafra will come, no matter what people do. We are fighting for our freedom.”

He said the problem of poor education in Nigeria can be blamed for the recent quit notice issued to Igbo by northern youth groups.
“That is the issue I have with education in Nigeria. People are badly educated. You are aware that Scotland is seeking to leave the United Kingdom? Are you remotely implying that every person from Scotland who lives in England should now return to Scotland,” he asked.

“Britain just left the EU. Are you now implying that every British citizen in the EU should come back to Britain in order to finalise that process of extraction of Britain from the EU? It is an indictment of the education system in Nigeria that people go through school and come out even more hopeless than when they went into it.” - Cable Nigeria

Scam capital of the world !!! John Fashanu held in Nigerian jail after being accused of land scam

John Fashanu was left in a Nigerian jail pen with 200 others after being held over an alleged dodgy land deal, police have revealed. 

The former Wimbledon and England star spent two days locked up as officers investigated claims he acted as a fixer in a scam to sell plots that were not for sale.
He was arrested at his home on the Sun City Estate, in the capital Abuja, and taken in on suspicion of “criminal conspiracy”, detectives said.
It is alleged that earlier this year the former I’m a Celeb favourite acted for a friend looking to buy land.

The pal claims he was told by Fashanu, 54, of two contacts who would help with buying “forgotten lands” – plots owned by chiefs that the state were unaware of.
He was allegedly given £23,000 in cash to fix the deal with his “boys”. But when the new “owner” went to claim his land, it is alleged he found it not for sale and not in the hands of local chiefs.

Fash, who once fronted Nigeria’s version of Deal or No Deal, was taken before a superintendent last week to explain himself before being left in a packed pen, police sources said.
Officers are now looking for the other two men said to be involved. It is believed they are still in Nigeria, where the average yearly wage is £1,600 (660,000 Nairi).
Fashanu has agreed to pay the money back, although he denies wrongdoing.

A source close to the former Gladiators presenter said last night: “This is a business deal between friends that has gone south and the police were asked to basically mediate.

“It will all be sorted very quickly. It was just a business deal.”
It is understood Fashanu was released after surrendering his British passport and agreeing to pay back a first instalment of the money.
Sources said he looked to sell some of his cars to raise the cash as he waited for funds from his numerous business interests to clear in his bank account.

The London-born celebrity’s Nigerian barrister Hyp Egbune confirmed he had this week paid a second instalment of the money owed.

He said: “The matter is being resolved. He won’t be charged to court is my understanding.

“We are repaying the money and that should settle this matter.
“The person who made the complaint has been a mutual friend for quite a number of years and we are more interested in keeping that relationship so we are making amends. We hope to do that as soon as we can. It is quite a lot of money so we hope to do it as soon as we can. We want to have this resolved.”

Nigerian police Deputy Inspector General Hyacinth Dagala said: “John Fashanu was arrested on July 17 in connection with an allegation of criminal conspiracy and obtaining the sum of N9,550,000 [Nigerian Naira] under false pretence.
“He was granted administrative bail on July 18 but because of his inability to produce the requisite surety on that day, he remained in detention until July 19 when he was released.” - Mirror