Power generation has risen to 7,000 mega watts -Fashola

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, says the country is generating 7,000 mega watts of electricity.

Fashola said this on Friday while speaking at a retreat for top directors, heads of units and chief executives of agencies and parastatals in his ministry.

The minister said as of three years ago, power generation was a problem as the country was 2,690 mega watts of electricity on the average.

“Three years ago, the story was that power generation was the main problem of Nigeria. The story was that the distribution companies were complaining that they did not have enough energy to distribute to Nigerians,” he said.

“We were distributing averagely 2,690 mega watts of electricity to Nigerians, but today, that story has changed, distribution has risen to 5,222 mega watts, an all-time national high.

“Transmission has reached 7,000 while generation has reached 7,000. The problem has not finished but all we can say is that we have made progress.”

The minister said the federal government is constructing roads in all the 36 states of the federation some of which are being done through collaborative efforts.

He said the government has spent over N300 billion on roads construction since coming to power three years ago.

“Before this administration, there was no housing policy but now we have one,” Fashola said.

On his part, Louis Edozien, permanent secretary of the ministry of power, said the retreat was put in place to appraise the performance of the ministry in the past 90 days. - TheCable

Man ‘steals 40-foot container, N35m tyres’

A man, Uchenna Obidile, who allegedly stole a 40-foot container containing N35 million motorcycle tyres, was on Thursday brought before an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID), Panti-Yaba, Lagos, arraigned Obidile, also called ‘Olowun’, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

Prosecuting Inspector Adebayo Oladele alleged that the defendant and others at large committed the offences on July 20, 2017, on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

He said the defendants and his accomplices snatched the container-laden truck shortly after it left Apapa Wharf to deliver the consignment to the owner, Chief Ralph C. Obi.

Obi petitioned the Deputy Commissioner in-Charge of SCIID, Panti, Mrs. Yetunde Longe, who ordered an investigation following which the defendant was arrested.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Section 411 and 287(5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Obidile pleaded not guilty.

His counsel, Spourgeon Ataene, applied for his bail “on liberal terms”, so that his client will be able to attend his trial.

But Oladele, who did not oppose him, moved the court to impose such conditions “that will ensure his attendance for trial.”

In a bench ruling, Chief Magistrate O. O. Olatunji admitted him to bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties in the like like sum.

He remanded Obidile in prison custody pending the satisfaction of the bail terms and adjourned till September 5, for trial. - The Nation

Businessman slumps, dies after finding another man in house he rented for lover

A 48-year-old mother of six, Mrs. Ebere Dike, has been arrested over the death of her lover, Mr. Otti-Oriekpa Mike, at the Morogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

According to Newtelegraph Newspaper, the deceased, who is a businessman, was said to have died in Dike’s apartment after he met another man, identified as Samuel, in the apartment he rented for his lover.

It was learnt that when Mike saw Samuel in the apartment, an argument ensued, and he angrily left the apartment.

However, a deeper trouble broke out after the discovery of his lifeless body by the side of his vehicle, which was parked downstairs.

When policemen from Morogbo Police Station were contacted, they went to the scene and arrested Dike.

She was later transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.

A relative of the deceased, who gave his name simply as Imokwe, said: “My late brother was not living with the woman. She only had a baby girl for him and had five children with her former husband.

“On that fateful day, he visited her without prior notice, only to find another man with her.”

Dike, however, denied that Mike was attacked and killed as was being alleged and suspected by the police.

She explained that Mike slumped during an argument with his alleged rival. “Mike accused me of cheating on him when he saw Samuel, my business partner, with me.

“He got angry and walked out of the apartment. When he got downstairs, he kicked his car, but it didn’t respond.

“Samuel also became angry with me and walked out of the room. On getting downstairs, he met Mike still battling to fix his car. They started quarrelling and in the process, Mike slumped on the spot. Nobody fought with him.”

It was learnt that in her earlier statement at Morogbo Police Station, Dike refused to mention Samuel’s surname, until she got to the SCIID.

As at press time, Samuel’s whereabouts is unknown. His phone line had been switched off. The case was further complicated when Dike denied knowing where Samuel resides.

Meanwhile, Autopsy was carried out on the deceased. The result showed that Mike was hypertensive and died of cardiac arrest. There were no marks of violence on his body.

The case had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Lagos for advice. - Daily Post

Transfer news : Obiang's move to Sampdoria thrown into doubt

West Ham look set to keep hold of Pedro Obiang amid interest from Sampdoria, according to emerging reports from Italy.

The Spanish midfielder appeared to be set for a return to his former club, with Manuel Pellegrini planning to make significant changes to the personnel in his midfield options.
However, new reports from Di Marzio indicate that Pellegrini is, in fact, adamant that Obiang is in his plans ahead of the upcoming season, thereby throwing any potential transfer into doubt.

Obiang was reportedly intent on a return to Sampdoria but may be set to stay at the London Stadium, with Pellegrini reluctant to lose another of his midfielders following Cheikhou Kouyate’s move to Crystal Palace.
Alongside Pellegrini’s wish to keep Obiang, Secolo XIX (via Calciomercato) also report that a deal will be unlikely due to the distance between West Ham and Sampdoria regarding the player’s valuation.

The Hammers are said to be demanding €12 million for the Spaniard, and this price is believed to be beyond Sampdoria’s financial boundaries. - Read Sport

PL news : Morata's twin reason for ditching Chelsea's number nine

Alvaro Morata has passed up Chelsea's number nine shirt in a tribute to his newly born twins.

Morata became the Blues' record signing last year and took on the jersey all strikers cherish at Stamford Bridge.

He began the season in fine form but only scored one Premier League goal after the turn of the year and missed out on a place in Spain's World Cup squad.

Recent days away from the field have been momentous for the 25-year-old after his wife Alice gave birth to twins Alessandro and Leonardo last Sunday – July 29, sowing the seeds for his numerical tweak.

"It is a day I will never forget, to welcome my twin sons into the world," Morata told Chelsea's official website.

"My family is so important to me and I want to honour them and my wife, Alice, when I am on the pitch which is why I have decided to take a different number for the new season and remember this special day by adding the number two to my shirt.

"I am sorry to the fans who may have bought a number nine with my name already, but I hope you understand my tribute and that it will not be a problem and we can make you a new one with the 29.

"Thank you for your support and I hope this year there will be lots more to celebrate."

In line with Morata's wishes, Chelsea are offering a free exchange for any fans who have already bought this season's strip with "Morata 9" on the back from an official club outlet.

Chelsea face Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday before taking on Huddersfield Town in their Premier League opener next weekend. - Goal

Facebook launches a digital literacy library aimed at educators

Facebook on Thursday announced the launch of a new set of educational resources focused on helping young people think critically and behave thoughtfully online. The Digital Literacy Library, as the new site is being called, is aimed at educators of children aged 11 to 18, and address topics like privacy, reputation, identity exploration, security, safety, wellbeing and more.

There are 830 million young people online, the company notes, which is why digital literacy is necessary. We've seen the results what can happen when people are lacking in digital literacy - they're susceptible to believing hoaxes, propaganda and fake news is true; they risk their personal data by using insecure apps; they become addicted to social media and its feedback loop of likes; they bully and/or are bullied; and they don't take steps to protect their online reputation which can have real-world consequences, to name a few things.

However, many teachers today lack the educational resources that would allow them to teach a digital literacy program in their classroom, or in other less formal environments.

Facebook says the lesson plans in the new library were drawn from the Youth and Media team at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, where they were released under a Creative Commons license. In other words, the company itself did not design the lessons, it's only making them more broadly available by placing them on Facebook where they can be more easily discovered and used.

The lessons themselves are based on over 10 years of academic research from the Youth and Media team, who also took care to reflect the voices of young people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, geographies, and educational levels, Facebook says. Initially, the 18 lessons are launching in English, but they'll be soon available in 45 additional languages.

For educators, the lessons are ready-to-use as free downloads, and state how long each lesson will take. Outside the classroom, parents could use them to teach children at home, or they could be used in after-school programs. Teachers can also modify the lessons' content to meet their own needs, if they choose.
The courses will be made available in Facebook's Safety Center and Berkman Klein’s Digital Literacy Resource Platform for the time being. 

Facebook says it's also working with other non-profits worldwide to adapt the lessons and create new ones.
This isn't the first time Facebook has offered educational resources aimed at young people.

The company also recently launched its Youth Portal, which provides educational material directly to teens, not their teachers. However, those resources are focused more on Facebook itself, providing guidance on things like how to navigate the service, how to stay secure, and how to understand how people's data is used. (Arguably, this sort of information is something a large number of adults could use a refresher on, as well.)

In addition, Facebook has begun to roll out educational guidance into its new app, Messenger Kids, aimed at the under-13 crowd. The app encourages children to be kind and respectful online, by promoting empathy and positive messaging through things like the "Messenger Kids Pledge," kindness stickers, and other in-app challenges.

At the root of all this is the fact that Facebook, along with most social media, has corrupted the way people interact and navigate the online world. And it is now belatedly is waking up to its role and its responsibilities on that front. These large platforms were built by optimistic engineers who for years only saw the positive side of connecting the online world, and not the potentially negative outcomes - like data theft and misuse, fake news, hacking, attempts to disrupt democracy, bullying, targeted harassment, and even genocide. A literacy program could help the next generation of users, but it has arrived too late for many of Facebook's users. - Tech Crunch 

Abuja Barber, 23, docked over alleged phone theft

A 23-year-old barber, Philip John, was on Friday arraigned at a Karu Magistrate Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing an Infinix brand of phone.

John, a resident of Jikwoyi, was docked on charges of criminal breach of trust, theft and criminal misappropriation.‎

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Prosecutor, Vincent Osuji, had told the court that one Danjuma Alalakpe of Karu, Abuja, reported the matter at the Karu Police Station on June 27.

Osuji said that the defendant committed the offences on June 26 and at about 9.00 p.m.

“The complainant alleged that his daughter by name Faith Danjuma went to the defendant’s barbing salon to have her hair cut and in the process plugged her Infinix phone and left.

“Upon her return, she discovered that the defendant has dishonestly stolen the phone and all efforts to recover the phone proved abortive.

“During police investigation, the defendant confessed to have stolen the phone and sold it to one Abubakar at the rate of N1,500,” Osuji said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 312, 287 and 309 of the Penal Code.

The Judge, Abubakar Umar, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Umar adjourned the case until Aug. 14 for hearing. 

IMN flays Kaduna govt’s appeal against judgment discharging Shi’ites, demands compensation instead

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, has expressed shock over the decision of the Kaduna state government to appeal a Kaduna High Court judgment discharging and acquitting about 100 Shi’ites, instead of apologizing to the accused persons who spent two years and seven months in prison.

The movement stressed that the state government should rather apologize to its members who have just been acquitted, and pay them commensurate compensation.

Lead Counsel for the defendants, Maxwell Kyon said in a statement, “Rather than talking about appeals, we had expected the Kaduna State Government to issue an apology to all the accused persons that have been discharged by the Kaduna State High Court who have, by the day of their discharge and acquittal spent a period 2 years and 7 months in pr custody awaiting trial on charges which were clearly bogus and frivolous.

“It was clear that the government by filing the said bogus charges against them just wanted to keep them out of circulation.

“We still believe that the government should apologize to them and pay them commensurate compensation.

“Among the accused persons were 4 students of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 2 are students of the Kaduna State Polytechnic in Zaria and a host of others were students of different tertiary institutions and secondary schools. All of them have lost their status as students due to incarceration and some of them have lost their parents, relatives and their homes.

“In the case of two of the students of ABU, we filed a bail application on their behalf requesting that they be granted bail with an undertaking from their father who is a Professor at the same University to ensure they were in court on every adjourned date to stand their trial. The state vehemently opposed our bail application. Today they have lost their places in the said institution.

“The Court has pronounced them innocent of whatever offence they are accused of committing and we had expected some empathy from the state government, some form of scholarship to enable them continue with their education, medical examination of their health and some compensation to enable them start life afresh.

“Over 80 per cent of those discharged by the Court were married with children and of this number almost all of them were the bread winners of their families. As a result of their incarceration they were not able to meet with their responsibilities of providing for their homes. A number of them lost their marriages. The wife of one of them even left the matrimonial home abandoning her kids who were 9 years old and 3 years old respectively.

“During the period of incarceration about 4 of the Defendants died in custody and their wives are now widows and their children orphans. The Kaduna State Government knew that some of them who were either gravely ill before incarceration or who developed ailments while incarcerated had their situations worsened due to the unavailability of a proper environment to manage their ailments.

“We are convinced that with proper management some of them will be alive today and yet the Kaduna State Government does not deem it fit to visit and commiserate with their families and pay them adequate compensation.

“A large number of those that stood trial were workers in various ministries, agencies and departments of government in various States of the Federation. Most of them could not do their BVN due to their incarceration. Many of them had had their appointments terminated and their pensionable appointments and benefits lost. The Kaduna State Government does not consider this grave injustice since the trumped up charged against the accused persons has been thrown out.”

Regretting that the Attorney General of Kaduna State in her press statement said the judgment of the Kaduna High Court was perverse and totally lacking in merit, IMN said, “What the Attorney General failed to tell the public in the statement is that of the 47 witnesses they called, 40 of them were police officers who never visited the scene of the purported crimes.

“What the Attorney General failed to tell the public is that 95% of the Defendants had written statements showing they were not even at the scene of the events that gave rise to the cases and only made it to the scene after the army had killed the over 346 persons who were eventually buried in mass graves by the state.

“What the Attorney General failed to tell the public is that the Chief Investigating Police Officer had under cross examination admitted that the army had told him during the course of investigation that Cpl Dan kaduna who was supposed to have been killed by the defendants was actually killed by friendly fire from the soldiers themselves.

“What the Attorney General also failed to mention is that none of the witnesses who testified was able to situate any of the Defendants at the scene of the crime in their testimonies.

“What the Attorney General did not mention was that at least 10 of the Defendants who were arrested were not even mentioned at all in the case from beginning to end.

“What the Attorney General did not mention was that though the charge filed against the Defendants stated that Cpl. Dan Kaduna was killed at Hussainiya when he along with others alighted from the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) the evidence given at trial pointed to the fact that he was killed by his fellow soldiers at a place other than Hussaniya and on the 13th of December not the 12th of December as stated on the charge.

“It is also worthy of note that the Attorney General of Kaduna State never appeared in Court even for a day for the entire duration of this matter and cannot in good conscience speak authoritatively on the outcome of the case.” - Daily Post

Why I killed my dad in mosque – Father of three confesses

The Bauchi State Ministry of Justice has arraigned a man, Umaru Jauro before the state High Court for allegedly killing his father in a mosque in Maltawa village in the Misau Local Government Area of the state.

The chief state counsel, Hussein Magaji, while arraigning the suspect on Thursday, told the court that the accused went into a mosque and attacked his father with a cutlass on his head and back.

He added that as a result, the victim sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the General Hospital, Misau, where he died the next day.

The accused’s brother, Ibrahim Muhammadu Jauro, 26, also told the court that the suspect had a problem with them and their late father.

The witnesses told the court that the deceased shared his farm in the village among his children, adding that the accused disappeared for 10 months shortly after that, but suddenly appeared and came into the mosque while they were praying and stabbed their father on his head.

According to Punch, the suspect, a father of three, in his statement to the police, said he killed his father because he separated him and his wife when he travelled out on vacation.

He said: “My father turned my two brothers against me. We are not like we were before our father gave each one of us his farm.

“When I returned home, I took a machete and entered the mosque where my father was praying and stabbed him on his head and back.

“He fell down and I ran away but the youths pursued me and arrested me. They beat me mercilessly and injured my right fingers,” he said.

The presiding judge, Justice Aliyu Usman, asked the suspect if he understood the charges against him. He answered in the affirmative and pleaded not guilty.

The case was then adjourned till August 13, 2018 for hearing.

Justice Usman then ordered that he be remanded in prison.

Soyinka: Obasanjo knelt down for Atiku in 2003

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo knelt down for then Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his desperate bid to secure the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2003 poll, according to Professor Wole Soyinka.

The revelation came yesterday as the Nobel laureate gave a rare insight into the high-stake lobbying and negotiations that preceded the PDP’s presidential primaries in which Atiku was highly favoured to win at the expense of his then boss Obasanjo.

Besides, Soyinka spoke on how genuine efforts by Chief Bola Ige to reposition the energy sector as Power Minister between 1999 and 2000 were sabotaged by Obasanjo.

Soyinka was replying a question at a special reading session to mark the presentation of his latest book, “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?: Gani’s Unfinished Business”,  at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Louis Odion, one-time Edo State Information Commissioner and The Nation columnist, asked the literary giant whether he believed a sensational claim last year by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose of witnessing Obasanjo going down on his knees in Tripoli before the late President Muamar Ghaddafi in his desperate bid to secure the Libyan strongman’s  support for an extension of his chairmanship of the African Union (AU), since the former Nigerian President has neither denied nor confirmed the account.

Fayose’s account was published by an Abuja-based monthly magazine, The Interview.

Ghaddafi was younger than Obasanjo. Libya is smaller in size and population compared to Nigeria.

Responding, Soyinka said he had no cause to doubt Fayose, given his knowledge of how Obasanjo did the “unthinkable” when his aspiration for a second term in office was similarly threatened in 2003.

Said he: “Before the PDP primaries in January 2003, Obasanjo got everyone he knew could reach me on the surface on the earth including Yemi Ogunbiyi and my son, to get me to help him intercede when it was clear that (Abubakar) Atiku was in a position to take his job. He knew Atiku had a lot of regard for me and calls me ‘Uncle’.”

In the now famous BBC interview few days to PDP’s 2003 primaries, Atiku had declared that he was under tremendous pressure from his supporters to contest the ticket against Obasanjo but was yet to make up his mind in what triggered panic in Obasanjo’s camp.

“The pressure was intense,” the literary giant recounted. “Of course, I could not have knelt before Atiku not to embark on a course of action that would lead to his boss’ disgrace. But I can confirm to you that Obasanjo as President knelt down before Atiku so that he would not lose his job.

“But I warned Atiku that for making Obasanjo to kneel down for you, be sure you would have to pay heavily for that. I guess my warning came to pass if you remember Atiku’s dramatic change of fortune once Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term of office.”

As expected, yesterday’s book reading turned out a day of reminiscences of many bizarre dramas and unsavory episodes that characterised Obasanjo’s reign as two-term president betweeen 1999 and 2007. The panel of disscussants included frontline rights activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Sam Omatseye, author and Chairman of “The Nation” Editorial Board, and was moderated by Mr. Kunle Ajibade, award-winning author and Executive Director of “TheNews/Tempo”.

The roll-call at the event included literary colossus Prof. J. P. Clark, Colonel Tony Nyiam (retd) and Mr. Jahman Anikulapo.

Dispelling the notion that the long-running disagreement he has with Obasanjo is personal, Soyinka said his motivation is the desire that those he described as cause of the nation’s problems do not continue to recycle themselves as the solution.

He also dismissed Obasanjo as a hypocrite for denying that he did not have a hand in the third term agenda in 2006.

Said the playwright: “I remember I was invited to a conference in Germany around the time the third term game was unfolding in Nigeria. Then, I received this frantic call from officials at the Nigerian embassy who confided in me that they had been told to prepare for Obasanjo’s third term in office. They expressed fears that should it succeed, the country might be plunged into a serious crisis. They were of the view that I could use my leverage to talk to him or help mobilise public opinions to dissuade him.

“At the conference proper, I made sure I continually made poignant innuendos in the direction Obasanjo sat that day. But, typically, he kept shrugging his shoulders and looking the other way.

“But when the opportunity came for a closer interaction at the dinner, I pointedly told him that ‘Obasanjo, you know you cannot try third term’. Suddenly, he charged back at me, saying, ‘Wole, you only have one vote!’ I remember the Nigerian envoy then to Germany, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, jovially remarked that, ‘Ah, Mr. President, Wole Soyinka has more than one vote o. You know when he says anything, people listen across the world.’

“As soon as Obasanjo left the venue, I told Adeniran that ‘with what you’ve just said, be sure you’ve lost your job’. True, soon afterwards, Adeniran lost his job.”

Corroborating Soyinka, Falana said contrary to Obasanjo’s continued denial, the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice alluded in her book to how the former Nigerian leader prevailed on George Bush to support his third term bid. This, Falana said, Obasanjo never refuted.

On the parlous energy situation in the country, Soyinka recalled that Obasanjo did not only frustrate Ige but also humiliated him.

He said: “This was a man who said after Bola Ige died that we put somebody there, Bola Ige who did not know his left from right. He owes Bola Ige for maligning him, after humiliating him after sabotaging his genuine efforts to transform the power sector. It was sabotage and nothing less than a terrorist act against the electricity supply of the country.

“Bola Ige was frustrated and his works sabotaged. In fact, he had done his homework before he took office. He summoned a group of experts and mapped out the transformation of the sector. But, he was sabotaged from the inside. Bola Ige asked Obasanjo to remove one Suleman Bello, who was the managing director of the corporation then. The consequences we are suffering today. Obasanjo collaborated and protected the system headed by Mr. Suleman Bello. I dare Obasanjo to meet me one on one on any podium to debate the power project.” - The Nation

World Bank pledges support for Nigeria’s economic growth, says it’s a top priority

The World Bank says it is willing to provide technical support to Nigeria in critical areas to facilitate the country’s economic growth and development.

A statement from the ministry of budget and national planning quoted Hafez Ghanem, World Bank’s vice-president for Africa as saying Nigeria is “top priority” during a discussion with Udo Udoma, the minister, in Abuja on Thursday.

Ghanem said the technical support will cover areas such as the economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP), mid-term review, power sector reform, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and population management.

He said apart from tracking the ERGP delivery, the World Bank will also focus on performance tracking and reporting, capacity building for sector officials, economic modelling for policy analysis and forecasting, and Nigeria’s social investment programme.

According to him, it would be difficult for Africa, as a whole, to grow if Nigeria is not growing.

The World Bank official said he would arrange for Nigeria to have an opportunity to speak about its economic progress at the annual meetings of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF) scheduled to take place in Indonesia.

In his remarks, Udoma said with the introduction of the ERGP, Nigeria’s economic decline has been reversed, and the country had exited recession.

He expressed appreciation for the support of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and other development partners in executing the ERGP and appealed to the IFC to fulfill its promise to provide funding support for some projects identified during the ERGP Focus Labs. - TheCable

PL news : Jesus signs five-year Manchester City contract

Gabriel Jesus has committed his future to Manchester City by signing a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Premier League champions until 2023.

The striker scored 13 goals in 29 league games last term as Pep Guardiola's men ran away with the title in a record-breaking campaign, in which they became the first side ever to reach 100 points.

Jesus was reportedly close to signing a new long-term deal in April but instead opted to leave negotiations until the end of the season.

But the Brazil international striker has now put pen to paper on a new five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

"I would like to thank the fans for the welcome and for how well they have treated me," Jesus told City's official website.

"I can say that it was the best decision I've made in my life to come to Manchester City because whilst I'm here I'm improving as a professional and as a person.

"Also thanks to the club for being so organised and focused since I arrived. Pep had an important role in my signing, but also the club.

"City is a huge club and it is getting bigger and bigger so I just want to say thanks for everything. I hope that I can keep making the fans happy."

Having shone for City, Jesus was tipped as a potential winner of the Golden Boot at the World Cup, but the 21-year-old failed to score in five appearances for Brazil in Russia.

Nevertheless, City's director of football Txiki Begiristain is thrilled to have Jesus tied down to fresh terms ahead of the club's Premier League title defence.

Begiristain added: "Gabriel is undoubtedly one of the best young forwards in world football, so to have him commit his future to us is a huge boost.

"There's so much variety in his game. I know how much Pep enjoys working with him and I am really looking forward to watching his development in the coming years." - Goal

West Ham in negotiations to sign Harold Moukoudi

West Ham are in talks to secure the signing of Harold Moukoudi of Le Havre in Ligue 2, according to a report in the Daily Mail. 

The Hammers have already added one youthful defender in this transfer window by way of Issa Diop, and new boss Manuel Pellegrini is seemingly keen to add one more before deadline day on August 9.

Moukoudi, 20, has drawn interest from other Premier League clubs, including Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Burnley.

However, the Daily Mail suggest that the Irons will need to sell before they can move to secure the signature of the French U18 international.

With a window deficit of £74 million, it is understood that the Irons must first saw goodbye to midfielder Pedro Obiang before any new signings could be welcomed in the door of the London Stadium.

A move by Sampdoria for the Spaniard has stalled in recent days, but a similar price to that of Moukoudi could prompt Pellegrini to acquiesce to the sale of the defensive midfielder. - Read Sport