New York set to rename street housing Trump Tower Barack Obama Avenue

Thousands of people have signed a petition in New York City to rename the block in front of Trump Tower after former President Barack Obama.

A MoveOn petition started by Elizabeth Rowin is calling for the stretch of Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th streets to be renamed “President Barack H. Obama Avenue.”

The petition would require President Trump to formally change the address of his Trump Tower building, where his 2020 reelection campaign will be headquartered on the 15th floor.

The measure had nearly 4,300 signatures as of Friday morning.

“We request the New York City Mayor and City Council do the same by renaming a block of Fifth Avenue after the former president who saved our nation from the Great Recession, achieved too many other accomplishments to list, and whose two terms in office were completely scandal free,” the petition states.

A stretch of a freeway in Los Angeles was recently renamed after the former commander in chief.

For the street to be renamed, the New York City Council would have to approve the measure and Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) would have to sign off on the name change.

The council unanimously voted last month to rename a street after the renowned hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, as well as others after rapper Notorious B.I.G., signer Woody Guthrie and poet Audre Lorde.

*Reported by thehill.com

Chelsea told to replace Alvaro Morata with Nigerian-born forward

Football pundit, Chris Kirkland has told Chelsea to replace striker, Alvaro Morata with Nigerian-born forward, Tammy Abraham

Abraham is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Chelsea and after impressing in the Championship he’s been linked with a permanent move to Premier League side, Wolves.

Kirkland has now urged Chelsea to give the 21-year-old an opportunity in the first team because Morata wants to leave the West London club

.Kirkland told Sky Sports: “Morata looks disinterested as if he wants to move away.

“Olivier Giroud is injured and is not really a long term option.

“When [Eden] Hazard doesn’t score, they don’t look like scoring so up top they are really struggling.

“I would get Tammy Abraham back and give him a go.

“I can’t see them doing that for whatever reason, I think they’ve said that it’s a last case scenario to call him back which I find strange.

“If you look at the five forwards, there’s 22 goals between all five of them, that’s low for that amount of quality, it’s nowhere near enough for a top club like Chelsea.”

Meanwhile, Morata has struggled at Stamford Bridge since joining Chelsea from Real Madrid last summer.

The Spain international has been linked with a move to AC Milan and the Blues manager, Maurizio Sarri is keen to bring in a new attacker following striker, Olivier Giroud’s injury.

Chelsea will tackle Nottingham in the FA Cup third round fixture this evening at Stamford Bridge.

- DAILY POST

Terrorism: Why Amnesty International’s role should be watched in Nigeria – David Falt

David Falt, President of the Global Amnesty Watch, GAW, has called on the international community to watch keenly the activities of the Amnesty International in Nigeria.

Falt said the call became necessary following AI’s constant reports on insurgency and counter-insurgency in the country.

Addressing a world press conference in London on Friday, a copy of the text, which was mailed to our reporter, Falt said the recent damning report entitled, “Harvest of Death Three Years of Bloody Clashes between Farmers and Herders in Nigeria” released by Amnesty International was aimed at disrupting the peace of the country.

He, therefore, urged the Nigerian government to increase security in areas where the report is likely to cause reprisal so that law enforcement agencies will not be caught unawares.

His words, “The country faced other problems. In the space of time it gave Boko Haram the deserved attention, its focus was to be threatened to the point of derailment by (1) Niger Delta Militants that wage war on economic infrastructure with the tacit support of some politicians (2) Separatist movements in the south east of the country, notably Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Biafra Independence Movement (BIM) and smaller group that were agitating for the restoration of the defunct Republic of Biafra (3) marauding killers associated with farmers/herders’ clashes that often massacred entire communities (4) bandits and cattle rustlers in the country’s northwest (5) inter-communal clashes that are hidden under any of the preceding crises (6) the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) that has continued to wage running battles with security agencies on the streets.

“The farmers/herders’ crisis, closely related to the cattle rustling and banditry in the north-west presents an interesting case that the world must address.

GAW is, therefore, taken aback by “Harvest of Death Three Years of Bloody Clashes between Farmers and Herders in Nigeria,” a report by Amnesty International on the farmers/herders’ clashes in Nigeria. That organization took the simplistic position that the Nigerian Government and military did not do enough to protect communities from massacre.

“In spite of the claims of thoroughness made in its methodology, it appears Amnesty International was resolved to create blockbuster report as against providing details that will make meaningful contributions to peace building.

While the entire report is replete with over dramatization, certain specific aspects expose the intentions of the NGO cause strife in Nigeria and perhaps move onwards from there to disrupt the entire West African sub-region.

“In essence, Amnesty International singled out some ethnic groups in Nigeria and passed death sentences on them. Nigeria must now race against time to do crisis management and prevent the reprisals that will follow the identification of certain ethnic groups. There is danger of the report sparking fresh rounds of killing, which is most unfortunate as it would roll back the progress that group like GAW have made in building peace across ethnic divides.

“We further advise the government to increase security in areas where the report is likely to cause reprisal so that law enforcement agencies will not be caught unawares.”

- DAILY POST

City boss Pep Guardiola says the title race is back on

Pep Guardiola felt Manchester City kept their title defence alive by beating Liverpool.

The champions cut the gap on the Premier League leaders to four points with a tense 2-1 win in a frantic clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

Liverpool, who were unbeaten and could have gone 10 points clear with victory, had gone into the game as favourites after winning their previous nine matches.

City manager Guardiola said: “We reduced the gap but still they are top of the table, still they are four points (ahead).

“But it is enough points to be calm and it is a good moment to congratulate and say thank you to these incredible players.

“Today they showed everybody how good they are, against an incredible team. It was a good spectacle and both teams played to win.

“It was a final for us because lose today and it was almost over. Win today and we are (still) there. Now it is tight again. We will see what happens in the future but now we rest and relax.”

Leroy Sane settled the contest in the 72nd minute, eight minutes after Roberto Firmino had cancelled out Sergio Aguero’s superb first-half opener.

Liverpool, however, had other close chances, most notably when Sadio Mane hit the post and John Stones’ clearance cannoned back towards goal, only to be cleared off the line 11 millimetres short – according to goalline technology – of going in.

The Reds also argued that City captain Vincent Kompany could have been sent off for a late challenge on Mohamed Salah.

Guardiola said: “The decision of the referee you have to ask to the referee. I understand here you can be banned even if you speak quite well about the referee.”

Kompany, who has won three Premier League titles with City, hailed the character of the team.

The defender told Sky Sports: “I’m not even worried about the result. I’m buzzing after a tremendous performance.

“We went toe to toe with a very physical and aggressive team and we matched them for everything, if not more. It is still in Liverpool’s hands but our performance was beyond anything else I’ve ever witnessed.

“It came from the guts. The 12th man is more than just the fans, it’s something from within and it made us a better team.”

- PA

Pirates abduct 6 Russian Sailors off West Africa

Six Russian Sailors have been abducted by pirates off the coast of Benin, the Russian Embassy in the West African nation said on Saturday.

Among those taken hostage was the captain of the vessel, the embassy said, adding that all of the sailors have “vanished.’’

The abductees were Russian nationals.

There were 24 people on board the ship when the attack took place on Wednesday in the Gulf of Guinea, the embassy said.

In 2018, an oil tanker with a crew of 22 Indian nationals was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.

The crew members were released after five days as hostages, following a reported ransom payment.

- PM NEWS

Britain’s 2 major Airports to install anti-drone equipment

Britain’s two largest Airports Heathrow and Gatwick will invest millions of pounds on anti-drone equipment, according to local media Sky News’ report on Friday.

It came after more than 1,000 flights were delayed and 140,000 passengers were affected by drone sightings at Gatwick airport between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21, 2018.

A Gatwick spokesperson said on Thursday in a statement that “While I can’t go into detail about exactly what we have.

“I can confirm this was an investment of several million pounds to ensure we are at an equivalent level to that provided by the Armed Forces.”

The Times reported on Thursday that Heathrow airport had ordered the military-grade anti-drone equipment.

Sky News quoted a Heathrow spokesperson as reporting that “Working closely with relevant authorities including the Met Police, we are constantly looking at the best technologies that will help remove the threat of drones.”

Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, chaired a meeting with the defence, police and Home Office officials to discuss future plans for coping with the threat of drones in some significant places, according to the Guardian.

Currently, neither airport had given comment on the specific technology they will install.

- PM NEWS

‘Let us in, we are not fish’: Migrants stranded at sea tell Italy, others

After two weeks stranded at sea and battered by winter storms, migrants onboard a rescue ship are growing frustrated as European countries refuse to offer a safe port of call.

Supplies on the rescue ship are dwindling and the crew are exhausted, according to a report by Reuters.

The Sea-Watch 3, a vessel run by a German humanitarian group, plucked 32 people from an unsafe boat off the coast of Libya on Dec. 22, including three small children who are suffering from seasickness and four teenagers, who are traveling alone.

The vessel is now in Maltese waters sheltering from high winds and rough seas. In an act of desperation, one migrant jumped into the frigid waters on Friday, trying to swim for shore, but was quickly pulled back on board by the crew.

“We are here on this boat and we do not understand what is happening,” Bob Kiangala, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said.

“We are not fish, we are not sharks, we are human beings like everyone else. We made this crossing, we risked our lives to get to Europe, and now that we have arrived, Europe refuses, and we do not know why,” he said.

Another German humanitarian group, Sea-Eye, is also in waters off Malta with 17 people rescued on Dec. 29 on board its ship.

This week almost two dozen humanitarian groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, called on the European Union to offer a safe port to both vessels.

Until June last year, Italy took in almost all of the migrants rescued by humanitarian groups, but since then the new populist coalition government’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the anti-immigrant League party, has closed the ports to rescue ships.

In a surprising move, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, leader of the 5-Star Movement, said that Italy would take in the women and children if Malta allowed the ships to dock.

“Malta should allow the immediate disembarkation of women and children and send them to Italy,” Di Maio wrote on Facebook on Friday. “Children shouldn’t pay the price of a Europe that turns its back so it cannot see.”

However, underscoring tensions within the government over migration, Salvini swiftly replied on his own Facebook page that Italy should not take in any more boat migrants.

“Human trafficking must be stopped. People escaping war should come to Italy by plane, as many already do, not by boat. We can send medicines, food and clothes to the boats, but enough of this blackmail,” he wrote. “I have not changed my mind.”

In recent months Spain and Malta have agreed to take in some rescued migrants, but often not before long negotiations with other EU countries. As a consequence, most humanitarian groups have abandoned sea rescue efforts.

Crew members on the Sea-Watch 3 are in good spirits but tired, getting an average of about five hours sleep a night, and the migrants, many of whom endured months of abuse in Libya after making a dangerous desert crossing, are showing signs of stress and mental fatigue, Sea-Watch’s head of mission, Philipp Hahn, said.

Sixteen-year-old Achuil Abdallah, who set off alone from his native South Sudan, said he is relieved to have escaped Libya and now is just hoping to reach dry land: “We all need help.”

- PM NEWS

TRANSFER NEWS : Arsenal close to signing Suarez from Barcelona

Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has moved to bolster his midfield, with a move for Barcelona’s Denis Suarez.

Sky Italia reports that the negotiations are at an advanced stage and a deal is close.

Roma and AC Milan are also interested in Suarez, but Emery knows the player from his time at Sevilla and is keen to work with him again.

The 24-year-old has found himself out of favour at the Nou Camp, making just six appearances for Barça this season, and the club are ready to offload the midfielder for a reported £14m.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are hoping to sign the Spaniard as a long-term replacement for the departing Aaron Ramsey, whose contract is up at the end of the season.

- DAILY POST

How rice dealer was robbed, beheaded in Osogbo

The Osun State Police Command says it has arrested two suspects over alleged robbery and beheading of a rice dealer.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, made this known while parading the suspects and other crime suspects at the Police Headquarters on Thursday in Osogbo.

Adeoye said the arrested suspects were contracted to kill one Isiaka Sanusi, a 43-year-old businessman, on May 14, 2018, at about 9 pm, along Iwo Road , Osogbo.

He said “one Yekini Ayinde , also known as ‘Abija,’ (a principal suspect still at large) had contacted the deceased to supply him 500 bags of rice.

“The deceased was lured into making the supply in Osogbo, from Saki in Oyo State, lodged in a hotel after the goods were supplied and later taken out to be killed.”

He added that Ayinde contracted the arrested suspects, Dauda Amusat, known as Adasi; and Pariola Kabiru, with five others, to kill the businessman after collecting the money initially paid to him for the supply.

- DAILY POST

New minimum wage: What NLC said after meeting with FG

The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr Ayuba Wabba, has said that the organised Labour believed in social dialogue in resolving industrial relations.

Wabba disclosed this after a meeting with the federal Government on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, the Labour discussed all the issues bothering on the National minimum wage, adding that process was inconclusive.

He said “We have had a social dialogue bothering on the national minimum wage as you are aware and the meeting decided to adjourn and reconvene on Monday for us to do further consultations before the issues are concluded.
“We have discussed all the issues and all the areas particularly how we can ensure that the issue is put behind us. That is why we took such a long time, including having a time out to consult.

“But we have not been able to conclude and we have agreed to reconvene to tidy The process. The issue at stake is to make sure that the bill is transmitted and also other auxiliary issues that government says they are trying to put together.

“We also want to see how the money gets into the pockets of our workers because a lot of economic factors have affected the current wage. But the major issue is that we have been able to have a meaningful social dialogue.

“But the process is not conclusive and we will reconvene on Monday. Monday is not too far from now since today is Friday. So, I expect you to be available to get the decision by Monday.

“The rallies on Tuesday will be determined by Monday’s meeting,” NAN quoted him as saying.
Wabba added that part of the report that was submitted was all inclusive of the main report and draft bill.

- DAILY POST

2019: Oshiomhole reveals what Buhari will do to Obasanjo if re-elected

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday said former President Olusegun Obasanjo would not escape prosecution if President Muhammadu Buhari decides to probe the power sector.

Oshiomhole stated this in Jos, during the opening of Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong’s reelection campaign, at the Rwang Pam Stadium.

“Obasanjo said in 1999 that if he was elected President with his Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, he would fix the power sector in six months and that there would be electricity supply all over Nigeria. Many years later, we realised what he meant.

“He and his Vice-President spent $16bn on power sector, after eight years there was more darkness in Nigeria than when they assumed office. So when President Muhammadu Buhari took over in 2015, he asked a question: where is the power? If Mr President pursues the answer to that question to its logical conclusion, he must put Obasanjo on trial,” he said.

Oshiomhole expressed regrets that those he said supervised the collapse of the power sector and other sectors of the economy, had regrouped to return to power.

He urged Nigerians to reject them in the forthcoming general elections to enable the country to move forward.

“Atiku is from the customs and (Peter) Obi is a trader. Their ticket is part of Obasanjo’s PDP. They can never change their colours.

“Already, Atiku has said he would sell the NNPC if elected. If given the chance, I’m sure he would sell the country. So, Nigerians should not vote them during the next election,” the former Edo Governor added.

- DAILY POST

Maradona in hospital, goes for endoscopy

Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona was admitted to hospital on Friday after doctors discovered internal bleeding in his stomach, local media reported.

Maradona was undergoing routine examinations in his homeland before returning to Mexico, where he is coach of second division side Dorados de Sinaloa, when doctors discovered the problem.

Argentine sports newspaper Ole said the former Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona midfielder, who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title, would have an endoscopy at a clinic in Olivos, on the outskirts of the capital Buenos Aires.

The severity of his condition was not known and the hospital has made no official statement.

The scare was the latest for Maradona, who has suffered frequent hospital stays over the years, often due to the extravagant lifestyle that helped make him one of the most admired and iconic footballers of the 20th century.

He last fell ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was filmed passing out in an executive box at the Argentina-Nigeria game. Argentina won 2-1 to reach the last 16, where they were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners France.

Maradona, who is now 58, was hospitalised in 2004 with severe heart and respiratory problems linked to cocaine use. He later underwent drug rehabilitation in Cuba and Argentina before a stomach-stapling operation in 2005 helped him lose weight.

In 2007 he checked himself into a clinic in Buenos Aires to help him overcome alcohol abuse problems.

In recent months he has walked with the aid of crutches due to problems with his knees.

The unexpected news of his admittance to hospital came just hours after Maradona’s lawyer confirmed he would coach in Mexico for a second consecutive season.

Maradona took over at the struggling club in September and got them to the playoffs where they lost to Atletico San Luis.

“Diego Maradona has arranged to continue with the Dorados de Sinaloa and will stay as coach of the team for the whole season,” his agent Matias Morla wrote on twitter.

- PM NEWS

Twin sisters want one man to impregnate them

Two sisters self-described as “the world’s most identical twins” aim to get pregnant by their shared boyfriend and, if the law would allow it, marry him.

Anna and Lucy DeCinque, who made their announcement on an Australian morning show last month, confirmed to Fox News this week that their communal boyfriend is “very happy” with the plan.

The DeCinque twins, 33, appeared on the show Dec. 3 to discuss their decision to eschew plastic surgery despite embracing such procedures in the past, but they soon doubled down on claims that they were planning to marry and get pregnant by their boyfriend Ben Byrne.

“If we can change the law in the government, we’d love to marry Ben,” one of the women said in a clip from the show, which the DeCinque sisters shared to their YouTube channel on Jan. 2.

“This is what works for us. People need to get that. We’re not hurting anyone,” said the other sister.

The twins then revealed that it was their own mother’s idea for Byrne to try to get them both pregnant naturally, though they said they don’t know if they can pull that off.

“Our mom is actually convincing us to go naturally, give birth naturally, so I don’t know how that’s going to work because we need to be pregnant at the same time,” one of the women said.

“Ben will be a busy boy,” responded “Today” presenter Deborah Knight.

The twins had previously revealed that they both wanted to become pregnant by Byrne in a YouTube video they posted in 2017, though they said they were considering using a surrogate or IVF treatments, Yahoo! Lifestyle reported at the time.

“It is a bit of a dilemma,” said Lucy. “We know that’s where nature comes in, we can’t control these things. You can’t force these things.”

-PM NEWS

Man kills wife, in-laws for having sex with best friend

Tragedy struck in Florida on New Year’s Day as a man was accused of shooting his wife and her parents after he discovered a video of her cheating on him with his best friend.

Police say William Brian Stillwell, 39, of Satellite Beach, was arrested on attempted murder and child abuse charges, WFTV reported.

He is being held at Brevard County Jail without bail.

Stillwell allegedly went to a house in Melbourne uninvited before he shot his wife and in-laws.

His children, five-year-old twins, went to a neighbor’s home asking for help, WFTV reported.

The children were heard in a 911 call asking their father to stop shooting.

“No, daddy. No. I don’t want anyone to die,” one of the children said.

Following a brief standoff, Stillwell peacefully surrendered to police. The children were not harmed in the shooting.

Stillwell told detectives he recently watched a video on his wife’s phone of her having sex with his best friend.

Stillwell’s wife went to live with her parents after they separated, investigators said.

His father-in-law was released from the hospital while his wife and mother-in-law underwent surgery, relatives told WFTV.

The names of his wife and in-laws have not been released.]- PM NEWS