A band of President Donald Trump’s Republican allies planned a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to undo his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, a bid almost certain to fail that comes on the same day their party is poised to lose its majority in the Senate. The Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House of Representatives were due to meet to formally certify Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election in proceedings that could stretch past midnight. In a joint session of Congress, Trump’s allies plan to challenge the results from a handful of states won by Biden. Thousands of pro-Trump protesters converged on Washington ahead of the session at his urging. Some clashed with police overnight. Biden won the election by a 306-232 count in the state-by-state Electoral College and by a marg...
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard acknowledged that he was given a sharp jolt of reality as the Blues capitulated at home to Manchester City on Sunday. Lampard’s charges have been in torrid form since the start of December, following up a run of nine unbeaten Premier League games with four defeats in their last six outings. The latest, a 3-1 reverse at Stamford Bridge at the hands of City, was concerning not just for the result but also the subdued display offered by the hosts. Chelsea mustered just two shots on target to give debutant goalkeeper Zack Steffen a quiet afternoon between the posts, and only troubled the scorers late into injury time through Callum Hudson-Odoi when the game was already out of reach. And with the Blues having slipped down to eighth as a result of their recent woes,...
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Thursday remanded in the Port Harcourt correctional facility five suspects allegedly involved in the murder of late Mr Nwozuruka Anele, a Peoples Democratic Party Chairman in the Alakahia community, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state on September 21, 2019. The accused persons are Blessing Ogbuagu, Bright Chima-Wali, Nnamdi Emenike, Thankgod Akani and Chibuchi Solomon-Festus. Counsel for the state, Chidi Ekeh, told the court that the defendants were also members of a secret cult known as Icelanders and were illegally in possession of firearms, thereby infringing on the state’s firearm prohibition and anti-cultism laws. The defendants, who are facing five counts bordering on murder, illegal possession of firearms and cultism, p...
Veteran Brazil international striker Robinho on Thursday had a nine-year sentence for the rape of a young woman upheld by a court in Italy. Judges of the Milan Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence for both Robinho and one of his friends for group sexual violence dating back to January 2013. Robinho was playing for AC Milan at the time of the attack and was tried in absentia in November 2017. The pair were among a group of six men accused of taking part in the gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman in a Milan nightclub. They were both ordered to jointly pay the woman damages of 60,000 euros ($ 73,000). The case against the four other accused has been suspended. Robinho, 36, who has denied the charges, has the right to again appeal the sentence within 90 days. Robinho was forced to pull...
The head of a leading Egyptian human rights group who was held for two weeks on terrorism charges said Saturday he hoped the campaign to secure his release would help others still jailed on similar Allegations. Activists saw the detention last month of Gasser Abdel Razek, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and two of the group’s other staff, as the latest escalation of a broad crackdown on political dissent under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Egypt’s foreign ministry had said EIPR was operating illegally, an accusation the group denies. There has been no official statement from public prosecutors since Abdel Razek’s release, and officials could not be reached for comment. The arrests, which came after EIPR hosted a briefing on human rights for 13 s...
Former Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Tuesday, urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to adjourn her ongoing trial sine die over alleged Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s abuse of court process. Also making the plea for the adjournment before Justice Taiwo Taiwo were the 7th, 8th and 9th defendants in the money laundering charges. Newsmen report that while Ubong Okon Effiok, his two companies; U & U Global Services Ltd and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd are 7th, 8th and 9th defendants respectively, Frontline Ace Global Services Ltd and Asanaya Projects Ltd are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the trial. Others in the case include Garba Umar, and his two companies; Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investment Ltd as 4th, 5th and 6th defendants respect...
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, says broadband penetration in Nigeria increased to 45.43 per cent in October. Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant on Information Technology to the minister, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. Adeluyi said that this was due to an increase of 4,061,731 broadband subscriptions between September and October 2020. “This increase in broadband penetration has been as a result of conscientious implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy for the overall benefit of the economy to achieve a Digital Nigeria. “The Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), along with the harmonisation of Right of Way charges across the states and protection of critical national infrastructure across the country, had a signifi...
U.S. slams China over Jimmy Lai’s trial
U.S. State Secretary Michael Pompeo has slammed China for charging Hong Kong media mogul, Jimmy Lai, under the draconian National Security Law and demanded that charges must be dropped. Pompeo further accused the Chinese Communist Party of its authoritarian rule and said that China was making a mockery of justice in the region. “Hong Kong’s National Security Law makes a mockery of justice. @JimmyLaiApple’s only “crime” is speaking the truth about the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarianism and fear of freedom. “Charges should be dropped and he should be released immediately,” Pompeo tweeted. Jimmy is set to appear in West Kowloon Court on Saturday after being charged with colluding with foreign powers under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The offence carries a maximum penalty...