World
Lionel Messi’s father already in talks with PSG to negotiate in January – report
According to a report published by ESPN, Lionel Messi’s father and agent Jorge Messi is already in talks with PSG over a negotiation that can take place in January. Messi wanted to leave the club in the summer, but a move to Manchester City fell through after extensive legal proceedings regarding his contract and if he could leave the club for free. Now former President Josep Bartomeu blocked the transfer himself, saying that he could leave for no less than his €700 million – the release clause mentioned in the contract. The Argentine came out after that to speak about the saga, explaining his unhappiness, and how the only reason he did not leave was because he did not want to drag the club he loved into a legal battle. However, he can leave Barça in June, next year on a free transfer, and...
Mike Pompeo: Donald Trump will get ‘second term’
The U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, perhaps, shocked Americans and the world on Tuesday, when he predicted that President Donald Trump “would win a second term in office” despite the victory of his opponent, Joe Biden, at the recently held presidential polls. The New York Post reported that Mr Pompeo, during a briefing at the State Department’s headquarters, Pompeo was asked by a reporter whether government officials were “preparing to engage” with Mr Biden’s transition team. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Mr Pompeo said with a smile. “The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today and successful with the president who’s in office on Jan. 20 a minut...
Hillary Clinton: US Presidents have always accepted defeat
In an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept defeat, former US First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has said the willingness of American Presidents to accept defeat distinguishes American democracy. She said this in post on her Facebook page, where she posted a letter written by then outgoing President George H W Bush to then incoming President Bill Clinton, in 1993. “Here’s how it’s done in America, “she wrote. Continuing, the former presidential candidate said: ‘This is the gracious letter George H.W. Bush left for Bill in the Oval Office on the day of Bill’s inauguration.” Quoting the letter, she said:”Your success now is our country’s success,” President Bush wrote. “I am rooting hard for you.”” “Since the very beginning, American presidents ...
US election crimes director resigns after Donald Trump’s attorney general authorises probes
The top federal investigator of election crimes in the US has resigned just hours after Donald Trump’s attorney general William Barr authorised probes into claims of voter fraud. Richard Pilger, director of the election crimes branch of the Department of Justice, stepped down from the post he has held since 2010 on Monday. The branch director, Richard Pilger, handed in his resignation within hours of Barr’s authorization. In an email to colleagues about Barr’s order, Pilger said, “Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications… I must regretfully resign from my role,” The New York Times reported. US Attorney General William Barr gave federal prosecutors blanket authorization Monday to open investigations into voting irregularities, as President Donald Trump repeated u...
AFCONQ: Super Eagles will make Nigerians happy vs Sierra Leone – skipper
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa insists the team will go all out for an outright win against Sierra Leone in Friday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture. The encounter at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City will be played behind closed doors, as the organisers the Nigeria Football Federation implements Confederation of African Football’s guidelines against Covid-19 pandemic. Musa states that the players will give their all in the encounter to make their fans proud. “Playing in Benin is great. It’s the home town of my mum. I would have love to see my family members come around and watch this game, but there is nothing we can do about it,” Musa declared in an interview with the Super Eagles media team. “It is all about the situation of things at the moment, the pandemic here ...
Ukrainian president tests positive for coronavirus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he tested positive for the novel coronavirus but felt fine as infections surged in the country. “Despite all quarantine measures, I also had a positive test,” Zelensky said on Facebook. The 42-year-old leader said that his temperature was 37.5C but that he felt “good”. He will self-isolate and continue to perform his duties, he added. “Most people overcome Covid-19. And I will get through this too,” he said. The head of Zelensky’s office Andriy Yermak also said that he had contracted the coronavirus. In June, Zelensky’s wife Olena Zelenska was hospitalized after contracting the virus but has recovered. On Saturday, the ex-Soviet country of 40 million people reported a record of 10,746 new coronavirus infections. Ukraine, one of Europe’s po...
Why Donald Trump lost U.S. election
Donald Trump won more than 70 million votes, the second highest total in American history. Nationally, he has more than a 47% share of his vote, and looks to have won 24 states, including his beloved Florida and Texas. He has an extraordinary hold over large swathes of this country, a visceral connection that among thousands of supporters has brought a near cult-like devotion. After four years in the White House, his supporters studied the fine print of his presidency and clicked enthusiastically on the terms and conditions. Any analysis of his political weakness in 2020 also has to acknowledge his political strength. However, he was defeated, becoming one of only four incumbents in the modern era not to get another four years. Also he has become the first president to lose the popular vot...
Comedian receives knocks for claiming Kamala Harris ‘slept her way to the top’
Popular American comedian, Terrence K Williams, has come under severe criticisms for claiming that US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris slept her way to the top. The comedian who is a fan of Donald Trump stated on his Twitter handle that Kamala, who will become America’s first female vice president and first black veepee, is not a role model for girls claiming she is using President-Elect Joe Biden as a stepping stone to become the next US president. He tweeted: “Kamala Harris slept her way to the Top! Now she is using Joe to become President because he won’t last long. She is not a great example for young girls around the world. STOLE THE ELECTION.” This tweet has since sparked reactions as some Twitter users shaded the comedian. Newsmen present some of their views below: Adédọ̀[email&nb...
Six killed after soldiers, rebels clash in India
Three Indian soldiers and three suspected rebels were killed in fighting near the de facto Kashmir border with Pakistan, the army said Sunday, in the deadliest clash to hit the contested region in months. The fighting began early Sunday after soldiers detected “suspicious” movements in the northern forested Machil area near a military fence that marks the de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC), Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. One Indian border guard and one suspected militants were killed in an initial exchange of gunfire before more troops were “rushed to the area”, he said in a statement. Two more soldiers and two more suspected rebels were later killed while two other injured troops were taken to hospital, Kalia added. The clash was the deadliest since April when nine suspected m...
US election: Donald Trump begins legal battle to challenge Joe Biden’s victory Monday
President Donald Trump says his campaign office will kick-off legal battle to challenge the victory of Joe Biden in the US poll on Monday. Joe Biden becomes US President-elect on Saturday after defeating the incumbent in the presidential poll. But Trump has rejected Biden’s victory, claiming the election was fraudulent and that he would challenge the outcome in court. Immediately Biden was declared winner, the president said in a statement from his campaign that Biden is “rushing to falsely pose as the winner,” and called the race “far from over.” The statement said the campaign’s legal battle would begin Monday. “Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. “I will not rest until the Ame...
US election: Donald Trump’s statement after Joe Biden declared winner — full text
Democrat Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the United States presidential election by several major national media outlets, defeating incumbent Donald Trump. Reacting to the projections on Saturday, Trump immediately accused Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner”. The Republican has made repeated claims of electoral fraud without providing evidence, and his campaign has pledged to challenge the result in some battleground states. Here is Trump’s statement in full: “We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed. The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly conte...
US election: Boris Johnson congratulates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden “on his election” as US president and Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris “on her historic achievement”. “The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security,” Johnson tweeted after US networks called the race for Biden over President Donald Trump. The prime minister has had strained ties with Biden and with former president Barack Obama, but Downing Street has been keen to stress the common interests still enduring in the US-British “special relationship” after Trump’s stormy presidency. In a statement, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “President Trump fought hard in what proved a close contest.” He anticipated working...
