Nnamdi Kanus outburst hollow
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the presidency has assured nigerians that there is no reason to worry about what it describes as the hollow outburst by nnamdi kanu the disputed leader of the terrorist organisation ipob1 kanu currently hiding in israel said recently that he was returning to nigeria with hell1 the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity mr garba shehu gave the assurance in abuja assuring that nigeria under president muhammadu buhari was strong enough to defend its territory against any threat1 shehu stressed that the utterances of the disputed ipob leader were a mere distraction that would not be allowed to undermine the relationship nigeria has enjoyed with other countries1 he said the buhari administration has the assurances of other nations that they would continue to reciprocate the respect nigeria has for their sovereignty1 british authorities had briefed the nigerian government about the temporary travel document they are about to issue to nnamdi kanu leader of the indigenous people of biafra ipob who holds a nigeria-u.k dual citizenship1 a senior federal government official with the federal ministry of foreign affairs who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed this development to the news agency of nigeria nan in abuja on tuesday1 he explained that the british authorities had further reassured that they had the best intention towards nigeria and its citizens1 the ipob leader who was sighted in israel last week had pledged to return to nigeria soon after his unceremonious disappearance from the country for about 13 months1

US cancels visas of Khashoggi killers, slams cover-up
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vice president mike pence in an appearance at the washington post where khashoggi was a contributing opinion writer denounced the brutal murder2 the united states said tuesday it was revoking visas of saudis involved in the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi as president donald trump ridiculed the kingdoms response as one of the worst cover-ups in history2 saudi leaders have denied involvement in the killing pushing responsibility down the chain of command2 crown prince mohammed bin salman strongly said that he had nothing to do with this this was at a lower level us president donald trump said adding he had spoken monday to the prince and his father king salman2 trump said the saudis had a very bad original concept in killing the 59-year-old saudi insider-turned-critic2 it was carried out poorly and the cover-up was one of the worst in the history of cover-ups trump said2 it was a total fiasco he later added. im saying they should have never thought about it. once they thought about it everything else they did was bad too it should have never happened2 faced with mounting calls for tough measures by us lawmakers across the political spectrum the state department said it had identified 21 saudis whose visas would either be revoked or who would be ineligible for future visas2 these penalties will not be the last word on this matter from the united states secretary of state mike pompeo told reporters2 we are making very clear that the united states does not tolerate this kind of action to silence mr. khashoggi a journalist through violence he said2 the top us diplomat said the saudi suspects came from the intelligence services the royal court the foreign ministry and other saudi ministries2 pompeo added the united states was also looking into whether to take action under a law named after sergei magnitsky the anti-corruption accountant who died in russian custody that would impose financial sanctions on individuals behind khashoggis death2 the initial us action against the saudis came three weeks after khashoggi self-exiled to suburban washington vanished in the consulate and following contradictory statements by trump who has ruled out major steps such as cutting arms sales to the major defense partner2 the move came as turkish president recep tayyip erdogan said khashoggis killing inside the saudis istanbul consulate had been meticulously planned in a speech that overshadowed a long-planned investment forum in riyadh2 he added erdogans account the most substantive remarks on the case by the turkish leader flies in the face of the saudis earlier assertions2 saudi arabia whose ambitious crown prince has been amassing power initially claimed khashoggi left freely after visiting the consulate where he was completing paperwork for his upcoming marriage2 but as pressure grew saudi state media changed the story and said khashoggi died when an argument descended into a fistfight an account that was swiftly denounced overseas even if trump initially said he found it credible2 erdogan said that a 15-person team came from riyadh to kill khashoggi carrying out reconnaissance outside istanbul and deactivating security cameras at the consulate2 he said 18 suspects detained by saudi arabia should be extradited to istanbul to face trial and called for an investigation into those with even the slightest link to the case2 the turkish leader did not mention some of the most striking claims that appeared in the turkish press in recent days notably that khashoggis body was cut up into multiple pieces and that there is an audio recording of the murder2 the whereabouts of khashoggis corpse remain unknown. turkish police were searching an abandoned car belonging to the saudi consulate in an underground car park in the sultangazi district of istanbul2 the group of seven industrial nations said in a joint statement that the killing left many questions unanswered. denmark also summoned the saudi ambassador over the case2 the murder has shone the spotlight on the mohammed bin salman who was credited with a reform drive in the kingdom but is now accused of ordering khashoggis killing2 a key investment summit dubbed davos in the desert was overshadowed by big-name cancellations as it kicked off in riyadh2 dozens of executives including from banks goldman sachs and jp morgan and ride-hailing app uber pulled out of the three-day future investment initiative2 saudi organizers sought to portray it was business as usual announcing 12 mega deals worth more than 50 billion in oil gas infrastructure and other sectors2 but energy minister khalid al-falih acknowledged we are going through a crisis2

Infantino: Qatar 2022 World Cup poised to be FIFA best
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the stadium is very impressive. when you enter here you immediately feel how imposing it is2 fifa president gianni infantino hailed qatars progress on infrastructure ahead of its 2022 world cup and said the tournament is poised to be the best one yet2 but the desert state has since launched huge construction projects and promised to complete seven new stadiums by 20202 you can see the progress which is being made here four years before kickoff infantino who spoke during a visit to the next host nation on tuesday said2 this was via a statement from qatars local world cup organising committee after the fifa head toured the 40000-seater al wakrah stadium2 qatars tiny size high temperatures and lack of ready stadium infrastructure have prompted some to question fifas decision to make it host2 the russian world cup has been the best ever but the world cup in 2022 in qatar i am sure will be even better infantino added2 the next tournaments logistics were further complicated last year when saudi arabia bahrain the united arab emirates uae and egypt cut diplomatic transport and trade ties with qatar2 they had accused their regional neighbour of financing terrorism a charge qatar denies2 qatar has nonetheless said it was pushing ahead with ambitious infrastructure plans to host the world cup which was the centrepiece of dohas strategy to project itself on the global stage2 it has since inaugurated a 7.4 billion 5.7 billion port and expects to open its first metro by the end of this year2

Atiku gets yellow card over Peter Obi
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read more in7 the peoples democratic party presidential candidate atiku abubakar was yellow-carded tuesday by the northern youth leaders forum over his choice of former governor peter obi as running mate2 the youths tabled their demand at a meeting on monday with former president olusegun obasanjo now atikus godfather2 they asked atiku to review the choice of obi if he hopes to earn the norths support2 the group which prides itself as the apex body of 46 youth organisations in the north threatened to mobilise its over six million members against the pdp and its presidential candidate if atiku failed to take its advice2 the national chairman of the group comrade elliot afiyo who spoke on tuesday in abeokuta the ogun state capital after a meeting with former president olusegun obasanjo on monday night claimed that the body had been instrumental to the electoral victories of successive presidents since 1999. it claimed to have played a major role in incumbent president muhammadu buharis victory and it also played a critical role in the reconciliation between atiku and obasanjo2 according to afiyo the group had equally intimated the former president of their position on atikus running mate2 the group sent atiku a dire message drop obi or lose2 afiyo said obis choice was causing friction in the southeast which is largely responsible for the impending defection of the deputy senate president ike ekweremandu from the pdp2 he added that obi is strongly viewed as anti-north and a major sponsor of the indigenous people of biafra ipob2 according to him over 70 percent of emirs and other traditional rulers in the north will not support atikus choice of running mate and maintained that pdp will fail to produce the next president if the party eventually flies the atikuobi ticket2 afiyo advised pdp to pick atikus running mate from south south. he suggested that either rivers state governor nyesom wike or his bayelsa state counterpart seriake dickson should be considered2 afiyo said atiku is an experienced politician and he knows what happened and as a northern nigerian he cannot ignore that group. i have spoken to almost all the southeast governors and they told me that they remained in pdp because of their governorship elections and after their governorship elections they will vote somewhere not pdp2 and for us to ignore the stakeholders it is political suicide so we must agree with that fact. that was what we told obasanjo yesterday that as far as we want atiku to succeed he has no alternative than to drop peter obi and with the contention between peter obis group and ike ekweremadus group it is not politically convenient again to pick a running mate from the southeast2 it was not immediately clear yesterday what obasanjo who has just ended a long feud with atiku and endorsed him told the youths2

Ecuador abandons WikiLeaks Assange to UK authorities
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this position marks a departure from ecuadors previous practice of maintaining dialogue with british authorities over assanges situation since granting him asylum in 2012 when he took refuge in ecuadors london embassy after british courts ordered his extradition to sweden to face questioning in a sexual molestation case2 ecuador no longer plans to intervene with the british government on behalf of wikileaks founder julian assange in talks over his situation as an asylee in the countrys london embassy2 ecuador has no responsibility to take any further steps valencia said2 we are not mr. assanges lawyers nor are we representatives of the british government. this is a matter to be resolved between assange and great britain2 the uks foreign and commonwealth office did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment after normal business hours2 greg barns an australian lawyer advising assange said in an email that developments in the case in recent times showed the need for australias government to intervene to assist one of its citizens who faces real danger2 foreign minister jos valencia said in an interview with reuters that ecuadors only responsibility was looking after assanges wellbeing after the australian national sued the country over new conditions placed on his asylum in the london embassy2 that case has since been dropped but friends and supporters have said that assange now fears he could be arrested and eventually extradited to the united states if he leaves the embassy2 valencia said he was frustrated by assanges decision to file suit in an ecuadorean court last week over new terms of his asylum which required him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat2 there is no obligation in international agreements for ecuador to pay for things like mr. assanges laundry he said2 ecuadorean president lenin moreno has said that asylum is not meant to be eternal but he has expressed concern about the possibility that assange may be extradited to the united states. valencia said on tuesday that he has not discussed assanges situation with the united states government2 last december ecuador granted assange ecuadorean citizenship and sought to name him as a member of the countrys diplomatic mission in britain and russia which could have assured him safe passage to leave the embassy. britain denied the request2

2019: Okowa challenges opponents to debate
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even their congresses they are deceiving themselves the pdp had a free and fair primary elections2 ahead of the 2019 general elections and governorship election in delta state delta governor dr. ifeanyi okowa has challenged his opponents to a debate2 at the event which held at kwale township stadium some of the notable persons welcomed to the pdp were former member of house of representatives hon. mercy almona-isei a running mate to a former governorship candidate chief v.o.t. abanum chief gabriel mordi chief emma ogude hon. henry onianwa and others2 these notable politicians in the state led thousands of other members of their party to be received into the fold of the peoples democratic party pdp2 okowas who received the decampees stressed that all the other contenders in the 2019 governorship election could not challenge his in a debate neither can they defeat the pdp in the elections2 we are praying for debate they will have nothing to talk about i am in delta state i only left when i went to ibadan to study medicine my opponents will have nothing to say so they will run away from debate2 we cannot deceive ourselves when you contest election today and after three years and half a month to election you are back to delta state to ask for votes who do you want to deceive2 okowa who gave this challenge at a mega rally at the delta north senatorial district to welcome new defectors said that most of the opponents only visit the state when it was time for elections2 in port harcourt 12 persons contested in the presidential primary election one person emerged and no one left after the primaries because we live in love and we believe in god2 when you have god you are not afraid we are on a solid rock but those who could not conduct elections are on sinking sand no matter what they do we are not afraid governor okowa stated2 he assured that the pdp will win elections in all the elections stressing that the oppositions were already in disarray with myraids of litigations even before the commencement of campaigns2 i must thank all of you for coming to this rally i must thank all our brothers and sisters who are returning to our party you are welcome back home2 okowas deputy barr. kingsley otuaro chairman of the pdp in the state barr. kingsley esiso hon. solomon funkekeme prof. sam oyovbaire among others in their separate goodwill message stated that the pdp will get 100 per cent votes in the state2 a high point of the event was when hon. gabriel mordi publicly tore his apc membership card. he said that the achievements of governor okowa had attracted him and others to the pdp2 coordinator of atikulated agenda 2019 chief greg onah and pdp chieftain dr. tabs ogaranya-tabowe described the success of the rally as good signal that governor okowa has endeared himself to deltans through his people-oriented projects2

Nigerians drinking less of Heinekens 62 billion litres of beer
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sales of heineken lager the companys premium global brand on which margins are greater rose by 9.2 percent with strong growth in brazil south africa france and russia2 nigerians are now drinking less of heineken beer with the second largest brewer in the world recording less sales in nigeria and congo amid significant rise in sales in other regions2 heineken increased beer sales in all four of its global regions in the third quarter and said it stuck to its full-year outlook2 the dutch maker of heineken europes top-selling lager as well as tiger sol and strongbow cider said on wednesday its consolidated beer volumes rose by 4.6 percent year-on-year to 62.6 million hectoliters 6.2 billion litres2 volume growth continued in the third quarter benefiting from good weather in europe and strong growth in brazil mexico vietnam and south africa chief executive officer jean-francois van boxmeer said in a statement2 nigeria is said to be a major heineken market comparable to russia brazil south africa and france were sales of the beer were said to have increased by 9 per cent2 the only negative spots were declines of beer sales in nigeria a major heineken market as well as the democratic republic of congo cambodia poland and spain. heineken lager sales also fell in the asia-pacific region2 the company said its expectations for the full year were unchanged2 heineken cut its full-year margin forecast in july due to currency weakness in some more profitable markets such as mexico and vietnam and expansion in brazil2 it said its operating profit margin would decline by 20 basis points this year compared with an earlier forecast of a 25 basis point increase2 heineken acquired the loss-making brazilian operations of japans kirin in 2017 to become the number two player in the south america country and had previously warned of a dilutive impact on its margins2

Turkey opens Khashoggi dossier to CIA
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erdogan said that a 15-person team came from riyadh to kill khashoggi including by carrying out reconnaissance outside istanbul and deactivating security cameras at the consulate2 cia director gina haspel visited the turkish capital ankara on tuesday for talks with officials about the killing of washington post contributor khashoggi inside saudi arabias istanbul consulate2 turkish president recep tayyip erdogan has stopped short of pointing the blame at the saudi leadership for the death of the saudi insider-turned-critic2 but he said in a keynote speech on tuesday that the murder was meticulously planned demanding that all those involved brought to justice2 the whereabouts of khashoggis corpse still remains unknown2 the 59-year-old vanished on october 2 after entering the saudi mission to obtain documents for his wedding2 video images and audio tapes as well as evidence gathered from the consulate and the consuls residence were shared with haspel during the briefing at the turkish intelligence organisation mit sabah newspaper reported2 turkish police searched the kingdoms istanbul consulate and the consul generals residence as well as hunting for evidence in an istanbul forest2 on tuesday the police searched an abandoned car belonging to the saudi consulate in an underground car park in the sultangazi district of istanbul2 the saudi leadership has denied involvement in the murder and instead blamed the chain of command2 crown prince mohammed bin salman strongly said that he had nothing to do with this this was at a lower level us president donald trump said on tuesday adding he had spoken on monday to the prince and his father king salman2 turkish pro-government media has claimed that ankara has audio tapes of the killing2 last week the turkish government denied giving any kind of audio tape from the investigation to any us official2

Ambode shames anxious detractors
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i have just accompanied mr president to the nigerian-benin border post. so what we have commissioned today is a joint border patrol post between nigeria and the republic of benin and it is called semo-krake border post3 lagos state governor akinwunmi ambode has disappointed those who wish he dumps his all progressives congress apc like others who failed to win their parties ticket for 2019 elections3 he also pledged his support for the governorship candidate of the all progressives congress apc in the state mr babajide sanwo-olu3 the governor made the remarks on tuesday at the presidential wing of the muritala mohammed international airport in lagos3 he spoke to reporters shortly after he accompanied president buhari to perform the official commissioning of the new economic community of west african states ecowas border post at seme-krake in badagry3 just to also use this opportunity to let lagosians lagos residents know that we are heavily committed to the re-election of mr president and you can see that his continuous visit to lagos reiterates the fact that he is actually a lover of lagos state and i am committed to ensuring his re-election said governor ambode3 he sent a clear message on tuesday that he would lead a strong campaign to ensure victory for president muhammadu buhari3 according to a statement by his chief press secretary mr habib aruna the governor stated the importance for the apc to retain its leadership positions both at the federal and the state levels3 we are going to campaign heavily for him buhari he reiterated. i am also committed to ensuring that the apc wins the governorship election come 20193 ambode added we support the candidacy of babajide sanwo-olu and we would make sure that apc retains lagos state and the centre3 earlier the governor received the president at the airport before they proceeded to seme where president buhari joined his republic of benin counterpart patrice talon to inaugurate the border post3 the seme-krake joint border one of the busiest boundary lines not only in west africa but the whole continent records a huge movement of persons goods and services daily3 with the inauguration the border post is expected to enhance the free movement of persons and goods in the region and foster integration between the people of nigeria and benin3

Senate passes new Electoral Act Amendment Bill
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speaking on the development the president of the senate bukola saraki said he hoped the president would now assent to the proposed law3 the senate on tuesday passed a new and fourth version of the electoral act 2010 amendment bill 20183 during the just-ended annual recess of the national assembly its joint committee on inec met to work on the document based on the issues raised by the president3 tuesdays passage of the bill followed the adoption of the report of the committee presented by its chairman sen. suleiman nazif3 nazif had said that the committee addressed all the issues raised by the president in withdrawing assent to the bill3 president muhammadu buhari had declined assent to the bill three times citing some constitutional and drafting issues3 let me congratulate all of us particularly the committee on electoral matters for the hard work they put in3 we were able to achieve this that looked almost impossible at a time and i want to commend everybody for making this happen3 this will go a long way in improving our electoral process and further strengthen our governance3 i am sure with this now mr president will of course give his assent and we can now finally have an electoral act that we would all be proud of saraki said3 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the amendment seeks to provide the use of card readers and any other similar technological devices for the election among others according to nazif3

Money laundering: Capital One Bank fined $100 million in U.S.
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reutersnan a leading bank regulator on tuesday fined capital one bank 100 million dollars for failing to enforce anti-money laundering controls that have been in place for years3 capital one failed to satisfy a 2015 consent order that demanded the bank improve its anti-money laundering policies the office of the comptroller of the currency occ said in a statement3 the bank failed to timely achieve compliance with the 2015 consent order the occ said in a new consent order that outlined the fine3 capital one said it disclosed the issue to the occ in july 20153 the consent order emanates primarily from prior banking relationships with certain cheque cashing service providers a business we made the decision to exit in 2014 the bank said3 since that time we have worked diligently with our bank regulators to strengthen our processes and internal controls to ensure we address any concerns regarding our compliance processes3

Shonekan not dead Ogun Govt. dispels rumour
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ogun state government has described as a lie from the pit of hell the reports thaternest shonekan former head of interim national government is dead3 taiwo adeoluwa secretary to the state government dispelled the rumour on tuesday3 he said ibikunle amosun governor of the state has spoken with shonekan who reportedly told the governor that he is hale and hearty3 tributes have been pouring in for shonekan on social media based on the reports3 born onmay 9 1936 shonekan is a british-trained lawyer and an industrialist3 he was appointed interim head of the country after ex-military president ibrahim babangida stepped down on august 26 19933 babangida had refused to hand over power to mko abiola acclaimed winner of the june 12 1993 election but relinquished power after intense pressure3 shonekans administration only lasted three months as sani abacha forcefully took power through a coup3 the elder statesman hails from abeokuta ogun state. he attended c.m.s grammar school and igbobi college lagos and was obtained a law degree from the university of london3

Video: Nnamdi Kanu sighted in Israel
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photo and video of leader of proscribed indigenous people of biafra ipob nnamdi knau has surfaced showing where he is praying in jerusalem israel2 the photos and videos were shared online by radio biafra2 kanu went missing in september last year after the military invaded his home in abia state and there had not been any trace of him until now2 he was declared missing by his community in abia state after the alleged operation python dance ii operation by the nigerian army in the south east2 many relatives of kanu had also been allegedly declared missing by the afara community in umuahia following the invasion of his home by the nigerian army2 click to watch the video2

Kaduna killings: Buhari tells Nigerians to opt for peace, not violence
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the clashes followed a dispute among wheelbarrow porters2 president muhammadu buhari has condemned the latest communal violence in kasuwan magani in kajuru local government of kaduna state which claimed 55 lives2 according to the president no culture and religion support the disregard for the sanctity of life adding that peaceful coexistence is necessary for the progress of any society and its wellbeing2 he noted that without communal harmony the environment for the conduct of our everyday businesses would be impossible to achieve2 president buhari explained that violence cannot be an alternative to peace. on the contrary reliance on violence leads to ultimate self-destruction. violence is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. embracing peace is a necessity2 in commending the kaduna state government for its rapid response to the crisis the president appealed to community leaders to engage in regular dialogue to nip imminent crises in the bud while admonishing the people to develop the spirit of tolerance and patience at all times2 according to reports the latest killings in kaduna resulted from the clashes between young christians and muslims in kasuwan magani market2 reacting to the violent clashes president buhari said the frequent resort to bloodshedby nigerians over misunderstandings that can be resolved peacefully is worrisome2 two persons were said to have been killed in the market fracas on thursday. the violence was temporarily halted by police but christian youth later mobilised and attacked hausa residents burning homes2 most of the killings were done in the second attack which took the hausa community off guard said muhammadu bala a kasuwar magani resident who lost his home2 kaduna state police commissioner ahmad abdur-rahman told reporters on friday 22 people had been arrested in connection with the violence2 the kaduna state government also imposed a round-the-clock curfew in kasuwan magani on friday2 a similar crisis in february left at least 10 people dead and hundreds of homes and businesses burnt2 over 60 people are facing charges over the february violence2

Breaking News: Ex-Chief Justice Idris Kutigi dies
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former chief justice of nigeria idris kutigi is dead. he was 78 years old1 niger state commissioner for information danjuma sallau said kutigi died in a london hospital1 idris legho kutigi was the chief justice of nigeria between 2007 and 2009 and after retirement he was made the chairman of the constitutional conference set up by the jonathan administration in 20141 kutigi was born on 31 december 1939 in kutigi lavun local government of niger state1 he began his early education in the town and later had his secondary education in bida and barewa college in zaria1 he also graduated from ahmadu bello university zaria after which he left for england where he studied at the school of oriental and african studies university of london and gibson and weldon before returning to attend the nigerian law school in lagos1 justice kutigi served as the attorney general and commissioner for justice in niger state until 1976 when he was appointed high court judge1 he was on the bench in niger for more than 10 years before his appointment as a judge of the supreme court in 19921 he became the chief justice in 2007 succeeding justice alfa belgore1 he retired on 30 december 2009 and did the unusual by swearing in his successor justice aloysius iyorgyer katsina-alu who died in july. he did so because president umaru yaradua was not in the country at the time due to ill-health1

Bolt secures contract with A-League Mariners
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the 100m world-record holder who retired from athletics last year has previously tried out with clubs in germany south africa and norway1 however mariners coach said he knows nothing about it1 he scored two goals in a pre-season friendly last week and on thursday turned down a two-year trial-free deal from cashed-up maltese champions valletta1 i can confirm usain has been offered a contract by central coast mariners the jamaicans agent ricky simms told the bbc1 the club had no immediate comment on monday but sydneys daily telegraph said he had been offered only a fraction of the aus3 million us2.1 million that his management had discussed months ago when the prospect of a trial was first mooted1 the newspaper said the potential deal put together in may - on the premise of bolt passing a trial first - was based on football federation australia contributing aus750000 and other sponsors also topping it up1 mariners owner mike charlesworth had initially pledged aus1.5 million but the deal now offered to the sprinter was much less than this it added1 the eight-time olympic champion has been on trial with the a-league side since arriving in august to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer1 the 32-year-olds form so far has been criticised by several pundits but his two goals captured the imagination of the sporting public1 club coach mike mulvey said he had heard nothing of an offer and cast doubt on whether bolt who likes to play up front would make the grade given the quality of players he already has at his disposal1 you have a look at our front line today and you wonder whether he could get into any of those positions. wouldnt you mulvey said after the team drew their opening a-league game of the season 1-1 away to brisbane roar on sunday1 i do appreciate how important this story is for the rest of the world. youre just talking about speculation. i dont know anything about what youre talking about and thats gods honest truth1 the mariners boast aston villa striker ross mccormack on their payroll after the scottish international agreed a season-long loan deal1 they also have tommy oar who has played 28 times for the socceroos along with connor pain who cleverly scored their goal on sunday1

Aubameyang, Ozil hand Arsenal 10th consecutive win
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pierre-emerick aubameyang and mesut ozil stole the show as arsenal swept to their 10th successive win with a dominant 3-1 victory against leicester on monday1 unai emerys side initially trailed to hector bellerins first half own goal at the emirates stadium1 but ozil captaining arsenal on his return to the side after back spasms produced a majestic display to lead the gunners impressive fightback1 ozil shrugging off his poor start to the season equalised just before half-time and played a key role in aubameyangs second half double1 gabon striker aubameyang scored twice in quick succession after coming off the bench ensuring arsenal won 10 consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since 20071 they have scored 30 goals in that blistering streak and climb to fourth place in the premier league just two points behind leaders manchester city1 on the 69th birthday of emerys predecessor arsene wenger this was the kind of swashbuckling show that recalled arsenals glory days under the frenchman1 it was the perfect start to a hectic week that sees arsenal travel to portugal for a europa league tie against sporting lisbon on thursday before returning to domestic action at crystal palace on sunday1 emery has made a remarkable impact since replacing wenger in the close-season1 the spanish managers two-game losing streak at the start of his arsenal reign is now a distant memory as gunners fans start to dream of a title challenge after their seventh successive league win1

International bikers tour Nigeria
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by sheila offiong3 nieves said his team had experienced the good manners and respectful nature of nigerians noting that they would share the good memories when they return to their respective countries2 the minister of information and culture alhaji lai mohammed while officially welcoming the team on monday in abuja assured the bikers of a wonderful time during their tour2 the minister noted that the quest to promote the cultural heritage of nigeria to the outside world was yielding fruit2 as you tour nigeria under the rediscover heritage bikers tour of nigeria and visit historical heritage sites you beam a satellite on those sites for the world to see2 nigeria is truly a blessed nation with world class heritage sites and we have also gone the extra mile to preserve them2 you will see these heritage sites as you travel through our country which is rich culturally and diverse as a nation2 after this tour i urge you all to become nigerian heritage ambassadors by spreading news of the hidden treasures2 sites to be visited by the bikers include museums monuments and homes of national heroes amongst others2 a group of international and local bikers under the auspices of latin american motorcycle association lama is on a tour of nigerias heritage sites2 according to kadir the group will tour 11 states of the federation to highlight the heritage sites cultural assets and museums as well as the osun oshogbo world heritage site2 the aim of the tour is to rediscover nigeria and its very rich cultural heritage2 this expedition is intended to project the various heritage sites in nigeria in a bid to draw attention to them to attract tourists and visitors2 the bikers embarking on the road trip are drawn from nigeria usa mexico brazil portugal spain uruguay paraguay germany and holland amongst other countries2 president of the lama bikers mr mario nieves said that they were in the country to explore the culture of nigeria learn about nigeria and then tell the world about nigeria2 we believe it is more important to be human than different people from various races at the end of the day we are all one people2 we are just a humble group of motorcyclists that decided to organise and create some type of impact in our society he said2 in his remarks the acting director-general national commission for museums and monuments mr abdulkarim kadir assured the bikers of a peaceful and hospitable stay in the country2

Enyimba need prayers as they face Obstacle Raja tomorrow,
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however first-time semi-finalists masry will need mental strength to survive at the stade des martyrs one of the most hostile football environments in africa1 enyimba of nigeria must find the goals if they hope to shock hosts raja casablanca of morocco on wednesday and reach the caf confederation cup final1 the last time he conceded a goal was during the qualifier last march1 since nouadhibou of mauritania breached the moroccan rearguard zanaco of zambia v club of the democratic republic of congo asec mimosas of the ivory coast aduana stars of ghana and cara of congo brazzaville have failed to do so1 enyimba fell 1-0 at home to raja in a semi-final first leg won by an abdelilah hafidi goal so they must score at least once at the 60000-seat stade mohammed v to salvage the tie1 given that the nigerians have scored just four times in six away caf matches and their leading scorers have notched only two the odds are stacked against the aba outfit1 raja could meet group opponents v club of dr congo again in the two-leg final as the kinshasa side have second-leg home advantage after forcing a 0-0 draw with al masry in egypt1 here is a preview of the semi-finalists1 all is not lost for visitors masry as they boast a 13-match unbeaten confederation cup record stretching back to march when they lost narrowly to green buffaloes in zambia1 the port said outfit coached by egypt legend hossam hassan also did not concede a home goal so a score draw in the dr congo capital would take them through to the final1 five other clubs have failed to do this as raja goalkeeper anas zniti has gone 461 minutes in the african equivalent of the uefa europa league without conceding a goal1 up to 80000 supporters could attend and virtually all of them will be willing v club to reach a third caf final1 v club won the african cup of champions clubs in 1973 and were runners-up in the same competition now called the caf champions league four seasons ago1 jean-marc makusu mundele is the v club star having notched nine goals en route to the penultimate stage including four in a match in neighbouring congo brazzaville1 raja rank among the most successful clubs in africa winning five caf competitions including the champions league three times1 but it is 15 years since they lifted an african trophy beating coton sport of cameroon 2-0 on aggregate in the last final of the now defunct caf cup1 boasting a squad littered with moroccan internationals they have been favourites to win the confederation cup this year since surviving a qualifying round scare from nouadhibou1 however there is a glimmer of hope for twice african champions enyimba as raja have blown hot and cold at their casablanca fortress1 the moroccans were held 1-1 by nouadhibou and 0-0 by v club and an anticipated goal deluge against cara never materialised as they scraped a 1-0 win1 raja do however possess two deadly sharpshooters in mahmoud benhalib the leading confederation cup scorer with 11 goals and mouhcine iajour1 afp sport1

Ambode shames anxious detractors
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i have just accompanied mr president to the nigerian-benin border post. so what we have commissioned today is a joint border patrol post between nigeria and the republic of benin and it is called semo-krake border post3 lagos state governor akinwunmi ambode has disappointed those who wish he dumps his all progressives congress apc like others who failed to win their parties ticket for 2019 elections3 he also pledged his support for the governorship candidate of the all progressives congress apc in the state mr babajide sanwo-olu3 the governor made the remarks on tuesday at the presidential wing of the muritala mohammed international airport in lagos3 he spoke to reporters shortly after he accompanied president buhari to perform the official commissioning of the new economic community of west african states ecowas border post at seme-krake in badagry3 just to also use this opportunity to let lagosians lagos residents know that we are heavily committed to the re-election of mr president and you can see that his continuous visit to lagos reiterates the fact that he is actually a lover of lagos state and i am committed to ensuring his re-election said governor ambode3 he sent a clear message on tuesday that he would lead a strong campaign to ensure victory for president muhammadu buhari3 according to a statement by his chief press secretary mr habib aruna the governor stated the importance for the apc to retain its leadership positions both at the federal and the state levels3 we are going to campaign heavily for him buhari he reiterated. i am also committed to ensuring that the apc wins the governorship election come 20193 ambode added we support the candidacy of babajide sanwo-olu and we would make sure that apc retains lagos state and the centre3 earlier the governor received the president at the airport before they proceeded to seme where president buhari joined his republic of benin counterpart patrice talon to inaugurate the border post3 the seme-krake joint border one of the busiest boundary lines not only in west africa but the whole continent records a huge movement of persons goods and services daily3 with the inauguration the border post is expected to enhance the free movement of persons and goods in the region and foster integration between the people of nigeria and benin3