Cristiano Ronaldo suffered an ankle sprain in the ill-tempered El Clasico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at Camp Nou Sunday night.

He suffered the sprain, following a challenge by Barcelonas Gerard Pique, while tapping in the equaliser for Madrid in the first half. He still endured 31 minutes of play, before Reals coach Zinedine Zidane substituted him at half-time.

Now Real will be hoping their star striker, who scored his 450th goal for Madrid on Sunday, can recover in time for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 26.

Zidane meanwhile said the injury may not be a major one, quoting Ronaldo: I dont know how long hell be out. He said it wasnt much, but well see tomorrow, well do some tests to see the extent of the damage done to his ankle. He was a little worried because it was a bit swollen, but he said that its nothing serious.

The match with eight yellow cards and one red card, had Luis Suarez volleying the first goal for Barcelona in the 10th minute.

But Ronaldo tapped in for Madrids equaliser in the 14th minute.A turning point came in the extra-time of the first half when Sergi Roberto was sent off for appearing to slap Real defender Marcelo.

With Barcelona reduced to 10 men, in the second half, Lionel Messi weaved his magic to keep Barcelona ahead seven minutes on resumption.

The goal was a brilliant solo effort by Messi. But he did not have the last word as Gareth Bale, replied with a sublime, sweetly struck equaliser in the 72nd minute.

The draw meant the Catalans are now three matches away from becoming the first team ever to finish a 38-game La Liga season unbeaten.

Andres Iniesta overcame, or perhaps ignored, a niggling calf problem to play his 38th and final Clasico while Philippe Coutinho was picked to start his first. Iniesta went off to a standing ovation in the second half.

Barca exploded out of the blocks and they were ahead within 10 minutes. Suarez swept the ball out to the right where Sergi drove forward, ignored Messis run to the near post, and returned the cross deep to Suarez. He finished into the bottom corner.

The lead, however, lasted four minutes. Just as Suarez initiated his goal, so did Ronaldo, a neat backheel freeing Toni Kroos, who found Karim Benzema at the back post. The Frenchman was cool enough to head back into the six-yard box, where Ronaldo bundled home.

Piques last-ditch attempt had been robust enough to hurt the Portugese, who stayed down as Barca attempted to kick off. Ronaldo took treatment but was able temporarily to continue.

Real dictated the rest of the half and Ronaldo could twice have given them the lead. His first shot was saved by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, the second fired wide of the far post.

In between, Messi had played in Jordi Alba with a sumptuous ball over the top but even he lost his cool during five mad minutes at the end of the first period.

Suarez felt he had been elbowed by Sergio Ramos, prompting the first round of scuffles, before Messi was booked for flying into the defender on the touchline.

Bale was then lucky not to be sent off for stabbing his studs into Samuel Umtitis calf and moments later Sergi did see red, as he threw an arm into the face of Marcelo.

The home fans were raging as the half-time whistle blew but, with Marco Asensio on for Ronaldo, they were celebrating eight minutes after the restart.

Suarezs blatant kick on Raphael Varane went unpunished and from there it was all about Messi. He skipped away first from Ramos, and then Casemiro, before firing into the bottom corner.

Even Zidane was smiling on the touchline.

Iniesta went off just before the hour and Messi could have put Barca out of sight soon after. He sped away from Varane but his shot was parried away by Keylor Navas.

Real tried to make the most of their one-man advantage but in truth, they had been far more assertive 11 against 11.

Instead, their goal in the 72nd minute came out of the blue as Bale raced onto Asensios pass and whipped the ball first-time into the top corner. It was the Welshmans 15th goal in 24 matches this year.

Real should have had a late penalty when Alba cleared out Marcelo but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez somehow decided the challenge was clean. It was the final controversy of a surprisingly heated derby.

Source: NAN

In a bid to return handball to winning ways, the President, Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Samuel Ocheho, on Sunday in Abuja announced the disbandment of the senior male national team.

Ocheho made the announcement at the end of the first phase of the Prudent Energy Handball League played at the Abuja National Stadium.

He said the team was disbanded to enable it start afresh.

What we did after the outing in Gabon is to x-ray ourselves and tell ourselves the bitter truth.

From what we have seen in the national team we need to start using younger players, we need to go back and start using fresh legs.

This game is very physical and if we need to regain the top stop in Africa, we must go back to the youths.

This is not to say that some players that went to Gabon will not make the new team, he added.

Ocheho said that the disbandment of the team would also help the federation to instill discipline in the team.

Speaking on the Prudent Energy League, Ocheho said it is a sign of better days to come for handball.

What we have seen here at the first phase of Prudent Energy Handball League is the fact that we are moving forward. Greater things are about to happen.

Exciting times are there again for handball and from what I have seen with the players, referees and coaches, I think the future can only be bright.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the league featured 22 teams, comprising 12 male and 10 female.

The first phase of the league which began on April 27 ended on Sunday with Niger United topping the standings with 19 points and a 111 goals difference.

Kada Stars of Kaduna came second, while Safety Shooters were third on the standings.

In the female category, Safety Babes topped the standings with 16 points and a 93 goals difference.

Seasiders Babes and Imo Grasshoppers were in second and third positions respectively with 14 points each and 94 goals difference.

NAN reports that the second phase of the league will hold in Lagos in October.

Source: NAN

Sen. Ighoyota Amori, the Political Adviser to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, says that the party has enough credible candidates for the contest of 2019 presidential election.

Amori, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said that PDP had credible people that could defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.

PDP is national party. There is no ward, village or unit in this country you will not find PDP, meaning that it is a Nigerian party.

Unless you say you cannot find a credible candidate from across the entire country.

I can tell you that we have more than enough credible candidates or aspirants in PDP for the presidential race.

Amori said it was already known that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had only one candidate which would be President Muhammadu Buhari.

PDP has so many aspirants and the best of the aspirants will defeat Buhari in 2019.

He, however, alleged that the APC-led government was now doing media trial of PDP aspirants while protecting its (APC) members who were fingered as corrupt.

APC is a party where only a person who has something to hide goes there and become a saint immediately.

If you look at all the people that left PDP because they were being hunted, the moment they join the ruling party they become saints. Once you join APC nobody can prosecute you.

Amori, who spoke on the acceptability of PDP after its 2017 national convention said, rebranded PDP still remain an acceptable and embraced party to the citizens.

There is no convention without it challenges. The good thing is that PDP was able to surmount all the challenges before, during and even after the convention.

The senator said though few candidates in the convention were aggrieved, the Reconciliation Committee chaired by Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa was able to resolve the issues.

Apart from Prof. Tunde Adeniran almost every other person that contested with Prince Uche Secondus for chairmanship are back to the PDP. Chief Bode George, Gbenga Daniel, all of them are back to the party.

PDP is getting stronger. This is the beauty of democracy. People disagree and agree again.

Amori expressed optimism that Prof. Jerry Gana and Adeniran who left the party would soon return.

I believe they should be allowed to exercise their right of association, right to enter and to leave. But I believe with time they will come back because they are foundation and senior members of PDP.

He said that both Adeniran and Gana were senior members, who had benefited from the PDP.

Amori said it was not good that the duo left just because they could not realise their ambition this time out of so many opportunities they had enjoined in the PDP.

It is not enough for you to say you will go and start something fresh. It is not easy to start a new party, unless you just put the party for the fun of it.

Source: NAN

Sen. Ighoyota Amori, the Political Adviser to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, has said that the party has enough credible members for the contest of 2019 presidential election.

Amori, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said that PDP had credible people that could defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.

PDP is national party. There is no ward, village or unit in this country you will not find PDP, meaning that it is a Nigerian party.

Unless you say you cannot find a credible candidate from across the entire country.

I can tell you that we have more than enough credible candidates or aspirants in PDP for the presidential race.

Amori said it was already known that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had only one candidate which would be President Muhammadu Buhari.

PDP has so many aspirants and the best of the aspirants will defeat Buhari in 2019.

He, however, alleged that the APC-led government was now doing media trial of PDP aspirants while protecting its (APC) members who were fingered as corrupt.

APC is a party where only a person who has something to hide goes there and become a saint immediately.

If you look at all the people that left PDP because they were being hunted, the moment they join the ruling party they become saints. Once you join APC nobody can prosecute you.

Amori, who spoke on the acceptability of PDP after its 2017 national convention said, rebranded PDP still remain an acceptable and embraced party to the citizens.

There is no convention without it challenges. The good thing is that PDP was able to surmount all the challenges before, during and even after the convention.

The senator said though few candidates in the convention were aggrieved, the Reconciliation Committee chaired by Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa was able to resolve the issues.

Apart from Prof. Tunde Adeniran almost every other person that contested with Prince Uche Secondus for chairmanship are back to the PDP. Chief Bode George, Gbenga Daniel, all of them are back to the party.

PDP is getting stronger. This is the beauty of democracy. People disagree and agree again.

Amori expressed optimism that Prof. Jerry Gana and Adeniran who left the party would soon return.

I believe they should be allowed to exercise their right of association, right to enter and to leave. But I believe with time they will come back because they are foundation and senior members of PDP.

He said that both Adeniran and Gana were senior members, who had benefited from the PDP.

Amori said it was not good that the duo left just because they could not realise their ambition this time out of so many opportunities they had enjoined in the PDP.

It is not enough for you to say you will go and start something fresh. It is not easy to start a new party, unless you just put the party for the fun of it.

Source: NAN

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, has denied any plan to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The denial is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase issued to newsmen in Makurdi.

It said that the media report on the governors purported plan to leave the APC was false, misleading andhandiwork of detractors playing politics with the blood of the people.

We read a report in a national daily of today which named Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom as one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders planning to defect to another political party.

The report which is obviously sponsored is not only false but also misleading. Governor Ortom has no intention to leave APC for another party and has not consulted anyone on the matter.

The statement stressed that Ortomenjoys cordial working relationship with other leaders of the party both at the local, state and national levels.

It said that the main focus of the governor was to deliver greater benefits of democracy to his people including tackling the security challenges confronting them.

There is no cause to warrant his defection to another party, the statement stated.

It explained that Ortoms stance of seeking justice over the invasion, killing and wanton destruction of property by suspected herdsmen was what any good leader ought to do.

The statement said the governor was appreciative of the efforts being made by President Muhammadu Buhari in ending the conflicts in the state.

According to the statement, the governor is fully aware that the killings in Benue began during the past PDP-led administrations in the state.

It must be noted that the killings predate the APC as a party and the present administration. The governors focus is on solving the problem in collaboration with other stakeholders.

It added: Fortunately, President Buhari has responded positively by sending troops and other security operatives to chase away the armed militia from Benue communities.

The statement further dismissed insinuations that Ortom had fallen out of favour with other leaders of APC in Benue, including Sen. George Akume.

The report is aimed at creating acrimony between the Governor and the Senator.

Governor Ortom was popularly elected to lead Benue State and he has demonstrated uncommon commitment and selflessness in justifying the confidence reposed in him.

He, will therefore, not be distracted by baseless reports and rumour of defection.

What is of greater concern to the governor now, is how to stop the killings in the state and also tackle the humanitarian crisis that displaced nearly 500,000 people.

It stated the government was collaborating with the Federal Government on the rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced persons.

Source: NAN

Chinese telecom giant ZTE, on bended knees, has asked the US government to lift a ban on sales to the company, which threatens its survival and has added to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The telecom equipment and handset maker said in a filing Sunday that it has submitted a request to the US commerce department for a stay of the export ban, along with supplemental information.

The ban prohibits US companies from selling crucial hardware and software components to the company, with one Chinese investment bank estimating ZTE had only one or two months supply of those items on hand.

Trading in ZTE shares in Hong Kong and Shenzhen has been halted since the US announcement last month.

The tough sanctions come as the battle over technology takes centre stage in a US spat with China over trade and industrial policy.

Washingtons control of the companys fate has stirred ire and angst in China and reinforced for Beijing the need to control all parts of the technological supply chain.

Chinese officials asked a high-level US delegation to reconsider the ban during trade talks in Beijing last week.

China made solemn representations with the US an official diplomatic protest during the negotiations and secured a pledge from the trade team to relay the concerns to US President Donald Trump, Chinas commerce ministry said in a statement Friday.

Source: NAN

Kenya has ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and was making arrangements to submit to Africa Union Commission.

The countrys parliament ratified the Agreement and the government is to submit the signed document to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu expressed optimism that the continental trade pact will lead to an accelerated pathway to integration.

He expressed the hope that Africa is better off increasing trade with itself.

As you know, it was the Presidents absolute delight to be in Kigali not too long ago, joining fellow heads of state in signing the AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA will create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of people, goods and services, Esipisu said.

Rwanda and Ghana have both already ratified the agreement, and now the race is on which country is first to officially submit that ratification.

The instruments are expected to be lodged with the AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki as a sign of Kenyas commitment to the economic integration of all the 54 African states.

At the moment, Esipisu noted, intra-Africa trade is estimated to be around 12 per cent which is relatively low compared to other regions of the world.

Intra-European trade is estimated to be around 60 per cent while that of Asia is around 40 per cent.

The establishment of the AfCFTA is expected to boost intra Africa trade to 22 per cent by 2022. All this will provide substantial economic and social gains to Kenya, he said.

The AfCFTA will lead to the creation of a wider and expanded African market, with a combined population of over 1.2 billion people and a growing middle class, as well as a combined gross domestic product of more than US$ 3.4 trillion.

The African continental population is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050.

Esipisu pointed out that Kenya attaches significant importance to the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and the AfCFTA because of the huge market and investment opportunities that they will present to Kenya.

The TFTA brings together member states of COMESA, EAC and SADC. At the moment, Kenya exports to Africa constitute 40 per cent of total exports the bulk of which are value-added products.

Nigeria has yet to ratify the agreement.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Daura, Katsina state met behind closed doors with Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Abdul aziz Yari of Zamfara.

The Presidents Personal Assistant on New Media, Alhaji Bashir Ahmad confirmed this development on his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He posted: President Muhammadu Buhari this evening received chairman of the Progressives GovernorsForum (PGF), Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo.

Okorocha, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, said that he updated the president on the outcome of the ward congresses conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country.

He frowned at the way some members of the party in some states conducted themselves during the exercise, saying the party would check such incidents in future.

Okorocha said; We expect internal democracy and internal democracy is the way to go. Those kind of funny politics that were played must stop, where people want to carry ballot boxes, steal results looks so primitive.

I intimated Mr President and we will make sure that such things must stop.

On the presidents response, the governor said; He spoke like the President and he will take the necessary steps to correct this in our party, APC, not just in Imo but across the whole nation, to make sure that there is respect for internal democracy.

However, Gov.Yari, who spoke on the outcome of the ward congresses, said the exercise went well in the North West region.

He said; You know in a democracy you cannot expect everything to work 100 per cent.

But in our region from the information available to us, everything went well in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano, where people expected that there may be a problem, the exercise was successful.

But anybody that has complain, there is a committee set up by the national executive of the party, they should take their complains there so that they will be attended to.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that mixed reactions characterized the outcome of the APC ward congresses across the country.

In Delta, the exercise was bloody as the Police Command in the state confirmed that a chairmanship candidate died in the APC ward congresses in Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The commands spokesman, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, said Mr Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death during the exercise at Jeremi Ward 3, Okwagbe.

The ward congresses in Adamawa and Oyo states were conducted on May 6 as against May 5 following political misunderstandings among top APC members and stakeholders in the states.

In Adamawa, mixed reactions characterized the conduct of the ward congresses on Sunday.

While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustafa, said the exercise was smooth and hitch free, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said the exercise was not conducted in his Ward of Bako in Yola.

Mustafa participated in the exercise in his Ward at Gwadabawa in Jimeta area of Yola.

NAN also reported that a faction of the APC in Kebbi State had staged a peaceful protest to the party Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi against consensus arrangement during the Saturday Congress held across 225 wards in the State.

The protesters were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions like: Kebbi APC Congress no consensus;We need true party Congress not consensus;`We say no to injustice

The Leader of the aggrieved members, Adamu Gulma, told journalists at the APC Secretariat that what happened in Kebbi state is not congress but government and major APC stakeholders hijacked the event to their advantage.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Chapter had commended the peaceful conduct of ward congress, held across 203 wards of the state on Saturday.

Mr Abayomi Adesanya, the spokesman of the party in the state, told NAN that the reports he got from various wards were good.

NAN also observed that the ward congresses were successfully conducted in many states of the federation including Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Yobe and others.

Meanwhile, the party had on Sunday called on its members that may have been aggrieved following the conduct of its Saturday Ward Congress across the country to seek redress in its Appeal Panel.

Malam Bolaji Abudulahi, the partys National Publicity Secretary made the call in a statement in Abuja.

He, however, congratulated all members of the party, saying that the conduct of the congress was generally peaceful.

Source: NAN

US President Donald Trumps choice to be the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has sought to withdraw her nomination, it was reported late Sunday.

Gina Haspel told the White House onFriday that she was interested in stepping aside from the nomination if it would damage her and the agencys reputations, according to the Washington Post.

Haspel was due to be confirmed to the role of director by the Senate on Wednesday but was called to the White House before the weekend over questions about her involvement in the CIAs controversial interrogation programme, anonymous administration sources told the Post.

The 61-year-old played a role in the alleged torture of suspected terrorist detainees as a clandestine CIA officer following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Fridays meeting was followed by another with Haspel at CIA headquarters where she reportedly met for several hours with senior White House staff, including legislative affairs boss Marc Short and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Trump then phoned the staffers to push for Haspel to remain as nominee, the Posts sources said. By Saturday she had reportedly agreed to continue with the nomination.

In 2002 Haspel ran a so-called CIA black site, or secret detention centre which allegedly tortured two suspected al-Qaeda terrorists.

Haspel became deputy director of the agency in 2017 and was named last Tuesday as the replacement for Mike Pompeo, who was made secretary of state.

Her nomination has come in for criticism even from Republicans, with Senator John McCain having said she needed to explain her involvement in one of the darkest chapters in American history.(dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Prof Umar Katsayel of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has developed two anti-malaria drugs that can compete with other relevant drugs in the treatment of malaria. parasites.

Katsayel disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeri (NAN) in Sandmu, near Daura, on Monday.

He said that the drugs were developed from the roots of Cissampelous mucronat plant and the stem-bark of Plumeria rubra plant, adding they are common herbs found around the vicinity.

He said the drugs were subjected to various laboratory examinations to determine their efficacy and toxicity before consumption.

We would soon make the drugs public after satisfying the obvious certification process with the relevant regulatory bodies, the Don said.

He said that the development of the drugs was a product of years of hard academic researches and investigations.

We would redouble our efforts to develop as many drugs as possible, he said.

Katsayel commended the management of the university for giving him the enabling environment to achieve the feat.

He urged fellow academics to intensify efforts on research so as to fast track the socio-economic development of the nation. .

He said gone were the days when the nation would solely dependent on foreign countries, especially for disease discovery and development of drugs.

He lauded the efforts of the Federal Government at promoting academic research and investigations.

Katsayel is also a former member of the Federal House of Representatives who represented the Sandamu, Maiadua and Daura federal constituency.

Source: NAN