Nigerian youths on Wednesday urgedpolitical parties to reduce the cost oftheir nomination forms to enable themto participate in the 2019 general elections.

The Convener of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement, Mr Samson Itodo,made the caall at the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, saying that youths were demanding inclusiveness.

Itodo said that the youths were at the partys secretariat and other political parties nationwide to solicit support for the aspirations of young Nigerians, who had indicated interest to contest various elective positions in 2019.

He said that youths were not asking for free forms but a reduction in the cost of nomination forms to enable them to contest for offices.

We are asking that this party should support young presidential aspirants, reserve tickets for the youths, reduce cost of nomination forms and adopt the direct primaries option in the selection of candidates for elective positions.

We are calling for an end to vote buying; Nigerian youths are now more aware of what is going on.

The nation is being celebrated today across the world for reducing the age limit to run for elective offices simply because of that step taken to address this issue.

As a party that represents transformation, you must reduce the cost of obtaining nomination forms because youths will no longer accept crumbs, Itodo said.

Responding on behalf of PDP, the National Youth Leader, Mr Sunday Udeh-Okoye, assured the group of the partys willingness to carry youths along, adding that the party was famous for championing youths aspirations.

The Not-Too-Young-To-Run Law was sponsored by our member who has defected for one or two reasons, but which has nothing to do with the PDP not doing well.

Even as he has defected, he is still our member in spirit; our party will protect your interest.

We believe in you and we have respect for our youths; we want the young ones to grow, which is why while the other political parties were kicking against the bill, we stood our ground and ensured that it was passed.

Udeh-Okoye said that the field was now open for every Nigerian youth to run as age was no longer a barrier.

He chargedthe youths to begin to vie for electivepositions without looking at anybodys face,sayingthey mustbe dogged in their demands for inclusiveness.

He assured the group that PDP would not disappoint theyouths and that all its primary electionswould be transparent as well as seek to protect the interests of youths.

The News Agency of Nigeria ((NAN) reports that the rally to political parties was organised nationwideto press for inclusion of youths in the activities of the existing political parties.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has described as unconstitutional the freezing of the accounts of Benue Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, the Chairman of NGF, spoke with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday in Abuja.

EFCC had on Tuesday froze the states account which was confirmed by Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Samuel Ortom.

Yari said that by the security situation in Benue, it was not wise to dislocate the state financially.

If EFCC freezes the accounts of any state government, Benue or anywhere else, I think it is unconstitutional, it is not right, because you are shutting down government.

Government must spend, more especially Benue where there are issues of insecurity.

So, we do not know why the EFCC took the action. I do not think it is correct, but if it is correct, then in my own point of view, it is wrong.

But I believe this government will not sit down and oversee unlawful operations happening from the security agencies.

From what happened yesterday, someone can understand that this government is following due process and laws of Nigeria.

EFFCs action in Benue is something that should be reversed, he said.

Speaking on Tuesdays blockade of the National Assembly, Yari said it was very unfortunate.

He however, said that the attendant reaction by the acting president had vindicated the Federal Government in the eyes of local and international communities.

The governor recalled that similar incidents occurred in 2011 and 2014 respectively but no serious action was taken by the then government.

According to him, the government of Muhammadu Buhari is following due process and will never oversee unlawful activities within the security agencies.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, who was also in the Presidential Villa, told correspondents that Tuesdays incident at the National Assembly was an embarrassment which should not have been allowed to happen.

On defection of his Deputy, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ganduje said there was no cause for alarm.

According to him, it is the season of defection as the All Progressives Congress (APC) is also receiving defectors from other parties.

The state House of Assembly wanted to impeach him but I was prevailing on them but they insisted, when he saw the handwriting on the wall, he decided to resign.

They wanted to continue with the impeachment because he committed some impeachable offences, but I pleaded and they dropped the charges and allowed him to go, that is politics, he said.

Source: NAN

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has calibrated voting preference in Nigeria and is sure that President Muhammadu Buhari will defeat other presidential candidates next year to continue his administrations change agenda.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke on Wednesday at the Township Stadium in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, while receiving Senator Godswill Akpabio, who defected from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Acting President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; declared that treasury looters would no longer be allowed to return to power.

A posse of aspirants in the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party are lining up to challenge President Buhari in the 2019 election. Among them are former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, former Sokoto governor, Attahiru Bafarawa and former PDP interim chairman, Ahmed Makarfi. There are also Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former governor Sule Lamido. Senate president Bukola Saraki dropped hints Wednesday that he too may join the race.

Acting President Osinbajo believes none of the presidential contenders can match Buharis electoral value.

The Acting President said: I came here to thank the people of Akwa Ibom State for the remarkable show of solidarity that you have exhibited today (yesterday). I came here to dispense this goodwill from the President and the Acting President for the show of solidarity and to tell you that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari loves the people of Akwa Ibom State. I have come here to share with you the thrust of this government and to give you some basic facts that will help you make up your minds as to the direction Akwa Ibom has decided to go in 2019.

When this government came on board and as President Muhammadu Buhari constituted his cabinet, you will be shocked to find that there are 36 ministers; 18 of these ministers are Christians, 18 are Muslims. Out of the 18 Christians, nine are Catholics. In addition to that, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a Christian, the Head of Service of the Federation is a Christian, the Vice-President is a Christian, the Governor of the Central Bank is a Christian.

When we met with the Conference of Catholic Bishops, I told them that if there is anybody that owns this government, the Catholics have nothing really to complain, because they have nine ministers, in addition to the chairman of the party, the Governor of the Central Bank; they also have the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

People of Akwa Ibom State, I know that this is electioneering year, a lot of people will be going around offering their services to you. I have worked with all the candidates of the PDP. I know them personally. They are my friends. I do not have anything against them. If I have my way, I will ask the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow all of them compete, but I can assure you that all of them will be defeated by President Buhari in 2019, because all of them are from the Northern part of the country.

In 2007, we barely got two million votes all over the nation. I can tell you that President Buhari has won consistently in their states. Is it Sokoto, is it Kano, is it Jigawa, is it Gombe, is it Adamawa? Where else? Buhari is the only candidate that can give you 10 million votes as head start. Why do you have to invest and engage a candidate that can just generate 300,000 votes in his state? It is a totally wasteful exercise.

He spoke about the administrations achievement, saying:

I recommend the government of the APC to you, because it has delivered on all planks. We are growing the economy, your railways are coming on board. Work is being provided through the social intervention programme, security is being improved, in spite of the challenges and with Akwa Ibom coming on board, under the able leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, things will change and turn around for the better for the Niger Delta region.

Prof. Osinbajo also lauded the people of Akwa Ibom State for the massive support, pleading with them to be ambassadors of the change, as they returned to their various homes and communities, thereby setting the foundation for the growth of democracy.

The Acting President also thanked Akpabio for his exemplary leadership, the uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom State and his decision to turn around the fortunes of the Niger Delta region, adding that the entire Southsouth zone will be taken over by the APC.

At the rally witnessed by a mammoth crowd of APC members and supporters of the ruling party were Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole; Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan, who led over 35 senators to the event, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki; the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director Nsima Ekere, a governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom state; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Senator Ita Enang, among other leaders of APC.

Source: NAN

Senator Godswill Akpabio is now the leader of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State.

National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole announced this on Wednesday at a mega rally in Ikot Ekpene that formally received Akpabio into the party.

Oshiomhole described Akpabio as an uncommon transformer for pulling a mammoth crowd to the Ikot Ekpene Stadium.

To him, the sea of heads at the stadium, the energy of the youth, their sheer determination, as evidenced by the fact that they had been waiting since morning, were indicators that they wanted a change in the state.

Oshiomhole said: Today (yesterday) is historic in the life of our party (APC). For too long, when I was governor of Edo State, even now my successor, Godwin Obaseki, we have always said that in the whole of the Southsouth, it is only in Edo State that APC has a governor. We are determined to find other states in the Southsouth to join forces with Edo State to sustain the changes that Nigeria badly requires.

There are people who are giving the impression that Akwa Ibom State belongs to them, but today, with what my eyes have seen (mammoth crowd), in February next year, the great people of Akwa Ibom State will effect a change, under the leadership of a man of honour, Akpabio, who did what other people failed to do, by saying enough of the umbrella that has been badly shattered by terrible political weather, after misruling Nigeria for 16 years.

What other people are afraid to do, Akpabio did it after deep reflection and he listened to the yearnings of his people, by sacrificing the title of Minority Leader of the Senate to join the APC. Akpabio did what Senator Bukola Saraki is unable to do and he has shown that the people of the Southsouth zone can be different, where it matters. We can stand up and be counted.

I know that with your (Akpabios membership of our great party (APC), we will benefit from your uncommon transformational qualities that you demonstrated while you were the governor of this great state. You (Akpabio) are an uncommon defector. There are ordinary defectors, who want to move, but they want to steal the crown. We have an uncommon rally in Ikot Ekpene.

Akwa Ibom people are united that in 2019, under the leadership and guidance of Akpabio, this state will join the states of progressive governance.

Source: NAN

Senate President Bukola Sarakis allusion that a government within government exists in Nigeria is a complete fallacy, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said Wednesday night.

The group said the Senate President and his leadership should be blamed for what transpired at the gate of the National Assembly on Tuesday, when some masked DSS operatives mounted a blockade at the gate of the complex.

The Senate President had at a World News Conference alleged that the siege on National Assembly was orchestrated by a government within government.

BMO, in a statement signed by the chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke in Abuja said that from all indications, the so-called invasion was orchestrated by Saraki and his cohorts to cause a breakdown of peace in the country, hence the timely intervention of the acting president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who brought the situation under control.

The group reiterated that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo are totally in concert on the decision to sack the then Director General of the Directorate of State Service, DSSMr. Lawal Daura and wondered why Senator Saraki is imputing the existence of a government in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Definitely, there is unity, cohesion, cooperation and understanding between the acting president and President Muhammadu Buhari and therefore no basis for the statement. It can only be in the imagination of Senator Saraki and his co-travellers.

We therefore advise the senate president to desist from using his position to cause division in the country, but rather focus on making laws for good governance in Nigeria.

Source: NAN

Rep. Abiodun Olasupo (ADC- Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa) has blamed Gov. Abiola Ajimobi for the defection of members of his Unity Forum in the Oyo State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Olasupo who said this at Iwere-Ile in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State at a town hall meeting with constituents noted that Gov. Ajimobis disrespect for party supremacy was responsible for their decision.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olasupo who is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Compliance recently defected to ADC, alongside other members of the Unity Forum, a splinter group of the APC in the state.

The lawmaker, however, argued that the recent defections across political parties were good for democracy, adding that the development would enhance good governance.

Democracy is about tyranny of the majority. There wont be a strong political party when the interest of minority overrides that of the majority.

As long as there is no strong political party, there wont be a stable government and without a stable government, there wont be the much-desired development, he said.

Olasupo stated that political participation and membership were about free entry and exit to allow participants the choice of desired political ideology and direction.

When the tenets of a political party do not give power to the people to elect who leads them, then free exit is guaranteed.

People will have to move to another party where they are warmly welcomed and where internal democracy is much sacrosanct.

We defected to ADC where we found an abode. This is an abode where party supremacy and internal democracy is highly valued.

In this party, the tyranny of majority works and the minority have their say, he said.

The lawmaker said that politics globally was about personal interest, adding that participants needed to be where they were wanted in accordance with the choice of supporters.

Olasupo said his ambition to seek re-election was driven by the support and aspirations of his supporters.

When I was elected in 2015, I saw so many possibilities and made many promises. By the grace of God and the support of my people, I have delivered, but not on all.

There are so many things beyond my weight as a first timer in the House of Representatives.

My re-election in 2019 God willing is going to be a project of consolidation.

I am going to consolidate on all I have done including educational support, infrastructure, economic emancipation, women empowerment, securing of jobs for constituents as well as physical and human development, he said.

The lawmaker also condemned the siege laid to the National Assembly by the DSS, describing it as sad in a democracy.

Some community leaders in the council area, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, Alhaji Saka Kareem and Alhaji Kazeem Olalekan, described Olasupo as a tested representative of the constituency.

Source: NAN

Abdulwahab Abdulrahman, a former assistant to the sacked director general of Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, has accused his former boss of extensive corruption and portrayed him as a man who serially betrayed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, for money.

Abdulrahman, who retired as a senior DSS official, claimed in a interview that Daura also betrayed Buhari by serving as a mole for Bukola Saraki, the Senate President.

He will go and get information on plans for (Senate president) Bukola (Saraki) and then leak it to him, he said.

The former aide of Daura said he quit the agency in 2016 because of the scale of corruption and abuse there.

Mr Daura, who led Nigerias domestic spy agency since 2015, was abruptly fired on Tuesday by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo after he ordered a blockade of the National Assembly.

Mr Abdulrahman said President Buhari never knew Daura until he was introduced to him by the late Senator Mustapha Bukar in 2015. He then disclosed how Daura wormed his way into the heart of President Buharis cousin, Mamman Daura.

He claimed that after Daura was appointed in July 2015, Daura was receiving money from everyone including the presidents enemies.

Mr Abdulrahman said when they resumed, they always closed late at work, often at about 2am. What we were doing was mostly: receiving Ghana must go filled with cash brought by enemies of government to him.

The rate of corruption on that fourth floor was too much and the president doesnt deserve this, he said.

He will go and get information on plans for (Senate president) Bukola (Saraki) and then leak it to him, he said.

Similar allegation emerged Tuesday after Mr Dauras removal, with many administration supporters accusing him of working for Mr Saraki against the government.

On Wednesday, Mr Saraki said claims he compromised Mr Daura in respect of the National Assembly siege constituted an insult on the intelligence( sic) (ignorance) of Nigerians.

But as Premium Times reminded its readers, Messrs. Saraki and Daura clearly enjoyed cooperation in the past. In the heated days of the National Assemblys standoff with the executive over the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, it was mostly memos from the SSS that the lawmakers referenced as basis for rejecting Mr Magu.

Asked what the real issue was between Mr Magu and the DG SSS, Mr Abdulrahman said Mr Daura wanted Mr Magu to share information on high profile cases with him

Magu is a smart officer and he knew Daura wanted to use such information to extract money from people. He told Daura to his face that I cant report to you, I only report to the president who appointed me, he said.

Source: NAN

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) have entered into a partnership for the financial institution to adopt the National e-ID card as a payment card.

The partnership is expected to revolutionise the nations financial inclusion drive and the Nigerian economic landscape.

This collaboration is seen as an important opportunity to enhance and intensify the robust relationship between the NIMC and UBA, Loveday Chika, Head of Corporate Communications of NIMC, has said.

It also affirms a commitment to bring about an all-round implementation of the identity management system and ensure speedy issuance and activation of Cards using available channels.

The collaboration is poised to ensure that the National electronic identity card which combines a proof of identity and access to financial services, will make it possible for Nigerians to receive a universally accepted identity card and also gain access to formal financial services.

The all-embracing card is one of the main components of the National Identity Management System.

The commission is charged with the mandate to establish and operate, a National Identity Management System, maintain and manage the National Identity Database as well as issue a unique National Identification Number (NIN) and a General Multipurpose National Identity Card to eligible Nigerians and legal residents.

The Group Head- Cards, Digital Banking UBA, Mr. Adeyinka Adedeji, had before now, appreciated NIMC for finding the bank professionally worthy of taking up such a huge and technical project as that of the National e-ID Card.

We are more than delighted and would ensure that we will further raise the bar in delivering the top-notch service UBA is known for.

He further added that, the Card is embedded with the full functionalities of a prepaid Card, and can be loaded with funds and is acceptable on any payment platform including POS, ATM

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing
to launch a probe on Saturday to study the Sun closer than any other human-made object before,
revealing mysteries behind the fiery surface.

According to NASA, the car-sized spacecraft called Parker Solar Probe is set to lift off on a United Launch
Alliance Delta IV Heavy, carrying instruments to study the Sun both remotely and directly.

NASA sais one science task of the probe is to study the acceleration of the solar wind and the Suns
constant outflow of material, while the other is exploring the secret of the coronas enormously high
temperatures.

Besides, Parker Solar Probes instruments might reveal the mechanisms at work behind the acceleration of
solar energetic particles, which can reach speeds of more than half the speed of light as they
rocket away from the Sun.

Such particles can interfere with satellite electronics, especially
for satellites outside of Earths magnetic field.

According to NASA, the biggest breakthrough for the spacecraft is its cutting-edge heat shield.

The Thermal Protection System (the heat shield) is one of the spacecrafts mission-enabling technologies,
said Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe project manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.

It allows the spacecraft to operate at about room temperature.

The heat shield is a sandwich of carbon-carbon composite surrounding nearly four and half inches of carbon
foam, which is about 97 per cent air.

The solar array cooling system and on-board fault management system are also innovations of the probe.

The cooling system allows the solar arrays to produce power under the intense thermal load from the Sun,
and the fault management system protects the spacecraft during the long periods of time when the
spacecraft cant communicate with the Earth.

The launch energy to reach the Sun is 55 times that required to get to Mars, and two times that needed
to get to Pluto, said Guo Yanping from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, who designed
the mission trajectory.

During summer, Earth and the other planets in our solar system are in the most favorable alignment
to allow us to get close to the Sun, Guo added.

The Sun constantly sends magnetized material outward, and the magnetic energy can burst out with light
and particle radiation that travel through space and create temporary disruptions in our atmosphere,
sometimes garbling radio and communications signals near Earth.

The key to understanding its origins lies in understanding the Sun itself and thats where Parker
Solar Probe comes in, according to the researchers at NASA. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN

A group under the aegis of Our Mumu Don Do Movement headed by Charles Oputa, aka Charlie boy, has appealed for the extension of the continuous voters registration exercise until Dec.14.

The call was contained in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dated Aug. 8 and made available to the press in Abuja.

The letter signed by the Governor of the group, Mr Charles Oputa, said there are thousands of Nigerians eager to register.

He stated that the group had been inundated by calls and complains from other notable groups and concerned citizens.

Oputa noted that since the INEC announced the suspension of the continuous voters registration exercise on Aug.17, individuals, groups and disturbed Nigerians all over the country had become frustrated.

While commending INEC for various improvements in the registration exercise; the extension of time, and weekend registrations, the group said the aforementioned did not make the exercise a continuous one.

It is our well- considered view that INEC has had enough time to perfect the process of registration and other activities to run concurrently with the preparation for elections, the leader group added.

Oputa maintained that best practices demanded that INEC should be decentralized to handle core and big operations simultaneously and seamlessly, by putting in place special structure to handle registration of voters.

The group, which carried out a peaceful demonstration outside the premises of the INEC, demanded that the exercise be extended to Dec.14, 2018.

This it said, was in accordance with the 60 days before the first election as guaranteed by the Electoral Act, 2010, so that justice would be seen to have been done to everyone.

The group expressed its willingness to engage in further discussions with INEC on how the process of registration could be reviewed and made less strenuous for Nigerians to register.

The group urged that the registration should remain a continuous process as part of INECs responsibility to Nigerians so that eligible Nigerians can have the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

Source: NAN

The Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement has called on political parties to operationalise the Not-Too-Young-To-Run law as a deliberate move to enhance youths participation in politics.

The Convener of the Movement, Mr Samson Itodo, made the call in Abuja at a rally tagged: National Day of Action for the Declaration of Candidacy and Party Nomination.

Itodo said that the rally was organised in order to make some demands to political parties on youth inclusion.

The group took time out to lead a procession to the national headquarters of the leading parties to urge them to operationalise the Not Too- Young -To -Run law for the sake of young people.

The movement is demanding that political parties reserve tickets for young people with character, capacity and competence ahead of the 2019 general elections.

We are also demanding for 298 tickets out of the available 900 tickets for the Houses of Assembly election nationwide and 109 tickets out of the available 360 tickets for the House of Representatives elections nationwide.

We are asking political parties to prescribe and enforce spending limits for party nomination fees, charges and cost for nomination of young candidates.

Itodo said that the call became imperative because there were challenges hampering youths participation in spite of the signing into law of the age reduction bill.

According to him, the bill cannot be a reality if political parties dont give young people who have the capacity, competence and character the opportunity to pick tickets.

He said the movement also wants the parties to reduce the cost of nomination forms and running for primary election.

This is our time. No ticket to young people, no youth votes. We want to see young people in the state Houses of Assembly, House of Reps, Senate, governors and even the presidency.

Itodo said that the movement consisted of over 50 youth groups in the country and would mobilize 50 million youths to vote against any party that failed to keep to the demands of the group.

Mr Hamzat Lawal, another convener of the Movement, said that the group recognized that high cost of forms undermined youths.

Lawal said that that there was need for political parties to prescribe and enforce spending limits for party nomination fees and charges, adding that the cost of nomination forms should not exceed N2,000,000 for presidential aspirant.

According to him, the movement highlighted intended cost for picking nomination forms which is N2, 000, 000 for presidential aspirant, N1, 000, 000 for governorship aspirant and N600, 000 for senatorial aspirant.

He said that for state house of assembly aspirant, the form should be N200,000 while that of House of Representatives aspirant should be N400, 000.

He said that political parties should adopt transparent, democratic and direct party primaries in the candidate selections process for the 2019 general elections.

Responding on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Working Committee (NWC), Mr Adamu Fanda, National Treasurer, said that the party was already acting on two of the demands of the group.

Fanda said that APC was the only party that did not only give persons with disability opportunity to contest but made nomination forms free for women.

He said that it was time to practice an inclusive system in Nigeria because the country belonged to everybody, adding that youths had the highest demography in Nigeria and therefore could not be ignored.

I will convey your message to the party on the issue of reduction in nomination forms because your other demands have been met by the party except the fees.

I assure you that youths will be carried along in the party under the leadership of Adams Oshiomhole, who is an activists and a freedom fighter so your demands would be looked into, he said.

Source: NAN

AC Milan are discussing a potential loan move for Tiemoue Bakayoko with Chelsea, according to claims from Gianluca Di Marzio.

The French midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge throughout the summer transfer window and it seems Milan are making significant efforts to lure him to San Siro.

It’s claimed that Gennaro Gattuso’s side are currently in active negotiations with Chelsea as they look to land Bakayoko on a season-long loan deal, which will entail an option to buy clause.

Bakayoko endured a difficult first season in English football following his big-money move from AS Monaco last summer and doesn’t appear to be in the picture for a starting place under Maurizio Sarri.

Chelsea are also believed to be in talks with Real Madrid regarding a potential loan deal for Mateo Kovacic, indicating that Bakayoko could be forced even further down the pecking order of midfielders at Stamford Bridge.

(MSN)

France World Cup star Paul Pogba is determined to end his fractious relationship with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and move to Barcelona, according to British media reports on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old -- who scored in the 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia -- has agreed terms with Barcelona for a deal worth £89.5 million ($115 million, 100 million euros) over five years, according to the Daily Mail.

The reported agreement would see him pick up £346,000 a week, almost double what he earns at United.

The Sun claims the former Juventus star -- who joined United for a then world-record fee of £89 million in 2016 -- has demanded the Premier League side increase his wages from £180,000 to £380,000 a week so he is paid almost on a par with Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, otherwise he will leave.

United, though, would be most reluctant to sell him, with the Daily Mail reporting they have already rejected a bid by Barcelona of £44.5 million plus Colombian central defender Yerry Mina and Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes.

Mourinho has expressed his frustration over the club's transfer policy, and Pogba's departure would leave little time for executive chairman Ed Woodward to find a suitable replacement with the Premier League transfer window due to close on Thursday.

The club has had to deny the claim that Pogba sent a text message to Woodward demanding he be allowed to leave.

The Frenchman is keen to move to Barcelona -- the Spanish transfer window does not shut till the end of the month -- to play with Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, while his close friend and former Juventus team-mate Arturo Vidal also recently moved to the Catalan giants.

Essentially, though, Pogba's unhappiness stems from the deterioration in his relationship with Mourinho, who not only does he blame for his muted performances for United since his move but also for his qualified praise of his performances for France at the World Cup.

"Paul was like the (France) team. He started average and ended top," Mourinho told beIN Sports on United's unhappy tour of the United States last week.

Pogba, though, is believed to have been more upset by what followed in the interview as Mourinho implied being in an enclosed environment over six weeks ensured he focused just on football and not on outside matters such as commercial contracts.

Pogba's super agent Mino Raiola -- who was also instrumental in bringing Romelu Lukaku to United last summer -- has remained out of the fray, refusing to comment on links with Barcelona.

"I will never make declarations about Paul," said the Dutch-Italian agent, who is reported to have earned just over £40 million when Pogba moved to United.

"You have to speak to Manchester United," added Raiola.

Former United star Rio Ferdinand told Wednesday's edition of the Daily Mail that Mourinho needed to fit the team around Pogba's sublime talent, but accepted the player needed to adapt too.

"It's down to the manager to get the best out of him, setting the team up and setting Pogba up in the right way to achieve the best," said the former England central defender.

"But Pogba needs to play his part in that.

"It's a case of the player and manager getting an understanding for each other and getting the best out of the player."

Manchester United need Alexis Sanchez to fire when they kick off their Premier League campaign against Leicester City on Friday as they seek to put a troubled pre-season behind them.

United's build-up to the new campaign has been dominated by manager Jose Mourinho's persistent grumbles over the strength of his squad.

Unlike most of Mourinho's stars, Sanchez had a first full summer off in nine years as Chile failed to qualify for the World Cup, ensuring he should be fresh enough to show why United handed him a contract reportedly worth a potential £25 million ($32 million) a year in January.

In his first six months at Old Trafford, Sanchez was a pale imitation of the player who dazzled at Arsenal.

The Chilean scored just three times in 18 games as United ended the season without a trophy. Despite finishing second in the Premier League they were a painful 19 points adrift of local rivals Manchester City.

Mourinho has bemoaned United's lack of transfer activity, criticised captain Antonio Valencia's physical condition and been involved in a standoff with Anthony Martial over the length of the Frenchman's absence to attend the birth of his second child.

But at least Sanchez has given him cause for optimism, scoring against Real Madrid and AC Milan in glamour friendlies, showing the drive, determination and decisiveness of old.

Mourinho even defended Sanchez after the forward cut a frustrated figure in Manchester United's 4-1 defeat by Liverpool in a friendly in the United States.

The manager made withering comments on the standard of United's youngsters that contrasted starkly with the encouraging words City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp have had for their own young players.

"Do you want him to be very happy with the players he has around him?" said Mourinho.

"Alexis is the only attacking player we have. We don't have wingers, we don't have strikers. He's the only one who is here, and the poor man is there trying his best, with the frustration of somebody that wants more."

Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford have since returned from their World Cup exertions but both are unlikely to be fit enough for 90 minutes against Leicester, possibly leaving Sanchez as the focal point of United's attack.

World Cup winner Paul Pogba is also unlikely to be fit for the game at Old Trafford.

From his first weeks in Manchester, Mourinho insisted Sanchez's struggles would be forgotten when he hit the ground running after a full pre-season under his belt.

"I think this was a chance that we didn't want to lose and we made it. But we don't believe a lot in the winter market and for sure next season it will be better for him," Mourinho said after beating City to his signature.

"Next season, after pre-season, after being comfortable and adapted, he's going to be great for us."

While many of his teammates have been publicly questioned by their manager, Mourinho has so far been fiercely loyal to one of his marquee signings.

The pressure is on Sanchez to repay that faith to put a long-awaited smile back on the Portuguese boss's face.

Source: MSN

According to reports, one of the biggest exports coming out of Nigeria right now is music.

Afrobeats stars such as Davido and Wizkid making it big on the international stage.

It's no surprise that global music giant Universal Music Group (UMG) has expanded its tentacles and set up a new venture in Nigeria.

The world's largest music firm is home to many popular international artists, including Drake, Eminem, Kanye West, Rihanna and Taylor Swift.

It also has record labels like Def Jam Recordings, Island UK, EMI and Cash Money Records.

Ezegozie Eze, Universal Music Nigeria

"The strategy is to take West Africa, and African music in general, to the world"

Nigerian music is permeating playlists across the world, and its stars have a huge fan base.

Last month, Davido performed in front of thousands at the Wireless Music Festival in London and is due to embark on a US tour later this month.

And Wizkid made history last year by being the first Nigerian solo act to have a sold-out show at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall.

'Talent blooms'

Universal Music Nigeria's new general manager, Ezegozie Eze Jr, says there is "no better time to invest" in the West African state.

"The talent on ground is burgeoning and blooming and the international market is yearning for more," he told the BBC.

"The strategy is to take West Africa, and African music in general, to the world. "

The company already has an existing establishment in South Africa, has set up an office in Ivory Coast and has bought Kenya record label AI Records.

"Our presence in the market also means that the doors are now open for partnerships, collaborations and opportunities for our talent, both in Nigeria and across all other markets we operate in," Mr Eze says.

So far Universal Music Nigeria has signed Nigerian artists WurlD, Odunsi the Engine, Tay Iwar, and award-winning Ghanaian artist Stonebwoy.

'Profitable Nigerian brand'

In partnership with other UMG labels, Nigerian artist Tekno and Tanzanian singer Vanessa Mdee are also on their books.

UMG's arrival has created a buzz in the music industry in Nigeria.

The company, based in Lagos, will be involved in a range of activities from marketing and digital promotion to music production and streaming.

Beyond this, there's also the financial value of their investment.

Music pundit Ayomide Tayo, from Pulse Nigeria, says both the company and Nigeria's entertainment scene will benefit.

"It shows that it's profitable as a business to invest in a Nigerian brand or Nigerian artiste," he says.

"It's also a big deal because it brings jobs to us."

Nigeria's entertainment and media market is the fastest-expanding major market globally.

And the country's music industry is one of the biggest in Africa.

The revenue generated from music in 2016 was $39m (£30m), a 9% increase from the previous year, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report.

It also suggested that the industry should expect an annual growth rate of 13.4% in 2021 to reach $73m.

Culled from : MSN

Following the invasion of the National Assembly (NASS) by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the lawmakers to immediately move against President Muhammadu Buhari.

The leading opposition party said it was the best way to save the nation from imminent collapse.

By sending armed security men to invade the National Assembly and block lawmakers from accessing the legislative chambers, the party said President Buhari had crossed the line by placing democracy in jeopardy and setting the nation on the path of anarchy.

The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the occupation of NASS by DSS was unacceptable in a democratic dispensation.

According to the PDP, “The invasion of our highest legislative institution by agents of the Buhari-led executive, a few months after the Senate mace was blazingly carted away by armed hoodlums, is condemnable, reprehensible, unpardonable, and completely unacceptable.”

“With this siege, barely a week after presiding officers of the Senate were held hostage at their residences, it has become clear that the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) intend to forcefully overrun and ultimately shut down the highest lawmaking organ of the Nigerian government and pave the way for the total suspension of constitutional rule in the country.”

The party said the APC-led government had taken several steps and actions tending towards the suspension of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including direct usurpation of the duties and powers of the National Assembly and the judiciary in governance.

“Nigerians and the international community will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of this plot, which included the phoney medical trip to London for President Buhari as an alibi to exonerate him from any blame for this sordid assaults on democracy,” the party said.

PDP called on the government of Britain to support Nigeria at this perilous time by not shielding President Buhari in London, urging the British government and other members of the international community to immediately condemn and totally reject the ugly developments in Nigeria.

“President Buhari and his APC have consecutively and deliberately put our nation and its democracy on harm’s way and the National Assembly, as representatives of the people, must eschew all partisan interests and save the nation by immediately deploying all legislative instruments against President Buhari before it is too late.

“It is instructive to state that if today’s assault on our legislature had succeeded, it would have been the second time Muhammadu Buhari would have toppled constitutional rule in our country,” it said.

The PDP, however, commended Nigerians who marched out in their numbers to resist “this brigandage against our nation even as we urge them to remain alert, as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

Meanwhile, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the undemocratic attempt by fascist forces to break into the National Assembly for the purpose of furthering the agenda to force a change in the nation’s Senate leadership.

Condemning the atrocity, the former Vice President called on all those involved to put Nigeria first and abandon “this madness”.

Atiku, in a statement by his media office, said: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, guarantees both the independence of the Legislature and Separation of Powers. Nigeria is a democracy not a military dictatorship and we, the people, will never return to tyranny.”

Atiku called on President Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to stop hiding behind one finger and live up to their responsibility of upholding the Constitution, law and order which they swore to on May 29, 2015.

He said: “We warned that if what occurred in Benue last week was not checked on time, it would escalate to the federal level. Today we are seeing that warning in play.

“The acting president, being himself a Professor of Law, ought to know that setting such a precedent is an invitation to anarchy.

“There are better uses for our security forces at this time than to lay siege to our citadels of democracy. Our people are languishing in the midst of unprecedented insecurity and nationwide killings.

“To thus deploy our security forces in this present manner whilst Nigerians face these challenges is an abdication of responsibility, to say the least.

“All Nigerians should be watchful and mobilise to defend democracy. We must remember that ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty’,” he said.

Pakistan is set to have its first ever lawmaker of African descent, raising the profile of a small and mostly poor community that has been in the region for centuries.

Tanzeela Qambrani, 39, was nominated by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to a women's reserved seat in the regional parliament of southern Sindh province.

She hopes her nomination after last month's election will help wash away the stigma attached to the Sidi community, the local name for the ethnic African population concentrated in the coastal regions of Makran and Sindh.

"As a tiny minority lost in the midst of local populations, we have struggled to preserve our African roots and cultural expression, but I look forward to the day when the name Sidi will evoke respect, not contempt," Ms Qambrani, whose ancestors came from Tanzania, told the BBC.

Many Sidis are believed to be descended from slaves brought to India from East Africa by the Portuguese. Historians say their ancestors were also soldiers, traders, pearl divers and Muslim pilgrims.

They enjoyed senior positions during the Mughal empire but faced discrimination under British colonial rule.

Estimates put their population in Pakistan in the tens of thousands. They are well-integrated but keep alive some traditions, including an annual festival that blends Islamic mysticism, crocodiles and singing in a blend of Swahili and a local language called Baluchi.

Sidi communities also live in the Indian states of Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

The Sidis dominate the Lyari district of Karachi and have been staunch supporters of the PPP, now chaired by Benazir Bhutto's son, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto.

However, no Sidi had ever made it to parliament until Mr Bhutto Zardari nominated Ms Qambrani for the reserved seat.

"Just as Columbus discovered America, Bilawal has discovered Sidis," said Ms Qambrani, whose great-grandparents came to Sindh from Tanzania.

The PPP came third in the recent general election, which was won by former cricketer Imran Khan's PTI party. However the PPP again won the most seats in the Sindh provincial assembly.

Ms Qambrani, a computer science postgraduate with three children, hails from the coastal area of Badin. Her father, Abdul Bari, was a lawyer while her mother is a retired school teacher.

Her family has kept its African connections alive; one of her sisters was married in Tanzania, while another has a husband from Ghana.

"When my sister married a Ghanaian husband, local youths and guests from Ghana put on such a show in our neighbourhood," she said.

"They danced those typical Sidi steps to the Mogo drumbeat which they say comes from Ghana but which we've traditionally played in our homes. You couldn't tell a Sidi dancer apart from an African."

Like most Sidis in Sindh, Tanzeela Qambrani has long been associated with the PPP. She already has experience of political office, having been a local councillor.

But she says that taking a seat in the provincial parliament will present a whole new level of responsibility - especially to her own community.

"I can already feel the weight," she said. "I'm a Sidi, and all these middle class, lower-middle class and working class Sidis know that I'm one of them. And this means there will be expectations."

Track-and-field legend Usain Bolt is continuing his quest to become a professional soccer player by training with an Australian team, the A-League's Central Coast Mariners, for an indefinite period.

The eight-time Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder over 100 and 200 meters previously has spent training time with Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and Stromsgodset after retiring from track and field in 2017.

Bolt, who turns 32 later this month, is not guaranteed a deal with the Mariners but has "committed to an indefinite training period with the club".

In quotes on the team's website, Bolt said: "I am very excited about coming to Australia and would like to thank the owner and management of the Central Coast Mariners for giving me this opportunity.

"It has been my dream to play professional football and I know that it will involve a lot of hard work and training to get to the level required to play and make an impact in the A-League.

"When I spoke to the head coach, Mike Mulvey, on the phone he outlined the ambitions of the club and his plans for the upcoming season. I hope I can make a positive contribution to the club and look forward to meeting the other players, staff and fans in the coming weeks.

We’re set to welcome @usainbolt to @CCMariners for an indefinite training period. Let’s hear from the world’s fastest man.

Read more ⚡ https://t.co/kOtlPUPWz8 #CCMFC pic.twitter.com/LsSxYLSbhl

— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) August 7, 2018

"I always say that anything is possible, don't think limits, and I look forward to the challenge."

Chief executive Shaun Mielekamp added: "It is important that we don't get too caught up in the hype of possibilities, but the reality is that Usain Bolt has placed his faith in the Central Coast Mariners to accelerate his football journey.

"Whilst we all know this must be tempered with the reality that there is a job to do and hard work ahead, we are committed to building a team that will win matches and instil belief, hopefully Usain can help us on this mission."

David and Victoria Beckham were reportedly caught up in the recent Indonesian earthquake.

The superstar couple and their children are thought to have landed in the tourist destination on Saturday for a family holiday.

According to reports, the pair were holidaying with children Brooklyn, 19, Romeo, 15, Cruz, 13, and seven-year-old Harper when the earthquake hit.

According to the Sun, the family were just 60 miles from the epicentre of the quake.

so... the beckhams are in bali pic.twitter.com/mkyImbUigJ

— 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐇! (@hazzzacurls) August 5, 2018

A source told the publication: “They certainly felt the earthquake. The children, especially, were a little bit shaken but they are all fine. Their thoughts are obviously with the victims.”

The earthquake measured 7.0 magnitude and affected other stars who were on holiday in the area including Chrissy Teigen and Gary Barlow.

Siblings are the best ❤️ @brooklynbeckham @cruzbeckham

A post shared by ROMEO (@romeobeckham) on Jul 17, 2018 at 2:17am PDT

Take That star Barlow told Twitter: “Thank you for your concern – we’re all fine – a bit shaken up.”

Model Teigen, who was in Bali with singer-husband John Legend and their two children, live-tweeted the shaking.

"Oh my God. 15 solid seconds of ‘hooooooly s*** this is happening.

Bali. Trembling. So long," Teigen tweeted to her 10.6 million followers.

The death toll from the catastrophic quake that hit tourist islands of Lombok and Bali on Sunday has now risen to 98 and could climb further still, officials have said.

Pictures showed tourists packed on a beach waiting to evacuate the Gili Islands, just off Lombok, as it emerged 200 people were seriously injured and thousands of homes were damaged.

Source: MSN

The nickname for Android 9 is "Pie." It's not the most inspired of Android names, but it'll do. What really matters at the end of the day are the new features in Pie -- and there are plenty of those.

If you are a Pixel owner, you'll be happy to hear that Pie will start rolling out as an over-the-air update today. The same goes for every other device that was enrolled in the Android Beta (that includes any Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and Essential devices that got the betas) and qualifying Android One devices. Everybody else, well, you know the drill. Wait until your manufacturer launches it for you... which should be the end of the year for some -- and never for quite a few others.

Overall, Pie is a solid upgrade. The only real disappointment here is that Pie won't launch with Android's new digital wellness features by default. Instead, you'll have to sign up for a beta and own a Pixel device. That's because these new features won't officially launch until the fall (Google's hardware event, which traditionally happens in early October, seems like a good bet for the date).

Let's talk about the features you'll get when you update to Android 9 Pie, though. The most obvious sign that you have updated to the new version is the new system navigation bar, which replaces the standard three-icon navigation bar that has served Android users well for the last couple of iterations. The new navigation bar replaces the three icons (back, home, overview) that are virtually always on screen with a more adaptive system and a home button that now lets you swipe to switch between apps (instead of tapping on the overview button). You can also now swipe up on the home button and see full-screen previews of the apps you used recently, as well as the names of a few apps that Google thinks you'll want to use. A second up-swipe and you get to the usual list of all of your installed apps.

In day-to-day use, I'm not yet 100 percent convinced that this new system is any better than the old one. Maybe I just don't like change, but the whole swiping thing does not strike me as very efficient, and if you leave your finger on the home button for a split-second longer than Google expects, it'll launch the Assistant instead of letting you swipe between apps. You get used to it, though, and you can get back to the old system if you want to.

Google's suggestions for apps you'll like and want to use when you swipe up feel like a nice tech demo but aren't all that useful in day-to-day use. I'm sure Google uses some kind of machine learning to power these suggestions, but I'd rather use that area as an extended favorites bar where I can pin a few additional apps. It's not that Android's suggestions were necessarily wrong and that these weren't apps I wanted to use, it's mostly that the apps it suggested were already on my home screen anyway. I don't think I ever started an app from there while using the last two betas.

But that's enough grumbling, because it's actually all of the little things that make Android 9 Pie better. There's stuff like the adaptive battery management, which makes your battery last longer by learning which apps you use the most. And that's great (though I'm not sure how much influence it has had on my daily battery life), but the new feature that actually made me smile was a new popup that tells you that you have maybe 20 percent of battery left and that this charge should last until 9:20pm. That's actually useful.

Google also loves to talk about its Adaptive Brightness feature that also learns about how you like your screen brightness based on your surroundings, but what actually made a difference for me was that Google now blends out the whole settings drawer when you change the setting so that you can actually see what difference those changes make. It's also nice to have the volume slider pop up right next to the volume buttons now.

Talking about sound: Your phone now plays a pleasant little sound when you plug in the charger. It's the little things that matter, after all.

The other new machine learning-powered feature is the smart text selection tool that recognizes the meaning of the text you selected and then allows you to suggest relevant actions like opening Google Maps or bringing up the share dialog for an address. It's nifty when it works, but here, too, what actually makes the real difference in daily usage is that the text selection magnifier shows you a larger, clearer picture of what you're selecting (and it sits right on top of what you are selecting), which makes it far easier to pick the right text (and yes, iOS pretty much does the same thing).

🎉 Introducing Android 9 Pie 🎉
Packed with smarts and tailored to you. Learn more: https://t.co/LGeZUrz2BV #Android9 pic.twitter.com/gwUEjqHH1l

— Android (@Android) August 6, 2018

And now we get to the part where I wish I could tell you all about the flagship Digital Wellness features in Pie (because pie and wellness go together like Gwyneth Paltrow and jade eggs), but we'll have to wait a few days for that. Here's what we know will be available: a dashboard for seeing where you spend time on your device; an app timer that lets you set limits on how long you can use Instagram, for example, and then grays out the icon of that app; and a Wind Down feature that switches on the night-light mode, turns on Do Not Disturb and fades the screen to grayscale before it's bedtime.

The one wellness feature you can try now if you are on Pie already is the new Do Not Disturb tool that lets you turn off all visual interruptions. To try out everything else, you'll have to sign up for the beta here.

Another feature that's only launching in the fall is "slices" (like slices of pie...). I was looking forward to this one as it'll allow developers to highlight parts of their apps (maybe to start playing a song or hail a car) in the Android Pie search bar when warranted. Maybe Google wasn't ready yet -- or maybe its partners just hadn't built enough slices yet, but either way, we won't see these pop up in Android Pie until later this year.

And that's Android 9 Pie. It's a nice update for sure, and while Google loves to talk about all of the machine learning and intelligence it's baking into Android, at the end of the day, it's the small quality of life changes that actually make the biggest difference.

Source: MSN