Typhoon Mangkhut retained its ferocious strength and slightly shifted toward more densely populated coastal provinces on Friday as it barreled closer to the northeastern Philippines, where a massive evacuation was underway.

More than 4 million people are at risk from the storm, which the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center categorizes as a super typhoon with powerful winds and gusts equivalent to a category 5 Atlantic hurricane.

It was initially expected to hit the northern tip of Cagayan province early Saturday, but its now likely to make landfall farther south and closer to Isabela province then cut across the northern breadbasket, Philippine state forecaster Chris Perez told The Associated Press.

The change wont make much difference because of the typhoons massive size, he said.

A huge raincloud band 900 kilometers (560 miles) wide, combined with seasonal monsoon rains, means the typhoon will bring heavy to intense rains that could set off landslides and flash floods.

Warnings have been raised in 25 provinces across the main northern island of Luzon, restricting sea and air travel.

The typhoon is approaching at the start of the rice and corn harvesting season in Cagayan, a major agricultural producer, and farmers were scrambling to save what they could of their crops, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said.

The threat to agriculture comes as the Philippines tries to cope with rice shortages.

Mangkhut was tracked on Friday about 400 kilometers (250 miles) away in the Pacific with sustained winds of 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph), Philippine forecasters said.

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Source: NAN

(Reuters/NAN) President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey on Friday again blamed the U. S. for what he called a heinous economic attack that has sent the lira tumbling some 40 per cent this year.

At a speech to officials from his AK Party in Ankara, Erdogan also said Turkey would see the result of the central banks independence after its substantial rate increase a day earlier.

On Thursday the central bank lifted its benchmark rate by 6.25 percentage points.

NAN reports that on Aug.the U.S. of waging economic war on Turkey amid a downturn that has seen the currency plunge.

The warning came after his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, escalated a feud by doubling tariffs on metals imports.

Source: NAN

By Adekunle Williams and Solomon Asowata

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says no fewer than 9, 822 Stranded Nigerians were assisted back home by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from 10 different countries in 18 months.

The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, South West Zone, Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, disclosed this while receiving another batch of of 153 Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) brought back by IOM from Libya on Friday.

He said majority of the returnees were from Libya with about 8,657 voluntary returnees, while others were brought back from Niger, Mali, Morocco, Liberia, Burkina Faso, France, Ireland, Austria and Poland made up the remaining balance.

Suleiman explained that IOM had been working with NEMA and other federal agencies towards giving the returnees appropriate humanitarian assistance since the exercise started.

According to him, the returnees were brought back between April 2017 and September 2018.

The IOM analysis of the exercise reveals that out of the total figure, 59 per cent of the returnees are males and 41 per cent are females.

Further analysis shows that out of the above, 57 per cent are adult males, adult females consisted of 37 per cent , minor males are three per cent and minor females are also three per cent,he said.

Suleiman said 215 of the women returned under various stages of pregnancy while while 214 males and 141 females had various degree of medical challenges.

He also disclosed was that there were 59 males and 52 females unaccompanied minors while about 24 males and 174 females need psychosocial first aid.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new batch of returnees arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 1.05 a.m. on Friday.

The Nigerians, comprising of 97 males and 56 females, arrived aboard a Libyan Airline with registration No: 5A-DMG and flight No: BRQ 189. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Japans Naomi Osaka has refused to criticise Serena Williams after her historic US Open victory was overshadowed by the Americans furious row with the chair umpire.

The 20-year-old melted hearts when she broke down sobbing after thrashing her idol 6-2, 6-4 to become Japans first Grand Slam singles champion in New York last weekend.

Japanese tennis legend Kimiko Date told AFP it made her heart ache to see Osaka reduced to tears and unable to savour her moment of glory.

But after returning to Japan on Thursday, Osaka insisted there were no hard feelings towards Williams, who branded umpire Carlos Ramos a thief in an astonishing tantrum triggered by a code violation for coaching that culminated in a docked game.

For me I dont feel sad because I wouldnt even know what Im expected to feel, said Osaka, who has climbed from 19th to seventh in the new world rankings.

I dont think I even thought about feeling sad because theres no experience for me to draw on in any other Grand Slam final, she added.

I just thought I shouldnt have any regrets. Overall I felt really happy and know I accomplished a lot.

Osaka, who competes at next weeks Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, also revealed her plans to break into the top five this year and win a shiny gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

I think for this year my immediate goal would be to get to Singapore, said Osaka after putting herself firmly in contention to reach the season-ending WTA Finals.

I want to do well at the Pan Pacific Open and maybe year-end top five but Im not putting pressure on myself. For now Im just sort of riding the wave.

Of course Im very excited the Olympics are going to be held in Tokyo, added Osaka, who is of Haitian-Japanese descent and was raised in the United States.

Its every athletes dream to play in the Olympics, so of course it would be my goal to win gold.

Date, a former world number four, has tipped Osaka to become Japans first tennis number one.

But for now Osaka is itching to do normal stuff like catch up with big sister Mari, who is also a professional tennis player, go shopping and eat her favourite matcha ice cream.

I guess Id like to hang out with my sister I havent seen her since Wimbledon, said Osaka, who has become an unlikely hero in a country still reeling after a summer of deadly typhoons and earthquakes.

The Pan Pacific is so close and I have to be on a diet for my matches, so maybe afterwards for the ice cream.

Asked how she felt about being a role model for young children, Osaka gave mixed signals.

Ive always thought Kei (Nishikori) was a super good role model and hopefully I can be that too, she said. But dont look up to me, because I dont want that responsibility!

Source: NAN

By Francis Onyeukwu

The Anambra Police Command on Wednesday sealed the State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) located at Udoka Estate in Awka.

Mr Haruna Mohammed, the command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the sealing of the secretariat was due to fracas that erupted earlier in the day.

He noted that the closure of the office would avert further breakdown of law and order.

Mohammed added that the state had been peaceful over time and the police would not allow anybody to jeopardise the relative peaceful situation prevalent in the state under whatever cover.

The police would take control of the area until when normalcy returns, he said.

The PPRO denied the allegation that some of the protesters and their supporters were brutalised by thugs and some policemen.

Mr Ndubuisi Durkins, Assistant Legal Adviser of the party, who led the protest, had claimed that some of their members were injured.

He said the cause of their action was the imposition of a caretaker leadership on them by the national hierarchy of the party, in spite of a substantive court judgment that annulled the arrangement.

The protesters alleged that the chairman of the caretaker committee, Ndubuisi Nwobu, was a sellout who abandoned their collective struggle for what they called selfish and pecuniary interests.

Before the police took over the premises, it was gathered that the caretaker committee members had allegedly broken the secretariat gate to gain entrance for a meeting.

Addressing reporters, Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu, the caretaker chairman described the protest as a plan by the opposition to sabotage PDP chances in the 2019 general elections in Anambra.

He alleged that a senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) sponsored the protesters.

Source: NAN

By Hamza Suleiman/Maiduguri

Many Boko Haram fighters were killed by Nigerian troops in Damasak on Thursday, spokesman Brig. Texas Chukwu said.

Chukwu, who said the terrorists came to attack the military formation at 6pm were outmatched by the superior firepower of Nigerian soldiers.

The troops engaged and subdued the terrorists following a superior fire power of troops in DAMASAK.

The troops aggressive posture, tactics and marksmanship resulted in neutralising many Boko Haram terrorists, he said.

The statement discredited an online report alleging the capturing of Damasak by Boko Haram terrorists.

Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director of army public relations said:

Nigerian Army wishes to state categorically that the claim is not only untrue but capable of misleading members of the general public and the world at large.

In the said story, the report stated inter alia, that Damasak is the location of 134 Battalion. The Nigerian Army wishes to state that there was no such battalion in Damasak.

The Nigerian Army earlier released a statement that troops of 145 Battalion in Damasak, Borno State, are engaging Boko Haram terrorists who came to attack their location at about 6 p.m on 12 September, 2018.

The statement also stated that fierce battle is ongoing right now and the troops are dealing with the terrorists.

Consequently, the Nigerian Army wishes to state that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the North Eastern parts of the the country is yielding positive result.

The Nigerian Army, therefore, advised members of the public, particularly residents of the affected areas, to go about their legitimate businesses and disregard the said report.

The Nigerian Army will continue to protect lives and property of citizens at all times.

The Nigerian Army also call on the media to always exercise caution, verify facts as well as balance their reports before rushing to the press to avoid misinforming the public on sensitive issues, Chukwu advised.

Source: NAN

Damasak Local Government Area of Borno state is under crossfire between Nigerian soldiers and Boko Haram fighters.

The battle was raging at the time of filing the report. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Buratai is in the region, leading efforts to flush out the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents in the Lake Chad fringes.

A competent Military source, told NAN that the military and the terrorists were currently engaged in a heavy gun battle.

He said that the insurgents stormed the town to attack a military formation in the evening but they met stiff resistance from troops.

Reacting, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, who confirmed the attack to NAN through text message, said the troops were dealing with the terrorists.

Chukwu said that Troops of 145 Bn in Damasak, Borno State are engaging Boko Haram terrorists who came to attack their location at about 6 p.m. this evening.

Fierce battle is on going right now. The troops are dealing with the terrorists.
Further details later.

Source: NAN

By Raji Rasak

Mr Omoyele Sowore, a presidential aspirant of African Action Congress (AAC), says he will ensure civil servants in the country receive N100,000 as minimum wage from 2019 if he is elected Nigerias president.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the party in Badagry, Sowore said Nigerians were indirectly going into slavery by traveling to different countries in search of jobs.

He noted that over 43 million black Africans were sold into slavery in the coastal city about 400 years ago, a development he said was still happening indirectly because of lack of job.

I am in politics to stop this by providing 500,000 jobs yearly.

The minimum wage for civil servant will be N100,000 from 2019, he said.

Sowore regretted the poor state of roads in the country and describing the Lagos-Badagry expressway as the worst in Nigeria.

The presidential aspirants said the historic town had been cut off from the rest of the country due to deplorable state of the expressway.

I have traveled all over Nigeria, but I have not seen any international expressway like Lagos-Badagry.

We spent almost five hours coming here instead of one and half hours.

Badagry town has been cut-off from Nigeria due to deplorable state of the road.

This is very shameful, the presidential aspirant said.

He promised to construct two expressways from Badagry to Lagos, and another one linking Badagry and Ogun State if elected into power in the 2019 general elections.

Sowore urged the residents of Badagry to vote wisely for candidates of their choice.

I heard now that politicians are buying Permanent Voters Card (PVC) for N10,000. Please dont sell your PVC; the PVC is your future.

Can you do any business with N10,000? They will buy your card; your future is your PVC; keep it, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by a large number of youths in the coastal town.

Source: NAN

By Hajara Leman

Nine people lost their lives while over 200 houses were destroyed and numerous farm lands washed out by flood in Gombe between May and August, an official has said.

Mrs Lamis Benjamin, Deputy Director, Rescue and Rehabilitation, Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this to newsmen in Gombe on Thursday.

Benjamin said four out of the nine deaths were recorded in May following a downpour in Gombe town.

She said the remaining five deaths were recorded in Cham community of Balanga Local Government Area of the state in August also after a downpour.

The deputy director also said over 200 houses and numerous farm lands were washed away in Nyuwar, Jesu Cham in Balanga and Komta Ayaba in Biliri Local Government Areas.

According to her, the state government through SEMA acted promptly by providing 1,200 bags of maize as relief material to victims in the two councils.

For now, 1,200 bags of 100kg of maize were distributed as relief material to the affected persons.

We are now waiting for the National Emergency Management Agency to come with their relief materials, she said.

She appealed to wealthy individuals and corporate bodies in the state to assist the needy to ameliorate the plight of the victims.

Source: NAN

By Ibrahim Abdulazeez

A Grade C Customary Court, sitting in Iseyin, Oyo State on Thursday dissolved a four-year-old marriage between Remi Atanda and Muri Atanda over religious difference.

The complainant, Muri, had approached the court seeking dissolution of the marriage over refusal of his wife to attend the Ifa shrine with him.

He said he could no longer tolerate the insubordination.

is a traditional religion and a system of divination (the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means).

When we got married, we always attend our shrine together until about few months ago when she started having some friends and getting advice against my wishes.

I had done everything possible to persuade her but she refused. Even I called her family to intervene and that also did not yield result.

She has to move out of my house because her action was totally against my family tradition and customs. It is a taboo for me to keep her under my roof, Muri said.

In his ruling, the President of the Court, Chief Adelodun Raheem, who frowned at the absence of the respondent, said it was obvious that the relationship between the estranged couple had totally broken down.

He, thereafter, dissolved the union accordingly.

The courts president also granted the custody of the two children produced by the marriage to Muri.

Source: NAN