Manchester United transfer news: Edinson Cavani, Kasper Schmeichel and Felipe Anderson all linked - and Van Gaal could quit this summer

With the end of the January transfer window already in sight, there are plenty of rumours and reports concerning Manchester United.

Firstly, Edinson Cavani is thought to be on the club's wishlist. The Paris Saint-Germain striker is believed to be unhappy with his role in the Paris capital and with United in need of goals, they could be tempted to make a move.

Cavani sees himself as a central striker but has continually been asked to operate in a wide position.

The 28-year-old, who was prolific at Napoli before his move to France, has scored 10 goals in 16 games this term.
Meanwhile, United are also being linked with a bid for Kasper Schmeichel, should David De Gea ever be tempted to leave Old Trafford.

The Spanish 'keeper this week reiterated his happiness to remain at United but there has been strong interest from Real Madrid in the past.

If he does leave, Leicester's Schmeichel, son for club-legend Peter, is the man the club may turn to.

Talk of Felipe Anderson simply won't go away. The Lazio winger has been continually linked with United, with the Serie A club admitting recently there was a bid lodged by Ed Woodward in the summer.

Anderson has searing pace, something United desperately need going forward.

And finally, United manager Louis Van Gaal could quit the club in the summer, according to a report in the Mirror.

The Dutchman, who has been under intense scrutiny for much of the season, is thought to be considering leaving a year earlier than expected because his family are concerned about the pressure being placed on him.

If he does leave, Jose Mourinho is expected to be the club's No. 1 target to succeed him.

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-transfer-news-edinson-10760549

Klopp says Benteke has a long-term future at Liverpool

 

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has dispelled doubts about Christian Benteke's suitability to the team's high-pressing style of play and said the striker has a long-term future at Anfield.

Benteke, who joined from Aston Villa for a reported 32.5 million pounds ($45.97 million) during the close season, has scored seven goals in 24 appearances this season.

Despite being the club's leading goalscorer, the Belgium international has struggled to nail down a regular starting place since Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at the Merseyside club in October.

"Of course he has a future, that is not a question. He is a goalscorer and makes chances and so on, that is all good," Klopp told the British media.

"This is how it works, we make a starting line-up and it ends at 11 then we make the bench. That is how we did it in the past, now we will do it in the future. He has always the possibility to play.

"For the next game it could be different. We have to think about how we create chances. First of all we cannot hope that we can get the ball into the box and then maybe Christian will finish it."

Klopp hailed Benteke as the "complete striker" and said having the 25-year-old on the bench is a sign of the quality available within the squad.

"He is a complete striker, but you have to work for it. He hasn't finished his development (with us) and we as a team haven't either. You have to look at how (different styles) fit," the former Borussia Dortmund manager said.

"To have Christian on the bench is a quality sign."



Source: http://pulse.ng/sports/football/premier-league-klopp-says-benteke-has-a-long-term-future-at-liverpool-id4580822.html

Guus Hiddink: The intensity of the Premier League has increased

 

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says the intensity of the Premier League has increased since his first stint with the club in 2009 with all clubs now attracting big-name players across Europe.

Hiddink, who won the FA Cup during his first spell, took over from Jose Mourinho last month and has guided Chelsea on a six-game unbeaten run in the league, which has helped them climb up the table to 14th after 22 games.

The Blues, however, remain just six points above the relegation zone, after their woeful start to the campaign saw them lose nine of their first 16 league games.

"Generally, I think the intensity in the league is higher and nowadays you see there are many clubs who can compete on a high level, due to the fact they also have more possibilities to sign players," Hiddink told the club's website.

"Nowadays, you see teams halfway or over halfway up the league, which in the past you would normally not expect to be there, like Crystal Palace, Watford and Leicester.

"These were teams normally nearer the bottom or the second tier, but they are doing very well. Because they have made good signings, everyone now is capable of beating everyone else and you can see that in the results."

Interim boss Hiddink also said he will consider allowing the club's academy players to find their feet in the first team before he departs the club in May, but only if they can survive the demands of English football.

"We are trying to help. It is not easy to survive in the league but when we have the possibilities, if one is knocking on the door, maybe -- but I don't give any guarantees -- we can see one or two players playing by May," the Dutchman said.

Champions Chelsea travel to take on London rivals Arsenal, who are on top of the table, on Sunday.



Source: http://pulse.ng/sports/football/guus-hiddink-the-intensity-of-the-premier-league-has-increased-id4580734.html

Oliseh Promises Better Eagles Showing Against Tunisia

Super Eagles manager Sunday Oliseh has stated that his team will look to improve when Nigeria confront the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Friday at the African Nations Championship here in Kigali.

Speaking after Nigeria’s emphatic 4-1 win over the Mena Of Niger Reuplic on Monday, Oliseh stated that he has charged his wards to step up the chase in Nigeria’s quest to pick another win on Friday, adding that that Super Eagles will keep fighting until the trophy is won.

Nigeria sent jitters down the spines of teams at the on-going Orange Africa Nations Championship after beating Niger Republic 4-1 to become the highest goal scoring side, but Oliseh maintained that the best is yet to come from his team.

“Yes lots of people might think we are there yet but I disagree with that because there is still a lot to come from this team and Nigerians will see their best as the tournament progresses," Oliseh told Completesportsnigeria.com.

“We played against a good side but one of the good things going for the team it’s the ability to take every game as they come and not looking down on our opponents.

“We will continue to fight as the tournament progresses and I can assure everyone that we won’t be leaving CHAN without a fight and we will keep up the fight until the trophy is won.”

Oliseh further showered encomiums on sports minister Solomon Dalung and the League Management Company for their positive influence on the team, saying their presence came as a morale booster for his players.

“I really want to thank the minister of Sports for his support towards the team and all I can say is that we won’t let Nigerians down,” Oliseh added.

Source: http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/oliseh-promises-better-eagles-showing-tunisia/

Escravos Attack: Nigerian govt. losing N471 million daily in gas, electricity disruptions

The Nigerian government on Tuesday counted its costs in terms of multiple losses suffered in massive disruption to gas and electricity supplies in the wake of last weekend’s attacks on the Nigerian Gas Company’s gas pipeline by suspected Niger Delta militants.

Government said the attack on the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) connected to Chevron Nigeria Limited’s gas network at Escravos negatively impacted on the 600 mega watts (MW) Olorunsogo National Integrated Power Plant and other critical power projects in the region.

The immediate impact of the sabotage on the gas facility, Federal Ministry of Power sources said, has been the disruption in the sale and supply of 160 million metres standard cubic feet per day (MMSCD) of gas to operators of electricity generation facilities and a cut in electricity supply from the affected power plants.

Already a massive manhunt for the culprits by security operatives has intensified to determine the motive behind the sabotage.

Close followers of the Niger Delta crisis say the attack may not be unconnected with recent threats by one of the militant group leaders to disrupt operations in key oil and gas facilities in the region if government insisted on his response to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commision’s invitation for questioning.

Government computation on the extent of loss showed that at about cost $2.50 per thousand standard cubic feet of gas, the country was suffering an estimated $400,000 (about N78.8 million) loss daily through the inability to meet its gas supply obligations to its customers.

The loss does not include about $1,988,223 (about N391.7 million) lost daily by operators of the affected power generation plants for not supplying electricity to their customers.

When the estimated cost of about $609,137 (about N120 million) for the repairs of the damaged pipeline is added, the Nigerian government and the people would have suffered a loss of about N590.5 million to the incident.

Equally, the real sector of the economy has also been counting its losses as operations at some cement companies around Olorunsogo area in Ondo state, including Ewekoro and Ibese factories, have been brought to a halt.

The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing said the incident was a huge setback on its effort in collaboration with Ministry of Petroleum Resources and allied agencies to improve gas supplies to the power plants in the country.

The ministry said such efforts had resulted in some hitherto idle power plants like Ihovbor and Sapele being brought back on stream and contributing significantly to the power supply situation in the country.

The gas pipeline systems in the region has been the butt of incessant attacks in recent times, as records showed that at least six incidents of vandalism occured on the Trans Forcados Pipeline (at Oben, Sapele, Oredo ) and Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) between December 2014 and February 2015, resulting in a loss of about 1,100 MMSCFD of gas supplies.

Industry experts say a loss of about 200 MMSCD of gas was equivalent to a reduction in electricity supply of about 700 MW.

With national power generation capacity currently at an average of 4,120 MW as at last Sunday, the huge impact of the incident would best be imagined.

At the recent monthly meeting with operators in the power sector, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had expressed optimism that gas projects scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2016 would significantly improve gas supply to key power plants in the country.

Although Mr. Fashola also highlighted some of the challenges, especially related to security affecting delivery of gas to the power sector, he assured that active monitoring activities were in place, particularly on the pipelines, to stop further attacks.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/197064-escravos-attack-nigerian-govt-losing-n471-million-daily-in-gas-electricity-disruptions.html

Man's body found in burning tent near Salford Central train station

A man's body has been found in a burning tent near Manchester city centre.
Fire crews made the discovery when they were called to a blaze under a railway bridge next to New Bailey Street car park in Salford at around 1am on Wednesday morning.

A GMP spokesman confirmed that officers were called to the scene, off Irwell Street near Salford Central train station and Trinity Way, by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service at 1.20am.
Crews had discovered a man's body in a burning tent, the spokesman added. An investigation has been launched but it's too early to say if there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

 

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/salford-central-police-man-dead-10760410

University orders over 460 100-level students to withdraw

The Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, has asked over 460 students admitted for the just-concluded academic session to withdraw from the institution.

Tribune Online gathered that letters of withdrawal were served on the affected students by the school management last Friday.

Further checks revealed that all the affected students were in 100 level who could not meet the requirement set for students to move to the next level in the pursuit of their education by the National Universities Commission.

It was further learnt that the students could not make a Grade Point of 1.5 after the session and by virtue of the guideline set by NUC, they could not continue their programmmes.

Students from virtually all the faculties in the institution were affected by the withdrawal.

When contacted, the Information Officer of the university, Mrs Lydia Legbo, confirmed the development, adding that the students were asked to withdraw because of ‘poor academic performance.’

Mrs Legbo stated further that the institution could not violate the NUC's guidelines.



Source: http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/university-orders-over-460-100-level-students-to-withdraw

Twitter's outage reminds us social media is taking over our lives

Martin Butters' daily routine usually includes a hot cup of coffee and quick check on Twitter.

But the co-owner of an Ireland-based digital content agency began "hyperventilating" Tuesday morning when he couldn't log onto the social network. He thought the Internet was down at his father-in-law's house just outside Dublin because he couldn't tweet.

He needed to monitor content his company, markITwrite, publishes for clients. He needed to get in touch with them.

Eventually, he learned Twitter was having an outage -- by reading about it on Facebook.

"I don't know why I'm so obsessed with it," he said.

Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have become so ingrained in our lives it's hard to imagine living without them. More than half of the world's online population use social media regularly, but when the services go out, it can feel a bit apocalyptic for some.

Sometimes, these outages are Facebook, other times it's Google's Gmail. On Tuesday, it was Twitter, which was inaccessible for about six hours. And while it was, the Internet was all atwitter with people commiserating about how they suddenly can't swap cat photos, make baby announcements or share breaking news stories.

"Social connection, safety and security are primary drivers of human behavior," said Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center, a Southern California nonprofit that studies human behavior and technology. "It's not surprising that people react emotionally to things like when Twitter disconnects, even if we rationally know that it is likely temporary and not, in the grand scheme of things, a big deal."
 

These experiences remind us that social media is somewhat of a mixed bag in our lives. In theory, it gives us easy access to our friends and the things we find important. But in reality, the Pew Research Center found that it can also give us stress.

"Stress might come from maintaining a large network of Facebook friends, feeling jealous of their well-documented and well-appointed lives, the demands of replying to text messages, having to keep up with status updates on Twitter, and 'the fear of missing out,' in the lives of friends and family," the study said.

Helen Pritchard tries to take a different tack. As owner of Blue Sky Digital Marketing in Warrington, England, she's online a lot. When social network outages happen, she takes a moment to reflect.

"Sometimes, a little down time away from our screens can also be a good thing," she said. "Everyone tends to panic when the 'biggies' like Twitter and Facebook go down."

For Butters, 42, being on social media helped take his mind away from the battle his wife, Kerry, is having with lung cancer. She was hospitalized during the holidays and was just released last week.

Kerry, 44, who has more than a quarter of a million Twitter followers, is still tweeting several times a day and "still writing frantically," in between rounds of chemotherapy, he said. Because of the nature of their work, Butters is usually either at her bedside or in a nearby waiting area working on his laptop.

He's working constantly and using social media at all times -- even just before Christmas dinner.

"What a tragic way to spend my life," Butters said, with an uncomfortable chuckle. "I'll look back one day and shake my head in disgust."

Twitter declined to comment for this report.

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/twitters-outage-reminds-us-social-media-is-taking-over-our-lives/

Gunmen Open Fire on Pakistan University

Several gunmen have stormed a university in Pakistan and opened fire in an attack reportedly still underway.

Six people are dead so far in the attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan, including students, a professor and university staff. Three shooters have also been killed, police say.

The gunmen stormed the university from a rear entrance, according to witnesses, and reportedly began breaking down doors to shoot at students. Witnesses report having also heard several explosions.

Pakistani TV reports show heavy police and military presence at the university, where people are being evacuated. A security source tells ABC News the operation is currently at a boys' hostel where several students are holed up, with most of the remaining students and teachers having been rescued by Army commandoes. The operation is ongoing.

Universities and schools in neighboring cities have been closed as a precaution. Officials in Pakistan are labeling this a terrorist attack, but so far no group has stepped forward to take credit for the violence.


Source: http://abc7chicago.com/news/gunmen-open-fire-on-pakistan-university/1166306/

Cameroon troops are killing civilians – Nigerian villagers

Cameroonian troops pursuing Boko Haram fired rocket-propelled grenades indiscriminately that killed a family of four, then shot and killed two other civilians, trapped Nigerian villagers said Tuesday.

It’s the latest of several reports accusing the military of neighboring Cameroon of killing scores of Nigerian civilians and razing villages in an apparent attempt to create a no-go zone along the border.

Cameroon’s government has denied previous similar charges, which come amid rising tensions between Nigeria and its neighbors over the Islamic uprising that has spilled over Nigeria’s borders.

Muhammad Abba, deputy commander of a civilian self-defense group, said relatives telephoned him Tuesday to describe how one grenade exploded through the grass roof of a hut and killed a family of four in the northeastern village Ashigashiya on Monday.

Then Cameroonian soldiers dragged away two elderly men and shot them on the outskirts of the village, Abba said.

He said villagers have been trapped for weeks between hostile Cameroonian troops and an area where Boko Haram is operating.

There was no way to independently verify his report.

The first such story came from refugees who said Cameroonian soldiers on Nov. 30 killed about 150 people, stole livestock and set huts ablaze along a 150-kilometer (95-mile) stretch of the border. Hundreds of refugees have arrived with similar reports. Nigerian government officials have not responded to requests for comment, instead warning local press to be “patriotic.” Cameroon said its troops were deployed with Nigerian soldiers in the fight against Boko Haram.

The raids began days after Nigeria refused requests from neighboring countries to evacuate border villages and create a buffer zone where troops could shoot anything that moved to prevent incursions by Boko Haram, according to a diplomat familiar with negotiations.

Nigerian troops also have been accused of atrocities in the six-year uprising that has killed 20,000 people.

Source:  http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/01/20/cameroon-troops-are-killing-civilians-nigerian-villagers/

Sad Photos of 8 Year Old Girl That Married 28 Year Old Man in Kaduna

This 8 year old child was married out to a 28 year old man in Rigasa Kaduna State last Sunday.

Army acted appropriately in Shi’ite raids, Buratai insists

 

Nigeria’s army chief of staff told an inquiry on Tuesday that his soldiers had acted appropriately during a bloody raid last month on a minority Shi’ite sect in which at least 60 people were killed.

The army says the Islamic Movement in Nigeria had tried to assassinate its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, when members of the sect blocked his convoy in the northern city of Zaria in December. The following day the army said it had raided several buildings connected to the sect.

The Shi’ite sect said hundreds of its members had been killed. The army took most of the bodies away, making it impossible to verify the claim but the director of a local hospital said at least 60 people had been killed.

“I’m here because I was there during the incident. I was involved and my officers and soldiers acted in accordance with the rule of engagement,” Buratai told an inquiry panel of the National Human Rights Commission into the raid.

“There is no way we would pick our weapons and deliberately violate what we have been tasked and paid to defend and protect,” added the army chief.

Members of the Shi’ite sect are also expected to give evidence to the inquiry panel, which was set up to establish what happened in the raid and sat for the first time on Tuesday. It has the power to impose fines and payment of compensation.

Most of Nigeria’s Muslims, who number tens of millions, are Sunni, including the Boko Haram jihadist militants who have killed thousands in bombings and shootings, mainly in the northeast, since 2009.

However, in the nation of 170 million people, there are also several thousand Shi’ite Muslims whose movement was inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Shi’ite Iran.

Iran condemned last month’s raid and summoned Nigeria’s ambassador to Tehran.

Source: http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/01/20/army-acted-appropriately-in-shiite-raids-buratai-insists/

Iranians freed by U.S. in prisoner swap aren't going anywhere

The Iranians freed by the U.S. in a prisoner swap between the two countries aren’t going anywhere, according to reports.

Six of the seven men have American-Iranian dual citizenship and all of them were convicted or charged with crimes related to selling sensitive equipment to Iran in violation of strict trade embargoes.

And all of them decided to stay in the U.S., officials familiar with the process told ABC NEWS.

Meanwhile, former Marine Amir Hekmati, one of the three just-released Americans, was thankful to be coming home.

“Like I said, I feel alive for the first time. It’s like being born again, and I just really feel proud to be an American,” Hekmati, 32, said from the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Hekmati was imprisoned in August 2011 after being accused of spying for the CIA.



Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/iranians-freed-u-s-prisoner-swap-plan-stay-put-article-1.2502657?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NydnRss+%28Top+Stories+-+NY+Daily+News%29

Olubadan of Ibadan Royal father is dead, reports say

The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade has died at the age of 100 years, reports say.

According to The Nation Newspapers, died after he lost consciousness, and his corpse has been moved to the morgue.Reports say the Personal Assistant to the late royal father, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu denied the death saying the monarch is alive and well.
 

The council of chiefs have been at Loggerhead with the Oyo state government over the over the promotion of nine high chiefs.

Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade was the 39th Olubadan of Ibadan.



Source: http://pulse.ng/local/olubadan-of-ibadan-royal-father-is-dead-reports-say-id4580075.html

Sarah Palin's Son Arrested for Punching and Kicking Girlfriend, Police Say

 

Sarah Palin's son was arrested last night in a domestic violence incident, police said, one day before the former Republican vice presidential candidate endorsed Donald Trump for president.
 

Track Palin, 26, was arrested in Wasilla, Alaska, late Monday and charged with three misdemeanors, including assault, interference with the reporting of a domestic violence crime and weapons possession while intoxicated, according to Alaska court records.

The Wasilla Police Department alleged in a statement that Palin "had committed a domestic violence assault on a female" Monday night.

According to the criminal complaint, Palin allegedly punched and kicked his girlfriend before she says she thought he might shoot himself.

Investigators said that Palin appeared intoxicated and allegedly threw her phone, possibly breaking it, the complaint said.

His bail was set at $1,500. It is unclear whether he has been released on bail, or entered a plea.

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) selected Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate during his 2008 run for the White House.

No attorney was listed in court records and a Palin family lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Source: http://abc7chicago.com/news/sarah-palins-son-arrested-for-punching-and-kicking-girlfriend-police-say/1165932/

Akin Bought Iceprince Girlfriend Her First Car, Pays Her School Fees(Snapshots)

Iceprince has been defending his lover, Maima Kweta saying she never cheated on him and Abuja big boy Akin is insane for putting him, her and their die hard love through all this mess. Well, some people in the know are letting Iceprince know Mr Akin bought his woman her first car and paid her school fees. Hiya!












Source: http://www.nairaland.com/2877041/akin-bought-iceprince-girlfriend-first

Jada Pinkett Smith to boycott Oscars

Film director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith have said they will not attend next month's Oscars ceremony because of the mostly white nominees.

Among those overlooked were the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton for best picture and Will Smith for best actor in NFL film Concussion.

His wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, said in a video message on Facebook that "begging for acknowledgement, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power.

See video clip below:

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35350001

France promises visa for Nigerian business owners

 

 

France has pledged to ease visa processes to make it possible for more Nigerian entrepreneurs to travel to the country to establish business outfits.

The Consul General of the French Embassy in Lagos, Mr. Laurent Polonceaux, made the pledge on Tuesday at a press briefing organised by the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the upcoming French Week.

Polonceaux observed that easing visa processes for Nigerian businessmen would reinforce the trade relationship between both countries, adding that people with legitimate businesses in France would have less challenges with visa.

“We will do all we can to facilitate trade relationship between Nigeria and France to make it easier to go to France for Nigerian people having the desire to go to France to do business,” he stated.

The Economic Consul of France, Mr. Francis Widmer, said the embassy had a section called ‘Business France’, which is meant to promote business between his country and Nigeria as well as a complete economic, commercial and development finance team committed to supporting Nigerian companies with loans and equity contributions.

“We have also initiated a programme to attract investors to France. We already have about 50 companies visiting Nigeria to network with Nigerian businesses in the same line.”



Source: http://www.punchng.com/france-promises-visa-for-nigerian-business-owners/

Emefiele blames naira fall on US policy, importation

The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, explained to the Senate on Tuesday that some harsh monetary decisions taken by the United States and Nigeria’s over dependence on foreign goods were responsible for the continuous fall in the value of the naira against major foreign currencies.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, stated this when he briefed journalists at the end of the closed-door meeting with the CBN boss.

Emefiele was said to have stated that other factors like the declining commodity prices and the geo-political tensions along important trading routes were equally injurious to the naira value.

Abdullahi said, “He (Emefiele) touched on the global economy conditions in which he informed us that we are not immune from external shocks that are currently going on in the world. These shocks include the following: declining commodity prices, geo-political tensions along important trading routes and tightening of monetary policies in the United States of America.

“The Senate appreciated the need to support the various policies being formulated to strengthen the currency.”

Abdullahi added that the Senate also acknowledged the pains that many people were experiencing currently, especially in the light of the shortage of foreign exchange for legitimate businesses.

He, however, said that having carefully considered the policies of the CBN, the upper legislative chamber would like to commend and support them because they were mostly geared towards increasing local production, creating jobs in the country, safeguarding the commonwealth and expanding economic opportunities and growth.

Abdullahi stated, “It is, therefore, critical that we all join our hands together to seek both short-term and long-term solutions to our underlying problems of non-diversification of foreign exchange earnings and revenues rather than pointing fingers at who did what and who’s to blame.

“The Senate believes strongly in the resilience of the Nigerian economy and the ingenuity of the Nigerian people, and as such, we are confident that we will all pull through these difficulties and come out as an equitable and prosperous nation.”

Abdullahi anchored the meeting with the CBN governor on the section of the CBN Act, which required that it should brief the National Assembly on periodic basis.

He said, “This appearance by the CBN governor and his management team is in line with Section 8 of the CBN Act, 2007, which requires that the governor of the bank provides the National Assembly periodic updates on the activities of the bank as well as the performance of the economy.

“In view of the above, the CBN governor presented a detailed, comprehensive and lucid account of the performance of the Nigerian economy in the last one year.”

The Senate spokesperson noted that Emefiele explained the occurrences within the Nigerian economy, especially with respect to the over 70 per cent decline in oil prices from about $116 per barrel in June 2014 to about less than $30 presently.

He said “The CBN governor also gave us an insight into the bank’s analysis and understanding of the situation and, therefore, the rationale underlining the various policy actions the bank has taken over the past couple of months.

“He also provided an insight into other countries that are facing similar difficulties and how they have dealt with them. Based on these analyses, it is clear that Nigeria is not doing badly, and I think we are on course to see how we can bring back Nigeria into the path of economic prosperity.

“After the presentation, of course, there were questions from distinguished senators on many issues, especially the stoppage of foreign exchange to the Bureaux De Change, the gradual rise in inflation, and the fallen foreign exchange reserves, among others.”



Source: http://www.punchng.com/emefiele-blames-naira-fall-on-us-policy-importation/

ISIS has freed 270 of the 400 people it kidnapped from Syria's Deir al-Zor

 


BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State on Tuesday released 270 of an estimated 400 civilians, most of them women and children, kidnapped at the weekend when its fighters attacked Syrian government-held areas in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said, however, that the ultra-hardline group rounded up another 50 men on Tuesday during raids on houses in areas seized during four days of fighting in Deir al-Zor, the provincial capital.

Rami Abdulrahman, the Observatory's head, said that the group has kept male prisoners between the ages of 14 and 55 for more questioning.

"Those who they see have ties with the regime will be punished and those who (do) not must undertake a religious course based on the group's interpretation of Islam," he said.

The civilians released will remain in Islamic State-run villages in the province of Deir al-Zor, which links the group's de facto capital in Raqqa with territory controlled by the militant group in neighboring Iraq.

The group, which controls of most of the province, has laid siege since last March to remaining government-held areas in the city of Deir al-Zor.

 

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-islamic-state-frees-270-of-400-people-it-kidnapped-from-syrias-deir-al-zor-2016-1?utm_source=feedburner&amp%3Butm_medium=referral&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29