NIGERIAN HIGH COURT GRANTS CONDITIONAL BAIL TO PRO-BIAFRA LEADER

The Federal High Court of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, has granted bail to the leader of a separatist group on grounds of ill health as long as he meets some conditions, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.    

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) and director of UK-based Radio Biafra radio station, is standing trial on treasonable felony charges. He was arrested in Lagos on October 14, 2015.  

Czech Republic international Rajtoral committed suicide

Czech Republic international Frantisek Rajtoral has committed suicide at the age of 31, the country's football association has confirmed.

Midfielder Rajtoral made 19 appearances for the Super Lig side after completing a switch from Viktoria Plzen, where he won four Czech First League titles in eight seasons.

Sanchez plays almost at same level as Messi, says Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is almost at the same level as Barcelona star Lionel Messi. City have been heavily linked with a move for Sanchez, who is out of contract in mid-2018, in the off-season. Guardiola, whose team face Arsenal in an FA Cup semi-final yesterday, gave one of his strongest indications yet that he would love to sign the Chilean, comparing him to Messi – considered one of the greatest players of all time.

North Korea says it is ready to sink U.S. aircraft carrier

North Korea said on Sunday it was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to demonstrate its military might, in the latest sign of rising tension as U.S. President Donald Trump prepared to call the leaders of China and Japan.

The United States ordered the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula in response to mounting concern over the North's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies.

The U.S. government has not specified where the carrier strike group is as it approaches the area. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days," but gave no other details.

North Korea remained defiant.

"Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary.

Boxing trainer Nick Durandt dies in motorcycle crash

Flamboyant trainer Nick Durandt has died

The 53-year-old accomplished manager who produced over 95 South Africans in all 17 weight division over 30 world champions and 27 international champions‚ died on Friday having been in a motorbike accident in the Free State.

Former Rangers player Ugo Ehiogu dies at age of 44

Former Rangers defender Ugo Ehiogu has died aged 44 after collapsing at a football training ground.

The Tottenham Hotspur under-23 coach, who played for the Ibrox club in 2007, suffered a cardiac arrest at the training centre on Thursday.

Tottenham confirmed Ehiogu died in the early hours of Friday in hospital.

In a statement, the London club said: "It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Ugo Ehiogu."

Ehiogu won four caps for England during his career. He moved to Rangers after spells with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough. He retired from playing in 2009 after a short spell with Sheffield United.

Warri warlord “Tompolo” confirm death BY Police “Tompolo” in Delta

Warri warlord (Delta) – The Delta police command on Monday said its operatives had killed a notorious suspected armed robber simply known as “Tompolo” .

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the death of the suspected robber, however, added that three of his accomplices escaped with bullet wounds.

Aniamaka said police detectives from Enerhen division in Uvwie local government area near Warri, foiled a robbery attack following a distress call and in the ensueing gun duel, killed Tompolo, on April 9.

EU leaders 'to strip Britain of valued European medicine and banking agencies within weeks'

EU leaders are set to strip Britain of major European agencies regarded as the bloc’s crown jewels in the early stages of the Brexit negotiations, reports say.

According to The Observer, diplomats on the continent agreed at a gathering last week that the European Banking Authority and the European Medicines Agency are to be relocated from London to another city in the bloc.

Captain, leader, legend - Terry to leave Chelsea, bringing 22-year association with the club to an end

Premier League leaders Chelsea have announced that long-serving captain John Terry is to leave the club at the end of the season.

The former England international has spent his entire career to date with the Blues, having first joined their youth ranks in 1995.

After 22 years of loyal service which have delivered 713 appearances, including a record 578 as skipper, the 36-year-old will move on once his current contract expires.

Suspected acid attack in London club injures 12

Twelve people were injured when a corrosive substance was sprayed inside a packed London nightclub, police and fire services said, amid a sharp rise in acid attacks in Britain's capital.

Two of the victims, both men in their twenties, are in a "serious but stable condition" and 10 others suffered "minor injuries", police said in a statement.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman told AFP an "unknown corrosive substance" was thrown in Mangle, a club in east London, in the early hours of Monday.

United Airlines Kicks Couple Off Plane En Route to Their Wedding

It’s been a bad week for United Airlines. After a video of a passenger being violently removed from a plane by police went viral, you’d think the airline would be trying to stay out of the headlines.

In the latest passenger-PR nightmare, a couple flying United to their destination wedding in Costa Rica were booted from their plane on Saturday. Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell were traveling with family and friends when confusion over seating landed them back in the terminal.

China, Russia send ships after U.S. aircraft carrier

China and Russia have dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the USS Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is heading toward waters near the Korean Peninsula, multiple sources of the Japanese government revealed to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

AP Interview: Iran's Ahmadinejad sees no threat from US

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday he does not view recent U.S. missile strikes on ally Syria as a message for Iran, which he called a "powerful country" that the U.S. cannot harm.

The controversial former president made the remarks to The Associated Press on Saturday in his office in northern Tehran, three days after he stunned Iranians by registering to run for president again.

Iraqi Christians celebrate Easter, dream of returning home

TEL ESQOF, Iraq (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iraqi Christians gathered on Sunday in a church damaged by Islamic State north of Mosul, celebrating Easter there for the first time since 2014.

"God willing, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ will also mark the return and rising-up of the Christians in Iraq," said Kyriacos Isho, 75, who was accompanied by his 12 children and grandchildren at Mar Gewargis (St George) Chaldean Catholic church in Tel Esqof.

Tel Esqof, or Bishop's Hill in Arabic, did not sustain the same amount of damage as other Christian towns overrun by the militants three years ago in the plain of Nineveh.

Chelsea without Courtois at United, Ibrahimovic benched

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Chelsea received a setback ahead of Sunday's showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced to withdraw from their squad through injury.

Mass evacuation in Syria to proceed after blast kill 68 kids

BEIRUT (AP) — More than 3,000 Syrians were expected to be evacuated Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer that was briefly stalled a day earlier by a deadly blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.

US: North Korean test missile explodes on launch

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A North Korean missile exploded during launch Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, a high-profile failure that comes as a powerful U.S. aircraft supercarrier approaches the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.

It wasn't immediately clear what kind of missile was test-fired from the east coast city of Sinpo. But the failure will sting in Pyongyang because it comes a day after one of the biggest North Korean propaganda events of the year— celebrations of the 105th birthday of late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.

U.S. Air Force deploys nuke-sniffer jet to Japan

April 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has deployed a nuke-sniffer aircraft at its base in Okinawa, Japan, according to multiple sources.

The Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix, capable of collecting samples from the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion, arrived at Kadena Air Base, Stars and Stripes reported.

Governor Obaseki wins Edo election petition tribunal

Governor Godwin Obaseki’s election, has been upheld by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that sat in Benin on Friday.

Justice Ahmed Badamosi dismissed petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, declaring that it lacked merit.

Live updates as aerial footage shows "mother of all bombs" wiping out dozens of ISIS militants in caves

The 21,600lb (9,797kg) GBU-43/B device, dubbed the “mother of all bombs” (MOAB) with 11 tons of explosives, was dropped on a series of cave complexes at 7pm local time (4pm UK time) on Thursday.

Afghanistan's Defence Ministry today said that no civilians were harmed and a local government spokesman said that 82 ISIS militants had been killed.

Arsenal ready to make Alexis Sanchez highest paid player in the Premier League

Arsenal are set to smash their wage structure in a bid to convince Alexis Sanchez to sign a new deal and extend his stay at the club beyond this summer.

The Chilean will enter the final- year of his contract at the end of the current campaign and despite being locked in talks with the club since the end of last year, they are yet to reach an agreement. Arsene Wenger admitted that finances do have a role to play when it comes to reaching an agreement but made it clear that it was not the only reason.

Roundtable: What should Arsene Wenger’s next job be?

Arsene Wenger should make the classic shift from managing in the world of football to football punditry. He'd be perfect for this role, because it's full of people who are opinionated, often hold beliefs about games that don't actually match with what happened, believe they know what a winning side looks like and can start endless arguments among fans. He'd be perfect and far more eloquent than the marble gargling jackanapes currently employed. Also, he could tell Thierry Henry what to do again.

US hit IS with largest non-nuclear bomb ever used

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in Afghanistan on Thursday struck an Islamic State tunnel complex in eastern Afghanistan with "the mother of all bombs," the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S. military, Pentagon officials said.

The bomb, known officially as a GBU-43B, or massive ordnance air blast weapon, unleashes 11 tons of explosives. When it was developed in the early 2000s, the Pentagon did a formal review of legal justification for its combat use.

The Pentagon said it had no early estimate of deaths or damage caused by its attack, which President Donald Trump called a "very, very successful mission."

NIGERIA'S ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCY FINDS $43 MILLION IN CASH AT LAGOS APARTMENT

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency seized more than $40 million of suspect cash from an apartment in the country’s commercial center Lagos on Wednesday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement that it had been tipped off about people going in and out of the apartment with suspicious bags.

United passenger dragged off plane speaks after CEO apologises

The passenger who was filmed being dragged screaming from a United Airlines flight has told a TV station he is not doing well.

Dr David Dao told WLKY TV he was still recovering in hospital in Chicago after having injured "everything".

Dr Dao's lawyers released a statement thanking people for their concern and confirming he is still undergoing treatment.

China reportedly sent 150,000 troops to North Korea's border — here's how they could stop North Kore

(Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army of China at Tiananmen Square during a military parade in 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.Reuters) Amid a productive phone call between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese state-run media reported that 150,000 Chinese troops went to North Korea's border.

Woman Speaks Out Against Brother Who Raped Her as a Child

A rape survivor who suffered for years at the hands of her older brother bravely spoke out at his sentencing in upstate New York, publicly condemning his acts to empower others who have endured sexual abuse.

Kathryn Bailey, 23, tearfully opened up about the impact of years of abuse at the hands of her brother, who preyed upon his little sister when their family thought he was babysitting her, Syracuse.com reported.

From 2003 to 2006, James Bailey raped and sexually abused his sister on a weekly basis, authorities said.

Infantino, Ceferin condemn alleged attack on Borussia Dortmund team bus

The presidents of FIFA and UEFA have condemned what German authorities are treating as a deliberate bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus on Tuesday.

Three explosions damaged the coach as it made its way from the team hotel to Signal Iduna Park for the Champions League quarter-final first leg with Monaco.

Defender Marc Bartra was forced to undergo surgery after sustaining a fractured wrist in the incident, which police are viewing as a "targeted attack" on the Bundesliga side.

'Players want change': Jamie Carragher gives verdict on Arsenal's 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace

Arsenal's dismal performance in their 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 10 April shows the Gunners players want Arsene Wenger to step down from his post, according to Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.

Andros Townsend opened the scoring in the first half before Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic's second half goals were sufficient for the Eagles to seal three crucial points. It was the north London club's fourth straight away defeat where they have conceded three goals on every occasion.

Doctor who drugged his wife, left her to die in bathtub, found dead at Utah prison

A doctor in prison for drugging his beauty queen wife and leaving her to die in a bathtub has died, authorities said.

Correctional officers found Martin Joseph MacNeill, 60, unresponsive Sunday morning near the greenhouse of the Olympus Facility at the Utah State Prison. The officers tried to revive MacNeill, but he was declared dead at the facility.

While MacNeill's death is being investigated, there are "no obvious signs of foul play," prison officials said in a statement.

MacNeill had been in prison since September 2014 after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Michele,. He was also convicted of second-degree obstruction of justice and second-degree forcible sex abuse.

Trump to sell attack planes to Nigeria for Boko Haram fight

The Trump administration will move forward with the sale of high-tech aircraft to Nigeria for its campaign against Boko Haram Islamic extremists despite concerns over abuses committed by the African nation's security forces, according to U.S. officials.

Congress is expected to receive formal notification within weeks, setting in motion a deal with Nigeria that the Obama administration had planned to approve at the very end of Barack Obama's presidency. The arrangement will call for Nigeria to purchase up to 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft with sophisticated targeting gear for nearly $600 million, one of the officials said.

Official: Russia knew in advance of Syrian chemical attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has concluded Russia knew in advance of Syria's chemical weapons attack last week, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

The official said a drone operated by Russians was flying over a hospital as victims of the attack were rushing to get treatment. Hours after the drone left, a Russian-made fighter jet bombed the hospital in what American officials believe was an attempt to cover up the usage of chemical weapons.

The official said the presence of the surveillance drone over the hospital couldn't have been a coincidence, and that Russia must have known the chemical weapons attack was coming and that victims were seeking treatment.

Russia Will Not Engage In Military Conflict With US, Russian Lawmaker Says

As relations between the U.S. and Russia strained after the recent deadly chemical gas attack in Syria, a Russian lawmaker said Moscow will not fight Washington’s troops in Syria, Sputnik reported Monday. In retaliation to the deadly attack, President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes on a Syrian government-controlled air base Thursday — a move that upset Russia.

San Bernardino shooting: Two dead at California primary school

Two people have been killed in a shooting in a classroom of a primary school in San Bernardino, California, police have confirmed.

The victims, a woman and the suspect, were both adults, police Lt Mike Madden said. Two students were also in a critical condition, he added.

Police chief Jarrod Burguan described the incident as a suspected "murder-suicide" attempt.

The shooting happened at 10:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

Syria war: G7 seeks united front on Assad and Russia

G7 nations are meeting in Italy to try to hammer out a unified approach to the Syria conflict, in the wake of last week's suspected chemical attack.

Foreign ministers will seek to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said possible sanctions against Russian military officials would be discussed.

Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages.

EFCC blocks Patience Jonathan at Skye Bank

Former Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan, on Monday visited the Maitama branch of the Skyebank in Abuja to withdraw part of her $5.9million recently unfrozen by a Lagos High Court. But she met a brickwall.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had procured a stay-of-execution of the judgement and also simultaneously filed an appeal against the judgment given last week on 6 April by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun,

Arsenal shareholder Usmanov wants Wenger to help pick successor

Arsenal’s second-biggest shareholder Alisher Usmanov said the London soccer team’s embattled coach should help pick his eventual successor and the board and main investor are also responsible for a recent lack of success.

Arsene Wenger, who has led Arsenal since 1996, has faced increasingly vocal calls to quit from fans this season as the team failed to challenge for the domestic league title it last won in 2004. The club is currently outside the qualification places for Europe’s Champions League, a competition it has played in for the past two decades and which brings in millions of pounds a season.

“I do not think that the coach alone is to be blamed for what is happening,” Usmanov, whose efforts to become majority shareholder were rebuffed in the past, said in an interview last week. The board — which the billionaire isn’t part of — and main investor Stan Kroenke “bear huge responsibility,” he said.

State of emergency in Egypt after ISIS church bombings kill 44

Cairo - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced a three-month state of emergency following twin church bombings by the Islamic State group that killed dozens on Palm on Sunday, the deadliest attacks on the minority in recent memory.

The attacks in the Nile Delta cities of Tanta and Alexandria followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis intended to show support for Egypt's Christian minority.

Sisi declared the "three-month" state of emergency, which he must present to parliament within a week, during a defiant speech warning that the war against the jihadists "will be long and painful".

The first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed 27 people, the health ministry said.

Russia and Iran warn US they will 'respond with force' if red lines crossed in Syria again

Russia and Iran have warned the US they will “respond with force” if their own “red lines” are crossed in Syria.

Following Friday’s cruise missile strike on a Syrian airbase, in retaliation for the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun earlier in the week, the alliance supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a joint statement threatening action in response to “any breach of red lines from whoever it is”.

“What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well,” the group’s joint command centre said.