October 17, 2019

British Pound Rises On Brexit Draft Deal

British Pound Rises On Brexit Draft Deal

October 17, 2019 10:41 am

Pound soared Thursday to within a whisker of $1.30, striking five-month peaks after the European Union reached a draft Brexit withdrawal deal with London.

The pound quickly rose more than one percent to $1.2990 before profit-taking set in. The euro slid to 85.76 pence as the news flashed across traders’ screens.

The British capital’s benchmark FTSE 100 shares index meanwhile accelerated gains to stand 0.6 percent higher compared with Wednesday’s closing level.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will still have to take the accord to a sceptical UK parliament for its backing on Saturday.

It is unclear how many of …

Ecuador Court Upholds Ex-Vice President’s Prison Sentence

Ecuador Court Upholds Ex-Vice President’s Prison Sentence

October 17, 2019 10:33 am

Ecuador on Wednesday reaffirmed the six-year prison sentence given to former vice president Jorge Glas for receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks as part of a corruption scandal, the prosecutor’s office said.

Glas, who was convicted of receiving $13.5 million in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, has been imprisoned in Latacunga, south of Quito, since 2017.

The National Supreme Court of Justice declared Glas’s appeal inadmissible and so “the sentence was ratified,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

He served as the vice president under leftist Rafael Correa between 2013 and 2017 and under current president Lenin Moreno …

Philippines’ Duterte Hurt In Motorycle Crash

Philippines’ Duterte Hurt In Motorycle Crash

October 17, 2019 10:12 am

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hurt his hip and suffered scratches in a motorcycle accident, senior aides of the 74-year-old leader said Thursday.

Duterte, whose health has been the subject of intense public speculation, suffered the mishap at the Malacanang presidential palace compound late Wednesday, according to spokesman Salvador Panelo.

The crash came 10 days after Duterte — the oldest person to be elected Philippine president — disclosed he is suffering from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that could potentially have serious complications.

“The president was reaching for his shoe when he fell off his motorcycle that resulted in a minor …

Buhari Approves ₦10billion For Upgrading Of Enugu Airport

Buhari Approves ₦10billion For Upgrading Of Enugu Airport

October 17, 2019 10:00 am

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of ₦10billion for the rejuvenation of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu State.

“I have approved the sum of 10 billion Naira for an Intervention fund for the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu,” Buhari tweeted on Thursday.

“I have the assurance of the Minister of Aviation that the work will be done speedily and to the highest standards.”

Buhari reiterate his administration’s efforts to prioritise infrastructure development in every part of the country, stating that “It is our responsibility to ensure Nigeria’s infrastructure is fixed; we will keep doing …

Trump Twitter Photo Attack Backfires As Pelosi Owns It

Trump Twitter Photo Attack Backfires As Pelosi Owns It

October 17, 2019 9:42 am

President Donald Trump’s Twitter attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following an acrimonious White House meeting appears to have backfired spectacularly.

Trump tweeted a picture of the encounter Wednesday showing a standing Pelosi pointing at the president while he and everyone else in the room was seated, with the caption “Nervous Nancy’s unhinged meltdown!”

However, far from being upset at the picture, Pelosi posted it as her Twitter banner, and her supporters said it showed her literally standing up to Trump.

“Can a woman beat Donald Trump? …

China Irked By Nobel Peace Prize Nomination For Hong Kong

China Irked By Nobel Peace Prize Nomination For Hong Kong

October 17, 2019 9:22 am

China called for foreign governments not to interfere in its affairs Thursday after a Norwegian politician nominated the “people of Hong Kong” for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been hit by months of pro-democracy protests, which Beijing has portrayed as riots fuelled by foreign forces.

“Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and no foreign government or individuals have the right to interfere,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing.

Geng called for the “relevant people to be objective and just” as well as “cautious.”

Activists say freedoms in the city are …

Five Dead, Many Sustained Injuries In Philippine Quake

Five Dead, Many Sustained Injuries In Philippine Quake

October 17, 2019 9:04 am

Five people were killed and dozens were injured after a powerful earthquake hit the southern Philippines, authorities said Thursday.

The 6.4-magnitude quake struck the Mindanao region on Wednesday night, reducing dozens of houses to rubble on the southern third of the Philippines.

On Thursday afternoon, authorities said five people were killed and 53 injured, mainly in a cluster of small farming towns.

Three people were killed in landslides while another was crushed by the collapsed wall of a house. The fifth suffered a fatal heart attack, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

No fatalities were reported in …

End Violence Now; Barcelona Is Burning - Catalan Leader

End Violence Now; Barcelona Is Burning – Catalan Leader

October 17, 2019 8:52 am

Catalan president Quim Torra called for an immediate halt to the violent clashes that rocked Barcelona for a third day Wednesday, warning they were harming the image of the separatist movement.

As the Catalan capital echoed with the sound of sirens and masked youths staged running battles with riot police, Spain’s Pedro Sanchez had made a direct appeal to Torra to “clearly condemn” the violence.

Earlier on Wednesday, thousands gathered for a protest called by the radical CDR.

But as the evening wore on, the situation quickly became chaotic, with hundreds running through the streets, hurling broken paving stones, torching …

Border Closure Targetted At Criminals, Not Countries

Border Closure Targetted At Criminals, Not Countries

October 17, 2019 8:38 am

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama on Thursday said the temporary closure of the country’s borders was not targetted at any countries but to curb criminal activities.

“No country is targeted,” Onyeama told journalists after a meeting with Ghana’s foreign minister Shirley Botchwey in Abuja.

“We are within ECOWAS, we respect the ECOWAS rules, free movement of persons, and goods and that should continue.”

In August, Nigeria shut its land borders to neighbouring African countries.

President Muhammadu Buhari explained that the border closure was aimed at taming the ‘massive’ smuggling activities, especially of rice, taking place on that corridor.

Emphasizing …

Nigeria Can’t Recover $62bn From Oil Majors, Says Sylva

Nigeria Can’t Recover $62bn From Oil Majors, Says Sylva

October 17, 2019 8:27 am

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva has said that Nigeria knows that it cannot recover $62 billion from oil majors despite ongoing cases against the companies for money the government believes it is owed.

“Nobody can bring out that kind of money,” Sylva told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting in Abuja. “I mean, we can’t get $62 billion. We can maybe get something from them but not $62 billion. It’s an opportunity we have lost.”

The federal government has been fighting for the cash under a 1990s law that states it can revisit the Production …

Watford Saved Me, Says Rock Legend Elton John

Watford Saved Me, Says Rock Legend Elton John

October 17, 2019 8:19 am

British rock legend Elton John says Watford football club were his unlikely saviour as he experienced the “worst period of my life” in the 1980’s.

The 72-year-old Englishman — known for his zany outfits when performing on stage and hits such as ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Goodbye Yellowbrick Road’ — has been chairman of ‘The Hornets’ twice.

He says in his new autobiography ‘Me’ Watford “might have saved my life” in his first spell as chairman (1976-1990) when they enjoyed huge success under the late Graham Taylor rising from bottom of the old fourth division to the heights of being runners-up …

Solskjaer ‘100 Percent Sure’ Man Utd Have Right Structure

Solskjaer ‘100 Percent Sure’ Man Utd Have Right Structure

October 17, 2019 8:10 am

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “100 percent sure” that the club has the right structure in place and says money is available to strengthen his struggling squad.

United are 12th in the Premier League table, just two points above the relegation zone and 15 adrift of league leaders Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s clash with their fierce rivals at Old Trafford.

The club’s hierarchy and recruitment under executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has come in for severe criticism but Solskjaer has described that as “an insult” as he looks to the future.

“I’ve got a three-year contract now so of …

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