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Ukraine: We need separatists to deliver on ceUkraine is ordering its troops to be on the "highest level of combat readiness" Thursday, amid growing tensions with Russia over Crimea. The order comes after Russia accused Ukraine on Wednesday of launching a militant attack at "critically important infrastructure" near the city of Armyansk, Crimea, according to Russia's state news service TASS. But Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko refuted the claims, calling them "insane" and suggesting Russia's aim was more military threats against its neighbor. The spat has seen tensions between the countries rise to their highest level since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Violent clashes on the streets of Ukraine between pro-European activists and pro-Russian supporters in early 2014 set the scene for the annexation. By March of that year, thousands of Russian-speaking troops poured into Crimea. Weeks later, Russia completed its annexation of the peninsula in a

’ Hillary Clinton would be given ‘most valuable player award’ by Isis, says candidate Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking at a home builders association even in Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday. He suggested Hillary Clinton would be given “the most valuable player award” by Islamic State. Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters Donald Trump refused to back down from his false claim that President Barack Obama was “the founder of Isis” on Thursday, insisting: “He was the founder . . . The way he got out of Iraq was the founding of Isis.” The Republican presidential candidate was speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who had attempted to reframe his remark, telling him: “I know what you meant – you meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace.” But Mr Trump disagreed. “No, I meant that he’s the founder of Isis, I do,” he said. “He was the most valuable player – I gave him the most valuable player award. I give her too, by the way,” he added of his Democra

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said Nigeria has suddenly become a poor country as a result of the sharp drop in price of oil. He however said the prudent manner his administration had been handling the nation’s resources had made it impossible for people to know that there is severe shortage in the country. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving the United Nations Population Fund’s Executive Director and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said commitment to transparency and accountability was serving the government in good stead, despite severe shortage of resources in the country. “It has been a very difficult year for Nigeria. Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel. Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel. “Suddenly, we’re a

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter CEO Dick Costolo filtered out abusive replies to President Obama during a Q&A session in May 2015, anonymous sources told  BuzzFeed. Costolo denied the report. "Total nonsense and laughably false as anybody who would speak on the record would tell you. Absurd," he said in a Twitter post. According to the report, Costolo ordered employees to use a computer algorithm to weed out abusive or harassing tweets directed at Obama during the #AskPOTUS town hall. Twitter employees also manually removed tweets, the report says. dick costolo   ✔ @dickc 1/ Total nonsense and laughably false as anybody who would speak on the record would tell you. Absurd. Not even going to link to it. 4:18 PM - 11 Aug 2016     33 33 Retweets     114 114 likes Another anonymous source told BuzzFeed that Twitter did the same thing during a Q&A with Caitlyn Jenner. Twitter responded to the BuzzFeed article about safety on the platform a

JOHNNY Depp’s former partner Vanessa Paradis is set to testify in the actor’s defence as his bitter legal battle with estranged wife Amber Heard heats up. Vanessa has been named as a witness in legal papers filed as part of Amber’s domestic violence case against the actor, and she is expected to come out in support of her embattled former partner. PA:PRESS ASSOCIATION Vanessa is set to testify in Johnny’s defence Amber, 30, is pursuing a permanent restraining order against the Hollywood actor amid allegations he abused her during their 15-month marriage. However, Johnny, 53, is fighting back, and he has listed his partner of 14 years, French actress and singer Vanessa, 43, among the witnesses. She will reportedly be backing up her former partner’s claims that he did not abuse Amber during the doomed relationship. SPLASH NEWS Amber claims the superstar abused her during the relationship Court papers issued as part of the case state that Vanessa is expected to testify for around 15 minu

HE was once Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor but George Clooney is clearly loving married life if these loved up pictures with wife Amal are anything to go by. The 55-year-old his British lawyer spouse are fast approaching their second wedding anniversary, but could have been mistaken for newlyweds as they kept close to each other during the actor’s annual Darfur fundraiser at his home in Lake Como, Italy. XPOSURE George Clooney and wife Amal looked loved up in Italy during a fundraiser the actor was hosting XPOSURE The couple are nearing their second wedding anniversary After George chivalrously helped Amal step off their boat on arrival, the star clasped hands with his wife and led her into the venue. As the couple mingled with friends and guests at the event, they barely let go of each other, with Amal, 38, wrapping her arm around her husband’s shoulder and leaning her head against his as they chatted at one point

Kadiza Sultana, one of three pupils who left the UK together to join jihadis, is thought to have been killed while planning to flee   Kadiza Sultana reportedly told her sister ‘I don’t have a good feeling’ shortly before her apparent death. Photograph: Metropolitan police/PA A schoolgirl who fled Britain last year to join Islamic State is believed to have been killed in an airstrike in Syria, apparently while planning to escape. Kadiza Sultana, who left her east London home in Bethnal Green during the half-term break in February 2015 with friends Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, is thought to have died during an airstrike on the terror group’s stronghold of Raqqa in May this year, ITV News reported. Her sister Halima Khanom said in a statement to the channel: “We were expecting this, in a way. But at least we know she is in a better place.” Tasnime Akunjee, solicitor for the family, told the Guardian they believed she had been killed, probably several weeks ago. The three schoolgirls,

The young American’s artistry and athleticism take gymnastics once more into a philosophical search for the ultimate routine To understand the predominance of the United States gymnast Simone Biles, take a look at a picture of her steering the American team to a gold medal – upside down and mid-air in mid-routine. Her legs are at 180 degrees, her body straight, arms in symmetry, and eyes fixed on a single point to ensure her landing. It is pure focus with no shred of strain – a moment seized from the jaws of gravity. I watch this with the prickle of envy and excitement of a former gymnast (though hardly one who was a threat to Soviet-bloc dominance in my day). When I was bashing away at free cartwheels and back-flips, gymnastics was undergoing radical change from the rise of the elfin Olga Korbut at the Munich games in 1972 and the classicism of Ludmilla Tourischeva. The Nadia Comăneci  perfect 10 is an ideal that still haunts the sport 40 years after the Montreal Olympics. How the US

WASHINGTON — The United States, the wealthiest nation on earth, also abides the deepest poverty of any developed nation, but you would not know it by listening to Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party ’s presidential nominee. Mrs. Clinton, who is scheduled to speak about her economic plans on Thursday near Detroit, is campaigning as an advocate for middle-class families whose fortunes have flagged. She has said much less about helping the millions of Americans who yearn to reach the middle class. Her Republican rival, Donald J. Trump,spoke in Detroit on his economic proposalsthree days ago, and while their platforms are markedly different in details and emphasis, the candidates have this in common: Both promise to help Americans find jobs; neither has said much about helping people while they are not working. “We don’t have a full-voiced condemnation of the level or extent of poverty in America today,” said Matthew Desmond, a Harvard professor of sociology. “We aren’t having in our pr

Two bombs exploded in plant pots at Thai resort of Hua Hin today One woman is said to have died in the blast with bombs 30 minutes apart At least 10 people believed to be injured including 'foreign tourists' One woman has died and at least 10 people have been injured after two bombs exploded in a popular Thai tourist resort. The explosives, believed to have been placed in plant pots, went off in the Hua Hin resort earlier today. It is unknown whether any British people were hurt, but foreign tourists are understood to have been among the victims. ces are at the scene at the Hua Hin resort in Thailand after two explosions Two bombs are believed to have been placed in plant pots, pictured, and went off within around 30 minutes of each other Reports on social media suggest one woman has died while 10 people, including foreigners, have been injured According to reports from local police, one woman has been killed in the attack, with the bombs understood to be detonated via mobile

Following are the pairings for the quarter-finals round of the Rio Olympics men’s football event, with the matches scheduled for Saturday: Portugal vs Germany in Brasilia at the Estadio Nacional at 13.00hrs Nigeria vs Denmark in Salvador at the Arena Fonte Nova at 16.00hrs Korea Republic vs Honduras in Belo Horizonte at the Estadio Mineirao at 19.00hrs Brazil vs Colombia in Sao Paulo at the Arena Corinthians at 22.00hrs

Super Eagles striker, Ikechukwu Uche, has joined a Spanish second division side, Gimnastic Tarragona. The 32-year-old striker signed a one year deal with the club, africanFootball.com reports. Uche has featured for Villarreal, Granada, Getafe, Real Zaragoza and Malaga in the Spanish La Liga.

Real Madrid stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe have returned to training after a spell of extended leave following their country’s European Championship triumph. It had been feared that Portugal captain Ronaldo, stretchered off during the final win over France with knee ligament damage, could have missed the start of the domestic season. But the 31-year-old, along with defender Pepe, was back in training as Zinedine Zidane’s side continue their preparations for the opening La Liga game against Real Sociedad on Aug. 21. Both players missed Tuesday’s dramatic 3-2 UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla but took part in indoor training and running sessions.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said that his former club Chelsea have an advantage in the Premier League title race because they are not involved in any European competition, while adding that the Champions League is “empty” without the Red Devils in the mix. Mourinho believes that it will be an open title race, warning that United cannot destroy teams like in glory years gone by because of the competitiveness, but he thinks Chelsea will have a “special vitamin” of being fresh. Speaking in an interview with BT Sport, Mourinho said: “If you were to say there are 20 candidates for the title, nobody will laugh. That is Leicester’s legacy. “If you are just looking at what you call the big clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham are basically stable. Us and Manchester City have a new manager and some new players and, with the calendar, not much chance to train a lot. “Chelsea also have a new manager but without European competition. To train Monday to Saturday — without a midweek game

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could “create a lot of problems” at Manchester United if he is not established as the club’s No. 1 striker, former Sweden international Pontus Kamark has told the Daily Mirror. Former IFK Goteborg and Leicester defender Kamark, whose international career was drawing to a close as Ibrahimovic was making his breakthrough, said the 34-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain striker can be a “good player for Manchester United” and that he sees him “almost like an Eric Cantona.” However, Kamark highlighted the potential issues if he is not made the main focus, as was the case when he played alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona in the 2009-10 season. “He has been in all kinds of arguments,” Kamark, who now works as a pundit for Viasat in Sweden, said. “He called even Pep Guardiola ‘The Philosopher’ because Messi felt threatened about his superiority and Zlatan doesn’t want to be No. 2. “If someone comes in his way, he fights them. He can kick you down in training. He does wh

Zinedine Zidane collected his second European trophy as Real Madrid coach. His side dispatched Sevilla after extra time without the services of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Pepe. Real Madrid have won the UEFA Super Cup following a 3-2 win after extra time against compatriots Sevilla. Dani Carvajal’s goal in the 119th minute prevented the tie going to penalty kicks and secured Real’s third Super Cup title – the second win over Sevilla in three years. Real Madrid, who beat Sevilla 2-0 in 2014, were missing several key players, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe who are on an extended break following the European Championships. But Zinedine Zidane’s team did include Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Morata, who featured for Spain at Euro 2016 this summer. No Ronaldo, but no problem The 11-time European Cup winners started brightest, taking advantage of their early dominance. Marco Asensio fired home a superb long-range strike after 21 minutes to give Zidane’s team the lead. However, Sevilla r

Nigeria will spend 100 billion naira ($312.50 million) on capital projects in the coming days as part of the 2016 budget, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Thursday. He also told a business forum the introduction of a more flexible foreign currency regime in June had eased pressure on foreign reserves, without giving details. Osinbajo also said many of Nigeria’s 36 federal states were still struggling to pay salaries of civil servants. ($1 = 320.0000 naira)

Spanish Champions League hopefuls Villarreal have been rocked ahead of the start of the new season by the departure of coach Marcelino. “Marcelino Garcia Toral is no longer the coach of Villarreal,” the club announced in a statement published on their website on Wednesday evening. Marcelino, who leaves along with his assistant Ruben Uria, had been in charge since 2013 but has left following a disagreement with the club’s board, according to sports daily Marca. His departure comes at a crucial time, with Villarreal set to host Monaco at El Madrigal in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs next Wednesday. Villarreal, who finished fourth in La Liga last season, have been linked with an approach to former coach Manuel Pellegrini, a free agent after his departure from Manchester City. The Yellow Submarine begin their domestic campaign away to Granada on August 20.

* HY ended June 2016 profit before tax of 63.28 billion naira versus 72.20 billion naira year ago * HY gross earnings of 214.81 billion naira versus 229.08 billion naira year ago * Says board of directors proposed interim dividend of N0.25 kobo per share  Source : bit.ly/2aYSKi9  

Prison Mr Isaiah Amariri, the Enugu State Controller of Nigeria Prisons Service, said on Thursday that six of the inmates that escaped from Nsukka Prisons on Tuesday night, have been re-arrested. Amariri, who gave the figure to newsmen in Nsukka, however declined to give the exact number of inmates that escaped from the prison. He said the prison service was liaising with security agents and community groups to apprehend the remaining escaped prisoners. He said, “There was a jail break in Nsukka prisons on Tuesday night between 12pm and 3am, in which many inmates escaped, though six of them have been re-arrested. “I cannot give the exact figure for now as investigations are still on. “We will send our findings to the Controller General of Prisons who will make public the exact number and cause of Nsukka prisons jail break. “The service is liaising with security agents and community vigilante groups to know the hideout of those still on the run in order to re-arrest them.” He assured

Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed, Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Zamafara, on Wednesday said more than 801 persons were displaced by flood in Maru town, Zamfara. In a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Muhammad said the affected persons included 180 women and 621 children. He said 52 houses and farmlands were also destroyed during the disaster which occurred on July 29. The executive secretary also said that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its counterpart in the state had visited the town. “NEMA and SEMA have visited the affected town and conducted a joint assessment of the disaster. We will forward such assessment to our respective agencies for immediate assistance.” Muhammad called on residents of the state to avoid blocking drainages or constructing structures on waterways to avoid similar disasters. The Nigeria Metrological Agency had recently warned people along major rivers in parts of the country to vacate their hou

Shkodran Mustafi Valencia and Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi and Premier League side Arsenal have agreed transfer terms, his agent is reported to have said on Thursday. “Skhodran and Arsenal are in agreement. Now the clubs just have to agree a transfer fee,” Mustafi’s agent Ali Bulut told German website Spox.com with the Gunners in discussions with his current club. The 24-year-old, who was part of Germany’s Euro 2016 squad and scored their first goal of the tournament, can play right-back or centre-back. Gunners defender Per Mertesacker is out for the near future with a knee injury. Mustafi, a product of Hamburg’s youth academy, joined Valencia in 2014. He already has experience of playing in England after joining Everton in 2009, as a teenager, for two years before switching to Italian side Sampdoria in 2012. The son of Albanian immigrants, Mustafi was part of the Germany squad which won the 2014 World Cup and has made 12 appearances for die Mannschaft, netting just the one goal

A trial is underway for 14 people over a deadly crane incident in Saudi Arabia that killed more than 100 people at Islam’s holiest site, local media reported Thursday. They are accused of “negligence leading to death, damaging public property and ignoring safety guidelines” at the site of the crane collapse in September 2015, according to the Okaz and Saudi Gazette newspapers. The defendants include at least one Saudi “billionaire” and nationals from Pakistan, The Philippines, Canada, and several Arab countries, the papers said. The tragedy at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi city of Mecca killed at least 108 people and injured about 400, including foreigners who had arrived ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage which began later that month. During severe winds a construction crane toppled into a courtyard of the Grand Mosque. It was one of several cranes the Saudi Binladin Group had employed as part of a multi-billion-dollar expansion to accommodate increasing numbers of faithful. Saudi K

Nigeria's Super Eagles Nigeria senior football team, Super Eagles, rose three places in the latest FIFA rankings to berth at the 67th position. The Super Eagles were last July rated 70th globally and 17th on the continent. However, in August ranking, Nigeria moved a place in Africa to 16th behind Algeria, Ghana, CIV, Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, Congo DR, Cape Verde, Mali, Congo, South Africa, Uganda, Guinea respectively. There were no changes at the rankings summit, with the top 20 retaining their July position. Argentina remain top, followed closely by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. Just two international matches, both friendlies, have been played since the July Ranking, meaning that the changes that have taken place are generally minor. The devaluation of older games has also been a factor, benefiting Costa Rica (21, up 6), Japan (49, up 8), Korea DPR (99, up 18) and Mauritania (104, up 15). The same process has not smiled on Cuba, though, who dropped 30 p

RIO 2016 Germany’s weightlifting coach has called for seven countries currently competing at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games to be banned from international competition — and named an eighth — for doping abuse. “Besides Russia and Bulgaria (who are already banned from weightlifting at the Rio Games), many other countries also have systematic doping,” Germany’s coach Oliver Caruso told daily newspaper Bild. “Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine should also be banned. “These countries are robbing us of starting places (for other athletes), perhaps even medals.” In an explosive interview, given to Bild in the Olympic village in Rio, Caruso also pointed the finger at Azerbaijan, who have no weightlifters competing in Rio after being stripped of two spots by the sport’s governing body last month. “In Kazakhstan, there have been 27 positive doping cases since 2012, in Azerbaijan there have been 24 — and so it goes on,” said Caruso. “Kazakhstan and Belarus

Prof. Wole Soyinka Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Thursday met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari. The meeting which lasted about an hour was held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Soyinka was accompanied by a public relations expert, Dr. Yomi Ogunbiyi. The agenda of the meeting described as a private one was not made public and the Presidency did not issue any statement on it. As he emerged from the President’s office after the meeting, the Nobel Laureate was visibly surprised to see State House correspondents who were already laying ambush for him in front of the Press Gallery. “I didn’t come to see you people,” he said as he attempted to break through a barricade set up by the journalists. When it became clear to him that the reporters would not relent, Soyinka said, “I came to discuss national and international matters, general matters, that’s all!” When further probed about the details of the discussion, he said he would not

Gernot Rohr, the newly engaged Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles of Nigeria is expected to resume work this week, with a visit to the Nigeria Professional League All-Star team currently on a playing tour with clubs in the Spanish LaLiga. Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Chris Green, informed npfl.ng that Rohr is expected to join the All-Star team in Spain by Friday, August 12 when they play Malaga FC in the opening of the Carranza World Club Tournament. “As you know, part of our understanding with the new coach was that he will be on ground to work and follow up on our players in the domestic league and during discussions we agreed that since we have a crop of the NPFL players embarking on the LaLiga tour, it will be necessary for him to look in on them during the friendlies. So, we are expecting him, after playing Valencia on Wednesday, to join us on Friday, when we proceed to play Malaga in the Carranza Cup competition,

Managing Director, NLNG, Babs Omotowa Seafarers in the employ of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Ship Management Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigeria LNG Limited, will from September 1 receive half of their current salaries. The decision is said to be in response to the more than 60 per cent reduction in the company’s revenues occasioned by the drop in the global oil price, which has fallen from $140 to about $40 per barrel in the last one year. The Manager, Nigerian Content, NLNG, Mr. Charles Okon, who spoke for the General Manager, External Relations, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, confirmed the review of manning levels and wage scale for officers on the Bonny gas transport vessels. The decision, he explained, was taken to minimise the need for staff lay-offs as had been the case in several companies in the industry. Okon said, “This action is in line with the depressed global market situation and consistent with prevailing industry rates, and has been taken in the interest of the sustaina

A lecturer at the Department of Languages and Linguistics of the Osun State University, Ikire Campus, Dr. Wale Ojoniyi, is currently in trouble following the release of a video tape of his alleged sex escapade with a 400 level English student of the institution, Mercy Ikwue. The student, who released the over 30-minute video clip, recorded it in a hotel room. Although some claimed the lecturer raped the student, real sexual intercourse was not captured in the video. There was also no attempt by the man in the video to coerce the student to cooperate with him. In a petition written to The Punch, some students of the university claimed that Ojoniyi was instrumental to the suspension of the female student, after she was allegedly caught for examination malpractices. On her return to the university after the one academic session rustication, the petition claimed the lecturer mounted pressure on the student for an amorous affair but the lady resisted him. It was further le

File Photo No fewer than 29 cows were on Tuesday swept away by a downpour in the Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State. The flooding also destroyed farmlands and swept away bridges linking the area to other parts of the state. Member representing Jos East Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Joshua Madaki, told reporters on Wednesday that the heavy rain, which lasted several hours, also disconnected the council secretariat from the people, forcing residents to go through the Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State before they could reach the council headquarters. Madaki solicited the intervention of the state government and public-spirited individuals to rescue the affected communities by providing relief materials and reconstructing the damaged bridges to enable the farmers move their produce to the markets. He said, “The flood did not spare anything on its way as it carried away more than 29 cows. Apart from this, the main roads connecting Fobur-Fede

 THE first phase of the modified concession agreement between the Federal Government and Global Steel Holdings has commenced with the movement of geological experts and engineering staff of the National Iron Ore Mining Company, NIOMCO, Itapke, to site. Officials of the Ministry of Solid Minerals were also on site to play a supervisory role in the premier phase, which is known as Due Diligence. Disclosing this during a meeting at NIOMCO, Managing Director, Global Steel, Dr. Samuel Nwabuokei, said his team would resuscitate the production of iron ore, the key raw material needed for the two steel companies in Nigeria. During the team’s visit to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, Nwabuokei said: “We will need your coorperation and input in providing necessary information and skills to enable us achieve results. “We will then get an effective date to commence rehabilitation and operation.” Also speaking, Director, Me

Shiites leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky Religious leaders in the 19 northern states under the aegis of Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organisations for Peace on Wednesday besieged the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, to protest against the activities of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria led by Ibrahim El-Zak Zakky. They were received by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Habila Joshak, on behalf of the IGP, who promised to act on their request. The protesters carried various placards with inscriptions such as, “Terrorism is not part of our culture,” “We want the IGP to act now”, “Religious extremism and intolerance must be discouraged among others,” and others. The President of NIFROP, Bishop Musa Fomson, said the Federal Government should put an end to the crises. He expressed worries that the massive protest march of IMN from Zaria to Abuja, demanding the release of the sect leader might be hijacked by hoodlums to cause trouble. Fomson, in the protest letter submitted to t

Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi, has announced that enforcement of the speed limiters on commercial vehicles will commence nationwide on October 1, 2016. Oyeyemi said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting with relevant government agencies and transport unions. A statement by the Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, said the Corps Marshal, commended all the stakeholders for endorsing the use of speed limiters, noting that without such support, it would have been difficult for the country to get to where enforcement date would no longer be controversial. He commended the leadership of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Automotive Design and Development Council for their technical inputs into the policy, saying that it was such collaboration that enhanced the decision of other stakeholders to adopt the policy. Oyeyemi recalled that the initial date set for th

Credit: FIFA Colombia secured their place in the knockout stages of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 after a convincing 2-0 victory over Group B winners Nigeria in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night. A first-half strike from captain Teofilo Gutierrez and a second-half penalty from Dorlan Pabon ensured the South Americans joined their West African opponents in the quarter-finals. Needing a win to secure their place in the last eight, it was Los Cafeteros that took an early lead through their captain Gutierrez. Pabon’s fine forward ball from the left flank picked out the unmarked Sporting Lisbon striker at the top of the Nigeria penalty box. Gutierrez then applied a neat volleyed finish to beat Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and give Colombia a fourth-minute advantage. The early goal gave Colombia the confidence to attack Nigeria’s backline and create more quality chances. In the 19th minute, Akpeyi denied Harold Preciado’s close-range header before Pabon caused another scare