LIVE
Home Blog Page 1550

Chelsea Want FA Cup Tie With Middlesbrough Played Behind Closed Doors

Emenike Agu
-
0
Chelsea Want FA Cup Tie With Middlesbrough Played Behind Closed Doors

Chelsea have asked for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors because their fans can no longer buy tickets.

The government issued a licence to allow Chelsea to continue playing after freezing the assets of Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

Under the terms, Chelsea are not allowed to sell tickets

to any matches.

Middlesbrough said they will challenge the “bizarre” and “ironic” request “in the strongest possible terms”.

The Football Association will make a decision on Wednesday.

Championship club Middlesbrough, who have knocked out Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham in this year’s competition, said the request was “without any merit whatsoever”.

“To suggest as a result that MFC and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation,” read a Middlesbrough statement.

Chelsea Supporters Trust asked the club to withdraw the request, saying it “does not benefit” any fans.

Chelsea want to maintain ‘sporting integrity’

Chelsea had sold between 500 and 600 tickets of their 4,620 allocation before the licence placing restrictions on the club came into effect on 10 March.

The measure was introduced to stop oligarch Abramovich, who is looking to sell Chelsea , from profiting.

He has been banned from being a club director and the sale of Chelsea has been delayed after the UK government sanctioned him over his connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Chelsea said they made the request “with extreme reluctance” to the FA not to allow fans of either side at the Riverside “for matters of sporting integrity”.

A statement read: “Chelsea FC recognises that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the licence was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances.”

Middlesbrough said: “Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting ‘integrity’ as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme.”

FA boss expects quarter-final to go ahead

Chelsea said on Monday they were talking to the government on a daily basis “in search of a resolution” to the issue of selling tickets, and that the Premier League and FA had spoken to the government about the potential sporting integrity issues raised.

The government last week granted an amendment to the licence, allowing Chelsea to spend £900,000 on costs for home games – up from the £500,000 set on Thursday – but the allowable away costs remain at £20,000 per game.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said the government is in “discussions” with Chelsea “to look at ways ways we could potentially enable further ticket sales”.

Speaking at a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) session about the role of Russian money in the ownership and sponsorship of clubs, Huddleston said licence amendments taken so far were “precisely to stop” Chelsea from going into administration.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham told the DCMS session that he “would expect the (Middlesbrough) game to go ahead”.

A government spokesman said: “We are working to ensure more away fans can attend games, but this must be compatible with the licence so we ensure that no additional revenue can be raised.”

Travel needs are about injuries, not ‘bling’ – Tuchel

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, whose side face Lille in the Champions League last 16 second leg on Wednesday, said they have made adjustments to travel with a budget of £20,000.

The amount spent on travel for an away Premier League match is about £30,000, while European away fixtures add an extra premium.

Tuchel said travel needs were centred around players avoiding possible soft-tissue injuries during a busy schedule rather than “luxury and bling bling”.

“This is just a professional level of sports, where we play with two days between matches with our opponent having four days between matches and we arrive with the possibilities of injuries,” he said.

“For that, it is better to arrive with a plane rather than a bus.

“From my understanding, we have a framework to go and play in Lille with absolutely no excuses.

“Regarding these organisations, it is already more difficult to arrange things on a professional level, in the best way possible, for the FA Cup.

“But we will deal with it. As long as we have shirts and are ‘alive’ as a team, we will be competitive and fight hard for our success. We owe it to the people who support us.

“We are in the spotlight and it is our responsibility to do so. We will do it.”

Prioritise preventive health, not curative -Expert

Cleopatra Okohai
-
0
Prioritise preventive health, not curative -Expert

An Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Aaron Ogundiwin, has called on the three tiers of government to place emphasis on preventive health and not curative, so as to overcome challenges in the country’s health sector.

Ogundiwin, who is the chairman, Governing Council of the Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, Ibadan, Oyo State, made the appeal during a news conference held in the institution.

He said, “The health sector in Nigeria is suffering from challenges of planning priority and misplacement of priority. We place priority on curative medicine than preventive medicine. So, we need to place emphasis on preventive above curative medicine.”

Ogundiwin noted that the genesis of international health was based on curative health, adding that the World Health Organisation was not the first global response to health issues.

He explained that emphasis on international health began in 1920 and had to do with sanitary issues, and that the event led to the establishment of the college in 1933 before WHO was inaugurated in 1948.

“So, sanitary issues started international health around 1922, which led to the establishment of sanitary training institutions and training centre for sanitary inspectors. These were the first set of health workers globally. This led to the establishment of College of Health Technology, Yaba, Lagos, in 1922,” he added.

Ogundiwin said that government, however, did not place priority on preventive health, noting that it was one area that dominated the beginning of professional healthcare practices.

Read Also: Pharmacists back Lawmakers on Bill to reconstitute Teaching Hospital Boards

He said, “If you are able to lay emphasis on preventive medicine, there won’t be much need for curative medicine. When COVID-19 came, one of the non-pharmaceutical measures that evolved against the virus was sanitary ways of living to prevent the spread of the viral infection. Lassa fever is now on the increase, and it can be prevented by adhering to sanitary ways.

“So, if we are able to spend a lot on sanitation or preventive measures, we won’t be going to hospitals for curative measures. We can use masks, wash our hands, ensure physical distancing, which are preventive measures for COVID-19, instead of engaging in use of drugs. If we are able to focus on preventive health, the problem of health sector or response or whatever would not be there,” he said.

On efforts made to improve academic excellence at the Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, the professor revealed that the institution received books worth 55,000 dollars from a non-governmental organisation based in the US.

Oil Prices Fall, Continuing Downward Trend From Last Week

Zoe Maven
-
0
Oil Prices Fall, Continuing Downward Trend From Last Week

Oil prices fell on Sunday at the start of the session, extending last week’s decline, as a U.S. official said Russia was showing signs it might be willing to have substantive negotiations over Ukraine.

Brent crude futures fell $1.82, or 1.6%, to $110.85 a barrel by 6:47 p.m. ET (2247 GMT). WTI crude futures fell $2.41, or 2.2%, to $106.92 a barrel.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, which Moscow calls a “special operation,” has roiled energy markets globally. Brent last week was down 4.8% after hitting $139.13 on March 7. U.S. crude recorded a weekly drop of 5.7% after touching a high of $130.50 on March 7. Both contracts last touched those price peaks in 2008. [O/R]

Investors have been concerned about a tighter oil market following Russia’s action. Prices fell last week as traders assessed potential improvements to the supply outlook that has been disrupted by the Ukraine crisis.

Russia is showing signs it might be willing to have substantive negotiations over Ukraine, even as Moscow is intent on “destroying” its neighbor, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Sunday.

Russia-Ukraine talks are not taking place right now but will continue on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Sunday by the RIA news agency.

Peskov made the comments after Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Ukraine and Russia were actively conducting talks on Sunday.

Russia said on Sunday it was counting on China to help it withstand the economic blow from Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, but the United States warned Beijing not to provide that lifeline.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who is due to meet with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday, warned Beijing it would “absolutely” face consequences if it helped Moscow evade sweeping sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

Germany Hopes To End Russia’s Invasion Through Diplomacy

Zoe Maven
-
0
Germany Hopes To End Russia’s Invasion Through Diplomacy

Talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan concluded on Monday, with Erdogan casting doubt on future weapons sales from Russia.

While speaking in Ankara, Scholz said that Russia was isolating itself from other countries as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Scholz said that both Turkey and Germany have supported Ukraine with weapons and thanked Ankara for closing the Bosphorus — the small strait controlled by Turkey that acts as a passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea — to warships.

Scholz also brought up the “differences” between German and Turkish policy that sometimes put bilateral relations under strain, such as “rule of law, human rights, or the perspectives of German citizens who are either arrested in prison or not allowed to leave homes.”

Erdogan told the press conference, also pointing out the previous meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers that was organized by Ankara that there is a need to accelerate diplomatic efforts and that Turkey will do its best to bring together both parties.

The Turkish president also spoke about the two countries’ economic ties, highlighting the important role played by Germany in Turkey’s tourism sector, a role shared with Russia.

The US sanctioned Turkey in 2020 after the NATO member state purchased S-400 missile defense systems from Russia.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated the talks between the two leaders. Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict, as it has maintained relatively friendly relations with both Kyiv and Moscow.

ASUU Extends Warning Strike By 2 Months, Federal Government Reacts

Precious Obazee
-
0
ASUU Extends Warning Strike By 2 Months, Federal Government Reacts

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU in Nigeria, has extended its warning strike for another two months.

The decision on the extension of the strike was taken at the union’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja.

The union is yet to make further public statement regarding the outcome of the meeting.

Before the scheduled meeting over the weekend, ASUU had revealed via twitter that it would declare possible total, indefinite and ‘suffocating’ strike.

Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of State for Education.

Meanwhile, The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has reacted to the extension of rollover strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, insisting that the Federal Government has met all of the demands of the Union.

Reacting to the declaration of the rollover in an interview with journalists after the commemoration of the 2022 Commonwealth Day, Nwajiuba emphasized that all earned allowances, as well as revitalisation funds, have been released.

Three European Prime Ministers Visit Ukraine In Support

Zoe Maven
-
0
Three European Prime Ministers Visit Ukraine In Support

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are due to arrive in Kyiv on Tuesday to express European Union solidarity as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine’s capital city.

The leaders are set to meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and are going in their capacity as representatives of the European Council.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a tweet that “Europe must guarantee Ukraine’s independence and ensure that it is ready to help in Ukraine’s reconstruction.”

According to Poland’s presidential aide Michal Dworczyk, the leaders are expected to present an EU aid package for Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet: “The aim of the visit is to express the European Union’s unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence.”

The three countries are all EU member states and also members of the NATO alliance. Over the weekend, EU leaders made it clear that there could be no shortcut to EU membership, following a two-day informal summit at the Palace of Versailles in France.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states did pledge military aid amounting to €1 billion.

At last week’s two-day summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukrainians were exercising “their right to choose their own destiny” by starting the process to join the EU.

Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Drives Global Food Insecurity

Zoe Maven
-
0
Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Drives Global Food Insecurity

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could plunge the world’s food supply into chaos, with rising prices and the inability of Ukrainian farmers to plant crops, including wheat.

IMF’s Vladyslav Rashkovan, the alternate executive director for Ukraine on the IMF board, said events since the February 24 invasion meant that “the economy in Ukraine dramatically changed, warning of massive uncertainty and global food insecurity should the war go on for some time

He said As of March 6, 202 schools, 34 hospitals, more than 1,500 residential houses including multi-apartment houses, tens of kilometers of roads, and countless objects of critical infrastructures in several Ukrainian cities have been fully or partially destroyed by Russian troops.

From the Middle East to Latin America, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the war is impacting the world’s most-vulnerable people because of the disruption in a country known as the breadbasket of the world.

Guterres said Monday that the “sword of Damocles hangs over the global economy, especially in the developing world.” He added: “We must do everything possible to avert a hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system.”

Last week, Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, estimated the damage to the country’s infrastructure at $100 billion to date.

Because of price hikes resulting from economic sanctions following Russia’s invasion, the Kremlin will restrict exports of barley, rye, wheat, maize, mixed grains, sugar and brown sugar in order to ensure supplies for the domestic population.

The export restrictions will begin Tuesday and are currently in place until June 30.

Frankfurt Airport Cancels Flights As Security Staff Strike

Zoe Maven
-
0
Frankfurt Airport Cancels Flights As Security Staff Strike

Employees of Frankfurt Airport’s cargo and passenger controls went on strike early on Tuesday morning, with scores of flights canceled as a result.

The walkouts are part of a wage dispute between the Verdi trade union and the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies.

The union is negotiating for a new agreement for some 25,000 security staff nationwide, with demands that include an increase in the hourly wage rate of at least €1 ($1.10).

According to Frankfurt Airport, 130 of 818 flights planned for Tuesday were canceled. Originally, some 71,000 passengers had been expected to be at the airport that day.

Only passengers with layovers were allowed to pass through security checks there, and the airport’s operators advised people against traveling to board flights at Germany’s biggest aviation hub.

Airport operator Fraport had called on all travelers hoping to board in Frankfurt not to travel to the airport.

There were also walkouts by employees at Hamburg, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports. Staff at Munich airport have been on strike since Monday afternoon, with other airports; Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hannover also cancelling dozens of flights because of walkouts on Monday.

There have been three rounds of negotiations so far, which have failed to produce a result. The sides are planning to meet for further negotiations in Berlin on Wednesday and Thursday.

Russian Bombardment Of Kyiv Kills Four, Curfew Called

Zoe Maven
-
0
Russian Bombardment Of Kyiv Kills Four, Curfew Called

Russian air strikes and shelling hit Kyiv on Tuesday killing at least four people, as attacking forces tightened their grip on the Ukrainian capital and the mayor announced a 35-hour curfew starting at 1800 GMT.

Two large blasts echoed across the centre of the city just before dawn on Tuesday. Late on Monday, tracer bullets flashed across the night sky as Ukrainian forces apparently targeted an enemy drone.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe’s freedom and security, will not be given up by us.

He called on men who took wives and children to the relative safety of the west of the country earlier in the conflict to return to the capital to fight. Some have done so already.

The Artem weapons factory in central Kyiv was also hit, with footage taken by a local resident showing smoke coming from the roof. Outside kiosks nearby, shopkeepers and helpers swept up glass and other debris from the impact of the explosions.

Russia said on Monday that it planned to attack Ukrainian arms factories in retaliation for what it said was a Ukrainian strike on the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, and urged workers and local residents to stay away. Ukraine denied launching an attack.

Kyiv has been spared the worst of the fighting since Russia attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, but the Russian military is slowly closing in on the city and the shelling has intensified.

Sitting on the ground outside the badly damaged apartment building, he described how he had cocooned himself with furniture and metal weights before going to sleep.

In another part of the city, residents cleared debris from their homes after shelling blew out windows, ruined balconies and left wreckage strewn across the ground.

Central African Republic Surrenders War Crimes Suspect To ICC

Zoe Maven
-
0
Central African Republic Surrenders War Crimes Suspect To ICC

Central African Republic has handed over an suspected militia commander to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mahamat Said Abdel Kani was an alleged leader of the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels, according to the Hague-based ICC .

Two other suspects in the violence in Central African Republic are currently on trial at the ICC. Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, former head of the football federation, and Alfred Yekatom are from the largely Christian anti-Balaka militias.

Fighting started in 2013 when Seleka rebels seized power in Bangui, with anti-Balaka militias supportive of former President Francois Bozize fighting back.

Militias from both sides recently formed an alliance to counter recently reelected President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

Peter Knoope, an analyst from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa, told DW that Touadera has “always been serious about putting an end to impunity” of militia members accused of horrific human rights abuses.

But he said that Touadera has to strike a difficult balance “between a peace agreement and having people at the negotiation table agreeing on some form of cooperation in the future,” and legal procedures and indictment.

Bangui has its own Special Criminal Court (SCC) tasked with prosecuting human rights abuses.

The SCC is staffed by international and national judges and prosecutors and endowed with international assistance. But its work has come under criticism by international human rights organizations for not being nearly effective enough.

1...1,5491,5501,551...2,559Page 1,550 of 2,559
Kingschat

© 2025 LN247. All Rights Reserved