Dozens Killed, Several Injured as Biafra Day Rallies Turn Bloody

 

               

•  Two policemen killed, two others thrown into River Niger in Asaba •Scores arrested in six states, CD, MASSOB condemn killings

Our Correspondents

The South-east and South-south regions of the country dissolved into a state of anarchy yesterday when thousands of protesters clashed with security forces in Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Delta, Cross River and Ebonyi States, leading to the deaths of dozens of people, including three policemen, several sustaining injuries, and the arrest of scores of protesters in all the states where the protests took place.

The protesters, who were mainly members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), had come out en masse to mark Biafra Day in memory of the former leader of the defunct Biafra Republic, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Ojukwu had led the secession of the old Eastern Region and declared the region the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967. His attempt to break away from Nigeria led to the three-year Nigerian Civil War and Biafra’s defeat.
In recent years, however, MASSOB and later IPOB have emerged, with its members attempting to resuscitate the ghost of Biafra.

Over 30 Killed in Onitsha

During yesterday’s rally in Onitsha, Anambra State, a combined team of the military and police clashed with members of IPOB during the celebration of Biafra Day in the commercial city.
The clash, THISDAY checks revealed, left about 30 people dead and many injured. It was equally gathered yesterday that over 50 members of the Biafran group were arrested by the military and taken to the 302 Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Onitsha.

Following the mayhem, the commercial city of Onitsha, especially the Nkpor axis, was locked down with the security operatives taking over the roads.

The gun battle, which led to the killings, it was learnt, started when an IPOB member allegedly shot at a soldier who was patrolling where the protesters had converged to begin a procession in honour of the late Ojukwu around the Upper Iweka area of Onitsha.

Thick smoke also enveloped the Onitsha metropolis as a result of bonfires lit by the protesters on major roads and streets of the city.
The Public Relations Officer of IPOB, Emma Powerful, alleged yesterday that security operatives killed over 30 members of the group, while 50 persons were arrested and whisked to an unknown destination, adding that many others were seriously injured.

He said that the arrest of their members started at about 2am yesterday. “They (the military) were moving around in their Hilux vehicle with a native doctor when we were celebrating Biafra without any weapons. Does it mean that we have no fundamental rights?” he asked.

But when contacted, the police spokesman in Anambra State, Mr. Ali Okechukwu, said that there was no reason to discuss the casualty figures, as according to him, the authorities were still trying to clear the roads in order to ease vehicular movement.

However, an eyewitness told THISDAY in Onitsha yesterday that about 32 persons were killed during the clash.
The victims, he said, were taken to a hospital in Nkpor, near Onitsha, but were rejected.
Condemning the clash, the Campaign for Democracy (CD), a civil society organisation, said yesterday that the killings by the security personnel were unfortunate.

It said the IPOB/MASSOB members were harmless and only celebrating the declaration of Biafra on May 30, 1967 in memory of late Ojukwu.

MASSOB leader, Mr. Uchenna Madu, also said that the federal government should look into the massacre with a view to arresting the situation, adding that his group was not involved in the clashes.
He however warned that the Biafran agitators might be forced to take up arms in self-defence should the security forces continue to kill defenseless IPOB and MASSOB members.

Madu further said that the federal government was in negotiations with Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants while the security forces continue to fight its unarmed members.

Also reacting to the mayhem that ensued in Onitsha, the Anambra State Government condemned any illegal demonstration in the state.
A statement from the state Commissioner for Information and Communications Strategy, Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta, said: “The attention of the Anambra State Government has been drawn to illegal demonstration by a group of individuals causing anxiety at the Nkpor/Onitsha axis of the state.

“The law enforcement agencies are fully engaged in the situation and are currently working to restore normalcy and ensure free movement for all law abiding citizens.

“Ndi Anambra are hereby advised to remain calm and vigilant and to go about their lawful businesses. All should note that there are laws against disturbance of public peace.”

Policemen Killed, Thrown into River Niger

In Asaba also, no fewer than seven persons were confirmed dead following the rally held by members of MASSOB which turned violent in the Delta State capital yesterday.
The acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Delta, Mr. Charles Muka, who confirmed this in a statement, added that the police recorded two casualties.

He said in a statement that five members of MASSOB were killed by military officers who clashed with the protesters along the Asaba-Onitsha expressway in Asaba.

The police stated that the military arrested and brought eight members of MASOB to the police station and “are now in custody in Asaba”.

According to the police spokesman, the protesters turned violent and attacked the policemen deployed to monitor the protest, killed two and injured two others.

“We had to deploy our officers to ensure that the protest was peaceful but we were surprised that the people turned violent.

“To our surprise, they started attacking our men and at the Okwe junction in Abraka area of Asaba, the group killed a police corporal and took his AK47 rifle.

“Also along the Dennis Osadebey Way in Asaba, they wounded a police officer and took his anti-riot gun.
“This group also attacked and wounded two policemen, suspected to be marine police, and threw them into the River Niger at Cable Point in Asaba and in the process one died and one was rescued.

“This brings the casualties to two with two others injured on the side of the police.

“The protesters also attacked military vehicles along the Asaba-Onitsha expressway which left four members of the group dead, while eight others were arrested and brought to the police headquarters,” Muka said.

He added that a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet during the fracas but rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, where she was treated.

He advised parents and guardians to counsel their children and wards to follow the path of peace and pursue their agenda constitutionally.

10 MASSOB Members Arrested in Umuahia

In Umuahia, the Abia State capital, members of MASSOB also defied the police in the city and held a peaceful rally to mark the 49th anniversary of Biafra.

But the pro-Biafra movement said that 10 of its members were eventually arrested by the police, while one person sustained gunshot wounds.

However, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Udeviotu Onyeke, said only four MASSOB members were arrested by the police during the “illegal rally”, which according to him, was not authorised by the police command.
The Abia Central Information Director of the Chief Ralf Uwazulike-led Biafra Independent Movement (BIM/MASSOB), Mr. Anselam Ogbonna, however, told journalists that armed policemen had swooped on their members at Asaba Street after the rally and opened fire on them.

According to him, scores were injured after inhaling the teargas used by the police to disperse the rally at the Isi Gate city centre where hundreds of Biafra activists and enthusiasts had gathered for the rally.

He said that the police team was led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Umuahia central police station, who later whisked away the arrested Biafran activists to the police station.

A detachment of heavily armed and stern-looking policemen led by the DPO had attempted to stop the protesters at the Isi Gate junction but could not, as more sympathisers joined the protest, thus overwhelming the security operatives.
The protesters, chanting Biafran songs and waiving Biafran flags, took off from their base at Asaba Street after a prayer session and marched through major streets within the metropolis.

Residents cheered as the activists marched through the popular Warri Street before heading for Isi Gate when they were intercepted by the police.

The policemen, which in commando style stormed the scene in about three pick-up vans, attempted to stop the procession but the protesters remained undeterred despite the arrest of one of them on the spot.
As more sympathisers joined the protest, the police apparently aware that they could not contain the crowd stopped further arrests.

The police resorted to dispersing the crowd by shooting teargas canisters into the procession, but when they discovered that the Biafran activists were unruffled, they decided to escort them.
Some persons including journalists covering the procession sustained minor injuries after inhaling teargas.

Ikom Youths Stop Biafra Rally

However, the attempt by MASSOB members in Ikom town, about 300 kilometres from Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the State of Biafra, suffered a setback as youths from the town kicked against the protest.
Though the MASSOB sypathisers had gathered close to the Ikom township Stadium, from where they were meant to march through many streets in the town, they were restricted to just the New Okomo Layout, about 400 metres from where had they taken off.
Scores of the MASSOB members dressed in uniforms and carrying the Biafra flag, nonetheless conducted themselves peacefully, during the short street rally.

The zonal leader of MASSOB in the state, Mr. Samuel Okah, while addressing the protesters, said the rally was in commemoration of the 1967 declaration of the sovereign State of Biafra by its leader, Ojukwu.

Okah said the peaceful rally was to send a message that even though Ojukwu did not succeeded in establishing a sovereign state through violent means, the dream of actualising a Biafran state could be achieved through non-violent means.

Okah, who said that Biafra encompasses the entire South-east and South-south regions of the country, added: “Cross River was in the old Eastern Region that fought for Biafra because we are all one and the suffering we are passing through is experienced by all people of the South-south and South-east so there is no separation or differences among us.”

Okah urged President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the agitators for a state of Biafra and allow them to form a country they can call their own.

But the Vice-President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Prince Ayuk Ojong, described the rally as a flop, stating that he mobilised his members to stop the MASSOB members from using Ikom for their unpatriotic act.
Ojong said Ikom Local Government Area was not part of Biafra, hence the stance of the youths of the area to stop the rally from gaining momentum.

Pro-Biafra Protesters Stopped in Ebonyi

Just like in Ikom, pro-Biafra protesters in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, were stopped by the state police command monday.

MASSOB leader, Mr. Uche Mmadu, in a statement, said it was a day of honouring fallen and living heroes whose services could never be forgotten.

But the police command said it uncovered plans that the protest was a plot by miscreants to cause mayhem in the state.
In a statement, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. George Okafor, said that the command got intelligence reports that pro-Biafra groups had gathered at Nkaliki Primary school in Abkaliki, but police swiftly arrived at the scene and stopped the gathering.

Okafor said that about 92 members led by one Vincent Nwamini and several other sub-leaders were arrested.
The police spokesman added that items recovered from the suspects included Biafra flags and banners with the inscription “United States of Biafra Independence celebration 30th May, 2016”.
He assured residents of the preparedness of the command to maintain law and order, stressing that protection of lives and property in the state was not negotiable.

The command appealed to law abiding citizens to go about their normal and lawful businesses and refrain from joining issues with organisations and groups proscribed by the federal government.

Protesters March in Warri

Hundreds of pro-Biafra protesters of Igbo origin also stormed Warri, Delta State, calling on the president to grant them freedom.

The protesters said: “We have met with all the conditions to become a separate country of our own; hence we decided to come out today to ensure that the struggle is achieved.”

The protesters in a peaceful rally to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the State of Biafra, said the protest was in remembrance of the late Ojukwu, who initiated the struggle 49 years ago.
The protesters, who spoke with newsmen through their leader, Mr. Patrick Agulobi, said: “It is pertinent that we carry out this action to actualise the dream which Chief Ojukwu started on 30 May 1967. We believed that this laudable dream must not die.”

According to him, the whole world has now come to realise that the Republic of Biafra is a must, adding that all the requirements meant for the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra had been met.
The protesters appealed to Igbo leaders who are derailing the struggle to come out and support the movement, insisting that the effort was not meant to hurt anybody nor cause anarchy or confusion.
They decried indiscriminate killings of innocent persons by herdsmen in the southern part of the country, and called on Fulani cattle rustlers to stop stealing cattle.

17 Arrested in Owerri

In Owerri, the Imo State capital, the police arrested 17 members of MASSOB for holding a rally to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the arrests, said those arrested would be prosecuted.

The MASSOB members began the march at Waterside Primary School, Owerri, from where they moved to Rotibi Street to Oguamana Street before linking Douglas Road.
At Douglas Road, the marchers met heavily armed security men, who threw teargas at them at the Ama JK end of the street and arrested some of them.

Mr. Okechukwu Nwogu, a leader of MASSOB, said it was regrettable that the police arrested members of the group who were on a peaceful march to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Biafra and 17th anniversary of MASSOB.
“What the Nigerian government is doing to us is very unfair; MASSOB is a non-violent group moving without arms in remembrance of our history,” he said.

He called on Igbo leaders to come out and speak for Igbo people who have been unjustly treated by the security forces.
Earlier, Chief Canice Anojuru, the spokesman for MASSOB in Owerri zone, said the group decided to hold the rally to awaken the consciousness of the people of the defunct Biafra.

13 Arrested in Enugu

Like other states where pro-Biafra rallies took place, the Enugu State Police Command said it arrested 13 suspected persons believed to be members of MASSOB early yesterday at the Edinburgh axis of Ogui in Enugu, the state capital.
A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said 13 persons were rounded up based on intelligence reports.

“It was gathered that suspects in the morning of Monday had converged with their bus, one Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number XG 265 UWN with flag and T-shirts with different inscriptions portraying MASSOB/BIM at the Edinburgh axis of Ogui to commence a protest march before the security operatives acting on intelligence/information rounded them up and arrested them,” Amaraizu said.

The suspects, in their reactions, maintained that they were not members of MASSOB but of Biafran Independent Movement (BIM). They further stated they had converged and prayed at the spot before embarking on their march with their flags to commemorate their independence.

The Enugu police command recalled that it had warned against protests by any group of persons under any aegis.
It said no iota of lawlessness would be entertained from any individual or group of persons fanning embers of unlawful acts aimed at causing the breakdown of law and order in the state as the command was working in partnership with other sister security agencies to maintain law and order.
It said it recovered Biafra flags, T-shirts and caps with MASSOB inscriptions.

Source:This Day

LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE- NOTABLE POLITICAL LEADERS AND DICTATORS

LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS MEN \
(1)ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander the Great  who had conquered lands from Macedonia to Pakistan , died in 323BC at the age of 33 in the palace of king Nebuchadnezzar II . After conquering kingdoms on his way returning home, he took ill and that illness took him to his death bed. At that moment, his captured territories, powerful army , sharp swords and wealth had no meaning to him. He realized that death would soon arrive and he would be unable to return to his homeland. He told his officers: "I would soon leave this world. I have three final wishes and you need to carry out what I tell you." His generals in tears agreed.
"My first wish is to have my physician bring my coffin home alone." After gasping for air, Alexander continued :" My second wish  is  scatter the gold, silver and gems from my treasure-house along the path to the tomb when you ship my coffin to the grave." After wrapping  in a warm woolen blanket and resting for a while, he said: "My  final wish is to put my hands outside the coffin."
   People around him  were very curious, but no one dared to ask the reason. Alexander most favoured general kissed his hand and asked :"My majesty, we will follow your instruction. But can you tell us why you want us to do it this way?"
 After taking a deep breath, Alexander said:"I want everybody to understand three lessons that I have learned. To let my physician carry my coffin alone is to let people realize that a physician cannot really cure people's illness. Especially when they face death, the physicians are powerless . I hope people will learn to treasure their lives.
 My second wish is to tell people not to be like me in pursuing wealth. I spent my whole life pursuing wealth but I was wasting most of the time.
 My third wish is to let people understand that I came into this world with empty hands and I will leave this world also with empty hands." He closed his eyes after he finished talking and stopped breathing.

  

 

Judge unseals documents on Trump University

 

 

 

 

 Trump holds press conference to announce money he's raised for veterans

A federal judge has unsealed 381 pages of documents relating to Donald Trump's controversial Trump University for-profit real estate program, which became public Tuesday afternoon as part of a lawsuit seeking damages and accusing the company of fraud.

The documents amount to the "playbooks" used by the company in convincing prospective students to join the program, which promised real-estate training blessed by Trump himself. But it soon found itself embroiled in controversy, with a number of students claiming that they had been misled.
Trump's political adversaries have seized on the controversy surrounding his real estate classes, where some students who paid upwards of $35,000 dismissed the program as a fraud. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz lambasted Trump on the issue during the Republican primary, while Hillary Clinton has already begun to use the issue against the presumptive GOP nominee.
Trump University faced a handful of legal challenges, as well as scrutiny from the New York Department of Education, before it shut down in 2011.
But Trump has trumpeted his innocence, releasing reviews from students lauding the courses and arguing that he won't settle because he'll be vindicated in court.
Lawyers for the real-estate magnate turned likely GOP nominee had argued to keep the documents secret after a request by The Washington Post to turn the documents over to the public. But Judge Curiel swatted their arguments down on Friday, asserting that the defense had not met the bar to keep the documents out of the public eye.
He also added that Trump's station as the GOP frontrunner, as well as the fact that he's "placed the integrity of these court proceedings at issue" bolstered the argument to make the documents public.
Trump has launched a tirade against Judge Curiel in the days before the release of the documents. He chided the judge as a "hater" and "very hostile" on the stump on Friday and has implied that he's biased because he's "Mexican."
Curiel is of Hispanic heritage but was born in Indiana.
The release of the documents came hours after Trump held a press conference on his donations to veterans groups, where he chastised the media for criticizing him on the donations. A flurry of media reports noted discrepancies in the money promised by Trump and the money he actually sent to groups.
Source :The Hill

 

 

Trump rails against scrutiny over delayed donations to veterans groups

 

 

 

 

 

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NEW YORK — Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he'd given away the last $1.5 million that other donors had entrusted to him four months earlier, when Trump held a televised benefit for veterans' charities.
But, at the same time, Trump blasted the news media — in terms that were bitter, even for him — for asking about how, and when, he was going to give this money away.
Trump called the media in general "dishonest" and "unfair," and referred to a particular TV reporter as a "sleaze." His complaints dominated an event that was supposed to be about Trump's own charity — and provided new evidence that, even as the presumptive GOP front-runner, Trump is inclined to air his grievances and rivalries publicly.
“I wasn’t looking for the credit, but I had no choice but to do this because the press was saying I didn’t raise any money for them,” Trump said.
The donations Trump announced on Tuesday were related to a Jan. 28 fundraiser for veterans that he held in Des Moines, on a night when Trump skipped a GOP debate due to a feud with its host, Fox News. That night, Trump said he'd raised $6 million. Most of it came from other donors, but Trump said he would give $1 million of his own.
© Jason Szenes/EPA Donald Trump talks to supporters and the media during a speech on veteran affairs in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, N.Y., May 31.
After that, however, Trump became reluctant to release details about what had become of the money. At times, too, his staff gave out false information: More than a week ago, Trump's campaign manager said that Trump had already given out his $1 million in personal gifts.
As it turned out, he had not. Trump made his $1 million donation the evening of May 23, after a day of inquiries on Twitter — Trump's preferred social-media platform — by The Washington Post.
On Tuesday, Trump was giving away donations that had originally come in from other people, and were routed through his Donald J. Trump Foundation. He said that, in all, the fundraiser had brought in $5.6 million — but that more money would come in.
Trump detailed new gifts to more than a dozen veterans groups, most of them $75,000 each. By Tuesday afternoon, several of them had confirmed to The Post that they had indeed received the checks. Trump said that all of the money had been paid out, except for a single check to one group waiting for IRS authorization.
 But, even as Trump described these gifts, he would interrupt to blast the press again.
The Daily Trail newsletter A daily briefing of what's happening on the campaign trail. Sign up "The press should be ashamed of themselves. And on behalf of the vets, the press should be ashamed of themselves," Trump said at one point. "Instead of being, like, 'Thank you very much, Mr. Trump,' or 'Trump did a good job,' You say, 'Well who got it? Who got it?'. ... And it makes me look very bad."
The presumptive GOP nominee also hurled insults at reporters in the audience, whom he accused of liberal bias and of attempting to diminish his efforts.
"You're a sleaze because you know the facts, and you know the facts well,” Trump said in one instance, pointing at a reporter from ABC News.
By law, nonprofit charities like Trump's foundation are not supposed to participate in political campaigns. At this event, however, Trump described the nonprofit's gifts at what was clearly a campaign event — at which he bashed his rivals, and talked up his poll numbers. He spoke from a podium that said "Make America Great Again," the slogan of his campaign

 

What will Jose Mourinho's Manchester United team look like when he takes over at Old Trafford?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dream job: Mourinho has long wanted to sit at Old Trafford

Manchester United are set to imminently hire Jose Mourinho as their new manager, replacing Louis van Gaal.
After months of flirting, Ed Woodward and the Glazer family have finally got into bed with the former Chelsea boss, who will manage across the city from former La Liga nemesis Pep Guardiola.
With the former Barca boss now at neighbours City, and Liverpool upwardly mobile under Jurgen Klopp, the Red Devils are under pressure to get their next appointment right.
But what would Mourinho bring to Old Trafford? How would the team be set up? And who could he bring in?
 
We asked Ed Malyon how he felt things might be:

Coaching staff

Reuters

Brains trust: Chelsea's assistant first team coaches Steve Holland, Rui Faria and Silvino Louro

Having worked with them in his last four jobs, you could expect Jose Mourinho to bring in Rui Faria, Silvino Louro, Jose Morais and Carlos Lalin if he gets the nod to replace Louis Van Gaal.
The Dutchman's coaching staff, including the likes of goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek, would be unlikely to stay but the key decision would be what to do with Ryan Giggs.
On one hand you'd expect Giggs would be welcomed by Mourinho, who has embraced former players when arriving at clubs before. Aitor Karanka, now topping the Championship with Middlesbrough, was the chosen assistant at Real Madrid - where Mourinho threw him in at the deep end on several occasions by skipping press conferences.

Reuters / Eddie Keogh

Right-hand man: Giggs has been assistant manager to Louis van Gaal

Will Giggs, until now the heir apparent to LvG, be willing to remain as number two though?
Having been seemingly promised the job, for Mourinho to roll into town and take what was rightfully his would be a kick in the teeth. Will the Welshman stick around as second in charge or would he look to get away and forge his own path?
It could be a headache for senior figures at Old Trafford.

Playing style and current squad

Clive Brunskill

New role: Could Phil Jones play right back in Jose Mourinho's system?

Until this season we felt like we knew what to expect from a Jose Mourinho team: Defensive solidity, a physical core and one striker.
The decline of his centre-backs, Nemanja Matic's form and Diego Costa's general state, mean that none of those three have been evident. But there are building blocks for him to use at United.
Chris Smalling and an expensive new arrival would likely form the base for his defence while the days of Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo playing centre-back would surely be numbered and Phil Jones could become an Ivanovicesque right-back.

VIEW GALLERY

Bastian Schweinsteiger appears to have the sort of mentality that Mourinho likes in a senior player, but has annoyed many behind the scenes at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, there would be questions over Morgan Schneiderlin - who Mourinho allowed Tottenham, Arsenal and United to bid for without showing any interest - even though he profiles best as Mourinho's new Matic/Makelele.
Juan Mata's future has obviously been thrown into doubt after previously being flogged by Mou, but Ander Herrera could probably expect a fresh start and possibly a role similar to that of Oscar in Chelsea's title triumph (before he was denied his wish to leave).
Wayne Rooney was once a player that Mourinho was desperate to sign, but that was a far different player to what we've seen for much of the season from the England captain.

Ins and outs

AFP/Getty

Move off: Cristiano Ronaldo would be unlikely to rejoin United if Jose Mourinho took over

Manchester United's long-term interest in Cristiano Ronaldo would hit the buffers were Jose to be hired.
Their relationship soured hugely at Real Madrid and, with Paris Saint-Germain having pursued him for so long and so persistently, the move to Ligue 1 would make the most sense - although he has declared his intention to remain at the Bernabeu until 2018.
Given United's need for a central defender and Chelsea's very public pursuit of John Stones in the summer, there is an obvious target to plug that gap - but Everton won't budge easily.
Players at risk of the chop would be the defenders mentioned above, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, plus Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young.
Mourinho is also keen to bring in highly-rated Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta. Italian Berta is understood to be a close friend of Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes and his arrival would see the job of signing players moved from executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to him.
Whether the club will then just become a Mendes plaything is the fear.

Academy

Action Images via Reuters

Faith: Jose Mourinho didn't trust Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea

It has been one of the major concerns over Jose Mourinho's record that he has brought through very few players from the youth teams at clubs where he was manager.
And the few example of him doing so are often during highly-toxic situations - remember the promotion of Antonio Adán at the expense of Iker Casillas during Real Madrid's Mourinho-inspired civil war.
Chelsea's loan army may make good business sense but the success of some of the departed loanees - Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in particular - has become a stick to beat Mourinho with for his lack of faith in youngsters.

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It's all very well and good saying they're not good enough until their performances elsewhere prove otherwise.
One of the few Van Gaal bright spots at Old Trafford has been the amount of youngsters he has blooded in the first team, so Mourinho will be expected to at least find some sort of middle ground.

Behaviour and reputation

BPI

Row: Jose Mourinho's treatment of Eva Carneiro was widely criticised

There's no doubt that Jose Mourinho's reputation has taken a pummelling since August, with the Eva Carneiro affair, results slipping and his frequent paranoid outbursts not reflecting well on the Portuguese.
Given that, according to most reports, Mourinho didn't replace Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 because there were concerns among the Old Trafford hierarchy about The Special One's behaviour and how it might affect a club like United, the fact that the club even considered him now suggests a marked shift in policy.
But with that history, you'd have to expect Ed Woodward to remind Mourinho from the outset that his previous behaviour won't be tolerated at United. For the first time in a long time, Jose is unlikely to be taking a job on his terms. There are only so many demands you can make in his position and, chastened a tad by the year's events, we could see a more mellow Mourinho than ever.
Source: The mirror

WILL TRUMP REINVENT HIMSELF TO WIN US ELECTIONS?

        

Will Trump Reinvent Himself to Win US Election?

                       

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Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, waves during a campaign event in Lawrenceville, N.J., May 19, 2016.

 

 

                                   

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seems to be making some headway in unifying the Republican Party behind him. Several recent national polls now show Trump in a dead heat with the expected Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, setting up a very close and potentially very nasty general election campaign.
The good news for Trump comes as the New York billionaire is in the midst of a bit of an image makeover, trying to make the pivot from outraged political outsider to a general election candidate acceptable to mainstream America.

“We are going to make America great again, greater than ever before,” Trump told supporters at a recent event in New Jersey. “And we are going to have a lot of fun and we are going to be respected as a country again!”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, center right, greets supporters after speaking at a campaign event, May 19, 2016 in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Softer tone
At times, Trump has adopted a softer tone where formerly he would be combative. He was nearly deferential in his recent interview with Megyn Kelly of Fox News when she recalled past Twitter exchanges in which he called her a “bimbo.” “Well that was a retweet, yes. Did I say that? Ooh, okay. Excuse me,” Trump said with just a hint of a sheepish smile on his face.
One of Trump’s earliest supporters in Congress, Representative Chris Collins of New York said recent exchanges with Republican lawmakers are paying off. “He’s collaborative, listening back and forth. That is who Donald Trump is and America is going to get very comfortable with that as we move on,” he said.
Trump has defied conservatives who warned his nomination would tear the party apart and Democrats who had hoped for the same thing. “I will have to say, to my surprise, the Republican Party seems to be mustering behind Trump in a way that sure didn’t look likely even a few weeks ago,” said noted conservative pundit Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard. He was a guest on VOA’s “Issues in the News.”

Megyn Kelly poses for a portrait in New York, May 5, 2016.

Makeover challenge
But despite the signs of unity and his surge in the polls, some experts suggest Trump still has a long way to go to ease fears about his candidacy between now and November.

“Trump’s biggest problems, when you say what is negative about Trump to the American people, is his personality,” said Frank Newport of the Gallup polling organization. “He’s arrogant. He’s a wild man. He’s not controlled. He’s racist. He says things that he shouldn’t and regrets it later. That is what the public tell us.”
Even as he seeks to moderate his image, Trump has already focused his fire on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “Can you imagine another four years of the Clinton’s, seriously? Can you imagine, seriously?,” he said.
Clinton remains entangled in a messy fight with rival Bernie Sanders, but also spends time trying to rebut Trump and offers herself as a candidate for national unity. “Let’s get on the American team and let’s act like Americans and let’s work together again,” Clinton told supporters in Kentucky.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Trayvon Martin Foundation's "Circle of Mothers" Gala at the Embassy Suites Hotel on May 21, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Embrace him or fear him?
Whether Trump succeeds in transforming himself from a blustering, undisciplined primary contender who scares and repels voters into a plausible presidential candidate who can appeal to moderates could determine the outcome of the November election. “Americans, I think at the end of the day, tend to be risk-averse when it comes to selecting a president,” said analyst William Galston at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “They may be dissatisfied with the status quo but the question is, whether the alternative represents a safe or safe enough alternative to the status quo. And the scarier Mr. Trump appears, the worse his prospects in November.”
A big part of Trump’s challenge is keeping his base happy while moderating and trying to broaden his appeal.

“If he’s able to keep the impolitic (blunt) character of his comments, which a lot of people on the right love, and yet at the same time to seem presidential, and I think that is the trick he is going to start to try to pull off,” predicted Michael O’Hanlon, a foreign policy analyst with Brookings.
Trump may be tempted to enjoy his success as the likely Republican nominee who came from nowhere to shock the political world. But the campaign is quickly shifting to a broader electoral landscape where Trump will have to prove that a message that has resonated so far with largely white Republican primary voters can withstand vehement opposition from women, minority and young voters

 

Jonathan Calls THISDAY from Cote d‘Ivoire, Says I’m Not in Exile

May 24, 2016

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Goodluck Jonathan

                                 

 

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disputed THISDAY’s monday report that he had opted to go on exile in Cote d’Ivoire, confirming, however, that he was indeed in the West African country, but was not in exile.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY on the phone monday, the former president confirmed that he had been out of the country for over a month, revealing that he travelled to some cities in the United States of America, then departed the country for London before arriving Cote d’Ivoire via Paris.

When reminded that THISDAY had tried to reach him several times last week to verify allegations that he was in exile, he said: “So what… I am not in exile. I am here resting.”

He said: “Yes I am in Cote d’Ivoire, I have been here for a week resting and this is my second trip to the country since I stepped down as president.”

He maintained however that he was not in exile because he had no reason to leave Nigeria as he had done his best for his country as president.

“I have made sacrifices for Nigeria. I am praised all over Africa for averting bloodshed and for the peaceful transition from one government to another, but it seems Nigeria does not appreciate my efforts.

“I have done my best for this country and if I have to die for it, I will do so. However, I am taking it easy here (Cote d’Ivoire) and when I am ready, I will come back,” he said.

THISDAY had reported that Jonathan had gone into exile following the resolve by the federal government to arrest him on allegations of corruption.

The perception that the government was going to reel him in was linked to the heightened attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.

Source :This day

ANGELINA JOLIE TO TEACH AT LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ON WOMEN IN CONFLICT

Angelina Jolie to teach at London School of Economics on women in conflict   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie Pitt talks during the Cambodia International Film Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  By Emma Batha

LONDON, May 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is to join the London School of Economics (LSE) as a visiting professor on a new masters course on women, peace and security, the school announced on Monday.

The LSE said the course, which starts next year, is the first of its kind globally and will be run by the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security which was launched last year by Jolie and Britain's former foreign secretary, William Hague.

"It is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict," Jolie, a special envoy for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), said in a statement.

"I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students, as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations."

Hague will also be joining LSE as a visiting professor.

The Oscar-winning actress and Hague have become an unlikely double-act on campaigning to end sexual violence against women in conflict.

The partnership was sparked by Jolie's 2011 directorial debut "In the Land of Blood and Honey" that was set against the backdrop of the 1992-95 Bosnian war in which an estimated 20,000 women were believed to have been raped.

The pair co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in 2012 to rally global action on such crimes, increase the numbers of perpetrators brought to justice and ensure better support for survivors.

They co-hosted the first global conference on the issue in London in 2014.

Hague said the new course would help underpin their work by developing research to help tackle the culture of impunity. (Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change.

Source: Associated press