Headlines
Chelsea Beat Real Madrid to Set Up All-Premiership UCL Final Against Man City
Chelsea defeated Real Madrid 2-0 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) semi-final encounter at the Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Thomas Tuchel’s side scored once in each half through Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic in a game that they dominated the Spanish side.
Chelsea deservedly win the tie 3-1 on aggregate to qualify for their third ever UCL final, and first since 2012, the year they last won the trophy.
Eden Hazard started against his former club for Real Madrid who also welcomed Sergio Ramos, their captain, back from injury.
Chelsea also started with Kai Havertz ahead of Christian Pulisic, their goal scorer in the first leg.
The Blues set out to stifle their opponents with a crowded defence and pressing forward that pounced on an interception from N’golo Kante to sweep forward.
Havertz’s deft flick hit the bar but Werner was on hand to head into the empty net for a 1-0 lead on 28 minutes.
Real Madrid twice went close through Karim Benzema but Edouard Mendy, Chelsea goalkeeper, brilliantly saved the French striker’s curler towards the bottom corner and palmed away another header.
The hosts totally dominated the second half and created a hatful of chances not capitalised upon. Thiago Silva and Mason Mount both failed to hit the target while Havertz and Kante were denied at point-blank range.
Real Madrid are winless in their last four away games against English sides and Pulisic finished the 13-time UCL champions off with a tap-in goal towards the end of the match.
The London club’s win sets up an all-English final against Manchester City in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 29.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday, held a crucial meeting with service chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies in the country
The crucial meeting took place at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Abuja, followed reports of a directive by the President of United States, Donald Trump to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria over the alleged genocide of Christians in the country.
Security sources hinted that the emergency meeting, which began in the afternoon was aimed at assessing the implications of Trump’s statement accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militant groups.
Trump’s remarks, made late Saturday, stated that the U.S. military was being prepared to “act in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militancy” a statement that had triggered widespread concern across diplomatic and security circles in Abuja.
Reports said that the NSA convened the session to coordinate a unified national security response and review intelligence assessments on the potential fallout of the U.S. president’s pronouncement.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to be communicated through official channels from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
