Police: woman arrested for stabbing husband in hospital

BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore police have arrested a woman they say fatally stabbed her husband inside of a hospital.

Police arrested 30-year-old Anita Jones on Saturday and charged her with first-degree murder stemming from the stabbing death of 33-year-old Christopher Yancey.

Police say officers were called to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Friday for a reported suicide. When they arrived hospital staff told them that Jones and Yancey had been arguing in a room while their son was getting a procedure. Jones then came out and told staff that Yancey had cut himself. Staff members found Yancey suffering from multiple lacerations. He was pronounced dead. Jones left the hospital before officers arrived.

Police say no weapon was found in the hospital room, and Yancey's injuries were determined to be inconsistent with suicide.

Cristiano Ronaldo helps Real Madrid break Barcelona’s La Liga record with win over Getafe

Cristiano Ronaldo’s late goal eased Real Madrid to an important win over Getafe that helped them beat a long-standing record, previously held by arch rivals Barcelona. 

The Portuguese superstar’s 85th-minute strike saw Madrid claim their 13th successive away La Liga win, surpassing the mark of 12 set by Pep Guardiola’s Barca side from May 2010 to January 2011. 

The goal was Ronaldo’s first of the league campaign, the Portuguese having drawn a blank in his three previous La Liga appearances.

‘It was important that he scored his first [in the league], from there we will see, but I am happy for him and for Benzema,’ said manager Zinedine Zidane.

We have suffered a lot but it is normal. We know that in LaLiga we are going to suffer in all the matches because there is a rival that wants to put you in difficulties. 

‘The good thing is that we played a good match, the first half was phenomenal with how we had the ball and with our chances.

We have achieved the three points, which is what was most important.’

Metro UK

Hodgson toasts his players for beating Chelsea against the odds

ONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Roy Hodgson raised a glass of red wine to toast his Crystal Palace players after they finally put an end to one of the most miserable runs in the annals of top-flight English football in unlikely fashion on Saturday.

Palace, goalless and pointless all season, had been given little chance of breaking their duck against champions Chelsea but, against all odds, scored their first league goal in 731 minutes of trying and eked out a deserved 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park.

"I don't drink an awful lot these days. Red wine isn't the best thing to drink if you want to keep your calories low," Hodgson, the much-travelled 70-year-old former England manager, smiled afterwards.

"But I'll enjoy a glass tonight because I enjoyed watching my boys play well and I'm proud of their performance.

"It was really enjoyable. I have just told the players they really deserve to drink in that victory -- we were playing the champions of England, a team with fantastic quality.

"I thought we came off the field deserving our victory."

Hodgson, who had overseen his first win at Palace at the fourth attempt, might have made a special toast to Wilfried Zaha, the gifted winger who offered glimpses of happier days ahead for the Eagles with his match-winning display.

It was not just Zaha's fine finish for the winner just before halftime that impressed Hodgson but also the way he kept battling deep into stoppage time in his first match since the knee injury he suffered on the opening day of the season.

Zaha's contribution was decisive after Cesar Azpilicueta had turned the ball into his own net in the 11th minute and Tiemoue Bakayoko had levelled for the visitors.

"Wilf's pace and his desire to go past people with and without the ball, those are incredible qualities," said Hodgson, praising the way Zaha had linked up with England winger Andros Townsend throughout.

"All of us coaches want centre-forwards that can do that and I was most impressed that he played 97 minutes -- if you include the stoppage time -- and yet still he was running at the end.

"He chased a pretty hopeless-looking ball at the end and we got something from it. That meant we kept the ball in their half of the field and those are the things you really appreciate as a coach.

"They don't always get noticed but he will get plenty of pats on the back from me." (Reporting by Ian Chadband; Editing by Clare Fallon)

Suarez scores late as Barcelona draws Atletico Madrid 1-1

MADRID (AP) - Barcelona lost its perfect Spanish league record and salvaged a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid with a late equalizer by Luis Suarez on Saturday.

Suarez scored with a header from close range in the 82nd minute to leave Barcelona five points ahead of Real Madrid, which defeated Getafe 2-1 with a late winner by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Atletico contained Lionel Messi and was in control of the game until Suarez found the net after being ineffective for most of the match.

Saul Niguez gave the hosts the lead with a shot from outside the area in the first half.

The draw left Atletico in third place, six points behind Barcelona, which won its first seven league matches.

Sevilla dropped to fourth place, also six points off the lead, after losing at Athletic Bilbao 1-0.

Watford scores late, beats Arsenal 2-1 to move to 4th in EPL

WATFORD, England (AP) - Tom Cleverley scored an injury-time winner as Watford came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 and end the visitors' four-game winning run in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Watford jumped into the top four with its first home victory of the season, maintaining its excellent start under new manager Marco Silva.

Cleverley, the former Manchester United midfielder, lashed home from close range after Arsenal's defense failed to clear a bouncing ball as Watford piled on late pressure at Vicarage Road.

Per Mertesacker headed Arsenal ahead in the 39th minute with his first league goal in 1400 days.

Troy Deeney equalized from the penalty spot after Hector Bellerin fouled Richarlison.

Arsenal left out Alexis Sanchez from its squad and started Mesut Ozil on the bench. 

Ozil came on and squandered a great chance to score, one on one with the goalkeeper, before the equalizer.

A point would have seen Arsenal leapfrog Chelsea into fourth but Watford did so instead.

Woman named to head sports federation in Saudi first

A princess has been named to head a Saudi multi-sports federation, in a first for women in the conservative Muslim kingdom where men dominate all sports, an official said Saturday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Princess Rima bint Bandar bin Sultan has become "the first woman to lead a federation" covering sporting activities for men and women.

In August 2016, the princess scored another first for women in Saudi Arabia when she was named by the cabinet to a senior post in the kingdom's equivalent of a sports ministry.

A daughter of a former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Princess Rima is a graduate in museology from an American university.

Saudi Arabia does not allow women to practise sports in the public sphere and even the introduction of private sports centres for women has aroused criticism among religious conservatives in the Gulf state.

Although the kingdom announced it will lift a ban on women drivers from next June as part of a reform push, it still retains tight restrictions on women and imposes a strict segregation of the sexes.

Under the country's guardianship system, a male family member -- normally the father, husband or brother -- must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and other activities.

AFP

United frustrate Liverpool in disappointing derby

LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A cautious Manchester United frustrated Liverpool as a lacklustre North-West derby ended 0-0 at Anfield on Saturday.

United manager Jose Mourinho set his team up to limit the space and opportunities for Liverpool's attack and that approach worked at the expense of any real adventure from the visitors.

Liverpool's best opening came in the 35th minute but United goalkeeper David De Gea pulled off a superb save with his legs to keep out a shot from Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah's follow up was wide.

United created little beyond a Romelu Lukaku shot two minutes before the interval which was well dealt with by keeper Simon Mignolet.

The draw leaves United alone at the top of the table on 20 points although Manchester City, who are now a point behind, can regain first place when they host Stoke City later on Saturday. 

Car bomb explodes in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, casualties reported

MOGADISHU, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded on a busy street in the centre of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Saturday, causing an unknown number of casualties, police said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the Islamist al Shabaab group has carried out regular attacks.

"It was a truck bomb. It exploded at the K5 Junction," said Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, referring to an area in the capital that is lined with government offices, hotels, restaurants and shops.

"There are casualties but we do not know the exact amount as the scene is still burning," he told Reuters.

The al Qaeda-allied al Shabaab group is waging an insurgency to topple the weak U.N.-backed government and its African Union allies and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam.

In recent years, the militants have lost most territory under their control to African Union peacekeepers and government troops.

But they frequently launch deadly gun, grenade and bomb attacks in Mogadishu and other regions controlled by the federal government. Many attacks are aimed at military bases but some also target civilians. 

Four dead in plane crash in Côte d’Ivoire

At least four people were killed on Saturday when a propeller-engine cargo plane crashed in the sea near the International Airport in Cote d’Ivoire’s main City, Abidjan, a Reuters witness said.

Rescue workers removed two bodies from the plane, which had broken into several pieces and came to rest near the beach.

Two other bodies were visible in the wreckage. 

Reuters/NAN

Police: Man stripped naked in massage chair, punched guard

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - Police say a New Jersey man got a little too comfortable in a massage chair at a mall.

Police in Lawrence Township said that 51-year-old Joseph Michalski took his clothes off in a massage chair at the Quaker Bridge Mall on Tuesday.

Authorities say when a mall security guard asked the Hamilton resident to put his clothes back on, Michalski punched him in the face. Police said the guard then wrestled the man to the ground before police arrived.

Michalski was charged with lewdness and simple assault. The guard was not seriously hurt.

A phone number for Michalski could not be located.

Duchess of Cambridge's uncle charged with assault in London

LONDON Oct 14 (AP) - British police say they've charged the uncle of the Duchess of Cambridge with assault after a late-night altercation in a London street.

The Metropolitan Police force says Gary Goldsmith faces a charge of assault by beating over an incident near his home Friday at 1:20 a.m. British newspapers reported Saturday that the alleged victim is his wife, Julie-Ann Goldsmith.

Goldsmith has been released on bail and is due in court on Oct. 31.

Goldsmith is brother of the duchess' mother Carole Middleton and attended his niece's 2011 royal wedding to Prince William.

Often depicted as Kate's wayward uncle, Goldsmith once owned a house in Spain called "La Maison de Bang Bang." He was filmed in 2009 by an undercover reporter apparently taking cocaine and bragging about his royal connections.

Buses inside Raqqa to transport IS fighters and families out- monitor

BEIRUT, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said on Saturday there were buses inside Syria's Raqqa which would be used to transport remaining Islamic State fighters and their families out of the city.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Arab and Kurdish militias, has been battling since June to defeat Islamic State in Raqqa, which served as the jihadist group's de facto capital in Syria.

Philippine plane veers off runway, passengers evacuated

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine officials say the landing gear of a commercial plane with 180 passengers and six crewmembers aboard veered off the runway after landing in a central province, prompting the pilot to order an evacuation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines says all passengers and crew of Cebu Pacific airline's Airbus 320 aircraft are safe following late Friday's incident, which caused the plane to get stuck at the end of the runway at Iloilo province's international airport.

More than 40 domestic and regional flights have been cancelled and airport crews were working to remove the stalled aircraft from the runway to allow flights to resume Saturday night.

Cebu Pacific says it's working with authorities to investigate the incident and hasten the airport's reopening.

Igbo group in the Diaspora seeks new name for IPOB

An Igbo group in the Diaspora, Biafran Government in Exile, has suggested that the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra should change its name and continue its push for the sovereignty of Biafra under a new name – Zionist Movement of Jews in Africa South of the Sahara, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

A correspondence shared to some members of the group, which was made available to Saturday PUNCH, also showed that the group had set up a Biafran Steering Committee, made up of professionals in the Diaspora, to meet and discuss the next line of action following the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government.

A document from a member of BGIE, Dr. Peter Ejirika, which was made available to Saturday PUNCH via email, said, “Definitely, we have been aware that referendum is a critical  point on the Biafran success, but the question is how do we collectively get on this path? An integral part of the answer is the realisation that IPOB is only but an infinitesimal echelon of the search for the self-determination of Biafra and ultimate sovereignty.

“Invariably, the push should continue under a different name. Thus, the ultimate outcome of the proscription of an unarmed entity as a terrorist organisation should be the change of its nomenclature from IPOB to Zionist Movement of Jews in Africa South of the Sahara.”

In another email correspondence shared with some members of the group, Ejirika said, “Hail Biafra, I need to remind us that the Israelites had to pass through the desert to make it to the Promised Land. Metaphorically, Nigeria, to all intents and purposes, is our Egypt while Biafra is our promised land. Fellow Biafrans, listed below are the names of Biafran Steering Committee members, who would be contacted to meet, at some point to discuss the philosophical question of where do we go from here?”

Those identified as members of the committee in the document, include Lady Edith Ogechi Okeke, Dr. Afamefula, Dr. Achike, Dr. Oguchi Nkwocha, Ihediwa of Houston, Peter, Evans Anuforo and Dr. Clifford Iroanya.

Others are Dr. Chukwuma Egemba, Dr. Peter Ejirika, Chadwick Okoye, Onyema Nkwocha, Dr. Clement Okoro and Osita Ebiem.

But when Saturday PUNCH reached out to one of the members of the committee, Iroanya, he said he had received an email containing the list of the members of the committee, including his name, without any prior notice.

“I don’t know about the so-called Biafra Steering Committee because I got the email with my name and email listed just the same way you got the email,” he said in an email to one of our correspondents.

And when Saturday PUNCH reached out to Ekirika for further clarification on the issues, he replied saying the “request for additional information” had been forwarded to the “appropriate department of the Biafran Government in Exile and this functionary of the Biafran Government would provide you with all the answers you need.”

However, IPOB did not share the view that its name should be changed following its proscription.

In response to Saturday PUNCH’s enquiries seeking to know if the IPOB was considering changing its name to ZASS, the group on Friday released a statement in which it said it had no plans to operate under a new name following its proscription by the Federal Government.

IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful,  declared that the group would not change its name, while alleging that the Federal Government, in company with the South-East Governors Forum and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had paid some unnamed individuals to float another pro-Biafra group that would, supposedly, replace IPOB.

According to him, the alleged plot is meant to create the impression that IPOB is no more. He insisted that IPOB was still active, despite its proscription.

The statement read, “We the Indigenous People of Biafra and its leadership worldwide, under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the prophet of our time, wish to bring to the attention of Biafrans and the world at large, that IPOB has never and will never change (its) name because of kangaroo and black market order obtained from a Federal High Court, Abuja.

“It came to our knowledge that some unscrupulous individuals and groups in our society have been paid by (the) Federal Government, Igbo governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo, led by Nnia Nwodo, to form another group. There is no such organisation in place of IPOB.

“The fact of the matter is that the Federal Government, in collusion with Igbo governors, is using some individuals to give the impression that IPOB is no more.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. Our protests going on all over the world are clear evidence that IPOB is presently enjoying more appeal than at any other time in our history.

“Many more scams like this will be unleashed on the gullible in the coming weeks and months, but we are not perturbed because we have machinery in place to debunk such nonsense as it arises.”

UNILAG lecturer stabs postgraduate student

A postgraduate student (English Language) of the University of Lagos, Jimi Fatunbi, has been allegedly injured by two lecturers.

Fatunbi said he was slapped and stabbed by the lecturers at about midnight on Wednesday at Faculty of Education roundabout.

He identified the lecturers as Dr. BabawaleTaiwo and Dr. Israel Abiala, who lecture at the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics; and Arts and Social Sciences Education respectively.

Fatunbi told Punch: “I went to take my car from Elkanemi hall, where it was initially parked, to Henry Carr. While I was reversing at Elkanemi Park, I discovered that a vehicle was behind me and the occupants (lecturers) of the vehicle said I was obstructing them.

“Dr. Taiwo started banging on my car. I felt he wanted to damage my car and I stopped. I came down to ask him what was actually wrong.

“I felt that if I was indeed obstructing, since I was moving away, there was no need for the attack.

“He said I had committed an offence and he needed to deal with me, being a lecturer. So, before I knew it, his colleague, Abiala came down from the same car and started manhandling me. In the process, one of them stabbed me in the face.

“I was shouting until students came around. I eventually called my hall executives and I was taken to the university’s Medical Centre for treatment.”

He said the lecturers were interrogated by the university’s security officials after they were informed of the situation.

Public Relations Officer of UNILAG, Toyin Adebule, said, “I have confirmed it myself. There is one Dr.Taiwo involved and the case was reported at our security post. The attention of the management has been drawn to the case and we are taking action. It is still under investigation.

“The dean and head of department where he works have been informed and the university has requested that the lecturer should come for questioning. We don’t condone indiscipline, hooliganism and violence from anybody at any level.

“The university is taking up the matter seriously and we will never leave any stone unturned until we get to the root of the matter. It could be cultism, money or anything. We want to know what caused the matter and we will get back to you. We have asked the security to go after him.”

Alex Iwobi reacts to Wenger’s goal target for him

Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi, has reacted to the goal target Gunners’ boss, Arsene Wenger, set for him this season.

Arsenal manager Wenger has been very vocal of his expectation for Iwobi to shoot and score more goals.

After Iwobi’s goal against Brighton a fortnight ago, Wenger stated that he wants 10 goals and eight assists from the Nigeria international.

The 21-year-old, however, is not scared of the manager’s expectation.

Iwobi told Pulse Sports: “I will try my best and see and give a 100%.

“On the pitch, I don’t really think about it, I just think about helping my teammates.

“When the chance comes, I try my best whether I get a goal or not, I just get to wait and see.

“To get goals is what people like Messi and Ronaldo do, they get talked about for and I need to add that to my game.

“I will have to say that I have been working hard in training, practising my finishing and it paid off against Brighton.”

Daily Post

Andres Iniesta to return for Barcelona against Atletico after injury

Andres Iniesta has recovered from a hamstring injury ahead of his side's showdown with Atletico Madrid in Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

The 33-year-old midfielder sustained a hamstring injury in Barca's 3-0 win over Las Palmas before the international break and missed the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Israel.

Kidnapped U.S.-Canadian couple returns to Canada

TORONTO/OTTAWA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A kidnapped U.S.-Canadian couple freed in Pakistan this week, nearly five years after being abducted in neighboring Afghanistan, has returned to Canada, the Canadian government said on Friday.

American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012 by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network, which the United States has long accused Pakistan of failing to fight.

They had three children while in captivity.

"Today, we join the Boyle family in rejoicing over the long-awaited return to Canada of their loved ones," the Canadian government said in a statement.

The family traveled from Pakistan to London and then to Toronto, where they arrived late on Friday, Canadian broadcaster CTV News tweet said. The final leg of their journey was an Air Canada flight Friday from London to Toronto.

Boyle provided a written statement to the Associated Press on the plane saying his family had "unparalleled resilience and determination."

AP also reported that Coleman wore a tan-colored headscarf and sat with the two older children in the business class cabin. Boyle sat with their youngest child on his lap.

U.S. State Department officials were on the plane with them, AP added.

One of the children was in poor health and had to be force-fed by their Pakistani rescuers, Boyle told AP.

Reuters could not independently confirm the details.

They are expected to travel to Boyle's family home in Smiths Falls, 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Ottawa, to be reunited with his parents.

Canada has been actively engaged with Boyle's case at all levels and will continue to support the family, the government added.

"At this time, we ask that the privacy of Mr Boyle´s family be respected," it said.

Media reported that Boyle's parents, Patrick and Linda Boyle, had acquired car-seats to help bring home the three grandchildren they have never met.

The journey home was complicated by Boyle's refusal to board a U.S. military aircraft in Pakistan, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Boyle instead asked to be flown to Canada.

Boyle had once been married to the sister of an inmate at the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay. The marriage ended and the inmate was later released to Canada.

The families of the captives have been asked repeatedly why Boyle and Coleman, who was pregnant at the time, had been backpacking in such a dangerous region.

Boyle's family spent five years fighting to keep the case in the media spotlight in Canada, sharing the few "proof of life" videos or letters they received over the years.

In 2016, a video released by an affiliate of the Afghan Taliban and later posted to YouTube showed for the first time the two sons of Boyle and Coleman. In the video, Coleman begs for an end to their "Kafkaesque nightmare" and is critical of both the American and Canadian governments and the family's Haqqani captors.

US mobile carriers Sprint, T-Mobile to merge: report

Japan's SoftBank has reached a broad accord to merge its US subsidiary Sprint with T-Mobile to create a rival to America's top two wireless carriers, a newspaper said Saturday.

SoftBank and German group Deutsche Telekom, which holds 64 percent of T-Mobile, are considering a stock swap for the deal, which could be announced as early as this month, the Nikkei daily said.

The two will also discuss details of the planned merger, including ownership ratios, the business daily said.

The Japanese telecom giant is also planning to begin procedures for the approval of the US Federal Communications Commission and the US Department of Justice, the report said.

Immediate confirmation of the news report was not available.

T-Mobile ranks third among US wireless carriers by subscribers, followed by Sprint in fourth place, the Nikkei said.

Together, the pair would have 131 million subscribers, which would see them virtually match second-ranked AT&T and pose stiff competition to market leader Verizon Communications, it said.

SoftBank has long sought to combine the two firms but appeared to abandon the plan due to likely opposition from US regulators.

But the prospects for consolidation among US carriers have brightened with the pro-deregulation stance of President Donald Trump, the Nikkei said.

SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son was among the first businessmen to meet Trump after his election victory last year.

SoftBank's founder pledged to invest $50 billion in business and job-creation in the United States, winning praise from Trump.

AFP

Tesla fired hundreds of employees in past week

Luxury electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) fired about 400 employees this week, including associates, team leaders and supervisors, a former employee told Reuters on Friday.

The dismissals were a result of a company-wide annual review, Tesla said in an emailed statement, without confirming the number of employees leaving the company.

“It’s about 400 people ranging from associates to team leaders to supervisors. We don’t know how high up it went,” said the former employee, who worked on the assembly line and did not want to be identified.

Though Tesla cited performance as the reason for the firings, the source told Reuters he was fired in spite of never having been given a bad review.

The Palo Alto, California-based company said earlier in the month that “production bottlenecks” had left Tesla behind its planned ramp-up for the new Model 3 mass-market sedan.

The company delivered 220 Model 3 sedans and produced 260 during the third quarter. In July, it began production of the Model 3, which starts at $35,000 - half the starting price of the Model S.

Mercury News had earlier reported about the firing of hundreds of employees by Tesla in the past week. (Reuters)

N. Korea readies missile launch ahead of US-S. Korea drill: report

North Korea is believed to be preparing to launch a ballistic missile ahead of an upcoming joint naval drill by the US and South Korea, a news report said Saturday, citing a government source.

The US navy said Friday that a US aircraft carrier will lead the drill in the coming week, a fresh show of force against North Korea as tensions soar over the hermit state's weapons programme.

The move will likely rile Pyongyang which has previously responded angrily to joint exercises.

The Donga Ilbo daily, quoting a government source, said satellite pictures show ballistic missiles mounted on launchers being transported out of hangars near Pyongyang and in the North Phyongan Province.

US and South Korean military officials suspect the North might be preparing to launch missiles capable of reaching US territory, the newspaper said.

This could be the Hwasong-14 inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), whose range could extend to Alaska, or Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missiles which Pyongyang threatened to fire towards the US Pacific territory of Guam in August, the report said.

Another possibility is that the North might be preparing to test a new Hwasong-13 ICBM, it added, that has a longer maximum range than the other two missiles and could potentially reach the US West Coast.

A defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, saying: "We don't comment on any matters of military intelligence".

"We are keeping a close watch over the North," he added.

The joint drills led by the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier come after hectic US military hardware movements around the Korean peninsula in recent days.

These follow a flurry of missiles from Pyongyang, which conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last month in defiance of international sanctions.

On Friday the nuclear-powered USS Michigan submarine arrived at the southern South Korean port of Busan, just days after another nuclear-powered submarine -- the USS Tuscon -- left after a five day visit.

Earlier this week the US flew two supersonic heavy bombers over the Korean peninsula, staging the first night-time joint aviation exercises with Japan and South Korea.

That mission came 17 days after four US F-35B stealth fighter jets and two B-1Bs flew over the peninsula.

Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies said it was "highly likely" that the North could launch missiles in response to next week's joint navy drill.

US President Donald Trump's continued threats of military action against Pyongyang if it does not tame its weapons ambitions have fuelled fears of conflict on the Korean peninsula.

But military intervention against North Korea would have "devastating consequences", NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday, after Trump said diplomatic efforts had failed.

AFP

Figure Skating: Gold Pulls Out Of Grand Prix Events, Olympic Hopes Dim

Figure skater Gracie Gold’s chances of making the United States Olympic team have diminished after she withdrew from two events in next month’s Grand Prix series for personal reasons.

U.S. Figure Skating said on Friday that Gold would miss competitions in Beijing and Grenoble, France due to ongoing treatment for off-ice matters.

“It saddens me deeply to sit out this Grand Prix Series, but I know it is for the best,” Gold said in a statement released to media outlets.

“I am currently in treatment for depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. I will not have adequate training time to prepare and compete at the level that I want to.”

Form during the Grand Prix series is taken into consideration for selection on the U.S. team, which will be named after the national championships in January.

The 2018 Winter Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from Feb. 9-25.

Gold, 22, a two-time U.S. champion, finished fourth in the individual event in Sochi in 2014.

(Reuters)

Paris Club refund scam: Court orders ‘consultant’ to forfeit N1.4bn

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the temporary forfeiture of a total of N1,442,384,857.84 found in the bank accounts of three firms, which allegedly impersonated the consultants engaged by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to analyse the Paris/London Club loan refunds due to the states.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which obtained the forfeiture order on Friday, claimed that the defendants obtained N4.3bn from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum by making false claims.

Listed as defendants in an ex parte application taken before the court on Friday were Melrose General Services Limited, WASP Networks Limited and Thebe Wellness Services.

The firms were accused of impersonating a consortium of consulting firms engaged by the governors’ forum for the “verification, reconciliation and recovery of over-deductions on Paris and London Club Loans on the accounts of states and local governments between 1995 and 2002.”

The EFCC said the original firms engaged by the governors’ forum were GSCL Consulting and Bizplus Consulting Services Limited.

But an investigator with the EFCC, Usman Zakari, said the alter ego of the first defendant, Melrose General Services Limited, Robert Mbonu, made a false representation to the governors’ forum, causing the forum to pay N3.5bn to his company on December 14, 2016.

Zakari said the money was credited into the Access Bank account of Melrose General Services Limited, adding that the respondents dissipated and laundered about N2.3bn out of the money between December 15, 2016, and January 20, 2017, leaving a balance of N1.2bn.

Zakari said the anti-graft agency had recovered N220m out of the laundered sum from the second and third respondents.

Counsel for the EFCC, Ekene Iheanacho, told Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, on Friday, that it would best serve the interest of justice for the respondents to be ordered to forfeit the N1.4bn temporarily to prevent them from dissipating same.

The judge granted the application and ordered the EFCC to publish the order in a national daily.

She gave anyone interested in the funds 14 days to appear before her to show cause why the funds should not be forfeited permanently.

Further proceedings were adjourned till October 30, 2017.

Punch

China Sept new yuan loans rise more than expected

SHANGHAI, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Chinese banks extended more loans than expected in September, buoyed by demand from home buyers and companies, even as the government tightened the screws to wean the economy off its years-long addiction to cheap debt.

Banks extended 1.27 trillion yuan ($193.05 billion) in net new yuan loans in September, central bank data showed on Saturday, well above analysts' expectations.

Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted new yuan loans would rise slightly to 1.1 trillion yuan, from 1.09 trillion yuan in August.

Household loans, mostly mortgages, rose to 734.9 billion yuan in September from 663.5 billion yuan in August, according to Reuters calculations based on the central bank's data.

Household loans accounted for 58 percent of total new loans last month, down from 61 percent in August.

Corporate loans were 463.5 billion yuan in September, compared with 483 billion yuan a month earlier.

Broad M2 money supply (M2) in September grew 9.2 percent from a year earlier, beating forecasts for an expansion of 8.9 percent, which was the August expansion.

China's central bank has said that the slowing M2 growth could be a "new normal" due to regulators' stepped-up crackdown on risky shadow lending activities.

Total social financing (TSF), a broad measure of credit and liquidity in the economy, rose to 1.82 trillion yuan in September from 1.48 trillion yuan in August, the data showed.

Capital Economics had expected TSF to pick up to 2 trillion yuan in September.

WALKING A TIGHTROPE

Chinese authorities are trying to walk a fine line by containing riskier types of financing and slowing an explosive build-up in debt without stunting economic growth.

But results of their "de-risking" campaign have been mixed so far.

Regulators appear to have made good inroads into reducing risks in the financial system from interbank and shadow bank lending -- which were arguably China's most immediate systemic threat -- and they have allowed borrowing costs to creep up.

However, credit growth has remained elevated and there is little evidence that companies are using windfall earnings this year to significantly reduce massive debt burdens.

Indeed, consultancy China Beige Book International (CBB) cautioned in its latest report about the prevailing market view that China's economic growth has so far been resilient to government policy tightening, arguing that it has yet to really kick in.

"The mistake is that deleveraging hasn't gotten off the ground," said CBB, which surveys thousands of firms quarterly. "If 2018 sees actual tightening, it will be far more traumatic to firms than most analysts realize."

S&P downgraded China's sovereign rating in September, saying its attempts to reduce debt risks are not working as quickly as expected and credit is still expanding too fast.

The International Monetary Fund warned this year that China's credit growth was on a "dangerous trajectory" and called for "decisive action", while the Bank for International Settlements said in late 2016 that excessive debt growth was signalling a banking crisis in the next three years.

Both bank lending and total social financing look set to hit another record high this year.

Chelsea’s Ola Aina is a threat to many players in Super Eagles squad – Rohr

Head coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has said that Ola Aina is a threat to several players in the squad.

Aina, who is on loan at Hull City from Chelse, made his competitive debut for Nigeria in left-back, as they qualified for the 2018 World Cup, with a 1-0 win over Zambia last weekend in Uyo.

His impressive cameo led to suggestions that the 21-year-old, could displace Elderson Echiejile, as the Eagles’ first choice in the position.

But Rohr warns that Aina can also displace other players because of his versatility.

“He (Aina) has the strength, pace and ability to play in more than one role. Aina is not in the team as cover for the left full back spot, he can play as a right back, wing-back on both flanks and also in central defence,” Rohr told Owngoalnigeria.com

“Aina was educated the Chelsea way, he was with the first team for the best part of last season, so he has the experience to do well for us. Presently he is doing very well at Hull City.”

Daily Post

The Latest: States file lawsuit over insurance payments

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and health care (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

Nearly 20 states have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over his decision to stop payments that lower health insurance deductibles and co-pays for millions of Americans with modest incomes.

Attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York are among those announcing they had filed the lawsuit in federal court in California.

Trump said Thursday he would end the cost-sharing subsidies.

The attorneys general say Trump is not following federal law in ending a legally mandated system that already is operating.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen says Trump's action would raise health insurance prices enough that healthier people will flee the insurance markets, resulting in higher costs for those who remain.

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3:45 p.m.

Six physician groups are condemning a Trump administration decision to halt payments to insurers under the Obama-era health care law.

Their statement Friday calls on Congress to act immediately to restore the payments to prevent what it called "dramatic, if not catastrophic, increases in premiums across the country" and millions of Americans losing coverage.

The groups represent more than 560,000 U.S. doctors and medical students. They are the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Congress of 

Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Psychiatric Association.

The statement follows an announcement late Thursday. The White House says the government cannot legally continue to pay the so-called cost-sharing subsidies because it lacks formal authorization by Congress.

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3:30 p.m.

At least a dozen states plan to sue President Donald Trump over his decision to stop payments that lower health insurance deductibles and co-pays for millions of Americans with modest incomes.

Attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York are among those announcing they will file the lawsuit in federal court in California.

Trump said Thursday he would end the cost-sharing subsidies.

The attorneys general say Trump is not following federal law in ending a legally mandated system that already is operating.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said Trump's action would raise health insurance prices enough that healthier people will flee the insurance markets, resulting in higher costs for those who remain.

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2:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to halt payments to insurers under the Obama-era health care law.

Trump said as he left the White House Friday that the subsidies are "almost a payoff" to insurance companies to lift their stock prices instead of helping low-income people afford their premiums.

He says: "That money is a subsidy for insurance companies" and that he doesn't "want to make the insurance companies rich."

Trump is calling on Democrats to negotiate a deal with him.

He says: "What it's going to do is there's going to be time to negotiate health care that's going to be good for everybody."

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1 p.m.

Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer says "threats and bullying" from President Donald Trump will not force Democrats to repeal the Obama health care law.

The New York Democrat tells reporters people will blame Republicans for the pain of Trump's decision to halt federal payments to insurers.

Schumer says blocking those subsidies will cause higher premiums and prompt some insurers to stop selling policies. He says people "know full well which party is doing it."

Schumer says Trump has "a decreased level of trust" with voters and congressional Democrats. He says Trump lacks leverage to force Democrats to make concessions.

The Democratic leader says there'll be a good chance to restore the money in a bipartisan end-of-year spending bill

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11:30 a.m.

The health insurance industry says the billions of dollars in "Obamacare" subsidies that President Donald Trump is halting are not a "bailout" that companies are using to line their coffers.

America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said in a joint statement Friday that the money goes to doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other service providers to lower copays and deductibles for 6 million consumers.

"This action will make it harder for patients to access the care they need," said the statement. "Costs will go up and choices will be restricted."

The industry has been urging Congress to clear up a legal dispute over the money by formally directing the executive branch to make the monthly payments.

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11:15 a.m.

A coalition of state attorneys general is planning to file suit Friday to try to block President Donald Trump from stopping billions of dollars in "Obamacare" subsidies for consumers.

The office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (hahv-YEHR' beh-SEH'-rah) says the federal suit will argue that the Trump administration violated a law that requires government agencies to obey existing statutes and follow orderly and transparent procedures.

The state officials will also argue that the Trump administration violated the U.S. Constitution's "Take Care Clause," which requires the executive branch to faithfully execute laws.

The Trump administration announced late Thursday night it's stopping subsidies for copays and deductibles. The president took to Twitter before dawn Friday to say the Obama health law is imploding and Democrats should call him to make a deal.

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8:40 a.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is defending the Trump administration decision to stop making payments to insurers under the Obama health care law.

Sessions says on "Fox and Friends" that the Justice Department does not 

believe the government can spend the $7 billion for insurers because Congress never appropriated it.

The subsidies help lower copays and deductibles for people with modest incomes.

The White House said late Thursday that it would stop the payments. That's expected to trigger a spike in premiums for next year, unless Trump reverses course or Congress authorizes the money.

Sessions says courts have found "the appropriation must come from Congress." He says, "The president cannot do it."

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7:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is calling the so-called "Obamacare" law a "broken mess" after his move that's likely to roil insurance markets.

Trump tweeted Friday that "piece by piece" his administration will begin the process of "giving America the great HealthCare it deserves!"

The White House said late Thursday it would immediately halt payments to insurers under the Obama-era health care law.

The subsidies help lower copays and deductibles for people with modest incomes. Stopping the payments would trigger a spike in premiums for next year unless Trump reverses course or Congress authorizes the money.

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5:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump is inviting congressional Democrats to "call me to fix" America's health care system, as he prepares an order ceasing federal subsidy payments to health insurers.

In a pre-dawn post on his Twitter account Friday, the president reiterated his oft-stated argument that "Obamacare is imploding."

Addressing Democrats, he tweeted that "massive subsidy payments to their pet insurance companies has stopped. Dems should call me to fix!"

Since his presidential campaign and nearly nine months in office, Trump has persistently called for getting rid of the 2010 Obama law. His fellow Republicans joined him in that cause, but neither Trump nor the GOP has been able to muster sufficient strength to get the repeal bill through the Senate.

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3:40 a.m.

In a brash move likely to roil insurance markets, President Donald Trump will "immediately" halt payments to insurers under the Obama-era health care law he has been trying to unravel for months.

The Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement in a statement late Thursday. "We will discontinue these payments immediately," said acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan and Medicare administrator Seema Verma. Sign-up season for subsidized private insurance starts Nov. 1, in less than three weeks, with about 9 million people currently covered.

In a separate statement, the White House said the government cannot legally continue to pay the so-called cost-sharing subsidies because they lack a formal authorization by Congress.