INSTANT NEWS

Perth Glory has announced the exciting signing of Nigerian international and seasoned defender, Onyinyechi Zogg, to their A-League Women's squad for the 2024/25 season. The 27-year-old center-back brings a wealth of European experience, having played for top-tier clubs in Switzerland, France, Germany, and Israel.

Zogg's impressive resume includes stints with Young Boys, FC Zurich, Servette FC Chenois, ASJ Soyaux, Turbine Potsdam, and FC Bethlehem. Her extensive experience and skills will undoubtedly bolster Perth Glory's defense.

In a statement on the club's website, Zogg expressed her enthusiasm for joining Perth Glory. "When my manager presented the opportunity, I seized it," she said. "I've heard great things about the A-League Women's quality and wanted to experience it. Now, I'm thrilled to do so with Perth Glory – it's a fantastic chance."

Zogg is eager to meet her new teammates and coach, aiming to make a significant impact on the team's success. Her addition promises to elevate Perth Glory's performance in the upcoming season.

Welcome Onyinyechi Zogg to Perth Glory! Fans can expect a strong and skilled performance from this talented defender.

Chelsea Football Club is under scrutiny, facing a possible transfer ban due to an ongoing investigation into potential financial breaches during Roman Abramovich's ownership. The inquiry, led by Premier League CEO Richard Masters, focuses on undeclared payments and transactions made through offshore companies, allegedly benefiting the club.

Abramovich's tenure (2003-2022) has raised concerns, particularly after the Todd Boehly-led consortium reported incomplete financial information upon taking over in May 2022. Leaked documents revealed tens of millions of pounds in alleged payments to agents and associates, potentially breaching financial rules.

UEFA has already fined Chelsea €10m for submitting incomplete financial information between 2012 and 2019. The Premier League's investigation seeks to uncover links between offshore entities and transfer dealings, which could result in severe penalties, including:

- Transfer ban

- Points deduction

- Fine

Richard Masters stated, "The investigation is reaching a conclusion... It's complicated, involving historic events under previous ownership." The outcome remains uncertain, leaving Chelsea's future transfer activities hanging in the balance.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story, as the investigation's conclusion may significantly impact Chelsea FC's future.

President Bola Tinubu is set to preside over the National Council of State meeting at Presidential Villa.

The meeting which just kicked off now is Tinubu’s first Council of State meeting he is hosting since assuming office as President.

Those expected to attend the meeting are all living former presidents and past heads of state.

As of the time of filing this brief report, past presidents sighted are former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari while Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Head of State Yakubu Gowon joined virtually.

Sources within the presidency revealed that top on the agenda is the issue of the fallouts of the #EndBadGovernance protests which took place from August 1 and later fizzled out although it was planned to be a 10-day straight demonstration.

Beyond the recent protests, serving ministers of the Tinubu administration are also billed to make presentations to the Council.

While the ministers are not members, they have been specifically invited by the president to make the presentations.

Other cabinet members expected to sit in include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the NSA, and the Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, among others.

Apart from the lead presentations by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, other presentations expected today include on Food Security by the Agriculture & Food Security Minister, State of the Economy by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy,

Road Construction by the Minister for Works and a presentation on Solid Minerals by the Minister in Charge of the Ministry.

The Council of State consists of the following persons: President, who is the Chairman Vice-President, who is the Deputy Chairman, All former Presidents of the Federation and all former Heads of the Government of the Federation, All former Chief Justices of Nigeria President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives, All the Governors of the states of the Federation, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.

More details later............

He acclaimed the feat after his recently released third studio album ‘Lungu Boy’ peaked at number one on the chart.

The 15-track album, with guest features from Wizkid, Travis Scott, Stormzy, Central Cee and Ludmilla, broke the record for the biggest first-day streams for an African album on Spotify.

The album garnered 9.42 million streams on the Global Spotify Chart on its first day.

One of the standout tracks from the album ‘MMS’ featuring Wizkid, broke the record for the biggest first-day streams on Spotify Nigeria with 870,000 streams.

Following the return of normalcy to Potiskum, Gashu’a and Nguru towns of Yobe State after violent protests, Governor Mai Mala Buni has approved a lifting of the curfew imposed on the towns with immediate effect.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General (retd), who urged security agencies to remain vigilant and ensure the maintenance of law and order in the three towns and the state generally.

The security agencies should also ensure that no space is given to hoodlums, miscreants and other criminals to perpetrate any act of lawlessness as a result of the lifting of the curfew,” the adviser urged.

He also appealed to law-abiding citizens of the state to continue with their lawful activities and report any suspicious movement, activity or persons to relevant law enforcement or security agencies.

Today's hamster daily cipher of 11/08/2024

For the crypto lovers 

 Musa decried military takeover in some West African countries, saying it has created unintended consequences and threatened democratic values in the region. 

 According to him, the threat of military takeover must be destroyed, adding that it negates the core values and responsibilities of the military profession. He further stated that in democratic countries, the military must uphold democratic values in line with the principles of their constitutions.

 Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar; and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar; tasked the service chiefs from the regional bloc to tackle terrorism through effective collaboration to combat the illicit movement of small arms and light weapons in the West African sub-region. The meeting held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja has regional security as one of its agenda at a time the bloc is considering the establishment of a force that will counter security challenges. Of the 15 defence chiefs expected at the meeting, those of Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Togo were absent. At the end of the previous meeting last August, the defence chiefs had agreed to a comprehensive and holistic approach towards political, security and diplomatic dimensions in addressing the situation in Niger Republic. The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger had set up the mutual defence pact, leaving the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in January. In July, the three country’s leaders took part in the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), set up after pulling out of ECOWAS. Their exit from ECOWAS was fuelled in part by their claim that Paris was manipulating the bloc, and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts.