At least four miners were killed and six others injured in a coal mine explosion in west-central Georgia, the countrys Interior Ministry said on Monday.

The explosion occurred on early morning in the countrys Tkibuli city.

Methane explosion supposedly caused the collapse of the ceiling in the tunnel, Georgia Today reported quoting the ministry.

According to the newspaper, the injured persons were taken to the hospital and one of them was in critical condition.

An investigation has been launched.

In April, another explosion in the same mine killed six miners and injured three others.

Source:https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/georgia-at-least-4-miners-killed-in-mine-explosion/1205364

Source: NAN

Four years after he was massively rigged out of office by the Goodluck Jonathan-era Peoples Democratic Party, Dr John Kayode Fayemi will return to the Ekiti State Government House in October, to continue his job, where he left off.

The former minister of mines and steel, was declared winner of the hotly contested July 14 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, following the collation of the results. As computed from INEC results, Fayemi polled 197,459 votes. His PDP rival Olusola Eleka, a professor got 178,121 votes.

The chief returning officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, declared Fayemi the winner and Governor-elect just before 8.00 am on Sunday.

Fifty three year-old Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress won in 12 of the l6 local governments, leaving the PDP rival, Olusola Eleka, the remaining four.

Eleka won in his local council of Ikere-Ekiti, Emure, Efon and Ado-Ekiti.

Fayemi won in Ilejemeje, Irepodun/Ifelodun, which is the local council of the incumbent, Ayodele Fayose, Ido-Osi, Fayemi’s own local council.

The APC candidate also won in Oye, Moba, Ijero, Gboyin, Ekiti West, Ikole, Ise Orun, Ekiti East and Ekiti South West.

According to the results declared, a total of 403,451 votes were cast at the election. The rejected votes totalled 18, 857, while valid votes cast was 384,594.

Here is the full result as released by INEC:

1. Ilejemeje LGA
   APC – 4,153
   PDP – 3,937

2. Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA
   APC – 13,869
   PDP – 11,456

3. Ido-Osi LGA
   APC – 12,342
   PDP – 11,145

4. Oye LGA
   APC – 14,995
   PDP – 11,271

*5. Efon LGA
APC – 5,082
PDP – 5,192

6. Moba LGA
   APC – 11,837
   PDP – 8,520

7. Ijero LGA
   APC – 14,192
   PDP – 11,077

8. Gboyin LGA
   APC – 11,489
   PDP – 8,027

*9. Emure LGA
APC – 7,084
PDP – 7,121

*10. Ikere LGA
APC – 11,515
PDP – 17,183

11. Ekiti West LGA
    APC – 12,648
    PDP – 10,137

12. Ikole LGA
    APC – 14,522
    PDP – 13,961

13. Ise Orun LGA
    APC – 11,908
    PDP – 6,297

14. Ekiti East LGA
    APC – 12,778
    PDP – 11,564

15. Ekiti South West LGA
    APC – 11,015
    PDP – 8,432

*16. Ado-Ekiti LGA
APC – 28,111
PDP – 32,810

How each party fared in Ekiti election:

The National Broadcasting Commission has shut down the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) for breaching provisions of the Broadcasting Code.

The commission’s Southwest monitoring chief Professor Armstrong Idachaba cited breach of the electoral act and broadcasting code by the media outfit, after Governor Ayodele Fayose went on air to announce fake results in favour of Olusola Emeka, his deputy and PDP governorship candidate.

“The Commission has taken the decision to curb the continued breach of the Electoral Act and the Broadcasting Code on Political Broadcast.

The Commission was particularly irked by the unauthorized declaration of results by the state Governor on the state owned Broadcast stations.

The governor had also made malicious and unsubstantiated comments against INEC, the Police and the SSS.

NBC said the stations, comprising radio and TV will remain shut down until further notice.

Source: NAN

Dr Kayode Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress,in the Ekiti governorship election, is coasting home to victory, according to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in majority of the 16 local councils in the state.

Fayemi, who was governor of the state between 2010 and 2014, has won no fewer than 13 of the 16 councils, including the council of incumbent Ayodele Fayose.

In what appeared to be poetic justice, Fayemi
won in Irepodun-Ifelodun council, the home base of Fayose.

Fayemi polled 13,869 votes. The PDP candidate, Olusola Eleka, Fayose’s deputy got 11,456 votes.

In the 2014 election, massively rigged by Fayose’s PDP, Fayemi lost all the Ekiti councils to Fayose.

This time around, Fayemi only lost in Fayose’s polling unit and ward.

However, the votes in other wards were not enough to secure victory for Fayose’s party and candidate in the local government.

The local government has 11 wards. Results from each ward were collated at the local council headquarters of INEC situated in Igede.

A total of 66,162 voters were registered in the local government while 27,306 were accredited.

INEC headquarters in Ado-Ekiti is compiling all the results from the local councils and the official announcement will be made later Sunday.

According to reports from local council collation centers, Fayemi also won in Oye LGA, Ilejemeje, Ido-Osi, Gbonyin and Moba.

However, he narrowly lost Ado-Ekiti, where Fayose doled out a minimum of N4000 to would-be-voters on Friday.

Updates Later...

Professor Kolapo Olusola Eleka, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party is already crying foul about Saturday election outcome, alleging manipulation of results.

In a statement, a spokesman of the candidate Lere Olayinka said ”We contested against security agencies” and alleged that plans were afoot to tinker with the results of the election.

Olayinka said results in most of the Local Councils are currently being tinkered with.

”Aside the fact that it was an election of the PDP versus all the security agencies in the country, we are confident of winning.

He said the various wards collating centres have been taken over by armed thugs backed by security agencies as it was before and during the election.

“Despite the intimidation and harassment by security agencies, we are still hopeful of winning the election but we are confronted with a clear plot to manipulate the results.

“We are therefore calling on all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the security agencies and INEC to allow the will of Ekiti people to prevail.”

About 60 Nigerian men who say they entered Russia on the pretext of being World Cup fans camped outside their country's embassy in Moscow on Friday asking for help.

Sofiya Dukhovnaya, an activist with the anti-human trafficking group Alternativa, told The Associated Press the men arrived in Russia using a legal loophole posing as World Cup fans.

An agency in Nigeria sold them World Cup fan identification cards that allowed them to enter Russia without a visa and promised them work. But it was clear that the men were not in Russia for the soccer because they didn't know which matches their national team was playing or even how many players were on the team, according to Dukhovnaya.

Once in Russia, the men realized they had been lied to. There were no jobs lined up for them, their return tickets turned out to be fake and they very quickly ran out of money and couldn't afford food and shelter.

"They were hoping to find work and improve their lives," Dukhovnaya said.

Alternativa said the Nigerian Embassy promised help, but did little for the men. The group tried feeding some of the men and putting them up in hostels, but as more and more came, Alternativa ran out of resources and could not support them all. Besides the 60 men who showed up near the embassy in Moscow on Friday, rights activists believe there are dozens more in and around Moscow.

Nigerian Ambassador Steve Davies Ugbah addressed the men on Friday and promised to provide them with food and shelter while he looks for a way to get them home.

The Nigerian Embassy did not respond to a request for further comment.

Alternativa said Nigerian men are not the only ones who have been trafficked into Russia for the World Cup. She said her group was able to identify several women brought here for sexual exploitation.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that foreign nationals who for some reason don't have the money to buy return tickets need to turn to their embassies for help.

"Practices of human trafficking are in opposition to FIFA's own values," FIFA said Friday. "The competence to address issues related to human trafficking, like any other criminal activity, is with the relevant national and international authorities (policy, judicial and governmental), and FIFA welcomes the steps that are taken in that respect."

FIFA referred a question about the loopholes in its Fan ID system to the Russian Communications Ministry, which did not immediately respond to emailed questions.

The Fan ID system was designed to offer visa-free travel to ticket holders, but fans quickly found the same ticket number could be used to apply for multiple IDs and even numbers from expired tickets could be used. In some cases, people appear to have used their Fan IDs to enter Russia as a stepping stone in attempts to migrate to European Union countries.

Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar said Monday they were considering copying the Fan ID system for their event as a security measure.

Source: MSN

Maurizio Sarri says he wants to bring "entertaining football" to Chelsea after becoming their manager on a three-year deal.

The 59-year-old replaces fellow Italian Antonio Conte, who was sacked on Friday after two years at Stamford Bridge.

Sarri led Napoli to two second-place finishes in his three seasons in charge of the Serie A side, who named Carlo Ancelotti as his successor in May.

"It is an exciting new period in my career," said Sarri.

"I hope we can provide some entertaining football for our fans and that we will be competing for trophies at the end of the season, which is what this club deserves."

He is the 13th managerial appointment by Blues owner Roman Abramovich since his takeover of the club in 2003, including Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink on two occasions.

Sarri's appointment had been widely expected, with Chelsea agreeing compensation to bring him to Stamford Bridge because he had two years left on his Napoli deal and had remained on the Italian club's payroll after Ancelotti's arrival.

Source: BBC

Chelsea have signed Italy international Jorginho from Napoli after Manchester City pulled out of a £50m deal.

Jorginho, 26, has signed a five-year contract to join former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge.

On Thursday, City were assured by Jorginho's agent that the midfielder still wanted to join them, despite Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis saying the player favoured Chelsea.

"I am absolutely ecstatic to be here at Chelsea," Jorginho said.

"It is not easy to become part of such a big team so I am very, very happy. I am excited to play in such an intense league for a team that gives everything to play and win."

Brazil-born Jorginho had been at Napoli since 2014 and scored four goals in 36 appearances for the side last season as they finished second in Serie A.

He scored a penalty in Napoli's 4-2 Champions League defeat by Manchester City in November and also played for Italy in a 1-1 draw with England in March.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia described him as "one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe".

Jorginho - full name Jorge Luiz Frello Filho - was utilised primarily as a deep-lying midfielder by Sarri at Napoli and has been likened in style to former Spain international Xabi Alonso and ex-Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo.

Having been born in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, Jorginho qualified for Italian citizenship through his grandparents and rose through the youth ranks at Hellas Verona before making his Serie B debut in September 2011.

He played a key role in helping Verona win promotion to Serie A in May 2013, which prompted Rafael Benitez to bring him to Napoli for £9m in January 2014, and won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his first year in Naples.

Jorginho has won eight caps for Italy having made his international debut in a 1-1 friendly draw with Spain in March 2016.

NAN Reporting
Dr Kayode Fayemi, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the Ekiti election cast his ballot in his Unit 009, Ogilolo Ward 11, Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, at about 10.28 a.m on Saturday.

But his wife, Bisi, who accompanied him to the polling station, could not vote as the Card Reader could not accredit her.

Although the electoral officials found her name on the voter register, the card reader did not recognise her voter card.

Nevertheless, Fayemi commended the electorate in Ekiti for their impressive turnout and conduct.

Assessing the electoral process, Fayemi said, “This is the day the Lord has made and we are glad in it. I have just voted in my Unit.

“The voting process is relatively smooth; my card was recognized. I was accredited and I went to cast my ballot.

“You can see the turn out in my community, it is huge. This is not a big community, but almost everyone is out to cast his vote.

“They ensure that they conduct themselves in a proper manner and not being disenfranchised.”

He, however, said that reports he got from his representatives revealed that though the exercise was peaceful in most places, there were also reports of skirmishes in some places, and Card Reader issues.

“I have had reports across the state from my agents, from our leaders; we have skirmishes, Card Reader issues, but also there has been relative calm in most places.

“It is too early to judge now; it is too early to give a final and full verdict on how the process on the ground out there in state is.

“I will plead with you, the media, to allow me some time to get more reports from the field before I give you a definitive statement about the process,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that large number of voters queued up to cast their ballots at the polling units in the ward.

The INEC voting list pasted in Unit 009 bore 345 names of eligible voters, including Fayemi and his wife.

Eleke Votes

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ekiti governorship election, Prof. Olusola Eleka, has now cast his ballot after INEC manually accredited him.

The man who wants to succeed his mentor, Governor Ayo Fayose voted at 11.10 a.m.

Earlier, the INEC card reader rejected his PVC twice, according to The Nation.

The newspaper also reported that the INEC card reader also failed to the PVC of Eleka’s wife.

“It is only the PDP candidate’s PVC that was not read by the card reader in his unit. Everyone else has been verified so far and voting ongoing”, The Nation said.

NAN reporter in Ikere-Ekiti, Adedeji Egbebi reported that Eleka voted following the intervention of National Commissioner of INEC, Professor Anthonia Taiye.

Eleka thanked the INEC commissioner for creating alternative means for him to cast his vote.

He appealed to the National Commissioner of INEC to ensure that all the card readers in Ikere Ekiti polling units are functioning properly.

Taiye, who supervised voting in the area had promptly assured Eleka, at a press briefing that he would cast his vote, after she was notified.

She said that some of the major reasons why the card reader often rejects the PVCs was because the owners often tamper with the sensitive part of the card and whenever it happens, the machine would reject the card.

” Card readers often reject card whenever the sensitive parts are tampered with.

” In the case of Prof. Olusola Eleka, I have contacted our ICT operators and the head office in Abuja and they are currently working on it and I want to him that he would vote before the vote ends,” she said.

Source: NAN

Impressive turn-out of voters on Saturday was the hallmark of the governorship election in Ekiti state on Saturday and results may be announced earlier than expected as voting has been seamless in many polling units.

Many voters turned out at most polling centres across the 16 Local Governments and 177 Electoral wards in the state, despite initial apprehension few days to the poll. There were only a few hiccups with the card reader.

The elements also favoured the polls as there was no sign of rain in the towns and villages.

In every place visited, the voters formed long queues as security agents stood by, monitoring the exercise.

There was no complaint about late arrival of voting materials.

NAN reports that the only problem was controlling the crowd of voters who kept trooping to various voting venues.

However, there were incidents of altercations over open inducement of voters.

But none of the 35 participating parties owned up to the inducement allegation, as the parties traded blames.

NAN learnt that highest money doled out as inducement in some instances was N5,000, while the lowest was N3,000.

At Iyin-Ekiti, hometown of former Gov. Niyi Adebayo who is a newly elected Deputy National Deputy Chairman, (South) of APC, elections went on smoothly in the two wards in the town.

Voting was was peaceful also at Ise-Ekiti, hometown of a former Works Minister and a former gubernatorial aspirant under PDP, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye. Scores of eligible voters that trooped conducted themselves peacefully.

NAN reports tat Adeyeye, who came out to vote at about 9:30am, commended the voters, security agents and INEC.

Adeyeye switched to the All Progressives Congress after the PDP primary, accusing the incumbent PDP governor of hijacking the exercise.

Source: NAN