Author: Chronicle Editor

A 73-year-old woman in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has given birth to twin girls. Doctors delivered the twins, who were born following IVF treatment, on Thursday. “The mother and the babies are doing well,” Dr Uma Sankar, the woman’s doctor, told BBC Telugu. Mangayamma Yaramati said she and her husband, who is 82 years old, have always wanted children but had been unable to conceive until now. “We are incredibly happy,” her husband Sitarama Rajarao told BBC Telugu on Thursday, hours after the babies were born. But just a day later, Mr Rajarao suffered a sudden stroke…

Two-time Olympic 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya has joined a South African women’s football team. The 28-year-old is unable to compete without taking testosterone-reducing drugs following a rule change by the IAAF, athletics’ governing body. It means she cannot defend her 800m World Championship title in Doha this month – though she is fighting the rule change through the courts. She is now training with Gauteng-based women’s football club JVW. The three-time world champion, who announced in July that she would not be defending her 800m world title, cannot starting playing for JVW until the 2020 season, having joined outside the South…

Argentina legend Diego Maradona has been named manager of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata – the first coaching job in his homeland since 2010. The 58-year-old, Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning captain, takes charge until the end of the season. Gimnasia – nicknamed El Lobo, which means ‘the Wolf’ – are bottom of the Primera Division. “Star of world football Diego Maradona has signed his name and is the new coach of Gimnasia,” the club said. Maradona, who shared Fifa’s Player of the 20th Century award with Brazilian great Pele, takes on a team who have gained one point from their…

Shares of MTN Nigeria hit a three-month high on Friday after the telecoms firm’s offices partially reopened following a shutdown due to anti-South African attacks in the West African country. The local unit of South Africa’s MTN Group closed all stores and service centres in Nigeria after its facilities in three cities were attacked following days of riots in South Africa chiefly targeting foreign-owned, including Nigerian, businesses. READ: FIRS contributes 59.7% to Federation Account in 3 months – RMAFC But on Friday, the Xenophobic attacks and reprisal attacks could not stop its shares from selling handsomely as its shares hit…

A Zambian pastor identified as Brighton Samajomba has reportedly died of starvation 10 days before the end of his annual 30-day fasting programme. Samajomba, 37, of “Heaven Is My Home” in Solwezi, Northwest area of Zambia, was reportedly found dead by his wife in the early hours of the 20th day of his 30-day fasting programme of standing in the gap for his family and church members. Samajomba’s death was confirmed by his brother Reagan Samajomba in Solwezi on Wednesday. Reagan said the deceased Samjomba who led a lifestyle of taking on many days of prayer and fasting programmes, started…

Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Chief Elias Mbam, has commended the efforts of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) towards revenue generation, stating that the agency contributed 59.7 percent revenues to Federation Account in the last three months. Mbam made the disclosure yesterday when he led a team of RMAFC Commissioners and other Management members on a visit to FIRS Headquarters in Abuja. “I want to observe with pleasure that in the last three months, the FIRS has been the major contributor to the Federation Account. The average contribution from the FIRS in the last…

The owners of porn streaming site Pornhub are profiting from “revenge porn” and failing to remove videos once reported, BBC News has been told. One woman, “Sophie”, said she felt “violated” after a video featuring her was viewed hundreds of thousands of times when it was uploaded online. Campaign group #NotYourPorn said such content allowed Pornhub owners MindGeek to make greater advertising revenues. Pornhub said it “strongly condemns” revenge porn. It added it had “the most progressive anti-revenge-porn policy in the industry”. It said it could not find “any record of any email” from Sophie asking for the videos featuring…

Nicki Minaj says she’s “decided to retire and have a family” – and told her fans that she loves them “for life”. The Grammy-nominated rapper is dating a man called Kenneth Petty and has hinted that they’re planning to get married. As well as music, the 36-year-old has appeared in several Hollywood films and has her own radio show. She’s not made it clear how many of her ventures she’s retiring from or, even, if she’s being serious. I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do…

The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has concluded plans to hold its rescheduled 46thAnnual General Meeting/Congress at the Orchid Hotel, Lekki/Ajah, Lagos, on 20 and 21 September, 2019. This was announced in a statement signed by AAN Publicity Secretary, Jenkins Alumona. The AGM/Congress, which was scheduled to hold in July in Asaba, Delta State, was rescheduled due to circumstances beyond the Association’s control. The theme for this year’s AGM/Congress remains “The War Within: Solutions for Survival”. President of the Association, Mr. Ikechi Odigbo reiterated that the Association aims to use the AGM as a platform to engage in…

A rampaging Serena Williams moved to the brink of a record equaling 24th career Grand Slam title on Thursday storming past Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-1 to book her spot in the U.S. Open final. Since returning to action after the birth of her first child Williams has come agonizingly close to matching Margaret Court’s mark three times and will have a chance on Saturday to do so in front of an adoring home crowd for a second successive year. In 2018 Williams was left in tears following a chaotic and controversial loss to Naomi Osaka on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She…