Pope Francis has told an Italian newspaper that he has offered to travel to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin to try to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, but that he hasn’t yet heard back.
Francis said he made the offer about three weeks into Russia’s invasion, via the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Popes for decades have sought to visit Moscow as part of the longstanding effort to heal relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, which split with Rome more than 1,000 years ago. But an invitation has never been forthcoming.
“Of course, it would be necessary for the leader of the Kremlin to make available some window of opportunity. But we still have not had a response and we are still pushing, even if I fear that Putin cannot and does not want to have this meeting at this moment,” Francis was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Francis recalled that he spoke in March with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, for 40 minutes by videoconference and for the first half “with paper in hand, he read all of the justifications for the war.
“I listened and told him: ‘I don’t understand any of this. Brother, we are not clerics of the state, we cannot use language of politics, but that of Jesus. ... For this we need to find the paths of peace, to stop the firing of arms.’”
Francis has given a handful of interviews of late to friendly media emphasizing his call for an end to the war and initiatives to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainians. He has defended his decision to not call out Putin or Russia publicly, saying popes don’t do so. But he freely named Putin in his remarks to Corriere, and seemed to equate the carnage in Ukraine with the genocide in Rwanda a quarter-century ago.
“Such brutality, how can you not try to to stop it? Twenty-five years ago in Rwanda we saw the same thing,” he was quoted as saying.
Further to its 28 February 2022 decision to suspend all Russian representative teams and clubs from participating in UEFA competition matches until further notice, the UEFA Executive Committee today took a series of decisions relating to the implications of that decision for its upcoming competitions, in order to ensure their smooth staging in a safe and secure environment for all those concerned.
The UEFA Executive Committee decided the following:
UEFA Nations League 2022/23
Russia will not participate in Group 2 of League B and will automatically be ranked fourth in this group. Consequently, they will be relegated at the end of the group phase and ranked in 16th and last place of League B. UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (final tournament)
Russia will not participate in group C of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final tournament scheduled between 6 and 31 July in England and will be replaced by Portugal, the opponent Russia defeated in the play-offs. European Qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
Russia did not play their two matches scheduled in April in Group E (comprising Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Malta and Azerbaijan) due to their suspension. Russia will not participate in any of the subsequent matches in this competition and all their results until now are considered as null and void. Consequently, Group E will continue as a group of five teams. 2021-23 European Under 21 Championship
Russia did not play their two matches scheduled in March in Group C (comprising Spain, Slovakia, Malta, Lithuania and Northern Ireland) due to their suspension. Russia will not participate in any of the subsequent matches in this competition and all their results until now are considered as null and void. Consequently, Group C will continue as a group of five teams. 2022/23 UEFA club competitions
UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Youth League
Russia will have no affiliated clubs participating in UEFA club competitions in the 2022/23 season. Consequently, the respective access lists of the men’s and women’s club competitions have been rebalanced in accordance with the principles set out in the relevant competition regulations. Furthermore, Russia will be assigned a number of coefficient points equivalent to the lowest number they have earned in any of the last five seasons, i.e. 4.333 points for the men’s association club coefficient and 1.750 for the women’s association club coefficient for the purpose of points calculation for the 2022/23 season. UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO 2022 (final tournament)
Russia will not participate in the final tournament (comprising Portugal, Spain and Ukraine) scheduled between 1 and 3 July in Portugal and will be replaced by Hungary, who finished second in Group 1 of the Main Round, won by Russia. 2022/23 UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO
Russia had been directly drawn into Group 4 of the Main Round. As the three group winners and the best runner-up will qualify from the Preliminary Round, Russia will be replaced in the Main Round with the second best-ranked runner-up of the Preliminary Round. 2022/23 UEFA Futsal Champions League
Russia will have no affiliated clubs participating in the 2022/23 UEFA Futsal Champions League. European Qualifications to the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024
Russia will be replaced in the Main Round group phase draw by Norway, which was the best third-ranked team of the Preliminary Round. 2022/23 Youth competitions
Russia will not participate in the 2022/23 Men’s Under-17 and Men’s Under-19 Championships and teams drawn in their group will compete against each other in a mini-tournament with three teams. Russia will not participate in the Women’s Under-17 and Women’s Under-19 Championships, and one additional three-team mini-tournament will take place in each competition. 2022/23 UEFA Regions’ Cup
Russia will be replaced by the runner-up of the Preliminary Round in Group 1 of the Intermediate Round. EURO 2028/32 Bid procedure
The UEFA Executive Committee declared the bid submitted by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) to host the UEFA EURO 2028 or the UEFA EURO 2032 as not eligible, in accordance with Article 16.02 of the Bid Regulations UEFA Finals and Final Phases which states that “each bidder shall ensure that it does not act in a manner that could bring UEFA, the UEFA final or UEFA final phase, any other bidder (or any employee, officer or representative of any of the foregoing), the bidding procedure or European football into disrepute.”
Moreover, “the automatic qualification of the host team(s) shall be guaranteed (…) for a single host (…)”. Therefore, given the uncertainty as to when the suspension will be lifted, the acceptance of a bid from the FUR would also go against the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee of 28 February 2022, suspending all Russian representative teams and clubs from participating in UEFA competition matches until further notice, if an association, whose teams are currently suspended from participating in any UEFA competition would be allowed to bid for a tournament to be hosted on its territory.
The UEFA Executive Committee will remain on standby to convene further meetings to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary.
A British lawmaker accused of watching pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons chamber has been named as Neil Parish.
The Conservative MP has been suspended from the parliamentary party pending the outcome of an investigation by the Commons standards committee, Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris’s office said in an emailed statement.
Parish referred himself for investigation after speaking to Heaton-Harris on Friday, according to the statement. Parish didn’t immediately respond to a text message and an email seeking comment. Two calls to his parliamentary office number went to voice mail.
The porn allegations this week reignited a long-running row over the culture toward women in Westminster. The Sunday Times reported that three members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet are among 56 MPs who are facing allegations of sexual misconduct and have also been reported to Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.
Parish has served as the Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, southwest England since May 2010. He’s served as chair of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee since 2015. He’s married and has two children.
Days of stories about female MPs witnessing an unnamed male lawmaker watching porn in Parliament have prompted fresh revelations about the way women are treated in Westminster.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said earlier on Friday that she was once “pinned up against a wall” by a male MP, warning that some colleagues drink too much and think they’re “God’s gift to women.”
She told LBC Radio she had witnessed and been a victim of misogyny “many times over.”
“We might describe it as wandering hands,” she said. “We might describe it as, a number of years ago, being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I’m pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man.”
On Thursday, Attorney General Suella Braverman said on BBC Radio 4 there was a “small minority” of male MPs who “behave like animals and are bringing Parliament into disrepute.”
The renewed focus on misconduct within the Conservative Party is a fresh setback for Johnson, who became the first serving prime minister found to have broken the law when he was fined over lockdown rules. Local elections on May 5 could spark a fresh backlash from Tory MPs as they will be seen as a verdict on Johnson’s leadership.
A new variant of buying of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms came to the fore at the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Abuja on Thursday.
Seventeen children of an APC governorship aspirant in Kaduna State, Alhaji Sani Sha’aban, came together and bought the forms for him to contest the 2023 governorship election in the state.
What was trending in the political arena before Thursday was for “pressure groups’’ and “friends’’ to pick the forms for aspirants in virtually all the political parties.
Asmau Sani-Sha’aban, the Chief Executive Officer, Design Oasis and eldest daughter of the governorship aspirant, confirmed on Thursday in Abuja that the children came together and contributed the N50 million needed to pick the forms.
She said the forms were gifts from the children to “our father, who is an astute politician with great competence and ability.
“He has what it takes to govern and to bring lasting peace to Kaduna State.
“His chances of emerging victorious in the election are bright because the people love and admire him.’’
Asmau, a construction engineer, described her father as a man with empathy who relates well with all, including with the less privileged.
She assured Kaduna State residents that if elected as governor in 2023, her father would address issues of insecurity in the state by creating employment.
“He believes that insecurity in the state is caused by lack of jobs.
“To him, if the people are properly engaged, and there are enough jobs, issues of insecurity will be brought to an end as the people will be gainfully employed.
“If there are enough jobs, insecurity in the state wouldn’t be as bad as it is today,’’ she said, adding that her father’s priority would be education and advancement of technology.
Still expanding on her father’s selling points, Asmau said Alhaji Sha’aban would address infrastructure deficit in Kaduna State if elected governor in 2023.
PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Unity - Dignity - Work CABINET MANAGEMENT NAME PR / DIRCAB / 22 . PRESS RELEASE The President of the Republic, Head of State, Professor Faustin Archange TOUADERA took note with satisfaction and enthusiasm of the unanimous decision of the National Assembly relating to the bill which establishes the legal framework which governs crypto - currencies and establishes Bitcoin as the official currency in the Central African Republic. The adoption of Bitcoin as an official currency represents a decisive step towards opening up new opportunities for our country. By this historic decision, the plan for economic recovery and consolidation of peace is entering a new phase and the Executive is showing consistency in the application of the agenda which prevolts
the achievement of strong and inclusive growth for the benefit development and economic performance, which ultimately will generate prosperity for our fellow citizens. President of the Republic, Head of State will support all the necessary efforts, in compliance with the law, in order to complete this process which places the Central African Republic on the map of the most courageous and visionary countries in the world, for all which means and implies the acceptance of cryptocurrencies as means of payment. The Central African Republic is not only the first country in Africa to adopt Bitcoin as its benchmark currency, but also the first country in the world to unanimously adopt the bill that governs cryptocurrency. We are setting out on a new path that will mark a new stage for our country, while being aware of the difficulties that we will
have to face to pursue our mission. In a progressive, forward-looking vision, our Nation must be able to pursue its destiny and join the ranks of those who not only fully understand the importance of Blockchain technology, but who are also eager to legislate . Our priority is to think about how the lives of our fellow citizens will change and about the means necessary to create a stable and prosperous economy. We should do everything in our power for the common good, bearing in mind the heritage that we have a duty to leave to future generations. Done in Bangui, April 26, 2022 The Minister of State, Director of Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic Love Stor CHINM EVENSTVER BERT Obed NAMSIO
Despite scoring 76 percent of the votes against Marine Le Pen in Cergy, at his first public appearance since his re-election, Emmanuel Macron was met with anger by residents of the French capital's suburb. Speaking in the Paris suburb this morning, the President renewed his commitment to listen to all voters after he won the presidential election against Ms Le Pen on Sunday. But as he walked through a crowd, protesters threw tomatoes at him.
He said this morning: "I have come to say that I have heard the voices of each and everyone and that I will continue to be engaged with the neighbourhoods that are most in difficulty, in all the territories of our Republic that are most in difficulty, every day."
A security umbrella was briefly deployed to protect the president from "projectiles" as he strolled through a market in the Saint-Christophe district.
There are indications that Twitter’s agreement with the Nigerian government will be reviewed in the months as Elon Musk sealed a takeover deal with the firm yesterday at a transaction value of $44 billion.
Musk had earlier proposed to buy Twitter for $43 billion in cash, which he called his “best and final” offer for the social media company.
Musk yesterday struck a deal to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion, in a victory by the world’s richest man to take over the premium social network.
Recalled that last June, the Federal Government had banned Twitter operations in Nigeria. Nigeria suspended the social media platform after it deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Federal Government accused Twitter of being sympathetic to secessionists.
However, after 222 days (seven months) and economic losses of about N546.5 billion, the Federal Government yielded to pressure, lifting the ban.
The FG said the ban was lifted after Twitter agreed to its demands, which include the microblogging platform registering in the country, appointing a designated country representative, complying with tax obligations in Nigeria; enrolling Nigeria in its portal for direct communications between government officials and representatives to manage prohibited content that violates Twitter community rules and respecting extant local laws.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had said that Twitter would open its Nigerian office within the first quarter of 2022. Almost a month into the second quarter, nothing of such seems to be in the pipeline.
Telecoms analyst, Kehinde Aluko, said there could be a need for the firm to review its agreement with Nigeria, should Musk eventually take over the firm and reshuffle the board as envisaged.
“Of course, whenever there are any management changes, many things come under review. I won’t be surprised if Musk, when he takes over the firm, calls for a review of existing agreements, including that of Nigeria. Twitter also had an issue with China, Russia, North Korea, Myanma, among others. Let us keep our fingers crossed till the deal is sealed,” he stated.
Executive Secretary, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Ajibola Olude: “Now that the management will change if Elon Musk buys Twitter, he may call for the review of the agreement the social media platform had with the Nigerian government if he thinks that the agreement will not promote the business of Twitter.”
Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) is poised to agree a sale to Elon Musk for around $43 billion in cash, the price the CEO of Tesla has called his "best and final" offer for the social media company, people familiar with the matter said.
Twitter may announce the $54.20-per-share deal later on Monday once its board has met to recommend the transaction to Twitter shareholders, the sources said, adding it was still possible the deal could collapse at the last minute.
Twitter is working to hammer out terms of a transaction and could reach an agreement with Elon Musk as soon as today if negotiations go smoothly, according to a person with knowledge of the matter
Tyson Fury knocks out Dillian Whyte with brutal uppercut to stay world heavyweight king
Tyson Fury outclassed heavyweight rival and former sparring partner Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening in what he had insisted would be his final bout as a professional boxer - securing a TKO victory in the sixth round.
The pair met in front of a record 94,000 spectators in London as Fury put his WBC, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles on the line against his fellow Brit, nicknamed the Bodysnatcher.
The self-proclaimed Gypsy King had been full of respect for his foe in the build-up to the fight despite years of bad blood, and was again asked to clarify his boxing future in the ring following his triumph.
The Amsterdam court has declared the Amsterdam Trade Bank bankrupt on Friday. This will directly affect 23,000 savers. The Dutch State is assisting through a deposit guarantee scheme and guarantees savings of up to 100,000 euros, regulator DNB reports on its website.
In total, 700 million euros will have to be called on from the deposit guarantee scheme. This currently contains a total of 3 billion euros.
ATB, which is indirectly in Russian hands, cites 'operational difficulties' as the cause of the bankruptcy because the United States and the United Kingdom have placed the bank on the sanction list. Other banks find it "difficult to continue to support us," ATB writes in a press statement. Anyone who does business with a company that has been placed on the sanctions list is breaking the rules.
Earlier in the day it appeared that customers of the Amsterdam Trade Bank could no longer access their account. Savings were temporarily frozen. The bank is said to have taken measures to prevent a so-called bank run on savings. On Thursday, the FD already revealed that the bank is in the shop window.
Amsterdam Trade Bank is a relatively small bank located on the Amsterdam Zuidas. In recent years, the bank has provided loans to shipping companies, among other things. Since 2021, the company has focused on small loans for SMEs. According to the most recent annual report from 2020, savers also had 370 million euros in outstanding savings. The balance sheet total was relatively small at 1.2 billion euros.
Four Russian Oligarchs Via a stepped construction, ATB is largely in the hands of four Russian owners who have been subject to sanctions. These are the oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, Alexei Kuzmichov and German Khan.
Amsterdam Trade Bank is a subsidiary of Alfa Bank, Russia's largest private bank. Fridman and his three business partners are founders of Alfa Bank, in which they still own a combined 82 percent stake.
The ATB itself is not on the EU sanctions list. Neither does parent company Alfa Bank. However, Alfa Bank is on the sanctions list of the British and Americans. For individuals, their companies will be affected if they have an interest of 50 percent or more in them. ATB thus seemed to escape the EU sanctions, but recently it became clear that the interests can be added together. This would mean that the Netherlands could still decide, for example, to freeze dividend payments to the owners.
Previously raid FIOD The ATB has been in the interest of the tax investigation service FIOD and DNB for years. In 2017, the FIOD raided ATB on suspicion of violation of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act. ATB accounts would be used to launder, among other things, Russian money flows. In this way, the bank would be involved in the scandal surrounding telecom company Vimpelcom. He was guilty of bribery and forgery for years. The Fiod investigation into ATB is still ongoing.
Three Dutch supervisory directors are active at the ATB, including former DNB director Lex Hoogduin. They previously told NRC that they saw no reason to resign in the sanctions against the four owners.
On 22 April 2022, Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V. ("ATB" filed for bankruptcy and was declared bankrupt by the Amsterdam District Court. UK and US sanctions have caused operational difficulties, as the majority of ATB's counterparties, including corresponding banks and infrastructure providers, find it difficult to continue supporting ATB. The court has appointed A. van Hees and J.E.P.A. van Hooff as bankruptcy trustees.
The deposit guarantee scheme will come into effect as a result of the bankruptcy. Information on the deposit guarantee scheme for ATB can be found at www.dnb.nl. De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) publishes news about deposit guarantees on its website and in national newspapers. Account holders will receive a letter from DNB shortly. This way, everyone receives information about the procedure for receiving the compensation. The trustees will inform the creditors in more detail via this website in the near future.
Ralf Rangnick is preparing to take Harry Maguire out of the starting lineup for Manchester United’s trip to Arsenal on Saturday, The Athletic understands.
Maguire has struggled for form in recent weeks and is set to start on the bench for the crunch match at The Emirates.
United need to win in north London to keep their faint hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League alive. They trail both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League by three points, having played a game in hand.
Maguire, 29, had a difficult night in United’s most recent match, a 4-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.
He has to deal with extreme reactions to his form and now is seen as a good time for a break, with the player to be rested on compassionate terms.
The Athletic understands the security operation around Maguire has been strengthened after Cheshire Police conducted a sweep of the England international’s house on Thursday following a bomb threat. But the player still wants to travel with the squad.
The police said they had been “called to reports of a bomb threat at an address in the Wilmslow area”.
Their statement added: “No evacuations took place, but as a precautionary measure a police explosives dog has attended the address this afternoon, Thursday, 21 April, to conduct a search of the gardens and surrounding area.”
Their statement added: “No evacuations took place, but as a precautionary measure a police explosives dog has attended the address this afternoon, Thursday, 21 April, to conduct a search of the gardens and surrounding area.”
A spokesperson for Maguire described the incident as “a serious threat” but insisted the defender was “continu(ing) to prepare for this weekend’s fixture as normal”.
In total, Maguire has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United this season and has missed just five Premier League matches for the club.
His continued availability has been a source of comfort for both Rangnick and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Didier Drogba is the second former Chelsea great to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The Ivorian was selected by supporters, who voted in an online poll, and the Premier League Awards Panel. Drogba has been recognised for a stellar career representing the Blues for nine seasons between 2004 and 2015, earning a reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous strikers capable of destroying any defence on his day. He amassed 104 goals in 254 league appearances for us.
Drogba said: ‘It is a real honour for me to have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. My years with Chelsea were so special to me, and I’m incredibly proud of everything we won as a team.
‘I played with fantastic players for some amazing managers and against brilliant opponents. I’m so happy to say that I won the Premier League four times – and now I’m in the Hall of Fame with some of those great players I played alongside and against, which makes me very proud.’
Drogba, who follows Frank Lampard into the Hall of Fame, made his Chelsea debut in August 2004. As the Blues romped to back-to-back league titles in 2005 and 2006, breaking all manner of records along the way, he became an essential component in Jose Mourinho's well-oiled machine.
The arrival of Andriy Shevchenko in 2006 might have led to the Ivorian falling down the pecking order, but instead it brought out the best in him. He netted 33 times that season, with his 20 Premier League goals ensuring he finished as the division’s top goalscorer for the first time. He would repeat the trick in 2009/10, bagging a remarkable 29 Premier League goals as we won the Double for the first time in our history.
Strikers come in all shapes and sizes; from players who rely on their predatory instincts, to target men who hold the ball up and bring team-mates into the game. The beauty of Drogba during his years at Chelsea was he ticked all the boxes.
He was especially prolific against Arsenal as we wrestled control over our north London rivals during Drogba’s time at the club. He simply loved the best occasion, born out by his record in cup finals but also seismic Premier League clashes. He was an archetypal big-game player.
When he returned to Chelsea in 2014/15, Drogba helped us win the title again with crucial strikes against Manchester United, Tottenham and Leicester. It was his fourth Premier League crown in all and provided a fitting finale to his illustrious and trophy-laden Chelsea career.
A real honour to be inducted in to the @premierleague Hall of Fame. Thank you so much to everyone that voted and to @chelseafc, the managers, coaches, players and fans that made my time in the PL such an incredible experience.
Since I was nine or 10, I wanted to play in the #PL; the best league in the world, fast and beautiful football, incredible atmosphere. Entering the Hall of Fame makes me happy for me and my family. My son can say it’s something his father achieved.
I just loved playing football here with #ManCity and the memories of winning the #PL five times, including the most important goal of my career to win that first one. I miss my team-mates and the fans a lot still now.
• 184 goals • 275 games • 5x PL winner - 1x PL Golden Boot
The highest-scoring overseas player in Premier League history
Kompany reacts
I feel that I found a home at #ManCity and in the #PL so I am delighted to be joining the Hall of Fame. I came to love the club and I think the biggest achievement of my career was to be a part of such an incredible journey where we progressed from a side without high expectations to become a dominant force and #PL champions four times.”
Legendary Manchester United duo Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes are the latest former Reds to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Launched last year, the Hall of Fame recognises and honours retired players who have significantly contributed to the league since its inception in 1992 and have experienced great success on the pitch. It is the highest individual honour awarded to players by the Premier League.
Schmeichel and Scholes join fellow legendary Reds Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney in the Hall of Fame.
The pair played together in the team that dominated the Premier League during the 1990s, a spell of success which reached its zenith with the Treble-winning campaign of 1998-99.
Scholes, a Class of '92 graduate, made exactly 500 top-flight appearances for United between 1993 and 2013, having risen through the youth ranks at the club along with fellow United legends Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt.
The 66-time England international announced his retirement in 2011, after 10 Premier League title wins with the Reds, but came out of retirement six months later and added a further triumph prior to hanging up his boots for good in 2013.
Seen as a complete midfielder and one of the best United players of all-time, Scholes began his career as a goalscorer and is one of only 32 players to notch a century of strikes in the top-flight since 1992.
Paul moved into more of a holding position as he advanced in years and was the passing fulcrum in Sir Alex's last great United side, which reached three out of four Champions League finals between 2008 and 2011.
Scholes and Schmeichel featured on a 25-man shortlist alongside 10 other Reds legends - including Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar - and the duo have been inducted following an online public vote and judgment from the Premier League Awards Panel.
You have to remember that for the majority of my football journey, I never thought I'd become a professional footballer. So to do that, enjoy the times I had with the fans and my teammates and now to receive this accolade, is a true honour. I feel really humbled.
“Growing up in South London, football was my escape. We played for pure enjoyment and that's something that never left me when I played the game. I always felt like I was running out of time and this recognition is a special reminder to appreciate the journey, the hard work and getting over the doubts I had.
“I also have to thank so many incredible teammates, backroom staff and managers, most notably Steve Coppell who gave me the chance and shaped the player I became.
Congratulations to Ian Wright on being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame!
Our legendary striker follows Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in being honoured for his incredible performances in the top flight.
Some footballers are great goalscorers. Others are scorers of great goals. Wrighty was both.
Our legendary No.8 always found a way to find the net, whether it required a sumptuous 30-yard chip or a toe-poke from two yards. His repertoire of goals made him one of the finest - and most explosive - strikers to grace the English game. And, of course, he was a showman.
Wrighty joined us from Crystal Palace in September 1991 for a club-record £2.5 million, and instantly became a fans’ favourite, thanks to his unerring eye for goal and passion and pride for the club.
He was our top scorer six seasons in a row and, on September 13, 1997, eclipsed Cliff Bastin as our all-time record scorer - a feat only bettered by Henry.
Wrighty needed two goals against Bolton Wanderers on the day to set a new mark of 179. He netted a low drive after 20 minutes and, carried away in the moment, ripped off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt sporting the message '179 - Just Done It!'.
In fact, he had only equalled Bastin's mark of 178 but, in typical Wrighty fashion, only had to wait five minutes before giving the T-shirt a more appropriate airing. A two-yard tap-in in front of an empty net was all it took to break the record.
Wrighty ended his final season at the club by winning the Premier League title, before joining West Ham United for a season. He netted a total of 113 Premier League goals in 213 appearances for the two clubs (104 in 191 for the Gunners).
On his induction into the Hall of Fame, Wrighty said: “It’s a real privilege to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates the exceptional skill and talent of individuals who have graced the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
Wrighty was selected by the public, through an online vote, and the Premier League Awards Panel, and will be formally honoured at an event in London on Thursday evening.
To be eligible for the Premier League Hall of Fame, players had to be retired by January 1, 2022, and only a player’s Premier League career was considered in their candidacy, not their performances in other competitions during the Premier League era.
All inducted players receive a medallion engraved with their name and the year of their induction, with a £10,000 donation made by the Premier League to a charity of their choice.
The Premier League Hall of Fame commenced last year and is regarded the highest individual honour bestowed on any player in the League.
Two players are announced by the Panel, and then an online fan vote is conducted where six other players will be inducted alongside.
As part of the inaugural class of 2021, Alan Shearer & Thierry Henry were inducted. Fans were then allowed to vote six out of a 23-player shortlist to join the inductees:
Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham were voted for by the fans.
Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira were last month announced as the first two inductees for the Year 2022.
Fans were then allowed to vote for six out of a 25-man shortlist:
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Sol Campbell, Andrew "Andy" Cole, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Pete Cech, Patrice Evra, Teddy Sheringham, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Edwin Van der Sar, Gary Neville, Robin Van Piersie, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Ian Wright, John Terry, Matthew Le Tissier, Ashley Cole.
Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes and Ian Wright have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has begun the disconnection of government’s offices in Niger State over a debt amounting to N1.9 billion.
The offices so far disconnected were the state’s House of Assembly, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, and water board among others.
It was gathered that as workers resumed from the Easter Public Holiday revealed that the House of Assembly and Office of the Secretary to the State Government were powered by generators.
A memo issued on Friday by the AEDC regional manager in Minna said the debt spanned over eight years, and vowed not to reconnect the offices until they were cleared.
The statement noted that the immediate past administration left 343m debt, adding that from June 2015 to date, govt accrued a total debt of N1.9 billion.
It stated that efforts made to recover the debt had been frustrated.
Man City agree terms over £500,000-A-WEEK deal to sign Erling Haaland, which would make him the Premier League's highest-paid player - with Pep Guardiola's side set to trigger the Dortmund striker's £63m release clause
Manchester City's pursuit of Erling Haaland has taken a significant step forward, with the club agreeing terms with the player's representatives.
Sportsmail understands that a suitable financial package - which would make Haaland the Premier League's highest-paid player on more than £500,000 a week - has been given the nod.
City are now expected to trigger the 21-year-old striker's £63million release clause at Borussia Dortmund and, if all goes according to plan, what is likely to be a five-year deal should be sealed in the next week or so.
Last week, Dortmund insisted that nothing had been agreed and added that they were seeking a conclusion with others, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, in the hunt.
There was a hope the player would extend his contract for a year. But City have remained quietly confident throughout the process and are now closing in on the prolific forward manager Pep Guardiola craves.
The Spaniard missed out on bringing Harry Kane to the club last summer, and despite topping the Premier League, City have at-times looked short up front.
Leeds-born Haaland, who has also played for Red Bull Salzburg and Molde, scored twice in Dortmund's 6-1 thrashing of Wolfsburg on Saturday to make it 33 goals in 31 appearances for club and country this season.
His father, Alf-Inge, played for City and has been heavily involved in the negotiations.
In March, this newspaper revealed that City were in the box seat for Haaland, who is viewed as Europe's hottest property, and that personal terms have been discussed.
Pep Guardiola missed out on Harry Kane but could be about to land a top striker this year
A salary in excess of £500,000-a-week would propel him beyond the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, who pockets around £385,000.
Should the deal go through, Haaland could make his bow in City colours in the United States, with the club looking at crossing the Atlantic to play two friendlies in July.
However, his native Norway are in Nations League action four times in June, with their last match against rivals Sweden, taking place on June 12.
Former Senator Kabiru Marafa on Sunday denied reports suggesting that he has together with former Zamfara state governor Abdulaziz Yari decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
On Sunday, PDP chairman in Zamfara said the opposition party has reached agreement with both APC stalwarts and that their formal declaration would happen soon.
But Marafa Sunday evening said, “All we know is that we are into negotiations with many political parties that have invited us to join them in the state.”
According to Senator Marafa, while speaking in an interview with Tambarin Hausa, an online Radio in Zamfara “…For now any news that said we have decamped is falsehood.
“All that I know is that there are lots of political parties, not only the PDP, that have invited us and wanting us to join and up till now we are still discussing with them.
“To the best of my knowledge up till now we have not reached a decision with anyone of them.
“…It is not true that we have decamped to the PDP, whoever said so has erred.
“In my capacity, I’m calling on people to discard any information about the issue from any person, untill they hear from us,…We have not yet reached at any decisions.”
Senator Marafa however said that it was necessary for him and Yari to decamp out of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “over injustices meted on us by the former leadership of the APC.
“We have no choice than to move out of the APC.”
Senator Marafa said the new national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, did not look for him.
“Abdulaziz Yari, has told me that he (Abdullahi Adamu), has looked for him, they have discussed and I was told about the level of their discussion.
“…He has told me that he will travel and that I will represent him when to discuss on the matter, but till now I was not contacted,” he said.
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filed for bankruptcy and was declared bankrupt by the Amsterdam District Court. UK and US sanctions have caused operational difficulties, as the majority of ATB's counterparties, including corresponding banks and infrastructure providers, find it difficult to continue supporting ATB. The court has appointed A. van Hees and J.E.P.A. van Hooff as bankruptcy trustees.
