IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Manchester United's pre-season win over Manchester City in Houston was "a very good training session", says United manager Jose Mourinho. Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford scored as 67,401 at NRG Stadium watched United win 2-0 in the first Manchester derby outside England. New signing Lukaku beat City keeper Ederson Moraes to Paul Pogba's pass on 37 minutes. Then Rashford drove in Jesse Lingard's pass two minutes later. "I'm really pleased," said Mourinho.

"I'm sure Pep [Guardiola] is the same. The most important thing was to give the players high quality training." City came close to reducing the deficit when Fernandinho's long-range shot was tipped over by Sergio Romero. And City boss Guardiola was delighted with the performance of 17-year-old midfielder Phil Foden, who was making his first-team debut. "I don't have words to describe what I saw," Guardiola said. "His performance was at another level. He loves the club. He is a City fan. He is a gift. "Maybe this season he will stay with us because he is special. Creating chances, always in the best position."

It was the first derby since the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May and both teams wore shirts with the distinctive 'worker bee' logo, which will be auctioned off to raise money for the victims.

The Nigerian Military has blamed the bombing that happened in Rann, Borno state on the 17th of January 2017 on lack of intelligence sharing between security agencies in the country. Director of Defence Information, Major General John Eneche says the outcome of investigation of revealed a misunderstanding among security personnel due to intelligence report sharing amongst security operatives in some part of the country early this year.

General Eneche reeling out the recommendations of the committee that investigated the incidents says the attack due to its exclusion from targeted areas for the onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists. Regarding the Incident that claim the lives of some military personnel and police officers in Damaturu and Calabar, the DDI says it was a disagreement between officials of both agencies on duty.

He advised the Nigerian Navy and the Police to investigate and identify erring personnel for further sanctions in the Calabar incidence.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has quit, reportedly in protest at a shake-up of the communications team. Mr Spicer stepped down because he was unhappy with President Donald Trump's appointment of a new communications director, reports the New York Times. Combative Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been picked for the role that Mr Spicer partially filled.

Mr Spicer's press briefings were a cable news hit, but he withdrew from camera in recent weeks. The shake-up comes as the White House faces inquiries into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election and whether Mr Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow.

The New York Times reports that Mr Spicer "vehemently" disagreed with the appointment of Mr Scaramucci, which he believed to be a "major mistake".

There were indications in Abuja on Sunday that members of the sacked National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to its erstwhile National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, have decided to stay away from the party’s meetings slated for Monday and Tuesday. A dependable source close to Sheriff said on Sunday that the former Governor of Borno State had travelled to the Middle East. The party’s Expanded National Caucus, Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee are meeting on Monday (today) and Tuesday at its national headquarters in Abuja.

Monday’s meeting is expected to be attended by former Presidents and Vice-Presidents, PDP Governors, National Executive Committee members, Board of Trustees members, National Assembly members, former PDP governors, former PDP ministers and all former national officers of the party. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is the only former President produced by the party who is still a PDP member.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had left the party and even tore his membership card in annoyance. Before then, he was the chairman of the party’s BoT.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has abandoned his desire to seek reelection in 2018. Instead, he has launched his presidential campaign on Facebook. Fayose had initially said he would approach the Supreme Court to determine his eligibility to run again for the office of governor of his state because of his inability to finish his first term in office.

The governor, whose impeachment then had been declared null and void by the apex court, had said there was need to finish his first four years in office. Fayose, who is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, was one of the two governors in the party who spoke vehemently against the continued stay in office of the former National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Ironically, the governor was also among the few governors who brought the former governor of Borno State to the office of the national chairman of the former ruling party.

The PDP had zoned the position of the party’s presidential candidate to the northern part of the country.