Trump leans on Nigeria, Africa to support bid for 2026 World Cup

US President Donald Trump lobbied publicly on Monday for Nigeria to support the North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup.

In a press conference with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in the White House Rose Garden, Trump appealed for support from the region for the joint bid submitted to FIFA by the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 tournament, which is in competition with Morocco's hosting candidacy.

"I hope all African countries and countries throughout the world - that we also will be supporting you - and that they will, likewise, support us in our bid, along with Canada and Mexico, for the 2026 World Cup," Trump said.

"We will be watching very closely, and any help that they could give us in that bid, we would appreciate."

Last week, Trump seemed to warn US allies not to oppose the "STRONG bid" by the North American neighbours.

"It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don't support us (including at the United Nations)?" he tweeted.

The 2026 World Cup follows Qatar in 2022 and will be the first with 48 teams.

After the scandals which surrounded the voting for the World Cups in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, it will be the first World Cup to see the host elected by FIFA members at their congress, and no longer by the former executive committee.

The vote is planned for the FIFA congress on June 13 in Moscow, on the eve of the opening match of the World Cup.

DPA

Nigeria to be third largest populatiton in the world by 2050

United Nations: Nigeria will overtake the United States by 2050 to become the third most populous country in the world, according to the figures by the
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Wednesday.

The world's current population of 7.6 billion will balloon to 9.8 billion in 2050, with India's numbers to surpass China's in just seven years.

"With roughly 83 million people being added to the world's population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline," the report's authors said.

At that rate, the global population will reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, it said.

The population of India, which currently ranks as the second most populous country with 1.3 billion inhabitants, will surpass China's 1.4 billion citizens by 2024.

But Nigeria is growing the most rapidly, and the populations in 26 African countries are likely to "at least double" by 2050, according to the report.

The number of persons aged 60 or above is expected to more than double by 2050 and more than triple by 2100.
The aging population is projected to rise from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100, said the report.

AFP

13 million Nigerians wants to move to USA: poll

WASHINGTON More than 100 million people from across the world, including 13 million from Nigeria, would like to move permanently to the United States, which remains the most popular global destination, according to a latest opinion poll. The UK, Canada, and France also rank among the top choices for potential migrants.

  

Potential migrants who would like to move to the US are logically the most likely to come from some of the most populous countries in the world, the Gallup poll said.

The poll said that 19 million Chinese would like to move to the US, followed by 13 million from Nigeria, 10 million from India and six million each from Brazil and Bangladesh.  

However, other populous countries such as Iran and Pakistan do not have large groups of people who say that they would like to move to the US permanently.     

Instead, Pakistanis most desire to relocate to Saudi Arabia and the UK, and Iranians would prefer to move to Jordan or Lebanon. This is not surprising, as Iranians and Pakistanis have some of the lowest US leadership approval ratings in the world.        

Gallup said the percentage of people in each country, who would like to move to the US permanently is perhaps more interesting.       

A staggering 37 per cent of Liberians say that they would like to relocate to the US permanently.  One in four adults or more in Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti would also like to move to the US permanently.          

Three countries with the highest percentages of people who would like to relocate to the US permanently are in Africa, seven are in Central America and the Caribbean, with the remaining country, Cambodia, in Asia.           

Gallup said about 13 per cent of the world's adults -- or about 630 million people -- say they would like to leave their country and move somewhere else permanently.       

For roughly 138 million people, that somewhere else would be the US -- the number one desired destination for potential migrants, the poll said.   

Barack Obama's victory speech – full text

At a rally on Wednesday in his hometown of Chicago, Barack Obama delivers a victory speech 
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.)

 Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.)
It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.
(Cheers, applause.) I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time (cheers) or waited in line for a very long time (cheers) – by the way, we have to fix that – (cheers, applause) – whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone (cheers, applause), whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.)
I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. (Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honour and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
(Cheers, applause.)
I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America's happy warrior, the best vice-president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.)
And I wouldn't be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation's first lady. (Cheers, applause.)
Sasha and Malia – (cheers, applause) – before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that, for now, one dog's probably enough. (Laughter.)
To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics – (cheers, applause) – the best – the best ever – (cheers, applause) – some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.
(Cheers, applause.) But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way – (cheers, applause) – to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you've done and all the incredible work that you've put in. (Cheers, applause.)
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or – or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you'll discover something else.
You'll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organiser who's working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You'll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who's going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.)
You'll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who's working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)
That's why we do this. That's what politics can be. That's why elections matter. It's not small, it's big. It's important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won't change after tonight. And it shouldn't. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter – (cheers, applause) – the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.
But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America's future.
We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers – (cheers, applause) – a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation – (scattered cheers, applause) – with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.
We want our children to live in an America that isn't burdened by debt, that isn't weakened up by inequality, that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.)
We want to pass on a country that's safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on Earth and the best troops this – this world has ever known – (cheers, applause) – but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.
We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant's daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag – (cheers, applause) – to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner – (cheers, applause) – to the furniture worker's child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.
That's the – (cheers, applause) – that's the future we hope for.
(Cheers, applause.) That's the vision we share. That's where we need to go – forward. (Cheers, applause.) That's where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It's not always a straight line. It's not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.
But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you've made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.
And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together – reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We've got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.)
But that doesn't mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America's never been about what can be done for us; it's about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. (Cheers, applause.) That's the principle we were founded on.
This country has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that's not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared – (cheers, applause) – that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.)
I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I've seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbours and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I've seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those Seals who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I've seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.)
And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his eight-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukaemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for healthcare reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father's story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.
And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That's who we are. That's the country I'm so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.)
And tonight, despite all the hardship we've been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I've never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope.
[Audience member: "We got your back, Mr President!"]
I'm not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I'm not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.)
America, I believe we can build on the progress we've made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you're willing to try.
(Cheers, applause.)
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We're not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
And together, with your help and God's grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.)

Zimbabwe's Mugabe blasts Britain

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe tells Britain "to put out your fires" and to stop interfering in his Southern African nation.

Mugabe spoke on Tuesday at a military parade the country's armed forces. He said " London is burning", referring to the three days of arson, crime and looting in the capital of its form er colonial master. He also refereed to recent financial upheavals in the United States as "problems" the country should attend to.
He said sanctions on Zimbabwe have stalled military trainings and modernization.


Mugabe said, "we don't have any fires here.please leave us alone."

Japan first Asian nation to win women's World Cup

Japan defeated the United States in a penalty kick shootout to win the Women's World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday.
It became the first Asian nation to win the FIFA women's World Cup, after both sides were tied 2-2 after 120 minutes of action packed football.
Japan captain Homare Sawa kept her side in the game with a header in the 117th minute after US striker Abby Wambach's header had put her side ahead early on during extra time after the final finished 1-1 over 90 minutes.
The Japanese had defender Azusa Iwashimizu sent off in the 121st minute for a foul on US striker Alex Morgan.
Morgan put the US up 1-0 when she chased down a clearing pass from Megan Rapinoe and shot from outside the goal box in the 69th minute.

Aya Miyama tied it 1-1 in the 80th minute from only a few yards in front of US goalie Hope Solo. The goal was the result of a chaotic scene in front of Solo, and was finished when Miyama gained possession off a failed clearing pass from Ali Krieger and shot it into the corner of the net.

The US played the second half and overtime without attacker Lauren Cheney, who suffered an ankle injury.

US convicts Nigerian woman of 'modern day slavery'

Bidemi Bello, a 41-year old Nigerian woman was convicted of human trafficking and several other charges after forcing two women to work unpaid for her for years, in what prosecutors called "a case of modern day slavery."

She was convicted by a federal jury on Friday of eight counts: two counts of forced labor, two counts of trafficking for forced labor, one count of document servitude, one count of alien harboring and two counts of making false statements in an application to become a US citizen.

"The defendant both physically abused and psychologically intimidated these women for her own personal gain," said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, after a verdict was reached in the week-long trial.

"This was a case of modern day slavery hidden within an expensive home in an upscale neighborhood," said US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Sally Quillian Yates.

"The two women who were abused here thought they were going to be nannies; instead they were treated inhumanely.

"The laws of the United States protect all victims from such abuse, regardless of where they came from or how they came to be in the United States," Yates said.

According to evidence and testimony presented during the trial, the two women were separately recruited in Nigeria by Bello and brought to the United States to work as her nanny.

The Nigerian woman had promised to send the young women to school in the United States, and in the case of one victim, had promised to pay her as well.

But the testimony showed, however, that once in the United States, Bello became verbally and physically abusive to both young women, who were forced to sleep on the floor even though her upscale home had multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. They were given little to eat and forced to work unreasonably long days in harsh conditions.

Officials said sentencing for Bello has been set for August.