Challenged Pope by Chile protesters

*Chile protesters challenge Pope on Church sex abuse*

"The Pope and the Chilean bishops don't think about us and it really upsets us and hurts our soul," says Sylvia Aguilar Maldonado. The 79-year-old is the oldest member in a group of parishioners who have travelled some 900km (560 miles) from southern city of Osorno to Santiago, to make their voices heard during Pope Francis's visit to the Chilean capital

"We are all Catholics and believe in the same God. We want to find a solution to this," she says referring to her group's vocal opposition to the ordination of Juan Barros as bishop of Osorno. Bishop Barros was ordained two years ago despite stiff opposition among parishioners.

One thousand people signed a letter to Pope Francis asking him to review the appointment. The parishioners accuse Bishop Barros of using his position in the Catholic Church to try to block an investigation into the actions of his mentor, Catholic priest Fernando Karadima.

Lagos base died in SARS custody

*Lagos auto parts dealer dies in SARS custody*

An auto parts dealer in the Owode Onirin area of Lagos State, Lukman Ogundele, has died in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command. Although the police formation had been reportedly evasive on the whereabouts of the father of two children, a police charge sheet sighted by our correspondent marked his name ‘late’.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Lukman and his friend, Saheed Abayomi, had been arrested by SARS operatives for facilitating the sale of a stolen Toyota Camry. It was gathered that the police apprehended Lukman in the midnight of December 29, 2017 and took him into custody in Ikeja, where he was detained alongside Abayomi and two others.

It was gathered that Lukman’s wife, Wunmi Ogundele, and relatives consequently visited SARS office on several occasions, but were not allowed to see him.

Conte wants Sanchez?

*Antonio Conte 'does not think' Chelsea will try to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal*

Antonio Conte says he is unsure if Chelsea will attempt to sign Alexis Sanchez during the January transfer window.

Sky Sports News says Chelsea are interested in signing Sanchez this month from under the noses of Manchester United and Manchester City.

City ended their interest in the Chilean earlier this week due to potential costs of signing the 29-year-old and Conte admits he does not expect Chelsea to make an approach for Sanchez.

When asked if Chelsea are actively trying to sign Sanchez, Conte said: "I don't know. I don't think so, I don't know but I don't think so."

Black death spread by humans not rats

*Black Death 'spread by humans not rats'*

Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death, according to a study. The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe. But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara now says the first, the Black Death, can be "largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice".

The study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, uses records of its pattern and scale. The Black Death claimed an estimated 25 million lives, more than a third of Europe's population, between 1347 and 1351. "We have good mortality data from outbreaks in nine cities in Europe," Prof Nils Stenseth, from the University of Oslo, told BBC News. "So we could construct models of the disease dynamics [there]."

He and his colleagues then simulated disease outbreaks in each of these cities, creating three models where the disease was spread by rats, lice and mice. "The conclusion was very clear," said Prof Stenseth. "The lice model fits best." "It would be unlikely to spread as fast as it did if it was transmitted by rats.

OLIVER IVANOVIC shot dead

*Top Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic shot dead*

A prominent Kosovo Serb politician, Oliver Ivanovic, has been shot dead outside his party offices in the Serb-run north of Mitrovica. Ivanovic, seen as a moderate Kosovo Serb leader, was shot four times in the chest and died later in hospital, his lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic said.

Serbian government negotiators walked out of EU-mediated talks with Kosovo Albanians in Brussels after the news. Kosovo remains ethnically divided since unilaterally splitting from Serbia. Mitrovica - in northern Kosovo - is divided, with the south run by Kosovo Albanians.

"This is a criminal and terrorist act that must be and will be punished," Serbian delegate Marko Djuric said, announcing his move to walk out of the Brussels talks. The Serbian government is holding an extraordinary security meeting in Belgrade.

CAN sanusi lied about genocide

*Christian Association of Nigeria: Sanusi Lied About Genocide*

The Christian Association of Nigeria in Taraba State on Tuesday described as outright false the claim by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that over 800 Fulani people were killed in Taraba last year. Sanusi had in an interview with journalists last week alleged that in one weekend, 800 Fulani people were killed on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.

“I personally handed over to the federal government a dossier with the name and pictures of 800 Fulani people slaughtered in Taraba as well name of persons known to have participated in the act of ethnic cleansing but nothing has been done,” Sanusi alleged.

But CAN in a press statement issued in Jalingo on Tuesday and signed by the CAN Chairman in the state, Rev. Dr. Ben Ubeh, the association debunked the claim by the emir and urged him to stop fueling false propaganda and wooing sentiments for his kinsmen who are in actual sense, killing people on a daily basis in some parts of the country. The association called on all Nigerians to rise up and condemn the killings currently going on in the country, even as it urged people to be vigilant and pray fervently for peace in the land.