SUDAN’s paramilitary force has posted a video on Twitter of its leader addressing fighters – his first video appearance since the conflict erupted in April. Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”, looked thin in the footage and commentators say he was holding one of his arms oddly. There has been speculation that the commander, who is in his late 40s, has been injured in the war. His speech included his usual rhetoric against Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the military with whom he is involved in a bitter power struggle for control of the country. He said…
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THE EU has suspended all security cooperation with Niger after the country’s army took power in a coup. It comes shortly after the US declared its “unflagging support” for ousted president Mohamed Bazoum – seen as a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants. On Friday the head of the presidential guards unit Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani declared himself Niger’s new leader. He said insecurity, economic woes and corruption led him to seize power. But there are now concerns in the West about which countries the new leader will align with. Niger’s neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, have both…
ASISAT Oshoala says her father is still not happy with her celebration after scoring in Nigeria’s 2-3 win over Australia. The Super Falcon netted her side’s third goal of the game to give Nigeria a two-goal cushion at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She removed her shirt while celebrating the goal, minutes after coming on as a substitute in the Group B encounter. Her celebration has since generated debate among football fans in and around the country. While many see no issue with her celebration, others frowned at it. The Barcelona Femeni forward’s father is among the latter, according to…
JUVENTUS have been kicked out of this season’s Europa Conference League by Uefa and fined for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. European football’s governing body has also fined Chelsea for breaching FFP rules as a result of “submitting incomplete financial information”. Uefa says the matter relates to transactions which took place between 2012 and 2019. Juventus have been fined £17.14m, while Chelsea have been fined £8.57m. The Italian club will only have to pay half of their fine if their financial records for the next three years comply with regulations, while Chelsea have already agreed to pay the settlement…
TEARS ran down Lee Meng-chu’s face as he got ready to board a plane at Beijing airport on Monday. The flight out of China marked the end of a harrowing ordeal for the Taiwanese businessman who had been held in the country for more than 1,400 days. “I felt a huge relief after going through the passport check, and I cried a little,” he told the BBC this week. “I have returned to the free world.” Mr Lee was arrested and jailed in 2019 after he snapped pictures of police officers in Shenzhen. He was accused of espionage and stealing…
AT least five people are understood to have been injured after missiles hit two buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro. A BBC team on the ground confirmed the top floor of a large residential tower block was almost completely destroyed in the strike on Friday evening. A building belonging to Ukraine’s security services (SBU) was also hit, according president Volodymyr Zelensky. He blamed “Russian missile terror” for the damage to the buildings. Mr Zelensky posted a video on Telegram showing smoke rising from damaged buildings and a fire at street level. He said he had convened emergency meetings…
SENEGALESE opposition figure Ousmane Sonko was arrested Friday, two members of his party and a senior security official told AFP, though no precise reasons were given. “Ousmane Sonko was arrested — there were gendarmes in front of his house,” said Ousseynou Ly, a spokesman for Sonko’s Pastef party. Djibril Gueye Ndiaye, the politician’s head of protocol, said the gendarmerie came and “took” him. A senior security official confirmed to AFP that Sonko had been arrested but did not specify the reasons. “Ousmane Sonko was arrested — there were gendarmes in front of his house,” said Ousseynou Ly, a spokesman for…
GENERAL Abdourahmane Tchiani, also known by the alias Omar Tchiani, has been named the leader of the junta that took power in Niger on Wednesday, ousting democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Here are five things we know about him: Gen Tchiani, 62, has been at the helm of the presidential guard since 2011. The 700-strong force was established by the ousted president’s predecessor Mahamadou Issoufou to guard against military takeovers. He was linked a 2015 coup attempt against Mr Issoufou. A subsequent court case in 2018 cleared him of involvement. He was promoted to the rank of general in 2018…
FORMER Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, visited the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, at his Abuja residence, on Thursday. Adamu resigned as the party’s national chairman because of alleged internal crisis in the ruling party. However, Ganduje, has been tipped as his successor. See pictures of the visit below:
BARCELONA have been provisionally cleared to play in the 2023-24 Champions League amid a Uefa investigation into allegations the club made payments to a referees’ chief. In March, European football’s governing body confirmed it was looking into claims of payments made by Barcelona for favourable refereeing decisions. Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing. While Barcelona have been allowed in Europe, Uefa reserved the right to punish the club in the future. The Uefa investigation came after a criminal investigation was brought by the Barcelona public prosecutor’s office on 10 March. It was alleged that Barcelona paid 8.4m euros (£7.4m) to Jose…
ITALIAN giants AC Milan have signed Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze from Villarreal. “AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze from Villarreal CF,” the club wrote in a Thursday statement. “The Nigerian forward has signed for the Rossoneri until 30 June 2028.” The winger was born in Nigeria on May 22nd, 1999, and was part of the Diamond Football Academy Youth Sector before teaming up with Villarreal in 2017. He scored four goals with Villarreal’s B side in 20 games before debuting for the senior team in September 2018. Chukwueze then went on to play 207 times…
SINGAPORE on Friday executed a woman for the first time in almost 20 years, officials confirmed. Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin in 2018. Sheis the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022. Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, which it says are necessary to protect society. Singapore law specifies that the death penalty will be imposed on anyone caught trafficking more than 500g of cannabis or 15g of heroin. Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)…
PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised to send up to 50,000 tonnes of free grain supplies to six African countries as he opened a Russia-Africa summit in his native Saint Petersburg. “In the coming months we will be able to ensure free supplies of 25,000 to 50,000 tonnes of grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea,” he said in a speech.
NIGER’s President Mohamed Bazoum is in good health after being taken captive by his own presidential guard, the French foreign minister has said. Catherine Colonna told AFP news agency the coup was not “final”. She said Mr Bazoum had spoken to Emmanuel Macron and added there was a “way out” for the coup plotters if they listened to the global community. On Thursday, coup supporters attacked the headquarters of the ousted president’s party. They set it on fire, stoning and burning cars outside. The small group of arsonists had broken away from a larger show of support for the coup…
MAURITANIAN authorities have charged a high school student with blasphemy over a mock exam paper she submitted. The young woman was arrested last week for allegedly showing disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). If found guilty, she could be sentenced to death with no possibility of appeal. Mauritania has strengthened its blasphemy laws in recent years, removing the clause allowing offenders to escape death if they show remorse. Nevertheless, there have been no executions for blasphemy in the country for more than 30 years. The student was arrested on 18 July in the northwestern town of Atar on charges of…
FORMER Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike and eminent medical scholar Ali Pate are on the list of ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it was learnt this morning. Also nominated for cabinet positions are legal luminary Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); an economist Olawale Edun, banker Adebayo Adelabu, former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader Mrs. Betta Edu, Senator Ben Ayade and eminent journalist Dele Alake, who is currently the Special Adviser on Media, Strategy and Special Duties. A Senate source said the President forwarded the…
JENNIFER Hermoso and Alba Redondo both scored twice as Spain qualified for the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup with a 5-0 win over Zambia on Wednesday, a result that also propelled Japan into the knockout phase. The fit-again Alexia Putellas was handed a start by Spain coach Jorge Vilda and she played a part in early goals by Teresa Abelleira and Hermoso at Eden Park. Substitute Redondo then scored twice in the second half, either side of another Hermoso, goal as Spain cruised to victory. Reigning Ballon d’Or Putellas, who recently returned from over nine months out with…
PARIS Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has refused to meet officials from Al Hilal, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the Saudis’ ambitious hopes of completing a world record 300-million-euro ($333 million) swoop. The French star has refused “any discussion with the representatives of the Al-Hilal club, present in Paris this Wednesday,” reported L’Equipe sports daily. According to the report, a delegation from the Saudi club came to Paris to finalise the transfer of Brazilian Malcom from Zenit Saint Petersburg. They also wanted to present their project to Mbappe while in the French capital. “This approach will not succeed,” added L’Equipe…
AN OHIO policeman who released an attack dog on a black truck driver who was trying to surrender after a highway chase has been fired. Officials said that his actions “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers”. Bodycam footage of the 4 July arrest shows Ryan Speakman of Circleville police directing his dog to attack driver Jadarrius Rose. Other officers repeatedly instructed Mr Speakman to “not release the dog”. The incident took place in the town of Circleville, around 30 miles (48km) south of Columbus, after police tried to pull over a commercial lorry…
MOLDOVA says it will expel 45 Russian diplomats and other embassy staff because of their “unfriendly actions”. The total will be cut to just 25 – a figure closer to the number Moldova has at its Moscow embassy. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the Moldovan government has accused Moscow of spying and backing opposition groups. Russia condemned the expulsion and said it would “not go unanswered”. On Tuesday, Moldova’s foreign ministry voiced concern about a media report on new surveillance equipment installed on the Russian embassy roof and a neighbouring building used by Russia. The report…