Author: Editor

MALI’s foreign minister has called on the UN to withdraw its peacekeeping force from his country “without delay”. Abdoulaye Diop accused the force, Minusma, of having “become a part of the problem in fuelling intercommunal tensions”. He was addressing the UN Security Council. Minusma has more than 13,000 troops. Its decade-old mission has failed to stop the spread of jihadist violence. Russian Wagner mercenaries are now assisting Mali’s military rulers. Western officials have accused Wagner of human rights abuses in Ukraine and parts of Africa, and last month the US announced sanctions on Ivan Maslov, whom it described as Wagner’s…

SUPER Falcons Chief Coach, Randy Waldrum, has released the squad list of players for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The list of 23 players was published on the Twitter handle of the Nigerian Football Federation on Friday. The names on the list include Francisca Ordega, Assiat Oshoala, Ashleigh Plumptre, Onome Ebi, Desire Oparanozie, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade, Uchenna Kanu, Christy Ucheibe and Gift Monday. Others are Halimatu Ayinde, Ifeoma Onumonu, Toni Payne, Jennifer Echegini, Michelle Alozie Tochukwu Oluehi, Yetunde Balogun, Deborah Abiodun, Rofiat Imuran, Osinachi Ohale, Ijeoma Okoronkwo and Tosin Demehin. The Super Falcons…

LEICESTER hired Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca as their new manager on Friday as the relegated Foxes look to bounce back to the Premier League. Maresca moves to the King Power Stadium after working as part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff with treble winners City. The 43-year-old Italian has signed a contract that runs until 2026 and replaces interim manager Dean Smith. Smith failed to prevent Leicester being relegated to the Championship after being appointed for the final eight games of the season following Brendan Rodgers’ exit. “I’m very excited because of the club and because we have a…

NUHU Ribadu was born in Yola, Adamawa State, on November 21, 1960. He attended Aliyu Mustapha Primary School, Yola from 1966 to 1973 and Yelwa Government Secondary School, Yola from 1973-1977. Between 1978 and 1980, Ribadu was at the College of Preliminary Studies, CPS, Yola, for his A-level studies. In 1980, he gained admission to study law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, graduating in 1983. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in 1984. He joined the Police immediately after his national service. Ribadu holds an LLM degree with emphasis on the jurisprudence of…

JOSELU scored a late winner as Spain beat Italy to set up a Nations League final against Croatia on Sunday. Yeremy Pino won the ball off Italy legend Leonardo Bonucci outside his own box before firing in Spain’s opener in Enschede, Netherlands. Ciro Immobile equalised for Italy with a penalty after Spain debutant Robin le Normand handled in the box. Substitute Joselu pounced from close range after Rodri’s deflected shot to send Spain to the Rotterdam final. “Now the most important thing is that we win this trophy,” said midfielder Rodri, who played a full 90 minutes five days after…

THE Premier League has released fixtures for the 2023/2024 season, with defending champions Manchester City starting their title defence with newly promoted Burnley managed by former City captain Vincent Company. See the fixture dates and times of all 360 matches below: Friday 11 August 2023 20:00 Burnley v Man City Saturday 12 August 2023 12:30 Arsenal v Nott’m Forest AFC Bournemouth v West Ham Brighton v Luton Town Everton v Fulham Sheff Utd v Crystal Palace 17:30 Newcastle v Aston Villa Sunday 13 August 2023 14:00 Brentford v Spurs 16:30 Chelsea v Liverpool Monday 14 August 2023 20:00 Man Utd…

THE United States and its close allies Japan and South Korea issued a joint statement Thursday to “condemn” North Korea’s latest missile launches. “These launches are clear violations of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and demonstrate the threat (that North Korea’s)… unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region,” the statement said. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea’s military said Thursday, shortly after Pyongyang warned of an “inevitable” response to ongoing US-South Korea joint military drills. The trilateral statement reflected the growing thaw between Japan and South Korea — a major…

VETERAN UK lawyer Sue Carr was named Thursday as the first woman to serve as the most senior judge for England and Wales in the role of lord chief justice, which dates back to the 13th century. Carr, 58, was appointed to succeed current Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett, who is retiring at the end of September. The title-holder oversees the judiciary in England and Wales — Scotland has a separate legal system — although its pre-eminence was diluted by the creation of the UK Supreme Court in 2009. Carr qualified as a barrister — arguing cases in court —…

A GOVERNOR from Sudan’s Darfur region has been killed hours after accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide. In a TV interview, Khamis Abakar had asked for international intervention to stop violence in West Darfur he blamed on the RSF and its Arab militia allies. The conflict that erupted two months ago between the RSF and army has inflamed ethnic tensions in Darfur. The army said the RSF abducted Abakar and executed him, which it denies. He is the most senior official known to have been killed since the conflict began in April. Video footage circulating on…

NAMIBIA has put 40 crocodiles up for sale to reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife in the north-eastern regions of Kavango and Zambezi, local media report. Those interested in buying the reptiles are expected to submit their tender offers at the ministry of environment by 17 July. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said majority of the country’s wildlife “exists outside national parks”, which had made the regions “continue to experience concerning crocodile attacks on people and their livestock”. Buyers must prove that they have a suitable habitat for the animals and will incur the cost of capturing them. Those seeking to…

CROATIA are one win from their first major title after beating hosts the Netherlands in a dramatic Uefa Nations League semi-final. Substitute Bruno Petkovic struck from distance in extra-time before Luka Modric’s penalty settled a remarkable game in Rotterdam. A 96th-minute Dutch equaliser from Noa Lang had denied Croatia in normal time. But Zlatko Dalic’s side will now play Italy or Spain in Sunday’s final, while the Dutch face a third-place play-off. “It’s a victory for the Croatian people, we beat the Netherlands in front of their fans, Croatia has one more medal,” Dalic told Croatia’s Nova TV afterwards. “It’s…

MANCHESTER United have had a £40m bid for Chelsea’s Mason Mount turned down. United manager Erik ten Hag has identified Mount, 24, as someone who can bolster his attacking options. However, given the England international has only a year left on his contract, United do not feel Chelsea’s £70m valuation is realistic. The Old Trafford outfit are likely to make another offer for the attacking midfielder but are mindful of their overall transfer budget this summer. For the same reason, it is felt to be highly unlikely that United will sign England striker Harry Kane, 29, from Tottenham for £100m.…

THE manager of Harvard Medical School’s morgue and three others have been charged with buying and selling stolen human remains. Cedric Lodge allegedly took “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers donated to Harvard University’s medical school and sold them online. According to the indictment, he and his wife, Denise, sold body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The scheme allegedly ran from 2018 to 2021. Prosecutors allege Mr Lodge used his position as the manager of the “Anatomical Gifts Program” at Harvard Medical School to dismember cadavers donated for medical research. Harvard students use donated bodies to study…

AT least 79 people have died and more than 100 have been rescued after their fishing vessel capsized off the coast of southern Greece. But survivors and Greek officials say that hundreds more migrants were on board. The government says this is one of Greece’s biggest migrant tragedies, and has declared three days of mourning. The boat went down about 80 km (50 miles) south-west of Pylos after the coastguard said it had refused help. The coastguard said the boat had been spotted in international waters late on Tuesday by an aircraft belonging to EU border agency Frontex. No-one on…

THE authorities in Egypt have executed a man who had been convicted of killing a fellow university student last year after she rejected his marriage proposal. Video footage of Mohammad Adel stabbing Nayra Ashraf and slitting her throat last June outside Mansoura University, where they both studied, went viral. It caused nationwide panic as the case reopened the debate about violence against women. Adel faced an expedited trial and was convicted of premeditated murder. Executions in Egypt usually happen within four years after conviction but in Adel’s case the public prosecution called for the death penalty to be expedited. Ms…

FOUR men have been arrested in north-eastern Ghana for their alleged involvement in a viral video in which a woman was stripped naked and sexually assaulted as a crowd looked on. The woman, believed to be from the Fulani community, was eventually able to free herself and run off. The incident happened in the market of Zebilla, a town in Upper East Region where there have been long-standing tensions between semi-nomadic Fulani herders and local people. The communities often quarrel over grazing rights for cattle and access to water. The tensions recently resulted in the killing of a young man…

SUSPECTED gunmen have kidnapped a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State, Chief Eyo Edet. Edet, popularly called Eyo Aswang, was reportedly kidnapped on Monday, in his Filling Station, Eyotech Nigeria Limited, in the Oron Local Government area of the state. A source told our Correspondent in Uyo on Wednesday that Edet who served as the Deputy Coordinator of PDP’s Divine Campaign Organisation in Oron at the last election was accosted by his abductors and whisked away in a Sienna car. The source further revealed that his abductors drove their victims to a waiting speed boat and…

ITALIAN teams reaffirmed their dominance in football this season with three clubs from the country reaching the finals of Europe’s top competitions. The U-20 male side also powered to the final of the 2023 World Cup in Argentina. Roma reached the final of the Europa League, and Fiorentina played West Ham in the UEFA Conference League final. Inter Milan also featured in the Champions League final while the male national team reached the 2023 U-20 World Cup final. While the feat drew lots of applause, the four teams lost the finals in a space of two weeks, sparking another wave…

BRAZIL will play Spain in a friendly in March next year as part of an anti-racism campaign in support of Vinicius Jr. The game will be played at the Bernabeu – home of Brazil winger Vinicius’ club side Real Madrid. Vinicius was the target of racist abuse multiple times in Spain while playing for Real in the past campaign. “There is no place for racist insults in our football,” said Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales. Rubiales and Brazilian FA (CBF) counterpart Ednaldo Rodrigues launched their anti-racism campaign under the slogan “One skin”. “It is important to understand that harder…

DONALD Trump has pleaded not guilty to historic charges of mishandling sensitive files at a federal court in Miami, Florida. Mr Trump is the first US president – current or former – to be hit with a federal criminal indictment. Arms crossed, in a dark suit and red tie, he sat in stone-faced silence for his second court appearance this year. The Republican later travelled to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he addressed supporters. Against a backdrop of American flags, Mr Trump, who is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, told the assembled crowd he…