UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Kenya to follow up on the humanitarian and security situation in Sudan following weeks of clashes. Mr Guterres was received on Wednesday morning by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Mutua at the main airport in the capital, Nairobi. During his two-day visit, the UN chief will hold talks with President William Ruto and also meet all heads of UN agencies in Nairobi. The warring military factions in Sudan have agreed to a seven-day truce starting on Thursday.
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MIKEL Arteta has insisted Arsenal are still contenders for the Premier League title despite slipping from the top of the table at the weekend. Arteta’s men were replaced at the summit by Manchester City following the champions’ 2-1 win at Fulham on Sunday. City now lead the Gunners by a point, with a game in hand, after winning eight successive league matches as they eye a fifth title in six years. Arsenal, by contrast, have stumbled in recent weeks, taking just three points from their last four fixtures. They are at least assured of a return to Champions League football…
LEICESTER City and Everton had to settle for a draw in a chaotic match which leaves both in deep trouble at the wrong end of the Premier League table. The two clubs started the game in the bottom three but a point was enough to drag Leicester out of the drop zone on goal difference, while Everton stay 19th, one point behind 17th-placed Leeds. Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring with just his second goal of the season from the penalty spot, picking himself up to convert after being bundled over by Timothy Castagne. The lead lasted just seven minutes as…
A SIX-YEAR-OLD died on Monday after being mauled by a caged lioness in a resort in the southern Gaza Strip, officials in the Palestinian territory said. The boy climbed a protective fence at the Asda resort in Khan Yunis and reached the animal’s cage, police said, resulting in his injury and death. Eyewitnesses said the boy had squeezed his way through a small hole in the fence and approached the cage, upon which the lioness bit his head, with security forces pulling him away as he bled. A medical source said the child was taken to a hospital in the…
PROTESTERS clashed with security forces across France on Monday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for Labour Day to vent their anger against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. Unions had been hoping for a vast turnout nationwide to further rattle Macron, who has been greeted by pot-bashing and jeers as he toured the country seeking to defend the reforms and relaunch his second term. Macron last month signed a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of strikes against the bill. At least 108 police were wounded and 291 people detained…
TWO extra evacuation flights carrying British nationals have left Sudan, as UK efforts now turn to diplomacy and humanitarian aid. The “exceptional” flights – billed as the last UK airlift from Sudan – took off from Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast on Monday evening. Military rescue flights from an airstrip near the Sudanese capital Khartoum ended on Saturday. Nearly 2,200 people had been evacuated as of Monday afternoon. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said it would release passenger numbers for the two latest flights on Tuesday. British nationals and others, including Sudanese NHS staff, were asked to…
SUDAN’s warring rivals have agreed to send representatives for negotiations, potentially in Saudi Arabia, the United Nations’ special representative in the country, Volker Perthes, said. Mr Perthes told the Associated Press (AP) news agency on Monday that the talks would initially focus on establishing a “stable and reliable” ceasefire monitored by national and international observers. He said the two sides had already named their representatives for preliminary discussions but cautioned that logistics for talks were still being worked out. Mr Perthes also said that in the past week he had noticed a “change in tone” from the two warring sides,…
THE Kano State Police Command has recovered four AK-47 rifles from some people who were trying to smuggle them into the state on Friday. Spokesman of the command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who confirmed the incident, said the suspects were caught by the police during stop and search operations at Kwanar Garko, along the Bauchi road in the outskirts of the state. He said upon sighting the police, the suspects, driving in a Hiace bus, dropped the rifles inside a sack and ran away. He urged residents to continue to report suspicious movements or items to the nearest police station.
THE Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has hailed Nigerian workers for their patriotism, commitment to nation-building and resilience as they join their counterparts around the world to mark the 2023 Workers’ Day on May 1. In a statement on Sunday, Lawan said the workers have contributed in finding solutions to challenges and supported the efforts of government targeted at meeting the yearnings of the populace. He said, “This consistent patriotic stance of the Nigerian workers has enhanced peace and industrial harmony and provided a conducive environment for economic growth and development in the country.” “The dictum that ‘Labour creates wealth’ remains…
FAVOUR Daniel’s goal in the second half handed Nigeria a positive start at the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Algeria 2023, after seeing off Zambia 1-0 at the Mohamed Hamloui Stadium in Constantine on Sunday. Despite a late penalty miss by Light Eke, the Golden Eaglets managed to see off the slim advantage to move top of Group B after their opening match. It was a well fought contest from both sides, but on the balance of chances, Nigeria could have had more from the evening kick off. Abubakar Abdullahi thought he had scored the opener after 13…
NAPOLI will have to wait for their first Serie A title in 33 years after being held to a draw by Salernitana at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. They last won the league in 1990 with a Diego Maradona-inspired side adding to their first title three years earlier. Luciano Spalletti’s side were on course for the victory they needed when Mathias Olivera headed home a 62nd-minute corner. But Boulaye Dia equalised with a left-footed drive six minutes from time. It silenced an expectant crowd who made a cacophony of noise and set off blue smoke flares inside and outside the…
PARIS Saint-Germain’s poor second half of the season continued on Sunday as the Ligue 1 leaders slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to mid-table Lorient after having Achraf Hakimi sent off in the first half. Lorient were already ahead through Enzo Le Fee’s early goal at the Parc des Princes before Hakimi was dismissed for a second yellow card inside the opening 20 minutes. Kylian Mbappe equalised for the home side in opportunistic fashion, pouncing to score after Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo had thrown the ball to the ground wrongly thinking the referee had blown for a free-kick. Yet…
WITH the arrival of a second overland convoy to Port Sudan, the US government has helped nearly 1,000 Americans escape the spreading conflict in Sudan, the State Department said Sunday. “We continue to assist U.S. citizens and others who are eligible with onward travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where additional U.S. personnel are positioned to assist with consular and emergency services,” said a statement from spokesman Matthew Miller. A first US-organized convoy reached Port Sudan on Saturday, bringing American citizens, local staff, and nationals from allied countries, for transit on to Saudi Arabia. Miller said the US was coordinating closely…
TWO ultralight aircraft collided near an aerodrome in northeastern Spain on Sunday, killing four passengers, regional authorities said. Firefighters found one plane on fire in a wooded area near the Moia aerodrome north of Barcelona after being alerted by a witness who saw it lose altitude and crash, the regional government of Catalonia said. “Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters found two lifeless bodies inside the ultralight (plane),” it said in a statement. Several hours later firefighters found a second damaged plane with two dead people inside about 300 metres (984 feet) from the first. The authorities believe the two…
PORT Sudan is rapidly becoming a crucial hub in the midst of Sudan’s violence. The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet joined the latest evacuation mission to Jeddah. In the dead of night, as HMS Al Diriyah approached Sudan’s coast, Saudi officers flicked on sweeping search lights to secure safe passage for their warship into a harbour rapidly transforming into a major evacuation and humanitarian hub in Sudan’s deepening crisis. Even at 2am two other hulking vessels were also anchored offshore at Port Sudan, its largest port, waiting their turn in this international rescue effort. “I feel so relieved but…
AROUND 2,000 people have arrived in Saudi Arabia’s coastal city of Jeddah, after being evacuated amid chaotic scenes from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan. Earlier a Chinese military ship with nearly 500 Chinese and Pakistani nationals also made the 12-hour sea crossing. People from more than 70 countries are now reported to have reached Jeddah from Port Sudan. Most are expected to be flown home via charter flights arranged by their governments within the next few days.
THE death of the paramount traditional ruler of Obudu Local Government Area in Cross River State, His Royal Majesty, Joseph Davies-Agba, has been officially announced by the family. The demise of Davies-Agba was announced in a statement by his Son, Mr Kjay Jedy-Agba, on Sunday in Calabar. “It is with a heavy heart that I communicate to you the passing away of my beloved father, His Royal Majesty, Joseph Davies-Agba, OON, the “Uti Item III of Utugwang, Uti Ukani I of Obudu, Paramount Ruler of Obudu Local Government Area and Chancellor of the University of Cross River State. “His accession…
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD winger Lamine Yamal became Barcelona’s youngest-ever player as they beat 10-man Real Betis to move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga. The academy product, who turns 16 in July, was brought on in the 84th minute to replace Gavi. At 15 years and 290 days, Yamal is the fifth-youngest player to appear in the competition. Goals from Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and a Guido Rodríguez own goal secured the win. Mallorca youngster Luka Romero is the youngest player to feature in La Liga when he came on against Real Madrid in 2020, aged 15 years…
SIR Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group may have taken a significant step towards taking control of Manchester United after it emerged its bid put a higher value on the club than Sheikh Jassim’s. Sources with knowledge of the bidding process have told BBC Sport that the Ineos offer received before 22:00 BST on Friday was the highest, relative to the stake they intend to take. Qatar banker Sheikh Jassim wants to buy 100% of the club and has offered about £5bn, but British businessman Ratcliffe only wants a controlling stake. This was initially viewed as the Glazer family’s 69% stake but…
POLICE in Texas say they believe a man killed five of his neighbours after an argument about him practice-shooting with a semi-automatic weapon nearby. The victims were all from Honduras, and included an eight-year-old child. The shooting happened on Friday night in the small town of Cleveland, San Jacinto County, north of Houston. Among those killed were two women who were found lying on top of two surviving children, according to local Sheriff Greg Capers. “In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them alive,” Sheriff Capers told a local station KTRK. He…