AT least, 15 people have been killed from probable cases of diphtheria in Kano State as of January 18, Dr Abdullahi Kauran-Mata, the state Epidemiologist has said. He said 78 suspected cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection have been reported in 14 local government areas of the state. Kauran-mata told our source, on Thursday in Abuja, that 27 samples have been taken to the laboratory out of which eight were confirmed positive and three deaths were registered in the state. ”Currently, the state government has set up a diphtheria treatment centre with support from the international medical humanitarian organisation…
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KYLIAN Mbappe has been linked once again with a switch to Liverpool, after the superstar striker joined the Reds owner on a private jet last weekend. Liverpool owner John W Henry previously held transfer talks with Kylian Mbappe on a private jet with the French superstar five years ago – who has once again been linked with a switch to Anfield. It was learnt that Mbappe had on another private jet meeting with FSG last weekend. Mbappe penned a new three-year contract at the Parc des Princes last year – ending prolonged speculation that he would join Real Madrid. It…
MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola has taken the blame for Erling Haaland’s recent mini-goalscoring drought. Haaland has hit an incredible 27 goals in all competitions since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. But he has failed to score in his last three outings and Guardiola says the supply to the striker needs to improve. “We have our game, we have our principles but the way we played in last two games didn’t help Erling to score,” Guardiola said. “In the build-up you can be wider, but in the final third you have to have players in the middle. If…
CRYSTAL Palace’s Michael Olise scored a stunning last-minute free-kick to deny Manchester United a victory that would have taken them second in the Premier League. United were on course for their 10th successive win after Bruno Fernandes scored just before half-time when he finished well following Christian Eriksen’s pull-back. But Olise struck in dramatic style with a brilliant curling free-kick to ensure a point apiece. The draw does take United above Newcastle into third but keeps them behind rivals Manchester City, who play at home to Tottenham on Thursday. For Palace it ends a run of three successive defeats in…
THE Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in Delta State, Kenneth Gbagi, has resorted to offering free Premium Motor Spirit aka fuel distribution to commercial motorists in Warri metropolis as part of his campaign strategies. Consequently, commercial activities along Deco Road in Warri were temporarily brought to a halt for over five hours on Tuesday, as Gbagi’s campaign trail stormed Adane Associated Co. Limited fuel stations in the area, freely doling out fuel to commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators, to alleviate their hardship. Our source gathered that the motorcycle and tricycle riders otherwise known as okada and keke operators virtually turned…
SOMALIA’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said the government will soon launch the second phase of an offensive against al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabab militants in the south-west, where the group controls several towns and villages. Speaking at a reconciliation conference in Baidoa on Tuesday, the president said al-Shabab had blockaded some towns in Bay and Bakool regions. He added that after recent military successes in the central regions of Somalia, the planned offensive would take a shorter time “because al-Shabab is weakened”. Mr Mohamud’s remarks came after the Somali National Army, with the help of pro-government clan militias, recaptured three strategic towns…
UN peacekeepers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have found dozens of bodies in mass graves. The discovery comes after a series of attacks by armed groups in the region of Ituri. A UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said the bodies of 42 people including women and children had been discovered in the village of Nyamamba, and a further seven men in the village of Mbogi. The peacekeepers had launched patrols in the area after reports of attacks by Codeco militias. Its fighters are mainly from the Lendu farming community which has long been in conflict with Hema…
A MAN who beheaded his 17-year-old wife has been sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran, the judiciary says. Images of Sajjad Heydari carrying Mona’s severed head in Ahvaz after the so-called “honour killing” last year caused widespread outrage. A judiciary spokesman said the leniency of the sentence was due to Mona’s parents having “pardoned” him for the murder rather than seeking retribution. Her father previously said that he had not given his consent for the killing. Mona had been married to her husband since the age of 12 and had given birth to their son when she was…
JACINDA Ardern has announced she will quit as New Zealand prime minister next month, saying she no longer has “enough in the tank” to lead. Ms Ardern choked up as she detailed how six “challenging” years in the job had taken a toll. She will step down as Labour Party leader no later than 7 February. There will be a vote in the coming days to determine her replacement. New Zealand will hold a general election on 14 October. Ms Ardern, 42, said she had taken time to consider her future over the summer break. “I had hoped that I…
VICE President Badara Joof of The Gambia is dead. President Adama Barrow, who disclosed this in a tweet, announced that the tragic incident happened in India. “Fellow #Gambians, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my #VicePresident, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof. The sad event took place in India after a short illness. May Allah grant him Jannahtul Firdawsi,” he tweeted. The vice-president died after a short illness. The president neither mentioned the time of his death nor state whether he was receiving treatment in India. According to his profile on Wikipedia, Joof was…
A BBC investigation has discovered that political parties in Nigeria are secretly paying social media influencers to spread disinformation about their opponents ahead of general elections in February. The BBC’s Global Disinformation Team has spoken to whistle-blowers working for two of Nigeria’s political parties, and prominent influencers who have described it as “an industry”. The whistle-blowers say parties give out cash, lavish gifts, government contracts and even political appointments for their work. We changed their names to protect their identity. “Yemi” is a prominent strategist and “Godiya” a politician. “We’ve paid an influencer up to 20m naira ($45,000; £37,000) for…
FORMER Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who in 2021 became the first woman and first African to head the World Trade Organisation, has given a robust defence of her work at a time when global organisations are coming under criticism. “If you’re looking for a place where multilateralism is working despite the tensions, it’s the WTO,” she told the BBC’s HardTalk programme. In the last few decades, during a time of what has been described as globalisation, the WTO has worked to reduce barriers to trade around the world. But in recent years that approach seems to have come under threat as…
THE Federal Government has said it sometimes borrows funds to buy petrol as the country continues to incur rising fuel subsidy bills. The government also confirmed that there was a possibility of global economic recession this year, but stressed that Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves were healthy enough to withstand the shocks. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, while speaking during an interview with Arise TV. In the interview, monitored by our correspondent in Abuja, the minister also stated that the Federal Government…
FOUR generations of one family were killed in what is described as a “cartel-like execution” at a California residence known to police for drug-related activity. A 16-year-old mother, her 10-month old son and the baby’s grandmother and great-grandmother were among the victims, police and family say. The home in Goshen, population 3,000, had been raided by police last week. Police say they are seeking two known suspects in the “targeted massacre”. In a news conference on Tuesday, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux did not provide the names of the suspects, saying that it was due to the possibility that the…
KENYA’s President William Ruto has made sensational accusations of a plot to abduct and kill the head of the electoral commission in the run up to the announcement of the presidential results last year. Mr Ruto was declared the winner of the presidential election held August 2022, taking 50.5% of the vote, amid dramatic scenes at the vote tallying centre. At the time, electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said he had done his duty despite receiving threats. On Tuesday the president claimed the plot to abduct Mr Chebukati was sanctioned by the “highest” office, according to local media reports. “We…
RIGHTS group Amnesty International has urged Algeria to immediately release jailed journalist Ihsane El Kadi, The prominent journalist is accused of illegally receiving money from people and organisations “in exchange for carrying out activities that could harm state security”. Amnesty said the accusations against the journalist were “trumped-up state security related offences” and condemned what it called a “ruthless campaign to silence critics”. “El Kadi’s unjustified detention by the Algerian authorities is a grave injustice compounded by the violation of his fair trial rights,” Amnesty said. The journalist was remanded on 29 December, days after being detained. On Sunday, a…
A NUMBER of celebrities have tested positive for Covid-19, following appearances at the Golden Globes. Several stars, including Collin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Pfeiffer announced they had contracted the virus in the days following the awards. The Critics Choice Awards, which aired on Sunday, required Covid-19 tests for attendees as the list of dropouts grew. Forced to sit out, a few celebrities chimed in over social media. “I’m so sorry to be missing the Critics Choice Awards today,” Pfeiffer wrote in an Instagram post. “Yep, Covid.” Pfeiffer was expected to present actor Jeff Bridges with a…
AS Barcelona continue their pursuit of a new midfielder, they are showing serious interest in signing Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan on a Bosman transfer in the summer, reports Mike McGrath on The Telegraph. The 32-year-old midfielder is in the final six months of his contract with the Cityzens and is yet to sign a new deal. It has paved the way for rumours about his future beyond the summer, with Barcelona keen on snapping up his services before next season. Barça are likely to part ways with Sergio Busquets at the end of the season, with the club captain’s…
BRITAIN’s Emma Raducanu and American teenager Coco Gauff will meet for the first time in an eagerly anticipated second-round match on day three at the Australian Open. Raducanu, 20, and the 18-year-old world number seven Gauff will headline the night session on Rod Laver Arena from 08:00 GMT on Wednesday. “It’s going to be a great match,” said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu. “Coco has obviously done a lot of great things and she’s playing well.” She added: “I think we’re both good, young players. We’re both coming through, part of the next generation of tennis, really.” British men’s number…
Wolves 0 vs Liverpool 1 JURGEN Klopp said he has waited “ages” for Liverpool to win a game with a positive performance, after the Reds booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a gutsy victory over Wolves at Molineux. Harvey Elliott’s stunning first-half drive earned Klopp’s team their first win since the turn of the year, just three days after a dismal defeat at Brighton in the Premier League. Wolves applied heavy pressure in the latter stages but the much-changed visitors held on to book a fourth-round meeting with the Seagulls on Sunday, 29 January. “It feels…