AN Iranian journalist who interviewed families of protesters who had been sentenced to death has been arrested, his wife and Iranian media say. Mehdi Beik was detained on Thursday night, reformist newspaper Etemad, which Mr Beik works for, said. The reasons for his arrest are not known, but it comes amid an ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests. Iran has been rocked by months of protests since the death of an Iranian Kurdish woman in police custody. Protests erupted in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf,…
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A UNILATERAL ceasefire called by Vladimir Putin appears to have had little effect on the ground, with Ukrainian officials accusing Russians of opening fire in several areas. A Ukrainian rescue worker was killed in a Russian strike, while Russian state TV said the city of Donetsk was hit. Russia ordered a 36-hour unilateral ceasefire, to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas. Ukraine rejected it saying Moscow might use it to reinforce troops. Russia’s defence ministry insisted it was observing the truce along the entire “line of contact”, starting at 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT) on Friday. It blamed Kyiv for continuing…
TANZANIA’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has sacked a top State House official barely two days after announcing his appointment. Former head of intelligence Diwani Athumani Msuya had on Tuesday been appointed as State House permanent secretary. But he was replaced on Thursday by Mululi Majula Mahendeka – himself a former State House official. No explanation was offered in a statement from the president’s office that announced the changes.
LIBERIAN police say they have seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition at the country’s main port and at a private residence outside the capital, Monrovia. The weapons found at the port of Monrovia were in boxes stacked inside a shipping container, police Inspector General Patrick Sudue told journalists on Thursday. “[In] the first few boxes that were searched we discovered some heavy, heavy weapons,” he said. “We’re talking about military weapons in those boxes.” The cache includes Omega 15 assault rifles, Rock River LAR guns, and double-barrel automatic machine guns which were displayed to journalists. He said some…
THE Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, on Thursday, said that investigation had commenced into circumstances that surrounded its equipment that damaged an Air Peace Airbus A320 Aircraft at Murtala Muhammed Airport on Wednesday. The company’s Group Executive Director, Business and Corporate Services, Dr Sola Obabori, stated this in a statement in Lagos on Thursday. News Point Nigeria gathered that the incident had led to disruption of scheduled flight operations after one of the ground handling company’s equipment rammed into an aircraft. Spokesman of Air Peace, Mr Stanley Olisa, said the incident would be the third in one month. Obabori…
THE government in Chad says security forces have foiled an attempt by a group of army officers to destabilise the country. A statement said 11 army officers were involved. The government said security services had been arresting people linked to the plot since 8 December. It said the head of the plot was the president of the Chadian Human Rights Organisation, Baradine Berdei Targuio. Chad has been relatively unstable since April last year when the long-time ruler Idriss Déby died after visiting the front line to fight rebels. His son, Mahamat Idriss Déby, then seized power.
AFGHANISTAN’s Taliban government is to sign a contract with a Chinese firm to drill for oil in the country’s north. It would be first major energy extraction agreement with a foreign firm since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The 25-year deal underscores China’s economic involvement in the region. On Thursday Taliban officials said security forces had targeted Islamic State group militants who attacked a hotel used by Chinese businessmen. Eight IS militants were killed and several more arrested, the Taliban said. December’s attack on the Longan Hotel in Kabul saw at least three people killed and 18…
THREE security force members have died in clashes in the state of Sinaloa after the arrest of a son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo”. Ovidio Guzmán-López – himself alleged to be a leader of his father’s former cartel – was captured in Culiacán and transferred to Mexico City. Furious gang members set up road blocks, set fire to vehicles and attacked a local airport. Two planes were hit by gunfire – one while preparing to take off. More than 100 flights were cancelled at three Sinaloa airports. The state governor said earlier 18 people had been admitted to…
THE Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has failed in his latest bid to get elected Speaker in a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War era. A cohort of right-wingers in his party derailed an 11th attempt to elect him on the third day of voting. Republicans took over the House in November’s midterm elections, but the impasse has left the chamber unable to swear in members or pass bills. The House has adjourned until Friday. Not since 1860, when the United States’ union was fraying over the issue of slavery, has the…
MANCHESTER City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points with victory over injury-ravaged Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The reigning champions struggled in the first half before two of manager Pep Guardiola’s substitutes combined to break the deadlock after 63 minutes, Riyad Mahrez turning in Jack Grealish’s low cross at the far post to make it 1-0 and the game finished just that. Chelsea enjoyed the better of the first half despite adding both former City forward Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic to a lengthening injury list, substitute Carney Chukwuemeka hitting the post from the edge of…
MONACO’s Badiashile, 21, has spent five seasons in Ligue 1 and made 135 league appearances for Monaco. The central defender made his senior international debut in September against Austria and has two caps. “I’m very happy to be here at Chelsea. I can’t wait to see the fans and start playing in the best league in the world,” said Badiashile. Badiashile joined Monaco in 2016 and made his Ligue 1 debut against Paris St-Germain in November 2018 when Thierry Henry was manager. He has featured in the Champions League and Europa League for the French club and has scored six…
FORMER Ajax defender Daley Blind has signed for Bayern Munich until the end of the season on a free transfer. The Netherlands left-back, 32, agreed in December to cancel his contract with Ajax six months early. Blind joined Ajax’s academy aged eight and played 333 times for the Dutch club during two spells in Amsterdam. He has 99 caps for his country and played in every match of the Netherlands’ run to the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said: “We are very happy that Daley is joining our team. Daley is a flexible defender who…
LAZIO have been ordered to close part of their stadium for their next match after their fans directed racist abuse at two Lecce players on Wednesday. The Curva Nord section of Stadio Olimpico in Rome will close for Sunday’s Serie A game against Empoli. Defender Samuel Umtiti and winger Lameck Banda were subjected to racist chants from Lazio supporters during Wednesday’s game, which Lecce won 2-1. Lazio condemned the chants as “despicable and shameful”. “Lazio fans are not racist and cannot be associated with a few individuals who seriously harm the club’s image,” the club said. “Lazio has always opposed…
By Abbas Badmus THE National Assembly Joint Committee on ICT and Cyber Security recently put on hold a public hearing on the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Bill 2021, when it couldn’t form a quorum. Since the postponement of the hearing, several industry stakeholders and critical onlookers have described the development as an attempt to frustrate the bill knowing the imperatives of the digital economy on national growth and development. Surprisingly, it was immediately followed by a series of deliberately orchestrated, biased and uninformed criticisms not only of the NITDA Bill but also of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami,…
OPERATIVES of the Ogun Police Command have arrested one Taiwo Olutufese Ajalorun for allegedly killing and dismembering his 26-year-old lover, Oyindamola Adeyemi, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Taiwo was arrested alongside his wife, Salawa Oyenusi Ajalorun and six others: Lukman Oladele, Kayode Ibrahim, Bello Akeem, Alebiosu Adebayo, Fatai Rasheed and Fatai Jimoh. The police spokesman in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi told newsmen in Abeokuta on Thursday that the suspects were arrested on Wednesday for kidnapping, killing and dismembering the victim. According to him, the suspects were apprehended following a report lodged at Obalende divisional headquarters in Ijebu-Ode by one Ojo Omolara. He…
THE Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development has awarded the Hosting Rights for the 7th National Youth Games to Delta State. The choice of Delta State was reached at a meeting of Stakeholders for the Games, which held on the sidelines of the recently concluded 21st National Sports Festival. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, stated that the National Youth Games has since inception become a veritable ground for harvesting the huge talents that abound within the country. According to him, “many of the discovered athletes have been nurtured to elite level…
MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola says his side will have to be “almost perfect” to catch Premier League leaders Arsenal in the title race. City can reduce the gap to five points with victory over Chelsea on Thursday after Arsenal were held by Newcastle. Guardiola said: “The way to reduce the gap is playing good and winning games. “They (Arsenal) are going to do 100 or more points the way they have gone so far. If they continue this way, we will not catch them.” City are second in the table, eight points behind Arsenal with a game in hand.…
BARCELONA survived a scare in the Copa del Rey as Ansu Fati scored in extra-time to secure victory against Spanish third-tier side Intercity. Oriol Soldevila, released by Birmingham City last summer, threatened to upset the La Liga giants with a hat-trick. He first cancelled out Ronald Araujo’s early opener before equalising again after Ousmane Dembele restored Barcelona’s lead. Raphinha struck in the 77th minute but Soldevila scored again soon after. That took the game to extra time, where Fati’s deflected finish sent Barcelona into the last 16.
EDIN Dzeko’s thumping header helped Inter Milan edge past Napoli and hand the Serie A leaders their first league defeat of the season. Dzeko met Federico Dimarco’s cross to head Inter in front in the 56th minute. Inter keeper Andre Onana denied Giacomo Raspadori late on as Napoli’s 11-match winning run in Serie A came to an end. Napoli would have gone eight points clear of second-placed AC Milan with a win, while Inter, eight points off the top, moved fourth with their victory.
Crystal Palace 0 vs Tottenham 4 HARRY Kane scored two of Tottenham’s four second-half goals after they eventually cruised to a Premier League win over Crystal Palace. Kane’s towering close-range header from Ivan Perisic’s cross was the first time Spurs had led 1-0 in a game since 15 October. They had conceded the first goal in all 10 games in between. He then drilled a low second into the bottom corner from Bryan Gil’s pass. The England captain has now scored 264 goals for Spurs, only two behind Jimmy Greaves’ club record. Kane, making his 300th Premier League appearance, had…