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HAMAS will delay the release of more Israeli captives planned for Saturday “until further notice”, due to Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Palestinian group has. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson of Hamas’s armed wing – the Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Monday that the captives will “remain in place until the occupying entity complies with past obligations and compensates retroactively”. Israel and Hamas are in the middle of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the captives taken during its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Abu Obeida…

UK immigration enforcement teams made over 600 arrests in January, a 73 percent increase on the same period a year ago, as part of the new Labour government’s plan to tackle undocumented migration and people smuggling gangs, officials said on Monday. The 609 arrests, compared to 352 in January 2024, were made during visits to over 800 premises including nail bars, restaurants, car washes and convenience stores, a government statement said. On taking office last year Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer immediately scrapped his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak’s plan to deter undocumented migration to the UK by deporting new arrivals…

NIGER’s deposed president Mohamed Bazoum has been “arbitrarily” detained in the west African country with his wife since his ouster in a military coup, according to the United Nations. Bazoum, who was elected in 2021, was overthrown on July 26, 2023 by General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of his presidential guard, over allegations of failing to protect the nation from jihadist attacks. Since then, he and his wife Hadiza have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey in strict detention. “The deprivations of liberty of Mohamed Bazoum and Hadiza Bazoum are arbitrary,” the UN working group on arbitrary detention…

A DELUGE of more than 20,000 queries crashed the email server of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United States after President Donald Trump said he would prioritise white South Africans in a refugee programme, the chamber said Monday. Trump and Pretoria are locked in a diplomatic row over a land expropriation act that Washington says will lead to the takeover of white-owned farms. Trump, whose tycoon ally Elon Musk was born in South Africa, said on Friday the law signed in January would “enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without…

PLYMOUTH Argyle produced a classic FA Cup giant-killing as the Championship’s bottom club stunned Premier League leaders Liverpool at a raucous Home Park. Liverpool manager Arne Slot made 10 changes from the side that swept Tottenham aside to reach the Carabao Cup final – and paid the price as Plymouth made the most of the opportunity to secure a place in the fifth round. A scrappy tie came to life eight minutes after the interval when Plymouth were awarded a penalty after Harvey Elliott’s handball, Ryan Hardie drilling home the spot-kick in emphatic fashion. Hardie almost added a second shortly…

THE Israeli military has expanded its assaults in the occupied West Bank, killing two women – one of which was eight months pregnant, during a raid in the Palestinian territory’s Nur Shams refugee camp. The troops opened fire on a Palestinian family at the camp, killing Sondos Jamal Muhammad Shalabi and critically injuring her husband, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday. The ministry said medical teams were unable to save the 23-year-old woman’s fetus, because the Israeli military prevented them from transferring the injured couple to a hospital. In a separate statement the ministry said…

THE families of Thai farm workers held hostage in Gaza for over a year wept with joy and hugged their loved ones as they arrived in Bangkok on Sunday. The five Thais smiled as they walked into the arrivals hall at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after being freed on January 30, as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war. The five — Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Tanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Surasak Lamnau and Bannawat Saethao — landed in Bangkok at 7:30 am (0030 GMT) on Sunday and were met by a small group of overjoyed relatives and officials from…

LIBYA authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the North African country. The security directorate said in a statement on Sunday that one mass grave found on Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra contained 19 bodies. The remains were taken for autopsy. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said a second mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in the city after authorities raided a migrant detention centre. He added that…

THE first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, has died at the age of 95 in the capital Windhoek, the country’s current leader has announced. Nujoma led the long fight for independence from South Africa in 1990 after helping found Namibia’s liberation movement known as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) in the 1960s. After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005. Nujoma had been hospitalised over the past three weeks with an illness from which he “could not recover”, Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said in a statement announcing the death with “utmost sorrow…

NIGERIA’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, will commence their preparations on Sunday at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, ahead of their two-leg FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against South Africa’s U17 girls, known as Bantwana. The 2022 World Cup bronze medallists advanced directly to the second round of the African qualifiers, while Bantwana made a dominant statement by thrashing Gabon 21-2 on aggregate—winning 12-1 away and 9-1 at home. “It is important that the Flamingos start their camping early for this second-round fixture, not just because South Africa won their first-round matches 21-2 on aggregate, but because that…

SEVEN Palestinians freed by Israel on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal have been admitted to hospitals upon arriving in Ramallah, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said. A total of 183 Palestinians were freed by Israel on Saturday in exchange for three captives freed by Hamas. Israel’s prison service said in a statement the prisoners “were transferred from several prisons across the country” before being taken to the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza. More than 100 Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip. “All the prisoners who were released today are in need of medical care, treatment,…

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Saturday revoked his predecessor Joe Biden’s security clearance in a blizzard of new orders, while escalating his campaign to dismantle the US humanitarian agency charged with helping the world’s poorest and extending American influence around the globe. In a new series of rapid-fire power plays, the 78-year-old billionaire also froze aid to South Africa, where his top donor Elon Musk was born, and named himself head of one of Washington’s premier cultural venues, the Kennedy Center. “There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump said on his Truth Social…

A SUMMIT of African leaders meeting to address the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” within five days. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has rapidly seized swathes of territory in the mineral-rich eastern DRC in an offensive that has left thousands dead and displaced vast numbers. The summit in Tanzania brought together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi as well as leaders from both the East African Community (EAC) and 16-member Southern African Development Community. Kagame appeared in person, while Tshisekedi joined via video call. In…

TRAFFIC congestion affects travel time, productivity, and urban living, but some African cities maintain better traffic flow. Recent data highlights five major cities with the best traffic conditions based on the traffic index and average commute time. Efficient traffic management boosts economic productivity, reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and improves urban air quality. It also enhances mental well-being by minimizing stress from long commutes. Key factors influencing traffic conditions include well-planned road networks, efficient public transport, and controlled vehicle density. In contrast, cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo struggle with severe congestion due to rapid urbanization, inadequate transport infrastructure, and…

HARRY Maguire scored a controversial stoppage-time winner as FA Cup holders Manchester United fought back from a goal down to beat Leicester City and advance to the fifth round. With extra time and potential penalties looming, Bruno Fernandes sent a free-kick into the box and Maguire headed home. The defender appeared to be offside, but with the video assistant referee (VAR) not used at this stage of the competition, it was not picked up by the officials and the goal stood. It was some much-needed joy for Manchester United fans, who had seen their side beaten at home in five…

THE Israeli army has demolished several Palestinian homes in the Jenin refugee camp as it continues the deadly raids across the occupied West Bank that it launched on January 21. Explosions echoed throughout the camp overnight as Israeli forces demolished the civilian homes, Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported on Friday. Witnesses said Israeli forces reinforced their presence around the camp and conducted intensive drone surveillance. The army also continues to besiege Jenin Governmental Hospital, having bulldozed the main entrance and the main road leading to it earlier in its raids. Earlier this week, it carried out the demolition…

A JUDGE has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, hours before it was due to happen. Judge Carl Nichols issued a “limited” temporary restraining order, in response to a last-minute lawsuit filed by two unions trying to save the agency. The order will remain in place for a week, until 14 February at midnight. Trump has argued that USAID, the overseas aid agency, is not a valuable use of taxpayer money and wants to dismantle it – he plans to put nearly all of the agency’s…

THE conflict between Rwanda-backed forces and the DR Congo is often presented as a struggle to control the valuable minerals that power global electronics. But the focus on “conflict minerals” may obscure other drivers of the violence in one of the world’s most volatile regions. DRC and Rwanda together supply around half the world’s coltan, the metallic ore that is vital in making phones and laptops. United Nations experts, rights groups and analysts say Rwanda smuggles vast amounts of coltan — as well as gold and other metals — out of eastern DRC and sells it as its own. They…

RESIDENTS of Sudan’s capital Khartoum say the army has recaptured large parts of the city from RSF paramilitaries, marking its biggest victory in a year. “Shrapnel and stray ammunition are falling on my neighbourhood,” a doctor we are calling Mustafa tells the BBC. “The clashes these days are heavy”. Key sites recaptured by the army this week include the mint – where money is printed. At the time of writing, the RSF still controls most of Khartoum proper. Whereas the army now holds the majority of territory across the wider tripartite capital – meaning Omdurman, Bahri and Khartoum. But, after…

HOLDERS Liverpool booked their place in the final of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle as they thrashed Tottenham. With a 1-0 deficit to overturn from the first leg of their semi-final, the Reds got the job done at a lively Anfield against a Spurs side who looked devoid of ideas. Liverpool were on top from the start and went ahead on 34 minutes when Yves Bissouma gave the ball away in midfield and Mohamed Salah played a clever cross for Darwin Nunez, who missed his effort before Cody Gakpo drilled in. The visitors, who had held hope of ending a…