RUSSIA has confirmed the deaths of 16 Cameroonian nationals fighting with its army in the invasion of Ukraine, Cameroon’s government said in an internal document obtained Tuesday. The foreign ministry note acknowledging receipt of a fatality list from the Russian embassy in Yaounde, said the “contract soldiers” had been “engaged in the special military operation zone”, using Russia’s phrase for its invasion. The note, dated Monday, did not give further details on the circumstances of their deaths. Ukraine says around 1,800 Africans have been enrolled to fight with Russian forces in the war since 2022. Some allege they were lured…
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POLICE in Ethiopia have arrested a man accused of being at the centre of a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking ring that since 2018 has lured thousands of people to Libya, where they hoped to travel on to Europe. Yetbarek Dawit is alleged to have operated five detention warehouses in Libya, torturing migrants there to try and force their relatives to send extra money. He was detained along with nine of his alleged accomplices in northern town of Shire, according to police. They are yet to be charged in court. Police say testimonies collected so far suggest the network has been…
BAYERN Munich are waiting on the fitness of “very special” Harry Kane to see if he can lead their challenge to overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final. The 32-year-old England captain took part in training in Munich on Monday morning, before travelling to Madrid with the rest of Bayern’s squad after the “minor issue” – believed to be an ankle knock – that kept him out of England’s friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley. Kane was also missing for Bayern’s 3-2 victory against Freiburg, and coach Vincent Kompany was playing his cards close to his chest about his…
IRAN said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal. Responding to a U.S. proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire and said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported. The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe…
ON Sunday evening, Georges, 44, was sitting on his balcony in Ain Saadeh, a predominantly Christian area east of Beirut, when his phone rang in his kitchen. He walked over to answer it, and just as he picked up, a loud explosion shook the building behind him. Two US-made GBU-39 bombs crashed through the roof of the building directly facing his balcony, killing three people, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The deceased were Pierre Moawad, a member of the anti-Hezbollah, Christian party the Lebanese Forces, his wife, Flavia, and a visiting friend named Roula Mattar. The victims of…
SOMALIA says it is ready to begin its first offshore oil drilling operations, with a Turkish government-owned drilling ship expected to arrive off its coast on Friday. The move follows the successful completion of seismic surveys last year by a Turkish research vessel. In a post on X, Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire described the move toward what would be the country’s first offshore drilling as a “historic milestone in our offshore energy journey… A new chapter begins.” The foreign ministry said if the drilling were to be successful, it would unlock offshore oil reserves and support the country’s economic…
CHURCH leaders and politicians in South Sudan have used their Easter messages to call for “lasting peace” and an end to the sporadic killings and conflict rife in the country. Delivered to worshippers at churches of different Christian denominations across the nation, some blamed the nationwide violence on the country’s leadership. The UN has repeatedly warned that South Sudan is at risk of sliding back into a full-scale civil war. Last week, 74 mine workers were killed by gunmen in Jebel-Iraq, south-west of the capital, Juba. The government and opposition officials have traded accusations over who was responsible. Santo Loku…
LEEDS United will play Chelsea at Wembley after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years. Daniel Farke’s side beat Premier League relegation rivals West Ham 4-2 on penalties to progress after a thrilling 2-2 draw on Sunday. Last year’s beaten finalists Manchester City will take on Championship side Southampton in the other semi-final. The Saints, whose only FA Cup triumph was back in 1976, stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday to set up the encounter with seven-time winners City. Leeds last reached the FA Cup last four in 1987, when they were beaten 3-2…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has threatened to attack civilian infrastructure inside Iran, including bridges and power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by his stated deadline of Monday. Trump made the threat in an expletive-laden social media post on Sunday, in which he repeated previous threats to pummel vital infrastructure across Iran. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump said…
ISRAELI strikes across southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, have killed at least 14 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, forcing its closure. Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least four people while 10 people – including a family of six were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon. A further 39 people were wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The strike hit about 100 metres (330ft) from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public medical facility,…
THE Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says it is expected to receive “third-country” nationals who have been deported from the United States under a new deal with the administration of US President Donald Trump. The DRC will begin receiving deportees this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Sunday, without providing further details on the number of arrivals expected. It described the arrangement as a “temporary” one that reflects Congo’s “commitment to human dignity and international solidarity”. As part of the arrangement, the US will pay for the deportations, and the Congolese government will face…
EIGHT people from different African countries have been deported to Uganda from the United States, the first such transfer under a migration deal signed last year. The group arrived on Wednesday after a US judge approved their cases, Uganda’s foreign ministry said. The ministry said in a statement that its deal with the US designated Uganda as a safe third country for migrants who cannot return to their countries, for reasons such as persecution. The Uganda Law Society has condemned the deportations, saying the individuals had effectively been dumped in the country “through an undignified, harrowing and dehumanising process”. The…
ARSENAL were stung by a late goal from Southampton’s Shea Charles as the Premier League leaders fell to defeat in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The match was Arsenal’s first after their Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City and followed an international break which was notable for 11 Gunners players withdrawing from their national teams because of injury. However, Mikel Arteta was still able to name a side containing captain Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes, with Arsenal eager to clear this hurdle. Despite Arsenal having such senior players in their ranks, and dominating possession, it was…
INSIDE the sprawling Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran, a research centre lies in ruins after warplanes bombed it. The attack on Friday on the Laser and Plasma Research Institute of the elite higher education facility is part of a growing pattern of civilian sites targeted by the United States and Israel in their war on Iran. There were no casualties at the university because it was mostly empty after all classes across the country were moved online by the government until further notice. Dormitories nearby were lightly damaged. The US and Israel did not officially divulge the rationale behind…
ISRAELI attacks on southern Lebanon have killed at least two children and wounded 40 people, according to Lebanese health officials. In a statement, the Ministry of Public Health said an Israeli strike on Habbush killed two girls and wounded 22 people on Saturday. In a separate statement, it said an attack on al-Hawsh near the coastal city of Tyre wounded 18, including a child, three women and three paramedics. The ministry had previously said the strike on al-Hawsh damaged a nearby major hospital. The director of the Lebanese Italian Hospital told the state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Saturday that…
CAMEROON’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest leader, is set to get a vice-president for the first time in his four-decade rule following controversial constitutional changes backed by parliament. Should anything now happen to Biya, 93, the vice-president will automatically step in and complete the term before a new election is held. The position was scrapped in 1972. In recent years the leader of the senate was expected to act as president but only until a fresh election was arranged. The opposition said the amendments were hastily drafted and aimed at consolidating power. Even one senator from Biya’s party described…
GOVERNMENT ministers in Senegal have been banned from all non-essential foreign travel following the rise in the price of oil resulting from the conflict in Iran, the prime minister has announced. Speaking at a youth rally on Friday, Ousmane Sonko said that the current cost of a barrel of oil was approaching double what had been budgeted for. Sonko has postponed his own trips to Niger, Spain and France as part of the restrictions. He said that the mines minister would announce further measures to curb government spending in the coming week. Senegal’s move is the latest response from the…
THE Nigeria Labour Congress has directed workers in states that have not fully implemented the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act to observe May Day 2026 on the streets, suspending all indoor or official celebrations. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday by its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union condemned several state governments for failing to implement key provisions of the Act, including consequential adjustments for senior workers, regular and timely payment of the new wage, and extending coverage to local government staff, primary school teachers, and health workers. The NLC described these violations as not only…
NIGERIAN striker Victor Osimhen has been named Footballer of the Year at the 72nd Annual Milliyet Sports Awards, one of Turkey’s most prestigious sporting honours, Saturday PUNCH reports. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the award recognises Osimhen’s pivotal role in Galatasaray’s historic domestic double last season, during which the 27-year-old forward’s 37 goals goals and seven assists helped the club dominate both the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup. Held on Thursday night, the 72nd AXA Sigorta Milliyet Sports Awards, often described as the “Oscars of sports” in Turkey, celebrated Osimhen as the first Nigerian to receive the accolade. He…
MANCHESTER City manager Pep Guardiola says unhappy players can leave the club, but he hopes midfielder Rodri will stay. During the international break, ex-Atletico Madrid player Rodri said he would consider joining their city rivals Real as “you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world”. The 29-year-old Spain captain has made 293 appearances for City since joining in 2019 and will be out of contract next summer. “There is not one player that will turn [down] the chance to play for [Real] Madrid,” said Guardiola. “Always my wish is that Rodri could stay as long as possible in…