Author: Editor

SUDAN’s military has been accused of carrying out an air strike on a marketplace in the western region of Darfur in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed. The Emergency Lawyers rights group described the bombing in Kabkabiya town on Monday, the weekly market day, as a “horrific massacre”. Clashes have intensified in different parts of Sudan in recent weeks between the army and its former ally, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both sides deny carrying out war crimes during their 19-month power struggle that has caused the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis and forced more than 11 million…

FOUR Manchester City players have been named in the Fifpro men’s World XI for 2024. Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is the fifth Premier League player in the team, which is completed by Real Madrid players. Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, who left Paris St-Germain for Inter Miami in July 2023, is absent for the first time since 2006. The 2024 forward line is made up of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, who left PSG for Real in the summer. His new team-mate at Real, Jude Bellingham, topped the men’s overall voting, with the 21-year-old…

DOZENS of Palestinians – including women and children – have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, health authorities say, as a power outage threatens the lives of more than 100 patients at a hospital in the besieged territory’s north. Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Monday that 50 people were killed the previous day and 84 others were injured as Israeli forces committed three “massacres” in the territory. An Israeli drone attack in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Monday morning killed three people, sources told Al Jazeera. “[The victims] were trying to leave their home in search…

WORLD oil prices jumped Monday on fresh moves by China to boost its economy and as traders tracked an uncertain future for Syria and the wider crude-rich Middle East. Major stock markets diverged as investors reacted to political crises in South Korea and France, and tracked the perspectives for interest rate cuts. Gold, seen as a haven investment, gained around one percent. “The week has kicked off on a largely upbeat tone following the welcome announcement that Chinese authorities plan to enact further stimulus over the year ahead,” noted Joshua Mahony, analyst at traders Scope Markets. “This shift has already…

SENEGAL’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has said he is “making progress” in a mediation mission with junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, after the trio announced their departure from regional bloc ECOWAS. The three Sahel countries announced in January they were leaving the Economic Community of West African States, which they accused of being subservient to former colonial ruler France and failing to support them in their fight against jihadist violence. Their departure becomes effective one year after the announcement, in January 2025, according to the bloc. The trio have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) after severing ties…

THE UK and US governments have imposed sanctions on a British-Kenyan businessman over his alleged involvement in the illicit gold trade. Kamlesh Pattni, and four others including his wife and brother-in-law, will have their assets frozen, a statement from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office read. He was implicated in one of Kenya’s biggest corruption scandals, Goldenberg, which is believed to have cost the country at least $600m (£470m). He has since faced allegations of involvement in the illicit gold trade in Zimbabwe, which he has previously denied. The BBC has asked him for comment. “Illicit gold is…

CHELSEA roared back from two goals down to beat Tottenham 4-3 on Sunday, moving just four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Spurs raced into an early 2-0 lead but Enzo Maresca’s men turned the match on its head, scoring four times, including two penalties from England forward Cole Palmer, before a late goal from Son Heung-min. But his cavalier attacking approach will come under more scrutiny as Chelsea roared back to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to seven games. Jadon Sancho gave the visitors a foothold before they dominated the second half with Palmer twice cool from the…

SYRIAN opposition fighters have declared that the country has been “liberated” after they stormed the capital and announced that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital city to an unknown destination. Joyous celebrations erupted in Damascus and other parts of the country, including along the border with neighbouring Lebanon, with many displaced Syrians deciding to return home. The stunning opposition advance came after 13 years of brutal war, putting an end to more than half a century of the rule of the al-Assad family. Here’s a selection of international reactions to the news. This page will be updated as more…

UNITED States President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to deport all immigrants in the United States illegally over his upcoming four-year term. In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump detailed his vision for a broad crackdown on illegal immigration, which he intends to classify as a national emergency upon taking office on January 20. According to Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that as of January 2022, over 11 million people are in the US without legal status, a figure likely higher today. Trump affirmed his intention to remove all unauthorized immigrants, stating, “I think…

GHANA’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has conceded defeat in Saturday’s elections, congratulating opposition leader and former President John Mahama on his victory. Early results suggest this could be one of the heaviest defeats in decades for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which had been in power since 2016. Voters were angered by a combination of the rising cost of living, a series of high-profile scandals and a major debt crisis that prevented the government from delivering on key promises. As a result, the NPP may have dropped below 45% of the presidential vote for the first time since 1996. Ghana’s vote…

A NOTORIOUS far-right extremist, convicted of murdering South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani, is set to be deported to his native Poland, the government has said. Janusz Walus, 71, gunned down Hani outside his home in 1993 at a tense time when the country was preparing its first multi-racial elections. He spent almost three decades in prison in South Africa before being freed on parole in 2022, sparking protests and an outcry, in a nation still grappling with racism and apartheid’s legacy. Walus is set to leave South Africa on Friday night and the Polish government will pay for the…

GHANA’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has accepted defeat in Saturday’s election and congratulated the opposition candidate, former President John Mahama, on his victory. “The people have voted for change,” said Bawumia. The elections come amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation, which saw the country default on its debt. Despite Bawumia’s concession, no official results have been declared. The Electoral Commission (EC) said results had been delayed because supporters of the two main parties were impeding the process and it had asked the police to clear the collation centres. Mahama’s supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate around…

SYRIA’s armed opposition and rebels say its fighters have captured the capital, Damascus, and that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country. The commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, says all state institutions will remain under the supervision of al-Assad’s prime minister until they are handed over officially. The announcements come hours after the opposition groups seized several cities in a lightning offensive. The opposition has broadcast their first statement to Syrians on state TV moments ago. “The city of Damascus has been liberated,” said one man, who was dressed in civilian clothes. “The tyrant Bashar al Assad…

NOTTINGHAM Forest condemned Manchester United to their second straight Premier League defeat on Saturday, beating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford. The visitors took the lead in the second minute through Nikola Milenkovic but Rasmus Hojlund levelled. United were rocked again at the start of the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood made it 3-1. Bruno Fernandes struck a fine shot from just outside the box to give United hope just after the hour mark but it was not enough. Amorim started his United reign last month with a draw followed by two wins but predicted the…

A MONTH after suspending its mediation bid, Qatar has said it sees “momentum” in efforts to reach a deal to end Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, as dozens of Palestinians were killed in the Israeli military’s continued attacks on the besieged enclave. Speaking at the Doha Forum on Saturday, Qatari Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the country took a step back from mediating Gaza ceasefire talks because it failed to see “a real willingness” to end the war. But the minister said that after the United States presidential election on November 5,…

PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump has signalled that, under his administration, the United States would cease any involvement in Syria’s long-running civil war, hinting at a possible end to support for Kurdish-led forces in the region. In a Saturday morning missive on social media, Trump addressed the surprise opposition offensive that has redrawn the battle lines in the Syrian conflict. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” Trump wrote, before switching to all uppercase letters for emphasis. “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”…

BURKINA Faso’s military ruler Capt Ibrahim Traoré has sacked his Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the entire government. The dismissal of the head of government and his cabinet was announced in a decree signed by the junta leader on Friday. The decree did not specify why the prime minister was sacked, but said members of the dissolved government will continue to serve until a new cabinet is appointed. Tambela, a civilian, was named prime minister in 2022, shortly after Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a coup. His dismissal comes barely weeks after another civilian prime minister,…

MORE than 150 illegal miners have been rescued from an abandoned mine in South Africa’s eastern Mpumalanga province. Police say three bodies were recovered earlier this week on the first day of the rescue operation. Most of those rescued, reportedly foreign nationals, claim they were forced underground against their will to search for gold. A police spokesperson confirmed the miners have been arrested, and investigations are continuing into illegal mining activities in the region. Days earlier, the national police head Fannie Masemola also confirmed officers were investigating “allegations of human trafficking and forced labour in these mining operations by those…

PROFESSOR Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu FCVSN, the newly appointed Executive Secretary (ES) of National Universities Commision (NUC), was born at Fufore, Adamawa State on 2nd September 1960. He had his primary education between 1967 and 1973. He gained admission in to Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Mubi in 1973 and successfully obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1978. He attended the School of Basic Studies (SBS), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria during the 1978/79 session. In October, 1979 he enrolled at ABU Zaria for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree programme which he successfully completed in June 1984. Professor…

PEP Guardiola believes Manchester City face an almost impossible job in replacing Kevin De Bruyne thanks to the impact the Belgian has made over the past 10 years. De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles among 13 major trophies since joining City in 2015, a year before Guardiola’s arrival. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has previously hinted he could be tempted by the riches on offer in the Saudi Pro League. “I would like to have a 23-year-old Kevin and sign a contract for 10 more years,” Guardiola said on Friday.…