Author: Editor

Hajiya Hawawu Mohammed, a Nigerian pilgrim from Kwara State has reportedly committed suicide. According to Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Board, she was suspected to have killed herself from the rooftop of her apartment in Madina. The board said Saliu Mohammed, another pilgrim, died in an intensive care unit of a public hospital in Madina. He was said to have arrived the holy land with batch 3 of the state contingent. The pilgrims’ board said “it deeply regrets these sad events, but submits totally to the decree and ultimate knowledge of Allah in all affairs.” In a statement by the Executive…

THE game between Rangers and Enyimba was abandoned on Sunday following a late penalty call in favour of the latter – Flying Antelopes – in a Week 35 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match. The game tagged the Oriental Derby between the two South-East giants was a title decider with Rangers topping the league standings (60 points) and Enyimba trailing them by two points. Fans had trooped out en masse for the fiercely contested encounter and all was going well. However, with the game tied goalless, the referee pointed to the spot late in the game, awarding Rangers a penalty.…

TEENAGE forward Endrick scored a stoppage-time winner as Brazil beat Mexico 3-2 in a Copa America warm-up match in Texas. The 17-year-old netted his third goal in as many appearances for Brazil as he headed in a cross by substitute Vinicius Jr six minutes into added time. Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira had given Brazil an early lead from a Savio pass before Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli tapped in to double their lead just after half-time. Julian Quinones pulled one back for Mexico in the 73rd minute before Guillermo Martinez Ayala equalised in the second minute of stoppage time. Endrick is set…

ISRAELI minister Benny Gantz has announced his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government, withdrawing the only centrist power in the embattled leader’s far-right coalition, amid a months-long assault on Gaza. “Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward true victory. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart but with full confidence,” Gantz said at a televised news conference on Sunday. He called for early elections, saying “there should be elections that will eventually establish a government that will win the trust of the people and be able to face challenges”. “I call…

NARENDRA Modi has been sworn in as India’s prime minister for a third term, after a shock election setback that will test his ability to ensure policy certainty in a coalition government in the world’s most populous nation. India’s President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Modi at a ceremony on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s palace in New Delhi, attended by thousands of dignitaries, including the leaders of seven neighbouring countries, Bollywood stars and industrialists. “Honoured to serve Bharat,” Modi posted on X, minutes before he was sworn in, referring to India’s name in Indian…

HUNDREDS of Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra on Saturday in a peaceful protest against power outages affecting businesses and daily life across the West African nation. Dressed in red and black, with leaders in red berets, demonstrators marched through the capital, calling on the government to stabilise the power supply. Chanting patriotic songs and carrying kerosene-powered lanterns to symbolise their plight, the large crowd caused traffic gridlock in the evening. Despite being one of the first African countries to pursue electrification aggressively, Ghana suffers from chronic power shortages and struggles to expand capacity to meet growing demand. Dubbed…

LENGHTY jail terms have been handed to 22 Chinese citizens – and a Cameroonian man – for cyber-related crimes in Zambia. The gang’s only female convict, Gu Tianjiao, reportedly cried “papa, papa” as her seven-year sentenced was announced in the Lusaka Magistrates Court on Friday. Some in the gang – including its mastermind Li Xianlin – received up to 11 years in prison. The group’s members were also fined between $1,500 and $3,000 (£1,180 and £2,360) each. Victims as far afield as Singapore, Peru and the United Arab Emirates fell prey to their online scams, say Zambian authorities. After a…

NIGERIA coach Finidi George has expressed confidence his team will bounce back to top form in 2026 World Cup qualifying after they extended their winless streak to three matches. Nigeria are yet to win in the World Cup qualifiers after they could only force another 1-1 draw at home against South Africa on Friday in the southern Nigerian town of Uyo. They are now fifth out of six teams in Group C, having accumulated just three points from as many matches. Lesotho lead the section with five points, one point ahead of Rwanda and Benin, while South Africa sit fourth…

THE Israeli military is conducting intense assaults across the Gaza Strip by air, land and sea, killing more than 200 people and spreading fear among its war-weary displaced population. Dozens of air raids hit the besieged territory on Saturday, particularly in Deir el-Balah and Nuseirat in central Gaza, homes west of the city of Rafah in the south and multiple areas in Gaza City to the north. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said “large numbers” of killed and wounded were arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the majority of whom are children and women. “Dozens of injured people are lying…

TOGETHER, the collective age of the bride and groom was nearly 200. But American World War II veteran Harold Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love is eternal as they tied the knot near the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France. Their respective ages – he is 100, she is a youngster of just 96 – made their nuptials on Saturday an almost double-century celebration. Terens called it “the best day of my life”. On her way into the nuptials, the bubbly bride-to-be said, “It’s not just for young people, love, you know? We get butterflies. And we get…

AT least 25 people were killed during Islamist terrorist attacks on four army bases in central Somalia on Saturday, officials confirmed. Somali army spokesman Abukar Mohamed Hassan said that the Al-Shabaab group carried out “a massive assault” from different directions, in the Eldheer district, with suicide bombers and heavily armed militants. “Our national armed forces and local armed militias fought hard to deny the militants from taking over the district, killing more than 20 terrorists,” he said. Hassan said that the country’s international partners were supporting the army in the air. Although he did not name which foreign powers were…

KENYANS are learning the truth of the old adage that taxes – along with death – are the only two certainties of life. This is because President William Ruto is trying to convince them that they should hand over more of their hard-earned cash, saying that, if anything, they are under-taxed. He recently argued that Kenyans have “been socialised to believe they pay the highest taxes” when in fact, he added, the overall tax burden was lower compared to some other countries in Africa and beyond. “We must be able to enhance our taxes,” he said, but acknowledged that it…

ROBERTO Martinez has given Cristiano Ronaldo his full backing since taking over as Portugal coach and he will be hoping that faith helps provide the nation a second European Championship title, while Georgia make their first major tournament appearance in Group F. Ronaldo has taken his men’s international records to 206 appearances and 128 goals since Martinez took charge. The 39-year-old is set to break more records in Germany this summer in his 11th major tournament, including appearing at a record sixth European Championship, as he bids to extend his all-time leading mark of 14 goals in the competition. He…

THE United Nations has added the Israeli military to a blacklist of offenders failing to protect children last year, Israel’s ambassador to the UN says. Gilad Erdan, who said he had been notified of the decision on Friday, described the decision as “shameful”. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said it would “have consequences for Israel’s relations with the UN”. A spokesman for the Palestinian president told the Reuters news agency the decision was a step closer to holding Israel accountable for what he called its crimes. Thousands of children have been killed in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza, and thousands…

DENMARK Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen has been left “shocked” after being attacked in the street in Copenhagen, her office says. The assault took place on a square in the centre of the city where a man walked up to her and slapped her. The attacker has been arrested. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called it a “despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe”. “Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet in Copenhagen by a man who was subsequently arrested. The prime minister is shocked by the incident,”…

AUTHORITIES have arrested five Nigeriens at a port in Benin, accusing them of entering the site fraudulently, the latest in a tit-for-tat row between the West African nations. The Nigeriens were arrested late on Wednesday at the port of Seme-Kpodji, which has become a flashpoint in relations between the neighbours. Landlocked Niger runs a pipeline from its oilfields to the port on the Atlantic coast to export its crude. Under regional sanctions imposed on Niger after a July coup, Benin closed the border but has since reopened it. Niger’s military rulers however have refused to reopen their side. Benin announced…

THE trial of 51 individuals, including three Americans, accused of attempting to overthrow the president of thee Democratic Republic of Congo last month, has begun. The hearing is being broadcast live on national TV and radio from N’dolo military prison in the capital, Kinshasa. The defendants were ushered into the military court wearing blue-and-yellow shirts, marking their first appearance in public since the failed coup. Arrested during attacks on the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi, they face multiple charges, including financing terrorism, murder and attempted assassination. They have not yet been asked to…

THE Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh, has charged the Super Eagles to defeat their South African counterparts on Friday to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles will take on the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo on matchday three of the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The minister stressed the need for the Eagles to approach the tie as a make-or-break one as victory would put the team back on track for qualification. “The FIFA World Cup is the biggest showpiece in football. We cannot afford…

CRYSTAL Palace pair Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton have been named in England’s squad for Euro 2024, with Jack Grealish, Harry Maguire and James Maddison among those left out. Winger Eze, 25, has only gained three caps for the Three Lions but impressed in Monday’s 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’ Park. Midfielder Wharton, 20, came on as a substitute in that match for his first international appearance. Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed Manchester City forward Grealish, Manchester United centre-back Maguire and Tottenham playmaker Maddison had been left out of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad. Burnley goalkeeper James…

AN Israeli air attack on a UN-run school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp killed at least 40 people, mainly women and children, according to local government officials. The raid on Thursday came after the military announced a new ground and air assault in several refugee camps in central Gaza. The Palestinian news agency Wafa said thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering at al-Sardi school, which is linked to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), when it came under attack. Palestinian group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the predawn attack as a “horrible massacre”. At…