Author: Editor

BAYERN Munich overcame a first-leg deficit against Lazio as Harry Kane scored twice in Tuesday’s 3-0 victory to send the German side through to the Champions League quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate. Trailing by a goal from the opening leg in Italy last month, Kane brought Bayern level in the 38th minute at the Allianz Arena before Thomas Mueller struck in first-half stoppage time. Kane sealed the tie for Bayern when he tucked away a rebound midway through the second half, easing some of the pressure on outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel. In the other match, Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris…

THE World Food Programme (WFP) says its first attempt in two weeks to bring food aid to northern Gaza was blocked by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The UN agency says the convoy of 14 lorries was “turned back” at a checkpoint and was later looted by crowds of “desperate people”. It comes a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) said children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza. In a statement, the WFP said efforts to “deliver desperately needed food supplies” to the area resumed on Tuesday “but were largely unsuccessful”. The agency says the convoy was turned…

THE FBI is hunting for an alleged Iranian spy it believes is involved in plots to kill current and former US government officials. The agency accuses Majid Farahani, 42, of plotting revenge for the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds force, was assassinated in a US drone attack in Iraq in January 2020. The FBI says Mr Farahani has acted on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. In a notice posted on Friday, the FBI said it wanted Majid Dastjani Farahani for questioning in connection with the recruitment of individuals for operations in the US.…

A STUDENT pilot and trainer have been killed after their aircraft collided with a passenger plane over Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, police say. The aircraft, belonging to a flying school, then crashed in Nairobi National Park, killing the two people. The Safarilink passenger plane returned to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport from where it had taken off with 44 people on board. The 39 passengers and five crew members were all unharmed, the airline said. The aircraft, bound for Diani on Kenya’s coast, had “experienced a loud bang soon after take-off”, it said. The Cessna plane operated by Ninety-Nines Flying School crashed in…

A FORMER senior government minister in South Africa has left the governing African National Congress (ANC), with a blistering attack on the party. Nathi Nhleko said it was “painful” to see the ANC turn into a party he no longer recognised, accusing it of introducing austerity measures and dismantling state-owned companies. Mr Nhleko was close to the scandal-hit ex-President Jacob Zuma. Earlier this year, the ANC suspended Mr Zuma for backing a rival party. An ANC official responded to Mr Nhleko’s resignation by saying “good riddance”. Mr Zuma joined the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in December, and is…

ARSENAL entered the record books as a 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United on Monday kept the Gunners on Liverpool and Manchester City’s tails in the Premier League title race. Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the visitors 5-0 at half-time before Ben White rounded off the scoring. Mikel Arteta’s men become the first side to ever win three consecutive away games in the English top-flight by five or more goals. By contrast, Sheffield United also set a new record by becoming the first English top-flight side to concede five or more goals…

THE UN agency championing gender equality, UN Women, has said the Gaza conflict “is also a war on women”, who continue to suffer its devastating impacts. UN Women estimated that Israeli forces have reportedly killed 9,000 women since the war erupted nearly five months ago. However, the figure is likely to be higher as many more are reported dead under the rubble. The UN agency, in a statement ahead of the International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8, stated that the data showed that while the war spared no one, it killed and injured women in unprecedented ways. Roughly 37…

MORE than 40 countries on Monday demanded an independent international investigation into the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny — and said President Vladimir Putin bore ultimate responsibility. European Union members, the United States, Britain, Ukraine, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway were among countries to voice outrage over Navalny’s death at the UN Human Rights Council. Navalny, 47, who died in an Arctic prison colony, was laid to rest in Moscow on Friday, surrounded by crowds of defiant mourners who chanted his name. “We are outraged by the death of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, for which…

THE United States government has imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, along with other senior officials, for corruption and human rights abuses. On Monday the US government said leaders in Zimbabwe were siphoning off public resources for personal gain. This move scraps the old executive sanction order introduced in 2003 and moves 11 individuals and three entities onto the global list – the Global Magnitsky sanctions program. “These illicit activities support and contribute to a global criminal network of bribery, smuggling, and money laundering that impoverish communities in Zimbabwe, southern Africa, and other parts of the world,” a statement…

JUDGES at the International Crime Court (ICC) have ruled that prosecutors can bring a hearing on charges against a fugitive Ugandan warlord despite his absence. Joseph Kony was the leader of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which abducted thousands of children to use as soldiers or sex slaves. The hearing has been scheduled for 15 October. He is accused of 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Joseph Kony formed the LRA in Uganda over two decades ago and claimed to be fighting to install a government based on the Bible’s Ten Commandments. The arrest warrant for…

Nigeria-Qatar Collaboration Is Key To The Future, Minister Says THE Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s partnership with Qatar in areas of art and cultural exchange will create better opportunities for Nigerians in the future. The Minister made this known in Doha  during a State visit to Qatar with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some other cabinet members on Monday. Musawa stated that the visit which included a tour of the spectacular National Museum of Qatar highlighted the importance of culture and heritage in nation building which…

BAYER Leverkusen tightened their grip at the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Cologne to pull 10 points clear of Bayern Munich. Xabi Alonso’s side were handed the opportunity to stretch their lead over Bayern after the serial champions faltered again, only managing a 2-2 draw at Freiburg on Friday night. “Ten points are a lot,” said Leverkusen’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. “But it’s not over yet. There are still many, many more points to play for and as long as it’s not decided mathematically, we cannot say that it’s done. We have to keep working…

US Vice-President Kamala Harris says people in Gaza “are starving” and has urged Israel to “significantly increase the flow of aid” there. She said “there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks”, which would “get the [Israeli] hostages out”. Earlier, Israel did not attend truce talks in Egypt, saying Hamas was not giving a list of hostages still alive. Hamas told the BBC it was unable to do so because of the Israeli bombing. “Practically it is impossible to know who is still alive,” said Dr Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official. Hamas’s team and…

HAITI has declared a 72-hour state of emergency and night curfew in and around the capital because of two jailbreaks and spiralling insecurity. At the weekend, armed gangs stormed a major Port-au-Prince prison, leading to the killing of at least 12 people and release of around 4,000 inmates. Gang leaders say they want to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is outside the country. The groups aiming to oust him control around 80% of Port-au-Prince. A government statement said two prisons – one in the capital and the other in nearby Croix des Bouquets – were stormed…

SOME 170 people including women and children have been “executed” in attacks on three villages in Burkina Faso, a public prosecutor has said. Aly Benjamin Coulibaly appealed for witnesses to help find those who attacked Komsilga, Nordin and Soro. Separately, the army warned of the increased risk of attacks by Islamists, “including attacks on urban centres”. The country’s army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents. Mr Coulibaly said he had launched an investigation into the village attacks in Yatenga province on 25 February. The AFP news agency reported that dozens…

HUNDREDS of protesters in the Senegalese capital Dakar have called for elections to be held before the end of President Macky Sall’s term on 2 April. Mr Sall sparked huge protests when he postponed last month’s elections and failed to announce a new date. On Saturday, protesters from opposition parties and campaigning groups called the president a dictator and demanded the release from prison of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Delegates taking part in political crisis talks last week, which were organised by the president but boycotted by the opposition, recommended holding elections in June.

AUTHORITIES at the Kano Municipal Local Government Council of Kano State have confirmed an outbreak of measles in some parts of the local government area. The Primary Health Care Coordinator of the area, Alhaji Aliyu Jinjiri Kiru, disclosed this during a meeting of the Emergency Preparedness Response Committee at the local government secretariat. The coordinator said the suspected affected areas with cases are Sharada, Madatai, and Gandun Albasa. In a statement, the information officer of the area, Fatima Abdullahi, quoted the coordinator, saying they received reports of several cases of measles and other infectious diseases from various health centres in…

AFTER suffering a 3-2 defeat to Katsina United Kano Pillars will host Abia Warriors on Sunday (today) in a Nigeria Premier League Football fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium and will be banking on Mustapha Yuga and Umar to deliver the goals just like they did against Sunshine Stars and Katsina United. Enugu Rangers will aim to record their fifth straight win under coach Fidelis Ikechukwu when they travel to Kaduna to face Niger Tornadoes at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium. The Flying Antelopes made it four wins on the bounce after a hard-fought win over title rivals Remo Stars last…

JUDE Bellingham was sent off for complaining after the final whistle denied him a winning goal for Real Madrid in a dramatic game at Valencia. Vinicius Jr scored twice at the Mestalla, where he was the victim of racist abuse last season, as Real came from 2-0 behind to salvage a point and move seven points clear at the top of La Liga. Bellingham thought he had won the game six minutes into stoppage time when he headed in from close range, but referee Gil Manzano had blown the whistle to end the game before the cross had been delivered.…

AFRICAN Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat on Saturday accused Israel of “the mass killing of Palestinians” and urged an international probe after dozens died following a rush on an aid convoy in war-torn Gaza. “Mahamat strongly condemns an attack by Israeli forces, that killed and wounded more than 100 Palestinians seeking life-saving humanitarian aid,” the bloc said in a statement dated Friday but posted on X on Saturday. “The Chairperson calls for an international investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to account,” the statement said, urging “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire”. Israeli troops opened fire as Palestinian civilians…