Author: Editor

ISRAEL’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip continued late into the night on Friday, with reports of sustained air strikes and bombardments. An Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp killed at least 18 people, according to Palestinian media. People in another camp, Bureij, were ordered by Israel’s army to move south as it continued its ground offensive. In New York, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution urging more humanitarian aid for Gaza. However the motion fell short of calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war. Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, said at least 18 people died…

FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was granted bail Friday in a case alleging he leaked state secrets, lawyers said, but he remained jailed on other charges ahead of an election due in February. Khan — detained since August — alleges the powerful military is colluding with dynastic parties that have long dominated Pakistan to crush his populist movement and prevent him from standing for office. The 71-year-old has been pummelled by a barrage of legal cases since being ousted in April 2022 after falling out with the top brass, and has twice been jailed. “The case has completely collapsed,…

A BELGIAN court on Friday sentenced a Rwandan former militia leader to life in jail for dozens of murders and rapes committed during the 1994 genocide. Seraphin Twarhirwa, 66, was found guilty of directly participating in or overseeing the atrocities by Hutu Interahamwe militiamen in Kigali during the slaughter of Tutsis and moderate Hutus 30 years ago. A second defendant Pierre Basabose, a one-time close associate of former President Juvenal Habyarimana, was also found guilty of “genocide” and “war crimes” for funding the militia. But the 76-year-old, who suffers from incurable senile dementia and was unable to attend hearings, was…

SUDAN’s army chief has lambasted “negligent” commanders after a rival paramilitary group captured the strategic city of Wad Madani. The army had been criticised for leaving the capital of Gezira state, without putting up a fight. More than 300,000 people have fled Gezira, which had been seen as a safe haven in the eight-month civil war. Four days after Wad Madani’s fall, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan addressed the matter publicly. “We will hold every negligent commander accountable. Those who were responsible for this withdrawal will also be held accountable without leniency,” he said. The army says it will investigate the…

THE goalkeeper and assistant coach of an Algerian top-flight club have been killed in a team bus crash, prompting the national federation to call off all matches this weekend. Ten other players from the MC El Bayadh squad were injured in the accident as the team travelled north to Tizi Ouzou for their weekend fixture against JS Kabylie, the Algerian Football Federation said. The federation said the bus crashed in Tiaret, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the Mediterranean coast, but did not elaborate on the cause. It said that as a mark of respect it had decided to “suspend…

IRAN’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani, has called on Islamic countries to ensure Palestinians have an opportunity to determine their own fate. Bagheri Kani made the remarks at a meeting with Ahmad Yildiz, his counterpart from Turkey, who was in Tehran as the head of a delegation of Turkish officials on Thursday. The talks covered various topics of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international fields. Both sides explored new ways to promote Tehran-Ankara relations in political, security, economic, cultural, media and scientific fields. Among the key issues discussed was the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza,…

US actor Vin Diesel’s former personal assistant is suing the Fast & Furious star, accusing him of sexual assault during the 2010 filming of Fast Five. A lawyer for the actor, real name Mark Sinclair, said his client “denies this claim in its entirety”. Asta Jonasson claims in the lawsuit that the actor pinned her to a wall as he performed a sex act on himself. She is further suing for wrongful termination, claiming his company fired her hours after the alleged attack. Ms Jonasson’s lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleges that the sexual battery took…

ANGOLA said on Thursday it would leave OPEC over a disagreement on production quotas following the oil cartel’s decision last month to further slash output next year. Mineral Resources and Petroleum minister Diamantino Azevedo said that the decision was not taken lightly, but OPEC membership no longer served the African country’s interests. “We feel that at this moment Angola gains nothing by remaining in the organization and, in defence of its interests, it decided to leave,” the presidency quoted Azevedo as saying in a statement. The presidency said the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by President Joao…

FRANCE will close its embassy in Niger, where anti-French sentiment has grown since a July coup, because a staff exodus following an attack left it unable to function, diplomatic sources said Thursday. “After the attack on our embassy July 30, and the setting up of a blockade around our building by Niger forces, most of our diplomatic staff left in late September,” the sources said. “The French embassy in Niger is therefore no longer able to function normally or fulfil its missions. Taking note of this situation, we have decided to close our embassy.” Local staff members have been dismissed…

THE Federal Government has resumed payment of arrears to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme. The beneficiaries were being owed some months’ salaries by the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration. However, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, said the payment of arrears to beneficiaries which was started on Wednesday (yesterday) will continue until the last person is paid. Edu was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria. “Presently, a payment for N-Power is ongoing; we were in the office yesterday up until the early hours of this morning, just to…

KYLIAN Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with two goals as Paris St-Germain beat Metz – with his 16-year-old brother Ethan making his debut late on. Vitinha put the French champions ahead from Lee Kang-in’s 49th-minute cross. Mbappe fired a brilliant second into the top corner from 20 yards before Matthieu Udol gave Metz hope. PSG’s all-time top goalscorer got his second when he ran on to a loose backpass before rounding the goalkeeper with seven minutes remaining. He is the first PSG player to score a league goal on his birthday for six years – when he netted in a…

AT least 20,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the enclave more than 10 weeks ago, according to Palestinian officials. At least 8,000 children and 6,200 women are among those killed, Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Wednesday. The grim milestone was passed as the United Nations Security Council postponed a key vote on a bid to boost humanitarian aid for Gaza for the third time to avoid a veto from the United States, which traditionally shields its ally Israel from UN action. Since a seven-day truce collapsed on December 1, the war has…

BODIES of 87 people killed during bitter ethnic violence over the past eight months in India’s Manipur state were buried in a mass ceremony on Wednesday, a community leader said. At least 200 people have been killed in the northeastern state since fighting broke out in May between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community. Tensions between the two communities have revolved around competition for land and public jobs, with rights activists accusing local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain. The far-flung state has fractured along ethnic lines, with rival militias setting up blockades…

THE African Development Bank (AfDB) said Wednesday it was withdrawing international staff from Ethiopia after the arrest and assault of two staffers “by Ethiopian security forces” in October. It said two of its Addis Ababa-based staff had been “unlawfully arrested, physically assaulted, and detained for hours without charge or any official explanation” at the end of October. “This was a gross violation of their personal diplomatic immunities, rights, and privileges,” the Abidjan-based bank said in a statement. The AfDB office in the Ethiopian capital will remain open with local staff, it added. The bank did not identify the two victims.…

GUINEA-BISSAU President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Wednesday dismissed the prime minister and immediately named a replacement, in the wake of what he has described as an “attempted coup”. A presidential order sent to AFP said Geraldo Joao Martins “is dismissed from his post as prime minister. The decree comes into force immediately.” Another decree named Rui Duarte Barros as his replacement. Violence erupted in the capital Bissau between members of the national guard and special forces of the presidential guard on the night of November 30, leaving two people dead. Embalo announced an “attempted coup” had taken place and dissolved…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released a former Minister of Power and Steel, and former Minister of State for Defence, Olu Agunloye. The former minister was earlier arrested and detained over alleged official corruption and forgery to the tune of N6bn in connection with the Mambilla Power Project. This newspaper exclusively reports that the anti-graft agency released Agunloye to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeola Adedipe, around 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday. When contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the ex-munister’s release on Wednesday. “Yes, you’re right, Mr. Agunloye has been released by…

MEMBERS of the Senate Committee on Appropriations were shocked on Tuesday when informed that there was no provision for the scheduled 2024 population and housing census in the budget proposal for the National Population Commission. The Chairman, Senate Committee on National Population Commission, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central), informed the lawmakers about the development while presenting a report on the NPC 2024 budget to the collating Committee. He told the committee that if the money for the census was not provided in the budget, the country would lose about N200bn which the National Population Commission has spent. He, however,…

AS Roma boss, Jose Mourinho believes Arsenal are not favourites to win the English Premier League title for the 2023/2024 season. The Gunners have been in a good run of form of late despite a slip to surprise dark horse in Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side. Mikel Arteta’s men showed composure to see off Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday with goals courtesy of Gabrile Jesu and Kai Havertz to keep them on top of the log one point ahead of Liverpool who drew stubborn Manchester United side on Sunday. Despite these performances, Mourinho was dismissive of the 2003/04 champions…

MALAYSIA said it will block Israel-based ZIM Integrated Shipping Services from anchoring at any of the Southeast Asian nation’s ports, a largely symbolic move that signals rising frustration over killings of innocent Palestinians in the war in Gaza. The country is also banning ships bearing Israeli flags, and will prevent vessels destined for Israel from loading cargo at its ports, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement Wednesday. The ban is effective immediately. “These sanctions are a response to Israel’s actions ignoring the basic principles of humanity and breaking the international law through continued massacres and atrocities against…

COLORADO’s Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump cannot run for president next year in the state, citing a constitutional insurrection clause. The court ruled 4-3 that Mr Trump was not an eligible candidate because he had engaged in an insurrection over the US Capitol riot nearly three years ago. The Trump campaign called the decision anti-democratic and vowed to appeal. It is the first ever use of Section 3 of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment to disqualify a presidential candidate. Similar attempts to kick Mr Trump off the ballot in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Michigan have failed. Tuesday’s decision…