A TWO-year ban on some foreigners buying homes Canada has come into effect. The ban aims to help ease one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the world. As of this summer, the average home price in Canada is C$777,200 ($568,000; £473,700) – more than 11 times the median household income after taxes. Some have been critical of the ban, saying it is unclear what impact it will have on Canada’s housing market. Non-Canadian residents make up less than 6% of homeowners in Ontario and British Columbia, where national statistics indicate home prices are the highest. As of 1…
Author: Editor
THE bodies of 28 people who were shot dead have been discovered in Burkina Faso’s north-western town of Nouna, the government has said. A civil society group blamed the killings on armed civilians claiming to be members of a government-backed volunteer force fighting jihadists. The government did not comment on the claim, but said it was investigating. Burkina Faso has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people. The military seized power in Burkina Faso last January, promising an end to attacks, but the violence still rages. The government said the bodies were discovered on…
TANZANIA’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a six-year ban on political rallies imposed by her hard-line predecessor, John Magufuli. Her decision is part of her 4Rs initiative – Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms and Rebuilding. She acknowledged parties had the right to hold rallies but she urged them to be “civil” and not to “trade insults” Mr Magufuli had banned rallies in between elections in what was seen as an attempt to weaken the opposition. He dismissed rallies as a waste of time and money, and said they detracted from the key challenge of building the economy. Mrs Samia announced the…
PALESTINIANS have condemned a visit to a contested holy site in Jerusalem by a far-right Israeli minister as an “unprecedented provocation”. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has called for a harder line towards the Palestinians, walked around the site surrounded by police. Competing claims to the compound bitterly divide Israel and the Palestinians. Tensions have risen with the advent of Israel’s new nationalistic government. Mr Ben-Gvir’s visit was his first public act since the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in five days ago. The hilltop site is the most sacred place in Judaism and the…
THE Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has restated his desire to transform Osun state and make it a shinning light among comity of states. The Governor made this commitment at the 2023 Inter-religious service held at the Government secretariat in Osogbo to usher in the new year. Governor Ademola Adeleke assured the people of the state that he will light up Osogbo, other major cities and township in the state. “We shall get to the promise land. Never again will you see Osun being dirty again. Osogbo will not be out of electricity again, Osun will never go…
THE Federal Government has recruited and trained 8, 000 personnel of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to safeguard highways in the country. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said on Tuesday in Abuja while decorating the new FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu with his new rank. He said that the injection of the personnel into the system was among numerous support that the FRSC received since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015. Mustapha said that the several interventions were targeted at reducing the high rate of carnages on roads in the…
THE Governing Council of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has approved the appointment/promotion of 31 new professors and 38 readers in the various departments of the institution. A statement on Tuesday by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Dr Fola Olowoleni, explained “this is one of the highlights of 182nd Meeting of the Council”. According to her, the approval followed the consideration of recommendations from the Appointments and Promotions Committee on elevations to the ranks of professors and readers based on the 2020 and 2021 promotion. The new professors include Dr Taibat Adebisi, Department of Home Economics and Food…
By Adamu S. Ladan IT seems the PDP is yet to recover from the shock of its failed project in Katsina state. The project is the party’s hitherto presumption that the defection of certain elements from the APC will improve the fortunes of the PDP in the state. Hence, the cock and bull stories to either seeks cheap popularity or deny the existence of reality. Only recently the party staged a drama at Muhammadu Dikko stadium in Katsina where it claimed to have received 92,000 decampees. The author of the defection drama was not even ashamed to realise that the …
RESIDENTS of Gerewu community in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State have accused the management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of moves to displace them from their homes. About 5,000 residents from about 3,000 households raised the alarm during a protest calling on the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari and all well-meaning Kwarans to intervene in the matter. Displaying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters said they had lived in the area for decades and laboured for years…
FORMER Super Eagles assistant coach, Sylvanus Okpala, has called on both Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and handlers of the national team to stop begging any player born outside the country to play for the team this year. Speaking with The Guardian, yesterday, on the way to success for the Super Eagles in the new year, Okpala stated that the ability of a player to decide by himself to play for Nigeria without any pressure would go along way in helping the team instil high level of commitment while prosecuting matches. He said that Nigeria has abundant talented players in both…
UKRAINE’s president says Russia is planning a protracted campaign of drone attacks in a bid to demoralise Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky said he had received intelligence reports suggesting that Moscow would launch the attacks using Iranian-made Shahed drones. It comes after Ukraine carried out a strike that it said killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in the Donbas region. In an extremely rare admission of battlefield losses, Russia said the attack killed 63 of its troops. Speaking from Kyiv in his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said Russia planned to “exhaust” Ukraine with a prolonged wave of drone attacks. “We must ensure -…
AFTER Liverpool missed the chance to reduce the gap to Premier League’s top four as Brentford punish their defensive frailties 3-1 in a deserved victory at the Community Stadium. The Premier League return tonight with more interesting fixtures: Today Premier League Games: Arsenal vs Newscastle Everton vs Brighton Leicester vs Fulham Man United vs Bournemouth
TWO opposition MPs in Senegal have been given six-month jail sentences for kicking a pregnant colleague in the stomach during a budget debate. The male lawmakers attacked Amy Ndiaye after she criticised an opposition religious figure. The judge also ordered Mamadou Niang and Massata Samb to pay Ms Ndiaye five million CFA francs ($8,100; £6,750) in compensation. The incident was widely condemned and sparked a debate about women’s rights. In a video widely shared online, Mr Samb is seen walking towards Ms Ndiaye and slapping her during a routine budget debate on 1 December. She then retaliates by throwing a…
NORTH Korea has fired Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. Pak, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party and a secretary of the party’s Central Committee, was replaced by Ri Yong Gil at the committee’s annual meeting last week, the official KCNA news agency said on Sunday. No reason for the change was given. Pyongyang regularly revamps its leadership, and the year-end party gathering has often been used to announce personnel reshuffles and major policy decisions. State television showed Pak sitting in the front…
A LOOTED ancient Egyptian sarcophagus that was on display at a US museum has been returned to Egypt. The 2.9m (9.5ft) long “Green Coffin” dates back to the Late Dynastic Period, which spanned 664BC to 332BC, and belonged to a priest called Ankhenmaat. It was looted from the Abu Sir necropolis in north Egypt by a global art trafficking network, which smuggled it through Germany into the US in 2008. A collector loaned it to the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 2013. The sarcophagus was repatriated after an investigation that lasted several years and was formally handed over by…
THERE is a clause in Cristiano Ronaldo’s new contract at Al Nassr which means that he may be able to play in the Champions League again before his career comes to an end. He signed for the Saudi Arabian side last week after he struggled to find a club in Europe that would meet his expensive salary demands whilst also providing the right level of competition. Determined not to be left out of Europe’s primary competition, though, there is reportedly a clause in his contract that means if Newcastle United qualify for the Champions League this season, he can go…
ANGRY mob on Sunday attacked operatives of Anambra State Fire Service for allegedly arriving late at the scene of a fire incident. This is contained in a statement signed by the Director/Fire Chief of Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, and made available to newsmen in Onitsha on Monday. Agbili said that the incident occurred at Atani Road, by Uga Junction, Onitsha, at about 6 p. m. He said that the attackers shattered the wind shield and side mirrors of the fire truck, and also injured some of the operatives. The fire chief described the incident as barbaric and a…
SUPER Eagles striker Sunday Damilare Adetunji has been voted the best foreign player in the Macedonian Football League in 2022. The one-cap Nigerian international enjoyed a fantastic debut season in the Macedonian top flight. Sunday Adetunji only moved to Macedonia in August 2021 when the Lagos-born striker signed for FC Shkupi. The former Abia Warriors centre-forward hit the ground running as he scored a brace on his league debut in a 4–1 triumph over rivals FK Skopje. Adetunji did not slow down for the rest of the campaign, netting 20 goals in 28 appearances to finish as the league’s top…
LIVERPOOL missed the chance to edge closer to the Premier League top four as Brentford punished their defensive frailties in a deserved victory at the Community Stadium. In a desperate first half, Liverpool shipped two poor goals amid an inspired performance from the hosts. The opener came when Ibrahima Konate deflected a corner into his own net after 19 minutes. Liverpool were unable to deal with Brentford’s set-pieces, conceding twice more from corners in the first half only for both goals to be ruled out for offside. Moments after the second disallowed effort from Yoane Wissa, the Bees striker headed…
RIVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has said that the endorsement of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the forthcoming election says a lot. The governor made the statement at a road project’s flag-off in Emouha Local Government Area of the state. Wike added that a bad product is always difficult to sell, arguing that the former president ought to have recommended Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to Nigerians having worked with him, instead Obasanjo choose to endorse another presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. Governor Wike insisted that if ex-president Obasanjo had refused to recommend Alhaji Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong. He…