Author: NPO Admin II
The brother of a man who died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants was found off Cape Verde has told the BBC they were trying to reach Spain. More than 60 people are feared to have died on the boat, which was at sea for over a month. Most were from Senegal. “Everyone is shocked. He was one of the pillars of our family,” Mamour Ba said about his brother Cheikhouna. But the 27-year-old said he would still attempt the trip himself as it was impossible to make a living in Senegal. Mr Ba, 27, is a student from…
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) says it is temporarily banning transgender women from competing in its women’s events. The FIDE said individual cases would require “further analysis” and that a decision could take up to two years. The move has been criticised by some players and enthusiasts. Many sports governing bodies have been working on policies towards transgender athletes, but chess does not involve comparable levels of physical activity. However the FIDE told the BBC it wanted to analyse the impact of these policies and did not want to rush this process. “The transgender legislation is rapidly developing in many…
Britney Spears’ husband Sam Asghari has said the pair have decided to end their “journey together” after 14 months of marriage. A divorce petition filed on Wednesday and seen by BBC News cited “irreconcilable differences” between Mr Asghari, 29, and Ms Spears, 41. The couple got engaged in September 2021 and were married in a small but star-studded ceremony in June 2022. Rumours of their marital struggles were reported in US tabloids this year. Ms Spears became a global superstar after her song …Baby One More Time was released when she was just 16. She went on to have hits…
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on a building in Moscow, causing an explosion that was heard across the city’s business district. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences had shot down the drone with its debris falling on the city’s Expo Center. It marks the latest in a series of such attacks on the Russian capital. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show thick grey smoke rising into the night sky over Moscow. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, but officials in Kyiv have never formally acknowledged launching attacks on targets in Moscow. The…
Defence Chiefs of member states of the Economic Community of West Africa have risen from their meeting in Ghana saying that they are ready to flush out the junta in Niger if they fail to yield to diplomatic overtures. “Let no one be in doubt that if everything else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa…are ready to answer to the call of duty,” ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah said. “By all means available, constitutional order will be restored in the country,” he told assembled defence chiefs from member countries, listing past ECOWAS deployments in…
The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency has drawn reactions from Nigerians after naming singer Azeez Fashola popularly named Naira Marley as its ambassador. The singer became a trending subject on Thursday after news came out that the anti-drugs agency had named him as an ambassador to strengthen its campaigns against illicit drugs use in the country. Naira Marley is believed to be a regular user of drugs especially as he is seen in most of his musical videos smoking weeds. “I want to tell Marlians, Nigerian youths to stop doing drugs because it’s not good for your wellbeing,” the singer…
By Kamil Opeyemi The Defence Headquarters has provided detail on the soldiers killed in an ambush and the crash of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) MI17 helicopter on Monday in Niger State. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, while briefing newsmen on Thursday, said that a total of 36 officers and soldiers were involved in the two incidents. Buba said that three officers and 22 soldiers paid the supreme price in the ambush in Zungeru general area while seven were wounded in action. He explained that the NAF helicopter was on a mission to evacuate the deceased and wounded…
By Kamil Opeyemi The Defence Headquarters says the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria had in the last two weeks neutralised 28 terrorists, apprehended 113 and rescued 82 victims in various operations across the country. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said this while briefing newsmen on the operations of the military across the country on Thursday in Abuja. Buba said the apprehended suspects comprised 92 terrorists, six gunrunners, three kidnappers, six collaborators and seven perpetrators of oil theft. He said the troops also recovered 108 weapons and 564 ammunition comprising 22 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun,…
The federal government on Thursday approved N180 billion to be shared by the 36 states of the federation as part of its efforts to alleviate the harsh realities of fuel subsidy removal. A palliative of N5bn is coming to each of the 36 states of the federation as the National Economic Council (NEC) approved a sum of N180bn as relief funds on Thursday. The approval was granted at the NEC meeting which held today in Abuja. The N5 billion from the palliative fund will be for the procurement of food items. This was disclosed to journalists on Thursday after the…
The authorities of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), on Thursday relieved the Dean Faculty of Law, Prof Cyril Idifon of his postion while sending him on. an indefinite suspension. The suspension which takes effect from August 17, according to the institution, is owing to his “alleged violation of the provisions of the extant laws and policies management of the institution.” The suspension came days after some law students of the institution protested alleged sexual harassment against the dean. He was suspended in 2015 for the same issue but was said to have cleared himself after a legal tussle. A letter…