Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Pep Guardiola has likened Man City’s upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid to a derby, as the two European giants prepare to face off for the fourth consecutive season. This is just as the Spaniard fears Man City’s bid to knock holders Real Madrid out of the Champions League will be hampered by the gruelling demands of the Premier League schedule. After beating Club Brugge on Wednesday to scramble into the knockout stages, Guardiola’s side were pitted against the 15-time European champions in Friday’s play-off round draw. Man City will host Real in the first leg on February 11 or 12…

The Military says troops have neutralised 358 terrorists and arrested 431 suspects during the month of January 2025. Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said it is in continuation of the military’s sustained tempo in defeating terrorists and their cohorts in the ongoing counter terrorist and insurgency operations across the country. He said that troops also apprehended 59 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 249 kidnapped hostages. The statement disclosed that in the South-South, troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of over N2 billion. The statement further adds…

The House of Representatives is open to discussions on whether Nigeria should abolish the death penalty, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has said. Kalu made this known during a meeting with a delegation from the Death Penalty Project and officials of the British High Commission in Abuja on Thursday. He noted that while Nigeria has maintained a moratorium on executions since 2014, the death penalty remains legal for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, and treason. He also pointed out that over 130 countries around the world have abolished the death penalty either in law or in practice. According to him,…

Former AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was appointed head coach of Ligue 1 side Lyon on Friday, following the departure of Pierre Sage. The 51-year-old former Portugal international signed a two-and-a-half- year contract and has been tasked with guiding Lyon, who are currently sixth in the table, to Champions League qualification. Fonseca watched from the stands on Thursday alongside Lyon’s American owner John Textor as Lyon secured their place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria’s Ludogorets. Sage was an unknown quantity when he was appointed in November 2023 to take over a…

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has decried what he describes as systematic dismantling of the opposition by the President Bola Tinubu administration. In a post on his X handle, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, said that the recent arrest and “baseless prosecution” of Omoyele Sowore is the latest in the harassment of opposition figures. “When I made the clarion call that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their energies to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and dismantling of the opposition, all in service of their grand design for a one-party autocracy, I became the target of vicious attacks.…

The Ondo State Government has called on nurses to suspend their planned strike over alleged welfare neglect. The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the state had declared an indefinite strike on Thursday, citing the government’s failure to address their concerns. NANNM Chairman, Felix Orobode, expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the government of neglecting nurses’ welfare despite their crucial role in healthcare delivery. However, the state government, through the Head of Service, Bayo Philip, expressed surprise at the announcement, stating that there were no unresolved disputes to warrant the industrial action. Philip noted, “Like other health workers and public…

Moscow on Friday accused Ukrainian troops of killing 22 people in an occupied Russian village, including eight women who were allegedly raped before being executed. Ukraine controls dozens of border settlements in the Kursk region of western Russia since launching a surprise offensive in August and says about 2,000 civilians still live in areas it occupies. Russia has now retaken several towns. Russia’s Investigative Committee had said on January 19 it was investigating the killing of “at least seven civilians” in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Ukrainian border. On Friday, it said it…

With less than 24 hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline to impose sweeping tariffs on the three biggest US trading partners — Canada, Mexico and China — the global economy is bracing for impact. Shortly after taking office this month, Trump said he planned to introduce 25 per cent tariffs on neighbours Canada and Mexico on February 1 unless they cracked down on illegal migrants crossing the US border and the flow of deadly fentanyl. He added that he was eyeing an additional 10 per cent duty on Chinese goods as soon as Saturday as well, similarly over fentanyl. On…

British designer Kim Jones has stepped down from his post as artistic director of Dior Homme, the fashion house said on Friday, after seven years overseeing its men’s collections. “The House of Dior wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Kim Jones, who has accelerated the development of men’s collections internationally and has greatly contributed to the worldwide influence of the house by creating an inspiring wardrobe that is both classic and contemporary, and connected to some artists of our time,” it said on X. The 51-year-old Londoner began work at Dior in 2018 and initially introduced a younger streetwear-influenced…

Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface has resumed training with Bayer Leverkusen after his proposed €15 million per season move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr fell through. Boniface, who was excused from training and left out of Leverkusen’s UEFA Champions League squad on Wednesday, shared a picture of himself and teammates in training on Thursday following the announcement. Negotiations between Leverkusen and Al Nassr appeared to be progressing smoothly, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Saudi club ultimately backed out of the deal. “Victor Boniface and Al Nassr, deal off,” Romano posted on X. “The Nigerian striker…