Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita will be the first woman in history to referee at the men’s Asian Cup when she takes charge of Australia against India, the Asian Football Confederation said Thursday.

Yamashita, who was a fourth official at the 2022 men’s World Cup, is one of five women match officials at the Asian Cup in Qatar.

The 18th edition of the tournament kicks off on Friday.

Yamashita will take the whistle for the Group B opener on Saturday, with Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi appointed assistant referees.

The Japanese trio made history in 2022 as the first all-woman refereeing team for a game in the Asian Champions League and in Japan’s domestic J-League a year later.

The 37-year-old Yamashita took charge of the opening game of last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The elder sister of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Madam Obebhatein Jonathan is dead.

Obebhatein died at the age of 70 after a brief illness on Thursday at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

This was disclosed in a statement by Jonathan’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze.

The statement said the deceased popularly known as Amissi was a retired teacher, businesswoman, a loving mother and grandmother who lived a dedicated life of service to God and humanity.

It added that she was a devout Christian, a virtuous woman and a role model to many within and outside her community.

The statement also indicated that the burial has been scheduled for Tuesday 16th February 2024, stressing that the details of the funeral rites would be announced by the family.

Madam Obebhatein Jonathan is survived by three children, siblings, including His Excellency Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and her mother, Mama Eunice Afeni-Jonathan.

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry on Thursday said authorities have arrested 35 people in relation to the January 3 attacks in the southeastern city of Kerman.

The ministry said it had identified one of the two suicide bombers as a national of Tajikistan, who entered Iran illegally on December 19, 2023.

According to the ministry, more information will be released at a later date about the second suicide bomber.

The ministry added that the arrests had been carried out in several Iranian provinces.

The Islamic State had also claimed responsibility on January 4 for the attack that killed nearly 100 people and wounded 284 at a memorial for top commander Qassem Soleimani.

Tehran had vowed revenge for the bloodiest attack so far since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

American actress Angela Bassett known for her role as Queen Ramonda in The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It? has won an Oscar award at the 14th Annual Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles, United States of America.

For an unforgettable moment in front of the press photographers, Ms Bassett was joined by her husband, Courtney B. Vance, and their 17-year-old twins, son Slater Josiah Vance and daughter Bronwyn Golden Vance.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight’s Denny Directo, Ms Bassett spoke about how long it took to receive her first award, saying “It’s been decades, right? Decades and decades, roles and roles, and blessings upon blessings,” and to her fans who always see the movies “I’m getting chills now, but I felt the love all these years. I mean, they have prayed, they have fussed, they have written, they have had my back.”

In a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, she said, “We loved and we healed and we were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman, and we have joy in knowing that with this historic Black Panther series, it is part of his legacy that he helped to lead us to.’’

Although she lost to Jamie Lee Curtis in 2023, she made history by becoming the first Marvel Studios actor to be nominated for an Oscar.

Foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar, on Tuesday, commended the release of the dethroned Niger President Mohammad Bazoum’s wife and son from house arrest.

Mr Bazoum’s family have been under house arrest since the coup on July 26, 2023, by the National Council for the Safeguard of Homeland, the ruling military junta in Niger.

The minister said this in a statement signed by his media aid Alkasim Abdulkadir.

It said Mr Tuggar, who was also the chairperson of the Mediation and Security Council of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said it was a logical step in returning normalcy to Niger and the region in general.

Mr Tuggar reiterated the call to the government, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, to hasten the release of Mohammed Bazoum from its custody and allow him to fly to a third country as a step towards further talks on lifting sanctions.

According to Mr Tuggar, the release of Bazoum will also initiate the transition to constitutional rule in the interest of the people, peace and stability of Niger and the region.

On July 26, 2023, a coup d’état occurred in Niger.

The country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and Presidential Guard commander Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta shortly after confirming the coup was a success.

ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders, threatening military intervention if deposed Bazoum was not returned to power.

ECOWAS member states suspended relations with Niger and closed their land and air borders with the country.

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachieon, says Cameroon will introduce the malaria vaccine on January 22.

In a statement on Tuesday, the minister said the move was part of concerted efforts to enhance the fight against malaria and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.

“The selected vaccine, Mosquirix RTS, has been chosen by the country based on its pre-qualification, ensuring guaranteed quality, efficacy, and safety for its inclusion in the vaccination programmes.

“The vaccine will be offered in both public and private health facilities across 42 health districts. The vaccines provided for children are safe, free, and effective,” said the minister.

Cameroon took delivery of 331,200 doses of malaria vaccine in November 2023, the first consignment to arrive in the Central African country.

Malaria is responsible for 70 per cent of deaths among children in Cameroon, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

On Tuesday, six students benefited from the 2023 Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Indigent Students’ Scholarship Award, presented by the University of Ibadan (UI) branch of the union.

The awards, divided into national and branch categories, were presented at the institution.

The national award of N200,000 each was presented to two students by the Ibadan zonal coordinator of the union, Oyebamiji Oyegoke.

The branch award of N100,000 each was, however, presented to four other students by different union members.

Mr Oyegoke, also of ASUU, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso branch, commended the UI branch for its contributions and faithful union representation.

According to him, another attestation to the good work done by the UI branch is the presentation of the ASUU indigent students’ scholarship awards.

“If you look at the branches that are in the Ibadan zone, UI is giving the highest,” he said.

ASUU chairman of the UI branch, Ayo Akinwole, said the presentation of the awards started in 2018 and has continued till date, except for 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reiterating the union’s commitment to sound and quality tertiary education, Akinwole said selecting beneficiaries was stringent, as indigency and brilliance were considered.

“We want to continue to contribute our quota to sound minds and quality education despite the fact that the government is still owing us seven months and 13 days’ salaries. Yes, it is tough for us as a union, but we are still doing this out of our meagre resources,” Mr Akinwole said.

The beneficiaries of the national award are Abdulkabir Ilori, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery, and Mariam Busari, a 200-level student of Microbiology, both from UI.

The branch beneficiaries are Olanrewaju Osiga, a 400-level Aquaculture and Fishery Management student and Hope Adesina, a 200-level student of Archaeology.

The other two branch awardees are Ruth Folorunsho, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery and Samuel Ekpo, a 200-level Electrical and Electronics Engineering student.

One of the beneficiaries, Ms Busari, appreciated the union on behalf of her colleagues.

She said the gesture would go a long way in encouraging students from poor backgrounds to have access to education.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday picked Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister in a bid to give new momentum to his government.

The 34-year-old Attal becomes France’s youngest and first openly gay head of government.

Following days of speculation, Macron yesterday accepted the resignation of Elisabeth Borne, 62, who stepped down along with the rest of the government after serving less than two years in office.

The reshuffling comes ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris and European parliament elections this summer where Macron’s centrist forces risk defeat at the hands of the far-right under Marine Le Pen.

“The President of the republic appointed Mr Gabriel Attal Prime Minister, and tasked him with forming a government,” a presidential statement said.

Attal is set to bring a major change of style to the office of the prime minister following Borne, only the second woman to lead the French government.

The appointment of Attal had been expected after Borne’s resignation on Monday and the absence of the swift announcement fuelled talk that heavy-weight government figures were unhappy over Attal’s meteoric promotion.

However sources close to those said to be behind the tensions, including Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, vehemently denied this.

South Korea has passed a new law, which aims to end the slaughter and selling of dogs for their meat by 2027.The law aims to end the centuries-old practice of eating dog meat.

Dog meat has fallen out of favour with diners over the past few decades. Young people especially shun it.

Under the law, raising or slaughtering dogs for consumption will be banned, as will distributing or selling dog meat. Those found guilty of doing so could be sent to jail.

Those butchering dogs could face up to three years in prison, while those who raise dogs for meat or sell dog meat could serve a maximum of two years.

However, the consumption of dog meat itself will not be illegal.

The new legislation will come into effect in three years’ time, giving farmers and restaurant owners time to find alternative sources of employment and income.

They will have to submit a plan to phase out their businesses to their local authorities.

The government has promised to fully support dog meat farmers, butchers and restaurant owners, whose businesses will be forced to close, though the details of what compensation will be offered have yet to be worked through.

According to government statistics, South Korea had around 1,600 dog meat restaurants and 1,150 dog farms in 2023.

Dog meat stew, called “boshintang”, is considered a delicacy among some older South Koreans, but the meat is no longer popular with young people.

The United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine and Japan have announced the provision of three gas turbines and assistance in transporting seven autotransformers to Ukraine.

The autotransformers were previously purchased by the National Power Company, Ukrenergo, with funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

“This collaborative effort, implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine aims to meet urgent needs of Ukraine’s energy sector for the winter of 2024, while also supporting long-term national goals,” the UNDP said in a statement on Monday.

It added that approximately 93 per cent of Ukrainians faced disruptions in essential services such as electricity, heating, and water supplies.

“Installing the new gas turbines and the autotransformers will help to avoid disruptions this winter, maintaining critical services for over 5.5 million Ukrainians in affected areas,” stated the statement.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine, Christophoros Politis, said: “For the second consecutive year, in collaboration with our partners, we have been diligently working to assist Ukraine.

“We have been working to assist Ukraine in preparing for potential energy threats, ensuring that everyone has light and warmth during the winter.”

Working with Japan, UNDP has supplied essential emergency equipment to communities across Ukraine, including 1,000 power banks and 1,200 generators.In October 2023, two high-power autotransformers were delivered to enhance the country’s power transmission capacity.

“The challenge the country faces in the energy sector is immense,” said Mr Politis.

According to the UNDP in Ukraine report, “Towards a Green Transition of the Energy Sector in Ukraine,” generation capacity has been reduced to nearly 50 per cent of its pre-2022 levels.

It said since the invasion of February 2022, out of nearly 37 gigawatts of production capacity, over 19 gigawatts had been destroyed, damaged, or seized by Russian forces.

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has arrived at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency over alleged N37 billion fraud.

Ms Umar-Farouq announced on X her arrival at the EFCC’s head office in Abuja on Monday.

She said, “I have, at my behest, arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency to offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the commission is investigating.”

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said Thursday.

Mr Oyewale explained that the former minister sent a letter that she could not honour the invitation because she was indisposed due to health challenges.

“She sent a letter pleading for more time, explaining that she had some health challenges…She actually gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up. Her lawyer was also at the commission to brief the anti-graft agency of why she couldn’t come or honour the invitation,” the EFCC spokesman added.

Mr Oyewale said EFCC had considered her plea and expected that she would honour the invitation without further delay. He said there might not be any reason for her arrest as she had done what was needed through her lawyer.

“The position of the commission is that she should turn herself in without further delay,” the EFCC official said. He also explained that the N37.1 billion being branded might not be a correct figure for the money misappropriated by the ministry.

On the figure that is being branded, I cannot categorically confirm the figure because it is an ongoing thing. We are still tracing all the transactions here and there. It may be more than that,” the EFCC spokesman explained.

“We can’t publish a figure now until we finish the tracking, and it may be more than what is being brandished now.

The spokesman also said the national coordinator and chief executive officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has been released.

Ms Shehu, arrested on Tuesday, has been released and directed to come to the EFCC office for interrogation until the end of the investigation.She was arrested in connection with the ongoing probe of the humanitarian affairs ministry.

“She was the national coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the ministry during Buhari’s tenure, and she has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her,” the EFCC official added.

Two kung fu coaches were handed death sentences in China on Monday, following their arrest last year for a 1997 poisoning that killed seven children, a court said.

The men planted rat poison in food at a martial arts school in China’s eastern Anhui Province due to a business conflict with its boss, and then evaded prosecution for nearly 26 years.

Defendants Fu Zejie and Zhu Zulin were each “sentenced to death for the crime of poisoning” by the Intermediate People’s Court in the city of Ma’anshan, according to an online statement.

The court said that in “around 1994”, Zhu and another man surnamed Peng entered into a dispute while running competing martial arts schools in the area.

Fu took up a job coaching at Peng’s facility in 1996, then “gradually became dissatisfied with Peng… due to trivial matters”, the court said.

The two defendants then conspired to retaliate for their grudges by pouring two packets of rat poison into the food at Peng’s school on June 29, 1997.

The next morning, more than 130 people at the school experienced vomiting and convulsions after eating their breakfast, state-run outlet China Daily reported.Seven students were killed by the poison.

The two culprits were identified by authorities as suspects, but were not arrested until May 2023 — Fu in Fujian Province on the eastern coast and Zhu in southwestern Guizhou Province.

The Maldives has suspended three deputy ministers who made derogatory comments about India and its PM Narendra Modi.

The officials had responded to a social media post from Mr Modi, calling him a “clown”, “terrorist” and a “puppet of Israel”.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said the comments were personal and did not represent the views of the government.

Male’s response came after the remarks set off an uproar on Indian social media.

“All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts effective immediately”, a spokesperson for President Mohamed Muizzu’s office told the BBC.

There is already tension between India and the island nation after Mr Muizzu asked a contingent of about 75 Indian troops to leave the country after he came to power last year.

The three suspended ministers are Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid.

Despite strong calls for their sacking, Maldivian media noted the three officials have been only suspended.

The trio made the controversial comments in response to Mr Modi’s post on X (formerly Twitter) which included photos promoting tourism to the Indian island chain of Lakshadweep.

Ms Shiuna also compared India with cow dung.This sparked outrage on Indian social media and got hashtags such as #BoycottMaldives and #ExploreIndianIslands trending.

Some said they would cancel their holidays to the Maldives – Indians were among the largest group of tourists who visited the Maldives last year.

The CEO of Indian ticket-booking site EaseMyTrip said his company had suspended all flight bookings to the Maldives.

The archipelago is famous for its silver sand beaches, resorts and coral islands.

Prominent Indians, including Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as well as some cricketers, expressed dismay at the comments.

Former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih strongly condemned what he termed as “hateful language against India” by the three officials.

“India has always been a good friend to Maldives, and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries”, he said on X.

Another former president Mohamed Nasheed called the language in the social media posts “appalling”.

The controversial posts were deleted following the uproar.

The controversy also comes ahead of Mr Muizzu making a five-day state visit to India’s rival China beginning Monday.

Mr Muizzu’s trip to Beijing is considered a high-profile snub to India as previous Maldivian leaders first visited India after being elected.

He chose Turkey as his first international port of call after he took over in November.

This will be seen as a diplomatic setback for Delhi, which is trying to match China’s growing footprint in the Indian Ocean region.

“It is for them to decide where they go and how they go about their international relations,” Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week in response to questions on Mr Muizzu’s visit to Beijing.

He also said there was no update on the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives. India says its security personnel are in the Maldives to maintain three maritime rescue and surveillance aircraft it had donated to the country.

The Indian Ocean archipelago has long been under India’s sphere of influence and Mr Muizzu wants to change that.In December, the Maldivian government said it was terminating a bilateral agreement with India that permitted Delhi to collaborate in mapping the seabed in Maldivian territorial waters.

A Maldivian government spokesman said the deal, set to expire in June next year, would not be renewed.

Soon after he won the elections in October last year, Mr Muizzu told the BBC he would review all the bilateral agreements signed with India by the previous administration of Mr Solih, who had adopted an India First policy.

Delhi and Beijing are competing for a foothold in the strategically located islands.

A criminal syndicate that planned to illegally export hundreds of native lizards from Australia to Hong Kong has been “dismantled”, authorities say.

The reptiles had an estimated market value of A$1.2m (£633,000; $805,000), according to New South Wales Police.

Three men and a woman have been arrested in Sydney.

Some 257 lizards and three snakes were seized by police after allegedly being kept in poor conditions. They have been treated and returned to the wild.

Police set up a taskforce to investigate the alleged smugglers in September after 59 live lizards were intercepted in nine small containers on their way to Hong Kong.

Officers have conducted a series of raids in New South Wales in the past few weeks.

At one home in Sydney they seized 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs and 25 dead lizards. A search of a property in rural Grenfell turned up four lizards hidden in bags.

The four suspects – all aged between 31 and 59 – have been charged with offences including exporting native reptiles, dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group,If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.

Two of the men were refused bail after appearing in court over the weekend.

In recent decades, Hong Kong has grown to dominate the international trade in a range of exotic animals, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

In 2021, a study published by the ADM Capital Foundation found that over a five-year period, four million live animals from at least 84 countries were imported into the city.

China has announced sanctions on five Western defence firms over the latest round of US arms sales to Taiwan.

The announcement comes as Taiwan prepares to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on 13 January.

US weapons sales to Taiwan are a frequent source of tension between Beijing and Washington.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, a claim Taiwan’s government rejects.

Last month, the US State Department approved a $300m (£236m) sale of equipment to help maintain Taiwan’s tactical information systems.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the sanctions were “In response to these gravely wrong actions taken by the US”.

It also said the recent arms sales “seriously harm China’s sovereignty and security interests, undermine the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

The companies being sanctioned were named as BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat and Data Link Solutions.

China will freeze the assets of the companies and ban people and organisations in China from engaging them, the Foreign Ministry said.

The BBC has contacted the US embassy in Beijing for comment.Beijing has ramped up its pressure on Taiwan ahead of the elections that could redefine the island’s relationship with China.

In his annual New Year’s Eve address, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his claim that Taiwan would “surely be reunified” with China.

He also struck a stronger tone than last year’s message, when he spoke about Taiwan being part of the “same family”.

China sees the self-ruled island of 23 million as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control.

Taiwan considers itself distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically elected leaders.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday before heading on to Israel after warning that the Gaza war could spread across the region without concerted peace efforts.

Israel vowed to continue fighting until Hamas was eliminated.

Mr Blinken was in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday at the start of a five-day diplomatic effort in the Middle East seeking to avert a wider war in the region.

He is also due to visit the West Bank and Egypt this week.

“This is a moment of profound tension for the region. This is a conflict that could easily metastasise, causing even more insecurity and suffering,” Mr Blinken told a news conference in Doha before heading to Abu Dhabi.

Mr Blinken said he would tell Israeli officials that it is imperative they do more to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza and that Palestinian civilians must be allowed to return home and not be pressed to leave Gaza.

Jordan’s King Abdullah urged Mr Blinken to use Washington’s influence over Israel to press it for an immediate ceasefire and warned of the “catastrophic repercussions” of Israel’s continued military campaign.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting.

“The war must not be stopped until we achieve all the goals: the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. “I say this to both our enemies and our friends.”

Amid global concern over the death and destruction in Gaza and widespread calls for a ceasefire, Israeli public opinion remains firmly behind the operation aimed at wiping out the Hamas group that rules Gaza, although support for Mr Netanyahu has fallen sharply.