Shooting Stars acting general manager, Dimeji Lawal is optimistic that the matchday 2-1 defeat against Bendel Insurance will ginger the team ahead of their subsequent matches.

The Oluyole Warriors suffered their first defeat in the 2023-24 Nigeria Premier Football League season at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Saturday.

An own goal from the Shooting Stars right back, Ghali Falke and Evans Ogbonda gave the Benin Arsenals their first win of the NPFL campaign.

Lawal opined that the players showed a high level of commitment despite the defeat.

“You have been a very committed and disciplined player, very trust worthy. Don’t be deterred by whatever anybody says. For us as a team, we are behind you,” he told the club’s media.

“Let’s put our heads up and not be discouraged by the result of this match.

“You all really represented the club very well and I must commend you, despite the loss.

“The game is gone, the focus should be on the next game against Gombe United which is a must win.”

Barcelona Femeni forward, Asisat Oshoala and goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie top the list of 22 players invited for Super Falcons 2024 Olympic Qualifiers against Ethiopia.

Reliable midfielders, Rasheedat Ajibade, Toni Payne, defenders Osinachi Ohale and Oluwatosin Demehin were also called up for the game.

Michelle Alozie, Christy Ucheibe and Ifeoma Onumonu are the other top stars invited for the games.

Ethiopia will host the first leg of the second-round fixture in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, 25th October with the second leg in Nigeria on Tuesday, 31st October.

Ethiopia eliminated Chad in the first round of the series as nine-time African champions Nigeria drew a bye.

The Super Falcons have failed to attend the last three editions of the Olympics.

They played at the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Wale Ahmed (APC-Lagos) has urged prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to stop attempts to influence their postings and show a sense of duty.

He emphasised the importance of serving in various parts of the country to gain a holistic life experience.

Mr Ahmed said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday, underlining the need for the Federal Government to fortify critical institutions, including security infrastructure and the NYSC programme.

He said the core objective of the NYSC scheme was to instil the spirit of selfless service to the community among Nigerian youths. He further said it seeks to promote unity and brotherhood among all Nigerians, regardless of cultural or social backgrounds.

Mr Ahmed called on governments at all levels to prioritise adequate security measures, provide essential social amenities, and increase the monthly stipends and allowances of NYSC members.

He believed this would motivate them to willingly serve their homeland wherever they were posted within the country.

Mr Ahmed said the call served as a reminder of the NYSC’s original mission and the importance of fostering unity and patriotism among Nigeria’s youth.

He said as the nation continues to evolve, the message echoes the need for young people to embrace diversity and serve their country with dedication and commitment.

The International Community of Red Cross (ICRC) has provided 10,000 mental health and psychosocial support services to 10,000 traumatised victims in Borno in eight years. Comfort Dauda, ICRC mental health and psychosocial support field officer, said this in Maiduguri.

Ms Dauda said ICRC has been providing mental and psychosocial support for people affected by the violence of the armed conflict in the state, noting that they are in one of the communities to celebrate World Mental Health Day with some of their service users.

She explained that ICRC has also provided the beneficiaries basic psychosocial support, psychological first aid, psycho-education, awareness-raising, community-based activities, counselling, group therapy, psychiatric and psychological assessments and treatments.

”The beneficiaries were drawn from Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Damboa Dikwa, Monguno and Bama. They were provided with 10 weeks of psychosocial support services,” she said.

The official noted that those who accessed the services included IDPs, missing persons, hospital patients suffering weapon wounds, frontline healthcare workers, and people in detention treated in various health facilities.

“We are supporting such patients in Umaru Shehu Hospital, State Psychiatric Hospital, State Specialist Hospital and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospitals in the state to provide such services to the victims.

We also collaborated with the State Psychiatric Hospital to train some social workers and nurses to support people affected by violence on mental health and psychosocial support services,” Ms Dauda explained.

She added, ”We are also collaborating with the State Ministry of Health and Women Affairs to provide psychological support services to women and girls who were sexual violence victims.

“We are currently working in three communities in the MMC, including Ngaranam Bayan Quarters and Libya Bayan Texaco, where over 340 people with the same symptoms go to the centres to sit down and interact for ten weeks with our mental health and psychosocial support professionals.”

Malama Batul Bulama, an IDP, said she recovered from trauma after accessing the organisation’s mental health and psychosocial services.

Ms Bulama said before she was treated in one of the centres, she was depressed and had serious health complications after she and her family were displaced in their community by Boko Haram insurgents.

Two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide have been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, the Israeli foreign ministry says.

Another Israeli was wounded in the attack on Sunday morning, which the ministry said a “local” carried out.

There was no immediate confirmation from Egyptian authorities.

But the private Extra News TV channel reported that a policeman had opened fire on a group visiting an ancient Roman site known as Pompey’s Pillar.

The assailant fired “at random” using his personal weapon, it cited a security source as saying, adding that he was detained at the scene.

Footage of the aftermath of the attack posted on social media showed at least two people apparently dead on the ground at an archaeological site.

The Israeli foreign ministry said it was working with Egyptian authorities in order to return the Israeli citizens to Israel as soon as possible.

The shooting happened a day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, sending hundreds of gunmen across the frontier from Gaza and launching thousands of rockets.

At least 350 people are reported to have been killed in Israel, while another 313 people in Gaza have been killed in retaliatory Israeli air strikes.

Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979, but Israeli policies towards the Palestinians make it unpopular with many Egyptians.

In June, an Egyptian police conscript killed three Israeli soldiers near the two countries’ border.

Egypt said he exchanged fire with the soldiers while chasing drug smugglers, but Israel said it was a terrorist attack.

A man in his 40s has died after he was struck by a vehicle in Dundalk, County Louth, gardaí (Irish police) have said.

The collision happened at about 02:45 local time at Junction 16 on the southbound M1 motorway, on Sunday.

Ambulance personnel attended to a male driver in his 50s and his three passengers for non-life threatening injuries.

The man’s body remains at the scene and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

The road remains closed and local diversions are in place.

It was one of three fatal road accidents across Ireland overnight.

At Skrine Hill in County Roscommon a man in his 20s died when the car he was driving overturned.

And in County Kerry a pedestrian was killed while walking at Duagh Village outside Listowel.

A driver and three passengers were uninjured.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information or dashcam footage from the collisions to contact them.

A mother has pleaded for information about her daughter, who she believes was kidnapped by Palestinian militants at a festival near the Gaza Strip.

Shani Louk, a German tourist, had been attending a festival for peace when Hamas militants stormed the area.

Her mother says she saw a video of Shani “unconscious in a car” after being taken.

A number of Israeli civilians and soldiers are being held hostage by Hamas, the Israeli military has said.

Holding up a picture of Shani on her mobile phone, her mother said in a video that her daughter had been “kidnapped with a group of tourists in southern Israel by Palestinian Hamas”.

“We were sent a video in which I could clearly see our daughter unconscious in the car with the Palestinians and them driving around the Gaza Strip,” she said.

“I ask you to send us any help or news. Thank you very much.”

Other people are reported to be missing from the festival, including British citizen, Jake Marlowe, although the Israeli embassy in the UK told the BBC it did not know if he had been taken hostage.

His mother told news site Jewish News that he was working as security staff at the festival in Kibbutz Re’im, a community in the city of Ofakim, not far from Gaza.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show an Israeli woman, identified as Noa Argamani, who also attended the event, being kidnapped and held on a motorcycle by two men.

Gili Yoskovich, who also attended, told the BBC that she hid under a tree in a field while gunmen went around shooting anyone they could find.

Fighting is ongoing after Israel was hit with a surprise attack by Hamas this weekend.

The Palestinian militants launched a wave of rocket attacks and fighters stormed into Israel on Saturday morning, which have left hundreds dead and thousands more wounded.

Hundreds have also been killed on the other side following Israeli air strikes according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.

In a highly contentious verdict, a Congolese military court has sentenced Edouard Mwangachuchu, a prominent lawmaker representing the Masisi constituency, to death on charges of treason and alleged involvement with the M23 rebel movement.

Mr Mwangachuchu, who also owns a mining company, was found guilty of illegal weapon possession, treason, and participating in the M23 insurrectionary movement.

The death penalty, while frequently handed down in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has not been executed for two decades and is typically commuted to life imprisonment.

The public prosecutor had initially sought a life sentence for the 70-year-old legislator.

Notably, Mr Mwangachuchu was absent during the sentencing, which has drawn criticism from his lawyer, Thomas Gamakolo, who claims that the trial was tainted by “ethnic hatred and deductions.”

He argued that Mr Mwangachuchu was unfairly presumed guilty due to his Tutsi ethnicity and emphasised that there was no concrete evidence linking his client to Rwanda.

The M23 militia, led by Tutsi leaders, has gained control over parts of Congo’s North Kivu province since resurfacing in 2021.

This has led to allegations from independent U.N. experts, the Kinshasa government, and several Western nations, including the United States and France, accusing Rwanda of actively supporting the M23 movement. Kigali vehemently denies these accusations.

In a surprising turn of events, Mr Mwangachuchu’s co-defendant, Robert Muchamalirwa, a police captain charged with “violation of orders,” was acquitted by the court, with an immediate order for his release.

As tensions escalate over the verdict, the case of Mr Mwangachuchu continues to stoke controversy, highlighting ethnic divisions within the region.

Kano Pillars Football Club on Saturday, defeated visiting Katsina United 1-0 in the match day two of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

Pillars shrugged off their last week away loss to Sunshine of Akure to occupy the driver’s seat in the 27th minutes of the game, when Mustafa Ibrahim found the opponent’s net in front of their home crowd, at the Sani Abacha stadium.

Though the visiting Katsina side upped their game and tried to pull an equaliser, their forays were foiled by the back line of the home side.

Speaking during a post match interview, Coach Absu Maikaba, commended his players, whom he said played to instruction.

Maikaba described the match outcome as rewarding after losing their away game 1-0.He said the win was massive for his young side being the second match of the season.

“My team will continue to improve and work for victory against Abia Warriors on Wednesday,’’ he said.

Head Coach of Katsina United, Tope Bulus, commended his team for the fighting spirit, saying they would go back to the drawing board to return to winning ways.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted Nigerians to expect floods in nine states as Cameroon is set to release water from its Lagdo Dam.

The affected states are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.

Mustapha Ahmed, Director General, NEMA, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja when he briefed journalists on the release of water from the dam.

He said the nine affected states, which had communities along the banks of River Benue, may be affected by the water release, which is expected to last till the end of October.

Mr Ahmed said that the recent release had led to the displacement of communities and could lead to further destruction of crops and other infrastructure.

“NEMA has been alerted on sudden increased inundation of riverine communities and farmlands along the banks of River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states in the past 48 hours.

“The sudden situation is attributed to the rapid release of water from Lagdo dam in the Republic of Cameroon and has resulted in the displacement of several inhabitants of the affected communities.

“Furthermore, crops, lands and valuable infrastructure are at risk of getting washed away by the flood waters.

“Situation reports from Adamawa State confirmed the upsurge of flood waters along the flood plains of River Benue.

“The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream states of Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa as the River Benue joins River Niger and flows to the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta,” he said.

The director general also cautioned states and local government areas along the River Niger and Benue Basins to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that could arise due to the flooding of communities.

He added that, so far, 159,157 persons had been affected by this year’s flooding, as 28 persons had lost their lives and 48,168 displaced in 13 states across the country.

He, however, added that the agency would continue to provide further updates as it received more situation reports from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as well as frontline states’ emergency management agencies.

All six suspected hitmen held in connection to the assassination of Ecuador’s August presidential election candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, have been killed inside prison, the country’s authorities said.

The suspects are Colombians and were charged with the murder of Mr Villavicencio in broad daylight, less than two weeks to last month’s poll.

The alleged hitmen were the only victims of the incident inside the Litoral Penitentiary on Friday.

They are identified as Jhon Gregore, Andrés Manuel, Adey Fernando, Camilo Andrés, Sules Osmini C. and José Neyder.

The Litoral Penitentiary is the biggest prison in Ecuador and has the reputation of being the most dangerous in the country.

The mysterious killing of the suspects came as the Prosecutor’s Office was about to conclude its investigation into Mr Villavicencio’s assassination, who was gunned down at a rally in early August.

He had reported threats to his life by the dreadful Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel before he was eventually killed.

The suspects in the killing were arrested hours after the attack and had been held in the Litoral prison till Friday when they were killed.

Ecuadorian authorities did not provide further details about the Friday killings but President Guillermo Lasso, who is out of the country, said any cover up will be uncovered and the truth will be revealed.

“Neither complicity nor cover-up, the truth will be known here,” he posted on the social network X, formerly called Twitter.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has dislodged roadside traders around the Oyingbo Market in Lagos for constituting environmental nuisance.

The market is currently sealed for various environmental infractions.

The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the agency observed that, in spite of the closure of the market, some traders still engaged in roadside trading activities, in breach of environmental regulations.

“We cannot compromise the environmental well-being of our city. It is imperative that all markets in the state strictly adhere to environmental laws.

“Non-compliance will result in the sealing of the markets, and such markets will not be reopened until appropriate conditions are met.

“We will also not condone any form of roadside trading around sealed business premises,” Mr Gbadegesin said.

He said that the enforcement action underscored LAWMA’s commitment to foster a sustainable and hygienic urban landscape for all residents, urging market operators to proactively engage in practices that aligned with established environmental standards.

The LAWMA boss said that Alamutu Market, Mushin, one of the recently shut markets, had been reopened after meeting stipulated conditions.

He urged market operators, residents, and stakeholders to work in tandem with the authority, to ensure the collective achievement of a cleaner and healthier environment.

A woman says she was refused access to a west London hospital when she tried to take her poorly baby inside for treatment, because she had a guide dog.

Historian and activist Dr Amy Kavanagh, 34, who is blind, was visiting West Middlesex University Hospital.

On arrival, however, she says a security guard “kept shouting ‘no dogs’ at me and my partner” and patients and staff had to intervene.

The NHS trust says it is “taking this incident seriously”.When the guard at the Isleworth hospital’s urgent care department tried to refuse them access, Dr Kavanagh said she and her partner “firmly replied that Ava is a guide dog and legally allowed access”, before they walked past him and headed to reception.

“Luckily, other members of the public supported us and shouted down the security guard, repeating that Ava is a guide dog and allowed in a hospital,” she added.

“We immediately informed the nurse at reception who was also very supportive and went to talk to the security guard.”

Dr Kavanagh, who posted on X about her experience, said her baby had a viral infection and “will recover with plenty of cuddles and a bit of Calpol”, but said it was not the first time she had been refused access with her guide dog Ava.

“A late-night visit to hospital with a poorly baby is worrying enough, but being told I couldn’t enter because I’m blind and a guide dog-handler was very distressing,” she said.

“It is unacceptable for the NHS to repeatedly fail guide dog-handlers like myself by employing security staff without the appropriate training to understand the role and access rights of assistance dogs.

“As a blind woman it is frightening and intimidating to be shouted at, physically blocked from entering a building or followed into a building by security staff.

“Disabled people should not have to feel anxiety about experiencing physically intimidating behaviour when trying to attend medical appointments or seeking healthcare.”

Dr Kavanagh added that it should not matter whether security staff were employed directly or by third-party contractors, because the NHS “must ensure that no guide dog-handler is at risk of being turned away from medical care because of a lack of training and awareness”.

“This could have a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of blind individuals trying to access NHS services,” she continued.

A Guide Dogs spokesperson said: “Too many guide dog-owners continue to face discrimination and are turned away because they have their guide dog with them.

“Our research shows that 81% of guide dog-owners have been refused access to a business or service at some point, and around half said they changed or restricted their plans because they were concerned they would be refused access because of their guide dog.

“A spokesperson for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are taking this incident seriously, our organisation is fully committed to providing accessible services for everyone in our community, in a safe and welcoming environment.

“The spokesperson added the trust had reached out to the woman “to offer our sincere apologies and importantly, to ensure that appropriate action will take place following an immediate internal review”.

American gymnast Simone Biles is now gymnastics most decorated athlete after the 26-year-old clinched her sixth Worlds all-around title to reach a historic 34th career medal.

Biles achieved the milestone on Friday, at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, winning the women’s individual all-around final to secure her 21st world championship gold medal.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist showed confidence upon stepping into the Sportspaleis, beaming with smiles and was greeted with applause by the crowd in the fully-packed venue.

She tallied 58.399 to carry the day – it was her first global title since 2019. Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade (56.766) clinched silver while 2022 World all-around silver medallist Shilese Jones (56.332) took the bronze medal.

“I was emotional because 10 years ago I won my first Worlds, now we’re back here,” Biles said afterward.

“So, it was emotional. It means everything to me, the fight, everything that I’ve put in to get back to this place to feel comfortable and confident enough to compete.”

She now ties legendary gymnast Uchimura Kohei of Japan as the only female gymnasts to take six all-around crowns. Also, Biles is now the only gymnast to win World all-around titles a decade apart.

Biles won her first title in 2013 and her latest in 2023 while the previous record was held by Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina – her first and last titles were six years apart.

With 34 World and Olympic medals, Biles is now the most decorated gymnast ever, either male or female.

The Lagos Police Command says there are evidence that the late Mohbad was bullied by his former record label boss Naira Marley and Sam Larry.

At a press briefing on the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the late musician’s death, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, said Mohbad had raised alarm of a threat to his life and was bullied and assaulted by Naira Marley and Sam Larry.

In his statement, the Lagos police commissioner said that Naira Marley and Sam Larry, however, denied allegations of complicity in the death of Mohbad and provided alibis to that effect.

The police chief said that both suspects said they were out of the country when the incident occurred and were not at all involved in the successive events leading to Mohbad’s death between September 10 to 12.

“However, there are preponderances of evidence linking both Naira Marley and Sam Larry to the allegations of threat to life, Cyberstalking, and sundry crimes committed against Mohbad in his lifetime and they are held liable,” the police chief added.

After the death of Mohbad, the police issued invitations to Naira Marley and Sam Larry, following pressure from the public against alleged complicity by the Marlian Music boss and his associate.

Their arrests followed social media outrage in response to comments by fellow artistes and former record label colleagues recounting incidents of bullying and assaults against Mohbad by Naira Marley and Sam Larry.

The Police Command in Anambra has rescued a kidnapped Catholic priest and three other hostages unhurt through the efforts of its special squad team.

DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, made the disclosure in a statement signed and made available to reporters in Awka on Saturday.

Mr Ikenga said the rescue was activated by its team, Forward Operating Base (FOB), comprising military and paramilitary services based in Aguata and supported by Police Rapid Response Squad Awkuzu.

He said in a well coordinated operation, the team stormed insurgents’ camp at Ogbunka in Orumba South Local Government Area and rescued the victims.

The statement said three suspects were arrested during the operation, nine vehicles and three Pump Action guns, stolen camouflage uniforms and Biafra flag were recovered.

Mr Ikenga said that several phones, flash drives and Sim cards, which could aid investigation and prosecution of the offenders, were also found.

He said that the gang had been responsible for spate of abductions in Orumba North and South as well as parts of Aguata council area in recent times.

He said the abducted victims were all kidnapped in October, stating that the raid on the insurgents’ camp followed months of diligent, painstaking intelligence gathering and investigation which led to uncovering the criminals’ hideout.

The PPRO noted further that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, ordered and coordinated the operation, praising all the service personnel and vigilantes for their professionalism and ensuring that no life was lost.

The statement noted the commendation of the operatives by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra and his assurance to continue to support all services involved in joint security operations across the state.

Russia launched massive drone strikes and artillery fire on Friday in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, killing a 10-year-old, a day after an attack on the same region killed more than 50 people.

Russian forces shelled an apartment building in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where the child was pulled from the building’s rubble, said military reports from Kyiv.

Initial reports said 16 people were injured, including an 11-month-old baby.

A video showed heavy destruction on the street in a residential area.A rocket hit the street, initial reports said.

On Thursday, missiles fired at a cafe and a store in Kharkiv killed at least 51 civilians, including a six-year-old girl.On Friday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that the country’s air defence had destroyed 25 of 33 Russian drones.

Once again, the attacks affected the south of Ukraine, including the Odessa region.In the Danube region, a grain store was damaged, and several trucks caught fire. There were no reported casualties.

More than 110 towns and villages in Ukraine came under Russian artillery fire, the General Staff said, adding that several Russian attacks were repulsed.

Ukrainian forces have been waging a counter-offensive for months to liberate their territories occupied by Russian troops in the east and south of the country.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia’s war against it for more than 19 months with Western military aid.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, said it intercepted eight trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice and others worth N1.76 billion in September.

At a press conference on Friday, the acting comptroller general of customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures occurred at various times and locations within the border corridors of the South-West states.

He added that the unit generated N72.8 million in revenue through meticulous documentary checks and the issuance of demand notices on those that paid lesser amounts than the appropriate customs duty.

According to him, agriculture, being the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, underscores the federal government’s commitment to achieving self-sustaining growth and enhancing the quality of life for all Nigerians.

“In alignment with this commitment and the spirit of patriotism, our dedicated officers executed a series of operations resulting in the interception and seizure of 7,029 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice.

“The objective of this action is twofold: to discourage potential traders from engaging in smuggling activities and to inflict financial losses on active smugglers,” he said.

Mr Adeniyi noted that beyond the parboiled rice seizures, the unit’s operations yielded significant results in September with the interception of various goods.

He said the goods include 35,100 litres of petrol, 1,100 litres of diesel and a 40-foot container carrying 360 bales of used clothes.

Others were one 40-foot container containing 150 cartons of ladies’ handbags, 50 bales of nickers and other falsely declared items, and one 20-foot container of unprocessed wood.

“Also included are 106 cartons of foreign frozen poultry, 55 pieces of used fridges, 110 pieces of used compressors, 148 cartons of foreign soap, 121 cartons of expired hair oil and 25 units of vehicles (Tokunbo),” he said.

He said the investigations into some of the seizures are ongoing, adding that 14 suspects had been apprehended in connection with various offences.

He said the offences include violating import/export guidelines, concealment, undervaluation, wrong classification, smuggling, and contravening policy directives.

Mr Adeniyi, however, urged importers and licensed agents to make sincere declarations, adhere to existing import and export guidelines, and avoid the risk of losing their investments.

“Compliance is not only a legal obligation but also a strategic choice that ensures the smooth and efficient flow of goods across our borders,” he said.