Author: David Great

France international, Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban has been reduced to just 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), allowing the World Cup-winning midfielder to resume his career far sooner than expected. Pogba, who was facing the prospect of early retirement, now has a clear path to return to football, with the ruling permitting him to begin training with Juventus in January 2025 and compete in official matches by March. Pogba’s original suspension, which started on September 11, 2023, followed a positive test for DHEA, a banned substance known for its testosterone-boosting effects. Crucially, CAS ruled that…

Ten talented chefs have advanced to the final stage of the highly anticipated Lagos State Government’s culinary competition, Eko Flavours. Organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in collaboration with Tantacom Group, the event aims to promote culinary creativity and food security in the state. The finalists, selected from over 150 entrants, are set to compete for a grand prize of N10 million and several consolation awards. They include chefs Badejo Oreoluwakitan (chefkitts), Afolabi Abisola (rukybcooks), Isaiah Oyede (Isaiah_chef), Adesanya Abimbola Chiwendu (breezy_kitchen), and Akinnire Oluwadamilare Ezekiel (Chefdrey). Others are Akorede Enitan Olamide (enny_tan_), Sanusi O.…

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivering a rare Friday sermon in Arabic, defended this week’s missile attack on Israel that deepened fears of a regional war and praised allies’ defiance. Speaking in front of tens of thousands at a mosque in the capital Tehran, Khamenei said armed groups in the Middle East “will not back down” even after a spate of Israeli killings of militant leaders. In his first public Friday sermon in nearly five years, Khamenei spoke in Arabic to discuss fighting against Israel by the Iran-aligned “axis of resistance”, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian group Hamas. “The…

A convicted fraudster, Abozo, has been sentenced to prison for defrauding a victim of N62 million under the pretense of selling two plots of land. The court also ordered him to make full restitution of the amount to the victim, Engineer Samuel Segher. Abozo’s journey to the correctional centre began when he was arrested for obtaining N62 million from Engineer Segher, promising to sell him two plots of land. However, Abozo neither delivered the land nor refunded the money, leading to legal action. Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, confirmed the sentencing in a statement issued on Thursday.…

Israel’s military said Thursday it had hit Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as troops battled militants near the border and warplanes bombarded their strongholds around the country. Israel announced this week that its troops had started “ground raids” into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of heavy bombardment of areas across the country where the group holds sway, AFP reports. The bombing has killed more than 1,000 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic and political crisis.…

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has claimed that the wanted bandit and terrorist, Bello Turji, is in a state of panic following the assassination of Halilu Buzu and other terrorist commanders. According to Musa, increased military assault on terrorists in the North West had sparked fear to Bello Turji’s camp, and his recent actions were symptoms of worry. CDS Musa noted this during an interview at the maiden Annual International Lecture on Thursday in Abuja. He added that the execution of Halilu Buzu and many other terrorist commanders had caused panic among Bello Turji and his…

Justice Evelyn Maha, of a Federal High Court in Abuja, has issued an order restraining the Directorate of the Road Traffic Services, commonly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from stopping, impounding or confiscating vehicles on the road. The court also barred the Road Traffic Services otherwise known as Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) from imposing fines on motorists. The judgment, delivered on October 2 by Justice Maha, stemmed from a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist and public interest attorney Abubakar Marshal. Justice Maha, in the judgment, agreed with the applicant’s contentions that there is no…

Nurses at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday protested against alleged assault of a student-nurse by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital. The protesting nurses were led by the Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Ogun State, chapter, Adejoke Bello. The medical doctor was said to have slapped the student-nurse in the theatre suit on September 24. The nurses said that efforts between the time of the incident and now to seek redress from the state government had yielded no result. The angry nurses chanted various songs to express their grievances, while also carrying…

The UK is exploring plans to reuse old graves and reopen closed burial grounds in a bid to tackle the growing shortage of burial space, particularly in urban areas, Sky News reports. These proposals, put forward by the Law Commission, aim to repurpose graveyards that were declared “full” during the Victorian era. The independent commission, which reviews laws in England and Wales, highlighted the urgency of the situation as cities across the country face a dwindling supply of burial plots. Under the new proposals, any burial ground could potentially be reused, but this would only be allowed after public consultations…

Two-time AFCON winning coach, Hervé Renard, has revealed that he came close to becoming the head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. Renard, who has enjoyed stints at Ivory Coast and Zambia, disclosed that he was approached by the Nigeria Football Federation following the unexpected exit of Finidi George in May. Hervé Renard’s name was heavily touted as a replacement before talks with German Bruno Labbadia fell through, leaving the Super Eagles in limbo. Hervé Renard shared that the NFF’s offer was the most lucrative he had received, but after much deliberation, he decided to decline. “I almost went to Nigeria.…