Author: David Great

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court, two and a half years after their initial acquittal. The Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, upheld their previous acquittal, rejecting the prosecution’s case regarding a 2 million Swiss franc payment Blatter authorized for Platini in 2011. Swiss federal prosecutors had appealed the 2022 ruling, alleging that Blatter and Platini fraudulently claimed FIFA owed Platini money for advisory work between 1998 and 2002. However, the court ruled that their explanation—an oral agreement for the…

Group C leaders in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, South Africa, face a potential three-point deduction after fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday. The controversy surrounds midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers. He was first booked in South Africa’s 2-1 win over Benin in November 2023, receiving a caution in the 54th minute. He received another yellow card in the 52nd minute during their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024. Despite these bookings, Mokoena started against Lesotho and played 82 minutes before being substituted.…

The Oyo State Police Command has indicted 17 out of 59 students arrested in connection with the destruction of science laboratory equipment worth over N25 million at Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School, Oniyere, Ibadan. The revelation was made during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Eleyele Police Headquarters, attended by the state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Fatai Owoseni (rtd.), and the Commissioner for Education, Salihu Adelabu, among others. According to Adenola, the students, who were from Government Technical College, Orita Aperin, stormed the CAC Grammar School premises and caused extensive damage.…

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had launched airstrikes on two military bases in central Syria while also clashing with militants in the country’s south. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, “A short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces struck military capabilities at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4.” The targeted bases, located in Homs province, have been subject to repeated IDF strikes in recent months due to their strategic position along arms supply routes. The IDF stated that its operations are aimed at military sites connected to Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah,…

England secured their second consecutive victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 3-0 win over Latvia, extending their unbeaten home streak in qualifying matches to 30 games (27 wins, 3 draws) .A stunning free-kick from Reece James set the Three Lions on their way, as Thomas Tuchel’s side maintained their perfect start to the campaign. Having opened the Tuchel era with a routine 2-0 win against Albania, the host aimed to build on that momentum at Wembley. Despite controlling possession early on, England narrowly avoided an early scare when Vladislavs Gutkovskis failed to capitalize on a…

The operatives of Lagos Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested two suspects for their involvement in naira notes abuse. The EFCC in a statement on Monday listed the suspects as Adeoti Folake and Adewuyi Modupe. The anti-graft agency said were apprehended in Lagos on Friday, March 21, 2025 while allegedly hawking naira notes. EFCC re-arrests Kano TikToker Murja Kunya over naira mutilation Upon their arrest, the sum of N3,850.000 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) and N1,600.000 (One Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) were recovered from them respectively. The EFCC said suspects…

The British government has confirmed the first known case of bird flu in a sheep, marking a global first and raising concerns about the increasing spread of the H5N1 virus among mammals. According to a statement from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the case was identified during routine surveillance of farmed livestock in Yorkshire. The location had previously reported highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in captive birds. “The case was identified following routine surveillance of farmed livestock on a premises in Yorkshire where highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1)…

The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a man identified as Falade for allegedly posing as a retired United States military officer. Investigations later revealed that his claims were false. According to the police, Falade and his associates were responsible for disturbances in the Idogun community in Ose Local Government Area of the state. Speaking in Akure on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilfred Afolabi, stated that Falade had been arrested, prosecuted, and remanded at a correctional facility in Akure. “A report was made to this office of the activities of one Falade, who claimed to be a retired…

Nigerian singer Timi Dakolo has criticized Apostle Femi Lazarus for charging fees for his ministry school while simultaneously condemning gospel singers who request payment for their performances. This controversy began when Apostle Lazarus, during a Sunday sermon, displayed an alleged invoice from an unnamed gospel artist. The document outlined demands including a 40-person entourage, first-class flight for the artist, economy flights for the team, executive hotel accommodations, three meals daily, and an honorarium of $10,000. It also mandated a 50% non-refundable deposit and full payment two days before the event. Lazarus commented on this, saying, “When they pay you this…

Palestinian health authorities reported on Monday that Israeli military airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 21 people, as Israeli forces intensified their ground and aerial offensive in Rafah near the Egyptian border. Officials stated that since Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza last Tuesday—following weeks of relative calm after a January ceasefire—nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 400 women and children. Hamas acknowledged that several of its senior political and security officials were among those killed. Meanwhile, Israel justified its renewed military action by citing efforts to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages still…