Author: Vincent Osuwo

Belgian footballer Radja Nainggolan has been apprehended as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking. The 36-year-old was one of numerous suspects seized by Belgian police on Monday morning following a series of nationwide operations. “The investigation concerns alleged facts of cocaine importation from South America to Europe via the port of Antwerp and redistribution in Belgium,” the Brussels prosecutor’s office said in a statement. No additional information has been disclosed to the public. The arrest comes just six days after Nainggolan returned from retirement to sign with Lokeren in Belgium’s second tier. The midfielder, born in Antwerp, spent much…

US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities from the Defence Department on Monday, as part of a series of military-focused decrees. A second order will direct US officials to develop a policy for transgender military. A third executive order will rehabilitate military troops who were discharged for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. Removing DEI programs from the federal government was one of Trump’s key campaign promises, and he moved quickly to fulfil it after taking office last week. DEI programs seek to increase job involvement among persons from diverse backgrounds.…

Former Premier League referee David Coote has admitted that he concealed his sexuality throughout his career for fear of being abused because he is gay. Coote, 42, said that the pressure of his job contributed to the actions that resulted in his dismissal by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December. In an interview with the Sun published on Monday night, he said, “I’m gay, and I’ve fought to feel proud of being me for a long time. “I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref, and to add my sexuality to that would…

The administration of US President Donald Trump has fired over a dozen Justice Department lawyers who worked on two criminal cases against him. They were sacked after Acting Attorney General James McHenry determined they could not “be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president,” according to a department official who spoke with the BBC’s US partner CBS News. The lawyers were members of former special counsel Jack Smith’s team, which looked into Trump’s alleged mishandling of confidential data and attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss. Monday’s firings are effective immediately. …

Israel says eight of the remaining 26 hostages supposed to be freed by Hamas during the first phase of the Gaza truce arrangement are dead. Government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters that Israel had received a list from the Palestinian armed organisation overnight that provided information on the situation of the hostages. “The list from Hamas matches Israel’s intelligence, so I can share with you that… eight have been killed by Hamas,” he said, without naming them. “The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives.” Seven women have already been freed alive in return for more than…

Coca-Cola has recalled its drinks in several European nations due to “higher levels” of a chemical known as chlorate. The corporation stated that the recall was limited to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It claimed that only five product lines had been transported to Britain and were already sold. Chlorate can be formed when chlorine-based disinfectants are employed in water treatment and food processing. “Independent expert analysis concludes that any associated risk for consumers is very low,” a spokesperson told reporters. Coca-Cola stated that it has not received any customer complaints in Great Britain and had “alerted the authorities on…

The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania for the upcoming African Nations Cup, which will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. The 2025 tournament will be the 35th edition of the competition. Team Nigeria will be striving for their fourth AFCON trophy, having lost in the finals to host Ivory Coast in the previous tournament. Details later…

Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governors Forum, has described Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike as a serial betrayer and a threat to the PDP’s survival, calling on him to resign from the party and fully align with the ruling All Progressives Congress. In a press release published on Saturday by his special adviser on media and publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, the Bauchi governor chastised Wike for alleged divisive behaviour and perceived betrayal of the PDP. But in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, Wike, through his special assistant on media, Lere Olayinka,…

A witness has testified that former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika awarded contracts to unqualified companies. In his trial, which continued on Monday, 27 January 2025, the Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Musa Odiniyan, informed Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court that the company, Al Buraq Global Investment, was not qualified for the contract awarded for the repairs of Katsina Airport by the ministry under the leadership of the first defendant. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Sirika and three others: Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment,…

Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, has urged ECOWAS to take a new approach in its dealings with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, collectively known as the Alliance of Sahel States. During a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Mignot expressed the EU’s regret over the three nations’ withdrawal from ECOWAS, emphasising the importance of regional integration for prosperity and stability. “It is a decision that we regret because we strongly support West African integration. Splitting does not seem to us a good idea,” he said.…