Month: January 2025

Nigerian Govt Approves Air Peace, Fly-Nas, Max Air, UMZA For 2025 Hajj Operations

ADEOLA YUSUF

The Federal Government has approved four airlines as official air carriers to transport intending Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Executive Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Usman, made this known in a statement by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Mrs Fatima Usara, on Sunday in Abuja. Usman explained that the four airlines were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications to transport Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Muslims pilgrimage. According to Usman, the four…

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Italian Bishops Okays Celibate Gay Men for Priesthood

ADEOLA YUSUF

The Italian Bishops Conference (CIE) has introduced new guidelines permitting gay men to enrol in Roman Catholic seminaries, provided they commit to a life of celibacy. In a notable shift within the Catholic Church, the guidelines permit gay men to enter seminaries, marking a departure from a 2016 Vatican directive that discouraged men with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” from pursuing priesthood. The guidelines state that a candidate’s sexual orientation should be viewed as just one part of their overall personality and not a disqualifying factor. READ ALSO: Ghana’s John Mahama Scraps…

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Ghana’s John Mahama Scraps Seven Ministries To Cut Cost

ADEOLA YUSUF

Ghana’s President John Mahama has slashed the number of ministries from 30 to 23 through an executive order aimed at reducing government expenditure. The decision, announced in a gazette dated January 9, eliminates seven ministries, including Information, Sanitation and Water Resources, National Security, Railway Development, Parliamentary Affairs, Public Enterprises and Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. These ministries were established under the previous administration of Nana Akufo-Addo. Under Mahama’s streamlined government, key ministries include Finance, Health, Education, Defence, Energy and Green Transition, Transport and Gender among others. Nigeria Bans Homosexuals And Lesbians…

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Nigeria Bans Homosexuals And Lesbians From Military Service

ADEOLA YUSUF

Homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, cross-dressing, body piercing, tattooing, disorderly behaviour, and drunkenness, among others, have been banned from the Nigerian armed forces in a comprehensive review of the “Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service” approved by President Bola Tinubu. The revised directive, signed on 16 December 2024, outlines strict conduct guidelines for officers, stressing professionalism and decorum on and off duty. “An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, and bestiality. He/she is not to belong to, or engage in activities of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Trans,…

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South Korea’s Impeached President Yoon To Skip First Trial Hearing

ADEOLA YUSUF

South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns, his lawyer said on Sunday. Yoon has been holed up in the presidential residence and protected by an elite guard force since being suspended and impeached last month, following a short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political chaos. He has refused to meet prosecutors and investigators and his presidential guard unit thwarted an attempt to arrest him following a tense, hours-long standoff earlier…

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NDLEA Arrests Traditional Priest, Intercepts N1.1bn Worth Of Codeine

ADEOLA YUSUF

Aliu’s arrest followed a three-month manhunt launched by the NDLEA.       The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have nabbed a traditional chief priest of the Igunuko Shrine, Bariu Aliu, in the Alpha Beach area of Ajah, Lagos State. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying Aliu’s arrest followed a three-month manhunt. Also known as “Malo,” the suspect was arrested after 2,760 kilograms of skunk were recovered from his shrine on October 25, 2024. READ ALSO: 16 Killed As Airstrike…

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16 Killed As Airstrike Tragedy Hits Zamfara Community

ADEOLA YUSUF

Tragedy struck in the Tungar Kara community under Gidan Goga district of Maradun Local Government Area, Zamfara State, on Saturday evening, as an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) mistakenly hit members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes and residents, leaving at least 16 people dead. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred shortly after armed bandits raided the area and fled. Local vigilantes and residents, who were defending their community against the attackers, were reportedly caught in the airstrike. A lawmaker representing Maradun II Constituency in…

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‘Four MDs, 1 Director,’ Axxela Announces Strategic Reorganisation + Names

ADEOLA YUSUF

How the next-phase realignment will drive future growth, company gives details   Axxela Limited, a gas and power portfolio company in sub-Saharan Africa, has announced a bold organisational restructuring as part of its strategic commitment to accelerating growth and expanding market influence. This transformation to a group structure, the company said in a statement to Platforms Africa, “marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey to support Nigeria’s energy transition agenda, deliver increased customer value, and advance its pan-African expansion aspirations.” Over the past two decades, Axxela has nurtured its…

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FA Cup: Manchester United Meet Leicester As Brighton Play Chelsea + Full Fourth Round Draw

ADEOLA YUSUF

Manchester United will face an immediate reunion with Ruud van Nistelrooy, as the holders host Leicester City after knocking out Arsenal on penalties to reach the fourth round. United legend Van Nistelrooy was an assistant to Erik ten Hag and served as interim boss, overseeing two wins over Leicester before Ruben Amorim took charge, and then taking the top job with the Foxes. Elsewhere in the fourth round, Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle’s reward for knocking out Brentford will be a home match against Liverpool. Aston Villa host Tottenham, Brighton meet…

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FA Cup: How 10-man Manchester United Defeated Arsenal On Penalties

ADEOLA YUSUF

. It was Zirkzee who converted the fifth perfect penalty for Ruben Amorim’s side, with Fernandes, Amad Diallo, leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez all converting before him.   Ten-man Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties after holding their nerve to reach the fourth round. United were down to 10 for over an hour but wasted chances cost Arsenal, as Kai Havertz missed in the shoot-out. After a subdued first half, Bruno Fernandes sparked the tie into life with a brilliant first-time finish on the counter-attack,…

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