Nigerian police have arrested 113 foreign nationals and 17 Nigerians in a major cybercrime bust at a building in the federal capital’s Jahi district, authorities said Sunday.
The foreign suspects, primarily from China and Malaysia, include 87 males and 26 females, according to police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi. The operation targeted what police described as “high-level” cybercrime activities threatening national security.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police Benneth Igweh led the Saturday raid near the Next Cash and Carry area, involving officers from Zone 7 Command Abuja and the National Cyber Crime Centre.
The suspects were allegedly using computers and sophisticated equipment to conduct criminal activities, Adejobi said. Police are analyzing seized equipment and evidence.
“We are investigating the matter and scientifically analysing the exhibits recovered from them,” Adejobi said. “The suspects will be charged in court upon the conclusion of our investigations.”
The Nigerian suspects included four males and 13 females, who police say were collaborating with the foreign nationals.
Authorities promised to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
Russia on Sunday claimed to have captured another Ukrainian village, just a dozen kilometers from the key eastern logistics hub Pokrovsk, as its troops advance rapidly.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had “liberated the settlement of Vichneve following offensive operations”. Russia has been making swift advances in the eastern Donetsk region for weeks, taking dozens of towns and villages.
On Saturday, Moscow said its forces had captured the large village of Kurakhivka close to the industrial town of Kurakhove, which Russia is also aiming to capture, and the small village of Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv region close to the eastern Luhansk region.
Capturing Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub for Ukraine that connects several fortresses in the Donbas, is one of Russia’s main objectives in the region. It is also home to a major coke coal mine that is crucial to Ukraine’s steel production for its military. Russian troops have advanced to just a few kilometers outside the town.
According to an AFP analysis of data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian army took 478 square kilometers (185 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in October, marking a record since the first weeks of the conflict in March 2022.
Moises Caicedo scored a stunning second-half volley to help Chelsea salvage a point in a drab 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
After overseeing a thumping 5-2 EFL Cup win over Leicester City in midweek, interim Manchester United boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, in charge while the club awaits the arrival of newly-appointed head coach Ruben Amorim, seemed on course to register his second consecutive win when captain Bruno Fernandes converted a 70th-minute penalty.
However, Chelsea’s Caicedo, a standout performer for the Blues, pounced on a loose ball following a corner and struck a sweet right-footed volley low and hard into the bottom corner to restore parity just four minutes later.
The draw means Manchester United have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season after 10 matches, accumulating just 12 points and sitting 13th in the table, six points behind Chelsea who have climbed back up to fourth spot.
Fernandes put United ahead from the penalty spot after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez needlessly clipped the ankle of Rasmus Hojlund in the area. But Caicedo’s superb volley four minutes later ensured Chelsea came away with a point from an otherwise disappointing encounter lacking in quality at both ends.
Caicedo capped a standout midfield display with his well-taken equalizer, making three tackles, three interceptions, three ball recoveries and two clearances during the match. His goal rescued a share of the spoils for the visitors.
The result extends Manchester United’s poor start to the new Premier League campaign, while Chelsea will be the happier of the two sides to have taken a point from their trip to Old Trafford.
Israeli soldiers manoeuvre a tank near the border with Lebanon, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from northern Israel, October 26, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The Israeli military said Sunday it has carried out a ground raid into Syria, seizing a Syrian citizen involved in Iranian networks. It was the first time in the current war that Israel announced its troops operated in Syrian territory.
Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria multiple times over the past year, targeting members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and officials from Iran, a close ally of both Hezbollah and Syria. However, it has not previously made public any ground forays into Syria.
The Israeli military said the seizure was part of a special operation “that took place in recent months,” though it did not provide an exact timeline. Syria did not immediately confirm the announcement, but a pro-government Syrian radio station reported that an Israeli “kidnapping operation” had taken place over the summer.
The disclosure comes as Israel has waged an escalated campaign of bombardment in Lebanon for the past six weeks, as well as a ground invasion along the countries’ shared border. The army identified the man seized as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, saying he lives in southern Syria and was involved in Iranian initiatives targeting areas of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Body camera footage released by the Israeli military showed soldiers seizing a man inside a building. The man was brought to Israel for interrogation, officials said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Lebanon border on Sunday, saying his focus was trying to keep Hezbollah from rearming itself through the “oxygen lifeline” of Iranian weapons transferred to Lebanon via Syria. Israel’s strikes in Lebanon have killed over 2,500 people in the past year.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued an offensive in northern Gaza, where they say they are battling Hamas fighters. Several hospitals in the territory have been hit by Israeli shelling, drawing condemnation from the United Nations.
Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui used strong kicks in the final mile to pull away from their nearest competitors and both win the New York City Marathon for the first time on Sunday.
Nageeye, who became the first runner from the Netherlands to win the men’s race, was step-for-step with 2022 champion Evans Chebet before using a burst of speed heading into Central Park to cross the finish line in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 39 seconds. Chebet finished 6 seconds behind.
“At the finish I was like, am I’m dreaming? I won New York,” Nageeye said. He had run the New York race three times before, with his best finish coming in 2022 when he was third.
In the women’s race, Chepkirui was running New York for the first time and pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the last stretch, winning in 2:24.35. Obiri finished nearly 15 seconds behind, while Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya took third.
“Let me push the last mile, let me give it my best,” the Kenyan Chepkirui said. “When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself I have to push harder. When I saw Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and was so happy.”
The top Americans were Conner Mantz in sixth place for the men and Sara Vaughn in sixth for the women. Vaughn had been in the lead group heading into the Bronx before falling off the pace.
In the wheelchair races, Daniel Romanchuk of the U.S. upset three-time defending champion Marcel Hug to win the men’s title, while Susannah Scaroni also claimed victory for the American women.
The 26.2-mile course took runners through all five boroughs of New York City, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This year’s race featured perfect running conditions, with temperatures in the lower 40s at the start.
The victories by Nageeye and Chepkirui marked the first time since 2012 that neither the men’s nor women’s champions were from Kenya. Their dominant performances highlighted the international appeal of the prestigious New York City Marathon.
Following the verdict delivered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in response to the complaint lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation over the recent inhumane treatment meted out to the Super Eagles in Libya, members of the Nigerian community have reported mass arrests and fines targeting their compatriots in the country.
The Nigerian football team was held at the Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya for over 20 hours upon arrival for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. This sparked widespread outrage, leading the NFF to withdraw the Super Eagles from the match and file an official complaint to CAF.
In its ruling, the CAF disciplinary committee ordered the Libyan Football Federation to pay a $50,000 fine for breaching regulations. Displeased with the verdict, the LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I described it as “unjust and malicious,” alleging the NFF’s influence within CAF played a role.
The backlash from Libya has been swift, with popular media outlets and TV presenters urging the government to arrest Nigerian workers without proper documentation and fine them $500 each to cover the CAF penalty. Reports indicate that the mass arrests began on Sunday, with Nigerians being detained regardless of their immigration status.
Peter Omoregbie, the President of the Nigerian community in Libya, confirmed the arrests, stating that even those with passports and residence permits were being targeted. He pleaded for international bodies to intervene, noting that the actions by Libyan authorities were unprecedented and disproportionate.
Another Nigerian resident, Omo Oba Legba, said the crackdown had intensified, with a police officer warning him not to go out as Nigerians were being arrested. He criticized the Super Eagles for causing “a problem” for other Nigerians in Libya who face daily hardships.
The Chairman of Libya’s National Institution for Human Rights, Ahmed Hamza, has warned against any retaliatory acts targeting foreign and migrant workers, cautioning that such unlawful actions could lead to domestic and international legal consequences.
The Nigerian government has been contacted for comment, but the response has been limited so far. A former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, has urged the Federal Government to investigate the situation and consider reporting Libya to the African Union over the maltreatment of its citizens.
A cholera outbreak in Kasoa has claimed five lives, with 30 others currently receiving treatment at the Kasoa Polyclinic and Mother and Child Hospital, Ghana.
Awutu Senya East Municipal Chief Executive Anita Love Obo Amissah reported that three of the victims died on Thursday, October 31, followed by two additional deaths on Friday afternoon, raising the death toll to five. The MCE expressed deep concern about the outbreak and emphasized the need for residents to maintain cleanliness and prioritize healthy eating habits.
Amissah urged Kasoa residents to stay vigilant, highlighting the role that environmental cleanliness plays in preventing the spread of cholera. She emphasized that individual responsibility, such as proper waste disposal and food hygiene, could help curb the outbreak.
The MCE revealed that the Kasoa health facilities have also received cholera cases referred from neighboring constituencies, including Awutu Senya West and Gomoa East Districts. She called for a unified, collaborative effort from surrounding areas to effectively manage and contain the disease.
Amissah commended health authorities for their swift action in responding to the outbreak, praising their efforts to control and treat cases quickly. However, she reminded residents to remain cautious, follow health guidelines, and seek prompt medical attention if symptoms arise.
The cholera outbreak in Kasoa highlights the ongoing public health challenges faced by communities in Ghana. Municipal authorities are urging residents to prioritize personal and environmental hygiene to prevent the further spread of the disease, which can be deadly if left untreated. Continued coordination between local health facilities and surrounding areas will be crucial in containing this outbreak.
An assailant threw a grenade at a marketplace bustling with shoppers in the main city of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, wounding at least nine people, police said.
The attack occurred in the main business center of Srinagar, where the Sunday flea market is visited by thousands of people. Police said an unidentified attacker hurled the grenade from a flyover bridge, apparently targeting a stationed paramilitary vehicle.
The grenade exploded in the midst of shoppers and vendors, wounding at least nine people who were taken to a hospital. Reinforcements of police and paramilitary soldiers launched a search for the attacker.
Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack, saying “There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians” and calling on the security apparatus to “end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear.”
India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989, with many Muslim Kashmiris supporting the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
The grenade attack comes a day after a suspected militant was killed in a daylong gunbattle with security forces in Srinagar, a rare occurrence in the city where security is typically tight. While the region has seen sporadic militant attacks, the targeting of a crowded market underscores the continued volatility and threat of violence in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The latest incident will further heighten tensions in the disputed territory, as India blames Pakistan for sponsoring the Kashmir militancy, while Pakistan denies the charge and supports what it considers a legitimate freedom struggle. Resolving the long-standing conflict remains a major challenge for the two nuclear-armed rivals.
King Felipe VI of Spain has faced angry protesters while visiting the Valencia region, which has been hit by unprecedented floods.
Footage shows an angry crowd shouting “murderer” and “shame” at the king, who was also asked why nothing had been done to avoid the tragedy. More than 200 people were killed in the floods, with many more missing.
A crowd of angry survivors tossed mud and shouted insults at the king and government officials when they made their first visit to the hard-hit town of Paiporta, an outskirt of Valencia city. Police had to step in with officers on horseback to keep back the dozens of protesters.
“Get out! Get out!” and “Killers!” rang out among the insults. After being forced to seek protection from the mud, the king remained calm and made several efforts to speak to individual residents, with one person appearing to have wept on his shoulder.
It was an unprecedented incident for the Spanish Royal House, which typically seeks to craft an image of a monarch liked by the nation. Queen Letizia and regional Valencia President Carlo Mazón were also part of the contingent visiting the flood-ravaged area.
The confrontation highlights the raw anger and grief of the flood victims, who feel the government has not done enough to prevent or respond to the deadly disaster. With over 200 people killed and thousands more displaced, the region is grappling with immense suffering and loss.
The king’s visit was intended to show solidarity, but instead exposed the deep frustration of the local community towards the authorities.
Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales are holding at least 200 soldiers hostage, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday, as their standoff with the state continues to escalate.
Three military units in Chapare province were “assaulted by irregular groups” on Friday, with the assailants “taking more than 200 military personnel hostage” from three barracks, the ministry said. “They seized weapons and ammunition,” it added.
Backers of Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous leader, began blocking roads three weeks ago to prevent his arrest on what he calls trumped-up charges aimed at thwarting his political comeback. The government had sent troops to the area to help police clear the roadblocks.
Early reports had mentioned only 20 soldiers being detained, but a video broadcast on Friday showed 16 soldiers surrounded by protesters holding pointed sticks. “They have cut off our water, electricity and are keeping us hostage,” a uniformed man is heard saying.
Morales, 65, was in office from 2006 to 2019, when he resigned under a cloud after elections marked by fraud. Despite being barred from running again, he wants to challenge President Luis Arce, his former ally, for the nomination of the left-wing MAS party in elections next August.
Prosecutors have accused Morales of statutory rape, human trafficking and human smuggling over his alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl in 2015. Morales has called the charges “a lie.”
The standoff has escalated into a wider anti-government revolt, with Morales’ supporters blaming Arce for a sharp rise in food and fuel prices and shortages. At least 90 people, mostly officers, have been injured in clashes surrounding the protests.
