₦airaland Forum

Hamas transformed an institute of knowledge into an institute of destruction.

A short while ago, the IDF struck an important Hamas operational, political and military center in Gaza—the Islamic University.

Hamas transformed a university into a training camp for weapons development and military intelligence.

Israel’s military scoured the country’s south for Hamas fighters and guarded breaches in its border fence with tanks on Monday, as it pounded the Gaza Strip from the air and mustered for a campaign its prime minister said would destroy “the military and governing capabilities” of the militant group.

More than two days after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion from Gaza, the military said the fighting had largely died down for now. The attack caught Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus completely off guard, bringing heavy battles to its streets for the first time in decades.

Israel formally declared war on Sunday, portending greater fighting ahead, and a possible ground assault into Gaza — a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties. Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Civilians are already paying a high price. Around 700 people have been killed in Israel — a staggering toll by the scale of its recent conflicts. Nearly 500 have been killed in Gaza, a tiny, impoverished enclave of 2.3 million Palestinians bordering Israel and Egypt. Palestinian militant groups claimed to be holding over 130 captives from the Israeli side.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meanwhile ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza, saying authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel. Israel and Egypt have imposed various levels of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

The chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told reporters Israel has “control” of its border communities. He said there had been some isolated incidents early Monday, but that “at this stage, there is no fighting in the communities.” He added that “there might still be terrorists in the region.”

Israeli tanks and drones, meanwhile, guarded openings in the border fence to prevent more infiltrations, Hagari said, adding that 15 of 24 border communities have been evacuated, with the rest expected to be evacuated in over the next 24 hours.

Earlier, Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told The Associated Press over the phone that the group’s fighters continued to battle outside Gaza and had captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning.

He said the group aims to free all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which in the past has agreed to painful, lopsided exchange deals in which it released large numbers of prisoners for individual captives or even the remains of soldiers.

Meanwhile, Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza, its military said, including airstrikes that leveled much of the town of Beit Hanoun in the enclave’s northeast corner. Hagari said Hamas was using the town as a staging ground for attacks. There was no immediate word on casualties, and most of the community’s population of tens of thousands likely fled beforehand.

Hagari said the army had called up around 300,000 reservists — a massive mobilization — and that Israel would aim to end Hamas’ rule of Gaza.

“Our task is to make sure that Hamas will no longer have any military capabilities to threaten Israel,” said spokesperson Jonathan Conricus in a video tweeted by Israel’s military. “And in addition to that, we will make sure that Hamas is no longer able to govern the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas is deeply rooted in Gaza and has ruled the territory since driving out forces loyal to the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007. Its rule has gone unchallenged through the 16-year Israeli and Egyptian blockade and four previous wars with Israel.

After breaking through Israeli barriers with explosives at daybreak Saturday, Hamas gunmen rampaged for hours, gunning down civilians and snatching people in towns, along highways and at a techno music festival attended by thousands in the desert. Palestinian militants have also launched around 4,400 rockets at Israel, according to the military.

The Israeli military estimated 1,000 Hamas fighters took part in Saturday’s initial incursion. The high figure underscored the extent of planning by the militant group, which has said it launched the attack in response to mounting Palestinian suffering under Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, its blockade of Gaza, its discriminatory policies in annexed east Jerusalem and tensions around a disputed Jerusalem holy site sacred to Muslims and Jews.

The Palestinians want a state of their own in all three territories, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, but the last serious peace talks broke down well over a decade ago, and Israel’s far-right government is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group claim to have taken captive more than 130 people from inside Israel and brought them into Gaza. The captives are known to include soldiers and civilians, including women, children and older adults, mostly Israelis but also some people of other nationalities. The Israeli military has said only that the number of captives is “significant.”

Mayyan Zin, a divorced mother of two, said she learned that her two daughters had been abducted when a relative sent her photos from a Telegram group showing them sitting on mattresses in captivity. She then found online videos of a chilling scene in her ex-husband’s home: Gunmen who had broken in speak to him near the two weeping daughters, Dafna, 15, and Ella, 8. Another video showed the father being taken into Gaza.

“Just bring my daughters home and to their family. All the people,” Zin said.

The Israeli military was evacuating at least five towns close to Gaza, while the U.N. said more than 123,000 Gazans had been displaced by the fighting.

In Gaza, residents feared further escalation.

As of late Sunday, Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 159 housing units across the territory and severely damaged 1,210 others, the U.N. said. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said a school sheltering more than 225 people took a direct hit. It did not say where the fire came from.

In the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, an Israeli airstrike early Monday killed 19 people, including women and children, said Talat Barhoum, a doctor at the local Al-Najjar Hospital. Barhoum said aircraft hit the home of the Abu Hilal family, and that one of those killed was Rafaat Abu Hilal, a leader of a local armed group. The strike caused damage to surrounding homes.

Over the weekend, another airstrike on a home in Rafah killed 19 members of the Abu Quta family, including women and children, survivors said.

Several Israeli media outlets, citing rescue service officials, said those killed on the Israeli side include at least 73 soldiers. The Gaza Health Ministry said 493 people, including 78 children and 41 women, were killed in the territory. Thousands have been wounded on both sides. An Israeli official said security forces have killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

An Egyptian official said Israel sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of the hostages. Egypt also spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage,” according to the official, who insisted on not being identified because he was not authorized to brief media.

On Sunday, the U.S. dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel, and said it would send additional military aid.

In northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group fanned fears that the fighting could expand into a wider regional war. The Israeli military said the situation was calm after the exchange.

Elsewhere, six Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers Sunday around the West Bank.

Israel's Prime Minister has warned people living in Gaza to leave the area as he vowed to reduce parts of the territory "into rubble" in revenge for a "black day".

Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said Israel was at war with Palestinian militants from Hamas, which governs Gaza, after their fighters launched a surprise attack on his country on Saturday morning.

Rescue service officials told Israeli media at least 250 people were killed in the deadliest attack on the country in decades.

Israel's health ministry said at least 1,590 people had been injured.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 232 people had died and 1,700 wounded in Israel's retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza.

'Leave now'

In a televised address, Mr Netanyahu said the country's military would "take revenge for this black day" but he warned: "This war will take time. It will be difficult."

In a statement he later posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote: "All of the places which Hamas is deployed, hiding and operating in, that wicked city, we will turn them into rubble.

"I say to the residents of Gaza: Leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere."

Rockets were seen landing on Gaza hours after Mr Netanyahu issued the threat.

Israel will stop supplying electricity, fuel and goods to Gaza, which is already blockaded, according to a statement from Mr Netanyahu's office on Saturday night.

Much of Gaza was already thrown into darkness by nightfall after electrical supplies from Israel, which serve power to almost all of the territories, were cut off earlier in the day.

Mr Netanyahu also said the "first phase" of the counter-operation had ended, and that Israel had fought off the majority of Hamas militants.

He vowed to continue the offensive "without reservation and without respite".

'Record year for Palestinians killed by Israelis'

Hamas gunmen targeted up to 22 locations in the initial assault with gun battles continuing well after nightfall. Militants held hostages in two towns and occupied a police station in a third.

Footage appeared to show Hamas fighters paraglide into Israel as they began a mass incursion.

Hamas' military wing claimed it was holding dozens of Israeli soldiers captive in "safe places" and tunnels in Gaza.

The Israeli military confirmed that a number of Israelis were abducted but would not give a figure.

A residential building has been destroyed in airstrikes on Gaza by Israel. According to the Israeli Defence Force several jets targeted military compounds and Hamas headquarters throughout Gaza.1:03

Palestinian activist Nour Odeh, a former Palestinian Authority spokesperson, told Sky News' US partner NBC News that the attack comes after a record-breaking year for the number of Palestinians killed by Israelis.

He said Saturday's incursion was not the "beginning of the story" and Israeli forces have occupied Palestinian territories for over 50 years.

Mr Odeh said: "It's a record-setting year for the number of Palestinians killed, the number of Palestinian children killed, the number of homes demolished, the number of attacks by armed settlers that, you know, burned down homes and attack people and wounded and killed Palestinian civilians."

Israel responds to Hamas attacks

After nightfall, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza intensified, flattening several residential buildings in giant explosions, including a 14-storey tower that held dozens of apartments as well as Hamas offices in central Gaza City.

Israeli forces fired a warning just before and there were no reports of casualties.

Soon after, a Hamas rocket barrage into central Israel hit four cities, including Tel Aviv and a nearby suburb, where two people were seriously injured.

Throughout the day, Hamas fired more than 3,500 rockets, the Israeli military said.

The official number of Israelis killed in today's Hamas attack has risen from 40 to 70, the country's emergency services has said.

Earlier, we told you local reports had stated at least 100 people had been killed, but this latest official figure confirms the number of dead is lower.

"The wounded are actively being evacuated in ambulances, mobile intensive care vehicles, and MDA-Hatzola Air helicopters to various hospitals," it added in a statement.

The latest figure we have on the wounded states 545 have been injured, although reports suggests this figure could be as high as 740.

198 Palestinians have died following retaliatory Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip - health officials there have said.

Officials added at least 1,610 people had been injured in the strikes.

Israel launched what it called "Operation Sword of Iron" in response to Hamas's incursion, which began with massive rocket strikes early this morning.

Joe Biden's dog Commander has been removed from the White House after biting agents and staff.

The two-year-old German shepherd had attacked members of the US Secret Service 10 times between October 2022 and January 2023.
^{Commander was a gift to the US president from his brother James.}
One female officer recently required medical treatment.

A spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden confirmed Commander currently isn't on the White House campus "while next steps are evaluated".

Elizabeth Alexander went on to stress that the Bidens care deeply about the safety of staff, and those who protect them every day.

"They remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions," she added.

In a previous statement, Ms Alexander had said the White House could be a "stressful environment for pets".

It is unclear where Commander - who was a gift to the US president in December 2021 from his brother James - currently is.

Commander was last seen on Saturday on an upper balcony of the White House.

The statement came hours after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about a fresh allegation that the dog had bitten a member of White House staff.

Ms Jean-Pierre referred questions to the first lady's office, which said Commander and Dale Haney, the head groundskeeper at the White House, were playing and that no skin was broken.

The incident was photographed by a tourist and shared with a news organisation, which published the image online.

Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House, a court has ruled.

Judge Arthur Engoron found that the former president and his company deceived banks and insurers by massively overvaluing assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

The judge found Trump, his company, and key executives repeatedly lied about his wealth on annual financial statements, resulting in rewards including favourable loan terms and lower insurance premiums.

Those tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump's argument that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing.

The ruling came after a civil lawsuit brought by New York's attorney general, Letitia James.

Ms James sued Trump in September last year accusing him and his organisation of lying for a decade about asset values, including his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, his penthouse apartment in Trump Tower, and other office buildings and golf courses.

She also had said his net worth had been inflated by as much as $2.23bn (£1.83bn) and as much as $3.6bn (£2.96bn) on annual financial statements given to banks and insurers.

Mr Engoron wrote: "He claims that if the values of the property have gone up in the years since the (financial statements) were submitted, then the numbers were not inflated at that time.

"He also seems to imply that the numbers cannot be inflated because he could find a 'buyer from Saudi Arabia' to pay any price he suggests."

A trial is due on 2 October which could endure into December.

Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has been warned against jogging in public, as police describe his weekly workouts as "political activism".

His Saturday runs with ordinary members of the public and supporters of his Patriotic Front (PF) party have been attracting a lot of attention.

Mr Lungu has been told to seek police approval for future jogging events.

The police order comes amid speculation that he will make a bid for the presidency in 2026.

A police statement said that the PF's failure to alert them of "public gatherings or demonstrations... amounts to a breach of the law. This is to ensure public safety."

It added that a "procession of a former head of state should be done with his security detail and devoid of political activism".

But the former President's lawyer Makebu Zulu told the BBC that he would continue with his jogging without notifying the police.

Mr Zulu threatened to take legal action against the Government if the former president, 66, was blocked from working out on Saturdays.

"Mr Lungu has been jogging since time immemorial and his motivation has never been to contravene the law," Mr Zulu said.

This is the latest apparent restriction on the former leader's activities, who served as president from 2015 to 2021.

Some commentators have said the Government of President Hakainde Hichilema is using the heavy-handed tactics that he criticised during his many years in opposition.

Mr Lungu recently took the government to court after he was allegedly blocked from travelling to South Korea for a conference. He later withdrew the case.

The PF also said the former president had been stopped from travelling for a medical trip despite seeking permission from the cabinet office.

The BBC has contacted Home Affairs Minister Jacob Mwiimbu for comment but has not yet received a response.

Despite saying he would retire from politics after losing the 2021 election, Mr Lungu has been reviving his public profile in recent months.

He is widely believed to be planning to contest the elections in three years' time, hoping to capitalise on growing anger over rising fuel and food prices.

Mr Hichilema won in 2021 by a large majority on the hope that he would tackle the country's economic problems.

He had previously unsuccessfully run for elections five times.

The boss of all bosses of the Sicilian Mafia, (Costa Nostra), Matteo Messina Denaro, died tonight at the age of 61 from cancer.

He was caught earlier this year at a cancer clinic after being on the run since 1993.

His personal fortune was estimated at EUR 4 billion

Elon Musk has said he will start charging people to use the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

NBC News reports the billionaire businessman, who renamed the platform to X, revealed on a live stream that the company would introduce a "small monthly payment" to combat "vast armies of bots".

Musk has long complained about the presence of fake accounts on the platform, and tried to use his concerns to wriggle out of his deal to buy it last year.

He did not offer further details about the new fee, such as a price or whether it would include extra features.

Sky News has contacted X for comment, though its press office is largely unresponsive.

The move would kill off what has long been one of the site's most popular memes, where users caption shots of particularly striking posts with a near-incredulous "this website is free".

X already offers a premium subscription costing £9.60 a month, which gives users a verification tick, lets them write longer posts and edit existing ones, and prioritises their account in search results.

Musk spoke about the plans in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the Tesla and SpaceX owner sought to address criticism over his running of the platform.

Since buying Twitter for $44bn (£38bn), the self-described "free speech absolutist" has been accused of allowing disinformation, racism, misogyny, and antisemitism to thrive.

The AIU filed an appeal last Friday (15 September 2023) with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision, dated 17 August 2023, that Tobi Amusan did not commit an anti-doping rule violation for Whereabouts Failures.

The AIU will make no further comment on the matter until the conclusion of the appeal.

Oluwatobiloba Ayomide "Tobi Express" Amusan has won the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, US.

Amusan clinched the trophy on Sunday evening after she got to the finish line in 12.33 seconds in a very tight race to successfully claim her third consecutive Diamond League title.

The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meeting competitions.

Recall that Amusan raced to a 12.42 secs (an African Record at the time) at the Weltklasse Zürich in 2021 to clinch Gold.

She indeed defended her trophy with a 12.29secs finish in 2022.

Amusan, the World record-holder was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for three whereabout failures.

A suspension that was only lifted hours to the World Championships in Budapest, "Express" had a poor showing, her worst in years.

However, she will not let a repeat performance as she oozed class in Eugene, a venue she set the World record fastest time of 12.12s last year.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold and silver medalists, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Kendra Harrison (previous World record-holder) finished second and third respectively.

The 30-day period of appeal open to the Athletic Integrity Unit (AIU) to contest World Athletics’ lifting of the provisional ban on Tobi Amusan elapsed yesterday. This means the Nigerian, who holds the world record in 100 metres women hurdles, is free to continue on er career.

The suspension on Amusan was lifted two days to the Budapest 2023 World Championships by a three-man panel set up by World Athletics to review the AIU action. But the AIU expressed its disappointment with the verdict and vowed to review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the applicable deadline.

AIU Head, Brett Clothier, also indicated the Monaco-based body would appeal the decision. The deadline has now expired. AIU’s David Howman also told reporters at the last World Athletics Championships in Budapest: “We have some concern that it might set a precedent which will be difficult for future.”

With the expiration of the deadline yesterday, Amusan is now a free athlete. She is already in Oregon to battle for the top prize in the lucrative Diamond League final.

It was not clear, yesterday, if the Ogun State-born Amusan will seek legal action against AIU for the suspension, which destabilised her preparation for Budapest 2023, where she finished sixth in the 100m hurdles final.

Back to back @PremierLeague wins here. We just love playing at Old Trafford. 🥰👏

Hunter Biden has just been indicted on gun charges. President Joe Biden’s son was indicted by special counsel David Weiss in connection with a gun he purchased in 2018. The charges include making false statements on a federal firearms form and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.

Emails "threatening violence to children and staff" have been received by a number of schools in Leeds.

West Yorkshire Police has launched an investigation - with officers "providing reassurance and safety advice to affected schools".

In messages to parents, one primary headteacher said police had been treating the threat as "credible" - and children were being kept indoors for the whole day, with gates locked and windows and doors closed.

Earlier this week, a police investigation was launched after malicious emails were sent to a number of schools in the North West.

One parent told Sky News that she was "petrified" after she was told - and that it reminded her of incidents affecting schools in the US.

A school in Chester went into lockdown and prevented parents from picking up their children - but later said the "unpleasant email" it had received was "believed to be a malicious hoax".

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today met with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is on a working visit to the UAE.

During the meeting, which took place at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed renewed his congratulations to Tinubu on assuming the presidency earlier this year, and wished him every success in leading Nigeria and its people to further progress and prosperity.

His Highness expressed his hope that the two leaders will work together to reinforce ties between the UAE and Nigeria for the benefit of both countries.

The UAE President and Nigerian President explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration in areas that serve both countries’ sustainable economic growth, including the economic, development, energy, and climate action fields.

The two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional and international developments of interest.

The meeting discussed the upcoming COP28 climate conference set to take place in the UAE later this year, with both parties stressing the vital importance of encouraging and enabling international cooperation to tackle global issues, including climate change.

His Highness underscored the UAE’s ongoing commitment to fostering ties with countries that share the same aspirations for stability, sustainable growth, and development and prosperity for their people. He further emphasised the particular importance the UAE attaches to its relationship with Nigeria, within the framework of its strategic vision for relations with the African continent.

The President of Nigeria expressed his pleasure to be visiting the UAE and affirmed his country's keenness to further enhance bilateral cooperation to support sustainable development and progress in both countries.

The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Court; Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; and Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The meeting was also attended by the delegation accompanying the Nigerian President, which included a number of ministers and high-ranking officials.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba tested positive for testosterone, Italy’s anti-doping agency announced Monday.

The test was carried out after Juventus’ game at Udinese on Aug. 20. Pogba did not play in the Serie A match but was on Juve’s bench.

Nado Italia, the anti-doping agency, said that Pogba was suspended provisionally with immediate effect. Pending a trial and testing of a backup “B” sample, he risks a suspension of up to four years.

It’s another negative note for a player who has been bothered by injuries ever since rejoining Juventus from Manchester United a little more than a year ago. He was ruled out of France’s run to the World Cup final last year due to a knee injury.

There’s also been a police investigation ongoing in France into allegations that Pogba was targeted by extortionists — including by his older brother, Mathias, who has denied any wrongdoing.

It’s also another blow to Juventus following a season marred by inquiries into false accounting and irregular reporting of salary payments. The legal cases resulted in the Turin club being removed by UEFA from European competition this season.

Pogba and Juventus had no immediate comment.

A private video of mine from a while ago has been inappropriately shared without my consent, violating my privacy and trust.

I want to emphasize that this video done with my ex I was to marry as at that time was never intended for public consumption, and its unauthorized distribution is a breach of my personal boundaries.

However this criminal breach of privacy will definitely be treated with legal action.

It really hits me funny because I have always maintained a strict approach to my sexuality, even going as far as being celibate for a few years, refusing to date often and choosing to be alone most times.

However, I am determined to not let this unfortunate incident break my spirit.

I appreciate the support and understanding of those who have reached out to me during this challenging time. Please know that your kindness and goodwill means the world to me.

This is my first and only statement concerning this incident please 🙏. Thank you for your continuous support ❤️

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“Why did it take United three months? It's just not OK. I prefer not to believe such a huge club, with such serious and professional people, would cover up a situation like this.

Antony must be taken off the pitch. It's disappointing that he's still allowed to play while an investigation is underway.

I'm absolutely devastated by this whole process. How can life go on as normal for him? They can't know what they know now and do nothing. He has to be suspended.

I will not give up. People need to be held accountable. It doesn’t matter what profession or how famous someone might be. If they took action against his teammate, I don’t see why Antony should be treated differently.”

Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony.

Players who have not participated in international matches are due back in training on Monday. However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations.

As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.

I have agreed with Manchester United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me.

This was a mutual decision to avoid distraction to my teammates and unnecessary controversy for the club.

I want to reiterate my innocence of the things I have been accused of, and I will fully cooperate with the police to help them reach the truth. I look forward to returning to play as soon as possible.

A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing hundreds of people and damaging buildings from the historic city of Marrakech to villages in the Atlas Mountains.

Men, women and children stayed out in the streets, fearing aftershocks.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry said early Saturday that at least 296 people had died in the provinces near the quake. Additionally, 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.

The head of the town of Talat N’Yaaqoub, Abderrahim Ait Daoud, told Moroccan news site 2M that several homes in towns in the Al Haouz region had partly or totally collapsed, and electricity and roads were cut off in some places.

He said authorities are working to clear roads in the province to allow passage for ambulances and aid to populations affected, but said large distances between mountain villages mean it will take time to learn the extent of the damage.

Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust, and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaged. Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city as throbbing club music played.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11:11 p.m. (2211 GMT), with shaking that lasted several seconds. The U.S. agency reported a magnitude-4.9 aftershock hit 19 minutes later.

The family of a Nigerian lady, Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye, a passenger who died aboard Egypt Air flight MS 876, on Monday, while on a connecting flight into Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom, has slammed the airline and the Egyptian authorities for the disrespectful manner Toyosi was treated after her untimely death.

The family, however, called on the federal government of Nigeria to investigate the circumstances leading to her death while in custody of Egypt Air.

The late Nigerian, whose UK visa indicated that she has a student work permit, was to connect London Heathrow via Cairo, on Tuesday, September 5th, aboard Egypt Air flight MS 777, after passing the night in the country upon arrival, on Monday, September 4. However, she did not arrive her destination after the airline deposited her corpse in a morgue in Cairo.

Toyosi’s family having being surprised at the attitude of the airline for not informing them of the death of their loved one for days after her demise only for them to receive information from the Egyptian Consular office, in Cairo, informing them of the passing away of their daughter whom they presumed had arrived the United Kingdom.

The 43-year-old Nigerian’s travel itinerary seen by our correspondent showed that she travelled aboard a Boeing 737-800 on the first leg of the journey to Cairo while a Boeing 777-300 was to convey her and others to London from the Egyptian capital city.

A relative of Toyosi, based in Leeds, UK, Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, who spoke via WhatsApp call in Lagos, expressed shock at the inability of the airline to contact the family of a passenger who duly chose to patronise the airline and joyfully decided to travel with them to her destination with the belief that she will receive the best treatment.

“We called Egypt Air customer care and all other contact phone details on their website but no response all through Wednesday and when the phone was picked they quickly cut it. It was only once that a man picked the call that we put through to Egypt Air Regional Office in London and he said the London office is not aware of what happened and they don’t have information to share with us.

“So, we were left with no choice but to report to the UK Police Department, on Wednesday, and they later confirmed to us that our sister was not in the UK they advised us to contact Cairo or Lagos airports. We contacted the agent who sold the ticket to her and the agent sent us proof that she did not board the plane going to Heathrow from Cairo,” she stated.

According to her, the family was yet to come to terms with the news of the death of their daughter saying, “thank you for contacting us. We are shocked and greatly displeased with the attitude of Egypt Air. The Nigerian government must not allow a citizen of our country be treated this way by any nation and be allowed to go like that. We demand justice and investigation from the Nigeria authorities.”

But a statement from Egypt Air on the incident stated that the deceased reported sick when she arrived at the transit area while the airport quarantine department was called to check her.

After the check, she was recommended to be hospitalized before she later passed away.

The statement by the airline said, “The Airport authorities cleared and stamped her into the country and transferred to hospital.

“Nigerian embassy in Cairo was contacted (Mr Tarek from public relations department) and was informed about the case.”

The airline, however, said the procedure to evacuate the body back home would be provided by the Nigerian embassy in Cairo.

A young Nigerian lady (name withheld) has died aboard Egypt Air flight en route to London, United Kingdom.

The lady was said to have left Nigeria for London onboard Egypt Air MS 876 flight to Cairo on Monday through the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, but died on board.

A family source who confirmed the incident however said the corpse was dropped in Cairo, the Egypt Capital by the airline.

“The family said the Airline didn’t inform them, but rather they got a message from the consular office in Cairo informing them of her death on board the flight. Please they need to know what exactly happened and how to get her corpse back to Nigeria,” a source close to the family said.

Our correspondent learnt that the lady was going to London on a student visa and boarded Egypt Air on connecting flight to London.

She was to connect to London via Egypt Air MS777 the following day.

A disgraced Turkish crypto founder who fled to Albania and his two brothers have been sentenced to 11,196 years in jail each, the Anadolu state news agency reported Friday.

Prosecutors had asked for Thodex boss Faruk Fatih Ozer, 29, to be sentenced to 40,562 years in prison for money laundering, fraud and establishing a criminal organisation.

"If I were to establish a criminal organisation, I would not have acted so amateurishly," Anadolu quoted Ozer as telling the court.

His two brothers, Serap and Guven, received the same sentence, which was issued late Thursday after a brief trial, Turkish media reports said.

Turkey is known for issuing massive prison sentences, which became more common after it abolished the death penalty in 2004 to help its efforts to join the European Union.

Ozer was initially reported to have fled Turkey in April 2021 with $2 billion in investor assets, although that figure has since been disputed.

Prosecutors said Ozer had transferred 250 million liras in user assets (worth about $30 million at the time) to three secret accounts when he fled Turkey in April 2021, with much of the money ending up in a Malta bank.

The indictment said the Ozer brothers had caused 356 million liras of damage to clients in all.

The case grabbed local headlines because it coincided with a Turkish crypto boom that has since largely subsided due to heavier government regulation.

Turks began turning to various crypto currencies as a defence against a deep slide in the value of the lira that began more than two years ago.

Ozer gained further celebrity status after being pictured meeting with ultranationalist pro-government figures.

He was arrested last year in Albania on an international arrest warrant from Interpol.

The Brazilian Football Confederation and Manchester United are facing calls to axe the £84m forward Antony after the player’s ex-girlfriend made serious allegations against him of physical assault, including that he threatened to kill her and attacked her with a glass.

The Brazilian website UOL reported the accusations – which Antony called “false” – on Monday, a fortnight after Mason Greenwood was forced to leave Manchester United despite rape charges against him being dropped and as Brazil’s Seleção prepared for World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru. Antony is one of seven forwards in Brazil’s squad.

UOL’s exposé contained a series of serious allegations from Gabriela Cavallin, a DJ and social media influencer with nearly half a million Instagram followers. Antony and Cavallin became a couple in 2021, before his 2022 move from Ajax to Manchester United.

Cavallin, who provided UOL with photographs and WhatsApp messages, alleged the São Paulo-born player had first attacked her on 1 June last year, when she was pregnant with their child and on holiday in Brazil. She claimed Antony, who is 23, became angry after spotting her in a nightclub he was also at, and “put her in the car, repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to throw her out of the car at high speed”.

Cavallin told UOL: “He said that if I wasn’t going to be with him, I wouldn’t be with anyone … I was shaking with fear.”

A second alleged attack allegedly took place in Manchester on 15 January this year – one day after United’s 2-1 victory against Manchester City. According to the report, it left Cavallin needing medical attention in her room at the four-star Hyatt Regancy hotel. “He punched me in the breast and my silicon [implant] flipped over,” she told the website, adding: “He said, ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you, it was an accident, it wasn’t a punch – I just held you against the wall.’” A photograph showed what Cavallin said was a head wound she had sustained in the attack.

According to UOL’s report, a third alleged attack took place on 8 May this year when Cavallin claims the player “tried to attack her face with a glass” during an argument. While trying to defend herself, Cavallin said she had suffered a deep wound to a finger on her right hand which left the bone exposed. As she scrambled to book a flight back to Brazil to get away from the player, Cavallin wrote a message to the travel agent – provided to UOL – that said: “I need to get out of here before he kills me.”

The accusations – which have been reported to police in São Paulo and Manchester – sparked outrage in Brazil and calls for the player to be removed from the national team while police conducted their investigations.

Paulo Vinícius Coelho, one of Brazil’s top sportswriters, said he believed Antony should be arrested as well as axed from the Brazil squad. “The justice system must do its part,” Coelho wrote on his blog.

Another sportswriter, Danilo Lavieri, said Brazil’s interim coach, Fernando Diniz, had no choice but to axe Antony. Diniz has admitted publicly that he did not include West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá in the squad because of a Football Association investigation into potential betting breaches. Not leaving Antony out would send a “dangerous message” that one case was less serious than the other, Lavieri wrote.

In a statement, Antony said: “I can say with tranquility … that I am innocent of the accusations that have been made. My relationship with Ms Gabriela was tumultuous, with insults [made] on both sides, but never did I commit any act of physical aggression.”

The Manchester United player claimed his accuser had repeatedly changed her story over the alleged attacks. “Therefore, I vehemently deny these accusations and [would like] to make it clear that I remain willing to clear up whatever is necessary to Brazilian authorities.”

Other WhatsApp messages provided to Brazilian news outlets by Antony’s former girlfriend painted the player in a toxic light. “You and me are done. I hope you die. Get bleeped,” he wrote in one message. In another WhatsApp message the footballer appeared to apologise for “kicking and attacking” Cavallin.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Greater Manchester Police said it was “aware of the allegations made and inquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this report. We will not be commenting any further at this time”.

Brazil dropped Manchester United winger Antony from its squad for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers after Brazilian media on Monday published details of alleged domestic abuse against his ex-girlfriend.

The Brazilian soccer confederation said Antony will not be part of the team for games against Bolivia and Peru “due to the facts that became public on Monday.”

Antony’s ex-girlfriend reported him to police on May 20 over alleged domestic violence, accusations that he denied in June and again on Monday.

Brazilian media published alleged exchanges between the two, in which the player appears to threaten and intimidate the woman on several occasions.

Brazil’s soccer body said the case “needs to be investigated” and that the player’s removal was aimed at protecting him, the alleged victim and the national team.

Sao Paulo police confirmed to The Associated Press that an investigation is ongoing, but did not provide details.

The 23-year-old Antony posted a statement on Instagram earlier Monday, before he was removed from the team, saying “I vehemently deny the accusations.”

He said his relationship with the woman had been “tumultuous” but that he never physically attacked her.

“Every moment, in testimonies or in interviews, she brings a different version of the accusations,” Antony wrote.

Antony played for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar and has scored two goals in 16 games for the national team.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus was called up to the national team as a replacement for the two games.

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho said he had been unfairly made a “scapegoat”.

This was after his manager Erik ten Hag claimed he had been left out of the squad to face Arsenal on Sunday because of poor training performance.

Sancho was a surprise omission for United’s dramatic 3-1 stoppage-time Premier League loss to Arsenal that dropped them to 11th in the table.

“On his performance on training we didn’t select him,” Ten Hag said, when asked about Sancho’s absence from the travelling squad.

“You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game he wasn’t selected.”

The 23-year-old Sancho wasted little time in responding in a lengthy post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I've been a Scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!

All l want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!

https://twitter.com/Sanchooo10/status/1698417915429531942?t=lJAhQyb1_2C4J_ny0qoEyw&s=19[/quote] rel=ugc href="https://dailytrust.com/manchester-uniteds-sancho-hits-back-says-ten-hag-making-him-scapegoat/">SOURCE