The Federal Government has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to impose the death penalty on Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), following his conviction on seven counts of terrorism on Thursday.
Justice James Omotosho, while delivering the judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proved its case against Kanu beyond reasonable doubt, finding him guilty on all seven charges.
Immediately after the conviction was pronounced, the Federal Government’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty prescribed under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Awomolo reminded the court that the law mandates a death sentence for several of the offences Kanu was convicted of.
“My Lord, consequent upon the conviction, nothing further remains but the lawful imposition of sentence. The punishment prescribed for the offences in Counts One, Two, Four, Five and Six, pursuant to Section 12H of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, is death,” Awomolo submitted.
“With all sense of humility, I say as a prosecutor that this court has no discretion in that regard. The only sentence Your Lordship can impose for Counts One, Two, Four, Five and Six is death, because the law empowers you to do so, and we expect that you will.”
Afterwards, the judge announced a recess, stating that the court would reconvene at 3:50 p.m.
Justice Omotoso is expected to announce the sentencing decision after considering the submissions of both parties. (Channels)
Belgium reached the semifinals of the Davis Cup after winning both singles matches against France in Bologna, where fans have been denied star power following injured Carlos Alcaraz’s late withdrawal.
Raphael Collignon and Zizou Bergs came through respective singles clashes against Corentin Moutet and Arthur Rinderknech to set up a potential clash in the last four with holders and hosts Italy.
Collignon came back from a set down to beat world number 35 Moutet 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, while Bergs saw off Rinderknech, France’s highest ranked player at 29 in the world, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
The two wins for Belgium mean that the scheduled doubles match featuring Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen against Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert will not be played.
Italy will be favored to face Belgium in the semifinals ahead of Wednesday’s match against Austria in front of a passionate crowd in northern Italy.
The Azzurri will be without stars Jannik Sinner — recent winner of the ATP Finals — and Lorenzo Musetti, who were key to the 2023 and 2024 Davis Cup triumphs for the Mediterranean nation.
Both players sit in the top 10 of the men’s single rankings and their absence makes Italy’s match with Austria more difficult to call.
There was more bad news for the tournament as world number one Alcaraz also pulled out of the tournament on Wednesday morning with a hamstring injury suffered against Sinner in their ATP Finals showdown on Sunday night.
The six-time Grand Slam champion said in the aftermath of that defeat that his hamstring hadn’t affected him, even though it was strapped up during a medical time out.
But he has dropped out of the tournament two days before Spain’s quarterfinal with Czech Republic, leaving the beleaguered event without the hoped-for stardust.
The highest ranked player at the Davis Cup finals is former Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, ranked three in the world.
But the German, whose country faces Argentina on Thursday, recently blasted the current format, calling it “an exhibition tournament”.
He wasn’t the only one to criticize the tournament, with Sinner saying during the ATP Finals that he “never unfortunately played the Davis Cup, the real Davis Cup”, and suggested each edition be played over two years.
Ross Hutchins, the head of the International Tennis Federation which organizes the Davis Cup, insisted that the absences of three headline players were “three specific cases” and not a sign of the tournament being snubbed by the sport’s stars.
Hutchins cited Musetti saying that the imminent birth of his second child played a part in his decision, but the world number eight said last week that the physical and emotional stress of a long season was the main reason for his withdrawal.
Sinner dropped out in order to get an extra week of close-season rest after completing a complicated campaign by retaining the ATP Finals. (JapanToday)
Curaçao will be playing in the World Cup for the first time. Coach Dick Advocaat’s team drew against Jamaica, securing their historic spot. Suriname was relegated to the play-offs after a defeat against Guatemala.
Curaçao knew that it only needed to draw against Jamaica to secure a historic World Cup spot and miraculously achieved this feat in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, NU.nl reports. Jamaica hit the post and crossbar no fewer than three times after halftime. In stoppage time, the home team was awarded a penalty. But after VAR intervention, the referee overturned the decision, and Curaçao secured a draw.
The Curaçao players, staff, and fans went wild when the final whistle blew. With a population of only 150,000, Curaçao will be the smallest ever participant in the World Cup next year. And at 78, Advocaat will become the oldest national coach ever at a World Cup.
Over a hundred Curaçaoans in the Netherlands followed the early morning match at an event at De Mansion in Dordrecht. “It was a close call, and we didn’t want to celebrate too soon, but we are incredibly happy to be going to the World Cup,” fan Edson Rafael told ANP.
Suriname did not have the fairy tale ending it was hoping for, but its World Cup dream is still alive. Coach Stanely Menzo’s team has been relegated to the play-offs after losing 3-1 to Guatemala.
Menzo’s team got through the first half pretty well. But Suriname fell almost immediately after the break as Guatemala scored its second and third goals. At this point, Suriname was also in danger of missing its spot in the play-offs based on goal difference. But in the 93rd minute, Suriname came to 3-1 thanks to an own Goal by a Guatemala defender.
That goal secured Suriname’s place in the play-offs, miraculously keeping their World Cup dream alive. (NLTimes)
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand in January to instead play for Japan in the United Cup.
The four-time major winner had agreed in September to start her 2026 season in Auckland, where she reached the final earlier this year.
She contacted Auckland tournament director Nicolas Lamperin to say she had changed her mind and would instead begin her preparation for the Australian Open in Australia.
Former No. 1-ranked Osaka will combine with Shintaro Mochizuki in the Japan team for the Jan 2-11 United Cup in Perth. Japan is drawn to play Britain and Greece in group play.
The Australian Open, the first tennis Grand Slam event of the year, starts Jan 18 at Melbourne Park. (JapanToday)
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will fight recent world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a professional bout on Dec 19.
The heavyweight bout, which will consist of eight three-minute rounds, will take place at Kaseya Center in Miami and will be streamed live on Netflix.
It will be the toughest fight yet for the 28-year-old Paul, who has a 12-1 record (7 KOs) and last fought in June when he beat former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision.
“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,” Paul told Netflix. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime.
“When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted.”
Joshua is a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist, but the 36-year-old hasn’t fought since losing to Daniel Dubois in an IBF title fight in September 2024.
“Jake or anyone can get this work,” Joshua said. “No mercy. I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me.
“Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected … I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.” (JapanToday)
Injury-time wonder-goals by Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean handed Scotland a stunning 4-2 win over Denmark on Tuesday to qualify them for the 2026 World Cup, while Spain also booked their ticket with a 2-2 draw against Turkey.
Belgium thumped Liechtenstein 7-0 to reach next year’s tournament as Switzerland and Austria ground out draws to secure their places in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Scotland’s late show in Glasgow means Steve Clarke’s side have qualified for the global footballing showpiece for the first time since 1998.
Level at 2-2 as the clock ticked past 90, Denmark were set to advance to the World Cup as Group C winners until Tierney curled in an exquisite finish from distance three minutes into injury time.
McLean then put the match beyond doubt as he lifted the ball over Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who was well off his line, from the halfway line on 98 minutes.
“That just sums up this squad,” captain Andy Robertson told the BBC. “Never say die. We just keep going right to the end and one of the craziest games.
“We put the country through it, but I’m sure it’s worth it. We’re going to the World Cup.”
Earlier, Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay had given the hosts a third-minute lead with a towering overhead kick.
McTominay’s clubmate Rasmus Hojlund leveled for Denmark from the spot just shy of the hour, before his side went down to 10 as Rasmus Kristensen picked up a second booking.
An anxious Hampden Park let out a roar of ecstasy and relief in the 78th minute as Lawrence Shankland turned in from close range.
But Denmark struck back again through Patrick Dorgu four minutes later before Tierney and McLean stole the headlines.
Denmark will now be in Thursday’s draw for the European play-offs, which will take place next March.
Switzerland will appear in a sixth successive World Cup finals after drawing 1-1 in Pristina against Kosovo.
With the Swiss needing to avoid a defeat by six goals to seal top spot, they rarely looked troubled as Ruben Vargas handed them the lead in the 47th minute before Florent Muslija equalised.
Euro 2024 winners Spain found themselves in a similar situation in Seville against Turkey but also never looked like going down to the seven-goal loss that would have sent the visitors through in their place.
Dani Olmo fired Spain ahead but Deniz Gul and Salih Ozcan struck for Turkey as the hosts conceded their first goals in the qualification process.
But Mikel Oyarzabal hit back after the hour to extend Spain’s unbeaten run.
“We wanted to finish with a win and a clean sheet, so it’s bitter-sweet… but we’re happy to qualify for the World Cup,” Olmo told TVE.
Michael Gregoritsch bundled home a 77th-minute leveller to snatch a 1-1 draw for Austria against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sealed Ralf Rangnick’s team a first World Cup appearance in 28 years.
“I can’t believe it; we made it! I have been trying to reach the World Cup for 18 years. Finally now, at the end of my career, we got there. I can’t wait,” 36-year-old Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic said, according to UEFA.com.
Haris Tabakovic’s early strike had looked as if it might be enough for the visitors to snatch first place from under Austria’s noses until Gregoritsch condemned Bosnia to the play-offs.
Belgium, semi-finalists in 2018, cruised into the draw for the World Cup with a Jeremy Doku-inspired hammering of Liechtenstein.
The Manchester City winger grabbed a brace in Liege as Charles De Ketelaere also netted twice and Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers completed the rout.
In Group J’s other match, second-placed Wales also ran up seven goals as they beat North Macedonia 7-1 with Harry Wilson scoring a hat-trick of set-piece goals.
North Macedonia can, nonetheless, look forward to a play-off place courtesy of their Nations League performance.
Romania, who beat San Marino by the same scoreline, will also have the chance to reach the World Cup thanks to the Nations League after finishing third in Group H.
Sweden, who picked up just their second point of the qualifying campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Slovenia, advanced in the same manner.
The 16-team European play-offs will allow an additional four teams from the continent to make it to North America next year. (JapanToday)
Japan has warned its citizens in China to be careful of their surroundings and to avoid big crowds amid a diplomatic row over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan.
The escalating spat has already seen Beijing advise Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan and hit Tokyo stocks.
“Pay attention to your surroundings and avoid as much as possible squares where large crowds gather or places that are likely to be identified as being used by many Japanese people,” the Japanese embassy in China said in a statement on its website dated Monday.
Minoru Kihara, Japan’s top government spokesman, said Tuesday that such advice was issued “based on a comprehensive assessment of the political situation, including the security situation in the relevant country or region, as well as the social conditions.”
The diplomatic feud between China and Japan was ignited by Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take the democratic island, reacted furiously to Takaichi’s comments.
It called for her to retract the remarks and summoned the Japanese ambassador on Friday.
In a post on X on November 8, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, threatened to “cut off that dirty head”, apparently referring to Takaichi, who took office in October.
Tokyo said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the now-deleted social media post.
Masaaki Kanai, the top official in the foreign ministry for Asia-Pacific affairs arrived in China Monday seeking to defuse the row, and was at the Chinese foreign ministry Tuesday, Jiji press agency reported.
He had been expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong, earlier reports said.
The Japanese embassy warning also advised citizens to “respect local customs and be careful about your words and attitudes when interacting with local people”.
“If you see a person or group that you feel suspicious of, stay away from it and leave the place immediately,” it said.
Tokyo shares fell three percent Tuesday as the diplomatic spat weighed on sentiment.
Japanese tourism and retail shares dived on Monday after China warned its citizens to avoid Japan, a tourist hotspot.
Asia’s two top economies are closely entwined, with China the biggest source of tourists — almost 7.5 million visitors in the first nine months of 2025 — coming to Japan.
Before taking power last month, Takaichi was a vocal critic of China and its military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.
If a Taiwan emergency entails “battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan)”, Takaichi, 64, told parliament on November 7.
Under Japan’s self-imposed rules, an existential threat is one of the few cases where it can act militarily. (JapanToday)
Ready to play a game starring Stitch on Disney+? Or maybe create some kind of personalized, AI-animated version of the chaotic but oh-so-adorable alien from “Lilo & Stitch” you can share with your friends?
Disney+, which is in the process of merging with Hulu into a unified platform, is preparing “the biggest and the most significant changes from a product perspective” since the streaming service launched in late 2019, according to CEO Bob Iger, speaking on the media giant’s September quarter earnings call Thursday.
Iger then sketched out Disney+’s future roadmap — which could include games, commerce and AI user generated content. The big vision, he said, “particularly with the deployment of AI,” is to be able to leverage Disney+ “as a portal to all things Disney.”
“There’s an opportunity to use it as an engagement engine for people who want to go to our theme parks, want to stay at our hotels, want to enjoy our cruises, our cruise ships,” said Iger. “And obviously, there’s a huge opportunity for games.” He cited Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, the company behind “Fortnite,” and while the games and experiences developed under the partnership “will largely be on their platform,” the Epic pact “gives us an opportunity to integrate a number of game-like features into Disney+.”
Iger, on a roll, continued, “The other thing that we’re really excited about that AI is going to give us the ability to do is to provide users at Disney+ with a much more engaged experience, including the ability for them to create user generated content and to consume user generated content, mostly short form from others.”
“There are great opportunities in terms of our collection of data and our mining of data,” Iger told analysts. “And I’d say above all else, there’s phenomenal opportunities to deploy AI across our direct-to-consumer platforms, both to provide tools that make the platforms more dynamic and more sticky with consumers, but also give consumers the opportunity to create on our platforms.”
Needless to say, any AI features the Mouse House lights up on Disney+ would likely be confined within a very strict sandbox. Iger said Disney execs have had “some interesting conversations with some of the AI companies, and I would characterize some of them as quite productive conversations as well, seeking to not only protect the value of our IP and of our creative engines, but also to seek opportunities for us to use their technology to create more engagement with consumers. And we feel encouraged by some of the discussions that we’re having.”
Iger didn’t identify which AI companies Disney has spoken to. But, he said, “It’s obviously imperative for us to protect our IP using with this new technology, and we’ve been pretty engaged on that subject with a number of entities, and I’m hopeful that ultimately we’ll be able to reach some agreement with the industry or companies” that would “reflect our need to protect the IP.”
On that front, this year Disney began actively engaged in legal action against AI companies that it alleges had infringed its copyrights. Disney, together with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery, has sued Midjourney and Chinese AI company MiniMax, seeking to recover monetary damages and injunctions to block the alleged infringement.
Beyond using AI for content production and for features in products like Disney+, the company sees opportunities in terms of increasing efficiency by deploying AI across the enterprise “as we engage with our cast members and our our employees, but also our guests and our customers.” (Variety)
Tension has engulfed the Maga community in Kebbi State after terrorists launched a deadly pre-dawn attack on the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, reportedly abducting 25 students and killing a staff member.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the armed attackers, wielding sophisticated weapons, invaded the school at about 4:00 am and opened fire as they forced their way in.
“The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel,” the PPRO said. “Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty-five students from their hostel to an unknown destination.”
He confirmed that one staff member, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead, while another, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand.
Following the attack, Abubakar said the command swiftly deployed additional police tactical squads alongside military personnel and local vigilantes to track the movement of the terrorists and rescue the abducted girls.
“They are currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” he said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, had reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
“The Commissioner reiterates the Command’s unwavering determination to safeguard the people of Kebbi State,” Abubakar stated. “He appeals to the public to remain calm, vigilant, and continue supporting police operations to maintain peace and stability.”
Also confirming the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said the state government was closely monitoring developments.
“The exact number of abducted students is still being verified,” Idris told our correspondent.
“The deputy governor, Senator Umar Tafida, has been dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently out of the state.”
He assured residents that the government was working hand-in-hand with security agencies to secure the safe return of the students and restore normalcy to the community.
Parents and residents of Maga remain in anguish as they await further updates on the fate of the abducted girls.
In June 2021, bandits abducted some students of Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State.
Seven months later in January 2022, the gunmen freed 30 students and a teacher after months of captivity, according to a local official. (Punch)
Pope Leo has held an audience with Hollywood stars, urging actors and directors including Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen and Monica Bellucci to continue their work as “pilgrims of the imagination”, helping to “bring hope”.
The celebrity meeting was a sprinkling of star dust for a still relatively new pope and a way for the Catholic Church to engage more with the world beyond.
It was also a strong show of support from Leo XIV for the global film industry, as he spoke out against the “troubling decline” in cinema-going.
Hailed by director Spike Lee as a “great day”, the gathering was the first of its kind in the Vatican.
Beneath the magnificent frescoes of the Clementine Hall, Pope Leo spoke in Italian to praise the power of cinema to entertain and to educate – and for its “capacity to amaze”.
But he urged filmmakers not to shy away from what he called “the world’s wounds”.
“Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars are issues that need to be acknowledged and narrated,” the Pope said. “Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it. This is what all the great directors have done.”
Six months since a conclave of cardinals elected the first North American to the Papacy, some Catholics feel that Leo has been slow to stamp his own mark on the role.
His predecessor, Francis, was a charismatic Argentinian known for his off-the-cuff comments and dramatic gestures. Leo’s style is far quieter, so this star-studded engagement is a new look.
It’s not clear how the cast list was drawn up, although none of the directors in the hall – who came from all over the world – made it onto the Pope’s own top film list.
This week, the Vatican revealed that his favourite four watches of all time included the 1960s nun-themed classic The Sound of Music, It’s a Wonderful Life and Italian Roberto Benigni’s multi award-winning Life is Beautiful.
Among those who did join today’s A-list audience were Mortensen, Chris Pine and filmmaker Gus Van Sant – of Milk and Good Will Hunting fame. The large Italian contingent included Gianni Amelio and Cinema Paradiso creator, Giuseppe Tornatore.
At a time of immense pressure on film, not long after a major Hollywood strike and with funding strains here in Italy, the Pope spoke in defence of the industry.
He was applauded loudly when he talked of the “quiet dedication” of all those behind the scenes with vital roles.
He also warned against the closure of cinemas which he characterised as the “beating heart of communities”.
“More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity,” the Pope said.
After a fifteen-minute speech and a blessing he then received each audience member in turn, led by Blanchett.
“He really urged us to go back into our day jobs and inspire people,” the Australian-born star told reporters.
One of many who came bearing gifts, the actress – who works with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR – placed a woven bracelet in the Pope’s hand. “It was a bracelet I wear in solidarity with people who are displaced,” she explained later.
Lee handed the Chicago-born Pope a New York Knicks shirt printed with the number 14 and the words Pope Leo. (BBC)
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