BURKINA FASO REVERSES BAN ON NKULULEKO — BUT FORCES HIM TO COVER UP!
After a wave of confusion and criticism, Burkina Faso has reportedly lifted the earlier ban on fitness star Nkululeko’s planned appearance — but not without conditions.
According to reports circulating on X (formerly Twitter), the authorities have reversed their initial decision and allowed him to perform, on one unusual rule: Nkululeko must wear big pants/trousers instead of his tight workout gear, which was said to reveal too much and clash with local cultural expectations.
This development comes shortly after officials cancelled his November event, claiming the country had “more urgent priorities” and that organisers lacked proper authorisation. Now, with the spotlight back on him, social media is buzzing again — this time about the strict dress-code requirement.
Supporters say Burkina Faso is simply defending its cultural values. Others believe it’s unnecessary policing of an athlete’s clothing.
Either way, the drama has put Nkululeko at the centre of African conversation — and his performance now carries even more attention than before.
A TikTok star was tragically kidnapped and killed in front of her family after being accused of filming a local terror group.
Mariam Cissé had close to 100,000 followers on the social media platform and was well known for her videos, many of which were supportive of the Malian military.
She also shared content discussing life in her hometown of Tonka, a town situated in the northern region of Timbuktu, Mali.
The content creator, who was believed to be in her 20s, was in a neighbouring town on a live stream when she was snatched on Thursday, 6 November by a jihadist group that has reportedly been operating in the country since 2012.
“My sister was arrested on Thursday by the jihadists,” her brother told the AFP news agency, while also clarifying why she had been targeted by the group, as they accused her of ‘informing the Malian army of their movements’.
However, State TV claim that she simply wanted to support the local community and the country’s army with her videos.
Over the weekend, she was then transported back to Tonka by motorbike and fatally shot at the town’s Independence Square, all while her brother was in the crowd of people watching on.
A security source said: “Mariam Cisse has been assassinated in a public square in Tonka by jihadists who accused her of having filmed them for the Malian army.”
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, called it a ‘barbaric’ act.
The jihadists reportedly also believed that she had filmed them on behalf of the Malian army, with turmoil in the country continuing to worsen.
Cissé would regularly don military uniform in her videos, and her brutal murder has left the country in shock as it continues to deal with a fuel blockade introduced by the terror group.
This blockade has led to a significant disruption on daily life and has seen universities and schools closed in recent weeks.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chairperson of the African Union commission, said he was concerned about the ‘rapid deterioration of the security situation where terrorist groups have imposed blockades, disrupted access to essential supplies, and severely worsened humanitarian conditions for civilian populations’.
He also condemned the ‘deliberate attacks against innocent civilians’ that had caused ‘unacceptable loss of lives and heightened instability’.
The chairperson added that the AU was ready ‘to support Mali, as well as all Sahel countries, during this particularly challenging period’.
Regina Daniels has claimed that she was just 17 years old when she married Ned Nwoko and she trusted him with everything, including her “s£x tape”.
The actress stated this after politician Ned Nwoko claimed she is a drug addict and so are her siblings and friends.
Responding, Regina asked Ned to tell the world if she was a drug addict when he married her at 17. She went on to insinuate again that Ned had a hand in her becoming a drug user.
Regina wrote: “Yes Everyone! It is now in history that “REGINA DANIELS” did drugs because that was what her husband wanted believe it or not.
“Dearest ex husband thanks for breaking the crown you put on my head.No one knew us like us and I trusted you with all of me even with my sextape which I pray never sees the light. but you have always ben a step ahead negatively.
“Foolish me! When I married you at 17, was l on drugs? I thank God for time. My name is ruined for now but l will rewrite my story! That narrative will be dead and gone
“Now that l have let.the one thing you have on me out, what else ? lt’s time to fight with all of me in court! l’m not backing down now you narcissistic manipulative bastard!
“I’m so pained! l am ruined! Y’all can laugh but the laughter won’t be for long as long as I serve my God.”
While Regina has been elusive about her age over the years, she said last week, amid her fallout with estranged husband, that she is 24.
Today, she claimed Ned Nwoko married her when she was just 17.
Ned and Regina married in May 2019. Her birthday is October 10. If she turned 24 on October 10, 2025, that means she was yet to turn 18 at the time she got married in May 2019.
However, this is different from her mother’s claim.
In 2020, while granting a BBC interview, Rita Daniels claimed Regina was to turn 20 in October of that year. This would mean that she was 18 at the time Ned married her in May 2019 and she is now 25.
It is not clear whom, between mother and daughter, is giving the accurate information about her age, but this has led to a conversation on X, causing “At 17” to trend.
South African immigration officials have deported 490 Malawians for violating the country’s immigration laws and regulations.
The country’s immigration department confirmed the development, stating that the group, comprising 472 men and 18 women, arrived in Malawi on November 8 through the Mwanza Border Post.
According to the department, most of the deportees are from the districts of Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga, and Thyolo.
Another inmate from HMP Wandsworth has allegedly gone on the run, this time after being temporarily released to attend his brother’s wedding. Police have launched a manhunt for 32-year-old Palestine Action protester Sean Middleborough after he failed to return to the Category B prison.
Middleborough had been on remand over an alleged plot by members of the protest group to disrupt the London Stock Exchange by chaining themselves to the building’s entrances. He was later charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance between last November and January.
According to reports, prison officers granted him temporary bail so he could attend his brother’s wedding, but he never came back. His disappearance adds to a growing list of embarrassing blunders in the prison system.
Days earlier, Algerian s3x offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was mistakenly released from Wandsworth before being arrested again on Friday. Footage from Sky News captured him challenging officers about the error, shouting that he had been “released illegally” and telling them to “do your job.”
Another inmate, 35-year-old Billy Smith, also freed by mistake, surrendered himself on Thursday. Photos showed him calmly walking back into Wandsworth, hands in his pockets, flanked by prison staff.
These incidents follow the high-profile mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, a migrant convicted of assaulting a 14-year-old girl, who walked free from HMP Chelmsford instead of being transferred to an immigration removal centre. He was recaptured two days later.
https://youtu.be/Cbjt70MtvKk?si=5kiZG3TFdKyqKzjP
Justice Secretary David Lammy has been facing mounting pressure as the errors pile up. He praised the police and prison service for working tirelessly to recapture the wrongly released inmates but expressed frustration with the system, saying his department “inherited a prison system in crisis.” He has ordered tougher release checks and launched an independent investigation into systemic failures, including outdated paper-based processes that are still used in parts of the prison estate.
During his temporary bail, Middleborough gave an interview to Declassified UK, where he hinted at the possibility of returning to jail but also spoke about standing in solidarity with fellow activists through a hunger strike if necessary. He joked about telling his son the real reason he was in London, saying it was not “by request of the King,” but by the decision of “the King’s Government to hold me in captivity.”
A government spokesperson has since reiterated that bail decisions are made independently by judges, not ministers. They stressed that absconding is a serious criminal offense that carries additional prison time and urged anyone with information on Middleborough’s whereabouts to contact the police immediately.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has declared that the majority of Zimbabweans have entered the upper middle income bracket, but a leading economist is firing back with a starkly different picture of the nation’s economic health. Professor Gift Mugano, an outspoken economist, has taken to social media to challenge the minister’s claims, citing a series of grim statistics from the official data agency, ZimStat.
The dispute centres on comments made by Ncube at a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week. The Minister stated that the economy was on course to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2030. Ncube pointed to the country’s gross national income (GNI) per capita.
“So, the minimum GNI [gross national income] per capita should be US$4 500 (approx. R84,000) per person and this is an annual figure. That means that you ought to be able to spend on any given day no less than US$12 (approx. R225) per person. Currently, with the GNI per capita of US$3 300 (approx. R62,000), that implies that we are spending US$9 (approx. R170) per day,” Ncube said.
A Reality Check From An Economist Professor Gift Mugano responded directly to these claims in a post on X. He expressed disbelief and laid out a series of counterpoints drawn from official data, painting a picture of an economy in deep distress, not one on the verge of upper-middle-income status.
“I am sure that my good brother is not aware of the following facts from ZimStat,” Mugano began his thread. He then listed several key issues, starting with poverty levels. “Close to 50% of the population is in extreme poverty,” he stated.
The professor also highlighted a severe unemployment crisis, particularly among the youth. He noted that the informal sector dominates the employment landscape, which suggests a lack of stable, formal jobs.
“Informal jobs are sitting at 87.7% which means that jobs created in the formal sector are sitting at 12.3% – put simply we have 87.7% formal unemployment,” Mugano wrote.
Social Services And Fiscal Pressures Mugano’s rebuttal extended beyond employment and poverty to address the state of the nation’s critical social services and the government’s own financial health. He suggested that these sectors would not be struggling if the population were truly becoming more affluent.
“Both hospitals and education sector, our critical social sectors are in intensive care,” he stated bluntly.
He also pointed to significant challenges within the government’s treasury, indicating that the fiscal reality does not support the minister’s optimistic income claims. Mugano warned of potential instability if these pressures are not managed.
“Treasury is facing tight fiscal space and massive fiscal pressures which if not reined through cash budgeting – ‘we eat what we kill mantra,’ will destabilize currency stability as well as the financial markets,” he wrote.
In his concluding remarks, Professor Mugano emphasised the importance of factual messaging for effective policy-making. He expressed a shared desire for the country to progress but insisted that this goal cannot be achieved through misleading statements.
“Our desire yes is to get to the upper middle income status. We have to work harder as team Zimbabwe. What is certain is that we can’t get there through propaganda,” he stated. “In this journey, right messaging and facts is important so that critical stakeholders in the ecosystem of policy making and policy implementation are inspired and motivated and not discouraged or dampened by lies.”
Neither Mthuli Ncube nor the Ministry of Finance had responded to Professor Mugano’s assertions at the time of publishing.
President Donald Trump threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion for allegedly trying to “interfere in the presidential election” last year by editing one of his speeches.
A letter sent to BBC Chairman Samir Shah at Television Centre by his legal team in Florida says: ‘President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages.
‘Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums, which have reached tens of millions of people worldwide. Consequently, the BBC has caused President Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm’.
The letter from his lawyer, Alejandro Brito, adds: ‘The BBC is on notice’.
Mr Brito says Mr Trump has three demands. By close of business on Friday the BBC must issue a full and fair retraction, issue an apology, and ‘appropriately compensate President Trump for the harm caused’.
Mr Trump issued the legal letter after it emerged Panorama had selectively edited his speech before the January 6 Capitol riot to remove a section where he told supporters to demonstrate peacefully. The scandal has brought down the Director General Tim Davie and the CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.’
It came as BBC chairman Samir Shah made an apology to Mr Trump and admitted he was willing to say sorry in person.
‘He’s a litigious fellow. So we should be prepared for all outcomes’, he said when asked if he knew whether the President will sue.
Mr Trump said last night that the BBC is a ‘corrupt’ organisation and called Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, who have resigned over the scandal, ‘very dishonest people’.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team told NBC: ‘The BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary in order to try and interfere in the Presidential Election. President Trump will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news’.
The revelation comes shortly after Mr Shah used his first remarks since the resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness to mount a defence of the corporation.
Mr Shah accused Michael Prescott, who wrote a critical memo that ultimately prompted the resignations, of offering a ‘personal account’ which gives only a ‘partial’ view of events.
In a 1,600-word letter to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS), Mr Shah admitted there were ‘occasions when the BBC gets things wrong’ but claimed the leaked report did not present the full picture.
‘Michael Prescott’s memo gives only a partial description of the evidence that editorial guidelines and standards committee received and considered,’ he said.
He insisted there were no issues the BBC had sought to ‘bury’, adding: ‘That interpretation is simply not true. The issues raised by Mr Prescott are precisely the issues that have been considered by the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee [EGSC] and the board.’
Mr Shah said Mr Prescott had relied on evidence compiled by the editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC), to produce the dossier.
‘There is another view that has gained currency in the coverage that the BBC has done nothing to tackle these problems. That is also simply not true,’ he said.
‘Over the three years Mr Prescott was an adviser to the EGSC, the BBC has: published corrections where we have got things wrong; changed editorial guidance to make the BBC’s position on issues clearer; made changes to leadership where the problems point to underlying issues; and carried out formal disciplinary measures.’
FRANCE’S SARKOZY BACK HOME AFTER COURT FREES HIM PENDING APPEAL
FORMER French President Nicolas Sarkozy was freed from jail and went home on Monday, after a Paris court ruled he could be released while he appeals against his conviction for conspiring to raise funds from Libya.
Sarkozy was sent to prison on October 21 after he was found guilty in September of criminal conspiracy over efforts by close aides to procure funds for his 2007 presidential bid from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The former conservative leader, who was president from 2007 to 2012, told the court that being in jail had been tough.
“Truth will prevail. This is a fact that life teaches us,” he wrote on X after returning home.
He added that he would now focus on his appeal process, and that “the end of the story remains to be written”.
The court said he did not represent a flight risk and therefore did not have to remain in prison until his appeal.
His release was based on specific criteria, such as whether there was a risk he could flee, and is no indication of whether his appeal is likely to succeed.
“Vive la liberte” (Long live freedom), Sarkozy’s youngest son, Louis, posted on his X account with a childhood photo of himself smiling alongside his father.
Sarkozy’s five-year prison sentence had been enforced swiftly because of what judges in September called the “extraordinary seriousness” of the crime. He was incarcerated at La Sante prison in Paris – a stunning downfall for a former president.
But the public prosecutor on Monday recommended that Sarkozy be freed pending his appeal of the guilty verdict.
The court agreed to release him under judicial supervision, which includes a ban on leaving France and a ban on talking to any justice ministry official.
Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling himself a victim of revenge and hatred. He did not attend Monday’s hearing in person but was taking part via video link from prison.
He told the court he would respect any demand from the judiciary if he were freed.
“I’m French, sir. I love my country. I’m fighting for the truth to prevail. I will comply with all the obligations imposed on me, as I always have,” he said.
Speaking of being in jail, he added: “It’s tough. Really tough, as it must be for any detainee. I’d even say it’s draining.”
Sarkozy has faced several legal battles since leaving office. Last year, France’s highest court upheld a conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year, a first for a former French Head of State. The tag has now been removed.
Also last year, an appeals court confirmed a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing over his failed re-election bid in 2012. A final ruling from France’s highest court is expected on that case this month. Sarkozy is also under formal investigation in another case for being an accessory to witness tampering.
CAF’S DECISION ON WOMEN’S AFCON 2026 SPARKS DEBATE OVER FAIRNESS
CAF’s recent decision regarding the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has triggered strong reactions across the continent — raising questions of fairness, merit, and respect for the game.
Instead of letting teams earn their qualification on the pitch, CAF has opted to award the final four spots based solely on FIFA Women’s World Rankings. For many, this move goes against the core spirit of football — where results on the field should speak louder than numbers on a list.
THE PITCH SHOULD SPEAK — NOT THE RANKINGS
Football is about effort, passion, sacrifice and victory earned across 90 minutes. Yet now, statistics seem ready to replace sweat, strategy, and performance.
Here are the teams that qualified by merit on the field:
Nigeria South Africa Morocco Zambia Ghana Algeria Senegal Cape Verde Tanzania Burkina Faso Kenya Malawi
Malawi (155th), Cape Verde (126th), and Kenya (140th) showed everyone that rankings don’t determine destiny — passion does.
BUT THE NEW RULE COULD REWARD TEAMS THAT WERE ELIMINATED
With CAF’s new approach, teams like:
Cameroon Ivory Coast Mali Egypt
may return despite being knocked out, while teams like Benin — who fought fearlessly — may be left out simply because of their ranking.
What message does that send?
A WORRYING DIRECTION FOR AFRICAN FOOTBALL
If rankings start to replace performance, why play qualifiers at all? Why invest? Why believe? Why compete?
African women’s football has been rising not because of office decisions, but because nations are fighting for respect and visibility on the pitch.
AFRICAN FOOTBALL DESERVES FAIRNESS
Qualification must be earned on grass, not awarded on spreadsheets.
For the dignity of the game, CAF must rethink this decision — because the credibility of the tournament is at stake.
“I l0st over $38-billion in cash and 35% of Amazon to my ex-wîfe, MacKenzie. I was worth about $76-billion by then.” __ Jeff Bezos
“I can nēver make the mîstake of getting married again. I was married to my ex-wîfe Mackenzie for over 25-years but she just woke up one day and told me that she was already tired of our borîng marriage and she wanted a dîvorce. And when I asked her if there was anything I could do to change her mind, she told me that if I could give her half of my $76-billion fortune and 50% of the shares in my company, Amazon, she’d consider staying.
I begged her not to file for a dîvorce but she still went ahead to file for the dîvorce. Then I realized that if I gave her the half of my wealth she requested for, she’ll still file a dîvorce afterwards and take half of what I’ll be left with so I let her do it.
When we got to coûrt, my attõrney was able to give her just half of my cash and 35% of Amazon. If she could do this to me after 25 years of marrîage, it only means marriage isn’t mēant for men. I’ll never get married again because I’m not a women’s empowerment agency.”
___ Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos’ d!vorce from his ex-wife, MacKenzie, is ranked the second most expensive divorce of all time, as the multi-billionaire paid her over $38 billion in cash and gave her 4% of his company, Amazon
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes announced he was relaunching the right-wing militia group in hopes that President Donald Trump would press them into duty.
Rhodes was released from prison earlier this year when Trump commuted his 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, and Media Matters reported that he was planning to reform his paramilitary organization to help enforce federal immigration law.
“Right now, under federal statutes, President Trump can call us up as the militia if he sees it necessary, especially for three purposes: to repel invasions, to suppress insurrections, and to execute the laws of the union, and right now, we see all three of those in play,” Rhodes told the right-wing Gateway Pundit outlet.
“We have — we’re facing an ongoing invasion of this country, it has not stopped. We’re facing an insurrection by the left, and we’re also facing a direct blocking and resistance against enforcing federal law — federal immigration laws, attacking ICE agents, you know, trying to ram them and run them off the road, throwing bricks to their windows. All of that is going on, and so under those three purposes, he can call up the militia.”
“The militia is all of us, so the National Guard is part of the militia, which is why it’s completely lawful for him to use the National Guard as he has, and he should do more of that, I think, across the country,” Rhodes added.
Rhodes was convicted in 2023 for his role in organizing and carrying out the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, but he was among nearly 1,500 participants who Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of shortly after returning to the White House.
“He could just say given the circumstances of an invasion, insurrection, and resistance against federal law being being enforced, I’m calling up the militia, ordering all the men to come together [in] every county, put the veterans in charge of training and organizing all the other men and just have them stand too and await his orders,” Rhodes said.
“He can do that and I think he should do that, and so that’s what I’ll be advocating for from him. So from the bottom, from down the rank and file, we can let President Trump know that we’re ready to serve, encourage him to do that, call us up as a militia, order us all to come together in our counties under his command, which gives you complete legal sanction to do what you’re doing.
President Donald Trump on Monday criticized air traffic controllers who refused to work without pay during the government shutdown, warning that those who failed to report for duty would face financial penalties. “All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that those who did show up during the shutdown deserved a $10,000 bonus, while those who stayed home “will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”
According to The Hill, Trump’s comments came amid growing strain on the nation’s aviation system, which relies heavily on air traffic controllers — one of the most vital and stressful professions in the federal workforce. Air traffic controllers are responsible for directing the safe and efficient movement of more than 45,000 flights and nearly 3 million passengers each day in U.S. airspace. A single lapse in focus could have catastrophic consequences, making the role one of the most critical safety jobs in the country.
According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for an air traffic controller in the United States ranges between $120,000 and $150,000 per year, with experienced controllers at major airports earning well over $180,000 annually. Despite the high pay, the job demands intense concentration, rapid decision-making, and the ability to manage high-pressure situations — skills that make it difficult to find replacements or train new controllers quickly.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that many controllers could afford to miss one paycheck but not two, noting that the extended shutdown placed enormous financial and emotional pressure on them. “Our air traffic system is the backbone of America’s economy,” Duffy said. “Controllers ensure that every flight — commercial, cargo, and private — operates safely. Without them, the system grinds to a halt.”
As the shutdown dragged into its 41st day — the longest in U.S. history — the FAA confirmed that staffing shortages had forced a reduction in flights at several major airports, including New York’s LaGuardia and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The Senate voted late Sunday to move forward on a measure to end the shutdown, signaling possible relief for thousands of federal workers affected by the impasse.
Trump’s remarks reignited debate over the federal government’s reliance on essential employees during political standoffs. For air traffic controllers, whose work ensures the safety of millions daily, the ordeal underscored both their indispensable role and the personal sacrifices they make to keep America’s skies safe.
The Supreme Court in the US has rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-s£x marriage nationwide.
According to NBC Washington, the justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the high court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower-court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple denied a marriage license.
Her lawyers repeatedly invoked the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who alone among the nine justices has called for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling.
Thomas was among four dissenting justices in 2015. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito are the other dissenters who are on the court today.
Roberts has been silent on the subject since he wrote a dissenting opinion in the case. Alito has continued to criticize the decision, but he said recently he was not advocating that it be overturned.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was not on the court in 2015, has said that there are times when the court should correct mistakes and overturn decisions, as it did in the 2022 case that ended a constitutional right to abortion.
But Barrett has suggested recently that same-sex marriage might be in a different category than abortion because people have relied on the decision when they married and had children.
Davis drew national attention to eastern Kentucky’s Rowan County when she turned away same-sex couples, saying her faith prevented her from complying with the high court ruling. She defied court orders to issue the licenses until a federal judge jailed her for contempt of court in September 2015.
She was released after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The Kentucky legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses.
Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson praised the justices’ decision not to intervene. “The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences,” Robinson said in a statement.
Though Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia continue to have a healthy relationship following their divorce after 16 years of marriage, the award-winning actor admitted that their separation at the time took a mental toll on him.
Per E! News, Johnson and Garcia separated in 2007. The 53-year-old stated that besides their separation, it was difficult to envision how their family was going to adjust as they share a daughter who is now 24 years old.
“When you guys get married, as a few of you may know, you sign up for the long haul, but then it doesn’t always work out like that,” he said on the November 6 episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “And then it rocks you like it rocked me. And we had a baby, and what kind of father was I going to be?”
Johnson said that the situation took a toll on his mental health. “At that time I was really going through it,” he recalled. “That was another bout of depression.”
The 53-year-old said that he ultimately decided to feature in happier movies while he was trying to figure his stuff out during that period.
“I was trying to figure my stuff out, and that was the only thing that I really wanted to do artistically,” he stated. “I didn’t want anything that was going to challenge me to rip my guts out, I wanted stuff that has a happy ending, and so that’s what that was.”
He also said that he still loved “making those movies.” “I also think I manifested those because I don’t think I was ready for anything other than easy, light, family films that made me feel good,” he added.
Johnson is currently married to Lauren Hashian, and they share two daughters aged 9 and 6. And though he and Garcia are no longer together, the former couple still have a working relationship as she is his manager and they are producing partners for their Seven Bucks Productions company, E! News reported.
“While marriage wasn’t in our cards, we did realize, ‘Well, wait a second, we’re building something that’s pretty cool,’” Johnson said. “‘Marriage may not be in our cards but building business can be.’ And that took time.”
Prophet Makandiwa Indirectly Calls Walter Magaya A Crook Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa appeared to take a veiled swipe at his jailed counterpart, Prophet Walter Magaya, during a United Family International Church (UFIC) service — a moment that has since gone viral online.
Without mentioning names, Makandiwa criticised certain “men of God” who he claimed “provoke their own problems” and later portray themselves as victims of persecution.
“No Man Of God Is Being Persecuted, Just A Crook” During the Sunday service, Prophet Makandiwa told his congregation that some preachers manipulate their followers’ emotions to avoid accountability for their actions.
In his own words, he declared:
“Especially us as men of God, we can mess around with your brain. We come to the church and act like we are being persecuted, yet these will be issues of our own making. We know that some of you cannot think objectively.”
He went on to add:
“I go and provoke my own issues away and when they are about to explode, I come to the pulpit and say, ‘Please, please pray for me. Cover me in your prayers. My enemies are rising against me.’ I even throw a few scriptures in there. And the congregation starts lamenting that their ‘Father is being persecuted’. There is no Man of God being persecuted, just a crook.”
Although Makandiwa never mentioned any names, his remarks have been widely interpreted online as a reference to Prophet Walter Magaya, who is currently behind bars facing multiple charges.
Magaya Says His Ordeal Is A “Spiritual Test” Prophet Walter Magaya of PHD Ministries was arrested on 1 November 2025 at his prayer mountain in Harare. He faces five counts of rape and 13 counts of fraud, with his wife Tendai Magaya granted bail of US$500 (R9,600) on 3 November 2025.
In an audio message shared with his congregation via WhatsApp, Magaya told followers that his arrest and trial were part of a divine plan.
“I am carrying a big cross right now which is necessary for growth and deliverance of your life. The trial I am facing is for the benefit of my spirit, sanctification, and uplift,” Magaya said.
https://youtu.be/xD5pWsvmtY8?si=W3jFaPpQNDlDPUTN
Despite his detention, Magaya urged his followers to attend the “Night of Turnaround” event, which took place last Friday at the PHD Ministries headquarters in Waterfalls, Harare.
ZRP Expands Investigation Across The Globe As Prophet Magaya remains in custody, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has expanded its investigation internationally.
In a press statement released in November 2025, ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that new global reporting channels had been opened for potential victims.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has availed cellphone number 0776 830 226, National Complaints number (0242) 703631 and WhatsApp number 0712 800 197 for anyone to freely report and allow the Zimbabwe Republic Police to conduct investigations,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
The police urged victims in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, and Namibia to use the official lines to report allegations.
ZRP also warned against interference with the ongoing investigations, saying those obstructing justice or threatening witnesses would face arrest.
The Taliban government says it’s frustrated at being left out of COP30, arguing that Afghanistan deserves a seat at the table as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
The global climate conference kicks off Monday in Brazil, drawing representatives from countries across the world. But Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) says no official invitation ever arrived, despite the country’s exposure to worsening droughts, shrinking groundwater and rising temperatures.
NEPA voiced “deep concern” over the exclusion, noting that Afghanistan has contributed barely 0.06 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions yet faces some of the most severe consequences of climate change. Nearly 89 percent of Afghans rely on agriculture for survival, leaving them extremely vulnerable to shifts in climate patterns.
The Taliban, who regained power in 2021 and are formally recognised only by Russia, argue that political isolation shouldn’t bar Afghans from engaging in climate negotiations. They did attend COP29 last year, but only as “guests” of Azerbaijan rather than as direct participants.
Calling the snub a violation of “climate justice, global cooperation, and human solidarity,” Afghanistan’s climate agency says the country cannot afford to be shut out of discussions that directly affect its future.
The UN has already warned that repeated droughts from 2020 to 2025 have ravaged Afghanistan’s water resources, with groundwater levels dropping by as much as 30 metres in some areas. And with forecasts pointing toward 2025 becoming one of the hottest years ever recorded, the stakes for vulnerable countries like Afghanistan continue to rise.
US President Donald Trump has announced that each American will receive at least $2,000 from U.S. tariff revenues.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump noted that the payments would be for all but “high-income people.”
The president also generally lauded the state of the US, calling it ‘the most respected country in the world’. He said there is ‘almost no inflation, and a record stock market price’.
Trump cited ‘trillions of dollars’ of tariff income and said the money would soon go to paying the country’s ‘enormous debt’ of $37 trillion.
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!” Trump wrote. “We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
After the president’s Sunday post pledging a $2,000 dividend to all Americans, he made a couple more posts railing against the Supreme Court’s position on his tariffs.
Four minutes after the first post, he wrote: ‘WITHOUT TARIFFS, WE HAVE NONE OF THE FOLLOWING (JUST POSTED) TRUTH!!! President DJT.’
A little less than an hour later, he made another post which said: ‘So, let’s get this straight??? The President of the United States is allowed (and fully approved by Congress!) to stop ALL TRADE with a Foreign Country (Which is far more onerous than a Tariff!), and LICENSE a Foreign Country, but is not allowed to put a simple Tariff on a Foreign Country, even for purposes of NATIONAL SECURITY.
‘That is NOT what our great Founders had in mind! The whole thing is ridiculous! Other Countries can Tariff us, but we can’t Tariff them??? It is their DREAM!!! Businesses are pouring into the USA ONLY BECAUSE OF TARIFFS. HAS THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT NOT BEEN TOLD THIS??? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???President DJT.’
Musician Y Celeb has been released from Police detention after being picked for alleged unruly behaviour during the Kitwe derby between Nkana and Power Dynamos at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Webster Chikabala was released from Ndola Central Police custody on Monday.
“He was accused of misconduct,” his brother Chikabala Kaleta told Radio Icengelo News.
“But you know people just love following my brother so these arrests are inconveniencing him. Does it mean he cannot even watch football?” Kaleta said.
This is not the first time Y Celeb is being arrested by Police on similar offences.
He is a crowd puller who attracts attention when moving on his own.
MAKEBI INSISTS THAT PF, LUNGU FAMILY AND ZAMBIANS DESIRE THAT ECL IS GIVEN A DIGNIFIED BURIAL
By: Thomas Afroman Mwale
Late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s family spokesperson, Makebi Zulu, has described the passing of Zambia’s sixth Republican President as a great national loss.
Speaking shortly after filing his nomination to contest the Patriotic Front (PF) presidency, Mr. Zulu said the former ruling party, the Lungu family, and the people of Zambia all desire that the late Head of State be given a dignified burial.
Mr. Zulu added that Mr. Lungu will be honored accordingly.
He recently stated that the former President’s remains would only be repatriated to Zambia once President Hakainde Hichilema publicly commits to staying away from the funeral and delegates Vice President Mutale Nalumango to represent the government at the ceremony.
Former President Edgar Lungu, who died on June 5, 2025, has not yet been buried due to a legal dispute between the government and the Lungu family regarding his final resting place.
We are very disappointed with the UPND government’s incompetence, ineptitude, inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and disorderliness.
With the right type of people in government positions, what happened to Mr Hakainde Hichilema in Chingola and Ndola could have been avoided.
Copperbelt minister Mr Elisha Matambo, who was supposed to prepare for Mr Hichilema’s visit, should have cross checked and properly analysed the political situation and otherwise before taking the President to that political rally.
It’s about time we grow both as a country. We can’t have a sitting president stoned or an attempt made on him so easily and carelessly. Regardless of what, we blame the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Charge of Special Duties Mr. Fanwell Siandenge, and we urge him to put his house in order immediately.
We have seen Police officers falling from motor vehicles. What type of VIP protection is that? Are these men trained for these important tasks or just hand-picked UPND cadres?
Thank God, Mr. Hichilema was not hurt. But Mr Hichilema’s reaction is equally disappointing. His language, which is being echoed by his minions, is uncouth and unacceptable. And in anger and frustration, he says nobody should disturb their campaigns. He is holding campaign rallies but doesn’t want others to do the same.
🇿🇲 CONTEXT | The Makebi Moment & The Lungu Capital Politics
The crowds at the PF Secretariat did more than cheer. They sent a message to the ruling party and to the wider opposition. Makebi Zulu walked into the nomination arena in full black attire, a symbolic uniform that cast his candidacy as a memorial and a political resurrection. The sea of supporters, cadres and old PF guards was not spontaneous. It was choreographed energy designed to announce one thing. The Lungu network is awake again.
The chants and raised fists came from a base that has missed power and missed the identity that came with it. PF supporters framed the day as a return to the party’s old rhythm. The dancing women’s leagues, the jeeps, the drums and the chants recreated the Lungu-era spectacle. To them, Makebi is not simply a candidate. He is an inheritance. A political executor of Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s unfinished story.
Makebi leaned fully into that symbolism. “We will give President Edgar Chagwa Lungu a dignified burial,” he told the crowd. The statement was powerful. It played on emotion, memory and grievance. It was also politically strategic. It positioned his candidacy as a mission to restore honour to a man who died in opposition and whose farewell became a national flashpoint.
He carried that theme all afternoon. “I am running for office in honour of President Lungu,” he said. “He believed in a united Zambia.” His appeal was clear. He tied his political identity to Lungu’s final months, a period that produced deep loyalty inside PF and fury across the opposition. The black suit reinforced the narrative. This was a funeral vow turned into an election bid.
Old party figures endorsed the symbolism with their presence. Professor Nkandu Luo stood close by. Mumbi Phiri walked with him. Jean Kapata prayed for him. It was not accidental. The old guard wants a successor who will protect the Lungu legacy. Their attendance created the impression of a coronation. A staged passing of the torch in full public view.
But the political question remains unresolved. What happens if Hakainde Hichilema wins again? Makebi’s central promise is anchored on a future PF victory. His vow to give Lungu a dignified burial assumes a rapid change of power. His speech did not say what happens if UPND stays in office for ten or fifteen years. His pledge depends on a political reversal that is not guaranteed.
PF insiders believe Makebi has the Lungu family’s anointing. The turn-out reinforced that belief. But the geographic composition of the crowd is unclear. The Eastern enclave prefers him. Its structures have shown enthusiasm. Other regions remain silent. No confirmed provincial machinery has stepped forward to claim him as their consensus candidate. For now, the noise is concentrated at the secretariat.
This is why today’s scenes must be understood in political context. Makebi is running on Lungu’s political capital. It gives him instant emotional authority inside PF. It also exposes him to a structural risk. If voters outside the PF base do not accept the Lungu framing, his national appeal shrinks. He becomes a factional candidate, not a national one.
The imagery was re-energizing. The black suit. The loyalists. The raised fists. The sense of a political awakening. It revived PF confidence and unsettled UPND strategists who have dismissed the party as finished. But it also revealed the core tension inside the Patriotic Front. It is a party caught between memory and strategy. Between the Lungu past and the unknown future.
Makebi wants to unite Zambia. His supporters want to return to power for all its glory and impunity. Both needs collide in weeks ahead.
For years, the ruling UPND government and its leadership have consistently declared that the Patriotic Front (PF) was politically finished. But today, the scenes at the PF Secretariat told a very different story. Hundreds of supporters packed the grounds, singing, chanting, and waving party regalia in a show of renewed strength and unity as Makebi Zulu, a prominent lawyer and respected opposition figure, officially announced his presidential bid.
Speaking shortly after filing his nomination, Zulu said his campaign is built on the foundation of unity, peace, and national inclusion principles he said were deeply cherished by the late sixth Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
“I am running for office in honor of President Lungu, who believed in a united Zambia,” said Zulu. “Our campaign is about restoring that spirit where citizens can speak freely, where opportunity is not determined by tribe or politics, and where we move forward together as one nation.”
Addressing the excited crowd, Zulu emphasized that freedom of expression must never be a privilege but a right enjoyed by every Zambian. He stressed that no one should be silenced or intimidated for holding a different view.
“Every citizen should be able to speak openly in their own country,” he said to thunderous applause. “We need to build an atmosphere of trust and openness among ourselves as Zambians.”
Zulu also outlined his vision for tackling critical national challenges such as poverty and unemployment, saying these issues demand urgent, decisive leadership.
“We must create equal opportunities for every Zambian young or old, from any province because development belongs to all of us,” he added.
The vibrant turnout at the PF Secretariat demonstrated a powerful comeback for the opposition party, once written off as “dead” by its critics. Supporters described the moment as a “rebirth” of the PF, fueled by new energy and a fresh face.
Political observers say Makebi Zulu’s entry into the race could redefine the country’s political landscape, especially as the nation gears up for the 2026 general elections.
As chants of “Makebi!” echoed across the Lusaka skies, the message was clear the Patriotic Front is far from finished, and a new chapter may just be beginning.
MULUSA WARNS AGAINST ATTACKS AND DISRESPECT TOWARD PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
By: Sun Fm TV reporter
Government Chief Whip Stanford Mulusa has warned that the United Party for National Development (UPND) and the government will not tolerate any attacks or attempts to abuse President Hakainde Hichilema going forward.
Speaking at a media briefing Mr. Mulusa emphasized that the tolerance and empathy President Hichilema has demonstrated since assuming office should not be mistaken for weakness or taken for granted.
He further urged political parties to refrain from sponsoring youths to disrespect or incite hostility toward the Head of State, stressing that such actions undermine peace and national unity
Sangwa Courts The Church as MNR Pushes for a Million-voter Base
Movement for National Renewal (MNR) leader John Sangwa, SC, and his political partner Dolika Banda met Archbishop Alick Banda this morning in what insiders frame as a strategic outreach to lend moral capital to their emerging movement.
The Archbishop offered counsel, encouragement and prayer, a gesture that signals growing curiosity within religious circles about Sangwa’s political intentions.
Sangwa is pushing an ambitious target of one million registered supporters before transforming MNR into a full political party. His message is disruptive. He wants Zambians to bankroll his campaign to prevent what he calls foreign capture once in government.
It is a direct challenge to the traditional funding pipelines that shape Zambian politics.
But the movement carries a paradox. Sangwa and Banda project intellectual authority and legal gravitas, but they remain politically untested.
Critics argue that MNR is still an elite bubble with no confirmed grassroots machinery. Supporters say this is the beginning of a clean, citizen-driven alternative.
The coming weeks will show whether this moral momentum can translate into constituency-level presence or remain an urban conversation.
🇸🇸South Sudanese diplomatic staff say their country’s embassy in Nairobi has been closed due to the government’s failure to pay rent for several months.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday on condition of anonymity, several embassy staff confirmed that South Sudan’s embassy in Kenya was closed on Friday.
“The landlord came on Friday and locked the embassy buildings. So the embassy will remain closed until the government in Juba intervenes,” one of the staff members said.
“The embassy has been unable to pay rent for nearly a year, and the monthly rent is about $9,000,” another staff member said.
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party denied on Monday it was involved in targeting opposition politician Job Sikhala, who appeared in a South African court facing explosives charges that his supporters say are politically motivated.
Zanu PF spokesperson Farai Marapira dismissed allegations the party orchestrated Sikhala’s arrest in Pretoria last week, saying opposition figures routinely attempt to “sensationalise” criminal cases with political claims.
“Fact of the matter is this, what you’re being exposed to is the usual run-of-the-mill of Zimbabwean opposition. They will commit a crime and try to sensationalise it with politics to try and clean themselves up,” Marapira said. “The law will always deal with people that transgress against it.”
Sikhala, 53, and Alexander Thema, 78, were arrested Thursday night after South African police stopped their vehicle on the N14 highway outside Johannesburg following a tip-off. Police discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors in the silver Ford Fiesta, according to information provided by the South African Police Service to local media.
The arrest has triggered conflicting narratives between Zimbabwe’s ruling party and opposition groups. Rights groups and opposition figures have described the incident as a setup targeting Sikhala for his criticism of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
“The opposition can continue to be sensational and they can continue to try and fool as many people as possible, but the truth is the truth and the truth is stubborn and the SAPS shall discover and expose the truth,” Marapira said.
The National Democratic Working Group, a Zimbabwean pressure group led by Sikhala, said in a statement the politician was “subjected to what is believed to be suspected foul play.” Spokesperson Silenkosi Moyo said: “We categorically maintain that the explosives found do not belong to him.”
Sikhala’s South African lawyer Eric Mabuza said his client denies any knowledge of the explosives. “It is an allegation he denies,” Mabuza told state broadcaster SABC. “He says that this is foul play because when he went out with his uncle for dinner he was not carrying any explosives but those were found as he was driving out.”
According to Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the opposition Transform Zimbabwe party, Sikhala’s wife said someone at a meeting asked to check Sikhala’s car, took the keys and returned after about 30 minutes before suggesting they leave. Police stopped them shortly after.
Sikhala, a former Member of Parliament and vocal critic of Mnangagwa’s government, spent more than 500 days in pretrial detention in Zimbabwe before being released without charge earlier this year. He was arrested in 2022 on allegations of inciting public violence.
South African Police Service confirmed it is reviewing CCTV footage from a shopping mall Sikhala visited before his arrest. Sikhala appeared in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The incident has drawn attention to cross-border security cooperation between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Earlier this year, three Zimbabwean truck drivers received 15-year sentences in South African courts for smuggling explosives through the Beitbridge border post.
Reuters could not immediately obtain additional comment from South African authorities or the Zimbabwean government.
Actress Doris Ogala has insisted that Ned Nwoko married Regina Daniels when the actress was just 17.
Doris disclosed this amid arguments about Regina’s age.
Doris stated that Regina is currently 24 and she said and she has seen her birth certificate to back this.
Doris, who is friends with Regina’s mother, added that only a mother can tell the age of her daughter.
However, Regina Daniels’ mother, Rita Daniels had given the impression that when Regina married Ned Nwoko in May 2019, she was 18.
In 2020, during a BBC interview, Rita Daniels, while trying to silence critics who felt her daughter married too early, told them that Regina was about to turn 20 in October 2020.
However, Regina’s father, Jude Ojeogwu, while opposing the marriage in 2019, stated that Regina was still 17.
Now that the marriage has hit the rocks, Regina has come out to state that she was 17 when Ned married her.
Mercy Johnson also stated that Regina was 17 at the time.
Ghana has officially overtaken South Africa to become Africa’s largest gold producer!
The West African nation produced about 135 tonnes of gold in 2023, surpassing South Africa’s 104 tonnes and reclaiming its top spot on the continent. Analysts credit the rise to growth in both large and small-scale mining, backed by supportive policies and new investments.
Ghana’s dominance marks a major shift in Africa’s gold landscape, as West Africa continues to emerge as the continent’s new mining powerhouse.
Malawi Faces Continued Power Cuts Amid Shortfall in Electricity Supply
By: Malawi24
Malawians should brace for continued power outages this week as the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) implements scheduled load shedding due to a shortfall in electricity generation.
The utility company announced that power cuts will occur during morning, midday, and evening peak hours in order to balance the national grid and ensure equitable distribution of electricity across the country.
According to ESCOM, total generation capacity currently stands at 461.93 megawatts (MW) during the day and 374.25 MW at night, while national demand is projected to peak at 414.83 MW during the evening. The gap between supply and demand has made scheduled load shedding unavoidable.
ESCOM warned that cloudy and overcast weather conditions could reduce output from solar plants operated by Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which supplement the national electricity supply. If solar generation drops significantly, unplanned outages may occur.
The corporation emphasized that no region or customer group will be unfairly targeted, and assured the public that load shedding will be applied fairly across all areas. ESCOM also encouraged consumers to use electricity efficiently, particularly during peak hours, by switching off non-essential appliances to ease pressure on the grid.
In its statement, ESCOM apologized for the inconvenience caused and thanked customers for their understanding and cooperation. The utility reaffirmed its commitment to stabilizing power supply and improving reliability as generation levels recover. Plans are underway to increase generation capacity and reduce reliance on weather-dependent sources. #SunFmTvNews
Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy’s request to be released from jail pending appeal was heard by a Paris court on Monday, less than three weeks after the ex-head of state began serving a five-year prison sentence. The sentence was handed down after his conviction for conspiring to raise campaign funds from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
French prosecutors themselves requested that Sarkozy be released, but under strict judicial supervision.
Sarkozy, 70, was convicted on September 25th for criminal conspiracy in the scheme to finance his successful 2007 election campaign.
While he was acquitted of all other charges, including corruption and receiving illegal campaign financing, his prison sentence was enforced immediately due to the “extraordinary seriousness” of the crime, according to Judge Nathalie Gavarino.
He became the first former French head of state in modern times to be sent behind bars, starting his sentence on October 21st before immediately filing for early release.
Prosecutor Damien Brunet told the court, “The risks of collusion and pressure on witnesses justify the request for release under judicial supervision,” asking that Sarkozy’s request be granted under those terms.
Under French law, detention before an appeal ruling is supposed to be exceptional. Judges will weigh whether Sarkozy presents a flight risk, might pressure witnesses, or could obstruct justice. If the request is granted, Sarkozy could leave Paris’ La Santé prison within hours.
Appearing before the court via videolink, Sarkozy told the court that his three-week imprisonment had been “gruelling.”
“It’s hard, very hard, certainly for any prisoner. I would even say it’s gruelling,” he said, though he added that he wanted to pay tribute to the prison personnel who had “made this nightmare … bearable.”
The former President, who governed from 2007 to 2012, denies all wrongdoing and maintains he is the victim of a “plot” linked to the former Libyan leader.
If the court agrees to release him—with a decision expected later today—Sarkozy could be required to wear an electronic tag, deposit a sum of money, or check in regularly with authorities.
This is not the first time Sarkozy has faced significant legal restrictions. Last year, France’s highest court upheld a separate conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year, a measure that has since been removed.
Furthermore, Sarkozy is currently subject to an ongoing investigation into alleged witness tampering in the current Libya case. A final ruling from France’s highest court is also expected this month on a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing over his failed 2012 re-election bid.
Legendary Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face, has opened up about his hit song African Queen, calling it the track that changed his life but also became a “problem” for him.
Speaking on a recent Entertainment & Lifestyle show, the music icon said:
“African Queen has been a very huge blessing, and e come turn to problem join for me. But I am grateful for everything.”
Released in 2004, African Queen became one of the biggest love songs to ever come out of Africa. The track pushed 2Face into international fame, earning him the BET Award, MTV Europe Award and the MOBO Award — the first time an African artist would achieve such recognition.
However, the song has remained controversial for years because of claims from his former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Blackface, who has repeatedly insisted he wrote the song. 2Face has denied stealing it, explaining that the song was originally a collaborative effort back when they were still a group.
The conversation resurfaced recently after Billboard named African Queen the “Greatest Afrobeats Song of All Time” in 2025 — a recognition that brought the debate back into public discussion.
Despite everything, 2Face says he remains grateful.
The song gave him history, fame, recognition, and influence — but it also came with arguments, accusations, and pressure that have followed him for over two decades.
Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, capping an almost unthinkable transformation for the former jihadist leader. This historic meeting—the first ever visit to the White House by a Syrian head of state—comes just one day after Al-Sharaa was photographed playing basketball with top U.S. military officials in Washington.
Less than a year after his swift and decisive power grab, 43-year-old Al-Sharaa is marking his emergence from jihadist insurgency to global statesman. The meeting with the U.S. commander-in-chief is the most high-profile and high-stakes encounter yet for a man who previously faced American forces on the battlefield in Iraq.
Since appointing himself as president of Syria in January, Al-Sharaa has embarked on his 20th foreign trip, marking a dramatic effort to reverse Syria’s decades of isolation. In May, following a meeting brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump hailed the Syrian leader as a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past.” Trump subsequently ordered the lifting of some crippling U.S. sanctions on Syria, a country long aligned with American adversaries, Russia and Iran.
Al qaeda leader turned Syria?s president to visit White House a day after playing Basketball with top US military officials
Al-Sharaa’s immediate priorities in Washington include pushing for the full removal of the remaining stringent U.S. sanctions, which require congressional approval, and urging Trump to pressure Israel to halt attacks on Syria and withdraw troops from the south of the country.
His ultimate goal is to shatter the diplomatic isolation that left the country economically devastated and shackled to a narrow axis of allies.
The symbolic weight of the White House visit is profound. In his early twenties, Al-Sharaa was the enemy, joining Islamist insurgents battling American forces in Iraq. After being captured and later released, he crossed into Syria in 2011 to establish an Al-Qaeda-backed rebel army to fight forces loyal to then-President Bashar Al-Assad. After over a decade of brutal civil conflict, Al-Sharaa launched a surprise offensive that swiftly toppled the 53-year Assad dynasty, ending Syria’s long-stalemated civil war.
The former regime of the Assads was firmly aligned with Moscow, relying heavily on Russian aid, arms, and diplomatic backing—a relationship highlighted by the strategic Russian naval base in Tartus.
Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in 2015 was crucial to keeping Bashar al-Assad in power. Even after Assad’s fall, Russian forces retain control of their military base in Tartus. Al-Sharaa has been careful to maintain ties, including a visit to Moscow last month to meet Putin.
Ex Al-Qaeda leader, now president of Syria, playing basketball with the commander of CENTCOM pic.twitter.com/ULFsq7NIuv
“Engaging in a conflict with Russia right now would be too costly with Syria, nor would it be in the country’s interest,” Al-Sharaa told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview in October, demonstrating his commitment to a balanced foreign policy.
Once sanctioned for terrorism by Western nations, the Syrian leader is now on a global diplomatic charm offensive, aggressively backed by U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Turkey. These regional heavyweights are eager to fill a power and economic vacuum left by Iran and Russia.
For the U.S., engaging with Syria is a calculated risk. Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, observed that the U.S. has few alternatives, especially as neighboring Lebanon spirals into instability and Iraq remains heavily influenced by pro-Iranian militias.
Natasha Hall, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), summarized the new geopolitical approach: “In this new era, one doesn’t align completely with any side.”
This policy of balancing foreign policy away from conflict, even with figures like Putin (an active ally of the previous Assad regime), marks a significant strategic shift now followed by several developing nations worldwide.
US President Donald Trump has granted pardons for 77 individuals tied to a plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including his close allies Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro, a Justice Department attorney announced in a statement.
The full list of those pardoned, each of the president’s co-defendants who faced charges related to the 2020 “fake electors” plot, was posted to X just before 11 p.m. by Trump’s “clemency czar” attorney Ed Martin.
“No MAGA left behind,” he said.
The proclamation signed by Trump was dated Friday.
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 presidential election and continues the process of national reconciliation,” the document states.
Those given a “full, complete and unconditional” pardon were allegedly entangled in a scheme to organize alternate slates of electors from battleground states that former President Joe Biden won, including Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Pardons also went to former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and other 2020 campaign aides who allegedly worked together to submit names of fake electors from the four states to Congress to keep him in office.
Trump advisers John Eastman, Christina Bobb, and Boris Epshtey were also among the dozens of prominent figures pardoned.
The sweeping proclamation, which Trump signed on Friday, notably does not pardon Trump himself.
“This pardon does not apply to the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” a line near the end of the document said.
The “fake electors” scheme eventually led to the attempt by the president’s supporters to halt the certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump pardoned more than 1,000 of those who stormed the Capitol on inauguration night.
On his first day of his second term in office in January, Trump issued pardons and commutations of sentences for more than 1,500 people convicted for their participation in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, including those who injured police officers.
He has also issued pardons to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, convicted on corruption charges, former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer and former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore.
American rapper Max B has finally regained his freedom after spending 16 years behind bars.
The Harlem artist, born Charley Wingate, was arrested in 2007 and later convicted in 2009 for his role in a botched robbery that led to a man’s death. He originally received a 75-year sentence, even though he wasn’t physically present at the scene. His legal team later got the conviction revisited, and his sentence was reduced to 20 years in 2016, Daily Mail reported.
Max B always said he would come home, and earlier this year he hinted his release was near. On Sunday, he officially walked free.
Despite being in prison, Max B continued making music, recording verses over the phone. He released projects including Vigilante Season and stayed in touch with longtime collaborator French Montana, who was one of the first to welcome him back. Montana posted their reunion with excitement, celebrating Max finally being home.
Max has already stepped back into the public eye, appearing at an NFL game looking confident and in high spirits. When asked how he felt, he simply said, “They gave me 75, but I’m back.”
Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala and his co-accused will have their formal bail application heard on Wednesday after briefly appearing in Pretoria magistrate court on charges of possessing explosives, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said.
Sikhala, 53, and Alexander Thema, 78, were arrested on Nov. 7 after South African police discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors in their vehicle during a search on the N14 highway near Pretoria, according to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
The former Zimbabwean legislator and National Democratic Working Group leader has denied knowledge of the explosives found in the Ford Fiesta they were traveling in, his South African lawyer Eric Mabuza said after meeting with Sikhala at Pretoria Central Police Station.
Police acted on a tip-off that a vehicle matching the description of the silver Ford Fiesta was transporting explosives, Mathe said. Both men were arrested shortly after passing the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre while traveling toward Johannesburg.
Sikhala’s associates have claimed the explosives were planted as part of a politically motivated setup. Jacob Ngarivhume, another Zimbabwean opposition figure, said on social media that one of Sikhala’s hosts had taken his car keys before police later intercepted the vehicle.
The National Democratic Working Group, a civic organization aligned with Sikhala, said it suspected foul play and described the incident as an “international sting operation” targeting the opposition leader.
Sikhala has been a prominent critic of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. He spent 595 days in pre-trial detention in Zimbabwe before being released in January 2024 with a suspended sentence on incitement charges.
South African authorities have not established the intended use of the explosives, though police sources said such materials are commonly linked to illegal mining activities and ATM bombings in Gauteng and Free State provinces.
Sikhala had been traveling to South Africa regularly for medical treatment following his lengthy detention in Zimbabwe, according to his legal team. His arrest has drawn widespread attention across southern Africa given his political profile and history of more than 65 arrests in Zimbabwe over two decades.
The formal bail hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at Pretoria magistrate court, where prosecutors are expected to outline their case against both accused.
Tanzanian activist and influencer Jennifer “Niffer” Jovin is facing treason charges alongside 21 others after the October election protests.
Authorities accuse her of encouraging protesters to buy protective masks, a move prosecutors claim amounted to inciting rebellion. The offence is non-bailable and carries the death penalty under Tanzanian law.
Human rights groups say the case highlights the growing crackdown on dissent and the shrinking space for free expression in the country.
In an unprecedented move that signals a massive crisis for British public broadcaster, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness have both resigned.
The dual departures follow intense pressure and criticism that a recent Panorama documentary misled viewers by selectively editing a speech by Donald Trump related to the January 2021 Capitol Hill riot.
The resignations come after The Telegraph published a leaked internal BBC memo last week Monday. The memo alleged that the Panorama programme stitched together two parts of the former U.S. President’s speech—originally separated by more than 50 minutes, to make him appear to explicitly encourage the riot.
The core of the controversy centers on Trump’s speech in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. The full speech included the line: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” However, the Panorama edit reportedly showed him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Announcing his resignation late Sunday evening, five-year veteran Tim Davie acknowledged the severe impact of the controversy.
“While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision,” Davie said. “Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
Turness, who served as CEO of News and Current Affairs for three years, issued a statement saying the controversy had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” adding, “The buck stops with me.” She denied that the resignations confirm institutional bias but stated leaders “need to be fully accountable.”
President Trump, who had previously described the corporation as “100% fake news,” welcomed the resignations. He claimed top people were quitting because they were caught “doctoring” his “very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th,” calling them “very dishonest people.”
While the Trump edit was the catalyst, the internal memo and the resignations come amid a “constant stream of crises” for the BBC. The leaked memo also expressed concerns about “systemic problems” of bias in BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and raised issues that coverage of trans issues was effectively “censored” by specialist reporters promoting a pro-trans agenda.
Separately, the BBC recently upheld 20 impartiality complaints over a presenter altering a script to refer to “pregnant people,” and faced criticism for failing to disclose the narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah called it a “sad day” but respected Davie’s decision due to the “continued pressure on him, personally and professionally.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the resignations but stated that the issues run “far deeper” and cannot be swept away by two departures. She argued the BBC should not expect public funding via the compulsory licence fee unless it demonstrates “true impartiality.” Other political leaders, including Sir Ed Davey (Liberal Democrats) and Nigel Farage (Reform UK), echoed calls for wholesale change and new leadership.
Davie said the timing of his “orderly transition” would allow the next director general to “positively shape” the next Royal Charter, which sets the BBC’s funding and regulatory duties and must be renegotiated by the end of 2027. The incoming leadership will face the immediate challenge of restoring public trust and addressing the systemic issues raised in the wake of the Trump documentary scandal.
FREEDOM IS COMING FOR ALL ZAMBIANS, PROMISES MAKEBI ZULU
Renowned Lusaka Lawyer, Makebi Zulu has formally expressed interest in contesting the Patriotic Front presidency by filing in his credentials and oaying the fee if K200,000.00
Zulu arrived at the Patriotic Front Party Secretariat located on corner of Panganani and Lumumba roads accomoanied by hundreds of supporters.
He later addressed the crowd after filing in his expression of interest with Acting Secretary General, Brenda Nyirenda MP.
“Freedom of speech should not require a passport every Zambian must be able to speak freely within their own country”
“Why should our minerals end up in foreign hands when Zambians can benefit from them?”
“We cannot continue prioritizing foreigners for power when our own people and businesses are struggling to survive”
“Zambia is for all and I see equal opportunities for all Zambians not for one tribe, not for a privileged few, but for every citizen” said Makebi Zulu
The large crowd gathered at the PF Secretariat for Makebi Zulu has injected new energy into the party’s succession narrative. What stands out is the strong push from the eastern wing, where many argue Makebi remained loyal to Edgar Lungu when others retreated. That loyalty is shaping perceptions that he carries quiet approval from the Lungu household.
Other regions remain largely silent. Yet the size of today’s turnout has raised questions about where exactly the mobilisation came from.
The PF race is shifting. Makebi’s mobilization without explicit structural backing is now part of the conversation. The People’s Brief will continue tracking sentiment as the contest evolves.
