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Category: Europe-Asia

  • Real Madrid Face Benfica in Champions League Knockout Play-Off First Leg

    Real Madrid Face Benfica in Champions League Knockout Play-Off First Leg

    Spanish giants, Real Madrid, have assembled their strongest squad for tonight’s crucial UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 CET (20:00 WAT).

    Benfica enter the tie with mixed form, recording three wins and five losses in recent fixtures, while Real Madrid boasts a stronger run of five wins and three losses. Statistical forecasts favour Madrid with a 49.8% chance of victory, compared to Benfica’s 25.8%, leaving room for a potential draw.

    Real Madrid’s squad list, released on Monday, confirms Thibaut Courtois as the starting goalkeeper, supported by Andriy Lunin and Fran González. In defence, Dani Carvajal leads alongside David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alejandro Carreras, Fran García, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Yorel Huijsen, and Joan Martínez.

    The midfield features a dynamic mix of Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Dani Ceballos, and Thiago Cestero, tasked with supplying the forward line. Up front, Real Madrid will rely on their prolific scorer Kylian Mbappé, supported by Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García, Brahim Díaz, and Claudio Echeverri Mastantuono.

    This highly anticipated clash pits 15-time European champions Real Madrid against two-time winners Benfica, making it one of the standout fixtures of the round.

  • SpaceX’s Starlink gets nod for satellite internet in Vietnam

    SpaceX’s Starlink gets nod for satellite internet in Vietnam

    Vietnam’s government has allowed SpaceX to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in the country, state media reported on Saturday.

    The report said the Ministry of Science and Technology granted Starlink’s local unit a license to provide both fixed and mobile satellite internet services. The company was also granted a license to use radio frequencies and radio equipment. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation outside business hours.

    The approval came ahead of an expected visit next week of Vietnam’s top leader To Lam to the United States to attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative to address global conflicts. The trip has not been officially announced.

    Last year, Vietnam’s government said it would allow SpaceX to operate its internet service on a trial basis.

    Local media said it was not clear when Starlink would launch its services in Vietnam. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a weekend. Vietnam and the U.S. are negotiating a trade deal after Washington imposed 20% tariffs on Vietnamese goods in August. The two sides held their sixth round of talks earlier this month, but have not announced an agreement.

  • BIAFRA: Simon Ekpa’s Extradition Almost Impossible —Vince Onyekwelu

    BIAFRA: Simon Ekpa’s Extradition Almost Impossible —Vince Onyekwelu

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    former British Police Officer and National Security Risk Strategist has cautioned Nigeria not to be optimistic about the extradition of Simon Ekpa. This follows the raging media storm over his arrest by the Finish authorities, with the Nigeria military pushing for his extradition to face yet-to-be-calibrated criminal charges.

    Speaking on Arise News, on Friday, monitored by New Post Africa, Onyekwelu said he is not convinced that the extradition will happen soon because there is no treaty between Nigeria and the Scandinavian country in that aspect.

    “Professionally speaking, the Finnish Authorities have done their due diligence and they have every reasonable ground to arrest Mr Simon Ekpa,” he said.

    On what we determine if his extradition will happen or not, he opined that the matter is “now left for the court in Finland to now look into the request by the Chief of Defence Staff to extradite Simon Ekpa to Nigeria. Professionally speaking, the chances are possible to extradite Simon Ekpa. However, in my opinion, it is almost, almost impossible,” he reiterated.

    Further assessing the complexity of the situation, he stated that the case will go through the European Union Criminal Justice system. Because Ekpa is a citizen of the EU and will defend himself and the reason he is fighting for self-determination for Biafra.

    The security expert also accessed the human rights records of Nigeria, describing it as “nothing to boast about,” and cited instances of several alleged human rights abuses in the country and the latest alleged abuse of a couple by officers of the Nigeria military in the Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. All of which he said can weaken Ekpa’s extradition request.

    The man, Simon Ekpa, born on March 21, 1985, is a member of the ruling National Coalition Party of Finland. Since 2022, he and his Biafran Republic Government in Exile, which he serves as its Prime Minister, have actively propagated the restoration of the Biafran Republic from his base in Finland.

    In the last two years, following the arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Kenya and his detention at the Nigeria spy police facility in Abuja, Ekpa has taken the centre stage of the Biafran movement. Unlike Kanu, his approach to the struggle has been offensive. His sit at home orders has been of great concern to the authorities, who accused him of creating insecurity and destabilising the southeast region, which he denies.