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 Indonesia Names Dutch Legend Patrick Kluivert as Head Coach Netherlands and Barcelona football icon Patrick Kluivert has been appointed as the new head coach of Indonesia’s national football team. The announcement was made on Wednesday, marking a significant move for the Southeast Asian nation as they aim to secure their first FIFA World Cup qualification since gaining independence. Kluivert, 48, signed a two-year contract running from 2025 to 2027, with an option for extension. His appointment follows the controversial dismissal of South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong, who had led Indonesia to the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Indonesian squad, which includes several naturalized players of Dutch origin, is currently ranked 127th by FIFA. They remain in contention for a spot in the 2026 World Cup, sitting third in their qualifying group, with a critical match against Australia in March. Despite Kluivert’s legendary playing career—including stints at Ajax, AC Milan,...

 Ogun: Decomposing Body of 45-Year-Old Woman Found in Apartment The Ogun State Police Command has reported the discovery of the decomposing body of a 45-year-old tenant, Tolulope Olusanya, in her apartment on Madojutimi Abiola Way, Abeokuta. According to the police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, Olusanya’s landlord, Adebesin Adebayo, alerted the Kemta Divisional Police Station around 8:15 PM on Monday after noticing her absence for several days. Concerned about her wellbeing, he visited her apartment, which was locked from the inside and emitting a foul odor. Police officers from the Kemta Division broke into the apartment and found Olusanya’s swollen body lying on her bed. Efforts to reach her family were unsuccessful, as no immediate relatives could be contacted.

 DRC conflict displaces over 100,000 in under a week Recent fighting in part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced more than 100,000 people over the last week, the United Nations humanitarian affairs office said on Tuesday, AFP reported. The M23 rebels seized control on Saturday of Masisi, a key town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "Between January 1 and 3, 2025, intense clashes between the Congolese army and a non-state armed group in Masisi Centre, North Kivu province, displaced an estimated 102,000 people, according to local reports," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Masisi has a population of around 40,000 and is the administrative capital of the Masisi territory, rich in agriculture, livestock and minerals. It lies about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of North Kivu provincial capital Goma. Relative calm was reported on January 5 in Masisi Centre, prompting some displaced families to begin returning, OCHA said. ...

 South Sudan ready to resume oil exports South Sudan could resume oil production "as early as tomorrow" almost a year after fighting in neighbouring Sudan ruptured a key pipeline, the government said on Tuesday, AFP reported. The landlocked country's vital oil had been shipped to global markets from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, with Sudan taking a cut as a transit fee. But the pipeline was damaged in February clashes between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, dramatically denting the young nation's economy. After months of shutdown, South Sudan's government said production would resume from part of a facility operated by Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC). "The Ministry of Petroleum and partners would like to declare that the kick-off date for DPOC resumption is as early as tomorrow," Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol said at a press briefing in capital Juba. He said the ministry was "directing DPOC... to immediately em...

 US sanctions Sudan's RSF leader Dagalo The United States determined on Tuesday that members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias committed "genocide" in Sudan and it imposed sanctions on the group's leader over a conflict that has killed thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the RSF and aligned militias had continued direct attacks against civilians, Reuters reported. The militias have also targeted fleeing civilians and murdered innocent people escaping conflict, Blinken said. "The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities," Blinken said. Washington announced sanctions on the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, barring him from travelling to the United States and freezing any US assets he might hold. "For nearly two years, Hemedti's RSF has engaged in a brutal armed conflict with the Sudanese Ar...

 Nigeria appoint ex-Mali boss Chelle as Super Eagles coach Nigeria have named Eric Chelle as their new head coach and tasked him with reviving the West African nation’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, TRT Afrika reported. The 47-year-old's most recent international job was in charge of Mali for two years and he took them to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost on penalties to hosts Côte d'Ivoire. The former centre back was born in Abidjan but won five caps for Mali. Eric Chelle spent his club career in France, most notably with Lens. ''His appointment is with immediate effect, and he has the responsibility of guiding the Super Eagles to earn a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals,'' Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, said in a statement. Nigeria trail Nigeria resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in March when they travel to face Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe. The Super Eagles have taken only three points fro...

 Nigerian troops, Boko Haram terrorists killed in clashes The Nigerian military says its troops have killed 34 terrorists in a gun battle in northeastern Borno state and six soldiers also died. The clashes took place in Sabon Gari village when the militants ambushed troops returning to a military base, military spokesman Major-General Edward Buba said on Wednesday, TRT Afrika reported. The terrorists belonged to the Boko Haram and ISWAP groups, he said. They were riding on motorcycles and trucks mounted with guns when they carried out the attack on Saturday. The troops, along with reinforcements from the Civilian Joint Taskforce volunteers and vigilante groups, successfully repelled the attack, he said. Fleeing terrorists Nigeria has been grappling with a 16-year-long insurgency in its northeast driven primarily by Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP that has led to huge human and economic losses, including mass displacement and a humanitarian crisis. Buba said six soldier were kille...