WHALEXTRA

A federal officer has shot a man in the leg in the US city of Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel as he tried to make an arrest, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says. In a statement on X, the DHS said Wednesday's shooting happened after a car chase involving a Venezuelan national who was in the country illegally. It ended in a crash and the driver was joined by two more people who all attacked the officer, it said. DHS said the man who was shot was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Tensions have been running high in the city since an immigration agent shot dead a woman last week, sparking protests that spread to other US cities. On Wednesday night, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement in the Hawthorne area of Minneapolis, near the scene of the shooting.

  Nigeria were drawn with Egypt, Zambia and newcomers Malawi for the defence of their ​Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in March when the draw ‌was conducted in Rabat on Thursday. The ‌2026 finals will be played in  Morocco  from March 17th to April 3rd, eight months after the ⁠last tournament, which was also hosted in ‌Morocco, where  Nigeria  beat the hosts ​in the final. WAFON Group Draw Group A (Rabat Moulay Hassan ⁠Stadium): Morocco,  Algeria ,  Senegal ,  Kenya , Group ‌B (Rabat Al Madina Stadium): South Africa,  Ivory Coast ,  Burkina Faso ,  Tanzania Group C (Casablanca): Nigeria,  Zambia ,  Egypt ,  Malawi Group D (Fes):  Ghana ,  Cameroon ,  Mali ,  ⁠Cape Verde

The Federal Government yesterday said its concerted efforts and international collaboration in tackling terrorism would have no negative effect on the overall economy. Such decisive actions, it believes, have the potential to reinforce investor confidence and economic growth. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy,  Mr. Wale Edun , in a statement, said the country’s security operations were designed to strengthen security rather than create uncertainty in financial or investment circles. Edun spoke against the background of concerns in some quarters on the joint security operation conducted by Nigeria and the United States (U.S.) against identified terrorist elements in Sokoto on Thursday. He explained that the context of the operation was crucial to understanding its broader economic implications.

  Nigeria’s health sector  requires all-round reforms in 2026, the   Nigerian Medical Association   (NMA) has said. The association said its position was informed by the alleged lapses the sector recorded in the outgoing year. The NMA said the sector, in 2025, recorded a weak policy focus, persistent workforce crises and poor financing. It noted that the lapses have continued to undermine healthcare delivery across the board. In a year-end review of the Federal Government’s health sector performance, the Lagos Chairman of the association, Dr. Saheed Babajide Kehinde, described the performance of the sector as “highly unfortunate, unacceptable and disappointing”.

Manager Thomas Frank is confident he is the right man to take Tottenham Hotspur forward, saying his history of turning around slow starts proves ​he can help lift the Premier League club out of their current malaise. Tottenham  are 14th in the ‌table, with one win in their last eight ‌league matches  ahead of Sunday's visit  to ninth-placed  Crystal Palace . " At  Brondby , I didn't win the first eight games and then we were unbeaten in nine. ⁠At  Brentford , we lost eight out of 10 games ‌and then we were unbeaten in 10, "  Frank , who joined  ​Spurs  in June, told reporters, referring to his two previous clubs. So I am ‍convinced we will see a similar pattern here. I'm not in doubt of that, because I ‍know how ‌to make a competitive team. We will make a very competitive team here, as well. "

  Bafana Bafana go into Monday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash against Zimbabwe with the edge in the head-to-head record with their old foes, having claimed nine wins to six with three draws in 18 past meetings. South Africa ’s neighbours to the north were the first team they played in a competitive fixture after readmission to international football, when they received a rude awakening in Harare with a 4-1 loss in 1992. Here is a rundown of every clash between the two sides over the past 33 years. 1994 African Nations Cup Qualifier Zimbabwe  (2) 4  (Takawira 8’, Gumbo 19’, P. Ndlovu 49’ pen, 58’)  South Africa (1) 1  (Kambule 21’)

Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has said the Federal Government will operate a single budget from March 2026. Agbese disclosed this on Friday in an interview with journalists in Abuja, stating that the repeal and re-enactment of both budgets would ensure a coherent and predictable funding structure. He said the repeal and re-enactment of the budget is intended to align the nation’s budgeting system with global and international best practices. According to him, it would also ensure transparency and accountability at all levels and lessen the burden of oversight during implementation.

  The chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has reaffirmed that the implementation of the  new tax reforms  will commence on January 1, 2026. Oyedele assured that the reforms under the new tax laws are intended to provide relief to Nigerians and stimulate economic growth. He disclosed this while addressing journalists following the visit of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, NTPIC, chaired by Joseph Tegbe, to President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos. According to Oyedele: “The plan to commence the two remaining new laws on the 1st of January 2026 will go ahead as planned on schedule because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people.