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Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has extended words of encouragement to the club’s star, Pau Cubarsi, ahead of the Blaugrana’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match against Atletico Madrid next Tuesday.

Earlier this Wednesday Hansi Flick’s team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou during the first leg.

Following Pau Cubarsi’s red card in the 44th minute, Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for the visitors with a well-placed free-kick. In the second half, Alexander Sorloth increased his team’s advantage against the Catalans in the 70th minute.

Cubarsi, who was shown a straight red card for a last-minute foul on Giuliano Simeone, took to Instagram to acknowledge his lack of discipline.

The 19-year-old centre-back expressed in his social media post, “One action determines the match and the tie. That’s football, and I accept responsibility for the outcome. There is still a long way to go in this two-legged tie, and we are more united than ever: we are a family, and we have always demonstrated that. Moving forward, with hard work and determination, we will never give up.”

Pique, who secured nine La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies with Barcelona from 2008 to 2022, remarked,” “With your head held high, kid. You’ll smash these guys on your way back.”

Cubarsi, who is set to play in his team’s La Liga match against Espanyol on Saturday, has been a crucial starter for Flick’s squad this season. He has made 39 starts out of 42 appearances across all competitions for the Catalans, scoring once in a 2-1 La Liga defeat to Girona.

With Cubarsi unavailable for selection against Atletico Madrid on April 14, Flick is expected to give Ronald Araujo a starting position in the forthcoming Champions League match. He may also opt to reposition Eric Garcia deeper and start either Fermin Lopez or Gavi in the midfield.

UCL: ‘You’ll smash these guys’ – Gerard tells Barça star ahead of second leg clash

Former Brazil World Cup champion Luizao, who played alongside Ronaldo Nazario, has made a strong assertion regarding Neymar Junior.

The Selecao is preparing for the 2026 World Cup under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, who has chosen not to include Neymar since taking on the role of head coach.

Ancelotti has pointed to Neymar’s unfitness as the justification for this decision, with the Italian manager acknowledging that the former Barcelona star will be considered for selection if he demonstrates that he is fully fit.

Neymar has committed to giving his utmost effort in his quest to be reinstated to the national team prior to the World Cup in June.

However, Luizao, who was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2002, contends that the Santos forward lacks the ambition to secure a place in the squad.

Luizao highlighted how his former teammate Ronaldo Nazario overcame injuries to participate in the 2002 World Cup, ultimately leading to victory.

He believes that Neymar has not exhibited the same level of determination to be included in the squad as Ronaldo did in the past.

During an appearance on ‘World Champion with Galvao’ on the N Sports channel, as reported by Goal, Luizao expressed, “I believe Neymar does not wish to attend the World Cup. Come on Galvao, when we truly desire it, as Ronaldo did…

“I would approach the coach for a discussion, and the coach would reach out to him. When we truly want it, we pursue it.”

Brazil is set to announce their roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in May.

The South American giants will also engage in two friendly matches against Panama and Egypt before their opening match in Group C against Morocco.

2026 World Cup: Neymar does not want play for Brazil – Luizao

Nigerian Breweries Plc says no casualties were recorded following a fire incident at an external warehouse facility in Aba, Abia.

The company disclosed this in a corporate filing signed by its Company Secretary, Mr Uaboi Agbebaku, and released to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Friday.

It said the incident occurred on Thursday at a leased warehouse located opposite its Aba brewery, noting that the facility was used for storing empty plastic crates.

According to the company, the fire was promptly contained through the coordinated efforts of its emergency response team, with support from relevant government agencies.

It also acknowledged the assistance of partners, including Oris Group and members of the host community, in managing the situation.

Nigerian Breweries said the immediate impact of the incident was largely limited to the empty crates stored in the facility.

It added that a detailed assessment and investigation into the cause of the fire were ongoing.

The company, however, assured that operations at its Aba brewery, including production, logistics and sales, remained stable and were not affected by the incident.

“No injuries or fatalities were recorded.

“Operations at Aba Brewery, including production, logistics and sales, remain stable and unaffected.

“Nigerian Breweries Plc remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence across its facilities,” it said.

The post Nigerian Breweries confirms no casualties after Aba fire incident appeared first on Vanguard News.

Isreali Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused Spain of exhibiting ‘hostility’ following its exclusion from the Gaza truce center.

Following the announcement made by the Israeli foreign affairs ministry regarding Spain’s exclusion from the Civil-Military Coordination Center, Netanyahu charged Madrid with demonstrating ‘hostility’ towards Israel.

In a video message released on Friday, the Prime Minister stated, “Israel will not remain passive in the face of those who assault us.

“Spain has slandered our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, who are the moral army in the world.

“Consequently, I have ordered the removal of Spanish representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, as Spain has consistently opted to oppose Israel.

“Anyone who attacks the State of Israel instead of the terrorist regimes, anyone who does this, will not be our ally in the future of the region.

“I refuse to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I will not permit any nation to conduct a diplomatic war against us without facing an immediate consequence for it.”

On Thursday, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, denounced the recent strikes conducted by Israel on Lebanon.

“His [Netanyahu] disregard for life and international law is intolerable,” Sánchez expressed on X.

Sánchez, regarded as Europe’s most outspoken critic of the military actions undertaken by the US and Israel in the region, called upon the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel.

War: ‘You’ll not be our ally’ – Israel takes action against Spain

US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Friday against trying to “play” Washington, as he set off for talks in Islamabad aimed at transforming a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.

Despite the temporary truce struck between the foes, deep disagreements remain as to the way forward, and both sides have accused the other of failing to properly implement the current agreement.

“If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand,” Vance told reporters before taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

But “if they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive”, he said.

Since the ceasefire took effect, US President Donald Trump has voiced displeasure at Iran’s handling of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which was meant to be reopened, while Tehran has reacted angrily to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, insisting that it too falls under the agreement.

Official sources say the talks in Islamabad will cover several sensitive points, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment and the free flow of trade through the strait.

While Pakistan had said the discussions would start on Friday, Vance is not expected to arrive until Saturday.

Late Friday evening, all routes leading to the Serena Hotel, the expected venue, were blocked off with heavy security, while a large banner and digital signs along the expressway heralded the “Islamabad Talks”.

Iran has suggested that its participation could hinge on a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon: “The holding of talks to end the war is dependent on the US adhering to its ceasefire commitments on all fronts, especially in Lebanon,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman.

Iranian officials have said the Israeli strikes had rendered the Pakistan talks “meaningless”.

Nevertheless, Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards signalled they were committing to the ceasefire and had “not launched anything at any country”, according to the state broadcaster.

In a barrage of social media posts that sparked fears for the shaky truce, Trump on Thursday accused Iran of doing a “very poor job” of allowing oil through the Strait of Hormuz and of breaching the terms of their ceasefire agreement.

But Vance, who is leading the US delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, told reporters: “We’re going to try to have a positive negotiation.”

– ‘Pure noise’ –

One 30-year-old resident of Tehran told AFP he was sceptical negotiations would be successful, describing most of what Trump says as “pure noise and nonsense”.

“He wants to manipulate the Islamic republic into getting a deal. I think that was his intention, if you can say there is an intention.”

A fifth of the world’s oil and vast quantities of natural gas and fertiliser pass through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime, but only a small number of vessels have crossed since the truce was announced earlier this week.

The two-week ceasefire was agreed to allow time for negotiations aimed at ending a conflict that has already killed thousands and plunged the global economy into turmoil.

“I am scared of the war starting again, and at the same time I’m scared of the regime staying”, Tehran resident Sheida told AFP, withholding her last name out of concern for her safety.

– Parallel talks –

Hezbollah announced on Friday that it had targeted Israel’s Ashdod naval base with missiles “in response to the enemy’s violation of the ceasefire and its repeated attacks on Beirut”.

On Wednesday Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the Middle East war, killing more than 300 people.

Afterwards, Trump told NBC News that Israel was “scaling back” strikes in Lebanon and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had assured him its attacks would become more “low-key”.

A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that there was ongoing “pressure from European states, Gulf states and Egypt on Israel to prevent renewed Israeli airstrikes on Beirut after ‘Black Wednesday’”.

As of Friday afternoon, the Israeli army had not acted on warnings the day before that it would strike wide areas in Beirut’s south.

It did, however, carry out a strike near a government building in the southern city of Nabatiyeh that killed eight security personnel, Lebanon state media said.

Israel’s army, meanwhile, reported that more than 4,300 Hezbollah sites had been “dismantled” in Lebanon since the start of the war.

Washington has said the Lebanese front will be dealt with under separate talks next week, although neither Israel nor the Lebanese government have publicly confirmed these talks.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) warned Friday that food insecurity was on the rise in Lebanon with prices surging and supply chains disrupted.

The post Vance warns Iran not to ‘play’ US at talks in Pakistan appeared first on Vanguard News.

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested three suspected robbers during a routine patrol in Idimu area of the state, recovering a motorcycle, weapons and other items believed to have been stolen.

A statement issued by the Command said the suspects were apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at about 2:00 a.m., along Car Wash Bus-Stop by First Bank in Idimu, Lagos State.

According to the police, officers on patrol intercepted the three men who were riding on a motorcycle at the location.

Following a search, the suspects identified as Abdullahi Mustapha, 20; Salisu Sannusi, 30; and Jamiu Sahidu, 26, were taken into custody.

A thorough search carried out on the suspects led to the recovery of a machete hidden in their clothing, an army camouflage uniform, four mobile phones, a power bank, some squeezed naira notes, and a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number AKD 40 OM.

Police said the items were suspected to have been taken from victims during previous operations.

Initial findings revealed that the suspects had been involved in robbing unsuspecting members of the public before escaping from the scene.

The suspects are currently in Police custody and efforts are ongoing to conclude investigations and ensure appropriate legal action is taken.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects have been involved in robbing unsuspecting members of the public before fleeing the scene. They are currently in Police custody; efforts are ongoing to conclude investigations and ensure appropriate legal action is taken,” the statement said.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Tijani Fatai, reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to protect lives and property across the state.

He urged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency lines.

The police described the arrest as part of ongoing efforts to reduce crime and maintain security across the state.

Three suspected robbers arrested with weapons, stolen phones in Lagos

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: The Senior Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, Mr Phrank Shaibu on Friday said the World Bank Report on Nigeria’s worsening poverty rate is an indication of how low the country’s economy has sunk since President Bola Tinubu assumed office. 

According to him, the World Bank has officially indicted the economic trajectory of the president, confirming that a staggering 60% of Nigerians are now living in poverty. 

In a statement issued in Abuja, Shaibu described the surge from 40% as “regression on a monumental scale.”

Shaibu argued that the current economic hardship is no accident, but rather the “direct outcome of poorly conceived and harshly implemented policies.”

He cited the “abrupt removal of fuel subsidies” and the “chaotic devaluation of the naira,” asserting that these measures were “executed without adequate safeguards for the Nigerian people.”

According to the statement, the administration’s reliance on abstract macroeconomic indicators ignores the “far harsher reality” faced by the citizenry.

Shaibu noted that “food prices have spiralled out of control, inflation has wiped out incomes, small businesses are collapsing, and millions more Nigerians are being pushed into extreme poverty.” He described the government’s approach as “economic shock therapy imposed on a vulnerable population.”

“A government that presides over a situation where the majority of its people are poor, yet insists that progress is being made, has lost both moral authority and economic direction,” Shaibu stated.

He said the administration is “dangerously disconnected from the lived realities of its citizens.”

In contrast to the current “policy experiments,” the statement noted that Atiku Abubakar offers an alternative “rooted in experience, pragmatism, and compassion.” 

Shaibu detailed a vision where “reform must be carefully sequenced, not recklessly imposed,” and where “social protection must be real, targeted, and transparent, not symbolic.”

He said the Waziri Adamawa’s proposed strategy focuses on stabilizing the economy through the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy while “rebuilding productivity through support for small businesses, agriculture, and industry.”

The post 60% Poverty Rate: Atiku’s aide blasts Tinubu’s ‘trial-and-error’ policies as national regression appeared first on Vanguard News.

The pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Jigawa State, Ado Kiri, has formally withdrawn his membership of the party.

Kiri, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented the Ringim/Taura Federal Constituency between 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation in a letter dated March 30, 2026, addressed to the Kiri Ward chairman, Malam Saliku Mujtapha.

In the letter sighted on Friday, the former lawmaker said his decision followed careful consideration, adding that it was time to step away from party activities.

“This decision has been made after careful consideration,” he stated, while expressing appreciation.

“I appreciate the opportunity given to me to be part of the party and to contribute, in my own capacity, to its activities and objectives during my period of membership,” he added.

Kiri’s exit is already generating reactions within political circles in Jigawa State, given his earlier role in building the APC’s structure in the state and his influence ahead of the 2015 general elections and beyond.

The resignation, however, did not indicate any intention to join another political party, a development that has further fuelled speculation about his next political move.

He also stated his decision to withdraw completely from party activities, leaving supporters and stakeholders uncertain about whether the move signals a political retreat or a strategic pause.

Attempts to reach Kiri for further clarification were unsuccessful, as calls to his known telephone line were not answered.

Ex-Rep Resigns From Jigawa APC is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Abia State Government, in partnership with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), will kick off its 2026 free medical outreach on April 13, 2026. About 25 doctors from the United States are expected to join local medical teams to provide free surgeries and consultations for residents of Abia State.

Announcing the details at a press conference held at Government House, Umuahia, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya, said the five-day mission, scheduled from April 13 to 17, 2026, follows a directive from Governor Alex Otti.

“His Excellency sometime last year instructed the Ministry of Health to get in touch with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) to plan and execute a medical outreach for the Abia people this year.

“This is coming in the wake of the similar exercise that occurred two years ago in 2024,” Ogbonnaya stated.

He explained that the initiative aligns with one of Governor Otti’s 11 pillars in the health sector, which focuses on collaborating with Nigerian physicians, especially those of Abia origin, based abroad.

“Of course, Abia State origin as well, that are resident in different parts of the world, to come back home and work with the local team to extend high quality, affordable care to Ndi Abia.

“This is as a way of ensuring universal health coverage and ensuring that our people enjoy the highest quality of health care, together with all the multifarious activities that are going on in the health sector simultaneously,” he said.

According to the commissioner , the visiting physicians will arrive on April 13, with the official opening ceremony scheduled for 12 noon on April 14 at the Michael Okpara Auditorium. Full medical activities will begin the same day and run through April 17.

Two major facilities have been designated for the outreach: Aba General Hospital will handle general surgeries, while the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia will manage all eye-related cases and surgeries.

“We have a team of about 25 doctors that are coming from the U.S., and then we also have our local team that will work with them to ensure we have a very robust team.

“They are going to operate and consult on April 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th. It’s going to be a high-volume time, a very intensive time, but our team is prepared to be able to ensure that within this time frame, we’re able to meet our target,” Ogbonnaya said.

The mission aims to deliver at least 1,500 free medical consultations and up to 100 free surgeries. Two ophthalmologists will lead the eye surgeries at the Specialist Hospital.

Prof. Ogbonnaya commended Governor Alex Otti for creating the enabling environment and providing funding for logistics, while noting that ANPA is contributing skills and consumables.

“But the logistics and the other things that are required to make sure that this is a success, His Excellency has graciously approved funds for this to happen, and we want to thank him for doing that,” he said.

Beyond surgeries and consultations, the programme will include sexual and reproductive health education for young people, as well as training for 80 health workers on basic life support. It will also incorporate the Abia Healthcare Rebirth Initiative.

“There is another layer to this. ANPA has it as a policy, anywhere they go for outreach, they want to educate younger people on sexual and reproductive health.

“We’re going to train 80 health workers on basic life support. We need to champion a culture change that helps our health workers to embrace compassionate care, embrace the best practices, and then deliver the highest quality of healthcare,” ,” Ogbonnaya explained.

In addition, the Commissioner announced that the state’s rural emergency medical services would begin today, April 10, 2026, starting with the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovations and Initiatives (MMRII) local government areas.

“As I leave here, we’re going to send three ambulances to the MMRII local governments,” he noted.

Contributing to the briefing, Dr. Uloaku Ukaegbu, Head of the Local Organising Team and Director General of ABSACA, described the mission as a well-planned exercise running from April 13 to 17.

“To be precise, from Tuesday next week to the end of next week, we’re going to be having that mission.

“We have been in communication with the team from America. In the last two months, every week, we have had delegations to ensure that everything that is going to happen next week is well-planned and well-thought-out,” ,” Dr. Ukaegbu said.

She added that free blood screening and other investigations are already underway, with blood provided for patients who need transfusions before surgery.

Young people, especially students from Abia State Polytechnic (Ogbonnaya Onu Poly), are being encouraged to attend for sexual and reproductive health education, and they will receive protective commodities and incentives.

“Like my Commissioner has said, it’s going to provide us an opportunity for skills transfer from those who are coming from the diaspora to our team,” Dr. Ukaegbu stated.

The outreach is expected to significantly boost access to quality healthcare for Abians while strengthening local capacity through knowledge exchange.

Otti Approves Free Medical Mission As 25 U.S.-Based Physicians Arrive Abia is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Three people were killed when an ambulance conveying the corpse of an old woman home for burial ran into a tricycle.

The accident which happened in the Big Gutter area of Aba road in Umuahia on Thursday, claimed the lives of two Keke passengers on the spot while the third victim died in the hospital.

The ambulance which was driven by a woman, was alleged to be speeding when it hit the tricycle that was coming from the Ubakala-Old Umuahia axis.

 

A crowd of sympathisers who gathered at the scene after the incident, alerted some police officers who arrived the scene and helped in evacuating the injured victims to the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia for immediate attention.

No official statement has been issued by relevant agencies in the state about the accident but some residents who witnessed the incident claimed that it could have been caused by over speeding on the part of the ambulance driver.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, said that the ambulance was conveying the corpse of a 77-old-woman to the Isi Court area of Umuahia for burial when the accident occurred.

When contacted, the Federal Road Safety Corps, Abia State Sector Command, said the incident had not been reported to its office.

Ambulance conveying corpse for burial kills three Keke passengers in Umuahia