Video released by the US military shows troops boarding an oil tanker, said to have links to Venezuela. The US says it was captured in the Caribbean. It’s the sixth vessel in a so-called shadow fleet of ships to be seized. The US says the vessels are breaking US sanctions.
Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged 20 people, including 15 former college basketball players, in what they call a betting scheme to rig National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games.
Of the defendants, 15 played basketball for Division 1 NCAA schools as recently as the 2024-2025 season.
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The other five defendants were described by authorities as fixers.
They include two men who prosecutors said on Thursday worked in the training and development of basketball players. Another was a trainer and former coach, one was a former NCAA player and two were described as gamblers, influencers and sports handicappers.
Some individuals were previously charged in an NBA-related gambling probe.
The charges, including bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, were unsealed by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia. They accuse the defendants of conspiring to fix games from about September 2022 through February 2025.
During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the individuals sought to “fix” men’s basketball games by “point shaving”, prosecutors alleged in the documents filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Point shaving is a form of cheating in which individuals try to manipulate the margin of victory.
Some of those charged allegedly sought to target games at Nicholls State University, Tulane University, Northwestern State University, La Salle University, DePaul University, Robert Morris University, University of Southern Mississippi and North Carolina A&T State University.
Players at Kennesaw State University, Coppin State University, University of New Orleans, Abilene Christian University, Eastern Michigan and Alabama State University were also targeted as part of the scheme, according to the indictment.
In the 70-page indictment, authorities said the fixers recruited the college basketball players with “bribe payments” usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
The indictment follows a series of NCAA investigations that led to at least 10 players receiving lifetime bans this year for bets that sometimes involved their own teams and their own performances. And the NCAA has said at least 30 players have been investigated over gambling allegations.
A medical doctor abducted in Auchi, Edo State, has regained his freedom, the Edo State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has confirmed.
The Chairman of the association, Eustace Oseghale, announced the development on Wednesday, describing the doctor’s release as a moment of relief for the medical community and the victim’s family.
Oseghale said the association worked tirelessly with relevant stakeholders to secure the doctor’s freedom, adding that the outcome highlighted the importance of professional solidarity and collective action.
However, details surrounding how the doctor was released were not disclosed.
While welcoming the development, the NMA, Edo chapter chairman, raised concerns over the increasing attacks on medical doctors and other healthcare workers in Edo State and across the country.
READ ALSO: Edo Doctors Commence Strike Over Abduction Of Colleague
He warned that the persistent insecurity not only threatens the lives of health professionals but also undermines the delivery of healthcare services, as many doctors now work under fear and uncertainty.
Oseghale called on the Edo State Government and security agencies to adopt decisive and sustained measures to curb criminal activities, particularly those targeting healthcare workers.
According to him, only proactive security interventions can halt what he described as brazen acts of criminality against doctors and society at large.
Oseghale added that the NMA would continue to advocate for the safety of its members while engaging authorities to ensure a secure working environment for healthcare professionals.
The doctor’s release comes against the backdrop of heightened tension in the state following the abduction, in early January 2026, of Abu Babatunde Ibrahim and his younger brother, Abu Tahir.
Ibrahim was later confirmed dead after his body was discovered by security operatives near a riverside.
Following the incident, doctors across Edo State last week embarked on an industrial action, suspending medical services in parts of the state’s 18 local government areas.
The action was in protest against the abduction and killing of their colleague and the growing insecurity.
Despite assurances from security agencies that efforts were ongoing to improve safety, the doctors said they could no longer operate under an atmosphere of fear.
The strike disrupted healthcare delivery, leaving many hospitals operating at skeletal capacity and raising concerns among patients and their families.
Speaking to Channels Television, the Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors at the Edo Specialist Hospital, Benin City, Paul Evbuomwan, said healthcare workers were increasingly exposed to danger and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to protect both medical personnel and residents of the state.
Concerns over the safety of healthcare workers have continued to rise nationwide.
In November 2025, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Dr Tochukwu Mbanugo, was kidnapped by gunmen after leaving work.
The Trump administration has announced its ceasefire plan for Gaza is now in ‘Phase Two’, following 27 months of death, displacement and destruction in Israel’s genocide.
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Questions about Machado’s role in Venezuelan politics emerged within hours of the US operation to remove Maduro, a leader accused of violently suppressing dissent.
Machado, 58, had been living in hiding for months after the 2024 election, for fear of facing arrest.
But that changed in December, when she escaped abroad to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance Venezuelan democracy.
Given her longstanding public opposition to Maduro, Machado was widely viewed as a favourite to replace him, should his government ever fall.
But when Trump announced the US military operation to remove Maduro, he quickly quashed the prospect of Machado stepping into Venezuela’s presidency.
“I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” Trump said at a news conference hours after the attack.
Rather than work with Machado, Trump announced plans to cooperate with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president. She has since been sworn in as interim president.
“She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said of Rodriguez.
Maduro, who has long been accused of human rights violations, has been charged alongside his wife Cilia Flores with being part of a conspiracy to traffic drugs into the US.
While Trump’s decision to topple Maduro has sparked jubilation among Venezuelans in exile, his military intervention — and quick dismissal of Machado — have raised concerns about his respect for Venezuelan sovereignty and international law.
“I think [the Trump administration] basically bet on what they consider to be the most stable transition possible,” said Freddy Guevara Cortez, a former opposition member in Venezuela’s National Assembly.
“They think that they can convince the same members of the Maduro regime to dismantle themselves.”
Guevera Cortez, who has lived in exile in the US since 2021, emphasised that he supports Trump’s actions in Venezuela.
