Saeed, a 29-day-old girl, was unable to survive the winter in Gaza because she was trapped beneath a soiled nylon tent and four blankets. If Gaza’s families’ living conditions don’t improve soon this winter, then more tragedies like this will occur, according to medical professionals.
Published On 19 Dec 2025
Nigeria returns to the continent in search of a fourth title following the disappointment of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The spotlight will be on legendary players like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and other notable people who are expected to transform renewed dreams into triumph for a country determined to reclaim continental glory with the 2025 edition.
2013 was the last time Nigeria won the AFCON trophy in South Africa. The host nation, the Ivory Coast, whose 2–1 victory in the final set off the team’s attempt to win a fourth title in the 2023 edition, which ultimately cost the team the championship.
Read more about the 2025 World Cup woes in Nigerian sports:  , Falcons’ Record, D’Tigress’ dominance, and more.
Here are some players who are poised to take the spotlight and contribute to the Super Eagles’ rise one step further than they did in 2024 as the 2025 edition begins in North Africa.
Fans of football in Nigeria and other countries need no introduction to Victor Osimhen. He consistently scores goals for both his country and Galatasaray, earning him a reputation as one of the top three strikers in the world. His significance for the Super Eagles’ setup is unsurpassed.
When Osimhen is unavailable, Nigeria frequently struggles to score goals and win games. The Super Eagles have won 12 goals in the team’s last five games, five of which were goals by Osimhen, a testament to his impact.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was a result of his absence from the majority of his qualifiers. The 2023 African Footballer of the Year was a key part of Nigeria’s advancing to the final of the 2023 AFCON, scoring 14 goals for Galatasaray so far this season.
The former Napoli striker will need to maintain his impressive form if the Eagles want to go one step further this time.
Nigeria will not be relying on Osimhen to win the continental prize in this attack. Lookman, a forward for Atalanta, was one of the main contributors to the Super Eagles’ victory in the final of the previous AFCON, recording three goals and one assist.
In 2024, he succeeded Osimhen with the title of African Footballer of the Year due to his performances at the tournament and his form at his club. His form was impacted by his unsuccessful departure from Atalanta in the summer and his strained relationship with the club’s former coach.
However, Lookman has since found his rhythm, scoring three goals in the process since replacing Ivan Juri with Raffaele Palladino in November. To continue his excellent form in Morocco, Nigeria will need him.
After William Troost-Ekong left the national team, it seems as though Nigeria are going to Morocco without one of its experienced men.
Ndidi, who has been a force since making his team debut in 2015, has won 71 caps. He played in two AFCON competitions in 2019 and 2021, but injured him, and he did not play in 2023. He represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Ndidi has been a regular starter for Beşiktaş and has even worn the captain’s armband in recent matches.
If the Super Eagles are to succeed in Morocco, the former Leicester City midfielder will need to carry that form into the 2025 AFCON.
Ndidi and Alex Iwobi, the team’s most-capped player, Alex Iwobi, will continue playing midfield together after 90 games.
Iwobi, who made his Fulham debut in 2015, has been a key member of the Super Eagles. He often depends on his output because he plays a crucial role as a playmaker.
The former Arsenal player finished 11th in his best Premier League season so far this year at Fulham, scoring eight goals and adding five assists.
He already contributed two goals and two assists to his excellent form going into the season. If the three-time AFCON champions want to win the trophy, it will be crucial to replicate that level of performance in Morocco.
Calvin Bassey has emerged as a key player in the Super Eagles’ defense, consistently delivering despite their most difficult circumstances.
Bassey participated in every second of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, playing 900 minutes total in each of the ten games. He was the only Nigerian player to do so, demonstrating his dependability and significance to the team.
He scored in his final game for Fulham before moving to AFCON, and his current club form has been outstanding this campaign.
With Ekong and Frederick Benjamin out of action, Bassey is expected to command the backline and help the Super Eagles reach new heights. He is an essential part of the Nigerian defense.
Along with the three-time African champions, Samuel Chukwueze, his club teammate, is another player to watch out for.
The former Villarreal forward has been criticized for his inconsistent behavior despite having a lot of talent.
The 26-year-old has since gradually found his feet after joining the West London club on loan from AC Milan in the summer.
In a thrilling 4–3 defeat in a Premier League tie, Chukwueze scored a brace against Manchester City after coming on as a substitute.
However, it’s still to be seen if the U-17 World Cup winner will carry that success into this competition.
Stanley Nwabali, a goalkeeper for Chippa United, serves as the foundation of Nigeria’s defense.
Nwabali, a former Enyimba shooter, was a star at the 2023 AFCON and has remained the Super Eagles’ first choice ever since.
Prior to this year’s tournament, he recently featured in a 2–1 pre-competition practice match defeat to Egypt, despite being concerned about his fitness.
Nwabali will need to perform at his best to aid Nigeria in its pursuit of Africa.
The Super Eagles will rely on a combination of experience, talent, and leadership as AFCON 2025 begins, which the fans are looking forward to.
Nigeria has the tools to face any opponent thanks to Osimhen’s deadly finishing, Lookman’s creativity, Ndidi’s leadership, Iwobi’s playmaking, and Bassey, Chukwueze, and Nwabali’s solid support.
Antonio Guterres, the head of the Houthis’ detention of 10 additional UN staff members, has condemned their detention in Yemen.
The number of detained local staffers who had been detained by a spokesperson for Guterres increased to 69 on Friday, and they were requested to have them released right away.
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“These detentions make it impossible for UN humanitarian aid to be delivered to Houthi-controlled areas.” Millions of people in need are directly impacted, according to Dujarric, and this restricts their ability to receive life-saving aid.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have increased their arrests of UN employees, accusing them of spying for the United States and Israel. They now control most of northwestern Yemen, including Sanaa, the capital.
Houthi accusations that the UN’s staff or operations in Yemen are spies are consistently refuted by the UN, which carries the death penalty.
The organization confirmed on Thursday that the detainees were all Yemenis.
The UN, diplomatic, and non-governmental staff were detained after Guterres discussed the latest arrests with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who had mediated the conflict in Yemen.
Guterres also made a comment about the Houthis’ recent referral of three detained UN staffers to a criminal court, claiming they had been charged with “their performance of United Nations official duties” and calling for the charges to be dropped.
Yemen has become one of the worst humanitarian crises in history, according to the UN, after a decade of civil war.
Nearly two-thirds of the country’s population, or 19.5 million people, need humanitarian aid, according to Guterres, who stated this week.
Separatists with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have recently entered a new phase of the conflict, marking one of the largest power shifts since the start of the conflict.
They now assert control of the port city of Aden and the oil-rich Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates in eastern Egypt.
The STC has previously fought the Houthis against the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government, which is based in Aden.
The STC’s advance in the south, however, raises a direct conflict with the Aden government, known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which had previously criticized the seizure of territory as “unilateral and a blatant violation”.
Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the STC’s leader, is formally one of its vice chairmen.
However, the international renowned government has frequently had shaky relations with the group, which was under significant pressure this year due to power outages and a currency crisis.
In Aden and its surrounding governorates in 2018, the two organizations have previously engaged in combat, most recently in 2018 and 2019.
David Walliams has broken his silence after reports accused him of inappropriate behaviour towards women. The comedian strongly denies the allegations after publishers HarperCollins confirmed they have severed ties with him earlier today.
The former Britain’s Got Talent star has released a number of books with the agent, including successful kids books with the publisher, but reports allege that Walliams “harassed” junior female employees at the publisher.
However, the comic, 54, has quickly moved to firmly deny any wrongdoing. In a statement released on his behalf, a spokesperson told PA: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice”.
Earlier in the day, as the allegations broke and news of his removal from HarperCollins came to light, a spokesperson for the publisher told the Mirror: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams”.
A spokesperson had told the Telegraph: “The author is aware of this decision”. They continued to say: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters”.
The claims come three years after Walliams stepped down from his Britain’s Got Talent judging position. In November 2022, he stepped down after a transcript of comments he made about contestants during a break in filming were brought to the public’s attention.
During his time on the show, he sat alongside the likes of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon. However, following his exit, he was replaced by Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli.
Among his comments, the public heard how Walliams referred to one BGT hopeful as “a c**t”. Speaking during the breaks in filming in the 2020 series, he was also heard saying of another, “she thinks you want to f**k her, but you don’t”.
Walliams made a public apology shortly after the incident. He continued, “These were private conversations, and they were never intended to be shared like the majority of conversations with friends.” I apologize, though.
The language used by Walliams was “inappropriate,” according to a BGT production company representative at the time. They added that “those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations for upcoming professional conduct.”
In a High Court writ, Walliams later brought a lawsuit against BGT producers Fremantle. He claimed that the business “recorded, recorded, and stayed in private chats for ten years” and violated data protection laws in a significant way.
The actor claimed in legal documents that the writ caused him to find himself struggling with suicidal thoughts after leaving the talent show.
We had a long and successful relationship with David and are surprised and depressed by this legal action, according to a Fremantle spokesperson who spoke to the Mirror in October 2023.
We, for our part, will continue to be on hand and willing to talk through this dispute amicably. We will examine the various allegations and are ready to vigorously defend ourselves in the interim, though.
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Helen Flanagan seems to be having the last laugh when it comes to her ongoing spat with ex Scott Sinclair. The former Coronation Street star has been turning heads with her latest sizzling photos, giving a clear message about what Scott is missing – and she’s not holding back.
In the latest set of glamorous snaps, Helen flaunts her incredible figure in a series of sexy outfits, leaving little to the imagination. Dazzling in her all white lingerie, it’s clear Helen is embracing her single life in style, with the kind of confidence that leaves no room for subtlety.
The new photos come just days after another public tiff between Helen and Scott.
It’s been a rocky road for parents-of-three, Helen and Scott, who called time on their relationship in 2022. Earlier this week, Helen called Scott “a piece of s**t” in the scathing rant, said to be the “final straw” for Helen three years after ending her relationship with the footballer.
Despite their split, Helen has made a lot of efforts to ensure that she has the upper hand when it comes to giving their children gifts and celebrations.
In a revealing new interview with Closer magazine, Helen didn’t hold back when discussing her ex’s role in parenting. She admitted that while the two of them have to coordinate gifts for their children, she isn’t shy about taking control. “Oh, we have to discuss buying gifts for the kids,” she explained.
If we bought the same item, it would really irritate me. I’m not sure if Scott would actually shop for the kids; he’s a man. His mother probably does it, but he is completely useless. So I simply let him know what I’m purchasing, and that’s it.
Helen’s candid comments are sure to stir the pot, highlighting a dynamic that’s less than friendly. Meanwhile, Scott has yet to publicly respond to her latest remarks, leaving the speculation and gossip mill running at full speed.
This most recent episode gives a saga more momentum than it has in recent years. The tension is unabated by Helen’s glitzy social media posts and obnoxious remarks about Scott’s parenting. And with Helen’s apparent enjoyment of both her life and the attention, it appears she is fully capable of revealing what Scott is missing.
On Tuesday night, Helen left her furious and revealed how deeply she felt for her ex-boyfriend after posting a picture of him to Instagram.
Scott shared a number of photos from his weekend at the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, including shots of the racetrack, drinks with friends, and a sizable yacht. What a weekend-Abu Dhabi F1!, he wrote in the caption.
However, Helen claimed that she had missed their son’s nativity play and that she was “a piece of s***” when she accused her ex of missing it. She praised Charlie as the “best boy” after the dig, and she immediately posted a photo of him with the dig.
Helen shocked fans when she learned that Scott and she had split after going through a “rough patch” and moving into a new home in Cheshire a year later.
After finally calling it quits after a number of reconciliations, she spoke to Charlotte Dawson on her podcast last year and insisted that she and Scott did love each other, but ‘didn’t like each other at all’.
Lifting the lid on their rocky relationship, Helen said: “I still love him very much, I care about him deeply, but we don’t like each other. We don’t like each other at all, we don’t get on. I do know that Scott – he’d never admit it – cares about me too and he does love me.”
She continued, “I took the p*** out of him because he had a bucket hat on, and I thought it was quite funny the last time I saw him.” I believe he made an effort to not laugh.
The Rosie Webster star spoke of her sadness over her split earlier this year when she told The Sun: “Breaking up is so sad, and it’s better for your mental health and 100% better for the kids. “
Helen and Scott’s relationship is notoriously secretive, but the actress admitted that the two still have a relationship. However, the actress acknowledged that the two still have a relationship.
Her husband may be worth a staggering £180m, but Paris Fury’s Christmas plans are surprisingly humble (apart from the occasional gold throne). The 36-year-old telly star has shared her festive arrangements with Tyson and their seven children, including one tradition that is always upheld.
However, Christmas is Paris’ favourite time of year, and she relishes having the entire family together at their Morecambe residence. There’s no extravagant cuisine or aged champagne, just traditional fare with everyone – including her children Venezuela, 16, Prince John James, 13, Prince Tyson II, eight, Valencia, seven, Prince Adonis, six, three year old Athena and one year old Rico – all pitching in.
“We love Christmas,” Paris revealed to The Sun. “It’s one of the most magical times in the Fury house. It’s a big household and always very exciting.”
Both Tyson and Paris were raised as Travellers and have large extended families. “Christmas Day is usually just my immediate family, me, Tyson and all the kids. Then on Boxing Day everybody comes. We’ve got massive families, about 40 on each side with nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters… they will all come.”
If we are at the large dining table, the children are seated on the chairs and me and Tyson are on the chairs. However, in reality, we typically eat in the kitchen, and the large dining table only becomes used when everyone gathers.
With nearly 100 guests to cater for on Boxing Day, Paris insists that everyone pitches in with the food preparation. However, don’t expect any caviar, lobster or venison.
The kids do a lot of the cooking, she says. They “peel the potatoes and chop the vegetables,” according to the instructions. I’m Mrs. Organised, after all. We follow traditional recipes.
“Bisto gravy, a large turkey, stuffing, Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings. It wouldn’t be a Christmas dinner without a Yorkshire pudding. It’s very simple and traditional, I’m not a fan of all that fancy stuff. Christmas dinner is served whenever it’s ready. There’s no set schedule on Christmas Day, whenever the turkey comes out of the oven, that’s when we eat.”
Paris, who prides herself on her organisational skills, begins her preparations on Christmas Eve to make the meal easier. The mum also detailed the one rule that is mandatory in their household which is no phones being allowed and everyone must watch the Christmas movie. “It’s a family tradition!”
This year The Fury clan may have an additional two plates to set as Molly Mae Hague, girlfriend of Tyson’s brother Tommy, will be spending time at the Fury house on over the Christmas period.
Taking to her Instagram to answer questions from fans, the mum of one who she shares with Tommy, opened on her Christmas plans. When asked how she will be spending Christmas day, she said: “Spending it with Tommy’s family at the new house! Will be the first time not spending Christmas with my family which makes me sad but with Zoe and Danny just getting their new house and my lovely nana being in her 90s and too frail to travel to Manchester… it’s just the way it’s worked out!”
However, she continued, “I’m looking forward to cooking the Christmas lunch with Tommy’s mother”! before launching an emoji for “love heart”
This also comes after Paris and Tyson just welcomed a new addition to the family. Back in September, the pair’s firstborn, Venezuela Fury, got engaged to boyfriend Noah Price during her 16th birthday celebrations.
Paris supported her daughter’s decision when numerous fans questioned the announcement due to their ages.
She acknowledged that Venezuela had waited a while, but she made it clear to those who opposed it that Tyson and she were of similar ages when they made the proposal and that it was “in line” with their customs.
When questioned about her daughter’s marriage prospects, she exclusively responded, “She’s doing brilliantly and I’m so proud of her. It’s a very exciting time right now. She knows what she wants, and I give advice when she asks. She is very mature for her age.
“We’re enjoying all the planning bits together, and she’ll definitely be helping me in the kitchen this Christmas like always. Even though she’s engaged, she’s still my little girl.”
She continued, “I’m only young and I don’t feel ready to be called “Nanny” just yet,” while discussing the possibility of becoming a grandmother in her thirties. “But at the same time, we’ll welcome that upcoming chapter with love,” he said. You never know what the future holds with a large family like ours”!
Paris also discussed whether she would expand her brood further. “We are very happy right now,” I said. She said, “Seven is a beautiful, busy number, and I feel so blessed.” My hands and heart are both full at this point, so I’m not planning any more!