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Chelsea & Liverpool want Upamecano – Saturday’s gossip

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Chelsea and Manchester United are confident in signing Morten Hjulmand for a £50 million deal, and Real Madrid is prepared to invest a lot in Kenan Yildiz.

Chelsea could save £52 million if they hold off on signing France’s Dayot Upamecano until the summer, when the 26-year-old is a free agent, but run the risk of missing out on the 26-year-old if Bayern Munich sells in January, with Liverpool one of the interested clubs. (Football) London

Manchester United are confident they can land Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand for around £50 million despite his £70 million release clause. (Teamtalk)

Bayern Munich, age 21, and Aleksandar Pavlovic, age 21, are both under the radar at Manchester United. (Caught Offside)

Fulham are working harder to reach a new deal with Marco Silva, who will prevent the Portuguese manager from leaving at the end of the season. Football Insider

German winger Said El Mala, 19, is wanted by clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United. (Sport1 – in German)

Gabriel Jesus, 28, wants to stay at Arsenal until June 2027, at the very least, according to his current contract. (ESPN)

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US sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, escalating Trump feud

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Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, his family, and Armando Benedetti, the interior minister of the South American nation, have been subject to sanctions by the US Department of the Treasury.

The left-leaning Petro and his US counterpart, the right-wing Donald Trump, are currently at odds with one another. Friday’s decision is significant.

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The US Treasury accused Petro of preventing accountability and keeping criminal organizations out of Colombia’s cocaine industry in a statement.

The Treasury cited Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative, which aims to end Colombia’s six-decade-old internal conflict through negotiations with armed rebels and criminal organizations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated in a statement that “coca production in Colombia has exploded at the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans.”

President Petro has allowed the growth of drug cartels, but he has refused to stop it.

Petro, a prolific social media user, quickly refrained from claiming that Bernie Moreno, a Republican critic of his presidency, was one of the Republican Senators who have long been the target of Republican threats.

On the social media platform X, Petro wrote, “Bernie Moreno’s threat has indeed been fulfilled.” I’ve been added to the OFAC list along with my wife and my children, according to the statement.

He claimed that his nation had been “effectively combating drug trafficking for decades” and that he would file a lawsuit against the US court system.

Petro vowed to never be on my knees and never step back in the fight.

Petro joins a select group of world leaders who have been approved by the US with Friday’s designation.

Following his country’s massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Russian President Vladimir Putin both faced sanctions for human rights violations.

Petro is currently in the twilight of his presidency, which is why the left-wing leader and former rebel is facing sanctions. He will retire in 2026 and be term-limited.

Petro is regarded as Colombia’s first left-wing leader in the country’s history.

Additionally, it is the most recent legal action the Trump administration has taken against one of its most renowned Latino critics.

A confrontational history

Petro and Trump got into a fight shortly after Petro won a second term in the United States on January 20.

Trump quickly followed through on a campaign promise: to deport large numbers of undocumented US citizens.

The world’s media was flooded with images of shackled immigrants being boarded US military aircraft. Petro was one of the users who took to social media to vent their outrage.

He threatened to reject two deportation flights coming out of the US in the early hours of January 26. He wrote on social media that “the US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”

Petro reacted by backing down and threatening the nation with 30% tariffs.

However, the two continue to argue over topics like Colombia’s need to cut back on its illicit cocaine production, from immigration to human rights to how to handle it.

The South American nation still has the most coca, a leaf that can be transformed into cocaine, in the world. Colombia’s production increased by 53% over the previous year, according to a report from the UN last year. Petro’s government is now in its 10th year.

Trump, however, has increasingly leaned on his powerful foreign policy, particularly in Latin America, to combat drug trafficking.

He has used the threat of higher tariffs on US imports to pressure other nations, including those that are close to Mexico and Canada, to stop drug trafficking, as an example.

Conflicts caused by military strikes

Trump has launched a number of missile strikes on nautical vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean since September 2 to follow his threats with military action.

According to Trump, drug traffickers were the ones who were targeted. Petro has argued, however, that the strikes constitute extrajudicial killings.

He has used his social media platform to draw attention to cases like Alejandro Carranza’s alleged death in one of the strikes. The identities of at least 34 people who were killed by the bombings were never officially revealed.

In a social media post posted on Friday, shortly before the sanctions were made, Petro wrote, “These are not war casualties.” They are murders, they say.

Petro criticized the Trump administration’s actions at the United Nations in New York in September, taking that message to the stage.

Petro told the international body, “The violent war on drugs was a failure, and I replaced it with an effective anti-trafficking policy.”

Was it actually necessary to target poor, unarmed Caribbean youth with missiles? The anti-drug policy aims to stop the flow of American cocaine. The goal of the anti-drug policy is to rule the entire south’s population.

Afterward, Petro was seen protesting against Israel’s occupation of Gaza on the streets of New York City with pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Petro’s visa was voided within hours by the Trump administration, which has compared protests to “terrorism” for the president.

Colombia was also decertified as a partner in the US’s ongoing “war on drugs” that same month by the administration.

Putting an end to Colombia’s assistance

Since then, Trump and Petro’s tense relationship has only gotten worse.

Trump made the announcement on his platform Truth Social just this week that he would stop providing aid to Colombia, the country’s largest recipient of US funding in South America.

If Petro doesn’t take more steps to stop the cocaine trade, he also warned that the US might become more active in the area.

“Petro, a low-rated and very unpopular leader with a fresh mouth toward America, better close these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely,” Trump wrote.

Trump threatened to repeat it a few days later, on October 22 during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Trump criticized Petro, saying, “He’d better watch it, or we’ll take very serious action against him and his country.” He has “made his country a deathtrap” for himself.

Petro retaliated by threatening to sue Trump for slander. Petro has been called a “drug dealer,” “thug,” and “bad guy,” among other things by the US leader.

The conflict between the two presidents has damaged diplomatic ties between their countries, with Colombia recently removing its ambassador from Washington, DC.

England’s Kildunne wins on club return in 14-try PWR opener

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Images courtesy of Getty
Chris Peddy

Twickenham Stoop for BBC Sport
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Rugby Women’s Premiership

Harlequins: (26) 52

Cons: Pena 5; Wilcock; Penalty; Torley; Wythe; Pena; Konkel; Sims; Tries: Fleming, Wilcock;

Loughborough Lightning: (28) 42

England World Cup stars Ellie Kildunne and Lucy Packer made a winning return to club rugby as Harlequins beat Loughborough Lightning in a stunning, 14-try Rugby Women’s Premiership opener at the Stoop.

The Red Roses made their first league start since winning the tournament at Twickenham last month.

At the conclusion of a breathless first half, the visitors took the shortest of two-point leads into the break, scoring four tries each.

Sadia Kabeya, the world’s finalist and World Cup champion, started the match with some wild runs in the first half before scoring in the second.

What was the conduct of England’s World Cup winners?

In the World Cup final at Twickenham, the Red Roses defeated Canada in a victory that hasn’t even been a month.

However, Kildunne, the world player of the year, was one of the three brightest stars from that side who were featured in an incredible PWR advertisement.

Quins’ success wasn’t as dependent on the England full-back as she frequently has been.

However, her name sparked the most outcry as the games were pre-game read out, and there were some trademark jinks from deep as well as a clever pass to help Lauren Torley score a crucial try in the corner to give the hosts the first lead of the match.

Lucy Packer, a team- and country teammate, was as trustworthy as ever at scrum half.

Bo Westcombe-Evans was left unchallenged as Loughborough flanker Kabeya spearheaded the opening try, which saw her run through three challenges before being finally defeated.

To cap a successful return for the visitors, she was then given her name on the scoresheet in the second half.

When speaking to BBC Sport, Loughborough captain Daisy Hibbert-Jones referred to Kabeya as “vital” to the team.

She is “a physical freak,” she claims. She has power and pace to get her through those line breaks, and both sides of the ball, she poses a huge threat to both sides of the ball.

She is a fierce warrior on the defensive end. I enjoy playing alongside her but would rather not.

    • a day ago
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Harlequins: Kildunne, Torley, Pena, Parry, Wilcock, Tuima, Packer, Turani, Powell, Hanlon, McIntosh, Fleming, Wythe, Svoboda, Konkel

Replacements: Shillaker, Phillips, Sims, Delgado, Shirley, Brooks, Burgess, Cromack, and Sims.

Sin-bin: Svoboda]64]

Loughborough Lightning: Green, Mataitoga, Kelter, Morrall, Morrall, Westcombe-Evans, Nelson, Brebner-Holden, Young, Calladine, Sagapolu, Boyd, Ives Campion, Hibbert-Jones, Kabeya, Lutui,

Replacements: Scantlebury, Williams, Belisle, Brody, Waudby, Maude, Brown, Treder, Williams, Williams, Belisle, Brody, Waudby, Maude, Brown, and others

Sin-bin: Maude]86]

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Nigeria replaces top security officials days after coup plot denial

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As the West African nation struggles with continued violence in the conflict-stricken north and numerous security issues, Nigeria’s president has replaced top security officials.

The government has denied rumors of a coup plot in response to local media reports that more than a dozen military officers were detained in September, including a brigadier general and a colonel.

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In a quick statement, President Bola Tinubu said, “I have approved changes to the hierarchy of our armed forces to further strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture.

Three top security officials were fired on Friday by Tinubu, according to a presidential spokesperson: Christopher Musa, the head of the military, Emmanuel Ogalla, the head of naval staff, and Hassan Abubakar, the head of air staff.

Olufemi Oluyede, the former head of the army, was chosen as Tinubu’s new head of defense staff.

The army, air force, and naval staff members were chosen by Shaibu, I Abbas, and SK Aneke.

According to spokesperson Sunday Dare, the president has given them the task of improving “the professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship that define the armed forces of Nigeria.”

Local media and some analysts are unsure about the coup plot, despite the military’s defense on Saturday.

According to Confidence MacHarry, a security analyst at the Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence, “the military leadership reshuffle is a very normal and regular procedure in Nigeria.”

He claimed that the “military has failed to convincingly refute” the alleged coup plot at the same time.

According to him, “This shake-up could thus be a means of punishing coup plotters” who reportedly complained about career stagnation or as a punishment for the military’s failure to improve security.”

Protection should be prioritized.

The changes come as protests in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, erupted this week. Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra separatist group that wants to become independent of Nigeria’s southeast region, was arrested by police and held by tear gas-torn demonstrators in the streets.

The country is home to a wide range of armed organizations.

Boko Haram, Nigeria’s self-styled armed group, experienced a significant resurgence in the north this year. In 2009, the organization seized control of the radical Islamic law that had been imposed by Western education.

Additionally, bandits, or criminal organizations that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and looting, are in high demand.

Armed group fighters have repeatedly attacked military installations, mined roads with bombs, and raided civilian neighborhoods in recent months, igniting fears that they might have reached their worst level since a decade ago.

To aid Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and criminal groups, the US government earlier this year approved the sale of $ 346 million in weapons.

Meanwhile, there has been a military takeover of Mali, Burkinabe, and Niger, which analysts predict will continue throughout West Africa.

According to Senator Iroegbu, an Abuja security analyst, “some of us saw these changes coming,” he told The Associated Press.

Meet Tinubu’s New Service Chiefs

By in News, Nigeria News

General Olufemi Oluyede was replaced as the Chief of Defence Staff by President Bola Tinubu, who made a significant change to the military hierarchy of Nigeria on Friday.

Additionally, Tinubu appointed Rear Admiral I. Abbas as the new Chief of Naval Staff, S. K. Aneke, Air Vice Marshall as the new Chief of Air Staff, and Major-General W. Shaibu as the new commander of the Army Staff.

Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, the head of defense intelligence, has kept his position.

Read more about Tinubu’s removal of Musa and others as Oluyede Appoints New CDS.

The President’s Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made the change known in a statement.

He claimed that the development supports the Federal Government of Nigeria’s efforts to improve the security system.

The newly appointed service chiefs’ profiles are presented in this table.

General Olufemi Oluyede

Oluyede served as the Chief of Army Staff prior to his appointment as the new CDS.

Additionally, he had previously held the position of 56th Commander of the elite Nigerian Army’s Jaji, Kaduna, base.

The 39th&nbsp, Regular Course, is home to the 56-year-old Oluyede.

Beginning in 1987, he was made a second lieutenant.

In September 2020, he became the commander-in-chief.

Oluyede has been a member of numerous commands since becoming a police officer.

He served as the 65th Battalions’ Platoon Commander and Adjutant, the 177th Guards Brigade, the Staff Officer Guards Brigade, and the Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.

In addition to leading the 27th Task Force Brigade in the North East of the operation, General Oluyede also commanded the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia.

Oluyede’s meritorious service to various operational fields has garnered him numerous awards.

These include a National Institute membership, passing the Staff Course, and the Corps Medal of Honor.

Major-General W. Shaibu

The appointment of Major General Waidi Shaibu as the 25th Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Nigerian Army has been approved by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, the newly appointed Army Chief, is described as a seasoned commander, strategic thinker, and a reputable decorated officer.

The appointment of Major General Shaibu marks a pivotal moment in the Nigerian Army’s ongoing transformation, requiring greater operational readiness, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Major General Waidi Shaibu, who was a member of the 41 Regular Course in Kogi State on December 18, 1971, was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps on September 17, 1994. He was born in the Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State on December 18, 1991.

He graduated from the NDA, Kaduna with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

General Shaibu is the recipient of several advanced degrees, including a Master’s in Public Administration (University of Calabar), a Master’s in Strategic Studies (University of Ibadan), and a Master’s in Security and Strategic Studies (National Defense University, Washington D.C., USA), as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Major General Shaibu has held a number of strategic positions, including commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai, Maiduguri, Brigade Commander, 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama, and commander of training at Army Headquarters.

His operational responsibilities include those of Operations HARMONY, BOYONA, ZAMAN LAFIYA, LAFIYA DOLE, TURA TAKAIBANGO, HADIN KAI, DESERT SANITY, and LAKE SANITY, both domestically and internationally.

He and Hajia Safiyyah Hassan have two children together and are blessed with them.

S. K. Aneke, Air Vice Marshall

The family of Air Warrant Officer Sylvester and Mrs. Ngozi Aneke, both of whom were Air Vice Marshals, was Sunday Kelvin Aneke, who was born on February 20, 1972, in Makurdi, Benue State.

He is a native of Enugu State’s Udi Local Government Area.

The new naval chief began his military career on September 10, 1988, when he enlisted as a member of the 40th Regular Course and received his first school leave certificate and West African school certificate.

In response, he was commissioned as a pilot officer for the Nigerian Air Force on September 10, 1993.

He is a graduate of the University of Calabar, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a postgraduate diploma in management, a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy, a master’s degree in political economy and developmental studies from the University of Abuja, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Air War College, Alabama’s Montgomery Air Force Air University.

Command Operations Officer, Tactical Air Command Makurdi, Director of Safety Headquarters Nigerian Air Force Abuja, Deputy Director Operations Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, and Director of Policy Headquarters Nigerian Air Force are just a few of Aneke’s other appointments in the country.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the NDA’s Deputy Commandant.

Aneke has flown the following types of aircraft: the Hawker 4000, Dornier 222, Citation 222, Falcon 900, Gulfstream V, Gulf Stream 550, and Air Beetle 18 Extended Version.

He and his wife, Enderline Aneke, have three sons.

Rear Admiral I. Abbas

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas was born on September 20, 1969, and is a Kano State native from Nassarawa LGA.

He was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant on September 10, 1993, while enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry on September 12, 1987.

The newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff is an AWW specialist officer with experience in both domestic and international military courses, including the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course at NNS Quora in 1994 and the Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, respectively, in 2001 and 2005.

The Nigerian Navy recently appointed the CNS, for which there have been numerous appointments.

He served as the Commander Task Group (CTG) of NN Operation Tsare-Teku in 2015 and the Maritime Guard Commander (MGC) of NIMASA in 2017.

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas steadily rose through the ranks of appointments at Central Naval Command between 2018 and 2022, beginning with his appointment as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC CNC) of Central Naval Command. In addition, he also served as Commander NNS VICTORY, Calabar in 2020.

He was appointed at NHQ in July 2023 as the Chief of Naval Safety and Standard (CNASS), and in February 2024 he was appointed the Chief of Defense Civil Military Relations (CDCMR) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ).

Rear Admiral Abbas became a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre in January 2025, a position he held prior to becoming the 25th Chief of Naval Staff, Nigerian Navy.

Super Falcons Soar Past Benin In WAFCON 2026 Qualifier

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After winning the first-leg match against the Benin Republic on Friday, the Super Falcons of Nigeria defeated the Benin Republic 2–0 to advance to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in a comfortable manner.

The nine-time African champions dictated play from beginning to end and never appeared to be troubled by the first-half goals from Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo.

Rasheedat Ajibade’s audacious sixth-minute lob beat goalkeeper Ogoun before crashing against the crossbar was a first-time Falcons’ intention. As Nigeria continued to put pressure on, Folashade Ijamilusi’s vicious drive soon after forced a fine save.

Fernandes also refrained from accepting a Saudi offer to pursue Man Utd Dreams.

With a pinpoint pass from Deborah Abiodun to Ihezuo, who made no mistakes from close range to give Nigeria a deserved lead, their dominance came to fruit in the 23rd minute.

Moumouni slipped through Nigeria’s backline in the 36th minute, but goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie brilliantly denied her.

Before halftime, Abiodun found Okoronkwo, who put together a composed finish to tie the game at 2–0.

Just before the break, Moumouni’s effort hit the post, which almost reduced the deficit for the Beninese side.

Nigeria fought off Benin’s late advances while maintaining control in the latter half. In the final moments, Nnadozie capped a strong defensive performance by keeping out Sadikou’s header with a reflex save. The defensive pairing of Osinachi Ohale and Tosin Demehin held firm.