ISIS leader ‘urges’ Mosul protection

The ISIS group has released an audiotape which it says is from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ordering Iraqis to defend the city of Mosul against the Iraqi army.

The recording has not been verified yet but analysts believe it is genuine.

Baghdadi’s whereabouts are unknown. Some officials have said he may be inside Mosul alongside ISIS fighters.

It comes as Iraqi army forces continue their three-front advance on the city, the last ISIS stronghold in the country.

Mosul is where Baghdadi declared a caliphate two years ago.

Iraqi forces have already retaken dozens of villages and towns on the outskirts of the city, with the help of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Shia Muslim militias and Sunni Arab tribesmen.

Comments

Chelsea preparing world-record Bonucci bid

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic has told manager Antonio Conte that a January move for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci could be on the cards. According to reports from the Telegraph, the Russian businessman is prepared to bankroll a number of new signings in the New Year as the Blues look to retain the Premier League trophy. Bonucci would command a world-record fee for a defender, expected to be in the region of £50 million, should he move to Stamford Bridge.

Turkey bomb victims ‘mostly children’surviving

Most of the victims of the bombing of a Kurdish wedding party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Saturday were children, media reports have said. Twenty-nine victims were under the age of 18, reports said, with one official saying 22 were under the age of 14. The death toll rose to 54 yesterday. The suicide bomber himself was a child aged between 12 and 14, President Recep Tayyip One woman lost four children in the attack, Emine Arhan, said yesterday: “If it wasn’t for my only surviving child, I would have killed myself.” Another victim was a nine-year-old girl who had stayed on at the party to see the bride after her parents had left, according to reports. A disproportionately large number of women and children were killed in the attack because it targeted henna night, a part of the celebration attended mainly by women and children. Turkish officials said the type of bomb used, which contained scraps of metal, was similar to those used in previous attacks on pro-Kurdish gatherings. ...

IMMUNITY BILL: A MISPLACED PRIORITY

Certainly, it is not a matter of conjecture to say that the undue interference and unpalatably flagrant disregard to separation of power by the executive tier of government has raised more questions than answers on the integrity of this government and the commitment of the leadership to truly push for the genuine change in line with democratic norms all over the world. Fatunde Bamidele Samuel (VEGA) writes from lagos. Recently, the society was encapsulated with shocking news of pension bill for the National Assembly members. However, the bill was dead on arrival. This is nothing but another heinous attempt to permanently ground the country that is already suffering from the bloodsucking bedbugs (NASS) and former governors pensions. These are almost sucking the finances of this country dry; if and only if we could act fast to salvage it then we can only hope the existence of Nigeria will not be history. The recent exploit of the National Assembly is evi...

Welcome to EagleWatch

Search This Blog