Burkina troops retake hotel after Islamist attack kills dozens

Security forces in Burkina Faso retook a hotel in the capital on Saturday from al Qaeda fighters who seized it in an assault that killed two dozen people from at least 18 countries and marked a major escalation of Islamist militancy in West Africa.

Until Friday's attacks the landlocked nation, an ally of Western governments against jihadist groups in the arid reaches of the southern Sahara, had largely been spared the kinds of attacks that have plagued its neighbors.

The assault follows a similar raid in November on a luxury hotel in Mali's capital Bamako which killed 20 people, including citizens of Russia, China and the United States.

The Ouagadougou assault, claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaled an expansion of operations for Islamist militants who are forging new alliances and stepping up their activities, echoing the growth of Islamic State in the Middle East.

"The situation we're experiencing since yesterday in Burkina Faso is unprecedented," President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said when he visited the scene of the attack. "These are vile, cowardly acts and the victims are innocent people"

"We call upon the Burkinabe people to be vigilant and courageous because we must include terrorist acts as an integral part of our daily struggle," he continued.

Kabore said 23 people from 18 different nationalities were killed in the assault on the Splendid Hotel and a nearby casino popular with Westerners and French soldiers based in Burkina Faso. The authorities gave no further details of the victims.

Gabriel Mueller, an Austrian aid worker staying at a different hotel, described the early scenes around the Splendid as a "complete bloodbath".

"A slight sense of safety is spreading. We can see the snipers from France and the USA, who are getting into position,” he told Austria's Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper via text message.

French ambassador Gilles Thibault put the death toll at 27 and said on Twitter that around 150 hostages had been freed during an operation that received support from French and U.S. forces.

Burkinabe authorities said that around 33 people had been injured and that four assailants, including an "Arab" and two "black Africans", were killed.

Meanwhile, an Austrian doctor and his wife were kidnapped overnight in the north near the border with Mali, the security ministry said.

The kidnapping occurred in the Baraboule area, and it was not immediately clear whether it was linked to the hotel attack.

Christian Eriksen scored twice as Tottenham maintained their challenge for a top-four finish

Christian Eriksen scored twice as Tottenham maintained their challenge for a top-four finish and deepened Sunderland's relegation worries.

Patrick van Aanholt gave the Black Cats the lead against the run of play but Eriksen levelled as Lee Cattermole failed to clear on the goalline.

Mousa Dembele fired Spurs ahead before Eriksen's 25-yard shot deflected in off Sunderland debutant Jan Kirchhoff.

Harry Kane converted a penalty after Kirchhoff fouled Danny Rose.

Tottenham move a point behind third-placed Manchester City before Manuel Pellegrini's side play Crystal Palace, while Sunderland remain in the Premier League relegation places.

Although routine in the end, it was an important victory for Tottenham having lost two of their previous three home league games to fall away slightly from the leading trio of Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are now unbeaten in their past 12 league games against Sunderland, although in 11 of them they have been level at half-time.

It was difficult to fathom how that was the case on Saturday as they totally dominated the opening 45 minutes, enjoying 70% possession and 15 shots to the visitors' three.

Dutch left-back Van Aanholt, who netted against Swansea on Wednesday, beat Hugo Lloris at his near post from Adam Johnson's pass to give Sunderland an underserved lead.

Spurs were level within 91 seconds as Lee Cattermole could only deflect Eriksen's shot into the roof of the net on the goalline after Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford - making his Premier League debut - saved from Kane.

Dembele's low left-foot shot gave Spurs a 2-1 lead and they noticeably relaxed from that point, stretching away thanks to Eriksen's second and Kane's 12th league goal of the season.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino told BBC Sport: "It was a good response to the Leicester defeat. I’m very pleased. We need to be patient. 

"We had a lot of shots on target – their goalkeeper was fantastic. I feel very pleased in the last few games. The belief is fantastic. We have a very good, strong squad – today was a good example."

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce was talking to BT Sport about Jan Kirchhoff's debut, which came when he brought him on as third centre-back just before the hour mark: “Our legs were running out and I wanted to make sure we had the energy to stay in the game. 

"John O’Shea and Wes Brown are in their late 30s so will feel the pace of the game. The extra defender was to tighten it up. 

“It’s coming in the Premier League for the first time. He’s found out how difficult it is. We had to get him on at some stage. You can’t judge a man on one swallow. He knows what the pace is like now. He’s contributed to the loss with the penalty. But we opened up too much – that was the problem."


With BBC Sports

University Chancellor Decries Discrimination Against NOUN Graduates

National Open University Of Nigeria Headquarters in Lagos

The Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, His Royal Highness, Amb Lawrence Okolio, is asking government and the general public to stop discrimination against graduates from the National Open University (NOUN).


He also wants graduating students of the university to be allowed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps and those who read law to attend the Nigerian Law School.

According to him, graduates from the Nigerian online universities are not given equal treatment like their counterparts from other schools.

Some of the graduating students and their alumni confirmed that their degrees are often discriminated against in the labour market, but expressed hope that the trend will change in the nearest future.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, in his remarks asked for more funding for the university from the federal government.

The National Open University is a recent innovation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) that allows students to study and work at the same time.

With Channel News

Akande Recommends Merger Of States To Address Workers’ Salaries Issue

In the wake of the current economic challenges and the inability of some state governors to meet their statutory obligation to the workers, a former Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande, has recommended merger of states as to address the issue.

Akande made the recommendation during an interactive session with journalists in his Ila country home as part of activities marking his 77th birthday anniversary.

The APC chieftain said since more than half of states in Nigeria are still owing workers’ salaries, a way out will be that they either cease to be states or merge with viable ones.

He reiterated his belief in fiscal federalism, where resources are shared according to derivation and states live within their means.

To the APC chieftain, Nigeria should not have more than 18 states to allow for every federating unit to be self-sustaining. ‎

On the Biafra agitation, he advised that secession should be pursued with negotiations not war.

Taiwan elects first female president Tsai Ing-wen

Pro-independence opposition leader Tsai wins after ruling KMT party candidate concedes defeat in historic elections.

Pro-independence candidate Tsai said she wanted to maintain the status quo with China [Olivia Harris/Reuters]

Pro-independence candidate Tsai Ing-wen has effectively won Taiwan's presidential elections after Eric Chu, the candidate and chairman of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), conceded defeat.

Tsai of Taiwan's main opposition party was on course for a landslide election victory on Saturday, polls showed, as voters turn their backs on closer ties with China.

With more than half the votes counted, Tsai of the Beijing-wary Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was ahead with 58.1 percent, according to a live count from polling stations by Taiwan's FTV.

Eric Chu was trailing in second on 32.5 percent. Veteran conservative candidate James Soong of the People First Party was third with 9.4 percent.

The China-friendly KMT had been ruling the island for eight years.

Parliamentary polls were also held, and if the DPP wins those too, Tsai will get an even stronger mandate. 

Tsai has walked a careful path on her China strategy, saying she wants to maintain the "status quo" with Beijing.

However, the DPP is traditionally a pro-independence party and opponents say Tsai will destabilise relations.

After decades of enmity, current KMT President Ma Ying-jeou has overseen a dramatic rapprochement with China since coming to power in 2008.

Although Taiwan is self-ruling after it split with China following a civil war in 1949, it has never formally declared independence, and Beijing still sees it as part of its territory awaiting reunification - by force if necessary.

The thaw culminated in a summit between Ma and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November.

Yet, despite more than 20 deals and a tourist boom, closer ties have exacerbated fears that China is eroding Taiwan's sovereignty by making it economically dependent.

In 2014, the government was forced to shelve a trade pact after student-led protesters occupied parliament.

Beijing has warned it will not deal with any leader who does not recognise the "one China" principle, part of a tacit agreement between Beijing and the KMT known as the "1992 Consensus". The DPP has never recognised the consensus.

With Aljazeera