Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is under pressure to resign over his handling of a sexual abuse case involving priest David Tudor, who was allowed to continue in ministry despite a history of abuse allegations. Cottrell, soon to temporarily lead the Church, faces criticism for failing to take stronger action during his tenure as Bishop of Chelmsford, where Tudor was banned from being alone with children but still allowed to oversee parishes. The scandal follows an independent investigation that led to the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over similar abuse cover-ups. Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 1958, Stephen Cottrell was educated at Belfairs High School, Leigh-on-Sea, and the Polytechnic of Central London. He found faith as a teenager through the work of youth organisations in his local church.  After a brief spell working in the film industry, and at St Christopher’s Hospice in South London, he started training for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxfo...

  West African leaders from the regional group ECOWAS are meeting on Sunday for a summit with security and the departure from the bloc of three military-led governments high on the agenda. Before the Economic Community of West Africa States meeting, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger reaffirmed as “irreversible” their decision to quit the bloc, which they condemned as subservient to ex-colonial ruler France. The departure of the three could have a major impact on free trade and movement as well as on security cooperation in a region where jihadist groups are gaining ground across the Sahel. Among those attending the summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja will be Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was appointed as a mediator with the breakaway states by the 15-member ECOWAS in July. Faye said last week he was “making progress” in talks with the three and said there was no reason for them not to maintain relations, especially given the security situation. The departure of Mali, B...

  Lieutenant Changfe Maigari has made history as the first female pilot in the Nigerian Navy, a milestone since the Navy's establishment in 1964. Maigari, from Langtang North in Plateau State, began her journey in 2016 when she graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant. She served aboard the Nigerian Navy Ship Unity before earning her 'Pilot Wing' award in 2024 during the NN Ceremonial Sunset in Rivers. Reflecting on her achievement, Maigari shared how her military upbringing and perseverance led to this breakthrough, encouraging young girls to pursue military careers. She expressed gratitude for the support from her family, colleagues, and faith. The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, commended Maigari for her achievement during the event, which also highlighted the Nigerian Navy's significant progress in addressing maritime crimes.

  Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has regained the title of the world's richest person, surpassing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk's net worth reached $447 billion on December 13, 2024, more than $190 billion ahead of Bezos, who had held the top position since early this year. Tesla shares hit a record high of $424.77 on December 11. Additionally, Musk’s AI startup, xAI, saw its value surge to $50 billion after a successful funding round in November. Musk is also the largest individual shareholder of Tesla and the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter.  As claimed by Wall Street Journal, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, more than doubled in value in November following a new funding round, increasing to $50 billion from a few months ago. Musk, the owner of X, the microblogging platform previously known as Twitter, is also Tesla’s largest individual shareholder.  The billionaire was a strong supporter of United Sta...

Donald Trump, the United States President-elect, has been named Time magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year. The announcement, made Thursday by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, recognized Trump for orchestrating a remarkable political comeback, spearheading a historic realignment, reshaping the U.S. presidency, and significantly influencing America's global position. Even after Time named Trump its person of the year in 2016 – which he called “a great honor” on social media – he continued to closely monitor the results. The following year, Trump claimed he was in the mix for the distinction again but wouldn’t agree to an interview and photo shoot. Time disputed his version of events.

  The Football Association is expected to support Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup and a multi-nation hosting of the 2030 World Cup. The FA has not officially declared its position but BBC Sport has learned the governing body for English football will back both bids at Wednesday afternoon's online Fifa Congress where the tournament hosts will be officially confirmed. The FA is expected to issue a statement after the Congress explaining its stance. Some senior FA officials are known to have been wary of accusations of hypocrisy if it were not to support Saudi Arabia but then wants England to participate. Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 event, while the 2030 World Cup is set to be awarded to unopposed co-hosts Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with early matches also being played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. While Saudi Arabia's hosting appears to be a formality, the FA's support of the nation's bid will be controversial, given the kingdom...

  A body discovered by construction workers in the cellar of a Vienna apartment building had been buried there for 25 years, Austrian police revealed on Tuesday. In April, workers found the decomposing remains wrapped in plastic bags, buried in the cellar floor of an apartment block in the Margareten district after being alerted by a foul smell. Extensive forensic investigations confirmed that the victim, believed to be around 30 years old at the time of death, was a homicide victim who had been buried at the location for approximately 25 years. Authorities have released photos of the man's burgundy tracksuit in an effort to gather more information. Despite international police cooperation and comparisons with database records, the identity of the victim remains unknown. The workers had been excavating the basement in preparation for a new concrete floor when the body was discovered.