BREAKING NEWS

  Footballer, N'Golo Kante has agreed on a deal to buy Belgian third-division side Royal Excelsior Virton just weeks after he moved to Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.   The club said on Thursday June 29, that the former Chelsea and Leicester City midfielder is set to take over ownership from Flavio Becca from July 1. The club, which is situated near the Luxembourg border, did not disclose any financial details for the deal. 'Flavio is obviously extremely happy to be able to hand over the keys of the club to N'Golo Kante, a player of great class, not only for his footballing qualities but also and above all for his universally recognised human qualities,' it said in a statement. 'Flavio is handing over a club in good financial health, free of all debt. A new board of directors will be appointed in the next few days.' Kante left Europe after winning the Premier League with Leicester and Chelsea. He also led the London side to Champions League and FA Cup glory....

  Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a longtime admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has said that Russian president Vladimir Putin has been "somewhat weakened" by an aborted mutiny. According to Trump, the front-runner in opinion polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, now is the time for the United States to try to broker a negotiated peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine. "I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war," Trump told Reuters in a telephone interview on Thursday, June 29. "You could say that he's (Putin) still there, he's still strong, but he certainly has been I would say somewhat weakened at least in the minds of a lot of people," he said.   If Putin were no longer in power, however, "you don't know what the alternative is. It could be better, but it could be far worse," Trump said. As for war crime charges levied against Putin by the International Criminal Court in March, Trump s...

The former Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor declared on Friday he was leaving the Nigerian Armed Forces in a stronger, and better position to deal with challenges to national security. In his farewell address at the Pulling out procession on Friday in  Abuja , Irabor said the debts the country owes to men and women who serve in the armed forces cannot be paid fully. He expressed satisfaction with his service in the military, saying that he was leaving the armed forces bigger and stronger than he met it. The ex-CDS said: “I feel greatly honoured today to address this August gathering on my retirement and ceremonial pull out from the Armed Forces of Nigeria after 37 years of unblemished service to our dear nation and having served as the Chief of Defence Staff in the past 29 months. “I make bold to say that I’m leaving the armed forces of Nigeria today, bigger, stronger, and more capable to deliver on its constitutional mandate and national security functions. The event was atten...

  Arsenal has completed the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea for a £65million fee, becoming Mikel Arteta's first signing of the summer. 'It's super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family. This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things,' The German international, who will wear the No 29 shirt, said. 'The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently. 'The aim is to win trophies and I'm going to give everything to do that for the supporters and everyone at the club. I'm now looking forward to meeting all the players and the staff when we come back for pre-season.' We keep moving forward.​ Arteta appeared to confirm what was widely reported earlier this month  that Havertz will be used on the left side of Arsenal's midfield three as a more attack-minded replacement for ...

  The American owners of English Premier League giants Chelsea on Thursday sealed a deal to take control of French Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg. “This agreement marks a new chapter in the history of Strasbourg as the consortium is committed to accelerating sustainable investments in the growth of the club,” the BlueCo consortium said in a statement. “(This includes) the first team and in the academy, in the continuity of the project implemented by Marc Keller, who will remain chairman of the club, supported by his current management team.” The consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and US-based Clearlake Capital endured a torrid first year in charge of Chelsea. They sacked managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter before a miserable end to the campaign under interim boss Frank Lampard. Chelsea’s 12th-place finish was their worst since 1994 despite a spend of more than £500 million ($624 million) on new players in the new owners’ first two transfer windows. They have since h...

  Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey has approved a potential move to Juventus turning down offers from Saudi Arabia.   According to Sky Sport Italia, Partey's entourage have reached an agreement with the Serie A club on personal terms.   Juventus had wanted to sign the Ghanaian international two years ago, but were unable to pursue a deal due to the high asking price demanded.   A transfer is now considered more likely with Arsenal willing to sell Partey this summer than avoid losing him on a free when his contract expires in June 2024.   Juventus believe a fee of between €18-20million (£15-17million) could be enough to secure a player loved by manager Massimiliano Allegri.   Allegri believes Partey would allow Paul Pogba to play further forward, allowing the Frenchman able to link up with Juventus' strikers.   Sky Sport report that Partey has been offered a three-year contract at Juventus, with the midfielder open to a move to Italy after spells in bo...

  The Titanic submersible would have imploded and killed its crew so fast the five people aboard “never knew it happened,” an expert has revealed .   Debris from the OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submersible was found Thursday June 22, confirming all those aboard had perished. The US Coast Guard said the array of debris on the ocean floor, found 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, meant the craft would have suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” sometime after it had been lost one hour and 45 minutes into its dive to the wreck, 12,500 feet below the surface on Sunday.   By the time communication was lost, the vessel would have been close to 10,000 feet below the surface, experts told The Post, at which point the enormous water pressure would mean any tiny weakness, crack or fissure to the submersible’s hull would cause it to instantly implode. The bodies of the sub’s five explorers Suleman Dawood, 19; his business tycoon father Shahzada, 48; British billionaire Hamish Ha...

  US President, Joe Biden, has announced the Presidential Delegation that will be attending the inauguration of president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, 2023.    A statement released on White House website says Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, will lead the delegation.  Other members of the Presidential Delegation include David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja., the Honorable Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California, the Honorable Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce, General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command. Others include the Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Honorable Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the Preside...

  A total of 128,770 Nigerian students enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom between 2015 to the end of 2022, analysis of the data obtained from the Higher Education Statistics Agency of the UK has revealed. In search of better education and quality of life, the number of Nigerian students has continued to grow over the years. In the 2015/2016 academic year, statistics indicate that 16,100 Nigerians were enrolled in UK universities.   During the 2016/2017 session, there was a sharp decline as only 12,655 Nigerians were enrolled, with experts blaming the recession back home in Nigeria for the drop. In 2017/2018, the number of enrolled Nigerians reduced to 10,685 while it rose marginally to 10,810 during the 2018/2019 academic session.   A total of 13,020 students were enrolled during the 2019/2020 academic session while 21,305 were enrolled during the 2020/2021 session representing a 64 per cent increase.   The latest data available by HESA revealed that 44,1...

Veteran Yoruba actor, Prince Adewale Adeyemo, has died on Monday morning, May 22, after a brief illness.      The news of his demise was shared on social media by his colleague, Kunle Afod.     Sharing a picture of the deceased, Afod wrote;    "Hmmmm God you know best RIP Prince Adewale Adeyemo. He passed on early hours of today after a brief illness. God will comfort all his family, friends and colleagues."   His demise comes days after another Yoruba movie industry colleague died on May 14, 2023.  

  The presidential election petition tribunal has rejected the application filed by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, for the proceedings from the tribunal to be streamed live for all Nigerians to see.   A five-member panel of the court led by Haruna Tsammani held that the application lacked merit. Recall that on May 7, Atiku approached the court for an order to allow the proceedings from the tribunal to be streamed live. He argued that televising the proceedings will enhance public confidence. Arguing the motion, Chris Uche, counsel for Atiku and the PDP, said “There is no single legislative or statutory position against it.” He said a live broadcast doesn’t necessarily mean the faces of the justices would be shown. 

  arcelona fans have expressed concerns after star striker, Asisat Oshoala picked up an injury in Barcelona’s 2-1 loss to CFF Madrid in the Spanish Liga F on Sunday, May 21 The injury comes just 12 days to the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, as the Spanish champions are preparing to face Wolfsburg at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands June 3. Last season, the 28-year-old Super Falcons player was a late inclusion in the Barcelona squad that defeated Chelsea 4-0 in the final of the competition, after healing from an ankle injury. On Sunday, the five-time  African Women’s Player of The Year was subbed off in the 21st minute for Alexia Putellas “Oshoala left the field due to some discomfort in the hamstring of his left leg. When they arrive in Barcelona they will do more tests to see if there is an injury,” Mundodeportivo, a Spanish Tabloid wrote. The Spanish club are yet to give any update on the injury of Asisat, who is their top goals scorer.

  President-elect Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, pledged to redress the disenchantment and agitations of the youth as Nigeria looks forward to another democratic dispensation. Tinubu made this vow, on Wednesday, during his acceptance speech, after emerging victorious at the recently-concluded presidential election. The  APC  candidate had defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election. He scored a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates, thus meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner. He also scored over 25 per cent of the votes cast in 30 states, more than the 24 states constitutionally required. INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the final results in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, said Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came second in the election. Atiku polled a total of 6,984,520 votes in the election. Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third in the election with a total of 6,101,533 votes while Rabiu Kw...

  Here is a video showing the moment INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu declared Tinubu the winner of the 2023 Presidential election.

  Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has been declared the winner of the presidential election for Cross River State. In the final results released early on Tuesday by the State collation Officer, Engr. Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi polled a total of 179,917 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed  Tinubu  of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 130,520 while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar garnered 95,425. According to Rim-Rukeh, the total registered voters in the state for the presidential poll stood at 1,691,642, out of which 416,968 were valid votes, while 24,608 were rejected, adding up to 441,576 total votes.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has faulted the poor conduct of last Saturday’s elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Unverified reports of electoral rigging have been making the rounds on different social media platforms leading to demand for cancellation of results announcement. There were also reports of violence as well as wanton intimidation of voters in different parts of the country especially in Lagos. Falana, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, insisted the electoral commission had performed below par. The legal expert alleged compromise on the part of security agencies, state governors as well as INEC officials. While urging the electoral commission to go back to the drawing board, Falana advocated strict prosecution of electoral offenders across the country. He said: “I’ve not been impressed by the very disappointing outing on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Nigerians’ had been ...

The 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has been declared the winner of the polls in Zamfara state. Tinubu garnered 298,396 votes to win the state while his colleague from the Peoples Democratic Party,  Atiku Abubakar  polled 193,978. In addition, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) polled 4,044 votes with the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi scoring 1,660 votes. Announcing the results in Gusau, Zamfara state’s capital city, the collation officer for the state’s presidential election, Professor Kashim Shehu affirmed that the former Lagos state governor, won 12 out of the 14 Local Government Areas in the state. From data gathered from the state on the election, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP won the remaining two LGAs. According to Professor Shehu, the votes in 167 polling units were cancelled due to over-voting, insecurity and disruptions by thugs in the various locations. He also announced that the total number of r...

  The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is currently ahead of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Atiku Abubakar and other candidates in Saturday’s election in Kogi State. The former Lagos State governor has won in 12 out of 13 LGAs so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Labour Party presidential candidate,  Peter Obi , is yet to win any. Kogi State has 21 LGAs . Mopa-Muro LGA: Registered Voters – 26,827 Accredited voters – 8,971 APC 4,935 PDP 2,319 LP – 718 Total Valid Votes: 8,731 Rejected Votes 182 Total Votes Cast 8,913 Ogori-Magogo LGA : Registered voters – 17,538 Accredited voters – 5,131 APC – 2,008 PDP – 2,075 LP – 784 Total Valid Votes – 4,954 Rejected Votes – 169 Total Votes Cast – 5,123 Kogi/Koto Karfi LGA: Registered voters – 63,347 Total Accredited voters – 24188 APC – 13,472 LP 1,040 PDP – 8,825 Valid Votes – 23,619 Rejected votes – 569 Total Vote cast – 24,188

  Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has won the presidential election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.   Obi secured 281,717 votes, Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC got 90,902 votes while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP got 74,199 votes. A total of 478,923 people were accredited to vote in Abuja, meaning Mr Obi secured about 59 per cent of the votes cast. Tinubu got 19 per cent of the votes while Atiku got 15 per cent of the votes in the Nigerian capital.   The Federal Capital Territory has six area councils—Gwagwalada, Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Abuja Municipal. Out of the six area councils, Labour Party won four, while the APC won two.    See the final results for Abuja as announced by INEC below. Registered Voters 1526902 Accredited Voters: 478923 A 490 AA 506 AAC 215 ADC 768 ADP 585 APC 90,902 APGA 1,362 APM 297 APP 146 BP 746 LP 281,717 NNPP 4,517 NRM 294 PDP 74,194 PRP 131 SDP 233 YPP 335 ZLP 2,631 Total Valid Vote: 460071 Tot...

  Canadian singer, The Weeknd has made history as the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, days after releasing a remix of his track Die for You with Ariana Grande.   The news was confirmed by the digital music service on Monday, and the new milestone puts him way ahead of  Miley Cyrus, who has 82.5 million listeners, Taylor Swift with 80.3 million, and rapper Drake, who has 68.6 million, according to Billboard.   His latest collaboration, which was an instant hit with fans, marks the fourth time that he joined forces with Grande to work on a song.   The latest milestone comes days after releasing his televised concert, Live at SoFi Stadium, which documented one of his sold-out shows in Los Angeles.   Over his career, the Canadian singer has won four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy.   In 2021, the Toronto-based musician's hit Blinding Lights became the first song in t...