Author: Vincent Osuwo

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in Cameroon on Wednesday, the second leg of an African journey marred by taunts from US President Donald Trump and suicide attacks in Algeria on the first day. The pontiff will meet Cameroonian President Paul Biya at the start of his four-day visit to the predominantly French-speaking country, before traveling to a conflict zone where English-speaking rebels have been fighting the army for nearly a decade. The scheduled private encounter with 93-year-old Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, at 3:20 p.m. (1420 GMT) has sparked division among Catholics in the central African…

US pop star Katy Perry is under investigation in Australia over allegations of sexual assault made by actor Ruby Rose, police said Wednesday. Rose claimed in a series of widely reported but now-deleted social media posts that the singer raped her in a Melbourne bar over 20 years ago. Rose, widely known for her part in the TV sitcom “Orange is the New Black,” announced on Tuesday that she had completed police reports and could no longer speak publicly about the matter. Victoria state police declined to name Perry in a statement to AFP but said they were “investigating a…

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has stated a willingness to collaborate with members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers on the state’s development. Otti made the statement on Tuesday at the Government House in Umuahia, while hosting a team from the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, led by its President and Chairman of Council, ESV Chief Victor Alonge. The delegation was in the state for its 2026 annual conference, which will be held at the International Conference Centre in Ogurube Layout, Umuahia. The governor stated that his administration considers itself a partner with institutions that…

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Liverpool, with Ousmane Dembele scoring twice, to advance to the Champions League semi-finals, where Luis Enrique’s team will face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. PSG entered the second leg with a two-goal lead but were forced to work hard at a boisterous Anfield until Dembele scored in the 72nd minute with a beautiful left-footed finish. In extra time, the Ballon d’Or winner added a second. Liverpool pushed and puffed in their bid to pull off another epic European comeback, but Arne Slot’s team failed to score against the Champions League holders, and for the second season in…

Atletico Madrid survived an intense Barcelona fight back to progress to the Champions League semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate despite losing a thrilling quarter-final second leg 2-1 in Madrid. With Barcelona losing 2-0 after the first leg, Lamine Yamal halved the aggregate deficit with just five minutes remaining when he slid the ball under Atleti goalkeeper Juan Musso following a bad touch by former Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet. Nineteen minutes later, the game was equal when Ferran Torres grabbed onto a Dani Olmo ball and fired a beautiful left-footed strike into the top corner. A loud home crowd was subdued for…

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has set April 22 for the hearing of appeals arising from the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The appeals were submitted by a group of the party led by former minister of special duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, disputing prior Court of Appeal decisions issued on March 9. A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, set the date on Tuesday after allowing an appeal for an accelerated hearing. The court further reduced the time limit for parties to file their papers, instructing respondents to react within five days…

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government over the abduction of a University of Jos (UNIJOS) student, John Arum Azi, warning of nationwide protests if urgent action is not taken. In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National President, Olushola Oladoja, the student body voiced concern over the occurrence, calling it a manifestation of the country’s deteriorating security. Chronicle NG reports that Arum was kidnapped while traveling to Kaduna, and unsettling evidence of his abduction has already circulated in the public. “The National Association of…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, was granted bail on Tuesday by a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, bringing to an end a detention that lasted nearly two months. Justice Rilwan Aikawa granted bail to the former governor after hearing arguments from both the defense and prosecution. However, he was ordered to stay in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) awaiting the completion of the bail terms. El-Rufai’s main counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), had urged the court to grant his client bail, stating that it is a constitutional right and that…

The Nigeria Police Force has deployed a rapid response team to examination venues across the country in preparation for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME. This is because the police dismissed spreading rumors about threats to the candidates’ safety as false. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, stated that the police were aware of “recent unfounded rumors” about the safety of several centers in a North Central state, but that such accusations were without merit. “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that these claims…

The kidnappers of John Arum Azi, a student of the University of Jos, UNIJOS, have reduced the N30 million ransom demanded earlier to N4 million naira. The kidnappers had earlier demanded N30 million for his release; however, in a recent development, a brother of the victim stated that the ransom has been reduced to N4 million. The 28-year-old keyboard technician was kidnapped along with six other passengers heading to Zaria, Kaduna State. Chronicle NG gathered that Azi was headed to Zaria after being called by a client to come fix a keyboard before he was kidnapped. A video clip making…