Author: Vincent Osuwo

The Premier League will adopt a harsher stance on holding and grappling at set pieces this season, with officials told to pay more attention to actions that have a discernible influence on the game. Although the game’s laws remain unchanged, officials from the Premier League, English Football League, and Women’s Super League have been instructed to take stronger action against deliberate holding, especially when it prevents opponents from competing for the ball or moving into dangerous positions. The emphasis will be on what officials refer to as “non-footballing holding actions,” which occur when a player is solely focused on an…

Curtis Jones is set to sign with Inter Milan after the Italian club reached an agreement of 35m euros (£30m) with Liverpool. The Reds have agreed to a deal totaling €30m euros (£25.7m) plus €5m euros (£4.3m) in bonuses for the midfielder. Jones, 25, is set to fly to Italy on Thursday for a medical examination. The transfer agreement incorporates a 10% sell-on provision for Liverpool. In June, Liverpool dismissed a verbal bid of 25m euros (£21.7m) from the Serie A champions, as the Premier League club assessed the 25-year-old, who had a year remaining on his contract, at approximately…

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has stated that if he loses the 2027 election, he will not contest again. This was stated during a Hausa-language interview, which was translated by our correspondent on Wednesday. “No, I have said it before; right from this election, I will not contest again,” the former vice president said. Atiku, who has run for president multiple times, also asked Nigerians with permanent voter cards to vote in the 2027 election, emphasising the need of remaining at voting stations to ensure that their votes are counted. “First of all, I appeal…

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s electoral strength, saying he could not win his own state or the South-West during the 1999 presidential election. Atiku stated this while speaking with journalists on Wednesday, amid his renewed war of words with Obasanjo over their political relationship and their respective roles in the former president’s emergence in 1999. “In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the Southwest; it was Arewa that made him president. He possesses no electoral value,” Atiku said. His statement is part of a…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that it has not imposed a blanket ban on Uber, Bolt and other e-hailing services at Nigerian airports, saying its ongoing engagement with the operators is aimed at establishing a framework that guarantees passenger safety, security and orderly airport operations. The clarification was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the management of Nigeria’s Federal Airports Authority. FAAN stated that its position was not intended to limit passengers’ access to transportation options or to undermine the role of e-hailing platforms, but rather to ensure that commercial transportation services…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday ordered the commissioning of a comprehensive forensic investigation into the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal. Taiwo Oyedele, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Oyedele said, “That is to do with the fake agency that is called the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. Mr. President gave us the updates about the work the ICPC has done, and as a result of that, the council has directed that…

Five Americans died on Wednesday in a helicopter crash while sightseeing in Kenya, a US State Department spokesperson said. According to the spokesperson, the US Embassy in Kenya is in contact with local authorities, while conveying US condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died when the helicopter crashed in central Kenya. The Embassy’s X handle revealed that the crash happened in Samburu county. However, identities of the victims have yet to be disclosed. It read, “Our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who perished in today’s helicopter crash in Samburu County. “We are in…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Abel Enitan as the new head of the Civil Service of the Federation, beginning August 27, 2026. Enitan will succeed Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who will resign from the Federal Civil Service after reaching the statutory retirement age of 60. Enitan, an Osun State native, is the Federal Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary and the highest-ranking Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service. He has been a permanent secretary for seven years and seven months, having previously worked in the ministries of police affairs, humanitarian affairs, and the Office of the vice president. He has worked…

Aston Villa have announced the acquisitions of goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and left-back Matteo Ruggeri. Japan international Suzuki transfers to Villa Park from the Italian club Parma for a fee around £30m. Italian full-back Ruggeri signs with Villa for £17m from La Liga’s Atletico Madrid. Suzuki, 23, comes on board even though Emi Martinez’s transfer to Juventus fell through over the weekend, as the two clubs couldn’t settle on a fee. Martinez, a key player in Villa’s Europa League win in May and a champion in the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, now has an unclear future following his unsuccessful transfer…

Former France midfielder Paul Pogba has departed from Monaco after his contract was ended following only one season. Pogba, a 2018 World Cup champion, had a contract with the Ligue 1 team until June 2027, but Monaco announced it was terminated early since the goals established by both sides were only “partially accomplished.” The 33-year-old participated in six games for Monaco last season, with five of those appearances being as a substitute. “Pogba stated, “Representing this club and the principality was an incredible experience,” said Pogba. “AS Monaco is an incredible club, and although I did not play as many…