Author: Vincent Osuwo

Cristiano Ronaldo got off to a shaky start in his record-equaling sixth World Cup as the Democratic Republic of Congo earned their first-ever point at the tournament, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in Group K on Wednesday. Yoane Wissa’s header cancelled out Joao Neves’ early goal, and the African team, playing in their first World Cup since 1974 as Zaire, more than held their own. Ronaldo, 41, was largely a peripheral figure throughout the match, failing to have the same impact as his great rival Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Algeria on Tuesday. The DRC’s feat was even more…

Former Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison-Madueke has been acquitted of six bribery counts on Wednesday after a high-profile corruption trial at Southwark Crown Court, London. Alison-Madueke, who served as minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, was charged with five charges of receiving bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Alison-Madueke denied the charges. Prosecutors claimed that Alison-Madueke, 65, was provided “a life of luxury” in London by oil and gas industry officials looking for big contracts in Nigeria, which has long suffered with corruption and incompetence. However, the former minister, who also briefly served…

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is facing felony charges in Nevada on allegations that he used a fraudulent check to buy an expensive watch worth $200,000. According to ESPN, the Hall of Famer was charged with theft and intent to deceive after a complaint regarding the purchase of an Audemars Piguet watch in Las Vegas. According to court records, Mayweather wrote the cheque from a Wells Fargo account on December 31, 2024, despite knowing the account did not have enough funds or credit to meet the payment. Mayweather was not present at Monday’s court session, but his attorney attended on his…

The minority caucus of the House of Representatives has accused President Bola Tinubu of neglecting governance, worsening insecurity, and allegedly undermining opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi told a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday that Nigeria was confronting a hazardous combination of insecurity, economic hardship, and what he described as measures to destroy democratic opposition via the judiciary. The caucus was outraged by the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in captivity after he was purportedly kidnapped with his wife in Katsina State. Agbedi described the occurrence as…

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and Hausa singer Dauda Rarara have engaged in a public exchange after the latter accused the Afrobeats star of embarrassing Nigeria on the global stage. The exchange stems from Davido’s appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles on June 10, when he wore a customised jacket bearing the inscription “Bring Them Home” and featuring the names of over 40 schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped on May 15 from Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State. Some of the victims were killed during the attack, while others remain in…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates can now print their 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination original result slips. This was announced on Wednesday in a statement issued by JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin. According to the statement, the original result slips include candidates’ pictures, national rankings, and other security elements required for post-UTME screening and admission to tertiary schools. “The 2026 UTME Original Result Slip will be available for printing within the next two hours today, Wednesday, 17th June, 2026,” the statement read. It added, “The original result slip contains the candidate’s photograph, national ranking, and…

US President Donald Trump left no doubt over who he believed was in charge of the G7 summit of world powers in France, chaired by President Emmanuel Macron. “I’m the boss,” Trump said as he strode in to the morning session of the last day of the three-day G7 summit, with the other leaders already in their seats. Amid laughter, Macron took the comment with good humour. “How are you?” the French president asked. “Good, thank you,” replied Trump, a tycoon before becoming president who famously hosted the TV show “The Apprentice” with its catchphrase “You’re fired!” as he finally took…

Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva has agreed to a two-year contract with Real Madrid, the La Liga club said on Wednesday. Silva, 31, left Manchester City after nine trophy-laden years when his contract expired at the end of last season. His Real Madrid contract extends until June 30, 2028. Silva made 459 appearances for City, scoring 76 goals, after signing from Monaco in 2017. He has won 15 major trophies with the club, including four consecutive Premier League titles from 2021 to 2024, a treble including the Champions League in 2023, and all four domestic trophies in the 2018/19 season. After…

The Federal Government secured 150 convictions of terrorists in the first two days of its most recent round of mass terrorism trials, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) announced on Tuesday. Fagbemi made the remark while meeting with journalists at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the proceedings are taking place concurrently before ten judges. The AGF stated that the current phase, which began on Monday, had already resulted in around 150 convictions on the first day alone. “Yesterday, we had about 160 trials. I think about 150 convictions,” Fagbemi told reporters. He also…

Thomas Tuchel has ruled out changing England’s playing style in the heat of the World Cup, citing the risk of losing what makes the team unique. Since taking over as head coach in January 2025, Tuchel has made it clear that he likes the toughness of English domestic football and believes the national team should capitalize on it. The 52-year-old’s team selections have mirrored his ideas, with an emphasis on strength and powerful running in his 26-man tournament roster. “They want to be active with the ball,” the German told BBC Sport about his England side before their World Cup…