Author: Vincent Osuwo

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso clarified that there is “no Vini Jr. case” and praised winger Vinícius Júnior for his transparency with the team. According to a Friday tweet by Fabrizio Romano, ”Alonso said, ‘There’s no Vini Jr. case; it’s all clarified. “Vini spoke in front of all of us on Wednesday, and he’s been fantastic.” He’s been very honest and clear. Also, his statement has been powerful. The words he said to his teammates are the most important thing.” “Vinicius Jr. will not be punished. The matter is closed.” “He was impeccable in his speech in front of all…

General Christopher Musa (retd.), the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, announced on Friday that he was leaving office “with a clear conscience,” having given his all to the Nigerian Armed Forces and the battle against insecurity. Musa stated at his pull-out parade in Abuja that he served the country with dedication and responsibility during his nearly four decades in the military. “As I hang my uniform today, I do so with a clear conscience, knowing that I gave my all. I leave with cherished memories of camaraderie—of battles fought and triumphs celebrated as one family. The sound of the…

The palace announced on Thursday that King Charles III is stripping his younger brother Andrew of his royal titles and removing him from his long-term house on the Windsor estate, the latest fallout from the scandal-plagued royal’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein incident. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” Buckingham Palace said, adding Charles had begun the formal process to remove all his brother’s titles. Andrew has also been instructed to vacate his long-term residence on Windsor Castle’s extensive grounds and relocate “to alternative private accommodation” as soon as feasible. The announcement came as one of Jeffrey…

US President Donald Trump issued an unexpected instruction to commence nuclear weapons testing, sparking global outrage and raising the prospect of fresh superpower tensions. The declaration on social media came shortly before Trump, who regularly boasts about being a peace president, was about to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a meeting in South Korea. Trump’s remark left many questions unanswered, particularly if he meant testing weapons systems or actually performing test explosions, which the United States has not done since 1992. Iran, a key US rival, slammed the memo on Friday, calling it “regressive and irresponsible” and a…

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, has filed a complaint in the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Bayelsa State House of Assembly over an alleged impeachment plot. In the originating summons, FHC/ABJ/CS/221/2025, Ewhrudjakpo claimed that members of the Assembly were under pressure to remove him from office because he refused to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which he and Governor Douye Diri were elected. Diri recently resigned from the PDP, although Ewhrudjakpo has remained in the party. The deputy governor’s counsel, Reuben Egwuaba, also claimed that some local government chairpersons, including Alice…

Rena Wakama, the head coach of Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, has been named Hive BC’s head coach for the Unrivaled Basketball League 2025-26 season. Unrivaled is an eight-team women’s basketball league in the United States that was co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2023 and debuted in January 2025 with six clubs. On Thursday, the league revealed its second-season head coaching lineup on its website, confirming Wakama’s selection along with seven others from the league’s eight clubs. Wakama led D’Tigress to back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket crowns in 2023 and 2025, as well as a…

Protests have erupted in major towns across Tanzania, with opposition supporters calling Wednesday’s presidential and legislative elections a fraud, according to the BBC on Thursday. Hundreds of demonstrators also entered Kenyan territory, barricading roads, setting bonfires, and ripping down posters of President Samia Hassan along the way. Kenyan police reported two persons died while fleeing running skirmishes with Tanzanian police. Protesters accuse the government of subverting democracy because the major opposition leader is in jail and another opposition figure was disqualified from the election, increasing Samia’s prospects of victory. According to the BBC, resentment rose on Thursday after the election…

The United States Embassy in Lagos has indicated that visas provided to foreign nationals are a privilege rather than a right. The US Consulate in Lagos sent this statement on Thursday in response to The PUNCH’s inquiries over the revocation of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s visa. In an email answer to our correspondent on Thursday, the Consulate stated that it was unable to reveal the specific visa facts due to confidentiality concerns. “Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” the Public Diplomacy Officer, US Department of State,…

President Bola Tinubu’s decision to review and partially revoke the previous presidential pardon list has been regarded as “an act of strength” and “proof of compassion,” according to Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time program, Onanuga said President Tinubu was not afraid to admit mistakes and make improvements where necessary, characterizing him as a leader who “reads all newspapers, watches TV, and monitors news updates daily.” “Tinubu is not afraid to reverse himself once he makes errors. This is a president that wakes up in the morning and reads…

President Bola Tinubu challenged newly decorated military chiefs on Thursday to take quick action against growing security challenges, saying that “new snakes must be smashed right in the head before they grow.” Speaking at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja, where the four security chiefs received their ranks, the president stated that their appointment “marks the beginning of a renewed effort to ensure peace and security for all Nigerians.” “Today’s ceremony is beyond the symbolism of decoration. It marks the beginning of our renewed effort to ensure the peace and security of all Nigerians. “Each of you…