Author: Editor

TOBI Amusan of Nigeria blasted to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco on Sunday.  The Nigerian world record holder won her first Diamond League race of the 2026 season after breaking her own meeting record at the event. She stormed to the win in 12.28 seconds to match her season’s best and finish easily ahead of the pack. Meanwhile, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas was second, finishing in 12.40 seconds, as Dutch athlete Nadine Visser finished third in 12.47 seconds. With the win, Amusan also broke the previous meeting record of 12.45 seconds,…

DOZENS of people have been killed in an explosion in northeast Myanmar near the border with China, local media and a rebel group have said. The exact death toll in Sunday’s blast in the village of Kaung Tat in Shan State was not immediately clear. Local news website The Irrawaddy reported that at least 46 people, including six children, were killed and more than 70 wounded due to a blast at an explosives depot. A rescue worker told the Shwe Phee Myay news agency that 55 people were killed. Several houses were damaged in the explosion at around 12:30pm local…

THE Israeli military has captured the strategic site of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “decisive shift” in its offensive against Hezbollah. It comes as ground troops move ever deeper into Lebanese territory beyond their original demarcation line of the Litani river. The UK, France and Germany criticised Israel’s latest escalation, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned more residents to evacuate a larger swathe of southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s prime minister has accused Israel of carrying out “collective punishment”. The latest evacuation warning is the second time in recent days that Israel…

THE U.S. said it struck Iranian military sites at ‌the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a U.S. base in response, the latest in a series of exchanges amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war. The strikes on Iran’s Gulf coast were in response to “aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. “U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack ⁠drones that posed clear…

POLLS have opened in Ethiopia’s general election as conflict rages in parts of the country, meaning many people will not be able to vote. In fact, the whole northern region of Tigray, which has been trying to recover from a brutal civil war that ended in 2022, has been totally excluded from the poll. It is the seventh election since the downfall of the military regime in 1991 – an upheaval that led to Eritrea’s secession two years later – and it takes place as Ethiopia’s relations with its northern neighbour are once again dangerously fraught. The media is tightly…

POLICE in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo fired shots in the air after angry crowds attempted to reclaim the bodies of loved ones who had died at an Ebola treatment centre in Mongwalu, two local journalists told the BBC. Sunday’s unrest continued throughout the day, the reporters said. The treatment centre, in a hospital compound, was the same place that was targeted overnight on Friday into Saturday, when an isolation tent was set ablaze. The body of a dead Ebola victim is highly infectious and can lead to the virus spreading further when prepared for burial. There…

ARSENAL coach Mikel Arteta admitted Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are the best team in the world after his team fell to defeat in the final on penalties on Saturday. Following a 1-1 draw after extra-time, PSG clinched the Champions League for a second consecutive season with a 4-3 shoot-out victory. Arteta said all he was feeling was “pain,” and admitted his Arsenal side, who won the Premier League this season, was not at the same level as the French champions who dominated the ball throughout. “I want to congratulate PSG, Luis (Enrique, the coach) in particular, because in my…

IRAN has reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that foreign commercial and military vessels will be targeted, if they do not comply with regulations governing passage through the strategic waterway. The announcement on Saturday came after the United States signalled that President Donald Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal with Iran, but Tehran denied an agreement had been reached. “The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the operational headquarters of Iran’s armed forces, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said…

ISRAEL’s military has advanced beyond the Litani River in southern Lebanon for the first time since 2006 and appear poised to encircle the major city of Nabatieh. Senior Lebanese military sources on Saturday told the Turkish state news agency Anadolu that Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River, which Israel has declared the perimeter of its unofficial buffer zone. Israeli forces are now on the outskirts of Nabatieh, a city that is key to southern Lebanon’s economy and a cultural hub for the region. If the Shia-majority city were to fall, it would mark a significant development in Israel’s war…

THE head of the United Nations health agency is visiting the epicentre of a deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), urging local communities to lead the fight against a disease whose confirmed cases have nearly doubled in two days. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, arrived in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, on Saturday. “The international community is involved under the leadership of the government of DRC, and at the same time, community ownership is important; that’s why we’re here to discuss with the community to see how the response is…

RWANDA’s new nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia may look technical on paper, focused on science, nuclear medicine and energy, but it signals a deeper shift in the geopolitical balance across Africa. While Moscow is deepening its presence on the continent, Washington and other Western powers are increasingly viewed as inconsistent partners, leaving room for countries like Rwanda to explore new alliances. The agreement was signed on May 19 at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit in Kigali, where Rwanda’s government emphasised its ambition to become a regional hub for technology, innovation and advanced healthcare. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers nuclear…

ARSENAL were denied a first Champions League triumph as they lost a penalty shootout to Paris St-Germain who won the competition for a second successive year. The French champions beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to win the 2025-26 edition of the competition at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday. The match had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes before PSG held their nerve from the spot to clinch back-to-back European titles. Kai Havertz gave Arsenal the lead in the sixth minute after a midfield clearance by Marquinhos deflected into his path, with the German slotting past Matvei Safonov. Ousmane…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday said the removal of fuel subsidy by his administration saved the country from imminent bankruptcy and laid the foundation for the gradual recovery of the nation’s economy. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu spoke when he hosted state governors who came to celebrate with him the Sallah and the third anniversary of the administration. In attendance were the Governors of Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba, Niger, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Adamawa, Benue, Enugu, Ogun, and Kogi States, as well as the deputy governors of Borno and Kano. President Tinubu acknowledged that the decision…

CHAMPIONS League finals are often decided by a single moment of magic, and both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are relying on their unselfish star wingers to conjure that up in Budapest. Arsenal depend on a staunch defence, but Bukayo Saka’s return from injury near the end of the season boosted Mikel Arteta’s team as they clinched the Premier League title. Luis Enrique’s PSG are a more thrilling attacking force, but one player has stood out this season, above all in Europe: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Saturday’s final at the Puskas Arena might hinge on which winger shines brighter. Kvaratskhelia has been, arguably,…

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he was making his decision on a potential deal with Iran, though Tehran insisted there was still “no final agreement” on ending the Middle East war. US sources had told AFP the deal was just waiting on Trump’s sign-off following weeks of halting negotiations to end a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken the global economy. Trump attended a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday, but did not reach a decision on any new deal with Iran, The New York Times reported. Trump announced the meeting…

AT least 14 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes targeting towns in southern Lebanon, according to state-run media, as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations hold security talks at the Pentagon. The attacks on Friday came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River in Lebanon, which runs about 30 kilometres (about 19 miles) north of their shared border, in an expanded ground offensive. Israel’s latest military operation started despite the “ceasefire” that began on April 17, and was extended for 45 days on May 17 following indirect talks mediated by the United States.…

THE parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities. Identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender or queer can be punished by up to three years’ imprisonment. The bill also introduces a “duty to report” prohibited acts to police. Religious leaders have pressured President John Dramani Mahama, who still needs to ratify the legislation, to strengthen anti-gay laws since he came to power last year. The ban has been sharply criticised by international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which said it placed LGBTQ+ peoples’ lives at risk while also “encouraging citizens to surveil…

EIGHT students alleged to have been involved in a suspected arson attack at a Kenyan girls’ school that killed 16 pupils have been arrested, police say. The fire in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory which had 135 bunk beds. After interviews with students and staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, eight pupils at the school were identified as “persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution” of the fire, the National…

AS the curtain draws close on the 2025/2026 campaign across Europe and some parts of the world, Nigerian players were among those on the victorious sides, winning titles and achieving other personal feats. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that from the Turkish Süper Lig to Scotland and Portugal, Nigerian stars dazzled, helping their teams scoop titles. While some of them won leagues, others clinched cup titles, signalling their quality, class, and consistency across Europe. While Kelechi Iheanacho may no longer be in the English Premier League, the Nigerian forward enjoyed a productive campaign in the Scottish first division. The former…

LIONEL Messi will play in a sixth World Cup as he captains holders Argentina at the 2026 tournament. The 38-year-old forward, who led his country to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar with a penalty shootout victory over France four years ago, was named in Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man squad on Thursday. With 26 appearances, Messi holds the current record for the most World Cup matches by any player – and will join Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, as the only male players to appear in a sixth edition of football’s biggest event this summer. Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, who…