NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a news conference during a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain on June 29, 2022 [Yves Herman/ Reuters] NATO has listed China as one of its strategic priorities for the first time, saying Beijing’s ambitions and its “coercive policies” challenge the Western bloc’s “interests, security and values”. The alliance’s new blueprint, or Strategic Concept (PDF), that lays out its priorities for the next decade, was approved at a leader’s summit in Spain on Wednesday. The document directed its harshest language towards Russia, which it described as “the most significant and direct threat” to the alliance’s peace and security, but said Beijing’s military ambitions, its confrontational rhetoric towards Taiwan and its increasingly close ties with Moscow posed “systemic challenges”. “China is substantially building up its military forces, including nuclear weapons, bullying its neighbours, threatening Taiwan … monitoring and controlling its own citizens thr...

Bandits have attacked a mining site in Niger State and reportedly killed security agents, civilians, and kidnapped three Chinese nationals. The attack was said to have occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Ajata, Aboki in Gurmana ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. The Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youth of Niger State, Sani Kokki, confirmed the incident on Thursday. Related News  Bandits abduct Zamfara NULGE chairman’s pregnant wife  Three vigilantes killed trying to rescue abducted Niger villagers  Three vigilante members killed, others kidnapped in Niger community He said the bandits attacked the mining site and opened fire on the workers and security operatives. He also stated that the bandits kidnapped a yet-to-be-identified number of people including two Chinese expatriates. Details later…

JJC Skillz, the husband of actress, Funke Akindele-Bello, has announced that their marriage is over. In a post on his Instagram page on Thursday, JJC Skillz said he moved out of the house three months ago and they had been leading separate lives. He said, “Dear Friends and family, I need to let you know that Funke and I have separated. While it lasted we shared a lot of things together and have created 2 beautiful children.  “The last two years have been extremely difficult for us. I know I have tried my best to fix things but I believe it is beyond repair now. Three months ago and at Funke’s insistence, I moved out of the house and apart from AMVCA have not been able to get Funke to sit down in an amicable manner to discuss the future of our relationship.  “I'm making this announcement so that the public is clear that we both are pursuing separate lives. We still have issues that need to be addressed such as the custody and wellbeing of our children which is paramount as well...

  The Nigerian Army on Wednesday said 314 suspected members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have surrendered. They were said to have surrendered to troops in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State as a result of the ongoing offensive onslaught against terrorism in the North East. According to a terse statement by the Army, 12 farmers were also rescued by troops. “Profiling of the surrendered terrorists is ongoing,” the statement added.

Helsinki and Stockholm joining NATO marks one of the the biggest shifts in European security in decades. Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned NATO’s “imperial ambitions”, accusing the military alliance of seeking to assert its “supremacy” through the Ukraine conflict. The Russian leader also said on Wednesday that he would respond in kind if NATO deployed troops and infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after the two Nordic countries join the military alliance. Putin made his comment a day after NATO member Turkey lifted its veto over the bid by Finland and Sweden to join the alliance when the three nations agreed to protect each other’s security. Helsinki and Stockholm joining NATO marks one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades. “With Sweden and Finland, we don’t have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead,” Putin told Russian state television after talks with regional leaders in the central Asian ex-Soviet state of Turkmenis...

In this file photo taken on June 26, 2019 R&B singer R. Kelly (C) arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building for a hearing in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)   Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for leading a decades-long effort to recruit and trap teenagers and women for sex. Judge Ann Donnelly handed down the term in the Brooklyn federal court nearly a year after the 55-year-old Kelly was convicted by a New York jury. “The verdict is in: R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years,” the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York said in a tweet. The prosecutors had urged the court to put the “I Believe I Can Fly” artist behind bars for at least 25 years, saying he still “poses a serious danger to the public.” In September, the fallen superstar was found guilty on all nine charges he faced, including the most serious of racketeering. “His actions were brazen, manipulative...

RISING reports of rights abuse and extortion by police officers painfully bring home the reality that despite promises, the Federal Government has failed to reform the Nigeria Police and remake it into an agency compatible with a democratising polity. Almost daily, complaints are filed or reported in the mainstream and social media of abuse or extortion of citizens by the police. The government should drop cosmetic measures, dismantle the current circumscribed structure and build a people-oriented, decentralised policing system as obtainable in every truly federal system. Daily, uniformed officers funded with taxpayers’ money to protect citizens and defend their constitutional rights, constitute themselves as cruel instruments of oppression and harbingers of death, causing families unmitigated sorrow, pain, and loss. The Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force reported that it had received 14,976 complaints against police officers since its inception in 2015. A total of 258...

The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, ordered the arrest of an unidentified military officer, who was riding an okada against traffic. The incident happened along the Ozumba Mbadiwe Road on Victoria Island.  It was reported that when the governor saw the erring okada rider, he ordered his arrest but the motorcyclist attempted to run into a military facility along the road.  Although military personnel from the facility claimed the motorcyclist was a colleague, the governor insisted on his arrest for flouting the state's traffic laws. Operations of commercial motorcyclists have been banned in six local government areas in the state.

 

Tension gripped Ogulagha community in the Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State after soldiers attached to the Forcados Terminal allegedly shot dead a youth in the community, Endurance Kalaepele. WEXERES gathered that the 27-year-old victim was allegedly shot twice while he picked snails. The incident reportedly happened around 11pm on Monday. Enraged youths of the community were said to have gone on the rampage, destroying company vehicles and property, just as they also took over the major roads to express their anger. The community youth president, ThankGod Iyaragba, told journalists that the deceased was with six others hunting snails when he was allegedly shot dead by the soldiers. He said, “Around 10pm yesterday (Monday), six of the community boys went to the bush behind Forcadoes Terminal for snail picking, but were intercepted on their way back by military men. “One of the boys, Endurance, tried to run out of fear but was shot twice at close range. This infuriated youths ...

Barcelona forward, Memphis Depay, has shared pictures on his social media with Nigerian Afrobeat singer, Davido, in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Following an injury-disturbed first season at Camp Nou, which saw him score 12 goals in 28 LaLiga games, Depay is enjoying his vacation. The Dutch striker was full of smiles as the two posed for pictures while spending time together backstage. Depay, who has a Ghanaian father and a Dutch mother, was at Davido’s concert to show support as a fellow African, and he captioned the pictures on his Instagram page with the flags of Nigeria and Ghana.  Davido begins North America tour with New York concert Further reports say the footballer presented Davido with a Barcelona jersey after they exchanged pleasantries for the first time in the offline world. Depay usually spends his holidays in Ghana at the end of every season. Before making the trip to the United States, Depay spent a couple of weeks in Ghana where he was engaged in philanthropic works and...

 The IPOB leader, who is standing trial over alleged terrorism, also said he was fully prepared for the court appearance as he is in good spirit. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra has told members of the group to remain calm as he appears in court today. Kanu will appear before Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja today. He urged members to “maintain absolute civility in their conduct, as have always demonstrated.” The IPOB leader, who is standing trial over alleged terrorism, also said he was fully prepared for the court appearance as he is in good spirit. Kanu’s lawyer and leader of his legal team, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, disclosed these in a statement issued on Monday after a routine visit to his client in the headquarters of the Department of State Services. He wrote, “We conducted our routine court-ordered visit to our indefatigable client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu at the DSS headquarters. “Today’s visit was unique because it was basically to har...

Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has rounded off his season with Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal as the highest goal scorer of the 2021/2022 season of the Saudi Pro League. Ighalo scored a brace in Al-Hilal’s win against already relegated Al-Faisaly on Monday night with the fixture ending 2-1 at the King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh. The former Manchester United striker found the back of the net in the seventh and 64th minutes with two goals that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. The win sealed the 18th league title win for the home side who were closely being chased by fierce rivals, Al-Ittihad Ighalo joined Al Hilal in January 2022 after abruptly ending his stay at Al-Shabab, another Saudi Pro League side.  I can’t stop scoring, says Ighalo  Ighalo fires Ghana warning with hat-trick  Ighalo gives reasons for quitting Al Shabab, ready for EPL return The Ajegunle-born striker appeared in 31 matches in the Saudi league and found the back of the net 24 times. His tally comes from his...

  The Lagos State Police command has confirmed the arrest of two herdsmen who were responsible for the death of a man early Monday morning in Age Mowo, Badagry. The state police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin clarified that the cattle herders mistook a man for the conductor of the vehicle which led to his death. Hundeyin in a statement via his twitter account shared: "A commercial vehicle ran into two cows this morning at Age Mowo, Badagry, killing one of the cows. The two cattle herders attacked someone they mistook for the vehicle conductor, resulting in his death. Angry residents blocked the highway in protest of the killing. The DPO, Morogbo Division, assisted by soldiers from 243 Recce Battalion, Badagry successfully cleared the obstruction. Normalcy has since returned to the area. It is entirely false that the victim was turned back when he sought refuge in the police station. He did not make it off the accident scene, let alone reach the station. Meanwhile, the two herders have bee...

 According to Bitcoin.com, the Moroccan central bank is presently working on a cryptocurrency regulation framework bill and according to the bank’s governor, Abdellatif Jouahri, this is set to be introduced soon. The regulatory framework being worked on will result in Morocco’s money laundering and anti-terrorism financing regulations being upgraded. ETH +0.57% BTC +0.36%

Dramatic footage captures moment a three-storey stand collapsed during a bullfight in Colombia, killing four people and injuring hundreds of others ⤵️

At least 11 people are killed and 50 others wounded in a Russian missile strike on a shopping mall in central Ukraine, the regional governor says. A Russian strike has killed at least eight civilians in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk as they were out collecting water, Luhansk’s region governor says. Russian shelling in the city of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine has killed five people and wounded 22, including five children, regional governor says.  In the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, a Russian missile strike has hit a crowded shopping centre, killing at least eleven people and wounding 50, senior Ukrainian officials say. NATO will increase the strength of its rapid reaction force nearly eightfold to 300,000 troops, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says. The US will provide an advanced air missile defence system to Ukraine, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms on the sidelines of the G7 summit taking place in southern Germany.

  Super Eagles and Villarreal forward, Samuel Chukwueze, on Friday donated a coaster bus worth ₦30 million to Superstars Football Academy, Uyo, as part of his support to the development of football in Nigeria. During a presentation ceremony and a novelty match between team Chukwueze and another team led by ex U-23 Nigerian international Chukwuebuka Iroha, he acknowledged that his success story cannot be written without mentioning the President of Supertsars Football Academy, Hon. Victor Apugo, who discovered and nurtured him, hence his decision to support him in discovering more talents. He said: “I’m so glad and humbled to donate this bus to Superstars Academy and to my boss and mentor Hon. Apugo. He really played a key role in where I am today and there’s no better way to show appreciation to him and to God than to support him in helping other young talents reach their potentials like he helped me do.” It will be recalled that Apugo was the General Manager of Chukwueze’s former c...

  Justice Tanko Muhammad has resigned as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Citing sources, Channels Television confirmed that he resigned on Sunday night on the grounds of ill-health. When contacted, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to CJN, Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, said, “All I know is that he’s going to declare open a workshop this morning at the NJI (National Judicial Institute).” Related News  Tanko Muhammad has resigned as CJN, aide confirms  Probe Supreme Court Justices corruption allegations against CJN, HURIWA urges NJC, CCT  Senate moves to resolve Supreme Court crisis, NBA demands accountability Other attempts to reach close associates of the CJN, such as Dr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), proved abortive as they didn’t take their calls. Following his resignation, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola will be the next acting Chief Justice of Nigeria sequel to Senate’s confirmation. More details shortly…

 young Nigerian innovator Yusuf Shamsudeen produces a water-powered stove to help the populace deal with the increasing cost of gas and oil. The product could also help deal with climate concerns. He spoke to DW about the product, explaining the science behind it. “When the air goes into the pressure bank which is an empty tank, the air expands and it is released at a very high pressure; so the force at which that air comes out and goes into the chemical container excites the chemical compounds to react and thus, they give a gas which goes into the container, reacts and gives a flammable gas at the burner,” Yusuf said. This is not the first invention from Nigeria. Before Yusuf, a 67-year-old man, Hadi Usman made this same invention and promised to train a lot of people, especially the younger generation to take over. In a viral video shared by PRNigeria, Hadi demonstrated the stove. He practically pumped air into a water container which then transfers a content through tubes to the...

 

 A woman, Elizabeth Temitope, has alleged that legendary musician, King Sunny Ade, is her father. According to Temitope, her mother revealed the secret she had withheld for decades after a prophet hinted that there was something being hidden from her. Meanwhile, all efforts to reach KSA on her part, the human rights lawyer’s part and by us were unsuccessful.

  The   confusion over the choice of the authentic running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is deepening as he has returned to Abuja to continue consultations on the contentious issue. Tinubu had returned to Lagos on Sunday, June 19, 12 days after he defeated a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, among others, to pick the APC presidential ticket. Tinubu had in the days following his emergence visited all the contenders for the exalted seat in a bid to solicit their support and build unity in the party. The APC candidate is expected to name his final running mate on or before the July 15 deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission to replace Kabir Ibrahim Masari, whom he named as in ‘placeholder’ capacity. As the deadline draws near, Tinubu, the APC and the Progressive Northern Governors’ Fo...