Author: Mohammad Adamu

France advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Morocco 2-0 in a tense quarter-final tie. Didier Deschamps’ side controlled large periods of the game but were kept at bay by an inspired display from Morocco goalkeeper Bono until the second half. France had earlier missed a chance to open the scoring in the 28th minute when Kylian Mbappe’s penalty — awarded after a VAR review for Noussair Mazraoui’s foul on the France captain — was saved by Bono. France finally broke through on the hour mark as Mbappe fired home from outside the box. Six…

The Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly wage for Nigerian soldiers to N100,000, Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), has disclosed. Musa, speaking on News Central on Wednesday, said the pay rise followed a review of military welfare, though he maintained the defence budget remained insufficient. “When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said. The former Chief of Defence Staff also called for the death penalty for kidnappers to deter rising abduction cases nationwide. In related developments, the Senate approved N403.1 billion for the Nigerian Police Trust…

The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking stiffer penalties for offenders involved in counterfeit medicines and unsafe food products, including a proposed 15-year jail term for medicine hawkers. The Counterfeit Medical Products, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2026 (SB.951), sponsored by Senator Umar Suleiman representing Kwara North, also provides for asset forfeiture, compensation for victims and stronger enforcement powers for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). If passed into law, the bill will repeal the existing Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act, replacing…

OpenAI is preparing to publicly launch its new GPT-5.6 model series this Thursday, following a period of restricted access tied to US national security concerns. The rollout comes shortly after Anthropic began restoring access to its own advanced models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after Washington lifted export restrictions on their release. GPT-5.6 will launch in three tiers: Sol, the flagship model; Terra, a mid-range option for everyday tasks; and Luna, a faster, lower-cost version. OpenAI confirmed the public launch and expanded global preview access in a post on X, though it offered no further details. The new generation of…

Two girls were seriously injured on Wednesday after an attack at the Welfen grammar school in Schongau, a town of roughly 12,000 people in Bavaria, southern Germany. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the incident. Police initially reported “several” people injured before later confirming that two girls had sustained serious injuries, though authorities said their lives are not in danger. A police spokeswoman told AFP the attacker appeared to have deliberately targeted the school in a suspected “rampage,” though she could not confirm reports that a knife was used. The suspect was briefly on the run before…

Global oil prices jumped sharply on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran had collapsed, hours after Washington launched fresh strikes on Iranian targets. Brent crude climbed 5.3% to $78.09 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 5.4% to $74.23. The US said it had struck more than 80 Iranian sites overnight in retaliation for attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a wave of Iranian reprisals against American bases across the Gulf. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the interim agreement was effectively finished, though…

The Federal Government has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Nnani Adaobi Marian, a 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate who died from injuries sustained during a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, described the incident as tragic in a statement issued Tuesday, extending condolences to the deceased’s family, friends, and the wider Nigerian community. According to the ministry, Marian, a graduate of Kharkiv National Medical University, succumbed to injuries sustained during the aerial bombardment. The government said it has begun working with relevant authorities and Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in Ukraine and Germany…

Argentina survived a huge scare against Egypt, coming from behind to win 3-2 in Atlanta and book their place in the World Cup last eight. Goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko either side of a saved Lionel Messi penalty had the Pharaohs on course for a historic win before Argentina struck three times in the final 11 minutes plus stoppage time. Cristian Romero’s header sparked the comeback, before Messi smashed home the equaliser to score in a ninth consecutive World Cup game and reclaim the Golden Boot lead with eight goals this tournament. Enzo Fernandez then completed the turnaround…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a full investigation into the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC), a body the presidency says does not exist under any law or government instrument. The President has ordered the probe concluded within 30 days, with a detailed report submitted directly to him. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the directive in a statement on Tuesday, explaining that the fictitious council surfaced after one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew presented himself as its Director-General, falsely claiming to be a presidential appointee. Onanuga…

A Chinese court has sentenced former Nanjing official Yang Youlin to death after convicting him of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (about $325 million) in bribes over three decades. The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court delivered the verdict on Monday, also finding Yang guilty of embezzlement, abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds and money laundering — one of the largest corruption cases prosecuted in China in recent years. Court findings showed Yang exploited senior positions held in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023 to manipulate engineering contracts, land transactions, business operations and financial dealings in exchange for money and valuable…