Author: Mohammad Adamu

FIFA has released the official squad lists for the 2026 World Cup, confirming player selections for all 48 participating nations ahead of the tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which kicks off on June 11, 2026. A total of 1,248 players have been named across all nations, with 891 making their World Cup debut and 357 returning from previous tournaments. Africa will be represented by ten nations — Algeria, Cabo Verde, DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia — each arriving with squads packed with talent from top clubs across the world.…

U.S. Reduces Visa Processing Centers in Africa to 20 The U.S. government has decided to consolidate its visa processing operations in Africa, reducing the number of diplomatic missions handling visa applications from nearly 50 to just 20 designated hubs. This significant change is part of President Trump’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration controls and strengthen oversight of visa issuance. The new arrangement is expected to impose additional financial and logistical burdens on thousands of Africans seeking to travel to the United States. Many applicants from countries without designated visa-processing centers will now be required to travel to another African nation…

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has cautioned members of the public against carrying out reprisal attacks on South African nationals, businesses, and diplomatic interests in Nigeria, following the recent wave of xenophobic violence against Nigerians in South Africa. In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by police spokesman Anthony Placid, the NPF acknowledged public anger over the attacks but urged Nigerians to allow due process to take its course rather than respond with violence. “While concerns about attacks on Nigerians in South Africa are understandable, the public is strongly advised not to take the law into their own hands,”…

The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes over the weekend, deepening fears that a fragile ceasefire may be unravelling as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz have hit a wall.The US military said it carried out “self-defence strikes” on Iranian radar and drone control sites in southern Iran — its third such wave in just over a week — citing the downing of an American MQ-1 drone. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by targeting an air base it said was used to launch the attack, while Kuwait reported intercepting hostile missiles and drones in…

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives have intercepted a cunning drug smuggling scheme in which high-potency narcotics were concealed inside water purifier machines shipped from the Netherlands to Lagos, as the agency simultaneously recorded arrests and seizures across Kaduna, Niger and Enugu states.The discovery was made on May 26, 2026, at a courier facility, where operatives recovered 3 kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA hidden inside the appliances. NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the find in a statement released on Sunday, describing it as part of a broader wave of coordinated enforcement operations across…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter, warning that the escalating wave of abductions, killings and mass displacement across Nigeria now threatens international peace and security. In an open letter dated May 30, 2026, and published on its official social media page, the rights group called on Guterres to bring Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation to the attention of the Security Council without delay. “Nigeria’s escalating insecurity and grave human rights violations are reflected in repeated abductions, killings, attacks on civilians, and mass displacement in Oyo,…

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique described his team’s second consecutive UEFA Champions League title as “even bigger” than their first, after the French giants outlasted Arsenal in a gripping penalty shootout at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday. PSG won 4-3 on spot-kicks after the match ended 1-1 following 90 minutes and extra time, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missing for Arsenal while Nuno Mendes was the only PSG player to fail to convert. Kai Havertz had fired Premier League champions Arsenal into a sixth-minute lead, but PSG levelled when Ousmane Dembele converted a 65th-minute penalty after a…

Ghana’s parliament has approved one of Africa’s most stringent anti-LGBTQ laws, with the bill now sent to President John Mahama for ratification. The legislation imposes up to three years in prison for same-sex relations, and between three and five years for promoting, sponsoring, or supporting LGBT+ activities. Exemptions have been included for legal, medical, and media professionals. The bill was first passed unanimously in 2024 but lapsed after former president Nana Akufo-Addo declined to sign it before the end of his term. Under Ghana’s constitution, unsigned legislation must be re-examined by a new parliament — which has now approved it.…

The United States has cautioned it remains fully capable of restarting military operations against Iran, even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue to stall over competing conditions. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking at a defence summit in Singapore, said Washington could recommence hostilities if necessary, while US Central Command posted that American forces “remain present and vigilant across the region. “President Trump has set firm red lines for any agreement — including a permanent ban on Iran developing nuclear weapons and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, pushed back, with its foreign ministry spokesman saying…

The Ballon d’Or is crossing the Channel. France Football has confirmed London will host the 2026 ceremony on October 26 — the first time the English capital has ever staged the event in its 70-year history. The switch is a tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the 1956 inaugural winner and a London icon. Paris had been home to the ceremony since 2019, before that Zurich hosted it during the award’s short-lived FIFA merger between 2010 and 2015. UEFA has co-organized the event since 2024. PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí are the titles to defend.