Another IED blast kills 4, injures 10 in Borno (Guardian)
Four persons have been killed while 10 others sustained injuries when an Isuzu vehicle conveying passengers from Damboa to Maiduguri, Borno State rammed into an improvised explosive device (IED) suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists.
The incident, which occurred around 3:30pm, involved a Suzuki pick-up truck that ran over an improvised explosive device.
Confirming the attack, Borno State Police Command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, said the injured victims had been rushed to the state Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment. Read more
Ex-generals flag intelligence failure as bandits kill 17 soldiers (Punch)
No fewer than 17 soldiers were killed and 10 others injured while repelling attacks on communities and military operating bases in parts of Kaduna and Niger states.
Scores of bandits were also killed in the attacks, which occurred in the Kwanar Dutse, Mairiga, and Boka areas of Niger State, as well as Angwan Turai in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Since the start of the year, dozens of fortified military bases have come under attacks, with insurgents killing and injuring personnel. Read more
Tinubu to sign 4 Tax reform bills into law on Thursday (DailyTrust)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Thursday sign into law four tax reform bills.
The four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, were passed by the National Assembly after extensive consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders across the country.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said when the new tax laws become operational, there are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments. Read more
5 feared dead, several wounded in Imo bomb explosion (Nation)
A devastating bomb explosion rocked Ubeheze market in Awo Idemili, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, on Tuesday, leaving at least five people dead and several others wounded.
The explosion occurred around 11 am when traders were opening their stores.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrific with dead bodies littering the ground and wounded individuals lying in pools of blood. Read more
10 NWC members oppose reinstatement, battle Damagum (Sun)
Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee( NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer. Read more
2027: Coalition against me full of political IDPs —Tinubu (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu yesterday urged his supporters to ignore the political coalition against him ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing members of the coalition as “Political Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”
Speaking in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the President advised Governor Abdullahi Sule not to focus solely on the development of solid minerals but to also prioritise agricultural development, which aligns with his Renewed Hope agenda.
Addressing the governor during a town hall meeting with stakeholders — which concluded his one-day working visit to the state, where he commissioned legacy projects executed by Governor Sule — Tinubu commended the governor for his commitment to delivering critical infrastructure to the people of Nasarawa. Read more
Party Registration: Coalition faces hurdle over name clash (Leadership)
A hurdle looms for the opposition coalition leaders as their platform, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), whose application for registration is pending before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), shares the same acronym as another platform seeking registration with the electoral commission.
The other platform is the Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), which is number 110 on the list after the coalition’s ADA, which is listed as 109 registrants on the commission’s log.
Last week, the coalition group submitted ADA for registration before INEC. Read more
10 killed and several injured after shooting at religious festival in Mexico (Metro)
A festival celebrating the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist ended in bloodshed as 10 were gunned down and more were injured in a mass shooting.
Among the injured is a two-year-old boy, reportedly shot in the eye after ‘armed individuals’ opened fire on the community celebration in San Juan, Mexico.
Around 11.20pm, gunfire erupted on Bustamante Street, where locals were eating and dancing to mark the holiday. Read more
Taylor Swift gives surprise performance of Shake It Off at Tight End University (People)
Taylor Swift gave a surprise acoustic performance of her 2014 mega-hit Shake It Off at Tight End University.
The 35-year-old pop megastar might have wrapped her mammoth 149-date Eras Tour in December, but she hasn’t lost the urge to perform.
On Monday (23.06.26), Taylor gave an impromptu performance and made her red carpet debut with her Kansas City Chiefs tight-end boyfriend Travis Kelce at the three-day training event he co-founded. Read more
Kenya protests turn violent as court, activists demand justice for victims of police brutality
cleared (AfricaNews)
Two people were shot dead and several others injured on Wednesday as fresh protests erupted in Nairobi and across major Kenyan cities, marking the anniversary of last year’s deadly anti-tax demonstrations that left over 60 people dead.
Protesters clashed with police who fired tear gas and live rounds to disperse the crowds. In Nairobi, human rights activist Hussein Khaled led calls for justice for those killed last year.
“64 Kenyans were killed in cold blood. Not a single officer has been held to account,” Khaled said. “We want justice in terms of arrests, compensation, and real police reforms.” Read more
CIA director says Iran’s nuclear sites ‘severely damaged’ (BBC)
The head of the CIA has said US strikes “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear facilities and set them back years, diverging from a leaked intelligence report that angered President Donald Trump by downplaying the raid’s impact.
John Ratcliffe, the US spy agency’s director, said key sites had been destroyed, though he stopped short of declaring that Iran’s nuclear programme had been eliminated outright.
It comes a day after a leaked preliminary assessment from a Pentagon intelligence agency suggested core components of Iran’s nuclear programme remained intact after the US bombings. Read more
Ishiba’s abrupt no-show at NATO summit reveals strained alliance with US (JapanToday)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–U.S. relationship is in a dire state.
After saying just days ago he would be attending this week’s NATO summit at The Hague, Ishiba abruptly pulled out at the last minute.
He joins two other leaders from the Indo-Pacific region, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, in skipping the summit. Read more
On the ground in Tehran in the wake of the Israel-Iran ceasefire (CBS)
As the delicate ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict continues to hold, a CBS News crew received permission to enter Iran Wednesday to see how conditions are on the ground in its capital of Tehran. The Iranian government maintains tight control over its media and closely monitors foreign journalists.
It took a CBS News crew more than 14 hours to drive south from Turkey to Tehran.
The crew started its journey from the Turkish-Iranian border Tuesday night local time, a nearly 600-mile trip made longer by checkpoints and bad roads. CBS News applied for Iranian visas last week and they were granted Monday.
As day broke Wednesday, CBS News traveled through a vast countryside that was arid, rocky and seemingly endless. Read more
Osayi-Samuel files complaint against Turkish girlfriend (Sun)
After returning from abroad, the Nigerian footballer discovered that his wristwatch was missing from his home in Üsküdar.
According to the Turkish sports news outlet Sports Digitale, the General Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an investigation into the theft.
Ayşenur O. provided a statement as a suspect, noting that they had been friends for about three to four months and had visited an entertainment center in Şişli together on April 27. She mentioned that Samuel was enjoying himself with her friends during the outing. Read more
UFC champion, Isreal Adesanya (Punch)
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Thursday (today) as his epic 2019 clash with Kelvin Gastelum joins the promotion’s prestigious Fight Wing at a ceremony at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander’s five-round interim middleweight title battle at UFC 236, which he won via unanimous decision, will be enshrined alongside other legendary contests like Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen as part of the 2025 class.
The induction ceremony, which will see all proceeds from ticket sales benefit the UFC Foundation, marks the organisation’s annual recognition of its most influential contributors and historic battles. Read more
Paris FC completes Simon’s signing from Nantes (Nation)
Nigeria winger Moses Simon has joined Paris FC from fellow French club Nantes, the capital city outfit has announced.
Simon, 29, has signed a three-year deal with the Parisians as they prepare for their first season in the French top-flight since 1978-1979.
In November, the Arnault family as well as Austrian energy drinks company Red Bull took over ownership of the side before they gained promotion to Ligue 1. Read more
Man Utd handed huge boost in efforts to finally offload Antony for big fee (Metro)
Manchester United’s efforts to offload Antony have been given a major boost with his preferred destination Real Betis set to receive a huge cash injection.
Antony joined Betis on loan during the January transfer window, helping fire the club to the Europa Conference League final and scoring nine goals in 25 appearances.
The Brazil international is desperate to stay in Spain, repeatedly making it clear he sees his future at Betis. Read more
$10b sale of Lakers expected to close this year (JapanToday)
The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to billionaire Mark Walter is expected to close later this year in a deal that will see Jeanie Buss remain governor of the club “for the foreseeable future,” Walter and Buss announced on Wednesday.
The official confirmation comes a week after U.S. media reported that the Buss family would sell controlling interest in the iconic NBA franchise in a record-breaking $10 billion deal that makes the Lakers the highest-valued team in US sports history.
“Businessman and philanthropist Mark Walter has reached an agreement with the Buss Family Trust to acquire a majority stake in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers,” a statement on the deal issued by the interested parties said. “Jeanie Buss will remain governor of the franchise and continue to oversee all team operations on a day-to-day basis for the foreseeable future.” Read more