LEADING African football administrators have sent messages of support to embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he looks to the continent’s 54 members for backing in a bid to keep his job. Five of the continent’s influential football leaders have issued statements that offer Infantino support while also welcoming the decision to drop his controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenue. Their messages came ahead of a meeting of the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee on Thursday at which they will discuss the abandoned plan to raise $4.2 billion from a new commercial rights body.…
Author: National Record
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THE U.S. ARMY has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s readiness for future conflicts. The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources. The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported. The long-range munitions – which cost more…
SOUTH Africa’s Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party in the governing coalition, went to court on Monday to challenge a land seizure law that U.S. President Donald Trump cited when cutting off aid to the country last year. The case has caused friction with the biggest party, the African National Congress, as the country gears up for municipal elections in November. The Expropriation Act allows the state to seize land in the public interest, in some cases without compensating the owner, as part of efforts to redress the legacy of apartheid. It has been the subject of lengthy and often acrimonious…
EBOLA response workers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo staged protests this week over unpaid salaries and allowances they say are nearly three months overdue, raising fresh concerns about the country’s ability to sustain efforts against one of the world’s largest Ebola outbreaks as insecurity and public mistrust continue to undermine containment measures. Dozens of health workers demonstrated on Sunday and Monday outside Ebola treatment centres in Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, all in the eastern province of Ituri, demanding the immediate payment of wages and field allowances they said had not been disbursed for almost three months. The protesters warned…
CAMEROON President Paul Biya has reshuffled the country’s senior military leadership, replacing commanders across most of the country’s regional military structure and promoting key officers, in a move that comes as questions intensify over his prolonged absence from public view. Three presidential decrees, signed on Monday and announced on state radio, promoted the commander of the Presidential Guard to the rank of brigadier general from colonel and replaced commanders in four of Cameroon’s five joint military regions. The changes also included the appointment of a new commander of the elite Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR), the promotion of Major General Ebaka…
U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trump repeatedly campaigned for his second term as a champion of free expression, vowing in his January 2025 inaugural address to stop what he described as years of “government censorship.” Since then, a wave of court rulings has concluded his administration has done the opposite. Reuters identified 75 federal-judge rulings finding Trump’s government infringed on First-Amendment rights including freedoms of speech, religion, and the press. The unprecedented pushback on constitutional grounds has included repeated findings that the administration chilled or squelched the speech of citizens and groups opposing the Republican’s agenda. “The President’s palpable misunderstanding that the…
THE PACIFIC Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its President, David Adeang, said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language. The country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. The pronunciation commonly known abroad as Now-roo, has been replaced and spoken as Now-ero. The move would return the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, according to a statement posted recently on the government’s Facebook account. The country became known internationally as Nauru only because its local…
THE FEDERAL High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking to invalidate Sections 138 and 77(5) of the Electoral Act, 2026, holding that the challenged provisions are consistent with the 1999 Constitution (as amended). In a judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, the court held that the action lacked merit and upheld preliminary objections challenging the competence of the suit. The NDC, which was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Feb. 5, instituted the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/635/2026 against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Clerk of the…
THE CATHOLIC Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) deserves commendation for demonstrating courage and moral responsibility by speaking truth to power at a critical moment in the nation’s history. At a time when many voices have chosen silence, the bishops have shown remarkable boldness by drawing the attention of the President and the government to the realities confronting Nigerians and by expressing concerns about the country’s current direction. A country cannot overcome its challenges when leaders are shielded from uncomfortable truths. Genuine development begins with honesty, transparency, accountability, and the willingness to confront realities rather than relying on narratives designed to…
THE UNITED Kingdom Mission says applications for the 2026/2027 Chevening Scholarships will open from Tuesday, Aug. 4, and close on Oct. 6, 2026. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the scholarship programme is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations. Established in 1983, Chevening offers fully funded one-year taught master’s degree programmes at UK universities to emerging leaders from around the world. The scheme targets individuals committed to driving positive change in their countries and contributing to solutions for global challenges. Emma Hennessey, Head of the Scholarships Unit at the UK Foreign,…