POPE Leo XIV has praised the United States’ long tradition of welcoming immigrants, describing it as one of the country’s greatest strengths, in remarks that stand in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies. President Trump Speaking in an interview with American broadcaster NBC, the first US-born pontiff also reaffirmed his love for America, celebrated its ideals of freedom and opportunity, and expressed hope that he would visit his homeland within the next couple of years. The Pope made the remarks on Wednesday evening following a prayer service for peace at Castel Gandolfo. The event featured renowned Italian…
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THE FEDERAL Government has begun moves to train about 11,700 teachers in Federal Unity Colleges in Artificial Intelligence (AI), following the signing of an agreement for the nationwide rollout of an AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme. The Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja. Boriowo said that the programme was aimed at equipping teachers with digital competencies to improve lesson delivery, classroom assessment and overall learning outcomes. She said the programme would be implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with ICEDT Consult Limited.…
GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the May 15, 2026 abduction of pupils and teachers from Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire LGA of the state. Governor Makinde The abducted pupils and teachers were rescued on July 10, 2026 after 56 days in captivity. Mr Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Ibadan. Oyelade said that the commission was expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the abduction and identify the factors that led to the security breach. He said…
EUROPE’s football establishment has dramatically escalated its standoff with FIFA after UEFA and its 55 member associations unanimously voted to boycott all FIFA competitions if the world governing body proceeds with plans to sell minority ownership stakes in the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments, setting the stage for the biggest governance crisis in modern football. The unprecedented move places enormous pressure on FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, whose proposal to create a new commercial subsidiary valued at around $20 billion and sell up to a 20% stake to external investors now faces coordinated resistance from several…
FRANCE, Spain and Greece battled major wildfires on Thursday, with Spain bringing one blaze under control but facing new threats as intense heat, dry vegetation and powerful winds kept much of southern Europe on alert. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez downgraded the emergency level for a major fire on the border between Madrid and Castilla y Leon, but warned the danger had not passed as at least 10 other blazes caused concern across the country. In France, two people were arrested on suspicion of arson as crews contained a vast fire near Bordeaux, while fires in Greece killed three firefighters…
DETAINED prominent Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who collapsed while in court on Wednesday, is unconscious and has been admitted to an intensive care unit, his wife said in an X post early on Thursday. Besigye, 70, collapsed in a court in the capital Kampala where he is standing trial for treason. He was taken away in an ambulance. Detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye gestures before he collapsed while attending a court session where he is on trial for treason, at the High court in Kampala, Uganda, July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa In a post on the X platform,…
ANTHONY Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, declined to answer questions at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination and accusing Republican Senator Rand Paul of an “unhinged” campaign to see him imprisoned. Fauci, who is 85 and retired in 2022, was subpoenaed by Paul of Kentucky, the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a longtime adversary. Fauci accused Paul of an “unhinged” campaign to see him imprisoned, and refused to answer more than 100 questions. Paul said Fauci was not allowed to plead the Fifth Amendment right to…
A FRESH wave of Russian missile and drone attacks has intensified pressure on Ukraine’s already strained air defences while exposing deep shortcomings in civilian shelter infrastructure, leaving residents increasingly fearful and frustrated as the war enters its fifth year. Russia launched one of its latest large-scale overnight aerial assaults on Ukraine, firing more than 70 missiles and about 280 drones at targets across the country, with Kyiv and the western city of Lviv among the main targets. Ukrainian authorities said at least nine civilians, including children, were killed and dozens more injured in the attacks, while homes, schools and other…
By Our Reporter, With Agency Reports NIGERIA has destroyed 2,819 illicit and obsolete firearms recovered from criminal groups and security operations across the country, as authorities intensified efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons fuelling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes. The destruction exercise, carried out in Abuja by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to prevent recovered weapons from re-entering circulation and to strengthen national security. Mr Kokumo, Director-General of NCOSALW, delivers a speech during a public destruction exercise at the Muhammadu…
MORE than 1,500 people have died from Ebola in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as health authorities battle one of the fastest-growing epidemics on record. The Congolese government said on Thursday that 1,521 people had been confirmed dead from the virus since the outbreak began in late April, while laboratory-confirmed infections rose to 3,442 cases. Official figures showed the fatality rate stood at 44 per cent, indicating that nearly half of all confirmed Ebola cases recorded during the outbreak had resulted in death. Health experts believe the actual number of infections could be significantly…