General news

• Hakimi ‘calm’ despite facing rape trial, says Morocco coach

  20-06-2026 11:02 via vanguardngr.com
  Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is “very calm” despite confirmation that he faces trial in France on rape charges, his national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi said after the 1-0 win over Scotland at the World Cup on Friday.“He is fine. He woke up this morning, ate like everyone else, got ready for the game and motivated everyone,” Ouahbi said of the Paris Saint-Germain player.“He was there in the dressing room, focused and determined to put in a big performance. He did th
  
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• Germany beat Ivory Coast to reach World Cup knockouts

  21-06-2026 00:08 via vanguardngr.com
  Germany reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014 with a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday.Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice, including the crucial goal four minutes into injury time, triggering a massive roar from the overwhelmingly pro-German crowd of 43,000 in Toronto.Germany had not advanced from the group stage since winning the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and coach Julian Nagelsmann had been under huge pressure to make that breakt
  
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• Potter says ‘harsh’ World Cup hammering will make Sweden better

  20-06-2026 23:38 via vanguardngr.com
  Coach Graham Potter said his Sweden team will learn and be better for their 5-1 World Cup hammering by a rampant Netherlands on Saturday.The Swedes thrashed Tunisia by the same scoreline to launch their campaign but came crashing back down to Earth in Houston.Potter’s men, who would have reached the last 32 with a win, were 4-0 down after two goals each from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo.Anthony Elanga pulled one back before Crysencio Summerville put the seal on a five-star display for Ron
  
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• Doku out of Belgium’s World Cup match against Iran with illness

  20-06-2026 23:20 via vanguardngr.com
  Winger Jeremy Doku has been ruled out of Belgium’s second World Cup group match against Iran at SoFi Stadium due to illness, the Belgian team announced on Saturday.Rudi Garcia’s side face Iran on Sunday looking to build on an opening 1-1 draw with Egypt, but will do so without Manchester City player Doku.“Due to illness, Jeremy Doku will not be part of the squad for our upcoming game against Iran,” Belgium posted on social media.Doku started against Egypt but struggled t
  
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• ‘Not ridiculous’: US dreams of winning World Cup after big wins

  20-06-2026 23:16 via vanguardngr.com
  Could the United States really win the World Cup?After two opening victories, by an aggregate 6-1 scoreline, that is the wildly optimistic question being posed to many US television pundits, including Fox’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who answered a simple “Yes.”While aware they are still vast underdogs against traditional powerhouses like Spain, France and Argentina, the US players were not exactly afraid to stoke those hugely ambitious dreams either, after beating Australia 2-0 Frid
  
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• UNIBEN gets NUC’s approval for 6 new undergraduate, postgraduate courses

  20-06-2026 22:43 via vanguardngr.com
  The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved six new full-time undergraduate programmes and additional postgraduate courses for the University of Benin (UNIBEN), effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.Dr Benedicta Ehanire, Public Relations Officer of the university announced this in a statement on Saturday in Benin.The university’s spokesperson said the approval followed the successful resource assessment of the proposed programmes by the commission.Ehanire said the deve
  
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• Kano by-election: INEC, security adjudge election peaceful, hitch-free

  20-06-2026 22:17 via vanguardngr.com
  The Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amb. Abdu Zango, has adjudged the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency bye-election as peaceful and hitch-free.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zango stated this while speaking with newsmen at Warawa, headquarters of Warawa Local Government Area, shortly after monitoring the ongoing election exercise.The resident electoral commissioner described the exercise as smooth and pea
  
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• Ortom rejects Benue govt probe report, labels inquiry ‘political witch-hunt’

  20-06-2026 21:36 via vanguardngr.com
  ..says alleged unaccounted N139.8bn baselessBy Peter Duru, MakurdiFormer Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has rejected the report of the Benue State Income and Expenditure Commission of Inquiry, describing the exercise as a politically motivated witch-hunt orchestrated by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.In a statement issued Saturday by his media aide, Zege Terhide, Ortom said the commission’s report was “fundamentally flawed, legally challenged and politically motivat
  
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• Netherlands crush Sweden 5-1 to move within reach of last 32

  20-06-2026 21:19 via vanguardngr.com
  The Netherlands put one foot in the World Cup knockout rounds with a stylish 5-1 demolition of Sweden on Saturday.Sweden, themselves 5-1 winners against Tunisia in their opening Group F match, went into Saturday’s showdown with the Dutch in Houston knowing that a victory would guarantee their passage out of the group stage.But Graham Potter’s side were torn apart by a rampant Netherlands team, who roared into a 2-0 lead after after just 17 minutes thanks to a brace from Sunderland&r
  
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• IMG strengthens balance sheet, equity grows 100%As shareholders get N365.5m dividend

  20-06-2026 21:16 via vanguardngr.com
  By Preter EgwuatuIndustrial &Medical Gases (IMG) Nigeria Plc has delivered a resilient performance in 2025, doubling shareholders’ equity to N11.84 billion and paying a cash dividend of N365.5 million, amounting to 50 kobo per share, despite a challenging business environment marked by inflationary pressures, rising operating costs, and foreign exchange volatility.
  The audited results show that total equity rose from N5.91 billion in 2024 to N11.84 billion in 2025, while share capital
  
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• Raphinha set to miss rest of World Cup after harmstring injury

  20-06-2026 20:41 via vanguardngr.com
  Brazil and Barcelona winger Raphinha has suffered another injury setback, raising fears that his 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign could be over and adding further uncertainty to his future at club level.The 29-year-old was forced off in the 40th minute of Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Haiti after experiencing discomfort in his right thigh.According to Xavi Hernandez Navarro of ARA, medical tests have confirmed a hamstring tear, affecting the same muscle group that has troubled the Brazilian repea
  
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• Photos: Twin brothers wed twin sisters same day in Ibadan

  20-06-2026 20:38 via vanguardngr.com
  A rare and remarkable wedding celebration took place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday, as twin brothers exchanged vows with twin sisters in a joint ceremony that has attracted widespread attention on social media.Oguntoye Taiwo Oye married a bride who shares his name, Taiwo, while his twin brother, Oguntoye Kehinde Oladele, tied the knot with another twin bride named Kehinde.The couples announced their marriage in a joint post on Facebook, where they also shared photographs from their traditio
  
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• Ronaldinho comes out of retirement at age 46

  20-06-2026 20:15 via vanguardngr.com
  Former Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement aged 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier, according to reports in Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.The sports daily said that Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday and that he was already in the United States for the World Cup.Consulted by AFP, a source close to the deal confirmed the news.“I can’t wait to get back dancing with the ball again and to write a
  
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• Ekiti GUBER: Oyebanji secures landslide at senate leader Bamidele’s polling unit

  20-06-2026 20:08 via vanguardngr.com
  By Rotimi Ojomoyela Ado EkitiGovernor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured a landslide victory at the polling unit of Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in Saturday’s Ekiti governorship election.Announcing results, Polling Officer Ms. Elizabeth Oregbemeh said Oyebanji polled 164 votes.PDP governorship candidate Dr. Wole Oluyede scored 8 votes, while Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate Mr. Ayodeji Ojo got 1 vote.Bamidele, who voted earlier, expressed sat
  
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• Trump wants ICE renamed ‘NICE’

  20-06-2026 20:05 via vanguardngr.com
  US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to “NICE” by adding the letter “N” for “National,” saying the change would confuse critics in the media and among Democratic Party opponents.In a post shared on his official X handle on Saturday, Trump launched a poll on the proposal while defending the agency and criticising its portrayal in the media.“POLL: ICE has been abused by the Fake News Media a
  
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• Oyebanji sweeps own polling unit with 326 of 333 votes in Ekiti West

  20-06-2026 19:55 via vanguardngr.com
  By Dayo Johnson Ado EkitiThe candidate of the All Progressive Congress and the governor Biodun Oyebanji has won his polling unit in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.Results from Polling Unit 003, Oyebanji’s Compound, RA 04, Ekiti West LGA showes the governor polling 326 votes out of 333 accredited voters at the unit.The unit has 668 registered voters.The African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 2 votes, Action Democratic Party (ADP) 1 vote, and African Action Congress (AAC) 1
  
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• Real Madrid say no contact with Bayern’s Olise

  20-06-2026 19:48 via vanguardngr.com
  Spanish giants Real Madrid said Saturday they have not made any contact with Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise over a potential transfer.The France international, currently at the World Cup, has been linked with Madrid by Spanish media, reporting Los Blancos were considering making a bid of more than 200 million euros ($230m).“In light of the information published in various media outlets regarding an alleged interest of our club in Bayern Munich player Michael Olise, Real Madrid wishes
  
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• Ekiti 2026: INEC official rates Ekiti election as peaceful, commends security agencies

  20-06-2026 19:28 via vanguardngr.com
  Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti, has commended voters and election officials for their peaceful and professional conduct across the state.Omoseyindemi told journalists after monitoring the governorship exercise in the state on Saturday that the election was largely peaceful.“We never had it so good. You can see that people came out to vote, and there were no reports of violence. Everything went on pe
  
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• Ekiti 2026: Observers commend BVAS performance, raise concern over vote buying

  20-06-2026 19:21 via vanguardngr.com
  The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub has commended the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Ekiti governorship Election.The hub, however, expressed concern over incidents of vote-buying, voter intimidation and ballot-paper irregularities.The hub, comprising the Kukah Centre, TAF Africa, Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), made this known in a preliminary statement issue
  
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• ‘Fulani leaders should raise N150m ransom’ – Igboho issues ultimatum over kidnapped pregnant woman

  20-06-2026 19:19 via vanguardngr.com
  By Adeola Badru Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Igboho, Oyo State. He said they should raise the ransom of N150 million demanded for the release of a pregnant woman, her children and a sibling allegedly abducted by suspected Fulani gunmen.Read Also: Ireland deports 42 South Africans, sets new visa requirementsIgboho accused the kidnappers of terrorising residents of the community and insist
  
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• Ogun relocates students over methane gas pollution

  20-06-2026 19:11 via vanguardngr.com
  By James Ogunnaike, AbeokutaThe Ogun State government has temporarily relocated students of Our Lady of Apostles Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, to an alternative location as investigations into the recent chemical inhalation incident on the school premises intensify.Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed this during an on-the-spot assessment of the school, noting that preliminary findings have confirmed the presence of methane gas in the affected area.The governor explained that the relocation becam
  
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• Ekiti 2026: Fayemi, Arise hail smooth voting process

  20-06-2026 19:10 via vanguardngr.com
  Former Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti has commended the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election in the state, describing the accreditation and voting process as seamless.Fayemi, who spoke with newsmen after casting his vote at his Ward 11, Unit 9, Ogilolo, Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of the state, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its efficiency in the handling of the exercise.“It was a smooth experience, and everything went reasonably wel
  
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• AfCFTA: Nigeria flags-off East, Southern Africa air cargo corridor with RwandAir

  20-06-2026 18:56 via vanguardngr.com
  Cuts export freight costs below $2/kgBy Yinka KolawoleThe Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has formally flagged off the expanded Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor in partnership with RwandAir, in a move to lower export logistics costs and strengthen Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
  A key highlight of the initiative is the sharp reduction in air cargo charges for exports to major African markets. Through
  
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• Ireland deports 42 South Africans, sets new visa requirements

  20-06-2026 18:28 via vanguardngr.com
  No fewer than 42 South African nationals, who were living in Ireland illegally, have been deported back to Johannesburg, and arrived on Friday in a chartered flight.
  Read Also: South Africa to charge FG for cost of deporting NigeriansThe deportees included nine men, 18 women, and 15 children. The children were deported as part of their family units. They departed from Dublin Airport on Thursday afternoon and landed in South Africa on Friday morning.According to reports from The Irish Times on J
  
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• ‘You want friendship after Iran defeat,’ Trump; ‘Your attacks senseless,’ Meloni fires back

  20-06-2026 18:21 via vanguardngr.com
  Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni fired back at US President Donald Trump on Saturday, saying his “constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless” after he escalated a diplomatic row by accusing her of repeatedly seeking a photograph with him.The clash has opened an unusually personal rift between Trump and one of Europe’s most prominent right-wing leaders, who had sought to cast herself as a bridge between Washington and the continent during Trump’s return to power.Trump
  
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• Ekiti election: INEC begins upload of results on IReV

  20-06-2026 18:13 via vanguardngr.com
  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the upload of polling unit results from the Ekiti governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).The results began appearing on the portal at about 4:10 p.m. on Saturday following concerns from stakeholders over the delay in making polling unit outcomes available online.In one of the early results confirmed, the governor and candidate of the APC, Biodun Oyebanji, defeated the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidat
  
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• Iran singer, artistes sentenced to 74 lashes each over concert

  20-06-2026 18:09 via vanguardngr.com
  An Iranian court sentenced a prominent singer named Parastoo Ahmadi and a group of seven fellow artists to 74 lashes each after they livestreamed a performance on YouTube, according to her videographer and local media.The concert featured Ahmadi singing powerful, mournful songs to an empty audience, on a dimly-lit stage adorned solely with a large Persian carpet in the grounds of a traditional caravanserai complex.Ahmadi was backed by a pianist, drummer, guitarist and bassist.All the musicians
  
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• Ebola: FG approves N21.2m outbreak response fund for each state

  20-06-2026 18:06 via vanguardngr.com
  The Federal Government has approved the release of N21.2 million in outbreak investigation and response funds to each state to strengthen preparedness against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other public health threats.This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen by Mr Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on Saturday in Abuja.According to Bako, Prof. Mohammed Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Socia
  
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• NANS threatens nationwide protest over two‑month delay in NELFUND allowances

  20-06-2026 18:03 via vanguardngr.com
  By Joseph Erunke, AbujaThe National Association of Nigerian Students ,NANS, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government and the management of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund ,NELFUND, demanding the immediate release of outstanding students’ upkeep allowances or risk a nationwide mass action that could culminate in the occupation of the agency’s headquarters.In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, expressed outr
  
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• Ekiti Governorship Election: Fayemi commends smooth conduct, arise expresses APC confidence

  20-06-2026 17:59 via vanguardngr.com
  By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ado EkitiFormer Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has commended the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election, describing the accreditation and voting process as smooth and seamless across his polling unit.Fayemi cast his vote at Ward 11, Unit 9, Ogilolo, Isan-Ekiti, Isan-Ekiti Local Government Area, where he praised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as improved efficiency.“It was a smooth experience
  
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