General news

• Venezuela earthquake death toll exceeds 5,000

  18-07-2026 09:29 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month killed over 5,000 people, officials said, while announcing they drew hundreds of millions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for reconstruction.The 7.2  and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on June 24, decimating the coastal state of La Guaira, located north of Caracas.The disasters killed 5,069 people, National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez posted on Telegram, with most casualties occur
  
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• Nigeria, Senegal pledge to revive joint commission

  19-07-2026 08:56 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Nigeria and Senegal have pledged to revive their Joint Commission by exploring opportunities to deepen collaboration between the two countries.This is contained in a statement issued byMr Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Saturday in Abuja.Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye and Senegalese Foreign Affairs Minister, Cheikh Niang, made the commitment during a bilateral meeting at the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sier
  
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• When healthcare stops being a promise: AbdulRazaq’a quiet revolution in Kwara

  19-07-2026 04:20 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Abdulsalam OlesinEvery community has a hospital that tells a story. Some tell stories of neglect, where broken equipment gathered dust, overstretched health workers struggled with limited resources, and patients travelled long distances in search of quality care. Others tell stories of hope, where government investment restores confidence in public healthcare and brings life-saving services closer to the people.For many years, Kwara belonged largely to the first category. Decades of underinv
  
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• I heard students shouting ‘bandits, bandits’: Oriire survivor narrates dramatic capture

  19-07-2026 03:57 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Matilda IkediobiTales of students being abducted from schools have become all too common in Nigeria, but until recently, nothing of the sort had ever been recorded in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. That changed on the fateful morning of May 15, when gunmen stormed Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers. As the attackers descended on the schools, pupils writing their tests screamed: &ldqu
  
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• Cultists trailing rivals linked to NURTW leaders open fire on police

  19-07-2026 03:42 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Evelyn UsmanWe did not know there were policemen in the area. It was Temidayo who fired the gun, while I was hit by bullets fired by the policemen.”This was the account of 45-year-old Tosin Agbeyangi, a caterer arrested after a failed reprisal attack by suspected cultists in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos, ended in a gun battle with policemen on routine patrol.Agbeyangi, who sustained a gunshot wound in the leg during the exchange of fire, told journalists that he and members
  
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• After Orire, Kogi operation: 529 kidnapped schoolchildren, worshipers, farmers, others remain in captivity

  19-07-2026 03:34 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …for more than 60 days•Borno, Kwara, Kaduna, Zamfara hard hit•DHQ: 1, 754 captives regained freedom in six months•‘Hostages figure could top 7, 000 across seven states’•Security experts blame poor intelligence coordination, weak political will•CSOs charge govt to dismantle kidnapping networks, create national hostage databaseBy Nnamdi OjiegoBarely days after security forces secured the release of the 39 pupils and seven teachers abducte
  
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• FG urged to deploy joint security team to troubled Ogun community

  19-07-2026 02:56 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Community leaders, residents and a licensed mining operator in Feru Community, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have urged Federal Government to deploy a coordinated joint security operation to halt persistent violence, protect lawful mining activities and restore normalcy to the area amid a protracted land dispute.The appeal was made in separate statements by community representatives, traditional leaders, residents and Alhaji Gbenga Ibuoye, a licensed laterite miner who said h
  
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• UNICEF hails Sokoto’s child welfare drive

  19-07-2026 02:44 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Musa UbandawakiSOKOTO: The Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, has declared that Nigeria’s successful eradication of the wild polio virus demonstrates that even the most difficult public health challenges can be overcome through strong political leadership, community participation and sustained partnerships.Russell made the remark on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Sokoto State Government as part of her mission to Nigeria. S
  
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• Smugglers block Ota-Idiroko Road as illicit trade thrives 

  19-07-2026 02:42 via vanguardngr.com
  
  •Schoolchildren, workers, others stranded•Customs: We are not awareBy Kennedy MbeleFor several months now, residents and motorists, among others, plying Ota-Idiroko Road in Ogun State have been having it rough as smugglers bringing in rice, turkey and groundnut oil from Republic of Benin have been blocking the highway at will, thereby disrupting vehicular traffic.Some residents in the area said this was the height of the illicit trade that causes government to lose revenue and di
  
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• ‘AI agents’ll drive next wave of digital commerce’

  19-07-2026 02:00 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Visa has disclosed plans to strengthen its payment infrastructure by leveraging Artificial Intelligence, AI, stablecoin and tokenisation technologies to improve payment experiences for consumers and businesses.The company said the initiative is aimed at providing the infrastructure and intelligence needed to drive innovation across both the front- and back-end of payments as commerce becomes increasingly intelligent, programmable and embedded in everyday experiences.Regional President for Centr
  
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• Reviewing NAMA’s impressive 2026 mid-year performance 

  19-07-2026 01:52 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Abdul Jayu Over the years, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has maintained a safe and stable air navigation environment.  The agency under the leadership of its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar entered 2026 with the enormous responsibility of sustaining safe, efficient and reliable air navigation services amid rising aircraft movements, ageing infrastructure, funding constraints and increasing demands for technological modernisation.&nbs
  
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• Delta 2027: Great Ogboru on a rescue mission…

  19-07-2026 01:51 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Martha AjagbawaPresently, in Delta State, there is a lot of shenanigans going on, coupled with misplaced priorities regarding some fundamental projects. The MORE Agenda of the Oborevwori administration, three years down the line, seems ineffective and inconsequential.Many Deltans were taken aback when the Governor announced the construction of 25 police divisional headquarters—one in each local government area (LGA) of the state—not too long ago, thereby appearing to usurp a
  
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• How did Sheriff happen to Delta?

  19-07-2026 01:49 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ejiro IdamaDelta people are resilient. We will manage flood, manage NEPA, abi BEDC sef, manage fuel price, and still find time to manage politics. But every once in a while, a question escapes from the beer parlour, the keke, the WhatsApp group: “How did Sheriff happen to Delta State?”It’s not an insult. It’s not praise. It’s that particular Nigerian question we ask when history takes a left turn and we are all in the bus.  This is not a witch-hun
  
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• Koulamallah: Africa’s lone voice, by Patrick Omorodion

  19-07-2026 01:47 via vanguardngr.com
  
  During the week I saw a letter from the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to FIFA Secretary General registering Nigeria’s support for the re-election of Gianni infantino as FIFA president posted by my colleague, Charles Anazodo.I then remembered the actions of Infantino at the ongoing World Cup which has brought disrepute to football and its organisation.Strikingly, no word of dissent from any African country, that is the federations or the head of their continental body, CAF, Dr. Patrice
  
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• The odd quirks of Peter Obi at sixty-five

  19-07-2026 01:32 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Valentine ObienyemThe Greek biographer Plutarch, in the preamble to his ”Life of Alexander”, observed: ”I am writing biography, not history; and the most brilliant exploits do not always manifest a man’s virtue or vice so well as a slight thing, a word or a jest, which often tells us more of his character than a siege where ten thousand die.” He understood that greatness is often revealed not by monumental achievements but by seemingly insignificant habits and m
  
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• It’s time to move forward, by Funmi Komolafe

  19-07-2026 01:30 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Brethren, let’s thank God for a new day.  For us, it should be a time to move forward.Moving forward means moving from the point you are now to a new point.  Indeed a new status.It also means, it is time to make up your mind to shift from stagnation to motion.It could also mean a time that you want to put challenges behind you and have a better life.All of these are possible but with the help of God.For it is written, John 15 vs. 5 ( KJV): “I am the vine, ye are the branch
  
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• Nigeria’s democracy without legislators and judiciary, by Dele Sobowale

  19-07-2026 01:28 via vanguardngr.com
  
  “Legislators have the first place in the temple of glory; conquerors come behind them” – Voltaire, 1694-1778, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 126When one of the world’s leading philosophers made that remark in the eighteenth century, democracy was a new idea. What another sage, half a world away, in America, described as “the government of the people, by the people and for the people” was an intoxicating new form of government – promising freed
  
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• The toy-boy that was the best thing to happen to this cougar!

  19-07-2026 01:26 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Bunmi SofolaAngela was in her mid 30s when she became broody.  “I began to wonder if I’d ever settle down, and become a mum”, she said.  “To say I’d live life to the full so far would be an understatement.  My 20s and the majority of my 30s had consisted of mild partying, travelling as an air hostess and being a free spirit.  Long-term relationships had never stuck and I was the ultimate single girl.  Thanks to my job, I’d met
  
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• Senate: Thank you, but…, by Tonnie Iredia

  19-07-2026 01:17 via vanguardngr.com
  
  In recent times, new narratives are emerging daily in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity. On a daily basis, we now hear of bandits and kidnappers that are captured by our gallant security forces. New developments, more impetus, greater hopes. Also, recently, the Nigerian senate approved a donation of fifty million naira (N50m) to the families of five individuals who lost their lives during the rescue operation that followed the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire local
  
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• England beat France 6-4 in World Cup third-place playoff

  19-07-2026 01:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  England beat France 6-4 in a high-scoring World Cup third-place playoff thanks to a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka while Kylian Mbappe became the highest scorer in the tournament’s history.France were 4-0 down at half-time but coach Didier Deschamps made substitutions at half-time and Mbappe notched the 22nd World Cup goal of his career,Despite a spirited France comeback England hung on to win.
  The post England beat France 6-4 in World Cup third-place playoff appeared first on Vanguard News.
  
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• Kebbi commissioner lights up community, declares war on crimes, mosquitoes

  19-07-2026 01:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Victor Ahiuma-YoungBIRNIN KEBBI — In a move aimed at boosting security and promoting public health, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed, has donated solar-powered street lights and anti-mosquito chemical spray to residents of Rafin Atiku Ta Gabas in Birnin Kebbi.
  The initiative, flagged off on Saturday, is expected to improve visibility on major streets, deter criminal activities and create a healthier environment by reducing mosquito infestation in t
  
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• Jonathan commiserates with Amaechi over mother’s death

  19-07-2026 00:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed sadness over the passing of Dame Mary Amaechi, mother of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.Jonathan, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, on Saturday in Abuja, extended his heartfelt sympathies to Amaechi, the entire Amaechi family and all those mourning the late matriarch.He described the death of a mother as a profound loss, noting that although death is inevitable, the enduring legacy of a li
  
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• Lagos: Troops arrest 6 illegal bunkering suspects at Orile

  18-07-2026 23:42 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiThe Nigerian Army, weekend, said that it’s troops of 65 Battalion have successfully dismantled a suspected illegal bunkering site in the Orile area of Lagos State, leading to the arrest of six suspects and the recovery of items linked to the illicit activity.Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations said, “The operation, conducted on 16 July 2026, followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected economic saboteurs op
  
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• Oyo APC crisis deepens as six governorship aspirants reject Sharafadeen Alli’s candidacy

  18-07-2026 23:28 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Adeola BadruA fresh crisis has emerged within the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after six of the party’s 11 governorship aspirants rejected the emergence of Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 general election.The aggrieved aspirants insisted that the APC has not lawfully produced a governorship candidate, arguing that the process leading to Alli’s emergence failed to comply with the provisions of the Elect
  
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• Spain’s Yamal aims to join elite club of teenage World Cup winners

  18-07-2026 23:23 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Lionel Messi will become the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final on Sunday as Spain’s Lamine Yamal seeks to join an elite group of teenage winners.The match at the MetLife Stadium will be the first meeting between Argentina’s Messi and the player who has succeeded him as Barcelona’s new homegrown idol.The only player to appear in a final at an older age than Messi is Dino Zoff, the Italy goalkeeper who was 40 in 1982.Yamal, in sharp contrast, only turned 19 l
  
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• Wenger admits World Cup hydration breaks split opinion

  18-07-2026 22:30 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Arsene Wenger said Saturday he accepted that the hydration breaks used at this year’s World Cup were not universally popular and said FIFA will assess whether to implement them in the same way in the future.Wenger, FIFA’s head of global football development, told a briefing on the eve of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina: “Sometimes people didn’t like it and we have to analyse after the World Cup what the impact was.”For this World Cup, FIFA brought i
  
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• Three die, four injured in lone truck accident in Anambra – FRSC

  18-07-2026 22:20 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra Sector Command, has confirmed the death of three persons while four others sustained injuries in a lone road crash along the Nnobi–Agulu–Awka Road.The Sector Commander, Mrs Bridget Asekhauno, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Awka.Asekhauno said the crash occurred on Friday near St Jude Catholic Church, Adazi-Ani, and involved a Mercedes-Benz 608 commercial truck with registration number XB270NNL.She said a preliminary investi
  
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• Gang members shoot policeman while gunning for rivals linked to NURTW leaders

  18-07-2026 22:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Evelyn Usman“We did not know there were policemen in the area. It was Temidayo who fired the gun, while I was hit by bullets fired by the policemen.”Read Also: Herdsmen seize mourning siblings, mother’s corpse in BenueThis was the account of 45-year-old Agbeyangi, a caterer arrested after a failed reprisal attack by suspected cultists in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos, ended in a gun battle with policemen on routine patrol.Agbeyangi, who sustained a gunshot wound in the
  
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• Back-to-back World Cup winners: Argentina seek to join elite group

  18-07-2026 21:26 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Argentina are one game away from becoming just the third team to successfully defend the World Cup, with European champions Spain standing in their way.AFP Sport looks at how previous winners fared if they reached the final at the following tournament.Italy, 1938Italy were the first team in World Cup history to retain their title, beating Hungary 4-2 in the final of the 1938 tournament in France.Four years earlier they had edged past Czechoslovakia in the final in Rome.The Italians wore black s
  
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• OAIC opposes proposed FRSC bill provision on preaching in commercial vehicles

  18-07-2026 21:16 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) has expressed concern over reports that a proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act could classify preaching in commercial vehicles alongside activities such as hawking.The statement was signed by Elder Israel Akinadewo, FCA, PhD, President of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), Nigeria Region. In it, the association said it believes preaching should not be treated in the same manner as commerci
  
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