General news

• Why I won’t be at World Cup final – Argentina’s President

  16-07-2026 22:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Argentine President Javier Milei said Thursday he will not attend the World Cup 2026 final in the United States, preferring to continue watching his country take on Spain from home.Milei told El Observador radio that “under no circumstances” would he break his so-called good luck ritual of watching World Cup matches from the presidential residency, as he has done in the lead-up to Sunday’s final.He also shared another lucky ritual he has held dear throughout this edition of th
  
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• Palestinian teen footballer dies after shot during settler attack

  18-07-2026 19:20 via vanguardngr.com
  
  A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer died on Saturday, a week after he was shot during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives.Dozens of mourners dressed in black carried the body of Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan — a player for Al-Mughayyir Club and a member of the Palestinian national youth team — from the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to his village for burial.The Palestine Football Association accused Israeli forces of shoo
  
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• Mary Habila: Police spokesperson urges public to avoid unverified claims, calls for thorough investigation

  18-07-2026 19:17 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Jeff Agbodo, AbakalikiThe spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, CSP Nkeiruka Nwode, has urged Nigerians to refrain from spreading unverified information regarding the death of Miss Mary Habila.In a statement, Nwode described Habila’s death as a tragic loss and extended her condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and all those affected.She called on the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the
  
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• Stakeholders advocate market access solutions to reduce Nigeria’s agricultural waste

  18-07-2026 19:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Cynthia AloAt the backdrop of severe infrastructure gaps, some stakeholders in the agric value chain, including the Chief Executive Officer of Rashak Farms and Agro-Allied Limited, Rahmah Aderinoye and Executive Director of Community Action for Food Security, Azeez Salawu, have called for a paradigm shift from traditional storage interventions toward solving market access barriers to curb agricultural waste.This is even as they urged financial institutions and governments at the sub-national
  
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• NBA Election: Badejo-Okusanya extends lead as turnout crosses 21,000

  18-07-2026 19:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Henry OjeluSenior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has extended her lead in the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, presidential election, emerging as the candidate to beat after a dramatic start to the poll that was delayed by a cyberattack on the association’s electronic voting platform.Read Also: Cyberattack disrupts NBA presidential electionUpdated results released at about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday showed that 21,665 lawyers out of 82,164 registered voters had
  
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• Inuwa swears in 23 commissioners, urges appointees to deliver

  18-07-2026 19:03 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ben Ngwakwe, GombeGOMBE — Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on Saturday inaugurated 23 commissioners as well as newly appointed Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries, urging them to begin work immediately as his administration enters its final year in office.Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony at the International Conference Centre in Gombe, the governor said the new appointees had a responsibility to serve the people with integrity, diligence and accountability.H
  
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• Orji Kalu condoles Amaechi over mother’s death

  18-07-2026 19:00 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed condolences to former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, following the death of his mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Oduah Amaechi.In a statement issued on Saturday, Kalu described the late Dame Amaechi as a devoted mother, woman of faith and respected matriarch whose life reflected humility, compassion and commitment to her family and community.The former Abia
  
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• Nigeria needs merit-based appointments, policy consistency to fix power – Ex-TCN boss

  18-07-2026 18:52 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Former Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku-Tambuwal, says Nigeria needs merit-based appointments, policy consistency to fix its power sector.Tambuwal made the disclosure in an interview in Abuja.He advocated for the appointment of competent professionals based on merit rather than political considerations, saying effective leadership was critical to achieving a stable power supply.Tambuwal said private sector participation and state government i
  
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• Video: Kayinsola Ajayi beats Seville again to win London Diamond League’s 100m

  18-07-2026 18:38 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Kayinsola Ajayi raced to victory on Saturday, July 18 at the London Diamond League 2026 in the men’s 100 metres. He clocked 9.84 seconds, fending off reigning world champion Oblique Seville in the process.The Jamaican Seville came second in 9.87 at the London National Stadium, with Romell Grave of Team GB rounding out the top three in 9.97.Ajayi, just 21, equalled his season’s best. He’s the two-time and reigning collegiate champion in the NCAA.The race, held at the London Sta
  
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• Madonna, Cruise lead A-list stars at World Cup final

  18-07-2026 18:24 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The World Cup tournament was bigger than ever before this year, and so is the list of stars expected at MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s final, from Tom Cruise in the closing ceremony to Madonna and Shakira on the halftime stage.After five weeks of more than 100 matches in three countries, Spain and Argentina will vie for the title, but before the 80,000 fans on hand and billions of viewers at home find out who the victor will be, the venue will glisten with celebrities.And US President Donal
  
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• UK raises alarm as drug gangs lure young travellers with luxury holidays

  18-07-2026 18:14 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The UK Home Office has cautioned young people against accepting offers of free holidays or luxury travel packages from organised crime groups that recruit unsuspecting travellers to smuggle drugs into the country.The advisory, published on the Home Office website on July 17, 2026, was issued by Border Force ahead of the busy summer travel season following a significant increase in cannabis smuggling through UK airports.According to the Home Office, criminal networks are increasingly targeting s
  
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• Messi, Yamal come full circle in World Cup showdown

  18-07-2026 18:10 via vanguardngr.com
  
  When Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal line-up against each other in the World Cup final on Sunday it will mark the closing of an incredible full circle moment that has been two decades in the making.Read Also: Yamal is tremendous, facing him after baby photo is crazy – MessiIn 2007, a 20-year-old Messi and Yamal, born in July of that year, posed together in a photo organised by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), the global agency which provides humanitarian and development to chi
  
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• One dies as floods ravage Edo communities

  18-07-2026 18:05 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ozioruva AliuNo less than 20 houses in Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area and several other homes in surrounding villages have been destroyed by a heavy downpour in the last few days.A motorcyclist, simply identified as Uche, while coming to Igarra from Somorika, was swept away by the flood water and his body was only recovered two days after.Graves of some people buried at homes, like one along Okpe Road near the Igarra Police Station, were destroyed by the flood which
  
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• Brazil high court rules Argentina’s president cannot visit Bolsonaro

  18-07-2026 17:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Brazil’s top court on Saturday denied a request by Argentine President Javier Milei to visit former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest, a ruling obtained by AFP showed.Milei is expected to attend the convention of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party on July 25 in Sao Paulo, at which Bolsonaro’s son Flavio, a senator, is expected to be named the conservative movement’s candidate for the upcoming October polls.Bolsonaro’s attorneys had asked that Milei
  
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• Nonprofit partnerships expand food, education and health support in Lagos communities

  18-07-2026 17:34 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Partnerships between private companies and nonprofit organisations are supporting food distribution, education, health awareness and environmental programmes in underserved communities across Lagos.The interventions come amid wider social challenges. The World Food Programme estimates that close to 35 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity, while UNICEF reports that about 10.5 million Nigerian children aged five to 14 are not in school.One company participating in these initiatives is cry
  
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• Gunmen kidnap three mourning siblings, seize mother’s corpse in Benue

  18-07-2026 17:13 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Peter DuruThree siblings travelling from Abuja to Benue State with the remains of their late mother have reportedly been abducted by suspected armed herdsmen along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.The victims were said to have been kidnapped in the early hours of Saturday between Omutele and Ankpechi communities while transporting their mother’s body from Abuja to their hometown, Iklenyi in Okpokwu Local Government Area, LGA, for burial.A sourc
  
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• Senator Orji Kalu condoles with Amaechi over mother’s passing

  18-07-2026 17:10 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed sadness over the passing of Dame Ezinne Mary Oduah Amaechi, mother of former Governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.The former Abia state governor in a statement on Saturday, described the late Dame Amaechi as a devoted mother, woman of faith, and respected matriarch whose life was defined by humility, compassion, and commitment to her family,
  
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• UNICAL dismisses 8 staff, demotes one Don over exam fraud, others

  18-07-2026 16:58 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABARThe University of Calabar has dismissed eight members of staff and sanctioned another with a two-year promotion delay, following disciplinary actions approved at the institution’s 174th Governing Council meeting.The offences Vanguard learned ranges from examination malpractice to fund diversion and vandalism.A memo signed by the University Registrar, Dr Mrs Icha Chukwuka, who doubles as Secretary to Council, disclosed that the sanctions followed a review of disci
  
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• N210b duplicate allocations: Atiku demands NASS’ probe of 2026 budget

  18-07-2026 16:37 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiPresidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has demanded that the National Assembly (NASS) immediately conduct a comprehensive forensic review of the 2026 Appropriation Act, following revelations of over ₦210 billion in overlapping and duplicated allocations in the budget.In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the revelation, coming alongside Nigeria’s poor showing on nearly
  
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• ‘4 years not enough for him to finish Abuja work’: Tinubu, Shettima praise Wike

  18-07-2026 16:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJAPresident Bola Tinubu has declared that 50 years after creation, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is witnessing visible transformation, while his vice, Kashim Shettima, said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, needs more than four years to finish his work.They spoke in Abuja on Friday at a dinner organised to celebrate the inauguration of 31 projects across the territory within a 28-day window.The event drew top government functionaries and private sector players.Repr
  
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• Infantino’s enlarged World Cup gamble pays off with punters

  18-07-2026 15:45 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The World Cup has engaged punters like never before with an 80% increase in betting volume compared to the 2022 edition, even taking into account the higher number of matches for a 48-team tournament, a betting expert told AFP.Although many football fans were sceptical about the increase in the number of teams from 32 to 48, it appears punters have welcomed it.“We’ve seen an 80% increase in the ticket volume,” Darren Small, senior vice president of Managed Trading Services at
  
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• Military rescues over 40 victims, arrests over 20 terrorists in one week — DHQ

  18-07-2026 15:09 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have rescued more than 40 kidnapped victims, arrested over 20 suspected terrorists, collaborators and other criminal elements during coordinated operations across the country between July 10 and July 16.The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja in a statement on military operations nationwide.Onoja said then that during the operations the troops also neutralised several terrorists and dismantled
  
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• Mshel Homes Hutu Exclusive N-Trillion Golf Resort Estate in Abuja, sets a new standard for luxury living in Nigeria.

  18-07-2026 14:49 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Mshel Homes Limited has formally commissioned its flagship Mshel Hutu Exclusive Golf Resort Estate in Abuja, unveiling world class recreational and lifestyle facilities the company says will set a new benchmark for integrated luxury community living in Nigeria.

  The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mshel Homes, Arc. Barka Umaru Mshelia disclosed this at the commissioning ceremony, describing the estate as the product of a long held vision to combine quality housing w
  
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• Lebanon’s president departs for Washington to meet Trump

  18-07-2026 14:49 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy.It will be the first trip to Washington by a Lebanese head of state since Michel Sleiman was received by Barack Obama in 2009.Aoun will hold discussions “with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire”, particularly in Lebanon’s
  
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• Buhari-era military rivalry denied troops air support, says Bwala

  18-07-2026 14:31 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has alleged that a rivalry between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration resulted in troops being denied air support during some military operations.Bwala made the claim while speaking recently on The Link Up Podcast, a panel discussion hosted by EchoRoom and published on Friday.According to him, tensions between the Chief of Air Staff and the leadership of the Nigerian Army at the time affecte
  
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• US-Iran fighting escalates with infrastructure targeted

  18-07-2026 14:28 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Iran on Saturday struck infrastructure in the Gulf and threatened a “full-scale offensive” in retaliation for the seventh consecutive night of US strikes on the Islamic republic.A month after they agreed a preliminary deal aimed at ending their war, fighting has intensified, with Tehran accusing Washington of hitting an airport, railway station and bridges.Iran retaliated Saturday with strikes on an oil facility in Kuwait as well as a power and water plant, authorities in the Gulf s
  
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• My dream collaboration is with Rihanna – Davido

  18-07-2026 14:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido has named global icon Rihanna as his dream international collaborator.He made the remark during a live stream interview on Twitch with the host @Theboyfromojo.“Rihanna is my dream collab, but she’s not into music again. She makes billions from her makeup business now,” the singer said.Davido acknowledged his admiration for Rihana, noting that a collaboration between them would make “dope music”.The “I Know Who I Be” c
  
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• Photos: Burna Boy reunites with Shakira ahead of World Cup final halftime show

  18-07-2026 13:41 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy has reunited with Colombian music sensation Shakira ahead of their performance at the inaugural FIFA World Cup final halftime show.On Friday, Burna Boy shared a video on his X account showing the pair exchanging hugs, smiles and laughter during rehearsals for Sunday’s historic event at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States.The Grammy-winning singer accompanied the post with the caption: “Sunday Prep! @shakira See you at the @FIFAWorldCup Final! D
  
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• RCCG cleric calls for overhaul of Nigeria’s democracy, cost-cutting measures

  18-07-2026 13:07 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Olayinka LatonaA top cleric of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has called for a fundamental reassessment of Nigeria’s democratic system, arguing that the current model is “unsustainable” and was imposed without proper adaptation to local realities.Assistant General Overseer of RCCG for Continent 3, which covers South West Nigeria, the Middle East, and other regions, Pastor Johnson Funso Odesola, made the remarks during the church’s annual 21-day Destiny En
  
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• Yamal is tremendous, facing him after baby photo is crazy – Messi

  18-07-2026 13:02 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Argentina captain Lionel Messi has described it as “just crazy” that he will face Spain’s teenage sensation, Lamine Yamal, in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, years after an iconic photograph showed him cradling the future star as a baby.Speaking at the Fan Fanantics event on Friday ahead of the final, Messi reflected on the widely shared image, saying it was extraordinary how fate had brought them together on football’s biggest stage.“That picture with Lamine
  
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