Homepage News from Sunday, June 28th, 2026

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday offered prayers and expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela as rescue workers battled to find survivors after two powerful earthquakes killed nearly 1,500 people.

A Saudi Aramco helicopter crashed near the company's Ras Tanura oil facilities on Sunday, killing all 14 people on board, Saudi state media reported.

A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

Iran launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday, sharply escalating tensions in the Gulf after American forces struck five Iranian military targets a day earlier.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will, in partnership with Rite Foods Limited, honour seven outstanding Nigerian undergraduates with ₦5 million each in a new academic excellence initiative.

Two-time Paralympic champion and world para-powerlifting giant Folashade Oluwafemiayo has been named captain of Team Nigeria for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has strongly criticised FIFA over the travel and visa problems his team faced during the 2026 World Cup, calling the tournament “a disaster” after Iran's campaign ended in the group stage.

A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and sparked a fire at a major oil refinery in southern Russia on Sunday, as both sides continued long-range strikes more than four years into the war.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has launched a new toll-free emergency hotline, 3367, to help residents quickly report traffic incidents, road emergencies and the conduct of traffic officers across the state.

Nigerian football administrator and sports commentator Ibukun "IBK Sports" Aluko is urging young footballers to learn skills outside football, saying it could protect their mental health and give them hope if they fail to become professionals.

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Sunday with 32 teams battling for a place in the Round of 16 after an exciting group stage across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

French health authorities say the country has recorded around 1,000 more deaths than expected during a severe heatwave that has affected much of western Europe in recent days.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that further military escalation remains on the table following a new round of American strikes on Iranian targets.

The Oyo State Government has lifted the curfew earlier imposed on 10 local government areas following a recent kidnapping incident in Oriire.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after she was allegedly caught with 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a false compartment of her luggage while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.

Africa has recorded a historic milestone at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, with nine of its ten representatives progressing to the Round of 32.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the state is strengthening its waste management system with new infrastructure to tackle sanitation challenges.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has condemned the killing of the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Ardo Risku, and his friend.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, says 24 Nigerian universities have been listed in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the country’s strongest performance so far.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to weaken Nigeria’s opposition parties and impose what he described as a “de facto one-party state.”