WHALEXTRA

Popular Nigerian actor Blossom Chukwujekwu and his wife, Winifred Akhuemokhan Ehinome, welcome a newborn daughter The Christ Embassy Lagos Virtual Zone (CELVZ) Phenom church revealed on Instagram on Sunday that the baby’s name is Angela-Ritsa Evanna Chukwujekwu. Their church also congratulated the couple and prayed for divine love, joy, and grace as they welcomed their first child together. “Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Angela-Ritsa Evanna Chukwujekwu.” The post reads: “Brother Blossom Chukwujekwu and Pastor Ehinome Chukwujekwu.” “We rejoice with you on this beautiful gift from the Lord. May your family be blessed with divine love, joy, and grace as you raise your precious daughter in God’s light. Welcome, Little Princess!”

  A Jay-Z concert at Yankee Stadium in New York was delayed for more than four hours on Sunday night after hundreds of ticketless fans tried to get in, organizers said. “Hundreds of individuals in large groups — who did not have tickets to tonight’s performance — stormed over peaceful ticket holders, and in some cases, breached security,” a Live Nation representative told AFP. “Gates at all entrances of the Stadium were closed for an extended period of time” before they were “reopened cautiously and carefully to ensure the safety of those inside and outside.” The concert was scheduled to start at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT), but hundreds of people remained outside the stadium, despite having valid tickets, an AFP reporter observed. Ticket holders were eventually let in in small groups, and Jay-Z finally took the stage at around 12:15 am (0415 GMT Monday).

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke , OPWS, have killed a suspected bandit believed to be linked to the attack that resulted in the death of former Secretary to the Government, SSG, of Benue State, Professor David Salifu. The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Ahmad Zubairu. Zubairu said the operation was carried out in Jotar village, close to the Quarantine Checkpoint, after security operatives received credible intelligence about the activities of suspected kidnappers in the area. According to Zubairu, troops deployed at Kyado quickly moved to the location on July 2, 2026, to stop the criminal gang from carrying out its planned operation. “On arrival at the scene, troops engaged the armed suspects in a fierce gun battle, neutralising one of the terrorists while others fled with suspected gunshot wounds,” he said.

  Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to either resign or abandon any plans to seek re-election in 2027, citing the worsening insecurity across the country. In a statement released on Monday, Obi expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State more than 50 days ago. Following a visit to Governor Seyi Makinde, he said the prolonged delay in rescuing the victims reflects a failure of leadership and governance. The former Anambra governor revealed that he was surprised to learn that President Tinubu had allegedly not contacted Makinde over the abduction. Obi said previous presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, regularly reached out to state governors during major security crises.

At least two people died on Wednesday during massive celebrations in Mexico City as the national team advanced to the next round at the World Cup, according to the local government. A 19-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man died of asphyxiation, according to the city’s health ministry. Authorities have not confirmed the death of a third person, reported by local media. The celebrations came after Mexico beat Ecuador to record their first World Cup knockout win since 1986, sending the co-hosts into the round of 16. More than a million people gathered in the streets of Mexico City, mainly around the Angel of Independence monument, according to estimates by the city government.

  France winger Michael Olise has moved to the top of the assists chart at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after another impressive display in Les Bleus’ Round of 32 victory over Sweden. Olise registered two assists in France’s comfortable 3-0 win, helping Didier Deschamps’ side book a place in the Round of 16, where they will face Paraguay. The Bayern Munich star set up two second-half goals to take his tally to five assists in the tournament, making him the outright leader in the playmaking rankings. The 24-year-old also came close to opening his goalscoring account with a spectacular bicycle-kick before half-time, but his effort crashed against the post. Olise’s five assists are already the highest by any player in a single World Cup campaign since 1994, underlining his influence in France’s run to the knockout stages.

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru , has approved a major cabinet reshuffle, and redeployed commissioners in a move aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery. The changes were announced on Monday by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebe, while briefing reporters after the State Executive Council meeting at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Abakaliki. Omebe said the reshuffle followed the swearing-in of two new appointees into the administration—Prof. Omari Omaka (SAN), who was inaugurated as Commissioner for Tertiary Education, and Njoku Onyekachi Felix, who was sworn in as Special Assistant to the Governor and subsequently assigned as Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation. Under the new arrangement, Hon. Chidi Onyia has been redeployed from the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. Mrs. Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu moves from the Ministry of Aviation to the Mini...

  The member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure an easy victory in the 2027 general election. Oseni, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the achievements recorded by the Tinubu administration over the past three years have positioned the President for re-election, insisting that no opposition party can prevent Nigerians from returning him to office for a second term. The lawmaker spoke in Ibadan during an empowerment programme he facilitated for farmers in his constituency, where more than 7,000 beneficiaries received farm inputs, agrochemicals and farming tools. Oseni, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), also reaffirmed his commitment to mobilising support for the President through the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF...