Author: starconnect
By Esther Pius Ekong I Sunday, June 14, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigeria is among the countries with the highest maternal and perinatal mortality rates. Although inadequate advance medical technology and facilities contribute to these deaths, the refusal to give timely consent for a caesarean section also significantly contributes to maternal and perinatal mortality. Life is so sacrosanct that a pregnant woman sentenced to death is allowed to deliver her baby before the execution of the death penalty. If the life of the child of a criminally liable woman is recognised and protected, why then should a…
By SCM Reporter I Sunday, June 14.2026 YENAGOA— THE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has emerged as the new Paramount Ruler of Ayakoro Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Following his coronation, Dr. Ogbuku has assumed the traditional title of Daufa VI. His emergence was in strict accordance with the provisions of the Ayakoro Community Constitution, coming six months after the demise of the former Paramount Ruler. Before his elevation to the throne, Ogbuku had served as the Deputy Paramount Ruler of the community. The seamless…
By SCM Correspondent BEIRUT — The fragile security landscape of the Middle East fractured further this week as Israeli fighter jets launched a series of powerful airstrikes targeting the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The heavy bombardment, which reverberated across the city and sent thick plumes of grey smoke into the sky, targeted what the military described as operational command assets belonging to the militant group Hezbollah. The high-stakes military action marks a sharp escalation in hostilities along the volatile northern front, threatening to unrave ongoing regional diplomatic efforts aimed at maintaining a tenuous cross-border truce. In an official statement…
By Tunji Ayoola I Sunday, June 14. 2026 As Ekiti State prepares to vote this Saturday, the upcoming governorship election is a simple test of what we all now call the “BAO Effect” rather than a fierce political battle. For Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), this election is the perfect time to protect and continue the steady, peaceful progress he has brought to the Land of Honour during his first term. The hard facts of BAO’s first term show real changes we can see and touch. The government’s economic plan relies heavily on the Ekiti State Local Content…
By SCM SPORT REPORTER At the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey CARLO ANCELOTTI’S World Cup dream nearly turned into a New Jersey nightmare last night as five-time champions Brazil were thoroughly out-sambaed by a magnificent Morocco. On a scorching evening where an 80,663 crowd turned the MetLife Stadium into a sea of canary yellow, it was the African heavyweights who brought the real flavor to the pitch. Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Seleção, but the night belonged to the relentless tactical masterclass of the Atlas Lions. Without the injured Neymar watching from the sidelines…
BY OUR SPECIAL FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT AT BC PLACE, VANCOUVER THE SOCCEROOS’ next generation didn’t just arrive on the world stage last night—they kicked the front door clean off its hinges. In front of a raucous, disbelieving crowd in Vancouver, Tony Popovic’s unheralded bunch of green and gold starlets pulled off arguably the most staggering, disciplined, and clinical victory in Australia’s World Cup history. Highly fancied Türkiye, tipped by many bracket-makers as the dark horses to reach the tournament’s final weekend, were completely neutralised, frustrated, and ultimately picked apart by an Australian side that lacked household names but possessed a mountain…
MATCH REPORT BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT LONDON — It was billed as a straightforward initiation for Scotland’s footballing royalty against a team making historical waves just by being here. Instead, it turned into an agonizing, breath-catching, bone-rattling epic. Under the blinding lights of the world stage, Scotland escaped by the absolute skin of their teeth, defeating a heroic Haiti 1-0 courtesy of a moment of pure, unadulterated magic from their talismanic superstar, Caroline Weir. For 90 grueling minutes, the world rankings meant absolutely nothing. Haiti, the tournament’s beloved underdogs, did not just turn up to make up the numbers;…
Khoukhi 94th-minute header steals historic World Cup point from wasteful Switzerland By Our Man in California THEY thought it was all over. Switzerland’s multi-millionaire superstars were already planning their post-match recovery scripts, checking their watches, and casually knocking the ball around the sun-drenched turf of the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. In the fourth minute of agonizing stoppage time, the Qatar captain rose higher than the entire Swiss defense to smash home a bullet header, sending the underdogs into absolute ecstasy and leaving the European giants looking like they’d just chewed on a bad lemon. It finished 1-1,…
By SCM Reporter OWERRI — Former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, has threatened to initiate a massive legal battle against actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, demanding a comprehensive retraction, a prime-time public apology, and a staggering ₦5 billion in damages over allegedly defamatory remarks made during a recent television interview. The legal threat, which highlights growing friction within top political circles, was contained in a demand letter dated June 11, 2026, signed by Udenwa’s counsel, Chief Soronnadi Njoku (SAN). The letter, which was made available to journalists in Owerri on Saturday, gave Okonkwo a strict seven-day ultimatum…
By SCM Correspondent TEHRAN — In a move laden with the bitter, performative geopolitics that defined his 37-year rule, Iranian authorities announced on Saturday that the state funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin on July 4—a date deliberately chosen to clash with the United States’ Independence Day celebrations. The announcement brings an end to months of uncertainty regarding the disposition of Khamenei’s remains. The 86-year-old cleric was killed on February 28, 2026, alongside several senior commanders, during the opening hours of a devastating joint U.S. and Israeli airstrike campaign in Tehran. According to a…