Author: starconnect
By SCM Foreign Desk THE LEADER of Hezbollah has issued a blistering ultimatum to Israel, declaring that any potential ceasefire must cover “ALL of Lebanon” and serve as a direct prelude to a total Israeli military withdrawal. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, the chief of the Iran-backed militant group firmly rejected any partial or regional truces, as smoke and debris continued to choke the ancient southern port city of Tyre following a wave of devastating Israeli airstrikes. ”Any ceasefire must cover ALL of Lebanon,” the Hezbollah leader told the broadcaster, taking a hardline stance amid…
By SCM Staff Writer WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive and playing an increasingly active role in governing the Islamic Republic, pushing back against months of intelligence speculation that the cleric had been incapacitated or killed in the opening salvos of the conflict. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a high-stakes budget hearing, Mr. Rubio sought to clarify the murky lines of authority inside Tehran as the Trump administration navigates a critical phase of peace negotiations to end the three-month-old war…
By SCM Political Bureau JERUSALEM / WASHINGTON — ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boldly declared that the total collapse of the Iranian regime is “inevitable,” exposing a massive potential rift with US President Donald Trump just as Washington positions itself for fresh talks with Tehran. The dramatic clash in rhetoric has sent shockwaves through the global diplomatic community, leaving intelligence insiders asking a single, terrifying question: Are the world’s two most powerful allies even on the same page? Speaking at a high-stakes, emotional farewell ceremony for outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu didn’t mince…
Admin I Tuesday, June 02, 2026 A MAN accused of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl has walked free from court after the prosecution’s case utterly collapsed. Dauda Salami was acquitted and discharged of all charges by a judge who blasted the justice system after the young victim, her mother, and four police officers failed to show up to give evidence. Salami had been staring down heavy charges of defilement and abduction following an alleged incident in the Bariga area of Lagos in July 2021. He had vehemently denied the charges since his arraignment in October 2022. But at…
ToyoBy SCM Correspondent I June 2, 2026 A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday convicted and sentenced one Abdulrahman Lawal Raji to 15 years imprisonment for his involvement in an N26 million fraud scheme involving a fake Nigeria Customs Service auction. Justice Ismail Ijelu sentenced Raji after the prosecution successfully proved that the convict conspired with another suspect, currently at large, to defraud a citizen by posing as a Customs officer. Delivering his judgment, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court found Raji guilty of conspiracy and obtaining money…
Admin I Tuesday, June 02. 2026 A House of Representatives aspirant for Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency of Delta state, Julius Efeni Akpovoka, on Tuesday raised the alarm over alleged plots to manipulate results of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the constituency, which, he claimed, he won. He said he had already tabled the case with the NDC Secretariat and other stakeholders, including the national leader of the party and a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, who assured that he would get justice if there are incontrovertible evidence that he won. According to him, he emerged…
Admin I Tuesday, June 02, 2026 IBADAN, Oyo – The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, on Tuesday staged a solidarity rally in Ibadan over the continued captivity of teachers and pupils recently abducted in Oriire Local Government of Oyo State. The rally, which was simultaneously organised across different states of the federation in compliance with a directive from the national leadership of the union, was aimed at mounting pressure on relevant authorities to secure the immediate release of the victims. In Ibadan, the nationwide rally by teachers began on a solemn note. The protesters converged…
Admin I Tuesday, June 02.2026 ABUJA – Nigeria will go for victory in Wednesday’s international friendly encounter against the White-Reds of Poland, says Head Coach Eric Chelle as he welcomed energetic defender Calvin Bassey to the team’s Warsaw Presidential Hotel on Tuesday. Bassey’s arrival brought the number of players in camp to 20, and with a good balance of personnel across the sectors of the pitch. Germany-based Philip Otele, who shone at the Unity Cup in London, was being expected to hit camp on Tuesday night. Bassey’s arrival means Chelle can now pick and choose men for his rearguard,…
By Steve Omolale I Tuesday, June 02.2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – American author of many Christian fiction novels and serial award winner Lynn Austin once said, “Bitterness is like a weed. Remember how hard it always was to pull out thistles once they rooted? Remember how deep those roots grow, and how if you just snapped off the end of it, the plant would grow right back? You have to dig down deep inside. Sanusi shamelessly displayed his sycophantic behavior, obviously with the hope that Dr. Hamzat would offer him an appointment when he (by the grace of God)…
BY OUR REPORTER The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched a full-scale internal investigation into the alleged misuse of official access credentials that led to the unauthorized disclosure of private data belonging to a prominent political candidate. The security breach, which has sparked intense anxiety across Nigeria’s political landscape, involves a candidate who recently participated in a political party’s primary elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Information detailing the candidate’s registration records had flooded social media and mainstream media platforms, raising urgent questions about the safety of the country’s central voter repository. In a swift reaction to…