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President at rally in South Carolina makes comments on key strategic waterway and jokes about bombing Iran Donald Trump called the strait of Hormuz “an American territory” on Friday, as the US continues its military blockade of Iran’s shipping and ports while Trump’s administration struggles to end its war with the country. “We don’t even know if we won, because I view the strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now,” Trump said, addressing a crowd in South Carolina. He was campaigning for senator Darline Graham, who is running to permanently fill her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat. Later in his remarks, Trump joked about bombing Iran. “It’s a Friday night. We have plenty of time,” Trump said before reciting The Snake, a poem he frequently uses at campaign rallies to underscore his anti-immigrant policies. “What the hell do I have to do? Go back and bomb Iran a little bit more?” As of Friday, American forces have redirected 68 commercial vessels to comply with the bl...

 

 

FlipScript Homes, a fast-rising real estate firm run by the multi-faceted film-maker, actress, producer and entrepreneur Chika Ike recently launched and unveiled their newest real estate project - The Maison; a tastefully designed or exquisitely developed project consisting of two 4-bedroom duplexes, and two apartment buildings featuring 12 2-bedrooms and 1-bedroom flats each. The launch took place on Sunday, the 16th of July, 2023 at The Maison in Oakland Estate, Sangotedo, Lekki. In attendance were some of the big names in the real estate and Nollywood industry - Chigurl, Stephanie Bond, Peggy Leonard, Bond Smith, Medlin Boss, Mary Uranta, Tricia Esiegbe Kerry to name a few.  This project is the brainchild of Chika Ike who fell in love with real estate at a young age and spoke in detail about how she started her real estate portfolio and how it has grown over the years, she says; “investing in real estate for me is one of the best decisions I could have ever made for ...

Pop Queen Beyonce is officially a billionaire.     According to Forbes, her net worth is now estimated at over $1 billion, after she concluded her successful Cowboy Carter Tour in 2025, which grossed over $407 million, after dropping her mega-hit studio album,  Cowboy Carter,  in 2024.     The 44-year-old superstar received lots of opportunities after the release of  Cowboy Carter , including “new commercial opportunities,” her world tour, which was the highest-grossing of the year, and more in 2025, according to  Forbes .     The magazine reports that the singer earned $148 million in 2025 alone. The last estimate of her net worth had her at $780 million.     At just 44, the mother of three has cemented herself as a financial powerhouse.     Beyoncé’s journey began in the late 1990s with Destiny’s Child, the girl group that sold over 60 million records and laid the foundation for her solo c...

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte', has left the club, bringing an end to his reign as manager three months before the end of his contract.   Cristian Stellini will take over as acting head coach with Ryan Mason his assistant.   Conte leaves the club after his furious outburst in which he criticised the “spirit” and professionalism of his players, accusing them of being “selfish”, after last Saturday's 3-3 draw with Southampton. The Italian also appeared to aim veiled criticism at the club, saying failure to win was “Tottenham's story”.   He returned to Italy the day after the match and showed no inclination to return to work, with his assistants Stellini and Mason taking training over the first half of the international break.   A statement read: “We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual agreement. We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and ...

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant after speaking against the controversial plans by Netanyahu to overhaul the justice system. In capital city, Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Netanyahu's house. The reforms include plans that would give the government decisive control over the committee which appoints judges. The reform would also make it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it to favour Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ongoing trial for corruption. Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the supreme courts from having too much powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election but the protesters say the reforms will turn Israel into a dictatorship as there will be no check on the powers of the executive and legislat...

Blac Chyna has had her 'demonic' tattoo removed from her hip as her  'healing journey' continues. The decision to laser off the Baphomet tattoo from her hip that she got in 2021 comes days after she removed her face fillers and implants as part of her decision to go on a healing journey and reinvent herself. According to Blac Chyna, the start of her "life-changing journey," which included quitting OnlyFans and reversing her cosmetic procedures, was her discovery of religion. She has also gone back to using her original name Angela White instead of Black Chyna, which gave her popularity and stardom. The 34-year-old, who was born in Washington, DC, tweeted two videos of her weekend vacation to Clear Out Ink and Henderson, NV on Sunday. "I am releasing all negative energy that is holding me back," Blac - who boasts 21.8M social media followers - said. Her two children, King Cairo Stevenson, 10, and Dream Renae Kardashian, 6, whom she sha...

The federal government has announced that the National Population and Housing Census will begin on May 3.   A member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on 2023 National Population and Housing Census, Dr. Garba Abari, said the three-day exercise would start on May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.   Abari, who is the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), said the census would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.   He added that the change in the date was due to the postponement of this year’s governorship and Houses of Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).   Abari said;   “That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise. The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2, now to May 3 to 5. “There are two things that informed the shift in date...

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has said the monthly allowance of corps members will be increased once civil servants begin receiving the newly approved minimum wage.   According to a statement signed by NYSC’s acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Brigadier General Ahmed gave the assurance while addressing corps members at the Kebbi State Orientation Camp in Dakingari and the Sokoto State Orientation Camp in Wamakko.   He urged the corps members to remain patient and continue their valuable contributions to the socio-economic development of the country, emphasising that their efforts are greatly appreciated.   He advised them to participate in the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, which offers vocational training aimed at fostering self-reliance.   “Try to acquire skills that will enable you to create jobs and employ othe...

Super Eagles and Atalanta star,  Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award. The 26-year-old was shortlisted alongside 29 players around the World for the coveted award.  Lookman is the only African in the full list of Ballon d’Or contenders. Lookman scored 17 goals and made 11 assists for Atalanta last season. He was also pivotal in the club winning their first-ever European title. He also gained global recognition after heroics in the Europa League final where he scored a hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen. Other notable nominees in the men’s category include Jude Bellingham, Vini Junior, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe. Yamine Lamal, Toni Kroos, Phil Foden, and Rodri are also included on the list of nominees. See the full list below… Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid Lautaro Martinez – Inter Ademola Lookman – Atalanta Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid William Saliba – A...

Formula 1 confirmed a series of long-term race extensions in 2025, with the majority of the calendar now contracted into the 2030s. Miami and Austria were renewed into the 2040s. The Mexico City Grand Prix was renewed until 2028 The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was renewed until 2030 The Belgian Grand Prix agreed a multi-year extension featuring Grands Prix in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031 The United States Grand Prixrenewed until 2034 The Canadian Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix both renewed until 2035 The Miami Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix were renewed until 2041 Formula 1 also announced a return to Portimão in Portugal in 2027 and 2028, which last hosted races in 2020 and 2021. The F1 Sprint continued to be a hit this year. An average of 78% of fans want Sprint weekends to remain on the calendar, with Sprint weekends also generating 8% more social mentions and 4% more social reach than no...

Over 300,000 fans attended the sold out 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was a sold-out event with a weekend attendance of over 300,000 people. Across the weekend, there were over 450 million video views and over 60 million online interactions with F1 content. More than 1,200 creators were involved, generating 1.8 billion impressions and 5,000 social posts. Media coverage also produced more than 43,000 articles. The event offered an unparalleled scale of VIP access, featuring an impressive 44 private suites and five shared suites across the Paddock Club. Formula 1, in a partnership with Liberty Media, also hosted an F1 Business Summit in Vegas, bringing together Global Partners, industry leaders and investors to explore the intersection of sports, entertainment, and culture.

F1 The Movie is the highest-grossing sports film of all-time June saw the eagerly-anticipated release of  F1 The Movie , a global box-office smash that became the highest-grossing sports film of all time with a figure of more than $630 million. Shown on more than 44,000 screens in 78 markets outside the US and Canada, the film saw the largest global opening weekend ever for a Brad Pitt film – and overall highest-grossing film of Pitt’s career. Production captured more than 185 hours of footage across 14 Grands Prix, alongside more than 2,000 hours of Formula 1 broadcast footage. The film released on Apple TV worldwide on Friday 12 December, immediately reaching No.1 on Apple TV streaming charts and setting the record for the biggest opening streaming weekend on the platform for a theatrically released film. At the United States Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced Apple TV as its exclusive US Broadcast Partner from 2026 in an innovative five-year partnership.

Formula 1 celebrated its 75th anniversary with a record-breaking 2025 season with a growing fanbase, increased race attendance and a box office hit. Formula 1 celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2025 – and it was a season that kept setting new benchmarks. Lando Norris sealed his first Drivers’ Championship, McLaren claimed consecutive Teams’ Championships, and the title fight reached the final race with three drivers still in contention — the closest finish to a championship battle in 15 years. Off-track, the sport continued to grow. A larger, more diverse global fanbase, record race attendance across the season, and  F1 The Movie  breaking box office records before landing at No.1 on Apple TV after release. After a memorable 2025, and before attention turns fully towards a brand new era for F1 in 2026, let's look at some of the standouts. There's even more information across multiple categories, including commercial growth and partner activations, on Formu...

The only cars to run the number 1 for a full season have been Red Bulls - until Norris uses it next season. The number 1 has been reserved exclusively for the reigning World Champion, but there is no obligation to do so, and the driver’s normal number is reserved throughout their time with the World Champion’s number. Vettel raced with it after winning his final title in 2013, before reverting back to the number 5 for the rest of his career. Hamilton famously chose to stick with his 44, a nod to his first go-kart, throughout his world titles post-2014, a number that has since become inseparable from his identity in and out of the sport. However, the Brit did run the number 1 on his W09 Mercedes for the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a one-off. Verstappen proudly claimed the number 1 for all four seasons after his Championships. After winning the 2021 title, he said: “How many times can you do that? I don’t know, maybe it’s the only time I can in my life. It’s the best number ...

The silver-white struck the perfect balance, complementing the dark colour of the APXGP car and the white of the garage. The suit would also stand out against the rest of the grid on Grand Prix weekends. The racing suits worn by Pitt and Idris featured OMP's fireproofing, including the ONE-S suit, and all equipment was FIA-approved to ensure the same safety standards in real competitions were met during on-track filming. Day also discovered the number of complications involved with creating race suits at the highest level of motorsport, especially when it comes to team sponsors. Just as with the real F1 teams, APXGP had a number of high-end sponsorships – and with that, precision matters enormously, even down to the millimeter. "If a sponsor's logo is two millimetres larger on a racing suit, they'll give you another £100,000, or if the logo is too small or in the wrong place, then you're in trouble," he explained. The team worked meticulously with ...

After a disappointing P7 finish in 2025, Aston Martin's season represents a step back in comparison to their lofty ambitions. Duty EditorAlasdair Hooper With a final placing of seventh in the Teams’ Championship, 2025 did not deliver what Aston Martin had hoped for. The Silverstone-based team have lofty ambitions – they don’t shy away from that – but a result that represented a fall of two places on where they finished each of the last two campaigns is a step backwards. The hope? That comes in the form of 2026 as new regulations bring new possibilities, and we can see what magic Adrian Newey has come up with. Here is Aston Martin’s 2025 end of year report… BEST FINISH Fernando Alonso – 5th in Hungary Fernando Alonso began the 2025 season in difficult form as the Spaniard had to wait until Round 9 at his home event to record his first top-10 finish of the year. With upgrades delivered during that European triple header helping Aston Martin progress, Alons...

With a whirlwind 2025 season now in the history books, Lawrence Barretto looks back on the year to pick out his overall winners and losers. F1 Correspondent & PresenterLawrence Barretto As the dust settles on a stunning Formula 1 season, Lawrence Barretto looks back at the campaign and selects his overall winners and losers of 2025... WINNER: LANDO NORRIS Lando Norris achieved his dream in Abu Dhabi, fending off a resurgent Max Verstappen and a strong McLaren team mate in Oscar Piastri to become F1's 35th World Champion. Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free. Membership gets you closer with: Curated insider content Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences Member benefits, rewards and offers.

We hear about the highs, lows and everything in between from Ollie Bearman’s rookie term. Ollie Bearman was thrust into the F1 spotlight in 2024 when he made a last-minute substitute appearance for Ferrari and later filled in at Haas. Those impressive displays earned him a full-time opportunity for 2025 and, at the end of a whirlwind rookie season, he has only enhanced his reputation as one of the sport’s brightest young talents. Shortly before it drew to a close, the 20-year-old Briton sat down with F1.com to relive the journey… Thursday afternoon’s media duties ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend are in full swing, with Bearman jumping between broadcast and written interviews for outlets from all over the world before joining us in the sun outside Haas’ hospitality unit. BEARMAN FINDS HIS F1 FEET Race suit tied around his waist, a wide smile on his face, and carrying a relaxed demeanour, Bearman looks completely at ease with life in the paddock – as if he is a vet...