
FIFA has initiated an investigation into alleged racist insults directed at streamer IShowSpeed during last week's World Cup match between Argentina and Cape Verde. The global football body announced on Tuesday via X that it was made aware of an incident involving a supporter and IShowSpeed at Miami Stadium on July 3, 2026, and immediately launched a probe. IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., is an African-American streamer with over 57 million YouTube subscribers and millions more on other video platforms. The 21-year-old has been attending and live-streaming from World Cup matches through a special agreement with FIFA, YouTube, and Fox Sports. FIFA stated, "FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms. These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society." IShowSpeed reportedly faced further racist abuse during Tuesday's match between Argentina and Egypt, where an Argentine fan allegedly imitated a monkey during an encounter with the streamer.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadThree Nigerian students, Egejurum Onyedikachi, Onwubiko Chimdiebube, and Don Anele Munachimso, secured gold medals at the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy. Onyedikachi was recognized as the world's best in the Mathematics Primary Category, while Munachimso also won a gold medal in Science. Education advocate and Educare CEO, Alex Onyia, sponsored the students' participation after they excelled in the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad. The International STEM Olympiad, held at the Universit脿 Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, featured participants from over 150 countries. Onyia covered the expenses for the students' travel and participation, including registration, visas, flights, and accommodation. The students represented Nigeria in the primary, junior, and senior categories, achieving significant recognition on the global academic stage.

Devastating windstorms have swept through 120 communities across 13 local government areas of Jigawa State, resulting in seven fatalities and affecting over 5,400 residents. Hannafi Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief Management Agency SEMA, described the incident as the most severe disaster currently confronting the state. The windstorms, which occurred shortly after the start of the rainy season, destroyed residential buildings and damaged public facilities including 50 schools and health facilities, as well as two police stations. While widespread flooding has not yet occurred, the windstorms have caused extensive damage. SEMA is collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA to assess the destruction and coordinate relief efforts. Yakubu appealed for support from various stakeholders, including the Federal Government, local governments, development partners, humanitarian organizations, corporate bodies, and individuals. The Jigawa State Government has approved over N800 million for emergency preparedness and the procurement of relief materials. The local government areas most affected include Ringim, Dutse, Babura, Kirikasamma, and Birnin Kudu. An isolated flooding incident in Miga Local Government Area destroyed over 70 hectares of farmland. The state government affirmed its commitment to strengthening disaster preparedness and providing assistance to affected communities.

France captain Kylian Mbappe has surpassed Argentina's Lionel Messi to secure the top position in FIFA's World Cup Power Rankings following the conclusion of the Round of 16. The updated rankings, released by FIFA on Wednesday, show Mbappe in first place with an attacking score of 8.71, while Messi is now second with 8.45. Norway striker Erling Haaland is third with 8.04, and England captain Harry Kane is fourth with 7.41. The FIFA Power Rankings, launched for the 2026 World Cup and powered by Aramco, utilize match data to objectively evaluate player performances throughout the tournament. Outfield players are scored from 0-10 in attacking, creativity, and defending categories, while goalkeepers are assessed for defending and in-possession play. France also leads in two outfield categories, with Michael Olise topping creativity 8.19 and Dayot Upamecano leading defending 7.67. Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa ranks first for goalkeeping with a score of 8.89.