Author: Vardiafrica

The half-time break in Sunday’s World Cup final is expected to last between 20 and 25 minutes. An 11-minute Super Bowl-style show, co-headlined by Madonna, Shakira and K-pop boy band BTS, will take place during the interval at New York New Jersey Stadium. While sources within World Cup organisers Fifa suggest the break will be around 20 minutes, it is understood that one option is for the normal 15-minute half-time break and then the planned 11-minute show. The laws of the game, governed by Ifab (the International Football Association Board), state that players are entitled to a half-time break “not exceeding 15…

Nigeria’s sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi delivered another career-defining performance on Saturday, equalling the Nigerian men’s 100 metres record with a blistering 9.84 seconds to defeat reigning world champion Oblique Seville at the London Diamond League. Ajayi’s remarkable run saw him finish ahead of the Jamaican star, who clocked 9.87 seconds to settle for second place, while fellow Jamaican Romell Glave finished third in a personal best of 9.97 seconds. The victory further cements Ajayi’s status as one of the world’s fastest men this season and reinforces his growing reputation ahead of the forthcoming World Athletics Championships. Record-equalling performance The Nigerian…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has paid tribute to Inspector John Jerome Abena, who died during the operation that rescued abducted schoolchildren in Oyo state, describing him as a “hero” whose sacrifice in service to the nation would never be forgotten. Receiving officers who participated in the operation, the IGP praised their courage, professionalism, and resilience, noting that the successful rescue was achieved despite the dangers encountered during the mission. “The gathering is not just to celebrate the success of the operation but to honour Inspector John Jerome Abena and every officer who risked his life to…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Heritage Energy Operational Services (HEOS), and DBN Energies on Wednesday in Port Harcourt graduated 14 young engineers and geologists under the Nigerian Content Human Capital Development (NC-HCD) Training prpgramme in respect of the companies’ installation and commissioning of Ariel Gas Lift Compressor Unit. Competencies covered under the 12-month programme include engineering design, procurement and supply, chain management, project planning, safety engineering, contract management, mechanical maintenance, crane operations, occupational health and safety, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), entrepreneurship, and Nigerian Content compliance. In a keynote address at the event, the General Manager,…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it will introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system, across domestic airports to improve passenger processing, security and overall travel experience. Announcing the development in a post on X on Thursday, the authority said the technology will enable passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents. “With a simple one-time enrolment, passengers can verify their identity through facial recognition, reducing reliance on physical ID documents, enhancing security, and shortening queues through automated e-Gates,” the post reads. “Built with data privacy at its core and compliant…

President Bola Tinubu has signed the Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, to harmonise the regulation of virtual assets and strengthen collaboration among financial, revenue and capital market regulators in Nigeria. The Executive Order, which takes effect immediately, is aimed at protecting citizens from fraud, safeguarding the integrity of the financial system and promoting responsible innovation in the virtual assets sector. The President signed the Order pursuant to Section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr…

China has announced plans to offer developing countries 5,000 opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) training and seminars over the next five years, as President Xi Jinping called for a new global system to ensure that the rapidly advancing technology does not deepen inequality between rich and poor nations. Xi made the announcement on Friday at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, where he unveiled a broad international cooperation agenda targeting AI development, capacity building and governance. The Chinese leader also announced plans to establish international AI application cooperation…

The Federal Government on Friday charged three men, Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), for the recent kidnap of children and teachers of a school in Orire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo state. The 10-count charge filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, borders on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining. The defendants, all of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, are alleged to have conspired with one Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap school children…

FIFA is set to break with football tradition and present World Cup winners’ rings to the champions of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium. The American-style hardware will be handed over in a ceremony attended by US President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to present the World Cup trophy itself. While winners’ rings are a time-honoured tradition in American sports, most famously awarded to the NFL’s Super Bowl champions, they represent a radical departure for FIFA, which has historically stuck to classic gold medals. A total of 30 exclusive rings will be made available to the newly…

The Senate has confirmed Abayomi Sunday Fasina as a non-career ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, despite opposition from some lawmakers and recent protests by civil society organisations over his nomination. The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Sani Bello. Presenting the committee’s report, Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) urged the Senate to approve Fasina’s nomination for appointment as a non-career ambassador/high commissioner. The report generated debate on the Senate floor, with some lawmakers such as Senator Adams Oshiomhole raising strong objections while others backed…