Author: Vardiafrica

US President Donald Trump unveiled on Friday a replacement Air Force One aircraft gifted by Qatar, which he dubbed a “flying White House”. “This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” Trump said at a speech inside the plane’s hangar, praising the gulf emirate for being “so nice and providing” it. Qatar’s gift of the aircraft — valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars — has raised ethical, constitutional and security concerns. Trump has previously said it would be “stupid” to reject the gift, while also stoking further concern by saying the plane would eventually be donated to his…

As part of measures to rid the state of violent crimes, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday, 18 June, 2026 threatened to publicly execute convicted kidnappers and cultists.Okpebholo made the vow on while addressing newsmen during the parade of suspected kidnappers arrested by operatives of the Edo state police command. The Governor said his administration would set up a special court for trial and public execution of criminals to serve as a deterrent. “We are not joking. We are working day and night to ensure that this land is safe .So, I want to appeal to our people, stay…

The federal government has disbursed about N13 billion worth of interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic workers across 153 public tertiary institutions nationwide. In a statement issued on Friday, Boriowo Folashade, director of press and publications at the federal ministry of education, said the disbursement forms part of the 2025/2026 cycle of the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). According to the ministry, the intervention reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare, financial wellbeing and productivity of education workers under the renewed hope agenda. Established by the ministry of education and administered by the Bank of Industry (BOI), the…

The Federal Government has appealed to Nigerian journalists to prioritise national stability and patriotism by keeping activities of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements off their front pages. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal at a two-day National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja yesterday. The summit organised in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) has as its theme: “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building.” Idris said while the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu remains fully committed to upholding press freedom, responsible journalism…

The federal government has issued guidelines for the implementation of the Tax Acts 2025, setting out the transition process from repealed tax laws to Nigeria’s new tax framework, which took effect from January 1, 2026. The guidelines, released by the federal ministry of finance, provide direction to taxpayers, tax practitioners, revenue authorities and other stakeholders on how to address various issues arising during the transition period. This was announced on Thursday in a statement by Efe Ovuakporie, director of press relations at the federal ministry of finance. According to the document, the Tax Acts 2025 — comprising the Nigeria Revenue…

The United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab nation to prohibit children under the age of 15 from creating or operating personal social media accounts, joining a growing list of countries tightening regulations to protect minors in the digital age. The landmark policy, approved by the UAE Cabinet on Thursday, places the Gulf nation at the forefront of global efforts to address concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, cyberbullying, predatory behaviour, excessive screen time, and the collection of personal data by technology platforms. Unlike some jurisdictions that permit younger users to access social media with parental consent,…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says it has indefinitely suspended its leader Nnamdi Kanu. The proscribed group added that Kanu has also been delisted as director of Radio Biafra in a bid to reposition the organisation and strengthen its operations. The decision was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Chikadibia Edoziem, head of the directorate of state (DOS), IPOB’s highest decision-making body. The group said IPOB was established as a self-determination movement “formed and nurtured by Biafrans in the diaspora”, and not by any individual, for the restoration of a sovereign Biafra. It said no individual has the authority to…

The Russian capital was shrouded in thick black smoke Thursday after Ukraine launched what appeared to be its largest attack on Moscow since the Kremlin invaded its neighbor more than four years ago. Waves of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in the city for the second time this week, sending smoke and flames rising over the city through the morning. Local commercial flights were also disrupted. Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation. It comes as President Donald Trump signals renewed engagement with the conflict, boosting Europe’s hopes that he may back tougher action against…

A total sum of N2.300 trillion, being the May 2026 Federation Account Revenue, has been shared between the federal government, states, and the local government councils. In a statement on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the revenue was shared at the June 2026 Federation Account Allocation Committee FAAC meeting held in Abuja. The N2.300 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N1.611 trillion and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N688.785 billion. A communiqué issued by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) indicated that the total…

The Federal Government on Wednesday launched FreeTV, a digital television platform offering more than 100 free channels, as it unveiled Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) Platform aimed at expanding access to digital broadcasting and accelerating the country’s transition from analogue television. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, officially launched the platform at the headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) in Abuja. FreeTV will provide a wide range of programming, including news, sports, movies, music, children’s content, educational programmes, as well as dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels. The service will be available through satellite…