Author: Vardiafrica

China says it firmly supports the Nigerian government as it “leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions”.  Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, Mao Ning, spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry, said “as Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force”. Ning was answering a question on US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians. She also responded to the report that Venezuelan…

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has given the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu until November 5 to defend the alleged terrorism charges against him or waive his right to do so. Justice Omotosho said this after Kanu failed, for the fourth day, to enter his defence after the prosecution closed its case and the court overruled his no-case submission. Justice Omotosho said should Kanu fail to open his defence on November 5, he would be deemed to have waived his right to do so. The court had, on October 27 adjourned…

Guinea’s junta leader submitted his bid Monday to be a candidate for the presidential election in December, contradicting his earlier promise not to run for the office after he led soldiers in seizing power four years ago. Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, in power as junta leader and interim president since a September 2021 coup, could remain the West African nation’s leader for another seven years if he wins the vote scheduled for Dec. 28. The election will be held under a new constitution approved in a recent referendum, which allowed junta members to run for office, and extended the presidential mandate…

Australian households will be able to access three hours a day of free solar power under an energy-saving programme that the government unveiled on Tuesday and will begin next year. “We want to see the benefits of renewable energy flow to all,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen told national broadcaster ABC. In a statement, he said that Solar Sharer scheme will be rolled out from next year in some jurisdictions, including New South Wales and South Australia, before a possible expansion. “It’s not a silver bullet, and it is part of a suite of measures, but it’s a good one,” Bowen…

Superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has once again weighed in on the long-running debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time, insisting that his arch-rival Lionel Messi is not the greatest of all time. The Al Nassr and Portugal captain made this claim in a new interview with British broadcaster, Piers Morgan. In a preview of his upcoming interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, Ronaldo was asked: “They say Messi is better than you, what do you think?” The Portuguese star responded confidently, “Messi better than me? I don’t agree with that opinion. I don’t want to be humble.”…

Fired by a shared purpose to sustain momentum and achieve key milestones in local content development in the oil and gas industry, the Governing Council and top Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) over the weekend held a two-day retreat to deepen understanding of statutory responsibilities, corporate governance principles and strategies for enhancedperformance, among other things. It was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Board, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) and Co-Chairman of the Council, Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, and other members of the Governing Council. The Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was attending an international…

The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending weeks of intense speculation and signaling a major political realignment in the South-South region. Thousands of supporters and APC loyalists flooded Yenagoa in a carnival-like procession to welcome Diri into the APC fold. Dressed in white T-shirts and colourful attires from all eight local government areas, the crowd defied an early morning downpour to participate in the historic event. By 10am, the 5,000-capacity Samson Siasia Sports Complex was filled beyond capacity, forcing security operatives to restrict further…

The island nation of the Maldives has officially become the first country in the world to impose a generational ban on tobacco. This groundbreaking law outlaws the buying, selling, or use of any tobacco products for anyone born on or after 1 January 2007. This means that individuals who fall into this age group will never be legally allowed to purchase or use tobacco in the Maldives, effectively aiming to create a tobacco-free generation. The generational ban is the latest, and most significant, step in the Maldives’ aggressive campaign against smoking. This initiative actually follows a recent, strict prohibition on…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has unveiled its flagship Young Professionals Program (YPP), a premier initiative designed to attract, develop, and retain exceptional young talent passionate about driving Africa’s development agenda According to the Bank, the program seeks to build a pipeline of future experts who will contribute meaningfully to its mission. The Bank says the program targets exceptional, high-potential young professionals from AfDB member countries who are ready to make a lasting impact on the continent’s growth trajectory. “The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a flagship talent acquisition, development and management initiative aimed at building a pipeline of future…

OpenAI has updated its ChatGPT usage policy, prohibiting the use of the AI system to provide medical, legal, or any other advice that requires professional licensing. The changes are detailed in the company’s official Usage Policies and took effect from October 29. Under the new rules, users are forbidden from using ChatGPT for: consultations that require professional certification (including medical or legal advice); facial or personal recognition without a person’s consent; making critical decisions in areas such as finance, education, housing, migration, or employment without human oversight; academic misconduct or manipulation of evaluation results. OpenAI states that the updated policy aims to enhance user…