Author: Vardiafrica

Drones struck a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea and caused fires at two others in Kuwait as Iran stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure on Thursday. Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said a drone crashed into the Samref refinery in the industrial zone of the Red Sea port of Yanbu, adding that damage assessment was underway. Yanbu is the destination of Petroline, the overland oil pipeline that gives Saudi exports an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz — currently choked off by Iran. Thursday’s attacks follow major damage at the world’s biggest gas hub, Qatar’s Ras Laffan, on…

Iran’s soccer chief says it has no intention of boycotting the FIFA World Cup, even if the team does not travel to the United States. Iran is currently in negotiations with FIFA to have its group stage matches moved away from the US Iran is currently scheduled to open its World Cup campaign with a clash against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15. The Iranian national team is continuing to prepare for the World Cup finals and has no intention of pulling out of the tournament even if it will not travel to the United…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon will be asking Congress for more money to cover the Iran war, saying he wants to ensure current and future costs are covered “above and beyond.” A senior administration official confirmed that a $200 billion request was sent from the Pentagon to the White House on Wednesday. The Washington Post first reported the request Multiple lawmakers said the White House has not yet submitted the request to Congress as of Thursday morning. Lawmakers remain deeply divided on President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran. The conflict began Feb. 28 after negotiations on its nuclear…

Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah, made history on Wednesday night by becoming the first African player to score 50 UEFA Champions League goals. The Egyptian reached the landmark during Liverpool’s 4-0 victory over Galatasaray at Anfield, helping the Reds secure a 4-1 aggregate win to reach the quarter-finals. The 33-year-old secured his half-century in the 62nd minute with a signature curling strike into the top corner. Salah is now only the 12th player in history to reach 50 goals in the competition. His record-breaking tally includes 47 goals for Liverpool, two for Basel, and one for Roma, officially surpassing Didier Drogba’s…

King Charles III on Wednesday praised what he described as a “partnership of equals” between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, as he hosted Bola Tinubu at a state banquet marking the first visit by a Nigerian leader in nearly four decades. The banquet, held at Windsor Castle, brought together senior officials, business leaders, and cultural figures from both countries, underscoring deepening diplomatic and economic ties. In his opening remarks, King Charles described the relationship between both nations as built on mutual respect and shared progress. “Britain and the former British colony have a deep bond and a partnership of equals…

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has restated the Federal Government’s resolve to defeat terrorism, declaring that those behind recent attacks in the country will be decisively confronted He noted that beyond the presidential directive to security chiefs, the Federal Government was investing more in equipment and other logistics to boost the fight against terrorism across the country. Senator Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri when he visited victims of the bomb blast who are receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. This was disclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media…

Barely 24 hours after his swearing-in for a second term, the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has directed all political appointees to hand over their duties with immediate effect. The directive was conveyed in an official circular issued on March 18, 2026, by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), instructing affected appointees to transfer responsibilities to Permanent Secretaries or, in their absence, the most senior civil servant in their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). According to the memo, the handover is to be completed on or before the close of work on the same…

Troops of Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force, have recovered 63 bodies of Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters following a failed attack on Malam Fatori. Military sources said the insurgents launched the assault in the early hours of Wednesday, advancing on foot and deploying armed drones in an attempt to overrun the 68 Battalion position. The attack, which originated from the Duguri axis through the Bravo Company frontage, was repelled by troops with the support of coordinated airstrikes. According to the sources, the joint air and ground response inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists, leading to…

President Bola Tinubu has been given a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle marking the beginning of his state visit to the United Kingdom. It is the first visit of such to the UK by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. Tinubu and Oluremi, his wife, who accompanied him, were treated to a 42 gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Earlier, Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted the Nigerian first family and presented them to King Charles and Queen Camila at Windsor Castle. Charles will host Tinubu and Oluremi at the royal residence for the two-day visit. There will also be exchanges…

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has cautioned that the global consequences of the current war ‘will affect everyone’. The minister stated on Wednesday that all individuals, regardless of race, religion, or economic status, will be impacted by the conflict. He made this remark while advocating for increased resistance from western officials against the war. “[A] wave of global consequences has only commenced and will affect all – irrespective of wealth, religion, or race,” Abbas Araghchi shared on X. His post included a copy of the resignation letter from Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, which was…