Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Britain’s annual inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 2.5 percent last month, official data showed Wednesday, easing some pressure on the Labour government faced with economic unrest. Analysts had forecast no change in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) from the 2.6 percent figure in November. The latest reading from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) comes one day after finance minister Rachel Reeves was forced to defend the government’s handling of the economy following a recent sharp runup in state borrowing costs and a hefty drop in the pound. “Inflation eased very slightly as hotel prices dipped” after rising in December…

Mozambique President-elect Daniel Chapo will be sworn into office Wednesday after weeks of deadly political unrest but the main opposition leader has vowed to “paralyse” the country with fresh protests against the fiercely disputed election result. Venancio Mondlane had already called for a national strike in the days leading up to the inauguration and threatened on Tuesday to curtail the new government with daily demonstrations. Mondlane, 50, who is popular with the youth, maintains the October 9 polls were rigged in favour of Chapo’s Frelimo party, which has governed the gas-rich African country since independence from Portugal in 1975. “This…

Omowunmi, widow of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has accused her late husband’s father, Joseph Aloba, of avoiding a Deoxyribonucleic Acid test to resolve the dispute surrounding the paternity of the son she had with Mohbad. The Magistrates Court, during its sitting on July 9, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, directed both parties to explore an alternative dispute resolution, leading to closed-door negotiations that also failed to yield an agreement. Mohbad’s father had filed the suit to seek a DNA test for his grandson. In a statement in October 2024, a representative of the family’s legal team,…

A fresh batch of 390 stranded Nigerian migrants has been repatriated from Niamey, Niger Republic, as part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to reintegrate citizens back into the country.  The returnees, comprising 387 adult males, two adult females, and one infant boy, arrived at the Nigeria Immigration Training School, Kano, at approximately 1:05 a.m. on Tuesday. The operation marks the third batch of voluntary returns facilitated by the Nigerian Mission in Niamey in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). During a reception held for the returnees in Kano, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for…

The Federal Government has confirmed an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, in Kano State. The disease, which affects various bird species, including layers, ducks, guinea fowls, and turkeys, has raised concerns over its potential spread in the region. In a circular signed by Dr. Taiwo Olasoju, on behalf of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, authorities highlighted the heightened risk of transmission during this period. “We urge all state veterinary offices and relevant agencies to activate their surveillance systems immediately. Strict biosecurity measures must be implemented, and public awareness campaigns intensified to curb…

British pharmaceutical company GSK on Monday said it had agreed to buy a US company that specialises in the treatment of rare gastrointestinal cancer GIST. GSK said in a statement that it had agreed to acquire Boston-based IDRx for up to $1.15 billion. The biopharmaceutical company’s drug in development, IDRX-42, is designed to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). “We are excited by the early data from IDRX-42,” said Tony Wood, chief scientific officer at GSK. IDRx chief executive Tim Clackson noted that GIST had witnessed “no major advances to the standard of care for almost 20 years”. He added that…

Britain’s competition watchdog launched Tuesday an investigation into Google’s dominant position in the search engine market and its impacts on consumers and businesses. The investigation could lead to the US tech giant being handed “strategic market status”, subjecting it to special requirements under new UK regulations, the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement. AFP

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the Federal Government develops a sustainable strategy for financing education in Nigeria. Speaking at the 70th birthday celebration of the Vice Chancellor of Bells University, Oludele Ojediran, held at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Obasanjo also urged all levels of government to empower youths to become job creators. “President Tinubu and the Federal Government must find a means to finance education for its sustainability. Governments at all levels must also empower the youths to become providers of job opportunities,” he said. The former president…

The impeachment trial of suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began on Tuesday, with the country’s Constitutional Court deciding whether to strip him of his duties over a failed martial law bid. “It has started,” the Constitutional Court’s spokesperson told AFP, adding that the first hearing — out of a confirmed five — ended minutes later with Yoon not in attendance. AFP

The Nigeria Police Force said it has written and demanded an immediate retraction and public apology regarding a publication titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on and Bad Governance Protests” written to Amnesty International. A Tuesday statement by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi said the letter was dated 6th January 2025. The NPF said the publication which included numerous unsubstantiated claims, falsely accused the Nigeria Police of human rights violations, police brutality, and excessive violence during the August 2024 End Bad Governance protests. The statement said “Upon careful review and investigation, the NPF categorically rejects these…