Author: Amina Mohammed

The EU’s top court fined Hungary 200 million euros ($216 million) and imposed a daily one-million-euro penalty for failing to follow the bloc’s asylum laws and illegally deporting migrants. The fine and penalty were because Budapest “is deliberately evading” compliance with the European Union laws despite a 2020 ruling that it must uphold international procedures for asylum seekers, the European Court of Justice said. “Since this failure to fulfil obligations constitutes an unprecedented and exceptionally serious breach of EU law, the Court orders Hungary to pay a lump sum of 200 million euros and a penalty payment of one million…

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi says he expects Inter Miami to be the club where he closes his legendary playing career, but he is not intending to depart right away. Messi, who has a contract with the MLS squad until the end of the 2025 campaign, made his comments to ESPN in an interview to be broadcast on Wednesday. “Yes, as of today, I think it’s going to be my last club,” Messi told ESPN. But Messi, who turns 37 on June 24, also added, “I’m not ready to leave football either.” The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner became a…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has alerted on increasing cholera cases nationwide, with 30 deaths, 1,141 suspected cases, and 65 confirmed cases reported. Disclosing this in a public advisory, the Director-General of the Centre, Dr Jide Idris, said the cases that occurred between January and June 11, 2024, were reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states. He stated that the 10 states that contributed 90 percent to the burden of cholera include Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos States. He urged Nigerians to be wary of the increasing trend of…

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has accused Finland of shielding Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Musa, who was a guest on Channels Television’s special broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day in Abuja also decried the activities of IPOB in the South-East, demanding the arrest and prosecution of Ekpa. He called on the Nigerian government to take decisive action, including exploring diplomatic options to curb the menace of the factional leader of the IPOB. “We have repeatedly complained about the issue of Simon Ekpa. He is in Finland…

The number of Nigerians denied Schengen visa applications has reached its highest point in four years, following the implementation of stricter visa policies and increased scrutiny by the European Union. According to data from SchengenVisaInfo.eu, an independent Europe-based platform for Schengen visa-related information, Nigerian visa rejections rose by 9.97% in 2023, totaling 42,940 rejections compared to 39,189 in 2022. The financial impact of these rejections has also grown, with the cost of denied visas escalating to €3.44 million in 2023 from €3.14 million the previous year. Schengen.News attributes this increase to the more stringent visa policies and checks adopted by…

Italian giants Juventus on Wednesday named Thiago Motta as their new coach, replacing Massimiliano Allegri who was sacked last month. “It’s official, the next Juventus coach will be Thiago Motta. The Italian-Brazilian has signed with Juventus until June 30, 2027,” the club said in a statement. Motta, 41, was previously in charge at Serie A rivals Bologna. “I am really very happy to start a new experience at the helm of a big club like Juventus,” said Motta who, according to the Italian press, will earn an annual salary of 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million). Motta made his coaching name…

Fans at Euro 2024 will be given more detailed information on video assisted refereeing decisions than before, organisers UEFA said Wednesday. The head of UEFA’s refereeing committee Roberto Rosetti said screens at stadiums across Germany will provide “technical explanations” of VAR calls in order to improve spectator understanding. One of various criticisms of VAR technology since its widespread introduction has been the difficulty match-going fans have in understanding why certain decisions are made. “After the video assistance, the technical explanation of the decision will be shown on the giant screens in the stadiums,” explained Rosetti at a press briefing at…

Organised Labour has denied claims that it reached an agreement with the federal government on minumum wage. President Tinubu has said in his Democracy Day speech that an executive bill with an agreed minimum wage would soon be taken to the National Assembly for formalisation. However, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, the acting vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, stated in a statement on Wednesday, June 12, that at the time negotiations finished on Friday, June 7, the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage had not reached an agreement. The statement reads: “The NLC would have expected that the advisers…

Organised Labour has demanded thorough investigation into the transactions and activities that caused the collapse of Heritage Bank PLC. Under the aegis of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, Labour also called on the regulatory agencies to invoke appropriate actions to recover debts while applying sanctions and penalties against any Institutions or persons found guilty. In a statement by its President, Olusoji Oluwole, ASSBIFI blamed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and other regulatory agencies for the failure and liquidation of the Heritage Bank PLC, and called for clear and practical steps to settle…

The largest painting portrait in the world has been presented to President Bola Tinubu at the 25th Democracy Day celebration at the Eagles Square, Abuja. The portrait had a painting of President Tinubu adorned in cultural attire and beads. Opeyemi Alaba, the innovator of the painting, described it as a message of hope for Nigerians and Africa. He said that the painting was created by 37 different painters representing the 36 states and FCT.