The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced its commitment to match Italy’s $150 million in concessional loans and grants aimed at funding transformative projects across Africa. Italy’s Mattei Plan, unveiled earlier this year by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seeks to bolster Africa’s development efforts in key sectors such as energy, water, agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure. The plan aims not only to spur economic growth but also to mitigate irregular immigration to Europe by creating job opportunities and enhancing living conditions within African nations. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, praised Italy’s initiative, stating its potential…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced the implementation of a daily “tactical pause” on military operations along a designated aid route in Gaza, effective from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. This aims to facilitate the increased flow of humanitarian resources into the embattled region. The pause affects the road leading from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and further north, following discussions with United Nations officials and international organizations. Despite this tactical pause, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari emphasized that there will be no cessation of combat activities in other areas of southern Gaza, including…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stated the need for international cooperation on maritime security to unlock the vast potential of Africa’s blue economy. Speaking at the 2024 International Maritime Conference in Lagos, commemorating the Nigerian Navy’s 68th anniversary, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, highlighted the transnational nature of maritime threats and the imperative for greater international collaboration to address them. Themed “Promoting the Blue Economy in Africa through International Cooperation on Maritime Security,” the conference aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, the Vision of Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050, and Africa’s Agenda 2063. “Significantly,…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea for a two-day state visit and was received by North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un at the airport in Pyongyang. According to observers, the two-day visit will also focus on further arms deliveries from Pyongyang, which Moscow intends to use in its war against Ukraine. The main part of the visit begins on Wednesday, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Wednesday. The day would begin with a meeting between Putin and Kim on Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang’s urban and symbolic centre. …
A new poll reveals a shift in Black voter support in the critical swing states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump has seen an increase in his support among Black voters, jumping into the double digits compared to his 2020 performance. The USA Today/Suffolk University survey, conducted from June 9 to 13, found that 15 percent of Black voters in Michigan and 11 percent in Pennsylvania now back Trump, a notable rise from his sub-10 percent support in 2020. Despite this gain, President Joe Biden remains the preferred choice for the majority of Black voters in these states.…
The federal government has firmly denied circulating rumors that the Murtala Muhammed Expressway, spanning from Kubwa to Asokoro in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has been renamed as Wole Soyinka Way. Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, issued a statement yesterday refuting the claims. Ibrahim emphasized that renaming the Murtala Muhammed Expressway had never been contemplated by the current administration. This comes in the wake of the June 4, 2024, inauguration of a new road in the FCT, codenamed Arterial Road N20. This road, extending from Katampe to Jahi, links the…
Dozens of Russian soldiers have surrendered in Vovchansk, a northern town in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, as heavy fighting continues. A video released by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade appears to show Russian prisoners of war (POWs) emerging from trenches with hands raised, confirming reports of Russian soldiers surrendering en masse. The footage, although not independently verified by Business Insider, illustrates the dire conditions faced by Russian troops. Captured soldiers, interviewed in what looked like a school classroom, revealed they were often forced into the Russian army due to financial or legal troubles. With minimal training and insufficient supplies, many Russian units…
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced 137 federal institutions now collaborating to facilitate student loans across the country. The announcement made on NELFUND’s website however, did not specify the names of these institutions or clarify whether they are exclusively federal government institutions or include state-controlled ones. The data insight section on the website simply noted, “137 collaborating with esteemed institutions.” In a recent interview NELFUND’s Head of Media, Nasir Ayitogo, confirmed that the collaborating institutions are federal institutions. This aligns with NELFUND’s mission to support students in federally-funded educational establishments. NELFUND plans to release a comprehensive list of…
Scientists warn that a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami are inevitable for the Pacific Northwest coast. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 700-mile fault located 100 miles off the coast from Northern California to Vancouver Island, could trigger a 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami. This scenario mirrors the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Diego Melgar, a seismologist at the University of Oregon, notes that 30 to 40 years ago, the possibility of such large earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest was unknown. Recent studies, including in-depth imagery reported in “Science Advances,” reveal that the fault is divided into 3…
Modular refineries in Nigeria have echoed the concerns raised by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, regarding the powerful cartels obstructing the domestic refining of crude oil. Operators, represented by the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), highlighted the detrimental impact of these cartels, calling for President Tinubu’s intervention. Eche Idoko, Publicity Secretary of CORAN, emphasized that these mafias have held the country hostage, crippling the economy by restricting domestic petroleum supply. This, in turn, has contributed to rising inflation, particularly in food prices, due to high petroleum product costs. Dangote recently revealed that both local and international mafias…
The Nigerian government has announced that the visa ban restricting Nigerian travelers to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon be lifted. This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, during a 44-minute interview with Otega Ogra, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, published on the official YouTube page of the State House. Keyamo assured Nigerians that all necessary resolutions have been reached between President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during Tinubu’s visit to the UAE in September 2023. He emphasized that the Nigerian government has completed all required processes,…
US journalist Evan Gershkovich will go on trial on espionage charges in Russia’s Urals city of Yekaterinburg behind closed doors on June 26, the court overseeing the process said on Monday. The Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in March 2023 while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg and has been held in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison since. He became the first Western journalist since the Soviet era to be arrested for spying in Russia. Last week, Russia’s prosecutor general accused him of working for the CIA and “collecting secret information” about tank maker Uralvagonzavod in the…