Author: Alade Adisa

By the look of things, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who was impeached as speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly on January 13, 2025, looks set to return to his former post. It was gathered that his security details have been restored just as those of his former deputy, who was elected to replace him after his ousting, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, have been withdrawn. After Obasa’s removal, the house unanimously elected Meranda, making her the first female to occupy the position in the history of the state. Though she is yet to officially resign as the Speaker of the House,…

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has announced that the first Made-in-Nigeria helicopter is nearing completion and will soon take its maiden flight. Project Manager at NASENI’s Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute, Engr. Kareem Aduagba, while speaking at a Focus Group Engagement in Kaduna on Wednesday, said significant progress had been made on the indigenous helicopter, which would soon be officially recognized as the “Nigerian Chopper.” The engagement session, organized by NASENI, brought together inventors, manufacturers, government officials, industry leaders, and academics to promote local innovation and discuss policies that will drive Nigeria’s industrial and technological…

An agency of the United States government, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said North Korea was behind the theft of $1.5 billion worth of digital assets, described as the largest crypto heist in history. According to reports, the theft took place last week. “(North Korea) was responsible for the theft of approximately $1.5 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange, Bybit,” the FBI said in a public service announcement. The bureau said a group called TraderTraitor, also known as the Lazarus Group, was behind the theft. It said they were “proceeding rapidly and have converted some of…

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will impose 25 percent tariffs on the European Union (EU) “very soon” and claimed the bloc was “formed in order to screw the United States.” The US president made the remarks while holding his first wide-ranging cabinet meeting at the White House since his inauguration in January. The world’s richest man Elon Musk, who leads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but is not a cabinet member, was among those present. During his second term as president, Trump has sparked fears of a global trade war by either imposing, or threatening to…

Pope Francis’s condition showed “a further, slight improvement”, the Vatican said Wednesday, while continuing to maintain the prognosis for the 88-year-old fighting pneumonia in both lungs was “reserved.” “The clinical conditions of the Holy Father in the last 24 hours have shown a further, slight improvement,” said the Vatican in its nightly bulletin on the health of the pontiff, who has been in hospital since February 14. “Although a slight improvement is being recorded, the prognosis remains reserved,” it said. The Argentine pope was originally admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital with breathing difficulties and bronchitis, but his condition subsequently deteriorated,…

A referee has reportedly been banned for six months after asking Lionel Messi for his autograph at the end of an Inter Miami game. WHAT HAPPENED? Mexican referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava approached Messi at the final whistle of Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup win over Kansas City last week and asked for his autograph to give to a family member with special needs. North America’s controlling football body (CONCACAF) opened disciplinary action against the 36-year-old. According to ESPN, Ortiz Nava has been ‘banned from officiating in CONCACAF competitions for six months’. THE BIGGER PICTURE This is not a good look…

Cristiano Ronaldo, Mane on target as Al Nassr bounce back Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane’s second half strikes secured crucial three points for title aspirants Al-Nassr against Al-Wehda in Saudi Pro League. The match started an hour after the scheduled kick-off time as Al-Nassr’s team bus broke down en route to The King Abdulaziz Sports City. The visitors started the game without two star players Marcelo Brozovic and Jhon Duran who missed due to suspension. To make matters worse, star defender Aymeric Laporte was forced to leave the pitch with an injury in the 12th minute of the match as…

President Donald Trump publicly backed efforts by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash government spending and cut the federal workforce on Wednesday, with the president downplaying potential conflicts between Musk and members of his Cabinet. Trump opened his first Cabinet meeting shortly before noon at the White House, with Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth seated beside him. For more than an hour, Trump weighed in a wide range of topics, fielding questions from reporters on Ukraine, Russia, Taiwan, the House Republicans’ budget plan and more. But first, the president allowed…

Forty-six people were killed when a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Khartoum, the regional government said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement said the Antonov aircraft went down on Tuesday night near Wadi Seidna air base, one of the army’s largest military hubs in Omdurman, northwest of the capital. The army, which has been at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, said the plane crashed during takeoff, killing and injuring both military personnel and civilians. “After a final tally, the number of martyrs reached 46, with…

In what turns out to be a piece of positive news, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have surpassed the $40 billion mark for the first time in three years, marking a significant milestone in economic recovery efforts. The governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, who disclosed during a meeting with the Assistant Governor for Monetary Affairs at the Saudi Arabian Central Bank (SAMA), Talal Al-Humond, on the sidelines of the inaugural Conference on Emerging Market Economies in Riyadh, attributed the rise to key reforms. A statement by CBN said the reserves were at their highest in nearly three years.…