US diplomats have requested an urgent exemption for Ukraine-related programmes from a 90-day freeze on foreign aid and “stop work” orders issued by secretary of state Marco Rubio, according to documents seen by the Financial Times and people familiar with the matter. Citing national security concerns, senior diplomats in the state department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs have asked Rubio to grant a full waiver to exclude the work of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ukraine from the sweeping directive that came into effect immediately after being issued on Friday. “We do not know at this…
Author: Alade Adisa
But retaliation is not the only or even the most likely response to Trump, no matter how broadly he finally delivers on his threats. The US has wielded tariffs as a weapon for eight years now. Those imposed by Trump in his first term were mostly continued or — in the case of China — expanded by Joe Biden. Some nations retaliated; others offered concessions or challenged them before global trade arbiters. But most just quietly moved on, seeking trade with countries other than the US. Since 2017, Trump’s first year in office, trade has held more or less steady…
The Lagos State House of Assembly has reiterated its unwavering support for the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, reaffirming the impeachment of the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa. Obasa, who was recently impeached by his colleagues over allegations of misconduct, during a welcome event organised in his honour by supporters at Ikeja GRA on Saturday, claimed that the process of his impeachment did not comply with constitutional procedures. But in a statement signed Saturday by Ogundipe Olukayode, the Assembly dismissed Obasa’s attempts to challenge the decision as “uncalled for and unparliamentary.” The Assembly stated, “It is imperative to clarify that over 2/3…
The World Bank Group has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sustain efforts to tackle inflation, as Nigeria’s inflation rose to 34.8 percent in December — up from 33.6 percent in November. Senior economist for Nigeria at World Bank Group, Sameer Matta, said this at the launch of the 2025 macroeconomic outlook of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) weekend. Matta said during a panel sessions at the event that the CBN must focus on taming inflation. The economist said, “I think what is critical in terms of inflation is to stay the course. I think that the…
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has said he is not desperate to become president of Nigeria. Speaking at the fourth convocation ceremony of Nexford University, a US-based online school on Saturday, Obi decried the state of leadership in the country, describing it as “an imposition on the people.” A former governor of Anambra State, Obi urged the graduating students to embrace the spirit of servitude to lead effectively and “ignite the needed change.” Maintaining that he is “desperate to see the country work,” the former governor said, “All of these…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government over the recent 50 per cent hike in the telecom tariff by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Joining the NCC as a defendant in the suit, SERAP regards the tariff increase as “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable.” With the increase, the average price of calls will rise to N16.5 per minute from N11; the cost of 1GB of data will rise to N431.25 from N287.5/GB; and SMS prices to N6 from N4. In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025 filed on Friday at the Federal High…
….Becomes 1st black woman to graduate with a first-class degree A young Nigerian lady named Osarieme Omonuwa broke the 121-year-old record of the University of Reading after she made history as the first-ever black woman to graduate from the university with a first-class degree. Omonuwa obtained a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) at the University of Reading, England in the United Kingdom with first-class honors in 2024. Her achievement is history-making as she became the first black woman to graduate from the university to earn a degree with first-class grade. He also received the University of Reading scholarship award and won…
President Donald Trump of the United States on Saturday mulled a plan to ‘just clean out’ Gaza, adding that he wants to relocate Palestinians from the territory to Egypt and Jordan in a bid to create Middle East peace. Describing Gaza as a “demolition site” after the Israel-Hamas war, Trump said he had spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the issue and expected to talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida from , “I’d like Egypt to take people. And I’d like Jordan to take…
The ongoing deportation crackdown by the Donald Trump administration has thrown United States-based Nigerians and other illegal immigrants from Africa as they fear they may be the next target for deportation by the American government, NEW DAILY PRIME has gathered. Many Nigerians who are illegally staying in the US, are gripped by the fear of deportation following President Donald Trump’s declaration of war against illegal immigration. Trump on his inauguration day as the 47th President of the US signed a series of executive orders aimed at hardening immigration policies, including the stoppage of citizenship by birth for children of illegal…
The Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem on Saturday to serve as the Secretary of Homeland Security, putting her in charge of executing one of President Trump’s biggest priorities in his second term: cracking down on immigration. Noem, a Republican, won confirmation in a 59-34 vote. She becomes the fourth person confirmed in Trump’s cabinet, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Pete Hegseth, who was narrowly appointed Secretary of Defense on Friday night after Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. Noem is set to lead the department poised to be at the…
