Author: Chief Editor

The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to ensure the sustenance of the ongoing modernization of the Nigerian Army (NA) through the activation of NA Aviation to effectively address contemporary security challenges bedevilling the nation. The President made the remark during the opening ceremony of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference 2022 with the theme: “Building a Professional NA for the 21st Century Security Environment” held at the International Conference Centre, Kasarawa, Sokoto State. President Buhari noted that deliberate efforts have been put in place to fast-track the take-off…

President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of Aishah Ahmed and Edward Adamu to the Senate for confirmation as deputy governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The president’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday during plenary. President Buhari asked the Senate to confirm the nominees to serve for a second and final term at the apex bank. Buhari, in another letter, also asked the senate for the screening and confirmation of the appointment of Ambassador Ayuba Jacob, as a member of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The…

South Korean electronics giants Samsung (005930.KS) and LG (066570.KS) plan to pour billions of dollars of additional investment into Vietnam, the Vietnamese government said on Tuesday. The announcement comes after Samsung cut smartphone production in Vietnam twice this year in response to weaker global demand. Samsung Electronics, the largest single foreign investor in Vietnam, will raise its total investment in the country to $20 billion from $18 billion, the government said in a statement. The company declined to comment on the investment. A source familiar with the matter on Tuesday said the investment would be completed by the end of this year. Samsung has for years…

United Airlines (UAL.O) Chief Executive Scott Kirby said a tentative contract agreement between rival Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and its pilots union would set an industry pattern. “It’s a rich contract but I think the really good news is it means we’ll all get deals done essentially on the same terms and can move forward,” Kirby told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Washington late Monday. Delta struck a tentative deal Friday to give pilots a 34% cumulative pay increase in a new four-year contract. Kirby says the Delta agreement will push pilot wages up across carriers and be passed onto consumers…

Global airlines are predicting their first industry-wide profit since 2019 next year as air travel rebounds from COVID-19 restrictions, while a new war of words erupted with airports on Tuesday over rising air fares and ground charges. Airlines lost tens of billions of dollars in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but air travel has partially recovered and some airports have struggled to cope. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) now expects a net profit of $4.7 billion for the industry next year, with more than 4 billion passengers set to fly. It had previously said only that profits…

The United States and allies Monday welcomed the signing of an initial deal between Sudan’s military and civilian leaders to end a political crisis sparked last year by a coup. The United States, Norway, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain “welcome the agreement of an initial political framework,” a joint statement issued by the US State Department said. Sudan has been gripped by protests and economic upheaval since army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power in October 2021, derailing a rocky transition to civilian rule that began after the 2019 ouster of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir. On Monday,…

Nigeria on Monday resumed a train service linking the capital with a northern city, eight months after it was suspended following one of the country’s most high-profile attacks. Gunmen with explosives on March 28 blew up the tracks and assaulted the train travelling between Abuja and Kaduna and opened fire, killing eight people, wounding 26 and taking an unspecified number of passengers hostage. The hostages were released in batches following negotiations with their captors who were believed to have collected huge ransoms from their families. An AFP reporter at the railway station in Abuja on Monday said the train departed…

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has concluded arrangements for the distribution of relief food items donated by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to 16,000 households of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in 8 camps and host communities in Borno State. A standard quantity of 16,000 food baskets, each comprising a bag of rice (25kg), bag of beans (25kg), masa vita flour (4kg), vegetable oil (2litres), salt (1kg), tomato paste (2kg) and seasoning (0.8kg) will be distributed directly to the 16,000 IDPs at their various locations. The food items donated by the KSrelief are 16,000 bags (25kg)…

Spain coach Luis Enrique set each of his players the “homework” of practising 1,000 penalties ahead of the World Cup, saying he is convinced they are not a lottery. The 2010 world champions face Morocco in the last 16 on Tuesday, with the threat of extra-time and penalties looming in the knockout phase of the tournament in Qatar. Spain beat Switzerland on penalties at last year’s Euro 2020 but were eliminated on spot-kicks by Italy in the semi-finals. “Over a year ago, in one of the Spain camps, I told them they had to get here with at least 1,000…

Oil prices rose on Monday after OPEC+ nations held their output targets steady ahead of a European Union ban and a G7 price cap which kicked in on Russian crude. At the same time, in a positive sign for fuel demand in the world’s top oil importer, more Chinese cities eased COVID-19 curbs over the weekend. Brent crude futures were last up $2.29, or 2.7%, to $87.86 a barrel at 1200 GMT, while WTI crude futures gained $2.24, or 2.8%, to $82.22 a barrel. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, together called OPEC+, agreed on Sunday to stick…