Author: damazah@gmail.com

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, dissolved the chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United Kingdom (UK) and all foreign countries for being illegal. Delivering judgement in a suit brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judge, Peter Kekemeke, settled the long-running controversy surrounding the existence and operation of diaspora chapters of political parties registered in Nigeria. He ordered the APC to transfer over N30 million generated from the sale of forms to INEC. He ruled that the APC lacked the power to raise those funds outside Nigeria. “The…

Kayode Tokede  The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and the Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) have commended the decision of S&P Dow Jones Indices to place Nigeria on its 2027 Watchlist for potential reclassification from a Standalone Market to a Frontier Market. This was contained in a joint position paper released and jointly signed by the President of the CIS, Fiona Ahimie, and the Chairman of ASHON, Sehinde Adenagbe. In its latest Country Classification Review, S&P DJI noted that the “Nigerian regulatory environment has modernised to improve transparency, enforcement, and market integrity.” However, the index provider added…

This week, the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) won a key battle in its fight to reverse a visa-restriction policy that the Trump administration had used to attempt to revoke green cards and deport non-US citizens who work on misinformation, disinformation, fact-checking, content moderation, compliance, and trust and safety. In an opinion published Tuesday, US District Judge James Boasberg granted a preliminary injunction blocking the State Department from enforcing the policy until the CITR’s lawsuit is resolved. On its face, the policy does not require visa denials or deportations. Instead, it authorizes immigration investigations into individuals suspected of helping…

Prime Minister’s Question took place eight hours before the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina – and references to the match came thick and fast. Conservative MP Graham Stuart joked that the prime minister had been given the “red card” by “400 dodgy referees”. Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster asked Sir Keir if his last act would be to declare a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup.The prime minister replied that he didn’t want to “tempt fate” and suggested Forster ask him again on Sunday.There were also several references to the by-election in Clacton, triggered by the…

The first person has been treated with a highly anticipated new gene therapy that aims to turn back the clock on ageing cells. The trial is aimed at retinal cells, with the hope that encouraging them to behave as if they were young again could improve sight in the affected patients. If it proves to be safe, it could open the door to a whole raft of therapies based on the emerging field of cellular rejuvenation. To understand more about this cutting edge research, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and from John Knoepfler, professor of cell biology…

The week of festivities at the 2026 Open Championship is firmly underway as Royal Birkdale hosts the final major of the season in Southport, England. The same question abounds, though: Who will become Champion Golfer of the Year and raise the Claret Jug at week’s end?With an excellent 156-man field featuring nearly all the best golfers in the world competing, the fourth major championship of the 2026 season should once again be a tremendous ride from Thursday’s first round onward. Royal Birkdale will serve as a particularly difficult test, which should only heighten tensions, particularly given the expected condition of…

Two days after Sam Neill’s death, the beloved actor’s cause of death has been revealed. According to Philip Grenz, Neill’s longtime representative, the actor died of pneumonia. In a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday, Grenz said, “As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date.” The news of Neill’s death at 78 came just a few months after he shared that he was cancer-free after a lengthy struggle with lymphoma. In 2023, the actor announced he was diagnosed with stage 3 blood…

The Lagos State Government has defended the ongoing land reclamation at the Makoko waterfront near the Third Mainland Bridge, insisting that the project received all required approvals from it and the federal government before work commenced. The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Alebiosu, clarified on Wednesday during Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, according to a statement shared on Wednesday by the ministry. Mr Alebiosu stated that the reclamation project, located around the Ebute Meta/Lagos Island interchange, is being executed by FBT Coral, a private developer that complied with all statutory requirements before commencing work. “The reclamation work you…

Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has warned that there will be no easy opponents at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, insisting that the era of so-called minnows in African women’s football is over, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. As Nigeria intensify preparations for the tournament in Morocco, the reigning African Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year believes every team is capable of causing an upset and has urged her teammates to approach every game with maximum respect. “I don’t share the belief that any group is tougher than the others. Honestly, right now in Africa, there are no longer minnows,”…

Key eventsClosing summaryWe’re about to close this page but will later resume our live coverage – it’s 7am in Tehran and 11.30pm in Washington DC. Here’s a recap of the latest events in the Middle East crisis, and we have a full report here. Thanks for joining us. The US military said it completed a fresh wave of evening strikes against Iranian targets on Thursday morning local time to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten ships transiting the strait of Hormuz. Targets including the southern port city of Bandar Abbas – home ⁠to key ​navy and Revolutionary Guard ​facilities ‌– while…