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909,345 |
VIDEO: [Natasha] Drama As Ezekwesili, Senator Nwebonyi Trade Words At Senate Hearing
|
The hearing was on the petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. But at the event, both parties had a heated exchange.
| 2025-03-25T17:41:35 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/video-natasha-drama-as-ezekwesili-senator-nwebonyi-in-heated-exchange-during-hearing/
|
[
"Local"
] |
There was drama in the Senate on Tuesday during the hearing of a petition from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as a former minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili and Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi had a heated exchange during the hearing.
The altercation between Senator Nwebonyi and Ezekwesili took place during a hearing by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions over Senator Natasha’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Ezekwesili accompanied Abiola Akiode, counsel to Senator Natasha, and petitioner, Zubairu Yakubu, to the hearing.
But tensions rose when Yakubu tried to speak as the Chairman of the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Committee Neda Imaseun was addressing the panel.
READ ALSO: Petition To Recall Senator Natasha Did Not Meet ‘Requirements,’ Says INEC
Yakubu was asked to mute his microphone, leading to Ezekwesili’s intervention. However, Nwebonyi, a witness for Akpabio, interjected, prompting a heated exchange with the former education minister.
Ezekwesili told the lawmaker to compose himself, sparking an outburst from Senator Nwebonyi.
Infuriated, the Senator accused her of being disrespectful.
The heated exchange disrupted the hearing before order was finally restored. Imaseun thereafter said the case was before a court, ending the hearing.
“Therefore, this matter is closed here at the senate, and it is adjourned sine die,” he said.
Watch the heated exchange between the duo below:
|
909,291 |
Nigeria Vs Zimbabwe: Chelle Retains Starting XI, As Lookman, Osimhen Lead Attack
|
The Super Eagles have named Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in the team’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, retaining the same players who featured in Friday’s win over Rwanda.
| 2025-03-25T16:46:47 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/nigeria-vs-zimbabwe-chelle-retains-starting-xi-as-lookman-osimhen-lead-attack/
|
[
"Football",
"Sports"
] |
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has named Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in the team’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, retaining the same players who featured in Friday’s win over Rwanda.
READ ALSO: [World Cup Qualifiers] South Africa Risk Points Deduction For Fielding Ineligible Player Vs Lesotho
Nigeria’s Starting XI vs Zimbabwe
Below is Nigeria’s starting lineup against Zimbabwe:
#SuperEagles Team News in
⚪️Aina, Osayi- Samuel wing backs
⚡️ Ndidi, Iwobi marshall the midfield
Lookman, Osimhen lead attack line #SoarSuperEagles #NGAZIM pic.twitter.com/hQ7CEmEpgj— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 25, 2025
Nigeria XI vs. Zimbabwe Nwabali; Aina, Ekong, Bassey, Osayi; Ndidi, Iwobi, Chukwueze, Simon; Lookman, Osimhen.
|
909,252 |
Trump Brushes Off Yemen Chat Breach As A 'Glitch'
|
Journalist Goldberg said he was added to the group chat two days before the Yemen strikes, and received messages from other top government officials
| 2025-03-25T16:25:45 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/trump-brushes-off-yemen-chat-breach-as-a-glitch/
|
[
"Middle East",
"World News"
] |
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the accidental addition of a journalist to a group chat about Yemen air strikes as a “glitch” and stood by his top national security team despite the stunning breach.
Trump’s administration faces mounting pressure following a report on Monday by The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg about the conversation on the Signal messaging app.
The chat about attacks on Iran-backed Huthi rebels involved some of the administration’s most senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
READ ALSO: US, Ukraine Officials In New Saudi Talks, No Breakthrough With Russia
Trump, who returned to the office in January, told broadcaster NBC in a phone interview that the breach was “the only glitch in two months, and it turned out not to be a serious one.”
The president added that Waltz, his top security official in the White House, “has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.”
Goldberg said he had received a connection request from a user identified as Michael Waltz on Signal. Trump said however that “it was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there.”
The White House had earlier pushed back more forcefully on day two of the scandal, after confirming the breach on Monday.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Tuesday that “no ‘war plans’ were discussed” and “no classified material was sent to the thread.”
She also attacked Goldberg as being “well-known for his sensationalist spin.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host with no experience running a huge organization like the Pentagon, had also said late Monday that “nobody was texting war plans.”
But top Democrats have condemned the breach, saying it was potentially illegal and calling for an investigation to find out why officials were using a commercially available app for sensitive discussions.
Leavitt said the White House’s Counsel’s Office “has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump’s top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently as possible.”
The White House was also “looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread.”
‘European free-loading’
Trump announced the strikes on the Huthis on March 15, but Goldberg said he had hours of advance notice via the group chat.
Two other officials on the chat, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA chief John Ratcliffe, were due to speak to the US Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
The panel’s Republican chair, Senator Tom Cotton, told Fox and Friends on Tuesday that the group chat issue “will come up” at the hearing.
“John Ratcliffe, Tulsi Gabbard and the other leaders will have a chance to address it, but I do hope that we keep the focus on the decisive action that the president took against these outlaw rebels in Yemen,” Cotton said.
Journalist Goldberg said he was added to the group chat two days before the Yemen strikes, and received messages from other top government officials designating representatives who would work on the issue.
The leak could have been highly damaging if Goldberg had publicized details of the plan in advance, but he did not do so.
But the report did reveal details of what top White House officials think about key allies.
A person identified as Vance expressed doubts about carrying out the strikes, saying he hated “bailing Europe out again,” as countries there were more affected by Huthi attacks on shipping than the United States.
Contributors identified as Hegseth and Waltz both sent messages arguing only Washington had the capability to carry out the strikes, with the Pentagon chief saying he shared Vance’s “loathing of European free-loading” and calling the Europeans “pathetic.”
The Huthi rebels, who have controlled much of Yemen for more than a decade, are part of the “axis of resistance” of pro-Iran groups staunchly opposed to Israel and the United States.
They have launched scores of drone and missile attacks at ships passing Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war, saying they were carried out in solidarity with Palestinians.
AFP
|
909,283 |
Senate Launches Investigation Into Abuse Of Federal Character Principle
|
This resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Osita Ngwu.
| 2025-03-25T16:14:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/senate-launches-investigation-into-abuse-of-federal-character-principle/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The Senate has mandated its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to conduct a thorough investigation hearing into all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and the even infrastructural development across the country and to determine their level of compliance with Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Osita Ngwu who acknowledged the persistent challenges in achieving equity within Nigeria’s public service, including limited recruitment opportunities, skewed promotions based on years of service rather than merit, and a lack of mobility for workers outside the public sector.
Lawmakers also noted that despite constitutional provisions mandating fair representation across ethnic, linguistic, religious, and geographic lines, imbalances continue to exist.
READ ALSO: Senate Confirms Sylvester Nwakuche As NCoS Controller General
The Senate specifically criticised several federal institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its subsidiaries, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), among others, for allegedly failing to adhere to federal character mandates in their recruitment processes.
The committee is expected to report back within three months with findings and recommendations to ensure fair and equitable representation in federal appointments, promotions, recruitment and infrastructural distribution across the over 900 MDAs.
|
909,243 |
World Cup Qualifiers: South Africa Risk Points Deduction For Fielding Ineligible Player Vs Lesotho
|
The player in question, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena, had accumulated two yellow cards in the qualification series.
| 2025-03-25T15:56:44 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/world-cup-qualifiers-south-africa-risk-points-deduction-for-fielding-ineligible-player-vs-lesotho/
|
[
"Football",
"Sports"
] |
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup may have gotten a lifeline as South Africa risk losing three points for fielding an ineligible player in one of the qualifiers against Lesotho last week.
The player in question, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena, had accumulated two yellow cards in the qualification series and was not supposed to play last Friday against Lesotho, a game South Africa won 2-0.
The midfielder got his first caution in November 2023 in South Africa’s 2-1 victory over the Benin Republic in Match Day 1 of the qualification series. Mokoena got another yellow card in Bafana Bafana’s win over Zimbabwe in June 2024.
According to Section 67 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, a player is ineligible to play the next match if he accumulates two yellow cards.
“If a person receives a caution in two separate matches of the same FIFA competition, they are automatically suspended from the next match in that competition. Such suspensions must be served before any other suspension,” the disciplinary code partly read.
However, South Africa fielded Mokoena against Lesotho despite two cautions in the qualification race for the 2026 World Cup. Bafana Bafana won the match, opening a two-point lead in Group C of the qualifiers.
That means, according to Section 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, South Africa may be sanctioned, leading to a loss of points.
“If a player fielded in a match is declared ineligible following a protest, the team to which the player belongs will be sanctioned by forfeiting the match and paying a minimum fine of CHF 6,000. The player may also be sanctioned,” subsection 2 of Section 19 of the code read.
But South Africa may have a lifeline as Section 18:1 of the rule says, “Associations and their clubs are entitled to lodge protests. Protests must reach the Disciplinary Committee in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal, indicating the relevant grounds, within 24 hours of the end of the match in question”.
South Africa are four points ahead of Nigeria with 10 points after five rounds of matches. But if the protest over Mokoena’s ineligibility is successful, Lesotho will be on eight points, giving the Super Eagles a better chance of overtaking South Africa, depending on the results of other matches on Tuesday.
|
909,257 |
Australia Beat China 2-0 To Take Step Nearer To World Cup
|
Australia took a step closer to automatic World Cup qualification with a comfortable 2-0 victory over China in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
| 2025-03-25T15:44:49 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/australia-beat-china-2-0-to-take-step-nearer-to-world-cup/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Australia took a step closer to automatic World Cup qualification with a comfortable 2-0 victory over China in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
The away win, hot on the heels of their 5-1 win over Indonesia last week, leaves the Socceroos second in Group C on 13 points with two to play, three points ahead of Saudi Arabia with a much better goal difference.
The top two teams advance straight to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
But with Australia having to host already qualified table-toppers Japan and travel to Saudi Arabia for their final qualifier in June, the group could go right down to the wire.
China are bottom on six points but still have a chance to finish third or fourth, which would be enough to enter a further qualifying round.
They face Indonesia away and Bahrain at home in their final two matches.
Australia dominated from the start in Hangzhou to maintain Tony Popovic’s unbeaten record since he became head coach in September.
Jackson Irvine gave Australia the perfect start when he curled home in the 16th minute after sloppy Chinese defending left him the opportunity to shoot.
The 32-year-old FC St Pauli player was able to retrieve a loose ball in the area after his first shot was blocked, before evading two timid challenges and sweeping home a left-foot shot.
A terrible blunder by goalkeeper Wang Dalei gifted Popovic’s side a second in the 29th minute
Nishan Velupillay’s scuffed shot looked easy to gather, but the Chinese captain let it squirm through his grasp, bounce off his body and trickle over the line for the Australian’s third goal in five internationals.
Brazil-born Serginho (known as Sai Erjiniao in Chinese), recently naturalised as Chinese, came on for his international debut at half-time
He almost made an instant impact but Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan tipped his powerful shot from the edge of the area over the bar.
China, roared on by over 70,000 fans, applied more pressure in the closing stages but lacked the cutting edge to trouble a side 64 places above them in FIFA’s world rankings.
|
909,236 |
Real Madrid Making Progress On Alexander-Arnold Transfer: Reports
|
The England international has been at the Premier League club for more than two decades, has been able to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January.
| 2025-03-25T15:38:52 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/real-madrid-making-progress-on-alexander-arnold-transfer-reports/
|
[
"Football",
"Sports"
] |
Trent Alexander-Arnold is closing in on a move to Real Madrid when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season, according to reports on Tuesday.
The defender has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer and talks between the 26-year-old and the Spanish giants are understood to be making progress.
The England international, who came through the youth ranks at Liverpool and has been at the Premier League club for more than two decades, has been able to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January.
READ ALSO: Blatter, Platini Cleared In FIFA’s Corruption Case
Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut as an 18-year-old in 2016.
The right-back has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Club World Cup with his boyhood club and is on course to add a second league crown this season, with Arne Slot’s side currently 12 points clear at the top of the table.
Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season, with the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still unclear.
Alexander-Arnold is currently out of action with an ankle injury and missed Liverpool’s defeat to Newcastle in the League Cup final earlier this month.
Liverpool have declined to comment on the reports.
AFP
|
909,254 |
CBN Making Progress In Stabilising FX Market, Curbing Inflation — Cardoso
|
CBN Making Progress In Stabilising FX Market, Curbing Inflation — Cardoso
| 2025-03-25T15:36:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/cbn-making-progress-in-stabilising-fx-market-curbing-inflation-cardoso/
|
[
"Business"
] |
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has said the bank is beginning to see signs of progress in stabilising the foreign exchange (FX) market and curbing inflation, as recent policy reforms start to yield results.
Cardoso stated this during an engagement with scholars from the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) at the CBN headquarters in Abuja.
The scholars were visiting Nigeria as part of the Africa Trek initiative, which also included a stop in Ghana.
The visit marked the first time a Harvard Africa Trek delegation would visit the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The delegation was comprised of 50 students from 19 countries, including representatives from Harvard Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Stanford University.
In a statement issued by the CBN on Tuesday, Cardoso, who is an HKS alumnus and the first African elected to the global HKS Alumni Board of Directors, reiterated the Bank’s commitment to driving policy-oriented solutions and strengthening trust in Nigeria’s financial system.
“As we reset the Bank, we are committed to being a hub for thought leadership. The exposure you gain from institutions like Harvard is invaluable, and we see this as an opportunity to build long-term alliances,” Cardoso said.
While addressing Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook, he acknowledged existing challenges but pointed to key indicators suggesting improvement.
He noted that the FX market is beginning to stabilise and that inflationary pressures are gradually moderating.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Partners OECD To Tackle Illicit Financial Flows
The statement read, “Addressing Nigeria’s economic landscape, Mr Cardoso acknowledged recent challenges but highlighted progress in stabilizing the foreign exchange market and curbing inflation.”
Cardoso also highlighted the growing interest from international institutions as a positive signal. He referenced recent visits from senior executives at JP Morgan, Citi Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as evidence of renewed investor confidence.
“These are individuals who base their decisions on data and trends, not sentiment. Their interest reaffirms that we are on the right path,” he added.
President of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of Nigeria, Adaora Ndukwe, and the HKS Nigeria Trek Delegation Lead, Sheffy Kolade, commended the CBN for hosting the students and for its continued engagement with future policymakers.
The Africa Trek is designed to facilitate direct interaction between emerging global leaders and key African policymakers.
It serves as a platform for discussions on governance, innovation, economic development, and the strategic role of central banks in national growth.
|
909,239 |
Nigeria Partners OECD To Tackle Illicit Financial Flows
|
Nigeria Partners OECD To Tackle Illicit Financial Flows
| 2025-03-25T15:23:06 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/nigeria-partners-oecd-to-tackle-illicit-financial-flows/
|
[
"Business"
] |
The Ministry of Finance has announced a strategic collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to address illicit financial flows and strengthen Nigeria’s economic framework.
According to a statement shared on the Ministry of Finance’s X account, the OECD emphasised its growing engagement in Africa through partnerships with the African Union, regional blocs, and direct country-level initiatives.
The partnership was formalised during a courtesy visit by Carlos Conde, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division at OECD, to Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Nigeria was identified as a key partner in West Africa, with discussions focusing on economic priorities such as capital market development, regional integration, sustainable finance, and investment in human capital.
“Discussions focused on Nigeria’s economic priorities, including capital market development, regional integration, curbing illicit financial flows, sustainable finance, and investment in human capital,” the statement noted.
The OECD also outlined its technical support offerings, including assistance in digitalization, governance, and statistical systems.
Edun welcomed the collaboration, highlighting the importance of harmonised data systems to drive reforms, attract investments, and create opportunities for Nigeria’s youth.
READ ALSO: FIRST E&P, FG Advocate Collaboration For Niger Delta Host Communities Development
In January, Minister Edun commended President Bola Tinubu for implementing critical reforms that have stabilised Nigeria’s economy and reclaimed 5% of GDP previously lost to inefficiencies.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Edun noted that the removal of wasteful subsidies and the adoption of market-driven pricing mechanisms for petroleum products and foreign exchange have been pivotal in achieving this milestone.
“These steps have set the stage for the return of foreign direct investments,” Edun stated, citing significant commitments from Shell and TotalEnergies, which announced $5 billion and $3 billion investment decisions, respectively. These developments reflect renewed confidence in Nigeria’s economic potential.
In December 2024, Edun led a delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of President Tinubu and the Presidential Economic Coordination Council to strengthen the economic partnership, focusing on enhancing export credit, insurance frameworks, and market access between the two nations.
The minister said, “What we have brought back is foreign exchange. What we have brought back is jobs for Nigerians.”
|
909,301 |
PHOTOS: Shettima, Atiku, Others Condole Gov Radda Over Mother's Death
|
Since the death of the 93-year-old Safara'u Umaru on Saturday, Katsina State has been witnessing an inflow of important personalities.
| 2025-03-25T15:18:59 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/photos-shettima-atiku-others-condole-governor-radda-over-mothers-death/
|
[
"Local"
] |
Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday paid condolence visit to Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State over the death of his mother, Safara’u Radda.
Also paying the condolence at the Governor’s Residence of the Katsina Government House, were a former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema; a former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa; Deputy Governor of Borno State, Umar Kadafur as well as delegation from the former PresidentMuhammadu Buhari among other important personalities.
Since the death of the 93-year-old Safara’u Umaru on Saturday, Katsina State has been witnessing an inflow of important personalities for condolences to the Governor and good people of the state.
READ ALSO: Katsina Gov Radda Loses Mother
Sympathisers described the death as a great loss not only to Katsina State but also the country at large.
They also prayed for God to grant the deceased Jannatul Firdausi and give the family the courage to bear the irreparable loss.
See photos from the visit below:
|
909,229 |
Saudis Ready For World Cup 'Tough Fight' After Draw In Japan
|
The Saudis came under intense pressure from an attack-minded Japan in Saitama but escaped with a point to stay in touch with Australia.
| 2025-03-25T15:02:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/saudis-ready-for-world-cup-tough-fight-after-draw-in-japan/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said “everything can happen” after a 0-0 draw with already qualified Japan on Tuesday kept his team’s hopes of an automatic 2026 World Cup place alive.
The Saudis came under intense pressure from an attack-minded Japan in Saitama but escaped with a point to stay in touch with Australia in the battle for second place in Asian qualifying third round Group C.
Australia beat China 2-0 and lead the Saudis by three points with two games remaining.
The top two teams qualify directly for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with those placing third and fourth going into another qualifying round.
Saudi Arabia host Australia in their final qualifier in June and Renard said his side were still in the mix for a direct berth.
READ ALSO: Blatter, Platini Cleared In FIFA’s Corruption Case
“There are still two games, everything can happen,” said the Frenchman.
“We have to go to Bahrain, Australia will receive Japan and we will receive Australia in the last game.
“It’s a tough fight. We just have to think about the four points we got during these two games and we look to be better offensively for the last two games.”
Renard led the Saudis to a famous victory over eventual winners Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and he returned for a second stint in October last year when Roberto Mancini was fired.
The Saudis got their first win in five qualifiers last week, 1-0 against China, but beating runaway group leaders Japan away from home was a taller order.
“We got a good result this evening,” he said.
‘You can’t be open’
“It was not beautiful, I know. Sorry for the show but we kept our organisation.”
Japan became the first team to qualify for the World Cup when they beat Bahrain 2-0 last week and are guaranteed to win Group C.
Celtic striker Daizen Maeda hit the post with an early chance but Japan were unable to turn possession into chances.
“We qualified for the World Cup but there was no drop-off from the players going into the game,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.
“We controlled the game, we were concentrated and we didn’t let them hit us on the counter. The players did very well mentally and tactically.”
Maeda was one of six changes to Japan’s starting line-up from the win over Bahrain, with winger Kaoru Mitoma, striker Ayase Ueda and midfielder Hidemasa Morita all ruled out with injury.
The Saudis were also missing players but Renard praised his defence for the way they coped with a Japan side that has scored 24 goals in eight qualifiers.
“When you are coming to Japan you can’t come to be very open, you need to be careful because it’s a very good team,” he said.
“I think the plan was good defensively. Offensively we wanted to go to the space and we didn’t do well.”
AFP
|
909,210 |
LemFi Launches £50,000 Grant To Support International Students In The UK
|
The initiative will provide financial assistance to students undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate studies within recognised education institutions in the United Kingdom.
| 2025-03-25T14:38:36 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/lemfi-launches-50000-grant-to-support-international-students-in-the-uk/
|
[
"Education"
] |
LemFi is a London-based financial technology platform that is transforming how immigrants in the United Kingdom, North America, and Europe access financial services. LemFi is proud to announce the launch of its grants program, the LemFi Student Grant. The initiative will provide financial assistance to students undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate studies within recognised education institutions in the United Kingdom.
Hundreds of people move to the United Kingdom annually, seeking advancement in academic qualifications to help them achieve their dreams. For some international students, financial constraints and challenges arise during their studies, posing significant risks, allowing them to continue or complete their study programmes.
Starting with a £50,000 fund, which will only be available to a maximum of 50 eligible students divided equally between them. LemFi hopes to demonstrate its commitment to supporting immigrant communities.
“Education is a proven tool for driving social and economic change, especially in immigrant communities. By supporting their pursuits, we make a valuable investment in the future of the next generation,” says Toyyib Adelodun, LemFi’s Growth Manager and the coordinator of the LemFi Grant.
“With this initiative, we hope to address financial challenges students face, enabling them to focus on their studies and unlock their full potential,” Toyyib concludes.
To apply, eligible participants can visit the LemFi Grant website at www.lemfi.com/grant to submit their application and view more information about applying.
To learn more about LemFi, please visit the website at www.lemfi.com or contact [email protected].
|
909,204 |
Tinubu Hails Jonathan On Sunhak Peace Prize Win
|
President Tinubu described the award as a patriotic effort that has earned Dr Jonathan a global recognition.
| 2025-03-25T14:37:07 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/tinubu-hails-jonathan-on-sunhak-peace-prize-win/
|
[
"Local"
] |
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated former President Goodluck Jonathan on winning the 2025 Sunhak Peace Founders’ Award.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
He said Tinubu commended Jonathan for his consistent advocacy for peace and democracy, describing it as a patriotic effort that has earned him global recognition.
READ ALSO: Labour Threatens Action If Rivers Emergency Rule Is Not Reversed
“The President states that Dr Jonathan’s winning the Sunhak Peace Award affirms his bold efforts in peacebuilding and promoting democracy in Africa and beyond.
“The President recalls the former President’s historic acceptance of the results of the 2015 presidential election and his peaceful handover of power to an opposition party, which bolstered the nation’s democratic profile,” the statement read.
The Sunhak Peace Prize, awarded by the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, recognises individuals and organisations making significant contributions to world peace and human development.
By honouring Jonathan, the committee acknowledges his work in mediation, conflict resolution, and democratic advocacy across the African continent.
|
909,205 |
39 Constitutional Amendment Bills Scale Second Reading In Reps
|
The bills cut across sectors including judicial reforms, electoral matters security and policing, inclusive governance, legislature.
| 2025-03-25T14:28:53 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/39-constitution-amendment-bills-scale-second-reading-in-reps/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
Thirty-nine constitutional amendment bills have scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bills cut across various sectors including judicial reforms, electoral matters security and policing, inclusive governance, legislature, and others.
Some of the proposals include:
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of state police and local government police
A bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to provide that general elections to the office of the president, state governors, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly, and local government area councils shall be conducted simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in
consultation with the National Assembly.
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to make the Court of Appeal the final appeal court in governorship, national, and state Houses of Assembly election petitions.
READ ALSO: Natasha’s Lawyer Accuses Kogi Govt Of Sponsoring Senator’s Recall
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, cap. c23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1999 (power of proclamation of new Assembly by Clerk or NASS/Clerk of House Assembly) and to make provision for the Chief Justice of Niger to make proclamation on the inauguration of National Assembly.
A bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to establish the FCT House of Assembly.
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), to provide for special seats for the physically challenged persons in Nigeria’s federal, state, and local government areas, and legislative houses.
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to permit public servants to engage in healthcare education, production, and services beyond farming and related matters.
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 cap. c23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to establish and empower the political parties registration and regulatory commission to register, regulate, and monitor the organisation and operation of political parties.
A bill for an Act to further alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the determination of all appeals arising from election petition tribunals prior to swearing-in of president-elect, vice-president-elect, governor-elect, deputy governor-elect, members-elect of the national and state assemblies.
A bill for an act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to vest the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the power to conduct local government area council elections.
A bill for an Act to alter Sections 68(1) (g) &109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to require the official resignation from political party before defection by members of the national assembly and state house of assembly.
A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, cap. c23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to establish the national local government electoral commission as an independent body responsible for organising, conducting, and supervising elections into the offices of chairmen and councilors of all the local governments across the federation, including the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
The bills were not debated.
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909,190 |
VIDEO: Management Of Diversity, Nigeria's Biggest Challenge — Anyaoku
|
The elder statesman spoke on Monday at the 60th birthday anniversary colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
| 2025-03-25T13:39:27 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/management-of-diversity-nigerias-biggest-challenge-anyaoku/
|
[
"Local",
"Politics"
] |
Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, says the management of diversity remains Nigeria’s challenge.
The elder statesman spoke on Monday at the 60th birthday anniversary colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
Watch video:
|
909,182 |
Man Allegedly Kills Lover, Three-Year-Old Daughter In Edo, Police Begin Probe
|
The Edo State Police Command said Nnamdi was set to marry his lover on Saturday, March 29.
| 2025-03-25T13:30:29 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/man-allegedly-kills-lover-three-year-old-daughter-in-edo-police-begin-probe/
|
[
"Local"
] |
A man identified as Wealth Nnamdi has allegedly killed his lover and her three-year-old daughter in Edo State.
The suspect was said to have committed the offence on March 18, according to a statement by the spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, Moses Joel Yamu.
Yamu, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said Nnamdi was set to marry his lover on Saturday, March 29.
It is unclear if the suspect had a misunderstanding with the deceased.
However, the Command’s spokesman said, “Ekiadolor Division received a report from a concerned neighbour of the deceased that he is perceiving an offensive odour from his neighbour’s room located at Idiangbona Street of Ovbiogoe Community.”
READ ALSO: Police Arrest Two Suspects In Bauchi Over Motorcycle Rider’s Death
The statement read, “The Edo State Police Command has since commenced investigation into the gruesome murder of a woman popularly known as ‘Mama Hallelujah’ and her three 3-year-old daughter named ‘Miracle.”
“On the strength of the report, the DPO Ekiadolor led operatives to the area where the odour emanated from; however, they discovered that it was locked from outside. The room was forced open, and the decomposing bodies of the woman with an injury that appears to be a machete cut on her head and her baby on the bed were discovered.
“During preliminary investigation, all fingers pointed at her live-in lover, simply identified as Wealth Nnamdi, whose wedding with the deceased mother of one was set for 29/03/2025.
“The suspect has since gone underground since the discovery, as the command is doing everything possible to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspect.”
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909,248 |
World Athletics Approves Swab Test To Determine Female Gender
|
World Athletics said on Tuesday it had approved the introduction of a cheek swab test to determine if an athlete is biologically female.
| 2025-03-25T13:25:49 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/world-athletics-approves-swab-test-to-determine-female-gender/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
World Athletics said on Tuesday it had approved the introduction of a cheek swab test to determine if an athlete is biologically female.
Sebastian Coe, the head of the international track and field federation, said the decision taken by the body’s decision-making Council was a “really important” way of protecting the female category.
“It’s important to do it because it maintains everything that we’ve been talking about, and particularly recently, about not just talking about the integrity of female women’s sport, but actually guaranteeing it,” Coe said in a press conference after the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
“We feel this is a really important way of providing confidence and maintaining that absolute focus on the integrity of competition.”
Coe said the decision was taken after a wide consultation on the proposal.
“Overwhelmingly, the view has come back that this is absolutely the way to go,” although he added that the swab test was not considered to be overly intrusive.
He said he was confident that the policy could stand up to legal challenge, but added: “You accept the fact that that is the world we live in.
“I would never have set off down this path to protect the female category in sport if I’d been anything other than prepared to take the challenge head on.
“We’ve been to the Court of Arbitration on our DSD (difference of sex development) regulations.
“They have been upheld, and they have again been upheld after appeal. So we will doggedly protect the female category, and we’ll do whatever is necessary to do it.”
Coe announced the policy a week after finishing third in the race to be the new president of the International Olympic Committee, won by Kirsty Coventry, the former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe.
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909,241 |
Blatter And Platini Cleared In FIFA Graft Case
|
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini on Tuesday were acquitted on appeal by a Swiss court in a long-running corruption case that shattered their careers as the most powerful figures in world football.
| 2025-03-25T13:10:12 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/blatter-and-platini-cleared-in-fifa-graft-case/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini on Tuesday were acquitted on appeal by a Swiss court in a long-running corruption case that shattered their careers as the most powerful figures in world football.
Blatter, 89, and Platini, 69, listened in silence as the Extraordinary Court of Appeal clerk in the town of Muttenz, near Basel, read out a decision identical to the one handed down in 2022, which had initially cleared them.
Prosectors had requested suspended sentences of 20 months for the pair, but charges of fraud, for which they risked five years’ imprisonment, as well as disloyal management, breach of trust and forgery of documents were all dismissed.
After almost 10 years of legal proceedings, a final appeal is still possible before the Swiss Supreme Court, but only on limited legal grounds. The prosecutors’ office said in a statement it “will decide about how to further proceed”.
“The persecution by FIFA and some Swiss federal prosecutors for 10 years is now over,” Platini told reporters. “Today my honour is restored, and I’m very happy.”
Platini, a former France captain and manager, said he felt “from the start” that the purpose of the affair was to prevent him “from being president of FIFA”.
“I know that for my enemies, it was time that was important… They kept me out for 10 years,” continued Platini, whose downfall cleared the way for the election in early 2016 of Gianni Infantino as FIFA boss.
Blatter and Platini returned to court earlier this month on charges stemming from a delayed payment of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) FIFA made to Platini in 2011 for consultancy services.
“After two acquittals, the federal prosecutor’s office must also admit that this criminal procedure has definitively failed. Michel Platini must finally be left alone in criminal matters,” said Dominic Nellen, Platini’s lawyer.
‘Gentlemen’s agreement’
The case began in 2015 when Blatter quit as head of FIFA in a corruption crisis.
Blatter and Platini were initially acquitted by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in June 2022, but the Swiss Attorney General’s office immediately appealed that verdict.
The defence and prosecution agreed that Platini did advise Blatter between 1998 and 2002, during the Swiss administrator’s first term at the head of FIFA, and that in 1999 the two men signed a contract agreeing an annual remuneration of 300,000 Swiss francs, to be “paid in full by FIFA”.
Blatter and Platini said that at the start they agreed orally, and without witnesses, on an annual salary of one million Swiss francs, but FIFA’s financial state did not allow for immediate payment. Blatter called it a “gentlemen’s agreement”.
Prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand said the argument was implausible. Even if FIFA had transferred one million Swiss francs to Platini in 1999, it would still have had “more than 21 million francs in cash”, and its reserves had reached 328 million in 2002.
To agree such a sum without a written record, without witnesses and without ever making provision for it in the accounts was, he said, “contrary to commercial practice” as well as to FIFA’s norms.
In January 2011, “more than eight years after the end of his activity as advisor”, Platini “claimed a debt of two million Swiss francs”, which FIFA paid.
Prosecutors argued that this was an “unfounded” payment, obtained by “cleverly misleading” FIFA’s internal controls through false statements made by the two executives.
At the time, Blatter was running for re-election as FIFA president and Platini had become head of European football. Platini backed Blatter in his successful bid for a fourth term in charge of FIFA.
Both men were eventually banned from football by FIFA’s ethics committee.
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909,169 |
Labour Threatens Action If Rivers Emergency Rule Is Not Reversed
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The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact, and consequences of the federal government’s actions.
| 2025-03-25T13:03:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/just-in-labour-unions-threaten-action-if-state-of-emergency-in-rivers-is-not-reversed/
|
[
"Headlines"
] |
The Organised Labour has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that it may be forced to take decisive action that could disrupt national economic activities if the proclamation is not reversed within a reasonable timeframe.
The threat was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Rivers State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alex Agwanwor; State Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ikechukwu Onyefuru; and Chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Chuku Emecheta.
The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact, and consequences of the federal government’s actions.
The Organised Labour described the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of the elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara; deputy governor, Ngozi Odu; and House of Assembly members as premature and baseless.
According to the union leaders, the people of Rivers State freely elected these officials, and any attempt to remove them outside constitutional processes undermines democracy.
READ ALSO: Rivers Administrator Appoints SSG As Head Of Service Resigns
They insisted that such actions must be reversed to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system.
They highlighted the immediate hardship the state of emergency has caused for local government workers, many of whom have yet to receive their salaries.
The statement noted that withholding workers’ wages has exposed them to avoidable economic suffering, particularly at a time when the cost of living is already high.
The Organised Labour warned that the state of emergency could have devastating economic consequences, emphasising Rivers State’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy and the Niger Delta region.
It said with the nation already grappling with inflation, naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment, and skyrocketing living costs, further instability in Rivers State could worsen the situation nationwide.
The statement also pointed out that the political uncertainty caused by the state of emergency has driven away potential investors who had expressed interest in the state’s economic initiative.
This loss of investment, according to labour leaders, is damaging the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) and will have long-term consequences for economic development and employment opportunities in the region.
While acknowledging the need for maintaining law and order, the Organized Labour stressed that such actions must be carried out within the framework of the Nigerian Constitution.
The unions argued that suspending elected officials and allegedly disrupting salary payments for workers violate fundamental rights and could worsen security and economic challenges.
They urged the Federal Government to prioritise the safety and welfare of citizens over political interests, warning that any governance approach that sacrifices workers’ well-being for political maneuvers would only heighten tensions and resistance.
The statement called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the judiciary to take immediate steps to reverse the state of emergency and reinstate the suspended elected officials.
In a bid to resolve the situation peacefully, the unions advised the federal government to engage in meaningful dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
They warned that a failure to do so could lead to further escalation of the crisis, worsening the already tense political atmosphere in the state.
While calling on workers to remain calm and continue their duties, the Organised Labour leaders warned that they would not hesitate to take strategic union actions if their demands were not met within a reasonable timeframe.
Such actions, they emphasised, could have significant consequences for national economic activities.
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909,185 |
VIDEO: Democracy Not About Power Grabbing And Going To Court – Obasanjo
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The ex-president spoke on Monday at the 60th birthday anniversary colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
| 2025-03-25T13:01:59 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/video-democracy-not-about-power-grabbing-and-going-to-court-obasanjo/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says democracy is not about grabbing power and telling the victims to go to court knowing that they won’t get justice.
The ex-president spoke on Monday at the 60th birthday anniversary colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
Watch video:
|
909,167 |
Senate Confirms Sylvester Nwakuche As NCoS Controller General
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The Senate expressed hope that under Nwakuche’s leadership, the era of frequent jailbreaks in the country would come to an end.
| 2025-03-25T12:59:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/senate-confirms-sylvester-nwakuche-as-ncos-controller-general/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The Senate has confirmed Sylvester Nwakuche as the new Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
His appointment by President Bola Tinubu on December 13, 2024, followed the retirement of Haliru Nababa.
The confirmation came after the Senate Committee on Interior, led by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, presented its report for consideration.
Lawmakers unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendation during plenary on Tuesday, officially approving Nwakuche’s appointment.
READ ALSO: 12 Inmates Escape In Kogi Jailbreak — Commissioner
While announcing the confirmation, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, charged Nwakuche with the critical task of securing correctional facilities nationwide.
Akpabio expressed hope that under Nwakuche’s leadership, the era of frequent jailbreaks in the country would come to an end.
His charge comes days after 12 persons escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Koton Karfe, Kogi State, in the early hours of Monday, leaving one correctional officer dead.
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909,161 |
Natasha’s Lawyer Accuses Kogi Govt Of Sponsoring Senator’s Recall
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Kogi governor's aide, Charity Omole, had led some constituents to submit a petition to INEC for the recall of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
| 2025-03-25T12:46:30 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/natashas-lawyer-accuses-kogi-govt-of-sponsoring-senators-recall/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
Victor Giwa, one of the lawyers representing Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused the Kogi State Government of sponsoring the recall of the suspended female lawmaker as senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Giwa, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday, said the state government, through Charity Omole, one of the aides of Governor Usman Ododo, has been championing the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The female federal lawmaker was involved in a seat arrangement dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The lawmaker also accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office. The Senate subsequently suspended her for six months for misconduct.
On Monday, March 24, 2025, Ododo’s aide, Omole, led some constituents from Kogi Central to submit a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
READ ALSO: Justice Egwuatu Recuses Self From Natasha’s Case
Giwa said the recall process was politically motivated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state against the suspended senator who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The truth of the matter is that there is no way the recall process can go through except it is done fraudulently,” Giwa said, adding that the process takes about 15 stages and “it is a tortuous and practically impossible process”.
Giwa faulted the reason for the recall of the female senator, saying it was not issue-based or performance-centred but because she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.”
The lawyer accused the state government of sponsoring the recall process against Akpoti-Uduaghan using Omole.
He said, “In this case, the lady that led that protest is the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on women and youths. You will see that is government-sponsored recall.
“Charity Ijese Omole is currently the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on women and youths. It is more or less the government sponsoring this process, not the constituents, and that fundamentally has faulted the process.
“The process of recall must be such that is initiated from the constituents but in this case, we can see the handwriting on the wall; it is the governor that is trying to do whatever they claim they are doing.”
The state government has not reacted to the allegation as of press time.
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909,158 |
Actor Depardieu Tells France Sex Abuse Trial He Doesn't 'Grope' Women
|
Depardieu said in response to the accusations that he was "not like that", adding that "there are vices that are alien to me".
| 2025-03-25T12:22:11 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/actor-depardieu-tells-france-sex-abuse-trial-he-doesnt-grope-women/
|
[
"Crime Watch",
"Entertainment"
] |
French star actor Gerard Depardieu, on trial for sexual assault, told the court in Paris on Tuesday that he was not in the habit of “groping” women.
“I don’t see why I would go around groping a woman, her buttocks, her breasts. I’m not somebody who rubs himself against others on the metro,” he said in his first statement at the trial, in which he is charged with sexual assault on two women during the shooting of a film in 2021.
Depardieu said in response to the accusations that he was “not like that”, adding that “there are vices that are alien to me”.
Depardieu, 76, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, has been accused of improper behaviour by around 20 women but this is the first case to come to trial.
READ ALSO: Police To Prosecute Three Suspects Over Osun Communal Clash
He is the highest-profile figure to face accusations in French cinema’s response to the #MeToo movement.
The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”) by director Jean Becker.
Anouk Grinberg, a prominent actor who appeared in the film, has backed the two plaintiffs — a set dresser, 54, and a 34-year-old assistant director. Both women allege sexual violence.
Grinberg said that Depardieu had constantly made “salacious remarks” during shooting, and told AFP that producers who hired him knew they were “hiring an abuser”.
The trial, initially scheduled to take place in October 2024, had been postponed due to the actor’s ill health.
His lawyer said back then that Depardieu had undergone a heart bypass operation and suffered from diabetes that was aggravated by the stress of the forthcoming trial.
One of Depardieu’s two accusers, the 54-year-old set dresser called Amelie, reported in February last year that she had suffered sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist insults during filming in September 2021.
She told French investigative website Mediapart that Depardieu boasted he could “give women an orgasm without touching them” and that an hour later Depardieu “brutally grabbed” her.
The actor pinned her by “closing his legs” around her before groping her waist and her stomach, continuing up to her breasts, she added.
She said Depardieu made “obscene remarks”.
AFP
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909,156 |
US, Ukraine Officials In New Saudi Talks, No Breakthrough With Russia
|
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine launched more than three years ago
| 2025-03-25T12:01:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/us-ukraine-officials-in-new-saudi-talks-no-breakthrough-with-russia/
|
[
"World News"
] |
Washington and Kyiv held brief talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a day after hours of US-Russia negotiations on halting the fighting in Ukraine ended without any breakthroughs announced.
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine launched more than three years ago, and hopes the latest round of talks in the Saudi capital will pave the way for a ceasefire.
Kyiv had earlier this month agreed to a US-proposed unconditional ceasefire but Moscow had turned it down, with Ukraine and its European allies accusing it of not wanting peace.
“The talks are over. All details will be announced later,” a Ukrainian source told a small group of media, including AFP, not long after saying the meeting had begun.
READ ALSO: Trump Announces 25% Tariff On Countries Buying Venezuelan Oil
The negotiations between Ukrainian and American officials come after hours of Russian-US meetings that yielded no announcement on any truce.
In Moscow, the Kremlin said the “content” of its talks with the US a day earlier will not be made public, saying it was still “analysing” the results of negotiations with the Americans.
“They are being analysed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The content of these talks will definitely not be publicised,” he added.
The Kremlin said contacts with Washington would continue but there was no “specific” date for another meeting.
Late on Tuesday, Russian news agencies had reported that Russia and the US plan to release a joint statement on the results of the talks.
There was no sign from Moscow that it would agree to any truce.
Sumy attack
Those fresh conversations come as both Russia and Ukraine escalate their attacks on the ground, with Kyiv saying its air defence units had downed 78 out of 139 drones launched by Russia Tuesday.
In Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy, officials said the toll from a Russian strike a day earlier climbed to 101 wounded, including 23 children.
The strike hit a residential area in the city near the Russian border as negotiations were taking place in Riyadh.
The local administration in Sumy said 14 adults and 16 children were in hospital, with one adult and one child in “serious condition.”
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of wanting to gain battlefield advantage before agreeing to any ceasefire.
The Kremlin has downplayed expectations of a rapid resolution since rhetoric around a possible halt in fighting escalated with the election of Trump.
A Russian negotiator had said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow would continue “useful” talks with US representatives but would aim to involve the UN and other countries.
‘Intense dialogue’
Ukraine has repeatedly accused the Kremlin of trying to put off any serious discussion of implementing a halt in hostilities.
“We talked about everything, it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans,” Grigory Karasin, told the state TASS news agency, adding that “lots of problems were discussed”.
“Of course we are far from solving everything, from being in agreement on all points, but it seems that this type of discussion is very timely,” he said.
“We will continue doing it, adding in the international community, above all the United Nations and certain countries,” Karasin said.
He spoke a day after the US and Russian teams held 12 hours of talks in a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia.
At a previous round of talks this month in Jeddah — days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s dressing-down by Trump at the White House — Kyiv agreed to a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire that was subsequently rejected by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Officials are now studying a possible resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, an agreement that allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other food exports to be shipped from Ukraine’s ports
AFP
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909,152 |
US-Russia Talks On Ukraine 'Useful,' Will Continue - Russian Negotiator
|
President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to the three-year war and hopes the latest round of talks in the Saudi capital will pave the way for a breakthrough.
| 2025-03-25T11:51:39 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/us-russia-talks-on-ukraine-useful-will-continue-russian-negotiator/
|
[
"World News"
] |
A Russian negotiator said on Tuesday that Moscow would continue “useful” talks with the United States over the Ukraine conflict and would aim to involve the UN and other countries.
“We talked about everything, it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans,” Grigory Karasin, told the state TASS news agency, adding that “lots of problems were discussed”.
“Of course we are far from solving everything, from being in agreement on all points, but it seems that this type of discussion is very timely,” he said.
“We will continue doing it, adding in the international community, above all the United Nations and certain countries,” Karasin said.
READ ALSO: US, Russia Talks On Ukraine Ceasefire End After 12 Hours
He spoke a day after the US and Russian teams held 12 hours of talks in a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia.
President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to the three-year war and hopes the latest round of talks in the Saudi capital will pave the way for a breakthrough.
Earlier, TASS cited a source saying that a joint statement on the talks would be published on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian negotiating team was staying in Riyadh for another day to meet with US representatives, a source in the delegation told Suspilne news, with another source also telling AFP a second meeting was likely — a sign that progress may have been made.
AFP
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909,142 |
FIRST E&P, FG Advocate Collaboration For Niger Delta Host Communities Development
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FIRST E&P, FG Advocate Collaboration For Niger Delta Host Communities Development
| 2025-03-25T11:43:04 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/first-ep-fg-advocate-collaboration-for-niger-delta-host-communities-development/
|
[
"Business"
] |
The Federal Government and the NNPC Limited/FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P) Joint Venture (JV), have called for collaboration among stakeholders in the oil-production communities to ensure sustainable development.
The call was made by the Managing Director of FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero and the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, (Ph.D), at the KEFFESO Stakeholders Forum held at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
In line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (KHCDT) was established by NNPC/FIRST E&P in 2023. The trust convened the KHCDT stakeholder forum with the theme, ‘Envisioning Sustainable Community Development in Niger Delta Host Communities: Identifying Challenges and Actualising the PIA Paradigm Shift’ to provide a platform for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration amongst Host Community Development Trusts.
The event had in attendance representatives from oil and gas regulatory agencies, over 100 Host Community Trusts, Settlors and representatives from the private sector.
In his keynote address at the event, Lokpobiri commended NNPC/FIRST E&P for sustaining the strategic partnership with the KEFFESO Host Community Development Trust (KHCDT) and stressed the need for the leadership of various host communities to work harmoniously.
“The KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust has shown its commitment to utilize the funds provided for them to ensure that there is meaningful development in the host communities. I believe that when community leaders work together, they can bring about real development,” he said.
In his remarks, Managing Director, FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, who was represented by the General Manager, Engineering and Capital Projects, John Alamu described the company’s establishment of the Trust as a tangible demonstration of its enduring commitment to supporting the host communities’ long-term socio-economic development. He acknowledged the notable strides achieved by the Trust through the implementation of impactful interventions across health, education, infrastructure, water, capacity building and local content development.
Also speaking, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Engr. Seyi Omotowa, who was represented by Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Edith Lawson, explained that the forum serves as an opportunity to develop actionable strategies that could foster sustainable development, ensuring that the benefits of the Petroleum Industry Act are not only realized but equitably distributed among stakeholders.
According to Omotowa, the Petroleum Industry Act represents a significant shift in policy and approach, offering a framework for more equitable resource management and community development.
READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery Ships Jet Fuel To US Amid Petrol Trade Crisis In Nigeria — Report
Chairman, KEFFESO Host Communities’ Development Trust (KHCDT), HRH Moko-ama Sangana Kingdom, Moses Theophilus, in his remarks, said that implementing the PIA has the potential to bring about transformative changes, ensuring that the benefits of oil and gas activities reach those in oil-producing host communities.
While expressing profound gratitude to the NNPC/FIRST E&P JV for the invaluable support in establishing the KHCDT, he noted that the prompt funding and commitment to the development of the KEFFESO communities by the company has been instrumental in bringing the forum to life.
Commenting on the forum, The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Safety, Environment and Community, Captain John Tonlagha, stated that institutionalization of the community development trust initiative remains a defining moment in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, unlike previous community development efforts that lacked focus on governance, transparency and accountability.
The event also included a series of panel sessions that highlighted challenges confronted by the host communities and possible solutions to improving the welfare of the people.
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909,143 |
Trump Fuels Ukrainian Fears War Crimes Will Go Unpunished
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Standing beside a memorial to the people buried by his church -- 116 people out of the more than 400 killed during the occupation of Bucha -- Galavin warned against ending the war without giving Ukrainians closure.
| 2025-03-25T11:35:35 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/trump-fuels-ukrainian-fears-war-crimes-will-go-unpunished/
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[
"World News"
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Orthodox priest Andriy Galavin hopes justice will be served, three years after hundreds of people were shot during Russia’s occupation of Bucha, where his church served as a temporary burial ground.
But his faith in justice is being tested by US President Donald Trump’s courting of the Kremlin in the hopes of a quick end to the war, leaving some Ukrainians fearful their concerns and demands — like seeing Russian officials stand trial — will be sidelined.
Standing beside a memorial to the people buried by his church — 116 people out of the more than 400 killed during the occupation of Bucha — Galavin warned against ending the war without giving Ukrainians closure.
“You can force peace however you want, you can twist arms and force to capitulate, but until there is justice, the wound will never heal,” Galavin said.
READ ALSO: US, Russia Talks On Ukraine Ceasefire End After 12 Hours
On display in his church, next to golden Orthodox icons, are photographs attesting to alleged Russian war crimes — some taken by AFP journalists — showing killed civilians lying in Bucha’s streets.
Galavin could recount many of their individual stories. He also reburied many after Bucha’s liberation when investigators exhumed the remains to identify the victims.
‘Trump isn’t forever’
One picture showed the corpse of Volodymyr Brovchenko, who was shot dead during the occupation in early March 2022 when he left home to return a bicycle to work.
Brovchenko’s widow, Svitlana, told AFP that she pleaded with him not to venture out. For a year after his killing, she hoped her partner of 45 years would miraculously return.
Those feelings have “faded” but she was still holding out hope her husband’s killers would face justice, she said.
“I have no doubt that it will come, whatever happens. Trump isn’t forever,” she said.
She said she wanted a public trial “for people to see what war brings and who brings war, and how it’s punished. So that no one else gets tempted”.
Russia’s invasion has pushed law enforcement officers, journalists and human rights activists to collect evidence that could be used to hold Russian troops accountable.
Ukrainian authorities have opened more than 128,000 war crimes investigations, pinning their hopes on the International Criminal Court to bring the most high-level criminals to justice.
The court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children as well as senior Russian military officials for directing attacks on civilians.
Yet Trump has imposed unprecedented sanctions on the ICC. His administration has also reportedly defunded US-led initiatives to identify those responsible for the invasion and tracking Ukrainian children in Russia.
Meanwhile Mongolia ignored calls to make good on the ICC warrant last year when it hosted Putin for a state visit.
‘Free rein to aggressors’
Decisions that undermine the ICC are “very disturbing”, said Maryna Slobodyanuk, an investigator at Ukrainian organisation Truth Hounds, which aims to document war crimes.
“It gives free rein to Russia and all aggressors,” she told AFP.
Her group works with a collective of NGOs called Tribunal for Putin which has identified 12,000 deaths resulting from possible war crimes.
The collective seeks to avert future atrocities by holding Russia to account over this conflict. Its ranks include the Centre for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for its documentation of alleged Russian crimes.
Its head Oleksandra Matviichuk told AFP that any current obstacles to justice were temporary.
“This is one of the most documented wars in human history,” she said.
“This means that even if the international community doesn’t have the political will to uphold justice now, we will seize the opportunity tomorrow, when the situation changes,” Matviichuk added.
Walking through the church ground where he once hosted the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, Galavin said Ukrainians holding out for justice could face a long wait.
“Justice is under sanctions,” he said.
“We have people who come to our church, who suffered, who have lost relatives and friends, who were raped. The guns will fall silent, sooner or later, but they need to be allowed to live on,” he told AFP.
AFP
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Dangote Refinery Ships Jet Fuel To US Amid Petrol Trade Crisis In Nigeria — Report
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Dangote Refinery Ships Jet Fuel To US Amid Petrol Trade Crisis In Nigeria — Report
| 2025-03-25T10:41:36 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/dangote-refinery-ships-jet-fuel-to-us-amid-petrol-trade-crisis-in-nigeria-report/
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[
"Business",
"Headlines"
] |
Six vessels carrying about 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel from the Dangote refinery arrived at U.S. ports this month, data from ship-tracking service Kpler showed.
Another vessel, Hafnia Andromeda, is set to arrive at the Everglades terminal on March 29 with a load of about 348,000 barrels of jet fuel, the data showed.
U.S. jet fuel imports are set to hit a two-year high in March after the refinery pushed barrels to North America.
Total U.S. jet fuel imports so far in March stood at around 226,000 bpd, the most since February 2023, the data showed.
The development comes amid controversies surrounding the sale and availability of crude oil to the refinery, and Premium Motor Spirit or petrol supply to the Nigerian market.
Reports emerged recently of the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the naira-for-crude deal with the refinery, a development that has since created panic in the hearts of marketers and consumers alike.
The 650, 000 barrels per day refinery has also suspended selling petrol in naira to marketers.
It lamented that there was a mismatch between its sales proceeds and its crude oil purchase obligations, which it said are currently denominated in US dollars.
“Dear valued customers, we wish to inform you that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has temporarily halted the sale of petroleum products in naira. This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars.
“To date, our sales of petroleum products in naira have exceeded the value of naira-denominated crude we have received. As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the firm announced.
Immediately after the announcement, the cost of loading petrol at private depots in Lagos jumped to about N900/litre. It was less than N850/litre before the announcement.
The Dangote refinery started production last January after years of construction delays, and ramped up to about 85% of capacity in early February, allowing it to sell more fuel to international markets.
READ ALSO: Oil Price Rises For Fifth Day On Supply Cuts Concerns
Dangote is unlikely to be a regular jet fuel supplier to the U.S., but a maintenance-related shutdown of the Phillips 66 Bayway refinery in New Jersey helped open a rare arbitrage opportunity for flows from Nigeria to the U.S., Sparta Commodities analyst James Noel-Beswick said in a report sent to Reuters.
Column charts displaying monthly US imports of jet fuel by origin country, show imports in March are set to hit their highest since February 2023
The window is likely to close soon or shrink significantly due to elevated U.S. inventories of aviation fuel, Noel-Beswick added.
Demand to lease storage tanks for jet fuel in Houston and New York Harbor in April is averaging around 700,000 barrels on storage broker TankTiger’s platform, five to six times the average monthly demand, TankTiger Chief Operating Officer Steven Barsamian said.
The surge in demand, partly due to the influx of supply from Nigeria, is likely to lower jet fuel prices in the U.S. ahead of peak summer travel season, Barsamian said.
U.S. jet fuel stocks ended February at 45.2 million barrels, the highest for the month since 1999, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed.
U.S. refiners’ yield of jet fuel hit a record last year, reflecting stronger demand relative to other transportation fuels, the EIA said on Monday. The agency expects U.S. jet fuel consumption to touch a record in 2026.
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Explosions: Simplicity Movement Alleges Plot To Extend Emergency Rule in Rivers State
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The controversy surrounding the declaration has sparked reactions, with critics arguing that it could be a ploy to stifle opposition.
| 2025-03-25T10:35:08 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/explosions-group-alleges-plot-to-extend-emergency-rule-in-rivers-state/
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[
"Politics"
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A socio-political group, the Simplicity Movement, has raised concerns over the recent explosions at oil facilities in Rivers State, alleging that they are part of a larger plot to make the presidency extend the state of emergency in the state.
The group is urging the Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Retd.), to launch a thorough investigation into the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, citing heightened security concerns fueled by political crisis.
However, the Simplicity Movement argued that the explosions occurring before and after the declaration were being staged to justify extending the emergency rule beyond the initial six-month period.
Speaking after a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt on Monday, the National Leader of the Simplicity Movement, Sobomabo Jackrich, described the explosions as politically motivated.
“We believe these incidents are being orchestrated by those who seek to keep Rivers State under unconstitutional control. The people of Rivers State must not be subjected to indefinite military rule under the guise of security concerns,” he said.
READ ALSO:Restore Fubara, Engage Abdulsalami Committee, Rep Tells Tinubu
The group also raised concerns about governance at the local government level, alleging plans to appoint sole administrators to head the 23 local government areas instead of conducting the scheduled council elections in August 2025.
“This is an attempt to undermine democracy. The people of Rivers State must be allowed to choose their leaders through a free and fair electoral process,” Jackrich added.
The group also condemned the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly, calling it an attack on democratic institutions.
“Suspending an elected governor without due process is a dangerous precedent. Any further undemocratic action will only worsen the crisis and deepen divisions in the state,” Jackrich warned.
While acknowledging that the visit of the new Administrator to the Assembly building site has exposed the untrue narrative that the Governor abandoned the construction. The group insisted that the president is unfair to the governor, noting that they soon will understand the truth.
“We welcome the Sole Administrator with the belief that this unconstitutional rule is not permanent. Rivers people cannot be denied their rights to elect their leaders,” Jackrich stated.
The controversy surrounding the emergency rule has sparked widespread reactions, with critics arguing that it could be a ploy to stifle political opposition.
A case has already been filed at the ECOWAS Court in Abuja, challenging the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the governor and impose emergency rule in the state.
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Chewing Gum Releases Microplastics Into Mouth: Researchers
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Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet.
| 2025-03-25T10:17:37 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/chewing-gum-releases-microplastics-into-mouth-researchers/
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[
"Health"
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Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people’s mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet.
The small study comes as researchers have increasingly been discovering small shards of plastic called microplastics throughout the world, from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean — and even in the air we breathe.
They have also been discovered microplastics riddled throughout human bodies — including inside our lungs, blood and brains — sparking fears about the potential effect this could be having on health.
“I don’t want to alarm people,” Sanjay Mohanty, the lead researcher behind the new study, told AFP.
There is no evidence directly showing that microplastics are harmful to human health, said Mohanty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The new pilot study instead sought to illustrate yet another little-researched way that these mostly invisible plastic pieces enter our bodies — chewing gum.
Lisa Lowe, a PhD student at UCLA, chewed seven pieces each of 10 brands of gum; Then the researchers ran a chemical analysis on her saliva.
They found that a gramme of gum (0.04 ounces) released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, though some shed more than 600. The average weight of a stick of gum is around 1.5 grammes.
People who chew around 180 pieces of gum a year could be ingesting roughly 30,000 microplastics, the researchers said.
This pales in comparison to the many other ways that humans ingest microplastics, Mohanty emphasised.
For example, other researchers estimated last year that a litre (34 fluid ounces) of water in a plastic bottle contained an average of 240,000 microplastics.
‘Tyres, plastic bags and bottles’
The most common chewing gum sold in supermarkets is called synthetic gum, which contains petroleum-based polymers to get that chewy effect, the researchers said.
However packaging does not list any plastics in the ingredients, simply using the words “gum-based”.
“Nobody will tell you the ingredients,” Mohanty said.
The researchers tested five brands of synthetic gum and five of natural gum, which use plant-based polymers such as tree sap.
“It was surprising that we found microplastics were abundant in both,” Lowe told AFP.
The gum shed almost all of the microplastics during the first eight minutes of chewing, she added.
David Jones, a researcher at the UK’s University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, told AFP that manufacturers should be forced to give more specific ingredients than just “gum-based”.
Jones said he was surprised that the researchers found certain plastics not known to be in gum, suggesting they could have possibly come from another source.
But the overall findings were “not at all surprising”, he added.
People tend to “freak out a little bit” when told that the building blocks of chewing gum were similar to what is found “in car tyres, plastic bags and bottles”, Jones said.
Lowe also warned about the plastic pollution from chewing gum — particularly when people “spit it out onto the sidewalk”.
The study, which has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal but not yet published, was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.
The world’s biggest chewing gum manufacturer, Wrigley, did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
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Justice Egwuatu Recuses Self From Natasha’s Case
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The judge cited the allegation of bias from the third defendant in the case, Senate President Godswilll Akpabio, as reason for his decision.
| 2025-03-25T10:15:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/just-in-justice-egwuatu-recuses-self-from-natashas-case/
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[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja has recused himself from the case filed by the Senator Representing Kogi Central District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
At the proceedings on Tuesday, Justice Egwuatu announced his decision to withdraw from the matter after the usual court appearances.
He cited the allegation of bias from the third defendant in the case, Senate President Godswilll Akpabio, as the major reason for his decision.
READ ALSO: Natasha’s Constituents Submit Petition To INEC For Her Recall
It was gathered that the Senate President had expressed a lack of confidence in the ability of the court to do justice on the matter, hence the reason for the development.
Justice Egwuatu further added that the case file will be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge.
RELATED: ‘I’ll Not Be Intimidated’, Natasha Denies Apology To Senate
Justice Egwuatu had earlier granted an ex-parte order, restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from conducting disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
She had prayed that the court grant an order restraining the Senate and the ethics committee from “proceeding with the purported investigation” against her.
The female federal lawmaker was involved in a seat arrangement dispute with Akpabio. The lawmaker accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office. Senate subsequently suspended her for six months for misconduct.
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VIDEO: Everything Has Been Knocked Down, Nothing Works, Says Obi
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The ex-Anambra governor criticised the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of an emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu.
| 2025-03-25T10:13:56 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/video-everything-has-been-knocked-down-nothing-works-says-obi/
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[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says everything has been knocked down in Nigeria and nothing works as far as the country’s democracy is concerned.
According to the opposition voice, the judiciary has been compromised and judgments are now handed down based on who knows who.
The former Anambra State governor spoke on Monday at the 60th birthday anniversary colloquium of a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha.
Obi criticised the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of an emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu.
Watch video:
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Oil Price Rises For Fifth Day On Supply Cuts Concerns
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Oil Price Rises For Fifth Day On Supply Concerns
| 2025-03-25T10:04:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/oil-price-rises-for-fifth-day-on-supply-cuts-concerns/
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[
"Business"
] |
Oil prices rose on Tuesday for a fifth day on concerns that global supply will reduce after the U.S. announced tariffs on countries that buy Venezuelan crude.
Brent crude futures were up 31 cents to $73.28 a barrel by 9:50 AM WAT, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 30 cents to $69.41. The OPEC basket rose 2 per cent to $74.91.
The benchmarks gained more than 1% in the previous session after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries importing oil and gas from Venezuela.
Oil is Venezuela’s main export and China, which is already the subject of U.S. tariffs, is its largest buyer.
This move could mean a fairly sizeable tightening in the global oil balance, ING analysts wrote in a note on Tuesday.
They added oil, along with broader risk assets, also benefited from suggestions the Trump administration may take a more targeted approach with reciprocal tariffs the U.S. is set to enact on April 2.
READ ALSO: Shell Cuts Spending, Boosts Shareholder Distribution
Last week, the U.S. issued new sanctions intended to hit Iranian oil exports.
The Trump administration also on Monday extended a deadline to May 27 for U.S. producer Chevron.
The withdrawal of Chevron’s licence to operate could reduce production in the country by about 200,000 barrels per day, according to ANZ analysts.
Trump also said automobile tariffs are coming soon even as he indicated that not all of his threatened levies would be imposed on April 2 and some countries may get breaks, a move Wall Street took as a sign of flexibility on a matter that has roiled markets for weeks.
This won 20% support for its climate resolutions at BP’s 2021 annual general meeting. And 17% in 2023.
Quoting four sources, Reuters said OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, will likely stick to its plan to raise oil output for a second consecutive month in May.
The move is amid at steadying oil prices and plans to force some members to reduce pumping to compensate for past overproduction.
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De Minaur Ends Fonseca Challenge, Zverev Marches On In Miami
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Australia's Alex de Minaur put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca's challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest.
| 2025-03-25T10:03:08 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/de-minaur-ends-fonseca-challenge-zverev-marches-on-in-miami/
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[
"Sports",
"Tennis"
] |
Australia’s Alex de Minaur put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest.
Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout Monday, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and football-style chanting.
Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with both the blistering forehands and the partisan crowd.
READ ALSO: Zverev Marches On In Miami, Osaka Falls
Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet.
But de Minaur won six of the final seven games to move into the fourth round, keeping his cool even when the crowd, at times, disrupted his serve preparation.
“Mentally I was ready for this match, I knew I was not only going to play an incredible talent like Joao, playing with immense confidence and nothing to lose, but also an incredible crowd that was on his side from the first point until the last,” de Minaur said.
“One of my biggest strengths is my mentality and that is what got me the win today,” he added.
Top seed Alexander Zverev recovered from a slow start to power into the fourth round of the Miami Open with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.
The German was 4-1 down in the first set but then went on a roll, winning eight of the next nine games to progress.
Zverev lost in the opening round at Indian Wells, but with Carlos Alcaraz already out in Miami he will fancy his chances of adding to his list of seven Masters 1000 titles.
Third-seed Taylor Fritz also moved into the fourth round beating Denis Shapovalov of Canada 7-5, 6-3.
The American let slip a 5-2 lead in the first set, but regained control with his serve proving too much for Shapovalov.
In the women’s draw, third-seed Coco Gauff’s bid ended with a 6-4 6-4 loss to Poland’s Magda Linette.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka eased her way into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-4 win over last year’s winner Danielle Collins of the USA.
Next, Sabalenka will be up against ninth seeded Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen who reached her second consecutive WTA 1000 quarter-final, with a straight-sets win over Ashlyn Krueger.
“I’m super happy to get this win in straight sets and happy with the level I played today,” said Sabalenka.
“She’s a tough opponent, and we had a lot of tough and tricky matches in the past. So was very happy to get through this one,” she added.
Paolini sinks Osaka
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini enjoyed a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win over Naomi Osaka in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Since her comeback from maternity leave 15 months ago, Osaka has been showing some signs of getting back towards her best but Paolini was the first top 10 player Osaka has faced this year.
“I don’t think that I can say that I’ve played a lot of matches against top players like this in a while,” said Osaka.
“The way she plays kind of catches me off guard, simply because of her height. I didn’t know she could hit like that,” she added.
Emma Raducanu continued her impressive form in Miami, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 victory in 69 minutes over American Amanda Anisimova, who had eliminated Indian Wells winner Mirra Andreeva on Sunday.
It is the first time Raducanu has won four straight WTA Tour main draw matches in a row since her US Open triumph in 2021. She will face American Jessica Pegula next.
Raducanu, who has brought in some old faces from the early days of her career for this tournament, said she was benefitting from their presence.
“I’m really happy with how things are on and off the court right now and just so happy that’s able to transfer on to the match court,” she said.
Alexandra Eala, the 19-year-old from the Philippines who upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys on Sunday, was handed a place in the quarter-finals after her fourth round opponent, Spain’s Paula Badosa, pulled out with a lower back injury.
In the last eight Eala will face second seed Iga Swiatek who battled past Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7/5) 6-3.
AFP
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Afghan Women Risk Taliban Wrath Over Hair Trade
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Until Taliban authorities took power in Afghanistan, women like Fatima were able to freely sell their hair to be made into wigs, bringing in crucial cash.
| 2025-03-25T09:49:36 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/afghan-women-risk-taliban-wrath-over-hair-trade/
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[
"Asia",
"Business",
"World News"
] |
Until Taliban authorities took power in Afghanistan, women like Fatima were able to freely sell their hair to be made into wigs, bringing in crucial cash.
But a ban last year has forced the 28-year-old and others to covertly trade hair — collected from shower drains or the salon floor — braving the risk of punishment one strand at a time.
“I need this money,” said Fatima, 28, one of the few women still in paid private employment in Kabul after the Taliban regained control in 2021.
“I can treat myself to something or buy things for the house.”
The woman, who withholds her last name for security reasons, sells every 100 grams of hair for little more than $3, a small addition to her monthly salary of $100.
Buyers who want to export the locks for wig production abroad “would knock on our doors to collect” the hair, she said.
One of those buyers is a man, who also requested anonymity, sending the manes to Pakistan and China from Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest countries.
Taliban authorities have cracked down on the rights of women, imposing what the UN calls a “gender apartheid”.
They banned women and girls from universities and schools, effectively strangling their employment hopes.
Women have also been barred from parks and gyms, while beauty salons have been shut down.
‘Not allowed’
Last year, Taliban authorities imposed vice and virtue laws regulating everyday life for men and women, including banning sales of “any part of the human body” including hair.
They have not said what the punishment for violations would be.
“We must respect the appearance that God has given to humans and preserve their dignity,” Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV) spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber told AFP.
He said the trading of hair had become “normalised” in the country and that now “selling body parts is not allowed.”
Hair sales are so sensitive that the ministry which handles morality issues burned nearly a ton of human strands in Kabul province in January.
The PVPV said in a statement it burned the batch “to protect Islamic values and human dignity”.
The restrictions have not deterred Fatima, however.
During prayer times, when Taliban officials and forces attend the mosque, Fatima sneaks to a Kabul waste site to hand over her cache of tresses.
The few extra dollars are significant, with 85 percent of Afghans living on less than a dollar a day, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Secret salon
At a secret salon in Kabul, two worn-out leather chairs sit in a small, cold room where hairdresser Narges now only receives about four customers a week.
Before the 2021 takeover, the 43-year-old widowed hairdresser used to give crop cuts to five to six clients every day.
Now, only the wealthiest of her customers brave visiting the salon, and even they sometimes ask if they can take valuable spare hair home with them.
“They’re the only ones who can still care about beauty,” she said.
For others, the threat of a Taliban punishment is too much to risk.
Wahida, a 33-year-old widow whose husband was a soldier killed in 2021, has a constant worry about how she will feed her three children.
She still collects hair that has fallen from her eight-year-old daughter’s head and her own, with strands from the root more valuable than those cut with scissors.
The unemployed Afghan woman, who now relies almost entirely on charity, stuffs them in a plastic bag to keep them for a potential sale later.
“I had a glimmer of hope when I used to sell my hair. Now that it’s banned, I’m devastated. I’m hoping buyers will come back to my door,” she said, sitting in her home.
“I know there are places to sell. But I am afraid of getting caught there.”
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Shell Cuts Spending, Boosts Shareholder Distribution
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Shell Cuts Spending, Boosts Shareholder Distribution
| 2025-03-25T09:38:08 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/shell-cuts-spending-boosts-shareholder-distribution/
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[
"Business"
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Shell’s Chief Executive Officer, Wael Sawan has been focused on cutting costs and pivoting the company back to its most profitable sectors — oil, gas, and biofuels — while shifting away from renewables.
The oil major has a $3.5 billion buyback for the current quarter, making this the 13th consecutive quarter of at least $3 billion of share repurchases.
At its full-year results in January, Shell increased its dividend by 4% to $0.36.
On Tuesday, Shell set itself a free cash flow growth per share target of more than 10% annually to 2030, while continuing to cut costs to a cumulative $5-7 billion by the end of 2028 from a 2022 baseline.
This is as the energy firm also increased its shareholder distribution policy on Tuesday to 40-50% of cash flow from operations from 30-40% with a focus on share buybacks and lowered its spending outlook to a $20 billion-$22 billion range through to 2028.
READ ALSO: NNPCL Hosts 300 Female Mechanics At She-Fix 2025
The world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) trader said it wants to grow LNG sales by 4-5% each year in the next five years, while growing its production by 1% per year in that time frame, keeping its oil output stable at 1.4 million barrels per day, according to Reuters.
Shell estimates global demand for liquefied natural gas to rise by around 60% by 2040, driven largely by economic growth in Asia, the impact of artificial intelligence and efforts to cut emissions in heavy industries and transportation.
It produced 29 million metric tons of LNG and sold 65.8 million tons in 2024.
In terms of changes to its portfolio, Shell said it wants to “unlock more value from our strong portfolio of chemicals assets by exploring strategic and partnership opportunities in the (United States) and both high-grading and selective closures in Europe.”
Shell invested $21.1 billion last year out of a $22-25 billion target range.
On Tuesday it said it aimed to spend up to 10% of its budget on low-carbon businesses by the end of the decade.
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Japan Awards Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate $1.4m
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The payout represents 12,500 yen ($83) for each day of the more than four decades that Iwao Hakamada spent in detention.
| 2025-03-25T09:19:41 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/japan-awards-longest-serving-death-row-inmate-1-4m/
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[
"Asia",
"World News"
] |
A Japanese man wrongly convicted of murder who was the world’s longest-serving death row inmate has been awarded $1.4 million in compensation, an official said Tuesday.
The payout represents 12,500 yen ($83) for each day of the more than four decades that Iwao Hakamada spent in detention, most of it on death row when each day could have been his last.
It is a record for compensation of this kind, Japanese media said.
The former boxer, now 89, was exonerated last year of a 1966 quadruple murder after a tireless campaign by his sister and others.
The case sparked scrutiny of the justice system in Japan, where gaining a retrial is notoriously hard and death row inmates are often informed of their impending death just a few hours before they are hanged.
READ ALSO: South Korea Struggles To Contain Deadly Wildfires
The Shizuoka District Court, in a decision dated Monday, said that “the claimant shall be granted 217,362,500 yen ($1.44 million),” a court spokesman told AFP.
The same court ruled in September that Hakamada was not guilty in a retrial and that police had tampered with evidence.
Hakamada had suffered “inhumane interrogations meant to force a statement (confession)” that he later withdrew, the court said at the time.
Hakamada’s legal team said the money falls short of the pain he suffered between his 1966 arrest and his release in 2014, when he was granted a retrial.
“I think the fact that he will receive it… compensates him a little bit for all the hardship,” lawyer Hideyo Ogawa told a press conference.
“But in light of the hardship and suffering of the past 47 or 48 years, and given his current situation, I think it shows that the state has made mistakes that cannot be atoned for with 200 million yen,” he said.
Decades of detention — with the threat of execution constantly looming — took a major toll on Hakamada’s mental health, his lawyers have said, describing him as “living in a world of fantasy”.
Hakamada was convicted of robbing and killing his boss, the man’s wife and their two teenage children.
He initially denied the charges but police said Hakamada eventually confessed.
During his trial, Hakamada claimed innocence, saying that his confession was forced.
More than a year after the killings, investigators said they found blood-stained clothes — a key piece of evidence that the court later said was planted by investigators.
Hakamada now lives with his sister with help from supporters.
Hakamada was the fifth death row inmate granted a retrial in Japan’s post-war history. All four previous cases also resulted in exonerations.
Japan is the only major industrialised democracy other than the United States to retain capital punishment, a policy that has broad public support.
Japan’s justice minister said in October that abolishing the death penalty would be “inappropriate” even after Hakamada’s acquittal.
AFP
|
909,066 |
Papua New Guinea Probes Loss Of Facebook During Police Cyber Test
|
Pacific nation Papua New Guinea opened an investigation Tuesday after losing access to Facebook during a police test of "innovative technology" to regulate online content.
| 2025-03-25T09:13:16 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/papua-new-guinea-probes-loss-of-facebook-during-police-cyber-test/
|
[
"Africa",
"Info Tech"
] |
Pacific nation Papua New Guinea opened an investigation Tuesday after losing access to Facebook during a police test of “innovative technology” to regulate online content.
Meta’s Facebook and Messenger platforms remained inaccessible to users in the country more than 24 hours after mysteriously going offline on Monday.
The government said it had instructed the country’s technology regulator to investigate the “root cause of unsatisfactory access to Facebook during this period”.
Meta had indicated there was no outage at its end in the past 48 hours, the communications minister Timothy Masiu, said in a statement.
Earlier, the information and technology regulator said the cause of the outage was “unclear”.
But the authority’s chief executive, Kila Gulo-Vui, said his body had become aware of a police media release on Monday lauding a “successful” test to regulate content on Facebook and other online platforms.
Gulo-Vui said his body “was neither consulted nor involved in the testing”, despite police saying they had acted in partnership.
“While maintaining national security is a priority, the balance between safety and digital freedom must be carefully managed,” the authority said.
The country’s police minister, Peter Tsiamalili, had issued a media statement that praised “the successful testing of innovative technology designed to regulate the use of Facebook”.
The statement did not provide details of how police tested the “control systems” to regulate use of content on Facebook.
“We are not attempting to suppress free speech or restrict our citizens from expressing their viewpoints,” Tsiamalili added.
“However, the unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on platforms such as Facebook is unacceptable.”
Meta said it was unable to provide an immediate comment on the outage.
|
909,051 |
NNPCL Hosts 300 Female Mechanics At She-Fix 2025
|
NNPC Hosts 300 Female Mechanics At She-Fix 2025
| 2025-03-25T08:27:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/nnpcl-hosts-300-female-mechanics-at-she-fix-2025/
|
[
"Business"
] |
NNPC Retail Limited (NRL) has hosted She-Fix 2025, an event dedicated to empowering women in automotive, technical, and energy sectors and commemorating International Women’s Day.
The event, which took place in Lagos, attracted over 300 active participants as part of global celebrations marking this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
A statement by the NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said the programme had as its theme: “Driving Diversity and Powering Progress.”
He added that hands-on activities, engaging discussions, and technical demonstrations served to showcase the diverse talents and contributions of women in traditionally male-dominated industries at the event.
NNPC Retail’s Managing Director, Mr. Huub Stokman, highlighted the transformative vision behind She-Fix. “She-Fix 2025 transcends the idea of a mere event—it represents our collective commitment to recognizing and elevating women’s voices and contributions across various industries,” he said.
READ ALSO: Seplat Energy Drives Gender Equity In STEM At SPEWLLS 2025
Senior Business Adviser, Mr Cyprian Onwuegbu, representing the Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC, reiterated the company’s dedication to gender inclusivity.
“NNPC is steadfast in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion. She-Fix symbolizes our ongoing commitment to creating an equitable and progressive workplace for women,” Onwuegbu stated.
Attendees actively participated in Car Care 101 sessions, live car diagnostics, and explored a lively marketplace promoting female-led businesses. Special discounts on Oleum Lubricants and LPG NR-GAS further supported NNPC Retail’s commitment to empowering women in the energy sector.
|
909,047 |
Rivers Administrator Appoints SSG As Head Of Service Resigns
|
The administrator emphasised his commitment to utilizing the rich human capital of Rivers State to foster peace, stability, and security.
| 2025-03-25T08:20:30 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/rivers-sole-administrator-appoints-ssg-as-head-of-service-resigns/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has appointed Prof. Ibibia Worika, a legal expert and administrator, as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
In a statement, the Sole Administrator said the appointment, which takes immediate effect, followed a rigorous selection process in which Worika’s extensive experience, academic credentials, and policy expertise stood out.
In a related development, the ex-naval chief appointed Iyingi Brown as the Permanent Secretary for Welfare in the Office of the Head of Service to act as the Head of Service pending a substantive appointment.
The appointment followed the resignation of the substantive Head of Service, George Nwaeke.
READ ALSO: Restore Fubara, Engage Abdulsalami Committee, Rep Tells Tinubu
In a statement, the government expressed gratitude for Nwaeke’s contributions during his tenure and wished him success in his future endeavors.
While congratulating Brown on her new role, the administrator reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining peace and stability in Rivers State.
The statement further said Worika’s distinguished career spanned academia, international legal practice, and high-level policy advisory roles, making him well-suited to support the administrator in achieving the mandate set by President Bola Tinubu for the state.
“Professor Worika’s wealth of experience in legal scholarship, public policy, and governance will be instrumental in driving the administration’s agenda. His appointment underscores our dedication to excellence in public service,” the statement read.
The Sole Administrator emphasized his commitment to utiliing the rich human capital of Rivers State to foster peace, stability, and security.
Profile of Prof Worika
Hailing from Okrika in Rivers State, Professor Worika is a globally recognized scholar, legal expert, and administrator with a strong background in environmental and petroleum law.
He holds a Ph.D. in International Environmental and Comparative Petroleum Law & Policy from the University of Dundee, United Kingdom.
Currently serving as the Director of the Centre for Advanced Law Research at Rivers State University, he previously held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt.
His tenure in academia has been marked by significant contributions to legal education, curriculum development, and institutional collaborations.
Beyond academia, Professor Worika has played key roles in shaping global and national policy frameworks.
As a Senior Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, he provided strategic counsel on energy policy, regulatory frameworks, and governance.
His tenure as General Legal Counsel for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna further cemented his reputation as a leading authority in international law, energy diplomacy, and resource management.
He has also served as a consultant for various governments, including Namibia, Malawi, and Guyana, helping to draft legislation and design legal frameworks for sustainable development.
His contributions to public administration have earned him several recognitions, including the OPEC Secretariat Award for Distinguished Service and an honorary title from the Ogu Council of Chiefs in Rivers State.
|
909,075 |
Tesla's EU Sales Plunge 49% In First Two Months Of 2025
|
Elon Musk has been leading a vocal and divisive cost-cutting drive at the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
| 2025-03-25T08:16:02 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2025/03/25/teslas-eu-sales-plunge-49-in-first-two-months-of-2025/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Info Tech"
] |
European sales of Tesla electric cars dropped 49 percent in January-February compared with the same period a year earlier, the ACEA manufacturers’ association said Tuesday.
Ageing models are one factor behind the plunge so far this year, but e-vehicle clients may also be refusing to buy in protest of Tesla’s billionaire owner Elon Musk since he became a key supporter of US President Donald Trump.
Musk has been leading a vocal and divisive cost-cutting drive at the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Several Tesla dealerships around the United States have been vandalised in recent weeks and the company’s stock price has plummeted over the past month.
New Tesla registrations in the European Union fell to 19,046 in the first two months of the year, giving the company a market share of just 1.1 percent, the ACEA said.
READ ALSO: Samsung TV Co-CEO Han Jong-hee Dead At 63
In February alone, Tesla registrations were down 47 percent at 11,743.
The sales drop came even as overall electric vehicle sales jumped 28.4 percent over the first two months of this year to 255,489 — for an EU market share of 15.2 percent.
But for ACEA director general Sigrid de Vries, “The latest new car registration figures confirm that market demand for battery electric vehicles remains below the level needed for the transition to zero-emission mobility to progress.”
She cited a need for tax and purchasing incentives for clients and investments in recharging stations, at a time when the EU is preparing to ease emission reduction targets for struggling European automakers.
Hybrid-electric vehicles continued to be the biggest market segment in the first two months of the year, rising to 594,059 registrations — for a 35.2 percent market share.
That outpaced both petrol and diesel models, with market shares of 29.1 percent and 9.7 percent in February.
AFP
|
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