Iran has accused the United States of discriminatory treatment after visas were reportedly denied to several members of its national football team’s support staff ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The dispute emerged just days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The Iranian national team,…
By Ayomide Otitoju MTN Nigeria has announced plans to host Data on Trial, a first-of-its-kind public engagement initiative aimed at addressing longstanding customer concerns about data consumption and usage. The event, scheduled for June 6, will provide an open platform for customers, industry experts, device manufacturers, and MTN representatives to discuss and examine how data…
By Ayomide Otitoju MTN Nigeria has officially launched the 2026 edition of Y’ello Care, its annual flagship employee volunteer programme, with a commitment to improving healthcare access in underserved communities across the country. The opening ceremony, held at the company’s Rooftop Plaza in Lagos on June 3, brought together employees, management, and partners to mark…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare open letter aimed at reviving stalled efforts to end the war between the two countries. In the letter published on Thursday, Zelensky called for direct engagement with Putin and proposed setting a specific date for talks, while offering…
FIFA has announced a significant increase in payments to football clubs whose players participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and qualifying matches, raising its Club Benefits Programme to $355 million. The governing body said on Friday that the new allocation represents a 70 per cent increase from the amount distributed during the 2022 World…
The United States Senate has approved a $70 billion funding package to support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, delivering a major legislative victory for the administration after months of political wrangling over border security and deportation policies. The measure, passed on Friday, provides funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol…
By Ayomide Otitoju In a statement on Thursday by its National Secretary, Barr. Ikenna Enekweizu, the party said all aspirants were given equal opportunity to participate in what it described as a transparent and consultative process. The NDC maintained that its National Secretariat was not involved in selecting or imposing candidates, stressing that nominations were…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have launched a $518 million joint response plan to contain the Ebola outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries. The coordinated plan, announced on Friday, will run from June to November and is aimed…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Federal Government has commenced plans to repatriate more than 1,000 Nigerians from South Africa amid growing concerns over renewed xenophobic tensions and anti-immigrant sentiment in the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday that screening for a voluntary repatriation programme began on Thursday, with officials expecting the number of…
