Author: Mohammad Adamu

Crude oil prices have risen roughly 10% over the past week as the United States and Iran remain far from resolving the standoff over the strategic waterway, despite earlier optimistic signals from the White House. Brent crude futures slipped 10 cents, or 0.11%, to $87.62 a barrel by 0405 GMT on Tuesday, while US West Texas Intermediate crude eased 5 cents, or 0.06%, to $82.08 a barrel — both holding near recent highs after sharp gains. The setback came after President Donald Trump said on Monday he would seek compensation from Iran over decades of attacks and killings allegedly backed…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the governments and authorities of 20 universities a 14-day ultimatum to resolve outstanding issues around the implementation of its 2025 agreement with the Federal Government, or face industrial action. The decision was reached during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9, amid growing concern over delays and inconsistencies in implementing the pact. ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, disclosed the development in a statement on Monday, saying affected branches had been directed to prepare for strike action should the issues remain unresolved…

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has killed nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a senior commander, in a precision air strike in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State. A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the operation was carried out on Saturday following credible intelligence on terrorist movement in the area. Ejodame said a Remotely Piloted Aircraft was deployed to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance on the location, and tracked a group of terrorists moving towards a…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is sending a team from its headquarters to the United Kingdom to help clear pending passport applications for Nigerians in the diaspora. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo directed Comptroller-General of Immigration K. N. Nandap to deploy the intervention team, which is scheduled to arrive in the UK on August 10, 2026. The team will work with the Nigerian High Commission to process pending, new, and renewal passport applications. The exercise will cover designated cities across the UK, giving eligible applicants in different parts of the country access to enrolment and processing. According to the NIS,…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has rejected the latest US-backed peace plan for Gaza, insisting on the full disarmament of Hamas before any Israeli military withdrawal. The remarks come more than a week after President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in negotiations, with his Board of Peace unveiling a 15-point plan intended to secure lasting peace in the territory. In his first direct comments on the plan, Netanyahu said: “I want to be precise here: Israel rejects the 15-point document.” He said Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed,” adding that discussions with Washington were…

Iran has maintained a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since US and Israeli strikes on its territory in late February, demanding tolls from vessels and targeting ships it says are trying to bypass its designated route. The strait, previously open to free transit, has seen repeated attacks that collapsed an April ceasefire, prompting mediators to push both sides back toward a June memorandum’s terms. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman on managing transit through the strait were nearing conclusion, but stressed that reopening remains contingent on other conditions, including compensation for breaches of the June…

Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, died Saturday at the age of 68, at the medical center in Rosario, Argentina, where he had been receiving care. He passed away in the early hours of the morning, and no further details surrounding the cause of death will be released, out of respect for the family’s privacy. Tributes poured in from across football. Newell’s Old Boys, the Rosario-based club where Lionel Messi played as a youth before moving to Europe, paid tribute on social media, describing him as a devoted fan, businessman and the father…

The Federal Government has announced plans to begin local production of family planning materials to strengthen whole-of-government coordination and harness Nigeria’s youthful population for sustainable development. A statement by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government has inaugurated an inter-ministerial platform to drive the initiative. Pate described the move as a milestone for Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, noting that local production would cut reliance on imported commodities, create jobs for young Nigerians and generate domestic economic value. Inaugurating the platform in Abuja,…

Jessica Oji has become Nigeria’s first-ever field-event gold medallist at the World U20 Athletics Championships, winning the women’s shot put title with a throw of 18.08m in Oregon. Oji, who recently claimed silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, delivered a consistent series throughout the final, recording 18.05m, 18.08m, 17.95m and 18.07m to secure victory. The win is historic for Nigeria, which had never previously won a field event title at the championships. Before Oji’s triumph, the country had claimed only two field event medals in the competition’s history — Esther Aghatise’s silver in the women’s long jump in…

A teenager shot dead his grandparents at home before opening fire at a secondary school north of Bangkok, killing three teachers and three students, Thai national police said. The attack unfolded at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province on Friday. The suspect, a student at the school, used his grandfather’s handgun and was also found dead, according to local media citing authorities. Dozens of police officers and emergency responders converged on the scene as panicked parents rushed to retrieve their children. Fifteen students were injured while fleeing the building, though none were struck by gunfire, deputy interior minister Polapee Suwunchwee…