NEWS

Two people are suspected of being infected with Ebola in Milan, northern Italy, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Monday. The individuals, a man and a woman originally from Como, are said to have recently returned from Uganda, where they had been working as aid workers for three months. They reportedly developed symptoms, including high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. The man is said to have suffered intestinal problems, while the woman experienced neurological symptoms, the report said. Ebola disease is caused by viruses belonging to the Orthoebolavirus genus. Three strains are known to cause major outbreaks in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire), Sudan virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The suspected cases come amid heightened concern over Ebola outbreaks in p...

Two people are suspected of being infected with Ebola in Milan, northern Italy, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Monday. The individuals, a man and a woman originally from Como, are said to have recently returned from Uganda, where they had been working as aid workers for three months. They reportedly developed symptoms, including high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. The man is said to have suffered intestinal problems, while the woman experienced neurological symptoms, the report said. Ebola disease is caused by viruses belonging to the Orthoebolavirus genus. Three strains are known to cause major outbreaks in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire), Sudan virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The suspected cases come amid heightened concern over Ebola outbreaks in p...

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered the deployment of special forces and aerial surveillance units to Oyo State following a series of recent kidnapping incidents. According to the Defence Headquarters, the move is aimed at strengthening security operations in affected areas and ensuring the arrest of those responsible for the attacks. Military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja said the Armed Forces acknowledged the security situation in Oyo State and expressed condolences to affected families and residents. He added that the CDS had directed an expanded security response involving aerial monitoring and specialised ground troops working alongside state authorities. He said intelligence-led operations had already begun yielding results and assured tha...

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revise its 2027 general election timetable, citing inconsistencies with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. Delivering judgment on Tuesday, May 26, in a suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the court held that while INEC has constitutional authority to set and adjust election timetables, it must operate strictly within the legal timelines established by law. The case challenged parts of INEC’s revised schedule, particularly the shortened deadlines for political parties to submit candidate details and carry out substitutions. Justice James Omotosho ruled that INEC cannot lawfully reduce the 90-day period allowed for candidate substitution under section 31 of the Electoral...

A group of male police officers has gone viral for going undercover as s£xy female dancers to catch a notorious drug dealer in Thailand. The team, comprising five male cops and one female officer, shared a picture of themselves on Facebook, posing in dresses and smiling, after a successful operation during a street dance festival in the Thai province of Lopburi. The suspect, a man named Mekha Fa-wap-wap, was found with 53 methamphetamine pills, more than 200 plastic bags to hold drugs, and a mobile phone, according to police. Cops suspected Mekha of involvement in illegal activity but decided to disguise themselves as dancers during a street festival to catch him off guard, the Vietnamese outlet Doi Song & Phap Luat reported. He now faces charges for possessing category one...

The Federal Government has cancelled $717.7m in undisbursed World Bank financing for Nigeria’s troubled electricity sector, effectively terminating the remaining portion of a $1.52bn power sector recovery programme amid mounting tariff shortfalls, worsening financial pressures, and persistent implementation challenges across the industry. Documents obtained by The PUNCH from the World Bank website on Monday showed that the cancellation followed a formal request by the Federal Government and a joint decision by both parties to discontinue financing under the Power Sector Recovery Performance-Based Operation due to evolving sector realities and the inability to achieve key reform milestones. According to the World Bank restructuring paper, the cancelled amount represents the entire und...

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday, May 25, that he asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords en masse to normalize relations with Israel as he tries to negotiate an agreement to end the war with Iran.  Pakistan rejected the proposal. None of the other countries has so far publicly reacted to Trump's demand, and a positive response was unlikely when public mistrust of Israel in these Muslim nations remains high over the scale of its military offensive in Gaza. Trump said he spoke on Saturday to leaders of those countries, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have already signed the accords, a set of agreements to normalize relations with Israel. “I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immedi...

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has been cleared by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, to take part in the 2027 presidential race. Justice Peter Lifu in a judgment delivered on Tuesday, upheld a N20 million fine against the lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who instituted the case. He equally awarded a one-million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation. Justice Lifu also held that the lawyer lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll. The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the appellate court’s decision. He then d...

The Yobe State Police Command said its operatives attached to A Division, Damaturu, rescued a newborn baby girl, estimated to be one day old, after she was discovered abandoned in Kallalawa Village. The command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday. According to the command, the infant was promptly taken to the Special Baby Care Unit, General Hospital, Damaturu, where medical examination confirmed her to be in stable condition. “The child was thereafter handed over to the Social Welfare Department for proper care and protection, while investigations have commenced to trace the mother and circumstances surrounding the abandonment,” it said. Meanwhile, the Police Command said its operatives have arrested t...

The cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has continued to increase across Nigeria ahead of the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. Reports indicate that the Federal Government earlier declared Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, 2026, as public holidays for the Sallah festivities. A market survey revealed that cooking gas, which previously sold for less than ₦1,000 per kilogramme, is now being sold between ₦1,500 and ₦2,000 in many parts of the country. Residents in some South-West communities disclosed that LPG now sells for nearly ₦2,000 per kilogramme in border areas of Ogun State. Consumers in Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan also reported prices ranging from ₦1,600 to ₦1,700 per kilogramme, while several northern states are experiencing rates be...