Iran will not participate in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics owing to serious safety risks to its sole athlete amid the escalating war between Iran and the Israel-United States alliance, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Saturday. The decision was communicated just hours before the opening ceremony in Verona. IPC stated that Aboulfazl Khatibi would not compete due to concerns over travel and personal safety in Italy. The Games begin less than a week after the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran, which has since expanded into a broader regional conflict. IPC explained that…
Author: Newsdesk
The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations has reached an agreement with Huawei Technologies to provide free artificial intelligence (AI) training for girls in Ghana under the government’s flagship ICT for Girls programme. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and Steven Yi on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. The initiative will expand the current Girls in ICT programme by introducing dedicated AI training modules for participants. Approximately 3,000 girls are expected to benefit from the training this year, which will be implemented in collaboration…
The U.S. has imposed visa restrictions targeting Rwandan officials it accused of sponsoring M23 and undermining peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Department of State, in a statement, said it “will impose visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials for fueling instability” in eastern DRC. “By continuing to support M23 and violating the Washington Accords, these individuals are driving violence and undermining the stability of the entire Great Lakes Region. “The United States expects all parties to the Washington Accords to fully implement their commitments,” the statement read. This include by the DRC immediately neutralizing the…
The Federal Government says Nigeria requires no fewer than 25 million tonnes of maize annually to meet national demand and strengthen food security. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi (also referred to as Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi in official contexts), disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during a Quarterly Citizens and Stakeholders’ Engagement meeting. Abdullahi said the government had intensified efforts to meet this demand by boosting local production and reducing dependence on food imports. “Our focus is on expanding local production so affordable and nutritious food becomes accessible to every Nigerian,” he said.…
The Kano State Government says it is exploring partnerships with international agricultural research organizations to boost crop productivity and modernize farming practices in the state. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Danjuma Mahmoud, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Kano on Friday after attending the Paris International Agricultural Show in France. He said the global agricultural exhibition, held from February 21 to March 1, brought together more than 2,000 companies and covered major aspects of agriculture, including crop protection, mechanization, livestock production, seed development and modern farming technologies. According to him, the state government held meetings with international research institutions such…
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring improved healthcare delivery in the country. Pate made this known during the investiture of the 24th President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) on Friday in Lagos. He was represented at the event by Dr. Abisola Adegoke, Director of Hospital Services in the Ministry of Health. Prof. Anthony Ikefuna assumed office as the 24th President of the college. “I believe that we all know that the ministry is not sleeping. The ministry is not folding its hands.…
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has decried the low performance of waste evacuation and cleaning contractors engaged by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to keep Abuja clean. The Director, Mrs. Kate Ogbonna, gave the assessment during an interactive session with the contractors in Abuja on Friday. Ogbonna said she was overwhelmed by unsavoury reports from supervisors monitoring the daily performance of the cleaning and waste contractors. According to her, routine checks by the Board have shown that the contractors are lagging in their tasks. “The reports at my disposal from our supervisors, who monitor the performance of the contractors,…
Continued engagement with Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and other state institutions is beginning to expand access to cancer care, says Maturin Tchoumi, a Senior Roche Executive. However, he noted that late diagnosis and low breast cancer awareness are still costing lives. Tchoumi, who leads Roche’s pharmaceutical business in Africa, spoke to reporters on Friday on the sidelines of the Africa Press Day 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme “Health is Wealth”. He noted that closer collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and NHIA was already translating into more women receiving breast cancer treatment…
Dr. Robert Ngwu, Special Adviser to former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Uche Nnaji, has clarified reports claiming that a Federal Government panel confirmed certificate forgery against the ex-minister. Ngwu made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja. He said the investigative panel was not constituted to determine whether Nnaji forged a certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He explained that the panel was set up following a petition Nnaji submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education over alleged misconduct by some university officials. Ngwu said reports in some quarters suggested the panel…
An NGO, Bridge That Gap Hope for Africa Initiative (BTG), has distributed energy-efficient cookstoves to women in climate-impacted areas of Kaduna State to promote clean energy use and climate resilience. The intervention covered communities in Chikun, Zaria, and Zangon Kataf Local Government Areas as part of activities marking the 2026 International Women’s Day. The initiative was implemented under the Women Empowerment and Climate Resilient Initiative (WECRI), supported by the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) programme. Gloria Bulus, BTG Executive Director, said in a statement on Friday that the project seeks to address desertification, promote energy-efficient technologies, and…