Diamond Celebrities

Less than a week after winning the FA Cup to secure their place in next season’s Europa League, Arsenal has announced plans to lay-off 55 staff. This is also coming as the football club negotiated a multi-million pound contract extension with striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The club said on Wednesday the cuts were the result of […]

An official from the Dubai Tourism has debunked the viral fake news that Nigerians have been banned from visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Stella Fubara-Obinwa, its Director Africa, International Operations, made the clarification during a webinar organised by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), themed “Tourism Business Opportunities in Face of New […]

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), has issued a two-week ultimatum to airlines, who have sacked or plan to sack their pilots and engineers under the guise of COVID-19, to reverse the decision. Its President, Mr Abednego Galadinma, at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos, said pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers […]

The United States says the Al-Qaeda insurgent group has started penetrating the north-western part of Nigeria. In recent times, there has been an increase in attacks in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and other north-west states. During a media briefing, Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US special operations command, Africa, said Al-Qaeda is also expanding to […]

Some Airlines in the country operating at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, have expressed dissatisfaction over low passengers’ patronage since reopening after the COVID-19-induced lockdown. During separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Abuja, the airlines said the ratio of passengers at present compared with previous years had drastically […]

Virgin Atlantic Airway has filed for bankruptcy, as the aviation industry continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The Virgin Group airline filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York on Tuesday, marking the latest business casualty for the airline industry. It is the second of billionaire Richard Branson’s aviation business to file for […]

The National Universities Commission (NUC) said it is collecting data from universities to assess their readiness for resumption of academic activities. The commission also said efforts are ongoing to resolve the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) that threatens to further delay the resumption of academic activities in the universities. The Executive […]

China is becoming apprehensive about releasing loans to Nigeria following probes by the National Assembly on loans earlier released to Nigeria by the Asian nation, the Federal Government said on Tuesday. Although the government insisted that no nation could recolonise Nigeria as a result of Nigeria’s indebtedness, it cautioned lawmakers not to hamper its ability […]

The Federal Government on Tuesday raised the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to 5 million naira, The Punch has learnt. The government also mandated broadcast stations to devote airtime for public education on emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, made this known in Lagos on Tuesday while unveiling the Reviewed […]

A large blast in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, has killed at least 70 people and injured more than 4,000 others, the health minister says. The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital. Videos show smoke billowing from a fire, then a mushroom cloud following […]

The Federal Government expended about N523.3 million on school feeding programme during the lockdown against the coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (MHADMSD), Sadiya Farouq, announced this at the Presidential Taskforce briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. Farouk made the revelation against the rumours and speculations going around […]

Immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, Monday gave an insight into why he lost his seat as the party’s chief superintendent. Fielding questions when he featured on the Morning Show, the flagship breakfast programme of ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, Oshiomhole said he stepped […]

A Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has sacked over 70 pilots across its fleet. It also reduced staff salaries by up to 40 per cent. A member of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers disclosed this to one of Punch correspondents, craving anonymity. The source said the number of sacked pilots was between 70 […]

Some parents of students in private secondary schools in Ogun State on Sunday protested against the N25,000 COVID-19 test fee for each of their children. The government had said no boarding school student would be admitted into schools without a certificate of COVID-19 test which must be negative. The parents on Sunday thronged MTR 250-bed […]

Lagos State Government has announced the increase of the permissible capacity of public gatherings from 20 to 50 persons. Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this at the Lagos House, Marina, during the 17th update on the management of coronavirus in the state. Sanwo-Olu said that the increase applied to a wide range of events from Annual […]

Customers are paying more on loans and getting less on deposits from commercial banks, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) report has said. They paid between 15.01 per cent and 30.70 per cent on borrowed funds but the interest paid on their term deposits dropped by 1.46 per cent to 6.27 per cent, the CBN’s […]

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says the Nigerian government has the capability to pay back loans collected for the construction of rail projects within the stipulated period of 20 years. Mr Amaechi, in a statement on Saturday, said China was the only country giving out loans with a low-interest rate of 2.8 per cent. […]

Some charter airlines have begun offering services to members of the public despite a ban on international flights by the Federal Government due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday Punch has learnt. It was also learnt that some commercial flights that were contracted by foreign missions to evacuate stranded citizens from Nigeria were also being used to convey […]