Watch : Moo Deng's Zoo Responds to Concerns Over Pygmy Hippo's "Sad" Living ConditionsDon't let the viral videos about Punch drive you bananas. The Japanese zoo housing the beloved macaque monkey—which was abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth in July—addressed public concerns he is “being bullied" by his fellow primates. "We have received many voices of concern from people both in Japan and overseas," the Ichikawa City Zoo wrote on X (formerly Twitter) March 10. Instead, the park clarified that Japanese macaque groups "follow a strict hierarchical society" in which "dominant individuals show 'disciplining actions' toward their subordinates." "These 'disciplining actions' do not occur incessantly, and Punch spends most of the day peacefully.

Executive Director, Business Development and Innovation, PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Omowunmi Tunde-Obe; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Manager and Head of Advertisement, Kemi Ogungbemi; and Editor, PUNCH Digital, Olalekan Adetayo, during one of the visits in Abuja on Tuesday. The delegation from Punch Nigeria Limited was led by the company’s Executive Director, Business Development and Innovation, Omowunmi Tunde-Obe. These are the kinds of partnerships we believe can make a difference.”Also speaking, the Head of Advertisement at Punch Nigeria Limited, expressed appreciation to the commission for its continued patronage and support. Similarly, the Editor of PUNCH Digital, said the organisation’s strong online presence and multimedia capabilities would provide additional visibility for the commission’s activities. Established in 1973, Punch Nigeria Limited remains one of Nigeria’s most influential media organisations, publishing widely read titles including The PUNCH, Sunday PUNCH, and PUNCH Digital.

January marked the first full month under the revised VAT sharing formula. Previously, the Federal Government received 15 per cent, the states 50 per cent, and LGAs 35 per cent. The state’s gross VAT allocation for January stood at N111.22 billion. After a deduction of N9.89 billion, Lagos retained N101.34 billion as state net VAT. Oyo ranked second with N24.04 billion in gross VAT allocation, while Rivers followed with N23.57 billion.

No matter your choice, at least one of these non-alcoholic Easter punch recipes deserves to appear at your celebration this year. 01 of 15 Easter Brunch Punch Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Rhubarb syrup adds a sweet-tangy flavor to store-bought strawberry lemonade in this easy-as-can-be pretty pastel and non-alcoholic Easter punch. Get The Recipe Save02 of 15 Party Punch Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey This light and fruity punch recipe is perfect for your Easter table. Get The Recipe Save11 of 15 Strawberry Lemonade Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This punch is like a warm spring breeze. Get The Recipe Save12 of 15 Sparkling Punch Credit: Jennifer Davick Pretty and pink, this punch is simple and customizable.

The Federal Ministry of Education has directed the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education, Odugbo, Benue State, to immediately nullify the appointments of its Provost, Registrar, and Bursar over alleged violations of established regulations. It also asked the council to submit a copy of the revised advertisement to the ministry for documentation and record purposes. The organisation said it was particularly troubling that the appointments were made despite earlier instructions from the ministry to halt the process and re-advertise the positions. CAPE described the development as part of a broader pattern of procedural violations in appointments within some tertiary institutions in the country. “The credibility, stability and integrity of our tertiary education institutions depend on strict adherence to due process in the appointment of their leadership.

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Charles was joined by hundreds of people celebrating Britain’s Nigerian diaspora during an event at St James’s Palace on Wednesday, ahead of the Nigerian president’s state visit next week. “Invite me, invite me,” he joked, as the King spoke to him about the royal lands. The King spoke to designers from Brand63 Africa, a social enterprise launched at London Fashion Week this year, connecting fashion designers of an African heritage to the global luxury market. Charles and Camilla will host them at Windsor Castle in what is set to be the first UK state visit by a Nigerian president in 37 years. They told him they had last played at a similar event nine years ago, to which the King joked “none of you look a day older”.

Nigeria’s table tennis star Quadri Aruna is still searching for his first win in the WTT series this year and remains winless in eight consecutive WTT matches after a 3–0 defeat to France’s Félix Lebrun at the WTT Champions Chongqing on Tuesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Aruna faced Lebrun in the round of 32 at the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux E·C·M Arena in China Vbut succumbed to the 19-year-old’s firepower in straight sets, losing 11–5, 11–6, 11–3. The defeat means Aruna will continue to wait for his first win in the WTT series, with his last victory dating back to September 2025, when he beat China’s Huang Youzheng in the round of 16. His only victory over the Frenchman was a hard-fought 3–2 win at the WTT Contender Durban in South Africa in January 2023. They met twice in 2024 at the WTT Star Contender Goa and the WTT Champions Chongqing, where the teenager recorded 3–0 and 3–2 victories, respectively.

The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit system is regulated by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, which oversees policy, infrastructure and system regulation. Many residents rely on the BRT system because it runs on a dedicated lane, making it faster and often cheaper than commercial transport options. The situation escalated on Tuesday when she posted footage of a confrontation with a woman who told her to stop recording in the BRT bus. She also alleged that she later learned that several BRT buses had been chartered for an event, which she said contributed to the shortage that morning. “I was shocked when I found out that almost all the BRT buses got chartered for an event.

The source continued, “Some countries are reluctant to accept some people, not because of the individuals but because of time. “So their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Any ambassador from an administration that has less than a year or two in office will not get accepted. If you are less than two years to the end of the tenure, there will be difficulties accepting an ambassador. The source emphasised that while India is the only country with a confirmed policy against short-tenure ambassadors, other nations may follow similar conventions.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) election candidate Balendra Shah waits to collect a certificate for his victory in parliamentary elections at the counting centre in Damak in Nepal's Jhapa district on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)Nepal had two per cent of votes left to count on Wednesday after parliamentary elections, with rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) having secured a majority. The March 5 parliamentary vote was the first since youth-led, deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government in September. Shah himself defeated veteran four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli — whose Marxist-led government was ousted in the violence last year — in his own seat. In direct elections, RSP won three-quarters of seats, 125 of 165, according to official results.

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, on Wednesday said terrorists and bandits operating across Nigeria have suffered heavier losses than government troops, saying that the Armed Forces are intensifying operations across various theatres. The minister acknowledged that the military had recorded casualties in recent engagements but stressed that the terrorists were suffering greater losses. The Armed Forces are on top of their game and we are putting in every effort to ensure the country is secured,” he said. “This challenge is a Nigerian challenge; it is not only the armed forces’ challenge. The defence minister also warned individuals providing logistics or intelligence to terrorists that they would be treated as accomplices.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is injured but “safe and sound”, the son of the president said Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment at the weekend. “I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. Mojtaba Khamenei, until now a low-profile but powerful behind-the-scenes figure, was named Iran’s number one following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. The Iranian supreme leader position is for life and he also serves as a religious guide for Shia Muslims. Before his nomination to the position, US President Donald Trump had warned that Khamenei would be “unacceptable” as the new supreme leader.

Photo credit: APPunch, a tiny seven-month-old baby monkey, is not being bullied and spends most of his day peacefully, Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo clarified in a statement on Tuesday.The Japanese zoo’s statement came after videos circulated online showing him being chased by other monkeys, sparking widespread concern.The abandoned baby monkey, along with his heartwarming bond with a plush toy, has captured hearts around the world, making him an internet sensation as fans cheer him on while he adjusts to life with his troop.Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque, was abandoned and spurned by his mother shortly after birth. Without maternal guidance to help him integrate with the troop, he turned to a plush orangutan toy provided by the Zoo keeper for comfort and often carrying it around with him for support.Last month, the zoo posted on X that Punch “had been scolded many times by other monkeys.” Videos showing him being chased by troop members circulated online, prompting some viewers to claim he was being mistreated.He also had been filmed multiple times being dragged and chased by older macaques inside the enclosure, which netizens described as clear bullying. “While dominant individuals may show disciplining actions toward their subordinates, as macaques do naturally, these actions in the macaque society ‘differ from human abuses’,” it said.“Punch spends most of the day peacefully,” the zoo added, while cautioning that removing him now could harm his reintegration. “Punch has become accustomed to living in this troop, so separating him now would create the risk that he would never be able to return to the group and would have to continue living that way for the rest of his life.”Raised in an artificial environment after being abandoned, Punch began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year. His story has inspired a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, drawing large crowds to the zoo and boosting sales of his IKEA orangutan toy.Animal rights group PETA said Punch’s situation highlights the challenges of zoos and urged his relocation to a “reputable sanctuary, where he could live in a more natural environment.”

Punch the monkey: Why do we love him so much and how is he doing now? Advertisement Punch the monkey: Why do we love him so much and how is he doing now? And many of those followers have visited the zoo to see Punch in person. "We need this warmth and love right now," said Melanie Fortier, a fan of the baby monkey. Nasser Hashem, who has followed Punch's story and visited the zoo, has an idea as to why people are so interested in Punch and his progress.