The Federal Government is currently engaging the World Bank on a fresh $1.5bn loan, findings by Sunday PUNCH have shown. The World Bank is Nigeria’s biggest multilateral creditor, with the country owing about $14.51bn as of June 30, 2023. Further breakdown shows that Nigeria has a total domestic debt of N54.13tn and total external debt of N33.25tn. “Talking about external borrowing, let me clarify that this year’s budget has room for a new external borrowing of about N1.7tn. A development economist, Aliyu Ilias, told Sunday PUNCH that with the currency devaluation, the external debt burden would likely double.

India's Powerful Punch For China After Arunachal Trigger; Mega Events In Tawang Near LAC | DetailsThe Indian Army along with state administration organised two mega events - Marathon and National Tug Of War Championship - in Tawang. This is the first time such events are being organised in the city of Arunachal Pradesh. The events in Tawang, barely 25 km from LAC, are seen as a strong message to China. Officials believe that such events assist in asserting India's dominance near the border. Watch the video for more.

The House of Representatives has urged Nigerians to set aside their differences and work together to achieve a country that works for all with no one left behind. The House stated, “patriots of yesteryears shaped the path to the freedom we hold dear as a people today. Many of them are no longer with us, while a few are now old and grey. We celebrate them and their legacy, and we pray that their labours will never be in vain. “As the ‘People’s Parliament’, the House of Representatives is not unmindful of the numerous challenges we are facing at this time.

A former top official with a Binghamton area nonprofit dedicated to helping Parkinson’s patients maintain a high quality of life has been charged with stealing over $50,000 from the group. Binghamton-based New York State Police Friday charged Stacie M. Congdon, 48, of Windsor with second-degree grand larceny. State police allege Congdon stole more than $50,000 from Punch Out Parkinson's Inc. while she served as treasurer and president of the organization. Investigators accuse Congdon of making unauthorized withdrawals from the Punch Out Parkinson's savings and checking accounts between April 2022 and May 2023. Since 2016, the organization's "Rock Steady" boxing has helped more than 100 people in the Southern Tier of New York state and northern Pennsylvania, according to the program's website.

A woman from Ogun State, Tope Samuel, shares how her Chinese boyfriend abandoned her after they welcomed their child together. In this interview with PUNCH, she narrates how she met the Chinese in a company where they worked together and how they started dating. According to her, the Chinese boyfriend’s attitude changed towards her a month after they welcomed their child.

Massimo Buster Minale, the founder of the brand that includes his name, comes from the world of architecture by way of London’s custom motorcycle subculture. Like the original, for instance, the Buster + Punch Chopper chair is stackable—conserving space is as necessary in London in 2023 as it was in 1973. While Massimo’s updates make the Buster + Punch Chopper chair more contemporary, his father would undoubtedly approve of the results. The Buster + Punch Chopper chair debuted in vibrant Shoreditch during the 22nd edition of the London Design Festival last month at a price of £1450. Photography by Richard Gooding Photography, Still Moving Media et alBuster + Punch Chopper Chair Photo Gallery

President Bola Tinubu has vowed to tackle the scourges of poverty, criminality and terrorism as he steers the ship of state in the next four years. “We are going to combat the challenges of poverty, criminality and terrorism, he vowed. He made this assertion on Friday in Kaduna during the passing-out parade of cadets of 70 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). Represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu disclosed that the current programmes being pursued by his government were part of a new national defence and security strategy. To this end, he directed all heads of defence and security institutions in the country to unite in their efforts to protect the nation’s territorial integrity.

The concept of health insurance had not yet gained widespread acceptance, and insurance penetration was low. Key DevelopmentsEntry of Private Players: The entry of private insurance companies led to increased competition and innovation in health insurance products. Health Insurance Portability: The concept of health insurance portability emerged, allowing policyholders to switch insurers without losing accrued benefits. Similarly, the IRDAI regulates health insurance to protect policyholders’ interests, enforce guidelines, and maintain transparency in the insurance sector. Emerging Health ThreatsEmerging health threats, such as pandemics and new diseases, underscore the need for updated health insurance plans.

My husband turned our home to a boxing arena.He punched me on regular basis and made my life bitter. She begged the court to make her husband responsible for the upkeep of their children, giving feeding, education and health care priority. “He consistently neglected our children’s education while my parents have been helpful all the way. They have been partly responsible for our children’s feeding and education. “My husband started giving our children who are presently teenagers N150 each for food per day, and the youngest, N100.

The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, on Saturday, began the social register programme for vulnerable people living in the Makoko area of Lagos State. During her visit, she distributed food items to riverine dwellers in the community. She also conducted a free medical programme for the residents.

The files had been stored in a high security foreign office depository at Hanslope Park, near Northampton. She was both vindicated and outraged by the discovery: “After all these years of being roasted over the coals, they’ve been sitting on the evidence? This almost destroyed my career.”This book, a decade on, is that wider history that Elkins had postponed. Elkins offers an open and shut case for those who believe that Rhodes must fall. Her book should, you hope, also find its way into the hands of at least some of that 60% of the nation who, when polled in 2014, thought the British empire was, in general, “something to be proud of”.

One of such precepts is gay marriage – a bizarre union in which a man marries another man or a woman marries another woman. It is considered a taboo in Nigerian cultures, and across the nation, there is no approval of gay marriage. It has no place for same-sex marriage of man and man or woman and woman copulation. However, regardless of the law and its punitive provisions against gay practice, some people, mostly youth, are increasingly getting involved in it. Investigation by The Guardian revealed many adults and youths are practising gay marriage in secret in the country today.

2023 WORLD CUP TEAM PREVIEW Unassuming Lankans look to punch above their weight Purnima Malhotra Share TweetSri Lanka have endured a quiet resurgence in white-ball cricket in recent times ©AFPWhile often a true indicator of a team's rhythm, form guide can be a tricky marker. With Hasaranga unavailable, the mantle of potency will rest largely on Theekshana ©GettyDoes that make Sri Lanka the dark horses? At best, Sri Lanka could be the banana peel the mid-table contenders would need to be wary of. That said, spin is still their strongest suit and Sri Lanka may well be fielding a spin-heavy XI with just two seamers irrespective of conditions. Marquee MatchSri Lanka's unpredictability and the tendency to supersede expectations in multi-nation events recently cost Pakistan a place in the Asia Cup final.

Having carved a niche within the sub-4-metre compact SUV segment, the Tata Punch has made quite an impression on the sales charts. Hyundai Exter vs Tata Punch: performanceRight off the bat, the Exter’s 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine impresses with its smoothness and refinement. Hyundai Exter vs Tata Punch: exterior designMeasuring 3.8m in length, these cars are shorter than most sub-4m compact SUVs, hence they’re categorised as sub-compact SUVs. Hyundai Exter vs Tata Punch: interior, seatingIn contrast to its snazzy exteriors, the Exter’s cabin is familiar to the Grand i10 and is monotone in shade. Hyundai Exter vs Tata Punch: featuresBoth the Exter and Punch boast of features like a sunroof, automatic climate control, reverse camera, cruise control and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, among the notable ones.

A stunt coordinator and weapons trainer, Adamson Ibrahim, says that he usually risks his life performing stunts in movies. Ibrahim, who worked as a stunt man and actor in the acclaimed movie, ‘Jagun Jagun’, noted that coordinating stunts in movies went beyond telling actors what to do. He told Saturday Beats, “I have been risking my life in the course of doing this job. Sharing his experience working on ‘Jagun Jagun’, he said, “I am not a full-time actor. As a matter of fact, I don’t act in 80 per cent of the movies I coordinate for.