NDPHC seeks gradual electricity subsidies removal in Nigeria
The MD, while highlighting deep-rooted structural and liquidity challenges constraining the performance of the electricity market, advocated the decoupling of government subsidies from electricity tariffs and the gradual implementation of fully cost-reflective tariffs across all customer segments. According to her, establishing a financially viable electricity market is essential for restoring investor confidence, attracting private sector participation and ensuring sustainable sector growth. “In addition, liquidity constraints within the electricity market remain a major concern, as only about 30 per cent of sector invoices are currently settled, creating financial strain across the value chain. To address these systemic issues, there should be the decoupling of government subsidies from electricity tariffs and the gradual implementation of fully cost-reflective tariffs across all customer segments. “Establishing a financially viable electricity market is essential for restoring investor confidence, attracting private sector participation, and ensuring sustainable sector growth,” she was quoted as saying.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 14:26 UTC
25 Killed in Jihadist Attacks in Northeast Nigeria
At least 25 people were killed in two separate jihadist attacks in northeastern Nigeria’s Adamawa state, local sources told AFP on Thursday. “Gunmen, we believed to be Boko Haram on many motorcycles… attacked the market. Four others, including three troops, were killed in neighbouring Hong, resident Ezekiel Musa told AFP. “Boko Haram attacked us after they left the town. Earlier this month, the United States began deploying troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to the country’s soldiers in fighting the jihadist groups.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 14:21 UTC
US arrests ex-air force pilot for training Chinese military
The US Justice Department announced the arrest on Wednesday of a former Air Force fighter pilot who allegedly trained Chinese military personnel without authorization. Gerald Brown, 65, was arrested in Indiana after having recently returned to the United States from China, where he had been since December 2023, a Justice Department statement said. He is accused of having “conspired with foreign nationals to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force” without a required license from the US State Department, the statement said. “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the US armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities,” said Roman Rozhavsky, an official with the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This arrest serves as a warning that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to hold accountable anyone who collaborates with our adversaries to harm our service members and jeopardize our national security,” he added.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 10:07 UTC
Punch the Monkey Update: Zoo Addresses Troop Health Concerns
Since January, Punch has been living with the wider macaque troop, stuffed orangutan firmly in tow. Videos of him being pushed around by the other monkeys sent the internet into a panic, though keepers were quick to reassure everyone that no single monkey has shown serious aggression towards him. That did little to stop people refreshing for updates every few hours.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 09:56 UTC
We are all Punch the monkey
Abandoned by his mother, Punch was given a stuffed monkey to cope with because the other monkeys wouldn’t accept him either. As a freshman in college, I relate to Punch the monkey on a deep level. Punch has his stuffed IKEA monkey that he retreats to anytime his attempts at making new friends fail. If you’re anything like me and Punch, you also have your version of the monkey. The friend didn’t change who Punch is but adapted to Punch and his Ikea monkey mother; a recent video shows Punch and his friend cleaning bugs off the stuffed monkey together.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 09:54 UTC
Angel Guardian, Kelvin Miranda, at Faith Da Silva, makikisaya sa Panagbenga Festival 2026
By Aimee AnocWhat's on TVPhoto by: gmaregionaltv (IG)Around GMAArticle Inside PageSamahan ang 'Sang'gre' stars na sina Angel Guardian, Kelvin Miranda, at Faith Da Silva sa kanilang pagdalo sa Panagbenga Festival 2026 ng Baguio City. Makikisaya ang new-gen Sang'gres na sina Angel Guardian, Kelvin Miranda, at Faith Da Silva sa inaabangang taunang flower festival ng summer capital of the Philippines, ang Panagbenga Festival ng Baguio City. Abangan sina Angel, Kelvin, at Faith ngayong Sabado, February 28, sa Brgy. Scout Barrio covered court, 4:00 p.m.Ngayong 2026, ipinagdiriwang ang ika-30 taon ng Panagbenga Festival na may temang "Blooming Without End." Samantala, patuloy na suportahan at subaybayan sina Angel, Kelvin, at Faith sa Encantadia Chronicles: Sang'gre, 8:05 p.m. sa GMA Prime at 9:45 p.m. sa GTV.
Source:The Guardian
February 26, 2026 09:33 UTC
The secret life of a waitress: my nine nightmare diners – from flirts to complainers
Of course, for every 10 great customers, you’re bound to get one that’s not so great – I’ve come across my fair share of those. And so I can confidently say that influencers are the least of my worries as a waitress. In fact, I’d rank them and their camera crews at the bottom of my list of the rudest types of customers I’ve come across. The work-from-homersA very specific type of customer, and one seen more and more often at the restaurant I work in. For the Rules Don’t Apply customer, you need to engage in a full-on theatrical performance to make any impression.
Source:The Guardian
February 26, 2026 09:30 UTC
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons amid US-Iran talks
“Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,” President Pezeshkian said, in a reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While Iran has insisted the talks focus solely on its nuclear programme, the US wants Tehran’s missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region curtailed. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of “pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions”, though Tehran has consistently insisted its programme is for civilian purposes. “You can’t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons,” Vance told “America’s Newsroom” on Fox News. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 08:43 UTC
SAEL Industries Leverages Punch and Teddy Trend
As brands across India tap into the viral “Punch and Teddy” moment to humanise their messaging, SAEL Industries has added a purpose-driven layer to the trend by aligning emotion with energy. Drawing inspiration from the widely circulated image of Punch finding comfort in a soft toy, SAEL’s creative post reframes the conversation around reliability and reassurance. We power it.”, subtly connects everyday comfort with the invisible infrastructure that makes it possible. The accompanying message reads:“In a world that moves fast, comfort can be found in the smallest moments. While Punch finds comfort in his teddy, we power those comforting moments with sustainable and clean energy.”
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 08:42 UTC
NRS unveils 2026 revenue roadmap, targets N40.7tn
The session examined the performance of the 2025 budget and projections for the 2026 fiscal year. Non-oil tax revenues, he said, outperformed expectations, generating N21.46tn, which was N3.4tn above target, while oil tax revenues fell short of projections by 5.2 per cent. “When you compare the 2025 performance with 2024, the Service collected N6.5tn more than the previous year. Bagudu, in his remarks, said engagements with the National Assembly led to an agreement to roll over a significant portion of the 2025 capital expenditure into the 2026 fiscal year. He said about 70 per cent of the capital allocation for 2025 would be moved into the 2026 fiscal year.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 07:31 UTC
Labour Gives FG Ultimatum Over Unpaid Wage Arrears
Organised labour in the federal public service has issued a Friday deadline to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate release of funds to settle three months’ outstanding wage awards and other pending allowances owed to workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The unions accused the government of withholding funds meant for workers, alleging that relevant agencies were prepared to process payments once the Ministry of Finance released the required funds. The wage award dispute, which has persisted for over two years, followed the Federal Government’s approval of a N70,000 minimum wage after the removal of fuel subsidy. Labour leaders stated that although partial payments were made after sustained pressure, three months remain unpaid since July 2024, heightening tension within the federal workforce. Copies of the letter were also forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, security agencies and affiliate unions for urgent attention.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 07:25 UTC
Going bananas for Punch? Here's the latest on the viral baby monkey
ETPunch is a baby monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. Ichikawa City Zoo encourages Punch fans to be mindful of unofficial fundraisers they may see for the zoo or monkey online. Animal lovers are going bananas for Punch the baby monkey, who is learning to thrive amongst his primatial roommates. Punch, a baby macaque monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan (about 20 miles east of Tokyo), has gone viral for his sweet demeanor. Punch is a baby macaque monkey, born at the Ichikawa City Zoo on July 26.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 07:20 UTC
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Viral videos, sold-out toys… Why the world is going bananas over Punch, the Japanese monkey
The world is going gaga over a seven-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch. Reels and videos have flooded the internet; google Punch the monkey and heart-shaped photos of the macaque emerge on your screen. According to the zoo, Punch, as he is named in English, was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth. Punch, the Japanese macaque, drags a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. Last Thursday, the Japanese zoo recorded more than four times its usual number of visitors, around 900 people, thanks to Punch.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 06:52 UTC
LAUTECH Mourns Six Nursing Students Killed in Road Crash
The management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, has mourned the death of six nursing students who lost their lives in a road crash on the Ilorin–Ogbomoso Road. PUNCH Metro had earlier gathered from a university source that the students boarded the same commercial bus from Suleja, Niger State, before the fatal accident. “The deceased students… were travelling in a public bus from Suleja, Niger State, to the university for their final examinations when the unfortunate incident occurred at Otte, Kwara State. The incident marks the second fatal crash involving final-year students in Kwara State within one month. On February 5, the management of Kwara State University confirmed the death of a 400-level student, Idris Agboluaje, in an auto crash in the Malete area of the state.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 06:43 UTC
IKEA working to restock Punch orangutan plush. How to get other merch
Punch's comfort orangutan plush is officially sold by IKEA, listed as the “DJUNGELSKOG Soft toy, orangutan.” Resellers on eBay have been selling the soft toy for more than triple its original value. IKEA is aware of the plush’s popularity and Punch’s plight and says it's working on restocking Punch's plush "as soon as possible." Fans of Punch the Monkey, hoping to get their hands on the IKEA orangutan plush he carries around, have been disappointed to find it sold out online. How can I find out when Punch’s orangutan plush is back in stock? Punch fans can sign up to receive a “back in stock alert” for the orangutan plush directly from IKEA.
Source:Punch
February 26, 2026 06:03 UTC