Hello and welcome! In today’s trending news stories;
1. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their strike for one week. The decision was announced by TUC President Festus Osifo after a joint national executive council meeting in Abuja. The strike, which began on Monday, was in response to the government’s refusal to meet the unions’ demand for a minimum wage of N494,000, with the government proposing N60,000 instead. President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance to calculate the cost implications of a new minimum wage above N60,000 and report back by Wednesday to prepare for further negotiations with labor. Daily negotiations between the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, comprising government and labor representatives, will continue throughout the week to finalize an agreeable new minimum wage. The suspension aims to allow union leaders to consult their members and resume negotiations with the government.
2. On Tuesday, the naira remained stable across foreign exchange markets despite a significant 94.46 percent increase in dollar sales at the official market. The naira closed at N1,476.95 per dollar, a slight decline from N1,476.12 on Monday, according to FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited. Dollar sales by willing buyers and sellers surged to $236.99 million from $121.87 million on Monday. The intraday high remained steady at N1,500 per dollar, while the intraday low depreciated to N1,362.15 from N1,250 on Monday. In the parallel market, the naira traded between N1,480 and N1,500 per dollar.
3. In the first TV debate of the UK general election, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer clashed over tax, the NHS, and immigration. The heated exchanges led the moderator to urge them to lower their voices. Sunak accused Labour of planning a £2,000 tax increase per working family, which Starmer dismissed as “absolute garbage.” Sunak suggested the UK might leave the European Convention on Human Rights if his Rwanda immigration policy failed, while Starmer emphasized respect for international law. When asked about using private healthcare for loved ones on NHS waiting lists, Sunak said yes, Starmer no. They also discussed NHS funding, with Sunak blaming strikes for long waits and opposing tax hikes, which received mixed reactions. Starmer criticized Sunak’s national service plan for 18-year-olds as desperate, while Sunak defended it as transformative.
4. India’s stock market experienced its worst drop in four years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its outright parliamentary majority for the first time in 10 years. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats, surpassing the 272 needed to form a government, while the opposition coalition, INDIA, performed better than expected with 232 seats. The NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex indexes closed down 5.93 percent and 5.74 percent, respectively, on Tuesday, after initially falling by up to 8.5 percent. Stocks saw further losses on Wednesday morning but recovered by the afternoon, with both indexes up over 1.5 percent. Despite the market turbulence, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria congratulated Modi on his coalition’s majority win, marking Modi’s third consecutive term. Modi thanked voters and vowed to eradicate corruption and poverty. The election, held in seven phases over six weeks, saw almost a billion people registered to vote. The INDIA alliance has not accepted defeat and is set to meet to decide its next steps.
5. African international football returns this week as teams vie for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, featuring key matchups like Nigeria vs. South Africa and Algeria vs. Guinea. Cameroon’s preparations have been chaotic, with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o clashing with newly appointed head coach Marc Brys. Brys was briefly dismissed and reinstated, affecting training and player call-ups. The team faces Cape Verde Islands on Saturday. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, will play against Zambia after switching his international allegiance from Spain. Liverpool legends Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané face mixed fortunes. Salah returns for Egypt against Burkina Faso after recovering from injury, while Mané is out for Senegal due to a knee injury, missing matches against Congo DR and Mauritania. Nigeria’s new head coach, Finidi George, tackles his first competitive matches without injured star Victor Osimhen. Despite domestic upheaval affecting players’ arrivals, Finidi relies on talents like Victor Boniface.
6. Veteran musician D’banj acknowledged the pivotal role his former business partner and producer, Don Jazzy, played in his career. During a visit to Don Jazzy to hand him an invitation to his 20th-anniversary dinner in the music industry, D’banj expressed that his musical journey would be incomplete without Don Jazzy. Sharing the nostalgic moment on his X handle, D’banj also mentioned their shared milestones and brotherhood over the past two decades. Back in 2004, The duo co-founded Mo’Hits Records, which disbanded in 2012 due to differing interests. Post-disbandment, Don Jazzy established Mavins Record Label, while D’banj started DB Records.
7. Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham has vowed to keep her political choices private after an exchange on social media platform X regarding her support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general election, leading to criticism from some Nigerians on social media. The interaction began when a user, Otunba, asked Abraham to disclose Tinubu’s plans shared with her during the campaign. Abraham revealed that she had been promised good governance and happiness for all by Tinubu’s camp. She expressed concerns about potential backlash if Tinubu’s promises were not fulfilled, noting past bullying for her political choices. When questioned about Tinubu’s governance, Abraham emphasized her decision to focus on her personal life and career, stating she has learned to keep her political preferences private.
