Politics

Russian Tinkov: Says Instagram Post Cost Him $9 Billion Loss

Russian Tinkov: Says Instagram Post Cost Him $9 Billion Loss

December 31, 2025 3:05 am

Oleg Tinkov says he was forced to sell his bank stake after criticizing Russia’s war, losing billions as Kremlin pressure followed in the 2022 Ukraine war.

Former Russian banking billionaire says a single social media post criticizing the war in Ukraine triggered a chain of events that wiped out nearly $9 billion of his personal wealth and forced him into exile.

Oleg Tinkov, the founder of Tinkoff Bank, said he was compelled to sell his stake in the lender at a tiny fraction of its value after publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an Instagram post in April 2022.

…
Mexican Passenger Train Derailment Kills 13 And Injures 100

Mexican Passenger Train Derailment: Kills 13 And Injures 100

December 31, 2025 12:48 am

Interoceanic passenger train derails in southern Oaxaca, prompting a major rescue effort as authorities probe the cause and the government deploys emergency response teams.

At least 13 people were killed and nearly 100 others injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico, authorities said, marking one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in recent years and raising fresh concerns about rail safety.

The crash occurred on Sunday when the Interoceanic Train, a key passenger service linking parts of southern Mexico, derailed near the town of Nizanda in Oaxaca state. Officials said the train was carrying 241 passengers and nine

…
Burkina Faso: Unveils Prison Reform Linking Labor To Release

Burkina Faso: Unveils Prison Reform Linking Labor To Release

December 30, 2025 6:06 pm

Government backs inmate farm work for sentence cuts as part of broader effort to ease overcrowding, boost food output, and reshape justice under Traoré.

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has launched an ambitious prison reform program that allows inmates to reduce their sentences through agricultural labor, a move officials say is aimed at easing overcrowding, improving rehabilitation, and strengthening food production in the conflict-hit West African nation.

The policy, backed by Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s administration, permits prisoners to earn up to three months off their sentences for every month spent working on state-managed farms. Authorities say the initiative marks a shift

…
Rescue Hunt Intensifies After Tour Boat Submerge In Indonesia

Rescue Hunt Intensifies After Tour Boat Submerge In Indonesia

December 29, 2025 3:28 am

Search teams race against time near Komodo National Park as rough seas delay efforts to find a Spanish soccer coach and three children missing after a boat accident.

Indonesian rescue teams intensified search efforts on Saturday December 27, 2025, for a Spanish soccer coach and three of his children after a tour boat carrying foreign tourists and crew sank near Padar Island, a remote but popular destination inside Komodo National Park.

The wooden vessel, which was transporting 11 people, went down late Friday December 26, 2025, after suffering engine failure while traveling from Komodo Island to Padar, according to Indonesia’s

…
Ghana Arrest And Detains 141 Nigerians For Fraud, Cybercrime

Ghana Arrest And Detains 141 Nigerians For Fraud, Cybercrime

December 29, 2025 2:26 am

Ghanaian authorities raid Accra suburbs, seizing laptops, phones, and detaining 141 Nigerians linked to online fraud and cybercrime networks.

Ghanaian Government have arrested 141 Nigerians in a pre-dawn crackdown on alleged cybercrime networks operating in the capital. The operation, intelligence-led and coordinated across multiple suburbs, targeted Lashibi and Tabora, resulting in 100 arrests in Tabora and 41 in Lashibi.

Officials also detained a Ghanaian landlord who reportedly housed approximately 100 of the suspects. Authorities recovered 38 laptops and 150 mobile phones believed to have been used in a range of cybercrime activities, including mobile money fraud, romance scams, sextortion, business …

WTO Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Celebrates Christmas In Village

WTO Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Celebrates Christmas In Village

December 29, 2025 1:58 am

WTO Director-General joins age-grade dance in her husband’s hometown, blending festive cheer with local traditions in Umuahia, Nigeria.

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala brought global attention to local traditions when she joined her age-grade group in a festive dance during a visit to her husband’s hometown in Umuda Isingwu, Umuahia, Abia State.

WTO chief shared a video of the celebrations on X, captioning it: “In the Christmas spirit. With Umu Ada Association and Umu Adukwu women in the village at Umuda Isingwu Umuahia.” The footage shows Okonjo-Iweala moving energetically alongside village women, embodying a joyful blend of holiday cheer …

US Resumes Surveillance Over Sambisa Forest After Air Strikes

US Resumes Surveillance Over Sambisa Forest After Air Strikes

December 29, 2025 1:46 am

United States restarts ISR operations in northeast Nigeria, targeting ISWAP terrorists after recent air strikes in Sokoto State, officials confirm.

United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over northeast Nigeria, focusing on terrorists in the Sambisa Forest, following air strikes in Sokoto State, on the night of Thursday December 25, 2025.

The development was disclosed Saturday December 27, 2025, by Brant Philip, a Sahel-focused terrorism analyst, who shared flight-tracking data showing a U.S. Gulfstream V aircraft operating over Borno State. The long-range business jet is often modified for ISR missions, providing real-time intelligence on militant activity.

Philip …

Nigeria Starts ₦50 Levy On Bank Transfers Above ₦10,000 Rule

Nigeria Starts ₦50 Levy On Bank Transfers Above ₦10,000 Rule

December 27, 2025 2:54 pm

New stamp duty shifts costs to senders as banks update systems, squeezing Nigerians already coping with inflation, fees, and rising prices nationally.

Nigeria will begin charging a new government levy of ₦50 on electronic bank transfers exceeding ₦10,000 starting January 1, 2026, adding another layer of cost to everyday financial transactions in Africa’s most populous nation.

The fee, known as a stamp duty, applies to each qualifying transfer and will be deducted directly from the sender’s account. It is separate from existing bank charges and applies regardless of the bank or digital platform used, according to changes already reflected on

…
White House: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Expecting Baby

White House: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Expecting Baby

December 27, 2025 2:41 pm

Leavitt announces second child due in May, expresses gratitude for family support and pro-family environment in the White House under Trump.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday December 26, 2025, that she and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, are expecting their second child, a daughter due in May 2026.

Sharing the news on Instagram, Leavitt posted a photo showing her baby bump in front of a Christmas tree. “My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” she wrote. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God …

Emir Of Kano Praises Alex Otti During Christmas Visit To Abia

Emir Of Kano Praises Alex Otti During Christmas Visit To Abia

December 27, 2025 2:00 pm

Sanusi hails Abia Governor’s reforms at Atani festival, urging unity as leaders mark Christmas and highlight cross-regional ties nationwide focus now.

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Mohammadu Sanusi II, has praised Abia State Governor Alex Otti for what he described as significant achievements and visible transformation since taking office, as he marked the Christmas season in southeastern Nigeria.

Sanusi, one of Nigeria’s most prominent traditional rulers and public intellectuals, made the remarks while attending the 2025 Atani Day cultural celebration in Arochukwu Local Government Area. The emir arrived in Abia on December 23 and joined Governor Otti at the event,

…
Nigeria: Clarifies Tax ID Rules For Bank Accounts Nationwide

Nigeria: Clarifies Tax ID Rules For Bank Accounts Nationwide

December 27, 2025 1:22 pm

Federal tax reform panel launches ‘Fact Not Fear’ campaign, as officials say personal accounts will not be frozen or debited in 2026 without tax IDs.

Nigeria’s Federal Government has moved to calm public anxiety over tax policy, clarifying that individual bank accounts will not be frozen or automatically debited for lacking a Tax Identification Number, known as a TIN.

The explanation follows days of online speculation and claims suggesting that new tax laws would trigger penalties on personal bank accounts beginning in January 2026. Officials say those claims are inaccurate and risk undermining confidence.

The clarification was issued by the …

Knife, Bleach Attack At Japan Factory Injures Fifteen People

Knife, Bleach Attack At Japan Factory Injures Fifteen People

December 27, 2025 12:22 pm

Man arrested after stabbing eight and spraying bleach at Yokohama Rubber factory in Mishima, raising safety concerns amid rare violent crimes in Japan.

At least 15 people were injured in a combined knife and bleach attack at a tire factory in central Japan on Friday, authorities said, as police detained the suspect.

The incident occurred at the Yokohama Rubber Company facility in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo. Eight workers were stabbed by a 38-year-old man, while seven others suffered chemical burns after being sprayed with bleach, according to the Fujisan Nanto Fire Department.

Five of the stabbing victims were

…

TRENDING

Breaking

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

follow on social media

Facebook Twitter Youtube Telegram Linkedin

subscribe to newsletter

© 2018 - 2020 Africa digital news, New York
Powered by

People and Polity