₦airaland Forum

World's second largest automaker,
Volkswagen Group stops all US car imports
after Trump tariffs

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World's second-largest automaker, Volkswagen
Group has made the shock decision to put all
US-bound cars on hold after introducing a 25%
tariff on all imported models.


The global automaker confirmed it's in a high-
stakes holding pattern triggered by President
Donald Trump's 25 percent tariff on imported
vehicles.


Reacting to the move, a spokesperson for
Volkswagen Group criticised the new tariff,
warning that it could damage economies
worldwide, including in America.


They explained: "We share the assessment of
most experts that US tariffs and any counter-
tariffs will have negative consequences for
growth and prosperity in the US and other
economic areas. The entire automotive industry,
global supply chains and companies as well as
customers will have to bear the negative
consequences."


Volkswagen has been producing vehicles in
America since 1978 and currently builds several
popular models, such as the Atlas SUV and ID.4
electric crossover, in its Tennessee factory.
However, other Volkswagen models, including the Jetta saloon and Tiguan SUV, are made in
neighbouring Mexico, while the Golf is imported
from Germany. Other brands in the Volkswagen
Group, such as Audi, also import their entire
range of models from overseas.


As a result, the new import tariff will affect a
significant number of Volkswagen models,
making them more expensive for consumers to
buy.


To demonstrate the cause of the increased prices for consumers, Volkswagen stated that all models sold in America will feature an 'import fee', which will be shown alongside other typical
charges, such as road tax and optional extras.


According to a memo sent to car dealers,
Volkswagen Group will also freeze shipments to
America until further notice, with the company
said to have just under three months’ worth of
remaining stock.


Executives at the German company are
reportedly aiming to persuade the Trump
Administration to revise the terms of the tari

After 12,000 years, American Biotech company says it has brought an animal back from extinction for the first time

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A species of wolf that went extinct about 12,500
years ago has been brought back to life—at least partially—by scientists at Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company based in Dallas. The firm announced it had successfully created three dire wolf pups using ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing techniques.


The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus), a prehistoric
predator larger than today’s gray wolf, once
roamed North America and was made iconic by
its fictional counterpart in HBO’s Game of
Thrones. According to Colossal, the newly born
pups resemble their extinct ancestors in size and features, possessing wider heads, thicker white fur, and stronger jaws.


To achieve this scientific milestone, Colossal’s
researchers extracted ancient DNA from two
fossils—a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-
year-old skull. They then assembled high-
quality genomes and compared them to those of
living canids, such as wolves, jackals, and foxes.
This allowed them to isolate and edit key genes
associated with dire wolf traits.

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Using CRISPR technology, scientists made 20
precise edits in 14 genes of gray wolf cells. The
edited cells were cloned and transferred into
donor eggs, which were then implanted in
domestic dog surrogates. The result: two male
pups born on October 1, 2024, and a female
born on January 30, 2025.


The three wolves now reside at a secure and
undisclosed 2,000-acre facility, monitored with
drones, cameras, and 10-foot-tall zoo-grade
fencing. The site has been certified by the
American Humane Society and registered with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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The extinct species

Colossal emphasizes that while the genome of
these animals is 99.9% gray wolf, they carry and
express dire wolf traits—raising philosophical
questions about how much genetic change is
required to define a species. According to
evolutionary genomics expert Love Dalén, who
advised on the project, the wolves represent a
resurrection of the dire wolf phenotype, or
observable traits.


Beyond resurrecting extinct species like the dire
wolf, woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian
tiger, Colossal is also applying its technology to
support endangered animals. The company
recently produced two litters of cloned red
wolves—one of the most critically endangered
canid species—using a gentler, less invasive
cloning method developed during the dire wolf
project.


We’re Colossal Biosciences, the de-extinction
company responsible for bringing back the
first animals from extinction. Our dire wolf
pups, Romulus and Remus, were born on
October 1, 2024. Watch these pups grow up
on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.

These two wolves were… pic.twitter.com/
hbk1wFQ3lf
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7,
2025


While some critics argue that de-extinction
diverts funds from more urgent conservation
efforts, others recognize Colossal’s efforts to
prioritize animal welfare. Still, questions remain
about the ecological role—if any—these recreated animals will play.


Experts caution that even if dire wolves could
survive in modern habitats, practical and political barriers could prevent their reintroduction into,the wild.

Nigerian gospel artists Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, and Moses Bliss have achieved remarkable milestones on the global music stage,

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emerging among the most-streamed Nigerian
acts on YouTube Music for the first quarter of
2025.

According to data compiled by Debut Hub, Nathaniel Bassey recorded 52.8 million streams, Mercy Chinwo followed with 46.4 million, and Moses Bliss accumulated 41.5 million streams between January and March 2025.

Mercy Chinwo’s hit track “Excess Love”
continues to resonate with listeners, having
amassed 133 million plays. Nathaniel Bassey’s
standout songs also performed impressively, with “Yahweh Sabaoth” garnering 25 million plays,

“TOBECHUKWU” featuring Mercy Chinwo
reaching 39 million, and “Jesus Iye” climbing to 32 million streams.

Moses Bliss secured his place among the top 20, marking a significant moment for Nigerian gospel music on the global platform.

In the same quarter, Rema maintained his
dominance in the Nigerian music scene with a
staggering 223 million streams. His global hit
“Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, has now
reached a historic 2.5 billion plays on YouTube
Music. Other top Nigerian artists who featured
prominently in the rankings include Burna Boy
with 171 million streams, Ayra Starr with 169
million, Davido with 113 million, and Wizkid with 102 million.

The complete list of the top 20 most-streamed
Nigerian artists on YouTube Music in Q1 2025 is
as follows:


Rema — 223M

Burna Boy — 171M

Ayra Starr — 169M

Davido — 113M

Wizkid — 102M

Omah Lay — 96.7M

Kizz Daniel — 67.9M

Ruger — 65.7M

CKay — 64.6M

Asake — 63.4M

Tems — 60.4M

Fireboy DML — 59.1M

Nathaniel Bassey — 52.8M

Oxlade — 52.4M

Tekno — 50.8M

Mercy Chinwo — 46.4M

Tiwa Savage — 45.3M

Victony — 42.5M

Moses Bliss — 41.5M

BNXN — 41M

“So this dude I know asked me to marry him. I told him that even if he ticks all the boxes for the perfect man for marriage, I cannot marry him because he lives in his family house with no hope of leaving to get his own house in the nearest future, the family house is inside inside Awada, on the 6th floor of a 6 storey building,” she narrated in a Facebook post at the weekend.

I said everything politely oo cos the man in
question is also my customer.

The Federal Government has announced plans to review electricity tariffs for customers outside the Band-A category.

The proposed hike aims to bring tariffs for other customer categories closer to the N206/kW paid by Band-A customers.

Speaking at the public presentation of the National Integrated Electricity Policy (NIEP) and Nigeria Integrated Resource Plan (NIRP) in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, stated that the government can no longer sustain the N3 trillion subsidy on the power sector.

Adelabu emphasized that with power generation and distribution increasing by about 35% in 2024, ensuring the commercial sustainability of the industry is crucial for continued growth.

‘We will look at the tariff again. I am not saying that we’re going to increase the tariff before I am misquoted.

We are going to look at it and see how we can improve upon our modest achievement of last year, not only to ensure that we grow the sector that we need but also to ensure that we can invest more in revamping all these dilapidated infrastructures.”

The migration to Band A should have been faster, but we found out that the DisCos refuse to invest. They have refused to invest in this sector.

A lot of investment is required for us to achieve an accelerated migration of lower-band customers into Band A. It is taking a lot of time.” he said

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Jude Okoye, the elder brother and former manager of Paul and Peter Okoye of the defunct music group, P-Square, on charges of laundering ₦1.38billion, $ 1 million and £34,537.59.

Jude was arraigned alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd, before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a seven-count charge

One of the counts read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly acquire a landed property known as No 5, Tony Eromosele Street Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos worth ₦850,000,000.00 (Eight hundred and fifty million naira) only, which money you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Another count read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did indirectly using bureau de change convert the sum of $1,019,762.87 (One million nineteen thousand, seven hundred and six-two dollars eighty-seven cents), domiciled in Access Bank Plc operated by Northside Music Lid to the naira equivalent and remitted into various bank accounts with the intention of concealing that the said fund form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Larry Peters Aso, applied for a date for hearing as well as for the remand of the defendant in the correctional facility pending trial.

The defendant’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, informed the court of a pending bail application. He asked for a short date for the hearing. Effiong also asked that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending the hearing of the application.

Aso objected to the request for the defendant to be remanded in the EFCC custody. He argued that the EFCC custody was already congested with suspects awaiting arraignment. He urged the court to remand the defendant to the correctional facility since he had taken his plea.

Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter till February 28 for bail hearing and April 14 for trial.

He also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional facility.