Hezbollah names Naim Qassem as new leader, Israel says he won't last long

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah named Naim Qassem as its new leader on Tuesday but Israel said his tenure would be "temporary", an apparent threat after it killed his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut over a month ago.

"Temporary appointment. Not for long," Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X with a photo of Qassem.

Earlier, Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a written statement that its Shura Council had elected Qassem, 71, in accordance with its established mechanism for choosing a secretary general.

Qassem was appointed as Hezbollah's deputy chief in 1991 by the armed group's then-secretary general Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack the following year.

Qassem remained in his role when Nasrallah became leader, and has long been one of Hezbollah's leading spokesmen, conducting interviews with foreign media, including while cross-border hostilities with Israel raged over the last year.

Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27 in an Israeli air attack on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, and senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safieddine - considered the most likely successor - was killed in Israeli strikes a week later.

Since Nasrallah's killing, Qassem has given three televised addresses, including one on Oct. 8 in which he said the armed group supported efforts to reach a ceasefire for Lebanon.

He is considered by many in Lebanon to lack the charisma and gravitas of Nasrallah.

In its official Arabic account on X, the Israeli government said: "His tenure in this position may be the shortest in the history of this terrorist organization if he follows in the footsteps of his predecessors Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine."

"There is no solution in Lebanon except to dismantle this organization as a military force," it wrote.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia fires missiles to simulate 'massive' response to a nuclear attack

Russia test-fired missiles over distances of thousands of miles on Tuesday to simulate a "massive" nuclear response to an enemy first strike.

"Given the growing geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is important to have modern and constantly ready-to-use strategic forces," President Vladimir Putin said as he announced the exercise.

It took place at a critical moment in the Russia-Ukraine war, after weeks of Russian signals to the West that Moscow will respond if the United States and its allies allow Kyiv to fire longer-range missiles deep into Russia.

On Monday NATO said that North Korea has sent troops to western Russia, something Moscow has not denied.

In televised comments, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov told Putin that the purpose of the drill was to practise delivering "a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to a nuclear strike by the enemy".

The exercise involved Russia's full nuclear "triad" of ground-, sea- and air-launched missiles.

A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia to Kamchatka, a peninsula in the far east. Sineva and Bulava ballistic missiles were fired from submarines, and cruise missiles were launched from strategic bomber planes, the defence ministry said.

The 2-1/2-year-old war is entering what Russian officials say is its most dangerous phase as the West considers how to shore up Ukraine while Russian forces advance in the east of the country.

Putin said using nuclear weapons would be an "extremely exceptional measure".

"I stress that we are not going to get involved in a new arms race, but we will maintain nuclear forces at the level of necessary sufficiency," he said.

He added that Russia was moving to new "stationary and mobile-based missile systems" which have a reduced launch preparation time and could overcome missile defence systems.

The drill follows an Oct. 18 exercise in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, involving field movements by a unit equipped with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of striking U.S. cities.

NUCLEAR SIGNALS

Since the start of the war, Putin has sent a series of pointed signals to the West, including by changing Russia's position on major nuclear treaties and announcing the deployment of tactical nuclear missiles to neighbouring Belarus.

Ukraine has accused him of nuclear blackmail. NATO says it will not be intimidated by Russian threats.

Last month the Kremlin leader approved changes to the official nuclear doctrine, extending the list of scenarios under which Moscow would consider using such weapons.

Under the changes, Russia would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack - a warning to the United States not to help Ukraine strike deep into Russia with conventional weapons.

Putin has said that Russia does not need to resort to the use of nuclear weapons in order to achieve victory in Ukraine.

Russia is the world's largest nuclear power. Together, Russia and the U.S. control 88% of the world's nuclear warheads.

U.S. officials say they have seen no change to Russia's nuclear deployment posture during the war. But the United States in 2022 was so concerned about the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia that it warned Putin over the consequences of using such weapons, according to Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine to force another 160,000 men into military – official

Kiev will conscript 160,000 more troops over the next three months, according to statements from lawmakers and media outlets. More than a million soldiers have already been drafted, yet high losses have left the Ukrainian Armed Forces plagued by manpower shortages.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Ukrainian lawmaker Alexey Goncharenko said that “1.05 million citizens have been recruited into the defense forces” since the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022.

“We aim to call up 160,000 more individuals, which will allow us to staff military units with up to 85% personnel,” he said, noting that this information came from Alexander Litvinenko, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

Shortly afterwards, AFP reported that these troops would be called up over the next three months, citing an unnamed “security source.”

The Ukrainian Armed Forces had around 250,000 active-duty personnel at the beginning of 2022, a number that rapidly swelled once Vladimir Zelensky called up reservists and forbade draft-age men from leaving the country.

This spring, faced with mounting losses, Kiev lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and significantly tightened mobilization rules, requiring potential recruits to report to conscription offices for “data validation.” These checks often result in people being immediately taken into the army and sent to the front line.

Videos showing recruitment officers attempting to catch eligible men in various public places, often resulting in violent clashes, have since appeared online.

Ukraine does not publish its casualty figures, and Zelensky’s claim earlier this year that only 31,000 men have been killed or wounded fighting against Russia was widely ridiculed. According to the latest figures from the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s true casualty count stands at over half a million, or around half of its pre- and post-mobilization manpower combined.

According to a flood of articles in Western media outlets, conscripted soldiers are often sent to the front with limited training, and are regarded by their more experienced comrades as unfit for combat. “When the new guys get to the position, a lot of them run away at the first shell explosion,” a deputy commander fighting in Donetsk Region told Financial Times last month. “Some guys freeze [because] they are too afraid to shoot the enemy, and then they are the ones who leave in body bags or severely wounded,” another commander added.

Reuters/RT

Never have Nigerians experienced hardship, suffering and pain as they did under President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and are now doing under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT)

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) lay a solid foundation of the current crises. He imposed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in July 1986, contrary to popular opposition.

President Shehu Shagari of the Second Republic and General Muhammadu Buhari’s military administration had stubbornly resisted the implementation of SAP, especially the devaluation of the naira, despite intense pressures by President Ronald Reagan of the United States. Both were developing alternative economic adjustment programs, when their administrations were terminated in military coup d’état.

After more than thirty-eight years of implementing IMF/WB neoliberalism, the conditions in which the majority of Nigerians live and work have increasingly worsened. The past is far better than the present.

Most Nigerians are finding it extremely difficult to feed themselves and their families due to skyrocketing inflation. Foodstuff inflation rose from 25.25 per cent in June 2023 to 40.87 per cent in June 2024. This has led to high suicide rates, abandonment of kids and children, marriage break-ups, mass migration of Nigerian professionals and youths out of the country.

Worst still, factories, small and medium scale establishments keep closing down with unemployment rising. This has been the worst experience of Nigerians since independence in 1960.

Fuelling and driving the crises is PBAT’s slavish acceptance and religious implementation of IMF and WB neoliberal policies. In particular, his ill-thought removal of petrol subsidies, and illogical devaluation of the Naira, amongst others. But, why is PBAT able to get away with his anti-people and anti-Nigeria policies without much ado?

First, the current dispensation, is simply a military rule-like civilian rule. Just as the military Head of State, the President is not only the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, but also the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief-Economic Officer, Chief-Commercial Officer and Chief-Diplomat of Nigeria, so is PBAT.

Thus, PBAT’s powers are virtually absolute. As such, he does whatever he wishes, with impunity. This is especially as he is stubborn, rich and grounded. This would not have been the case if Nigeria were practicing parliamentary system of government as it did in the First Republic.

Second, federalism is practiced only in name. In reality, Nigeria is a unitary system which concentrates power in the centre; subordinates the federating states to the centre; and favours majority nationalities at the expense of minority nationalities. The exception here is the populous Hausa nationality which for historical, political and economic reasons, is subordinated to the minority Fulani, the tiny group which controls power in the north.

If Nigeria were running a parliamentary system, the electorate would have held their representatives responsible, accountable, and answerable for PBAT’s witchcraft economism.

Thirdly, unlike in the First Republic where liberal democracy existed, flourished and flowered, the reverse is the case in the current dispensation. The right of people to form political parties, on whatever basis including class, ethnicity or religion, was one of the most rudimentary, but fundamental, tenets of democracy. This right currently is monetized, tacitly ethnicised and, therefore, virtually denied.

Only the rich can afford the resources, finances and technical know-how to form political parties. Only rich individuals like PBAT, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have the resources, finance and people to form parties and contest in a serious manner, the presidential elections.

The point here is that, since 1999, it has been practically, elections without choice. Election without alternatives. It was even worst in 2023, where PBAT, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi all vouched, arrogantly and boastfully, to religiously implement IMF/WB neoliberalism, and be obedient servants of Western powers. So they would not have been fundamentally different from PBAT.

Also, unlike in the First Republic, the current electorate is politically disempowered. In the First Republic, the flowering of political parties would have made the emergence of dictators like Obasanjo, Buhari and Tinubu extremely difficult, if not impossible. Surely, political parties defended the interests of dominant classes within and outside the parties, but with due consideration to the ‘interests of their electorates’.

Besides, the political parties of ethnic minority nationalities seriously defended the interests of their peoples. In the words of the nationalist, Mokwugo Okoye: such parties: “not only spread political consciousness in their areas but also help preserve democracy by hammering constantly on local discontent and checking the tyrannical abuses of power by the majority political parties.” Also, socialist, labour and peasant-based parties asserted and defended the class interests of the working peoples.

The Northern Elements Progressive Unions (NEPU), for instance, did its best to defend the interests of the Hausa peasants to the extent that the Emir of Zaria bitterly, almost tearfully, complained that one of the greatest sins Mallam Aminu Kano (NEPU) committed was to let the Talakawa (working masses) know they can say “no”!

Today, the reverse is the case. There are no real political parties; just platforms for contesting elections and embarking on primitive accumulation of capital.

Fourthly, the military regimes that preceded the current dispensation laid the solid foundation for PBAT. They disorganised, demobilised and strangulated the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), seized it, and imposed their agents as leaders. Today, NLC is totally a contrast of what it was in the 1970s to the mid-1980s. It is unable to authoritatively assert itself and defend workers’ interests as it did in the past.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) was also violently seized by the military despots. They did so by financing, arming and defending degenerate, cultists, money-minded and lumpen students to take-over the association. Today, NANS is nothing but a wing of the Presidency and extension of the office of Governors. Its leadership, in fact, imitates and apes the degeneracy of the most retrograde elements of Nigerian politicians.

The point here is that with a labour and student-centered movement, PBAT would have been unable to successfully and proudly inflict pain on Nigerians.

Finally, is the emergence of the protest industrial complex (PIC) in Nigeria from the late 1980s, composed mainly by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and civil society organisations (CSOs) Mostly funded by Western powers, governments and politicians, they professionalise, commodify, and monetize activism (popular protests).

Not only has the PIC swallowed a lot of the activists that led the popular struggles against SAP in the 1980s, it has successfully disoriented, disorganised and undermined popular struggles. It has distracted attention from systemic and structural causes of the crisis by paying attention mainly to their effects; and reduced the victims to helpless – instead of active – beings, capable of asserting their authority, achieving their goals, and making politicians responsible and accountable.

So just as the military physically brutalised the labour and student movements of the 1980s, so has the protest industrial complex psychologically brutalised and, is still brutalizing the psychosomatic of Nigerian masses. These are why Nigerians are suffering today.

** Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) says the region is worst hit by economic hardship.

Mohammed Yahaya, governor of Gombe state and chair of the NSGF, spoke on Monday in Kaduna when the forum met with Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff, and traditional rulers over insecurity, and power outages in the region.

“We must continue to work with the federal government and relevant agencies to provide the necessary support and relief to those affected”, Yahaya said.

“As we gather today, our collective resolve is being tested by the ongoing challenges that we face.

“These include but are not limited to terrorism, banditry, kidnap for ransom, farmer-herder clashes, drug abuse, the menace of Almajiri and out-of-school children, poverty and unemployment.”

Yahaya said the youths are becoming restive because of the economic hardship and worsening insecurity in the north.

He urged governors in the region to collaborate witn the federal government to ensure that fiscal policies are sensitive to current realities.

“The recent #EndBadGovernance protests that took place in August serve as a wake-up call for all northern leaders,” he said.

“Youth restiveness is a growing concern, driven by illiteracy, poverty, and lack of economic opportunities. Our young people are calling out for change and it is our responsibility to listen and act.

“We must scale up efforts to tackle the root causes of youth restiveness by investing in education, skills development and job creation.

“Let us focus on creating pathways for the youth to channel their energy into productive ventures, thereby reducing their vulnerability to crime and social vices.

“The economic hardship faced by many Nigerians today is undeniable and considering the north-south disparity in economic inequality, it is even more pronounced in northern Nigeria.

“This calls for urgent intervention. It is essential that we, as leaders, adopt measures to alleviate the suffering such as targeted social welfare programmes, support for small and medium enterprises, and policies that attract investment to our states.”

He lamented the electricity crisis in the region and urged the federal government to build additional transmission lines to improve power distribution.

“As we speak today, most of our Northern states are in darkness due to vandalisation of electricity transmission infrastructure,” Yahaya added.

“This not only underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure but also the need to build additional transmission lines and diversify our energy supply so as to better connect our region and improve our energy resilience.”

Yahaya said northern governors must adopt policies that promote environmental conservation, sustainable agricultural practices, and responsible resource management.

The governor noted that the north holds immense agricultural potential, which if fully harnessed, can significantly alleviate hunger and boost economic growth.

He said adequate support must be provided to farmers, including grants and loans, modern farming techniques, infrastructure, improved security and irrigation systems.

The NSGF chair asked his colleagues to prioritise industrialisation by reviving moribund factories such as textile and agro-allied industries.

The Cable

The stock market segment of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) kicked off the new week on a negative note, dropping by N448.41 billion over investors’ profit-taking in BUA Cement Plc and 27 others listed companies.

As the stock price of BUA Cement dropped by 10 per cent to close at N99.00 per share, the overall market capitalisation closed yesterday at N59.812 trillion, about N448.41 billion decline from N60.2601 trillion it closed for trading last week.

Consequently, the NGX All-Share Index declined by 0.74 per cent to close at 98,708.90 basis points from 99,448.91basis points it opened for trading, with the Month-till-Date (MtD) and Year-till-Date (YtD) returns moderating to +0.2per cent and +32.0per cent, respectively.

Sectoral performance on the Exchange was negative, as the NGX Industrial Goods index was down by 3.5per cent, NGX Banking index and NGX Insurance index dropped by 1.5per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively. 

In addition, NGX Oil & Gas index depreciated by 0.3per cent, and NGX Consumer Goods index fell by 0.3per cent.

Also, market breadth closed negative as 18 stocks gained relative to 28 losers.

Eunisell recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent each to close at N3.85, per share. Livestock followed with a gain of 9.97 per cent to close at N3.75, while Transcorp increased by 9.95 per cent to close at N48.60, per share.

RT Briscoe went up by 9.84 per cent to close at N3.35, while Jaiz Bank appreciated by 9.28 per cent to close at N2.59, per share.

On the other hand, BUA Cement led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N99, per share. LASACO followed with a decline of 9.79per cent to close at 2.58, while Daarcomm declined by 9.38 per cent to close at N0.58, per share.

The stock price of  Regacny insurance dropped by 8.93 per cent to close at  N0.51 per share as JapaulGold dipped by 6.58 per cent to close at N2.28  per share.

The total volume of trades decreased by 25 percent to 345.79 million units, valued at N4.38 billion, and exchanged in 9,281 deals. Chams was the most traded stock by volume at 84.62 million units, while UBA was the most traded stock by value at N790.18 million.

On the stock market  performance this week, analysts at Cowry Assets Management Limited pointed that the recent positive quarterly corporate earnings reports have further buoyed market sentiment, particularly in the banking, industrial goods, and consumer goods sectors, delivering strong performances from key players and driving the benchmark index closer to the 100,000-points psychological threshold.

“Notably, we think the current rally is likely to persist, though cautious profit-taking activities may create intermittent dips. Looking ahead, we see the local bourse poised for further gains as investors look forward to the upcoming macroeconomic data releases and corporate earnings reports, which are anticipated to influence short-term trading dynamics,” Cowry stated.

The chief operating officer of InvestData Consulting Limited, Ambrose Omordion said: “We expect positive sentiment and mixed trend to continue on profit taking and positioning, ahead of more Q3 earnings reports. Also, sector rotation and portfolio rebalancing continue in the market, with investors taking advantage of pullbacks to buy into value.”

Thisday

The central bank of Nigeria has signed an agreement with the International Finance Corp to expand local currency financing for Nigerian businesses and cut foreign exchange risks, the agencies said in a statement on Monday.

The IFC, a World Bank Group member, aims to "significantly scale up" its financing in Nigeria, targeting over $1 billion in the coming years, the statement said.

The partnership will enable IFC to manage currency risks and increase its investments in Nigeria's naira currency across agriculture, housing, infrastructure, energy, small and medium-sized enterprises, and the creative industry.

"Many of these sectors require local currency financing, and IFC's partnership with the (central bank) is a key tool in expanding access," the statement said.

Reuters

Israeli campaign leaves Lebanese border towns in ruins, satellite images show

Israel's military campaign in southern Lebanon has caused vast destruction in more than a dozen border towns and villages, reducing many of them to clusters of grey craters, according to satellite imagery provided to Reuters by Planet Labs Inc.

Many of the towns, emptied of their residents by the bombing, had been inhabited for at least two centuries. The imagery reviewed includes towns between Kfarkela in southeastern Lebanon, south past Meiss al-Jabal, and then west past a base used by U.N. peacekeepers to the small village of Labbouneh.

"There are beautiful old homes, hundreds of years old. Thousands of artillery shells have hit the town, hundreds of air strikes," said Abdulmonem Choukeir, mayor of Meiss al-Jabal, one of the villages hit by Israeli attacks.

"Who knows what will still be standing at the end?"

Reuters compared satellite images taken in October 2023 to those taken in September and October 2024. Many of the villages with striking visible damage over the course of the last month sit atop hills overlooking Israel.

After nearly a year of exchanging fire across the border, Israel intensified its strikes on southern Lebanon and beyond over the last month. Israeli troops have made ground incursions all along the mountainous frontier with Lebanon, engaging in heavy clashes with Hezbollah fighters inside some towns.

Lebanon's disaster risk management unit, which tracks both victims and attacks on specific towns, said the 14 towns reviewed by Reuters had been subject to a total of 3,809 attacks by Israel over the last year.

Israel's military did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about the scale of destruction. Israel's military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Oct. 24 that Israel has struck more than 3,200 targets in south Lebanon.

The military says it is attacking towns in southern Lebanon because Hezbollah has turned "civilian villages into fortified combat zones," hiding weapons, explosives and vehicles there. Hezbollah denies using civilian infrastructure to launch attacks or store weapons, and residents of the towns deny the assertion.

A person familiar with Israel's military operations in Lebanon told Reuters that troops were systematically attacking towns with strategic overlook points, including Mhaibib.

The person said that Israel had "learned lessons" after its last war with Hezbollah in 2006, including incidents in which troops making ground incursions into the valleys of southern Lebanon were attacked by Hezbollah fighters on hilltops.

"That is why they are targeting these villages so heavily - so they can move more freely," the person said.

The most recent images of Kfarkela showed a string of white splotches along a main road leading into a town. Imagery taken last year showed the same road lined with houses and green vegetation, indicating the houses had been pulverized.

Further south, Meiss al-Jabal, a town 700 meters (yards) away from the U.N.-demarcated Blue Line separating Israeli and Lebanese territory, suffered significant destruction to an entire block near the town centre.

The area, measuring approximately 150 meters by 400 metres, appeared as a swatch of sandy brown, signalling the buildings there had been entirely flattened. Images from the same month in 2023 showed a densely packed neighbourhood of homes.

'ANY SIGN OF LIFE'

At least 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israel's strikes and more than 2,600 have been killed over the last year - a vast majority in the last month, Lebanon's government says.

Residents of the border villages have not been able to reach their hometowns in months. "After war came to Meiss al-Jabal, after the residents left, we no longer know anything about the state of the village," Meiss al-Jabal's mayor said.

Imagery of the nearby village of Mhaibib depicted similar levels of destruction. Mhaibib is one of several villages - alongside Kfarkela, Aitaroun, Odaisseh, and Ramyeh - featured in footage shared on social media showing simultaneous explosions of several structures at once, indicating they had been laden with explosives.

Israel's military spokesman said on Oct. 24 that a command centre for Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit lay under Mhaibib, and that Israeli troops had "neutralised the main tunnel network" used by the group, but did not give details.

Hagari has said that Israel's goal is to "push Hezbollah away from the border, dismantle its capabilities, and eliminate the threat to northern residents" of Israel.

"This is a plan you take off the shelf," said Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. "Militaries plan, and they're executing the plan."

Seth Jones, another senior vice president at CSIS, had earlier told Reuters that Hezbollah used frontline villages to fire its shorter-range rockets into Israel.

Lubnan Baalbaki, the conductor of Lebanon's philharmonic orchestra and son of late Lebanese artist Abdel-Hamid Baalbaki, said his family had been purchasing satellite imagery of their hometown of Odaisseh to check if the family house still stood.

The house had been transformed by Abdel-Hamid into a cultural centre, full of his art works, original sketches and more than 1,000 books in an all-wood library. Abdel-Hamid passed away in 2013 and was buried behind the house with his late wife.

"We're a family of artists, my father is well-known, and our home was a known cultural home. We were trying to reassure ourselves with that thought," Baalbaki, the son, told Reuters.

Until late October, the house still stood. But at the weekend Baalbaki saw a video circulating of several homes in Odaisseh, including his family's, exploding.

The family is not affiliated to Hezbollah and Baalbaki denied that any weapons or military equipment were stored there.

"If you have such high-level intelligence that you can target specific military figures, then you know what's in that house," Baalbaki said. "It was an art house. We are all artists. The aim is to erase any sign of life."

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian glide bomb obliterates Ukrainian headquarters – MOD

Russian warplanes have obliterated a Ukrainian-held building in the border Kharkov Region where a number of officers were posted, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Monday, releasing video footage of the strike.

The ministry said in a statement that its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian temporary deployment point near the town of Volchansk, which is about six miles from the Russian border. The area around the town has been the scene of fierce fighting since Russia launched its offensive in Kharkov Region to establish a ‘cordon sanitaire’ to protect civilians from repeated shelling.

Officials said that “a powerful blow to the enemy” was delivered after Russian warplanes received target coordinates from reconnaissance and used a glide bomb to attack the facility.

“At the time of the strike, the command staff of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units was in the temporary deployment point,” the statement read, without specifying Kiev’s losses.

The video released by the ministry shows what appears to be aerial footage of Volchansk, which has been ravaged by months of fighting. A ramshackle high-rise building in the center is then hit by a gliding projectile, with an explosion so powerful that the ripples from the shockwaves could be seen hundreds of meters away as one of the walls promptly collapsed. Clouds of smoke and dust can then be seen rising from the blast site.

Russia often relies on heavy glide bombs, which can travel dozens of kilometers before accurately hitting their target, to destroy Ukrainian fortified positions and other high-priority installations. Ukrainian officials have described the weapon as posing a “very serious threat,” noting that they are difficult to intercept.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

No new limits on Ukraine's use of US arms if North Korea joins Russia's fight, Pentagon says

The U.S. will not impose new limits on Ukraine's use of American weapons if North Korea joins Russia's war, the Pentagon said on Monday, as NATO said North Korean military units had been deployed to the Kursk region in Russia.

The North Korea deployment is fanning Western concerns that the 2-1/2-year conflict in Ukraine could widen, even as attention shifts to the Middle East.

It could signal how Russia hopes to offset mounting battlefield losses and continue making slow, steady gains in eastern Ukraine.

"The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security," NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters after talks with a South Korean delegation about the North Korean deployments.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the development was "very dangerous."

The Pentagon estimated 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to eastern Russia for training, up from an estimate of 3,000 troops last Wednesday.

"A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast near the border with Ukraine," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, using a term for a Russian region.

The Kremlin had initially dismissed reports about a North Korean deployment as "fake news". But Putin on Thursday did not deny North Korean troops were in Russia and said it was Moscow's business how to implement a partnership treaty with Pyongyang.

The Russian leader also said over the weekend that Moscow will respond accordingly if the U.S. and its allies help Ukraine to strike deep into Russia, with Moscow seeing the West's potential approval as "direct involvement of NATO" into the war.

The United States, however, has given no indication that it will approve Ukraine's deep strike request.

A North Korean foreign ministry official did not confirm media reports about a troop deployment to Russia but said if Pyongyang had taken such action, he believed it would be in line with international norms.

Ukrainian military intelligence said on Thursday that the first North Korean units had been recorded in the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian troops have been operating since staging a major incursion in August.

But the Pentagon declined to confirm that North Korean forces were already in Kursk.

"It is likely that they are moving in that direction towards Kursk. But I don't have more details just yet," Singh said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the move was an escalation by Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had been warning about the deployment for weeks, and accused allies of failing to deliver a strong response.

"The bottom line: listen to Ukraine. The solution: lift restrictions on our long-range strikes against Russia now," he said on X.

Since their leaders met in Russia's Far East last year, North Korea and Russia have upgraded their military ties. They met again in June to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership that includes a mutual defense pact.

A flurry of bilateral visits of high-ranked officials have followed between the two countries, which share a small piece of border. North Korea's foreign minister Choe Son Hui departed Pyongyang on Monday for her second trip to Russia in six weeks.

Rutte said the the deployment of North Korean troops was a sign of "growing desperation" on Putin's part, Rutte said.

"Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support," Rutte said.

The Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said sanctions alone would not be a sufficient response to North Korean involvement.

He added that Kyiv needs "weapons and a clear plan to prevent North Korea's expanded involvement".

"The enemy understands strength. Our allies have this strength," Yermak said on X.

RT/Reuters

That was the refrain from a certain Alex Ikwechegh, the Nigerian legislator representing Aba North & South Federal Constituency, as he repeatedly rained slaps and insults on Bolt delivery man, Stephen Abuwatseya, who had gone to deliver a parcel to the federal lawmaker. A lot is packed into that exchange, at the heart of which is a simple truth: the Nigerian political class disdains the average citizen, treats law enforcement officers as houseboys, and revels in impunity, in the confident assurance that nothing will happen.

Well, something is happening in this fellow’s case, but it is not what you think. The episode enacted in the clip you saw is, I argue, a frequent occurrence in varying forms and versions. The only reason why you are hearing about it, and the inspector general of police has been forced to respond, is because the victim had the presence of mind to record the incident, and he managed to live to tell the story. Otherwise, the performative response from the Nigerian police is simply induced by the public outrage elicited by the viral video. It is also a reaction to the public embarrassment of police officers enacted by Ikwechegh, in announcing that he had police officers at his command, to unleash summary violence on hapless citizens. Members of the Nigerian political elite, I imagine, are also unhappy with Ikwechegh- not because what he said was untrue, but because he should not be saying it out loud. In their eyes, Ikwechegh is guilty, not of impunity and abuse of power, but of betrayal of the brotherhood.

Still, you get the sense that, after the performative reaction of the Nigerian police is spent, the whole thing will fizzle out as the public attention is turned to the best subject of fancy, and it would be back to business as normal. Ikwechegh is unlikely to go to jail and even more unlikely to lose his seat on account of his behaviour. He has betrayed the brotherhood alright, but the brotherhood is not quite invested in the inconvenient optics of one of their own going to jail over what is, in their parallel universe, “normal service”.

The legislator had choices of words that gives you a peek into the way the minds of Nigerian politicians work, and how they truly see citizens they are, on paper, elected to serve: “Can you imagine this rat? I am not going to give this boy one naira of my money.”; “Because you saw me sitting outside here. Look at this monkey”. As far as he was concerned, the citizens engaged in lawful economic activity, is effectively a non person: a “rat” and “monkey”. He is unworthy of dignity, undeserving of any regard. He’s just there, and he can be made to “disappear” anytime, without consequences. The only thing good for him, before he is made to disappear, is repeated humiliation: like tying him up, lying him down and putting him in the “generator house”.

You see, the dehumanisation of the Nigerian citizen is not accidental or random. At the hand of this breed of politicians, it is routine, normal service. And it is going to continue until the citizens say no - not with a whimper but with a shout and sustained defiance that reset the brains of those who think it is their God-given right to dehumanise and oppress.

Citizen Abuwatseya has refused to take it lying down. More power to him. Here is hoping that conscious, conscientious citizens stay the course with Abuwatseya on his singular and admirable request to assert his humanity in the jungle out there.

Lien De Pau

Do you feel like you’re stuck in life but are not sure why? You might not realize it, but limiting beliefs are holding you back from achieving your full potential. These beliefs often go unnoticed, operating in the background like a soundtrack on endless repeat. It’s time to hit pause and take control.

Let’s dive deep into three of the most common limiting beliefs examples that we all face—and more importantly, how to overcome limiting beliefs.

Definition and Limiting Beliefs Examples

Limiting beliefs are subconscious thoughts and ideas that shape the way we perceive the world and our own capabilities. They often come from experiences in childhood, cultural conditioning, or society's expectations.

Unfortunately, these beliefs tend to block us from going after what we truly want. We start thinking, "I can't do that," or "I don’t deserve this," without even questioning where these thoughts came from.

Here are the top 3 self limiting beliefs we face:

"I’m not good enough"

This belief creeps in when we start comparing ourselves to others. Whether it’s comparing your progress to someone else’s or doubting your own skills, the underlying thought is, “I don’t have what it takes.”

"I don’t deserve success"

You’d be surprised how many of us battle with this belief, especially when success starts coming our way. It’s rooted in a feeling of unworthiness, a belief that deep down, you're not deserving of the fruits of your labor.

"I’m going to lose everything"

This limiting belief is a byproduct of fear. As entrepreneurs, you take risks every day, but there's always that haunting fear of failure—“What if I lose it all?”—which can stop you from taking the next big leap in your business.

These limiting beliefs aren’t just thoughts—they shape your actions, or lack thereof. When we internalize these limiting beliefs, they act as a powerful force that prevents us from taking risks and seizing opportunities.

How Limiting Beliefs Stopped Me

I remember a time when my limiting beliefs held me back from living the life I truly wanted. The belief that “I’m not good enough” plagued me during my entrepreneurial journey. I doubted my ability to succeed, questioned every decision, and often found myself paralyzed by the fear of failure.

I had been running a successful business for a few years, but I reached a point where I felt stuck. Despite the outward success, internally, I kept telling myself that I wasn’t good enough to grow beyond my current state. I started believing that I had hit my ceiling, and this belief became my reality.

But then, something changed.

I realized that these beliefs weren’t rooted in truth—they were fears and insecurities that I had picked up along the way. I began to challenge them, to ask myself, “What if this isn’t true? What if I am good enough, and what if I do deserve success?”

That’s when I started to break free. I pushed myself to take actions that scared me, like expanding my business, taking bigger risks, and even speaking on stages. The fear was still there, but I learned to manage it instead of letting it control me.

The result? My business grew beyond anything I had ever imagined.

3 Ways To Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Now that we’ve identified these limiting beliefs, it’s time to dismantle them. Here are three strategies that have worked for me and many other successful entrepreneurs.

1. Reflection: Identify and Acknowledge Your Beliefs

You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge. The first step in breaking through limiting beliefs is to identify them. This requires self-reflection—taking the time to ask yourself tough questions. What beliefs are holding you back? Are you afraid of failing, or do you doubt your worthiness?

One way to reflect is by journaling. Write down the thoughts that come to mind when you think about your goals. What fears or doubts surface? Once you’ve identified these limiting beliefs, it becomes easier to challenge them.

2. Action: Challenge Your Beliefs with Evidence

Once you’ve identified your limiting beliefs, the next step is to challenge them with evidence. If your belief is “I’m not good enough,” ask yourself, “What evidence do I have to support this?” Chances are, the evidence doesn’t hold up.

Take small, deliberate actions that contradict your limiting belief. If you think you’re not good enough, prove to yourself that you are by taking on new challenges, even if they’re outside of your comfort zone. Each action, no matter how small, will chip away at the belief that’s holding you back.

3. Accountability: Surround Yourself with Support

It’s easier to break through limiting beliefs when you have a support system. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, who challenge your negative self-talk, and who hold you accountable for pursuing your dreams.

Find mentors, join mastermind groups, or work with a coach who can help you stay on track. Having someone to encourage you when you’re feeling stuck makes all the difference in the world.

Limiting and Empowering Beliefs Examples

If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready to take the next step. Now that you’ve identified your limiting beliefs, it’s time to replace them with empowering ones.

Here are a few empowering beliefs examples:

Instead of “I’m not good enough,” start telling yourself, “I am capable, and I have what it takes.”

Instead of “I don’t deserve success,” say, “I deserve all the success that comes my way because I’ve worked hard for it.”

And instead of fearing failure, remind yourself, “I have the ability to bounce back, no matter what happens.”

Breaking through limiting beliefs isn’t a one-time event—it’s a process. But with reflection, action, and accountability, you can begin to rewrite the script that’s been holding you back and step into the life you were meant to live.

Remember, your beliefs shape your reality. Choose beliefs that empower you, and watch how your life transforms.

Call to Action

What limiting beliefs are holding you back? Take a moment to

• reflect on them,
• challenge them, and
• replace them with beliefs that will help you move forward.

You deserve to live a life that’s free from self-imposed limitations.

Forbes