WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia attacks Ukraine's rail lines to disrupt supply of U.S. arms, source says

Russia is targeting Ukrainian rail lines with airstrikes to disrupt the delivery of desperately needed U.S. weapons to the front and complicate military logistics, a Kyiv intelligence source said on Friday.

The United States approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine this week and said the first deliveries should arrive in a matter of days, easing acute shortages of artillery shells that have hamstrung Kyiv's forces for months.

As the aid was finalised after six months of congressional wrangling, Russia's defence minister said on Tuesday that Moscow would increase attacks on logistics centres and storage sites holding Western weapons.

On Thursday, Ukrainian rail infrastructure was targeted by Russian strikes in the eastern Donetsk region, northeastern Kharkiv region and central Cherkasy region, the national rail company said.

The attack in Donetsk, which is the main focus of Russia's offensive in the east, killed three electrical mechanics working for the railway company and wounded four more, it said.

In Kharkiv, which borders Russia, a strike hit the railway station in the city of Balakliia, injuring 13 people, including three rail workers, officials said. The town of Balakliia was liberated from Russian forces in 2022.

Ukrainian officials seldom provide detailed statements about strikes on sensitive military targets, but the Ukrainian intelligence source confirmed to Reuters there had been attacks on rail infrastructure aimed at disrupting the supply of weapons.

"Also, the overall complication of our logistics," the source added.

Outnumbering and outgunning Kyiv's forces many times over, Russian troops have had the battlefield momentum since February when they captured the long-time bastion town of Avdiivka.

A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that the goal of the aid from the United States was to enable Ukraine to regain the initiative.

Kyiv faces manpower shortages on the battlefield and questions linger over the strength of its fortifications along a sprawling, 1,000-km (621-mile) front line.

Russia has periodically attacked rail infrastructure throughout the 26-months invasion.

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In April, Ukrzaliznytsia, the railway company, temporarily suspended all deliveries to the southern Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.

It gave no reason for the decisions but Ukrainian media outlets reported that Russian attacks could have damaged railway tracks to the port's cargo terminals.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

US has no Patriots to spare for Ukraine – White House

Washington is not willing to risk undermining its own security, but the US government is working around the clock to pressure the EU, NATO and other partners to share their air defense capabilities with Kiev instead, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said.

Addressing the virtual meeting of the so-called Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Friday, President Vladimir Zelensky demanded “at least seven”Patriot batteries from his sponsors, but Kiev’s main backer allegedly has none to spare.

“The US Patriot systems right now are being deployed around the world, including in the Middle East, to protect US troops,” Sullivan told MSNBC later in the day.

“If we can unlock further American Patriot batteries we would send them. But we are doing a lot of the supplying of the actual missiles that go into those batteries that get fired,” the US official insisted.

The Pentagon has indeed pledged additional Patriot munitions as part of a “historic” $6bn assistance package announced on Friday. However, the interceptors could take months or even years to arrive, as the batch will not come from the existing Pentagon stockpiles and the announcement “represents the beginning of a contracting process” with the US defense industry.

A single MIM-104 Patriot battery, which is manufactured by US arms giant Raytheon, costs over $1 billion, and consists of multiple truck-mounted units, including power, radar, antenna, engagement control and other support vehicles – as well as up to eight launchers with interceptor missiles.

The US produced over 1,100 Patriot launchers over the years and is estimated to have hundreds of them in active service and in storage – but only sent a single battery to Ukraine. Two more full batteries were donated by Germany, while the Netherlands shared two individual launchers.

“In the meantime what we’re gonna do is work with European partners and partners in other parts of the world to get them to provide additional air defense capability to Ukraine,”Sullivan added.

Besides Germany and the Netherlands – Poland, Spain, Greece and Romania are also among European nations that operate the Patriot systems. While Berlin recently promised to supply yet another Patriot battery to Ukraine, Warsaw said earlier this week that it has no air defense systems to spare. 

Spain said it will only provide air defense missiles to Kiev, but not the actual systems. Greece also rejected the pressure, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying that no action would be taken “that could even remotely endanger our nation’s deterrent capabilities or air defense.”

Reuters/RT

From time immemorial, electricity has played a significant role in fostering economic development and growth in both industrialized and developing nations. It has become a social glue that ties capacities to intentions. It is, first and foremost, crucial to the general developmental strategy of every society, sine qua non, developmental possibility would be a mere fuss.

After the Industrial Revolution, economic and social activities were built around the electricity supply, and it gradually became the force behind the actualisation of the state blueprint. It is an essential part of the manufacturing process for many companies ranging from all levels of the economy and, most importantly, micro-businesses that satisfy social, immediate needs.

Despite the importance of electricity to the survival of the economy, Nigeria has regretfully suffered from a lacklustre power supply for many years. According to Tracking SDG 7’s Energy Progress Report 2022, the nation has the lowest access to energy internationally, with over 92 million of its residents living without a power supply. It goes to the root of their existence and survival, as long-sighted logic suggests that it contributes to the country’s poverty rate. Where there are means to survive and the power to successfully discharge services and minor productions, the buying capacities increase and the economy flourishes in the long run.

Aside from business and economic survival and development, it also tells about the building of human resources that would engineer the progression of the nation. It is rather inconceivable that Nigerian students are expected to study effectively for exams when there is a complete blackout for several weeks leading up to the exams. The epileptic power supply prevents them from performing their regular activities. It discourages intentional research and studies and tells about their academic performance in the long run. The situation worsens as the incidents of epileptic power supply become predominant during examination periods and cause poor performance. More importantly, it makes it impossible for electronic-based medium of learning and educational sectors. This presupposes that the epileptic power supply is a step backwards while students, citizens, and working classes try to take two steps forward. On November 2, 2023, the lamentation of the ASUU chairman of the Kaduna State University was reported. Peter Ademu had lamented about the months of lack of electricity supply that had led to “total system collapse.”

The health sector has been one of the sectors that have been badly affected by Nigerian society. From the middle of March till April 04, 2024, University College Hospital (UCH), a medical legacy in the whole of West Africa, had about 16 days cut off from the general grid and power supply. This may be attributed to the supposed inability to pay its bills, but it has become a national habit that has caused health facilities to become disadvantaged in power supply. Modern healthcare facilities and equipment and state-of-the-art medical advancements can not work or function without adequate facilities. I wonder what the death rate caused by these people with epilepsy would look like if anyone cared to inquire. Hearing the tearful account of a seven-year-old boy’s mother who described the severe difficulties her son’s birth was caused by a lack of power supply in one of the top hospitals in Nigeria was truly depressing. The baby was born in the dark, in need of oxygen, but was unable to get it since the hospital’s generator was not working when the lights went out during the delivery. The child finally passed away after a protracted illness caused by delivery complications.

This erratic and epileptic power supply has also forced many industries to generate power themselves by mostly using diesel-run generators as an alternative. According to the World Bank, this costs over $29 billion annually. Numerous international corporations, including GSK, Sanofi, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever, among many others, have left the nation because of the stringent difficulties in maintaining business in the country. The Nigerian Employers Consultative Association also revealed that more than fifteen international corporations, some of which employed more than two thousand people, had either completely or partially ceased operations in Nigeria. The effects of these widespread, massive job losses will include increased insecurity, a rise in child labour as children are compelled to work as wage earners, a negative impact on families’ disposable income, a decline in people’s purchasing power, and a sharp decline in the output of the economy.

One would wonder why imported goods maintain close-range prices with locally produced goods. The fancy and benefits of local production have always been the reduction in the cost of importation and ease of production processes. Epileptic power supply, coupled with other mundane complications, have made the cost of production necessitate fixing prices almost at the same level as their imported counterparts. So, if the price difference between Nigerian-made fabrics and imported ones is not too large, then the efforts towards promoting local manufacturing and production are just wishful thinking.

It seems that many parts of the nation are in the theatre of the absurd, with suspense, darkness, fear, and the blasts of whatever could come to your mind. This situation is quite dangerous as it contributes to the rate of insecurity in the nation. I mean, that’s why the perpetrators are called the “children of the dark.” There have been publications on hotels complaining about customers becoming stranded in lifts because of power outages and printing presses charging much more than they normally would because they have to pay outrageous costs for fuel and diesel to run their machines. In reality, every industry in Nigeria is negatively impacted by the breakdown and inefficiency of the energy sector.

One would ask what efforts the nation and its leaders have been making year after year to resolve this problem. After every form of political promise and wasted resources towards the supposed sustainability of the power sector, the national grid still falls like Olympus, and the people wait, wait, and wait for any modicum of hope. It is said to have fallen for the fifth time in the previous four months.

Amidst this greatly distressing situation, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has announced that the government may not be able to continue funding electricity subsidies and has announced an increase in tariff for some parts of the country known as Band A, although there has been outrage that the policies affect others. Band A is supposedly enjoying 20 hours of supply with increments from 66/kWh to 225/kWh. The policy could rather be seen as more of an administrative strategy to make the rich pay for the poor, but the disruption in supply would neutralise the motivations. More so, there are people of low earning standards who reside in these Band-A areas. The right approach should have meant categorisation by the purpose of consumption. Commercial and industrial apartments should pay more, while residents should pay less.

More importantly, these policies would not be favourable to environments that are not metered, wherein the power-distributing companies bring arbitrary bills every month. This snowballs into the undermining of the importance of providing pre-paid meters to every household, especially with the new era of privatisation. Pre-paid meters suggest that you only charge the power that power used from the power supplied. Hence, if the distribution company fails to supply power for a month, it gets almost nothing for that month, and as such, it would be obliged to supply electricity so as not to run at a loss.

This should be the first step to be taken, even if there is any need for subsidy removal. It circles back to these private institutions looking for solutions when there are problems with power supply. In the current situation in many places in the country, the companies do not feel the effect of these people with epilepsy as they make their money notwithstanding.

Do not get me wrong, Nigerians are not asking for a 24-hour electricity supply. They are simply looking for reasonable supplies that would meet their immediate commercial and residential needs. A consistent and reliable supply of power is a first step towards strengthening the Nigerian economy.

According to stakeholders, economists, and industrial experts, the increase in tariff would result in a significant decline in consumers’ disposable income, high prices for goods and services, high utility bills, and high business operating costs, all of which could have a detrimental effect on Nigeria’s low and high-income earners. Even as the effects of inflation and the foreign exchange crisis persist on consumers and businesses, it may force more people into poverty. A growth in poverty also means a rise in security risks, such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and online fraud, which puts the lives and properties of vulnerable citizens in jeopardy. Where there must be tariff increment, there must be commensurate consistent supply.

The government must see beyond the present and keep going to the roots of Nigeria’s problems, one of which is the erratic power supply. It is a fundamental phenomenon, and a reasonable government should not hold it with levity if there is any desire for economic growth. So, “let there be light” is let there be “economic growth,” “individual sustainability,” “security,” and “lower cost of living,”

It's natural for our preferences to change as we get older. So when asked, "What are you simply getting too old for?" a lot of people from the BuzzFeed Community had thoughts. Here's what they had to say.

1. "I don’t do anything recreationally anymore if I’m not enjoying myself. If I’m not into a movie or show, I turn it off. If I’m not having fun at a party, I leave. I went wine tasting with friends recently when they started making fat jokes about a friend who wasn’t there, and I noped right out."

—sarahshorthealth

2. "I’m in my late 40s now, and unlike my younger self, I don’t seek out friends. If a friendship happens organically, great. If not, I don’t care how cool, rich, popular, or connected you are. I’ll be friendly to you, but if we don’t vibe, we don’t vibe. I would rather enjoy my own company and would prefer solitude to spending time with someone I find uninteresting…even if they’re very nice."

—jmacxjr
​

"I'm with you. I just turned 50, and I'm fortunate enough to have a close group of friends, but even if I only had one good friend, I'd feel the same way. I also started ending friendships in my late 20s when I was the only one making any effort to maintain the friendship."
​

—mishybp73

3. "Never again will I buy a pair of jeans that do not stretch or have to be broken in for weeks to fit me. They'll have to pry my denim-spandex pull-ons from my dying hands."

—donnaparks

4. "I don’t even bother with social media. I don’t post pics of my vacation or anything else exciting going on in my life. I don’t need validation from others, as I learned a long time ago that most people don’t really care what you’re up to. It used to be a joke that the worst thing you could do was force people to sit and look at your vacation slides — I figure I’ll be the one person to give others a break from that torture. LOL."

—UserNameFail

5. "I don’t waste my time arguing with people in traffic anymore. If you are trying to cut in aggressively, just go right ahead. Letting things like this go makes my day better, especially on my way to work."

—tmrr15

6. "I've become aware that I'm probably on the neurodivergent spectrum, and as an over-40, I'm leaning into it. I've stopped doing things I hate in order to try to fit in, or carefully watch the people I'm with so I can mimic their social cues. It's saving a ton of energy, and honestly, I quite like the me who's emerging."

—lola465

7. "I abandoned underwire bras and bikini-cut panties in my early 40s. Even with big boobs, I can get supportive bras sans underwire. While aging has its drawbacks, there's also a ton of benefits. I care so much less about what other people think about me. I'm focusing on accumulating a wardrobe that's classic rather than trendy."

—crankylibrarian

8. "If we go out of town and there’s a friend or even relative who lives there, I am NOT staying at their house. I’d rather pay for a hotel room and have the temperature the way I want it, sleep in whatever, and, most importantly, have my own bathroom."

—Glittersky

9. "I will never again pay to attend a concert without seats. I mean, who wants to STAND all evening to see an artist perform?! Or sit in some itchy grass? Count me completely out!"

—linessafrazier
​

"Even when there are seats, there's always that one guy who stands, then the people behind him stand, then you have to stand because you don't wanna be weird/not see anything. So in a perfect world, yes, I would agree. LOL."
​

—Funghoul

10. "Being forced/bullied into family functions. Don't get me wrong — I love my family/my fiancé's family. But I want to do gingerbread houses with MY little family at HOME. Don't expect me to show up to every gathering. We have our lives, too, outside of yours."

—ashleenooo

11. "I don’t put up with relationship drama anymore. Any relationship where someone keeps breaking up and getting back together is exhausting, and I’m ready to pull the plug as soon as a girl I’m dating threatens it — doubly so if it’s a power move."

—elinumber2

12. "I’ve never really done it, but I’m 37, and I’m beyond over people expecting me to be 'normal.' The rat race to a suburban hellscape: marriage, kids, house, two cars (at least one an SUV), apple pie, and white picket fences. It’s not for me and never seemed appealing. When am I going to settle down and have a family? Hopefully never. I have plans, and none of them involve those 'ideals.'"

—imaginaryximageryx

13. "Loud music in stores drives me up a wall. I can remember watching my mom sit outside a store waiting for me because the music was too loud."

—Macaroni Next Please

14. "I really hate when family expects me to help them financially. I saved my money for my wife’s and my retirement — not to 'lend' to them. Your lack of planning and saving is not my problem…it is yours!"

—michaelsherman

15. "Eating foods I don't like at gatherings because someone made it 'just to be nice.' No, Linda, I will not eat your broccoli-and-cheese casserole because I hate broccoli, and I've mentioned that to you several times. Maybe you should learn a new recipe too."

—saltyspice75

16. "It isn’t just music that has lowered talent requirements; it's all entertainment areas. Theater is nonexistent; the only thing they do onstage these days is redos of past hits. Movies are mainly action, computer-driven garbage or cartoons, and TV shows are unwatchable with poor scripts. We watch English or Australian TV shows for entertainment. I don’t see this improving in the future, given the taste levels of their audiences."

—galer21

17. "I live in Wyoming, and the weather can be atrocious. I'm at an age when I refuse to risk driving in 'possible' bad weather or on bad roads unless it’s life and death. I used to just go and spent years with the attitude that if you worry about the weather and roads in Wyoming, you will never go anywhere. I drove on some major crappy roads, saw horrible wrecks, and got stuck for hours because most people have no idea how to drive on our roads. The weather is so weird and can change at the drop of a hat. I just absolutely refuse to risk it, ever, nowadays."

—cornychair83

18. "I no longer worry about 'Is it me? Am I the asshole?' when dealing with a difficult person at work or school or in public. I used to think the other person was mad because of something I did or said. Now I don't worry about it. I know I’m pleasant and polite, and if someone is being a crank, that’s on them."

—elizabethsnyder1

19. "This might sound curmudgeonly, but office holiday parties. I have one coming up for my husband’s work, and I find them tiresome. It’s not 'wild' in any sense of the word, but instead an example of forced camaraderie. I always find myself seated near the only Trump supporter in the office, and I cannot go through another round with this guy. Besides that, the conversation is forced, AND they do this thing where we’re supposed to move tables to talk with other people. Ugh!"

—applesauceandchops

20. "Theme parks and roller coasters. I loved theme parks and especially roller coaster rides in my younger days — but sometime in my mid-40s, I think I must have developed a case of acrophobia because I started having unpleasant physical reactions to roller coasters and other thrill rides. My worst experience was when I rode up in the elevator from the second level to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It's an outside elevator, and as it got higher and higher, the worse I felt. It was all I could do to not completely freak out. What was weird was that once I got to the top (900 feet up!), I was fine, and the ride down from the top was fine also."

—sidneykaler

21. "Honestly, lately, I haven't been denying myself much if I can afford it and have time. Life is very short, especially when you get past the halfway point. Things I take for granted, like chocolate and coffee, aren't going to be around much longer, and not a single thing that *I* do will change anything. So I'm gonna rage a little. Join me, won't you?"

—MilfMoney

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Buzzfeed

The inception of the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) marked a significant milestone in broadcasting history, with its first office established at 78, Lantoro Road, Isale Ake Abeouta, on July 1, 1976. This followed the creation of Ogun State on February 3, 1976, from the former Western State.

During the planning phase for the commissioning of its inaugural transmitter and studio at Aiyetoro Road, OGBC's board, under the leadership of Chief Hezy Idowu, directed management to develop a station identification song. The commissioning, scheduled for December 1976, necessitated the creation of an anthem to symbolize the station's identity.

A song penned by J. J. Ransome Kuti (who was the the father of the late Reverend Ransome Kuti, the grandfather of the world acclaimed Afro Beat king Fela Anikulapo and the great grandfather of Femi and Seun Kuti who are expanding the frontiers of the Ransome Kuti dynasty) found in his compilation "Mayokun," caught the attention of the board. Titled "Ise Ya, Ise Ya, Omo Egba Ise Ya," it resonated with the spirit of diligence and community pride. This selection was affirmed in recorded OGTV interview programmes, including "Karo-O-Jire" by the late Justice Olukayode Shomolu and Tunji Oyelana on OGTV's "25 Special."

Under the chairmanship of the late Yomi Onabolu, then head of programmes and later general manager of OGBC and OGTV, the song was reworked as "Ise Ya, Ise Ya Omo Ogun Ise Ya." The production process involved collaboration with notable figures such as the late Navy Captain Bucknor, commander of the Navy Band. However, due to his absence at sea, the task fell, first, to the late Dedeke who started the work but couldn't finish the production; and later,

to the late Colonel Olubobokun, commandant of the Nigerian Army Band, whose rendition was approved by staff, management, and the board of OGBC.

The debut of the "Iseya" song on OGBC's airwaves coincided with the arrival of General Olusegun Obasanjo, then Nigeria's head of state, at the OGBC Aiyetoro Road premises on December 9, 1976, for the studio and transmitter commissioning ceremony.

This clarification lays to rest any lingering controversy surrounding the authorship and musical adaptation of the beloved "Iseya" anthem, affirming its rightful place in Ogun State's cultural and broadcasting heritage.

** Olaleye is a former staff of OGBC (1976-1982); former General Manager, OGTV; and former Executive Secretary, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria.

Chinese state energy major PetroChina has been waiting to unload a cargo of U.S. crude at Nigeria's giant new refinery for nearly a month due to payment issues, according to four trading sources and shipping data.

The impasse highlights difficulties the $20 billion plant funded by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote faces in its aim to be the biggest refinery on the continent and in Europe when it reaches full capacity this or next year.

Dangote aims to reverse the trend by which the oil-rich country exports its crude but almost totally relies on imports of fuel and other refined products.

The 2-million-barrel West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude cargo shipped by PetroChina onboard supertanker Maran Mira has, however, been floating off Nigeria since March 28, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed.

The completion of the oil sale from PetroChina to Dangote has been delayed as the refinery has yet to issue a letter of credit to the Chinese trader, one source familiar with the matter said.

A letter of credit is the most common form of trade finance. A buyer's bank sends a letter to the seller's bank guaranteeing payment to the seller once goods arrive.

PetroChina was also not keen to receive oil products as payment, one of the ways that Dangote has been paying for its crude, the source said.

Two of the sources also told Reuters that the refinery has had difficulty accessing dollarsthrough the Nigerian government, with the naira's slide against the U.S. dollar as global oil prices have risen straining Nigeria's finances.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment and a Dangote executive did not directly address the issue in comments to Reuters.

PetroChina has another 2 million barrels of WTI crude onboard supertanker Kondor that is making its way to Nigeria, according to another source and LSEG shiptracking data.

Potential sellers of U.S. WTI crude to Dangote have been confronted with difficult payment terms: either a 60 to 90 credit or an exchange of refined products for the crude oil, three of the sources said. Credit terms for oil deals are typically 30 days.

PetroChina did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

A shipbroker estimated that the ship is incurring demurrage costs of around $65,000 a day.

Dangote group executive Edwin Devakumar told Reuters that seeking favourable sale prices and credit terms were normal business practices.

"If someone gives me one year credit, I'll grab it and if not, I'll negotiate the best possible deal," he said. "When you go to a shop to buy something ... You'll try the best possible deal and I do the same".

"We are not delayed. If someone's business is delayed, he is not giving us a good deal," Devakumar said, without specifically addressing the issue with PetroChina.

RAMPING UP

The refinery started operations in January and has reached half its capacity in recent weeks but a further increase is being slowed by its need to borrow billions of dollars in working capital to be able to buy large volumes of crude, trading sources said.

Devakumar declined to comment on the current run rates at the refinery.

The facility is importing around 10 crude oil cargoes a month, two traders said, roughly half the capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) it seeks to reach this year or next, which would make it the largest refinery in Africa and Europe.

The amount of Nigerian and U.S. crude discharged at Dangote totalled 8.4 million barrels in March and 5.4 million barrels so far in April, Kpler data showed. Another 1 million barrels of Nigerian crude is expected to arrive on April 27.

Trafigura, Mercuria, Vitol, Shell and NNPC were among Dangote's suppliers of crude last month, according to Kpler.

Reuters

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) FCT Command has confirmed the escape of 119 inmates from the Suleja Custodial Centre in Niger State. Samson Duza, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, issued a statement in Abuja on Thursday detailing the incident.

Following a rainstorm that battered the facility on Wednesday night, numerous inmates took advantage of the damaged sections to flee. The FCT command, responsible for Kuje and Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centres, said it immediately activated recapture protocols in collaboration with other security agencies.

The rainstorm not only inflicted damage on the custodial centre but also wreaked havoc on surrounding buildings and parts of the perimeter fence, facilitating the mass escape.

Out of the 119 escaped inmates, 10 have reportedly been recaptured.

Duza acknowledged that many correctional facilities, constructed during the colonial era, have deteriorated over time and are now vulnerable. To address this, the NCoS is vigorously pursuing the construction of modern custodial centres across all geopolitical zones, including ongoing reconstruction and renovation projects.

Despite the escape, the FCT command assured the public of its capability to manage the situation and urged residents to carry on with their daily activities without fear.

The public was encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or sightings of the escaped inmates to the nearest security agency.

Gunmen attacked a military base in Allawa town, Niger State, causing residents to flee for safety. The incident occurred around 1:30 am, with witnesses reporting that about 200 armed insurgents on motorcycles invaded the town.

It is believed that the attack may have been a reprisal following a previous clash where the military neutralized around fifty insurgents. The gunmen overpowered the military camp and looted properties from residents before the military deserted the area.

Residents from Allawa town and neighboring communities, such as Pandogari, Kukoki, and Bassa, have begun fleeing to safer areas.

Just last week, suspected Boko Haram members ambushed and killed six military officers in Karaga, Shiroro Local Government Area. Efforts to confirm the incident with the state police command spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, were unsuccessful as his contact could not be reached.

ISRAEL’S REPORTS

IDF: On Wednesday, IAF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of Maroun El Ras, as well as a Hezbollah observation post in the area of Markaba.

Additionally, a Hezbollah military structure was struck in the area of Aalma El Chaeb earlier in the day.

Furthermore, throughout the day, IDF artillery struck in several locations in southern Lebanon in order to eliminate imminent threats.

Attached is video footage of the strikes: https://bit.ly/4detUKU

** IDF: Fighter jets struck two terrorists who attempted to launch rockets toward Israeli territory; an additional Hamas terrorist cell was eliminated in the area of Nuseirat; IDF troops continue to operate in the central Gaza corridor

IDF troops continue to operate in the central Gaza corridor, eliminating a number of terrorists and destroying terrorist infrastructure in the area over the past day.

During one of the strikes, IDF troops identified two terrorists who attempted to launch rockets toward Israeli territory. In response, IAF fighter jets struck the terrorists and destroyed the launch pit, as well as the weapons storage facility in which one of the terrorists was located following the launch attempt.

In addition, IAF fighter jets struck terrorist infrastructure in the area of Shati in which Hamas terrorists, who fired launches at IDF troops located in central Gaza, were operating.

Still on Wednesday, IAF aircraft eliminated a Hamas sniper terrorist cell in the area of Nuseirat during a precise airstrike.

Furthermore, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck over 30 Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip throughout the day, including weapons storage facilities, terrorist cells, military structures, and additional terrorist infrastructure.

Attached is video footage of the IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/4dcJ1nW

Attached are photos from the IDF troops' operational activities in the Gaza Strip: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC2504202483475043

** IDF: Fighter jets struck two terrorists who attempted to launch rockets toward Israeli territory; an additional Hamas terrorist cell was eliminated in the area of Nuseirat; IDF troops continue to operate in the central Gaza corridor

IDF troops continue to operate in the central Gaza corridor, eliminating a number of terrorists and destroying terrorist infrastructure in the area over the past day.

During one of the strikes, IDF troops identified two terrorists who attempted to launch rockets toward Israeli territory. In response, IAF fighter jets struck the terrorists and destroyed the launch pit, as well as the weapons storage facility in which one of the terrorists was located following the launch attempt.

In addition, IAF fighter jets struck terrorist infrastructure in the area of Shati in which Hamas terrorists, who fired launches at IDF troops located in central Gaza, were operating.

IAF aircraft eliminated a Hamas sniper terrorist cell in the area of Nuseirat during a precise airstrike.

Furthermore, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck over 30 Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip throughout the day, including weapons storage facilities, terrorist cells, military structures, and additional terrorist infrastructure.

Attached is video footage of the IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/4dcJ1nW

Attached are photos from the IDF troops' operational activities in the Gaza Strip: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC2504202483475043

** IDF: Throughout today, three launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into the area of Arab al-Aramshe in northern Israel. Four additional launches were identified toward the area of Har Dov. No injuries were reported.

A short while ago, IAF fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Aalma El Chaeb in southern Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah launch posts and terrorist infrastructure in the area of Kfarchouba.

Earlier today, IDF forces struck to eliminate a threat in several areas in southern Lebanon.

Attached is a video of the strikes: https://bit.ly/3QhIpn8

** IDF: IDF efforts to support the U.S. JLOTS initiative to enhance the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip

The IDF, through the coordination of COGAT, has approved collaborative efforts for the new Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) initiative led by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). The initiative will create an enhanced ship to shore distribution system to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The IDF will operate to provide security and logistics support for the JLOTS initiative, which includes the establishment of a temporary floating pier to deliver humanitarian aid from the sea into Gaza.

The IDF's involvement in the JLOTS initiative is one of many humanitarian aid efforts, further demonstrating the IDF's commitment to working with the international community to ensure the continuous entry of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

** IDF: Overnight, two anti-tank missile launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into the area of Har Dov in northern Israel. IDF artillery and tanks struck the sources of fire. In addition, IDF soldiers identified and struck a launch post by tank fire in the area of Chebaa in southern Lebanon.

A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and military structure in the area of Markaba in southern Lebanon.

HAMAS’ REPORTS

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - Tulkarm: With God’s help and strength, our fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with the soldiers of the Zionist enemy storming the city of Tulkarm from several directions with machine guns and explosive devices.

#Al-Aqsa Flood

** Mujahideen Brigades:

In response to the ongoing Zionist aggression against our people and on the path of the martyrs..

By the grace of God, our mujahideen were able to destroy the Zionist enemy’s headquarters for the Gaza Division in the Re’im settlement with a missile salvo today.

** Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades: We bombed crowds of Zionist enemy army vehicles with mortar shells east of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

** Al-Qassam Brigades destroy a new surveillance and espionage site east of Juhr al-Dik in the central Gaza Strip with mortar shells.

Israel Defense Forces/Hamas Brigade al-Qassam

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

US to announce $6 bln in weapons purchases for Ukraine, US official says

The United States could announce as soon as Friday new weapons purchases for Ukraine worth $6 billion, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

The weapons could include counter-artillery radar, tactical vehicles, Patriot interceptors, drones, artillery, precision munitions and counter-drone systems, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The weapons package was first reported by Politico.

** Russian attacks kill at least three in Donetsk, wound 10 in Kharkiv, Ukraine says

Russian shelling killed at least three people in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Thursday and a missile attack further north in Kharkiv region hit a railway station, wounding 10, local officials said.

Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said shelling killed three people and injured four in the village of Udachne, west of the city of Donetsk that is held by the Russians.

Ukrainian Railways said a Russian strike killed three of its workers in Donetsk region, but gave no details of where the incident occurred. It was not clear if those victims were the same as those mentioned by the governor.

In Kharkiv region, a frequent target of recent Russian assaults, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said the attack hit the city of Balakliia, which was occupied by Russia at the start of its invasion and recaptured by Ukraine months later in 2022.

"The injured were in the passenger train carriages," he said on Telegram messenger.

Synehubov said the train was standing 15 metres (50 feet) from the focal point of the strike.

Kharkiv, which lies about 30 km (18 miles) from the border with Russia, and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks but the strikes have become more intense in recent weeks, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Moscow reacts to secret US delivery of ATACMS missiles to Kiev

The long-range ATACMS missiles that the US has supplied to Ukraine will not help Kiev turn the tide of the conflict against Moscow despite “extremely dangerous weapons,” Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has said.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday that US President Joe Biden had ordered the provision of Kiev with a “significant” number of ATACMS missiles for use inside Ukraine back in February. The ATACMS, which have a range of 300km, “were transferred quietly to Ukraine in order to maintain operational security,”Pentagon spokesman Major Charlie Dietz stressed.

The delivery of long-range missiles to Kiev is “impossible to justify,”Antonov wrote in a post on Telegram on Thursday. The move by Washington “increases the threat to the security of Crimea, including Sevastopol, the new Russian regions [the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions] and other Russian cities,” he added.

The assurances by the US officials that the long-range missiles will not be used against Russian territory are “particularly cynical,” the ambassador stressed. “How can we ignore the numerous terrorist attacks by Kiev’s criminals? Deadly strikes on hospitals, schools, kindergartens, bridges and even their own servicemen?”

Antonov reminded that the Russian forces have already shot down mid-range ATACMS missiles, which Ukraine had received last September. The same will happen with their long-range counterparts, he assured, adding that “neither these missiles nor other weapons can help defeat Russia.”

“Aren’t local politicians [in the US] afraid of drowning in the quagmire of conflict? Washington will not be able to get out of the horrible swamp that has absorbed the blood of ordinary soldiers,”the ambassador warned.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to the fact that Washington’s acknowledgement of the delivery of long-range ATACMS to Ukraine comes amid attempts by Kiev and its Western backers to “deceive the international community into some kind of conference on the ‘Zelensky formula’.”

“Washington’s plan is sickeningly simple: drag everyone into a pointless meeting under the pretext of ‘peaceful intentions’, while at the same time boosting [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s terrorist potential,” she said on Telegram.

Switzerland said earlier this month that it is going to host a peace conference on Ukraine in June, without Russia’s participation.

Zelensky’s plan for ending the conflict, which he has been promoting since 2022, calls for Russia to withdraw from all territory held by Ukraine prior to 2014, for Moscow to pay reparations, and for the formation of a war crimes tribunal. Russia instantly rejected the plan as “unrealistic” and a sign of Ukraine’s unwillingness to look for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Reuters/RT

Nigeria’s three main political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) – are in turmoil. They have been infested by little foxes that threaten to damage and, potentially, destroy them.

I know that discipline is not a virtue of political parties in a presidential system. In Nigeria’s own version, however, indiscipline governs everything. 

Whether the political parties are winning or losing – of course, it is worse when they’re losing – politicians never forget that the party is simply a convenient tool, serviceable only when it can help them get to power, but certainly dispensable immediately afterwards.

See what is happening in the PDP, the party which lost its way after 16 years in power. The same forces led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that snatched defeat, not once, from the jaws of victory, are still determined to bury what is left of the sick party alive.

To be fair, Abubakar has paid his dues. He has done so with the generosity of a rolling stone, gathering moss from PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC), then to n-PDP, and from there to APC, and back again to PDP. At each point, never failing to leave a mark in pursuit of the prophecy of a marabout about 26 years ago that he would one day become Nigeria’s president.

Ambition, what price?

Ambition is not a crime. For a man of Abubakar’s political accomplishments, however, not knowing when to stop is a bad thing. He not only abandoned the PDP for years, he worked against it openly by running against the party as the AC presidential candidate in 2007. It was bad enough for him to abandon the PDP and return to it to fight for a presidential ticket at a most ill-advised and inauspicious time.

But what is worse was for him to take a front-row seat at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja last week, plotting if not to run again as president, then to decide who runs the party. While this was happening, one of the party’s altar boys, Emeka Ihedioha, was resigning with a heavy heart from the PDP, perhaps casting one eye at his grandfather, Abubakar, the remaining dinosaur among the founding fathers present at the Abuja NEC meeting.

It was one meeting Abubakar should not have attended – or if it was inevitable, he should have come at least shedding crocodile tears in remorse for his role in how the party snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the 2023 general elections. But he came, as we say, with his full chest.

Accuser and accused 

I looked at the press photos from the event twice to believe he was actually the one sitting there in the front row at the NEC meeting. As if that was not heartbreaking enough, some folks – governors/landlords of the party –lined up behind him, asking not for him to account, but that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, NyesomWike, who sustained the party while Abubakar was in exile, should be disciplined for “anti-party activities.”

Wike has his problems, but they do not include political prostitution. Or trashing the party’s constitution (as Abubakar did) which clearly provided that it was not the North’s turn to field a presidential candidate. When will the PDP learn?

Humpty Dumpty

I’m told that after separate meetings with Abubakar and Wike by the PDP governors (four of whom appear to be leaning towards Abubakar, seven for Wike and two undecided) the party is considering setting up a reconciliation committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, to mend Humpty Dumpty.

I wish Saraki luck in his task of doing what all the king’s horses and all the king’s men have failed to do. But as surely as six follows seven, the record of all known attempts to settle intra-party conflicts by indulging the hubris of the instigator have ended in futility. There’s not much time left before the party’s congresses in June and all the drama at the Abuja NEC was about control of the party ahead of that congress. 

With Umar Damagum still in the chair as acting Chairman – the last thing that Abubakar wanted before the NEC meeting – the former vice president’s grip is more tenuous than it ever was and his relevance in decline.

Proxy wars 

The PDP can, however, take comfort that it’s not alone in keeping the foxes out of its garden. Even the ruling APC and Labour are having torrid times of their own. APC Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, has been fending off petitions and attacks from his state, Kano, by persons who not only want him out, but also want him tried on charges ranging from bribery to diversion of funds, misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.

What is happening in Kano is a continuation by other means of the long-running war between NNPP leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and his former deputy-turned-adversary, Ganduje. Of course, APC members in Ganduje’s Kano ward are being used against him in this proxy war, but his real foe is Kwankwaso.

There has been talk of party members in the North Central eyeing Ganduje’s chair. But party insiders insist that the main issues remain the potential return of Kwankwaso to the APC and who between him and Ganduje has more strategic value for 2027. 

Musical chairs 

Party chairmanship is perhaps the ficklest of positions. Ganduje is the sixth APC chairman in 10 years and three national election cycles, while its older cousin, the PDP, has produced 18 in 25 years, with only two – Barnabas Gemade and Ahmadu Ali – completing their tenure. Even Labour, just one-year-old, cannot keep one chairman safe.

Ganduje knows he is on a hot seat, held only at the pleasure of the president, as we have seen from the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Changing Ganduje is hardly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s problem. His headache is whether with the North’s growing unease about his administration, he can find someone else to replace Ganduje that he can trust. 

Tinubu can also hardly ignore the anti-Nasir El-Rufai stirrings in Kaduna, which not a few have suggested may have been instigated by Abuja. There’s a double imperative for Tinubu first to secure Kano, the North West’s vote bank; and also, to keep El-Rufai, an influential politician in the region, on a leash. The jury is out on who, between Kwankwaso and Ganduje, would be the better battering ram.

The leper and the milk 

The party chairman is like a leper. He may not be able to drink the milk that nourishes his appointor’s position, but he sure can spill it. And the perfect fit, often, is someone with something around their neck, which if they ever forget, can be used to constantly remind them of their vulnerability. Since Kwankwaso and Ganduje cannot possibly sit in a room without a referee in protective gear, a middle ground is out of the question. Tinubu will have to choose who to work with between the two. 

While he is at it, party administration will continue to drift and Ganduje’s authority will continue to ebb. 

Labour in vain 

But again, this is not significantly different from what is happening in Labour, where two factions of the party – one headed by Julius Abure and the other by Lamidi Apapa – have brought the party to its knees, raising speculations of the possible exit of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

With the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) taking a stand against Abure and splitting the party’s executive right down the middle, it won’t be long before Obi decides whether he can save this ship or risk drowning with it.

The moment of decision for the parties may seem far off, if you count three years until the next general elections. But in politics it is not the years before the next election that count; it is the events that shape those years. And those events are lining up at a speed that suggests that if the campaign for 2027 has not started already, it might be upon us sooner than later.

** Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP