Sixteen people died during nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya on Wednesday, most of them killed by police, the head of Amnesty Kenya said, a year after deadly demonstrations against a tax bill culminated in the storming of parliament.

Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannons to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness.

Some protesters clashed with police, and 16 people were "verified dead as of 8:30", Amnesty Kenya's executive director Irungu Houghton told Reuters, adding that the figures were verified by the global rights watchdog and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

"Most were killed by police," Houghton said, adding that at least five of the victims had been shot dead.

The government-funded KNCHR earlier said eight deaths had been reported across the country, all "allegedly from gunshot wounds".

"Over 400 casualties have been reported, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists," KNCHR said in a statement shared on its official X account.

The watchdog noted heavy police deployment and "allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons, resulting in numerous injuries".

Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the statements by Amnesty Kenya or KNCHR.

State-funded body Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said in a statement at least 61 people were arrested during the protests.

An official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people.

"107 admitted, most with gunshot injuries," the source said, referring to rubber bullets and live rounds. He added that no deaths had been reported at KNH.

National electricity provider Kenya Power said one of its security guards was shot dead while patrolling its headquarters in Nairobi.

Large crowds were seen earlier heading in the direction of State House, the president's official residence, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it and another broadcaster KTN were pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations.

Both channels resumed broadcasts later on Wednesday after a court in Nairobi suspended the order issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya.

ANGER AGAINST POLICE

Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri.

Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody.

Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty.

Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances.

"We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25... we want justice," Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi.

The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies.

Reuters

Seven Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, pressure on Netanyahu for ceasefire

The Israeli military said seven soldiers were killed in a single attack in southern Gaza on Tuesday, the military's deadliest day in the territory since it broke a ceasefire with Hamas in March.

A lieutenant, three staff sergeants and three sergeants, members of a combat engineering battalion, were killed when a explosive device planted on the armoured vehicle they were travelling in ignited a fire, the military said on Wednesday.

The latest deaths are likely to increase public pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-long war, a move strongly opposed by hardline members of his right-wing ruling coalition.

Public support for Netanyahu collapsed after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel from Gaza, which exposed Israel to its deadliest security failure.

But his standing has been boosted by his surprise decision to strike Iran — a campaign widely viewed as dealing a significant blow to Israel's longtime adversary.

Attention has shifted back to Gaza following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a truce between Israel and Iran that came into effect on Tuesday and continues to hold.

Moshe Gafne, a lawmaker from an ultra-Orthodox party within Netanyahu’s coalition government, on Wednesday publicly questioned why Israel was still locked in the war in Gaza.

"This is a very sad day, with seven soldiers killed in Gaza ... I still don’t understand why we are fighting there. To what end?" he told a parliamentary committee.

Hamas' military wing confirmed that it had carried out the deadly attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Tuesday. It said its fighters had also fired an anti-tank missile at another vehicle that came to help.

The war in Gaza has isolated Israel from many of its international partners critical of the military campaign. During the 12 days Israel was fighting Iran, more than 800 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by the Israeli military, including at least 30, among them a journalist, on Wednesday, according to local health officials.

The deadliest day for the Israeli military since the war started was in January 2024, when 24 soldiers were killed, 20 of them in a single explosion.

HOSTAGES

The Gaza war has persisted despite mounting domestic and international calls for a permanent ceasefire and to secure the release of the remaining hostages, as coalition members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have pressed to keep fighting.

Netanyahu's right-wing coalition of secular and religious parties holds a narrow parliamentary majority, meaning the prime minister can ill afford dissent.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the relatives of some captives, this week called on the United States to push for a comprehensive deal that would secure the release of the hostages.

Twenty hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, while Hamas is also holding the bodies of 30 who have died.

Netanyahu has demanded that Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, release the hostages, relinquish any future role in Gaza and lay down its weapons in order to end the war.

Hamas has said it would release the hostages if Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and withdraws from Gaza. It has refused to discuss disarmament.

The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing close to 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Most of the hostages released so far have been freed through indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has so far killed 56,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, most of them civilians, and destroyed much of the coastal strip.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy opts for more formal, calibrated wardrobe ahead of Trump meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has retuned his wardrobe since a disastrous Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump in February, switching his typical khaki military-style tee-shirts and long-sleeved tops for more formal, but still rugged, black suit-style jackets and shirts.

The media-savvy leader had wanted to show solidarity with the troops fighting Russia on the frontline. But he was chided by a U.S. reporter for not wearing a suit at the White House event, which descended into a shouting match over whether he was showing sufficient gratitude for U.S. wartime support.

Since then, Zelenskiy has worked to rebuild relations with Washington, whose military help Kyiv still badly needs, even though the U.S. president has shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted.

When Zelenskiy met Trump at Pope Francis's funeral in Rome in April, he wore a heavy black field jacket and black shirt buttoned to the collar, with no tie.

He sported a similar look when meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday, and again at the dinner hosted on Tuesday by the Dutch king that preceded Wednesday's NATO summit in The Hague.

Although he was not invited to the meeting itself, he met with Trump afterwards, with an agenda including a wish-list of arms purchases.

The subtle switch, stopping short of white shirt or tie, has captured attention on social media and from the Ukrainian edition of ELLE magazine, which on Wednesday described his changed look as "visual diplomacy of a new kind".

The negative focus on Zelenskiy's attire at the White House was widely criticised by Ukrainians, who have largely rallied around their leader since Moscow's February 2022 invasion.

A communications adviser for the president's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kiev-orchestrated bomb plot thwarted in Moscow Region – FSB

Two Russian citizens who were collecting an improvised explosive from a cache outside Moscow, have been killed after opening fire on law enforcement, the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified by the agency as “accomplices of Ukrainian special services,”who allegedly planned to use the device in a terrorist attack targeting a Russian military service member.

According to the FSB, video footage appearing to show surveillance scenes along with the alleged IED proves that the bomb was ready for activation when it was seized.

Plot details were subsequently discovered on suspects’ phones and investigators are reportedly treating the case as a felony involving unlawful possession of explosives.

The FSB frequently reports having disrupted terrorist operations allegedly coordinated by Ukrainian intelligence services, though suspects are typically apprehended alive. Exceptions have occurred, particularly when Kiev is believed to rely on radicalized individuals with links to international terrorist organizations.

One such case was reported in April 2024, when two Central Asian Islamists allegedly planned to use first-person-view drones armed with explosive devices to target an oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod Region.

The FSB claimed the suspects were directed to retrieve the equipment from a cache and were given operational instructions by a “Ukrainian handler.”

Reuters/RT

As economic hardship bites and the state fails to curtail the problem of insecurity, people rue their decision to vote for Bola Tinubu as president in 2023. This angst seems to be coming from every corner of the country; people frequently denounce this administration’s failure to provide relief from the years of deprivation. From the politicians who either lost out in the power game of the 2023 general election or were sidelined in the sharing of the spoils of office to Yoruba Nollywood, where actors such as Ebun Oloyede (aka Olaiya Igwe), Ibironke Ojo-Anthony (aka Ronke Oshodi Oke), Bukky Raji (Aminatu Papapa), and Ganiu Nafiu (Alapini) had publicly apologised for campaigning for Tinubu last elections, there seems to be a lot of regret being circulated.

The case of the Nollywood actors joining the lamentation chorus is interesting, as it is curious. For these Yoruba actors to publicly apologise for supporting a Yoruba politician without fear of pushback from fellow Yorubas who will expectedly be protective of their own, it must mean their lamentations resonate with a section of the populace. Was it not just a mere couple of years ago that anyone who was not seen supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition was labelled with indecorous names? The hand of hardship must have descended on so many people that the tribal sentiment that drove the censure has given way to collective frustration and rage.

Yet, apart from satisfying the schadenfreude of folks (like me) who warned that Tinubu would be a monumental disaster if elected, does any good ever come out of people’s electoral regrets? The political coalition seeking to unseat Tinubu come 2027 alludes to voter regret as a factor that would drive their electoral success, but is it even worth capitalising on?  Unfortunately, without serious polling and sensible statistical analysis, one cannot really determine the extent to which these supposed announcements of voter regret matter. Do voters regret their choices enough to defect from him, or are they merely expressing a momentary feeling that will dissipate in the face of other calculations?

While we do not have the figures to divine the true nature of the feelings, there is enough precedent to assert this: in Nigeria, no president ever wins or loses because of their administrative competence and performance quality. You win in spite of—never because of—what you do. Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, was booed and stoned at various times during his presidency, but that did not stop his party from winning those same states. The politics of religion and ethnicity, the driving ideologies of our democracy, are far too strong for the incompetence of a mediocre to matter.

Hardly anyone ever admits they overlook leadership performance in making their electoral choices. Yet, to borrow the insight of famous anthropologist Margaret Mead, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” So, yes, while we make so much of leadership acumen in Nigeria, is it ever the primary driving motivation for our electoral decisions? People frequently allude to previous performance milestones in publicising their voting choices (and we saw much of that last election), but do they also not abjure all evidence that contradicts the ideal image they hold in their minds about their candidate? The truth is that a lot of people make their decisions based on the identity politics of religion and ethnicity; the supposed fact of performance merely provides a sturdy rational ground to justify their voting choices.

To admit that one’s electoral decisions are based on consideration of religion and ethnicity is to give oneself away as sentimental and even irrational. When such people put forward performance as a factor in their voting decisions, it is a logical and moral shield and not necessarily a deal breaker.

That, of course, brings me to the crux of the issue: the problem of little to no expectations from our politicians. To a great extent, we do not select leaders based on the expectation that our lives will be transformed. We choose to select mostly because—and in a perennially divided polity such as ours—we want to beat down the other guys competing with us for symbolic resources. Those who voted for Tinubu in 2023 because of his religion did not do so because they expected that their lives as Muslims would be any more transformed, but to keep Christians out of power (and vice versa). The same goes for those who voted because of ethnicity—they did not (and still do not) expect their Yoruba lives to be improved, but are at least satisfied that the tribe they dislike is not near power. I know some people presently anguished by Tinubu’s presidency but will vote for him again for no other reason than one-up on his main nemesis, Peter Obi (and his followers, of course). Some might find it amusing (or even distressing) that civic participation could be animated by sheer dislike for the other side rather than an objective improvement of one’s life, but that is how politics unfold when people have lost sight of how else they can live.

Our politics reflect our cynicism. At the back of the mind of everyone who wants their tribe or religion to be vindicated through electoral victory is the hopelessness that the country can ever be better. No matter who wins, much will remain the same and we might as well settle for defeating the other team as our dividend of democracy. There is no time that we do not shout the same agonising cries of “water! light! food! house! yeparipa o!” When Olusegun Obasanjo was president, it was hard. When Umaru Yar’Adua took over from him, hardship was still prevalent. When Goodluck Jonathan came to power, it seemed we would be squeezed to death. Then Buhari came and turned the face of the country to the midnight sun. He could not even muster enough willpower to be a basic decent human. Those who thought he was at the peak of disaster have realised that with Tinubu, there is always a “next level” incompetence and ineffectiveness with our leaders.

With each cycle of failed leadership, hopes are dashed, and the bar of expectations is lowered six feet into the ground. What options remain for people who want to lash out and redeem some meaning from a process that has become an essentially meaningless pseudo-democratic arrangement, other than claiming symbolic victories?

We can already hazard a guess at how the game will be played next election. Muslims will be mobilised to prevent Christians from getting to power, and Christians will be asked to push back vigorously to assert their strength. Yorubas will be driven to the polls when they are wound up to fight against entitled “Hausa-Fulani” who want to collect their hard-won Aso Rock from their hands; other ethnicities will be driven to fight against the “awa lokan” spirit that has accrued so much power in the hands of Yoruba elites (so they can transfer it to their own elites). Same politics, different seasons.

That is why regretful voter choices can make the news but hardly matter in the calculations that translate to voting choices. The fact that people regret their choices does not mean they will not repeat them. Voter regret gets attention but is hardly bankable. Those who have something to offer in 2027 had better not be surprised that the hardship induced by the present administration did not sway minds.

Punch

Sophie Caldwell

You only have about 90 seconds to make a strong first impression in a job interview, says Columbia Business School professor Michael Chad Hoeppner. 

To engage and impress the interviewer quickly, think about the way you speak, Hoeppner wrote in his recent book, “Don’t Say Um: How to Communicate Effectively to Live a Better Life.” 

There are three easy ways to get a recruiter or hiring manager’s attention, he says. 

1. Start off strong. Your first question is often the most important, because the interviewer’s attention span will fade, Hoeppner says. To keep them listening, start your responses with a strong, visual anecdote. 
2. Focus on delivery. If you try to make your voice sound more professional and measured, you risk coming off robotic, he says. Instead, relax your posture, use body language like hand gestures when it feels natural to you, and speak as clearly and confidently as possible. 
3. Practice. The only way to become a more natural-sounding, confident speaker, is to practice, Hoeppner says. He recommends a method he calls “loud drafting.” Give yourself an open-ended prompt and answer it out loud. “The first time you do it, it will be bad,” he says. “That’s fine. Do it again, do it again, do it again.” 

The point of this exercise is to practice answering questions in a natural way, he says. Some job candidates prepare for interviews by jotting down prepared statements, but they frequently sound stiff and unnatural when said out loud.

“The way in which we speak is different than how we write,” he says. “Often, people open their mouths in interviews and a bunch of polysyllabic pablum comes pouring out of their mouth.”

In general, Hoeppner recommends “flexing your talking muscles” by chatting casually with people you meet and switching your phone calls to FaceTime.

According to Hoeppner, in-person communication skills will become increasingly important with the rise of AI technology. With almost-limitless access to information, Hoeppner asks, “what determines whose ideas get paid more attention?

His answer: “Very likely how you say them.”

CNBC

President Bola Tinubu’s already controversial academic record has come under renewed scrutiny following his recent public claim that Alexander Zingman, a Belarusian businessman with a murky reputation, was his schoolmate at Chicago State University (CSU). Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed the claim as “highly questionable,” reigniting national and international doubts about Tinubu’s long-suspected false biographical history.

Speaking at the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu pointed to Zingman — who was in attendance — as a “very good friend” and “neighbour” during his university days in Chicago.

“Alex was my very good neighbour and went to the same school with me in Chicago,” Tinubu said. “I believe our university will be very proud that we are doing this here today.”

But fact-checks and basic arithmetic quickly unraveled the president’s narrative. According to multiple international sources and archived biographical material, Zingman was born on November 26, 1966, in Minsk, Belarus. That would make him just 13 years old when Tinubu claimed to have graduated from CSU in 1979.

In a pointed statement issued Tuesday, Atiku’s media office responded:

“Are we now to believe that the Guinness Book of Records missed the story of a 13-year-old Belarusian prodigy graduating from an American university alongside Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”

Beyond the implausible age claim, Atiku raised deeper concerns over Zingman’s profile. The Belarusian businessman has been linked to controversial dealings across Africa, including allegations of arms trafficking and opaque mining operations in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was even detained in Congo in 2021 over arms-related suspicions, though he was released without charge after 12 days.

Atiku’s team also challenged the president to provide clarity on several unresolved contradictions in his academic journey — including how he purportedly used a certificate dated 1970 from Government College, Lagos (an institution founded in 1972) to gain admission into Richard J. Daley College in 1973.

“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know why you have not proudly unveiled a single verifiable classmate from your supposed years in Government College, Lagos or Ibadan, or Chicago State University — the way other leaders do with ease and pride,” the statement said.

A Legacy of Evasion

While Chicago State University has confirmed that Tinubu graduated in 1979 with a degree in Business Administration (Accounting), his academic credentials have been mired in irregularities. From discrepancies in the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to questions around his gender listing and formatting inconsistencies, the president’s records have never fully escaped suspicion.

Furthermore, while Tinubu claimed a connection to Zingman through CSU, Zingman has never publicly stated he attended the school. Instead, available records show Zingman studied business marketing at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), from 1991 to 1995 — more than a decade after Tinubu had left CSU and already begun his career with Mobil Oil Nigeria.

The two institutions — CSU and UIC — are entirely separate entities located in the Chicago area.

A Pattern of Fabrications?

Atiku’s challenge is only the latest in a long line of disputes over Tinubu’s personal history. Critics have long pointed out inconsistencies in his birth date, parentage, educational background, and early career trajectory. From fictitious primary and secondary school records to unverifiable names and timelines, Tinubu’s public biography often reads more like a fictional tale than a traceable life story.

“The Presidency is not a sanctuary for secrets — it is a platform for integrity,” Atiku stated. “Nigerians await not tales of Alexes from distant lands, but proof, clarity, and the simple dignity of facts.”

As Tinubu seeks to steer Nigeria through economic turmoil and international diplomacy, the lingering shadows over his personal credibility continue to dog his administration. And with every new contradiction — like the bizarre claim of a 13-year-old Belarusian schoolmate — the question resurfaces: Who exactly is Bola Tinubu?

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has delivered a blistering critique of President Bola Tinubu, declaring that the president has lost the confidence of Nigerians and faces near-impossible odds for re-election in 2027.

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, El-Rufai cited recent polling data indicating Tinubu’s widespread unpopularity across the country. According to him, a disapproval rating of 91 percent was recorded in the southeast and northern regions, while even in Lagos — Tinubu’s political stronghold — 78 percent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the president’s performance.

“We have done some polling in many parts of the country,” El-Rufai said. “In the south-east and the north, President Tinubu has a 91 percent disapproval rating. In Lagos, it’s 78 percent. Even in the south-west, he’s not doing well — no state gives him over 50 percent approval.”

The former minister painted a grim picture of Tinubu’s administration, describing it as directionless and failing on all major fronts. He cited a “tanked economy,” worsening insecurity, and a complete absence of credible policies on trade, industry, and investment.

“The guy is gone. He has performed miserably,” El-Rufai said bluntly. “They are raising lots of revenues, but we don’t know where the money is going because there are no results. Nothing is working.”

El-Rufai urged Nigerians to evaluate their own experiences since Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

“If your life has gotten better under Tinubu, fine. But if it hasn’t — and that’s the reality for most people — then why not give someone else a chance?”

Fractured Alliances, Emerging Coalition

El-Rufai’s remarks come amid growing rifts within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and rising momentum around a political coalition aiming to unseat Tinubu in the next presidential election.

The former governor is working alongside other prominent political figures — including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi — to build a united front ahead of 2027.

While Tinubu has maintained a loyal political base since his time as Lagos governor and party kingmaker, mounting public discontent over economic hardship, rising insecurity, and opaque governance now threaten his grip on power.

With approval ratings in freefall and dissent brewing even within his party, El-Rufai’s stark assessment may prove prophetic — unless, as he put it, “a miracle happens.”

The World Health Organisation has issued a stark warning about tobacco’s devastating global impact, revealing that more than seven million people die annually from tobacco-related causes. The alarming statistics were unveiled in WHO’s latest Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report during the World Conference on Tobacco Control held in Dublin.

Progress Made, But Challenges Remain

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus acknowledged significant advances in tobacco control over the past two decades since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. However, he emphasized that the battle against tobacco is far from won.

“We have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we,” Ghebreyesus stated. “By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures.”

The report highlighted persistent challenges, including weak enforcement in many countries and ongoing interference from tobacco companies that threatens to undermine decades of public health gains.

MPOWER Measures Show Mixed Results

The WHO’s six MPOWER tobacco control measures have expanded their global reach significantly. These comprehensive strategies encompass monitoring tobacco use, implementing smoke-free legislation, providing cessation support, mandating warning labels, banning advertising, and increasing taxes.

Currently, over 6.1 billion people—representing three-quarters of the world’s population—benefit from at least one MPOWER measure, marking a dramatic increase from just one billion people in 2007. Leading examples include Brazil, Turkey, Mauritius, and the Netherlands, which have successfully implemented all six measures, while seven additional countries are on the verge of complete adoption.

Despite this progress, significant gaps persist. Forty countries still lack any MPOWER measure implemented at best-practice standards, and more than thirty continue to permit cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.

The Tobacco Threat

Tobacco products contain nicotine, a powerfully addictive substance consumed through cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless varieties like snuff and chewing tobacco. The WHO identifies tobacco as a primary cause of preventable deaths worldwide, linking its use to heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory conditions.

The impact extends beyond direct users. According to WHO estimates, secondhand smoke claims approximately 1.3 million lives globally each year, putting non-smokers, particularly children, at serious risk for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

In Nigeria alone, nearly 30,000 tobacco-related deaths occur annually, according to research by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, with over 3.2 million Nigerians aged 15 and above actively smoking.

Policy Tools and Implementation Gaps

Graphic health warnings have emerged as particularly effective deterrents. By 2025, 110 countries mandate such warnings—up from only nine in 2007—now covering 62 percent of the global population. Additionally, 25 countries have introduced plain packaging requirements.

However, critical gaps remain in implementation. Since 2022, 110 countries have failed to conduct anti-tobacco media campaigns, though the percentage of people reached by best-practice awareness initiatives has grown from 19 percent in 2022 to 36 percent in 2025.

Taxation remains severely underutilized as a control mechanism. Only three countries have raised tobacco taxes to WHO-recommended levels since 2022, while 134 countries have not made cigarettes less affordable through pricing policies.

Access to cessation services also lags significantly, with just 33 percent of the global population having access to cost-covered quitting support. Meanwhile, only 68 countries have adopted comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.

Smoke-Free Legislation and E-Cigarette Regulation

Seventy-nine countries have enacted comprehensive smoke-free laws, protecting approximately one-third of the world’s population. Recent additions include Sierra Leone, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which introduced strong indoor smoking prohibitions between 2022 and 2024.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems, including e-cigarettes, have also drawn increased regulatory attention. By 2024, 133 countries had established some form of ENDS regulation, compared to 122 in 2022. However, more than 60 countries still lack any legal framework for controlling these products.

Recognition and Continued Commitment

The report’s release coincided with the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, honoring countries and organizations making substantial progress in reducing tobacco use.

Michael Bloomberg, WHO’s global ambassador for noncommunicable diseases, expressed cautious optimism about worldwide efforts. “Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use, but there is still a long way to go,” he noted.

Bloomberg reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to WHO’s mission, emphasizing their shared goal of saving millions more lives through continued collaboration and support.

One of Nigeria’s most notorious bandit kingpins, Kachalla Bello Turji, reportedly killed more than 40 operatives of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in a deadly ambush in Zamfara State on Sunday.

Among the casualties were four officers from the Department of State Services (DSS) and a former bandit-turned-security informant, Bashar Maniya, who was once a rival of Turji, it was gathered.

Local sources confirmed the attack occurred near Ruggar Chida, a remote community where Turji’s father is believed to be the traditional leader.

The operatives, travelling in two vehicles and on motorcycles, were ambushed in an area that had experienced a communication blackout for the past two weeks due to ongoing military operations.

A source familiar with the incident told Daily Trust that the attack was well-coordinated and devastating.

“They were caught off-guard. Turji and his men killed over 40 of them and seized their vehicles and motorcycles,” the source said.

“He was particularly elated because one of the deceased, Bashar Maniya, was his long-time rival.”

The rivalry between Turji and Maniya had been fierce, with both men commanding loyal fighters in the forest regions of the North West.

Despite claiming to have repented, Maniya had remained a controversial figure, with Turji once accusing him in a video of being a “fake repentant” while his associates continued criminal operations.

In a disturbing video circulating on social media, Turji is seen celebrating with his fighters, chanting victory songs and pointing to the bodies of the fallen operatives, including Maniya.

“This is the corpse of the commander who led the operation,” Turji reportedly declared in the footage.

The bodies of the slain operatives were later recovered with the assistance of the Nigerian Air Force, while those injured were promptly evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.

A security official, who confirmed the incident on condition of anonymity, described the attack as “unfortunate and avoidable,” stressing the need for greater collaboration among Nigeria’s security agencies and local communities.

“This kind of operation should not have been conducted without synergy among key security forces—especially the army and the air force,” the source said.

Genesis of problem.

Earlier, it was gathered that over 30 bandits were killed in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following a clash between two bandits’ Leaders; Kachalla Bello Turji and his former lieutenant, Bashar Maniya.

A source, who preferred anonymity said the bandits’ leader, Bello Turji lost 38 foot-soldiers in the clash, while his rival, Maniya was allegedly killed. The clash, according to the sources, took place on Sunday in a forest between Shinkafi and Bafarawa Local Government Areas of Zamfara and Sokoto states.

A source, craved for anonymity, said although Turji had suffered heavy causality the clash, he succeeded in eliminating Bashar Maniya and two of his closest lieutenants.

“The relationship between Turji and Maniya became sore recently when the former instructed the people of Moriki and the surrounding villages to go and work on his farms, but the latter asked them to ignore the directives,” he said.

The source explained that after the villagers ignored Turji’s directives, the bandits’ leader invaded several villages around Moriki and abducted over 40 people.

Following the development, Maniya on his part, laid an ambush against Turji in a forest between Shinkafi and Bafarawa and killed 38 of his foot soldiers, it was gathered.

However, a security source, who doesn’t want to be named said the bandits’ leader, Bello Turji, then laid an ambush on the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) vehicle on their way to Gusau.

The security personnel said the clash was between Turji and Maniya, but could not confirm the death of Maniya, as according to him, “there was no GSM network for him to get useful information from locals in Shinkafi and Bafarawa local governments.

“The GSM network service was temporarily suspended in Sabon Birni, Zurmi, Moriki and Shinkafi, due to the ongoing military operations. Therefore, communicating with the people on phone is not possible for now,” he said.

Also confirming the clash, the Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Musa said the clash occurred in Shinkafi Local Government Area, noting that “I was briefed by my Divisional Police Officer in charge of Sabon Birni Local Government. Though the details were sketchy, it was confirmed. The locals have been talking about the clash and our men are still gathering information about the clash. My PRO has sent me the video clip in which Turji was jubilating.”

Similar incidents

The recent bandits’ clash was not the first in Zamfara, as in February, the renowned bandits’ leader, Ado Aliero, allegedly killed five bandits’ leaders and many of their fighters.

Daily Trust reports that the clash which took place in Yankuzo village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, was between Aliero and two bandits’ leaders, Kachalla and Dogo Bali; who teamed up against Aliero.

The confrontations took place in several locations including Yankuzo, Yan waren Daji and Munhaye and Mada villages in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas of the state respectively.

One of the sources said: “It was said that Aliero had earlier warned Kachalla to stop harassing communities around Yankuzo, but he failed to adhere to this warning.

“Later, Kachalla invited his friend Dogo Bali, for an operation in Yankuzo area. While Kachalla and Bali were busy operating, Aliero placed his men at a strategic place for an ambush and they killed many of Kachalla and Bali’s foot soldiers.

“It was gathered that the gun battle lasted for several hours and that Ado Aliero’s group succeeded in killing many fighters among them; four prominent bandits’ leaders; Dogo Bali, Dan Makaranta, Malam Gainaga, Mallam Tukur, and Malam Jaddi. Also, several other foot soldiers were injured in the gun fight, the source added.

Aliero also attacked the camp of Alhaji Dan Nigeria, another notorious bandits’ leader in Yan Waren Daji, forcing him to abandon the camp, leaving behind over 150 AK47 rifles, it was gathered.

The source said a similar clash among followers of the three bandits leaders occurred in Mada, Munhaye and Yanwaren Daji villages, however, he could not ascertain the number of casualties recorded on both sides.

“We heard about a clash between fighters of Ado Aliero and that of Bali and Kachalla in those areas, but at the moment, I don’t know how many people were killed in the fight”, he said.

The source, who doesn’t want his name in print, confirmed that “a significant number of bandits foot soldiers were killed in Dabar Gahori enclave when fighters of the three groups engaged in a gun battle.

“Dabar Gahori is among the big enclaves that is hosting large number of bandits of different groups. Virtually all the prominent bandits leaders have their foot soldiers in Dabar Gahori super camp.

“Bello Turji, Dan Karami, Dogo Gide, Aliero, Kachalla, Dogo Bali, Damina and Sani Karami, all have boys in this enclave”, he added.

A resident of Hayin Alhaji village, Muhammad Salga, confirmed that Bali’s foot soldiers went on rampage around Hayin Alhaji to Munhaye village, killing fighters of other groups after the death of their leader.

According to Salga, Kachalla’s fighters were said to have attempted to confront Aliero at Yan Awaren Daji, but could not succeed.

Daily Trust

Fragile ceasefire holding, Trump envoy says peace talks with Iran 'promising'

The ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now.

Each side claimed victory on Tuesday after 12 days of war, which the U.S. joined with airstrikes in support of Israel to take out Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities.

Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said late on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were "promising" and that Washington was hopeful for a long-term peace deal.

"We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising. We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran," Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" show.

"Now it's for us to sit down with the Iranians and get to a comprehensive peace agreement, and I am very confident that we are going to achieve that," he added.

Trump said over the weekend that U.S. stealth bombers had "obliterated" Iran's programme to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its enrichment activities are for civilian purposes only.

But Trump's claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial report by one of his administration's intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter.

One of the sources said Iran's enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and the country's nuclear programme, much of which is buried deep underground, may have been set back only a month or two.

The White House said the intelligence assessment was "flat out wrong."

According to the report, which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings.

Some centrifuges remained intact, the Washington Post said, citing an unnamed person familiar with the report.

Trump's administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes had "degraded" Iran's nuclear programme, short of Trump's assertion that the facilities had been "obliterated."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack had removed the nuclear threat against Israel and he was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program.

"We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had successfully ended the war in what he called a "great victory," according to Iranian media.

Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the U.S., according to official news agency IRNA.

Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.

Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities.

RESTRICTIONS LIFTED

Israel's military lifted restrictions on activity across the country at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Tuesday, and officials said Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main airport near Tel Aviv, had reopened. Iran's airspace likewise will be reopened, state-affiliated Nournews reported.

Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of the ceasefire and the diminished prospect of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The truce appeared fragile: Both Israel and Iran took hours to acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire and accused each other of violating it.

Trump scolded both sides but aimed especially stinging criticism at Israel, telling the close U.S. ally to "calm down now." He later said Israel called off further attacks at his command.

Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said he told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that his country would respect the ceasefire unless Iran violated it. Pezeshkian likewise said Iran would honour the ceasefire as long as Israel did, according to Iranian media.

Israeli armed forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said a "significant chapter" of the conflict had concluded but the campaign against Iran was not over. He said the military would refocus on its war against Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza.

Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed in their country by Israeli strikes and 4,746 injured. Iran's retaliatory bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles.

Reuters