Capitalism relies on competition. In practice, however, this core principle is often violated, because ambitious capitalists will naturally seek to eliminate competition and secure a commanding market position from which they can keep new would-be competitors at bay. Success, in this respect, can make you rich and establish your status as a visionary; but it can also make you feared and hated.

Hence, China – arguably one of the most successful market economies of the twenty-first century – has been waging war against its own tech giants, most notably by “disappearing” Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma from the public stage after he criticized Chinese financial regulators. At the same time, the Europeans, deeply worried that they lack a Big Tech sector of their own, have focused on enforcing competition (antitrust) policies to limit the power of giants like Google and Apple. And in the United States, Big Tech’s political allegiances (to both the “woke” left and the “red-pilled” right) have become focal points in the country’s corrosive culture wars.

It is only natural to worry about the market power and political influence of such massive – and massively important – corporations. These are companies that can single-handedly decide the fate of many small and even medium-size countries. Much of the debate about corporate influence is rather academic. But not so in Ukraine, where private-sector technology has played a decisive role on the battlefield over the past year.

Thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellite internet service, the Ukrainians have been able to communicate in real time, track Russian troop movements, and radically improve the precision of their strikes on enemy targets (thus saving precious ammunition). Without Starlink, Ukraine’s defense probably would have crumbled.

But given the capriciousness of would-be corporate dictators, such technological dependencies are inherently risky. Last October, Musk used his ownership of Twitter to stage a virtual “referendum” on a half-baked peace plan that would cede Crimea to Russia. When Ukrainian diplomats objected, he petulently threatened to cut off Starlink (and for some time, access was indeed lost in contested areas).

Paradoxically, the new debate about corporate power comes at a time when competition between tech companies is intensifying. By its very nature, radical technological change introduces radical uncertainty, especially for existing corporations and business models. New, apparently transformational breakthroughs in artificial intelligence could render even the most powerful tech giants obsolete if they fail to keep pace with innovation. Until this year, the dominance of Alphabet’s Google search engine was unquestionable; now, the service is suddenly at risk of being overtaken by OpenAI/Microsoft’s ChatGPT. Facebook and Twitter used to be regarded as indispensable social-media platforms; now, they are quickly being succeeded by others, such as TikTok.

These developments should not come as a surprise. In the annals of business history, failure is far more common than lasting success. Remember Kodak? Its days were numbered when it failed to adapt to the arrival of digital photography. The oldest companies in the world are those with a niche in localized, nontechnical sectors that do not depend on passing fashions. Unless you occupy such a niche – like a Japanese sake producer or a Tuscan winemaker – you are not safe.

Faced with the abiding threat to their existence, large companies generally have two strategies at their disposal. The first is to block or frustrate further innovation by claiming that it will be dangerous and destabilizing. For example, in the twentieth century, big railroad companies lobbied aggressively against automakers’ demand for highways.

Today, the stakes are much higher, and the rhetoric is more overblown. Some leading figures in the tech world are warning that without stringent AI regulations, the latest innovations in the sector could bring about civilizational collapse. This was one of the messages of the widely circulated AI moratorium letter signed by AI researchers and tech icons like Musk, who was later revealed to have invested in a new startup that will compete with OpenAI.

According to this narrative, today’s rapid progress could lead to an artificial general intelligence that is so powerful and so unpredictable that humanity might unwittingly end up at its mercy. Science-fiction writers (and some philosophers) have long articulated such scenarios. If you task a superintelligence with protecting the environment, it might well decide that the obvious solution is to eliminate the source of the problem: humans.

Or perhaps an AI would simply pursue its assigned task so monomaniacally that it would be unstoppable, as in Goethe’s poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Such arguments reflect the general mood of anxiety that is characteristic of any age of rapid change. The example of the nineteenth-century machine breakers, the Luddites, always has a certain romantic appeal.

The second option for an anxious tech elite is to seek government protection by conjuring up risks to national or economic security. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, for example, warns that since training AI systems requires such massive investments, there are really only a few institutions that can do it, and chief among them are Chinese ones like the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence.

Both strategies involve formulating a narrative that can secure a political backstop against market competition. Companies that are inherently endangered – because they are engaged in high-stakes wagers with unknowable outcomes – will always call on the political process in big countries to protect them. Whether by adding to the regulatory burden on new entrants or creating barriers against foreign competitors, they want to preserve the status quo.

We should keep these natural tendencies in mind, especially now that the pandemic and rising geopolitical tensions have created a new impetus for technical innovation. As always, technological change will be deeply disruptive and generate new winners and losers. Many commentators (and interested parties) will inevitably fixate on the dangers. It is ironic, but hardly novel, that the new narrative of techno-pessimism is being promoted most loudly by those at the forefront of yesterday’s innovations.

Project Syndicate

Alphabet Inc's on Wednesday demonstrated an updated core search product that embeds more AI in its answers as the company looks to banish doubts that it is losing ground to Microsoft Corp's OpenAI-powered Bing search.

Google already has a Bard chatbot that competes with ChatGPT, the chatbot from OpenAI that has generated huge excitement among users with its humanlike responses.

SO WHEN DO YOU GOOGLE AND WHEN DO YOU BARD?

The company says that traditional Google search should still be used for finding and seeking information, such as locating something to purchase.

Bard is a chatbot with a persona that can hold humanlike conversations, and is intended to be used for creative collaboration, for instance, to generate software code or write a caption for a photo.

WHAT ARE THE UPDATES TO GOOGLE SEARCH?

With the enhanced search termed the Search Generative Experience, Google's home page still looks and acts like its familiar search bar.

The difference is in the answers: if the new Google detects that generative AI can be used to answer a query, the top of the results page will show the AI-generated response. The traditional links to the Web will remain below.

For example, a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, while a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.

"You should bring layers, including a short-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or jacket for the day," the result stated, including links to websites where it gleaned such advice.

Users will also be able to enter a brand-new "conversational mode," which similar to Bard and ChatGPT remembers the user's prior questions so users can ask follow-ups more easily.

However, the company points out that conversational mode is not designed to be a chatbot with a personality; it is intended only to help hone search results. For example, its responses will never contain the "I" phrase, unlike Bard and ChatGPT.

CAN I TRY THE NEW GOOGLE SEARCH NOW?

Not yet. U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, the company said.

CAN I TRY BARD NOW?

The company said on Wednesday that Bard is now available with no wait list in 180 countries and territories, and plans to expand its support to 40 languages.

Reuters

With brand-name bottle fads and gallon-a-day water challenges trending on TikTok, hydration is in, and that’s good news for health. The average human body is more than 60% water. Water makes up almost two-thirds of your brain and heart, 83% of your lungs, 64% of your skin, and even 31% of your bones. It’s involved in almost every process that keeps you alive. So if you’ve hopped on the water-drinking bandwagon, you’re doing yourself a big solid.

“Water is essential for your body’s survival,” says Crystal Scott, registered dietitian-nutritionist with Top Nutrition Coaching. “It helps regulate your temperature, transports nutrients, removes waste, lubricates your joints and tissues, and it also plays a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of electrolytes and fluids in your body.”

You lose water when you breathe, sweat, urinate, and metabolize food and drink into energy. If you don’t replace that fluid, your health can go downhill, and fast. Without food, your body can keep ticking for as long as three weeks or more. But without water, you’ll die in only a few days. There’s just too many systems that depend on it.

“I like to correlate our bodies with planet Earth,” says Scott. “Our Earth is made up of a large percentage of water. If that amount got too low, what would happen to our food systems? Our forests? Animal life? It’s a domino effect.”

To keep that first domino from falling, she says, drink up.

“It’s the starter when looking at any form of change or issues with your nutrition or your lifestyle—assess water intake first and foremost,” says Scott. “It helps with fullness cues, it can improve cognitive function, mood, physical performance, and can prevent health problems like constipation, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. It’s one of the foundational building blocks.”

Bottom line: Water is life. But how much should you be downing daily not just to survive, but thrive?What’s the right amount?

The common rule of thumb you’ve likely heard is the 8×8 rule: Drink eight 8-oz. cups of water a day. If you’re achieving that, you’re doing well, says Scott. But it’s possible you could benefit from some adjustments.

“I don’t think that amount is necessarily wrong, but I think research over time has definitely evolved,” she says. “Water recommendations are going to vary depending on age, sex, and activity level.”

Your intake recommendation may vary based on life circumstances, too, such as the climate you live in, physical activity, illness, and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine recommends an average daily water intake of about 125 ounces for men and about 91 ounces for women. If you’re not filling up a bottle to exactly that amount every day, you’re probably still close or even over, because you also get water from food, says Scott.

“You can get a lot of hydration from foods like celery, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, and cucumbers,” she says. “All are hydrating foods that can actually help supplement your water intake.”

How to know if you’re getting enough (or too much)

Although it’s rare, it is possible to drink too much water. It’s a condition called hyponatremia, and it happens when the amount of water in your system overwhelms your kidneys and they can’t keep up with a normal filtration rate. The sodium content of your blood becomes dangerously diluted and causes your cells to swell. Certain health conditions such as kidney failure and congestive heart failure put you at higher risk of it, and some high-level athletes may experience it if they don’t replace their electrolytes after exercising.

But for the majority of the population, the bigger issue is getting enough water. While it’s helpful to keep tabs on actual ounces, the best indicator of whether you’re well hydrated is your body. When you don’t get enough water, your body will show certain signs.

“Urine color is a really great indicator of hydration status,” says Scott. If your toilet water is pale yellow or clear after you pee, you’re golden. Dark yellow or amber colored urine are signs your body needs fluids.

Headaches, migraines, bad sleep, constipation, dizziness, and feeling lightheaded or confused can also be symptoms of dehydration. When in doubt, head to the spout.

Tips for getting your daily fill

If you’re committing yourself to hydration optimization, Scott recommends starting slow. First, take stock of where you are, and then set a goal for where you want to be.

“Half your body weight in ounces is a great starting point,” she says. “So for someone who’s 200 pounds, our first goal would be 100 ounces. And let’s say they’re only drinking 20 ounces of fluid a day. So every week, we’d want to increase about eight to 10oz a week, slow and steady. Because if you do hydrate too quickly, people can feel really waterlogged.”

Other handy helps Scott suggests: Experiment with drinking it ice cold or adding sliced fruit to give it flavor. Use smaller water bottles and refill them instead of filling a huge jug for the whole day, which can feel daunting to conquer. Split your day into increments and give yourself a mini goal in each section. That way you’re keeping a steady stream of hydration going instead of trying to gulp it all in one go.

Fortune Well

CEO of Octopus Energy, a UK-based household energy supplier, says artificial intelligence is doing the work of 250 people at the company. 

Writing in The Times of London, Greg Jackson said the company had been experimenting with AI for several months. He said the technology had been incorporated into company systems and staff began letting it reply to some customer emails in February.

Now, AI replied to more than a third of customer emails, which is the work of about 250 people, Jackson said.

He continued: "Emails written by AI delivered 80% customer satisfaction — comfortably better than the 65% achieved by skilled, trained people."

A representative for Octopus Energy told Insider: "Our team supervises the answers AI provides, so, for example, drafting a personalized response that a team member can review and then send on."

Workers at other companies recently reported on the experience of using AI tools to help carry out their work. One worker told Vice that OpenAI's ChatGPT did 80% of their job.

Jackson told the Times of London that the development was unlikely to lead to job losses at his company but that the pace of AI technology had the potential to cause "huge and rapid dislocation" to the job market.

In March, a report from Goldman Sachs found that generative AI tools like ChatGPT could lead to "significant disruption" in the labor market and affect around 300 million full-time jobs globally.

The report highlighted white-collar workers, especially those working in legal services and administration, as some of the most likely to be affected by new AI tools.

The report also said AI systems could boost global labor productivity and create new jobs.

Business Insider

Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP) seeking to upturn Bola Tinubu’s victory as Nigeria’s president-elect.

A five-member panel of the court led by Haruna Tsammani had on Monday dismissed a petition by the Action Alliance (AA) following the party’s withdrawal of its case against Tinubu’s victory.

Tinubu who contested the 25 presidential election on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), faced five separate petitions challenging his victory in the wake of his declaration by INEC as the winner of the poll.

The petitioners included political parties and their candidates including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi. They lodged their complaints over the conduct of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They urged the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory and order a fresh poll amongst other prayers.

But at Wednesday’s proceedings, APP’s lawyer, Obed Agu, informed the court that he filed a notice of withdrawal of the petition on 9 May.

“We are seeking an order of this court for leave to withdraw this petition filed on March 19.

“As well as an order striking out or dismissing the petition, same having been withdrawn,” the lawyer said.

Agu cited paragraph 29(1)(2) and (3) of the Schedule for Election Petitions as basis for the discontinuance of the petition.

He did not disclose reasons for the party’s U-turn.

The APP presidential candidate, Nnadi Osita, polled 12,839 votes, a far cry from the 8.8 million votes received by Mr Tinubu.

Its petition filed on 19 March was anchored on, among other grounds, that Tinubu “corruptly induced” electoral officers at local government and state collation centres in “Kano, Kaduna, Imo, Rivers, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Kogi and Kwara states” with a view to alter the presidential election results in his favour.

The party alleged that “fictitious figures were ascribed to Tinubu “thereby giving him substantial lead and advantage in the various states.”

Ruling

In a short ruling, the court dismissed the petition.

“Having listened to all the parties, we are satisfied that there is no collusion. The petition having been withdrawn, it is hereby dismissed,” Tsammani said.

Tinubu lauds withdrawal of petition

Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipenkun, did not object to APP’s request to withdraw the petition.

“We want to commend them, with the hope that more will still come. My Lords, we are not asking for cost,” Olanipenkun said, eliciting laughter from other lawyers and observers in the packed courtroom.

In the same vein, APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagemi, did not oppose the withdrawal of the petition.

Fagbemi urged other litigants like Atiku and Obi to tow the line of the AA and APP by withdrawing their complaints

“We commend the petitioners for doing the right thing. Let those who have not done so, do so immediately,” Fagbemi said.

Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC’s lawyer did not challenge the withdrawal of the petition.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of the APP’s petition leaves Mr Tinubu and his party with three cases to battle.

PT

Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal will today hear the motions brought by the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, over the outcome of the February 25 election.

The presiding justice of the tribunal, Haruna Tsammani, had on Monday scheduled the hearing on the responses to pre-hearing questions by the parties on Obi and LP’s petition.

The proceeding, which has been fixed for 2pm, is for the tribunal to review the compliance of parties to its directive to streamline issues they would rely on in the main hearing.

Similarly, Obi and LP will bring their motion for the live broadcast of proceedings of the tribunal because, according to them, the petitions are of public interest.

Tinubu wants Atiku’s petition on dual citizenship issue struck out

At the proceedings yesterday, the tribunal fixed May 11 for hearing the two motions by the president-elect and candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, challenging Atiku’s petition.

In the first motion brought by his counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, Tinubu is seeking to strike out some paragraphs in Atiku’s petition where he raised fresh issues, which he said were not pleaded in the original petition, while replying to his preliminary objection.

Atiku had contended that Tinubu did not meet the constitutional threshold and is constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he forfeited a sum of $460,000 “as substituted by a competent authority, sequel to a compromise agreement, and for narcotics-related crime (proceeds of crime) in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, Judge A. Nordberg.”

Atiku also claimed that Tinubu failed to disclose in his Form EC9 that he holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea.

Atiku had further submitted that the grounds for non-qualification are competent, being a constitutional issue.

Tinubu, in his second motion, also asked the tribunal to dismiss the entire petition seeking the nullification of the election for being a breach of the Electoral Act, 2022, filed by Atiku at the pre-hearing stage for being incompetent.

Tinubu also contended  that the petition was “vague, non-specific, nebulous, inchoate, incompetent, imprecise, fraught with ambiguity; and liable to be struck out by the court.”

PDP, Atiku seek live broadcast of proceedings

Still on Thursday, the tribunal will also hear the motion by Atiku seeking live broadcast of the proceedings.

Counsel to Atiku, Chris Uche, said the application is “an order directing the court’s registry and parties on modalities for admission of media practitioners and equipment into the courtroom.”

Atiku contended that the application for live broadcast of the tribunal’s proceedings was backed by the Nigerian constitution as well as that the matters of the 2023 general elections were of national concern and public interest.

Court fixes May 11 for Tinubu’s motion seeking dismissal of APM’s petition

Meanwhile, Tinubu has also filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the petition by the All Peoples Movement (APM) challenging his election at the pre-hearing stage.

The presiding justice of the tribunal, Tsammani, on Tuesday, also fixed May 11 for the hearing of the motion.

The panel adjourned the application after the lawyers in the matter submitted that they had responded to the pre-hearing questions raised in Form TF 008 over the APM petition.

At the proceeding on Tuesday, APM, through its lawyers O. A. Atoyebi, and S. A. T. Abubakar informed the tribunal that the party has responded to pre-hearing questions raised by respondents in its petition – INEC, APC, Tinubu, Shettima and Masari. In his response, Fagbemi told the tribunal that he had on May 8 filed two motions challenging APM’s petition and they are ripe for hearing.

Fagbemi said the APM’s petition was worthless and disclosed no reasonable cause of action, maintaining that it has no leg upon which to stand.

He insisted in the motion that the election being challenged by APM was lawfully conducted and a clear winner declared in line with the provisions of the law.

Similarly, Olujinmi said he had filed responses on behalf of Tinubu and Shettima on May 3, 2023, adding that the processes are ready for determination and that he will respond at the pre-hearing date.

On his part, the lead counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud, said he has filed answers to the questions raised on the pre-hearing proceedings.

Tsammani advised the parties to examine all the applications filed and decide which they would object to and which they wouldn’t before the next pre-hearing session.

In its petition, APM contends that Tinubu is not qualified to contest the 2023 presidential election because he has not produced a validly nominated running mate.

APM contends that Shettima was still the nominated senatorial candidate of the APC for Borno Central Senatorial District, Borno State, as of the date he was nominated as the vice presidential candidate on July 14, 2022.

The party argued that despite withdrawing his senatorial candidature on July 15, 2022, he had breached the Electoral Act, 2022, via double or multiple nominations.

APM and its presidential candidate, Chichi Ojei, also contended that the election was marred by widespread irregularities.

Daily Trust

Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola has described his interest in the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) as one driven by the need to unlock the company’s full potential and create value for shareholders.

Otedola made the revelation in a statement that marks his first public intervention in the recent battle for the soul of Transcorp. He was responding to repeated enquiries made to him by PREMIUM TIMES regarding why he acted the way he did in the Transcorp transaction.

“I offered to buy Transcorp Plc for N250 billion, but unfortunately, my offer was rejected,” Otedola said.

The billionaire recently divested his newly acquired stake in Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) to Elumelu, pulling the plug on the scramble for the top ownership of the group.

Otedola sold his substantial shareholding of 6.3 per cent, a haul of 2.6 billion shares bought in separate transactions, to Mr Elumelu.

Earlier, within days of his acquisition of a substantial shareholding, Elumelu had racked up his interest from 2.07 to 25.9 per cent.

Sources with details of the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that Otedola’s move to take the peak spot in the conglomerate’s ownership upset the Transcorp chair, prompting him to open talks. He eventually agreed to compensate the businessman with millions of dollars, sources said.

In his new statement, Otedola recalled how he “enthusiastically gave him (Mr Elumelu) $ 20 million, which was N2 billion at that time” to buy the necessary shares for the acquisition of UBA in 2005.

The businessman also alleged that Elumelu stabbed him in the back a number of times in the past.

He said in 2012, he told Elumelu about his interest in Ughelli Power Plant and the Transcorp chair “quietly went ahead” to outbid him in the acquisition of the plant.

Otedola also said the UBA Chairman also took advantage of his (Otedola) business misfortune and eventual bankruptcy in the past to acquire shares he held in a number of entities, including Transcorp Hotel.

PREMIUM TIMES’ could not immediately reach Elumelu as of press time Tuesday morning.

Read the full statement below:

FULL STATEMENT

In 2005, while Tony was the Managing Director of Standard Trust Bank he approached me to get funds to acquire UBA. I enthusiastically gave him $ 20 million, which was N2 billion at that time to buy the necessary shares in UBA for the acquisition. After a short period of time the share price moved up and I decided it was a good moment to sell and get out of the bank. However, Tony appealed to me to hold on to the shares as he was convinced that there were future prospects – so I kept the shares.

I became Chairman of Transcorp Hotel in 2007 with a shareholding of 5% and unknowingly Tony gradually started buying shares quietly.

By the following year in 2008 I went bankrupt in Nigeria. Tony proceeded to take my shares in UBA to service the interest on my loans and he also took over my shares in Africa Finance Corporation, where I was the largest shareholder.

Shortly after, Albert Okumagba informed me that an American firm wanted to acquire my shares in Transcorp, which I then agreed to sell. However, this supposed American firm turned out to be Tony Elumelu. The revelation of this prompted me to resign as Chairman of the hotel.

Years later in 2012 Tony said he wanted to see me so we met in my office where I had previously had a meeting with foreign investors who had not yet departed the premises. Curious to know, he asked what sort of meeting I had had and I disclosed that I wanted to go into the power business, specifically Ughelli Power Plant. Tony quietly went ahead to bid for Ughelli and he outbidded me by offering to buy the plant for $300million.

And as some would say: the rest is history.

Fast forward to the present…

I offered to buy Transcorp Plc for N250 billion, but unfortunately, my offer was rejected. My goal was to maximize the company’s potential as a Nigerian conglomerate with a market cap of at least N2 trillion instead of the current N40 billion, but it seems some shareholders have a different vision.

As a businessman, I believe in healthy competition and market dynamics. Two captains cannot man a ship, and I respect the majority shareholder’s decision to buy me out. This is the nature of the game.

But let me be clear: my offer was made with the best intentions for Transcorp Plc and its shareholders. I saw an opportunity to unlock the company’s full potential and create value for everyone involved.

It’s important for investors to understand that free entry and free exit are crucial to healthy markets. The scramble for shares after my acquisition is a testament to the value that Transcorp Plc can offer, and I hope the company continues to thrive under new leadership.

My message to Transcorp Plc and its shareholders is this: I remain committed to the growth and success of Nigerian businesses, and I will always be looking for ways to create value for all stakeholders. Stakeholders are unfortunately always shortchanged by getting stipends while the owners and managers of the business live a jet-set lifestyle, which is detrimental to the stakeholders. Thank you for the opportunity to engage in this exciting chapter of Transcorp’s history.

PT

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his London trip by a week over an appointment with his dentist.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, announced this in a statement on Tuesday.

Buhari had travelled to the United Kingdom last week for the coronation of King Charles 111.

The president, who joined world leaders for the historic occasion, had told the British monarch that the trip was his last official trip to the UK.

He had thanked him and other leaders for the cooperation he enjoyed during the 8 years he spent with them.

The president was supposed to return to the country this week.

But in his statement, Adesina said Buhari was currently undergoing dental care.

“President Muhammadu Buhari will be in London, United Kingdom, for an additional week, at the behest of his Dentist, who has started attending to him.”

“The specialist requires to see the President in another five days for a procedure already commenced.

“Buhari had joined other world leaders to attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023.”

Daily Trust

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia holds Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square

A military parade to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War took place on Moscow’s Red Square on Tuesday.

The parade began with the march of the Honor Guard’s banner group carrying the Russian national flag and the legendary Victory Banner across Red Square. The Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag by soldiers of the Soviet 150th Idritsa rifle division in May 1945.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, war veterans and guests watched the parade from the central reviewing stand on Red Square. Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rahmon, Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square.

Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu reviewed the military parade commanded by Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov.

This year, Russia’s Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square involved over 8,000 troops, including 530 fighters of the special military operation in Ukraine, and more than 100 items of military hardware.

This year, the infantry column comprised 30 parade units. A legendary T-34 tank traditionally led the mechanized column at the Victory Day Parade. The military parade’s mechanized column also involved Tigr-M armored vehicles, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, Bumerang infantry fighting vehicles, Iskander-M tactical missile systems, S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems and Yars road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers. Spartak and 3-STS-Akhmat armored vehicles took part in the military parade for the first time.

The air parade over Moscow’s Red Square did not take place this year.

After the final column of military hardware rolled through Moscow’s Red Square, the consolidated military band returned to the square’s center and completed the military parade by performing the song Pobeda (Victory).

In 2020, the May 9 military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War was rescheduled for June 24 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the parade’s airborne part involved 75 aircraft and helicopters. In 2021, the number of aircraft flying over Moscow’s Red Square during the May 9 Victory Day Parade was increased to 76. In 2022, the air parade over Moscow’s Red Square was cancelled due to bad weather.

** Russian forces strike Ukrainian army reserves, ammo depots by precision weapons

Russian forces delivered a massive strike by seaborne and airborne precision weapons against the Ukrainian army’s reserves and ammunition depots, hitting all the designated targets over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

"During the past night, Russian forces delivered a massive strike by long-range seaborne and airborne precision weapons against the temporary deployment sites of the enemy’s reserves, and also against ammunition depots. All the designated targets were struck. The strikes thwarted the [enemy] reserves’ advance to the areas of combat operations," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 35 Ukrainian troops, artillery gun in Kupyansk area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery from the western battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region. The enemy’s losses in the past 24 hours amounted to 35 Ukrainian personnel, one tank, two motor vehicles and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate 75 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area

Russian forces eliminated roughly 75 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from Russia’s battlegroup Center struck the enemy manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova and Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.

"As many as 75 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 400 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk advance

Russian forces destroyed over 400 Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Over 465 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, two tanks, six armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, two D-20 and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in that direction in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Russian assault teams continue battles in western Artyomovsk

Russian assault teams continued fighting Ukrainian troops in the western part of Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the assault teams continued battles in the western part of the city of Artyomovsk. Airborne Force units provided their support, immobilizing the enemy on the flanks," the spokesman said.

Operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from Russia’s southern battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general specified.

"Aircraft flew five sorties in that area in the past 24 hours. The battlegroup’s artillery accomplished 73 firing objectives," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces destroy over 90 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces destroyed over 90 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas in the past day, he said.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery from Russia’s battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye area, the spokesman specified.

"Over 90 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and a Msta-B howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours. In addition, in the area of the settlement of Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault brigade was obliterated," the general reported.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depots in DPR, Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Kherson area and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Antonovka in the Kherson Region, an ammunition depot of the 124th territorial defense brigade was destroyed. In the area of the community of Verkhnekamenskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 54th mechanized brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.

In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles and two Gvozdika artillery systems were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted on the enemy by firepower, the general specified.

"Operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 72 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 94 areas," Konashenkov reported.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack aircraft and intercepted three rockets and a ballistic missile over the past day, he said.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane near the settlement of Belozyorka in the Kherson Region. In the past 24 hours, they also intercepted three rockets of the Uragan and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and a Tochka-U tactical missile," the spokesman said.

In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the communities of Golikovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Spornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Removka in the Zaporozhye Region, Novaya Mayachka and Belozyorka in the Kherson Region, the general said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 419 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 230 helicopters, 4,052 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 surface-to-air missile systems, 9,046 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,098 multiple rocket launchers, 4,774 field artillery guns and mortars and 10,077 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia marks Victory Day with new strikes on Ukraine, but pared-back parade

Russia fired cruise missiles at Kyiv on Tuesday and paraded troops across Moscow's Red Square for its annual celebration of victory in World War Two, pared back amid shortages of manpower and arms at the front after a failed winter campaign in Ukraine.

In a fiery 10-minute speech in front of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin thundered against "Western global elites" and said civilisation was at "a decisive turning point".

"A real war has been unleashed against our homeland," said the Russian leader, who last year ordered what the West calls an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, destroying cities and killing thousands of civilians.

Underlining how the war has isolated Russia from most of Europe and pushed Ukraine closer to the West, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was visiting Kyiv, where she called Ukraine "the beating heart of today's European values".

The holiday commemorating the Soviet victory in World War Two is the most important day in the calendar in Russia under Putin, who casts his invasion of Ukraine as analogous to Russia's fight against the Nazis. Ukraine, which suffered proportionally greater losses than Russia in World War Two, calls that an abuse of shared history to justify aggression.

The parade was full of traditional pomp but unmistakably scaled down from previous years. In place of phalanxes of modern battle tanks, a single World War Two-vintage T-34 rolled across Red Square. The usual fighter jet flyover was cancelled.

Putin's message was also undermined by a new profanity-laced tirade from the boss of Russia's Wagner private army directed at Moscow's generals for failing to give his forces enough weapons.

"A combat order came yesterday which clearly stated that if we leave our positions (in Bakhmut), it will be regarded as treason against the motherland," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message. "(But) if there is no ammunition, then we will leave our positions and be the ones asking who is really betraying the Motherland."

MISSILE ATTACKS OVERNIGHT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow had failed to capture Bakhmut despite a self-imposed deadline to give Putin a battlefield trophy in time for the holiday. Moscow regards capturing Bakhmut as a stepping stone towards taking other cities in Ukraine's industrial east.

Ukraine said its air defences had shot down 23 of 25 Russian cruise missiles fired chiefly at the capital Kyiv overnight, and there were no reported casualties.

Russia's defence ministry said it had "launched a concentrated strike using high-precision, long-range sea and air-based weapons aimed against enemy barracks and ammunition depots".

After a weeks-long hiatus, Russia in late April resumed its tactic of long-range missile strikes against Ukraine and has launched a flurry of attacks in recent days.

The day provided Zelenskiy an opportunity to demonstrate Ukraine's clear break from Moscow by hosting von der Leyen.

"Our efforts for a united Europe, for security and peace, need to be as strong as Russia's desire to destroy our security, our freedom, our Europe," Zelenskiy said at their joint press conference in Kyiv.

Russia's increasing diplomatic isolation has drawn Moscow closer to China, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday that Beijing would maintain lines of communication with all parties to the war in Ukraine in seeking a ceasefire.

"As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and responsible major country, China will neither watch the fire from the other bank nor add fuel to the fire," Qin told reporters alongside German counterpart Annalena Baerbock during a visit to Berlin.

European nations have criticised China for declining to describe Russia's sending troops into Ukraine as an invasion or call for a Russian withdrawal.

In Washington, the White House announced a new security package for Ukraine that includes additional air defence systems and artillery rounds.

VICTORY DAY SPEECH

Putin struck a rousing note in his Victory Day speech, saying all of Russia was praying for its heroes at the front and concluding with a cheer for "Russia, for our valiant Armed Forces, for victory!"

After he spoke, a band struck up and cannon fired a salute. Soldiers marched through Red Square followed by armoured vehicles and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.

But the Moscow parade was much shorter than usual. Security concerns following attacks including drones that exploded over the Kremlin citadel last week meant parades in some other cities were scaled back or called off. Traditional "Immortal Regiment" processions, in which people carry portraits of relatives who fought against the Nazis, were cancelled.

In Kyiv there were no reported casualties from Russia's latest volley of air strikes on the capital. Debris fell on a house in the Holosiivskyi district in the southwest of Kyiv but caused little damage, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Debris lay in a road in Kyiv's central Shevchenkivskyi district.

"As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed," said Sergei Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.

The Agence France Presse news agency said late on Tuesday one of its video journalists had been killed by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar, 10 km (6 miles) west of Bakhmut.

Russia has stepped up its attacks in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, after Moscow's winter campaign captured little territory despite the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.

Russia marks the Nazi surrender of May 8, 1945 on the following day, because it took effect when it was already after midnight in Moscow. Ukraine symbolised its break from Moscow on Monday by announcing it was shifting its observance to May 8.

Instead, Kyiv proclaimed May 9 as Europe Day, a date observed by the EU to commemorate the post-war integration movement that led to the founding of the European Union.

"Kyiv, as the capital of Ukraine, is the beating heart of today's European values," von der Leyen said at her news conference with Zelenskiy. "Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today."

TASS/Reuters