Nigeria's new lawmakers were sworn in on Tuesday following February elections, setting the stage for President Bola Tinubu to submit cabinet nominees in a process likely to signal how he intends to tackle a struggling economy and growing insecurity.

The swearing-in ceremony in the capital Abuja also saw Tinubu's allies elected as Senate President and House Speaker, to mark the official start of legislative duties for newly elected officials.

Nigeria's Senate wields significant influence in Nigeria's bicameral legislature, including scrutinizing and confirming the president's cabinet nominees.

Tinubu has up to the end of July to name his cabinet but his aides say the president could submit some names as soon as next week. His choice of finance, petroleum and defence ministers as well as national security adviser would be closely watched.

The 71-year-old Tinubu suspended central bank governor Godwin Emefiele last week, cheering markets, but his permanent removal would require a vote by the Senate.

Tinubu's ruling party controls a majority in Senate and a sizeable number in the House of Representatives and political analysts say this will make it easier for the president to push his legislative agenda.

Reuters

Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Tuesday, tendered reports of INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.

The INEC IReV portal warehouses photographic copies of polling unit result sheets of the 2023 general elections. It is an innovative component of the electoral umpire’s management of the recent polls.

INEC had promised that the polling unit result sheets would be immediately uploaded to the IReV portal after the election was concluded at the various polling centres.

INEC’s failure to keep to the promise triggered uproar from many Nigerians.

The failure formed one of the grounds on which Obi anchored his petition that he filed to challenge the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Obi and his party, the Labour Party, Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, in connivance with Tinubu, allegedly stole the 25 February presidential election.

As a result, he urged the five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani to overturn Tinubu’s victory.

At the resumption of proceedings in the case on Tuesday, Obi’s lawyer, Peter Afoba, tendered IReV reports from five states – Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Ekiti, Ogun and Adamawa.

Afoba informed the court that the IReV reports were certified by the INEC.

Giving details of the electoral documents, Afoba said the IReV reports were from 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, 20 in Ogun, 16 in Ekiti, 19 in Rivers and 25 in Akwa Ibom.

Contrary to INEC’s declaration, an independent analysis of the IReV portal by Premium Times found that Obi, not Tinubu won the presidential election in Rivers State.

But the electoral commission’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, and other respondent lawyers for Tinubu and the APC objected to the admissibility of the documents.

They informed the court that their objections would be articulated at the latter part of the suit

More documentary evidence

Another lawyer in Obi’s legal team, Audu Anuga, presented more electoral documents comprising reports of complaints over places where voting either did not take place or was cancelled.

Tendering the reports before the court, Anuga said 45 EC40GPU forms (complaint reports) were tendered in 10 Local Government Areas of Niger and 23 in seven Local Government Areas of Osun.

He enumerated others, including – 17 in three Local Government Areas of Edo State and 52 forms in five Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.

The Labour Party lawyer further tendered 15 forms EC40G in 8 Local Government Areas of Osun State and 12 forms EC40G1 in 12 Local Government Areas of Edo.

In addition, Anuga tendered 15 forms EC40G in four council areas of Sokoto and nine forms EC40G1 in two LGAs of Sokoto.

To substantiate his claims of alleged electoral fraud, Obi tendered five reports on the conduct of the polls in Niger and eight in Edo states, respectively.

Again, the respondents’ lawyers opposed the admissibility of the electoral documents.

After the documents were admitted and marked as exhibits, the court adjourned the suit until Wednesday.

PT

Following pressures from different political quarters in Ondo state, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has formally written to notify the State House of Assembly that he is on leave and that his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, should act as governor.

Speaker of the House, Olamide Oladiji, in a statement, said Akeredolu embarked on the 21-day leave for medical treatment abroad from 7th June and that he will be away until 6th July.

According to the letter, the leave will extend to the 6th of July due to public holidays on June 12 (Democracy Day) and Eid el Kabir (28th and 29th June).

“The Governor, who had directed his Deputy, Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to act as the Governor while away, has assured of his resumption on the 6th of July, 2023,” the statement said.

The Speaker described the governor as a lover of peace and an apostle of the rule of law.

He wished him a speedy recovery and a joyful vacation.

Opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, had demanded that the governor transmit power to his deputy in line with the provisions of the Constitution due to his health challenges.

Akeredolu has not been seen in his office for several weeks, and it is known that he has health challenges.

Although the governor’s aides admitted that he was indisposed, his condition and absence from duty led to political intrigues and a division in his cabinet, significantly impeding decision-making.

Some elements within the cabinet appeared to be uncomfortable with the deputy governor assuming power as acting governor for unknown reasons.

It was reported that forces in the corridors of power orchestrated several machinations to keep Aiyedatiwa away from assuming the acting role as stipulated by the constitution.

Such devices include stories that he routinely beat his wife, an allegation the camp of the deputy governor denied and attributed to his detractors.

The state government has not disclosed the nature of Akeredolu’s ailment and where specifically he will seek treatment abroad.

PT

Over 100 persons, including a father and his four children have lost their lives in a boat accident at Egbu village, Patigi local government area of Kwara state.

The incident, our correspondent gathered, occurred on Monday when the boat transporting them hit a tree due to a river wave.

The victims were guests returning from a wedding ceremony at neighbouring Egboti village in Niger State.

About 50 bodies were recovered after the incident.

Sources in the village told our correspondent that the deceased persons had taken off from Kpada village.

“The boat was carrying over 300 passengers on a return trip from the venue of the ceremony.

“69 persons lost their lives from Egbu, 36 from Gakpan and four from Kpada villages in Patigi local government area. Over 75 were rescued”, a source added.

Contacted on Tuesday, public relations officer of the Kwara State police command, Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the incident.

He said the command had dispatched the Divisional Police Officer of Patigi local government area of the state to garner more information on the incident.

According to him, “We have a scanty report of a boat that capsized carrying about a 100 people in Patigi. I will give you more details on the incident as soon as I get more information.”

Meanwhile, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the people of Patigi over the incident.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor described the incident as devastating and sad.

“The Governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the people of these communities and those from other states. He prays to Almighty Allah to repose the souls of the victims”, the statement read.

Daily Trust

Death toll, following Monday’s attack by gunmen on residents of Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Councils of Plateau State has risen to 29. As of Monday, the Berom Youth Movement Volunteers (BYM) had recorded 21 fatalities.

However, yesterday, when our correspondent visited the area, a resident of Riyom, who simply referred to himself as Yakubu, said he had seen eight more corpses in the bush. He said, following the discovery, he informed youths of the area, who mobilised themselves and retrieved the bodies.

Arrangement for their mass burial is reportedly ongoing. In a statement, BYM National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, said: “This has left us with concerns and questions as to whether or not federal security can nip the ongoing genocide in the bud, because government’s primary responsibility is safeguarding life and property.

“BYM, under the leadership of Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, hereby, condemns coordinated attacks and other forms of provocation meted out on innocent persons of Plateau, since after the 2023 general elections.”

“We call on the new administration, both at federal and state levels, to rise to the occasion with new strategies to address the security situation in the country, particularly, in Plateau State, to forestall further degenerative tendencies of Fulani militias that have heavily infiltrated the state and its environs.” The BYM also called on the Berom nation to remain calm and law abiding but explore every avenue to defend their communities.

The Guardian

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine has lost hundreds of pieces of Western-supplied hardware – Putin

Ukrainian forces have already lost dozens of tanks and hundreds of armored vehicles in their attacks on Russian positions, President Vladimir Putin told war correspondents on Tuesday. Kiev’s troops have so far failed to achieve success on any of the fronts in their long-touted counteroffensive, he added.

Russian positions have faced attacks in four major directions, the president said during a meeting at the Kremlin. He added that Ukrainian reserves, including those equipped with Western-supplied military hardware, had also been thrown into the fray.

However, the offensive has led to massive losses in personnel and materiel for Kiev, Putin stated. Ukraine has lost “at least 160 tanks and 360 armored vehicles,”and the military hardware destroyed by Russian troops accounts for between 25% and 30% of all Western military equipment supplied to Ukraine, the president estimated.

“There are also losses that we do not see, which are a result of long-range high-precision strikes,” Putin said, claiming that Ukraine’s actual losses are likely higher than the figures he had given. Regarding personnel, Putin said Russian casualties were “ten times lower” than among Ukrainian forces.

The president also reiterated that the “fundamental goals” of the Russian military operation in Ukraine remain the same, and that the Kremlin does not plan to change them. At the same time, Putin maintained that Moscow “sincerely sought”to reach an agreement with Kiev and resolve the differences involving former southeastern Ukrainian regions, which have since joined Russia following a series of referendums in autumn 2022. 

After long touting a counteroffensive, Ukraine finally launched its operation last week, although thus far it has apparently failed to bring about any dramatic changes on the front line.

The Russian Defense Ministry has reported that Ukrainian forces have lost dozens of pieces of military hardware in their attacks, including tanks and armored vehicles supplied by the West. The ministry has also published videos showing Russian forces successfully striking Ukrainian heavy equipment. 

On Tuesday, one such video showed Russian soldiers seizing a German-made Leopard 2 main battle tank and US-produced Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Kiev has demanded more tanks from Berlin amid the intense fighting. 

** Russia destroys rare Finnish armor in Ukraine – media

The Ukrainian army has lost half of the specialized Leopard 2 mine-clearing tanks that were provided by Finland, the country’s media outlets have reported, citing frontline images.

The loss was mentioned on Monday by the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (HS), which said its military fact checker, John Helin, had confirmed the authenticity of photos of the damaged armor circulating online.

The so-called Leopard 2R Heavy Mine Breaching Vehicle is meant for creating paths through minefields for advancing forces. The Finnish firm Patria had converted ten regular Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks into the mine-breaching variant. Helsinki this year sent the six that remained operational to Ukraine. Finland’s Defense Ministry said that the vehicles were difficult to operate on its soil, particularly in the winter.

A Leopard 2R has no turret and is equipped with a distinctive British-made frontal mine plow. Three vehicles with those features were photographed on the frontline, after reportedly getting hit last Thursday during an attempted offensive near the village of Malaya Tokmachka in Zaporozhye Region.

Forbes suggested that the possible imminent “extinction” of Leopard 2Rs was not a big deal, since Kiev has other vehicles meant for the same role in its fleet. Other specialized vehicles, which appeared to share the Finnish armor’s fate, were identified by the outlet as the Soviet IMR-2 and the German Bergepanzer.

Last week, Ukraine launched its long-touted counteroffensive against Russia, attempting to use Western-supplied tanks and other military hardware to pierce through Russian defensive lines. Moscow reported repelling a number of Ukrainian attacks and said Kiev paid a heavy price for them without scoring any major victories.

Russia perceives the conflict as part of a US-led proxy war against it. Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against supplying Kiev with weapons, saying it will only increase the cost of the conflict but will not alter its outcome.

** Ukrainian spy ring busted in Russia – FSB

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested several people who used to work in the national defense industry for allegedly providing Ukraine with secret documents.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said that several Russian nationals were acting as agents of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence. It added that they were suspected of “transferring technical documentation and samples of military products used in the production of weapons and military equipment” being used by the Russian Air Force.

The FSB also claimed that the agents were preparing sabotage attacks seeking to damage railways in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod Regions bordering Ukraine. In particular, they were targeting those used for supplying Russian forces involved in the special military operation, the agency added.

During the bust, operatives confiscated more than four kilograms of explosives, four detonators, design documentation, and several military-related items, the FSB said, without providing further detail. The agency also seized $150,000 from the suspects.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, in recent months Russia’s security services have ramped up efforts to neutralize Ukrainian agents seeking to gather intel on Moscow’s military facilities or stage sabotage attacks.

Last autumn, the FSB claimed to have foiled a Ukrainian plot to blow up a Russian pipeline that provides gas to Türkiye. More recently, the agency claimed to have intercepted in May a Ukrainian saboteur group that was planning to target power lines leading to two nuclear power plants in Russia in order to “cause the shutdown of nuclear reactors… and deliver serious economic and reputational damage” to the country.

** Russia’s precision strike wipes out Ukrainian army reserves, foreign arms depot

The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike by precision weapons against clusters of Ukrainian army reserves and a depot of foreign-made ammunition and armaments in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

"At night, the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered multiple strikes by airborne long-range precision weapons against the amassment areas of the Ukrainian army’s operational reserves and a depot storing foreign-made ammunition and armaments. All the designated targets were destroyed. The goal of the strike was achieved," the spokesman said.

Russian forces neutralize Ukrainian subversive group in Kupyansk area

Russian forces neutralized a Ukrainian subversive group in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup inflicted damage on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region and Rozovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. Near the settlement of Timkovka in the Kharkov Region, the activity of a Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance group was thwarted," the spokesman said.

Over 35 Ukrainian troops, an armored personnel carrier, a pickup truck and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in the Kupyansk area in the past 24 hours, the general reported.

Russian forces eliminate 60 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area in past day

Russian forces eliminated roughly 60 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Nevskoye and Belogorovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Serebryansky forestry," the spokesman said.

As many as 60 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system, D-20 and D-30 howitzers were destroyed in that direction in the past 24 hours, the general reported.

Russian forces repel Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk area

Russian forces repelled Ukrainian army attacks at the Vremevka bulge, near Artyomovsk and Makarovka in the Donetsk direction over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, Ukrainian army units continued attempts to conduct offensive operations in the south Donetsk direction, and also near the town of Artyomovsk. At the Vremevka bulge, the Kiev regime threw into battle the units hastily assembled from the remnants of the Ukrainian army brigades that had earlier sustained heavy casualties," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, Russian forces repulsed three attacks by Ukrainian army units reinforced by tanks and armored combat vehicles near the settlement of Makarovka, the general reported.

"All the attacks were repelled by courageous and decisive actions of units from the battlegroup East, air strikes and artillery fire. Eight out of ten armored personnel carriers of the Ukrainian army involved in the attacks were destroyed," he said.

Russian forces repulse two Ukrainian attacks south of Artyomovsk

Russian forces repulsed two Ukrainian attacks south of Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"South of the town of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two enemy attacks towards the settlement of Klreshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic were successfully repulsed in the past 24 hours by active operations of the southern battlegroup," the spokesman said.

Ukrainian troops were prevented from breaking into Russian defenses, the general stressed.

"As many as 350 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles and six motor vehicles were destroyed in the battles," he said.

Russian forces wipe out 275 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk area

Russian forces destroyed about 275 Ukrainian troops in the south Donetsk area, near the Vremevka bulge and Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s total losses in those areas in the past 24 hours amounted to 275 Ukrainian personnel, four tanks, 15 armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles and an Msta-B howitzer," the spokesman said.

Also, Russian forces successfully repulsed two Ukrainian army attacks near the settlement of Rovnopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past 24 hours. They destroyed two Ukrainian tanks and three armored combat vehicles. Near the settlement of Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces eliminated the larger part of the personnel of a Ukrainian company tactical group and four infantry fighting vehicles, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 30 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles, an Msta-B howitzer and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian forces strike 98 Ukrainian artillery units in past day

Russian forces struck 98 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces inflicted damage on 98 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 114 areas," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses intercept three Storm Shadow missiles, 10 HIMARS rockets

Russian air defense forces intercepted three Storm Shadow missiles, 10 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and shot down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities intercepted three Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles and 10 rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system," the spokesman said.

In addition, Russian air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Staromlynovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region, Korsunka in the Kherson Region, Pshenichnoye and Novokrasnyanka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general reported.

In total, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 442 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 238 helicopters, 4,585 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 surface-to-air missile systems, 9,939 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,122 multiple rocket launchers, 5,100 field artillery guns and mortars and 10,927 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Blue and yellow flag, Russian dead attest to Ukrainian advance in south

Ukraine's blue and yellow flag flew over a ruined grocery store and Russian soldiers lay dead in the street of the village of Neskuchne, reached by Reuters journalists on Tuesday in the first independent confirmation of Ukraine's biggest advances for seven months against Russia's invasion.

Russia has not acknowledged any Ukrainian gains, and President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that for now he saw no need for a new mobilisation of fighting men to confront the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched last week.

"There is no such need today," Putin told a televised meeting of Russian war correspondents and military bloggers when asked about another mobilisation. But he added that it all depended on what Russia wanted to achieve in what it describes as a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

More than 15 months since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian forces are still battling along a 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, though far from the capital Kyiv.

Russian forces tried, and failed, to capture Kyiv in the hours and days after the invasion began on Feb. 24 last year.

In comments shown on the Russian state TV broadcast, Putin said he faced a question only he could answer - should Russia try to take Kyiv again?

Once again on Tuesday Putin threatened to withdraw Russia from the Black Sea grain deal, designed to ease a global food crisis worsened by the invasion, saying the West had cheated Moscow. Russia and Ukraine are both major agricultural exporters.

"We are thinking about getting out of this grain deal now," Putin told the meeting. "Unfortunately, we were once again cheated - nothing was done in terms of liberalising the supply of our grain to foreign markets."

The deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey will expire on July 17 unless Russia agrees to extend it.

UKRAINIAN TROOPS RIDE THROUGH RECAPTURED VILLAGE

Not a single resident could be found in Neskuchne, one of a cluster of settlements on the Mokry Yali river that Ukraine says its troops have captured since their counteroffensive began in a steady advance southwards into Russian-held territory.

Ukrainian troops rode through the muddy streets on the back of a tank and in a pick-up truck. A warplane flew overhead, firing flares.

"Three days ago the Russian forces were still here. We chased them out of Neskuchne. Glory to Ukraine," said Artem, a member of a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, who gave no surname.

The mainly one- and two-storey buildings in the village, which had a population of several hundred before the invasion, had nearly all been damaged. The scene was silent, apart for the crump of artillery fire in the distance.

Reuters saw at least three dead Russian soldiers lying in the street, including one whose fly-blown body lay by an abandoned Russian military vehicle. Artem said the advancing Ukrainian troops had watched from a drone as comrades initially tried to evacuate him, only to dump him and flee.

It was the first independent confirmation of Ukraine's advance in the area, roughly 90 km southwest of the city of Donetsk, one of several axes where it is trying to break through Russian lines.

In Washington, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said as he met U.S. President Joe Biden that the military alliance's support to Ukraine was making a difference on the battlefield.

"It's still early days, but what we do know is that the more land Ukrainians are able to liberate, the stronger hand they will have at the negotiating table," Stoltenberg said.

EARLY DAYS OF ASSAULT

Ukraine had stuck to a defensive posture through seven months of a Russian winter and spring campaign that yielded scant gains. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday night gave an updated casualty count for a Russian missile strike on an apartment building and warehouses in his birthplace of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine - 11 killed and more than 30 injured.

Russia, for its part, has had months to prepare several layers of defensive lines, meaning Ukraine's advance so far does not necessarily amount to a breach through the front.

After a week of giving little information, Ukraine said on Monday it had retaken seven settlements so far. Troops have advanced up to 6.5 km (4 miles) and seized 90 square km (35 square miles) of ground along a 100-km-long (60-mile-long) stretch of the southern front line, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

Putin told the televised meeting with war correspondents that Ukraine's counteroffensive had not been successful in any areas, and claimed that Ukrainian casualties had been 10 times higher than Russia's.

Leaked U.S. intelligence documents have estimated Russia has suffered losses several times greater than Ukraine's, with the worst casualties coming in recent months. Ukraine does not usually comment on its losses.

Putin declined to say whether Moscow would launch a new offensive of its own, saying that Russia's future plans would be decided once the Ukrainian counteroffensive was over.

The Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had fended off Ukrainian attacks near the villages of Makarivka, Rivnopil and Prechystivka. Makarivka is located further south along the river from Neskuchne.

Moscow also released video footage of what it said were German-made Leopard tanks and U.S.-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles captured in battle. Reuters could not immediately verify the location or time of the footage.

RT/Tass/Reuters

Sudan's warring factions not taking advantage of talks to achieve agreed truce - US

Sudan's warring factions are not taking advantage of talks initiated by the United States and Saudi Arabia meant to yield a permanent ceasefire as they originally agreed, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday.

The United States is consulting with Saudi Arabia and others in the Arab world and Africa about a path forward and hoped to announce a recommended approach in the next few days, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in Washington.

"We think we've given them every shot. We've given them this venue to try and come together and try and find a way forward that doesn't involve achieving an outcome that's based on violence or military dominance," the official said.

"They are clearly not taking advantage of the format that we've given them. It's not succeeding in the way they had originally agreed in terms of this step by step process to reach a permanent cessation of hostilities."

The war between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in mid April and has forced almost 2 million people to flee and wrecked the economy.

The talks in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah have failed to permanently end fighting and clashes intensified as soon as a ceasefire ended on Sunday. The army refused to extend that 24-hour ceasefire, the U.S. official said.

Airstrikes, artillery fire and gunfire erupted in the capital Khartoum and adjoining cities Bahri and Omdurman, killing civilians.

The violence continued in some areas of Khartoum on Monday, while some residents reported relative calm. The fighting has trapped civilians in a worsening humanitarian crisis in which people are frequently without electricity and water.

At least 866 people have been killed and over 6,000 injured in the fighting, the United Nations said on Thursday, citing government statistics.

A second senior State Department official told reporters there was a "dawning realization" among the warring parties that there was no acceptable military solution. This had not yet translated, however, into willingness to take tangible steps to lock in a longer ceasefire and a broader permanent cessation of hostilities, the official said.

U.S. CONSIDERS SCALING BACK TALKS

The second official said the United States is questioning how much more mileage they can get out of talks in Jeddah that could lead to a broader cessation of hostilities, or whether they would scale back talks and focus intently on humanitarian assistance.

"That's something we're actively talking about with partners," the official said.

The same official said the warring parties had not received much external support yet, despite concerns that the conflict would attract the interference of foreign actors, adding that work was being done to keep it that way.

"I think their previous partners are somewhat shocked. Everyone is shocked - like no one can believe that one would behave in such a suicidal manner. And they're concerned about the impact on their country and their region," the first official said.

The RSF said on Tuesday it had taken over the Um Dafog army base near the border with the Central African Republic and potentially a hub for supplies.

The extent of losses was unclear on either side but neither the army nor the RSF has appeared to establish the advantage.

The fighting has expanded to other parts of Sudan, in particular to the West Darfur city of El Geneina, where 1,100 people have been killed, according to activists.

Previous ceasefires had allowed some humanitarian access to the country, but aid agencies reported still being impeded by the fighting, bureaucracy and looting.

Reuters

At the end of 2022, Google implored Apple to “get the message” and end the green-versus-blue bubble controversy by adopting RCS messaging. Apple’s response eventually came at WWDC 2023, where it introduced a new iOS 17feature called Contact Posters, which instead of bringing everyone together, only furthers the us-versus-them split between Android and iOS.

If you thought the green/blue iMessage arguments could get fiery, there’s a lot more to come.

Blue good, green bad

Before we get into Contact Posters, it’s best to look at the green and blue message controversy. Apple’s iMessage messages appear in a blue bubble when sent and received by an iPhone, but when an iPhone receives an SMS message from an Android phone, it appears in a green bubble. Although it sounds innocuous enough, this difference has apparently caused rifts online, in schoolyards, in friendships, and even in relationships for years. Android’s green bubbles just aren’t as cool or desirable as blue ones, it seems.

To many people, this will sound pathetic, and in fact — to most people outside the U.S. — it’s viewed as an oddity due to the prevalence of messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Line. Now, whether arguments about it really happen is up for debate, but there are enough stories out there to suggest it’s a big deal to some (unpleasantly narcissistic) people. A 2019 story published in the New York Post is a particular eye-opener, with some Tinder daters calling text conversations with a green bubble a turn-off, and a thread on Hacker News in 2022 seems to confirm it’s still a thing today.

But the problem goes back much further than this, with the author of this 2016 Gizmodo story saying they planned to buy an iPhone to increase their chances of relationship success. It’s not just dating life, it’s elsewhere too. In 2014, the coach of a basketball team punished players for one person’s green bubble in an otherwise “pure” blue bubble group chat. These are adults, and even such confrontations don’t happen as often as we’re led to believe, it doesn’t stop it being madness.

Contact Posters is coming

If Android phone owners are getting shunned over text messages, iOS 17 will now see them shunned by the same lunatics with voice calls too. A new feature called Contact Posters lets you completely customize the screen that appears on someone else’s iPhone when your iPhone is calling it.

You can use a Portrait mode selfie, different fonts and colors for your name, and even use a Memoji instead of your own photo. When an iPhone calls another iPhone with iOS 17, it’ll be pretty clear who it is and that the call is coming from another iPhone. And thanks to the new NameDrop feature, you’ll also be able to hold two iOS 17 iPhones together to share your Contact Poster with another person.

It could also be a way to weed out those unwanted, unclean Android calls. When an Android phone calls an iOS 17 iPhone, it will be pretty obvious it won’t be an iPhone calling. Is it a robocall, a misdial, or an Android phone? No one will know, and no one will care — they’ll just send it to voicemail. The chances of some people (Contact Posers, perhaps?) only accepting calls presented with a Contact Poster are entirely real because we live in that kind of world.

There are some who believe the iMessage’s hated green bubble has been deliberately engineered to look unappealing on an iPhone, so perhaps Apple will add a big green background to a non-iPhone call too? Whatever happens, at some point, there’s no way this won’t cause the same issue as the whole green/blue message bubble debacle. Once again, Apple has introduced a feature that clearly splits those who have an iPhone from those who don’t. It’s leveraging more personalizable, more interesting, and far more eye-catching visual tools to make you seem cool, fun, and exciting before the person you’ve called has even picked up.

What will the world do?

Why is Apple doing this when it should be bringing people together? It’s doing so because it can and because it’s entirely entitled to do so. Apple is making the iPhone ecosystem more appealing than the competition, and it’s working just as it always has. The walled garden that Apple devices live in is well-known and actually a solid reason for purchasing an Apple product in the first place. Contact Posters, like iMessage, is another benefit of being part of the club.

However, for whatever reason, some see features like these as nefarious and exclusionary. Google certainly does, probably because it has never had a clue how to make (and continue to run) a single, successful messaging platform.

So, what’s the solution? It’s actually incredibly simple. If you want iMessage and blue bubbles, Contact Posters, FaceTime calls without links, AirDrop, NameDrop, or any number of other iOS features, buy an iPhone. They are very good. What’s great is Android phones are also very good, and a normal, well-adjusted human being won’t care one way or the other what color a message is or what shows up on the screen when the phone rings. They’ll just want a good phone, and luckily, there are a lot to choose from these days.

Or you could just use WhatsApp, Line, Telegram, Signal, or any number of other apps like the rest of the world and forget about bubbles and call screens entirely.

Digitaltrends

Everyone who leads people wants, even if only deep inside, to be a great boss. The problem is, what you feel are the qualities of a great boss may be very different from what your employees want, and need. 

That's why Seth Godin, author of the just-released new book The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams, asked 10,000 people in 90 countries to describe the conditions at the best job they ever had. 

Here are the top four:

• I surprised myself with what I could accomplish
• I could work independently
• The team built something important
• People treated me with respect

"Surprised myself with what I could accomplish" and "work independently" were the runaway leaders at 60 and 50 percent of respondents, respectively. Makes sense; we all love to feel good about ourselves, and we all appreciate – even if we work for someone else – feeling a sense of responsibility and authority. (The two often don't go hand in hand.)

More surprising is the fact "I got paid a lot" was mentioned by less than 20 percent of respondents. Clearly money is important, but while higher pay is great, at a baseline level what matters is that we feel fairly compensated for the work we do. 

Yet clearly purpose, meaning, and respect matter more.

As Godin writes: 

What would today be like if you could honestly describe your job that way? And what if all your coworkers felt the same way? Imagine being an investor, a customer, a participant in that sort of organization.

What if we created the best job someone ever had? What if we built an organization people would genuinely miss if it were gone?

You've probably seen the Gallup research that shows people leave bosses, not companies. Once pay and benefits are fair – not industry-leading, just appropriate and reasonable – how you treat people makes a huge difference.

Want to improve your odds of keeping your best employees and hiring potential superstars? Get your pay and bonus systems in order, and then think longer term.

One example: a study of more than 400,000 people published in Harvard Business Review found that when employees believe promotions are managed effectively, employee turnover rates are half that of other companies in the same industry. But wait, there's more; Productivity, innovation, and growth metrics also outperform the competition. (For public companies, stock returns are almost three times the market average.)

Promoting the right people matters, because it shows you value integrity and equity. Promoting the right people shows you reward performance and potential.

Bottom line? Money matters... until it doesn't.

Because you can't buy great employees.

But you can definitely earn them, by giving your employees the responsibility, authority, and respect that will allow them to surprise themselves with what they can accomplish. 

And gain the satisfaction we all feel when we get to become even better versions of ourselves.   

Inc

President Bola Tinubu has signed the student loan bill into law.

Tinubu signed the bill on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The legislation, which seeks to provide financial assistance to Nigerian students in tertiary institutions, passed the third reading in the lower chamber in May.

The bill was sponsored by Femi Gbajabiamila, immediate-past speaker of the house of representatives.

Dele Alake, a former Lagos commissioner of information and strategy, announced the signing of the bill to state house correspondents.

The legislation allows Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to access interest-free loans from the Nigerian education loan fund.

The legislation provides for the establishment of the Nigerian education bank, which will have the power to administer, supervise, coordinate, and monitor the management of student loans in the country.

Based on the provisions of the legislation, the bank is expected to receive applications for student loans through higher institutions on behalf of the applicants and screen them.

The Cable