Suspected Islamist fighters launched a coordinated attack on an army base and a military outpost in Borno State, killing at least 16 people, security sources told Reuters.

Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province militants have mainly operated in the northeast of Nigeria, attacking security forces and civilians and killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.

In the latest assault, Boko Haram insurgents and ISWAP fighters struck an army base in the Wajiroko area of Borno State at about 2100 GMT on Monday and set military equipment on fire, the sources said.

One of the soldiers in the Wajiroko brigade said at least four soldiers had been killed and several others injured, including the brigade commander.

Armed fighters in light tactical vehicles also stormed an outpost in Wulgo, a village about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from the Cameroonian border town of Fotokol, killing 12 soldiers and injuring a dozen others, Cameroon's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

A military source who asked not to be named told Reuters the raid that targeted soldiers who are fighting the insurgency as part of a multinational task force took place between midnight and 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

The source added the militants were suspected to have initially launched their attack using drones before advancing with a ground assault. "They looted an important stockpile of weapons," the source said.

Videos shared on social media showed bloodied bodies lying on the ground after the attack, charred patrol vehicles and damaged buildings. Reuters could not independently verify those videos.

A Nigerian army spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Cameroon army spokesperson Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo confirmed the attack but said the casualty figures were still unclear.

Makinta Modu, a member of a local militia recruited to help the Nigerian army, said in the Wajiroko attack militants overran an army "forward operation base".

"Around 10:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) air force fighter jets came for reinforcement ... and killed many of the ISWAP fighters that captured the military base," Modu said. It was not clear whether the army had regained control over the base.

Although weakened by military assaults and internal fighting over the years, Boko Haram and ISWAP have stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets in Borno this year.

An Islamist insurgency has plagued the northeast of Africa's most populous country for more than a decade, while kidnapping and banditry are rampant in the northwest and gang and separatist violence is common in the southeast.

Reuters

Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike, says Hamas media

Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said early on Thursday, the latest group figure to be killed since Israel resumed its operations in the enclave.

Qanoua was killed when his tent was targeted in Jabalia, the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television said. The same strike wounded several people, while separate attacks killed at least six in Gaza City and one in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, medical sources said.

Later on Thursday, the Israeli military confirmed in a statement that it killed Qanoua, saying that "he served as one of Hamas' key inciters."

Earlier this week, Israel killed Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas' political office, and Salah al-Bardaweel, another senior leader.

Both Bardaweel and Barhoum were members of the 20-member Hamas decision-making body, the political office, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to Hamas sources.

Last week, Israel ended a two-month-old ceasefire by resuming bombing and ground operations, increasing pressure on Hamas to free the remaining hostages in its captivity.

At least 855 people have been killed since Israel resumed major military strikes in Gaza on March 18, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Palestinian health authorities said that at least 30 people have been killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza on Thursday.

Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the truce. It had broadly held since January and offered respite from war for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble.

Hamas, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages Israel says the group seized in its October 7, 2023 attack, accused Israel of jeopardising efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas had rejected proposals to secure a ceasefire extension. He repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin proposes the UN to temporary govern Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested discussing the establishment of temporary governance in Ukraine, under the guidance of the UN and several countries. The aim would be to conduct elections in the country since Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired in May 2024. 

Moscow sees no clear way to sign any agreements with Kiev since “other leaders might come tomorrow,” Putin explained on Thursday night while addressing the sailors of the Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine.

“In such cases, international practice follows a well-known path within the framework of the United Nations peacekeeping activities; several instances have already demonstrated what is referred to as external management or temporary administration”, he suggested.

External powers should facilitate elections in Ukraine to “establish a capable government that has the trust of the people”, Putin stressed. After that, the new Ukrainian government could begin negotiations with Moscow and sign a peace agreement “that would be recognized around the world and will be reliable and stable.”

However, Putin also stressed that temporary governance is only one possible option. “In general, we support resolving conflicts peacefully, including this one, but not at our expense”, he concluded.

The US recently brokered a limited ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, placing a moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s Zelensky has publicly supported the 30-day partial ceasefire, which is supposed to involve reciprocal suspension of attacks by Kiev’s forces.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, however, has reported multiple Ukrainian violations of the agreement, which it described as aimed at undermining US President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts between Moscow and Kiev.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Moscow will honor its obligations despite Ukrainian actions, since the agreement represents positive diplomatic engagement with the Trump administration.

Earlier this week, US officials met separately with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia. Following the talks, Moscow said it was willing to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an arrangement that was originally mediated by the UN and Türkiye and expired in 2023.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Europeans back strong Ukraine army, differ on future 'reassurance force'

European leaders vowed on Thursday to strengthen Kyiv's army to ensure it was the cornerstone of future security in Ukraine, while France and Britain tried to expand support for a planned foreign "reassurance force" in the event of a truce with Russia.

It was the third summit of what Britain and France have called the "coalition of the willing", reflecting concern among Europeans that the U.S. no longer represents a bulwark of support for Ukraine's three-year-old fight against Russian invasion.

Progress on what role Europe might play in providing peacetime security guarantees is proving difficult with the prospect of a ceasefire distant and much dependent on how Russia responds and to what extent the U.S. would support its allies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said building up Ukraine's armed forces through additional funding was an important part of the conversation.

A Franco-British military delegation will soon head to Ukraine to consider how its army could take shape in the long term. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters a Ukrainian army of between 500,000 and 1 million would be a first line of defence in the event of a peace deal.

Zelenskiy told reporters he had been encouraged by the promises for now and after the war.

"It’s obvious that the strength and size of the Ukrainian army will always be a key guarantee of our security. So we need to build everything around that – our defence forces, their equipment, their technology, their effectiveness – this is the foundation," he said after more than four hours of talks with some 30 leaders.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who co-hosted with French President Emmanuel Macron, said leaders had agreed Ukraine needed more support to be in the strongest possible position for any peace process, without elaborating.

Beyond France committing some 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in new aid, including warplanes and missiles, there were no specific announcements.

Europe is under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to assume much more of its own security burden, but the continent's anaemic growth and high levels of debt have complicated the task.

FRANCE AND BRITAIN TRY TO MARSHAL EUROPEAN FORCE

Paris and London have already been working for weeks with allies on plans for a future land, air and sea "reassurance force", which could include troops based in Ukraine, to deter Russia from future aggression once there is a peace deal.

But diplomats say sending such a force to Ukraine itself is not the likeliest outcome, although bolstering NATO forces in neighbouring countries could be an option.

Even so, Macron was adamant the force would eventually come together and said Europe should prepare to go ahead even if U.S. support was lacking.

He said a number of countries had agreed to pursue the idea of sending troops, some could contribute air and maritime assets, and others remained opposed.

"It was not unanimous today, as we all know - and we don't need unanimity," Macron told a news conference.

He said one task for the British and French military delegations was to better understand Ukraine's needs, including where reassurance forces should be deployed.

"There are many questions about the modality of this contingent," Zelenskiy said. "So far, there are few answers."

Governments have said any European force would need its own U.S. security guarantees as a backstop, but there has so far been no sign that the Trump administration would provide those.

The United States did not attend the meeting but Macron said he would share the results with Trump.

"We need to accelerate our ability to finance, deliver weapons and prepare the outline of the Ukrainian army and the outline of the reassurance force," Macron said.

Some European allies have baulked at the prospect of sending troops without U.S. guarantees and an international mandate. They worry about the cost, about shortages of manpower and equipment, and about the prospect of ending up fighting Russia.

"The debate on sending troops from concrete countries is premature," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters.

"The idea still is that, if we debate something like that in Europe, there should be some kind of a safeguard from the United States."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Washington should be invited to future talks, according to her office.

There was broad agreement at the summit that it would be a strategic error to ease sanctions on Russia prematurely. Moscow has made the easing of certain sanctions a condition for a Black Sea ceasefire deal to take effect.

RT/Reuters

In late February 2025, a group of former African heads of state and finance experts gathered in Cape Town, South Africa, to sign the Cape Town Declaration – a bold call for a comprehensive debt relief program for African nations. This initiative, led by the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative (ALDRI), comes at a time when Africa’s economy is shackled by a debt burden that is suffocating development, forcing governments to prioritize repayments to Western and private creditors over essential services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

The numbers are staggering. As of 2021, Africa’s external debt had skyrocketed to $824 billion, with many countries spending over 60% of their GDP servicing these loans. In 2025 alone, Africa is projected to spend $74 billion on debt repayments – money that could instead fund schools, hospitals, and roads. But this crisis is not a simple case of financial mismanagement; it is a direct continuation of a system of economic subjugation that was established during colonial rule and perfected in the post-independence era through institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

For decades, African nations have fought to break free from Western economic dominance, and many visionary leaders have proposed radical solutions to liberate the continent. Among the most ambitious efforts were those led by Muammar Gaddafi, who sought to establish a gold-backed African currency, an African Central Bank, and an African Organization of Natural Resources – initiatives that, had they succeeded, could have ended Africa’s dependence on Western financial institutions.

The colonial origins of Africa’s debt crisis

Africa’s modern debt crisis cannot be understood without revisiting its colonial past. European powers extracted resources worth trillions of dollars from the continent while offering little in return in terms of industrial development. When independence movements swept across Africa in the mid-20th century, colonial powers did not simply leave. Instead, they imposed odious debts on newly independent nations, ensuring their continued economic dependence.

Take, for example, the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). When Belgium finally relinquished its grip on the country in 1960, it left behind a destroyed economy and almost no national wealth. Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister, attempted to nationalize the country’s resources to benefit its people. The response from the West? A CIA-backed coup that led to his assassination. In his place, the US and Belgium installed Mobutu Sese Seko, who accumulated billions in debt while plundering national wealth. The people of the DRC are still paying for this crime.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the IMF and World Bank imposed Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) on African nations, forcing them to slash public spending, privatize state enterprises, and open their economies to foreign investors. These policies, disguised as “economic reforms,”crippled Africa’s public sector, increased unemployment, and destroyed local industries – while Western corporations made a fortune.

The debt trap today: A modern form of colonialism

Fast forward to 2025, and Africa remains trapped in an economic structure that benefits Western financial institutions, multinational corporations, and private creditors. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), nearly 49% of Africa’s debt is now held by private lenders (expected to rise to 54%). Unlike concessional loans from the AfDB or the World Bank, these private loans come with interest rates that are five times higher than those paid by Western nations.

And then there’s the “Africa premium” – the absurd phenomenon where African countries are charged higher interest rates despite having lower default rates than Western economies.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina has repeatedly condemned this financial racism, stating, “There is no economic justification for why Africa, which has some of the lowest default rates, should be punished with higher borrowing costs.”

Gaddafi’s vision: Africa’s path to economic sovereignty

Not all African leaders have accepted this system of economic servitude. Some have tried to overthrow the Western-controlled financial order, and none more so than Muammar Gaddafi. It is in fact undeniable that Gaddafi was one of the most visionary proponents of African economic independence.

Gaddafi’s most radical proposal was the creation of an African currency backed by gold, known as the Gold Dinar. This would have eliminated Africa’s dependence on the US dollar and euro, allowing African nations to trade with one another in a currency based on their own resources.

Western powers understood that such a move would undermine the supremacy of their financial systems. A leaked Hillary Clinton email revealed that one of the main reasons for NATO’s intervention in Libya in 2011 was to prevent Gaddafi from launching the gold-backed currency.

Gaddafi also proposed an African Organization of Natural Resources (AONR), an institution that would have unified Africa’s resource management and ensured that the continent’s wealth was controlled by Africans, not foreign corporations. And his most ambitious economic project was the establishment of an African Central Bank (ACB), headquartered in Nigeria. The ACB would have served as an alternative to the IMF and World Bank, issuing African currencies and financing development without reliance on Western financial institutions.

A strategic shift: Africa and BRICS

If Africa is serious about breaking free from Western economic hegemony, it must seek alliances beyond the West, and BRICS offers the best alternative. BRICS nations represent a significant share of global economic power, controlling over 31.5% of global GDP (PPP) as of 2024, surpassing the 30% held by the G7.

Why BRICS? First of all, it gives access to alternative financing: the New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS, provides loans without the colonial-style conditionalities of the IMF and World Bank. Then, it can build a way to reduce dollar dependence, as BRICS is actively promoting trade in local currencies, which aligns with Africa’s own push for currency independence.

We also speak of technology transfer and industrialization: China and India, as emerging industrial giants, can provide investment in infrastructure and technology transfer without the exploitative conditions imposed by the West.

Apart from that, BRICS means fairer trade terms, because, unlike Western trade agreements, which favor multinational corporations, BRICS partners have shown more willingness to negotiate mutually beneficial deals.

Africa must not simply replace Western dependency with another form of subservience. The relationship with BRICS must be strategic, ensuring Africa gains real leverage. First, African nations must demand technology transfer instead of being raw material suppliers. Then AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) should be expanded to create a strong internal African market before seeking external trade partnerships. And finally, Africa should collectively negotiate with BRICS rather than entering fragmented, nation-by-nation agreements that weaken its position.

The struggle continues

The West killed Gaddafi’s dream of economic independence, but it remains Africa’s duty to resurrect it. The 21st century must be about dismantling financial colonialism – and forging new alliances that serve African interests. BRICS offers a promising alternative, but ultimately, Africa’s economic liberation must come from within. The continent must unite, own its resources, control its currency, and dictate its economic future – or remain forever shackled to the whims of foreign creditors.

RT

Tom Huddleston Jr.

Over the next decade, advances in artificial intelligence will mean that humans will no longer be needed “for most things” in the world, says Bill Gates.

That’s what the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist told comedian Jimmy Fallon during an interview on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” in February. At the moment, expertise remains “rare,” Gates explained, pointing to human specialists we still rely on in many fields, including “a great doctor” or “a great teacher.”

But “with AI, over the next decade, that will become free, commonplace — great medical advice, great tutoring,” Gates said.

In other words, the world is entering a new era of what Gates called “free intelligence” in an interview last month with Harvard University professor and happiness expert Arthur Brooks. The result will be rapid advances in AI-powered technologies that are accessible and touch nearly every aspect of our lives, Gates has said, from improved medicines and diagnoses to widely available AI tutors and virtual assistants.

“It’s very profound and even a little bit scary — because it’s happening very quickly, and there is no upper bound,” Gates told Brooks.

The debate over how, exactly, most humans will fit into this AI-powered future is ongoing. Some experts say AI will help humans work more efficiently — rather than replacing them altogether — and spur economic growth that leads to more jobs being created.

Others, like Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, counter that continued technological advancements over the next several years will change what most jobs look like across nearly every industry, and have a “hugely destabilizing” impact on the workforce.

“These tools will only temporarily augment human intelligence,” Suleyman wrote in his book “The Coming Wave,” which was published in 2023. “They will make us smarter and more efficient for a time, and will unlock enormous amounts of economic growth, but they are fundamentally labor replacing.”AI is both concerning and a ‘fantastic opportunity’

Gates is optimistic about the overall benefits AI can provide to humanity, like “breakthrough treatments for deadly diseases, innovative solutions for climate change, and high-quality education for everyone,” he wrote last year.

Talking to Fallon, Gates reaffirmed his belief that certain types of jobs will likely never be replaced by AI, noting that people probably don’t want to see machines playing baseball, for example.

“There will be some things we reserve for ourselves. But in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time those will be basically solved problems,” Gates said.

AI’s development does come with “understandable and valid” concerns, Gates wrote in a 2023 blog post. Today’s top-of-the-line AI programs are rife with errors and prone to enabling the spread of falsehoods online, for example.

But if he had to start a new business from scratch, he’d launch an “AI-centric” startup, Gates told CNBC Make It in September 2024.

“Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas,” he said, adding: “I’m encouraging young people at Microsoft, OpenAI, wherever I find them: ‘Hey, here’s the frontier.’ Because you’re taking a fresher look at this than I am, and that’s your fantastic opportunity.”Gates predicted AI’s potential years ago

Gates saw the AI revolution coming nearly a decade ago: When asked which industry he’d focus on if he had to start over from scratch, he quickly chose AI.

“The work in artificial intelligence today is at a really profound level,” Gates said at a 2017 event at Columbia University alongside Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. He pointed to the “profound milestone” of Google’s DeepMind AI lab creating a computer program that could defeat humans at the board game Go.

At the time, the technology was years away from ChatGPT-style generative text, powered by large language models. Yet by 2023, even Gates was surprised by the speed of AI’s development. He’d challenged OpenAI to create a model that could get a top score on a high school AP Biology exam, expecting the task to take two or three years, he wrote in his blog post.

“They finished it in just a few months,” wrote Gates. He called the achievement “the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface [in 1980].”

CNBC

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a two-year exemption from import duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) for critical raw materials used in pharmaceutical production, as part of a presidential initiative to boost local healthcare manufacturing.

Key Details of the Exemption

The tariff relief, authorized by President Bola Tinubu and implemented through the Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun, covers:

- Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

- Excipients

- Packaging materials

- Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets

- Rapid Diagnostic Kits

- Reagents

Eligibility Criteria

The exemption is specifically targeted at:

- Manufacturers recognized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

- Companies with a valid Tax Identification Number

Monitoring and Transparency

The Nigeria Customs Service has committed to:

- Compiling quarterly reports on importations

- Tracking details of importers, quantities, and values of imported items

- Ensuring the policy meets its intended objectives of strengthening local healthcare infrastructure

Purpose of the Initiative

The government aims to:

- Reduce the cost of medical equipment and consumables

- Stimulate local investments

- Enhance local manufacturing of healthcare products

NCS National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, emphasized that the policy requires collaboration from importers, manufacturers, and government agencies to successfully develop Nigeria's healthcare sector.

The exemption will be in effect for two years, providing a significant opportunity for local pharmaceutical manufacturers to expand and improve healthcare product production.

The Federal Government has announced Monday and Tuesday as public holidays to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani, made the declaration in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Eid-el-Fitr, a major Islamic festival, is observed by Muslims worldwide after completing 29 or 30 days of fasting during Ramadan.

In his message, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, called on Muslims to uphold the values of self-discipline, compassion, generosity, and peace. He stressed the importance of love, forgiveness, and unity in fostering a harmonious society.

Tunji-Ojo also urged Nigerians to pray for the nation’s peace, stability, and prosperity during the festive period, adding that Eid-el-Fitr should serve as a reminder of unity and collective progress.

The minister encouraged citizens to celebrate responsibly while extending kindness to the less privileged through charity, in line with the spirit of Ramadan and Eid.

On behalf of the Federal Government, he extended warm Eid Mubarak wishes to all Muslim faithful, praying that the blessings of the season bring joy, success, and fulfillment to everyone.

Hundreds stage Gaza protest against Hamas after conflict resumes

Hundreds of Palestinians have protested in northern Gaza to demand an end to war, chanting "Hamas out," social media posts showed, in a rare public show of opposition to the militant group that sparked the latest war with its October 7, 2023 raid on Israel.

Northern Gaza has been one of the most devastated areas of Gaza. Most buildings in the densely populated area have been reduced to rubble and much of the population has moved several times to escape the conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to say the protest showed Israel's decision to renew its offensive was working in Gaza, where Hamas police - the group's enforcers - have once again disappeared after emerging during a ceasefire.

"Out, out, out, Hamas get out," chanted those seen in one of the posts published on X, apparently from the Beit Lahiya region of Gaza, on Tuesday. It showed people marching down a dusty street between war-damaged buildings.

"It was a spontaneous rally against the war because people are tired and they have no place to go," said one witness, who spoke on condition that his name not be used for fear of retribution.

"Many chanted slogans against Hamas, not all people but many, saying 'Out Hamas'. People are exhausted and no one should blame them," he said.

The posts began circulating widely late on Tuesday. Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video by buildings, utility poles and road layout that matches satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date of the video. However, several videos and photographs shared on social media showed protests in the area on March 25.

Social media activists circulated a video they said was of a protest by hundreds of people in Shejaia, a suburb of Gaza City, on Wednesday calling for the dismissal of Hamas, indicating the anti-Hamas protests may be spreading. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said people had the right to protest at the suffering inflicted by the war but he denounced what he said were "suspicious political agendas" exploiting the situation.

"Where are they from, what is happening in the West Bank?" he said. "Why don't they protest against the aggression there or allow people to take to the streets to denounce this aggression?"

The comments, reflecting tensions among Palestinian factions over the future of Gaza, came several hours after the rival Fatah movement called on Hamas to "respond to the call of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip". Fatah leads the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the occupied West Bank.

POLITICAL TENSIONS

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli campaign in Gaza, Palestinian officials say. It was launched after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Much of the narrow coastal enclave has been reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in tents or bombed-out buildings.

Hundreds of thousands of residents who had fled to the south of Gaza earlier in the war returned to their ruined homes in the north after a ceasefire took effect in January.

Now, Israel has issued new evacuation orders after relaunching its offensive on March 18.

"All Gaza is in ruins and now the occupation ordered us to leave the north again, where to go?" the witness at the protests said.

Since Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza, saying its goal was to completely dismantle Hamas, nearly 700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to Palestinian health officials.

Hamas deployed thousands of police and security forces across Gaza after the ceasefire took effect in January, but its armed presence has sharply retracted since Israel's major attacks resumed. Fewer police were present in some areas, while members and leaders of the armed wing went off the radar to avoid Israeli airstrikes.

Palestinian analyst Akram Attallah said Hamas, which kept a lid on public opposition before the war, would have few options to clamp down on demonstrations if they gained momentum.

"The people are exhausted and paid with their lives and property, and the group is facing a devastating Israeli military offensive that makes it weaker to crack down on the protesters even if it wanted to," he said.

Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 in elections that swept out the Fatah group of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It has ruled the enclave since then, offering little space for opposition.

The two movements have been at odds for years and have failed to bridge differences over the postwar future of Gaza, which the PA says must come under its authority.

Hamas, while expressing readiness to step back from an active part in government, says it must be involved in selecting whatever administration comes next.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Rubio says US will evaluate Russian demands for Black Sea ceasefire

The United States will evaluate demands made by Russia after Moscow had agreed "in principle" to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

The U.S. announced separate Black Sea agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday - following talks in Saudi Arabia - to ensure safe navigation, stop attacks, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump - who took office on January 20 - has been pushing for an end to the war amid a rapid U.S. rapprochement with Moscow that has alarmed Kyiv and European allies.

"After our meeting (in Saudi Arabia) ... the Russians detailed a number of conditions that they want to see met in order to do that, so we're going to evaluate that," Rubio told reporters on Wednesday during a visit to Jamaica.

He said U.S. officials would work to "more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they're asking in exchange, and then we'll present that to the President (Trump)" and make a decision about the next step.

Russia's demands are well-known. The conditions listed in a statement by the Kremlin on Tuesday - including the lifting of restrictions and sanctions on a major agricultural bank, exporters of food and fertilizer and on Russian vessels - largely mirror demands made by Moscow two years ago during talks to extend a Black Sea deal first agreed in July 2022.

RUSSIAN DEMANDS

The 2022 deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to allow the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain. Under an accompanying three-year pact, the U.N. agreed to help facilitate Russia's food and fertilizer exports.

Russia quit the Black Sea deal in July 2023, complaining that demands related to its food and fertilizer exports had not been met. U.N. officials have continued to work with Russia to try and address its export concerns.

In a letter to the U.N. in March 2023, Russia said it wanted the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) reconnected to the SWIFT payments system. The bank was cut off from SWIFT by the European Union in June 2022.

Russia also said it wanted a resumption of supplies to Russia of agricultural machinery and spare parts; lifting restrictions on insurance and access to ports for Russian ships and cargo; and unblocking accounts and financial activities of Russian fertilizer companies.

While Russian exports of food and fertiliser are not subject to Western sanctions, Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.

Rubio noted on Wednesday that Russia's demands involved the lifting of some EU sanctions. The European Commission said on Wednesday that the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine would be one of the main conditions to lift or amend sanctions.

After U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday that as part of a ceasefire deal it had agreed to "help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions."

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, UAV assembly workshops over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields, an equipment repair plant and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck military airfield infrastructure facilities, a military hardware repair enterprise, UAV production workshops and control posts, ammunition depots and massed enemy manpower and equipment in 143 areas," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 55 casualties on Ukrainian army in Belgorod area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 55 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility in the Belgorod direction over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Belgorod direction, Battlegroup North units struck massed manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Krasnopolye, Ugroyedy, Prokhody, Miropolskoye and Petrushevka in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 55 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, a motor vehicle and an artillery gun in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 250 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns and three ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an airborne brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Lozovaya and Petropavlovka in the Kharkov Region, Nadiya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kirovsk and Yampol in the Donetsk People’s Republic and in the area of the Serebryanka forestry," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 250 personnel, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle and two pickup trucks, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed three artillery guns and three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 310 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 310 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two US-made counterbattery radar stations in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of eight mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and two National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Novoolenovka, Romanovka, Minkovka, Chasov Yar, Druzhba, Kalinovo, Zarya, Katerinovka and Tarasovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 310 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a 155mm M777 howitzer and two AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar stations of US manufacture in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two electronic warfare stations, a warehouse of unmanned aerial vehicles and a fuel depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 480 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 480 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and two armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of a mechanized brigade, a jaeger brigade, two assault brigades, an unmanned systems brigade, an assault regiment, an assault battalion, the Vostok Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Mirolyubovka, Kotlino, Dimitrov, Zverevo, Krasnoarmeisk, Uspenovka, Udachnoye, Grodovka, Alekseyevka, Nadezhdinka and Novoaleksandrovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 480 personnel, two tanks, two Kozak armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles, two field artillery guns and an electronic surveillance station in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 150 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 150 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses among manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Shevchenko, Voskresenka, Fyodorovka, Novopol, Razliv and Zelyonoye Pole in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost as many as 150 personnel, three motor vehicles and three field artillery guns, including a Swedish-made 155mm Archer self-propelled artillery system in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed a materiel depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr destroys over 65 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr destroyed more than 65 Ukrainian troops and a US-made multiple rocket launcher in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, three coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Sadovoye, Pridneprovskoye, Antonovka and Vesyoloye in the Kherson Region, Malaya Tokmachka, Orekhov and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

"More than 65 [Ukrainian] military personnel, seven motor vehicles, a US-made MLRS rocket launcher and two ammunition depots were destroyed," it specified.

Russian air defenses down 58 Ukrainian UAVs, two JDAM smart bombs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 58 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two JDAM smart bombs over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down two JDAM guided aerial bombs and a rocket of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system of US manufacture and 58 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 659 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 48,462 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 surface-to-air missile systems, 22,499 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,532 multiple rocket launchers, 22,987 field artillery guns and mortars and 33,368 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Reuters/Tass

During an interview on Channels TV on Monday, Wole Soyinka responded to critics who have been taunting him to “say something” about the present administration. In the interview, he said, “People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me. I had not swallowed an alarm clock. I don’t see why I should put my alarm on and say: ‘One year has passed, now, I must make an assessment’ if there is nothing I feel like talking about and if I am busy elsewhere.” Following his earlier statement when he visited Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock in 2023, that he only criticises a government after its first year, it must be disappointing to his monitors that they cannot put their hands in his mouth and force out words.

To be fair to him, Soyinka has not been exactly silent on Nigeria’s situation. He criticised Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, but his intervention was tame, lame, and lacking characteristic edginess. The Soyinka who once referred to President Goodluck Jonathan as “Nebuchadnezzar” because of a police siege on the National Assembly resorted to prevarications on Rivers’ state of emergency. Time truly changes everything. If Jonathan were Nebuchadnezzar, the enslaving king who lost his sanity at the height of his brutal reign, then to which biblical figure can one similarly liken Tinubu, under whose watch Nigerians have confronted a severe economic crisis and recorded an unparalleled number of human rights abuses? Rehoboam, perhaps. That was the king who ill-advisedly refused to lighten the strenuous taxes his predecessor had tolled the people, incited a public rebellion, and ended up balkanising a united kingdom.

Everyone, including the critics taunting Soyinka for bringing less than the blunt edges of his sharp wit to political discourses, knows he is in an awkward situation under the present administration. He and Tinubu are friends, and their close relationship reportedly started during their NADECO days. Ordinarily, it is hard for a social critic to take down a close friend in power. It is even harder for a man like Soyinka, who has set a high bar of radical public engagement, to continue to meet his own standards now that his buddy is the President. While he has built a towering profile around being an anti-establishment figure, he is part of the political establishment now, even if he does not hold any official position in Tinubu’s administration. He can no longer maintain his previous ideological stance on political issues, and he should make that clear to the public rather than promising to speak when he finally has something to say. There is nothing he will ever have to say on any issue that has to do with Tinubu’s administration that will not be considered tainted and even cynically prejudged, so why bother?

Perhaps if Soyinka had known that a day would come when Tinubu would become the President, he would have been more measured in his criticisms of previous administrations. He would not be in the awkward position where they jab him to prove his patriotic commitment to the nation by criticising an oppressive government now run by his dear friend. The past cannot be helped, but he should also be able to clearly state to the public on whose behalf he has advocated for years, why he would hang up his boxing gloves this time around. It will not be a crime, nor will it mean he has lost the patriotic zeal that pushed him into lifelong social advocacy; it would just be practical under the circumstances. It is not enough to say, “I will speak when I have something to say,” but you must also be accountable enough to the public to point out your closeness to the political subject, how it compromises you, and why you would take a pass on political commentary. Without being upfront about why you have nothing to say during an oppressive reign when you would have had more than enough to say if your friends were not involved, you damage your public image and legacy. Respecting the public enough to be honest about your limits under the circumstances means you can frame your actions as courtesy to a friend rather than leave them to be interpreted as cowardice or hypocrisy.

One of the several fallouts of the ascendance of the All Progressives Congress to the national stage from being a regional party is that it forcefully retired many anti-establishment figures. Many of them cut their critical teeth railing against the Peoples Democratic Party machine that was in power for 16 years. While at it, they also fraternised with the Alliance for Democracy/APC, the political party that also defined itself against the state. Their mutual affiliation was logical for reasons ranging from ethnic sentiment to the lush funds Tinubu provided from Lagos’ purse. When the APC won the Presidency in 2015, many of them found themselves in the uncomfortable position where they could either maintain their oppositional stance (and risk offending their APC allies) or become apologists for a government that duplicated every political action for which they once attacked the PDP. Before many could figure out their roles under the dispensation, the dynamics of Nigerian political opposition changed. The old guard was replaced by a younger generation who quickly made it clear they would have nothing to do with them.

Soyinka was one of those who soldiered on, although one can argue that his criticisms of the Muhammadu Buhari administration curiously coincided with the sidelining of Tinubu among the APC establishment. While I do not think he is a card-carrying member of the APC, Soyinka’s political posture since 1999 has favoured the AD/APC political class more than any other collective in Nigeria. Now that the same Tinubu has made it to the Presidency, Soyinka is in an even more complicated place. There is no winning for him under the circumstances other than acknowledging that some personal relationships necessarily compromise us. The writer E.M. Forster once said, “If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.” This should be one of the times when choosing your friend over your country is the right thing to do.

This is not the first time friendship has put Soyinka in an awkward position where he has to self-justify. In 2016, during one of the many squabbles between Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his successor Nyesom Wike, it was revealed that the former had spent N82m (about $165,000) to host him to a dinner. Wike’s boys pulled that detail out from official records for no other reason than to embarrass Soyinka, whose intervention in the Rivers matter was perceived as fighting Amaechi’s battles. Soyinka’s response was to deny it was his “business to probe into the catering and logistical implications of the hundreds of institutions and governments all over the world to whom I acknowledge an immense debt of unsolicited recognition over the years”. Yes, while no reasonable person expects a Nobel Prize winner to ask such questions when he is hosted at a dinner, the right thing would have been to condemn such an inordinate expense made in your name. By not calling out Amaechi’s corruption, he fell into Wike’s well-laid trap to make him choose between his friend and the strict moral principles for which he is renowned.

Now he is in another situation that warrants choosing between his friend and his principles, and I suggest he chooses the former. We can borrow the immortal wisdom of Ogbuefi Ezeudu in Things Fall Apart, who told Okonkwo: “That boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death to remind him this unpleasant task needs not to involve him.” Soyinka was right that other people—the Falanas, Sowores, and the Baiyewus—are already doing a good job without him. The thing is, by looking away from his friend’s administrative shortcomings, he will also be losing the moral right to comment on any other leader after Tinubu. He should make peace with that.

Punch