Nigeria had far more Federal Government debt (in absolute nominal terms) between 2015 and 2025 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) than between 1999 and 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
At the end of PDP rule in mid-2015, Nigeria's total public debt stock stood at around ₦12 trillion (with the federal government's share roughly ₦9-10 trillion), following a period where debt had been significantly reduced earlier under Obasanjo via Paris Club relief before rising modestly under Yar'Adua and Jonathan.
By contrast, under APC (Buhari 2015-2023 and Tinubu onward), the debt exploded to over ₦77 trillion by 2023 and reached approximately ₦149-153 trillion by mid-to-late 2025 according to Debt Management Office (DMO) figures, representing a roughly 12-fold increase in naira terms over the decade—driven by heavy domestic and external borrowing amid oil price crashes, deficits, currency devaluation, and fiscal pressures—despite the later period including some GDP growth that kept debt-to-GDP ratios from being catastrophically higher proportionally.
What happens when we convert these figures to dollars?
Nigeria had far more Federal Government debt in US dollar terms between 2015 and 2025 under the APC than between 1999 and 2015 under the PDP.
At the end of PDP rule in mid-2015, Nigeria's total public debt stock stood at approximately $63–66 billion (with the federal government's share around $53–55 billion), reflecting a period of modest accumulation after earlier Paris Club debt relief.
By contrast, under APC governance, the total public debt surged to roughly $113 billion by mid-2023 and reached about $100–104 billion by mid-to-late 2025 (e.g., $99.66 billion as of June 2025 and around $104 billion by September 2025 per DMO data), representing a roughly 50–60% increase in dollar terms over the decade despite significant naira depreciation that inflated the local-currency figure dramatically.
The dollar comparison shows substantially higher absolute debt levels under the APC period, even as debt-to-GDP ratios remained somewhat contained due to economic growth and valuation effects.
Russia is sending alcoholics from rehabilitation centres to the front line in Ukraine, a soldier claimed.
An unnamed Russian serviceman described a stream of new arrivals to his unit – many of them older, physically unfit and struggling with alcohol dependency – in recent video footage.
He claimed that the men were rounded up at a facility in Petrozavodsk, close to the border with Finland, by “black recruiters” who confiscated their bank cards and drained their accounts of money.
In an expletive-laden and offensive rant, he said of his newly staffed unit: “They f---ing recruited a bunch of cripples who can’t even f---ing walk on top of being mentally unwell.
“I saw it myself – from Petrozavodsk, from Karelia, they recruited these f---ing guys from rehab, f---ing drunks.”
The soldier said there were around 30 unfit soldiers in his unit of 40.
The “black recruiters” refer to informal or illegal intermediaries who sign up men for military service through coercion, deception, or outright fraud, often operating alongside or in the shadows of the official recruitment system.
The soldier’s claims are the latest in a series of accusations that Russia has relied on coercion and manipulation to recruit soldiers physically or mentally unfit for combat.
These claims encompass men with serious illnesses, mental disabilities, and foreign recruits who were allegedly pressured or deceived into joining the ranks.
Taken together, Ukrainian officials say the pattern points to a strategy in which Moscow is increasingly dependent on vulnerable recruits, deploying large numbers of troops to secure gains on the front line regardless of the human cost.
Russian military losses in Ukraine exceeded the number of new recruits in January by approximately 9,000 soldiers, according to the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre (USCC).
“Given the situation, Russia has indeed been actively recruiting vulnerable groups, including people with various addictions, the unemployed, the ill, and former prisoners, and has also been using different methods to recruit migrants from other countries into its armed forces,” said Oksana Kuzan, co-founder and head of the analytical department of the USCC.
Ms Kuzan added that Russian propagandists themselves had indicated that the Kremlin set recruitment quotas for contract soldiers at the regional level, and that local officials often send almost anyone to the front with little regard for suitability.
The USCC reported that many men are forced to sign contracts while intoxicated, something also asserted by Russian war bloggers.
They claim that men’s signatures are often forged, or they are coerced into joining by being forced to choose between military service and one of Russia’s notoriously harsh prisons.
Recruiters are often paid bonuses for enlisting men, regardless of their fitness for combat, making marginalised people particularly vulnerable. Many recruiters are under pressure to meet targets for the number of men they enlist.
“What’s up with that guy? How does he manage to get around? Even if he does make it there, he won’t even be able to [fight], you know? And it’s like, ‘just let him get there’,” said the soldier in the video clip.
According to the soldier, commanders show little concern for the recruits’ condition, sending them into assault operations regardless, “just to make it there”.
Those who refused to go were beaten and have their injuries worsened, he added.
Russia is also accused of recruiting soldiers infected with HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases, who are reportedly deployed in segregated units and required to wear armbands identifying their illnesses.
Last year, sources within the military shared research with The Telegraph documenting five cases that they claimed revealed Russia’s willingness to send disabled or diseased soldiers into combat.
Waves of Russian soldiers are often sent into battle underprepared, with video footage showing them with no helmets or armour.
To replace the waves of men lost in “meat-grinder” assaults, Russia is thought to have lured thousands of Africans to the front lines, either under false pretences or with promises of hefty salaries.
“It can be assumed that as Russian military losses in the war against Ukraine increase, and the number of contract soldiers declines, the activity of such ‘black recruiters’ will also intensify,” said Ms Kuzan.
My question is, of what use are educational qualifications in Nigeria when it comes to judging competence?
How is it that a man who never saw the 4 walls of a university was better able to manage Nigeria’s economy than a man who was allegedly trained in one of the best universities in the United States?
'Blood on his hands': IDF strike kills IRGC Navy chief Tangsiri in Strait of Hormuz
A strike killed the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, in Bandar Abbas, adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Israeli defense sources have confirmed to the Post that the IDF was behind the strike that killed Tangsiri and added that the strike took place at 3 a.m local time.
The sources said that a number of Tangsiri's top naval aides were killed in the same attack.
“We continue to strike the targets of the Iranian terror regime with force," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday afternoon.
Netanyahu said Tangsiri had "a great deal of blood on his hands" and was the person "who led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz."
"This is another example of the cooperation between us and our ally, the United States, in pursuit of our shared war objectives,” Netanyahu concluded.
The Iranian official 'directly responsible' for blocking Hormuz
Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Tangsiri's killing, calling him the official "directly responsible" for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
“This is also an important development for our American partners, as it reflects the IDF’s role in helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” he told security officials during a situation assessment.
Tangsiri has led the IRGC Navy since August 2018.
During his tenure, Tangsiri oversaw a major buildup of the IRGC Navy, expanding its capabilities with thousands of weapons, particularly missiles and naval mines. He directed attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels using drones and maritime mines, while also strengthening intelligence-gathering efforts to support IRGC operations at sea.
During the war, his role grew significantly, and he became the key figure approving most maritime attacks in southern Iran, including operations that caused damage to civilian infrastructure and US-linked targets. The IRGC Navy under his leadership also supported allied groups, especially the Houthis, with maritime intelligence and tracking of shipping in strategic waterways such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Last week, Tangsiri threatened retaliation against US facilities in the region, warning civilians and workers to stay away.
"Our list of targets is updated. Oil facilities associated with America are now on par with American bases and will come under fire with full force," Tangsiri said at the time.
The US has said repeatedly that eliminating Iran's naval capabilities was a top priority. Since the war began, the US is believed to have taken out around 100 vessels used by the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the IRGC.
Global oil price drop sparks fresh calls for Dangote Refinery petrol cost reduction
The recent drop in global crude oil prices on Tuesday has triggered fresh calls for the Dangote Refinery to reduce its petrol price, currently pegged at N1,245 per liter.
Crude prices fell below the $100 per barrel mark following reports that United States President Donald Trump sent a 15-point peace proposal to Iran aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.
Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) recorded declines of about five percent, dropping to $98 and $87 per barrel, respectively.
The price slump comes after nearly a month of escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, which had earlier driven crude prices from around $64 per barrel to a peak of about $115 before retreating.
Amid the earlier surge, the Dangote Refinery increased petrol prices for the fifth time in March 2026, citing global crude oil market trends.
The adjustment pushed pump prices nationwide to between N1,361 and N1,380 per liter.
However, with the recent decline in crude prices, stakeholders in the energy sector are urging the refinery to lower its petrol price in line with current market realities.
Energy experts, including Engr Eleojo Joseph and Dominic Ebere argued that the company should reflect the drop in crude prices just as it adjusted rates upward during the price surge.
Chelsea recorded a pre-tax loss of £355m for 2024-25, according to financial figures released by Uefa.
It is the highest annual loss ever made by an English football club, and the second highest in European history, following the £484m Barcelona lost in 2021.
So what is the detail behind the numbers?
Chelsea bring in less money than other wealthy PL clubs
The report doesn't break down the loss into its component parts, but there are clues.
Uefa's figures show Chelsea's overall revenue was significantly lower than some of their Premier League rivals.
The Blues brought in £511m, compared to £746m for Manchester City and £744m for Liverpool.
That difference comes from a few key areas.
Chelsea's income from ticket sales was the ninth-highest in Europe but still £28m less than Liverpool, one place ahead of them.
The average amount Chelsea made per matchday was £1.2m less than Liverpool, who again were one spot ahead.
Chelsea's matchday revenue is restricted by the capacity of Stamford Bridge, which at 41,798 is only the 11th-biggest ground in the Premier League, 34,000 smaller than Manchester United's Old Trafford.
The Blues also made far less in commercial revenue than some of their rivals.
They were ranked 11th for commercial revenue in Europe last year, making £207m - £5m down on the previous year.
That puts their commercial revenue £66m lower than Tottenham - the next-highest English club - and £165m lower than Manchester City, who brought in more than anyone else in the Premier League.
Chelsea also made far less from merchandising and kit sales than the five other wealthiest Premier League clubs.
They generated £83m from that revenue stream - no improvement on the previous year. That is £46m less than Spurs and £82m less than top-ranked Manchester United.
The only area in which Chelsea performed impressively in comparison to their rivals was broadcast revenue, with participation and victory in the Fifa Club World Cup boosting income to £192m, putting them second-highest on the list in Europe, behind Manchester City.
Genetic research consistently identifies Yoruba and Igbo populations as having the highest level of genetic similarity among major Nigerian ethnic groups. Studies using various DNA markers show that their genetic relationship closely mirrors their linguistic classification within the Volta-Niger branch.
Examples of Genetic Similarity
High Similarity Index: A study comparing five Nigerian ethnic groups (Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ibibio, and Tiv) found that the Yoruba and Igbo had the highest genetic similarity value at 0.993 (on a scale where 1.000 is identical)
Minimal Genetic Differentiation:
Genome-wide patterns show that non-Bantu populations like the Yoruba and Igbo exhibit very little genetic differentiation, with an average Fixation Index (Fst) value of less than 0.4%. This indicates that the vast majority of genetic variation occurs within individuals rather than between these two groups.
Shared Haplogroups:
Both groups predominantly carry the E1b1a1-M2 Y-chromosome haplogroup, which is a defining genetic marker for many Niger-Congo-speaking peoples in West Africa.
Maternal Lineage Homogeneity:
Research into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) shows that the maternal lineages of the Yoruba and Igbo are nearly indistinguishable, reflecting a shared ancestral gene pool in the West African forest and savanna regions.
Clustering in PCA: In Principal Component Analysis (PCA)—a tool used to visualize genetic distance—Yoruba and Igbo individuals consistently cluster tightly together, separate from more distant groups like the Hausa or East Africans.
Why are they so similar?
This high degree of similarity suggests significant historical gene flow and a relatively recent common ancestry (estimated at roughly 2,000 to 5,000 years ago). Before they diverged into distinct ethnic identities, their ancestors likely lived as a single population near the Niger-Benue confluence.
Does this mean that Yorubas and Igbos share a common male and female ancestry?
Yes, genetic evidence confirms that Yorubas and Igbos share both a common male (paternal) and female (maternal) ancestry, though the patterns of this inheritance differ slightly.
1. Common Male Ancestry (Paternal)
Most Yoruba and Igbo men share the same ancient fatherly lineage. Haplogroup E1b1a1-M2: This is the dominant Y-chromosome lineage for both groups.
Significance: This specific marker is a "signature" of the Niger-Congo-speaking peoples of West Africa. It suggests that the vast majority of men in both tribes descend from a single group of ancestors who lived thousands of years ago.
2. Common Female Ancestry (Maternal)
The maternal links between the two groups are even more "homogenous" (similar) than the paternal ones.
mtDNA Homogeneity: Studies of mitochondrial DNA (passed only from mothers to children) show a very high level of similarity between Yorubas and Igbos.
Gene Flow: Researchers believe that throughout history, women frequently moved between different ethnolinguistic groups due to patrilocality (the practice of a wife moving to her husband's community). This constant "blending" over millennia has created a nearly identical maternal genetic substrate for both tribes.
3. Total Genetic Similarity When looking at the entire genome (not just male or female lines), the overlap is nearly total: 99.3% Similarity: In standardized genetic tests, Yoruba and Igbo populations consistently show a similarity index of 0.993.
Low Differentiation: The Fixation Index (Fst), which measures how much groups differ from each other, is extremely low—less than 0.4%. This means there is more genetic variation within a single group of Igbos than there is between the Igbo and Yoruba populations as a whole.
🚨: BLACK MUSLIM ☪️ MAN CRIES 😭 OF RACISM FROM SUPERIOR MUSLIMS AFTER HE MARRIED AN EGYPTIAN MUSLIM WOMAN..
People online called me a monkey, said my wife was a disgrace to her family for marrying a black man. When people found out that I as a black Muslim man married an Egyptian, the racism came out. Messages I won't repeat, comments calling me names, telling her she is a disgrace, that her father should cut contact with her, that she betrayed her people by marrying someone dark-skinned. And these weren't comments from random people in the West. These were Muslims, people who post Quran verses everyday and talk about the Ummah.
But the moment they see a black man with an Arab woman, all of that disappears. But you know what? As a Muslim, you always have to think the best about your brother. I'm not angry. I assume they just don't have the right knowledge. And that's why I want to educate them. The Prophet said in his final sermon, An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, nor is a non-Arab superior to an Arab except by taqwa.
White is not superior to black, nor is black superior to white, except by taqwa. Her father looked at my character, my deen, whether I could protect and provide for his daughter. He didn't see my skin color as an issue. Maybe they never learned this. Maybe no one ever taught them. So I'm teaching them right now. This is what Islam actually says and we need to do better.
🚨: Black Muslim ☪️ man cry 😭 of racism from superior Muslims after he married an Egyptian Muslim woman..
Nottingham Forest cruised to a 3-0 victory over Tottenham, with goals from Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White, and substitute Awoniyi sealing a vital win in their relegation battle. Awoniyi's undershirt message drew scrutiny under Premier League rules banning religious displays on clothing, similar to past reminders for players like Cody Gakpo and Gabriel Jesus.
Critics like Laurence Fox and Joey Barton highlighted perceived double standards, contrasting it with pausing football matches for Ramadan and other permitted gestures, while Forest fans rallied in support.
Under public procurement laws, names of contractors executing contracts for the FG are meant to be publicly available and Nasiru Danu is the majority shareholder of the company that won the NAMA contract
helinues: You can see from my comments that I passed a message. You could be one of the audience hence your response.
Which truth don't come out from gazette? Tell us
Everything here is true with audacity on something he had no clue about. Indeed a good audience
EXCLUSIVE: Keyamo awards N22 billion NAMA headquarters project to notorious fraudster Nasiru Danu as mindless looting rages under Bola Tinubu
As public corruption under President Bola Tinubu intensifies, the administration has awarded a critical aviation infrastructure project to a company founded and promoted by a dubious Nigerian businessman who was last believed to have fled the United Kingdom after being caught with proceeds of illicit activities at London Heathrow Airport.
Aviation minister Festus Keyamo announced last week that a N21.68 billion contract had gone to Messrs NHD Interbiz Projects Ltd for the first phase of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency headquarters in Abuja.
Two sources familiar with the deal told Peoples Gazette that Mr Keyamo, who started out as a rights activist and anti-graft prosecutor, deliberately shirked mentioning that the firm, as its initials hint, belongs to Nasiru Haladu Danu, an infamous public works contractor whose exploits during the previous President Muhammadu Buhari government drew public outrage.
The minister said the contract, expected to be completed in 30 months, would serve as a modern facility for air traffic management at the only airport serving the nation’s capital.
Officials said Mr Tinubu signed off on the contract, expecting its windfall to further serve to cushion his campaign war chest ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The president is trying to warehouse a lot of money for his reelection campaign as possible,” an official said under anonymity to discuss a matter he had opposed internally. “We’ve warned that projects should not be going to shady people like Nasiru Danu, but he needs people like that to move public funds around.”
Mr Danu got the contract despite his tawdry background, raising questions about the quality of background checks conducted before Mr Keyamo made the announcement.
Both men have previously denied being corrupt, and Mr Danu has sued for defamation over previous allegations against him.
Mr Danu, a politician of the ruling party, was arrested in 2019 at Heathrow Airport over an alleged passport scam and money laundering. Sahara Reporters said he was caught with a fake Malta passport and more than £200,000 cash.
In the same year, another business he owns, Casiva, was among the 15 firms awarded the 2019-2020 contracts to exchange crude oil for imported petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. His firm was also awarded a contract in 2016 to provide pipeline security and maintenance services along the Kaduna-Kano and Zaria-Gusau routes.
Mr Danu was being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2021 over the alleged diversion of N51 billion meant for the improvement of the Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with some senior officials of the service.
Former EFCC chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa led the probe into Mr Danu’s scam. The EFCC investigation also implicated a former Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussein Adamu, in whose personal account some of the fraudulent transactions were found. Messrs Danu and Adamu hail from Jigawa.
Following Mr Bawa’s assumption of office in 2021, Mr Danu fled to Dubai aboard a private jet to evade justice. Mr Bawa also investigated Mr Tinubu for asset fraud in 2020, years before he was removed from office as soon as Mr Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
In a March 5, 2021, report published by SaharaReporters, part of the N51 billion allegedly siphoned by Mr Danu and some top customs officials was allegedly transferred to a foundation owned by Zahra Buhari, the daughter of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr Danu was a signatory to the foundation and has continued to parade himself publicly as a philanthropist.
A former comptroller general of the NCS, Hameed Ali, was also named in the ‘Revenue Assurance Fraud’.
Anti-corruption agencies EFCC and ICPC both declined to comment on the latest project awarded to Mr Danu when reached by The Gazette.
Checks by The Gazette showed that NHD Interbiz was incorporated in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on November 28, 2007, with registration number 720228. The firm’s business address is listed as 11 Awka Street, Port Harcourt.
Efforts made by this newspaper to reach Mr Keyamo for comments concerning the aviation ministry’s facilitation of the contract for Mr Danu’s firm were futile as the minister did not respond to phone calls as of press time.
In June 2020, the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum petitioned the U.S. Congress, demanding an urgent probe of Mr Danu and top officials in Mr Buhari’s government at the time, including Isa Funtua, late Abba Kyari, Abubakar Malami, Mamman Daura, Lawan Daura, Babagana Kingibe and Godwin Emefiele.
All the officials strongly rejected corruption allegations, and only Mr Malami was recently charged after leading a major opposition bloc to deprive Mr Tinubu of a second presidential term.
Mr Tinubu’s government has been involved in controversies over the award of potentially fraudulent contracts to the president’s family members and friends.
In May 2024, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar condemned Mr Tinubu for inflating the cost of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, which was awarded to a firm that listed his son, Seyi Tinubu, and his surrogates as board members of companies owned by Gilbert Chagoury, an associate of the president.
The former vice-president noted that Mr Tinubu’s son, Seyi, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which manufactures ceramic tiles and sanitary towels.
After inking the N15 trillion deal for the Lagos-Calabar highway in 2024, Mr Tinubu secured additional N1.2 trillion loan through Deutsche Bank as part of the payout to his son and Mr Chagoury, his longstanding ally and ex-money laundering convict.
Prior to President Donald Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria over the alleged massacre of Christians, Mr Tinubu spent over $2.7 million hiring lobbyists in the United States to help convince lawmakers and policymakers that he carries acceptable personal probity to lead Nigeria.
Mr Tinubu engaged public relations experts, including David Spaulding of Lenape Legal, based in a sleepy Philadelphia suburb, to help his administration navigate Washington’s concerns about his unsavoury public profile.
Mr Tinubu has continued to award large contracts to his family and political cronies as widespread corruption and insecurity continued to plunge millions of Nigerians into poverty. Nigeria’s designation as the country with the largest number of people in poverty under President Buhari has worsened since Mr Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
The president has maintained there is no wrongdoing, saying his administration has carefully awarded all contracts and introduced policies to improve the economic and security conditions of citizens.
ANTHONY JOSHUA is visiting war-torn Ukraine alongside Oleksandr Usyk.
The former heavyweight rivals have headed to capital Kyiv, with Usyk keen to show Joshua around.
The reigning world heavyweight champion, 39, posted a video to X of himself meeting up with AJ.
In the short clip, AJ can be seen approaching Usyk at an airport.
Beaming, the Brit says: “Ukraine! For the first time in my life.”
Wearing a Stone Island jacket and beige baseball cap, Usyk replies: “It’s good. I show you, I show you Kyiv.”
To which Joshua adds: “Let’s go! We go to see Kyiv.”
Usyk accompanied the clip with the message: “Going to Kyiv with @anthonyjoshua.
“Already planning a little tour around the city. Excited to show some of my favorite spots!”
Usyk subsequently posted a picture of himself alongside Joshua in the city, captioning it: “Welcome to Ukraine.”
The pair also enjoyed some live music together, with both clapping along as three women sang and two men played instruments.
Usyk proudly captioned this further clip: “Fully immersed in Ukrainian culture.”
The Cat is back in his homeland for a boxing event put on by his promotion.
He wrote in a further Instagram post: “I’m heading back to Ukraine, and not just like that… Tomorrow is the Rising Stars professional boxing night by @usyk17.promotions.
“Of course, I can’t miss an event like this, even with training in full swing and my preparation for the May fight ramping up.
“This is where new names rise and their big journey begins. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be electric. And definitely unforgettable!”
The card is set to be headlined by home fighter Daniel Lapin, who takes on Kristaps Bulmeistars.
Lapin, 28, was last in action at Wembley Stadium last summer as he beat Englishman Lewis Edmondson on the undercard of Usyk’s rematch win over Daniel Dubois.
Despite Kyiv remaining a warzone, Lapin gets a homecoming fight this Saturday, with Usyk and Joshua likely to be ringside.
Usyk, meanwhile, will next be in the ring in Egypt on May 23 when he takes on kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven.
Kemi Badenoch has said that Britain is making the same mistakes on energy as the Nigeria she grew up in.
In the face of an energy crisis caused by the war in Iran, the Conservative Party leader hit out at Labour for shutting down the North Sea and refusing to issue new oil and gas licenses.
She compared Britain to the Nigeria of her childhood, suggesting that the Government’s focus on net zero risked Britain’s energy security.
Writing for The Telegraph, Mrs Badenoch said: “Energy is growth. I grew up in a country rich with oil – but because Nigeria’s leaders made bad policy choices it never lived up to its full potential, instead it was hampered by unreliable electricity and regular fuel shortages.
“Britain is now making similar mistakes. It astonishes me to see Labour considering subsidies as the first option instead of drilling our own oil and gas and cutting the green taxes deindustrialising the UK.”
Mrs Badenoch also attacked Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, whom she accused of “effectively running the Government” and using his power to push “illogical” and “dangerous” net zero dogma.
She claimed Sir Keir Starmer’s weak leadership on the Iran war meant that the Prime Minister had “no say or seat at the table”, leaving Britain “hostage to forces we cannot control”.
“We can only guarantee our security and prosperity in an unstable world if we produce our own cheap, reliable energy,” Mrs Badenoch added.
“Getting Britain drilling again is an economic double whammy, because it also creates jobs here in the UK. This is the difference between the Conservatives and other parties. Labour always reaches for more borrowing and handouts when the red lights start flashing.
“Reform make noise, but have done no serious work or planning and the Greens presumably think the country can run on vegetable oil. The Conservatives are the only party with a plan to fix Britain’s energy problems.”
A Government spokesman said: “Issuing new licences to explore new fields cannot give us energy security and will not take a penny off bills.
“Regardless of where it comes from, oil and gas is sold on international markets, which set the price for British billpayers – making us a price taker. The only way to truly protect ourselves from these price spikes is to get off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.”
Mrs Badenoch’s comments came as one of the world’s largest airlines began taking fuel-saving measures as managers braced for the possibility that the price of oil could surge 60 per cent higher.
United Airlines said it was scrapping flights on less-profitable routes following a doubling of jet fuel prices since February.
Scott Kirby, the airline’s chief executive, said the moves were part of steps to prepare for a scenario in which oil hits $175 (£131) a barrel and remains above $100 through 2027.
That would push up United’s annual fuel bill by about $11bn – more than twice the company’s best-ever profit, Mr Kirby warned.
In a memo to staff, the chief executive said: “Honestly, I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad – but there isn’t much downside for us to preparing for that outcome.”
Mr Kirby said the moves aimed to ensure that the company was “in a stronger position” to react if oil prices remained elevated.
He added that United did not plan to furlough staff, defer aircraft orders or delay investments. The airline would have to “be smart and nimbly manage our schedule” to cut fuel spending, he said.
Delta Air Lines, United’s rival, has also said it is looking at cutting flights if fuel prices remain high.
Since late February – when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran – the price of Brent crude has rocketed from $70 to $110 a barrel.
That has followed strikes on regional energy facilities and the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping chokepoint. This shutdown has locked huge amounts of oil and gas into the Gulf, and sent markets into a panic.
In response, United has begun trimming flights that are less busy and so have been rendered unprofitable by fuel price increases.
The airline has cut midweek, Saturday and overnight services as well as keeping services to destinations such as Tel Aviv and Dubai suspended. Overall, the cuts amount to about 5 per cent of the company’s total capacity.
American carriers are more exposed to jet fuel cost increases because, unlike many of their European counterparts, they do not tend to hedge. The companies have instead relied on raising fares and trimming capacity to cut costs.
So far, major airlines have said strong demand for flights is giving them room to do that. United said the first 10 weeks of this year were the strongest for bookings in its history.
But Mr Kirby said listening to his rivals at a recent conference had left him convinced that they were being complacent.
“Many said some version of ‘hope is our strategy’,” he said. “It’s possible they’re right and the war ends quickly. But if it doesn’t, this will be our opportunity.”
Also, don't forget that this is still Maresca's team. If I were Rosenior, I would have politely said NO when they offered me the job. It would have been better for him to take over at the end of the current season so he can have enough time to prepare the team for the new season. The way their playing now, even Europa no sure for them. Na Conference dem go dey if dem no improve
Well....they also have a significant injury in the defence. Levi Colwill was Chelsea's best defender last season and he was like a rock at heart of Chelsea's defence during the Club World Cup final. The way he pocketed Ousman Dembele that game no be small tin😊 He hasn't played a game for them this season because of injury
Angelfrost: Every team playing at least 2 competitions should be tired.
Arteta, Flick, Enrique, Arbeloa, Pep, etc, all have the same team fatigue crisis... So, that excuse is just silly.
Arbeloa went into the UCL fixture with most of his experienced players injured.
Kompany had to pull a 16 year old youth Goalkeeper from the U18 to start because he had all his senior keepers injured.
This complain of multiple games is becoming very idiotic.
Enrique won the quadruple last season.
Ferguson, Ancellotti, Hiddink, Mourinho, and Pep have won multiple titles in the same multiple tournaments...!
U.S. Army to deploy first operational Dark Eagle hypersonic missile with 3,500 km range in coming weeks
The U.S. Army will field its first operational Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon Dark Eagle battery within weeks, delivering a ground-based hypersonic strike capability with a range beyond 3,500 km.
Dark Eagle enables rapid strikes against high-value, time-sensitive targets at extreme distances while evading missile defenses through high-speed maneuverability. Its deployment to the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord expands U.S. reach in contested environments and strengthens deterrence against advanced anti-access and area denial systems.
A single Dark Eagle battery consists of four transporter erector launchers (TELs) mounted on trailers, each carrying two hypersonic missiles, for a total of eight ready rounds, supported by a battery operations center and associated vehicles.
On March 18, 2026, Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, the U.S. Army’s senior official in charge of missile programs, indicated to Bloomberg that the U.S. Army is within weeks of fielding the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle, signaling the initial operational deployment of the first operational American hypersonic missile system after repeated delays since 2023. [b]The program has accumulated more than $12 billion in funding since 2018 [/b]and aims to deliver a ground-based hypersonic strike capability able to engage high-value targets at long range. The Army has already initiated fielding activities, including integration, safety validation, and unit-level readiness, with completion expected in early 2026.
This timeline follows missed deployment targets in fiscal years 2023 and 2025 caused by technical setbacks during testing. The first operational unit has received launch equipment and partial missile deliveries, but full capability depends on completing the missile allotment and system integration. The program continues to advance despite unresolved testing gaps. The Army retains authority to deploy the system prior to full validation of performance.
The Dark Eagle system is a surface-to-surface boost-glide missile combining a two-stage rocket booster with a Common Hypersonic Glide Body, which separates during flight and travels at speeds exceeding Mach 5 while maneuvering through the atmosphere.
This glide body is designed to sustain hypersonic velocity while altering trajectory, reducing predictability, and complicating interception by existing missile defense systems. The reported operational range reaches at least 3,500 kilometers, allowing coverage of theater-level targets. The system’s flight profile differs from ballistic trajectories by maintaining atmospheric maneuverability rather than following a fixed arc. The glide body relies on kinetic energy effects combined with a small warhead estimated at under 14 kilograms. Time-to-target for long-range strikes can be under 20 minutes, depending on launch location. The system is intended to engage hardened or time-sensitive targets such as air defenses, command nodes, and missile systems.
A single operational battery consists of four transporter erector launchers (TELs) mounted on trailers, each carrying two missiles, for a total of eight ready rounds, supported by a battery operations center and associated vehicles. This structure allows dispersed deployment and mobility, enabling relocation to reduce vulnerability to counter-strikes. The first unit assigned to operate the system is the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which has been training on the equipment since 2021. Initial deliveries included launchers, support vehicles, and command systems before missile integration. Additional missiles have been delivered incrementally, with a full basic load expected to complete the first battery.
The US Army plans to expand the system across multiple Multi-Domain Task Forces to support long-range fires operations. These formations are oriented toward contested environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Future batteries are scheduled through fiscal year 2026 and beyond. Testing of the system has been marked by repeated disruptions, including failed launches, canceled test events, and delays linked to launcher and sequencing issues. Several planned tests in 2022 and 2023 did not proceed due to pre-flight failures, contributing to the postponement of initial deployment.
Successful end-to-end flight tests conducted in June 2024 and December 2024 demonstrated full system integration, with missiles traveling over 3,200 kilometers and releasing the glide body as intended.
Despite these results, sufficient data have not yet been accumulated to fully evaluate operational effectiveness, with projections extending to 2027 for a comprehensive assessment. The Army has continued fielding activities in parallel with ongoing testing.
This approach reflects a decision to prioritize capability introduction while refining performance data. Additional operational testing is expected after initial deployment. Production of the missile remains constrained by manufacturing complexity, with assembly processes not fully automated and involving manual integration of key components.
The system requires materials capable of withstanding temperatures near 1,650°C during hypersonic flight, increasing production difficulty and quality control requirements.
Early production rates have been limited, with estimates indicating output of roughly one missile per month, with a target of increasing to two per month. Each missile has an estimated cost of $41 million based on earlier projections, with initial procurement costs expected to exceed that figure due to low production volumes. The Army is working with Lockheed Martin and supporting contractors to stabilize manufacturing processes. Inspection and rework cycles remain frequent as defects are identified during assembly. Scaling production is a priority to increase available inventory. The system is designed to provide a conventional long-range strike capability intended to counter anti-access and area denial defenses by enabling rapid engagement of critical targets without reliance on nuclear payloads.
Its maneuverability and speed reduce warning times and complicate interception, affecting adversary defensive planning. Hypersonic weapons differ from traditional ballistic missiles by maintaining atmospheric flight and unpredictable trajectories. The Dark Eagle system is part of a broader joint effort with the Navy, which plans to deploy a related variant on Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines under the Conventional Prompt Strike program. The shared glide body and booster architecture enable cross-service integration. This joint development approach is intended to reduce costs and accelerate deployment timelines. The system is expected to complement other long-range strike assets.
Strategically, the United States remains behind China and Russia in operational hypersonic capabilities, as both countries have already fielded similar systems and, in Russia’s case, used them in combat operations in Ukraine.
The gap has driven accelerated investment and prioritization of hypersonic programs within the U.S. defense budget. Hypersonic weapons are considered difficult to intercept due to their speed, maneuverability, and reduced detection windows. The deployment of Dark Eagle is intended to address this capability gap and enhance deterrence by providing rapid strike options against high-value targets. However, limitations in production capacity and inventory size raise questions about sustained operational use in extended conflicts.
However, the Dark Eagle’s effectiveness will depend on integration with targeting networks, the survivability of launch units, and the scale of procurement.
●Israel has systematically gone after Iran’s leadership and rank-and-file to disrupt the regime’s command and control.
●Israel says it has dropped 10,000 munitions on thousands of targets, including more than 2,200 related to Iran’s internal security forces.
●Agents with Israel’s foreign-intelligence service, the Mossad, are calling Iranian regime members and threatening them.
Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, strolled confidently in dark sunglasses and a black coat Friday through a rally of regime loyalists in central Tehran. It was his first public appearance in a war in which he was a known target. “Brave people. Brave officials. Brave leaders. This combination cannot be defeated,” he wrote later on X.
Four days later, he was dead. Early Tuesday morning, Israel’s intelligence services found Larijani gathered with other officials at a hideout on the outskirts of Tehran and killed him with a missile strike.
That same night, Israel got a tip from ordinary Iranians that the leader of the feared Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, was holing up with his deputies in a tent in a wooded area in Tehran. It was the sort of payoff Israel had been hoping for after blowing up Basij headquarters and command posts for more than two weeks, forcing its members to gather out in the open. Soleimani, too, was struck and killed.
Israeli and American leaders said at the outset that the war with Iran would create the conditions for Iranians to topple their regime. The killings early Tuesday——followed by the Israeli announcement a day later that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had also been killed—were milestones in that campaign made possible by the fast-accumulating damage from airstrikes and a growing harvest of intelligence about possible targets.
With thousands of regime members killed—from top leaders to street-level grunts—Iranians are reporting that a sense of disorder is starting to take hold. Security forces are under stress and on the run as they threaten protesters to stay off the streets and direct strikes at the U.S., Israel and Arab neighbors across the Persian Gulf.
Detailed target lists and battle-damage reports viewed by The Wall Street Journal give an inside look at the enormous effort being deployed to wear them down.
The documents show the effort began in the early days of the war and continues to ramp up. Israel is chasing security forces from their headquarters to muster points then on to hideouts under bridges in an effort to disrupt their activity and show Iranians that the enforcers are being taken out.
So far Israel says it has dropped 10,000 munitions on thousands of different targets, including more than 2,200 related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij and other internal security forces. It believes thousands have been killed or wounded.
The advanced technology deployed by Israel and the penetration of Iranian society by its agents are combining to create the greatest threat yet to a deeply entrenched regime.
But decades of military experience show it is difficult if not impossible to dislodge a government from the air. And if the Iranian regime survives, it could emerge emboldened and more dangerous. “It will be a clear victory for the regime with both predictable and unforeseen circumstances,” said Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow with the Washington Institute, a U.S.-based think tank.
Israel began the war with a shot at the regime’s heart, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at his compound in the first salvo, and working with the U.S. quickly destroyed most of Iran’s missile launchers and wiped out its air defenses.
Then they divided responsibilities. The U.S. focused on Iran’s military and industrial power, and Israel went after the structures of internal control in earnest.
By the second day, Israeli warplanes were systematically hitting headquarters and command centers related to the Revolutionary Guard’s domestic security arms, the Basij militia and special police forces.
Documents reviewed by the Journal show the strikes targeted everything from the Tharallah—the Revolutionary Guard unit responsible for protecting the capital—down to neighborhood police stations in Tehran. Israel aimed for sites where Israeli intelligence had determined regime personnel were present.
The targets then broadened. Israeli intelligence learned that Iran had a fallback plan for its internal security forces in the event their facilities were destroyed—mustering at local sports complexes.
Israel watched the sites fill up and then hit them before the end of the first week. Those strikes, according to battle-damage assessments seen by the Journal, were among the deadliest of the war, killing hundreds of members of the security services and military, the vast majority at Azadi Stadium, a large venue for soccer games.
Footage showed security officers lying on the pavement outside another stadium, according to videos verified by Storyful, a social-media intelligence firm owned by News Corp, the parent company of the Journal.
Security personnel pushed into Gandhi hospital in Tehran and forced patients to make room for their wounded, one doctor said.
Iranian officials denounced the strikes as attacks on civilian targets, and Iranian state media published pictures of the aftermath but didn’t mention the presence of security forces.
The Israeli military said it hit a Ministry of Intelligence command center operating out of an Iranian Electricity Co. compound in the heart of Tehran. Iranian state media said the strike killed several employees and engineers, and injured and killed several bystanders.
The attacks hurt rank-and-file morale and drove some security forces to begin sleeping in their vehicles, mosques or other sports facilities, Israel’s assessment said.
Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence officials began placing calls to individual commanders, threatening them and their families by name if they didn’t stand aside in the event of an uprising, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Journal reviewed the contents of one call between a senior Iranian police commander and an agent of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign-intelligence service.
“Can you hear me?” a Mossad agent can be heard, speaking in Farsi. “We know everything about you. You are on our blacklist, and we have all the information about you.”
“OK,” the commander said in the recording.
“I called to warn you in advance that you should stand with your people’s side,” the Mossad agent said. “And if you will not do that, your destiny will be as your leader. Do you hear me?”
“Brother, I swear on the Quran, I’m not your enemy,” the commander said. “I’m a dead man already. Just please come help us.”
On the ground, Israel went after police warehouses, destroying computer equipment, vehicles and police gear, according to target lists seen by the Journal. Another target was motorcycle units, which have been central to efforts to suppress protests.
At one point, Israel struck around 34 different sites related to the internal-security forces in the Ilam Province, an area in western Iran near the Iraqi border with a large Kurdish population, according to a target list seen by the Journal.
The Iranian Kurds have a tense relationship with the central government and have their own armed groups. President Trump expressed support for an armed Kurdish offensive against Iran around the time of the strikes, but later reversed himself.
Last week, while Israeli officials were openly questioning whether air power alone could bring down the regime, the military was expanding its targets.
Israel’s air force began operating fleets of loitering drones above Tehran and other areas of Iran, shifting its focus from command centers to individual Basij checkpoints and roadblocks. The drones hit dozens of targets, killing two to four security personnel at a time.
The attacks were in many cases guided by tips sent by ordinary Iranians, Israeli security officials said. On Thursday, at least three different checkpoints were targeted, including at the Imam Reza Highway and on Shahed Street in northern Tehran.
More followed over the weekend. On Sunday night, Israeli forces conducted a targeted hunt for checkpoints, hitting 11, including in Enghelab and Azadi squares in Tehran and along a number of expressways.
Iranians confirmed that attacks on checkpoints have been taking place.
The success of the Israeli campaign is difficult to assess independently. Iran has taken down the internet and is closely controlling information. People who share videos of damage have been arrested.
Israel has assessed that the air war is creating disruption in command and control and harming morale in the security forces. Iranians said they have seen security forces scramble for safe workspaces while hunted by Israeli jets and drones, taking over schools and sports facilities and civilian buildings.
The doctor in Tehran said police in Vanak, an affluent neighborhood of the capital, moved their checkpoint beneath a highway bridge to avoid being targeted. He said other forces pleaded with him to let them stay the night in his building. Several were sleeping in a nook by the stairs. He said he has also seen security forces set up tents or house themselves inside buses.
Other residents said many security officers are hiding in residential buildings. When they move in, the neighbors evacuate, fearing a strike, one resident said.
Investigations into crimes like theft that happened before the war are in limbo with police forces under attack, some said.
One Tehran resident said a friend hasn’t been able to retrieve a car that was stolen and recovered by police before the war began, because there is no one at the police station to turn it over. Another said police told him and other shop owners to close before dark because they couldn’t guarantee their security.
Whatever fraying of authority, it is clear Iran’s security forces still have control of the streets and are keeping dissent at bay with threats to shoot to kill. Many Iranians said it would be suicide to rise up now and fear Israel and the U.S. will leave the regime intact but angrier.
Israel’s security establishment believes Iran’s crumbling economy and popular anger have put the regime on an irreversible path to collapse whether it happens during the war or down the road. Ultimately, though, it is a job Israel and the U.S. are putting on the Iranian people.
“They are seeing a decaying system before their eyes,” said Nadimi. “But it would take a lot more attacks to turn the tables.”
AFCON drama: Senegal rejects CAF verdict, moves to appeal
The Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the decision of the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board awarding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco and confirmed it will challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Morocco were on Tuesday crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board overturned the result of the final against Senegal, ruling that the West African side forfeited the match following a walk-off during the game in Rabat on January 19.
CAF stated that “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
The decision followed a protest by Morocco after chaotic scenes late in the final, when Senegal players briefly left the pitch after a disallowed goal and a penalty awarded to the hosts, an action the appeal board ruled fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations on misconduct and forfeiture.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football said it had taken note of the decision delivered by CAF’s Appeal Committee in case DC23316, which followed a complaint filed during match 52 of the TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco.
“The Senegalese Football Federation has today taken note of the notification of the decision rendered on March 17, 2026 by the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football, in the context of case DC23316,” the statement read.
The federation said the appeal board declared admissible the protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football and overturned the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board, citing a procedural flaw in the initial hearing.
“With this decision, the CAF Appeals Board declared the appeal of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation admissible and accepted it.
“In doing so, the board overturned the decision rendered by the CAF Disciplinary Board, on the grounds that the appellant’s right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings,” the FSF said.
According to the statement, the appeal committee ruled that the conduct of the Senegal national team fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, leading to the forfeiture decision.
“The Appeals Committee also determined that the conduct of the Senegalese team fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations.
“Consequently, CAF declared that the FSF had violated Article 82 and awarded the match by forfeit, with a recorded score of 3–0 in favor of the FRMF, in accordance with Article 84,” the federation stated.
Reacting to the verdict, the Senegalese federation criticised the decision, describing it as damaging to the credibility of African football.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football,” the statement added.
The federation confirmed that it would file an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” the statement said.
The FSF added that it remained committed to due process and would continue to inform the public as the case progresses.
“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice, and will keep the public informed of the follow-up to this matter,” the statement concluded.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was "eliminated" in a strike overnight.
There has been no confirmation from Iran regarding Khatib's reported death.
Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted without the need for additional approval.
Afghanistan Says Pakistan Hit Kabul Rehab Centre Killing 408, Islamabad Rejects Claim
More than 400 people were killed and 265 wounded in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday, a sharp escalation in the conflict between the neighbours.
Pakistan rejected the statement as false and misleading and said it had "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" on Monday night.
The airstrike came hours after China said it remained ready to continue efforts to ease tensions between the South Asian Islamic nations and urged both to avoid expanding the war and return to the negotiating table.
The conflict that began last month is the worst between the neighbours, who share a 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border.
DRUG REHAB CENTRE USED TO BE NATO TRAINING BASE
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said in a post on X the airstrike took place at 9 p.m. (1630 GMT) on Monday and targeted the state-run Omid Hospital, which he said was a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation centre.
The Pakistani information ministry said Omid Hospital was miles away from Camp Phoenix, the "military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage site" that it said was targeted.
"The visible secondary detonations after the strikes clearly indicate the presence of large ammunition depots," Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X.
Kabul residents, including a Reuters journalist, said Camp Phoenix, an abandoned NATO military base in the city, was converted into a drug treatment centre about a decade ago, and locals referred to it as Omid Camp, or "camp of hope", although its official name was "Ibn Sina Drug Addiction Treatment Hospital".
It was this centre that had been hit, they said, adding that Omid Hospital and Omid Camp were not related. Fierce fighting between the former close allies erupted last month with Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.
Islamabad says Kabul provides a safe haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying tackling militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.
'IT WAS LIKE DOOMSDAY', SAYS A SURVIVOR
At the site of the airstrike, a blackened single-storey structure bore the marks of flames. In other places, buildings were reduced to heaps of wood and metal, with only a few bunk beds still intact in some, while blankets, personal belongings and bedding were strewn about.
Afghan Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qanie said 408 people were killed and 265 wounded. Afghan authorities said the dead and the wounded were taken to hospitals around Kabul but did not give details of how many bodies had been recovered and how the casualties had been counted.
Those killed were mostly civilians and addicts, added Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Reuters could not verify the casualty numbers. Throughout the conflict, both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on the other but independent verification has not been possible.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, an independent aid group, said its staff had seen large numbers of casualties. "We visited the hospital treating addicts in Kabul this morning and found hundreds of civilians dead and injured," it said in a statement. "Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted."
Witnesses said they heard three bombs exploding just as people in the centre were completing evening prayers, and that two of them struck rooms and patient areas.
"The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday," said Ahmad, 50, who said he was under treatment at the facility and gave only his first name. "My friends were burning in the fire, and we could not save them all."
Map of Kabul showing Kabul International Airport on the left and a hospital marked with a red explosion icon on the right, indicating the reported air strike location. Roads, rivers, and a 500 m scale bar and north arrow are included.
CHINA APPEALS FOR CALM, INDIA CONDEMNS STRIKE
The spokesman for Pakistan's prime minister called the Afghan reference to drug users being targeted "constant lies" and said Pakistan's "counterterrorism operations" would continue for as long as it took to eliminate "terrorists and their infrastructure".
China once again appealed for calm and restraint and also to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in the region. “China … will continue to play a constructive role through its own channels to de-escalate tensions and improve relations between the two countries," said Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesman.
Pakistan's arch-rival India, which has recently forged close ties with the Afghan Taliban, said it unequivocally condemned the strike.
"That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible,” the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
The conflict had ebbed amid efforts by friendly countries including China to mediate, but flared again just days before the Eid al-Fitr festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Two senior officials in the intelligence branch of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command were killed in a targeted Israeli Air Force strike in Tehran, the IDF confirmed on Saturday.
The military identified the officials as Abdallah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, and said the operation was carried out with precise guidance from Israeli Military Intelligence.
According to the IDF, the two men had recently been appointed as acting replacements in the intelligence division after their predecessor, Saleh Asadi, was killed in the opening phase of Operation Roaring Lion. Both were viewed as senior intelligence commanders and key figures within Iran’s intelligence community, with close ties to the upper ranks of the regime.
The Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command is responsible for gathering and analyzing intelligence for senior officials in Iran’s security establishment, according to the report. Those assessments help shape the regime’s military decision-making against Israel.
Walla reported that Asadi, the previous head of the unit’s intelligence branch, had been involved in formulating Iranian strategy toward Israel and the United States. The military also said he had played a significant role in Iran’s plan for Israel’s destruction.
Part of a broader campaign IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin said that hundreds of Israeli Air Force aircraft had struck hundreds of targets tied to the Iranian regime across Iran since the start of the campaign. He said the operation began with a surprise attack after Military Intelligence identified two gathering points in Tehran where senior Iranian security leaders had assembled.
The killing of replacement intelligence officials inside Tehran would point to continued Israeli pressure on Iran’s command network, only a day after the military said it had completed 20 waves of strikes against more than 150 regime targets.
Emmanuel Macron has drafted a plan to end the war in Lebanon that would require Beirut to recognise Israel.
The French government hopes that a new framework that would also see Lebanon back the disarming of Hezbollah could pave the way for a peace deal, Axios reported.
Citing three people familiar with the matter, the US news website said the plan would see Israel and Lebanon agree to a “political declaration”, to be agreed within one month, which would include Lebanon’s initial recognition of Israel.
It comes as the US-Israeli confrontation with Iran intensifies, with Donald Trump calling for a global flotilla to head to the Gulf and force open the crucial shipping lane of Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon is one of several Arab nations that have refused to recognise Israel.
Two days after the assassination of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, Tehran-backed Hezbollah entered the war by launching drones and missiles south of the border.
Israel has responded by launching air strikes at Hezbollah near the border and in the terror group’s stronghold of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since Wednesday when militants fired more than 200 rockets across the border in an apparently coordinated attack with Iran.
The conflict has seen 800,000 people displaced and more than 800 people killed, including 100 children. The latest intervention by the French president seeks to halt escalation and prevent a major ground offensive by Israel in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah’s operations.
It comes amid reports Israel planned to seize the entire area south of the Litani river and fears within the Lebanese government the war will devastate the country.
Israel and the US are said to be reviewing the French proposal, which is hoped will secure a historic peace deal and increase pressure to disarm Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government is said to have accepted the plan as a basis for peace talks and under the proposal Israel and Beirut would open negotiations with the support of the US and France.
A “political declaration” would be agreed within one month and the negotiations would begin with senior diplomats before moving to political leaders.
Talks could take place in Paris and the proposed declaration would include Lebanon’s initial recognition of Israel and a commitment to respect the country’s sovereignty.
The two countries would also reaffirm their commitment to the UN resolution which ended the 2006 war as well as the ceasefire agreement following the 2024 conflict.
It would see the Lebanese government commit to preventing attacks on Israel from within its territory and its own plan to disarm Hezbollah.
Haaretz reported that the two countries were expected to hold direct talks in the coming days.
Donald Trump is set to announce that a coalition of countries will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report.
The US president is pressuring America’s allies, including Britain, to accompany vessels as Iran’s shutdown of the critical shipping channel threatens to worsen a spiralling economic crisis.
Members of the group, led by the US, are still discussing if operations in the strait would commence before or after the end of hostilities. Mr Trump is set to announce the coalition this week, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The US president said on Sunday his administration was talking to seven countries about helping to secure the strait.
“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” Mr Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday evening.
He declined to reveal which governments his administration had contacted. But Mr Trump has previously appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain for support with opening the strait.
The UK and other countries have been wary of committing publicly to deploying their forces to the Middle East given the risk of provoking Tehran, which has placed mines throughout the strait and threatened retaliation.
However, Britain and member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council released a joint statement on Sunday condemning the Islamic Republic’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and affirming their right to “take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and protect their territories, citizens and residents”.
Reports of the coalition agreement came as Britain resists the US president’s appeal for a “team effort” to reopen the waterway, where traffic has slowed to a trickle since Iran warned it would set fire to any vessel attempting to pass through.
On Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer ruled out sending warships even as he held a call with Mr Trump to discuss the “importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz”.
Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, said the Government was “intensively looking” at mechanisms to restore the flow of ships through the channel, but did not commit to a firm plan.
The price of crude oil has consistently spiked to more than $100 a barrel, sending worldwide markets into freefall and driving the White House into panic mode over soaring petrol costs.
Prices jumped further on Monday morning after the US struck a key Iranian production facility on Kharg Island at the weekend and Mr Trump hinted at a second attack “just for fun”.
Chris Wright, the US energy secretary, said the Trump administration aims to bring prices down in “a few more weeks”, but cautioned that “there are no guarantees in war”.
Several other countries, including Germany, France and South Korea, have poured cold water on Mr Trump’s coalition.
France refused the US president’s request, with Catherine Vautrin, the armed forces minister, stating that her country’s stance would remain “defensive and protective” and France would not be forced into the war.
Johann Wadephul, Germany’s foreign minister, said he is “sceptical” about an expansion of the EU’s Aspides naval mission – which is currently deployed to prevent Houthi attacks off the coast of Yemen – into the Strait of Hormuz because the operation “hasn’t been effective” at protecting ships in the Red Sea.
“That’s why I’m very sceptical whether an expansion of Aspides into the Strait of Hormuz could provide more security,” Mr Wadephul told ARD.
The 27 EU member states are set to discuss the idea at a foreign affairs meeting on Monday.
The White House declined to comment on reports about the coalition to The Wall Street Journal.
Iran is responsible for the killing of over 600 American troops since 2007.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force armed, trained, and directed Shiite militias (such as Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Kata’ib Hezbollah) that killed at least 603 U.S. troops—roughly one in six American combat deaths in Iraq—primarily through advanced explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) and other roadside bombs/rockets. A notable specific incident was the January 2007 Karbala attack, where IRGC-linked operatives disguised as U.S. soldiers killed five American troops. This campaign represented sustained proxy warfare against U.S. personnel.
Olanrewaju Williams is a Christian and his wife, Kaosara, is a Muslim - and this year they are both fasting.
For the first time since 1993, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Christian season of Lent are taking place at the same time. Both periods involve fasting, prayer and reflection.
We spoke to the couple in Nigeria, where Christians and Muslims make up nearly equal parts of the population, about what observing these sacred periods together means for their family.
Iran’s armed forces are facing acute supply shortages, rising desertions and deepening friction between the regular army (Artesh) and the Revolutionary Guards, according to informed sources who described a military system under growing strain as the war intensifies.
Among the most serious allegations are reports that wounded army personnel have been denied assistance by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), that some frontline units are operating with minimal ammunition, food and drinking water, and that attempts to mobilize reserve forces have faltered.
Tensions between army and Revolutionary Guards
One of the sharpest points of friction appears to involve medical support for wounded soldiers.
Sources said that regular army units are suffering significant casualties but that IRGC personnel have refused to transport injured army soldiers to hospitals despite having access to medical facilities.
According to the sources, Revolutionary Guards officials rejected repeated army requests for assistance, citing shortages of ambulances and blood supplies.
The refusals have deepened anger and resentment between personnel from the two forces, adding to long-standing institutional tensions between the regular army (Artesh) and the IRGC.
Frontline shortages
The reported tensions come alongside severe shortages affecting some frontline and field units of the Iranian army.
Sources described worsening logistical conditions that have left troops struggling with limited ammunition and inadequate basic supplies.
In one example cited by the sources, some units were issued only 20 bullets for every two Artesh soldiers, leaving troops with little capacity to respond to potential attacks.
Field units in several areas are also said to be operating without reliable access to drinking water or sufficient food supplies.
The harsh conditions and what some soldiers perceive as neglect by commanders have contributed to what sources described as group desertions, with soldiers leaving bases and seeking refuge in nearby towns.
Strain extends to IRGC units
The strain is not limited to the regular army, according to the sources.
Even within IRGC missile units – traditionally among the best resourced parts of Iran’s military – there have been reports of communications equipment failures and shortages of food and other basic supplies.
Despite these problems, the sources said the command structure appears to be prioritizing the delivery of technical components needed to keep missile systems operational, rather than sending additional food rations or individual equipment to personnel.
The accounts suggest commanders are focusing on maintaining strategic weapons capabilities while troops face deteriorating living conditions.
Reserve mobilization falters
Efforts to widen the manpower pool appear to have run into resistance as well.
Sources said attempts by the Revolutionary Guards to mobilize reserve forces earlier this week produced limited results.
Many of those summoned for service reportedly did not report to military centers. Instead, some individuals used the situation to leave their areas and assist family members in moving toward border regions in hopes of leaving the country.
National Total — 88,367 teachers without teaching qualifications
The North West accounts for 50% of the states on the list, while the North East represents 41.7%, leaving just one state (Niger) from the North Central.
Trump sends military to open Strait of Hormuz by force President deploys marine unit that could put boots on the ground to secure key route for oil
Donald Trump is sending US marines to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as concerns grow that rising oil prices could cause a global recession.
The president ordered a warship carrying an expeditionary unit that could lead to boots on the ground in Iran.
Mr Trump pledged that US forces would hit the Iranian regime “very hard” over the next week and added that the war with Tehran would end “when I feel it in my bones”.
More tankers came under fire from Iranian forces on Friday after the new supreme leader pledged to keep the strait closed until attacks on Iran stopped.
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, insisted to reporters that they “don’t need to worry about” the strait. It was “something we are dealing with”, he said.
US officials confirmed on Friday that the USS Tripoli had already departed from Okinawa, Japan, with 5,000 sailors and a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The expeditionary unit is capable of carrying out special air and surface operations and has landing force capabilities, but is unlikely to arrive for another two weeks.
Donald Trump is deploying 5,000 US marines to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, has approved a request from US Central Command – which oversees American military operations in the region – to deploy part of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the USS Tripoli, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The USS Tripoli was seen in the Bashi Channel, between Taiwan and the Philippines, on its way to the Middle East on Friday night.
Iran said it was closing the strait shortly after the United States and Israel began their attacks on February 28. Iranian strikes have since hit multiple vessels in the area including oil tankers.
Yesterday US officials reported that Iran had begun laying mines in the Gulf channel, which carries 20 per cent of the world’s oil.
The USS Tripoli was stationed out of Japan and would take around two weeks to reach the Mideast.
Canal+ has unveiled a €100m turnaround plan as DStv owner MultiChoice loses 500,000 subscribers
The move comes months after Canal+ completed its takeover of the South Africa-based company, which operates the largest pay-TV platform on the continent. MultiChoice has been under pressure as economic challenges across Africa reduce household spending and streaming services increasingly compete with traditional television.
According to Canal+’s latest financial results, MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier. Revenue also declined 6% to €2.4 billion, while adjusted earnings before interest and tax fell 14% to €159 million.
Canal+ acknowledged the scale of the problem, saying 2025 had been “another challenging year” for MultiChoice, mainly because of declining subscriber numbers and a cost base that had “become too high”.
The company said several economic factors contributed to the downturn. Currency depreciation in key markets such as Nigeria, combined with persistent electricity shortages in parts of Africa, has made it harder for households to afford pay-TV subscriptions.
The group also pointed to problems with Showmax, MultiChoice’s streaming platform, describing one of its key contracts as an “expensive failure”. Canal+ recently decided to shut down that arrangement as part of a broader effort to cut losses and refocus on the core pay-TV business.
To address the decline, Canal+ plans to roll out a €100 million “boost plan” starting in 2026. The strategy aims to restart subscriber growth and improve profitability across MultiChoice’s markets.
One major focus will be content. Canal+ says it wants to assemble what it calls the “best content on the African continent” by combining international programming with more locally produced films, series and sports coverage tailored to African audiences.
The company also plans to simplify subscription packages and adjust pricing to make them easier for customers to understand. At the same time, it wants to expand distribution and make it cheaper for new users to join the platform by subsidising equipment such as decoders and satellite dishes.
As part of this push, Canal+ intends to hire more than 1,000 sales staff across African markets, shifting MultiChoice toward what it described as a “sales-focused model” designed to attract more subscribers.
Alongside the investment programme, Canal+ is also pursuing significant cost reductions. The company said it will introduce a voluntary severance plan for some support staff within MultiChoice and begin a restructuring of Irdeto, the group’s technology and cybersecurity subsidiary.
These measures are expected to help deliver faster cost savings. Canal+ said it now expects to generate more than €250 million in synergies by 2026, higher than its earlier estimate of €150 million. The savings will come from measures including the Showmax shutdown, operational restructuring at MultiChoice and rationalising company-owned properties.
The cost of achieving those savings is projected to reach between €70 million and €100 million.
Despite the turnaround effort, Canal+ said it still expects MultiChoice’s subscriber base to decline slightly in 2026, although the pace of the drop should slow. Adjusted earnings before interest and tax are forecast to rise modestly to about €170 million, as the benefits of cost savings begin to offset lower revenue and rising expenses.
Canal+ gained effective control of MultiChoice on 20 September 2025 after acquiring a majority stake. The company later bought out remaining shareholders, and MultiChoice shares were delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in December 2025.
The French media group has said it plans to complete a secondary listing on the JSE before June 2026, a move aimed at strengthening its presence in Africa’s fast-growing media and entertainment market.
The turnaround plan reflects the growing challenges facing traditional pay-TV companies across the continent, where weaker currencies, rising living costs and the rapid expansion of streaming services are forcing broadcasters to rethink their business models.
IRCG officers, others to go without pay as Israel targets Iran’s Sepah Bank amid broadening war
Officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRCG and other military personnel in Iran could experience a disruption in their salary payments as Israel targets infrastructure linked to Sepah Bank, a major Iranian state owned bank associated with the country’s military.
Sepah Bank and another state-run institution Bank Melli, were hit by missiles from Israel on Tuesday, leading to a disruption in operations of both financial institutions.
The Sepah Bank is a major financial institution in Iran which has been the most widely used payments and financial transactions channel for Iran’s military institutions, including the IRGC.
According to reports by the Jerusalem Post, the attack occured while the bank was “processing salary payments for the military.”
Officials further warned that the disruption could affect financial services for military personnel and other government workers if the bank’s systems remain impaired.
The attack on the Iranian bank comes amid intensifying hostilities between Israel and Iran, in which banking infrastructure and systems have increasingly become targets.
Bank Sepah, a major financial institution in Iran, serves as one the country’s oldest state banks associated with providing financial services to Iran’s armed forces.
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