God of the gaps as a concept usually applies in discussions about evolution. The problem is that it is actually evolution that is a stop gap solution to the problem of existence.
Fourthpredator: God of the gaps just means that the entity people call 'God' is used as an explanation for anything humans don't understand. Like humans didn't understand thunder and lightning so they invented gods like Thor, Zeus etc, so as science and technology becomes better and better the things that 'God' will be used to explain will become smaller. The results is that in the future you cannot use God to explain anything which will make God a fictional entity. If I ask religious people why they think God exists, they will Tell us to explain sleep, life ,death etc and say that since we cannot explain those concepts God is the one controlling them, so once science can explain it then it means God will have no place to hide and can only be termed as a being that ignorant ancestors used to explain things beyond their current understanding.
A well known APC supporter on this forum was saying that this hospital is a glorified "gbogbo ero" general hospital. No wonder this country is making no progress
Statistically, he is likely to be correct. Marseille has the highest percentage of North Africans for any city in Europe. And the most widely represented demographic in crime data is North African.
Healthy babies born in Britain after scientists used DNA from three people to avoid genetic disease
Eight healthy babies were born in Britain with the help of an experimental technique that uses DNA from three people to help mothers avoid passing devastating rare diseases to their children, researchers reported Wednesday.
Most DNA is found in the nucleus of our cells, and it’s that genetic material — some inherited from mom, some from dad — that makes us who we are. But there’s also some DNA outside of the cell’s nucleus, in structures called mitochondria. Dangerous mutations there can cause a range of diseases in children that can lead to muscle weakness, seizures, developmental delays, major organ failure and death.
Testing during the in vitro fertilization process can usually identify whether these mutations are present. But in rare cases, it’s not clear.
Researchers have been developing a technique that tries to avoid the problem by using the healthy mitochondria from a donor egg. They reported in 2023 that the first babies had been born using this method, where scientists take genetic material from the mother’s egg or embryo, which is then transferred into a donor egg or embryo that has healthy mitochondria but the rest of its key DNA removed.
The latest research “marks an important milestone,” said Dr. Zev Williams, who directs the Columbia University Fertility Center and was not involved in the work. “Expanding the range of reproductive options … will empower more couples to pursue safe and healthy pregnancies.”
Using this method means the embryo has DNA from three people — from the mother’s egg, the father’s sperm and the donor’s mitochondria — and it required a 2016 U.K. law change to approve it. It is also allowed in Australia but not in many other countries, including the U.S.
Experts at Britain’s Newcastle University and Monash University in Australia reported in the New England Journal of Medicine Wednesday that they performed the new technique in fertilized embryos from 22 patients, which resulted in eight babies that appear to be free of mitochondrial diseases. One woman is still pregnant.
One of the eight babies born had slightly higher than expected levels of abnormal mitochondria, said Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell and developmental genetics scientist at the Francis Crick Institute who was not involved in the research. He said it was still not considered a high enough level to cause disease, but should be monitored as the baby develops.
Dr. Andy Greenfield, a reproductive health expert at the University of Oxford, called the work “a triumph of scientific innovation,” and said the method of exchanging mitochondria would only be used for a small number of women for whom other ways of avoiding passing on genetic diseases, like testing embryos at an early stage, was not effective.
Lovell-Badge said the amount of DNA from the donor is insignificant, noting that any resulting child would have no traits from the woman who donated the healthy mitochondria. The genetic material from the donated egg makes up less than 1% of the baby born after this technique.
“If you had a bone marrow transplant from a donor … you will have much more DNA from another person,” he said.
In the U.K., every couple seeking a baby born through donated mitochondria must be approved by the country’s fertility regulator. As of this month, 35 patients have been authorized to undergo the technique.
Critics have previously raised concerns, warning that it’s impossible to know the impact these sorts of novel techniques might have on future generations.
“Currently, pronuclear transfer is not permitted for clinical use in the U.S., largely due to regulatory restrictions on techniques that result in heritable changes to the embryo,” Williams, of Columbia, said in an email. ”Whether that will change remains uncertain and will depend on evolving scientific, ethical, and policy discussions.”
For about a decade, Congress has included provisions in annual funding bills banning the Food and Drug Administration from accepting applications for clinical research involving techniques, “in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification.”
But in countries where the technique is allowed, advocates say it could provide a promising alternative for some families.
Liz Curtis, whose daughter Lily died of a mitochondrial disease in 2006, now works with other families affected by them. She said it was devastating to be told there was no treatment for her eight-month-old baby and that death was inevitable.
She said the diagnosis “turned our world upside down, and yet nobody could tell us very much about it, what it was or how it was going to affect Lily.” Curtis later founded the Lily Foundation in her daughter’s name to raise awareness and support research into the disease, including the latest work done at Newcastle University.
“It’s super exciting for families that don’t have much hope in their lives,” Curtis said.
Erik ten Hag's Bayer Leverkusen beaten 5-1 by Flamengo U20 in former Man Utd boss' first game in charge
Erik ten Hag endured a nightmare start to life as Bayer Leverkusen manager as his side lost 5-1 to Flamengo U20s.
Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga club to stage a pre-season tour in South America this summer and the former Man Utd boss named a strong starting lineup in his first game since replacing Xabi Alonso.
Nigerian international Victor Boniface led the line, while Mark Flekken - a summer signing from Brentford - and 17-year-old Axel Tape - who arrived on a free from Paris Saint-Germain - all started in Rio de Janeiro.
Lorran put Flamengo in front after a rapid counter-attack inside two minutes, and it was 2-0 inside 10 when Arthur miscued a clearance, with the ball trickling into the back of his own net.
Flekken and Boniface were substituted off with just 36 minutes on the clock, with Niklas Lomb and Alejo Sarco their replacements.
It got worse before the break, as Matheus Goncalves headed in a cross from the left, before Pedro Leao struck after shot from distance had ricocheted back off the left-hand post.
Ten Hag made 10 changes shortly after Gusttavo made it 5-0 following a menacing run in from the flank.
Granit Xhaka - the subject of an ambitious move from Sunderland - Edmund Tapsoba, Alex Grimaldo, Patrick Schick, and former Southampton and Burnley forward Nathan Tella were among those to join the action.
But a tap-in from Germany U18 international Montrell Culbreath was all they could muster in what remained.
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two sisters, Juliet Chukwu and Ngozi Nancy Chukwu, for allegedly masterminding the abduction of their elder brother, Mr. Friday Chukwu.
Both suspects, who serve in Nigerian security agencies—Juliet in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Ngozi in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)—were accused of arranging the kidnapping, which took place last month along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, in Nkanu West Local Government Area.
According to sources familiar with the case, the sisters’ actions led to the payment of a ₦30 million ransom for Mr. Chukwu’s release[/[b][code][/code]. The victim hails from Amaeze village in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Further investigation reportedly linked the two to the recent abduction of the General Manager of China Oriental Mining Company, Engineer Dennis Igwe, who was also kidnapped in the same vicinity earlier this week. A ₦10 million ransom was allegedly paid for Igwe’s release.
Police operatives tracked the suspects to a hotel where they were reportedly caught while attempting to share the ransom money. Authorities say four other individuals believed to be part of the syndicate remain at large.
Commenting on the incident, the Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, Chief Emmanuel Ajah, confirmed the arrests and said he had written to both the Enugu State Police Command and the Ebonyi Command of the NSCDC regarding the matter.
“Though the incidents occurred outside my jurisdiction, the safety of our people remains a top priority,” he said.
Local reports suggest the two sisters may be linked to a wider network of criminal activities in the Ishiagu area, including vandalism and collaboration with external criminal elements.
Efforts to reach the Ebonyi State Police Command for confirmation were unsuccessful as Police Public Relations Officer SP Joshua Ukandu did not respond to inquiries as of the time of filing this report.
Police say investigations are ongoing, and the remaining suspects are being pursued.
Saudi dealmakers are considering a world-record bid for Vinicius Jr, talkSPORT understands.
The Real Madrid winger has publicly stated he wants to stay at the Bernabeu and has been engaged in talks over a new contract.
Vinicius is yet to sign a new contract and Saudi executives are well aware.
Yet nothing is signed and the parties are yet to reach a full agreement.
Both Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid are understood to be calm about the situation, especially given the Brazilian's contract runs until 2027.
Saudi Pro League officials had felt in April that the 25-year-old might extend before the summer window opened, but have been encouraged by the lack of formalisation on a new long-term contract.
Talks with Vinicius about a Saudi Pro League switch have been ongoing for over a year, while senior Saudi executives have been trying to understand the right time to move.
There is a patient approach, with a firm desire to land Vinicius Jr within the next three years.
The lack of progress over a new Real contract is not necessarily an indication one won't be signed soon, but Saudi chiefs are prepared to make a world record offer in the region of €350million [£302m], surpassing the £200m Paris Saint-Germain paid to Barcelona in August 2017.
It follows a failed bid on behalf of Al Hilal to land Kylian Mbappe for €300m [£257m] in July 2023.
Vinicius Jr has also been offered around €1bn [£864m], including bonuses, across a proposed five-year contract sent in writing as a non-binding bid.
Despite his clear public preference to stay at Real, it's understood the door has been left open to going to Saudi at some point in his career.
Whether that's this summer, remains to be seen, and within Saudi there is not yet optimism of success, but a clear desire to try.
The Brazilian is one of the world's most famous players and would be by far Saudi's biggest coup.
Vinicius Jr has been earmarked for Al Ahli.
The reigning Asian Champions League winners are viewed by both the Public Investment Fund [PIF] and the Saudi Ministry of Sport as being 'owed' the next big star.
Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney are both popular, but not viewed as quite in the same category as Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) and Neymar (Al Hilal, prior to this departure to Santos), who each joined one of the other PIF-controlled clubs.
The longer Vinicius Jr's contract talks drag on, the more encouraged and opportunist Saudi will become, and a massive bid this summer is still not ruled out.
Even if Vinicius extends, which was the direction of travel earlier this year, Saudi are still actively working to convince the 25-year-old to move by the 2027/28 season at the latest, believing they can secure him at peak age whether now or in the future.
Madrid initially agreed a £38m agreement for Vinicius in 2017, when he was aged just 16 playing for Brazilian side Flamengo.
Neymar currently boasts the world's record transfer after joining PSG in 2017
The deal came into effect the year later, and the teen then arrived the following summer in 2019.
The fee was second highest received by a Brazilian side, behind only the £49m Barcelona paid Santos for Neymar in 2013, although Madrid's Endrick has since slotted in behind in second.
Vinicius was instantly a first team option at the Bernabeu and experienced his real breakthrough during the 2021/22 season when he registered 22 goals, including a winner against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
The richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, recently expressed concern about Nigeria's chronic power shortages, claiming that the country's energy generation is unjustifiably low considering its enormous potential and economic demands. Dangote links power shortages in Nigeria to stolen funds hidden abroad
During a recent tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, the president of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, highlighted how unreasonable it is for a country of over 200 million people to be limited to 4,500 to 5,000 megawatts (MW) of power.
“We as a company alone are producing, group-wide for our own consumption, over 1,500 MW,” he stated.
"So, Nigeria should not be three times what we are producing as a country. Nigeria should be at about 50,000 MW to 60,000 MW,” Dangote added.
The Nigerian business mogul, whose refinery and fertilizer plants are among Africa's largest, explained that his company's investment in energy demonstrates how private sector engagement in power generating can be game-changing.
He encouraged Nigeria's government to further open up the industry to encourage private investment and involvement.
Dangote, who has spent the last decade developing the $20 billion refinery project, also stated that, while establishing the refinery was extremely tough, increasing Nigeria's power generating capacity to 30,000 MW is far easier - provided the appropriate policies and commitments are in place.
“What we have done here just shows that there’s nothing impossible. All this can be replicated in our power sector. There’s no reason why Nigeria should be doing 5,000 MW,” Dangote asserted.
Electricity-Distribution-Company-PHCN
“What we have actually done here is much more difficult than making Nigeria 25,000 or 30,000 megawatts of power, with transmission and distribution. But it’s not the work of the government alone,” he continued.
Dangote's comments come as his refinery, which is projected to drastically cut Nigeria's dependency on foreign petroleum products, ramps up operations.
Dangote links power shortages to a lack of investment and stolen funds hidden abroad
Much like the fact that such a facility which is typically supposed to be a government initiative is now privately owned, the Nigerian philanthropist noted that the power sector is also privatized, which presents an opportunity for investors.
“We, the private sector, Nigerians, most especially us, should stop taking our money abroad and invest the money here to make sure that we develop our own country and continent, because without us showing the confidence that, yes, we have confidence in our own economy and the leadership of the country, foreigners will not come,” Dangote explained.
“We know our leaders; we have confidence in them. So, that money they’re taking out of the country, they should leave it here so that it can benefit everybody.”
As reported by the Punch newspaper, he criticized people who stole public assets and hid them overseas rather than utilizing them to help develop the country, as he connected capital flight to stunted growth.
“I keep saying this: there’s nowhere that you will say that there’s no corruption. There are lots of countries that have more corruption than we do, but they are growing. Our biggest problem and challenge is that people who have stolen money have taken the money abroad,” he said.
“So, the money has no use to them; it has no use to their family because they cannot show their family that they have stolen money. And they are not investing here to grow the domestic economy.”
Black woman who left US for Russia to escape ‘racism’ is beaten by racist neighbours
A black woman who moved from the US to Russia to escape discrimination and racism revealed on social media that the entire plan backfired on her in a disturbing way.
Francine Villa was born in Russia but moved to the US with her family when she was a kid.
In a heartbreaking video, Francine claims that both she and her baby were brutally attacked by racist neighbors in Moscow.
She detailed the alleged assault on Instagram.
Now, the fact that the attack occurred in her homeland is an extra painful blow. Villa had previously spoken about her move in the 2020 documentary “Black in the USSR”, which aired on the Russian state media channel RT.
Villa said that her greatgrandfather, George Tines, who hails from Virginia, worked as an agriculturalist after moving to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Now, much of her family still lives there, but at a young age, she moved with her mother to the United States. It was there that she spent most of her life until experiencing what she described as a traumatizing experience with police.
Villa explained in the documentary that she'd approached officers for help during an emergency, but that they turned on her instead, throwing her to the ground. It was then that she decided it was time to leave. That was back in 2019. Here is how she explained it.
“Why did I make up my mind to move to Russia? I wanted to leave a country where I was facing discrimination”
After a year living in Moscow, she told RT; “I feel free living in Russia because in Russia, no matter what time it is, I can walk outside and I'm safe”
5 years later, that proved to be a fantasy. Following the alleged attack, Villa took to Instagram with blood still on her face, saying a couple in her apartment building beat her with fists while she was with her 2-year-old and yelled racial slurs at her in Russian.
In edited footage shared by Villa of the incident, the couple can be seen arguing with her in the hallway of her building, threatening to throw out her belongings while she was seemingly blocked from entering her own apartment.
Now, she accuses her neighbors of changing the locks, cutting off the electricity, and even tossing her baby's stroller down the stairs. She also claims her child was left with bruises following the incident.
In footage taken from a hospital, Villa can be seen weeping in distress in the aftermath of this alleged attack. She says she's filed complaints to the police, but claims they aren't helping or responding.
The story is specifically about the Club World Cup and it comes from the British Broadcasting Corporation. What is your source?
OloyeVIII: Wrong.. Chelsea earned £115 million... Just £8 million more than PSG at £107.. Chelsea has earned a total of £200 million in 2 months. UCL qualification £90 million and this. Get your facts right.
Who profited most from Club World Cup $1bn prize pot?
Chelsea are the big winners at the Club World Cup - both with the trophy and prize money
The Club World Cup has had its critics but for the clubs involved the competition's $1bn prize pot has proved a lucrative incentive.
With the first edition of the new-look tournament now complete, we are able to analyse the financial rewards reaped by those competing clubs.
BBC Sport explains the breakdown of the prize money and what it means for the clubs getting it.
How much money was on offer?
The new look competition had a prize pot of $1bn (£726m) to give out to the 32 competing clubs, with $525m divided between all clubs for participation and $475m awarded on a performance-related basis.
Money awarded for participation for European clubs was weighted by a ranking based on sporting and commercial criteria, meaning some were awarded more than others for taking part.
European clubs were handed between $12.81m and $38.19m just for turning up, while teams from other continents were given a set fee - that was $15.21m for South America, $9.55m for North and Central America, and Asia and Africa, and $3.58m for Oceania.
Fifa has not confirmed the individual amounts given to European clubs for taking part, so we have used estimates from football finance website The Swiss Ramble based on Uefa's club coefficient system.
The prize money figures have been converted from US dollars into pound sterling.
The big winners
Tournament winners Chelsea were by far the most financially successful team, earning about £84m, while Paris St-Germain made about £78.4m in their run to the final.
European clubs, who generally enjoyed larger participation fees, made an average of around £39m while impressive runs from the likes of semi-finalists Fluminense meant that South American clubs made £24m on average.
Money was on offer for results in the group stage, with around £1.5m for a win and £730k for a draw.
Five clubs, including Pachuca and Seattle Sounders, lost all three group games meaning they only received their participation fee.
Auckland City hit the jackpot
Despite prize money figures for the likes of part-time side Auckland City looking small, the competition has been incredibly lucrative for them within the context of their overall finances.
The £3.3m taken home by Auckland City was around seven times their overall 2024 revenue of approximately £488,000, while the £67m made by Real Madrid was just 4% of their 2024 figure of £901m.
While this is a huge positive for the part-time club, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has concerns for the impact on other sides from New Zealand.
He said: "They have earned so much money that it's difficult to see anybody being able to compete with them if they invest in the playing squad.
"And there's a huge incentive for them to do that because it enhances the chances of them qualifying for the next Club World Cup.
"It's good for them, but it's not necessarily good for the league when you're trying to sell a competitive league to broadcasters."
Extra transfer funds
For the European clubs, the extra revenue has been welcomed as a way of increasing their transfer budget.
In line with Uefa rules, clubs are limited to spending 70% of their revenue on wages, transfers and agents' fees - so for every £50m earned, an extra £35m is available for recruitment.
Some clubs have already paid off their summer transfer business by taking part in the competition.
More than 65% of Borussia Dortmund's £57.9m transfer business so far this summer has been paid off from their participation in the United States after they reached the quarter-final stage.
The £27m Dortmund paid to Sunderland for Jobe Bellingham has already been completely paid off.
Chelsea have spent £198m on reinforcements so far this summer on the likes of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap - £84m of that has been covered by their impressive run at the Club World Cup.
Despite Manchester City's surprise last-16 exit to Al-Hilal, they still earned around £38m from the tournament - which equates to 35% of the summer business they have conducted so far.
In more simple terms, it has paid for their £31m acquisition of Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.
Real Madrid paid Liverpool a fee of around £8.4m for Trent Alexander-Arnold to get him a month early to be part of their squad for the competition - that was paid off after just three matches.
"It's welcome for the accountants at football clubs. The business will be happy," said finance expert Maguire about the competition's lucrative incentives.
"But I'm not sure fans will be happy, particularly of European clubs, and it'll be the same for players and managers.
"We're reaching a crisis point as far as player welfare is concerned. We could be entering a period of conflict between players and owners."
"Smartphone In Space": All About Dror-1, Israel's 'Next Gen' Satellite
Israel has launched its first fully government-funded and domestically built communications satellite, Dror-1, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch, carried out on Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is a turning point for Israel's space program. Dror-1 is the most advanced satellite ever developed by Israel.
What Is Dror-1?
Dror-1 is a geostationary satellite, meaning it orbits at a fixed position approximately 36,000 km above the Earth's equator, maintaining constant coverage over a specific geographic area, as per YNet News.
Weighing around 4.5 tonnes (4,500 kg) and measuring 17.8 metres across, Dror-1 is expected to serve Israel's communication needs for the next 15 years, extending its utility into the late 2030s. The project has cost Israel an estimated Rs 1,670 crore since work began in 2018.
Features Of Dror-1
Advanced Digital Payload: Includes cutting-edge signal processing technologies.
"Space Smartphone" Technology: Enables flexible, software-defined communication capabilities, allowing the satellite to adapt to changing demands during its operational life.
Built 100 per cent In Israel: Developed with entirely local technologies to reduce reliance on foreign components or vendors.
How Israel's Dror-1 Satellite Works
Israel's Dror-1 is a next-generation communications satellite designed for long-term national use, and it operates using a combination of advanced digital systems, geostationary positioning, and flexible reprogrammable payloads.
Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Dror-1 was inserted into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Within hours of launch, it sent back its first signals.
Over the next few weeks, it will use onboard propulsion systems to manoeuvre into its final geostationary orbit, around 36,000 km above Earth, where it will remain fixed over a specific region. This orbit allows Dror-1 to maintain constant communication coverage over Israel and surrounding areas.
What makes Dror-1 special is its "smartphone in space" design, meaning it can be reprogrammed from the ground during its 15-year life. It can change communication settings, coverage areas, and signal use based on need.
Dror-1 is Israel's first state-owned communications satellite.
Until now, Israel's communication satellites, like the Amos series, were built by IAI but owned and operated by the private company Spacecom. That model suffered a major setback in 2016, when Amos-6 was destroyed on the launchpad in a SpaceX explosion.
In 2018, the government adopted a long-term national strategy for communications satellites, focusing on domestic production, sovereign control, and strategic independence.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has described the burial process of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as a freedom for the Yoruba traditional institution and a step towards restoring its sanctity.
Oba Akanbi expressed satisfaction with the burial rites adopted in honouring the late Awujale, stating that he was not subjected to mutilation or cannibalisation “as done by butchers.”
Oba Adetona was buried according to Islamic rites on Monday, after his death on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 91 years.
Soldiers, during the burial, prevented traditionalists from hijacking his burial, as Governor Dapo Abiodun said the traditional ruler had indicated he should be buried according to Islamic rites.
In a statement by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the Oluwo said the courage demonstrated by the Awujale, his family, and Governor Abiodun was a victory for the Yoruba race.
“The courage demonstrated by the late Adetona’s family, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Attorney General of the state, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), is commendable and a foundation blessing to restore the glory of Yoruba stools and its occupants. The Governor is true blue blood.
“Any town willing that his king be butchered after death should appoint an herbalist, Osugbo and Ogboni as their king,” Oba Akanbi said.
He noted that the late Adetona had set a path of honour for deceased Yoruba monarchs.
The monarch said, “The sanctity of Yoruba traditional institution has been protected by the process adopted in burying the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
“Kings are servants to their subjects. They are honourable men who have sacrificed themselves in the interest of their people.
“Honour doesn’t die with the king. They should be honoured to the grave and beyond, and not butchered like an animal after death.
“The noble order of burial rites for Awujale is a win for the Yoruba race, particularly myself. It’s a freedom of Yoruba traditional rulers from physical and spiritual oppression after their death.”
Oba Akanbi added, “The burial process to be adopted in burying Yoruba traditional rulers should be on the recommendation of the king before his passage or his family after his death.
“The seizure of the king’s corpse from his family by any secret group should be optional, depending on the wishes of his family.”
He promised to continue to campaign against any form of idol worship and traditional cultism in his domain.
“In Iwo, I have freed the Oluwo stool from the bondage since my ascension 10 years ago.
“The Osugbos and the Ogbonis have no relation with the Yoruba monarchy. Every attempt to enslave the stool will be eternally restricted by my stool.
“Iwo throne can never be subjected to the command of any secret society. I have freed my town. Even after my death, I trust Iwo people, they will never condone absurdity.”
It’s the clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Mad Vlad Putin
Trump reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky whether Kyiv could strike Russia's two biggest cities — if the US supplied the right firepower.
The bombshell July 4 call marks a stunning shift in Trump’s approach to the Ukraine war — with the peacemaker-turned-hawk now eyeing direct strikes on Russian cities to bring Putin to heel.
“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Trump asked during the call, according to the Financial Times, citing two sources briefed on the exchange.
Zelensky’s answer was swift and direct: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
Trump, far from recoiling at the idea, backed it — describing the plan as a way to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and force the Kremlin into a ceasefire.
Some of Ukraine's attacks on Moscow this year include a March strike on one of Russia's prized oil refineries - just 55 miles away from Putin's Black Sea palace. Read more on Trump & Putin
Russian air defences were also left scrambling to shoot down over 337 drones across 10 different regions, with Moscow and Kursk as the main targets.
It’s the clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Vladimir Putin — and is now preparing to take the fight to Russia’s doorstep.
The White House has refused to comment on the bombshell report.
But it comes hot on the heels of Trump’s blistering crackdown on Moscow, including a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn’t agree to a peace deal within 50 days.
The Financial Times revealed that following the call, a list of long-range weapons was shared with Zelensky in Rome during meetings with US defence officials and Nato intermediaries.
The weapons discussed included the Tomahawk cruise missile, with a 1,600km range, and the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms), which Ukraine has already used to hit Russian-occupied areas — and in some cases, targets deeper inside Russia.
The plan under discussion could allow Trump to bypass the congressional freeze on direct US military aid by authorising weapons sales to European allies, who would then transfer them to Ukraine.
A workaround, but one that could supercharge Ukraine’s firepower without violating legal constraints.
Putin defies Trump's ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine - as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will 'turn Kyiv into Hiroshima'
But American officials have expressed concern over Kyiv's lack of restraint, particularly after a series of daring attacks — including the infamous Operation Spiderweb, where Ukraine’s SBU smuggled drones disguised as prefab homes into Russia and destroyed a fleet of strategic bombers.
That strike, seen as a major psychological blow to the Kremlin, left 12 Russian aircraft heavily damaged or destroyed — retaliation for Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
While US-supplied Atacms missiles can reach up to 186 miles (300km), they still can't hit Moscow.
But the message from Trump is clear: if Kyiv can deliver the pain, Washington may provide the means.
Trump's fury has been building and his patience with the Kremlin tyrant is wearing very thin.
On Monday, in the Oval Office alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, he slammed Putin’s refusal to deal, and threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Russia if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days.
He also reaffirmed support for NATO’s collective defence — in a stark contrast to his earlier skepticism of the alliance.
“I’m disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would have had a deal two months ago,” Trump said.
“We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs.”
He also revealed plans to arm Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, while NATO allies would pick up the bill.
“We’re not buying it,” Trump said.
“We will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
Rutte called it a “game changer”, promising a massive increase in European-supplied equipment.
One of the powerful weapons which could make the cut and be included in package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM).
According to the defence news website Military Watch, President Trump is considering supplying the rarely used Lockheed Martin equipment to help Ukraine.
B-1B Lancer bomber over Edwards Air Force Base.
The standard AGM-15 JASSM has an outstanding range of up to 230 miles with a warhead weighing 450 kg.
They are also well-known for their ability to fly at low altitudes, which allows them to avoid radar detection.
But Putin wasn't listening.
Within hours of Trump's tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka.
In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk.
The Kremlin’s reaction to Trump’s latest posture was icy.
Putin infamous crony, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, mocked Trump’s deadline as “theatrical,” writing on X: “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin.
“The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”
Lies and nonsense meant to whitewash and rehabilitate the image of an unrepentant Islamic extremist. Bakare should be ashamed of himself
Omooba77: Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), shared an encounter during the campaign season.
Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Citadel Global Community Church has stated that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari was not a religious fundamentalist, contrary to popular belief.
In an interview on Channels TV's Politics Today program on Monday, Bakare said, “I thought he was a religious fundamentalist until I came close.
Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), shared an encounter during the campaign season.
“After the flag off of our campaign in Kaduna, we rode in the same car, we got home to his place and he staggered, the next word he spoke, God is my witness, was ‘Jesus Christ of Nazareth,’” Bakare said while recounting his personal experience with the late Buhari.
“And I said, ‘General, what is that?’ He said, ‘You do not have the monopoly of Jesus Christ, I’m thanking God,’”
According to Bakare, the former president surrounded himself with Christians.
“He just said that, and then I found out that his bodyguards were all Christians. Not only that, his driver of 10 years asked me to pray with him and I said, ‘I don’t pray Islamic prayers,’ and he said, ‘I’m a Christian, sir.’”
The former Nigerian leader passed away on Sunday in London around 4:30 p.m. following a prolonged illness. He will be buried on Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State, at 2 p.m., in a state funeral coordinated by a Federal Government committee approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu approved the formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to oversee the planning and coordination of a state funeral for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The committee, to be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, is tasked with delivering a befitting burial ceremony for the former president, who passed away on Sunday.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen, the committee includes several key ministers and top security officials.
Among them are the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Defence, Information and National Orientation, Works, Interior, FCT, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Social Welfare (State), and Culture and Creative Economy.
Imohiosen said the Office of the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), will serve as the secretariat for the committee.
"In honour of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu has also directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to open condolence registers at the entrance of their respective offices for the public to pay their respects to the late Elder Statesman,” the statement said.
“Additionally, a central condolence register for the diplomatic community and the general public will be opened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja. Further briefings will follow as the days unfold.”
Earlier, Tinubu’s administration announced July 15 as a public holiday.
This was disclosed in a press statement signed by Dr. Magdalene Ajani, who is the Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry.
Practically anyone who knows anything about him is already aware of this
Infolenka: Cole Palmer is a black guy just like Bellingham, Mbappe, Trent Alexander Arnold and every other mixed race footballer with a black parent and a white one.
The thing is Cole Palmer's father is black and his mum is white but he took his mum's skin colour.
[i]Luis Enrique grabs Chelsea star by throat as Club World Cup final descends into chaos
Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique insists he was playing peacemaker despite grabbing Joao Pedro by the throat at the Club World Cup.
The Blues were deserved 3-0 winners at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey thanks to first half goals from Cole Palmer and Pedro.
Enrique aimed for Pedro's throat in wild scenes
At full-time, both sets of players clashed on the pitch although it's still not clear what sparked it.
However, replays show a furious Enrique reaching out to Pedro and seemingly aiming for his neck in shocking scenes.
"My intention was clear. I ran over to separate the players. I didn't want the situation to get any worse," Enrique said on the incident.
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was also involved in a heated confrontation with the Chelsea man, who fell onto the turf.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was seen in discussion with Donnarumma while dragging away his fellow Italian from the chaos.
But Maresca is still seemingly none the wiser in what sparked the confrontations despite being in the thick of it.
“After the final whistle, I approached Luis to talk to him and I saw that something was going on. I don't know what happened really," Maresca told journalists.
The Blues didn't let the drama spoil their celebrations though, with many of the squad wearing 'World Champions 25' shirts.
Palmer put Chelsea ahead with 22 minutes played courtesy of his left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
The 23-year-old sensation scored an almost identical goal soon after as the west London side began to put their opponents to the sword.
He then assisted Pedro for the third and final goal of the match as Chelsea had the result all but sealed at the break.
PSG went down to ten men late on as Joao Neves was dismissed for a pull on Marc Cucurella's hair following a VAR review.
Chelsea held onto their three-goal lead until full-time, with the on-pitch brawl commencing on moments later.
The Blues have won their second trophy of the season, 46 days after their UEFA Conference League triumph in Wroclaw.
Like PSG, they had lost just once throughout the tournament before the final.
And despite European champions PSG being the favourites, Chelsea swept them aside in a dominant performance.
Chelsea are now two-time Club World Cup winners, and the first side to win the revamped 32-team format.
Maresca told DAZN after: "I have no words for the players. They all deserve this and it's a good moment."
"For me, we won the game in the first ten minutes," he added.
"We set the tempo and we were very good at pressing them. The conditions made it hard to keep going but the boys did well."
Ukraine has “eliminated” two suspected Russian secret agents after a gunfight in a spy den in Kyiv.
The man and woman who were killed were thought to be part of Russia’s FSB and behind the daylight assassination of one of Ukraine’s top spies this week.
The pair are thought to have co-ordinated the operation in which Col Ivan Voronich, a senior operational officer in Ukraine’s security service, was shot dead using a pistol with a silencer on the street in Ukraine’s capital on July 10.
The suspected assassins were found hiding in a spy den in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian intelligence services.
Both agents were killed in a gunfight with Ukraine’s SBU security service after they attempted to resist arrest. The security service did not disclose whether others had been killed in the gunfight.
In a video address posted to Telegram, Lt Gen Vasyl Malyuk, the head of Ukraine’s security service, said: “As a result of covert investigative and active counter-intelligence activities, the enemy lair was discovered.
“During detention, they began to resist. There was a gunfight, so the villains were eliminated. I would like to remind you that the enemy’s only prospect on the territory of Ukraine is death.”
Lt Gen Malyuk claimed that the pair had been instructed by a supervisor to monitor the SBU officer and memorise his daily routine, before being handed co-ordinates to a cache where a pistol with a silencer was stored.
Col Voronich was shot five times by a masked man using the silenced pistol in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv on Thursday morning.
The senior security officer died at the scene as footage posted to Telegram showed the assailant running away, stuffing the weapon into the pocket of his shorts.
Col Voronich, who reportedly headed a division of Ukraine’s security service focusing on high-level operations, is thought to have played a hand in sensitive sabotage missions carried out within Russian territory.
Ukraine has dealt Russia a series of recent blows in the form of assassinations of high-ranking military officials.
Earlier this month, Russian Maj Gen Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander of the Russian Navy, was killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on a command post in the Kursk region with a US-made Himars missile.
Maj Gen Gudkov, who was one of Vladimir Putin’s most prized senior officers, was the latest of at least 10 Russian major generals or lieutenant generals to have been killed in the war so far.
Col Sergei Ilyin, the commander of an elite Russian marine unit, is also thought to have died in the missile strike, according to a since-deleted post by officials from his home district and unverified claims by pro-war Russian bloggers.
In April, Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy chief of the main operations directorate of Russia’s army, was killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow in an operation that the Kremlin attributed to Ukraine.
It comes as Russia’s defence ministry claims that its forces have captured the villages of Mykolaivka and Myrne in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine in their advance towards the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday that at least six people had been killed across Ukraine in the latest in a series of overnight strikes by Russia using hundreds of drones and long-range missiles.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said Russia was continuing to attempt to advance in Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and the border areas in Sumy.
He wrote on X: “[I]t is important that each of these attempts falters thanks to the resilience of our units and active defence.
“The Russian army has fallen far short of its command’s expectations for this summer. Our units will continue to destroy the occupiers and do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory. We are preparing our new long-range strikes.”
Russia has also been strengthening relations with North Korea during a three-day visit by Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.
#sapsLIM A 39yr-old Nigerian national, Patrick Onjejeke, appeared before the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court today, on a charge of dealing in drugs following his arrest during a targeted op conducted by #SAPS Provincial Organised Crime Unit on 10/07 in Thabo Mbeki Str, near Evergreen Junior Campus, and was promptly intercepted. Heroin, Cat and Cocaine drugs with an estimated street value of R100,000.00 seized. Case remanded to 14/07 for a formal bail application. #DrugsOffTheStreets ME saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspe…
Iran’s president was injured in an Israeli air strike targeting a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council, Tehran has revealed.
Masoud Pezeshkian was wounded in the leg and forced to escape through an emergency hatch after Israel struck the meeting in Tehran with six missiles during June’s 12-day war.
The revelation, made by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affiliated Fars news agency, confirms the claims made by Mr Pezeshkian during a recent interview that Israel tried to assassinate him.
According to Fars, Mr Pezeshkian, 70, sustained a leg injury after the strike on June 16 where others in attendance included parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and judiciary chief Mohseni Ejei.
The agency said the attack bore similarities to the strike that targeted the head of Iran’s biggest regional proxy, Hezbollah, last year, which succeeded in killing long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut.
“The attack occurred before noon on Monday, June 16, while a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council was being held with the heads of the three branches of government and other senior officials in the lower floors of a building in western Tehran,” the report said.
“The attackers targeted the building’s entrances and exits by firing six bombs or missiles to block escape routes and cut off air flow.”
Fars also reported that others also had been injured in the attack. It stated that “some officials, including the president, suffered minor injuries to their legs while leaving”, and added that they escaped through “an emergency hatch that had been planned in advance”.
“After the explosions, the electricity on the floor was cut off,” it added.
Investigations are now under way to find a possible insider because of the precise nature of the attack.
Iran has arrested more than 700 people in the wake of the war on charges of collaborating with Israel, and has attempted to push through a new emergency spy law that aims to impose harsher penalties, including the death penalty.
Damage at the building and studios of the National Iranian Radio and Television headquarters after it was reportedly targeted by an Israeli strike in June Damage at the building and studios of the National Iranian Radio and Television headquarters after it was reportedly targeted by an Israeli strike in June Credit: Anadolu
Though Fars did not detail the location of the strike, opposition outlet Iran International reported an Israeli air strike against an area near Shahrak-e Gharb in western Tehran on June 16.
Mohsen Rezaei, an IRGC general, also told state TV that Israel “struck six points at the location where the Supreme National Security Council was meeting, but not the slightest harm was done to any of its members”.
However, in an interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson, Mr Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying to assassinate him, though had not admitted to having being injured. “They did try [to assassinate me], yes...They acted accordingly, but they failed,” he said.
The interview drew massive criticism from MPs in Iran, with 24 joining together in a public letter accusing the president of undermining national security.
They said his openness to renewed negotiations with the United States in spite of the American strikes on three key nuclear facilities, and his willingness to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has since been expelled from the country, showed weakness.
“From a national security standpoint, such messaging risks inviting further aggression,” the MPs wrote.
“If before June 12 there were diverse views on resisting American overreach, this war generated rare unity around the necessity of confronting the United States and its proxy, the Zionist regime,” they added.
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