₦airaland Forum

A seven-year-old Ukrainian girl who was diagnosed with a rare cancer and moved to Israel in hope of a cure has been killed by an Iranian air strike.

Nastya Buryk died alongside members of her family in Bat Yam last week when a missile fired by the Islamic regime struck their apartment block.

Nastya, her mother, grandmother and two brothers, were all killed in the blast on June 15, the first night of Iran’s barrage, it was reported by Israeli news outlet Ynet.

Her father, Artem, who is fighting against Russia, remains in Kyiv.

She had been undergoing treatment for lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare cancer that attacks blood and bone marrow.

Nastya, from Odesa, was first diagnosed in 2022 and underwent chemotherapy in Ukraine. Her condition improved but she later relapsed.

“On August 29, 2022, we heard the terrible news: ‘Your daughter has cancer,’” her mother Maria Peshkureva wrote on social media.

“Since that day, I have been living in a parallel reality, where the main thing is to save. To breathe. To not give up.”

As her health worsened, her family searched for more specialist treatment and, thanks to charitable donations, they sought medical care in Israel, where Nastya had a bone marrow transplant.

The procedure was unsuccessful and her leukaemia returned.

Earlier this year, her family turned to a new treatment in Israel, while her grandmother, Olena, 60, and two brothers, Konstantin and Ilya, nine and 13, flew from Ukraine to be with her. Both of the boys attended a local school.

Nastya’s father, who joined Ukraine’s 95th Airborne Assault Brigade in 2022, recorded videos from the front line to appeal for donations as the cost of his daughter’s care escalated.

Her family believed they would be safer in Israel than Odesa, which has suffered deadly shelling from Russian forces.

Ukraine’s embassy in Israel said: “On June 14, five Ukrainian citizens, including three minors, were killed in a massive Iranian missile attack on Israel, with a missile hitting a residential building in the city of Bat Yam.

“Ukrainian diplomats and consuls are in close contact with the police and other services to identify and organise the process of returning the bodies of the dead.”

The attack on Bat Yam also killed four other people and injured more than 100.

Since June 13, Iran has fired missiles at Israel every day in response to Israel’s “pre-emptive strike” on the regime’s nuclear facilities on June 12.

Nigerian international footballer Victor Osimhen has spoken candidly about his early years in Lagos, recounting the odd jobs he took on to support himself before beginning his professional career.

In a recently released interview with broadcaster Daddy Freeze, Osimhen detailed how he performed various small tasks—including fetching water and cleaning gutters—for minimal pay while growing up in the densely populated Olusosun area of Lagos.

Speaking in the interview, the Super Eagles forward described a time when he earned between N30 and N80 for cleaning household gutters or fetching water for tenants in a nearby apartment block.

“There was a building in front of my house, like a face-me-I-face-you,” he explained. “I used to fetch water for people upstairs for N80, and sometimes I cleaned the gutters, even when green things were coming out of it.”

Osimhen’s comments offer a glimpse into the difficult living conditions that shaped his early years, long before he rose to become one of Nigeria’s most prominent football exports. The Napoli striker is currently among the highest-paid African players in European football.

The conversation has resonated widely on social media, with many users pointing to Osimhen’s story as an example of perseverance and resilience in the face of economic hardship.

A federal high court sitting in Lagos has sentenced Olukeye Adeayo Olalekan to 76 years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple offences, including child pornography, cyberstalking, fraud, and money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Olalekan on an 18-count charge.

The offences ranged from distributing and procuring child pornography, cyberstalking, and obtaining property under false pretences to the retention and concealment of proceeds of fraud.

Counts one to three involved the distribution and procurement of child pornography, contrary to sections 23(1)(c) and 23(1)(f) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.

According to the anti-graft agency, count four dealt with cyberstalking, while counts five to nine addressed the unlawful retention of fraudulent proceeds, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Counts 10 to 14 concerned disguising the origin of those funds, and the remaining counts, 15 to 18, related to obtaining property under false pretences in violation of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

Olalekan was first arraigned before Y.G. Ringim, a federal high court judge, on September 6, 2023, where he pleaded not guilty.

But the case was reassigned and heard de novo before Kehinde Ogundare and again before Alexander Owoeye.

The defendant was granted bail, and the trial commenced.

According to the prosecution, the case drew international attention after the British Columbia Serious Crime Unit in Canada launched an investigation into the death of 14-year-old Robin Janjus, who was found dead in his home.

The prosecution said forensic analysis of the victim’s mobile phone led Canadian authorities to social media accounts operated by the defendant.

Further investigation, including an undercover operation, revealed that Olalekan had pretended to be a female from North Carolina, using platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram to lure victims.

He was found to have solicited and obtained property under false pretences, threatened to disseminate nude images of minors, and conducted multiple fraudulent transactions involving cryptocurrency and gift cards.

After reviewing the evidence, the court found Olalekan guilty on all 18 counts and sentenced him, accordingly, resulting in a cumulative 76-year prison term.

The Internet blackout was first noticed by NetBlocks, an organisation that tracks global cybersecurity and digital governance.

NetBlocks highlighted a near-total internet blackout in Iran starting from June 18, 2025, linked to escalating military tensions with Israel, including missile strikes, with data showing that internet connectivity in the country had dropped to 3%, a pattern consistent with intentional government shutdowns as noted by BBC Verify's analysis of Netblocks' live network data.

Iran has accused Israel of launching a large-scale cyberattack on its digital infrastructure. According to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency and state-run IRIB News, Israel initiated a "massive cyber war" targeting the country's critical infrastructure, including banking and online services, as reported on June 17, 2025. Iran's Cyber Command claimed that many of these attacks were successfully repelled.

Additionally, a pro-Israel hacking group, Predatory Sparrow (Gonjeshke Darande), claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Iran's Bank Sepah, causing widespread disruptions to ATMs, online transactions, and payment processing, which aligns with Iran's accusations.

Decent09:
Pure lies from the pit of Hell, Iran is waxing stronger and stronger, in few days to come, it will start testing it's Nuclear weapons.

vaxx:
Israeli media censors hundreds killed in Iran attacks

While Israeli government and security agencies are desperately trying to prevent the publication of casualty figures from Iranian missile attacks on the occupied territories, some sources are reporting a high number of Israelis injured and killed during these attacks.

In one case, the American newspaper Washington Post reported that the number of Israeli casualties since the beginning of Iran's missile operations has exceeded 1,800.

The newspaper did not announce the number of deaths, but some sources estimate the number of deaths during the several waves of Iranian missile attacks to be in the hundreds.

they did

The Israeli army's censorship organization has repeatedly announced over the past few days that the publication of statistics and images related to Iranian missile attacks is prohibited, and has called on residents of the occupied territories to refrain from publishing these items.

The attacks a few minutes ago (Iran Wave 11) were one of the heaviest attacks in recent days, with numerous images of repeated missile strikes on various cities, including Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem, also being released.

Despite repeated firings, Israel's air defenses are unable to intercept a large number of these missiles, and at the same time, some of these systems have also suffered technical errors and hit nearby areas in cities, causing extensive damage.

Man jailed in UK for inappropriate acts, told teen victim such ‘won’t be reported’ in Nigeria

A Nigerian man, Emmanuel Onwubiko has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old teenager in Warrington, UK who sought baptism to “feel clean” again, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday.

The assaults took place last year when Onwubiko, then 35, of Derwent Road, Ashton, targeted the 18-year-old victim.

Onwubiko, originally from Nigeria, began behaving inappropriately toward her, escalating to touching her breast and bottom, and grabbing her vagina on two occasions.

He also asked her inappropriate sexual questions, the court was told.

When the teenager expressed discomfort, Onwubiko dismissed her concerns, citing cultural differences.

He claimed that such behavior toward women in Nigeria “would not be reported.”

Feeling “physically sick,” the victim hid in a bathroom and sent a “running log” of the assaults to a friend via text.

She later fled to a family member’s home, where she disclosed the incidents, prompting a police response. Onwubiko was arrested but denied the allegations during his interview with officers.

Despite pleading not guilty, Onwubiko was convicted on all five counts of sexual assault following a trial, where the victim had to relive her trauma before a jury.

At his sentencing on Friday, the now 36-year-old faced the consequences of his actions.

The victim delivered a powerful statement in court, detailing the profound impact of the assaults.

“My mental health has significantly declined due to what happened to me,” she said. “Some days I feel as though I can’t get out of bed due to feeling anxious. My mind is always thinking about what happened to me, and it is as though I have constant flashbacks about what happened to me. I now feel a shell of my former self.”

In a heartbreaking revelation, she shared how the assaults drove her to seek spiritual cleansing. “I researched online and found a church that does baptisms on short notice,” she said.

“I felt so desperate to try and cleanse my body and feel as clean as possible. I was reaching out to God to try and get some help, and I thought bathing in holy water would wash away the horrible feelings I was having.”

Defence counsel Robert Wynn-Jones noted that Onwubiko, a Nigerian national, had come to the UK on a student visa, which has since expired.

He is reportedly seeking a post-graduate visa to remain in the country and repay a loan, as his wife and three children face threats if the debt is unpaid.

Judge Gary Woodhall addressed Onwubiko’s conduct, stating, “From the very beginning of that day, you behaved inappropriately towards her. You demonstrated sexual attraction towards her. She was scared.”

The court also heard of a related incident involving the victim’s father, who assaulted Onwubiko after learning of his daughter’s ordeal.

The father punched Onwubiko several times, causing a nosebleed, two chipped teeth, and a subdural haemorrhage that required emergency surgery.

The father received an 18-month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Onwubiko was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to sign the sex offender register for 10 years. A 10-year restraining order was also imposed to protect the victim.

Veteran Yoruba actor Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini, has publicly expressed regret over his active participation in the 2023 campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking in a heartfelt interview on Behind the Fame, Alapini lamented that he and dozens of fellow actors feel abandoned and overlooked after fully endorsing Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.


“We campaigned with joy, thinking our messiah had arrived, because Tinubu is someone we have loved for many years,” Alapini said in Yoruba, his voice tinged with disappointment.

“We spent two months campaigning for him… entering markets, walking through remote areas—even when we weren’t political figures,” he added.

The actor described how their efforts—at personal and professional cost—have yielded no recognition or benefits. He highlighted the absence of acknowledgement even from Tinubu’s campaign team and son, Seyi Tinubu.


Would Seyi claim he did not see us, the old folks, during the campaign? Was he blind to our presence?

Alapini also referenced colleague Olaiya Igwe, who famously stripped naked on a beach during the campaign, as receiving no reward or respite, contrary to widespread rumours that he was gifted a car.

On whether he would support Tinubu’s re‑election in 2027, the once-enthusiastic actor was blunt:

"I haven’t thought about it. Maybe our only support next time will be curses for anyone who votes for him,” he said

Alapini also took aim at perceived regional bias, questioning why Seyi Tinubu’s philanthropic activities have largely focused on Northern Nigeria while neglecting Yorubaland.

Antichristian2:
I want to live in Saudi ooo!

Abeg if you get sure link!

Libyans were fine before they use their hands to oust Gadafi!

Same thing we were trying to do later in Endsars!

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday expressed strong support for Israel in its military campaign against Iran as he spoke with German media on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us,” Merz said in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster.

"We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” he said.

In a separate interview with Welt TV, Merz also suggested Israel’s attacks on Iran could lead to the demise of the Islamic republic’s leadership.

“I assume that the attacks of the last few days have already weakened the mullah regime considerably and that it is unlikely to return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain,” Merz said.

“To be honest, I can hardly imagine the mullah regime returning to its old functions,” he added.

“Large parts of the military leadership and the so-called Revolutionary Guards are no longer alive, so things will not be the same as they were.”


Asked whether he thought the United States might get involved in the military campaign against Iran, Merz said he believed there was “no decision yet from the American government”.

“It now depends very much on how far the mullah regime is prepared to return to the negotiating table,” he said. “If not, there could be further developments of this kind.”

Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign targeting sites across Iran, saying the attacks aimed to prevent its enemy from acquiring atomic weapons.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also suggested the campaign could have wider aims.

Netanyahu on Monday said Israel was “changing the face of the Middle East” with its campaign, which could lead to “radical changes” in the country.

Iran has been ruled by clerical leaders since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and has long been accused by Western countries of human rights abuses and brutally repressing dissent.

The leaders of the G7 industrial democracies on Monday called for “de-escalation” in the Middle East starting with the Israel-Iran conflict, stressing that Israel “has a right to defend itself” and that civilians needed to be protected on both sides.

Fiscus105:
Me, number 3, next is 1 and last 2

My wife possesses 3.

press9jatv:
Seyi Makinde respect him and his huge grassroots supporter's

Racoon:
These imperialists and neo-colonialists really did so much damage to Africa, Asia and other parts of the world that they subjected to their brute power plays. Terrible the servitude they imposed and bastardization of the psyche of their subjects.

press9jatv:
hmm 🧐. Some said he has grassroots support in the Lg level

Nigerian media personality, Okuneye Idris, better known as Bobrisky, has criticised Nigerian senators for their perceived inaction regarding the recent killings in Benue State.

Bobrisky, on Monday, expressed his frustration on Instagram, highlighting that while lawmakers swiftly convened meetings over his legal issues, they have remained silent on the ongoing violence in Benue.

He wrote, “Senator/House representative didn’t call urgent meeting over the killing happening in Benue.

“Senator/House representative didn’t call an urgent meeting over the killing happening in Benue. But they can call an urgent meeting when it comes to Bobrisky. Shame, shame!!!! Shame!!!.What a shameful country.”

The media personality was charged in court in 2024 over the abuse of Naira notes by the EFCC. Months after being found guilty, news spread that he did not serve time in a Nigerian prison.

PUNCH Online reports that a growing number of Nigerians on social media are demanding that the Federal Government declare a state of emergency in Benue State following the killing of a reported number of 200 people in a two-day rampage by suspected herders.

Many users are comparing the silence over the Benue massacre to the suspension of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the declaration of a state of emergency in March 2025.

press9jatv:
Oriyomi Hamzat get huge fans too. I pity him here. Nigeria politics especially Oyo state politics is very deep.

SmartPolician:
Don't worry - when I become the president, I'll fix things. Nigerians should be patient. I'm equipping myself for the task.

isuomo:
Well, i know someone in London who graduated with a 2:1 in Politics and International Relations from the University of Westminster in 2022 now working for Nomura Asset Management and earning six figures. She is 26.

Ayatollah comes under pressure to improve relations with the West amid Israel attack and economic collapse

Iran’s supreme leader is facing growing anger from within the regime’s ruling inner circle following Israel’s attacks on the country’s nuclear infrastructure.

Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Friday, killing top commanders and nuclear scientists, and bombing sites in an effort to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon.

In response Tehran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel, which were largely intercepted.

As hardliners continue to threaten vengeance against Israel and its allies in the wake of the strikes, there are signs of a deepening rift between Iran’s extreme and moderate voices.

It has mainly been left to the hardliners to articulate Iran’s official response.

The country’s state-owned Fars News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, quoted a senior military official warning that, apart from attacking Israel, “the war will spread to all parts of Israel and American bases in the region in the coming days, and the aggressors will be targeted with a decisive and widespread response”.

In an attempt to silence criticism of the regime’s handling of the crisis, Mohseni Ejeie, Iran’s chief judge cleric, issued a warning on Saturday that any Iranian citizen who posted comments on social media supporting Israel’s attack would face sentences of up to six years in jail.

Even so, as criticism of the regime’s handling of the crisis begins to surface, it is likely to find itself under pressure to explain its inability to defend the nation from Israel’s assault, despite the vast sums it claims to have spent upgrading the Iranian military.

Private text messages shared with The New York Times reveal that some Iranian officials are questioning why Iran’s air defences have not been more effective in repelling Israel’s attacks, which hit its arsenal of ballistic missiles and assassinated senior figures in Tehran’s military chain of command.

"Where is our air defence?” texted one official, while another asked: “How can Israel come and attack anything it wants, kill our top commanders, and we are incapable of stopping it?”

Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce’s energy committee, said: “Israel’s attack completely caught the leadership by surprise, especially the killing of the top military figures and nuclear scientists. It also exposed our lack of proper air defence and their ability to bombard our critical sites and military bases with no resistance.”

Mr Hosseini also raised concerns about Israel’s apparent infiltration of Iran’s military and security forces, enabling it to conduct covert operations in Iran’s armed forces and nuclear targets.

In its response to Israel’s attack, Iran was also only able to muster 200 missiles, despite an order from Ayatollah Khamenei to launch a barrage of 1,000 and reports that Iran was planning a response in the event of an Israeli attack for over a week.
Damage of residential homes after Iranian missiles hit Israel.

From the start of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the battle between the regime’s moderate faction, which seeks to adopt a less confrontational stance towards the West, and the ideological hardliners has been one of the regime’s defining characteristics.

While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, remains the hardliners’ undisputed head, Masoud Pezeshkian, the country’s recently elected president, is viewed as representing the regime’s more moderate wing.

To date, Mr Pezeshkian has kept a relatively low profile, condemning the Israeli attacks and calling for unity among the Iranian people, stating: “Today, more than ever, the Iranian nation needs togetherness, trust, empathy, unity and consensus.”

Mr Pezeshkian’s electoral victory over conservative hardliner Saeed Jalil last was seen as indicative of Tehran’s desire to adopt a more constructive approach with the West, especially in terms of alleviating the sanctions that have hit the Iranian economy hard.

The regime’s handling of the economy – where funds have been diverted to support military and terrorist operations instead of concentrating on domestic issues – has provoked mounting dissent throughout the country, and seen Khamenei under pressure to adopt a more conciliatory tone.

During the election campaign, Mr Pezeshkian, a 71-year-old heart surgeon and member of the Iranian parliament, was highly critical of Iran’s repressive morality police.

He directly challenged the hardliners’ approach by calling for “unity and cohesion” in Iran, as well as calling for an end to Iran’s “isolation” from the outside world.

Mr Pezeshkian also campaigned in favour of engaging in “constructive negotiations” with Western powers to agree a new deal over the country’s nuclear programme, which Iran agreed to kerb in return for an easing of Western sanctions.

But while Mr Pezeshkian has tried hard to pursue a more moderate social and foreign policy since taking office, he has had to contend with the institutional resistance of the hardline faction, which regard any deal with the West concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions as tantamount to a sell-out.

One indication of the ideological struggle at the heart of the Iranian regime came in March when Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country’s moderate former foreign minister, was forced to resign from his position as vice-president.

A close ally of Mr Pezeshkian, Mr Zarif’s dismissal was said to be related to his opposition to Tehran’s deepening alliance with Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, which he regarded as being counterproductive to Iran’s diplomatic efforts to improve relations with the West.

While Israel’s military assault against Iran means there is little prospect of Tehran improving relations with the West in the near future, the eruption of hostilities will nevertheless focus attention on the regime’s internal wrangling, which could ultimately result in the regime’s collapse.

For the moment, Iran’s hardliners have taken charge of the country’s military response to Israel’s continuing offensive. But the longer Israel continues to attack key Iranian targets with impunity, the more pressure the hardliners will come under pressure to explain their abject failure to defend the country, a failing that ultimately could lead to their demise.