Paradise News

Tag: World

  • ‘We’ve now taken Rivers structures out of Wike’s control’ —PDP claims

    The Acting Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Robinson Nname-Ewor, has boasted that the party has successfully seized control of state structures which were hitherto under the control of former Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

    Nname-Ewor who made the claims during an interview on Arise TV on Monday night, said Wike’s long years of influence and control over the PDP in the state are now a thing of the past as the party has now taken total control.

    Describing the former governor’s imposing influence on the party structures and control as “years of political hostage-taking,” Nname-Ewor said the party has been able to put an end to those years.

    “Before now, Wike held the party hostage at the state level. The national said don’t conduct congresses; he went ahead to conduct them. But today, we have gone beyond that,” Nname-Ewor said.

    “The party today at the state level is no longer in his hands. Therefore, there is nothing they can do as far as the party is concerned in Rivers.”

    Nname-Ewor who also spoke on the political crisis between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Wike, said the situation was escalated when Fubara decided to be a man of his own by resisting the continued political control by the former governor.

    “Wike believes loyalty should be absolute. But the resources he used to support candidates, including Fubara and state lawmakers, were not his — they were Rivers State resources. So the first loyalty should be to the people.

    “Once Rivers people realised Fubara was no longer Wike’s puppet, they owned him. And that’s what changed everything.

    “The crisis you see in Rivers and in the PDP is not because the party is broken. It is because one man, the FCT Minister, is determined to destroy it. Remove him, and you won’t see a single crisis — neither in Rivers nor nationally,” he stated.

    The PDP chieftain also accused Wike of working against the party from within while aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that Wike’s influence has become more destructive than beneficial.

    “To us in Rivers, Wike is no longer a member of the PDP. He is only here to destroy the PDP and the opposition. And unfortunately, he is being aided by the presidency.

    “Wike today exists in the PDP because he’s on a mission to destroy the opposition in the country, not just in Rivers State.

    “And the president is helping him. The president is funding Wike to destroy the opposition. That is the irony of it.

    “How do you advise a party you’re no longer part of? How do you advise people you’re busy attacking? Wike has openly pledged to support the APC in 2027. His role now is not one of leadership but sabotage.

    “This is a new beginning for the PDP in Rivers. We are taking back our party, and we will protect it,” Nname-Ewor insisted.

    Source: Ripples Nigeria

  • UNN Alumnus Proposes Radical Model To Change Varsity Education In Nigeria

    Austine Akaeze, a seasoned academic and property consultant, revisited his alma mater two decades after graduation, and what he saw left him with a sense of dismay. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he earned his Mass Communication degree, seems to have stagnated, with dilapidated buildings and a lack of notable development. Akaeze, a lecturer at the Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State, pursuing a PhD in his Alma mater, shared his disappointing experience and reflections with THE WHISTLER.

    After your degree, twenty years back, have you visited your alma mater or is this your first visit?

    After my degree in 2005, I returned again in 2009 for my master’s and left in 2012. I returned for my PhD in 2024. I registered in November.

    What were the surprising things you noticed after your return?

    Nothing surprising. The impression was not encouraging. If I look at the Faculty of Arts, which is my primary home, it’s still the same way we left it. Nothing changed. In the Mass Communications Department, for instance, the final year class, the third year class… they are all the same way we left it.

    Then, the Postgraduate area has been turned into a computer lab that is just a mounted exhibition. Nobody uses it. So, we, the postgraduate students, most times have our lectures in the lecturer’s office or in the library. The library is dirty, unkempt, unarranged, and there are three staff working there. I keep wondering what they do.

    You take lectures in lecturer’s offices and libraries? How comfortable is it?

    You can imagine the comfort you have when taking a lecture in a lecturer’s office. Is that a lecture? It’s no longer a lecture. It’s not even an interaction. I think it’s just a normal chat because it’s absurd for students to receive lectures in a lecturer’s office unless maybe the lecturer is your supervisor.

    How many are you people in the class?

    Maybe around 20. The number varies; sometimes you see 8, 12, sometimes you see only 3 people. Sometimes you see people you have never seen before.

    Were there no changes, 20 years after your degree?

    The only change I noticed was in the office of the Head of Department (HOD) Mass Communication, Prof. Ukonu – the projector that was installed there and in the classes.

    Recently, the department published the Record Newspaper, which they had stopped publishing for years. They are planning to launch an online version of the newspaper. There was also a recent ‘Jackson Lecture’ organized by the department. Maybe there is hope, but for now, I saw nothing to give me hope. Maybe they are waiting for us.

    Who are the “us”?

    Maybe they are waiting for the alumni; the old students. We really have a lot to do for the school.
    This problem is not only peculiar to UNN. The university in Nigeria is a problem unto itself. The university is supposed to be the soul of society, the conscience where we produce humans for development and generate ideas, but what do we have now?
    Let me take you back a little. Osita Chidoka, the former minister of aviation, conducted a study in collaboration with other persons on the state of African universities. In other countries, they visited, expenditure/income of the universities was displayed on their websites. How much they got from hostel, school fees, government subvention, but in Nigeria, no single university displayed theirs.
    Nobody knows how much is coming in or going out. Everything is shrouded in secrecy; a university that is supposed to be open.

    You mentioned how bad the hostels in the school were. Could you explain more?

    To use the word “inhabitable” is to say the least. Those hostels are disasters waiting to happen.
    Franco Hall, where I spent four years during my degree days, Eni Njoku and Alvan Ikoku Hall should all be pulled down immediately before they collapse on students.

    Also, we have Nkrumah Hall, that used to be a PG Hall. It has been converted to a girls’ hostel. It underwent some renovations. I think it is still habitable.
    There is Mbanefo Hall which used to be a male hostel; it has been rehabilitated to a female hostel. It is still manageable. PG students stay now in Peter Odili Hall just before Kwame Nkrumah.
    Then let’s go up school; where we used to call White House, Akpabio and Akintola Halls should be pulled down immediately. They are no longer habitable.

    The management of public universities usually complains of lack of funds to embark on projects. What can you say about it?

    Only internally generated revenue can run a university. I don’t think funding is our problem. Our problem is the implementation of good policies that will drive us forward. The forefront of it is management. Everybody is looking for what they will get, and nobody cares about the university.

    What do you think should be done in our universities? Where can we start from?

    Education in Nigeria is in a chaotic state. It’s a serious problem. The country should redesign our educational approach. Our education is not designed for development. It’s designed to memorize facts that add nothing to the student and get a worthless certificate that cannot contribute to the new age. We are in the information technology age. The world is driven by technology.
    Our education should become more creative, more technical, and less classroom-based. Classroom lectures can happen anywhere now. Class is digital now.
    Let’s go to what UNN needs. The school needs functional classrooms that fit into the spirit of the new age, not obsolete ones. Halls of residence for students should be rebuilt and improved upon. The laboratories and library should also be upgraded.
    The lecturers’ pay should be increased. We are poorly paid considering the volume of work; you teach undergraduate, postgraduate, diplomas, PGDs, you supervise, you mark. The morale of lecturers is low. I have a passion for the job, but my salary can’t take me for a week. I have to go into real estate to survive. If I depend on my salary, I will commit suicide. It’s abnormal for an academic to be running around looking for survival while doing a job that could have earned him a living.
    These three issues should not only be taken care of in UNN but across all universities. If the Nigerian educational system can pull this together and then we talk about a new model for Nigerian education.

    What New Model are you proposing?

    I’m working on a model that will transform the quality of education in the country. I’m looking at a model where there’s one semester of classroom work and the next semester on the field, doing practical work.
    For instance, why should a university with departments of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Building Technology bring in contractors to do a building job in the university? When we have professors in those fields and students who could have used such an opportunity to gain practical experience.
    A university should have a farm that can feed the university. A faculty of Agriculture with no tractor, no cassava farm, no corn farm… What are you “agriculturing”?
    We should channel our efforts into practical things. A university demonstration farm, bakery, table water production… We can do all these to help ourselves and keep the students busy.
    This proposed model should also be adopted in our primary and secondary schools. Mondays to Wednesdays for classroom work and Thursdays and Fridays for practical/technical work. Students will be distributed according to their areas of interest and competence.
    Workshops like electrical, mechanical, furniture, welding, engineering, and so on, should be created. Education is simply discovering and nurturing a child’s natural ability. Here, we are forcing children into things that are not compatible with them.
    If you come to universities today, you’ll cry when you see the culture of students; their disposition and all. You’ll wonder if it’s the same university you attended years ago.
    During my days, I remember as an undergraduate, it was from hostel to class, from class to the library. That was my movement. A student in their final year now doesn’t have a notebook. All they have is a phone, data, and earpiece.
    A student of Mass Communication in their final year can’t even define Mass Communication convincingly. It’s only a few of them that know what they’re there for. The new model I am proposing will help solve all these issues.

    UNN Alumnus Proposes Radical Model To Change Varsity Education In Nigeria is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

    Source: The Whistler

  • Okpaleke only Nigerian Cardinal eligible to participate in the election of new Pope

    The Catholic Broadcast Commission of Nigeria, CBCN, has revealed that only one cardinal from Nigeria is eligible to participate in the election of a new Pope.

     

    According to a statement posted on the CBCN Facebook page, His Eminence, Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke, 62, the Bishop of Ekwulobia, is the only Nigerian Catholic cardinal, out of four currently eligible to participate (vote) in a papal conclave.

     

    CBCN cited their age as the reason for the ineligibility of the remaining three.

    The statement read: 

     

    “His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Okpaleke (62) is the only Nigerian Catholic cardinal out of four cardinals currently eligible to participate( vote) in a papal conclave, being under 80 years of age—both to vote for a new pope and to be voted for as Pope.

     

    “Other Nigerian cardinals who cannot vote:
    Francis Cardinal Arinze – 92
    Anthony; Cardinal Okogie – 88
    Cardinal John Onaiyekan – 81

     

    “Why can’t cardinals over the age of 80 vote in a conclave? The Church excuses them from voting out of concern for the Cardinals themselves.

     

    Selecting the Supreme Pontiff can be a great burden of responsibility, and especially so when one is advanced in age. These Cardinals instead take the role of supporting the electors by helping to lead the people of God in prayer during the election.

     

    “The reason for this provision is the desire not to add to the weight of such venerable age the further burden of responsibility for choosing the one who will have to lead Christ’s flock in ways adapted to the needs of the times.

     

    “This does not, however, mean that the cardinals over eighty years of age cannot take part in the preparatory meetings of the Conclave, in conformity with the norms set forth below.

     

    “During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, and especially during the election of the Supreme Pontiff, they in particular should lead the People of God assembled in the Patriarchal Basilicas of Rome and in other churches in the dioceses throughout the world, supporting the work of the electors with fervent prayers and supplications to the Holy Spirit and imploring for them the light needed to make their choice before God alone and with concern only for the ‘salvation of souls, which in the Church must always be the Supreme Law’.”

    Pope Francis: Okpaleke only Nigerian Cardinal eligible to participate in the election of new Pope

     

    Pope Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

     

    He spent 38 days there, the longest hospital stay of his 12-year papacy.

     

    However, he emerged on Easter Sunday, a day before his death, to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square.

    Source: Linda Ikeji

  • Five dead, 8 injured in Gombe auto crash

    At least five person’s died in an auto crash in Biliri, headquarters of Billiri local government area of Gombe State on Monday.

    The victims included two men and three women.

    The spokesman for the state police command, Buhari Abdullahi. confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday in Gombe.

    He said eight other injured persons are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe and General hospital Billiri.

    The statement read: “The Gombe State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of a tragic incident that occurred today, 21st April, 2025, in Billiri Local Government Area involving a heavy-duty Truck.”

    “A trailer truck transporting grains from Adamawa State to Gombe, lost control due to brake failure while approaching a gathering of Christian faithful who were on procession to celebrate the Easter season in Billiri town.”

    “The vehicle veered off the road and tragically ran into the crowd, including some Muslim residents who were observing from the roadside.”

    The PPRO added that, “Police operatives from Billiri Division swiftly responded to the distress, providing immediate rescue efforts and conveying the injured victims to the nearest hospital for emergency medical attention.”

    “In the aftermath of the incident, some aggrieved youths in the area set the vehicle ablaze, looted some people’s shops and subsequently marched to the Billiri Divisional Police Headquarters.”

    “In an attempt to express their anger, the youths began to throw stones and other dangerous objects at the officers on duty.

    “The Divisional Police Officer and several other Police personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries during the unrest. However, Normalcy has been restored.”

    By: Yemi Kanji

    Source: Ripples Nigeria

  • Anger, Hope As Tinubu Ends Paris-London Leave

    Nigerians have reacted with frustration, hope, and scepticism to President Bola Tinubu’s return from his extended leave to Paris, France, on Sunday.

    “While he was away, we lost over [over 284] innocent lives at the hands of marauding herdsmen,” lamented Shagba Zaki Orturan in response to the announcement. “The food basket is becoming a blood basket. Let Mr President act now. We are helpless.”

    Tinubu had extended his stay abroad beyond the two-week leave initially announced by the presidency. He departed Abuja for Paris, France, on April 2 for what was described as a retreat to enable him to “appraise his administration’s midterm performance and assess key milestones”.

    Last Thursday, the presidency addressed public concerns about the president’s prolonged stay. Onanuga had assured Nigerians that Tinubu remained “fully engaged” in the country’s governance despite being overseas.

    He also revealed that the president had relocated from Paris to London over the weekend and maintained “constant communication with key government officials”.

    The latest trip came barely two months after Tinubu visited France on a private visit. The president has made over 30 foreign trips since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

    In a Facebook post on Sunday night, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga shared photos of Tinubu’s arrival. Among the officials who welcomed him home were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike; and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Some citizens who reacted to Onanuga’s earlier post announcing Tinubu’s return expressed anger over the president’s absence during recent attacks in Plateau and Benue States, which have reportedly claimed no fewer than 284 lives.

    “Were Nigerians not massacred in Plateau and Benue States when he snubbed them and jumped into the tax-payers-purchased jet to France?” questioned Smart Chukwuma Amaefula, adding, “What is his value to Nigeria?”

    Another commenter, Aselemi Love, sarcastically remarked, “What is he coming back to do? I thought he was the French prime minister. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.”

    However, Aliyu Ibrahim Makama expressed hope that “his return will normalise the hardship situation in this country,” noting that “Nigerians are suffering more than you can ever expect.”

    He added that even grassroots mobilisers for the administration “have nothing tangible to use for a campaign, especially here in the North.”

    Others used the announcement to call for policy interventions by the Tinubu administration.

    Kizito Okokhere urged President Tinubu to “immediately face changing the security architecture, which he campaigned to change.” He suggested the formation of “a joint committee on state or even local government police”.

    Olumuyiwa Fafure wrote, “Welcome back, Mr President. Can you reshuffle the cabinet again? The Minister of Power is useless so far.”

    Nkereuwem Akpan recommended that upon return, the president should meet with governors from affected states and security chiefs for “extreme carrot and stick solutions” while also accelerating gas projects to “calm down nerves”.

    While criticism dominated the reactions, some supporters maintained their faith in Tinubu’s leadership.

    Olusesi Boyejo said, “Even his enemies are missing him. Atiku and Obi cannot sleep. Indeed, Tinubu is a man of destiny.”

    However, others like Chidi Chukwuonye offered scathing assessments: “There is absolutely no difference between his being around and his not being around. He remains inept, clueless and incompetent, no matter where he runs Nigeria from.”

    Anger, Hope As Tinubu Ends Paris-London Leave is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

    Source: The Whistler

  • British teen won’t be canonised as planned following Pope’s d3ath

    The canonisation of a British Italian teenager as the first millennial saint has been postponed due to the Pope’s d3ath. 

    Carlo Acutis, who d!ed of acute leukemia in 2006 when he was 15, created a website cataloguing more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognised by the Catholic church. 

    The young web designer started the site in 2004 and worked on it for two and a half years. 

    It was unveiled just days before he passed away. 

    Each miracle on the site was translated into twenty languages and accompanied with images, maps and video. 

    Around ten years ago a group of priests and friends of Carlo started an initiative to have Carlo sainted. 

    He was named “venerable’ in 2018 after the church recognised his virtuous life, and his body was taken to a shrine in Assisi’s Santuario della Spogliazione. 

    He was then declared “blessed” in 2020 after the Vatican dicastery, which studies sainthood processes, found the “scientifically inexplainable” recovery of a sick child in Brazil was down to the youngster touching one of Carlo’s t-shirts. 

    Last year, the church attributed a second miracle to him – the complete recovery of a Costa Rican student in Italy from major head trauma in a bicycle accident after her mother prayed at Carlo’s tomb. 
     

    British teen won

    This paved the way to his canonisation, which was supposed to happen next Sunday, April 27, but will now be postponed. 

    Carlo was born on May 3, 1991, in London to a wealthy Italian family, and grew up in Milan. 

    While he enjoyed regular pastimes for someone his age, including video games, time with his friends and hiking, he also taught catechism in a local parish and did outreach to the homeless. 

    His preserved body is currently on display to the public at a church in Assisi.

    Source: Linda Ikeji

  • Meta CEO, Other Tech Executives Sold Over $5bn Shares Before Trump’s Tariffs

    In a wave of high-profile stock selloffs preceding a major shift in U.S. trade policy, Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and several other top American executives offloaded billions of dollars’ worth of shares in the first quarter of 2025.

    The timing, just weeks ahead of President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs, has drawn renewed scrutiny over insider trading practices during periods of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

    Zuckerberg led the pack, divesting approximately $733m worth of Meta shares between January and March through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and its related foundation.

    The sales, executed under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 trading plan established in August 2024, involved about 1.1m shares, according to data from Washington Services cited by Bloomberg.

    While Meta shares were initially resilient, Trump’s declaration of a new tariff regime rattled equity markets, sending tech stocks into a tailspin. Meta was among those impacted, contributing to a drop in Zuckerberg’s net worth to $178bn — the lowest point of the year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    The share sales have sparked debate among market watchers and corporate governance experts over the ethics and optics of executive divestments ahead of sensitive policy shifts. Though legal under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Rule 10b5-1, critics argue that such transactions can erode investor trust, particularly when timed before significant market-moving events.

    Zuckerberg’s monthly stock option sales have reportedly continued into April, totaling an additional $565m in disposals, partially offset by an estimated $100m in exercise costs.

    He was not alone. CEO of Oracle Corp., Safra Catz sold approximately $705m in stock options in January when Oracle shares were trading near record highs of $180.

    Known for maintaining a relatively limited direct stake in the company, Catz’s transactions were also part of a pre-established plan tied to executive compensation.

    Other prominent figures followed suit. Nikesh Arora, CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc., sold 2.36 million shares worth more than $432m.

    Max de Groen, a Nutanix Inc. board member and partner at Bain Capital, divested 5.5 million shares valued at roughly $410m. Chuck Davis, a director at Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. and co-CEO of Stone Point Capital, sold 4.3 million shares for nearly $400m.

    Stephen Cohen, President of Palantir Technologies Inc., capitalized on a significant stock rally, selling 4.06 million shares for an estimated $337m. The company’s stock nearly doubled in value between January and February.

    JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon also joined the selling spree, disposing of 866,361 shares worth $233.8m on February 20.

    He later sold an additional 133,639 shares for $31.5m in April, pushing his total 2025 sales past $265m.

    Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Tempus AI Inc., sold over 4 million shares valued at $231.5m under a 10b5-1 plan, which distributes 1 per cent of his stake on a quarterly basis.

    Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos liquidated 199,063 shares for $194.9m as part of a new trading plan that extends through February 2026. Travis Boersma, co-founder of Dutch Bros Inc., sold 2.5 million shares over five days in February, generating approximately $189.6m.

    The synchronized timing of these substantial insider sales ahead of Trump’s tariff announcement has reignited calls for stricter disclosures and potential reforms to trading plan rules.

    While none of the sales have been flagged as illegal, the pattern has heightened concerns about how executives leverage advance knowledge of political or economic developments to mitigate personal financial risk.

    The broader market has reacted sharply to the evolving trade landscape. Analysts warn that further policy uncertainty, especially around tariffs and international trade relations, could sustain volatility across technology and manufacturing sectors in the months ahead.

    Meta CEO, Other Tech Executives Sold Over $5bn Shares Before Trump’s Tariffs is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

    Source: The Whistler

  • Governor Adeleke orders manhunt for arsonists who set Osun court ablaze

    Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the arson attack on the Ilesa High Court 2 building, describing it as an unjustifiable assault on the state’s judiciary and a direct threat to democracy. The governor has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and directed security agencies to apprehend those responsible.

     

    The court building was set ablaze on Sunday night, resulting in the destruction of sensitive court documents, exhibits, and significant structural damage. Reports indicate that by the time firefighters arrived at the scene, the damage had already been done, with files related to high-profile cases among those lost in the fire.

     

    In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke stressed the need for urgent action, stating that the perpetrators must be brought to justice. He also instructed security agencies to tighten surveillance around all court premises across the state to prevent future occurrences.

     

    Adeleke further directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to collaborate with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure for the immediate rehabilitation of the damaged court building.

     

    The governor described the attack as not only a criminal act but a serious challenge to the rule of law. He reiterated the importance of safeguarding the judiciary, which he said remains a cornerstone of democracy, and called on citizens and stakeholders to support efforts in protecting judicial institutions from similar threats.

    Source: Linda Ikeji

  • Late Shimite Bello’s Husband In Custody As Police Conduct Autopsy

    The Delta State Police Command plans to conduct an autopsy on the body of the late Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Trade and Export, Shimite Bello Love, who reportedly died under suspicious circumstances on Monday.

    Shimite, also known as Madam Sabificate during her presenting days on the National Television Authority (NTA), was declared dead on arrival on Easter Monday by medical practitioners after she was rushed to the hospital by a relative.

    According to reports, Shimite was found in an unhealthy condition at her residence; family members believed that she was allegedly poisoned by her husband, Pastor David Favour Love.

    However, the Delta Police Command refuted the narrative and promised investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

    Speaking to THE WHISTLER on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe said, “We do not have any report of any confrontation with her husband.

    “It was the husband that called this morning that the wife fell ill and died, however, he is getting threats that the family of the woman may attack him, hence he called the police

    “So, we took him on protective custody.

    “The body has been deposited in the mortuary awaiting autopsy. It is only the autopsy that will determine if she did not die of natural sickness or if she died of any other afflicted.

    “But for now, we are treating it as natural death, however, since the family of the woman has lodged a complaint against the man, we are going to do an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.

    “However, the allegation of, oh, they were fighting, those are just social media propaganda. There is nothing of such.”

    Known for her in-depth documentaries of various places in Nigeria, Shimite Nwakalor as she was formerly known, stood out for her beauty, intelligence and eloquence on Television.

    She was an aspirant for the Oshimili North constituency seat in the Delta House of Assembly in 2023.

    She had previously served as the Executive Secretary of the Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency during Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration.

    She was also the Group President/CEO of the Quintessential Group—a conglomerate comprising NGOs, social enterprises, and companies operating in agriculture and solid minerals.

    Late Shimite Bello’s Husband In Custody As Police Conduct Autopsy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

    Source: The Whistler

  • Iranian Foreign minister to visit China on Tuesday

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit China on Tuesday ahead of the third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, the Iranian foreign ministry announced. The visit underscores ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive dialogue on Iran’s nuclear programme, with China having been a key signatory of the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

     

    The announcement was made by ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing on Monday. While the Chinese foreign ministry did not confirm the visit when contacted, it stated that China and Iran “maintain exchanges and interactions at different levels and in different fields.”

     

    The 2015 JCPOA deal, intended to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief, was co-signed by the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, and the European Union. Baqaei stressed that consultations with all original signatories must continue amid efforts to resolve the current diplomatic impasse.

     

    Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading Iran to scale back its commitments under the deal. Since his return to office, Trump has pushed for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran, while simultaneously issuing warnings of possible military consequences.

     

    The upcoming round of US-Iran talks, expected to take place on Saturday, will again be mediated by Oman. Araghchi will represent Iran, while Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to lead the American delegation.

     

    Despite enduring heavy US sanctions, Iran has maintained strong economic ties with China, which remains its largest trading partner and primary purchaser of oil. According to Iranian media, nearly 92 percent of Iran’s oil exports are directed to China, often sold at discounted rates.

     

    In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement covering various sectors including energy, infrastructure, security, and telecommunications, further cementing their bilateral relationship amid Western pressure on Tehran.

    Source: Linda Ikeji