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Russians optimistic as Trump, Putin meet to discuss Ukraine ceasefire

Published

8 months ago

August 15, 2025

In a Moscow tourist shop, Russian nesting dolls featuring the faces of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump line up next to each other — the Russian leader standing slightly taller than his American counterpart.

Hopes are high in the Russian capital that Friday’s summit in Alaska will bring the two men even closer together — paving the way to ending the conflict with Ukraine, triggered by Moscow’s February 2022 military offensive.

“I think that positive decisions will be taken at the summit. The war that is going on will end,” said Boris, a 60-year-old tax inspector walking along Moscow’s famed Arbat street.

After a series of phone calls, the presidents will meet face-to-face for the first time since Trump returned to the White House in a high-stakes summit to see if a deal can be struck to end the fighting.

Nerves are high in Ukraine, which is not invited to the summit, and across Europe, that Trump will undercut Kyiv and offer Putin a favourable deal.

The Russian leader has already rejected multiple calls for a ceasefire, including directly from Trump, and has outlined a string of hardline territorial demands from Ukraine if it wants the Russian army to halt its advance.

But pensioner Gennady, 85, is among those hopeful this time will be different.

“Enough with the fighting. It’s time to reach an agreement,” he told AFP.

“The people of America, Ukraine, and Russia are peaceful people, and they want peace in the world,” said Irina, a 65-year-old teacher.

Trump has spent months trying to broker an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands, destroyed much of southern and eastern Ukraine, and forced millions to flee their homes.

– ‘Nothing particularly good’ –

But not everyone in Moscow believes a breakthrough is possible.

“If I’m being a realist, nothing particularly good is expected,” said Vladimir, 69.

“The only thing this summit can achieve is that at some point, they will find some kind of way to halt some of the fighting. In the air or at sea, maybe,” he added.

“But on the whole, of course, there will be no end to the hostilities. The two sides have completely opposite positions,” he added.

Putin has also repeatedly pointed to the gulf in positions between Moscow and Kyiv.

Moscow wants Ukraine to cede more territory, renounce its Western military backing, and give up on NATO membership.

Kyiv says it will never accept territorial concessions and wants tough Western-backed security guarantees and troops on the ground to enforce any ceasefire — demands already rejected by the Kremlin.

Amid the uncertainty, even those selling the matryoshka dolls were hedging their bets.

“Maybe next week we’ll have one with Putin and Trump together,” said a saleswoman at one shop.

“It all depends on the outcome of the summit.”

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Senate names new minority whip as two more senators defect to APC

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Senate on Wednesday appointed Senator Tony Nwoye as the new Minority Whip, following a fresh wave of defections that has further boosted the numerical strength of the All Progressives Congress in the upper chamber.

Nwoye, who represents Anambra North Senatorial District, was unanimously selected by the Senate minority caucus to fill the vacancy created by the exit of his predecessor.

His emergence comes on the heels of the defection of former Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on Wednesday, one of several high-profile crossovers that altered the balance within the opposition ranks.

In a letter read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ngwu said his decision was driven by the need to align with Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu.

He also described the APC as the most stable political platform in the country.

Nwoye was elected into the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party before defecting to the African Democratic Congress in late 2025, positioning him within the opposition bloc prior to his new leadership role.

The reshuffle in minority leadership came amid a broader pattern of defections that has steadily eroded the strength of opposition parties in the Senate since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

In a related development, Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro, representing Gombe South, also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, citing internal crises within the opposition party.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, formally announced his defection from the Social Democratic Party to the APC.

Wadada, who has also been endorsed as the APC consensus governorship candidate for Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections, said he had previously aligned with the ruling party but completed the formal procedures of his defection on Wednesday.

Reacting to the developments, Senator Adams Oshiomhole commended the lawmakers, describing their defections as voluntary and consistent with constitutional provisions.

He said the increasing movement of legislators into the APC reflects growing confidence in the party’s leadership and the administration of President Tinubu.

With the latest defections, the APC’s strength in the Senate has risen to 91 lawmakers—further consolidating its dominance and tightening its grip on legislative proceedings as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Lagos clarifies sanitation modalities, warns defaulters ahead of April 25

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Lagos State Government has provided further details on the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, set to resume on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with movement restrictions and enforcement measures in place.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said, “The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am.

During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages.”

He stated that enforcement teams comprising officials of the ministry, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors would “conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance,” warning that “defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.”

Wahab also stated, “LAWMA intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise,” noting that “there will be rewards for the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and the cleanest street as part of efforts to encourage healthy competition and community participation.”

He urged residents to cooperate with the initiative, saying, “We urge all residents to take ownership of this exercise and join hands with the government in building a cleaner, safer and more sustainable Lagos.”

The clarification follows the symbolic flag-off of the exercise along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor on March 14, ahead of its full implementation later this month.

The state government had earlier announced in March that the sanitation exercise would resume nearly a decade after it was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the programme.

While some residents have welcomed the move, saying it could curb indiscriminate waste disposal and reduce flooding, others have raised concerns about enforcement, warning that movement restrictions could be abused and calling for sustained public education on proper waste management.

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Court remands suspected coup plotters in DSS custody

Published

7 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.

At the sitting, which commenced at about 1:46pm, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charge was ready and sought leave to have it read to the defendants.

Proceedings were briefly stalled after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant said his client understood only Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to secure an interpreter.

When the court reconvened at about 2:18 pm, all six defendants took their pleas and denied the allegations, pleading not guilty to the 13 counts.

Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for their remand in DSS custody and urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case, a request that was not opposed by most defence counsel, although the first defendant’s lawyer indicated an intention to file a bail application.

Ruling, the trial judge ordered an accelerated hearing, directed that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their lawyers, and adjourned the matter till April 27, 2026, for commencement of trial.