Israel sees progress in Lebanon ceasefire talks, says Russia can help

Israel said on Monday there was progress in talks about a Lebanon ceasefire and indicated Russia could play a part by stopping Hezbollah rearming via Syria, although the Iran-backed group said it had not received any new truce proposals.

Pummelled by Israel's offensive, Hezbollah said political contacts were under way involving its backers in Tehran, Washington and Moscow, while also saying it had enough weapons for a "long war" and keeping up rocket fire into Israel.

Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said its war against Hezbollah was not yet over. The main challenge facing any ceasefire deal would be enforcement, he said, though there was "a certain progress" in talks.

After previous rounds of fruitless, U.S.-led diplomacy to secure a Lebanon truce, the comments indicate renewed focus as President Joe Bidenprepares to leave office in January, with Donald Trump elected to replace him.

Hopes of a Gaza truce have meanwhile suffered a setback, with Qatarsuspending its mediation role.

Ignited by the Gaza war, the conflict at the Lebanese-Israeli border had been rumbling for a year before Israel went on the offensive in September, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops into the south.

Saar, addressing a Jerusalem press conference, said Israel was working with the United States on a ceasefire. Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River - some 20 miles (30 km) from the border - and to be unable to rearm, he said.

Saar said a basic principle for any agreement had to be that Hezbollah would not be able to bring in weapons from Syria.

"And the Russians are, as you know, present in Syria. And if they are in agreement with this principle, I think they can contribute effectively to this objective."

ISRAEL STICKS TO ITS WAR GOALS IN LEBANON

Israel's new defence minister, Israel Katz, meeting for the first time with his general staff, said there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel achieves its goals.

"Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee Israel's right to enforce and prevent terrorism on its own, and meet the goals of the war in Lebanon - disarming Hezbollah and its withdrawal beyond the Litani River and returning the residents of the north safely to their homes."

Russia deployed forces into Syria nearly a decade ago to support President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war there. Hezbollah also sent fighters to help Assad, and carved out influence alongside other Iran-backed groups.

Syria is widely seen as a major conduit for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Israel has struck targets in Syria regularly during the conflict.

An Israeli airstrike temporarily cut Syria's main Homs-Damascus highway on Monday, Syrian media reported.

In Lebanon, relatives held funerals for 20 people killed in a strike on the town of Deir Qanoun-Ras al-Ain, including seven medics from rescue groups affiliated with Hezbollah and its Shi'ite ally Amal.

At least 14 people were killed and 15 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on the northern Lebanese town of Ain Yaaqoub on Monday, according to the town's mayor.

The town was the northernmost point in Lebanon hit by Israeli forces since hostilities began in October 2023. Israel hit a building where 30 people were residing, including Syrian refugees, Mayor Majed Drbes said, adding that some people were still trapped under the rubble.

The Israeli military said more than 150 rockets had been fired from Lebanon into Israel. Some set fire to parked cars and a building in a Haifa suburb. Three people suffered moderate and light wounds, the national ambulance service said.

CONTACTS WITH U.S. GROW AS TRUMP PREPARES TO TAKE OFFICE

In Beirut, Hezbollah official Mohammad Afif linked intensified political contacts to the looming change of U.S. leadership. "There is a great movement between Washington and Moscow and Tehran and a number of capitals," he said.

"We hear a lot of talk, but so far, according to my information, nothing official has reached Lebanon or us in this regard," he told a press conference. The contacts were "in the phase of testing the waters and presenting initial ideas".

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermerwas due to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later on Monday in Washington, the State Department said.

Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's best-selling newspaper, reported on Monday that Israel and Lebanon had exchanged drafts through U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, signalling progress in efforts to reach a final agreement.

The Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire based on the full implementation of a U.N. Resolution that ended a war between the group and Israel in 2006.

The resolution calls for the area south of the Litani to be free of all weapons other than those of the Lebanese state. Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of violating the resolution.

Israel's offensive has driven more than 1 million people from their homes in Lebanon in the last seven weeks. Since hostilities erupted a year ago, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,243 people and injured 14,134, the Lebanese health ministry said. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Hezbollah attacks have killed roughly 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon over the last year.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine battles to shape 'starting positions' for any war talks after Trump return

As Donald Trump's election win brings the prospect of talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine closer, Kyiv is battling to put itself in the strongest position for any negotiations, including by securing more arms and holding out on the battlefield.

A senior Ukrainian official said the next four to five months would be pivotal, signalling how Trump's return to the White House is focusing minds in Kyiv on a possible end game in the war. Trump, who will be sworn in as U.S. president on Jan. 20, has said he will end the war quickly but has not said how.

"This winter is a critical point ... I hope the war is drawing to an end. Right now we will define the positions for both sides on negotiations, the starting positions," the official told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues.

Officials are waiting to see who Trump picks for his top security and defence jobs for clues on how he will shape Ukraine policy. He has ruled out ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, seen in Kyiv as pro-Ukrainian.

Russia is advancing at its fastest rate since 2022 despite taking heavy losses, and Ukraine said last week it had clashed with some of an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia's Kursk region.

Stretched by manpower shortages, Ukrainian forces have lost some of the ground they captured in an August incursion into Kursk that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said could serve as a bargaining chip.

Ukraine's hobbled energy system is keeping the lights on for now as winter sets in, but the threat of another big Russian attack on the grid remains.

Drones attack Kyiv almost nightly although Russia may not want to alienate the incoming Trump team by destroying the system.

After holding what he said was an "excellent" phone call with Trump late on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said the next day that he was convinced a rapid end to the war would mean Kyiv accepting big concessions.

"If it's just fast, it means losses for Ukraine. I just don't yet understand how this could be in any other way. Maybe we do not know something, do not see," Zelenskiy said.

He also criticised talk of a ceasefire without Ukraine first receiving robust security guarantees that would prevent Russia launching an even bigger offensive later on.

"It's a very scary challenge for our citizens: first a ceasefire, then we'll see. Who are you? Are your children dying?" Zelenskiy said in comments apparently aimed at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who had proposed a ceasefire.

BLEAK MOOD

The Kyiv official said it felt "less likely" after Trump's victory that there would be a NATO invitation for Ukraine and acknowledged there was a risk Trump would scale back aid.

"I hope the Biden administration will try to avoid this risk by accelerating the speed of (its) help," the official said.

The Kremlin said on Friday that President Vladimir Putin was ready to discuss Ukraine with Trump, but that this did not mean Moscow's war demands had changed.

Putin set out his terms for an end to the war in June: Ukraine would have to drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from all of the territory of four regions claimed by Russia, something Kyiv sees as akin to capitulation.

Ukraine's public is sceptical Russia is interested in talks, but its central demand if they happen is for Ukraine to receive proper security guarantees, said Anton Grushetskyi, executive director of the KIIS pollster.

Ukrainians leaned towards wanting Democrat Kamala Harris to win the election, but frustration at the reluctance of outgoing President Joe Biden's administration to increase support meant they were increasingly open to a gamble on Trump, he said.

"People are very disappointed that behind the very strong words of the Biden administration the real steps were much weaker, especially over the last year," he said.

Trying to strengthen his hand in September, Zelenskiy outlined a "victory plan" to Biden, reiterating his request for permission to strike military targets deeper in Russia, receive a NATO invitation and obtain more potent weapons.

The plan, he said, was needed to compel Russia to the negotiating table in good faith. There has been little sign of a breakthrough on any of the plan's five points.

"The mood in Ukraine is pretty bleak. You can see the increasing frustration in Zelenskiy's recent remarks," a senior Kyiv-based diplomatic source said.

The Ukrainian official voiced scepticism that Biden would supply something significant to Ukraine, such as lifting the restriction on long-range strikes.

"Who is Biden now? He lost a lot of credibility. I hope he will be brave enough to do something. But I don't have big hopes. It would be great. We are very grateful for his help. He did a lot, much more than we expected," the official said.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Witnesses describe alleged Ukrainian war crimes in Donbass city

Ukrainian troops were given carte blanche to harass and commit crimes against the Russian-speaking population in the southern Donbass city of Ugledar, a Moscow-backed investigative mission has alleged.

Human rights defender Maksim Grigoriev, who chairs an international body investigating suspected crimes of the Ukrainian government, previewed on Monday a new report which focuses on the events in Ugledar. Russian troops liberated the town in early October, allowing civilian access to its remaining residents.

Witnesses said they had faced mistreatment since the armed coup in Kiev in 2014. One woman explained how she could not receive justice for her son, who was killed in a fight with a Ukrainian volunteer battalion member in 2016.

The woman said her son had been a large, strong man who had been stabbed to death after trying to defend local girls from a group of drunken troops from the Aidar unit. The criminal case was clear-cut and resulted in a conviction, but the sentence allowed the killer to be released on parole, Grigoriev said. The perpetrator reportedly did not see the inside of a prison cell.

The case exemplified the bias against the Russian-speaking population which was facilitated by the government in Kiev, the investigator said. It also helps explain the scale of criminality which Ugledar residents have endured in recent years amid open hostility between Russia and Ukraine, he added.

Among other things, the Ukrainian military had a strategy of forcing people out of the city by shelling it and claiming that the attacks were coming from the Russian side, Grigoriev said. Some residents said they personally saw such attacks.

“The [town’s] mayor reported in 2022 that there was nobody here, even though there were some 3,000 people left,” one witness said. “They [Ukrainian troops] were riding outside of Ugledar… and firing at it with mortars to incite panic and make people leave as fast as possible.”

Another man said he witnessed a foreign reporter on a guided tour. It came during a lull, so a Ukrainian soldier accompanying the woman gave an order on his radio: “It’s too quiet, make some noise.” Firing started immediately, scaring the journalist and causing her to run for her life, the man recalled.

Ugledar was subjected to “total looting” by the Ukrainians, Grigoriev claimed. Some homes were stripped down, with faucets, electric sockets and even wall tiling taken by marauders, according to witnesses.

Stolen goods were allegedly moved to other places and sold, sometimes marketed as “goods from Donbass” – a euphemism to designate their criminal origin.

Reuters/RT

“A society can be judged by the way it treats its children” – Nelson Mandela, 1913-2013.

Few Nigerians now harbour any hope that this country would produce a Mandela among its present crop of old politicians. And, if the young member of the House of Representatives, from Abia State, exhibiting delirium of power, as well as all the young Ministers, just sacked, represent the next generation of power seekers, then, we might have to wait until those in nursery school grow up.

UNPRECEDENTED DETENTION AND PROSECUTION OF CHILDREN

 “The over-zealous man, doing his duty, will, sooner or later, pay his dues to the Devil.” That observation made in the thirteenth century by a philosopher summarises why President Bola Tinubu found himself engaging in damage control. A lot of irreparable damage has already been done to the images of Nigeria, the Federal Government, Tinubu, the Nigeria Police and the judiciary the minute the pictures of those children slumping in Abuja hit the internet.

Messages and calls came to me from four continents; from lawyers, retired justices and human rights advocates asking, among other questions, if Nigeria has decent people running its government. The world has witnessed all sorts of trials by absolutely atrocious and murderous regimes; we have also had two Kangaroo military trials staged by the Abacha junta. In every case, as Mark Twain, 1835-1910, had remarked, it was always a matter of “Are you going to hang [them] anyhow, and try them afterwards?” The accused persons were never going to have a fair trial; because “power tends to corrupt; and absolute power corrupts absolutely” according to Lord Acton, 1834-1902.

But, the world has never seen so many children in an adult court; charged with, of all things, treason. Abuse of power against the most vulnerable and powerless human beings had never been more on display. All the kids have several things in common. They are all out of school, illiterate, malnourished and in rags. Most of them are probably homeless and would not know where to find their parents. They were on the streets when the protests started; they were not among the organisers. To them, what was going on was probably entertainment helping to break the drab monotony of their lives.

So, they joined the procession to have some fun – as kids in Lagos would spontaneously follow a masquerade passing by; without thinking about it. Interestingly enough, the very poor children were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Jos and Katsina. None of them could possibly have a GSM set to call others in the same state; let alone, those in Gombe calling Katsina. So, there could be no collusion or conspiracy. Even those arrested in each state might never have met until that day and that hour.

That brings up a question: who were the security officers who decided that three or four children waving Russian flags, thrust into their hands by adults, constituted a threat to President Tinubu? None of those we saw on television could pronounce the word REVOLUTION even if asked to at gun point. What then is the basis for arrest and detention? Another question: why were they not tried in the states where the crimes were committed?

Why bring all of them to Abuja, far from home, if not to satisfy the sadistic instincts of those who took them there? There is more to be said later about the competence and character of all those responsible for the arrest and detention of the kids for 93 days in the first instance. Apparently, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, approved everything. But, the IGP would not have gone far without a complaisant justice.

MAKING HISTORY THE WRONG WAY

 “It takes years to make a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently” – Warren Buffett, 2022.

For 93 days, the detention of so many children under horrible conditions (it has to be horrible because neither the IGP nor the justice would want to keep his children there) was a best kept secret from the public – until their tormentors decided to stage a judicial charade with the kids as the main actors. Not trained in Nollywood production techniques, the prosecutor and the justice messed up the script. Comedy turned to tragedy when four of the kids slumped; and would have died with cameras from global media recording everything. The whole world witnessed the horrors in living colour. In less than five minutes, the reputations of the police and judiciary were ruined forever.

Irrespective of how long Justice Egwuatu had been on the bench, and how long he remains there, justices from four continents think he had soiled the bench. The bail conditions imposed on the victims of this injustice betrayed the hidden agenda to deny them bail and hold them perpetually in detention. Who can take a look at any of those kids and conclude that they can raise N10,000 bail; not to talk of N10 million? Additionally, can anybody seriously expect any Federal Civil Servant, regardless of grade or level, to risk his/her career by bailing kids who are probably homeless even in their states?

Bail refusal was disingenuously wrapped around bail conditions impossible to meet for all the defendants. Unfortunately for the battered reputation of the Nigerian judiciary, the only person deceived by that subterfuge was the justice. The whole world saw clearly the intention to keep the kids in horrible custody conditions indefinitely. The Nigeria Police, perennially held in contempt, went a notch downwards. Try as he may, the prosecutor could not convince the global court of public opinion, as well as jurists, that he was in the right court, at the right time and prosecuting the right case. How did he expect to interrogate kids who never went to school on treason? He might as well have been prepared to talk to walls. Whoever handed him that case to prosecute must have achieved the intended consequence of ridiculing him. They got more than they bargained for. He has attained notoriety globally. His name will never be erased from the internet for as long as people inhabit this planet.

PRESIDENT TINUBU TO THE RESCUE

“There are times when a leader must must move out ahead of the flock; go off in a new direction; confident that he is leading his people the right way” – Nelson Mandela, 1913-2013, VBQ p 124.

With all the relevant officials of government tied up in their self-imposed judicial problems, while Nigeria’s image was again being dented worldwide, it was left to Tinubu to set us off in a new direction; to restore sanity to the judicial system and to engage in damage control. His intervention was effective and face-saving for all concerned. Only God knows what would have followed otherwise. I grant the political adversaries their right to play down the gesture.

One commentator pointed to the sudden appearance of the British Foreign Affairs Minister in Aso Rock on the day the announcement was made as proof that Tinubu was prodded by the European Community and the Commonwealth nations to act. I have no evidence of that. But, the EU and the rest of the world tried in vain to convince Abacha to release Obasanjo. So, we must give Tinubu the benefit of doubt; that he acted based on his own conviction. There’s reason for this assumption.

“Idealists in politics lack a sense of reality; and a politician must be a realist above all” – Henry Miller, VBQ p 192.

Tinubu is perhaps the first real politician we have had as President. All the other Presidents, from Shagari to Buhari, were imposed by others. Shagari was not a presidential aspirant in 1978. A deadlocked convention forced leaders of the NPN to turn to a non-aspirant. Obasanjo was the candidate of the four Generals – Babangida, Abdulsalami, Danjuma and Aliyu Gusau. He in turn imposed Yar’Adua; who was really not interested on account of ill-health. Jonathan inherited the Presidency without which he could not have won in 2011. Buhari, after three failed attempts, was invited by Tinubu to return to political war. Only Tinubu plotted his journey to Aso Rock on his own and confidently announced EMILOKAN. Everybody, including me, who thought he was joking, has become a believer eventually.

While the IGP, Justice Egwuatu and the Minister of Justice were in a quandary regarding how to proceed, the politician with his uncanny sense of danger moved to diffuse the tension. What the officials failed to observe was obvious to Tinubu. Another day in court with the kids would have triggered the ‘Mother of all Protests’ – which the security forces might find difficult to contain. One group was planning to get three lawyers to represent each of the children and turn the trial into a circus. Tinubu was right to stop it.

Vanguard

Sarah Sabin

As the adage goes, trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.

Today, trust in leaders is incredibly low.

According to a report by HR consultancy DDI, only 46% of leaders report fully trusting their direct manager to do what’s right. Even more troubling, fewer than one in three trust senior leaders within their organization.

The side effects of this lack of trust are sobering. Here are just a few of the ways in which diminished trust impacts teams: 

EMPLOYEES DON’T LISTEN

When employees don’t trust their leaders, they don’t listen to their advice. People don’t do what you want them to do just because you tell them to do it. If people can’t trust your word, quite simply, they’re unlikely to listen to it.

When a leader demonstrates inconsistency between what they say and what they do, their employees can see that. The overarching message is that your word is not trustworthy—or that not doing what you say you will is somehow acceptable.

EMPLOYEES DISENGAGE

An employee engagement initiative won’t work if there is a fundamental lack of trustthat underlies it.

When employees don’t trust their leaders, they check out emotionally and mentally. When employees check out, they’re more likely to quit when a new opportunity arises.

This kind of disengagement often means that employees will do the bare minimum to get by, at best. And at worst, disengaged employees can become toxic and hostile to the company.

EMPLOYEES STOP INNOVATING

When employees don’t trust their leaders, they become unwilling to innovate, speak up, or take calculated risks. 

Trust is a fundamental part of psychological safety, often cited as one of the core dynamics of high-performing teams. Psychological safety is typically defined as the shared belief that teamwork spaces are safe for interpersonal risk-taking. 

When employees don’t trust that their leaders will have their backs—whether they challenge something in the workplace or simply ask for help—they begin to feel unsafe.

If that’s the case, productivity plummets and inefficiency thrives.

MISCOMMUNICATION HAPPENS

If there’s a lack of trust, employees are likely to build up walls to protect themselves. Even if they work well with their own team, they are unlikely to try to collaborate outside of their immediate circle.

This has a negative impact on inter-team communication, which can increase the likelihood of mistakes. As the quality of work drops or things are done incorrectly, frustration grows and can even lead to conflict.

TURNING THINGS AROUND

Fortunately, there are steps leaders can take to restore trust. First, it’s crucial to be self-aware and demonstrate to your team that you are trustworthy. Model positive behaviors to employees and stick to your word. Ultimately, your coworkers see what you do, not what you say you do. Walking the walk can show your colleagues that you can be trusted. 

Second, start to look at where, exactly, the trust might be broken. When trust is boiled down to a core framework, rather than a vague concept, you can tactically look at which element is missing to start repairing trust.

There are four elements that comprise trust: competence, reliability, sincerity, and care. Doing an audit in each of these four areas and seeing where you might be falling short is a start. Then, you can set some action steps you can take to improve. 

Fast Company

Nigeria’s fiscal deficit continues to swell, with recent figures showing a budget deficit of 7.6% of GDP as of August 2024, outpacing the approved 3.8% target for the year.

This was revealed in the personal statements of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members, who voiced concern over the growing gap between revenue generation and spending.

At the start of 2024, the National Assembly approved a budget of N28.7 trillion with a revenue target of N19.5 trillion, leaving a budget deficit forecast of N9.1 trillion equivalent to about 3.8% of GDP.

However, the deficit has surged well beyond projections, with a supplementary budget of N6.2 trillion proposed later in the year, compounding the fiscal strain.

What they are saying 

According to MPC member Aloysius Uche Ordu, Nigeria’s revenue collection significantly underperformed, reaching only 37.9% of the year’s target in the first half of 2024.

• This shortfall was attributed largely to deficits in the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts, which hindered the federal government’s ability to meet its financial obligations.
• Despite a reported 33.31% improvement in retained revenue from January to June compared to the same period in 2023, overall revenue still fell 62.1% short of its target, a gap that highlights the country’s fiscal challenges.

MPC member Lamido Yuguda also highlighted the consequences of Nigeria’s low revenue base, stressing that it underpins the weak fiscal performance in the first half of the year.

• Provisional numbers indicate that the fiscal deficit already was 91.94% of the full-year target as of June, raising questions about how the federal government would finance the remaining budgeted expenditure without further widening the deficit.

Aloysius Uche Ordu emphasized that Nigeria’s spending priorities leaned heavily toward recurrent expenditures, driven primarily by debt servicing costs.

• Meanwhile, capital expenditure, a critical area for economic growth and development, continued to lag.
• The excess spending on recurrent needs has been compounded by a reluctance to reprioritize resources in favour of capital projects that could drive longer-term economic improvements.

CBN MPC member Muhammad Sani Abdullahi reiterated the importance of a proactive monetary policy in countering the fiscal deficit’s potential repercussions, especially as discussions on implementing a new minimum wage gain traction.

• He noted that while the deficit currently hovers at 7.6% of GDP, efforts to bolster revenue generation and trim government spending could gradually stabilize Nigeria’s fiscal outlook.
• A narrowing deficit, Abdullahi stressed, would support macroeconomic stability and relieve some of the pressures currently weighing on the economy.

While members of the MPC acknowledged that the fiscal authority has shown restraint by not resorting to the Central Bank’s Ways & Means financing, concerns remain over how long the government can sustain this stance amid revenue shortfalls and mounting obligations.

The committee noted that heavy reliance on FAAC distributions affects liquidity levels within the banking sector, subsequently impacting the naira exchange rate.

The external sector faring better 

In contrast to Nigeria’s worsening fiscal situation, developments in the external sector offered a glimmer of optimism.

• A decline in import bills, attributed to the CBN’s tight monetary stance, resulted in a balance of payments surplus of $2.47 billion for the period.
• External reserves climbed to $37.44 billion as of September 2024, offering over seven months of import cover.
• By November, reserves had grown further to $40 billion, a milestone that signals resilience in Nigeria’s foreign exchange holdings amid domestic fiscal strain.
• The naira also recorded a slight appreciation, bolstered by improved reserves and reduced import demand.

Implications for policy and market stability 

The fiscal challenges Nigeria faces highlight a structural issue in the country’s financial framework, primarily driven by revenue volatility and expenditure imbalances.

• While external reserves and the balance of payments position provide a buffer, the domestic fiscal environment remains precarious.
• The MPC’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a tight monetary policy has helped curb import demand and limit external shocks to some extent.
• However, sustained fiscal deficits could undermine these efforts if the federal government fails to enhance revenue generation and exercise spending discipline.

Nairametrics

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says its 330-kilovolt (kV) in Lokoja – Gwagwalada transmission line 1 has been attacked and destroyed by vandals. 

The development comes amid efforts by the federal government to overhaul the national grid due to its incessant collapse.

Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager of public affairs, in a statement on Sunday, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, with the vandals damaging transmission towers T306, T307, and T308.

“Early on Saturday, TCN engineers attempted to re-energize the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line 1, but the line tripped,” Mbah said.

“After efforts to reclose the line failed, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was dispatched to physically trace the line for faults. 

“Upon inspection, they discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line 1 had been vandalized, disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.

“Further examination revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminium conductor from line one. 

“The Lokoja-Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and while TCN is still supplying bulk power through line two, efforts are underway to source replacement aluminium conductors for the two spans stolen from line one.”

Mbah also raised concern over the increasing trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers, which is severely impacting the country’s power infrastructure.

“The rising trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers has become a significant challenge, severely impacting the country’s power infrastructure and hindering the expansion and stability of the national grid,” Mbah said.

“This recent incident adds to an alarming pattern of attacks on the transmission network nationwide. 

“In the Gwagwalada area alone, recent acts of vandalism include the attack on the Gwagwalada-Kukuwaba-Apo transmission line on 10th December 2023, the Gwagwalada-Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and several others on that axis.”

Mbah also said such acts of vandalism continue to disrupt the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.

On October 18, TCN  said two towers along its 330-kilovolt (kV) Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines 1 and 2 have been vandalised.

The Cable

PRESS RELEASE

My attention has just been drawn to a very saddening and worrisome development in Lagos State where some masked people were going about private schools inflicting five rounds of injections on underage children without parental consent.

The US and its agents are notorious for spreading their LGBTQ+ and WOKE Agenda all over of Africa for the main purpose of killing off millions of Africans both male and female, young and old.

A case in point is the visit of these masked individuals who were brought to the premises of Zrak Institute of Arabic Studies at Isheri Lagos and administered 5 doses of unspecified injections on the pupils with ages as young as 7 years.

The children were cajoled to swallow pills in addition to the injection without informed consent. And without authorisation or consent by their parents.

President Bola Tinubu is hereby called upon to step into this invasion of our educational institutions while directing the Governor of Lagos State to commence investigation and bring to justice whoever brought these suspicious vaccination vendors to inflict their wares on our children.

Our children should not be used as guinea pigs.

This medical kidnapping and medical tyranny must stop.

Signed: Tola Adeniyi.

Israel Defence Minister Katz says Israel has defeated Hezbollah

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that his country has defeated Hezbollah and that eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah was the crowning achievement.

"Now it is our job to continue to put pressure in order to bring about the fruits of that victory," Katz said during a ceremony at Israel's foreign ministry.

Katz said Israel is not interested in meddling in internal Lebanese politics as Israel has "learned our lessons", but that he hoped an international coalition would capitalize on this opportunity politically and that Lebanon would join other countries in normalizing relations with Israel.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Trump, Putin speak as Biden plans to lobby Trump to stick with Ukraine

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a source familiar with the conversation told Reuters on Sunday, as President Joe Biden plans to urge Trump not to abandon Kyiv.

Trump and Putin spoke in recent days, said the source. Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday. Trump has criticised the scale of U.S. military and financial support for Kyiv, vowing to end the war quickly, without saying how.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said it was not informed in advance of the call between Trump and Putin and subsequently could neither endorse or object to it.

"We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders," said Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, when asked about the phone call, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republican Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Biden has invited Trump to come to the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Biden's top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and he will also talk to Trump about what's happening in Europe, in Asia and the Middle East.

"President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe," Sullivan told CBS News' "Face the Nation" show.

Sullivan's comments came as Ukraine attacked Moscow on Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the beginning of the war.

When asked if Biden would ask Congress to pass legislation to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan deferred.

"I'm not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term," Sullivan said.

UKRAINE FUNDING

Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars worth of U.S. military and economic aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February of 2022, funding that Trump has repeatedly criticized and rallied against with other Republican lawmakers.

Trump insisted last year that Putin never would have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time. He told Reuters Ukraine may have to cede territory to reach a peace agreement, something the Ukrainians reject and Biden has never suggested.

Zelenskiy said on Thursday he was not aware of any details of Trump's plan to end the Ukraine war quickly and that he was convinced a rapid end would entail major concessions for Kyiv.

According to the Government Accountability Office, Congress appropriated over $174 billion to Ukraine under Biden. The pace of the aid is almost sure to drop under Trump with Republicans set to take control of the U.S. Senate with a 52-seat majority.

Control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the next Congress is not yet clear with some votes still being counted. Republicans have won 213 seats, according to Edison Research, just shy of the 218 needed for a majority. If Republicans win both chambers, it will mean the majority of Trump's agenda will have a significantly easier time passing through Congress.

Republican U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, a Trump ally who is considered a top contender for secretary of state, criticized U.S. funding for Ukraine in a CBS interview.

"The American people want sovereignty protected here in America before we spend our funds and resources protecting the sovereignty of another nation," Hagerty said.

The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what some officials say could be its final act after Moscow's forces advanced at the fastest pace since the early days of the war.

Any fresh attempt to end the war is likely to involve peace talks of some kind, which have not been held since the early months of the war.

Moscow's forces occupy around a fifth of Ukraine. Russia says the war cannot end until its claimed annexations are recognized. Kyiv demands all of its territory back, a position that has largely been supported by Western allies.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Moscow targeted by dozens of Ukrainian drones – mayor

The Russian capital is repelling a major Ukrainian drone attack, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has said.

At least 32 incoming UAVs were shot down early on Sunday by air defenses near the towns of Domodedovo, Ramenskoye and Kolomna to the south east of Moscow, Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.

Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyev also said a “massive drone attack” was underway and that air defenses continue to operate across the region.

In Ramenskoye disctrict, a UAV went down in the village of Stanovoye, setting two homes on fire. A 52-year-old woman was injured by shrapnel and hospitalized with burns to her face, neck and arms, the governor said on Telegram.

Several videos have been posted on social media, appearing to show fixed-wing drones being shot down over the Moscow Region. There is also footage of a blaze in Stanovoye, which shows several private homes being almost completely destroyed by the flames.

Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky international airports have announced suspension of their operations due to the drone raid.

The governor of Orel Region, Andery Klychkov, has said eight UAVs were destroyed over the region on Sunday morning. There have so far been no reports of casualties or damage, he added.

Kiev has intensified its drone incursions into Russia since January, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, but also hitting residential areas. Moscow has responded by adding Ukrainian power plants to its list of legitimate military targets. Most of Ukraine’s non-nuclear generation capacity has been disabled or destroyed by Russian strikes since then.

Later in the day, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced that Russian forces had thwarted “an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using a fixed-wing UAV against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

In a period of three hours, air defenses intercepted or destroyed 70 Ukrainian UAVs, including 34 over Moscow Region, 14 over Bryansk Region, seven over Orel Region, seven over Kaluga Regions, six over Kursk Region, and two over Tula Region, the ministry said.

A major Ukrainian UAV attack on Russian territory also took place on October 20 and saw as many as 110 drones shot down or intercepted above several Russian regions, according the Defense Ministry. There were a number of major raids in August and September.

Reuters/RT

The unraveling of the regime of General Yakubu Gowon shortly after the end of Nigeria’s civil war in the decade of the 1970s began as a tale of two Josephs. One was Joseph Dechi Gomwalk, Gowon’s in-law and governor of his home state. The other was Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, one of Gowon’s trusted Ministers. It made for a riveting political spectacle whose legacies have proved durable. 

In 1974, General Gowon, who had led Nigeria through a 30-month-long civil war, was into his eighth year as military head of state. It was four years after the end of the civil war and the country comprised 12 states. Although he grew up in Zaria, Gowon was Angas, a minority ethnic group in what was then known as Benue-Plateau State, whose military governor was Police Commissioner Joseph Gomwalk. He was also related to Gowon by marriage. 

Seven months into the year, in July 1974, Godwin Daboh-Adzuana, an activist – or so it was thought then – published an affidavit containing serious allegations of grand corruption against his kinsman and Gowon’s Commissioner (Minister) of Transport and Communication, Joseph Tarka. Under pressure from Gowon and the public, a reluctant Tarka was forced to resign from his ministerial perch but not before warning that his resignation would “set off a chain of reactions”. At the time, the suspicion was widespread that Daboh was an agent of the government of Benue-Plateau State.

The following month, at the end of August 1974, Tarka’s protégé, Aper Aku, published his own affidavit containing even more damning allegations, this time against the state governor, Joseph Gomwalk. Atanda Fatayi Williams, at the time a senior Justice of the Supreme Court who would later himself rise to head the country’s judiciary, reports that a troubled Gowon telephoned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, “complaining about the manner in which the courts in the country were being used for the indiscriminate swearing of affidavits in which allegations of corruption were made against public functionaries.”

At the time, Taslim Olawale Elias, who had served Gowon as Attorney-General of the Federation for the first six years of his regime, was the CJN. In response to Gowon’s importuning, Chief Justice Elias embarked on a series of urgent consultations, first with the justices of the Supreme Court, followed by an emergency convening of the Advisory Judicial Committee, AJC, the forerunner of what is today known as the National Judicial Council, NJC. At the end of those consultations, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court issued a press release prohibiting courts generally from allowing any aggrieved persons to depose to affidavits.

Unlike Tarka, Gomwalk survived the allegations against him with the help of a judicial landing invented out of nothing by a CJN beholden to the head of state. The AJC lacked the powers to prohibit affidavits but the high command of the judiciary felt obliged to genuflect to the head of state. The public uproar was deafening and helped to tar the regime of Gowon with an eternal brush of corruption. One year later, his colleagues in the military replaced him with his Barewa College junior, Murtala Mohammed. As head of state, Murtala Mohammed disembarked Taslim Elias from the office of CJN. 

This past week called to mind the legacies of those tumultuous embers of the Gowon years and their damaging imprint on the institutional psychology of Nigeria’s judiciary. Last August, the government orchestrated the mass arrest of young people from different parts of Northern Nigeria for taking part in the #EndBadGovernance protests. They thereafter transported those young persons to Abuja where they were held for 93 days in pre-trial detention. At their arraignment at the beginning of the month on bogus charges of treason, Obiora Egwuatu, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, granted them bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties both of whom must be senior, director-level federal civil servants. 

“Egwuatu” in Igbo language could mean “fearless” or “fearful” depending on the tonal infection. In this case, it is not difficult to divine which of these two meanings best captures the state of mind of the judge when he set out to impose bail terms that he surely knew were beyond the reach of the suspects. 

After setting these impossible conditions, the judge adjourned the case to January 25, 2025. The intention was transparent. In response to the spectacle of several of the suspects collapsing in court, the Inspector-General of Police authorised a statement to go out in his name justifying the proceedings and claiming that the collapse of the children in court had been “staged”. Despite the record on the face of the charge sheet indicating clearly that many of the arraigned suspects were children, the prosecutor, Rimazonte Ezekiel, a Superintendent of Police, claimed that they were all adults and that many of them were indeed married with children. 

The public uproar threatened such steep political costs that a regime whose authoritarian instincts had caused the mass arrest and incarceration of the children in the first place, nearly lost its nerves. Things moved very quickly. Overnight, the Attorney-General of the Federation asked for and received the transfer of the case file from the Nigeria Police. On the next working day following the week-end, the President reportedly “ordered the release” of the suspects despite the fact that they were held under a remand order issued by a court. It was unlikely that the president was exercising powers of prerogative of mercy under the Constitution because that is contingent on consultation with the National Council of State which had not convened.

What happened next was even more exciting. The judge with the ambivalent surname who could not previously find a date earlier than the time it takes to trek from Siberia to Ulaanbaatar in the Winter, suddenly discovered an excess supply of free time on his diary. With military alacrity, he held a hearing and ordered the release of all the suspects. 

It was impossible not to see that this case did not involve any application of law. Rather, it was a straightforward case of a judge obeying the instructions of the president. As far as the judicial role in Nigeria goes, a more squalid advertisement of all that is presently wrong with it is difficult to find.

In the aftermath of this, it was reported that the president had ordered an investigation into what transpired. It is possible that the NJC will investigate the judge for bringing his office into manifest disrepute but no one should hold their breath. He was following the example of his supine superiors. The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, is not in a position to investigate its members who were happy to mouth verifiable falsehood in bib and collar. The Body of Benchers, which long ago expropriated this role from the NBA, counts the regime’s poster-boy for hubristic impunity, Nyesom Wike, among its leading members. It won’t. The only person who can investigate the Inspector-General of Police, meanwhile, is the president who himself is the author of this whole thing. 

The president’s inquiry does not need to labour too much before reporting. A regime committed to capturing all levers of power and arresting the machinery of constitutional guardrails has succeeded beyond its wildest imagining, enabled – it must be acknowledged – by a complicit judiciary no longer troubled by any inkling of its own constitutional standing or obligations. It is the latest illustration of how the story that began as a tale of two Josephs ended up normalising a reign of jumpy judges.