Air France said Tuesday it would extend the suspension of its flights to Madagascar at least until Friday because of unrest in the African country.
“The resumption of operations will remain subject to a daily assessment of the situation on the ground,” the French national airline told AFP, as Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina ruled out resigning in the face of protests that have shaken the country.
Air France initially suspended flights over the weekend for two days.
Air Austral, another French airline that serves Madagascar from its base in the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, told AFP that it was maintaining services while watching the situation.
Rajoelina on Tuesday dissolved the national assembly, pre-empting a planned opposition-led vote to force him out of office over the island nation’s spiralling political crisis.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has predicted sunshine and cloudiness from Monday to Wednesday across the nation.
NiMet`s weather outlook released in Abuja envisaged sunny skies on Monday with patches of clouds over the northern region.
It anticipated prospects of isolated thunderstorms with light rains over parts of Taraba and southern Kebbi states during the morning hours.
“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Kebbi and southern Sokoto states.
“For central region, cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are expected with prospects of morning thunderstorms with moderate rains over parts of Niger, Benue, Plateau and Kogi states.
“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states,“ it said.
According to NiMet, a cloudy atmosphere is anticipated over the southern region with prospects of morning thunderstorms and light rains over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia states.
It forecast isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains over most parts of the region later in the day.
NiMet predicted sunny skies on Tuesday with patches of clouds over the northern region during the morning period.
It envisaged isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains over parts of Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Southern Kano, Southern Jigawa and Adamawa states later in the day.
The agency anticipated sunny skies with patches of clouds over the central region.
NiMet forecast morning thunderstorms with light rains over parts of Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory, Niger and Benue states.
According to it, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over part of Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory, Niger and Kogi States later in the day.
“For southern region, cloudy atmosphere is anticipated over the southern region with prospects of morning rains over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states during the morning hours.
“Later during the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states,“ it said.
NiMet predicted sunny skies on Wednesday with patches of clouds over the northern region and thunderstorms with light rain over parts of Taraba State during the morning hours.
The agency envisaged isolated thunderstorms with Light rains over parts of Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba States later in the day.
According to the forecast, a cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is anticipated over the central region with chances of thunderstorms and light rains over parts of Niger, Kwara and Benue States during the morning period.
The agency predicted isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains over parts of Kogi, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa and the FCT later in the day.
“Cloudy atmosphere is anticipated over the southern region with prospects of thunderstorms with light rains over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa during the morning hours.
“Later in the day, thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over most places in the region,“ it said.
NiMet urged the public to drive under the rain with caution, ensure that loose objects are fastened to avoid collision and disconnect electrical appliances from electrical sockets.
It further urged the public to stay away from tall trees to avoid impact from falling branches and broken trees.
“Farmers should avoid leaching of nutrients by refraining from applying fertiliser and pesticides right before the rains.
“Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations,” the statement added.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, says the Nigeria Customs Service recorded over six billion Naira in September.
Issa-Onilu made this known at the Monthly National Joint Security Press Briefing on Monday in Abuja.
The briefing organised by NOA is supported by the security agencies, paramilitary, and regulatory organisations in the country.
He noted that September was marked by strategic engagements, operational milestones, and collaborative initiatives that reaffirmed the Service’s central role in advancing Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.
”The Service continued its steady march toward reform, innovation, and stakeholder trust, as each activity during the period reflected its enduring commitment to transparency, efficiency, and institutional renewal under the visionary leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi.
“In the month of September, the NCS recorded a total revenue collection of ₦658,605,400,392. This figure demonstrates the Service’s sustained fiscal performance amid ongoing reforms and heightened enforcement efforts.
“It reflects the cumulative contributions of various commands and operations aligning with the broader strategy to strengthen revenue mobilisation and minimise leakages across the system,” Issa-Onilu said.
The NOA boss also noted that, within the period under review, a high-level strategic engagement between the NCS and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria was held.
He explained that the engagement provided a platform to strengthen trade relations, promote policy harmony, and chart a sustainable course for industrial growth.
Issa-Onilu added that it reinforced the service reform agenda, anchored on collaboration, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility for economic development.
“The engagement also reflected the service recognition of the manufacturing sector as a key partner in national productivity and a driver of Nigeria’s non-oil revenue diversification efforts.
“On the operational front, the Service took another major step toward enhancing trade efficiency through the introduction of a One-Stop-Shop platform, an innovation designed to minimise cargo clearance time, reduce procedural bottlenecks, and ensure seamless coordination among stakeholders within the trade ecosystem.
“In enforcement and border security, officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ recorded a major success through the interception of firearms, industrial drones, and other prohibited items within the Southwest Region.
“This operation exemplifies the service’s vigilance, operational intelligence, and unwavering resolve to safeguard national borders against illicit trade and transnational threats.
“The interception further reinforces the service’s dual mandate of trade facilitation and security enforcement, ensuring that legitimate trade thrives while threats to national safety are neutralised,” Issa-Onilu said.
He stressed that the Service demonstrated its continued commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by supporting sister agencies and contributing to community development initiatives across various formations.
According to him, these efforts reflect the service’s understanding that security and trade are strengthened when institutions collaborate and communities are empowered.
He added that commendation on the service by the Board of Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) served as an external validation of ongoing efforts to build an institution anchored on professionalism, accountability, and mutual trust.
“The feat recorded in September stands as evidence that the Service is not merely evolving; it is setting new standards in institutional excellence, reform communication, and national service delivery,” he further said.
Last month, the service announced that between January and June 2025, it collected a total of N3.6 trillion as revenue. https://punchng.com/customs-revenue-hits-n3-6tn-in-six-months/#google_vignette
The National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that the figure represents a remarkable performance above expectations.
In June, PUNCH Online reported that the Senate Committee on Customs raised the Nigeria Customs Service’s 2025 revenue target from N6.584tn to N10tn, following a commendable performance in surpassing its 2024 revenue expectations.
Three years after the tragic passing of Big Brother Naija star and singer, Patrick Fakoya, popularly known as Rico Swavey, his management and fans have paid emotional tributes to his memory.
In a heartfelt post shared on Monday on X, the management described Rico as a beacon of love and creativity, saying his memory “blooms like a garden of everlasting flowers.”
“On this 3rd anniversary, we remember not just your departure, but the life you lived and the love you gave. Keep resting, Rico,” the post read.
Rico Swavey, who featured in the 2018 Double Wahala edition of BBNaija, died on October 13, 2022, from injuries sustained in a car accident in Lagos.
The incident, which occurred along a poorly lit section of the Lekki-Ajah Expressway, drew widespread grief across the country.
His mother in an interview with Journalist Chude Jideonwo emotionally recounted watching her son die in her arms at a Lekki hospital, pleading for him to “come back to her.”
Amid public speculation at the time, an eyewitness, Sunday Michael, the Uber driver who was with Rico in his final moments clarified that the late reality star was not intoxicated before the crash.
Doren Specialist Hospital, where the deceased was initially treated, also denied allegations of negligence and dismissed claims that its staff filmed him on his sickbed.
Earlier this year, Big Brother Naija Season 10 honoured three late former housemates , Francisca Owumi, Joseph Ada, and Rico Swavey, with a tribute segment and a minute of silence.
Rico Swavey, remembered for his calm demeanour and artistic flair, remains one of the show’s most loved alumni, with his legacy still celebrated across the entertainment industry.
The Kebbi State Government has rejected reports claiming that bandits attacked Maku-ku village in Sakaba Local Government Area, labeling the news as false and misleading.
The claim, which was broadcast by a local FM radio station in Birnin Kebbi, suggested that several people were killed in the alleged attack.
The state’s denial of the alleged bandit attack on Maku-ku village is part of an ongoing effort to combat such misinformation, reassure residents, and maintain calm as security agencies continue their operations.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Governor, Ahmed Idris, clarified that the incident actually took place in Rijau, a community in neighbouring Niger State, not in Kebbi.
He emphasised that no such attack occurred within Kebbi State.
Idris said, “There was no such incident in Kebbi. The report is misleading and capable of causing unnecessary panic.”
He further stated that the military base established in Sakaba by the state government had strengthened security in the area.
Idris urged residents to disregard the report and go about their normal activities, reaffirming that security agencies were fully supported to maintain peace across the state.
US President Donald Trump landed in Israel aboard Air Force One on Monday as a first group of Israeli hostages returned home from Gaza after two years’ captivity.
The US leader was greeted on a red carpet at Ben Gurion airport by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has condemned the violent conduct of Kano Pillars supporters who invaded the pitch and attacked players, match officials, and staff of Shooting Stars Sports Club following Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League clash at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano State.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that chaos erupted after Shooting Stars forward, Adams Mustapha, netted a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser to secure a 1–1 draw, cancelling out Mustapha Jibrin’s early goal for the hosts.
Footage from the live broadcast by Propel Sports showed angry fans storming the pitch moments after the final whistle, confronting referee Mohammed Tuta and his assistants—Bem Japhet, Shehu Isah, and Alfa Sadiq—who were forced to flee for safety.
Security operatives struggled to contain the situation and eventually fired tear gas to disperse the enraged crowd.
Several Shooting Stars players, including Ismail Ayodele and Adams Agba’a, were reportedly assaulted during the melee.
Reacting to the incident in a post via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Sani described the attack as “unacceptable and condemnable.”
Sani also bemoaned the safety of fans at stadia, lamenting that insecurity and poor crowd control discourage genuine supporters from attending local league games.
He wrote, “The unruly behaviour of the Kano Pillars fans against the players of the Shooting Stars is unacceptable and condemnable.
“One of the problems I found out when one goes to our stadiums to watch the local league matches is the problem of thugs loitering around. Half of your attention is on the match and half on your safety and that of your vehicle.”
The Nigerian Premier Football League is yet to issue an official statement on the violence as of the time of filing this report.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested five youths for allegedly conducting an illegal marriage ceremony without parental consent.
The Deputy Commander General of the board, Dr Mujahideen Aminuddeen, disclosed this in a statement he issued in Kano on Monday.
He said those arrested included the groom, bride, and three others who acted as representatives and a witness.
The marriage was allegedly contracted with a dowry of ₦10,000, below the minimum threshold recognised in Islamic legal standards.
Aminuddeen said that the union violated Islamic and legal marital procedures, and the board had launched an investigation.
He appealed to parents to monitor their children’s social engagements and guide them in marriage matters.
PUNCH Online reports that the development comes after Kano State government directed the state Hisbah Board to begin preparations for the wedding of no fewer than 2,000 couples under its mass wedding programme.
Aminudeen disclosed on Thursday that all intending couples are required to register and undergo compulsory medical screening to determine their health status.
The World Health Organisation sounded the alarm on Monday over soaring numbers of drug-resistant bacterial infections, compromising the effectiveness of life-saving treatments and rendering minor injuries and common infections potentially deadly.
The United Nations’ health agency warned that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 showed resistance to antibiotic treatments.
“These findings are deeply concerning,” Yvan J-F. Hutin, head of the WHO’s antimicrobial resistance department, told reporters.
“As antibiotic resistance continues to rise, we’re running out of treatment options and we’re putting lives at risk.”
Bacteria have long developed resistance against medicines designed to fight them, rendering many drugs useless.
This has been accelerated by the massive use of antibiotics to treat humans, animals and food.
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) superbugs directly cause over a million deaths and contribute to nearly five million deaths every year, according to the WHO.
In a report on AMR surveillance, the WHO examined resistance prevalence estimates across 22 antibiotics used to treat infections of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the bloodstream, and those used to treat gonorrhoea.
‘Flying blind’ –
In the five years leading up to 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the monitored antibiotics, with an average annual rise of between five and 15 per cent, the report found.
For urinary tract infections, resistance to commonly used antibiotics was typically higher than 30 per cent globally, it showed.
The report looked at eight common bacterial pathogens, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which can lead to severe bloodstream infections that frequently result in sepsis, organ failure and death.
The WHO warned that more than 40 per cent of E. coli infections and 55 per cent of K. pneumoniae infections globally are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins — the first-choice treatment for these infections.
“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in a statement.
The WHO hailed improvements in surveillance but warned that 48 per cent of countries were still not reporting any AMR data.
“We are definitely flying blind in a number of countries and regions that have insufficient surveillance systems for antimicrobial resistance,” Hutin acknowledged.
‘Future threat’ –
Judging from the available data, most resistance was found in places with weaker health systems and less surveillance, the WHO said.
The highest resistance was found in the Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where one in three reported infections were resistant.
In the African region, one in five infections was meanwhile resistant.
Silvia Bertagnolio, who heads the WHO unit for antimicrobial resistance surveillance, told reporters it was unsurprising that resistance would be higher in places with weaker health systems, since they may lack the capacity to diagnose or treat pathogens effectively.
The differences could also be linked to the fact that countries with less surveillance may test and provide data on fewer patients and only those with the most serious infections, she said.
The WHO has warned that there are not enough new tests and treatments in the pipeline to tackle the growing spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
This is creating a significant “future threat”, Hutin cautioned.
“The increasing antibiotic use, the increasing resistance and the reduction of the pipeline is a very dangerous combination.”
Hamas handed over the first seven of 20 surviving Israeli hostages to Red Cross representatives in Gaza on Monday, sparking cheers of joy in Tel Aviv, where a huge crowd was gathered to support hostage families.
Under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump after two years of war, Hamas is due to release all surviving hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The releases came as Trump headed to the region for a peace summit, having declared the war “over”.
“According to information provided by the Red Cross, seven hostages have been transferred into their custody, and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military and security service said.
“The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on.”
In Tel Aviv, hundreds of people gathered on Hostages Square and erupted in joy as news broke of the first releases.
Among them, Noga shared her pain and joy with AFP.
“I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.
On October 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.
All but 47 of the hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those that have remained in captivity leading lives of constant pain and worry for their loved ones.
In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.
“I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem told AFP after she returned to her neighbourhood in Gaza City.
“My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbours’ houses were gone.
“Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”
– ‘War is over. Okay?’ –
Trump’s lightning visit to Israel and Egypt aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage release deal — but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.
Under the US president’s proposed roadmap, once the Palestinian militants have handed over the surviving hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange.
Israel expects all 20 living hostages to be released to the Red Cross “early Monday morning”, according to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.
“I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting.
“The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.
In Israel, Trump is due to meet the families of hostages before addressing the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.
– Final details –
His trip is partly a victory lap over the Gaza deal he helped broker with a 20-point peace plan announced in late September.
“Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time,” Trump said earlier as he prepared to board the plane at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
Negotiators were still wrangling late Sunday over the final arrangements for the exchanges, with two Hamas sources telling AFP the group was insisting that Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders on the list of those to be released.
Israel has previously rejected at least one of those names.
The sources said the group and its allies had nevertheless “completed all preparations” for handing over to Israel all the living hostages.
Israel does not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned on Monday.
Under the plan, Hamas is to hand over the remaining 47 hostages, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza war.
Among the prisoners to be released, 250 are security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.
– Peace summit –
After visiting Israel, Trump will head to Egypt where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders to back his plan to end the Gaza war and promote Middle East peace.
Trump will be looking to resolve some of the huge uncertainty around the next phases of the peace plan — including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge a full withdrawal from the devastated territory.
Trump insisted he had “guarantees” from both sides and other key regional players about the initial phase of the deal, and the future stages.
Trump also said he would be “proud” to visit Gaza itself, but did not say when such a difficult security challenge would be possible.
A new governing body for devastated Gaza — which Trump himself would head under his own plan — would be established “very quickly,” he added.
Under the plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multi-national force coordinated by a US-led command centre in Israel.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,806 people, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers credible.
The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.
