President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, hosted members of the 1999 class of governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The former governors were led to the State House by a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori.
Details of the meeting were not disclosed as of the time of filing this report, but the visit is believed to be part of ongoing consultations by the President with key political stakeholders.
The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun made this known in a post via his X handle on Friday.
The class of 1999 governors, who assumed office at the return of democratic rule, played significant roles in shaping Nigeria’s Fourth Republic politics.
PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
France defended its decision to recognise Palestinian statehood amid domestic and international criticism on Friday, including against the charge that the move plays into the hands of militant group Hamas.
President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move.
Macron’s announcement drew condemnation from Israel, which said it “rewards terror”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “reckless” and said it “only serves Hamas propaganda”.
Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, quipped that Macron did not say where a future Palestinian state would be located.
“I can now exclusively disclose that France will offer the French Riviera & the new nation will be called “Franc-en-Stine”, he said on X.
Hamas itself — which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union — praised the French initiative, saying it was “a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people”.
But French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday argued that Macron’s initiative went against what the militant group wanted.
“Hamas has always ruled out a two-state solution. By recognising Palestine, France goes against that terrorist organisation,” Barrot said on X.
With its decision, France was “backing the side of peace against the side of war”, Barrot added.
Domestic reactions ranged from praise on the left, condemnation on the right and awkward silence in the ranks of the government itself.
– ‘Counter-productive’, ‘pointless’ –
The leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, said the announcement was “rushed” and afforded Hamas “unexpected institutional and international legitimacy”.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Jean-Luc Melenchon, boss of the far-left France Unbowed party, called Macron’s announcement “a moral victory”, although he deplored that it did not take effect immediately.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a right winger whose relationship with Macron is tense, declined on Friday to give his opinion, saying he was currently busy with an unrelated “serious topic” linked to the “security of French people on holiday”.
But the vice president of his party, Les Republicains, Xavier Bellamy, blasted the decision as possibly “counter-productive” or, at best, “pointless”.
The move risked “endangering Israeli civilians” as well as “Palestinian civilians who are victims of Hamas’s barbarism”, he said.
Bellamy said that Macron’s move was a departure from the president’s previously set conditions for recognition of Palestine, which included a Hamas de-militarisation, the movement’s exclusion from any future government, the liberation of all Israeli hostages in Gaza and the recognition of Israel by several Arab states.
“None of them have been met,” he said.
While France would be the most significant European country to recognise a Palestinian state, others have hinted they could do the same.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would hold a call on Friday with counterparts in Germany and France on efforts to stop the fighting, adding that a ceasefire would “put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state”.
Norway, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all announced recognition following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, along with several other non-European countries.
Once France follows through on its announcement, a total of at least 142 countries will have recognised Palestinian statehood.
The Mediation Training Institute has called on Nigerians to make mediation a daily practice to resolve disputes peacefully and build stronger relationships at all levels of society.
In a statement to mark the International Day of Mediation on Thursday, the MTI President, Segun Ogunyannwo, said mediation should be viewed as an essential life skill rather than an occasional option.
“Mediation should not be like a garment that you put on whenever it suits you and put off when it does not serve your interest or purpose.
“In our thoughts, words, and deeds, we should reflect the high standards and ideals of the very fulfilling ministry of reconciliation—mediation,” he said.
He noted that the institute chose July 24 as symbolic, underscoring the message that mediation should be practised “24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Ogunyannwo urged Nigerians to use mediation to address disputes in families, workplaces, communities, and business relationships, stressing its role in sustaining harmony in a conflict-prone society.
He also encouraged individuals to take practical steps by mediating real disputes on the day and sharing their experiences with the institute via email for recognition of their peacebuilding efforts.
“Mediation skills are life skills”, Ogunyannwo noted, adding that these skills are vital for managing differences, preserving relationships, and fostering peaceful co-existence.
He reminded mediators to uphold confidentiality and respect privacy in all interventions, stating that the International Day of Mediation continues to serve as a platform to promote dialogue, tolerance, and reconciliation across Nigeria.
Thousands of UK doctors launched a five-day strike early Friday after talks with the Labour government for a new pay increase failed to reach a deal.
Doctors were out on picket lines outside hospitals after negotiations with the government went down the wire late Thursday, without reaching an accord.
The move comes after the doctors accepted a pay rise offer totalling 22.3 per cent over two years in September, soon after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour party took power.
Resident doctors — those below consultant level — have said they felt they had “no choice” but to strike again to reverse “pay erosion” since 2008.
Starmer on Friday appealed to the doctors, saying patients were being put at risk and the strikes would “cause real damage”.
Launching a strike “will mean everyone loses,” Starmer wrote in the Times, highlighting the added strain it would put on the already struggling National Health Service (NHS).
He appealed to the doctors not to “follow” their union, the British Medical Association (BMA) “down this damaging road. Our NHS and your patients need you” .
“Lives will be blighted by this decision,” Starmer warned.
But the junior doctors have said their pay in real terms has eroded more than 21 per cent over the past two decades.
“We’re not working 21 per cent less hard so why should our pay suffer?” said the co-chairs of the BMA’s resident doctors committee Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt in a statement.
Last year’s doctors’ strikes, which saw tens of thousands of appointments cancelled and treatment delayed, were among a series of public and private sector walk-outs over pay and conditions as inflation soared.
Health minister Wes Streeting also appealed to doctors to reverse their position, saying in a letter published in The Telegraph that the government “cannot afford to go further on pay this year”.
The previous Conservative government last year resisted the BMA’s demands for a 35-perc ent “pay restoration” to reflect real-term inflation over the last decade.
Last year, Labour moved to draw a line under a series of disputes reaching pay offers to public sector workers including teachers and train drivers.
Those included a 15 per cent pay deal over three years for train drivers, which was heavily criticised by the Conservative opposition.
Lawmakers and population experts on Tuesday called for the urgent conduct of a credible population and housing census, warning that the continued delay undermines national development and the future of millions of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the 2025 World Population Day event held in Abuja, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Population and Identity, Senator Victor Umeh, emphasised the significance of this year’s theme: ‘Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.’
Umeh described it as a timely call to invest in youth by ensuring access to rights and informed decision-making.
The senator expressed concern over the lack of a credible national census since 2006, which has led to uncertainty about Nigeria’s actual population.
“Every day we hear that Nigeria has about 230 million people. But how can we address their needs if we don’t know who they are or how many they are?
“Just yesterday, someone claimed our population exceeds 300 million. I couldn’t dispute it—our last census was 19 years ago,” he noted.
The senator stressed that with more than half of Nigeria’s population under 30, the country’s future depends on its youth.
“To truly empower them, we need accurate, disaggregated data. This is why I strongly advocate for the timely conduct of a credible population and housing census in Nigeria, which is essential for inclusive development, equitable resource distribution, and youth-responsive policy,” he said.
Umeh cautioned that policies built on assumptions lead to misallocation of resources and a growing crisis in sectors like education, employment, and housing.
He pointed to the youth unemployment crisis as a direct result of poor planning.
The senator pledged that the Senate would provide the necessary legislative support and funding to the National Population Commission to ensure the next census is credible and timely.
“The senate is committed to providing the necessary legislative framework to ensure that Nigeria’s population data is accurate, timely, and inclusive, and that youth empowerment remains central to our national development agenda,” the senator added.
Umeh also stressed the need for data on housing, linking population figures to housing deficits and planning.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on National Population and Identity, Okunjimi Odimayo, stressed that accurate data is not a luxury but a necessity.
“We must be guided by one fundamental requirement: accurate data.
“This is actually what differentiates us from any advanced country in the world. Accurate data — this is what differentiates the private sector from the public sector,” Odimayo noted.
Odimayo urged President Bola Tinubu to make an immediate decision on the census, describing the data gap as “the problem of Nigeria now.”
“Without reliable data, we risk building policy on assumptions. Everything you see, any policy you see, is based on assumptions — and assumptions are not realistic. I can say it,” he added.
Also at the event, NPC Chairman Nasir Kwarra said the country’s youthful demographic offers a unique opportunity that must be strategically harnessed.
“More than 60 percent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 30. That’s over 130 million young people whose dreams, potentials, and aspirations must be placed at the very centre of our national development priorities,” he said.
Kwarra underscored the need for investment in education, health, jobs, and governance, supported by up-to-date data.
“It also means investing in data management including ensuring compliance with the conduct of a population and housing census every ten years,” he said.
He concluded by encouraging all sectors of society to involve young people not just as beneficiaries but as active partners in national growth.
“Young Nigerians are full of ideas, creativity, and resilience. They want to contribute, they want to lead, and yes — they want to form families on their own terms, in an environment of dignity, fairness, and opportunity,” Kwarra said.
The United Nations Population Fund Deputy Representative Koessan Kuawu echoed the call for inclusion and data-driven policy, urging leaders to listen to the voices of youth.
“Starting on this World Population Day, let’s listen to what young people want and need, and create conditions that enable them to exercise their rights, make their own choices and enjoy a hopeful future,” he said.
Nigeria has been overdue for a national population and housing census since 2016.
The last enumeration exercise, held in 2006, recorded a population of over 140 million. That data remains the foundation for national planning despite significant demographic shifts.
Efforts to conduct a new census have repeatedly stalled due to security concerns, funding challenges, and political considerations.
A recent attempt under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari scheduled a digital census for May 2023, but the exercise was postponed just days before commencement to allow the incoming Tinubu administration to assume responsibility.
The lack of current demographic data has hampered policy planning, the delivery of social services, and the equitable distribution of resources. Global standards recommend a national census every 10 years.
Oyo State Emergency Management Agency, on Tuesday, alerted people living in flood-prone communities in the state to start preparing for heavy rain and its attendant flooding.
This was contained in a statement released by the Administrative Secretary of SEMA, Ojuolape Busari, in Ibadan, the state capital.
She explained that the reports from the state Flood Early Warning System indicated that the areas to the east and northeast of Ibadan city centre are likely to experience the heaviest rainfall.
Busari said, “This includes parts of Lagelu Local Government Area, especially areas like Iyana Offa; Moniya (eastern parts), and communities further east towards Osun State.
“According to the information made available by the state Flood Early Warning System, some parts of the north of Ibadan city, possibly parts of Egbeda LGA (eastern edges) and areas bordering Lagelu LGA, will experience heavy rainfall today.
“Communities along the Ibadan-Ife Road (A5 highway) eastward: Areas like Egbeda and further east on this major road, will also experience heavy rainfall.”
The administrative secretary further said areas with moderate to heavy rainfall, determined by the flood early warning system, and ascertained by Google Maps, will encompass most of Ibadan Metropolis (eastern and central parts).
She said, “This includes areas like IITA itself, the Ibadan Airport, University of Ibadan, Ojoo, Akobo, Basorun, Gate, Challenge, Ring Road, and many other densely populated areas within the city.
“Parts of Akinyele Local Government, especially the eastern and central parts, parts of Oluyole Local Government, especially Northeastern sections too.”
Busari assured all that the agency and other relevant agencies of government, voluntary agencies, and civil society groups are prepared to intervene and ameliorate the plight of persons and communities who might be affected.
She, therefore, urged people of the state to immediately commence preparations to avert dire consequences, saying, “discretion is the better part of valour.”
Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as traders kept an eye on earnings from Wall Street titans this week while tracking US trade talks just over a week before the deadline for a deal.
Japanese stocks edged up and the yen held gains after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he will stay in power despite the weekend election debacle.
Investors took a more cautious path after a largely positive day on Wall Street, where the S&P ended above 6,300 points for the first time and the Nasdaq chalked up yet another record.
Equities continue to rally on expectations that key trading partners will strike agreements with Washington before August 1 to avoid Donald Trump’s sky-high tariffs, with the US president stating that several deals are close. Just three have been struck so far.
His press secretary Karoline Leavitt, said more could be reached before next Friday, but also warned the president could unveil fresh unilateral tolls in that time.
While Trump’s initial tariff bombshell on April 2 rattled global markets before he delayed introducing the measures twice, they have seen more muted reactions to successive threats as traders expect him to eventually row back again.
That optimism has been helped by data indicating the US economy remained healthy despite the imposition of other levies that are beginning to be felt on Main Street.
And SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes warned traders could be in for a shock next week.
“The new tariff regime isn’t being priced — full stop,” he wrote.
“Markets have seen this movie before: tough talk, last-minute extensions, and deal-making in overtime. But this time, Trump isn’t bluffing. He’s already posted ‘No extensions will be granted’.
“The new rates — 30 per cent on the EU, 35 per cent on Canada, 50 per cent on Brazil — are politically loaded and economically radioactive. If they go live, there’s no soft landing.”
Hong Kong has been the standout in Asia this year, adding around a quarter thanks to a rally in Chinese tech firms and a fresh influx of cash from mainland investors.
And the Hang Seng Index continued its advance Tuesday, with Shanghai, Sydney and Taipei also up.
There were losses in Singapore, Seoul, Wellington and Manila.
Tokyo rose as investors returned from a long weekend to news that Ishiba would remain in power even after his ruling coalition lost its majority in Japan’s lower house elections Sunday, months after it suffered a similar fate in the upper house.
His refusal to leave helped the yen push higher against the dollar and other peers, though observers warned the government’s tenure remained fragile and investors remained nervous.
The yen strengthened to 147.08 Tuesday before paring some of the gains. That compares with 148.80 Friday.
But Franklin Templeton Institute’s Christy Tan said that “Ishiba now faces heightened political headwinds, including pressure over inflation, taxes, and US trade talks”.
Focus also turns this week to earnings from some of the world’s biggest names, including Tesla, Google-parent Alphabet, General Motors, Intel and Coca-Cola.
While there will be plenty of attention given to the results, the firms’ guidance will be key as investors try to gauge companies’ pulses in light of Trump’s trade war.
– Key figures at around 0230 GMT –
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.2 per cent at 39,892.81 (break)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 per cent at 25,074.15
Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.1 per cent at 3,563.59
Dollar/yen: UP at 147.50 yen from 147.42 yen on Monday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1690 from $1.1688
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3484 from $1.3485
Euro/pound: UP at 86.69 pence from 86.68 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 per cent at $66.70 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.9 per cent at $68.62 per barrel
New York – Dow: FLAT at 44,323.07 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 per cent at 9,012.99 (close)
I didn’t hate Buhari, Ortom defends stance on Benue insecurity
Olugbenga Ige
A former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has dismissed claims that he hated the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari over his government’s handling of the security in the North Central state.
The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party stated this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Ortom stated that he only criticised Buhari’s government for not doing enough to address the security challenges in his state at the time.
The former Benue governor defended his actions, saying he had to speak out to protect his people.
He said, “I didn’t hate Buhari, I didn’t hate his government, I didn’t hate any Fulani man. All I was standing for was that I was elected to provide security and provide for the welfare of my own people.
“I was just doing my job, and I did accuse the last government for not doing enough to curb the security challenges that we had.
“I couldn’t just watch and continue to bury people, and I had to voice out but I did not stop at that. My government was able to provide a solution that, in our thought, we felt would solve this problem.”
The former governor said the insecurity problem still persisting in Benue State wouldn’t have existed if the Buhari administration had cooperated with him and adopted the solution he proposed to end it.
Ortom said he was frustrated under the Buhari administration and raised the alarm several times, stating that the Ruga ranching programme and similar ones proposed by the government to end the problem were merely a camouflage.
He insisted that there is no such thing as a herders-farmers crisis in Nigeria, saying that, instead, the intruding herders storm villages to kill, destroy farms, rape women, and commit other atrocities.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a new set of immigration-related fees following the implementation of the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill, with changes set to take effect from July 22, 2025.
According to a Federal Register Notice issued on July 18, 2025, applications postmarked on or after that date must include the updated fees.
USCIS said it will reject any submissions made on or after August 21, 2025, if the proper H.R. 1-mandated fees are not included.
Among the major changes, a $100 fee will now be charged for filing Form I-589 (Asylum and Withholding of Removal).
An Annual Asylum Fee of $100, payable online, will also be required for each calendar year an asylum application remains pending.
New fees have been established for specific applications of the Form I-765 Employment Authorisation Document (EAD):
$550 for initial applications
$275 for renewals or extensions
A reduced fee of $275 applies for EADs filed after approval of re-parole using Form I-131.
In addition, a $250 Special Immigrant Juvenile fee now applies to Form I-360 applications under that category.
Temporary Protected Status registration fees using Form I-821 have increased from $50 to $500.
USCIS clarified that the new H.R. 1 fees are in addition to current fees under its existing rule and cannot be waived or reduced, even if applicants are eligible for a regular USCIS fee waiver.
“Any alien who filed or files a Form I-589 after October 1, 2024, that remains pending with USCIS for 365 days must pay the AAF is of the one-year anniversary of his or her filing date and each year thereafter that the application remains pending on such day of the calendar year,” the notice read.
The new rule also shortens the validity period for work permits in certain categories.
Parolees will get EADs valid for no more than one year or the duration of parole, whichever is shorter.
TPS beneficiaries will have EADs valid for a maximum of one year or t
he length of TPS, whichever comes first.
USCIS said additional fee adjustments for other forms, such as Form I-131 (Travel Documents) and Form I-102 (Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Replacement), will be announced later.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became a household name as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at age 54 after an accidental drowning off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, officials and multiple news sources report.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the Deadline Contenders Television event at Directors Guild Of America on April 16, 2023 in Los Angeles | Credit: PEOPLE
Warner was on a family trip when the incident occurred, AP News, Reuters among many others reported on Monday.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) said Warner was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limón Province on Sunday afternoon, July 20, when a strong current pulled him out to sea.
Beachgoers brought him to shore; first responders from the Costa Rican Red Cross attempted lifesaving measures but he was pronounced dead at the scene, CBS News also reported.
The Red Cross said it was alerted at about 2:10 p.m. local time and treated two adult men, transporting one in critical condition.
Local authorities subsequently listed the official cause of death as “asphyxia by submersion,” language echoed in statements provided to U.S. media outlets.
Police told ABC News that Warner had been caught in a rip current; Entertainment Weekly and PEOPLE likewise reported that preliminary findings pointed to asphyxiation following submersion.
In a statement, the OIJ said the victim “appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current… [and] was declared lifeless at the scene” after treatment by the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Fox Entertainment, which worked with Warner during his run as cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. AJ Austin on the network drama The Resident, called the loss “tragic.”
“Everyone at FOX is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” the company said in a statement.
Theo Huxtable OR Malcolm-Jamal Warner?
Born August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, and named after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, Warner pursued performance from an early age and attended the Professional Children’s School in New York.
He broke out as the witty, vulnerable Theo in The Cosby Show (1984–1992), earning an Emmy nomination in 1986.
He later starred in Malcolm & Eddie, appeared in Reed Between the Lines, and had a prominent turn in The Resident.
Tributes Pour In
Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment world, AP, CBS News and Reuters all reported.
Viola Davis remembered the actor’s cultural impact, writing that “Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend… we are gutted by this loss.”
Actor Morris Chestnut, who appeared with Warner on The Resident, told PEOPLE, “He was just a really, really good, genuine guy,” adding that Warner welcomed him warmly and even took him to dinner early in their working relationship. Author-activist Kevin Powell told CBS News that Warner “was never someone who was into the celebrity of it… He literally was America’s son.”
A spokesperson for Bill Cosby said the comedian found the news “devastating,” likening the shock to the 1997 killing of his own son Ennis.
The NAACP also honored Warner on social media, writing “#RestinPower… Your talent and spirit touched many lives, and your legacy will continue to inspire.”
Warner’s talents extended beyond acting: he directed episodes of hit television series, recorded spoken-word and music projects, and won a Grammy Award in 2015 for his contribution to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
He kept his personal life largely private, but is survived by his wife and daughter, whom he rarely discussed publicly.
