NIGERIA TO BECOME AGRICULTURAL EXPORT HUB.

President Bola Tinubu has announced that his administration is set to make Nigeria a leading hub for agricultural exports by 2025.

Speaking at the “Road to South-South” event held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu emphasised the need to harness Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, organised by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the South-South, Gift Johnbull.

President Tinubu expressed his commitment to transforming Nigeria’s economic landscape, identifying agriculture as a key component in this endeavour.

Highlighting the new initiative led by his assistant, dubbed ‘Project Earn from the Soil,’ the President praised the strategy as vital for the country’s agricultural development and pledged government support to ensure its success.

“Today’s event is significant because it serves as another milestone in our nation’s journey of economic transformation.

“We are here to unveil the “National Convergence for the Renewed Hope Agenda” as a strategic blueprint for national development with the South-South region at the forefront economic Renaissance.

“Our presence here today through the launch of the project “Earn from the Soil” is a powerful declaration that we are committed to turning our non-oil resources into collective prosperity.

“Project “Earn from the Soil” is a food security initiative capable of transforming subsistence farming into robust, export-driven economic opportunities, thereby revolutionizing our agricultural landscape and ensuring National Food Security.

“In this wise, the vision of my administration is clear: By 2025, we will position Nigeria as a leading agricultural export nation. To this end, my administration will give necessary support to the implementation of the laudable “Project Earn from the Soil” to achieve its set objectives,” the President assured.

President Tinubu, who spoke through the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, highlighted the relevance of the South-South, also known as the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria to national development.

He said: “This region is very blessed in natural resources beyond oil and gas. Apart from its rich culture, the South-South is blessed with extraordinary human capacity and talents in many fields of human endeavours that have done our country proud globally.

“When we properly harness the human and material resources, this region has the potential to embody the transformative potential of Nigeria.”

The Nigerian leader also used the opportunity to assure the youth of his support, adding that he has not forgotten his promise to renew the hope of Nigerians.

FRANCE FLIES OUT 2 MIRAGE FIGHTER JETS FROM CHAD TO SIGNAL BEGINNING OF MILITARY WITHDRAWAL.

France flew out the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad, signalling the beginning of the withdrawal of its military forces from the former French colony in Central Africa that last month broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.

The pair of Mirage 2000-D fighters took off after midday from a French base in the capital, N’Djamena, after Chadian military forces came to wish them farewell, and were returning to a French air force base in Nancy in eastern France.

French military spokesman, Colonel Guillaume Vernet said negotiations with Chadian authorities were continuing on how and when France might withdraw other members of its 1,000-strong force in Chad, and whether all or just some of them will leave.

In announcing the end of the defense cooperation agreement with France last month, the Chadian government described the decision as a historic turning point for the country that gained independence in 1960, and said that it would enable Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities.

Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops.

Those countries have inched closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert.

France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad. Chadian authorities didn’t specify when they have to leave and said the end of the defence agreement in no way calls into question the countries’ historical ties and that it wants to maintain relations in other areas of common interest.

Last week, hundreds of people marched in N’Djamena to call for the withdrawal of French troops, chanting “Chad for us, France out!” Some held banners that read, “We do not want to see a single French person in Chad.

Protesters in Kenya demand action against femicide amid police crackdown

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Nairobi to denounce rising femicide cases in Kenya, only to face a violent police crackdown that left many injured and dispersed.

Protesters, chanting “Stop femicide,” had gathered to highlight the alarming number of killings of women and girls in the country. Police responded with teargas, leading to chaos in the streets.

Julius Kamau, one of the protesters, expressed frustration with the government’s handling of gender-based violence.

Nancy Waithera, another protester, called on authorities to listen to women’s pleas.

Kenya is grappling with a silent epidemic of gender-based violence. Police data shows that 97 women were killed between August and November 2024, most by their male partners.

A recent U.N. report revealed Africa has the highest global rate of partner-related femicide.

Last month, President William Ruto pledged $700,000 for a campaign to end femicide, but activists argue that concrete action is still lacking.

On Human Rights Day, the use of force against peaceful protesters drew criticism from rights groups, who questioned the commitment of law enforcement to address femicide cases.

A notable failure was the recent escape of a suspect from custody after confessing to killing 42 women, leaving activists and the public outraged over systemic failures in the justice system.

Kenya’s election to the U.N. Human Rights Council in October has further heightened scrutiny over how the country addresses human rights issues, particularly gender-based violence.

The latest protest follows a series of similar demonstrations, including one on November 25, when police dispersed protesters with tear gas during the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

CHADIAN LEADER MAHAMAT IDRISS DÉBY GETS ELEVATION TO MARSHAL RANK.

The National Transitional Council (CNT) of Chad promoted General Déby to Marshal.

160 members voted to adopt the resolution against 2 while 6 abstained in a council mostly dominated by the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS).

This promotion now ranks Mahamat at the same level as his late father, Idriss Déby Itno, who was the President of Chad.

Chad has tended to award its leaders the rank of a marshal especially when they show immense victory in the fight against insurgency.

His late father Idriss Déby Itno was also awarded the rank of a marshal in 2020 after a victorious offensive he led against the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

A seasoned field commander, Idriss Déby governed Chad for thirty years before being killed in combat by rebels in 2021.

His son, then a general, assumed power with the backing of a junta that declared him “president of the CNT” and subsequently “president of the transition,” effectively making him head of state.

He later amended the Constitution and was legitimized through a contested election in May.

CAIRO’S BUILDING COLLAPSE KILL AT LEAST EIGHT.

An apartment building collapsed in Egypt’s capital, killing at least eight people.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that the collapse of the six-story building in Cairo’s western neighbourhood of Waili also injured three people, who were hospitalised.

Cairo’s governor, Ibrahim Saber, ordered the evacuation of neighbouring houses as a precautionary measure, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the building, which was constructed in the 1960s, to collapse. The governor’s office said that prosecutors were investigating.

Building collapses are common in Egypt, where shoddy construction and a lack of maintenance are widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas.

The government has tried to crack down on illegal building in recent years after decades of lax enforcement. Authorities are also building new cities and neighbourhoods to rehouse those living in at-risk areas.

But many Egyptian cities still contain entire neighbourhoods of unlicensed apartment buildings and shantytowns that don’t follow building codes and regulations.

ZAMBIA’S COURT BLOCKS EDGAR LUNGU FROM SEEKING THIRD TERM.

In Zambia, the Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Edgar Lungu is not eligible to seek a third term in office. The court’s decision comes after Lungu announced his return to active politics last year.

The country’s highest court determined that Lungu’s first term, served from 2015 to 2016 following the death of President Michael Sata, counts as a full presidential term.

This ruling effectively blocks his bid for a new mandate.

Lungu said in a statement that Tuesday’s verdict was steered by “the hands of political manipulation.”

The 68 year old faced allegations of corruption while in office, and his wife and other family members are facing graft charges in court which he says is a way from blocking him to.seek a third time in office.

The vice president of Lungu’s party said that the former leader was “not concerned” by the court decision and would continue to campaign and be the party’s presidential candidate in 2026.

AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNS ARSON INCIDENT AND ANTI-ISRAEL GRAFFITI.

Australian police have launched an investigation after a car was set alight and houses were vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney.

The incident has been condemned by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a “hate crime”. He told ABC News: “There’s no place for antisemitism in this country, or anywhere for that matter.”

It comes days after a fire engulfed a synagogue in Melbourne, causing minor injuries to one man, in what police there are treating as a probable terror attack.

Authorities in Sydney said they were seeking two people aged between 15 and 20 over the vandalism incident.

The pair had been wearing “face coverings and dark clothing” and were seen running from the scene, New South Wales Police said.

“We need public assistance to come forward and help identify those two people,” Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters.

Earlier this week, the law enforcement body established a special taskforce to investigate incidents of antisemitism, including the alleged terror attack in Melbourne, and another vandalism spree that occurred in Woollahra last month. Police do not believe the two incidents in Woollahra are linked.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the latest incident appeared to have been “specifically designed” to “intimidate the Jewish community in Sydney”.

SOUTH KOREA POLICE RAID PRESIDENT’S OFFICE OVER MARTIAL LAW ATTEMPT.

Police in South Korea have raided the presidential office in Seoul, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abortive attempt to impose martial law last week.

The raids are the latest development in what has been a tumultuous week in South Korean politics.

President Yoon, who has stayed in office despite an impeachment vote and multiple calls for him to step down, is facing multiple investigations from various branches of government, on charges of insurrection and treason.

Meanwhile, the country’s ex-defence minister Kim Yong-hyun who took responsibility for the martial law declaration, attempted suicide while in detention.

Kim is currently being kept in a guarding room and “has no current health issues”, the ministry told parliament.

He was arrested on Sunday.

Many officials close to Yoon have also resigned in the wake of the short-lived martial law declaration.

The country is now in a state of political flux.

Ruling party lawmakers banded to boycott a vote to impeach Yoon as president after he agreed to shorten his term and not get involved in foreign and domestic affairs.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which commands a majority in the parliament have criticised the deal, with floor leader Park Chan-dae calling it “an illegal, unconstitutional second insurrection and a second coup”.

It’s unclear what, if any, authority Yoon now has, and protesters are still on the streets calling for him to stand down.

Eighteen investigators were sent to the presidential office on Wednesday to seize records related to a cabinet meeting held on the night of the martial law declaration, according to local media.

President Yoon, who was among the suspects listed on the search warrant, was not in his office when the raids took place.

NORTH KOREA REPORTS SOUTH KOREA’S MARTIAL LAW CRISIS FOR FIRST TIME.

North Korean state media KCNA on Wednesday reported for the first time on South Korea’s ongoing political turmoil since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law attempt.

Last week’s shocking martial law order triggered concerns about a power vacuum and plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally into a constitutional crisis, sending shockwaves through diplomatic and economic fronts.

After a week-long silence, KCNA published an article on what it described as growing “social unrest” in the South due to the martial law crisis.

The dispatch did not offer much commentary but largely carried South Korean and international media reports, focusing on a series of protests joined by more than a million people calling for Yoon’s impeachment.

“The puppet Yoon Suk Yeol, who had already faced a serious crisis of governance and impeachment, declared martial law unexpectedly and unleashed the guns of the fascist dictatorship on the people,” KCNA said.

“His insane act, reminiscent of the coup during the military dictatorship decades ago, has drawn strong condemnation from all walks of life, including the opposition party, and further exploded the public’s fervour for impeachment.”

REFUGEES RETURN TO SYRIA AS CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER APPOINTED.

Refugees from Syria’s long civil war were making their way home on Wednesday, as a new interim prime minister said he had been appointed with the backing of the rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. officials, engaging with rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), urged them not to assume automatic leadership of the country but instead run an inclusive process to form a transitional government.

The new government must “uphold clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbours,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

HTS is a former al Qaeda affiliate that led the anti-Assad revolt and has lately downplayed its jihadist roots.

In a brief address on state television, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1.

Bashir ran the rebel-led Salvation Government before the 12-day lightning rebel offensive swept into Damascus.

You heard that from the president when he took, I think he made a statement and certainly took a question about this on Sunday.

RECORD OUTBREAK OF DENGUE FEVER IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

The number of cases of dengue fever in Central and South America has nearly tripled to a record high this year.

The Pan American Health Organisation said.

More than 12.6m cases and 7,700 deaths were recorded in what Paho says is the biggest outbreak in the region since records began in 1980.

Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico were hit especially hard by the virus, accounting for the majority of cases and deaths.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause serious illness or death in some cases.

Symptoms include a fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and a blotchy rash.

Those with a more severe type of dengue might experience severe stomach pain, fatigue, vomiting, and blood in vomit or stool.

Vaccines have been introduced in some countries in the region, while others, such as Honduras, plan to start distribution in 2025.

In a statement, Paho urged for stronger mitigation efforts and collaboration across the Americas.

Its director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, said the high number of cases is linked to a hotter, wetter climate and factors such as accumulated water around the home and poor waste management, which create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

He also said the virus is posing a “higher-than-normal” risk to children.

In Guatemala, 70% of dengue-related deaths were children, while in Mexico, Costa Rica and Paraguay, under-15s made up more than a third of severe cases, Paho data showed.

Children and people with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to catch the disease and develop more serious symptoms.

LAWYER CITES 300 POTENTIAL CASES AGAINST DIDDY.

A lawyer representing several alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs says the potential number of civil legal cases against the musician “is probably in the 300 range”.

Tony Buzbee said his team had received about 3,000 calls since he held a news conference calling for clients in October.

He has already issued 20 lawsuits from men and women seeking damages from the musician; and says that “realistically” the final total will be “about 100 to 150”.

Others will not make it to court because the time limit for filing claims has expired in certain states.

Combs denied all the charges against him, calling the accusations “sickening” and the result of people looking for a “quick payday”.

His lawyers have characterised the multiple civil lawsuits, including the claims of 300 potential victims, as a part of a “reckless media circus”.

They said Mr Buzbee’s press conference, and the creation of a toll-free phone number for tip-offs, were “clear attempts to garner publicity”.

In a statement, his attorney Erica Wolff said: “Mr Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.

“In court, the truth will prevail: That Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”

The musician is currently being held in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Detention Center, awaiting trial on separate criminal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he also denies.