NATIONAL NEWS
Iran Seeks Russia’s Support After US Strike On Nuclear Facilities, Sends Foreign Minister To Moscow
Iran has turned to Russia for stronger support following the most significant American military strike against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
Reuters reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Moscow with a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking deeper cooperation in the face of growing threats from the United States and Israel.
According to a senior source who spoke to Reuters, Araqchi is expected to deliver a letter from Khamenei directly to Putin, appealing for greater backing as Tehran grapples with intensified U.S. hostility.
Over the weekend, U.S. forces launched an aggressive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, escalating tensions that have been simmering for years.
President Donald Trump and Israeli leaders have recently made inflammatory comments about regime change in Iran and even speculated about targeting Khamenei himself.
While Russian President Putin has denounced Israel’s recent airstrikes in the region, he has so far remained silent on the U.S. strike against Iran’s nuclear sites.
Last week, he merely called for restraint and reiterated Russia’s willingness to mediate in the nuclear standoff.
Iranian officials reportedly believe that Russia’s support has been underwhelming so far.
Sources close to Iran told Reuters that the Islamic Republic is pressing Putin to offer more concrete backing in its confrontation with Washington and Tel Aviv, though they did not specify what form of assistance Iran is requesting.
The Kremlin confirmed that President Putin would meet with Araqchi but did not disclose any details of their planned discussion. Araqchi, speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, said that Iran and Russia were actively “coordinating their positions on the current escalation in the Middle East.”
Russia has long been a strategic partner of Iran and remains a key player in nuclear negotiations as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a signatory to the 2015 nuclear deal that President Trump unilaterally abandoned in 2018 during his first term.
However, with Russian forces deeply entrenched in a prolonged war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, Putin appears reluctant to be drawn into a direct confrontation with the United States on Iran’s behalf, even as Trump signals interest in repairing relations with Russia.
SaharaReporters had also reported that Iran’s parliament over the weekend, voted in favour of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz following a series of US military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
The waterway, which handles around 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas shipments, is crucial for major producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Any disruption to shipping through the strait would likely trigger a surge in global oil prices and could complicate the movement of American naval forces in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian state television reported that the country’s Supreme National Security Council would make the final decision on the proposed closure.
Esmail Kosari, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the Young Journalist Club that the move “will be done whenever necessary”.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a live interview on FOX News, issued a strong warning to Iran over the proposed closure of Strait of Hormuz.
“If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It’s economic suicide for them if they do it, and we retain options to deal with that,” he said.
NATIONAL NEWS
Streams Of Joy International Reverses Erroneous Transaction Following Viral Video
SOJ has confirmed the successful reversal of an erroneous transaction involving a woman whose complaint was recently shared in a viral video.
In a statement, the Streams of Joy International said its direct-message channels and official contact lines remain open to members of the public for reporting transaction-related concerns.
SOJ explained that it routinely receives, investigates and resolves reports of erroneous transactions through an established verification process.
According to the statement, no call, email, direct message or formal complaint had been received from the woman before the video was published.
However, upon becoming aware of the video, streams of Joy international said it immediately attempted to contact her using the phone number provided and through direct message.
The woman has since responded, and following the necessary investigation and confirmation, the transaction was successfully reversed.
SOJ reaffirmed its commitment to addressing genuine complaints promptly, transparently and responsibly through its official communication channels.
NATIONAL NEWS
Controlling Roaming Cows in Abuja Not Our Responsibility – Police
The Nigeria Police Force has said it is not responsible for controlling roaming cattle in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, stating that its intervention would only become necessary when the animals are linked to an offence.
The police spokesperson, CSP Ani Iniedu, made this known on Tuesday during a joint security spokespersons’ briefing while responding to concerns over the increasing presence of cows on Abuja roads and other public spaces.
According to Iniedu, the responsibility for controlling animals, including cattle, lies with the relevant environmental authorities.
“The responsibility for the control of animals is the Ministry or Department of the Environment. Where we come in is if the cow has committed an offence or the cow is involved in the destruction of your property or trespassing your property.
“If that is the case, it is reported to the nearest police station,” he said.
He added that the police would investigate any formal complaint involving offences allegedly committed by roaming cattle.
“We will commence investigation immediately. That is if a complaint was made. If it is going out to look for cows, it is not one of our responsibilities,” Iniedu stated.
The clarification followed growing concerns over cattle roaming freely on major roads and in other parts of Abuja, with residents raising fears about traffic disruptions, public safety and possible damage to property.
Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had earlier declined to comment extensively on the issue, saying it was connected to national security.
Wike said, “I have the capacity to deal with cow grazing in Abuja, but I won’t talk about it because it’s national security. Go to the NSA and the DSS DG. You know why I can’t touch it.”
NATIONAL NEWS
Vice-Chancellor Not Involved In Recruitment Process, MOUAU Clarifies
The management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) has issued a clarification stating that its newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, played no role in the institution’s recent staff recruitment exercise.
In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Anyaso Anyaso, the university explained that the recruitment process, including the capture of successful applicants for payroll, had already been concluded before March 1, 2026, when Prof. Akanwa assumed office as the university’s 7th Vice-Chancellor.
According to the statement, the Federal Government approved a waiver for the recruitment of 426 staff, a figure also endorsed by the University’s Governing Council. However, appointment letters were reportedly issued to 618 persons, while 553 names were captured on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). The statement added that the system ultimately uploaded only the 426 positions approved by the Federal Government and the Governing Council.
The university further stressed that the Vice-Chancellor has no access to the GIFMIS platform and therefore cannot add, remove, or alter any names on the payroll.
MOUAU urged members of the public and stakeholders to disregard what it described as misleading insinuations regarding the Vice-Chancellor’s involvement in the recruitment, advising the public to rely only on official university communication channels for verified information.
The statement reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to transparency and called on the public to refrain from circulating unverified reports.
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