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Trump slams ‘‘decaying’’ Europe and pushes Ukraine on elections

U.S. President Donald Trump deepened his rift with Europe in an interview published Tuesday, calling it “decaying” and blasting key allies as “weak” over immigration and Ukraine.

Speaking to Politico, Trump also called on Ukraine to hold elections despite Russia’s invasion and questioned whether the country is truly democratic under President Volodmyr Zelenskyy.

Trump doubled down on his recent extraordinary criticisms of Europe, following the release of the new U.S. national security strategy last week that recycled far-right tropes as it warned of civilizational decline on the continent.

“Most European nations, they’re, they’re decaying. They’re decaying,” Trump told Politico in the interview, conducted Monday.

The 79-year-old billionaire, whose political rise to power was built on inflammatory language about migration, echoed far-right talking points as he said that Europe’s policies on migrants were a “disaster.”

“They don’t want to send them back to where they came from,” Trump said.

The Trump administration’s strategy sparked alarm in Europe — where most countries are part of the U.S.-led NATO alliance — by calling for the cultivation of “resistance” in the EU.

Asked if European countries would not remain U.S. allies if they failed to embrace his migration policies, Trump replied that “it depends.”

“I think they’re weak, but they also want to be so politically correct,” Trump said.

He listed countries including Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden that he said were being “destroyed” by migration, and launched a new attack on the “horrible, vicious, disgusting” Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor.

Trump also brushed off the Kremlin hailing the new U.S. strategy as echoing its own views, saying Putin “would like to see a weak Europe, and to be honest with you, he’s getting that. That has nothing to do with me.”

The U.S. president then criticized Europe’s role in resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying: “They talk but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on.”

Washington and its European allies are increasingly at odds over Trump’s plan to end the war, which many European capitals fear will force Kyiv to hand over territory to Moscow.

Trump also had sharp words for Ukraine and for Zelenskyy, in his latest see-saw in relations with the leader whom he called a “dictator without elections” in January and then berated in the Oval Office in February.

“I think it’s an important time to hold an election. They’re using war not to hold an election.” Trump said. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”

Elections in Ukraine were due in March 2024 but have been postponed under the imposition of martial law since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fresh elections were included in the draft U.S. plan to end the war. (JapanToday)

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Accord Party screens, clears Adeleke for Osun governorship primary

Hours after announcing his defection to the Accord Party, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has been cleared for the gubernatorial primary election.

The Guardian reports that delegates are converging at the Oasis Event Hall in Osogbo for the primary of the Accord Party, of which Adeleke is expected to participate.

On Tuesday night, Adeleke announced his movement to the Accord Party, days after resigning his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, in a statement by Ibe Thankgod, the Chairman, Screening Committee of Accord, on Wednesday, Adeleke was said to have been screened and cleared for its governorship primary that is holding today.

The chairman of the committee, who is also the National Organising Secretary of the party, Thankgod, said the governor has fulfilled all the requisite requirements for nomination and participation at the primary.

“He said the committee subsequently cleared Governor Adeleke as the sole aspirant for the party’s governorship ticket and concluded all required documentations with relevant bodies.

The committee chairman then presented a certificate of clearance to the governor, hailing him as a worthy gubernatorial aspirant of the party.

Responding, Governor Adeleke expressed appreciation to the screening committee and the entire party leadership, noting his preparedness to lead the party to victory in 2026.

“I am ready for the primary and I am ready for the general elections. We are winning by God’s grace”, Governor Adeleke affirmed.

Other members of the committee included Abdurahaman Muhammed, Abdulahi Sani Muhammed and Mrs Awogbade Rachael,” the statement obtained in Osogbo noted.

Similarly, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Tuesday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He announced his decision during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Fubara joins several governors who have also switched to the APC this year.

Recently, 17 members of the House of Assembly, loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC, thereby altering the balance of power in the legislature.

Meanwhile, the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a “self-inflicted injury” and a culmination of choices the governor “willingly embraced.”

In a statement issued Tuesday night by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Fubara’s exit merely affirmed the legal maxim volenti non fit injuria “to one who is willing, no harm is done.” (Guardian)

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Liverpool edges Inter in Champions League as Chelsea loses in Italy


Liverpool snatched a 1-0 win away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday without unsettled star Mohamed Salah, while Chelsea slipped to defeat against Atalanta and Barcelona overcame Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored a late penalty as Liverpool snapped Inter’s 18-game unbeaten home run in Europe despite the absence of Salah, who was left out of the squad after his extraordinary public criticism of manager Arne Slot.

Szoboszlai drilled his spot-kick past Yann Sommer two minutes from time at the San Siro after Alessandro Bastoni was punished for tugging the shirt of substitute Florian Wirtz, clinching a much-needed win for the troubled Premier League champions.

“Huge result. We knew we were coming to a tough place, to a team that’s in a good moment. We had to show fight and dig in,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson told Amazon Prime.

A fourth victory in six Champions League games bumped Liverpool up into the top eight to keep them in the hunt for direct qualification to the last 16 as they contend with the fallout of Salah’s weekend outburst.

The Egyptian forward said he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool during the club’s dip in form and no longer had a relationship with Slot.

“A tough situation. We’re talking about one of the greatest players to play for this club,” said Robertson. “Whatever has happened, happened. Internally, we’re all together.”

Chelsea lost 2-1 at Atalanta despite taking a first-half lead when Joao Pedro poked in a cross from Reece James.

Gianluca Scamacca headed Atalanta level after half-time and Charles De Ketelaere, who set up the equaliser, smashed in the winner for the Bergamo-based side on 83 minutes.

“We need to learn. We’re disappointed but we have to be focused on the next game,” Joao Pedro told TNT Sports.

“In the Champions League, if you concede one goal, and then another (soon), it is difficult to come back.”

Atalanta are third with 13 points, two adrift of leaders Arsenal and Bayern Munich, while Chelsea dropped down to 11th place.

Bayern came from behind to beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 as they bounced back from a loss to Arsenal last month.

Hosts Bayern fell behind to a Joshua Kimmich own-goal in the second half but Serge Gnabry and 17-year-old Lennart Karl led the fightback.

Gnabry swept in a corner from close range to equalise and Karl fired Bayern ahead as he controlled a pass and shot past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva from a tight angle. Jonathan Tah bagged a third to seal the win.

Jules Kounde emerged as the unlikely hero for Barcelona as the France defender scored a pair of headers in a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ansgar Knauff sent the visitors into a surprise lead but Kounde’s brace early in the second half swung the game in favour of Barcelona in their first Champions League match at Camp Nou since 2022.

“We wanted to start at the Camp Nou with a win, it was a tricky game,” Pedri told Movistar.

“We came back in the end, got the three points and we’re happy.”

Tottenham eased to a 3-0 home win against Slavia Prague courtesy of penalties from Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons after David Zima’s 26th-minute own-goal in north London.

Spurs climbed up to ninth and sit just a point behind Liverpool.

Mason Greenwood struck twice as Marseille held on to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2 in Brussels, while Folarin Balogun scored the only goal as Monaco edged Galatasaray 1-0.

Atletico Madrid won 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven with goals from Julian Alvarez, David Hancko and Alexander Sorloth.

Olympiacos earned their first win of the competition as Gelson Martins was on target in a 1-0 victory away to Kairat Almaty, who have just one point in their debut campaign. (JapanToday)

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Thousands reported to have fled DR Congo fighting as M23 closes on key city

Rwanda-backed M23 militia rapidly advanced towards the strategic city of Uvira, with tens of thousands of people fleeing over the nearby border into Burundi, sources said.

The armed group and its Rwandan allies were just a few kilometres (miles) north of Uvira, security and military sources told AFP.

The renewed violence undermined a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump that Kinshasa and Kigali signed less than a week ago, on December 4.

Trump had boasted that the Rwanda-DRC conflict was one of eight he has ended since returning to power in America in January.

With the new fighting, more than 30,000 people have fled the area around Uvira for Burundi in the space of a week, a UN source and a Burundian administrative source told AFP.

The Burundian source told AFP on condition of anonymity he had recorded more than 8,000 daily arrivals over the past two days, and 30,000 arrivals in one week. A source in the UN refugee agency confirmed the figure.

The Rwanda-backed M23 offensive comes nearly a year after the group seized control of Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in eastern DRC, a strategic region rich in natural resources and plagued by conflict for 30 years.

Local people described a state of growing panic as bombardments struck the hills above Uvira, a city of several hundred thousand residents.

“Three bombs have just exploded in the hills. It’s every man for himself,” said one resident reached by telephone.

“We are all under the beds in Uvira — that’s the reality,” another resident said, while a representative of civil society who would not give their name described fighting on the city’s outskirts.

Fighting was also reported in Runingo, another small locality some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Uvira, as the M23 and the Rwandan army closed in.

Burundi views the prospect of Uvira falling to Rwanda-backed forces as an existential threat, given that it sits across Lake Tanganyika from Burundi’s economic capital Bujumbura.

The city is the main sizeable locality in the area yet to fall to the M23 and its capture would essentially cut off the zone from DRC control.

Burundi deployed about 10,000 soldiers to eastern DRC in October 2023 as part of a military cooperation agreement, and security sources say reinforcements have since taken that presence to around 18,000 men.

The M23 and Rwandan forces launched their Uvira offensive on December 1.

Rich in natural resources, eastern DRC has been choked by successive conflicts for around three decades.

Violence in the region intensified early this year when M23 fighters seized the key eastern city of Goma in January, followed by Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, a few weeks later.

The peace deal meant to quell the fighting was signed last Thursday in Washington by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, with Trump — who called it a “miracle” deal — also putting his signature to it.

The agreement includes an economic component intended to secure US supplies of critical minerals present in the region, as America seeks to challenge China’s dominance in the sector. (Guardian)

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Ten-man Roma fall at Cagliari ahead of Napoli’s clash with Juve

Roma missed the chance to join Inter Milan at the top of Serie A on Sunday after losing 1-0 at Cagliari, as Napoli host Juventus aiming for the summit.

Down to 10 men for most of the second half after Zeki Celik brought down Michael Folorunsho as the Cagliari midfielder bore down on goal, Roma left Sardinia with nothing due to Gianluca Gateano’s neat finish at a corner in the 82nd minute.

A second straight defeat leaves Gian Piero Gasperini’s fourth-placed team three points behind Inter who thumped Como 4-0 on Saturday night, and that gap to top spot could grow before the end of the day.

Napoli take on fierce rivals Juve with the chance to go one point ahead of Inter and deal a blow to former hero Luciano Spalletti.

The reigning champions face Spalletti, now Juve coach, in Naples for the first time since he led Napoli to a first league title in over three decades in 2023. (Guardian)

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Attempted Coup: Senate approves troops deployment to Benin Republic

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin in support of efforts to restore peace and stability following last weekend’s attempted coup.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole in line with section 5, Part 11 of the Constitution.

The Senators unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing for the regional security intervention.

Akpabio described the decision as a step in the right direction, noting that instability in any neighboring state poses a threat to the entire region.

“An injury to one is an injury to all,” the lawmaker said.

He underscored that it is Nigeria’s responsibility to support its Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) partner.

The Senate’s consent letter will be transmitted to President Tinubu immediately.

Tinubu had written to the Senate, seeking their approval for the deployment of troops to the Benin Republic. He said that Nigeria has a historical responsibility to support Benin under the existing Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) security frameworks.

According to the President, the crisis demands “urgent external intervention” to help restore stability and prevent further breakdown of order.

Benin Republic’s attempted coup occurred on Sunday, when some military personnel announced the removal of President Patrice Talon. (Channels)

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Iran, Egypt rejects LGBTQ-themed World Cup match

Iran and Egypt have both objected to plans by local organisers in the United States to brand their 2026 World Cup group-stage match as an event supporting the LGBTQ community.

The organising committee in Seattle, Washington, where the fixture is scheduled to take place next year, had previously announced its intention to hold a “Pride Match” coinciding with the northwestern city’s Pride Weekend in late June.

Following last week’s FIFA tournament draw, Egypt and Iran are now slated to face off in Seattle on June 26, the Friday before.

The head of Iran’s Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, was quoted by local news agency ISNA as saying that Tehran and Cairo had both raised “objections against the issue”, which he labelled an “irrational move that supports a certain group”.

Taj did not mention the specific branding of the fixture.

On Monday, Iranian state television said Tehran would “appeal” to FIFA over the matter.

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death.

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association said it had sent a formal letter to FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, rejecting “in absolute terms” any activities linked to LGBTQ support during the match.

The EFA said such initiatives would clash with “the cultural, religious and social values” of both Egypt and Iran and urged FIFA to ensure the match would remain focused solely on football.

In Egypt, homosexuality is not expressly outlawed, but is often punished under loosely worded laws prohibiting “debauchery”.

The EFA cited FIFA’s statutes on political and social neutrality, arguing that matches should not be used to promote causes that are “sensitive or of a contentious nature”.

The 2026 World Cup will mark Iran’s seventh participation in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, following a hostage crisis in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iran had initially opted out of Friday’s draw to protest the US refusal to grant visas to several members of its delegation but eventually reversed the decision.

On Tuesday, Taj said some Iranian players might face visa problems over their service in the Iranian military, which includes the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) — designated a “terrorist organisation” by the US in 2019.

“For the World Cup, we must work on having replacement options, and we have already started that,” he said. (Punch)

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Gov Bago receives 100 abducted Niger State schoolchildren after release

Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has received the 100 abducted pupils of the St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, whose release was secured by the Federal Government.

Conveyed in separate buses, the children arrived at the Niger State Government House at about 5:20 pm and were received by Governor Bago and other government officials.

The students were formally handed over to the state government today, Monday 8 of December 2025, by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was represented at the event by Wing Commander Abdullahi Dare.

While handing over the children, Hong disclosed that security agencies had worked tirelessly since the abduction to ensure the safe rescue and return of the students.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and safety of every Nigerian child, stressing that security agencies remain resolute in implementing measures to safeguard lives and property across the country.

Receiving the rescued students, the governor thanked President Bola Tinubu and Ribadu for their swift and coordinated response that led to the successful recovery of the children.

Bago assured parents and the general public that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining students still in captivity, expressing optimism that they would be reunited with their families in due course.

He called for sustained prayers to ensure their safe return and to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the state.

According to the governor, the moment marks a significant milestone in the history of Niger State, noting that he was deeply moved by the tender ages and number of the rescued children.

He added that medical personnel have been directed to conduct comprehensive health assessments on the students to ensure their physical and psychological well-being.

He further disclosed that the state government was collaborating with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), UNICEF, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen child protection mechanisms and guarantee the safe return of all abducted students.

The Federal Government secured the release of the children on Sunday. (Channels)

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Fubara dumps PDP, defects to APC

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Fubara announced his defection at a stakeholders meeting held at the government house in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The Rivers State Governor joined Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah; and his Bayelsa counterpart, Duoye Siri, all of whom defected from the opposition PDP.

Speaking at the meeting, the governor said, “We can’t support President (Tinubu) if we don’t fully identify with him, not just the backyard support.

“So we have taken that decision here today that everyone who has followed and suffered with me, the decision this evening is that we are moving to the APC.”

His defection came after visiting President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

He reportedly arrived at the Presidential Villa about 5:01 p.m. and was received by the Presidential Protocol Liaison Officer before being escorted to the President’s office and departed at about 5:45 p.m.

Although the details of the meeting were not disclosed.

Recall that on March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months over political tension in the oil-rich South South state.

The President said the decision was taken to restore stability in the state that has been witnessing political turmoil as a result of the disagreement between the state governor and the state lawmakers.

He then appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, who has now been appointed an ambassador, as the state’s administrator to oversee governance.

Six months later, Fubara resumed office and pledged to restore peace and reconciliation in the state.

The governor, in a statewide broadcast, described the period (emergency rule) as enormously challenging but necessary to restore order and safeguard democratic institutions.

He said that, as governor, he chose to abide by the declaration and to co-operate fully with President Tinubu and the National Assembly, prioritising peace above personal or political gain.

“I resisted pressure to challenge the constitutionality of the emergency declaration, suspension of democratic structures, and other measures taken during the turbulent period,” he said.

The governor noted that after Tinubu brokered peace among contending parties, he, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and the Rivers State House of Assembly later resolved to bury the hatchet.

He said reconciliation was embraced in the best interest of Rivers’ people and for the progress of the state. (Punch)

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Iran to play at least one World Cup game in U.S.

Iran will play at least one of its World Cup matches in the United States though the tournament draw on Friday avoided a group-stage clash between the geopolitical rivals.

The Iranian team, representing a country targeted by U.S. airstrikes in June and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration, will open its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Seattle or Inglewood, California, on June 15.

Iran’s next two games could be played across the Canadian border in Vancouver or in Inglewood and Seattle. FIFA will confirm the detailed game schedule Saturday.

The United States was drawn to play Australia, Paraguay and a third team to be determined in the European playoffs in March.

Iran’s participation in the tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has already presented diplomatic challenges.

Last week Iran said it would boycott the draw after several officials including soccer federation president Mehdi Taj and general secretary Hedayat Momebeni were denied U.S. travel visas. The federation later modified its stance saying Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei would attend the event at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Ghalenoei was present at Friday’s draw.

Iran was among 12 countries subject to a travel ban ordered by Trump’s administration on June 5. A second World Cup nation, Haiti, also is on it.

Exemptions were promised for teams and support staff traveling for the World Cup, but not for fans.

The Trump administration called Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” and barred visitors except for those already holding visas or coming special visas issued for minorities facing persecution.

Later in June, Trump ordered a bombardment of Iran by so-called “bunker buster” bombs and cruise missiles targeting underground uranium enrichment plants. Within days he declared a ceasefire in a 12-day war between U.S. ally Israel and Iran.

Iran is an established force in soccer, ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and second only to Japan among Asian national teams.

Team Melli, as the squad is popularly known, is preparing to play at its seventh World Cup. Its best known player is forward Mehdi Taremi, who has played for Inter Milan, Porto and now Olympiakos.

Iran’s most problematic diplomatic relations among its future World Cup opponents are with Egypt.

Their diplomatic ties were severed in 1979 after Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and remained strained until recent years.

New Zealand’s government condemned the death in September 2022 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police.

Amini’s death just a few weeks before the last World Cup played in nearby Qatar brought domestic politics into the stadiums where Iran played.

The team refused to sign Iran’s national anthem before its opening game in Doha against England, and there were clashes between fans and pro-government supporters at its second game against Wales.

Many fans displayed the “Woman, Life, Freedom” slogan to protest the government before Iran’s World Cup campaign ended with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. (JapanToday)