In Nigeria, Target of a Trump Threat, Parents Fear for Kidnapped Children

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. negotiators to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, describing the talks as productive but indicating that significant challenges remain. This meeting follows a series of diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the nearly four-year war, with both sides expressing a willingness to engage further.

Former President Donald Trump has made controversial remarks labeling Somali migrants as 'garbage' and expressing a desire to prevent their entry into the United States, citing concerns about their reliance on social safety nets. This statement reflects Trump's ongoing stance against immigration from certain countries, particularly those he categorizes as 'Third World.'

Nigerian General Christopher Musa has been appointed as the country's Minister of Defence, returning to government a month after losing his position as chief of defence staff amid concerns over a coup.

Pope Leo has urged the Trump administration to refrain from using military threats against Venezuela, advocating instead for peaceful means to instigate change in the country. This call comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, with the Trump administration considering various options, including military action, to address the situation.

Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, has been released from prison following a pardon granted by former President Donald Trump. Hernández was serving a 45-year sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking and weapons charges, having been convicted of accepting bribes from drug traffickers to facilitate the movement of cocaine through Honduras to the U.S.

In Nigeria, approximately 50,000 volunteer vigilantes have emerged to protect rural communities amid a significant absence of security forces. These local brigades, exemplified by individuals like Makailu in Niger State, actively patrol and defend villages against increasing bandit attacks and ongoing security challenges.

Nigeria has granted asylum to Fernando Dias, a presidential candidate from Guinea-Bissau, sheltering him in its embassy in Bissau due to an imminent threat to his life following a military coup that ousted the sitting president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, a Nigerian-British director, premiered her debut film, Dreamers, at the London film festival. The semi-autobiographical love story is set in an immigration detention centre and explores her experiences fleeing persecution in Nigeria. Gharoro-Akpojotor expressed vulnerability during the screening, feeling exposed as she shared her personal narrative with a home audience after its earlier premiere in Berlin.