Author: ifonge

​President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army structure from eight to twelve divisions alongside the recruitment of 28,000 new personnel to strengthen national defence capabilities.​Restructuring and Strategic Deployment​The landmark initiative aims to enhance the country’s security architecture and improve operational effectiveness across the nation. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the approval underscores the administration’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces for evolving security challenges.​The expansion builds upon sustained investments in the military, including critical hardware acquisitions, troop welfare improvements, and force modernisation. Under the new framework, the…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired armed forces commander Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi on Tuesday and named Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him, bowing to six days of street protests that had demanded the general’s removal. It was the second time in roughly a year that street pressure has forced Zelenskyy to reverse course. Protests last summer compelled him to undo a law that had weakened Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs; this time, demonstrators in Kyiv and other cities nationwide turned out for six consecutive days after Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov the previous week, with crowds carrying portraits of Syrskyi demanding…

Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have expressed “serious concern” over the renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran and called for the resumption of free movement through the Strait of Hormuz. In a joint statement released after the close of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on Tuesday, ministers from the 11-nation bloc said that they were “deeply concerned that these developments severely undermine the ongoing efforts of key mediators and diminish the prospects for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.” “We called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint…

BABYG!RL ZAE Announces New Single ‘Tlean’ Featuring Sastii. Johannesburg rapper and Emtee Records artist BABYG!RL ZAE has fans trying to crack the code after teasing what appears to be her next release on social media. BABYG!RL ZAE Announces New Single ‘Tlean’ Featuring Sastii The rapper shared a mysterious post that read: “GUESS THE TLEAN DROP DATE : (?? // 08 // 26 ) TLEAN. FT SASTII.” While she stopped short of revealing the full details, fans were quick to speculate that the project is set to arrive on August 26, with the collaboration featuring rising artist SASTII. The announcement comes…

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The…

Crude oil prices climbed for a fifth consecutive trading session on Thursday, with Brent crude approaching $100 per barrel for the first time in nearly two months after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea heightened fears of a wider disruption to global crude supplies. In early European trading, Brent crude rose 4.21 percent to $98.03 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) advanced 3.16 percent to $89.57 per barrel, extending a rally that has lifted oil prices by almost 20 percent since hostilities between the United States and Iran escalated two weeks ago. The latest gains…

By Prof. MarkAnthony Nze Case File: Occupational & Environmental The testis is the one organ the body deliberately hangs outside itself to keep cool. Modern work — the long shift, the hot cab, the solvent — quietly defeats that design. Of all the body’s organs, only one is deliberately kept outside the warm core, dangling in a thin sac where it can be cooled — and that inconvenient, vulnerable arrangement is not an accident of design but its whole point. Sperm production is exquisitely sensitive to temperature and simply fails at core body heat, so evolution hung the testis outside…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on ​Wednesday that Midwest Poultry Services is ‌recalling nearly 1.6 million dozen white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs produced in Texas, ​as they have the potential to ​be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The recalled eggs ⁠were available at Kroger stores in Texas ​and Louisiana and Brookshire Grocery stores in ​states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi, the FDA said. Midwest Poultry Services and Kroger did not immediately respond ​to Reuters’ requests for comment outside regular ​business hours, while Brookshire Grocery could not be immediately ‌reached. No ⁠illnesses reported were linked to the…

Zambian artist and entertainer DJ Funky returns with a heartfelt new single titled “I Love You,” a romantic offering that puts genuine affection and commitment at the center of its message. Built around a smooth and captivating instrumental produced by ZIERIBEATZ, the song sees DJ Funky express deep feelings for the woman who has captured his heart. Through sincere lyrics and catchy melodies, he reassures his partner of his unconditional love while celebrating the bond they share. Unlike flashy love songs that focus on material things, I Love You embraces simplicity, highlighting the importance of honesty, loyalty, and emotional connection…

Game One – Leopards Dominate Limpopo Blue Bulls in 57-14 Victory Day Three of Craven Week 2026 kicked off with an entertaining South African school rugby clash between the Limpopo Blue Bulls and the Leopards. The Blue Bulls made a positive start, opening the scoring through a clever grubber kick that turned the Leopards’ defence around and allowed Dreyer to dive on the ball for the first try of the match. Despite the early breakthrough, there was little else to celebrate for the Bulls as the Leopards responded in emphatic fashion. They crossed for five unanswered tries, with Jantjies scoring…