International
Economic wars: U.S. envoy meets Tinubu in Paris
The United States has opened discussions with President Bola Tinubu on expanding economic cooperation across Africa as part of efforts to deepen trade, investment, and development ties on the continent.
This was disclosed following a meeting on Thursday between President Tinubu and U.S. State Department Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, in Paris, where the Nigerian leader is currently on a short working visit.
According to a statement posted Friday on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, and shared by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the talks also touched on key security concerns in the region.
“State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos met with President Tinubu on Thursday to discuss regional security, including working together with partners to build a durable peace in eastern DRC,” the U.S. Mission stated.
“They also discussed expanding opportunities for economic cooperation throughout Africa,” it added.
The meeting comes at a time when Nigeria is working to reposition itself as a hub for investment and economic growth on the continent.
President Tinubu has consistently called for stronger global partnerships to drive industrialization, job creation, and infrastructure development in Africa.
Though specific details of the economic discussions were not disclosed, analysts say the meeting reflects growing American interest in engaging with African leaders on development-focused diplomacy, with Nigeria seen as a critical anchor in West Africa.
President Tinubu has been in Paris since Wednesday, April 2, undertaking a short working visit aimed at reviewing his administration’s midterm performance and setting strategic priorities for the next phase of his tenure.
While abroad, the President has remained actively engaged in state matters, and Thursday’s high-level engagement with the U.S. State Department underscores Nigeria’s central role in regional affairs and global economic conversations.
Tinubu is expected to return to the country shortly, with public attention focused on the outcome of his consultations and the anticipated direction of new policies in the coming months.
International
Middle East War: IEA recommends options to ease oil price pressures on consumers, Motorists
Work from home where possible. Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.
Image credit : Shutterstock
Immediate actions to reduce demand:
1. Work from home where possible. Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.
2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h. Lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.
3. Encourage public transport. A shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.
4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days.
Number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.
5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices. Higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.
6. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods
Better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.
7. Divert LPG use from transport
Shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.
8. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist
Reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.
9. Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions
Encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.
10. Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures
Industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements
International
Hong Kong police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules
Those who refuse could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,700; £9,600), and individuals who provide “false or misleading information” could face up to three years in jail.
Image credit : Getty images
Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law (NSL).
Those who refuse could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,700; £9,600), and individuals who provide “false or misleading information” could face up to three years in jail.
It comes as part of new amendments to a bylaw under the NSL that the government gazetted on Monday.
The NSL was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020, in wake of massive pro-democracy protests the year before.
Authorities say the laws, which target acts like terrorism and secession, are necessary for stability – but critics say they are tools to quash dissent.
The new amendments also give customs officials the power to seize items that they deem to “have seditious intention”.
Monday’s amendments ensure that “activities endangering national security can be effectively prevented, suppressed and punished, and at the same time the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organisations are adequately protected”, Hong Kong authorities said on Monday.
Changes to the bylaw was announced by the city’s leader, John Lee, bypassing the city’s legislative council
(BBC)
International
UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms
“Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red.”
UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms5 hours agoMark PoyntingClimate researcherShareSaveGetty Images A man cools himself at a water fountain. He is wearing a red T-shirt and blue shorts and has both hands over his face, from which water is dripping towards the ground.Getty ImagesThe Earth’s climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN’s weather agency has warned.
The World Meteorological Organization says that our planet is gaining much more heat energy than it can release, driven by emissions of warming gases such as carbon dioxide.
This record “energy imbalance” heated the ocean to new heights last year and continued to melt our planet’s ice caps.
And scientists fear that a natural warming phase called El Niño – expected to begin later this year – could soon bring further heat records.
In response to the report, UN Secretary General António Guterres reiterated his call for countries to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy to “deliver climate security, energy security and national security.”
“Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” he warned, in a typically punchy video address.
The last 11 years were the Earth’s 11 warmest years in records stretching back to 1850, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.
In 2025, global average air temperatures were about 1.43C above those of “pre-industrial” times – before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels.
A temporary cooling from the natural La Niña weather pattern meant that 2025 was not quite as hot as 2024, which was boosted by the opposite El Niño phase.
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