International
PARIS SUMMIT: Africa Remains Centrepiece of Nigeria’s Economic, Foreign Policy – President Tinubu
Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has on Friday in Paris-France said Nigeria will sustain its spotlight on African countries as the fulcrum of its policies on economy and foreign policy, assuring that trade issues, security and border controls will be mutually implemented.
While receiving the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, after the Summit on New Global Financing Pact, President Tinubu noted that bilateral relations with African countries, particularly at the sub-regional level will be enhanced for shared benefits in areas of security, health, energy, education and diplomacy.
Tinubu said: “We are ready to improve relations. Africa has been the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy,” he said.
“I believe in Africa. We have the necessity to grow the continent. The world’s economy is wobbling, and Africa has been left behind. On risk factors, Africa is always placed high, with higher interest rates on borrowing. We are always classified as high risk. We must work together for systematic recovery and growth,” he added.
President Tinubu described Nigeria’s relations with Benin as that of siamese twins, joined at the hips, and supported by other friendly countries.
“We must recognise the fact that we need each other. We are in a loop and no one should separate us, ” he stated, assuring that his administration will always be open and accessible to all neighbouring countries.
“I just appointed someone who will work with you as Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, and he will be available for our common interest,” the President noted.
The President of Benin said he was inspired with renewed hope for the sub-region and Africa at the inauguration of President Tinubu in Abuja, pledging to provide support on trade and security policy, especially at the borders.
“We are prepared to work with you, Your Excellency, in implementing policies that will protect our economies at land and sea entries. Whatever is forbidden in Nigeria will also be forbidden in Benin,” Talon added.
President Tinubu also had bilateral meetings with Swiss President, Alain Berset, and President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina.
International
Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
Photo: AFP
At least 44 people have been killed so far in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, with 279 people not accounted for.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which has been burning for over 18 hours.
The fire has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.
A baby and an elderly woman were rescued during a late-night rescue, local media reports.
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
I can smell it in the air. I can also see a number of small fires still burning in the apartment blocks.
Even more fire engines and an ambulance have arrived this morning to help with rescue efforts
BBC.
An Indian fighter jet has crashed while performing a display at an airshow in Dubai, officials have said.
Details later.
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death.
The verdict, delivered on Monday, November 17, 2025, follows a months-long trial that found Hasina guilty of ordering a lethal crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. She received a death sentence for the killing of several protesters and a life sentence on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ruling marks the most significant legal action against a former Bangladeshi leader in decades and comes ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February 2026. There was cheering and clapping in the courtroom as the death sentence was pronounced. The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court, though Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, said they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government, including the Awami League, is in office.
Prosecutors told the court that evidence showed Hasina directly ordered security forces to use lethal force to suppress protests in July and August 2024. A United Nations report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the demonstrations, with thousands more injured, making it the deadliest unrest in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence.
Hasina, represented by a state-appointed defense lawyer, denied the charges, calling the tribunal proceedings unfair and claiming a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion.”
Tensions in Bangladesh had escalated ahead of the verdict, with at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles torched in recent days, though no casualties were reported.
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