CC™ VideoSpective
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Nigerian Govt names controversial cleria Ahmad Sheikh Gumi’s ally, Tukur Mamu, 8 others, 6 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators as terrorism financiers
CC™ VideoSpective
By Seun Opejobi
The Federal Government has released the full list of individuals and organizations financing terrorism in Nigeria.
The list released by the Federal Government include Tukur Mamu, a close ally of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
The list also include six Bureau De Change, BDC, operators.
Recall that information earlier released by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, said those financing terrorism include nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators.
In its report titled, ‘Identification of Persons and Organizations as of March 18, 2024’, the NFIU said the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened on March 18, 2024, during which certain individuals and entities were identified for sanction due to their ties to terrorism financing.
Subsequently, a post released on X on Monday by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Aide, Bashir Ahmad, reads: “The Federal Government has released names and BDCs funding terrorists in Nigeria. We hope that those individuals will face the necessary legal consequences for their actions.
Individuals:
1. Tukur Mamu
2. Yusuf Ghazali
3. Muhammad Sani
4. Abubakar Muhammad
5. Sallamudeen Hassan
6. Adamu Ishak
7. Hassana-Oyiza Isah
8. Abdulkareem Musa
9. Umar Abdullahi
The six BDCs and firms are:
10. West and East Africa General Trading Company Limited
11. Settings Bureau De Change Ltd
12. G. Side General Enterprises
13. Desert Exchange Ventures Limited
14. Eagle Square General Trading Company Limited
15. Alfa Exchange BDC
DAILY TRUST
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Tuesday
Monday
Fulani terror mastermind group, Miyetti Allah (MACBAN), seeks reconstruction, compensation on demolished cattle markets....
By Dennis Agbo
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has sought for the reconstruction and compensation of victims in the recently demolished cattle markets in parts of south east states.
The cattle markets located in Lokpanta of Abia state and Ugwuoba in Enugu state were recently demolished over alleged harbouring and service as criminal hideouts for suspected kidnappers marauding the south east states.
But the Miyetti Allah had since denied harbouring of criminals in their mist, stating that they had indeed in many occasions fished out criminal elements who infiltrated in their mist and handed them over to the security agencies.
In a statement, on Sunday, a chieftain of MACBAN in the South East and the immediate past Chairman of the group in the South East Zone who currently is the Director in the national body, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki said that the plight of the displaced cattle dealers in the Abia and Enugu states was very bad.
According to Siddiki the state of their members in the South East vis-à-vis the general economic hardship amidst the approaching Ramadan is too bad and needs to be looked into.
Siddiki said that while their members struggle to survive the torments of an unpalatable economic downturn like the rest of the Nigerian masses, their members in the South East are largely disturbed by the very recent tragedy of market demolitions in Lokpanta and Ugwuoba cattle markets by the governments of Abia and Enugu States, respectively.
He said: “While we recognise the need to comply with government policies, trusting that these actions are not deliberately intended to undermine our business interests, we are worried by the quantum of losses upon our people.
“We are however most optimistic that the human face in governance will compel the Governments of Abia and Enugu States to grant the victims of the demolitions adequate compensation to enable them get on in pursuit of their legitimate livelihood.
“We are eagerly looking forward to the quick construction of new market facilities to serve our people’s business cause. We are hopeful that the government of the states will carry our leadership along in matters concerning the reconstruction.
“We urge our members to stay calm, await the final government decision, and pray for peace and stability across the South East.
“It is essential for our members to be law-abiding, avoiding actions that could jeopardize peace and stability in the region. We emphasize humility and sincerity towards our hosts for sustainable coexistence.
“In conclusion, we express gratitude to the governments and leaders in Igbo land. We urge them to further support and accommodate our legitimate business activities in cattle breeding and selling without hindrance.
“Given the itinerary nature of the Igbo race and their notable successes across the globe we are very hopeful that they will continue to accommodate our people in Igbo’s cherished homeland.
“In this season of Ramadan when we deeply reflect on life and seek positive amendments, our people are enjoined to take stock of their lives and strive to adopt better ways of living that will enhance positive and rancour free interactions with whomever they meet in the course of business and life.
“We are confident that Nigeria will get better and today’s pains will be told as an unpleasant chapter of our history as a country. We plead with our political leaders to be conscientious in formulating and driving policies that affect the well-being of Nigerians.”
VANGUARD
Sunday
Saturday
Former Tesla director Larry Ellison invited Elon Musk to Hawaii to 'dry out' from drugs, report says
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert and
Elon Musk's drug use so worried his business associates and company board members that they asked him to go to rehab and even take a break from working to "dry out" from various substances, including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine, a new report from The Wall Street Journal said.
Larry Ellison, Musk's close friend, a former Tesla director, and the billionaire cofounder of Oracle, went so far as to urge Musk to travel to Hawaii during winter 2022 to pause his work and avoid drugs, the outlet reported, citing people familiar with the offer.
Ellison's proposal came amid increasing concerns among Musk's friends and associates that Musk's drug use was getting worse, some of those people told the Journal.
At a party in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles around the time of Ellison's suggestion, the report added, one person who attended the event said Musk drank ecstasy in "liquid form" from a water bottle after having his personal security clear the floor for privacy.
The Journal reported the "volume" of Musk's drug use had contributed to a culture of peer pressure among Musk's friends and board directors of his various companies that created an "expectation" for them to use drugs alongside him to maintain the social status gained by being close to the billionaire.
Musk, Ellison, and their lawyers Alex Spiro and Christopher Muzzi did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The Journal previously reported Musk, who is reportedly one of several executives in Silicon Valley to try his hand at psychedelics such as ketamine, had also indulged in LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and "magic" mushrooms.
Despite proclaiming that he doesn't "like doing illegal drugs," Musk's drug use has previously put him and his companies on notice.
After he smoked marijuana on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, NASA made SpaceX pledge in writing that the company was following federal guidelines on drug use in the workplace. The company spent $5 million in taxpayer money to properly train its employees on the rules, the Journal reported.
The billionaire also said on X that he had a prescription for ketamine, which research has suggested can be used to treat depression.
Experts previously told BI that the combination of hard drugs Musk is said to have used came with several health risks, especially at his age of 52.
Those include irregular heartbeat and incontinence, as well as psychosis if the user has bipolar disorder. In 2017, CNBC reported Musk suggested to his Twitter followers that he had the disorder.
Friday
Toxic Culture: Elon Musk's company directors are said to feel an 'expectation' to use drugs with him to avoid upsetting the billionaire
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| Elon Musk smokes weed on an episode of the Joe Rogan experience. |
Elon Musk is said to have created a culture of peer pressure among some of his friends and business associates that encourages them to use drugs with him, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal that details how board members and directors of his various companies either participate in or enable his substance use to stay close to the billionaire.
The Journal reported that at parties in recent years, Musk had been spotted taking ketamine recreationally through a nasal spray and drinking liquid ecstasy from a water bottle, citing people who witnessed the drug use or were briefed about it.
Current and former Tesla and SpaceX directors and board members— some of whom have invested tens of millions of dollars in Musk's companies or have significant stock options tied to their roles — had also used drugs with him, the Journal reported.
Sources told the Journal that the "volume" of Musk's drug use had created a culture wherein his closest business associates feared losing their wealth and social status by upsetting the billionaire if they refused to use drugs with him.
Musk, his lawyer Alex Spiro, and representatives for Tesla and SpaceX didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Following a January 6 report by The Journal that said the 52-year-old had used cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms over the years, Musk said in a post on X: "Whatever I'm doing, I should obviously keep doing it!"
After the January report, which could jeopardize Musk's security clearance as well as the billions of dollars of government contracts enjoyed by SpaceX as a defense contractor because of federal regulations on drug use, NASA said in a statement: "The agency does not have evidence of noncompliance from SpaceX on how the company addresses the drug- and alcohol-free workforce regulations."
Musk's reported drug use has been at the center of recent controversies after the Journal reported that a former director at Tesla was so concerned about Musk's drug use and unpredictable behavior that she chose not to stand for reelection to the electric-car company's board.
The Journal also reported that SpaceX executives worried Musk was on drugs during a "cringeworthy" all-hands meeting, in which the billionaire arrived nearly an hour late, rambling and slurring his words for about 15 minutes before the meeting was taken over by the spacecraft manufacturer's president.
Thursday
The ten best football (soccer) players of all time
There is no question that 'the beautiful game' has been blessed with some of the most glorious talent ever assembled in any sports, over the generations. Here are the ten best football (soccer) players of all time according to a consortium of ardent analysts and personalities in the game.
The list allows many fans of the beautiful game to offer their own opinion and suggestions on the veracity of the rankings.
1) Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pelé (Brazil) - RIP
Peak: 1958-70
2) Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina) - RIP
Peak: 1985-90
Major Achievements: 90min's Greatest Footballer of All Time, Corriere dello Sport's Best Athlete in History, 1986 FIFA World Cup, 1986 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 1985 Serie A Footballer of the Year, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA Goal of the Century, Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century, two-time South American Footballer of the Year, four-time Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year, two Scudetti, one Coppa Italia, one Copa del Rey, one UEFA Cup. The late Maradona was a football genius and took over a game like no other player did, probably not since the number one player on the list, Pelé.
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| Getty Images |
3) Zinedine Zidane - Zizzou (France and of Algerian descent)
Peak: 1997-2006
Major Achievements: 1998 Ballon d'Or, 1998, 2000 & 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2002 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, 2000/01 Serie A Footballer of the Year, UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years, L'Equipe Best French Player of All Time, 2006 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, only player to be named Player of the Year in three of the top five leagues, most goals in FIFA World Cup finals, 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2000 UEFA European Championships, one Champions League, two Scudetti, one La Liga title, one Intercontinental Cup. Zizzou should have won two FIFA World Cups and the evidence of his genius was in taking an average and aging French side to the FIFA World Cup final in 2006, while eliminating a star-studded Brazil side in the process. Zizzou never lost to Brazil when it mattered and he was 2-0 against two of arguably the best Brazillian teams of all time, the 1998 and 2006 teams with stars like Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo ("O Fenômeno"), Roberot Carlos and Cafu, just to name a few.
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| Getty Images |
4) Johan Cryuff (Netherlands aka Holland)
Peak: 1971-75
Major Achievements: 1971, 1973 & 1975 Ballon d'Or, 1974 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, three-time Dutch Footballer of the Year, two-time Dutch Sportsman of the Year, three European Cups, one La Liga title, nine Eredivisie titles, one Copa del Rey, six KNVB Cup, one Intercontinental Cup. Johan Cryuff was 'Total Football' and he was the architect of modern football, as we know it.
5) Franz Beckenbauer (Germany aka West Germany)
Peak: 1966-76
Major Achievements: 1972 & 1976 Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, 1966 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award, four-time German Footballer of the Year, 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1972 UEFA European Championships, three European Cups, five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, one Intercontinental Cup. The Der Kaiser, as he is fondly called, won the FIFA World Cup as a player and also as a manager. He is also one of only two defenders to ever win the Ballon d'Or and he infact won it TWICE!
6) Ronaldo aka "O Fenômeno" (Brazil)
Peak: 1995-2002
Major Achievements: 1997 & 2002 Ballon d'Or, 1996, 1997 & 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year, 1998 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 2002 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe, 1996/97 European Golden Shoe, 1994 & 2002 FIFA World Cup, 1997 & 1999 Copa America, two-time Pichichi winner, 1998 Serie A Footballer of the Year, two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, one KNVB Cup, one UEFA Cup, one Intercontinental Cup. Ronaldo easily could have become the greatest football player of all time, but his knees and overall lack of personal discipline, did him in. He was simply a joy to watch!
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| Getty Images |
7) Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Peak: 2002-06
Major Achievements: 2005 Ballon d'Or, 2004 & 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2005/06 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, 2004 & 2005 FIFPro World Player of the Year, one UEFA Champions League, two La Liga titles, one Scudetto. 2002 FIFA World Cup winner. Ronaldinho was one of the most gifted geniuses with the ball at his feet. He was exquisite to watch and played with so much joy that his passion seemed like par-for-the-course, even in the most energy-sapping of games. Just ask England in 2002 and they will tell you that no one 'smiled while killing you' with so much ease as Ronaldinho.
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| SportMob |
8) Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
Peak: 1956-62
Major Achievements: 1957 & 1959 Ballon d'Or, five European Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, eight La Liga titles, five-time Pichichi winner, World Team of the 20th Century, one Copa del Rey.
Alfredo Di Stéfano is considered by some to be the best player of all time, and many consider that he should be ranked above fellow Argentines Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Indelibly associated with the Real Madrid side that won 5 European Cups between 1956 and 1960, remarkably Di Stéfano did not even come to Europe until he was in his late 20s. It was during his time in Spain with Real that created his legend. In 11 seasons, in addition to the European Cup triumphs, he helped them win 8 league titles and the Copa del Rey, scoring 308 goals in 396 appearances for Los Blancos. His partnership with Ferenc Puskás became legendary, exemplified by the 1960 European Cup Final, where Di Stéfano scored a hat-trick, and the Hungarian four in the 7 – 3 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt, still spoken of, nearly 60 years later, as one of the finest games of club football ever played.
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| Football Soccer Cards |
9) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Peak: 2010-18
Major Achievements: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017 Ballon d'Or, 2008, 2016 & 2017 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2014, 2016 & 2017 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, four-time European Golden Shoe winner, two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year, UEFA Champions League all time top goal scorer, Real Madrid's all time top goal scorer, five UEFA Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, three Premier League titles, one Scudetto, two Copa del Rey, one FA Cup, one UEFA European Championship and inaugural UEFA Nations League Championship.
Peak: 2009-18; 2021-2022
Major Achievements: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 & 2021 Ballon d'Or, 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year. 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. Barcelona all time top goal scorer, La Liga all time top goal scorer, six-time Pichichi winner, Argentina's all time top goal scorer, most goals scored in a calendar year, 2011 & 2015 UEFA Men's Player of the Year, seven-time La Liga Player of the Year, 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 2005 Young European Footballer of the Year, five-time European Golden Shoe winner, four Champions Leagues, nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey.
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Wednesday
Flashback: Black lives matter; All lives matter
The horrific suffocation of George Floyd, by the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, has not only shocked and enraged the world it has once again brought the surface the degree of hatred, prejudice and wickedness inspired by race that still exist in the hearts of some human beings.
George Floyd is the latest addition to a gallery of victims of US police brutality, against black peoples: Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile and Freddie Gray, are examples of black men who have been murdered by American police.
In spite of outrage like the one we are witnessing today, black people continue to suffer prejudiced treatment in the hands of some white people and institutions in many white dominated countries.
The killing of Mr Floyd by a group of white American police men is a heinous and despicable crime which offends humanity.
I would like to say that it is not only blacks in America that are suffering the kind of injustice that led to the death of George Floyd . In Nigeria, police brutality of the type that claimed the life of George Floyd is routine and currently there is a Fulani knee on the neck of Nigerians.
On 7 and 8 June, 2005, six young Nigerians, 5 men and one woman of Igbo extraction, Ekene Isaac Mgbe, Ifeanyin Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Paulinus Ogbonna and Anthony and Augustina Arebu were murdered in cold blood by members of Nigerian police led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Danjuma Ibrahim. Mr Danjuma is still wearing the uniform of the Nigerian police.
In July 16 2019, Mr Chinedu Obi, aka ‘Zinquest’ an Igbo was arrested by the Nigerian Police for being covered in tattoos, wearing a gold chain and in possession of an expensive I-phone.The police shot him and then watched him bleed to death. These are just two examples from many.
These crimes against humanity continue to take place because the Fulani caliphate hijacked Nigeria, through a rouge constitution after the civil war.
What else can I say, when the game keeper is the poacher? What hope has the sheep, when the Shepard is a wolf? What future has Nigeria, when the Nigerian government is on the side of Fulani terrorists?
In Nigeria it is one rule for Fulanis and another for others. Fulani terrorists masquerading as cattle rearers carry AK 47 openly in Nigeria, but the police arrests others with legal gun licence because they are from other ethnic groups. The Buhari government has pursued a policy of disarming ordinary Nigerians, while aiding Fulani terrorists to arm.
Fulani terrorists are free to operate from their bases in forests, where they are supplied with Nigerian military helicopters and the world looks on.
White police officers kills one black man, thirty cities in America erupt in violence, but Fulani terrorists wipe out villages after villages in Nigeria, and the Nigerian government, press and the world keep silent. Yes, it is right to protest against evils of the type claimed the life of George Floyd, but evil has no colour. Evil is pervasive.
I am forced to as; does black life matter, only when white People kill blacks? Does black life matter when black youth kill black youth in London? Does black matter when police from Islamic north Nigeria kill Christians southerners because of who they are? Who cares about the hundreds being killed daily in Nigeria by Fulani terrorists? Are they not black lives?
What can I say. Nigerians cry on. Maybe, one day, Nigerians will wake up from magical thinking and realise that people create their own heaven or hell and no people can progress, unless they take control and commit to change, evil will win.
I suppose Black people should also fight against tribalism, toxic ethnic nationalism, corruption, religious intolerance and terrorism. This is the way to demonstrate that indeed, Black livers matter.
The white knee on the neck of black George Floyd black neck made it impossible for him to breathe and he died while the other police men and many others stood by.
In a time like this, it is easy to forget who is a racist. A racist is not only a white police Officer with his knee on the neck of a black man.
It is any human being who restricts his goodness, justice and love to people of his race, religion, nationality and or ethnicity.
It is a person, who narrowly defines his goodness and finds good reasons to exclude others from it.
Whenever a human being finds good reason to do to others, what he or she would not want others to do him, members of his family and or ethnic and religious group, that individual is a racist, who has a suffocating knee on the neck of his victim.
A racist is a person who opposes a relationship because of tribal or ethnic and or religious differences.
A racist is a person who refuses to employ another on the basis of ethnicity, gender or religion.
A racist is a human being who discriminates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation.
A racist is a prejudiced human being eaten up by hatred of those, who are different.
How does a man with a knee on his neck get up? While his knee was on my neck you passed by.
While his knee was on my neck, you looked away. While his knee was on my neck, you called me a criminal and a "nigger." While his knee was on my neck, what did you do? Indeed, all lives matter.
All lives matter. The colour of evil is not white. There are evil black and white peoples.
Every week in London, a black youth kills another black youth. White people spearheaded the abolition of slavery and many black peoples were involved in the slave trade. They sold blacks to whites as slaves. I have experienced evil from both whites and blacks. Evil has no colour.
It is important not to judge a race by the actions of a few people from the race. In the final analysis we are all belong to the human race and are individuals who are responsible for our actions.
If we are prepared to ascribe the evil of one individual to his race, we should also be ready to ascribe the goodness of another individual to his race.
We need to see people as individuals before the colour of their skin. We need to dig deeper. All lives matter do matter.
Freedom only comes when men reject the status quo and take control.
People overcome tyranny when they rise up to oppose evil and wrong, whenever they see it, no matter who is the victim.
It is time to demonstrate that Nigerian lives matter. It is time to end Fulani terrorism and police and, military brutality in Nigeria.
All lives matter. No one should have his knee on the neck of anther human being. End racism and ethnic nationalism, and terrorism. Embrace equality under the law and justice as fairness for all. All lives matter.
Tuesday
Monday
Saturday
A troubling trend that has gone unchecked for ages: Nigeria lecturer suspended after being exposed in 'sex-for-grades' film
CC™ Eye on Africa
The University of Lagos has suspended a lecturer (also said to be a Lead Pastor of the local Foursquare Church) who was caught on film propositioning and sexually harassing an undercover BBC reporter.
The church has reportedly condemned the actions of Boniface Igbeneghu and suspended hm from all ministerial/pastorial duties.
Ironically, the church (Foursquare Church) he serves as a flock leader is a global church that was founded by an American woman, Aimee Semple McPherson.
The University of Lagos has suspended a lecturer (also said to be a Lead Pastor of the local Foursquare Church) who was caught on film propositioning and sexually harassing an undercover BBC reporter.
The church has reportedly condemned the actions of Boniface Igbeneghu and suspended hm from all ministerial/pastorial duties.
Ironically, the church (Foursquare Church) he serves as a flock leader is a global church that was founded by an American woman, Aimee Semple McPherson.
He was one of several academics secretly filmed as part of a year-long investigation by the BBC show that focuses on Africa.
The film, which has sparked widespread social media comment, explored alleged sexual harassment by members of staff at two top West African universities, the University of Lagos (Nigeria) and the University of Ghana (Ghana).
A number of high-profile figures, including celebrities and politicians, have joined in the conversation about the issues it raised.
The report also saw students, some with their identities hidden, making allegations about their own experiences with professors.
Dr Igbeneghu has made no comment.
Friday
Putin warns West it is leading the world towards a potential nuclear confrontation
CC™ Headline News
President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday of a “real” risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine, offering a defiant and emboldened stance in his annual speech to Russians.
Speaking in Moscow, Putin said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of “tragic consequences” for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv.
They have announced the possibility of sending Western military contingents to Ukraine… The consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic,” he said in his address to the nation.
“They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation,” said Putin.
His comments appeared to be a response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal earlier this week to rule out sending troops to Ukraine — a stance that drew swift rejection from other leaders in Europe.
Nevertheless, the debate has struck a nerve in Moscow, which has long seen its conflict with Ukraine as part of a wider “hybrid war” being waged against it by NATO.
Western leaders have repeatedly criticised Putin for what they see as his reckless use of nuclear rhetoric.
After pulling Russia out of arms control treaties with the United States and previously warning he was “not bluffing” when he said he was ready to use nuclear weapons, Putin had appeared in recent months to dial down his nuclear threats.
But the fresh warning comes with the Kremlin buoyed by recent gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also an economy that has largely defied sanctions and ahead of an election certain to extend Putin’s term in the Kremlin until 2030.
- Russian forces ‘advancing’ -
The current state of affairs marks a sharp reversal in fortunes for Moscow over the last 12 months.
Last year at this time, Russian troops were reeling from Ukrainian counteroffensives that pushed them back in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
But after a Ukrainian campaign in the summer of 2023 failed to bring similar results, Kyiv is back on the defensive.
The initially strong Western support for Ukraine also appears to be fraying, with a $60-billion US aid package stalled in Congress.
Outgunning Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, Putin’s troops seized the eastern stronghold of Avdiivka and are attempting to build on their advances.
Putin on Thursday pointed to recent successes.
“The combat capacity of our armed forces has increased many times over,” he said.
“They are advancing confidently in a number of areas,” he added, without providing details.
Flanked by Russian tricolour flags and standing alone on stage at the Gostiny Dvor Palace near Moscow’s Red Square, the Russian leader reeled off his country’s arsenal of advanced weapons, including the Zircon and Kinzhal supersonic missiles.
But he slammed reports Russia was preparing to deploy a nuclear weapon in space as a “ploy” by Washington to draw Moscow into arms control talks “on their terms”.
- Election campaign -
Putin also touted Russia’s strong economic performance at home and outlined a number of small-scale domestic reforms as part of his pitch to Russians ahead of next month’s presidential election.
His speech was broadcast not only on state television but also on large digital screens and free of charge in cinemas across the country.
On the economic front, he said Russia was faring better than many expected.
Massive investment in military production, as well as high salaries and benefits for soldiers, has largely shielded the economy from the worst consequences of Western sanctions.
There is little doubt on the outcome of the March 15-17 vote, with all genuine opposition candidates barred from standing and the Kremlin’s most vocal critic Alexei Navalny now dead.
But Putin has still been campaigning, traveling around the country and making numerous media appearances since the start of the year, including recently flying a Russian bomber.
The 71-year-old former KGB officer, in power since the final day of 1999, is the longest serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin — a record he is set to pass during his next six-year term.
Even before Putin ordered forces into Ukraine in February 2022, he had increasingly portrayed himself as a defender of Russian values against a decadent, liberal and expansionist West.
He has used the military campaign to escalate a crackdown on domestic opponents, with hundreds prosecuted for criticising the Kremlin and its military offensive.
The speech came on the eve of a planned funeral for Putin’s top opponent Navalny, who died in prison on 16 February in unclear circumstances.
Putin, who famously never referred to the opposition leader by name, has remained silent on Navalny’s shock death that prompted outrage at home and abroad.
AFP
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