USA

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 military personnel deployed to Nigeria earlier this year as part of efforts to combat Islamist militants, according to a report by The New York Times.

The report said American and Nigerian officials considered the deployment relatively small but credited it with producing significant results against militant groups.

Most of the troops are expected to leave Nigeria by the end of September. However, small teams of US military trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in the country, according to the report published on Thursday.

US officials reportedly described the Nigerian deployment as a potential model for future American counterterrorism operations across Africa.

The planned withdrawal follows a May military operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, in the Lake Chad Basin.

Last month, Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the United States had already withdrawn a significant number of its troops from Nigeria after the operation.

According to Anderson, the operation dealt a major blow to ISIS leadership in Nigeria and beyond.

He also said Nigeria had been “very active” since the May operation and was working to prevent terrorist groups from sustaining themselves.

Despite the reduction in troop numbers, Anderson said the US would maintain its intelligence-sharing partnership with Nigeria.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America”, in a move that has added a new dimension to the growing tensions between the United States and Canada.

Trump announced the change on Thursday after signing the order at the Oval Office.

“This is official, effective immediately,” Trump said.

The president also said he had completed the required procedures for the renaming.

Trump said he had “filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else” for the name change and “notified all of the various people that we have to notify”.

Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes. It lies along the Canada-US border, with the Canadian province of Ontario located to its north and New York State in the United States to its south.

The other Great Lakes are Huron, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Together, the five freshwater bodies contain about one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater.

The lake has been known as Lake Ontario for centuries. Its first known appearance under that name on a map dates to 1656, although historians believe the name was already in local use before then.

Trump’s executive order justified the new name on the grounds that most of the lake’s volume lies within US territory.

The order stated that “the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume” and that the lake has “long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense”.

However, it remains unclear whether the name change will be recognised outside the United States because geographical names are not governed by a single international authority.

Canada Rejects New Name

Canada has already indicated that it will continue to use the traditional name.

Earlier in the week, before Trump signed the order, Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said: “We’ll always call it Lake Ontario”.

Lake Ontario was formed after the last Ice Age from the earlier Lake Iroquois about 11,400 years ago.

By the mid-18th century, before the American Revolution and the eventual establishment of Canada and the United States, Lake Ontario had become the established name.

The name “Ontario” is believed to have Iroquoian origins. The Canadian Encyclopaedia says it may mean “beautiful lake” or “sparkling water”, while some historians interpret it as “vast body of water”.

French missionary records from around 1641 also referred to the body of water as Lake Ontario. The Canadian province of Ontario later adopted the name when it was created at Confederation in 1867.

Trump Links Move To Previous Renaming

The decision follows Trump’s earlier attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.

Trump referred to the two renaming decisions while speaking about Lake Ontario.

“We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean so maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific,” Trump said, referring to the bodies of water on either side of the US coastline.

The latest move comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Ottawa after trade negotiations between the two countries broke down late Friday.

The United States subsequently imposed 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian exports, further straining relations between the neighbouring countries.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Iran has warned countries against supporting or joining US sanctions, with a senior security official saying Tehran will regard any state that participates as an enemy.

Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said countries that join the US pressure campaign against Tehran should expect retaliation against their interests.

The warning comes as Iran faces increasing economic and military pressure from the United States.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country is “in a full-scale economic, military and security war”, while accusing Washington of wrongly predicting that Iran would eventually become another Venezuela.

The latest warning from Tehran also comes amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route.

US President Donald Trump reposted a map on his Truth Social account that labelled the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW US Territory”.

Trump shared the map a day after he told supporters at a rally that he regarded the strategic waterway as “American territory”.

The development has added to concerns over the future of the strait, which is a crucial route for international oil shipments.

Meanwhile, tensions have also risen in neighbouring Syria after an Israeli drone strike hit a truck in the village of Beit Jinn in southwestern Syria.

Several civilians were injured in the attack, according to Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

The latest developments come as regional tensions remain high, with Iran’s warnings against countries that support US sanctions adding another layer to the confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

United States President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Oman if the country obstructs Washington’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump issued the warning on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst. He was referring to ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran over arrangements for navigation through the strategic waterway.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst.

The threat came as Omani and Iranian officials continued discussions on the future of maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that both countries were working towards a joint declaration.

Trump has maintained that the strategic waterway is under American control, despite the continued reduction in maritime traffic since Tehran effectively closed the strait at the beginning of the Middle East war on February 28.

The US President had also said on Friday that he could declare the Strait of Hormuz part of United States territory. Iran rejected the position and insisted that the strategic waterway it has blockaded “will remain Iranian.”

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an international waterway. The route is vital to global trade because large quantities of energy products and other commodities pass through it.

Iran has used its control over the waterway as a bargaining tool amid US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and compel Tehran to abandon its disputed nuclear programme.

Iran occupies the northern coastline of the Strait of Hormuz, while Oman is located along its southern side.

Trump also called on Iran to surrender, according to Yingst’s account of the interview.

Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender,” Trump said.

The US President said he was not under pressure to conclude an agreement with Tehran, despite growing opposition to the war in the United States ahead of the November midterm elections.

The elections could see opposition Democrats seek control of Congress from Trump’s Republican Party.

Trump also disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” he was quoted as saying.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The United States government says it has revoked more than 175,000 visas issued to foreign nationals under President Donald Trump’s administration over alleged criminal activities, violations of visa conditions and security concerns.

The US Department of State disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, explaining that most of the cancellations followed encounters with law enforcement agencies.

According to the department, the major reasons included assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug-related offences.

It said other visas were cancelled over “reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse, fraud, embezzlement and other crimes”.

The department said the action formed part of its continuous screening of visa holders to determine whether they were complying with immigration conditions and whether they posed risks to Americans.

Some of the affected individuals, it said, had faced serious criminal allegations, including “felony rape and sexual battery, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, child sexual abuse offences and domestic violence”.

The department also disclosed that a US embassy in North Africa cancelled more than 100 visas issued to parents accused of engaging in “birth tourism”. The practice involves travelling to the US mainly to give birth so that children can acquire US citizenship.

Other cases cited by the department included a foreign national who was arrested for allegedly driving with heroin while having a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit.

The US government also reported cases involving alleged financial crimes and fraud.

One foreign national who reportedly claimed to operate a legitimate business that assisted vulnerable patients with healthcare was accused of helping to organise a Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $5 million in fraudulent claims.

Another individual was accused of falsifying company revenue and forging letters to mislead investors and fraudulently secure a US visa, according to the department.

The State Department also cited visa revocations involving foreign nationals accused of celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It said some of the individuals had made statements that appeared to support or celebrate his death.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also determined that several foreign nationals are deportable on foreign policy grounds, the department said.

Among the cases were a Cuban national allegedly linked to an influence operation associated with Cuba’s communist government and Iranian nationals accused of having connections to the Iranian government.

The department also listed a Laotian child sex offender who had been pardoned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and a Kuwaiti national accused of expressing a desire to attack the US president and describing Americans as his “enemy”.

The State Department said it would continue to investigate foreign nationals who it considers threats to public safety and cancel their visas where necessary.

“A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” the department said, adding that it would use available measures to protect American communities from individuals who abuse the immigration system.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Iran has dismissed United States President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran asked Washington to refrain from launching fresh military strikes, describing the allegation as false.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, which cited military officials, Trump’s statement “was nothing but a new lie.” The officials also said the country’s armed forces were “on high alert and ready for any eventuality.”

Trump had stated on Saturday that the United States was “ready to go against the Islamic Republic.” He also claimed that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had urged him not to carry out additional attacks. He added that he agreed to delay any fresh military action on the condition that a deal could be reached with Tehran.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “This would include the Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted a source close to the country’s negotiating team as saying “as long as the United States maintains its hostile actions, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.”

Iran has maintained restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began. Ships are now required to obtain permission and pay transit fees before passing through the strategic waterway.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Senior Iranian officials have accused the United States of issuing public military threats while privately seeking negotiations, amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

Hassan Ghashghavi, a senior Iranian lawmaker and spokesman for the Parliament’s Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy, said Tehran would retain control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz regardless of developments in the conflict. His remarks came before US President Donald Trump reportedly cancelled planned military strikes.

“In the media, they speak of escalation, while through existing channels they demand negotiations,” Ghashghavi said. “They cannot deceive the Islamic Republic of Iran. Whether by escalating or by negotiating, Iranian arrangement for passage through the SoH [Strait of Hormuz] is the only option on the table.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes because a significant share of global oil shipments passes through it.

Meanwhile, Majidreza Hariri, President of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, argued that Washington would not risk attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“They don’t have the courage to carry it out because Iran’s resilience is far greater than that of the countries in the region against the destruction of infrastructure,” Hariri said in a post on X.

Reports indicate that Iran operates one of the world’s most decentralised electricity networks, with about 150 power plants spread across the country. Analysts say the wide distribution of the facilities makes it more difficult for an aerial attack to trigger a nationwide power outage.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

US President Donald Trump has announced that he has cancelled planned military strikes against Iran, saying the decision depends on the swift conclusion of an agreement.

In a statement, Trump said he called off the attacks “subject to being able to rapidly make a deal”.

He also claimed that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had urged him to suspend the planned operation because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to”, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s announcement followed fresh warnings from Iran over the possibility of military action.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in separate telephone conversations that any “aggression” by the United States and Israel would be met with a “decisive ⁠and proportionate response”.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Gaza continued as Israeli forces reportedly killed at least eight Palestinians across the territory.

Reports also said Israeli attacks destroyed a medical warehouse in Deir el-Balah. The strike left a crater measuring about 20 metres (66 feet) wide and 10 metres (33 feet) deep.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Several people have been killed and others injured after a gunman opened fire at a fast-food restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, authorities said.

Police confirmed that the suspected attacker was among those who died during the incident.

Law enforcement officials also said they believe there is no longer any threat to the community, indicating that the situation has been brought under control.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims or disclosed the motive behind the attack. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Global oil prices declined sharply on Monday after the United States and Iran reportedly paused military attacks, easing concerns over supply disruptions that had pushed crude prices higher in recent weeks.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell by 6.76 per cent to $90.24 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also recorded a 6.04 per cent decline, settling at $83.92 per barrel.

The drop followed reports that both countries had agreed to halt attacks over the weekend after nearly two weeks of hostilities.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said President Donald Trump had decided to suspend US military action against Iran to create room for diplomatic engagement.

“He’s giving talks some space, he’s ⁠giving it a little bit of room,” Waltz said.

Reuters also reported that a senior Iranian official confirmed Tehran would stop its attacks as long as the United States maintains the ceasefire.

The latest decline comes days after Brent crude climbed to $100 per barrel on July 23 following reports of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

The earlier surge in crude prices triggered fresh increases in petrol prices across Nigeria.

On July 23, Dangote Petroleum Refinery raised its ex-gantry price of petrol from ₦1,075 per litre to ₦1,215 per litre. The refinery also resumed the sale of petrol in naira.

Earlier, on July 16, fuel importers had proposed an increase in the depot price of petrol from ₦1,230 per litre to ₦1,350 per litre.