Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Zelensky to meet in London Sunday to discuss pressure on Russia
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Sunday. The leaders will discuss putting pressure on Russia, which the French presidency described as being in a state of military, economic, and strategic failure. The meeting, scheduled to begin around 1730 GMT at Downing Street, will also review efforts towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe. This comes as Ukraine has recaptured more territory than it lost to Russian forces for the second consecutive month. Russia's offensive has led to economic challenges including rising prices, tax hikes, high borrowing costs, business shutdowns, and labor shortages. Zelensky recently proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and expressed readiness for a full ceasefire. Putin, however, rejected claims of Russia's economic collapse, stating the economy is at a similar level to Eurozone countries experiencing growth.
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Abia State Governor Alex Otti has announced his intention to support the education of Michael Offorkaile, an Abia-born student who scored 367 in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, placing him fifth nationally. Governor Otti congratulated Offorkaile, his parents, and the management of Grundtvig International Secondary School during a reception at his office. He stated that the state government values such achievements and vowed to support Offorkaile's future academic pursuits. The Governor directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to finalize the details of the support and instructed the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Dodoh Okafor, to coordinate with the family. Otti emphasized that the state would continue to celebrate excellence and expects Offorkaile to achieve further success. The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Emeh Uche, mentioned that the Governor had requested her to find and bring the student for recognition. The Principal of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Mr. Ige Bello, and Offorkaile's father, Mr. Odinaka Offorkaile, expressed that they were not surprised by his performance due to his consistent academic excellence and thanked the Governor for the recognition. Michael Offorkaile thanked Governor Otti for the support and recognition, praising his leadership and committing to continue performing well and inspiring others.
Must ReadHeads of State of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS have signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline AAGP at the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This agreement provides sovereign backing for the project, which aims to connect Nigeria鈥檚 gas resources with markets across West Africa, the Sahel, Morocco, and Europe. The AAGP, jointly promoted by NNPC Limited and Morocco鈥檚 Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ONHYM, is planned to span nearly 6,900 kilometers along the West African Atlantic coast. It is expected to transport 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, supporting electricity generation, improving energy access, and driving industrialization. The project will also create an energy corridor linking the West African coast to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline. The agreement follows approval at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja in December 2024 and a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Morocco. The next steps include signing by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, followed by the establishment of the Pipeline Higher Authority in Abuja and the AAGP Project Company in Casablanca to oversee implementation. Significant preparatory work, including Front-End Engineering Design studies and environmental assessments, has already been completed. The project, initiated under the shared vision of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and
Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin retd., a former Chief of Defence Staff, has praised the Department of State Services DSS for its strategic role in the recent release of 46 teachers and pupils abducted in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Petinrin stated that while other security agencies received public recognition, the DSS's intelligence efforts, which he described as crucial, largely went unnoticed. He explained that the abductees were released by their captors after the DSS identified and traced the kidnappers' relatives, whose videos were then sent to the kidnappers. Petinrin commended the DSS for maintaining professionalism and silence despite not being publicly acknowledged for its contribution. He emphasized the importance of intelligence gathering as the foundation of successful military operations. He also praised President Bola Tinubu, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi for their restraint in handling the operation, noting that their decision to avoid immediate military action prevented potential casualties. Suspected members of Jama鈥檃tu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, known as Ansaru, attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, killing a teacher and abducting pupils and teachers. The victims were released after several weeks in captivity.