🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
US offers $10 million reward for information on Iraqi armed group leader
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai, the leader of the Tehran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada KSS. Washington designates KSS as a terrorist organization, stating the group has killed Iraqi civilians and attacked US diplomatic facilities, military bases, and personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US officials indicated that individuals providing information could be eligible for relocation and a reward. Al-Saraji is a member of the Coordination Framework, the ruling Shiite alliance with a parliamentary majority. Iran-backed groups have previously targeted the US embassy in Baghdad, its diplomatic and logistics facility at Baghdad’s airport, and oil fields operated by foreign companies. This reward follows a similar offer earlier this month for the leader of Kataeb Hezbollah, another Iraqi armed group. US media reports indicate Washington has been pressuring Baghdad to counter pro-Tehran groups by suspending cash shipments and freezing funding for security programs in Iraq.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Laboratory workers in research, testing, calibration, schools, and manufacturing sectors urged the Federal and Oyo State Governments to enhance their remuneration and address the poor regulation of sachet water production in Iseyin and Oke-Ogun areas of Oyo State. This call was made during the 2026 World Laboratory Day in Iseyin, organized by Lab21 Services Limited and the Association of Analytical and Calibration Laboratory Directors. Participants attributed the rise in waterborne diseases, lead poisoning, and typhoid-related deaths to the negligence of regulatory bodies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria SON. Taslim Owonikoko, Chairman of the event and Chief Executive Officer of BEREKOTRY Ltd, emphasized the need for governments to prioritize laboratory workers' pay to curb the migration of professionals abroad, highlighting their essential role in health, manufacturing, and education. Femi Oyediran, event organizer and CEO of BEREKOTRY Ltd, called for a review of regulatory and monitoring systems for consumables, particularly sachet water, noting that current NAFDAC and SON tests for manufacturers last two years without further checks. He stressed that regular checks are crucial, as water contamination has been linked to many deadly diseases. Oyediran also advocated for improved collaboration among health sector stakeholders to strengthen global health security and ensure human, animal, env
The arraignment of actress Doris Ogala on cyberstalking charges against Pastor Chris Okafor was postponed by a Federal High Court in Lagos due to her absence. Ogala faces a four-count charge from the Federal Government, including publishing personal materials without consent, spreading false information, cyberbullying, and attempted extortion. Prosecuting counsel Tolulope Mokuola requested a bench warrant, citing Ogala's absence despite being served with a hearing notice. However, defense counsel Temiloluwa Akindayini stated that Ogala was recuperating in Abia State after surgery on April 21, 2026, and an affidavit to that effect had been filed. The prosecutor criticized the defense for not serving the affidavit or notifying them in advance, and questioned the authenticity of the medical report, noting it was not from a government hospital. Justice Akintayo Aluko acknowledged the defense's procedural lapse but denied the bench warrant, giving Ogala the benefit of the doubt due to the filed affidavit. The court directed Ogala to provide a comprehensive and verifiable medical report from a government hospital, serve it on the prosecution, and be present for her arraignment on June 9, 2026. The charges allege that between September 2024 and March 2026, Ogala published indecent images and false information about Pastor Okafor on social media, including claims of rape, ritual practices, and causing death, with intent to embarrass, damage reputation, and extort money. The fourth co
Japan is seeking to block a takeover attempt by South Korea-based private equity fund MBK Partners of Makino Milling, a key industrial machine maker, citing national security concerns. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated that the government determined it is “essential to recommend the suspension” of MBK Partners' bid to fully acquire Tokyo-based Makino Milling, described as “the world’s leading manufacturer of machine tools.” The minister noted that Makino Milling’s products are “widely used by our country’s defence equipment manufacturers,” and recognized “the risk that the investment in question can undermine our country’s security.” The recommendation was issued on Wednesday. Founded in 1937, Makino Milling provides tools for sectors including aerospace, automobile, medicine, and semiconductors. This marks reportedly only the second time a suspension edict has been issued under Japan’s foreign exchange and trade laws to prevent national security risks. MBK Partners, notified by the government that Makino Milling’s products include “sensitive goods with a particularly high potential for military use,” expressed surprise, as the takeover was slated for approval by late June. The fund has until May 1 to decide whether to comply with the suspension advisory.
Chinese startup DeepSeek has launched a new artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek-V4, featuring an ultra-long context of one million words. The company, which gained recognition last year for its cost-effective reasoning model, announced the release on WeChat and X, highlighting its "cost-effective" nature. DeepSeek-V4 is available in two versions, DeepSeek-V4-Pro and DeepSeek-V4-Flash, with the Pro version having 1.6 trillion parameters and the Flash version 284 billion parameters. The model is optimized for popular AI Agent products and, according to DeepSeek, achieves leadership in both domestic and open-source fields across agent capabilities, world knowledge, and reasoning performance. A "preview version" of the open-source model is now accessible. DeepSeek-V4-Pro is noted to significantly outperform other open-source models in world knowledge benchmarks and is only slightly behind Google's Gemini-Pro-3.1. The release comes as Meta plans staff reductions and Microsoft considers similar measures, while both invest heavily in AI. DeepSeek's previous generative AI chatbot, powered by its R1 reasoning model, challenged US dominance in the AI sector, leading to what was termed "DeepSeek shock." The company's open-source approach has led to widespread adoption of its AI tools by Chinese municipalities, healthcare institutions, and the financial sector. Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently stated that "China-made large AI models spearheaded the development of the global open-sou