Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has presented a total budget estimate of ₦914,863,422,871 for the 2026 fiscal year to the Plateau State House of Assembly.
While presenting the appropriation bill before the House on Wednesday, he urged the lawmakers to support the government’s drive toward sustained peace, unity, and inclusive development.
READ ALSO: Mutfwang Reaffirms Support For State Police, To Recruit 1,450 Security Personnel
Mutfwang expressed appreciation to the Speaker,Gabriel Dewan, and other members of the assembly for their cooperation and legislative backing in delivering impactful governance across the state.
“In service to our people, I salute your courage, forthrightness, and resilience. It is my earnest hope that the unity and collaboration demonstrated by the executive, legislature, and judiciary in building a peaceful and prosperous Plateau will continue to bear lasting fruit,” the governor stated.
He explained that the 2026 budget, tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Shared Prosperity,” was designed to consolidate ongoing reforms, strengthen peacebuilding initiatives, and drive economic transformation through prudent resource management and infrastructure expansion.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang urged the lawmakers to support the government’s drive toward sustained peace, unity, and inclusive development.
According to him, the proposed budget comprises ₦384,521,877,420 for recurrent expenditure and ₦530,341,545,451 for capital expenditure, representing the administration’s commitment to prioritising development projects that directly impact the lives of citizens.
He added that the focus areas for 2026 include security stabilisation, agricultural revitalisation, education, healthcare improvement, youth empowerment, infrastructure rehabilitation, and economic diversification.
Governor Mutfwang reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability in the implementation of the budget to achieve tangible results.
“Our administration remains committed to using every kobo of public funds to improve the welfare of our people. We will continue to work with all arms of government to restore Plateau’s glory as the Home of Peace and Tourism,” he said.
The governor further noted that the presentation fulfills the provisions of Section 121 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which mandates state governors to lay the annual budget before their respective legislatures.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not been able to verify Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium since Israel and the United States struck the country’s nuclear sites back in June, according to a new report.
The watchdog circulated a confidential report to member states, claiming it had been unable to carry out “long overdue” inspections of seven of the sites targeted in the so-called 12-day war, including major facilities Fordo and Natanz.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The report, seen by several news agencies, said the watchdog needed to verify “inventories of previously declared nuclear material” to settle concerns over “the possible diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful use”.
While the report criticised Iran’s lack of cooperation, it did say that IAEA inspectors would be visiting the country on Wednesday to conduct inspections at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre site, located some 350km (215 miles) southeast of Tehran
During the war, Israel struck buildings at the Isfahan site, among them a uranium conversion facility. The US also struck Isfahan with missiles.
Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA after the war with Israel, but went on to reach an agreement in Cairo at the beginning of September to resume inspections.
But later that same month, the United Nations reimposed crushing sanctions on Iran, drawing an angry response from Tehran and leading the country to halt implementation of the Cairo agreement.
In August, European powers had reimposed the UN sanctions after Iran failed to enter into direct talks with the US and clarify the status of its near weapons-grade uranium stockpile.
‘A matter of serious concern’
The US and Israel claimed they attacked Iran because it was getting too close to being able to produce a nuclear weapon.
Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful, and the IAEA has said it has no credible indication of a coordinated weapons programme there.
Ever since the 12-day war, the agency has been calling on Iran to say what happened to its stock, which is enriched to up to 60 percent purity, a short step from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.
Iran’s near-bomb-grade uranium stockpile was “a matter of serious concern”, said the report. In theory, the stockpile would be enough to produce about 10 nuclear bombs.
While some enriched uranium will have been destroyed in the attacks, diplomats say much of the stock was likely stored at a deeply buried facility at Isfahan where the entrance tunnels were hit, but damage appears limited.
The Repair Shop star Dominic Chinea has opened up about his busy life as he juggles filming the BBC show with a new TV series, all while taking on a tough personal project
View 3 Images
Dominic Chinea has talked about how he is facing ‘chaos’ in his life(Image: (Image: BBC))
The Repair Shop’s Dominic Chinea has confessed his working life has descended into chaos due to the sheer volume of projects on his plate. The celebrated craftsman made the revelation in a video on his YouTube channel, where he’s documenting his ambitious journey to construct a racing car powered by a World War One aircraft engine.
At the beginning of the clip, The Repair Shop favourite acknowledged that much of the mayhem stems from filming a fresh television series for UKTV, which has left him unable to reveal certain details.
He said: “As you can see behind me there’s been a lot of progress with the workshop. And you know what I’m going to say, you’re going to have to wait for the TV show, UK TV, to see a lot of that stuff.
“But I’m still very much working in chaos, the TV show is coming to an end which means I’ve got a tiny bit more time to spend here working on my own projects and actually getting stuck into stuff.”
This marks not the first occasion Dominic has discussed his latest television venture. Earlier this year, he shared details about the programme on his YouTube platform.
He said: “The reason for getting that – which is secret information, so keep it between yourselves – is that I’m working on a new TV show. I’m really excited about it.
“It’s an awesome project and we’re just getting started on it, and it’s so exciting already. It’s going really well. I can’t wait to be able to share more with you – and we’re going to be driving around in a Defender, if I can get it fixed.”
Dominic, a beloved member of The Repair Shop team since 2017, has consistently impressed fans with his knowledge, skill, and passion for cars. He recently surprised fans by purchasing a new vehicle, revealing: “Some of you may have seen in last week’s video that I’ve gone and got myself a new (Land Rover) Defender.
“It is a TD5 2000, I think 2001, long 110 long bed pickup. It’s in the workshop on axle stands with the bonnet open because it’s broken. I was not expecting it to be a project.”
Dominic’s latest venture comes after his life-altering decision to relocate from Kent to Cornwall.
Article continues below
He shared: “It is completely life-changing. It really is. I’m never moving again. It was stressful, but it’s like having that workshop and having that at home has been a dream for so long.
“And I’m very, very fortunate, very grateful that I’ve actually been able to do it, but it doesn’t come easy. It has been a lot of work, a huge amount of work, and as I say, it is still very much derelict. I’m still shovelling cow poo out where all my tools are.
As new research reveals that women’s athletic footwear doesn’t meet the needs of female feet, meet the husband and wife team transforming trainers
View 4 Images
QLVR Running Slippers, a trainer that is designed at every stage specifically for women.(Image: PR HANDOUT)
It might seem that women are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing trainers, whether they’re buying a pair of fashion ‘sneakers’ in any possible colour from hot pink to leopard print or investing in technical shoes promising to boost performance.
But according to new research, this array of supposedly beneficial footwear isn’t aimed at the fairer sex at all – they’re simply men’s trainers that have been reduced in size.
The result is that women are not only at greater risk of discomfort, but they are also more likely to be injured and suffer from painful conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
In the paper, recently published in BMJ Journals’ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, Canadian researchers noted that “billions of dollars have been invested by the footwear industry over the last 50 years to incorporate technology aiming to prevent injury, maximise comfort and improve performance in running.”
However, the team led by Simon Fraser University in Canada continued, “research conducted by industry and academic communities to inform running footwear development has predominantly been designed for and tested on males or men.”
The paper explains that running shoes are designed by creating a “last”, which is a three-dimensional foot-shaped mould based on male foot anatomy. This is then scaled for the full range of sizes for men and women.
“Beyond making the shoes smaller and changing the colour – a process known as ‘shrink it and pink it’ – often only minimal modifications are made to create women’s shoes,” the researchers state. The academics concluded that, “women runners have distinct and evolving footwear needs that are currently unmet by the running footwear industry.”
While this may come as a shock to many women – and even sparked a lively discussion on ITV’s This Morning it’s old news to husband and-wife team Nicolle and Martin Dean from St Albans, Hertfordshire, who spent five years developing an athletic shoe specifically designed for women’s feet and anatomy.
In September they launched QLVR Running Slippers, a trainer that is engineered at every stage specifically for women. They were driven by the thought, “what if women’s athletic shoes were actually designed for women’s feet?” “For too long, the athletic footwear industry has been treating women’s feet as shrunk down versions of men’s even though the biomechanics and shape are very different,” says Nicolle, 52. “Poorly fitting trainers can lead to injuries. Anatomically, women have a wider hip-to-knee angle, which can be a factor in ligament strain, along with hormonal changes, which is why specific stability and alignment is essential when engineering a shoe for women’s running and training.”
Martin, a fourth-generation shoemaker, and Nicolle – parents of two teenage girls – saw how women were being sidelined by the industry. “The standard approach was ‘shrink it and pink it’. It’s cheaper to share moulds, lasts and cutting dies across genders. We decided women deserved better than wearing small men’s shoes.
“But the real revelation was proving that women’s feet aren’t just smaller versions of men’s feet. Higher arches, wider toe boxes, narrower heels – we engineered for the real shape, not the convenient one.”
It took the Deans five years to research their groundbreaking Running Slipper, £165, during which time they raised £100,000 in a Kickstarter campaign.
Their design is made from female-specific lasts. They’ve also jettisoned shoelaces for a patented “Wing Fit” system, inspired by the movement of birds’ wings, which makes the trainers flexible enough to slip on but then provide support over the whole shoe – not just at the bridge of the foot where the laces have been tightened.
Nicolle says: ‘When you step into our QLVR Running Slipper, your foot is instantly locked in as the heel area wraps around the foot for support and stability, holding the foot in correct alignment while allowing natural flex and motion.”
Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes is already a fan, crediting QLVR trainers with helping her come back from injury, and Davina McCall has also been seen wearing hers.
Meanwhile, in elite women’s sport, things are changing, with Adidas releasing the F50 Sparkfusion, their first football boot designed specifically for the female anatomy, as well as the RS15 Avaglide, its first female-first rugby boot, in June. “We are challenging the industry and revolutionising athletic footwear through women-first design and laceless technology,” Nicolle says. “There’s no bigger compliment than seeing women putting them to work and benefitting from our unique design.”
Five signs your trainers don’t fit properly:
Nicolle Dean shares the clues that your footwear isn’t right for you:
SLIDING IN THE SHOE If your foot is sliding back and forth inside the shoe, it’s not holding correctly at the heel. Your foot should be held snugly at the back and midfoot.
BLISTERS No, blisters aren’t just a fact of life. Rubbing and discomfort caused by ‘heel slip’ shows that the heel area is loose and the back of your foot is not being supported. Blisters are common for women runners as their heels are narrower than men’s.
BASHED-UP TOES Do you have runner’s toe? These bruised toenails aren’t a badge of honour – they’re a sign that your toes are banging the front of the shoe. Your foot should be held securely in position.
NUMBNESS OR TINGLING Have you ever noticed that your toes start to tingle or feel numb when you run? This is because they’re being pinched, often because the men’s trainer shape is too narrow in the toebox.
The Senate has resolved to investigate the ongoing delineation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State, following concerns of alleged marginalisation and irregularities raised in a petition before the upper chamber on Wednesday.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong (Plateau South), titled ‘Urgent Need for Intervention to Prevent Imminent Political Crisis Over the INEC Delineation Exercise in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State.’
In his lead debate, Lalong said the motion was informed by a petition from the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, forwarded to the Senate committee on electoral matters, alleging unjust treatment and marginalisation of the Itsekiri people in the recent INEC ward delineation exercise.
According to him, the petitioners claimed that while two communities, Gbaramatu and Oporoza, which previously had one ward each, were increased to eight out of the nineteen wards created in Warri South-West Local Government Area, the Itsekiri community, which earlier had six wards, was reduced to five.
The development, he stated, had triggered tension and accusations of bias.
Lalong added that the petitioners further alleged that the INEC report of April 4, 2025, did not accurately reflect the realities on the ground across the three local government areas that make up Warri Federal Constituency.
He noted that the report had also drawn objections from sections of the Ijaw community of Ogbe-Ijo and some Urhobo groups, who cited inconsistencies and errors in the delineation exercise.
He underscored that INEC’s constitutional mandate, as outlined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), focuses on ensuring credible elections and does not extend to engaging in ethnic profiling or altering local demographic balances.
READ ALSO: Warri Constituency Leaders Protest At INEC HQ, Seek Stoppage Of Voter Registration
The petitioners also claimed that some of the geographical coordinates used in INEC’s delineation mapped communities outside Delta State, allegedly placing them within Edo and Ondo states, prompting the Ijaw groups to describe the entire process as fraudulent.
However, tension flared during the debate when Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas (Delta South) objected to the discussion, arguing that the matter was already before a court and therefore subjudice.
He maintained that the Senate should not deliberate on an issue pending judicial determination.
In response, Lalong retorted that the motion stemmed from a referral from the Presidential Villa, sparking a heated exchange between both lawmakers.
The Senate President also intervened, concurring that the matter could be subjudice, proposing that it be referred to relevant committees for careful examination.
The Senate subsequently resolved to refer the motion to the committees on judiciary, human rights and legal matters, as well as electoralmatters.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup strategy has put lifelong friends Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers on a collision course going into next summer’s showpiece.
Any rivalry between the gifted pair would be in a purely footballing context – they were born five miles apart in the Midlands and share close bonds stretching back to their days in junior football.
Real Madrid superstar Bellingham posted photographs of them playing for England’s junior teams, after Rogers made his debut in the 3-0 win away to Greece a year ago, with the words: “Congrats brother. Come a long way.”
And Aston Villa’s 23-year-old Rogers referred to Bellingham as his “little big brother” after making his first Wembley appearance for England against the Republic of Ireland three days later.
The friendship, going back to school days – playing both as team-mates and opponents at junior level – must be put to one side after Tuchel made it clear he will not have room for both of them in his starting line-up.
Rogers is the player in possession – performing impressively while Bellingham has been on the margins – first after shoulder surgery, then when Tuchel decided not to include him in his squad for the friendly against Wales and the 5-0 win in Latvia that confirmed World Cup qualification.
Phil Foden’s brilliant start to the season with Manchester City, returning to his best after a disappointing campaign last time out, means he must also be factored into an equation which equals healthy competition for England’s number 10 role.
When asked by BBC Sport’s Alex Howell whether the pair could play in the same team, Tuchel appeared to pour cold water on the notion.
“Rather than finding the best players a position to just have them on the field, it’s maybe better to put everyone in their best position and have a competition. At the moment, the competition is between the two of them,” he said.
He added: “They are friends so it can also be a friendly competition. They don’t have to be enemies. They don’t have to hate each other. They are respectful. They are friends with each other and they fight at the moment for the same position.
“Can they play together? Yes, but in a different structure and at the moment it’s not the moment to change our structure.”
England
Would Tuchel really leave Bellingham out?
Rogers has featured in all eight games and played 460 minutes under Tuchel – making five starts, scoring one goal and registering one assist. Bellingham has made three starts under the German, totalling 265 minutes – including an appearance as substitute – but has yet to get on the scoresheet.
Bellingham missed two international games with a shoulder injury and – along with Foden – was left out of last month’s squad.
The smart money remains on Bellingham’s experience with England and Real Madrid winning Tuchel’s selection battle in the summer, but the head coach has already made it clear reputations count for nothing. Performance is what matters.
Rogers has shown he can flourish in Tuchel’s England team structure, as well as add flourishes, while Bellingham has proved he can produce moments of game-changing brilliance for club and country – a priceless asset at a major tournament.
It now depends, not only on performances, but on whether Tuchel wants that structured team, or whether he goes for the moments of magic he knows Bellingham can provide.
While Bellingham’s return to the England fold felt inevitable, his place in the starting line-up is less so. But would a player of his quality really be left out?
Tuchel is clearly crystallising his final plans, but Rogers’ recent inclusion is more than just a trial.
“I didn’t feel us experimenting in the last two camps and we will not start in this camp.” Tuchel said. “We are here to build on what we built and keep on going.”
A “bit of a hamstring niggle” for Rogers may give Bellingham the chance to start his rehabilitation against Serbia at Wembley on Thursday, but there is no doubt the player who has just signed a six-year contract at Aston Villa has made a strong case through weight of performances.
Tuchel, however, is delighted to have Bellingham at his disposal again after the understandable noise caused by leaving him out, even though the 22-year-old wanted to be included.
Getty Images
England’s games against Serbia and Albania – which conclude their World Cup qualifiers – may be dead rubbers, with qualification secured, but they are highly significant when it comes to deciding who plays in that key area when the tournament starts.
Rogers revealed the extent of his friendship with Bellingham when he said: “I don’t remember it, but apparently he came to my fifth birthday party.”
They are often seen together on England duty and Rogers has said previously: “It made it even sweeter, sharing the pitch with him again. It’s so nice, knowing I can share these moments with him and that he feels happy and proud as well.
“My mum knows his parents quite well, to do with work and stuff. We have always been around each other, playing against each other in the academies.
“Being in the first under-15 camp together, both being from Birmingham, we kind of stuck to each other.
“We grew up probably five minutes away from each other. We have kind of been rivals, me as West Brom and him at Birmingham City.”
Bellingham and Rogers have been pitted against each other in the fight for a place, along with Foden, but it is still a heartwarming story of how two boys, born in Stourbridge and Halesowen respectively, have taken the journey to such prominence and importance.
Rogers took the more scenic route to the top, starting at West Bromwich Albion, before moving to Manchester City, where he had loan spells at Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool before joining Middlesbrough in July 2023.
He impressed so much on Teesside that Villa manager Unai Emery made it his personal business to sign Rogers, clinching a deal on 1 February 2024, for a reported £8m – potentially rising to £15m.
Such has been his progress at Villa, that when Chelsea were linked with a move in the summer, Rogers was regarded as a player who could potentially be placed in the £100m bracket.
Bellingham’s journey has been more direct, from his beloved Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund then Real Madrid – where he claimed the major prizes of La Liga and the Champions League in his first season.
