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Tinubu Renews Appointment Of Prof. Ayo Omotayo As NIPSS DG

President Bola Tinubu has approved the renewal of the appointment of Professor Ayo Omotayo as the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

The appointment is for a final term of four years.

President Muhammadu Buhari initially appointed Omotayo in November 2021, with the Senate confirming the appointment in February 2022.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Sends Delegation To Jesse Jackson’s Funeral

Omotayo is a Professor of Environmental Sustainability. He attended the University of Ibadan from 1980 to 1990, where he obtained a PhD in Geography.

He began his teaching career at the Lagos State University in 1985 and rose through the ranks
to become a Senior Lecturer in 1992 at the age of 30.

Why Washington can’t stop Trump on Iran

Trump has launched strikes on Iran while Congress debates war powers.

Inside the Washington bubble, we look inside the chaos shaping the US-Israeli war on Iran, from celebrations at DC power dinners and the Secretary of State admitting US defense of Israel to the Epstein files fading from public view. With low popular support for the war, can American voters do anything to stop it?

In this episode:

Patty Culhane (@PattyCulhane), Al Jazeera English Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sari el-Khalili, and Catherine Nouhan, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. Special thanks to James Hamilton.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack as gas tanker sinks in Mediterranean

A Russian tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) has sunk in the Mediterranean between Libya and Malta, as Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking the vessel.

The Libyan port authority said the tanker was hit by “sudden explosions followed by a massive fire, which ultimately led to its complete sinking” on Tuesday night north of the port of Sirte, Libya.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attacking the gas carrier.

“This is a terrorist attack. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of thing,” Russia’s Putin told a reporter from Russian state television on Wednesday, accusing Kyiv of responsibility.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Russia’s Transport Ministry said that the Arctic Metagaz, which had been carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the coast of Libya.

It said the 30 crew members, all Russian nationals, were safe, and thanked Maltese rescue services.

“We qualify what happened as an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy, a gross violation of the fundamental norms of international maritime law,” the ministry said.

According to an advisory from Libya’s maritime rescue agency, the Arctic Metagaz sank in waters between Libya and Malta after catching fire on Tuesday night.

It warned vessels to avoid the site where the carrier sank and asked them to report any pollution in the area.

The Libyan port authority said the ship was carrying an estimated 62,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on its way to Port Said, Egypt.

Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry has denied any connection with the tanker.

“The tanker is not listed under any contracts to supply or receive LNG cargoes to Egypt,” the ministry said.

The Arctic Metagaz has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union as part of Russia’s fleet of ageing tankers that carry oil and gas exports around the world, skirting Western restrictions.

Ukraine has frequently targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure in an attempt to deprive Russia’s war machine of funding.

Donald return ‘wonderful’ for Europe – McIlroy

Andy Gray

BBC Sport NI Journalist

1 hour ago

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Rory McIlroy says that Luke Donald’s return for a third Ryder Cup as Europe’s captain is a “huge advantage”, and feels the competition is “bigger than any one person” after doubts over Jon Rahm’s eligibility for 2027.

Donald will attempt to become the first captain to win three Ryder Cups in a row after his third term was confirmed for next year’s edition in Ireland.

The 48-year-old, who also won the Ryder Cup four times as a player and had two terms as a vice-captain, led Europe to victory in Rome in 2023 and to a famous win over the USA at Bethpage in September.

Speaking before the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy said it was “wonderful” and “amazing” to have Donald back for Adare Manor.

“I think it’s obviously a huge advantage for the European team to have that continuity and that consistency,” five-time major winner McIlroy said.

“I was sort of banging on that drum going into Bethpage and we’ll have it even more so again.

McIlroy, who lives on the same street as Donald, said he had spoken to the former world number one about staying on for a third term in “quite a few talks before the new year”.

After the announcement, Donald told BBC Sport that he wanted to take some time after the last Ryder Cup to enjoy the victory, which came under a dramatic backdrop due to the highly charged atmosphere in New York.

McIlroy said “it’s a massive part of your life” so he understood why Donald wanted to take his time over committing for 2027.

“It’s a big time commitment. He puts a lot into it, but he’s put his golf career on hold for six years to do this,” said the Northern Ireland player.

“He has to feel like everything else that’s going on is right, and Diane [Donald’s wife] has to be into it. The kids have to be into it and it’s a lot more than just his decision at the end of the day.”

McIlroy said he was determined to play a key role at Adare Manor, the first time he would play a Ryder Cup on the island of Ireland.

“At the end of the day, we all see the opportunity for him to go down as the greatest Ryder Cup captain ever if we can go and win in Ireland.

“I’m excited for him and for the opportunity that he has.

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‘It was a really generous deal’

Despite excitement surrounding Donald’s return, there are doubts about the eligibility of two-time major winner Rahm for the 2027 competition amid a dispute with the DP World Tour.

On Tuesday, the Spaniard said the tour is “extorting players” while outlining why he is not among a group of LIV Golf competitors to have signed a settlement enabling them to play in both organisations’ tournaments.

In February, eight players were granted releases by the DP World Tour to participate in LIV Golf events this year, allowing them to retain memberships and remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection.

Donald said he would “love” to have Rahm available for Adare Manor, but McIlroy said the Ryder Cup “is bigger than all of us”.

“We come and go. Players pass through the system and it’s the platform that’s the big thing,” McIlroy said.

“We should all be grateful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup that we can play on, and that we can showcase our skills and be a part of something that’s obviously way bigger than ourselves.

McIlroy said that Rahm was “well within his rights to think that way” but he felt it was “a really generous deal”.

The waiver included an agreement to pay outstanding fines reportedly in the region of £2.5m levied for playing in LIV events without DP World Tour permission, the withdrawal of all pending appeals and an acceptance to take part in stipulated DP World Tour tournaments.

McIlroy added that playing in four events outside of majors “wasn’t a heavy lift” and he “doesn’t see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys”.

“There’s a reason that eight of the nine took it, because they probably think the same thing. One guy thinks a little differently, and that’s a shame,” McIlroy added.

“It’s a much softer deal than what Brooks [Koepka] took to come back and play on the PGA Tour.

“The European Tour can always can only do so much to accommodate these guys, so if you want to play in the Ryder Cup then you have to be a member of the DP World Tour.

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[UPDATED] Tinubu Suspends Cashless Payment System At Federal Airports

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate suspension of the current cashless payment system at the federal airports.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Bans Sale Of FAAN Properties, FEC Approves Aviation Security Gadgets Procurement

This was one of the resolutions from the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

According to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, Tinubu was concerned that most Nigerians were missing their flights.

Keyamo noted that out of empathy, the President directed that the ministry suspend the present system because it created a lot of gridlock, and Nigerians were suffering.

Tinubu also directed the ministry to go back to the status quo, suspend the present system, and perfect it as soon as possible.

‘Go Cashless Cards’

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had on

March 28, 2026, announced that it would implement a fully cashless, contactless payment system across all airport payment points nationwide, effective March 1, 2026.

It said that the cashless system allow users to “enjoy faster, safer, and more convenient transactions at our airports”.

However, following the traffic build-up experienced at the access gates and complaints by Nigerians, it appealed for patience and cooperation from motorists and airport users.

“Despite the wide publicity, notices, and repeated announcements issued ahead of the commencement date, a significant number of motorists opted to register for their Go Cashless cards at the gates this morning,” it disclosed in a statement posted on its X (former Twitter page) on Sunday.

“This understandably created pressure on the toll lanes and resulted in temporary gridlock. While some initial adjustment challenges were anticipated, as with any major system transition, the Authority had provided ample notice to encourage early registration and avoid congestion on day one.

Why Iran’s system may endure the US–Israel strikes

Why Iran’s Islamic Republic is more prepared than Washington expected.

With Iran’s supreme leader killed and retaliation unfolding, the US and Israel appear to be testing the durability of the Islamic Republic. But Iran’s political system was designed to survive leadership loss and outside pressure. What does Washington misunderstand about Tehran’s structure, and how far is Iran prepared to go?