The Senate has issued a two-week ultimatum to the executive to submit a comprehensive, documented progress report on the implementation of the 2024 budget, as well as projections for the 2025 budget, before it will entertain the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Sani Musa, gave the declaration during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu’s economic team, led by Minister of finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Wale Edun, at the National Assembly.
READ ALSO: Senate Rejects Christian Genocide Allegations, Set To Engage US Lawmakers
Senator Musa noted that the legislature requires detailed performance data to properly assess the assumptions and projections in the proposed MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper.
Kaleb Cooper is heading to Australia on a new farming adventure for Amazon Prime Video – and his boss in Chipping Norton, Jeremy Clarkson, had some choice words about the move
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Jeremy Clarkson hit out at his co-star (file)(Image: Getty Images)
Clarkson’s Farm star Kaleb Cooper’s recent career news prompted his co-star and boss, Jeremy Clarkson, to take a savage swipe at him on Thursday (October 9). Diddly Squat farmer Kaleb took to Instagram to reveal he’s embarking on adventure on the other side of the world to work on a new Prime Video show.
“I’ve got some news!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to be going down under/to Australia to film my very own series on Prime Video. You know hard it is for me to leave Chippy so flying to Australia is definitely taking me out of my comfort zone. But I’m on a mission to see if I can make my farming contracting business go international.”
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Meanwhile, 65-year-old Jeremy was quick to respond with an hilarious message for his most famous employee.
“I’m so happy about this,” he said. “Because finally I can run my farm without him mucking everything up.”
One Clarkson’s Farm fan told Jeremy in reply: “I’m pretty sure he is probably thinking the same about you haha.”
Kaleb’s wife, Taya, also weighed in. The mum-of-three, who appears not to be journeying to Australia with Kaleb at this point, said: “Peace and quiet for me! Gonna miss you really. So proud of you for doing something way out your comfort zone! Can’t wait to hear all about it!”
Hundreds of other Instagram users wished Kaleb well, including one who wrote: “Congratulations mate – you are gonna love Australia – some of it will feel like home but just with funny accents… some of it really won’t. I have no doubt you will throw yourself fully into the experience. Good luck and be safe.”
Meanwhile, a second person declared: “You got this Kaleb! Looking forward to seeing you take on barren deserts and dense outback foliage. The flight will be a piece of cake; get Prime/Amazon to upgrade you to first class and you’ll get your own little cabin to chill in for the 23-hour flight!”
Kaleb rose to fame on Prime Video in 2021, proving himself invaluable to Jeremy as he took up the challenge of running Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire.
Jeremy revealed in his own Instagram post last week that the filming of Season Five of Clarkson’s Farm had just “wrapped”. It is set to air in 2026, although the exact date has not yet been announced. Kaleb will still feature on the new series.
Prime Video’s synopsis of his forthcoming programme states: “With aspirations to grow his business, Kaleb will experience farming at a scale he’s never encountered before -stretching thousands of acres across Australia’s vast landscape.
“Throughout his journey, Kaleb will meet his Australian peers and immerse himself in the local culture while exploring how farmers operate in this challenging environment.
“Viewers will see Kaleb taking on new challenges that are a world away from his familiar routines in Chipping Norton.
“And it’s no holiday-Kaleb won’t shy away from the gritty realities of farm work while he’s out there-blisters, burns, backaches and all.”
Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te pledged to accelerate the building of a “T-Dome” air defence system in the face of military threats and overall increased defence spending.
Lai on Friday said his government would establish a rigorous defence system with high-level detection and effective interception.
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“The increase in defence spending has a purpose; it is a clear necessity to counter enemy threats and a driving force for developing our defence industries,” he said in his National Day address, to applause from the crowd.
“We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defence system in Taiwan with multi-layered defence, high-level detection, and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens.”
Lai also pledged to increase defence spending to more than 3 percent of gross domestic product and to reach 5 percent by 2030.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te waves a Taiwan flag with Taiwan’s First Lady Wu Mei-ju during National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, on October 10, 2025 [Ann Wang/Reuters]
Much of Taiwan’s existing air defence systems are primarily based on the United States-made Patriot and the Taiwan-developed Sky Bow missiles.
Taiwan is a self-governing island off China’s east coast that the Chinese government claims as its territory and says must come under its rule.
Lai called Taiwan a “hub of peace and stability” in the Asia Pacific region, drawing a distinction with China’s one-party state.
“Democratic Taiwan … will strive to maintain the status quo, protect peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and promote regional prosperity and development,” Lai said.
China and Taiwan split during a civil war that brought the Communist Party to power in China in 1949. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, where they set up their own government.
The Chinese military regularly sends fighter jets and warships into the skies and waters off Taiwan and has staged major military exercises in the area in recent years.
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Matt Newsum
BBC Sport Rugby League journalist
Liam Farrell has been to Old Trafford so often in the past 15 years he could be mistaken for a Manchester United season ticket holder.
Only right now he’s much happier than the average Red Devils regular, preparing as he is for a 10th Super League Grand Final of a stellar career when Wigan Warriors take on Hull KR at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ on Saturday (18:00 BST).
The regularity, and the odd night of disappointment, have failed to diminish the anticipation and excitement of walking out of the corner tunnel, leading out the side in their pursuit of a hat-trick of successive titles.
“You just hear all the noise, the singer going off, look up high into the stands and see them full, 70,000 people, and it’s an amazing feeling,” second-row Farrell, 35, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Not many people get to do it, it’s something I and a lot of the other lads cherish.
Super League Grand Final: Hull KR v Wigan
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History repeating for Warriors
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Farrell and his team-mates did not need to dust off any old videos to revisit happy memories, given it was just 12 months ago the Warriors squared off against the Robins and won a tight game under the lights.
Bevan French’s moment of magic ensured the title stayed in WN5, and crowned a wonderful season with the quadruple of World Club Challenge, Super League, League Leaders’ Shield and Challenge Cup.
It means in terms of experience of winning the title within the respective squads, Wigan hold a serious advantage going into Saturday’s final.
“We’re lucky the younger lads in the squad tasted success last year and the year before,” Farrell added.
“The likes of Brad O’Neill and Junior Nsemba, they’ve had experience in big games, and although they will lean on some of the older lads for knowledge and experience, they’re quality players themselves.
31 minutes ago
‘This is the big exam’ – Wigan’s Grand Final test
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As an English literature graduate, head coach Matt Peet is well versed in narrative and storytelling, and as Wigan boss has already written a few blockbuster seasons in the club’s folklore.
Since taking over in 2022, silverware has followed in each of the campaigns he has completed with his hometown club, and 2025 can continue that theme at Old Trafford.
Hull KR have already snatched two of Wigan’s 2024 prizes in 2025, but conversely the Cherry and Whites can make it a ‘three-peat’ by denying Rovers a treble in Saturday’s showpiece.
“All the games during the season are like lessons along the way and this is the final test,” Peet, 41, told BBC Sport.
“It’s something you look forward to, and I’ve always enjoyed exams.
Empathy and hard work – Peet’s formula
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Farrell’s excitement and energy at the end of a gruelling season is typical of the spirit and character which runs through Wigan Warriors.
Peet has set a culture, in tandem with coaches Sean O’Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai and the players, which demands effort but also encourages nurture, teamwork and togetherness.
Players eulogise about his methods, and his track record speaks for itself.
“He’s very empathetic, he understands people on an individual level, understands people have certain needs and that people want to be cared for in different ways and does that very well,” Farrell said.
“He’s a leader in a sense of he knows what to deliver to the players, he’ll admit when he gets it wrong sometimes but there are a lot of times when he gets it right, he does that more often than not.
‘Cherish it like the first’
While Farrell still jumps at the chance to run out and put his body on the line, he would not go so far as to say he enjoys such brutal ballet as Saturday’s Grand Final against Hull KR promises to be.
The talk of the tussle is around keeping error-free, and not letting the Robins take advantage close to the goal-line, while the ‘X-factor’ on both sides, in French and Rovers half-back Mikey Lewis to name two, is also to be feared.
In his advancing years, weeks like this are savoured, even the media day, as while Wigan may well continue to reach major finals, someday Farrell will be the one to miss out.
“There’s not many years left, so it could be the last one,” Farrell said. “I treated the others the same way. It could be form, be injury, anything.
“Hopefully it isn’t but I’ll cherish it as if it is and the only one I’ve played and give 110% like I did in my first game.”
Aryna Sabalenka extended her winning streak at the Wuhan Open to 20 matches with a straight-set victory over Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals on Friday.
World number one Sabalenka, who is the three-time defending champion in Wuhan, beat eighth seed Rybakina 6-3 6-3 and said the Kazakhstani “always pushes me to the limit to get the win”.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, who is the top seed, will face American Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals on Saturday.
According to statisticians Opta, Sabalenka is the fourth female player to win their first 20 main draw matches in a single WTA level event since 1990 after Monica Seles at the Australian Open (33-0), Steffi Graf in Leipzig (25-0) and Caroline Wozniacki in New Haven (20-0).
Sabalenka, who retained her US Open title in September, controlled the match against Rybakina, sealing the first set with a hold before breaking the Kazakhstani’s serve in the first game of the second.
Despite a few service wobbles in the closing stages, Sabalenka took a comfortable win to set up the tie with Pegula – a player against whom she has won eight of her 10 meetings.
Asked about her consecutive wins at the tournament, four-time major winner Sabalenka said she feels a “really great connection” with the fans in China.
“I feel at home every time playing here. Honestly, that’s just crazy,” she said.
Meanwhile, sixth seed Pegula was a set down against Siniakova before fighting back to take the second set unchallenged. She then clinched the set third for her 50th win of the season and boost her chances of qualifying for next month’s season-ending WTA Finals.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of the southern Philippines, killing at least two people and prompting a tsunami warning for the country and some regions of Indonesia, according to local authorities. The tsumani alert has since been lifted.
The earthquake comes just 10 days after another deadly earthquake hit the central Philippines, killing at least 79 people and injuring hundreds.
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Here is more about what has happened and why the country is so vulnerable to earthquakes and natural disasters.
(Al Jazeera)
Where did the earthquake hit and why is there a tsunami warning?
The earthquake struck at a depth of 43 kilometres (27 miles) at 9:43am local time (01:43 GMT) on Friday, off the coast of Manay town in Davao Oriental in the Mindanao region of the southern Philippines, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Phivolcs said the earthquake had been caused by movement in the Philippine Trench at a depth of 23 kilometres (14 miles). The Philippine Trench is a long, narrow depression in the ocean. It is located to the east of the Philippines.
Phivolcs also warned of aftershocks and issued a tsunami warning for the surrounding region, saying it expected waves larger than 1 metre (3.3ft). Coastal residents have been “strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland”, the agency said soon after the earthquake struck.
The United States National Tsunami Warning Center also issued tsunami warnings to parts of Indonesia and Palau, expecting waves of 0.3 to 1 metre (1-3.3ft) above tide level in these regions.
However, at about noon in the Philippines (04:00 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said the tsunami threat had passed, according to the Reuters News Agency.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it had detected small tsunami waves in North Sulawesi province with heights ranging from 3.5 to 17 centimetres (1.3 to 6.7 inches) in Melonguane, Beo, Essang and Ganalo in the Talaud Islands districts. The agency has since lifted its tsunami warning.
Have there been any casualties?
Davao Oriental governor Nelson Dayanghirang told the Philippines’ ABS-CBN news channel that at least two people had died as a result of the earthquake.
“So far, we have recorded two casualties, and we have evacuated the patients to our hospital, provincial and district hospitals,” he said. At least 250 patients were also evacuated from a damaged hospital and are to be housed in tents, he added.
What damage is there?
Richie Diuyen, a disaster official in Manay, close to the epicentre, said the quake lasted for 30-40 seconds and some houses, the facade of a church, roads and bridges were damaged.
“We couldn’t stand earlier. I am 46 years old now, and this is the strongest earthquake I ever felt,” Diuyen told the Reuters news agency.
“The damage is quite big,” she added.
The governor of Davao Del Norte told Philippines’ radio station DZMM that people and employees in the region’s capital Tagum “are really panicking”.
“And there are also buildings with damage that have been reported [to us],” he added.
ABS-CBN reported that students at Bukidnon State University in Malaybalay City rushed out of their classrooms when the quake struck. Schools were also closed in many areas.
Jun Saavedra, a disaster-mitigation officer of Governor Generoso town in Davao Oriental, told The Associated Press that power was cut after the earthquake.
“I was driving my car when it suddenly swayed and I saw powerlines swaying wildly. People darted out of houses and buildings as the ground shook and electricity came off,” he said.
What rescue efforts have been made?
Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said a search and rescue mission has been deployed to affected regions.
He warned people to “follow all instructions” from local disaster authorities. “Your safety is our top priority,” he said.
The president added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) plans to send food and other aid items to affected areas, and said that the Department of Health (DOH) will provide medical help.
The Office of the Vice President said its Mindanao satellite offices are ready to assist people and also provide psychological help to people and young children who are scared or anxious after the earthquake.
Why is the Philippines prone to earthquakes and is the country prepared?
The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches in the Pacific Ocean.
John Dale B Dianala, assistant professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, the University of the Philippines in Diliman, told Al Jazeera that just by virtue of the geographic and geologic setting of the country, the Philippines is home to many onshore and offshore tectonic faults.
“The whole length of the Philippines, around 1,800km, is right along the boundary of two major tectonic plates – the Philippine Sea plate and Eurasian plate – part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. These two plates, thousands of kilometres wide, have been pushing against each other for millions of years at two to three times the rate of fingernail growth,” he said.
“Each earthquake is a manifestation of the periodic release of the stress along long fractures on these plates – what geologists call ‘faults’ – which rupture several metres of movement along a fault in large earthquakes.
“When the displacement involves vertical uplift of the seafloor from an offshore fault, like in the Philippine Trench to the east of the country, the movement displaces the water column from the depths of the ocean that then propagate to the surface and coasts in the form of tsunamis. Strong shaking can also cause submarine landslides that can also trigger tsunamis,” he added.
According to Dianala, another big issue the country faces is the cascading effect of different natural hazards.
“The week after the earthquake in Cebu, we had floods and another earthquake in Mindanao. At some point, resources can get spread thinly,” he said.
Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Russia, Guatemala, Peru and Chile are also countries located within the Ring of Fire.
How prepared is the Philippines for these natural disasters?
While Phivolcs and the United Nations have been building systems to alert people about upcoming natural disasters, some politicians in the country say the president should be doing more.
According to ABS-CBN, after Friday’s earthquake, Jose Alvarez, a Filipino businessman and member of the country’s House of Representatives, said that if the government has extra income, it should be put into the “2025 budget” so that President Marcos Jr could access it and respond to natural disasters effectively.
“So that’s important in 2026, if we still have more earthquakes, more typhoons, more floods,” he said.
However, Dianala said the preparedness and resilience of the country to earthquakes has improved since the 1990s. Prior to that, an earthquake would have caused many more casualties and damage to infrastructure than has been caused this time.
“Earthquakes happen in the country relatively frequently, and that has led to disasters, unfortunately, but has also forced us to make sure we have proper laws and policies from lessons learned,” he said.
