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Key parts of original Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine were never fulfilled – Kremlin

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The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia and the United States will discuss resuming a deal to ensure the safety of merchant shipping in the Black Sea, noting that what Moscow saw as key parts of an earlier agreement on the subject were never implemented.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Black Sea Initiative, commonly known as the grain deal, was on the agenda at talks in Saudi Arabia between Russian and U.S. officials on Monday.

Peskov said that U.S. President Donald Trump had proposed discussing the Black Sea deal and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to discuss it.

When asked what the Black Sea deal amounted to, Peskov said it is primarily about the safety of navigation.

“But if you remember the initiative in its previous form, there was quite a large part of the obligations to our country that were not fulfilled last time. Therefore, this will also be on the agenda today,” he said.

It should be recalled that Turkey and the United Nations had helped mediate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal struck in July 2022 that allowed the safe export of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea despite the war.

Russia reportedly withdrew from the agreement in 2023, complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious obstacles, though Russia is not currently facing serious problems getting its grain to market by the Black Sea.

Peskov further said that Russia and the United States had a common understanding of the need to move towards a settlement to end the war in Ukraine but that there were still many different aspects that needed to be worked out.

“There is indeed a common understanding here. In general, of course, there are still a lot of different aspects related to the settlement to be worked out,” he added.

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PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES SENATOR IFEANYI ARARUME ON HIS BIRTHDAY

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President Bola Tinubu felicitates Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume, astute politician and accomplished businessman, on his birthday, December 16.

Senator Ararume’s odyssey in politics began in the late 1980s, when he served as the State Treasurer of the Liberal Convention in old Imo State. He later joined the National Finance Committee of the defunct National Republican Convention.

He represented Imo North in the 9th National Assembly. He was first elected in May 1999 and re-elected in April 2003. He also served on several committees and held other official roles.

President Tinubu commends the former senator for his years of service to the nation and contributions to its peace, unity, and progress.

The President describes Senator Ararume as a resolute and shrewd politician, highlighting his courageous and remarkable political journey through the years.

President Tinubu wishes Senator Ararume a happy 67th birthday and prays that God Almighty will grant him more years of good health and strength.

 

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Daddy Freeze hosts actress Doris Ogala as she opens up on alleged relationship with Pastor Chris Okafor

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Daddy Freeze went live with Nollywood actress Doris Ogala as she shared her side of the ongoing controversy involving Pastor Chris Okafor, whom she claims she dated for years before things fell apart.

According to Doris, her relationship with Pastor Chris began in 2017, long before the public drama. She said they met by chance in Abuja and that he told her he was divorced at the time. She also claimed she didn’t even know he was a pastor when they first connected.

Doris said their relationship quickly became serious. She alleged that Pastor Chris introduced her to his parents, invited her to his village in Anambra State, and treated the relationship like a real commitment. She described their bond as emotional, physical, and deeply personal, insisting it was genuine love, not a casual affair.

She further claimed that while Pastor Chris preached publicly, he was privately very dependent on her, calling her often, sharing personal struggles, and even relying on her for medical prescriptions through her doctor.

Addressing why she later married another man, Doris said family pressure played a major role. She explained that her eventual husband was someone from her past who resurfaced during a vulnerable period after her father’s death. Despite not being in love, she said her family pushed her into the marriage.

Doris admitted that while her marriage was ongoing, she remained emotionally connected to Pastor Chris. She openly acknowledged engaging in phone intimacy with him during that period but maintained that there was no physical sexual relationship between them while she was married.

She described her marriage as abusive and toxic, alleging repeated physical violence and emotional distress. According to her, Pastor Chris remained her emotional support during that time, which is why communication between them never completely stopped.

Doris also claimed she has evidence to back up her story, including chats and videos, which she says Pastor Chris later shared with his lawyers.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSUdp3OjZll/?igsh=OTR2MjZlOG1rbWQy

 

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Alleged N2.2bn fraud: Ngige to remain in Kuje Prison till December 18

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Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Gwarimpa in Abuja has ordered that former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, be kept at Kuje prison till December 18.

Ngige will be on remand till the date when his bail application would be decided by the court.

Justice Hassan issued the order on Monday shortly after taking arguments for and against the bail request of the former governor of Anambra State.

Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, pleaded with the judge to admit the former minister to bail, mainly on health ground.

He submitted that the former minister would not jump bail or interfere with witnesses if admitted to bail.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, represented by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, vehemently opposed the bail request, insisting that Ngige was a flight risk.

Tahir told the judge that Ngige was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and allowed to travel abroad for medical care but never reported back to the Commission.

Besides, he said that the international passport released to Ngige; to facilitate the abroad trip was never returned till today.

The senior lawyer argued that it was when Ngige was re-arrested that he came up with a purported claim that he lost his passport.

He insisted that the claim of passport loss was an afterthought and should not be believed by the court.

After the submissions, Justice Hassan fixed December 18 to deliver ruling in the bail request.

Ngige was last Friday slammed with an eight-count charge bordering on corrupt practices.

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