PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 BENUE STATE POLICE RECOVERS SIX BODIES AFTER ATTACK ON FARMERS IN APA Benue State Police Command says it has recovered six bodies after the attacks on cashew farmers by suspected armed herders on Wednesday at Asaba, Ojantele, and Okpette communities, in Apa Local Government Area of the state. A Statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Edet Udeme, explained that the farmers were reportedly working on their farms when the assailants launched the attack. Joint security teams comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the military, and local youths from the affected communities immediately mobilized into the forest to carry out search and rescue operations and recovered six (6) bodies.  It adds, efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety of residents in the affected communities. The Commissioner of Police Benue State Command CP Ifeanyi Emenari assured the public that reinforcements have been sent to facilitate a more thorough and coor...

 State Department cuts fee to renounce US citizenship by 80% to $450 The State Department has reduced the fee required for Americans to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship by about 80%, lowering the cost from $2,350 to $450. The change took effect on Friday after the department published a final rule in the Federal Register. The lower fee had been announced in 2023 but had not previously been implemented. The new price returns the cost to the same level charged when the government first began requiring a fee for renouncing citizenship in 2010. Giving up U.S. citizenship remains a complex and lengthy process. Individuals seeking to renounce must meet with a State Department consular officer and repeatedly confirm—both in writing and verbally—that they fully understand the legal and personal consequences of the decision. After taking a formal oath of renunciation, the request must also be reviewed and approved by the department before it becomes official. The fee was originally ...

WADA considers banning Trump, US officials from LA Olympics over unpaid dues The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering a rule change that could attempt to bar President Donald Trump and other U.S. government officials from attending major international sporting events, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at the organization’s executive committee meeting next Tuesday and is tied to an ongoing dispute over unpaid U.S. funding for the agency. The conflict stems from the U.S. government’s decision to withhold its annual contributions to the anti-doping body. Lawmakers from both parties have supported the move as part of a protest over how the agency handled several controversial cases, including one involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete despite testing positive for a banned substance. The United States has not paid its required dues since 2023, leaving millions of dollars in contributions unpaid. The rule under con...

 Cuba and US hold high-level talks after Trump predicts regime collapse Cuba’s president, Miquel Díaz-Canel, publicly confirmed Friday that his government has been holding talks with the United States, a rare acknowledgment amid rising pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration. Speaking on national television, Díaz-Canel said the discussions were “in their first phase,” with officials from both countries working to “establish an agenda” and stressed the goal of avoiding speculation about the process. The Trump administration has escalated pressure on Havana, including an effective fuel blockade since late January that has deepened Cuba’s energy crisis, leaving the island without shipments for over three months. President Trump has charged Secretary of State Marco Rubio with leading the negotiations, predicting that the Cuban regime “is going to fall pretty soon” and signaling openness to a “friendly takeover,” though he has not ruled out military intervention. Rubio has...

 Palestinian woman granted ICE release for third time, but detention could continue For the third time, an immigration judge has ordered 33-year-old Palestinian woman Leqaa Kordia released on bond from ICE detention, coinciding with the anniversary of her arrest, though it remains uncertain whether she will actually be freed. Kordia was first taken into custody on March 13, 2025, after immigration authorities said she overstayed a visa that expired on January 26, 2022. Her arrest was part of a series of actions targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi. Kordia had previously been arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University on April 30, 2024, though all charges in that case were quickly dismissed. DHS officials have also alleged that she provided financial support to individuals in countries hostile to the U.S., but Kordia’s attorneys argue the funds were sent to relatives displaced by the conflict in Gaza. In a statem...

 Israel preparing large-scale ground offensive in Lebanon, officials report Israel is preparing to significantly expand its ground operations in Lebanon, to seize territory south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. The operation could become the largest Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon since 2006, potentially putting the country at the center of the escalating conflict with Iran. A senior Israeli official said the plan mirrors tactics used in Gaza, targeting buildings used by Hezbollah to store weapons and launch attacks. The expanded campaign could result in a prolonged Israeli presence in southern Lebanon, raising fears of further civilian displacement and destruction. Lebanon’s government has expressed alarm over the potential devastation, while the Trump administration supports efforts to disarm Hezbollah but is pushing for measures to limit damage to Lebanese state infrastructure and for direct postw...