PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 "The child was tied up and blindfolded."  (We are updating this story tomorrow with more information) A Springfield, Illinois couple face very serious charges after a witness came forward with shocking evidence of abuse and neglect. We Are thankful the witness came forward.  According to reports, the details of this heartbreaking case came to light on March 8th when Springfield PD was contacted by a female who witnessed a shocking scene at the home of 32-year-old Willie Wardlow and 40-year-old Ashley Wardlow. In addition to her important witness statement, the female witness also had photos and videos documenting the horrible conditions a small child in the home was forced to endure. The child is under 10 years old.  The photo and video appeared to show a young female victim who had been blindfolded and bound. When officers with Springfield PD arrived at the home of Willie and Ashley Wardlow, no one would answer the door. However, while on the scene, authorities rec...

 Middle East War: Nigeria Urges Gulf States To Partner On Global Energy Supply The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar has called on Gulf oil and gas producers to treat Nigeria as a strategic partner rather than a rival, stating that deeper cooperation would help diversify global energy supplies amid the Middle East conflict. Speaking to an International Media Agency,  Tuggar said Nigeria’s vast untapped reserves can provide Gulf states with a reliable alternative source of crude and gas at a time when global flows are vulnerable and demand for hydrocarbons is expected to remain strong for years to come The minister added that the crisis reinforces Nigeria’s long-standing position that potential competitors should instead invest and collaborate. He said countries that might otherwise consider Nigeria as competitors should partner  and invest so they can diversify their market share, working with the federal government  The Forien Affairs Minister disclosed that...

 AVIATION MINISTER DIRECTS HYBRID ACCESS GATE PAYMENT SYSTEM AT AIRPORTS The minister of aviation and aerospace development Festus Keyamo has announced a hybrid payment system for airport access gates, allowing both cash and card payments, starting 13th, of this month. This decision follows president Bola Ahmed Tinubu's suspension of the full cashless system due to traffic congestion. The minister, while meeting with officials of the federal airports authority of Nigeria, FAAN, also resolved that motorists who already possess FAAN go cashless cards may continue to use them until further notice. Other electronic payment options, including pos terminals and other approved digital channels, will also remain available. Similarly, the aviation and aerospace development minister,  has announced a two-month suspension of helicopter landing fees following a meeting with minister of state for petroleum sen. Heineken Lokpobiri and other industry key players.  Stakeholders expressed...

 STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW WILL SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN NIGERIA UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION, SAYS PRESIDENT TINUBU TO LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday reiterated his firm commitment to sustaining democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria as a lasting legacy.  He said the unity and stability of the country rest on the pillars of good governance and assured that his administration will uphold these principles for posterity.  The President gave the assurance at an inter-faith breaking of the fast with members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He noted that strengthening internal democracy within political parties remains fundamental to building credible electoral institutions, processes, and systems. President Tinubu stated that direct primaries provide party members with better opport...

 Drones hit east Congo's biggest city, killing French aid worker, rebels and UN say Drone strikes hit Goma in east Congo ​on Wednesday, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, the ‌first such attack in the city since AFC/M23 rebels seized it last year, according to the group and the U.N. The AFC/M23 blamed the attack on the Congolese army, saying in a post on X that Kinshasa ​had launched drones against a densely populated urban area in the lakeside city. A senior official for U.N. children's agency UNICEF told Reuters ​that one of its employees, a French national, was killed. French President Emmanuel Macron and Hadja Lahbib, ​European Commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, condemned the attack in posts on X, calling for respect for international humanitarian law and saying aid workers must never be targeted. A Reuters ​journalist in Goma reported hearing two loud explosions at around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT). The blasts shook windows and ...

 Burundi ex-PM on life sentence released from prison on medical grounds Burundi's former Prime Minister General Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, serving a life sentence for an attempted coup, was released on medical grounds on Wednesday, a judicial source and relatives told AFP. Bunyoni was prime minister from mid-2020 until September 2022, when he was fired, days after President Evariste Ndayishimiye had warned of an alleged coup plot against him. Rights groups have said his diabetes had worsened in prison due to a lack of medical care and he was suffering loss of motor skills and speech. Bunyoni, a former police chief and internal security minister, had already been hospitalised since October but was formally granted "provisional release for medical reasons," the judicial source said on condition of anonymity. 'Condition extremely worrying' He was taken to his home in the commercial capital Bujumbura. "His condition is extremely worrying," a relative told AFP,...

 Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti leaders hold talks on Iran war impact The leaders of Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti held trilateral talks late Wednesday on regional security and the Middle East war. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed discussed the current conflict in the Middle East and its possible economic repercussions and harms for the Horn of Africa region. The leaders also focused on security, counter-terrorism, Somalia’s democracy, the Horn of Africa’s stability and boosting investment, mobility and infrastructure, Somali Information Minister Daud Aweis said in a statement after the talks. “Peace and security in the region, the state of development of its economic integration, resolutions of shared interests for all three countries and the prevailing situation in the subregion were discussed during this meeting,” said a statement from Djibouti, where the meeting was held, Anadolu Agency report...

 "🇳🇬 Last night, The King hosted a reception with members of the Nigerian Diaspora in the UK, ahead of the incoming State Visit of the President of Nigeria.  🎶 With jollof rice and music by Dele Sosimi and the Afrobeats Orchestra - it was a wonderful evening. Thank you to everyone who joined us!"- Palace.  More photos below.