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Israel Braces for Possible Iranian Retaliation Amid Regional Tensions

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2 months ago

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Israel is on high alert as it prepares for potential retaliatory attacks from Iran and regional militias following the recent assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, declared that Israel is in a multifront war against what he termed Iran’s “axis of evil,” and stressed that the country is ready to confront any scenario, both offensively and defensively.

In response to these escalating threats, the United States has bolstered its support for Israel by moving a fighter jet squadron to the region and keeping an aircraft carrier nearby.

The US is also urging Netanyahu to intensify negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire to prevent the nearly 10-month-long conflict from further escalating.

The cease-fire, if achieved, is expected to alleviate regional tensions, especially with Hezbollah already launching attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza.

During a video call on Sunday, the Group of Seven (G-7) foreign ministers expressed deep concerns about the risk of a broader regional crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East, warning that an attack on Israel by Iran and Hezbollah could commence as early as Monday.

Blinken’s caution came amid intelligence indicating that the attacks could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours.

The financial markets have reacted to these developments, with the Israeli shekel falling for the sixth consecutive day to its weakest level since November.

Israeli stocks experienced their worst decline since October, further reflecting the growing anxiety over potential conflict.

In a rare diplomatic move, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi visited Tehran on Sunday, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Meanwhile, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer called for all parties to return to negotiations, highlighting that a Gaza cease-fire could delay any retaliatory actions.

Netanyahu blamed Hamas for complicating the cease-fire negotiations by constantly changing their demands, although some sources claim that Israel has also shifted its positions, making an agreement more elusive.

Leaders of both Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to respond to the assassinations, stating that red lines have been crossed and retaliation is imminent.

Israeli officials anticipate that any assaults will likely be simultaneous and could involve Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and potentially Iran itself.

This follows an incident in April where Iran launched over 300 projectiles at Israel after the killing of two Iranian generals in Syria, most of which were intercepted by Israel and its allies.

The Israeli government is taking precautionary measures, including scrambling GPS systems in Tel Aviv to make it harder for attacks to succeed.

Cabinet members have also been equipped with satellite phones to maintain communication should conventional phone lines be disrupted by shelling or cyberattacks.

The escalating conflict has disrupted travel, with major airlines such as Delta, United, and Lufthansa suspending flights to and from Israel.

El Al, Israel’s national carrier, is working to add flights to bring home Israelis stranded abroad, and the transport ministry has plans to use navy boats to ferry citizens from Cyprus if necessary.

Adding to the tensions, a Palestinian assailant from the West Bank stabbed and killed two elderly Israelis in Holon, near Tel Aviv, on Sunday morning before being shot dead by police.

In Gaza, Israeli military strikes targeted two schools in Gaza City, which they claimed housed Hamas command-and-control centers.

Palestinian officials reported that the schools were shelters for displaced individuals, resulting in at least 30 deaths.

Despite the intense situation, diplomatic efforts continue. An Israeli delegation visited Egypt over the weekend to discuss Gaza war talks, though no immediate breakthrough was achieved.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council, expressed optimism that the gaps in negotiations are narrow enough to close.

President Joe Biden has reiterated to Netanyahu that achieving a cease-fire deal is critical, especially given the heightened risk of regional conflict.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Tinubu Warns INEC, Political Parties Against Rigging, Violence as Edo Governorship Election Holds Tomorrow 

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36 mins ago

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September 20, 2024

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Bola Tinubu

As residents of Edo State within the voting age file out to elect their new governor on Saturday, September 21, 2024, President Bola Tinubu has called on all stakeholders in the upcoming Edo State governorship elections to conduct themselves peacefully and sportingly.

The task is coming amid tension and allegations of meditated arrest and planned rigging by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

There has been heavy deployment of security operatives in the state ahead of the polls.

The distribution of non-sensitive materials took place in Benin City on Thursday amid tight security forces.

Already, a public holiday had been declared in the state today by the government for workers and other electorate to travel to their polling units to cast their ballots for the successor of Goodwin Obaseki.

However, the President, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, warned INEC against compromising the integrity of the poll.

Tinubu also implored the governorship candidates, political parties, and supporters to respect the democratic process and the people’s will.

According to Onanuga, Tinubu believes in the voters’ ability to make informed decisions about their future leaders.

President Tinubu emphasised that democracy thrives on civility, tolerance, patience, and respect for the rules of the game.

He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has committed to conducting a free and fair election and urges all stakeholders to work together to ensure a successful and peaceful process.

The President commended the governorship candidates and political parties for their campaigns, which have focused on issues that matter most to the people of Edo State, including improving livelihoods, promoting economic growth, and contributing to national development.

He urged all citizens in the state to remain peaceful and respectful throughout the voting process. He encourages them to resolve any disagreements amicably through the constituted authorities.

“In addition, President Tinubu expresses unwavering confidence in the professionalism and integrity of security agencies and INEC officials. He urges them to remain impartial and avoid any actions that could compromise the integrity of the electoral process,” Onanuga said.

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Worsening Hardship: Fresh Pressure Mounts on Tinubu’s Ministers Over Planned Cabinet Rejig 

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23 hours ago

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September 19, 2024

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There is apparent fear within the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu over plans by the president to relieve some of the ministers of their duties.
Sources in the presidency said the looming rejig of the cabinet is due to widespread complaints of hunger by many Nigerians.
Top among the ministries that will be mainly affected in the cabinet reshuffle is the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Sources close revealed that the presidency might completely scrap the ministry.
The move, according to the impeccable insiders, is also to streamline government operations and eliminate underperforming ministries.
It was further learned that the cabinet reshuffle would go beyond portfolio swaps. Instead, some portfolios and ministries would be split, merged, or scrapped.
Those in the know opined that the planned reshuffling and scrapping is overdue and that the President would have announced the changes in the cabinet last week but for his trip out of the country.
They said Tinubu would also restructure some of the ministries for effectiveness and output owing to the alleged protest against bad governance and poverty in the country.
Other sources said President Tinubu aims to finalize changes before departing for the United Nations General Assembly.
They said that the development has ignited fear among the ministers as some who don’t have much closeness with the presidency are said to be loitering around Aso Rock to lobby their stay in their respective positions.
Upon his assumption of office, President Tinubu appointed 48 federal ministers and bagged a record as the President with the highest cabinet size since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.
Some analysts in the country had argued that the large cabinet size would drain the country’s already depleted purse.
In January, this year, one of the nine female ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended by Tinubu over N585million scandal.
While in suspension, Edu incurred the anger of Nigerians in July 2024, after she made a comeback with a condolence message to victims of the collapsed school building in Jos in her official capacity as the humanitarian affairs minister by using the official letterhead of the ministry.
Investors King reports that since then, nothing has been heard about her alleged fraud even as the presidency remains mute.

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LG Election: Tension in Osun as APC, PDP Risk Disqualification for Substituting Candidates Unlawfully 

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23 hours ago

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September 19, 2024

By

All Progressive Congress (APC)
There is uneasy calm among major political parties in Osun State over the announcement by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) that the party leadership submitted names of candidates that are different from those who obtained forms to contest the February 22, 2025 Local Government Election in the state.
According to Barrister Hashim Abioye, the OSIEC Chairman, about seven political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party and major opposition All Progressives Congress face disqualification from the poll if they fail to correct the status of their candidates within 48 hours.
Abioye said the political parties contesting in the forthcoming local government election ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding the substitution of candidates.
He said after the verification committee set up by the commission completed its assignment, it was discovered that some political parties had replaced the names of candidates with ones that were strange to the commission.
According to him, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) are affected.
Speaking at a press conference held in Osogbo, Abioye stressed that the affected political parties committed an incurable infraction by giving nomination forms to candidates whose names were different from those with the commission.
He further revealed that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions, and that while some are remediable others are incurable.
According to the OSIEC boss, “The provision is not an innovation, it is as also contained in the Electoral Act, 2022, that is the provision we have now adopted. For this reason, some political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Action Peoples Party (APP) ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding substitution of candidates.
“While no substitution can be validly done without following the rules, any substitution or change of candidate done after the purported candidate intended to be a replacement for another must have been given and submitted nomination form despite his/her name not being on the list originally submitted to the Commission would be void.
“Let me note once again that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions which are remediable, but the political parties highlighted above committed the most of the infractions that are incurable by giving nomination form for candidates whose names were not on the list in some local government areas and wards. This we cannot help.”
Giving an instance of the infractions, Abioye stated, “Being a major political party, I will take that of the APC as an example. In Atakunmosa West Local Government, the Chairmanship and Vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the party to the Commission were not the persons who filled nomination forms submitted to OSIEC.
“In the same vein, the respective vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the APC for Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda and Oriade Local Government Areas were completely different from the persons that filled and submitted nomination forms to the Commission. Candidates of the APC in several Wards across various local government areas were affected by this incurable anomaly.”
Meanwhile, the development has thrown the affected parties into panic as they struggle to meet the deadline.

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