Foreign Affairs - Abia ThinkTank News

Mar

2026

Iran Lowers Minimum Age For War Support Roles To 12 Years Old

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, War, World News

Iran Lowers Minimum Age For War Support Roles To 12 Years Old An official from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the minimum age for participation in war-related support roles has been lowered to 12, according to remarks aired on state media. Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Guards in Tehran, said an initiative called “For Iran” was recruiting participants to assist with activities such as patrols, checkpoints and logistics. “Given that the age of those coming forward has dropped and they are asking to take part, we lowered the minimum age to 12,” he said, adding that 12- and 13-year-olds…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Nigeria Signs UK Deal To Receive Deported Failed Asylum Seekers, Criminals

Foreign Affairs, Immigration, News Flash

Nigeria Signs UK Deal To Receive Deported Failed Asylum Seekers, Crim¡nals Nigeria and the United Kingdom signed a major new migration partnership on Thursday, March 19, 2026, designed to fast-track the deportation of failed asylum seekers and foreign criminals. The agreement was formalized during President Bola Tinubu’s historic state visit to the UK—the first by a West African leader in 37 years. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood. The deal specifically targets individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK, including thousands of…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

First Lady, Remi Tinubu To Preach At Lambeth Palace During UK Visit

FGN, Foreign Affairs, News Flash

First Lady, Remi Tinubu To Preach At Lambeth Palace During UK Visit The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is scheduled to preach at Lambeth Palace in London on Thursday as part of activities lined up for President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom. Lambeth Palace serves as the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and is a central site for the Church of England. According to details of the official itinerary published by AFP, the First Lady will also meet with representatives of the Church of England during the visit. The visit marks Nigeria’s first state visit…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Maiduguri Bombing: Presidency Debunks Fake Trump Post On Tinubu

Abuja, FGN, Foreign Affairs, International, News Flash

Maiduguri Bombing: Presidency Debunks Fake Trump Post On Tinubu The Presidency has dismissed as false a viral social media post attributed to U.S. President, Donald Trump, which criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the recent bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State. The post, widely circulated online, claimed Nigeria was witnessing “massive, coordinated suicide bombings” while Tinubu was away on an official visit to the United Kingdom, accusing him of neglecting national security. Reacting, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the message as fabricated and misleading, warning Nigerians against falling for disinformation. “Enemies of Nigeria are always…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

The Collapse Of The Permanent Process – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Columns/Opinions/Letters, Foreign Affairs, War

The Collapse of the Permanent Process This moment should not be understood through the language of old habits or outdated comparisons. It is not enough to say that this is merely a repetition of the past, nor is it responsible to force every present decision into the framework of earlier failures. History offers lessons, certainly, but it also demands discernment. Not every exercise of power is the same. Not every conflict is born of the same logic. And not every assertion of national purpose should be dismissed as a return to past error. What is clear, however, is that the…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Iran Sends Strong Message To Nations Against Joining War With US, Israel

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, War

Iran Sends Strong Message To Nations Against Joining War With US, Israel Iran on Sunday warned other countries against getting involved in its war with the United States and Israel, as Rome reported a base in Kuwait hosting US and Italian troops was hit by a drone attack. It also came after Tehran sent a stern message to its neighbours that it had “ample evidence” US bases on their territory were being used to launch attacks. Iran’s warning to keep out of the war came a day after President Donald Trump had called on other countries to work with the…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Iran Commander Who Vowed To ‘Hunt Down And Kill’ Israeli PM Reportedly Killed Two Hours Later

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, War

Iran Commander Who Vowed To ‘Hunt Down And K¡ll’ Israeli PM Reportedly K¡lled Two Hours Later Brigadier General Mohammad Karami, the Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, was reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes in Isfahan. These reports emerged just hours after he allegedly issued a public threat to “hunt down and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Brigadier General Mohammad Karami, was appointed as the Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces in June 2025. According to reports, the strike that killed Karami reportedly took place in Isfahan, Iran. The reported elimination occurred roughly two hours after Karami’s public vow against…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Says He’s Accepted ‘Call’ To Lead Iran After Khamenei’s Death

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, World News

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Says He’s Accepted ‘Call’ To Lead Iran After Khamenei’s Death Reza Pahlavi, exiled Iranian crown prince, says he has accepted the call to be the country’s next leader. Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran and is widely regarded as the most prominent figure in the opposition to the Iranian government. He has repeatedly called for protests against the Islamic Republic and advocated for the removal of the current regime from power, as well as closer relation with the Western world and Israel. Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Khamenei’s Deputy Chief Of Staff Killed As Israel Launches 50 Fighter Jets Into Iran’s Underground Military Bunker

Foreign Affairs, International, News Flash, War, World News

Khamenei’s Deputy Chief Of Staff Killed As Israel Launches 50 Fighter Jets Into Iran’s Underground Military Bunker In a major development in the intensifying Israel-Iran war, Israeli media reported that a senior figure within Iran’s leadership structure was killed during an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, marking another high-level casualty in the conflict that has shaken the country’s command network. On Friday, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Ali Asghar Mir Hejazi, the deputy chief of staff of the office of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Iranian capital.…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Chinese Boss Drops $26 Million In Cash At End Of Year Party, Tells Employees To Take As Much As They Can Carry

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, Philanthropy, World News

Chinese Boss Drops $26 Million In Cash At End Of Year Party, Tells Employees To Take As Much As They Can Carry A Chinese company stunned staff by stacking $26 million in cash at its end-of-year celebration, inviting employees to take home as much money as they could carry. The firm, Henan Kuangshan Crane Co. Ltd., hosted its annual party on February 13, spreading the enormous sum across 800 banquet tables. Beneath bright, colorful lights, sharply dressed employees were seen eagerly sizing up the towering piles of banknotes laid out before them. An estimated 7,000 people attended the company’s celebration.…