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Cape Verde seeks Nigeria’s support in creative industry

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The Cape Verde Government has solicited the support of Nigeria in the development of its music, films and other areas of creative industry.
Mr Abraao Vincente, The Cape Verde Minister of Culture and Creative Industry made the request during a bilateral talk with Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Nigeria Minister of Information and Culture.
Our correspondent reports the meeting which held on Monday in Praia,  the Cape Verde Capital, is on the sideline of the  64th Conference of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – Commission for Africa
Our correspondent reports the conference and the  second edition of UNWTO Global Tourism Investment Forum took place in Sal, one of the 13 islands that make up the  archipelago and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean.
Vincente said with the global recognition and acceptance of Nigerian music and films, his country yearned to collaborate  and get support to improve  on the sector.
“Right now the Nigerian musicians are making waves internationally and are known globally .
“Music and tourism are equally  our strong points and we  can collaborate in these areas to learn a lot from Nigeria,” he said.
Vincente said the collaboration had started at the private sector level but it would be better driven when it is concretised through bilateral agreement.
He recalled that a Nigerian ace producer, Kunle Afolayan, was in Cape Verde to shoot some films and he was warmly accepted by the authority.
He also recalled the feat of a Nigerian Architect, Prof. Kunle Adeyemi,  who designed a floating music hub on a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Verde.
Our correspondent reports that the floating music hub in Cape Verde recently inaugurated and opened to the public was designed by the Architect using the Makoko Floating School Concept  in Lagos built in 2012.
The floating hub which has been one of the West African region’s most revered cultural projects, created pavilions that float off the shire in Mindelo on the Island of Sao Vincente.
Vincente described Adeyemi, who was also at the event as a “Cape Verdean with Nigerian blood and a true African”.
“Everything in Africa is designed to make us collaborate with the European more and this is not the way to go.
“The two Kunles (Afolayan and Adeyemi) are good examples of how Africa countries should collaborate.
“We are always proud to introduce the floating music hub as being designed by an African, a Nigerian and this is about talking positive about Africa.
“African countries. must learn to collaborate among themselves to make the continent great,” he said.
Vincente proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Nigeria and Cape Verde to improve collaboration and encourage exchange programmes which was accepted by both parties.
Earlier, Mohammed  said while there were different unexplored tourist sites in Nigeria, the greatest strength of the country  was  in music, film, television, architecture and the entire gamut of creative industry.
He said that Nigeria welcomed collaboration with Cape Verde in the area of creative industry, adding that both Afolayan and Adeyemi, were good ambassadors of Nigeria who had set the pace for the cooperation.
To make the cooperation more effective, Mohammed said he had earlier discussed with the Cape Verde Minister of Tourism and Transport on the need to renew the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between both countries.
He said the BASA which allows for a direct flight from Lagos to Sal Island, Cape Verde would ease the challenge of connectivity currently being faced by investors and travellers.
The minister said it took him and his entourage three days to arrive in Sal from Lagos and it will take them another three days to return to Nigeria because of poor connectivity.
“We understand it was the COVID-19 pandemic that slow down the implementation of the agreement.
“We want a regular flight  between the two countries to encourage growth in the economy,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by Mr John Usanga, the Nigerian Ambassador to  Guinea Bissau with concurrent accreditation to Cape Verde and Mr Segun Adeyemi, Special Adviser to the Minister.
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Foreign

BREAKING: Trump Orders Investigation into Reported Christian Killings in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed lawmakers to launch an immediate investigation into reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the situation as a “Christian genocide.”

In a statement released Friday evening via his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed grave concern over the violence, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called a “mass slaughter.”

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.

The U.S. President announced that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alarming figures of killings within the country compared to global totals.

“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” Trump stated.

He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” pledging that his administration remains ready “to protect Christian populations around the world.”

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Defence/Security

Polish MEP Raises Alarm Over Killings of Christians in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dominik Tarczyński, has once again drawn global attention to what he described as the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on his verified 𝕏 account on Monday, Tarczyński shared an image of a blood-stained Nigerian flag alongside a viral video showing a pastor conducting a burial ceremony for victims of violence.

In the video, the pastor lamented the frequent killings, saying:

“We are tired of performing burial every day, and they expect us to remain silent. It has become an order, and the Nigerian government came out to deny the massacre, saying there is no genocide of Christians in Nigeria. United Nations, you’re watching me. The American Parliament is aware of what we are doing now. My special request is to President Trump to save our lives in Nigeria. They are killing more Christians. If they say they kill Muslims, the Muslims are killed by who? Muslims are killed by Muslims.”

Tarczyński’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to combat banditry and terrorism.

However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a religiously targeted genocide. In a recent statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”

Idris maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and not driven by religious motives, warning that framing the fight against terrorism as an anti-Christian campaign could deepen existing social and religious divides.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all Nigerians, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and called on international partners and media outlets to “refrain from narratives that distort the country’s security realities.”

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Foreign

Two Dead After Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Two airport security officers were killed early Monday after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck their patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea.

The incident involved Emirates flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 arriving from Dubai around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT Sunday). The aircraft veered off the north runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water. Both occupants of the vehicle died, while the plane’s four crew members survived.

According to officials, the plane ended up partially submerged, making it one of Hong Kong Airport’s deadliest aviation accidents in years. Two other runways remain operational as investigations continue.

Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol vehicle had been travelling on a service road outside the runway’s perimeter at a “safe distance” when the plane suddenly turned off course.
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not enter the runway” and that the aircraft had not sent a distress signal before landing.

Divers later recovered the bodies of the victims—two men aged 30 and 41—about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One was confirmed dead at the scene, and the other died in hospital.

Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the event as “deeply saddening.”

Emirates confirmed the accident, saying the cargo plane “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong.” The airline noted there was no cargo onboard and that the aircraft had been wet-leased—meaning operated with crew and insurance—from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.

Firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, rescuing all four crew members who had escaped via the aircraft’s emergency slides. Photos from the crash site show the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in water.

Authorities are now searching for the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders (“black boxes”). A police spokesperson said criminal investigations have not been ruled out.

The affected runway will remain closed pending the outcome of the investigation. At least 11 incoming cargo flights were cancelled on Monday, according to airport authorities.

This is only the second fatal aviation accident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous one occurred in 1999, when a China Airlines jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.

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