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Trump refuses to accept 2020 defeat, mocks sexual abuse victim

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A combative Donald Trump made a rare live appearance on longtime adversary CNN on Wednesday, repeating his false claims about the 2020 election, hurling insults and mocking a former magazine columnist he was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, during a one-hour “town hall” on the cable television network that he regularly denounced as “fake news” while in the White House, took questions on a broad range of subjects including the war in Ukraine, the debt limit, immigration and his multiple legal challenges.

“Most people understand that what happened was a rigged election,” Trump said of his 2020 presidential election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

If reelected, he said he would pardon a “large portion” of the hundreds of Trump supporters who have been jailed for their roles in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol.

“They were there with love in their heart,” the 76-year-old Trump said of the rioters who attempted to block the congressional certification of Biden’s win.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, refused to unreservedly commit to accepting the results of the next White House vote when pressed by CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins, the mediator for the event.

“If I think it’s an honest election, absolutely I would,” Trump said.

The former president also waded into the tense negotiations between the Biden White House and Congress over raising the US debt limit, urging Republican legislators not to do so if Democrats don’t agree to spending cuts.

“I say that the Republicans out there congressmen, senators, if they don’t give you massive cuts, you’re gonna have to do a default,” Trump said, before quickly adding that he sees such a scenario as unlikely.

The US government has never intentionally defaulted on its debt, and some economists warn that the effects could be calamitous.

On Ukraine, Trump said Russian leader Vladimir Putin made a “tremendous mistake” by invading but he declined to say who he wanted to win the war or whether he would continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.

“I don’t think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled,” he said. “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying and I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

“They were there with love in their heart,” the 76-year-old Trump said of the rioters who attempted to block the congressional certification of Biden’s win.

Trump slammed Biden over his handling of immigration saying that Thursday, when a Covid-era policy lapses, will be a “day of infamy” along the US border with Mexico.

“You’re going to have millions of people pouring into our country,” he said, while suggesting that he would reinstitute a policy of separating families at the border.

“When you have that policy, people don’t come,” he said. “I know it sounds harsh.”

‘Four more years of that?’
The CNN event was seen as the first major test of the 2024 campaign for Trump, who has done only a couple of rallies since launching his new White House bid.

Biden, who announced last month that he will seek re-election, responded to Trump’s appearance with a fund-raising appeal.

“It’s simple, folks,” Biden tweeted. “Do you want four more years of that?”

Never Back Down, a political action committee backing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, called the CNN event “an hour of nonsense that proved Trump is stuck in the past.”

The CNN appearance came just one day after Trump was ordered by a New York jury to pay $5 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine who accused him of raping her in a Manhattan department store changing room in 1996.

Trump vehemently repeated his denials and called Carroll a “wack job.”

Trump dismissed other legal challenges he is facing as the work of Democrats out to torpedo his bid to be the Republican standard-bearer in 2024. “They’re doing this for election interference,” he said.

Trump had a number of testy exchanges with Collins, a former CNN White House correspondent, calling her a “nasty person” at one point, while playing to the friendly Republican crowd, which responded with repeated applause and laughter.

CNN said the audience was made up of New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the state’s 2024 Republican presidential primary, the first in the nation.

CNN has come in for some criticism for giving the twice-impeached Trump a primetime slot but defended the move by saying it plans to provide the same town hall format to other presidential candidates.

Trump sued CNN in October, accusing the network of waging a campaign of “libel and slander” against him and seeking $475 million in punitive damages.

 

 

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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn

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The global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.

Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.

However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.

Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.

Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.

Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.

The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.

Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.

With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.

Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.

Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.

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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination

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A member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”

The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.

Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.

The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.

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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff

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The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.

It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.

According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.

The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.

“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.

He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.

According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.

“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.

The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.

It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.

It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.

The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.

Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.

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