Odita Sunday 
THURSDAY, 29 OCTOBER 2026
WORLD • IRAN & UNITED STATES
Trump Says “Anything’s Possible” on Iran After the Midterms, and Gulf Allies Are Told to Brace
Asked on Wednesday whether the United States might strike Iran once November’s midterm elections are over, President Trump answered: “anything’s possible.” He said America is in a “very good position,” and suggested that Tehran wants a deal but may be waiting out the vote, which he said “is not going to help them.” The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has told several Gulf Arab allies to prepare for a campaign that could be short but intense after the elections. For Gulf neighbours within range of Iran’s missiles, that is far more than a political headline.
The strain is showing on the ground and in the ledger. Saudi air defences shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis toward the city of Taif on Tuesday night. Reuters, citing internal Defense Department data, reports that US spending on the war has passed $47 billion, more than a quarter above the Pentagon’s July estimate, with over $29 billion going on replacing munitions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is tracking and freezing cryptocurrency assets linked to the Iranian government.
At a rally in Texas, Trump even floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz after himself, pointing to higher oil flows through it. Iran’s side of the story, and any shift in the Qatar- and Pakistan-led mediation, was not clear at press time.
WORLD • ISRAEL
Israel Wakes to a Deadlock: Neither Netanyahu Nor Eisenkot Can Yet Count to 61
After the highest turnout in Israel since 1999, 77.7 percent of eligible voters, the country woke on Wednesday without a clear winner. With about 76 percent of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was on track for 54 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, seven short of a majority, while former army chief Gadi Eisenkot’s alliance was heading for 47. Arab parties were set to win about 19 seats, up from 10, and both leaders have said they will not work with them; Netanyahu called the idea a “disgrace and a shame.” Over 60,000 Israelis flew home to vote.
The final tally is expected by Friday and official results on 4 November. President Isaac Herzog will then consult party leaders and name the candidate best placed to form a government, who will have up to 42 days. Options include a minority government or a power-sharing rotation; if nothing works, Israel goes back to the polls, with Netanyahu’s cabinet staying on as caretaker.
NIGERIA • ECONOMY & POLITICS
N70,000 a Month for Transport: Relief for Workers, or “Political Bribery”?
The Federal Government has approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers, Punch and Leadership report, following talks with the Nigeria Labour Congress. Atiku Abubakar, speaking through ADC spokesman Phrank Shaibu, asked a question many commuters will recognise: “Does hardship end at the bus stop?” He pointed out that public workers are a small part of the population, that N70,000 buys 50 litres of petrol at about N1,400 a litre, and that earlier relief schemes had faded. He called the announcement “political bribery” and urged the government to publish payment dates and eligibility rules. He says payments start in November. We saw no government reply to him.
NIGERIA • FOREIGN DEBT
Foreign Loans in the Spotlight: What Nigerians Are Being Asked to Repay
President Tinubu’s request to the Senate for new external loans keeps drawing questions. Vanguard puts the request at $20.5 billion and €1.04 billion, while The Guardian reports $21.7 billion and BusinessDay asks what returns the fresh debt will bring. The figures differ, and we have not seen the Senate letter. Atiku and the ADC have raised concerns about the lack of project detail. For the family at the end of the chain, the worry is simple: who repays, and from what?
NIGERIA • POLITICS
Enugu’s Governor Asks the South-East to Back Tinubu: “Not Out of Blind Loyalty”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State went to the inauguration of the state’s APC campaign council with a pitch aimed at young people. A proposed gas pipeline linking major South-East cities, he said, could bring reliable energy, industry and jobs, because “it is about keeping our children here.” He cited the development of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, especially its cargo facilities, which he said would spare businesses the cost of routing goods through Lagos, and the new South-East Development Commission. The region gave Tinubu limited support in 2023, he acknowledged, but said backing now is a matter of economic interest: “We are not doing this out of blind loyalty.” These are the governor’s claims, and we have not checked the status of the projects.
NIGERIA • POLITICS
APC Chieftain Predicts Atiku Will Lose “Even at His Own Polling Unit”
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a graduation of 1,000 women trained under the Tinubu-Shettima Village-to-Village campaign, APC deputy national chairman Ali Bukar Dalori said Atiku will lose in 2027 “even at his polling unit” in Adamawa. He said Tinubu would also beat him in Borno, Yobe and other North-East states, pointing to federal roads such as Bauchi-Maiduguri and Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala and to Vice-President Shettima’s Borno roots. Dalori defended the removal of the petrol subsidy and the foreign exchange changes as necessary, while acknowledging the cost-of-living debate. It is a prediction, not a result: Atiku won Adamawa in 2023 as the PDP candidate.
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