Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Vladimir Putin on Monday, telling his Russian counterpart his re-election “fully reflects the support of the Russian people”, Beijing’s state media reported.
With 99 percent of polling stations having submitted results, Putin had secured 87.33 percent of all votes cast, official election data showed Monday, according to state news agency RIA.
Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
It was a record victory for Putin in a presidential election where he faced no genuine competition, with the polls criticised by several Western nations as neither free nor fair.
“Your re-election fully reflects the support of the Russian people for you,” Xi told Putin, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“In recent years, the Russian people have united as one to overcome challenges and move forward steadily on the road to national development and revitalisation,” Xi reportedly said.
“I believe that under your leadership, Russia will be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and construction,” he said.
“China attaches great importance to the development of China-Russia relations and is willing to maintain close communication with Russia to promote the sustained, healthy, stable and in-depth development of (bilateral ties),” Xi said.
Putin heaped praise on key ally Beijing on Monday, saying he was “sure that in the coming years we will only strengthen and build up our relations and achieve common successes for the benefit of the Chinese and Russian peoples”, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
“The most important thing is the coincidence of state interests. This creates a very good tone for solving common problems in the field of international relations,” Putin was reported as saying.
“The structure of China’s economy is changing towards innovation,” he said. “We face exactly the same tasks in Russia.”
Once socialist allies, China and Russia endured a tempestuous relationship during the later decades of the last century but have drawn closer of late as their burgeoning friendship has come to represent a bulwark against the US-led West.
The close ties have deepened even as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has roiled Moscow’s relations with Western nations, and China has pointedly refused to condemn its ally’s attack on its European neighbour.
Western countries have argued that China’s equivocation has given Putin much-needed political and diplomatic cover to wage an unprovoked war of aggression on Kyiv.
Both leaders have previously hailed the strength of their personal friendship, having both reshaped their respective countries in their own images during protracted tenures at the helm.
Xi last October welcomed his “dear friend” Putin to Beijing, where the Russian president was the guest of honour at a multilateral summit.
The Chinese leader said that “political mutual trust between the two countries is continuously deepening”, hailing their “close and effective strategic coordination”.
Xi noted that he had met with Putin 42 times in the past decade, saying they had “developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship”.
AFP
A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola, has been sentenced to prison in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train heading to Manchester.
Odutola, 36, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and violating a suspended sentence order.
The incident took place around 7 p.m. on Friday, September 11, on a train traveling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
According to the British Transport Police, Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down, and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him.
He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over.”
A fellow passenger intervened and helped escort the distressed woman from the carriage. Police reports indicate that CCTV footage showed Odutola continuing to masturbate as other passengers walked through the carriage.
British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident.
Detective Constable Leonidas Christoforou of the British Transport Police stated that Odutola’s behavior was “terrifying” for the victim, whom he allegedly targeted while she was traveling alone.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has declined Nigeria’s request for an upward review of its 2027 Hajj allocation, leaving the country’s quota unchanged despite growing demand from intending pilgrims nationwide.
The Commission disclosed that it had formally engaged the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, seeking additional pilgrimage slots to accommodate the increasing number of Nigerian Muslims desirous of undertaking the sacred journey and to address appeals from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards for enhanced allocations.
However, Saudi authorities communicated their inability to grant additional slots, citing capacity limitations, structural constraints within the holy sites, and the Kingdom’s policy of strict adherence to approved country quotas under the current operational framework.
Consequently, Nigeria’s allocation for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains fixed at 35,000 slots for government pilgrims and 15,000 slots for licensed tour operators, bringing the country’s total approved allocation to 50,000 pilgrims.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the Commission fully understands the disappointment the decision may cause many aspiring pilgrims and state pilgrim boards that had hoped for additional allocations.
According to him, the Commission explored all available diplomatic and operational channels in pursuit of an increased quota but respects the final decision of the Saudi authorities.
“We appreciate the deep spiritual desire of many Nigerian Muslims to perform Hajj and understand the expectations of states and stakeholders seeking additional slots. While every effort was made to secure an upward review, the Saudi authorities have communicated their final position based on operational realities and capacity considerations,” Ambassador Yusuf stated.
The NAHCON Chairman urged state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and licensed tour operators to make judicious and transparent use of their approved allocations while ensuring strict compliance with all timelines established by the Commission and the Saudi Nusuk platform.
He emphasized that the deadline for uploading the data of all prospective pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains September 26, 2026, warning that no extensions would be granted under any circumstance.
“Kindly note that the deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims’ data remains September 26, 2026. We urge all partners, state pilgrim boards, tour operators and representatives to ensure that all required information is submitted before this date, as no extensions will be granted,” he said.
Ambassador Yusuf further advised intending pilgrims who may be unable to secure a slot under the approved 2027 allocation not to lose hope, revealing that preparations for the subsequent pilgrimage season have already commenced.
“Individuals who were unable to secure a slot for the upcoming Hajj are encouraged to register for the 2028 Hajj. The Commission has officially opened the registration portal for this period, and applications are now being accepted,” he added.
South African police have arrested five suspects after rescuing a 25-year-old e-hailing driver who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and held for ransom in Cape Town.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday that Steenberg police rescued the driver after he was allegedly raped by two female suspects and held at ransom by the group.
Police were alerted by the victim’s brother after the suspects contacted him and demanded R4,000 in cash for the driver’s release.
According to SAPS, the police used the victim’s vehicle tracker to locate him at Southampton Road in Heathfield, where he was rescued.
“Steenberg police rescued a 25-year-old e-hailing driver after he was raped and held at ransom by two female suspects and three males yesterday,” the police said.
The victim had reportedly met one of the female suspects the previous week through his e-hailing business.
According to police, the two exchanged telephone numbers and communicated throughout the week before arranging to meet.
“When he went to meet her, he was kidnapped by the suspects and the females raped him,” SAPS said.
Police subsequently arrested the two female suspects, aged 23 and 34, as well as three male suspects aged 16, 42 and 48.
The five suspects are expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 14, 2026.
SAPS said they would face charges relating to the alleged kidnapping and rape.
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