Politics
Syria: Islamist rebels eye more gains after seizing Hama
Islamist rebels and their allies have claimed victory in the battle over the strategically important city. Government forces, assisted by Russian warplanes, were not able to repel the attack.
Islamist-led rebels in Syria captured the strategically crucial city of Hama on three sides, both the militants and the Syrian government said on Thursday.
“Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups… these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it,” the army said, adding that it had withdrawn from the city to prevent urban combat and the civilian death toll associated with it.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the rebels were able to make significant advances in the last 24 hours, despite the government sending “large military convoys to Hama” and the surrounding area.
They added that the Syrian army has been joined by Russian and Iranian officers, as both countries have been longtime allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
State news agency SANA confirmed that the government was waging “fierce battles” across Hama province, led by “joint Syrian-Russian warplanes.”
German news agency DPA said that award-winning Syrian photographer Anas Alkharboutli was killed in one of the airstrikes on Hama.
What’s the current situation in Syria?
After capturing Hama, rebels said they were preparing to keep marching south towards Homs, a city that links the capital Damascus to the north and coast.
On Thursday, Assad’s forces shot down two “enemy” drones over Damascus, state news agency SANA reported.
“A short time ago, our air defenses confronted enemy drone aircraft in the skies over Damascus,” the statement from a military source said, adding that “two aircraft were shot down, without any human or material losses.”
China, meanwhile, urged its citizens to leave Syria “as soon as possible.”
“Currently, the situation in northwestern Syria is intensifying, and the overall security situation is deteriorating further,” the Chinese embassy said in a message on its WeChat account.
It advised Chinese citizens in the country “to make use of available commercial flights to return home or leave the country as soon as possible.”
Surprise offensive
The latest violent clashes follow a surprise offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist rebels and their allies last week. The group quickly captured the city of Aleppo, which has never been out of government hands in over a decade of civil war in Syria.
Control of Hama is considered strategically significant because the city connects Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Moreover, although Hama city was home to large protests against Assad’s rule in 2011, the province is home to a great number of Alawites. This is the community from which Assad hails and provides a strong base of support for the president.
The United Nations has said that hundreds of people, mostly fighters, have been killed in the latest flare-up of violence in Syria, and some 115,000 have had to flee their homes.
Who is fighting in Syria?
In 2011, Assad led a brutal clampdown on Arab Spring protests calling for an end to his authoritarian rule, leading to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
Parties to the conflict have changed over the years, and have included groups that ran the ideological gamut from moderate rebels who sprang out of the protest movement to the extremist “Islamic State” (IS) group.
Following the defeat of IS, things were relatively quiet for a time.
The most recent spate of attacks has been led by HTS, an al-Qaeda offshoot that has pro-Turkish leanings. Turkey has long been opposed to Assad.
HTS is based out of Idlib, one of the last rebel bastions in Syria.
Supporting Assad both diplomatically and at times militarily over the years has been Russia and Iran, who continue to do so now. Iraqi militias have also joined Syrian government troops on the battlefield.
Politics
Breaking: Diri Orders Autopsy on Bayelsa Deputy Governor’s Death, Warns Against Politicisation
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death of the state’s Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Governor Diri gave the directive on Saturday while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Government House in Yenagoa.
Reacting to the incident, the governor condemned what he described as widespread misinformation and speculation on social media, warning against any attempt to politicise the deputy governor’s death.
“I want to make an appeal. I have seen people politicise his death. In Ijaw land, there is no enmity in death. Let nobody politicise the passing of our dearly beloved deputy governor,” Diri said.
“If anyone truly loves him, this is the time to show it. I have directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of his death. There is a lot of nonsense going on on social media.”
The governor further urged the public to focus on mourning and honouring the late deputy governor, noting that the state government had declared three working days of mourning in his honour.
“If anyone is issuing statements to eulogise him, let it end there. Let us mourn him because Bayelsa State is in a mourning mood,” he added.
Governor Diri also called for unity and love among the people, reminding them of the inevitability of death.
Speaking during the condolence visit, former President Goodluck Jonathan described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a committed and dedicated individual who played a key role in the activities of his foundation.
“For me, he was someone my foundation and I will never forget. He represented the governor in all our programs,” Jonathan said, adding that Ewhrudjakpo worked tirelessly in that role, even more than when he served as deputy governor.
The founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has said he will never take part in partisan politics, not for even billions of naira.
He stated that no amount of money, including “$1 billion,” (1.4 Trillion naira) would make him join politics.
Oyedepo made this known during an impartation service at Shiloh 2025 held at the church’s headquarters in Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State.
He explained that partisan politics is not part of his life’s calling and that is why he has chosen to stay away from it.
In his words: “In 2015, I warned the church that trouble was coming. Didn’t trouble come?
“Partisan politics is off my calling. If you give me $1 billion to join politics, I won’t, because it is off my course.”
The bishop also said the world is in urgent need of God’s intervention because of the times we are living in.
According to him, believers are being trained as an end-time army to bring solutions to national and global problems, similar to what biblical figures like Joseph and Daniel did.
President Bola Tinubu congratulates Chief Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on his birthday, December 13.
President Tinubu celebrates with the Minister and former governor of Rivers State, giving thanks to God Almighty for enriching him with a life defined by purpose, service, and courage.
The President describes Chief Wike as an audacious top performer who defies obstacles and delivers results.
President Tinubu acknowledges the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory through infrastructure expansion, highlighting the Minister’s recent intervention that broke the 14-year logjam in the construction of the Apo-Karshi road.
The President commends Chief Wike for his resilience, can-do attitude, and commitment to excellence in all assignments.
President Tinubu thanks the Minister for his consistent efforts in delivering results and wishes him a happy birthday and strength to further his good work in the FCT.
“Nyesom Wike has been one of the shining stars in the cabinet, an exceptional performer, developing infrastructure in the Federal capital as never seen before and proving that his moniker as ‘Mr Project’ is not limited to his home state of Rivers.
“I commend him for being one of the champions of our Renewed Hope Agenda, even though he belongs to another party and wish him well as he marks another year in his life journey”.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
December 13, 2025
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