News
Trump Confirms US Has Signed A Trade Deal With China
President Donald Trump says the United States and China have signed a trade agreement amid efforts to end a trade war between the world’s biggest economies.
“We just signed with China the other day,” Trump said during an event at the White House late on Thursday, without providing further details.
A White House official said: “The administration and China agreed to an additional understanding for a framework to implement the Geneva agreement,” referring to talks in the Swiss capital last month where the two countries agreed to a trade truce.
The understanding is “about how we can implement expediting rare earths shipments to the US again”, the official said.
The deal follows the Geneva agreement that led both China and the US to postpone massive tariff hikes for 90 days as they sought to reach a broader trade deal.
Later talks in London set a framework for negotiations and the deal mentioned by Trump appeared to formalise that agreement.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told US media outlet Bloomberg TV on Thursday that the deal had been “signed and sealed” two days earlier. Lutnick did not provide any details about the agreement.
China confirmed details of the agreement on Friday, saying it would approve export applications of controlled items in accordance with the law but did not mention rare earths.
“Following the London talks, the teams from both sides have maintained close communication,” a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
“Recently, with approval, both sides further confirmed the details of the framework,” they said, adding that China “will review and approve applications for the export control items that meet the requirements in accordance with the law.”
“The US side will correspondingly cancel a series of restrictive measures against China.”
During the Geneva talks, Beijing had committed to removing non-tariff countermeasures imposed against the US since April 2, although it was unclear how some of those measures would be walked back.
As part of its retaliation against new US tariffs, China had suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets, upending the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world.
In response to the curbs on exports, the Trump administration responded with export controls of its own, preventing shipments of semiconductor design software, aircraft and other goods to China.
In early June, the Reuters news agency reported China had granted temporary export licences to rare earth suppliers of the top three US automakers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as supply chain disruptions began to surface from export curbs on those materials.
Later in the month, Trump said there was a deal with China in which Beijing would supply magnets and rare earth minerals while the US would allow Chinese students in its colleges and universities.
The Department of State Services (DSS) will arraign former Governnor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, on February 25 over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court has fixed the date for the arraignment of the former Governor on a three-count criminal charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) after the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho assigned the case to her.
NAN earlier reported that the DSS, on Monday, filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai following his alleged involvement in wiretapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The charge, instituted by the Nigerian secret police, is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026.
The service accused El-Rufai of breaching the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act (2024) and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003.)
In court, El-Rufai was alleged to have, on Feb. 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Mr Ribadu.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Maureen Omorinola Badejo is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on February 20, 2026, following charges filed by the Inspector-General of Police over allegations bordering on defamation, cyberstalking, and related offences.
The charges arise from online publications made in November 2021, in which Ms. Badejo allegedly transmitted statements and videos on YouTube and Facebook concerning Apostle Johnson Suleman and his associate Dickson Omodiale Osajie.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that:
Ms. Badejo conspired with others to publish defamatory content against Apostle Suleman.
She allegedly portrayed him as a cultist, rapist, assassin, ritualist, and other criminal labels, knowing the claims to be false.
She is accused of sending false messages via computer networks intended to cause annoyance, hatred, intimidation, and injury to reputation.
Additional allegations state that defamatory statements were also made against Mr. Dickson Osajie, claiming involvement in crimes such as rape and ritual killing.
Authorities further allege that the publications caused fear for safety and threatened bodily harm to the complainants.
The offences cited fall under provisions of the Criminal Code Act (Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
The case follows a formal petition submitted to the Nigeria Police Force by Mr. Osajie, who alleged persistent cyberstalking, harassment, invasion of privacy, threats to life, and dissemination of false information affecting himself, Apostle Suleman, and their families.
Statement from Maureen Badejo
Ms. Badejo maintains her readiness to face the court and present her defense, expressing confidence in the Nigerian judicial system to ensure fairness and justice.
“I will appear in court as required and trust that the truth will prevail through due legal process,” she stated.
However Ms. Badejo is expected to be formally arraigned before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, where the charges will be read and she will enter her plea.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has officially suspended impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.
The House moved the motion to halt the impeachment process on Thursday at its resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
JomogNews had reported that during its first sitting of 2026, the House had begun impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the State Assembly complex and alleged spending without legislative approval, among other claims.
More details later….
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