Former United States President, Donald Trump, lashed out in rambling, angry comments Friday at his “sick” opponents and “fascists” after what he called a “very unfair” trial that made him the first former US president to become a convicted felon. The 77-year-old Republican, who is neck and neck with President Joe Biden in the 2024 White House race, confirmed he would appeal. “We’re going to be appealing this scam,” he said. Trump was speaking at what was billed as a press conference in the upscale lobby of his signature Trump Tower property in Manhattan. But after taking to the podium,…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The former first lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu has been arrested on charges of money laundering, according to her lawyer Makebi Zulu. The arrest occurred Thursday evening, following an extensive interrogation regarding properties held by the Lungu family in Lusaka. Esther Lungu, 66, along with her two daughters, was detained and questioned about a block of flats located in Lusaka’s upscale New Kasama district. These properties, constructed at a cost of 41 million kwacha ($1.6 million), are suspected to be proceeds of crime. The Anti-Drug Agency of Zambia stated that Lungu failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the…
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has left hospital and will continue his recovery from a gun attack at his Bratislava home, the interior minister said on Friday. Fico was shot several times on May 15 as he greeted supporters after an offsite government meeting in the central town of Handlova. He was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Banska Bystrica, where he underwent two lengthy surgeries and remained in recovery until Thursday. “Yesterday, we managed to take the prime minister home. He is at home and will be recovering there,” Interior Minister Matus Sutaj…
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, says an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) must translate to job creation for youths to ensure growth on the continent. Adesina said this at a presentation on the African Economic Outlook held on the sidelines of the ongoing 2024 Annual Meetings in Nairobi. The AfDB president dismissed the pursuit of GDP growth, adding that the quality and impact of growth on job creation are paramount. “We have to ensure that our growth also gives value to youth and women. We do not need GDP. “It does not…
The website of South Africa’s electoral commission was down on Friday as the country counted votes from a key election in which the ruling ANC looked set to lose its majority. “We apologise for the issue with our public-facing NPE system, and are working on restoring service”, the commission said. “The results system is still operational and local offices continue to capture results”, it said. With a third of votes in Wednesday’s election tallied, the ANC was leading but with a score of only 42 percent – well below the 57 percent it won in 2019. The…
A top United Nations official stated that humanity is in a “race against time” to harness the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for the common good while mitigating its significant risks. Speaking at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU), stated the urgency of the situation, declaring, “We’ve let the genie out of the bottle.” Bogdan-Martin stressed the transformative power of AI, noting its remarkable advancements and the role it can play in addressing critical global issues such as climate change, hunger, and social care. “Recent developments in…
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf met with National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu at the Office of the NSA in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, was prompted by the recent political upheavals in Kano, including the dissolution of five emirates by the Kano State House of Assembly and the reinstatement of Emir Muhammad Sanusi II by Governor Yusuf. A statement from the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, highlighted that the discussions covered various matters of state and national development. Governor Yusuf emphasized the importance of the NSA’s role in maintaining harmony across…
NNPC Limited and ExxonMobil have sealed a $1.28 billion asset divestment deal involving Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited. The agreement was reached to transfer a 100% interest in Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to Seplat Energy Offshore Limited. This milestone follows a directive from President Tinubu urging the Ministry of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and NNPC Limited to expedite the deal, aiming to unlock substantial benefits for Nigeria and its stakeholders. NNPC Limited confirmed the settlement agreement in a statement, stating its commitment to advancing the country’s energy sector. The divestment is expected to enhance operational efficiency and…
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on teenage girls from the South-East region of Nigeria to reject the cervical cancer vaccination being offered by the Federal Government. Emma Powerful, the IPOB media and publicity secretary, issued a statement on Wednesday stating the group’s concerns. In October 2023, the International Vaccine Centre announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria had introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine into its routine immunization program. This led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) with support from partners like Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and IVAC, aims to combat HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer,…
Billions of dollars’ worth of gold is smuggled out of Africa each year, much of it bound for Dubai before it is legally re-exported to other countries, a Swiss NGO said Thursday. Development NGO Swissaid published a report saying that 321-474 tonnes of African gold produced through artisanal and small-scale mining goes undeclared each year, representing a value of between $24-$35 billion. Africa is the world’s main gold-producing continent, with Ghana, South Africa, Mali and Burkina Faso leading production in 2022. According to the NGO, smuggling of African gold is on the rise, having “more than doubled between 2012 and…
UNICEF on Wednesday condemned a “distressing” 70 percent rise in grave violence against children in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, countries plagued by jihadists and other armed groups. The three Sahel states are all under military rule after experiencing coups since 2020, with civilians caught in a spiral of clashes between jihadists, community militias, bandits, regular armies and their auxiliaries. Mali is also facing a separatist insurrection. “In the last three months of 2023, grave violations against children in the central Sahel increased by more than 70 percent compared with the previous three months,” said Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF Regional Director…
Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Israel, a diplomatic source told AFP Wednesday, ratcheting up tensions between the two countries over Israel’s war in Gaza. The nearly eight-month-old conflict has soured Israel’s diplomatic ties with several nations, including Brazil, whose President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in February accused the country’s government of genocide. Israel reacted furiously, declaring the Brazilian leader persona non grata.1:00 Israel had previously summoned the South American country’s ambassador Frederico Meyer to a meeting at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem, where he was publically reprimanded in Hebrew without a translator present, said the…