Thousands of prisoners in British jails were due to be released early on Tuesday, as part of government moves to ease overcrowding. Recently released figures showed that the prison population in England and Wales was at its highest-ever level. But with concern about released prisoners reoffending, the government insisted that no violent offenders or domestic abusers would be eligible for early release. Business minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News that it was “a difficult decision” to release the 1,700 prisoners. Downing Street has said the policy was required to avoid “unchecked criminality”, where recently convicted criminals have been spared jail…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
Opposition leader, Maria Machado, vowed on Monday to remain in Venezuela a day after her colleague and presidential candidate, Edmundo Urrutia, took up asylum in Spain, claiming post-election repression. “I have decided to stay in Venezuela and take part in the struggle from here while he (Gonzalez Urrutia) does it from abroad,” Machado, who is in hiding, told reporters via videoconference. Urrutia, 75, arrived in Madrid late Sunday after weeks in hiding following a July 28 presidential election that the opposition insists he won but was claimed by incumbent strongman Nicolas Maduro. “We all know that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is…
On September 9, 2024, Administrator Samantha Power of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell engaged in a critical discussion focusing on health and humanitarian emergencies in Gaza and Sudan. Administrator Power commended UNICEF for its exemplary leadership and strategic role in managing humanitarian needs worldwide. She particularly highlighted UNICEF’s stewardship of the Education Cannot Wait global fund, which supports education in emergencies and protracted crises. The conversation also celebrated the inclusion of two young advocates in the UNICEF Executive Board’s special session on climate and children. Their participation reflects a growing recognition…
The Forestry and Wild Life in Borno Ministry of Environment said a herd of elephants that allegedly strayed from neighbouring Cameroon has invaded and destroyed some community farmlands in the state. A Director in the ministry, Ayuba Peter, confirmed the ugly incident in an interview with the newsmen in Maiduguri on Monday. Peter said the incident had become perennial in the last five years in the area. “We have been having reports of elephants destroying farmlands in Gamboru/Ngala and Kala-Balge Local Government Areas for the past five years. “They used to come from a forest reserve in the neighbouring Cameroon…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate recall of Dove Beauty Cream Bar Soap (100g), batch number 81832M 08, due to safety concerns. The soap, produced in Germany, contains Butylphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), a chemical banned in cosmetic products due to its harmful effects on health. BMHCA, also known as Lilial, has been linked to reproductive harm, potential risks to unborn children, and skin sensitization, which can trigger allergic reactions. NAFDAC explained that the soap violates cosmetic safety regulations, leading to the recall. “The presence of Butylphenyl Methylpropional in this product poses a…
UNICEF, in collaboration with the wife of Sokoto State Governor, Fatima Aliyu, has intensified efforts to improve birth registration and child nutrition in the state. During a visit to Sokoto on Monday, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, expressed concern about the 1.5 million unregistered children under the age of five in the state. “Having a birth certificate not only provides an official identity but also helps families access essential social services such as healthcare, education, and nutrition,” Munduate emphasized. She also stated the need to move swiftly to immunize children who are yet to receive vaccines, stressing that…
James Earl Jones, a versatile and award-winning American stage and screen actor who used his booming deep voice to bring the iconic “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader to life, has died, his representatives said Monday. He was 93 years old. From the works of Shakespeare and August Wilson, to his indelible voiceovers in the blockbuster space saga and as Mufasa in the Disney classic “The Lion King,” Jones earned fans with his ability to play both the everyman and the otherworldly. He won three Tony awards including a lifetime award, two Emmys and a Grammy, as well as an honorary…
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are virtually tied just days before their debate, which could shape the outcome of the election. Polls released ahead of the Tuesday debate reveal a close contest, with Trump leading Harris by just one percentage point nationally, according to a New York Times/Siena poll, at 48% to 47%. A CBS News/YouGov poll shows Harris with a narrow edge in key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, while both candidates are tied in Pennsylvania. Harris’ rapid rise as a presidential contender comes after President Joe Biden unexpectedly withdrew from the race in July, leaving her to…
Algeria’s incumbent President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has been re-elected with almost 95 per cent of the vote, the country’s electoral authority ANIE said Sunday. “Out of 5,630,000 voters recorded, 5,320,000 voted for the independent candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune, accounting for 94.65 per cent of the vote,” ANIE head Mohamed Charfi told reporters in the capital Algiers. Tebboune, 78, was heavily favoured to secure a second term in the race against moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani, 57, and socialist candidate Youcef Aouchiche, 41. “The election was marked by broad transparency” and “reflected the electoral maturity of the people”, said Charfi. But, he did not…
The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, has issued a warning to individuals and entities engaged in activities that violate regulations within the capital market. Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, Agama emphasized that the SEC will enforce the full extent of the law to safeguard investors, including those in the growing crypto space. In a statement released by SEC on Sunday, Agama stressed that the Commission is dedicated to ensuring transparency and investor protection. “We are sending a clear signal to those who want to play by the rules that they are welcome…
A truck driver shot dead three Israeli guards at a border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan Sunday before being “eliminated”, Israel’s military said, as it pounded Gaza with new strikes. Jordan’s interior ministry identified the shooter as Jordanian national Maher Diab Hussein al-Jazi, citing “preliminary investigations”. The rare attack at the Allenby Bridge crossing comes amid soaring violence in the West Bank with major Israeli raids and attacks by Palestinians, and against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas Gaza war, now in its 12th month. The military said “a terrorist” reached the crossing area, also known as the…
Thousands of left-wing demonstrators took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest against the appointment of centre-right Michel Barnier as prime minister, accusing President Emmanuel Macron of a “power grab.” Police reported that around 26,000 people participated in the Paris demonstration, while left-wing groups claimed a much higher turnout. Smaller protests occurred in cities across France, including Nantes in the west, Nice and Marseille in the south, and Strasbourg in the east. Macron appointed Barnier, a 73-year-old former foreign minister and the EU’s Brexit negotiator, as prime minister on Thursday, following July’s snap elections in which his centrist…