Unknown gunmen shot dead seven members of the same family, including three children, in an execution-style killing in their home in rural South Africa, police said Thursday. A five-year-old boy was among those killed in the shooting at a homestead in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province late Wednesday, police said. The eldest victim was a woman aged about 55, they said. The motive for the attack in the Highflats area, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of the coastal city of Durban, was not yet known. “We are convinced as police that it was an execution. It was a planned murder,”…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The U.S. has proposed adding two permanent seats for African nations in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This proposal, set to be officially announced by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on September 12, 2024, at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, marks a pivotal shift in global diplomatic dynamics. The U.S. initiative reflects a broader strategy to strengthen relationships with Africa and Pacific Island nations, recognizing their growing importance in international geopolitics. The proposal also includes a rotating seat for small island states, acknowledging their unique challenges and strategic significance. This development comes as part…
Four hundred Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and have arrived back in Nigeria. The deportees landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on September 11, 2024. The deportation was carried out by the UAE authorities amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE. This latest development follows a series of previous deportations, with 190 Nigerians repatriated from the UAE in July 2024. Upon arrival, the deportees were received by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, working in conjunction with several agencies including the…
The Anambra state government, led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has mandated that all unaccredited schools operating within its jurisdiction must secure proper accreditation by September 17 or face closure. State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, announced on Thursday that these schools, discovered during a recent state evaluation, are operating illegally across all 21 local government areas. Nwosu emphasized that the operation of unaccredited schools contradicts the standards set by the Ministry of Education and undermines the state’s commitment to providing quality education. “The Governor is deeply concerned about the existence of these unapproved schools and is committed to ensuring…
At the 2024 Second Regular Session of the UN Women Executive Board, U.S. Ambassador to ECOSOC, Ambassador Carty, reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to advancing gender equality globally. Addressing the ongoing challenges to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 5 (Gender Equality), she commended the leadership of UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous and the organization’s efforts to promote the rights of women and girls. Ambassador Carty highlighted the importance of 2025, a pivotal year for gender equality, with key events such as the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and an in-depth…
Ghana’s government on Wednesday announced a 45-per cent increase in the producer price of cocoa for the 2024/2025 crop season, in a bid to curb smuggling. The policy is also designed to improve the welfare of cocoa farmers as the new season begins, said Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong. The new price, effective from Wednesday, raises the payment for a 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa beans to $192, up from $132. That brings the farm gate price to $3,063 per tonne, a 129-percent increase from the opening price of $1,335 per tonne for the 2023/2024 season. “This is…
In the early hours of Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike on a crowded tent camp in the Muwasi humanitarian zone in Gaza resulted in at least 19 casualties and 60 injuries, according to Palestinian officials. The tent camp was housing Palestinians displaced by the nearly year-long Israel-Hamas conflict. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted senior Hamas militants using precision weapons. However, Palestinian Health Ministry officials, part of the Hamas-run government, confirmed the fatalities, and rescue operations are ongoing. Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, with first responders digging through sand and rubble to recover bodies. The strike has drawn widespread condemnation,…
Ambassador Robert Wood, the United States’ Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, addressed the Security Council during an open debate on “Strengthening UN Peacekeeping: Reflections for the Future,” calling for a renewed commitment to UN peacekeeping in the face of global challenges. The debate, hosted by Slovenia, comes at a time when the UN’s peacekeeping missions face unprecedented strains due to fracturing political support. Ambassador Wood expressed concerns about divisions within the Security Council, which have impacted peacekeeping operations, weakened the implementation of mandates, and undermined the trust of host governments. “Unnecessary divisions within this Council have weakened support for…
The Federal Government has extended condolences to the people and government of Borno State following the devastating floods that have ravaged Maiduguri and its surrounding areas. The flooding, caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam, has led to widespread destruction, damaging homes, properties, and critical infrastructure, and displacing numerous families. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the government’s sympathies to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. He emphasized the federal government’s commitment to providing immediate relief and support to the affected communities. “President Bola Tinubu has directed…
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are poised to face off in a potentially game-changing televised debate Tuesday, less than two months ahead of the knife-edge US presidential election. The stakes could hardly be higher for the Democratic vice president and Republican former president, with tens of millions of American voters expected to tune in at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (0100 GMT Wednesday) to watch their first and possibly only debate. A single zinger or gaffe could tip the balance of one of the most dramatic White House races in US history, with the two rivals neck-and-neck in the polls ahead…
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…
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…