Twin jailbreaks in Bangladesh killed at least 12 inmates and freed hundreds more in the chaotic days after the ouster of autocratic premier Sheikh Hasina, officials told AFP Saturday. An interim government is struggling to restore law and order with police going on strike after Hasina’s sudden resignation and flight abroad after 15 years in power. This week’s prison escapes, both north of the capital Dhaka, are the latest in a series of breakouts during weeks of nationwide unrest leading up to her toppling. Six convicts were killed at Jamapur Prison on Thursday after prison guards were assaulted by escapees,…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
North Korea will move more than 15,000 flood victims to the capital, state media said Saturday, as leader Kim Jong Un insisted recovery efforts would be “based on self-reliance” despite offers of aid from abroad. Pyongyang last week said a record downpour in late July had killed an unspecified number of people, flooded dwellings, and submerged swathes of farmland in its northern regions near China. On a visit to flood-hit Uiju on Friday, Kim said the government planned to accommodate around 15,400 flood victims from the northern region at facilities in the capital until their destroyed homes are rebuilt, according…
The United States has called for a greater focus on women’s rights and gender equality during the transition phases of UN peacekeeping missions. In a speech delivered at the UN Security Council, US Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council, Lisa Carty, emphasized the need for deliberate planning and resource allocation to address the specific needs of women and girls in these volatile periods. Ambassador Carty called for prioritizing civil society engagement, specifically local women-led and survivor-led groups, in transition planning by both the UN and host governments. “Civil society actors should be our first partners when seeking to execute…
Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria Plc, experienced a surge in its share price, closing at N198 per share, after announcing the successful renegotiation of its tower lease contracts with IHS and ATC Nigeria Limited. MTN’s share price climbed by the maximum allowable 10% on the Nigerian Exchange, reflecting investors’ confidence in the company’s ability to improve its financial health. The deal is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the mismatch between MTN Nigeria’s revenue streams and its foreign currency obligations. Prior to the renegotiation, the company had been grappling with foreign exchange losses, which had eroded its earnings and led…
An airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew crashed Friday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, killing everyone on board, the airline said. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was traveling from Cascavel in southern Parana state to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport when it crashed in the city of Vinhedo. Voepass initially said the plane was carrying 58 passengers, but a statement later on the airline’s website revised the figure to 57. Images broadcast on local media showed a large plane spinning as it plummeted almost vertically, while other footage showed a large column of smoke rising…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to activate its standby force in response to the escalating terrorism threat in the region. This decision was announced by the Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, following a meeting in Abuja. The regional bloc is also considering expanding its security presence to Sierra Leone and establishing a logistics depot there. ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, emphasized the urgent need for the standby force to combat terrorism, which has spread from the Sahel region to coastal countries. Recent…
Beijing said Friday it had filed an appeal with the World Trade Organisation over the European Union’s imposition of additional tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China. In July, the EU slapped extra provisional duties of up to 38 per cent on Chinese EVs after its executive arm concluded in an investigation that they were unfairly undermining European rivals. “On August 9, China appealed to the World Trade Organisation’s dispute settlement mechanism over the EU’s temporary anti-subsidy measures on EVs,” a spokesperson for the country’s commerce ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the appeal aimed to “safeguard…
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has been summoned by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in connection with an ongoing investigation into criminal defamation, forgery and other related charges. The invitation, issued by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, was officially extended on August 5, 2024. According to a letter signed by A.A. Elleman, the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Dikeh’s name has prominently appeared in the ongoing investigation. The letter stated, “This office is investigating a case of criminal defamation, forgery, falsehood, cyberbullying, and criminal conversion reported to the Inspector-General of Police, in which your name and others feature…
Apple on Thursday announced changes to its App Store after the European Union accused the iPhone maker of breaking the bloc’s landmark new digital rules. The EU said the App Store terms prevented app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative ways to pay, making Apple the first-ever tech firm to face accusations of breaching a new law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Now Apple says there will be changes to comply with the DMA and address the findings of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful antitrust regulator. At the time, Brussels said developers could only steer customers…
In a recent turn of events, former President Donald Trump has softened his stance regarding the highly anticipated debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, signaling a willingness to negotiate the terms of the showdown. Initially, Trump insisted that any debate must be hosted by the conservative-leaning Fox News network. However, in a Wednesday interview on Fox, he said, “The most important thing is we get a debate. I want to debate her. I think it’s important for the country that we debate.” This shift comes just days after Trump’s firm stance on Fox News as the only acceptable platform for…
Japan’s southern coast has been hit by tsunami waves following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck off the country’s coast. The first 7.1-magnitude quake, detected southeast of Japan, prompted immediate safety warnings and disrupted local infrastructure, including halting train services and urging residents to seek higher ground. Minutes after the initial tremor, a second 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck, intensifying the situation and affecting the nearby island of Shikoku. The United States Geological Survey confirmed the severity of the quakes, while Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued tsunami advisories for several regions in the southwestern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Tsunami waves of…
The United States has warned Iran of severe consequences if it were to launch a major attack against Israel, cautioning that such an action could destabilize Iran’s newly elected government and inflict significant damage on its economy. The warning was communicated through both direct channels and intermediaries, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Tuesday that the U.S. has delivered this message directly to Tehran, though details of the communication remain undisclosed. The U.S. has bolstered its military presence in the region, deploying F-22 fighters and additional destroyers…