A Ugandan TikToker was condemned Wednesday to six years in prison for spreading “misleading and malicious” information after he insulted President Yoweri Museveni, his wife, and their son. According to prosecutors, Edward Awebwa between February and March posted “vulgar” videos about the first family. The 24-year-old had pleaded guilty. Awebwa “is pleading for mercy but he does not look remorseful at all for his actions,” Judge Stella Maris Amabilis said Wednesday as she read the court’s decision. “The court had the opportunity to see the video, the language that was being used was vulgar,” she said. “This court is of…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The World Health Organisation has revealed that Covid-19 is still killing around 1,700 people a week around the world. The WHO said this on Thursday, urging at-risk populations to keep up with their vaccinations against the disease. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sounded a warning on declining vaccine coverage. Despite the continued death toll, “data show that vaccine coverage has declined among health workers and people over 60, which are two of the most at-risk groups,” the UN health agency’s chief told a press conference. “WHO recommends that people in the highest-risk groups receive a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months…
Russian strikes killed three people in southern Ukraine, including at the Black Sea port of Odesa, authorities said on Wednesday. Russia has carried out nightly attacks on cities across Ukraine since launching its invasion in February 2022. “The aggressor targeted port infrastructure in the Odesa region. Unfortunately, two people were killed — a security guard and a truck driver,” governor Oleg Kiper said. It was unclear whether the deaths were caused by direct hits, or falling debris from destroyed missiles.0 / 0.00 The southern defence forces said Russia launched a ballistic missile and four guided missiles at the southern port.…
A man has been caught trying to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by cramming them into his trousers, according to the country’s customs authority. The unnamed traveller was stopped by customs officers as he sought to slip out of semi-autonomous Hong Kong and into the border city of Shenzhen, China Customs said in a statement on Tuesday. “Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags and sealed with tape,” the statement said. “Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in…
The Ukrainian military has launched a new initiative to entice fighting-age men living abroad to enlist, as Kyiv desperately tries to replenish its depleted forces on the front lines. The establishment of the so-called “Ukrainian Legion” comes after more than two years of hard fighting, which has seen heavy casualties drain the military of much-needed manpower to hold off Russia’s advancing forces. The new unit’s creation was part of a wider security agreement signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier this week. “We call on all Ukrainians in Europe to join the Ukrainian Legion.…
Musiliudeen Akinremi, a two-term member of the House of Representatives representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency in Oyo State, has passed away at the age of 51. Akinremi, popularly known as Jagaban, died on Wednesday under circumstances that remain unclear at this time. The House of Representatives spokesman, Akin Rotimi, confirmed the news, quoting Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who expressed the sadness over Akinremi’s passing. The statement read, “Until his demise, the Oyo legislator was a dedicated public servant known for his unwavering commitment to the development of his constituency and the country at large. His passion for service, coupled with his…
Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, has left a trail of destruction in its wake. The storm has resulted in the deaths of at least six people and has caused widespread power outages, affecting over 2.7 million residents across the state. Texas officials confirmed on Monday evening that the death toll from Hurricane Beryl has risen to six. Three of the fatalities occurred in Montgomery County due to falling trees, according to Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough. Among the deceased were a man on a tractor and…
President Joe Biden is doubling down on his approach and betting on himself as he navigates a critical period marked by doubts and political challenges. Despite pundits’ skepticism, moribund approval ratings, and concerns about his age, Biden remains defiant. In a surprise call-in interview with MSNBC, Biden expressed his frustration with party elites and challenged his critics to run against him. This defiance was also evident in a letter to Democratic lawmakers, where he acknowledged party anxieties but remained resolute in his belief that his approach would prevail. Biden’s career has been marked by resilience and a relentless belief in…
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has launched a customer support centre to improve road safety. The development, unveiled by the State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, features a 24-hour toll-free call centre, a walk-in complaint centre, a whistleblower app, a website, and a new Department of Statistics Research and Data. Sola Giwa, who led the development of this initiative, stated its goal of enhancing communication between the public and LASTMA, streamlining traffic operations, and significantly improving the driving experience in Lagos. The new call centre, operational around…
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is set to host and deliver remarks at a special reception for NATO Allies and partners on July 9, 2024, at the U.S. Department of State. The event is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and will take place in the prestigious Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room. This reception will follow the NATO Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) roundtable discussion titled “Turning Vision into Action for WPS Across the Alliance,” an official side event of the NATO Washington Summit, which begins earlier that day at 9:30 a.m. The roundtable discussion will feature prominent speakers, including…
Johns Hopkins University has announced a $1 billion donation from Bloomberg Philanthropies, aimed at making medical school free for the majority of its students. This contribution addresses the twin challenges of declining health and education in the United States, according to Michael Bloomberg, a Johns Hopkins alumnus and the founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. The donation will cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition and living expenses, for most medical students. Specifically, students from families earning less than $300,000 will be eligible for the gift, with living expenses covered for those from families earning less than $175,000. This follows similar…
Starting next week, citizens of South Africa and Botswana will need a visa to enter Ireland. This new regulation, announced by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, ends the visa-free travel that citizens of these countries previously enjoyed. The change comes in response to what the Department of Justice has described as a “significant number of international protection applications” from nationals of Botswana and South Africa. Despite neither country being among the top five nationalities applying for international protection in Ireland, the move aims to align Ireland’s immigration policies more closely with those of the Schengen Area and the UK. From January…