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…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
Former President Donald Trump’s prospects have seen a slight decline, according to a recent polling analysis by FiveThirtyEight. Four months ahead of the November election, Trump is shown winning in 51 out of 100 simulations, down from 53 in earlier analyses. The competitive race pits Trump, 78, against incumbent President Joe Biden, 81, both vying for a return to the White House. The polling firm’s simulations, which integrate polling, economic, and demographic data, reveal Trump winning 511 out of 1,000 elections, with Biden securing 486, and a deadlock in three scenarios. Nathaniel Rakich, FiveThirtyEight’s senior election analyst, emphasised the uncertainty:…
Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people, the Justice Department said late Sunday, after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years. Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice last week of entering a guilty plea and paying a fine as part of its sentence or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training…
The Ministry of National Defense of Niger and the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday the end of the first phase of the withdrawal of U.S. forces and equipment from Nigerien territory. The announcement was made at the signing ceremony of documents transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey. Transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey was in the presence of American ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon and other civil and military personalities of the two countries. According to Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou,…
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) at the University of Abuja have launched a protest against the government’s failure to release four months’ worth of salaries withheld during a 2022 strike. Addressing the press at the protest, SSANU chapter president Nurudeen Yusuf described the government’s actions as “provoking.” He stated the unfairness of the situation, noting that while academic staff received four months of their withheld salaries, non-teaching staff were excluded, despite participating in the strike for the same duration. In 2022, Nigerian universities were paralyzed by…
A Spanish tourist was trampled to death by an elephant after stepping out of his vehicle to take photos of a small herd at a renowned South African park, authorities said on Tuesday. The 43-year-old man was attacked on Sunday morning at the Pilanesberg National Park, a tourist magnet about 200 kilometres (130 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, according to park officials. The man, his fiancee and two women were driving their own vehicle within the reserve when they spotted three elephants and three calves, police said. “Reports suggest that the man stopped the vehicle, alighted and went closer…
U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Mike Hammer, is set to embark on a diplomatic mission to Djibouti and Ethiopia, focusing on regional security and the ongoing peace process in northern Ethiopia. During his visit to Djibouti, Ambassador Hammer will engage in high-level consultations with the Djiboutian government and representatives from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). These discussions aim to address pressing regional and security issues, underscoring the United States’ commitment to stability in the Horn of Africa. In Ethiopia, Ambassador Hammer’s agenda includes attending the African Union’s second meeting to review the implementation of the…
In a recent diplomatic engagement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated Ronald Lamola on his new role as South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. During their conversation, Secretary Blinken and Minister Lamola addressed critical international issues, including Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the escalating conflict in Gaza. Both leaders underscored the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to ensure the release of hostages and to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, Secretary Blinken and Minister Lamola reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-South Africa partnership, emphasizing cooperation on mutual priorities. One significant initiative highlighted was…
Hurricane Beryl made landfall Monday in the southern US state of Texas, where some residents were evacuated over warnings of flooding and power outages. The US National Hurricane Center said Beryl, a Category 1 storm, hit the town of Matagorda with wind speeds of 80 miles (130 kilometres) per hour. As rain and wind lashed Houston, home to 2.3 million people, the NHC warned in its latest bulletin of “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rainfall” across southeastern Texas. “We have to take Beryl very, very seriously. Our worst enemy is complacency,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said ahead of…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Anambra State Command has reinforced its security measures across the state to protect critical national and state assets. This is in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order, particularly in response to the Monday sit-at-home directive that has affected economic activities. Maku Olatunde, the Anambra State Commandant of NSCDC, made this announcement on Monday in Awka while overseeing the deployment of personnel for the renewed launch operations. The initiative is designed to encourage economic and commercial activities while mitigating the effects of the sit-at-home order. Olatunde stated that the deployment…
The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult went on trial on Monday on charges of terrorism over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers in a macabre case that shocked the country and the world. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie appeared in court in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa along with 94 co-defendants, an AFP journalist said. Journalists were removed from the courtroom shortly after the start of the hearing to enable a protected witness to take the stand. Mackenzie, who was arrested in April last year, is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve…
The United States congratulates Mohamed Ould Ghazouani on securing a second term as President of Mauritania. In a press statement issued by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, the U.S. praised the Mauritanian people for their commitment and determination in participating in the electoral process, which continues Mauritania’s recent history of democratic elections. “We commend the commitment and determination displayed by Mauritanians in exercising their right to vote and engaging in the electoral process,” Blinken stated. “We regret the loss of life in post-election protests and look to the Mauritanian government to conduct a full investigation into the deaths and…