USAID Administrator Samantha Power addressed a gathering, emphasizing the critical and urgent need to tackle the extreme heat crisis. Power stated the severe impact of rising temperatures on global health, economies, and communities, urging for immediate action and increased funding. Power pointed out a staggering 600 percent increase in heat-related emergency visits in New York last weekend, underscoring the escalating threat. She noted that extreme heat claimed 2,300 lives in the United States in 2023, a 26 percent increase from the previous year. Globally, extreme heat is suspected of causing tens of thousands of deaths annually, with recent reports of…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The ongoing South China Sea conflict has reached new heights following a violent encounter between the Chinese Coast Guard and Filipino sailors. China’s aggressive push for dominance in the region has put it at odds with several neighboring countries, including the Philippines. Last week, Manila condemned what it described as a “brutal assault” by the Chinese Coast Guard on Filipino sailors. The clash resulted in one sailor losing a thumb during an altercation involving axe-wielding Chinese mariners. The incident occurred as the Filipino crew attempted to deliver supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, an intentionally beached vessel serving as a…
Sudan is teetering on the brink of famine as the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to ravage the country. A recent report from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power highlights the unprecedented hunger crisis, with more than half of Sudan’s population – 25.6 million people – facing severe hunger and in dire need of humanitarian aid. The alarming data reveals that 755,000 individuals are on the brink of starvation, marking the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded in Sudan by international experts. The situation is…
Gospel singer Adikwu Peterson Okopi popularly called Peterson Okopi has announced his engagement to his beloved, Prudent Gabriel. The joyful news was shared on Monday via Instagram, where Okopi posted a series of pictures and videos capturing the special moment. In the proposal, Peterson Okopi stood before a backdrop adorned with the words “Will you marry me?” while holding a ring and a bouquet. He shared his happiness with a caption that read, “In the beginning… Happy New Month, family. A new dawn.” Prudent Gabriel, a celebrated fashion designer and CEO behind Prudential Styling and Prudential Fashion Academy based in…
An Ikeja High Court on Monday ordered the release of a man, Kazeen Adeshina, after spending 15 years in a correctional facility without charge or trial. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Oyindamola Ogala, while ruling in a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked No: D/16997MFHR/24 filed by Adeshina’s counsel, Mr Ben Okeke, held that detaining of Adeshina in prison without charge or trial was unjustifiable. Ogala, in her ruling, said the arrest and continued detention of Adeshina in the custody of the Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos without a trial was wrong, illegal and unjustifiable.1:07 She added…
Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has been re-elected to office after winning 56.12 per cent of the vote, provisional results showed. His main rival, Biram Dah Abeid, an anti-slavery human rights activist, came in second place after winning 22 per cent of the vote. Hamadi Sidi Mokhtar of the Islamist Tawasul Party got 12.76 per cent. Elections were held on Saturday in Mauritania, a former French colony in north-west Africa. Results were announced late Sunday after 99 per cent of the votes were counted. Before the announcement, Abeid alleged that there was fraud, and riot police dispersed his supporters demonstrating…
South Africans are set to experience more relief at the pumps with a significant decrease in fuel prices coming into effect on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. According to unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), petrol prices are expected to drop by around R1 per litre, while diesel prices will see a smaller reduction. For petrol, the expected reductions are R1.01 for 95 Unleaded and 95 cents for 93 Unleaded. This will bring the new prices to approximately R22.91 per litre for 93 Unleaded in Gauteng, R23.25 for 95 Unleaded in Gauteng, and R22.46 for 95 Unleaded at the…
NASA has granted SpaceX the contract to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) by 2030, marking a significant shift towards commercially owned space destinations. SpaceX will develop a vehicle to tow the ISS through the atmosphere, where it will destructively break up and crash into the ocean. This mission, valued at $843 million (£666.4 million), underscores NASA’s commitment to transitioning to privately operated space habitats closer to Earth. Since its launch in 1998, the ISS has been a beacon of international collaboration, hosting astronauts from the US, Russia, Japan, Europe, and Canada. With over 3,300 scientific experiments conducted, the space…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), demanding an explanation for the whereabouts of over N100 billion in “dirty and bad notes” and other public funds. These allegations, documented in the latest annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, highlight serious concerns about transparency and accountability within the CBN. SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stated the need for clarity on the N7.2 billion budgeted for the construction of the CBN Dutse branch in 2010 and the N4.8 billion allocated for the…
Legendary investor Warren Buffett, turning 94 in August, has made his largest annual donation to date, giving away $5.3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to five charities. Buffett, known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” converted 8,674 of his Berkshire Class A shares into more than 13 million Class B shares for the donation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation received 9.93 million shares, with the remainder distributed among the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and three charities led by his children: Howard, Susan, and Peter Buffett. Since 2006, Buffett has been steadily donating portions of his Berkshire fortune,…
A devastating bomb attack at a wedding venue in Tashan Mararaba, Gwoza town, has left at least six people dead and fifteen others injured. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday when a young female suicide bomber, identified as being in her early twenties, detonated her explosive device amidst a celebratory gathering. Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama reported that the victims, all civilians, were returning from a wedding celebration when the attack took place near a busy motorpark. The sudden explosion caused chaos and widespread destruction, leading to an immediate response from emergency services. Medical personnel at the hospital…
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued a stern warning to major construction companies, Julius Berger, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), and Raynolds Construction Company (RCC), to mobilize to their project sites immediately or face the termination of their contracts. Speaking during the Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Alignment of Sections 3b and 4 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway held at Ibom Hall, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Umahi stated the government’s frustration with the contractors’ delays. He stated that after the expiration of the 14-day notice period next week, any contractor that fails to mobilize will have their…