Category: News

Israel Declares 48-Hour Nationwide State Of Emergency

Israel Declares 48-Hour Nationwide State Of Emergency

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has declared a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency, effective 6 am Sunday, in response to the Israeli military’s pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon.

Israel declared the 48-hour state of emergency after carrying out a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon as the Iran-backed militant group began what it said was its initial response to last month’s killing of its military chief by Israel.

The Israeli military said it sent 100 warplanes over Lebanon and took out thousands of rocket launchers aimed at targets in northern and central Israel. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesman, said Hezbollah then fired hundreds of missiles and rockets at Israel.

A statement from Gallant’s office read:

“The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant.

“I am convinced that there is a high probability of an attack against the civilian population in areas of the country where the declaration of a special situation did not apply.

“I hereby declare a special situation on the home front in other areas of the country. The situation is valid for 48 hours starting at 6:00 am.”

In a separate statement, the Defence Ministry confirmed that Gallant briefed US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on the situation, Thewhistler reports.

“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel.

“We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens,” he stated.

The state of emergency will remain in effect for 48 hours, starting at 6 am Sunday.

August 25, 2024
Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Telegram CEO and tech mogul, Pavel Durov, was reportedly detained at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to French news outlets TF1 and BFM TV.

TF1 said Durov had been travelling from Azerbaijan and was arrested at around 20:00 (18:00 GMT).

Durov, who was travelling on his private jet from Azerbaijan, was arrested under a French warrant related to a preliminary police investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in facilitating criminal activities, reports Reuters.

Telegram did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. The French Interior Ministry and police had no comment.

The Russian foreign ministry said its embassy in Paris was clarifying the situation around Durov and called on Western non-governmental organisations to demand his release.

On the other hand, several Russian bloggers have called for protests at French embassies throughout the world at noon on Sunday.

August 25, 2024
Taliban’s new law bans women from singing or reading in public

Taliban’s new law bans women from singing or reading in public

Taliban’s new laws has continued to shrink women’s rights further in Afghanistan following their recent ban on women voice’s in public.

The laws were issued Wednesday after they were approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, a government spokesman said. The Taliban had set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” after seizing power in 2021.

The new law mandates women to cover themselves in front of non-Muslim males and females to avoid being corrupted. A woman’s voice is deemed intimate and so should not be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. Women are prohibited from looking at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa.

“Inshallah we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice,” said ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq on Thursday, of the new laws.

The 114-page, 35-article document seen by The Associated Press constitutes the first formal declaration of vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in 2021, when it also set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice.”

The laws will empower the ministry to be at the frontline of regulating personal conduct, administering punishments like warnings or arrest if enforcers allege that Afghans have broken the laws.

The laws ban the publication of images of living beings, threatening an already fragile Afghan media landscape; the playing of music; the transportation of solo female travelers; and the mixing of men and women who are not related to each other. The laws also oblige passengers and drivers to perform prayers at designated times.

According to the ministry website, the promotion of virtue includes prayer, aligning the character and behavior of Muslims with Islamic law, encouraging women to wear hijab, and inviting people to comply with the five pillars of Islam. It also says the elimination of vice involves prohibiting people from doing things forbidden by Islamic law.

Last month, a U.N. report said the ministry was contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through edicts and the methods used to enforce them.

It said the ministry’s role was expanding into other areas of public life, including media monitoring and eradicating drug addiction.

“Given the multiple issues outlined in the report, the position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls,” said Fiona Frazer, the head of the human rights service at the U.N. mission in Afghanistan.

The Taliban rejected the U.N. report.

August 25, 2024
Russia and Ukraine swap 115 prisoners amid war

Russia and Ukraine swap 115 prisoners amid war

Russia and Ukraine on Saturday exchanged 115 prisoners of war from each side after the United Arab Emirates acted as an intermediary.

It is the first such exchange since Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Russia’s Kursk region on Aug. 6, the biggest attack inside Russian territory by a foreign power since World War Two.

The Russians released on Saturday were captured in Kursk, Russian state news agencies reported, citing the country’s defence ministry.

The ministry said 115 soldiers were returned “from territories controlled by the Kyiv regime,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “another 115 of our defenders have returned home today”.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian servicemen swapped were captured in the Kursk region.

All released Russian soldiers are now in Belarus and will receive medical treatment and rehabilitation upon their return to Russia. The ministry expressed gratitude for the UAE’s role in facilitating the prisoner swap.

President Zelensky said the returned Ukrainian soldiers were members of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the Border Guard.

“We remember each and every one. We are searching for and making every effort to bring everyone back,” he said.

“This brings closer the release of our military, our civilians from Russian captivity. Thanks to our team and partners, the UAE for our people returning home,” he said.

Mr Zelensky said that in addition to capturing Russian soldiers, the Kursk operation had other goals he could not disclose.

He added Ukraine would do everything to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war through diplomacy.

August 24, 2024
Justin Bieber and Hailey welcome new baby

Justin Bieber and Hailey welcome new baby

Canadian hip-hop singer, Justin Bieber, and his model wife, Hailey, have welcomed their first baby together.

Proud father, Justin confirmed the news with an Instagram post on Friday, by sharing a heartwarming photo of the newborn baby’s foot, revealing they welcomed a baby boy, named Jack Blues Bieber.

“WELCOME HOME JACK BLUES BIEBER,” Justin wrote in an Instagram post.

The arrival of the baby has officially launched the celebrity couple into parenthood.

The couple first announced they were expecting a child together in May 2024, sharing the exciting news on Instagram.

The couple tied the knot in September 2018 in a New York City courthouse just two months after getting engaged.

They later celebrated with a larger ceremony in front of family and friends, exchanging vows and Tiffany wedding bands as the sun set in Bluffton, South Carolina.

August 24, 2024
Supreme Court Affirms Election Of Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa Govs

Supreme Court Affirms Election Of Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa Govs

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, his counterparts in Bayelsa, Duoye Diri and Kogi, Usman Ododo.

Last year, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the trio the winners of the off-cycle governorship poll which held on November 11, 2023 in their respective states.

The three governors secured their victory in different court siting yesterday in Abuja, Channels TV reports.

For Uzodimma, INEC said he polled 540,308 votes to beat Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 71,503 votes; and Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP) who secured 64,081 votes.

Not satisfied with the tribunal’s verdict that ruled in Uzodimma’s favour, they approached the appeal court for redress.

Hearing the case in Abuja, the apex court dismissed the two appeals filed by the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their governorship candidate challenging Uzodimma’s victory at the polls.

The appeals of the LP governorship candidate, Athan Achonu and that of PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, were dismissed for want of merit by the Supreme Court which consequently affirmed Uzodinma as a lawfully elected governor of Imo State.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, the LP and PDP gubernatorial candidates were said to have failed to establish allegations of overvoting and other malpractices against the November 11, 2023 poll.

In Kogi, Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, petition to unseat Gov. Ododo over allegations of age falsification and certificate forgery were dismissed for lacking merit.

In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the apex court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal which on May 27 affirmed Ododo’s election.

In Bayelsa, the situation was similar as the apex court affirmed Senator Duoye Diri’s re-election, thus dismissing the appeal of the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva.

A five-member panel of the apex court headed by Justice Lawal Garba, on Friday affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal of July 15 which deemed Sylva’s appeal as an abuse of Court process for filing two notices of appeal.

August 24, 2024
New CJN: Tinubu To Swear In Justice Kekere-Ekun immediately

New CJN: Tinubu To Swear In Justice Kekere-Ekun immediately

Justice-Kudirat-Kekere-Ekun

President Bola Tinubu will on Friday swear in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

He said the swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Justice Kekere-Ekun will succeed Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who retired on Thursday after clocking the retirement age of 70 years.

The President also congratulated Ariwoola, whose stint in the judiciary he described as a “successful public service career,” commending him for his services to the nation.

“President Bola Tinubu congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, as he retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria after a successful public service career,” the statement read.

“President Tinubu will swear in Justice Ariwoola’s successor at the State House Council Chambers on August 23, 2024.

“President Tinubu commends the eminent jurist for his services to the nation, noting his impactful leadership of the judiciary and his efforts in enriching Nigerian jurisprudence, as well as in strengthening the fibre of the law.”

August 22, 2024
NAFDAC Seizes 3 Petrol Tankers For Transporting Vegetable Oil

NAFDAC Seizes 3 Petrol Tankers For Transporting Vegetable Oil

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tankers used to transport edible vegetable oil in Lagos State.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the agency said the oil had reportedly been trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot.

“Concerned about the potential health risks due to chemical contamination from the tankers’ previous use for transporting petrol, NAFDAC officials escorted the tankers to a processing facility in Sango-Ota.

“The crude soy oil was then handed over to the Southwest Zonal Office of NAFDAC for further regulatory action,” the agency stated.

In an attached video showing one of the seized tankers, a NAFDAC official said credible information revealed that the same tankers used to load vegetable oil had been used to load petroleum products.

“This is a public health issue that requires NAFDAC’s attention. That was why we immediately went to that area and we caught a truck being loaded,” the official stated.

He said the suspects were apprehended and the trucks seized for further investigation.

The official said the tankers can’t load vegetable oil “and at the same time we are seeing tags of petrol and diesel on them”.

He said investigation would inform the suspects of “the dangers inherent in mixing petroleum products which we know are carcinogenic, not safe for human consumption”.

August 22, 2024
Breaking: Olukayode Ariwoola retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria

Breaking: Olukayode Ariwoola retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola officially retired as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Thursday, August 22, 2024, marking the end of his distinguished judicial career.

Justice Ariwoola whose 70th birthday coincided with his retirement called for judicial reforms that could help to reduce the burden on the supreme court.

He explained that there are too many cases before the apex court which ought to have terminated at the appellate court.

Justice Ariwoola stated this at a valedictory session in his honour at the Supreme Court in Abuja. He said access to justice has contributed largely to the delay in the hearing of cases as litigants and lawyers are forced to wait for several years to have their cases decided.

Justice Ariwoola explained that the right to a fair hearing can only be guaranteed when lawyers and litigants do not have to wait for so long to have their cases heard.

He also stressed the need for the bench to have more judicial officers to adjudicate on all matters timeously.

Then President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Ariwoola as acting CJN in June 2022 following the resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad on health grounds. Ariwoola was subsequently sworn in October of the same year following his confirmation by the Senate.

Ariwoola was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2011. He was a Justice of the Court of Appeal between 2005 and 2011 after having been elevated from the State High Court of Oyo State.

He studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife and bagged his bachelor of laws degree with honours in July 1980. In July 1981, Ariwoola was called to the Bar and enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor.

August 22, 2024
Shocking Discovery: Missing woman found inside crocodile’s belly

Shocking Discovery: Missing woman found inside crocodile’s belly

A crocodile killed a woman bathing in a river in eastern Indonesia, police and locals said Wednesday, with villagers later recovering parts of her body from the slaughtered animal.

Indonesia is home to several species of crocodiles that regularly attack and kill humans.

Halima Rahakbauw, 54, was swimming in a river in Wali village on the Maluku islands after spending Tuesday morning looking for clams when the reptile struck.

Rahakbauw’s neighbour, Rustam Ilyas, said relatives and friends started a search when she failed to return home.

The shocking discovery of a body part in the river made the villagers alert the police who found and killed the reptile.

“The villagers had to cut open the crocodile’s belly to remove some of the victim’s body parts,” a local police officer, who spoke in anonymity told AFP Wednesday.

“The crocodile was quite big, around four metres (12 feet)long,” neighbour Ilyas told AFP.

Neither the police nor villagers could identify the species.

August 22, 2024