Two Nigerian communities, Bille and Ogale, are set to take oil giant Shell and its Nigerian-based subsidiary, now known as Renaissance Africa Energy Company, to trial in the UK High Court in 2027 over long-standing oil pollution claims.
Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso
A record number of children were subjected to violence in armed conflict zones in 2024, according to a harrowing new report by the United Nations. The annual Children and Armed Conflict report, presented to the UN Security Council, revealed a 25% rise in grave violations against children, with 22,495 affected by killings, injuries, recruitment, or the denial of humanitarian aid. The total number of verified violations, including some committed in earlier years but only confirmed in 2024, reached a staggering 41,370, the highest since the UN began documenting such incidents in 1996. “This must serve as a wake-up call. We…
Teachers across Hong Kong have reportedly been warned to avoid participating in U.S. Independence Day celebrations, amid growing concerns about breaching China’s sweeping national security laws. Educators say the warning stems from fears that attending such events could be interpreted as unpatriotic or even unlawful. A text message allegedly sent by the principal of a local school and shared on Edu Lancet, a Facebook page run by former Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority official, Hans Yeung, stated that the Education Bureau’s regional office had advised caution over July 4th activities organised by the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong. Staff…
A powerful volcanic eruption from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in eastern Indonesia has forced dozens of flight cancellations to and from Bali, as the country raises its disaster alert to the highest level. The 1,584-metre twin-peaked volcano, located on the island of Flores east of Bali, erupted dramatically at 5:35 p.m. local time on Tuesday. According to Indonesia’s volcanology agency, the eruption sent a thick grey ash column soaring approximately 10,000 metres into the sky. There were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage, but authorities quickly moved to respond. The head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, Muhammad Wafid, urged residents…
Ukrainian diplomats were left disheartened, and in some quarters embittered, after US President Donald Trump abruptly exited the G7 summit in Canada just hours before a highly anticipated bilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump’s departure, reportedly to “focus on the Israel-Iran conflict” has cast doubt over America’s commitment to Ukraine at a time of deepening Russian aggression. President Zelenskyy had travelled more than 5,000 miles in the hopes of securing vital US backing, including a proposed arms deal worth between $30bn and $50bn, and gaining ground on collective Western pressure for a ceasefire with Russia. Instead, he found himself…
In a landmark ruling, a German court has sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for committing crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, during Syria’s brutal civil war. The case marks one of the most significant applications of the international legal principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution for war crimes committed abroad. Dr. Alaa Mousa, 40, was found guilty by Frankfurt’s higher regional court of two counts of murder and eight counts of severe torture while serving as a junior doctor in military hospitals and intelligence prisons in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus between 2011 and 2012.…
French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s threats to forcibly annex Greenland, during a landmark six-hour visit that made him the first foreign head of state to set foot on the territory since the US president began issuing provocative statements about taking control of the Arctic island. “I don’t think that’s what allies do,” Macron said upon arriving in the Danish autonomous territory, a visit described by the Élysée Palace as “a signal in itself”. His trip, made en route to the G7 summit in Canada, was framed as a demonstration of “France’s and the EU’s solidarity” with…
Israel has launched major attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and defence ministry for a third consecutive day.
China is considering lifting the sanctions it imposed on a group of UK parliamentarians and other individuals in 2021, in what appears to be the latest sign of warming diplomatic relations between Beijing and London.
As tanks rumbled through the streets of Washington on Saturday in a show of military might, millions of Americans across all 50 states staged mass demonstrations against what organisers described as the authoritarian excesses of Donald Trump’s administration. The nationwide protests, branded “No Kings”, took place at around 2,100 locations, from major cities to rural communities. The demonstrations were spearheaded by a coalition of more than 100 groups committed to nonviolent resistance, in stark contrast to the heavily militarised response seen in several Republican-led states. Interest in the protest surged following Trump’s deployment of US Marines and National Guard troops…
