Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Zohran Mamdani pledged to “reinvent” New York City on his first day as mayor, promising a “new era” for the largest city in the United States and an ambitious opening to his term. The 34-year-old democratic socialist, until recently a little-known state assemblyman, becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of south Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. He is also the first mayor to be sworn in on the Qur’an. Speaking to supporters, Mamdani said moments of change were rare, and rarer still when driven by the people themselves. He rejected advice to temper…

George Clooney has criticised Donald Trump after the US president attacked France for granting the Hollywood actor and his family French citizenship. Clooney, 64, his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and their two children became French citizens earlier this month, having lived for several years at a property in southern France. The Oscar-winning actor has praised France’s strict privacy laws, saying they have shielded his family from media intrusion. He has also spoken about his desire to raise his children away from Hollywood. Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform, welcoming Clooney’s departure from the United States. The president, whose administration…

Donald Trump has said he takes more aspirin than his doctors recommend but insists his “health is perfect”, according to an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The 79-year-old president said the daily dose causes him to bruise easily and that doctors have advised him to reduce it. He said he has ignored that advice because he has taken aspirin for 25 years. “I’m a little superstitious,” Trump told the paper. He said aspirin helped thin his blood and dismissed medical concerns. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart,” he said. “Does that make sense?” Like his predecessor,…

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City shortly after midnight in a private ceremony held at the disused Old City Hall subway station, marking the start of a day of celebrations that will include a public swearing-in and a block party outside City Hall. The 34-year-old was sworn into office by New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, in the presence of close family members, including his wife, Rama Duwaji, his mother, the film-maker Mira Nair, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University. “This is truly the honour and the privilege…

About 40 people are believed to have been killed and around 100 injured after a fire ripped through a crowded bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Israel has announced it will suspend the operations of dozens of humanitarian organisations working in Gaza within 36 hours, citing their failure to comply with new registration requirements that demand detailed personal information on Palestinian and international staff. Among the organisations affected are some of the world’s best-known aid groups, including ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The decision, announced on Tuesday by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, comes as fierce winter storms have destroyed thousands of tents across Gaza, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. Foreign ministers from 10 countries have voiced alarm over what…

Mali and Burkina Faso have announced that they will ban US citizens from entering their countries, in retaliation for a decision by Donald Trump to block Malian and Burkinabe nationals from travelling to the United States. The announcements were made on Tuesday in separate statements issued by the foreign ministries of the two west African nations, marking a further deterioration in relations between military-led governments in the region and Washington. On 16 December, Trump expanded existing US travel restrictions to include 20 additional countries, among them Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. All three are governed by military juntas and have…

Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a central figure in the country’s politics for more than three decades, Khaleda Zia, has died aged 80. Her death was announced on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she led for many years. Zia was one of the most influential and polarising figures in Bangladesh since independence, with her long-running rivalry with Sheikh Hasina shaping the country’s political life for a generation. She was the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a former president and military leader who played a key role in Bangladesh’s struggle for democracy before being assassinated in a…

News of a fatal car crash in Nigeria involving a former heavyweight champion, Antony Joshua has drawn attention away from boxing schedules and future bouts, placing the focus firmly on loss and perspective. The incident claimed two lives while investigations are ongoing. The news prompted reactions from across the combat sports world, with many figures stressing that the tragedy outweighs any sporting considerations. Jake Paul was among those to respond publicly. In a message shared shortly after reports emerged involving Anthony Joshua, Paul wrote: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and…

Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, saying it was targeting a shipment of weapons destined for a separatist force and allegedly delivered from the United Arab Emirates. The UAE did not immediately acknowledge the strike. The attack marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Riyadh and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group backed by Abu Dhabi. It also highlights growing strains between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, long-time allies who have supported rival factions in Yemen’s decade-long war. In a statement published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi military…