Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Hamas said Friday it would be releasing Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage held in Gaza. The 21-year-old New Jersey native will be the only living hostage in the next release, which will include the bodies of four dual nationals who died in captivity, the terror group said, as negotiations forged ahead on the second phase of a cease-fire deal with Israel. Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American, will be released along with the bodies of four other hostages. It wasn’t immediately clear when the transfer would take place, or which parties participated in negotiating the deal. Hamas didn’t release…

Electric vehicle maker Tesla is warning that the Trump administration’s trade policies could be detrimental to U.S.-based EV companies. In an unsigned March 11 letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the company — owned by billionaire Elon Musk, who is currently a special adviser to President Trump — encouraged the administration to consider how its trade policy could “harm” domestic automakers like Tesla. “As a U.S. manufacturer and exporter, Tesla encourages USTR to consider the downstream impacts of certain proposed actions taken to address unfair trade practices,” Tesla wrote. The company raises concerns over retaliatory…

Police in Japan said Friday that they had arrested a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a YouTuber while she was livestreaming on a downtown Tokyo street. Tokyo metropolitan police said they had arrested Kenji Takano, 42, on the spot on suspicion of attempted murder Tuesday. He has since been sent to the prosecutors but has not been charged yet. The victim, Airi Sato, 22, was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries after the attacker stabbed her repeatedly in her upper body, police said, and was later pronounced dead. Witnesses and livestream viewers said that they heard her screaming…

More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning America’s schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We will…

A court has sentenced Hassan Sentamu, 18, to life imprisonment for stabbing 15-year-old Elianne Andam to death in an unprovoked and savage attack in Croydon. The Old Bailey, where he stood trial on Thursday, ruled that Sentamu must serve a minimum of 23 years before any consideration for parole. A bright and beloved schoolgirl, Elianne had no idea her final moments would be met with such violence. According to the Met Police, Elianne on that fateful day in September 2023, had accompanied a friend to retrieve personal belongings from Sentamu following the end of their brief relationship. But what was…

A yet-to-be-identified young lady was reported to have jumped off the Third Mainland Bridge into the lagoon near the University of Lagos (UNILAG) waterfront in Lagos State, resulting in her death despite rescue efforts. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Thursday, and despite efforts of marine police officers stationed in the area who swiftly responded to the emergency, and undertook a fervent rescue operation, she unfortunately died. SaharaReporters said Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the report on Friday. The Police spokesman stated that despite the marine police officers’ efforts to save…

President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to eliminate a key tool that lower courts have used to block various aspects of his agenda. In an emergency appeal Thursday, Trump asked the justices to rein in or shelve three nationwide injunctions lower-court judges have issued against his bid to end birthright citizenship. But his request could have repercussions far beyond the debate over the controversial citizenship plan. Judges have used nationwide injunctions to hobble many of Trump’s early moves, from his bid to end “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” programmes to his cuts to federal medical research. But Trump’s acting…

Pope Francis is beginning his 29th consecutive day in the hospital, a day after he marked the 12th anniversary of when he was elected pope following five ballots in a papal conclave. Pope Francis’ medical staff celebrated the pope’s 12th anniversary with a cake and candles on Thursday while the pope continued his respiratory therapy Thursday afternoon and followed the evenings Lenten spiritual exercises, the Vatican said. Pope Francis’ condition remained “stationary” on Wednesday with no further updates from the Vatican given on Thursday as tests confirmed his improvement, according to the Vatican. A chest X-ray performed on Tuesday confirmed…

President Bola Tinubu has authorised the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to disburse over N700 billion to tertiary institutions in 2025. Announcing this during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said each benefiting universities is expected to get N2.8 billion. Additionally, the Executive Secretary outlined the allocation structure, stating that 91.08% of the funds would be distributed directly. He said this includes 48.90% for annual direct disbursement and 42.18% for special direct disbursement. Furthermore, 8.72% is earmarked for designated projects, while 0.20% is allocated to…

President Vladimir Putin paid a surprise visit to troops in Russia’s western Kursk region on Thursday where he ordered them to press their lightning advance and swiftly retake the rest of the area from Ukrainian forces. Putin made his visit after Washington asked him to consider a 30-day ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine, and after Russian forces retook a swath of territory in Kursk, forcing Ukrainian troops to fall back and cede control of the town of Sudzha. Ukraine sprang one of the biggest shocks of the war on August 6 last year by storming across the border and grabbing…