Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Turkish authorities detained several journalists from their homes, a media workers’ union reported Monday, in what it said was a crackdown amid escalating protests triggered by the imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Sunday, a court formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade and deepened concerns over democracy and the rule of law in the country. In an apparent escalation of the government’s response to…

French actor, Gérard Depardieu went on trial Monday in Paris on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set, in a case seen as a potential watershed for the #MeToo movement in France. Depardieu, 76, is accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021 of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”). The actor faces up to five years in prison and a 75,000 euros ($81,000) fine if convicted. Depardieu, who denies any wrongdoing, told the judges that he was prepared to answer the court’s questions. “We will be able…

Delectable Nigerian actress, Iyabo Ojo has announced a financial reward for the return of the missing phones of her colleague, Mercy Aigbe. The phones got lost during the star-studded premiere of Iyabo Ojo’s latest movie, Labake Olododo, held at Imax Cinemas in Lekki, Lagos, on Sunday, March 23rd. At the red carpet event which was attended by numerous celebrities, the celebrations took a sour turn when Mercy Aigbe discovered her two phones had gone missing. According to reports, the phones were in the care of her assistant before they vanished. In a video circulating online, the visibly upset actress was…

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has disclosed that it lost one of its officers during the jailbreak at the Koton Karfe Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kogi in the early hours of Monday. The Service also revealed that two out of 12 inmates that escaped from the correctional centre have been rearrested. The Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), NCoS, Mr Abubakar Umar, made this known in an interview in Abuja. Umar said efforts are being made to recapture the remaining 10 inmates.Umar assured that a comprehensive investigation had been launched to unravel the circumstances surrounding the jail break. “We are…

Hollywood legend, Denzel Washington said that he doesn’t consider himself a “Hollywood actor” during his March 23 appearance on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “What’s the definition of a Hollywood actor?” Washington asked during the interview. “Myself, I’m from Mt. Vernon, so I’m a ‘Mt. Vernon actor.’ I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.” Denzel Washington at August Wilson’s posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in January 2025. Getty Images “Somebody who’s famous on film? A film actor, great success on film?” the New York native continued. Washington described himself as “a stage actor who does film; it’s not the other way around.”…

The Hamas-run health ministry has announced that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. That number – 50,021 – equates to about 2.1% of the 2.3 million pre-war population of the territory, or around 1 in 46 people. A total of 113,274 others had been injured in the same period, the health ministry said. Figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) have been widely used throughout the war and are seen as reliable by the United Nations (UN) and international institutions. But Israel has consistently disputed data published by Gaza’s authorities. International journalists,…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for a snap election amid a festering trade war and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney, who was elected by the Liberal Party earlier this month to replace Justin Trudeau following his resignation, called the election for April 28, saying he needs a strong mandate to deal with tariffs issued by the Trump administration and the threat they pose to Canada’s economy. The election was originally set for Oct. 20. “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to…

Seven suspected victims to be trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq have been rescued by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) during a raid at a popular hotel in Zamaru, near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The operatives also arrested the hotel manager. The raid was prompted by credible intelligence from stakeholders who had observed unusual activity, including the movement of young girls and suspicious individuals within the hotel, raising concerns about potential human trafficking. Saddened by the growing trend, Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, lamented the role of certain service providers in…

Pope Francis appeared at the window of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Sunday, offering a blessing for the first time since being admitted on February 14. The 88-year-old pontiff was discharged shortly afterwards, and doctors advised that he would need at least two months of rest at the Vatican, BBC reports. Dr. Sergio Alfieri, one of the doctors treating the Pope, revealed that during the past five weeks, Pope Francis experienced “two very critical episodes” where his “life was in danger.” Dr. Alfieri clarified that the Pope was never intubated and remained alert and oriented throughout his hospital stay.…

Russian authorities said on Sunday that its air defence units destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones that targeted Russia’s southwestern regions and killed one person in Rostov. In a message on Telegram, the Russian defence ministry said that 21 of the drones were downed overnight over the Rostov region in Russia’s south, adding that another 20 were downed over the Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea. The ministry said the rest of the drones were downed over the Voronezh, Volgograd, Kursk and Saratov regions, as well as over Crimea. The acting governor of the Rostov region that borders Ukraine, Yuri Slyusar, said…