Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

In the early hours of Monday morning, Israeli military forces seized control of a humanitarian aid boat attempting to reach Gaza, detaining a crew of 12 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and rerouting the vessel to an Israeli port. The vessel, The Madleen, was part of a symbolic mission organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition aimed at breaking Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of Gaza. The boat carried food, baby formula, and medical supplies, and departed amid mounting international concern over famine conditions in the besieged enclave. Despite the mission’s peaceful intent, Israeli forces intercepted the UK-flagged boat in…

Iran has announced that it will soon begin releasing what it claims is a trove of Israeli nuclear secrets, escalating already high tensions as European powers prepare to press for a renewed imposition of United Nations sanctions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme. In a televised address on Sunday, Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, declared that Tehran had acquired a “vast collection of strategic and sensitive [Israeli] documents, including plans and data on the nuclear facilities.” Khatib did not provide evidence but said proof would be released shortly. He implied that the materials were connected to the recent arrests of two…

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate is set to appear in court in Romania on Monday following allegations that he was caught speeding at a dangerous 196 km/h (122 mph) in a 50 km/h zone, more than three times the legal limit. Tate, 38, a British-American former kickboxer known globally for his inflammatory social media presence and self-proclaimed “misogynist” persona, was stopped early Saturday morning near Râmnicu Vâlcea, approximately 110 miles northwest of Bucharest. Romanian police allege his vehicle was clocked by radar racing through the area in the pre-dawn hours. According to Romanian media sources, the traffic infraction led to Tate’s…

Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed into Madrid’s Plaza de España on Sunday, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and an immediate general election amid a growing wave of corruption scandals engulfing his government, party, and family. Organised by the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP), the protest took place under the charged slogan “Mafia or Democracy,” drawing between 45,000 and 50,000 people, according to official estimates. Organisers, however, claimed attendance topped 100,000. Pedro Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has been rocked by a cascade of corruption accusations in recent months. The latest controversy surrounds Leire Díaz,…

A former police chief serving time for murder and rape was recaptured Friday, nearly two weeks after a dramatic escape from an Arkansas prison. Grant Hardin, dubbed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” was apprehended around 3:45 p.m. near Moccasin Creek, just over a mile from the Calico Rock prison where he had been held since 2017. Authorities say Hardin escaped the North Central Unit on May 25 by disguising himself in what appeared to be a law enforcement uniform. Izard County Sheriff Brandon Long confirmed the arrest in a statement, assuring the public that “there is no longer an active…

Renowned Nigerian highlife icon, Mike Ejeagha, popularly known as Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, has passed away at the age of 95 after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. The music legend died on Friday night at 8 p.m. at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu, marking the end of a towering era in Igbo folk music. His death was confirmed by his eldest son, Emma Ejeagha, who spoke with journalists on Saturday morning.  “My father passed away due to a long-standing ailment,” Emma said. “He died at exactly 8 p.m. on Friday, and his body has been deposited in the morgue.…

Federal immigration raids across Los Angeles on Friday triggered widespread protests and condemnation from community leaders, advocates, and residents. The coordinated sweeps, conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), targeted multiple locations including Home Depot stores, a doughnut shop, and the Ambient Apparel headquarters in the Fashion District. Masked agents in tactical gear, some wearing gas masks, were seen pulling individuals from the premises, while demonstrators clashed with federal officers throughout the day. Videos from the scene showed smoke grenades and pepper spray being deployed, with some officers firing less-lethal weapons into crowds attempting to block armored federal vehicles.…

Iran has strongly condemned the United States’ newly reinstated travel ban targeting Iranian nationals and citizens of 11 other predominantly Middle Eastern and African countries, calling the policy a sign of “supremacist and racist” ideology in Washington. The travel ban, signed into effect by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, is set to take effect on June 9. The executive order revives sweeping restrictions reminiscent of the administration’s first-term travel ban, once again citing national security as justification. The latest measure follows a recent firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado, which injured more than a dozen people. The…

Kabul, Afghanistan’s sprawling capital of seven million residents, could become the first modern city to entirely run out of water by the end of this decade, according to a stark new report by international aid agency Mercy Corps. Years of rapid urbanisation, climate change, poor governance, and over-extraction have pushed Kabul’s aquifers to the edge. Water tables have plunged by as much as 30 metres over the past decade, while extraction outpaces natural recharge by an alarming 44 million cubic metres annually. Mercy Corps warns that if current trends persist, the city’s aquifers may be completely depleted by 2030, posing…

Prime Minister Mark Carney is defending his decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, despite a deepening diplomatic rift over the murder of a prominent Sikh activist on Canadian soil. Carney’s invitation comes just weeks after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concluded that the June 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, was orchestrated at the “highest levels” of the Indian government. Four Indian nationals residing in Canada have since been arrested and charged with the killing, which shattered bilateral relations and triggered reciprocal diplomatic expulsions last year. When…