Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

China has issued a sharp warning to the United Kingdom over its newly signed trade agreement with the United States, accusing London of aligning with Washington in a way that could economically isolate Beijing. Chinese officials argue the deal imposes conditions that may force British companies to sideline Chinese products and suppliers from their supply chains. Signed last week, the UK-US trade deal offers Britain some tariff relief, most notably reducing U.S. tariffs on British car exports from 27.5% to 10% for up to 100,000 vehicles annually, and lifting duties on steel and aluminium. However, these benefits come with stringent…

The killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, a notorious militia commander long accused of war crimes and human rights abuses, has triggered violent clashes across the Libyan capital, leaving at least six people dead and prompting warnings from international organizations. Al-Kikli, widely known as Gheniwa, led the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), one of Tripoli’s most powerful armed groups, headquartered in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood. According to a security source speaking to Al Wasat television, he was shot and killed late Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade of the Libyan army. In the hours following his…

Tech giant Microsoft announced Tuesday that it is laying off approximately three per cent of its global workforce, amounting to around 6,000 employees.

Edan Alexander, a 20 year old American-Israeli soldier held hostage by Hamas for nearly 20 months, has been released in a surprise move that may signal a shift in efforts to end the war in Gaza.

Gérard Depardieu, one of France’s most iconic and controversial actors, has been convicted of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts in 2021. A Paris court on Tuesday handed down an 18 month suspended prison sentence and ordered that the 76 year old be placed on the national sex offender registry. Depardieu, who has starred in over 200 films and TV series, did not attend the hearing. His lawyer, Jérémie Assous, announced plans to appeal the verdict. The assaults took place on a Paris film set in September 2021. One of the victims, identified as Amélie,…

Buckingham Palace has announced that President Emmanuel Macron of France will pay a state visit to King Charles in July.

In a move raising eyebrows across political and academic circles, the Department of Justice confirmed Monday that Todd Blanche, former personal criminal attorney to President Donald Trump and current Deputy Attorney General, has been named acting Librarian of Congress. Blanche, a career prosecutor best known for representing Trump during his 2024 New York criminal trial, has no known experience in library science or information management. His surprise appointment follows the abrupt firing of Carla Hayden, the nation’s first Black and first female Librarian of Congress, who had held the role since 2016. Alongside Blanche, two other senior Justice Department officials,…

The Trump family’s growing stake in the cryptocurrency world took a major leap Monday as American Bitcoin, a mining firm co-founded by Eric Trump, announced it will go public through a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining. The all-stock deal, expected to close by the third quarter of this year, will allow American Bitcoin to be listed on the Nasdaq, further solidifying the Trump family’s influence in the digital currency arena. The company’s stated mission is to mine bitcoin “below market cost” while amassing a reserve of the high-value cryptocurrency. “Our vision for American Bitcoin is to create the most investable…

A controversial decision by U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited global debate after a group of white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, were granted refugee status and arrived in the United States this week. Met at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar, the group, numbering between 49 and 59 according to conflicting reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, was greeted with American flags and public praise from senior U.S. officials. “It is such an honour for us to receive you here today,” Landau told…

Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the explosive federal sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who stands accused of operating a criminal enterprise under the guise of his Bad Boy Records label and coercing women into drug-fueled, days-long sex acts. A jury of 12 New Yorkers, along with six alternates, is expected to be finalised and sworn in Monday morning, after which prosecutors and defence attorneys will deliver their first pitches in a case that has rocked the entertainment industry. At the centre of the trial is Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, the R&B singer, model, and…