Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The White House has confirmed that a journalist inadvertently was added to a group chat in which US national security officials planned a strike against the Houthi rebel group. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported on Monday that he was added to a Signal message group that included accounts labelled as White House National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Vice-President JD Vance. “At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic,” Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said in a statement to the BBC. “We are reviewing how an inadvertent number was…

Ramadan palliatives meant to be distributed in Gombe State by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu were reportedly looted by some youths in the state on Monday. Seyi Tinubu has been touring northern states, participating in Iftar with residents and political leaders while launching Ramadan feeding programmes for the less privileged. However, the initiative has generated heated debates on social media, with some welcoming the gesture and others condemning it as inadequate for addressing the region’s pressing needs. Some northern elites argue that northern Nigeria deserves more substantial support beyond food handouts, while supporters view it as a charitable…

The first US black Republican congresswoman, Mia Love, has died aged 49 in Utah. Announcing the death, her family stated, “She passed away peacefully” on Sunday, surrounded by family at her home in the town of Saratoga Springs.” Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, had represented the state of Utah in the House of Representatives. Her daughter, Abigale said earlier this month that Love had no longer been responding to treatment for brain cancer. The family statement, which was posted on X stated, “In the midst of a celebration of her life and an avalanche of happy memories, Mia quietly…

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…