Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

In a dramatic turn that has drawn global attention, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been named the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, outshining powerful contenders including U.S. President Donald Trump, who waged an aggressive public campaign for the honour. Announcing the decision in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado, 58, has long been a symbol of resistance against the authoritarian regime of President Nicolás Maduro. Barred from contesting last year’s…

A bill seeking the creation of Ibadan State from the present Oyo State has passed its second reading in the House of Representatives, marking a major step forward in one of Nigeria’s longest-standing statehood agitations. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Hon. Abass Adigun, who represents Ibadan Northeast/Ibadan Southeast Federal Constituency, was debated and approved for further consideration during Thursday’s plenary session. If successful, the bill will alter the 1999 Constitution to carve out a new state from Oyo, a move supporters say will correct historical imbalances, promote equitable development, and strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure. “Ibadan Has Waited Too Long” –…

The United Kingdom has recorded another surge in irregular migration across the English Channel, with more than 1,000 people arriving in small boats within 24 hours, according to figures released by the Home Office on Thursday. A total of 1,075 migrants crossed the Channel on 15 small boats on Wednesday, marking the fourth time this year that daily arrivals have exceeded 1,000. The latest wave of crossings pushes the total number of small boat arrivals in 2025 to 35,476, representing an increase of nearly one-third compared to the same period last year. The figures place 2025 on course to become…

Tensions between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbours have reignited after Pakistan warned that the “chances of war with India are real,” following a deadly ambush on a military convoy that killed 11 soldiers in the country’s volatile northwest. According to officials in Islamabad, the attack occurred in Orakzai district on Wednesday when gunmen linked to the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) opened fire on a convoy carrying out an intelligence operation. Among the dead were two senior officers. Nineteen militants were also killed in a retaliatory strike. Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, blamed India for allegedly backing militant groups responsible…

Donald Trump’s latest bid to win the Nobel Peace Prize has stirred fresh controversy in diplomatic and academic circles, with insiders and experts warning that his leadership style and foreign policy record conflict with the spirit and intent of the prestigious global award. The U.S. president has mounted an unusually public campaign, placing intense pressure on the Norwegian Nobel Committee , the five-member body responsible for awarding the prize, claiming that it would be “an insult to the United States” if he were not chosen. Mr. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he deserves recognition for what he calls “historic peace…

A senior Hamas official has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to establish a transitional “Board of Peace” headed by Mr. Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to oversee Gaza’s post-war administration. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas representative who has previously participated in indirect negotiations with U.S. envoys, dismissed the plan as politically unacceptable. Speaking to Qatar’s Al Araby television network on Thursday, Hamdan said, “All the factions, including the Palestinian Authority, reject this.” Read Also:  Starmer hails Trump’s leadership in Gaza peace deal Ex-UK PM Blair to head Gaza transition if ceasefire holds The statement follows…

In what has been hailed as a historic breakthrough, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of Donald Trump’s long-awaited peace plan, marking the most significant step yet toward ending the two-year war that has devastated Gaza and shaken the Middle East. The agreement, brokered after weeks of intense negotiations in Egypt involving US, Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators, commits Hamas to releasing all remaining hostages while Israel begins a partial troop withdrawal from Gaza. Read Also: Hamas accepts Trump’s Gaza peace plan, agrees to release all Israeli hostages Mr Trump described the development as a “historic and…

A woman who once dated al-Shamie, the man accused of launching a deadly attack on a synagogue that left two people dead and three others injured, has described him as a secretive and deeply troubled individual who concealed much of his private life and intentions. The woman said al-Shamie, a university drop-out believed never to have held a full-time job, often told her he was “always shifting between jobs.” “He would never preach anything,” she said. “The only thing he would do was pray. He never showed me, or said anything about terrorism or joining any group. It was all…

The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammad Sanusi II, has expressed strong support for the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying he agrees with about 80 percent of the administration’s policy direction. Speaking in an interview with News Central on Tuesday, Sanusi praised the Federal Government’s economic management, particularly its efforts to restore stability through improved fiscal discipline and monetary policy coordination. “In terms of monetary policy and stability, I have nothing but commendation for the government,” Sanusi said. “On the fiscal side, we have seen improvement in revenue-to-GDP ratios,…

British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to abolish stamp duty on primary residences, in what she describes as a bold step toward restoring the dream of home ownership for millions of Britons. Addressing delegates at the Conservative Party Conference, Badenoch said the tax, which is paid when buying property, has become a major obstacle for first-time buyers and young families. Her remarks drew a standing ovation from party members, signalling strong grassroots support for what could become one of the defining policies of her leadership. “We Conservatives believe that owning your home gives you a real stake in…