Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

The White House has accused the Norwegian Nobel Committee of choosing “politics over peace” after awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado instead of US President Donald Trump, whose administration had openly lobbied for the honour. The Committee announced on Friday that Machado would receive the world’s most prestigious peace award 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, remains in hiding in Caracas after being barred from contesting Venezuela’s presidential election last year.…

Following Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 17 series, excitement among UK consumers has been matched by one persistent question: which model offers the best balance of performance, price and practicality? With the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max now available nationwide, early reviews suggest that while all three devices share a core of powerful innovation, they cater to distinctly different users. Design and Display All three models feature Apple’s refined Super Retina XDR OLED display with 120 Hz ProMotion technology, offering fluid scrolling and vivid colour depth. The bezels are slimmer, the body lighter, and durability has been improved with…

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…