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 US welcomes humanitarian truce in Congo, White House says The United States welcomed a two-week humanitarian truce in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the White House said on Thursday, amid fierce fighting between government troops and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The fighting in North Kivu province has sent more than 1.7 million people fleeing their homes, driving up the number displaced in Congo by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million, according to United Nations estimates. The truce, beginning at midnight local time on Friday and to extend through July 19, covers areas where the conflict most affects civilian populations, the White House said, Reuters reported. "The recent expansion of fighting in North Kivu has prevented humanitarian workers from reaching hundreds of thousands of IDPs in the area around Kanyabayonga and displaced more than 100,000 people from their homes," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. The gover...

 NAF AIRCRAFT BOMBARDS TERRORISTS GATHERING AT DEGBEWA AND CHINENE IN THE MANDARA MOUNTAINS  Aerial bombardments carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai in the early hours of 3 July 2024, near Degbewa and Chinene, 2 known terrorists hideout tucked in the Mandara mountains, have led to the elimination of several terrorists and their structures. The air strikes became expedient after several days of aerial surveillance over Chinene and Degbewa , which revealed a consistent gathering of large number of terrorists in the area also suspected to be sites for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices and storage area. The terrorists were also observed to be loitering within the vicinity, clearly oblivious of what was to befall them, and probably confident that their location was safe and secured from any form of military bombardments. The air strikes were thus authourized with the aircraft bombarding the locations in several passes until majority of the terrorists...

 Comedian Tony Knight dead at 54 following 'terrible accident' Comedian Tony Knight has died following a "terrible accident." Knight was "tragically killed" in June while attending the Rock’&’Cars Festival in Lavaur, France, a family member told Fox News Digital. "He was only 54 and having the time of his life," they shared. "He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him. He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by [his partner] Hayley, his family and his friends all over the world." According to French media reports, a large tree branch fell on top of Knight and several other individuals at the festival, although he was the only one not to survive. A GoFundMe page was established by Joanne Allen, the sister of Knight's longtime partner, Hayley Wright. "Hayley is now living her worst nightmare and facing life without Tony, her soulmate," Allen writes. "She is in Bouillac having to deal w...

 Kidnapped Kaduna Judge Released, Three Children Still In Captivity As Bandits Demand N150 Million A judge of the Upper Customary Court in Kaduna State Janet Gimba who was kidnapped by bandits along with her four children has been released. But three of her children are still in the custody of the abductors. Her husband Musa Gimba confirmed the judge’s release but said that the woman was released without her three children. He disclosed that the bandits are demanding N150 million ransom within three days, threatening to kill them if the money is not given to them. The female judge who is attached to the Upper Customary Court, Sabon Tasha Division in Kaduna State was kidnapped along with her four children on June 24, 2024, at their residence in the Mahuta area of Chikun Local Government Area in the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis. But the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command Mansir Hassan said the assailants later killed the woman’s 14-year-old eldest son Victor Gimba. Police...

 COURT GRANTS WIDOW CUSTODY OF HER TWO CHILDREN By Chidinma Ikeanyionwu The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court of Anambra State, sitting at the Chief Magistrate's Court, Awka, has granted one Mrs. Nkechi Maduakor, a widow, custody of her two children. The Custody Order was made in favour of the widow, following an application made by Mrs. Nkechi Maduakor and Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Anambra State, against Mr. Anthony Maduakor and Virginia Obi. Mrs. Nkechi Maduakor, who resides at Umunono village, Nibo, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, sought the intervention of the state government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, Anambra State, when her late husband's relatives forcefully took away her two sons from her, after the demise of her husband. Following Mrs. Maduakor's complaints to the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, Awka, the Commissioner, Hon. Ify Obinabo invited the relatives for an alternative dispu...

 MIRACLE SOAP: Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin has expressed his desire to see people succeed and prosper thats why he unveiled a miracle soap  He said this on wednesday after he was  cr!tic!sed online for unveiling the soap for miracle  Prophet Jeremiah said God works in mysterious ways and its not good to question it.  He said the soap is not ordinary anymore because he has spoken the word of God unto it that's why it is now a miracle soap That the soaps can cleanse anyone that uses it, it will remove bad odours that have been stopping the person from progressing and prospering  He said Men of God today are using handkerchief to perform signs and wonder because it has bible backing. Acts 19:12 clearly stated Apostle Paul used handkerchief to heal the sick and performed several miracles with Aprons He said the Handkachief and Apron may be ordinary but because the Prophet spoke the word to the handkerchief, it became a powerful tool, so is the soup Prophet J...

 Saudi Arabia Sentences Producer to 13 Years in Prison Over Netflix Show In a video plea for help, Abdulaziz Almuzaini — a dual Saudi-American citizen — described how the authorities had accused him of promoting extremism through a cartoon franchise. Saudi Producer Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison Over Animated Netflix Series Via Middle East Eye Saudi writer and producer Abdul Aziz al-Muzaini has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and 13 years of travel ban, on charges of promoting terrorism and homosexuality through his Netflix show and old tweets. In a video posted on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) addressed to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, al-Muzaini said that a committee in Saudi Arabia’s audiovisual commission brought up to 30 charges against him in connection with his popular animated series Masameer in 2021, shortly after it premiered on Netflix.... ACCORDING TO ANOTHER SOURCE: Saudi writer and producer Abdul Aziz al-Muzaini has been sentenced to 13 years in pri...

 Netflix co-founder joins calls for Biden to step down 'to beat Trump' Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings allegedly became the latest notable figure to call on Biden to step down ahead of the election. In an email obtained by the New York Times, Hastings, a notable Democratic donor, reportedly said that Biden needs to step down as the presidential nominee to find someone who can defeat former President Donald Trump. "Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," Hastings wrote. Hastings, along with his wife Patty Quillin, have been notable donors to the Democratic Party, particularly in California. In 2021, Hastings donated approximately $3 million to a committee created to stop a recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif. In 2022, Quillin was one of many people who donated to a left-wing group hoping to stop liberal San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from being recalled himself. Several ...

  Many trapped as two-storey building collapses in Anambra market A two-storey building still under construction and housing traders and shop owners collapsed at the Eke Amawbia market in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Thursday. Although the casualty figure has not been officially ascertained, it was gathered that lives might have been lost in the incident and many are feared trapped under the rubble. Eyewitnesses said the incident happened at about noon, creating panic among some of the traders and residents in the area. The eyewitnesses said the two-storey building suddenly crumbled, burying numerous traders beneath the debris. As of the time of filing this report, one person had been rescued and rushed to Amawbia Maternity Home for urgent medical attention, but many more are believed to be trapped inside the wreckage. Some police officers have arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts and maintain order. Traders who witnessed the collapse blamed the disaster on subs...

 FG Lists Flood-Prone States, Says Downpour May Worsen Cholera The Federal Government has warned that the increasing level of flooding and continuous rainfall may worsen the spread of cholera in the country. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Joseph Terlumum raised the concern while addressing a press conference on Thursday. According to him, a total of 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases have already been recorded as of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, since the outbreak of the epidemic. Recent incessant rains have resulted in floods in some states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a situation that prompted the minister to call on state governments across the country to intensify efforts in clearing drainages. He said, “We are calling on states and local government councils, to intensify and step up efforts to avert flood-related disasters in their domains as we approach the peak of the flooding season. “At the national, some states have started experiencing some level ...

 I have been vindicated – Edo Deputy Gov, Shaibu on invalidation of PDP guber primary Immediate past Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu has said he has been vindicated by the Federal High Court judgment which invalidated the governorship primary election of Edo State. In a reaction on Thursday to the judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, Shuaib claimed that what PDP tagged as a primary election on February 22, 2024, was nothing but a tea party with no force of law. He said he had consistently and persistently cried out loud and clear that the PDP killed internal democracy with the fraudulent ways its purported primary election was conducted at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin. The former Deputy Governor maintained that those who voted for him at his parallel primary election were the authentic delegates lawfully chosen by the people to nominate the governorship candidate for PDP. On the move by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for him to defect to the pa...

 Biden responds to criticism over his debate performance: 'I screwed up' President Biden said that he had a "bad" debate performance against former President Trump but argued that his accomplishments during his term were more important in a radio interview Thursday.  "I had a bad night," Biden said in an interview on July 4 with radio host Earl Ingram. "And the fact of the matter is that, you know, I screwed up."  Biden has faced calls to step down from media figures as speculation over whether he can remain at the top of the ticket continues to dog his campaign.  "I made a mistake," he told Ingram. "But I learned from my father, when you get knocked down, you just get back up." "And, you know, we're going to win this election," Biden continued. "We're going to just beat Donald Trump. And like we did in 2020, we're going to beat him again. But we need all of you to get this done. All of you." ...

 Convicted felon Hunter Biden's presence advising the president may hurt Biden's ability to deride Trump President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden – a convicted felon awaiting sentencing – has been closely advising his father to stay in the race, which may hurt the president's ability to deride former President Donald Trump's criminal record on the campaign trail.  "All Americans should be highly concerned that at a time where international tensions are on the rise, particularly with the CCP, the Biden family bag man is now in the White House," Mike Howell, the executive director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.  "Given that this administration appears to be on its last legs, I fear that a lot of requested favors from foreigners that have leverage over Biden are being considered while he still has power," Howell said.  Hunter Biden was convicted last month on three felony charges relating to a ...

 POLICE RESCUE 19-YEAR-OLD LADY FROM SUICIDE ATTEMPT Officers from Ikorodu Area Command have rescued a nineteen-year old lady who was on the verge of committing suicide.  On June 29, 2024, at about 1400hrs, a concerned citizen informed police authorities about a young girl who was attempting to commit suicide by ingesting a harmful chemical known as Sniper. Promptly responding to the tip-off, officers were dispatched to the scene where the girl was located and prevented from causing herself harm. Upon rescue, the lady, whose identity remains confidential, confessed that she had been driven to the brink of suicide due to severe emotional distress. She revealed that she was impregnated by a man who subsequently refused to take responsibility for the pregnancy. Additionally, she had fallen victim to a fraudster who scammed her of her earnings from her Point of Sale (POS) business, further compounding her emotional and financial struggles. The young woman is currently receiving ne...

 Fighting corruption requires joint effort - Uzor Kalu The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said that fighting corruption requires Nigerians collective effort. According to him, Nigerians need to unite and combat corruption collectively to prevent its negative impact on the entire nation. He partly said: "The greatest problem you're looking for is corruption. Corruption has eaten the fabric of Nigeria, whether in the private or public sector.  "The greatest problem Nigeria has today is corruption. If Nigeria or Nigerians do not march to kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigerians. So Nigeria better stand up for all of us to kill corruption.  "The greatest problem we have in and out, every leader, all the leaders are involved in corruption, people in the streets are corrupt also. Both the led and the people leading are corrupt. The private and public sector, except we leave corruption alone, corruption will not leave us....

  UNIBEN Shuts Down Indefinitely After Students’ Protest The Senate of the University of Benin has shut down academic activities at the institution following Wednesday’s protests. Disclosing this in a statement on Thursday, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, said the shutdown does not affect the non-academic staff. The university also ordered students to vacate their hostels immediately. “Following the refusal of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the University’s Senate, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely,” the statement read. “Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all the relevant units of the University are to take note and comply. However, non-teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shutdown.” UNIBEN students took to the streets on Wednesday, blocking the busy Benin-O...

 Wizkid remembers late mother on posthumous birthday Nigerian superstar, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has paid tributes to his late mother, Morayo, on her first posthumous birthday. Taking to social media on Thursday, Wizkid celebrated her life, highlighting how much he missed her. He wrote, “Happy birthday, love of my life! I miss you every day. The first one without you here feels unreal. Nothing makes sense without you, Mama! Life is empty without you. “Continue to watch over us! My heart is broken forever! love you love love you, Morayo mi. Your smile is a memory I will never forget. Your laugh! Your hugs and kisses. I miss you dearly!” Wizkid also wrote, “Morayo!! Best album I ever made!! Now listen! It’s only up from here!” Wizkid’s mother, Jane Dolapo Balogun, died on August 18, 2023, and was buried on October 13, 2023.

 Obi meets NLC today over conflict with Abure The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, will hold a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Thursday as part of his reconciliatory move to resolve the crisis rocking the party. The move comes one week after the former Anambra governor sued for peace following the invasion of the LP headquarters in Abuja by members of the NLC National Transition Committee set up to take over the control of party affairs. The committee headed by a former NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, was put in place by the NLC Political Commission to reposition the party two months after the NLC rejected the re-election of Julius Abure as the party’s National Chairman. Omar and scores of the NLC supporters had on Tuesday stormed the national secretariat of the Labour Party in Utako to demand Abure’s resignation. The protest and threats to bring down the gates of the secretariat disrupted an ongoing meeting of the N...

 BUILDING COLLAPSE IN ANAMBRA: POLICE RESCUE TWO VICTIMS, OPERATION STILL ONGOING In response to a distress call today 4/7/2024 at about 12:40 pm of a building collapse at Ekeoyibo market, Amawbia, Police Operatives have rescued two victims and taken them to the hospital for medical care.  Meanwhile, on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, *CP Nnaghe Obono Itam*, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations led operatives at the scene for on-the-spot assessment, the area has been cordoned off and rescue Operations are still ongoing. _ Further details shall be communicated, please_ *SP Tochukwu Ikenga* Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Police Command. Awka. 4th July, 2024.

 Soldiers in DR Congo sentenced to death for fleeing battle Twenty-five soldiers have been sentenced to death by a military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo for fleeing battles against M23 rebels and theft. The army detained 27 soldiers after they abandoned their positions in the villages of Keseghe and Matembe in the province. Army spokesman Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji said the runaways were found stealing goods from shops in the nearby village of Alimbongo. One soldier was handed a 10-year prison sentence while the four wives and another soldier were acquitted.

 Labour, private sector protest as Discos hike tariff again The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and Organised Private Sector, on Wednesday, faulted the latest hike in the electricity tariff payable by customers in the Band A Category. Following the depreciation of the naira against the United States dollar, and inflation, among other factors, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission again raised the tariff payable by Band A customers. On Wednesday, some distribution companies including Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, among others, announced an upward review of their tariffs for Band A from N206.80 per kilowatt-hour to N209.50/kWh. Though the increase appears marginal, organised labour, private sector operators and consumers kicked against it. They wondered why the power sector regulator would approve a tariff hike despite calls for the reversal of the previous tariff hik...

 Bandits demand N300m to free abducted Kaduna judge, kill son Suspected bandits, who kidnapped a female judge and her four children in Kaduna State, have demanded for N300m, after killing her eldest son. The judge and her sons were reportedly abducted at their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna on 23 June. The kidnappers, numbering up to 15, stormed the residence of the judge at night when her husband, Dr. Musa Gimba Dutse, a medical doctor, was away on duty. However, a human rights lawyer, and Chief Executive Officer of the House of Justice, Gloria Ballason, on Wednesday, confirmed in a statement that the kidnappers have threatened to kill her remaining sons if the ransom was not paid in time. Ballason said the abductors killed the 14-year-old son of the judge in captivity when the family couldn’t pay the demanded ransom. According to her, the boy, identified as Victor Gimba, the first son of the judge, was shot dead on July 2. “The abductors, reported to have been about 15, t...

 Father, son remanded for allegedly stealing N75m from Lagos firm Thirty-one-year-old Babatunde Ishola and his father, Bayo, have been remanded by the court at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly stealing N75m belonging to a lotto company in Lagos State. The defendants were arraigned on two counts of stealing and diversion of funds at the Yaba Magistrates’ Court in the state. The duo were alleged to have taken money from the company’s account and diverted it to their accounts and those of their cohorts who are now at large. In a document signed by the police prosecutor, Mike Enejere, the first defendant, Babatunde, served as the account officer of the lotto company as the funds were diverted between 2020 and 2023. The charge read in part, “That you, Ishola Mubarak Babatunde, Ishola Rasheed Bayo, and others now at large, between 2020 and 2023, at Lotgrand Limited, a registered lotto company in Lagos, within the Magisterial District of this Honourable Court, conspired amon...

 UNIBEN fresh female graduate who was killed by hoodlums made first class – Brother Omotayo Adekolure, brother of the late Glory Adekolure, a final year student of the University of Benin who was raped and killed in Benin, Edo State, on June 13, 2024, in this interview with ADEYINKA ADEDIPE, says the family has yet to get over the death of the promising girl. Excerpts: Can you recount your sister’s last moment with the family? On that fateful day, she left home for school around 10 am to work on her project and for her clearance, having finished her final exams at the University of Benin on April 8. She was the only one who stayed with our mother in the community. She later went to my elder sister’s store inside UNIBEN to assist her, because of the high number of customers due to the matriculation of new students held that day. According to my elder sister, they closed the store at about 6 pm and parted ways at about 6.45 pm at the university’s main gate. My sister lives at Adolor,...