AU URGES DE-ESCALATION AS FIGHTING DISPLACES OVER 180,000 IN SOUTH SUDAN’S JONGLEI STATE. (PHOTO).

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 AU urges de-escalation as fighting displaces over 180,000 in South Sudan’s Jonglei state The Chairperson of the African Union Commission called for immediate de-escalation and strict adherence to South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement, as renewed fighting in Jonglei State displaced more than 180,000 people and raised fears of further civilian harm. In a statement, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said he was deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in parts of the country, particularly Jonglei, where escalating violence and inflammatory rhetoric have put civilians—including women and children—at heightened risk. South Sudanese authorities estimate the number of displaced in Jonglei at more than 180,000, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said last week. He urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions immediately, and comply fully with the permanent ceasefire and power-sharing arrangements under the agreement, T...

FLORIDA EXECUTES 17TH DEATH ROW INMATE OF THE YEAR FOR 1988 MURDER. (PHOTO).


 Florida executes 17th death row inmate of the year for 1988 murder

Florida on Thursday carried out the execution of Richard B. Randolph, 63, who was convicted of the 1988 rape and murder of a convenience store clerk, marking the state’s 17th execution this year—a record for Florida—and the seventh execution of a military veteran in 2025. Randolph was put to death via a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke and was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. EST.

Randolph had been sentenced to death in 1989 by an 8-4 jury verdict for the killing of 62-year-old Minnie Ruth McCollum in Palatka. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his final appeal without explanation. His attorneys had argued that Randolph, who was orphaned and abused by his adoptive parents, received inadequate legal representation at trial and that his chronic autoimmune disease, lupus, could cause extreme pain during execution. Court filings included a doctor’s report warning that the lethal injection would have caused him to “essentially drown in his own blood,” but the state’s high court dismissed the claims as untimely.

According to court records, Randolph broke into a Handy-Way convenience store on Aug. 15, 1988, intending to rob his former workplace. When McCollum confronted him outside, he assaulted her repeatedly, strangled and stabbed her, and raped her before stealing her car and confessing later that day. McCollum died six days later from her injuries.

As Randolph was executed, protesters held a candlelight vigil. Advocates cited his abusive childhood, alleged inadequate trial representation, and his reportedly rehabilitative behavior during more than 30 years in prison, noting that he had studied his faith, mentored other inmates, and maintained a clean disciplinary record. Groups opposing the death penalty condemned the execution, saying it reflected a lack of belief in redemption and hope.

Randolph’s execution makes him the 44th death row inmate executed in the United States in 2025.


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