Author: Opalim Lifted

Eleven bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying Tunisian migrants sank off the country’s coast while attempting to reach Italy, Tunisia’s National Guard said on Sunday. Three people remain missing as coastguard, military and civil protection teams continue search operations, supported by two helicopters. The boat left Tunisia early on Thursday carrying 15 people, most of them young, according to migrant rights activists. Only one person was rescued alive after reportedly spending about 48 hours adrift at sea before being picked up by a commercial vessel. The head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that seven…

Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after the virus was detected in a dead long-nosed fur seal in South Australia. South Australian authorities said the seal was found dead near Beachport, about 310km south of Adelaide, with no visible signs of injury. It is the first confirmed detection of H5N1 in an Australian mammal. The development comes as Australia battles a growing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, which was first detected in migratory seabirds before spreading to native species. The country recorded its first mass seabird deaths from the virus this month,…

Suspected bandits have kidnapped the first wife of the Baale of Dabu in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, identified as Iya Ayoka. In a similar development, armed bandits have abducted the King of Igbesi, a community in Oke-Onigbin, Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Moses Iwedunmoye I. The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, confirmed the abduction, while a palace source said the monarch was abducted alongside some other residents of the community during the attack. The bandits reportedly invaded Igbesi at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and abducted the monarch. However, Adekimi said only the…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a N30 million registration fee for digital asset providers operating in Nigeria. The fee is contained in the SEC’s proposed rules on “Digital and virtual asset operations, custody and markets”, released on August 20. Under the framework, digital asset exchanges (DAXs), digital asset custodians (DACs), digital asset platform operators (DAPOs), digital asset offering platforms (DAOPs), and real-world asset tokenisation platforms (RATOPs) would each pay a N30 million registration fee. The commission also proposed higher capital requirements for operators. Under the framework, DAXs and DACs would each require minimum capital of N2 billion,…

A United States lawmaker, Chris Smith, has accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately protect citizens and hold perpetrators accountable following a series of deadly attacks in Plateau State. Smith, a member of the US House of Representatives, made the remarks after violence in Mangu Local Government Area left communities grieving and homes and farmland destroyed. According to a report by Kanyi Daily News, several residents believed to be Fulani were killed on August 16 in Jwak Maitumbi community, Mangu LGA, while about 45 residential shelters and large quantities of crops were reportedly destroyed. Less than 48 hours later,…

Search and rescue operations were underway on Saturday after a boat carrying 15 irregular migrants capsized off Tunisia’s coast, with only one person rescued so far. National Guard spokesman Houcem Eddine Jebabli told Mosaique FM that the boat sank about 14 nautical miles off the coast of Zarzis between Friday night and Saturday morning. Authorities had not confirmed any deaths at the time of reporting. However, Mostafa Abdelkebir, president of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Facebook that four bodies had been recovered. It was not immediately clear whether the bodies were linked to passengers from the capsized…

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are lamenting the rising cost of electricity following the upgrade of more areas by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to Band A. The development has forced some residents to cut back on electricity use, while others are turning to alternative power sources such as solar energy. Abdul Uman, a security personnel in Garki, told reporters that the rising cost had made it difficult for him to use his air conditioner. “I don’t use my air conditioner anymore; electricity has become so expensive. N5,000 worth of electricity no longer lasts me for…

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has said its ongoing recruitment exercise will be concluded within the next four weeks. The board, in a statement signed by its secretary, Maj Gen. (Rtd.) A. M. Jibril, on Friday, said the recruitment process had reached its final stages following the large number of applications received from across the country. According to the CDCFIB, the remaining stages of the exercise would be completed within four weeks, after which successful candidates would be notified through the official recruitment platform. The board said the process was being handled with consideration for…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says reviving and completing capital projects abandoned for decades under previous administrations has been a major achievement of his three-year tenure. Wike said the FCT Administration had focused on reviving abandoned projects, completing critical infrastructure and delivering new developments to transform Abuja since he assumed office on August 21, 2023. He spoke on Saturday after inspecting major infrastructure projects across the nation’s capital, as he reviewed the administration’s achievements over the past three years. To document the progress, Wike announced plans to publish a comprehensive report detailing projects completed and initiated…

Turkey has requested Interpol red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another Israeli national over the alleged attack on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which was carrying aid to Gaza. Akin Gurlek, Turkey’s justice minister, said on Friday that arrest warrants had been issued for Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch as part of a domestic criminal case concerning the interception of flotilla activists in international waters. The Turkish Justice Ministry said the two are being prosecuted over allegations including crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional assault and battery, torture, destruction of property, aggravated looting…