Author: Maryam Sulaiman

Officers from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of cannabis hidden inside a gallon of palm oil meant for Saudi Arabia at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State. In addition to the airport interception, the agency recovered 8,725 kilograms of powdered tramadol, valued at over 6.98 billion Naira, at the Apapa port in Lagos State. The bust was part of a series of nationwide operations that yielded massive quantities of cannabis and opioids across Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. NDLEA Director of Media and…

Global economic growth is currently projected at 3.1 percent, while global inflation has climbed to 4.7 percent, according to the latest World Economic Outlook published Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund. While a surge in artificial intelligence is bolstering technology-exporting economies, developing and climate-vulnerable regions are enduring a double setback from escalating energy expenses and severe weather events. With over 60 percent of low-income countries experiencing or nearing debt distress, leaders at the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok emphasized a clear two-part approach: execute fiscal consolidation to manage high debt and shield social safety nets, alongside aggressive…

‎Survivors of a violent aerial attack near the Sudan-Egypt border have shared details of the strike that claimed 72 lives at Jabal al-Uqaydat, a vast mountain gold-mining district situated in contested territory claimed by both nations. Human rights organizations have pointed to the Egyptian air force as the source of the strike.‎Injured miner Ali Mohamed Hamza explained that they were preparing tea around 8:00 AM when an aircraft appeared overhead. He noted that it circled above about three times while filming them before striking on the fourth pass.‎Another wounded miner, Omar Mohie El Deen Abdullah, recalled that the initial strike…

‎A Chinese medical vessel carrying 376 crew members docked at the port of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, launching an initiative to deliver free health checkups and medications to local residents. ‎Patient Kassoum Azoumana shared his experience after visiting the facility, stating that he heard about the arrival of a Chinese medical consultation ship, “so I took the opportunity to come in for some checkups. I have to admit I was impressed by the warm welcome and above all, the quality of the equipment”. ‎The medical consultations are scheduled to run through October 21, 2026. Long recognized for its…

‎At least 10 students have lost their lives to Ebola in Ituri Province, located in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local officials reported on Thursday. ‎These fatalities occur slightly over a month following the reopening of schools for the new academic term, as the viral outbreak continues to expand. ‎Figures provided by educational authorities in Bunia, the capital of the province, show that the deceased are among 25 confirmed Ebola infections detected across multiple schools in the area. While 10 of the affected students have succumbed to the virus, seven others are presently receiving medical…

‎United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged for de-escalation in the Horn of Africa following recent clashes in northern Ethiopia and rising strains with nearby Eritrea. ‎During a telephone conversation on Wednesday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Rubio encouraged dialogue guided by the 2018 peace accord signed between Ethiopia and Eritrea. A statement released by the State Department noted that Rubio emphasized the region cannot endure further conflict. ‎The flare-up in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region over recent weeks has effectively undermined the 2022 peace agreement that brought an end to a devastating two-year war. Ethiopian officials have…

‎A pastor and his wife have been taken into custody in South Africa following a police raid on an illicit church-run rehabilitation center in Mpumalanga province that exposed terrible living conditions. ‎Local news outlets reported that approximately 200 victims, including both minors and adults purportedly seeking treatment for substance abuse, were uncovered at the site on Thursday, October 15. ‎Investigators noted that some individuals were chained together, while others suffered from untreated physical wounds. The venue featured lack of running water, broken toilet facilities, and severely overcrowded sleeping quarters. ‎According to government officials, the institution was functioning without the necessary…

Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced on Thursday that he has sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, reiterating his dedication to bringing an end to the war in the North African nation. The United States plays a key role in the Quad diplomatic framework alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, working to resolve the conflict that has gripped Sudan since April 2023. Washington previously put forward a proposal for a 90-day ceasefire, though the Sudanese armed forces expressed opposition to the plan. In September, Washington denied Burhan a visa to participate in the UN…

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a new round of Iran-related sanctions on Thursday, targeting 16 individuals and 11 entities. OFAC stated that the designated parties have been added to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List. The newly sanctioned targets encompass financial institutions, currency exchange businesses, as well as energy and trading firms. Among the designated entities is Cuba’s Banco Internacional de Comercio S.A. (BICSA), which was penalized for its connections with Iran’s Karafarin Bank, an institution under sanctions since 2020. “For too long, Communist Cuba has been allowed to operate as…

The ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached alarming proportions, with confirmed cases surpassing 9,000 and the death toll climbing past 4,300. Medical teams are facing significant hurdles in controlling the outbreak, which has now expanded across seven provinces while spreading rapidly across several high-risk areas. Medical personnel are particularly concerned by the high volume of fatalities taking place away from specialized care facilities. Dr Catherine Swallwood, incident manager at the World Health Organization in the DR Congo says about of the total number of cases, about 60 per are community deaths. “Now, over the past…