NEWS

Australia has ordered all non-essential government officials stationed in Israel and the United Arab Emirates to leave as security conditions across the Middle East continue to worsen. The announcement was made by Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, who said the move was necessary because of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the region. Wong said that while non-essential staff are being withdrawn, essential Australian officials will remain in both countries to continue supporting Australian citizens who may require assistance. The Australian government has also reiterated its travel advisory urging citizens not to travel to Israel or the United Arab Emirates, warning that the security environment could deteriorate further. In a message shared on social ...

Nigeria has officially received Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention injection, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to combat the HIV epidemic. The breakthrough medication was approved by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, with support from the Global Fund. Nigerian Culture Showcase Lenacapavir is designed for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), offering an alternative to daily oral HIV prevention drugs. The injectable treatment is administered twice a year, providing people at risk of HIV infection with a more convenient option compared to daily medication. Health experts say the new injection could significantly improve treatment adherence, particularly among individuals who find it difficult to maintain a daily drug routine. ...

Iran’s new Supreme Leader is reportedly in a coma. Mojtaba Khamenei has lost at least one leg and has also suffered serious stomach or liver damage after being seriously injured in air strikes. According to the UK Sun and Daily Mail, the new leader is currently under intensive care at the Sina University Hospital in the city’s historic quarter. Security forces have supposedly sealed off a section of the building. A source, who does not want to be named out of fear for his life, said the new Supreme Leader is under the care of Mohammad Reza Zafargjani, Iran's Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, and one of the country's top trauma surgeons. Mr. Zafargjani's Persian Wikipedia page details eight years of experience operating in the Iran-Ir...

A long-serving Australian ferry worker has lost her job after a workplace tribunal backed her employer’s decision to sack her following a year marked by frequent absences from work. Jodie Daunis, who spent several years working as a customer service operator on Brisbane’s iconic ferries, was shown the door in July last year by transport giant Kelsian Group. According to tribunal documents, Daunis took a whopping 114 sick days in one 12-month period. The company concluded that her ongoing medical condition meant she could no longer reliably perform the job on the river. Her health troubles began escalating around April 2024 when she developed deep vein thrombosis and began suffering recurrent blood clots, triggering inflammation and persistent pain. Doctors referred her for s...

Mojtaba Khamenei Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has delivered his first public statement, calling for unity among the Iranian people while acknowledging the hardships endured during recent conflict. The address, read on state television, expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones and pledged that damages would be compensated. “We have to protect this unity and this is only possible when we are together and we find common ground,” the statement said. Khamenei linked the nation’s suffering to his own personal losses, noting that his father, the former supreme leader, and members of his family were killed in recent strikes. “I lost my father, I lost my wife. My sister lost her child as well as her husband,” he said, adding that faith and patience were ess...

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - FEBRUARY 24: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 24, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. Attendees descended upon the hotel outside of Washington DC to participate in the four-day annual conference and hear from conservative speakers from around the world who range from journalists, U.S. lawmakers, international leaders and businessmen. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) President Donald Trump has addressed reports of potential Iranian sleeper cells in the United States and an alleged revenge plot involving a possible drone attack targeting California. Fears of possible cells came aft...

The Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police, has urged the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja to dismiss the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. El-Rufai is seeking ₦1 billion in damages against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the FCT Magistrate Court, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Federal Ministry of Justice (Nigeria), represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation. The former governor filed the case to challenge a search carried out by security operatives at his residence in the Asokoro area of Abuja. El-Rufai argued that the operation violated his fundamental rights and is demanding compensation from the respondents. Reports indicate that some items...

The United Kingdom has announced restrictions on movement ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit next week. Thames Valley Police have explained that the measures are part of a comprehensive security operation being carried out in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Royal Household and other partners to ensure the safety of dignitaries, spectators and the general public during the visit. Chief Superintendent Adrian Hall of Thames Valley Police’s Joint Operations Unit said on Wednesday that the airspace restrictions form only one aspect of the extensive security arrangements for the visit. He said, “The air restrictions are just one part of our robust security operation for the state visit of Nigerian President Tinubu next week, with many measur...

Frustration over persistent blackouts boiled over in Lagos on Thursday as residents took to the streets to protest the “epileptic” electricity supply across the state. A viral video circulating on social media on Thursday showed a group of protesters, primarily young Nigerians, marching through the Fadeyi area of Lagos. The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting, expressed their frustration over what they described as a collapse of the power sector that is “killing” local businesses. Some of the placards bore inscriptions such as “No more estimated billing,” “No more epileptic power supply,” “No light, no life, no nation,” and “You’re destroying, killing so many businesses; give us regular light.” So This Happened (EP 380): Iran appoints Mojtaba Khamenei as new supre...

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to rescind the blanket invalidation of degree certificates obtained from the Republic of Benin and Togo. This followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Public Petitions during plenary on Wednesday, March 11. Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Laori Kwamoti, said it was based on a petition submitted by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of stakeholders in the education sector. The petition challenged the Federal Government’s decision to invalidate degrees obtained from institutions in the two West African countries over concerns about academic fraud. In its recommendations, the committee urged the government to reverse the blanket ban, noting that the measure could u...