Foreign News Archives - Page 10 of 11

I’m Not Afraid To Die,’ Bishop TD Jakes Addresses Recent Health Emergency

November 28, 2024 by admin

Bishop TD Jakes has assured his followers that he is “not afraid to die” as he addressed the public for the first time following a recent health emergency. In a heartfelt video shared Wednesday evening, Bishop TD Jakes expressed gratitude to his medical team and those who prayed for him after he fell ill during Sunday services at his church, The Potter’s House, in Dallas. Seated in a wheelchair in what appeared to be a hospital setting, the renowned megachurch leader thanked God for sparing his life, clarifying that his condition was not a stroke but could have been fatal without divine intervention. “I’m so grateful. So grateful to y’all,” Jakes said emotionally, gesturing toward medical staff in blue scrubs. “All the people who prayed. All the people who texted. All the people who had prayer vigils. All the people who were concerned and sent love and notes. Just grateful. Thank you,” he added. In a powerful moment, Bishop TD Jakes continued, “I’m not afraid to die. I don’t want to hurt my kids and the people who love me and my church that needs me. The world who called me and the God who sent me. Sometimes you just got to be grateful.” The 67-year-old pastor had been delivering a sermon when he suddenly sat down and began trembling. Church members quickly gathered around him, and the live broadcast of the service was abruptly stopped. The Potter’s House later released a statement on social media, saying, “During today’s service, Bishop T.D. Jakes experienced a slight health incident and received immediate medical attention following his powerful hourlong message. Bishop Jakes is stable and under the care of medical professionals. The entire Potter’s House family is grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support from the community.” As for his recovery, Jakes indicated he is focusing on rest and reflection. “My job is to recuperate and reflect on God’s protection,” he said in his Instagram statement. “I owe it to my amazing family and church members to rest and ruminate as He restores me towards His service.” The church has not announced when Bishop Jakes will return to the pulpit. Vanguard

Former UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott Passes Away At 86

November 21, 2024 by admin

Britain’s former deputy prime minister, John Prescott, who served under Tony Blair and with him helped transform the country’s Labour party, has died at 86, his family said on Thursday. “We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away yesterday (Wednesday) at the age of 86,” a statement read. Blair, the privately educated lawyer who appointed working-class Prescott to help appease the Labour left as he moved the party to the centre ground, said he was “devastated” at Prescott’s death. “There was no one quite like him in British politics,” he told BBC radio. Keir Starmer, who became Labour’s first prime minister since 2010 after a landslide general election win in July, called Prescott “a true giant of the Labour movement”. “He was a staunch defender of working people and a proud trade unionist. During a decade as deputy prime minister, he was one of the key architects of a Labour government that transformed the lives of millions of people across the nation,” he added. “So much of John’s work set the path for those of us fortunate enough to follow. From leading climate negotiations to fighting regional inequality, his legacy will live on well beyond his lifetime.” Prescott, a former merchant seaman and trade union activist who served as a member of parliament for Hull in northern England for four decades, died “peacefully” at a care home, his wife Pauline, and two sons said. “He did so surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery,” they added. Prescott, who was appointed to the House of Lords, suffered a stroke in 2019 and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s. He stopped being a member of the upper chamber of parliament in July because of his health problems. Plain-speaking, Prescott served for 10 years as Blair’s deputy following Labour’s landslide 1997 general election win. During a campaign stop in north Wales he punched a protester who threw an egg at him. But he also acted as a mediator between Blair and his finance minister Gordon Brown, who also helmed the transformation of Labour in the 1990s and who had designs on power. Prescott’s brief included the environment and transport, as well as leading negotiations for Britain for the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Blair said in a 2007 letter to Prescott that he saw his role as “smoothing out colleagues and sorting out colleagues and trouble-shooting”. “The completely unique Prescott blend of charm and brutality… got you through the decade, kept the government together and above all, gave me a lot of fun. I was lucky to have you as my deputy,” he told him. AFP

Renowned South Korean Actor Song Jae-Rim Has Passed On At 39

November 13, 2024 by admin

South Korean actor Song Jae-Rim, best known for his role in the K-drama The Moon Embracing the Sun, was found dead at his apartment in Seoul on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. He was 39 years old. Seoul’s Seongdong Police Station confirmed the discovery, stating that no evidence of foul play has been found so far. “Currently, there is no evidence of foul play,” an official from the police station stated. A two-page letter was reportedly discovered at the scene, according to the Korean media outlet Soompi. As of the time of filing this report, the cause of his death has not been disclosed. Song Jae-Rim, who made his debut in 2009 with Actresses, rose to fame for his role as the loyal bodyguard of Kim Jae-woon in The Moon Embracing the Sun alongside Kim Soo-Hyun. He continued to build his career with roles in various K-dramas and films, including Queen Woo earlier this year. He also had two upcoming projects, I’ll Become Rich and Death Business.

Libya Begins Mass Arrests Of Nigerians Following CAF Ruling.

November 3, 2024 by admin

Following the verdict delivered by the Confederation of African Football in response to the complaint lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation over the recent inhumane treatment meted out to the Super Eagles in Libya, members of the Nigerian community have reported mass arrests and fines in the country. The Nigerian football team was held at the Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya for over 20 hours upon arrival for the second leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles and Libya’s national team. The contingent was scheduled to land at the Benghazi Airport and travel for nearly four hours by road to Benina, where the match was to be played. However, less than an hour before landing, the Tunisian pilot reportedly received a directive from Libyan authorities to divert the flight to the Al-Abraq Airport, located 150 miles away from the destination. Did You Know A Tribe That Prepares Meals Using Water From The Deceased?0:06 / 1:01 The development sparked widespread outrage, forcing the NFF to withdraw the Super Eagles from the qualifying match and file an official complaint to CAF. In its ruling on Saturday, October 26, signed by its Chairman, Ousmane Kane, the disciplinary committee of the African football body awarded the Super Eagles of Nigeria three points and three goals for the abandoned match. The disciplinary board ruled that the Libyan Football Federation breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. The panel also ordered the LFF to pay a fine of $50,000 within 60 days of the notification of the decision. Displeased with the verdict, the LFF President Nasser Al-Suwai’I described it as “unjust and malicious,” alleging that the NFF’s influence within CAF played a major role in the outcome. A report on Monday by a Libyan outlet, Libyan Observer, quoted Al-Suwai’I saying the LFF would file an official appeal within hours and that if the appeal was denied, the body would resort to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ensure “their legitimate rights are secured.” Campaign against Nigerians Following the CAF ruling, a popular Libyan news blog, Libya News Today 1, posted on Sunday, stating, “All Libyan TV channels are urging the government to arrest the Nigerian workers who are working here in Libya without legal papers. They have to pay $500 plus taxes. “The fine that Libya is accused of will be paid by Nigerian citizens who live in Libya. We have been subjected to injustice. We have no borders with Nigeria. What benefit are they to us? They’re a burden on the Libyan people. They have to go back home.” The blog has more than 188,000 followers on Facebook and 57,000 likes. The post was accompanied by a video of a Libyan TV presenter, who said, “Anyone who is living in Libya and working without paying tax is eating haram, which means sinful money. The government should make every effort to arrest all Nigerians who are working in Libya so that they can pay a tax of $500 and regulate their stay in the country by obtaining residence permits.” Another Libyan site, Libya INF.TV, reported that Libyan stations wanted the government to start arresting Nigerian workers. “Those who don’t have Libyan papers will have to pay a fine of $500 for taxes. If you refuse deportation, no mercy. The Libyan government will pay the Nigerian government from their citizens’ money,” the post said. Mass arrests Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, Adenaike Emmanuel, said the arrests began on Sunday after the CAF statement was released in the country. “They have already started. The news came out on Saturday, and they were saying they can’t accept it and that they are not the ones who will pay the money. They have started proving this. “Someone called me and said they had already begun arresting people in his area. The same thing is happening here in his area. The same thing is happening here in Tripoli. In some places, people were arrested on Sunday morning and afternoon. As I mentioned before, Libyans don’t hide their feelings. They believe that by doing this, they are getting their revenge,” Adenaike stated. The President of the Nigerian community in Libya, Peter Omoregbie, also confirmed the arrests in a video shared by multiple Libya-based Nigerian blogs during the week. Omoregbie, who confirmed this while making an official report at the Libyan immigration office on Monday, said, “The arrests started on Sunday night in some areas in Tedora. They are arresting innocent people. They don’t even care whether you have passports or residence permits. They just don’t care, which doesn’t happen in other countries.” When asked to provide background to the incident, he said, “The football body is an association on its own, which the government isn’t supposed to interfere with according to CAF laws. There was a football match scheduled between Nigeria and Libya on October 15. Nigeria was supposed to arrive in Benghazi, but they were diverted to another state, so the match could not take place. The Nigerian football team then returned home. Since then, CAF has investigated the issue and set up a committee to find out what really happened. “Yesterday, the verdict was issued that Libya has to pay a fine of $50,000 to CAF due to the way they treated the Nigerian football team. Now, on social media, Libyan journalists and numerous bloggers are saying that Nigeria will be made to pay the $50,000 fine by arresting all Nigerians in Libya. But in other countries, nothing like that happens. “As the community leader, I received some videos showing that the arrests started last night in the Tedora area. They said the Libyan police have started arresting Nigerians, whether they have passports or not. Some of us are already afraid, calling everywhere to ask what to do. Sometimes, as community leaders, we are helpless. Even the Nigerian Embassy’s hands are … Read more

Transforming Nigeria Doesn’t Require Eternity,Makinde Asserts

October 20, 2024 by admin

Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has noted that the geometric progression of the Victory International Church, Ibadan has shown that it does not take eternity to turn things around in the country. The governor, who stated this at the 35th anniversary of the church and 6th anniversary of the Dominion University, Ibadan, said political leaders who do not know what to do can learn from religious leaders. He also noted that his government will continue to improve the education sector and support private institutions for the development of the state. The governor stated this on Sunday at the Dominion University, Ibadan, Wonder City, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan. Makinde congratulated the church and its General Overseer, Bishop T.V. Adelakun, on the anniversary of the church and the institution, noting that his administration’s investments in education have been yielding positive results. He called for more support from old students of schools and well-meaning individuals to complement government’s efforts. He said: “I want to congratulate Bishop Adelakun and Victory International Church on this 35th anniversary. Let me also say that the journey is just starting. “Many of you have seen how the church looked at the beginning and it has taken 35 years. When I looked at the picture and the trajectory where this church started from and where it is today, the development, the progress and the expansion of the church have been geometrical. It has not been in a simple proportion. “You have moved from that little place, built the Rehoboth Cathedral in 2000 and now, you are here. What it means to me is that we won’t need eternity to turn this country around, because it didn’t take eternity to grow this church to where it is right now. “It is an inspiring story and journey for us. As political leaders, if we don’t know what to do, let us come and learn from people who understand how to do it. “Yesterday, I was at the Government College Ibadan to commission some projects. We handed over the school to the Old School students and since we handed it over, they have invested about N12bn in that school. So, the government cannot do it alone and that is the gap that is being filled by Dominion University. “Moving forward, we have to invest heavily in education and this is not new. The first free education started here in the Western Region and it was not easy at that time but it changed the trajectory for most of us. “But along the line, Nigeria happened to all of us. Resources came, everybody abandoned what they were doing and we chased after oil money. And when we are talking about development, people will be talking about federal allocation and local government money. How far can that take us? How many people can those resources take out of poverty to prosperity? “But in Oyo State, we are already on that trajectory of taking people to prosperity. However, we have to focus on education and have to support private efforts. “Natural resources won’t take us anywhere. It can be an enabler but developing our people is what will take us to the promised land. So, for us in Oyo State, education and the rule of law are important.” The governor added that his administration has also made massive progress in the area of economic expansion, noting, however, that residents of the state must join hands with the government to fight land-grabbers and individuals who want to ensure that the state remains unplanned. He maintained that the government is also achieving success with the Ibadan Circular Road, noting that the environment will be a first world environment. “If you look at the area of the expansion of our economy, when you look at this location, you would know that the economy of Oyo State is expanding. The city limit of Ibadanland is now defined by the Circular road, which is just about five minutes away from here. “So, when the vision to come here started, maybe you didn’t think you were being integrated into the new limit of Ibadan. That road is 110km. So, it is like folding Ibadan into a circle. The centre of Ibadan used to be Dugbe, but with the Circular Road and Ilu-Tuntun, the centre is now at Moniya. “But we have a battle, which I am urging everyone to come along with us to fight; land-grabbers and people wanting us to stay in the same old and unplanned environment. Look at this environment, it is planned. So, our wider environment would also be planned. “We have a battle with land grabbers who think they will come and replicate what we are used to, developing without a plan. We don’t want an environment that is not planned. We have gas infrastructure coming in here and we want an environment where when you move into your neighborhood, you have gas, water, electricity and sewage provided for. “We have made progress. You are just about eight minutes from the Ring Road and you can drive anytime during the day or night to all those places. That is the Oyo State that we want for ourselves and for our children. There are few things that we know we must do to make this place conducive and we will start some of them almost immediately. “From here, between 500 metres to 1 kilometre from here, there will be a bridge. I have submitted the supplementary budget but I will ensure it gets into the 2025 budget. “All the things we are trying to do can only take place in a safe and secure environment. So, I want to thank the Bishop, who always gives us this location to hold joint security meetings. Anything that will compromise the security of this place like shanties, people of questionable identities, we will get rid of them. But stay with us. If you see something, say something and your government will do something,” the governor said. Earlier in … Read more

Israel Conducts Raids On Gaza After Killing Hamas Chief Sinwar

October 18, 2024 by admin

Israel conducted raids on Gaza Friday, pressing its year-long war to crush Hamas after dealing it a massive blow with the killing of its leader, Yahya Sinwar. Hailing the killing of Sinwar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack was not over, but added that it was “the beginning of the end”. He called the death of Sinwar, mastermind of the deadliest attack in Israeli history, an “important landmark in the decline of the evil rule of Hamas”. I want to sell out 02 Arena for Yoruba language and act – Yusuf Gemini Balogun, oral poet0:03 / 1:00 Chief of Hamas in Gaza at the time of the attack, Sinwar had become the militant group’s overall leader after the killing in July of its political chief, Ismail Haniyeh. US President Joe Biden, whose government is Israel’s top arms provider, said: “This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.” “There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.” – Air strikes – Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures that includes hostages killed in captivity. Militants also took 251 people hostage during the attack. Ninety-seven remain in Gaza, including 34 who Israeli officials say are dead. The killing of Sinwar did not spell an end to Israel’s air strikes on Gaza, with several raids overnight and early Friday pummelling the territory, according to an AFP journalist on the ground. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, rescuers recovered the bodies of three Palestinian children from the rubble of their home in the north of the territory after it was hit at dawn. The Israel military said it was pressing its operation in Jabalia, one of the focuses of the fighting in recent weeks, and where strikes on Thursday killed at least 14 people, according to two hospitals. A UN-backed assessment has found some 345,000 Gazans face “catastrophic” levels of hunger this winter. With the civilian toll in Gaza mounting, Israel has faced criticism over its conduct of the war, including from the United States. Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and bring back the hostages seized by militants has killed 42,438 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures which the UN considers reliable. Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi vowed to keep fighting “until we capture all the terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre and bring all the hostages home”. – ‘Opportunity’ – Some Israelis hailed the news of Sinwar’s death as a sign of better things to come. “I am celebrating the death of Sinwar, who has brought us nothing but harm, who has taken people hostage,” said one Israeli woman, Hemda, who only gave her first name. Attending a Tel Aviv rally demanding the hostages’ release, 60-year-old Sisil, who also gave only her first name, said his killing presented a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for “a hostage deal to end the war”. According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, Biden called him to congratulate him on Sinwar’s killing, with the two leaders vowing to seize “an opportunity to promote the release of the hostages”. Campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government and international mediators to leverage “this major achievement to secure hostages’ return”. Andrew Miller, until recently a senior State Department official dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Israel was unlikely to agree to a negotiated solution to end the war and free the hostages just yet. “I’m not especially optimistic that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition will do this. Another Israeli government might, but they just haven’t… demonstrated a real interest in this track,” said Miller, now at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. But he said Sinwar’s killing might change “the public conversation” and deprive Netanyahu of a stated reason for not reaching a deal with Hamas. – ‘Major achievement’ – With Hamas already weakened more than a year into the Gaza war, Sinwar’s death deals an immense blow to the organisation, but whether it will trigger a shift in its own strategy is unclear. It is also unclear whether his successor will be named in Qatar, where Hamas’s political leadership has long been based, or in Gaza, which is the focus of the fighting. The Israeli military said Sinwar was killed in a firefight in southern Gaza’s Rafah, near the Egyptian border, while being tracked by a drone. It released drone footage of what it said was Sinwar’s final moments, with the video showing a wounded militant throwing an object at the drone. Israel is also fighting a war in Lebanon, where Hamas ally Hezbollah opened a front by launching cross-border strikes that forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes. Hezbollah said late Thursday it was launching a new phase in its war against Israel, and that it had used precision-guided missiles against troops for the first time. On the same day, Israel conducted strikes on the south Lebanese city of Tyre, where the militant group and its allies hold sway. The Israeli military said five soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon, taking to 19 the number of troop deaths announced since Israel launched incursions into Lebanon last month. In Lebanon, the war since late September has left at least 1,418 people dead, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, though the real toll is likely higher. The war has also drawn in other Iran-aligned armed groups, including in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Iran on October 1 conducted a missile strike on Israel, for which Israel has vowed to retaliate. Tehran’s mission to the United Nations said Thursday that Sinwar’s killing would lead to the strengthening of “resistance” in … Read more

Brazil Orders Closure Of 2,000 Betting Sites

October 12, 2024 by admin

Brazilian authorities on Friday began closing down more than 2,000 betting sites, including those that sponsor popular football team Corinthians and other first-division clubs, as part of a push to regulate online gambling. Latin America’s biggest economy is struggling with what Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has called a betting “pandemic,” prompting the government to tighten the screws on the sector. Since 2018, when Brazil legalized sports betting sites, online gambling has operated in a regulatory free-for-all, subject to virtually no rules or taxes. Some of the most popular sites take bets on sporting fixtures, but Brazilians have also become hooked on gambling games like Aviator, where players gamble on the flight of a virtual airplane, or the online casino game Fortune Tiger. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government has called time on sites that failed to sign up to new regulations due to take effect in January. The new rules seek to combat fraud and money laundering and protect users, by for example banning minors from betting. “Anyone who is not regularized, or in the process of being regularized, is being taken off the air,” Haddad said in a statement. The finance ministry said it had identified 2,040 “suspicious domains” which it had asked the telecoms regulatory agency Anatel to block. On the blacklist is Esportes da Sorte, which sponsors Corinthians, one of Brazil’s most popular football clubs, as well as Athletico Paranaense, Bahia and Gremio de Porto Alegre. The ministry said the betting sites would be blocked and banned from advertising, “which includes, for example, sponsoring football clubs.” More than 200 other sites will be allowed to continue to operate after agreeing to the new rules. Brazil’s central bank estimates that 24 million out of Brazil’s 212 million inhabitants, roughly one in nine people, gamble online. Lula warned recently that betting was causing many low-income Brazilians to get into debt. AFP

BREAKING: UN Secretary-General Banned From Entering Israel

October 2, 2024 by admin

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has been barred from entering Israel. The decision follows the missile attack launched by Iran on Israel, which involved over 180 ballistic missiles. Despite the scale of the attack, there were no reported injuries, according to the Israeli military. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, announced the ban, expressing dissatisfaction with Guterres’ response. Katz criticized the UN leader for not condemning the Iranian attack, as well as for not addressing previous actions by Hamas and other groups Israel considers terrorist organizations. The minister revealed that Israel would continue to defend itself and protect its sovereignty, regardless of the Secretary-General’s stance. Katz wrote: “Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country. “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil. “This is a Secretary-General who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization. “A Secretary-General who gives backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran—the mothership of global terror—will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN. “Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres.

BREAKING: President Biden Instructs US Military To Intercept Iranian Missiles Targeting Israel

October 1, 2024 by admin

President Joe Biden Ordered the U.S. military on Tuesday to assist in defending Israel by intercepting Iranian missiles aimed at the country, the White House announced. Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are closely monitoring the situation from the White House Situation Room as tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. “The president has directed the U.S. military to support Israel’s defense efforts and intercept any missiles targeting the country,” a White House statement read. Due to the unfolding events, a call that Biden had planned with rabbis ahead of the Jewish high holiday of Rosh Hashanah has been rescheduled, according to a White House official. This isn’t the first time the U.S. has come to Israel’s aid. In April, the U.S. and its Western allies helped Israel fend off an Iranian missile and drone attack, launched in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

Israel Closes Schools In Response To Growing Security Threats

September 22, 2024 by admin

Israel’s Civil Defence Agency has ordered the closure of all schools in the northern part of the country following renewed rocket fire from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, as cross-border violence between the two sides continues to escalate. The directive was issued by the military’s Home Front Command on Sunday, announcing that all educational institutions and activities in the northern region would remain closed until at least Monday at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). The decision follows a series of rocket attacks from Lebanon, which have heightened tensions and triggered fears of a broader conflict. The closure affects thousands of students, as authorities scramble to ensure the safety of residents in the region amid the growing volatility along Israel’s northern border. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have responded to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks with counter-strikes, but the situation remains tense with no immediate signs of de-escalation. Local officials urged citizens to remain vigilant and adhere to the guidelines provided by the civil defence authorities, as both sides brace for further hostilities.