Foreign

Crocodile Attacks 3 Year Old Boy

By Web News 142

A three-year-old boy critically injured in a zoo enclosure was attacked by a crocodile, police have confirmed.

Cambridgeshire Police said a 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident had now been bailed and was “unfit for interview”.

According to reports, the boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after ending up in the enclosure.

He remains in a critical but stable condition after being injured at Johnson’s of Old Hurst, near Huntington, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday.

Police said the boy sustained serious injuries “while in the enclosure” and was pulled out by zoo staff.

He received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

Officers said they were working to establish how long the boy, from Cambridgeshire, was in the enclosure.

Police said the crocodiles had not been seized or killed.

Det Insp Verity McCann said: “Our inquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident.

“Our thoughts remain with the boy, and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time.”

The man who was arrested was from Norfolk, police said.

People may be considered not fit to be interviewed because of their physical or mental state.

The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated wall

A spokesperson for Johnsons said on Thursday its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family.

They added the site’s Tropical House, which contains the crocodile enclosure, had been closed “out of respect to the family”.

Zoo staff were seen arriving at the site earlier and it is due to open at 10:00.

They are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways looking down on large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first farm shop, a new museum at the site was due to open with a special weekend event starting on Saturday. It is unclear if the opening will go ahead.

On Thursday, police said they were speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of the incident.

“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other,” a police spokesperson said.

Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty urged people to “refrain from speculation online” and said police were treating it as a “critical incident”.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnsons of Old Hurst at 13:24 BST

A Magpas Air Ambulance spokesperson said a critical care team attended the incident at 13:42 and “treated one patient at the scene before taking them to hospital”.

According to its website, Johnsons of Old Hurst is a farming business that now features a butchers, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.

It says it “houses over 100 fascinating animals” including crocodiles, African lions and a Bengal tiger.

BBC/ Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Foreign

Eight Arrested over School Fire

By Web News 194

Eight students alleged to have been involved in a suspected arson attack at a Kenyan girls’ school that killed 16 pupils have been arrested, police say.

The fire in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory which had 135 bunk beds.

After interviews with students and staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, eight pupils at the school were identified as “persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution” of the fire, the National Police Service said in a statement.

Investigations are continuing into the exact cause of the blaze.

Police said the students were detained for questioning after being traced to their homes and brought back to the school, while others who had remained in the area were also tracked down and detained.

The eight were among 30 students who were initially recalled to the school by detectives investigating the deadly fire.

Regarding the aftermath of the fire, Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated that there had been multiple breaches of safety measures at the school, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door.

“In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory and one exit door was locked, contrary to the prescribed safety requirements,” he said.

He dissolved the school’s board of management and ordered action against the headteacher.

The minister said appropriate disciplinary and legal steps would be taken against anyone found to have failed in their duties.

As investigators continue their work, sorrowful scenes unfolded at the school as parents and relatives broke down while waiting for updates about their loved ones. Security was heightened around the institution as crowds gathered demanding swift action and accountability over the incident.

“I arrived at the school at 07:00 and three hours later I don’t have any information,” Njuki Nthimba, who is looking for his niece, told the BBC on Friday morning.

“Some officers came from the school and asked the parents to group themselves in three groups. Group one is for parents whose children have been arrested in relation to the incident, group two is parents whose children died, and group three is parents who don’t know where their children are.

“I handed them my niece’s name, and I am now waiting to be told information about her.”

Samuel Githua came to the school to look for his sister.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Foreign

School Fire Kills Sixteen Pupils

By Web News 259

Sixteen students have been killed in a fire at a boarding school in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) west of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the authorities have confirmed.

Dozens of other students were injured and taken to hospital, 71 were later discharged and seven admitted for further treatment, Education Minister Julius Ogamba said while visiting the scene of the blaze.

The fire at the Utumishi Girls Academy started in the early hours of Thursday while the students were asleep.

Police said search and rescue operations were under way with authorities yet to establish the cause of the fire. The Kenya Red Cross said emergency responders were on ground to offer support.

The education minister said the fire broke out on the first floor of one of the dormitories, which was “completely destroyed” in the blaze.

Earlier, speaking to parents and crowds outside the school, police commander Masoud Mwinyi said: “It is a sad and distressing situation.”

Fires are not uncommon in Kenyan boarding schools, with several deadly incidents reported in recent years.

Many have been the result of arson, with disgruntled pupils, angry about the discipline and living conditions, accused of being responsible, while others were caused by accident.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.

According to the police, the fire in Gilgil broke out around 01:00 local time (22:00 GMT Wednesday) and engulfed a dormitory block housing about 220 students.

Mwinyi said some students fled into nearby areas during the chaos and were still being traced.

“As we speak, our officers are combing the area because some students fled in shock and fear during the night,” he said.

Mwinyi said investigations were ongoing. The school has been cordoned off, with only parents being allowed inside the compound.

BBC/Titilayo Kupoliyi

Edited by Maxwell Oyekunle

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Australia Confirms First Diphtheria Death Amid Worst Outbreak in Decades

By Web News 159

Australia has recorded its first diphtheria death in almost a decade as the country grapples with the worst outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in decades.

In March, the Northern Territory, NT, declared an outbreak of diphtheria with cases also in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. Cases started rising in late-2025 with a sharp increase in February.

This year, there have been 245 cases, marking the largest outbreak in Australia since 1991, mainly in remote Indigenous communities.

On Tuesday, NT’s health minister said autopsy results from an overseas lab found diphtheria was the cause of a man’s death in April at Royal Darwin Hospital, the first such case since 2018.

In recent weeks, the government has ramped up vaccination efforts in areas most at risk and the number of new cases was now falling, health officials said on Tuesday.

“Our government has taken this situation very seriously, and we are working hard to understand the causes and working to contain the situation,”NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said.

According to report, since 30 March, there have been 10,407 vaccinations.

Between January last year and May this year, the NT reported 163 diphtheria cases with 48 respiratory cases and 115 cutaneous cases, which is spread via skin contact.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Russia Escalates Ukraine War with Oreshnik Missile

By Web News 258

Russia escalated the war in Ukraine with a large-scale overnight assault involving hundreds of drones, dozens of missiles and the reported deployment of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, leaving casualties and widespread destruction in Kyiv and other regions.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces used the Oreshnik hypersonic missile during the attacks, describing the strikes as retaliation for what it called Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure.

President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly strike on a student dormitory in Starobilsk on Friday that reportedly killed 21 people.

Authorities in Ukraine said at least four people were killed in Kyiv and surrounding areas, where explosions were heard overnight into Sunday. Reports also indicated damage to residential buildings and schools.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was the main target of the assault, although several other regions also came under attack. He added that at least 83 people were injured.

Ukraine’s armed forces said they carried out a strike near Starobilsk in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine overnight on Friday, but maintained that the target was an elite Russian military unit.

European leaders condemned the latest Russian strikes, which followed warnings from President Zelensky that Moscow could launch a major attack and possibly deploy the Oreshnik missile.

The Oreshnik missile is reported to travel at more than 10 times the speed of sound and is believed to be capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Reports say this would mark the third time Russia has used the missile during the conflict.

President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the reported use of the weapon, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described it as “a political scare tactic and reckless nuclear brinkmanship”.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the scenes in Kyiv as awful and said Britain would continue to increase pressure on Russia.

Edited by Maxwell Oyekunle

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China Extends Visa-Free Policy for Russians Until 2027

By Web News 132

China has decided to extend the visa-free policy for Russia until the end of 2027 in order to facilitate travel.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mr Guo Jiakun said that Russian citizens with regular passports would be able to visit China visa-free for no more than 30 days for work, tourism, meetings with relatives, exchange trips and visits, as well as for transit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, currently visiting China, earlier expressed the desire to extend visa-free travel.

He said an additional incentive to expand humanitarian contacts is the visa-free system introduced for citizens of the countries on the reciprocal basis.

Russian tourists have been able to visit China visa-free for 30 days since September 15, 2025. The visa-free system was initially supposed to expire on September 14, 2026.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Teen Attackers Shoot 3 Dead at San Diego Mosque

By Web News 189

Two teenage attackers fatally shot three men at a mosque in San Diego, California, in a suspected hate crime, before taking their own lives, say police.

The shooting took place on Monday morning, two hours after the mother of one of the suspects called police to say her son had run away with a friend and was possibly suicidal.

Police were already on the hunt for the two when the attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego began, and they found three victims with gunshot wounds outside the front of the building.

Shortly afterwards, they received another call that shots had been fired nearby from a vehicle at a landscaper. Officers found the suspects – aged 17 and 18 – dead of self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle blocks away from the mosque.

Among the deceased victims was a security guard who worked at the centre and “played a pivotal role” in preventing the attack from being “much worse”, officials said.

“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told a news conference. “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.”

Authorities have not yet identified the three victims by name. But the security guard was a father-of-eight, a person who knew him told the BBC’s US partner CBS.

Investigators said the motive for the attack was unknown, but it was presumed to be a hate crime because of the mosque, which is the largest in San Diego County, and because of writings attributed to one suspect.

Police were first called to the mosque at 11:43 local time (18:43 GMT) and “observed what appeared to be three deceased victims out front”, Wahl said.

“There were no officers involved in firing their weapons,” Wahl said, and there was no sign of any gunman.

About two hours before the attack, the mother of one of the suspects had called police to report that her son had left home with several of her guns and her car.

The woman said he had gone with a companion, and both were dressed in camouflage.

Wahl said police found the suspect’s behaviour to be “not consistent” with someone who is considered suicidal.

A note the youth left behind also included “generalised hate rhetoric and hate speech”, he said.

Wahl added that the note contained no specific threat to the mosque, or to any other location or individual.

Investigators went to a local high school, where one of the teens was a student, as well as a shopping mall where the car had been tracked.

When the shooting took place, officers were still speaking to the mother and were only a few blocks away from the mosque.

Those officers, upon finding the three victims outside the building, rushed inside and began following active shooter protocols.

While they were clearing rooms, more reports came in of another shooting nearby.

The suspects had opened fire from their car at a landscaper, who was uninjured, police said.

Wahl said a bullet may have deflected off the landscaper’s hard hat, although this had yet to be confirmed.

When police arrived at the second scene a few blocks away from the mosque, they discovered the dead bodies of both suspects.

Children were in class as the incident unfolded on Monday. The Islamic Center campus houses the Al Rashid School, which offers religion and language courses.

Aerial video from the scene on Monday showed children holding hands and being escorted through a car park at the centre as police responded.

Nearby schools were also placed on lockdown.

The FBI appealed to the public for any information that could help the investigation.

A witness speaking to CBS said he heard up to 30 gunshots from what sounded like “a semi-automatic weapon”.

He said he first heard about a dozen shots, then a pause, then another possibly dozen shots.

The man, who is retired and was eating lunch at home, said he called 911 and that police arrived within “five to 10 minutes”.

Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said at a news conference: “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”

The facility “is a house of worship, not a battlefield”, he added.

The Muslim community is currently preparing for one of its holiest seasons and its biggest feasts.

It’s days before Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, which commemorates the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim.

California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement that he was “horrified by today’s violent attack” at the centre, “where families and children gather, and neighbors worship in peace and fellowship”.

The state “will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith”, Newsom added.

Asked about the shooting on Monday, US President Donald Trump called it a “terrible situation”.

“I’ve been given some early updates but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly,” he said during an unrelated White House event.

BBC/Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Kenyan Transport Service Paralysed Amid Hike in Fuel Price

By Web News 168

Thousands of Kenyan commuters have been stranded and businesses paralysed as public transport operators went on a nationwide strike to protest against recent increases in the cost fuel.

Key roads in the capital Nairobi remained largely empty, forcing some commuters to walk to work, with other parts of the country also affected by the transport crisis. Businesses in parts of Nairobi remained shut and schools asked students to stay at home.

Protesters have been barricading roads and lighting fires on the roads as the protests continue.

The strike comes days after the authorities raised petroleum prices to record levels, with costs increasing by more than 20%.

Kenya, like many other African countries, relies heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf, a supply route disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on 28 February. Even though a ceasefire has been declared, fuel prices have remained high as the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil passes through, is still blocked.

In parts of Nairobi and elsewhere across the country, police clashed with protesters, using tear gas to disperse them. This came amid reports of demonstrators stopping and harassing some motorists.

Ahead of the strike, the police assured Kenyans that security measures would be in place and warned against any disruptive conduct.

The association representing transport operators had earlier urged all vehicle users, including private motorists, public transport buses (locally known as matatus) and truckers, to stay off the roads as part of a coordinated shutdown.

“This action is not only for transport operators, but for every Kenyan citizen,” the Transport Sector Alliance (TSA) said in a statement.

The alliance has accused the government of not doing enough to shield Kenyans from the rising fuel prices, amid a broader high cost-of-living crisis.

It has called for the reversal of the price increases announced last week, and for fuel prices to be reduced by about 35%.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) on Thursday raised prices to a high of 242 shillings ($1.8; £1.4) a litre for diesel and petrol to $1.65.

Treasury Minister, John Mbadi told local NTV station on Monday that the increase in fuel prices was “unfortunate” and acknowledged that it was hurting the economy.

He however said the strike was “completely uncalled for” and the government would only make decisions that are “informed and not emotional”.

“Why are we trying to solve a global problem using domestic means?” he asked.

The high cost of fuel is being blamed for increases in the price of food and other basic goods and services, with public service vehicles already raising commuter fares.

Last month, the government cut VAT on fuel from 16% to 8% until July but there have been calls for it to do more.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Iran Squad Travel to Turkey for Friendlies, US Visas

By Web News 159

Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup.

According to Iranian Media, the team planned to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.

The fighting had been on hold for weeks thanks to a ceasefire, but peace talks have failed to make a breakthrough and new drone attacks against Gulf countries at the weekend combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a return to fighting.

The Tasnim news agency reported that, the team “departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup”.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

Iran secured their spot at the World Cup in March 2025, but since then the United States has twice launched attacks on the country.

US officials have insisted that Iran is welcome at the tournament, while organiser FIFA has said it will go ahead as planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games be moved to co-hosts Mexico or Canada.

“I think let ’em play,” Trump said in late April.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with Iranian players but “some of the other people would want to bring with them”, suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organisation.

Last month, officials from Iran’s football federation abandoned a trip to the FIFA congress in Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada had also designated a terror group.

The Iranian football team hope to play two friendlies in Antalya.

They had already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

“No visas have been issued yet,” Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the federation, describing it as constructive, as did Taj.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, who are in Group G, are due to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

Punch/Taiwo Akinola

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Russian Strikes Cause Damages, Rescuers Recover Bodies

By Web News 151

At least eight people have been killed, including a 12-year-old girl, in Kyiv after Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital and other regions.

According to Ukraine’s emergencies service DSNS, the victims’ bodies were pulled from the rubble of a partially destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, where rescuers were still searching for at least 20 people feared missing, saying 45 people, including two children, were injured, as Friday had been declared a day of mourning in the city.

It was the third day in a row Ukraine had reported deaths, as Moscow ramps up its assault after a three-day ceasefire expired on Monday.

The President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelensky said that the overnight barrage saw more than 670 drones and 56 missiles targeting the country.

’’This is among the largest attacks Russia has mounted since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022’’.

Zelensky added that, the strikes hit more than 180 sites across Ukraine, including more than 50 residential buildings.

He said a total of more than 1,560 Russian drones had targeted Ukrainian cities since Tuesday night, describing Moscow’s assault as “definitely not the actions of those who believed the war was coming to an end” and urging allies to hold Moscow accountable.

After an urgent meeting with Ukraine’s top military and security officials, Zelensky said a “significant number” of drones were shot down, with an “overall interception rate” of 93%.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Donald Trump in China for Xi Summit

By Web News 169

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. 

Trump and Xi are meeting in a two-day summit on May 14 and 15.

Trump’s trip was initially delayed so he could help steward the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

The United States and Israel launched the attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

Xi and Trump’s meeting is shaping Beijing’s approach to the Iran conflict even as the world’s top crude oil importer, reliant ‌on the Middle East for half its fuel, seeks to protect its energy supplies. 

Despite Trump’s trip to China being planned for months, it started to unravel as he pressured Beijing and other world leaders to use their military force to protect the Strait of Hormuz. 

Citing Chinese state media, Reuters noted that both the U.S. and China have expressed willingness to “promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. ​economic and trade relations.”

Livenowfox / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Vatican Hosts Rubio amid US Tensions

By Web News 198

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived at the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV in what is seen as an attempt to repair relations after President Donald Trump’s repeated barbs against the pontiff.

The closed-door meeting is expected to take about half an hour on Thursday, and then Rubio will meet his counterpart, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

This is the first known meeting between the pope and a Trump government official in nearly a year. Parolin said the meeting was requested by the US, and Leo would listen carefully to what Rubio had to say.

“I imagine they’ll talk about everything ⁠that has happened in recent days,” he was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.

Relations between Trump and Pope Leo have deteriorated sharply, driven by a barrage of public attacks from the US leader after the pontiff became a vocal critic of the US-Israel war on Iran, drawing backlash from Christian leaders across the political spectrum.

The most recent attack from Trump came on Monday, when he accused the pope of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by opposing the war, and falsely suggested the pontiff believed it was acceptable for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Pope Leo denied that he supported nuclear weapons, which the Catholic Church teaches are immoral.

“The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace,” said ⁠the pope. “The Church has spoken out for years against all nuclear arms – on that there is no doubt.”

Aljazeera/Adetutu Adetule

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Canary Islands Block Virus-Hit Honduis

By Web News 179

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the evacuation of three people from the Hantavirus-Hit Dutch cruise ship Hondius in Cape Verde is ongoing.

WHO Cape Verde Representative Ann Lindstrand said two sick crew members and one other individual were being evacuated, noting their condition remained stable.

“The three of them are stable, and one of the three is asymptomatic,”

The vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said on Tuesday that the affected individuals—two seriously ill crew members, one British and one Dutch, along with a passenger—would be flown to the Netherlands for treatment.

Following the evacuation, the company said the ship would continue its journey.

“Our plan is to proceed to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which will take three days of sailing,”

The operator added:

“Discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities.”

However, President of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo has strongly opposed plans to allow the vessel to dock, citing concerns over a hantavirus outbreak onboard.

In an interview with Onda Cero radio, Clavijo said:

“I can not allow [the boat] to enter the Canaries,”

He criticised the Spanish government’s decision, adding:

“This decision is not based on any technical criteria and nor have we been given enough information.”

Clavijo, currently in Brussels, said he would seek an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez in Madrid to address the issue.

The Hondius is expected to reach the Canary Islands within the next few days, as tensions grow over its proposed docking.

Edited by Maxwell Oyekunle

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22 Year Old Arrested for Stabbing Octogenarian

By Web News 183

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a man in his 80s was taken to hospital “with a number of stab wounds”, police have said.

Lancashire Police said officers were called to Wordsworth Avenue in Padiham, near Burnley, just before 08:00 BST on Monday.

The victim was taken to hospital where he remains in a stable condition, the force said.

Kyle Newton, of Whitegate Gardens in Padiham, was arrested in the Dryden Street area shortly after the alleged assault.
The 22-year-old is due to appear before magistrates in Blackburn later.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Suspected Virus Outbreak Leaves Three Dead on Cruise Ship

By Web News 319

Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The World Heath Organisation (WHO) reported one confirmed and five suspected cases aboard the MV Hondius ship, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

A 69-year-old UK national is also in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials told the BBC he had the virus.

Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their faeces, saliva or urine. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.

The MV Hondius is run by tour company Oceanwide Expeditions. In a statement, the operator said it is dealing with “a serious medical situation” and confirmed the three passenger deaths.

According to an itinerary on its website, MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on 20th March and completed its journey on 4th May in Cape Verde, where it is anchored outside the capital, Praia.

It is described as a 107.6m (353ft) polar cruise ship, with space for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides and one doctor.

Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC there were about 150 tourists from various countries on board the vessel.

A map showing the route of the cruise ship from Ushuaia, Argentina, across the South Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde.
He said a Dutch couple had died, a man, aged 70, and a woman, aged 69.

The health official said the man suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died on arrival on the island of St Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

The woman also became ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.

The third person who died was also Dutch and efforts were under way to repatriate their body, along with a guest “closely associated” with them, Oceanwide Expeditions said.

It also confirmed two crew members required urgent medical care, but authorities in Cape Verde had not given authorisation for them to disembark and go to hospital.

“Disembarkation and medical screening of all guests require co-ordination with local health authorities, and we are in close consultation with them,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.

Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told the BBC the time between people being exposed to hantavirus and showing symptoms could be anywhere from one to eight weeks.

“With this incubation period are we going to see more people coming down with the disease in the next days and weeks?”

The UK Foreign Office told the BBC it was monitoring reports, and ready to support British nationals.

Hantavirus was in the headlines last year after the wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus in March 2025.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Tinubu Leaves for Three-Nation Official Visit

By Web News 199

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday has departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for the first leg of his official three-nation visit to France, Kenya and Rwanda.

Video footage from the departure ceremony showed the president arriving at the airport in a black SUV, where he was greeted on the red carpet by senior government officials, shaking hands with dignitaries before proceeding towards the waiting Nigerian Air Force aircraft.

As President Tinubu boarded the plane via the red-carpeted stairs, members of the armed forces in camouflage and formal uniforms saluted while the aircraft prepared for takeoff.

The trip, rescheduled from Saturday, will see the President engage in high-level discussions in France before proceeding to Nairobi, Kenya, for the Africa-France Summit co-chaired by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and William Ruto.

According to a statement released on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu is expected to attend the Africa-France Summit in Nairobi, co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron and William Ruto.

The summit, scheduled for May 11 to 12, will focus on issues including energy transition, digital transformation and climate action.

“President Tinubu’s participation at the summit from May 11 to May 12 will underscore Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships with African nations and the French Republic,” the statement read.

After the Kenya engagement, the President will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, for the Africa CEO Forum, holding from May 14 to 15.

The statement noted that the forum, organised in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, will bring together business leaders and policy makers to discuss economic growth and investment across the continent.

“At the two summits, President Tinubu will deliver statements highlighting his administration’s ongoing reforms to reposition the nation as a prime destination for investment and growth. He will also hold high-level meetings with top-tier global and African business leaders. President Tinubu will be accompanied on the trip by some of his ministers and senior aides,” the statement added.

He is expected to return to Nigeria after the Rwanda engagement.

Punch/Taiwo Akinola

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US Withdrawing 5,000 Troops from Germany over Iran War Spat

By Web News 261

The US Defence Department plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, amid a spat between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.

The decision comes a day after Trump criticised Merz, who suggested the US had been “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators.

The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the German Press Agency in Berlin that “the presence of American soldiers in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US”.

At the same time, he made it clear that the decision did not come as a surprise.

The fact that the US would withdraw troops from Europe and also from Germany “was foreseeable”, he said.

In social media posts on Thursday, Trump said Merz was “doing a terrible job” and had “problems of all kinds”, including on immigration and energy. Trump has also suggested pulling US troops from Italy and Spain.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the order about US troops in Germany had come from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground,” he said.

“We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”

Trump, a longtime critic of the Nato alliance, has been lashing out at allies over their refusal to participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked on Thursday whether he would also consider pulling US troops from Italy and Spain, Trump responded: “I probably will – look, why shouldn’t I?”

“Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible,” he added, criticising them for their response to the war in Iran.

“In all cases they said, ‘I don’t want to get involved.'”

Merz told university students earlier this week that “the Americans clearly have no strategy” and he could not see “what strategic exit” they might choose.

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” he said.

He added that the “entire nation” was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership.

In response, Trump took to his platform Truth Social, where he said Merz thought it was “OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about”.

“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” the post read.

The BBC has contacted the German embassy in Washington for comment.

The US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.

Many are stationed at Ramstein Air Base outside the south-western German city of Kaiserslautern.

Trump has previously proposed US troop reductions in Germany, but they have so far not come in to effect.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Foreign

Six Sustain Injuries in Washington State School Stabbing

By Web News 155

Six people have been injured in a stabbing at a school in the US state of Washington following an altercation.

According to Tacoma Fire Department, Five high school students and an adult security guard were taken to hospital on Thursday, and also, all were in stable condition.

Police said it detained the suspect, a student at Foss High School, who was also injured in the incident.

The Public Information Officer, Shelbie Boyd, said the suspect was booked on five counts of first-degree assault.

Boyd responded to reports of an active assault at 13:35 local time. The fire department said it also attended the scene, where it treated and transported six patients, who were taken to the hospital.

Tacoma Fire Department initially reported four students to be in critical condition.
One adult had minor injuries, including the suspect.

The authorities later confirmed that all patients were in stable condition as of 16:00 local time, urging anyone with video of the incident to get in touch with police.

Foss High School will remain shut on Friday following the incident, according to an alert on the school’s website. It will reopen on Monday 4 May, with counsellors on site to support staff and students.

In 2007, 17-year-old Samnang Kok was shot and killed in a hallway at Foss High School.

The shooter, 18-year-old Douglas Chanthabouly, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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Pakistan Opens Iran Transit Routes

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Pakistan has opened six overland transit routes for goods destined for Iran, formalising a road corridor through its territory as thousands of containers remain stranded at Karachi port because of the United States blockade of Iranian ports and ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Commerce issued the Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026 on April 25, bringing it into immediate effect. The order allows goods originating from third countries to be transported through Pakistan and delivered to Iran by road.

The announcement coincided with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad for talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, the latest in a series of diplomatic engagements as Pakistan seeks to mediate an end to the two-month war between Washington and Tehran.

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan described the initiative as “a significant step toward promoting regional trade and enhancing Pakistan’s role as a key trade corridor”.

Iran has not publicly commented on the move, and Al Jazeera’s query to the Iranian embassy in Islamabad went unanswered.

The notification does not extend to Indian-origin goods. A separate Commerce Ministry order issued in May 2025, following the India-Pakistan aerial war that month, bans the transit of goods from India through Pakistan by any mode and remains in force.

The six designated routes link Pakistan’s main ports, Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar, with two Iranian border crossings, Gabd and Taftan, passing through Balochistan via Turbat, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Quetta and Dalbandin.

The shortest route, the Gwadar-Gabd corridor, reduces travel time to the Iranian border to between two and three hours, compared with the 16 to 18 hours it takes from Karachi – Pakistan’s biggest port – to the Iranian border. The Gwadar-Gabd route could cut transport costs by 45 to 55 percent compared with costs from Karachi port, according to officials.

But for Iran, firms sending their goods to the country, and transporters, all routes into Iranian territory today are viable options, with the principal maritime passage they have traditionally used – the Strait of Hormuz – blockaded by the US Navy.

Aljazeera/Adetutu Adetule

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Man Digs up Sister’s Skeleton to Claim Savings

By Web News 314

An elderly man, Jitu Munda of Dianali village, in eastern India, stunned bank officials and customers after exhuming his late sister’s remains to prove her death and access money in her account.

The incident occurred in the Malipasi area of Keonjhar district in Odisha, according to a report by the Hindu, Munda of Dianali village, had approached the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank in the Patana block to withdraw about Rs 20,000 from the account of his elder sister, Kalara Munda, who died on January 26.

However, bank officials requested the required documentation before processing the claim.

In a dramatic response, Munda dug up his sister’s skeleton and brought it to the bank as proof of her death, shocking those present.

With no formal education and little understanding of banking procedures, Munda said repeated visits to the bank yielded no result.

“I told them she had died, but they did not listen. They kept saying, bring the account holder to withdraw the money. Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her skeleton as proof that she is no more,” he said.

The unusual incident prompted officers from the Patana police division to visit the bank after being alerted.

A police official, Kiran Prasad Sahu, said the situation highlighted a communication gap.

“Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not understand what a legal heir or nominee means. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from a deceased person’s account,” Sahu said.

Following police intervention, bank officials assured Munda that the process for accessing the funds would be facilitated in line with due procedures.

The remains were later returned and reburied at the gravesite in the presence of police personnel.

Reports indicated that the situation was further complicated because the nominee on the account had also died, leaving Munda as the sole surviving claimant.

A local official, Manas Dandpat, said the authorities were only made aware of the situation recently.

“Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue,” he said, adding that steps had been taken to ensure the man receives the money in accordance with the law.

Authorities in the Patna block assured that Munda would be helped in securing a legal heir certificate and other documents required for claiming the money in the account.

Punch/Tititlayo Kupoliyi

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US Broadens Execution Methods Under Federal Policy

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The US Department of Justice, DOJ, has directed federal prisons to expand the range of methods used for executions to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation and electrocution.

In a 48-page memo released on Friday, the department says this will “strengthen” the death penalty, “deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones”.

According to the report, the previous administration had placed a moratorium on most federal executions and before leaving office, former President Joe Biden gave clemency to 37 of the 40 federal death row prisoners.

President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to resume seeking executions on his first day in office last year.

The memo also defends the use of lethal injection, calling the drug pentobarbital “the gold standard of lethal injection drugs”.

It has been the default means for federal executions since 1993, but it has faced criticism by campaigners as being a cruel means of execution, and there have been challenges in recent years in sourcing the drug.

Broadening the means of executions “will help ensure the Department is prepared to carry out lawful executions even if a specific drug is unavailable”, the DOJ said in an accompanying report.

Trump is a long-time supporter of the death penalty.

In his first term, he ended a 20-year moratorium on executions committed by the federal government and thirteen death row inmates were executed during that term.

On his first day back in office in January 2025, he signed an executive order directing the death penalty to be pursued again “for all crimes of a severity demanding its use”, as well as in cases in which an illegal immigrant kills a law enforcement officer.

In a statement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that “the prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers”.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin called the change “cruel, immoral, and discriminatory”.

“Expanding the federal death penalty will be a stain on our history,” he said in a statement on X.

Some states, which each have their own laws regarding the death penalty, have already turned to alternative methods.

Five states have firing squads, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.

In 2024, Alabama became the first state to kill a prisoner using nitrogen gas, and four other states have since adopted the use of nitrogen in executions.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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Flight Permit Revocations Halt Taiwan President’s Trip

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Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a trip to the southern African nation of Eswatini, accusing China of putting pressure on other countries to bar his aircraft from flying over their territories.

Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked Lai’s flight permits after “intense pressure” and economic coercion from China, said a Taiwan official. China denied coercion, while praising the three Indian Ocean nations saying it had “high appreciation” for them.

According to report this was the first publicly known instance where Taiwan’s leader had to cancel a trip due to revoked flight permits.

Eswatini is one of 12 nations which are diplomatic allies of Taiwan and the only one in Africa.

According to news agency Reuters, Seychelles and Madagascar said they took the decision because they did not recognise Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials claimed that the three African countries revoked the flight permits “unexpectedly and without prior notice”.

China adhered to the “one China” principle in which Beijing asserted sovereignty over Taiwan, though many in Taiwan consider themselves to be a sovereign nation.

Beijing sees the self-governed island as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country, and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this.

The Chinese government has been vocal in its dislike of Lai, whom it has previously described as a “troublemaker” and a “destroyer of cross-strait peace”.

In a statement on X, Lai criticised China’s “coercive actions”, saying that it “exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order”.

“No amount of threats or coercion will shake Taiwan’s resolve to engage with the world.”

The government of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, said it was regrettable that Lai was unable to visit, but that this would not “change the status of our longstanding bilateral relationship”, according to reports.

Lai was due to spend 22 to 26 April in Eswatini to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and the king’s birthday.

Taiwan said that, a special envoy will be appointed to attend the celebrations on Lai’s behalf.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Beijing “appreciated the position and actions of the relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle”.

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BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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New Zealand Declares State of Emergency amidst Severe Flooding

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New Zealand has declared a state of emergency in its capital city, Wellington as torrential rain and flash flooding drenched the country’s North Island.

Footage online shows vehicles submerged, trees uprooted and houses hit by landslides. Wellington received a record 77mm (3in) of rain in less than an hour on Monday, said mayor Andrew Little.

Local authorities advised residents to hunker down, with rain forecast for the next day and a half.
Some flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled and several schools have shut their campuses.

More than a dozen people have been evacuated while a 60-year-old man in the Karori suburb has been reported missing. No fatalities have been reported so far.

This series of flash floods comes less than a week after Cyclone Vaianu swept through the North Island last weekend.

Research over the years have shown that climate change has made extreme weather events, including floods, more common and more intense around the world.

“The wild weather continues. We’ve had flooding, slips and evacuations.
The flooding has been strong enough to move cars, and many manhole covers have been lifted,” Little said in a video published on his Facebook page.

In the suburb of Kingston, a resident told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that he had tried to escape on the back of his neighbour’s motorbike after a landslide buried a nearby road in the early hours of Monday.

“It’s definitely a big event,” he said. “You wouldn’t have wanted to be under it, it wouldn’t have been survivable.”

Another resident in the suburb of Mornington said his garden had been “inundated with water, you couldn’t see the grass or anything”. There was a “huge deluge, flow, river in fact, flowing through the garden”, he told RNZ.

Mark Mitchell, the minister for emergency management and recovery, said they were expecting the “worst of the weather” later on Monday evening.

“If you are in the Wellington region, be prepared,” he said in a post on Facebook. “If you are going to evacuate make those decisions early and keep yourself updated with information.”

The emergency management office for the Wellington region has advised residents to cut or delay all non-essential travel, and for those residing in low-lying or flood-prone areas to consider relocating to their friends’ and families’ for at least the next 24 hours.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Foreign

Iran-US Dispute Deepens Over Ceasefire

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Iran’s foreign ministry says that the United States is not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called “violations” of their two-week ceasefire.

“While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviours that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing.

He said a US attack on an Iranian cargo ship early Monday, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all “clear violations of the ceasefire”.

Iran has been at war with Israel and the United States since February 28, when strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a conflict that has engulfed the region.

Tehran and Washington have since held a round of negotiations, which failed to culminate in a deal to end the war. It took place against the backdrop of a fragile two-week ceasefire which began on April 8.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he had ordered US negotiators to travel to Pakistan on Monday to hold another round of talks, but Iran has yet to confirm its attendance.

“As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard,” said Baqaei.

Key sticking points include Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed since the outbreak of the war.

“Regarding the issue of transferring enriched uranium, neither during this period of negotiations nor before has transferring it to the United States been discussed,” Baqaei said.

“It was never raised as an option for us,” he added.

Punch/Adetutu Adetule

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Mass Shooting: Man Kills Own Seven Children

By Web News 302

A father has killed seven of his children and an unrelated child in a mass shooting in Shreveport, in the US state of Louisiana, in what the police have described as a “domestic disturbance”.

The children affected were aged from one year old to 14 years old.

According to reports, the shooting began in the early hours of Sunday, as the suspect shot 10 people before fleeing in a stolen car, but police chased after and killed him.

Report says, two adult women, including the mother of the children, were in critical condition.

The suspect shot a woman on the street before going to a nearby residence where he killed the eight children, “one of whom was not a kin to him”, Police said.

One of the victims ran to a nearby home and called authorities.

They said the gunman acted alone.

A ninth child jumped from the roof and was in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the suspect has been identified as Shamar Elkins.

Speaking earlier on Sunday, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said: “This is a tragic situation – maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport. This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families.”

The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, when eight victims were killed in Joliet, Illinois, according to the Gun Violence Archive, GVA, a nonprofit that tracks US gun violence.

GVA defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more victims were shot, not including the suspect.

Speaking at a news conference earlier on Sunday, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon said officers attended a home shortly before 06:00 local time and found the children.

“All of the deceased in this case are juveniles,” Bordelon said.

He said officers determined the call was “domestic in nature”.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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