Ghana’s former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is wanted at home on corruption allegations, has been detained in the US over issues related to his immigration status, his lawyers say. Ghana has previously requested Ofori-Atta’s extradition, but his lawyers are challenging this, saying the allegations against him are politically motivated. Ofori-Atta left Ghana last year for medical reasons, his legal team said. On Wednesday, confirming his detention in the US, they said they expected the matter to be resolved “expeditiously”. In a statement, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers said their client was “law-abiding” and was in the process of applying to change his…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
One of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s toddler twins has died, her family has confirmed. An official family statement said that 21-month-old boy Nkanu Nnamdi, who the novelist had with her husband Dr Ivara Esege, died on Wednesday after a brief illness. Issued on behalf of the family by Omawumi Ogbe, the statement said they were “devastated by this profound loss”, and thanked well-wishers while also asking for privacy and prayers. Award-winning US-based writer Adichie is known for works including Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah and her 2012 Ted Talk and essay We Should All Be Feminists, which was…
US Vice-President JD Vance said Greenland is “critical” for the defence of the US and the world against possible Russian or Chinese missile attacks – and that Europe and Denmark have “not done a good job” in securing the area. Vance told Fox News that they had not only under-invested in Greenland’s defences, but also failed to engage with President Donald Trump’s argument over the issue. US officials are “actively” discussing a potential offer to buy Greenland – a semi-autonomous Danish territory – the White House said on Wednesday, a day after suggesting military action to annex it to the…
The United States government suspended foreign assistance operations in Ayod County, Jonglei State, citing continued abuse, exploitation, and theft of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid by South Sudanese officials. In a statement issued on January 8, Washington said it is also reviewing its assistance programs in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State and is considering significant reductions if alleged misconduct is not addressed. U.S. officials said the measures underscore America’s resolve to respond decisively when its assistance is misused rather than delivered to vulnerable communities. “These actions demonstrate U.S. resolve to forcefully respond when South Sudanese officials take advantage of the United States instead…
The woman shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis has been identified as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had just moved to the city. She was a prize-winning poet and a hobby guitarist, who was there as a legal observer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, city leaders have said. But the Trump administration has called her a “domestic terrorist”. Good’s death has sparked protests across the country, with many people holding signs that read “Justice for Renee”. Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that her daughter was “probably terrified”…
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the city’s mayor described as “reckless” and unnecessary. The woman was shot in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where George Floyd was killedby police in 2020. Her killing quickly drew a crowd of angry protesters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem,…
A court stopped the implementation of the Standards (Standards Levy) Order, 2025 following court orders maintaining the status quo pending further directions. This is after the petitioner, the Green Thinking Action Party (GTAP), moved to court to challenge the constitutionality and legality of Legal Notice No. 136 of 2025, which introduced a significantly increased monthly Standards Levy payable by selected classes of manufacturers to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). The court issued orders preserving the status quo with respect to the impugned levy, effectively halting its enforcement until the matter is heard and determined. The case is set for…
The Duke of Sussex is not expected to meet his father King Charles on his next trip to the UK, when he comes to give evidence in a court case against the publisher of the Daily Mail. It is expected that the King will keep his distance during such a court case, which, unless it is settled beforehand, is due to start later in January. On his previous trip to the UK last September, Prince Harry had a private meeting with his father in London that was seen as a symbolic step towards improving family relationships. It followed a BBC…
The general in command of Venezuela’s presidential honour guard, Javier Marcano Tábata, has been sacked days after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid in Caracas and taken to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. The presidential honour guard is the military force which provides the bodyguards tasked with protecting the head of state. While the Venezuelan government has not yet provided a detailed breakdown of casualties, members of the guard are thought to be among the dozens of people killed in the US operation to seize Maduro. The order to replace Gen…
A second body was retrieved on Wednesday, January 7, from the rubble of the collapsed South C building in Nairobi. This came six days after the incident. This marked the near end of the recovery exercise that began on January 2. Speaking at the scene, Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome revealed that a third person who had been trapped in the 16-storey building escaped unharmed. “We are here six days after the incident. Today at 3:30 p.m., we recovered the second body of the security guard. We can now confirm that there were two people involved, and the third escaped…
The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic following a dramatic weekslong chase on the high seas. The operation to seize the sanctioned vessel, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera after fleeing the American blockade of Venezuela last month, was carried out early Wednesday. The U.S. also announced the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, the M/T Sophia, which it said was “conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.” The Kremlin, a strong supporter of deposed President Nicolás Maduro, accused the U.S. of violating maritime law by seizing the Marinera. The ship’s…
The Trump administration has outlined a number of demands that Venezuelamust agree to in order to resume oil production, two senior White House officials told CNN. During conversations led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump administration told Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez that the country must cut ties with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba, and agree to partner exclusively with the US on oil production, the officials said. Rodriguez must also agree to favor the Trump administration and US oil companies for future oil sales, they said. ABC News first reported on the demands made to Rodriguez.…
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen convened a high-level multi-agency meeting to intensify the government’s fight against illicit alcohol and drug trafficking, following a directive issued by President William Ruto in his New Year Address. Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, Murkomen said the prevalence of illicit brews and narcotics had reached “alarming levels,” posing a serious threat to public health, security and the country’s future. He noted that the Ministry of Interior had been tasked with urgently scaling up interventions to curb the growing menace. As part of the renewed strategy, the government resolved to immediately strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Unit…
Doug LaMalfa, a Republican Congressman from California, has died unexpectedly at age 65, colleagues announced on Tuesday. President Donald Trump offered a tribute to LaMalfa, saying he wanted “to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member – a great, great, great member”. The congressman’s cause of death was not immediately clear. LaMalfa was a former rice farmer elected to congress in 2013. He focused on water and agriculture issues during his tenure. His death shaved an already-thin Republican majority in the US House of Representatives to just a few seats, following the resignation on Monday of…
Intense snowfall and icy weather conditions have caused widespread travel disruption across Europe, with six reported killed in weather-related incidents on the continent. Five people died in two separate regions of France as a result of treacherous driving conditions, authorities said, while one woman was also killed in Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, after 16in (40cm) of snow fell on the city. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across Europe, with thousands left stranded at airports in Paris and Amsterdam. Disruption is expected to continue into Wednesday. In France, three people died in two separate incidents in Landes, in the south-west, due…