U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on a four-nation tour of Africa next week.

According to a statement issued by the U.S Department of State’s spokesperson, Matthew Miller, on Thursday, Blinken will, from January 21st to 26th, visit Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, Cape Verde, and end the trip in Nigeria

The statement said throughout the trip, the Secretary would highlight how the United States had accelerated the U.S.-Africa partnership since the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, including in areas such as climate, food, and health security.

The Department added that Blinken would also emphasise U.S.’s future-focused economic partnership, and how the United States is investing in infrastructure in Africa to boost two-way trade, create jobs at home and on the continent, and help Africa compete in the global marketplace.

The statement added that the Secretary would advance security partnerships based on shared values such as respect for human rights, promotion of democracy, and expansion of the rule of law.

“He will reaffirm U.S. commitment to our coastal West African partners through the Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, U.S. partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional challenges, and U.S. efforts to support African leadership in de-escalating tensions and adopting diplomatic solutions to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” it said.

This is coming as Germany is reported to have prepared for an armed conflict against Russia, according to some classified documents accessed from the German defence ministry.

The Chinese leader, seen by many as a dictator, is “trying to gain control of the military,” Gordon Chang told Business Insider, adding that “I think that he is thinking that he needs officers who are prepared to actually fight.”

According to Chang, author of “China Is Going to War,” Xi feels “that many of China’s general officers don’t want to fight.” As a result, he said, the Chinese premier sees “a force led by an officer corps that is ambivalent about going to war.”

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, and fears have grown in recent years that Xi is planning an invasion in the coming years, in the face of increasingly hostile rhetoric and simulated blockades of the island.

Beijing has never renounced the use of force to take what it views as a renegade province, and Xi has said that unification is inevitable.

But Beijing has also been involved in low-level clashes with India along their shared border, as well as disputes over nearby islands with Japan and the Philippines.

Since taking power in 2012, he has overhauled Beijing’s military forces with a series of reforms while also cutting its personnel, working to improve military-civilian corporation and reshaping its structure.

China has been hostile to its neighbours in recent years.

But perhaps the most concerning flash point is Taiwan, which just on Saturday elected a new president who is opposed to reunification with China.

China has encroached on Taiwan’s air defence zone several times over the past five years, prompting fears that an invasion is on the horizon.

Meanwhile Germany, according to Bild newspaper, could enter into conflict with Russia that could expand the war on Ukraine by attacking NATO ally countries, pointing towards the possible beginning of World War 3.

Next month, February it would be two years the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine started and there’s no end in sight as the West led by US saw the conflict as best opportunity to.

Moscow has ridiculed the claims, calling them a “hoax.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that he refused to “even comment on this report.” Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also brushed the claims off as a “last year’s powerful zodiac forecast,” RT reports.

The report also alleged that armed forces in Europe are preparing for an attack by Russia on NATO’s eastern flank, which could include a cyber-offensive.

The clashes according the outlet will escalate in September, citing classified documents, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch a large-scale military exercise involving about 50,000 Russian troops in Western Russia and Belarus.

According to the updated information on its website, the latest list, updated on January 12, 2024, now includes 99,856 approved companies.

It marked an increase of 31,226 companies compared to the 68,630 approved as of January 2023.

The companies in the list cut across technology, commerce, education, media and advertisement, and engineering sectors, among several others.

The skilled worker route includes charity workers, skilled workers, creative workers, global business mobility, senior or specialist workers, and international sportspersons.

The UK government, in a note on its website, said: “This document lists worker and temporary worker sponsors. It includes information about the category of workers they’re licensed to sponsor and their sponsorship rating.

“The skilled worker route includes charity workers, skilled workers, creative workers, global business mobility: senior or specialist workers, and international sportspersons.”

Interested persons are advised to visit the company’s website and search for available vacancies.

Some of the companies include:

1. RSS Express Ltd T/A Ledbury Fuel Service Station

2. IECC Care (Independent Excel Care Consortium Limited)

3. AboutCare Hastings Ltd, £ ESS Ltd, Architect UK Ltd

4. Home Accommodation Services Ltd

5. Ur Eaz Ltd, Infiniti Limited

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6. Brunswick Stores Limited

7. Plus Care Ltd, 003 Ltd

8. 0086 Ltd, 00Nation Limited

9. 01 Accounting Services Ltd

10. 012 Global Ltd

11. 023 Ltd

12. 0xA Technologies Ltd

13. 1 Ace Training Limited

14. 1 and 1 Rougamo Limited

15. 1 and 5 Tech Ltd

16. 1 Answer Insurance Services Ltd, among others.

Download the full list here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65a1169ee8f5ec000d1f8c4d/2024-01-12_-_Worker_and_Temporary_Worker.csv

A week after Christmas was marked by tragedy in Plateau State, Nigeria, Pope Francis has joined pleas for divine intervention to quell the escalating violence that has plunged the region into mourning.

Over 150 persons were killed in the attacks by gunmen on communities in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi LGAs of the north-central state.

Houses were also razed, and properties were looted across some 17 communities.

In reaction to the incidents, Pope Francis, in a tweet on New Year’s Eve, asked global citizens to join him in prayers “for the victims of the severe violence”.

“May God free Nigeria from these horrors!” he added.

“Let us also pray for those who lost their lives in the explosion of a tanker truck in Liberia.”

He was arrested for sending explicit texts and photos to a 14-year-old girl.

In a viral video obtained by The PUNCH, the man was seen answering questions while been detained by authorities in the United Kingdom.

While being interrogated, he confessed to being engaged in an illegal explicit relationship with minor.

In his confession, he said, “I spoke to a young lady, she told me she was 13 years, we have just been talking about friendship and all”.

While the interrogator corrected him that the minor was 14years, she proceeded to ask him if he has been sending pictures of his private parts to the minor, in response, he said, ‘yes’, while pleading for leniency.

Recall that a Nigerian identified as Cyril Kenneth, was in June, 2023 arrested by the police after being accused of dating minors in Belfast, UK.

According to a video shared by warriors of children, Kenneth who arrived in February for his masters degree, was arrested after multiple children between the ages of 14 and 15 reported him with evidence of him grooming and sexually harassing them.

In the text messages he had with some of the victims, Kenneth sent his unsolicited indecent pictures, asked some of them for their house addresses, invited one of them to his house for sex, amongst other disturbing messages.

In the United Kingdom, if found guilty of sending an indecent image of a child, the maximum sentence is a 10 year custodial sentence.

Also, the maximum sentence for sexual communication with a child under Section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 is a two year custodial sentence.

In the case of rape,the sentence of underage rape carries a maximum of life imprisonment.

If the victim is aged 13-15, and the sex was mutually consensual, the suspect if convicted could be facing a prison sentence of up to two years.

Also, If the victim is under 13 years of age, the suspect if convicted could be facing a sentence of life imprisonment.

The Vatican has officially approved the possibility of offering blessings to same-sex couples.

The decision, sanctioned by Pope Francis, represents a significant shift in the Catholic Church’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

The new document, released by the Vatican’s doctrine office, emphasizes that individuals seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subjected to an exhaustive moral analysis to receive blessings.

While maintaining marriage as a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman, the Vatican now permits non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions.

The directive strictly forbids associating the blessings with civil unions or wedding ceremonies and underscores that such requests should not be categorically denied.

“Even when a person’s relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God,” the document said.

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have hailed the move as a significant step toward greater inclusivity within the Church.

However, it has also sparked controversy among traditionalists, with some labelling the decision as heresy.

Former United States President Donald Trump has decided against testifying for a second time at his civil fraud trial in New York, saying he has “nothing more to say”.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, said on Sunday that he saw no need to testify as he had done so “very successfully and conclusively” last month.

“I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump had been expected to take the witness stand on Monday in the case involving allegations that the former president, his family members and employees inflated the value of real estate assets by billions of dollars to receive more favourable bank loans and insurance terms.

Trump lawyer Christopher Kise said there was “really nothing more to say to a judge who has imposed an unconstitutional gag order and thus far appears to have ignored President Trump’s testimony and that of everyone else involved in the complex financial transactions at issue in the case”.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who filed the lawsuit, said her office had already proven Trump “committed years of financial fraud and unjustly enriched himself and his family.

“No matter how much he tries to distract from reality, the facts don’t lie.”

In a defiant and combative appearance on November 6, Trump clashed with prosecutors for more than three and a half hours as he defended his wealth and denied wrongdoing.

Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that James’s office has provided “conclusive evidence” that Trump overstated his net worth by between $812m and $2.2bn and ordered the liquidation of several companies managing the assets in question.

Engoron, whom Trump has branded “hostile” and a “political hack”, in October slapped the former president with $15,000 in fines for violating a partial gag order imposed over disparaging remarks he made about the judge’s law clerk.

Trump has branded the proceedings, which do not carry the risk of criminal penalties such as prison time, as a partisan “witch hunt”.

The trial, which will continue without Trump’s testimony, is expected to conclude in January

Reports in Arabic media claim the prince was killed in a plane crash, as published by RT.

The Saudi royal court announced the prince’s passing in a…..short statement, saying that funeral prayers for the deceased royal would be performed at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz was the son of Prince Bandar and the grandson of the first Saudi monarch, King Abdulaziz.

Born in 1961, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Saudi Air Force and served as assistant intelligence chief at the GIP, the Saudi intelligence agency, from 2004 to 2012.

,,While the court’s statement did not reveal a cause of death, Lebanon’s Al Mashhad news outlet reported that the prince died when his F-15 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise with the Air Force earlier on Thursday.

These passports can also allow their holders to travel to a large number of countries without having to apply for a visa in advance which can pose a significant advantage for business travellers, tourists and people who need to move frequently for other reasons.

Although there are other weak passports in Africa, below are five passports from African countries that are considered weak in terms of global mobility:

1. South Sudan:

As one of the world’s newest nations, South Sudan faces a unique set of challenges in terms of passport strength. Political unrest, ongoing conflicts and the establishment of diplomatic relations play significant roles in limiting the international reach of South Sudanese passports.

The South Sudanese passport provides limited visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to other countries, making it one of the weaker passports. As of 1 January 2017, South Sudanese passport holders had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 37 countries and territories.

2. Ethiopia

Ethiopia, with its rich history and growing economy, struggles with passport strength due to a combination of internal and external factors. Challenges include limited diplomatic ties, political instability and issues related to border disputes. These factors contribute to the restricted global mobility as its passport has limited visa-free access, particularly to Western countries.

3. Sudan

The Sudanese passport faces restrictions in terms of global travel with limited visa-free options, particularly to countries in Europe and North America. The Republic of Sudan, which started issuing electronic passports to citizens in May 2009, allows its holders visa-free access to 41 destinations worldwide.

The Sudanese passport is ranked 96th among global passports, according to the Guide Passport Ranking Index which is due to the degree of global entry it guarantees to Sudanese passport holders.

4. Eritrea

The Eritrean passport offers restricted access to many countries, limiting the global mobility of its citizens.

According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, the Eritrean passport ranks 189th in the world as of November 2023 . Eritrean passport holders can travel visa-free to 12 countries in the world. However, to enter the remaining countries, they must apply for a visa beforehand.

5. Libya

Due to political instability and security concerns, the Libyan passport faces limitations in terms of visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to numerous countries, affecting its global mobility ranking.

In conclusion, the weak passport strength of these five African countries is mostly linked to a myriad of factors, including political instability, diplomatic challenges, security concerns, and bureaucratic hurdles. As these nations work towards overcoming these obstacles, the hope is that their passport strength will strengthen, allowing their citizens greater access to the global community. Ultimately, fostering international cooperation and stability is essential for enhancing the passport power of these nations in the long run.