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  The Committee for Defence of Human Rights, (CDHR) Osun  State chapter, has commiserated with its State chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu over the demise of his mother, Madam Esther Olowu. Mama Esther Olowu died at the age of 72 years on Thursday evening after a brief illness. This was contained in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Azeez Ismail, on Friday in Osogbo, Osun State. The statement reads, "We are truly commiserate with State chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu of the CDHR losing a loved one, especially a mother is challenging and an unforgettable experience. We therefore sympathize with our comrade. "At this time, we should not grief, but celebrate the transition of our beloved mother, and have solace in God and the radical human rights crusader left behind by her. “We pray to Almighty God to grant Mama eternal rest in His bosom. We express our heart-felt commiseration with our chairman, Comrade Olowu Emmanuel. May her soul continue to ...

  Crossdresser Idris Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky has lost his father, Kunle Okuneye. A son of the deceased, Debola Okuneye, who confirmed the news to The Bencity Times, Monday, said, "Yes, my father diêd this morning and we are making preparations for his burial." Bencity Times also spoke to a friend and colleague of the deceãsed simply known as a Lastborn. Lastborn, who is the Secretary of the Beach Nigeria Enterprises, a car hire service situated at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, where then lãte Okuneye worked as one of its directors, also confirmed that the deceased will be burïed according to Islamic rites by 4 pm today. 'Yes, yo u saw it. It's true, he will be burïed by 4 pm today," Lastborn confirmed. Okuneye, a native of Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun state, will be laid to rest in his hometown.

  Russian officials have reported intercepting at least 12 drones headed for Moscow over the last three weeks, including two overnight on Tuesday, suggesting that such attacks are now taking the war to Russia’s capital on a near-daily basis. Not every drone appears to have been intercepted: Last week, a government building in central Moscow was twice struck in 48 hours. The claims could not be independently verified. But Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that some attacks were orchestrated by Kyiv, making it increasingly clear that they will not allow the war to be limited to their own soil. While the Russian authorities have largely tried to play down the risks of drone attacks, Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, spoke last week of “a clear threat,” adding that “measures are being taken” to build up defenses around the capital. Since the beginning of May, Russia’s Defense Ministry has reported at least 28 drone attacks on Russian soil. The assaults have reached deep into ...

  A new law in Russia criminalizes all surgery and hormone treatments used for gender transitions.  It comes on top of a measure enacted last December prohibiting the representation of L.G.B.T.Q. relationships in any media — streaming services, social platforms, books, music, posters, billboards or film. Together, the legislative changes underscore how President Vladimir Putin is increasingly using the war in Ukraine as justification for greater restrictions on L.G.B.T.Q. life, portraying it as a consequence of deviant Western values. From the war; Danube River ports are now the only shipping outlet for Ukrainian grain. Russia has made it clear that the ports are just as much a target as any vessel in the Black Sea. Russia said a drone had hit a central Moscow building for the second time in 48 hours, blaming Ukraine.

  The Osun Online Publishers Association, OOPA, has congratulated Bright Olorungbotem, Chief Executive Office of Voice Air Media, VAM, on the occasion of his birthday. Bright, who is the Publicity Secretary of the association according to OOPA in a statement, on Thursday signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Jare Tiamiyu and Hammed Tajudeen was described as dedicated media personalty. The statement reads in part " Osun Online Publishers Association, celebrate one of his dedicated officer , Bright Olorungbotemi on his birthday occasion. "It is our prayer that you continue to progress in your endeavors. "Your many years and unconditional service to OOPA is cherished, may God uplift you and bless you endlessly" the statement added. Bright was , however, charged not to relent in his efforts in contributing to the development of Nigeria through media and upholding the ethical practice of journalism.

  In a new interview with the popular music podcast "Drinking Champs", Akon shared stories about his early life in America, getting into and becoming a music star. During the interview, Akon talked about Africa, and during the conversation, he called Nigerians the smartest people on the continent. According to Akon, Nigeria is similar to New York City and Nigerians are the smartest people on the planet. "This may be debatable but Nigerians are the smartest people on the planet...There's nobody smarter than the Nigerian," Akon said.  Being a Nigerian makes  you intelligent and smart. 

  The Committee for the Defense Of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State Chapter yesterday elected new executive members that will pilot the affairs of the organization for the next two years. The new executives emerged unopposed at the 2023 Osun State CDHR convention held at the Ola Oni House, Osogbo over the weekend. The former Secretary of the human right group, Comrade Olowu Emmanuel emerged as the State Chairman while Comr. Gbedebo became his  Vice. Other members of exco are  Comr. Bamitale Olufadeju, State Secretary, Comr. Bashit Uthman, Assitance Secretary, Comrade Isaac Olapetan Treasurer, Comrade Kolapo Azeez Public Relations Officer, and Comrade Emily Ajibade, Assistances Public Relation Officer. The elected officers were sworn in shortly after the election by the representative of the National Executive, Comrade Kolawole Sola, the current National treasurer. Administering oath of office to the newly elected executives,  Comrade Sola charged them on the need...

  Over 50 leaders from the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean will meet on Monday for the first time in eight years in Brussels for a two-day EU-CELAC meeting, In an effort to find new political and economic allies. At the summit, both sides are anticipated to be eager to create economic alliances, but sensitive topics like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s complicity in the slave trade could complicate the talks. Regardless of the outcome, officials say the meeting itself marks a step towards stronger ties. The EU has stated its desire for a joint declaration denouncing Russia, but recognises that this will be difficult to achieve. While the majority of CELAC countries supported a UN resolution in February urging an early evacuation of Russian troops, Nicaragua voted against it, while Bolivia, Cuba, and El Salvador abstained. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has positioned himself as a prospective peace mediator and neutral. The European Union ha...

  The United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, said that warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, as the conflict reached its three-month mark. “For three months now, the people of Sudan have endured unspeakable suffering amid violence that is tearing their country apart,” Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement. “As the conflict enters its fourth month, the battle lines are hardening, making it ever more difficult to reach the millions of people who need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he added. More than 3 million people have been displaced due to the conflict both within Sudan and across its borders; the fighting, which broke out in mid-April has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people and injured over 12,000, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)....

    United Nations said more than 3 million people have now abandoned their homes in Sudan due to the nearly three-month-old conflict between rival armed forces. Figures from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicated that more than 2.4 million people were now displaced within Sudan, while nearly 724,000 have escaped across the country’s borders. The fighting in Sudan broke out on April 15. The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle. In a statement by the International Organization for Migration spokeswoman Safa Msehli told AFP, “We've surpassed the 3 million figure of people displaced due to the conflict in Sudan,”  “This is more than a figure, however: these are people who have been uprooted, fleeing for their lives; families that have been separated, and children that won’t be able to go to school. ...

United Nations Security Council has sent a delegation of its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (SCWG-CAAC) to interface with strategic government ministries and agencies. The move is will garner the team opportunity to witness, first hand, efforts by the Nigerian government towards combating the problem of children caught up in armed conflict, especially in the northeast. Receiving the delegation in Abuja, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, said while armed conflict has affected a good number of children, government has also stepped in to assist them. He said: “This is the time for us to unite. We need your support and shared experiences because more than 90 per cent of these children are parentless. We have done a lot. We have ratified a lot of globally accepted policies. We are implementing them but a lot needs to be done better. There are some of them (children) that are increa...