Headline

8-year-old Migrant Girl Dies In US Custody

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2023

An eight-year-old migrant girl died in US custody in Texas on Wednesday, a tragedy that tempered news of a sharp drop in attempted illegal crossings of the southern US border.

The girl died in Harlingen, a Texas border city near the Gulf of Mexico.

“The child and her family were in custody at the Harlingen Station where she experienced a medical emergency,” US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.

“Emergency Medical Services were called to the station and transported her to the local hospital where she was pronounced dead,” the statement said, adding that an investigation was opened into the death.

The agency did not give the migrant girl’s identity or nationality.

A 17-year-old Honduran boy who arrived in the US without a parent or guardian died last week in government custody in Safety Harbor, Florida.

Separately, new policies that came into effect last week to deal with undocumented migrants appear to have slashed US entries.

The Border Patrol counted less than 4,000 “encounters” — apprehensions and expulsions — with people crossing without permission each of the past two days, said Blas Nunez-Neto, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

That compared with 10,100 per day in the week before the lifting of Title 42, the Covid-19 health emergency rule used for three years to swiftly expel a wide array of migrants, he told reporters.

Replacing Title 42 was a policy package anchored on immigration law Title 8, which provides for strict penalties for those crossing who do not qualify, including five-year bans on US entry and possible criminal charges.

That was combined with an expansion of formal avenues to migrate to the United States, focused especially on refugees and asylum applicants.

The aim was to stem pressure at the border, where more than 200,000 migrant encounters occurred in most months over the last year, creating a political crisis for President Joe Biden.

–Crossing numbers drop-

Nunez-Neto said last week’s policy change appeared to be achieving the goal of reducing illegal immigration.

The number of Mexicans encountered fell from 1,900 daily to 1,000 and Colombians from 1,400 to 510 a day.

The number of Venezuelan migrants had also plunged to 50 per day, after hitting 2,400 before the policy change.

The 4,000 a day was also lower than the average of 7,000 encounters a day in April.

In addition, there were signs that the northward movement of migrants from South and Central America to the Mexico-US frontier has slowed, said Nunez-Neto.

“We are also seeing some early promising signs that entries into the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama have been declining in recent days,” he said, referring to a particularly treacherous section of the main route for migrants heading north.

Instead, “tens of thousands” have been applying for immigration interviews with US Customs and Border Protection, and over 5,000 have been “processed” in their appointments since May 12, Nunez-Neto said.

And many Haitians, Venezuelans and Cubans are taking advantage of a special program to migrate as refugees that requires them to apply from abroad, he added.

“I want to stress once again that it is still too soon to draw any firm conclusions here about where these trends will go in the coming days and weeks,” said Nunez-Neto.

“We continue to monitor the situation on our border and in Mexico and along the transit routes in real-time,” he said.

Headline

Over 600 Pilgrims Hospitalised After Chlorine Gas Leaked In Iraq

Published

1 day ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said on Sunday.

The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively.

This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.

There, they will mark the Arbaeen — the 40-day period of mourning during which Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

In a brief statement, Iraq’s health ministry said, “621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala”.

“All have received the necessary care and left the hospital in good health,” it said.

Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims, meanwhile, said the incident had been caused by “a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road”.

Much of Iraq’s infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax.

In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.

AFP

Headline

PHOTOS: US Soldier Searching For Her Nigerian Father

Published

1 day ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

A US soldier, Zainab James, has launched a public search for her Nigerian father, identified as Lateef Quadri

The 31-year-old took to Facebook on Sunday to share old photographs of her father and her late mother, Claudine James, including one where Claudine was pregnant with her.

According to Zainab, her mother became pregnant in 1993, and she was born in 1994. Sadly, she lost her mother.

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

In her post, Zainab wrote, “Update: Mother’s name : Claudine James, born Decenber 9, 1969 in Montego Bay, Jamaica (deceased) , Hey All! A real shot in the dark but why not! My mom(pictured) got pregnant with me in 1993 ( I was born 1994) while living in Brooklyn New York. I’m looking for my father or any of his family. All I know is he was Nigerian, possibly named Lateef Quadri or something like that. They didn’t have a long term relationship as he wasn’t present at my birth but he did choose my name. No one in my family met him either. Apparently she was friends with his sister who worked in a jewelry store with her.”

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

Headline

FULL LIST: 13 More Cars Now Eligible For Up To £3,750 UK’s Electric Vehicle Grant

Published

2 days ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced 13 additional cars that qualify for its new electric vehicle grant. None of them currently qualify for the full discount available.

According to a statement on the government’s website, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that from August 5, buyers can get £1,500 off four Citroën models – the Citroën ë-C3, ë–C4, ë-C5 and the ë-Berlingo. The discount will be applied automatically at purchase, with no extra paperwork required.

These are the first models approved under the £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme. More vehicles are expected to be added in the coming weeks. The ECG allows carmakers to apply a discount at the point of sale for eligible electric vehicles that meet high sustainability standards.

The scheme is funded until the 2028–2029 financial year and aims to boost EV sales, support jobs, and attract investment.

Since July 2024, over 17,300 public chargepoints have been installed in the UK — a 27% increase from last year — bringing the total to more than 82,000. The government plans to expand this to over 100,000 in the coming years, with a new chargepoint added roughly every 30 minutes.

Models from Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall are also now eligible for the £1,500 grant, although none meet the criteria for the full £3,750 discount yet as they are classified among the Band 2 cars. Nissan believes its new Leaf, to be built in Sunderland, may qualify for the higher grant, but this is not confirmed.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the grant, a vehicle must:
Be an M1 passenger vehicle
Produce 0g CO₂/km at the tailpipe

Have a minimum range of 100 miles (160 km)
Include a 3-year or 60,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first)

Be powered by a battery with an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first)

Meet minimum sustainability standards

Cars Eligible for EV grants
Nissan

Micra – Based on the Renault 5 with some design changes, sharing the same motors and batteries. Starting price after the grant is under £22,000.

Ariya – Electric SUV with a spacious interior. Nissan plans to reduce the price to qualify for the grant.

Leaf – The new model offers up to 375 miles of range. Nissan expects it may qualify for the full grant.

Renault & Alpine

Renault 5 – Compact hatchback priced under £23,000 before the grant.
Renault 4 – Larger and roomier than the Renault 5, starting at £27,000.
Renault Megane – Modern design with Google-based infotainment. Prices start at £32,500.
Renault Scenic – Family-sized EV with up to 381 miles of range. Starts at £35,495 after the grant.
Alpine A290 – Performance-focused version of the Renault 5.

Vauxhall

Corsa Electric – Small hatchback with potential savings beyond the grant.
Combo Life Electric – Practical MPV with a spacious interior.
Astra Electric – Family car available in hatchback or estate form.
Mokka Electric – Compact SUV with distinctive styling.
Frontera Electric – Affordable SUV with a large boot.
Grandland Electric – Larger family SUV with a lower price than some competitors.

Citroën

ë-C3 – Compact EV priced from £20,600 after the grant.

ë-C3 Aircross – Larger version of the ë-C3 with more boot space.
ë-C4 – Alternative to the VW ID.3 with a simpler interior layout.
ë-C4 X – Saloon-style version of the ë-C4.
ë-C5 Aircross – Flagship SUV arriving in the UK in October 2025.
ë-Berlingo – Large electric MPV with a focus on practicality.

The government has confirmed more models from other manufacturers will be added to the scheme as they are approved.