A pregnant mother and her husband have drowned while on vacation in Hawaii, leaving their 18-month-old son orphaned.

Ilya, 25, and Sophia, 26, Tsaruk, of Snohomish, Washington, were believed to be at the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in Maui when they ran into difficulty on Saturday, September 14.

The Maui Fire Department was dispatched to the area after a report of ‘swimmers/snorkelers in distress,’ according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

When rescuers arrived at the scene at midday, they found the 26-year-old woman unresponsive and pulled her from the water approximately 100 to 150 yards offshore.

CPR was administered to both victims, but rescue crews’ efforts were unsuccessful and they were pronounced dead by Emergency Medical Services.

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Pregnant woman and her husband dr0wn during their dream vacation in Hawaii

As at the time of her unfortunate death, Sophia was pregnant with a baby girl, according to Andrey Tupikov, who set up a GoFundMe for the family.

A search of her Instagram showed the would-be mother-of-two cradling her pregnant stomach.

The couple leave behind baby Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle when the tragedy occurred.

In a move to enforce the federal government’s directive on the National Identification Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage, telecom operators have commenced the disconnection of approximately 66 million phone lines across the country.

This action comes after multiple extensions and warnings to Nigerians to comply with the policy designed to improve national security and streamline the identification process.

Recall that as of March 2024, 153 million of the 219 million active lines across mobile networks like MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile were already connected to NIN, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This puts about 66 million phone lines in danger of being disconnected.

Due to unverified NINs, millions of lines were briefly blocked between July 28 and 29, resulting in significant disruptions across the nation.

Financial data from the first half of 2024 shows that 13.5 million lines were blocked by MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa for breaking the NIN-SIM linking directive.

MTN reported it had blocked 8.6 million lines, while Airtel stated that 8.7 million of its customers had completed verification.

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Telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, have urged affected subscribers to link their NIN to avoid permanent disconnection.

NIN-SIM Linkage: NCC Sets September 14 As Final Compliance Deadline

Subscribers whose lines have been deactivated still have the opportunity to reconnect by visiting any of the telecom providers’ service centers or NIMC offices to complete the process.

The directive, originally issued by the NCC in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), mandates all mobile phone users in Nigeria to link their SIM cards to their unique NIN.

The policy, first introduced in 2020, was part of the government’s efforts to curb insecurity, fraud, and other criminal activities facilitated through unregistered or improperly registered phone lines.

Following multiple deadline extensions by the NCC since December 2023, the NCC said in a statement in August that it expected that no SIM card would remain active without a verified NIN from September 15.

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An official at NCC, confirmed the disconnections, stating that non-compliant lines would be barred from making calls, sending messages, or using mobile data services until they complete the linkage process.

“We will disconnect anyone who refuses to comply; the grace period is over. The reason why we extended the last time was the misconception of Nigerians who claimed that the NCC wanted to frustrate the August 1 protest.”

He defended the NIN-SIM linkage as crucial to national security, adding that the policy is intended to create a central database that can be used to track criminal activity, verify identity, and enhance digital financial inclusion.

“Unregistered and unlinked SIMs have been identified as tools frequently used in the perpetration of criminal activities such as kidnapping, terrorism, and financial fraud. The NIN-SIM linkage is an essential step in safeguarding the nation and ensuring the integrity of our telecom infrastructure,” he added.

Despite the criticism, the government has maintained its commitment to the policy, insisting that citizens who fail to comply risk losing access to vital mobile services.

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In its reaction, the president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, after touring several telecom hubs, responded by calling the NIN-SIM linkage process horrible.

Ogungbanjo hence begged that the NCC take into account extending the deadline in light of the technological problems that plagued the registration process last week. “I think they can still do that for maybe one week, but NCC deserves praise after a string of extensions,” he said.
LEADERSHIP

On Monday, TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, will face off against the US Justice Department in a crucial legal battle in Washington, DC.

The companies are seeking to prevent a potential ban of the popular video-sharing app, used by 170 million Americans.

A three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments on whether TikTok should be forced to divest its US assets or face a nationwide ban by January 19. TikTok and ByteDance argue that the law is unconstitutional and infringes on Americans’ free speech rights, marking a “radical departure from this country’s tradition of championing an open Internet.”

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The core issue driving this legal standoff is national security. US lawmakers and the Justice Department argue that TikTok’s Chinese ownership presents a serious risk, potentially allowing the Chinese government to access personal data or manipulate information. ByteDance maintains that divesting TikTok’s US operations is not feasible and warns that a ban would result in an unprecedented disruption.

The case’s timing adds complexity, coinciding with the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign. Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are active on TikTok, using the platform to engage younger voters. President Joe Biden may extend the January 19 deadline if ByteDance shows progress in selling TikTok’s US assets. However, Trump has expressed that he would not support a full ban if re-elected, creating a political paradox.

Both parties have requested a ruling by December 6, potentially allowing the US Supreme Court to consider an appeal before the proposed ban takes effect. The White House aims to end TikTok’s Chinese-based ownership in the interest of national security. As TikTok’s legal team prepares to argue its case, the stakes remain high for the platform’s millions of US users and ByteDance’s global business.