News

Israel Launches Airstrikes On Lebanon In Response To Rockets

Published

4 years ago

August 6, 2021

Editor

Israel on Thursday escalated its response to rocket attacks the previous day from Lebanon by launching rare airstrikes on its northern neighbor, the army and Lebanese officials said.

A statement from the Israeli military said jets struck the launch sites from which the rockets were fired, as well as an additional target used to attack Israel in the past.

The military blamed the state of Lebanon for the shelling and warned “against further attempts to harm Israeli civilians and Israel’s sovereignty.”

The overnight airstrikes in southern Lebanon were a marked escalation at a politically sensitive time.

Israel’s new eight-party governing coalition is trying to keep peace under a fragile cease-fire that ended an 11-day war with Hamas’ militant rulers in Gaza in May.

Several incidents leading up to this week’s rocket fire from Lebanon have focused attention on Israel’s northern border. The United States swiftly condemned the attacks on Israel.

Lebanon is mired in multiple crises, including a devastating economic and financial meltdown and a political deadlock that has left the country without a functional government for a full year.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Israel’s use of its air force to target Lebanese villages “is the first of its kind since 2006 and indicated the presence of aggressive, escalatory intentions” against Lebanon.

In a statement, he said Lebanon would submit a complaint to the United Nations.

The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, Stefano Del Col, called on the parties “to act with urgency” to de-escalate tensions and prevent violations of the cessation of hostilities that has been in effect since 2006.

Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fought a devastating, monthlong war in 2006 which killed some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and around 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

The war failed to neutralize the group’s rocket threat, and Israeli officials say the Iran-backed Hezbollah’s improved missile arsenal is now capable of striking virtually anywhere in Israel.

No one has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire from Lebanon, and Hezbollah has not commented.

The Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar TV reported the Israeli strikes at around 2 a.m. Thursday, saying they hit an empty area in the village of Mahmoudiya in Marjayoun district.

Avichai Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman, said the Lebanese government is responsible for what happens on its territory and warned against more attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon.

On Wednesday, three rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory and Israel responded with sustained artillery fire. Sirens sounded in northern Israel, warning of a possible rocket attack. Two rockets landed inside Israeli territory, the army said.

Channel 12 said one rocket exploded in an open area and another was intercepted by Israel’s defense system, known as the Iron Dome.

Israeli media reported that the incoming rockets set off fires near Kiryat Shmona, a community of about 20,000 people near the Lebanese border.

The Lebanese military said 92 artillery shells were fired by Israel on Lebanese villages as a result of Wednesday’s rocket fire from Lebanon.

It said the Israeli artillery shelling resulted in a fire in the village of Rashaya al-Fukhar. The Lebanese army also said it was conducting patrols in the border region and had set up a number of checkpoints and opened an investigation to determine the source of the rocket fire.

There have been several similar incidents in recent months.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the rocket fire from Lebanon.

“Israel has the right to defend itself against such attacks,” he told reporters on Wednesday in Washington, adding that the U.S. would remain engaged with partners “in the region in an effort to de-escalate the situation.”

News

JUST IN: Ibom Air Passenger Charged To Court Over ‘Unruly’ Act, Remanded In Prison

Published

50 minutes ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

A passenger who assaulted airline officials on an Ibom Air flight inbound Lagos from Uyo, Comfort Emmanson, has reportedly been charged to court.

The Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, who revealed this, said Emmanson has been remanded in the Kirikiri correctional facility.

Moshood disclosed this in a post on X on Monday shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, said enforcement action will soon become more frequent in Nigerian airports as unruly conduct by passengers becomes rampant.

The development is coming on the heels of a similar incident involving popular Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, aka KWAM 1 or K1 and an airline, ValueJet.

The musician attempted to stop the aircraft from taking off after he was deboarded.

Details shortly…

News

SERAP, NGE Drag Niger Gov, NBC To Court Over Radio Station Closure Threat

Published

18 hours ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and the Nigerian Guild of Editors have filed a lawsuit against Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, and the National Broadcasting Commission over what they described as “the ongoing intimidation” of Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, and the threat to shut down the station.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, accusing NBC of failing to stand in defence of the local station.

Recall that Bago ordered the closure and the revocation of the licence of Badeggi Radio 90.1 FM in Minna over alleged public incitement.

However, in suit number FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE are seeking to determine “whether by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”

They are also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Niger state governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence and profile the station’s owner.”

The groups argued, “The ongoing intimidation and threat by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its licence, further threat to demolish the station’s premises and profile its owner is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.”

They described allegations of inciting violence against the station and its owner as “vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station.”

The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP and NGE by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Agunbiade, and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and information – in its individual and collective aspects – in a democratic society.

“Intimidating, harassing and silencing critical or dissenting voices under the guise of vague and unsubstantiated national security concerns is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.

“The ongoing intimidation and harassment of Badeggi FM and its owner is capable of discouraging participation of the press in debates over matters of legitimate public concern ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

SERAP and NGE are therefore asking the court for the following reliefs, “A declaration that by the combined provisions of Section 22 Nigerian Constitution and section 2(1)(t) of the National Broadcasting Act, the NBC is obligated by law to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from undue interference from unauthorised persons or entity.

“A declaration that the failure and/or neglect of the NBC to protect and defend the independence of the radio station against arbitrary executive interference constitutes a breach of its statutory duty to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.

“A declaration that the ongoing intimidation and threat issued by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its operational licence and further threat to demolish the station’s premises is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.

“A declaration that the threat issued by the Bago to strip Badeggi FM radio station of its operational licence encroaches upon the statutory powers of the NBC as provided for under section 2 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC, its agents and privies from harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to revoke the operating licence of Badeggi FM station or any other broadcasting outlet in Niger State.”

It was said that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

News

Radio Station Suspends GM For Criticising Ebonyi Gov

Published

19 hours ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

A privately-owned radio station in Ebonyi State, Legacy FM (The Sound of Now), has suspended its acting General Manager, Mr Godfrey Chikwere.

His suspension, it was gathered, followed his alleged persistent “negative” projection of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, and his policies during radio broadcasts and on social media.

Announcing his suspension on Saturday, the management of Legacy FM claimed the ousted official acted in a manner contrary to the station’s code of conduct.

It said, “The management of Legacy FM 95.1, The Sound of Now, hereby suspends the acting General Manager, Godfrey Chikwere, with immediate effect, till further notice.

“This is due to unruly behaviour and disobedience to the code of conduct guiding the Legacy FM.

“With such effect, he is hereby directed to hand over all the company property in his position to the next senior officer.”

The PUNCH gathered that the radio personality, in a post on his Facebook page on Friday, called on the governor to be stringent in his handling of state matters.

He alleged that public perception of the governor’s administration was being cajoled, while also claiming Nwifuru’s administration was marred by poor communication, underperformance by his appointees, and lack of clear-cut policy direction.

Chikwere also advised the governor to “step on toes” to achieve results, adding that the current state of affairs weakened his support base.

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Monday Uzor, criticised the suspended radio staff member over what he described as undue criticisms of his boss’ administration.

In a statement on Friday, Uzor described the criticisms as baseless and unfounded, accusing the former of ingratitude for attacking the governor despite what the state government had done for them.

He said, “It is regrettable that despite the radio station thriving only on government support, the supposed helmsman dedicates a greater percentage of the station’s airtime to attack and run down the government whose support has kept his medium afloat.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the governor gifted the medium a brand new Changan SUV, donated a brand new transformer that powers the station, constructed the road leading to the broadcasting house.

“But rather than give at least balanced coverage of government activities, it has been turned into a slaughter house of the governor’s genuine development efforts and goodwill, what a way to be ungrateful to good deeds.”

On his part, the state Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Ikeuwa Omebeh, also condemned Chikwere’s criticisms of Nwifuru, describing them as “derogatory and inciting.”

In a statement on Saturday, the commissioner accused him of “overstepping his bounds.”

He said his remarks against the governor were unacceptable and an affront to the collective identity of all the people of the state.