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PFN Reacts As Catholic Church Set To Bless Same-s*x Union

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The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has reacted to the planned approval of same-s*x marriages by Catholic Church, saying it would maintain a dignified silence on the matter.

The Vatican had published a letter by Pope Francis addressed to a group of cardinals who asked him for clarity on same-s*x union.

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The Pontiff reiterated that though the church only recognised marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but could open the door for blessings of individuals in same-s*x unions.

READ ALSO: Catholic Church Set To Approve Same-s*x Marriages

The pope said “pastoral charity” required patience and understanding, adding that priests should not become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude”.

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He said a blessing requested was a plea for God’s help to live a better life, even in situations that were “not morally acceptable”.

The religious leader said priests should not only treat people as sinners because they might not fully be at fault for their situations.

Pope Francis suggested that blessing gay unions should not become an official rule but should be decided case by case “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms”.

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READ ALSO: World Habitat Day 2023: Obaseki Charges Edo People On Preservation Of Environment For Sustainable Future

Contacted, the Administrative Secretary of the PFN, Pastor Akinwale Akinola said: “You know he (Pope) is a Catholic and every bloc has its ideology. The PFN will just maintain a dignified silence for now.

”If you remember when the Church of England endorsed same-sex marriage, there were agreements and disagreement among themselves; the Anglican Church in Nigeria refused to comment on it.

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”The former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Bishop Peter Akinola, was silent on it and did not say anything.”

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Court Jails Two For Targeting President With Sorcery

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A Zambian court on Monday sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour on charges of attempting to use witchcraft to kill the country’s president.

Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde and Zambian village chief Leonard Phiri were arrested in December in possession of charms, including a live chameleon.

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Police said they planned to use the charms to harm President Hakainde Hichilema, and they were charged with professing knowledge of witchcraft and possession of charms.

READ ALSO:Ghana Jails Three Nigerians For 96 Years Over Car Theft

The motive of the crime was to kill the head of state,” magistrate Fine Mayambu ruled in the capital Lusaka on Monday.

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The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians. I therefore sentence them to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour from the date of their arrest,” he said.

The prosecution said the men had been hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is facing trial for robbery, attempted murder and escaping custody.

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Two Nigerians Face Jail Terms In Liberia’s Piracy Trial

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Criminal Court ‘D’ in Monrovia is set to deliver judgment this week in Liberia’s first piracy trial, involving two Nigerian nationals accused of hijacking a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to court records, the defendants were arrested earlier this year after a Liberia-flagged ship was seized by armed men while transporting goods through international waters. The crew sent a distress signal, prompting international maritime forces to intervene.

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The suspects were subsequently transferred to Liberian authorities under global maritime cooperation protocols.

READ ALSO:Ghana Jails Three Nigerians For 96 Years Over Car Theft

According to Liberia’s news platform, Front Page Africa, the case has attracted attention because Liberia maintains one of the world’s largest open ship registries, yet prosecutions for piracy within its domestic courts have not previously occurred. Under international law, Liberia holds jurisdiction over crimes involving ships registered under its flag.

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On Monday, proceedings took a new turn when defense lawyer, Cllr. Bestman Juah, informed the court that the defendants had admitted responsibility for the hijacking and were requesting a plea-bargain arrangement. State prosecutors did not oppose the request, leaving open the possibility of reduced sentences in exchange for full cooperation.

READ ALSO:Man Jailed For Cybercrime, Forfeits Cars, Land, $42,000 To FG

Resident Judge Mameita Jabateh-Sirleaf, who presides over Criminal Court ‘D’, will rule on whether to accept the plea deal and determine the sentencing framework. The ruling could also address deportation measures following imprisonment.

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Criminal Court ‘D’ handles cases involving armed robbery, terrorism, hijacking, and other serious crimes, and the piracy trial represents a growing trend of transnational offenses being prosecuted within Liberia’s judicial system.
As of press time, the court has not announced the date for sentencing.

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Spain Cancels $825m Israel Arms Deal Over Gaza

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The Spanish government has cancelled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers.

The move comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week that his government would “consolidate in law” a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel over its offensive in Gaza.

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The contract, awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies, involved the purchase of 12 SILAM rocket launcher systems derived from the PULS platform made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance.

First reported by local media and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the cancellation was formalised on Spain’s official public contracts platform on September 9.

READ ALSO:Palestinians Flee As Israel Intensifies Assault On Gaza City

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The following day, Sanchez unveiled measures aimed at stopping what his leftist government called “the genocide in Gaza”.

It includes the approval of a decree imposing a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel due to its military offensive in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

Spain applied the ban as Israel stepped up its military onslaught.

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Spain has also formalized the cancellation of another contract for 168 anti-tank missile launchers, which were to be manufactured under license from an Israeli company.

READ ALSO:Israeli Strike Kills Al Jazeera Journalist In Gaza

That contract, valued at 287 million euros, had been first reported by the press in June.

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According to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the government is undertaking a broader review to phase out Israeli weapons and technology from its armed forces.

Sanchez has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza policy.

READ ALSO:Hamas Accepts New Gaza Truce Plan – Official

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Relations between the two countries have been tense for months.

Israel has not had an ambassador in Spain since Madrid recognized the state of Palestine in 2024.

Last week, Spain recalled its ambassador to Israel after heated exchanges over Sánchez’s new measures.

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The Barcelona-based Delas Centre, a security research institute, estimated in April that since the start of the Gaza war, Spain had awarded 46 contracts worth $1.044 billion to Israeli companies, based on public tender data.

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