Headline

PHOTOS: 796 Babies Feared Buried In Septic Tank At Catholic-run Home For Unwed Mothers

Published

4 months ago

June 18, 2025

Irish authorities have commenced excavation at a site in Tuam, County Galway, believed to contain the remains of nearly 800 infants who died at a Catholic-run institution for unmarried mothers.

According to Sky News on Tuesday, the site, formerly home to the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, was operated by an order of Catholic nuns between 1925 and 1961. The facility catered to unmarried pregnant women, many of whom were victims of rape or sexual abuse and were forced to give up their babies after delivery.

A general view of the remembrance garden on the former site of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home can be seen on June 15, 2025 in Tuam, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Local historian, Catherine Corless, who brought the case to national attention in 2014, discovered death certificates for 798 children but found burial records for only one.

Her investigation sparked widespread outrage and prompted a government inquiry into Ireland’s system of institutional care for women and children.

Preliminary findings showed that the remains of many of the children, some as young as 35 weeks in the womb, were dumped in what used to be a septic tank on the premises, an area now surrounded by a modern apartment complex.

Corless told Sky News that the structure, referred to as “the pit,” may hold the remains of 796 infants, most of whom were never given a proper burial.

The excavation, which began this week, is part of efforts to identify the remains and accord them dignified reburials. The process is expected to last up to two years.

“I don’t care if it’s a thimbleful, as they tell m

“There wouldn’t be much remains left; at six months old, it’s mainly cartilage more than bone,” Annette McKay, whose sister is believed to be one of the 798 victims, told Sky News.

Annette McKay, whose sister is believed to be among the deceased, recalled how her mother, Margaret O’Connor, was informed about her baby’s death.

Her mother, Margaret “Maggie” O’Connor gave birth to a baby, Mary Margaret, at the home after she was r@ped at the age of 17.

The girl died six months later, and her mother only found out when a nun told her.

“She was pegging washing out and a nun came up behind her and said ‘the child of your sin is dead,’” said Annette, who now lives in the UK.

The Bon Secours facility was part of a broader system of state-sanctioned institutions across Ireland where pregnant women were confined, forced into unpaid labour, and separated from their children. Women who became pregnant again were often sent to Magdalene Laundries, infamous religious-run institutions for “fallen women.”

Originally, the term “fallen women” was applied mostly to sex workers, but the Magdalene laundries later started taking in “seduced” women, victims of rape and incest, and female orphans or children abandoned or abused by their families.

The last of the Magdalene laundries only closed their doors in the 1990s.

A 2021 state inquiry revealed that about 9,000 children died in 18 similar homes, mainly from preventable illnesses such as gastroenteritis and respiratory infections.

In 2014, the Irish government issued a formal apology to survivors. In 2022, it launched a compensation scheme, which has so far paid out over $32m to more than 800 individuals.

Headline

Madagascar Revokes Ousted President’s Nationality

Published

21 minutes ago

October 26, 2025

Editor

Madagascar’s new government has stripped ousted president Andry Rajoelina of his Malagasy nationality in a decree published Friday, 10 days after he was removed in a military takeover.

According to AFP, the decree means that Rajoelina, who was impeached on October 14 after fleeing the island nation in the wake of weeks of protests, would not be able to contest future election.

The decree published in the official gazette said Rajoelina’s Malagasy nationality was revoked because he had acquired French nationality in 2014, local media reported, as photographs of the document were shared online.

French broadcaster RFI said it had confirmed the decree with the entourage of the new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who signed the order.

The decree cited laws stipulating that a Malagasy who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses their Malagasy nationality.

Rajoelina’s French nationality caused a scandal when it was revealed ahead of the November 2023 elections, nearly 10 years after it was granted.

Headline

Kamala Harris Hints At Running For President Again

Published

32 minutes ago

October 26, 2025

Editor

Former US vice president Kamala Harris said in a British television interview previewed in Saturday that she may “possibly” run again to be president.

Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.

But the 61-year-old insisted she was “not done” in American politics and that her young grandnieces would see a female president in the Oval Office “in their lifetime, for sure”.

“I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve.

“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now,” Harris told the British broadcaster in an interview set to air in full on Sunday.

The comments are the strongest hint yet that Harris could attempt to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2028 election.

The interview follows the release of her memoir last month, in which she argued it had been “recklessness” to let Biden run for a second term as president.

She also accused his White House team of failing to support her while she was his deputy, and at times of actively hindering her.

AFP

Headline

India Police Arrest Three Nigerian Women For Cocaine, MDMA

Published

58 minutes ago

October 26, 2025

Editor

The Police in India have uncovered a transnational drug distribution network allegedly operated by a group of Nigerian nationals, following a series of coordinated raids across the Delhi-NCR region over the weekend.

According to a report by thetimesofindia, three suspects, including two Nigerian women, were arrested for their roles in the trafficking of synthetic drugs such as MDMA and cocaine. The suspects, identified as Precious and Gift (believed to be a misspelling of Gift), were apprehended near Bakhtawar Chowk by officers from the Crime Unit, Sector 43.

According to investigators, the women had been staying at Food Empire, near the Bajaj showroom on Devli Road in Delhi, from where they allegedly managed deliveries to clients across Gurgaon and parts of Delhi.

“A total of 39 grams of MDMA, classified as a commercial quantity, was recovered from their possession,” the news platform quoted an unnamed police officer as saying. “They have been booked under Section 21(C) of the NDPS Act at Sadar Police Station, Gurgaon.”

Quoting police sources, the newspaper reported that the Nigerians entered India on medical visas two years ago but remained in India illegally after their visas expired. Apart from supplying drugs, they were said to be involved in sex work around MG Road at night.

It added that based on information obtained during interrogation, a team led by Inspector Narendra raided a building in Khanpur Extension, Delhi, on Sunday morning with assistance from the Delhi Police.

The operation led to the seizure of additional narcotics and drug-making equipment, including 22 grams of white MDMA, 3 grams of brown MDMA, 9 grams of cocaine, an electronic weighing machine, packaging materials, and mobile phones.

Another Nigerian woman, identified as Joy, was found at the premises. Police said her boyfriend, believed to be a key figure in the drug ring, had escaped a day earlier.

“The entire building had been rented by Nigerians who were running a drug manufacturing and distribution setup,” Inspector Narendra said. “They produced MDMA and cocaine using chemical substances and distributed them nationwide through the dark web and other covert channels.”

Recall that in October, Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police in India arrested a Nigerian national following the seizure of 523 grams of cocaine valued at approximately ₹5.23 crore (worth about N861,705,887.60) during an early morning operation on Saturday.

According to https://www.lokmattimes.com police sources said the operation was conducted around 4:15 a.m. near Diamond Ayva Hostel on Hansmukh Road, Vakola, after a patrol team noticed a man loitering suspiciously on the pavement.

Officers reportedly invited independent witnesses to the scene before carrying out a search.

A white nylon bag was allegedly found in the suspect’s possession, which contained a transparent plastic pouch holding the cocaine.