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Pope Advocates Debt Forgiveness For Poor Nations

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Pope Francis has called for debt forgiveness for impoverished countries, urging wealthier nations to enable indebted nations to recover and develop.

The appeal was made in his 2025 World Day of Peace message, marked annually on January 1 to promote global peace.

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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the message, delivered by the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins, during Mass at the Holy Cross Catholic Cathedral in Lagos, emphasised mercy, hope, and forgiveness as key principles for a more peaceful and equitable world.

Quoting the Pope, Martins said, “God does not weigh up the evils we commit; rather, He is immensely rich in mercy, for the great love with which He loved us ( Eph 2:4).

READ ALSO: Tears, As Jnr. Pope Is Laid To Rest In Enugu

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“That yet He also hears the plea of the poor and the cry of the earth.

“What the world will do is simply to stop for a moment at the beginning of 2025 to think of the mercy with which He constantly forgives our sins and forgives our every debt so that our hearts may overflow with hope and peace.”

The leader of the Vatican added that “in teaching us to pray the ‘Our Father, ‘Jesus started by asking the Father to forgive our trespasses but immediately moved to the challenging words, ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’” (cf. Mt 6:12).

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“Jesus teaches us to ask for forgiveness of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. To extend hope and forgiveness to others, we must first experience God’s mercy,” the Pope noted.

READ ALSO: Pope Clarifies Blessings For Same-sex Couples

The Pope also offered three proposals to restore dignity, rebuild hope, and address the global debt crisis.

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He reiterated an appeal first made by Saint John Paul II during the Jubilee Year 2000, advocating for the substantial reduction or outright cancellation of international debts that hinder the progress of many nations.

He urged affluent countries to forgive the debts of nations incapable of repayment and called for establishing a new financial framework rooted in global solidarity and harmony.

READ ALSO: Pope Francis Returns To Vatican 10 Days After Surgery

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He said, “At the beginning of this Year of Grace, I would like to offer three proposals capable of restoring dignity to lives and enabling people to set out anew on the journey of hope.

“In this way, the debt crisis can be overcome, and all of us can once more realise that we are debtors whose debts have been forgiven.”

Pope Francis’ message aligns with the 2025 World Day of Peace theme, “Forgive Us Our Trespasses, Grant Us Your Peace,” and launches the Jubilee 2025 celebrations, anticipated to attract millions of pilgrims to Rome.

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US Arrests Convicted Nigerian In Illegal Migrants Crackdown

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The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has arrested a previously convicted Nigerian, Rotimi Oladimeji, in an operation targeting illegal immigrants across the country.

The ICE, in a statement shared on its X page on Monday, disclosed that Oladimeji was ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution before he was arrested.

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The terse statement read, “Nigerian criminal alien Rotimi Oladimeji’s criminal history includes mail and wire fraud. He was ordered to pay $1.1M+ in restitution before ICE New Orleans arrested him.”

It would be recalled that Oladimeji was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by a US District Court in December 2023 for fraud.

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He was convicted of aiding other scammers in Nigeria to defraud a woman “who thought she was in an online romance with a veterinarian and animal behaviourist living in St. Louis,” according to the US Department of Justice.

The US DoJ had, in 2022, added that “in October of 2019, Oladimeji claimed the veterinarian was going to Dubai, then said he wouldn’t be allowed to leave unless she sent money. They continued to request of the victim for four and five-figure sums, court records show.”

“In all, the victim lost nearly $1.17 million. Oladimeji received 20% of the funds he generated. As money mules who transmitted the fraudulent proceeds to people like Oladimeji, Akinrinmade and Adesanya received 20 per cent of the funds they forwarded. The remaining amount went to scammers in Nigeria,” it added.

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Following his guilty plea in 2022, he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $1.1m in restitution.

Similarly, Oladimeji was, at the time of his conviction, placed on deportation, but he has since remained in the US since completing his jail term.

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Oladimeji’s arrest joined the thousands of illegal migrants who have been arrested by the ICE following President Donald Trump’s order on illegal and criminal migrant clampdown.

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10 Killed In Nepal Protest Over Social Media Ban

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At least 10 protesters were killed Monday after Nepal police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Kathmandu demanding the government lift its ban on social media and tackle corruption.

Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube, and X — have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.

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Until now, 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured,” Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP.

“The crowds are still in the streets”.

Many of the injured were being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital, according to its information officer Ranjana Nepal.

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READ ALSO:Generation Z Protests In Nepal Over Social Media Ban, Corruption

“I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital,” she told AFP.

“Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work”.

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Waving national flags, young demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu started the protest with the national anthem before unleashing chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.

The crowd swelled as it crossed into a restricted area close to the parliament and pushed through barbed wire.

Violence erupted in the streets as police baton-charged protesters, some of whom climbed over the wall into the parliament premises.

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The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence, and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.

Similar protests were organised in other districts across the country.

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Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news, and business.

“We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here,” said student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24.

– ‘We want to see change’ –

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“We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.”

Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.

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“We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she told AFP.

Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which is still operating.

“There have been movements abroad against corruption, and they (the government) are afraid that might happen here as well,” said protester Bhumika Bharati.

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The cabinet decided last month to give the affected companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact, and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.

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The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.

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In a statement on Sunday, the government said it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.

The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.

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It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

AFP

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Popular Influencer Lola Shot

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Popular social media influencer Lola Doll is in critical condition after being shot multiple times outside her home in Georgetown on Saturday night.

This was disclosed in a Sunday statement released on social media by the Guyana Police Force.

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The 33-year-old, whose real name is Lolita Callender, was attacked at about 11:35 p.m. local time in front of her residence at Texas Square, East Ruimveldt.

She is presently receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she remains in critical condition, having sustained gunshot wounds to her neck, face, hands, and right leg,” the statement partly read.

READ ALSO:Man Dies Of Gunshot Inside Akwa Ibom Church, Police Begin Probe

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The police operatives disclosed that Callender was seated in her car when a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire.

Preliminary information indicates that the victim was seated in her motor car when she was shot by a male on a motorcycle,” the GPF added.

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Authorities said efforts are underway to track down the suspect.

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Police ranks are actively pursuing the suspect, and CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed as part of the investigation,” the release noted.

The force appealed to the public for assistance, saying,”The Guyana Police Force is urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to come forward.

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“Persons can also share information anonymously by calling 911 or the nearest police station.

“Investigations remain ongoing,” the police stated.

 

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