Headline

Proud Boys Leader, Tarrio Bags 22-year Jail Term Over Jan 6 US Capitol Attack

Published

2 years ago

September 6, 2023

Former leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio has been sentenced to 22 years for championing the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

The verdict was the longest sentence handed down so far over the attack, which happened as lawmakers were certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

According to BBC, the 39-year-old was not in Washington during the riot, but helped organise the far-right group’s involvement.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 33 years in prison in the riot that has so far seen more than 1,100 people arrested and charged.

The rioters turned out in support of former president Donald Trump, who has continued to deny that he lost the 2020 election.

Trump has also promised to pardon most or all of the rioters if he is re-elected president in 2024.

Tarrio was convicted in May of seditious conspiracy, a Civil War-era charge, and multiple other counts. He has been in jail since his arrest last year.

In their sentencing recommendation, prosecutors described Tarrio as a “naturally charismatic leader” and “a savvy propagandist” who was the “primary organiser” of the conspiracy he and his co-defendants were convicted of.

They also said he condoned and promoted violence from others. “He was a general rather than a soldier,” prosecutors wrote.

They argued he helped rally members of the far-right group to come to Washington DC and, while he was not in the city at the time, prosecutors said he monitored their movements and encouraged them as the attack unfolded.

As Trump supporters laid siege to the congressional complex, Tarrio posted online that he was “enjoying the show”.

“Do what must be done,” he wrote, urging on the rioters.

US District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump nominee who presided over the sentencing hearing, concluded that Tarrio began planning an attack on the Capitol in December 2020 and instituted a rigid command structure.

“Tarrio was the ultimate leader, the ultimate person who organised, who was motivated by revolutionary zeal,” Judge Kelly said. “I don’t have any indication that he is remorseful for the actual things that he was convicted of.”

Before he learned his fate on Tuesday, an emotional Tarrio apologised to police and residents of Washington DC for his role in the riot. “I am extremely ashamed and disappointed that they were caused grief and suffering,” he said. “I will have to live with that shame for the rest of my life.”

Tarrio, who wore an orange jail uniform, added: “I was my own worst enemy. My hubris convinced me that I was a victim and targeted unfairly.”

Acknowledging that Trump had lost the November 2020 presidential election, Tarrio said: “I am not a political zealot. I didn’t think it was even possible to change the results of the election.

“Please show me mercy,” Tarrio asked the judge. “I ask you that you not take my 40s from me.”

Tarrio was national chairman of the Proud Boys. Founded in New York City in 2016, members of the far-right group have described themselves as an all-male drinking club.

Headline

US Commits $32.5m To Support Food Security In Nigeria

Published

2 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United States Government has committed $32.5m to the United Nations World Food Programme to support food and nutrition assistance for hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflict in Nigeria.

According to a statement released by the US Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the funding will enable WFP Nigeria to reach approximately 764,205 vulnerable individuals in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country.

These areas have been severely impacted by ongoing insecurity and displacement, with millions struggling to access necessities.

The assistance package includes general food distributions as well as targeted nutritional support.

Among the beneficiaries are 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and 43,235 children who will receive specialised nutrition support through electronic food vouchers, according to the statement.

“World Food Program Nigeria, with US Government’s contribution of $32.5m, will provide food assistance and nutrition support to internally displaced persons across conflict-affected areas.

“With the US Government’s donation, the World Food Programme Nigeria will provide food and nutrition assistance to 764,205 beneficiaries across Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.

“This includes complementary nutrition top-ups for 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 43,235 children through electronic food vouchers,” the statement read.

On December 18, 2024, PUNCH Online reported that the United States Agency for International Development has denounced recent media reports misrepresenting US agricultural initiatives in Nigeria, stating that its programmes operate transparently and align with the country’s laws.

In a statement issued by the US Mission in Nigeria, USAID highlighted the significant achievements of its agricultural collaboration with Nigeria, which it claimed has supported over five million Nigerian farmers since 2019.

The agency maintained it has boosted food production and strengthened rural economies across the country through its efforts.

Headline

UK To Ban Sale Of Energy Drinks To Children

Published

4 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom government has unveiled plans to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, including popular brands such as Red Bull, to anyone under the age of 16 in England.

Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, announcing the move on Wednesday, said the step was aimed at safeguarding young people’s wellbeing.

“By stopping children from buying these drinks, we’re laying the groundwork for healthier and happier generations,” he explained.

Government figures suggest that up to one in three teenagers aged 13 to 16 regularly consume energy drinks, many of which contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

While most major supermarkets already enforce a voluntary restriction, the new policy would make it a nationwide rule.

“How can we expect pupils to thrive in the classroom if they’re running on the equivalent of a double espresso every day?” Streeting asked, stressing that the government was responding to concerns raised by parents and teachers. “We’re determined to address the root causes of poor health and educational struggles head-on.”

Headline

Indian Man Gets Death Sentence For Burning Wife Alive Over Skin Colour

Published

4 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

A court in India recently sentenced a man to death for setting his wife, Lakshmi, ablaze alive due to her dark skin colour. This harsh punishment reflects the gravity of the crime and its impact on society.

As reported by BBC on Wednesday, the attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, the murder dates eight years back, and the judgment, delivered at the weekend, has made headlines in a country where public obsession with colourism is well documented.

The attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, according to the court order seen by the BBC.

Before her death, Lakshmi revealed that her husband, Kishandas, frequently mocked her for being dark-skinned, calling her “kali” and body-shaming her since their marriage in 2016.

On the night of her attack, Kishandas brought a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid, purportedly a skin-lightening medicine.

According to Lakshmi’s statements, he applied the liquid on her body, and when she complained about a strong acid-like smell, he set her on fire with an incense stick.

Adding to the cruelty, Kishandas poured the remaining liquid on her while she was burning and then fled. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries.

The judge, Rahul Choudhary, condemned the act as not only a murder but “a crime against humanity,” stressing that Kishandas “broke her trust” and showed “excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her” while she burned.

He described the case as fitting the “rarest of the rare” category, saying, “It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it’s a crime against humanity.”

He added, “It’s a crime that shocks the conscience of humanity, which cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilised society.”

The public prosecutor called the verdict “historic,” hoping it would serve as “a lesson for others in society.”

He said, “A young woman in her early 20s was brutally murdered. She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter; there were people who loved her. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”

This tragic story highlights the deep-rooted issue of colourism, where darker-skinned women face widespread discrimination and abuse.

Despite ongoing campaigns to challenge these prejudices, the preference for fair skin remains strongly embedded in many areas of life, continuing to cause immense harm. Until societal attitudes change, such heartbreaking incidents are likely to persist.