Headline

Six-year-old Gaza Girl Found Dead Days After Pleading For Help

Published

6 months ago

February 10, 2024

Six-year-old Hind Rajab pleaded to be rescued, after her family’s car came under fire in war-ravaged Gaza City, leaving her alone, frightened and injured, surrounded by the bodies of her dead relatives.

“I am so scared,” she had said in a desperate phone call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. “Call someone to come get me, please.”

But after more than two weeks of frantic efforts to reach her, Hind’s body was recovered on Saturday, alongside relatives and two PRCS rescue workers sent to find her.

The aid agency and the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip confirmed the grim discovery, and blamed Israeli forces.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas urged human rights groups and the international community to document what it called a “horrific crime”.

Hind’s highly publicised case comes as aid agencies warn that children and families are bearing the brunt of Israel’s war with Hamas.

Children are dying “at an alarming rate” in Gaza, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said.

Thousands have been killed and many more injured, with others at risk because of lack of food, water and medicine, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said.

Hind was last heard from after becoming trapped in the family’s vehicle with other relatives as they tried to flee Gaza City from an Israel advance.

“Hind and everyone else in the car is martyred,” the girl’s grandfather, Baha Hamada, told AFP on Saturday.

A number of family members found them when they went to Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa area looking for the car near a petrol station where it had last been spotted, he said.

“They were able to reach the area because Israeli forces withdrew early at dawn today,” added Hamada, one of the last people to speak to the girl on the telephone.

“She was killed by (Israeli) occupation forces with all those who were with her in the car outside the petrol station in Tel al-Hawa,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Palestine Red Crescent said that the Israeli military “deliberately targeted the ambulance upon its arrival at the scene” despite “prior coordination” allowing it through.

Earlier this week, family members had said the group found their way in the path of Israeli tanks and were fired on as they tried to flee.

‘She was terrified’

Hind initially survived the shooting and managed to talk to her family by telephone and make an emergency call, which the PRCS published on February 3.

“For over three hours, Hind desperately pleaded for rescue from the occupation (Israeli) tanks surrounding her, enduring gunfire and the horror of being alone, trapped among the bodies of her relatives shot by the Israeli forces in front of her eyes,” it added.

Nothing more was then heard from the young girl, even as the ambulance was sent to get her, the organisation said. Her grandfather said she was injured in the back, hand and foot.

“She was frightened, terrified,” he told AFP, sobbing.

“Hind is my first grandchild, she’s a piece of my heart.”

There was no comment from the Israeli army when contacted by AFP.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza that the health ministry says has killed at least 27,947 people, mostly women and children.

UNICEF said on Wednesday that children in Gaza need “life-saving support” as the hostilities were having a “catastrophic impact”.

Half of the estimated 1.7 million people displaced in Gaza are children. “They do not have enough access to water, food, fuel and medicine,” the agency said on Wednesday.

“They homes have been destroyed; their families torn apart.”

AFP

Headline

Barack Obama, Wife Endorse Kamala Harris For US President

Published

7 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Editor

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have endorsed Kamala Harris’ bid for Presidency.

In a one-minute long video that captured a private phone call between the couple and the Vice President, Harris expressed gratitude for the endorsement and their long friendship.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Obama told Harris.

“I am proud of you. This is going to be historic,” the former first lady told Harris.

“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” Obama said on social media platform X.

Responding, Harris said: “Thank you both. It means so much. And we’re gonna have some fun with this too”.

Obama, the first U.S Black president, remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party even after more than a decade has passed since he was last elected.

Harris is making plans to name a running mate by Aug. 7.

Advisers to former President Donald J. Trump said they would not commit to another debate, one they had already agreed to participate in, now that the Democrats have changed candidates from President Biden to Vice President Harris.

Headline

33 Nigerian Students Receive $2.92m Scholarships From American Universities, Colleges

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Editor

33 high achieving Nigerian students have received full scholarships totaling $2.92 million to attend American universities and colleges for the 2024/2025 academic session.

This feat was made possible through the Opportunity Funds Program of the United States Consulate General Lagos that is designed to increase access to U.S. higher education institutions for highly qualified international students who have limited resources to cover upfront costs of attending a university in the United States.

Delivering remarks at a reception in Lagos in honor of the U.S. bound students, Consul General Will Stevens congratulated the scholars on their admission to several outstanding U.S. universities to pursue studies in a diverse range of disciplines.

He urged them to take advantage of the opportunities American universities have to offer and become actively involved in the many organizations and clubs that will enrich their experience as international students.

“This Fall, you will join the over 17,000 Nigerian students studying in the United States. You have successfully navigated the daunting U.S. college and university admissions process and we are so excited for your future. You have excelled in Nigeria, and I have no doubt that you will continue that path of academic excellence,” Consul General Stevens told the departing students.

One of the scholars, Chigozie Paul Odo, received full funding for a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of South Carolina. His doctoral research will focus on immuno-therapy with the goal of contributing to lasting solutions to the treatment of cancer.

Odo, who lost his father and sole breadwinner for his family during his second year at university, expressed appreciation to the U.S. government for covering the upfront costs of applying to U.S. universities through the Opportunity Funds Program.

“My dream of studying in the United States which seemed impossible is now a reality,” he added.

The 33 departing students — 10 undergraduate and 23 graduate students —will be studying a variety of subjects including biomedical engineering; computer science; mechanical engineering; earth and planetary sciences; organic and medicinal chemistry; civil, construction, & environmental engineering; among others.

Following a very rigorous selection process, the successful students received financial aid that covered expenses involved in the college application process such as standardized tests, application fees, U.S. visa and SEVIS fees as well as air travel to the United States. EducationUSA advisers worked closely with the students through regularly scheduled meetings, seminars and bootcamps, to support them throughout the application process.

Now in its 20th year, the Opportunity Funds Program underscores the importance of educational exchange and the positive impact it has on fostering mutual understanding and strengthening ties between the two nations.

Headline

Meta Deletes 63,000 Accounts In ‘Yahoo Boys’ Crackdown

Published

2 days ago

July 24, 2024

Editor

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group, the company announced in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday.

The accounts, deleted over the past few weeks, were used for financial sextortion scams and distributing blackmail scripts. Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.

Meta said it identified and disabled these accounts through a combination of advanced technical signals and comprehensive investigations, enhancing its automated detection systems.

“Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled in recent years by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organised cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different types of scams,” the social media giant stated.

It added, “We’ve removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams, including a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts.”

“We’ve also removed a set of Facebook accounts, Pages, and groups run by Yahoo Boys—banned under our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy—that were attempting to organize, recruit and train new scammers,” the company explained.

During the investigation, Meta said it found that most scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, though some had targeted minors. These cases were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Meta revealed that it also shared information with other tech companies via the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to help curb these scams across platforms.

Further, the parent company of Facebook said it removed around 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were providing scam-related resources.

These assets were found offering scripts and guides for scams and sharing links to collections of photos for creating fake accounts, it expounded.

Since this disruption, Meta’s systems have been actively blocking attempts from these groups to return, continually improving their detection capabilities.

The company noted that it has also been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions by responding to legal requests and alerting authorities to imminent threats.

The social media giant stated that its efforts extend beyond account removal.

“We also fund and support NCMEC and the International Justice Mission to run Project Boost, a program that trains law enforcement agencies around the world in processing and acting on NCMEC reports.

“We’ve conducted several training sessions so far, including in Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place just last month,” the firm revealed.

To protect users, especially teens, Meta disclosed that it has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 (under 18 in certain countries) and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behaviour online.

Last week, Meta was fined $220m by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for multiple violations of data protection laws linked to WhatsApp.

The investigation, initiated in May 2021, found that Meta’s privacy policies infringed on users’ rights, including unauthorized data sharing and discriminatory practices.

Meta plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it disagrees with the findings and the imposed penalty. The FCCPC aims to ensure fair treatment of Nigerian users and compliance with local regulations.