Headline

Three Killed In Attacks On Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Published

3 years ago

February 4, 2023

Editor

Three people have been killed in attacks on a church in southern Ethiopia on Saturday, according to reports by a religious media outlet.

The violence erupted against a backdrop of tensions in the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church after rebel bishops created their own synod in Oromia, the country’s most populous region.
Archbishop of Addis Ababa Diocese, Abune Henok, described the incidents in the Oromia city of Shashamene as “shameful and heartwrenching”, according to the Church-affiliated Tewahedo Media Center (TMC).

The TMC said two Orthodox Christian youths had been killed, and another four people injured, when Oromia special forces attacked the church in Shashamene, which lies about 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Addis Ababa.

It later said there had been sniper fire on the church from nearby high-rise buildings that had killed a woman and injured others.

It was not possible to independently verify the reports.

Abune Henok called on the authorities in Oromia, also the largest geographic region in Ethiopia, to stop the “persecution” of Orthodox Christians, according to the TMC.

A statement issued by the Holy Synod later urged clergy and the faithful to wear black in protest, and called for peaceful demonstrations at churches at home and abroad on February 12.

– ‘Illegitimate group’ –

The unity of the Ethiopian Church, one of the oldest in the world and which accounts for about 40 percent of the country’s 115 million population, is under threat after the move by the rebel clergy last month.

The Church, headed by Patriarch Abune Mathias for a decade, had declared the breakaway synod illegal and excommunicated the bishops involved.

It has also accused the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of interfering in its affairs and making comments that effectively recognised the “illegitimate group”.

Addressing cabinet members earlier in the week, Abiy — who is himself from the Oromo community — called for the rivals to engage in dialogue and said both sides had their “own truths”.

The breakaway bishops accuse the Church of discrimination and linguistic and cultural hegemony, saying congregations in Oromia are not served in their native language, claims rejected by the patriarchate.

Orthodox leaders have long complained of religious persecution, including the burning of churches several years ago, and relations with the government have been tense in the past, including over the Tigray conflict.

The World Council of Churches on Friday issued a statement voicing “deep concern” about the developments in the Ethiopian institution.

“We call upon all political leaders in Ethiopia to support the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in its efforts to achieve unity and peace among its members,” WCC general secretary Jerry Pillay said.

AFP

Headline

EU Fines Elon Musk’s X €120m For Violating Digital Content Rules

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has been hit with a €120 million ($140 million) fine by European Union tech regulators for violating multiple provisions of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

This marks the first significant penalty imposed under this landmark legislation.

On Friday, the European Commission announced the fine, citing various violations by X, including misleading platform features and a lack of transparency in research practices.

Regulators pointed out that one of the violations involved the misleading design of the blue verification checkmark. This feature is now linked to subscription payments instead of identity validation, which the EU described as “deceptive and potentially harmful.”

The Commission also criticized X for not maintaining transparent advertising records and for restricting researchers’ access to publicly available data on the platform.

This ruling is likely to heighten diplomatic tensions between Brussels and Washington. U.S. officials from the Trump administration had previously condemned Europe’s regulatory approach toward major tech companies, claiming that EU policies unfairly target American firms and restrict free expression.

However, the European Commission defended its stance, stating that enforcement under the DSA is not influenced by nationality. They emphasized that the legislation is designed to promote online accountability, protect users, and ensure transparency in digital operations—standards that are increasingly becoming global benchmarks.

“The DSA does not discriminate by company origin,” the Commission argued, maintaining that the penalties reflect Europe’s commitment to protecting democratic values and responsible digital governance.

The fine marks a significant test case for the EU’s new regulatory regime and could set precedent for similar action against other platforms not in full compliance with the law.

Headline

Nigerian Ringleader Of Nationwide Bank Fraud, Money Laundering Jailed In US, Says FBI

Published

4 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the sentencing of Nigerian national Oluwaseun Adekoya, the mastermind behind a sprawling bank fraud and money-laundering operation that targeted victims across the United States.

According to investigators, Adekoya, who operated under multiple aliases including “Ace G.,” “BRODA,” “Legendary,” “SANTA,” “SANTANA,” “Sammy LaBanco,” “Sean Maison,” and “Kiing_maison” led a sophisticated criminal network that stole and laundered more than $2 million by impersonating individuals nationwide.

The FBI said the long-running operation, internally code-named Operation Catch Me if You Can, relied on coordinated efforts across numerous law enforcement and banking agencies.

Headline

VIDEO: Nigerians In UK Lament Delayed Passport Capturing At ‘Crowded’ Birmingham Centre

Published

4 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Nigerians in the United Kingdom (UK) have cried out to the Nigerian authorities over delays in renewing their international passports, describing the capturing experience as frustrating.

According to a video from the Nigerian Passport Intervention Centre in Birmingham, sighted by Tribune Online, hundreds of people are seen lurking around while waiting for officials to arrive for the exercise.

In the video, a lady narrated how the crowd had gathered since around 4am on Friday after their names had been taken down the previous day with the promise that the capturing would be done the next day.

“They promised they’re going to start at 9am and at 12pm when I was leaving, they’ve not even started attending to people. We heard that the officials were not even at the scene,” she said.

Continuing, the video showed the arrival of some of the officials, whom the lady said had asked the crowd to return the next day.

“While I was walking to my taxi, I saw some of the officials. I recognised them from yesterday when he addressed the people saying ‘Go and come back tomorrow’. The one driving that car was the one who was addressing us yesterday,” she added, referring to a vehicle in the viral clip.

The lady further criticised their attitude to the plight of Nigerians at the centre, saying many, including herself, came with babies.

“It’s so shameful that Nigeria will still happen to you even if you’re outside Nigeria. It’s the people, not only the government,” she added.

Reacting to the video, another user simply identified as OduduAbasi Umo-Odiong, posted two short clips showing people agitated at the centre.

“People are already getting agitated today. The frustration is rising and the situation is becoming tense,” he captioned.

However, an X user, identified as Williams Ibironke, disagreed with the information in the video, saying the officials work till midnight.

“The information she posted was purposely made as content to miss direct people. those pple are working til midnight everyday, they closed @3am so how can they resume early again. I did mine @12:33am this morning and I still left people there, meaning they may not close until 2am,” he posted.

Other X users reacting to the video called on the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to act swiftly on the issue, wondering how the positive reform he introduced is addressing the issue.

“Someone has fingered a working system to their benefit. Just a few weeks ago, you can start and finish your passport renewal process on your mobile phone without leaving your home.

“What happened to that positive change?,” a user asked.

All possible efforts to get Nigerian authorities’ reaction to the issue proved abortive as of the time of filing this report as neither the Minister nor the Interior Ministry responded to messages sent to them.

Watch video here

Source: Nigerian Tribune