Author name: Ashton

Pollution in Nigeria’s sacred Osun River fails to deter worshippers

Africa /

Despite rising pollution in the revered Osun river, worshippers continue to flock to its waters for spiritual rituals. Edaoto Agbeniyi, a local musician, has visited the river since childhood, but since 2018, the once-clear waters have turned milky due to toxic metals like mercury and lead from nearby gold mining. The river, a UNESCO Heritage site, remains a significant cultural and religious landmark for the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria. Although contamination has sparked concern among devotees and impacted tourism, it hasn’t diminished the spiritual pull of the river. Thousands attended the annual Osogbo festival this year. “I am angry and sad that the government hasn’t purified the water,” Agbeniyi told Reuters. However, he believes the river’s spiritual essence remains intact. Despite warnings from advocacy groups like Urban Alert, which found high levels of toxic metals in the river, worshippers like Ajoke Adekoya continue to find peace there, pledging to return next year. The government announced cleanup efforts last year, but the river remains polluted according to devotees and civil society organizations.

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Brazilian airliner crashes near São Paulo, all 62 on board killed

World /

A regional turboprop plane carrying 62 people crashed near São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, resulting in the deaths of all on board, according to local officials at the crash site. Video footage shared on social media showed the ATR-made aircraft spiraling out of control before crashing behind a cluster of trees near residential homes, followed by a large plume of black smoke. Officials in Valinhos, close to the town of Vinhedo where the crash occurred, confirmed that there were no survivors. Remarkably, only one home in a local condominium complex was damaged, and no residents were injured. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the nation shortly after the incident, expressing his deep sorrow and requesting a moment of silence for the victims. The airline, Voepass, reported that the aircraft had taken off from Cascavel, Paraná, and was en route to São Paulo’s main international airport when it crashed approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo, in Vinhedo. Voepass, which operates the plane registered as PS-VPB, stated that they were unable to provide further details regarding the cause of the crash. In response to the accident, São Paulo’s state fire brigade quickly dispatched seven crews to the crash site. The aircraft was identified by flight tracker FlightRadar24 as an ATR 72-500 turboprop, a model produced by ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italian aerospace group Leonardo. ATR has yet to comment on the incident.

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UK terror suspect deported from Kenya after prison term

Africa /

A British national, Jermaine Grant, has been deported to the UK following the completion of a lengthy prison sentence in Kenya. Grant, 41, was arrested upon arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday after flying in from Nairobi. Grant’s legal troubles began in 2011 when Kenyan authorities discovered bomb-making materials in his apartment in Mombasa, a coastal city. At the time of his arrest, he was believed to be sharing the residence with Samantha Lewthwaite, infamously known as the “White Widow.” Lewthwaite is wanted in connection with the 7/7 bombings in London. Kenyan police accused Grant of planning to bomb tourist hotels along the country’s coast. Although he was acquitted of conspiracy charges in 2019, a court found him guilty of possessing bomb-making materials. On Friday, the UK’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that Grant had been detained under the Terrorism Act. “We can confirm that on 8 August, officers from the Met Police arrested a 41-year-old man wanted on recall to prison for breaching licence conditions linked to a previous conviction,” said the force in a statement. Grant was arrested at Heathrow Airport upon his return from Kenya. His licence conditions had been revoked in August 2005 following an initial breach. In addition to his arrest, Grant is also suspected of being a member of al-Shabab, an Islamist militant group based in Somalia. He remains in police custody. Samantha Lewthwaite, who has been on the run since 2011, is still wanted by police in both Kenya and the UK. Dubbed the “White Widow” after the death of her husband, London suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay, Lewthwaite is a Muslim convert who grew up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. She is suspected of having links to al-Shabab and involvement in several attacks. Grant is believed to have become radicalized while serving time in prison with Richard Reid, the notorious “shoe bomber.” Reid is currently serving a life sentence in the US for attempting to blow up a transatlantic flight using explosives hidden in his shoe.

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