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JUST IN: Keir Starmer’s Labour Wins UK General Election

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Keir Starmer on Friday will become Britain’s new prime minister, as his centre-left opposition Labour party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.“The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” a sombre-looking Rishi Sunak said after he was re-elected to his seat.“Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides,” the Tory leader added, calling the results “sobering” and saying he took responsibility for the defeat.At a triumphant party rally in central London, Starmer, 61, told cheering activists that “change begins here” and promised a “decade of national renewal”, putting “country first, party second”.

But he cautioned that change would not come overnight, even as Labour snatched a swathe of Tory seats around the country, including from nine Cabinet members, and former prime minister Liz Truss.Truss’s disastrous 49-day tenure effectively sealed the Tories’ fate with the public two years ago, when her unfunded tax cuts spooked markets and crashed the pound.She had been facing a campaign to oust her by grassroots activists — dubbed “the Turnip Taliban” — in her rural constituency and lost by just 630 votes.

‘Keir we go’Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament at 0400 GMT, with the final result expected later on Friday morning.An exit poll for UK broadcasters published after polls closed at 2100 GMT on Thursday put Labour on course for a return to power for the first time since 2010, with 410 seats and a 170-seat majority.The Tories would only get 131 seats in the House of Commons — a record low — with the right-wing vote apparently spliced by Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party.In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats ousted the Scottish National Party as the third-biggest party.

The results buck a rightward trend among Britain’s closest Western allies, with the far right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.British newspapers all focused on Labour’s impending return to power for the first time since Gordon Brown was ousted by David Cameron in 2010.“Keir We Go,” headlined the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror.“Britain sees red,” said The Sun, the influential Rupert Murdoch tabloid, which swung behind Labour for the first time since 2005.

Tory futureSunak will tender his resignation to head of state King Charles III, with the monarch then asking Starmer, as the leader of the largest party in parliament, to form a government.The Tories’ worst previous election result was 156 seats in 1906. Former leader William Hague told Times Radio the projections would be “a catastrophic result in historic terms”.But Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary, University of London, said it was “not as catastrophic as some were predicting” and the Tories would now need to decide how best to fight back.Right-wing former interior minister Suella Braverman and Mordaunt, who was leader of the House of Commons, both said the Tories failed because they had not listened to the British people.

But Brexit champion Farage, who finally succeeded in becoming an MP at the eighth time of asking, has made no secret of his aim to take over the party.“There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it,” he said after a comfortable win in Clacton, eastern England. To-do listLabour’s resurgence is a stunning turnaround from five years ago, when hard-left former leader Jeremy Corbyn took the party to its worst defeat since 1935 in an election dominated by Brexit.Starmer took over in early 2020 and set about moving the party back to the centre, making it a more electable proposition and purging infighting and anti-Semitism that lost its support.

Opinion polls have put Labour consistently 20 points ahead of the Tories since Truss’s resignation, giving an air of inevitability about a Labour win — the first since Tony Blair in 2005.Starmer is facing a daunting to-do list, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded due to swingeing cuts, and households squeezed financially.He has also promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers in 14 years, scandal and sleaze.

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Zuriel Oduwole,  22, Makes History as Youngest Nobel Prize Nominee

The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the 2025 laureate later this year.

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▪︎Zuriel Oduwole

Zuriel Oduwole, 22, an advocate for peace, education, and gender equality, has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

Oduwole has actively engaged in global diplomatic efforts, influencing discussions on education and peace, working to create opportunities for marginalized communities, and promoting meaningful change.

Her nomination recognizes her efforts and reflects Nigeria’s growing influence on the global stage.

Born in Los Angeles to Nigerian grandparents, Oduwole has engaged with over 35 world leaders, including presidents and prime ministers, to discuss policy and development issues.

Her efforts focus on improving education access for marginalized communities and promoting systemic change.

At 13, Oduwole mediated a territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, meeting with the then-President David Granger at the United Nations to emphasize the importance of peaceful dialogue.

In 2020, she consulted with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on global peace strategies during the Arab blockade of Qatar, which concluded peacefully in 2021.

Her advocacy for education, which she views as fundamental to both development and stability, has been central to her mission from an early age.

In 2017, at just 14, she met with then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department to push for ‘reward-based’ education programs in developing nations, particularly to improve school retention for girls.

This engagement with U.S. leadership reinforced her global efforts to promote education as a driver of peace and opportunity.

In 2022, Oduwole received the 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Leadership Award in New York, recognizing her decade-long mediation efforts and advocacy for gender parity.

Born in Los Angeles to Nigerian grandparents, Oduwole has engaged with over 35 world leaders, including presidents and prime ministers, to discuss policy and development issues.

Her involvement was instrumental in ending child marriage in Mozambique in 2019, following discussions with President Filipe Nyusi.

Oduwole’s commitment to education began at nine when she observed young girls in Accra selling goods instead of attending school.

This experience inspired her to use documentary filmmaking to raise awareness about educational barriers.

In 2013, she founded “Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up” (DUSUSU) to empower youth, especially girls, to advocate for education and leadership opportunities.

The initiative has reached young people across Africa and the Caribbean, providing tools to promote gender equality.

Upon learning of her Nobel Peace Prize nomination, Oduwole expressed humility and surprise. “I have never sought recognition, only to speak up where it’s needed.

“This honor reflects the urgent need to invest in young voices as agents of change,” she said.

The Nobel Peace Prize, one of the world’s most esteemed honors, acknowledges individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to peace and human rights.

Past recipients include Nelson Mandela, former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the 2025 laureate later this year.

Regardless of the outcome, Oduwole’s nomination underscores the growing impact of youth advocacy in global policy and sustainable peace efforts.

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EU Congratulates New AU Chairman, João Lourenço

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The European Union (EU) has congratulated Angola President, João Lourenço on his election as the new Chairperson of the African Union (AU).

The Angolan leader was elected African Union chair at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government which held in Addis Ababa from Feb. 15 to 16, 2025.

The European bloc congratulated president Lourenço in a message posted on the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) handle.

The EU also congratulated the newly elected Chairperson of the African-Union Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf and his deputy, Selma Haddadi.

The EU said in the post that the year 2025 marked the 25th anniversary of the mutually beneficial partnership between the EU and Africa.

“Africa is a geo-political priority for the EU and we will continue our strong political dialogue and action,” the EU said in the post.

The two leaders were elected and sworn in at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government which held in Addis Ababa from Feb. 15 to 16.

Both elected officials garnered the required two-thirds majority votes of the 49 member states eligible to vote.

The 60-year-old Youssouf is taking  over the reigns of leadership of the African bloc from former chairperson Moussa Mahamat, who is from Chad. Mahamat served as AU chairman for two consecutive terms since 2017. 

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Niger Republic rejecting Entry of Traders and Travellers with ECOWAS passport- Official

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An immigration officer has confirmed that the Republic of Niger no longer recognising Nigerians travelling into the country holding the ECOWAS Travel Certificate (ETC) or ECOWAS passport.

The ECOWAS Travel Certificate (ETC) and ECOWAS passport are travel documents that allow holders to move freely among the member countries of ECOWAS.

The development is coming after Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, recently withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

While Niger maintains an open border with Nigeria, new immigration measures are being enforced at key border crossings, including Illela in Nigeria and Konni in Niger.

Consequently, Cross-border traders and commuters are now facing significant challenges as the Nigerien authorities no longer recognise the ECOWAS passport as a valid travel document.

In a phone interview with an immigration officer at the Jibia/Magama Border in Katsina State late Tuesday, the officer (name withheld), confirmed that Nigerien authorities had begun enforcing the ban.

The officer also mentioned that Nigerian immigration authorities are not yet applying the same restrictions to Nigerien citizens, waiting for further directives from higher authorities to fully implement the measures.

Although no official communication from the Nigerien government yet, affected travellers fear that the situation could worsen, disrupting trade and movement across the border.

When contacted, the Head of Communication ECOWAS Commission, Joel Ahofodji, said the regional bloc was unaware of Niger Republic’s policy to bar ECOWAS passport holders.

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