At least 50 people have been killed in landslides in southern Ethiopia, according to local officials.

Two incidents are thought to have occurred on Sunday evening and Monday morning, after heavy rains in a remote mountainous area of the Gofa zone.

The local authority said the search for survivors was “continuing vigorously” but that the “death toll could yet increase”.

Footage showed hundreds of people gathered at the scene and others digging in the dirt in search of people trapped underneath.

In the background, a hillside can be seen partially collapsed and a large patch of red earth has been exposed.

Meskir Mitku, the general administrator of the Gofa zone, said women, children, and police officers were among the casualties.

“There was a heavy rain yesterday (Sunday) night and some people died from a landslide,” government spokesperson for the Gofa district in the South Ethiopia regional state, Kassahun Abayneh, said.

“In the morning (Monday), locals, including police, gathered at the site to save those who were affected by the first landslide. That is when the second landslide happened around 10:00 (07:00 GMT) today and those who gathered there died,” he said in quotes cited by AFP news agency.

Gofa is part of the South Ethiopia regional state and is located around 320km (199 miles) southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa.

South Ethiopia is among the areas of the country that have been hit by particularly heavy rain and flooding in recent months, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

But instances of landslides and floods go back further. In May 2016, at least 50 people were killed in floods and landslides following heavy rain across the south of the country.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.

The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

No fewer than three persons have reportedly died in Asakio following the collapse of an old building in the main market.

According to reports, two women and a child died as a result of the building collapse in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The tragic incident occurred on Monday afternoon, bringing commercial activities in the market to a standstill.

An eyewitness confirmed that two other individuals were rescued from the debris and rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

An erstwhile Foreign Affairs Minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, says Kamala Harris will be a strong opponent for Donald Trump in the next election, highlighting that she will be a hard nut for Trump to crack.

Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out from the US presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s fresh nominee, shaking up an already extraordinary race for the White House.

In the letter announcing his withdrawal, Biden said it was in the best interest of his party and the country to leave the race.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden had said.

Reacting to the development during an appearance on Arise News on Monday, Akinyemi praised Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his successor.

He said, “President Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party is a good choice, not necessarily because of her own character but because she is the Vice President.”

“I hope nobody is going to underestimate Kamala Harris. She had to keep a low profile, and I said three weeks ago that when you are the Vice President, you cannot be seen outshining the President. You do what the President tells you to do.”

“Kamala Harris is going to be a hard nut for Trump to crack. Be careful of lawyers, especially someone who has been an attorney general and a prosecutor. She will take you to pieces with the way she will put her own questions and the way she will use you to wipe the floor. She won the Senate seat by 60% from California when she ran, so you see that she is not an easy nut to crack.”

A man killed several people, including his mother, in a retirement home in north-eastern Croatia, media outlets reported on Monday.

Croatian news website index.hr said police confirmed the incident in the small town of Daruvar without offering details on the number of victims.

The media reported that at least five people were killed, including one care worker.

The man is said to have broken into the care home with a weapon and fired it several times.

Index.hr said five people were killed instantly, while several others were injured.

The man was reportedly detained soon after in a café.

The news website mojportal.hr said the man was born in 1973 and was a retired military policeman.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was due to address the incident later on Monday.

Interior Minister Davor Božinović, Health Minister Vili Beroš and Labour Minister Marin Piletić are all expected to attend the scene.

More than 500 people, including some opposition leaders, have been detained over days of clashes in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka sparked by protests against job quotas, police said Monday.

“At least 532 people have been arrested over the violence,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain told AFP.

“They include some BNP leaders,” he added, referring to the opposition Bangladesh National Party.

He said the detainees included the BNP’s third-most senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and its spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.

He added that a former national football captain turned senior BNP figure, Aminul Huq was also held.

Mia Golam Parwar, the general secretary of the country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, was also arrested, Hossain said.

He said at least three policemen had been killed during the unrest in the capital and about 1,000 injured, at least 60 of them critically.

BNP spokesman A.K.M Wahiduzzaman told AFP that nationwide, “Several hundred BNP leaders and activists were arrested in the past few days”.

Democrats were in uncharted territory Monday as they raced against the clock to find a new standard-bearer after President Joe Biden’s stunning late exit from the 2024 race for the White House.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in pole position as the party promised a “transparent and orderly process” to replace the 81-year-old Biden, who bowed Sunday to Democratic concerns over his age and capacity to beat Republican Donald Trump in November.

The announcement set off a scramble to confirm a new candidate at the Democratic convention in Chicago on August 19 — and perhaps weeks sooner.

Democratic lawmakers and party elders, including at least a third of US senators, some key governors, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, have rallied behind Harris, who crucially also received Biden’s swift endorsement.

But many big names — from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his influential predecessor Nancy Pelosi to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former president Barack Obama — were initially holding back.

“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” Obama said in a statement in the wake of Biden’s announcement.

“But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

President Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday to end his campaign to seek reelection in November is generating reactions from foreign leaders.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had known Mr Biden for years and that “he’s a great man.”

Mr Trudeau added, “Everything he does is guided by his love for his country. As president, he is a partner to Canadians — and a true friend. To President Biden and the First Lady: thank you.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his reaction on X, said, “Joe Biden has achieved a great deal – for his country, for Europe, for the world. Thanks to him, transatlantic cooperation is close, NATO is strong, and the U.S. is a good and reliable partner for us. His decision not to run again deserves recognition.”

Reacting in a statement, new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “I respect President Biden’s decision and I look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency.”

“I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, President Biden will have made his decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.”

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant thanked Biden for his unwavering support of Israel over the years.

“Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable. We are grateful for your leadership and friendship,” Mr Gallant stated.

In his comments on X, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he admired “the brave and dignified decision” of the U.S. president.

“Thanks to his determination and leadership. The U.S. overcame the economic crisis after the pandemic and the serious assault on the Capitol and has been exemplary in its support for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s Russian aggression. A great gesture from a great president who has always fought for democracy and freedom,” Mr Sanchez stated.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement, “On behalf of the people and government of Ireland. I … would like to thank you, Mr President, for your global leadership and your friendship as you make your announcement that you will not stand in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

“Joe Biden, in all the offices he has held, has always been an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland, and our country owes him a great debt for this.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said, “The elections are still four months away. And that is a long period of time in which a lot can change. We need to be patient and carefully monitor what happens. The priority for us is the special military operation (the war in Ukraine).

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Stoere and his Polish and Czech counterparts Donald Tusk and Petr Fiala, respectively, reacted to Mr Biden’s withdrawal from the U.S. presidential race.

The police command in Kaduna says it arrested a suspect with 30 different fabricated master keys of vehicles.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest on Monday in Kaduna.

Mr Hassan said, “The suspect specialises in vehicle and motorcycle theft. On July 20, at about 0230hrs, our personnel received a distress call that a shop was burgled. Upon receiving information, our operatives were immediately drafted to the area.”

He said that upon arriving at the scene, the suspect, Zahradeenee Suleiman, had been arrested in the shop.

According to him, the suspect, 35, is a resident of Galma Road, Tsugugi area of Sabon Gari Zaria LGA.

“Upon search, about 30 different sizes of keys of vehicle and motorcycles were recovered, including two locally fabricated master keys in his possession,” Mr Hassan said.

He added the suspect was said to have specialised in stealing vehicles.

Hassan said that the suspect would be charged to Court for prosecution after the completion of the investigation.

American Vice President Kamala Harris has lauded President Joe Biden for stepping down and endorsing her to be Democrats presidential candidate, vowing to defeat former President Donald Trump in the November presidential poll.

“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda” Mrs Harris wrote on X shortly after Mr Biden endorsed her on Sunday. “If you’re with me, add a donation right now.”

She added, “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. I am honoured to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

Mr Biden, 81, bowed to pressure from his party, announcing on Sunday that he was quitting the race.

Calls for Mr Biden’s resignation had intensified following a lacklustre performance in a June debate against Mr Trump, during which Mr Biden appeared disoriented and made incoherent statements.

A week later at the NATO summit, Mr Biden made embarrassing gaffes, mistakenly referring to Mrs Kamala Harris as Mr Trump and confusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump emerged as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate at their National Convention last week. He has also selected David James Vance, a senator from Ohio, as his running mate for the 5 November election.

The Katsina State Hisbah Board said on Sunday it seized and destroyed alcohol drinks and illicit drugs worth N60m in the Funtua Local Government Area of the state.

The Hisbah Commander in the state, Dr Aminu Usman, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Katsina on Sunday.

According to Umsan, no fewer than 1,750 crates of alcohol, and about 33 jerry cans of locally-brewed beer were recently seized and destroyed in Funtua.

The Hisbah commander said the effort was part of their mandate of ensuring good morals among the people in the state.

While commending the officials of the board for their effort, he urged them to redouble their commitment to discharging their duties.

He also sought the support of religious leaders in the state for the success of the board, saying Hisbah does not belong to any particular group or sect.

He commended Governor Dikko Radda for his full support for the board to discharge its responsibilities.

Usman appealed to the members of the public to always assist the board with genuine information about places where immoral behaviours are committed.

He called on parents, teachers, and community leaders to intensify efforts to instil discipline and good morals in the youths.

Federal civil servants have until July 31, 2024, to verify their identities on the portal of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System amidst the planned stoppage of salaries and sanctions for ghost workers.

It was gathered that civil servants have been rushing to generate their Taxpayers Identification Number at the Federal Inland Revenue Services offices nationwide.

Part of the requirement for verification is the TIN alongside the IPPIS number and salary account number.

President Bola Tinubu had directed that all civil servants who are drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be made to refund the money.

The President also directed that the culprits’ supervisors and department heads be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud while they were in charge.

“During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities.

“I was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service, regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.

“It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.

“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.

“Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch,” Tinubu had said.

A senior civil servant, who confided in our correspondent in Abuja over the weekend, noted that civil servants were struggling to meet the July 31 deadline for verification.

“The deadline for the verification is July 31, so we have tons of civil servants in Ilorin here who are trying to ensure that they register before the deadline. In fact, I have just been able to get my TIN after several attempts to get it online failed.”

Another civil servant said, “Yes, the deadline is July 31,”

When asked if civil servants were struggling to get their verification done, he said, “Of course, in previous years, those who failed had their salaries stopped, no one wants to risk anything.”

Recall that following the President’s directive, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had unveiled a portal for civil servants’ verification.

The Niger Delta Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, says it has destroyed several illegal refining sites located within Abia State.

The JTF Commander, Rear Admiral John Okeke, made the disclosure in a statement released to newsmen in Yenagoa on Sunday.

Okeke said that the task force also intercepted 14 boats loaded with crude oil in Obuzor, Okoloma and Komkom River in Abia.

He said that the operation was carried out by the air component of the task force following reliable intelligence from members of the public.

The commander said that the mission was planned and executed to combat illegal activities along the Obuzor, Okoloma River and Komkom River regions.

“The task force visited some communities in the region to caution them to desist from all illegal crude oil activities capable of destroying the nation’s economy.

“This move is in line with the anti-crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering posture of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa,” he said.

He said the operation was to send a clear message that oil theft and economic sabotage within the Niger Delta Region would not be tolerated.

“We are ready, capable and determined in the task of combating illegal oil activities, and preserving the nation’s critical assets,” he said.

Okeke urged the public to always provide the task force with reliable information to track down oil thieves and vandals.

The Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS) has released details of biometric information of some escapees from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, under the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command.

It was reported in April this year that 119 inmates of the correctional center fled after the facility’s perimeter wall collapsed following a heavy downpour. Some of the inmates were immediately recaptured while security forces were still on the trail of the majority of them.

The Correctional Service said it had become pertinent to publish their biometric details to recapture them and bring them back into custody. The Service had earlier published biometric details of 18 of the fleeing inmates.

In a statement released, the center’s public relations officer of the service, Abubakar Umar, said the information about the fugitives is “published for sister security agencies as well as the general public to look out for them in an attempt to recapture them and bring them back to the facility.”

Umar enjoined Nigerians to cooperate with the Service to recapture the fleeing inmates as they pose a danger to public safety and national security.

“The general public is further informed that the Nigerian Correctional Service has since deployed overt and covert strategies towards recapturing all escapees while ensuring that security in custodial facilities nationwide is beefed up to forestall any security breaches.

If any of the escapees is sighted, the public can report to the nearest security agent or agency or may call the following numbers: 07087086005, 09060004598, or 08075050006.

The public can also contact us through our email at: info@corrections.gov.ng or complaintsresponsedesk@corrections.gov.ng,” Umar said

United States president, Joe Biden, has vowed to resume his presidential campaign next week, despite fellow democrats urging him to quit the race.

Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” on Friday, the chair of Mr Biden’s presidential campaign, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said “he’s in it to win it.”

Also, the president and his campaign advisers, in a statement, expressed his eagerness to resume his campaign to “continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record.”

Close associates to Mr Biden and his team had reportedly expressed belief that he had been privately considering whether or not to contest the election against former president, Donald Trump.

According to them, Mr Biden, who is under isolation at his beach house in Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, during a campaign swing in Nevada, is listening to calls for him to withdraw from the poll.

Mr Biden cut short his trip, following the illness, as he looked frail and tired upon his return to Delaware. But the White House physician in a letter on Friday, said that after being administered four doses of the antiviral drug Paxlovid, the President’s recovery has improved, with his pulse, blood pressure and other vitals back to normal.

Mr Biden’s associates were said to be empathetic that he would be humiliated if he was forced out of the campaign for the re-election that he hoped to win.

The President’s resolve to remain in the race may however change based on the decision by a former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to weigh in on his candidacy; state polls showing that his path to an Electoral College victory has reduced; and a spending boycott by major party donors.

Highest-ranked footballers in list of top 100 athletes of the 21st century has been revealed.

According to ESPN, Argentina and Inter Miami captain, Lionel Messi is the highest-ranked footballer in the list.

The former Barcelona forward sits in third position, with swimmer Michael Phelps named first.

His eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo is the next footballer ranked.

But the Portugal international doesn’t make the top 10 as he’s 13th on the list.

The likes of Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho and Luka Modric have failed the top five footballers ranked.

Brazil’s Marta is the best-placed women’s footballer as she is 32nd, while Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is placed 48th.

Barcelona women’s star Aitana Bonmati is next up behind Henry and 49th in the rankings.

Zidane is in 50th place, Modric is in 55th place, while Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is in 65th place.

Ronaldo Nazario’s surprisingly is at 87th.

Police in Jigawa State have arrested 18 suspected vandals involved in notorious activities across the state.

State Police Commissioner, Ahmad Tijjani Abdullahi, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Dutse, the state capital.

According to him, “The vandals were arrested within four months for vandalizing public properties for their own personal use.”

He stated that the suspects were apprehended in Yankwashi, Roni, and Taura local government areas for vandalizing electronic wire cables.

“On Monday at about 2230hrs, a distress call was received at Roni Division that, on the same date at about 2100hrs, an unidentified group of persons were sighted vandalizing the electric cable wire transmitting electricity to Zugai village in Roni LGA.”

“On receipt of the report, detectives attached to Roni Division swiftly swung into action and successfully arrested the suspects.”

The suspects, who were brought to the station for a discreet investigation, confessed to vandalizing the cable wire, which was estimated to be worth nine hundred and sixty-two thousand naira (N962,000.00).

All the suspects have been taken to court for prosecution

A 300-level student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Mustapha Osama, was reportedly killed in a foiled robbery attempt in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The incident occurred on Friday night around 8 PM along the Gudi-Akwanga road, according to sources.

Osama, who has been buried in Doma on Saturday morning according to Islamic rites, was said to have been hit by a bullet fired by the gunmen.

A family source confirmed that the deceased was driving when he was struck by the bullet.

The robbery attempt was thwarted by operatives of the Nigeria Police who responded immediately to a distress call, according to the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel.

Nayoka Clunis of Jamaica qualified and selected has dragged the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association before the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the omission of her name.

The 2024 Olympic Games is billed to get underway on Friday in Paris.

Ms Clunis was to represent Jamaica in the hammer throw competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, but eventually her name was not submitted by the JAAA to World Athletics.

Ms Clunis now seeks a decision from the CAS ad hoc division directing that she be included on the appropriate list to participate in the hammer throw competition at the Olympic Games.

A panel of arbitrators has already been appointed to decide this dispute, comprising Dr. Annabelle Bennett of Australia as President, Carine Dupeyron of France and Kristen Thorsness of the United States of America.

It will hold a hearing with the parties on Saturday, with its decision expected to be issued on Sunday.

The 2024 Olympic Games is billed for July 26 to August 11.

US President Joe Biden pledged to stay in the White House race Friday, defying a growing Democratic party revolt that raised speculation he could bow out as soon as this weekend.

“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” the 81-year-old said in a statement from the Delaware beach home where he is in Covid isolation.

“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week,” Biden added, as his doctor said the president was bouncing back from the symptoms of the disease.

But Biden’s political health appeared to be in far worse shape, with ten more House Democrats and two senators joining the list of lawmakers publicly calling on him to quit November’s election clash with Donald Trump.

A disastrous debate performance against Trump three weeks ago triggered panic about Biden’s age and health. More than 30 House Democrats and four senators have now called on him to drop out.

A key donor, Silicon Valley investor Michael Moritz, also joined other supporters such as actor George Clooney who want Biden to make way.

“Sadly, President Biden has a choice — vanity or virtue,” the New York Times quoted Moritz as saying.

With reports that top Democrats have also expressed concerns, polls showing Trump on course for a return to the Oval Office, and fundraising drying up, the walls appeared to be closing in.

NBC News reported that some of Biden’s family had “discussed what an exit from his campaign might look like” although there was no final decision to do so.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the front-runner to succeed him as the Democratic presidential candidate if Biden does drop out, was holding an emergency call with donors on Friday.

Biden’s campaign however pushed back against reports that he would bow out, saying that while there had been some “slippage” in support, he was still the best candidate.

“Absolutely the president’s in this race,” campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC’s Morning Joe program. “Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump.”

Biden’s statement blasted his rival’s speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday, saying that “Donald Trump’s dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans.”

But the split-screen between the two campaigns has been stark, with Trump receiving a triumphant reception from newly unified Republicans after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday.

The pressure on Biden has soared in the last 48 hours, with reports that former president Barack Obama, ex-House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the party’s congressional leaders had all expressed concerns behind the scenes.

Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries was evasive on Friday, saying that the “ticket that exists right now is the ticket we can win on” but saying it was Biden’s “decision to make.”

The scene could now be set for the most crucial weekend of Biden’s presidency, with media speculation that the US leader is using his time hunkered down in Rehoboth Beach to consult family members and mull over the path ahead.

The NBC report said it could involve a “carefully calculated plan” to step aside based on his own timing, to give some dignity to what would be a historically late decision by a sitting US president not to run.

Any decision by Biden to step aside less than four months from the election would also have to try to avoid chaos in the Democratic Party over his successor as nominee.

Biden beat Trump in 2020, becoming the oldest president in US history in the process.

But a series of polls have shown him trailing Trump in the 2024 race despite his rival being a convicted felon, while some polls show Harris as more competitive.

Eleven people were killed when a bridge in northern China collapsed amid torrential rains, state news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.

The bridge in Shaanxi province’s Shangluo collapsed at around 8:40 pm Friday (1240 GMT) “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods”, Xinhua said, citing the provincial public relations department.

Rescue operations were under way Saturday morning, according to Xinhua, with five vehicles so far recovered from the water.

Images on state television CCTV showed a partially submerged section of the bridge with the river rushing over it.

Large portions of northern and central China have been battered since Tuesday by rains that have caused flooding and significant damage.

On Friday, state media reported at least five people dead and eight missing after the rains sparked flooding and mudslides in Shaanxi’s Baoji city.

China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered in successive heat waves.