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By Otobong Gabriel, Abuja 

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior officials after an embarrassing administrative blunder in which a deceased politician was named to a government panel tasked with preparing the country for elections scheduled for December.

In a presidential order dated January 30, Kiir appointed Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), to serve on the election dialogue committee. 

However, local media quickly pointed out that Budia had died five years ago.

The mistake sparked widespread ridicule on social media, with many citizens mocking the government’s vetting process and questioning the credibility of preparations for the much-anticipated elections.

Shortly after the controversy broke, an official statement announced the removal of the president’s press secretary, David Amour Major, and the chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet.

The statement, posted on the president’s official Facebook page and signed by Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima, said Kiir was “pleased” to relieve the two officials of their duties and expressed “profound gratitude” for their service. No formal reason was given for their dismissal.

Earlier, Amour had attempted to explain the error, saying the presidency relied on the “accuracy and currency” of names submitted by stakeholders.

“It is now evident that a thorough verification was not done by one of the stakeholders which resulted in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” he said, without identifying those responsible.

It remains unclear whether his explanation directly led to his removal. The UDP has not publicly commented on the matter.

Budia had been a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement that sought to end years of conflict following South Sudan’s independence in 2011.

The panel he was mistakenly appointed to is part of Kiir’s efforts to organize elections involving representatives from various political parties. 

However, doubts persist over whether the vote will hold as planned, given ongoing insecurity in parts of the country.

South Sudan continues to face fresh violence, with the United Nations estimating that more than 180,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting. 

Jonglei state has been particularly affected, with government forces clashing with fighters loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar.

Machar, who is under house arrest and facing charges including murder, treason and crimes against humanity, denies the allegations.

Despite a fragile unity government formed under the 2018 peace deal, tensions between Kiir and Machar remain high, casting uncertainty over both political stability and the prospects for credible elections.

The appointment of a deceased official has only deepened concerns about the government’s preparedness and administrative competence at a critical time for the country’s democratic process.

By Isaiah Isaac 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to deport at least 79 Nigerians identified among what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal aliens residing in the country.

Details published on the DHS website on Tuesday indicate that the affected Nigerians were convicted of offences ranging from fraud and drug trafficking to assault, manslaughter, robbery, and other serious crimes. The action forms part of a broader nationwide crackdown on immigrants with criminal records.

In a statement, DHS said it was highlighting “the worst of the worst criminal aliens arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).” 

The agency added that under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS and ICE officials were implementing President Donald Trump’s directive on mass deportations, beginning with individuals convicted of serious crimes.

The list released by DHS includes names such as Boluwaji Akingunsoye, Ejike Asiegbunam, Emmanuel Mayegun Adeola, Bamidele Bolatiwa, Ifeanyi Nwaozomudoh, Aderemi Akefe, Solomon Wilfred, Chibundu Anuebunwa, Joshua Ineh, Usman Momoh, Oluwole Odunowo, Bolarinwa Salau and Oriyomi Aloba, among others.

Other Nigerians named are Oludayo Adeagbo, Olaniyi Akintuyi, Talatu Dada, Olatunde Oladinni, Jelili Qudus, Abayomi Daramola, Toluwani Adebakin, Olamide Jolayemi, Isaiah Okere, Benji Macaulay and Joseph Ogbara.

Also listed are Olusegun Martins, Kingsley Ariegwe, Olugbenga Abass, Oyewole Balogun, Adeyinka Ademokunla, Christian Ogunghide, Christopher Ojuma, Olamide Adedipe, Patrick Onogwu, Olajide Olateru-Olagbegi and Omotayo Akinto.

Further names include Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Oluwafemi Orimolade, Ayibatonye Bienzigha, Uche Diuno, Akinwale Adaramaja, Boluwatife Afolabi, Chinonso Ochie, Olayinka A. Jones, Theophilus Anwana, Aishatu Umaru and Henry Idiagbonya.

Others on the list are Okechukwu Okoronkwo, Daro Kosin, Sakiru Ambali, Kamaludeen Giwa, Cyril Odogwu, Ifeanyi Echigeme, Kingsley Ibhadore, Suraj Tairu, Peter Equere, Dasola Abdulraheem, Adewale Aladekoba and Akeem Adeleke.

Additional names include Bernard Ogie Oretekor, Abiemwense Obanor, Olufemi Olufisayo Olutiola, Chukwuemeka Okorie, Abimbola Esan, Elizabeth Miller, Chima Orji, Adetunji Olofinlade, Abdul Akinsanya, Elizabeth Adeshewo and Dennis Ofuoma.

Reports say the announcement has triggered anxiety within Nigerian communities in the United States, with some individuals allegedly going into hiding while others are said to be returning to Nigeria voluntarily amid the intensified enforcement.

ICE operations reportedly include house-to-house raids and targeted arrests of immigrants with criminal convictions. The crackdown has drawn criticism and protests in some areas, particularly following encounters between federal immigration officers and local communities.

U.S. authorities have maintained that the enforcement drive will continue, urging compliance with immigration laws and stressing that individuals convicted of serious crimes will be prioritised for removal, regardless of nationality.

By Otobong Gabriel, Abuja 

By Otobong Gabriel,  Abuja 

Across the United States, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets this week in one of the largest coordinated protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent memory, with major rallies from New York City to Minneapolis and student walkouts in dozens of states. 

The demonstrations intensified after the deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents to Minnesota and the fatal shootings of Minnesota residents by ICE officers, prompting local officials including the state’s governor and city leaders to publicly challenge the Trump administration’s policies and call for an end to the controversial enforcement operation.

Demonstrators called for an end to ICE operations in Minnesota on Friday, in Minneapolis.

Restaurant tables sat empty, business windows went dark and students’ desks were abandoned in several cities across the country Friday amid a nationwide strike in protest of the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

“No work, no school, no shopping” was the organizers’ rally cry, leading to school walkouts, canceled classes and marches in places as distant from the Midwest as California, North Carolina and Maine.

People partake in a "National Shutdown" protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis, on Friday.

In Minnesota, waves of demonstrators spilled into the streets for the second week in a row following an announcement from the Justice Department saying it would open a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti – the second Minnesotan to be killed by federal agents in the state this year.

The deaths of Pretti and Renee Good have transformed the national conversation on immigration enforcement and appear to have driven a tone shift from the White House in recent days.

Baltimore demonstrators joined a national day of protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal immigration enforcement actions, showing solidarity with ongoing demonstrations in Minnesota and other U.S. cities tied to recent fatal encounters involving federal agents.

But even after White House border czar Tom Homan announced the possibility of a drawdown of agents in Minneapolis, federal and local officials cannot seem to agree on what compromise might look like.

Even as the Trump administration works to contain backlash over the shootings in Minnesota, it has created a fresh wave of outrage from free speech and press freedom advocates over the Friday arrests of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort on charges related to their coverage of a church protest.

Justice Department to investigate Pretti killing: US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the agency has opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Pretti, which will probe whether federal officers violated the law when they disarmed and shot him multiple times. 

Will New York ban police collaboration with ICE?: Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has been a sharp critic of DHS immigration operations, said she is proposing legislation which would prohibit cooperation agreements between local police departments and ICE. 

The governor is targeting a program called 287(g), which allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement to carry out some immigration enforcement duties. DHS data shows there are 14 New York agencies with 287(g) agreements in place. The proposal is likely to pass the Democrat-controlled state legislature.

Fear has gripped immigrant communities in the United States as many Nigerians reportedly stopped going to work, gone into hiding, or begun returning home quietly following the intensification of deportation efforts under President Donald Trump. 

The renewed crackdown, driven by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has heightened anxiety among undocumented migrants and mixed-status families, disrupting livelihoods and daily life.

Ctimenews learnt that the sweeping actions, which include house-to-house enforcement raids, have stirred panic, debate and protest, particularly following a series of high-profile deadly incidents involving the federal immigration officers.

The US president kick-started an immigration policy to arrest and remove illegal immigrants immediately after he was inaugurated into office in January 2025.

However, the policy has drawn widespread criticism within the United States and beyond, with opponents condemning what they describe as the harsh and inhumane treatment of immigrants by ICE. 

Nigerians who spoke to ctimenews from the US said fear of arrest had forced many of their compatriots to abandon their workplaces, while others were quietly returning to Nigeria.

Data show that at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, making the year the deadliest for deaths in immigration detention in more than two decades.

Recently, Nigerian woman broke into tears in a viral video on Instagram, lamenting the panic and grief of immigrants in the US.

The woman said she was traumatised by the killing of Pretti, an intensive care nurse at Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

She said ICE agents killed any immigrants, whether they were US citizens or not.

“It is very traumatising the way these (ICE) people are treating immigrants,” she said.

“President Trump, if you want the immigrants to leave America, tell us. Just come out and say, ‘All immigrants, we want you out, whether you are criminal or not.’

“These (ICE) people don’t even care. There are a lot of immigrants who are treated like animals, and these people will be telling them, ‘we are citizens’, but they don’t care,” she added in the post which went viral.

Beloved actress and comedian Catherine O’Hara, known for her unforgettable roles in Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, has died at the age of 71 following a brief illness, her representatives confirmed

Catherine O'Hara attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Catherine O’Hara, the radiant actress whose singular comedic delivery helped elevate movies and TV shows like “Beetlejuice,” “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek” to cult classic status.

A statement from CAA, the agency that represented O’Hara, said the actress died Friday “at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.”

O’Hara got her start at Second City in her native Canada, before turning to film, where she brought to life two of cinema’s most memorable mothers.

In 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” she played Delia Deetz, a devilish mom who made no secret of her love for “Prince Valium” and turned lip syncing into an art form. She reprised the role in 2024’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

In 1990’s “Home Alone,” O’Hara turned a one-word movie line (“KEVIN!”) into pop culture history. As a frazzled mom of five who left one of her brood (Macaulay Culkin) at home during their holiday trip to France, O’Hara brought heart and humor to the now classic Christmas movie.

Just two years ago, O’Hara showed up to the Walk of Fame ceremony as her on-screen son Culkin received his star.

“Thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once, but twice, to share in this happy occasion,” O’Hara told him. “I’m so proud of you.”

On Friday, Culkin paid tribute to O’Hara on social media, addressing her as “mama.” “I thought we had time,” he wrote. “I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you.”

After the success of “Home Alone,” she turned to collaborating with director Christopher Guest, starring in many of his iconic mockumentaries, including “Waiting for Guffman” (1996) and “Best in Show” (2000).

In those films, O’Hara worked often alongside Eugene Levy, becoming a signature duo who went on to co-star in the acclaimed “Schitt’s Creek” together. As wayward posh actress Moira Rose, O’Hara’s one-liners were meme gold and earned her critical praise.

O’Hara won an Emmy in 2020 during a Covid-era ceremony that saw stars masked up and celebrating while scattered across the globe, with the action captured on 130 dispatched cameras.

In her speech, O’Hara thanked creators Eugene and Dan Levy for “bestowing me the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be her ridiculous self.”

O’Hara also won a Golden Globe for her performance on the show in 2021.

Most recently, she played a fallen executive in “The Studio,” for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. 

She also appeared in a critical role in season two of HBO Max’s “The Last of Us,” for which she was also nominated for an Emmy.

Star Pedro Pascal called O’Hara a “genius” on a tribute posted to his Instagram page.

“There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always,” he wrote.

O’Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch and sons Matthew and Luke.

According to her agency, a private celebration of life will be held by the family.

U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed ex-Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to head the world’s most influential central bank, a move that signals a potential shift in monetary policy direction amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

President Donald Trump on Friday chose former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to head the U.S. central bank as Jerome Powell's leadership term ends in May, giving a frequent Fed critic a chance to put his idea of monetary policy "regime change" into practice at a moment when the White House has ​pushed for more control over the setting of interest rates.

Donald Trump said he have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best, saying he is on top of everything else, "he is 'central casting, and he will never let you down."

In announcing his latest move to put his stamp on a Fed he persistently criticizes for not caving to his demands for deep reductions in borrowing costs.

Global stocks edged higher while the dollar rose and the price of gold plunged after Trump announced his pick of Warsh, who markets perceive as someone who would support lower rates but who would stop well short of the more aggressive easing associated with some of the other potential nominees.

Trump announced the nomination, which requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate, in a post on social media. No public events have been listed on the president's schedule for Friday involving the Fed.

How quickly Warsh's nomination gets through a closely divided Senate is unclear. One key Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, which will be the first body to review the nomination, already ‌has repeated an earlier vow not to support any nominee to the Fed as long as Trump's Department of Justice continues with a criminal probe of Powell that became public earlier this month.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said in a post on X that his position has ​not changed: "I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ's inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved".

With Republicans holding a 13-11 majority on the committee and all Democrats likely to oppose Warsh's nomination, Tillis could deadlock the panel if he maintains his current position.

Other Republican senators on the panel, however, said Warsh would be good for Fed independence.

Speaking, Senator Bill Hagerty said in a social media post, "No one is better suited to steer the Fed ‍and refocus our central bank on its core statutory mandate."

The Fed has long been seen as a stabilizing force in global financial markets due in no small part to its perceived independence from politics, and Trump's escalating efforts to test that independence will be a key issue through the approval process.

It has also opened the door to the possibility that Powell, who called the criminal probe a pretext to pressure the Fed into setting monetary policy as the president wishes, may opt to stay on at the Fed as a governor even after his term as central bank chief is ⁠up in a bid to safeguard it from political capture.

Trump in August named White House economic adviser Stephen Miran to fill a vacant governor's seat on the Fed, where he has become a leading proponent of the aggressive rate cuts that Trump has ‌long sought. Trump ‌has also tried to force out Fed Governor Lisa Cook in a battle now before the Supreme Court that, if successful, would mark the first time a president has ever fired a U.S. central bank policymaker.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning that the United Nations is facing an imminent financial breakdown, stressing that chronic funding shortfalls and mounting arrears threaten the sustainability of essential UN programmes across conflict-affected and vulnerable regions.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres disclosed this during a press conference outlining his priorities for 2026 at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. 

The U.N. chief has told states that the organisation is at risk of "imminent financial collapse", citing unpaid fees and a budget rule that forces the global body to return unspent money.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a letter to ambassadors dated January 28 that the crisis is deepening, threatening programme delivery and risking financial collapse. 

According to him, the situation will deteriorate further in the near future, adding that U.N. is facing a cash crisis as the world body's largest contributor.

The United States has slashed voluntary funding to U.N. agencies and refused to make mandatory payments to the U.N.'s regular and peacekeeping budgets.

In the letter, Guterres said "decisions not to honour assessed contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced."

“Either all Member States honour their obligations to pay in full and on time or Member States must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse," he said, warning that cash could run out by July.

The Israeli military has, for the first time, acknowledged that around 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, a figure that broadly aligns with casualty estimates previously published by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry after more than two years of conflict. 

This acknowledgment marks a significant shift from earlier stances in which Israeli officials had questioned the accuracy of the death toll, even as the United Nations and international experts regarded the ministry’s figures as credible. 

The Israeli military briefing journalists that approximately 70,000 Palestinians were killed during the war in Gaza and that the figures from the health ministry in the enclave are largely accurate, local media reports.

Kan 11, the country’s public broadcaster, attributed the information to the Coordinator of Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT) and said there is now an effort to analyze how many of those killed were civilian or militant.

On Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said a total of 71,667 Palestinians were killed in Gaza since the start of the war, as well as 171,343 injured. That number includes 492 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began in mid-October. 

The ministry, didq not differentiate between civilians and militants, has routinely published lists of those killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Early in the war, Israel had cast doubt on the number of Palestinians the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had killed in its attacks, repeatedly accusing the health ministry, which it says is controlled by Hamas, of inflating the figures.

An IDF spokesperson would not confirm the information provided to Israeli journalists.

the spokesperson said, the IDF clarifies that the details published do not reflect official IDF data, saying any publication or report on this matter will be released through official and orderly channels.

 The spokesperson did not answer if the IDF held data about the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza or if such information would ever be released.

“We don’t have any further comment beyond the information we already gave.”

Although the IDF has never publicly acknowledged the number killed in Gaza, senior officials have referenced the death toll in private conversations. 

Last August, in an audio recording released by Israel’s Channel 12 news, former IDF intel chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva said, “The fact that there are already 50,000 dead in Gaza is necessary and required for future generations.” It was unclear when Haliva was speaking, but the number killed in Gaza surpassed 50,000 in March 2025.

In September, former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said, “There are 2.2 million people in Gaza. There are in Gaza today more than 10% who were killed or injured, more than 200,000. This is not a gentle war.” The number closely aligned with the casualty figures from the health ministry at the time, which said that Israeli forces had killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians and injured more than 164,000.

Police on Sunday detained journalist Don Lemon during a rally at a church in Minnesota, authorities confirmed, after officers moved in to disperse protesters gathered at the venue. Lemon was taken into custody briefly amid heightened security at the event and was later released without immediate details on charges or injuries.

According to his attorney, lemon was with dozens of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters as they rushed into Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month, interrupting a church service and leading to tense confrontations.

Court records related to his arrest were not immediately available. Lemon is expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday morning. Lemon was in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards and was arrested after 11pm local time in a hotel lobby in Beverley Hills as he was leaving for an event.

attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement early Friday said, “Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards.

 “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell added. 

“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

Lemon, a former CNN anchor, has said that he was present at the demonstration as a journalist and not as a protester. In a video of the episode that he posted on YouTube, Lemon says “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday announced additional arrests alongside Lemon, including Trahern Jeen Crew Jamael Lydell Lundy, which she said were “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

The DOJ first attempted to charge eight people, including Lemon, last week. A magistrate judge rejected those charges against five of the people including Lemon, saying that there was insufficient evidence to charge. 

The judge, however, encouraged prosecutors to take the case to a grand jury and seek and indictment.

It is highly unusual for the Justice Department to criminally charge a reporter, though it is not without precedent. Those cases are heavily scrutinized before the decision to bring charges is made, and often face extended legal battles over whether the reporter is protected by the First Amendment before the case makes it to trial.

Still, senior DOJ officials immediately, and publicly, asserted that Lemon would face charges after the incident at the Minnesota church. Lemon did not have a right to be on the church’s private property, they’ve said, adding that interrupting a church service may have impeded in the churchgoers’ constitutional rights to express their religion.