Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Hamas leader killed in Tahran Iran said group

Hamas said Wednesday its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he had been attending the inauguration of the country's new president.

"Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president," the movement said in a statement.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards also announced the death, saying Haniyeh's residence in Tehran was "hit" and he was killed along with a bodyguard.

"The residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas Islamic Resistance, was hit in Tehran, and as a result of this incident, him and one of his bodyguards were martyred," said a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Sepah news website.

Haniyeh had travelled to Tehran to attend Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on reports of Haniyeh's death.

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring back all hostages taken during the October 7 attack, which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

The launched by Hamas on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Meshaal, but was already a well-known figure having become Palestinian prime minister in 2006 following an upset victory by Hamas in that year's parliamentary election.

Considered a pragmatist, Haniyeh lived in exile and splits his time between Turkey and Qatar.

He had travelled on diplomatic missions to Iran and Turkey during the war, meeting both the Turkish and Iranian presidents.

Haniyeh was said to maintain good relations with the heads of the various Palestinian factions, including rivals to Hamas.

He joined Hamas in 1987 when the militant group was founded amid the outbreak of the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation, which lasted until 1993.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,400 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which does not provide details on civilian and militant deaths.

Iran has made support for the Palestinian cause a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

It has hailed Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel but denied any involvement.

(AFP)

Nigerian women group stages rally to oppose planned August 1 protests

PHOTO STORY: Nigerian women group stages rally to oppose planned August 1 nationwide protests against hardship in the country, in Abuja, on Monday.

Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress, Ms Onyeka Onwenu is dead.

Veteran Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress, Ms Onyeka Onwenu is dead.

Ms Onwenu reportedly died Tuesday evening at the Reddington Hospital, Lagos after she slumped after playing at the birthday party of Mrs. Stella Okoli.

An eyewitness who was at the party confirmed the sad news to TheNiche.

It was very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today (Tuesday, July 30, 2024), and after performing, she slumped.

“She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the unnamed eyewitness told the newspaper.

Born  31st January 1952, the late singer turned politician and rights activist who was dubbed “The Elegant Stallion” by the Nigerian press, was at a time the chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.

In 2013, she was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.

She will be remembered for her numerous songs, among them, “Wait for me” which she sang with Juju meastro, King Sunny Ade.

There has not been official confirmation from her family as at the time of filing this report.

(Leadership)