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UN warns famine is ‘imminent’ in northern Gaza as Israeli military operation continues
International hunger experts have said there is “a strong likelihood” that famine is imminent in parts of northern Gaza where Israeli forces are conducting a major military offensive.
The Famine Review Committee called the situation in the north of the Strip “extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating” and said all actors in the war must take immediate action “within days not weeks” to avert a humanitarian disaster.
The statement stressed that this includes not only combatants but also those who have influence on them.
“The alert further underscores that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as we have just detailed, is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating. They’re calling for immediate action…and this action is required from all who are directly taking part in the conflict or who have influence on its conduct, to avert and to alleviate this catastrophic situation,” said Stephanie Tremblay, an Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General.
The Famine Review Committee is part of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which comprises 15 UN and other organisations that monitor global hunger and food security.
Friday’s alert follows a report publish in October from the committee that said Palestinians in the entire territory face acute food insecurity.
The alert blamed recent significant developments, including the impact of Israel’s designation of northern Gaza as a combat zone and orders for the entire population to evacuate.
The IDF launched a renewed offensive in northern Gaza, it says to prevent Hamas units from regrouping there. It issued evacuation orders for people living in the north, advising them to move south to the already overcrowded ‘humanitarian zone’ in al-Mawasi.
At the beginning of the month, the Biden administration ramped up criticism of Israel for not doing enough to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a 13 November deadline loomed for Israeli officials to meet certain requirements or risk potential restrictions on military assistance.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller gave Israel a ‘fail’ grade in terms of meeting the conditions for an improvement in aid deliveries.
On Friday, Israel informed the US that it plans to open a new aid crossing at Kissufim, to facilitate deliveries into southern Gaza.
But in October, the Knesset passed laws banning the UN’s main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Israel has long accused UNRWA of turning a blind eye to Hamas militants among its staff and of allowing the group to use its facilities for military purposes.
UNRWA denies those claims.
That decision sparked wide condemnation from the international community, including from the European Union.
The bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called the decision “disastrous”, saying UNRWA provided “life-saving services.”
“The Agency, with its network of warehouses and staff, is the backbone of aid distribution in Gaza. Without it, civilians will lose their last remaining access to food, water, and medicine,” he said.
The amount of aid entering Gaza dropped dramatically in October as Israel launched another offensive in the north.
By the end of October, an average of just 71 trucks a day were entering Gaza, according to the latest UN figures. The US said it wants to see 350 trucks per day enter the territory.
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Police bust syndicate behind nude photo blackmail in Lagos
Men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, have apprehended three suspects who allegedly run a cyber blackmail and extortion scheme in the state.
According to the spokesperson of the unit, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, the suspects get a hold of their victims explicit photos and then threaten to release them if a ransom is not paid.
He said that the suspects, two males and a female, were apprehended after a petition was filed by a complainant who reported being repeatedly threatened by unknown individuals demanding money.
“The complainant received several phone calls in which the callers threatened to release her nude photographs to the public if she failed to pay them. Acting out of fear and emotional distress, she transferred money to the suspects.
The situation escalated when the suspects demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to formally petition the police,” he said
The police imagemaker state dthat upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Mr Kayode Ojapinwa, ordered the immediate deployment of operatives to investigate the matter.
“The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects. Investigations revealed that one of the suspects gained unlawful access to the complainant’s mobile device and fraudulently transferred her nude photographs to his own device. Further findings indicated that he conspired with the other suspects and other accomplices currently at large to demand and receive money from the complainant in several tranches,” he said
According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The image maker said that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and to recover all proceeds of the alleged crime.
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Catholic Priest Collapses And D!es In Front Of Congregation While Walking To Tabernacle To Return Holy Communion
A Catholic priest has tragically passed away after suddenly collapsing in front of the congregation during Sunday mass.
The tragic incident took place last Sunday, February 1 in Wiesmath in the district of Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
Shortly after administering Holy Communion, 59-year-old priest Raimund Beisteiner was about to return the host to the tabernacle when he “suddenly” collapsed, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Vienna.
“Despite immediate professional assistance, he di£d in the church,” the statement said.
The mayor of Wiesmath, Erich Rasner, had also attended the Mass with many other believers and witnessed the dramatic scenes.
The shock in Wiesmath at the loss of the popular priest is great. Beisteiner had shaped the spiritual life of the parish for almost two decades and was highly regarded far beyond the community.
Rasner praised him as an “extremely conscientious, sensitive priest” and also emphasized the personal loss of a friendship that had grown over many years.
A prayer service was organized at short notice for the late priest. It was attended by numerous priests from the deanery as well as Archbishop Josef Grünwidl.

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Nollywood Actress, Angela Okorie Allegedly Re-Arrested Over Alleged Refusal To Pay Lawyer Who Secured Her Bail (Video)
Angela Okorie, the Nigerian actress, has reportedly been re-arrested over allegations that she refused to pay the lawyer who secured her bail from Suleja Prison.
Angela was re-arrested at the Suleja prison on Tuesday, immediately she was released on bail.
This came less than an hour after actor Stanley Ontop raised the alarm over an alleged plan to re-arrest the actress after release on Tuesday.
Speaking in a video on Instagram, actress Doris Ogala who said she is already on her way to the police station, stated that the actress was re-arrested by an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, for refusing to pay the N5 million agreed fee to secure her bail.
Doris said; “You see, one thing is for someone to cut their clothes according to their size. Angela has been arrested again. As a matter of fact, I’m going to the police station now. You see, when Angela was arrested by Mercy, she called a friend of her or village person. I don’t know how they relate. To help her get a SAN.
“And the SAN charged them N5 million. I think the SAN was the one who even facilitated the bail and all that. Now when Angela knew that they have granted her bail according to the lady, Angela started saying that she didn’t ask her to get a SAN and she wasn’t going to pay the money, and meanwhile this lady has deposited.”
Recall that Angela, who was granted bail on Friday after her arrest by Mercy Johnson over alleged defamation, regained her freedom few minutes ago after perfecting her bail conditions.
Watch Doris Ogala speak

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