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Operation show your Covid-19 immunisation certificate—Saudi Arabia tells intending pilgrims to Umrah

 

Only people who can show evidence that they have taken Covid-19 vaccination will be allowed to perform this year’s Umrah pilgrimage which starts in the holy month of Ramadan.

According to a statement by the Saudi authorities on Monday, only people who have been immunised against the dreaded Covid-19 virus will be granted permits to perform Umrah as well as prayers in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.
These include individuals who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, those having received one dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before performing the pilgrimage, or a person who has recovered from the virus, the ministry said.The ministry also said it would increase the operational capacity of the holy mosque in adherence with COVID-19 measures and restrictions.

It was also not clear whether the policy, which comes amid an upsurge9 in coronavirus infections in Saudi Arabia, would be extended to the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this year.

Saudi Arabia has reported more than 393,000 coronavirus infections and over 6,700 deaths from the virus.

The kingdom’s health ministry said it has administered more than five million coronavirus vaccines, in a country with a population of over 34 million.

Last month, King Salman replaced the Hajj minister, months after the kingdom hosted the smallest Hajj in modern history due to the pandemic.

Mohammad Benten was relieved of his post and replaced by Essam bin Saeed, according to a royal decree published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Only 10,000 Muslim residents of Saudi Arabia itself were allowed to take part in the Hajj last year, a far cry from the 2.5 million Muslims from around the world who participated in 2019.

With COVID-19 vaccination drives taking place across the globe, the idea of vaccine passports or certificates has become a hotly debated solution to safely reopen international borders for travel and boost tourism sectors that have immensely suffered under coronavirus lockdowns.

Last month China launched a health certificate programme for Chinese citizens travelling internationally.

The digital certificate, which shows a user’s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat.

The United Kingdom’s government is also considering asking people to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to access crowded spaces such as pubs or sports events.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said a certificate is likely to be needed for international travel.

However, British parliamentarians from across the political divide recently in a letter opposed any such move in the future, calling it “divisive and discriminatory”.

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Foreign

Oil prices expected to crash as President Trump announces reopening of Strait of Hormuz 

— US- Iran complete ceasefire agreement 
Funso OLOJO with Agency Report 
A soothing air of relief swept through the global shipping and oil markets as the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the late hours of Sunday, June 14th, 2026, announced a permanent ceasefire agreement to end the three months hostilities.
The USA and Israel have been at war with Iran since March 2nd, 2026 which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, an action that has thrown the global energy market into an unprecedented tumult due to the resultant high energy costs.
About 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz which is controlled by the Iran.
The closure of the Strait has restricted the movement of oil tankers through the vital route which led to an astronomical increase of petroleum products.
However, after three months of hostilities between the Israeli /US armies and Iran, a  ceasefire deal was announced by the President of the United States, Mr Donald Trump while ordering the opening of Strait of Hormuz and the removal of US Naval blockage of the Strait.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!,” Trump declared in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” he added.

Trump also signaled the resumption of maritime traffic and energy shipments through the strategic waterway, writing: “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”

He did not provide additional details about the agreement or implementation of the measures in his statement.

Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, also announced early Monday that the US and Iran have reached a peace agreement following intensive negotiations.

“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED,” Sharif said in a post on the US social media platform X.

He added that “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

According to Sharif, the official signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 19 in Switzerland.

The development is expected to restore confidence in global energy markets, as approximately one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through the waterway.
Analysts believe the resumption of tanker traffic could ease supply concerns and reduce the geopolitical risk premium that has driven up crude oil prices in recent months.
They also claimed that market reaction is expected to be bearish for crude oil because:
Roughly 20 percent  of global seaborne oil trade moves through the Strait of Hormuz.
It is also expected that reopening the route would restore tanker traffic from major Gulf producers.
The reopening of the Strait is likely to  lead to reduced geopolitical risk which will generally lowers the “war premium” built into oil prices.
The Freight and insurance costs for tankers are likely to fall as security concerns ease.
For Nigeria, lower global crude prices could mean:
Reduced foreign exchange earnings from oil exports, potential pressure on government revenue projections, lower import costs for refined petroleum products and possible moderation of domestic fuel prices if international prices decline significantly.
The Strait of Hormuz was officially declared closed by Iran on June 11, 2026, following US attacks on Iranian targets. This followed a previous ,prolonged period of effective closure that began on March 2rd, 2026, stemming from heightened military conflict.
On March 2, 2026, the IRGC announced the strait closed, causing a significant reduction in shipping traffic and a spike in global oil prices.
While briefly opened on April 17th, 2026, after a short-lived ceasefire, the strait was quickly closed again on April 18th, 2026, due to continued tensions.
On June 11, 2026, Iranian military command announced a total shutdown of the strait, targeting commercial shipping and oil tankers.
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David Nwamini, Ekweremadu accuser, seeks asylum in UK

” they will kill me if I come to Nigeria” — he pleads to court

The eyewitness reporter
David Nwamini, the accuser of Senator Ike Ekweremadu who sent the lawmaker to 10 years jail term in the United Kingdom over an organ trafficking case, has raised an alarm that he may be killed in Nigeria if he comes back.
Consequently, he has asked the court to allow him to stay back in the UK for safety reasons.
“They would arrest me and kill me in Nigeria” he reportedly told the court.
His impact statement was read in court, at the sentencing that saw Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, 56, and the doctor-middleman, Obinna Obeta, 51, jailed, for 10 years and 8 months, 4 years and six months, and 10 years, respectively.

The three were found guilty at the Old Bailey of conspiring to arrange the travel of a young man with a view to exploiting him for his body part.

The Ekweremadus’ 25-year-old daughter, Sonia, has a severe kidney disease. It was for her the donor was sourced and brought to the UK.

According to David, he was approached with an opportunity to work in the UK, which he had always dreamed of but never thought would happen.

“He (Dr Obina Obeta) did not tell me he brought me here for this reason. He did not tell me anything about this.

“I would have not agreed to any of this. My body is not for sale.

“I worry for my safety in Nigeria. Those people can do anything. I think they could arrest me or kill me in Nigeria.

“My plan now is to work and to get an education and to play football,” David said, adding that he does not want to claim compensation from the “bad people” as it would be “cursed and bad luck”.

He also said someone visited his father in Nigeria and asked the father to get him to drop the case.

Although it is lawful to donate a kidney, it becomes criminal if there is a reward.

The Ekweremadus were arrested on June 21 last year as they arrived at Heathrow Airport.

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UK court shuns Nigeria, ECOWAS pleas as it sentences Ekweremadu to 10 years imprisonment for organ trafficking

 

The eyewitness reporter

The United Kingdom court on Friday sentenced former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, to nine years and eight months in prison for organ trafficking plot.
This was despite the plea for clemency made by the Nigerian government and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that the court should temper justice with mercy.
The court also sentenced his wife, Beatrice, to four years six months while the medical doctor, who act as a ‘middleman’ in the plot, Dr Obinna Obeta, was sentenced to 10 years and his medical licence was also suspended.
The Ekweremadus’ daughter Sonia, who has a serious kidney condition, wept as she was cleared of the same charge.
Mr Justice Johnson told the defendants: “In each of your cases the offence you committed is so serious that neither a fine nor a community sentence can be justified.”
It was alleged that the 21-year-old street trader was to be rewarded for donating the organ to Sonia Ekweremadu, in an £80,000 private procedure at London’s Royal Free Hospital.
The case marked the first-time defendants have been convicted under the Modern Slavery Act of an organ harvesting conspiracy.
While it is lawful to donate a kidney, it becomes criminal if money or another material advantage is rewarded.
The prosecution claimed the donor was offered up to £7,000 along with the promise of a better life in the UK.
The donor did not understand until his first appointment with a consultant at the hospital that he was there for a kidney transplant, the Old Bailey was told
On March 23, the jury pronounced a guilty verdict on the senator, his wife, Beatrice, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor who acted as the middleman.
The jury held that they conspired to bring the 21-year-old at the centre of the matter to London to exploit him for his kidney.

 

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