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Abubakar Shekau: Boko Haram leader is dead, say rival militant group

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In the audio, obtained by news agencies, the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) said Shekau died detonating explosives on himself after a battle between the two groups.

Shekau was reported dead last month and has been reported killed before.

Neither Boko Haram nor the Nigerian government have confirmed his death.

In the undated audio recording, a voice thought to be that of Iswap leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi said Shekau “killed himself instantly by detonating an explosive”.

“God has judged him by sending him to heaven,” he said, according to a transcript from the AFP news agency.

When reports of Shekau’s death in a clash circulated last month, the Nigerian army said it would investigate.

Army spokesman Brig Gen Mohammed Yerima told the BBC the army was looking into what happened, but that it would not issue a statement until it got definitive proof.

One journalist with close links to security agencies said that Shekau died when Iswap attacked Boko Haram positions in the Sambisa forest, north-east Nigeria.

He has been reported dead numerous times before only to resurface.

Shekau took over Boko Haram after its founder Muhammad Yusuf was killed by police in 2009.

Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced from their homes in the deadly insurgency in north-east Nigeria.

Over the past decade, Boko Haram militants have been most active in the region.

It was from a school in Chibok, in Borno state, that hundreds of girls were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, and many of them remain missing. Another mass kidnapping of schoolchildren also took place in 2018 in Yobe, another north-eastern state.

Iswap broke away from Boko Haram in 2016.

Culled from the BBC Nigeria 

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21st Igbofest Houston to Celebrate Igbo Heritage and Culture at Discovery Green

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The 21st Annual Igbofest Houston returns on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Discovery Green, welcoming the community to a celebration of Igbo culture, tradition, and heritage. This year’s festival will run from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm and promises a vibrant display of traditional Igbo music, dance, art, and culinary delights, set against the iconic Houston skyline.

With nearly two decades of fostering cultural unity and understanding, Igbofest Houston remains a beloved community gathering that brings the spirit of Nigeria’s Igbo people to life in the heart of Texas. This year’s festival is set to feature performances from both local and international acts, including traditional dancers, masquerades, live Afrobeat artists, and captivating cultural presentations.

Highlights of the event include:

  • Masquerade Dance Performance: Traditional Igbo masquerades (known as Mmanwu) will grace the festival with their unique dance and colorful costumes, symbolizing ancestral spirits.
  • West African Cuisine: Attendees can sample an array of authentic Nigerian dishes, from suya and plantain to the renowned jollof rice.
  • Market Square: The vendor area will showcase traditional crafts, clothing, and artwork from artisans and vendors, providing guests with a taste of Nigerian fashion and artistry.
  • Children’s Village: A family-friendly area with activities for children, including face painting, games, and Igbo language lessons, ensuring everyone can engage with the culture.

The festival is free and open to the public, inviting Houstonians of all backgrounds to join in this cultural experience. Organized by Ndi Ichie Cultural Club, Igbofest Houston serves as a bridge between communities, offering a platform for cultural education, awareness, and mutual respect.

“We are thrilled to welcome everyone back for the 21st annual celebration of Igbofest Houston,” said Dr. Chris Ulasi, Cultural Director of Ndi Ichie Cultural Club. “This year’s event reflects our commitment to preserving Igbo heritage and fostering connections within the diverse landscape of Houston.”

Igbofest Houston is an annual festival dedicated to promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people of Nigeria. For over 20 years, it has celebrated the diverse expressions of Igbo traditions, contributing to Houston’s vibrant multicultural community. For more information, visit www.igbofesthouston.org or follow us on social media @igbofesthouston

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Bernie Sanders blasts Democratic Party following Kamala Harris loss

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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a scathing statement on what he called the Democratic Party’s “disastrous” campaign after Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election to former President Donald Trump.

The independent, who caucuses with Democrats, said it “should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”

“First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well,” Sanders continued in his statement. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”

The longtime progressive champion, who ran for president in 2016 and 2020, reflected on the ways Americans continue to experience economic instability, from income and wealth inequality to a lack of guaranteed paid family and medical leave.

“Today, despite strong opposition from a majority of Americans, we continue to spend billions funding the extremist Netanyahu government’s all out war against the Palestinian people which has led to the horrific humanitarian disaster of mass malnutrition and the starvation of thousands of children,” Sanders said.

Sanders, who won reelection Tuesday to a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate, cast doubt about the party’s ability to learn its lesson.

“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign? Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful Oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not,” Sanders said.

Sanders said “very serious political discussions” are now merited about the path forward for “those of us concerned about grassroots democracy and economic justice,” before ending his statement with, “Stay tuned.”

Harris conceded the election in a speech on Wednesday at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington, D.C.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said. “The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people — a fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation — the ideals that reflect America at our best.”

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Kamala Harris delivers powerful concession speech after loss to Donald Trump

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Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation from Howard University, her alma mater, publicly conceding defeat in the presidential election to Donald Trump.

“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” she said. “But hear me when I say — the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

She urged her supporters to accept the results of the election

“We owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States,” she said.

The Associated Press called the presidential race Wednesday morning around 5:30 a.m. ET after Trump won 276 electoral votes to Harris’s 223, although Trump declared victory at 2:30 a.m. ET during a speech to supporters at an election party in Florida. Harris did not address supporters or the country on Tuesday night as the election results were coming in.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said Wednesday. “The fight — the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and for the dignity of all people.”

In a message directed specifically at young voters, Harris said, “Sometimes the fight takes a while, that doesn’t mean we won’t win. This is not a time to throw up our hands, this is a time to roll up our sleeves.”

Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him, and during the reportedly brief conversation they discussed the “importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans,” a senior Harris aide told CNN. Trump’s campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, said Trump “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.”

President Biden also congratulated Trump over the phone on Wednesday, and invited Trump to meet with him at the White House in the near future. Biden will address the nation on Thursday.

Harris launched her presidential campaign at the end of July after Biden withdrew from the race following Democratic calls for him to drop out due to his June debate performance. Harris locked up the Democratic nomination within two weeks but had about 100 days to sway voters compared to Trump, who announced his intention to run in November 2022 and clinched the Republican nomination in mid-March.

The Harris campaign focused on helping middle- and lower-class families, making housing more affordable, bringing down the cost of health care and protecting reproductive rights. But the campaign seemed to struggle with connecting to working-class voters, with the Teamsters union declining to endorse either candidate for the first time in almost 30 years.

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