International

Catholic bishops reject Sh12.3 million donation from President

Published

1 year ago

November 19, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Archbishop Philip Anyolo

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The Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi has rejected a Sh12.3million donation from President William Ruto, citing its policy against accepting financial contributions from political figures.

Archbishop Philip Anyolo confirmed in a statement on Monday that the money would be returned.

It was gathered that the funds, donated on Sunday, November 17, were allocated to the Soweto Catholic Church Choir, the Parish Missionary Council, and a construction project for the parish priest’s residence.

President Ruto contributed Ksh600,000 (Sh12.3 million) during the church’s Sunday service.

An additional Sh2 million was earmarked for the construction of the priest’s house, while Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja donated Ksh200,000 (Sh4.1 million) to the same initiative.

THECITIZEN reports that the President has promised to purchase a parish bus and pledged an additional Ksh3 million (Sh61.6 million) towards constructing a priest’s house.

However, the move has drawn mixed reactions, with the Catholic Church reiterating its stance against the politicisation of religious spaces.

Speaking on Monday, Archbishop Anthony Anyolo explained that the Catholic Church discourages using fundraisers and church events as platforms for political self-promotion.

“Politicians are urged to refrain from turning the pulpit into a stage for political rhetoric, as such actions undermine the sanctity of worship places,” he said.

Archbishop Anyolo also urged the Church to maintain its integrity by rejecting donations that could compromise its independence or facilitate unjust enrichment.

He called on political leaders to address pressing issues highlighted by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), including corruption, human rights abuses, political wrangles, and freedom of expression.

See also BREAKING: FG Begins Payment of New Minimum Wage To Workers
“The Church must remain a neutral entity, free from political influence, to effectively serve as a space for spiritual growth and community guidance,” he added.

Meanwhile, last Thursday, the KCCB criticised President Ruto’s government for fostering a “culture of lies” and using state machinery to silence dissenting voices.

However, Archbishop Anyolo clarified that politicians are welcome to attend church as ordinary Christians seeking spiritual nourishment, provided they refrain from leveraging their positions for political gain.

International

U.S., Iran agree two-week ceasefire as Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Strait of Hormuz

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Iran has confirmed a two-week ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported early on Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for two weeks in coordination with Iran’s armed forces “and with due consideration of technical limitations.”

Trump had made reopening the waterway a condition for the ceasefire and had threatened to target Iran’s energy sector and infrastructure, including bridges, if Tehran failed to comply, setting a deadline of 0000 GMT.

The Strait of Hormuz, crucial to global oil and gas trade, has been largely closed since the United States and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

According to a senior U.S. official, Israel will also adhere to what Trump described as a “double sided CEASEFIRE.”

Pakistan, which has mediated between Tehran and Washington, said that an immediate ceasefire between Iran and the US had taken effect.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the U.S., along with their allies, had agreed to an “immediate ceasefire everywhere,” including in Lebanon.

“I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday … to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes,” Sharif said.

Trump earlier said Sharif had asked him to refrain from carrying out the threatened attacks.

The U.S. has received a 10-point proposal from Iran and believed it offered a “workable basis” for negotiations, Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social.

According to The New York Times, the plan calls for lifting all sanctions imposed on Iran. (dpa/NAN)

International

Earthquake kills 8 members of same family in Afghanistan

Published

2 weeks ago

April 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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An earthquake that struck Afghanistan overnight killed eight members of the same family in Kabul province, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The 5.8-magnitude quake struck at 8.42 pm (1612 GMT) on Friday at a depth of 186 kilometres (115 miles) at the epicentre in northeastern Badakhshan province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Shaking was felt in multiple parts of the country, including the capital Kabul, according to AFP journalists.

“In the Gosfand Dara area of Kabul Province, eight members of a family died as a result of the earthquake,” Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a message to media.

He added that a child aged around two years old was the only survivor from the household and the country’s disaster management agency said the boy had been injured in the tremor.

Afghanistan is frequently jolted by earthquakes, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

In August, a shallow magnitude 6 earthquake wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan, making it the deadliest tremor in the country’s recent history.

AFP

International

Iran executes two members of banned opposition group

Published

2 weeks ago

April 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Image Credit: X

Iran Executes Two Members Of MEK For Involvement In Multiple Terrorist Acts Image Credit: X

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Iran on Saturday executed two men convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and carrying out disruptive actions aimed at overthrowing the Islamic republic, the judiciary said.

The executions were the latest in a series targeting members of the banned People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), after four other convicted members of the group were executed earlier in the week.

They also come against the backdrop of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed the country’s supreme leader and have since triggered a wider regional conflict.

“Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian … were hanged after trial and their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said on Saturday.

The men were found guilty of attempting “rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts”, as well as membership in the MEK group and carrying out acts of sabotage aimed at overthrowing the Islamic republic.

It was not immediately clear when the men were arrested.

The MEK, which initially supported the 1979 Islamic revolution before falling out with the leadership in the 1980s, has since been in exile and is designated a terrorist organisation by Tehran.

Iran is the world’s second most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups.

Since the war began, it has executed multiple individuals, including on Thursday, when authorities executed a man convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the United States during a wave of anti-government protests earlier this year.

On March 19, three others convicted of killing police officers during the protests were also executed.

Also in March, Iran executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, on charges of spying for Israel, drawing condemnation from Stockholm and the European Union.