Foreign
Government Bans Child Marriage, Imposes 15-Year Prison Sentence For Violators Including Parents, Groom, Wedding Guests
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Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has signed into law a bill prohibiting child marriage, imposing harsh penalties on offenders.
The signing ceremony, held in Freetown, was hosted by First Lady Fatima Bio and marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to protect children’s rights. The new law makes it illegal to marry anyone under the age of 18.
The first ladies of Namibia and Cape Verde, Sustjie Mbumba and Debora Katisa Carvalho respectively attended the ceremony.
Going forward, anyone who contravenes the law by marrying out his daughter or taking a bride before attaining the age of 18 is liable to a jail term of 15 years or a fine of about $4000 dollars or both.
The law defines defaulters as parent(s) of an underage bride, the groom and anyone who supports or witnesses the wedding.
The new law was greeted with wild jubilation across the country, particularly among feminist groups championing the rights of a girl child.
Reacting to the development, the US Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the signing of the law on its X handle saying “the significant milestone not only protects girls but promotes robust human rights protections”.
Khadijatu Barrie whose sister was married off at 14 welcomed the new law with jubilation, hoping it would save other minors from child marriage, BBC Hausa Service reports.
“I wish the child marriage prohibition act was enacted earlier, it would have saved my sister, my friends and neighbors,” said the 16-year-old Barrie.
Barrie escaped child marriage through the intervention of the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF).
The country’s ministry of health said one out of three girls became wives before they were 18. This is because culturally in Sierra Leone, men decide women’s fate, including when to marry.
However, some have expressed reservations about implementing the new law, especially in rural communities.
Foreign
Strikes on Iran to continue until ‘I say it’s enough’ – President Trump declares
US President Donald Trump has vowed that American military strikes on Iran will continue until he personally decides they have achieved their objectives, declaring that the campaign will not stop “until I say it’s enough.”
Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, July 24, Trump said the US forces would ‘hit them very hard tonight, very hard tomorrow night’ in a brutal campaign that won’t stop until he says ‘enough.’
‘I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,’ Trump warned.
‘We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants.’
Trump also said the US would target bridges next week unless Iran was willing to negotiate a peace deal that included giving up their nuclear ambitions.
He vowed the attacks will continue ‘until I say it’s enough.’
In an update late on Tuesday night, CENTCOM advised another round of strikes had been completed, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas.
‘US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,’ the update said.
US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
The latest US bombing comes after Trump notified Congress that the war would resume after Iran breached the memorandum of understanding by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump did not rule out using US ground forces to ensure that his key objectives are met, especially when it comes to removing Iran’s enriched uranium.
US forces had been careful not to harm Iran’s civilian population with strikes, but Trump warned Iran that everything was on the table.
‘You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left,’ he said.
The President also likened Iran to ‘a great boxer’ that needed to be put to the mat.
‘You think you have them beat, then they’ll come back and give you a shot,’ Trump said.
Trump suggested later in the interview with Fox News that he wasn’t interested in continuing negotiations with Iran because ‘they lie.’
He also said the last contact he had with negotiators was an hour ago.
The President praised his Cabinet for its work on the Iran issue, including Pete Hegseth, as he said ‘oil is flowing like never before.’
He also announced he was replacing the 20 percent fee the US was charging on the Strait of Hormuz to various Gulf States.
Foreign
UK announces social media curfew for 16, 17-year-olds
Children aged 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK will face a voluntary overnight social media curfew, alongside a shutdown of infinite scrolling and mandatory breaks in AI chatbot use, under new plans announced by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
According to a report by The Independent UK on Tuesday, the measures form part of the government’s wider restrictions on children’s social media use, and will see default settings block access for older teenagers between midnight and 6 am.
Kendall, in a statement, said, “These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life.
“We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”
The Independent said features designed to keep users engaged, such as never-ending video reels and algorithmic feeds, will also be automatically switched off under the new defaults.
However, the report noted that critics have questioned how effective the measures will be, given that 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to turn off these default settings themselves.
The curfew plan follows last month’s announcement of a broader social media ban for under-16s by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government, expected to cover platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal, from next spring, according to the newspaper.
The report added that responsibility for working out key details of the policy will fall to Andy Burnham, who is set to become prime minister after winning the Makerfield by-election.
Kendall is also reportedly pushing new safeguards for children using artificial intelligence, including requiring under-18s to take regular breaks while using chatbots, and a crackdown on AI services that give dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice.
Ministers are said to be considering banning chatbots deemed a serious threat to children.
Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott reportedly criticised the plan, describing it as “another dog’s dinner from Labour” and arguing that curfews teenagers can simply switch off “won’t achieve anything.”
Foreign
South Africa Confirms Visa-Free Entry for 22 African Countries, Excludes Nigeria
The South African government has reaffirmed its visa exemption policy, allowing citizens of 22 African countries to enter the country without obtaining a visa in advance, subject to the permitted duration of stay and applicable entry conditions.
According to the country’s official visa exemption policy, eligible travellers may enter South Africa for periods ranging from 30 to 90 days, depending on their nationality.
The African countries currently eligible for visa-free entry include:
Algeria – up to 30 days
Benin – 30 days or less
Botswana – up to 90 days
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) – 30 days or less
Comoros – up to 90 days
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) – up to 30 days
Gabon – 30 days or less
Guinea – up to 90 days
Kenya – up to 30 days
Lesotho – 30 days or less
Madagascar – up to 30 days
Malawi – 30 days or less
Mauritius – 30 days or less
Mozambique – up to 90 days
Namibia – 30 days or less
Rwanda – up to 30 days
Seychelles – 30 days or less
Eswatini – 30 days or less
Tanzania – up to 90 days for ordinary passport holders
Tunisia – up to 90 days
Zambia – 30 days or less
Zimbabwe – up to 90 days
South Africa also grants visa-free entry to holders of the African Union Laissez-Passer and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Laissez-Passer under its exemption policy.
Authorities, however, noted that visa-free access for some countries, including Kenya, Benin and Gabon, is subject to specific conditions. Travellers are therefore advised to confirm the latest entry requirements with South African authorities before making travel arrangements.
Notably, Nigeria is not among the countries currently eligible for visa-free entry into South Africa, meaning Nigerian passport holders are still required to obtain a visa before travelling.
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