Foreign
Photos: Melania Trump shines in elegant outfit as netizens compare looks with Michael Jackson
Where in the world is Melania Trump? Back in Washington in a sharply tailored outfit that exudes international woman of mystery as her husband once again becomes president of the United States.
Wearing a long navy coat and matching wide-brimmed hat — which shielded her eyes in most photos and hindered her commander-in-chief husband’s attempts to give her a peck before his swearing-in — Melania’s fit drew snark on social media and a flurry of comparisons to a 1980s video game character.
“Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” quipped the internet, referring to the franchise that spun off into a popular 1990s geography game show for kids, and featured a criminal mastermind dressed in a long, carmine trench coat and eye-obscuring fedora.
Melania Trump’s coat and skirt were silk wool Adam Lippes, an independent American designer based in New York, an ensemble paired with an ivory blouse tightly wrapped at the Slovenian-born former model’s neck.
“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy and today we had the honor to dress our first lady, Mrs. Melania Trump,” said Lippes in a statement that emphasized American manufacturing over political ideology.
“Mrs. Trump’s outfit was created by some of America’s finest craftsmen and I take great pride in showing such work to the world.”
The hat was by New York milliner Eric Javits.
“She cut the figure of a mafia widow or high-ranking member of an obscure religious order, and a bit of ‘My Fair Lady,’ wrote Rachel Tashjian, style critic for The Washington Post.
– ‘Armor’ –
American first ladies don’t get much of a voice — but their sartorial choices are broadcast to the world and scrutinized for subtext and statements.
The late Rosalynn Carter, for example, drew strong reactions by wearing a dress she had already worn — gasp! — when her husband Jimmy was inaugurated in 1977.
The point was to show empathy for the economic struggles of Americans — but sometimes what the people really want is aspirational glamour.
In recent years first ladies have routinely turned to independent designers for inaugural events: in 2021, Jill Biden wore a sparkling blue coat-and-dress combo by Markarian, a small brand in New York.
Michelle Obama made waves in 2009 in a lemon-colored outfit by Isabel Toledo, wearing Thom Browne at her husband’s second swearing-in. She wore gowns by Jason Wu to both series of inaugural balls.
Melania Trump, for her part, channeled Jackie Kennedy to kick off her first turn in the White House, wearing Ralph Lauren — a heritage-brand favorite on both sides of the political aisle — to the daytime events in 2017.
She swapped her powder-blue cashmere dress and matching asymmetrical bolero jacket with opera gloves for a silk crepe gown by Herve Pierre that year, both looks that signaled a sense of buoyancy as she began her new role as a political wife.
Her shadowy-chic 2025 look marks a sharp departure as she enters tenure two.
“For her second round as first lady, the fashion game — the tool she brandishes most often and most forcefully, even if the public sometimes struggles to divine her sartorial messages — is likely to be one of steely, precise armor, of clothes with brash and exacting tailoring,” wrote the Post’s Tashjian.
“For the past year, she has worn a wardrobe of mostly black, but this does not seem intended to make her disappear into the background.”
Michael Jackson comparison on social media
Melania’s latest outfit has sparked a flurry of reactions online, quickly going viral across social media platforms.
While some praised her bold fashion choice, others couldn’t resist drawing comparisons to the late Michael Jackson.
One X user humorously remarked, “Is it just me… or is Melania trying to imply that Trump is a ‘smooth criminal’ with this outfit choice?”
Echoing a similar sentiment, another user chimed in: “Melania is dressed like Michael Jackson, and she is killing it! Smooth criminal but more classy lol.”
Ukrainian military intelligence has officially identified two Nigerian men whose bodies were recovered in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine after they were killed while serving with Russian forces, authorities said.
According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, the deceased were Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, both of whom had signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces’ 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment in the second half of 2025.
The intelligence statement said neither man received formal military training before being sent to the front lines, with Udoka deployed only days after signing his contract.
Their bodies were discovered in late November 2025 following a drone strike that hit their unit during an attempt to advance on Ukrainian positions near Luhansk.
Ukraine’s defence officials have warned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or taking up employment there, saying such trips carry a risk of being drawn into combat roles with little preparation.
Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children back in Nigeria, authorities noted.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has drawn international scrutiny not only for its humanitarian impact but also for recruitment practices involving foreign fighters on both sides of the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to publicly commend the elite U.S. special operations forces responsible for the high-profile capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
The visit will include time with service members and their families at one of the United States Army’s largest bases, the White House said, underscoring Trump’s effort to highlight the operation as a key achievement of his administration. The first lady, Melania Trump, will accompany him on the trip.
The Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained in a dramatic early-January mission that saw U.S. special forces fly into Caracas under cover of darkness, overpowered defenses and seized Maduro from a fortified compound.
Trump supporters have described the mission as a demonstration of American military capability.
Maduro is currently in U.S. custody, facing charges including drug trafficking. His next hearing is scheduled in New York federal court in March.
White House officials said Trump plans to use the Fort Bragg event to recognize what he calls the “heroic members” of the operation.
The administration has promoted the raid as part of a broader strategy to counter narcotics and regional instability, though critics including some foreign governments have questioned the legality and long-term implications of U.S. actions in Venezuela.
International reactions continue to vary, with some allies viewing the operation as a setback for Venezuelan authoritarianism and others condemning it as a breach of sovereignty under international law.
A Nigerian e-hailing driver has been brutally murdered in South Africa, sparking renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerian migrants and African foreign nationals living in the country amid persistent reports of violent attacks.
The incident was first disclosed by CrimeInSA, a prominent South African crime-monitoring platform, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where it revealed that the victim, identified as Isaac Satlat, was killed during a violent hijacking in Pretoria.
According to the platform, a dashboard camera captured the fatal attack on the 22-year-old driver, who worked as a driver on the Bolt e-hailing platform.
“A NIGERIAN E-HAILING DRIVER MURDERED IN PRETORIA,” CrimeInSA wrote, adding that “a dash cam captured the fatal attack of a 22 year old Nigerian e-hailing/Bolt driver Isaac Satlat in Pretoria. The young man was hijacked and strangled last night in Pretoria.”
The platform further disclosed that the attackers abandoned both the victim’s body and the vehicle several kilometres away from the crime scene.
“His body and the car were found some kilometers away in Moshongo, Attridgeville just outside Pretoria,” the post stated, referring to the township area of Attridgeville.
The killing has drawn outrage among Nigerians on social media, many of whom described the incident as another tragic example of the dangers faced by foreign nationals working in South Africa’s gig economy, particularly e-hailing drivers who often operate at night and in high-risk areas.
CrimeInSA noted that Satlat was not only working to support himself but was also pursuing his education, revealing that he was a student preparing for a major milestone.
“Satlant was a student and he was due to graduate next month and plans were underway for him to move to Canada to continue with his studies,” the statement added.
The development has once again highlighted long-standing tensions and recurring violent crimes affecting migrants in South Africa, where foreign workers — including Nigerians — have repeatedly raised concerns about targeted attacks, robberies and killings.
As of the time of filing this report, the South African police authorities have yet to issue an official public statement detailing arrests or identifying suspects linked to the killing.
Efforts to obtain comments from law enforcement officials were unsuccessful.
The murder has intensified calls from members of the Nigerian diaspora for stronger diplomatic engagement and improved protection measures for Nigerians living and working abroad, particularly those employed in high-risk sectors such as ride-hailing services.
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