News
Colombia Offers To Pay For Citizens’ Deportation From US
Colombia has offered to pay for the “dignified” deportation of its citizens from the United States, the foreign ministry said Friday, a week after a public spat between presidents Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump over the removal of migrants.
The two leaders had issued threats and counter threats of major trade tariffs of up to 50 percent, and Washington’s embassy in Bogota stopped issuing visas from Monday to Friday in retaliation for Petro’s refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their country.
Petro had accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs.
Colombia’s foreign ministry said Friday it had proposed to Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, that Bogota would “immediately assume the transfer of all citizens deported by the United States,” covering transportation costs for its nationals, according to a statement.
Petro has said his government would not allow expelled migrants to travel in handcuffs.
The Trump administration had announced this week a series of sanctions against Colombia, before backtracking, with the White House saying Bogota had accepted its conditions and reversed course.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Colombian military and civilian aircraft repatriated the first groups of migrants to Bogota.
According to Petro, hundreds of Colombians, including several children, were returned to their country in “dignified” conditions. None of them were “confirmed criminals,” he added.
Colombia is expecting the return of around 27,000 migrants whose deportation orders have been signed in the last six months by the Trump administration or that of his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, a Colombian presidential source told AFP.
Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, vowing to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin American nations.
The United States is Colombia’s largest trade partner and it has provided millions of dollars in aid over decades to fight drug trafficking and terrorism.
AFP
News
Abuja’s Nightlife Boss, Kicks Off 2025 with Exclusive All-White Party
By Gloria Ikibah
Abuja’s entertainment scene witnessed a dazzling start to 2025 as nightlife entrepreneur Adewumi Segun Gabriels, better known as Theapilifestyle, hosted an exclusive All-White Party to welcome the New Year in grand style.
The event brought together some of the biggest names in entertainment, with stars like Timini Egbuson, Efetommy, Nimi Briggs, Fantana, Ilebaye, and Ice Prince gracing the occasion.
As the CEO of Tokyo Nightlife and the brain behind Apitainment and Apitix, Adewumi has been instrumental in shaping Abuja’s premium nightlife culture.
In his speech, he appreciated his supporters, business partners, and associates for their loyalty throughout 2024, and also highlighted key milestones, including The Capital Picnic, Young Jonn Live in Abuja, AWG Fest, and Rema Live in Abuja—all of which have cemented Tokyo Nightlife’s reputation as the city’s go-to luxury entertainment hub.
Hosted by the ever-energetic Chuks D’ General, the night exuded pure elegance, with guests turning up in stunning white outfits. Attendees enjoyed electrifying performances, including a special set by Ice Prince and an engaging live band session that kept the energy levels high. To top it all off, a selection of gourmet dishes added a touch of culinary excellence to the night’s festivities.
Beyond just a party, Theapilifestyle’s All-White event set the pace for an exciting year ahead, reinforcing his commitment to delivering top-tier entertainment experiences and making 2025 a year to remember for Abuja’s nightlife lovers.
News
SAD! Another air disaster in US as medical plane crashes k!lling all on board
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Barely 72hours after American airlines collided with military helicopter in the US, a medical transport jet carrying a child patient, her mother, and four crew members cr+shed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, igniting a massive fir£ that engulfed several homes.
The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, exploded upon impact, sending a fireball into the sky. Officials have not confirmed any survivors or reported whether there were casualties on the ground. All six passengers were from Mexico, and the child was returning home after receiving treatment in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the cr+sh as an “awful aviation disaster” and said fatalities were expected.
The plane took off at 6:06 p.m. from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, disappearing from radar minutes later at 1,600 feet (487 meters). A doorbell camera captured the moment it plummeted and exploded near Roosevelt Mall in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood.
Witnesses described a deafening roar followed by an orange fireball and thick black smoke.
Jet Rescue, based in Mexico, provides global air ambulance services and previously transported baseball legend David Ortiz after he was shot in the Dominican Republic. This marks the company’s second fatal cr+sh in 15 months; in 2023, five crew members d+ed when one of its planes cr+shed in Mexico.
The cr+sh came just days after another deadly U.S. aviation acc+dent, when an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., k+lling all on board.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating, with officials set to arrive at the crash site Saturday.
News
SAD! Former President of Germany Dies
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A former President of Germany, Horst Koehler, who served as head of state from 2004 to 2010, is dead.
Köhler, who was head of state from 2004 to 2010, died Saturday morning in Berlin after a short illness, surrounded by his family, the office of current German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement.
Köhler was little known to most Germans and a stranger to front-line politics before he won the presidency.
His nomination was greeted by the mass-circulation daily Bild with the headline “Horst Who?”
However, he built up high popularity ratings once on the job, something that he achieved in part by positioning himself as an outsider to the country’s political elite.
He occasionally refused to sign bills into law due to constitutional concerns and didn’t always make himself popular with the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose choice he was for the presidency — a largely ceremonial job but often seen as a source of moral authority.
Kohler elected before Merkel came to power, at a time when Germany was struggling to come to terms with labor market reforms and welfare state cuts.
He said Germans must not rest on past achievements, and said he was “deeply convinced Germany has the strength for change.”
In July 2005, Köhler agreed to dissolve parliament and grant struggling then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder an unusual early election.
He declared that Germany faced “giant challenges” and that “our future and the future of our children is at stake.”
Merkel won power, but nearly blew a huge poll lead after her talk of deeper reform turned off voters. Köhler also talked less of economic change in later years and was strongly critical of financial markets during the banking and economic crisis — describing them as a “monster” that hadn’t yet been tamed.
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