World news
Ayra Starr denied visa over wrong certificate — S’African envoy
The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe, has said Nigerian singer, Ayra Starr, was initially denied a visa because she submitted an inappropriate yellow fever certificate.
Moroe, who disclosed this in an interview with Saturday said the visa rejection was not a recent development as portrayed, but occurred in February 2024.
The envoy said the controversy resurfaced after reports alleged that Starr and her team were denied entry visas to South Africa, prompting the South African mission to meet with her team and clarify the requirements that needed to be fulfilled.
According to him, the rejection was based on failure to meet visa requirements and was not related to the singer’s personality or status as a Nigerian seeking entry into the country.
He said, “I do not see the relevance of that rejection to the development of today, except for using that rejection to sow division.
“One of the challenges was that they did not submit an appropriate yellow fever certificate. They submitted the yellow fever certificate of another country when they were supposed to submit the yellow fever certificate of their home country.
“Subsequently, the matter was resolved amicably and they were granted a one-year visa to go and perform in South Africa in 2024, and I think that was what they forgot to mention.”
The professor said applicants were assessed based on immigration requirements regardless of their status.
South African Consulate, Patrick Matshisevhe; Project Manager of Blak Dave, TRUFOM, Elienai Julius; Consul-General of South Africa to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe; Creative Director of Alpheria, Akabike Kosi and DJ Solomon Akinkunmi during the presentation of Visas at the South African Embassy in Lagos on Wednesday. Photo: Daniel Ayantoye
“If you meet the requirement for a visa, whether you are a star or not, tall, short, black or white, if you qualify, you will get it. But if you don’t, regardless of who you are, the immigration section will uphold the immigration law of the country,” he said.
He explained that travellers applying for visas are required to submit relevant documents, including a yellow fever certificate from their home country, as proof of vaccination before travelling to South Africa.
The clarification comes amid renewed concerns over alleged visa restrictions on Nigerians travelling to South Africa following claims that some Nigerian entertainers had faced difficulties obtaining entry permits.
The South African diplomat dismissed claims that the country had stopped issuing visas to Nigerians, saying visa decisions were based strictly on requirements.
He said, “Whether you are Ayra Starr or anyone, if you qualify, you will get it. The narrative that we have stopped issuing visas to Nigerians is false. We are not politicians; we don’t get into politics. Whether there are unrest or not, if you qualify for the visa, you will be given.”
Moroe also disclosed that visa applications from Nigerians had increased compared with previous years.
He said applications, which previously averaged between 40 and 60 monthly, had risen to between 60 and 80 monthly.
“The visa applications have increased compared to the past. Before now, it used to be between 40 and 60 applications monthly, but now it has increased to between 60 and 80 applications monthly,” he added.
Meanwhile, the South African Consulate in Lagos on Wednesday issued visas to five Nigerian disc jockeys travelling to the country for an event.
One of the DJs, Solomon Akinkunmi, who spoke with our correspondent at the embassy, confirmed the development.
He said, “We were five that were given visas. I was given a one-year visa, while others were given three months each.”
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News
Five Dead, Five Injured As Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes Into Vehicle In Miami
At least five people were killed when an Amazon cargo plane overshot a runway after it landed Sunday at Miami International Airport, crashed into vehicles and caught fire, officials said.
Miami-Dade County fire chief Ray Jadallah told reporters that in addition to five fatalities, three people were transported to trauma centers “in critical condition” and two more were treated at a local hospital.
“The airplane did strike a couple of vehicles,” which left “a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles,” Jadallah said.
“A complex extrication with our technical rescue team” was needed, “including a search and rescue of the pilot and co-pilot that were trapped in this aircraft.”
Jadallah did not clarify whether the pilot or co-pilot survived, and officials declined to answer questions after brief statements were made.
Video showed thick smoke billowing from the blue and white Boeing 767 after it arrived at 1:58 pm (1758 GMT) from Puerto Rico, as fire trucks raced to the scene.
Officials investigate the scene where a Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway and crashed into other vehicles at Miami International Airport at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on September 6, 2026.
The plane operating as Prime Air Flight 7598 caught fire as a result of the “crash,” fire officials said.
“A total of 60 fire apparatuses arrived, just short, just shy of 200 men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, to begin the actual search and rescue and firefighting,” Jadallah said.
“The actual cause of the incident will be determined by the FAA and the NTSB,” he added, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
In a statement posted to X Sunday evening, fire officials said they used foam to extinguish a fire in the engine compartment.
“One person was trapped under one of the involved vehicles and had to be extricated by specialized technical rescue personnel. Specialized hazardous materials (HazMat) units safely shut down the aircraft’s engine and worked to control a fuel leak,” the statement said.
Investigation Launched
The NTSB said in an X post on Sunday that the B-767-300 cargo airplane was flying into Miami from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and they have “launched a go team to investigate Sunday’s runway excursion accident.”
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement the tech giant will cooperate with any investigation into the incident.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss,” Nantel said.
Miami Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told reporters Sunday that her officers encountered a “really tragic scene,” but there was “no apparent threat to public safety.”
The airport closed all runways and taxiways because of the incident and posted an update to its website Sunday evening that travelers should check directly with their airline before heading to the airport.
After hours of holding all flights at the international airport Sunday, with numerous delays and canceled flights for commercial airline passengers, the Miami Herald newspaper reported that two of the airport’s four runways had reopened Sunday.
In a statement on X, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked first responders for their speedy response, saying “our fire rescue team was there within seconds of the crash, so we’re deeply grateful.”
AFP
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World news
Trump Suggests Renaming New Mexico State ‘New America’
US President Donald Trump’s name-changing spree found an unlikely new target on Sunday when he suggested the state of New Mexico could become “New America.”
His proposal, which was immediately dismissed by the state’s governor, comes days after he signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in the middle of a trade war with neighboring Canada.
“Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico… to NEW AMERICA,” the Republican president posted on social media. “So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!”
The White House reposted an image showing the Mexico part of the state’s name crossed out and replaced with “America.”
Some US media reports said the idea originated as an internet hoax.
State governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told Fox News that the name “isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed.”
She said the president wanted to “distract Americans” from issues such as soaring gas prices.
Trump last week suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait” as the war with Iran continues — then hours later implied he was not serious about the plan.
He renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on his first day back in the White House in 2025 in a move rejected by Mexico.
Canada has also rejected the attempt to rename Lake Ontario.
AFP
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World news
Judge Declares Mistrial In Case Of Woman Accused Of Killing Her Three Children
A judge declared a mistrial on Friday in the high-profile case of an American woman who killed her three children but put his decision on hold to allow the defense to appeal the decision.
Judge William Sullivan said he was freezing his mistrial ruling in the trial of Lindsay Clancy for one hour to allow her lawyer to file an appeal with a higher court.
The jury has been deadlocked 11-1, with the majority apparently leaning towards finding the 36-year-old Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity.
The dramatic developments came after the jury sent a note to the judge Friday morning saying that it was with a “heavy heart” that they were unable to reach a verdict in the case, which has cast a spotlight on maternal mental health.
Clancy does not deny strangling Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months, but claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis — excusing her from criminal responsibility.
To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree.
Judge William Sullivan addresses the jury (out of frame) during deliberations in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on September 4, 2026.
If they cannot agree, the judge declares a mistrial and prosecutors must decide whether to try the case again with a new jury.
Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s lawyer, has repeatedly demanded the replacement of the holdout juror with one of several alternate jurors, but Sullivan declined to do so.
Clancy’s televised five-week trial, which featured more than 80 witnesses and days of distressing testimony, has sparked debate in the United States over maternal mental health.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, saying she heard a voice ordering her to kill her children.
Her lawyers say this was caused by postpartum psychosis, a condition that experts say affects about one to two women in every 1,000 births.
Prosecutors have rejected that argument, saying Clancy had carefully planned the murders of her children and was able to understand the consequences of her actions.
Psychiatrists and people close to Clancy, as well as her estranged husband, were among the witnesses who testified about her fragile mental health during the trial.
‘Lousy Medical Care’
Dozens of women dressed in pink have shown up at the court in Plymouth to extend their support for Clancy — and to make a statement about women’s health more generally.
During closing arguments, Reddington, Clancy’s lawyer, said she had made numerous pleas for help before the killings but had received “lousy medical care” from the doctors she consulted.
After the murders at the family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023, Clancy jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt that left her paralysed from the waist down.
The former nurse faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty of first-degree murder.
Jurors can also find Clancy guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter, or not guilty by lack of criminal responsibility — a verdict that would see her confined to a psychiatric facility.
The trial has revived memories of a similar case that also captivated the country 25 years ago: that of Andrea Yates, a Texas mother who drowned her five children in 2001.
Yates was initially convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but she was found not guilty by reason of insanity at a 2006 retrial and committed to a psychiatric hospital.
AFP
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