Author: starconnect
By SCM Reporter I Wednesday, 20 May 2026 THREE ruthless killers are facing life behind bars today after a loving dad was hacked to death in a savage 5am street attack. Tragic Gregory Catillo Volquez, 36, was butchered with a machete and a crutch during a “violent and frenzied” ambush in north London. Today, a jury at Southwark Crown Court found the three thugs guilty of his murder following an intensive eight-week trial. The convictions mark the end of a breathtaking, continent-spanning manhunt by Scotland Yard detectives who tracked the fleeing killers across Europe. The horror unfolded in…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, May 20.26 LONDON — Five men have been sentenced to a combined total of 107 years in prison at the Old Bailey today for the savage and unprovoked murder of a 21-year-old Giovanny Rendon Bedoya in South London. The sentencing on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, concludes a grueling legal saga following the fatal stabbing of Giovanny Rendon Bedoya in Walworth on 14 April 2025. The five defendants were all previously convicted of murder on 14 April 2026, following an intensive 11-week trial. The Sentences Handed Down at the Old Bailey The court handed down…
By Our Foreign Correspondent TRIPOLI, Libya — A Libyan appeals court on Monday acquitted 31 senior officials from the regime of the late dictator Col. Muammar Gaddafi, effectively overturning a major, highly contested war crimes case stemming from the bloody 2011 uprising. The blanket ruling by the Tripoli Court of Appeal successfully wipes away the convictions and previous death sentences for prominent loyalists, including former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi and former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi. Strikingly, the court also formally dropped all criminal proceedings against Muammar el-Gaddafi’s second son and former heir apparent, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was assassinated…
BY SCM NEWS REPORTER JERUSALEM — DEFIANT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a massive $86 million (£60 million) war chest to upgrade and protect ancient historical sites—boldly declaring it will permanently tighten the nation’s “hold” on the land. The firebrand leader announced the bumper cash injection to safeguard areas of immense archaeological and religious importance, amidst ongoing tensions over who owns the region’s historic identity. In a rallying cry that is bound to provoke fury from critics, Mr Netanyahu made it clear that the multi-million-pound project is as much about modern survival as it is about ancient…
Admin I Wednesday, May 20. 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to position the state as Africa’s leading tourism and creative capital after supporting more than 200 cultural, entertainment and tourism events within one year under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at Alausa, Ikeja,on Wedneaday, where she highlighted what she described as major milestones achieved by the ministry in the last 12 months. According to her, the ministry sponsored 201 festivals, entertainment programmes and cultural initiatives this year, a…
Admin I Wednesday, May 20, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria – Head Coach Eric Chelle has picked his Super Eagles’ squad that will battle to retain the Unity Cup Mini-Tournament that it won last year, as well as the team that will take on Poland and Portugal in high-profile friendly matches scheduled for Europe next month. For the Unity Cup that will have a semi-final and Final at the Charlton Athletic Stadium (The Valley) between 26th and 30th May, Chelle has selected team captain Wilfred Ndidi, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, defenders Bruno Onyemaeachi and Igoh Ogbu, forwards Moses Simon, Akor Adams and…
Admin I Wednesday, May 20.2026 LAGOS, Nigeria — Lagos State Government has released ₦5 billion to support small businesses under its flagship MSME financing programme, LASMECO, as part of efforts to expand access to funding for entrepreneurs and cooperative-based enterprises across the state. Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja. According to the commissioner, the Lagos State Government launched the LASG-BOI Access to Finance for MSMEs through Cooperatives programme, popularly known as LASMECO, in May 2025 as a…
Admin I Wednesday, May 20, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria — The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) is proud to announce its inclusion as a partner residency institution in the 2026 cohort of TheMuseumsLab, a leading initiative fostering collaboration, exchange, and professional development among museums across Africa and Europe. Themed “Building Futures from Memory: Museums and Memorial Sites as Agents”, TheMuseumsLab 2026 will focus on transforming museums into spaces of dialogue and social change by fostering community engagement, justice, and reconciliation. The programme is jointly organized by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin,…
B By SCM Reporter I May 20, 2026 A FURIOUS Capitol Hill showdown erupted Tuesday as a top US military commander repeatedly “danced around” questions regarding a devastating US-Israeli airstrike that killed more than 171 children and teachers. Admiral Cooper, facing a grilling at a congressional hearing, steadfastly refused to accept American responsibility for the horrific tragedy at the Minab school. Instead, the embattled naval chief stonewalled lawmakers, hiding behind a wall of bureaucratic jargon while a grieving international community demands answers. The tension inside the committee room reached a boiling point during an explosive exchange between Admiral…
By SCM Staff Writer WASHINGTON — In a sharp and rare bipartisan challenge to executive authority, the Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a war powers resolution that would force President Donald Trump to secure explicit congressional authorization to continue military operations against Iran. The 50-to-47 procedural vote marks a major legislative milestone: it is the first time in eight attempts that a challenge to the administration’s military campaign has broken through a fierce Republican blockade. Spurred by growing unease over a volatile conflict that has disrupted global energy markets and dragged on for nearly three months, a…