Foreign

Benin Republic Lawmakers Approve Seven-Year Presidential Term

Published

7 months ago

November 15, 2025

The National Assembly of Bénin (National Assembly Benin) has approved a revision of the country’s Constitution, extending the presidential term from five to seven years and creating a bicameral parliament.

In a post shared on Facebook on Saturday by the Assemblée Nationale du Bénin, lawmakers announced that the bill was passed during a plenary session held on Friday at the Palace of the Governors in Porto-Novo.

According to the Assembly, 90 deputies voted in favour and 19 against, approving the amendment to the Constitution of 11 December 1990, previously revised in 2019.

“The Deputies of the 9th Legislature… adopted by 90 votes for and 19 against, the law modifying the Constitution of the Republic of Bénin,” the statement read.

The legislative body added that, in line with Article 154, the proposal first had to secure the required three-quarters majority during a preliminary vote. Deputies met this threshold with 87 votes for and 22 against, before proceeding to the final secret ballot.

The post, originally published in French, has been translated by PUNCH Online using Google Translate.

According to the Assembly’s breakdown, 15 new articles were created and 18 amended.

One of the most significant changes is contained in the newly modified Article 42, which now states: “The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of seven years, renewable only once. No one may, in his or her lifetime, serve more than two terms as President of the Republic.”

The reform also introduces a bicameral legislature, as stipulated in the updated Article 79, giving legislative powers and government oversight to both the National Assembly and a newly established Senate.

“Beyond this major change, Parliament—under the amended Article 79—exercises legislative power and oversees government action. It is now composed of two chambers: the National Assembly and the Senate.”

Under Article 80, deputies’ terms are now set at seven years, renewable, with an additional clause stating that any deputy who resigns from the party that sponsored them during legislative elections will automatically lose their mandate.

“The term of office for deputies is 7 years, renewable. Any deputy who resigns and thereby ceases to be a member of the party that sponsored them for the legislative election loses their mandate.”

The reformed Article 113.1 defines the Senate as an institution responsible for regulating political life and safeguarding “national unity, development, territorial defence, public security, democracy, and peace.”

The law also extends the tenure of mayors and municipal councillors to seven years, renewable.

Foreign

BREAKING: 12 Killed in Tragic Plane Crash Near Missouri Airport

Published

14 hours ago

June 15, 2026

The Daily Voice

At least 12 people have been killed in a plane crash in Missouri in the midwestern United States, according to authorities.

The crash on Sunday was near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, south of the state’s largest city, Kansas City.

“Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a Fatal Plane Crash near the Butler Memorial Airport,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol posted on X.

“At this time reports indicate all occupants (12 total) have perished,” it said.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing said the plane was taking people up to skydive.

Emergency responders received a call that a plane was down and engulfed in fire around 11:30 am local time (16:30 GMT) on Sunday, he said.

They were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, he said, describing the scene as “brutal.”

“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they’re shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,” Ewing said.

The identities of those killed were not immediately released.

Ewing said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was on scene investigating the crash.

The cause was not immediately available.

Foreign

Relief as Marketers Release Cheaper Petrol Prices Nationwide

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2026

The Daily Voice

The cost of importing petrol into Nigeria dropped sharply following the recent decline in global crude oil prices, creating fresh competition for local refiners, including the $20 billion Dangote Refinery.

New data released by the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) showed that the landing cost of imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, had fallen to N1,117 per litre as of June 4, 2026.

The figure was significantly lower than Dangote Refinery’s gantry price of N1,250 per litre, leaving a difference of N133 per litre.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s fuel market is facing renewed uncertainty after the Dangote Refinery reportedly reduced petrol production, prompting fuel marketers to increase imports of cheaper products amid concerns over supply stability.

The development comes at a sensitive period for global energy markets, with rising crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions already putting pressure on fuel costs worldwide.

According to industry monitor IIR Energy, the Dangote Refinery has reduced operating rates at its key gasoline-producing unit, the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (RFCCU), by about 34%.

The reduction is linked to technical issues affecting the unit, which plays a major role in converting heavy crude residues into valuable products such as petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

Foreign

JUST IN: Mali’s Defence Minister Killed As Army, Rebels Clash

Published

2 months ago

April 26, 2026

The Daily Voice

Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has been killed following a wave of coordinated attacks targeting military installations across the country.

Camara reportedly died from injuries sustained during an attack on his residence in Kati, a key military garrison town located about 15 kilometres from Bamako.

The assault, which occurred barely 24 hours before his death, involved a suicide car bomb and formed part of a broader offensive across the country.

The attacks were reportedly carried out by fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, alongside Tuareg rebels from the Liberation Front of Azawad.

According to Al Jazeera, the attackers were able to breach Kati, considered one of the most secure military locations in Mali.

Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, rose to prominence after playing a central role in the coups of 2020 and 2021 that brought the current junta to power.

Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque described his death as significant.

“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership… His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces,” he said.

The coordinated offensive extended beyond Kati, with gunmen attacking several locations including Bamako, Gao, Kidal and Sevare.

“As we speak, people in the garrison town of Kidal can still hear heavy gunfire and loud explosions,” Haque said, adding that the operation remained ongoing more than 24 hours after it began.

The attacks have intensified pressure on Mali’s interim leadership, with analysts suggesting that security forces were overwhelmed by the scale and coordination of the violence.

However, Interim President, Assimi Goita, was reportedly moved to safety and remains in control of the military.

International bodies, including the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the United States Bureau of African Affairs, have condemned the attacks and called for urgent measures to restore stability.