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Stella Creasy launches campaign to get more mothers into politics

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Stella Creasy launches campaign to get more mothers into politics

Labour’s Stella Creasy is launching a project to fund mothers who want to get involved in politics, after describing her “heartbreak” at the way the party has responded to her calls for proper maternity cover for MPs.

Creasy, who gave birth to her second child four weeks ago, said many in the Labour movement were frustrated at the way women of childbearing age are treated in politics.

She is launching a campaign called VoteMama UK to help support parents in politics, modelled on the VoteMama movement in the US.

The MP for Walthamstow in London has been engaged in a battle with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to get a locum paid near to her own salary rate to cover her constituency casework. The law prevents a locum from being able to cover the parliamentary work of MPs on parental leave.

Creasy said she did not feel sufficiently supported by Labour, including other women in her party, in her campaign for maternity rights for MPs, which she believes would encourage more women of childbearing age to enter politics.

“I have been heartbroken by the way in which my party has responded to calls for maternity cover for MPs, and sadly from talking to many in our movement I am not alone in feeling frustrated,” she said.

“It’s not rocket science why so few women of childbearing age go into politics or stay in it. That isn’t going to change unless we act to tackle the deterrents to running that start before you even stand for office as well as those which persist long after.”

She said Labour needed to “admit it has a blindspot when it comes to mums” and called on it to “be the first political party here in the UK to learn from the approach taken by our American counterparts and the success of VoteMama in breaking down barriers for parents to politics”.

The VoteMama UK campaign aims to help fund and mentor new parents who want to get into politics.

The American version of the campaign has endorsed, funded and mentored nearly 250 mums running at levels ranging from school board to Senate. It provides direct contributions to the campaigns of supported candidates and has campaigned to pass legislation at the state level to expand a Federal Election Commission ruling that all state and local candidates should be able to use their campaign funds for childcare.

Creasy said it was not illegal in the UK to use campaign funds to fund childcare but she was not aware of anyone who had done this. She said if there was enough interest in VoteMama UK then the group would directly fund candidates, helping them to cover the cost of childcare. She said it would also support changing the way selections are run to make it easier for parents to participate.

In an interview with the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, Creasy spoke about her frustration with her battle for maternity cover. “I know that some have suggested that this is ‘golden skirt feminism’ – an elite asking for special privileges – but actually for me it’s about the message that we send, that our politics should be open to everybody at all stages of their lives from whatever background,” she said.

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Lagos sales manager remanded, accused of stealing N32.2m from boss

A 25-year-old sales manager, Olatunbosun Olarewaju, has been remanded in Ikoyi Prison after being accused of masterminding a shocking N32.2 million theft from his employer, just months after securing the job.

The police at Adeniji Adele Division, Lagos Island, said Olarewaju allegedly abused the trust of his boss, Mr Victor Ibe, by selling goods worth N32.2 million and diverting the proceeds into multiple personal accounts before disappearing.

According to police investigators, the lid was blown off the alleged scheme when Ibe conducted an audit and discovered a massive shortfall in stock value.

Acting swiftly, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, launched an intelligence-driven manhunt that led to Olarewaju’s arrest at a hideout in Lagos.

Following the investigation led by Sergeant Abraham Friday, Olarewaju was arraigned before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

Prosecuting counsel, Inspector Ishola Samuel, told the court that the offences took place between August 2024 and April 14, 2025, at 23 Princess Street, Lagos Island.

He said Olarewaju, entrusted with managing and selling his employer’s goods, instead chose to divert millions of naira into his private coffers.

The offences, Samuel said, contravened Sections 411 and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Olarewaju, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Presiding Magistrate A.A. Paul granted him bail in the sum of N1 million, with two sureties in like sum, but ordered his remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until he meets the conditions.

The case has been adjourned until May 27, 2025, for further mention.

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Military kills over 100 terrorists, rescue 21 hostages — DHQ

The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has announced major successes in its ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-oil theft operations across Nigeria, with over 100 terrorists killed, 100 suspects arrested, and 21 kidnapped victims rescued between April 17 and 25, 2025.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, disclosed the achievements in a statement on Friday.

Kangye noted that coordinated offensives across the North East, North West, North Central, South South, and South East regions yielded substantial results.

“In the North East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched aggressive offensives leading to the surrender of ISWAP/JAS elements and the elimination of dozens of terrorists,” Kangye said.

In the North West, troops under Operation Fagge Yamma neutralized several insurgents, arrested suspects, and rescued victims in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina States.

In the North Central zone, Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke also recorded significant success. Between April 18–22, troops acting on credible intelligence arrested over 37 criminal suspects in Plateau and Kaduna States.

In the South East, troops under Operation Udoka carried out successful raids in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi States, killing terrorists, arresting suspects, and recovering arms and explosives. Notably, four kidnapped victims were rescued during these missions.

In the South South, troops of Operation Delta Safe targeted illegal refining sites and oil theft networks, destroying equipment and seizing crude oil and petroleum products worth over ₦94 million.

“Between April 18 and 22, troops made contact with terrorists in several communities, seizing weapons, mobile phones, motorcycles, and IEDs,” Kangye added

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Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

This photo taken and handout on April 26, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows the rite of the burial of the coffin of Pope Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica. (Photo by Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)

Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

He declared his desire to be entombed there in 2023.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

But the last one to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669. More recently, popes have usually been buried in St Peter’s Basilica.

One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore also holds the remains of several other renowned figures, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.

Built around 432 AD under Pope Sixtus III, the basilica holds some of the Catholic Church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, attributed to Saint Luke.

(Channels/AFP)

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