The Netherlands has officially returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, more than a century after they were looted during Britain’s 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin, now in southern Nigeria.
The handover ceremony was held Saturday at the National Museum in Lagos, where four of the artefacts — including the Head of an Oba, the Bird of Prophecy, a Leopard statue, and a Carved Elephant Tusk — are now on display. The rest will be returned to Oba Ewuare II, the traditional ruler of Benin.
“These artefacts are not just objects. They are embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken,” said Olugbile Holloway, head of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments. “All we ask of the world is fairness, dignity, and respect.”
Dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries, the Benin Bronzes — crafted from bronze, ivory, and brass — have become symbols of Africa’s cultural heritage and the global push for restitution of colonial-era loot.
Germany has also pledged to return more than 1,000 similar items to Nigeria. In recent years, Nigeria has recovered pieces from institutions in the UK and the US as pressure mounts on Western museums to address their colonial legacies.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused...
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regiona...
Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has appeared in court on Monday alongside 400 co-defendants in a sprawling corruption case that critics s...
Russian grain is once again moving by rail to Armenia along a route that had been closed for decades. The latest f...
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack t...
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continued to shoot down missiles in their airspace. Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would stop attacking its neighbours.
Global oil prices have surged past $110 a barrel this Monday as fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes hit multiple targets, including oil depots. Stock markets fell on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over global energy supply.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Global oil prices have surged past $110 a barrel this Monday as fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes hit multiple targets, including oil depots. Stock markets fell on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over global energy supply.
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