By Funsho Arogundade E ight years ago, Omotayo Jemila ‘OJ’ Awa-Ibraheem started her journey into the world of Spa and perfumery with the formal launch of her House of Jemila on 4 June 2016. Since then, this elegant beauty entrepreneur has not looked back in her quest to dominate her sphere of business. Thanks to her passion for creativity and the guidance of a trusted mentor. From opening her first and second stores on the Lagos Mainland, the style icon has embarked on an exciting new chapter in her beauty entrepreneurship. Elegant OJ recently celebrated a significant milestone with the unveiling of her flagship store and a new luxury perfumery store in the heart of Lekki, Lagos. It was a grand event by all standards when the new perfumery outlet named ‘PerfectScents Niche Emporium’ opened its doors to the public on Saturday 7 December in Lekki Lagos. OJ’s new store —the third in Lagos— is a one-stop shop for niche fragrances exclusively sourced from around the world for all perfume lovers all over Lagos and beyond. According to OJ, the new shop will enhance the experience of perfume buffs as she introduces a dedicated pure fragrance corner where customers can explore pure fragrance oils, undiluted and authentic. This interactive space will let customers identify the notes that appeal to them, helping us suggest perfumes that align perfectly with their preferences. Not done, Spotlight learnt, OJ is expanding her fragrance business as she is starting her own niche perfume line. The Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti Political Science graduate is partnering with a world-class perfume manufacturer in Europe who she said understood her vision. With their expertise, they have finalized the bottle designs, logo, and packaging. Every step was deliberate and meticulous to deliver quality fragrances to be launched in the first quarter of next year. It will then be sold side by side with other niche fragrances stocked by the new Lekki store.
Hungary has granted political asylum to a Polish opposition politician wanted on suspicion of corruption, an act that triggered a diplomatic spat between the two nations. Poland plans to take Hungary to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over its decision to grant asylum to Polish opposition politician Marcin Romanowski, who is wanted on criminal corruption charges. The announcement was made by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna. On 19 December, the Warsaw Regional Court issued a European Arrest Warrant for Romanowski, the former Deputy Minister in the Law and Justice government. The warrant has now been sent to Hungary. The Polish foreign minister said if Hungary does not comply with the European arrest warrant, Poland will take the matter to the ECJ, using an EU treaty article that allows one member state to sue another for failing to meet its obligations. In an interview, Romanowski said Hungary’s decision to grant asylum came after he convinced authorities of the ongoing rule of law crisis in Poland. The act has triggered a diplomatic spat between the two nations. Both Poland and Hungary are members of the 27-member European Union, and Poland believes Budapest’s move of offering political asylum to Romanowski is "an action contrary to the fundamental principle of loyal cooperation” as laid out in the EU treaties. The Polish prosecutor’s office has accused Romanowski of committing 11 crimes, including rigging tenders and the misappropriation of funds. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office last year vowing to restore democratic norms and fight corruption that has prevailed under the national conservative government of Law and Justice, who are aligned with Hungary. As part of that effort, his government has been seeking to bring to justice some former government officials who allegedly broke the law during Law and Justice's eight years in office, from 2015 to 2023.
Pet passports for dogs, cats and ferrets to travel within UK ‘an outrage’An Israeli strike has killed at least 30 Palestinians and wounded 50 others who were sheltering in a post office in central Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll on Thursday in the enclave to 66. or signup to continue reading With no sign of let-up in the 14-month-old conflict, the strike hit a postal facility in Nuseirat camp where displaced families had sought refuge and also damaged several nearby houses, medics told Reuters. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nuseirat is one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic camps originally for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war around the establishment of Israel. Today, it is part of a dense urban area crowded with displaced people from throughout the enclave. Earlier on Thursday, two Israeli strikes in southern Gaza killed 13 Palestinians who Gaza medics and Hamas said were part of a force protecting humanitarian aid trucks. Israel's military said they were Hamas militants trying to hijack the shipment. Many of those killed in the attacks on Rafah and Khan Younis had links to Hamas, according to sources close to the group. The Israeli military said in a statement the two air strikes aimed to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and accused Hamas members of planning to prevent the aid from reaching Gaza civilians who need it. The statement said the Hamas members aimed to hijack the aid "in support of continuing terrorist activity". Armed gangs have repeatedly hijacked aid trucks, and Hamas has formed a task force to confront them. The Hamas-led forces have killed over two dozen members of the gangs in recent months, Hamas sources and medics said. Hamas said Israeli military strikes have killed at least 700 police tasked with securing aid trucks in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023. It has accused Israel of trying to protect looting and "creating anarchy and chaos to prevent aid from reaching the people of Gaza". Separately, the Israeli military on Thursday ordered residents of several districts in the heart of Gaza City to evacuate, saying it would respond to rockets launched from those areas. "This is a pre-warning before an attack," read a military statement posted on X that some residents also received as text and audio alerts on their mobile phones. The evacuation orders caused a new wave of displacement. At nightfall, dozens of families streamed out of the areas heading toward the centre of the city. Israeli bombings of a residential building in Gaza City's al-Jalaa Street and a house west of Nuseirat killed 22 people, medics and the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. In the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabalia, where the army has operated since October, health officials said an orthopaedic doctor, Saeed Judeh, was shot dead by Israeli forces while on his way to Al-Awda Hospital where he usually treated patients. The health ministry said his death raised to 1057 the number of healthcare workers killed since the war began. Months of ceasefire efforts by Arab mediators, Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, have failed to conclude a deal between the two warring sides. On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages seized in Israel in October 2023 and held by Hamas in Gaza. The war in the Palestinian enclave began after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Hamas-run Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military has levelled swathes of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 44,800 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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(The Center Square) – Out of the 10 worst states to work in based on one analysis, four still continue to see some of the highest numbers of in-migration, data from a recent study and the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau cumulatively show. Taking into account disposable income, average commute time, average hours worked per week, workplace safety, and happiness levels by state, the weighted analysis by Vaziri Law ranks Hawaii, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nevada, Vermont, Indiana, West Virginia, Arizona, and South Carolina as the worst states in which to work. Many of the study’s findings are unsurprising, given the financial hardship reported in most of those states, with the notable exception of Vermont. For example, Louisiana, Kentucky and West Virginia have some of the highest poverty rates in the nation, while Tennessee and Nevada have some of the highest numbers of residents in financial distress, according to a study by personal finance website WalletHub. But the Vaziri Law analysis actually ranks Hawaii, which consistently scores low marks for economic freedom , as the number one worst state to work. The rating is slightly skewed by the state having the lowest average disposable income, $5,929 per working resident. Hawaiian workers do have good workplace safety rates, ranking 13th out of all 50 states, and a relatively high happiness score of 66.31 out of 100, with 100 being the happiest. In the second worst state to work in, Louisiana residents have the longest average working hours on the list at 44.3 per week, and also face poor workplace safety conditions, ranking 40th out of 50. Additionally, workers in the Bayou State are some of the most depressed in the nation, reporting a happiness index of 34.81. But they have roughly triple the disposable income of Hawaiian workers, at $15,364. “This research highlights the significant challenges workers face across the U.S., from financial strain to poor work-life balance," a spokesperson from Vaziri Law told The Center Square. "States like Hawaii, with the lowest disposable income, and Louisiana, with extended work hours and low happiness levels, underscore the need for systemic changes to improve workplace conditions, safety, and overall quality of life for employees.” Tennessee, coming in third, has a good workplace safety ranking of 11 out of 50 but a happiness index of 43.35. The average worker has a disposable income of $18,078 and works just over 40 hours a week with a 26-minute commute. In Kentucky, workers dedicate an average of 40.8 hours to work per week and have around $15,982 in disposable income. The happiness index rating is low, sitting at 38.36. By contrast, Nevada’s happiness index is ten points higher, but the average disposable income is more than $2,000 lower. Both states have decent workplace safety ratings. Despite having the highest workplace safety rate in the country and a 37.8 hour work week on average, Vermont ranks low due to the 48.46 happiness index and $15,263 average disposable income. Indiana does better at $17,293, but workers put in more hours and have slightly lower happiness and safety rankings. West Virginia ranks dead last on the list for both workplace safety – 45 out of 50 – and happiness levels at 33.83; plus, it has the longest average commute time. But a West Virginia resident’s average disposable income of $14,309, nearly is triple that of Hawaii. Arizona, in ninth place on the list, reports that its average worker has a disposable income of $18,764 and works 40.6 hours per week. It has a relatively high workplace safety rank of 9 and a mediocre happiness index of 50.22. Residents of South Carolina have an average of $15,824 in disposable income on hand. They face worse safety conditions, ranking 16, and have a lower happiness index, 49.62, than Arizonans. But South Carolina workers also clock in two hours less on average, around 38.2 hours per week. Even with less-than-ideal work conditions, Arizona and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee and Nevada, continue to be some of the top destinations for domestic migration, according to the IRS and 2024 Census Bureau data. Other factors, like safety, job opportunities, political climate and more play a factor in-migration.