AT least six people were injured in an attack at Paris’ Gare Du Nord train station early Wednesday, restricting access to one of the French capital’s major rail hubs. An individual began attacking people at 6:42 a.m. local time and was neutralized a minute later, according to French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The individual was disarmed by off-duty police officers who were going home and by border police, Darmanin said in a press conference. The attacker made the weapon himself, Darmanin added. Paris police had earlier said the individual started attacking people with a knife at 6:45 a.m. local time.…
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ALBARKA Sukuya, a pastor based in Plateau State, has been arrested by the Police for allegedly kidnapping himself and collecting ransom from his church members. Alfred Alabo, Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau, who confirmed this in a statement, said the suspect was arrested in November. He said he severally staged his kidnap to dupe unsuspecting persons. “The Police has uncovered the nefarious act of one Pastor Albarka Sukuya of Jenta Apata, Jos, who on several occasions staged his kidnap with his cohorts and received ransom from sympathising members of his congregation.” “Sequel to his spurious kidnaps of Nov. 14…
THE Zamfara State Police Command, on Tuesday arrested another set of two suspected gunrunners and recovered arms, ammunition. SP Mohammed Shehu, Zamfara Police Public Relations Officer, made this known in a statement on Tuesday. The statement explained that following intelligent information received about the supply of arms from Benue state to undisclosed criminals in Zamfara, the officers of the command, went into action, arrested the suspects with live ammunition and one magazine. According to the statement, after careful search of the arrested, criminals, they discovered arms ammunition, just as the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation, saying that they…
THE global economy is “perilously close to falling into recession”, according to the latest forecast from the World Bank. It expects the world economy to grow by just 1.7% this year – a sharp decrease from the 3% it predicted in June. The report blames a number of factors stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact of the pandemic. The effects of higher interest rates are picked out as the key challenge for policy makers to overcome. World Bank president David Malpass said the downturn would be “broad-based” and growth in people’s earnings in almost every part of…
INTERNATIONAL donors on Tuesday committed over $9 billion to help Pakistan recover from ruinous floods last year, exceeding its external financing goals and paving the way for a new model on raising funds to fight climate disasters in poorer countries. Officials from some 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions gathered at a meeting in Geneva as Islamabad sought funds to cover around half of a recovery bill amounting to $16.3 billion. The meeting’s co-hosts, the United Nations and Pakistan’s government, said more than $9 billion had been pledged from bilateral and multilateral partners. Among the…
BRAZIL’s judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of top public officials after rioters stormed key government buildings in Brasília. One official, the former commander of the military police, has been arrested, local media reported. The officials also include Brasília’s former public security chief Anderson Torres and others “responsible for acts and omissions” leading to the riots, the attorney general’s office said. Mr Torres denies any role in the riots. Colonel Fábio Augusto, the police commander, was dismissed from his role after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. The rioting came a week…
SEBASTIEN Haller played for Borussia Dortmund in a friendly in his first game since his return following treatment for testicular cancer. The Ivory Coast striker came off the bench after 73 minutes against Fortuna Duesseldorf in Marbella. Dortmund were leading 2-1 at the time and eventually won the match 5-1. It was the first time the 28-year-old played for Dortmund as his cancer diagnosis came shortly after he signed for them from Ajax in July. He had surgery and chemotherapy before returning to training at Dortmund’s training camp in Marbella. Dortmund are sixth in the Bundesliga, nine points behind leaders…
MARCUS Rashford came off the bench to score two late goals as Manchester United beat Charlton Athletic to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The visitors, 12th in League One, had defended well in the opening exchanges but Antony put the home side in front on 21 minutes when Diogo Dalot’s run off the ball opened up the Charlton defence. He found Brazilian Antony, who had too much space and curled high into the top-left corner from outside of the box. In-form forward Rashford, on as a 60th-minute substitute, guaranteed the result with fine finishes in the 90th and 94th minutes,…
PARIS St-Germain’s owners Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) are exploring the possibility of buying a minority stake in a Premier League club. PSG president and QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi met with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in London last week. Manchester United’s owners the Glazer family have said they are looking for new investment and would also consider selling the club. Liverpool’s owners have said they “would consider new shareholders”. However, no specific clubs are being targeted at this stage by QSI, who also have a minority stake in Portuguese side Braga. And despite the meeting with Levy, it is being stressed…
FRENCH football federation president Noel le Graet has been told to quit by the head of the organisation’s ethics committee over his comments about Zinedine Zidane. Le Graet was criticised for saying he would not take a call from Zidane about the role of national team manager. He later apologised for the comments, which he described as “clumsy”. However, the FFF’s ethics committee head Patrick Anton says it is time for Le Graet, 81, to step aside. Anton told L’Equipe: “Le Graet has made comments that show he has lost some of his lucidity. He is a man who is…
THE State High Court 3 has ruled has restrained the All Progressives Congress (APC) from recognising Ishaku Abbo as its candidate for Adamawa North in the forthcoming general election. In the judgement delivered on Monday, Justice Danladi Mohammed ruled that Senator Abbo is not entitled to seek re-election since he has been expelled by the party. Justice Danladi held that the embattled Senator and APC are bound by the resolution of Mubi North local government executives of the party dated, 7th October 2022, which expelled the lawmaker thus he is not entitled to enjoy any right or privilege accorded to…
A UNITED Kingdom-based financial watchdog, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has fined the British subsidiary of Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank N4.1 Billion (£7.6 million/$9.3 million) over weak money laundering control system. The FCA in a statement on Tuesday said the bank failed in its anti-money laundering systems and controls. It stated that the failures were highlighted by the bank’s internal and external sources, Reuters reports, adding that GTBank failed to take appropriate measures to fix the system despite warnings. “These weaknesses were repeatedly highlighted to GTBank by internal and external sources, including the FCA, but despite this, GTBank failed to take…
INVESTMENT in technology is the way of the future, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who spoke earlier today while receiving a delegation of the Odu’a Investment Company at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. While commending the legacy of the conglomerate and the vision that birthed it decades ago, Prof. Osinbajo said, “legacy and history have a powerful pull, but it might be that what the future calls for is even greater and this is why we must be investing in technology.” Continuing, the VP told the delegation led by the Group Chairman of the conglomerate, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, that…
US rapper Meek Mill has apologised for surreptitiously filming a music video in Ghana’s presidential palace, also known as Jubilee House. The star caused uproar with the video, which saw him lip-syncing in the palace’s corridors and halls – and even behind the presidential lectern. He was accused of “desecrating” Jubilee House, while MPs raised questions about the potential security risks. In a statement, Mill said he would “take responsibility for my mistake”. “To the people of Ghana, no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana,” he wrote. “The fastest way to make connection is…
SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is on Tuesday scheduled to convene a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council to discuss a new variant detected in the country this week. The new Covid sub-variant, known as XBB.1.5, has also been recorded in the US and UK. It is an offshoot of the globally-dominant Omicron Covid variant and is highly transmissible. President Ramaphosa confirmed Tuesday’s meeting to local journalists and urged South Africans not to panic. “We are agile enough to want to have that meeting tomorrow, and thereafter there will be information that will be shared with the rest of…
THE first ever satellite mission launched from UK soil has ended in failure. A jumbo jet operated by the American Virgin Orbit company carried a rocket out of Newquay, Cornwall, to release it high over the Atlantic Ocean. The rocket ignited and appeared to be ascending correctly. But word then came from the company that the rocket had suffered an “anomaly”. The satellites it was carrying could not be released and were lost. Cosmic Girl, the carrier 747 jet, returned safely to base. The mission had been billed as a major milestone for UK space, marking the birth of a…
BOOKSHOPS in London opened at midnight to meet demand for Prince Harry’s memoir after it officially went on sale. Fans queuing to buy a hardback copy described wanting to hear the story “from the horse’s mouth”. It follows the chaotic launch of Spare with multiple leaks and copies being made available in Spain last week. Waterstones says Prince Harry’s book has been one of its “biggest pre-order titles for a decade”. The booksellers opened their flagship Piccadilly branch early on Tuesday in expectation of high customer demand, as the book was published around the world in 16 languages. Branches of…
THE US justice department is reviewing documents marked classified found in President Joe Biden’s former office at a think tank, the White House says. About 10 of the files were discovered in a locked closet at the Penn Biden Center in Washington in November by Mr Biden’s legal team, said his lawyer. The batch has been handed over to the National Archives. MR Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, is facing a probe for taking classified files to Florida after his presidency. According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, the FBI is involved in the inquiry into classified documents found at…
THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dismissed four personnel and demoted 14 others for various offences. The spokesman of the NIS, DCI Tony Akuneme, announced this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. The statement said the personnel were sanctioned after they appeared before the Orderly Room Trial Committee of the Service. It said the move was a part of efforts to rid the Service of bad eggs and in furtherance of the Federal Government’s fight against corruption. ’Two other personnel were redeployed to other locations while 11 were issued warning letters and one was compulsorily retired,’’ the statement…
NIGERIAN filmmaker and founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, is dead. According to reports, she died in a hospital in Lagos State. Ayiam-Osigwe who was also the President of the Association of Movie Producers was reportedly in a coma before she breathed her last. Her colleague, Obi Emelonye, confirmed her death via his Instagram account on Tuesday. He shared her picture and wrote, “Thank you and good night dada Peace.