Author: David Great

Most of the 200 or so people kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants and taken to the Gaza Strip are still alive, the Israeli military said on Friday. “The majority of the hostages are alive. There were also dead bodies that were taken… to the Gaza Strip,” an army statement said. The military said more than 20 hostages were children, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. There are also between 100 and 200 people considered missing since the Hamas attacks, the army added. US Navy intercepts three missiles fired from Yemen ‘potentially’ at Israel –…

A US Navy ship in the Red Sea on Thursday shot down missiles and drones that had been fired by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen, possibly at Israel, the Pentagon said. Three “land-attack cruise missiles and several drones” were intercepted by a destroyer, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters. The attack was “launched by Huthi forces in Yemen” potentially toward targets in Israel, he added. The ship, USS Carney, was patrolling in the Red Sea as part of a heavily reinforced US military presence ordered by President Joe Biden to maintain stability in the wake of war between…

The lawyer of Karim Benzema has hit back at France’s interior minister after he accused the French football star, who plays for Saudi team Al-Ittihad, of links to the Muslim Brotherhood Islamist group. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin made the accusations after the reigning Ballon d’Or winner and former Real Madrid forward posted a message on social media about the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. “All our prayers are for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings, which spare no women or children,” Benzema wrote on X, formerly Twitter. On October…

An outbreak of diphtheria in northeastern Guinea has killed 58 people, many of them young children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement received Thursday. The highly contagious respiratory disease can be fatal in five-10 percent of cases, and even higher among children. WHO reported well over 500 suspected cases since July centred on the Siguiri prefecture. Symptoms usually start with a sore throat and fever. Diphtheria: Disease kills 600, affects over 14,000 in 19 states Guinea’s health services do not have the capacity to cope with the outbreak, WHO said, noting that vaccine coverage against the respiratory…

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday pressed Israel to let more humanitarian aid into Gaza as he stepped up a campaign by Western leaders to reinforce support for Israel after attacks by Hamas. Sunak, following visits this week by US President Joe Biden and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, expressed strong backing for Israeli action after the October 7 raids in which at least 1,400 died and more than 200 people were taken hostage. But he said after talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog that it was also important to get food, water and medicine to…

A patrol squad from the Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT caught 11 stowaways aboard the GWANGZHOU HIGHWAY PANAMA ship en route to Ghana. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Base Information Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, H.A Collins, the individuals were apprehended on Tuesday at 7 p.m. during a routine patrol of the Navy Ship BEECROFT patrol team. He stated that the Western Regional Control Centre (WRCC) was quickly notified, prompting the vessel to come to a stop within the Lagos harbour. “Initially, 4 stowaways were apprehended from the stern of the vessel. However, information provided…

A Lagos Federal High Court has ordered First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc to pay the sum of N2,937,925,388.52 billion, to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) being an interest for not disclosing under-payment of credit interest on deposits in 14 different current accounts domiciled with the bank. Justice Ayokunle Faji, while delivering judgment in suit numbered FHC/L/CS/67/2021 filed by FAAN, also held that First Bank breached its own professional Code of Ethics, by not disclosing all information on goods and services offered, including the interest rate payable by the bank. Justice Faji made the above orders and declarations…

The House of Representatives will investigate at the usage of concrete technology for road construction in Nigeria. This followed a notice motion by a member, Honourable Khadija Ibrahim. In the motion, lawmakers expressed concern that various studies have demonstrated that the usage of rigid/cement concrete pavements in road building has substantial technical restrictions and constraints. FG to close Third Mainland Bridge for repairs The House is also concerned that the Minister of Works’ new policy on cement concrete pavement adoption may contradict technical specifications, potentially leading to contract breaches and potential arbitration and litigation during a difficult economic time. The…

A Nigerian father kills his child’s teacher for disciplining a student in Delta State. The man who was upset with Sunday Onyisi Ufah, a teacher at Alihami Secondary School in Agbor, Ika North East Local Government Area, Delta State, is said to have flogged him to death. It was discovered by Chronicle NG that the unfortunate event took place on Wednesday. According to a source who spoke with Chronicle NG, the drama began when some pupils allegedly climbed the school gate in order to take and consume an elderly man’s palm wine. The elderly man then filed a report with…

Thousands of tonnes of aid bound for Gaza remained on the Egyptian side of the border Thursday, after US President Joe Biden struck a deal with Egypt and Israel to allow relief in. Biden said Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had agreed to “let up to 20 trucks through to begin with” to the heavily-bombarded Gaza Strip, starting Friday, giving authorities time to repair roads. Sisi — whose spokesperson said the pair had agreed on “the sustainable delivery of aid” — has maintained that Egypt “did not close” the border, but that four rounds of Israeli air strikes…