International
Niamey Airport rocks by explosion, gunfire
Niger’s Defence Ministry said militants arrived on motorcycles but were swiftly repelled by security forces. Four soldiers were wounded during the assault
Explosions and sustained gunfire were heard early Thursday at the airport and military airbase in Niger’s capital, Niamey, in what a security source described as an apparent attack on the facility.
Witnesses said the first explosions occurred at about 6 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), with sporadic gunfire continuing for nearly two hours afterwards. Security forces reportedly sealed off the area as the incident unfolded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incident comes months after an Islamic State affiliate operating in the region claimed responsibility for an attack on the same airport in January.
At the time, the group said it had targeted air command headquarters and drone assets, claiming to have “delivered a direct blow” to the Sahel country’s counterinsurgency operations.Niger, alongside its Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has faced persistent attacks from jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.
The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the three countries.
According to witnesses, explosions and gunfire echoed across the area on Thursday morning as security personnel moved to secure the facility.
Following the January attack, Niger’s Defence Ministry said militants arrived on motorcycles but were swiftly repelled by security forces. Four soldiers were wounded during the assault. ▼
International
At least 28 killed, 25 critically injured after fire engulfs Bangkok bar
Footage posted online shows panicked customers screaming as they fled – some with their clothes on fire – through the flame-enveloped front door of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao.
A huge fire tore through a bar in Thailand’s capital Bangkok late on Sunday, killing at least 28 people and leaving 25 critically injured, according to BBC.
The blaze started near the stage of the bar in the popular Chatuchak district, then spread rapidly, cutting power and engulfing the room with smoke, eyewitnesses say.
Footage posted online shows panicked customers screaming as they fled – some with their clothes on fire – through the flame-enveloped front door of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao.
Firefighters, who arrived at the scene just after midnight, quickly extinguished the fire. They found the bodies of most of the victims in a bathroom, where they had apparently sought shelter.
“Most of the people who died were found in the toilets. When the fire broke out, they panicked.
There were no lights,” national police chief Kitrat Panphet said.
Kaew-udon Poungppany, 24, from Laos, fought back tears as he described trying to reach his younger brother, who did not survive.
“I grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it at the door… but I couldn’t go any further. I heard people screaming,” he told journalists.
International
General Hydrocarbons Floors FBN as S’Court Sets Aside Appeal Court Ruling
…..As court Orders Return of Seized Oil Vessel
The Supreme Court has nullified the Court of Appeal’s ruling that permitted the seizure of an oil vessel belonging to General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) to settle a contractual dispute with First Bank of Nigeria (FBN).
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court ordered the immediate return of the seized vessel and the proceeds from the sale of its contents to GHL, its rightful owner.
The Supreme Court dismissed the case instituted by FBN, declaring that the dispute was purely contractual in nature and did not qualify as a maritime matter. It therefore held that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit from the outset.
The apex court faulted both the trial court and the Court of Appeal for assuming jurisdiction over the matter and proceeding to determine it.
The ruling effectively ends the long-running legal battle, delivering a major victory to General Hydrocarbons Limited against the bank.
International
South Africa Anti-Immigration Peaceful Protests To Continue Weekly Till Demands Are Met
A senior reporter, Channel, Africa, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, reported that the anti-immigration protests held across several South African cities remained largely peaceful despite isolated incidents of violence and attempted looting.
The organisers of South Africa anti-immigrant protest have announced that come next week, from Thursday, every Thursday, they will be taking to the streets until the government heeds to their call and ensure that all undocumented nationals leave the country.
A senior reporter, Channel, Africa, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, reported that the anti-immigration protests held across several South African cities remained largely peaceful despite isolated incidents of violence and attempted looting.
She also revealed that organisers intend to continue with weekly demonstrations from next Thursday until their demands are met.
Mahlangu further reported that an inter-ministerial committee comprising ministers within South Africa’s security cluster commended the largely peaceful conduct of the protests while condemning isolated incidents of violence reported across the country.
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