The state-run Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Thursday cut power supplies to the parliament over a debt of 23m Ghanaian cedi ($1.8m; £1.4m).

The outage interrupted a debate on the president’s State of the Nation speech.

A video shared by local media showed MPs in the dimly lit chamber chanting: “Dumsor, dumsor”, which means power outage in the local Akan language.

Local media reported that a back-up power generator restored power to the chamber a few minutes later.

But other parts of the parliament building remained without power for most of the day before supplies were restored.

MPs and parliamentary staff who were using the elevator when the abrupt blackout hit were stuck, Ghana’s TV3 channel reported.

The power company’s communications director William Boateng told Reuters news agency it had resorted to disconnecting power because of parliament’s refusal to “honour demand notices to pay up”.

Electricity was restored later in the day after parliament paid 13m cedi and made a pledge to settle the remaining debt within a week, Mr Boateng added.

“Disconnections are for everybody; anyone who doesn’t pay and fails to make arrangements, the team will disconnect,” he told Reuters.

Ghana’s electricity company, which is facing crippling financial difficulties, frequently disconnects power from indebted clients.

In recent years, power shortages have worsened as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in a decade.

Private electricity suppliers are owed $1.6bn by the state power company, according to Elikplim Kwabla Apetogbor, the head of the organisation representing them.

Last July, they threatened to shut down operations over the arrears.

India has retained its title of the world’s fastest growing major economy as it expanded by 8.4% in the last three months of 2023.

The data comes as the country is set to hold a general election this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that it shows “the strength of Indian economy and its potential”.

India is forecast to overtake Japan and Germany as the world’s third biggest economy in the next few years.

The better-than-expected growth was led by a strong performance by the country’s manufacturers, with the sector expanding by 11.6% in the period.

Private consumption, which makes up almost two-thirds of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), also rose by 3.5%.

People’s spending power was affected last year due to high prices of staple foods such as onions. That led to the government introducing a number of measures to help curb food price inflation.

In recent years, Prime Minister Modi has raised government spending on infrastructure and offered incentives to boost the manufacturing of phones, electronics, drones and semiconductors to help India compete on the international market.

On Thursday, the government gave the greenlight to the construction of three semiconductor plants worth 1.26 trillion rupees ($15.2bn; £12bn) by firms including Indian conglomerate Tata.

But the agricultural sector, which accounts for about 15% of the $3.7tn (£2.93tn) economy, continued to struggle because of weak monsoon rains.

Some farmers have been protesting to demand minimum crop prices.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects India’s economy to expand by 6.5% in 2024, compared with 4.6% for China.

Beijing is under growing pressure to unveil stimulus measures to support the world’s second biggest economy which is facing a number of challenges including a property market crisis, high youth unemployment and falling prices, known as deflation.

Voting is under way in Iran as the country holds its first elections since the 2022 anti-government protests.

Friday’s elections are seen as a crucial test of legitimacy and national support for Iran’s leadership – but a low turnout is expected.

Voter apathy remains high following a period of unrest after the death of a young woman detained by morality police for wearing “improper” hijab.

More than 61.2 million people are eligible to vote.Two separate polls are taking place on Friday: one to elect the next members of parliament, and another to elect members of the Assembly of Experts.

The assembly selects and oversees Iran’s most powerful figure and commander-in-chief, the supreme leader – who makes key decisions on issues important to voters, such as social freedoms and economic conditions.

On Thursday, current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who has held the position for more than three decades – encouraged voters to cast their ballots.

Refraining from voting “would not solve anything”, he said.

In the run-up to the elections, state media tried to encourage voting and build enthusiasm by airing dozens of elections specials and creating new channels to give candidates airtime.

Voter turnout is expected to be low, however, with a state-linked polling agency projecting a 41% turnout for the parliamentary elections – which, if accurate, will be the lowest turnout in the past 12 such ballots.

Many Iranians are reluctant to vote – or choosing not to – following the mass protests of 2022, which were triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iran’s harsh crackdown on protesters saw hundreds of people killed and thousands injured. Many were arrested and remain in prison – and in some cases, received the death penalty.

Since then, Iran’s political and social atmosphere has become more repressive and the public has become further dissatisfied with the government.

This year, a record number of 15,200 candidates were approved to stand for the 290 seats in the parliamentary election – but only 30 were from the reformist camp.

Reformists have described the elections as “meaningless, non-competitive, unfair, and ineffective in the administration of the country”.

On Thursday, US spokesperson Matthew Miller said a “great number of Iranians” had no expectation that the elections would be free and fair.

“The world has long known that Iran’s political system features undemocratic and non-transparent administrative, judicial and electoral systems,” he added.

Polls opened at 08:00 (04:30 GMT) and are expected to remain open for 10 hours – though in previous elections voting time was extended up to midnight in some cases.

The federal government says it will commence the distribution of the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by President Bola Tinubu to vulnerable Nigerians next week in Niger.

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said Niger would be used as a pilot state for the North-Central for the distribution of the grains.”

We will take it to the states and then to the local governments so that it will be on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) template.”

NEMA and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will be responsible for the distribution,” he said.

Mr Bago said he was in Abuja to discuss with Mr Kyari the visit of Mr Tinubu to Niger for the inauguration of the exercise.

The governor said Niger had acquired over 120 trucks of grains to complement the federal government’s efforts.

He said items to be distributed included rice, millet, guinea corn, sorghum, soya, and beans.

Also speaking, Mr Kyari said the distribution would begin from the states and then to the local governments.

He said NEMA would do the distribution.” As I mentioned before, it’s 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains, maize, sorghum, millet and dairy,” he said.

On dry season farming, the minister said the second phase of the dry-season farming would also commence next week.

At least five persons have lost their lives in an auto crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Four other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident which occurred around 2:48 pm on Thursday at Fidiwo bridge along the highway.

The accident involved a Prime bus with registration number, MUS 191 HA, and a Toyota Camry car marked AKD 754 BG.

The Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Sector Command, Florence Okpe, confirmed the accident to journalists.

The FRSC publicist noted that the accident involved nine persons in total, comprising of six female and three male adults.

Okpe said, “Five persons lost their lives from the crash – three female and two male adults.

“Probable causes of the crash were wonderful overtaking, speed and tyre burst which led to loss of control and veer – off the road.”

She added that the injured victims were taken to Victory Hospital in Ogere, while the corpses of the victims were deposited at FOS Morgue, Ipara.

A teenager has been jailed for carrying out what is thought to be Australia’s first school shooting.

The 15-year-old from Perth fired three shots with two rifles at the Atlantis Beach Baptist College last May.

Staff and students were left cowering in cupboards and under desks before police eventually arrested him.

The judge who sentenced him to three years in juvenile detention said “good luck” had “prevented a tragic outcome”.

No one was hurt in the shooting, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.

Lawyers and Perth Children’s Court Judge Hylton Quail were unable to find any record of a similar case anywhere in the nation.

Simon Freitag, the boy’s lawyer, had asked Judge Quail to consider a non-custodial term as his client was suffering from depression at the time and had undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder.

He added that the boy was despondent due to a failed relationship and rumours that were being spread about him.

Two of the shots he fired struck buildings as the school, located in Perth’s northern suburbs, went into lockdown. The age of its students ranges from six to 16.

The boy then called police and said he intended to “kill people and myself”, but had changed his mind as he did not want his siblings to be related to a killer. Police then arrived and arrested him.

He had taken two hunting rifles and ammunition from his father’s gun cabinet and driven to the college’s car park, where he opened fire on 24 May 2023.

Local media reported that one teacher later told police she had never been so scared, and texted her fiance while in hiding to say she loved them.

State prosecutors said one student “ran for his life”. Another lay down on the grass behind a backpack – a teacher who saw the student thought they had been shot.

At a plea hearing last week, the court was told that in the 18 days before the incident, the boy had searched on the Internet about subjects such as school shootings, gun deaths and the age of criminal responsibility in Western Australia.

He searched for phrases such as “are there school shootings in Australia” and “what happens to mass murderers in Australia”.

On the social media app Discord, he also discussed shooting guns at the school with a friend. The night before the incident, he warned the friend not to go to school – but the friend did not believe him as he had never carried out his past threats.

Last December, he pleaded guilty to multiple charges. They include endangering the lives of staff and students, discharging a firearm to cause fear, possessing firearms and ammunition and driving without a licence.

His lawyer Mr Freitag said at the time that the mental impact on those at the school would weigh heavily.

“I do need to say out loud the very obvious point that this has caused significant fear and distress,” he said.

Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has announced his marriage on social media, surprising his fans.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star has largely kept his personal life under wraps and his post got one million likes in under an hour.

“I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” the 29-year-old said Thursday on Instagram.

Ohtani described his Japanese bride as someone “who is very special to me”. He did not give further details.

“Two people (plus one dog), we’ll grow together,” he said in the post, adding that he would hold a press conference on Friday.

Little was known about Ohtani’s relationship status until he announced his marriage on Instagram.

Last year, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700m (£552m) contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Unlike most players who specialise in batting or pitching, Ohtani is equally skilled at both disciplines.

The UN World Food Programme has said Ukraine donated more than 7,000 tonnes of wheat to feed one million people in Sudan for a month.

The in-kind donation – part of the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ humanitarian initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – arrived in the coastal city of Port Sudan and was loaded onto WFP trucks for emergency food distribution.

The UN agency is working around the clock to urgently deliver critical food assistance to families who are struggling with skyrocketing food insecurity as fighting between rival military forces in Sudan enters the 10th month.

“The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic, but we need to act now to stop it from spiralling further out of control,” Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Country Director in Sudan, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Staff are “working at pace to get food assistance into the hands of families that need it as quickly as possible,” he added.

The 7,600 tonnes of wheat flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs.

The shipment was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office, which covered the entire €15 million operating costs, including the transportation of the wheat from Ukraine to Sudan and the implementation and distribution within the country.

It has arrived at a critical time as fighting continues to spread ahead of the lean season in May, when food typically becomes scarcer and hunger rises.

“This donation will enable WFP to support people whose lives have been completely upended by the war,” Mr Rowe said, expressing gratitude to Ukraine and Germany for supporting the Sudanese people in their greatest hour of need.

Germany is WFP’s second largest donor and has been a steadfast supporter of its life-saving work in Sudan, the agency said.

Last year, the German Government provided nearly €30 million to WFP operations in Sudan, ensuring vital food assistance reaches people trapped by conflict.

WFP has been warning of a looming hunger catastrophe in the country as the lean season approaches. Currently, nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, of which nearly five million are in emergency levels of hunger.

The UN agency has provided emergency food and nutrition support to around seven million people since the conflict began last April yet needs continue to grow.

The United Nations Population Fund has donated 2,000 dignity kits to internally displaced women and girls within reproductive age in Plateau.

The UN agency, which is in charge of reproductive health rights and gender-based violence in emergencies, made the donation on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, to the state government through its ministries of health and women affairs for onward distribution to the beneficiaries.

UNFPA’s Humanitarian Coordinator, Christian Sabum, who made the presentation to the commissioners of the ministries, said the dignity kit consisted of reusable sanitary pads, bathing and washing soaps, pants, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Mr Sabum listed other items to include a towel, wrapper, bucket, solar rechargeable torchlight, mat, hand sanitiser, and a whistle.

According to him, they are basic things that will cater for the hygiene needs of women and girls, who are mostly at the receiving end of conflicts, and who often flee conflict areas without the basic necessities that they need to maintain their dignity.

The humanitarian coordinator said the kits were meant to cater for those needs for three months, and that the UNFPA would reissue the same kits after that period.

He said the agency was in the state to support the government’s effort in responding to the dire needs of IDPs in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of the state, following attacks on the communities.

Mr Sabum said that, as part of UNFPA’s Standard Operational Procedure, a NEEDS assessment was conducted to understand where the gaps were and to see how best the agency could complement the government’s efforts.

According to him, the assessment identified some gaps in different areas that are of concern to the UNFPA, especially in the areas of reproductive and maternal health.

He stated that the other gaps identified were in the areas of protection for women and girls living in IDP camps, pointing out that the level of safety and security was highly compromised.

He noted that the risks of abuse and gender-based violence were high in such camps, thus there was a need to have a strengthened system that would ensure that displaced women and girls were protected.

Mr Sabum said that the UNFPA, in its efforts to address the identified needs, would be building the capacity of healthcare workers to enable them to provide effective maternal healthcare in camps and to also assist them in providing clinical services in cases of abuse such as rape.

According to him, the agency will also ensure that the training of healthcare workers to provide mental health and psychosocial support services.

“We want to ensure that the healthcare workers in the state, especially those at the frontline of response, have strengthened capacity to provide mental health services to the IDPs, who are usually traumatised.

UNFPA will build their capacity to respond to the health needs of the entire population, but particularly focusing on women and girls, because those are the most vulnerable,” Mr Sabum said.

Mr Sabum, who said the UNFPA would be supporting the establishment of a one-stop centre that would provide multi-senatorial services and safe space for women and girls, explained that the agency would be reviewing the six-month plan to assess its success and sustainability.

Responding, Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Cletus Bako, who received the team, commended the UNFPA for its support for Plateau and assured the agency that the vulnerable population would be catered for.

Mr Bako assured the agency of the ministry’s willingness to partner with donor agencies to enhance the growth and protection of Plateau people, particularly the vulnerable population.

Similarly, Plateau’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Caroline Darfur, appreciated the UN agency for its kind gesture.

Mr Darfur assured UNFPA that the vulnerable women and girls at the various IDP camps across the state would be the sole beneficiaries of the dignity kits.

Forty-seven-year-old Dotun Alonge, residing in Providence, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha on Tuesday.

He is the fifth and final foreign national involved in a sophisticated scam operation originating from Nigeria, which defrauded elderly Americans of over $1.7 million. His prison sentence is the latest development in the popular case.

The elaborate scheme, which preyed upon elderly individuals across several states, including Rhode Island, involved scammers initiating false romantic relationships via online social media platforms and dating sites.

Leveraging these fabricated connections, the perpetrators convinced victims to provide financial assistance for purported business ventures or personal debt relief.

Additionally, victims were deceived into believing they had won sweepstakes, requiring upfront payments to claim the prize, or were duped into paying rent for property falsely claimed by the scammers.

“Foreign nationals who believe that Rhode Island seniors are easy prey for fraud schemes should think again,” said Mr Cunha.

“Preying on the emotions of vulnerable victims to gain access to their hard-earned savings is as despicable as it is devastating, and we and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to make sure that those responsible face justice.”

Mr Cunha condemned the exploitation of vulnerable seniors, emphasizing the commitment of law enforcement to ensure justice for victims of such despicable schemes.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, Jodi Cohen, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the devastating impact on victims who often lost their life savings to such fraudulent activities.

“These con men had no compunction about swindling elderly victims all over the country out of their hard-earned money and playing on their emotions to do so. What they did wasn’t just cowardly, it was cruel,” said Mr Cohen.

He added, “There is no way we can make the victims of these schemes, many who have lost their life savings, whole again. Hopefully, they can find some solace in knowing these fraudsters are now spending time behind bars for their selfish and disgraceful conduct.

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to shut down elder fraud schemes like this, to protect older folks from those who want to take advantage of them. If you or someone you know has been victimised, please reach out to us.’’

The investigation revealed that funds obtained from victims were routed through bank accounts controlled by the defendants in Rhode Island, Idaho, and elsewhere, before being transferred to Nigeria.

Some proceeds were used to purchase vehicles shipped to Nigeria, further obscuring the money trail.

Previously, Olabode Shaba, Dotun Olawale Oladipupu Shodipo, Samson Ikotun, and Oluwaseyi Akintola were convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from time served to 42 months.

Each defendant has been ordered to pay restitution totalling approximately $455,750 jointly and severally with each other.

Furthermore, deportation proceedings await several defendants upon completion of their incarceration, while a sixth defendant, Adetunji Abudu, remains a fugitive from justice.

The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Denise M. Barton, with investigative support from the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

The collaborative effort involved various law enforcement agencies nationwide, including United States Customs and Border Patrol, United States Secret Service, and multiple state and local police departments.

Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Co. has ordered up to 120 Airbus helicopters.

Also, the German helicopter emergency medical services operator, DRF Luftrettung, placed orders for up to 10 Airbus H145 helicopters.

The airline manufacturer made the disclosure on Wednesday.

The companies signed the deals at the HAI Heli-Expo currently taking place at Anaheim Convention Centre in southern California, according to Airbus.

Airbus’s framework agreement with THC, a premier provider of commercial helicopter services and fully owned by the Public Investment Fund, will include up to 120 Airbus helicopters of various types.

These will be delivered over the next five years to seven years.

The deal included a firm order for eight H125s along with 10 H145s that were converted options from an earlier contract.

This brought THC’s total Airbus helicopter fleet to 60. Twenty-five of the 60 are already in service.

The new H125 helicopters would support the delivery of THC’s range of services in areas including aerial work and tourism.

Furthermore, DRF Luftrettung’s orders for up to 10 H145 helicopters include seven firm orders and three options.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison camp on February 16, is to be buried in Moscow on Friday, his spokeswoman posted on X, formerly Twitter.

There will first be a funeral service in a church in the south-eastern district of Marjino, followed by the burial at a nearby cemetery, Navalny’s spokeswoman wrote.

Mr Navalny’s mother and his supporters had been fighting with Russian authorities to first get his body released and, also to allow them to bury the deceased opposition leader in Moscow.

Western leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have said they hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for Mr Navalny’s death.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says its operatives have seized the largest heroin consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, made this disclosure while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.

The agency also arrested members of an organized criminal organisation that specialized in trafficking heroin across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America in an operation leading to the seizure of the consignment, which weighed 51.90 kg on February 12, 2024.

The NDLEA boss said that the operation was the single largest seizure of heroin at the airport.

Marwa also stated that the consignment was concealed in 15 cartons of 2300-watt metal cutting machines.

He explained that there was a parallel between the seizure and the September 18, 2022, seizure of 2,139.5kg cocaine in a warehouse in the Ikorodu area of the state, which he described as the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of NDLEA.

According to him, four cartel members linked to the recent seizure were arrested in a follow-up operation conducted by NDLEA operatives.

“NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command intercepted a suspicious package at the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport’s Cargo Terminal,” he said.

A 51-year-old landlord, Abolaji Ismahil, who allegedly removed the roof of his tenant’s apartment, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Ismahil, who lives in Mushin area of Lagos, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, breach of public peace and theft.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel , Insp Courage Ekhueorohan, informed the court that Ismahil and some others, at large, committed the offence on Dec.13, 2023, at No 40, Kekereowo St., Itire, Surulere, Lagos.

He alleged that Ismahil removed ten zinc roofing sheet over the apartment of the complainant, Lawal Ismail.

Ekhueorohan alleged that Ismahil destroyed the roofing material after several attempts to get the complainant to pay his rent.

He submitted that the complainant also reported that his HP Laptops, a gold chain, and two wristwatches were stolen from his apartment.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 168, 287 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The Magistrate, Mr Ganiyu Tiamiyu, admitted Ismahil to bail in the sum of N100,000, with two responsible sureties in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must have their addresses verified by the court and adjourned the case until March 13, for mention.

A Japanese man, who confessed he was the fugitive linked to a series of terrorist bombings in Japan during the 1970s before he died last month, was confirmed the suspect.

The local media reported this on Tuesday.

Results from DNA tests run by Japanese law enforcement identified the dead man as the alleged bomber, Satoshi Kirishima, national news agency Kyodo reported, citing an investigative source.

Mr Kirishima, aged 70, disclosed his affiliation with the extremist group East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front shortly before succumbing to illness in hospital.

Suspecting Mr Kirishima’s involvement in four additional bombing incidents that occurred in 1975, police referred all five cases to prosecutors Tuesday.

This would be on alleged violation of the Explosives Control Act and suspicion of attempted murder, the report said.

DNA tests on the man and his relatives also corroborated their familial relationship.

Mr Kirishima had long been wanted on suspicion that he planted and detonated a homemade bomb in a building in Tokyo’s Ginza district on April 19, 1975.

He was placed on a nationwide wanted list the following month.

Under the false name Hiroshi Uchida, he had worked for approximately four decades at a construction company in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.

He had evaded law enforcement for 49 years as a fugitive, prompting ongoing investigations into his methods of evasion and potential assistance from others.

Mr Kirishima denied his connection to the specific incident that landed him on the wanted list but hinted at involvement in other bombings targeting a construction firm, Kyodo reported citing police interviews at the hospital.

The suspect revealed his identity four days before his death on January 29 following treatment for terminal stomach cancer.

He asserted that he had been alone during his time as a fugitive and expressed remorse for his participation in the bombings.

The Nigeria Customs Service has suspended its food disposal initiative following a stampede that claimed seven lives on February 23.

The deaths occurred during the distribution of 25kg bags of rice at its zonal headquarters in Yaba, Lagos State.

The service announced the suspension in a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Monday.

Mr Maiwada said that the suspension was part of the service’s resolve to ensure the safety of Nigerians and to enable it properly articulate its next line of action and not defeat the vision of the initiative.

The NCS on February 20 announced that it would facilitate the direct disposal of forfeited food items to the Federal Government.

The initiative was in response to the current challenges of food security in Nigeria and the increasingly high costs of essential food items.

It also targeted an improvement in the lives of indigents.

The distribution of 25kg of rice thus commenced on February 23 at the discounted price of N10,000 in Lagos.

The service said that the exercise would be managed to ensure that the benefits reach the needy.

According to the service spokesperson, the bags of rice were out of stock during the pilot distribution, which led to heightened desperation among the crowd.

“Unforeseen challenges arose when we ran out of stock and announced the continuation of the exercise the following day, leading to a regrettable outcome.

The crowd became desperate and charged through our barricades in search of rice bags inside emptied containers. In the stampede that ensued, some fatalities and injuries were regrettably recorded.

“Considering the recent unfortunate event, we regretfully announce the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired on Friday, 23 February 2024,” he said.

He said that an internal investigation had been initiated to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.

The service commiserated with the families of the deceased and assured them of its unwavering support.

“NCS is working with hospital authorities to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families regarding their next steps,” he said.

In a similar development, the spokesperson, during an interview said that the process of selling the rice was in line with its regulations.

He said that the money collected from the sales was going directly into the federation account.

This was in reaction to critics who argued that the bag of rice sold at N10,000 was supposed to be given free to the vulnerable in society.

He said that the items had monetary value and were sold at that amount to generate revenue for the government.

“Even though the amount of revenue collected through this scheme is inconsequential compared to what we collect as revenue, we need to recoup the value of duty that would have been collected on those items if they were imported into Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the price of the rice was discounted to enable indigents afford it.

He stated, “But it was later given out for free because of the crowd at the distribution centre.’’

A senior Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has been slammed with bribery and tax-related charges in the United States, court filings seen by Peoples Gazette said.

A jury recently returned a three-count indictment against Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo after the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that he used his position as a general manager in NNPC’s upstream department to obtain at least $2.1 million in bribes.

The alleged bribe was to assist Addax Petroleum escape its $2.4 billion liability to Nigeria as part of an oil-lifting contract that began in 2001, the January 10, 2024, the grand jury indictment said before the United States Disctrict Court for the Central District of California.

Mr Okoronkwo, 67, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the U.S., has practiced immigration and personal injury law in California for nearly 30 years. On May 25, 2015, just days before President Goodluck Jonathan was due to exit office on May 29, Mr Okoronkwo and other NNPC official hurried entered into an agreement that would see Addax Petroleum return to developing Nigeria’s crude and gas reserves after protracted pause due to a yearslong dispute over the 2001 deal between Nigeria and the Chinese firm. Addax Petroleum, based in Switzerland but owned by Sinopec, bribed Mr Okoronkwo with $5,263,157.89, including an immediate payment of $2,105,263.16, in October 2015 after the new administration of Muhammadu Buhari threatened the May 2015 contract, court documents said.

Prosecutors did not immediately say whether or not Mr Okoronkwo received the balance from Addax, which might have been paid through other channels that may or may not pass through the U.S. financial system.

The $2.1 million payment was made via a wire transfer to Mr Okoronkwo’s law firm bank account in the U.S. It was purportedly billed for “Consultants for the negotiation and completion of a Settlement Agreement with NNPC” with respect to Addax’s dispute over drilling rights, prosecutors said in the indictment first alleged before a grand jury in June 2023.

Mr Okoronkwo helped Addax navigate the challenges from the Buhari administration that initially tried to impose a $2.37 billion liability on the Chinese firm, filings said.

“Addax had calculated that the failure to apply the side letter prospectively would cost Addax approximately $2.37 billion,” the indictment said.

Mr Okoronkwo was using his U.S. law firm to purportedly represent Nigeria against NNPC, where he was also working as a general manager in charge of crude oil transactions.

Both Mr Okoronkwo and Addax made several efforts to conceal the bribe payment as legitimate, and a senior vice-president of the company was fired on July 13, 2016, for questioning the $2.1 million illicit transaction.

Authorities also filed obstruction and tax-evasion charges against Mr Okoronkwo for lying to investigators about the nature of the deal while also failing to pay taxes on it in his 2016 returns.

Mr Okoronkwo knew the $2,105,263 payment represented a bribe from Addax in exchange for his influencing the NNPC; that the payment did not represent client funds but rather illicit income and the $45,000 in gross income represented in his individual tax return did not include the multimillion-dollar bribe payment he had received, the filings said.

Mr Okoronkwo will be arraigned in the coming weeks and faces up to 10 years in prison upon conviction.

A separate forfeiture proceeding was underway to recover Mr Okoronkwo’s ill-gotten yields, including a home he bought in cash for $983,200 in 2017 from the proceeds.

A spokesman for the NNPC did not immediately return a request seeking comments over Mr Okoronkwo’s case, which marked only the latest in a long trail of prosecutions instituted over illegal transactions from Nigeria by U.S. officials in California.

The same district had recently confiscated over $6 million from Ara Dolarian, an unlicensed arms dealer who bilked Nigeria to the tune of $12 million in 2014.

All medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will no longer need to pay tuition following the donation of $1 billion by Ruth Gottesman, a former professor of the medical college and widow of late billionaire David Gottesman.

Mrs Gottesman instructed that the donation be used to foot the tuition bills of all medical students in the Bronx, one of the most impoverished boroughs in New York.

The deceased Gottesman was an investor in Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate owned by Warren Buffet, who Forbes ranked the 2024 world’s sixth richest man.

Mrs Gottesman, 93, said her husband left her the lump sum — “a whole portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway stock,” when he died in 2022 and asked her to “do whatever you think is right with it,” The New York Times cited her as saying.

But having had a long career at Einstein College, where she discovered paying tuition costs was the biggest challenge for many students, with the majority still owing debts even after graduation, she donated the money to a worthy cause.

“I wanted to fund students at Einstein so that they would receive free tuition,” she said. The Gottesmans had a cordial relationship with Philip Ozuah, a U.S.-based Nigerian doctor who heads the Albert Einstein College and Montefiore Medical Centre.

Mrs Gottesman said she was glad to have made the right choice in donating the lumpsum to those in need.“That’s what makes me very happy about this gift,” she added.

“I have the opportunity not just to help Phil but to help Montefiore and Einstein in a transformative way — and I’m just so proud and so humbled — both — that I could do it.”

Mr Ozuah praised Mrs Gottesman and asserted that although she desired to remain anonymous, he made her reveal her identity to motivate others her age to toe the same path.

“Here’s somebody who is totally dedicated to the welfare of others and wants no accolades, no recognition,” The Times quoted Mr Ozuah as saying.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says registration for its 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) ends on Monday, February 26.

The board made this known in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar in Abuja.

The 2024 exercise began on Monday, January 15, in over 700 computer-based test (CBT) centres nationwide.

JAMB said that almost two million candidates had so far successfully registered for the 2024 examination, and a total of 260, 249 candidates indicated interest in sitting for the mock examination.

The optional mock UTME, it further said, was scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 7.

“Those who have registered to sit for the 2024 UTME mock are to proceed to print out their mock notification slips on Tuesday, February 27.

“The notification slips indicate the candidates’ registration number, venue, time and date of the examination and other necessary instructions.

“It is imperative for candidates to be aware of these vital pieces of information that are necessary for their participation in the examination,” the board said.

JAMB further added that candidates could print the slips from anywhere they found convenient access to the internet.

“Candidates are to visit www.jamb.gov.ng, click on e-facility and print their slips,” it added.

The 2024 UTME is scheduled to take place from Friday, April 19, to Monday, April 29, at its accredited CBT centres nationwide.

A member of the US Air Force is in a critical condition after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington.

Officers from the US Secret Service extinguished the flames before the man was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon with serious injuries.

The US Air Force confirmed an active-duty serviceman was involved but he has not been identified.

The police, the Secret Service and other authorities are investigating.In a video that was live streamed on Twitch, the man identified himself and said he was a serving member of the Air Force.

Before setting himself on fire, he said he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” and he was heard shouting “Free Palestine” as he burned.

A bomb disposal unit was sent to the site over concerns about a suspicious vehicle that could have been connected to the individual.

This was later declared safe after no hazardous materials were found.No embassy staff members were injured in the incident, said a spokeswoman for the embassy.

The Israeli foreign ministry said the man was not known to embassy staff.It is not the first time someone has self-immolated in front of an Israeli diplomatic mission in the US.

In December, a protester set themselves on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in the US state of Georgia.

Police said the demonstrator used petrol, and a Palestinian flag was found at the scene on that occasion.