The main militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich delta claimed responsibility for seizing four foreign hostages on Thursday, and vowed more attacks would follow if their long-standing demands were not met.
The three Italians and one Lebanese seized from an oil export terminal run by a subsidiary of Italy's Eni SpA would be exchanged only if some of their long-standing demands are met, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in an e-mailed statement.
The militants have claimed for nearly a year that their key aims are winning the release of the southern delta region's two most prominent leaders, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Dokubo-Asari, who waged a struggle for autonomy for the eight million Ijaws that have dominated the Niger delta for years, was jailed on treason charges in September last year. Alamieyeseigha was arrested shortly afterward in Nigeria after fleeing Britain on money laundering charges.
The militants have also demanded Royal Dutch Shell PLC pay compensation of about US$1.5 billion to local communities for alleged environmental pollution, charges Shell has rejected.
"The following days will witness more attacks against oil industry targets," the statement said.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number