Connect with us

Headline

10 die as fire guts hostel in New Zealand

Published

on

No fewer than ten people have died as fire gutted a hostel in Wellington, New Zealand on Tuesday.

Some previous reports said the casualties were six while 11 people are still missing.

Reuters said the blaze broke out on the top floor of Loafers Lodge in the Wellington neighbourhood of Newtown just after midnight.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: One Dead As EFCC Operatives Fight Over Items Recovered From Suspect

The police said the inferno has caused major structural damage that was hampering recovery efforts.

“There is a significant amount of debris from the roof collapse but at this stage we have located six people,” Bruce Stubbs, the incident commander from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) told a news conference.

Advertisement

According to Reuters, the cause of the fire has not been known, but emergency services were treating the incident as suspicious.

“This is a once-in-a-decade fire for Wellington. It’s the worst nightmare for us,” FENZ Wellington District Commander Nick Pyatt said in a statement.

READ ALSO: Another Chibok Girl Escapes From Boko Haram’s Den

Advertisement

“This is a tragic event for all involved. My heartfelt condolences go to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”

The hostel offered accommodation for people including construction workers, hospital staff and those serving sentences in the community for minor crimes.

Advertisement

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

on

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Indian National Arraigned In Lagos Over Alleged N22m Supermarket Fraud

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

Advertisement

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

READ ALSO:NDLEA Intercepts Indian Lady With 72 Parcels Of Heroin ON n Chocolate Wraps

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Advertisement

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

on

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Advertisement

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Continue Reading

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

on

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:US Restricts Entry Routes For Travellers From DRC, Uganda, South Sudan Over Ebola Outbreak

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Advertisement

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending