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Gunman Kills Four At Market In Georgia, Suspect Detained – Ministry

Published

1 year ago

February 9, 2024

A gunman killed four people at a market in the southeastern Georgian city of Rustavi, before being detained by police, the Black Sea nation’s interior ministry said on Friday.

It said the suspect — identified only as a man born in 1988 — fired several rounds at a market in the city of Rustavi, an industrial hub of 126,000 people 25 kilometres (16 miles) from the capital Tbilisi.

“Four people were killed as a result, including the suspect’s uncle who worked at the market,” it said in its statement.

“The suspect was detained at the scene,” the ministry added. “One person was injured and taken to a hospital.”

It did not specify what type of firearm was used or give any indication of the motive behind the incident.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Georgia, where illegal possession of firearms is punishable by six years in prison.

Last year, a retired military officer killed five people, including a police officer, and injured another five in the country’s eastern Kakheti region, before committing suicide.

In 2014, the country’s government toughened previously relaxed gun laws, making it illegal for people to buy or carry guns without special permission.

AFP

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Putin Says Will Speak With Trump On Phone Today

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would speak with US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone Thursday, their first publicly announced call in over two weeks.

The two have been in regular contact since Trump took office in January and have discussed issues like the Ukraine conflict and economic cooperation.

Putin did not say what the two would discuss in Thursday’s call.

“I will talk to the US president today,” the Russian leader told the media during a visit to an exhibition centre in Moscow.

Trump confirmed the call on Truth Social, saying it would start at 10.00am (1400 GMT).

The two leaders have praised each other in recent weeks, despite Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine.

Putin said last week that he had “great respect” for Trump and that US ties were improving. Trump said Putin’s statements were “very nice”.

AFP

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NAFDAC Warns Against Use Of Excess Hydroquinone In Cosmetics

Published

1 day ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned users of bleaching creams to refrain from using products containing excessive hydroquinone to safeguard their health.

NAFDAC Bauchi State Coordinator, Mr Hamis Yahaya, advised in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.

Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent used to treat hyperpigmentation, such as melasma and age spots.

Yahaya said that the approved quantity of the chemical substance in cosmetics was only two per cent.

According to him, NAFDAC conducts checks on market products to ensure public health and safety.

“The black colour provides natural protection against harmful radiation due to melanin content.

“Applying creams with hydroquinone contents more than two per cent is harmful. Mixing creams by non-experts is wrong.

“Hydroquinone affects the health of the users gradually, including causing cancer,” he said.

Yahaya urged the media to raise awareness about the dangers of cosmetics that could endanger consumer lives.

Headline

AU Helicopter Crashes In Somali Capital – State Media

Published

1 day ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

An African Union helicopter crashed Wednesday at the airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu with eight people onboard, state media said.

The aircraft was part of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), tasked with fighting the Al-Shabaab militant group.

The state media agency Sonna said the AUSSOM helicopter, carrying eight people, “crashed during landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport this morning after departing Balidoogle”.

“The fire has been contained, and authorities are assessing the situation,” it said in a post on X.

Sonna quoted the country’s civil aviation authorities as saying that “flight operations remain normal”.

There were no further details given, but unverified clips and images shared online showed a plume of black smoke over the city.

The AUSSOM mission faces funding difficulties, even as fears of an Al-Shabaab resurgence are stoked by attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.