Monday, 15 October 2018

*Meghan👒, the Duchess of Sussex, Is Expecting Her 1⃣st Child👶🏻*

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant with her first child, the UK's royal family has announced. A statement from Kensington Palace said the baby is expected in the spring of 2019. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will be the child's great-grandmother.

The Queen and other members of the royal family congratulated Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, on Friday as they gathered in Windsor for Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank, a royal source said Monday, without specifying whether the parents-to-be broke the news at their cousin's wedding.

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*🚷Buhari Ban: APC Ex-Spokesman🗣 Frank Releases ‘Authentic📑 List’ of Those Affected*

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has claimed that he had “authentic list” of those who have been banned from travelling abroad as a result of corruption charges preferred against them by the Buhari government.

Frank said the current list of purported 50 high profile Nigerians “to be dealt with” with the coming into effect of the Executive Order 6 (EO6), is a ruse by the presidency to deflect attention from their real motive which is to clamp down on perceived enemies of Buhari and major opposition figures ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Frank in a statement in Abuja on Monday said: “Sequel to my earlier statement, I have now uncovered the true identities of Nigerians being targeted by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for punitive measures through the EO6.

“The list below is an updated version of the one I earlier released on Sunday. Information available to me from authoritative channels in the presidency shows that the list earlier circulated by the presidency is fraudulent as it contains names of both Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.

According to Frank, those the presidency “plans to deal with” through the EO6 include; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, General Aliyu Gusau, Senator David Mark, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Governor Nyesom Wike, Governor Waziri Aminu Tambuwal, Governor Ibrahim Dakwambo, Governor Udom Emmanuel, Governor Ayo Fayose, Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Chief Olisa Metuh.

*German🇩🇪 Prosecutors Raid Opel 🚙Over Diesel⛽ Allegations*

German police said Monday (Oct 15) they had raided French-owned carmaker, Opel, amid reports the manufacturer was the latest suspected of having manipulated diesel cars' exhaust emissions to cheat regulatory tests. "We confirm that there are police measures and they are ongoing," a spokesman for police in Hesse state said.

Citing charges from the federal KBA transport authority, tabloid-style Bild daily reported that the raid was related to some 95,000 diesel vehicles built between 2012 and 2017 that may have been fitted with "illegally manipulated" software.

Opel acknowledged in a statement there were "preliminary proceedings on emissions" with searches at its factories in Ruesselsheim and Kaiserslautern. It added that it was "fully cooperating with the authorities" and "reaffirms that its vehicles comply with the applicable regulations".

*German🇩🇪 Police👮‍♂ Free Hostage at Cologne Train🚆 Station*

Police have rescued a teenager after she was taken a hostage in a pharmacy at Cologne's central station. Authorities have warned against speculating about the motive.

A man on Monday took a woman hostage at a pharmacy in Cologne's central railway station. At least two shots were fired when police stormed the pharmacy. Authorities said the perpetrator has sustained life-threatening injuries. Police refused to speculate whether the incident was terror-related, said DW's, David Martin. Authorities have since said the situation is "under control" and the teenage women taken hostage is receiving medical treatment for light injuries.

France Weather: Red Alert as Flash Floods Kill 13 in South-West*

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At least 13 people have been killed by flash floods in the Aude region of south-western France. Local authorities say several months' worth of rain fell in just a few hours overnight, leaving roads blocked in some areas.

Separately, a policeman attending to a weather-related traffic accident in the town of Albi was himself hit and killed by a motorist. Alain Thirion, the prefect of Aude, said people were stranded on rooftops and would have to be evacuated by air because it was too dangerous by boat.

One person was injured, he added when a house collapsed in the locality of Cuxac. The floods are the worst the Aude river has seen in more than 100 years, according to the weather monitoring service Vigicrues.

The heavy rain in the region is not uncommon at this time of year, but it has been exacerbated by growing numbers of homes being built on floodplains. Residents of the worst-hit areas have been urged to stay inside their homes by emergency services and local authorities, who have issued a red alert.

*Governor Ganduje Facing Impeachment as 🏛Kano Assembly Begins Probe*

The Kano State House of Assembly has opened probe into the bribe-taking videos of the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

Raising a matter of urgent public importance on Monday, a member representing Warawa Constituency, Labaran Madari, said the assembly should investigate the authenticity of the video and take measures.

Madari stated that the videos had brought the institution of governance in the state to disrepute and therefore the need for the legislators to take urgent action.

The matter was seconded by Baffa Dan’Agundi, a member representing Kano Municipal.

In response, the Speaker, Alhassan Rurum, constituted a seven-man committee to investigate the matter and report back to the Assembly.

Members of the committee include Baffa Dan’Agundi (Kano Municipal) as chairman; Labaran Madari (Warawa) member; Garba Gafasa (Ajingi), member; and Zubairu Masu, (Sumaila) member.

Others are Ayuba Labaran (Kabo) member; Abubakar Galadima (Bebeji), member; Garba Yau Gwarmai (Kunchi/Tsanyawa), member and; Mujtafa Amin, secretary.

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