The Burkinabe government said four terrorists who attacked the capital Ouagadougou on Friday, have been killed. But it also said their accomplices might be on the run.

The capital had come under multiple attacks, with the French embassy, the French cultural centre and the countrys military headquarters targeted.

Witnesses said five armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passersby before heading towards the embassy in the centre of the city.

An AFP reporter heard heavy exchanges of gunfire and saw a blazing vehicle, which witnesses said was the car used by the assailants. Police and army units were deployed in the area.

Other witnesses said there was an explosion near the headquarters of the Burkinabe armed forces and the French cultural centre, which are located about a kilometre (half a mile) from the site of the first attack. There was no early information about any casualties.

A government statement clarified the situation, saying the four terrorists that attacked Ouagadougou have been eliminated.

There are no details on civilian casualties at the moment, the Special Forces are continuing operations, according to the government statement.

The situation is under control at French diplomatic premises, in Burkina Fasos capital, which came under attack Friday, a French foreign ministry source said.

Burkina Faso police director general said security units have been deployed to the scene and have urged people to stay away from the area.

In Paris, President Emmanuel Macrons office said the French leader was being informed in real time of the situation.

Burkina Faso is one of a string of fragile countries on the southern rim of the Sahara that are battling jihadist groups.

The insurgency has caused thousands of deaths, prompted tens of thousands to flee their homes and dealt crippling blows to economies that are already among the poorest in the world.

On August 13 last year, two assailants opened fire on a restaurant on Ouagadougous main avenue, killing 19 people and wounded 21. The attack remains unclaimed.

On January 15 2016, 30 people, including six Canadians and five Europeans, were killed in a jihadist attack on a hotel and restaurant in the city centre.

France, the former colonial power in the Sahel region, has deployed 4,000 troops and is supporting a five-country joint force gathering Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The United Nations also has a 12,000-strong peacekeeping force in Mali called MINUSMA, which has taken heavy casualties. Four UN peace

Source: NAN

A female suicide bomber in Buni Yadi, Yobe killed herself and injured three others when a bomb wrapped on her exploded in the early hours of Friday.

An eye witness, who declined to be identified, said the incident occurred during the dawn prayer time at Fulatari ward of Buni Yadi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the injured persons had been taken to hospital and were in stable condition.

Buni Yadi, a former stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents was reclaimed by Nigerias military in 2015 and currently has army formations, including a military training institution.

Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, the spokesman of 3 Division, Nigeria army could not be reached for comments as his phone was switched off. (NAN)

Source: NAN

As the Nigerian government extended to neighbouring countries, the search for the 110 schoolgirls abducted last week in Dapchi, Yobe State, a human rights activist, Mrs Aisha Wakil, claimed a Boko Haram faction had contacted her to confirm it has the girls.

Aisha Wakil, who is also known as Mama Boko Haram, was a member of the Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges Committee in the northern region, set up during the President Goodluck Jonathan era.

In an interview with The News Agency of Nigeria, the activist said the Barnawi faction of Boko Haram contacted her on Thursday.

She added that the abductors confirmed to her that the girls were safe, healthy and in good condition.

In an interview with PRNigeria earlier this week, Wakil had called on the abductors to release the girls to enable them to be reunited with their families.

Wakil, who is said to have communication links with Boko Haram and respected by some leaders of the sect, declared that she was ready to sacrifice her life to rescue the girls.

Wakil said: They are even the ones that called me, and said Mama we heard what you have said and told me that they are with the girls and they are going to release them.

I begged of them and said please let this not be another 1,000-plus days of Chibok girls, and they laughed and said no.

I asked them where I can come and stay with them (girls) for two days, but they did not say anything.

I can assure Nigerians that so far they are with my son Habib and his friends; Habib is a nice guy, he is very nice boy. He will not harm them, he will not touch them, and he will not kill them.

He is going to listen to us, and so far he indicated interest that he loves peace. And I love them for that and believe what they said on this.

They will definitely give us the girls. All I am begging Nigerians is to calm down, be prayerful, everything will be over in God grace.

NAN reports that the activist had at various times participated and played key role in negotiations between the military authorities and Boko Haram insurgents commanders, which facilitated released of numerous abductees from terrorists captivity.

In a statement today, the Federal Government announced it has stepped up the search for the 110 girls to the neighbouring countries.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said top military and security officials on Thursday travelled to the North-east to add more urgency to the search, which has now been extended beyond the North-east theatre.

The officials include the nations top military officer and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Army Staff; Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Alhaji Lawal Daura.

They joined the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who had earlier relocated to the North-east, as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd), who has also visited the theatre.

The Federal Government had earlier released the names and other details of the 110 girls who have yet to be accounted for, following the attack on the GGSTC, Dapchi, Yobe State, on 19 Feb. 2018.

The panel set up by the Federal Government to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the girls was inaugurated on Thursday by the NSA.

Source: NAN

Barclays Africa Group, South Africas No.2 lender by market value, plans to extend its reach throughout the continent, its CEO, Maria Ramos said on Thursday after posting annual profit up nearly 4 percent.

Ramos said the bank, which is changing its name back to South African brand Absa after its split from former parent Barclays, aims to enter Nigeria as it seeks to lift its share of the African market to 12 percent from 6 percent over the medium term.

Finance Director Jason Quinn told Reuters that Nigeria has been in its sights for some time.

We would have to think carefully about how and when to enter the Nigerian market and that is what we are going to start doing, he said.

We have to decide how we enter, whether we acquire or build.

The bank had earlier reported normalised diluted headline earnings per share the primary measure of profit in South Africa, stripping out one-off items up 3.9 pct at 1,837.7 cents for the year to Dec. 31, helped by a 20 percent drop in credit impairments.

Net interest income, a gauge of lending profitability, rose by 1 percent to 42.32 billion rand ($3.56 billion), while its net interest margin was unchanged at 4.95 percent.

Growth in the United States was the positive surprise in the second half, even as Europe, Japan and China grew at or above consensus expectations, the bank said.

This more than made up for slow economic expansion in its main markets, which account for about 80 percent of group income.

Barclays Africa and its rivals have struggled to increase lending as slowing economic growth in many African markets tempers demand from corporate clients while retail clients in its home South African market feel the squeeze from rising interest rates.

However, confidence in its domestic market has been buoyed by the Cyril Ramaphosas elevation to the South African presidency last month, pledging to revitalise the economy.

Barclays Africa said it expects growth in loans and deposits to improve in 2018 and forecast stronger loan growth from the rest of Africa. It also forecast stronger loan growth in corporate and investment banking in South Africa. ($1 = 11.9025 rand)

*Reuters

Source: NAN

Tennis legend, Serena Williams will restart her tennis career on Monday at the BNP Paribas Open in Palm Springs California, but her husband, Alexis Ohanian has lined up four billboards as a surprise for her.

The billboards, erected alongside Interstate 10 are meant to celebrate her return to competitive tennis. And it would appear Alexis designed them with the help of daughter Olympia.

These just went up on alongside I-10 into Palm Springs.

Ben Enwonwus paint of Ile-Ife princess, Adetutu Ademiluyi, known as Tutu, has fetched in a London auction 1, 205,000, four times more than expected.

In naira terms, it was sold for N508, 358, 301, an African record.

The Nigerian masterpiece, initially declared missing was found in a modest north London flat recently.

Bonhams, the auction company announced the record price for the paint, which measuresand was signed by Enwonwu and dated 1974.

The identity of the buyer of the Lot 47 has not been disclosed yet.

There were other Enwonwus paints sold today, but none fetched anything near Tutu.

Enwonwus Fulani Girl fetched 13,125. Children of Onitsha got 11,250.

fetched 12,150, while Dancers got 11,250.

Itachafo Muo, another Enwonwus paint was sold for 18,750.e got 40,000, 100,0000

The other Nigerian artist whose work was also of great reckoning during the auction was Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo. HisEvangelists: Cymbal, Triangle and Tambourine done in 1964, was sold for 56,250.

Bonhams says on its website that Ben Enwonwus portraits of Tutu have achieved a high level of celebrity because the paintings were some of the most enigmatic works produced by a Nigerian artist in the 20th century.

In 1971, Enwonwu, who died in1994, at the age of 77, was appointed the first professor of Fine Art at the University of Ife.

The violence of the Nigerian/Biafran conflict (1967-1970) was still fresh in public consciousness, and academic institutions were tasked with promoting a spirit of national reconciliation. Enwonwu embraced this duty, using Negritude ideology and imagery to explore issues of cultural identity and political contestation that the Nigerian civil war had laid bare. The artist created a number of his most famous works during this period, including three portraits all titled of a young Yoruba woman named Adetutu Ademiluyi, a granddaughter of a previous Ooni (king) of Ife.

Enwonwu frequently made trips to the countryside surrounding Ife, sketching the landscape and recording cultural traditions and practices. It was during one of these visits that he encountered Tutu. He was so impressed by her beauty and unusual features that he asked her parents for permission to paint her. Enwonwu may have also been motivated by her status as a royal princess of Ife he was also of royal lineage, descended from the Umuezearoli of Onitsha. In addition, winning the approval of the Ife royal house would offer the artist protection from any problems arising from his Igbo ethnicity, a contentious issue in post-war Nigeria.

Source: NAN

Rwanda has shut 714 churches in different parts of Kigali over the last one week for failure to meet minimum standards.

New Times of Rwanda reported that the churches were found to lack basic infrastructure, hygiene, safety standards and had issues related to their legal status.

The crackdown is being carried out by respective urban district authorities in partnership with the Rwanda Governance Board, the newspaper said.

Justus Kangwagye, the Head of Political Parties and Civil Society Department at the Rwanda Governance Board, said places of worship are required to meet basic requirements in terms of safety, hygiene, infrastructure and legality which those affected were found to be lacking.

Kangwagye said most of the affected places of worship were asked to halt operations until they meet the expected standards.

Worshiping should be done in an organised way and meet minimum standards. Exercising your freedom of worship should not encroach on other peoples rights. They have been asked to halt operations until they meet the requirements, he said.

Some may not be able to resume operations any time soon, he said.

Kangwagye said some premises exposed worshipers to risks.

For instance, if the infrastructure is deemed likely to cause danger to those worshiping, it is obvious that it fails to meet the requirements, he explained.

Others were found to have inadequacies such as lack of parking lots which would lead to their members parking by the roadsides and causing traffic jam.

Other churches which were closed operated from tents.

Churches that are hosted in tents were also asked to review their premises before they can continue their operations. As for hygiene and sanitation, you cannot have a gathering where there is no water for washing hands, no toilets among other issues, he said.

Others, he added, were warned on the lack of safety and security installations and asked to look into it or risk closure.

Kangwagye explained that setting up a church, requires a temporary certificate which expires after 12 months.

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Source: NAN

Crown-wearing worshippers of World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, United States scared the hell out of people and a school on Wednesday, when they arrived the church, each clutching an AR-15 rifle.

Brides were clad in white and grooms in dark suits, all arriving with dozens of AR-15s, though unloaded.

Inside the church, they drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows in what was called a commitment ceremony, which alsodoubled as an advertisement for the Second Amendment.

Though the state police kept watch as the ceremony unfolded, neighbours were not at ease.

A smattering of protesters stood outside the church and anearby school cancelled classes, the AP reported.

The church, which has a worldwide following, believes the AR-15 symbolizes the rod of iron in the book of Revelation, and encouraged couples to bring the weapons. An AR-15 was used in the Florida high school massacre on Feb. 14.

The Rev. Sean Moon, who leads the church, prayed for a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing.

Moon is the son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, which critics regard as a cult. The younger Moons congregation is a breakaway faction of the Unification Church, which had distanced itself from Wednesdays event.

An attendant checked each weapon at the door to make sure it was unloaded and secured with a zip tie, and the elaborate commitment ceremony went off without a hitch. Some worshippers wore crowns made out of bullets.

Tim Elder, Unification Sanctuarys director of world missions, said the ceremony was meant to be a blessing of couples, not inanimate objects, calling the AR-15 a religious accoutrement.

But Wednesdays event, coming on the heels of the high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17, rubbed emotions raw.

Its scaring people in the community, one protester told a church member. Are you aware of that?

The ceremony prompted Wallenpaupack Area School District to move students at an elementary school down the street to other campuses.

Lisa Desiena, from Scranton, protested outside the church with a sign that called the group an armed religious cult.

She said she owns a gun, but I dont need a freaking assault weapon to defend myself. Only thing theyre good for is killing. Period. Thats all that weapon is good for, mass killing. And you want to bless it? Shame on you.

But Sreymom Ouk, 41, who attended the ceremony with her husband, Sort Ouk, and came with their AR-15, said the weapon is useful for defending her family against sickos and evil psychopaths.

People have the right to bear arms, and in Gods kingdom, you have to protect that, she said. You have to protect against evil.

Reported by AP

Source: NAN

Saudi Arabia began issuing licences Thursday to operate cinemas in the kingdom ahead of their reopening after a decades-long ban was lifted as part of a far-reaching liberalisation drive.

The move is another step towards opening the Saudi market to regional and international theatre chains, which have long eyed the kingdom as the Middle Easts last untapped mass market.

The culture and information ministry said it had finalised the terms of licencing to restore cinema in Saudi Arabia.

Licencing commences immediately, the ministry added in a statement.

The news comes as Dubai-based VOX Cinemas, the leading operator in the Middle East, launches its first public screening in Saudi Arabia, which runs through Saturday and aims to raise awareness about Alzheimers disease.

The screening in Riyadh will feature content from local producers including Myrkott Production and Telfaz Company, VOX said.

Major cinema chains are seeking to break into the market of more than 30 million people, the majority of whom are under 25.

In December, US giant AMC Entertainment signed a non-binding agreement with Saudi Arabias vast Public Investment Fund to build and operate cinemas across the kingdom.

AMC will still face stiff competition from regional heavyweights, including VOX.

The move to reopen cinemas is part of a modernisation drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to balance unpopular subsidy cuts in an era of low oil prices with more entertainment options despite opposition from religious hardliners.

The reform stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the kingdom reels from a protracted slump in oil prices.

Saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see movie shows and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai.

Source: NAN

Its now official: supermodel Naomi Campbell is off the market. And she is dating Britishmusician Skepta, whose real name is Joseph Junior Adenuga.

He is 15 years younger than the fashion icon.

There had been rumour about their relationship, but Naomi, 47, confirmed it via an Instagram post on Thursday, when she shared a GQ cover featuring her and her beau cuddled close while wearing nothing but jewelry.

Skepta is the first man Naomi has beenlinked tosince Egyptian millionaire Louis C. Camilleri in July 2017, the Mail Online reported.

Born Joseph Junior Adenuga on September 19, 1982, Skepta is an English rapper, songwriter and producer. Although he was born in NorthLondon, his parents are Nigerian immigrants.

He made his musical debut in 2007 with the release of his cleverly titled album, Greatest Hits.

Skeptas second album, Microphone Champion, followed in 2009. Both albums were independent releases. By the time his third album, Doin It Again, was released in 2011, he had signed with AATW.

Skepta didnt begin to really draw attention until his fourth album, however. The project, titled Konnichiwa, was released in May 2016. It won him a Mercury Prize. Since gaining notoriety, hes collaborated and performed with major names in the music business like Flatbush Zombies, Wizkid andDrake,Kanye Westand more

The rapper has four siblings, two of whom music aficionados may be familiar with. His one brother is a grime rapper called Jme. Skepta has another sibling, Julie Adenuga, whos a DJ on Beats 1.

In addition to musical pursuits, Skepta founded a clothing company called Mains. The brand dropped its first line in June 2017.

Source: NAN