Month: September 2023

France super-star Paul Pogba was questioned Friday (Sep. 15) alongside five acquaintances and childhood friends suspected of involvement in a March 2022 extortion attempt against him.

The joint questioning session at the Paris criminal court is the latest step in an investigation into a March 2022 break-in at the Juventus midfielder’s home, just one of a string of woes including a provisional suspension this week for doping.

Two intruders held Pogba, 30, against his will demanding 13 million euros ($14 million at today’s rates).

Accounts of the night’s events differ between the five men, charged with armed extorsion and criminal conspiracy, and World Cup-winner Pogba himself.

The sixth suspect, Pogba’s older brother Mathias, was not present at the court on Friday morning.

Investigators believe he pressured Paul for months to pay the sum demanded — which Mathias denies — but was not there at the time of the March 19-20 break-in.

“The only people who can hurt you are the people who are close to you,” Paul Pogba told Al Jazeera in a recent interview.

“They’re the ones who can destroy you.”

A criminal team

The investigating magistrate will also be able to compare the different versions of events given by suspects in records of their questioning seen by Africanewguru.com.

It remains unclear who participated in a dinner on the night of March 19, whether Pogba was forcibly moved to another apartment that same night, and whether his phone was taken away or simply shut down in a “habit” the group of friends had — a claim made by Roushdane K., one of the main suspects.

The intruders’ method of access into Pogba’s living room is also unknown.

Among the five suspects are three of Paul Pogba’s childhood friends and two other old acquaintances from their neighbourhood.

A police summary of the case seen by our source describes them as “a criminal team made up of childhood friends alongside an individual with a confirmed criminal profile, Roushdane, with the aim of embezzling 13 million euros from Paul, who cut them off financially at the beginning of the year”.

All five have denied involvement in individual questioning.

Roushdane K. claimed he was afraid for his own safety, calling himself a “victim” and saying he had been shot over Pogba’s failure to pay up.

Pogba’s questioning comes days after the midfielder, once the world’s most expensive footballer, was provisionally suspended for a doping violation.

Italian anti-doping authority NADO said Monday that his tests showed elevated levels of testosterone.

Since returning to Juventus in July last year, he has started only one match after suffering a serious knee injury in pre-season.

US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is under investigation in South Africa for allegedly charging “excessive” prices for a key tuberculosis drug, the country’s antitrust regulator said on Friday.

The South African Competition Commission said J&J’s Belgian subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, was also under investigation.

The Commission, which regulates marketing practices, said it opened an investigation this week based on reports that the companies ” may have engaged in exclusionary practices and excessive pricing” of bedaquiline , a tuberculosis drug sold under the brand name Sirturo.

The Competition Commission declined to give further details of its investigation, but health groups in South Africa say bedaquiline is priced more than twice as much as in other middle- or middle-income countries. weak.

Bedaquiline was approved in 2012 and is used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis.

South Africa desperately needs it, as this infectious disease is the leading cause of death, with more than 50,000 deaths in 2021. South Africa has more than 7 million people living with HIV, more than any other country in the world.

According to the World Health Organization, almost a third of deaths among people with HIV/AIDS are due to tuberculosis.

According to the WHO, tuberculosis cases increased globally in 2021 for the first time in years.

J&J has previously faced calls to cut prices for bedaquiline and said last month it would provide a six-month course of treatment for one patient through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Medicines Facility, for a cost of 130 dollars.

The South African government buys bedaquiline directly from J&J and Janssen, not through the TB scheme, and pays about $280 for a six-month course of treatment for one patient, according to Professor Norbert Ndjeka , who leads the management and control of tuberculosis within the national ministry of health.

Mr Ndjeka said South Africa had recently reached a new two-year deal with J&J for bedaquiline at a price of just over $280 per treatment, according to a report on the News24 website.

The Competition Commission said it was confirming the investigation due to increased media interest, but it did not respond to requests for comment or further information about the investigation.

The investigation comes a week after a health advocacy group released details of South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts with numerous pharmaceutical companies, including J&J and US company Pfizer. This information was obtained after the group, Health Justice Initiative, won a freedom of information case in court.

The group says contracts show J&J billed South Africa for a vaccine dose 15% higher than that charged to the much wealthier European Union.

Pfizer charged South Africa more than 30% more per vaccine than the African Union, even as South Africa scrambled to acquire doses and the number of COVID-19 infections was higher there than anywhere else on the continent.

In the contract, South Africa was to pay Pfizer $40 million up front for the doses, with only $20 million refundable if the vaccines were not delivered, the Health Justice Initiative said .

J&J also required a non-refundable deposit of $27.5 million.

Pfizer reported record revenue of $100.3 billion in 2022. J&J had revenue of $94.9 billion last year.

Pope Francis used his weekly audience to pray for the victims of the flooding in Libya and for the people of Morocco hit by a deadly earthquake.

He made a heartfelt appeal on Wednesday, expressing his hope that God would grant the two countries and its people “strength to recover after this terrible ‘ambush’ they have endured ,” Vatican News reported today.

“My thoughts are with the people of Libya hit hard by violent rains that caused flooding and inundation, causing numerous deaths and injuries as well as extensive damage.”

The magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Morocco’s Al Haouz region on Friday caused massive destruction in several Moroccan regions, including Ouarzazate, Taroudant, and Chichaou a, among others

“My thoughts go out to the noble Moroccan people who have suffered these earthquakes. Let us pray for Morocco, let us pray for the inhabitants that the Lord will give them the strength to recover after this terrible ‘ambush’ they have been through.”

Countries across the world have rushed to offer support, including Spain, the UK, and Qatar, which have deployed teams to assist in rescue operations.

Many other countries, such as Egypt, Germany, and India, have expressed their willingness to provide aid.

Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing in the impacted communities. However, the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains has posed considerable challenges for the rescue teams in their mission.

This was further exacerbated by the dispersed nature of the affected population, living in small, remote villages scattered throughout Morocco’s mountainous regions.

In addition, the disaster has made the already narrow roads impassable, making it difficult for relief teams to reach the earthquake-stricken population.

The tragic earthquake was the strongest and deadliest quake to hit Morocco in decades, according to the US Geological Survey. Its impact was felt in Algeria, Mauritania, Spain, and Portugal.

Nigeria experienced a nationwide power outage Thursday after the country’s electrical grid collapsed due to technical failures, the West African nation’s electricity distribution companies reported.

The outage affected all of Nigeria’s 36 states and the capital city of Abuja. The grid has collapsed multiple times, and it was not clear when power would be restored.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which supplies electricity to southeastern Nigeria, issued a statement announcing a “total system” collapse. “Due to this development … we are unable to provide service to our customers,” company spokesperson Emeka Ezeh said.

Such power failures are common in Nigeria which battles with dilapidated energy infrastructure that has caused frequent power outages.

“Power supply shall be restored as soon as the national grid is powered back,” the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, which supplies power to parts of northern Nigeria, said in a statement Thursday.

Oil-rich but energy-poor Nigeria generates a daily average of 4,000 megawatts of electricity  some of which it is unable to distribute for a population of more than 210 million people, far from the 30,000 megawatts a day authorities have said it needs.

The inadequate power supply leaves millions of residents relying on gasoline-powered generators for electricity. However, gasoline prices have more than doubled this year after the government ended decades-long subsidies, and many households and businesses have struggled to find an alternative source of power supply.

Tunisia has banned a delegation from the European Parliament from entering its territory, provoking strong reactions from MEPs, some of whom have called for the suspension of the migration agreement concluded between the EU and Tunis.

Signed with great fanfare in July in Tunis, this partnership is notably supposed to reduce the number of migrants leaving the Tunisian coast in exchange for European aid of several hundred million euros.

The delegation made up of five MEPs, including three French, was to go to Tunis on Thursday “to better understand the current political situation” and take stock of this agreement.

Led by the German Michael Gahler (EPP, Christian Democrat), she was to meet members of civil society, trade unionists and representatives of the Tunisian opposition.

In a letter addressed to the EU delegation in Tunis, which our source was able to consult, the Tunisian authorities limit themselves to indicating that these deputies of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament will “not be authorized to enter the national territory” .

“This attitude is unprecedented since the democratic revolution of 2011 ,” reacted the latter, demanding a “detailed explanation” in Tunis. The Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament immediately called for the “immediate” suspension of this “migratory partnership” .

A Commission spokesperson, questioned about the impact of the Tunisian decision, expressed her “surprise” on Thursday , but judged that the continuation of the dialogue was “even more important in the face of the unprecedented challenges we are encountering” .

“It’s both surprising and exceptional ,” reacted French MEP Mounir Satouri (Greens), member of this delegation, interviewed by journalist.

“I expect from European leaders a firm response and frank support for our institution ,” said another French MEP, Emmanuel Maurel (left), also a member of this delegation.

During her State of the Union speech on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cited this partnership as an example, which was however criticized by some MEPs.

“It’s a model that makes us dependent on autocratic systems which can then blackmail us ,” lamented French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann (Socialists and Democrats group).

“We have already had experience with Turkey. With these agreements we are putting ourselves in the hands of the States, and we are opening the way to blackmail. This is not the right solution,” declared French elected official Valérie Hayer ( Renew Europe, centrists and liberals).

The Commission defended this agreement this week, arguing that it had allowed an increase in boat interceptions and rescues.

But he is criticized on the one hand by the left and the Greens, who denounce the authoritarianism of President Kais Saied and the abuses suffered by sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia. On the right and the far right, however, MEPs consider its implementation insufficient to reduce the number of migrant arrivals in Europe.

Tunisia is, along with Libya , the main departure point for thousands of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean towards Europe, and arriving in Italy.

Ms von der Leyen went to Tunis on the occasion of the signing of this agreement, accompanied by the heads of government of Italy Giorgia Meloni and the Dutch Mark Rutte .

After the 2015 migration crisis , EU countries concluded an agreement with Ankara aimed at curbing the arrival of migrants to Europe, in return for a heavy financial compensation – part of the 6 billion euros then promised must still be provided.

Mali’s ruling junta has cancelled celebrations planned for next week to mark the anniversary of the country’s independence.

The announcement was made public Wednesday following a council of ministers.

Last year, Guinea’s ruling military leader attended the military parade organized for the festivities of Mali’s 62nd independence anniversary.

During Wednesday’s council of ministers, Mali’s military leader ordered the government to allocate the funds planned for this year’s festivities to help victims of a series of recent attacks and their families.

The council also discussed the possible mobilisation of reservists.

The announcement of “sober” independence anniversary coincides with a renewed military activity by the Tuareg separatists, and a succession of attacks attributed mainly to the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist alliance Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM).

On Tuesday, Tuareg armed separatist groups launched an offensive against army positions in the garrison town of Bourem, which the army said it had repelled.

The two sides provided contradictory reports of events, but both reported dozens of deaths.

An attack on a passenger boat on the Niger River, blamed on jihadists, left dozens of civilians dead last week.

These events take place under the backdrop of the ongoing withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission to Mali.

Mali was plunged into turmoil in 2012 after a separatists and Islamist insurrections broke out in the north.

Goita expressed his “deep distress” at the losses caused by “the savage and barbaric attack against the boat (and) the assaults on the camps in the towns of Bamba, Gao and Bourem”, the council of ministers said.

It was his first public remarks on the boat attack.

The European Commission defended on Tuesday in the face of criticism from MEPs the migration partnership signed in July with Tunisia, saying that cooperation with this country had led to an increase this year in boat interceptions and rescues.

Tunisia is, along with Libya , the main departure point for thousands of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean to Europe, arriving in Italy.

The EU-Tunisia memorandum of understanding is criticized on the one hand by the left and the Greens, who denounce the authoritarianism of President Kais Saied and the abuses suffered by sub-Saharan migrants in this country. On the right and the far right, however, MEPs consider its implementation insufficient to reduce the number of migrant arrivals in Europe.

At a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi acknowledged that “a number of recent developments were worrying “.

But “the difficult situation of migrants stuck in border regions (Tunisia with Libya and Algeria) or the high number of irregular arrivals (in the EU) illustrate the urgency of redoubled efforts and cooperation closely in this matter ,” he said.

“This is precisely one of the reasons why this new global and strategic partnership with Tunisia is necessary ,” he continued.

He indicated that this year, “thanks to cooperation” with the EU, the Tunisian coast guard had carried out “nearly 24,000 interceptions of boats” carrying migrants, “compared to 9,376 in 2022” .

“In 2022, 32,459 lives were saved by the Tunisian border guards and coast guards. This year, we are already close to 50,000 lives saved thanks to this cooperation,” he assured .

The European Commissioner indicated that “the emphasis was placed on rapid implementation” of this partnership, also relating in particular to macro-economic stability , trade and investments.

“The socio-economic situation (in Tunisia) makes it all the more relevant for the European Union to engage strongly in the region ,” he said.

“This partnership is important in the long term, but it must also produce results in the short term ,” said Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers (EPP, right). “We are in September and already the number of arrivals in Europe via the central Mediterranean is at the same level as for the whole of last year ,” he said.

Frenchman Thierry Mariani (ID, far right) judged that there was an “urgent need to finalize” this partnership. Among the Greens, the Dutch Tineke Strik denounced a “dirty deal with the implacable dictator Saied” , which “incites violence against black migrants” .

“The EU cannot finance an authoritarian regime to outsource the management of migration with the sole aim of satisfying the right-wing forces in Europe ,” said Portuguese socialist MEP Pedro Marques.

Egypt’s Ministry of Education has banned the wearing of full-face veils in public and public schools, a decision that sparked debate on Tuesday on social networks in the country’s most populous Arab country.

On Monday, the government newspaper Akhbar al-Youm published the new decree on school uniforms, which bans primary and secondary school pupils from “covering their faces”.

The decree states that the headscarf is “optional”, depending on “the wishes of the pupil, without pressure or coercion from anyone other than the legal guardian, who must be informed of this choice”.

While the majority of Egyptian women wear the headscarf, the niqab remains in the minority in this overwhelmingly Muslim country.

“People are angry because the government has given no justification, it’s a tyrannical decision that invades privacy”, Mohammed reacted on X (ex-Twitter).

“No one is angry except supporters of the Taliban and the Islamic State (EI),” retorted al-Masri on the same network.

Ahmed Moussa, a talk-show host and fervent supporter of Abdel Fattah al-Sissi’s regime, hailed “an important first step towards destroying extremism and correcting the situation in education, which has become a hideout for Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups”.

Since Mr Sissi deposed President Mohamed Morsi – a member of the Muslim Brotherhood – in 2013, the Brotherhood, which has been declared a “terrorist” organisation, has been banned and its members and leaders have been killed in their hundreds and imprisoned in their thousands.

For Internet users, however, the problem of education in a country of 105 million inhabitants crushed by inflation and public debt lies elsewhere.”Is the niqab responsible for overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated equipment and teachers’ difficulties?” asked another user ironically.

At the end of 2015, Cairo University, one of Egypt’s oldest and most prestigious universities, banned its female lecturers from wearing the niqab, a decision upheld in 2020 by a Cairo administrative court.

The strictest form of the Islamic veil, the niqab is generally black, revealing only the eyes through a slit.