A dramatic hostage ordeal at a bank in western Germany ended with a special police unit freeing two people from a vault unharmed, but the suspects had already vanished and remained at large, police said. When officers moved into the branch in Sinzig, they found no trace of the attackers, according to police. Investigators now believe that "immediately after locking the individuals in the vault, the perpetrator or perpetrators left the scene by means as yet unknown", authorities said in a statement. The incident began at…

Pressure is mounting on Europe to respond to a flashpoint project in the occupied West Bank, with nearly 450 former EU ministers, ambassadors and senior officials urging member states and EU institutions to move against Israel’s planned construction of a controversial Jewish settlement that critics say would cut East Jerusalem off from the main Palestinian population centres. In their appeal, the signatories urged member states to impose targeted sanctions on all individuals and entities involved in what they described as…

The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance is refuting claims made by the World Bank regarding alleged undisclosed expenditures and the misallocation of federal revenue. Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, has characterized these allegations as a misunderstanding of the situation. He emphasized that media narratives indicating a substantial portion of federal earnings is being improperly channeled are not only incorrect but also misleading. This clarification comes as the ministry addresses interpretations of the…

French police foiled what authorities described as an apparent bomb attack outside a US bank in Paris early Saturday, arresting a man seconds before he could trigger a homemade explosive device, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The incident unfolded at around 3.30am local time, or 1.30am Irish time, in front of a Bank of America building in the city’s upscale 8th arrondissement, just a couple of streets from the Champs-Elysees. One of the sources said officers detained the suspect shortly after he had…

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian couple and their two young children in the town of Tammun in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said Saturday, as violence flared across the territory and in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry said four members of one family — a 37-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and two boys ages 5 and 7 — arrived at the Turkish Public Hospital in Tubas with gunshot wounds after troops opened fire on their vehicle. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams recovered the…

Museveni joins Salaam Bank to launch Uganda’s first Islamic insurance company KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday inaugurated Tamini General Insurance alongside Salaam Bank, unveiling Uganda’s first Shari’ah-compliant insurer and marking a new chapter for Islamic finance in the country. The launch at Millennium Park in Kampala coincided with an iftar dinner attended by senior government officials and leaders of the Muslim community. Tamini General Insurance, a subsidiary of Salaam Group, will operate on…

Ukraine will need roughly €500 billion to rebuild from Russia’s war, a joint assessment by the World Bank, United Nations and European Union said, putting a price tag nearly three times the country’s annual economic output on nationwide recovery as the conflict enters its fifth year. The estimate — about $588 billion — is 12% higher than last year’s figure, reflecting a winter of relentless strikes on the power grid that left millions without heat or electricity. The damage tally runs through the end of December, the report…

Top UN official warns of ‘gradual de facto annexation’ as Israel tightens West Bank control; Al‑Aqsa access curbed for Ramadan A senior United Nations official warned the Security Council that recent Israeli steps to expand control over parts of the occupied West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority amount to “gradual de facto annexation,” escalating diplomatic tensions as Ramadan begins with new limits on access to Jerusalem’s Al‑Aqsa Mosque. “We are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank, as…

Israel has approved a process to register land in the occupied West Bank as “state property,” prompting swift condemnation from Arab governments, the United Nations and the European Union, which warned the move would further entrench Israeli control and undercut prospects for a Palestinian state. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the measure, approved late Sunday, is meant to enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes” following what it called unlawful land registration in areas…

Somalia’s development bank taps Deloitte for first-ever audit as it pivots from aid to investment The Somali Development and Reconstruction Bank has hired Deloitte for its first external audit, a landmark step for the state-owned lender as it seeks to cement transparency, strengthen governance and attract global investor confidence. SDRB said the independent audit began in December and will culminate in a published report in early 2026. The engagement with Deloitte covers not only financial statements but also internal…