Knife attacker near Paris leaves mother, sister dead

Published

6 years ago

August 23, 2018

Two people were killed and one “badly injured” in a knife attack Thursday morning in Trappes, a suburb west of Paris, according to France’s National Police.

The attacker was also killed, police said.

“After the attack, he ran into a house to hide. He left shortly afterward and threatened police before being neutralized,” police said.

Authorities have not yet given an indication of motive for the attack. The matter may have been a family dispute, CNN’s French affiliate BFM-TV reported.

The two people who were killed were the attacker’s mother and sister, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry told CNN.

Interior Minister Gérard Collomb told reporters in Trappes that “the attacker had serious psychiatric problems” and that he “was known for being a terror apologist.”

“He was someone who was unstable rather than committed to terrorism and who might respond to a call from ISIS,” he said.

The attacker was on the File for the Prevention of Terrorist Radicalization, a targeted watch list which focuses on would-be jihadists.

The person who was seriously injured was not a member of the family, Collomb added. The police investigation continues, he said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq media outlet but did not provide any evidence to support the claim.

The anti-terror Paris prosecution office has not yet opened an investigation into the attack, as is customary if there is a strong indication of a link to terrorism.

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Swiss company Mercuria partners Zambia’s IDC in new metals trading firm

Published

3 days ago

December 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by Swiss commodities trader, Mercuria, on Thursday, it has established a metals trading arm with Zambia, the second-largest producer of copper in Africa.

The trading unit is jointly owned by Mercuria and an arm of Zambia’s Industrial Development Company (IDC), and its purpose is to allow Zambia to engage directly in the minerals trading market.

The joint venture “envisages the establishment of a vehicle to market and trade Zambian copper by mutual leverage,” according to a statement from Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of IDC.

The southern African nation wants to increase copper output to roughly 3 million metric tonnes within the next ten years, and in 2023, it produced roughly 698,000 tonnes of copper, down from 763,000 metric tonnes the year before.

In June, the Zambian government announced that it would establish a minerals trading unit.

Investors including First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Gold are ramping up production, with output set to receive a further boost once Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines restart activity.

“Our joint venture with IDC marks a significant milestone for Zambia as it positions itself more strategically in the global minerals market,” Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said in the statement.

Musings From Abroad

Blinken to reveal UN Sudan funding additions

Published

4 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Additional financing for humanitarian aid to Sudan and initiatives to strengthen civil society in the nation, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, will be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken will make many announcements when he leads a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on Thursday, which will centre on humanitarian aid and civilian protection, Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Price, the announcements would include more money for humanitarian help, initiatives to strengthen civil society, and the return of democracy.

“Sudan, unfortunately, has risked becoming a forgotten conflict,” Price said.

“So part of the reason the secretary … opted to convene a signature event on this very topic is to make sure it remains in the spotlight,” Price said.

For almost 18 months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have been engaged in combat, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced over 12 million people from their homes and made it difficult for U.N. organisations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces preceded a planned shift to civilian administration, which sparked the conflict in April 2023.

Although the army declined to join this year’s U.S.-mediated peace negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties did pledge to increase assistance access, which prevented any movement towards a ceasefire.

Price stated that before President Joe Biden’s term ends next month, the United States would keep collaborating with allies to enhance humanitarian access in Sudan and eventually end hostilities.

“We are going to leave nothing on the field in our efforts to work with allies, with partners, with the Sudanese stakeholders themselves, on the issues that matter most – humanitarian access, the provision of humanitarian assistance, ultimately, the process by which we can work to get to a cessation of hostilities, which is most urgently needed,” he said.