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Hours of travel delays end as authorities defuse unexploded WWII bomb near Paris’ Gare du Nord

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The disposal of what Parisian police called an “excessively dangerous” unexploded World War II bomb, caused hours of transportation chaos on Friday on rail and road networks in the French capital.

The disruptions affected both domestic and international trains, with Eurostar high-speed services operating out of Paris’ busy Gare du Nord station to Brussels and London being suspended.

The bomb was dug up overnight, workers labouring on a bridge replacement project spotted the rust-eaten, dirt-covered bomb just before dawn. It was found by an earth-moving machine, which dug it out from a depth of about two metres, between train tracks to the north of Gare du Nord.

FILE – The Gare du Nord train station is pictured on Jan. 11, 2023 in Paris Michel Euler/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

 

French national railway operator – SNCF – notified emergency police units of their discovery, and reported the suspicious object as a potential bomb. Upon closer examination, authorities did confirm that it was in fact a WWII era bomb.

“They just discovered a bomb, an object that seemed a bit strange to them on their site,” said Christophe Pezron, who heads the Paris Police Laboratory – including bomb disposal services.

“A team was sent out immediately, and we identified it as a 500-kilogram English bomb, an extremely dangerous object.”

This photo provided by the Paris Police Prefecture shows a huge unexploded World War II-era bomb that caused transportation chaos in Paris, March 7, 2025 Prefecture de Police/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

 

Authorities say the bomb could have caused major damage had it exploded after workers inadvertently dug it up. They also noted that the task was delicate and required serious expertise to handle with care and urgency.

“It’s always risky. It’s always dangerous to handle something that fell 4-thousand meters from a plane, that contains almost 300 kilos of explosives, and that didn’t work,” added Pezron.

“We don’t know why it didn’t work. So, yes, it’s dangerous, but it’s really the de-miners’ expertise that makes it possible to tackle and handle these objects.”

Travelers wait as Eurostar trains to London and all trains heading to northern France have been brought to a halt following the discovery of an unexploded bomb Christophe Ena/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

 

The bomb was dug up near train tracks north of Paris, forcing a shutdown of the rail network serving Gare du Nord. A portion of the A1 highway – a major road artery into northern Paris – was also closed while police disposal officers worked for approximately 12 hours.

“We’re delighted and relieved that all this has come to an end,” Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot was able to finally declare Friday afternoon — 12 hours after the bomb-disposal police were first called — as roads reopened and rail services were progressively being restored.

“All of the northern part of our country was paralysed,” noted Tabarot.

This photo provided by the Paris Police Prefecture shows police disposal officers near a huge unexploded World War II-era bomb that caused transportation chaos in Paris Prefecture de Police/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

 

Some 500 trains were cancelled in the process, impacting around 600,000 travellers in Gare du Nord alone. Trains carrying passengers from the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium were also suspended, impacting even more travellers.

“I’ve had a long day because I got up before 6 o’clock this morning and got the train from Penzance (Cornwall) to Paddington (London) to catch the Eurostar,” said Tony, a traveller from the UK.

“A lot of the systems that Eurostar are using have crashed. So these are, they did send an email saying the train, you know, about the WWII bomb, and they cancelled the trains. But the link, you couldn’t get through to it because it had all crashed, so really I’m just sitting here (thinking) what to do really.”

“We had to get off in Brussels and so now we are in line trying to figure out how to get to Paris, we’re not sure how we are doing it yet, but we would like to get there today, if possible,” said Gabrielle Cotton, an American tourist, traveling from Amsterdam.

A view of a departures board at St Pancras International station in London, Friday March 7, 2025 James Manning/AP

 

Passengers queue and wait near departures for Eurostar services at St Pancras International station in London, Friday March 7, 2025 Frank Augstein/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

 

France is no stranger to unexploded WWI and WWII bombs. Authorities regularly locate and destroy them – but, they’re usually not found in busy and urban areas.

Police say the bomb identified was a 500kg English bomb from WWII, the largest calibre bomb the Allies used from their arsenal which was consisted of 125, 250 and 500 kg bomb.

The bomb located near the Parisian train station is capable of causing extensive damage. Experts say a single bomb has a damage radius exceeding 1,000 metres. Authorities are thankful the lengthy defusal operation was successful and a major tragedy was avoided.

France’s Interior Ministry says that 700,000 air-dropped bombs and nearly 50 million mines, shells and other explosive devices were defused by disposal teams since the end of the Second World War. It is not clear how many WWI and WWII bombs are still left.

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EFCC Arrests Kano TikTok Influencer, Murja Kunya for Alleged Naira Mutilation

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Operatives of the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, have arrested popular TikTok influencer, Murja Ibrahim Kunya, for allegedly abusing and mutilating the Naira.

Specifically, Kunya was arrested for allegedly spraying Naira notes for fun during her stay in a hotel room at Tahir Guest Palace in Kano. The arrest followed her diligent pursuit by EFCC operatives after she jumped an administrative bail granted her by the Commission over one month ago.

She was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Act which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the Naira. She was granted an administrative bail by the Commission pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano. However, when it was time for her court appearance, Kunya absconded, evading the legal processes.

However, after weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday March 16, 2025. She was subsequently conveyed to the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Commission, where she is currently in custody awaiting her arraignment.

The EFCC reiterates its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the Nigerian currency and warned against acts of abuse including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency during social events.

Visit efcc.gov.ng for more stories.

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Peruvian farmer takes German energy giant RWE to court over melting glaciers

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ourists walk in front of the Tuco glacier in Huascaran National Park. AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File
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Alandmark climate case brought by a Peruvian farmer against energy giant RWE resumes today (17 March) at the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, Germany.

Saul Luciano Lliuya is a Quechua-speaking farmer and mountain guide from Peru’s Ancash region. The 44-year-old believes that RWE, as one of the world’s top historic greenhouse gas emitters, should share in the cost of protecting his hometown, Huaraz, from a swollen glacial lake at risk of overflowing due to melting snow and ice.

The hearings will determine what evidence will be permissible in the final trial, which will rule on whether RWE – which has never operated in Peru – can be held liable for damages.

RWE denies legal responsibility, arguing that climate change is a global issue caused by many contributors.

What is the case about?

Lliuya first challenged RWE after a 2013 Carbon Majors Study found the company responsible for 0.5 per cent of climate change since industrialisation began in the 1850s.

He is asking for the company to pay for about 0.5 per cent of the cost of protecting Huaraz from the imminent risk of flooding and overflow from Lake Palcacocha. That amount has been tallied at around €17,000.

“What I am asking is for the company to take responsibility for part of the construction costs, such as a dike in this case,” he told reporters in Lima in early March before departing for Germany.

In 2015, Lliuya filed a suit against the company that was later dismissed by a court in Essen. In 2017, a higher court in Hamm admitted an appeal.

Following pandemic-induced delays, the initial hearings are now taking place.

What does it mean for global corporations?

The case is ground-breaking in every way.

RWE insists it has always complied with government guidelines on greenhouse gasemissions and aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040. Yet its historical contribution to a warming planethas put it in the crosshairs, raising questions about corporate accountability for climate change and cross-border legal responsibilities.

“Never before has a case of climate justice reached an evidentiary stage,” Andrea Tang, a lawyer for Germanwatch, the environmental NGO supporting Lliuya, said in Lima.

She added that the case “would set a huge precedent for the future of climate justice.”

With more than 40 climate damages cases ongoing worldwide, according to not-for-profit research group Zero Carbon Analytics, Lliuya’s case has major precedent setting potential.

How a Peruvian farmer captured global headlines

Before the case even reached this stage, it had already commanded global attention.

For one, Lliuya had never left Peru before he decided to take RWE to court. His efforts also brought European experts to Peru.

Following diplomatic talks, judges from Germany visited Huaraz and Lake Palcacocha – about 4,500 metres above sea level in the Andes – in 2022. Surrounded by dozens of journalists and documentary film teams, they assessed the potential risk to the village.

While Lliuya has won the legal battle to have his case tried, it is yet to be seen if that visit also won the judges over to his side of the scientific argument.

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Newly married couple d!es in Otedola Bridge gas tanker explosion

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A newlywed couple, Dozie and Joan Okoye, d!ed in the gas explosion on the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It was gathered that the couple got married on February 22, 2025.

According to reports, Dozie and Joan were on the way home when their phone lines suddenly became reachable.

After searching for them at the Burns Center in Gbagada and Yaba Mortuary, their charred remains were finally found on Wednesday evening.

The only identification was their car’s registration number, which was found among the burnt vehicles.

The explosion, which occurred at 8:08 pm on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, was caused by a 30-tonne tanker carrying gas products, said to be owned by a nearby gas station.

The blast severely affected a Dental Clinic, while the generator house and security post of a nearby church building also sustained significant damage.

Responders recovered four charred bodies, including that of an auto mechanic identified as Rotimi Adeleye.

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