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Spain PM announces fresh flood aid of almost 3.8 bn euros

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Spain on Monday announced fresh measures worth almost 3.8 billion euros to help stricken citizens recover from the country’s worst floods in a generation that have killed 222 people.

But Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez postponed the reckoning for Spain’s political class after tens of thousands of protesters demanded accountability for the disaster, saying the debate must follow the recovery.

The exceptional Mediterranean storm that lashed Spain two weeks ago particularly devastated the wealthy eastern Valencia region, which has suffered most of the deaths and destruction.

The torrents of muddy water wrecked roads and railways, tossed cars, gutted shops and submerged fields, with the final bill expected to soar to tens of billions of euros.

Sanchez on Monday unveiled a second aid package worth 3.76 billion euros ($4 billion) to reinforce aid worth 10.6 billion euros announced last week.

Compensation will be streamlined and extended to cover more residents and property, while farmers will also receive fresh aid totalling 200 million euros, the left-wing premier told a news conference.

Sanchez has compared the measures to the state’s intervention to prop up the economy during the Covid-19 crisis.

The government “will be there with all the necessary resources and for as long as it takes”, he said.

Last week’s aid included support for small and midsize businesses, self-employed workers and households that have suffered deaths, incapacity and damage to homes and belongings.

Tax relief, a three-month postponement to repaying mortgages and loans and central government spending on the immense clean-up work facing local councils were also announced.

Thousands of soldiers, police officers, civil guards and emergency services are repairing wrecked infrastructure, distributing relief and searching for dozens of missing people.

– Regional leader admits ‘errors’ –

Widespread anger at the authorities for their perceived mismanagement before and after the floods triggered mass protests on Saturday, the largest in Valencia city which drew 130,000 people.

Demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Sanchez and the Valencia region’s leader Carlos Mazon as details emerge about the confusion enveloping the regional and central governments during the crisis.

But the government said it was focused on reconstruction.

“Later will come the political debate about what things we must improve in the face of this climate emergency”, Sanchez said.

Mazon on Monday conceded that “errors may have been committed” and that “everyone” would be obliged to review them.

Although Mediterranean storms are common for the time of year, scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme weather events.

Spain’s national weather service AEMET has forecast another storm bringing heavy rains over the Valencia region this week.

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Man confesses to po!soning his mother, grandmother, sister and niece to d3ath for money ritual@l in Enugu

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Man confesses to po!soning his mother, grandmother, sister and niece to d3ath for money ritual@l in Enugu
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A young man identified as Anaegbuachara, has allegedly confessed to k!lling his mother, grandmother, sister and niece for money ritu@l purpose in Amaeze village, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The suspect, who made the confession on Monday, November 25, 2024, said he k!lled the victims with poison-laced food.

Ekwutosblog had reported that that the incident occurred on Sunday, September 1, 2024.

The victims had shared a meal the previous night before going to bed.

The woman identified as Mama Chijioke Amaeze, had brought her ailing mother to her home and had been caring for her before the incident.

Enugu media personality, who reported the earlier case, said the suspect confessed to committing the crime as instructed by a native doctor that lives in Agbani area of Nsukka but hails from Kogi State.

He claimed that his friend identified simply as ‘Morroco, connected him to the native doctor, who prepared the poison for him.

According to the suspect, the native doctor instructed him to sacrifice his mother in exchange for wealth.

However, his sister and her too children visited their mother and also ate the poisoned food.

“He was instructed to poison and kîll his mother only and that same day he was instructed to carry out the devlîsh act the grandma, sister and 2 sister’s child visited and they all ate the food he poisoned together that’s how they all d!ed,” Chijinkem Ugwuanyi wrote.

“The only surviving one among them is a kid of around 9yrs and he was taken to hospital but since then he is mentally unstable and indirectly running mâd at the moment.

“He confessed to the crime yesterday and asked for forgiveness.”

A video he posted shows the suspected being paraded around the community before he was taken to his mother’s tomb where he knelt to beg for her forgiveness.

It was gathered that the native doctor has been arrested.

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Ukraine braces for the worse

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Ukraine is bracing for the worst ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.

The billionaire, who has promised to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia “within 24 hours,” has threatened to halt U.S. military support to Kyiv if Ukraine refuses to negotiate peace with its adversary.

“We’re getting ready for the worst-case scenario, when [Trump] stops all the supplies,” Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told Al Jazeera.

Trump’s peace plan remains vague for now, but some experts speculate it could involve allowing Russia to keep the Ukrainian territories it has occupied, which amount to 19% of Ukraine’s land.

If Kyiv refuses to engage in peace talks, Donald Trump has vowed to cut military aid. However, he has also suggested he might supply Ukraine with better weapons if Moscow rejects peace negotiations.

Despite these threats, Ukraine anticipates that Trump’s stance may shift depending on how the conflict evolves.

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Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty on 16-Count Charge Before FCT High Court.

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Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty on 16-Count Charge Before FCT High Court.
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Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty on 16-Count Charge Before FCT High Court.

Former Governor of Kogi state Yahaya Bello has entered a plea of not guilty to a 16 count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial crimes commission when he was arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja.

Judiciary correspondent Austin Anyebe reports that the Alleged charges include misappropriation and misuse of public funds including acquiring multiple high value properties in Maitama and Asokoro districts of Abuja, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The funds allegedly misused amount to billions of naira.

Bello and two others are accused of breaching public trust and engaged in dishonest and financial recklessness during his days in office.

EFCC operatives have been on the trail of the Former Governor since he left office in 2023 before he submitted himself to the Anti-graft agency on Monday.

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