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U.S. police investigate motive in New Orleans truck attack
Investigators in New Orleans were on Thursday, January 2, 2025, searching for what motivated a United States Army veteran flying an ISIS flag from his truck to plough into a crowd of New Year’s revellers.
15 people were killed, while 30 persons were injured before the assailants died in a shootout with police.
The probe was focused on whether the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas who once served in Afghanistan, had help in planning the deadly attack on a city that will host the NFL Super Bowl next month.
FBI officials said they were also looking for any links between the deadly attack and a separate incident on Wednesday in which a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20.
The New Orleans attack injured about 30 other people, including two police officers wounded by gunfire from the suspect, taking place a mere three hours into the New Year in the historic French Quarter.
The victims included the mother of a 4-year-old who had just moved into a new apartment after getting a promotion at work, a New York financial employee and accomplished student-athlete who was visiting home for the holidays and an 18-year-old aspiring nurse from Mississippi.
“There were people everywhere,” Kimberly Strickland of Mobile, Alabama, said in an interview.
“You just heard this squeal and the rev of the engine and this huge loud impact and then the people screaming and debris – just metal – the sound of crunching metal and bodies,” he added.
Meanwhile, authorities vowed to continue to search for any evidence that Jabbar had accomplices.
One New Year’s Day tradition – the classic college football known as the Sugar Bowl – was rescheduled for Thursday afternoon. Kickoff for the game between Notre Dame and Georgia was put off for nearly 24 hours while police swept parts of the city looking for possible explosive devices and converged on neighborhoods in search of clues.
The city will also host the NFL Super Bowl on February 9, Reuters reported.
Police found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, while two potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter and rendered safe, the FBI said.
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Diphtheria: Reps Direct Education Ministry Education To Strengthen Health, Safety Protocols In Unity Schools
Tokyo police are investigating the tragic killing of a 22-year-old female influencer who was fatally stabbed during a live stream on a public street.
The horrifying incident, which unfolded in real time, left viewers in shock as they witnessed the attack before the screen went dark.
According to local media reports on Wednesday, the suspect, a 42-year-old man believed to be a longtime follower of the influencer, was arrested at the scene. Investigators found multiple stab wounds on the victim’s body, including injuries to her head and neck.
Eyewitnesses reported that the influencer was engaging with her audience when she suddenly screamed for help. Moments later, sirens could be heard in the background as emergency responders arrived.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect had been following the influencer’s content for years and may have deliberately tracked her movements based on details she shared about the live-stream. Authorities believe the attack was premeditated.
The suspect reportedly claimed that he had lent the influencer two million yen (approximately $13,450) but had not been repaid. Police are currently verifying his claims as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are urging social media users to exercise caution regarding their online interactions and personal security.
Operatives of the Police, Department of State Service, and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, on Wednesday, cleared thugs from the Peoples Democratic Party’s headquarters in Abuja.
A party source, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to fear of victimisation, revealed to The PUNCH on Wednesday that the thugs were reportedly recruited to block members of the National Working Committee from entering the party headquarters for their meetings.
The crisis within the PDP has deeply affected all party organs, with recent developments seeing Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye both claiming the position of PDP National Secretary.
While the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary, Anyanwu took the matter to the Supreme Court.
As a result, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on Monday, with the date to be communicated to the parties involved.
“The party staff, with the support of security personnel, confronted the thugs and dispersed them,” the source said.
At the party’s national headquarters, a reporter from The PUNCH noticed a heavy presence of security personnel.
Around six Nigeria Police, DSS, and NSCDC vans were stationed near Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
The Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, is currently leading the NWC meeting, with Ude-Okoye attending as the National Secretary.
Details shortly…
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