International News
National Day Of Mourning In Russia After Concert Hall Massacre
Russia was observing a national day of mourning on Sunday after a massacre in a Moscow concert hall killed more than 130 people, the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to punish those behind the “barbaric terrorist attack”, saying four gunmen trying to flee to Ukraine had been arrested.
Kyiv has strongly denied any connection, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Putin of trying to shift the blame onto them.
“The whole country is in mourning with those who lost their loved ones in this inhumane tragedy,” public television channel Russia 24 said on Sunday morning.
Putin, in his only public remarks on the attack, did not refer to IS’s claims of responsibility.
At least 133 people were killed when camouflaged gunmen stormed the Crocus City Hall, in Moscow’s northern suburb of Krasnogorsk, and then set fire to the building on Friday evening.
– ‘Machine guns, knives, firebombs’ –
The Islamic State group on Saturday wrote on Telegram that the attack was “carried out by four IS fighters armed with machine guns, a pistol, knives and firebombs,” as part of “the raging war” with “countries fighting Islam”.
A video lasting about a minute and a half shot by the gunmen has been posted on social media accounts typically used by IS, according to the SITE intelligence group.
The video appears to have been filmed from the lobby of the concert venue and shows several individuals with blurred faces and garbled voices, firing assault rifles with inert bodies strewn on the floor and a fire starting in the background.
The attack was the deadliest in Russia since the Beslan school siege in 2004.
Russian officials expect the death toll to rise further, with 110 still in hospital.
Rescue workers were still pulling bodies from the burnt-out building on Sunday as the nation mourned.
The emergency ministry has so far named 29 of the victims, the blaze has complicated the process of identification.
The ministry on Sunday posted a video of heavy equipment arriving at the venue to dismantle damaged structures and clear debris.
– ‘Morally crushed’ –
On the streets of the capital on Sunday, there was shock and grief.
“It is a tragedy. I was morally crushed,” Ruslana Baranovskaya, 35, told AFP.
“People don’t smile … everybody feels the loss,” said 73-year-old Valentina Karenina, a pensioner, standing on a street off Red Square, next to the Kremlin in the centre of Moscow.
Museums, theatres and cinemas around the country closed, and billboards were replaced with memorial posters.
Mourners continued to stream to the concert hall in northwest Moscow to lay flowers as a tribute to the victims.
More than 5,000 people donated blood following the attack, officials said, with many standing in long queues outside clinics.
Putin on Saturday had vowed “retribution and oblivion” to the “terrorists, murderers and non-humans” who carried out the “barbaric, terrorist attack.”
Several of his allies have called for the country to lift a moratorium on the death penalty — demands that have sparked concern among Kremlin critics.
Russia says it has arrested 11 in connection with the attack, including all four assailants. It has not named the shooters but said they were all foreign nationals.
– Putin points to Ukraine –
Putin has pointed to a Ukraine connection and has not publicly addressed IS’s claim of responsibility in the 36 hours since the attack.
“They tried to escape and were travelling towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border,” Putin said of the four attackers in a televised address to the nation on Saturday — his only public comments so far.
Ukraine’s Zelensky, in his own evening address Saturday, dismissed the suggestion that Kyiv had been involved.
“Putin and the other scum are just trying to blame it on someone else,” he said.
In Moscow, some doubted his claims that Ukraine was involved.
“I’m not inclined to the version about Ukraine’s involvement … this (attack) is more like those committed by Islamist extremists,” said Vomik Aliyev, a 22-year-old Muslim who often went to the concert hall.
– Site search to continue –
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the death toll had reached 133 and the governor of the Moscow region said rescuers would continue to scour the site for “several days.”
Health authorities said Sunday that 110 people were still in hospital, with more than 40 in a “critical” or “extremely critical” condition.
IS had first claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday night, before repeating its claim on Saturday and then publishing a graphic video of the gunmen carrying out the attack.
After walking through the theatre and shooting spectators, they set fire to the building, Russian investigators said, trapping many inside who died from smoke inhalation.
A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola, has been sentenced to prison in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train heading to Manchester.
Odutola, 36, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and violating a suspended sentence order.
The incident took place around 7 p.m. on Friday, September 11, on a train traveling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
According to the British Transport Police, Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down, and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him.
He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over.”
A fellow passenger intervened and helped escort the distressed woman from the carriage. Police reports indicate that CCTV footage showed Odutola continuing to masturbate as other passengers walked through the carriage.
British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident.
Detective Constable Leonidas Christoforou of the British Transport Police stated that Odutola’s behavior was “terrifying” for the victim, whom he allegedly targeted while she was traveling alone.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has declined Nigeria’s request for an upward review of its 2027 Hajj allocation, leaving the country’s quota unchanged despite growing demand from intending pilgrims nationwide.
The Commission disclosed that it had formally engaged the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, seeking additional pilgrimage slots to accommodate the increasing number of Nigerian Muslims desirous of undertaking the sacred journey and to address appeals from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards for enhanced allocations.
However, Saudi authorities communicated their inability to grant additional slots, citing capacity limitations, structural constraints within the holy sites, and the Kingdom’s policy of strict adherence to approved country quotas under the current operational framework.
Consequently, Nigeria’s allocation for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains fixed at 35,000 slots for government pilgrims and 15,000 slots for licensed tour operators, bringing the country’s total approved allocation to 50,000 pilgrims.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the Commission fully understands the disappointment the decision may cause many aspiring pilgrims and state pilgrim boards that had hoped for additional allocations.
According to him, the Commission explored all available diplomatic and operational channels in pursuit of an increased quota but respects the final decision of the Saudi authorities.
“We appreciate the deep spiritual desire of many Nigerian Muslims to perform Hajj and understand the expectations of states and stakeholders seeking additional slots. While every effort was made to secure an upward review, the Saudi authorities have communicated their final position based on operational realities and capacity considerations,” Ambassador Yusuf stated.
The NAHCON Chairman urged state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and licensed tour operators to make judicious and transparent use of their approved allocations while ensuring strict compliance with all timelines established by the Commission and the Saudi Nusuk platform.
He emphasized that the deadline for uploading the data of all prospective pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains September 26, 2026, warning that no extensions would be granted under any circumstance.
“Kindly note that the deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims’ data remains September 26, 2026. We urge all partners, state pilgrim boards, tour operators and representatives to ensure that all required information is submitted before this date, as no extensions will be granted,” he said.
Ambassador Yusuf further advised intending pilgrims who may be unable to secure a slot under the approved 2027 allocation not to lose hope, revealing that preparations for the subsequent pilgrimage season have already commenced.
“Individuals who were unable to secure a slot for the upcoming Hajj are encouraged to register for the 2028 Hajj. The Commission has officially opened the registration portal for this period, and applications are now being accepted,” he added.
South African police have arrested five suspects after rescuing a 25-year-old e-hailing driver who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and held for ransom in Cape Town.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday that Steenberg police rescued the driver after he was allegedly raped by two female suspects and held at ransom by the group.
Police were alerted by the victim’s brother after the suspects contacted him and demanded R4,000 in cash for the driver’s release.
According to SAPS, the police used the victim’s vehicle tracker to locate him at Southampton Road in Heathfield, where he was rescued.
“Steenberg police rescued a 25-year-old e-hailing driver after he was raped and held at ransom by two female suspects and three males yesterday,” the police said.
The victim had reportedly met one of the female suspects the previous week through his e-hailing business.
According to police, the two exchanged telephone numbers and communicated throughout the week before arranging to meet.
“When he went to meet her, he was kidnapped by the suspects and the females raped him,” SAPS said.
Police subsequently arrested the two female suspects, aged 23 and 34, as well as three male suspects aged 16, 42 and 48.
The five suspects are expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 14, 2026.
SAPS said they would face charges relating to the alleged kidnapping and rape.
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