Author: Chief Editor

Kazakhstan’s anti-corruption agency said Wednesday it had seized jewels worth more than $230 million, in a case involving the nephew of ex-leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. “As a result of operational-search activities, exclusive gems and precious stones worth 230 million US dollars” were seized, the agency said in a statement. The agency gave no details on what kind of stones were seized. It confirmed to AFP the jewels were found as part of a new investigation against businessman Kairat Satybaldy, a nephew of Nazarbayev. Nazarbayev, now 82, ruled the Central Asian country from 1991 until 2019. Satybaldy was arrested in March and…

Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday raised its forecast for annual sales of its COVID-19 vaccine by $2 billion to $34 billion on demand for Omicron-targeted boosters, helping allay some investor worries over growth for the vaccinations. The U.S. drugmaker’s shares rose 2.4% to $447.67 in morning trading as its third-quarter profit beat estimates, mainly due to better-than-expected sales of the vaccine. The upbeat earnings also sent shares of rival COVID-19 vaccine makers higher. Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) rose 11%, while Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) gained about 4%. Sales of the COVID-19 vaccine have eased from pandemic highs on soft demand for the original shots, sparking concerns over demand…

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said on Tuesday it struck a deal to buy heart pump maker Abiomed Inc (ABMD.O) for $16.6 billion in cash, as it looks to boost growth at its medical devices unit after next year’s planned spinoff of its consumer health business. J&J agreed to pay $380 per Abiomed share, a 50.7% premium over its closing price of $252.08 on Monday. Shares of Abiomed surged about 50% in premarket trade, while J&J shares slipped around 0.5%. Abiomed shareholders will also get rights to receive up to $35 per share in cash if certain commercial and clinical milestones are achieved. J&J is…

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) boss Elon Musk said on Monday he will serve as chief executive of Twitter, the social media company he just bought for $44 billion, a move that Wall Street analysts have said could stretch the billionaire thin. Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, brain-chip startup Neuralink and tunneling firm the Boring Company, fired Twitter’s previous chief Parag Agrawal and other top company officials last week, and has proposed revisions to the platform’s user verification process, which has been free until now. Responding to a tweet from author Stephen King that he would not be willing to pay $20 a month to keep…

Barcelona have identified Villarreal winger Nicolas Jackson as a potential replacement for Ousmane Dembele, as per Mundo Deportivo (h/t BarcaUniversal). The France international came close to leaving Nou Camp as a free agent this summer when his contract expired. After a long-drawn saga, Dembele put pen to paper on a new deal. However, the winger’s current contract isn’t one that will end Barca’s insecurity about his future at the club. Dembele will enter the final 12 months of his deal once again at the end of the season. The Blaugrana want to extend his stay beyond the end of next season but are making…

Paul Pogba has reportedly suffered another injury days before France manager Didier Deschamps will announce his FIFA World Cup squad. According to L’Equipe (as per Get French Football News), the 29-year-old injured his thigh while recovering from another injury. Pogba will be out of action for another ten days, but this latest knock could convince Deschamps that the midfielder is not worth taking a risk on. Pogba returned to Juventus in the summer following six seasons at Manchester United, but the France international is yet to play a minute this season. The midfielder underwent knee surgery earlier in the season and is already certain not to…

PSV Eindhoven may be forced to sell Cody Gakpo for £26 million which comes as a boost for Arsenal, as per Dutch outlet De Telegraaf. Gakpo, 23, has been in scintillating form at the start of the season, finding the net 13 times and providing 14 assists in 21 appearances across competitions. The Dutch forward has the second-highest goal contributions in Europe behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland who has 25 in 16 appearances. PSV resisted interest in the Dutch winger throughout the summer and the winger remained at the Philips Arena. However, they appear to be in need of funds and, therefore, would…

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola, as he marks his 93rd birthday on October 30. In a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, the president congratulated the renowned lawyer and educationist for lofty dreams, commendable achievements and contributions to the development of the country. Buhari shared the joy of the occasion with family, friends and professional colleagues of the nonagenarian, who was called to the England bar in 1963, and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1987, raising the standard of legal profession in Nigeria…

National Youth Leader, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Mohammed Suleiman has said those promoting religious sentiments to win the 2023 Presidential election will fail. Suleiman also said the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has no base in the north. He expressed this concern at an interview with journalists yesterday in Kaduna after inaugurating the North-west chapter of the Atiku United Front, a group canvassing support for the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. According to him, Nigerians, especially, in the North-west, have suffered so much under the APC administration and would not be swayed…

A United States Court has sentenced a self-confessed conspirator in the alleged $20 million fraud allegedly organised by Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, to three years’ probation. The court also awarded $4,000 as fine against Ebony Mayfiled, who, had in June, pleaded guilty to the charge of signing and submitting fake documents to facilitate the alleged fraud. The US government accused her of signing and submitting the fabricated documents between 2016 and 2018, to help Onyema, owner of Air Peace, a major Nigerian commercial airline, to move $20 million from Nigeria to the US in an alleged money laundering scheme.…