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‘Destructive policies’: Turkey slams UAE over Middle East, Africa

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‘Destructive policies’: Turkey slams UAE over Middle East, Africa

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of pursuing “destructive policies” in northern Africa and the Middle East and called on the Emiratis to abandon what it called a “hostile attitude” towards Ankara.

The comments from Turkey followed a statement from the UAE that called on all Libyan parties to commit to the United Nations-supervised political process to end the war, but also saluted the army led by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar and rejected Turkish military intervention on behalf of the country’s UN- recognized government.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the remarks were an attempt by the UAE to “hide their two-faced politics” and said the country was providing aid to “putschists” in Libya.

Turkey backs the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and has signed a military cooperation agreement to help the fight against Haftar. The government in Ankara has repeatedly urged world powers to stop supporting Haftar’s forces, which it deems “putschists.”

In its Thursday statement, the Emirati Foreign Ministry said it “commends the Libyan National Army for conducting anti-terror operations,” and expressed “its categorical rejection of the Turkish military intervention” in support of the GNA.

The UAE statement did not comment directly on Haftar’s declaration on Monday that his army would take power, ripping up a 2015 political agreement that has been the basis for all international peacemaking efforts.

‘Hostile stance’

Aksoy said the “ugly” and “baseless” allegations that had been made by the UAE administration were attempts to cover up its own “destructive policies”, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.

Sources told Al Jazeera on Thursday that several top Emirati officials were on a visit to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, to rally support and recruit fighters for Haftar.

“The UAE’s actions disrupting international peace, security and stability not just in Libya, but all the region, including Yemen, Syria and Africa, are well known to the international community,” Aksoy said in a statement.

“We call on the UAE leadership to avoid taking a hostile stance against our country and to know its place.”

Yemen’s civil war erupted late in 2014 when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, along with much of the country’s north and overthrew the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Nominally, the Hadi government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) are part of an “Arab coalition” fighting against the Houthis.

However, Hadi’s government is mainly supported by Saudi Arabia, where it operates, while the STC and its leaders are based in the UAE.

Earlier this week, the STC announced self-rule in Yemen’s southern provinces and the key port city of Aden, which it has controlled since 2015 in a move analysts said could create the conditions for perpetual conflict.

Facebook plans to let content creators, musicians charge for livestream access

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Facebook plans to let content creators, musicians charge for livestream access

Facebook Live will be overhauled as the coronavirus lockdown forces entertainment industries online.

Facebook has announced sweeping changes to its Facebook Live platform, including plans to let artists charge for entry to concert livestreams.

Other changes include the return of Live With, which allows co-hosts to join a stream, and the integration of livestreams into online-only event pages.

In an announcement titled “Introducing Messenger Rooms and more ways to connect when you’re apart,” the company says, “To support creators and small businesses, we plan to add the ability for Pages to charge for access to events with Live videos on Facebook – anything from online performances to classes to professional conferences.”

The company has not detailed the Facebook Live payment system or when it will come into effect, so its commission rate remains to be seen. Under the same plan, events such as classes and conferences will also be able to collect payment. In the meantime, donation links have been activated for streams benefiting nonprofits, according to the announcement.

The company also announced that it will be expanding its “Stars” tipping system to musicians — in it, a performer can receive “tips” when users send them a “Star,” although with a $.01 tip per star, a market run will require a whole lot of “Stars.”

The online concert industry has been forced into overdrive amid the coronavirus outbreak, with artists across the spectrum live-streaming concerts, usually for free.

Platforms such as Stagelt offer payment and tipping options, while some artists—including Erykah Badu—have found ways to charge for access through conventional channels like Instagram and YouTube.

Buhari Extends Tenure of NDDC Interim Management Committee

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Buhari Extends Tenure of NDDC Interim Management Committee

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Professor Keme Pondei-led Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from May 1 to December 31, 2020.

This is according to a communique by the President’s special aide, Femi Adesina.

In his statement, the special adviser noted that the extension is to cover the period of the forensic audit of the NDDC, earlier approved by the Federal Executive Council, under the chairmanship of the President.

In the same vein, President Buhari equally approved that the NDDC provides intervention support to complement efforts of the Federal and State governments against further spread of COVID-19 in the nine States of the Niger Delta region, in the sum of Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N6,250,000,000.00) only.

The materials and supplies are to be done through Emergency Procurement method as provided in Sections 42(b) (c) and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Coronavirus vaccine breakthrough as scientists confirm plans for mass-production

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Coronavirus vaccine breakthrough as scientists confirm plans for mass-production

The UK coronavirus vaccine has taken a major step forwards after scientists revealed plans for mass-production if trials are successful.

The University of Oxford has partnered with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca for the development, manufacture and large-scale distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate that is currently being trialled in the UK.

The agreement was announced on Thursday, with the details set to be finalised in the coming weeks.

The move will allow for rapid vaccination around the world if the candidate proves to be effective, the university said.

Human trials of the vaccine developed by the University’s Jenner Institute began last week, with hundreds of people volunteering to be part of the study which received £20 million in Government funding.

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University described the partnership with AstraZeneca as a “major force in the struggle against pandemics” for the foreseeable future.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir John said he hoped that some results from a human trial of the vaccine would be available by the middle of June.

He told Today that the challenge now is to be able to manufacture at scale once it is approved by the regulators.

Sir John added: “We also want to make sure that the rest of the world will be ready to make this vaccine at scale so that it gets to populations in developing countries, for example, where the need is very great.

“We really need a partner to do that and that partner has a big job in the UK because our manufacturing capacity in the UK for vaccines isn’t where it needs to be, and so we are going to work together with AstraZeneca to improve that considerably.”

It is the first such partnership to be formed since the Government launched the Vaccines Taskforce two weeks ago to help find a new coronavirus vaccine.

Both partners have agreed to operate on a not-for-profit basis for the duration of the pandemic, the university said, with only the costs of production and distribution being covered.

Fewer people are having sex during COVID-19 lockdown, says Durex

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Fewer people are having sex during COVID-19 lockdown, says Durex

Fewer people having sex during lockdown has resulted in falling condoms sales, the maker of Durex has said.

Laxman Narasimhan, chief of executive of Reckitt Benckiser – a British household goods company that bought Durex in 2010 – said sales had dropped because social distancing is affecting “intimate occasions”.

People in the UK are having sex “significantly” less sex than before lockdown was introduced last month, said Narasimhan. In Italy, the number of people having intercourse had “gone down a lot”.

“What you see is this virus is having a toll on the number of intimate occasions in the UK,” said Narasimhan.

Increased anxiety had also led to less sex between established couples, according to Narasimhan.

On 23 March, Prime Minister Johnson announced a nation-wide lockdown, with couples later being asked to either move in with each other or commit to quaratining themselves separately.

Speaking at the daily press conference on March 24, Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, said: “If the two halves of a couple are currently in separate households, ideally they should stay in those households.

“The alternative might be that, for quite a significant period going forwards, they should test the strength of their relationship and decide whether one wishes to be permanently resident in another household.”

She added: “So perhaps, test really carefully your strength of feeling, stay with the household, either together or apart, but keep it that way while we go forward, because otherwise we will not all be working towards achieving our outcome.”

 

Kano topples FCT as Nigeria breaks record daily COVID-19 tally

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Kano topples FCT as Nigeria breaks record daily COVID-19 tally

Nigeria has once reached another grim coronavirus milestone, breaking its record daily case tally while also reporting its worst fatality in 24 hours.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Thursday, announced 204 new infections, the most since the dreaded contagion infiltrated the country in February.

Africa’s most populous black nation also suffered seven fatalities, its highest death in a single day.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however, as 64 patients recovered and were discharged.

In summary, the country has now recorded 1,932 cases,  319 recoveries and 58 deaths.

Kano State tallied the highest cases on Thursday with 80, moving above the Federal Capital Territory as the second-worst-hit.

The northwestern state, still reeling from a catastrophic week, culminating in several high-profile deaths, now has 219 infected persons.

Yet, judging by the controversial circumstances that led to these demises, more woes may be ahead, especially now it has drawn the nation’s interest.

The FCT picked up four new cases, sliding to third with 143.

Meanwhile, Lagos State, for now, steered clear of the landmark 1,000 cases after recording 40 fresh infections.

Gombe nipped a dozen, Bauchi and Sokoto garnered nine each while Borno and Edo shared 14 cases equally.

Rivers and Ogun had half-a-dozen each, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa recorded two fewer with Kaduna (3), Oyo, Delta, Nasarawa (2 each) as well as Ondo and Kebbi (one each) completing the new cases.

Cross River and Kogi States, however, maintained their COVID-19 chastity, at least, for now.

Nguvan Kyenge: The Young Entrepreneur on Silent Revolution

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Nguvan Kyenge: The Young Entrepreneur on Silent Revolution

Tall, slim and inspiring, Arch. Nguvan Kyenge is the personification of beauty with brain. She is one of the few Benue young women that have risen to fame outside the instrumentality of politics.

The architecture graduate, rightly too, has ascended the position of a mentor to hundreds of young Nigerians, inspiring them with her personal experiences.

Unassuming, the founder and CEO of Lush Events, was in 2017 certified as a member of the John Maxwell Team. Her knack for time, the most abused factor today is amazing. She even shared her thoughts about it.

She once told her audience about time management: “When you consciously continue giving excuses not to have time it becomes the greatest enemy of yourself, personal growth and improvement. Everyone has time. You just have to modify how you use it.

“In everything you do, you need to at every giving time, prioritise what is relevant; watch less movies and focus on things that can educate you, reduce time aimlessly chatting especially on social media.

“If you’re finding it difficult to managing your time, you can itemised the things you need to do for the day and work towards achieving them. In every giving opportunity use your time wisely.”

It is manifestly clear, that she understands and recognises the importance of time management. This way, she combines her professional job seamlessly with activities, including puttting forward platform that benefit her generation, offering limitless motivation and mentorship across Nigeria.

For instance, she is able to bring young enterprising Nigerians together on the platform of Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria, an organisation she serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Through this platform, she is giving young farmers advanced opportunities to improve yield and their income. Her expliots in this area have exhibited her as a true Tiv and Benue daughter, who is preocupied by farming activities.

The expert in beauty and decoration is known for giving every client of hers just what they need. This, she does with her firm belief in the power of the mind as the greatest engine to attaining higher heights in life and that the world revolves around what the mind thinks, says and acts upon and capable of deciding what will work or not.

Arch. Nguvan has shown through all intent and purposes that she is set out to impact positively on others particularly the youth through constant engagement as a vehicle for adding more value to the society.

In her world view, productivity and attainment of goals beyond individual mindset barriers in life is what makes a man, irrespective of mistakes.

“Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals,” she reckons, adding: “No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth.”

At every giving opportunity, she encourages youth to “shake off” their “blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit.Your turn will come okay.”

Hardworking, jovial, with love for music and home videos Arch. Nguvan uses her column: “The mindset series,” as a daily devotional to encouraging young people across the globe that are desirous to positively changing their stories.

The column, aside being regular on her Facebook Timeline, has proven to be a recipe for young persons for inspirational and motivational nuggets, ranking her very tall as an emerging life coach.

She learned the act of carving a niche for herself and impacting the society way back in her undegraduate days. Hear her: “In my final year in school, I sat with a senior colleague of mine, and in the course of our gist I mentioned with lots of admiration Architects around us making impact back then. He looked at me and said, Nguvan, you don’t have to “wish” thier life to make a mark, ‘carve your own niche.’”

Clearly, “Carve your Niche” struck a chord, stuck and have followed her to this day, as she consistently conquer uncommon grounds in not just Architecture but all that she is set out to do.

Notwithstanding her seemingly chronic nature as introvert and extremely shy personaility, her melancholic nature will often push over-analysis, logic and pessimism, yet always feeling “Not enough.”

A firm beliver in God, Arch. Nguvan believes the Almighty has placed something special in the hands of humans and none had to be like the other to be great.

“You mustn’t “know it all” to be great. You can employ the help of those who know while you focus on the little you think you know and master it well! Be you, be unique be different, Use your flavor,” she reasons.

While she is seen as being made, the architect with compassionate feelings belives she is still a work in progress. Ultimately, she encourages her listeners to think of different but unique values they can add to the status quo, thereby launching themselves to higher grounds.

Boko Haram: A Fail Recruitment Drive

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Boko Haram: A Fail Recruitment Drive

By Abel Innocent

“In recent times, the Nigerian Army has been doing remarkably well in not only repelling attacks but taking the fight to the enemy and decimating them in their enclaves.”- Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, mni, Borno State Executive Governor.

Without any doubt, within the last ten years, the Nigerian military has been doing well in engaging and containing terrorists and insurgent groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP). It is to the admiration of all that today, the menace of these enemies of humanity have been restricted to the fringes of Lake Chad region, northern parts of Borno State at the borderline with neighbouring countries.

The unprecedented exploits were far more vigorous and noticeable from July 2015 under the current military leadership. The Nigerian Army in particular has greatly improved and changed from “a tactical maneuver force” to a courageous and cohesive one. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, have rejuvenated, motivated and equipped the Nigerian Army to the extent that the terrorists are now scared of them. The gallant troops have continued to decimate the Boko Haram terrorists sacking them from their erstwhile strongholds and fortresses including the once dreaded Sambisa forest which substantial part of it now serves as a training ground for the military.

This demonstration of valour, patriotism and professionalism leading to the liberation of communities in the Northeast and Lake Chad region which were hitherto held by the insurgents is a thing of pride and highly commendable. It exemplifies the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government in tackling and eradicating the menace of terrorism in the country. It also signifies the Nigerian Armed Forces’ commitment to defending the nation’s territorial integrity, as well as, protection of lives and property of its citizens and residents.

According to some experts, the recent change of tactics and continued onslaught on the terrorists personally led by Lt. Gen. Buratai has resulted in the depletion of about 60 percent of the insurgents’ fighting force, obliterated their equipment and ammunition. They now struggle with cudgels and rudimentary equipment and weapons, rationing ammunition where available. The terrorists’ pathetic situation is expected to further deteriorate as the insurgents daily suffer from sustained military bombardments and crisis of confidence among their rank and files due to the troops’ action.

Frightened by the superior might of the military, worsened by the leadership squabbles among the insurgents, the depleted and disoriented fighting force, coupled with insufficient funding, it is obvious that the odds are high against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. And if these parameters are anything to go by, then the end is clearly in sight for terrorism in Nigeria.

Recently, some media organizations reported that the jihadists are using back channels to request for amnesty and soft landing. It was reported that the self-acclaimed leader of the Jamatu ahli Sunnah aka Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has personally sent emissaries. This could be true given the recent audio message in which Shekau was sounding hysterical and pitiful. While this may sound interestingly flattering, due caution is advised. This is because on 28th April 2020, the Spokesman of the MNJTF Col. Timothy Antigha disclosed that intelligent sources revealed plans by terrorists to recruit young males to restock their holdings. He further stressed that the recruitment drive will either be by cajoling, inductrinating or kidnapping of the would be recruits. Apparently, with Col. Timothy’s expose’ it is clear that a leopard can never change its skin. Despite these cheering news, it behooves on every citizen to come on deck, join hands with the military and other security agencies to finally eradicate this monster Boko Haram.

It is however gladdening to observe that the entire citizens of the Northeast have become tired of the menace of insurgency that has raveged the region for over a decade resulting to loss of countless of lives, displacement of millions of citizens and massive destruction of infrastructure. Most residents of Borno and Yobe States are showing more commitment and are stressing that they are willing to assist security agencies to expose elements working for terrorists who live among them. They equally express their delight and optimism in the current onslaught by the military as a final defeat of the insurgents.

Part of a way to achieve this, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy warned recently that terrorist organisations now recruit foot soldiers through the social media. He advised that the only way to stop recruitment is to discredit — indeed, utterly demolish — terrorists ideology. If young people think terrorists’ ideas are a bunch of baloney, they’ll ignore them and won’t join the cause.

Whatever happens, we the teeming youths of the North East have now vowed to be united in the fight against our arch enemies with total resolve to ending terrorism within the region.

Abel H. Innocent writes from Madagali, Adamawa State.

Yahaya Bello’s COVID-19 Isolation Center Destroyed by Rainstorm in Lokoja

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Yahaya Bello’s COVID-19 Isolation Center Destroyed by Rainstorm in Lokoja

The makeshift tent built by Governor Yahaya Bello to serve as COVID-19 isolation centre in Kogi state has been reportedly destroyed by rain.

The center located directly behind Federal Medical Centre Mortuary was blown by the wind on Tuesday 28th of April 2020.

A social media user, @Georgiitto who shared the video wrote;

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the isolation center recently built at FMC lokoja before and after rain.”

CSO cautions security agents over intimidation and harassment of ex-Edo State Chief of Staff

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CSO cautions security agents over intimidation and harassment of ex-Edo State Chief of Staff

A civil society organization, Generational Citizens for Better Leadership Initiative in Benin City, Edo State, has cautioned security agencies in the state to desist from intimidating and harassing the former chief of staff to Governor Obaseki, Comrade Taiwo Akerele.

In a press statement signed and released to the media on Thursday Morning in Benin City by the spokesperson of the group Comrade, Etinosa Uwangue cautioned security agents and implore them to desist from harassing and intimidating the former chief of staff or his private staff.

The former chief of staff to the Edo State Governor Taiwo Akerele is a law-abiding citizen of the state who has served the state meritoriously until his resignation and as such does not deserve the kind of treatment been melted down on him.

If he is needed by the security agents, it is advised they follow appropriate channels provided by the constitution rather than the Gestapo style they are using.

The spokesperson for the group further demanded a probe into the alleged invasion of the former chief of staff residence in Benin city by armed security agents and also calling the state commissioner of Police and DSS Edo state command to call their officers and men to order.

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