According to a Microsoft web page tracking the status of its services, “users may be unable to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.”
The global IT downtime is also affecting apps including Microsoft Fabric, Teams, Purview, Defender, SharePoint and OneNote.
A humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has raised the alarm over a significant rise in malnutrition cases in Nigeria, declaring a 40 per cent average increase in admissions.
It highlighted a critical situation with 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi alone, in the first quarter of 2024.
This is as the humanitarian organisation urged immediate support to address the escalating crisis.
According to MSF teams , across Nigeria , malnutrition admissions have risen by an average of 40% compared to the same period last year.
It further revealed that Bauchi, along with much of northern Nigeria, is facing a malnutrition crisis.
It made the alarming revelation during a press conference tagged “Doctors without Borders” in Bauchi State.
MSF’s Project Coordinator for Bauchi, Rabi Adamou, expressed concern over the drastic rise in admissions, noting the strain on resources as the peak malnutrition season approaches.
She disclosed that In Bauchi, 5,787 children were admitted to the ITFC and 17,223 children to three local Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centers (ATFCs), which support malnourished children before they need inpatient care.
According to her, MSF has scaled up its response in the area by increasing bed capacity at the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.
She added that between January and June 2024, the number of admissions increased by 127% for the ITFC and 123% for the ATFCs compared to the same period in 2023.
“We are only just entering the peak season for malnutrition, and our facilities are over capacity and having to expand”.
“We are very concerned by the catastrophic increase in malnutrition admissions we have seen in Bauchi in the first half of 2024. Although there may be many factors compounding this increase, the numbers we are seeing are incredibly high,” he stated.
To address the situation, Adamou revealed that “MSF has been supporting the local health system in Bauchi State since 2012 by responding to disease outbreaks such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever, providing medical care, training medical staff, and conducting health promotion activities.
“Since 2022, MSF has been addressing the high numbers of malnourished children, currently operating a 250-bed ITFC and an inpatient pediatric department (IPD) in Kafin Madaki General Hospital, along with ATFCs in Kafin Madaki, Kafin Liman, and Miya primary healthcare centers.”
“New community-level activities are planned, including Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM/iCCM+), which aims to expand the community approach to include malnutrition treatment.
“This will be piloted in eight villages in Miya starting mid-July. The ‘Parent MUAC’ (mid-upper arm circumference) activity will also be implemented to train parents and caregivers to detect early signs of malnutrition at home before it becomes severe.”
On her part, Nathalie Avril, Nutrition Advisor of the MSF said the organisation has been supporting the local health system in Bauchi State since 2012 by responding to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever.
She said MSF has also assisted in the area of providing medical care, training medical staff, and conducting health promotion activities amongst the community.
According to her, since 2022, MSF is currently running a 250-bed capacity ITFC and an inpatient pediatric department (IPD) in Kafin Madaki General Hospital, adding that it has been responding to the huge number of children suffering from malnutrition.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed commended the organisation for engaging in the fight against malnutrition in the state.
He observed that, apart from treating malnourished children, the MSF is also involved in training the communities and health workers to identify five aspects of their work.
“It’s not only malnutrition, there is pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. The communities are also involved, whenever a child is malnourished, whether it is mild or moderate, the situation should be managed, and they are doing it”, he said.
MSF decries 40 per cent increase malnutrition admissions in Nigeria, 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi
A group of former agitators in the Niger Delta region, on Thursday, announced plans for a massive protest over the deteriorating state of the East-West road.
The ex-agitators, led by Osaanya Osaanya, claim the road project has been abandoned despite its critical importance to national infrastructure, including the Onne port, Port Harcourt Refinery, and Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Ltd.
The protesters, who dubbed the planned demonstration as the “mother of all protests,” said they aim to mobilize hundreds of youths from the region to demand immediate attention from the Federal Government.
The protest is expected to last for days, with the goal of compelling the government to fix the road, which they describe as a “death trap.”
Osaanya criticized the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for allegedly awarding the road contract to a sub-standard contractor, causing unnecessary suffering for the people of the Niger Delta.
He called on various groups and leaders in the region, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, to join the protest and demand that the government take immediate action to address the situation.
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Osaanya said, “The problem we are facing on the East-West Road is caused by Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works.
“How on earth will he carve out the most disturbing spot that needs urgent attention to a sub-standard contractor?
“Or is the Minister of Works intentionally suffering the people of the Niger Delta? We will bring the protest to the doorstep of the Minister and the President so that they will know what we are going through.
“We can’t continue to live like this as a people. This is the major road connecting all of us in the Niger Delta, where the bulk of the resources used in constructing mega roads in other parts of the country come from.
“Why should we always be on our knees to beg for what we rightly deserve? This coming protest is another sad reminder of how we have been marginalised and neglected as a people,” he said.
The planned protest highlights the long-standing neglect and marginalization of the Niger Delta region, which has been a source of frustration for the local population.
The ex-agitators’ demands for a decent road infrastructure resonate with the wider community, who feel their resources have been exploited without adequate investment in their welfare and development.
The post Ex-Niger Delta agitators plan protest over deplorable East-West Road, blame Umahi appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
The Senate, on Thursday, rejected a bill seeking to establish the South-South Development Commission, in an unanimous vote.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River-South), aimed to create a commission to manage funds and address infrastructure, militancy, and environmental issues in the South-South region.
However, the bill faced stiff opposition from northern senators, led by Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi-Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi-Central). They argued that the proposed commission would duplicate the functions of the existing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
READ ALSO:Tinubu seeks Senate approval to inject N6.2tn into 2024 budget
Aliero, a former governor of Kebbi State, criticized the bill as unnecessary and potentially embarrassing for the Senate. He noted that the South-South region already has a fully-funded government agency and ministry overseeing development, making the proposed commission redundant.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sensing the opposition, called for a vote to step down the bill, which was unanimously endorsed by the senators. The rejection of the bill highlights the ongoing debate over regional development and resource management in Nigeria.
The post Senate rejects bill to establish South-South Development Commission appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
A global Information Technology, IT, cyber outage has affected the operations of banks and airline operators globally.
The outage affected airlines’ operations in countries like Singapore, the United States and Australia.
The IT outage began in the early hours of Friday.
IT giant, Microsoft confirmed it was investigating an “issue” with its 365 apps and operating systems.
Microsoft said it had recovered some services, while warning that the issue was ongoing and users should expect “service degradation,” according to a status page on its website.
The outage has been blamed by some experts on social media on an update to the CrowdStrike security software, causing an issue with Windows software.
Crowdstrike ran a recorded phone message on Friday when its technical support was contacted, saying it was aware of reports of crashes on Microsoft’s Windows operating system relating to its Falcon sensor.
Planes grounded as global IT outage hits airlines, media, banks
Umara Babagana Zulum, son of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has broken his silence over an allegation that he killed a fellow student in Indian during a fight over a woman.
Several social media platforms had flown with the story that Unara, a student of the University of New Delhi, had smashed a bottle of alcoholic drink on a Chinese national who showed interest in the same lady with him at a nightclub.
The sensational story also said his father had been running ‘helter-skelter’ and pulling at diplomatic ties to get his son off the hook.
Despite denials by the state government debunking the report of the governor’s son’s arrest over the alleged murder, the reports refused to die down as it gathered momentum, forcing the Borno Governor to issue a statement saying he would not hesitate to take legal action against any medium that continued to publish what he described as complete falsehood.
Umara himself has also come out to debunk the murder allegation, describing it as baseless and untrue which was targeted at his father with the intention of tarnishing his image.
READ ALSO:Gwoza bombing, sabotage against resettlement plans —Gov. Zulum
In a video clip he posted on his X account with the handle @muhdzulum, Umara who said he was currently at the Government House in Maiduguri, addressed the allegation saying his father is the actual target of those behind the allegation.
“Dear esteemed Nigerians, I am Umara Babagana Umara Zulum, I am here to address damaging falsehood that had been made against me,” he said in the video.
“It has come to my notice, a baseless gossip accusation against me saying that I killed someone at a nightclub.
“This is not true. They want to tarnish my father’s name. I have been with my family since two months now, right in Maiduguri.”
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.UMAR ZULUM Is speaking pic.twitter.com/jWaLkiqE7S
— ZULUM_jr (@muhdzulum) July 18, 2024
The post ‘They want to tarnish my father’s image,’ Gov Zulum’s son speaks on murder allegation (Video) appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) fighting insurgency in the Lake Chad region says 263 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to troops.
This was contained in a statement issued by Lt.-Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Chief Military Public Information Office of MNJTF in N’djamena, Chad.
He said that the insurgents surrendered between July 11 and July 17, 2024, during the ongoing Operation Lake Sanity II.
“The wave of surrenders began on July 1, when five terrorists surrendered to MNJTF troops in Wulgo, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
“Preliminary information indicated these individuals hailed from Tumbuma and Kutumgulla in Marte Local Government Area (LGA), Nigeria.
“On the same day, Malum Kori Bukar, a 50-year-old, escaped from the Jibilaram hideout and surrendered to the troops.
“Additionally, on 11 July, 19 terrorists surrendered in the village of Madaya, extreme North Cameroon, and another 11 surrendered in Wulgo from the Tumbuma hideout in 2 waves.
“On 12 July 2024, 64 individuals surrendered in Bonderi, Cameroon, including 6 adult males, 20 women, and 38 children. Moreso, on 13 July, 27 terrorists surrendered,” he said.
He said that preliminary investigation revealed that all the surrendered individuals belong to Nigerian communities.
“Consequently, they were handed over to the troops of Operation HADIN KAI for further action,” he added.
263 Boko Haram terrorists surrender in Borno
The presidential candidate of the Republican Party, Donald Trump has vowed to win the United States, US, presidential election in November.
Trump spoke while taking the stage at the Republican National Convention on Friday after accepting his nomination as presidential candidate
Addressing an ecstatic crowd at Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Trump said: “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope.
“Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.”
“Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, colour and creed.”
Recall that the former US President had escaped an assassination attempt during his campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A 20-year-old, Mathew Crooks had shot at Trump but only managed to hit his ear while one person was killed.
Crooks was however killed by secret service agents.
US election: I will be president – Donald Trump
The Republican party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 US election, Donald Trump has recounted the attempt on his life.
Trump spoke at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee on Thursday where he formally accepted the party’s presidential nomination.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” Trump said to an electrified crowd at the Fiserv Forum.
Trump called his survival a “providential moment” and said: “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God.”
“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” Trump had said at the start of his speech.
The former President was interrupted by chants of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” from the audience.
He then kissed the helmet and embraced the uniform of Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was killed as he shielded his family as Trump was shot in Butler Township, Pennsylvania.
Assassination attempt: I’m alive only by God’s grace – Trump recounts
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has condemned the spate of pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the country.
In a statement on Thursday by the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, the IG stated that the illegal activities of oil thieves had caused not only significant financial losses but also severe environmental damage.
Following this, the IGP appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bayonle Sulaiman, as the new Commanding Officer in charge of the Inspector-General of Police Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering in his efforts to combat pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
It said the new Commander, who has exhibited his prowess in similar task force operations, was previously Squadron Commander, Police Mobile Force 20, Lagos.
The statement added that as Commanding Officer of the IGP-STFPIB, the IGP has ordered Sulaiman to lead the task force on the mission to combat illegal activities in the petroleum industry, including oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
“The Inspector-General of Police has also condemned in serious terms the trend of oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal bunkering which pose significant threats to the environment, economy, and energy security.
“He emphasized that these illegal activities not only result in significant financial losses but also devastating environmental consequences, including oil spills, pollution, and habitat destruction,“ the statement said.
He ordered the newly appointed commander to curtail the activities of the oil thieves.
IGP appoints new commander for petroleum taskforce, condemns oil theft