Measures
INEC expresses readiness for saturday bye-elections in 11 states
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has expressed readiness for the conduct of bye-elections across 11 States this Saturday. INEC disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday night in Abuja after a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, from the affected states. National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, in the statement said the Resident Electoral Commissioners briefed the Commission on the level of preparations in their States and the Commission is satisfied that preparations are going on very well. “All the States have received all the non-sensitive materials, trained their staff, and received all the funds for the bye-elections. Most of the States have also had their sensitive materials deli...
Turkish exploration vessel back in port ahead of EU summit
Turkey’s seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis returned to port on Monday from disputed Mediterranean waters, less than two weeks before a European Union summit where the bloc will evaluate possible sanctions against Ankara. NATO members Turkey and Greece have conflicting claims to continental shelves and rights to potential energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions flared in August when Ankara sent Oruc Reis to map out energy drilling prospects in waters also claimed by Greece. Turkey withdrew Oruc Reis from contested waters ahead of a previous EU summit in October to “allow for diplomacy”, but later sent it back after what it called unsatisfactory outcomes from the summit. Earlier this month, Turkey said Oruc Reis would operate in the region until Nov. 29. The energy ministr...
Nigerian government seeks new Eurobond
The federal government yesterday disclosed that it would approach the Eurobond market next year in its effort to shore up the economy, amidst cocktails of measures being put in place to douse the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. On the same day, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, while speaking at the 55th Annual Bankers Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, predicted a two per cent growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021. Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed the Eurobond plan while speaking on Bloomberg TV, explained that the decision would depend on the prevailing interest rates. She, however, did not specify the amount to be accessed from the Eurobond. The Eurobond option is ...
Kano governor orders compulsory drug test for council election contestants
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has directed all cleared contestants in the forthcoming local government elections scheduled to hold January 16 to be subjected to a compulsory drug test. The state commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the state Executive Council Meeting held at the Government House, Kano. According to Garba, the decision was part of the government’s policies to rid Kano of illicit substance abuse. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to tackle drug abuse among political leaders. He said the government would not hesitate to issue necessary disciplinary measures against ”anyone found with the trace of illicit substance including a compulsory recommendation for rehabilitation”. G...
US Supreme Court bars New York from imposing attendance limit on houses of worship
The US Supreme Court has barred New York from imposing coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship in a ruling likely to be heralded by conservatives as a victory for religious freedoms. Services should not be treated differently from permitted secular gatherings, said the unsigned ruling, one of the first since the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett tipped the court’s balance to the conservatives. Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state, had ordered that only up to 10 people could gather at sites of worship in high-risk areas designated “red zones”. The court was responding to two applications — from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, as well as two synagogues — claiming they were singled out under the restrictions designed to limit the contagion’s spread in hard-hit New Yor...
CAPPA launches #SmokeFreeNollywood campaign
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called for adult rating for films with smoking scenes, anti-smoking adverts, anti-smoking health warnings, certified no pay-offs, stop identification of tobacco brands and a total ban on tobacco products placement in the Nigerian movie industry — Nollywood. The rights group made the call at its launch of the #SmokeFreeNollywood campaign in Lagos, last Saturday, noting that tobacco kills as many as six million people annually, and is projected to kill as much as eight million people by the year 2030, if nothing is done. In his keynote address at the launch, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the tobacco industry had a track record of giving misleading impressions of tobacco use, enticing young pe...
Coronavirus vaccine breakthrough raises hopes of rapid global rollout
A coronavirus vaccine developed by Britain’s University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has shown successful results in early trials. If it is approved by regulators, the vaccine appears suitable for a fast rollout around the globe. Early analysis of trials involving 20,000 volunteers in Britain and Brazil show the vaccine is at least 62% effective after two doses. In volunteers given a different dosing regimen — a half dose, followed by a full dose — that figure rose to 90%. The average efficacy of the two dosing methods is 70%. None of those given the vaccine developed severe COVID-19 illness. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the recent successful trials of three different vaccines by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, represent a...
US mulls Houthi ‘terror’ label as groups say civilians to suffer
United States lawmakers, international aid groups and rights advocates are warning the outgoing Trump administration against reported plans to label Yemen’s Houthi rebel group a “foreign terrorist organisation”, saying it would worsen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The post US mulls Houthi ‘terror’ label as groups say civilians to suffer appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Spain touts mass vaccine plan, sees light at tunnel’s end
After months of turmoil and over 42,000 deaths, Spain appeared to see light at the end of the tunnel Friday, announcing ambitious plans to vaccinate much of the population by mid-2021. The post Spain touts mass vaccine plan, sees light at tunnel’s end appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Rwanda calls for strengthening measures against online child abuse
Rwanda on Friday marked the World children’s Day with a call to strengthen the protection of children from dangers posed by online abuse and cyber bullying. The post Rwanda calls for strengthening measures against online child abuse appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
German police clash with protesters angry at Angela Merkel’s coronavirus law
German police unleashed water cannon and pepper spray in an effort to scatter thousands of protesters angry about a new legal framework for enforcing coronavirus restrictions passed by parliament on Wednesday. The post German police clash with protesters angry at Angela Merkel’s coronavirus law appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
