SHIFT
Rivals say Boko Haram chief dead as jihadists battle for control
When Nigeria’s military claimed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had been badly wounded in an air strike 2016, the jihadist chief soon appeared in a video to deny another of the many reports of his impending death. Over the weekend, it was an audio from a rival jihadist group finally claiming Shekau had died, detonating explosives to kill himself rather than surrender after a raid on his forest stronghold by his Islamic State-allied enemies. The Boko Haram warlord’s death marks a major shift in Nigeria’s conflict, potentially allowing ISIS jihadists to consolidate and further challenge an already stretched army in their long war. In the audio obtained by AFP, a voice apparently of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander Abu Musab Al-Barnawi confirmed Shekau killed himself whi...
U.K. to open first LGBT+ retirement home as market grows
Britain’s first LGBT+ retirement home is set to open in mid-2021, the housing association behind the London riverside apartments said, highlighting a growing market of older people who do not want to be forced back in the closet. There is a critical need for housing for older LGBT+ people, said Anna Kear, Chief Executive of Tonic Housing, as many say it would be “terrifying” to live in a predominantly straight home where other residents did not accept them. “People say that if they get to that stage, they would rather (die by) suicide than go into a heterosexual care home or sheltered housing environment, which is just awful,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. With an ageing population, the demand for specialist housing for older people is growing, with private retirement units acco...
Apple discontinuing two configurations of its 21.5 inch iMac
Apple recently discontinued the iMac Pro, and two configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac are now joining the Pro in retirement. As spotted by MacRumors, the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 21.5-inch iMac are no longer available for purchase, with only the 256GB SSD and 1TB Fusion drive versions available to buy on Apple’s website. Both configurations appeared unavailable for purchase on Apple’s website as of last month, but at the time it was not clear if that was a supply issue or a permanent discontinuation of the two options. But now both the 512GB and 1TB SSD options are gone from the iMac configuration page, MacRumors notes. A big iMac redesign has been rumored in the works for some time. Apple is expected to replace the 27-inch and 21.5-inch versions of the iMac with a redesign...
ABC: California nurse tests positive over a week after receiving Pfizer coronavirus vaccine
A 45-year-old nurse in California tested positive for COVID-19 more than a week after receiving Pfizer Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, an ABC News affiliate reported on Tuesday. Matthew W., a nurse at two different local hospitals, said in a Facebook post on December 18 that he had received the Pfizer vaccine, telling the ABC News affiliate that his arm was sore for a day but that he had suffered no other side-effects. Six days later on Christmas Eve, he became sick after working a shift in the COVID-19 unit, the report added. He got the chills and later came down with muscle aches and fatigue. He went to a drive-up hospital testing site and tested positive for COVID-19 the day after Christmas, the report said. Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist with Family Health Centers of San...
Al Ahly complete historical treble, win Egypt Cup via penalties
Egyptian football giants, Al Ahly, crowned an extraordinary season by winning the 2019-20 Egypt Cup title on Saturday. By so doing, they completed a historical treble, having previously taken the 2019/2020 Egyptian Premier League trophy and the 2019/2020 Total CAF Champions League titles. On Saturday, after the tie against Talaea El Geish ended in a 1-1 draw, Al Ahly needed penalty shootouts which they won 3-2 at the Alexandria based Borg El Arab Stadium to extend their record by winning their 37th Egypt Cup title, ten more than arch-rivals Zamalek. Substitute Mahmoud Abdel Moneam “Kahraba” came from the bench to give Al Ahly the lead after 65 minutes. Only for Nasser Mansy to equalize for El Geish two minutes into injury time. As no more goals cake in the extra time, the game headed to pe...
Ogun governor presents N339 billion 2021 budget proposal
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Wednesday, presented a budget proposal of N339 billion for the 2021 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, with N177 billion earmarked for capital expenditure. Newsmen report that the budget, christened “Budget of Recovery and Sustainability,” also has N162 billion proposed for recurrent expenditure. The governor said that an estimated N119 billion was projected as internally-generated revenue for the state, with statutory allocation expected to be N59 billion. He stated that capital receipt, which included internal and external loans as well as grants and aids, stood at N142 billion. The governor stated that personnel cost remained the largest single item of expenditure, adding as at Oct. 31, it accounted for 35.5 percent of the total government spending...
NUC mandates UI to appoint acting vice-chancellor
Following the crisis that trailed the selection of a new Vice-Chancellor for the University of Ibadan, UI, that led to the process becoming inconclusive. the National Universities Commission, NUC, has directed the Governing Council of the university to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor to take over from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka, on Monday, November 30. The directive became expedient, following the deadlock in the appointment of a new VC to replace Olayinka, whose term expires on Monday. The Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, in a letter dated 27th November 2020 and addressed to the Pro-Chancellor of the University, said the appointment of an acting vice-chancellor was to avoid a vacuum in the administration of the university. The letter, s...
Holiday shopping moves online amid surging coronavirus, retailers face shaky prospects
File Photo Long lines and crowds at shopping centers have been as much a Thanksgiving tradition as the turkey dinner, but this year, things could look different. As COVID-19 numbers continue to surge, rushing to brick-and-mortar retail stores might seem not so appealing to many, and the holiday shopping season is moving online. “More and more shopping was already moving online, but COVID-19 concerns are definitely accelerating the shift to online buying,” David Reibstein, a marketing professor from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, told Xinhua. The trend is evident as shown by recent data. Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, reported that its third-quarter e-commerce sales surged 79 percent from a year ago. Amazon, the largest e-commerce retailer, reported a 37 percent ...
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...
