Pope Francis urged the world to let the light of Christmas pierce the “darkness in human hearts” that leads to religious persecution, social injustice, armed conflicts and fear of migrants. In his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) Christmas Day message, the 83-year-old pope called for peace in the Holy Land, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Venezuela, Ukraine and several African countries caught up in conflicts. The common thread of his address to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and millions watching or listening around the world was that change starts in the hearts of…
Author: Ekpedeme Umoh
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday put a call to former President Goodluck Jonathan to sympathize with him following an attack by gunmen on his Otuoke, Bayelsa State country residence. In the telephone conversation, President Buhari expressed sadness over the “tragic and unfortunate attack,” during which a gallant soldier lost his life. While commending the soldiers on guard for bravely repelling the attack, the President condoled with family members as well as officers and men of the Nigerian Army over the loss of one of the guards. President Buhari assured that the protection of the life of the former leader and all…
Nigeria’s attorney general on Tuesday ordered the release on bail of an ex-presidential candidate and a former national security adviser, in recognition of court orders that they be released. The move followed growing internal and international pressure on the Nigerian government to abide by court orders. State security had ignored several court orders that former adviser Sambo Dasuki, who has been held since 2015, be released. It also sparked protests earlier this month when it re-arrested activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore hours after his release on bail. “The two defendants are enjoined to observe the terms of their…
Vietnam seized more than two tonnes of ivory tusks and pangolin scales hidden inside wooden boxes shipped from Nigeria, state media reported Tuesday (Dec 24). The bust comes at the end of a year of big wildlife seizures destined for Vietnam, a hotbed of the illicit but lucrative trade in animal parts from elephants, pangolins, tigers and rhinos. Authorities in northern Hai Phong city found 330kg of ivory and 1.7 tonnes of pangolin scales after checking three container shipments from Nigeria, according to Hai Quan Online, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam’s customs department. The manifest listed the goods as high-end…
Algeria’s powerful army chief Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaed Salah, who was instrumental in bringing down long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has died, state media reported on Monday. The 79-year-old’s death comes at a time of mass protests across Africa’s largest country as people demand that the ruling elite quits power and that the influential military steps back from politics. Gaed Salah’s departure may not signify major changes to Algeria’s economic and political policies, however, as he had plenty of potential successors in a military that has remained united over the handling of the protests. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that the head of…
For anyone who knows a thing or two about bakery, the importance of certain ingredients can not be undermined. Whether you’re baking a cake, or a batch of cupcakes, muffins, or cookies, ingredients like eggs, butter, and baking soda are irreplaceable. Or are they? Cookies are awesome. They are loved by people of all ages, they can be served at occasions or for no particular reason, they are soft and sweet, they are fairly easy to make, and they can be made with so many ingredients. Like all other confectioneries, making cookies requires the use of baking soda. Baking…
Merck & Co (MRK.N) said on Friday it expects to make licensed doses of its recently approved Ebola vaccine available in the third quarter of 2020 and price the single-dose injection at the lowest possible access price for poor and middle-income countries. The vaccine, Ervebo, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, a month after Europe gave its nod to the vaccine, a move that has been hailed by the World Health Organization. “We have made a commitment to making the vaccine available to GAVI-eligible countries at the lowest possible access price,” Merck spokesman Skip Irvine…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it approved drugmaker Merck & Co’s (MRK.N) Ebola vaccine Ervebo, making it the first FDA-authorised vaccine against the deadly virus. The vaccine was used by the World Health Organization and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an investigational vaccine to help reduce Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks in a few West African countries from 2014 to 2016. The Ebola virus, which causes haemorrhagic fever and spreads from person to person through direct contact with body fluids, has killed more than 2,100 people in Congo since the middle of the year,…
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep sadness and shock over the passing of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, representing Imo North Senatorial District. Commiserating with the family of the late distinguished senator, the leadership and members of the National Assembly, and the government and people of Imo State on the tragic transition, the President prays for divine comfort for all who mourn. President Buhari avers that as a politician and community leader, Sen. Uwajumogu dedicated his life to service, which eminently earned him the trust of the people of Okigwe zone in Imo State, who elected him to represent them first, in…
In this interview with The News Chronicle (TNC), Steve Emeka John-N, the CEO of X-VIZIONZ talks about his business, motivation, challenges, future plans …and many other issues TNC: First, let me congratulate you on X-VIZIONZ. We all know it is not easy to set up a business and run it successfully. Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your company: what does it do? Why did you venture into that line of business? How has it been so far? Tell us about the company’s growth trajectory, including the number of employees. SEJ: My name is STEVE…
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have always shared a mutual difference of opinion — regarding how their platforms must behave; but now in order to make apparent his dislike about how Zuckerberg runs his apps, Dorsey has unfollowed the Facebook CEO on his platform. Dorsey made sure that the world took note of the move so he first followed a Twitter account, @bigtechalert, which reports on the following and unfollowing activities of CEOs of tech companies. “@jack is now following @BigTechAlert,” tweeted the account. Then, Dorsey unfollowed Zuckerberg, which was promptly reported by BigTechAlert. “@jack is no longer…
It’s almost Christmas and everyone I know is preparing for the holiday season. It’s the most wonderful time of the year after all. Offices are getting ready to close for the year, shops, and schools as well. Speaking of schools, while most are done with their exams, others are yet to. That brings us to this video that has been trending online. It’s the most hilarious video I have seen in a while. First of all, how did they get the chicken to wear that? Who comes up with all these ideas? And honestly, that’s how every teacher walks during…
A Pakistani court sentenced on Tuesday former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death on charges of high treason and subverting the constitution, government officials said. Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and later ruled as president, is not in Pakistan and was not available for comment on the sentence, handed down by an anti-terrorism court hearing the high treason case. “Pervez Musharraf has been found guilty of Article 6 for violation of the constitution of Pakistan,” government law officer Salman Nadeem said. The court’s full ruling was not available but it said in a summary it had analyzed…
According to the information Google put out in its blog, Google Earth now covers more than 98% of the world and has captured 10 million miles of Street View imagery. To put things into some real perspective, 10 million miles means going around the globe more than 400 times. Also, Google Earth lets you browse through 36 million miles of satellite imagery. Basically, that’s A LOT of footage and eyes everywhere. “While these stunning photos show us parts of the world we may never get a chance to visit, they also help Google Maps accurately model a world that is changing…
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that official inquiries into last week’s fatal volcano eruption could take up to a year, and will carry potential criminal penalties of up to five years in jail. Ardern also announced a NZ$5 million ($3.2 million) fund to help small businesses affected by the eruption, after New Zealanders held a minute of silence to honor the victims a week on from the tragedy. The official death toll from the surprise eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, stands at 16. Two people whose bodies are believed…
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the alleged execution of four aid workers by terrorists in North-eastern Nigeria, saying the defeat of evil by good is inevitable, no matter the pyrrhic victory evildoers seem to win. In a press release signed by the Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President expressed his sadness over the claimed development, and commiserates with the family and loved ones of the aid workers, who had offered themselves to serve humanity at grave risks. “Evil will always be defeated by good at the end of the day. Whatever seeming victory…
An armed group that kidnapped humanitarian workers in northeastern Nigeria five months ago has claimed it killed four hostages, international aid agency Action Against Hunger said on Friday. Six people were abducted in July near the town of Damasak, in the state of Borno, where Islamist insurgents operate. Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from the militant group Boko Haram that began its insurgency in 2009, has become the dominant jihadist group in the region. The decade-long Islamist insurgency has caused the deaths of some 30,000 people and driven 2 million to flee their homes. Action Against…
There was standing room only as ministers, diplomats, activists and journalists gathered at the IFEMA conference center in Madrid to mark Africa Day at the COP 25 climate meeting. Speakers called for a united front to tackle the challenges of climate change in Africa. In the opening statement for Africa Day on Tuesday, Yasmin Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, on behalf of the African Union, said: “We have, and will continue to engage and to seek landing grounds on the outstanding issues. But we must flag our concern at the apparent reluctance by our interlocutors to engage on issues…
Nike has launched new swimwear designed for athletes who wear a hijab. Through the new Nike Victory Swim Collection, women can choose from a full-body swimsuit or individual pieces including a swimming hijab, a tunic top, and leggings. “Too often,” the company said in a statement, “swimwear represented a barrier, rather than a conduit to enjoying the water.” The new line will be available for sale online starting Feb. 1, and at some retailers in California, New York City, London, and Dubai, the company announced Tuesday. “The more we listened, the more possibility we saw to serve female athletes in new dimensions,” Martha Moore,…
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Wednesday described addressing President Buhari by his military rank as another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press. He made this known after a newspaper said it will henceforth address President Muhammadu Buhari by his military rank of Major General. Adesina in a press statement noted that “Nothing untoward in it. It is a rank the President attained by dint of hard work before he retired from the Nigerian Army. And today, constitutionally, he is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. All over the world, just as in…
WhatsApp introduced a voice calling feature almost four years ago. Since then, the feature has been updated with group calling and video calling. One of the biggest problems with WhatsApp’s voice calling has been the call waiting – when you receive a call while you’re already on a voice call, you had no option to receive it as you’d do for regular calls. Rather you’d just see a missed voice call alert once you’re done with the original call. The latest update, however, fixes this problem. WhatsApp is now rolling out a call waiting feature for Android users. This essentially means…
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Anthony Joshua for reclaiming his belts on Saturday, December 7, 2019, in a rematch with Mexican, Andy Ruiz Jnr. In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, Buhari rejoices with Joshua rejoices with Joshua, saluting him for bringing joy to millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who had rooted for him to regain the titles he lost about six months ago. “The downfall of a man is truly not the end of his life. There’s always another, and better day. This is a lesson we must all learn from you…
You can’t imagine your an indulgent tea without ginger, this magical ingredient adds soul to your tea experience. In fact, that’s when you remember this little powerful spice. Since ages, ginger has been an inseparable part of our culinary heritage. Right from adding a hint of taste to several delicacies to curing several ailments with its medicinal properties, this wonder spice has been used for various purposes. Ginger is basically a root or rhizome of the flowering plant known as Zingiber officinale, which is a native to India and Southeast Asia. Ginger belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Known for its miraculous medicinal properties, ginger has been used as an…
Britain’s Anthony Joshua reclaimed his world heavyweight crown from Andy Ruiz on Saturday, outclassing the Mexican-American to score a unanimous points victory. Joshua, who suffered a stunning knockout defeat to Ruiz in New York in June, produced a masterclass to regain his IBF, WBA and WBO titles in emphatic fashion. Dominating from the outset, Joshua won by margins of 118-110 on two scorecards with the third judge making it 119-109. Billed as the “Clash on the Dunes”, the eagerly anticipated rematch marked the first time a world heavyweight title fight has been staged in Saudi Arabia. And after entering the…
Lawyers for the Nigerian government on Friday filed “new and substantive” allegations of fraud with a British court in its ongoing fight against an arbitration award now worth more than $9 billion, a spokesman for the attorney general said. The government has been fighting efforts by the firm, Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), to enforce the award for a failed gas project, and now is also seeking to overturn the underlying award, the spokesman said. As the window to appeal the arbitration award expired, one of the only ways to overturn the award itself is to prove fraud or corruption…
To follow in the footsteps of my big brother President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who won the award in 2018, is an honour beyond description – Akinwmi Adesina African Development Bank President Dr Akinwumi Adesina received the African of the Year Award from the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™), Thursday, in recognition of his bold leadership and the innovation of the Africa Investment Forum which “opened up billions of dollars of investment into the continent.” The ninth edition of the awards, organized by AABLA™ in conjunction with CNBC Africa, seeks to honour leaders who have contributed and shaped the African economy.…
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a personally signed goodwill message to Ignatius Kaigama, as he gets formally installed today as Catholic Archbishop of Abuja. The President rejoiced with the Archbishop and wished him well in his new spiritual assignment. Details of the letter below: “I rejoice with you on your appointment as the Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja by the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis. “With your pedigree as a priest and administrator, I have no doubt that you will make an impressive success in your new office. Your background as immediate past President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria,…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $210 million loan to help Nigeria upgrade its dilapidated electricity transmission and distribution network. The loan to Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will support construction of 330KV double circuit quad transmission lines and sub-stations across the country, the bank said in a statement late on Friday. The AfDB funded project will run across seven states and will improve the capacity of power grid where it is most constrained. Nigeria privatised most of its power sector in 2013 but retained control of its monopoly grid, operated by TCN. Most of the country’s power…
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro claimed on Friday that Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio financed fires being set in the Amazon rainforest, without presenting any evidence, the right-wing leader’s latest broadside in casting blame over forest fires that have generated international concern. Bolsonaro appeared to be commenting on social media postings claiming that the environmental organization the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had paid for images taken by volunteer firefighters that it then supposedly used to solicit donations, including a $500,000 contribution from DiCaprio. The WWF has denied receiving a donation from DiCaprio or obtaining photos from the firefighters. “This Leonardo DiCaprio is…
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday said that the Federal Government would soon commence the construction of the 600-kilometre Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline which would move gas from the Southern part of the country to the North. The Nigerian leader, who disclosed this while addressing the 5th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit at the Sipopo International Conference Hall, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, added that the viability of extending the gas pipeline to North Africa was also under consideration. Describing the theme of the Summit, Natural Gas – Energy for Sustainable Development as most appropriate, President Buhari noted that the one-day meeting was…
