Elon Musk announces change of Twitter’s bird logo to X

Elon Musk, on Sunday, announced plans to change the microblogging site Twitter’s bird logo to X.

Mr Musk’s action would be the latest in a series of controversial shake-ups to the social media platform under his stewardship since he acquired the social media platform for $44 billion last October.

In a thread of tweets, Mr Musk said the change would be made on Monday to replace the blue bird logo with the X logo.

“And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Mr Musk tweeted.Mr Musk had earlier changed the company’s official name in April to X Holdings Corp, after his venture X.com, to reflect his vision of creating ‘X’, the everything app performing social media and payment functions similar to China’s WeChat.

Linda Yaccarino, Twitter’s chief executive, confirmed the launch of the X brand on Sunday. Ms Yaccarino tweeted, “It is an exceptionally rare thing – in life or business – that you get a second chance to make another big impression.

Twitter made one massive impression and changed the way we communicate. Now, X will go further, transforming the global town square.”

She explained that the new logo would be “centred in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking” and would be a “global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.”

Despite laying off half of the company’s staff after the acquisition, Mr Musk recently revealed that the site remained cashflow-negative with a heavy debt burden after losing half of its advertising revenue.

Greece continues to battle raging wildfires

Greece firefighters on Monday continue their battle against wildfires across the country, eight days since the first fire broke out near Athens.

Firefighting planes and helicopters were deployed at first light on Monday to all the fire grounds, according to the Civil Defence.

Large fires broke out on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu and numerous other regions of Greece, suffering a prolonged drought.

On Corfu Island, the evacuation of the popular holiday resort of Nisaki began on Sunday night, and already coastguard boats had evacuated around 1,000 holidaymakers and residents to safety, state television reported.

Large fires were also reported on the island of Evia, near Karystos, and on the Peloponnese peninsula near the small port town of Aigio on Monday morning.

Numerous villages were evacuated there as well.No one has been injured so far, the rescue service said.

Similarly, on Rhodes, a major fire raged for the seventh day in a row on Monday, and around 20,000 people from the south-east of the island had been brought to safety as of Saturday.

It was one of Greece’s largest-ever evacuation operations, as the fire, caused by heatwave and strong winds, continues to devour the country.

About half of world population at risk of dengue fever due to global warming-WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has attributed the spike in dengue fever to global warming marked by higher average temperatures, precipitation, and a longer period of drought.

Raman Velayudhan, WHO’s Head of the Global Programme on Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, told journalists at the UN in Geneva on Friday.

“About half of the world’s population is at risk of dengue, and dengue affects approximately 129 countries.

“We estimate that about 100 to 400 million cases are reported every year. This is basically an estimate, and the American region alone has reported about 2.8 million cases and 101,280 deaths,” said Mr Velayudhan.

Dengue, also called breakbone fever, is the most common viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people.

Most people with dengue do not have symptoms and recover in one to two weeks. But some people develop severe dengue and need hospital care.

According to him, dengue is spread by the Aedes species of mosquito. The disease is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Its incidence has grown dramatically worldwide in recent decades.

“In 2000, we had about half a million cases, and today in 2022, we recorded over 4.2 million, which really shows an eight-fold increase,” he said.

He said the number could well increase with more and more accurate figures.Asia represents around 70 per cent of the global disease burden, and the future outlook is bleak, according to the WHO expert.

The Aedes mosquito is well-established in Europe, and dengue and chikungunya infections have been reported for over a decade.

“European countries are also on alert because Europe has recorded an Aedes transmission of either dengue or chikungunya since 2010.

“We have had more outbreaks since then, and it is estimated that the mosquito is present in about 22 European countries,” Mr Velayudhan said.

Numerous factors in addition to climate change have driven the spread of dengue fever, such as the increased movement of people and goods, urbanisation and pressure on water and sanitation.

“The mosquito manages to survive even when there is water scarcity,” the WHO expert said.

“So, both during a flood situation as well as a drought situation, dengue can increase. The virus and the vector multiply faster at a higher temperature. This is a well-known fact,” the expert said.

Dengue fever does not have a specific treatment, and no direct drug intervention is available. Usually, the disease is treated with medicines to treat fever and pain.

Top U.S.-based Ghanaian doctor Kofi Sarfo, wife face 20 years in jail for fraud

An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging a Nevada doctor and his wife with fraudulently obtaining approximately $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court documents, Kofi Sarfo, 58, of Las Vegas, is a medical doctor and the owner and president of Vista Medical Associates, a Las Vegas medical practice.

His wife, Rose Sarfo, 54, also of Las Vegas, is the office manager and treasurer of Vista Medical Associates. Kofi and Rose Sarfo allegedly conspired to submit false loan applications to obtain EIDL and PPP pandemic relief funds.

Rather than spending the money on their business as represented in the loan applications, the Sarfos allegedly used at least some of the funds to purchase stocks and cryptocurrency.

The Sarfos are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. In addition, Kofi Sarfo is charged with one count of money laundering.

If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each count of wire fraud.

Kofi Sarfo also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the money laundering charge. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.

In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.

The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

United Nations celebrates Mandela’s human rights legacy

The United Nations on Thursday celebrated the life and legacy of the first black president of post-apartheid South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013.

The commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day, celebrated on July 18, pays tribute to his fight for freedom and equality across the world.

Mr Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba, spent nearly three decades in jail for standing up to human rights abuses and severe injustices against black South Africans.

He was released in 1990 and elected president four years later in the country’s first-ever multiracial elections.

At a ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York, UN top officials extolled Mr Mandela’s heroic virtues.

Csaba Kőrösi, president of the UN General Assembly, said Mr Mandela’s remarkable journey served as an example of transformation through forgiveness as he bequeathed a multiracial, democratic South Africa vastly different from the racist state he was born into.

“Madiba’s lifelong commitment to human rights embodies a founding principle of this organisation: We cannot leave anyone behind,” he added.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called Mr Mandela one of humanity’s greatest heroes.“Nelson Mandela was a colossus of courage and conviction,” he said.

How do we pay tribute to such a giant? Through words of respect, certainly. But we best honour Madiba through action.”

Mr Guterres called for action against racism, discrimination, and hate to “extinguish the legacies of colonialism,” appealing that equality, human rights “and above all, justice” should be promoted.

The UN chief said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed global inequalities and “three years on, the need to bridge the global justice gap is more urgent than ever.”

He pointed to injustice at the heart of the international financial system rooted in colonialism. He said that Africa is still underrepresented in global financial architecture, and the continent lacks a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

He recalled that Mr Mandela addressed these issues in a speech to the UN nearly 30 years ago, arguing against the uneven distribution of resources and decision-making power.“The world is still waiting for change,” Mr Guterres said.

“Ultimately, we need fundamental reform of the international financial system. But we must also support developing economies with concrete steps we can take today.”

Stanford University president forced to resign over research frauds

The president of Stanford University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, announced that he would resign at the end of August after an independent probe of his scientific papers that spanned months found substantial flaws in studies he supervised going back decades.

The probe panel was constituted of outside independent scientists who concluded that Mr Tessier-Lavigne’s works had “multiple problems” and “fell below customary standards of scientific rigour and process,” especially for such a potentially important paper, New York Times reported.

Although the scientist’s professionalism has been publicly questioned on Pubpeer, an online crowdsourcing network for publishing and discussing scientific work, the investigation started after a series of publications by the university’s student newspaper, Stanford Daily which cast doubt on several works produced in laboratories overseen by Mr Tessier-Lavigne.

Last November, the newspaper reported that images were manipulated in published scientific papers with Mr Tessier-Lavigne as either lead author or co-author.

The 89-page report from the Stanford panel was based on more than 50 interviews and a review of more than 50,000 documents.

It concluded that Mr Tessier-Lavigne’s employees engaged in improper data manipulation or poor scientific practices, leading to significant flaws in five papers on which he was listed as the primary author.

The panel concluded that the scientist failed to take adequate action to fix errors in a number of cases and questioned why he did not request a correction for the 2009 study after further research indicated that its main conclusion was incorrect.

Additional allegations of fraud about the 2009 study, which Mr Tessier-Lavigne produced while he was a senior scientist at Genentech (a biotechnology corporation), were made public by The Stanford Daily in February.

It claimed that a Genentech probe discovered that the study used fabricated data and that Mr Tessier-Lavigne made an effort to conceal its conclusions.It also added that Genentech had apprehended a postdoctoral researcher who had worked on the study, fabricating data.

The assertions, which largely depended on unnamed sources, were categorically rejected by Mr Tessier-Lavigne and the former researcher, now a medical professional working in Florida.

The newspaper articles’ most serious claim was that the scientist covered up malpractices which included falsification of data in a 2009 Alzheimer’s study, but the panel ruled against the assertion, concluding that it was “mistaken” on the basis of lack of proof.

Following the review, Mr Tessier-Lavigne will ask that the 2009 paper, published in Nature and another Nature study, undergo important modifications.

He also stated that he would ask for the retraction of three papers: one in 1999 published in the journal Cell; two in 2001 that appeared in Science.

WHO express concern about false claims of COVID-19 pandemic accord

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed concern over the continuing spread of false claims and conspiracy theories concerning the new global pandemic accord, currently negotiated by member states.

WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus, in a statement, cautioned that just as mis- and disinformation undermined the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said they were undermining efforts to keep the world safer from future pandemics.

He drew comparisons with the efforts by the tobacco industry to derail negotiations at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

“The same thing is happening now. Groups with vested interests are claiming falsely that the accord is a power grab by WHO and that it will stymie innovation and research. Both claims are completely false,” stated Mr Ghebreyesus.

“I need to put this plainly, those who peddle lies about this historic agreement are endangering the health and safety of future generations.”

The pandemic accord aims to promote solidarity and equity among countries in forging an effective pandemic response. Negotiations on the document are held at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which WHO members at the World Health Assembly established.

The WHO chief also emphasised that the agreement was between countries and countries alone.

“WHO will not be a party,” he said, noting that If two companies enter into a business contract and use lawyers to help them develop it, “that doesn’t give the lawyers control over the contract, nor make the lawyers a party to it. It’s the same here.”

Mr Ghebreyesus also highlighted that extreme heat, driven by the El Niño weather pattern and climate change, amplifies pre-existing conditions and puts increased pressure on health systems.

“Extreme heat takes the greatest toll on those least able to manage its consequences, such as older people, infants and children, and the poor and homeless,” he said.

In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), WHO is supporting countries to develop heat health action plans to coordinate preparedness and reduce the impacts of excessive heat on health.

The WHO director-general also spoke about the outbreak of 29 cases of H5N1 avian influenza in cats in Poland, the rebound in immunisation services after COVID-19-induced disruptions and the impact of poverty on rehabilitation services for those in need.

“For most people, rehabilitation services, including assistive technologies, are often out-of-pocket expenses that they cannot afford. Ensuring access to quality rehabilitation services, without financial hardship, is an essential part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage,” he said.

Nigeria receives $9 million grant from Canada for COVID-19 vaccines

Nigeria has received 9.3 million grant from the Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE) to boost COVID-19 vaccine delivery and strengthen the broader health system in the country.

The Canadian High Commissioner, Jamie Christoff, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of CanGIVE in Nigeria.

The Federal Ministry of Health hosted the event in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NpHCDA) and Nigeria Centre For Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), supported by World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mr Chrisoff said Nigeria, amongst six other countries, would benefit from Canada’s global initiative of CAD317 million.

He said as the world moved beyond emergency pandemic response, continued access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments would remain critical for high-risk groups.

“In some low and lower-middle-income countries, vaccination rates remain low, and health systems have been overstretched by the pandemic,” Mr Chrisoff explained.

“This poses significant challenges to long-term COVID-19 management and recovery efforts.”

The Canadian diplomat added that under the CanGIVE, WHO projects would be implemented in seven countries, with Nigeria receiving the greatest share.

“Nigeria was also amongst the first countries to receive COVID-19 aid from Canada in September 2021. This important project is another important example of Canadian historical institutional relationship with the support of Nigeria in the critical work for preventing diseases and protecting those most at risk in the country,” he stressed.

He also mentioned that countries required support to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into ongoing immunisation programmes and primary health services in a way that strengthened the broader health system and reversed the backsliding trend in routine immunisation over the pandemic.

“Canada is contributing to these efforts, building on Canada’s long-standing commitment to investing in and supporting health systems worldwide,” the Canadian high commissioner to Nigeria added.

“Through CanGIVE, Canada will continue to support vaccination for high-risk groups where vaccination coverage remains low, particularly in humanitarian contexts and hard-to-reach places.”

2.6 million people displaced in Sudan in four months- UN

No fewer than 2.6 million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict on April 15 in Sudan, according to the UN, citing the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

It stated that nearly 200,000 people were displaced by fighting inside Sudan over the past week.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 730,000 people have fled Sudan since the start of the war.

On Tuesday, UN deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed and the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, visited a camp in eastern Chad that has taken in Sudanese refugees.

Ms Mohammed said she was inspired by the courage of those who had fled there, many of whom were women and children, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

“The UN deputy chief said that she also heard stories of unimaginable suffering in Sudan and enormous needs in Chad. More international support is needed for refugees and their host communities,” she said.

Back in Sudan, humanitarians continue to provide relief to civilians.In North Darfur, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) and partners are supporting water trucking to gathering sites for internally displaced people and healthcare facilities. They have also constructed more than two dozen latrines.

Mr Dujarric said WHO was working closely with Sudan’s Ministry of Health and other partners in states sheltering internally displaced people to provide essential reproductive, sexual, maternal and pediatric care.

On Monday, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners managed to deliver life-saving supplies, including 3,000 reproductive health kits, to six hospitals in Khartoum.

He said UNFPA was committed to reaching all women and girls in need in Sudan with urgent health and protection services.

Athletic Integrity Unit charges Tobi Amusan with anti-doping violation

On Wednesday, world record holder Tobi Amusan announced she was charged with an anti-doping violation, with the Athletic Integrity Unit (AIU) claiming she missed three tests in the space of 12 months.

“Today, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having three missed tests in 12 months,” Amusan wrote on Instagram.

Amusan, scheduled to defend her world record in next month’s championship, said she would not give in to the accusation and will fight the charges before a sports tribunal.

“I intend to fight this charge and will have my case decided by a tribunal of three arbitrators before the start of next month’s World Championships,” she said.

Amusan added,

“I am a CLEAN ATHLETE, and I am regularly; (maybe more than the usual) tested by the AIU – I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test.’ I have FAITH that this will be resolved in my favour and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August.”

If found guilty, Amusan would miss out on next month’s championship and could be suspended for up to two years.

The 26-year-old athlete became Nigeria’s first world record holder at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon.

She also had an outstanding performance in July, winning all her five races in Stockholm Diamond League, Nigeria trials, Silesia Diamond League, and on July 18, the Gyulai István Memorial meet in Hungary.

U.S. Homeland Security indicts two Nigerians for money laundering

A federal indictment was unsealed today charging a Prince George’s County, Maryland, man and woman with their involvement in laundering the proceeds of various fraud schemes targeting victims’ retirement and investment accounts.

According to allegations in the indictment, from approximately September 2017 to April 2020, Dasola Abdulraheem, 41, and Ismaila Abdulraheem, 44, both Nigerian nationals and formerly spouses, received the proceeds of various financial frauds into accounts that they controlled, and thereafter, conducted financial transactions with the proceeds to disguise the nature and source of the funds.

The indictment further alleges that unknown co-conspirators targeted the victims of this scheme by gaining access to their financial accounts, typically retirement or investment accounts.

In one case, co-conspirators are alleged to have gained access to a victim’s severance payout from his former employer.

The indictment states that once the conspirators compromised a victim’s account, they posed as the victim and instructed the victim’s financial institution to add a new outside bank account to the victim’s account.

The outside account was controlled by either the Abdulraheems or one of the couriers that they used.

Once the victim’s financial institution added a conspirator’s account to the victim’s account, the conspirators allegedly directed that money from the victim’s account be siphoned from the victim’s account and deposited into the Abdulraheems’ accounts or into a co-conspirator’s account.

The proceeds are alleged to have been used in some cases to purchase salvage cars at auction or to wire money to business entities in Nigeria.

The indictment further alleges that the Abdulraheems attempted to conceal their involvement in laundering proceeds by using shell companies, such as “ISMRAN LLC,” “DAISIM GLOBAL LINK LLC,” “RUKLAT INTERNATIONAL VENTURES,” and “DAISIM INTERNATIONAL” to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and unlawful monetary transactions. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering charges, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the unlawful monetary transactions charges.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Kathleen E. Robeson are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-107.An indictment is merely an accusation.

The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

German tourist caught scratching wall in Colosseum in Rome

Once again, a wall in the famous Colosseum in Rome has been scratched – this time, it is said to have been a young male German tourist.

The 17-year-old allegedly scratched the brickwork inside the amphitheatre, popular with tourists in the heart of the Italian capital, on Saturday evening, the ANSA news agency reported on Sunday.

According to the report, he was a student from Germany. After scratching a wall on the ground floor of the monument, he was apprehended by security personnel, accompanied by a teacher.

The Carabinieri then reported him to the police.This is now the third case within a few weeks of tourists allegedly scratching the masonry inside the Colosseum.They all now face hefty fines.

A few years ago, a Russian tourist who scratched a wall in the Colosseum had to pay a fine of €20,000 ($22,442).

Last Friday, a young female Swiss tourist was caught scratching the first letter of her name on the wall. The Italian police were able to identify the 17-year-old, the media reported on Sunday.

At the end of June, the first case caused outrage in Italy and beyond the country’s borders after a young man from England scratched his name and that of his girlfriend into a wall.

After the criticism, the man, 31, apologised with a curious excuse: He said he had not known how ancient the monument was.

The Roman landmark, which is about 2,000 years old, is one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions and is considered the symbol of the Eternal City.

It was built in the first century AD and is considered the largest amphitheatre in the world.Sometimes cruel and brutal gladiator fights took place in ancient Rome.

The Colosseum attracts millions of visitors every year.

Wanda Diamond League: Amusan wins 100m hurdles, sets new record

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan on Sunday set a new record as she won the 100 metres hurdles in the Wanda Diamond League at the Silesia Stadium in the City of Chorzó, Poland.

Amusan, the world record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, won the race ahead of the U.S. duo Kendra Harrison and Ali Nia.

She also set a new meeting record and a new season best of 12.34 seconds.

The reigning world champion only won on the finish line by fractions of seconds in a typical photo finish.

Harrison Kendra was also given the same 12.34 seconds, whilst Ali Nia placed third with a time of 12.38 seconds.

Megan Tapper of Jamaica ran a time of 12.49 seconds to finish fourth in the race.

“It was not easy for me with injuries in my hamstring and knee. But I trusted in my coach and my work. It’s all about the process. I just won this in a smooth style. I was just running, and honestly, I had no idea that I had won when I crossed the finish line,” Amusan told reporters after the race.

Amusan’s blistering record-setting performance came on the heels of her recent comfortable win in the Nigerian national trials in Benin.

She had won in a time of 12.70 seconds, in wet conditions to book her ticket to the world championships in Budapest.

She had won the national title for the third time in a row.

The 26-year-old Amusan had, before the Nigerian trials, defeated Sarah Avalanche of Ireland, who finished second in 12.73 seconds.

Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland claimed the bronze medal in 12.78 seconds to win the Stockholm Diamond League with an impressive time of 12.52 seconds.

The double Commonwealth Games champion will defend her world title, and possibly her world record of 12.12 seconds, at the World Athletics Championships, in Hungary, Budapest from August 19 to 27.

Amusan has finished second, fourth and eighth in her last three outings of the season.

This was prior to her inspiring run in Stockholm, where she won with a time of 12.52 seconds.

German Islamic State woman to be sentenced Monday

A German woman accused of supporting the Islamic State is expected to be handed a verdict in her case in Frankfurt on Monday.

According to the indictment, the woman left for Syria in the spring of 2016 with her two sons to join the terrorist group.

The group at that time controlled large swathes of Syria and Iraq.

The attorney general’s office demanded a two-year suspended sentence, while the woman’s lawyer requested a slightly lower sentence of 18 months.

The 33-year-old mother is also accused of violating her duty of care to her children.

Russia blocks wartime deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain by sea

Russia has blocked an “unprecedented wartime deal” that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, a hit that could cause global food security.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, announced halting the deal at a press conference on Monday, stressing that the warzone country would return to the deal after its demands are met.

“When the part of the Black Sea deal related to Russia is implemented, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal,” Mr Peskov told reporters.

On Sunday, Vladimir Putin, Russian President, disclosed that Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions, warning that the country “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons.

Although, agreements that the UN and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertiliser from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are hungry have eased concerns over global food security.

Last August, the Black Sea Grain Initiative allowed 32.8 million metric tons (36.2 million tons) of food to be exported from Ukraine – more than half to developing countries, including those getting relief from the World Food Program.

A separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertiliser amid Western sanctions.

The warring nations are major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations rely on.

Russia has complained that shipping and insurance restrictions have hampered its food and fertiliser exports, which are also critical to the global food chain.

The war in Ukraine caused food commodity prices to surge to record highs last year, contributing to a global food crisis.

Like the developing countries, the high costs of grain needed for food staples in places like Egypt, Lebanon, and Nigeria exacerbated economic challenges and pushed millions more people into poverty or food insecurity.

People in developing countries spend more money on meals, while poorer nations that depend on imported food priced in dollars also spend more as their currencies weaken.

Many are forced to import more because of climate issues, as places like Somalia, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia are struggling with drought.

Prices for global food commodities like wheat and vegetable oil have fallen, but the food was already expensive before the war in Ukraine, and the relief hasn’t trickled down to kitchen tables.

Undocumented migrants in Tunisia received $1 billion in 2023

Undocumented sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia received three billion dinars (about $1 billion) in remittances from their countries during the first half of 2023, an official from the national security council said in a meeting late on Friday.

President Kais Saied, who chaired the meeting, said, “this figure is shocking and indicates that Tunisia is being targeted.”

Mr Saied denounced this year’s undocumented sub-Saharan African immigration to his country, saying, in comments criticised by rights groups, that it was aimed at changing Tunisia’s demographic make-up.

The amount of the announced transfers for undocumented migrants is higher than revenues of the vital tourism industry in Tunisia during the first half of the year, which amounted to 2.2 billion dinars.

Thousands of undocumented migrants have flocked to the coastal city of Sfax in recent months with the goal of setting off for Europe in boats run by human traffickers, leading to an unprecedented migration crisis for Tunisia.

Tunisia has removed hundreds of migrants this month to a desolate area along the border, following days of violence in Sfax between residents and migrants.

Under pressure from international and local rights groups that accused the authorities of putting the lives of migrants in danger, the government moved them to shelters in two towns this week.

Katsina government partners UK institute to tackle infectious diseases

The Katsina government is set to partner Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK, to tackle infectious diseases in the north-western state.

Ibrahim Kaula, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dikko Radda, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Thursday in Katsina.

He said the aim was to establish a centre that’ll become the first of its kind in northern Nigeria dedicated to fight infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

The statement said that through strategic partnerships, the centre would leverage on the expertise of international and national researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers to improve the healthcare ecosystem in the state.

“This collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute marks a significant milestone in our efforts to transform healthcare in Katsina State.

“By establishing a Centre of Excellence, we will enhance our capacity to combat infectious diseases and improve the overall health outcomes of our citizens.

“We look forward to working closely with international experts and local stakeholders to achieve our shared vision.

“The Wellcome Sanger Institute at Cambridge is renowned for its expertise in research and comprehensive approach to tackling infectious diseases,” the CPS said.

According to him, the groundbreaking initiative will serve as a hub for cutting-edge research, advanced diagnostics, and innovative treatment strategies.

“The proposed Centre of Excellence will address the pressing healthcare challenges faced by the northern region of Nigeria, specifically focusing on infectious diseases.

“Universities, including the School of Hygiene, Oxford University and Cambridge University are partnering with Wellcome Sanger Institute to conduct high-impact research.

“A partnership with Sanger Institute is like building a network with all UK universities,” he noted.

He said the development signifies a remarkable step forward in the state’s healthcare sector and positions Katsina as a leader in the fight against infectious diseases in Nigeria.

California lawmakers pass bill for judges to lower sentences for black criminals over slavery

Legislators in California, United States, have passed a bill that would require judges in the state to consider black criminals when being convicted.

The bill, backed by state democrats, would also allow the judges to determine how long to sentence such convicted blacks to prison for crimes committed.

Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a democratic assembly member, quietly introduced the Bill 852 in February, saying it was aimed to rectify racial bias in the justice system.

In May, the assembly passed the little-known legislation – which would see judges weighing how persecuted minorities have been. Now, the measure is currently being considered in the state’s upper chamber, the senate.

The bill would add a section to the Penal Code of California Senate regarding race and, if signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, it would require the courts, whenever they have the authority to determine a prison sentence, to “rectify” alleged racial bias in the criminal justice system.

“It is the intent of the Legislature to rectify the racial bias that has historically permeated our criminal justice system as documented by the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

“Whenever the court has discretion to determine the appropriate sentence according to relevant statutes and the sentencing rules of the Judicial Council, the court presiding over a criminal matter shall consider the disparate impact on historically disenfranchised and system-impacted populations,” the proposed new section to the Penal Code reads.

The bill added that race as a factor when making a judgment will help to determine the “appropriate sentence according to relevant statutes.”

The controversial bill comes as the state continues to consider the cost and overall implications of paying black residents reparation for slavery and racism.

Although, the California task force referenced in the bill was created by state legislation signed by Mr Newsom in 2020, to examine the possibility of implementing statewide reparations as a way to make amends for slavery and racism.

Late last month, the task force released its final recommendations, which the state legislature will now consider whether to implement and send to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

In the report, the task force proposed dozens of statewide policies and ways to calculate monetary reparations designed to redress slavery and historical injustices against Black Americans.

According to the task force, such history has created lingering consequences that exist today in the form of systemic racism.The task force estimated the minimum dollar amount in harm that California has caused or could have prevented totals at least $1 million per eligible Black Californian.

In terms of criminal justice specifically, the task force determined that qualifying Black residents could be owed over $115,000, or around $2,352 per year of residency in California from 1971 to 2020, as compensation for over-policing in Black communities, excess felony drug arrests, and disproportionate prison time during the so-called war on drugs.

The final report also included proposals to end cash bail and the prosecution of low-level crimes.

Bill 852 seeks to build off the task force’s findings and recommendations by mandating that California courts fight what it describes as racial bias in sentencing that can disadvantage Black people and other minorities.

At least six killed, nine injured in Pakistan floods

At least six people have lost their lives and nine have been injured in monsoon rain-triggered flash floods during the last 24 hours in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

Three women and a child were among those who lost their lives in separate flood-related incidents, according to an NDMA report released on Monday.

The total death toll in Pakistan from this season’s monsoon rains and floods that started on June 25 has risen to around 86, along with 151 injured, the NDMA said.

The eastern Punjab province was the worst-hit region, where the death toll was 52, followed by northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 20.

The report further said that 97 houses were destroyed and 46 livestock animals perished in different parts of Pakistan.

Rescue and relief operations by the NDMA, other government organisations, volunteers, and non-governmental organisations were underway in the flood-hit areas.

300 migrants from Senegal missing in Atlantic Ocean

Three refugee boats with no fewer than 300 people on board went missing in the sea between Africa and Spain’s Canary Islands, Helena Maleno of the Spanish aid organisation Caminando Fronteras said on Monday.

Ms Maleno said the two boats, each with up to 60 people on board, left Senegal on June 23 for the Canary Islands, and a third with about 200 people left the coastal town of Kafountine on June 27.

The organisation contacted the relatives of the missing people, who had yet to hear from the people on board.

“We are very worried because after the unrest in Senegal in June and because of political persecution, people are even less prepared than usual to flee in a hurry,” she said.

In June, 19 boats with refugees from Senegal arrived on the Canary Islands, while not one had been registered since the beginning of the year.

Ms Maleno criticised Spain for only using one search plane, which was only in the air for a few hours daily.There is also a lack of cooperation with Morocco, “which only works to ward off refugees but not to rescue them,” she complained.

“If 300 Germans were missing in the Atlantic, there would be a huge search operation,” she added.

Kafountine is about 1,700 kilometres from the Spanish island group, and the Atlantic Ocean, with its strong currents and high waves, is considered one of the most dangerous migration routes to Europe.

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