A new statue of Christ being built in Brazil will be taller than the famous Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Christ the Protector in the southern city of Encantado will be 43m (140 ft) high with its pedestal, making it the world’s third tallest Jesus statue.
A head and outstretched arms were added to the structure last week, which was begun in 2019.
The idea came from local politician Adroaldo Conzatti, who died in March with Covid-19.
image captionThe project is being funded by donations
The $350,000 (£255,000) project is expected to be completed later in the year, the Association of the Friends of Christ group which is organising it says.
It is being funded by donations from individuals and companies, the association adds.
The statue is 36m from hand to hand. An internal lift will take tourists to a viewpoint in the chest region, 40m up.
image captionTourists will be able to view the surrounding countryside from an observation platform in the statue’s chest
Only the Jesus Buntu Burake statue in Sulawesi, Indonesia, at 52.55m including its pedestal, and Christ the King in Swiebodzin, Poland, which is 52.5m high including its mound, are taller.
They would tower over Rio’s iconic Christ the Redeemer, at 38m.
There are, however, dozens of other statues worldwide that are taller, including several of the Virgin Mary and numerous Buddhas.
A nuclear facility in Iran was hit by a “terrorist act” a day after it unveiled new advanced uranium centrifuges, a top nuclear official says.
He did not say who was to blame but urged the international community to deal with nuclear terrorism.
Israeli media suggest the incident was a result of an Israeli cyber attack.
Last year, a fire broke out at the Natanz underground facility, which the authorities alleged was the result of cyber sabotage.
The latest incident comes as diplomatic efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal – abandoned by the US under the Trump administration in 2018 – have resumed.
On Saturday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated new centrifuges at the Natanz site, which is key to the country’s uranium enrichment programme, in a ceremony broadcast live on television.
Centrifuges are needed to produce enriched uranium, which can be used to make reactor fuel – but also material for nuclear weapons.
It represented another breach of the country’s undertakings in the 2015 deal, which only permits Iran to produce and store limited quantities of enriched uranium to be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
What has Iran been saying?
On Sunday, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, said an “incident” had occurred in the morning involving the nuclear facility’s power network.
Mr Kamalvandi did not provide further details but told Iran’s Fars news agency there there had been “no casualties or leaks”.
Later state TV read out a statement by AEOI head Ali Akbar Salehi, in which he described the incident as “sabotage” and “nuclear terrorism”.
“Condemning this despicable move, the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasises the need for the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] to deal with this nuclear terrorism,” he was quoted as saying.
“Iran reserves the right to take action against the perpetrators.”
The IAEA said it was aware of the reports of an incident but would not comment.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan said that it could be assumed that the incident was an Israeli cyber operation, citing the discovery in 2010 of the Stuxnet computer virus, believed to have been developed by the US and Israel, which was used to destroy centrifuges at Natanz.
Haaretz newspaper also said the incident could be assumed to be an Israeli cyber attack.
Ron Ben-Yishai, a defence analyst at the Ynet news website, said that with Iran progressing towards nuclear weapons capability it was “reasonable to assume that the problem… might not have been caused by an accident, but by deliberate sabotage intended to slow the nuclear race accelerated by the negotiations with the US on removing sanctions”.
The Iranian nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has been in intensive care since Donald Trump pulled the US out of it.
Under the Biden administration diplomatic efforts have been redoubled to revive it.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned against a return to the deal, and declared last week that Israel would not be bound by a new agreement with Tehran.
What happened to the deal?
The nuclear deal only allows Iran to produce and store limited quantities of uranium enriched up to 3.67% concentration. Uranium enriched to 90% or more can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Mr Trump said the accord was based on “a giant fiction that a murderous regime desired only a peaceful nuclear energy programme” and reinstated crippling economic sanctions in an attempt to compel Iran to negotiate a replacement.
Iran, which insists it does not want nuclear weapons, refused to do so and retaliated by rolling back a number of key commitments under the accord.
It has since accelerated the breaches in an attempt to increase pressure on the US. They have included operating advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, resuming enrichment to 20% concentration of the most fissile U-235 isotope, and building a stockpile of that material.
India has administered more than 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines amid a deadly second wave of infections.
The country has been reporting an average of more than 90,000 cases of Covid-19 every day since 1 April.
Everyone above the age of 45 is now eligible for jabs, which are available at vaccination centres and hospitals.
Most of the doses have been given so far to frontline workers and people above the age of 60.
India is the “fastest country in the world” to give 100 million doses, “achieving the feat in 85 days whereas the US took 89 days and China reached the milestone in 102 days,” the health ministry said.
However, the world’s largest vaccination drive appears to be struggling. This week, half a dozen states have reported a shortage of doses even as the federal government insists that there’s enough in stock.
The government claims the “allegations” of vaccine scarcity are “utterly baseless” and it has more than 40 million doses in stock.
The inoculation drive aims to cover 250 million people by July, but experts say the pace needs to pick up further to meet the target.
The third phase – which began on 1 April – opened amid a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases.
On 4 April, India became the second country after the US to report 100,000 new cases in a single day. More than half of those were confirmed in Maharashtra, which has India’s largest city Mumbai as its capital.
India’s caseload had dropped sharply by the time it began vaccinating people early this year. It was adding under 15,000 infections daily. But cases began to spike again in March, largely driven by poor test-and-trace and lax safety protocols.
Experts say India’s second wave is being fuelled by people being less cautious – and mixed messaging by the government.
Since the pandemic began, India has confirmed more than 12 million cases and over 167,000 deaths. It’s the third-highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world after the United States and Brazil.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia could afford the delay because it had almost no community transmission of Covid-19.
On Friday, he announced that Australia had doubled its Pfizer contract to 40 million doses.
But Australia so far has only received about one million Pfizer shots – with the rest to arrive “by the end of the year”, the government has said.
Australia also has a contract for 51 million Novovax vaccines, but it is yet to be approved by regulators.
Mr Morrison strongly urged people aged over 50 to continue with their vaccine, saying any risk was very rare.
“If an outbreak were to happen again… you would be putting yourself at risk if you didn’t get the vaccine, because you would be exposing yourself to the more likely event of a Covid-contracted condition that could result in serious illness,” he said.
Critics of Australia’s rollout have condemned the government for “putting all their eggs in one basket” with AstraZeneca.
The setback upends timelines for potential border reopenings, overseas travel and economic recovery.
The body found on Monday in the search for a missing 19-year-old Nigerian student, Richard Okorogheye, has been formally identified as his.UK’s Metropolitan Police confirmed the tragic news in a tweet on Wednesday.
UPDATE: A formal identification has confirmed that a body found in #EppingForest is that of Richard Okorogheye.
Our deepest sympathies are with Richard’s family at this incredibly difficult time. They continue to be supported by specialist officers.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 7, 2021 The body had been found in a pond in Epping Forest on Monday afternoon, 12 days after Okorogheye, who attends Oxford Brookes, was reported missing.
According to police sources, Okorogheye left his family home on the evening of March 22 in Ladbroke Grove, West London and was reported missing two days later.
Investigations revealed that he took a taxi to Loughton, more than 22 kilometres from where he lives.
Before his disappearance, Okorogheye who lives with sickle cell disease had been shielding, meaning he was not expected to leave home and minimise face-to-face contact for health reasons.
In an interview with Channels Television, Okorogheye’s father, Christian, described him as a tall and strong teenager who enjoys talking to his friend.
His father blamed his disappearance on depression following the lockdown and long stay at home.
“He is a tall strong man; he enjoys talking to his friends,” he said. “At a point, he got cut off from his friends. Somehow, it happened that he met some people who we were not 100% sure about.
“It has been very devastating. I don’t know how to describe it but it is serious. All we want to do now is how to get him back and tell us his story.
“Richard has been on some kind of setting at home and I think that got him depressed in some ways. When you keep someone at home for like one month plus, and with all these things happening, it added to it. I think he got fed up with the whole thing.”
A fledgling Nigerian artiste identified as Wisekid who had earlier taken to social media to show off the streaming numbers for his ‘Lasgidi Made’ album has found himself in dire situation after he was accused of copyright infringement.
Real name Hosea Yohanna, Wisekid’s tracklist of the replica album dubbed Lasgidi Made, which is another way of calling Wizkid‘s ‘Made in Lagos’, can be seen to be identical to Wiz’s album, thereby hoodwinking unsuspecting music lovers.
The album which has gone on to amass a total of 9.3 million streams was brought to the notice of the public when he posted a screenshot of the streaming numbers which he has since deleted.
Apparently, Wisekid’s replica album earns him traffic from Wizkid’s Made In Lagos whenever the album is played.
A Twitter influencer identified as Chemical Brother shared screenshots and stated that even after listening to Wizkid for over 26 hours, Apple Music distributed the traffic to both Wizkid and Wisekid.
According to him, Wisekid has been getting over N30 million monthly since October 2020.
Read the post below.
This guy is an artist scamming off Wizkid’s name and albums. He made a replica of Made in Lagos and uploaded it to music platforms and the streams and sales are being shared to him too. He came to brag about it. pic.twitter.com/LstetQz820
— Chemical Brother 👌 (@chemicalbrodar) April 6, 2021
This is my Apple Music replay. I’ve listened to Wizkid for over 26hrs but Apple Music distributed it to Wizkid and “Wisekid”. It’s been going on since last year. pic.twitter.com/LZgMsixpFp
— Chemical Brother 👌 (@chemicalbrodar) April 6, 2021
I
Wisekid as he is known has denied the accusation of copyright infringement.
He tweeted; “I’m just an upcoming artist I know nothing about this and please am not the one distributing Wizkid album on Apple music.”
He also claimed that Freeme Digital, a music distribution digital company, handles the distribution of his songs.
However, Freeme Digital has since denied affiliations with Wise Kid’s tweet by saying;
“We did NOT distribute his ‘Lasgidi Made’ album and have only distributed his old content.
We will see him and everyone else involved in this lie and defamation in court.”
Freeme Digital also said that it will be deleting the rest of Wisekid’s content on its platform.
The West African Examinations Council has released the 2021 First Series results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates.
This was made public on Tuesday at a press briefing by Head of the Nigeria National Office, WAEC, Mr Patrick Areghan.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates in the 2021 First Series.
Head of the Nigeria National Office, WAEC, Patrick Areghan while speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, said the examination was primarily designed to help candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions to reduce the waiting time for results and beat the admission deadlines.
Analysing the result, he said performance of about 7,289 candidates who sat for the exams showed that about 2,938 candidates, representing 40.31 per cent of those who sat for the exams, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics; out of which about 1,396 were male and 1,542 were female, representing 47.52 per cent and 52.48 per cent respectively.
Also, he disclosed that about 2,195 candidates representing 30.11 per cent of the candidates obtained credits and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Of this number, 1,074 i.e. 48.93 per cent were male candidates, while 1,121 i.e. 51.07 per cent were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2019 and 2020, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 26.08 per cent and 32.23 per cent respectively. Thus, there is a marginal decrease of 2.12 per cent in performance in this regards,” he said.
It will interest you to know that the examination is also an international one. This is the 4th edition in Nigeria and the maiden edition took place in 2018. The examination is primarily designed to help candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions reduce the waiting time for results and beat admission deadlines,” he added.
People diagnosed with Covid-19 in the previous six months were more likely to develop depression, dementia, psychosis and stroke, researchers have found.
A third of those with a previous Covid infection went on to develop or have a relapse of a psychological or neurological condition.
But those admitted to hospital or in intensive care had an even higher risk.
This is likely to be down to both the effects of stress, and the virus having a direct impact on the brain.
UK scientists looked at the electronic medical records of more than half a million patients in the US, and their chances of developing one of 14 common psychological or neurological conditions, including:
brain haemorrhage
stroke
Parkinson’s
Guillain-Barré syndrome
dementia
psychosis
mood disorders
anxiety disorders
Anxiety and mood disorders were the most common diagnosis among those with Covid, and these were more likely to be down to the stress of the experience of being very ill or taken to hospital, the researchers explained.
Conditions like stroke and dementia were more likely to be down to the biological impacts of the virus itself, or of the body’s reaction to infection in general.
Covid-19 was not associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s or Guillain-Barré syndrome (a risk from flu).
Cause and effect
The study was observational, so the researchers couldn’t say whether Covid had caused any of the diagnoses – and some people would have had a stroke or depression in the next six months regardless.
But by comparing a group of people who had had Covid-19 with two groups – with flu and with other respiratory infections respectively – the researchers at the University of Oxford concluded Covid was associated with more subsequent brain conditions than other respiratory illnesses.
The participants were matched by age, sex, ethnicity and health conditions, to make them as comparable as possible.
Sufferers were 16% more likely to develop a psychological or neurological disorder after Covid than after other respiratory infections, and 44% more likely than people recovering from flu.
On top of this, the more severely ill with Covid the patient had been, the more likely they were to receive a subsequent mental health or brain disorder diagnosis
Mood, anxiety or psychotic disorders affected 24% of all patients but this rose to 25% in those admitted to hospital, 28% in people who were in intensive care and 36% in people who experienced delirium while ill.
Strokes affected 2% of all Covid patients, rising to 7% of those admitted to ICU and 9% of those who had delirium.
And dementia was diagnosed in 0.7% of all Covid patients, but 5% of those who’d experienced delirium as a symptom.
Dr Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Previous studies have highlighted that people with dementia are at higher risk of developing severe Covid-19. This new study investigates whether this relationship may also hold in the other direction.
“The study doesn’t focus on the cause of this relationship and it is important that researchers get to the bottom of what underlies these findings.”
There is evidence the virus does enter the brain and cause direct damage, neurology professor Masud Husain at the University of Oxford, explained.
It can have other indirect effects, for example by affecting blood clotting which can lead to strokes. And the general inflammation which happens in the body as it responds to infection can affect the brain.
For just over a third of people developing one or more of these conditions, it was their first diagnosis.
But even where it was a recurrence of a pre-existing problem, researchers said this did not rule out the possibility that Covid had caused the episode of illness.
Prof Dame Til Wykes, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, said: “The study confirms our suspicions that a Covid-19 diagnosis is not just related to respiratory symptoms, it is also related to psychiatric and neurological problems.
“Looking over six months after diagnosis has demonstrated that the “after-effects” can appear much later than expected – something that is no surprise to those suffering from Long Covid.
“Although as expected, the outcomes are more serious in those admitted to hospital, the study does point out that serious effects are also evident in those who had not been admitted to hospital.”
Brazil has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours for the first time, as a more contagious variant fuels a surge in cases.
Hospitals are overcrowded, with people dying as they wait for treatment in some cities, and the health system is on the brink of collapse in many areas.
The country’s total death toll is now almost 337,000, second only to the US.
But President Jair Bolsonaro continues to oppose any lockdown measures to curb the outbreak.
He argues that the damage to the economy would be worse than the effects of the virus itself, and has tried to revert some of the restrictions imposed by local authorities in the courts.
Speaking to supporters outside the presidential residence on Tuesday, he criticised quarantine measures saying they were linked to obesity and depression and led to unemployment. He did not comment on the 4,195 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.
To date, Brazil has recorded more than 13 million cases of coronavirus, according to the health ministry. Some 66,570 people died with Covid-19 in March, more than double the previous monthly record.
Several states have reported short supplies of oxygen and sedative. But despite the critical situation, some cities and states are already easing measures limiting the movement of people.
“The fact is the anti-lockdown narrative of President Jair Bolsonaro has won,” Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil’s Institute for Health Policy Studies, which advises public health officials, told the Associated Press.
“Mayors and governors are politically prohibited from beefing up social distancing policies because they know supporters of the president, including business leaders, will sabotage it,” he said.
The far-right president – who repeatedly played down the virus, raised doubts about vaccines and defended unproven drugs as treatment – has seen his popularity plummet amid heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis.
He has shifted his tone on immunisations recently, pledging to make 2021 the year of vaccinations. But the country has struggled with the rollout of its programme.
Critics say his government was slow in negotiating supplies amid a worldwide run, leaving Brazil facing delays in receiving jabs. Only around 8% of the population has been given at least one dose, according to the Our World in Data tracker.
Epidemiologist Ethel Maciel said the country was in a “dreadful situation”, telling AFP news agency: “At the rate we’re vaccinating… the only way to slow the extremely fast spread of the virus is an effective lockdown for at least 20 days.”
What is the Brazil variant?
Fiocruz says it has detected 92 variants of coronavirus in the country, including the P.1, or Brazil, variant, which has become a cause for concern because it is thought to be much more contagious than the original strain.
The variant is thought to have emerged in Amazonas state in November 2020, spreading quickly in the state capital Manaus, where it accounted for 73% of cases by January 2021, according to figures analysed by researchers in Brazil.
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra has blamed the South-East governors for the recent worsening security challenges in the region.There have been attacks on security agents and killings by unknown gunmen in the South-East recently. . There were also deadly attacks on communities in Ebonyi and Enugu states last week by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
And on Monday, a correctional facility and police headquarters in Imo State were attacked and inmates freed.
While reacting to the sad occurrences, the IPOB criticised the governors for conniving with the Nigerian government to get rid of the group that should be protecting their territories, and sabotaging the efforts of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group stated this through a press release by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful.The group asked the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and his counterparts to stop shedding crocodile tears in the statement titled ‘IPOB To S’East Governors: Stop Lamenting, We Warned You But You Asked For Our Heads.’
“We the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, read with great amusement, the lamentation and crocodile tears by South-East Governors particularly Hope Uzodinma over the attack in Imo State and last week’s massacre of innocent people in Ebonyi and Enugu communities.
“How come Hope Uzodinma and his cowardly fellow South-East governors are waking from sleep? Our message is simple: Good morning to you all!
“On Sunday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who came on a condolence visit to Ebonyi State said the governors of the region were currently hiding their faces in shame.
“This was lamentation: ‘Even when the killings happened; very unprovoked killings, some people said they gave the Governor of Ebonyi State 21 days to resign. We have been called all kinds of names and we feel ashamed that the same people we fight for day and night as governors and leaders of South-East to ensure the oneness of this country would know about attacks on Ebonyi State and they were asked to leave and they left, and we were slaughtered and killed. What face do we have then to face our people? We feel so ashamed to face our people,’” the statement said.
The group further condemned the governors for supporting the proscription of the IPOB and their failure to support the Eastern Security Network.
“When our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was warning you people and your fellow saboteurs, you called him a miscreant. You and your fellow treacherous self-acclaimed Igbo leaders hurriedly outlawed IPOB, a peaceful movement and prepared the ground for the Federal Government to tag us, terrorists.
“You puppet Igbo Leaders, in your bid to please your slavemasters approved Operation Python Dance that claimed many innocent Igbo youths. Thank God for the miraculous escape of our Leader, otherwise, the vampires would have drunk with his skull.
“When our leader set up Eastern Security Network, ESN, following the failure of the weak South-East governors to protect the people, instead of supporting him, you connived with the federal government to hunt down our men staking their lives to protect our ancestral land.
“Now the Fulani you hated your brothers to protect have risen to kill your subjects in return. Why shed crocodile tears? They are your friends and One Nigeria brothers!
“Why haven’t you ordered for their arrest the same way you governors approved of the onslaught against our men at Orlu? You hate your own and protect your enemy. Clean your tears and live with your One Nigeria brothers. Stop lamenting. We warned you but you took us for fools because of your worthless selfish political ambition,” the statement added.
A member of the All Progressives Congress representing Alkaleri-Kirfi Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, Musa Pali, has been attacked by angry youths in his constituency, who alleged that he did not deliver the dividends of democracy to them.
According to reports, the lawmaker was in Pali for a social function when he came under attack.
The member of All Progressives Congress representing Alkaleri-Kirfi Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, Musa Pali, was attacked by angry youths in his constituency, who alleged that he did not deliver the dividends of democracy to them.
A source told SaharaReporters that the lawmaker was in Pali for a social function when he came under attack.
He said the lawmaker was attacked by the angry youths, who accused him of making false promises for many years.
It however took the timely intervention of security operatives who whisked Pali away after sustaining minor bruises, to save his life.
“He was attacked at the weekend at Pali. It took the timely intervention of security operatives who whisked him away after sustaining minor bruises to rescue him.
“They said they attacked him because of his fake promises for many years,” the source said.
Another source said, “No single borehole, school or any structure put in place by Pali. We regret voting him into office. We’ll do everything possible to ensure he is not re-elected in the forthcoming election.”
Controversy has been surrounding the succession of the throne of the Olu of Warri, Delta state, following the demise of the monarch, Ikenwoli Godfrey Emiko.
The monarch died in December 2020, barely a week after his fifth coronation anniversary after he was said to have met with the late Major General John Irefin, who had died earlier from COVID-19 complications.
Controversy has been surrounding the succession of the throne of the Olu of Warri, Delta state following the demise of the monarch, Ikenwoli Godfrey Emiko.
The monarch died in December 2020, barely a week after his fifth coronation anniversary after he was said to have met with the late Major General John Irefin, who had died earlier from COVID-19 complications.
The palace in a statement initially denied the demise of the first-class monarch, describing the story as untrue. Despite the denial, it was gathered that there has been tension in the area over who succeeds the monarch.
The crisis has also resulted in the suspension and counter-suspension of some high profile chiefs of the palace. Following the rejection and disqualification of Prince Tsola as the successor to the throne, a member of the royal family, Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, had few days ago announced the purported suspension of the head of the Olu’s advisory Council.
The council is headed by the Ologbotsere of Warri, Ayiri Emami. Shortly after the purported suspension, a popular Warri Chief and member of the Ginuwa I Ruling House, Akoma Dudu-Dimeyin, on behalf of the ruling house, countered the purported suspension of Emami as the Ologbotsere of Warri, saying, “The Ginuwa I Ruling House has no such powers to suspend the Ologbotsere or any other chief, it is an individual or constituted authority that has the right to hire, that can fire.”
Speaking with our correspondent, a traditional chief in the palace who spoke on condition of anonymity however confirmed the demise of the monarch saying, though it has not been formally announced to the public, the issue of succession is almost degenerating into a full-blown bloody crisis.
“Unlike in previous cases where differences were settled in inner circles among contenders of the throne, the divisions this time around have been blown open among the contenders and power brokers in Itsekiri, particularly the Olu’s advisory council headed by the Ologbotsere of Warri, Chief Ayiri Emami and the body of Princes who share influences over who becomes the next Olu.
“The battle to select a consensus candidate for the throne degenerated on Monday following reports that the choice of Prince Tsola Emiko was disqualified by the Olu’s advisory council. The 1979 Edict is very clear on the issue causing serious tension concerning the Itsekiri throne succession. Prince Tsola is not qualified to be enthroned.
“Prince Tsola Emiko is the son of Emiko’s predecessor, Atuwatse ll. He is one of the preferred choices for the throne despite his disqualification in 2015 in accordance with the customary laws regulating succession to the Olu of Warri throne. It might interest you to note that Prince Tsola was disqualified from succeeding his father because his mother is Yoruba. The edict confirmed the position of the Olu’s advisory council, a candidate to the Olu of Warri throne must have his mother as an Itsekiri or from Edo State (Benin Kingdom).”
Also speaking in support of the edict, another chief from the Olu’s palace who insisted that Prince Tsola stands rejected and disqualified disclosed that the enthronement of Tsola despite the edict will amount to a breach of peace in the land and if not urgently handled, will degenerate into a bloody crisis.
The source said, “Paragraph two of section eight of the 1979 Edict read made it very clear that succession is limited to Olu’s company (Otolu’s) i.e. descendant of the last three Olus. The descendants of the other Olus who had previously reigned are known and referred to as Omajaja company.
“Ordinarily, succession passes to a son of a demised Olu, failing which it goes to a suitable member of the Olotus, provided that brothers are preferred to uncles, and uncles are preferred to grandsons and grandsons are preferred to other relatives within the Otolus. Females are absolutely barred.
“According to the Edict on how to select a successor, the Ologbotsere will summon a meeting of the members of the ruling house to the palace (Aghofen) specifically to choose a successor. The meeting is presided over by the oldest man in the ruling house, failing which by the Olare-Ebi or Olore-Ebi.
“All the sons of demised Olu and members of the ruling house below the age of eighteen are excluded from the meeting. To qualify, a candidate’s mother must be an Itsekiri or of Edo origin and his father, Itsekiri.”
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that already, a section of the ruling house has been preparing to announce Prince Tsola as Omoba (Olu-designate) on Monday (today) against the provisions of the edict which have disqualified him while the majority of Itsekiris have insisted that the edict must be adhered to the letter.
Last month, Marwa Elselehdar noticed something strange. News had broken about a huge container ship, the Ever Given, that had become wedged across the Suez Canal, bringing one of world’s major shipping routes to a halt.
But as she checked her phone, online rumours were saying she was to blame.
“I was shocked,” says Marwa, Egypt’s first female ship’s captain.
At the time of the Suez blockage, Ms Elselehdar was working as a first mate, in command of the Aida IV, hundreds of miles away in Alexandria.
The vessel, owned by Egypt’s maritime safety authority, runs supply missions to a lighthouse in the Red Sea. It’s also used to train cadets from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), a regional university run by the Arab League.
Rumours about Marwa Elselehdar’s role on the Ever Given were largely spurred by screenshots of a fake news headline – supposedly published by Arab News – which said she was involved in the Suez incident.
The doctored image appears to be from a genuine Arab News story, released on 22 March, which profiles Marwa’s success as Egypt’s first female ship captain. The picture has been shared dozens of times on Twitter and Facebook.
Several Twitter accounts under her name have also spread false claims that she was in involved with the Ever Given.
Marwa Elselehdar, 29, told the BBC she has no idea who first spread the story or why they did it.
“I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I’m a successful female in this field or because I’m Egyptian, but I’m not sure,” she said.
It’s not the first time she’s faced challenges in an industry historically dominated by men. At present, women only account for 2% of the world’s seafarers, according to the International Maritime Organisation.
image captionMarwa Elselehdar says she feels encouraged by some of the response she’s had to the false rumours
Marwa says she’s always loved the sea, and was inspired to join the merchant navy after her brother enrolled at the AASTMT.
Though the academy only accepted men at the time, she applied anyway and was granted permission to join after a legal review by Egypt’s then-President Hosni Mubarak.
During her studies, Ms Elselehdar says she faced sexism at every turn.
“Onboard, they were all older men with different mentalities, so it was difficult not to be able to find like-minded people to communicate with,” she says. “It was challenging to go through this alone and be able to overcome it without affecting my mental health.”
“People in our society still don’t accept the idea of girls working in the sea away from their families for a long time,” she adds. “But when you do what you love, it is not necessary for you to seek the approval of everyone.”
After graduating, Marwa rose to the rank of first mate, and captained the Aida IV when it became the first vessel to navigate the newly-expanded Suez Canal in 2015. At the time, she was the youngest and first female Egyptian captain to cross the waterway.
In 2017 she was also honoured by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during Egypt’s Women’s Day celebrations.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.40.2/iframe.htmlmedia captionThe stranded container ship is seen finally on the move and no longer blocking the canal
When rumours emerged about her role in the Suez blockage, she feared for the impact it would have on her work.
“This fake article was in English so it spread in other countries,” says Ms Elselehdar. “I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now.”
But she says she feels encouraged by some of the response.
“The comments on the article were very negative and harsh but there were so many other supportive comments from ordinary people and people I work with,” she says. “I decided to focus on all the support and love I’m getting, and my anger turned to gratefulness.”
“Also, it is worth mentioning that I became even more famous than before,” she adds.
Next month Marwa Elselehdar will be taking her final exam to attain a full rank of captain, and hopes she can continue to be a role model for women in the industry.
“My message to females who want to be in the maritime field is fight for what you love and not let any negativity to affect you,” says Marwa.
At least 71 people have died after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and East Timor on Sunday.
Torrential rain sparked widespread destruction in the South East Asian neighbours, with water from overflowing dams submerging thousands of homes.
The affected area stretched from Flores island in eastern Indonesia to East Timor.
More than 40 people are still missing in Indonesia, and officials warn the death toll could rise further.
“There are 55 dead, but this number is very dynamic and will definitely change, while some 42 people are still missing,” Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Raditya Djati told broadcaster MetroTV.
“The mud and the extreme weather have become a serious challenge and the debris piling up has hampered the search and rescue team,” Mr Djati said of the situation in Indonesia.
“We suspect many people are buried but it’s not clear how many are missing,” his colleague Alfons Hada Bethan, head of the East Flores disaster agency, said.
“The evacuees are spread out. There are hundreds in each sub district but many others are staying at home. They need medicine, food, blankets.”
At least 21 people have also died in East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, news agencies quoted officials in the island nation as saying.
Many of the victims are believed to be from the country’s capital Dili.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo has offered his condolences and urged people to follow the advice from officials during extreme weather periods.
“I have ordered for disaster relief efforts to be conducted quickly and well, for example for health service assistance, availability of logistics and basic needs for the displaced and the reparation of infrastructure,” he said.
image captionOfficials in East Flores gave a higher death toll that has not been confirmed by national officials
Landslides and flash floods are not uncommon across the Indonesian archipelago during the rainy season.
In January this year, 40 people died when flash floods hit the town of Sumedang on Java.
And last September, at least 11 people were killed in landslides on Borneo while a few months earlier dozens died in Sulawesi.
The country’s disaster agency has estimated that nearly half of the country’s population – some 125 million people – live in parts of the country at risk of landslides.
The Kaduna State Government says it never appointed any group or individual to negotiate on its behalf with bandits.The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Aruwan said anyone caught negotiating with bandits on government’s behalf, would be prosecuted.
The statement read, “The attention of the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been drawn to reports in the media that it has appointed representatives to interface with bandits on its behalf.
“The Kaduna State Government hereby clarifies firmly that such intermediaries have never been appointed.
“The position of the Kaduna State Government remains the same: the government will not negotiate with or pay ransoms to bandits.
“Any person who claims to do so in any capacity, if found, will be prosecuted accordingly.
“Citizens are urged to report the details of any persons posing as official government negotiators to the Kaduna State Security Operations Room on 09034000060 and 08170189999, or email internal.security@kdsg.gov.ng.”
Bandits had in March invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state and abducted 39 students comprising 23 females and 16 males.
Few days later, the gunmen kidnapped teachers from UBE Primary School in Rama, a village in Birnin Gwari LGA of the state.
The bandits have failed to release them after many days in captivity.
Innocent Chukwuma, Nigeria leading and prominent civil society leader has gone to rest. He died last night, Saturday at the age of 55. He was CLEEN Foundation’s founder and Representative of FORD Foundation in West Africa, he worked for reform of criminal justice system.
Innocent came to public attention first as a student union activist at the University of Nigeria. He read religious studies in the eighties when Nigerian students led relentless campaigns against military autocracy.
Upon graduation, he joined a cluster of young activists who came to bloom at the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria’s first human rights organisation led for most of the nineties by Olisa Agbakoba, now a member of the velvet rank of the legal profession called senior advocates of Nigeria.
At CLO, Chukwuma, a father of three daughters, graduated in law and was called to the bar last year, met people like Chidi Odinkalu, a lawyer, academic and former chairman of Nigeria Human Rights Commission.
Odinkalu remembered the departed civil society leader, Sunday morning, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, as a treasured companion and faithful friend. “I knew him for nearly 35 [and] I am grateful for the privilege,” Mr Odinkalu said, recalling that “In all things, as my late Mum always said, we must learn to give thanks … he was a man of decency.”
He said Chukwuma’s diagnosis only came through Friday night. Though he was booked to begin chemotherapy sessions Saturday night, Odinkalu remarked that his friend “passed before the needle could be inserted.” Orphaned at a young age, both of Chukwuma’s parents died young. Friends say he was fastidious with matters of his health, going to great lengths to take care of a cardio-vascular degeneration and High Blood Pressure situation he managed with courage and seriousness. Both his parents were killed by cardio-vascular degeneration.
Innocent Chukwuma
Chukwuma, who holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Leicester in the UK, served from January 2013 until recently as the Ford Foundation’s representative for West Africa.
He also served as a member of the boards of many global nonprofits and initiatives against crime and violence, including the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC), African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF), Open Society Global
Criminal Justice Fund and the Africa Advisory Council of Human Rights Watch.
Before joining Ford Foundation in 2013, Mr Chukwuma founded and led the CLEEN Foundation to promote public safety, security, and accessible justice in West Africa.
CLEEN was the first African non-governmental organisation to receive the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
The spokesman for the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, is dead. He died in the early hours of today due to complications from Covid-19, according to family sources. Details of his death are still sketchy.
“I just spoke with Dr. Joe, his wife. She’s in a panic mode. She said a part of her is gone. Odumakin had been in the ICU of LASUTH for the past one week after being transffered from IDH Yaba,” a source said.
Odumakin was a human rights activist who played a vital role in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fought General Sani Abacha’s regime after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
He was the Apex Yoruba group’s spokesman for over two decades, coordinating the publicity and public relations activities of the group.
He was also one of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) spokespersons, the body representing ethnic nationalities in the South-West, South-South, South-East and the Middle Belt.
Odumakin, married to another activist, Dr. Joe Odumakin, has been one of the strongest critics of the present government using the platform of the Afenifere.
Yinka Odumakin
He has consistently taken on the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government over alleged impartiality and favouritism in appointment into various offices.
His voice was also very loud in condemning the activities of killer herders in the Yorubaland.
He recently warned the Federal Government against arresting Sunday Igboho, who recently issued a quit notice to the Fulani herders in Ibarapa Oyo State and subsequently ejected the Sarkin Fulani in Igangan.
A member of the House of Representatives, Haruna Maitala (APC, Jos North/Bassa Constituency), his son, Jafaru, a legislative aide and his driver are dead.
The lawmaker and three others died in a car accident along the Abuja-Keffi road to Jos on Friday night. “I am not familiar with the road but the accident occurred around Kwoi-Kafachan-Jos Road.
“He died alongside his son, his legislative aide and his driver. “Their corpses were deposited at Kwoi General Hospital in the Jabba Local Government of Kaduna State.
“We are at the hospital preparing to take their corpses to Jos for burial,” Abdulkadir Abubakar, Senior Legislative Aide to the recessed, said.
Maitala is the fifth member of the lower legislative chamber to have died in the ninth assembly. He died barely a month after the house lost Hassan Yuguda, who represented Gwaram Federal Constituency.
Sam Obi, a former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and acting governor of the state, is dead .Obi hails from Ibiegwa quarters, Ute-Okpu community, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state and represented his constituency from 2007 to 2015.
The ex-acting governor died in his Asaba residence in the early hours of Saturday following an undisclosed ailment he had been battling for some years.Obi was flown abroad for treatment following a deteriorating health-related issue in 2019. Obi, who was Speaker of the state House Assembly in 2010, was sworn-in as acting governor of the state following an Appeal Court nullification of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s election pending the re-run election.
The police in Bauchi State have arrested two youths in the Azare Local Government Area of the state who were alleged to have insulted Governor Bala Mohammed during his tour of some projects in the area.
According to The Nation, there was drama in the area when two of the youths booed the Bauchi State governor during the tour and the police clamped both of them in a van.
Mohammed was on an inspection tour of projects awarded by his administration across the state at the Urban Primary Health Care centre in Azare on Thursday when the incident occurred.
When the governor’s entourage got to a location in Azare, two of the teeming youths, not minding the presence of security personnel shouted “Ba mayi!” in Hausa language, which translates to “we are not supporting you.”
Though Mohammed did not bat an eye, security operatives attached to his convoy arrested the duo.
They were given a hot chase by security agents, who gave them resounding slaps before shoving them into the police van.
A member of the Rapid Response Squad of the Bauchi Police Command, speaking to Nation, faulted the audacity of the youths, saying it was disrespectful.
“Just imagine, how will you tell a governor to his face that you don’t want him and you are not in support of his government, it’s an insult,” he stated.
However, it could not be ascertained whether they were later released or not as of press time.
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