If you’re daydreaming of future travels while stuck at home during the pandemic, why fantasize about the beaches of Bali or the canals of Venice when vacationing in space could be in your future?
Back in 2019, Californian company the Gateway Foundation released plans for a cruise ship-style hotel that could one day float above the Earth’s atmosphere.
Then called the Von Braun Station, this futuristic concept — comprised of 24 modules connected by elevator shafts that make up a rotating wheel orbiting the Earth — was scheduled to be fully operational by 2027.
Fast forward a couple years and the hotel has a new name — Voyager Station — and it’s set to be built by Orbital Assembly Corporation, a new construction company run by former pilot John Blincow, who also heads up the Gateway Foundation.
In a recent interview with CNN Travel, Blincow explained there had been some Covid-related delays, but construction on the space hotel is expected to begin in 2026, and a sojourn in space could be a reality by 2027.
“We’re trying to make the public realize that this golden age of space travel is just around the corner. It’s coming. It’s coming fast,” said Blincow.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday said he did not feel any pinch while being vaccinated against Coronavirus.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Osinbajo got the jab on live TV, a day after the COVID-19 national vaccine programme started with the vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Laolu Akande, Spokesman of the Vice-President, quoted Osinbajo to have said: “The thing was not painful at all. I didn’t even feel the pinch.”
On his part, Buhari called on all eligible Nigerians to present themselves and be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Personal Physician to the President, Dr Sanusi Raafindadi, administered the vaccine to him while that of the Vice President was done by his Personal Physician, Dr Nicholas Audifferen.
Buhari said his decision to take the vaccine in public was ‘‘a demonstration of leadership and faith in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.’’
‘‘I have received my first jab and I wish to commend it to all eligible Nigerians, to do same so that we can be protected from the virus,’’ he said.
Buhari said since the beginning of the year 2020, humanity has remained under the burden of COVID-19 pandemic, an unseen but very potent enemy around the world.
‘‘Infection from the virus has resulted in over two million and five hundred thousand fatalities and destroyed several global and national systems.
‘‘The response in Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub-region has been robust, collaborative and united. It was driven by a collective knowledge of the fact that ‘no country is safe until every country is safe.
‘‘The speedy development of the COVID-19 vaccines is quite significant and underscores the collective resolve of humanity to overcome the pandemic.
‘‘Similarly, the collaborative effort to ensure equal access has brought relief to poor and developing countries,’’ he said.
President Buhari spoke of the assurance by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) that the AstraZeneca vaccine which Nigeria has accessed would arrive in batches beginning with the four million doses already received.
He said the roll out and administration plan would cater for over seventy percent of Nigeria’s population in 2021 and 2022.
In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the jab is painless as a narrow gauge syringe was used with small quantity injected in the upper arm, adding that the after effects are mild and little discomfort follows in the area that was injected.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said with the memorable event, vaccine hesitancy had given way to the reality.
At least 20 people were killed and 30 wounded by a suicide car bomb just outside a restaurant near the port in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu late on Friday, an emergency services official said.
The blast sent plumes of smoke into the sky and triggered gunfire, witnesses and state-owned media reported.
“So far we have carried 20 dead people and 30 injured from the blast scene,” Dr. Abdulkadir Aden, founder of AAMIN Ambulance services told Reuters.
The blast occurred at the Luul Yemeni restaurant near the port, witnesses said.
“A speeding car exploded at Luul Yemeni restaurant. I was going to the restaurant but ran back when the blast shook and covered the area with smoke,” resident Ahmed Abdullahi, who lives near the site, told Reuters.
Somalia’s state-controlled Radio Mogadishu reported there was also destruction of property and that police had cordoned off the area.
No one claimed responsibility for the blast.
Islamist group al Shabaab frequently carries out such bombings in Somalia and elsewhere as part of its campaign to topple the Horn of African country’s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
A 7-year-old from Alabama – faced with the daunting cost of upcoming brain surgeries – has helped her family raise more than $315,000 to help pay for the procedures.
Liza Scott was determined to alleviate some of the financial burdens off of her mother after finding out last month that she needs to have multiple surgeries to treat three rare brain malformations.
So, she put her homemade lemonade stand to use.
That stand, coupled with her online fundraiser, “Lemonade for Liza – Zest for Life w/ Brain Surgery” helped pave the way for her upcoming surgeries at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Liza’s mother, Elizabeth Scott, told Fox News that her daughter has always tried to “lift a bit of the burden” around the house. This is the latest example of that.
When Elizabeth Scott is not running the family business, Savage’s Bakery, she is taking care of Liza and her 3-year-old brother, Finnley.
“Liza has always shown the initiative to step up and take part in helping with things around the house or at the bakery even when it’s not expected or asked,” Elizabeth Scott said.
“Liza has always shown the initiative to step up and take part in helping with things around the house or at the bakery even when it’s not expected or asked,” Elizabeth Scott said.
After the 7-year-old suffered a grand mal seizureat the end of January, doctors at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham uncovered multiple cerebral malformations in her brain that need “immediate attention”
The surgeries are to help prevent Liza from having any further seizures as well as possible brain bleeds, hemorrhages or strokes, according to her fundraising page.
Liza had insisted that she help raise funds necessary to cover some of the costs and within a matter of days she set up shop inside her family’s bakery in Homewood.
Large protests have hit Senegal for a third day as demonstrators burnt cars and clashed with police after the arrest of an opposition leader on Wednesday.
Ousmane Sonko appeared in court on Friday accused of disrupting public order. He also faces a rape allegation.
He denies the allegations and his supporters say the accusations are politically motivated.
At least one person has died in the rare nationwide unrest.
Senegal is one of West Africa’s most stable countries.
On Friday police fired tear gas at Mr Sonko’s supporters in the capital Dakar where some shops and schools closed during the protests.
Police also blocked motorbikes and mopeds, which are popular among Mr Sonko’s young supporters, from the city’s streets.
image captionCars were burnt near the headquarters of a radio station thought to be close to Senegal’s government
Demonstrators have gathered in the city’s surrounding areas and in the southern city of Bignona, a stronghold of Mr Sonko.
Two private TV channels that covered the protests have been suspended for 72 hours by the government.
Senegal’s government has condemned the protests as a “flagrant violation” of the state of emergency put in place to tackle coronavirus.
image captionThe unrest is rare in the West African country
The United Nations’ special envoy for West Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas has appealed for calm.
Mr Sonko, 46, was accused of rape in February by a woman who worked in a beauty salon.
image captionPolice have used tear gas against protesters in the capital Dakar
Following an investigation he was arrested on Wednesday and taken to court accompanied by a group of supporters.
Police said they then arrested him for disrupting public order when he refused to change his route to the court.
Mr Sonko says the allegations of rape are fabricated. He accuses Senegal’s President Macky Sall of trying to remove potential opponents ahead of the 2024 election. Two other opposition leaders were excluded from the 2019 election after being convicted on charges which they say were politically motivated.
There are reports that Mr Sall may seek to change the constitution to allow him to run for a third term.
image captionOusmane Sonko, 46, is popular among Senegal’s youth
Mr Sonko is the president’s only remaining serious challenger, BBC Afrique’s Ndèye Khady Lo in Dakar says.
She explains that the opposition politician is particularly popular with young Senegalese for his promise of radical opposition to what he calls “the system”.
In 2014 he founded his own political party, Nastef, and came third in the 2019 presidential election with 15% of the vote.
In a video recorded and shared on social media in 2018, Mr Sonko told activists: “There is enormous potential in this country. It is unacceptable to see suffering of our people” adding “our politicians are criminals. Those who have ruled Senegal from the beginning deserve to be shot.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday revealed that he tested positive for the Coronavirus.
He broke the news in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, while speaking at a colloquium put in place to celebrate his 84th birthday.
The programme held within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta.
Obasanjo, who said he was a bit concerned about it, added that he had to put a call to his daughter, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo – Bello, an epidemiologist.
Obasanjo said, “It will surprise you that I tested positive for COVID-19. I called them to come and test me, they came on a Saturday, I didn’t get the result till Wednesday and it came out positive but I didn’t see any symptoms.
“When they came three days after, they tested me and said I am negative, that is three days after I tested positive.
“My daughter, Iyabo is an epidemiologist and I called her to explain, she said maybe they tested me at the later stage of being positive.
“I told her I had no symptoms and she said it could be a faulty result. But I tested positive. Since then I have been tested three times and the test came back negative. So, if you want to come near me, you can come near me.
“It is nothing to worry about, when I tested positive, my household ran from me, I told them to stay in their place while I stayed in mine.”
Pope Francis has arrived in Iraq for the first ever papal visit there, and his first international trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Covid and security fears have made this his riskiest visit yet, but the 84-year-old insisted he was “duty bound”.
He will try to reassure the dwindling Christian community and foster inter-religious dialogue – meeting Iraq’s most revered Shia Muslim cleric.
The Pope will also celebrate Mass at a stadium in Irbil in the north.
About 10,000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel are being deployed to protect the Pope, while round-the-clock curfews are also being imposed to limit the spread of Covid.
Iraq’s PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi greeted the Pope at the airport. On the plane, Francis said he was happy to be travelling again, adding: “This is an emblematic trip and it is a duty towards a land that has been martyred for so many years.”
He had earlier said Iraqi Christians could not be “let down for a second time”, after Pope John Paul II cancelled plans for a trip in 1999 when talks with then-President Saddam Hussein’s government broke down.
image captionPope Francis arrives in Baghdad, vowing to be a “pilgrim of peace”
In the two decades since then, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities has seen its numbers plummet from 1.4 million to about 250,000, less than 1% of the population.
Many have fled abroad to escape the violence that has plagued the country since the US-led invasion in 2003 that ousted Saddam.
Tens of thousands were also displaced when Islamic State (IS) militants overran northern Iraq in 2014, destroying their historic churches, seizing their property, and giving them the choice to pay a tax, convert, leave or face death.
What does the Pope hope to achieve?
The head of the Roman Catholic Church aims to embolden persecuted Christians and call for peace in meetings with political and other religious leaders, reports the BBC’s Mark Lowen, who is travelling with him.
image captionQaraqosh’s Grand Immaculate Church was desecrated by IS but has now been restored
He continued: “I am coming among you also as a pilgrim of peace… seeking fraternity and prompted by the desire to pray together and to walk together, also with our brothers and sisters of other religious traditions, in the steps of Father Abraham, who joins in one family Muslims, Jews and Christians.”
Ahead of the visit, Christians who fled to Irbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region after the IS invaded the Nineveh Plain to the west in 2014, urged the Pope to help them.
Alla Hana Shaba told the Rudow network: “We want the Pope to help the displaced find a place to settle. We have lost our houses and money.”
Another Christian from the north, Saad al-Rassam, told AFP: “We’re hoping the Pope will explain to the government that it needs to help its people. We have suffered so much, we need the support.”
Who are Iraq’s Christians?
People in what is now Iraq embraced Christianity in the 1st Century AD
According to the US state department, Christian leaders estimate there are fewer than 250,000 Christians remaining in Iraq, with the largest population – at least 200,000 – living in the Nineveh Plain and Kurdistan Region in the north of the country
Approximately 67% of those are Chaldean Catholics, whose Eastern-rite Church retains its own liturgy and traditions but recognises the authority of the pope in Rome. Another 20% are members of the Assyrian Church of the East, believed to be the oldest in Iraq
The rest are Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, as well as Anglican, Evangelical and other Protestants
What is the Pope’s schedule?
Due to security concerns and a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections, the Pope will have limited exposure to the public, our correspondent says.
The Pope himself has had two shots of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, and his entourage will have been inoculated, but there are fears the trip could become a super-spreader event given the large crowds expected.
image captionPope Francis will attend an interreligious meeting at the ancient site of Ur
On Saturday, the Pope will fly south to the Shia holy city of Najaf, where he will visit Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The 90-year-old is the prime marja, or spiritual reference, for millions of Shia in Iraq and elsewhere.
Pope Francis will then attend an interreligious meeting at the ancient site of Ur, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham.
Sunday will see him travel to the northern city of Mosul. He will say a prayer of suffrage in Church Square for the victims of the war with IS, which left tens of thousands of civilians dead.
The Pope will also visit nearby Qaraqosh, where Christians have returned since the defeat of IS in 2017 to restore the town’s church and rebuild their homes.
That afternoon, he will celebrate Mass at a stadium in Irbil, which thousands of people may attend.
The government of Senegal has suspended the licences two private TV stations after it accused authorities of focusing too much on protests triggered by the arrest of an opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko.
Local media reported on Thursday that the two stations affected by the decision of the National Audiovisual Regulatory Council (CNRA) are Sen TV and Walf TV channels.
“The stations were accused of broadcasting “in loop” images of the unrest after Mr Sonko’s arrest,” an opposition member who declined to be named said in the capital of Dakar.
Mr Sako has been accused of has been accused of raping a woman at a salon where he went to get massages but the opposition leader maintains that the case is politically motivated and an attempt by President Macky Sall’s allies to ensure he can’t run in the next election.
In a related development, police clashed with supporters of Mr Sonko in Bignona town in the southern Casamance region on Thursday with the government confirming that one person was killed in the violence, which followed the arrest of the opposition leader in Dakar a day earlier.
President Jair Bolsonaro has told Brazilians to “stop whining” about Covid-19, as he criticised measures to curb the virus despite a surge in cases and deaths.
His comments came a day after Brazil saw a record rise in deaths over a 24-hour period.
Brazil is facing its worst phase of the pandemic yet, leaving its health system in crisis.
In response some cities and states have imposed their own restrictions.
Brazil’s health ministry says more than 260,000 people have died with Covid-19, the second-highest pandemic death toll in the world after the US.
On Thursday, another 1,699 deaths were added to that tally, a slight decrease on Wednesday’s record 1,910. Meanwhile, a further 75,102 cases of coronavirus were reported, the second-highest daily rise on record.
The explosion of cases has been attributed to the spread of a highly contagious variant of the virus thought to have originated in the Amazon city of Manaus.
Yet on Thursday Mr Bolsonaro continued to downplay the threat posed by the virus.
“Stop whining. How long are you going to keep crying about it?” Mr Bolsonaro said at an event. “How much longer will you stay at home and close everything? No one can stand it anymore. We regret the deaths, again, but we need a solution.”
What reaction has there been to President Bolsonaro’s comments?
The comments were met with a furious response from São Paulo’s governor, João Doria, who has been particularly scathing of Mr Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Doria called President Bolsonaro “a crazy guy” for attacking “governors and mayors who want to buy vaccines and help the country to end this pandemic”.
“How can we face the problem, seeing people die every day? The health system in Brazil is on the verge of collapse,” Mr Doria said.media captionMr Doria described President Bolsonaro as “a crazy guy”
President Bolsonaro has consistently opposed quarantine measures introduced by governors, arguing that the collateral damage to the economy will be worse than the effects of the virus itself.
“Unfortunately, Brazil has to fight, at this moment, two viruses: the coronavirus and Bolsonaro virus. This is a sadness for the Brazilians,” Mr Doria said.
What measures are cities and states introducing?
Concerned about the strain on hospitals, mayors and state governors have taken matters into their own hands in recent days.
Rio de Janeiro is the latest city to announce a partial lockdown, placing restrictions on bars, restaurants and beaches.
The measures, which will take effect on Friday for one week, will require bars and restaurants to shut early and suspend commercial activity on the city’s famed beaches.
The measures come after São Paulo state – Brazil’s largest, with 46 million people – declared a “code red” situation, ordering non-essential businesses closed for two weeks starting Saturday.
Frustrated state governors announced on Tuesday that they would join forces to buy vaccines directly from manufacturers rather than wait for the federal government to deliver them.
Brazil, the worst-affected country by Covid in Latin America, has lagged behind in its roll-out of Covid vaccines.
The new variant, named P.1, was first detected in people who had travelled from Manaus to Japan in January. The researchers studying it think it first emerged in Manaus in early November and has been spreading there quickly since.
Their data – which is still preliminary – suggests that the P.1 variant could be up to twice as transmittable as the original version of the virus.
It also suggests that the new variant could evade immunity built up by having had the original version of Covid. They put the chance of reinfection at between 25% and 60%.
Manaus, in the Amazon region, was one of the hardest hit cities in the first wave of the pandemic.
One study of blood donors suggested that three quarters of the city’s population had been infected with Covid by October.
It was expected that the people infected in the first wave would have acquired some degree of protection or immunity. And yet, the city has seen a second wave of infections.
Researchers think this may be because a new variant has emerged which may be evading immunity provided by past infections.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, inaugurated the Board of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency where the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido, will serve as vice chairman.
El-Rufai, while inaugurating the board, charged the agency to redouble its efforts in making the state the topmost investment destination in Nigeria by improving its ease of doing business ranking.
The governor formally welcomed the former Emir to the board as vice chairman and thanked him for accepting to serve the people of the state. El-Rufai said, “The KADIPA has been a very important and successful vehicle in the investment drive of the state, helping since 2015 to attract over$2.1bn in actual and pledged investments.”
Responding on behalf of other members, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State and the Chairman of the board, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, assured the governor of members’ commitment to improving on the record of KADIPA.
Also speaking, Sanusi expressed delight at attending its first meeting since he was made a member.He also gave his commitment to make inputs in the overall policy of Kaduna State Government.
Seoul, South Korea’s first transgender soldier, who was discharged from the military last year for having gender reassignment surgery, was found dead in her home on Wednesday, authorities said.
Byun Hui-su, 23, who was a staff sergeant before being discharged after she had the operation in Thailand while on leave, was found by emergency officials at her home in the city of Cheongju, south of Seoul. There was no immediate word on the cause of her death.
“Seoul, South KoreaSouth Korea’s first transgender soldier, who was discharged from the military last year for having gender reassignment surgery, was found dead in her home on Wednesday” , authorities said.
Byun Hui-su, 23, who was a staff sergeant before being discharged after she had the operation in Thailand while on leave, was found by emergency officials at her home in the city of Cheongju, south of Seoul.
There was no immediate word on the cause of her death. A local counseling center, at which Byun was registered, reported to emergency officials that she could not be contacted since February 28, the local fire department said.
Cheongju police confirmed the dead body they found in Byun’s home Wednesday was the former soldier. Authorities said it appeared she had been dead for a few days.
Byun, who had expressed hope of continuing to serve in the military’s female corps, had been pursuing a lawsuit contesting her dismissal, with a hearing expected in April, according to a spokeswoman for military advocacy group Center for Military Human Rights Korea that had worked with her.
A total of 43 graduating students bagged First Class in Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, while 112 made Second Class Upper Division, the Dean, Faculty of Technology, Prof. Olaosebikan Fakolujo, disclosed on Thursday.
Fakolujo spoke at the induction of 293 2018/2019 graduates of the faculty as members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
He said, “I am highly excited to inform this gathering that 43 of them, which constitute 14.7 per cent, graduated with First Class honours. Two are from the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, one is from the Department of Civil Engineering, 18 are from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 10 are from the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, nine are from Department of Mechanical Engineering and three are from the Department of Petroleum Engineering.
“A total of 112 graduated with Second Class Honours, Upper Division; while 127 of them graduated with Second Class Honours, Lower Division; 10 with Third Class Honours and one graduated with a pass.”
The Italian government has blocked the export of an Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia.
The decision affects 250,000 doses of the vaccine produced at an AstraZeneca facility in Italy.
Italy is the first EU country to use the bloc’s new regulations allowing exports to be stopped if the company providing the vaccines has failed to meet its obligations to the EU.
The move has been backed by the European Commission, reports say.
AstraZeneca is on track to provide only 40% of the agreed supply to member states in the first three months of the year. It has cited production problems for the shortfall.
In January, then Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte described delays in vaccine supplies by both AstraZeneca and Pfizer as “unacceptable” and accused the companies of violating their contracts.
The EU has been widely criticised for the slow pace of its vaccination programme.
Under the EU vaccine scheme, which was established in June last year, the bloc has negotiated the purchase of vaccines on behalf of member states.
There has been no official comment on the Italian move by Australia, the EU or AstraZeneca.
image captionVaccinations began in Australia last week using the Pfizer jab
Mohammed told SaharaReporters that life has been difficult for him since 2015 when they had the accident along Maraban/Jos Expressway in Kaduna.
A soldier, Abdullahi Mohammed of the 212 battalion in Maiduguri has accused the Nigerian Army of deceiving and abandoning him after an accident he had with two of his colleagues.
Mohammed told SaharaReporters that life has been difficult for him since 2015 when they had the accident along Maraban/Jos Expressway in Kaduna.
He added that two of his colleagues, Jamilu Ahmed and Peter Hamisu died in the accident.
Mohammed said they were guarding the residence of a Colonel identified as Dr Hassan on the 5th of June, 2015 when his wife called them around 2 am that some Fulani herdsmen were about to steal cows at the husband’s farm.
He claimed they insisted they would not leave the building but were forced by Colonel Hassan who told them to move immediately to his farm and protect the cows from being stolen.
He added that they had the accident on their way the farm.
“It was A. A. Babalola that selected us to go to Colonel Hassan’s house, about four of us. While on duty in his house, the wife called us around 2 am in the night, she said some Fulani people were at her husband’s farm, stealing their cows, and that we should go and rescue them,” he told SaharaReporters.
“We insisted that we would not go but we were forced to move out at that time to the farm. On our way to the farm, we had an accident that led to the death of two of my colleagues while I was unconscious in the hospital for months. Later, I was told my colleagues were dead. L/cpl Jamilu Ahmed and one Peter Hamisu of the same battalion.
“From that time, till now, I swear to God, Nigerian Army has not done anything for me. I have really suffered, I don’t have anybody, I’m an orphan. Even the Colonel we were told to guard his house didn’t say anything. My wife left me, I lost my father in 2001, I lost my mum in 2003 before I finished secondary education.
“I have written several letters to the army; they should please take care of me. I’m a poor person, I don’t have the kind of money needed for my treatment. I know people who had the same injury I sustained but are now walking well, some are walking with sticks. I feel pain everywhere on my body, even in my leg.
“It’s sad that the army can abandon me like this, so sad. I met with the former Chief of Army Staff (Lt Gen Tukur Buratai) who promised to help me then but nothing was done till he was sacked by the President. Nigerians can as well help me to walk again.
“I’m a gallant soldier who is ever ready to serve my fatherland but this is how life has changed my situation. I cannot walk, I cannot urinate unless through a pipe and rubber. I have a problem with my spinal cord. Nothing serious has been done by the commander
“I’m now calling on all Nigerians to come to help me as I have no one to assist me. Please, I don’t want my life to end like this, I have no one currently as I’m an orphan.”
In addition to nasal or throat swab tests, foreign travellers into China would now undergo mandatory anal swab testing, the state media said.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control says the anal swab test is performed with a sterile cotton swab, which looks like a very long ear bud, that is inserted 3 cm to 5 cm (1.2 inches to 2 inches) into the anus before being gently rotated out.
The Times UK on Wednesday said that a resrespiratory disease expert, Li Tongzeng believed that results from the anal swabs test were more accurate than others since coronavirus traces can be detectable in the anus for longer than in the respiratory tract.
The Times further disclosed that anal swab testing hubs would be in place at the Beijing and Shanghai airports.
The anal swab test has been stoking debate over its necessity. The Chief Cabinet Secretary, the Japanese government, Katsunobuh Kato, had asked the Chinese government at a news conference to stop performing the new testing method on its citizens who complained of ‘psychological pain” after the test.
However, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, who disclosed that the screening is “science-based,” explained that the new testing method was performed “in accordance with the changes in the epidemic situation as well as relevant laws and regulations.”
The Nigerian Army has declared 12 officers and 86 soldiers missing in the wake of last week’s Boko Haram attacks on Marte and Dikwa local government areas of Borno State.
A signal dated March 1, 2021 from Operation Lafiya Dole Headquarters in Maiduguri, sighted by the Daily Trust, showed that the soldiers were declared as deserters.
It indicated that three majors, three captains, six lieutenants, three sergeants and 89 soldiers fled in the aftermath of the attacks on Marte and Dikwa.
The signal, signed by Col. A.O. Odubiyi, on behalf of the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, partly read, “I am directed to connect Reference A on above subject and to respectfully forward details of additional officers and soldiers who absconded from the defensive location during the BHT attack on New Marte and Dikwa.
“You are requested to declare the named officers and soldiers’ deserters WEF 19 Feb 21. You are also requested to cause HQ NAFC to freeze their accounts and apprehend/bring them under military escort to this Headquarters if seen within your AOR.”
When contacted last night for official reaction, the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, told our correspondent that, “If Army has anything to tell the world, shall we wait for the media to prompt us? No! Well, if we have anything to tell the world on that, we will tell the world, we won’t allow you to prompt us.”
It would be recalled that Boko Haram fighters had dislodged Nigerian troops in Marte on February 14, prompting the troops to relocate to Dikwa.
The insurgents reportedly foisted their flags at Marte area after killing seven troops of the 153rd Task Force Battalion.
Thereafter, the terrorists waged another war against the troops in Dikwa on February 19 but were repelled.
Shortly after the attempted attack, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru went to Dikwa and gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the troops to recapture Marte and other towns which they did.
A military source told Daily Trust that the case of the 101 soldiers that deserted was a source of concern.
“This case should not be seen as mutiny because they went different ways when they were dislodged by the insurgents. It is possible that some of them have been killed; some may have retreated to their main bases and others maybe on the run.
“This is not a new thing. It happens when military bases are dislodged,” he said.
Another military source familiar with the recent development said most of the deserters left in protest because the terrorists had superior weapons and not because they didn’t want to continue serving their country.
“The fact is that the weapons procured by the federal government between 2013 and 2014 have all worn out while others have been stolen by the terrorists during raids on military bases.
“Also, the terrorists have procured additional weapons from other sources which they are now using to take the war to the doorsteps of our troops.
“The terrorists also believe that they are fighting a religious battle and therefore are ready to fight all the time, confronting the troops with the conviction that they would either win or die. All these factors have collectively dampened the morale of our troops and the federal government must do something to revive it,” he said.
File photo of the graduation ceremony for Batch 4/2019 deradicalized former Boko Haram combatants at the ‘Operation Safe Corridor Mallam Sidi’ in Gombe State on July 25
Deradicalised Boko Haram fighters pick up arms again
Meanwhile, many deradicalised Boko Haram members have reportedly re-joined the group and picked up arms against the state, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State said.
Zulum, who is the Chairman of the North East Governors Forum (NEGF), said this on Wednesday in Bauchi during the meeting of the six governors.
He lamented that the Boko Haram terrorists have changed tactics and were becoming more vicious, saying the federal government should halt the deradicalisation exercise and prosecute all terrorists in order to end the over 11-year insurgency.
“It has been confirmed that the concept of deradicalisation or Safe Corridor is not working as expected. Quite often those who have passed through the Safe Corridor initiative or have been deradicalised, usually go back and re-join the terror group, after carefully studying the various security arrangements in their host communities, during the reintegration process,” he said.
Zulum also said most communities were not amenable to accepting the so-called deradicalised terrorists.
“The host communities where the reintegration process is going on usually resent the presence of Boko Haram terrorists, even if they have been deradicalised, because of the despicable and atrocious activities they have committed in the past.
“So the idea of deradicalisation, as currently being implemented, needs to be reviewed because the main goals and the underlying objectives behind the initiative are not being achieved.
“The best option is to immediately prosecute the terrorists, in accordance with the Terrorism Act. However, those people who, ab initio, were forcefully recruited but have been rescued or have escaped from the group, should be the ones to be subjected to the deradicalisation process.
“On the prosecution of terrorists, we must make effort to avoid the current encumbrances and intricacies associated with the process, which usually takes considerable time, by urging the appropriate federal authorities to devolve the powers of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation to state attorneys-general in order to facilitate the prosecution process,” he said.
While applauding the appointment of new service chiefs in his welcoming address during the meeting which is their fourth, Zulum said: “As it is now, especially in Borno State, violence, being perpetrated by the insurgents, seems to be on the increase, both in scope and viciousness; and it has become a matter of tactical necessity for the new service chiefs to devise new offensive strategies to counter the current attacks and forestall any future attacks.
“Undoubtedly, the commitment of our military to the war against the insurgency is unquestionable and their determination to succeed is undeniable, as they have considered and acted upon a full range of options to deal with the insurgency.
“However, with the current escalation of deadly attacks by the terrorists, the various courses of action being pursued seem to have some limitations in terms of the expected impact; hence the need for a new set of pragmatic and result-oriented initiatives to completely subdue the terrorists and ultimately end the insurgency.
North East govs mull regional security outfit
The North East governors have also considered the idea of a regional security outfit because of the rising insecurity in the region.
Zulum said the current escalation of deadly attacks by terrorists and the various causes of action being pursued to fight insurgents have some limitations in terms of the expected impact, hence the need for a new set of pragmatic and result-oriented initiative to be deployed to completely subdue the terrorists.
“On our part, in addition to the logistic and financial support we are rendering to the armed forces in their fight against general insecurity in the sub-region, we should also look into the possibility of forming a security outfit within the ambit of constitutional precedent and operational feasibility as has been done in other parts of the country,” he said.
He also reiterated his call on the federal government to seek support from mercenaries from neighbouring countries to enable it win the war against insurgents in the country.
“The government should also seek support from neighbouring countries such as the Republic of Chad, Cameroon and Niger with a view to providing a joint action that will look into the possibility of ending this crisis.
“The federal government has to look into the possibility of involving mercenaries with a view to ending this insurgency because it seems that the commitment is not there.
“Therefore, for us to end this insurgency, we must be committed enough, we must bring in external support to ensure that mercenaries are hired to end this insurgency,” he said
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State emphasised the need for standing up and fighting the insurgents so that after the defeated, they will not be able to regroup again.
“Our fight against insurgency must be total because by the time Maiduguri is subdued, then we are not safe here too. Security infrastructure must be put in place to be able to fight this war considering the sophistication of the terrorists.
“If we must be honest, the public opinion at the moment is that we have failed, that many of our people have resorted to self-help in order to get away from this despondency. We must accept the fact that the over-centralization of the security arrangement is an obsolete school.
“We will not just sit down and watch until terrorists overrun us, we must stand up to fight them, chase them away and ensure that our areas are well secured,” he said.
Learning a vocational skill is a must on DRR camp. Tailoring is one of it
Reservations about deradicalisation not new
Daily Trust reports that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), had in November last year faulted the deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of the repentant terrorists, saying it was not in order.
Ndume’s words: “I am in disagreement with the government on the issue of deradicalising and reintegrating (repentant Boko Haram members). I still maintain that. You can’t be resettling people, pampering them while the war is on.
“The committee is on the same page and I believe many Nigerians are on the same page with this. In my village, mallams that are Muslims, not ordinary Muslims but mallams, elders above 60, were taken to an abattoir and slaughtered by Boko Haram. 75 of them,” he said.
The background
Daily Trust reports that the deradicalisation exercise is part of Nigeria’s Operation Safe Corridor aimed at facilitating the rehabilitation of ex-insurgents.
It was also part of the carrot and stick approach of the government towards ending the over 11- year Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions and destroyed their economy.
The initiative was first proposed at the Nigerian National Security Council (NSC) meeting in September 2015, after which repentant Boko Haram members were encouraged to surrender and embrace peace.
During their stay at the deradicalisation camps, such as the one in Gombe, they would be subjected to a combination of psychotherapy, art therapy and psycho-spiritual counselling.
They would also be subjected to skill acquisition programmes, offered certificate of “psychosocial normalcy” and then reintegrated into the society.
However, those against releasing the ex-Boko Haram militants said many of them ended up re-joining the terror group. They said that was partly responsible for the inability of the Nigerian security forces to end the crisis.
Security has been ramped up at the US Capitol in response to “a possible plot to breach” the building.
The move was prompted by intelligence that an unnamed militia group planned the attack for 4 March – the day US presidents used to be inaugurated.
The House of Representatives cancelled Thursday’s session, but the Senate will continue with its agenda.
The threat comes two months after the deadly attack on the building by a mob loyal to former President Donald Trump.
They breached the Capitol building in January while lawmakers were inside moving to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. Mr Trump still refuses to admit losing the election.
The riot saw five people including a police officer killed and shook the foundations of American democracy. The head of the Capitol police force later resigned.
Supporters of an unfounded conspiracy theory believe Mr Trump will return to the White House on 4 March.
What does the intelligence say?
“As of late February, an unidentified group of militia violent extremists discussed plans to take control of the US Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or about 4 March and discussed aspirational plans to persuade thousands to travel to Washington, DC, to participate,” a new intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security says.
“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers.
“Due to the sensitive nature of this information, we cannot provide additional details at this time.”
Why is Thursday significant?
Supporters of an extremist conspiracy theory known as QAnon falsely believe Thursday will mark Mr Trump’s return to the White House for a second term.
They have latched onto this date because before the 20th amendment of the US Constitution – adopted in 1933 – moved the swearing-in dates of the president and Congress to January, American leaders took office on 4 March.
QAnon is a wide-ranging and completely unfounded theory which says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.
Security services were aware of online QAnon discussions surrounding 4 March, but did not “have any indication of violence or a specific, credible plot at this time”, an FBI official had told The Washington Post last week.
Capitol riot aftermath
The US justice department has charged more than 300 people with participation in the 6 January attack. Those arrested include members of the right-wing militia groups the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.
Democrats said the attack amounted to an insurrection and the House voted to impeach Mr Trump for allegedly inciting the mob. The former president – the first in US history to be impeached twice – was later acquitted in the upper chamber, the Senate, with many Republican senators sticking by him.media captionWhen a mob stormed the US capitol
In late February Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told Congress that the Trump supporters behind the January attack want to “blow up” the Capitol and kill lawmakers.
Leon Panetta, a former US Defence Secretary and CIA chief, told the BBC that police would take no chances following January’s attack.
“We have got to have constant intelligence on domestic terrorists, have to track their possible efforts to again repeat what happened on January sixth and I think that’s what you’re seeing now, is an abundance of caution to make sure that we are properly prepared to react, if in fact any group attempts any kind of armed attack again on the United States Capitol,” he said.
At least one person has been killed while some have sustained injuries in Jangebe, the Zamfara community where some schoolgirls were abducted last week.
After the students regained freedom, the government took them for counselling and rehabilitation.
On Wednesday, they were brought back to the school to reunite with their family members.
Pandemonium broke out after anxious parents disrupted the speech of Alhaji Nasiru Muazu Magarya, Speaker of the Zamfara House of Assembly, and forcefully took their daughters away.
The schoolgirls, who arrived at the school in the evening, were seated in the examination hall and were being addressed by the speaker when the visibly disturbed parents broke in to the hall and started throwing insults at the dignitaries that were meant to address the parents and the school girls.
All speeches were disrupted and after sensing trouble, the speaker and commissioners attending the event quickly left.
Shots were fired by security operatives to disperse the crowd that was waiting outside the school.
The youths began to throw stones at the security operatives that were moving out of the community.
A young man stained blood and was seen being held by other youths at the scene.
The vehicle conveying journalists had to quickly move out of the community as the youth were pelting vehicles with stones.
Last week, some journalists who visited the school a day after the abduction were attacked.
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