One of reggae’s most important voices, Bunny Wailer, has died at the age of 73.
The musician, from Kingston, Jamaica, was a founding member of The Wailers alongside his childhood friend, Bob Marley.
Together, they achieved international fame with reggae classics like Simmer Down and Stir It Up, before Wailer left to go solo in 1974.
He went on to win three Grammys and was given Jamaica’s Order Of Merit in 2017.
His death was confirmed by manager Maxine Stowe, and Jamaica’s Culture Minister, Olivia Grange.
The cause of death is unknown, but he had been in hospital since having a stroke in July 2020.
The star, whose real name was Neville O’Riley Livingston, had been the last surviving member of The Wailers, following Bob Marley’s death from cancer in 1981, and Peter Tosh’s murder during a robbery in 1987.
His female replacement, Seiko Hashimoto, aims to have women make up 40% of the board members.
The changes – just five months before the games begin – come after public outrage over Mr Mori’s complaint that women talked too much in meetings.
The committee’s chief executive, Toshiro Muto, said on Tuesday the group planned to add 12 new female directors to its board, raising the ratio of women to 42%.
“It is possible to add 12 more members, so we decided to add 12 women to the board of directors.”
During a meeting of the executive board, the organisers agreed to a rule change allowing a maximum of 45 members, up from the current 35.
“We already have seven female directors, so 19 out of 45 will be female directors (after planned addition of new members). Based on the calculation, women will account for 42% of the board members,” Mr Muto said
Ms Hashimoto said the new members would be announced after being approved by committee members on Wednesday.
“Regarding promoting the gender equality, I believe that it is necessary to take swift action and provide solid results in order to rebuild trust in the organising committee,” the seven-time Olympian said.
Mr Mori had previously commented that should the number of female board members increase, they would have to “make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying”.
He later apologised for his “inappropriate statement” and added that the priority was to make sure the Olympics were held in July.
The Summer Olympics will begin on 23 July, after already being postponed by a year due to the pandemic.
Zoom boss Eric Yuan, whose business exploded during the pandemic, says working from home is here to stay.
The video conferencing company expects sales to rise more than 40% this year, reaching more than $3.7bn (£2.66bn).
The forecast pushed shares in the company up more than 6% in after-hours trade in New York.
Investors have been watching for clues as to how the firm would fare as more people get vaccinated and social distancing restrictions lift.
Eric Yuan
Zoom said it did not expect growth to continue at the pace it enjoyed last year, but so far business remains strong.
The firm’s sales in the last three months of 2020 were up 370% compared to the same period in 2019, hitting $882.5m.
“The fourth quarter marked a strong finish to an unprecedented year for Zoom,” company boss Eric Yuan said. “As the world emerges from the pandemic, our work has only begun.”
The pandemic, which prompted an abrupt shift to remote work for many businesses around the world, transformed Zoom into a household name practically overnight.
The firm, which charges businesses for its remote meeting software in addition to more limited free use for the general public, saw sales soar 326% to $2.6bn in 2020. Profits jumped from just $21.7m in 2019 to $671.5m.
While some companies have started to ease staff back into the office, many others have said they expect that some of the increased flexibility introduced during the pandemic will linger.
“The future is here with the rise of remote and work from anywhere trends,” Mr Yuan said in prepared remarks for investors. “We recognize this new reality and are helping to empower our own employees and those of our customers to work and thrive in a distributed manner.”
Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Zoom’s fate would depend on how it manages to compete against firms such as Microsoft and Google, which have introduced similar features.
“Although it stole an early march on other players in the first few months of the crisis, it does now have much stiffer competition from the likes of Microsoft and Google who have significantly upped their game,” she wrote in a research note.
“It may be that we have become so used to pandemic habits that we will stick with our virtual social lives, particularly for long distance friendships and work relationships. But just how large a slice of the live video pie Zoom manages to hang on to will depend on how it matches up to its powerful rivals.”
“This follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts,” he added. “I enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe.”
The authorities said 279 girls had been freed, adding that a figure given last week by police that 317 had been kidnapped was no longer accurate.
One official told Reuters news agency that the discrepancy was due to the fact that some girls had fled shortly after being abducted.
The group’s release was secured through negotiations between government officials and the abductors, authorities in Zamfara state told the BBC.
Mr Matawalle has denied paying for the girls to be released, but last week President Muhammadu Buhari admitted state governments had paid kidnappers “with money and vehicles” in the past and urged them to review the policy.
President Buhari said he felt “overwhelming joy” at the news of the girls’ release. “[I am] pleased that their ordeal has come to a happy end without any incident,” he said.
Vinicius Jr marked his 100th Real Madrid appearance with a late equaliser against Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Madrid dominated the first half with Mariano and Raphael Varane heading off the bar in the space of two minutes.
Real Sociedad were much improved after the break and Portu scored an excellent header from Nacho Monreal’s cross.
Zinedine Zidane changed his front three after 61 minutes and one of the replacements – Vinicius – finished from Lucas Vazquez’s cross late on.
The draw brought to an end Madrid’s five-game winning run in all competitions and means they missed out on the chance to overtake Barcelona into second place.
Britain has drastically cut its aid to Yemen, which has been devastated by conflict for six years, saying the pandemic created “a difficult financial context for us all”.
The UK government said it would provide “at least” £87m ($120m) this year, down from £214m last year.
Yemen before and during the war
Aid officials have condemned the cut. The UN chief, António Guterres, said reducing aid was a “death sentence”.
The situation in Yemen has been called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The conflict began in late 2014, when rebels seized control of much of the west of the country and a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states launched a military operation to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi’s rule.
About 80% of the Yemeni population – 24 million people – depend on humanitarian assistance. Some two million children are acutely malnourished.
In addition to conflict, Yemen has seen a collapse of its health system, leaving it incapable of coping with the coronavirus pandemic.
The cut in the UK’s contribution was announced on Monday at a virtual donors’ conference by Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly.
He said “recent global challenges” had “meant a difficult financial context for us all”. Funding has fallen off in recent years, just as the pandemic has made needs more acute.
Speaking at the event, UN officials warned that if the UN failed to meet its $3.85bn target for 2021, millions of Yemenis could face starvation. It is unclear how much has been raised so far.
David Beasley, Executive Director of UN’s World Food Programme, told the conference: “We’ve got famine knocking on the door.”
Mr Gurerres said that generous donations had averted a famine in 2018, but that “today, reducing aid is a death sentence”.
The US pledged an extra $191m at the event – bringing its total aid for Yemen to $350m this year.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of nine persons in a motor accident at Kunar Dumawa in Dambatta Local Government Area of Kano State on Sunday.
FRSC Sector Commander, Zubairu Mato, while confirming the accident in a statement issued on Sunday, said that 41 others were injured in the Sunday evening accident.
“We received a call at about 4:10p.m. on Sunday.
“On receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle to the scene of the incident for the rescue of the victims at about 4:17p.m. as well as clearing the obstructions,” Mato said.
He said that the crash occurred as a result of loss of control due to brake failure.
According to him, the accident involved three vehicles; a truck with registration number XA 111 SNN; a Volkswagen Golf 3 with registration number DAL 515 ZX; and a Mercedes Benz without registration number.
“The victims who lost their lives are three males, six females, while the remaining 41 victims sustained serious injuries,” he said.
The road safety boss said that the victims were evacuated to Dambatta General Hospital where the doctor on duty confirmed nine dead.
The 41 other victims, he said, are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
Donald Trump says he has no plans to launch a new political party, telling a conservative conference in Florida that it would split the Republican vote.
In his first speech since Democrat Joe Biden became president, he also hinted that he might run for office again in 2024.
Mr Trump strongly criticised his successor, saying US policy had gone from “America first to America last”.
The speech comes weeks after Mr Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial.
His appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando on Sunday was indicative of his continued influence over the Republican Party.
image captionEnthusiastic conservatives at CPAC applauded and cheered Mr Trump
The mood of the conference – which began on Thursday – has been extremely pro-Trump, with loyalists including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and his son Donald Trump Jr among the speakers.
The former president remains banned from social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, over his response to January’s deadly riot at the US Capitol.
He has been living at his Mar-a-Lago Florida golf resort since leaving the White House in January.
What did Donald Trump say?
The 74-year-old former president was cheered by supporters when he appeared on stage at the Hyatt Regency Hotel more than an hour late. Many people in the crowd were not wearing masks.
“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” he said.
“We are gathered this afternoon to talk about the future – the future of our movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country.”
He dismissed any idea that he might start a new political party – describing rumours he would do so as “fake news”.
“Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Let’s start a new party so we can divide our vote and never win,” he joked.
“We have the Republican Party. It’s going to unite and be stronger than ever before.”
Despite losing November’s presidential election and being deeply criticised over the January riot, reports suggest Mr Trump remains extremely popular among his voting base.
image captionPro-Trump memorabilia, including this golden statue, has been on display
In his CPAC speech, Mr Trump repeated his false claims that he lost November’s election to the Democrats because of electoral fraud and he hinted at another run in 2024, saying: “Actually you know they just lost the White House. But who knows – who knows? I may even decide to beat them for a third time, OK?”
He excoriated the new administration, criticising Mr Biden for reversing his hard line on immigration and border security.
“We all knew that the Biden administration was going to be bad but none of us even imagined how just how bad they would be and how far left they would go,” he told the cheering crowd.
“The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been sleeping. If he has not, he should have known that Yewaland is being deserted. We are being frustrated by the herdsmen’s attacks”, says residents of Ogun.
Residents of Yewa and Imeko-Afon Local Government Areas who have been troubled in recent weeks by herdsmen’s attacks are now fleeing into Benin Republic towns as refugees.
SaharaReporters learnt that some of the residents have moved to Pobe, a Benin Republic town, and are looking for houses to settle in until the unrest in their towns is over.
It was gathered that despite assurances by the Ogun State Government, the security agencies such as the police and the army personnel in Yewa, Ipokia and Imeko Afon were believed to be compromised, and residents lamented that their lives were not safe.
“The people of Yewaland are trooping into Pobe, Benin Republic. They can no longer trust our security operatives. They have to flee for their lives to that town to breathe fresh air. They have started fleeing since last week – women, children, men with sacks of clothes and no means of livelihood.
“The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been sleeping. If he has not, he should have known that Yewaland is being deserted. We are being frustrated by the herdsmen’s attacks,” a resident, Mr Wasiu said.
Like Oyo and Ondo states, Ogun State has been at the receiving end of violent herdsmen’s attacks in recent weeks, leading to crisis in the communities and ethnic clashes between the indigenes and the herders. On February 13, herdsmen invaded Igbooro, Oja-Odan in the Yewa-North Local Government Area, killing three persons, including a mother and her child.
The herdsmen also injured two villagers, when they attacked the community which is close to Eggua in Oja-Odan around 11 pm on Friday.
Eyewitnesses said the herdsmen shot indiscriminately, set ablaze three houses and storehouses in the village.
“A mother and her child were among the three persons killed in their huts while two persons were said to be in critical conditions after they were shot by the herdsmen,” a witness had said.
Also, five persons were killed in Owode Ketu, a day earlier.
Confirming the incident, Baale of Igbooro, Abidemi Akorede, had said he had counted three corpses.
On February 8, gun-wielding herdsmen also attacked Oha village in Imeko in the Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, killing a farmer, Dele Olowoniyi.
This is despite assurances from the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, that security operatives had been deployed to the troubled Yewa border communities, including Imeko, after two weeks of unrest allegedly caused by herdsmen.
Abiodun had promised that the deployment would ensure there was no violence again.
Olowoniyi had been slaughtered while asleep in his farm settlement at Oha village, Imeko, during the attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, had confirmed the incident, adding that there was no evidence that the man was killed by Fulani herdsmen.
The Ogun PPRO had later in another release stated that the police would not condone further assaults on herdsmen.
“The command also calls on both farmers and herdsmen, indeed the entire Yoruba and Fulani communities in Yewa and across the state, to fish out criminals, especially herdsmen visiting from other states and neighbouring countries,” the police spokesman had said.
He said new measures had been developed by the Nigerian government which would bring a complete end to all forms of criminality in the nation.
The abduction of female students from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, will be the last of such to happen, President Muhammadu Buhari vowed on Sunday.
According to NAN, this was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who led a high-powered Nigerian government delegation to sympathise with the people and government of Zamfara.
He said new measures had been developed by the Nigerian government which would bring a complete end to all forms of criminality in the nation.
“The President is saddened by the abduction of the students from Jangebe and reassures you that the government has all the resources and wherewithal to contain these criminals.
“Buhari also commended Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara for his efforts against armed banditry and promised continued support to bring lasting peace.
“The federal government will continue its partnership with the Zamfara government and its citizens in resolving the security challenges facing the state,” Buhari was quoted as saying.
President Buhari
In his response, Matawalle appreciated the federal government’s concern, noting that very soon the abductees would regain their freedom.
He said: “I strongly believe in the president and his effort in fighting all forms of insurgence and urge him to improve on the nation’s security.
”This is by ensuring synergy among the security agencies so that confrontations with criminals can be coordinated on the ground and (in the) air simultaneously.”
Images show relatively young children dressed in combat-style clothing and balaclava participating in martial arts training, weapon handling training, and religious education class.
The dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group has released some photographs showing children undergoing religious and combat training in a camp.
According to reports, the images show relatively young children dressed in combat-style clothing and balaclava participating in martial arts training, weapon handling training, and religious education class.
At least two instructors and one child had what appeared to be the Zastava M21, likely captured from Cameroonian security forces, HumAngle reported.
The Zastava M21, built based on the Kalashnikov design, has appeared in previous pictures shared by Boko Haram factions or reported to have been recovered by security forces. Some children were also shown holding different Kalashnikov pattern assault rifles with under folding, side-folding, and fixed wooden stocks.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State had in September 2020 warned that Boko Haram was recruiting children, saying the problem of insurgency could escalate.
He had said, “The only solution we have now is to ensure the safe return of our people to their homes in a dignified manner. If nothing is done believe me sincerely we shall face a very serious challenge even more than what we are facing now.”
“This is because right now the insurgents are recruiting many of our children into the sect because of the increasing unemployment rate.”
Inmates are to be restricted to their cells in a Belgian prison after more than half of a facility’s population tested positive for Covid-19.
Quarantine measures have been introduced at Namur prison following the rapid spread of coronavirus among its 132 prisoners.
Inmates will not be allowed walks or showers, but will have a hot meal and hygiene products delivered daily.
One inmate is in hospital with the virus, according to officials.
As well as half of prison inmates, about 60 of the facility’s 115 staff members have also tested positive for the virus.
Kathleen De Vijve, a spokeswoman for the prison administration, described the situation as “very serious”.
All visits have been suspended to the facility and several family members of prisoners gathered outside the prison on Saturday to protest the decision, public broadcaster Rtbf reported.
Belgium has been under restrictions now for four months with a night curfew and all hospitality closed, but schools remain open.
Despite this, infections have started to rise again with officials confirming on Friday that a more contagious virus variant originally found in the UK has now become dominant.
“Last week, we estimate that 53 percent of infections were caused by the UK variant, against 38 percent a week earlier,” virologist and government spokesman Steven Van Gucht said.
Prof Van Gucht said the rise in infections has put the country roughly a month back from where it was.
Belgium’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo, said at a Friday news conference that he had hoped to announce a relaxation of lockdown measures, but the situation remains “extremely delicate” and at “a difficult moment”.
“We were on a high plateau, but the figures are now rising again,” he said.
“It forces us to be particularly careful…When there is a storm you cannot set out. With these figures, we cannot ease.”
He said the government would take a “time-out week” before making further decisions.
Belgium has seen more than 766,000 confirmed cases and 22,000 deaths since the outbreak began.
“A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“Our organisation faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”
“I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again.
These are the expressions of the WTO Director General, the Naijapremiumgist’s PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH.
LIFE AND FAMILY Okonjo-Iweala was born in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria, where her father Professor Chukwuka Okonjo was the Obi (King) from the Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu.
Okonjo-Iweala was educated at Queen’s School, Enugu, St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan, and the International School Ibadan. She arrived in the US in 1973 as a teenager to study at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976.
In 1981, she earned her PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a thesis titled Credit policy, rural financial markets, and Nigeria’s agricultural development.
She is married to Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon. They have four children and three grandchildren
She received an international fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), that supported her doctoral studies.
CAREER Dr. Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, from 2003-2006, 2011-2015, and briefly Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions. During her 25 years at the World Bank, she is credited with spearheading several initiatives to assist low-income countries, in particular raising nearly $50bn in 2010 from donors for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a global finance expert, is an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Currently, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation.
Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has immunized 680 million children globally and saved ten million lives. She is also a Senior Adviser at Lazard and sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc.
HONOURS AND ENLISTMENTS
Dr Okonjo-Iweala has been listed as:
One of Transparency International’s 8 Female Anti-Corruption Fighters Who Inspire (2019)
One the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015)
Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014)
Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012)
Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014)
Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012)
Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011)
Top 100 Women in the World (The UK Guardian, 2011)
Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011)
Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011). She has also been listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Condé Nast International.
In 2019, Dr Okonjo-Iweala was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 2017, she received the Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Award from the Aspen Institute, the Women’s Economic Empowerment Award from WEConnect International, and the Vanguard Award from Howard University.
In 2016, she received the Power with Purpose Award from the Devex Development Communications Network and the Global Fairness Award from the Global Fairness Initiative in recognition of her contribution to sustainable development.
She was also conferred High National Honours from the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Liberia. She is also the recipient of Nigeria’s third highest National Honors Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
In addition, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has been awarded the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award (2014), the President of the Italian Republic Gold Medal by the Pia Manzu Centre (2011), the Global Leadership Award by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (2011) the Global Leadership Award by the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (2010), and the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award (2010).
She is also the recipient of the TIME Magazine’s European Heroes Award in 2004, named Finance Minister of the Year (Africa InvestorMagazine, 2014), Finance Minister of the Year for Africa and the Middle East (THE BANKER, 2004), Global Finance Minister of the Year (EUROMONEY, 2005), Finance Minister of the Year for Africa and the Middle East (Emerging Markets Magazine, 2005), and Minister of the Year (THISDAY, Newspaper2004 and 2005).
Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first ever indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Center for the Study of Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja, Nigeria. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development, and also at the Brookings Institution, premier Washington D.C. think tanks.
She has received honorary degrees from 15 universities worldwide, including some from the most prestigious colleges: Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Trinity College (University of Dublin), Amherst College, Colby College, Tel Aviv University, and Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica. She also has honorary doctorate degrees from a host of Nigerian universities including Abia State University, Delta State University, Oduduwa University, Babcock University, and the Universities of Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Ife (Obafemi Awolowo).
She is the author of numerous articles and several books, including Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines (MIT Press, 2018), Reforming the UnReformable: Lessons from Nigeria, (MIT Press, 2012), Mobilizing Finance for Education in the Commonwealth (Commonwealth Education Report 2019), Shine a Light on the Gaps – an essay on financial inclusion for African Small Holder Farmers (Foreign Affairs, 2015), Funding the SDGs: Licit and Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries (Horizons Magazine, 2016), and The Debt Trap in Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Debt Strategy (Africa World Press, 2003). She also co-authored with Tijan Sallah the book Chinua Achebe: Teacher of Light (Africa World Press, 2003).
Okonjo-Iweala will take up her new post as the DG of WTO on March 1st 2021 and her term, which is renewable, will run until August 31, 2025.
There are other ongoing plans to further compensate the victims’ families in due time.
Dangote Group of Companies has paid N500,000 to each family of the eight students killed on January 23 when one of its trucks lost control at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State.
The Students’ Union Government of the university made the disclosure in a statement issued on Saturday.
Mr Oluwasegun Obagunwa, its president said in the statement that the payment was made following several agitations led by the Students’ Union Government. “The Students’ Union Government wishes to announce to the students and the entire populace that the Dangote group of companies has reached out to all the families of the victims to pay them condolence visits.
“The N500,000 has already been paid to each of the families.
“We all know that there is no amount of money, items or valuables that can ever be compared to the loss.
“There are other ongoing plans by the Dangote Group of Companies to further compensate the victims and their families in due time,” he said.
Obagunwa added that the union would ensure that all further compensations were fulfilled to the families as soon as possible.
He prayed that the institution would never witness such tragic event anymore.
Facebook has banned all accounts linked to Myanmar’s military on Thursday with immediate effect.
This is as a result of the junta’s use of deadly force against anti-coup demonstrators, weeks after a military coup on February 1.
“Today, we are banning the remaining Myanmar military (“Tatmadaw”) and military-controlled state and media entities from Facebook and Instagram, as well as ads from military-linked commercial entities” the statement from the social media giant said.
Events since the February 1 coup, including deadly violence, have precipitated a need for this ban.”
“This ban does not cover government ministries and agencies engaged in the provision of essential public services,” the company said. “This includes the Ministry of Health and Sport, and the Ministry of Education.”
On February 1, Myanmar’s military seized power in the country, announcing a one-year state of emergency and vowing to take action against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election won by the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Sri Lanka has reversed a controversial mandatory order to cremate the bodies of all those who died of Covid-19.
Critics had said the order was intended to target minorities and did not respect religions. The cremation of bodies is forbidden in Islam.
The government had argued that burials could contaminate ground water.
The reversal came after a visit by Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan. Sources told the BBC that Sri Lanka has sought Pakistan’s support at a UNHRC session.
The council is expected to consider a new resolution responding to mounting rights concerns in Sri Lanka, including over the treatment of Muslims.
Sri Lanka is being called to hold human rights abusers to account and to deliver justice to victims of its 26-year-old civil war, which killed at least 100,000 people – mostly civilians from the minority Tamil community.
Sri Lanka has strongly denied the allegations and has asked member countries not to support the resolution.
The country had earlier come under intense criticism from rights groups, including the UNHRC, over the cremation order.
They said it failed to respect the religious feelings of the victims and their family members specially of the Muslims, Catholics and some Buddhists.
The government had argued that burials could contaminate ground water, based on the say-so of an expert committee, the exact composition and qualifications of which are unknown.
But political, religious and community leaders had repeatedly questioned this, pointing to the more than 190 countries allowing burials, and World Health Organization advice
It even took its fight to the Supreme Court, but the cases were dismissed without any explanation.
Public debate intensified when a 20-day-old Muslim baby was forcibly cremated.
Photos shared by the ministry showed the diplomats on the trolley with their suitcases amid a wintry landscape. They were also seen cheering in a video as they crossed into Russia.
The main “engine” was the embassy’s third secretary Vladislav Sorokin, who pushed the trolley across a rail bridge over the Tumen River into Russia, said the ministry.
This was after the group, which included Mr Sorokin’s three-year-old daughter Varya, had travelled 32 hours by train and two hours by bus from Pyongyang to reach the Russian border.
Ministry officials greeted them at a station on the Russian side, and the group then travelled by bus to the Vladivostok airport.
Pyongyang’s strict anti-Covid measures have affected travel movements and access to amenities. Extra troops have been sent to border areas with orders to block any possible transmission of the virus.
Over the past year, many foreign diplomats have left the country and Western embassies have closed.
Most travellers have gone overland and crossed the border into China, although there was one flight in March last year to Vladivostok carrying diplomats from Germany, Russia, France, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Mongolia and Egypt.
Golf legend, Tiger Woods reportedly has no memory of the car accident that left him with leg injures and unaware of how badly injured he was when the first deputy arrived at the scene.
The 45-year-old was involved in a single-car crash on Tuesday morning, February 23, in California, and was taken to a hospital, where he underwent successful surgery over multiple leg injuries.
“At the hospital, he was asked about it by the investigators and he had no recollection of the crash itself,” LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told CNN, according to the Times of London.
Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who arrived first at the scene, told NBC’s “Today” on Wednesday that the golfing legend was calm, but appeared to be unaware of how badly he was hurt.
“I don’t think he was aware of how gravely he was injured at the time. It could be a mixture of adrenaline, it could’ve been shock,” Gonzalez said.
“Again it was very quick, the moment that I arrived from the moment that he rolled over, so I don’t know if he had time to fully assess his injuries,” added Gonzalez, who arrived six minutes after a 911 call was made.
The deputy said he did not see any signs of impairment at the site.
“At the scene, we’re looking for evidence of intoxication like if there’s an odor of an alcoholic beverage or there’s an open container or prescription medication,” he said.
“At this time we didn’t see any evidence of impairment and anything beyond that in terms of the medical toxicology, I wouldn’t be aware at this time,” Gonzalez added. He said the 45-year-old golf icon remained calm as he asked him assessment questions before determining that he needed to call the fire department to help extricate him.
“I’ve seen collisions that didn’t look as serious where the occupants were injured much more severely,” he said. “I think that’s just a testament to the fact that he was wearing a seatbelt, airbags worked as intended and modern vehicles are much more safe than they ever used to be.”
Gonzalez was wearing his body camera while interacting with Woods and the footage should be available in the near future, according to USA Today.
Asked about the possibility of a reckless driving charge, Villanueva said there was no evidence Woods’ crash met the criteria.
“A reckless driving charge has a lot of elements into it,” he said. “This is purely an accident.
The two unions had shut the university’s main gate and the senate building during the indefinite strike which affected the first semester examination of the institution.
The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter, on Thursday, suspended an indefinite strike over outstanding arrears of minimum wage and other demands.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NASU and SSANU under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) had embarked on a nationwide strike on Feb. 5, to compel the Federal Government to address their demands.
NAN reports that NASU and SSANU, LASU chapter, also demanded payment of their members’ earned allowances and rightful position.
The two unions had shut the university’s main gate and the senate building during the indefinite strike which affected the first semester examination of the institution.
Moruf Sanni, chair, NASU, LASU Chapter, said the workers suspended the strike to honour the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“We had a virtual meeting with the Lagos State Government on Wednesday.
“It was led by the commissioner for establishments, and the government appealed to us to honour the governor by suspending the strike.
“After the suspension of the strike, we can come back to negotiate with the government concerning our issues or demands.
Police officers claim to be working diligently to ensure the victim’s release.
Gunmen who abducted a university student on Monday, February 22, 2021 have asked his family for a ransom of N100 million.
Odetunde Emmanuel was abducted on Monday evening at his father’s poultry farm in Oke Odan, Apete area of Ibadan, Oyo State, according to a report by Premium Times.
Odetunde Emmanuel
The victim’s brother, Odetunde Samuel, said the family is struggling to raise the ransom to secure the release of the student of sociology department of the University of Ibadan.
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