France’s top administrative court has backed privacy campaigners by imposing a ban on police use of drones for covering public protests in Paris.
The Council of State said Paris police prefect Didier Lallement should halt “without delay” drone surveillance of gatherings on public roads.
The ruling comes weeks after MPs backed a controversial security bill that includes police use of drones.
Its main aim is to regulate how people share film or photos of police.
Privacy rights group La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) has argued that the bill’s main measures violate freedom of expression and that drones equipped with cameras cannot keep the peace but track individuals instead.
The Council of State ruled there was “serious doubt over the legality” of drones without a prior text authorising and setting out their use. LQDN said the only way the government could legalise drone surveillance now was in providing “impossible proof” that it was absolutely necessary to maintain law and order.
The decision is the second setback in months for Parisian authorities’ drone plans. In May, the same court ruled that drones could not be used in the capital to track people in breach of France’s strict lockdown rules.
Under article 22 of the security bill currently going through parliament, security forces would be allowed to send images filmed by drone or helicopter to command teams and retain those images for 30 days or more as part of a possible police inquiry.
Protests broke out after the bill passed its first reading in the National Assembly, with most of the anger directed at article 24, which makes it a criminal offence to publish images of on-duty police officers with the intent to harm their “physical or psychological integrity
Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up the 2020 Golden Foot Award he won by beating archrival, Lionel Messi and nine other players, describing it as an honour.
Cristiano Ronaldo
“I am honoured to win the @goldenfootofficial and to be immortalised on the Champion Promenade in Monaco, together with some of the greatest football legends of all time!” the Portugal international tweeted on Sunday after picking up the 18th Golden Foot Award in which he also beat Lewandowski, Neymar, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Sergio Aguero, Giorgio Chiellini and Arturo Vidal. “I am truly humbled and want to thank the fans all over the world for having voted for me.”
The 35-year-old former Manchester United striker was announced as the winner of the award introduced in 2003 after he got the highest votes from fans. “The star of Juventus and the Portuguese national team received the highest number of votes among the 10 contenders selected this year,” the organisers had said in a statement on its website, confirming the former Real Madrid player as the winner of the prize.
Unlike previous years, the awards ceremony, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take a different shape for the event which “usually takes place in the heart of the Principality of Monaco.”
The awards ceremony and gala will take place on December 28th, 2020
Ronaldo netted 37 goals and six assists in 46 matches during the 2019/2020 campaign, a fine form that saw him shortlisted for the 2020 FIFA Awards won by Bayern Munich’s Polish striker, Roberto Lewandowski.
Juventus president, Andrea Agnelli, equally scooped the first Golden Foot Prestige prize.
“He is thus one of the most successful presidents in the history of international football,” the organisers added.
Qatar received its first novel coronavirus vaccines on Monday, just hours after regulators approved the jab for use in the Gulf state, which says it will innoculate all residents free of charge.
A shipment of 14 boxes of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine landed at Doha’s Hamad International Airport aboard a Qatar Airways passenger Boeing 787 from Brussels shortly after 2000 GMT, according to AFP correspondents on site.
Authorities have not said how many doses arrived in the first shipment.
Abdullatif al-Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19, said during a speech on state TV Monday that vaccinations would begin from Wednesday. “The priority will be the elderly, those with chronic conditions and medical staff,” he said.
An illustration picture shows vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached, with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, on November 17, 2020. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
Vaccinations will be administered on a voluntary basis and provided free of charge, he told AFP.
The European Union, Britain, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, Israel and Bahrain have all green lighted the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, paving the way for inoculations to begin.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has proven to be 95 percent effective in global trials, where two doses are administered three weeks apart.
It needs to be stored at the ultra-low temperature of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit), posing handling and storage challenges.
Qatar’s health ministry “has issued the approval and registration of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, which is one of the two vaccines (the ministry) has secured agreements to purchase,” it said in a statement Monday, ahead of the delivery.
The vaccine “was approved after the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control conducted a thorough review of the vaccine and the results of clinical studies conducted on a wide range of volunteers”, the ministry added.
“Their review showed that the vaccine is safe and effective in accordance with international standards.”
Qatar will also administer doses of the vaccine made by US firm Moderna Therapeutics.
The Gulf state has tested 44 percent of its population of 2.75 million and recorded 142,159 infections since the beginning of the pandemic, with the high rate attributed to aggressive testing and unsanitary accommodation for workers.
However, only 243 people have died of the virus and the rate of new infections per 100,000 for the past week was 37.7 — well down from the peak.
Khal said that “starting this month and continuing throughout 2021 we will undertake the biggest vaccine program ever delivered in Qatar”.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 43 people for prostitution and illegal sale of alcoholic substances at Kwanar Gafan vegetable market in Garun Malam Local Government Area of the state.
Dr Harun Ibn-Syna, the Commander General of Hisbah, who paraded the suspects on Monday in Sharada quarters, confirmed the arrest.
“Out of the 43, 34 are females while the remaining nine are males, aged between 15 and 18.
“The investigation conducted on the suspects also revealed that eight were found selling hard drugs while one person was caught with 80 cartons of different bottles of beer,’’ NAN quoted Ibn-Syna as saying.
He said 14 of them are HIV positive, adding that 10 knew their status while four do not know.
He noted that three rolls of male and female condoms were also recovered at the market.
Ibn-Syna said that the arrest was jointly coordinated by the Hisbah board and the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Earlier, the Director-General of the board, Dr Aliyu Kibiya, disclosed that most of the suspects are from Kano, while some of them are from neighbouring states such as Adamawa, Anambra, Cross River, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, and Taraba.
To limit COVID-19 spread, the Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered nationwide closure of all bars, night clubs, pubs, event centres, and recreational venues, as well as restaurants, except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins.
President Buhari
Mass gatherings like weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, and end of year events shall be restricted to not more than 50 people, according to the new guidelines announced by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50% of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules.
The Saudi restrictions are among the most draconian imposed so far after news of the new strain.
Saudi Arabia blocked all travel to the country via air, land and sea, becoming the latest country to impose fresh travel curbs in response to the emergence of a new strain of the Coronavirus.
The Saudi restrictions are scheduled to last a week, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. They appear to be the most draconian imposed so far in response to the new variant, which is deemed to be 70 per cent more infectious than the original strand and is rampant in the UK.
Nations such as Kuwait and Iran have halted air travel to the UK while Ukraine, Lebanon and Spain have not.
Russia though, on Monday, joined the list of countries halting travel to the UK. Moscow announced it would pull air links with the UK — initially for a week from midnight. Announcing the decision, the federal coronavirus task force said it would study the impact of the new mutated strain of the virus before deciding its next move.
The Moscow-London link, which reappeared in August, is one of very few open air corridors between Russia and the west.
In Israel, chaos erupted at Tel Aviv airport after authorities ordered all arrivals from the UK, South Africa and Denmark to enter two-week self-isolation in designated army-run hotels due to mutant strain. Just hours after the decision was made public, 25 Israelis arriving on an EasyJet flight from Luton initially refused to be taken into quarantine, according to local media reports.
Turkey has imposed a temporary halt to flights to and from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, and South Africa in response to the new Covid variation, which epidemiologists say shows no sign of being more deadly than the original virus or more resistant to the various vaccines that are being rolled out.
“It has been reported that the rate of transmission has increased in the UK with the mutation of the coronavirus,” Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.
A Twitter hashtag #JusticeForDonDavid has been trending with many calling on relevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.Some Nigerians have taken to the social media to demand justice for Don David, an 11-year-old junior secondary school student. He was allegedly molested by his seniors at Deeper Life High School, Uyo Campus in Akwa Ibom State.
The development comes after the victim’s mother, Deborah Okezie, went live on Facebook to share her pains about the health of her son, whom she said had just returned from the school on Friday. This has generated mixed reactions on social media as some Nigerians were calling for justice while others insisted that both sides of the story must be heard.
Don David.
Here are reactions from Twitter;
A Twitter user, @bimbo_cash, said, “Deeper Life High School Uyo Should be investigated #JusticeForDavid.”
Hechidere Uche @HechiUche tweeted, “Mehn this woman should take this up seriously o. She should get the government involved, and serious investigation should happen.”
Odogwu @Daddy_Nomso said, “Look at how good he looked in the before photo, the name is not an assurance that everything goes well there. Smh everyone involved in this mess should be suspended & arrested at least.”
For Mercy @faittymercy, Deeper Life High Schools should be investigated and not only the one at Uyo. “Deeper Life High School should be looked into generally. They treat students badly, treat staff worse. I have a brother working in the school and all they do is frustrate teachers. A church school for that matter.”
Brown sugar @rutina57 tweeted, “You might not expect much from a federal boarding school but you have every right to expect more from a Christian boarding school worth over half a million naira. May justice be served! That 11-year-old boy is clearly traumatised #justicefordondavid.”
@proresumefix wrote, “injustice to one is injustice to all. A boy was raped in school, please speak up! #JusticeforDonDavid.”
Oluwafunmilayo @Funmi_kolz said, “My cousin was taken to this same school but after his first year, the parents withdrew him. He was looking like a piece of shit. More like the school was having a negative impact in his life and he was always being bullied too. I just hope this boy gets justice for all these.”
Uncle Salami @Sunnycent wrote, “It happened in one of its high school campuses. Other students from other campuses said they had a completely different experience. However, that Uyo branch needs to be THOROUGHLY investigated and whoever is guilty should be brought to book. We can’t keep normalizing suffering.”
However, some commenters are interested in what the school management has to say.
Marvellous Ola @marvelous_ola said, “We should be careful with our conclusions and statements. Until the management comes out and tells people what really happened. We should not judge.”
Odo @Odonatoo added, “We must slow down in judging the school by hearing from one end. The issues stated by the parent is strange to d principles of d school. Something is wrong somewhere. This is certainly not Deeper Life High School.”
Below is the trending video of Don David’s mother clamouring for justice;
UK-based Nigerian doctor and social media influencer, Dr Olufunmilayo has raised an alarm of a new mutated Coronavirus which have been reported in London, United Kingdom.
In tweets he shared, Olufunmilayo revealed that many countries in Europe like Germany, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland have now banned flights from UK due to the new mutated fast-spreading strain of Coronavirus.
He also advised those who arrived Nigeria from the UK to isolate for 14 days and call the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control if they develop fever, cough, breathlessness.
He tweeted;
ATTENTION: There’s a new mutated coronavirus that is just reported in London UK. It is described “out of control” and “very infectious”. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and Bulgaria have all banned flights from UK over this. RT this for Nigerian Authorities.
9am today, UK recorded almost 36,000 new cases in the last 24 hours. This is the highest ever daily increase in Covid cases in UK since the pandemic started. It is highly suspected that this new mutated virus strain may be responsible.
Many countries in Europe like Germany, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland have now banned flights from UK due to a new mutated fast-spreading strain of Coronavirus. These are countries who have vaccines. Nigeria has no vaccine yet.
Pls I beg Nigeria Govt, Kindly look into this. If you just came from UK into Nigeria, pls isolate for 14 days and call @NCDCgov if you develop fever, cough, breathlessness.
There’s a mutated strain of Coronavirus in London right now. Nigerians, pls don’t be quick to see an IJGB. Before they give you Covid cos of chocolates. Countries that have banned UK flights: 1.France 2.Italy 3.Germany 4.Austria 5.Netherlands 6.Kuwait 7.Belgium 8.Turkey 9.Denmark 10.Israel 11.Ireland 12.Bulgaria 13.Latvia 14.El Salvador 15.Romania 16.Luxembourg 17.Czech Republic but Nigeria still dey do sho ni CC, fall in.
The Manchester City and Atletico Madrid strikers appeared topless in the bed with the same woman in the photos which were discovered last week.
According to the UK Sun, the Bible was in one of two bags handed in by a woman to a charity shop in Marylebone, Central London.
The report said the two bags were handed in in May, but the photos were not spotted until staff started sorting them last week.
A source said: “The pictures were instantly recognisable as Jesus and Costa – and both were with the same woman.
“They were both laughing and seemed incredibly relaxed in her company while larking around on pillows without their shirts on. The pictures appear to have been taken at different times.
“The charity shop normally gets jigsaws and second-hand clothes, so this was certainly a change from that.”
The source said: “A woman of Spanish or Latin appearance dropped off the bags.
Diego Costa
“She said a friend left the UK and wanted to get rid of a few bits and pieces. The woman who brought the bags in has never been back so no one knew what to do with the pics.”
One photo showed a heavily tattooed Jesus pulling a face for the camera.
Intimate photos of football stars Diego Costa and Gabriel Jesus in bed with the same mystery woman found in a bible at a charity shop
However, It’s unclear when the intimate photos were taken.
Diego Costa, 32, who played for Chelsea for three years is now at Atletico Madrid. He is married with two daughters
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus, 23, who joined Manchester City in 2017 from Palmeiras, broke up with his ex-girlfriend, model Fernanda Queiroz earlier this year.
The Katsina Police State Command says eighty students of Islamiyya schools in Mahuta town, Dandume Local Government Area of the state, abducted by bandits on Saturday have been rescued.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Islamic students were abducted on their way home after they graced a maulud procession at Unguwar Al-Kasim, a nearby village.
This is coming two days after the release of 344 students of Government Secondary School in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.
Police Spokesman, Gambo Isah, in a statement on Sunday, said the students were rescued by a combined team of policemen and local vigilante group in the area.
Gambo Isah
Isah said the students were accosted by the bandits, who had already kidnapped four (4) persons and rustled twelve (12) cows from Danbaure village in Funtua Local Government Area of the state while trying to escape into the forest.
On receipt of the report, he said, the DPO led Operations “Puff Adder,” Sharan Daji and vigilante group to the area and engaged the bandits into a fierce gun duel.
“Subsequently, the teams succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the eighty-four (84) kidnapped victims and recovered all the twelve rustled cows. Search parties are still combing the area with a view of arresting the injured bandits and recovery of their dead bodies. An investigation is ongoing,” he said.
No injuries were reported in relation to the fire, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning and was quickly put out.
The victims were aged between 56 and 85, the hospital said in a statement.
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the explosion.
Several other patients being treated at the same ward were transferred to receive treatment at nearby hospitals, the Gaziantep governor’s office said.
“Authorities have taken the necessary measures,” the statement said, while offering condolences to the families of the victims.
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted to wish “urgent healing to the wounded”, adding: “Get well soon, Gaziantep.”
Last month, a fire at a hospital in Romania killed 10 patients receiving treatment for Covid-19. Reports suggested that a medical appliance caught fire, igniting a nearby oxygen cylinder.
In October, more than 150 patients at a makeshift coronavirus hospital in the Russian region of Chelyabinsk had to be evacuated when an explosion in an “oxygen booth” caused a fire, Russia’s emergencies ministry said
34 students of Kogi State Polytechnic have been expelled for their involvement in examination malpractices, certificate forgery and cultism.
The Academic Board of the institution approved the expulsion of the students for their actions which contravened the relevant sections of the Students Information Handbook of the polytechnic. The handbook stipulates penalties for involvement in examination malpractice, certificate forgery and cultism respectively.
Some of the expelled students are said to be part of the “Examination Magic Centre” syndicate, recently uncovered by the institution at the Sarkin Noma area in Lokoja metropolis. It was gathered that the ‘magic centre’ was organised by one Ibrahim Ayatu, a HND II student of the Department of Accountancy and one Clement Ayeni Clement, an ex student of the polytechnic.
Main gate of Kogi state polytechnic.
While the Board approved the expulsion of Ayatu from the institution, Ayeni is to be banned from entering the polytechnic until further notice.
One Mr Ekele Hassan, a HND I Industrial Design (Graphics) student who is also a staff of the polytechnic was also expelled after being caught with an already answered booklet.
Alih Kemalu and Isah Habib from the Department of Public Administration were expelled for their involvement in cult-related activities.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday said Lagos may slip into a second wave of Coronavirus pandemic, if residents failed to comply with the precautionary measures against the spread of virus.
The governor disclosed that of every 100 tests that the state has performed, an average of 10 turn out to be positive, stating it is an increase from the five per hundred recorded in September, though lower than the peak in August, which was between 20 and 30 per hundred.
“This suggests the existence of active community transmission, and represents the very likely possibility of the emergence of a second wave in Lagos State.
“This second wave calls for a full re-awakening of caution and precaution. The complacency that crept in over the last few months as a result of our early interventions when cases started to decline from our peak in August, must now give way to an abundance of vigilance.”
As a measure against a possible second wave of COVID-19, Sanwo-Olu asked all public servants from GL 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, to work from home as from Monday, December 21st for the next 14 days – in the first instance.
He also said all schools must shut down with immediate effect, and until further notice, while concerts, carnivals and street parties are banned in Lagos State until further notice, just as night clubs have not been allowed to open yet, so all night clubs in Lagos must immediately shut down, until further notice.
Sanwo-Olu added that the midnight to 4am curfew imposed by the Federal Government remains while the protocol of ‘No Mask No Entry’ must be enforced by all public places: Offices, Businesses, Markets, Shops, and so on must be adhered to.
The governor further said all places of must ensure that no gathering exceeds two hours, and also that no gathering exceeds 50 per cent of the maximum capacity of the venue, with all event planners must obtain prior clearance from the Lagos State Safety Commission for all events, and ensure that any planned gatherings do not exceed 300 people.
He said where the capacity of a venue exceeds 300 and permission has been granted, the occupancy shall not be more than 50 per cent of such a venue.
“The Safety Commission has been directed to visit Event Centres and gauge compliance with the established guidelines, to stop the virus from spreading. If there is evidence of lack of compliance at any Event Centre, it will be shut down immediately.
“Security agents have been mandated to ensure full enforcement, without exception. No one will be deemed to be above the law.
Any and all breaches of these regulations and public health protocols will lead to immediate closure as well as attract heavy fines, and any other sanctions and penalties deemed fit, in line with the Lagos State Infectious Diseases Control Regulation 2020.
“Event Centre Owners/Planners/Vendors will be responsible for any breach of protocols by their Staff.
“We will continue to closely watch the profile of the unfolding situation, while also awaiting updates and pronouncements from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. We will also keep working with the Presidential Task Force to ensure that the gains of the recent past are not frittered away on the altar of festivities and sheer carelessness. The lives of all Lagosians, including our elders and other vulnerable citizens, matter.”
Sanwo-Olu implored residents to take responsibility for the welfare and safety of all while they enjoy the festive season with friends and families. “It is important that as a community we strictly abide by the above regulations in the context of a global pandemic, without prejudicing our efforts to keep the economy running and maintain our means of livelihood to a sufficient extent.
“Let us use this festive season to spend quality time in small but controlled gatherings with family and friends in the spirit of the season. This virus does not discriminate. We must take responsibility, and not treat this pandemic with levity.
A man who makes a living by impregnating women has expressed happiness as he travels to UK for another round.
A man who became famous by impregnating women and fathering over 150 kids has said he’s not tired.
Joe Donor who makes a living by impregnating women is regarded as one of the world’s most prolific sperm donors.
He says Christmas has come early after being told three more British women are pregnant with his children.
‘Joe Donor’, from the US state of Vermont, has already fathered 150 kids – impregnating about 10 women a year – and has donated his sperm while travelling across the UK.
Finding out that three more British women are set to give birth to his children in 2021 is the “best Christmas present of all”, he said, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t slowed him down.
Joe Donor
The 50-year-old, who anonymously donates his sperm and never uses his real name in interviews, has been living in Ilford, north-east London, for the past three months after arriving in September.
Joe said: “Helping women create the gift of life is the best present of all.“I’m always ready to climb down that chimney and give women the dream baby they’ve always wanted”.“Since arriving in the UK in September I have met up with about 15 women”.
“Most of them don’t want to have sex as they say it causes too many issues in their relationship or they’re lesbians but it’s more effective when it’s natural.
“I’d say about three of those women I have met I’ve had sex with and two of those are pregnant.
“But not everyone reports back and lets me know if they’re expecting.
“Since my time in the UK I have travelled to Wales, Hull, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Kent.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world to be able to help women in their time of need.
“It was lovely to hear the news that three women I met during my time in the UK are now pregnant”.
“There’s no better Christmas present than that.”
Joe said that the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t slowed him down this year and that on average, he impregnates 10 women per year.
He added: “I’ll never know the exact number but it’s definitely in the double figures every year.
“I will use a mask when having sex to help stop the spread of corona virus but you cannot keep socially distanced.
“I love seeing photos of the babies when they’re born as a lot of them do look like me.
“I don’t financially gain from providing my sperm to women, I just enjoy helping people.
“Luckily I run a few online businesses so I’m always available and can provide sperm whenever they’re ovulating.”
Joe has travelled across America, Argentina, Italy, Singapore, The Philippines and the UK donating his sperm.
He added: “I have babies all over the world and although people always worry over incestual issues that is a concern for clinics because mothers and children never meet their donors”.
“I meet mothers in person when donating, and I am happy to meet any child at any time, and keep in touch with mothers who want to keep in touch, so that everyone knows of half-siblings, and this problem has never happened with me or any other private sperm donor.
“I started donating sperm in 2008 and have fathered on average 10 children per year.
“I have always said I wouldn’t father more than 2500 but that would technically be impossible unless I lives until the age of 250.
“I aim to donate my sperm for as long as it works which could be until I’m in my 90’s.”
Joe opts to have yearly medical checks to ensure he’s practising as safe as possible.
He adds: “I have a health check at least annually but if a woman requests more frequent testing, I will have another check on demand.
The United Nations human rights office has called on Thailand to amend its lese majeste law, which it said had been used against at least 35 activists, one as young as 16, in recent weeks.
It said Thailand should stop using the law, which bans insulting the monarchy, and other serious criminal charges against protesters, noting that criminalising such acts violates freedom of expression.
Prosecutions, which had stopped in 2018, restarted after protesters broke longstanding taboos by calling for reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn during months of street demonstrations. Those found guilty under the royal insult law face three to 15 years in prison.
The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted on Friday that charges had also been filed against protesters for sedition and computer crimes offences.
“We call on the Government of Thailand to stop the repeated use of such serious criminal charges against individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing in Geneva.
Youth-led protests began in July to call for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former military government leader, and for reforms to the monarchy [File: Jack Taylor/AFP]“Those arrested had violated other Thai laws and admittedly the majority have been released.”
Among those who were charged with violating the law in recent weeks were youth leader Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, human rights lawyer Anon Numpha, Panupong “Mike” Jaadnok, student leader Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and actress Intira Charoenpura.
The office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged Thailand to change the lese majeste law to bring it in line with the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
In response, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman said the law was not aimed at curbing freedom of expression and was similar to libel laws.
“In the past couple of months, protestors have not been arrested solely for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” Tanee Sangrat said in a statement. Youth-led protests began in July to call for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former military government leader, and for the drafting of a new constitution.
They later called for reforms to the monarchy: seeking the king to be more clearly accountable under the constitution and the reversal of changes that gave him control of royal finances and some army units among other demands.
The Royal Palace has made no comment since the protests began, although the king said during a walkabout in November that Thailand was “a land of compromise” when asked for comment on the demonstrations.
Prayuth has rejected protesters’ calls to resign and said that all laws would be used against protesters who break them – raising the concern of activists that the royal insult laws would be used to silence them.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed the Deposit Money Banks to close all naira accounts of International Money Transfer Operators.
It disclosed this on Friday in a circular tilted ‘Receipt of diaspora remittances: Additional operational guidelines 2 addressed to all Deposit Money Banks, Payment Service Providers and International Money Transfer Operators.
The circular was signed by the director, banking supervision department; and director, payments system management department.
The circular read, “DMBs are to close all naira accounts for IMTOs. This is to ensure that diaspora remittances are received by beneficiaries in foreign currency only (cash and/or transfers to domiciliary accounts of recipients).
“DMBs are permitted to open new opex accounts for the purpose of the IMTO operations, such as salary payments and other operating expenses excluding diaspora remittance receipts.
“DMBs must ensure that proper audit of IMTO accounts is done to forestall further use of naira accounts for diaspora remittances purposes.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria had warned operators against paying recipients of diaspora remittances in local currency in a earlier circular.
It warned that violators could lose their operational licences if they failed to comply with its guidelines on remittances.
The CBN had stated, “Following the recent policy pronouncement on amendment to procedures for receipt of diaspora remittances, the CBN notes material compliance by majority of market participants as beneficiaries of remittances through IMTOs now receive foreign currency through their designated banks.
“However and regrettably, a few operators continue to pay remittances in local currency contrary to regulatory directive. The CBN frowns on this practice.”
Health bosses have warned the NHS is already under significant pressure.
The president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson, said England and Scotland needed to do “whatever it takes” to get a grip of the virus, even if that meant “full lockdown”.
Meanwhile, the R number – which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus onto – has risen above 1 in the UK.
Asked whether England would end up following Northern Ireland and Wales into lockdown, Mr Johnson said: “Obviously we are hoping very much that we’ll be able to avoid anything like that, but the reality is that the rates of infection have increased in the last few weeks.”
He said the Christmas rules, which are being relaxed across the UK between 23 and 27 December, were “very much a maximum” and “not a target people should aim for”.
The prime minister encouraged people to “think about our elderly relatives” to “avoid spreading the disease” over Christmas.
He added that he hoped next year, with the rollout of the vaccine, would “be very different indeed”.
Earlier, he tweeted a message warning people planning to form “Christmas bubbles” in the UK to start minimising contact with people from outside their households from today.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said “nobody wants a third lockdown” but England’s tiered system was “not strong enough”.
He called for the prime minister to “toughen up over Christmas”, saying the Welsh government’s decision to limit Christmas bubbles to two households, instead of three, was a “step in the right direction”.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have released all students abducted from Government Science Secondary School in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The students had been within the kidnappers’ reach for six days. They are currently on their way to Katsina, according to sources.
Gunmen, who came on motorbikes had last Friday, invaded the school’s premises around 11 pm shooting indiscriminately to scare residents. The operation led to the disappearance of over 300 students.
Abducted schoolboys , now released.
Boko Haram had on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack. Katsina Abduction Was Done To Discourage Western Education, Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Abduction Of School Pupils In New Audio as seen below;
“They are on their way to Katsina, the military finalised the negotiations with them, they will be received by the governor anytime from now,” the source said.
Abducted schoolboys , now released.
When contacted, Abdu Labaran, Director General Media to Governor Masari said, “I can’t say yes or no, but we have gone beyond discussions with the bandits for now. We are expecting the governor to address a world press conference soon.”
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The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
