The World Health Organization has urged Tanzania to start reporting coronavirus cases and share its data.
Tanzania is one of the few countries in the world to not publish data on Covid-19 cases.
It last did so in May, when about 500 cases and 20 deaths were recorded. The following month, President John Magufuli declared Tanzania “coronavirus-free”.
But concern is growing about the possibility of a hidden epidemic.
The WHO’s plea comes after a spate of deaths of government officials.
The vice-president of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, died on Wednesday after his party said he had contracted Covid-19.
He was the most prominent politician in Tanzania to have openly declared that he had the virus.
The head of the civil service, John Kijazi, also died on Wednesday but no reason was given for his death.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement: “We extend our condolences to our Tanzanian sisters and brothers on the recent passing of a senior Tanzanian leader as well as the government’s chief secretary.”
He then went on to urge Tanzania to start reporting Covid-19 cases and share its data.
While it is difficult to know the extent of the spread of coronavirus in Tanzania without this data, he said that Tanzanians travelling outside the country have tested positive for coronavirus.
“This underscores the need for Tanzania to take robust action both to safeguard their own people and protect populations in these countries and beyond,” he said.
President Magufuli had previously played down the virus and refused to take measures to curb its spread. The health minister said earlier this month that Tanzania had no plans to vaccinate.
However, on Friday, while giving a speech at Mr Kijazi’s funeral, Mr Magafuli appeared to admit that the virus was circulating in Tanzania.
He said Tanzania had defeated Covid-19 last year and would win again this year.
Then on Sunday Mr Magufuli encouraged people to wear masks to avoid infection.
But he urged people to use locally-made masks, saying without evidence that some of the imported ones were not safe.
Some gunmen believed to be bandits have struck again in Niger State. The bandits were said to have abducted women and children in Gurmana village in the State. Disclosing this, former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani alleged that the bandits who wore military uniform struck at about 4 p.m.
In a tweet, the former lawmaker claimed that some of the residents who tried to escape drowned in River Kaduna.
“Bandits in Military uniform attacked Gurmana, a village in Niger State around 4pm yesterday. They abducted mostly women and children. “Some who tried to escape drowned in the River Kaduna. I spoke to one of the survivors, a teacher, now seeking refuge in Kuta, Niger State. A tragedy, a day,” he tweeted. This is coming barely a week after bandits had abducted some students from Government Science College in Kagara.
The sculptor behind Wall Street’s famous Charging Bull statue has died aged 80, reports say.
Friends of Arturo Di Modica told Italian media that the sculptor died in his home town of Vittoria, Sicily. He had been fighting cancer for many years, La Repubblica reported.
The bull was originally installed in New York in 1989 without permission.
It was designed to represent the “strength and power of the American people” after the 1987 market crash.
Police seized the 7,100 pound (3,200 kg) bronze statue from its position outside the New York Stock Exchange. But following a public outcry, city officials allowed it to be reinstalled days later in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district.
It has gone on to become one of the most recognisable images of New York, and a major tourist attraction.
In recent years, Di Modica opposed the temporary installation of another now famous statue, called Fearless Girl, opposite the bull.
The Fearless Girl
Di Modica complained at the time that his bull was meant to embody “strength, power and love”, and that having Fearless Girl – designed to call attention to gender inequality and the pay gap in the corporate world – face off against it turned its message into something negative.
Other notable works by Di Modica include marble pieces exhibited at the Rockefeller Center, works in bronze at Castle Clinton National Monument, and a bronze horse exhibited in the Lincoln Center, his biography on chargingbull.com says.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programmes to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the statement said.
Mr Biden has been in touch with the mayors of some of Texas’ biggest cities, such as Houston, Austin and Dallas, to ensure they have access to government resources, an administration official said.
Several other southern states hit by snow and ice storms this week have also reported water service outages.
Winter weather has also cut off water in the city of Jackson, Mississippi – home to around 150,000 people – as well as the largest county in Tennessee that includes the city of Memphis, with more than 651,000 residents.
Across the US South, a region unaccustomed to such frigid temperatures, people whose pipes have frozen have taken to boiling snow to make water.
What is happening in Texas?
The south-western state’s energy grid has been overwhelmed by a surge in demand for heat as temperatures plummeted to 30-year lows, hitting 0F (-18C) earlier this week.
As of Friday, about 180,000 homes and businesses in Texas still had no electricity. Amid freezing temperatures earlier this week, as many as 3.3 million were without power.
Around 13 million people – close to half of the state’s population – have faced some disruption of water services as hundreds of water systems have been damaged by the freeze.
Austin, the state’s capital, lost 325 million gallons (1.2 billion litres) of water when pipes burst, the city’s water director told reporters on Thursday.
image captionPeople are still facing problems with water supplies
Texas’ largest city, Houston, is under a so-called “boil water notice”, with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising that all water planned for consumption – even if filtered – must be boiled as it may be contaminated.
Officials there say they are working to rapidly distribute bottled water, as well as power generators, to people in need. Breweries and other local businesses have also assisted with efforts to supply drinkable water.
On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing “any and all resources to assist and to accelerate the response at the local level”.
State officials could not offer a timeline for exactly when the water would come back on, saying it was a question for local water providers – and many have not yet fully assessed the damage to their systems.
image captionPeople collect bottled water from a shelter in the city of Galveston, Texas
Gov Abbott also said more plumbers are headed to the state. Water pipes have been bursting across Texas due to the freeze, and local plumbers have struggled to meet demand.
Over 320 plumbers have renewed their licences, and the state agencies are working with out-of-state plumbing companies to secure additional help, he said.
New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Saturday she had raised more than $3m (£2.1m) in donations as part of relief efforts for Texas.
“When you already have so many families in the state and across the country that are on the brink, that can’t even afford an emergency to begin with, when you have a disaster like this, it can just set people back for years, not just for days,” she said, speaking at a Houston food bank.
Master KG’s hit song , “Jerusalema” is Platinum in France (200,000 sales), Platinum in Belgium (40,000 sales) & 2x Platinum in Italy (140,000 sales).
It was #1 in Belgium, Romania, Hungary, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, #2 in France, Austria, Italy, #3 in Germany, #4 in Ireland.
Master KG’s Jerusalema was #1 on US World Digital Song Sales, Euro Digital Songs, #9 on Canadian Digital Songs, US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, #10 in Nicaragua, Spain, #14 in Scotland, #15 in Portugal, #17 in Panama, #38 on the Billboard Global 200 and #55 in Slovakia, the UK.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has linked Instagram celebrity, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a.k.a Hushpuppi, to North Korean hackers said to be the biggest bank robbers in the world.
The Justice Department in a detailed statement released on Friday, February 19, alleged that Hushpuppi took part in a “North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019.” According to the statement, his role was as a collaborator with a North Korean money launderer, Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
“Alaumary agreed to plead guilty to the charge, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2020.
“Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
“With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in the United States and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from BankIslami and a bank in India in 2018.
“Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, aka “Ray Hushpuppi,” and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019”the statement read
Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in June 2020, and extradited to the US where he is being charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles with conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from “business email compromise” (BEC) frauds and other scams.
His trial was to have commenced late last year, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full US Justice Department statement on Hushpuppi’s alleged involvement with the three North Korean military hackers
A federal indictment unsealed today charges three North Korean computer programmers with participating in a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to conduct a series of destructive cyberattacks, to steal and extort more than $1.3 billion of money and cryptocurrency from financial institutions and companies, to create and deploy multiple malicious cryptocurrency applications, and to develop and fraudulently market a blockchain platform.
A second case unsealed today revealed that a Canadian-American citizen has agreed to plead guilty in a money laundering scheme and admitted to being a high-level money launderer for multiple criminal schemes, including ATM “cash-out” operations and a cyber-enabled bank heist orchestrated by North Korean hackers.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, North Korea’s operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world’s leading bank robbers,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“The Department will continue to confront malicious nation state cyber activity with our unique tools and work with our fellow agencies and the family of norms abiding nations to do the same.”
Hushpuppi
“Today’s unsealed indictment expands upon the FBI’s 2018 charges for the unprecedented cyberattacks conducted by the North Korean regime,” said the FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
“The ongoing targeting, compromise, and cyber-enabled theft by North Korea from global victims was met with the outstanding, persistent investigative efforts of the FBI in close collaboration with U.S. and foreign partners. By arresting facilitators, seizing funds, and charging those responsible for the hacking conspiracy, the FBI continues to impose consequences and hold North Korea accountable for its/their criminal cyber activity.”
“The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running, and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California.
“The conduct detailed in the indictment are the acts of a criminal nation-state that has stopped at nothing to extract revenge and obtain money to prop up its regime.”
“This case is a particularly striking example of the growing alliance between officials within some national governments and highly sophisticated cyber-criminals,” said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Michael R. D’Ambrosio.
“The individuals indicted today committed a truly unprecedented range of financial and cyber-crimes: from ransomware attacks and phishing campaigns, to digital bank heists and sophisticated money laundering operations. With victims strewn across the globe, this case shows yet again that the challenge of cybercrime is, and will continue to be, a struggle that can only be won through partnerships, perseverance, and a relentless focus on holding criminals accountable.”
The hacking indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleges that Jon Chang Hyok (???), 31; Kim Il (??), 27; and Park Jin Hyok (???), 36, were members of units of the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), a military intelligence agency of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which engaged in criminal hacking. These North Korean military hacking units are known by multiple names in the cybersecurity community, including Lazarus Group and Advanced Persistent Threat 38 (APT38). Park was previously charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in September 2018.
The indictment alleges a broad array of criminal cyber activities undertaken by the conspiracy, in the United States and abroad, for revenge or financial gain. The schemes alleged include:
Cyberattacks on the Entertainment Industry: The destructive cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in November 2014 in retaliation for “The Interview,” a movie that depicted a fictional assassination of the DPRK’s leader; the December 2014 targeting of AMC Theatres, which was scheduled to show the film; and a 2015 intrusion into Mammoth Screen, which was producing a fictional series involving a British nuclear scientist taken prisoner in DPRK.
Cyber-Enabled Heists from Banks: Attempts from 2015 through 2019 to steal more than $1.2 billion from banks in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, Malta, and Africa by hacking the banks’ computer networks and sending fraudulent Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) messages.
Cyber-Enabled ATM Cash-Out Thefts: Thefts through ATM cash-out schemes – referred to by the U.S. government as “FASTCash” – including the October 2018 theft of $6.1 million from BankIslami Pakistan Limited (BankIslami).
Ransomware and Cyber-Enabled Extortion: Creation of the destructive WannaCry 2.0 ransomware in May 2017, and the extortion and attempted extortion of victim companies from 2017 through 2020 involving the theft of sensitive data and deployment of other ransomware.
Creation and Deployment of Malicious Cryptocurrency Applications: Development of multiple malicious cryptocurrency applications from March 2018 through at least September 2020 – including Celas Trade Pro, WorldBit-Bot, iCryptoFx, Union Crypto Trader, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, CryptoNeuro Trader, and Ants2Whale – which would provide the North Korean hackers a backdoor into the victims’ computers.
Targeting of Cryptocurrency Companies and Theft of Cryptocurrency: Targeting of hundreds of cryptocurrency companies and the theft of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency, including $75 million from a Slovenian cryptocurrency company in December 2017; $24.9 million from an Indonesian cryptocurrency company in September 2018; and $11.8 million from a financial services company in New York in August 2020 in which the hackers used the malicious CryptoNeuro Trader application as a backdoor.
Spear-Phishing Campaigns: Multiple spear-phishing campaigns from March 2016 through February 2020 that targeted employees of United States cleared defense contractors, energy companies, aerospace companies, technology companies, the U.S.Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Marine Chain Token and Initial Coin Offering: Development and marketing in 2017 and 2018 of the Marine Chain Token to enable investors to purchase fractional ownership interests in marine shipping vessels, supported by a blockchain, which would allow the DPRK to secretly obtain funds from investors, control interests in marine shipping vessels, and evade U.S. sanctions.
According to the allegations contained in the hacking indictment, which was filed on Dec. 8, 2020, in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and unsealed today, the three defendants were members of units of the RGB who were at times stationed by the North Korean government in other countries, including China and Russia. While these defendants were part of RGB units that have been referred to by cybersecurity researchers as Lazarus Group and APT38, the indictment alleges that these groups engaged in a single conspiracy to cause damage, steal data and money, and otherwise further the strategic and financial interests of the DPRK government and its leader, Kim Jong Un.
Money Launderer Charged in California and Georgia
Federal prosecutors today also unsealed a charge against Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, for his role as a money launderer for the North Korean conspiracy, among other criminal schemes. Alaumary agreed to plead guilty to the charge, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2020. Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in the United States and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from BankIslami and a bank in India in 2018. Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, aka “Ray Hushpuppi,” and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019. Last summer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles charged Abbas in a separate case alleging that he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from BEC frauds and other scams.
Accompanying Mitigation Efforts
Throughout the investigation, the FBI and the Justice Department provided specific information to victims about how they had been targeted or compromised, as well as information about the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the hackers with the goals of remediating any intrusion and preventing future intrusions. That direct sharing of information took place in the United States and in foreign countries, often with the assistance of foreign law enforcement partners. The FBI also collaborated with certain private cybersecurity companies by sharing and analyzing information about the intrusion TTPs used by the members of the conspiracy.
In addition to the criminal charges, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Treasury, today released a joint cybersecurity advisory and malware analysis reports (MARs) regarding North Korean cryptocurrency malware. The joint cybersecurity analysis and MARs highlight the cyber threat North Korea – which is referred to by the U.S. government as HIDDEN COBRA – poses to cryptocurrency and identify malware and indicators of compromise related to the “AppleJeus” family of malware (the name given by the cybersecurity community to a family of North Korean malicious cryptocurrency applications that includes Celas Trade Pro, WorldBit-Bot, Union Crypto Trader, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, CryptoNeuro Trader, and Ants2Whale). The joint cybersecurity advisory and MARs collectively provide the cybersecurity community and public with information about identifying North Korean malicious cryptocurrency applications, avoiding intrusions, and remedying infections.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI also obtained seizure warrants authorizing the FBI to seize cryptocurrency stolen by the North Korean hackers from a victim in the indictment – a financial services company in New York – held at two cryptocurrency exchanges. The seizures include sums of multiple cryptocurrencies totalling approximately $1.9 million, which will ultimately be returned to the victim.
Jon, Kim, and Park are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
In relation to the case filed in Los Angeles, Alaumary has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation of Jon, Kim, and Park was led by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, which worked closely with the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. The U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office and Global Investigative Operations Center provided substantial assistance. The FBI’s Cyber Division also provided substantial assistance.
The investigations of Alaumary were conducted by the U.S. Secret Service’s Savannah Field Office, FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, and the U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office and Global Investigative Operations Center. The FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division also provided substantial assistance.
The case against Jon, Kim, and Park is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antony and Shobaki are also prosecuting the case against Alaumary, in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antony and Shobaki, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section, also obtained the seizure warrants for cryptocurrency stolen from the financial services company in New York.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance throughout these investigations, as did many of the FBI’s Legal Attachés, as well as foreign authorities around the world. Numerous victims cooperated and provided valuable assistance.”
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says it is still too early to look at the Premier League table and believes Spurs can finish in the top four despite their recent faltering form.
A run of four defeats in their last five league games has seen Mourinho’s side slip down to ninth, having been top of the table in early December.
Spurs are now six points off fourth but have a game in hand.
“It’s very premature to think about the table,” said Mourinho.
“People still have matches in hand. In our case, we played already two matches against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City.
“So we have to fight and we have to wait until the last match to see what happens. Anything can happen.
“We can finish top four, top six or outside the top six. We have to make sure the best possible thing is going to happen.”
Tottenham have a chance to make up ground on their rivals when they travel to fifth-placed West Ham on Sunday.
They then have back-to-back homes games against Burnley and Crystal Palace and Mourinho believes the table could soon look different for his side.
“In the same way you lose three matches and you go to a bad position, you win three matches and go to a much better position,” the Portuguese added.
“So like happened last season, let’s go until the end and see what the table gives us. In the end, the table always gives you what you deserve.”
The management of Soloti Gaming Limited, a new investor in Nigeria’s fast-growing gaming industry has announced its entry into the gaming sector.The new firm in a statement Friday also promised to create job opportunities both directly & indirectly for thousands of Nigerians over the next three years.
Soloti Gaming Limited which recently obtained its operation licenses from the National Lottery Board and the Lagos State Lottery Board also promised to revolutionize the sports betting industry in Nigeria.
The Chairman of Soloti, Mr. Adebayo Tade in the statement expressed optimism at the consistent growth trend in the gaming industry in Africa and Nigeria. According to Mr. Tade, “We have over the last two years been conducting extensive research on the gaming industry in Africa, notably West Africa, and we believe it is time to revolutionize and reposition the gaming industry in Nigeria, offering innovative and more strategic outcomes beneficial to the over 70 million Punters in the Nigeria Gaming industry”.
Speaking on the entry of Soloti Gaming Limited’s foremost product FRAPAPA, Mr. Derrick Bell, Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are thrilled to announce the entry of FRAPAPA; a unique product under Soloti Gaming Limited into Nigeria’s fast-rising gaming industry. Our entry into Nigeria supports our strategic business decision and global growth strategy aimed at adding value to the gaming industry through innovative offerings, human capital engagement, and the value chain of wealth creation.”
Mr Bell, a Technology & Business expert, has over the last ten years worked as an ICT business consultant in the United Kingdom further stated that “Over the next few weeks, FRAPAPA will be unveiled for engagement and patronage with unique propositions that are of global standards”.
While commenting on the entry of FRAPAPA into the Nigerian market, Mr. Layi Olayinka, the Chief Operating Officer said, “I am super excited to be part of the highly innovative team of experts coming to the Nigerian gaming industry. Our vision is clear; we want to create a gaming framework that provides a superior betting platform with impactful, life-changing offerings and more.”
Uber drivers must be treated as workers rather than self-employed, the UK’s Supreme Court has ruled.
The decision could mean thousands of Uber drivers are entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay.
The ruling could leave the ride-hailing app facing a hefty compensation bill, and have wider consequences for the gig economy.
Uber said the ruling centred on a small number of drivers and it had since made changes to its business.
In a long-running legal battle, Uber had finally appealed to the Supreme Court after losing three earlier rounds.
Uber’s share price dipped as US trading began on Friday as investors grappled with what impact the London ruling could have on the firm’s business model.
It is being challenged by its drivers in multiple countries over whether they should be classed as workers or self-employed.
Former Uber drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam took Uber to an employment tribunal in 2016, arguing they worked for Uber. Uber said its drivers were self employed and it therefore was not responsible for paying any minimum wage nor holiday pay.
“I think it’s a massive achievement in a way that we were able to stand up against a giant,” said Mr Aslam, president of the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU).
“We didn’t give up and we were consistent – no matter what we went through emotionally or physically or financially, we stood our ground.”
image captionLord Leggatt said that the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Uber’s appeal
Uber appealed against the employment tribunal decision but the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld the ruling in November 2017.
The company then took the case to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the ruling in December 2018.
The ruling on Friday was Uber’s last appeal, as the Supreme Court is Britain’s highest court, and it has the final say on legal matters.
Delivering his judgement, Lord Leggatt said that the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Uber’s appeal that it was an intermediary party and stated that drivers should be considered to be working not only when driving a passenger, but whenever logged in to the app.
The court considered several elements in its judgement:
Uber set the fare which meant that they dictated how much drivers could earn
Uber set the contract terms and drivers had no say in them
Request for rides is constrained by Uber who can penalise drivers if they reject too many rides
Uber monitors a driver’s service through the star rating and has the capacity to terminate the relationship if after repeated warnings this does not improve
Looking at these and other factors, the court determined that drivers were in a position of subordination to Uber where the only way they could increase their earnings would be to work longer hours.
“America is back” and is fully engaged in helping resolve issues including the pandemic, climate change and Iran’s nuclear ambitions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC.
In his first international interview, Mr Blinken stressed the importance of worldwide vaccination against Covid-19.
He also criticised China for its lack of transparency in uncovering how the coronavirus emerged.
It marks a break with the “America First” policy of Donald Trump.
Mr Blinken was speaking as the leaders of the G7 richest industrialised nations met in virtual session.
The US is giving $4bn (£2.85bn) to the Covax vaccination scheme, which aims to deliver more than two billion doses to people in 190 countries in less than a year.
“Unless and until everyone in the world is vaccinated, then no-one is really fully safe, because if the virus is out there and continuing to proliferate, it’s also going to be mutating,” Mr Blinken said.
“And if it’s mutating, it’s also going to come back and bite people everywhere.”
The US has now vaccinated more than 27 million of its own people. However, in many poorer countries, vaccination has yet to begin.
Mr Blinken also accused China of failing to share information that might shed light on the origins of the coronavirus.
A team of investigators from the World Health Organization (WHO) spent four weeks in China on a fact-finding mission at the beginning of 2021. However, two experts from the WHO team said afterwards that China refused to grant full access to the data they sought.
The secretary of state said a better health security system was needed to spot pandemics before they fully emerged.
“It requires countries to be transparent. It requires them to share information. It requires them to give access to international experts at the beginning of an outbreak – things that unfortunately we haven’t seen from China,” he said.
Beyoncé, Solange Support Winter Storm Relief Efforts.
Beyoncé and Solange are stepping up to help Texans impacted by the devastating winter storms.
The Houston natives have both pledged their support to aid relief efforts in their home state through various organizations.
Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation is teaming up with Adidas and Houston disaster relief organization Bread of Life to provide a one-time payment up to $1,000 to those living in Texas or any state affected by the storms who have experienced a “non-recurring, sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event.”
Due to the overwhelming response, the first round of applications has already closed. Applicants are now being reviewed for immediate assistance, according to the application form.
“We send our prayers to those impacted by the winter storm,” read a tweet from BeyGOOD.
Meanwhile, Solange is also giving back to her home state via Mutual Aid Houston, a BIPOC-led abolitionist collective boosting mutual aid efforts within Houston. According to a tweet from the organization, Solange has provided a “significant donation” to help post-freeze housing efforts.
“Sending so much love back home and im committed to doing more…my heart breaks man,” tweeted Solange. “Thank you for all the endless work u guys are doing on the ground.”
An unprecedented winter storm made its way across parts of the United States this week, causing death and destruction, while leaving millions without power and heat.
Two petitioners have been awarded N10 million each , as compensation by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Restitution and Inquiry. The panel was set up to investigate cases of police brutality especially involving officers of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The two petitioners, Kudirat Obayomi and Hannah Olugbodi were awarded the compensation on Friday.
Olugbodi, a 35-year-old hairdresser, had on November 2020, narrated how she ended up on a crutch after her left leg was shattered by a stray bullet fired by some men of the disbanded police Special Anti-Robbery Squad who were attempting to arrest a young man with tattoos in June 2018 at the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos.
Donald Trump and his wife have been pictured for the first time since the couple left the White House.
The former President, 74, and First Lady, 50, were pictured posing for selfies with fans on Valentine’s Day in the Mar-a-Lago resort dining room on Sunday.
The couple were last seen together when they arrived in Florida after snubbing Joe Biden’s inauguration last month.
Their outing on Valentine’s Day came hours the former US president was acquitted by the Senate in his second impeachment trial over his role in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
Maina, through his counsel, Sani Katu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told Justice Okon Abang at the resumed trial. A former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, on Friday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that his leg might be amputated if not granted bail to have adequate medicare.
Maina, through his counsel, Sani Katu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told Justice Okon Abang at the resumed trial. Katu said his client was taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, because of his worsening health condition and the medical report was exhibited in the bail application.
The lawyer, who said that Kuje Correctional Centre where Maina was kept did not have the facility to attend to his state of health, added that if not granted bail, his leg might be amputated.
Maina had, on January 20, approached Justice Abang for another bail after his arrest for jumping the first bail.
Maina, in a motion on notice dated and filed on December 24, 2020, brought by one of his lawyers, Anayo Adibe, said the application became necessary over his worsening health condition.
In the motion, the ex-pension boss told the court that he had reasonable and responsible sureties who were willing to act as sureties if granted bail.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz flew to Mexico with his family amid a winter weather crisis that has left millions in his state without power.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr Cruz said that he planned the trip for his daughters, “wanting to be a good dad”.
Photos of the Republican lawmaker at an airport emerged on Twitter on Wednesday, fuelling reports that he had left Texas amid the energy crisis.
Texas has seen power and water outages due to the uncommonly frigid weather.
The high profile Republican has drawn quick criticism for taking an international trip amid the weather emergency in his state.
“People in Texas are literally freezing to death and yet Ted Cruz went on vacation to Cancun,” wrote Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on Twitter.
How has Cruz defended his trip?
In a written statement released on Thursday afternoon, Mr Cruz described an “infuriating week for Texans”.
With schools closed in the state, the senator said he booked the vacation for his young daughters who “asked to take a trip with friends”.
Mr Cruz did not apologise for making the trip amid the state of emergency in Texas, but said that he and his staff “are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas.”
image captionMr Cruz said he will return to Texas on Thursday
The Republican will be returning to Texas on Thursday afternoon, according to his statement. It is not clear if his return flight was originally scheduled for Thursday or is a change in plans.
As a federal lawmaker, Mr Cruz does not have a direct role in Texas’ emergency response, but residents often reach out to their elected officials – like Mr Cruz – during natural disasters for help accessing resources.
The Houston Police Department told CBS News that a member of Mr Cruz’s staff contacted authorities on Wednesday to request assistance upon Mr Cruz’s arrival at Houston’s international airport.
The senator arrived at the airport on Wednesday, Chief Art Acevedo said, and officers “monitored his movements through the terminal”.
What’s the reaction been?
The senator’s travel plans amid the crisis in Texas drew immediate criticism online.
“Ted Cruz not only fled the state while millions of vulnerable Texans are without heat and water but specifically diverted police resources to get him through security and crowds faster for his outgoing vacation flight,” wrote progressive rights activist Charlotte Clymer on Twitter.
Journalist David Shuster shared a photo of a man who appears to be Mr Cruz boarding a plane, noting that millions of Texans “remain without electricity/water and are literally freezing”.
African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria earned a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow Ladies on Thursday in their opener to the ongoing Turkish Women’s Tournament in the city of Antalya.
Chinwendu Ihezuo netted the only goal of the match at the Emir Sports Complex as the Super Falcons showed real gusto and enthusiasm in their first match of any kind since being eliminated in the race for a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics 16 months ago.
Petite forward Francisca Ordega was outstanding in the game as the nine-time African champions dominated play and created a handful of chances.
It was a first call for the new Head Coach, Randy Waldrum, who signed his working agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation 24 hours before the encounter.
Nigeria capped Germany –based midfielder Patricia George and Spain-based Antoniette Payne, also a midfielder, in a match that Waldrum expressed his pleasure with the overall performance of his charges.
“I am pleased with the performance considering that the team has not been together for over a year.
“We did quite well in the first half and for me it was great getting a result in this first camp and outing with the team.
“We somewhat lost our way a few times in the second half, but on the balance, we did well and can only get better.”
The Super Falcons now countenance potentially tougher duels against the Women’s National Team of Uzbekistan and Equatorial Guinea, with the Uzbeks in line for Saturday morning while the Nzalang National (two-time African champions) lie in wait on Tuesday morning.
SaharaReporters learnt that the airstrikes started on Thursday noon, and are connected with the military’s resolve to dislodge the Eastern Security Network operatives said to have strongholds in the forests.
Military fighter jets believed to be deployed by the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force are conducting aerial strikes in Orlu communities in Imo State, which has worsened the already built-up tension in the areas.
SaharaReporters learnt that the airstrikes started on Thursday noon, and are connected with the military’s resolve to dislodge the Eastern Security Network operatives said to have strongholds in the forests.
The ESN operatives in January had a bloody clash with the Nigerian Army from Obinze barracks, where four soldiers were reportedly killed.
A video of the aerial bombardments on Thursday surfaced with fresh tension and anxiety building in the communities.
“Nigerian soldiers are currently conducting aerial strikes in our areas. Many innocent lives may be lost. They are probably looking for ESN operatives who are checking the activities of killer Fulani herdsmen,” a community head told SaharaReporters.
“People’s homes and market places may be affected. We don’t need aircraft in Orlu. They should go and find the stolen school pupils in Niger State,” another angry resident said.
“I have the video. There was an aircraft firing shots possibly in a nearby bush. Very reckless of the airforce; civilians are all over the place,” another person said.
SaharaReporters last December reported that the Nigerian Army deployed combat helicopters, gun trucks, and soldiers to search some suspected forests in the South-East states where the ESN, launched by Nnamdi Kanu, was said to be camping.
SaharaReporters also reported that the military search had been going on for days, and had no time frame, as the army was acting on “orders from above.”
A video, from the drones and hidden cameras believed to be installed by the ESN, had captured the Nigerian Army helicopters and their vehicles and soldiers searching for the camp of the ESN for possible arrests.
War in Orlu, Imo State. Nigerian Armed Forces are firing rockets in Orlu.
They claim to be flushing out the IPOB group, ESN.
Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, on December 12, launched the ESN, saying the regional security outfit, just like Amotekun in the South-West, would help to tackle crimes and criminalities.
“The Nigerian Army that is supposed to fight Boko Haram was seen everywhere searching for the camp of Eastern Security Network team. But they forgot they are dealing with sophisticated men. There are cameras and drones everywhere watching them,” an official had said.
image captionThe case of left-wing rapper Pablo Hasél has reignited a debate about free speech in Spain
Protests in support of a jailed Catalan rapper have descended into violence, with police and demonstrators clashing in Spain’s main cities.
The protests erupted a day after Pablo Hasél was jailed for tweets insulting police and the Spanish monarchy.
Thousands of protesters in Madrid and Barcelona were met by riot police carrying batons and shields.
Dozens have been arrested, including at least 14 in Madrid and 29 in Barcelona, police said.
The rapper faces nine months in prison on a charge of glorifying terrorism and slandering the crown in tweets and song lyrics. The case of Hasél – known for his radical leftist views – has reignited a debate about free speech in Spain.
More than 200 artists, including film director Pedro Almodóvar and Hollywood star Javier Bardem, have signed a petition against his jail term and the government said last week it intended to relax penalties for “excesses” in freedom of expression.
In the Spanish capital, a demonstration started peacefully on Wednesday night, with protesters clapping their hands and chanting “No more police violence” and “Freedom for Pablo Hasél”.
image captionRiot police charged into the crowd wielding batons in Madrid
But after bottles and stones were thrown at riot police, they used tear gas and rubber bullets.
The city’s conservative mayor, José Luis Martinez-Almeida, condemned the violence, tweeting: “The violent and those who do not accept the rules have no place in our society.”
image captionSome protesters set fire to containers to create barricades in the streetsimage captionThe city’s mayor condemned the violence
Similar scenes were seen in Barcelona, where protesters set up barricades and set fire to furniture in the streets.
Stones, bottles and blunt objects were thrown, prompting officers to respond by using foam bullets and charging the protesters, police say.
Violent protests were reported in Lleida – the 32-year-old rapper’s hometown, and where he was arrested – as well as in the towns of Gerona and Tarragona, police said.
image captionFire crew were sent to extinguish fires started in the streets of Barcelonaimage captionSome men were seen striking a police vehicle with blunt objects and furnitureimage captionThe protests started after Hasél’s arrest on Tuesday
Hasél, whose real name is Pablo Rivadulla Duro, was taken to prison on Tuesday. He had missed a deadline last Friday to give himself up to police and begin serving a jail term handed down in 2018.
Police had stormed a university building where Hasél had barricaded himself and arrested him, triggering rallies and riots in Barcelona and other Catalan cities.
On Wednesday, Hasél said his arrest had unleashed a wave of outrage against what he described as fascist Spanish institutions.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has warned petrol marketers against hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in order not to create hardship for Nigerians.
In a press release on Thursday, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, said there is no plan to increase pump price of petrol in February.
While giving assurance that it has enough stock of petrol to keep the nation well supplied for about 40 days, NNPC called on relevant regulatory authorities to monitoring of the activities of marketers with a view to sanctioning those involved in products hoarding or arbitrary increase of pump price.
It would be recalled that the nation’s downstream sector was deregulated in March 2020 with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, stating that the prices of petroleum products would be determined my prevailing market forces.
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