Saudi Arabia climate: Heavy Dust Storm Descends On Riyadh

By

-

May 17, 2022

A Sandstorm Engulfed Saudi Arabia’s Capital And Other Regions Of The Desert Kingdom Tuesday, Hampering Visibility And Slowing Road Traffic.

A Thick Grey Haze Made Iconic Riyadh Buildings Such As Kingdom Centre Nearly Impossible To See From More Than A Few Hundred Metres Away, Though There Were No Announced Flight Delays Or Cancellations.

The Kingdom’s Meteorology Centre Forecast “Surface Dusty Winds” In The Country’s East And In Riyadh, “Reducing Horizontal Sight”, According To The Official Saudi Press Agency.

According To The Forecast, Dusty Conditions Were Also Expected Farther West In The Cities Of Mecca And Medina.

EU’s Russia Sanctions Effort Slows Over Oil Dependency

By

Elizabeth Williams

-

May 17, 2022

0

The European Union’s efforts to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine appeared to bog down on Monday, as a small group of countries continued to oppose a ban on Russian oil imports.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the 27-nation bloc has implemented five rounds of sanctions on Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian officials, more than 350 lawmakers and pro-Kremlin oligarchs have been hit with asset freezes and travel bans. Russian banks, the transport sector and alleged propaganda outlets were targeted.

What could have taken years in the past was achieved in less than three months — relative light speed for the bloc. But limiting Russia’s energy income by weaning the EU’s dependency on Russian oil — not to mention Russian gas supplies — is proving a tougher nut to crack.

The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, proposed on May 4 a sixth package of war sanctions that included a ban on oil imports from Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen conceded at the time that securing the agreement of all “will not be easy.”

Hungary is one landlocked EU country that is highly dependent on Russian oil, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Bulgaria also has reservations. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and 85% of its natural gas.

Unhappily, today it has not been possible to reach an agreement” to end the oil stalemate, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after chairing a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels.

The problem, Borrell said, “was technically too complicated, and it was not possible to reach a political decision.” He said he could not predict how long it might take to break the deadlock, but said EU ambassadors would continue work on the issue in the coming days.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was disappointed by the delay.

Stress can trigger Diabetes -Nutritionist

By

Cleopatra Okohai

-

May 17, 2022

0

A nutritionist, Ms. Abigail Akintola, has warned that stress could trigger diabetes in an individual.

Akintola disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday with the Newsmen in Jos

“The more the stress in an individual, the more the body produces glucose, if the glucose builds up in the bloodstream this could lead to glucose rise in the body.

“Once a person is stressed, the body naturally produces more glucose (high sugar level) to help reenergise the body, after a while, the body system may not be able to covert the glucose into energy.

“At this stage, if the body can no longer control the sugar level, there is a tendency that such people might start developing diabetes.’’

Akintola, however, advised that people should always make out time to rest and limit the stressors in their lives to help keep their health in check.

She further advised that people should pay more attention to what they eat as most ailments were linked to what people consume and their lifestyles in general.

She said that Nigerians should inculcate the act of eating healthy and drinking healthily.

Wheat-laden Trucks, Ships Stranded At Indian Port

By

Angel Gimalo

-

May 17, 2022

0

A morning briefing on what you need to know in the day ahead, including exclusive commentary from Barron’s and MarketWatch writers.

Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wheat were stranded at a major port in India on Tuesday after New Delhi’s surprise ban on exports over inflation and food security worries.

India, the world’s second-largest grower of wheat, last week ordered that traders could not enter into new export deals without government approval.

The snap announcement has led to chaos at the port in Kandla, in Gujarat, where about 4,000 trucks are stuck in queues outside, according to the port operator.

Four ships partially loaded with about 80,000 tonnes of wheat are also docked at the facility.

Port officials said trucks that arrived before May 13, when the government announced the export ban, would be allowed to unload the grain onto ships waiting to take it to countries including Egypt and South Korea under prior agreements.

The Gandhidham Chamber of Commerce estimated that about 400,000 tonnes of wheat from Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and other wheat-growing states were stranded.

Between 500 and 700 warehouses near the port were “full of wheat for export”, said Teja Kangad, president of the chamber.

The government should have given prior notice before announcing the ban, he said.

The wheat ban has drawn criticism from the Group of Seven nations worried about protectionism as inflation soars in the wake of the Ukraine war.

India had previously said it was ready to help fill some of the supply shortages caused by Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, which had accounted for 12 percent of global exports.

While India is a small exporter, its assurances of supplies from its large buffer stocks had provided some support to global prices and soothed fears of major shortages.

India’s wheat production has been hit by searing temperatures — the country recorded its warmest March on record — prompting the government to predict output would fall at least five percent this year from 109 million tonnes in 2021.

India, Nepal To Build Hydroelectric Power Plant

By

Angel Gimalo

-

May 17, 2022

0

India and Nepal will build a 695 megawatt (MW) hydropower plant, officials said on Monday, as the Himalayan nation looks to exploit its abundant potential to generate clean energy to ease power shortages.

India, which has an electricity trading deal with Nepal, is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure including hydropower plants, as New Delhi looks to grow its influence in its smaller neighbours, where China is also increasingly active.

The Arun IV project will be jointly built on the Arun River in Nepal’s east by India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd and Nepal’s state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) owing 51 per cent and 49 per cent of equity respectively, NEA spokesperson Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai said.

The power plant agreement is among six deals concluded between India and Nepal during the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fifth visit to the Himalayan nation on Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

During the visit Modi met his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba and took part in a Buddhist ceremony to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha at Lumbini in southwest Nepal.

Indian companies are negotiating with the government for power plants that would produce a total of 8,250 MW and Nepal hopes to export excess energy to India, officials said.

Nepal has the potential to produce 42,000 MW of hydropower but now generates about 1,200 MW — less than demand of about 1,750 MW. The deficit is met by imports from India.

Turkey Objects as Sweden, Finland Seek NATO Membership

By

Elizabeth Williams

-

May 17, 2022

0

Turkey´s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on monday complicated Sweden and Finland´s historic bid to join NATO, saying he cannot allow them to become members of the alliance because of their perceived inaction against exiled Kurdish militants.

President Erdogan doubled down on comments last week indicating that the two Nordic countries´ path to NATO would be anything but smooth. All 30 current NATO countries must agree to open the door to new members.

Erdogan spoke to reporters just hours after Sweden joined Finland in announcing it would seek NATO membership in the wake of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, ending more than 200 years of military nonalignment. He accused the two countries of refusing to extradite “terrorists” wanted by his country.

“Neither country has an open, clear stance against terrorist organizations,” Erdogan said, in an apparent reference to Kurdish militant groups such as the banned Kurdistan Workers´ Party, or PKK.

Swedish officials said they would dispatch a team of diplomats to Ankara to discuss the matter, but Erdogan suggested they were wasting their time.

“Are they coming to try and convince us? Sorry don´t wear yourselves out,” Erdogan said. “During this process, we cannot say ‘yes’ to those who impose sanctions on Turkey, on joining NATO, which is a security organization.”

Sweden has welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East in recent decades, including ethnic Kurds from Syria, Iraq and Turkey.

Turkey´s objections took many Western officials by surprise and some had the impression Ankara would not let the issue spoil the NATO expansion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg over the weekend said “Turkey has made it clear that their intention is not to block membership.”

In Washington, Swedish Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter was among those who said they were taken aback by Turkey´s objections.

“We have a very strong anti-terrorist agenda and a lot of, almost, accusations that are coming out … are simply not true,” she said.

Sweden decided Monday to seek NATO membership a day after the country’s governing Social Democratic party endorsed a plan for the country to join the trans-Atlantic alliance and Finland’s government announced that it would seek to join NATO.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson warned that the Nordic country would be in a “vulnerable position” during the application period and urged her fellow citizens to brace themselves for the Russian response.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, and Sweden of repercussions should they pursue NATO membership. But Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday seemed to downplay the significance of their move.

Speaking to a Russian-led military alliance of six ex-Soviet states, Putin said Moscow “does not have a problem” with Sweden or Finland applying for NATO membership, but that “the expansion of military infrastructure onto this territory will, of course, give rise to our reaction in response.”

Pakistan’s Hottest Cities Battle Extreme Heatwave

By

Angel Gimalo

-

May 17, 2022

0

At a settlement by a railway track in Larkana, where dwellers were mostly low-income labourers, people said they were bearing extreme heat without any civic amenities.

Jacobabad, located in the northwest of Sindh province, is known for being the hottest place in Pakistan. Sindh Health Department has instructed the local administration to set up heat stroke camps to help people with hydration.

Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said that most parts of the country are likely to remain in the grip of the heatwave during the week. It advised people to avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight and take precautionary measures.

More than a billion people are at risk of heat-related impact in the region, scientists have warned, linking the early onset of an intense summer to climate change.

First Ladies Peace Mission Secretariat: Contractor Enjoined To Keep To 11-Month Delivery Period

By

Angel Gimalo

-

May 17, 2022

0

First Lady Of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, has called on women of the All-Progressive Congress (APC) to adopt new strategies to ensure more women participation in decision-making processes.

The First Lady, who is also President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, made this known at the signing of the contract for the construction of the secretariat at her office in the statehouse, Abuja, Nigeria’s Seat Of Power.

Aisha Buhari, enjoined the contractor to keep to the 11-month period for the project to be completed and ready for inauguration by 2023.

According to her, the mission is an organization for the African First Ladies purposely initiated and approved by the then OAU and now A.U. To promote peace in Africa.

NDLEA Arrests Delta’s Wanted Drug Baroness

By

Koko Lawrence

-

May 17, 2022

0

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted suspected drug baroness, Bridget Oghenekevwe Emeka, at her mansion where she allegedly masterminded the making and distribution of crack cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit substances.

No fewer than nine of her staff and associates were also arrested on Sunday in coordinated simultaneous operations at her expansive residence and drug bunks where she accommodates drug users and sells illicit substances, and others in parts of Warri, Delta State.

Apart from various quantities of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, and loud seized from her home and drug bunks; a pump-action gun, 15 cartridges, documents, two cars, mobile phones, and drug paraphernalia such as sodium bicarbonate and polythene wrappings were also recovered for further investigation.

Five of Emeka’s staff who cooked, cut, packaged and distribute the drugs were arrested in her house located at Favour Street, Otukutu, Effurun Warri, and four of her associates were rounded up at her drug bunks in other parts of the town during the raids.

The drug baroness has been under surveillance for weeks after her identification as a major distributor of illicit drugs in Delta State.

Physiotherapist Urges Arthritis Patients To Engage In Exercise As Treatment

By

Olasunbo Okoromi

-

May 17, 2022

0

Nigerians suffering from arthritis have been advised to engage in regular exercise as part of management of the ailment which is important in all the stages.

Mr Chijioke Ofili, Physiotherapist and Medical Practice Manager at Nikea Consultants Ltd., said that the first line of managing Arthritis was walking and swimming.

“The second will be an injection to the knee; not just steroids, rather the ones with constituents and fluids mimicking the natural knee joint fluids,’’ he stated.

He further went to say that the third line of management may be knee arthroscopy and the last may be total knee replacement called Knee Arthroplasty.

Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure.

He said that exercises as part of management were important in all the stages and lines of management Arthritis.

Ofili said that it was important that an exercise Programme for knee osteoarthritis should not cause a significant increase in knee pain while doing or following the movements.

“In order to keep your knee comfortable, and to get the best results from an exercise Programme, particular attention to technique, leg positioning, amount of weight and range of knee movement may be required,’’ he said.

According to him, an exercise for knee osteoarthritis should contain a mixture of cardiovascular exercise, important for maintaining overall fitness and weight management.

“Commonly, people with knee osteoarthritis find an exercise bike to be a good option as its non-weight-bearing and encourages knee movement.

“Cycling has the added benefit of helping flush synovial fluid around the knee, which helps keep the joint surfaces lubricated and is good for the health of the articular cartilage.

“Swimming is also another cardiovascular exercise option people with knee osteoarthritis commonly find beneficial,” Ofili said.

He said that strength exercises included the front of thigh, buttocks calves and hamstrings.

Ofili said there should be a mixture of isolated muscle group exercises and combined or functional exercises.