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China Warns U.S. Against House Speaker Pelosi Visiting Taiwan

By
Zoe Maven
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China warned on Thursday it would take strong measures if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and said such a visit would severely impact Chinese-U.S. relations.

The possible visit has not been confirmed by Pelosi’s office or Taiwan’s government, but some Japanese and Taiwanese media reported it would take place after she visits Japan this weekend.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that Beijing firmly opposed all forms of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan, and Washington should cancel the trip.

China considers democratically ruled Taiwan its own territory and the subject is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, especially given strong U.S. military and political support for the island.

In Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou would only say that inviting U.S. officials and dignitaries had always been “an important part” of the ministry’s work, and that it would announce any official visits at an appropriate time.

Sunday marks the 43rd anniversary of the United States signing into law the Taiwan Relations Act, which guides ties in the absence of formal diplomatic relations and enshrines a U.S. commitment to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

The last time a House speaker visited Taiwan was in 1997, when Newt Gingrich met then-President Lee Teng-hui.

Turkey Confirms Transfer Of Khashoggi Murder Trial To Saudis

By
Zoe Maven
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A Turkish court on Thursday confirmed a halt to the trial in absentia of 26 suspects linked to the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi and its transfer to Riyadh, a decision that has angered rights groups.

The 59-year-old journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a gruesome murder that shocked the world.

A Turkish court began the trial in 2020 with relations tense between the two Sunni Muslim regional powers. But with Turkey desperate for investment to help pull it out of economic crisis, Ankara has sought to heal the rift with Riyadh.

The court decision comes almost a week after Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that he would approve a Turkish prosecutor’s request to hand the case over to Saudi Arabia, at the latter’s demand.

The prosecutor said the case was “dragging” because, as the defendants were foreigners, the court’s orders could not be carried out.

Defence lawyer Ali Ceylan told the court on Thursday that there would not be a fair trial in Saudi Arabia.

Another defence lawyer, Gokmen Baspinar, said that the justice ministry’s move was “against the law.”

He said the decision to hand over the case to Riyadh would be tantamount to a “breach of Turkish sovereignty” and “an example of irresponsibility against Turkish people”.

Mali Opens Investigation Into Alleged Massacre In Moura

By
Zoe Maven
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Mali said on Wednesday that military investigators had opened an investigation into events in the village of Moura, the site of an alleged massacre by local forces and foreign fighters.

Mali’s army announced on April 1 that it had killed 203 militants in Moura, in the centre of the Sahel nation, during an operation in late March.

However, that announcement followed widely shared social media reports of a civilian massacre in the area.

Human Rights Watch said this week that Malian forces and foreign fighters killed 300 civilians in Moura, in what it called “the worst single atrocity reported in Mali’s decade-long armed conflict”.

Malian forces were operating in tandem with white foreign soldiers, according to HRW, who are believed to be Russian because witness accounts refer to them as non-French-speaking.

Russia has supplied what are officially described as military instructors to Mali. However, the United States, France, and others, say the instructors are operatives from the Russian private-security firm Wagner.

On Wednesday, independent UN human rights expert Alioune Tine urged an independent and impartial investigation into the events.

In a statement, he called on the Malian authorities to allow the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as Minusma, to perform the investigation.

Burkina Faso’s Ex-President Compaore Handed Life Sentence

By
Zoe Maven
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Burkina Faso’s former president Blaise Compaore was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in a coup.

The charismatic Marxist revolutionary Sankara was gunned down in the West African nation’s capital Ouagadougou at the age of 37, four years after he took power in a previous putsch.

Two of Compaore’s former top associates, Hyacinthe Kafando and Gilbert Diendere, were also sentenced to life imprisonment.

All three have previously denied involvement in Sankara’s death along with eleven other defendants accused of involvement in the plot. Three of the eleven were declared innocent and the rest received prison terms of between three and 20 years.

Compaore was found guilty of an attack on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse, the tribunal said in its ruling.

He went on to rule for 27 years before being ousted in another coup in 2014 and fleeing to Ivory Coast, where he is still believed to live.

Sankara, who gained a reputation as Africa’s “Che Guevara”, took power on a promise to thwart corruption and post-colonial influences, denouncing foreign aid as a control mechanism.

A former fighter pilot, Sankara won public support in the impoverished nation by selling a government fleet of Mercedes, lowering the pay of well-off public servants and forbidding first class state travel.

Bureau Of Statiscs Reveals Nigeria’s Agricultural Import, Export 2021 Data

By
Angel Gimalo
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According to the National Bureau Of Statstics data, durum wheat (not in seeds) was the major agricultural produce imported into the country from the United Arab Emirates and Lithuania, followed by crude palm oil from China and Malaysia, and palm olein, also from Malaysia.

The data revealed Nigeria’s total international trade in agricultural goods was N3.24 trillion in 2021, adding that the import value exceeded exports by N2.23 trillion.

Also, the figures showed that in the first quarter of 2021, Nigerian farmers exported goods worth N127.2 billion while the country imported N630.2 billion worth of goods.

Agricultural goods worth N165.27 billion were exported while import value was N652.08 billion in the second quarter.

The data further showed that Nigeria exported food worth N79.4 billion and N132.71 billion in the third and fourth quarters of 2021 respectively, while the import values were N789.1 billion and N667.16 billion, respectively.

Champions League: Villarreal Defeats Bayern Munich As Danjuma Scores

By
Angel Gimalo
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Ex-Bournemouth striker Arnaut Danjuma scored as Villarreal stunned Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

The home side were superb from the outset and led inside 10 minutes when Danjuma stabbed in from close range.

Francis Coquelin had a goal ruled out while Gerard Moreno hit the post as Villarreal pushed for a second.

German champions Bayern were well below par and did not manage a shot on target until the second half.

Robert Lewandowski, who has scored 51 goals for club and country this season, was kept quiet by a well-organised Villarreal defence as the hosts followed up their impressive win against Juventus in the previous round with another big result.

But as poor as Bayern were, they will feel they can turn things round against the Spanish side in the return leg on Tuesday, 12 April.

Champions League: Real Madrid At Vantage Position As Chelsea Suffers Defeat

By
Angel Gimalo
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Chelsea’s hold on the Champions League hangs precariously after Karim Benzema’s hat-trick put Real Madrid in a position of power following the quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti made a winning return to the club where he won the Premier League and FA Cup double after veteran France striker Benzema delivered his latest masterclass.

Benzema, 34 and fresh from the treble that sunk Paris St-Germain in the last 16, punished holders Chelsea with two magnificent headers in the space of three minutes midway through the first half.

Kai Havertz’s header gave Chelsea hope before the break but keeper Edouard Mendy’s poor clearance seconds after the restart gifted Benzema his third to put Real in command of the tie before the second leg at the Bernabeu next Tuesday (12 April).

Exploring Ekom Nkam Water Waterfalls, Cameroon

By
Angel Gimalo
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Ekom Nkam Waterfalls, also known as Chutes d’Ekom Nkam, are mesmerizing twin waterfalls that can be found in the middle of a jungle forest, and they are located in the northern part of Moungo Department, within the Littoral Region, in the southwestern part of the Republic of Cameroon.

With height of about 80 meters (262 feet) above the surrounding, this imposing, yet captivating natural masterpiece is something that should be definitely considered to be seen in person.

The name is derived from the village that shares the same name, and it is in the vicinity of the waterfalls, nonetheless, if one would want to see this piece of art done by the nature, there are two paths which will give a great glimpse of these superior waterfalls.

There is one which is alongside the river, while the other is through the forest, where both of them are promising an excellent time and getting to know as much as possible the majestic features of Cameroon.

Surrounded by hilly terrain with evergreen deciduous forest grows, Ekom Nkam Waterfalls are not considered to be too tall, however, the madly rushing water that gushes towards the end of the waterfalls, give the thundering sound that will give you the willies for sure.

As mentioned previously, there are more options for visitors to experience this magnificent treasure, and one can enjoy the distant view, get a very close encounter, get to the top of it, or simply stay on the side and relax to the thundering sounds and the lush green color that will evoke the fantasy within.

All in all, one of the greatest treasures Cameroon has to offer to the world is definitely Ekom Nkam Waterfalls, which will dazzle even those who are difficult to be impressed.

Once Upon A Time – April 6 – 1772 – Empress Of Russia, Catherine The Great, Ends Tax On Men With Beards

By
Angel Gimalo
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46 BC Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus.

1652 Cape Colony, the 1st European settlement in South Africa, established by Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck

1917 US declares war on Germany, enters World War I

1994 Plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down by surface-to-air missiles, abruptly ending peace negotiations and sparking the Rwandan Genocide. Those responsible have never been identified.

Historical Events Today
Today in Film & TV
1889 George Eastman begins selling his Kodak flexible rolled film for the first time

1906 World’s 1st animated cartoon is released, “humorous phases of Funny Faces” by J. Stuart Blackton

Today in Music
1974 19th Eurovision Song Contest: ABBA for Sweden wins singing “Waterloo” in Brighton, England

Today in Sport
1896 First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes first modern Olympic champion when he wins triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later 3rd in long jump, 2nd in high jump

Do you know this fact about today?
1772 Catherine the Great Empress of Russia, ends tax on men with beards, enacted by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698

Would you believe this fact about today?
2016 First baby born with DNA from 3 parents through mitochondrial transfer in Mexico

NYSC DG Inaugurates New Staff Quarters At Ondo Orientation Camp

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim has inaugurated a Senior Staff Quarters constructed at its Orientation Camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, South-West Nigeria.

The facility, which contains nine ensuite rooms, was constructed by the State Secretariat of the Scheme with support from the National Directorate Headquarters.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Ibrahim commended the State Coordinator Victoria Nnenna Ani for her thoughtfulness in putting up the edifice, adding that the initiative was well in line with his administration’s policy on welfare of Corps members and Staff.

He also expressed delight at the enthusiasm of Staff of the Secretariat, who had contributed towards the completion of the project, saying it was a demonstration of unity of purpose.

The Director-General reaffirmed the Management’s commitment to ensuring the provision of congenial environment for the smooth conduct of Orientation Course and other aspects of the Scheme’s operations.

Earlier, the State Coordinator, Ani, recalled that the Director-General laid the foundation of the building in August 2021 and that it was completed within seven months.

Ani who thanked the NYSC Top Management for lending support towards the execution of the project also expressed appreciation of the financial contributions made by Staff of the Secretariat to the project.

The Director-General also used the occasion of his visit to address Corps members undergoing the 2022 Batch ‘A’ Stream Two Orientation Course at the Camp.

He enjoined them to avail themselves of the opportunity for self-employment provided through the SAED programe while also stressing the need to be security-conscious.


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