Gov Akeredolu Charges Varsities To Lead In National Development.

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February 2, 2022

The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has called on Universities in the country to rise to the challenges of the 21st century.

Akeredolu particularly charged the Universities to be at the forefront of national development in this age of knowledge economy.

The Governor made this known at the 2nd and 3rd convocation ceremony of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo where Six graduated with first-class, 106 with second class upper division, 106 with second class lower division and 11 with third class division.

A total of 252 graduands were awarded first degrees during the convocation ceremony.

Akeredolu noted that the graduands from UNIMED will contribute towards filling some of the vacuums left behind by the exodus of an increasing number of health professionals to other countries presumably for greener pasture.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the funding, resourcing and overall development of the university within the limit of the state’s resources.

The Governor called on all well-meaning sons and daughters of Ondo State and Nigerian as well as people of other nationalities and international development organisations to join hands with his government to support the growth and development of the institution, UNIMED.

The institution Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adesegun Fatusi said that the university has strategically positioned itself as the regional centre of excellence in Medical Rehabilitation, an area of significant human.

Quebec Scraps Planned Tax On The Unvaccinated

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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Quebec Premier François Legault says his government will not go ahead with a proposed tax on the unvaccinated, in order to protect “social cohesion” in the province.

Legault made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday, where he also eased restrictions on gyms and sports activities.

The tax, first announced in January by the premier, would have imposed a monetary penalty on Quebecers who are eligible but who refuse to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Legault says while his government has a bill ready to go, he’s decided not to table it after seeing “growing discontent” in the population.

Still, Legault denied that he was backing down due to demands by organizers of a protest planned for Thursday in Quebec City. He said he had already begun to have discussions “last week” about scrapping the tax.

Interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau confirmed during the news conference that he had not been asked whether he approved of the tax.

Details of the tax had remained vague, with Legault saying it could be included in provincial tax filings. He had said he wanted the cost to be “significant,” suggesting it would be more than $100. Roughly 10 per cent of eligible Quebecers remain unvaccinated.

Legault said instead of a tax, the government will use different measures to try to persuade people to get vaccinated, such as sending teams door-to-door to offer at-home vaccination, or to encourage people to make an appointment.

Community advocates, bioethicists and other experts raised concerns about the proposal, saying that more education was needed, instead of punitive measures. Others questioned the legal ramifications, saying the proposed tax could run afoul of the Canada Health Act.

Guatemala Approves Tougher Sentence For Human Traffickers

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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Guatemala’s Congress has toughened prison sentences for human traffickers to up to 30 years as the government aims to crack down on smugglers known as “coyotes.”

President Alejandro Giammattei presented the initiative to Congress on Jan. 14 to increase the sentences to 10 to 30 years in prison, from two to five years, as part of changes to the country’s migration law.

Traffickers will also be fined between $13,000 and $26,000 for each Guatemalan or foreign person who is smuggled through national territory.

Some lawmakers voted against it because they said it did not address corruption within Guatemala, which international officials say is a root cause behind a surge of illegal migration to the U.S. border.

The reform was approved in a speedier-than-usual 15 days and will take effect eight days after its appearance in the official gazette.

Guatemala’s government has sought to crack down on people-smuggling gangs after dozens of migrants died either through overcrowding in transport vehicles or at the hands of criminal groups.

Last week, Guatemalan authorities with the support of U.S. authorities arrested 10 people in raids against a migrant smuggling group linked to the massacre of 19 people in Mexico last year.

Truck Drivers Will Block Ottawa For As Long As Necessary

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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CANADA-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINES-PROTEST — Supporters of the Freedom Convoy protest Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in front of Parliament on January 29, 2022 in Ottawa, Canada. - Hundreds of truckers drove their giant rigs into the Canadian capital Ottawa on Saturday as part of a self-titled "Freedom Convoy" to protest vaccine mandates required to cross the US border. (Photo by Dave Chan / AFP)

Truck drivers who have been blockading downtown Ottawa for six days on Wednesday said they had no intention of leaving the Canadian capital until the government scrapped COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Despite increasing complaints from residents about noise, pollution and aggressive behavior from some truckers, Ottawa police have declined to end the protest, citing the risk of aggravating tensions.

The demonstration began as a move to force the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to drop a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. It has since turned into a more populist anti-Trudeau movement.

Trudeau on Monday said Canadians were disgusted by the behavior of some protesters and vowed not to be intimidated.

The inaction of the police in Ottawa – some of whom have posed for selfies with demonstrators – contrasts with more robust action by authorities in the western province of Alberta.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Tuesday moved in on truckers blockading the U.S. border at the town of Coutts but pulled back after clashes with some drivers.

As well as paralyzing Ottawa, the protests are also threatening the future of the official opposition Conservative Party, the Liberals’ main rival.

Party leader Erin O’Toole was facing a confidence vote on Wednesday legislators unhappy that he did not support the protests more enthusiastically at first.

He is also under pressure for leading the party to defeat in last September’s federal election.

Landslide Kills At Least 24 People In Ecuador’s Capital

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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At least 24 people perished in a landslide in Ecuador’s capital Quito, and 12 others were missing, as rescue teams searched homes and streets covered by mud following the worst deluge in nearly two decades.

The torrential rains on Monday night caused a build-up of water in a gorge near the working class neighborhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna, sending mud and rocks down on residences and affecting electricity provision.

The country’s disaster management agency said 48 people were injured.

Footage showed a man struggling to free himself from the muddy waters rushing down a residential street and witnesses said the man was swept away as residents screamed for help.

Other videos showed a torrent sweeping away trees, vehicles, dumpsters and even electricity poles, while some people were rescued from the muddy water by neighbors.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further landslides and the mayor’s office has set up shelters for affected families and has started clearing streets in the city.

Ecuador is facing heavy rains in several areas, which have caused rivers to overflow and affected hundreds of homes and roads.

Rains in Quito on Monday were equivalent to 75 liters per square meter, the highest in nearly two decades.

Egypt Eyes Bread Subsidy Overhaul As Global Inflation Bites

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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Egypt is considering replacing a popular bread subsidy with cash payments for the poor to protect the budget from soaring global wheat prices, but domestic inflation and a history of protests could make the government opt for a less ambitious reform.

Under the existing program, over 60 million Egyptians, or nearly two thirds of the population, get 5 loaves of round bread daily for 50 cents a month. The handout is a lifeline to the poor, but is widely criticized as wasteful.

High global prices for wheat, which Egypt imports on a vast scale, led President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to say last year that it was time to tackle the bread subsidy.

Ali Moselhy, the minister in charge of subsidies, told Newsmen that inflation, which has climbed in recent months to 6% from 4% earlier in 2021, made it harder to replace the support for bread and other food with cash handouts.

Moselhy has said he personally favours giving people money specifically to buy bread. Eligible Egyptians already get a monthly $3.20 voucher for other subsidised food.

However, he said a broader idea to introduce unconditional payments, favoured by many economists as the most efficient welfare system, risked driving up prices by putting more cash into circulation at a time of rising inflation.

At Least 60 People Killed In Militia Attack In Eastern D.R.C

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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At least 60 people have been killed in a militia attack at a displaced persons’ camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the head of a local humanitarian group and a camp resident.

According to the Army and the UN, CODECO militia was responsible for the killings at about 2am local time at the Savo camp near Bule in Ituri province

Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo confirmed the attack by CODECO and gave a provisional toll of about 20 dead.

Congolese troops came into contact with the militia Tuesday night but the assailants changed direction and got past them to reach the camp, he said.

CODECO is one of an array of militias operating in eastern Congo amid longstanding tensions over land and resources.

Its fighters have killed hundreds of civilians in Ituri and forced thousands to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.

In recent months it has targeted displacement camps, where some people had settled after fleeing other attacks by CODECO.

Charite Banza Bavi, president of the humanitarian group for the Bahema-North area, put the death toll at 63.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a statement that Initial reports indicate that as many as 59 civilians were killed and a further 40 injured.

Two students at a school supported by the NRC were among the dead, it added, and the assailants had used both guns and machetes.

The Savo displacement site is home to 24,000 people, among 1.7 million displaced in Ituri province, the NRC said. At least 1,200 civilians were killed in Ituri province in 2021.

Mali Blames Sanctions For $31 Million In Bond Defaults

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Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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Mali has defaulted on more than $31 million of bond payments, as sanctions imposed over elections delayed by the country’s military junta took effect.

The defaults add to mounting troubles for Mali, which has experienced two coups since August 2020 and has struggled for years to stem an Islamist insurgency that has drawn in foreign powers including former colonial ruler France.

Mali failed to repay 15.6 billion CFA francs or $26.6 million, in relation to a treasury bond that matured on Jan. 31, the debt agency of West Africa’s monetary union zone said in a note to investors.

Mali’s finance ministry and the West African debt management agency said on Wednesday, that this payment incident occurs in a context where the state of Mali is subject to sanctions.

Mali’s finance ministry earlier said that the country had failed to meet a debt payment of 2.7 billion CFA francs on treasury bond coupons, blaming the ECOWAS sanctions and those imposed by the BCEAO central bank that administers the CFA franc.

The ministry said the deadline to meet the coupon payments on two sets of bonds had passed on Jan. 28 with it unable to comply with its obligations because of measures that have largely cut it off from regional financial markets.

The 15-member ECOWAS economic bloc and the UEMOA regional monetary union both imposed sanctions on Mali on Jan. 9 after the military junta that first seized power in a 2020 coup decided to delay a national election.

ECOWAS has also frozen Malian state assets in its member states’ commercial banks and suspended non-essential financial transactions with Mali.

Berries for Eye Health: Ways to add Berries to your Diet

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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February 2, 2022

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Berries for eye-health: Berries – such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries e.t.c – are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C that are known to help our eyes relax.

Poor eyesight is a common problem these days. We tend to blame it on the increased usage of mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices. We agree these factors do play a major role in affecting eye-health, but we can’t also ignore the role played by our diet regime. Under nutrition might also lead to several eye-related problems. Just like our body, our eyes too need nutrients for proper functioning. This is why, experts recommend including foods in our daily diet that are rich in vitamins A, C, E, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and more. One such popular food option is berries. Considered a superfood, berries are loaded with almost every essential nutrient that helps benefit overall health.

Berries – such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc – are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C that are known to help our eyes relax and prevent dryness, vision defects and more. According to a study conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, blueberries contain a type of flavonoid known as anthocyanins. This nutrient helps improve our vision. That’s not all. The study also states that the antioxidants might also prevent the damage of our eyes, caused by pollution and dust.

Adding to this, a recent study by University of California – Davis found that dried goji berry might provide protection against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in seniors. These findings were published in the journal ‘Nutrients’.

For the study, researchers gave 13 participants (aged 45 to 65) 28 grams of goji berries five times a week for 90 days. It was found that the density of protective pigments (of the eyes) increased in these people. In contrast, 14 other participants who consumed a commercial supplement for eye health over the same period did not show an increase in the protective pigments.

Considering the above factors, we bring you some fun and interesting ideas to add berries in your daily diet. Take a look.

Smoothies:

A handful of fresh berries add colour, texture and a sweet-tangy taste to your morning smoothies. Besides, it makes the drink healthy too.

Salads:

You can always garnish your salad with some dried berries. This will add some tanginess to the meal.

Trail Mix:

Trail-mix makes a perfect snack to curb our mid-meal hunger. You can make your customised trail mix at home and add berries of your choice.

Include berries in your daily diet and enjoy the benefits to the fullest. But always remember, moderation is the key.

Ethiopian Airlines To Fly 737 MAX Since Deadly Crash

By

Zoe Maven

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February 2, 2022

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Ethiopian Airlines was due to resume flying the Boeing 737 MAX plane on Tuesday, even though opinions are divided on the airline’s first flight using the model since a crash nearly three years ago forced regulators to ground the fleet globally.

In March 2019 a flight to Nairobi crashed in a field six minutes after take-off from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa killing all 157 passengers and crew.

The accident followed another incident five months earlier, when the same model crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people.

The accidents exposed a problem with a system on the plane, and the model was grounded worldwide, costing Boeing some $20 billion and triggering court cases that exposed shortcomings with the certification process.

The airline will fly a demonstration flight around Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and return to Addis Ababa with journalists, diplomats and officials onboard, the airline said.

Some relatives of those killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash were angered by the decision to resume flying the 737 MAX.

Tom Kabau, a Kenyan lawyer who lost his 29-year-old brother George in the crash said,” I will never fly in a MAX and certainly if I find myself booked into a MAX, I will have to cancel that flight,”