Chief Of Naval Staff Tasks Youths On Career In Armed Forces

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January 31, 2022

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Auwal Zubairu Gambo, has urged Nigerian youths to upscale their interests in choosing their career in the Nigerian Navy and other armed forces.

Gambo, who was represented by the Commanding Officer, Naval Base, Oguta, Imo State, Captain Aliu Umaru, accompanied by the Acting Commander and Education Officer of the Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Commander Samuel Ochepo, and other naval officers, stated this during the donation of educational materials under the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) project.

The project was aimed at boosting learning in the benefitting schools, namely: Umunoha High School, Community School, Umunoha, St. Paul’s Nursery and Primary School and Obeakpu Primary School in Umunoha, Mbaitoli Council of Imo State.

He appealed to them to eschew fraud, drug abuse, cultism, gangsterism and terrorism, stressing that the Navy was interested in creating an enabling environment to help build the capacity of the pupils and students, hence the donation to each of the benefitting schools six magnetic whiteboards, 12 dusters, six packets of the marker, 1,100 exercise books, 400 pencils and 400 rulers, as well as the construction of six toilet-block and sinking of independent solar power water project.

He also appealed to the civil populace to join hands with the armed forces to fight insecurity in the country.

“The Navy offers good career prospects for young Nigerians, not only to serve their nation with dignity and pride but also to ride the seas and the world from the vantage place of sailors.

“I, therefore, encourage the youths and students to seriously consider a career in the Navy. Apart from the Navy, you could also consider a career in any of the Armed services, the Army and the Air Force,” he said.

Responding, principal of Umunoha High School, Uchenna I. Amaefule, lamented the state of dilapidation of the institution, saying: Please convey our request to the Flag Officer and the Commander to also assist us in the area of infrastructure.

“Our administrative and classroom blocks are dilapidated. Our science laboratories are nothing to write home about. Our teachers hang around mango trees in the compound after teaching, only to wait for the next lesson period to go to class. We don’t have where to settle down,” she said.

Governor Hope Uzodimma, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Sylvester Okorondudu, expressed delight over the donation of the materials and pledged to maintain a cordial relationship with the Nigerian Navy.

Sudanese Take To The Streets In Latest Anti-Coup Protests

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Zoe Maven

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January 31, 2022

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Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Sudan’s capital and other cities across the country Sunday for the latest in a months-long string of demonstrations denouncing an October military coup.

Protesters, mostly young men and women, marched in the streets of Khartoum and other cities, demanding an end to the military’s takeover.

They called for a fully civilian government to lead the country’s now-stalled transition to democracy.

At least one person was killed when security forces violently dispersed protesters, according to a medical group said.

The coup has upended Sudan’s transition to democratic rule after three decades of repression and international isolation under autocratic President Omar al-Bashir.

The African nation has been on a fragile path to democracy since a popular uprising forced the military to remove al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.

The protests are called by the Sudanese Professionals Association and the Resistance Committees, which were the backbone of the uprising against al-Bashir and relentless anti-coup protests in the past three months.

Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters in at least one location in the capital. At least three people suffered injuries from rubber bullets, said activist Nazim Sirag.

The Sudan Doctors Committee, a medical group tracking casualties among protesters, said a 27-year-old protester died in a Khartoum hospital after he sustained unspecified injuries to his chest during the protests. It did not elaborate.

There were protests elsewhere in the country including the eastern city of Port Sudan, western Darfur region and Madani, the capital city of Jazira province, about 135 kilometers southeast of Khartoum. Madani saw a massive anti-coup protest last week.

Rwanda Re-Opens Border With Uganda, Says Grievances Remain

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Koko Lawrence

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January 31, 2022

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FILES-UGANDA-RWANDA-UNREST-DIPLOMACY-REBELLION-TRADE — (FILES) In this file photo taken on March 25, 2018 Rwandan president Paul Kagame (L) and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attend a press conference after their meeting at the State House in Entebbbe, Uganda. - The people living on either side of the Ugandan-Rwandan border at Katuna never much considered the boundary: children crossed for school, workers moved freely and trade thrived over the porous frontier. That harmony evaporated in February when Rwanda abruptly closed the crossing, the queues of cargo trucks and thronging merchants turned back, as soldiers from both armies marshalled along the forest-clad border. (Photo by Michele Sibiloni / AFP)MICHELE SIBILONI/AFP/Getty Images

Rwanda on Monday re-opened a border crossing with Uganda closed three years ago when the government accused Kampala of harassing its nationals and supporting dissidents bent on removing the government in Kigali.

In turn the government of President Yoweri Museveni accused Rwanda of conducting illegal espionage in Uganda, which suffered a huge drop in exports with the border closed.

Officials from both side hailed the reopening, allowing a resumption of trade and some people to move back and forth. But the comments of a Rwanda government spokesman to Rwandan television on Sunday signal the animosity still lingers.

Deputy government spokesman Alain Mukuralinda told Rwanda TV that although the border was re-opening, Uganda had not yet addressed all of Kigali’s grievances.

“It does not mean that cases of beatings, torture and deportations of Rwandan nationals are over. It does not mean that the people, based in Uganda, who want to destabilise Rwanda have stopped. We hope it is a good move towards stopping all that,” he said.

On Monday, government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo declined to comment on her deputy’s comments. Uganda’s government spokesman could not immediately be reached. Both sides have previously denied the allegations from each other.

“The Gatuna border is open. Currently trucks, Rwandan citizens, returning residents, are crossing to Rwanda,” Makolo said.

She said the two countries were working on anti-coronavirus health measures and that other categories of travellers would be allowed too once those measures were put in place.

Uganda’s state minister for foreign affairs, Okello Oryem, said in an interview: “We are very pleased that it (border) is finally open … so that the people in both countries can trade with each other.”

The border closure had choked off commerce on a major regional transport artery that funnels goods from the Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa in Kenya through Uganda to Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the last two decades Uganda’s annual exports to Rwanda rose gradually to above $200 million but suddenly plunged sharply after the border closure in 2019. In 2020, at the peak of the hostilities during the closure, Uganda’s exports to Rwanda were under $2 million.

Ethiopian Prime Minister In UAE As Tigray War Rages On

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Zoe Maven

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January 31, 2022

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has traveled to the United Arab Emirates on a state visit amid his country’s ongoing war against Tigray rebels.

Ahmed arrived Saturday and was greeted planeside by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They later attended an honor guard ceremony and held meetings, according to the Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency.

The Tigray war has been raging since November 2020 but has shifted in recent weeks, with the Tigray forces retreating into their region after attempting to advance on the capital, Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia’s military said it would not pursue them further. That opened the way for fresh mediation efforts by the United States and the African Union, with humanitarian access a key goal.

Ethiopia’s government has sought to restrict reporting on the war and detained some journalists under the state of emergency, including a video freelancer accredited to The Associated Press, Amir Aman Kiyaro.

Experts and Analysts say the Ethiopian government’s military appears to have been strengthened by aerial drones purchased from China, Turkey and the UAE.

Group Urges EU To Stop Returning Migrants To Libya

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Zoe Maven

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January 31, 2022

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A leading rights group on Monday urged the European Union to reverse its migration policy on Libya, saying the approach helps return migrants to “hellish” conditions in the North African country.

In a statement, Amnesty International said over 82,000 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in the past five years since the EU began its cooperation with Libyan authorities to block migrants from reaching European shores.

Many of those who have been returned to Libya are held in government-run detention centers where they reportedly suffer from abuse, including torture, rape and extortion.

Libya plunged into turmoil following the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The North African nation has since emerged as a popular, if extremely dangerous, route toward Europe for those fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

Human traffickers have benefited from the chaos in the oil-rich nation, smuggling migrants through the country’s lengthy border with six nations. They pack desperate migrants into ill-equipped rubber boats, then embark on risky voyages across the Mediterranean Sea.

In recent years, the EU accelerated efforts to stem the flow of migrants through Libya. Some 455 million euros have been earmarked for Libya since 2015 through the EU’s Trust Fund for Africa, substantial amounts of which have gone to finance migration and border management.

The EU money, much of it funneled through Italy, has been used to train staff and refurbish boats for Libyan authorities. The Libyan coast guard also received satellite phones and uniforms and will get three new patrol vessels in the next two years.

N. Korea confirms test of missile capable of striking Guam

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Zoe Maven

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January 31, 2022

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North Korea confirmed Monday it test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, the North’s most significant weapon launch in years.

Sunday’s launch could be a prelude to bigger provocations by North Korea such as nuclear and long-range missile tests that pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland.

This is coming as the North tries to further pressure the Biden administration to win sanction relief or international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state.

The official Korean Central News Agency said the purpose of the test was verifying the overall accuracy of the Hwasong-12 missile that is being deployed in its military.

KCNA published two sets of combination photos — one showing the missile rising from a launcher and soaring into space and the other showing North Korea and nearby areas that it said were photographed from space by a camera installed at the missile’s warhead.

Lee Choon Geun, a missile expert and honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said he thinks the photos were taken from space.

Athough he could not independently prove there was no adjustment on the images. While it’s rare to place a camera on a weapon, Lee said North Korea likely wanted to demonstrate its technological advancement to both foreign and domestic audiences.

North Korea said the missile was launched toward waters off its east coast on a high angle to prevent flying over other countries. It gave no further details.

UK To Introduce New Bill To Scrap EU Laws Two Years Since Brexit

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Koko Lawrence

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January 31, 2022

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The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said to mark two years since Brexit.

The new “Brexit Freedoms Bill”, which was announced on Monday, will make it easier to amend or remove what he called “outdated” EU laws that London has kept on its statute books as a “bridging measure” after leaving the bloc.

It will be part of what the UK leader dubbed a “major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace” the European laws retained and cut red tape for businesses.

“The plans we have set out today will further unleash the benefits of Brexit and ensure that businesses can spend more of their money investing, innovating and creating jobs,” Johnson said in a statement.

“Our new Brexit Freedoms Bill will end the special status of EU law in our legal framework and ensure that we can more easily amend or remove outdated EU law in future.”

Myanmar Junta Formally Charges Suu Kyi On Fraud Claims

By

Zoe Maven

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January 31, 2022

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Myanmar’s military junta has formally charged ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi with the alleged crime of committing fraud in the November 2020 elections.

The special court, set up after the Feb.1, 2021 coup to hear cases of politicians and other civilian leaders in the military-ruled country, will begin the trial on Feb.14, according to sources.

The court in Zabuthiri in capital Naypyitaw expects to conclude the trial in six months, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive matter.

It is one among the slew of criminal cases against Suu Kyi by the military junta that completes a year in office on Tuesday.

The court has already pronounced four sentences entailing six years in prison against her but later reduced the term to two years after the military junta pardoned her.

Suu Kyi faces violating the Official Secrets Act charges, punishable by up to 14 years in prison and a handful of graft allegations, each punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Win Myint, the former president, and ex-cabinet member Min Thu are co-accused in the case of allegedly influencing Myanmar’s poll body to rig election results in favor of the then ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

The coup and the mass detention of politicians and activists triggered unprecedented civilian protests across the country and the campaign for civil disobedience, led by government employees who refused to go to work.

The coup and the subsequent civilian uprising threw the Southeast Asian nation into political, social, and economic crises.

Myanmar security forces have responded brutally to peaceful street protests. They have allegedly killed at least 1,500 people since the shocking coup.

Why over 90% of hypertension causes remain unknown –Physician

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 31, 2022

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A Consultant Nephrologist at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Dr. Loskurima Umar says over 90 per cent of the causes of hypertension cases are not known.

Dr. Umar explained that hypertension can be classified into primary and secondary hypertension, noting that while primary hypertension does not have a known cause, secondary hypertension has specific causes and is a complication of another health problem.

He, however, stressed that primary hypertension is responsible for most hypertension cases.

“Primary hypertension is the most common form of hypertension and over 90 per cent of hypertension is known to be primary hypertension. Primary means that there is no cause for it. The remaining per cent, like less than five percent, is referred to as secondary hypertension.

“Primary means that there is no cause for it. Secondary hypertension has causes which include kidney diseases, thyroid diseases, and others,” Dr. Umar said on a programme tagged: ‘#TalkingHealthwithDrLaz’ aired on Africa Independent Television.

According to the World Health Organisation, hypertension or elevated blood pressure is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases.

Known as a silent killer, most people with hypertension are unaware of the problem because it may have no warning signs or symptoms.

“When symptoms do occur, they can include early morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears. Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and muscle tremors.

“The only way to detect hypertension is to have a health professional measure blood pressure. Having blood pressure measured is quick and painless. Although individuals can measure their own blood pressure using automated devices, an evaluation by a health professional is important for assessment of risk and associated conditions,” WHO said.

The global health body says the WHO African Region has the highest prevalence of hypertension (27 per cent) while the WHO Region of the Americas has the lowest prevalence of hypertension (18 per cent).

It noted that the number of adults with hypertension increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1.13 billion in 2015, with the increase seen largely in low- and middle-income countries. This increase is due mainly to a rise in hypertension risk factors in those populations.

Speaking further, Dr. Umar said age, family history, obesity or overweight, and sedentary lifestyles are risk factors for hypertension.

“Age is a risk factor for hypertension. We should understand that majority of hypertension does not have a known cause while secondary hypertension may have a known cause. But, some risk factors can be considered in hypertension which includes if one has a family history of hypertension -let’s say the father or mother, then when that particular person grows, there are chances that he or she will be hypertensive later in life.

“Obesity or overweight is a predisposing factor to hypertension. Consuming high calories can predispose one to hypertension. Sedentary lifestyles are a risk factor for hypertension.”

The physician said hypertension usually shows no symptoms, noting that symptoms mostly manifest after it has caused damage to an individual.

“So it’s very important to check your blood pressure regularly once or twice a year once you pass the age of 30.

“Primary hypertension does not have a cure. All we can do is manage it and that can be done if the person visits the hospital, and sees the doctor.

“Secondary hypertension means there is a particular cause for hypertension and once you treat that cause, the person will have a normal blood pressure but primary hypertension is the common type of hypertension, which does not have a particular cure.

“If you’re hypertensive, it is good for you to regularly visit the doctor. If hypertension is diagnosed and one is not following the rules that were stated, hypertension can cause damage to the important organs in the body,” Umar said.

AU Suspends Burkina Faso After Coup As Envoys Head For Talks

By

Koko Lawrence

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January 31, 2022

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The African Union (AU) has suspended Burkina Faso a week after a faction of the army announced the removal of President Roch Kabore, as envoys from West Africa and the United Nations head for talks with the coup leaders.

The AU’s 15-member Peace and Security Council on Monday said it had voted to suspend Burkina Faso’s participation “in all AU activities until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country”.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, who chairs the AU’s Commission, had already condemned the coup shortly after it happened on January 23.

The AU’s move came three days after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc suspended Burkina Faso from its ranks and warned of possible sanctions pending the outcome of meetings with the coup makers, who have dissolved the government and parliament and suspended the constitution, pledging to re-establish “constitutional order” within a “reasonable time”.

An ECOWAS mission headed by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was expected to arrive in Ouagadougou on Monday, together with the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mahamat Saleh Annadif.

“The joint delegation will have meetings with the military leaders as well as with the various Burkinabe actors,” UNOWAS said in a statement.

On Saturday, ECOWAS sent military chiefs to confer with coup leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.