The European Commission has adopted two data adequacy decisions which means flows of personal data from the EU to the UK will continue.
The commission revealed that the decisions include a sunset clause, which runs out after four years but will be renewed only if the UK ensures an adequate level of data protection.
UK firms had been facing making costly alternative plans with EU counterparts to keep data flowing once a post-Brexit transition period expires this month.
The agreement also covers data from countries in the wider European Economic Area.
Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said the adequacy agreement was important for smooth trade and the effective fight against crime.
Welcoming the decision, the UK government said it plans to promote the free flow of personal data globally and across borders, adding that all future decisions will be based on what maximises innovation and keeps up with evolving technology.
CBI director of policy, John Foster, called the agreement a breakthrough. He wrote that the free flow of data is the bedrock of the modern economy and essential for firms across all sectors.
Post-Brexit Deal: European Union Approves Data Flow to UK, Adds Sunset Clause
Tigray conflict: Ethiopia Declares Unilateral Ceasefire
Ethiopia has declared a ceasefire in the Tigray region, eight months after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to oust its leadership.
The announcement came as witnesses reported anti-government troops in the streets of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle.
All sides have been accused of carrying out mass killings and human rights violations with more than five million people in urgent need of food aid and 350,000 facing famine, according the United Nations.
On Monday, reports began to emerge that the Tigrayan fighters who launched a new offensive last week, had forced the interim administration from Mekelle.
Spokesperson for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Getachew Reda, told journalists that the city was now under their control
Though Ethiopia’s government is yet to comment on reports that its troops have been pulled out, a statement released late on Monday did clarify some of the details around the ceasefire, saying it would stay until the farming season ends, allow aid to reach those in need and give space to find a political solution.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who spoke with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Monday, said it was essential that civilians are protected, humanitarian aid reaches the people in need and a political solution found.
U.S. backs initiative to focus anti-ISIS fight on Africa -Blinken
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States strongly supports Italy’s initiative to focus the fight against the Islamic State militia on Africa.
Blinken also said that a discussion on Syria at a meeting in Rome to renew international efforts to combat the Islamic State militia would focus on how to get humanitarian assistance into the country.
“We strongly support Italy’s initiative to make sure that the coalition against Daesh focuses its expertise on Africa, while keeping our eye closely on Syria and Iraq,” Blinken told a news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, referring to Islamic State.
Wheezing when lying down: Causes and Remedies
Wheezing is a sensation that occurs when a person breathes through obstructed airways. Some people find that their wheezing gets worse when lying down. This can occur because lying down may adversely affect the ability of the chest to rise and fall, making it difficult to breathe.
Lying down may also cause problems with mucus drainage from the nose, which could trigger a cough. Wheezing is a common symptom of asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the potential causes of wheezing when lying down and their treatments. We will also provide tips on how to sleep while experiencing this symptom.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects over 300 million people worldwide. It is characterized by coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. It is common for asthma symptoms to affect people at night. This is known as nocturnal asthma.
The symptoms of nocturnal asthma can include:
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Wheezing
According to the United Kingdom charity, Asthma UK, nocturnal asthma can be a sign that a person’s asthma is not well-controlled. People with asthma symptoms at night may be at risk for asthma attacks.
Doctors can prescribe preventive inhalers to improve breathing. People can use these regularly to maintain reduced asthma symptoms. Emergency inhalers can help with sudden and sometimes severe symptoms. Those with allergies may find that identifying and removing the allergen helps, along with taking an antihistamine.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
OSA is a serious medical condition that causes a decrease or abrupt halt in airflow while sleeping. This occurs due to the relaxation of the pharyngeal muscles and soft tissues, which are located at the back of the throat. This blocks the airways, disrupting breathing.
The symptoms of sleep apnea include
Frequent or loud snoring, which may stop and start
Choking, snorting, or gasping sounds
Waking with a dry mouth or sore throat
Morning headache
Difficulty concentrating during the day
Treatment for OSA may include wearing a device over the mouth at night to help keep the airways open. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are often the best option, but in complex cases where a CPAP machine is not suitable, surgery may be necessary.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are a common mental health condition. A 2015 study from Germany found that they affect up to 33.7%Trusted Source of the population.
In addition to causing emotional changes, anxiety can cause physical symptoms. Examples include:
Rapid or shallow breathing (hyperventilation)
Sweating
Rapid heart rate, heart palpitations, or both
A suffocating or choking sensation
If a person feels anxious at night, they may find that the feeling of additional pressure of gravity on the chest leads to bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways) that can cause a wheezing noise. Anxiety and stress can also make it more likely a person will react to allergens, which can trigger asthma.
Treatment typically involves talking therapy, but can also include medications to manage symptoms.
Obesity
Another potential cause for wheezing is obesity.
A randomized study of just over 86,000 adults found that a higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with wheezing, while a 2019 study found that a higher BMI was associated with fat deposits in the lungs. This may explain why individuals with obesity can experience wheezing, as well as other breathing difficulties.
People can reach a moderate weight by making dietary changes, doing regular exercise, and treating any underlying conditions that may be contributing to excess weight.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis refers to the inflammation of the bronchi, which are the large air passages inside the lungs. In 95%Trusted Source of all cases, acute bronchitis occurs because of a viral infection, such as a cold. Bronchitis can also occur due to bacteria, allergens, or pollutants, such as smoke.
The symptoms of acute bronchitis include:
A productive cough
Loud wheezing or difficulty breathing
Sore throat, runny nose, or other symptoms of a viral infection
Low-grade fever
Acute bronchitis that is caused by a virus will often get better on its own. The cough may last 10–20 days.
Treatments for bronchitis will vary depending on the cause. For viral infections, doctors typically recommend rest and treatments that can reduce a cough. This could include throat lozenges, hot tea, or over-the-counter (OTC) cough medications.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
GERD occurs when stomach contents, including stomach acid, flow back up into the esophagus. The symptoms of GERD include:
Acid reflux
Heartburn
Difficulty or pain when swallowing
Regurgitation of food
Bad breath
Chronic sore throat
A recurring or chronic cough
Wheezing
There is a greater risk for GERD to occur in people with asthma. This is because asthma episodes can cause the lower part of the esophagus to relax, allowing stomach acid into the esophagus. Stomach acid can also cause asthma or COPD symptoms, such as wheezing, by entering and irritating the airways.
Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding foods that contribute to flare-ups, can reduce GERD symptoms. Doctors can also prescribe medications to reduce stomach acid production.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
COPD is a condition that progressively makes it more difficult to breathe. The main cause is tobacco smoking, although around 25% of cases are not linked to smoking. The symptoms of COPD include:
Chronic, productive cough
Wheezing, whistling, or a squeaky sound when breathing
Shortness of breath
Chest tightness
Some people with COPD have different symptoms to these. Some can also have mild symptoms that they do not notice to begin with.
There is no cure for COPD, but there are things doctors can do to relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. These include prescribing medications to help open the airways, pulmonary rehabilitation, supplemental oxygen therapy, and surgery.
Heart failure
Heart failure prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to support organ health and normal breathing. It is a serious condition that can be fatal. The potential symptoms of heart failure include:
Shortness of breath
Persistent cough
Decreased tolerance for exercise
Swelling of the limbs and extremities due to fluid overload
Many of these symptoms may not be noticeable until the condition has become advanced.
People can reduce the symptoms of heart failure through medications, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors, and aldosterone antagonists. Some drugs, as well as devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, can prolong a person’s life.
How to sleep with wheezing
People who experience wheezing when lying down may find it difficult to sleep. To improve quality of sleep, people can try:
Avoiding food before bed: People with GERD should aim to eat at least 2–3 hours before lying down. This can reduce acid reflux at night, reducing irritation in the esophagus.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol: Both caffeine and alcohol make it more likely a person will experience asthma symptoms. Caffeine can also worsen acid reflux.
Removing allergens: If a person has asthma or bronchitis caused by allergies, identifying and removing allergens that may be present while sleeping could help. For example, if a person allows a pet to sleep on their bed, the dander may cause wheezing at night.
Trying decongestants: OTC chest decongestants may help with breathing at night, particularly for people with acute bronchitis. Decongestants may also help people with asthma, though some find that they can make symptoms worse.
Elevating the head: Elevating the head, neck, and shoulders may help to open the airways during sleep, preventing wheezing. It can also reduce acid reflux.
Keeping medications nearby: Keep medications or inhalers that help with breathing nearby while lying down or sleeping. This allows people to use them as soon as they wake due to wheezing.
When to seek help
It is important for people who regularly wheeze while lying down to seek medical attention. Doctors can help pinpoint the exact cause of the wheezing, and recommend treatments.
Oil Price gain continues touches $76, highest since 2018
Oil is trading higher Monday touching its highest price point since 2018 ahead of an OPEC+ meeting at which the alliance is forecast to announce supply increases that won’t be enough to keep pace with the global demand recovery.
Futures in New York traded near $74 a barrel after rising 1% on Friday. The alliance, which gathers Thursday, will boost output by 550,000 barrels a day in August, according to a Bloomberg survey. However, that’s barely a quarter of the global deficit that OPEC+ itself anticipates during that month.
U.S. forces conducted air strikes on Sunday against Iranian-backed militia groups blamed for drone attacks on American facilities in Iraq, the Defense Department said. The attacks may make it more difficult to revive a nuclear deal that would pave the way for a resumption of Iranian crude exports.
Oil is up more than 50% this year as a rapid rebound from Covid-19 in major energy markets such as the U.S., Europe and China has led to increased mobility and greater consumption of transport fuels. The recovery has also drained bloated stockpiles, and the International Energy Agency has urged OPEC+ to return more supply to keep markets balanced
The minister of state for petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, has described the country’s gas expansion programme as a highway to economic prosperity and development.
Sylva said this when he featured on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, the flagship interview programme of the NAN, to highlight the achievements recorded in the oil and gas sector since he assumed office about two years ago.
He noted that the Federal Government embraced the gas expansion programme having realised that the country had abundant gas resources and that there was a need to focus on it as a bridge to renewable fuels.
According to Sylva, the Federal Government is now paying greater attention to gas development because it provides a bigger linkage to the economy than crude oil.
The minister noted that employment generation from gas alone is immeasurable going by the number of people that would be affected in the value chain.
Nigeria drifts off broadband target as internet access slows
The number of Nigerians with access to high-speed internet slowed down last May as users face an economic downturn amid the covid pandemic.
The tepid rate at which infrastructure is being rolled out coupled with the 4-month ban on new SIM registrations are some of the reasons. At this pace, it means Nigeria is drifting far from the 2023 target to achieve 90 percent broadband penetration
Broadband penetration refers to the amount of the Internet access market that high speed or broadband Internet has captured in Nigeria
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that the 39 percent is a 14 months drop as the last time the market was at that low was in March 2020. It also represents about a 1 percent loss from the previous month.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria has been in a freefall since November 2020, despite optimism by the minister of communications and Digital Economy, Ali Isa Pantami that the industry is doing well. But with broadband at 39.5 percent Nigeria is now over 50 percent adrift of a recent penetration target announced by the minister.
Earlier in June, Pantami had said the target is to grow broadband penetration to 90 percent in terms of population and 70 percent rate in terms of the total landmass in the next two years. The minister’s confidence came from a peak of 45 percent achieved in December 2020, the same month the ministry declared a ban on SIM card sales and registration in an effort to ensure that more Nigerians got their National Identification Number (NIN) within a two weeks deadline.
The plan failed, the deadline was extended four times before the government realised it would not make any meaningful progress in shutting down telcos major source of revenue. But by April when the ban on SIM registration was lifted the telecom industry had lost over 15 million subscribers and continued to lose a month after.
Despite economic headwinds, NMRC pushes total assets up 17% to ₦85.4bn
Amid economic headwinds, notably Covid-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) showed resilience in 2020, growing its total assets by 17 percent to N85.4 billion, up from the 2019 balance of ₦72.9 billion.
The company raised its capital adequacy ratio from 70 percent in 2019 to 80 percent in 2020, according to its 2020 financials released at the 7th Annual General Meeting in Lagos. The 80 percent ratio is far greater than the regulatory requirement of 10 percent.
The company’s total expenses decreased by ₦0.44 billion from ₦2.32 billion in 2019 to ₦1.88 billion in 2020.
Kehinde Ogundimu, the CEO, noted at the AGM that their performance, for understandable reasons, was affected greatly by external events of the year under review. “Despite the challenges of the year, we saw a strong underlying performance across risk management and refinancing while addressing economic issues,” he noted.
He disclosed that the company was able to flat-line profits by cutting down on expenses for a decent financial outcome during the year.
Ogundimu added that the company had a positive variance on expenses which decreased by ₦0.44 billion from ₦2.32 billion in 2019 to ₦1.88 billion in 2020. But their gross earnings decreased by 4.6 percent from N9.62 billion in 2019 to N9.18 in 2020.
The CEO explained that this was due to a significant drop in the yield on investment, adding that net interest income also decreased N0.49 billion from N5.41 billion in 2019 to N4.92 billion in 2020, representing 9.1 percent decrease.
The increase in the company’s total assets, he explained, was buoyed by its series 3 bond issuance in November 2020. The N10 billion bond was part of the company’s efforts to boost liquidity in the mortgage industry and improve access to affordable homeownership.
The bond, raised from the Debt Capital Markets, was coordinated by DLM Capital Group, and was oversubscribed by a record 328 percent, according to the management of the refinance company.
The November 2020 bond issuance came under the company’s ₦440 billion Medium Term Note Programme and followed its 2018 ₦11 billion Series 2 Bond and ₦8 billionn Series 1 issued in 2015.
Oil Price gain continues touches $76, highest since 2018
Oil is trading higher Monday touching its highest price point since 2018 ahead of an OPEC+ meeting at which the alliance is forecast to announce supply increases that won’t be enough to keep pace with the global demand recovery.
Futures in New York traded near $74 a barrel after rising 1% on Friday. The alliance, which gathers Thursday, will boost output by 550,000 barrels a day in August, according to a Bloomberg survey. However, that’s barely a quarter of the global deficit that OPEC+ itself anticipates during that month.
U.S. forces conducted air strikes on Sunday against Iranian-backed militia groups blamed for drone attacks on American facilities in Iraq, the Defense Department said. The attacks may make it more difficult to revive a nuclear deal that would pave the way for a resumption of Iranian crude exports.
Oil is up more than 50% this year as a rapid rebound from Covid-19 in major energy markets such as the U.S., Europe and China has led to increased mobility and greater consumption of transport fuels. The recovery has also drained bloated stockpiles, and the International Energy Agency has urged OPEC+ to return more supply to keep markets balanced
Herbert Wigwe is African Banker of the Year for second time consecutively
The Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank Plc Herbert Wigwe has been recognised as the African Banker of the Year at the 2021 edition of the African Banker Awards.
A winner of one of the most prized categories at the Awards ceremony for the second consecutive year, Wigwe was recognised for his stellar leadership in the market expansion of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bank despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Awards ceremony held virtually during the Annual meetings of the African Development Bank.
Over the last 12 months, Access Bank has established a presence in South Africa following its acquisition of Grobank. Accepting the award, Wigwe said Access Bank is focused on promoting corporate discipline, adding that the Bank wants to be in key markets on the continent, building a payment gateway and providing trade finance support. “We want to be seen as the best bank supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA). In terms of diaspora remittances, we are present in key areas in the continent,” he said.
The African Banker Awards have become the most respected and recognised industry event celebrating African banking achievements. The organisers this year, put emphasis on recognising and rewarding institutions that contributed to the real economy which has suffered from the impact of Covid-19 as well as contributed to women empowerment on the continent.
U.S. CARRIES OUT AIR STRIKES AGAINST MILITIA IN IRAQ AND SYRIA
The United States has carried out another round of air raids against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq and Syria, in response to drone attacks against us personnel and facilities in Iraq. reports say the militias is threatening a retaliation.
In a statement on Sunday, the us military said it targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq.
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least five fighters were killed and several others wounded.
The attacks came at the direction of US President Joe Biden, the second time he has ordered retaliatory attacks against Iran-backed militia since taking office five months ago. Biden last ordered limited bombing against a target in Syria in February, that time in response to rocket attacks in Iraq.
John Kirby, spokesman for the Pentagon, said in a statement that “The United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation – but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message.”
Kirby disclosed that the targets were selected because “these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq”.
The Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada military factions were among the “several Iran-backed militia groups” that had used the targeted facilities, Kirby added.
Armed groups aligned with Iran in a statement named four members of the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada faction they said were killed in the attack on the Syria-Iraq border. They vowed to retaliate.
“We will remain the shield defending our beloved nation, and we are fully ready … to respond and take revenge,” it said.
Since the start of the year there have been more than 40 attacks against US interests in Iraq, where 2,500 American troops are deployed as part of an international coalition to fight the armed group ISIL (ISIS). The vast majority have been bombs against logistics convoys, while 14 were rocket attacks.
