Zambia’s former president, Kenneth Kaunda, the father of the country’s independence who ruled for 27 years has died at the age of 97 on Thursday.
Kaunda had been reportedly admitted to the Maina Soko Medical Center, a military hospital in Lusaka, on Monday where authorities disclosed he was being treated for Pneumonia.
But a Facebook post by his son Kambarage Kaunda, announced the Zambian founding president’s passage, asking for prayers for his father whom he called Mzee.
His aide Rodrick Ngolo told Newsmen that the problem of pneumonia comes up regularly (in the ex-president) and every time you hear that he is in hospital, it is because of pneumonia.
Nicknamed the “African Gandhi” for his non-violent activism, Kaunda led the former British protectorate Northern Rhodesia to bloodless independence in October 1964.
A socialist, he ruled the country for 27 years, largely under a one-party regime, whose mismanagement led to a severe economic and social crisis. After violent riots, he accepted free elections in 1991 and was defeated.
While in power, it hosted many movements fighting for independence or black equality in other countries in the region, including the African National Congress (ANC) party of South Africa.
Also known as “KK,” he was the leader of the main nationalist party, the center-left UNIP. He also became an AIDS activist when he publicly announced that one of his sons had died of the disease.
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the military and other security agents not to give breathing space to terrorists and criminals in the country.
The President gave the charge on Thursday while addressing personnel of the Armed Forces and security agencies in Operation Hadin Kai at the Maimalari Cantonment during a visit to Borno State.
He said the Armed Forces under his watch have been provided a firm strategy and clear sense of direction to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
He said their collective efforts have resulted in the relative peace being enjoyed in the region today and that the war against insurgency must be concluded with the restoration of peace and reconstruction of all the affected areas.
While acknowledging their collective efforts at decimating the terrorists and reaffirming the sovereignty of the nation, Buhari extolled their steadfastness and untiring efforts in the face of the difficulties they experience in the Theatres of Operation.
He said the adversaries should not be allowed the opportunity or breathing space to challenge or undermine the national interests and core values.
He further assured the defence and security agencies of the Federal Government’s unalloyed commitment to winning the battle against terror and criminality.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has decried the low level of eligible adult blood donors in the country.
The National President of the association, Professor Innocent Ujah, made this known during a press conference to mark the 2021 World Blood Donor Day, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
According to him, Blood transfusion service is a critical factor in the health sector and plays a major role in the reduction of morbidity and mortality, especially among women and children.
“There are some mind-blowing statistics about blood transfusion services in Nigeria that makes it imperative for the NMA and all stakeholders to get involved in creating awareness about voluntary blood donation and support for blood transfusion service in Nigeria.“ Prof. Ujah said.
He however noted that there are high-level Commercial Blood Donations which is the total blood donation in Nigeria
“In Nigeria, there is low level of eligible adult blood donor population (less than 4 percent compared to South Africa 11 percent, Canada 13 percent and USA 25 percent). There is also low-level of Voluntary Blood Donation (25,000 per annum), which is less than 3 percent of total blood donation in Nigeria.
“High level Commercial Blood Donation (1,030,000 per annum) which is above 90 percent of total blood donation in Nigeria. There is also a high rate of transmission of Transfusion Transmissible Infection among blood recipients from commercial donors in Nigeria (about 10 percent of HIV infection).”
The NMA President therefore called for improved funding of Blood Transfusion Service Centres in Nigeria as well as the inadequate regulatory Laws for the activities of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Nigeria.
According to him, the NBTS Centres are poorly funded and in dire need of upgrade in terms of manpower, infrastructure, equipment and training.
“Nigeria with a population of over 200 million is blessed with a high youth population, giving her huge potential for achieving an incredible target of eligible voluntary blood donors. There is a yawning gap between the WHO recommended annual blood requirement for Nigeria (2,000,000 units) and the current figure of 1,000,000’’ Prof Ujah said.
African champions Nigeria showed they are no pushovers despite losing by two goals to four –time world champions and four –time Olympic champions USA in the last game of the 2021 Summer Series at the admirable Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, USA on Wednesday. Time difference meant the game started 2am Thursday in Nigeria.
The Super Falcons lost their opening game of the Series to the Jamaicans by a lone goal on 10th June and had to come from behind to muscle a 3-3 draw against Portugal in the second match three days later. Both games took place in Houston, also in the State of Texas.
The Falcons were up against a US Women National Team that had not lost in dozens of matches and could not readily remember the last time they conceded a goal.
Nigeria’s Head Coach, Randy Waldrum, made only one change from the pulsating draw with Portugal on Sunday, with Esther Okoronkwo taking the place of new discovery Ifeoma Onomonwu.
Christian Press scored the Americans’ first goal in time added-on in first half with an assist from Carli Loyd. The goal came after several brilliant saves by Super Falcons’ number one Tochukwu Oluehi, who was kept very busy in the opening half.
In the second half, Waldrum introduced Akudo Ogbonna, Charity Adule and Gift Monday at different times to rejuvenate the play of the nine-time African champions, but this effort did not curtail the high-octane stance of the American girls.
Heavy pressure eventually told as Lynn Williams got the second goal, with an assist from Press.
“I am enamoured by the professionalism of the players and their courage even when they are on the backfoot. They played very competitively against the best team in the world and I am extremely proud of them,” Coach Waldrum said at the end.
It was the first –ever international friendly between both countries. The USA had only ever played one African country, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, at friendlies’ level.
Waldrum, who led the Super Falcons to three wins out of three in his first tournament in charge with the team, in Turkey in February, believes the Summer Series have been useful in the discovery of new legs in the absence of a number of tested internationals, and exposure to top quality opposition that the team could confront in major championships.
“The Summer Series have come at a good time for us, as we were able to see a number of new players. The girls also came up against strong teams and did not fare badly. Lessons have been learnt and I am delighted with our performance and general attitude on and off the pitch.”
As part of efforts to curb maternal and infant mortality, the Lagos State Governor in South-West Nigeria, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commissioned a 110-bed Maternal and Child Centre (MCC) in Epe.
Sanwo-Olu said that the four-floor, 110 bed-Maternal Child Centre was another essential facility for safe childbirth in the state.
He said that the fully-equipped MCC in Epe was a clear demonstration of his administration’s seriousness about the war against maternal and child mortality.
According to him, in the last two years, the government has shown great commitment to the improvement of maternal and child health indices in the state.
”Our overarching goal is to eradicate infant and child mortality in our state, while our women must no longer die while giving birth.
”We remain unwaveringly committed to this goal and this Centre is the fourth MCCs delivered by this administration with the ones already commissioned in Badagry, Eti-Osa and Igando.
”We are not done, our plan is to build maternal child centres across the state, to expose expectant mothers to the best pre-and post-natal care by professional health workers using modern and state of the art facilities.
”There is no better time than now to put an end to preventable maternal and child deaths – with technological advancement, modern equipment and well-trained health workers.
“The process of child bearing should no longer lead to the loss of another life,” Gov. Sanwo-Olu stated.
The Governor said that apart from emergency services, the MCC was a secondary public health facility that would provide all services related to reproductive issues.
According to him, this includes obstetrics; gynaecology; paediatrics; family planning, immunisation, laboratory services and radiology.
He urged all expectant and future mothers within Epe Local Government and its environs to make use of the facility and avoid patronising unregistered birth homes.
Sanwo-Olu said that his government would leave no stone unturned to provide fully equipped modern health facilities all over Lagos State.
The Governor further assured Lagosians that where necessary new health facilities will be built, and existing ones will be renovated and upgraded fully equipped and staffed to meet the health needs of all Lagosians.
“This centre with its modern equipment has been made possible through taxpayers’ money; your money. You must, therefore, see it as your property and safeguard it because it is an essential facility that has been provided to save lives and promote your well-being,” the Governor added.
The Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, said that the centre began operations on May 19 and had since registered about 590 expectant mothers, with 100 babies delivered adding that the government would employ 20 nurses and 10 doctors more to join the current 20 nurses and nine doctors in the facility.
He said services rendered in the facility include emergency services, obstetrics, gynaecology, laboratory services/blood bank, radiology/sonography, paediatrics, family planning and immunisation.
Abiodun Tobun, the Lawmaker representing Epe Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, thanked the state government for completing the MCC in Epe.
Tobun said that the community was ready to collaborate with the government and take responsibility of the facility.
After 15 years, American singer Diana Ross has released the title track from her next studio album, expressing her gratitude in her new single “Thank You”.
The album contains songs Ross recorded in her home studio during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“This collection of songs is my gift to you with appreciation and love. I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to record this glorious music at this time,” Ross said about the album that has been described as “a powerful, inclusive musical message of love and togetherness.”
The album “Thank You” will be released in the autumn. It is Ross’ first studio album since 2006’s “I Love You.”
Maida Bilal endured being beaten and harassed when she spent more than 500 days guarding the site of a planned mini hydropower plant on Bosnia’s Kruscica River with a team of women from her village before the building permits were annulled.
That battle in central Bosnia may have been won back in December 2018, but she is still on the frontline in the fight against other proposed plants across the Balkan country and has now been honored with a so-called “Green Nobel.”
The 40-year-old was the named European winner of the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize, that honors grassroots environmental pioneers from six regions around the world.
“We have defended the river for 503 days, physically 24 hours a day,” Bilal told Reuters. “If needed, we’ll guard her for another 5,300 days.”
In the summer of 2017, the villagers prevented heavy machines from crossing a wooden bridge on the route to the building site, saying the project would ruin the environment.
She said they endured an attack by police who she says forcibly moved them for violating public peace and order.
But they fought on, and after the permits were revoked a year and a half later, the bridge was renamed after the women.
“I lost my job, I lost my friends, my daughter was bullied in school,” Bilal, a trained economist, said. “I would lie if I said it was easy, but then I did it in spite of everything. I have a daughter and don’t want her as a grown up to face the same problem as her mother.”
Travel agencies and the airline industry are still crippled by the pandemic.
Many staff are still on unpaid leave as profits have yet to climb back to pre-pandemic levels.
Insiders agree that it will take a while for firms to fully recover.
But they say that the government’s announcement of a travel bubble last week brought great hope.
“With the latest travel bubble announcement, it feels like we can finally see the end of the tunnel.
The hardest part is going through a tunnel where you don’t know when it’s going to end. But now that we know where that is, we just need to bear it for a few more months.”
In line with the government’s travel bubble plan, local air carriers are gradually resuming international flights and travel agencies are offering tour packages.
The airline and travel industries expect to see an uptick in booking rates during the Korean Thanksgiving holiday ‘Chuseok’ in September as it will be a five-day holiday.
“By the time we get to the Chuseok holiday, when most of the population has been fully vaccinated, we expect demand for overseas travel to be higher. It could be the start of a return to normal travel.”
With the surprise of an upcoming travel bubble agreement, South Korea’s airline stocks have seen a large uptick.
On the day of the travel bubble announcement last week, shares of Korean Air closed 4 percent higher at over 30 U.S. dollars and its parent Hanjin KAL rose 4 percent to about 67 dollars.
Low-cost carriers saw their stocks jump on the same day with Jeju Air up almost 6 percent, Jin Air up 5 percent and T’way Air up 19 percent.
Some analysts even expect the stocks to go higher in the second half of this year.
“The pent-up demand in travel means the recovery is expected to continue throughout 2023. The recovery cycle will be quite similar to that of the Lehman Brothers’ financial crisis, that went from 2008 to 2010. The only difference is that the gains will be higher since economic fallout from the pandemic was worse.”
Industries are gearing up to get their businesses running again to meet that pent-up demand for overseas travel.
No longer are South Korea’s elderly stuck at home, watching TV all day.
Senior centers in several districts of Seoul now welcome the vaccinated to return to their daily lives: playing chess, exercising, and chatting with their friends.
“It was so depressing for us being trapped at home for so long. I’m so thankful now that I can see my friends’ faces here. Even if it’s just for half a day “
“After having to stay closed for nearly a year and a half, this senior center in Guro-gu District is now open in the afternoons and it’s expected to fully open from 9 in the morning in the coming weeks.”
“Till now, it was basically life in prison without bars for the elderly. Just imagine how happy they were when the authorities finally allowed us to open our doors on June 1. It almost made me cry.”
For now, visitors at most centers aren’t allowed to eat together or take singing classes due to droplet concerns.
Seongdong-gu District reopened their 160 centers this Monday and at one spot.
“I waited and waited for the 14th like a little child. What a joy it was to see so many people here on Monday.”
Even beyond the capital, senior centers are steadily reopening across the country, bringing joy to the elderly who can finally get their lives back to normal.
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