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UNICEF report says 26.5m Nigerian children affected by water shortage

Henry Williams
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UNICEF report says 26.5m Nigerian children affected by water shortage

UNICEF report says 26.5 millian Nigerian children affected by water shortage
As the world commemorates 2021 World Water Day, a new analysis by the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has shown that 26.5 million Nigerian children are experiencing high or extremely high water vulnerability.

UNICEF, while describing the trend as worrisome, explained that nearly one third of children in Nigeria do not have enough water to meet their daily needs.

The analysis also revealed that globally, more than 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children are living in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. This means that 1 in 5 children worldwide does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.

According to the analysis, Nigeria is among the hotspot countries which face dire circumstances, in terms of absolute numbers, the proportions of children affected, and where global resources, support and urgent action must be mobilized. Others includes Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Tanzania and Yemen.

The UNICEF data further show that children in more than 80 countries live in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability. Eastern and Southern Africa has the highest proportion of children living in such areas, with more than half of children, 58 per cent , facing difficulty accessing sufficient water every day.

Nigeria’s happiness ranking, worst in 7yrs

Henry Williams
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Nigeria’s happiness ranking, worst in 7yrs

Nigerians were sadder in 2020 than ever as the country’s happiness ranking dropped by 31 places to 116 position out of 149 countries, according to the United Nation’s World Happiness Report 2021 released on Friday.

The report, which comes as the world marks International Happiness Day today (Saturday), shows that Nigeria ranks 18th position in Africa.

The report focuses on the effects of Covid-19 and how people all over the world have fared.

The annual report ranks nations based on gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy and the opinions of residents. Surveys ask respondents to indicate on a 1-10 scale how much social support they feel they have if something goes wrong, their freedom to make their own life choices, their sense of how corrupt their society is and how generous they are.

Further analysis also showed that Nigeria’s current ranking is the worst since the report started in 2013. The country ranked 82, 78, 103, 95, 91, 85 and 116 in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The ranking does not come as a surprise as Nigeria’s current realities – such as high inflation, unemployment and fragile economic growth – are making citizens more miserable.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s inflation, which measures the rate of increase of commodity prices, quickened to a 35-month high at 17.3 percent in February 2021, while unemployment is at a record high of 33.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Gas explosion rocks Ketu area of Lagos state

Henry Williams
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Gas explosion rocks Ketu area of Lagos state

A one-storey building has been damaged at Alapere, Ketu, Lagos, after a gas cylinder exploded and sent many scampering.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the incident occurred at No 44 Moses Street, Oshogun, Alapere, Lagos.

Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the director-general of LASEMA said on arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the storey building was in a state of collapse with several visible cracks on load bearing walls.

He said initial investigation suggested that that a gas cylinder explosion triggered the incident.

Oke-Osanyintolu, however, said no lives were lost, but that a young female, two male children and an adult male were rescued.

The LASEMA DG said the building has been destroyed and that the agency was working with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the ministry of physical to address emergency issues in the state.

Confidence In Astrazeneca’s Vaccine Dips Across Europe

Zoe Maven
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Confidence In Astrazeneca’s Vaccine Dips Across Europe

A poll conducted by YouGov says Confidence in the safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has taken a hit in European countries after reports of rare blood clots made the news.

The Poll shows that people’s confidence in the vaccine dipped especially in Spain, Germany, France, and Italy and found that even by late February, Europeans were wary of the AstraZeneca jab.

The poll surveyed 8,000 people across seven European countries between March 12 and 18 and found that people in France, Germany, Spain, and Italy where people now see the vaccine as unsafe.

Reports of blood clots from vaccines had severely damaged the public perception surrounding the vaccine causing 13 European countries to halt the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.

On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency conducted an investigation into the claims and said the vaccine was safe and effective, and not directly linked to blood clots.

Even then, the European regulator did not completely rule out any potential link to blood clots known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or CVST. However, since then, many countries have resumed its use.

However, Poll data says 55 per cent Germans deem the vaccine is unsafe. In France, 61 per cent said that the vaccine remains unsafe, while in Italy and Spain 36 per cent and 38 per cent respectively deem the jab unsafe.

It is only in Britain that the blood clot concern had no effect on the vaccine’s rep, where 77 per cent people believe the shot is safe.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca clarifies its vaccine which was developed in collaboration with Oxford University has no pork-derived ingredients.

Turkish Lira Plunges After Erdogan Sacks Central Bank Governor

Zoe Maven
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Turkish Lira Plunges After Erdogan Sacks Central Bank Governor

The Turkey lira has dipped 15% to a near all-time low after opening of markets following President Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to fire central bank governor Naci Agbal.

This marks the third time since mid-2019 that President Erdogan has abruptly fired a central bank chief. He has appointed Sahap Kavcioglu, a former banker and ruling party lawmaker.

In a statement on Sunday, Kavcioglu said the bank would focus on permanently lowering inflation, which has been stuck in double digits for most of the last four years.

Erdogan fired Agbal two days after a sharp rate hike that was meant to head off inflation of nearly 16% and a dipping lira.

Economic Analysts say the weekend overhaul could soon reverse the hawkish steps taken by predecessor Naci Agbal, while nudging Turkey toward a balance of payments crisis given its depleted buffer of Foreign reserves.

New Central Bank Chief, Kavcioglu had sought to ease concerns over a sharp selloff in Turkish assets and a pivot from rate hikes, telling bank CEOs that no immediate policy changes are being planned.

He added that any policy change would depend on lowering inflation, which he said was the primary goal.

The currency tumbled to as weak as 8.4850 versus the dollar, from 7.2185 on Friday, back to levels touched in early November when it reached a record of 8.58. It last changed hands at 8.0749.

Westpac senior currency strategist Sean Callow said the lira is being smashed by investors fearing that the custodian of its value does not share their hopes for a stable currency.

He added that the lira may not yet have found a bottom and that the real test would be when the volume comes in in Europe.

Donald Trump Plans To Launch Own Social Media Platform

Zoe Maven
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Donald Trump Plans To Launch Own Social Media Platform

A former Presidential Advisor says former President Donald Trump plans to return to social media soon, using his own platform after being banned from Twitter and other outlets.

Jason Miller, who held senior posts in both of Trump’s presidential campaigns Donald Trump will likely return to social Media in about two or three months to completely redefine the Game.

He said everybody would be waiting and watching to see what exactly president Trump will do in the coming months but that it would be on his own terms.

He added that his new platform is going to be big, and that he would bring millions and millions of people to this new platform. Miller provided no other details, nor did he say if he will be personally involved.

Donald Trump’s use of social media was a defining feature of his presidency, drawing 88 million followers to Twitter and using his tweets to announce personnel changes or significant policy shifts.

But Twitter permanently suspended his account after claiming he used it to encourage people to take part in the rally that turned into the violent storming of the US Capitol on January 6.

Trump was also banned, temporarily or permanently, by other major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

Since leaving Washington, the former president has kept a relatively low profile, largely relegated to issuing occasional news releases but Miller said Trump had been hard at work.

Despite Trump’s defeat in November by Democrat Joe Biden, he remains influential in the Republican Party and has not ruled out a third run for president in 2024.

Thousands Evacuated In Australia Amidst Record Floods

Zoe Maven
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Thousands Evacuated In Australia Amidst Record Floods

Thousands of people have been asked to evacuate in west Sydney on Sunday as torrential rains and floods continued in what has been described as the worst flooding in over fifty years.

Torrential rain lashed Australia’s south east again Monday, inundating coastal areas of New South Wales, with parts of Sydney experiencing what officials predicted would be the biggest flood in decades.

On Monday, some hard-hit areas received 10 inches of rain in 24 hours and about eight million residents have been told to avoid unnecessary travel and work from home.

Commenting on the extreme weather conditions, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said about 18,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and 38 regions have been declared disaster zones.

Also, Emergency services have received at least 8,800 calls for help and rescued hundreds of people from floodwaters since the crisis began.

There were reports of homes and businesses sustaining severe damage but according to CEO, Insurance Council of Australia, Andrew Hall, it was too early to understand the extent of the damage to property and to estimate the insurance damage bill.

Scientists have warned Australia can expect to see more frequent and more extreme weather events as a result of climate change and Rainfall records were forecast to continue in the coming days.

Authorities are equally warning of a potentially life-threatening situation although so far there have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries.

Health officials say the rain and floods will delay the already halting roll-out of corona-virus vaccines in Sydney and surrounding areas.

Former CAR President François Bozizé Takes Over Rebel Alliance

Zoe Maven
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Former CAR President François Bozizé Takes Over Rebel Alliance

Former president of the Central African Republic, François Bozizé has taken charge of a rebel alliance aimed at overthrowing the central government, according to the body’s spokesman.

Bozizé’s spokesman Serge Bozanga on Sunday confirmed that Bozize had agreed in February to become  the general coordinator of the so-called Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), which attempted to block the reelection of President Faustin Archange Touadera.

According to official figures, President Touadera won re-election in the first round of the polls, but the turnout was just 35 percent as many voters were unable to cast their ballot.

Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) brought together six of the armed groups controlling much of the country in mid-December to launch the offensive against Touadera, just over a week before presidential and legislative elections.

But facing a UN peacekeeping force as well as hundreds of Russian and Rwandan soldiers deployed in late December, the rebels have been in retreat since their attack on the capital Bangui in January was thwarted.

Earlier, the country’s constitutional court had blocked Bozizé’s bid to stand in December presidential polls, saying he was under UN sanctions over claims he supported militias responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 2013-14 conflict.

Thousands of people have died in the CAR since 2013 and over a quarter of the population of 4.9 million have had to flee their homes.

The Central African Republic has seen a string of coups and wars since it gained independence from France in 1960 and violence is rife as two-thirds of the territory is controlled by militia groups.

The Difference Between Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Olasunbo Okoromi
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Baking soda and baking powder are both chemical leavening agents that give height to baked goods through acid-base reactions that release carbon dioxide, but they do so in slightly different ways. To best understand how to use them, it helps to grasp what they are.

Baking soda—also known as “bicarbonate of soda” in the UK and some commonwealth countries—is pure sodium bicarbonate, an ionic salt with the chemical formula NaHCO3.
It’s naturally alkaline (basic) with a pH of eight, and provides the “base” portion of the acid-base reaction. If you’re using baking soda to leaven something, you need to introduce an acid for it to react with, such as vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or (depending on how it’s processed) cocoa powder.

If your recipe doesn’t contain any naturally occurring acids, it probably calls for baking powder, which provides both baking soda and one or more acids for the baking soda to react with. It may seem like a bad idea to store acids and bases in one container, but the acids in baking powder are in their crystalline forms, and can only interact with the baking soda once it sees some water.

Almost all baking powder you buy at the grocery store is “double-acting,” which just means that there are two acids in the mix—one that reacts immediately when it’s mixed into a wet batter, and one that is later activated by the heat from your oven. Now for the mnemonic. Even if you understand the theory behind the two leavening agents and how they work, it can still be hard to keep the names straight in your head.

If you grasp the concept but have trouble with names, just remember: Baking SOda is SOlely SOdium bicarbonate, while baking Powder is Perfectly complete. And, if all you have is baking soda, don’t fret—you can make your own complete chemical leavening agent by adding a little cream of tartar.

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