A joint venture between South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution and General Motors will build its second U.S. electric vehicle battery factory in Tennessee.
Industry sources say the new factory by joint venture Ultium Cells is expected to be similar in scope to its 2-point-3 billion U.S. dollar plant in Ohio.
The two firms will jointly announce more details on Friday.
The city of Seoul has been recognized by UNESCO with an award for its innovative ways of bridging the “digital divide” affecting its senior citizens.
Seoul is one of ten cities to be featured at a forum this week on sustainable, inclusive and smart cities.
Specifically, the award for Seoul is in the education category.
It got the Linking Cities award for its use of robots in the homes of senior citizens to help them catch up with the kinds of technology now ubiquitous in our daily lives.
For instance, the robots help seniors use the messenger app KakaoTalk.
And it helps them book train tickets and use digital kiosks at restaurants.
The award was presented on April 15, Paris time, at the ‘UNESCO Netexplo Linking Cities Forum.’
The International Atomic Energy Agency says it’s considering sending a team of experts to Japan, including those from neighboring countries, amid growing concerns about Tokyo’s plan to discharge contaminated water into the ocean from the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant.
In an interview with Japan’s NHK, the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said concerns among Japan’s local residents and its neighbors South Korea and China cannot be ignored.
He added that all those concerns have to be “taken seriously.”
Sources in Seoul say the agency is giving positive consideration to including experts from South Korea on the team, but it remains to be seen whether Japan will accept that.
The issue was also discussed at a weekly National Security Council meeting at the Blue House on Thursday, during which members again expressed regrets about Japan’s decision, urged transparent information sharing and vowed to work with the international community to find ways for settlement.
U.S. President Joe Biden has announced new economic sanctions against the Russia government from the East Room of the White House on April 15, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Biden announced sanctions against 32 companies and individuals that are aimed at choking off lending to the Russian government and in response to the 2020 hacking operation that breached American government agencies and some of the nation’s largest companies.
The sweeping measures are meant to punish Russia for actions that U.S. officials say cut to the core of American democracy and to deter future acts by imposing economic costs on Moscow, including by targeting its ability to borrow money.
The sanctions are certain to exacerbate tensions with Russia, which promised a response, even as some experts said the measures appeared tailored to avoid an out-of-control escalation of retaliatory acts between the two countries.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has commended the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu for his commitment to developing lasting relationships between French and Nigerian businesses.
This came as the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Franck Riester, paid a visit to the BUA Group HQ in Lagos, South-west Nigeria where he handed over a personal invitation from President Macron to Abdul Samad Rabiu to attend the Choose France Summit in June in Paris representing business leaders from Nigeria and Africa.
The French minister also witnessed the signing of a progress acknowledgement statement between BUA Group and Axens of France for BUA’s proposed 200,000barrels per day refinery in Akwa Ibom.
During the visit, it was also announced that the Chairman of BUA Group had been appointed Chairman of the France Nigeria Investment Club.
Super Eagles of Nigeria captain, Ahmed Musa has explained the reason behind his shock return to Nigerian club, Kano Pillars.
Musa, 28, teamed up with his former club Kano Pillars on Tuesday April 13 after reaching an agreement with the Northern club, which includes a clause that allows him to leave when he finds a club in Europe.
Musa has been without a club since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in October and in January he was close to joining Premier League club West Bromwich Albion but a deal failed to materialize due to financial difficulties.
Nigerians were left shocked by his return to Kano Pillars where he started his career and played from 2009 to 2012, before leaving for Europe. Musa has now explained his reason for the move.
“Anything that improves the image of Nigerian football is something that I strive to embark on and Kano Pillars holds a special place in my heart,” Musa told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s the team that helped me become the professional footballer I am today, so this is more than just football but a very strong bond.”
After leaving Nigeria in 2012, Musa teamed up with Russian side CSKA Moscow and then went on to play for Leicester City.
Musa won three Russian Premier League titles, Russian Cup, Russian Super Cup, Saudi Professional League trophy and Saudi Super Cup and recently helped the Super Eagles qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Minister of Power, Engr Sale Mamman, has tendered an apology to Nigerians affected by the power outage currently being experienced across the country.
Engr Mamman, who described the situation as unfortunate in a statement issued by Aaron Arrtmas, his media aide in Abuja, however, attributed the situation to inadequate gas supply to some thermal plants, annual maintenance and water management at the hydro plants.
The statement read: ‘The Ministry of Power is not unaware of the current power outages/shortages bedevilling many parts of the country.
”The problem is caused by the breakdown of some National Integrated Power Plants supplying electricity to the national grid. The plants are namely, Sapele, Afam, Olonrunsogo, Omotosho, Ibom, Egbin, Alaoji and Ihovbor. The Jebba Power Plant was shut down for annual maintenance.
”Seven other integrated Power plants, namely Geregu, Sepele, Omotosho, Gbarain, Omuku, Paras and Alaoji are experiencing gas constraints while the Shiroro plant has water management problems.
”This unfortunate development has drastically affected Power generation, thus effectively minimizing the national grid.
‘In view of this, The Hon Minister of Power Engr Sale Mamman regrets this unfortunate situation and offers his sincere apology to all affected Nigerians on the inconveniences the Power shortages are causing.
”He assures (Nigerians) that the ministry through the appropriate Agencies is working assiduously to rectify the technical problems affecting the plants as well as resolving the gas issues to the others.
”Engr Sale Mamman further assures that the national grid will be restored to its previous historic distribution peak of about 5,600MW of electricity achieved early this year, so as to relief Nigerians from the current harsh climatic conditions and restore full economic activities.”
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this during the flag-off ceremony of a 37km rail route in Ikeja on Thursday.
Sanwo-Olu said the project would be implemented in two phases.
”We project that the Red Line would move its first passenger in the fourth quarter of 2022.
”In addition, we are simultaneously working on bringing the first phase of our Blue Line to passenger operation, projecting that it would be in operation by the fourth quarter of 2022,” he said.
He said that the construction of the infrastructure for the standard gauge Red Line, would share tracks with the Lagos-Ibadan Railway Modernisation Projects by the Federal Government.
The governor said that the Red Line would have 12 proposed stations and the first phase would cover Agbado to Oyingbo, with nine stations.
According to him, three of the stations will be constructed with the Lagos–Ibadan Railway Modernisation Projects by the Federal Government at Agbado, Agege and Ebute Metta Junction.
”The remaining six would be constructed as independent stations at Iju, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin Yaba and Oyingbo.
”The phase two which would be mostly elevated would have stations at Iddo and Ebute-Ero before terminating at Marina,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that some of the unique characteristics of the Red Line was its integration with the Ikeja Bus Terminal, Oshodi–Abule-Egba Bus Rapid Transit, the future Orange Line, which would go from Ikeja to Agbowa, and Aviation Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport through a skywalk.
The governor said that the Red Line would have 12 proposed stations and the first phase would cover Agbado to Oyingbo, with nine stations.
According to him, three of the stations will be constructed with the Lagos–Ibadan Railway Modernisation Projects by the Federal Government at Agbado, Agege and Ebute Metta Junction.
”The remaining six would be constructed as independent stations at Iju, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin Yaba and Oyingbo.
”The phase two which would be mostly elevated would have stations at Iddo and Ebute-Ero before terminating at Marina,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that some of the unique characteristics of the Red Line was its integration with the Ikeja Bus Terminal, Oshodi–Abule-Egba Bus Rapid Transit, the future Orange Line, which would go from Ikeja to Agbowa, and Aviation Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport through a skywalk.https://3049389d1d087b4eb74c56d86ce19819.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlhttps://3049389d1d087b4eb74c56d86ce19819.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
”This particular station which has been appropriately named Ikeja Train Centre also has facilities for Park and Ride and commercial spaces.
”Also, the Oshodi Train Station will integrate with the Oshodi Bus Terminal and provision for adequate park and ride services and commercial spaces,” he said.
The governor said that another unique feature of the Red Line was that all the stations had elevated concourses with either at grade island or side platforms for easy boarding and alighting of passengers.
He said that the Red Line would also integrate with the Bus Terminals at Oyingbo, Yaba, Oshodi, Ikeja and Iju, giving modal options to people in their daily commute, either for business or leisure.
According to him, the desire of government is to achieve improved connectivity amongst transport modes, making commuting within Lagos easy, as well as business-like for every resident and visitor.
“It will also help to reduce congestion, have predictable travel time and improve the GDP of the state.
”The implementation of the Red line project has become very elevated because of the financing package put in place for it by the state government through the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement (DCRR) programme.
”This arrangement demonstrates the capacity of our Central Bank to support projects that are economically and socially viable.
”We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele, for the invaluable assistance to the Government and people of Lagos State.
“We can only assure you that the funding package would be judiciously utilised,” he said.
Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, the Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), said that the project was part of the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) 2032.
Akinajo said that the first phase of the Red line project would be 28km rail from Agbado to Oyingbo, in Ebute Metta area.
Akinajo said that the rail line was expected to carry 500,000 passengers daily for the first phase and once the second phase was implemented, it would commute one million passengers daily.
A top commanders in Uganda’s rebel Lord’s Resistance Army Dominic Ongwen has told judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday that he was not responsible for any atrocities and felt powerless to stop them.
A former Ugandan child soldier, Dominic Ongwen cast himself as a victim, saying he could not ask forgiveness for his alleged crimes because he was not responsible for them.
Speaking at a special hearing to discuss his punishment, he said he did not have the capacity to stop the things that were happening, adding that his time in the LRA haunts him to this day and makes it hard to sleep.
He also stated that could not ask for forgiveness from victims because there were other people in northern Uganda who were corrupt and who were encouraging the war at the time.
The LRA terrorised Ugandans for nearly 20 years being led by fugitive warlord Joseph Kony battling the government of President Yoweri Museveni from bases in northern Uganda.
It has now largely been wiped out.
Ongwen, who was arrested in 2015, was convicted in February of dozens of crimes including rape, sexual enslavement, child abductions, torture and murder.
Here are the fixtures (in GMT)
| Group A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.04.2021 | 19:00 | Benina | Ahly Benghazi (Libya) – Enyimba (Nigeria) |
| 21.04.2021 | 13:00 | Johannesburg | Orlando Pirates (South Africa) – ES Setif (Algeria) |
| Group B | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.04.2021 | 16:00 | Lusaka | NAPSA Stars (Zambia) – RS Berkane (Morocco) |
| 21.04.2021 | 16:00 | Garoua | Coton Sport (Cameroon) – JS Kabylie (Algeria) |
| Group C | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.04.2021 | 16:00 | Thies | ASC Jaraaf (Senegal) – Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) |
| 21.04.2021 | 16:00 | Porto Novo* | Salitas (Burkina Faso) – CS Sfaxien (Tunisia) |
* Match played in Porto Novo, Benin.
| Group D | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.04.2021 | 13:00 | Dar es Salaam | Namungo (Tanzania) – Raja (Morocco) |
| 21.04.2021 | 13:00 | Ndola | Nkana (Zambia) – Pyramids (Egypt) |
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