Olympics torch relay starts in Japan’s Fukushima

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March 25, 2021

The Olympic torch relay set off from Fukushima on Thursday, starting a four-month countdown to the Summer Games in Tokyo.

About 10,000 runners are carrying the torch across Japan`s 47 prefectures, starting from the site of the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed about 20,000 people.

The starting ceremony was held at J-Village in Fukushima, a sports complex converted for several years into a staging ground for workers decommissioning the crippled nuclear power plant.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, which was closed to spectators, Tokyo 2020 president, Seiko Hashimoto said the Olympic flame was kept alive quietly but powerfully for the past year.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga assured reporters the national government was cooperating with Tokyo and the International Olympic Committee to host a secure Games.

He said they would do everything possible terms of coronavirus measures to contain the spread of infections and hope to work towards a safe and secure Games.

The relay, which will culminate with the Olympic opening ceremony on July 23, has been hit by several high-profile runner cancellations as top-level athletes have pulled out, citing late notice and worries over the pandemic.

The majority of the public is against the Olympics being held as scheduled, polls show.

Pfizer Begins Human Trials With Pill To Treat Coronavirus

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Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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American pharmaceutical company Pfizer says it has started human safety testing of a new pill to treat the coronavirus that could be used at the first sign of illness.

In a statement, Pfizer’s Chief Scientific Officer, Mikael Dolsten said the oral antiviral clinical candidate “PF-07321332”, has demonstrated potent in vitro anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, as well as activity against other coronaviruses.

Dolsten said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic requires both prevention via vaccine and targeted treatment for those who contract the virus and given the continued global impact of COVID-19, it is needful to have access to therapeutic options.

This Phase 1 trial which being conducted in the United States, is a randomised, single and multiple dose-escalation study in healthy adults evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of the pill.

Currently, the only FDA-approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19 is Gilead’s Remdesivir.

Pfizer, in collaboration with German company BioNTech, was the first pharmaceutical company to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Wanted Libyan War Crimes militia leader killed by gunmen

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Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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A Libyan militia leader wanted by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for alleged war crimes, on Wednesday was shot dead in the eastern city of Benghazi.

One source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the militia leader Mahmoud al-Werfalli, shot dead with his cousin, Ayman, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car.

Another security source said that the pair was seriously wounded, before being pronounced dead on arrival at Benghazi Medical Centre, located near the scene of the shooting.

The ICC issued a first arrest warrant for Werfalli who was a member of forces loyal to eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar, in August 2017, charging him with seven separate rounds of executions of 33 people in 2016 and 2017.

In July 2018, the ICC issued a second arrest warrant for Werfalli for his alleged responsibility for murder as a war crime.Then ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the UN Security Council in November 2019 that Werfalli was enjoying “his liberty in the Benghazi area.

Libya has been caught up in chaos and continuous conflict in the decade since, pitting a Tripoli-based government against an administration in the east loyal to Haftar.

Israel Warns Palestinian President Against Election Pact With Hamas

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Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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Israel is warning Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against running on a joint list with Hamas in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The director of Israel’s domestic security service, the Shin Bet, gave the warning against creating a power-sharing government with Hamas after the elections.

According to analysts, the Israeli security establishment is very concerned that the May 22elections, could lead to a Hamas takeover in the West Bank as happened in Gaza after the previous elections, in 2006.

Israeli officials clarified that Abbas was not asked to cancel the vote, but that he was warned that certain results, or instance a Hamas victory or a power-sharing government, could create a deep rift with Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli sources say officials from the Biden administration have been sending supportive messages about the elections.

A poll released on Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that overwhelming majorities of Palestinians favor holding the elections and believe they will take place.

Turkey rejects Macron’s claim of possible vote interference

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Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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Turkey has refuted claims by French President Emmanuel Macron that Ankara could seek to interfere in France’s next election by influencing public opinion.

In a Television interview Macron accused Turkey and Turkish state media of engaging in a policy of lies and of portraying France as having an issue with Islam.

The statement comes in spite of efforts by Turkey and France to ease tense relations brought on by other issues including a dispute over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean and Turkey’s military intervention in Libya.

However, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy in a statement called Macron’s claims as “dangerous” claiming the Country’s interest in France concerned the well-being of Turks who lived in France.

Aksoy also expressed disappointment that Macron made the comments at a time when France and Turkey were taking steps to try and ease the already tense relations.

He insisted Turkey has no agenda regarding France’s interior politics apart from the welfare, peace and harmony of the 800,000-strong Turkish community living in that country.

He added that Turkey would reciprocate any positive or negative stance or statements in the same way.

Morocco Warns Freed Activist Against Undermining The State

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Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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Morocco has accused French-Moroccan historian and activist Maati Monjib of making irresponsible statements after he was released from prison thereby damaging the kingdom’s image on human rights.

A statement issued by the Moroccan Interior Ministry on Wednesday evening said Monjib undermined state institutions by criticizing the political system and security apparatus of the North African country.

The 60 years old historian was arrested end of December as part of a preliminary investigation into money laundering accusations which he said were an abuse of power.

He was earlier given a one year jail term for alleged fraud and undermining state security in January, ending a tedious trial that was frequently postponed since 2015.

He was later released after spending three months in prison after he went on a 19-day hunger strike.

The Ministry has warned that the government will begin legal proceedings against Monjib regardless of his status as an activist or dual nationalism.

In related developments, six journalists and activists who were also on trial were sentenced to up to a year in prison. Three have left Morocco, and been granted political asylum in Europe.

Kenya Gives UN Agency Ultimatum, Orders Closure Of Two Refugee Camps

By

Zoe Maven

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March 25, 2021

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Kenya has ordered the closure of two large Refugee camps; the Dadaab and the Kakuma Camps, housing hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighbouring Somalia.

The country’s interior minister Fred Matiang’i said the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) has been given a two weeks to present a plan for the closure adding that there would be no further talks on the matter.

On the other hand UNHCR said in a statement that the decision would have an impact on the protection of refugees in Kenya especially amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

They however urged Kenya to ensure that those who need protection continue to get it, and pledged to keep engaging in a dialogue.

Kenya first announced their plans to shut the Dadaab camp, which is closer to the border with Somalia than Kakuma, back in 2016, due to national security concerns.

At the time intelligence reports showed that two large attacks on Kenyan targets in 2013 and 2015 took place with the involvement of elements from within the camps.

But the plan was blocked by the high court, which called the move unconstitutional.

The Dadaab and the Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya’s northern region together host over 410,000 people, which include a small proportion of people from South Sudan.

JOINT ADMISSIONS AND MATRICULATION BOARD ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT OF REGISTRATION, MAKES NIN MANDATORY

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Precious Obazee

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March 25, 2021

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, have announced the commencement of registration for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry.

The organisation said for any person to be registered for the UTME/DE, such candidate must supply their National Identity Number.

The Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja.

He said the Governing Board of JAMB met at its meeting of March 22, 2021 and decided that for any person to be registered for the UTME/DE, he/she must supply his/her NIN, adding that it is, therefore, mandatory for participation in the 2021 registration exercise

He said registration will take place in 700 centres across the country and prospective candidates should visit the JAMB website for the list which is also available at all of the Board’s state offices.

Registration will start on Thursday, April 8 to Saturday, May 15, 2021 and Candidates are also to note that the registration for the DE applicants will run concurrently with that of the UTME candidates.

The statement revealed that there will be no extension of time for the sale of the UTME/DE application documents.

The UTME will hold from Saturday, June 5 to Saturday, June 19, 2021. The venue of the examination will be at any of the centres in the candidate’s chosen examination town.

“The registration fee for the 2021 application documents is N3,500 and N500 for the recommended reading text.

India Antitrust Watchdog Says Whatsapp Breached Anti-trust Laws

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Angel Gimalo

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March 24, 2021

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India’s competition watchdog has ordered a probe into a WhatsApp privacy policy update, saying the Facebook Inc-owned messaging service had breached antitrust laws.

The update announced in January, which will take effect in May, allows WhatsApp to share some user data with Facebook and its units, prompting a global backlash including in India, its biggest market with more than 500 million users.

The 21-page antitrust order came as WhatsApp is expanding its digital payment services to millions of Indians.

The Competition Commission of India said WhatsApp had violated competition laws “through its exploitative and exclusionary conduct … in the garb of policy update.”

It ordered its investigation unit to launch a probe and submit a report within 60 days. Such probes typically take several months.

WhatsApp’s sharing of data in a way that is “neither fully transparent nor based on voluntary and specific user consent,” appears unfair to users, the watchdog added.

The regulator said WhatsApp had told it that the policy update raised no competition law concerns.

WhatsApp responded in a statement it would engage with the commission, noting the company’s commitment to protecting encryption and providing transparency on how the new business features work.

WhatsApp has previously said that changes only involved users’ interactions with businesses.

In India, users concerned about privacy have downloaded rival apps such as Signal and Telegram, according to data from research firms.

Post Covid-19 – Britain’s Economy Poised For Quick Bounce-Back

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 24, 2021

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Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane said on Wednesday he remained confident that Britain’s economy was poised for a quick bounce-back as the country races ahead with its coronavirus vaccinations and restrictions are lifted.

“My sense will be chatting to people, they are desperate to get their lives back, desperate to get out spending and socialising and working,” Haldane told ITV television.

“And if that happens then some of those savings do get spent. Even a small amount of them, we are talking about a pretty rip-roaring recovery.”

Haldane has been the most upbeat member of the BoE’s nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee about the economy’s growth prospects although he said there was a risk that people remained unwilling to go out and resume their normal lives.

Last week Haldane said he expected a “rapid-fire recovery” and has previously likened the economy to a coiled spring as households prepare to spend the money that they have saved after being stuck at home for much of the last year.

Haldane told ITV it was important that households spent down those savings as a way to create jobs for the people hit hardest by the crisis – the young, the poor, the least skilled, women and ethnic minorities.

In the longer term, education, infrastructure and other investment would be key to maintaining growth and reducing inequality, he said.