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Firm But Fair, Britain Announces New Plan For Immigration

By
Angel Gimalo
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Britain is set to introduce new rules for those seeking asylum, making it more difficult for refugees entering illegally to stay in the country, interior minister Priti Patel said, calling it a firm but fair system.

Since Britain completed its exit from the European Union at the end of last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been keen to set out a new independent vision for the country, unveiling new policies on defence, foreign affairs to immigration.

In what the government says is the biggest overhaul of the asylum system in decades, the “New Plan for Immigration” sets out a plan to resettle refugees at urgent risk more quickly while making it more difficult for those arriving illegally.

“Under our New Plan for Immigration, if people arrive illegally, they will no longer have the same entitlements as those who arrive legally, and it will be harder for them to stay,” Patel said in a statement.

“Profiteering from illegal migration to Britain will no longer be worth the risk, with new maximum life sentences for people smugglers … I make no apology for these actions being firm, but as they will also save lives and target people smugglers, they are also undeniably fair.”

She also said those arriving after travelling through a safe country such as France would not have immediate entry into the system, and that the government “would stop the most unscrupulous abusing the system by posing as children”.

Reducing immigration was one of the promises made by the Vote Leave campaign, for which Johnson was a figurehead, during the 2016 referendum on membership of the EU, and the government has said it would toughen up its post-Brexit asylum system.

But the main opposition Labour Party said the policy was defined by “a lack of compassion”, saying successive Conservative governments had failed the immigration system.

Lava-Grilled Hot Dogs Becoming Popular In Iceland’s South-West

By
Angel Gimalo
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At the foot of a volcano in Iceland’s south-west, lava-grilled hot dogs are becoming a popular dish.

Using ketchup and buns already prepared, scientists cooked up a sausage snack using lava as a giant grill.

As lava continues to pour from the volcano near a mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula spectators and scientists flocked to the site to study the environmental phenomenon more closely.

Researchers say it’s one of the most spectacular volcanoes in history.

The eruption came after the peninsula was shaken by disruptive earthquakes over 50-thousand times in 15 months.

This is the first eruption in the region in nearly 800 years.

Washington In Final Stages Of Policy Review On North Korea

By
Angel Gimalo
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The United States will host a meeting of top security advisors from South Korea and Japan next week to discuss its new North Korea policy.

Citing senior officials from the Biden administration, Washington is in its final stages of its policy review on North Korea.

  • FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un meet at the start of their summit at the Capella Hotel on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore June 12, 2018. Picture taken June 12, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo – RC16403478E0

It added that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will discuss the outcome of the review with his counterparts from Seoul and Tokyo.

The Biden administration has been mapping out a comprehensive policy on Pyeongyang which will lead to a “new” approach.

South Korea Confirms North Korea’s Short-Range Cruise Missiles Test

By
Angel Gimalo
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A suspected missile is fired, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 22, 2020. KCNA/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed Wednesday that North Korea test-fired two short-range cruise missiles toward the West Sea last weekend, but the missiles were not ballistic, which would’ve been a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

According to South Korean military officials, North Korea is currently holding its wintertime drills, which are believed to have begun in December and usually run through the end of March.
The last time North Korea test-fired multiple short-range cruise missiles was last April that time toward the East Sea.


The South Korean military’s statement comes after the Washington Post and Reuters cited U.S. officials as confirming the launches and speculated the move was a way to pressure the Biden administration as it reviews its North Korea policy.

  • A missile is seen in this undated picture released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 9, 2020. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.


But it’s also reported that U.S. President Joe Biden was quoted as saying the launches had little to no impact on the U.S. policy toward Pyeongyang.


Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, slammed the drills and sent a mild warning to Washington as top U.S. officials visited Seoul for bilateral talks last week.

Also, North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui confirmed the regime will continue to ignore any contact from the U.S. even from a “third country” unless Washington withdraws its hostile policies toward Pyeongyang.

Nigeria’s Central Bank, Finance Ministry deny move to liberalise Forex Market

By
Elizabeth Williams
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The Nigerian Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, yesterday, made a U-turn on the statement credited to the Minister, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, to the effect that the Federal Government will jettison the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s official foreign exchange (FX) rate for the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I & E) window rate in its transactions.

Central Bank of Nigeria CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, held on to his gun, describing as false the report attributed to the minister suggesting that the Bank has embraced a flexible exchange rate regime and harmonised the different rates. He insisted the apex bank still maintained managed floating, which allows it intervene in the market occasionally.

Emefiele said: “Let me repeat that Nigeria had not changed from its foreign exchange management policy. Nigeria remains on a managed float. What the managed float regime means is that the CBN, being the institution that has the core mandate for forex administration in the country would watch the market and see how the market operates.

He added, “Depending on its reading, it would come from time to time to intervene in the Forex market. It might interest us to know that since January, the CBN has not intervened in I & E window. The market had always operated within the band of about N409/$ and at some time it attains N412/$ and goes to N413/$.

Orders for Manufactured Goods to US tumbled 1.1% last month

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods slumped 1.1% in February with demand in a key sector that tracks business investment also dropping.

Orders had been rising for nine consecutive months, including a sizable 3.5% jump in January, according to the Commerce Department.

The size of the drop surprised economists, though it is likely that there was significant disruption from severe winter storms that hit much of the country last month, on top of ongoing supply-chain problems.

The category that covers business investment dropped 0.8% in February following solid gains of 0.6% in January and 1.5% in December.

The volatile transportation sector fell 1.6% with demand for commercial aircraft, a sector plagued by the huge drop in air travel during the pandemic, shooting up 103%. Contributing was beleaguered manufacturer Boeing, which for the first time since December 2019 booked positive net orders.

But orders for autos and auto parts slumped 8.7% with numerous plants shutdown due to a global shortage of semiconductors, a critical component used in cars and trucks.

Airlines Plan ‘Travel Pass’ for International Travelers as NCAA threatens sanction

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Airlines are considering a standard ‘travel pass’ criteria for international air travelers in the COVID-19 era in Nigeria.

Though the technology-driven pass aims at an efficient travel experience according to the Authority, part of the conditions will include health credentials and COVID-19 vaccination.

Similarly, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) has directed that only results from accredited private laboratories should be accepted from outbound passengers effective March 22, 2021.

Hence, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to sanction airlines that accept polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results from unapproved laboratories.

The travel pass proposal made headway when the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport of the first traveler using the IATA travel pass app to manage travel health credentials.

Director-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, said the successful implementation of IATA travel pass in this trial with Singapore Airlines passengers demonstrated that technology could securely, conveniently and efficiently help travelers and governments to manage travel health credentials.

Israeli Election Update: Benjamin Netanyahu Claims Win, Majority Uncertain

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Israeli Prime Minister and head of the Likud party Benjamin Netanyahu casts his vote, together with his wife Sara Netanyahu at a voting station in Jerusalem, during the Knesset Elections, on March 23, 2021. Photo by Marc Israel Sellem/POOL *** Local Caption *** מצביע בחירות כנסת הצבעה קלפי ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו שרה

Israeli Parliamentary elections on Tuesday resulted in a virtual deadlock for a fourth time in the past two years, exit polls indicated, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an uncertain future and the country facing the prospect of continued political gridlock.

The exit polls on Israel’s three main TV stations indicated that both Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies, along with a group of anti-Netanyahu parties, fell short of the parliamentary majority required to form a new government. That raised the possibility of an unprecedented fifth consecutive election later this year.

The election was seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s polarizing leadership, and the initial results showed the country remains as deeply divided as ever, with an array of small sectarian parties dominating the parliament.

The results also signaled a continuing shift of the Israeli electorate toward the right wing, which supports West Bank settlements and opposes concessions in peace talks with the Palestinians. That trend was highlighted by the strong showing of an ultranationalist anti-Arab religious party.

After three previous inconclusive elections, Netanyahu had been hoping for a decisive victory that would allow him to form a government with his traditional ultra-Orthodox and hard-line nationalist allies

In an address to supporters early Wednesday, a subdued Netanyahu boasted of a “great achievement” but stopped short of declaring victory.

“We must not under any circumstances drag the state of Israel to new elections, to a fifth election,” he said. “We must form a stable government now.”

Around 64% of the vote had been counted by early Wednesday, leaving the outcome underdetermined

US, Europe, NATO Close Ranks To Counter China’s Aggression

By
Elizabeth Williams
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The United States and countries around Europe are closing ranks to respond to “aggressive and coercive” behavior by China, days after the U.S. and its allies launched coordinated sanctions against Chinese officials accused of rights abuses in the far-western Xinjiang region.

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he wants to work with the U.S.’s partners on “how to advance our shared economic interests and to counter some of China’s aggressive and coercive actions, as well as its failures, at least in the past, to uphold its international commitments.”

Blinken spoke after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers. He will also raise the tense state of relations with China in talks later Wednesday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“When we are acting together, we are much stronger and much more effective than if any single one of us is doing it alone,” Blinken said. He noted that alone the U.S. accounts for about 25% of global GDP, but up to 60% with its allies in Europe and Asia. “That’s a lot harder for Beijing to ignore,” he said.

On Monday, the U.S., EU, Britain and Canada imposed asset freezes and travel bans on a group of officials in Xinjiang. China retaliated by slapping sanctions on 10 Europeans, including lawmakers and academics, and four institutions. Beijing said they had damaged China’s interests and “maliciously spread lies and disinformation.”

Initially, China denied the existence of camps detaining Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang but has since described them as centers to provide job training and to re-educate those exposed to extremists. Chinese officials deny all charges of human rights abuses there.

Blinken said in a speech at NATO that Beijing’s retaliatory sanctions “make it all the more important that we stand firm and stand together, or risk sending the message that bullying works.”

But views on the way that business and trade should play out differ across the Atlantic.

All you need to know about Swimmer’s Ear!

By
Chris Ottah
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Swimmer’s ear is a painful ear condition that is often linked to a dunk in the ocean or the pool, the truth is you can get it on dry land, too.

No matter how you got your swimmer’s ear, once you learn to recognize the signs, you have plenty of options to treat it.

Swimmer’s ear, which has the medical name of otitis externa, is an infection in your ear canal. That’s the tube that runs from the hole on the outside of your ear to your eardrum.

Swimmer’s ear is different from the common ear infection that your young child often gets after a cold. Those are middle ear infections, or “otitis media” in doctor speak, and they happen deeper in the ear, behind the eardrum.

Usually, swimmer’s ear is caused by bacteria, but it can sometimes be brought on by a virus or fungus. Symptoms you may get are:

  • Itchiness in the ear
  • Pain, which can become severe
  • Trouble hearing (sound may seem muffled as your ear canal swells)
  • Fluid or pus draining out of the ear

Here’s one way to tell which type of ear infection you have. If it hurts when you tug or press your ear, you may have swimmer’s ear.

Why Do People Get Swimmer’s Ear?

Most of the time, your ear fights off the germs that cause swimmer’s ear on its own. You can thank your earwax for that. While it doesn’t get much respect, earwax helps protect the ear canal from damage and makes it hard for germs to grow.

But if the skin gets scratched, germs can get into your ear canal and cause an infection. Some common reasons you may get swimmer’s ear are:

Sticking stuff in your ear. If you use cotton swabs, fingers, hairpins, pen caps, or anything else to clean your ears, it can rub away the protective earwax or scratch your skin. Even ear buds, earplugs, and hearing aids can have this effect, especially if you use them a lot.

Moisture trapped in your ear. When water gets stuck in your ear canal after swimming or after you soak in a hot tub or even take a shower or bath — it can remove some of the earwax and soften the skin, which makes it easier for germs to get in.

Humid weather and sweat can cause the same problem. Germs like a warm, wet place to grow, so moisture trapped in your ear is perfect for them.

Other things can play a role in swimmer’s ear, like:

Your age. While swimmer’s ear can happen to anyone, it’s most common in kids and early teenagers.

Narrow ear canals. Kids often have ear canals that are small and don’t drain as well.

Skin reactions and conditions. Sometimes hair products, cosmetics, and jewelry can irritate your skin and raise the odds of getting swimmer’s ear.

How to Diagnose and Treat Swimmer’s Ear

If you have ear pain, don’t wait — see your doctor right away. Getting treatment quickly can stop an infection from getting worse.

During your appointment, your doctor will look in your ear and may gently clean it out. This will help treatments work better.

Then, you’ll probably get eardrops that may have antibiotics, steroids, or other ingredients to fight the infection and help with swelling. In some cases, you may need to take antibiotic pills, too.

Swimmer’s Ear Complications

Most of the time, swimmer’s ear starts to feel better within 2 days of starting treatment. But sometimes, it can get worse or lead to other problems, such as:

Long-term swimmer’s ear (chronic otitis externa). This is when swimmer’s ear doesn’t go away within 3 months. Your doctor may need to test a sample of any fluid in your ear to help you decide on the best treatment.

Other infections. Sometimes, the bacteria can spread deeper into your skin or to other parts of your body. One rare condition is malignant otitis externa, which happens when the infection moves into bone and cartilage in your head.

Treatment for these infections is with more powerful antibiotics, either by mouth or through a needle (IV).

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