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Senegalese Government Announces Probe Into Unrest

Zoe Maven
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Senegalese Government Announces Probe Into Unrest

Senegal has announced an independent and impartial commission to investigate deadly violence in March, upsetting the country’s reputation as a haven of stability in West Africa.

At least five people were killed in the worst unrest in years, according to an unofficial toll, while the opposition says at least 13 died and blames the authorities.

Riots and looting broke out when opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, a leading rival to President Macky Sall, was arrested and accused of rape.

Sonko, who has a strong following among young Senegalese, denies the allegations, describing them as plot to knock his 2024 presidential bid off course.

Armed Forces Minister Sidiki Kaba, announcing the inquiry, said investigators would “re-establish the facts, refuting claims that the government of Senegal was entirely responsible.

He did not rule out possible violations by police or gendarmes, but insisted there would be “no impunity” for any who were found guilty.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have denounced what they call excessive force and use of live rounds, and the use of unidentified agents to support the security forces.

Kaba said the commission would be open to the opposition and civil society, but gave no further details or the timetable for its work.

Morning stretches to help kick-start your day

Olasunbo Okoromi
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Morning stretches to help kick-start your day

Getting out of bed in the morning some days can be a little difficult, you may wake up feeling sluggish, aching and full of tension, potentially caused by being less physically active during the day or having worked on a laptop for lengthy periods

Stretching can be a gentle way of easing yourself into the day. Some studies suggest that, along with other forms of regular exercise, stretching could help you to relax, increase your flexibility, reduce lower back pain, and help to manage some other health conditions.

Taking a few minutes in the morning to wake up sleepy muscles and loosen tight shoulders and hips can be the difference between feeling super sore and energised.

Stretching is beneficial at any time of the day, but particularly in the morning to awaken the senses, get the blood flowing and kick start your mind, ready for the day ahead. So start your day right by taking just a few minutes each morning to stretch your major muscle groups.

You don’t have to jump right out bed to start exercising, rather you can start from the bed and by the time you are done you will be on your feet.

When you stretch make sure to hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds and repeat each one two to three times, especially if your muscles and joints feel tight.

Stretches in bed

1. Cobra stretch

Lie on your stomach and place your hands flat beneath your shoulders. Tuck your elbows in by your sides and gently raise your head and chest, keeping your hips and groin on the bed. If it feels comfortable, you can go a little deeper by lifting your tummy off the bed too. Remember to relax your neck and shoulders. Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds and when you’re ready, gently lower back down.

2. Knees-to-chest

Lying flat on your back, bring one knee to your chest and hold it in position with your arms or hands. You should feel a nice stretch in your lower back. If it feels comfortable, you can also do this stretch by bending both knees at the same time.

3. Spinal twist

Lying on your back, raise one of your knees, and gently roll it over to the opposite side. Make sure both of your shoulders stay in contact with the bed at all times. If it feels comfortable, stretch one arm out to the side, keeping it in line with your shoulders, and slowly turn your head to face your outstretched arm. You should feel the stretch on the sides of your upper body and your lower back. Breathe deeply and repeat on the opposite side.

Sitting exercises

Once you start to feel more awake, gently move to sit on the edge of your bed and move on to your next set of sitting stretches.

4. Upper back stretch

Sit on the edge of your bed, with your feet flat on the floor. Interlock your fingers and reach forward, bending from your middle back. Stretch with your hands forward at shoulder level. You should feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.

5. Neck stretch

Relax your shoulders and gently move your left ear towards your left shoulder, using your left arm to help. Only stretch as far as feels comfortable. Hold for 15-20 seconds and slowly repeat on the other side.

6. Shoulder stretch

Relaxing your shoulder blades back and down, reach one arm across your body and gently use your other arm to deepen the stretch. Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Standing exercises

Hopefully by now you’re beginning to feel more awake and your eyelids are slowly starting to open. When you’re ready, stand up and complete your final stretches.

7. Side stretch

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and clasp your hands above your head. Gently lean your body to one side, feeling a deep stretch along the side of your body. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

8. Standing quad stretch

Stand up straight and hold onto the wall or a chair if you need to. Keep your feet hip-width apart. Reach back and grab your left foot with your left hand. Keep your thighs lined up next to each other and your left leg in line with your hip. Feel the stretch in your left thigh and hips. Repeat with your right leg.

9. Hamstring stretch

Stand upright and gently bend one knee as if you’re going into a sitting position. Place the opposite leg outright, pointing your toes towards the ceiling. Bend forward from your hips to feel a nice stretch along the back of your outstretched leg. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then repeat with your other leg.

10. Calf stretch

Placing your hands on a wall for support, step back on one leg and gently push your heel towards the ground, feeling a nice stretch along the back of your calf. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on your opposite leg.

Remember to stretch safely

It’s important to listen to your body each day and take these stretches at your own pace.. Don’t be disheartened if you’re not very flexible at first. With regular practice your body should become more relaxed and each day you’ll be able to reach that little bit further.

But only take yourself to a comfortable stretch without any pain. If you notice any sharp or shooting pain, ease off completely.

If you have an injury, speak to your doctor or physiotherapist first so they can recommend a stretching routine that’s tailored to you.

Egypt And Uganda Sign Military Intelligence Sharing Agreement

Zoe Maven
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Egypt And Uganda Sign Military Intelligence Sharing Agreement

Egypt and Uganda have signed a memorandum of understanding on military intelligence sharing, amid growing tensions over a mega-dam built by Ethiopia on the Nile River.

The agreement between two Nile basin countries comes in a context of high tensions between Egypt and Sudan on the one hand, and Ethiopia on the other hand.

The text, was signed Wednesday evening by the head of Ugandan military intelligence Abel Kandiho and the number two of Egyptian military intelligence, General Sameh Saber El-Degwi.

A spokesman for Uganda’s Ministry of Defense Sameh Saber El-Degwi said the agreement states and makes provision that the two agencies exchange information including combating terrorism.

He said cooperation between the two countries is inevitable because what affects the Ugandans will affect Egypt in one way or another.

In recent weeks, Egypt has issued numerous warnings about the Great Renaissance Dam being built in northwestern Ethiopia, on the Blue Nile.

Since work on the dam began in 2011, Egypt and Sudan wanted a tripartite agreement on the operation of the dam before filling began. However no agreement has been reached, and Ethiopia considers the filling to be an integral part of the dam’s construction.

Addis Ababa says the hydroelectric power generated by the dam is vital to meet the energy needs of its 110 million people.

Ukraine Conflict: Moscow Could ‘Defend’ Russia-Backed Rebels

Zoe Maven
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Ukraine Conflict: Moscow Could ‘Defend’ Russia-Backed Rebels

Russia says the country could intervene to help Russian-speaking residents in eastern Ukraine if Ukraine launches an all-out assault on separatists there.

Russian-backed separatist rebels have been clashing with Ukrainian troops in the east of the country and Russia has also been building up troops on the border with Ukraine.

A top Russian official, Dmitry Kozak, said that Russian forces could intervene to defend its citizens warning that an escalation could mark the beginning of the end for Ukraine.

The United States and Germany have both expressed concern at the increase in tensions.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the situation as deeply concerning saying Russian troop numbers there were the highest since 2014, when the conflict in eastern Ukraine started.

Russia has been increasing the number of troops at the Ukrainian border, but maintains that they should not be seen as a threat. Meanwhile, Ukrainian military asserted at the end of March that some 20,000 Russian troops had been moved towards Ukraine’s border.

Clashes between Ukrainian troops and the Moscow-backed rebels inside Donbass have also increased in recent months.

Britain’s Prince Philip, Husband Of Queen Elizabeth II, Dies At 99

Zoe Maven
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Britain’s Prince Philip, Husband Of Queen Elizabeth II, Dies At 99

Britain’s Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has died at the age of 99 after seven decades at the heart of public life as consort to Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement that His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

Prince Philip was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch after his marriage to Her Majesty in 1947 and her accession to the throne in 1952.

Philip was seen as an embodiment of British culture. But as with many nineteenth- and twentieth-century British royals, his family origins were a largely continental mix.

Tributes have poured in from around the world, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said Prince Philip had helped to steer the Royal Family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom has lost an extraordinary public servant in Prince Philip who dedicated his life to the country.

He said the Late Prince will however be remembered most of all for his extraordinary commitment and devotion to the Queen being by her side for over seven decades.

Prince Philip who retired from royal duties in 2017 aged 96, was the oldest-ever male member of the British Royal Family and the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch.

Kenyan Firm Seeks To Return Covid Vaccine To Russia

Zoe Maven
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Kenyan Firm Seeks To Return Covid Vaccine To Russia

A private company that imported the Sputnik V vaccine to Kenya is seeking to re-export it back to Russia following government’s ban on importation, distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccines by private entities.

Deputy Director of the country’s drug authority, Dominic Kariuki says the firm has written to them seeking to re-export the vaccine.

Addressing members of the Kenya senate’s health committee Kariuki said the company is now in the process of officially applying with a letter of intent already been given to the pharmacy and poisons board

Chief Administrative Secretary of Health Rashid Aman said those who had received the first dose of the vaccine would still get their second dose after three weeks.

Aman however said this would only apply to the 527 people who were vaccinated with that vaccine at the time of the ban as the World Health Organization recommends that vaccines should not be mixed.

U.S. blacklists seven Chinese Super-computing Entities

Zoe Maven
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U.S. blacklists seven Chinese Super-computing Entities

United States Commerce Department has added seven Chinese super-computing entities to an economic blacklist citing national security concerns.

The seven entities were banned for building supercomputers used by China’s military actors, and weapons of mass destruction programs.

U.S. officials have long complained that Chinese companies are obligated to China and collect sensitive information on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army.

The companies include the National Supercomputing Center Shenzhen, Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Sunway Microelectronics, the National Supercomputing Center Jinan, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center, the National Supercomputing Center Wuxi and the National Supercomputing Center Zhengzhou.

The new rules, which restrict U.S. exports to the entities in question, take effect immediately although they do not apply to goods from U.S. suppliers that are already en route.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote in a statement that supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons.

She said the Department of Commerce will use its power to prevent China from leveraging U.S. technologies to support these destabilizing military modernization efforts.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment although the Chinese Communist Party has previously said that it does not engage in industrial espionage.

Djibouti Heads To The Polls, Guelleh Seeks Fifth Term

Zoe Maven
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Djibouti Heads To The Polls, Guelleh Seeks Fifth Term

Djibouti is going to the polls on Friday with President Ismail Omar Guelleh seeking a fifth term in the country which is home to military bases for the United States, China and others.

73-year-old Guelleh faces just one challenger, an independent candidate Zakaria Ismail Farah, who halted campaigning early while asserting that he could not do so in safety.

Critics have accused the president of being a heavy-handed dictator, but others in Djibouti see him as a driving force in the country’s development and relative stability.

Guelleh has been in power since 1999 after the death of his predecessor, Hassan Guled Aptidon, the country’s first president. Days ago Guelleh told reporters that he was no longer interested in power but was merely responding to the will of the people.

More than 205,000 people are registered to vote in Djibouti, which has a population of over 600,000.

The country is located on the Red Sea along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and is a mix of ethnic Somali, Afar and Arab.

Djibouti won independence from France in 1977.

Egyptologists Uncover ‘Lost Golden City’ Buried Under The Sands

Zoe Maven
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Egyptologists Uncover ‘Lost Golden City’ Buried Under The Sands

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered remains of an ancient city in the desert outside Luxor which dates back to a golden age of the pharaohs 3,000 years ago.

The team began excavations in September 2020, between the temples of Ramses III and Amenhotep III near Luxor, some 500 kilometres south of Cairo.

Egyptologist Zahi Hawass announced the discovery of the “lost golden city”, saying the site was home of the legendary Valley of the Kings.

He said they unearthed the site of a large city in a good condition of preservation, with almost complete walls, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life.”

In a statement Thursday the excavation team called the find “the largest” ancient city that was lost under the sands, ever uncovered in Egypt

The statement said that within weeks, to the team’s great surprise, formations of mud bricks began to appear in all directions, and that the mission expects to uncover untouched tombs filled with treasures,”

Also items of jewellery have been unearthed, along with coloured pottery vessels, scarab beetle amulets and mud bricks bearing seals of Amenhotep III.

Professor of Egyptian art and archaeology at Johns Hopkins University, Betsy Bryan, said the city will provide a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time where the empire was at his wealthiest.

Hyundai Motor To Suspend Asan Plant Output Over Chip Shortage

Koko Lawrence
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Hyundai Motor To Suspend Asan Plant Output Over Chip Shortage

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co said on Friday it has decided to suspend production for two days starting on Monday at its Asan plant because of a chip shortage.

It said the suspension was because of the “supply conditions” for semiconductor parts for powertrain control units.

“We are closely monitoring the situation to take prompt and necessary measures to optimize production in line with the supply conditions,” Hyundai said in a statement.

The Asan factory turns out 300,000 vehicles each year, including the Sonata and Grandeur sedans.

Hyundai last week announced it would suspend output at Ulsan, its main South Korean factory, from April 7 to April 14 because of chip and component supply issues.

Underscoring the severity of the global chip shortage crisis, Hyundai has become the latest automaker to halt manufacturing because of the chip shortage.

Hyundai had been able to avoid a hit from the shortage so far largely because it maintained a stockpile of chips unlike its global peers, according to reports.

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