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Angry Protest In Tunisia Over Garbage Shipment From Italy

Zoe Maven
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Angry Protest In Tunisia Over Garbage Shipment From Italy

Civil society activists from the port city of Sousse have rallied in front of the Italian Embassy in Tunis to protest and demand the repatriation to Italy of 282 containers of Italian waste still blocked at the port of Sousse.

This came after 600 containers of hazardous and toxic waste destined for Tunisia have been blocked by the Italian customs authorities.

The activists protested by carrying garbage bags loaded with bouquets of flowers and chanted slogans such as Tunisia is not the trash of Italy and that the case represents a “crime against the Tunisian people

Majdi ben Ghazala, a member of the Sousse municipal council called on Tunisian authorities to show more determination and to have the waste returned.

The activists also criticized the negligence of the authorities in both countries and the corruption that is rampant in this area.

The scandal led to the prosecution of the port’s head of customs and the resignation of the country’s environment minister while eight people have been arrested and jailed over the matter.

During the summer of 2020, customs had discovered these household waste whose export is prohibited under Tunisian law – presented administratively by the importing company as ‘harmless’ plastic waste.

French Defence Minister In Mali Over Airstrike Controversy

Zoe Maven
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French Defence Minister In Mali Over Airstrike Controversy

French Defence Minister Florence Parly has met with Malian transitional President Bah N’Daw at the presidency in Bamako in further efforts to exonerate France from claims that an airstrike in January killed 19 civilians in northern Mali.

Parly whose Counterparts from Estonia, Kalle Laanet, and the Czech Republic, Lubomir Metnar, are part of the delegation, said all the fundamental principles aimed at preserving civilians were been applied.

She stated that French armed forces targeted a terrorist group that had been formally identified as such and insisted that there were no women or children among the victims.

However, an investigation by the United Nations mission in Mali (MINUSMA), showed the French air force struck near the remote village of Bounti on January 3 ,where a wedding party of about 100 people had in fact been taking place.

Although France also denied the wedding presence, saying that the strike was intended to neutralize terrorist elements only, accounts from local residents corroborate the report’s findings.

The report also questioned whether the French military had enough time to do its due diligence and ensure that its strike would not harm civilians.

But the French defence ministry stood by its denial, and also stating that it had numerous reservations about the methodology used to arrive at the report’s conclusion.

Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that first broke out in the north of the country in 2012 before spreading to the centre and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Dr. Philip Mpango Named Tanzania’s Vice President

Zoe Maven
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Dr. Philip Mpango Named Tanzania’s Vice President

Dr. Philip Isdor Mpango has been sworn in as Tanzania’s Vice President in a ceremony which took place in the State House, Chamwino, Dodoma and in the presence of the newly appointed President Samia Suluhu.

Mpango became the Vice President after the position was left vacant when President Suluhu took over as president following the death of the former President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli.

Philip Isdor Mpango is among the few ministers reappointed by the late President Magufuli during his second term and 363 Legislators had voted to endorse him after being nominated by President Samia Suluhu.

Speaking at the Ceremony, President Suluhu urged the new Vice President Mpango to prioritize resolving challenges facing the union on financial matters.

Mpango previously served as the Acting Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the Executive Secretary in the President’s Office (Planning Commission). He also served as the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, and the Personal Assistant to the late President Magufuli in economic affairs

UK Regulator Says Thirty Blood Clot Cases Found After Astrazeneca Vaccine Use

Zoe Maven
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UK Regulator Says Thirty Blood Clot Cases Found After Astrazeneca Vaccine Use

British regulators say they have identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events after the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is 25 more cases than the agency previously reported.

On March 18, the UK medicines regulator said there were five cases of a rare brain blood clot among eleven million administered shots.

However On Thursday, it put the count at twenty-two reports of an extremely rare brain clotting ailment, and eight reports of other clotting events associated with low blood platelets out of a total of 18.1 million doses given.

The health officials said they, however, still believed the benefits of the vaccine in the prevention of COVID-19 far outweigh any possible risk of blood clots.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said it had received no such reports of clotting events following use of the vaccine made by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc.

In the meantime, some countries are restricting use of the AstraZeneca vaccine while others have resumed inoculations, as investigations into reports of rare, and sometimes severe, blood clots continue.

Train Derails In Taiwan, Dozens Of People Feared Dead

Zoe Maven
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Train Derails In Taiwan, Dozens Of People Feared Dead

A packed train in eastern Taiwan on Friday derailed inside a tunnel with dozens of people believed to have been killed.

According to the Central Emergency Operation Center, the eight-car train, carrying some 350 passengers was making its way from Taipei to the southeastern city of Taitung.

They said the accident occurred on Taiwan’s eastern railway line around 9.30am local time near the coastal city of Hualien.

They added that rescuers were trying to get to four carriages inside the tunnel that were badly damaged and difficult to access.

In their latest rescue operation update, police said 36 passengers were classified as showing no signs of life. They added that 72 people were still trapped inside train carriages while 61 passengers had been sent to hospital.

In addition, the Taiwan Railways Administration issued a separate statement stating that several of the passengers were without signs of life, as was confirmed by the local fire department.

The accident occurred at the start of the busy annual Tomb Sweeping festival, which is a long holiday weekend when Taiwan’s roads and railways are usually packed.

Search and Rescue Efforts Ongoing For Missing Nigerian Air Force Alpha-Jet

Angel Gimalo
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Search and Rescue Efforts Ongoing For Missing Nigerian Air Force Alpha-Jet

Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha-Jet has gone missing after it lost ‘radar contact’ while on a mission, in Borno State, the North-Eastern part of the country.

This was announced in a statement made available by the NAF’s Director of Public Relations, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.

Details of the whereabouts of the aircraft or likely cause of contact loss are still sketchy but will be relayed to the general public as soon as they become clear.

Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Food Importation Gulps N1.89tn Annually In Nigeria

Angel Gimalo
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Food Importation Gulps N1.89tn Annually In Nigeria

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono has disclosed that food importation gulps about N1.89tn annually in Nigeria.

The Minister also said Nigeria spends about N568.5bn on the importation of milk and dairy products annually.

Currently, the Nigerian dairy industry was largely subsistence and consisted of local milk production, importation, processing, marketing and consumption, according to the Minister.

    He emphasised that the consumption of aggregated and bulked milk was less than 20 percent of the local potential.

    Gov. Sanwo-Olu Approves Body Cams For Law Enforcement Officers

    Angel Gimalo
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    Gov. Sanwo-Olu Approves Body Cams For Law Enforcement Officers

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, South-West Nigeria has announced that law enforcement personnel in the state will now start using body camera while discharging their duties.

    Sanwo-Olu said the move would improve transparency and accountability in the activities of law enforcement agencies, and put the State Government in a better position to respond to security challenges in real-time.

    He said the devices would help to put the state government in a better position to respond to security challenges in real-time.

    The governor also approved mass training for the state’s law enforcement personnel on the use of the body-worn cameras, ahead of the deployment of the digital tools for security operations across the state.

    The three-day training, to begin in May, will be facilitated by the Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI), headed by Falade Oyekan.

    After the training, all state-funded law enforcement officers would be mandated to wear body cameras for their operations.

    Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Nationwide

    Angel Gimalo
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    Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Nationwide

    Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have commenced an industrial action across the country.

    The strike which was scheduled to begin on Thursday followed an ultimatum issued to the Federal Government which expired on Wednesday.

    NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, announced the commencement of the nationwide strike during an interview on a tv program.

    • stethoscope on blue background with space for simple text

    Ahead of the planned strike, Minister of Labour and Employment, Doctor Chris Ngige had appealed to the aggrieved medical practitioners to have a rethink and sheathe their sword, saying the Federal Government was making efforts to ensure their demands were met.

    Enrol For NIN to Enjoy Government Services – Minister

    Angel Gimalo
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    Enrol For NIN to Enjoy Government Services – Minister

    No fewer than 51 million Nigerians have enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN) and this is coming from the Federal Government.

      Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents.

        Pantami warned that while the failure to obtain the NIN could lead to between seven and 14 years imprisonment for Nigerians as stipulated by the Constitution, no one should enjoy government services without the number.

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