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Biden Upholds Controversial Decision, U.S. Embassy To Remain In Jerusalem

Angel Gimalo
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Biden Upholds Controversial Decision, U.S. Embassy To Remain In Jerusalem

The Biden administration plans to keep the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, upholding a controversial decision by former President Donald Trump.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The interview was followed by the release of a CQ Roll Call report Tuesday that cited an unnamed Biden administration source saying that the U.S. will not move the embassy out of Jerusalem, despite Palestinian opposition.

  • A flag flutters outside the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv August 4, 2013. President Barack Obama’s top national security advisers met at the White House on Saturday to discuss the potential threat of terrorist attacks that caused Washington and its allies to issue travel warnings and close embassies throughout the Middle East. REUTERS/Nir Elias (ISRAEL – Tags: POLITICS) – RTX12A28

 “The ultimate status of Jerusalem is a final status issue which will need to be resolved by the parties in the context of direct negotiations.”

In his interview with Blitzer, Blinken was asked directly if he recognizes Israel as the capital of Israel.

“I do, yes,” the secretary responded. “And more importantly, we do.”

Blinken was asked if he would support Palestine locating its capital in East Jerusalem as part of a potential peace agreement.

“What we have to see happen is for the parties to get together and negotiate these so-called final status issues,” he said.

The Biden administration’s confirmation comes days after the Senate voted 97-3 in favor of a congressional budget amendment that kept the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.

  • TOPSHOT – US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (C-L) claps as US President’s daughter Ivanka Trump unveils an inauguration plaque during the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The United States moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem after months of global outcry, Palestinian anger and exuberant praise from Israelis over President Donald Trump’s decision tossing aside decades of precedent. / AFP PHOTO / Menahem KAHANAMENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images

The status of Jerusalem has been a major point of contention during the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with each side making claims to the ancient city as their rightful capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke at the ceremony opening the embassy, told then-President Trump that “by recognizing history, you have made history.”

Environmental Degradation: Polluted Nigerian Communities Can Sue Shell In English Courts – UK Supreme Court

Precious Obazee
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Environmental Degradation: Polluted Nigerian Communities Can Sue Shell In English Courts – UK Supreme Court

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom has ruled that polluted Nigerian communities can sue oil giant Shell in English courts.

The decision is a victory for the communities after a five-year battle and overturns a Court of Appeal ruling.

The Niger Delta communities of more than 40,000 people say decades of pollution have severely impacted their lives, health and local environment.

Shell had argued it was only a holding company for a firm that should be judged under Nigerian law.

Royal Dutch Shell did not dispute that pollution had been caused, but argued it could not be held legally responsible for its Nigerian subsidiary.

Last year the Court of Appeal agreed with the company, but the Supreme Court said on Friday that that decision was flawed.

The Supreme Court, the UK’s final appeal court for civil cases, ruled that the cases brought by the Bille community and the Ogale people of Ogoniland against Royal Dutch Shell were arguable and could proceed in the English courts.

Shell is responsible for about 50% of the delta’s oil production.

The communities, represented by law firm Leigh Day, argued Shell owed a common law duty of care to individuals who had suffered serious harm as a result of the systemic health, safety and environmental failings of one of its overseas subsidiaries.

Leigh Day partner Daniel Leader said the ruling was a “watershed” for “impoverished communities seeking to hold powerful corporate actors to account”.

The firm said the amount of compensation sought had yet to be determined.

This is the latest case to test whether multinational companies can be held accountable for the acts of overseas subsidiaries.

2023: Veteran Nollywood Actor Pete Edochie Endorses Son, Yul, For Presidency

Koko Lawrence
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2023: Veteran Nollywood Actor Pete Edochie Endorses Son, Yul, For Presidency

Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has endorsed, his son, Yul’s 2023 presidential ambition.

Yul, who ran for governor in Anambra State under the Democratic People’s Congress has hinted that he will seek election as Nigeria’s president in 2023.

Named after the popular Russian actor, Yul Brynner, Yul is the last of six children of the veteran actor.

Yul broke the news in a video shared on his social media pages.

“My Father Chief Pete Edochie endorses my 2023 Presidential ambition… God Almighty, take absolute control,” he captioned the post.

In the video, Mr Edochie, who said he has never nursed any political ambition, said he decided to endorse his son’s presidential ambition following pleas from his fans and young people “who believe in his son”.

‘‘My values are very strong. I have my own children and they are very strong in that regard too. I am not one to be involved in politics. But you see, not all your children are bound to follow you,” he said.

“One of my sons, who incidentally is an actor, has decided that he wants to be a politician. Most of the youngsters have been bugging my phone asking me to endorse my son that they want him as president and l get amused. But they keep insisting daddy, we want Yul to be the president of this country.

“We like him. He is disciplined, sympathetic, he believes a lot in people. They have bothered me so much that today, I hereby present him to you. He has my blessing. He has my endorsement.

“Any day he decides to veer off from the discipline under which he was raised, l will withdraw him from the race. It shall be well with you son. Since it has been your ambition to go into politics and the desire to run for the presidency of this country, may the good Lord assist you, protect and direct you.”

Hollywood Actor Michael B. Jordan, Jay-Z To Produce Limited Series On Muhammad Ali’s Life

Koko Lawrence
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Hollywood Actor Michael B. Jordan, Jay-Z To Produce Limited Series On Muhammad Ali’s Life

Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation are set to collaborate on a limited TV series with Amazon Studios about the life of famed boxer Muhammad Ali.

Jordan’s career took a dramatic upward shift through his lead role in the Creed franchise as Adonis Johnson. According to Forbes, the experience through the two films makes him a great fit for the lead role, but due to his close association with the main protagonist in the boxing movies, he has elected to find another star.

Ali’s estate will also be involved in the production as it will reportedly closely retell key moments of Ali’s life.

Speaking to the media, Jordan said on the series:

It’s a healthy weight to carry, to be able to tell the story of Muhammad Ali. It’s called The Greatest right now and we’re partnered with Roc Nation on the music side of things. It’s a project where we’ve partnered with the estate and we’ll be able to tell this story with no red tape. It’s a limited series that will really dive into the life of Muhammad Ali. I’m not going to be too specific beyond that, but we’ll be able to get to know him in ways we haven’t had a chance to before.

The project follows a line of dramatic interpretations of the civil rights activist including Will Smith, starring Ali in 2001 directed by Michael Mann.

There are some other projects in the pipeline between Jordan and Amazon arriving soon too, including Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, which sees Jordan star as former Navy SEAL John Clarke from the Jack Ryan universe. The film is scheduled to release on April 30.

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Digital Assets: Securities And Exchange Commission Suspends Plans To Regulate Crypto-currencies

Precious Obazee
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Digital Assets: Securities And Exchange Commission Suspends Plans To Regulate Crypto-currencies

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission has said it has put on hold plans to regulate crypto-currencies in the country.

A statement issued by SEC on Thursday read in part “For the purpose of admittance into the SEC regulatory incubation framework, the assessment of all persons and products affected by the Central Bank Nigeria circular of February 5, 2021, is hereby put on hold until such persons are able to operate bank accounts within the Nigerian banking system”.

The exchange commission’s statement came days after Nigeria’s apex bank ordered financial institutions in the country to close accounts dealing in crypto-currencies, saying the transactions posed risks to the economy.

SEC said its statement was necessitated due to several comments and inquiries from the public that there is a conflict between the SEC Statement on Digital Assets and their Classification and Treatment of September 11, 2020, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Circular of February 5, 2021.

In September, SEC said it viewed crypto-currencies as exchangeable securities and it would regulate them to provide protection for investors and to ensure the transactions are transparent.

SEC said it made the statement at the time, to provide regulatory certainty within the digital asset space, due to the growing volume of reported flows while Central Bank has identified certain risks, which if allowed to persist, will threaten investor protection.

Nigeria has proven to be a hotspot for crypto-currency for apparent reasons ranging from tech adoption, predominant young population, high inflation rates to volatile fiat currency, and an underperforming banking sector.

Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo says he reminds his daughter everyday God is her Father

Koko Lawrence
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Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo says he reminds his daughter everyday God is her Father

Popular Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo, has explained why he constantly reminds his daughter, Aliyah, that he is not her father.

Nino B, as he is fondly called, said he only plays the role of a Guardian while God is her only father.

He stated that because of his constant reminder, she keeps God first in everything she does.

Ninalowo, who shared photos of himself and Aliyah on Instagram, wrote: “With Africa’s Next Top Model @myteenandi… I remind her every day that only GOD is her father, I remain her Guardian… So she keeps GOD first and I, behind her back…Maka”

Infrastructure Development: President Buhari Approves Formation Of Finance Entity To Address Deficit

Precious Obazee
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Infrastructure Development: President Buhari Approves Formation Of Finance Entity To Address Deficit

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a Public-Private Partnership styled Infrastructure company named Infra-Co with an initial seed capital of N1 Trillion which over time will grow to N15 Trillion in assets and capital.

Infra-Co will be one of the premier infrastructure finance entities in Africa and will be wholly dedicated to Nigeria’s infrastructure development with concept designs developed from the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The initial seed capital for the entity will come from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, and the Africa Finance Corporation.

The President had asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to chair a Steering Committee tasked with setting up the company.

The board of Infra-Co will be chaired by the Central Bank Governor and include the Managing Director of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, President of the Africa Finance Corporation, as well as representatives of the Nigerian Governors Forum, and the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning.

The Board will also have 3 independent directors from the private sector.

Infra-Co will finance public asset development, rehabilitation, and reconstruction as well as invest in cutting-edge infrastructure projects for Roads, Rail, Power, and other key sectors.

Federal Government Fights Fuel Smuggling With Downstream Remote Monitoring System

Precious Obazee
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Federal Government Fights Fuel Smuggling With Downstream Remote Monitoring System

The Federal Government has renewed the fight against smuggling of petroleum products out of the country with a new technology commissioned by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

the new initiative known as Downstream Remote Monitoring System (DRMS), is aimed at checking illegal activities in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, determine illegal petrol stations actors and provide accurate data on the industry.

Earlier, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the nation’s economy had been losing N2 billion daily to fuel smuggling after the Federal Government closed land borders and fuel stations around border communities.

Director-General of DPR, Auwalu Sarki, said the move represents a digital transformation that would drive transparency, accountability, domestic energy security and availability of products in the country.

He stressed that the initiative would directly reduce smuggling in the country, insisting that the days of illegal operators in the sector were over.

He said the DRMS would reduce smuggling and provide credible information on how the products are being taken out of the borders, adding that the country would also be able to determine its consumption level and actual products required in the country.

He explained that for the downstream operators, DRMS would provide required information to drive value from existing businesses, investments to fund expansion and growth opportunities for new ventures.

Making NIN mandatory for bank accounts is unnecessary and senseless – Nigerians

Chris Ottah
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Making NIN mandatory for bank accounts is unnecessary and senseless – Nigerians

Nigerians on social media have described as ‘senseless’, the recent move by the Federal Government to make the National Identity Number mandatory for transactions such as the opening of bank accounts, payment of taxes, and voter registration.

Recall that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, while hosting the newly elected National Executive Council of the Association Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria in Abuja announced the proposed move of the government.

But many Nigerians have described the proposed policy as unnecessary and ‘senseless’.

@boma_ibim on Twitter wrote, “This is what we get when the government is confused and lacks direction. Stop stressing the masses.”

@joshuaolawales wrote, “What’s the difference between BVN and NIN, both to me are biometrics. Why do we have to start linking NIN to our bank accounts now. What baffles me is: why now? When there is coronavirus, can’t this linking be moved to after these crisis? or they intentionally want an increase in COVID-19 cases? I just don’t understand what exactly is going on right now.”

Another tweep, @iam_Evera, wrote, “This country has never been serious. Do these people realise this whole exercise is stressful? It took me days to link my BVN with my bank accounts, now they have brought NIN to replace the former claiming it was not backed by law.”

“What then is the use of BVN? Because both NIN and BVN carry the same information and data,” @JustAManLikeMe asked.

“Making NIN mandatory for a bank is senseless. Bank users are not Nigerians and it is not every foreigner that is due to have NIN,” Ogunwale Ololade wrote on Facebook.”

But Ray Momoh opined, “NIN would have been effective if the NIMC division is created in all local government offices in the country. There, new babies born can be registered at birth and NIN number got.”

Federal Government, University Unions Meeting Ends In Deadlock

Precious Obazee
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Federal Government, University Unions Meeting Ends In Deadlock

The meeting between the Federal Government and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), has ended in a deadlock.

It is the second meeting that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige is holding with the striking university workers, in an attempt to resolve the issues leading to the labour unrest in the universities.

At the beginning of the meeting, the minister criticised the two unions on their industrial actions which he described as illegal and unknown to labour laws.

Responding on behalf of the unions, General Secretary of NASU, Peter Adeyemi, said that the unions repose their confidence in him adding that the unions have supported the government and they should not be compensated with the denial of the rights of their members.

He asked the minister to explain how a sector could be given N40 billion and N10 billion was given to three unions while expecting them not to react.

The striking university workers said the government had failed to address their critical demands, which included unpaid earned allowances of members, delisting of members from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and the arrears of the new minimum wage at the first meeting with the Federal Government which held last Tuesday.

The joint action committee of SSANU and NASU had on Friday last week directed all their members to down tools pending when these demands are met.

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