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Abrupt collapse of global IT disrupts Airlines, businesses and media outlets across the world

By
Joy Eniyeh McPhillips
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0

The abrupt collapse of the global IT system has caused severe disruption of flights, banks, media outlets and companies across the world.

The internet outage affected the services and functions of Microsoft on Friday morning.

The chief executive of CrowdStrike the cybersecurity company at the heart of the outage said it was gradually fixing the issue adding there was a defect in a “single content update for Windows hosts.”

Problems remained unabated hours after making the announcement.

South Africa was hit by the disruption as, at least two major banks temporarily experienced service disruptions as customers complained they couldn’t make payments using their bank cards or use ATMs.

Southern African airline Airlink also reported that its IT network and telephone lines were down.

Queues have formed at many airports as the global internet outage hit check-in procedures for flights — although in some locations systems were now back online.

Retail outlets, railway companies and hospitals in several parts of the world were also affected.

Illegal migration: UK pledges £84m to Africa and Mideast

By
Steve Abdullahi
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0

United Kingdom has pledged £84m to stop illegal migration from fro the continent.

The move which is an initiative of the newly elected British Prime Minister who is determined to reset the UK’s approach to illegal migration from from Africa and the Middle East.

Keir Starmer announced Thursday £84m (or about USD 108m) in funding to tackle illegal migration.

He also promised his government will “work with European partners to share intelligence data, expertise and put the gangs out of business”.

“But to stop illegal migration, we must also tackle it at source. So today I’m announcing £84 million of new funding for projects across Africa and the Middle East. That includes humanitarian and health support, skills training, help with job opportunities and access to education,” he politician said.

The PM was speaking at the fourth European Political Community summit held in south-western England tackling migration, the war in Ukraine and energy security.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 38,546 irregular arrivals to the United Kingdom.

ANC to expel former South African President Zuma for anti-party

By
tvafrinet
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0

Former South African President Jacob Zuma was expected to face a disciplinary hearing with the African National Congress party on Wednesday, after campaigning against the organization he once led as head of a new political party in national elections in May.

The hearing could lead to Zuma, 82, being expelled from the ANC, which he joined in the late 1950s when it was a liberation movement fighting against the apartheid system of white minority rule.

Zuma was forced to step down as South African president in 2018 amid allegations of corruption and has been embroiled in a political feud since then with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced him as the leader of the party and the country.

Zuma’s split with the ANC was confirmed in December, when he appeared at a press conference and announced he would campaign for the recently-founded MK Party in the May 29 elections. He has been fiercely critical of Ramaphosa, even accusing him of treason at one point.

While Zuma said he would retain his ANC membership despite becoming the leader of the MK Party, the ANC suspended him in January. It said he had attacked the integrity of the party.

It wasn’t clear if Zuma would attend Wednesday’s hearing at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg, or if it would be held virtually. MK officials have said he wants to appear in person, while the ANC wants it to be held online.

Zuma has been called a destabilizing figure in Africa’s most industrialized country, but his MK Party won 14% of the national vote on May 29 in the first election it has contested, stunning many.

MK’s surprising share of the vote was a prime factor in the ANC losing its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994 in an historic result for South Africa, leading to the formation of an unprecedented multi-party coalition government.

MK has refused to join the coalition and will become the official opposition as the third biggest party in Parliament. Parliament will open Thursday for a new term following the election.

The election reinforced how popular Zuma remains in parts of the country despite facing multiple legal battles. He was sentenced to prison in 2021 for contempt of court after refusing to testify at an inquiry into alleged corruption during his presidency from 2009-2018. He is due to go on trial next year over separate corruption allegations relating to the time before he was president.

His prison sentence led to him being disqualified from standing for a seat in Parliament in the May election, but he has continued to be the face and the leader of the MK Party.

Gaza cease-fire: Israeli delegation in Cairo for talks

By
tvafrinet
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0

It has been reported that an Israeli delegation have arrived in Egypt on Wednesday to continue cease-fire talks with Hamas.

The new round of talks between Israel and Hamas is set to consider the latest proposals on the US deal.

This came on the same day as Benyamin Netanyahu gave an address during a session of Israel’s parliament.

He vowed to keep “Hamas under pressure though military and diplomatic” means.

The head of opposition Yair Lapid urged Netanyahu to reach a deal ahead of Netanyahu’s US trip, scheduled for Sunday (Jul. 21).

” If you don’t do it, don’t go to Washington, go to Qatar, go to Cairo, stay here and hold discussions around the clock until you reach a deal. Don’t go addressing in Washington’s air condition, as the hostages are dying from choking in Gaza’s tunnels,” Lapid told Netanyahu.

Talks between the sides were rattled over the weekend when Israel said it targeted Hamas’ military commander. The militant group denied; pointing to the heavy death toll of the Israeli strike.

The Us, Qatar and Egypt lead the mediation.

The full text of the US proposed deal was never release. According to elements taht were provided:

The first phase calls for a “full and complete cease-fire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The proposal called for the parties to negotiate the terms of the second phase during the 42 days of phase one. Under the current proposal, Hamas could release all of the remaining men, both civilians and soldiers, during the second phase. In return, Israel could free an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The releases wouldn’t occur until “sustainable calm” takes effect and all Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hamas will do the same, drawing out the talks and the initial cease-fire indefinitely without releasing the remaining captives.

EBU – AP

AfDB to lend $1 billion to Transnet South Africa

By
Admin
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0

The African Development Bank said on Thursday it had approved a $1 billion loan to South Africa’s state-owned railway and ports company, Transnet.

The 25-year loan is fully guaranteed by the South African government and will help finance the first phase of an $8.1 billion investment plan for Transnet to improve the country’s rail and port infrastructure, the bank said.

South Africa has Africa’s most industrialised economy, but its deteriorating railways and ports are seen as a major barrier to investment by foreign companies and have strangled the efficiency of its export market . Transnet is also one of several state-owned companies that have come under scrutiny for corruption and mismanagement.

In a statement released by the bank, Transnet Group Chief Executive Michelle Phillips said the loan would make “a significant contribution to Transnet’s investment plan to stabilise and improve the rail network and contribute to the wider South African economy” .

Reviving South Africa’s stagnant economy and reducing high unemployment rates is a top priority for President Cyril Ramaphosa , whose party, the African National Congress , was punished by voters in May’s elections when it lost its 30-year majority and was forced to share power in a new coalition government .

Brutalisation of Dan-Balki Commander, Kaduna Govt denies involvement, issues probe

By
tvafrinet
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0

The brutalisation of a politician Dan-Balki Commander by an unknown man which sparked outrage has be condemned by Kaduna State Government who also claimed it had no hand in such barbaric act.

The Uba Sani government has also ordered an investigation into the viral video showing the alleged brutalisation of the politician by unidentified persons.

The video has sparked accusations against the state government, which vehemently denied any involvement. In a statement released by Muhammad Shehu, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Uba Sani, the government condemned the act, stating, “It is not in our character. Such barbaric acts have no place in a decent society.”

Shehu, in the statement, emphasised the administration’s commitment to the rule of law, justice, equity, fairness, inclusivity, and respect for human dignity.

He said, “Since assuming office in May 2023, Gov. Sani has been dedicated to rebuilding trust and ensuring all the citizens of Kaduna State feel a sense of belonging.

“We accommodate all shades of opinion and have created a conducive atmosphere for all political views to thrive.”

According to him, Sani, known for his longstanding advocacy for fundamental rights and freedoms, has ordered a full investigation into the incident. Shehu pledged the truth would be uncovered to ensure that those responsible face the full force of the law.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Visa ban on Nigerians lifted by United Arab Emirate

By
tvafrinet
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0

The United Arab Emirate – UAE, has lifted the 2022 visa ban on Nigerians.

Nigeria’s information minister Mohammed Idris said Monday that the UAE’s decision to lift the ban that has been in place since October 2022 came after “mutually beneficial negotiations” between both governments. He referred to “updated controls and conditions” that prospective Nigerian visitors to the UAE must abide by.

Instead, travellers will be required to submit documents proving their identity and showing travel history, among other things, to generate a verification number that would then be used to apply for a visa. An exception is granted for applicants 13 years or younger, according to a website of the Emirati government.

The UAE’s ban was premised on a number of factors, including allegations of improper conduct and attempts to circumvent visa rules. The row escalated when the Nigerian government cut back Emirates Airlines’s flights to Nigeria from 21 times a week to just once. It was supposedly in retaliation for the UAE’s refusal to allow Nigerian airliner Air Peace fly thrice a week to Dubai, approving only one weekly flight.

Emirates suspended its flight operations to Nigeria late 2022, blaming an inability to repatriate tens of millions of dollar earnings away from the country. But on taking office in May 2023 Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu began meeting with authorities, including Emirati president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to resolve the impasse.

The lifting of the ban this week was preceded by Emirates’s announcement in May that it would resume daily flights between Lagos and Dubai later this year in October.

“The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria,” Adnan Kazim, deputy president and chief commercial officer for Emirates said in May. A feature of the resumption of the service is that Emirates will offer “more than 300 tonnes” of weekly cargo capacity in its passenger aircrafts’ lower deck in and out of Lagos.

New minimum wage of ₦70k is to small – Osun residents lament

By
Agency Report
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0

Residents of Osun State have lamented over the inadequacy of ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu.

They claimed that given the current economic reality of high cost of goods and services in the market the money is too small.

It was reported that Tinubu had a meeting with organised labour on Thursday in Abuja, where ₦70,000 was approved as the new national minimum wage.

In an interview with NAN on Thursday in Osogbo, the residents called on the president to reconsider the wage amount before sending it to the National Assembly for passage into law.

The stakeholders said Nigerians expected a figure higher than ₦70, 000 in line with economic realities in the country.

The Executive Director, Democracy Vanguards, a Civil Society Organisation, Emmanuel Olowu, said Tinubu did not consider the present economic indices before deciding on the figure.

Olowu, who said that most Nigerians expected a figure higher than ₦250,000, expressed concern over the financial implications of the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 on the masses.

“The three-year review of the wage as proposed by the president is a welcome idea but what we need is a figure that aligns with the present market realities,” he said.

Also speaking, the state Coordinator of, the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON), Ibrahim Olayinka, said Nigerians should brace up for the implications of the new minimum wage.

Olayinka said the market values of food commodities have escalated making the less privileged unable to meet their daily needs.

“I want the Senate to reconsider the figure and do the needful instead of making Nigerians pass through less tough moments.

“The figure is not impressive and I am so saddened about what lies ahead of us as a country,” Olayinka said.

Ayo Ologun, the spokesperson for Transparency Accountability International, said the figure did not fulfil the aspirations of labour unions.

According to him, whether it will scale through or not depends on the labour union’s decision.

“I want to say that it is not in tandem with present economic realities and living standards,” he said.

However, Ologun described the decision of the House of Representatives to slash their salary by 50 per cent over the next six months as a welcome development.

He said it showed that members of the were listening to the agitation of the people.

Ologun urged the lawmakers to go the extra mile to show empathy by ensuring that unnecessary expenditures were not executed.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Abba Kyari’s appeal dismissed by Abuja Court

By
Agency Report
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0

On Thursday, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari had his appeal dismissed by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.

For lacking merit, a three-member panel of justices dismissed Kayri’s appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CR/516/2023.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko who led the panel held that there was no reason to tamper with the findings and conclusions reached on the issue by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, in the ruling he delivered on March 22, 2023.

“In conclusion, this court finds no reason to disturb the findings and conclusions reached by the learned trial judge of the Federal High Court, and in the ruling delivered on the 22nd day of March 2023 is affirmed.

“The learned trial judge is directed to continue and conclude the trial at the Federal High Court.

“The appeal is found unmeritorious and it is accordingly dismissed.”

Kyari had appealed against the March 22 ruling by Justice Nwite, in which he refused to quash the charges and dismissed an application filed by Kyari. Kyari had, in his application, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to try him and four others serving police personnel when they were yet to be subjected to the internal disciplinary mechanisms of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the Federal High Court has the exclusive right and jurisdiction to hear drug-related cases as enshrined in the Constitution and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act.

Justice Nwite held that the powers of the Police Service Commission (PSC) do not supersede the powers of the Federal High Court. Kyari was a former head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force and he is being prosecuted by the NDLEA.

He and four members of the IRT – ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu are charged with conspiracy to deal in 17.55kg of cocaine.

They were also accused of dealing in cocaine without lawful authority; conspiracy to tamper with cocaine and unlawfully tampering with the 21.35kg of cocaine seized from two convicted drug dealers.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Minimum wage: Tinubu agrees ₦70,000 for workers

By
Salli Raymomd
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0

President Bola Tinubu has agreed to pay workers ₦70,000 as minimum wage, promising to review the national minimum wage law every three years.

Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser for Information and Strategy announced the development in a statement on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

According to him, Tinubu announced the decisions at the meeting held with leaders of the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja.

The statement reads in part, “President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers with promise to review the national minimum wage law every three years.

President Tinubu also promised to find ways to assist the private sector and the sub-nationals to pay the minimum wage. President Tinubu announced the decisions at the meeting held with leaders of TUC and NLC on Thursday in Abuja, the second time the parties met in 7 days.”

Onanuga said the labour leaders applauded the president for “the fatherly gesture.”

He said the president also promised to use his discretionary powers to meet the demands of university unions demanding unpaid four months’ salaries.

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