Author: Nemiah Morton

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, will commission the tallest Christmas tree in Africa on Monday, December in Asaba. The tree stands 123 feet tall. The commissioning is one of the events put together by the organisers of Christmas In Delta, a 45-day Christmas extravaganza that kicked off on Friday, December 1. In a statement released to LEADERSHIP, the yuletide fiesta is aimed at giving Deltans and visitors alike a Christmas like no other. The Executive Assistant (EA) to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Dr (Mrs.) Josephine Odunze who embarked on an inspection tour of projects, noted that…

Frankfurt (18/12 – 14) That there are remarkable advantages in being ignored is not generally recognized. Central Asian countries, historically under the thumb of Moscow, all through the 70+ years of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, were more or less cut off from the outside world. There was little trade or other exchange. The USSR was in fact a grab-bag of ethnicities, religions and languages, controlled with an iron fist by Stalin and afterwards with unbroken dominance through subsequent regimes. Under Soviet management, Central Asia had stayed poor and ignored; it had not developed any hydrocarbon resources to lure…

Copenhagen (13/11 – 37.5) When Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as Sri Lanka’s president in July after a popular uprising ousted his predecessor, the South Asian island nation was engulfed in its worst economic meltdown in 75 years. Since then, President Wickremesinghe has managed to a keep a lid on mass protests, improve supplies of essentials and on Monday, secured a nearly $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that opens the door to restructuring about $58 billion of debt and receive funding from other lenders. He has done that despite a deeply unpopular government, his own party commanding just one…

Continent must have more resilient health systems and local vaccine manufacturing to prevent next pandemic, says public health body Africa’s leading public health body is using the first ever health day at Cop on 3 December to call for increased funding to fight the health impacts of the climate crisis on the continent and create more resilient systems to ensure it is prepared for the next pandemic. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the second phase of its three-year, $1.5bn Saving Lives and Livelihoods drive this week, but its director general, Dr Jean Kaseya, said multiple disease outbreaks combined…

Brussels (3/12) Governments may be doing great while the people suffer. Bombing of the Nordstream 2 pipeline, carrying cheap Russian natural gas to industry and consumers in Europe, is exerting a cascading effect on companies and employment, eventually to be reflected in rising places and sharpening inflation. Russia is steadily experiencing price increases for a variety of goods and services, Russian media report. Is there obviously not a link to the sanctions placed on Russia and the seizure of Russian funds and savings abroad? Punishment for Russia’s “Special Military Operation” to purportedly protect Russian-speaking citizens in eastern Ukraine from state…

As part of activities to celebrate and strengthen Franco-Nigerian business ties, the French-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), held its yearly French Week Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht, said this years’ celebration is particularly significant, as it was held under the ‘Choose France’ communication campaign. Adding that bilateral trade and economic ties between both countries have significantly grown over the years, he said Nigeria is France’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for over 20 per cent of France’s trade with the region and remains among top investors to Nigeria,…

London (07/11 – 71) For ten years now, the authorities of Tajikistan have been engaged in forced assimilation of the ethnic Pamiri people, giving away the heartlands to China for debts,” Orzu M. shared with RFI – Radio France Internationale is a French news and current affairs public radio station that broadcasts worldwide. RFI met with Orzu in Paris, sharing the fact that more and more Pamiris are leaving their native homes in Gorno-Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous (GBAO) Region of Tajikistan; they are driven into exile by the persecution of the authorities, who are displacing indigenous peoples. RFI: How did it…

Kenyan and Zambian travel agents on Monday signed a strategic partnership deal to boost growth in the industry. The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) and the Travel Agents Association of Zambia (TAAZ) said the deal inked in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, heralds a new era of improved collaboration fostering both business and leisure travel between the two nations. “This partnership marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to reshape the tourism landscape. Together with TAAZ, we are poised to drive unprecedented growth, enhancing our countries’ allure as vibrant travel destinations,” Joseph Kithitu, chairman of KATA, said in a…

Cui Jianchun, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria visited Defence Minister Muhammad Badaru for talks on deploying China’s technological expertise in addressing the West African country’s security challenges. “We had very good discussions centered on military cooperation, focusing on the transfer of technology, training, and the protection of Chinese interests in Nigeria,” Badaru told CGTN Africa. The Chinese Ambassador emphasized his government’s commitment to Nigeria’s security challenges. “Nigeria is a giant, and China is willing to build military industries in Nigeria, supporting local production of military equipment,” Jianchun said. Source : CGTN

A major stride towards stepping up the Paris agreement will begin Thursday in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, as delegates take stock of countries’ compliance with the ‘Rule Book’ to address the multiple and escalating climate challenges facing the world. The 28th session UN Climate Change conference (COP28), the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change is where the world comes together to agree on ways to address the climate crisis, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. More than 70,000 delegates are expected…