Democratic Party donors have poured a record amount into US Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in the 24 hours since Joe Biden stepped down from the White House race and endorsed his erstwhile running mate. “Team Harris raised $81 million in its first 24 hours, adding to the existing near quarter-of-a-billion dollar war chest already amassed this election cycle,” her campaign said in a statement Monday. It claimed the haul was the “largest 24-hour raise in presidential history.” Harris, 59, swiftly secured the backing of a flood of Democrats after receiving Biden’s endorsement on Sunday — including from California Governor…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged President Bola Tinubu to take swift action to address Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis. The student body, represented by its Senate President, Okunomo Adewumi,stated the urgent need for measures to counteract the skyrocketing fuel prices that have severely impacted the lives of Nigerians. NANS stated the devastating effects of the current economic downturn, which has intensified poverty, hunger, and hardship across the country. The relentless rise in fuel prices has set off a chain reaction of inflation, making basic necessities unaffordable for many. This situation has led to unprecedented suffering, with a…
Severe flooding in Liberia has led a group of senators to propose relocating the capital city away from overcrowded and poorly managed Monrovia, a suggestion met with a mixture of enthusiasm and hesitancy in the West African country. Flash floods triggered by torrential rains between the end of June and early July left nearly 50,000 Liberians in urgent need, the national disaster management agency said. The flood-prone capital was particularly badly hit, owing in part to overpopulation, a poor sewage system, and a lack of building regulation. Meeting to discuss the persistent flooding problem, a senate…
The Federal Government has fined Meta Platforms $220 million after investigations showed data-sharing on its Facebook and WhatsApp platforms violated local consumer, data protection and privacy laws. Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, said this on Friday. He said Meta appropriated the data of Nigerian users on its platforms without their consent, abused its market dominance, and meted out discriminatory and disparate treatment on Nigerians, compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulations. Meta did not immediately comment, but the FCCPC said in a statement that the company had provided some…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to deliver a landmark speech to the US Congress this week, a visit that has now been thrown off balance by President Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday not to seek re-election. Israel’s longest-serving premier will on Wednesday become the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of the two chambers four times — pulling ahead of Britain’s Winston Churchill on three. But analysts say the Gaza war since the October 7 Hamas attacks has created worrying tensions between Israel and the United States, its main military and diplomatic backer, with Washington pushing Israel…
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga Sunday insisted “justice” was a prerequisite for any talks with the government after deadly clashes, as President William Ruto warned unrest could “destroy” the country. Initially peaceful rallies that started last month against planned tax rises descended into violence with dozens killed after some marchers stormed parliament. Ruto shelved his tax reform and proposed a national dialogue. “Justice must come first before any talks,” said Odinga on Sunday, however. He demanded “compensation for every victim of police brutality” during the rallies. Despite Ruto’s concessions, rallies have continued across the…
To reduce borrowing costs and foster economic independence, Africa is set to establish its own credit ratings agency by 2025. The decision, announced by Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals at the African Union (AU), marks a step towards addressing long-standing grievances regarding the continent’s treatment by international credit rating firms. The new agency, which will operate independently of the AU, aims to cater specifically to the needs of African sovereign borrowers. Muchanga emphasized that the initiative seeks to mitigate the perceived unfair treatment that has led to higher interest rates compared to other emerging markets…
The United States Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas hit back Saturday at misogynistic attacks on the female Secret Service agents who threw themselves into the line of fire to protect Donald Trump from a would-be assassin. “These assertions are baseless and insulting,” Mayorkas said in a statement after some on the US political right accused the Secret Service of “woke” hiring practices they said nearly had the former president killed. Mayorkas praised the “highly skilled and trained” women serving in law enforcement across the country for risking “their lives on the front lines for the safety and security…
A recent software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has caused outage, affecting approximately 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide. Microsoft revealed the scope of the issue on Saturday, noting the wide-reaching impacts on various economic sectors. David Weston, Microsoft’s Vice President of Enterprise and OS Security, stated in a blog post that the update caused Windows machines to crash, disrupting critical services across multiple industries. Mac and Linux devices remained unaffected by the outage. “While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services,” Weston explained. The 8.5…
Ugandan protesters told AFP they would press ahead with an anti-corruption march in the capital Kampala planned for Tuesday despite police banning the demonstration, citing the risk of “chaos”. The East African country has been ruled with an iron fist by President Yoweri Museveni since 1986. Earlier Saturday, Ugandan police had informed organisers it would not permit the protest as authorities had intelligence that “some elements were trying to take advantage of the demonstration to cause chaos in the country”. “Demonstrations can only be allowed under our mandate as long as they are not causing public disorder and disrupting lives…
Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, for violating data privacy laws. The FCCPC stated that Meta’s data-sharing practices breached local consumer and data protection regulations, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019. The commission’s acting Executive Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, noted that Meta denied Nigerian users control over their data and shared data without their consent. The FCCPC initiated its investigation in May 2021, based on evidence suggesting that Meta engaged in unauthorized data…
At the 18th International Human Rights Summit, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered a compelling speech emphasizing the crucial role of young leaders in the global fight for human rights. Addressing a diverse audience of young activists from around the world, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield underscored the power, potential, and necessity of youth leadership in tackling contemporary challenges. In her speech, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield thanked key figures, including Ambassador Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares and Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, for their dedication to human rights advocacy. She praised Shuttleworth’s efforts in inspiring the next generation and expressed her admiration for the…