16th December 2022 |
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Good morning.The state of New York will ban pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits starting in 2024 over animal welfare concerns.
First world problems!
World Cup. French president Emmanuel Macron, is considering the idea of taking Karim Benzema and the other injured Blues with him to attend the 2022 World Cup final between the France and Argentina on Sunday. The French team had to deal with an incredible number of injured players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, who had to withdraw from the squad. Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté, Mike Maignan, Christopher Nkunku or even Presnel Kimpembe are in contention for the trip.
Social Media. Twitter has abruptly suspended more than half a dozen journalists who have reported critically about the social media platform’s new owner Elon Musk. The suspensions, which came without prior warning late on Thursday, came as Musk accused journalists of endangering his family by “doxxing”, or disclosing nonpublic information, about his location. The suspended journalists include reporters from New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Intercept and Voice of America.
Africa. President Joe Biden has announced support for the African Union joining the Group of 20 (G20), a global forum for major economies, as the United States seeks to build stronger relations with African nations. Speaking at a US-Africa Leaders Summit event on Thursday, Biden said African leadership and innovation were critical to addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The US also pledged more than $165m to support elections and good governance in Africa next year, after Biden met with the leaders of countries that will soon hold elections.
1932 Grace Alele-Williams Born
Grace Alele-Williams, professor of mathematics, was born in Warri. She made history as the first Nigerian woman to receive a doctorate. She was the first Nigerian woman to become the head (vice-chancellor) of a Nigerian university, the University of Benin.
NIGERIA
Malicious Apps Alert
The Story
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned mobile phone users against a Malware that targets Android devices.
What's the malware?
The malware, which is known as "Schoolyard Bully", is said to have infected more than 300,000 android devices already. The Commission's Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), in an advisory, urged users to only download applications from official sites and application stores. It added that while downloading apps, users should double-check each application and uncheck boxes that request extra third-party downloads, as well as use anti-malware applications to regularly scan their devices against such invaders.
How does the malware work?
The NCC reported that researchers from the mobile security company Zimperium had discovered a number of apps that spread the Schoolyard Bully malware while passing themselves off as reading and educational apps with a range of books and subjects for its potential victims to study. The commission says that the malware's main goal is to steal account information, including email address and password, account ID, username, device name, device RAM (Random Access Memory), and device API (Application Programming Interface).
“The research stated that the malware employs JavaScript injection to steal Facebook login information", the NCC-CSIRT advisory noted, adding that “the malware uses native libraries to evade detection and analysis by security software and machine learning technologies". SOURCE
AFRICA
Guilty As Charged
The Story
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday upheld the conviction of Ugandan child soldier Dominic Ongwen, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Isn't a child soldier a victim?
Ongwen's prosecution was for his actions as an adult. Abducted on his way to school at the age of nine by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which was led by fugitive Joseph Kony, Ongwen later became a top commander of the LRA. The trial lasted six years, resulting in his conviction last year for murder, rape, and sexual slavery in northern Uganda in the early 2000s. "The appeals chamber rejects all the grounds of appeal presented by the defence and unanimously confirms the decision on the guilt of Mr Ongwen", said presiding judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza.
What was the argument of the defense?
The appeal had been based on more than 100 grounds, part of which was that Ongwen was a "scapegoat" for the rebel movement. Ongwen received a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of 61 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including forced pregnancy. His lawyers had prayed the court to overturn his conviction and sentence because he had been a victim of the LRA as a child soldier. "Dominic Ongwen was, and still is, a child," his lawyer Krispus Ayena Odongo told the court in February.
The LRA is reported to have terrorized large areas of central Africa for three decades, kidnapping children, maiming civilians, and enslaving women. It was founded in Uganda in the 1980s by former choirboy Joseph Kony - who is now on the run - with the aim of imposing a Ten Commandments regime. "The appeals chamber wishes to recognise the extreme suffering endured by the victims of Dominic Ongwen's crimes during the period covered by the charges," the judge said. SOURCE
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EUROPE
Erdogan Stifling Opposition?
The Story
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was handed a prison sentence and a political ban by a Turkish court on Wednesday.
What's his crime?
Imamoglu was tried for insulting public officials in a speech he gave after winning Istanbul's municipal election in 2019, and was given a sentence of two years and seven months in prison as well as the ban, all of which need to be upheld by an appeals court. "Such a handful of people cannot take the authority given by the people. Our struggle is beginning to get even stronger, with God's permission", Imamoglu said, while describing the ruling as political, unlawful, and a sign of current conditions in the country.
Is insulting a crime in Turkey?
The ruling is believed to be a move aimed at suppressing the opposition ahead of Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled to hold in the next six months. While the main opposition presidential candidate has not yet emerged, Imamoglu has been projected as a possible leading challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan. A member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Imamoglu won the re-run vote in Istanbul municipal elections against a candidate from Erdogan's AK Party, after the annulment of the initial vote.
Imamoglu faced trial after he described those behind the annulment as "fools". Defending the remark, Imamoglu said it was a response to comments by the Interior Minister, who used the same language against him. Erdogan and his party, which has ruled Turkey for two decades, are leaving nothing to chance ahead of the elections, the outcome of which is dependent on the ability of the CHP and other opposition parties to unite behind a single candidate to take on Erdogan. SOURCE
CONVERSATIONS
The Costliest Mistake in History?
Quora Question: What are some of the costliest mistakes ever made in history?
ANSWER: Once upon a time, an unassuming letter arrived on the desk of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French and one of history's most likely candidates at taking over the world. At the time, the major obstacle preventing Napoleon from world dominion was England, a tiny island with a very big navy. Napoleon didn't have an impressive navy (and this would become even more true after the devastating Battle of Trafalgar in 1805). As a result, he was unable to bring his army to bear on England, who was therefore free to fund resistance efforts throughout Europe, form blockades against the French, and a million other nettlesome things.
The letter on Napoleon's desk had a very simple proposition. "Fund my development," said the author in so many words, "and I can give you a fleet of ships that don't need sails, so that you can run circles around the English no matter the weather conditions."
Napoleon, usually a pretty modern individual, thought this was preposterous. He scoffed and brushed off the letter, dismissing its author as a crackpot. That crackpot was Robert Fulton, the American inventor of the steamship.
Needless to say, Fulton's partnership with Napoleon could've created an unstoppable navy and would've very likely resulted in everyone you know and love speaking French.
Interestingly, this same anecdote was used by Alexander Sachs to convince Roosevelt to fund research on an atomic bomb when it was learned that the Germans were building one of their own. "Don't make the same mistake in the face of new technology" was the lesson. Sachs arrived at Roosevelt's office in 1939, clutching a letter from Albert Einstein. When faced with the president, he began with the anecdote about Napoleon. Roosevelt listened carefully. When the story concluded, he promptly sent for a bottle of Napoleon brandy, which the two of them sipped while Sachs explained the dire need of building the bomb first.
Banks begin dispensing redesigned naira notes
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FG opens Second Niger Bridge for 30 days
Tearful relatives, friends send Sammie Okposo home
UK opens door for Nigerian teachers
Kenyan president’s child defends ‘Office of the First Daughter’
Cambridge dictionary under fire for changing gender definitions
UK nurses embark on first-ever strike to demand for better pay
Ukraine says Russia preparing for ‘prolonged’ war
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Book Review — The Power Law by Sebastian Mallaby. Medium
The best albums of 2022. PitchFork
This year's funniest wildlife photos. WildLifePhotos
Why Indians love World Cup football, even without India in it. Al Jazeera
FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE
Moroccan Mothers
Morocco’s unprecedented trajectory at this year's World Cup has been celebrated by its players on the field with their mothers as they share kisses, hugs and even dances.
Some fans on social media have labelled the women as the team’s “magic secret” after seeing these heart-warming images of tender love and pride.
Al Jazeera has reported that the president of the Moroccan Football Federation ensured that family members chosen by the players received “all-inclusive trips to Qatar.”
A morale build-up for the Morrocan players, broadcast live to the world.
TRIVIA
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