The most popular GIFs of 2022. Giphy
See this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Forbes
Nigeria’s Many Businesses of Little Substance. Medium
The 10 players who caught our eye at the World Cup. Al Jazeera
23rd December 2022 |
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Good morning. Because Qatar banned alcohol in stadiums at the last minute, Budweiser awarded all its beer supply to Argentina which won the World Cup.
Can we also call Argentina, Alcohol Champion?
Sweden. Finance minister said that the Nordic nation is facing a recession that could last until 2024. The Swedish government projects that its economy will contract by 0.7% next year, while headline inflation is predicted to be 6% in Sweden in 2023.
China. ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of popular video app TikTok, said some employees improperly accessed the TikTok user data of two journalists. They accessed the data as part of an unsuccessful effort to investigate leaks of company information earlier this year and were aiming to identify potential connections between two journalists – a former BuzzFeed reporter and Financial Times reporter – and company employees.
Afghanistan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned the Taliban that the United States will impose “costs” on the group if it does not reverse its recent ban on women attending university in Afghanistan. In response to widespread fears of a return to the harsh policies that dominated the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, the group initially promised a more moderate government when it took power in August 2021. But the move to suspend university education for women, announced earlier this week, sparked outrage across the world, including from several Muslim-majority countries that called on the Taliban to reverse the decree.
2001 Bola Ige Murdered
While the midday sun burned in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, bullets of indeterminate origin cut short the life of Mr. Bola Ige, Nigeria`s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice at the time and one of the finest lawyers the country has ever known. The killers have never been apprehended.
NIGERIA
Cut Them, And Go To Jail
The Story
A Bill prescribing jail term for perpetrators of female genital mutilation has passed the second reading at Nigeria's House of Representatives.
Isn't that prohibited already?
It is, by the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. The new Bill seeks to amend the 2015 Act, and increase the penalty for those who violate the law. The Bill's sponsor, Honourable Ganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos), argued that an amendment of the relevant section of the Act - with increased punishment for violators - would go a long way in deterring persons from engaging in the unwholesome practice of female genital mutilation. "Among factors that encourage the commission of such unwholesome practices like female genital mutilation is lack of adequate sanctions", Johnson argued.
What does the Bill propose?
It seeks a jail term of four years or a fine not exceeding N200,000 for any person who performs female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision. In addition to punishing any person who performs the prohibited act, anyone who engages another to carry out such circumcision must face the same punishment. Arguing that circumcision is often carried out against the will of the victims, Johnson said the procedure violates girls’ right to make important decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. SOURCE
AFRICA
Standing Ground Against Censorship
The Story
Journalists in Somalia are resisting attempts by the government to censor the press.
What's happening there?
The most recent government order concerning the media has been criticized by Somalian journalists. The Somali government initiated a policy last week that requires media organizations to submit their content for review before publishing. Condemning the directive, Journalists say that requesting government approval before disseminating information will compromise editorial freedom and the public's right to know.
What motivated the government's directive?
The directive is part of efforts by the government to prevent the publication of contents related to Al-Shabaab, an extremist group that the government has been battling for more than a decade. The Capital, Mogadishu, had been under the influence of Al-Shabaab in the late 2000s, but a military campaign led by the African Union (AU), with support from the United States and other Western partners, pushed the group back from major population centers.
The largest militant organization in Somalia, Al-Shabaab seeks to overthrow the government and oust the foreign military presence. Their mission is to control territory within Somalia in order to establish a society based on its rigid interpretation of Shariah law. Even though terrorist activities have declined in the country as a result of counterterrorism operations, Al-Shabaab still controls 20% of Somalia. SOURCE
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MIDDLE EAST
Iran: Not Yet Uhuru
The Story
The abolition of Iran's Morality Police two weeks ago has not translated to more freedom for Iranians.
What about them?
The Iranian government detained actress Taraneh Alidoosti over the weekend because she had supported the ongoing protests, making her the most well-known target in the government's crackdown on protesters. Alidoosti had posted a photo of herself without a headscarf on Instagram, while holding a sign with the inscription: "Woman, life freedom". "Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action is a disgrace to humanity," she said in a social media post.
What bloodshed?
The post was a condemnation of the reported ill-treatment and execution of protesters in prison. Families of protesters in jail have reported that their loved ones are being tortured and denied medical care. "As long as they know you won’t die in prison, they decline medical care to force you to cooperate", said Masoud Kazemi, an Istanbul-based Iranian journalist. Transferring detainees from ordinary prison blocks to the Amin Abad psychiatric ward, where they get "the same treatment as the severely mentally ill," is reportedly one of the ways used to demoralize inmates at the notorious Evin prison, where Alidoosti is being held.
The protests were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who was detained on September 13 for allegedly disobeying the nation's stringent dress code. Amini died in the hospital three days later, while still being held by the morality police. The protests turned violent following the government's attempt to suppress the demonstration. More than 440 people have died as a result of the unrest, and 14,000 more have been detained. SOURCE
CONVERSATIONS
In Sweden, Why is Everyone's Address Publicly Searchable?
Quora Question: In Sweden, why is everyone's address publicly searchable? I think it is kind of creepy.
Mats Andersson
It’s a by-effect of our constitutional right to know what the authorities are up to.
In Sweden, any citizen has the right to walk into any government agency, national or local, and ask to see any piece of paper. They are not allowed to ask who I am or why I want to see it. They are entitled to be reimbursed for the cost of any photocopies I ask them to make for me. There are a few explicit exceptions, having to do with police, military, and healthcare records.
So you see, we have no phrase for “sunshine laws”. Our government is totally transparent, by our constitution. I own it. I am their employer. I have an unconditional right to check that they do their job properly. “Public servant” is not just a lofty-sounding phrase.
One side effect is that the government’s list of who lives in the country and where is searchable. Another is that you can walk into the Tax Office and demand to see my tax returns; this ensures that a situation like Trump’s refusal to make his tax returns public can’t ever happen here—they are public property the moment they are filed. Every year, they send some intern on the rather thankless task of scrutinising every politician’s tax returns; if they come up with anything strange-looking, it’s all over the news inside a few hours. Not that they often do: people who have anything to hide can’t become politicians in Sweden. They could publish mine, too, but they are fantastically dull.
That my tax returns are public property is a small price to pay to have honest politicians.
At least in our opinion. And that’s the one that is relevant.
FG declares holidays for Christmas, New year celebrations
Obi leads Tinubu, Atiku, Kwankwaso in new Anap poll
‘We found problems’ — senate postpones passage of 2023 budget
Cash withdrawal: CBN revises individuals limits to N500,000 weekly
Lagos tests train, projects 250,000 passengers daily
PHOTOS: Osinbajo visits Tinubu, Shettima in Abuja
Accountant sentenced to 304 years for forgery, stealing
Basketmouth, wife end marriage — after 12 years
‘He’s a flight risk’ — UK court refuses Ekweremadu’s plea for bail
Gambia foils coup attempt, arrests four soldiers
UK targets 2024 for King Charles banknotes circulation
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COUNTRY PROFILE
Gattuso's Ordeal
On 9 September 2011, Gennaro Gattuso crashed into teammate Alessandro Nesta whilst playing against Lazio in AC Milan's opening Serie A game of the 2011–12 season.
He was subbed off directly afterward in the 20th minute and diagnosed with a left sixth cranial nerve palsy, resulting in double vision.
He later revealed that he had seen teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović in four different positions during the opening stages of the match, and was unable to see Nesta, resulting in the pair's clash.
Gattuso's vision problem (Ocular Myasthenia) continued for years and while he was Napoli manager, he had to wear an eye patch during a Serie A game against Lazio.
TRIVIA
Crowd Work
If you were put in charge of the World Cup in 2026, what’s one change you’d implement in order to make it more exciting to watch for people who don’t care about soccer?
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