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Good Morning. Scientists have finally estimated the total number of ants on Earth. The count comes out to some 20 quadrillions or 2.5m ants per person.
Insectology is an interesting field.
United Kingdom. Unemployment levels dropped to a 48-year low at 3.5%. But the rate has fallen due to people leaving their jobs, leading to a shrinking workforce and fears of labor shortages. The Bank of England (BoE) is worried that the shrinking labour market will fuel inflation pressures.
Space. NASA says it has succeeded in deflecting an asteroid in a historic test of humanity’s ability to stop an incoming cosmic object from devastating life on Earth. The fridge-sized Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impactor deliberately smashed into the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, pushing it into a smaller, faster orbit around its big brother Didymos.
Taiwan. President Tsai Ing-wen said that a war between China and Taiwan is "absolutely not an option." Tsai's comments come days before Chinese president Xi Jinping is expected to win a third five-year term at the upcoming congress of the CCP. She said that Taiwan does not want to fight a war with China but emphasized the island's increasing ability to counteract "external military threats."
Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky asked G7 leaders for "modern and effective air defense systems" following Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and other major cities. G7 leaders warned that Russia would face "severe consequences" if it used chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons against Ukraine. The strikes, which killed at least 19 people across the country, employed both traditional missiles and drones supplied by Iranian arms manufacturers.
Armed security forces opened fire on a crowd of people peacefully protesting against the proposed demolition of their homes in Bundu community, Port Harcourt. At least twelve people were shot and seriously injured. In addition, eyewitnesses saw six dead bodies piled in the back of a Hilux police pick-up truck. One body was traced to a morgue by a relative. The total number of dead remains unknown. Thirteen year later, no investigation has been carried out.
NIGERIA
Dangote vs Kogi State
The Story
The Federal Government has intervened in the raging dispute between the Kogi State Government and Dangote Group.
What's the dispute about?
The ownership of Dangote Cement Plc and the company's alleged failure to pay taxes and other sums owed to the state government have been the subject of the lingering dispute between the two sides. Bringing things to a head last Wednesday, the Kogi State government sealed Dangote Cement's factory in Obajana over allegations of tax evasion and equity ownership. During the operation, several Dangote Cement employees were reported to have been shot with firearms.
How did they get to this point?
On his part, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello explained that the state government was forced to take decisive actions due to Dangote Cement Plc’s unwillingness to resolve the dispute amicably. Bello said that the state government had attempted to meet with the management of Dangote Cement for almost six years but had been unsuccessful. “We received several petitions from the general public about this particular subject matter. This is about five to six years now. And all efforts to sit down with the proprietor of Dangote conglomerate failed", he said.
How's the FG intervening?
The FG has urged both parties to explore the legal option for resolution. The Kogi state government's handling of the crisis, according to the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, has the potential to undermine investor confidence in the Nigerian economy and cast doubt on the federal government's efforts to promote ease of doing business in Nigeria. "The view of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is basically that if there is a dispute between a state government and any industry within the state, we have the courts of law to deal with the issue", Adebayo said.
A senior management staff of the company, who said the company would be seeking redress in court, dismissed the government's claim that the company owed taxes. In addition to billions of naira spent on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the local community, the company pays more than N1b as PAYE to the government. “So the claim that we owe is false and the evidence is there", the official said. Source
AFRICA
Lesotho's Unlikely Leader
The Story
After an exceptional performance in last week's national elections, leader of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party in Lesotho has announced that he would be leading a government of a three-party coalition, again defying predictions.
What predictions?
Despite being founded only six months ago, the Revolution for Prosperity party (RFP) won 56 seats in the parliament, missing absolute majority by only five seats - a feat not previously imagined possible. The announcement by its leader, 64 years old Sam Matekane, a wealthy diamond trader, also defied predictions that the southern Africa kingdom would stay politically deadlocked following last Friday's election.
What's their plan?
Matekane announced the formation of a coalition government between the RFP, the Alliance of Democrats (AD), and the Movement for Economic Change (MEC) at a press conference. A bill intended to restrict parliamentarians from changing parties during the first three years of their terms did not pass in the previous parliament. Matekane's government has pledged to implement this reform within its first 100 days in power.
The performance of the RFP party and its leader is even more interesting, as this is Matekane's first time contesting in an election. "My decision to venture into politics was not only influenced by my passion for my country and countrymen, but also the need to see the country do better and be better. The rich natural resources we have as a country are not being utilised to benefit the people and I feel it is time for change", he said before the election. SOURCE
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OCEANIA
Anything To Protect The Environment
The Story
As part of a strategy to combat climate change, the government of New Zealand has proposed a tax on the greenhouse gases that farm animals produce when they urinate and burp.
Who is to pay this tax?
The country's farmers. The government has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. A plan to cut farm animal methane emissions by 10% by 2030 and up to 47% by 2050 is a part of that commitment. The government said that the farm levy would be a first in the world and that farmers should be able to recover the cost by raising the prices of items that are environmentally friendly.
What's the reaction from farmers?
Farmers swiftly denounced the proposal. The industry's main lobbying group, Federated Farmers, argued that the idea would "tear the guts out of small-town New Zealand," and replace farms with trees, as farmers would be forced to abandon farming. According to Andrew Hoggard, president of Federated Farmers, farmers have been working with the government for more than two years to develop an emissions reduction strategy that won't reduce food production. If the government's plan goes through, farmers would begin paying for emissions in 2025, though the pricing has not yet been decided.
How significant are farm animals on climate change?
Particularly through methane from the burps of cattle and nitrous oxide from their urine, farm animals emit gases that warm the planet. The farming industry is an important part of New Zealand's economy, with Dairy products being its top foreign exchange earner through export. With a population of only 5 million people, New Zealand has 26 million sheep, and 10 million dairy and beef cattle. The impact of this is that farms are responsible for nearly half of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
New Zealand's plan regarding farming's effects on the environment is a part of a larger global debate on the measures necessary to combat climate change. The plan, however, faces obstacles from farmers, and the opposition party. The plan, according to opposition lawmakers from the conservative ACT Party, would actually raise global emissions by shifting farming to nations that are less effective at producing food. SOURCE
LIFE EXPERIENCES
Quora Question: As a doctor, have you ever lied to a patient?
Robert Jarmon
I was treating a BPD woman who became suicidal. She called one night to tell me she was very happy and relieved that this would be her last night of agony on earth. She thanked me for trying to help her and that her death would not be my fault. It became obvious that she was very serious. I tried in vain to talk her out of it. Finally I said, “Do what you have to do. I’m not experiencing your pain so I can’t rightly judge you. How about we go out and have a farewell drink.”
She was happy about that prospect. I told her to drive over and pick me up at my office. When she got there I said, “Where would you like to go, and may I drive?”.
She cheerfully handed me the keys and said, “Anywhere you’d like! And when we finish you can keep the car as my present to you”. A sudden cheerfulness after long gloominess as well as giving away of valuables are two signs of serious suicidal intent.
I got behind the wheel and drove her to the police station. They took her to the hospital. And she lived to become someone else’s borderline patient.
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Biden ‘reviewing’ ties with Saudi Arabia amid anger over oil cuts
IMF cuts 2023 global outlook over colliding global shocks
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
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How to take great photos on Android and iOS phones. PopSci
COUNTRY PROFILE
Republic of Chile
Official Name: República de Chile
Short form: Chile
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
Country Calling Code: +56
Capital City: Santiago
Independence Day: September 18th, 1810
Population: 18,430,408 (2022 estimate)
Currency: Chilean peso (CLP)
Official Language: Spanish
President: Gabriel Boric
GDP Per capita (PPP): $28,526 (64th) (2022 estimate)
TRIVIA
Which one is bigger?
We’ll give you clues for two numbers, and you have to answer the simple question: “Which is greater?”
- Distance from the International Space Station to Earth // Distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco
- Calories in a McDonald’s Big Mac // Calories in a McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
- Average rating of Times Square on Google reviews // Average rating of the Taj Mahal on Google reviews
- The number of Taylor Swift’s Instagram followers // The number of Beyoncé’s Instagram followers
INTERNET GIGGLES
| ANSWER |
1. San Francisco is 348 miles from Los Angeles, and the ISS orbits Earth at a distance of about 250 miles.
2. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 740 calories, and the Big Mac “only” has 550.
3. Times Square has 4.7 stars, and the Taj Mahal has 4.6.
4. Beyoncé has 277 million, and Taylor Swift has 226 million.
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Written by Seun, Mercy, Kingsley, and Tosin.
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