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Monday Motivation! That which you most need will be found where you least want to look. - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist.
Still looking for answers or seeking a change? Might be time for some exposure therapy.
Italy. A jubilant Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers and on course to become the first woman prime minister, said voters had given the right-wing a clear mandate to govern and that she would lead a government for all Italians. The Brothers of Italy had emerged as the biggest party in Sunday’s elections, with a smashing 26% of the vote.
Britain. The pound fell by against the U.S. Dollar after the government unveiled a new budget featuring tax cuts and higher borrowing. Prime Minister Liz Truss and her finance minister said that their plan will boost economic growth, but investors responded by selling off British bonds and bringing the pound down to its lowest level in 37 years.
Iran. President Ebrahim Raisi said he will "deal decisively with those who oppose the country's security and tranquillity." His statement comes as week-long anti-government protests continue in the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. 35 people have been killed since the protests began, and hundreds of people have been detained, including 11 journalists.
Lebanon. More bodies of refugees and migrants have been recovered from the sea off Syria after a boat capsized, raising the death toll to 94 in one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Eastern Mediterranean. More people are believed to be missing as up to 150 people were on board the small boat which sailed from crisis-hit Lebanon. Those on board were mostly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians, and included both children and the elderly.
1992 Military Plane Crash
A Nigerian military-transport plane crashed soon after takeoff from Lagos, killing all 163 people aboard. Many of those killed in the crash of the Hercules C-130 were believed to be middle-ranking army, navy and air force officers attending a staff college course in northern Nigeria. The crash was Nigeria's worst air disaster since 1973.
NIGERIA
Dangerous Skin Products
The Story
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of skin-damaging cosmetics products that have flooded the Nigerian beauty market.
Did they identify the products?
The Agency warned against the abuse of bleaching agents, as it explained that such products have dangerous chemicals that cause skin cancer and damage internal organs like the kidney. During a two-day retreat by the Agency’s Top Management Committee (TMC) in Lagos on Sunday, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, expressed concern over the proliferation of beauticians formulating unauthorised harmful chemicals and selling same to unsuspecting clients. NAFDAC also warned Spa outlets using such dangerous chemicals to desist or risk prosecution and jail term.
How do the vendors access these chemicals?
She urged Nigerians to refrain from using illegal cosmetics while revealing that the majority of the ingredients in these mixtures are smuggled into the country and are not registered, mentioning formulas with Kojic Acid and Hydroquinone that are above their permitted limits and hence dangerous. She emphasized that the use of mercury in cosmetics was prohibited for the same safety reason. The majority of Spa establishments in cities, according to the DG, are guilty of engaging in this harmful practice of creating skin products for customers by combining chemicals with organic ingredients like pawpaw, carrot, etc. Source
EUROPE
Tax Slips Don’t Lie
The Story
Earlier this year, Spanish authorities announced that they would be seeking a prison sentence of eight years and two months against famous singer Shakira for allegedly evading taxes from 2014 to 2016. Shakira is daring them to go ahead.
What's she saying?
In a recent interview, the Colombian star stated that she would be fighting the charges, claiming that she was too busy tearing it up on stage across the globe to be considered a resident of Spain. “First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world,” Shakira told Elle on Wednesday. These are not the best of times for the "queen of Latin music", who is also having to deal with separation from her partner of twelve years, Gerard Pique.
Is she separated from Pique?
Yes, she is. While both are currently engaged in a custody dispute, it appears that the Barcelona defender has moved on quite swiftly because he is already seeing another woman. On the other hand, Shakira would rather wait to see how the separation pans out, to try and limit the impact on their two kids. In an interview with Elle, the artist acknowledged that her current circumstances are not best. "Sometimes I feel like this is a nightmare and that I will wake up at some point," Shakira told Elle.
Where is she with the tax case?
She says she does not owe the tax authority. “Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them. And finally, I was advised by one of the four biggest tax specialist firms in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers, so I was confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one", she said in the Elle interview.
The media attention from both the divorce and court case seem to be taking their toll on her: “I have paparazzi camping outside, in front of my house, 24/7,” she said. “And there’s not a place where I can hide from them with my kids, except for my own house.” She has called this period “probably the darkest hour of my life.” Source
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EUROPE
Two-State Solution
The Story
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed his support for a two-state solution with Palestinians during a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, despite resistance from within his country. Conditions would apply though.
What conditions?
While disclosing his position on the subject, Lapid insisted that the potential Palestinian state that will exist must be peaceful and free from terror. "If that condition is met, then the best path forward is an agreement with the Palestinians based on two states for two peoples”, Lapid said. It marked the first time an Israeli PM has publicly backed the two-state solution, which would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, since 2016.
Has he always held this thought?
That's hard to tell, but he says that he is not alone. “Despite all the obstacles, still today a large majority of Israelis support the vision of this two-state solution. I am one of them,” Lapid said, adding that it “is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy and for the future of our children". Lapid also touched on Iran and its nuclear weapons negotiations with the West, arguing that the time had come to abandon the 2015 deal and to negotiate a new one.
What propositions did he make concerning the new deal?
Lapid argued that force might be needed to bring Iran around. "The only way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is to put a credible military threat on the table. It needs to be made clear to Iran that if it advances its nuclear program, the world will not respond with words, but with military force. Every time a threat like that was put on the table in the past, Iran stopped, and retreated.” Lapid argued. He also made his displeasure known over how the U.S. and other world leaders have watched while Iran continues its mission to destroy the state of Israel.
"Israel is not a “guest in this building,” Lapid said, reiterating that “Israel is a proud sovereign nation” and “an equal member of the United Nations.
While insisting that Israel will do all it can to stop the threat of Iran to Israel, Lapid noted that his country is willing and open to a peaceful coexistence with the Arab world. "Israel seeks peace with our neighbors. We call upon every Muslim country – from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia – to recognize that, and to come talk to us. Our hand is outstretched for peace", he said. Source
PERSONAL FINANCE
How to calculate your own personal inflation rate
Inflation increased in August, the highest since September 2005, with consumer prices rising at an annual rate of 20.52%. Rising costs for housing, food, and airfares were among the biggest contributors to that key gauge of inflation.
The typical Nigerian family is spending a lot more per month for goods and services than a year ago. Yet you may not be “typical.” We don’t all spend the same amount on the same things.
To figure out how much inflation is actually impacting your wallet depends on how much you are spending and where you’re spending it. You need to calculate your own personal inflation rate. Here’s how to do it:
Federal Govt takes step to deregister ASUU
Banks suspend naira card transactions abroad
Reconsider Okada ban, union begs Sanwo-Olu
Osinbajo, Dogara out, Amaechi makes Tinubu’s campaign list
Ethiopian Airlines emerges preferred bidder for Nigeria Air
GIG Logistics expands services to China
Singer MI weds Eniola Mafe
Bukayo Saka crowned England’s Player of the Year
Tears flow as curtain comes down on Federer’s glittering career
Rihanna to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show
Zelenskyy ‘shocked’ by Israel’s failure to give Ukraine weapons
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FEATURE
The Irony Called APC
"This administration has done extremely well. I have to say it because those who are supposed to say it are not saying it. I don't know why."
The above was a statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari while on a working visit to Imo state two weeks ago. The president had been invited by the current tenant of the Imo state government house, the man whose detractors tagged "supreme court governor" (due to how he became governor of the state), senator Hope Uzodinma. President Buhari's statement was a lamentation on how though still in office, his party (APC) appears to have dumped him and moved on to the current most appealing damsel in the party, the party's presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Bola Tinubu.
11 tricks to master Google Docs. WonderTools
Tips for falling asleep the night before an early morning. CNN
Queen Elizabeth II wrote to a pen pal for 70 years. Yahoo
Infographic: Roger Federer’s career in charts. Al Jazeera
TRIVIA
Personal Finance Quiz 1
Test your literacy in personal finance with these multiple-choice questions!
#1. When deciding which of the two items to purchase, one should always -
#2. Which of the following has historically had the highest rate of return over long periods of time?
#3. Which of the following would be expected to hold its value best during a time of inflation?
#4. Which of the following would hurt your credit score?
#5. Which of the following is the primary function of insurance?
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Written by Seun, Mercy, Kingsley, and Tosin.
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