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Good morning. A former journalist quit his well-paying job with The Economist to open his dream bookstore called Backstory. Tom is thrilled to come home to his grown-up habit of browsing bookshops, coming out calmer and with a big pile of reading.
Some of us just want the simple things of life - like books.
China. Beijing has accused the U.S. National Security Agency of hacking its Northwestern Polytechnical University, which conducts aeronautics and space research. NSA is accused of conducting thousands of cyberattacks on Chinese targets. The U.S. has not commented on the allegation.
Canada. A search is underway for one of two brothers who went on a deadly stabbing spree in Saskatchewan province Saturday. At least 10 people were killed, and 18 others injured from the attacks. One of the brothers was found dead late Monday from what officials describe as "not self-inflicted wounds."
Kenya. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga whose petition to nullify his rival William Ruto’s presidential election victory was thrown out by the Supreme Court, has said he respected the decision but disagreed. The Court had delivered a unanimous verdict upholding Ruto’s victory. The decision paves the way for Ruto, 55, to be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president.
1813 United States nicknamed Uncle Sam
The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for—and personification of—the U.S. federal government.
NIGERIA
ASUU's Depleting Camp
The Story
These are not very good times for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the Lagos State University (LASU) led some other universities out of the ASUU strike that has now lasted more than six months.
Which other universities left?
The Kwara State University, Kaduna State University, and Osun State University have also pulled out of the industrial action. They joined the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Ekiti State University, and others that have directed their students to resume for academic activities.
Does the federal government have something to do with this?
That's not clear, yet. But while ASUU's camp is being depleted, the federal government says it has met about 80% of the union's demands. The federal ministry of education's Director of press and public relations, Ben Goong, disclosed this as he described the decision of ASUU to extend the six-month-old strike as unreasonable. “If you bring some demands and almost 80% have been attended to, there is no need to drag the strike anymore", Goong said.
What makes up the remaining 20%?
The remuneration of lecturers is a major issue both sides have been unable to agree on. On the very thorny issue of payment platform, Goong said the FG is looking at a middle ground it can hopefully reach an agreement with ASUU on. “As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonize the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS)”, he said.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, recently met with Pro-Chancellors, Chairmen of Councils, and Vice Chancellors of universities. Reports say that part of the outcome of the meeting is the setting up of a tactical committee to review the FG's ‘no work, no pay’ stance, which had outraged members of ASUU and resulted in the union's extension of the strike. Source
EUROPE
Truss into UKaos
The Story
Conservatives in the United Kingdom on Tuesday declared that "in Liz they Truss" as the result of the Conservative party's leadership election was announced, making Foreign Minister Liz Truss the new Prime Minister of Britain.
Who is she?
Born in 1975, Truss was raised in a left-wing family, with a mathematician father and a mother who was a nurse and teacher. Very outspoken, Truss often talks of attending a public high school in the city of Leeds, a school she said “let down” its students with low expectations, few opportunities, and a local council hampered by political correctness. An Oxford alumnus with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics, Truss will need more than her bluntness and defiance of political correctness to steer Britain out of its current economic difficulties.
What are her plans?
Amidst rising inflation that is compounded by soaring energy cost, Truss announced that her focus will be on the economy, energy, and NHS. Recognizing the urgency of the task ahead, Truss announced her cabinet just hours after becoming Prime Minister, as she expressed confidence in Britain's ability to move past its current challenges. "We can ride out the storm", she said. Kwasi Kwarteng has been named Chancellor, James Cleverly is Foreign Secretary, and Suella Braverman is Home Secretary. Therese Coffey will serve as the new Health Secretary and Deputy PM. Analysts have, however, warned that a policy flip-flop in these difficult times may spell doom for Truss, who is known to often change her stance on issues.
How do you mean?
In 1994, then a passionate 19-year-old Oxford student, Truss vigorously denounced what is widely called the divine right to rule enjoyed by monarchs, calling for a referendum to abolish the British monarchy. Addressing an audience of fellow Liberal Democrats, Truss said, “We do not believe that people should be born to rule.” Ironically and 28 years later, Truss on Tuesday traveled to Scotland to be anointed PM by "Queen" Elizabeth II. She has also since ditched the Liberal Democrats and is today leader of the Conservative Party.
Her most recent 180° policy switch came at the height of the Brexit campaign, when she opposed the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union before the 2016 referendum, only to change course and become one of Brexit's most vocal proponents. As she takes over the reigns at number 10 Downing street, Freshly Pressed wishes Truss all the best as she "rides out the storm". Source
TOGETHER WITH EDEN POWER
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ASIA
Japan’s Flop(py) Era
The Story
That age-old advice has once again become relevant as the Japanese government seeks to reform around 1,900 official procedures that still mandate the use of outdated storage media.
What storage media?
Currently, public service rules require many types of business documents submitted to government agencies be sent in on floppy disks, CD-ROMs, or even the MiniDisc, a 30-year-old alternative to digital cassette tapes that max out at around 140 megabytes of data storage. Digital minister Taro Kono tweeted on August 31 that he “declares a war on floppy disks” and will change “regulations so you can use online [methods].” Kono said at a press conference that the agency would be “reviewing these practices swiftly", but he's not stopping on floppy disks.
What else is he doing?
Kono styles himself as a reformer, targeting inefficient bureaucratic procedures, such as requirements that some 14,900 government procedures be certified with a personalized seal called a hanko. At the press conference, Bloomberg wrote, Kono said he would be going after fax machines next. “Where does one even buy a floppy disk these days?” Kono asked, adding that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had promised to support the modernization initiative.
Tech Giant, Analog bureaucracy.
Despite being home to some of the world’s biggest electronics manufacturers, Japan is way behind on digital transformation. As of 2019, according to the Economist, just 7.5% of government procedures could be completed online, and in 2021, Japan was ranked 27 out of 63 countries in the IMD’s World Digital Competitiveness ranking. While the government established a digital agency in 2021 to lead reforms, tens of thousands of national and local rules behind the outdated administrative procedures stand in the way.
Japanese agencies often have piles of outdated media lying around, as illustrated in a 2021 incident where Tokyo police admitted they lost two floppy disks containing the personal information of 38 men who underwent background checks when applying for public housing. Source
FEATURE
Time Out With Jennifer
Meet her...
Jennifer Ajise, an ardent reader of Freshly Pressed, who is a Clinical Research Associate, jumped on this random question session with us.
What’s the single most impactful piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Do not forget who you are, where you are coming from, and where you are going.
What do you think is the silliest song but you like singing it anyway?
Baby Shark doo doo doo doo
How would you explain Tiktok to your great-grandparents?
Granny, TikTok na short film when dey for phone, you fit watch anybody or anything you like. You go see different people dey act, e no dey tay sha, but you go like am.
If you could erase one event from history, which one would you erase?
Biafra War
Let's meet you! If you would like to be featured in Freshly Pressed's Time Out With, shoot us a mail at info@freshlypressed.ng or click WhatsApp. We'd love to hear from you.
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OPPORTUNITY
The Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2023
The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country who is aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words). Regional winners each receive £2,500 and the opportunity to be published online by Granta magazine, and the overall winner receives £5,000.
Submissions close 1 November 2022. APPLY HERE
100 Greatest Drummers of All Time. Rolling Stone
Six Security Tips to Avoid Crypto Fraud. Kaspersky
How your brain Reacts at the Moment of Death. Neo
The Most Famous Celebrity Breakups. Cosmo
The Winners of the Summer 2022 Transfer Window. Football365
TRIVIA
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
- Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000)
MOTIVATIONAL GIGGLES
Written by Seun, Mercy, Kingsley, and Tosin.
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