German news magazine Der Spiegel and the Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that two U.S. diplomats in Germany had complained of symptoms that point to the so-called ‘Havana syndrome’. Citing unnamed U.S. diplomats, the Wall Street Journal said the diplomats exhibited symptoms including dizziness, severe headaches, earaches, fatigue, insomnia and sluggishness. The phenomenon refers to a mysterious ailment first reported by American diplomats in the Cuban capital in 2016. There was initially no official confirmation for the cases in Germany. The U.S. embassy in Berlin did not respond to dpa’s request for comment. In Washington, State Department Spokesman Ned…
Author: Newsdesk
Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI), a unit of the U.S Agency for International Development-Office Transition Initiative (USAID/OTI), has enrolled 100 children into primary schools in Jema’a local government area of Kaduna state. Eighty of the children are from displaced Fulani communities that resettled in Ungwan Gwandara, while 20 are locals from the host community. NERI also built 10 new homes for the herders in Gwandara and renovated 10 other damaged homes in Ungwan Bido belonging to the locals. Speaking at the enrolment and handing over ceremony of the new homes to the beneficiaries, Programme Manager of NERI, Chikodi Omokide, said…
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday in Abuja, confirmed and ratified International Coffee Agreement, 2007, following the Federal Executive Council (FEC), approval of Nigeria’s membership of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO). Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, in Abuja. “The FEC meeting had drawn a conclusion on the agreement on October 21, 2020, with emphasis on Conclusion 10, which approved the preparation of the Instrument of Ratification of Nigeria’s membership of the International Coffee Organisation and International Coffee Agreement of 2007. “The 2007 Agreement will strengthen the ICO’s…
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over a crucial security meeting with all the nation’s security chiefs and relevant cabinet Ministers in attendance. The meeting was summoned to critically analyzed the prevailing challenges of security bedevilling the country with a view to charting the best way forward. The nation security forces had in the recent times taken the battle more robustly to insurgents, bandits and all other criminals troubling the country. The meeting is expected to discuss successes being achieved in the renewed onslaught against terrorism, insurgency as well as the deadly activities of bandits across the country. Mr Femi…
The Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar has been appointed to chair a stakeholder advisory committee on ways to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the state. Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal disclosed this to newsmen after a maiden meeting of the stakeholders on insecurity, on Wednesday, in Sokoto. He said the meeting was convened in recognition of the rising security challenges of the state and the need to bring together everybody, irrespective of their political or religious inclinations, to proffer solutions to the problem. Tambuwal emphasized that bandits, kidnappers and other criminals, had subjected everybody to a difficult situation, hence, the need for a…
The federal government of Nigeria has pledged to provide an enabling environment for Gum Arabic Farmers in the country and investors in the industry. The Director of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Karima Babangida gave the pledge at a Gum Arabic stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, in Kano, under the theme: “Sustainable exploitation of gum Arabic for economic development in Nigeria”. She noted that the purpose of the meeting was to review the activities of the Gum Arabic value chain with a view to developing a robust road map that would take advantage of Nigeria’s potentials in…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Wednesday signed a virtual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Earth Networks, U.S. to advance weather observation across the globe. NiMet`s Director-General, Prof Mansur Matazu said the purpose of the MOU was to enter into a mutual beneficial collaboration for Network and Data Services Agreement between the two organisations. According to him, the realisation of the MOU is preceded by a formal request for collaboration from Earth Networks Inc. by its International Director, Mr Ari Davidou through a draft MoU to the Agency. “Earth Networks (EN) developed a lightning detection and surface weather monitoring technology…
Nigeria had a bright and fruitful opening to the on-going World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi on Tuesday, winning a gold medal and qualifying for the finals of four events. While the championships began on Tuesday with an opening ceremony, competition only began on Wednesday morning. Team Nigeria were then quick to get into their stride by winning the gold medal in the 4×400 metres mixed relay event, setting a new African record on the way. They won with the time of three minutes 19.70 seconds, hours after having broken the record earlier with 3:21.66 in their opening round’s heat.…
The Bauchi State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, passed the State Assembly Fund Management Bill, 2021. In his motion for the passage of the bill, the Majority Leader, Mr Tijjani Aliyu, described the bill as crucial for efficient utilisation of legislative funds. According to him, when assented to, the bill will enthrone accountability and transparency in the management of the assembly’s fund. “The bill will empower the house to manage its capital and recurrent expenditures. “It will also create the needed administrative structure to facilitate effective implementation of financial autonomy in the house,” he said Also speaking, the house’s Minority Leader,…
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N1.7billion for acquisition of permanent office for the Nigeria Extractive Industries, Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and purchase of scanners for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of FEC meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday. Adesina disclosed that N537 million of the N1.7 billion was approved for NEITI to acquire permanent office in Abuja, N985 million for procurement of Body Dual Scanners Solution with…