30 Feared Trapped In Zambia Mine Collapse – Minister

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30 Feared Trapped In Zambia Mine Collapse – Minister

The mines ministry made no comment saying it would make an inspection first at the site in the Chingola region, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the capital Lusaka.

More than 30 people were feared trapped Friday in a mine collapse in a Zambian region known for illegal open-cast digging for copper, a minister said.

“May I just inform the nation that we have a tragedy brewing in Chingola,” Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwiimbu told parliament.

“We have more than 30 people under the rubble” in a makeshift mine, he added, without giving further details.

The mines ministry made no comment saying it would make an inspection first at the site in the Chingola region, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the capital Lusaka.

Zambia is one of the world’s largest copper producers and Chingola is in the country’s copper-belt region.

The region has one of the world’s largest open-cast copper mines and some of the waste hills are 100 metres (300 feet) high.

New Zealand To Ban Cellphones In Schools

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New Zealand To Ban Cellphones In Schools

    Advertisement Cellphones will be banned in schools across New Zealand, conservative Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Friday.

Cellphones will be banned in schools across New Zealand, conservative Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Friday, as his fledgling government looks to turn around the country’s plummeting literacy rates.

New Zealand’s schools once boasted some of the world’s best literacy scores, but levels of reading and writing have declined to the point that some researchers fear there is a classroom “crisis”.

Luxon declared he would ban phones at schools within his first 100 days in office, adopting a policy trialled with mixed results in the United States, United Kingdom and France.

The move would stop disruptive behaviour and help students focus, Luxon said.

“We are going to ban phones across New Zealand in schools. We want our kids to learn and we want our teachers to teach,” he said.

Researchers from New Zealand charity Education Hub warned of a “literacy crisis” in 2022, finding more than one-third of 15-year-olds could barely read or write.

“That something must be done to address the distressingly low literacy rates in Aotearoa New Zealand is clear,” they wrote.

Luxon’s conservative government, sworn in on Monday, has been mired in controversy during its first week in power.

Doctors warned the country faced a looming public health “tragedy” after the government unexpectedly scrapped world-leading tobacco control measures that aimed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008.

Luxon has also agreed to restart offshore oil and gas exploration, junking one of former premier Jacinda Ardern’s signature climate change policies.

NAF Helicopter Crashes In Port Harcourt

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NAF Helicopter Crashes In Port Harcourt

The helicopter crashed shortly after it took off for an operation against economic saboteurs in Rivers State.

NAF spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the development in a statement.

He said all those onboard survived though they sustained “minor injuries”.

The helicopter with the number NAF MI-35P crashed at exactly 7.45 am shortly after it took off for an operation against economic saboteurs in Rivers State.

“Fortunately, the entire crew of 5 survived the crash with very minor injuries and are currently being attended to at NAF Medical Centre Port Harcourt.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, is currently en route Port Harcourt to access the situation for himself, see to the wellbeing of the crew and give further directives,” the statement partly read.

The spate of NAF helicopters crashing leaving casualties has been a source of worry to aviation and safety experts in the last two years, with stakeholders calling on the military to uphold standard operating procedures and routine maintenance of its fleet.

In August 2023, NAF MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed near Chukuba Village in Niger State, leaving casualties behind.

In 2021, at least 20 military officers lost their lives within three months in three crashes involving NAF jets.

Then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others were onboard a NAF Beachcraft 350 aircraft that crashed on May 21, 2021 near the Kaduna International Airport. All the 11 military personnel died in the tragic accident.

Israeli air strikes pound Gaza as truce with Hamas ends

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Israeli air strikes pound Gaza as truce with Hamas ends

Air strikes, heavy shelling and I'mcasualties reported in Gaza as Israel accuses Hamas of breaking agreement.

Heavy fighting has broken out across the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli military resumed combat operations against Hamas after efforts to extend the truce failed.

The resumption of hostilities came at about 7am local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday, as the deadline for the end of the week-long pause passed.

Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians amid tough Gaza truce talks

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Israel has lost the war of public opinion

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Israeli air strikes have been reported across the enclave, including the south, which was previously said to be safe for fleeing civilians.

Gaza’s health ministry said that dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured during the initial resumption of Israeli strikes.

Reports of rockets and gunfire had emerged in the hour before the temporary truce expired. Israel said that Hamas had violated the agreement.

Efforts to extend the pause had been ongoing. There was no comment from mediator Qatar, but there are reports that talks between Qatari and Egyptian mediators are continuing.

“Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory,” the Israeli army said in a post on X on Friday. “The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas did not agree to release further hostages, infringing the terms of the truce. Hamas has yet to respond.

“With the resumption of fighting we emphasise: The Israeli government is committed to achieving the goals of the war – to free our hostages, to eliminate Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will never pose a threat to the residents of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said.

“What Israel did not achieve during the fifty days before the truce, it will not achieve by continuing its aggression after the truce,” said a Hamas statement.

A Palestinian man holds a child as people flee following the resumption of an Israeli bombardment in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, on December 1, 2023 [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

Heavy bombardment

There are now reports of heavy gunfire and Israeli shelling in the north, central and southern parts of Gaza, Al Jazeera’s journalists in the enclave reported, saying aircraft and drones could be heard overhead.

“The Gaza Strip is under heavy artillery and even aerial bombardment by the [Israeli] occupation forces,” said Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza. “In the coming hours, we might witness a surging increase in the number of Israeli strikes across the territory.”

Our correspondent said that in the north, a residential building was destroyed in the Jabalia refugee camp; in central Gaza, tanks were shelling near Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps; and in the south, a house in Rafah was completely destroyed.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 21 people were killed as Israel resumed its attacks, including two in the north, seven in central Gaza and 12 in the south.

“Right now, sounds of Israeli explosions can be heard in the south, an area that the Israeli authorities had recommended as safe for civilians to flee,” Abu Azzoum said.

“This [resumption of fighting] brings Palestinians only one option – that they will live again under the Israeli bombardment that will destroy all means of life inside the Gaza Strip,” he added.

Israeli forces have been dropping leaflets in Khan Younis warning civilians to evacuate southwards towards Rafah, on the border with Egypt. The city was also targeted by Israeli air raids on Friday.

“People are asking ‘Where should we go?’ Gaza is unprepared for all of this,” said journalist Hind Khoudary, reporting from Khan Younis.

The evacuation warnings suggest Israel is now planning to further target areas in the south of the Strip after concentrating most of its bombardment on the north of the enclave in the weeks before the truce.

The seven-day pause in fighting, which began on November 24 and was extended twice, had allowed for the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the shattered coastal Strip.

During the truce, Hamas freed 110 captives, including 80 Israelis. In exchange, Israel released 240 Palestinians, including women and children, many of whom have been held in administrative detention for months without charge. However, during the same period, Israel has arrested nearly as many Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as it has released.

The pause also allowed desperately needed aid into the enclave, although supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel remain insufficient for Gaza’s 2.3 million people.

“The music industry is a fickle business”- Simi pens open letter to her fans

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“The music industry is a fickle business”- Simi pens open letter to her fans

The singer delves into the complexities of an industry that often grapples between artistic vision and commercial demands.

According to Simi, she only published one ballad, not reaching of her goal of many songs and an album.

Simi highlighted the complexities of life and the music industry in her post.

She described the profession as unpredictable and emphasized the hurdles behind the scenes. 

Nigerian music sensation Simi reflects on the unpredictable nature of the music industry, emphasizing its fickle nature.

Simi expressed her gratitude for the unwavering support of her fans while acknowledging the challenges she has faced along her musical journey.

Despite a year that diverged from her plans, she remains grateful and hopeful, With 28.6 million streams and 3.6 million unique listeners, her Spotify figures are impressive.

Simi stated that she had challenges this year, She only released one ballad, falling short of her goal of releasing multiple songs and an album.

In her recent post, Simi openly emphasized the unpredictable nature of both life and the music business. She emphasized the complexities that exist behind the scenes of the industry and characterized it as unpredictable.

She expressed her sincere gratitude for her fans persistent support and emphasized that they have inspired her throughout her artistic career.

Simi also talked about the significance of streaming numbers, acknowledging them as symbols of the devotion and love of her fans.

She emphasized that her relationship with her fanbase is real and goes beyond platforms.

The mother of one revealed her plan to postpone the release of her new song until next year, looking forward to a new beginning.

She shared her excitement for the future and advised her admirers to be ready for it.

Simi wrote:

“My year didn’t go how I planned. I’m not mad about it; I’m just stating for the record. I’d be crazy to give life any ultimatums, because by design, life is unpredictable.

I only put out one song this year. A ballad. In the middle of the year. I had plans for multiple singles and an album. I did. But the music business is so fickle, it’s amusing. The wheels that turn behind the scenes are emotionless.

This epistle is dedicated to my fans. Despite the many long waits you have endured for my sake, you support me. Still.

Again and again. I don’t take you for granted and I hope that’s a truth you don’t forget. I wasn’t going to post this stuff, because I didn’t see the point. But you’re the point.

This is one app. So the numbers are only a symbol and I want to say that I see you. Thank you for seeing me too.

1 pushed my stuff to next year, because I like the idea of starting afresh. So, I hope you’re ready.”

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Ruthless Super Falcons Dispatch Cape Verde  5-0 In Women’s AFCON Qualifier

  

Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo scored a brace each while Monday Gift got a goal as the Super Falcons recorded an emphatic win over the minnows.

Nigeria began their quest for a place in next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a 5-0 thumping of Cape Verde at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Thursday.

Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo scored a brace each while Monday Gift got a goal as the Super Falcons recorded an emphatic win over the minnows.

As expected, the record WAFCON holders started the game on a sound note and did not take time before Kanu opened the score sheet. She tapped in from close range just seven minutes into the game.

Although Cape Verde rallied to balance the score, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie made a stunning 16th-minute save to deny them.

Nine minutes later, the Nigerian girls were the beneficiary of a goalmouth scramble with Gift bundling the ball home to double the Super Falcons’ lead. Rasheedat Ajibade shot inches wide in the 33rd minute.

But Kanu was not done yet. She converted a Toni Payne cross just at the 45-minute mark to make it three for the home side.

Super Sub

Nigeria continued to press the Cape Verdian ladies upon resumption of the second half. But it took a 66th-minute effort from substitute Esther Okoronkwo – who came in for Gift – for the Super Falcons to get their fourth goal on the night off Esther Akudo Ogbonna’s cross.

Okoronkwo bagged her brace for the evening eleven minutes later to give Nigeria a fifth goal.

With the job done, interim coach Madugu Justine brought in Tochukwu Oluehi for Nnadozie in goal while Chiamaka Okwuchukwu made her debut when she came on for Esther Akudo.

The second leg of the game will be played on Tuesday in the coastal city of Praia, the Cape Verdian capital. The winner of both fixtures will feature at the 2024 WAFCON in Morrocco.

Thursday’s game was Madugu’s third for the Super Falcons in the continued absence of Head Coach Randy Waldrum.

COP28 Opens With ‘Historic’ Launch Of Loss And Damage Fund

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COP28 Opens With ‘Historic’ Launch Of Loss And Damage Fund

The talks in Dubai come at a pivotal moment for the planet, with emissions still rising and the UN on Thursday declaring 2023 on track to become the hottest year in human history.

Nearly 200 nations agreed Thursday to launch a fund to support countries hit by global warming, in a “historic” moment at the start of UN climate talks in the oil-rich UAE.

The announcement came as the Emirati host of the COP28 talks declared that fossil fuels must be part of any climate deal negotiated over the next two weeks.

The talks in Dubai come at a pivotal moment for the planet, with emissions still rising and the UN on Thursday declaring 2023 on track to become the hottest year in human history.

The formal establishment of the “loss and damage” fund long sought by climate-vulnerable nations provided an early win at COP28, where sharp divisions over the phasing out of fossil fuels were immediately apparent.

“We have delivered history today,” said COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber as delegates embraced and cheered.

Jaber said it was “the first time a decision has been adopted on day one of any COP and the speed in which we have done so is also unique, phenomenal and historic.

“This is evidence that we can deliver. COP28 can and will deliver,” he said.

Leaders have been urged to move more quickly to a clean energy future and make deeper cuts to emissions, with the world off-track to keep global temperature rises below agreed levels.

A central focus of COP28 will be a stocktake of the world’s limited progress on curbing global warming, which requires an official response at these talks.

Help our People’ 

Double the size of last year’s COP27, the conference is billed as the largest ever with 97,000 people, including Britain’s King Charles III and some 180 other heads of state and government expected to attend.

The UN and hosts the UAE say the talks will be the most important since Paris in 2015, and climate finance for poorer nations has been a key agenda item.

The UAE sees itself as a bridge between the rich developed nations most responsible for historic emissions and the rest of the world, which has contributed less to global warming but suffers its worst consequences.

The UAE announced $100 million toward the loss and damage fund with the European Union following with $246 million.

More pledges are expected in coming days, but the amounts fall well short of the $100 billion developing nations say are needed.

“The progress we’ve made in establishing a loss and damage fund is hugely significant for climate justice, but an empty fund can’t help our people,” warned Madeleine Diouf Sarr, chair of the Group of the 46 Least Developed Countries.

The 50-year-old Jaber is both COP president and head of UAE’s national oil giant, raising concerns over a conflict of interest amid calls for a phasedown of fossil fuels to be negotiated in Dubai.

On the eve of COP, Jaber was forced to deny that he used the COP presidency to pursue new fossil fuel deals, allegations first reported by the BBC.

In his opening address, Jaber told delegates they must “ensure the inclusion of the role of fossil fuels” in any final climate agreement and praised oil companies for coming to the table.

“They can lead the way. And then leading the way will ensure that others follow and catch up,” he said.

But UN climate chief Simon Stiell told the meeting: “If we do not signal the terminal decline of the fossil fuel era as we know it, we welcome our own terminal decline.”

And Pope Francis, who cancelled his trip to COP28 due to illness, urged participants to reject “the vested interests of certain countries or businesses”, in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Silence for Gaza

Finding a common position on the future of fossil fuels will be difficult at COP where all nations — whether dependent on oil, sinking beneath rising seas or locked in geopolitical rivalry — must take decisions unanimously.

The UAE hopes to marshal an agreement on the tripling of renewable energy and doubling the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

Nations will navigate a range of thorny issues between November 30 and December 12, and experts say building trust could be a huge challenge.

At the opening of the conference, delegates paused for a minute’s silence for civilians killed in the Gaza conflict.

On the sidelines, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will hold talks with diplomats on the release of hostages held by Hamas, his office said.

Neither US President Joe Biden nor Chinese President Xi Jinping are attending, though Washington is sending Vice-President Kamala Harris.

But the US and China, the world’s two biggest polluters, did make a rare joint announcement on the climate this month that spurred optimism going into COP28.