Nigeria election commission delays polls for governors by a week

 INEC says it needs more time to reconfigure BVAS machines at the centre of last month’s disputed presidential vote.

Nigeria’s electoral commission says it has postponed by a week the elections to pick new governors, saying it needed more time to reconfigure electronic machines that are at the centre of a highly contested presidential vote last month.

Originally due on Saturday, the polls to pick governors in 28 of the country’s 36 states will now be held on March 18.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said in a statement late on Wednesday it needed more time to reconfigure its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) that uses fingerprints and facial recognition to identify voters and transmit results from polling stations.

The same BVAS machines were used during the presidential and parliamentary vote on February 25.

“This decision has not been taken lightly but it is necessary to ensure that there is adequate time to back up the data stored on the over 176,000 BVAS machines from the Presidential and National Assembly elections … and then to reconfigure them for the Governorship and State Assembly elections,” INEC said.

Observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth and other bodies reported a range of problems during the February election, including failures in systems designed to prevent vote manipulation. They criticised INEC for poor planning and voting delays but they did not allege fraud.

The candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, who is a former Lagos governor, was declared the winner in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

He won 8.8 million votes, ahead of the contender of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, at 6.9 million, and third challenger, the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, at 6.1 million.

The PDP and Labour Party say huge delays in voting in the presidential ballot and problems in uploading the election results through the BVAS need to be investigated.

A court earlier on Wednesday had rejected an opposition demand to halt the reconfiguring of BVAS so their teams could check for forensic evidence of ballot rigging.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Israeli mass protests against reforms block roads and airport

 Protesters in Israel have blocked roads and attempted to stop the prime minister flying out the country amid nationwide demonstrations against controversial judicial reforms. Vehicles obstructed access roads to Ben Gurion airport, from where Benjamin Netanyahu is due to fly to Rome.

The weeks-old protests are some of the biggest Israel has ever seen. Critics say the reforms will undermine democracy; the government says planned changes are better for the electorate.

Thousands of protesters, many waving Israeli flags and carrying signs with slogans against the reforms, massed on main roads in Tel Aviv, causing major disruption to traffic.

A line of police on horseback stood by as the demonstrators flowed past, with some chanting to the police: “We’re also here for you,” Haaretz newspaper reported.

Meanwhile convoys of cars streamed towards the airport from early morning, causing gridlock at the entrance to try to block Mr Netanyahu from leaving for Rome.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin landed at the airport on Thursday and was reportedly forced to alter his schedule because of the protests.

Elsewhere, students in Haifa blocked one of the main entrances to the northern port city, while amid protests in Jerusalem hundreds of military reservists demonstrated outside the offices of a pro-reform right-wing think tank.

Some blocked the entrance to the office with sandbags and seven reservists were arrested, local media reported.

In Israel, military service is compulsory, and most men are required to do reserve duty every year afterwards, mostly up until the age of 40.

The protests against the judicial reforms have been going on for about 10 weeks, bringing at times hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets.

The issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society, and significantly has seen reservists – the backbone of Israel’s military – threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.

On Monday, in an unprecedented move, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron said they would not report for training. They later reversed course and agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.

Mr Netanyahu’s government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents.

Critics say the planned reforms, which are already making their way through parliament, will politicise the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.

Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts over-reaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.

Source: BBC

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US defence secretary in Israel as protests target Netanyahu

Top military leader Lloyd Austin lands in Tel Aviv as demonstrations over the government’s controversial judicial reforms swelled at Israel’s main airport.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived in Israel during a surge in protests against the government’s judicial overhaul plans with thousands of people calling for a “day of resistance to dictatorship”.

Austin, who is on a regional tour, landed at Ben Gurion Airport where hundreds of protesters gathered on Thursday. He was greeted on the tarmac by Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, and was due to have a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, the visit by the Pentagon chief came as Israeli demonstrators intensified their opposition to a contentious government proposal to reform the judiciary.

Protesters waving Israeli flags descended on the country’s international airport, blocking the main road leading to the departures area with their cars. The disruption snarled traffic and it was not clear if and how Netanyahu would reach the airport.

Police handed out traffic tickets as protesters held signs reading, “Dictator: don’t come back”. Security officers could be seen pushing and shoving demonstrators outside the facility.

Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported Netanyahu would fly by helicopter to the airport, circumventing the protesters. The prime minister’s office declined to comment.

“Israel is on the verge of becoming an autocratic country. The current government is trying to destroy our democracy and actually destroy the country,” said Savion Or, a protester in Tel Aviv.

The police, overseen by ultranationalist national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, pledged to prevent disturbances and said they had already made arrests as the protests got under way.

Police on horseback were stationed in central Tel Aviv where protesters marched and a water cannon truck was parked nearby. Red billboards festooning the city’s main highway read “resistance to dictatorship is mandatory”.

Elsewhere, protesters blocked main intersections in the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv and other cities. A small flotilla of paddleboards and kayaks tried to close off a main maritime shipping lane off the northern city of Haifa.

Some protesters barricaded the Jerusalem offices of a conservative think tank helping to spearhead the judicial changes.

The uproar over Netanyahu’s legal overhaul has plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises.

Beyond the protests, which have drawn tens of thousands to the streets and recently became violent, opposition has surged from across society, with business leaders and legal officials speaking out against what they say will be the ruinous effects of the plan.

The rift has not spared Israel’s military, which is seeing unprecedented opposition from within its own ranks.

Netanyahu, who took office in late December after a protracted political stalemate, and his allies say the measures aim to rein in a court that has overstepped its authority.

“The protests show how solid our democracy is,” Netanyahu told the Italian daily La Repubblica ahead of a trip to Rome. “A reform is necessary. The judiciary must be independent, not omnipotent.”

Critics say the overhaul will upset the delicate system of checks and balances and slide Israel towards authoritarianism. Critics also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is driven by personal grievances and he could find an escape route from the charges through the overhaul.

He denies wrongdoing and says the legal changes have nothing to do with his trial. Netanyahu and his allies have pledged to press ahead with a series of bills that would strip the Supreme Court of its ability to review legislation and give coalition politicians control over judicial appointments.

An attempt by Israel’s ceremonial president to defuse the crisis through an alternative legal reform has so far been unsuccessful.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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CONGRATULATIONS! WE ARE CELEBRATING THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH MUSIC!

Happy international women's day

 #EmbraceEquity

Digital equity for all

Today, we celebrate the achievements of women across the globe, and we recognize the progress we have made toward gender equality. This year's theme is #EmbraceEquity, and it encourages us to reflect on how we can work towards a more just and equitable world for you and me. 

Our organization, will push forward and highlight innovative technology's role in promoting gender equality; Our action in empowering and supporting women and girls in tech will not be quenched. One by one, we believe we can DigitALL!

Our everyday motto is "If a poor girl cannot come to the education, then education must go to her.''

Many children took a long walk to reach us and learn something from us. Most of these children have never attended a school, others have been facing big challenges in their student journeys due to extreme poverty and some have never returned since the emergence of covid-19 in Angola in March 2020.

Children are sharing their academic experiences

Special song from Marcia

Join the action here: https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2021/02/remembering-last-day-of-africa-educates.html

SHOW 5  - ART IN DEFENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome everyone to our creative and fantastic channel!

Our sustainable and innovative music-related project'' came to an end!

The heroes of our show are Angola's most ordinary citizens. We brought  together young people and talented children from school, churches, streets and housewives.

Hello!

Good evening everyone from Angola. My name is Sofonie Dala, I am the founder of this project,

Welcome everyone to the grand finale of our innovative show of sustainable music that inspires people to fight against climate change.

Guess who will be today's artist?

It is me!

I will be the artist of today's show, I will sing a top song.

The end of the campaign is not the end of the movement, thanks to all  of you who believes and supports our work, we hope to see you soon! 

Here’s a glimpse of what singing sustainable in order to fight climate change looks like for people in Angola.

SHOW 1 - Joining the fight against climate change through music! 

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But Since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

https://sustainablelifestyle-angola.blogspot.com/2023/02/joining-fight-against-climate-change.html

SHOW 2

Climate change is the biggest health threat facing humanity, threatening the progress in development, global health and poverty reduction made over the past 50 years.

Today we have joyful people and children who sing promoting sustainable actions in the agriculture and food sector, oceans, social life and Child Protection!

https://sustainablelifestyle-angola.blogspot.com/2023/03/show-2-joining-fight-against-climate.html

SHOW 3 

Climate change threatens the future stability of the planet. Our artists are using their talents to sound the alarm. 

Today we have a sybercafe manager, he sings in his church choir. Today he accepted the invitation to sing encouraging people to take care of the environment.

https://sustainablelifestyle-angola.blogspot.com/2023/03/show-3-art-in-defense-of-environment.html

SHOW 4

This show outlines the likely consequences of climate change on child health and wellbeing and identifies policies that could mitigate negative impacts. 

Today's children and future generations will bear a disproportionate share of the burden of climate change, which will affect child wellbeing through many direct, indirect, and societal pathways.

https://sustainablelifestyle-angola.blogspot.com/2023/03/show-4-joining-fight-against-climate.html

ACT4SDGS -JOIN US HERE:

https://act4sdgs.org/profile/sofonie_dala_1

I Cried Uncontrollably For For 30 Minutes Straight When I left the White House – Michelle Obama

 Michelle Obama has revealed how she ‘uncontrollably’ sobbed after she and her husband, Barack, left the White House – their home for eight years – for the final time.

Speaking about the milestone moment in a new episode of her podcast, the former First Lady also took aim at her husband’s successor, Donald Trump, slamming the former President for the lack of ‘diversity’ that she saw at his inauguration in 2017.

‘We were leaving the home we had been in for eight years, the only home our kids really knew,’ the 59-year-old said in a segment of the Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast episode, which was shared with People.

Read Full Story …. dailymail >>> :   

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Elon Musk apologises after mocking disabled ex-Twitter employee

Twitter CEO had questioned former staffer about his work, disability and need for accommodations.

If you’re not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. And then, sometimes, you get your job back — if you want it.

Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed at Twitter, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work — only to find himself locked out, along with 200 others.

He might have figured, as others before him have in the chaotic months of layoffs and firings since Elon Musk took over the company, that he was out of a job.

Instead, after nine days of no answer from Twitter as to whether or not he was still employed, Thorleifsson decided to tweet at Musk to see if he could catch the billionaire’s attention and get an answer to his Schrödinger’s job situation.

“Maybe if enough people retweet you’ll answer me here?” he wrote on Monday.

Eventually, he got his answer after a surreal Twitter exchange with Musk, who proceeded to question him about his work, disability and need for accommodations (Thorleifsson, who goes by “Halli,” has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair) and tweet that Thorleifsson has a “prominent, active Twitter account and is wealthy” and the “reason he confronted me in public was to get a big payout”. While the exchange was going on, Thorleifsson said he received an email that he was no longer employed.

Late Tuesday afternoon, however, Musk had a change of heart.

“I would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful,” he tweeted. “He is considering remaining at Twitter.”

Thorleifsson did not immediately respond to a message for comment following Musk’s tweet. In an earlier email, he called the experience “surreal”.

“You had every right to lay me off. But it would have been nice to let me know!” he tweeted to Musk.

Thorleifsson, who lives in Iceland, has about 151,000 Twitter followers (Musk has more than 130 million). He joined Twitter in 2021, when the company, under the prior management, acquired his startup Ueno.

He was lauded in Icelandic media for choosing to receive the purchase price in wages rather than a lump sum payout. That’s because this way, he would pay higher taxes to Iceland in support of its social services and safety net.

Thorleifsson’s next move: “I’m opening a restaurant in downtown Reykjavik very soon,” he tweeted. “It’s named after my mom.”

Twitter did not immediately respond to a message for comment.

SOURCE: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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UN says malnutrition in mothers soars in crisis-hit countries

 With 25 percent rise in malnutrition among adolescent girls, women, UNICEF report raises alarm on need to invest in essential nutrition programmes.

The number of pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from acute malnutrition has soared by 25 percent across 12 countries in Africa and Asia since 2020, according to a UNICEF report.

In the report published on Tuesday, UNICEF said that the number of malnourished mothers increased from 5.5 million to 6.9 million over the last two years in countries hardest hit by a global nutrition crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, drought, conflict and instability.

In the 12 countries – Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen – more than one billion adolescent girls and women are suffering from undernutrition with devastating consequences for their lives and wellbeing, said the report.

“The global hunger crisis is pushing millions of mothers and their children into hunger and severe malnutrition,” warned UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell.

Poor nutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women can lead to several health issues for their children, including premature births, low birth weight, stunting and wasting in newborns, according to the report.

It added that children born to malnourished mothers are also more likely to develop chronic health problems and have a higher risk of mortality.

According to the report, half of stunting in children under two develops during pregnancy and the first six months of life, “the 500-day period when a child is fully dependent on maternal nutrition”.

About 51 million children under two develop stunting globally due to malnutrition.

“To prevent undernutrition in children, we must also address malnutrition in adolescent girls and women,” explained Russell.

The countries mentioned in the report face multiple crises, including conflict, displacement and devastating climate change effects, which have disrupted livelihoods and access to essential services.

“We know what it takes to get life-saving nutrition support and services to the women and children who need it most. We just need to mobilise the political will and resources to act. There is no time to waste,” said Russell.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

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