World

Venezuela Protesters Plan Major Protest To Block Main Roads And Biggest Motorway

Published

7 years ago

April 24, 2017 11:35 am

Protesters plan Monday to block Venezuela’s main roads including the capital’s biggest motorway, triggering fears of further violence after three weeks of unrest left 21 people dead.

The wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez started a vigil Sunday outside the prison where he is being held, pressing for permission to visit him after he spent a month in isolation.

President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday that he wants “elections now,” referring to elections for governors which were supposed to be held last December, and those for mayors scheduled for this year. A presidential election is scheduled for 2018.

“I am ready for what the Electoral Power says,” insisted Maduro, who won the 2013 election by a narrow margin.

Venezuela has seen near-daily protests since the beginning of April, with opponents of Maduro demanding his ouster.

Maduro has called for local elections in Venezuela, but the government has ruled out voting this year at presidential level as opposition leaders have demanded.

The opposition blames Maduro for the unraveling of the oil giant’s once-booming economy, leaving the country with critical shortages of food, medicine and basic goods.

The spark that set off the near-daily protests was an attempt by the Supreme Court to take over the powers of the opposition-dominated Congress.

Most of the demonstrations have degenerated into riots and clashes with security forces, who dispersed them using tear gas and rubber bullets.

The government and the opposition have accused each other of fomenting the deadly violence that has also seen hundreds of people detained or wounded and businesses looted.

The latest victim, Almelina Carrillo, 47, succumbed to injuries suffered when she was struck in the head by a bottle thrown from a building during the march in Caracas.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol called her “another victim of the Terrorist Right, which is full of hatred.”

“We will not rest until we capture those responsible for this repugnant crime,” he added.

The opposition has said it will use the momentum to keep taking to the streets demanding elections and pushing for the release of political prisoners.

Thursday marked one of the most violent days in the latest wave of protests, with the Caracas neighborhood of El Valle the scene of shootings, looting and pitched battles between demonstrators and police officers, who forced the evacuation of a maternity ward.

Eleven people died that day alone.

Maduro says he has “evidence” that opposition lawmakers Jose Guerra and Tomas Guanipa were involved in those deadly riots.

The opposition coalition Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (MUD) has denounced “a sequence of political persecution against important leaders,” lawmaker Enrique Marquez was quoted as saying by the El Encimulo news website.

Maduro is pressing the opposition to resume dialogue, frozen since last year after it accused the government of not complying with agreements which include the call for elections.

“I ask Pope Francis from here on out to continue to accompany us in the dialogue, because there is a conspiracy in Rome and here as well against dialogue in Venezuela,” he said.

World

Israel launches counterattack on Iran

Published

14 hours ago

April 19, 2024 8:17 am

BodexNG

Oil prices have surged by nearly 4 percent as Israel launched a missile attack on a target in Iran, according to international media reports.

Explosions were reported in Isfahan province in central Iran, where the country’s nuclear plant is located.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later announced that there was no damage to the plant.

Israel had promised a response to missile and drone attacks by Iran last weekend.

Iran had launched the attacks in response to the April 1 strike that killed its senior security officials at its embassy in Syria apparently carried out by Israel.

A US official told ABC News that Israel carried out a strike inside Iran, confirming reports of the explosion by the Asian country’s media.

There were also reports of blasts in Iraq and southern Syria.

Commercial flights we re-routed as parts of the Iranian airspace were closed.

Iran says it activated its air defence systems.

Israel is not planning further attacks and Iran is not going to retaliate either, according various officials quoted by the media.

Brent crude price is now over $90 per barrel, up from $87 before the strike.

World

Dubai international airport cancels flights as flood ravages runway, UAE

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024 12:30 pm

BodexNG

A year’s worth of rainfall in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, left the city flooded and disrupted airport operations.

A video posted online showed the tarmac of Dubai International Airport — recently crowned the second busiest in the world — underwater as massive aircraft attempted to navigate floodwaters.

CNN reports that nearly four inches (100 mm) of rain fell over the course of just 12 hours on Tuesday, according to the weather observations at the airport.

According to United Nations data, the rainfall was around what Dubai usually records in an entire year.

The flooding disrupted airport operations in the city, with multiple airlines announcing flight delays and cancelled flights on Wednesday.

Jets were said to have looked more like boats moving through the flooded airport, while other parts of the UAE also recorded heavy rainfall.

“Operations continue to be significantly disrupted. There is major flooding on access roads around Dubai leading to the airport,” the airport was quoted as saying.

The rain reportedly fell so heavily and quickly that motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles as the floodwater rose and roads turned into rivers.

Dubai, like the rest of the UAE, has a hot and dry climate. As such, rainfall is infrequent and the infrastructure to handle extreme events is not in place.

Many roads and other areas have insufficient drainage due to the lack of regular rainfall, causing flooding.

The rain that ravaged the city is associated with a larger storm system traversing the Arabian Peninsula, moving across Oman and Iran.

Experts said torrential rainfall will become frequent in the region due to human-driven climate change.

World

SEE FULL LIST: Fireboy, Osimhen, Amusan make Forbes Africa’s ‘30 Under 30’ list

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024 11:30 am

BodexNG

Fireboy DML, the singer, Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles footballer, and Veekee James, a fashion designer, are among the six Nigerians listed in the 2024 edition of Forbes Africa’s ‘30 Under 30’.

Forbes ’30 Under 30′ is an annual listicle by Forbes magazine spotlighting prominent business and industry figures.

In the tenth edition of the list recently released, the business magazine featured Africans under 30 who are shaping the continent in entertainment, education, sports, technology, healthcare, art, and other industries.

Other Nigerians on the list include Josiah Akinloye, founder and CEO of Mainlogix Technology; Tobi Amusan, track and field athlete; and Abioye Oyetunji; founder and CEO FXKudi.

Africans on the list include Tyla Laura Seethal, South African singer; Peace Wutawunashe, founder of Trigershot Engineering; Kenneth Njeru, director and founder of Africa Afya Healthcare; and Calvin Usiri, co-founder and CTO of Ramani, among others.

To curate the 2024 list, the finalists were drawn after a “rigorous vetting process” by the editorial team led by Under 30 curator Chanel Retief, alongside a panel of independent external judges such as Mo Abudu.

Other judges are Kate Kallot, Chris Maurice, Tlaleng Mofokeng, Helena Ndume, and Desiree Ellis.

Forbes said the evaluation process commenced in late 2023, with the support of its audit partner, SNG Grant Thornton.

Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Rema are among Nigerians who have made the list in the past.

The magazine earlier announced that Omah Lay, the singer, will be performing at the Under 30 summit in Botswana in May.

Below is the Forbes Africa ’30 Under 30′ list for 2024:

Alex Mativo, 29, Kenya, CEO and Co-founder, E-LAB, Nanasi and Duck, Industry: Multiple ventures
Ann-Kathrin Joos, 28, South Africa, CEO and Founder, Standard Beauty, Industry: Beauty
Vimbai Masiyiwa, 29, Zimbabwe, CEO, Batoka Hospitality, Industry: Tourism
Andrew Ddembe, 28, Uganda, Co-founder and CEO, MobiKlinic, Industry: Healthtech
Chad Jones, 28, South Africa, Social Media Content Creator and Brand Influencer, Industry: Social media
Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (Fireboy DML), 28, Nigeria, Singer-songwriter, Industry: Entertainment
Tyla Laura Seethal, 22, South Africa, Singer-Songwriter, Industry: Entertainment
Ayushi Chandaria, 26, Kenya, Founder, Design Thinking Program (Kenya), Industry: Education
Ama Qamata, 25, South Africa, Actress, Producer, Industry: Entertainment
Daniel Novitzkas, 28, South Africa, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Specno, Industry: Software development and technology solutions
Prisca Wegesa Magori, 29, Tanzania, CEO and Co-founder, TenTen Explore and Smart EFD, Industry: Software development
Luke Mostert,27, South Africa, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, CatalyzU, Industry: Venture Capital
Kenneth M. Njeru, 25, Kenya, Director and Founder, Africa Afya Healthcare, Industry: Health investment services Services
Arooj Sheikh, 28, Kenya, Founder and CEO, Beyond Kenyan Bars, Sector: Social development
Cayley Jorgensen, 29, South Africa, CEO and Founder, Ingage Support; Registered Counselor, Sector: Mental health
Hildah Magaia, 29, South Africa, Forward for Mazatlán F.C Femenil and Banyana Banyana, Industry: Sport-football
Victor Osimhen, 25, Nigeria, Footballer and Striker for Super Eagles, Industry: Sport-football
Tobi Amusan, 26, Nigeria, Track and Field Athlete, Industry: Sport – athletics
Damian Willemse, 25, South Africa, Stormers and Springboks Rugby Player, Industry: Sport – rugby
Ricardo Lognath, 29, South Africa, Co-Founder and CEO, Omninela Medical, Industry: Healthcare/E-commerce
Nicolas Lognath, 27, South Africa, Co-Founder and Director, Omninela Medical, Industry: Healthcare/E-commerce
Ruth Erikan James, 29, Nigeria, Founder, Veekee James, Industry: Fashion
Shaun Maswanganyi, 23, South Africa, Track and Field Athlete, Industry: Sport – athletics
Jeremiah Thoronka, 24, Sierra Leone, Founder and CEO, Optim Energy, Sector: Climate change and sustainability (Social Impact)
Calvin Usiri, 28, Tanzania, Co-founder and CTO, Ramani, Industry: Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Peace Wutawunashe, 27, Zimbabwe, Founder, Trigershot Engineering, Industry: Solar/Renewable Energy
Esethu Cenga, 29, South Africa, Co-founder and CEO, Rewoven, Industry: Fashion
Josiah Akinloye, 29, Nigeria, Founder and CEO, Mainlogix Technology, Industry: Automation and technology
Abioye Oyetunji, 29, Ghana, Founder and CEO, FXKudi, Industry: Fintech
Nadine Roos, 27, South Africa, South African Rugby Union (Springboks) and Sevens player, Industry: Sport – rugby

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others