World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Monday said Africa is working with the European Union and other partners to help create regional vaccine manufacturing hubs in South Africa, Senegal and Rwanda,

“We have now seen that over-centralization of vaccine production capacity is incompatible with equitable access in a crisis situation,” Okonjo-Iweala said on Monday during a virtual meeting, Reuters reported.

“Regional production hubs, in tandem with open supply chains, offer a more promising path to preparedness.”

In January, the Nigerian government announced the release of N10 billion to support domestic vaccine production.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the funds was released by the Ministry of Finance and would be used to explore “options for licensed production in collaboration with recognised institutions.”

According to Statista.com Nigeria is the fourth country in Africa that has the highest number of vaccinated citizens.

The country has vaccinated 225, 765 people so far. South Africa is sixth on the list.

Earlier on Monday, south African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will hosting a “technology transfer hub” for coronavirus vaccines to scale up production know-how in Africa’s worst-hit nation.

Ramaphosa said French President Emmanuel Macron and World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus would join him at a media briefing to announce the initiative at 1500 GMT.

“The briefing will focus on the establishment of the first messenger RNA technology transfer hub for Covid-19 vaccines, located in South Africa,” the presidency said in a brief statement.

The WHO has previously set up such hubs, which provide know-how and training to local manufacturers, to boost global production of influenza vaccines.

During a visit to South Africa last month, Macron said he was pushing for faster transfer of technology to allow poorer countries to start manufacturing their own Covid-19 jabs.

AFP

An Egyptian court has sentenced two women TikTok influencers to six and 10 years in jail respectively for “human trafficking”, a lawyer representing one of them told AFP on Monday.

The ruling against Haneen Hossam and Mowada al-Adham was handed down late Sunday by the Cairo Criminal Court.

Adham was sentenced to six years, her lawyer Saber Sokkar said, while Hossam given a 10-year sentence, both accused of “human trafficking”.

Other charges include “corrupting family values, inciting debauchery and encouraging young women to practice sexual relations,” Sokkar said.

Adham was present in court for the ruling but Hossam, who is on the run, was sentenced in absentia, the lawyer said.

He said that Hossam was given a higher sentence because she had failed to appear in court at previous hearings.

The women can appeal, the lawyer said.

They were arrested last year and sentenced to two years each in jail for “attacking society’s values” in videos published on TikTok.

In one video Hossam told her 1.3 million subscribers that girls could work for her for money, for which she was also accused last year of “debauchery” and “human trafficking”.

But in January an appeals court acquitted the pair.

The targeting of female influencers has rekindled a heated debate in the deeply conservative Muslim country over what constitutes individual freedoms and social values.

The clampdown is however not unusual in Egypt, where several belly dancers and pop singers have been targeted in recent years over online content deemed too racy or suggestive.

Rights groups say more freedoms have been curtailed in Egypt under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took office in 2014.

Egypt has in recent years enforced strict internet controls through laws allowing authorities to block websites seen as a threat to national security and to monitor personal social media accounts with over 5,000 followers.

AFP

The Ebola outbreak that appeared in the West African nation Guinea back in February is officially over, according to the World Health Organization and the Republic of Guinea Ministry of Health. The outbreak occurred in the N’Zérékoré Prefecture where the previous 2014 to 2016 Ebola outbreak happened. A total of 16 cases resulted from this recent outbreak.

The Guinea outbreak was officially announced on February 14, 2021. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is believed this outbreak may have resulted from a “persistent infection” that impacted one particular survivor of the 2014 to 2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.

Officials believe the Ebola infection may have been spread from the survivor, resulting in the fairly short-lived outbreak while underscoring the need to explore these persistent infections and how to better manage these patients. The World Health Organization credits a ‘swift response’ during the early part of the latest outbreak with addressing the infections.

Officials say that surveillance in Guinea for new possible Ebola cases remains and that data learned from previous outbreaks have contributed toward improved responses. Thousands of Ebola vaccine doses were distributed in the region for high-risk individuals, including frontline workers.

The outbreak was declared over on June 19, according to WHO, which reports that the 16 confirmed Ebola cases were joined by another seven ‘probable’ cases with a total of 12 deaths among them. Guinea is now home to a lab dedicated to Ebola, as well as a number of prevention methods to squash any new cases, infrastructure for treating Ebola in the case of a new outbreak, and more. (Slashgear)

The Canadian government says foreigners who hold a valid confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) can travel to the country, starting from June 21.

According to a statement issued on Monday, the government said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is working to revalidate expired COPR to applicants.

The government said applicants were denied travelling to Canada before their COPRs expired, due to the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

It added that a COPR is valid for a year and is issued to those who have been approved by IRCC to immigrate to Canada after meeting its criteria.

“Under the previous rules, foreign nationals who held a valid COPR issued on or before March 18, 2020, were exempt from Canada’s travel restrictions,” the statement reads.

“Those who held a valid COPR issued after March 18, 2020, could only come to Canada if they met another exemption or were coming from the US to settle permanently in Canada.

“A COPR’s validity, which can last for up to one year, is tied to the applicant’s passport and their immigration medical examination.

“However, many applicants were not able to travel to Canada before their COPRs expired due to the travel restrictions or other COVID-19 related considerations.

“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been working with applicants who were already exempt from the travel restrictions to reissue them a COPR.”

The government said more information will be provided on IRCC’s website on how to obtain a new COPR for those whose documents have expired.

It warned individuals whose documents have expired not to “book flights or attempt to travel to Canada until they receive a new COPR from IRCC”.

According to the statement, those who are eligible to travel must adhere to the COVID-19 protocol, before and after arrival.

“All people travelling to Canada, including those approved for permanent residence, must comply with the COVID-19 health measures and requirements upon arriving in Canada. All travellers must follow the flying to Canada requirements checklist or driving to Canada requirements checklist”, the statement reads.

“By allowing more time for reasonable numbers of new immigrants to settle in Canada and begin their integration, we can better prepare for Canada’s economic future.”

The statement added that “permanent residents are also likely to have supports in place once they arrive here — family members, supportive employers and resettlement agencies for refugees.” TheCableng

Despite the pandemic, Forbes recorded 493 new billionaires added to the world’s wealthiest list this year. According to Forbes, a new billionaire was minted every 17 hours on average over the past year. Altogether, the world’s wealthiest are $5 trillion richer than a year ago. The list also included billionaires under 30, the youngest being an 18-year-old teenager from Germany.

We will look at the 10 youngest billionaires on Forbes under 30 list 2021.

Alexandra and katharina Andresen ($1.3 billion)

The Andresen sisters, aged 24 and 25 each inherited 42% of Ferd, a Bærum, Norway-based investment company that reels in about $2 billion in annual revenue. Their father, Johan, still runs the business and controls 70% of the votes via a dual-class share structure. The Oslo-based investment company Ferd, has private equity holdings, a real estate portfolio, and participates in the Nordic stock exchange. The sisters are worth $1.3 billion each.

Wang Zelong ($1.5 billion)

Wang Zelong, aged 24, inherited a stake worth more than $1.3 billion in CNNC Hua Yuan Titanium Dioxide Co., a chemical company that trades on the Shenzhen stock exchange. The company produces titanium dioxide pigment, a white pigment that can be used in coatings, plastics, ink, and other materials. He also has stakes in Lomon Billions Group. He is worth $1.5 billion.

Stanley Tang & Andy Fang ($2.2 billion)

DoorDash co-founders Andy Fang and Stanley Tang, aged 28 each own 4.2% of the company with a net worth of $2.2 billion. DoorDash is a technology company that offers on-demand delivery services for grocery and meals through partnerships with restaurants and grocery stores on its app. Door Dash’s last funding round before going public raised $400 million at a $16 billion valuation. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange at a $72 billion valuation.

Jonathan, aged 29 is the younger son of late property tycoon, Walter Kwok. He is a Director at Empire Group Holdings, overseeing the group’s real estate investments, project developments, and asset management operations. The property development company was founded by Walter Kwok after he was ousted as chairman of Hong Kong’s largest developer, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP).

Jonathan and his brother inherited from their late father, Walter Kwok, a portion of his stake in Hong Kong property developer Sun Hung Kai Properties. The brothers are also named beneficiaries of one-third of five family trusts held by their grandmother Kwong Siu-Hing, the widow of SHKP co-founder Kwok Tak-Seng. Jonathan has a net worth of $2.4 billion.

Austin Russell ($2.5 billion)

Austin Russel, aged 26 founded Luminar Technologies, a company that makes LIDAR sensors for self-driving cars when he was 17. He dropped out of college in 2012 after receiving a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship, a program funded by billionaire Peter Thiel to nurture entrepreneurs. Following Luminar’s listing on Nasdaq, Russell became a self-made billionaire with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

Kevin David Lehmann ($3.3 billion)

Kevin Lehmann, aged 18 is the youngest billionaire in the world. He inherited his father’s 50% stake in Germany’s leading drugstore chain, dm (drogerie markt), which brings in over $12 billion in annual revenue on his 18th birthday. Today, dm has some 3,700 locations. Kevin’s net worth is $3.3billion.

Gustav Magnar Witzoe ($4.5 billion)

Gustav Witzoe, aged 27 owns nearly half of SalMar ASA, one of the world’s largest salmon producers. His stake was gifted to him in 2013 by his father, Gustav Witzoe, who founded the company in 1991. Witzoe’s fortune nearly doubled in the past year thanks to SalMar’s strong market performance. Witzøe is also a technology startup and property investor. He previously worked for MGM Property and has invested in both Gopi and Keybutler. He is worth $4.5 billion according to Forbes.

Sam Bankman-Fried ($8.7 billion)

Sam Bankman-Fried, aged 29 is the founder of Alameda Research and crypto exchange FTX. He is an MIT grad and former Wall Street ETF trader. He manages $2.5 billion of assets through Alameda Research, the quantitative crypto trading firm he founded in 2017. The vast majority of his wealth is in FTX’s equity and tokens (FTT). He has a net worth of $8.7 billion. (Nairametrics)

The Hornets already have three Nigerian players in their ranks, and they’ve added another ahead of the new Premier League season

Watford have reached an agreement with Club Brugge over the transfer of forgotten Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Dennis.

The Hornets announced in a statement on their official website, which read: An agreement with Club Brugges has been reached for the transfer of exciting young forward Emmanuel Dennis, Watford FC is delighted to confirm.

Dennis caught the eye of many after he scored twice against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in a Champions League encounter in 2019.

However, he had a disappointing campaign last season. The 23-year-old played nine times for Club Brugge last in the first half of the campaign and got into trouble on a few occasions.

He was sent out on loan to Cologne in January with the hope he could rediscover the form that saw him score against Madrid and Manchester United in the 2019/2020 season.

But the move did not turn out well for the Nigerian international, playing just nine times in the Bundesliga.

Cologne’s former sporting director even admitted they made a mistake in signing the Super Eagles star.

Nonetheless, a move to Watford offers him another fresh start and Premier League opportunity. The Hornets are back in the English top-flight after suffering relegation in the 2019/2020 campaign.

Dennis latest move means Watford now have four Nigerians in their team. William Troost-Ekong, Tome Dele Bashiru and Isaac Success are the other three Nigerian players already playing for the club. (Soccernet)

The Federal Government has announced the development of a National Humanitarian Development Peace Framework.

The soon to be launched framework is geared towards making humanitarian interventions in Nigeria timely, effective, and coordinated between the government, as well as humanitarian and security agencies.

Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, disclosed this on Monday at a virtual briefing to the United Nations Member States on the Humanitarian Situation in Nigeria.

She explained that the National Humanitarian Coordination Technical Working Group, as directed by the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee (NHCC), came up with the initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in Nigeria.

“The framework is a national and innovative home-grown approach to proactively address critical humanitarian and development challenges at the community, state, and federal levels,” the minister said.

Farouq noted that the framework developed with the support of UNOCHA and other critical international and national humanitarian stakeholders would address root causes of conflict, by coherently addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities, to ensure sustainable peace, stability, and development in the country when launched.

She added, “We will expect that all critical humanitarian, peace, and resilience programmes and plans key into or are derived from the National Humanitarian Development Peace Framework and Strategy”.

The minister, however, lamented that the humanitarian landscape in Nigeria has been impacted by non-state armed groups in the North East, environmental factors, the farmer-herder conflict, banditry, as well as the recent COVID-19 pandemic that has led to displacement, loss of livelihoods, and food insecurity.

She gave an assurance that the Federal Government was determined to keep working with the international humanitarian community to ensure safe and efficient access to humanitarian workers, as agreed by the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee chaired by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

With Nigeria focused on early recovery of the north-east region, through re-integration and rehabilitation of affected communities, Farouq promised that other regions would be reintegrated with the aim of developing programmes and interventions to positively engage women and youths who were likely targets for radicalisation or criminal recruitment.

She listed the Rural Women’s Cash Grant Programme, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, and N-Power Programme as some of the initiatives of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

According to the minister, 70,000 metric tonnes of grains from the National Strategic Grains Reserve and non-food items were distributed through state governments to vulnerable individuals and households across the country, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the World Food Programme.

She restated the government’s commitment to partnering with stakeholders to ensure food security for all Nigerians, assist Internally Displaced Persons, and return refugees to reintegrate in dignity.

“There is need for urgent and concerted efforts from the government and the humanitarian community to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable, with nobody left behind,” Farouq said. ChannelsTv