The Supreme Court has officially scheduled January 26, 2024, as the date for delivering its judgment in the appeal filed by Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives who is currently serving a prison sentence. Joseph Daudu, Lawan’s Counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, initially urged the court to consider the bail application, expressing concerns about his client’s health. In his arguments, Daudu pointed out that the Court of Appeal had acquitted Lawan on counts one and two, which carried a maximum sentence of seven years. On the other side, Bagudu Sanni, representing the Federal Government, urged the court to affirm the Court of Appeal’s judgment and dismiss the appeal. The Court of Appeal had previously reduced Lawan’s initial maximum prison term from seven to five years.

The signing of Pretoria Peace Agreement on 02 November 2022 (Photo: South African Government International Relations and Cooperation)Addis Abeba – Embassies and Missions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to Ethiopia said in a joint statement that they commend the progress made following the Pretoria peace agreement which “silenced the guns, and laid the foundations for normalcy to return” to northern Ethiopia. While recognising that “more needs to be done to protect, sustain and realize peace for all citizens,” the joint statement called the peace deal a “momentous achievement”. “We continue to urge all parties to implement the Agreement in full and to find solutions to address challenges, as soon as possible, through dialogue,” it stated. The countries also expressed concern over the ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia regions, and the “disturbing” human rights violations that have persisted in many places. “We continue to stress the need for all parties to ensure the protection of civilians, for a cessation of hostilities as well as an inclusive dialogue”.

© 2023 Tiksa Negeri/Reuters(Nairobi) – Fighting and serious rights abuses persist in northern Ethiopia a year after the signing of the cessation of hostilities agreement, Human Rights Watch said today. “While the Ethiopian government and its international partners tout the tremendous progress made in the past year, civilians in conflict areas are still bearing the brunt of atrocities,” said Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. During the past year, the warring parties have continued to commit human rights abuses in Tigray in violation of the November agreement’s pledge to protect civilians, Human Rights Watch said. An aid worker in Tigray told Human Rights Watch in October: “Humanitarian partners are demoralized; they don’t have enough resources. Despite the clear need for continued independent investigations and international scrutiny, Human Rights Council member states took no action to renew the expert commission’s mandate in September.

by TINTSWALO BALOYIJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – ISUZU Motors South Africa has received the Best Exporter award in the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) category at the recent Eastern Cape Exporters Awards. Isuzu has deepened and further grown its export market from the Eastern Cape to 25 markets across the African continent culminating in the company being the number one Eastern Cape-based automotive exporter into the African continent for 2022. Over the past three years, Isuzu Motors South Africa has seen an increase in vehicle sales by 59 percent in the 1-ton pick-up segment in Rest of Africa markets and Sub Saharan Africa. It has achieved 195 percent growth of commercial vehicles in the Rest of Africa markets when compared to the previous financial year. Isuzu received the SJL Environmental Merit award for the third time, recognising the interventions implemented to protect the environment.

Addis Ababa — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen discussed with Speaker of South Sudan's Transitional National Legislative Assembly Jemma Nunu Kumba. During the meeting at the chief speaker's office in Juba, Demeke stated that Nile Basin member countries should strengthen their cooperation in order to properly use shared resources. He also said that Ethiopia has made a commitment to facilitating infrastructure projects that will strengthen the relationship between the two countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba on his part highlighted the significance of linking Ethiopia and South Sudan through infrastructure in addition to strengthening economic tiesDemeke concluded his two-day official visit in Juba last evening.

Manila: A Bolivian, Malaysian, and two Singaporean travellers were arrested in recent days after they were caught with illegal drugs upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The most recent arrest was made on Thursday, November 2, when a 30-year-old Bolivian national was apprehended while attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, the official news agency reported. ANTI-DRUG LAWS, REGULATIONS The arrest of suspects and confiscation of illicit substances align with provisions outlined in Republic Act 9165 (The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), Republic Act No. 1, Series of 2002, ensuring that these seized narcotics are removed from circulation and no longer pose a threat to society. Drugs destroyedOn October 20, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed a staggering $106 million (about 6 billion pesos) worth of illegal drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs).

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The Ministry of Transport has announced the resumption of direct flights between Iraq, Germany, and Denmark through a joint operation. The Ministry of Transport, through Minister Razzaq Muhaibas Al-Saadawi, successfully negotiated and proposed the resumption of direct flights between Baghdad and several European capitals. As a result, there will be seven weekly flights to destinations such as Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Munich, starting on November 10. During these meetings, he proposed the establishment of direct flights between Baghdad and various European capitals, an idea that gained approval. According to Al-Saadawi, there will be seven weekly flights to destinations like Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Munich, starting from November 10.

(NEW YORK) — A 14-year-old student has created a new kind of soap that he hopes could potentially be used to treat skin cancer someday. Heman Bekele, a high school student in Fairfax, Virginia, says it costs only $8.50 to create a batch of 20 bars of the soap, which he calls Skin Cancer Treating Soap, or SCTS. “He is an incredibly bright, passionate and focused young man,” Deborah Isabelle, Heman’s mentor for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and a product engineering specialist at 3M, said about him in a statement. According to Isabelle, there are topical creams that treat skin cancer, but they are more expensive than SCTS, and use different ingredients and formulations. According to the young scientist, those images stuck with him, leaving him to wonder how constant exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun were affecting the people of his homeland.

An accord signed a year ago between the rivals in Ethiopia’s Tigray war has brought peace to the shattered region but ignited yet another conflict in the increasingly fractured nation. With the guns silent at last, Ethiopia’s northern region has begun the task of rebuilding. Close to 90 percent of Tigray’s health facilities were damaged or destroyed in the conflict, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report. “Health facilities were looted. For some, you only still have a shell, a concrete shell,” the NGO worker said.

One year after an agreement brought peace to the Tigray region, fighting and atrocities against civilians continue in northern Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch (HRW) deplored on Thursday, calling on the international community not to "look the other way". "The governments supporting the fragile truce in Ethiopia cannot look the other way while the crises intensify" in the country, and "civilians continue to be the main victims of atrocities", said HRW Africa Director Laetitia Bader in a statement. The Pretoria agreement broke the alliance between the federal government and the Amhara forces that had supported it in Tigray. Tensions degenerated into open conflict in the Amhara region in April, following an attempt by the federal army to disarm them. The Pretoria agreement "lacks details on the repression of the crimes committed, in particular on the type of investigation mechanisms with a view to future prosecutions", deplores HRW, which is sceptical about the "transitional justice" process promised by Addis Ababa.

Take for instance the fantasy of a private VIP jet. Once reserved for the elite few, private charter and VIP travel has become increasingly accessible and attractive to a broader range of travelers. This trend highlights the changing preferences of travelers who are increasingly seeking the camaraderie and exclusivity of group travel without the hassles of commercial flights. In response to this demand, private jet operators have raised the bar when it comes to in-flight dining experiences. The increasing popularity of group travel and the heightened gastronomic expectations of discerning passengers have all played a pivotal role in reshaping the industry.

Many Tigrayans say they can’t return home despite the ceasefire because forces allied with the federal government still occupy parts of the region. At its peak in July 2021, Wekeynos joined the Tigrayan side as an infantryman after it recaptured Mekelle from Ethiopian forces. According to the aid worker, some of the starving IDPs are now resorting to pickpocketing and burglaries in surrounding urban areas. “Another factor is that IDPs in Tigray are competing for limited aid supplies with IDPs in other parts of Ethiopia, the Sudan crisis and most recently the Israel-Gaza conflict,” the aid worker said. … We’ve been told that currently, it’s the federal police and Ethiopian army personnel that are in control of western Tigray.

Established in 1991, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council is the oldest independent human rights organization in Ethiopia (EHRCO/Facebook)Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) has expressed serious concern over the escalating number of abductions and attacks carried out by armed groups, predominantly in the Oromia region. Despite repeated appeals to federal and regional authorities to intervene and halt these activities, attacks on Ethiopian citizens and foreigners persist unabated, demonstrating a failure to adequately protect human rights and ensure security, the non-governmental rights group said. This convention clearly defines enforced disappearance as a violation of human rights and mandates that states hold the perpetrators legally accountable. The human rights group also expressed its willingness to assist authorities in crafting stronger laws and policies to address disappearances, uphold human rights protections, and restore security. While the government attributes these actions to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the armed group denies any involvement.

The Chairperson welcomes the vital performance of the Team of African Experts serving under the AU Monitoring, Verification and Compliance Mission (MVCM) in the Tigray region, launched on 29 December 2022, in Mekelle. He further commends all AU Member States, particularly the Governments of Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, for the support extended to the MVCM through the prompt deployment of uniformed personnel to monitor the Peace Agreement. The Chairperson applauds the notable milestones being recorded in the implementation of the Peace Agreement and its Nairobi Roadmap. In conclusion, the Chairperson reaffirms the full solidarity and commitment of the AU to intensify support for the implementation of the Peace Agreement as the implementation moves to the crucial phase of DDR. The Chairperson reiterates the imperative to collectively build and sustain peace in the Tigray region and Ethiopia as a whole and, by extension, the entire Horn of Africa region.