Gombe (Nigeria) — Gombe State Ministry of Health in northeast of the country has sensitised religious and opinion leaders in the state, on the deadly Monkey Pox disease following the outbreak in Kano, northwest Nigeria
The State Commissioner for Health, Kennedy Ishaya, who disclosed this while speaking with Journalists in Gombe on Tuesday, said the reason for using the religious and community leaders was necessary in order allay fears among the public.
Ishaya also said the government had isolated a Ward at the Specialists Hospital exclusively for the isolation of a patient, in case of an infection in the state.
“With a reported case of the Monkey Pox Disease in Kano, the Gombe State Government hoped to involve the leadership of the markets in the state, which should be on the lookout for traders from such places, so that they could report any suspected case on time”, he said.
Ishaya, said the government had since the time it heard of the outbreak of the disease, set up a machinery in place, through the State Emergency Response Team, which sat and looked into the issue and came up with a budget line of two million naira, which is usually in the budget of every year.
The Commissioner said with the information they now heard on the disease, the team would now convene a meeting, adding that the last meeting decided to separate Ward at the State Specialists Hospital that would serve as an Isolation Ward.
He stated that the State Response Team had also issued an advisory warning for the endemic states and encouraged the public to desist from self-medication but report to a healthcare facility, as soon as a patient felt the symptoms of the disease.
Dr. Ishaya said the next line of action would now be the convening of a meeting of the State Emergency Response Team and make a budget line on the type of drugs to use, as well as the antiseptics to be used and logistics, so as to provide all the materials to be used ready.
“Since the Monkey Pox is a viral infection, public should avoid places with reported case of the disease and when already there, the person should report any fever, which he called constituted signs, such as the fever itself, headache, common cold, should be reported immediately at any closest health facility,” Ishaya said.
He warned that the cold for the Monkey Pox had some associated signs, which include contact with an infected person or animal.
The 14 October attack – the deadliest in Somalia’s history – was carried out using a truck packed with explosives.
The capital’s mayor, Thabit Abdi, announced that trucks and tankers cannot pass through the city from 07:00-20:00. Those flouting the ban risk a fine of $1,000 (£750).
The Somali government blames militant Islamic group al-Shabab for the 14 October bombing, which took place at a busy junction.
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Media captionThe aftermath of the latest bomb blast in Mogadishu
The group has denied it was behind the bombing. However, it has said it was behind the 28 October attack, which involved two car bombs being detonated in quick succession, followed by a 12-hour siege in the Nasahablod Two hotel.
The militants, who have links to al-Qaeda, say they targeted the hotel on Saturday because it was frequented by security officials and politicians.
The al-Shabab gunmen were dressed as members of the security forces – apparently helping them enter the hotel unchallenged – but Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman has disputed allegations they had official IDs.
A senior intelligence officer, Col Ahmed Yare, had told the UK Guardian newspaper: “They had ID cards which had clear information such as names, ranks and photos so no police officer could stop them.”
But Mr Osman denied this, telling the Reuters news agency: “They had the uniforms of security forces, even though they did not have ID cards.”
Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption A man takes part in a protest against rising electricity prices in Lagos in 2016
Russia has signed a deal to build two nuclear power plants in Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy seeks to end its energy crisis.
Russian state-owned company Rosatom will build one in the south, the other in the centre, sources at the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission told the BBC.
The deal’s exact worth is unknown, although some reports suggest it is likely in the region of $20bn (£15bn).
It is one of a number that Rosatom has been eyeing on the continent.
The deal in Nigeria was reached after a long period of negotiation, with the two countries signing their first intergovernmental nuclear co-operation agreement in 2009.
Nigeria hopes the plants, which will initially be operated by Rosatom before they are handed over, will help deal with the country’s energy deficit.
Media captionMr Odinga said his opposition National Super Alliance (Or Nasa) was dismayed by the vote
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has rejected the results of the re-run presidential election that saw Uhuru Kenyatta gaining a second term.
Mr Odinga called it “a sham” but made no mention of any legal challenge.
Mr Kenyatta won 98% of the vote with turnout under 40% – less than half that recorded in August’s vote, largely because of an opposition boycott.
The Supreme Court annulled the first vote in August citing “irregularities and illegalities”.
In his first official reaction to the re-run, Mr Odinga called for a “national resistance movement” including the formation of a “people’s assembly” to bring civil society groups together to “restore democracy”. But he did not explain how that would work.
“This election must not stand …. It will make a complete mockery of elections and might well be the end of the ballot as a means of instituting government in Kenya. It will completely destroy public confidence in the vote,” he said.
The BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Nairobi says that Mr Odinga’s response to the election result was short on substance.
The opposition leader repeated claims that the re-run of August’s presidential poll was unconstitutional – lawyers from both sides are still arguing about this, and the Supreme Court has a petition pending.
“We will not allow two megalomaniacs [Mr Kenyatta and his deputy] destroy the dream of freedom and democracy,” Mr Odinga said.
Mr Kenyatta, who is now set to serve a second term, said if the new results were challenged in the courts he would accept the outcome.
He has appealed for calm and promised Kenyans that “their neighbour will remain their neighbour” despite political uncertainty.
About 50 people are reported to have died in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner of August’s election.
Who is Raila Odinga?
Image copyrightEPA
Aged 72, son of Kenya’s first Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Nicknamed Agwambo (act of god) by supporters
Trained as medical engineer in former East Germany
MP for Africa’s biggest slum, Kibera, for 20 years
Has been a mainstay of Kenyan politics since the 1980s and plotted a coup in 1982
Holds record for being Kenya’s longest-serving detainee
Also holds record for switching political parties
Has stood four times for the presidency
Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Media captionNew York terror attack: Bodies and bikes lying on the street
At least eight people have been killed and 11 injured in New York after the driver of a truck mowed down people on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan.
A 29-year-old man who emerged from the vehicle was shot by a police officer and arrested.
US media named him as Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant who came to the US in 2010 and had apparently settled in Florida.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians”.
He added: “We know that this action was intended to break our spirit. But we also know that New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence and an act meant to intimidate us.”
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O’Neill said a vehicle rented from retailer Home Depot had struck cyclists and pedestrians while being driven along the cycle path for many blocks, before hitting a school bus and coming to a halt.
The driver emerged holding what appeared to be two handguns and made a statement “consistent with a terror attack” before being shot in the abdomen by a police officer stationed near the scene, he said.
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Media caption‘We will be undeterred’ by the attack says NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
A paintball gun and a pellet gun had been recovered from the scene, the commissioner said
“The dead and injured were just going about their days, heading home from work or from school or enjoying the afternoon sun on their bicycles,” he added.
“This is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude for many people, for many families here in New York and beyond today.”
Mangled bicycles littered the scene of the attack, which occurred as the city was celebrating Halloween.
One witness, identified as “Eugene,” told ABC Channel 7 that he saw a white pick-up truck driving fast down the cycle path alongside the West Side Highway, near Stuyvesant High School, at full speed and hitting a number of people.
He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots.
Image copyrightReuters
Another witness, who gave his name as “Frank”, told local TV network NY1 that he had seen a man running around an intersection and heard five to six gunshots.
“I saw he had something in his hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was. But they said that it was a gun…
“When the cops shot him, everybody started running away and it got a little bit crazy right there. So when I tried to look again, the guy was already down.”
President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident, the White House said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected,” spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
Mr Trump tweeted: “In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!”
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Media captionEmergency services on the scene of the attack
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Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Spacey plays the US president for much of the series
Production of the sixth season of Netflix series House of Cards has been suspended following sexual assault allegations against actor Kevin Spacey.
Spacey, who stars in the political drama, has been accused of making sexual advances to a 14-year-old boy.
The show was already due to end after this season, but production is now suspended “until further notice”.
The Old Vic theatre in London, where Spacey worked for 11 years, said it was “deeply dismayed” by the allegations.
The 200-year-old theatre has set up a confidential complaints process for anyone connected to the Old Vic to come forward.
The Old Vic said in a statement: “We aim to foster a safe and supportive environment without prejudice, harassment or bullying of any sort, at any level.”
The decision to end House of Cards was announced in a joint statement by Netflix and Media Rights Capital (MRC), a production company that makes the series.
“MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew.”
The announcement comes after Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp on Sunday accused Spacey of inappropriately touching him when he was 14 years old.
Spacey, who is also executive director of House of Cards, said he owed Rapp, now 46, a “sincere apology” for what he said would have been “deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour”.
The other two, former campaign chief Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, appeared in court on Monday to deny charges including money laundering.
Image copyrightTwitter/@GeorgePapa19Image caption Papadopoulos says he was told the Russians possessed “dirt” on Hillary Clinton
In Tuesday morning’s tweets, Mr Trump attempted to deflect scrutiny on to the Democratic party, or his tax reform proposals.
He tweeted: “The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts [sic] lawyer said, there was ‘no collusion’ and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign.
However, the indictment alleges Mr Manafort and Mr Gates conspired financial crimes from 2006-17, which does include the period over the summer when Mr Manafort served as manager for the Trump campaign.
“Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!” Mr Trump’s tweets continued.
Papadopoulos appears in a photo that Mr Trump tweeted of himself in March 2016 hosting a national security meeting with his foreign policy team.
Russians laugh at Washington ‘circus’
By Adam Robinson, BBC Monitoring
The main reaction to the allegations of meddling in the US election on Russian state TV is to make fun of it.
“Of course! Vladimir Putin is in charge of everything!” a Rossiya 1 TV presenter on one of the many stage-managed political talks that dominate Russian TV schedules says to audience laughter, as he looks at a CNN graphic linking Paul Manafort to President Vladimir Putin.
The main argument is that there is no evidence that links Moscow to any of this, and that the whole thing is part of an anti-Russian campaign.
The culprits are variously described as Democrats unable to reconcile themselves to Donald Trump’s election victory, or unreconstructed Western Cold Warriors worried about a newly assertive Russia.
“Can you imagine how badly Russia has undermined American democracy?” the presenter of another talk show over on Channel One asks viewers sarcastically.
A hard-line pro-Kremlin nationalist on the show thunders that Russia is being punished for standing up to a “neo-colonialist” America.
But another guest looks on the bright side, pointing out that the “circus” in Washington could help strengthen Russia’s reputation as a bastion of relative stability and common sense.
In court documents released on Monday, federal investigators said Russian nationals had contacted Mr Papadopoulos to gain influence with the Trump campaign.
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Media captionManafort’s indictment: Where did all the money go?
They offered “dirt” in the form of “thousands of emails” on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in April 2016, according to an indictment.
That was two months before a trove of embarrassing emails related to Mrs Clinton’s campaign were leaked after alleged Russian hacking of Democratic accounts.
Papadopoulos, who secretly pleaded guilty weeks ago to lying to the FBI about those contacts, has been co-operating with investigators for months.
The White House said on Tuesday the Trump campaign provided Mr Mueller’s team with the Papadopoulos emails.
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Tuesday: “What Papadopoulos did was lie and that’s on him, not on the campaign.”
She also told reporters the Mueller inquiry was “an investigation that frankly most Americans don’t care too much about”.
Ms Sanders added: “We have confidence that it’s going to come to a close in short time.”
However, there is no sign that a conclusion to Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry is imminent.
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Media captionWhite House: “Today’s announcement has nothing to do with the president”
Aaron Zelinsky, a prosecutor on Mr Mueller’s team, told Papadopoulos’ plea hearing this month: “There’s a large-scale, ongoing investigation of which this case is a small part.”
In Moscow, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova poured scorn on the US in the wake of the indictments.
She referred to “photographs” of Osama Bin Laden meeting White House officials, an apparent reference to a faked photo of Hillary Clinton shaking hands with the late al-Qaeda chief.
