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Showing posts from September 30, 2018

Quake-hit Indonesia starts burying dead in mass grave

By Eric [update on Indonesia earthquake] Rescue personnel prepare the bodies of the earthquake victims at the compound of a police hospital in Palu, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi on October 1, 2018, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28. AFP PHOTO / MUHAMMAD RIFKI Indonesian volunteers began burying bodies in a mass grave with space for more than a thousand people on Monday, victims of a quake-tsunami that devastated swathes of Sulawesi and left authorities struggling to deal with the sheer scale of the disaster. Indonesia is no stranger to natural calamities and Jakarta had been keen to show it could deal with a catastrophe that has killed at least 844 people, according to the latest official count, and displaced some 48,000 more. But four days on some remote areas are only now being contacted, medicines are running out and rescuers are struggling with a shortage of heavy equipment as they try to reach desperate victims calling ou

Nigeria at 58: president Buhari’s full independence day speech

By Eric [update on Nigeria Independence] President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday addressed Nigerians as the country marked its 58th Independence anniversary. In a speech broadcast across the nation, the President called for unity, while promising to ensure free and fair elections in 2019. Among other things, the President hailed the military and security agencies for the progress made in tackling insecurity in the country and warned disruptive and corrosive forces on social media to desist from their acts or be prepared to face the law. Read his full speech below: NATIONAL BROADCAST BY H.E MUHAMMADU BUHARI PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE 58TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY, 1ST OCTOBER, 2018 Fellow Nigerians, Today is a day of celebration and solemn reflection. It is the anniversary of the day Nigerians realised one of the most cherished of human desires – the desire for freedom. We, therefore, give thanks to and remember our founding fat

Anthony joshua kos alexander povetkin in seven rounds to reaffirm status as world's leading heavyweight and receive congratulates from grant

By Eric [Boxing Update] Boxing buff, Bernie Grant has congratulated IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO unified champion Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) over his recent victory over Russian pugilist, Alexande Povetkin. Bernie Grant The well-travelled Grant, who has been commentating on international boxing for the last three decades, watched last Saturday’s showdown in Wembley, and saw Joshua stop mandatory challenger Povetkin in the seventh round. In his post-fight reaction, Grant, hailed Joshua for keeping his unblemished fight record intact. ‘’I want to congratulate my Nigerian brother AJ on his well earned victory over Povetkin. I was expecting Joshua to win, given his height advantage and better fighting techniques when placed against the Russian fighter. But nonetheless, nothing is cast in stone, so Joshua deserves my commendations for rising to the occasion and stopping Povetkin in the seventh round’’, said Grant. Grant

DEATH TOLL IN INDONESIA QUAKE-TSUNAMI TOPS 800

By Eric [update] People wear masks as they attempt to identify the bodies of their relatives at the compounds of a police hospital in Palu, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi on September 30, 2018, following a strong earthquake in the area. The death toll from a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia leapt to 832 on September 30, as stunned people on the stricken island of Sulawesi struggled to find food and water and looting spread.BAY ISMOYO / AFP The death toll from a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia leapt to 832 Sunday, as stunned people on the stricken island of Sulawesi struggled to find food and water and looting spread. The new toll announced by the national disaster agency was almost double the previous figure. Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla said the final number of dead could be in the “thousands” as many regions have still not been reached. “It feels very tense,” said 35-year-old mother Risa Kusuma, comforting her feverish baby boy at

Voting begins to elect new parliament in Iraq's Kurdistan

By Eric [Iraqi election update] An Iraqi Kurdish man dips his index finger in ink after casting his ballot for the parliamentary election at a polling station in Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, on September 30, 2018. Voting began across Iraq’s Kurdistan for a new parliament in the autonomous region which is mired in an economic crisis a year after an independence referendum that infuriated Baghdad.SAFIN HAMED / AFP Voting began Sunday across Iraq’s Kurdistan for a new parliament in the autonomous region, which is mired in an economic crisis a year after an independence referendum that infuriated Baghdad. Almost 3.1 million voters are eligible to cast ballots across three provinces in the northern region where 673 candidates from 29 political movements are vying for seats in the 111-member parliament. Eleven of the seats are however reserved for religious and ethnic minorities: five for Turkmen candidates, five for