Tag: News

  • Issues, concerns over INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration exercise | The Guardian Nigeria News

    Issues, concerns over INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration exercise | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    Get right tools, more personnel, experts urge commission
    Come next Sunday July 31, the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise being undertaken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be rounded off. As the exercise draws to a close, more eligible voters are still trooping to registration centres to beat the deadline.

    The electoral commission recently declared that it has registered more than 10million new voters. At no time in the past 23 years of Nigeria’s fourth republic democracy has the enthusiasm to participate in the electoral process been as high as the current dispensation.

    A lot of factors could explain the surge of new voters, including innovations devised by the electoral commission and the socio-political consciousness among the otherwise lethargic youth population.

    Investigation by The Guardian revealed that many Nigerians of voting age are yet to get registered, even as INEC has pegged the deadline for its ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) for July 31, 2022.

    Some civil society organisations, particularly Like Mind4 A New Nigeria, are not impressed by the electoral commission’s attempt to stop registration of voters seven months to the 2023 General Elections.

    In a statement by its national coordinator, Benedict Aguele, LikeMinds condemned the July 31 deadline, stressing that it amounts to “an attempt to disenfranchise millions of Nigerians.”

    While insisting that it would be premature to end the CVR on July 31, the group said the exercise is being terminated too early before the country can reap its full benefits, just as they demanded that INEC reverse its decision and continue with it until November 2022, which will be 90 days before the General Election.

    But, knowing the predilection of Nigerians to wait for the last minute, some commentators noted that the CVR should not be endless, especially against the backdrop that INEC had already indicated that those already captured would have to wait till about two months to the election to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    However, experts and members of the human rights community have called on INEC to deploy the right equipment and engage more ad hoc staff to ensure, not only the smooth registration of voters, but also that no Nigerian is disenfranchised in the 2023 election.

    In the past, the Commission had decried the low number of voter registration since the Continuous Voter Registration exercise commenced in the last election, but with the sudden surge in voter registration, it seems that the electoral umpire was caught off-guard.

    It is possible that INEC did not see it coming, not minding that it had planned for the CVR as part of its activities towards a successful 2023 general election. Nonetheless. The Commission did not envisage the surge in the number of mostly young people eager to participate in the exercise this time around.

    It is based on this surge that Nigerians have urged INEC to deploy additional registration machines and workers to tackle the teeming numbers of prospective voters at some of the congested Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centres in the country.

    The convener of Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, told The Guardian that “The Independent National Electoral Commission has done the right thing by extending the periods of registration of voters.”

    [FILE PHOTO] Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Co-ordinator OF HURIWA

    “However,” he noted, “it is shocking that despite the huge amounts of money released to INEC that it still lacks the basic facilities to capture and register voters; and it is sad that now that prospective voters are ready to be registered and are energised to present themselves to obtain their permanent voter cards that INEC has so far not displayed a fair amount of positive and constructive response to the massive interests being shown by Nigerians who now want to get registered.

    “It is also not a good idea for INEC to have started registration of voters within just a year before such a major election calendar instead of letting prospective voters who wish to be registered to do that at anytime of their chosen.

    “INEC should ensure that the right kind of facilities and personnel are made available and then increase the numbers of their trained staff to carry out these activities including the engagement of ad hoc NYSC members to be involved in this and of course those who are deployed for these jobs must be patriotic and law abiding and must never be used for ethnic or religious agenda of either under registering or over registering prospective Nigerians. Those who are causing undue delay and sabotaging the ongoing registration of voters should be arrested, prosecuted, published, named and shamed.

    “INEC should get the right kind of equipment to do this all important registration of voters because it is clear that INEC is now unable to match the influx of prospective voters that are now turning out to be registered and the complaints are also coming up of some malpractices of not actually carrying out the exercise in some places or that some persons from some ethnicities and religions are not being permitted to present themselves for registration.

    “The law enforcement agents should be drafted and they must ensure that nobody in Nigeria is denied registration based on the person’s ethnic or religious affiliations.  INEC should also look at strategies and ways to keep the registration open till when the elections are to take place, so nobody is disenfranchised.”

    On his part, Public affairs analyst, Mr. Frank Oshanugo urged INEC to engage more efficient hands and set up more registration centres.

    Oshanugo stated: “My take on the snail speed of the voter registration exercise is that INEC should engage more efficient hands and set up more registration centres in areas of large population.  INEC staff should also be regular and punctual in attendance while security personnel should be deployed to engage in crowd control in densely populated registration centres.”

    Also, a human rights crusader, Comrade Akaraka Chinweike Ezeonara, contended that the solution for the snail-pace registration is for INEC to hire some more ad-hoc manpower beyond their present day workers to quickly address the challenge of numerous unregistered eligible voters.

    “INEC should not disenfranchise any Nigerian of voting age his/her civic engagement or responsibilities.  My counsel to INEC regarding this is for it to vigorously defend its integrity as umpire. It should be proactive and objective with the issue of speedy registration/conduct of elections. They should ensure a hitch free, rancor free process so that they can be seen as real independent body established to conduct elections without bias.”

    When The Guardian visited the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) INEC registration centre at Diplomats park, Area One, it was observed that prospective registrants were seated orderly for registration with all 10 machines deployed for the exercise in good use.

    Narrating his experience, one Keziah Joseph, said: “I did not spend much time in processing of registration. I came on Friday and registered my name, when I came back on Monday my name was called and I went for the registration; it was very easy for me”.

    Festus Okoye

    Another candidate at the centre, Hassan Mohammed, commended INEC for extending registration date, saying it enabled him to register to vote for his preferred candidates come 2023.

    From Mohammed’s remarks, it is obvious that the socio-economic situation in the country as well as improvements in the electoral system have motivated Nigerians to participate en masse in the electoral process.

    An official of INEC at the centre, who pleaded anonymity, praised citizens for conducting themselves properly in the ongoing registration, adding that 10 registration Machines were made available to tackle the number. He disclosed that six machines were deployed specifically for new registrants, while four others were set aside for those that registered online and transfers.

    It could be recalled that INEC extended the CVR exercise by two weeks following a Federal High Court order.

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 other concerned Nigerians had approached the court praying for an order mandating INEC to extend the CVR beyond its earlier fixed June 30 deadline.

    In a statement, the Commission’s spokesman, Festus Okoye, last Friday, disclosed that having run the exercise for almost two weeks after the initial date was fixed, the CVR will officially close on July 31.

    Okoye stated: “The Court has affirmed that INEC is at liberty to appoint a date of its choice to suspend the CVR, provided it is not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the General Election as provided in Sec. 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

    “In compliance with the interim injunction of the Court pending the determination of the substantive suit, and to enable more Nigerians to register, the Commission continued with the CVR beyond 30th June 2022. For this reason, the CVR has already been extended beyond 30th June 2022 for a period of 15 days.”

    He said the extension was expected to last till Sunday July 31, 2022, noting that that would bring the total duration of the extension to 31 days. Okoye explained that to accommodate many of the applicants, INEC made some adjustments in the CVR operation.

    His words: “The exercise has been extended to include Saturdays and Sundays as against only weekdays spanning eight hours daily from 9.00am – 5.00pm instead of the former duration of six hours (9.00am – 3.00pm) daily.”

    “We appreciate that the timeframe may be tight for many prospective registrants, but there is a lot that the Commission is required to do under the electoral legal framework in relation to voter registration and compilation of the register that will require time to accomplish.”

    It is hoped that when the exercise comes to an end in this instance, more voters would have been added to the register.



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  • US firefighters begin to slow huge California wildfire | Environment News

    US firefighters begin to slow huge California wildfire | Environment News

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    Firefighters have begun to slow the spread of the largest wildfire so far this year in California, after the Oak Fire threatened the famed Yosemite National Park and forced thousands of residents to evacuate their communities.

    The massive blaze expanded rapidly since it began on Friday, overwhelming the initial deployment of firefighters as scorching and dry weather fuelled its galloping pace through dry forest and underbrush.

    Several officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said the fire initially behaved unlike any other they had seen, with burning embers sparking smaller fires up to 3km (2 miles) in front of the main conflagration.

    But firefighters have not seen more of that so-called spotting, Cal Fire spokesperson Natasha Fouts said on Monday from the incident command centre in Merced, about 210km (130 miles) inland from San Francisco.

    The absence of other major fires in the region enabled Cal Fire to concentrate 2,500 firefighters on the blaze, and the lack of wind allowed for the continuous use of aircraft to drop water and fire retardant, officials said.

    “We have concentrated all our crews throughout the state here. So if there’s a silver lining, it’s that we’re throwing everything at this fire right now,” Joseph Amador, a Cal Fire spokesperson, told Al Jazeera.

    The Oak Fire has engulfed 6,795 hectares (16,791 acres) and is 10 percent contained, Cal Fire said on Monday.

    It is the most destructive blaze so far this fire season, destroying more than three times in area than the nearby Washburn Fire, which has been nearly 90 percent contained. But it pales in comparison with last year’s Dixie Fire, which burned nearly 405,000 hectares (1 million acres).

    “What we’re seeing on this [Oak Fire] is very indicative of what we’ve seen in fires throughout California, in the West over the last two years,” Jon Heggie, a Cal Fire battalion chief, told CNN.

    “These fires are burning with just such a velocity and intensity it makes it extremely challenging and extremely dangerous for both the public and the firefighters,” Heggie said.

    “It’s moving so quickly it’s not giving people a lot of time and they sometimes are just going to have to evacuate with just the shirts on their back,” he said.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Mariposa County on Saturday, citing “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property”.

    In recent years, California and other parts of the western United States have been ravaged by huge and fast-moving wildfires, driven by years of drought and a warming climate.

    A US firefighter stands on top of a fire engine as crews battle the Oak Fire in California.
    Several officials with Cal Fire said the fire initially behaved unlike any other they had seen [File: Noah Berger/AP Photo]

    Experts have said climate change is driving heatwaves, drought and other extreme weather conditions around the world. Virtually every part of the US has experienced above-normal temperatures in the past week, and more dangerously-hot weather is expected.

    “Whatever it is, the conditions seem to be getting worse every year,” Amador at Cal Fire told Al Jazeera. “And every year we talk about record-setting years and here we are again. But we’re up to the task and we’re going to continue to do our best.”

    In California, evacuations were in place Monday for more than 6,000 people living across the sparsely populated Oak Fire zone in the Sierra Nevada foothills, though a handful of residents defied the orders and stayed behind, said Adrienne Freeman, a US Forest Service spokesperson.

    “We urge people to evacuate when told,” she said.

    Lynda Reynolds-Brown and her husband, Aubrey, awaited news about the fate of their home from an evacuation centre at a primary school. They fled as ash rained down and the fire descended a hill towards their property.

    “It just seemed like it was above our house and coming our way really quickly,” Reynolds-Brown told KCRA-TV.

    High temperatures in the area on Monday were expected to reach 37C (98F) with a slight breeze throughout the day. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms was in the forecast on Monday night and Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service said, but otherwise, the area could expect similar hot weather much of the week.

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  • Row breaks out over running shoes after staggering world record (VIDEO) — RT Sport News

    Row breaks out over running shoes after staggering world record (VIDEO) — RT Sport News

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    Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is facing a barrage of questions after she destroyed the 100 meters hurdles world record at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. 

    Amusan recorded a stunning time of 12.12 seconds in her semi-final run, beating the previous women’s world record set by Kendra Harrison by 0.08 seconds and shattered her old personal best by almost 0.3 seconds. 

    Amusan then broke this time in the final, running a 12.06 – though this didn’t count towards the record books as it was adjudged as being wind-assisted.

    It was Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal at the World Championships. 

    So unexpected was her time that sprint legend Michael Johnson, who was performing commentary duties at the event, wondered aloud if the timing system at the event had malfunctioned, especially given that 12 of the 24 runners across three semi-finals set new personal bests on their runs.

    I don’t believe 100h times are correct. World record broken by .08! 12 PBs set. 5 National records set. And Cindy Sember quote after her PB/NR ‘I throughly I was running slow!’ All athletes looked shocked,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

    Heat 2 we were first shown winning time of 12.53. Few seconds later it shows 12.43. Rounding down by .01 is normal. .10 is not.

    A deeper inquiry, though, has led to claims that the shoes worn by Amusan might be the answer to questions posed by Johnson and others.

    It emerged afterwards that she was wearing Adidas Adizero Avanti shoes – rather than traditional track spikes – athletic equipment which was designed for long-distance runners. 

    It was a decision made, she said, because these shoes have softer soles and helped to avoid relapses of plantar fasciitis which she was diagnosed with earlier this year – a type of injury which affects the soles of one’s feet.

    Laser beams, an army of pacesetters & special Nike shoes: How Eliud Kipchoge ran the first sub 2-hour marathon

    Adidas promoted the apparel as “like hitting fast-forward” and that they “provide a snappy, propulsive ride with high traction and reduce fatigue, so you finish 5km and 10km races with a kick”.

    There is no allegation of illegality in Amusan’s use of the shoes, given that they fall within the accepted standards used in such events.

    My abilities are not centered around spikes,” said Amusan, noting the controversy.

    I had patella fasciitis at the beginning of the season so that set me back for a while,” Amusan added.

    I spoke to Adidas and requested if I could get spikes with a softer sole. They recommended a lot of stuff and I feel comfortable in [the shoes], so I was using them basically the entire time.

    Speed-wise, I feel like I needed to work on my speed. I did 100m at the start of the season so that had a huge factor to come to play in the hurdles and I knew once I get the technical part out, I’d be fine.

    The spikes do seem to have an impact in hurdles events. Sydney McLaughlin, wearing similar shoes produced by a different footwear brand, broke the 400m hurdles world record earlier in the same week.

    READ MORE:
    Shoe wars: Kenyan athlete SMASHES half-marathon record as ARMS RACE between sneaker brands takes center stage

    You can share this story on social media:

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  • Since 2014, Roughly 42% of Failed Crypto Exchanges Have Disappeared Without a Trace for No Apparent Reason – Exchanges Bitcoin News

    Since 2014, Roughly 42% of Failed Crypto Exchanges Have Disappeared Without a Trace for No Apparent Reason – Exchanges Bitcoin News

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    Jamie Redman

    Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 5,700 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today.






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  • Philippines’ Marcos Jr unveils economic blueprint for ‘turbulent time’ | The Guardian Nigeria News

    Philippines’ Marcos Jr unveils economic blueprint for ‘turbulent time’ | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed Monday to slash poverty, rein in soaring food prices and boost renewable energy, as he unveiled an ambitious blueprint for his six-year term.

    In his first State of the Nation address, Marcos Jr offered a laundry list of targets, ranging from getting children back into classrooms, easing the debt burden of farmers, and expanding internet access.

    Unlike his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who used to frequently go off script in a stream of consciousness and threaten to kill people, Marcos Jr stuck to a prepared speech that was methodical and heavy on numbers.

    After inheriting an economy ravaged by Covid-19 lockdowns and inflation, the new president expressed cautious optimism for the future — even as the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions drive up food and fuel prices.

    “I do not intend to diminish the risks and challenges that we face in this turbulent time in global history,” he told the audience of lawmakers, diplomats and judges.

    “And yet I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds. We have assembled the best Filipino minds to help navigate us through this time of global crisis.”

    Marcos Jr, who is the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator, spoke for 74 minutes without mentioning human rights, corruption or peace talks with militant groups.

    Instead, the 64-year-old scion focused on the economy, clean energy, agriculture, and helping poor Filipinos.

    Marcos Jr vowed to more than halve the poverty rate to single digits by the end of his term and offer financial relief to many farmers, including forgiving debts.

    Renewable energy was “at the top of our climate agenda”, he said, insisting it was time to reconsider building nuclear power plants in the disaster-prone country.

    He also pledged to boost agricultural productivity and bring down food prices.

    “These will not be done in one day, one month or one year. But we need to start now,” he said.

    Peaceful protests
    Marcos Jr was swept to power by a landslide in the May 9 elections, completing his family’s remarkable comeback from pariahs in exile to the peak of political power.

    Hours before his speech, several thousand protesters marched peacefully along a major avenue to oppose his victory and criticise his first weeks in office.

    “He’s just sitting around, he’s busying himself revising history instead of doing the urgent work of stopping the rising costs of commodities especially food, distributing land to farmers and raising the wages of workers,” said Angelo Suarez, who volunteers for an agricultural workers union.

    The higher cost of living is worsening the financial misery of millions of Filipinos already struggling to feed their families.

    The central bank recently raised interest rates for the third straight month as it struggles to rein in surging energy prices.

    Inflation hit 6.1 percent in June, the highest level in nearly four years.



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  • Indonesia foot and mouth outbreak prompts NZ, Australia restrictions | The Guardian Nigeria News

    Indonesia foot and mouth outbreak prompts NZ, Australia restrictions | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia could cost thousands of New Zealand jobs, as her nation and neighbouring Australia stepped up border biosecurity restrictions.

    “While not a threat to humans, it would devastate our national herd. Essentially, all animals that are of the cloven hoof are at risk,” Ardern told reporters in Wellington.

    Ardern warned that the disease, first detected in Indonesia in April, has the potential to threaten up to 100,000 jobs in New Zealand’s agriculture sector.

    Foot and mouth disease is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock.

    It can have a significant economic impact, especially on a country like New Zealand which exported around 17 million sheep and two million cattle in the eight months up until May 2022.

    A foot-and-mouth outbreak has ripped through two Indonesian provinces, killing thousands of cows and infecting hundreds of thousands more.

    Ardern said New Zealand has never had an outbreak — and wants to keep it that way by tightening border restrictions.

    “We want to make sure that we’ve got all our settings in place to protect ourselves from this emerging threat,” she added.

    There are currently no direct flights from Indonesia to New Zealand, but Ardern said it is important to stop it from entering the country, potentially via Australian tourists who had visited south-east Asia.

    Travellers from Indonesia will not be allowed to bring meat products into New Zealand, baggage will be screened and there will be disinfectant mats at airports to clean footwear.

    In Australia, parcels and baggage from China and Indonesia are now being checked and there are also foot mats at airports in response to the disease.

    Canberra has so far rejected opposition calls to close the border to Indonesia completely, but further measures have not been ruled out.

    Ardern said her government is working with Australian authorities to try to further reduce the risk.

    New Zealand is set to fully open its borders at midnight on Sunday to all visitors.

    New Zealand’s Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said “vigilance is absolutely crucial” as the disease could also affect up to 77 percent of the country’s wildlife population, including wild deer, pigs and sheep.

    He referred to how foot and mouth devastated British farming in 2001 when millions of cattle and sheep had to be slaughtered.



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  • Iran says it won’t be rushed into ‘quick’ nuclear deal | The Guardian Nigeria News

    Iran says it won’t be rushed into ‘quick’ nuclear deal | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    Iran said Monday it will not be rushed into a “quick” deal reviving its faltering 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, as negotiations remain deadlocked.

    “They demand that Iran makes a quick decision, (insisting that) time is limited and Iran must respond quickly,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said at his weekly news conference, referring to Western parties to the nuclear deal.

    Kanani said the Islamic republic will “not sacrifice the country’s fundamental interests… with a rushed process”.

    It was being put under “psychological pressure and unilateral expectations”, he said.

    But “if the US acts constructively and positively, an agreement is close,” Kanani said.

    The 2015 agreement gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme to guarantee that it could not develop a nuclear weapon — something it has always denied seeking.

    But the US’ unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and Washington’s reimposition of biting economic sanctions prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.

    Talks in Vienna that started in April 2021 to restore the deal have stalled since March amid differences between Tehran and Washington on several issues.

    The two sides negotiated indirectly through the European Union coordinator.

    Qatar hosted indirect talks last month between the United States and Iran in a bid to get the Vienna process back on track, but those discussions broke up after two days without any breakthrough.

    On Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Iran “doesn’t seem to have made the political decision -– or decisions, I should say — necessary to achieve a mutual return to compliance” with the deal.

    France’s envoy to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, in June urged Iran to “seize without further delay the offer on the table”.

    French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi that reviving the landmark deal was “still possible” but must happen “as soon as possible”.

    Macron’s comments came after Britain’s spy chief voiced doubt that the deal can be revived, saying Iran’s supreme leader and ultimate decision-maker Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained opposed.

    “I don’t think the supreme leader… wants to cut a deal. The Iranians won’t want to end the talks either so they could run on for a bit,” MI6 chief Richard Moore said late last week.



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  • Tunisians vote on constitution set to bolster one-man rule | The Guardian Nigeria News

    Tunisians vote on constitution set to bolster one-man rule | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    Tunisians were voting Monday on a new constitution promoted by President Kais Saied, which has been criticised for giving his office nearly unchecked powers and threatening to install an autocracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.

    The referendum comes a year to the day after Saied sacked the government and froze parliament in a power grab that his rivals condemned as a coup.

    His moves were however welcomed by many Tunisians fed up with a grinding economic crisis, political turmoil and a system they felt had brought little improvement to their lives in the decade since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

    Few, doubt Monday’s vote will pass, but turnout will gauge Saied’s popularity after a year of increasingly tight one-man rule that has seen scant progress on tackling the North African country’s economic woes.

    Early on Monday, a handful of voters had queued up waiting for the opening a polling station in Tunis, guarded by a pair of soldiers and four police officers.

    After casting their ballots, they emerged with purple ink on one finger to prevent fraud.

    The electoral board said by 0830 GMT an “encouraging” 6.3 percent of voters had cast ballots.

    Speaking mid-morning, Saied told journalists the country faced a “historic choice” and a free vote.

    “Together we are founding a new republic based on genuine freedom, justice and national dignity,” he said.

    Voter Imed Hezzi, a 57-year-old waiter, said he had “lots of hope” Saied would improve the country.

    “Tunisia will prosper from today onwards,” he told AFP after casting his ballot. “The start of the new Tunisia is today.”

    ‘None of the safeguards’
    Some 9.3 million out of Tunisia’s 12 million people are eligible to vote.

    No minimum participation has been set for the constitution to pass, nor any provision made for a “no” result, and Saied’s critics have warned Tunisia risks sliding back towards dictatorship.

    The new text would place the head of state in command of the army, allow him to appoint a government without parliamentary approval and make him virtually impossible to remove from office.

    The president could also present draft laws to parliament, which would be obliged to give them priority.

    The new charter “gives the president almost all powers and dismantles any check on his rule and any institution that might exert any kind of control over him,” declared Said Benarbia, regional director of the International Commission of Jurists.

    “None of the safeguards that could protect Tunisians from Ben Ali-type violations are there any more.”

    Saied’s charter would replace a 2014 constitution that was a hard-won compromise between Islamist-leaning and secular forces after three years of political turmoil.

    His supporters blame the resulting parliamentary-presidential system and the dominant Islamist-influenced Ennahdha party for years of political crises and corruption.

    Saied’s draft constitution was published this month with little reference even to an earlier draft produced by a committee he appointed himself.

    Sadeq Belaid, a mentor of Saied who led the process, warned the president’s first draft was far removed from that of the committee and risked creating a “dictatorial system”.

    A slightly amended version did little to address such concerns.

    Opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a boycott, while the powerful UGTT trade union has declined to take a position.

    Revolutionary ‘correction’
    Benarbia said the text “doesn’t even envisage the possibility of a no vote”.

    Saied, a 64-year-old law professor, won the 2019 presidential election in a landslide, building on his image as incorruptible and distanced from the political elite.

    He has appeared increasingly isolated in recent months, mostly limiting his public comments to official videos from his office — often diatribes against domestic foes he brands as “snakes”, “germs” and “traitors”.

    He has vowed to protect Tunisians’ liberties and describes his political project as a “correction” and a return to the path of the revolution.

    Mongia Aounallah, a 62-year-old retiree, said she hoped the referendum would lead to “a better life for our children’s children”.

    “The schools are a catastrophe,” she said. “The situation is catastrophic. Everything is catastrophic.”

    Day labourer Ridha Nefzi agreed.

    “I came to vote to change the situation of the country,” the 43-year-old said.

    “The country’s run into a brick wall. But today we turn a new page.”

    But while Saied enjoys some popularity, that will be tested by soaring inflation, youth unemployment of 40 percent and a tough loan deal with the International Monetary Fund.

    Voting is set end at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) and results are expected late Tuesday or early Wednesday.



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  • Transfer news LIVE: Barcelona push Frenkie De Jong to Man United as Liverpool ‘receive Roberto Firmino bid’

    Transfer news LIVE: Barcelona push Frenkie De Jong to Man United as Liverpool ‘receive Roberto Firmino bid’

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    Ten Hag tight-lipped on Ronaldo; Rashford says Man Utd ‘a lot fitter than last season’

    Manchester United’s pursuit of Frenkie De Jong could be coming to an end with reports of a Plan B after links to Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic Savic. With the start of the Premier League season fast approaching, Erik ten Hag will be desperate to get new players in to quickly revamp the Red Devils.

    The same is true of Chelsea, who have encountered more difficulty getting a target over the line after a late intervention from Barcelona in the race to sign Sevilla star Jules Kounde. The Blues may need to look elsewhere for their second significant defensive upgrade after bringing in Kalidou Koulibaly to reload after the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. The Sevilla star will cost in excess of £50m with Barcelona poised to trump the Blues again after landing former Leeds star Raphinha.

    Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s future remains in doubt, the Portuguese wants to leave Manchester United, but his wages remain prohibitive and Erik ten Hag maintains the No 7 is not for sale with one more year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford. Real Madrid are not interested according to the latest reports, while a shock move to Atletico Madrid has also been rumoured. The Mail reports Leicester have rejected a £15m bid from Monaco for Boubakary Soumare. And Leicester are willing to consider big-money offers for James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho in order to raise funds to strengthen the squad, the Telegraph claims. Follow all the latest transfer news with our live blog below:

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    Manchester United tracking Salzburg star Benjamin Sesko

    Manchester United are tracking Salzburg star Benjamin Sesko.

    Newcastle are also keen, reports Fabrizio Romano, following 11 goals in all competitions for the 19-year-old last season.

    No deal is imminent however, but the Slovenian forward continues to impress scouts and is up and running this term, too, with two goals in two games.

    (EXPA/AFP via Getty Images)

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    Victor Osimhen reaffirms commitment to Napoli despite Arsenal and Man United interest

    Victor Osimhen is content in Italy with Napoli, despite interest from the Premier League for the Nigeria striker.

    The 23-year-old has committed his future to the Azzurri with an interview with Corriere dello Sport.

    Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal have been linked with the former Lille star, who cost £85m in 2020.

    “I’m in Napoli. And I have great respect for my club,” Osimhen told Corriere dello Sport. “They are just rumours of the market. I’m fine here and I’ve never had such close relationships with everyone as at this moment.

    “I spoke to the president, he is the one who decides, and he reassured me by explaining the club’s plans. I am happy with what he told me and the purchases are of quality: words were followed by deeds. I am very happy to play with Napoli and we will see in the future.”

    (REUTERS)

    1658749507

    Roma in talks to sign Gini Wijnaldum

    Roma are in talks to sign PSG midfielder Gini Wijnaldum.

    The Giallorossi president Dan Friedkin is in talks with the French club to deliver Jose Mourinho the former Liverpool star, report Gazzetta dello Sport.

    PSG could pay at least half of Wijnaldum’s wages, to help facilitate the move.

    1658748607

    PSG look to clinch Renato Sanches deal

    PSG are moving closer to a deal for Renato Sanches, with L’Equipe claiming there is hope he could join the Ligue 1 champions by Wednesday.

    The French paper insists Sanches’ view is that he “doesn’t understand the situation, which isn’t evolving quickly enough in his eyes”.

    Luis Campos will hope to advance negotiations this week to reunite with the Portuguese midfielder.

    1658747645

    Jesse Lingard rants by armchair pundits are an ‘unhealthy obsession’

    An interesting piece on the obsession around Jessie Lingard:

    “Pundits and fans of rival clubs need to make their minds up.

    “Is it great to have Nottingham Forest back in the Premier League or are they getting above their station by actually trying to stay there? After the Reds beat Huddersfield they were briefly everyone’s second club again, unless you’re a Huddersfield fan. Now they have spent heavily to try and make sure their 23-year exile doesn’t last one season and suddenly they’re just too ambitious for some.”

    1658747030

    Chelsea to block Cesar Azpilicueta move to Barcelona

    Chelsea will look to block Cesar Azpilicueta’s move to Barcelona if they miss out on Jules Kounde, report the Mail.

    The Blaugrana look to hijack a second Chelsea target of the summer, after beating them to Raphinha’s signature.

    And the Blues will stand firm over Azpilicueta should the French defender not opt to move to London.

    1658745785

    Ben Davies commits to Spurs future

    Tottenham defender Ben Davies admits it is an exciting time to be at the club after he extended his contract until 2025.

    The Wales international, who moved to Spurs from Swansea eight years ago, did not need to think twice about adding an additional 12 months on to his previous deal.

    “After last season and the summer this club has had there is no more exciting time than right now to be at this club,” he told SpursPlay.

    1658744912

    Barcelona ask Jules Kounde to help them hijack Chelsea transfer

    Barcelona have pleaded for patience from Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, as they attempt to hijack his move to Chelsea, writes chief football writer Miguel Delaney.

    While the London club have agreed a £50m-plus fee with Sevilla and have the principles of a deal done, Barcelona have not yet made a formal bid, due to the need now to sell players.

    The centre-half has been willing to go to Chelsea, but his preferred option is Camp Nou. Barcelona are attempting to play on this, as they accelerate their moves to try and sell players.

    1658744072

    Antonio Rudiger reflects on Chelsea career after Real Madrid move

    Sticking with Chelsea’s defence, Antonio Rudiger’s article on The Players’ Tribune is doing the rounds again on social media after first coming out in May, and it is well worth a read. The new Real Madrid defender reflects on his time at Chelsea, including the time he was effectively sidelined by Frank Lampard:

    “If there is one moment that sums everything up for me, it would be the scene in the toilets after we won the Champions League Final.

    “Obviously, that was a crazy season for me. I hate to say crazy, but what other word could I use? Not even six months before that final, I was on the floor, brother. At the time, I’d been dropped from the squad, and I couldn’t even get a reason why. We had a meeting one day, and the manager told me that we had a deep squad, and that he preferred others over me. Boom — that was it. After that, there were a lot of rumors. I was getting a lot of abuse on social media. It was the hardest time in my career, and I stayed silent because I did not want to cause issues for the club.

    “Imagine — if you would have told me that within a few months, I would be starting in a Champions League Final against City?”

    1658743124

    Chelsea willing to scupper Azpilicueta transfer as Kounde considers Barca

    Chelsea are prepared to pull the plug on Cesar Azpilicueta’s move to Barcelona if Barca hijack the Blues’ pursuit of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.

    Both Chelsea and Barcelona have been heavily linked with the 23-year-old French centre-back, though reports suggest Chelsea are closer to meeting Sevilla’s asking price of around £55m.

    However, Fabrizio Romano reports Barca manager Xavi called Kounde this week to coax him to the Nou Camp. According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are prepared to scupper Barca’s plans to sign club captain Azpilicueta in retaliation.

    Chelsea are trying to seal a transfer for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde (PA/DPA)

    (PA Archive)



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  • German business mood sours as recession looms | The Guardian Nigeria News

    German business mood sours as recession looms | The Guardian Nigeria News

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    The business climate in Germany worsened “significantly” in July, according to a key survey published Monday, as an energy crisis pushed Europe’s largest economy closer to a recession this year.

    The Ifo institute’s monthly confidence barometer, based on a survey of 9,000 companies, fell to 88.6 points in July from 92.2 points last month and the “lowest level since June 2020” near the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The pessimistic figures suggest that “Germany is on the cusp of a recession”, said Ifo president, Clemens Fuest.

    The mood among businesses had “cooled significantly”, while “higher energy prices and the threat of a gas shortage are weighing on the economy”.

    The fall was particularly steep in the manufacturing sector, where “pessimism regarding the coming months reached its highest level since April 2020”, Fuest said.

    “Weaker global demand (and) supply chain frictions” were also weighing on the German economy, said ING analyst, Carsten Brzeski.

    The strong headwinds and weak data meant Germany’s economy could have seen a contraction “already in the second quarter”, Brzeski said.

    The risk that Russia could cut off its supply of gas to Germany, in retaliation for Berlin’s support of Ukraine, has prompted fears of an energy shortage at the end of the year.

    Looking ahead, “there are more downside than upside risks to the outlook”, Brzeski said.

    “A further escalation in the energy crisis will remain a key risk for the economy going into the winter,” he said.

    Businesses’ expectations for the economy fell sharply to 80.3 points in July from 85.5 the previous month.

    Their assessment of the current situation sank to 97.7 points in July from 99.4 points previously.



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