Barely 24 hours after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and publicly declaring support for Governor Nasir Idris’ second-term bid, Almustapha Malami, has been appointed as the General Manager of the Kebbi State Geographic Information System (KEBGIS).
Almustapha is the younger brother of the embattled former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The appointment was conveyed in an official letter signed by the Kebbi State Head of Service, Malami Shekare, and made available on Tuesday.
Abubakar Malami. X/@aamalamiSAN
READ ALSO: Malami Accuses EFCC Chairman Of Bias, Demands Immediate Arraignment Or Release
In the letter, the Head of Service congratulated the appointee on his new role and urged him to demonstrate total commitment, diligence, and dedication in the discharge of his duties, in line with the policies and objectives of the Kebbi State Government.
“The government expects you to bring your wealth of experience to bear in ensuring effective management of the state’s geographic information system for improved land administration and service delivery,” the letter stated.
According to the letter, the appointment takes immediate effect.
READ ALSO: Malami Faults FG, States Over Security Failures In Kebbi State
KEBGIS is a strategic agency responsible for land administration, mapping, and digital land records management in Kebbi State, making the position of General Manager a critical one in the state’s governance and development framework.
The appointment has fueled public debate, with some observers describing it as politically motivated, while others see it as a reward for loyalty to the ruling party.
A Palestinian infant has frozen to death in the Gaza Strip, local authorities say, as Israel continues to restrict the entry of shelter supplies and other humanitarian aid to the enclave despite the harsh winter conditions there.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Tuesday that the two-week-old baby, Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, died a day earlier after seeking treatment for severe hypothermia, brought on by the extreme cold gripping Gaza.
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Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum noted that the child’s death comes as basic protections in Gaza have been “systematically dismantled” due to Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the territory.
“Families are living in tents on wet ground without heating, electricity or sufficient clothing,” Abu Azzoum said. “When food, fuel, shelter and aid are banned, cold absolutely becomes lethal.”
Israel’s two-year war has decimated more than 80 percent of the structures across Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands of families to take refuge in flimsy tents or overcrowded makeshift shelters.
A huge storm that recently hit the Strip killed at least 11 people as torrential rains and fierce winds flooded tents and caused damaged buildings to collapse.
“We try to dry the children’s clothes over the fire,” Umm Mohammed Assaliya, a displaced Palestinian mother, told Al Jazeera from Gaza City.
“There are no spare clothes for them. I am exhausted. The tent we were given cannot withstand winter conditions. We need blankets,” she said.
Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to allow unimpeded deliveries of aid to Gaza.
But the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which the UN says is best suited to distribute supplies in the territory, says the Israeli government has blocked it from bringing aid directly into Gaza.
“People have reportedly died due to the collapse of damaged buildings where families were sheltering. Children have reportedly died from exposure to the cold,” UNRWA said in a social media post on Tuesday.
“This must stop. Aid must be allowed in at scale, now.”
Hamas slams Israeli ceasefire violations
Meanwhile, Hamas has condemned Israel for its repeated violations of a ceasefire deal that came into effect in October.
At least 393 Palestinians have been killed and 1,074 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the first full day of the ceasefire on October 11, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli military also killed a senior Hamas leader, Raed Saad, in a targeted attack on a vehicle in western Gaza City on Saturday, further straining the tenuous truce.
On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad accused Israel of “manipulating” the text of the US-brokered agreement.
“We want to make it absolutely clear: the ceasefire agreement is straightforward, detailed, and unambiguous. However, it’s evident that the Israeli occupation has distorted the text, manipulating and violating every single article,” Hamad said.
Canada has announced long-promised rules aimed at dramatically reducing methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector.
The regulations, announced on Tuesday, lay out a path for Canada – the world’s fourth-largest oil producer – to cut by 2035 its overall emissions of the potent greenhouse gas by 75 percent over 2014 levels.
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They fulfil a promise by Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen Canada’s existing methane rules, but allow for a slightly longer target timeframe than the previous draft rules announced under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau’s never-implemented rules called for a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030 and faced criticism from the oil and gas industry for being too difficult to achieve.
While methane does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it can have 80 times the climate-warming impact of CO2 over a 20-year period.
Oil and gas facilities are responsible for about half of Canada’s total methane emissions, according to the government. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is released directly into the atmosphere during oil and gas production, through practices such as venting and flaring, and can also escape through leaks in wells and other infrastructure.
The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, prohibit venting with several exceptions and establish an inspection schedule for companies to find equipment leaks and repair them.
Operators will have the option to design their own approaches to controlling methane as long as they meet the required methane intensity thresholds.
Total greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector continue to grow as production increases, and Canada is not expected to reach its target of cutting greenhouse gas output by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Carney, who has been criticised by environmentalists who see him as prioritising the economy over climate, recently rolled back some of Canada’s emissions policies to spur energy investment.
But on methane, the country has made progress. Previously enacted rules, which require industry to regularly inspect and repair equipment to reduce leaks, have helped put Canada on track to meet its previous methane commitment of a 40-45 percent reduction below 2012 levels by the end of 2025.
Simon Cowell’s new talent show has formed the new band December 10 and sources claim the boys are already set for a follow up docuseries after being thrust in the spotlight
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Seven boys made the final cut and formed the boy band December 10(Image: Netflix)
Seven years after The X Factor last aired, music producer and TV personality Simon Cowell is back with a new talent show, Next Act, which will take fans through the entire process of launching the group’s career. Seven boys made the final cut and formed the boy band December 10, which they labelled themselves after the release date of the show.
Now, it’s been reported that the boys are already set for a follow up docuseries after they have been thrusted into the spotlight. A source claimed a second documentary series is a ‘no-brainer’, Capital FM reports. They said: “There was a quiet hope that a show about finding a boyband would be as popular now as it was back in the days of the X Factor. But everyone has been thrilled by the reception because the whole world of entertainment has totally changed since then.”
The source added: “Following December 10 for a second series is a no-brainer. They’re rocketing online and already have a strong fanbase, and a camera crew has been following them since series one wrapped. All that content would make up series two and even if Netflix don’t commission it, there’s options like streaming it directly to fans on YouTube.”
READ MORE: Simon Cowell’s new band December 10 faces bitter legal battle over nameREAD MORE: UK’s ‘best Christmas walk’ takes you across the beach to traditional pub
The official synopsis of the show read: “Music mogul and record executive Simon Cowell has single-handedly created some of the biggest music superstars in the world.
“In this brand-new Netflix docu-series, cameras follow him everywhere as he sets out to do it again, to try and create the next global boyband sensation.
“This is unlike any show he has made before. From raw open casting calls to the release of their debut single, this is an all-access pass for viewers to catch every moment of Simon’s next chapter. Will he strike gold once again?”
Simon’s new band, which consists of Nicolas Alves, 16, Cruz Lee-Ojo, 19, Hendrik Christoffersen, 19, John Fadare, 17, Josh Oliver, 17, Danny Bretherton, 16, and Seán Hayden, 19 – released their new music earlier this week.
Ending the series The Next Act when they were chosen, Simon told the singers: “When this show airs your whole life changes. I am really, really proud of you individually.
“I am seeing you about to do what you always dreamt of doing. Probably the most important advice is, whoever becomes your very very first fan is the most important person in the world.”
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The band has already seen huge success with their first music video reportedly reaching 117K views in less that 24 hours.
Fans are also excited about what is to come for the band as one commented: “Finally! A new boy band to get obsessed over. You guys are great!”, while another said: “Am I the only one who hears just the backstreet boys? I love them really and josh will become a star but it reminds me too much”.
Wasps have been causing a buzz at the PDC World Darts Championship – and one player has taken direct action.
Dutchman Jurjen van der Velde brought bug spray on stage before his first-round tie against Danny Noppert at Alexandra Palace in London.
But there was a sting in the tale as Van der Velde was beaten 3-1 by his compatriot.
And despite liberally spraying the inspect repellant around beforehand, TV replays showed him attempting to swat a wasp away from near his face in the second set.
At one stage, the 23-year-old used a flannel to wipe tears from his eyes – but it seems this was down to making his tournament debut rather than the bug killer.
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The ‘Ally Pally wasp’ has become a running theme at this year’s tournament with the insects spotted on players, disrupting throws, and even gatecrashing post-match interviews.
Earlier on Tuesday, a wasp landed in Harju’s Teemu Harju’s shirt collar before the Finn managed to flick it away during his defeat by Alan Soutar.
World-leading wasp expert Professor Seirian Sumner of University College London told the BBC earlier this week that he believes the insects are queen wasps, who could be nesting in the lofts, outbuildings or the grounds around the park.
Manchester United are angry with the Moroccan Football Association for rejecting their plea for Noussair Mazraoui to play in Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth – six days before the country’s opener at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
United head coach Ruben Amorim said on Friday negotiations with the relevant national bodies were continuing over the release of Mazraoui, Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo and Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo to Afcon.
Fifa announced on 3 December that clubs only need to release players from 15 December, instead of 14 days before the tournament that runs from from 21 December to 18 January.
United had anticipated all three players would be available, given the rest of the Premier League matches were played before the revised release date announced by Fifa – which it said could be negotiated with the relevant countries.
Mazraoui trained with United all week thinking he would be involved.
BBC Sport understands United escalated the matter to world football’s governing body, who did not force Morocco to back down.
This has led to considerable frustration at Old Trafford, with insiders saying United believe they have been unfairly treated.
While they felt Cameroon and Ivory Coast were sympathetic and collaborative in their discussions, the club feel Morocco prioritised a national team training session over an important league game.
Italian side Roma and La Liga outfit Real Betis experienced similar frustration in their dealings with Morocco.
Fifa had urged federations and clubs to “hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions”.
It added: “In cases where there continues to be a dispute over the release of players subsequent to such bilateral discussions, Fifa will, in mediating between both parties, apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case, including factors related to the timing of matches of affected competitions, the stage of these competitions, the historical and planned involvement of the players in the matches in question, as well as any other pertinent factors.”
Mbeumo and Amad have now joined up with their national squads and will miss Sunday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
In Mazraoui’s absence, and with Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt both ruled out through injury, Amorim included 19-year-old Ayden Heaven and 20-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro – who joined for £52.18m – in his defence against the Cherries as United missed the chance to climb into fifth spot in the table.