Category World News

The human rights group stated in a statement on Friday that Nigerian police “bizarrely continue to deny strong allegations of extrajudicial execution, torture, and unlawful arrests of the protesters.”

At least 24 people were killed when police opened fire on the protests, which broke out in August of last year under the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, according to an investigation conducted by Amnesty International.

Demonstrators erupted in protest of rising fuel prices and inflation, which the government had pushed to bring the economy back on track.

No one member of the security forces has been charged in the year-long ongoing human rights violations, according to Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, in a statement released on Friday.

“These atrocities must be accountable for those who perpetrate them.”

The AFP news agency contacted a spokesman for Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice for comment, but the spokesman declined to respond.

Amnesty International claimed that in all the killings, police shot protesters “at close range, frequently at the head or torso, implying that officers were killing.”

The Nigerian authorities are yet to implement necessary and effective measures to protect, defend, advance, and defend the rights to peaceful assembly, including ending the killing, detention, arbitrary arrests, and mass surveillance, Sanusi said.

The rights group also criticized the hundreds of protesters who were detained for a range of alleged crimes, calling them “sham trials.”

According to Amnesty International, the charges include “levying] war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president,” as well as “using WhatsApp group chats,” inciting mutiny, chanting “Tinubu must go,” and calling on the military to take over the government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and” intent to destabilize Nigeria.”

Economists have praised Tinubu’s reforms, including ending a costly fuel subsidy and floating the naira currency, but they have also caused the nation’s living costs to rise.

The Nigerian government has been forced to step down from its protester prosecutions at times despite the death of no one.

Difficulty and hungry youths, many of them children, showed up in court in November, causing outcry over how they were treated in jail. Later, Tinubu gave the order to release them.

In order to prepare for the T20 World Cup next year, the United Arab Emirates will host a Twenty20 tri-series featuring Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month.

Starting August 29th, Sharjah will host all seven of the tri-series games. The top two teams must compete against each other twice to reach the final.

India and Sri Lanka have already secured direct admission to the T20 World Cup, which will be held jointly. In addition to qualifying, UAE will need to play in Oman for the Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers.

Afghanistan, which finished seventh overall in the last T20 World Cup, hasn’t played a T20 since a bilateral series against Zimbabwe late last year. In the United States, Pakistan is currently playing a T20 series against the West Indies.

Trump, who has been campaigning for interest rates for months, increased his attacks on Powell by suggesting that the central bank chief should be stripped of his authority in a string of social media posts on Friday.

Trump wrote that “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, a resolute MORON, must significantly lower interest rates NOW.”

The board should assume control and carry out what everyone is aware of has been accomplished if he persists in refusing to do so!

Interest rates will remain steady at 4.25 to 4.5% as of earlier this week, according to Powell.

The rates for private lending across the nation are indirectly determined by the central bank.

When the Federal Reserve, or Fed, recognizes the need to boost economic activity, it lowers interest rates to lower borrowing costs and transfer funds to the economy.

The Fed raises interest rates in contrast to bringing inflation under control.

Political officials are not related to the central bank’s activities.

Interest rates dropped to a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic to stop a protracted recession during the lockdown.

The Fed increased interest rates to levels not seen since the Great Recession and supply chain disruption caused by an abundance of money in the economy in 2022.

Trump has been vocal in favor of more US investment because he believes that interest rates should not be kept high because inflation is currently at a sustainable level.

Interest rates have dropped by about 1% over the past year, but Trump has been demanding even greater rates.

Powell’s decision not to cut interest rates was based on a risk of inflation linked to Trump’s trade policies on Wednesday.

He told reporters that while higher tariffs have begun to affect the prices of some goods more clearly, their overall effects on economic activity and inflation are still undetermined.

As Trump’s tariffs began to sputter, a government report earlier this month revealed that consumer prices increased by 0.3% between May and June, up from 0.1% the previous month.

Powell advocated for a cautious approach while monitoring inflation, noting that the price increase may be “short-lived,” but he also warned that it might continue to rise.

Before altering our policy position, he said, “for the time being, we are well positioned to learn more about the likely course of the economy and the evolving balance of risks.” Our current policy position is appropriate to avoid inflation risks, we believe.

The Fed board received surprisingly little dissent from two members, both Trump appointees, who had publicly argued for more rate cuts.

Trump warned Powell on Friday that the dissention “WILL ONLY GET STRONGER.”

According to reports, Newcastle have rejected Liverpool’s initial offer to sign tense Swedish striker Alexander Isak.

After reportedly telling Newcastle he wanted to leave St James’ Park, Isak has been training at his former club Real Sociedad this week.

The Premier League champions are now believed to have formalized their interest with an offer of about 110 million pounds ($146 million) plus potential add-ons after the 25-year-old has been linked with Liverpool since the end of last season.

However, Newcastle, who reportedly valued Isak at 150 million pounds ($199 million), have rebuffed Liverpool’s initial offer.

Isak, who moved from Real Sociedad to Newcastle in a 60-million-pound ($80m) deal in 2022, scored 23 Premier League goals last year to help them advance to the Champions League.

He has three more years on his Newcastle contract, but the club reported that he had a minor thigh injury and did not travel to Asia for the Magpies’ preseason tour.

Real Sociedad confirmed on Thursday that he and his trainers were at Zubieta.

Newcastle reportedly told Isak he could agree to a new deal with a clause for the following year, but he insisted he wanted to move right away when it was reported on Friday.

In the wake of the current transfer window, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has already increased his attacking options by signing Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

In order to win back-to-back English titles for the first time since the 1980s, the Reds are eager to add Isak to their forward line, which will only make it stronger.

Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, made a defiant statement earlier this week, saying: “He is still our player. He has a contract with us.

We have some control over what comes next for him, to some extent. I’d like to think that we have every chance still.

“I want him to stay, but I don’t have complete control over that.”