World News for Nigerians Today 28th January 2019
Quick World News for Nigerians Today: Queen Elizabeth’s Husband Apologises to Victims of Accident He Caused and Zimbabwe Increased Fuel Price Because it is Broke. Read More on iDonsabi
1. Venezuela Rejects EU Ultimatum for New Elections
Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro has rejected an ultimatum by the EU (Britain, Germany, France and Spain) to conduct fresh elections within eight days.
His Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza insists that Nicolas Maduro remained the legitimate president, disregarding the EU ultimatum.
“Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not”, Arreaza told a United Nations Security Council.
2. Philippines Church Bombed, At least 20 Feared Dead
At least 20 people have been killed and 81 injured in a recent bombing attack in the Phillipines.
According to reports two bombs exploded at a Catholic cathedral in the Philippines.
The first bomb exploded near a church in Jolo during Sunday mass.
As if that was not enough, a second one also exploded outside the church as government forces were responding to the first explosion.
As at the time of this report, it has not been ascertained who was behind the explosions.
ALSO READ: Macedonia and Greece Settle 27- Year Name Dispute
3. Queen Elizabeth’s Husband Apologises to Victims of Accident He Caused
Prince Philip has apologised to a woman who was injured in a car crash he had caused.
The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a car accident near the Sandringham estate in Norfolk on 17th January.
His Land Rover was reported to have overturned and the woman, Emma Fairweather, one of the passengers in the other car, broke her wrist.
The duke, 97 was pulled out of the car by a passerby screaming “my leg, my leg.”
However, “he has written an apology, saying: “I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident at the Babingley cross-roads.”
He had earlier blamed the reflection of the sun which blinded his eyesight momentarily for the accident.
SEE ALSO: Queen Elizabeth Sends Coded Brexit Message to UK Politicians Over Brexit
4. Malaysia Stripped of Hosting Rights for World Para Swimming Championships
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.
It was reported that the stripping followed after Malaysia banned Israeli athletes from participating in the championships.
The championship which had been scheduled to take place in Kuching between 29th July and 4th August was a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The IPC on Sunday announced that a new venue would be negotiated for the same dates.
5. About 24,000 People to be Evacuated after Brazil Dam Burst
Firefighters on Sunday announced that about 24,000 people would need to be evacuated from the Brazilian town hit by a deadly mudslide from a ruptured mining dam on Friday.
Local reports say rains added to concerns a second dam could also collapse.
Pedro Aihara, a spokesman for the state fire department said they believed the situation was very dangerous, but he gave no comment on the actual risk of another dam break.
The second dam being monitored is about 50 meters (0.03 mile) from the earlier dam that burst.
About 200 persons are still missing from the dam incident on Friday which unleashed a torrent of mud, burying the mining facilities and nearby homes.
6. French President Goes to Egypt
French President Emmanuel Macron has headed out to Egypt on a three-day trip in a bid to reinforce ties with the Arab world’s most populous country.
Macron arrived Egypt on Sunday, in the country’s south to visit the temple of Abu Simbel and other archaeological sites, before meeting his counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and signing accords between the two states on Monday.
Macron is scheduled to dine with local business leaders and meet the heads of Egypt’s Christian and Muslim communities.
The visit is Macron’s first to Egypt since taking office in 2017.
7. Trump Caved, but Confident He’ll Get Wall
No retreat, no surrender is how President Donald Trump described his decision to temporarily reopen the government while still pursuing a border wall deal.
Some of his conservative backers have a different take: “pathetic” and “wimp”.
Trump defended himself on Saturday from the conservative backlash to his decision to end the 35-day-old partial government shutdown which was the longest in US history.
He did not get the funding for his promised border wall.
However, he said if he didn’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government would shut down again on February 15 or he would use his executive authority to address what he has termed “the humanitarian and security crisis” on the southern US border.
8. Zimbabwe Increased Fuel Price Because it is Broke – Citizens
More than 650 people have been arrested and detained over the past two weeks and hundreds more beaten as the police and military sweep through towns and cities throughout Zimbabwe.
The crackdown was launched after street protests and looting broke out last week.
People took to the streets in collective rage, after the government raised fuel prices by 150%.
The country’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa, nicknamed, the Crocodile, said the price hike was necessary to tackle shortages caused by an increase in fuel use and “rampant” illegal trading.
But the reality, according to reports is that the government is broke and can no longer afford to purchase basic commodities under its dysfunctional, command-and-control economy.
9. Military Could Decide Final Outcome in Venezuela
As it stands the military, the government institutions and the Supreme Court all adhere to the current administration.
There is almost cultish affection for the youthful leader of Venezuela’s opposition, Juan Guaido, and when he arrives at one of the small rallies to explain the latest thinking of the movement, he is mobbed.
His support appears to be growing and his profile has certainly caught the imagination of the international community.
Britain is one of the latest to join others at the United Nations in calling for presidential incumbent Nicolas Maduro to announce new elections in Venezuela in the next week or so.
If Mr Maduro fails to do so, then Mr Guaido will be recognised as the interim president and money and funding for the country will be channelled towards him.
10. Pope Francis Encourages Young People to Say ‘Yes’
Pope Francis encouraged the youth of the world to say “yes” as he held the closing mass for the 34th World Youth Day in Panama on Sunday.
The pope called on young people to follow in the footsteps of the Virgin Mary, who according to the scripture gave birth to Jesus Christ, by seizing the opportunities presented by God as he addressed the crowd of about 700,000 in Panama City’s Metro Park.
“With Mary, keep saying ‘yes’ to the dream that God has sown in you,” he said.
The mass came after Pope Francis posted on Twitter comparing Mary to the modern day internet “influencers.”
“With her ‘yes,’ Mary became the most influential woman in history. Without social networks, she became the first ‘influencer’: the ‘influencer’ of God,” he wrote.
