World News for Nigerians Today 9th January 2018

World News Today: Jacob Zuma’s 24-Year-Old Fiancee Calls Him ‘Fresh and Fit’ and Kim Jong Un Goes to China. Continue reading for more…

1. Airliner Accidents, 556 Fatalities Recorded in 2018

The Aviation Safety Network (ASN), the Dutch-based exclusive service of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) has released its 2018 airliner accident statistics.

The statistics are based on a worldwide fatal commercial aircraft accidents (passenger and cargo flights) involving civil aircraft carrying 14 or more passengers.

The report showed a total of 15 fatal airliner accidents, resulting in 556 fatalities.

These fatalities resulted from flights operated by non-International Air Transport Association (IATA) airlines.

Despite several high-profile accidents, the year 2018 was one of the safest year for commercial aviation, the organization said. However, last year was worse than the five-year average.

2. World Bank Group President, Kim, to Step Down February 1

World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim announced that he will be stepping down from his position after more than six years of leadership.

He said, “It has been a great honor to serve as President of this remarkable institution, full of passionate individuals dedicated to the mission of ending extreme poverty in our lifetime.”

Under Kim’s leadership, the institution in 2012 established two goals. First of which is to end extreme poverty by 2030 and second, to boost shared prosperity, focusing on the bottom 40 percent of the population in developing countries. These goals now guide and inform the institution in its work around the globe.

3. French Prime Minister Toughens Laws Over Yellow Vest Protests

Following the eighth straight weekend of demonstrations across France over the high cost of living, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced plans to toughen up laws in response to the ongoing Yellow Vest protests.

On Saturday, protestors in Paris smashed the gates to a government office and cars and motorbikes were set alight.

Draft legislation will now ban the use of face masks and ensure demonstrators register their protest. 80 thousand police will also be deployed for subsequent protests.

READ ALSO >> Donald Trump Threatens to Declare ‘National Emergency’ Over Mexico Wall <<

4. Man Arrested Over German Politicians’ Hacked Data

German authorities say a man has been detained in a suspected hacking case that resulted in hundreds of politicians’ and celebrities’ having their private information posted online.

The Federal Criminal Police Office said on Tuesday that they searched the apartment of a 20-year-suspect from central Hesse state on Sunday and detained him.

The Authorities said that almost 1,000 people were affected by the data breach. In most cases, the information made public was limited to basic contact details, but in up to 60 cases more extensive personal data was posted.

5. Kim Jong Un Goes To China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has traveled to China at the request of Chinese president Xi Jinping. This is Kim’s fourth visit to China in about one year.

Officials from U.S. and China are meeting in Beijing this week to negotiate an end to the trade war that has led to loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs last year.

According to the South China Morning Post, “Kim may be trying to get a “temperature check” of China’s support for sanctions against North Korea, said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest”

Kim visited China before and after his summit with President Trump last year, so there is speculation that a second summit might be on the way.

READ ALSO >> North Korea Warns Of ‘New Path’<<

6. Samsung Records 30% Slump in Q4 Profit

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday flagged its first quarterly profit drop in two years and painted a grim outlook owing to mounting competition from Chinese smartphone makers and also declining chip prices.

The shock raised more concerns about the world tech sector after Apple took its own hit last week by slashing its revenue forecast blaming very poor sales in China and citing the trade war.

But operating profit during the October to December period was expected to be around 10.8 trillion won ($9.8 billion), down 28.7 percent from earlier last year, Samsung said in an earnings estimate.

The figure was below market consensus of about 13.5 trillion won, Sales dropped more than 10 percent to 59 trillion won in the period, Samsung said.

Samsung  cited “lacklustre demand in the memory business and intensifying competition in the smartphone business”.

7. Jacob Zuma’s 24-Year-Old Fiancee Calls Him ‘Fresh and Fit’

After former president of South Africs, Jacob Zuma joined Twitter, his 24 year old fiancée also joined, calling him “fresh and fit” and telling him that she loves him.

Twenty-four-year-old Nonkanyiso Conco joined the popular social media platform on January 7 and, using the handle @MrsConcoZuma, she has been sharing her views with the world.

In her first tweet to wish South Africans a prosperous 2019, she said: “Good morning South Africa on behalf of Zuma family we wish you a prosperous 2019, this year it’s a game changer for us as me and hubby we are on this platform #ngiyabonga!”

READ ALSO >> Internet Blackout As Congolese Await Election Results <<

8. China Sets Model For Africa E-Commerce

The participants at the conference, held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, said African countries should partner and draw lessons from China to navigate the current IT infrastructure challenges to develop a digital economy. Read more

According to the World Economic Forum, more than 40% of the world’s e-commerce transactions currently take place in China, compared with a mere 1 per cent a decade ago. The country’s dominance is attributed to the explosion in use of mobile payments, which soared from 25 percent of mobile internet users in 2013 to 68% in 2016.

On the other hand, Africa recorded only 21 million online shoppers in 2017, which is less than 2 percent of the world total, according to Africa eCommerce Week’s Nairobi manifesto.

9. Britons Must Apply to Stay If Britain Leaves EU with No Deal — Netherlands

The Netherlands has announced that it will give Britons a 15-month grace period to apply to stay after Brexit, if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal.

The Dutch move is aimed at calming fears of chaos for people and businesses in the event that there is no withdrawal agreement for Britain to leave the bloc on March 29.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said late Monday the approximately 45,000 Britons and their relatives living in the Netherlands would no longer be able to claim residency as EU citizens if there was a no-deal Brexit.

10. Female UFC Fighter Beats Thief Who Attempted To Rob Her

A UFC fighter Polyana Viana who was waiting for an Uber in Rio De Janeiro may have appeared an easy target to a would-be thief, but he was wrong.

The only problem for the perpetrator was his target was a UFC fighter, who turned the tables on him with punches, a kick and a “rear-unclad choke” before forcing him to sit down and wait for the police.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fighter POLYANA VIANA, nicknamed “the Iron Lady”, told website MMA Junkie the thief used a fake gun to try and steal her mobile phone while she waited outside her apartment block on Saturday night.

 

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