Scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas also known as cooking gas has hit Lagos and some other states in the country.

The other affected states, according to findings by our correspondents are: Katsina, Sokoto, Delta, Kaduna and Kano.

The rise in price of the commodity has been noticed since late last month, causing a continuous rise in prices.

Market survey carried out by The PUNCH over the weekend, revealed that 12.5kg of cooking gas now sells for between N13,500 and N14,000 at the black market.

Some of the traders told our correspondents that gas plant owners now sell to them at between N1100-N1200 per 1kg as they could not access enough quantity.

As of June, the price of 12.5kg was around N8,700. In September price rose to N10,200, and as of Saturday, price had again risen to between N13,500-N14,000.

In a chat with President, the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Oladapo Olatunbosun on Sunday, The PUNCH learnt that there is currently not enough cooking gas in Lagos state.

Our correspondent in Katsina also reported scarcity of cooking gas in the state.

According to findings, the scarcity was first observed about two weeks ago as several small retailers complained of non-availability. Investigation has also shown that a kilogram of cooking gas goes for nothing less than N1,400 in the state. No official reason had been given for the scarcity.

Scarcity of cooking gas has also been noticed in Sokoto metropolis in the last few days, leading to prices being increased indiscriminately.

Our correspondent in Kaduna reported that residents were spotted carrying their cylinders in search of the commodity as of Sunday. Findings showed that a retail price of 5 kilogram went for N5,500.

In the neighbouring Kano state, our correspondent disclosed that the resurfacing of scarcity of cooking was noticed, as residents are engaging in panic buying of the commodity.

Following the scarcity, marketers have jacked up prices as one kilogram of cooking gas is now being sold at N850 in some filling stations while others sold it between N900 and N950 per kilogram. Long queues of buyers are now common feature at most of filling stations dispensing the commodity.

At other outlets (black market) the price is between N1,110 per kilo and N1,200 per kg.

In Delta State, investigations by our correspondent in Warri and Effurun show that the price of cooking gas has shot up to N1,100 per kg as of Sunday, 5th November, 2023.

The commodity was selling at N800 per kg in October in the twin cities.

When questioned on the rationale for the price increase, a popular gas dealer in Warri identified as Igho, could not explain the cause.

In Abuja, a resident of Karu, in AMAC Area Council of Abuja, Roy, told our correspondent that while there was no scarcity of cooking gas in his vicinity, his experience was a mix of liquefied gas and pure gas, which no longer lasted as long as it used to.

“So for me, the problem I’m having is it liquefies. So insted of having the normal gas, you end up with like seventy percent gas, and thirty percent liquid that’s inside the cylinder, for whatever you buy.

So initially we were not even aware, until we noticed that when we shake the cylinder, it’s always leaving the liquefied part under. So it ends within like two or three weeks before the normal period when it should last”, he said.

Another resident, Sandra, told our correspondent that there was no scarcity of cooking gas, but noted that it had become expensive.

“I bought gas today at Abacha road in Mararaba. 12.5kg for N13,500. I wouldn’t say there is scarcity, just that it has become expensive”, she said.

Agreeing, another Kubwa resident, Cecilia, said, “It’s not scarce in my area, there’s just a price increase. I bought last Wednesday at N1,000 per Kg. Plus it doesn’t last as long as it used to”.

Punch investigation in Kwara, however showed that the commodity is available in most of the filling stations.

A dealer operating an outlet at Gaa Odota in Ilorin identified as chief Sunday Oladele told our correspondent that gas was available at his outlet adding that a kilogram was being sold at N1,200.

 “Cooking gas is available in Kwara state. I have it in my outlet which I sell at N1,200 per kg. We have not experienced scarcity in Kwara. There is also gas at Ogbomoso in Oyo state where I have another outlet and it is being sold at N1,100 per kg.

The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited currently supplies the market 70 per cent of the cooking gas being consumed in-country, according to Olatunbosun.

There are claims that Nigeria had the fastest growing LPG sector in the world with a projected LPG market size of $10bn, as the annual per capita consumption of LPG had risen from 1.8kilogramme in 2015 to 5kg in 2021. According to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, domestic consumption of cooking gas exceeded 1 million MT in 2020. It said the consumption rate made 2020 the first year in the nation’s history when LPG consumption reached the 1 million MT thresholds.

 

Punch

No fewer than 22 persons have been killed in Chito and Tyo Akosu communities of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, following a rival gang fight and attack on a drinking spot. 

It was gathered from sources in the area that the gang supremacy fight, which erupted, weekend, in Chito Community between the notorious criminal armed groups, known as ‘Chain Gang’ and ‘Full Fire’, left about 15 persons dead, while several others sustained gunshot wounds. 

One of the sources said that the killings at Tyo Akosu settlement was perpetrated by armed men, who stormed a drinking spot in the village and opened fire on unsuspecting customers at the bar. 

He said he could not readily confirm if the attack at Tyo Akosu was an extension of the Chito fight, but noted that the suspicion among the locals was that the supremacy fight was fast spreading in the communities of the council.

One of the sources explained that “It all started on Friday afternoon, during a fight for supremacy between kingpins of crime in Ukum council. They are known as Chain and Full Fire gangs, with their operational base located in the council.

“Both groups are looking for each others’ necks. Full Fire employed the services of another banditry group to help kill the Chain gang, which got wind of the plan and laid ambush for them. 

“They opened fire and killed all of them. Some persons claimed that 10 pereons were killed in the bloody fight while others said they counted 15 bodies. 

“”But it was an internal fight for supremacy among gangs and not a communal crisis. In fact, the locals ran away because they feared for their lives. They feared that in the course of the reprisal, they might be affected despite being innocent.” 

It was gathered that after the Chito bloody fight on Friday evening, a gang of armed men Saturday evening stormed the drinking spot at Tor Akosu village and opened fire on the customers at the bar, killing seven persons and injurying several others. 

He said: “Though we cannot say for sure that it was an extention of the supremacy fight but we cannot rule it out because we cannot tell who belongs to whatever groups anymore. 

“Ukum has become something else, we are all living in fear as we speak because we cannot tell who is who among our local boys,” he said. 

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive information on the incidents.

 

Vanguard

US President Joe Biden would likely lose a rematch against his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, if the election were held now, according to polls from the New York Times/Siena College and CBS/YouGov published on Sunday.  

The New York Times poll showed Trump leading Biden significantly in five of the six critical ‘swing states,’ holding an 11-point lead in Nevada and smaller margins across Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Only Wisconsin favored Biden – and only by a two-point margin. 

Two thirds of respondents said the US was moving in the wrong direction, and a majority across all demographics claimed Biden’s policies had personally hurt them. Nearly three quarters (71%) said the president was too old to serve effectively – including more than half of his own supporters – while 62% said he lacked the mental acuity for the job. 

Close to six in ten (59%) likely voters trusted Trump over Biden on the economy – rated as the most important issue of the 2024 election by a majority of respondents – and the preference for Trump held true across all education and income levels, ages, and genders.  

Just 2% of respondents – and less than 1% of those under 30 – claimed the economy was 'excellent', potentially explaining Biden’s flagging support among young voters, who overwhelmingly chose him in 2020 but favored him by just one point over Trump in Sunday’s poll.  

The CBS poll put Trump ahead of Biden by three points, echoing the NYT’s findings that voters are pinning their economic hopes on the Republican. Nearly half (45%) of those polled said they’d be better off financially if Trump returned to the White House, compared to just 18% predicting a rosy economic future under Biden, though a majority (51%) expected both candidates’ policies to favor the wealthy over the working and middle classes. At the same time, 48% expected to be financially worse off if Biden won a second term, while 32% felt the same about Trump. 

Trump was also seen as less belligerent. Nearly half (47%) of the respondents thought he would increase peace and stability in the world, compared to just 31% who felt the same about Biden. While 39% of likely voters still believed Trump would increase the odds of the US entering another war, nearly half (49%) expected Biden to do so. 

Voters’ own preferences were overwhelmingly for avoiding foreign wars, with 72% of respondents agreeing the US should “try to stay out of other countries’ affairs” and just 35% prioritizing the projection of military power over the promotion of American ideals as a foreign policy goal. Still, a slim majority supported sending military aid to both Israel (55%) and Ukraine (53%).

 

RT

Elon Musk revealed his own artificial intelligence bot to challenge ChatGPT, claiming the prototype is already superior to ChatGPT 3.5 across several benchmarks.

Dubbed Grok, it’s the first product of Musk’s xAI company and is now in testing with a limited group of US users. Grok is being developed with data from Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, and is thus better informed on the latest developments than alternative bots with static datasets, the company’s website said. It’s also designed to answer “with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak,” according to the announcement.

Earlier this year, Musk was among the signatories of a petition calling for a pause in advancing AI models in order to allow for the development of shared safety protocols.

“I signed that letter knowing it was futile,” the billionaire owner of X and Tesla Inc. chief executive officer posted on Sunday. “I just wanted to be on the record as recommending a pause.”

US President Joe Biden just signed an executive order for AI oversight, aimed at setting standards for security and privacy protections, while tech leaders and academics debated the technology’s risks at the UK’s AI Safety Summit last week.

Grok is the product of two months of development, the xAI announcement said, and will be made available to all X Premium+ users after it exits the testing stage. Musk has spoken of his ambition to build X beyond its base as a social platform into a do-everything app akin to Tencent Holding Ltd.’s WeChat in China. Grok would be an essential part of developing that — while xAI is a separate company, it says it intends to work closely with X, Tesla and other businesses.

 

Bloomberg

Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel's military says it has surrounded Gaza City

Gaza lost communications Sunday in its third total outage of the Israel-Hamas war, while Israel’s military said it encircled Gaza City and divided the besieged coastal strip into two.

“Today there is north Gaza and south Gaza,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters, calling it a “significant stage” in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group ruling the enclave. Israeli media reported troops were expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. Strong explosions were seen in northern Gaza after nightfall.

The “collapse in connectivity” across Gaza, reported by internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmed by Palestinian telecom company Paltel, made it even more complicated to convey details of the new stage of the military offensive.

“We have lost communication with the vast majority of the UNRWA team members,” U.N. Palestinian refugee agency spokesperson Juliette Touma told The Associated Press. The first Gaza outage lasted 36 hours and the second one for a few hours.

Earlier Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck two refugee camps, killing at least 53 people and wounding dozens in central Gaza, the zone where Israel’s military had urged Palestinian civilians to seek refuge, health officials said. Israel said it would press on with its offensive to crush Hamas, despite U.S. appeals for even brief pauses to get aid to desperate civilians.

Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said more than 9,700 Palestinians have been killed in nearly a month of war in Gaza, more than 4,000 of them children and minors. That toll likely will rise as Israeli troops advance into dense, urban neighborhoods.

Airstrikes hit the Maghazi refugee camp, killing at least 40 people and wounding 34 others, the Health Ministry said. An AP reporter at a nearby hospital saw eight dead children, including a baby, brought in after the strike. A surviving child was led down the corridor, her clothes caked in dust.

Arafat Abu Mashaia, who lives in the camp, said the Israeli airstrike flattened several multistory homes where people forced out of other parts of Gaza were sheltering.

“It was a true massacre,” he said. “All here are peaceful people. I challenge anyone who says there were resistance (fighters) here.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Another airstrike hit a house near a school at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Staff at Al-Aqsa Hospital told the AP at least 13 people were killed. The camp was struck on Thursday as well.

Despite appeals and overseas protests, Israel has continued its bombardment across Gaza, saying it is targeting Hamas and accusing the militant of using civilians as human shields. Critics say Israel’s strikes are often disproportionate, considering the large number of civilians killed.

On the ground, Israeli forces in Gaza have reported finding stashes of weapons, at times including explosives, suicide drones and missiles. The Israeli military said 29 of its soldiers have died during the ground operation.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, a day after meeting Arab foreign ministers in Jordan.

Abbas, who has had no authority in Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007, said the Palestinian Authority would only assume control of Gaza as part of a “comprehensive political solution” establishing an independent state that includes the West Bank and east Jerusalem — lands Israel seized in the 1967 war.

His remarks seemed to further narrow the already slim options for who would govern Gaza if Israel topples Hamas. The last peace talks with Israel broke down more than a decade ago, and Israel’s government is dominated by opponents of Palestinian statehood.

Blinken later visited Iraq to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani about the need to prevent the conflict from spreading, and about efforts to increase the flow of aid to Gaza, which Blinken called “grossly insufficient” at about 100 truckloads a day.

A Jordanian military cargo plane air-dropped medical aid to a field hospital in northern Gaza, King Abdullah II said on social media early Monday. This appeared to be the first aid delivered by Jordan, a key U.S. ally that has a peace deal with Israel.

Earlier in his tour, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday reiterated that “there will be no cease-fire without the return of our abductees.”

Arab leaders have called for an immediate cease-fire. But Blinken said that “would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on Oct. 7,” when it stormed into southern Israel from Gaza, triggering the war.

Swaths of residential neighborhoods in northern Gaza have been leveled in airstrikes. The U.N. office for humanitarian affairs says more than half the remaining residents, estimated at around 300,000, are sheltering in U.N.-run facilities. The U.N. said Sunday that 88 staff members from its Palestinian refugees agency have been reported killed — “the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.”

Israeli planes again dropped leaflets urging people to head south during a four-hour window Sunday. Crowds walked down Gaza’s main north-south highway carrying baggage or pets and pushing wheelchairs. Others led donkey carts.

One man said they walked 500 meters (yards) with their hands raised while passing Israeli troops. Another described seeing bodies along the road. “The children saw tanks for the first time. Oh world, have mercy on us,” said one Palestinian man who declined to give his name.

Israel’s military said a one-way corridor would continue for residents to flee to southern Gaza.

The U.N. said about 1.5 million people in Gaza, or 70% of the population, have fled their homes. Food, water and the fuel needed for generators that power hospitals are running out. No fuel has come for nearly one month, the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said.

The war has stoked wider tensions, with Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group trading fire along the border.

Four civilians were killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on Sunday evening, including three children, a local civil defense official and state-run media reported. The Israeli military said it had attacked Hezbollah targets in response to anti-tank fire that killed an Israeli civilian. Hezbollah said it fired Grad rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel in response.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, at least two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli arrest raid in Abu Dis, just outside of Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The military said a militant who had set up an armed cell and fired at Israeli forces was killed.

At least 150 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war.

Many Israelis have called for Netanyahu to resign and for the return of roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas. Some families are traveling abroad to try to make sure the hostages aren’t forgotten.

Netanyahu has refused to take responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people. Ongoing Palestinian rocket fire has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel to leave their homes.

In another reflection of widespread anger, a junior government minister, Amihai Eliyahu, suggested in a radio interview that Israel could drop an atomic bomb on Gaza. He later called the remarks “metaphorical.” Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from cabinet meetings, a move with no practical effect.

The U.S. military on Sunday acknowledged positioning a nuclear weapon-capable Ohio-class submarine in the Middle East, although it’s unclear if it’s armed with nuclear ballistic missiles. Several Ohio-class submarines instead carry cruise missiles and the capability to deploy with special operations forces.

 

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Five injured, arts museum damaged in Russian strikes on Odesa, Ukraine officials say

Five people were injured in Odesa and one of the city's principal art galleries was damaged in Russian strikes late on Sunday, Ukrainian officials in the Black Sea port said.

"On November 6, the Odesa National Art Museum turns 124 years old," Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region, of which the Odesa city is the administrative centre, said on the Telegram messaging app. "On the eve of November 6, the Russians 'congratulated' our architectural monument with a missile that hit nearby."

The walls of the building were damaged, some windows and glass were broken, he said.

The museum, in one of the oldest palaces of Odesa, housed before the war more than 10,000 pieces of art, including paintings by some of the best-known Russian and Ukrainian artists of late 19th and early 20th century.

The Odesa city council published a video showing blown out windows and debris inside what it said was the Odesa National Art Museum, where paintings hang on walls.

"The situation is under control, but everything will have to be examined thoroughly so that we are sure that everything is fine," Odesa Mayor Henadii Trukhanov told the Suspilne media outlet.

On the street near the museum, the attack left a several-meter hole. According to the city authorities, one person was injured there.

Kiper said that all five of the injured, from throughout the city, were hospitalised.

** Near Donetsk front line, Ukraine artillery crew face intensifying fire

In Ukraine's war-ravaged Donetsk region, soldiers dug in near the front line described how Russian artillery had intensified significantly in recent weeks, but said it remains below peaks seen a year ago as both sides struggle to advance.

With the sound of outgoing and incoming artillery crashing in the distance around him, one of three artillerymen operating a Hiatsynt howitzer, 22-year-old Vitaliy, said he had felt the increase after coming back from leave last month.

"Probably about a month ago, that's when you started feeling it everywhere," Vitaliy said.

Reuters was asked not to reveal their exact location or name their brigade due to the recent outbreak of intense fighting on their part of the frontline.

All three crew members operating the howitzer, captured from Russia last year and still showing a "Made in Russia" tag on its tyres, said they had noticed the increase.

However, the crew of the Hiatsynt, as well as other Ukrainian soldiers on different parts of the front, told Reuters that the longer-term trend has been a significant decrease in Russian artillery shelling from a year ago.

The crew's commander, a straight-talking, gold-toothed 45-year-old named Oleksandr, said they could only guess where Russia had sourced the additional shells.

"I don't know where these shells are coming from, but they are flying in," he said, gesturing in the direction of several recent craters near his position.

The intelligence service of South Korea said on Wednesday that its neighbour North Korea has supplied over a million shells to Russia since August.

Moscow and Pyongyang have denied that arms are being transferred from the North for use in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"The fact that, if true, they received quite a few shells from (North) Korea, we definitely feel it," said Vitaliy.

Despite the increase, there has been very little movement in the front lines.

"The war became more positional than before, everybody stands on their positions, there's no movement," said Volodymyr, 43. "Neither we advance anywhere, nor do they."

** Zelenskiy pushes US for more aid, invites Trump to Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the U.S. to provide more funding to help his forces counter Russia, and invited former U.S. President Donald Trump to fly in to see the scale of the conflict for himself.

Zelenskiy said American soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support.

"If Russia will kill all of us, they will attack NATO countries and you will send your sons and daughters [to fight]," Zelenskiy said according to a transcript of an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press' airing on Sunday.

U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has pressed the U.S. Congress to pass a $106 billion supplemental spending bill, with the bulk of the money going to bolster Ukraine's defenses and the remainder split among Israel, the Indo-Pacific and border enforcement.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has instead put forward its own funding plan. It passed a bill last week to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, but did not include any increase in aid for Ukraine.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, majority leader of the Democratic-controlled Senate, said he would not bring the House bill to a vote and Biden has vowed to veto it.

In the interview that aired on Sunday, Zelenskiy invited former U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, to visit Ukraine and see the fallout of the conflict initiated by Russia's President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for his party's presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of U.S. support for Kyiv and has said he could end the war in 24 hours if reelected.

"If he can come here, I will need ... 24 minutes to explain to President Trump that he can't manage this war," Zelenskiy said. "He can’t bring peace because of Putin."

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Western leaders know Ukrainians steal their money – Kremlin

Western countries have come to realize that Ukrainian officials are using the funds they receive from their supporters to line their own pockets, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has said.  

In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin released on Sunday, Peskov claimed that Western leaders “understand that a certain part of the money they give to Ukraine is, simply put, stolen,” adding that this reality is recognized by US policymakers at various levels.   

According to Peskov, when confronted with rampant corruption in Ukraine, American lawmakers “have to explain to their constituents why there is no proper mechanism [to oversee] the fund disbursement [and] why they turn a blind eye to this” while debating further aid packages.  

He went on to add that both the US and Kiev’s backers in Europe are “getting tired of the Ukrainian topic, the Kiev regime, and the burden that they have put on their shoulders,” referring to the massive military and financial assistance Ukraine receives from the West.   

“Even such extremely powerful economies as the United States can’t do this indefinitely. They have a lot of problems of their own… At some point, all this will become an excessive burden that they can no longer bear,” he stressed.  

Peskov’s comments come after Politico reported in early October that the administration of US President Joe Biden was “far more worried about corruption in Ukraine than they publicly admit.” A sensitive document cited by the magazine stressed that the widespread graft in Ukraine could force Western allies to abandon Kiev in its fight with Russia.  

The Politico article was echoed by a CNN report, which was released around the same time, alleging that US officials were pushing Kiev to do more to fight corruption, with a State Department diplomatic note compiled this summer linking anti-graft efforts to continued direct budget support.  

Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s request for Congress to approve a new security package, which included more than $60 billion for Ukraine, met with strong opposition from the Republicans. Some GOP lawmakers called on the president for more accountability and to clarify what he thinks the endgame in the conflict would look like.

** Russian Armed Forces intercept 9 HIMARS shells, shoot down 43 Ukrainian drones

The Russian Armed Forces intercepted 9 HIMARS missiles and shot down 43 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"Nine HIMARS missiles were intercepted by air defense systems during the day. In addition, 43 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down in the areas of the settlements of Tavolzhanka in the Kharkov region, Verkhnekamenka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kyryllovka, Yalynskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Sladkaya Balka, Novofedorovka and Pshenichnoye in the Zaporozhye region," the ministry said.

The Russian Armed Forces struck an arsenal of missiles and ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Chernigov region, the ministry reported. "An arsenal of missile weapons and ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit in the area of the settlement of Priluki in the Chernigov region. A command and observation post was hit in the area of the settlement of Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces per day in the Donetsk direction reached up to 140 military personnel, a Leopard tank and two armored vehicles. "In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 42nd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Kurdyumovka and Kleshcheevka of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Enemy losses in this direction amounted to up to 140 military personnel, a Leopard tank, two armored combat vehicles, three cars," the ministry said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine also lost more than 55 personnel in the South Donetsk direction. "In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of forces, in collaboration with army aviation and artillery, repelled an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 102nd territorial defense brigade in the area of the settlement of Marfopol, Zaporozhye region," the ministry said.

 

Reuters/RT/Tass

The state of democracy is diminishing around the globe as dozens of nations experienced recent declines in democratic values, including tainted elections and restrictions on individual freedoms, according to a new study published Thursday by a Swedish political advocacy group.

The analysis by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said democratic norms and standards were faltering in nearly half of the 173 countries it surveyed due to weakening government checks and balances, corruption, rigged elections, and a general lack of accountability from elected leaders who flout the law.

A collective focus on major crises, including inflation, climate change, and simultaneous wars in Ukraine and Israel, were continuing to divert attention from the waning state of fundamental principles that underpin democracy worldwide, the report warns.

In the last five years, 85 nations surveyed in the study witnessed eroding democracy in areas such as civil liberties and judicial independence, marking the longest continuous decline in democratic values since 1975, the report said.

The study -- conducted in five world regions, including Europe, the Americas, Africa, West Asia, and the Indo-Pacific -- ranked countries in four categories, including representation, rights, rule of law, and electoral participation.

Democratic regression spanned the globe from South Korea to Brazil, and from Canada to El Salvador and Hungary, the report says, while judicial independence and protection from political violence were continuing to slide, even in democratic nations like Austria, Hungary and Peru.

Even strong democracies like Costa Rica and Portugal have struggled to achieve effective parliamentary oversight and credible elections in recent years, adding to a disturbing global trend highlighted by a wave of political coups throughout Africa.

Respect for fundamental rights -- such as freedom of speech, expression and assembly -- was deteriorating across all regions, including countries like Austria, El Salvador, Italy, Senegal and Slovenia, the report says.

In a silver lining, there were some signs of progress as more people were engaging in the political process worldwide, especially in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Fiji, which resulted in less overall corruption.

However, challenges remain in areas like social equality, press freedoms, and equitable justice -- with major declines observed over the past five years in the United States, Austria and Britain.

At the same time, election monitors, anti-corruption agencies and independent civil rights groups have emerged recently as the new global watchdogs, holding those in power accountable.

"Many countries are struggling now even with basic aspects of democracy," said Kevin Casas-Zamora, the Secretary-General of International IDEA. "But while many of our formal institutions like legislatures are weakening, there is hope that these more informal checks and balances, from journalists to election organizers and anti-corruption commissioners, can successfully battle authoritarian and populist trends."

The report concludes by calling on world governments to promote and uphold democratic values in future policy measures, and to enact legal protections for independent institutions to protect elections, investigate corruption and supervise government programs.

 

UPI News

We often don’t realize when we’re making poor financial decisions. Many middle class people spend mindlessly on stuff that looks impressive but only ends up draining their savings and keeping them from growing their wealth.

“One of the most damaging habits is spending more than you earn,” said Christopher William, a CPA finance expert and founder of Balanced News Summary. “This is a common problem in the middle class, as people are often tempted to buy more than they can afford,” he explained.

William notes that this often leads to high levels of debt, which makes it difficult to save for retirement and other long-term investments. “Additionally, if someone is consistently spending more than they earn, it can be difficult to break the cycle.” Below is a list of things you shouldn’t spend money on if you’re middle class but want to become rich.

Student Loans and Other Debt

We all know that education is important, but caution is also needed, warned Jonathan Merry, finance expert at Moneyzine. “I’ve observed the student loan crisis firsthand, and I believe it’s alarming how institutions offer massive loans to young adults from middle-class families without a full grasp of the commitment.”

The main thing here is to steer clear of such massive debts while amplifying your professional skills. Merry said, “Excessive loans and debts will hold back middle-class families, so try to manage debts before taking more and more.”

Speaking on the topic of debt, Carter Seuthe, CEO of Credit Summit Consolidation, pointed out that lots of people in the middle class tend to carry a lot of it, whether that’s student loans or credit card debt. “If you’re not staying on top of this, it can quickly balloon out of your control, and represent a pretty significant drain on your resources,” he said.

“I would say one of the largest expenditures in the middle class that could be holding them back from achieving a better financial status is debt,” Seuthe continued. “Working your way up the financial ladder becomes much easier once you focus your budget and financial efforts on paying off debt and moving forward without those monthly interest payments.”

Memberships and Subscriptions

Many middle-class people today have memberships to many retail stores, or subscriptions to every online app they need, said Merry. “It might seem cheap, but when these fees accumulate, it will equate to significant expenses.” He continued, “For example, if a $50 monthly gym subscription is only used twice, that’s $25 per visit. Maybe there’s a more economical workout option?”

He added that if you’re subscribed to several streaming platforms but only tune in occasionally, you might be overspending on entertainment as well.

Investing in Depreciating Assets

Many middle-class individuals invest in items that lose value over time, Merry explained. “In my opinion, making flashy purchases, possibly to mimic the wealthier class, often misses the mark.”

He added that new purchases like cars are attractive but not always wise. A brand-new car’s value drops the moment it leaves the dealership. “Being a smart shopper means considering options like slightly older cars with fewer miles, which don’t lose their value as quickly.”

Steven Neeley, CFP and financial advisor at Fortress Capital Advisorsshares a similar opinion on depreciating assets. “Finance gurus often beat people up about spending money on things like lattes and avocado toast, but the impact is nothing compared to consistently buying expensive cars over one’s lifetime.”

Neeley also observed that way too many people in the middle class buy expensive SUVs or trucks, like $65k to $100k, drive them for three to five years, then trade them in after the value has depreciated 50% to 70% to start over again. “Doing this instead of buying a reasonable vehicle like a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Accord can easily cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of 30 years when you factor in the opportunity cost of investing.”

Covering Expenses for Adult Children

One frequent mistake that middle-class families make, according to Merry, is taking care of their grown children’s bills when nearing retirement. “Many middle-class parents fall into this trap, wanting to assist their struggling adult kids since they empathize with their struggles,” he explained, noting that this makes a huge impact on their savings.

“It’s important they learn financial independence rather than depending on you,” he advised. “It might be beneficial to stop funding your adult children and allocate that money to your retirement savings instead. I always suggest stopping financial aid to adult children, if possible, to ensure a comfortable retirement.”

Overlooking the Hidden Costs of Frugality

While frugality is a commendable trait, being excessively thrifty can lead to missed opportunities, said Percy Grunwald, finance expert and co-founder of Compare Banks. “Sometimes, spending a little more upfront on quality items or experiences can save you money in the long run. For instance, investing in energy-efficient appliances can reduce long-term utility costs.”

Living Beyond Your Means

According to Dennis Shirshikov, finance expert and head of growth at Awning, a significant barrier for the middle class in their journey toward wealth accumulation is lifestyle inflation. “As individuals earn more, they tend to increase their spending proportionally, or even excessively, which can stymie their ability to save and invest effectively,” he said.

For instance, a common misconception is that driving a luxury car or living in a bigger house signifies wealth. While these might be indicators of a higher income, they don’t necessarily translate to long-term wealth if they’re financed with debt.

“Taking on a larger mortgage just because a bank approves you for a certain amount doesn’t mean it’s financially wise,” Shirshikov stated. “Overextending on a mortgage can prevent one from investing in assets that can appreciate over time or from building an emergency fund.”

Giving Into Societal Pressure

Spending money for appearance’s sake will be your ultimate downfall, warned Shirshikov. “It’s worth mentioning the emotional spending driven by the desire to keep up with peers or societal pressures.”

In fact, the “Keeping up with the Joneses” mentality can be particularly detrimental, he observed. “I recall a colleague who, despite earning a six-figure salary, was living paycheck to paycheck due to the constant need to upgrade, be it gadgets, vacations, or even wardrobes, based on what his peers and neighbors were doing. It’s a trap that’s easy to fall into but has long-term repercussions on wealth-building.”

 

Yahoo Finance

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote blamed fellow tycoon Abdul Samad Rabiu for attempting to instigate a probe into alleged money laundering at companies run by Africa’s richest man.

Dangote, who runs Nigeria’s biggest cement maker and is about to start operating Africa’s largest oil refinery, in a seven-page advertisement published in local newspapers alleged that Rabiu was behind an attempt to get President Bola Tinubu’s government to embroil Dangote Industries Ltd.in a probe into the Central Bank of Nigeria. Dangote’s companies aren’t under any investigation.

A spokesman for Dangote didn’t answer phone calls or respond to messages, while a spokesperson for BUA couldn’t be reached for comment.

The allegations, which first surfaced in 2016, were resurrected when Tinubu in July ordered a probe into operations at Nigeria’s central bank over the past eight years. Tinubu alleged that several unidentified Nigerian businesses engaged in money laundering as the central bank oversaw a complex foreign-exchange regime that critics say encouraged arbitrage.

“As an organization, it is not our custom to respond to any spurious allegation,” Dangote Industries said in the advertisements published on Friday. “But to the fact that this is a rehash of a similar report peddled by a competitor masquerading as a concerned Nigerian in 2016, we are therefore constrained to provide context to this issue.”

Rabiu responded hours later accusing his rival of a litany of infractions against his business since the early 1990s, including giving him a dud cheque on one occasion.

“To Dangote and the Dangote Group, we say: Let us build, not belittle,” Rabiu’s BUA Group said in a post on X. “While we may share the marketplace, we need not share malice. We have nothing to do with your self-inflicted issues. Blame no one but yourself.”

Dangote has a net worth of $16.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, while Rabiu’s wealth is valued at $5.5 billion.

 

Bloomberg

Sheila Bush, a cosmetologist, was lounging in the recliner at her St. Louis-area home last winter when an advertisement from a law firm flashed up on her television screen, urging viewers to call a toll-free number if they or a loved one had used hair relaxers and been diagnosed with uterine cancer.

After seeing the ad three times, Bush, who said she had used hair relaxers every six weeks for most of her life and was diagnosed with uterine cancer about a decade ago, decided to pick up the phone.

The ads Bush saw, on television as well as on her social media feeds, were part of a nationwide effort by law firms to sign up Black women to file lawsuits alleging at least a dozen cosmetic companies, including L’Oreal and Revlon, sold hair relaxers containing chemicals that increased the risk of developing uterine cancer – and failed to warn customers.

The recruitment campaign launched in October last year, days after a U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found an association, though not a causal link, between frequent use of chemical hair relaxers and uterine cancer. Hair straighteners such as L’Oreal’s Dark & Lovely and Revlon’s Creme of Nature are marketed overwhelmingly to women of color, according to the lawsuits.

Some of the ads show Black women applying hair products before cutting to a summary of the NIH study’s findings.

L’Oreal and Revlon told Reuters their products are subject to rigorous safety reviews. The companies noted that the authors of the NIH study said they didn’t draw definitive conclusions about the cause of the women’s cancers and that more research is warranted.

“We do not believe the science supports a link between chemical hair straighteners or relaxers and cancer,” Revlon said. L’Oreal added that it is committed to offering the best products “for all skin and hair types, all genders, all identities, all cultures, all ages” and that its hair relaxers have a “rich heritage and history” originating with Black inventors and entrepreneurs.

Namaste, which markets ORS Olive Oil relaxers, said all ingredients in its products are approved for cosmetic use by U.S. regulators. “We do not believe the plaintiffs have shown, or will be able to show, that the use of Namaste hair relaxer products caused the injuries that they allege in their complaints,” a lawyer for Namaste and its parent company, Dabur India, said in an email response to Reuters.

The other companies named in the litigation declined to comment or didn't respond to requests.

The success of the legal claims will hinge on demonstrating the products were harmful and that the companies knew, or should have known, of the danger and failed to warn customers. But the cases face hurdles: In addition to the potential limitations of the NIH study, plaintiffs are suing multiple companies, and if women lack receipts, they may struggle to provide evidence that they used specific products.

Ben Crump, who represented the family of George Floyd, the Black man murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, and another lawyer, Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmerman, filed the first hair relaxer lawsuit on behalf of a Missouri woman, Jenny Mitchell, shortly after the NIH study was published.

Since then, more than 7,000 similar lawsuits have been filed by many plaintiffs’ lawyers. The cases have been consolidated in a Chicago federal court as part of a multidistrict litigation proceeding (MDL), a procedure designed to more efficiently manage lawsuits filed in multiple jurisdictions.

Even though the legal claims asserted in the lawsuits don’t allege racial discrimination, Crump says the cases should be viewed as “essentially civil rights issues.”

For Black women, “it’s projected on them that they have to live up to some kind of European standard of beauty,” Crump, who represents plaintiffs in high-profile racial discrimination cases and is a regular on cable news, said in an interview.

Bush, aged 69, told Reuters about being mocked by the white children in the schoolyard of her St. Louis school for her “cotton” hair, a common derogatory term used for Black hair texture. “You felt as though you didn’t belong, or weren’t as good as they were,” said Bush, who was born in 1954, the year a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision found racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The vast majority of the plaintiffs are women of color, according to Jayne Conroy, a lawyer whose firm has filed at least 550 hair relaxer cases, adding that attorneys don’t have full demographic data on their clients.

A master complaint filed in the court proceeding consolidating the lawsuits features many examples of advertisements that plaintiffs contend improperly took advantage of historical racial discrimination. One L’Oreal ad touted “how beautiful Black hair can be,” the complaint said.

The complaint seeks unspecified damages.

Framing the litigation as a civil rights issue could resonate with jurors beyond arguments over complex product liability claims, said Adam Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law who studies mass tort litigation.

The cases come at a time when Black people are increasingly embracing natural hairstyles. At least 23 states have passed legislation aimed at protecting people from hair discrimination in the workplace and public schools. The U.S. House of Representatives passed similar legislation last year that stalled in the Senate.

Twice as likely to develop cancer

Uterine cancer is the most common form of female reproductive system cancer and rising in the U.S., especially among Black women, according to the NIH.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 66,000 new cases of uterine cancer diagnosed this year in the United States, less than a quarter of the number of 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer, and more than three times the 19,710 cases of ovarian cancer.

The NIH study of more than 33,000 women found that those who reported using hair straightening products more than four times in the previous year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as those who did not. A total of 378 women in the study developed uterine cancer. Black women used the products more frequently than others, the study found.

The researchers did not collect information on the ingredients of specific products the women used, the NIH said. But Alexandra White, the lead author, told Reuters in response to written questions that hair straighteners have been found to include phthalates, parabens, cyclosiloxanes and metals, and may release formaldehyde when heated. She declined interview requests through a spokesperson.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to propose next April a rule that would ban formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from hair-straightening products. An agency spokesperson provided no further details on timing.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and has been linked to nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia, according to the World Health Organization. The NIH study said phthalates and the other chemicals are suspected endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the body’s hormones and are suspected of contributing to cancer risk.

“Formaldehyde is not an ingredient in Namaste’s hair relaxer products,” the company’s lawyer said. The other companies declined to comment or did not respond to a Reuters query on whether their products contain or release formaldehyde.

Companies and defense lawyers have pointed to what they say are flaws in the NIH study. The companies named in the litigation asked the presiding judge in July to dismiss the lawsuits, noting that the study was the first to raise a possible association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer, undermining plaintiffs’ argument that the companies knew or should have known of any risks related to the products.

The companies also noted that the NIH study consisted of sisters of women previously diagnosed with breast cancer “who therefore may have a genetic predisposition,” they said in a court filing. Lead author White said in a statement in response to Reuters questions that there is currently no strong evidence linking family history of breast cancer to increased risk of uterine cancer.

The plaintiffs “rely entirely on vague allegations that the products, generally, contain ‘toxic chemicals,’” the companies’ defense lawyers at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind & Garrison, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer and other firms said in a court filing.

Plaintiffs believe the NIH study will persuade the judge that at least some of the cases should proceed to trial. Plaintiffs can advance their case without proving the products caused cancer, said Jennifer Hoekstra, a lawyer representing Bush. The study from a reputable government institution such as the NIH is likely enough to get cases before a jury, she said.

An FDA rule proposal wouldn’t alter the plaintiffs’ burden to prove they were harmed by the chemicals in hair relaxers, said Zimmerman, the USC law professor. But evidence regulators rely on to support a proposed rule would likely be admissible in court, he said, and FDA actions “often draw lots of attention — thus increasing the numbers of people likely to participate in any mass litigation."

In addition, the judge overseeing the litigation over the summer approved a so-called short-form complaint that makes it relatively easy for plaintiffs to file lawsuits.

Since November last year, plaintiffs’ lawyers have spent about $8 million airing more than 40,000 television ads across the U.S., with much of it concentrated in Baltimore, Houston and Washington DC, according to an analysis of marketing data compiled for Reuters by X Ante, a firm that tracks mass tort advertising for large companies, law firms and investment analysts.

Lawyers seeking hair relaxer plaintiffs have posted on social-media platforms and attended community events.

Quiana Hester said she and her sisters, Ariana and Nakisha, have been interviewing lawyers and are weighing whether to join the litigation after seeing ads on social media from plaintiffs’  law firms.

The sisters said they wanted their mother’s death last year following a battle with uterine cancer to mean something.

Patrice Hester, a former real estate agent, regularly counseled her daughters that wearing natural hair would attract unwanted attention and harm their careers. “She never wanted us to do anything to make us stand out or be a target,” said Ariana, 35, who shared a home with her mother and sister Nakisha in the San Diego area.

Bush, the St. Louis cosmetologist, joined the litigation in August, she said, because of the possibility that hair relaxers cause cancer. "If we find out that that's the case,” she said, “I would like to see that relaxers were taken completely off the market.”

 

Reuters