WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia battles Ukrainian troops for third day after shock incursion

Russian forces were battling Ukrainian troops for a third day on Thursday after they smashed through the Russian border in the Kursk region, an audacious attack on the world's biggest nuclear power that has forced Moscow to call in reserves.

In one of the biggest Ukrainian attacks on Russia since the war began in February 2022, around 1,000 Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of Aug. 6 with tanks and armoured vehicles, covered in the air by swarms of drones and pounding artillery, according to Russian officials.

Heavy fighting was reported near the town of Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine, raising concerns about a possible sudden stop to transit flows to Europe.

The incursion has come as a shock to Russia, nearly 2-1/2 years after President Vladimir Putin sent his army into Ukraine.

Putin has cast the Ukrainian offensive as a "major provocation". Sergei Mironov, the leader of a Kremlin-loyal political party, called it a "terrorist attack" and "the invasion of an internationally recognised foreign territory".

Kursk's regional acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, said thousands of residents had been evacuated.

The White House said the United States - Ukraine's biggest backer - had no prior knowledge of the attack.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Ukraine's move on the Kursk region was consistent with U.S. policy.

"They are taking actions to protect themselves from attacks that are coming from a region that are within the U.S. policy of where they can operate, our weapons, our systems, our capabilities," Singh told reporters.

She said Ukraine's move was not escalatory because "Ukraine is doing what it needs to do to be successful on the battlefield."

Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that the army and the Federal Security Service (FSB) had halted Ukraine's advance and were battling Kyiv's units in the Kursk region.

"Units of the Northern group of forces, together with the FSB of Russia, continue to destroy armed formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sudzhensky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian military has remained silent on the Kursk offensive, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the Ukrainian army on Thursday for its ability "to surprise" and achieve results. He did not explicitly reference Kursk.

Some Russian bloggers said Ukraine's forces were pushing towards the Kursk nuclear power station, which lies about 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Sudzha.

Yuri Podolyaka, a popular Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said that there were intense battles about 30 km from the Soviet-era nuclear plant, which supplies a large swathe of southern Russia with power.

CRITICAL JUNCTURE

Ukraine's energy minister said gas transit via Sudzha was functioning, despite reports of hostilities there. Most EU nations have reduced dependence on Russian gas, but Austria still receives most of its gas via Ukraine.

The Center for Information Resilience (CIR), a non-profit open-source analysis organisation, said it was unable to visually confirm any damage to the gas metering station as a result of the incursion, but had verified significant damage to the border checkpoint about 500 metres (550 yards) to the south.

"This, combined with footage verified by CIR of several Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian soldiers near the entrance of the gas metering plant, makes it likely that the plant has been affected by the Ukrainian incursion, however, the level of damage cannot be verified at this time," it said.

The battles come at a crucial juncture in the conflict, the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two. Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could weaken if Republican Donald Trump wins the November presidential election.

Trump has said he would end the war, and both Russia and Ukraine are keen to gain the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield.

Ukraine wants to pin down Russian forces, which control 18% of its territory, though the strategic significance of the border offensive was not immediately clear.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the Ukrainian attack was an attempt to force Moscow to divert resources from the front and to show the West that Ukraine could still fight.

As a result of the Kursk attack, Medvedev said, Russia should expand its war aims to include taking all of Ukraine.

He said Moscow's "Special Military Operation" should acquire an "openly extraterritorial character", with Russian troops moving on Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolayiv, Kyiv "and beyond".

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops destroy first British-made Spartan armored vehicle in Ukraine operation

Russian troops destroyed the first British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian army over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center units "destroyed a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier" in their area of responsibility over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes Ukrainian army in Kursk, Sumy, Kharkov Regions

Russia’s Battlegroup North struck Ukrainian troops in the borderline Kursk Region and Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov Regions and inflicted roughly 415 casualties on the enemy over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 22nd and 25th mechanized, 36th marine infantry, 88th, 103rd and 123rd territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Zhuravka, Belovody and Yunakovka in the Sumy Region, Volchansk in the Kharkov Region and Daryino in the Kursk Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 415 personnel, four tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 14 armored personnel carriers, 12 pickup trucks, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 460 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West improved its tactical position and inflicted more than 460 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 14th, 44th, 67th and 116th mechanized, 3rd assault, 110th and 241st territorial defense and 1st National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Novoyegorovka and Tabayevka in the Kharkov Region, Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Novosadovoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 116th mechanized brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 460 personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, a Kozak armored combat vehicle, a US-made MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle, 13 motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, two Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launchers and a Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, it specified.

In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 660 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South struck six Ukrainian brigades and inflicted roughly 660 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units gained more advantageous frontiers and positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd, 24th and 67th mechanized, 5th and 10th assault and 10th mountain assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar, Grigorovka, Ostroye, Ivano-Daryevka and Viyemka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repulsed two counterattacks by formations of the Ukrainian army’s 5th assault brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 660 personnel, two armored personnel carriers, including a US-made M113 armored troop carrier, nine motor vehicles, two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a British-made 155mm AS-90 self-propelled artillery gun, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, a British-made 105mm L119 artillery gun and two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 360 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 360 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continue conducting active operations. They inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 1st tank, 31st, 32nd and 117th mechanized, 95th air assault, 109th and 111th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Nikolayevka, Tarasovka, Toretsk, Grodovka and Panteleimonovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the enemy’s 25th air assault and 142nd infantry brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 360 personnel, a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 105 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 105 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy infantry fighting vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized and 58th motorized infantry brigades in areas near the settlements of Vodyanoye and Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an enemy assault group," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 105 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, a British-made 155mm FH70 towed howitzer, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery gun, a US-made 155mm M198 howitzer and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station, it specified.

In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr strikes three Ukrainian brigades over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr struck three Ukrainian army brigades and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault, 35th marine infantry and 124th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye Region, Novotyaginka and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 110 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a British-made 105mm L119 howitzer and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV assembly workshops over past day

Russian troops destroyed Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed workshops for the assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles and struck massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 164 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter, 80 UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet, 12 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 plane and destroyed 12 US-made HIMARS rockets and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 21 UAVs outside the area of the special military operation," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 636 Ukrainian warplanes, 278 helicopters, 29,402 unmanned aerial vehicles, 563 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,937 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,398 multiple rocket launchers, 12,976 field artillery guns and mortars and 24,528 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

 

Reuters/Tass

Almost everyone thinks they know what is wrong with President Bola Tinubu and his government, except Tinubu himself. And to show that it’s not just bellyaching, there are plenty of examples to beat the president over the head.

Headline inflation has risen from 22.2 percent in April 2023 to 33.7 one year after – and is still growing – while attempts by the government to tame it have been largely ineffective. Food inflation has nearly doubled. The naira has been devalued by 70 percent in one year, and poverty levels, even among the once-comfortable urban population, have risen dramatically. Hardship has never been starker.

But that’s not all. Where Tinubu promised leaner government parastatals, they have increased. The talk about cutting the cost of governance is being crushed under the wheels of longer executive convoys and a parliament out of touch.

Events around the continent, especially in West Africa, where Nigeria is supposed to be a powerhouse, offer little comfort. On Tinubu’s watch, and some might even add, because of his mishandling, three countries – Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso – have pulled out of ECOWAS and formed a band of rebellious Sahelian states.

And on the continental stage, Nigeria has dropped from Africa’s largest economy to number four, a blow that a country with an oversized ego can still not reconcile with.

Crucify him

If one called for nails to crucify Tinubu, volunteers would supply more than enough to cover every inch of his body, with bags of it to spare. You will be reminded that this was self-inflicted misery when he removed the petrol subsidy on day one and attempted to merge the exchange rate without a clear plan.

That’s just as well. I can’t wrap my head around some of the events that happened in the last year. And I can’t remember how often I have asked if this is the same Tinubu I’ve known since 1998. Well, it’s the same Tinubu, more or less. It’s the same Tinubu, seasoned and buffeted almost equally from age and circumstance in a country that has also changed by far greater measure in the last nearly three decades!

Tinubu asked for the job, so there can’t be excuses for why the country is in such misery. It’s, however, fair to say, almost at the risk of attack, that those who judge Tinubu harshly underestimate the determined, active efforts of interest groups – both from within and outside his government – to ensure that he fails, despite his best efforts.

The heart of the matter

His government's two most consequential decisions – announcing the removal of petrol subsidy and attempting to create a more transparent exchange rate system – touched a raw nerve. The biggest beneficiaries, primarily wealthy, powerful and deadly people across the country, but particularly in the North, are determined to fight his government to a standstill.

The pattern of last week’s #EndBadGovernance protests showed where poverty was starkest. But it also showed the locus of misdirected anger and resistance to change.

The anger was against Tinubu’s policies. But much more than that, it implicated sections of the Northern elite who have, over the years, underdeveloped and impoverished the region, primarily by playing the ethnic and religious card and refusing to be held to account. This same elite was on a roll last week, issuing Russian flags to protesters and pontificating how Tinubu had lost his way.

North’s misery

Things didn’t become suddenly hard for the North under Tinubu. As Kingsley Moghalu said four years ago, when Nigeria displaced India as the world’s poverty capital under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, the North, regrettably, also became the poverty capital of the poverty capital, with the incidence of poverty up to 80 percent in the North-west.

Decades of the elite prioritising politics and a sense of entitlement over production and accountability have radicalised millions of young people without hope or a future. Their anger should have been directed at the elite responsible for the mess.

Unfortunately, the same elite stoked the discontent, capitalised on it and managed to frame it as evidence of Tinubu’s unfitness for office. And people who used soldiers to crush swathes of the civil population when they were in power are now teaching us lessons on civil management of public protests. The truth is more nuanced.  

The handling of the protests in several states was incompetent, disgraceful and indefensible. Nothing justifies using live rounds against primarily unarmed people expressing their right to dissent. It’s a disgrace that live rounds were used to disperse mostly unarmed crowds, as a result of which about 13 people were killed.

However, the suggestions that people with a sinister agenda sponsored the violence in several Northern states to destabilise Tinubu’s government and divert attention from their complicity in our current mess should not be dismissed out of hand.

Elite wars

It only takes a cursory look at the sections of the elite worst hit by the removal of the subsidy and the attempts to streamline the forex market chaos to understand why they won’t give up without a dirty fight, whatever the cost. Those who think it’s in their power to determine who rules and how long took advantage of the protests to fire warning shots about what they’re determined to do, if not sooner, then by the next election.

Kenya, the UK, and, later, Bangladesh have been touted as models for managing dissent and examples of what may happen if a government fails to listen to the people. While economic hardship is the common thread, those who cite these examples in Nigeria ignore the sinister role of interest groups that fear a prolonged loss of political power.

Insects within

Yet, suggesting that outsiders caused all of Tinubu’s woes would be foolish. Amid the chaos of last week, there were members of his cabinet who were more than delighted that the pressure might finally compel the president to review his government’s “tight-fistedness”. Under Buhari, the Ministry of Finance released quarterly capital votes to ministries and government departments, and they didn’t have to account for it.

Under Tinubu, however, the Ministry of Finance tightly controls releases. Payments are only made after projects have been verified and certificates of completion issued. It’s not the kind of thing people who are used to easy money would be happy about. Beneficiaries of the previous order will resist this change or stand idly by when the government is under attack.

What team?

The part of the whole business that I find troubling is the quality of Tinubu’s cabinet and inner circle. If it was a joke to please certain interest groups when he came to power last year, it has become an embarrassment. He has paid them what he owes, with interest.

With a few exceptions, his team is neither valuable for the country nor serviceable for a president in an emergency. Where did he find these people? And how long will he keep them as passengers on a train to nowhere, putting at risk his reputation as an excellent talent hunter?

I guess that the #EndBadGovernance protest will not be the last. One can only hope that lessons have been learnt and concrete steps will be taken to implement them for the benefit of citizens. That would be the biggest test of his presidency.

** Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the new book Writing for Media and MonetisingIt

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been chosen to head the Bangladesh’s interim government after the nation’s longtime prime minister resigned and fled abroad in the face of violent unrest against her rule.

Known as the “banker to the poorest of the poor” and a longtime critic of the ousted Sheikh Hasina, Yunus will act as a caretaker premier until new elections are held. The decision followed a meeting late Tuesday that included student protest leaders, military leaders, civil society members and business leaders.

Hasina was forced to flee on Monday after weeks of protests and her departure has plunged Bangladesh into a political crisis. The army has temporarily taken control, but it is unclear what its role would be in an interim government after the president dissolved parliament on Tuesday to pave the way for elections.

Student leaders who organised the protests had wanted Yunus, who is now in Paris for the Olympics as an adviser to its organisers, to lead an interim government.

He could not immediately be reached by the Associated Press for comment, but key student leader Nahid Islam said that Yunus agreed to step in during a discussion with them.

‘To poverty as Bill Gates is to computer software’

The 83-year-old is a well-known critic and political opponent of Hasina. Yunus called her resignation the country’s “second liberation day.” She once called him a “bloodsucker.” In January, Yunus was convicted of violating Bangladesh’s labour laws in a trial decried by his supporters as politically motivated.

Last year, more than 100 Nobel laureates signed an open letter calling for the charges to be suspended. Amnesty International said the case was “emblematic of the beleaguered state of human rights in Bangladesh, where the authorities have eroded freedoms and bulldozed critics into submission”.

Yunus was born in 1940 in Chattogram, a seaport city in Bangladesh. He received his PhD from Vanderbilt University in the United States and taught there briefly before returning to Bangladesh.

In a 2004 interview with The Associated Press, Yunus said he had a “eureka movement” to establish Grameen Bank when he met a poor woman weaving bamboo stools who was struggling pay her debts.

“I couldn’t understand how she could be so poor when she was making such beautiful things,” he recalled in the interview.

An economist and banker by profession, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering the use of microcredit to help impoverished people, particularly women. He is credited with lifting millions of people out of poverty. The Nobel Peace Prize committee credited Yunus and his Grameen Bank “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.”

A Guardian profile of him written when he won the prize described him as “to poverty as Bill Gates is to computer software. Only that Yunus’s business exponentially flourishes in a business environment infinitely harsher than leafy Seattle.”

Yunus founded Grameen Bank in 1983 to provide small loans to entrepreneurs who would not normally qualify to receive them. The bank’s success in lifting people out of poverty led to similar microfinancing efforts in other countries.

He ran into trouble with Hasina in 2008, when her administration launched a series of investigations into him. In an interview earlier this year, Yunus wouldn’t be drawn on the reasons for Hasina’s enmity but it has been linked by others to his aborted attempt to launch a political party in 2007.

During the investigations, Hasina accused Yunus of using force and other means to recover loans from poor rural women as the head of Grameen Bank. Yunus denied the allegations.

Hasina’s government began reviewing the bank’s activities in 2011, and Yunus was fired as managing director for allegedly violating government retirement regulations. He was put on trial in 2013 on charges of receiving money without government permission, including his Nobel prize and royalties from a book.

He later faced more charges involving other companies he created, including Grameen Telecom, which is part of the country’s largest mobile phone company, GrameenPhone, a subsidiary of Norwegian telecom company Telenor.His supporters say the charges are all politically motivated.

Yunus told Indian media on Tuesday that “today should be about celebration”. He played down any fears over instability in Bangladesh and called the ridding of Hasina “a revolution”.

“We got rid of a very authoritarian government,” he told NDTV. “We are enjoying it, we are enjoying our freedom and a new era is opening for Bangladesh.”

 

The Guardian, UK

Sepsis occurs when one's immune system has an extreme response to an infection. It's a life-threatening condition: globally, it accounts for about 11 million deaths—20% of all deaths per year.

And it doesn't just affect adults. In 2020, 2.4 million newborn babies died of sepsis in the first month of their lives. Most of these deaths happened in sub-Saharan Africa.

The main treatment for sepsis is antibiotics. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture has led to antimicrobial resistance—a process in which bacteria, fungi and parasites have developed the ability to resist the action of medicines.

The World Health Organization describes antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health and development threats.

This growing resistance is due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both human medicine and in farming. They're used in large quantities to grow crops and in animal feeds to treat and reduce the risk of infection in livestock.

It has been forecast that, by 2050, more people will die from antimicrobial resistance than both cancer and diabetes combined.

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions with the highest rates of deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance (including sepsis) in the world, with 23.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

In our latest study we found that samples taken from mothers and newborn babies younger than one week in Nigeria already had colistin-resistant bacteria present in their bodies. But neither the babies nor their mothers had been treated with colistin.

Colistin is one of the last remaining antibiotics that is still effective in killing bacteria and fighting infections such as pneumonia. It is deemed critically important for human medicine by the World Health Organization.

We surmise that mothers may have picked up these colistin resistant bacteria from the environment. We cannot speculate on the specific mechanism. The babies, meanwhile, could have picked up the bacteria from the hospital, the community, or from their mothers. It's not yet known if these colistin-resistant bacteria stay in the mothers or babies—but if they do this may increase their chances of acquiring future drug-resistant infections.

How we did our study

The samples from newborn babies and their mothers in our study were collected between 2015 and 2017 from three hospitals in Kano and Abuja. This research is the largest ever screening of intestinal microbiota for colistin resistance in Nigeria.

Of the 4,907 samples we analyzed in our Cardiff and Oxford laboratories, we found that 1% of samples had genes conferring colistin resistance, across 41 mothers and eight babies. Although this is a low percentage, it is extremely worrying that any babies were carrying colistin-resistant bacteria within their first week of life.

Colistin is rarely used in hospitals and clinics in Nigeria. Therefore, our findings suggest that resistance may have emerged from the increasing use of colistin in agricultural settings in the country. We are continuing our research with collaborators in Nigeria to further understand the levels of resistance in both the health care system and more broadly.

Dangers of using antibiotics in agriculture

Globally, more antibiotics are prescribed to animals than to humans. Most of this consumption is not to treat infections; rather, it is to prevent infections or promote faster growth in animals.

In 2016 mobile colistin (mcr) genes were discovered in E. coli bacteria from a pig farm in China. These genes carry resistance to the antibiotic colistin, and can spread between bacteria, furthering colistin resistance.

This discovery led to a total ban on colistin's agricultural use in China.

In February 2022, European laws were expanded to make it illegal to add antibiotics to livestock feeds as a precaution to prevent infections before they start.

However, in a study we published in 2023, we found that, while European countries have banned the use of colistin in farming, paradoxically they still actively export livestock feeds that contain colistin to low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria for agriculture use.

It seems a highly questionable practice to knowingly profit by selling feedstuffs banned for use in Europe to developing countries that lack these regulations—particularly when these countries already suffer from some of the highest rates globally of endemic antimicrobial resistance for common antibiotics and treatment alternatives are either prohibitively expensive or completely inaccessible.

Estimates suggest that globally almost 100,000 tons of antibiotics were used to raise cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs in 2022. This usage is expected to increase by another 8%by 2030 and will lead to a direct increase in antibiotic-resistant infections.

Call for a total ban

There needs to be a global ban on colistin's indiscriminate agricultural use to preserve this crucial antibiotic for when it is urgently required.

However, this is a delicate balance. A ban without alternative solutions will likely affect food production and adversely affect farmers' livelihoods in already challenging climates. And, with the world's population set to increase by about 2 billion by 2050, demand for affordable meat will only rise.

Urgent investment is also needed in hospital infection prevention and control programs and improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in farms to help to limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria around these environments.

Animals should be given antibiotics only when they are sick. These antibiotics should be selected from those the World Health Organization has listed as being "least important" to human health rather than from those classified as "highest priority/critically important."

In September 2024, during the UN General Assembly in New York, leaders from governments, industry, financial institutionsand scientific organizations will come together for a UN High-Level meeting on antimicrobial resistance.

This meeting offers a timely opportunity for global leaders to set some targets to reduce antibiotic use in farming and support farmers in low- and middle-income countries to improve farm hygiene practices.

 

Medical Express

The Federal Government disbursed a total of N1.03tn to fight against insecurity and terrorism between January and June 2024.

In the budget implementation report for the first half of 2024 obtained by our correspondent through Open Treasury, a website that monitors government spending, the amount represents a disbursement rate of 42.80 per cent from its appropriation of N2.41tn and a balance of N1.38tn.

Despite this spending, no fewer than 5,801 Nigerians were killed in terrorist attacks, and 4,348 citizens were abducted in the first seven months of 2024, Findings by The PUNCH showed.

Data sourced from an Indigenous intelligence outfit, Beacon Consulting, revealed that the number of fatalities was recorded during the various attacks witnessed in 574 Local Government Areas across the country.

A breakdown, according to geopolitical zones, showed that 2,223 persons were killed in the North-East, representing 33 per cent of the total incidents, in which 1,609 individuals were killed and 614 kidnapped in 88 Local Government councils.

In the North-West, 125 councils recorded attacks leading to the death of 2,023 individuals while 2,607 were abducted.

No fewer than 96 councils recorded incidents in the North-Central region out of which 1,102 residents lost their lives and 847 were kidnapped.

South-West recorded attacks in 106 councils which led to the death of 434 individuals and 93 were abducted. Also, 275 persons were killed and 145 abducted in 81 councils of the South-South.

While, in the South-East, 358 fatalities and 42 abductions were reported across 78 Local Government Areas

Insecurity has severely hindered socio-economic development in Nigeria, impacting various aspects of life throughout the country. The widespread threat of violence and crime arises from multiple sources, transcending from terrorism into banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping for ransom.

Despite the government’s promise to tackle the menace by investing in advanced attack machinery, insurgents continue to operate with relative ease.

Speaking on the insecurity issue, a security consultant and Fellow of the Institute of Security, Nigeria, Chigozie Ubani, said there was a critical need for a comprehensive approach to national security.

He noted that despite repeated recommendations to the Federal Government, current efforts were ineffective.

Ubani lamented the cycle of arrests, detentions, and subsequent bail of suspects without addressing the underlying social and economic factors contributing to insecurity.

“We are running a reactionary police system. When it happens, we then move. We arrest people, detain them, and later bail them. The other day, we charged them to court. It’s just reactionary. What we’ve not done is to look at the social and economic angles to security. We might be lucky, but if not, we might have a bloody situation, because people are hungry. This is one of our major problems,” he stated.

 

Punch

The recent revelation by Chief of Naval Staff Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla that Nigeria's crude oil output has increased to between 1.6 and 1.7 million barrels per day is a welcome development. This improvement, attributed to enhanced security measures, underscores the critical role of effective law enforcement in safeguarding the nation's most valuable resource. However, it also serves as a stark reminder of the persistent challenge of crude oil theft that has plagued Nigeria for far too long.

The fact that increased surveillance and enforcement can yield such significant results – a rise from 1.2 million barrels per day in February to the current levels – is both encouraging and concerning. It demonstrates that with proper commitment and resources, the government can indeed combat this scourge. Yet, it also raises questions about why such measures were not implemented sooner and more comprehensively.

The Navy's deployment of 12 vessels to protect oil production and the arrest of over 16 vessels involved in illegal activities are commendable steps. However, these actions should be the norm rather than the exception. The blockade of channels for selling illegally refined petroleum products is another positive move, but it must be sustained and expanded.

To truly address this issue, we propose a more aggressive and accountable approach. Navy Commanders and allied security officers should be given specific targets for preventing oil theft, with their commissions tied to these performance metrics. This would create a direct incentive for these officers to maintain vigilance and integrity in their duties.

The stakes could not be higher. The value of the Naira, the supply of crude oil for local refineries, the country's finances, and numerous other crucial economic parameters are directly tied to our ability to stem this theft. The potential for Nigeria to produce up to 6 million barrels of oil per day, as suggested by Oil Minister Heineken Lokpobiri, remains a distant dream if the government cannot secure current production.

Moreover, the exodus of major oil companies like Shell underscores the urgency of creating a secure and stable environment for oil production. The country cannot afford to lose more investors due to the persistent threat of theft and insecurity.

The government must prioritize this issue, allocating more resources and political will to combat oil theft. This includes not only enhancing security measures but also addressing the root causes of the problem, such as corruption within the security agencies themselves and the lack of economic opportunities in oil-producing regions.

In conclusion, while the recent increase in oil production is a positive sign, it should serve as a catalyst for more comprehensive and sustained action. The future of Nigeria's economy depends on government’s ability to protect and maximize the benefits of the country’s oil resources. It's time for a zero-tolerance approach to oil theft, backed by accountability, incentives, and unwavering commitment from all levels of government and security forces. Only then can we hope to realize the full potential of our nation's most valuable asset.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria currently spends $600 million on petrol importation monthly.

Edun spoke on Tuesday during an interview on AIT’s Moneyline programme.

The minister, however, reiterated that there is no petrol subsidy in the 2024 budget.

“The fuel subsidy was removed May 29, 2023, by Mr President, and at that time, the poorest of 40 percent was only getting four percent of the value, and basically, they were not benefitting at all. So it was going to be just a few,” he said.

“Another point that I think is important is that nobody knows the consumption in Nigeria of petroleum. We know we spend $600 million every month on importation but the issue here is that all the neighbouring countries are benefitting.

“So we are buying not for just for Nigeria, we are buying for countries to the east, almost as far as Central Africa, north and west. 

“And so we have to ask ourselves as Nigerians, how long do we want to do that for and that is the key issue regarding the issue of petroleum pricing.”

Edun said the nation must take a decisive step to tackle the problem as it impedes economic growth.

‘IMPORT DUTIES SUSPENSION WILL NOT UNDERMINE LOCAL FARMERS’

While speaking on the welfare of Nigerians, Edun said the current administration’s key priority is to ensure food availability and affordability, hence the recent suspension of tax and duties on the importation of food commodities.

He assured that the measure will not undermine local farmers, as importation will only be permitted after exhausting local supplies.

“There is a concerted effort to ensure that we have homegrown food available. In the short term, apart from what is being distributed from reserves, there is a window that has been opened for importation because the commitment of Mr. President is to drive down those prices now and make food available now,” he said.

“So, one of the conditions for this importation will be that everything available locally in the markets or with the millers and so forth has been taken up. We will have auditors that will check that.”

Edun said these interventions seek to reduce inflation, stabilise exchange rates, and lower interest rates, thereby creating a conducive environment for investment and job creation.

“With the kind of food production programme we have, inflation will come down as prices come down. When inflation comes down, exchange rate will stabilise. Interest rates will come down and the economy will have a chance,” he said.

“People will have a chance at reasonable rates to invest in various sectors of the economy, increase productivity, grow the economy and create jobs which is the key to reducing poverty.”

On the issue of the N570 billion recently released to state governments, Edun said it was a reimbursement under the COVID financing protocol.

“This actually refers to a reimbursement that they received from December last year onwards and it was a reimbursement I think under the Covid financing protocol,” he said.

“But the point is that the states have received more money. They have received more money. We have to do our research.”

‘WINDFALL TAX WILL REDISTRIBUTE UNEARNED INCOME’

Edun said the introduction of the 70 percent windfall tax in the banking industry will redistribute unearned income.

The minister said the windfall tax was not peculiar to Nigeria alone, adding that it is “done everywhere else in the world where you have, especially the energy sector as well as banking”.

“Where you have unearned income, where you have a section of the society or an industry or a set of companies that earn money through no dint of hard work of their own, the society deserves a chance to share some of that and it’s just a redistribution of that,” he said.

“So I think that takes care of the issue of the windfall levy.”

Speaking on the recent rise in the maximum borrowing percentage in the Ways and Means advances from 5 percent to 10 percent, Edun said the move does not imply that the federal government will rely on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financing.

Edun described the approval by the national assembly as a “fail-safe” measure.

He said the government had rather used market instruments to manage its debts.

“We have not gone to the central bank to say, please lend the government money to pay its debt, to pay its salaries. That’s Ways and Means,” he said.

“We have not gone. In fact, we have used market instruments to pay down what we owed, and that is a very, very germane aspect of having a strong economy.

“Sometimes it just gives that extra flexibility so that if a payment needs to be made and there’s a mistiming, there’s a gap between the time at which the revenue will come in and the expenses needed, you can just draw down briefly.”

The minister said the aim is to act within the law.

 

The Cable

Some state governments and private sector investors are pumping over $10 billion into the construction of new deep and river seaports.

However, there are concerns from the declining ship traffic and import volume into Nigeria.

The shrinking volume of port business – caused by weaker naira, FX instability, and volatile exchange rate for clearing – is threatening the viability of about seven new port projects currently under different stages of development.

Despite economic headwinds being responsible for a lull in business activities at the ports, state governments and private investors are still betting on the new ports, putting billions of dollars into building them.

Some of those new port projects in Nigeria are: the 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit Benin River Port promoted by the Edo State government; the $4.2 billion Ibom Deep Seaport and Free Trade Zone; and the $462 million Bonny Deep Seaport with 500,000 TEUs capacity.

The Ondo State government is also backing the development of the $1.5 billion Ondo Port and Industrial City, while the $2.59 billion Badagry Deep Seaport and the $974 million Snake Island Port are expected in Lagos. This is in addition to the proposed Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex in Delta State.

“With the dip in the economic activities, Nigeria cannot generate import and export cargo to drive businesses in those new port projects. The existing ports, especially those outside Lagos, are grossly underused based on the annual cargo volume,” said Tony Anakebe, a maritime expert.

He said existing seaports such as Rivers, Warri and Calabar ports have been less competitive due to low patronage by shippers.

Anakebe said the government needs to pay more attention to reviving existing ports in the Eastern part of the country by making them competitive.

“We need to consider how to move patronage and operations from the existing port facilities to the new ports,” Anakebe noted.

BusinessDay findings show that a total of 1,566,162 TEUs of containers were brought into the Nigerian seaports in 2023, representing a 6.8 percent decline in volume compared to the 1.68 million recorded in 2022.

Ship traffic into Nigerian ports also witnessed a decline of 4.5 percent to 3,778 vessels in the period under review compared to 3,957 vessels that visited Nigerian ports in 2022.

Also, the number of ships that called at the nation’s ports in the first half (H1) of the year declined by 8.7 percent to 251 from 275 recorded against the same period in 2023, according to data obtained by Vanguard from the Nigerian Port Consultative Council (NPCC).

The volume of vehicles imported into the country declined by 61 percent to 10,991 from 28,024 units in 2023.

Confirming the declining import volume, Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the volume of Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) processed by the NCS in the H1 of 2024 dropped 39 percent to 620,467 against 1,016,508.20 SGDs processed the same period in 2023.

A single goods declaration is an official document that gives details of goods that are either imported or exported. It indicates the wish of the exporters to place goods under a given Customs procedure.

Meanwhile, Bolaji Akinola, chief executive officer of Ships and Ports Communication Company, said that building new seaports in Nigeria in addition to the existing Rivers Port, Calabar Port, Onne Port, Delta Port, Lagos Port Complex Apapa and Tin-Can Island Port, will be an overkill.

He said rather than pour billions of dollars into mega ‘white elephant projects with taxpayers’ money, state governments should put efforts together with the Federal Government to address the shortcomings of the Calabar Port, which includes shallow draft, to attract business and enable it to compete with other ports.

He said it’s not economical for a state government to spend close to $2 billion in building breakwaters, quay walls, quay apron, terminals, acquiring cargo handling equipment, and other port equipment in a new port that might not add value to the state’s economy.

Jonathan Nicole, former president of the Shippers Association of Lagos State told BusinessDay that, “With the rising threat of domestic insecurities and the numerous government interferences in business, some shipping lines are gradually exiting Nigeria to other African ports. The Port of Cotonou and Togo are serving as transit to the landlocked countries like Niger. Ghana is one of the preferred and safe destinations.”

According to him, Senegal and Ivory Coast are receiving modern infrastructural developments due to friendly government regulatory regimes.

“This means that some of our ports will be abandoned as cargo will be discharged at ports with reasonable cost offerings. Our ports will be monuments without enough cargo other than seasonal export cargo,” he said.

Nicole further said that the exit of major manufacturers from Nigeria to other African countries such as Togo, Ghana, and Senegal is also compounding the problem.

He added that unfriendly regulatory regimes are depleting the trade volume by the informal sector and may result in newly developed seaports being less busy or remaining unused.

 

Businessday

The seventh day of nationwide protests in Nigeria, under the banner of #EndBadGovernance, was marked by tragic incidents, official responses, and strategic shifts by protest organizers. The demonstrations, which began on August 1, 2024, continue to highlight citizens' grievances over economic hardships and government policies.

Key Developments:

1. Military Admits to Fatal Shooting in Zaria:

- The Nigerian Army confirmed that a soldier fatally shot 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed during a protest in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.

- The incident occurred despite an ongoing curfew in the area.

- The army stated that the soldier fired a warning shot that unfortunately resulted in the teenager's death.

- The responsible soldier has been arrested and is under investigation.

2. Protesters Declare Three-Day Mourning Period:

- Organizers announced a three-day mourning period from August 7-9 to honor protesters killed during the demonstrations.

- The mourning period includes online events and a planned public symposium and candlelight procession.

- Organizers cite ongoing safety concerns and alleged collusion between police and state-sponsored thugs as reasons for this strategic shift.

3. Contradictions in Official Statements:

- The Nigerian Army's admission of using live ammunition contradicts earlier statements by the Inspector General of Police, who denied any use of live rounds by security forces.

- This discrepancy has raised questions about transparency and accountability in handling the protests.

4. Allegations of Excessive Force:

- Amnesty International reported findings suggesting deliberate use of lethal force by security personnel against protesters.

- The human rights organization called for a judicial commission of inquiry into the deaths of protesters.

5. Raid on NLC Headquarters:

- Security operatives, suspected to be from the Department of State Services (DSS), reportedly raided the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters.

- The raid is allegedly connected to accusations that the NLC sponsored the #EndBadGovernance protests.

6. Ongoing Tensions and Government Response:

- President Bola Tinubu previously ordered a crackdown on individuals perceived as threatening democracy.

- Protesters accuse the government of attempting to divide the country and suppress dissent.

7. Casualty Reports and Arrests:

- Organizers claim that over 40 protesters, primarily from northern Nigeria, have been killed since the protests began.

- Hundreds of protesters have reportedly been arrested and detained across the country.

Tense Israel in waiting as attack threat looms

Israel's ambulance service has stocked blood supplies in a fortified underground centre, factories have moved out hazardous materials and municipal authorities are checking bomb shelters and water supplies as the country waits for a threatened attack from Iran and its proxies.

Israel has been fortifying its home front for months and many preparations have been in place since the start of the war in Gaza last October, when thousands of Hamas-led gunmen carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Israeli communities.

But the urgency has risen sharply over the past 10 days as a relatively contained conflict with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon has threatened to spiral into an all-out regional war.

"I know that the citizens of Israel are on alert, and I ask of you one thing - keep patient and cool," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday while meeting new army recruits.

"We are prepared for both defence and attack, we are striking our enemies and are also determined to defend ourselves," he said.

Israel now finds itself facing the threat of a multifront war, confronting a clutch of militant movements - Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, all backed and funded by its longstanding enemy Iran.

An attack is expected in the coming days following vows from Iran and Hezbollah to retaliate for the assassinations last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

After months of alarm and an attack by hundreds of Iranian missiles in April that was thwarted by Israel's air defences and the help of international allies, Israelis have become used to the crisis.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from northern areas in range of Hezbollah rockets at the start of the war and many border areas now have a ghostly, abandoned air.

But a prolonged bombardment from Hezbollah's rocket arsenal could reach deeper into the country to sensitive targets like the port city of Haifa in northern Israel, which is well in range.

The city's Rambam Hospital has been on alert since last October and has readied its three-floor, fortified underground facility to treat patients.

"We're waiting to see what happens," said David Ratner, a hospital spokesperson.

ALERT SYSTEM

The military is on high alert and last weekend it augmented its nationwide system of air raid sirens and broadcast alerts to include real-time text messages to be sent to residents in targeted areas.

Many local councils have advised residents to reduce non-essential activity, stay near protected areas and avoid large gatherings.

In Haifa, public bomb shelters have been equipped with digital systems so they can be unlocked remotely during an attack, said Yair Zilberman, director of the city's security and emergency services department. They are also being equipped with generators.

A number of underground parking lots have been approved as makeshift shelters with enough space for thousands of residents if needed, Zilberman said.

In the city of Ramla in central Israel, national ambulance service Magen David Adom (MDA) has been collecting blood donations in a subterranean service center, shielded with extra-thick concrete walls, blast doors and airlocks.

"We've got the threats from Iran, we've got threats from Hezbollah," said MDA's Aryeh Myers. "Massive rocket attacks, massive threats to the state of Israel and we want to make sure that we are ready for anything."

Last Thursday, the Environmental Protection Ministry held a situational assessment to decide how best to protect factories with inventories that could be dangerous if targeted in a missile strike, or how to deal with an attack on a building that contains asbestos.

The military said the Home Front Command keeps in constant contact with factories and local authorities to maintain a "complete picture of the inventory levels of hazardous materials".

The Bazan Group, which operates in Haifa one of the largest oil refineries in the eastern Mediterranean, told Reuters it was "working to maintain energy security and the continuity of fuel supply to the economy."

Mass cash withdrawals are another scenario for which authorities are preparing.

"The stock of banknotes and coins in the Bank of Israel and the banking system will, according to every visible forecast, be sufficient," the Bank of Israel said.

 

Reuters