Edge Of The World

A mum has been arrested after a three-year-old girl was flung 16ft into a brown bear’s cage at a zoo. Keepers and spectators looked on in horror as the huge animal went to investigate the child - but incredibly did not attack her. The bear - named Zuzu - went up close and sniffed the little girl, but then wandered away, and was quickly enticed into an internal part of the cage so staff could rescue the child, said witnesses. The little girl's mum now faces an attempted murder charge after the shocking ordeal. Witnesses had tried to stop her throwing the child into the enclosure, a spokesman for the zoo in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, said. He stated: “A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. “It was completely unclear what her motive was. “‘Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her - but failed.” She said: "We are scared to even think how this would end if the bear were to react at the tod...

Six men went on trial Friday in Germany over a spectacular theft of 18th-century treasures from Dresden’s Green Vault Museum in 2019. The defendants, aged 23 to 28, appeared before a regional court in the eastern German city accused of gang robbery and arson. The heist is alleged to have resulted in the theft of 21 items of jewellery comprising about 4,300 gems worth more than 113 million euros ($126 million). In their opening statement, prosecutors said the men were armed with a revolver and a pistol with a silencer, German news agency reported. The Green Vault is one of the world’s oldest museums. It was established in 1723 and contains the treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, comprising around 4,000 objects of gold, precious stones and other materials. The stolen jewellery has not been recovered. Two of the men on trial were convicted in 2020 for a similar heist, the theft of a 100-kilogram (220 pound) Canadian gold coin dubbed the “Big Maple Leaf” from Berlin’s Bode M...

Google will invest up to $1 billion in partnership with India’s Airtel to provide affordable access to smartphones to over a billion Indians and speed up use of cloud-based computing for business, the two companies said on Friday. The investment will help India’s small businesses adopt digital tools as India works to adopt digital education, payments and e-commerce amid the pandemic, Google said in a blog post. As part of the ``Google for India Digitisation Fund” launched in 2020, Google will pay $700 million to acquire a 1.28% stake in Airtel. It is also committing up to $300 million for commercial agreements over the next five years, Airtel said in a statement. The companies also plan to jointly develop software for 5G and other standards, it said. Airtel is an Indian global communications solutions provider with over 480 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. Google’s services are accessed by over 100 million users in India. It has faced legal troub...

COVID-19 boosters increase protection against death from the Omicron variant to 95% in people aged 50 or over, the UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday. The UKHSA said that around six months after a second dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines, protection against death with Omicron was around 60% in those aged 50 and over. However, this increased to around 95% two weeks after receiving a booster vaccine dose. UKHSA added that data continued to show high levels of protection against hospitalisation from the booster. Effectiveness against hospitalisation was around 90% for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, , dropping to 75% 10-14 weeks after the booster. For Moderna, effectiveness against hospitalisation was 90-95% up to 9 weeks after the booster. "The evidence is clear – the vaccine helps to protect us all against the effects of COVID-19 and the booster is offering high levels of protection from hospitalisation and death in the most vulnerable members of our society," said...

The launch of Tesla’s Cybertruck and two other upcoming vehicle models have been delayed until at least 2023 because of continued supply-chain bottlenecks, CEO Elon Musk said. In addition to the tank-like Cybertruck, which was first unveiled in 2019, Tesla is pushing back the release of its electric Semi eighteen-wheeler and Roadster sports car until at least next year, Musk told investors during the automaker’s earnings call on Wednesday. Musk also said that Tesla is pushing back development of its $25,000 car, which the company first announced in 2020 in an effort to make its vehicles more accessible to the masses.  “Well, we’re not currently working on a $25,000 car,” Musk said. “At some point, we will, but we have enough on our plate right now, too much on our plate, frankly. So, at some point, there will be.”  Musk added that asking about the $25,000 vehicle is “sort of the wrong question” because Tesla is so focused on creating self-driving vehicles....

Russia said on Thursday it was clear the United States was not willing to address its main security concerns, but kept the door open for further dialogue in their standoff over Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow, which has built up its forces near Ukraine, would not rush to draw conclusions after Washington responded on Wednesday to Russian proposals for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe. Describing tensions in Europe as reminiscent of the Cold War, Peskov said Moscow needed time to review the U.S. written response but U.S. and NATO statements that Russia's main demands were unacceptable did not leave much room for optimism. "Based on what our colleagues said yesterday, it's absolutely clear that on the main categories outlined in those draft documents... we cannot say that our thoughts have been taken into account or that a willingness has been shown to take our concerns into account," he said. "But we won't...

Imo West senator, Rochas Okorocha, has made known his interest to contest for the office of the president in the 2023 general elections. He disclosed this in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday. The letter, dated January 25, was read out by Mr Lawan during plenary. Mr Okorocha, in his letter, said he would hold a “world press conference” on January 31 to formally and publicly announce his ambition. The lawmaker, who is a former governor of Imo State, noted that Nigerians are concerned about the quality of persons to run the affairs of the nation – one who can address some of their major concerns which include, “A detribalised Nigerian who can unite our country, a leader with a compassionate heart, who will care for the poor and downtrodden and the masses of our country… “A visionary leader who can create wealth for our teeming populace thereby, addressing the issues of poverty, insecurity and youth restiveness.” These concerns, he said, are part of h...

Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun says he is confident of winning the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary and the July 19 gubernatorial election. Mr Oyetola said this on Wednesday during a tour of Modakeke, Ife Central, and Ife East. “We are not afraid, and we are confident that we will win the party’s primary as well as the gubernatorial election.  We don’t know the system they will bring. Whether direct or indirect, we are ready,” the incumbent governor stated. “I don’t have any reason to doubt you because I know that you are always in one place.” Besides, the governor promised that his administration would complete all the major projects before the end of his first term. “I don’t make promises without fulfilling them. I have been hearing about Famia road since the time I was the chief of staff, and I thank God that we have finished it now,” he added. “We are set to begin another one. Your votes brought me in. I must show appreciation.” Mr Oyetola, who pledged that he wou...

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Laoye Jaiyeola, has voiced his concerns over the falling value of the Naira. Mr Jaiyeola made his comments at the launch of the NESG 2022 Macroeconomic Outlook Report on Tuesday in Abuja. “Why should you tell anybody in Nigeria to store his money in naira,” Mr Jaiyeola said. “When your interest rate on naira in some places is even lower than the interest rate of some foreign currency?” The NESG report criticised the Buhari-led regime’s approach to its fiscal policies, noting that “the challenge to the poor forex supply in Nigeria is mainly attributable to the lack of diversification of forex sources, with colossal dependence on crude oil export proceeds and, more recently, foreign borrowings.” The NESG report recommended the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), effective border control; removing capital controls and encouraging the inflow of stable investments; prioritisi...

Back in October, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle an ongoing class action lawsuit that accused the company of violating various U.S. laws and regulations by providing customers with refurbished replacement devices instead of new devices when repairs were required under AppleCare. Administrators handling the case have now updated the "Replacement Device Lawsuit" website with details on the settlement, and have started sending out emails to customers who might be eligible for a payment after the settlement is finalised. Customers who purchased an ‌AppleCare‌ Protection Plan or ‌AppleCare‌+ for an iPhone or iPad between July 20, 2012 and September, 30, 2021 and who received a refurbished replacement device from Apple are included in the lawsuit. Apple's Repair Terms and Conditions in the United States make it clear that the company might use "parts or products that are new or refurbished and equivalent to new in performance and reliability" when repa...

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has revealed that he will be contesting for President in 2023, according to a report by TheNation. This comes as former National Leader of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Ebonyi Governor Dave Umahi, Senate Chip Whip Orji Kalu and former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha have all declared a similar interest. The former Kwara Governor said he has a strong record of delivering and experience in making tough decisions. Saraki, born on December 19th, 1962, is the son of Second Republic Senator, late Olusola Saraki.   On his official Facebook page, Saraki said:  “Earlier, I replied to a follower of mine on Twitter who like thousands of you has been clamouring for a united front to #RescueNigeria. “As we prepare for the journey ahead, I hope we can all join hands to get the ticket of our great party, PDP, and build a nation that works for all of us. “Join me to make our communities safer and provide real opportunities ...

A federal jury in Atlanta has awarded $1.25 million to Cardi B in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who she says posted videos falsely stating the Grammy-winning rapper used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution. The jury on Monday found Latasha Kebe, known online as Tasha K, and a company she owns liable for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the rapper, whose given name is Belcalis Almanzar. Kebe’s lawyers said in an email Tuesday that they disagree with the verdict and will file an appeal. The jury awarded Cardi B $1 million in general damages for pain and suffering and/or reputational injury and $250,000 in medical expenses. Kebe, who lives in the Atlanta area, produces, hosts and publishes a YouTube channel called unWinewithTashaK. Kebe began targeting Cardi B in early 2018, making “degrading and harassing statements” about her, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 19, 2...

Boeing Co aid on Wednesday it incurred $4.5 billion charges in the fourth quarter on its sidelined 787 program, obscuring the U.S. plane-maker’s long-awaited return to positive cash flow fuelled by rebounding 737 MAX deliveries. The planemaker sank to a loss after two quarters of profits because of the charge. Shares in Boeing fell 2.6% as the array of charges and uncertainty over the 787 program dwarfed a surprise return to positive free cash flow and plans to increase production on the 737 and 777. The quarterly results underscore the challenges Boeing faces as it seeks to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and 737 MAX safety crises, while navigating industrial and regulatory currents on its bigger 787 and 777X flagship. Reuters reported last week that deliveries of the 787 are expected to remain frozen for months as U.S. regulators review repairs and inspections over structural flaws in the jets, while designs for the larger 777X face further regulatory pushback from Europe...

Foreign investors are piling into China at the start of 2022, seeing it as a haven from the inflation, growth and pandemic problems plaguing most other markets. Despite seeing returns last year eroded by Beijing's regulatory and policy purge, global fund managers are pumping money into mainland equities and bonds, betting China's stability pledges, monetary and fiscal easing and subdued inflation could shield them against volatility in other markets. That's in stark contrast to conditions elsewhere. Major central banks are preparing to withdraw the excess stimulus measures of the past couple of years, and the Federal Reserve is hastening monetary tightening to tame runaway inflation, potentially undermining stock values and earnings. For David Dali, head of portfolio strategy at Matthews Asia, China is the "single favourite country" in 2022 among the roughly 30 investible emerging equity markets. "We believe Chinese valuations are some of the least ri...

U.S. financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) have fallen by 25% during the coronavirus pandemic, provisional data show, with Washington's future support to the United Nations agency under review. The large drop in funding versus the previous two-year period arose from cuts decided by former U.S. President Donald Trump that reveal for the first time the scale of the Trump administration's retreat from the U.N. body. U.S. funds are set to go up again in the WHO's next two-year budget following new pledges in December including $280 million by President Joe Biden's administration. However, the Biden administration has also raised doubts about Washington's future support to the global organisation. read more The U.N. agency did with over $200 million less from the United States in 2020 and 2021, according to provisional WHO data contained in a budget document reviewed by Reuters that has not yet been made public, though it managed to raise mo...