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UN Chief Says Africa ‘Source Of Hope’ For The World

Published

4 years ago

February 6, 2022

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, says Africa is “a source of hope” for the world, highlighting the examples of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the decade of financial and economic inclusion for African women.

Guterres also said that in the last 20 years, the African Union (AU) “has helped to bring this hope to life, in order to enable the continent to realize its enormous potential.”

UN chief said this in his address to the 35th Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa on Saturday via video message.

He was represented in the Ethiopian capital, by Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed.

According to Guterres, the collaboration between the UN and AU “is stronger than ever”, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for a peaceful, integrated and more prosperous continent, as the central pillars.

The secretary-general argued that “injustice is deeply embedded in global systems”, but it was the Africans who “are paying the heaviest price.”

He remembered that the vaccination rate in high-income countries was seven times higher than in Africa and stated that “a morally bankrupt global financial system has abandoned the countries of the South.

“The unethical inequalities that suffocates Africa, fuel armed conflict, political, economic, ethnic and social tensions, human rights abuses, violence against women, terrorism, military coups and a sentiment of impunity,” he said.

Because of that, Guterres said, tens of millions of people are displaced across the continent and the democratic institutions are in peril.

The secretary-general then offered the UN’s support to ignite “four engines of recovery.”

First, he said, everyone needed to get their vaccines.

In this regard, he highlighted the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Force (AVATT) and the benefits that greater vaccine production in South Africa and other African countries will generate.

“I urge you to create the conditions for the number of African countries capable of producing tests, vaccines and treatments to multiply, including by addressing intellectual property issues, and providing the technical and finance needed,” he said.

Second, Guterres said Member states needed to ignite the engine of economic recovery by reforming the global financial system.

“But the deck is stacked against Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing cumulative economic growth per capita over the next five years that is 75 per cent less than the rest of the world,” he said.

He called for re-directing Special Drawing Rights – an IMF-created reserve currency asset – to countries that need support now, reform of the international debt architecture, and more concessional forms of finance.

Thirdly, the UN chief pointed to a green recovery across the continent.

The vast continent contributes just 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but many of the worst impacts of climate change are being felt there.

“To address today’s tragic reality, we need a radical boost in funding for adaptation and mitigation on the continent,” the UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Guterres as saying.

According to him, the Glasgow COP26 commitment to double adaptation finance, from 20 billion dollars, must be implemented, but it was not enough.

He called on wealthier countries to make good on the $100 billion dollars climate finance commitment to developing countries, starting this year, and hold to account private sector partners who have also made similar commitments.

He said “We are in emergency mode, and we need all hands on deck,” he said, pointing to the next UN Climate Conference (COP27), happening later this year in Egypt, as “an essential opportunity for Africa and our world.”

Lastly, the UN chief said peace across the continent could also work as an engine for recovery.

In multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural states across Africa, Guterres believes an organisation like the African Union “is about showing how people can co-exist – even flourish – by working together.”

According to him, this requires “inclusive and participatory structures” and so member states need to make them a reality through good governance.

Guterres added that young Africans specially need more connectivity to access information and benefit from faster communication, better education and jobs.

(NAN)

Headline

British Family Accused Of Boarding Dead Grandmother On EasyJet Flight

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

A British family has been accused of trying to board a dead relative onto an EasyJet flight from Málaga, Spain, to London Gatwick on Thursday, passengers said.

The woman, reportedly 89 years old, was wheeled onto the plane by five family members, who told airline staff she was unwell and had fallen asleep.

Witnesses said the woman was pushed in a wheelchair to the rear of the plane and lifted into her seat. Some claimed they overheard a family member tell a boarding clerk, “It’s OK, she’s just tired,” adding, “It’s OK, we’re doctors.”

Just before takeoff, the cabin crew realized the woman had died, and the plane was turned around, delaying the flight by 12 hours.

Petra Boddington, a passenger, said: “easyJet, when did you start letting dead people onto planes? Seriously!” Another, Tracy-Ann Kitching, added: “I saw her being wheeled onto the plane; someone was holding her head as they passed me! A doctor on board confirmed that was already dead when they sat her down.”

EasyJet has denied that a deceased person boarded the plane. The airline said the passenger had a fit-to-fly certificate and was alive when she boarded.

“The flight returned to the stand prior to take-off due to a customer on board requiring urgent medical assistance. The flight was met by emergency services, but sadly the customer passed away,” a spokesperson said.

The Guardia Civil in Málaga confirmed officers attended the aircraft, and the woman was declared dead on board. No arrests have been made.

Headline

Russian Strike On Odesa Region Kills Eight, Injures 27

Published

7 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service has reported at least eight people killed and 27 others injured on Friday night after a Russian ballistic missile strike hit the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack targeted port infrastructure facilities in the town of Pivdenne, near Odesa, and damaged nearby civilian vehicles.

The strike came one week after much of Odesa was left without power, heat, and water following a “severe” aerial assault.

“Some of the injured were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the shelling. Trucks caught fire in the parking lot, and cars were also damaged,” the State Emergency Service said.

Emergency officials said the deaths occurred at a port infrastructure facility. Medical teams and first responders were deployed after the strike, but their work was disrupted by “ongoing air raid alerts,” according to Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa’s regional administration.

Russia has carried out repeated attacks on Odesa in recent days, damaging port facilities, civilian vessels, and key infrastructure.

Two major bridges linking the northern and southern parts of the Odesa region have also been hit, with repairs under way, Kiper said.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported a “massive” drone attack on the southern Mykolayiv region, which damaged civilian infrastructure and vehicles. No casualties were reported.

Odesa, Ukraine’s largest seaport and a major hub in the Black Sea region, has been a frequent target since the start of the war.

Last week, civilian, energy, and industrial sites in the city suffered extensive damage after what regional officials described as “one of the enemy’s most severe airstrikes,” leaving many areas without power and water.

Russia’s Defence Ministry has not commented on the attack.

Speaking hours before the strike during his annual Direct Line call-in show, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was yet to “see Ukraine’s readiness for peace”.

“[Russia] is ready for negotiations and for ending the conflict via peaceful means,” Putin said, adding that it was up to Russia’s “Western opponents” to end the war.

(CNN)

Headline

Aircraft Crashes In Owerri With Four Persons Onboard

Published

4 days ago

December 17, 2025

Editor

Photo: File copy

A Cessna 172 aircraft with registration number 5N-ASR, operated by Skypower Express, has crashed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State.

The aircraft had departed Kaduna International Airport en route to Port Harcourt International Airport before diverting to Owerri after the crew declared an emergency.

The crash occurred at about 8:00 pm on the airport premises, with four passengers and crew members onboard.

Confirming the incident, the Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, said the agency had been notified of the crash.

According to the NSIB, the aircraft crashed on the approach area of Runway 17, but no fatalities have been recorded so far.

The statement said: “Following the occurrence, airport emergency services were successfully activated and arrived on site promptly. Reports indicate that there was no post-crash fire, and the runway remains active for flight operations, with other aircraft taking off safely after the incident.

“Efforts are currently underway to coordinate the recovery and evacuation of the distressed aircraft from the crash site to allow for a detailed wreckage examination.”

The NSIB said it has officially activated its investigation protocols in line with its statutory mandate

The Director-General of NSIB, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., sympathised with the management of Skypower Express over the incident and expressed relief that no lives were lost.

Badeh Jr. added that the Bureau’s investigation team is already coordinating with relevant authorities to secure the crash site and commence a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.

Two days ago, 11 persons narrowly escaped death as a private jet crash-landed at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Sunday morning.

The occupants, including passengers and cabin crew, were safely evacuated amid an intense atmosphere, eyewitnesses told The Guardian.

The private jet, owned by Flybird Aviation, crash-landed at about 9:30 a.m. while approaching Kano Airport en route to Abuja.

The incident attracted urgent attention, with emergency staff and other stakeholders converging at the runway to render rescue operations.

The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is yet to release an official statement on the incident. Unofficial sources disclosed that the passengers have been taken to an unknown destination.

Several aircraft incidents have occurred at Kano Airport, with several lives lost.

The last incident occurred in May 2002, when an EAS Airline aircraft departed the runway at Aminu Kano International Airport at 1:29 p.m. local time en route to Lagos.