InfoEruption

📢 Join us on Instagram Live on July 29, 2023, at 2 am GMT for an insightful discussion with a renowned USA immigrant lawyer. 🇺🇸🔒 Discover the paths to legally obtain a Green Card in the USA and gain valuable insights. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

France were pushed all the way by World Cup wild cards Morocco before the holders sealed a place in Sunday's final against Argentina.

The first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final refused to buckle despite suffering the early blows of losing key defender Nayef Aguerd to injury after he was named in the starting line-up, and then going behind to Theo Hernandez's scrambled fifth minute goal.

France, for all Morocco's endeavour and spirit, were more clinical and substitute Kolo Muani ensured they will defend their crown against Argentina and Lionel Messi at Lusail Stadium on Sunday when he turned in Kylian Mbappe's deflected shot 11 minutes from time.

Morocco also lost the clearly unfit Romain Saiss to injury before half-time but, roared on by their fanatical support, they came close to drawing level, especially when Jawad El Yamiq's overhead kick was kept out by a combination of the post and France keeper Hugo Lloris.

France, with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate outstanding, kept their composure in the hothouse atmosphere of Al Bayt Stadium and had chances of their own, Olivier Giroud striking the post in the first half.

Didier Deschamps' side always threatened on the break and so it proved as the lurking Muani finally broke Morocco's resistance late on.

Source: BBC Football

The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has stated that its enrollment, verification, and other identification systems are working optimally.

It also noted that the National Identification Number (NIN) has become mandatory to access all government services.

It further reassured Nigerians of the provision of top-notch identification services in line with the government’s effort at providing a reliable, sustainable, and verifiable foundational identification system for all Nigerians and legal residents.

In the same vein, NIMC stated that enrollment and issuance of the NIN are free. The commission warned that it would not tolerate any form of extortion, warning the public to report any such case to the appropriate quarters.

NIMC said that information on all approved fees for other services is listed on its website.

The commission said it is aware of the antics of some unscrupulous individuals using its forged document to seek collaboration with state and local governments.

According to NIMC, these individuals do this to collect money to enrol and issue the NIN, especially for students in primary and secondary schools across the country.

The commission said it has not sent “anyone nor any organization to do so,” adding that the public should report such individuals or organizations doing so.

An American couple in Uganda has been charged with “aggravated torture” of a 10-year-old boy in their care, police said.

Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both aged 32, were charged on Friday and remanded to Luzira Prison, a maximum security facility on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, police said in a statement on Tuesday.

They were due to appear in court for a bail hearing on Wednesday.

The couple have three Ugandan children with them under foster care, including the victim, police said.

The charges allege that they “constantly tortured” the boy between 2020 and 2022, with neighbours sounding the alarm for the child who attended a school for children with special needs in Kampala.

When police raided the house, they found CCTV footage.

“Our team of investigators established, that the couple kept the victim barefoot, and naked throughout the day, would occasionally make him squat in an awkward position, with his head facing the floor and hands spread out widely, he spent his nights on a wooden platform, without a mattress or beddings and was served cold meals from the fridge,” the police statement said.

“We believe, the victim could have endured more severe acts of torture, away from the camera,” it added.

The police statement urged social workers to constantly monitor the wellbeing of vulnerable children and those in foster homes, saying: “What happened to the victim, in the last couple of years, probably could have been prevented, if they had closely monitored the well-being of the foster children.”

Source: AlJazeera

In an effort to come to terms with its colonial past, the Dutch government is expected to apologise next week for the Netherlands’ role in 250 years of slavery.

The formal apology is set to be issued on December 19 and is expected to redress how the Netherlands exploited more than 600,000 people who worked as slaves in its former colonies.

But groups from former Dutch colonies like Suriname in South America have criticised the Dutch government’s whimsical timing in issuing this apology, highlighting that they were not consulted about this date and also felt the decision was made in a haphazard and hurried manner.

They would prefer the apology to be issued on July 1, 2023 – a day which marks the 150th anniversary of the Netherlands abolishing slavery in its former colonies.

But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters in the Hague last week that a “significant moment” on this issue will take place on December 19.

Johan Roozer, chairman of the Surinamese National Commemoration of Slavery Remembrance Committee told reporters last week that Rutte probably wanted to stick to this date because of the “changing political situation” in the Netherlands, with far-right Dutch political parties against the apology.

According to local media reports, the government also plans to announce a 200 million-euro ($212.8m) fund to promote more awareness about the Netherlands’ role in slavery and another 27 million euros ($28.7m) to open a slavery museum.

“All of this definitely gives a form of acknowledgement that finally the country, which is still a democratic monarchy, is ready to talk about the past. Basically, everything that the Netherlands stole from the former colonies, especially Suriname, they carried out through slavery,” Colin de Bie, 27, with Dutch and Surinamese roots, told Al Jazeera.

Source: AlJazeera

Lionel Messi has confirmed he will play his last World Cup game when Argentina take on France or Morocco in Sunday's final in Qatar.

Messi lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Croatia in their semi-final on Tuesday and will earn his 172nd cap at the weekend when he tries to bring the country its first World Cup title since 1986.

"I feel very happy, to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final," Messi told Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole.

"It's many years for the next one and I don't think I'll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it's the best," added the Argentina captain.

The 35-year-old is playing at his fifth World Cup, surpassing the four of Diego Maradona and Javier Mascherano.

With his fifth goal in Qatar, he also surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as the top Albiceleste scorer at World Cups, netting 11 times.

"It's all well and good (the records), but the important thing is to be able to achieve the group objective, which is the most beautiful thing of all," Messi added. "We're just one step away, after fighting hard, and we're going to give everything to try to make it happen this time."

Source: Reuters

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced new measures taken by the owners of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, Meta, to address fake news and disinformation ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in his welcome address at the 12th edition of the ‘PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023)’.

Wednesday’s press conference featured the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godwill Akpabio.

The Minister reiterated that fake news and disinformation constitute a clear and present danger to the success of the 2023 elections, just like violence, insecurity, vote buying, and attack on INEC facilities, among others.

He added, “In this regard, I want to acknowledge the announcement by Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, that it will take clearly-outlined steps to protect the integrity of the forthcoming elections.

“Specifically, Meta detailed the actions it plans to take to combat disinformation and to make political advertising more
transparent. The company committed to these actions before, during and after the elections.

The minister said it hopes Meta will live up to its promise while urging other platform owners like Google (owners of YouTube and others), ByteDance (owners of TikTok), Twitter and the Telegram Group Inc. (owners of Telegram messenger) to emulate Meta by taking positive steps to prevent the spread of fake news, disinformation and hate speech via their platforms ahead, during and after the 2023 elections.

Source: Daily Post

The presidential standard-bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has described All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as dead political parties who have nothing good to offer the country anymore.

Kwankwaso made the disclosure during his visit to Ado-Ekiti, as part of his campaign tour in the Southwest part of the country, to canvass for votes ahead of the February 2023 general polls.

Speaking at the Palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, he berated both parties over what he termed bad leadership, economic problem, adding that the two major political parties have failed the nation.

The former Governor of Kano State recounted achievements his administration garnered when he was the Governor, saying such would make life more abundant for every Nigerian citizens if elected come 2023.

“APC and PDP are dead, they are finished, and it is our party that will win the next year Presidential Election by God’s grace, we are on ground in the North, we will win the polls.

“Why I’m different from all Presidential Candidates, is that I go round the country on roads, not only the state capital, not only the local government areas, this made me had first hand information on the way and manner our people live.

“The NNPP is based on the talakawa (masses), voters and good people of this country who believe in us. Nigerians know the APC and the PDP very well and they’ve failed. The two political parties themselves know that they’ve failed. The only chance they have is to buy votes.

“If the Election take place today, NNPP has a brighter chance, no Political party can defeat NNPP, the PDP has been wounded in the Southeast by the emergence of some Political parties, of course in the North, we have caged PDP, even in the South South they are no longer popular because of the Presidential primary contest, and the APC has failed the citizens, no right thinking Nigerian will want the status quo to remain, meaning this terrible situation to continue.” # #

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu has assured that if voted into power in the 2023 presidential election, he would battle insurgency and unemployment.

This was disclosed during a mega rally in Kaduna State which attracted thousands of APC supporters from the northwest zone of the country.

The rally was for presidential, governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state Assembly candidates in the North -West zone comprising Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Tinubu further stated that job opportunities would be provided for the teeming youths across the country, saying that he will revitalize agriculture for food security.

“With these, Nigerians will be relaxed as there will be food sufficiency in the country”, he added.

Source: Daily Post

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to clear a backlog of asylum-seeker applications as he announced new measures aimed at curbing the number of people reaching the United Kingdom by crossing the English Channel on small boats.

Sunak, who has faced mounting pressure to limit the growing numbers of people arriving by small boats, also said on Tuesday he planned to introduce new legislation early next year to ensure people who arrive through so-called illegal means cannot remain in the country.

“If you enter the UK illegally you should not be able to remain here,” Sunak told parliament. “Instead, you will be detained and swiftly returned either to your home country or to a safe country where your asylum claim will be considered.”

The number of migrants and refugees arriving in England across the Channel has more than doubled in the last two years, with government figures showing Albanians account for the highest number of those arriving by this route.

Sunak announced a new five-point strategy for dealing with illegal immigration, including plans to fast track the return of Albanian asylum seekers, and clear the initial backlog of almost 150,000 asylum cases by the end of next year by doubling the number of caseworkers.

Migrants and refugees arriving on small boats have become a major political issue for the Conservative government, particularly in working-class areas in north and central England, where they are blamed for making it harder to find work and stretching public services.

Sunak said a new unit would be created to tackle crossings and that in the future, asylum seekers would be housed in disused holiday parks, former student accommodation and surplus military sites rather than hotels.

Source: AlJazeera

Argentina's master and pupil Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez combined to deadly effect as they reached their sixth World Cup final with victory over Croatia at Lusail Stadium.

Messi now gets one last chance to win the piece of silverware that has eluded him in his trophy-laden career but Manchester City's 22-year-old striker Alvarez claimed at least an equal share of top billing as Argentina ensured they will return here on Sunday to face either France or Morocco.

Argentina's little genius looked to be struggling with a hamstring problem early on but recovered enough to break the deadlock from the penalty spot after 34 minutes following Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic's foul on the marauding Alvarez.

Alvarez doubled Argentina's lead five minutes later when he took Messi's header just inside Croatian territory and embarked on a slaloming run, aided by fortunate bounces off Josip Juranovic and Borna Sosa, before beating Livakovic.

There was no fortune involved in a brilliant third after the break as Messi mesmerised Croatia's excellent defender Josko Gvardiol on the byeline before playing in Alvarez for the finish.

Messi will now have the opportunity to make amends for the bitter disappointment of losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Rio's iconic Maracana.

Source: BBC Football