The plot of sci-fi movie Little Joe may sound like it plays to powerful 1990s anti-GM fears but bigger issues like human freedom may really be at stake
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The Supreme Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved ruling on the All Progressives Congress’ application for the review of its judgment nullifying the party’s victories in the general elections held in 2019 in Zamfara State, a report by PUNCH said.
A five-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, said the date of the ruling would be communicated to the parties.
The CJN made the announcement after the parties to the case concluded their submissions on the application on Tuesday.
The APC and the faction of the party in Zamfara State led by former Governor Abdulaziz Yari had filed the application for the review of the May 24, 2019 judgment, which nullified their victories at the general elections barely four days to their inauguration.
In the said May 24, 2019 judgment, the Supreme Court had declared that APC failed to conduct valid primaries and, therefore, had no candidates in the 2019 general elections.
The apex court had declared the votes polled by the APC in the elections as wasted.
The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidates, who polled the next highest votes in the elections, were declared winners of the exercise and eventually inaugurated.
The APC’s application for the review of the May 24, 2019 judgment was opposed by the Senator Kabiru Marafa-led faction of the party in the state.
APC’s lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), on Tuesday urged the court to grant his clients’ application by setting aside the consequential order directing that candidates with the next highest votes be sworn in.
He urged the apex court to order the APC to conduct fresh primaries.
He argued that the previous orders of the apex court were made without jurisdiction.
But the Marafa faction’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the apex court to dismiss the application and award huge and punitive costs against the applicants’ lawyer.
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PUTRAJAYA: The hearing of former police commando Azilah Hadri’s (pix) review application to set aside his conviction and death sentence for the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu in the Federal Court remains as scheduled on April 20.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s application to intervene in Azilah’s review application is also fixed for hearing on the same day, according to the court document relating to the case sighted by Bernama.
According to document, the Attorney-General’s Chambers were required to submit their respective affidavits in reply to the review application and to Najib’s intervener application by March 26, and Azilah must file his respective affidavit-in-reply by April 10 for both applications.
Parties in the case were also required to submit their respective written submissions before April 6.
During case management on Tuesday, lawyer J. Kuldeep Kumar for Azilah told media that his client is objecting to Najib intervening in his review application.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Azmi Mashud, who appeared for the prosecution and who also attended the case management, meanwhile had said his instruction was to object to Najib’s intervener application and also oppose to Azilah’s review application.
Azilah who is currently on death row at Kajang Prison, filed his review application on Dec 5, last year together with his 32-paged statutory declaration which he claimed that the order to kill Altantuya had come from the former prime minister (Najib) who was deputy prime minister then.
Azilah, 43, is seeking to set aside his conviction and death sentence imposed by the Federal Court on Jan 13, 2015 and an order for a retrial.
In December, last year, lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the media that his client, Najib had totally denied everything that had been alleged by Azilah.
Azilah and Sirul Azhar Umar , 47, were convicted and sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in 2009 for Altantuya’s murder at Mukim Bukit Raja in Shah Alam between 10 pm on Oct 19 and 1 am the following day in 2006.
They were however discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal in 2013 which allowed their appeal to set aside their conviction and death sentence.
In 2015, the Federal Court overturned the acquittal of the two police commandos and restored the High Court decision to find them guilty for the offence. — Bernama
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During its 63rd session, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) accepted all recommendations from the 42nd meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD). This effectively brings twelve psychoactive substances, including eleven New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and one medicine, under international control. Given the potential for dependence or abuse and known adverse effects, these compounds pose a risk to public health and society and are largely without any therapeutic benefit.
Based on an in-depth review of candidate compounds by the ECDD, an independent group of experts in the field of drugs and medicines, the WHO provides annual recommendations on substance scheduling to the CND, a policy-making body comprised of 53 UN Member States. This ECDD review includes a balanced consideration of potential for abuse, dependence and harm with therapeutic value. The CND then votes on whether or not the WHO recommendations for placing reviewed substances under international control should be endorsed.
The 42nd ECDD recommendations included the addition of four synthetic cannabinoids and three synthetic stimulants to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances given similar action and adverse effects to other substances in this Schedule. These synthetic cannabinoids have been associated with impaired mental status, impaired driving, and fatalities, whereas the included synthetic stimulants have been linked to fatal intoxication. Similarly, two fentanyl analogues, with their opioid-like effects, were brought under Schedule I control (strict control) of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs given similar action and effects to other drugs in this Schedule. Two benzodiazepines including the medicine etizolam were brought under Schedule IV control of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, both of which have been implicated in fatal and non-fatal intoxication and impaired driving. A hallucinogen was also recommended to be brought under control, specifically to Schedule I of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, based on abuse potential and non-fatal and fatal intoxication. This is the first hallucinogen to be reviewed in many years, suggesting a potential shift in drug trends. For more information on these recommendations, please review the 42nd ECDD meeting report. .
In addition, the ECDD conducted a pre-review of several Schedule III opioid preparations, some of which can be accessed as over-the-counter options, such as codeine-based cough syrups, to consider their abuse potential. The ECDD recommended a critical review be carried out at a later date.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/18-03-2020-c-n-d-accepts-all-w-h-o-recommendations-from-42nd-e-c-d-d
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The email is from someone you think is a co-worker in another department at your company, who like you, has suddenly found herself teleworking from home without the usual group of colleagues to help review things. She’s asking your advice on a document attached to the email.
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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-cyber-hygiene-email-safe-virtual.html
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Doom Eternal does contain gratuitous violence, but the evidence suggests violence in video games doesn’t affect people’s behaviour in the real world, says Jacob Aron
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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but it’s always a good time to review tips to help you stay safe online.
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It is almost five years now since the Nutrition Decade was declared. It is time to reflect back on its achievements so far. FAO and WHO are convening an open and inclusive dialogue with stakeholders for the mid-term review of the Nutrition Decade. 
This review follows the ECOSOC Resolution 1989/84 regarding international decades, which provides that an appropriate inter-governmental body should appraise the implementation of a decade’s programme of work at the mid-point and at the end of the decade.
The objectives of the Mid-term Review of the Nutrition Decade are to assess and evaluate the achievements in individual policy areas of the ICN2 Framework for Action, as reflected in the actions areas of the Work Programme of the Decade, over the time period from 2016 to 2020. The Mid-term Review aims to identify focus areas for priority action and promising opportunities in each of the six action areas for future progress from 2021 to 2025. This assessment will guide the revision of the ‘living part’ of the Work Programme of the Nutrition Decade as appropriate.
The process will include a series of consultations and dialogues with member states, civil society organizations, private sector, UN partner agencies and others, as well as an open online consultation. Finally, a global event is envisioned to be organized to underscore the achievements of the first half of the Nutrition Decade and set the stage for the priorities during the second half. More information is provided in the concept note.
The joint FAO/WHO Nutrition Decade Secretariat has developed the Mid-term Review Foresight paper, which will serve as the background paper for the consultation process. Reflecting on the broader development in nutrition globally, this paper develops a vision on actions to be taken in the different areas of the Work Programme of the Nutrition Decade, considering specific advances and opportunities in individual policy areas.
Background documents for the consultation process of the Mid-term Review of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 can be downloaded here. We will add the other 5 languages when they are available, and meanwhile, publish some in English only.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-03-2020-mid-term-review-of-the-un-decade-of-action-on-nutrition
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The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remains the world’s most progressive blueprint for advancing gender equality worldwide. Twenty-five years after it was affirmed by 189 countries, what progress has been made in raising this blueprint
off the page?
On International Women’s Day the World Health Organization, United Nations University – International Institute for Global Health and the British Medical Journal have launched a special series marking ‘Beijing+25’.
It shines a spotlight on health, education, environment, work and other critical foundations of life as they empower or restrict the rights and well-being of girls and women.
Every person’s right to control their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health is linked to their human rights. This makes sexual and reproductive health and rights a cornerstone of the Beijing strategy: both as a driver towards gender equality,
and a fundamental part of it.
The first article in the series, ‘25 years after the Beijing Declaration we need to reaffirm that women’s rights are human rights,’ highlights recent advances in gender equality and celebrates
the rise of a new and determined generation of activists, working together to empower girls and women.
It also expresses concern that progress has been superficial and not fast enough. Some critical areas of work have slowed or even been pushed back, such as comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, services and rights.
The authors ask for increased and direct investment in women and girls, to meet their specific health needs and accelerate equal rights for all.
The Beijing Declaration affirms that the human rights of women cannot be separated from the universal human rights of every person – but that without concrete actions to strengthen them, they will remain rights in name only.
Some advances in this area since 1995 can be measured by health outcomes, including a reduction in both maternal mortality and rates of female genital mutilation. Positive change is also reflected in public awareness: concepts of period poverty and sexual
harassment, once taboo, are being taken up in day-to-day language.
And yet today, sexual and reproductive health conditions remain one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity for women and girls. Violence against women and girls is the most frequent human rights abuse worldwide.
Twenty-five years on, the Beijing agenda is still relevant and still unfinished.
Although The Platform for Action is repeatedly affirmed in international and governmental forums, women and girls still face social, political and cultural barriers to controlling their sexuality, sexual and reproductive health.
Their decisions cannot be free from coercion, discrimination and violence if they are made in the context of power imbalances, harmful gender norms and inequalities.
The authors from HRP, the Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, the Supreme Court of Nepal, the WHO and Women Deliver call for a system of protection for women’s human rights defenders everywhere.
They celebrate new communities of frontline defenders, civil society movements holding governments to account, and vibrant coalitions such as Generation Equality as drivers of achievements in girls and women’s rights over the last twenty-five years.
Governments are preparing for the 64th Commission on the Status of Women in late March, where they will review implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and challenges affecting full realization of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
They will recognize that no country has fully achieved equality, and that women and girls who experience multiple forms of discrimination throughout their lives are still the most held back.
If this collective reflection can be shifted into action, 2020 will become a new anniversary: a pivotal year for the accelerated realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, everywhere.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-03-2020-women-s-health-and-rights-25-years-of-progress
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WHO is developing a guideline on parent training to prevent child maltreatment and promote the positive development of children aged 0-17 years. Part of the guideline development process involves constitution of a Guideline Development Group (GDG) which
should represent a broad spectrum of perspectives, constituencies, and relevant expertise. The biographies of individuals proposed for membership of the GDG are provided below for public review and comment. Any comment or concern about the individuals
listed should be sent to Dr Alexander Butchart (butcharta@who.int).
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-03-2020-guideline-on-parent-training-to-prevent-child-maltreatment-and-promote-the-positive-development-of-children-aged-0-17-years
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