International

UN expresses sadness over another earthquake in Haiti

Published

4 months ago

June 7, 2023

UN expresses sadness over another earthquake in Haiti

The UN has expressed deep sadness as another deadly earthquake claimed the lives of at least three people near the Haitian city of Jerémie in the early hours of Tuesday.

This has compounded an already life-threatening situation in recent days caused by flooding and landslides.

The 5.5 magnitude quake struck in the department of Grand’Anse, following torrential rains which have displaced more than 13,000 people.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life, destruction of property and suffering of the Haitian people caused by the earthquake,” UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said.

“The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.”

He said the UN stood ready to work with the Haitian authorities and other partners, to help ease the suffering of those impacted by this latest natural disaster.

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On Monday, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it was already providing immediate assistance to those affected by the massive rainfall over the weekend, providing hot meals to those displaced, and mobilising ready-to-eat rations and dry food.

Dujarric said that Grand’ Anse was among the areas impacted by the rains, prior to the earthquake.

According to news reports, Tuesday’s quake was the second to strike the area in just two days, with a 4.4 magnitude tremor registered on Sunday morning.

In August 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the same southern peninsula region, leaving hundreds dead.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, is working with UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, WFP and the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, to support communities around the capital Port-au-Prince that were hardest hit by the floods and landslides, he added.

WFP is ready to distribute some 350,000 hot meals and other food assistance overall, to those who need it the most, he confirmed.

“Our colleagues say that ongoing insecurity and damage to roads are obviously hampering any relief efforts.”

According to UN humanitarians, the floods and landslides affected seven of Haiti’s 10 departments, and authorities say at least 51 people have been killed, 140 others injured and 18 are still missing. In the affected areas, nearly 32,000 homes were flooded.

UN expresses sadness over another earthquake in Haiti

(NAN)

International

48 Nigerian-trained nurses, midwives in UK under investigation for exam fraud

Published

3 hours ago

September 24, 2023

Trends Admin

48 Nigerian-trained nurses, midwives in UK under investigation for exam fraud

DailyMail has reported that a total of 48 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom are currently being investigated for exam fraud.

These nurses are suspected of paying to have someone else take the computer-based exams, which are required to work in the UK and assess medical knowledge.

The investigation was initiated after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) received information about suspicious data.

The NMC discovered widespread fraudulent activity at the Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, and declared all test results from that center as invalid.

An independent panel will assess each case to determine if fraud was committed. If found guilty, these individuals will be removed from the register and lose their right to work as nurses or midwives in the UK.

It is important to note that during this process, the suspects are still allowed to work in the UK, which has raised concerns among experts who believe they should be suspended until their cases are resolved.

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Andrea Sutcliffe, CEO Andrea Sutcliffe, CEO of the NMC, expressed sympathy for those innocent applicants who have been caught up in this fraud scandal. She emphasized that the NMC’s main priority is to protect the public, and they are taking this matter seriously.

“We understand this continues to be a distressing time for people facing uncertainty about their application or place on our register,” she said.

“We’re committed to managing these concerns in the safest and fairest way we can.

“It’s been essential to look carefully at all the data and other information presented to us before deciding on the right and proportionate approach for everyone.

“Our paramount concern remains to protect the public by maintaining the integrity of the register for nursing and midwifery professionals practising in the UK.”

The report further said an additional 669 nurses and midwives who are in the process of applying to work in the UK but have not started employment, “are also believed to have obtained their results fraudulently”.

48 Nigerian-trained nurses, midwives in UK under investigation for exam fraud

International

UK inflation in surprise drop to 18-month low – Reports

Published

4 days ago

September 20, 2023

Trends Admin

UK inflation in surprise drop to 18-month low – Reports

British inflation unexpectedly slowed in August, data showed Wednesday, hitting an 18-month low and sparking hope this week’s widely-forecast interest rate hike by the Bank of England could be its last for now.

The Consumer Prices Index dropped slightly to 6.7 percent from 6.8 percent in July, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement on the eve of the BoE’s latest monetary policy decision.

That was the lowest since February 2022 and confounded expectations for an acceleration to 7.1 percent on higher energy prices.

Wednesday’s news sent the pound sliding almost 0.4 percent to $1.2347 in morning deals, with the US Federal Reserve set to hold rates later in the day.

Finance minister Jeremy Hunt said his Conservative government’s plan to lower inflation is “working” but conceded that the rate is “still too high”.

It comes one day after data showed eurozone inflation also slowed slightly in August.

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“The surprise fall in UK inflation triggered a kneejerk selloff in sterling, as today’s data cements the expectation that the Bank of England’s next rate hike could also be its last,” said Swissquote Bank analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.

Health workers strike

Despite the drop, British inflation remains the highest in the G7 group of rich nations, after peaking at a 41-year high of 11.1 percent in October last year.

Elevated inflation has prompted almost 18 months of regular stoppages by public and private-sector workers whose pay is failing to keep pace.

In the latest walkout, medical consultants and junior doctors working in England for the country’s National Health Service held their first ever joint strike on Wednesday.

The BoE has so far ramped up its key interest rate 14 times in a row to the current level of 5.25 percent in a bid to bring down red-hot inflation.

UK inflation in surprise drop to 18-month low – Reports

International

Russian drone strikes target western Ukrainian city of Lviv

Published

5 days ago

September 19, 2023

Trends Admin

Russian drone strikes target western Ukrainian city of Lviv

UKRAINE’s western city of Lviv was among the latest targets of Russian airstrikes, with two people injured in a fire sparked by the impact of a kamikaze drone.

The local authorities on Tuesday morning gave the report.

The fire broke out in a city-operated warehouse, the regional military administration of Lviv said.

One person suffered serious injuries.

Lviv is located only some 80 kilometres east of the border with the EU and NATO member state Poland.

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The authorities said that other regions in Ukraine also reported renewed Russian attacks.

Ten Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region alone in the early hours of Tuesday, according to the military administration.

In the southern town of Krivy Rih, one drone hit a multi-storey residential building, causing fire outbreak, according to the authorities.

Another drone was reported to have been shot down.

Ukraine has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion launched in February 2022 with the help of Western support.

In June, the Ukrainian military launched a counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory.