International

William Ruto wins Kenya presidential poll

Published

10 months ago

August 15, 2022

Advocate News Nigeria

Deputy President William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya’s presidential election amid dramatic scenes.

He narrowly beat his rival, Raila Odinga, taking 50.5% of the vote, according to the official results.

The announcement was delayed amid scuffles and allegations of vote-rigging by Mr Odinga’s campaign.

Four of the seven members of the electoral commission refused to endorse the result, saying it was “opaque”.

“We cannot take ownership of the result that is going to be announced because of the opaque nature of this last phase of the general election,” said Juliana Cherera, the vice-chairperson of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“We are going to give a comprehensive statement… and again we urge Kenyans to keep calm. There is an open door that people can go to court and the rule of law will prevail,” she said.

Mr Odinga’s party agent earlier alleged that there were “irregularities” and “mismanagement” in the election.

This was the first time Mr Ruto, 55, had run for president. He has served as deputy president for 10 years, but fell out with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who backed Mr Odinga to succeed him.

The electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said he had done his duty despite receiving threats.

“I took an oath of office to serve this country and I have my done my duty in accordance with the constitution and the laws of the land,” he said.

“We have walked the journey of ensuring that Kenyans get a free fair and credible election. It has not been an easy journey – right now two of my commissioners and the CEO are injured.” he added.

In his speech, President-elect Ruto thanked the electoral commission for overseeing the election.

“It is a wonderful evening… all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya,” Mr Ruto said, calling Mr Chebukati a “hero”.

Mr Ruto said he wanted to be a president of all, and for the country to focus on the future.

“To those who have done many things against us, I want to tell them there’s nothing to fear. There will be no vengeance. We do not have the luxury to look back,” he added. (BBC)

International

Good sex secret to my long life — 102-year-old woman

Published

2 days ago

May 27, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

•102-Years Old Joyce Jackman

Jackman, who celebrated her 102^nd birthday on May 9, stated that “good sex and good sherry” leads to long-term satisfaction, NY Post reports.

According to her, a combination of both has helped her live for over a century.

Speaking about her birthday celebration, the centenarian said, “I had such a lovely day.

“I can’t believe I’m 102. It must be all the chocolate I eat that’s helped!”

International

Arrested Asiana Airlines passenger gives reason for opening plane door midair

Published

3 days ago

May 27, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

The Asiana Airlines plane landed at Daegu with its door open

A man who opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight in mid-air felt “suffocated” and wanted to get off quickly, South Korean police said on Saturday.

The plane was carrying nearly 200 passengers as it approached the runway on Friday at Daegu International Airport, about 240 kilometres (149 miles) southeast of Seoul, on a domestic flight.

When the plane was around 200 meters (650 feet) above ground, the man who police said was in his 30s without providing further details, opened the exit door.

The passenger was taken in by Daegu police for questioning and told officers he had been “under stress after losing a job recently”.

“He felt the flight was taking longer than it should have been and felt suffocated inside the cabin,” a Daegu police detective told AFP.

“He wanted out quickly”.

The passenger faces up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws.

A video clip shot by a nearby passenger showed wind ripping through the open door, with fabric seat-backs and passengers’ hair flapping wildly as some people shouted in surprise.

Another video shared on social media showed passengers sitting in the emergency exit row next to an open door being buffeted by strong winds.

A dozen passengers were taken to hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties but there were no major injuries or damage, according to the transport ministry.

“It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board,” a 44-year-old passenger told Yonhap.

“I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this.”

A transport ministry official told AFP that this was “the first such incident” they were aware of in Korean aviation history.

Experts say South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid safety record

International

UK Universities reject new policy against International Students

Published

4 days ago

May 25, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Universities in the United Kingdom have rejected the new immigration policy that would no longer allow international students bring family members with them from 2024.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UK International (UUK), a body of universities across the UK, said that the policy was a threat to the country’s economy and requested the government to consider the issues.

The new policy, which was intended to tame the influx of immigrants, had stated that international students (except PhD and research scholars) would no longer be able to bring family members with them starting in 2024 and that international students would be stopped from switching from the student visa route to a work visa until their studies have been completed.

“The UUK director, Jamie Arrowsmith, said “International students make an invaluable contribution to our universities and to the UK’s economy. Building on the government’s explicit commitments and ambitions, which were clearly set out in the international education strategy, we have seen significant growth since 2019.”

“Our research shows that international students make a huge economic contribution to the UK, with a single cohort delivering a total benefit of £41.9 billion.”“We also know that the public is overwhelmingly supportive of the international students we attract – just nine percent of people think we should be discouraging international students from choosing the UK.”

Mr Arrowsmith added, “while the vast majority of students will be unaffected by proposals that limit the ability to be accompanied by dependents, more information is needed on the programmes that are in scope before a proper assessment of the impact can be made.

“We, therefore, urge the government to work with the sector to limit and monitor the impact on particular groups of students – and on universities, which are already under serious financial pressures. The review process that has been announced must consider these issues.”