2 hours ago
33
Place your adverts here on InfoDig @ low rates; banner ads, sponsored links and guest articles etc. Contact us
Zambia Reports First Monkeypox Case
Zambia’s Health Ministry confirmed the country’s first diagnosis of Monkeypox on Thursday, without disclosing which variant had been recorded.
The patient was a 32-year-old male who had travelled from Tanzania to Zambia, according to a statement from the ministry. The male patient is receiving treatment at a rural health centre.
In August, the World Health Organisation declared monkeypox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. In this period, a new variant of the viral infection spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African countries.
So far this year, over 34,000 suspected cases of the disease have been reported across Africa, more than triple the number recorded at the same time in 2023. As many as 95% of the cases are in Congo and Burundi.
Oil set for weekly gain as Israel plans response to Iran attack
Oil headed for a second weekly gain — after surging by more than 3% on Thursday — as Israel readied plans to retaliate against Iran, raising the spectre of disruptions to crude supplies from the Middle East.
West Texas Intermediate steadied near $76 a barrel, on course for an increase of almost 2% this week, while Brent settled at above $79.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet met on Thursday to discuss how and when the country was going to respond to Iran’s recent missile attack.
Following the latest escalation in Middle East tensions, the global crude market has zeroed in on potential supply risks this month.
Nigeria’s Equity market extends loss by N6bn
The Nigerian Exchange continued a bearish run on Thursday, shedding N6 billion in market cap.
The All Share index and market capitalisation declined by 0.1% to close at 97,477.19 and N56 trillion, respectively. However, the market’s gains are still up 30.36% year-to-date.
Investors traded 277,745,152 shares in 7,091 deals worth N4.65 trillion. The traded volume reflected a 22% decline, while turnover and deals dipped by 33% and 17%, respectively.
MAN projects worse Q4 for manufacturing
According to the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, the country’s manufacturing sector has a bleak outlook for the year’s fourth quarter.
In a conversation with The Punch, the Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, expressed concerns about how current economic realities presented no relief in sight for manufacturers struggling with rising production costs and decreased sales.
“Earlier in the year, we imagined that the second half would be better… But rather than experience an upswing, we have continued to have a depression.”
He identified rising interest rates, high diesel prices, and electricity tariff hikes as major obstacles for the manufacturing sector. The sector’s contribution to real GDP growth dropped from 8.62% in Q2 2024 to 8.46% and was weaker than its 9.98% contribution in Q1 2024.
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon say Israel has fired on their bases deliberately
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said on Thursday that Israeli forces had deliberately fired on its positions, injuring two peacekeepers and bringing fresh accusations of violations of international law.
Israel has been carrying out repeated ground incursions across the border into Lebanon in its war with Hezbollah, as the conflict that began in Gaza a year ago continues to spread across the region.
A UN report published on Thursday accused Israel of pursuing a concerted policy of destroying Gaza’s healthcare system in the war in the strip, saying this constituted war crimes and extermination as a crime against humanity.
English (US) ·