In Edenred (UK Group) Ltd v (1) Her Majesty’s Treasury (2) Her Majesty’s Commissioners for Revenue and Customs (3) National Savings and Investments [2015] UKSC 45, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Edenred’s challenge to Her ...

The Energy Transition Club and the REA are hosting a webinar on Wednesday 6 May at 11am for 90 minutes....

As originally published in React News Beijing is determined all outgoing investment will align with China’s strategic goals Stockholm - home of ABBA and fermented herring. A fish so pongy, the Swedes o...

In December 2019 the PPF published its final levy rules for 2020/21, together with accompanying documents. There are few changes to the rules compared to the previous levy year, and they are broadly in line with the proposals set out in the PPF’s co...

On 23 April 2020, the President announced that from 1 May 2020, lockdown would be extended at level 4 – which provides for reduced restrictions. On 29 April 2020, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, published and is...

...

The foreign minister asks why the bodies of three Indonesians were thrown overboard.

A record decline in greenhouse gas could be followed by a larger increase as the economy rebounds, energy experts warn.

The EU's ambassador made a 'mistake' in giving the go-ahead for the censorship, officials say.

An approval would bring the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act a significant step closer to becoming law.

“The Chinese Communist Party must end its pattern of bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil, gas, and fisheries,” said Adm. John Aquilino.

Hackers used Aria-body, an intrusive new tool, to attack computers in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Brunei, report says.

The ECJ says "Let them watch football!" In a case which may change how the Premier League chooses to structure broadcasting rights packages, on 4 October, the Eu...

Enfranchisement of long leasehold buildings in commercial use may have become a real possibility as a result of a recent decision by the House of Lords. The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 gives long leasehold tenants the right to buy the freehold of the...

Following the publication by the European Commission of the conclusions on best available techniques (BAT) in the waste sector on 17th August 2018, the operators are required to submit a reconsideration file (“dossier de réexamen”...

A document seen by SaharaReporters has exposed how serving and retired Nigerian judges are illegally preparing ways for their children and relatives to take over the country’s judicial system in future.

According to the document put together by Open Bar Initiative, out of the 33 names recently recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Judiciary Council for appointment as judges in the Federal Capital Territory High Court, only 11 met the criteria set out in the employment guideline of the council.

The NJC had on April 26, 2020 approved the appointment of 33 judges for the FCT High Court.

SaharaReporters gathered that 22 out of the 33 candidates presented to President Buhari made the list only because they were related to serving senior members of the judiciary or close aides and members of the NJC. 

Also, states that already have judges in the FCT High Court were reconsidered and given slots while no one was considered qualified for appointment in Ebonyi, a state that has no existing judge.

Section 255 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), pegged qualification for becoming a judge in the High Court of the FCT to a minimum of 10 years qualification as a legal practitioner. 

Also Rule 4 of the NJC appointment of judges’ procedure, indicated only four classes of lawyers, who are qualified to apply and be recommended to be appointed as judges of a high court.

These are legal practitioners in private practice, legal practitioners in public service, who are legal officers, chief registrar of a court, and chief magistrates.

Those listed in the document seen by SaharaReporters among the 33 nominees to be considered as judges by President Buhari but, who are not qualified include Njideka K. Nwosu-Iheme, a Grade 1 Magistrate, who is the daughter of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court and daughter-in-law to Justice Nwosu-Iheme of the Court of Appeal, Agashieze Cyprian Odinaka, a Deputy Director at FCTA whose sister is the Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, Fatima Abubakar Aliyu, a judiciary worker, who is the daughter of immediate-past President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Bulkachuwa, Kanyip Rosemary Indinya, a senior magistrate at FCT and wife of the President of the National Industrial Court and sister of a member of the National Judicial Council.

Others are Mimi Anne Katsina Alu-Apena, a senior magistrate and daughter of late Kastina Alu, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Enenche Eleojo, Assistant Director at FCT High Court and Personal Assistant to the Chief Judge, FCT High Court, Madugu Mohammed Alhaji, Josephine Obanor Enobie, Kayode Agunloye, Nwabulu Ngozika Chineze and Abubakar Babashani, who are senior staff of the FCT High Court but have not attained the rank of chief registrar as stipulated by the constitution.

The list also includes one one Aliyu Halilu Ahmed, a Deputy Chief Registrar from Adamawa State judiciary, who has not attained the rank of a chief registrar.

The rest are Aminu Muhammad Abdullahi, Nwecheonwu Chinyere Elewe, Ibrahim Mohammed, Sadia Mu’azu Mayana, Aliyu Yunusa Shafa, Mohammed Zubairu, Binta Dogonyaro, Christopher Opeyemi Oba and Hafsat Lawan Abba-Aliyu, all magistrates from the FCT judiciary, who are not up to the rank of a chief magistrate as stipulated in Rule 4 of the NJC appointment of judges procedure.

SaharaReporters also gathered that one Olufola Olufolashade Oshin did not participate in the processes leading up to selection, interview or obtaining recommendation from a Chief Judge of a state but her name was inserted into the final list transmitted to President Buhari at the instigation of some senior judicial officers believed to be top members of the Supreme Court.

Reacting to the development, Open Bar Initiative said, “The suggestion that judicial service in Nigeria is an inheritance transmitted from parents to children is not supported by the constitution or any other instrument under Nigerian law. 

“This is an abuse of the constitution by those who must nominate judges for appointment.”

Co-convener of Open Bar Initiative and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, while reacting to the situation, said, “These are not just unqualified nominees, they are bad nominees because only bad people will want to become judges through smuggling. They will make bad judges, we should resist them and their sponsors.”

Voicing his displeasure on Twitter, a user with the handle @AbdulMahmud01, said, “Have you seen the list of newly appointed FCT judges approved by NJC? It is a parade of children of former CJN, retired Supreme Court justices and judges. NJC is simply put: a corrupt council of corrupt interests.”

Another user, @KennyAdazie, while sharing her thoughts on the issue, said, “The only people that can take back Nigeria are the youth. 

“If we don’t come out to stop this madness, the charade will continue. When they strategically place their own, they pave way for #impunities and come 2023, there is nothing you can do! The reason our legal system is in ruins.”

Eversheds Sutherland El Heni is the only law firm in Tunisia that has been nominated top tier in all  practice areas Foreign Firm, Banking & Finance, Commercial/Corporate/M&A by international independent law firm directory, The Legal 50...

By Fan Lulu and Boy Luethje HONOLULU (July 31, 2019)—With more than 800 million Internet users, China has become the global leader in e-commerce—the buying and selling of products and services online. Taobao (roughly “treasure hunt” in English) is the leading Chinese online shopping and e-commerce website, founded by the Alibaba Group. As of 2018, more than 580 million active users visited Taobao and its sister website Tmall every month.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Anu Anwar HONOLULU (November 1, 2019)—Originally announced by Chairman Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to bolster China’s connectivity with the world. While the name Belt and Road Initiative implies two routes—a maritime road through the Indian Ocean and a land belt across Central Asia—in reality, BRI projects encompass multiple, interconnected global networks. The BRI combines old and new projects, covers an extended geographic region, and includes efforts to strengthen infrastructure development, investment, and cultural ties.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

A close look at the evidence suggests that China has not been engaged in “debt-trap diplomacy” in the Pacific, at least not so far. Nonetheless, if future Chinese lending continues on a business-as-usual basis, serious problems of debt sustainability will arise, and concerns about quality and corruption are valid. By Jonathan Pryke HONOLULU (March 2, 2020)—In an atmosphere of heightened geostrategic competition, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has raised questions about the risk of debt problems in less-developed countries. Such risks are especially worrying for the small and fragile economies of the Pacific.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Boy Lüthje HONOLULU (6 April 2020)—The development of electric and self-driving vehicles is bringing on a massive restructuring of the global automotive industry. Emerging forms of new and shared mobility undermine the very model of private car ownership that has underpinned the automotive industry since the days of Henry Ford.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Lora Saalman HONOLULU (14 April 2020)—Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly important component of weapons systems, with both positive and negative implications for nuclear deterrence. Integration of AI into military platforms has the potential to allow weaker nuclear-armed states to reset the imbalance of power, but at the same time it exacerbates fears that stronger states may further solidify their dominance and engage in more provocative actions.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Rebecca Strating HONOLULU (24 April 2020)—Many argue that China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea is an attempt to unilaterally alter the US-led regional order, which includes an emphasis on freedom of navigation. In response, the US has stressed the importance of support from “like-minded” states—including Japan and South Korea—in defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and elsewhere. This characterization, however, disguises important differences in attitudes and behavior that could hinder joint efforts to push back against China.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

China’s Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) has refused approval for the proposed P3 joint venture between shipping companies Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (“MSC”) and CMA CGM (“the Companies”). &n...

The Cross River border taskforce had earlier intercepted and sent back five trucks with goods and almajiri children.

The post COVID-19: Cross River taskforce intercepts, sends back trucks carrying almajiri children appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

By Emmanuel Okogba When the 23-man squad for Nigeria’s Super Eagles to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was released, a lot of football fans had mixed feelings as there were some questionable omissions and inclusions. One of those who almost made the list was 2005 World Youth Championship finalist, Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi who scored
Read More

The post I was asked for bribe to make 2014 World Cup squad – Chinedu Obasi appeared first on Vanguard News.

A Coalition of Igbo groups has risen in defence of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, OYC, as the crisis within the Ohanaeze Ndigbo widens. DAILY POST had reported that a new Ohanaeze Ndigbo has now emerged with the registration of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly by the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. With the development, the Chief […]

2023: Igbo groups back OYC, chide Ohanaeze on State creation

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has said they go in search of patients who go missing after their samples have been tested for COVID-19. Abayomi, speaking during a press briefing on Friday, said such patients flee their homes and cannot be reached on their mobile phone lines. According to him, this is one […]

COVID-19: Lagos govt searching for patients who escaped after tests

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has claimed that some influential Nigerians are the sponsors of those caught mining illegally. According to Adegbite, “these godfathers” are putting pressure on the federal government to free Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining. The Osun government on Monday, announced the arrest of 27 persons for […]

Buhari’s Minister reveals influential Nigerians fighting for release of Chinese arrested in Osun

WASHINGTON - Washington is planning another tidal wave of tariffs on Chinese imports that represent a worst-case scenario for markets and major industries on both sides of the Pacific.

In the global jostling amid the coronavirus crisis, Beijing is extending its influence while U.S. President Donald Trump continues to squander America's leadership role. The pandemic could mark the beginning of a new Chinese era.

ZZQC International Business Group, China's major investment firm, will likely take part in Cityscape Korea 2017, the nation's largest international real estate trade show, signaling that it is moving into the Korean market in earnest. According to the secretariat office of Cityscape Korea on August 8, ZZQC will set up a booth in the Korea Economic Daily-sponsored exhibition and send five top executives to meet local developers and public agency officers. During the trade show period, the C...

LG Electronics said on August 23 that it would establish an electric car parts plant in Hazel Park, outside Detroit, Michigan, by investing about US$25 million. The proposed plant will be built in a 215,000-square-meter site within the first quarter of 2018. The company will produce battery packs for electric cars, with plans to expand the line-ups to other electric car components in the future. LG explained that the locational decision was based on the proximity to the Vehicle Components N...

The negotiation to sell off Kumho Tire to China's Double Star Tire broke apart. The creditors including Korea Development Bank held a shareholders meeting and decided not to accept a request by Double Star to lower the price. A Korea Development Bank official explained, "As Double Star made demands we can't accept including an additional 10-percent discount from the original price of 800 billion won, we had to say no to the offer." In July this year, the Chinese tire maker began making dem...

Park Sam-koo, chairman of Kumho Asiana Group, will submit a self-rescue plan for Kumho Tire that includes the sell-off of Chinese plants to the creditors by September 12. In addition, he will sell off a 4.4-percent stake in Daewoo Engineering & Construction worth 130 billion won while asking executives to return their pays as part of the restructuring measures. An industry official familiar with the matter said on September 11, "Kumho Asiana will soon deliver to the creditors a high-inten...

Central bank governors of three East Asian countries including China, Japan, and Korea will get together and discuss issues such as debt and macroeconomic soundness. But the issue of the Korea-China currency swap deal which will expire on October 10 won't be one of the official agendas in the meeting. Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol, People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda will meet in Incheon's Songdo for two days on September 13-14 in th...

The government is pushing forward with a plan worth US$8 million to help out vulnerable people in North Korea. Meanwhile it won't raise a lawsuit against China with the World Trade Organization in relation to the latter country's retaliatory measures after Korea's decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system in its soil. Baek Tae-hyun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said on September 14, "We are reviewing a plan to give $8 milli...

As Korea and China are set to improve their relationship that was rocked by the controversy over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system, Korea's tourism and duty-free shopping industries are raising their hopes of better days.The tourism industry believes that the Chinese government's group tour ban to Korea would be relaxed soon. A travel agency in Hebei posted an Internet ad recently for a group tour program to Korea in November at the price of 1,4...