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A Zimbabwean clinic has been closed down after nurses refused turning up for duty following complaint of ‘invisible creatures raping them.’
The bizarre incident occurred at Shale Clinic in Umzingwane district, Matabeleland South. The mysterious creatures which are suspected to be tikoloshes, are also allegedly wreaking havoc at a nearby primary school where they are reportedly sexually molesting teachers.

Teachers have also threatened to join the nurses in desertation of duty if nothing is done about the situation.
One of the villagers, Themba Moyo who confirmed the incident told ZimLive;
“The clinic is closed because two female nurses and a male health technician ran away after complaining that they were being sexually abused.

“They woke up moist in their privates with signs that they had sexual intercourse. This was happening at night. At the moment, there’s just a janitor and nurse aide who live in the community.”
Another villager who spoke on condition of anonymity, said; “There were two nurses and a health technician. They initially started complaining about being tired when reporting for duty in the morning and were claiming that they were not having restful nights.

“They then opened up and explained what was happening at the clinic. The male health technician had a torrid time one night with the creatures pulling his penis and testicles. 
“He struggled walking in the morning as his privates were swollen. His wife had a miscarriage recently, and we believe this could be linked to the tikoloshe issue. They left as they could not stand the abuse anymore.”

The villager also spoke about how teachers at Shale Primary School were being tormented by the tikoloshes.
He added; “The tikoloshes have sex with females, and men wake up with swollen privates. Sometimes female teachers wake up sleeping outside their rooms, with their food mysteriously eaten.”
At an emergency meeting convened by the villagers, it was agreed that prophets or traditional leaders will be hired. The villagers, who suspect tikoloshes of being behind the reign of terror, also resolved to banish the owner of the tikoloshes once they are unmasked.

Moyo told the publication that a prophet from an apostolic sect from Rusape carried out a cleansing ceremony and he identified a local politician as the owner of the supernatural creatures.
The villager said; “There was shock all around when our local Zanu PF councillor was pointed out as the owner of the tikoloshes. She was quite upset and took the matter to the police who arrested the prophets.

“The prophets were later fined US$20 each at Esigodini and released.”
It was however learnt that a local traditional healer, headman Nkala dismissed the cleansing ceremony conducted, saying that the traditional leaders are looking to secure the services of “genuine” prophets.

Deeper Life Church Founder, Kumuyi 
The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC), Pastor William F. Kumuyi, has said from his observations, the COVID-19 virus is not fake.

Kumuyi referred to theories alleging that the virus was fake or politically motivated, but noted that the experiences of some DLBC members in Nigeria and abroad, showed that the virus is real.
The cleric spoke in Lagos at a meeting with the press ahead of the church’s global crusade which begins on Tuesday.
The event tagged ‘Great Miracle Explosion’, will run till December 26 at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, Km 42, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Responding to a question on the virus, Kumuyi said: “Concerning COVID-19, I want to say that from my observations, from looking at things, I know that COVID-19 is real; it is not fake, it is not a politically arranged thing to do whatever. It’s real.
“We’ve had people who had real COVID19 situations and they were in isolation.
“In fact, one of our men, one of our pastors was about passing away.

“According to him, he had said his last prayer because in that isolation he had seen other people dying, just going like that.
“I knew about it and I called him on phone and prayed with him.
“Within, I would say, one hour, he was completely healed.
“He went to the toilet, got up by himself, came by himself and the Lord brought him back to life.”

President Bio last weekend presented a strong case for investment opportunities in Sierra Leone at the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, a two-day conference, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to launch a new stage in Turkey’s relations with the African Union and African countries.
“We have put in place investment-friendly tax incentives and policies; streamlined processes for expediting the establishment and protection of the interests of credible investors; and we offer diverse opportunities in agriculture, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and mining to Turkish businesses.

“Turkish businesses will continue to be favourably considered for various investment portfolios. We will spare no efforts to make the business ecosystem ever more conducive to attract more Turkish capital and for those companies to maximise returns on their investment,” he assured.
President Bio also recalled that since 2018, Sierra Leone and Turkey had entered a new era of heightened diplomatic relations with the establishment of Embassies in both Freetown and Ankara, saying that this is  a bold step forward the two countries have taken to consolidate and deepen their warm bilateral ties and cooperation in several areas.

“Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, at the national level, Turkey was, for years, a member of the Sierra Leone configuration of the United Nations Peace-building Commission and Turkey has continued to provide development assistance to Sierra Leone in various areas through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency.

“Permit me, Your Excellency, President Erdogan, to express Sierra Leone’s profound gratitude for Turkey’s continued support and unfailing interest in the Government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Equally important, Your Excellency, the Government of Sierra Leone acknowledges and commends the activities of Turkish institutions and businesses in various sectors in Sierra Leone. We are committed to further heightening the growing economic and trade ties between our two countries,” he said.

The President also outlined progress in consolidating peace and democracy, ruling justly, and investing in people, adding that his development aspirations are outlined in his government’s comprehensive Medium-Term National Development Plan that is also aligned with both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and the 2063 Agenda of the African Union.

“We believe that a skilled, healthy, and productive population is a critical enabler of sustainable and inclusive development. Ours is a commitment to do right by our people and we will continue implementing the right reforms that prime Sierra Leone for sustainable development.
He closed by expressing hope that the number of agreements, protocols, and Memoranda of Understanding signed and ratified with the Republic of Turkey would further strengthen and operationalise mutual cooperation.

President Bio is among some 16 African Heads of State attending the summit, including Félix Tshisekedi, current chair of the AU, Senegal’s Macky Sall, Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo, representing Ecowas, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. They are accompanied by 102 ministers, including 26 foreign ministers, from 39 countries.

Latest data from the Debt Management Office reveal Nigeria’s debt to China is currently $4.1 billion as of September 2021. This balance is out of a total debt of $6.5 billion available for Nigeria to draw down.

Most of the debts are for a period of 20 years with a grace period to repay the principal of about 7 years. Only a $200 million debt had a tenor of 12 years with a grace period of 5 years. The loans are broken into dollar-based and Yuan based loans with $4 billion and another CNY480
Nigeria’s debt to China has soared over the last decade as government diversifies its debt portfolio towards cheaper but controversial Chinese loans. Interest rates for the loans average 2.5% per annum. Back in June, the DMO reported that the total value of loans taken by Nigeria from China as at March 31, 2020, was $3.121 billion. This represents only about 3.94% of Nigeria’s total public debt of $79.303 as at March 31, 2020. Similarly, in terms of external sources of funds, loans from China accounted for 11.28% of the external debt stock of $27.67 at the same date.

Most of the loans were drawn down in the Goodluck Jonathan era with over $2.7 billion drawn out of a total principal available of $3.1 billion. The balance of $1.3 billion was drawn down between April 2016 and December 2019 as Nigeria stepped up borrowings.
Nigeria has also repaid $565.23 million in principal repayments and another $477.98 million in interest leaving an outstanding $3.5 billion to pay from what has been drawn so far.

What Chinese loans are used for?
According to the government, Chinese loans are project-tied loans. Some of these 11 projects as at March 31, 2020, are Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Idu-Kaduna section), Abuja Light Rail Project, Nigerian Four Airport Terminals Expansion Project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt), Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Lagos-Ibadan section), and Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Abuja-Keffi- Makurdi Road Project.

Gabriel Boric has won Chile’s presidential election after an early concession from his far-right rival, José Antonio Kast on Sunday night, December 19.
Kast conceded defeat barely an hour and a half after polls closed, and with around half of ballots counte
Gabriel Boric becomes Chilean President after most of the votes were counted. Boric, a leftist candidate, won with 56% while Kast trailed him with 44% of the votes.

At 35-years-old, Boric is the youngest president in Chile’s history.
In a phone call with outgoing President Sebastián Piñera, Boric said he would do his “best to rise to this tremendous challenge”.
Boric is a former student protest leader and backed the mass demonstrations against inequality and alleged corruption that rocked Chile in 2019 and 2020.

Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has confirmed the authorization of FIFA for the selection of three players in the Sierra Leone squad ahead of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The newly recruited players include Steven Caulker, Issa Kallon and Jonathan Morsay who are from Sierra Leone in origin but had played at youth level for the country of their birth.

Steven Caulker, 29, played with England’s youth squad and was in Great Britain’s team at the London 2012 Olympics.
He also played for Tottenham and Liverpool before joining Scottish side Dundee but moved to Turkey between 2019 and 2021 at Alanyaspor, and since 2021 at Fenerbahçe.

Netherlands-born winger Issa Kallon has played in the country’s youth squads all the way to the U20s and for SC Cambur in the second division of the Dutch league.

The 24-year-old Sierra Leonean-born winger has played in his country’s youth squad.
Sierra Leone will participate in the 33rd edition of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations which starts on Jan. 9 in Cameroon after a long desert crossing dating back to 1996.

For their return to AFCON, Sierra Leone will play in Group E with defending champions Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.
The West African side will play their first game on January 11 against the reigning African champions Desert Foxes in Douala.

Zhong Shanshan is officially the richest man in China, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires index. A few months ago, the entrepreneur behind Nongfu Spring mineral water and Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise in Shanghai exceeded Alibaba’s Jack Ma ($38.7 billion) in fortune.
Shanshan’s net worth has now reached $77.5 billion. He can buy 43.4 million troy ounces of gold or 1.05 billion barrels of crude oil with his net worth
The Chinese bottled water billionaire made huge strides over the years. According to experts, Shanshan’s fortune has grown due to the following factors:

Covid-19 test kits were in high demand, which benefited his pharmaceutical company. In the past year, the shares of Nongfu Spring and Wantai Biological Pharmacy have been listed on the stock market.
China-based Nongfu Spring is the source of most of the Chinese-born billionaire’s fortune, which comes from his 84% stake. This Hong Kong-listed company went public on September 20, 2020. Hangzhou Youfu and Yangshengtang are investment vehicles owned by Zhong, according to the company’s 2020 annual report.

Nongfu Spring’s valuation was revised when it became publicly traded on September 8, 2020. The result was an increase in the net worth calculation of $32 billion.
A hepatitis test kit maker in China, Beijing Wantai Pharmacy Enterprise, is also owned by Zhong. In the company’s 2021 semi-annual report, he owns the stake both directly and through Yangshengtang.
Hangzhou, a city in eastern China, is the birthplace of Zhong. The Paper reports that he failed his college entrance exams twice before enrolling at the Open University of China in the late 1970s.

In the 1980s, Zhong became a reporter. An island province in southern China, Hainan, is where he set up a bottled water distributor business after a five-year stint in journalism.
Historically, most bottled water in China was distilled, despite science urging that this isn’t healthy. He instead emphasized natural water’s benefits, which further boosted its product’s upside.

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked the national assembly to veto the Electoral Act Amendment Bill if President Muhammadu Buhari refuses to sign it.
It has been about a month since the president received the legislation. Buhari is reportedly under pressure not to sign the bill.

The legislation provides for electronic transmission of election results and the compulsory use of direct primary to pick candidates by all political parties.
In a statement, Adegboruwa said the failure of the president to sign the bill before travelling for a summit in Turkey is “truncating the reforms encapsulated in that historic bill”.

“The president did not assent before he travelled to Turkey, thus truncating the reforms encapsulated in that historic bill,” the lawyer said.
“There are many innovative provisions in the bill that make it attractive as a tool to oil our democratic experiment, especially the issues of electronic transmission of election results and direct primaries for the political parties.

“From the events monitored on the floor of the national assembly and indeed the public hearings conducted, it is clear that Nigerians prefer that results of elections be transmitted electronically by INEC in order to avoid the recurring decimal of manipulation and rigging.

“In the same vein, direct primaries for the choice of candidates of political parties will eliminate the hydra-headed issues of godfatherism and the imposition of candidates.

“Under and by virtue of section 58 (5) of the 1999 constitution, where the president withholds his assent and a bill is again passed by each house by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required.

“I urge the national assembly, in the national interest, to invoke its constitutional powers to pass the electoral bill and save our democracy from imminent collapse.

“As the elected representatives of the people, our legislators should act in the interest of their respective constituencies.”

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that no individual country can stop cryptocurrency on their own.
The IMF stated that regulating cryptocurrency will necessitate nothing less than a determined global effort and a global accord on crypto, which most would argue is still a long way off.

This was disclosed by Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s senior economist speaking during a lecture for the New Delhi-based economics think-tank, the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

NewsBeatng reports that Gopinath, who will soon take over as the IMF’s deputy managing director, stated that if governments ban crypto, they will have no control over offshore exchanges that are not subject to their country’s legislation, which might lead to them being completely ignored.
She said, “There are challenges to banning it whether you can end up with truly banning crypto because many exchanges are offshore and they are not subject to regulations of a particular country.”

Gopinath also conceded that bans could not be a “passive phenomenon” – and would involve “monitoring, supervision and regulation.”
But she went a step further, adding that what was “actually needed” was a “global effort,” saying, “No individual country can solve this problem on their own, given how easy it is to do these transactions cross-border. So there is a need for global policy on that front. And I think that’s needed urgently.”

She claimed that crypto adoption was also on the rise in developing nations, where it was creating a new set of financial problems for economic policymakers.

The IMF official said, “It seems to be more attractive to adopt crypto assets and cryptocurrencies in emerging developing economies than in advanced economies. If you look at take up around the world we are certainly seeing that there’s a rapid amount of adoption that’s happening in emerging and developing economies.”

She claimed that such an adoption poses problems because usually emerging and developing economies have exchange rate controls and capital control capital flow measures and that crypto-assets can be ways to evade those kinds of regulations.
Expanding on her thoughts on a ban on crypto, Gopinath said that regulation is absolutely important for this sector and added that if people are using it as an investment class then the same kinds of regulations that you have on security traders and security dealer brokers should also apply to crypto-assets.

The World Bank has approved a $700m credit from the International Development Association for the Nigeria Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project aimed at protecting the climate and Nigerian environment.

The world lender explained that the project would increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in northern Nigeria and strengthen the country’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, noted that the amount has been approved to ensure the project take off at the right and achieve it through judicious use by stakeholders and effective monitoring from the lender.

Chaudhuri, through a statement on Thursday by the bank’s Senior External Affairs Officer for Nigeria, Mansir Nasir, noted that the approval was also in line with the bank’s commitment to supporting major crops production across Nigeria.
According to him, the productivity of major crops in Nigeria has been steadily declining over the past two decades, partly due to climate change, despite efforts by the federal government of Nigeria to combat desertification.

“Nigeria is faced with water scarcity and droughts which occur every five years, on average, with the potential to increase in frequency due to climate change. This scenario not only threatens food security, livelihoods, and productivity but also exacerbates fragility and increases the risk of violence.

“With communities and households that are most dependent on natural resources for their survival and vulnerable to desertification, this intervention will improve multi-sectoral watershed planning and investments to help about 3.4 million direct beneficiaries adapt to evolving dryland conditions.”

As stated, the ACReSAL Project is a 6-year strategic project prioritizing actions within dryland management, community climate resilience, institutional strengthening and project management, and contingent emergency response. Also, the project is designed to enhance the capacity of the country to adapt to a changing climate.

On her part, the World Bank’s ACReSAL Task Team Leader, Joy Agene, said that the project would specifically target the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, youth, the elderly.
Others she said, were persons with disabilities, internally displaced people, and ethnic and religious minorities using an integrated watershed approach across sectors and levels of governance.

“This will help reduce the vulnerability of millions of the extreme poor in northern Nigeria, strengthening their own role in the management of their natural resources while also addressing land degradation, strengthening climate resilience, and lessening livelihood vulnerability in dry, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions in the northern states.”