By SHARON ZULU
The UPND has stated that, the police acted according with the law to investigate the former first lady Esther Lungu.
Party Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said, Mrs Lungu acts are criminal in nature for employing people to grab property of Zambians citizens.
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Women who have suffered domestic abuse may have a higher risk of developing atopic diseases including asthma, new research has found.
GENEVA – The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) yesterday called on governments to allow civilians fleeing Sudan into their territory and not to send them back to the conflict-torn country.
“We’re advising governments not to return people to Sudan because of the conflict that’s going on there,” Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection, told reporters at a briefing in Geneva. – REUTERS.
OUAGADOUGOU – Burkina Faso’s interim President Ibrahim Traore on Thursday said Russia had become a key strategic ally but denied that Russian mercenaries were supporting Burkinabe forces in their fight against Islamist armed groups.
In a rare televised interview, Traore said “The departure of the French army does not mean that France is not an ally,” Traore replied. “But we have strategic allies too. We have new forms of cooperation. Russia, for example, is a strategic ally.” – REUTERS.
NAIROBI – Kenyans have been paying their tributes to Mukami Kimathi, the widow of Kenya’s Mau Mau freedom struggle icon Dedan Kimathi.
Her husband, who was the leader of the Mau Mau uprising, was captured, tried and executed by the British colonial government in 1956. He was buried at the Kamiti prison on the outskirts of the city. – BBC.
BELGRADE – A man has been arrested after eight people died and 14 were injured in Serbia’s second mass shooting in a week after a boy killed nine people at a Belgrade school on Wednesday.
The attack occurred shortly after midnight near a village some 60km south of Belgrade when the shooter opened fire from a moving car. He was arrested in the early hours of yesterday after “an extensive search. – BBC.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has submitted to the Lusaka High Court, that Choma based Chief Resource Management officer, is not entitled to his claim of K700,000 as he was not maliciously prosecuted.
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WASHINGTON – The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump’s criminal case asked the prosecution and defence on Thursday to agree a specific trial date for February or March next year.
The instruction means the historic trial over hush-money paid to a porn star will occur in the thick of the Republican primaries for the 2024 presidential race in which Trump is seeking to regain office.
Judge Juan Merchan said that once the date is fixed then all parties, including Trump, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, should not schedule other events.
“He cannot agree to any speaking engagements, appearances,” during the trial, Merchan said at the Manhattan state court, where Trump was not present.
His comments came during the first hearing in the case since Trump was arraigned last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Merchan heard arguments surrounding a request by prosecutors that Trump be prohibited from publicising elements of the prosecution’s case.
The judge said that once he makes a ruling Trump will be required to appear in court virtually via camera to be advised of it.
Trump denied the charges related to reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for the $130, 000 payment to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors say the 2016 payments were intended to silence Daniels over sex she says she had with the ex-president years earlier.
Trump is the first former or sitting president to ever be charged with a crime. It is one of several legal challenges facing Trump as the 76-year-old Republican seeks a return to the White House in next year’s election.
He is being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state of Georgia, his alleged mishandling of classified documents taken from the White House and his involvement in the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters on 6 January 2021. – AFP.
JOHANNESBURG – The National Assembly will debate South Africa’s failed bid to extradite the Guptas after GOOD MP Brett Herron’s request for an urgent debate was accepted.
However, this “urgent” debate will only take place in early June.
Herron submitted his request to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on April 11, days after South African authorities first caught wind of the fact that a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Appeal Court ruled against brothers Rajesh and Atul Gupta’s extradition in February.
On Wednesday, he received positive feedback from Mapisa-Nqakula.
At the National Assembly Programming Committee’s meeting on Thursday morning, Herron was informed the debate would be scheduled at the committee’s next meeting and would most likely take place in “early June,” according to Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso.
The subject of the debate proposed by Herron is: “The failure of the government to extradite persons implicated in corruption, as demonstrated by the recent case in the United Arab Emirates, and the consequences thereof.”
In a statement, Herron said the Gupta brothers’ extradition was of significant legal, moral, political and emotional importance for South Africa.
“The country invested nearly R1 billion into the Zondo Commission, and citizens invested massive trust and hope that the process would lead to prosecutions and justice.
“The Guptas were allegedly leading beneficiaries of state capture, and were repeatedly implicated in the report of the Zondo Commission.
Herron added:
South Africans deserve to know what went wrong and who should be held accountable for the government’s extradition failures.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola told the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services on Tuesday that South Africa could not appeal the Emirati court’s decision, and would now reapply to have the Guptas extradited.
According to Lamola, the Emirati authorities will look at expediting the process. – NEWS24.
By ROGERS KALERO
CONTRACTORS engaged to do Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects in Kitwe’s Wusakile constituency should not come with their own workers, but should employ youths from within the constituency unless where special skills are needed,’’ Wusakile Member of Parliament Pavyuma Kalobo has said
Mr Kalobo said Wusakile CDF should benefit the people of the constituency, starting from employment and business opportunities, skills training and other relevant areas so that they appreciate the importance and benefits of the fund
Mr Kalobo, who has been doing ground breaking ceremonies for a number of CDF projects in the constituency, said he was happy with the increase in the CDF by the government as it was helping in delivering desired projects by the community on time due to availability of resources.
On Tuesday, Mr Kalobo officiated at the ground breaking ceremony of a Police Post in Malembeka area of Luangwa ward, a market shelter at Chamboli market and wall fence at Nkana primary school in Chamboli ward
“I expect the contractors, the residents who are beneficiaries of these projects to work in peace and harmony. I don’t want confusion. Whenever you have problems sit down and resolve your differences. We don’t want confusion.
However, let me emphasise one point to the contractor. If you have employed people where you are coming from, consider those people fired. We will not allow you to come with people from other constituencies when we have our own youths who want employment,’’ Mr Kalobo said
Mr Kalobo also urged members of the public not to vandalise infrastructure being built from CDF, but ensure that they were safeguarded so that they stand the test of time owing to colossal sums of money that were being spent to deliver the projects
“I have just officiated at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a market shelter, a police post and wall fence at Nkana primary school in my constituency. I want to thank Government for the increase in these funds because they are delivering the desired projects to the members of the public and on time this is because resources are readily available,”he said.
Mr Kalobo said the construction of the market shelter at Chamboli market at K778, 997 would help provide a conducive trading place for the marketeers.
“For many years, the traders have had dilapidated infrastructure which was not habitable. The kind of infrastructure they were using was also prone to catching fire which could lead to huge losses by traders therefore, the modern shelter to be constructed would help provide a safe environment for them,’’ he said
He said the police post in Malembeka area would be done at K753, 920 would help provide security for the members of the public in the area as well as their property.
“The wall fence at Nkana School is costing K753, 281 and will help the school from being encroached upon as well as help the school provide security for the institution,”he said.
NAIROBI – Two activists have moved to a Nairobi court seeking to invalidate a law that stops retired presidents from participating in active politics or holding leadership positions in political parties.
Peter Agoro and Damon Onyango want the court to quash Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, saying it is discriminatory and limits one’s constitutional right to make political choices.
The legal provision being challenged provides that “a retired President shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as President.”
The duo want the court to quash the section of the Act, which was passed in 2003 arguing that it contravenes the constitution and is therefore invalid.
“Every person is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law and the implicit or implied limitation under section 6 of the presidential retirement Benefits Act is in contravention of the constitution and is therefore, invalid,” said the petition filed on Thursday at the Milimani Law Courts.
A faction of Jubilee Party kicked out retired President Uhuru Kenyatta as party leader early this week and threatened to expel him from the party for alleged gross misconduct.
The faction led by East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega later named nominated MP Sabina Chege as the acting party leader, pending a national delegates’ convention.
In the petition, the activists argue that the section of the law contravenes the constitution and is therefore, invalid.
They say the petition is premised on the guidance of Article 294) of the constitution, which states that, “Any law, including customary law that is inconsistent with this constitution is void to the extent of the inconsistency and any act or omission in contravention of this constitution of this constitution is invalid.”
Agoro says in an affidavit that Article 38 of the constitution gives every citizen the right to make political choices, including the right to form, participate in the forming of a political party, participate in the activities of a political party, recruit or even campaign for a political party.
“That I am also aware that the bill of rights under the constitution of Kenya provides for sufficient protection against discretion of any kind,” Agoro said.
– DAILY NATION, Kenya.
For 60 years, doctors and scientists searched for a vaccine against a common virus that, while sometimes deadly, is little known to the public. The hunt is over.
A recent report has shown that over 42 percent of Zambians were being targeted by different types of fraud from September to December 2022.
New data published by global information and insights provider, TransUnion in its 2023 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report shows that Zambian consumers were primarily targeted by ‘smishing’ attacks, where fraudulent text messages attempt to trick them into revealing personal data.
Additionally, 36 percent of targeted Zambians experienced attempts to lure them into money mule scams, where they were solicited to transfer or move illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.
During the same time, 35 percent of targeted Zambians experienced “phishing” attempts, where fraudulent emails, websites or social posts attempted to steal their data, while 31 percent experienced “vishing attempts,” where fraudulent callers tried to get them to reveal personal information.
All this has been attributed to the explosion of digital transactions, accelerated adoption of digital technologies, and increasing appetites for faster access to funds and credit.
Digital fraud can have a number of serious consequences, both for victims and businesses. These can include financial losses, damage to reputation.
There are many different types of digital fraud, but some of the most common include: Phishing Attacks, Cyber Espionage, Data Theft, and Online Scams.
Phishing Attacks: In a phishing attack, scammers send emails or texts purporting to be from a legitimate organisation in an attempt to trick people into giving them sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Cyber Espionage: This is where criminals try to gain access to sensitive information by infiltrating computer networks.
Data Theft: This is where criminals steal sensitive data such as customer records or trade secrets.
Online Scams: Online scams are typically attempting to defraud people of their money. They can take many different forms, but some of the most common include fake online auctions, pyramid schemes, and bogus investment schemes.
Digital fraud can have serious consequences for both individuals and businesses.
It is important to be aware of the risks and take steps to protect yourself. If you believe you have been a victim of digital fraud, you should report it to the authorities.
Digital fraud is a problem businesses have been facing since the advent of e-commerce in the 1990s, and its threat only increases with each passing year.
But what is causing digital fraud to rise year over year? From current trends and consumer attitudes to technological enhancements and more sophisticated tactics, here are some of the reasons digital fraud is rapidly increasing:
Chaos caused by the global Covid-19 crisis: Opportunistic hackers are taking advantage of the chaotic, global crisis to commit even more fraudulent activity.
A changing e-commerce land scape: Another trend impacting the rise in fraud is more retail purchases shifting online.
Point of sale (POS) lending has also become more common, allowing customers to make payments in instalments or take out loans for purchases both large and small.
While POS lending makes it easy for consumers to gain approval and make a purchase in a matter of minutes, it also opens the door to fraudsters.
The advent of new marketplace platforms: From social networks and dating apps to food delivery, alternative transportation, and vacation rentals, digital channels have revolutionized almost every industry.
With the growing number of marketplace platforms and services available and their widespread popularity – especially in recent months – fraudsters have shifted their tactics to take advantage of rising in-app and online marketplace purchases.
Payments moving online: In addition to consumers transacting more in online marketplaces, they are also using peer-to-peer payment (P2P) and eWallet apps more often.
Users turn to these platforms to digitally split dinner checks with friends, send money to family members in other parts of the world, pay for services from a local vendor, and more. But with more than half of P2P transactions taking place between consumers and an unknown entity, the fraud risk is high.
Increasingly digital banking services: Today’s consumers demand more online and mobile services from their financial institutions. As a result, legacy banks are going digital.
They are doing more account onboarding and transaction approvals online and deemphasizing in-person transactions, which makes it harder to verify identities.
Also in response to consumer demands, a new breed of “challenger banks” – born and doing business entirely in the online world – have emerged and are differentiating themselves by providing easy-to-use and digital-native experiences.
A majority of these institutions’ customers are those who have “thin file” credit histories (i.e., don’t have much credit data). Less data means a greater risk of fraud.
New consumer expectations: Today’s consumers also expect their data to be secure. Yet they will abandon any transaction that takes too long, requires too much data, or is too complex.
In fact, 92 percent of consumers expect a fast, frictionless experience while also getting one that is as trustworthy and secure as possible.
These steep expectations are causing banks and retailers to juggle preventing losses with keeping fraud prevention measures from rejecting good customers and transactions.
Cybercriminals understand the struggle these organisations face and take advantage of those that fail to strike the right balance of secure, yet frictionless customer experiences.
More sophisticated fraud tactics: Due to an increasing number of data breaches over recent years, fraudsters can more easily access PII (personally identifiable information) and use it against consumers.
For instance, fraudsters combine real and fake data (such as an address from one person mixed with another’s social security number) to create new, synthetic identities that are harder to detect.
Then, they establish open bank accounts and cards, acting like legitimate customers.
Once they have established strong credit scores, the fraudsters ask for higher credit limits or larger loans and simply stop paying.
Unclear legal jurisdiction of cross-border fraud. Global commerce gives today’s online retailers and marketplaces an opportunity to reach even more customers.
Forrester estimates cross-border e-commerce sales will reach US$627 billion in 2022, which would represent 20 percent of all e-commerce. However, cross-border transactions don’t come without some risk.
Because they typically encompass multiple countries, it is difficult for individual jurisdictions to properly monitor for fraud risk. Further, data privacy and protection regulations vary across regions – if they exist at all – making it even easier for fraudsters to commit cross-border transaction crimes.
Technological advancements: Today, fraud has also accelerated and grown even more sophisticated due to the rise of e-commerce, mobile payments, and computing power.
Many of the same technologies that companies rely on to innovate and rapidly introduce new products and services are also being adopted by fraudsters.
Criminals can more easily commit fraud using cheap, on demand compute power or deploy algorithms using machine learning that are subtler and more capable of manipulating fraud detection systems.
The traditional rules-based fraud prevention systems that organisations have relied on for years now struggle to keep up.
With all these factors contributing to the rise of digital fraud, it may seem like the odds are stacked against you to prevent it.
But by letting go of traditional rules-based risk assessment and instead using machine learning-based approaches, you can better recognise and combat digital fraud.
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