Bitcoin jumps 8%
After five straight days of consecutive losses, Bitcoin has jumped 8 percent on Monday, setting it on course to reverse the dip.
Bitcoin has experienced a massive drop over the past few weeks, having enjoyed a significant rise earlier in the year.
The most sought-after cryptocurrency in the world lost over 19 percent from its April 14 record of almost $65,000. Still, the cryptocurrency has risen over 80% this year. Although Bitcoin has risen over 80 percent this year buoyed by the growing adoption by investors and companies such as Tesla.
South Africa to resume J&J rollout
After two weeks since the administering of the Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccines was suspended due to concerns linked to blood clots, South Africa will resume the use of the vaccine on April 28, as it has been declared safe.
South Africa’s health minister, Zweli Mkhize said in a statement that it has been established there is a one-in-a-million chance of getting the clot after the vaccine and that it appears that women between the ages of 18 and 48 years old are particularly at risk.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective, easy to use and it is still considered safer to get vaccinated with it than not to,” Mkhize said
South Africa is the worst-hit country in Africa with almost 1.58 million cases and over 54,000 death cases.
The country’s health regulator approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine in early April and the government has ordered 31 million doses, with the first commercial batch of 1.1 million doses due to be dispatched in the coming days.
South Africa has also secured 30 million doses of Pfizer’s two-shot vaccine and expects the first 650,000 doses to arrive before the second phase of the country’s vaccination programme, which starts on May 17 and targets the elderly and essential workers among others.
More than 30 Nigerian soldiers killed in militant attack
Militants overrun an army base in north-eastern Nigeria, killing more than 30 soldiers before pulling back in the face of airstrikes, according to Reuters.
Rising insecurity across Nigeria has killed scores of soldiers and civilians this year. Just over a month ago, about 30 soldiers were killed in four attacks by Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria.
The attackers were believed to belong to the regional offshoot of the Islamic State. They hit the base in Mainok town in northeast Borno state on Sunday afternoon, three soldiers and a local resident told Reuters.
The sources told Reuters that 33 soldiers were killed in Sunday’s attack. The militants wore military camouflage and arrived in around 16-gun trucks and six mine-resistant military vehicles, one of the soldiers said. After several hours, they captured the base, and soldiers called in airstrikes.
Nigeria retains top spot on bitcoin interest despite the restriction
Nigeria continues to be the top country in the world with the most interest in bitcoin in the past year. This is despite limits placed on the trade of the cryptocurrency by the financial regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in February. Nigeria has ranked number 1 in the world on Google trends with a 100 percent interest in Bitcoin.
US to send aid to India amid pandemic surge
The U.S. will send support to India’s government and health care workers as the country’s COVID-19 surge is shattering world records.
The number of cases across the country surged by a record daily rise of 349,691 on Sunday, for a total of 16.96 million cases, including 192,311 deaths, the health ministry said.
A growing chorus of doctors and public-health experts are urging President Joe Biden to donate coronavirus vaccine doses to India, which has rapidly deteriorated into the epicenter of the pandemic.
India sent help to the United States when they were in a similar situation in 2020 and the US is set to return the favour.
“Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need,” National Security Council spokesperson Emile Horne said in a statement.
“To help treat COVID-19 patients and protect front-line health workers in India, the United States has identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will immediately be made available for India,” Horne added. “
