📰: *Venezuela to raise minimum wage despite economic crisis*

📰 *JX1*: *Venezuela to raise minimum wage despite economic crisis*

Venezuela is set to raise its minimum wage by 40%, in a move expected to worsen already high levels of inflation. The country is suffering from an economic crisis in which shortages of food and medicine are common. Venezuela's economy has been hit by falling oil revenue and the plummeting value of the Bolivar.

President Nicolas Maduro announced the wage increase in his end-of-year address. He said the move would "protect workers" from what he called an economic war on the socialist nation by the United States and others.

Earlier this year, the US imposed sanctions on President Maduro, labelling him "a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people". The year has been marred by widespread protests and violence in Venezuela, culminating in the creation of a constituent assembly of Mr Maduro's supporters.
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*Nigeria’s fuel shortage won’t affect Ghana – ACEP*

*Nigeria’s fuel shortage won’t affect Ghana – ACEP*

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has ruled out any impact of the fuel shortage in Nigeria on Ghana. The energy think tank explains that, Ghana’s decision to review downwards its sulphur content for imported petroleum products, limits it from importing fuel from Nigeria.

Nigeria has for the past three weeks been hit with fuel shortages, particularly in Lagos and Abuja. The development has left commuters and drivers stranded. The government is seeking to improve its refinery system and increase local supply going forward.

Mr. Boakye, however, explained to Citi Business News that the absence of a robust system to improve local production and supply of refined products could have triggered the massive impact of the shortage. In his view, the government should work to improve the local base so as not to lose the hindsight benefit of its local content laws.

*🇸🇦Saudi-Led Airstrikes💣 Kill 68 Civilians in 1⃣ Day of 🇾🇪Yemen's 'Absurd' War*

Sixty-eight civilians were killed in two separate air raids by the Saudi-led coalition in one day of Yemen’s “absurd” war, the United Nations has said. The first airstrike on Tuesday hit a crowded market in Taez province, killing 54 civilians, including eight children, and wounding 32 others, Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said in a statement.

The second raid was in the Red Sea province of Hodeida and killed 14 people from the same family. “I remain deeply disturbed by mounting civilian casualties caused by escalated and indiscriminate attacks throughout Yemen,” McGoldrick said. In addition to the casualties from Tuesday’s two air raids, another 41 civilians were killed and 43 wounded over the previous 10 days of fighting, he said.

The Arab coalition intensified its air campaign targeting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels after 19 December, when Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile the insurgents fired at the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

*Osun Workers Commence Strike, Block Secretariat*

*Osun Workers Commence Strike, Block Secretariat*

As Nigerian workers resume from the Christmas holiday this morning, civil servants in Osun have been barred from gaining entry into the Abere secretariat by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The NLC on Wednesday morning at about 7 am took over the entrance gate of the secretariat to ensure total compliance to its directive of going on an indefinite strike over the modulated workers salary being received for over two years now. The Leadership of the state NLC had last week directed their members not to return to work this week as they will no longer take half salary from the state government.

However, the chairman of the NLC, Jacob Adekomi, said the directive by the Head of Service, Festus Olowogboyega, that workers on Grade Level 1-7 resume work got the unions infuriated hence the resolve to ensure they turn any erring worker back home.

*Four Killed, 36 Escape In Akwa Ibom Jail Break*

*Four Killed, 36 Escape In Akwa Ibom Jail Break*

Four inmates were on Wednesday killed while 36 others escaped in a jailbreak at Ikot Ekpene Prison, in Akwa Ibom state. The spokesperson for the prison, Ogbajie Ogbajie in a statement on Thursday said that the prisoners attacked prison kitchen’s staff and proceeded to escape through the rear entrance of the prison.

“At about 11:47hrs on Wednesday, 27 December 2017, there was an attack on kitchen staff that were on duty at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa-Ibom State by some prisoners. “They seized an axe from fellow inmate attached to the kitchen, inflicting a deep cut to inmate’s head in the process and immediately made for the rear entrance to the prison. They broke the door with the axe and engaged the staff that chased after them in battle,” he said.

Ogbajie said further that seven of the fleeing inmates were recaptured while four others who were hit by gunshots died.

*Fuel Crisis: Senate suspends recess, summons Kachikwu, NNPC’s GMD, others*

*Fuel Crisis: Senate suspends recess, summons Kachikwu, NNPC’s GMD, others*

In a bid to end the ongoing fuel crisis, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, directed the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to cut short its recess and immediately convene a meeting with industry stakeholders.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa, who disclosed this in Abuja, said following the directive, the Committee has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Maikanti Baru and other relevant stakeholders in the petroleum sector to a crucial meeting on Thursday, January 4, 2018.