Musings From Abroad

No mistakes! Ministers rehearse for death of the Queen

Ministers have taken charge of plans for the days following the Queen’s death for the first time. They led a secret Whitehall exercise last week to prepare for 10 days of national mourning

Published

6 years ago

July 1, 2018

Africa News Watch

Ministers have taken charge of plans for the days following the Queen’s death for the first time. They led a secret Whitehall exercise last week to prepare for 10 days of national mourning.

David Lidington, Theresa May’s deputy, chaired an extensive meeting on Thursday that also included the home secretary, Sajid Javid; Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons; and the Scottish secretary, David Mundell.

The exercise, dubbed “Castle Dove”, focused on “D+1”, the day after the Queen’s death, with ministers deciding when the prime minister would make public statements.

The exercise was not prompted by specific concerns about the Queen’s health, but it came in a week that the 92-year-old monarch missed a service at St Paul’s Cathedral because she was unwell.

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

3 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.