Monday, 13 March 2017
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Iran blows US Fifth Fleet out of the water in animated film
Battle of the Persian Gulf II
A new animated film from Iran shows the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet being blown out of the water in the latest effort to build up the legend of the country’s most celebrated general.
Director Farhad Azimi told local media his 80-minute “Battle of the Persian Gulf II” is “a response to the gibberish of Hollywood and American politicians”.
Four years in the making, its expensive graphics, thumping soundtrack and barrages of missiles are a slick addition to Iran’s propaganda efforts, clearly aimed at teenage boys.
The star of the show is a commander whose salt-and-pepper beard was explicitly modelled on Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s external operations arm, the Qods Force.
Soleimani heads Iran’s operations in Syria, Iraq and beyond, and has become a prominent fixture in the media in recent years, often pictured on the frontline or alongside supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
His high profile has led to speculation he may emerge as a presidential candidate one day, although he has so far denied any desire to move into politics.
“Battle of the Persian Gulf II” cost some five billion rials ($140,000 130 million euros) to make, part of increasing military propaganda efforts that in many ways mirror the close involvement of the Pentagon in Hollywood’s more gung-ho blockbusters.
It comes at a time of mounting tensions after President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian boats harassing the US Navy — a regular occurrence in the Gulf, according to the Pentagon — would be “shot out of the water”.
Azimi said he wanted to highlight Iran’s defensive capabilities.
“If one bullet is fired by the enemy toward Iran, we will respond firmly,” he said.
The film has premiered in Iran’s second city Mashhad and is due to arrive in Tehran next week. The makers are also hoping to show the film in China and Russia.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n1X6uJ
Monday, 20 February 2017
Government to establish international onion market
The Kebbi State Government on Monday said it would construct an international onion market at Aliero Local Government area of the state.
Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu, quoted the governor as making the promise during a visit to Aliero on Monday.
He said the governor, who addressed onion farmers and marketers at the onion market in Aliero, promised that the international market would be established in the area considering the abundance of the commodity in the area.
“The commodity is being transported to other parts of the country and neighbouring countries of Benin and Niger Republic in commercial quantities,” he said.
Bagudu told the traders that the old onion market would be converted to a motor park to prevent frequent accidents and congestion on the busy Jega-Sokoto highway.
The leader of the onion market, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, said he welcomed the idea and commended the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aliero is one of the largest producers of the onion in the country.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kZs7yL
Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Reno to Lai Mohammed: You’re a liar for saying killing of Christians in Nigeria a fallacy
Reno Omokri has said that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed is a liar for saying that the killing of Christians in Nigeria is a fallacy.
The post Reno to Lai Mohammed: You’re a liar for saying killing of Christians in Nigeria a fallacy appeared first on Vanguard News.
Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2kCQGCf
Donald Trump’s travel ban to be or not to be: Court rules today
The U.S. Justice Department will face off with opponents in a federal appeals court in San Francisco on Tuesday over the fate of President Donald Trump’s temporary travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, his most controversial act since taking office last month.
Last Friday, U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle suspended Trump’s ban, opening a window for people from the seven affected countries to enter the country.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco will hear arguments over whether to restore the ban from Justice Department lawyers and opposing attorneys for the states of Minnesota and Washington at 3 p.m. PST.
In a tweet on Monday night, Trump said: “The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is very real, just look at what is happening in Europe and the Middle-East. Courts must act fast!”
Trump has said the travel measures are designed to protect the country against the threat of terrorism. He has derided Robart, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, as a “so-called judge.”
In a brief filed on Monday, the Justice Department said the suspension of Trump’s order was too broad and “at most” should be limited to people who were already granted entry to the country and were temporarily abroad, or to those who want to leave and return to the United States.
Opponents say the 90-day ban barring entry for citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and imposing a 120-day halt to all refugees, is illegal. The state of Washington argues it has suffered harm, saying some students and faculty at state universities had been stranded overseas because of the ban.
The Republican president’s Jan. 27 executive order sparked protests and chaos at U.S. and overseas airports in the weekend that followed.
All the people who had carried out fatal attacks inspired by Islamist militancy in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks had been U.S. citizens or legal residents, the New America think tank said. None came to the United States or were from a family that emigrated from one of the countries listed in the travel ban, it said.
Trump faces an uphill battle in the liberal-leaning San Francisco court. Two members of three-judge panel that will hear the arguments were appointed by former Democratic Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, and one was appointed by Bush.
Appeals courts are generally leery of upending the status quo, which in this case is the lower court’s suspension of the ban.
Opponents of the ban received far more filings in support of their position than the Department of Justice. Washington state’s challenge was backed by about a dozen friends-of-the- court briefs submitted by at least 17 state attorneys general, more than 100 companies, and about a dozen labor and civil rights groups. About a dozen conservative groups supported the government in three such briefs.
The appeals court was focusing on the narrow question of whether the district court had grounds to put the order on hold. The bigger legal fight over whether Trump had authority to issue the order will be addressed later in the litigation.
The post Donald Trump’s travel ban to be or not to be: Court rules today appeared first on Vanguard News.
Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2kCV1Fw
The Search for Lagos best Chemist Kicks off with the PZCCC 2016/2017 Competition
PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge Competition is Nigeria’s number one physical science contest that is designed to stimulate and inspire the learning of Chemistry amongst secondary school students. The Chemistry competition is an initiative of the PZ Cussons Foundation, and it is powered by two foremost family brands Premier Soap and Nunu Milk from the stable of PZ Cussons Nigeria.
The 3rd Edition of the Competition was won by 14 year old Anthony Ekene Ike-Okoro, an SS3student of Top Grade Secondary School Surulere, Lagos. He emerged as the overall winner with a total score of 88.8 per cent. He won a cash prize of N700, 000, a laptop and gold medal, and his Chemistry teacher Mr John OdinibeNnnani who is currently preparing and training his candidates for this year, went home with N100,000.00 while the school won a trophy and chemistry textbooks worth N100,000.00. In an interview, Anthony narrated how his elder brother who was the 3rd runner up at the maiden edition of the competition, encouraged and gave him the needed motivation to become champion. He also added that a key driver for him was his love for chemistry and science in general.
The PZCCC that was launched in 2013 as an initiative of the PZ Cussons Foundation, has won PZ Cussons Nigeria a couple of awards from the LASG Ministry of Education and reputable Chemistry Associations.
The 4th Edition of the competition is open to Senior Secondary School students in SS2 class and schoolingin Lagos. This edition of the contest comes with a twist as teachers will also be competing alongside students.
In addition, schools are encouraged to support girl child education by registering atleast one female student. Registered students should come to designated examination centers with signed forms by their various schools.
The competition is in 4 stages
· a written quiz for all shortlisted candidates
· a written quiz for the best 100 from stage one
· Practical for the best 24 candidates from stage two. (Only the best six from the third stage shall qualify for the Final stage)
· For finals: 6 qualifying candidates will ‘slug’ it out on stage in front of a live audience for a chance to be crowned the PZCCC 2016 / 2017 champion.
To participate, schools are advised to register their best three (3) SS2 students including a female student.
The competition is opened to both Private and Public schools.
Click here to either download or fill the form online. You can also pick up a registration form from any Educational District Office or the LASG, Ministry of Education.Registration is FREE.
BE A WINNER!!!!!!!!
The post The Search for Lagos best Chemist Kicks off with the PZCCC 2016/2017 Competition appeared first on Vanguard News.
Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2kmKAXY
Petrol scarcity: black market will soon disappear from Yola, says DPR
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Yola, on Tuesday assured that sale of petrol by black marketers would soon disappear.
Mr Mohammed Alaku, the Zonal Controller of DPR for Taraba and Adamawa told newsmen in Yola that scarcity of the product being experienced had been brought under control.
He said that the synergy between the department and the security agencies would soon yield positive result of curbing the activities of black marketers.
He also said that more petrol stations were dispensing the product and urged members of the public not to patronise black marketers.
“The fuel scarcity here is under control and the issue of black market will soon be over.
“The synergy between the DPR and the security agencies in monitoring the sale of petrol to black marketers is yielding positive result.
“Part of measures to discourage them from exploiting the public is to stop buying from them.
`Their activities are still visible because the public still patronise them and that gives them courage.
“As people become aware of their exploitative tendencies, they will get discouraged and stop buying from them,’’ Alaku said.
According to him, the DPR has the mandate to force the filling stations, but not the black marketers to sell the product to the public.
The controller noted that the task of apprehending black marketers must involve security operatives.
However, many petrol stations remained closed with the attendant long queues.
The post Petrol scarcity: black market will soon disappear from Yola, says DPR appeared first on Vanguard News.
Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2lkQ1oU
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Medview Airline to be listed on NSE on Jan. 31
Med-View Airline
Medview Airline, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing flag carriers, will be listed by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Jan. 31, a senior official said on Sunday in Lagos.
Medview’s Executive Director, Business Development, Mr Isiaq Na-Allah,said the listing would enable the airline to expand its route network and acquire more aircraft to boost its operations.
According to him, Medview is the first airline to list its shares on the local bourse in the last decade.
Harping on the advantages, Na-Allah said the growth projection and market forecast informed the airline’s decision to be listed on the NSE to give members of the public the opportunity to be part of the airline through share holding.
He named Kedari Capital Ltd and Trustyields Securities Ltd as the financial advisers/issuing house and stockbrokers to Medview Airline in respect of the listing.
“Medview Airline (christened “The Airline of Nigeria”), started from a humble beginning 12 years ago as a cargo, tour and charter operator.
“Not contented with tickets and destination sales, the airline ventured into Hajj operations.
“The airline’s forays into pilgrims airlift has revolutionised pilgrims handling and airlift in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region.
“Today Medview is the benchmark and the airline of choice when it comes to Hajj operations in Nigeria.
“It is ranked number one by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for hitch-free Hajj operations,” Na-Allah said in a statement, copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Buoyed by the success of Medview Travel and Tours, Hajj operations, charter flights, he said the airline upped the ante and went into scheduled operations in 2012, starting with domestic routes.
According to him, just within four years, the airline has become a household name in the aviation industry.
“Within this short period, the airline has eight destinations – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Yola, Enugu,Owerri and Maiduguri on its domestic network, and had flown over two million passengers.
“To its credit, Medview Airline has recorded a steady growth of 20 per cent in turnover. This gave it the confidence to go international, and now operates flights to London, Jeddah, Accra, Monrovia and Freetown.
“The airline has secured all necessary approvals to link all the countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the next few months,” Na-Allah said.
He said also on the front burner was expansion on the international routes to United States via Baltimore, United Arab Emirates via Dubai with connections to Europe and the Far East through a code share airline partner.
Na-Allah said in recognition that aviation was global, the airline was in partnership with notable brands including Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, Hahn Air, Air Atlanta, Saudia Cargo, Ethiopian Airlines, Euro Atlantics and Amadeus.
He said: “the airline holds the necessary certification as a full-fledged carrier including Air Transport Licence (ATL), Air Operators Certificate (AOC), Air Carrier Permit (ACP) and the International Organisation Safety Assessment (IOSA) issued by the International Airlines Transport Association (IATA).”
According to him, the airline currently boasts of over two million passengers on its domestic routes and over 200,000 passengers on its international routes.
He said Medview Airline had conveyed 300,000 pilgrims to perform Hajj since 2007, while it had also carried 46 million tonnes of cargo annually since 2009.
Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2k5Aw47