Rishi Sunak To Become Britain’s Next Prime Minister

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October 24, 2022

U.K’s Former Treasury chief, Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain’s next prime minister after winning the Conservative leadership race — and now faces the massive task of stabilizing the party and country during economic and political turbulence.

Sunak will be Britain’s first leader of colour, and the nation’s third leader just this year. He will take over as prime minister from Liz Truss, who quit last week after 45 tumultuous days in office, leaving a staggering economy and a shell-shocked and divided party.

His only rival, Penny Mordaunt, conceded and withdrew after failing to reach the nomination threshold of 100 Conservative lawmakers needed to stay in the race.

Sunak had been the firm favourite as the governing Conservatives sought stability at a time of immense economic challenges and after months of chaos that consumed the past two leaders.

Sunak lost out to Truss in the last Conservative election, but his party now appears eager for a safe pair of hands to tackle soaring energy and food prices and a looming recession. The politician steered the economy through the coronavirus pandemic, winning praise for his financial support for laid-off workers and shuttered businesses.

He promised “integrity, professionalism and accountability” if he formed a government — a veiled criticism of the scandal-tarred Johnson and the problem-plagued Truss.

Sunak will now be asked by King Charles III to form a government. He will become the prime minister in a handover of power from Truss later Monday or on Tuesday.

Sunak’s victory is historic: He is the first British prime minister of South Asian heritage, the first Hindu to hold the post and the youngest for 200 years.

His challenge is enormous as he tries to unite a demoralized and divided party that trails far behind the opposition in opinion polls, and seeks to shore up an economy reeling after Truss’ brief, experiment in libertarian economics.

Truss executed a series of U-turns and replaced her Treasury chief but faced a rebellion from lawmakers in her party that obliterated her authority.

In the lighting-quick contest to replace her, Sunak’s position strengthened after former leader Boris Johnson dramatically quit the race on Sunday night, ending a short-lived, high-profile attempt to return to the prime minister’s job he was ousted from little more than three months ago amid ethics scandals.

Johnson spent the weekend trying to gain support from fellow Conservative lawmakers after flying back from a Caribbean vacation. Late Sunday he said he had amassed the backing of 102 colleagues. But he was far behind Sunak in support, and said he had concluded that “you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament.”

The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. He led the party to a thumping election victory in 2019, but his premiership was clouded by scandals over money and ethics that eventually became too much for the party to bear.

Anambra Primary Healthcare Agency Join Forces With WDCs On UHC

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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October 24, 2022

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The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), held a one-day meeting with Ward Development Committees (WDCs) chairmen which is composed of representatives from each Village Development Committee (VDC) in an electoral ward of the state.

The Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu, said the essence of the meeting was for the WDCs to be better informed about the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) programme. The meeting which was held in Awka had in attendance 330 WDCs chairmen from across the state’s 21 LGAs.

She explained that the BHCPF was one percent of the consolidated revenue of the federation as contained in the National Health Act 2014, which main aim was to provide Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to Nigerians through the one-PHC per ward approach.

“The PHC is the first port of call for health in the community and as such must be accessible and affordable. BHCPF is premised on one PHC per ward which must be functional,” she said.

According to her, the BHCPF comes quarterly and it has rules and regulations guiding it which all have to abide by for the progress of PHCs. Her words for each quarter the BHCPF comes, there should be a business plan for its use. This is the reason it is essential for the WDCs and Officers-In-Charge (OICs) of facilities to work harmoniously in presenting projects that would be beneficial to the PHC and the community.

She said that knowledge was power and directed that copies of the BHCPF handbooks be distributed to each WDC chairman so that they could study it carefully to know their roles and responsibilities. She then urged the WDCs to come up with ideas and solutions that would help move PHCs forward.

The Director, Community Health Services Department, Dr. Frank Umeh, urged the WDCs to air their thoughts on ways to move PHCs forward as it would aid to bring development to their communities, according to him, a healthy mind was a wealthy mind. He noted that the meeting was necessary as some of the WDCs did not understand the essence and importance of the BHCPF.

He urged them to also ensure that they went through the handbook on BHCPF as it would throw more light on their questions and concerns as regards the fund. Dr Umeh emphasized the need for WDCs and OICs to work harmoniously to aid in attracting progress to the PHCs in their respective communities.

Mrs Queeneth Ogueri, a representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), while noting that the BHCPF was a great opportunity for communities to develop their PHCs, urged the WDCs to make good use of it. She emphasized that the programme cut across all the states of the nation.

Mrs Ogueri who was in the state to monitor preparations on the upcoming Measles Campaign, also sensitized the WDCs who are gatekeepers in their communities, to encourage mothers/caregivers to participate in the upcoming vaccination exercise.

In a vote of thanks, the WDC Onitsha North LGA, Mr Eugene Emembolu, commended the Agency for organizing the programme, noting that it exposed them to a lot of things concerning the BHCPF.

He assured that they would continue to put in their best to ensure the success and growth of their health facilities, as well as good health for their people and the entire nation.

I’m not running for UK’s PM position’- Boris Johnson

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 23, 2022

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Former UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on Sunday night says he is not running for the PM position.

There have been speculations that Johnson is staging a comeback after Liz Truss quit the PM position last Thursday.

In a statement, the former PM said in the last few days he had been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that he should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.

“I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.

“A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the Government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow,” he said.

According to him, there is a very good chance that he would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that he could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.

“But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.

“And though I have reached out to both Rishi (Sunak) and Penny (Mordaunt) – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.

“Therefore, I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds. “I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” he said.

Indian Rocket Launches 36 OneWeb Satellites

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Angel Gimalo

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October 23, 2022

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London-based satellite company, OneWeb, is back on track with the launch of another 36 spacecraft for its global broadband internet system.

The platforms went up on a GSLV rocket from Sriharikota island in India.

OneWeb’s efforts to deploy its telecommunications network had been on hold since March when it was forced to suspend use of Russian Soyuz rockets.

Sunday’s flight brings the number of satellites now in orbit above the Earth to 462.

This is more than 70% of the total OneWeb needs to achieve worldwide coverage with its first-generation constellation.

The firm, part owned by the British government, expects to complete the roll-out in the middle of next year.

OneWeb’s first-generation broadband network needs about 650 satellites for global service
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), India’s largest and most capable rocket, lifted clear of the Satish Dhawan spaceport in the state of Andhra Pradesh at 00:07 on Sunday morning (19:37 BST, Saturday).

It took an hour and a half to get all the satellites unloaded at an altitude of 600km.

It will be some weeks before the ion engines on the spacecraft move them to their operational, 1,200km-high, polar orbits.

The situation for OneWeb was looking very uncertain back in March.

The company’s plans were knocked off course by the war in Ukraine.

The conflict, and the resulting Western sanctions against Russia, led to the firm losing access to Russian Soyuz rockets.

With only two-thirds of its satellites in orbit, OneWeb had to move quickly to secure rides on other carriers. Deals were struck with American rocket providers SpaceX and Relativity Space, and India’s New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of India’s space agency, Isro, which markets the GSLV.

OneWeb is intent on merging its operations with Paris-based Eutelsat

OneWeb is already offering high-speed broadband connections to beta customers above 50 degrees North and South.

This latest launch and another before the end of the year will pull coverage closer to the equator.

“We need to get these launches away that we’re doing before Christmas, and that will enable us to turn on the service from 25 degrees North and 25 degrees South. Then we’ll complete the roll-out of the constellation by spring, which enables us to complete global commercial service by the end of next year,” OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson said.

The big news since March has been the proposed merger between OneWeb and Paris-headquartered Eutelsat.

The French firm operates telecommunications spacecraft higher in the sky in what’s termed Geostationary Orbit, at 36,000km in altitude. It is one of the biggest distributors in the world of direct-to-home TV.

The merger plan is currently working its way through the competition and regulatory approval process.

Beautiful Nigeria: Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake, Oyo State

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 23, 2022

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Located in Southwest region of Nigeria with Its capital in Ibadan, Oyo State was created in 1976 from Western State, and included Ọsun State, which was split off in 1991.

Oyo State covers approximately an area of 28,454 square kilometers and is ranked 14th by size.

The landscape consists of old hard rocks and dome shaped hills, which rise gently from about 500 meters in the southern part and reaching a height of about 1,200 metres above sea level in the northern part.

Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun State, and to the southwest by Ogun State and the Republic of Benin.

Ado Awaye Suspended Lake
Iyake suspended lake also referred to as Ado- Awaye Suspended Lake is said to be the only Suspended Lake in Africa and second in the world.

It is located at Ado-Awaye, a town about 20mins drive from Iseyin in Oyo.

The view of the lake at the top of Ado-Awaye mountains is amazingly breathtaking.

Once Upon A Time – October 23 – 1981 – U.S. National Debt Hits $1 trillion

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 23, 2022

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42 BC Roman Republican civil wars: Second Battle of Philippi – Brutus’s army is decisively defeated by Mark Antony and Octavian. Brutus commits suicide.

1911 1st aerial reconnaissance mission is flown by an Italian pilot over Turkish lines during the Italo-Turkish War

1942 During WWII, Britain launches major offensive at El Alamein, Egypt

1981 US national debt hits $1 trillion

2001 The Provisional Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland commences disarmament after peace talks

Historical Events Today
Today in Film & TV
1941 Walt Disney’s animated film “Dumbo” released

Today in Music
2015 Adele releases her single “Hello” – becomes 1st song with more than a million downloads in 1st week (1.1m)

MORE FACTS…
1091 Tornado (possible T8/F4) strikes the heart of London killing two and demolishing the wooden London Bridge (OS 17 Oct)

1854 English newspaper “The Times” gives precise British positions in Crimea during Crimean War

Famous Weddings
1918 Actor Charlie Chaplin (29) weds Mildred Harris (17)

1938 SS Officer Amon Göth (29) weds Anny Geiger in a civil ceremony

1943 55th UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George (80) weds second wife Frances Stevenson

Exploring Pira Delal, Republic Of Iraq

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 23, 2022

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Pira Delal, known as well as Zakho Bridge or Pirdí Delal, is an ancient bridge which is located in the town of Zakho, which is part of the Zakho District of the Dohuk Governorate, in the northwestern part of the Kurdistan Region, within the Republic of Iraq.

The name is derived from the Kurdish language, where Pir means bridge, while Delal means dear or beautiful.

This name is reflected from the view the locals have towards the bridge, even though to some people it does not represent something appealing, nor aesthetically pleasing.

The date of construction is not well known, even though it is believed that it was first built during the Roman era, while the present structure appears to be from a later date, most likely from the time of the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Abbasid Caliphate that ruled the area between the years 750 and 1517.

The total length is 115 meters (377 feet), while being 5 meters (16 feet) wide, it spans over the Little Khabur River with its 5 different arches.

As there are many legends and tales behind the construction of this magnificent piece of architecture, a more accepted one is where a very gifted craftsman built it, and in order not to construct another one as magnificent as this one, his hands were amputated, and even his one of his nieces is buried under the bridge as a sacrificial offering.

Throughout the history, many other bridges were constructed in Zakho, however, Pira Delal still captivates and allures people to come and cross it, and fair amount of pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist traffic can be seen, while those adventurous enough are diving from the highest point into the tiny pools of Little Khabur River.

All in all, this carved limestone bridge is something extravagant from the small town in the northern part of Iraq, that has seen a lot of history, and it will most certainly stay here for an even longer historic period.

Babajide Sanwoolu Unveils 62 Brand New Fire Apparatuses For Lagos State

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 23, 2022

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The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday unveiled 62 brand new fire apparatus, consisting of fire trucks and support vehicles.

In a social media post, the governor showed a video of the trucks and support vehicles lined up on the streets of Lagos.

He said the purchase was made to empower the Lagos State Fire Department.

The governor wrote, “In order to empower the Lagos State fire department, we took delivery of 62 brand new fire apparatuses, consisting of fire trucks and support vehicles.”