The Federal Government says it is working to increase mortgages provided to contributors under the National Housing Fund to the tune of N712bn for the financing of about 100,000 housing units across the country.

It disclosed this at the inaugural Board and Management Retreat of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in Abuja, adding that efforts were on to deliver one million affordable homes to Nigerians under the National Housing Programme.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, FMBN, Ayodeji Gbeleyi, said the bank’s board had approved a strategy plan that would increase the amount of mortgages to be provided for the construction of houses for Nigerians.

He said, “In line with the mandate of the Federal Government to expand the housing sector in general and deepen the mortgage sub-sector in particular, the bank’s board approved a five-year strategy plan covering the period 2020-2024 with focus on certain key performance indicators.

“The KPIs include growing the National Housing Fund contributions from N49bn in 2018 to N285bn per annum, increase contributors from about 4.8 million in 2018 to 31.6 million in 2024, to finance a cumulative of 100,000 housing units and grow mortgages to N712bn in 2024.”

He said some of the measures being promoted towards achieving the targets of the five-year strategy plan included deepening mortgage penetration by facilitating access to homeownership, growing and diversifying funding mix through diversification of funding sources, among others.

Gbeleyi stated that in order to address the housing deficit in Nigeria, the Federal Government had initiated the National Housing Programme, adding that the NHP’s target was to provide millions of homes across the country.

State employees in many parts of Iraq have been given a day off work as temperatures rise to above 50C (122F) in several areas, local media report.

Several of the country’s cities topped the list of the hottest places in the world on Thursday.

As a result of the scorching heat, at least 10 provinces suspended work for most state employees, Kurdistan24 said.

A heatwave in the country has been ongoing since mid-July and is forecast to continue.

Burning heat is not unusual in Iraq, as one of the hottest places on Earth. But residents say conditions are worsening.

In the southern port of Basra, where temperatures are particularly high, a four-day holiday for state employees has begun.

Though offices are shut for many employees, many say they will continue to suffer as regular power cuts mean that air conditioning is often unavailable.

This year stifling dust storms have also increased, obstructing the sky and causing the suspension of services.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

Iraq has been ranked as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the Middle East by the UN.

A volcano erupted in Iceland near the capital Reykjavik on Wednesday, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said as live images on local media showed lava spewing out of a fissure in the ground.

The eruption was some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Reykjavik, near the site of the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano that erupted for six months in March-September 2021, mesmerising tourists and spectators who flocked to the scene.

“Eruption has started near Fagradalsfjall. Exact location has yet to be confirmed,” the IMO, which monitors seismic activity, wrote on Twitter.

It later said the eruption started in the valley of “Meradalir, about 1.5 km north of Stora Hrut”.

While there was no ash plume, the IMO said it was “possible that pollution can be detected due to the gas release”.

No airline flights were currently affected, Iceland’s national airport authority told AFP.

Mount Fagradalsfjall belongs to the Krysuvik volcanic system on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland.

Iceland has 32 volcanic systems currently considered active, the highest number in Europe. The country has had an eruption every five years on average.

The vast island near the Arctic Circle straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack on the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

The shifting of these plates is in part responsible for Iceland’s intense volcanic activity.

Pakistani farmer Sajid Ali wades glumly through his flooded cotton field after days of torrential monsoon rains let up, surveying the irreversible damage.

“My crop is almost totally destroyed, all six acres of it. There is no hope left, because even now the fields are covered in four feet of water,” he said from Masoo Burburi, a tiny village in the province of Sindh.

Southern Pakistan has been hit hard by floods after unusually heavy monsoon rains this year. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of homes have been swept away.

Around 50 villages in Sindh were inundated, reported local media, after flash floods from the neighbouring province of Balochistan flowed over, destroying thousands of acres of agricultural land and orchards.

Ali’s village was one of those hit hard. Around 60 families call it home, mostly engaging in agricultural work, planting cotton, wheat and chilies.

The region has been suffering from drought for decades and the monsoon rains were always welcome. But this year, it was too much of a good thing and now, farmers like Ali are at a loss as to what to do.

“I had taken out a loan for sowing this crop. But now I have to go and work on someone else’s land because we can’t make ends meet on what is left of the crop,” Ali said.

According to Ali, his crop was worth around $7,500, over four times Pakistan’s current per capita income of $1,666, according to the country’s statistics bureau.

Rana Shakeel Ahmed, a village elder, described the loss as substantial and said no help from authorities had been forthcoming.

Rescue authorities have said help had been delayed because large amounts of infrastructure had been destroyed by continuous and heavy rainfall, with a road linking Sindh and Balochistan completely cut off.

Anson Bay is a secluded and quite impressive bay and beach that are located in the northwestern part of the external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean, Norfolk Island.

Nestled at the bottom of steep cliffs just off Anson Bay Road, the beach is a little bit less accessible when compared to other beaches on the island.

As Norfolk Island was once part of the British kingdom, it was at the end of 18 century that the British colonial forces started organizing the young colony, and Lt Phillip Gidley King officially named the bay in 1788 after the Member of Parliament, George Anson.

Even though it is small in size, it is certainly one of the most amazing places on the island mainly due to the extreme contrast of the Norfolk Pines, the golden sand, and the turquoise sea that brings some white color with every incoming wave.

As there are some strong waves, swimming is not advised, in addition to the unpredictable rip tides and a deep underwater drop a short distance from the shoreline.

That is why sometimes the beach is visited by surfers who enjoy the grandiose waves that are making them feel like on another wavy planet.

There is a lookout point with barbecue facilities from where visitors can admire the wonderful landscape views of Anson Bay and Anson Bay Beach.

For those who would like to be a bit more adventurous, there is a winding trail that is quite steep and can be challenging in places, nonetheless, the end result is very rewarding with the mesmerizing sandy expanse of Anson Bay Beach.

When the time spent here is very well organized, visitors can have an amazing day at the beach, and then when the sun starts setting, they could go to the lookout and admire the colorful sunset views.

In addition, the bay is part of the Anson Bay Reserve which was declared as such on 4 February 1937 and covers an area of some 5.45 hectares (13 acres), making it certainly an untouched nature where only photos should be taken, and nothing except footprints to be left.

All in all, being the most spectacular bay and beach on the island, Anson Bay shall definitely allure visitors to experience something that might be usual for Norfolk Island, but very surreal for the everyday traveler.