Crop Shortfall In Oklahoma Adds To Dire Global Wheat Supply Picture

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May 7, 2022

Rains this week in the U.S. Plains arrived too late to help much of the winter wheat in Oklahoma, the No. 2 U.S. producer of the grain, where farmers will soon begin harvesting the smallest crop in eight years, a state wheat official said.

A crop shortfall in Oklahoma adds to a dire global wheat supply picture after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shut down ports and knocked the No. 5 exporter off the market.

The commission this week projected Oklahoma’s winter wheat crop at 57.05 million bushels, about half the size of last year’s crop and the smallest since 2014.

The commission forecast an average winter wheat yield of 23.5 bushels per acre, also the state’s lowest since 2014.

About 69% of the U.S. crop was in an area experiencing drought as of May 3, the USDA has said, including most major wheat areas of Oklahoma and top producer Kansas.

Heavy rains this week could actually threaten the state’s wheat by either knocking over-mature plants and making them difficult to harvest, or raising the risk of diseases for plants that are still developing.

Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency Seeks Collaboration On Flood Prevention

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Angel Gimalo

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May 7, 2022

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The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has called for more collaboration with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), to address the issue of flooding in the nation’s capital.

Mr Abbas Idriss, Director-General, FEMA, made the appeal when he led members of his management team on a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary, FCDA.

This is contained in a statement signed by Nkechi Isa, Head, Public Relations Unit, FEMA, on Friday, May 6, 2022, in Abuja.

The Director-General said that it was important to strengthen their collaboration as it would reduce the devastating impact of floods in the FCT.

According to him, previous assessment showed that there had been infractions, diversion of waterways as well as other distortions to the Abuja Master plan.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Mr Shehu Ahmad, assured of his commitment to work with FEMA to remove all illegal developments along flood plains.

He said that some developers were fond of erecting structures in undesignated areas, which in turn, distorts the master plan.

He added that a joint stakeholders conference would be organised to address all the perceived violations before the onset of the rainfall.

Germany Supports India On Forest Conservation

By

Angel Gimalo

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May 7, 2022

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Germany and India are intensifying their cooperation on forest conservation.

This makes an important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and her Indian counterpart Bhupender Yadav signed a joint Declaration of Intent to this end on the occasion of the 6th German-Indian governmental consultations this week. Germany will support India’s forest landscape restoration efforts via its International Climate Initiative (IKI).

India and Germany have been cooperating closely on climate issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for many years now.

The ministries’ joint declaration of intent on forest landscape restoration lays the foundation for intensifying cooperation.

Forest landscape restoration is a dynamic process aiming to restore ecological functionality, safeguard land productivity, protect biodiversity and contribute to climate change mitigation.

The project plans to restore the multitude of ecosystem services in already degraded forests in India so that these forests become more resilient to the climate crisis. The reforested unused land will simultaneously function as a carbon sink.

Under the “Bonn Challenge”, India has committed itself to restore 26 million hectares of forest landscape by the year 2030.

Germany wants to support India in achieving this goal. India faces enormous challenges in the fight against climate crisis and biodiversity loss, given the sheer size of the country and the diversity of its natural resources. It wants to raise its forest cover from 21 to 33 percent.

The country has the potential to restore 140 million hectares of forest landscape. The livelihoods of 300 million Indians also depend on forests.

Once Upon A Time – May 7 – 1867 – Swedish Chemist Alfred Nobel Patents Dynamite In England

By

Angel Gimalo

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May 7, 2022

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1429 English siege of Orleans broken by Joan of Arc and the French army

1867 Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel Patents Dynamite in England, the first of three patents he would receive for the explosive material

1912 Columbia University approves plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories, after established by Joseph Pulitzer

1915 RMS Lusitania sunk by German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland; 1198 lives lost

1939 Germany and Italy announce an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis

1945 World War II: Unconditional German surrender to the Allies signed by General Alfred Jodl at Rheims

1952 The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer

2017 Emmanuel Macron wins France’s presidential election defeating Marine Le Pen

Historical Events Today

Today In Film & TV

2017 “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” becomes the highest grossing Indian box office film ever earning $120 million

Today In Music

1824 Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th (Choral) Symphony, often regarded as his greatest work, premieres in Vienna

Today In Sport

1992 Champion Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. retires after winning 7,057 thoroughbred horse races

Other Facts

1846 First printed copies of “Poems” by Emily, Charlotte and Anne Brontë received, published under pseudonym of Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell (2 copies sold)

2012 Paeleoclimatological research claims dinosaur flatulence may have warmed the earth

Federal govt. to Take over Ebonyi State Medical Sciences Varsity- Buhari

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 6, 2022

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President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that the federal government will take over the management of the University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State, as a Federal Medical University.

The President stated this last night at a state dinner in his honour in Abakaliki, in response to a request by Governor Dave Umahi on the university located in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the State.

President Buhari told the people of Ebonyi that the process for the change of ownership of the university is on and ‘‘will be concluded soon.’’

He thanked the State government for the honour of naming the State International Airport and magnificent 4-way Light Tunnel after him.

President Buhari expressed confidence that these facilities and many more will further the frontiers of economic development in Ebonyi State in particular and the nation at large.

The president, who assured the government and people of Ebonyi State of the support of his administration to enable the Governor to accomplish his vision for the State, thanked them for the reception accorded him during the two-day State visit.

”Thank you for keeping faith with our administration’s development programmes and the manifestoes of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, he said.

The president recalled that the last time he visited the State in 2017 in the second quarter of the first tenure of Governor Umahi’s administration, he had witnessed ”the commencement of mind-blowing projects”.

Lauding the massive life-transforming projects executed by Umahi in the last seven years, the president told the governor: ”You have done your people proud. I am particularly amazed by the economic development records of the State under your administration, the wonderful network of roads, critical infrastructure and investment opportunities in the State.”

He also commended the State for emerging as the second overall best in fiscal performance in Nigeria and for soaring high in fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability in the use of public resources, saying: ”It shows you have zero tolerance for corruption and waste of public funds. Indeed, people of proven fiscal discipline and track records of performance are desired in our quest for nation building.”

Gov. Umahi, thanked the president for the various assistance to the state, as he pledged the support of Ebonyi people and indeed all South-east people, saying ”we value greatly this wonderful fatherly love and fair disposition to the plights of our people.”

Study reveals people who are more likely to die from prostate cancer

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Cleopatra Okohai

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May 6, 2022

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According to a new study released, every 10 centimetres (four inches) on a man’s waist increases his risk of dying from prostate cancer by seven per cent,

The study is the largest ever conducted on a possible link between obesity and the disease.

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the fourth most common overall, according to the World Health Organisation, but its relationship to obesity remains unclear.

To get a better idea of the size of the risk, researchers examined all the relevant studies published on the subject so far, which covered 2.5 million men, and analysed new data on more than 200,000 men in the UK.

With each five-point increase in body mass index (BMI), the risk of dying from prostate cancer rose by 10 percent, according to the study published in the journal BMC Medicine.

Aurora Perez-Cornago, a nutritional epidemiologist at Oxford University who led the research, said that if men shaved five points off of their BMI, there would be 1,300 fewer deaths from the cancer every year in the UK alone.

“The key message is: please, men, maintain a healthy weight,” Aurora said.

Previous research had suggested that stomach fat could be “more important for aggressive prostate cancer” than overall weight, the study said.

But Perez-Cornago said they found that “it doesn’t seem to matter that much where the fat is located.”

It is still unknown whether obesity directly causes prostate cancer to develop. Perez-Cornago is carrying out further research on the subject, but does not yet have results.

“To date, we don’t know, because it is also possible that men with obesity may be diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later stage,” she said.

“If they are diagnosed at a later stage, the tumour is likely to be more aggressive and they may be less likely to survive.”

Perez-Cornago said there were several reasons why prostate cancer is often detected later in overweight men, including that they could be less health conscious.

“For example, if they start going to the toilet at night more often – a classic symptom of prostate cancer – they may be less likely to go to a GP,” she said.

Even if they tested, it is be less likely to pick up the molecule indicating cancer because obese men have more blood, diluting the sample.

The study, which was funded by Cancer Research UK, was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in the Netherlands.

Enlit Africa 2022 To Focus On The Changing Energy Sector

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Angel Gimalo

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May 6, 2022

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Enlit Africa – formerly known as African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa – returns from the 7th to the 9th of June, 2022.

The highlights will focus on the changing energy sector, the energy transition and the technology bringing light to millions across Africa.

Formerly known around the continent as African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Enlit Africa has been connecting the utility industry on the continent for more than two decades.

Claire Volkwyn, head of content, Enlit Africa, stated: “June’s edition will bring new features to the line-up, including the first fully hybrid Enlit Africa event – with the Opening Keynote address taking place over two days and sessions streamed to attendees around the world via our digital platforms.”

Stephen Campbell, commercial project lead for the event added: “We are pleased to be welcoming back industry leaders and associations, including Eskom, the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy, City of Cape Town, WESGRO, SAESA and more.”

The event’s keynote addresses will focus on the collaborative efforts being undertaken to forward the energy transition across the continent.

Presentations and panel discussions will cover:

• Unpacking the realities of Africa’s energy transition

• The future of gas in Southern Africa and Gas Master Plans

• Alternative funding mechanisms

• Scaling up your clean energy business

• Financing transmission infrastructure

• Revenue management in utilities

• TID rollover: Expediting rollover programme implementation for utilities with large install base

• NERC Meter Installation Performance Dashboard “Measuring meter installation progress at the country level

• Asset life extension and protection

• Improving the reliability and efficiency of supply

• Unlocking wheeling tariffs at municipalities

• Energy storage: The cornerstone of a successful energy transition?

• Integrating BESS at a municipal level

• Update on 100MW self-generation for commercial and industrial entities

Taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Enlit Africa will be both in-person and online.

Wall Drawings In Rome Church Recall Secret Refuge Of Jews, Anti-Fascists

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Koko Lawrence

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May 6, 2022

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The church of San Gioacchino in Rome is full of frescoes, mosaics, and intricate stained glass windows, but perhaps its real masterpieces are charcoal wall drawings hidden away in its attic.

The drawings were done by one of 35 men – including Jews, anti-Fascist Christians, and military defectors – who were hidden in the attic during the Nazi occupation of Rome in World War Two, some for as long as six months.

Father Ezio Marcelli discovered the drawings in 1984, 40 years after allied soldiers liberated Rome from Nazi occupiers in June, 1944. He remembered hearing from an older priest that people were hidden in the church during the war and began looking in the parish archives for clues.

“I managed to find this hiding place. We made this extraordinary discovery,” he said. “I was very emotional.”

“The meaning of what happened here, of people being persecuted, hunted down to be sentenced to death, still has a real significance today,” Marcelli said.

Despite his 90 years, Marcelli fearlessly climbs the external spiral staircase leading to the attic.

“We must always be vigilant and careful so that no one can ever again do such evil actions,” he said, taking visitors through a secret passage that was once bricked up to conceal the people inside from possible Nazi raids.

The three larger-than-life drawings on the walls, done in charcoal pencil, show Jesus with a crown of thorns, a Madonna and child, and a modern-day man sitting on a simple chair with his head in his hands. This is likely to be a portrait of one of the fugitives.

While they are not signed, Marcelli said they were almost certainly done by Luigi de Simone because the archives also contained sketches on sheets of paper that were signed by him.

The men were hidden between Nov. 3, 1943 and June 7, 1944, with an average of 15 at any one time. Several stayed for the entire period. A convent of nuns across the street sheltered women.

The fugitives entered and left the attic through a rose window, usually under the cover of darkness. The internal entrance to the attic was bricked up to prevent them being discovered.

Through the window, they received food, clothing and handed over their waste to their protectors, who included a priest, a nun and several lay members of the parish. Notes to and from family members were passed through a small hole in the ceiling.

All involved swore a pact of secrecy and developed a signal system of flashing lights to warn the men to be silent in case of a possible raid by Nazis, who were targeting religious institutions.

In 1995, Israel honoured the parish’s wartime pastor, Father Antonio Dressino, and its lay sacristan, Pietro Lestini, as being Righteous among the Nations for saving Jews.

Platinum Jubilee: Harry And Andrew Will Not Appear On Buckingham Palace Balcony

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Koko Lawrence

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May 6, 2022

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Prince Harry and Prince Andrew will not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony as part of opening celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next month.

The monarch will be joined on 2 June by “members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties”, Buckingham Palace said.

Despite not appearing on the balcony, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will travel to the UK for the Jubilee.

The Queen, 96, plans to attend some Jubilee events, the palace said.

But this won’t be confirmed until nearer the time, or even on the day, after mobility problems led her to cancel appearances in recent months.

A spokesperson for the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said they would be coming to the UK for the Jubilee with their two children, Archie and Lili.

The couple were said to be “excited and honoured to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children”.

There had been speculation about who will take part in the iconic royal balcony scene, waving to the crowds at Trooping the Colour during the Platinum Jubilee weekend – which marks the Queen’s 70-year reign.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen has decided this will be limited to “working royals” who carry out official royal duties and their children.

Prince Andrew has been excluded from the family group on the balcony, having stepped down from royal duties in the wake of the now-settled sex assault case brought against him in the United States.

The decision reflects the principle that there will not be “half-in, half-out” royals – and will be a changed line-up for such balcony appearances for the Royal Family.

Those on the balcony on 2 June, along with the Queen, will include the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.

The group will also include the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, and Anne, the Princess Royal, and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence.

While Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, will not be part of the balcony scene, they could attend other Jubilee events, such as the Jubilee Lunch or the thanksgiving service.

The Queen, who has spoken of her mobility problems, has had to pull out of a number of recent events – and there have been questions about how much she will be able to participate in Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The latest update leaves the question open – with the Queen planning to take part in some of the events, but with nothing being confirmed until much closer to the time.

This includes the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral – and if the Queen attends she will not take part in a ceremonial procession to get there.

Along with viewing Trooping the Colour, the Queen also plans to attend the Epsom Derby, which takes place on 4 June, during the long Jubilee bank holiday weekend of 2 to 5 June

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant will see the re-appearance of the Gold State Coach, not seen on the streets of London for more than 20 years.

This was the 18th Century horse-drawn carriage used to carry the Queen to her coronation in 1953.

Exploring Gwaii Haanas Canada, With More Than 600 Archaeological Features

By

Angel Gimalo

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May 6, 2022

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Gwaii Haanas, officially referred to as the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area, and Haida Heritage Site, is a quite important cultural heritage site which encompasses around 15% of the group of islands which are located in the western part of the westernmost province of Canada, British Columbia.

Even though the name for this magnificent place is very mouthful, it protects some 138 islands which are within the territory of the native ethnic group that lives in the area, the Haida People.

a portion of a large sea lion colony on the south western edge of Gwaii Haanas, Haida Gwaii

The most interesting feature of this site is the abandoned Haida villages, which are combined with hot springs, grandiose natural beauty and places which are offering one of the best kayaking experiences on the entire continent.

Accessing the islands is done by boat or plane only which can be organized by a tour operator, however, if you would not want that, then you will have to obtain a reservation in order to arrive at Gwaii Haanas.

Sedmond Creek, Gwaii Haanas National Park

Once there, it is always recommended for visitors to spend several days in order to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the long-standing history of the native people who lived here, and as tourists are coming here between May and September, it is the perfect time to see the area in its perfect bloom.

Established as a national park in 1988, it has an area of some 1,470 square km (570 square mi) and it covers both land and sea, something which is inseparable for the Haida People.

The proposed marine conservation area is estimated at 3,400 square km (1,313 square mi) of land surface, even though it is not finally set.

Still, within the park’s land is included the already UNESCO inscribed site, the SGaang Gwaii World Heritage Site, and in addition, one of the more remarkable Haida villages are Tanu and Skedans.

Nevertheless, the entire park has more than 600 archaeological features which give exquisite evidence of the Haida occupation, as well as the activities of the people in the entire area.

Furthermore, the fauna of the islands have evolved into unique subspecies, a nice example would be the black bear, however, it is also comprised of species that were introduced in the area very recently, like the Sitka deer, ermine, raccoon, squirrel and beaver.

The marine life mostly includes sea lions, porpoises, killer whales and migrating grey whales.

The flora on the other hand is not that different as it is comprised of mostly western red cedar and hemlock in the western part of the islands, while on the eastern side it is something like classic coastal temperate rainforests, where the large western hemlock, Sitka spruce and western red cedar trees are more dominant.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, the Gwaii Haanas today is definitely one of the most amazing cultural and natural elements of Canada, and most significantly of British Columbia which is intended to be expanded with the hope that plenty more people would come and see in person this attractive gem.