US approves $1bn attack helicopters, others for Nigeria

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April 15, 2022

The United States State Department has cleared the sale of 12 AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopters to Nigeria worth nearly $1bn, apparently after US lawmakers lifted objections over human rights concerns.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday announced the sale of the helicopters and related defence systems to the Nigerian military.

The package includes $25m for human rights-related training, according to YahooNews.

The sale includes the Bell-made Cobras; 28 General Electric-made T700-401C engines; 2,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems used to convert unguided missiles into precision-guided missiles; and night vision, targeting and navigation systems.

The case highlights the Biden administration’s attempts to balance human rights concerns in the arms sale process.

We Will Overcome Insecurity, Uncertainty, Buhari Tells Nigerians

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Henry Williams

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April 15, 2022

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President Muhammadu Buhari is optimistic that Nigeria would soon overcome its uncertainty and insecurity problems.

The President in an Easter message he personally signed on Thursday, asked Nigerians not to give up in spite of the myriads of challenges facing the nation.

Buhari described this year’s celebration as very unique for Christians in Nigeria and all around the globe, noting that the 40-day Lent period provides an opportunity “where the faithful is expected to fast, pray, assist the poor, abhor injustice and strife, give alms, and penitently engage in self-examination and repentance of sins.

Once Upon A Time – April 15 – 1877 – Boston-Somerville Installs World’s 1st Telephone In Massachusetts

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Angel Gimalo

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April 15, 2022

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297 The seven martyrs of Samos are incarcerated for refusing to offer pagan sacrifices and will remain imprisoned until late in June when they will be brought before the Emperor Maximian, reduced to little more than skeletons. Finally they will be crucified.

1755 Samuel Johnson’s “A Dictionary of the English Language” published in London

1861 Federal army (75,000 volunteers) mobilized by US President Abraham Lincoln (US Civil War)

1874 First ‘Impressionist’ exhibition opens in Paris, features Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot

1877 Boston-Somerville installs the world’s 1st telephone in Massachusetts

1912 RMS Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as the band plays on, with the loss of between 1,490 and 1,635 people

HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1990 “In Living Color” premieres on FOX-TV

TODAY IN MUSIC

1729 Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St Matthew Passion” premieres in Leipzig

TODAY IN SPORT

1896 1st modern Summer Olympic Games close in Athens, Greece; USA wins gold medal count, 11; Greece wins total medal count, 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver & bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event

1947 Jackie Robinson becomes 1st African-American to play in US major league baseball (Dodgers)

1989 96 crushed to death and 766 injured at Hillsborough Football Stadium, Sheffield, England, during FA semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest

DO YOU KNOW THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY?

1960 Guy Carawan sings “We Shall Overcome” to a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh – popularising the song as a protest anthem

WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY?

1955 Ray Kroc opens first McDonald’s Inc. fast food restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois

Israeli-Made Laser System, Designed To Complement Series Of Aerial Defense Systems

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Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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Israel’s new laser missile-defense system has successfully intercepted mortars, rockets and anti-tank missiles in recent tests, Israeli leaders said Thursday.

The Israeli-made laser system, known as the “Iron Beam,” is designed to complement a series of aerial defense systems, including the more costly rocket-intercepting Iron Dome.

“This may sound like science-fiction, but it’s real,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. ”The Iron Beam’s interceptions are silent, they’re invisible and they only cost around $3.50” apiece, he added.

Little is known about the laser system’s effectiveness, but it is expected to be deployed on land, in the air and at sea.

The goal is to deploy the laser systems around Israel’s borders over the next decade to protect the country against attacks.

Thursday’s announcement also sent a message to Israel’s foes, including archenemy Iran. The tests took place last month in the Negev Desert.

Hydrogen Leak Hinders NASA’s Dress Rehearsal For Moon Rocket

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Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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NASA’s latest attempt to fuel its huge moon rocket for a countdown test was thwarted Thursday by a hazardous hydrogen leak, the latest in a series of vexing equipment trouble.

The launch team had just begun loading fuel into the core stage of the rocket when the leak cropped up.

This was NASA’s third shot at a dress rehearsal, a required step ahead of a test flight to the moon.

This time, the launch team managed to load some super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen into the core stage of the 30-story Space Launch System rocket, but fell far short of the full amount. Liquid hydrogen is extremely hazardous, with officials noting that the systems had been checked for leaks prior to the test.

Technicians deliberately left the smaller upper stage empty, after discovering a bad valve last week.

The helium valve inside the upper stage cannot be replaced until the rocket is back in its hangar at Kennedy Space Center.

Two previous countdown attempts were marred by balky fans and a large hand-operated valve that workers mistakenly left closed at the pad last week.

Officials said via Twitter that they’re assessing their next steps.

NASA had been targeting June for the launch debut of the 322-foot (98-meter) SLS rocket.

The empty Orion capsule on top will be sent on a four- to six-week mission around the moon and back.

Astronauts will strap in for the second test flight around the moon, planned for 2024.

That would be followed as early as 2025 with the first lunar landing by astronauts since 1972. NASA plans to announce the crews for these two missions this summer.

Throwback Thursday: DC War Memorial, USA, Built Entirely Of Vermont Marble

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Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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The DC War Memorial, officially named the District of Columbia War Memorial, is a small monument that commemorates all of the citizens from the District of Columbia who served and died in World War I, located in the capital city of the United States of America, Washington, D.C.

Located in West Potomac Park, in an area where there are groove trees, it started being constructed at the beginning of 1931, and officially was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on 11 November 1931.

Frederick H. Brooke, a Washington architect, in cooperation with Horace W. Peaslee and Nathan C. Wyeth, designed this 14 meters (47 feet) tall monument.

The circular, domed, Doric temple is built entirely of Vermont marble, and has a diameter of about 13 meters (44 feet), which is large enough to accommodate the entire US Marine Band, for which was intended at the beginning.

The whole structure stands on a 1 meter (4 feet) high circular marble platform around which are inscribed alphabetically the names of 499 Washington residents who died in service during World War I.

Nevertheless, with time the monument started getting darker, and it was needed for a restoration work to be done, which happened in October 2010, and it was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Officially, the memorial reopened again on 10 November 2011, and in 2014 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which makes it one of the most important memorials, not just in the capital, but also in the country.

Together with the restored brilliant white color marble, and the addition of new pathways and lightning systems, as well as functional landscape, the DC War Memorial is something worth visiting, giving a greater experience about the history of the United States.

Exploring Salvation Mountain, USA, The Small Hill With Murals Painted With Christian Sayings, Bible Verses

By

Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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Salvation Mountain is an interesting artistic feature that covers a small hill in the California Desert, in the vicinity of the Slab City, which is part of the Imperial County of the State of California, within the United States of America.

As it is created by a man, in the beginning it was imagined to be a simple small monument made of dirt and painted cement, however, it grew to be a hill which would become something impressive that should not be missed by the visitors who are passing by.

As a matter in fact, the artistic masterpiece is the second creation by the local resident Leonard Knight, where he began the first one in 1984, and due to instability it collapsed.

That did not discourage Knight, and he soon began with the creation we see nowadays.

Entirely made from adobe, straw and thousands of gallons of lead-free paint, Salvation Mountain has plenty of murals and areas painted with Christian sayings and Bible verses, though its philosophy was built around the Sinner’s Prayer.

With all of the applied paint, the site is somewhat protected from the wind and the rain, which will not erode for certain.

With more paint, the coat becomes thicker, thus stronger and much better. With the continued development of the interesting site, Leonard Knight created a Hogan, which according to the local Navajo Native Americans, is a dome-like structure made of adobe and straw that insulates from heat. Even though this was perfectly built, Knight never lived within the structure.

There is also the Museum, which is modeled after a hot air balloon located in the mountain and contains several small items given to him by friends and visitors. This semi dome structure is intended to be seen by everyone below it, and there is “GOD IS LOVE” in bright red on a white fabric.

The area is supported by “trees” that Knight have constructed from old tires, wood scavenged from the surrounding desert, and adobe. Being this very colorful, impressive work, even the Folk Art Society of America in 2000 declared it as a “folk art site worthy of preservation and protection”.

The future of the Salvation Mountain is somewhat uncertain due to the requirement of the constant maintenance work, nevertheless, with the establishment of the Salvation Mountain, Inc., the project to save and preserve the site for future generations is successfully doing its purpose, and nowadays there are even more people who flock here in order to donate if not to support somehow Knight’s creation.

Board Of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Reconstituted

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Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of the Board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

This is with a view to repositioning the bank as a core banking institution with core competence in mortgage finance.

Recall that the President had, in January this year, appointed Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, a Chartered Accountant and a well-known financial expert as Chairman of the Board.

In the new Board, Hamman Madu representing the Northeast zone with a background of over 30 years in the mortgage industry is the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer.

Other members are: Umar Zubaida, Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services representing the Northwest zone; Chukwuma Kingsley, Executive Director, Business Development & Portfolio Management (BD&PM) representing the Southsouth zone; Mustapha Lukman Olayiwola, Executive Director, Loans & Mortgage Services (L&MS) representing the Northcentral zone; Asein Abimbola from the Southwest zone representing the Federal Ministry of works and Housing; Ejezie Sandra Nkechi, Southeast, representing the Public as well as two representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The appointment of the Board takes effect from April 13, 2022 with the exception of the Chairman, Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi whose appointment took effect from January 5, this year.

India To Increase Purchase Of Coal From Russia

By

Angel Gimalo

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April 14, 2022

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Weeks after snapping up discounted Russian crude, India is setting for a major increase in its purchases of coal from the sanctioned country.

The world’s sixth biggest economy is focused on its energy security, disregarding attempts by the US and its allies to isolate Moscow.

In March, India’s coal imports from Russia reportedly surged to a two-year high. The Asian country purchased 1.04 million tons of Russian coal, the highest amount since January 2020, according to Matthew Boyle, lead dry bulk analyst at commodity intelligence firm Kpler, as cited by CNBC.

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order banning the import of Russian coal along with crude oil, gasoline, petroleum products, oils and liquefied gas as part of a new batch of penalties against Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine.

Later, the European Commission proposed banning Russian energy imports, including coal.

However, the bloc’s policy-makers have failed to agree on a new package of sanctions.

“Markets suspect that India and China may boost coal imports from Russia, offsetting some of the impact of a formalized EU ban on Russian coal imports,” Vivek Dhar, director of mining and energy commodities research at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia told media.

Last week, India’s steel minister Ramchandra Prasad Singh said that the country is looking to double imports of Russian coking coal, a vital ingredient for steel-making.

Singh added that India had imported 4.5 million tons but did not indicate the period he was referring to.

Coal accounts for nearly 70% of India’s electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2021 outlook.

The nation is ranked as the world’s second-biggest consumer and importer of coal, after China.

Last year, India was hit by a coal shortage amid soaring post-pandemic power demand.

Russia is the world’s sixth-largest coal producer.

In 2020, 54% of the nation’s coal exports reportedly went to Asia, while about 31% went to Europe.

“Despite warnings from the West, India continues to lean into their supply-chain relationship with Russia for natural resources like oil and coal,” Samir N. Kapadia, head of trade at government relations consulting firm Vogel Group explained.

According to the analyst, a currency swap agreement would help the partners “to bypass some of the financing challenges in the market.”

Firm Donates Laboratory Equipment To Boost FCT Healthcare Delivery

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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April 14, 2022

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A Private firm, KGDN Technologies Limited in partnership with VWR International, a United States based firm has donated laboratory equipment made up of 36,000 Vacutainer Tubes to the the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA to boost healthcare delivery in the city.

Receiving the equipment in Abuja, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello commended the KGDN Technologies for its continuous support and partnership for the improvement of health care delivery in the FCT. He said the Vacutainer Tubes being donated would go a long way in assisting the FCTA in this regard

According to him “On behalf of the FCT Administration and the entire citizens, I wish to thank you most sincerely for donating 36,000 pieces of Vacutainer tubes. This is something for which the city of Abuja is very happy and we will continue to remember this gesture and I do hope that you continue to partner with our experts in the Health Services Secretariat so that we all jointly improve health facilities for the city and of course beyond”.

The Minister who explained that one of the lessons learnt from the pandemic was the need to continuously upgrade health facilities and the personnel, thanked the group for the support it continues to rendered the Administration

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, KGDN Technologies Ltd, Dr. Ben Nkechika, who commended the FCT Minister and FCT health personnel for the proper management of the COVID 19 pandemic in the FCT, said the vacutainer tubes donated were for the safe collection of blood in the laboratories.

He noted that, “So, these bottles are specially designed to contain blood and transport blood to laboratories simply without any kind of spillage. So, it’s called vacutainer. It’s a specialized kind of blood collection bottles. It’s not what you use in any regular lab. It’s used in specialized labs”.

Also speaking at the event, the Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Abubakar Tafida who thanked the group for the donation stressed that healthcare was everybody’s business and urged other organisations to emulate the KGDN group by supporting the FCTA’s efforts at providing qualitative and affordable healthcare in the FCT.

He assured that the vacutainers will be deployed to FCTA health facilities “where they are important in safely collecting blood samples from patients to avoid transmission of contagious diseases between infected and healthy individuals”.

Also present at the event were, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister, Malam Bashir Mai Bornu, Secretaries, Health and Human Services and Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and PPP; Dr. Abubakar Tafida and Hon Lukman Agboola Dabiri, Senior Special Assistant, Health and Hospital Matters, Dr. Ejike Orji as well as the Director General, FCT Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Muhammad Kawu.