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Ministry Of Aviation To Expedite Action On Establishment Of Aerospace University

By
Angel Gimalo
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The National Universities Commission (NUC) has assured the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation that it would expedite action on the concept document submitted by the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika for the establishment of an Aviation and Aerospace University in the country.

Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, who gave the assurance after receiving the note from the Minister on Friday, said the commission will engage some professors to perfect the concept note for immediate approval.

“I can assure you that by the end of the month (July), we are going to have a brand new University, the first of its kind in Abuja, first African University dedicated to aviation and aerospace study in the country,” Rasheed said, adding that the value of such university can’t be quantified.

“This aviation under your guidance, will be the first to show the way that we can support the establishment of a specialized university that won’t only serve us but serve the African region and the International community,” he stated.

Presenting the concept note earlier, Senator Sirika who was accompanied by the ministry’s permanent secretary, directors and heads of agencies, said that the ‘African Aviation and Aerospace University Abuja’ will be dedicated to research and development of knowledge in Aviation and Aerospace.

The minister stated that the decision to establish the specialised university was informed by the need to fill some identified gaps in the growth and development of the aviation sector.

“When we took the leadership in civil aviation, we identified and understood the gap in the growth and development of civil aviation in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. We are deficient in research and development in civil aviation and aerospace technology and that has caused a lot of underdevelopment of the sector and made us to be backward.

“We have been working three to four years now on this and we developed a concept note based on the advice by Executive Secretary NUC for critique and that will fast track the process of setting up the University. We have come up with concept note of what will be the focus of this University” he explained.

“The potential of this University to serve the market of civil aviation and aerospace within the continent cannot be overemphasized. Once the University takes off, a lot will happen and it will change the dynamic,” he added.

Sirika expressed gratitude to the Executive Secretary and his team for guiding the process leading up to the submission of the concept note, and the assurance that it will be expeditiously concluded.

‘The Chosen’ Creator Shares How God Is Using Hit Series To Break Down Barriers

By
Angel Gimalo
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Dallas Jenkins, creator of “The Chosen,” reflected on the show’s enduring popularity and how God is using the biblical series to “break barriers” between unlikely people groups.

Now in its second season, “The Chosen” is the first multi-season series based on the life of Jesus Christ and the largest crowd-funded media project in history.

Since its premiere in November 2017, episodes of “The Chosen” have been watched over 150 million times and translated into over 50 languages.

“I genuinely was in a posture of, one day at a time, just doing what God wants for me,” he said.

But what has surprised and excited him most is who “The Chosen” has touched over the last four years.

“Early on, our primary audience was believers because that’s who was more attracted to a Jesus show,” he said. “But as the buzz has been building, we’re hearing all the time from atheists, agnostics, people in the industry — even the friends and family of our casting crews, many of whom are not believers themselves, who just loved the show as a regular show.”

“Hopefully,” he added, “it’s making them think more about who Jesus was and wanting to look more into it.”

“The Chosen” isn’t just impacting mainstream viewers; Jenkins said he’s heard countless stories of how the show has reached marginalized communities, from the elderly to those with special needs.

“One woman told me about her mom, who is in her 80s and has Alzheimer’s,” he recalled. “Her brain is, for all intents and purposes, gone. And yet every time ‘The Chosen’ comes on, she engages, she responds, she laughs. Her daughter told me that the show is their opportunity to reconnect with their mom because of Jesus. That was pretty extraordinary.”

Numerous parents of special needs children, he revealed, have shared how the show has ministered to their families.

“We hear about these young children with extreme special needs who, when they watch the show, light up. It doesn’t make sense because the show is complex. It’s not a simple, easy-to-follow Sunday school story. I believe that with this show, God is removing all these barriers and removing the scales from our eyes to allow us to see Jesus very clearly, from the very young to the very old.”

Season 2 of “The Chosen” was fully funded by November 2020, having received $10 million from 125,346 people. Episode six of the series premiered on Wednesday at the National Religious Broadcasters convention before an audience of over 1,300 fans in addition to a global livestream audience.

Boeing 737 Cargo Makes Rare Emergency Landing On Water

By
Angel Gimalo
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A Boeing 737 cargo aircraft with two crew on board was forced to make an emergency landing on the water off Honolulu early Friday after the pilots reported engine trouble.

Transair Flight 810 had been expected to go from Honolulu to Kahului, the main airport on Maui, according to aviation data from FlightAware.

The plane was “attempting to return to Honolulu when they were forced to land the aircraft in the water” at about 1:30 am local time, an FAA spokeswoman said in a statement.

“According to preliminary information, the US Coast Guard rescued both crew members. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate,” the statement said.

A spokesman for the Coast Guard, Petty Officer Third Class Matthew West, said a Coast Guard helicopter rescued one of the crew, while “a fire department helicopter rescued the other.”

A Coast Guard cutter was also dispatched to the scene.

Both crew members were taken to a Honolulu hospital for treatment, West said, adding he did not have additional information about their condition.

A source with knowledge of the incident said the plane appears to be a 737 Classic that was likely at least 33 years old.

A Boeing spokeswoman said the company is “aware of the reports out of Honolulu” and “closely monitoring the situation.”

The aviation giant said it was in contact with the NTSB, which investigates civil air accidents, and was “working to gather more information.”

Both the FAA and the NTSB will probe the incident. Landings on water are rare.

In January 2009, an Airbus A320 passenger jet made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York shortly after takeoff, after flying into a flock of geese, severely damaging both engines.

The pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, believed he could not make it back to LaGuardia Airport and landed the plane in the river, with 150 passengers and five crew on board. No one was killed in the incident.

Boeing’s safety record was called into question after the fatal crashes of two 737 MAX passenger planes in 2018 and 2019, leaving nearly 350 people dead. The plane was grounded for 20 months after the crashes.

Investigators said a main cause of both crashes was a faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS.

Boeing shares dipped slightly Friday after the announcement of the Hawaii incident.

Hyundai Motor America, Kia America Post Record Sales First Half Of 2021

By
Angel Gimalo
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Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors posted record-high sales in the U.S. in the first six months of the year.

Hyundai Motor America says it sold more than 400, 000 Hyundai vehicles, up almost 50% on-year.

Sales in June also jumped nearly 45% marking the highest June sales in Hyundai’s history, and a fourth consecutive monthly record.

The automaker said its managing huge demand by working closely with its manufacturing and supply chain partners.

Kia America sold 378, 000 units in the first half, an almost 44% increase on-year.

Flying Car Takes To Air To Complete Intercity Test Flight In Slovakia

By
Angel Gimalo
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It’s science fiction turned into reality, because what looks like a sports car, is in the sky flying.

It’s called AirCar, and it’s completing its 35-minute intercity test flight in Slovakia.

It’s still in the prototype stage, but developers say that this week’s trip is an important milestone towards mainstream production.

“It’s great that the legislation allowed something like this to go from a virtual location to the real one. This is our goal, to create a real product that you will be able to buy one day.”

After landing, the wings and tail fold in, in less than three minutes with the click of a button, to become a car.

Although it is uncertain when it will become available on the open market, the developers plan to build a pre-production model with a road permit as the next step.

UN Confirms 18.3C Record Temperature In Antarctica In February 2020

By
Angel Gimalo
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The UN’s World Meteorological Organization has confirmed that a new record-high temperature of 18-point-3 degrees Celsius was observed on the Antarctic continent last year.

The global body says the record heat was confirmed in February, 2020, saying the measurement indicates a point-eight degree jump during the past five years.

It added that the Antarctic Peninsula is among the fastest-warming regions of the planet.

The organization also warned that such new temperature records are in line with other signs of climate change that the world has been witnessing.

Mo Abudu And Ramsey Noah Among Oscars’ Newest Members

By
faith Jegede
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Veteran media personality and CEO Ebony life television Mo Abudu and renowned actor Ramsey Noah have been added to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, popularly known as The Oscars.

Mo would be added in the Producer category, with slated works including 2020’s Oloture and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel in 2017 while Ramsey Noah would be going in under the actor category.

Mo Abudu – whose EbonyLife organisation recently signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures – is the only African woman to be the newest Academy member in the Producer category. She’s one of 29 producers from around the world to have received the invitation, alongside the likes of Miranda Bailey, Darren Dale, and Nadine Marsh Edwards.

Also invited to join, in the directors category is Andrew Dosunmu.

The Oscars announced over 300 new members, into categories that included Actors, Directors, Casting Directors, Writers, Cinematographers, Film Executives, and Costume Designers, among others. Twilight actor and newest Batman, Robert Pattinson, was also invited to join the Academy, as was Golden Globe winner Andra Day, and Steven Yeun, among others.

France Probes Fashion Retailers Over Alleged Crimes Against Humanity

By
Angel Gimalo
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France launched a probe into four retailers suspected of concealing “crimes against humanity” in China’s Xinjiang region.

This includes a unit of Japan’s Fast Retailing, Uniqlo, Inditex, the owner of Zara, SMCP, and Skechers.

A judicial source said on Thursday the open investigation is being carried out by a unit within the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, following a complaint filed by two NGOs in April.

However, Inditex and SMCP rejected the claims, claiming they will fully cooperate with the investigation.

Uniqlo stressed none of its production partners are located in the area.

Norway Makes Not Declaring Retouched Photos Illegal

By
faith Jegede
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Legislators in Norway, have passed new laws that make it illegal for influencers and advertisers not to label retouched photos in a bid to fight unrealistic beauty standards.

The regulations were passed as an amendment to the nations marketing act via a landslide 72 votes against 15 on June 2.

Under these new regulations, standardized labels designed by the Norwegian Ministry of Children and family affairs must be obtained for advertisements where a body shape, size or skin has been retouched – even through a filter before the photo is taken.

Some of the manipulations requiring labels include enlarged body parts, narrowed waists and the likes including exaggerated muscles but it is unclear if the same would be required for light adjustments and saturation.

The law also covers influencers or celebrities, “if they receive any payments or other benefits” in relation to the post on any social media platform. Violations of any kind are punishable by escalating fines and in extreme cases, imprisonments.

The move comes after multiple debates on the issue of “body pressure” or beauty standards. the Norwegian ministry of children and family in its proposal to the parliament,cites studies that found beauty standards and boy pressure to be pervasive and a contributing factor to low self-esteem amongst young people.

The kind of Norway is to decide when exactly this law will come into effect.

The ministry is however conceding that the requirement would be difficult to enforce as it isn’t always easy to determine when a photo has been retouched adding that the unintended consequence of the law was that more influencers might feel pressured to undergo cosmetic surgeries.

Protesters Topple Statue Of Royals In Canada

By
faith Jegede
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Just outside the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, the statue of Queen Victoria was toppled down amid outrage over the discovery of unmarked graves belonging to Indigenous Canadian children.

The statue was pulled down with ropes on Canada Day – an annual celebration that marks the country’s confederation.

According to police report and local media at least one person was arrested after the statue was toppled.

The protests, which are taking place across Canada were fueled by the citing of a unmarked graves on or near the grounds of former residential schools.

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II, was also pulled down at the East side of the grounds as both royals are seen as symbols of the country’s colonial history.

About seven Catholic churches across the country have been found on fire or defaced.

Residential schools were run by the Canadian government who used the churches to forcibly assimilate 150,000 first nation, Inuit, and Metis children, starting in the 1830’s.

Canada’s truth and reconciliation commission estimates the number of dead children to about 4100 but experts think the number is closer to 15,000.

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