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Rare Coin Rediscovered During Conservation Project Of Jerusalem Museum Tower

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Tower of David Museum said Monday, A box of artifacts was rediscovered during a major conservation project to restore the stones of the “Phasael” tower of the Jerusalem citadel’s $40 million renewal project.

Additionally, the team discovered a box of artifacts, originally excavated in the 1980s. Within it, they uncovered a rare silver coin from the Second Temple period  — a “Tyre shekel.”

Two images are imprinted on either side of the coin: On one face is Melqart, the chief god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, and on the other, an eagle.

The coins were struck at some point between 125 BCE and the outbreak of the Great Revolt in 66 CE, when they were used to pay a half-shekel tax. Talmudic sources suggest that the Tyrian shekel was likely the only means of paying the head tax at the Temple for its upkeep.

Although well-known in ancient and biblical sources, these coins are rare — only a few have been found. The coin will be displayed as part of the museum’s new permanent exhibition next year.

During the planning stages of the project, conservationists discovered a large, structural crack running from the top to the bottom of the tower, which soon became the project’s central focus, according to the museum.

As part of the team’s renewal project, conservationists cleaned and treated the stones of the tower — dating back more than 2,000 years — with temporary glue to maintain stability.

A pipe system was then threaded within the tower, and liquid lime-based mortar injected into the cracks. This process helps the team ascertain how large the cracks are, by examining how far up the mortar rises.

Brazil Foreign Minister’s Resignation Irreversible, Possible Replacements Discussed

By
Angel Gimalo
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Brazil’s Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo tendered his resignation after pressure from lawmakers over the country’s failed strategy to acquire vaccines and contain the pandemic.

Araujo offered to quit on Monday, according to three government officials familiar with the matter who declined to be named because a decision hasn’t been announced.

The situation of the controversial minister, a close ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, is irreversible and the government is discussing possible replacements.

Bolsonaro’s office and the foreign ministry didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

  • O ministro das Relações Exteriores, Ernesto Araújo, e o senador Nelson Trad durante audiência pública na Comissão de Relações Exteriores e Defesa Nacional do Senado.

Araujo angered lawmakers and business leaders over tension with China, Brazil’s largest provider both of inputs for Covid-19 vaccines and ready-to-use shots. China is also Brazil’s top trading partner.

Many legislators blamed him for delays in shipments of vaccine inputs from China, which they say helps explain why Brazil has fallen behind peers in the race for doses.

Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases has topped 12 million, and more than 300,000 people have died from the virus thus far, the world’s highest death toll after the U.S.

Insecurity: Tinubu urges FG to recruit 50 million youths into army

By
Henry Williams
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Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, urged the Federal Government to recruit at least 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army.

This he believes will boost Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, banditry, and all forms of internal and external security threats confronting the nation.

Tinubu spoke at the 12th colloquium to celebrate his 69th birthday in Kano State.

According to him, “We are under-policed and we are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed —33 percent unemployed?”

“Recruit 50 million youths into the army,” he stated, adding that “what they will eat —cassava, corn, yam, will grow here.”

The former governor of Lagos State, while reacting to recent statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics that over 23 million Nigerians are jobless, also urged the government to create jobs for youths in the agricultural value chains.

France, European Union Close To Deal On Air France Bailout

By
Angel Gimalo
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French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire says France and the European Union are close to a deal on a bailout for Air France, which like other carriers has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, French newspaper said the French government and the European Union’s executive were close to an agreement on the terms of a bailout for Air France.

The expected deal would see Air France give up fewer airport flight slots at its Paris base than initially sought by the European Commission, notably at Orly airport.

The Air France-KLM group recorded a 7.1 billion euro net loss for last year.

It received 10.4 billion euros in loans and guarantees from France and the Netherlands and has been negotiating a state-backed recapitalisation, with EU regulators seeking airport slot concessions at Paris-Orly and Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Nigeria government’s position on fuel subsidy fuels reactions

By
Henry Williams
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Amid a global race to beat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian government is placing priority on funding a wasteful petrol subsidy scheme worth about $ 315 million monthly, an amount capable of vaccinating at least half of its adult population (53m people).

After a year of dilly-dallying on the removal of petrol subsidy, it is now official that the burden that has shortchanged Nigerians the most is real and active as the state oil firm has confirmed spending up to $315 million (N120bn/ exchange rate N380) a month on fuel subsidies.

The expenditure on subsidy for PMS also dwarfs the government’s proposed 2021 spending of N45.19 billion allocated for immunisation against measles, whooping cough, and tetanus to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, despite a UNICEF report showing 4.3 million children in Nigeria still miss out on regular vaccinations every year.

In a period Nigeria has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children, 13.2 million, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the amount spent on subsidy in one month is also larger than the entire 2021 budget of N94.4 billion meant for the provision of Universal Basic Education (UBEC).

Jurors To Hear Arguments In Floyd Murder Trial

By
Angel Gimalo
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A prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at Chauvin’s trial on murder charges on Monday that former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin squeezed the life out of George Floyd when he arrested him last May.

Jerry Blackwell, a prosecutor with the Minnesota attorney general’s office, told jurors that officers who wear the Minneapolis police badge pledge to never use “unnecessary force or violence.”

He displayed a still image from a bystander’s cellphone video of Chauvin, who his white, with his knee on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, saying it showed Chauvin “grinding and crushing him until the very breath no, ladies and gentlemen the very life was squeezed out of him.”

Floyd’s death ignited a global protest movement and over the preceding two weeks of jury selection, many jurors told Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers on each side that they recognized the scrutiny their deliberations would come under, not least by those who view the trial as a reckoning for how Black people are policed in the United States.

  • Tony L. Clark holds a photo of George Floyd outside the Cup Food convenience store, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis. Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died Monday in police custody near the convenience story.(Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via AP)

The service was held in a church a few blocks east of the deadly arrest.

Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, said before the service began that he had faith that prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general’s office would see Chauvin convicted.

Traffic In Suez Canal Resumes After Stranded Ship Refloated

By
Angel Gimalo
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Canal authority says shipping traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal resumed Monday after a giant container ship which had been blocking the busy waterway for almost a week was refloated.

The 400-metre long Ever Given became jammed diagonally across a southern section of the canal in high winds early last Tuesday, halting traffic on the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

Live footage on a local television station showed the ship surrounded by tug boats moving slowly in the centre of the canal on Monday afternoon.

After dredging and excavation work over the weekend, rescue workers from the SCA and a team from Dutch firm Smit Salvage had succeeded in partially refloating the ship earlier on Monday using tug boats.

Transmission Company Of Nigeria Installs 40MVA, 330kv Reactor In Kebbi, Jos

By
Angel Gimalo
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Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has installed and energised a 40MVA, 132/33kV power transformer and a new R2 75MVAR 330kV reactor at the Yauri, Kebbi state, and Jos, capital of Plateau.

TCN noted that the commissioned power transformer brings the Yauri substation capacity to 80MVA, saying that with the new transformer, the substation now has six outgoing 33kV feeders.

According to the statement made available by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, she disclosed that the Yauri 2x40MVA 132/33kV substation project was awarded in 2007, saying, however, that the inability of the contractor to complete the project, caused TCN to take over the project.

TCN engineers eventually installed the first 40MVA transformer, which was successfully commissioned in 2019 and to further boost bulk power in the area, equally installed and commissioned the second 40MVA power transformer which was recently energized, she added.

The company furthers said the newly installed transformer has upgraded the substation capacity by 32MW and consequently improved bulk power supply to the southern part of Kebbi State, through KEDC.

Update: Record 5.3 Billion Connect At Global Day of Prayer With Pastor Chris

By
Koko Lawrence
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Worship, prayers, and prophecies characterized the 5th edition of the “Global day of prayer” with president of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.

The inaugural day of the program, kicked off by 6pm GMT +1(1pm EST) Friday, March 26th, with the man of God leading the online audience in worship, prayers and the word of God. The nights also witnessed the ministration of the Word from world renowned healing evangelist, Pastor Benny Hinn, from the United States of America.

The 24hours prayer program, had different ministers of God leading sessions of prayers and the word from different parts of the world.

The “Global Day of Prayer” which since inception, recorded billions of participants connected, saw a record breaking participation of 5.3 billion people from all around the world.

The man of God, Pastor Chris led the global audience to pray for nations of the world and their leaders, as he stretched out his hands to a large screen projecting the world map (nations of the world).

Pastor Chris also called out world leaders to have their researchers, doctors and virologists quiz the Covid-19 vaccines that are being produced and sent to their countries, since the safety of these vaccines have not been proven.

The “Global Day of Prayer” which was beamed live on all Loveworld Networks, several terrestrial TV stations, radio stations and various internet platforms had translations in over -3000 languages of the world.

The “Global day of Prayer”, has become a beacon of hope and light for the body of Christ, as the Church experiences a new level of unity never seen before now. The man of God, Pastor Chris, said at the final night of the prayers, how he had wished to see such a day, as he prayed for unity in the body of Christ and the sick when he was a teenager.

With the testimonies recorded from previous “Global day of Prayer” and the 5th edition ending on a high note of victory, the world will experience the impact in nations, governments, institutions, families, and all facets of life.

South Africa knocked off AFCON 2021

By
Emenike Agu
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For the first time since 1988, the Africa Cup of Nations will hold next year without the national team of the CAF president featuring.

Sudan beat South Africa 2-0 on Sunday to pick the second ticket of Group C. It is the second time they will qualify since a dramatic injury-time induced elimination of Nigeria for the 2012 edition.

Eleven years ago, Sudan were already eliminated on the field after losing their last qualifiers to Ghana at home.

But mother luck ran their way as Nigeria, wrongly thinking they needed a two-goal advantage win over visiting Guinea had their initial 2-1 lead cancelled following a 96th minute injury time equalizer by Guinea in the very last match the Super Eagles has since played in Abuja.

Thus, an already eliminated Sudan came in as one of the best runners-up in the groups and Nigeria got eliminated.

South Africa lost 2-0 to Sudan in their final Group C match in Omdurman, which disqualifies them from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Saifeldin Malik gave the hosts a fifth-minute lead in a clash of former African champions by heading past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams off a free- kick.

Mohammed Abdelrahman doubled the lead on 31 minutes, taking advantage of hesitancy by captain Thulani Hlatshwayo before firing past Williams at his near post.

South Africa coach Molefi Ntseki took off star forward Percy Tau just past the hour and surprisingly replaced him with defender Sifiso Hlanti, given the desperate need for goals.

Ghana defeated Sao Tome e Principe 3-1 in Accra in a match played at the same time to finish first with 13 points, followed by Sudan (12), South Africa (10) and Sao Tome (0).

South Africa have gradually faded as a Cup of Nations force after hosting and winning the competition in 1996 and finishing second and third in the following two editions.

Failure to qualify for the 2021 tournament in Cameroon means Bafana Bafana (The Boys) will miss the finals of the marquee African competition for the fourth time in seven editions.

The latest failure is sure to pile pressure on the national football association to ditch Ntseki, with the group phase of 2022 World Cup qualifying starting on May 31.

South Africa are in the same group as Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and only the winners of the six-matchday mini-league advance to the final round.

– Shock choice -Ghana have proved consistently superior to South Africa in recent years, including winning at home and drawing away in 2021 Cup of Nations qualifying.

Former national under-17 coach Ntseki was a shock choice to succeed England-born Stuart Baxter two years ago given he had never handled a senior-level team.

Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew was among the scorers for Ghana against Sao Tome, the only team among the 48 in the group phase to lose all six matches.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey also started for the Black Stars, whose last of four Cup of Nations titles came 39 years ago.

Tunisia beat Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in Rades in a match between countries who had already qualified from Group J while Tanzania edged Libya 1-0 in Dar es Salaam in the same section.

Both teams conceded an own-goal in Tunisia after Seifeddine Jaziri raised his goal tally to three from two matches by holding off three Equatoguinean defenders to score in the fourth minute.

Guinea, who secured a place at the 24-team tournament earlier this week, surrendered an unbeaten Group A record when losing 2-1 to Namibia in Windhoek.

The CAF Africa Cup of Nations, officially CAN (French: Coupe d’Afrique des Nations), also referred to as AFCON, or Total Africa Cup of Nations after its headline sponsor, is the main international men’s association football competition in Africa.,

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