The Taliban says they are not in a hurry to give China access to Afghanistan’s lithium reserves, despite an offer to pay for access to the rich deposits of the metal.

Afghanistan has abundant mineral riches, which also include copper, gold, oil, natural gas, uranium, bauxite and iron.

The US Department of Defense estimated in 2010 that it could be holding $1 trillion of untapped mineral deposits.

The country’s reserves of lithium are key to the global supply of a metal that is crucial to the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

Chinese company Gochin held talks with Afghan Mines and Petroleum Minister Shahabuddin Delawar last month and, according to the ministry, offered to invest $10 billion in mining the metal and employing 120,000 people for the operations.

But although the deal could fuel hopes for the revival of Afghanistan’s reeling economy, its Taliban rulers say they are in no rush.

Afghanistan and China are connected by land through the narrow, resource-rich Wakhan Corridor.

The reason Beijing is interested in Afghanistan’s lithium reserves is related also to their proximity, according to Muhibullah Sharif, a political science expert in Kabul

Saint Hripsime Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in the world, and it is located in the city of Vagharshapat, in the Armavir Province which is in the western part of the Republic of Armenia.

The current building that we can see, was completed and consecrated as a religious structure in the year 618 following the traditional tetraconch Armenian architectural style which is very common throughout the country.

The church was ordered by Komitas I Aghtsetsi and dedicated to one of Armenia’s first Christian martyrs, Saint Hripsime.

Before the completion of this stupendous building, there was another temple similar to the Temple of Garni, as well as a martyrium that was destroyed in 4 century by the last Persian imperial dynasty, the Sasanian Empire, also known as the Empire of Iranians.

The church is considered to have some great achievements in medieval architecture, and when seen from the top it is visible that it follows an almost cross-like shape, being 23 meters (75 feet) long and 18 meters (58 feet) wide.

Still, the domed building is accessed from the main entrance that is covered with an open narthex, also known as a gavit, and a bell tower, and it’s a very unique shape and appearance inspired architects to construct similar churches, thus naming this architectural style as the Hripsime-type.

Despite being one of a kind that deserves to be replicated, there is also a similar one located in neighboring Georgia which predates Saint Hripsime.

Nevertheless, due to the historic significance and importance, it has for the Armenian people, Saint Hripsime Church was dedicated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 together with additional nearby sites naming it as ‘Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots’.

Throughout the centuries the church was destroyed and rebuilt so many times, but it was dilapidated and abandoned by the early 17 century when some serious restorative work was carried out by Catholicos Philipos.

Throughout the years, the church was fortified with brick walls and towers on each corner of the wall, its foundations were strengthened, the roof dome repaired, the plaster within the church removed, the interior floor lowered, and the final reparation was done in 1987 when the bell tower was renovated.

In conclusion, influencing many other Armenian churches, the Saint Hripsime Church is one of the greatest historic buildings which is well known worldwide and many people would want to come and see it in person because this is the place that inspired many other churches to be constructed with the Hripsime-style medieval Armenian architecture.

President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned 748 Housing Units of Federal Housing Authority Estate in Zuba, Abuja.

The entire estate covers a total of 18.5 hectares of land area. In the course of executing the estate project, over 13,000 Nigerians were employed directly and indirectly.

President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning presented keys to some new homeowners at the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Estate Zuba who subscribed through FHA Rent-to-Own delivery model, urging them to live together in peace and harmony.

Commending the Chairman, Managing Director, Members of the Board and Staff of FHA on the successful completion of the Estate, the President noted that the project was another testament of his administration’s commitment to lift people out of poverty.

In his address, Minister @FMWHNIG, Babatunde Fashola said “we now have 748 completed housing units for Nigerians and their families to shelter,’’ adding that 75 contractors were engaged in the course of the project.

The Managing Director of FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, described the commissioning of the project as a manifestation of the visionary and deliberate housing policy of the President, who in keeping with the promise of providing shelter to Nigerians approved the grant to FHA.

Ashafa disclosed that the Authority has also commenced the development of Bwari Estate, Abuja near the Nigeria Law School, which will deliver 336 units of various houses under the first phase of the project.

The south-west Lagos State Government on April 29, 2023 demolished 13 illegal buildings at I.K. Peter Street, Ajao Estate, cited in close proximity to the Murtala International Airport, Lagos.

Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), backed by taskforce officials stormed the area with bulldozers to begin demolition of the illegal structures after series of notices served the occupants.

Environment Correspondent, Gimalo-Angel Olowogoke who visited the scene spoke to a former resident of the area, Mr. Peter Mbang.

“In fact, it was on Friday, one of my brothers called me that they are demolishing house in I.K. Peters Street. I said, Okay, I will come over because I was once living here.

While I was working here, I’ve been working… This is almost my 20 years in Ajao Estate. And here I came here 2012.

Since 2012, there’s a house there I came here, I met. They say it’s Ik Peter’s house. Ike Peter’s house, I met here in 2012. That particular 2012, this street was not like this. The whole of this place, it was only the house that was there. Where I am so free. Since after 2012, I started seeing the erect a fence here.

They started construction here. I was working here with some of the builders because I’m into water engineering. I’ve been working here with most of the houses here. I follow and do it. But after they have came that time and they make a gutter that link that…

I think it was the government because it was one of this Yuba company that was constructing the gutter. But later they closed the gutter and put on a fence. Since that 2012, people has been coming here and developed. My wonder is why is it that government have been coming here? Because I could vividly knew that before they give somebody plan in this place, the plan was from the government. Before they give you plan to build, government must find the…

In fact, this fence was not the fence that they built here. This place was a gutter. This place was a gully that water that comes from the airport passes through. It wasn’t a fence. It is when they now put that back wire there, the airport put that back wire there, they now put this fence and they started filling this place. That is what I knew because I’ve been here since 2012.

I don’t think there was approval. All I knew is that most of the land that was sold here was sold by people. It is people that sold the land to these people. I could vividly tell you that some of the people I can tell you about, three people in this line here who has a building. I have never seen them in their house. I’m in their eyes. They have not come in here. But they stay over outside there, bought a land here, and they give people to develop it. And they develop it. You understand me? Like the first man in the first house at the last extreme end, very close to Jalobia Garden. That man has never come to Nigeria. It was a thing. Last year, last year, December, I made the demand. It is only his family when the builder has finished the parking. I’ve never seen demand. It is people who sold the land to them and they started building. You understand me? Who are these people? I don’t know. It is government that knows because government… I will tell you the truth, because they came here and they are some dues that government came here to collect.

They give them notices. I think this notice started about two or three years ago. You understand me? That is what I will know. I know about. It’s about two or three years ago. But normally, we know that this area was designated for airport, the whole of this area. You understand me?

What is paining me so much is, why didn’t government come when this thing was a flood when this thing was. Even when they put on defense, government would have came with this quote, and they put on and they stop this and tell people don’t be there and put a notice. This should be out of bounds for everybody. But why is it that there are a lot of people after collecting money from people’s hard-earned money?

See the pipeline? This pipeline has been here for over… I know of this pipeline.

Nobody’s supposed to stay here because it’s dangerous. It’s dangerous. But if it is not this thing, why is government not coming? This should be earlier than this”

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