Saudi stops stoning ritual for five hours over heatwave
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has stopped pilgrims from proceeding to the Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of throwing stones from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to extreme heatThe Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman, issued the directive in a statement on Monday in Mina, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Sulaiman stated that the measures became necessary to ensure the well-being of pilgrims amidst high temperatures and to prevent heat stress. He urged the Office of Hajj Affairs and service providers to ensure compliance, adding that they would be held responsible for any violations thereof. NAN reports that the Jamarat are three pillars located in Mecca and are an important part of the Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims. Over 1.83 million pilgrims performed this year’s hajj, according to the Saudi Gazette.
Source:Punch
June 17, 2024 16:22 UTC
Eight dead, 25 injured in India train crash
Eight people have died and about 25 have been injured in a train crash in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. The accident occurred when a goods train hit a stationary passenger train, the Kanchenjungha Express, in the New Jalpaiguri area on Monday morning. Dramatic footage from the accident site showed one wagon of the express train suspended in the air. Federal Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that relief teams were working in close coordination with railway officials to carry out rescue operations. Last year, a devastating crash involving three trains in the eastern state of Odisha had killed around 290 people and left more than 1,000 injured.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 17, 2024 15:08 UTC
- Guardian Nigeria News
Celebrity Looks At 2024 Emmy AwardsBy Odunmorayo OkeThe 2024 Emmys unfolded with a sense of nostalgia and a touch of uncertainty, echoing the post-holiday haze felt by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Following months of postponement owing to Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes, the awards ceremony finally held, accompanied by a delayed red carpet, as expected. Additionally, the fashion landscape featured some unexpected choices, including fisherman sandals paired with socks. In our roundup below, we’ve curated a collection of the best, most eccentric, and debatable looks from the 2024 Emmys, showcasing the diverse fashion statements that graced the delayed red carpet. Author Guardian Nigeria
Source:The Guardian
June 17, 2024 07:51 UTC
Buhari spent $1.5b monthly to defend naira, borrowed massively to cover costs — Presidency
The rejoinder asserted that last the administration had spent the sum of $1.5 billion monthly to defend the naira. The presidency added: “To be sure, President Tinubu did not create the economic problems Nigeria faces today. “The Tinubu administration and the 36 states are working assiduously to produce food in abundance to reduce the cost. As those countries are trying to confront the problem, the Tinubu administration is also working hard to overturn the economic problems in Nigeria. “Our country faced economic difficulties in the past, an experience that has been captured in folk songs.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 17, 2024 06:39 UTC
Winning Decisions
Today’s smart leader must spend quality time on framing and reframing decisions. It is definitely not in the interest of the organization if the leader is and myopic and not open-minded. To be the Market Leader “agile organizations must look at the market and analyze it. He is the leader, visionary and entrepreneur. Scenario planning enables decisions that will make organizations “fit for alternatives”.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 17, 2024 06:19 UTC
Tinubu salutes fathers for sacrifice, resilience in shaping nation’s future
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated fathers, including paternal figures, who have contributed to shaping the destiny of the nation with their sacrifices. Tinubu also congratulated fathers for their forbearance, provision, protection and guidance of the young ones, to the noble and true path. “The President states that Father’s Day is significant for its purpose as a day set apart to honour all fathers – living, deceased and paternal figures. “President Tinubu urges fathers to stay true to their bounden commitment of positively shaping the destinies of those to whom the future belongs. “The President wishes Nigerians happy Father’s Day,” Ngalele said in the statement.
Source:The Guardian
June 17, 2024 01:22 UTC
Hajj pilgrims ‘stone the devil’ as Muslims mark Eid al-Adha
Pilgrims performed on Sunday the last major ritual of the hajj, the “stoning of the devil”, in western Saudi Arabia, as Muslims the world over celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday. Beginning at dawn, the 1.8 million Muslims undertaking the pilgrimage this year threw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, located outside Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. On Saturday, temperatures reached 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Arafat, where pilgrims performed hours of outdoor prayers. This year’s hajj and Eid al-Adha holiday have been clouded by the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In a message to hajj pilgrims on Saturday, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “The ironclad resistance of Palestine and the patient, oppressed people of Gaza… must be fully supported in every way”.
Source:Punch
June 16, 2024 21:36 UTC
Marketers distribute 25 million litres Dangote diesel
Independent marketers have lifted and distributed over 25 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in less than three months after the plant started releasing AGO to the market. “I can also confirm that independent marketers have loaded over 25 million litres of diesel since the refinery started the domestic sale of diesel to downstream oil sector operators in Nigeria,” Ukadike stated. On April 2, 2024, oil marketers revealed that the Dangote refinery had commenced the sale of diesel to the domestic market. “The price of diesel is going to fall because of the release of products from Dangote Refinery. This is because since Dangote diesel came into the market the price of diesel has not crossed the N1,200/litre mark.
Source:Punch
June 16, 2024 16:34 UTC
Lawmaker Urges Tinubu to Secure Release of Nigerian professors in Cameroonian Jails
Abdul Oroh has once again urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to use diplomatic and political channels to secure the release of Nigerian professors and other professionals detained in Cameroon. This non-appearance has significantly stalled efforts to secure the release of the professors and other detained individuals. The detained professors and professionals were arrested at Nera Hotel in Abuja on January 5, 2018, by Nigerian security agents. He appealed to President Tinubu, noting his background as a human rights advocate and former refugee, to intervene with Cameroonian authorities to secure their release. The lawyers continue to push for the implementation of international and domestic legal rulings to ensure the detainees’ release and uphold justice.
Source:The Guardian
June 16, 2024 14:48 UTC
Iniodu
Iniodu claims Nigerians are among biggest importers of used cars in AfricaAn auto firm has claimed that Nigeria is the biggest importer of used cars in Africa with an average of N845,000 ($650) being spent annually on vehicle maintenance. The Chief of Staff, Cardio Autotec, Hephzibah Iniodu, who revealed this at the launch of its Car maintenance phone application, stressed that given the state of the economy, used cars will continue to be a staple in Nigeria’s automotive landscape. He maintained that with the market for vehicle maintenance growing at a rapid pace annually, the need for efficient vehicle maintenance solutions is important now more than ever. While stressing the need for reliable vehicle maintenance services in the country, Iniodu maintained that the industry is faced with challenges ranging from the absence of organized automobile care services to opaque pricing structures, and heavy reliance on roadside mechanics. Iniodu said the Cardio App is available for download on the Google Play Store and the App Store.
Source:The Guardian
June 16, 2024 09:19 UTC
Doctor warns Nigerians against eating rotten tomatoes, pepper
A medical doctor, identified simply as Wales, has warned Nigerians to stay away from rotten tomatoes and pepper, known as ‘eesa’ or ‘baaje’ tomatoes. Displaying rotten tomatoes on a plate, the doctor stressed that the tough economic situation should not be a reason for people to eat ‘poison’. But please, if you see this thing, (rotten tomatoes and peppers) in the market, run away. Rotten tomatoes, however, aren’t fresh in any way but are soft pieces of piled tomatoes sold at cheaper prices to people who cannot afford the fresher options. “And, because they are broken, this type of tomatoes are easily accessible to flies, which deposit germs and eggs inside them.
Source:Punch
June 15, 2024 13:07 UTC
Putin demands Ukrainian troop withdrawal in exchange for peace
Russian President, Vladimir Putin on Friday said the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories annexed by his country is a prerequisite for any settlement of the ongoing war. Putin said this during a visit to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow ahead of the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland at the weekend. The affiliation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson to Russia is no longer in question, Putin said. Russia currently occupies around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Ukraine has so far adhered to its stated goal of retaking the occupied territory, including Crimea.
Source:Punch
June 15, 2024 02:54 UTC
LG funds: S’Court reserves judgment as states battle AGF
In the suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Federal Government accused the state governments of stifling local governments and withholding their funds. But the 36 states, through their AGs, vehemently opposed the suit and urged the Supreme Court to dismiss it. All 36 states in their response opposed the FG’s suit and appealed to the court to throw out the suit. The FG, in the originating summons, prayed the Supreme Court to make an order expressly stating that funds standing to the credit of local governments from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the local governments rather than through the state governments. “By the provisions of the Constitution, there must be a democratically elected local government system and the Constitution has not made provisions for any other systems of governance at the local government level other than a democratically elected local government system.
Source:Punch
June 14, 2024 18:00 UTC
Dangote refinery plans 5.3bn litres fuel storage
The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, says it is expanding the storage capacity of his refinery by 600 million litres. The Dangote Petrochemical Refinery refinery currently has 4.78 billion litres of storage capacity for refined petroleum products. The billionaire alleged that international oil companies refused to sell crude oil to his refinery because they did not want him to succeed. When fully operational, Dangote disclosed that the refinery would supply cheaper fuel to the Caribbean, saying the price of fuel in that area is expensive. On May 18, 2024, The PUNCH reported that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, stated that following the laid-down plans of the Dangote refinery, Nigeria would no longer need to import petrol starting June this year.
Source:Punch
June 14, 2024 17:13 UTC
Practice tenets of democracy in interest of people, don tells African leaders
A professor of Public Administration, Steve Iyayi has called on political leaders in Nigeria and other African countries to practice all principles and tenets of democracy towards the greater good of the people in the society. “ Democratic governance has therefore not really addressed the needs of the society and the people in this region of the world. “ Starting from the choice of leaders and representatives in elections, the people are not allowed to have their way. “Good leadership is one irreducible element required by any state to optimize its capacity for growth and development. It is selfless and is the energizing and harnessing tool of the state’s resources both human and material for achieving the state goals.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 14, 2024 16:28 UTC