World

King Charles III begins reign amid mourning

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2022 10:59 am

BodexNG

King Charles III on Friday readied to address his mourning subjects on the first full day of his new reign as Britain and the world commemorated the extraordinary life of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

At 73, Charles is the oldest monarch yet to ascend the throne of the United Kingdom, following the death of his “cherished” mother at her Scottish estate of Balmoral on Thursday.

He was due to return to London from Balmoral, where the 96-year-old queen died “peacefully” after a year-long period of ill-health and decline, at the culmination of a record-breaking reign of 70 years.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the queen was so widely held,” Charles said in a statement.

One of the planet’s most recognisable people, she was the only British monarch most people alive today had ever known.

The tributes were universal, including from Russia and China.

New York’s Empire State Building was illuminated after sunset in silver and royal purple, while the Eiffel Tower in Paris dimmed its lights in tribute.

President Joe Biden described Queen Elizabeth as “a stateswoman of unmatched dignity”, and relayed the comforting words she gave when the United States was plunged into mourning on 9/11.

They were the same words chosen by the Daily Telegraph for its sombre front-page: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

Other British newspapers also printed special editions to mark the occasion. “Our hearts are broken,” headlined popular tabloid the Daily Mail.

The Mirror wrote simply: “Thank you.”

Charles’s inaugural address, set to be pre-recorded, was expected to be broadcast on Friday evening, part of 10 days of plans honed over decades by Buckingham Palace and the UK government.

The new king was also expected to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was only appointed on Tuesday in one of the queen’s last official acts before her death.

Truss acclaimed the “second Elizabethan age”, five centuries after the celebrated first.

“We offer him (Charles) our loyalty and devotion just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long,” she said in a televised address Thursday. “God save the king.”

Charles was also due to meet officials in charge of the elaborate arrangements for his mother’s lavish state funeral, which will be attended by crowned and elected heads of state from around the world.

He will decide on the length of the royal household’s period of mourning, which is expected to last a month, while the UK government will observe at least 10 days of official remembrance, when limited business is conducted.

Gun salutes — one round for every year of the queen’s life — will be fired Friday across Hyde Park in central London and from the Tower of London on the River Thames.

Muffled church bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle, among other places, and Union flags will fly at half-mast.

Truss and other senior ministers were set to attend a public remembrance service at St Paul’s, while the UK parliament will start two days of special tributes.

World

Israel launches counterattack on Iran

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2024 8:17 am

BodexNG

Oil prices have surged by nearly 4 percent as Israel launched a missile attack on a target in Iran, according to international media reports.

Explosions were reported in Isfahan province in central Iran, where the country’s nuclear plant is located.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later announced that there was no damage to the plant.

Israel had promised a response to missile and drone attacks by Iran last weekend.

Iran had launched the attacks in response to the April 1 strike that killed its senior security officials at its embassy in Syria apparently carried out by Israel.

A US official told ABC News that Israel carried out a strike inside Iran, confirming reports of the explosion by the Asian country’s media.

There were also reports of blasts in Iraq and southern Syria.

Commercial flights we re-routed as parts of the Iranian airspace were closed.

Iran says it activated its air defence systems.

Israel is not planning further attacks and Iran is not going to retaliate either, according various officials quoted by the media.

Brent crude price is now over $90 per barrel, up from $87 before the strike.

World

Dubai international airport cancels flights as flood ravages runway, UAE

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024 12:30 pm

BodexNG

A year’s worth of rainfall in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, left the city flooded and disrupted airport operations.

A video posted online showed the tarmac of Dubai International Airport — recently crowned the second busiest in the world — underwater as massive aircraft attempted to navigate floodwaters.

CNN reports that nearly four inches (100 mm) of rain fell over the course of just 12 hours on Tuesday, according to the weather observations at the airport.

According to United Nations data, the rainfall was around what Dubai usually records in an entire year.

The flooding disrupted airport operations in the city, with multiple airlines announcing flight delays and cancelled flights on Wednesday.

Jets were said to have looked more like boats moving through the flooded airport, while other parts of the UAE also recorded heavy rainfall.

“Operations continue to be significantly disrupted. There is major flooding on access roads around Dubai leading to the airport,” the airport was quoted as saying.

The rain reportedly fell so heavily and quickly that motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles as the floodwater rose and roads turned into rivers.

Dubai, like the rest of the UAE, has a hot and dry climate. As such, rainfall is infrequent and the infrastructure to handle extreme events is not in place.

Many roads and other areas have insufficient drainage due to the lack of regular rainfall, causing flooding.

The rain that ravaged the city is associated with a larger storm system traversing the Arabian Peninsula, moving across Oman and Iran.

Experts said torrential rainfall will become frequent in the region due to human-driven climate change.

World

SEE FULL LIST: Fireboy, Osimhen, Amusan make Forbes Africa’s ‘30 Under 30’ list

Published

4 days ago

April 16, 2024 11:30 am

BodexNG

Fireboy DML, the singer, Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles footballer, and Veekee James, a fashion designer, are among the six Nigerians listed in the 2024 edition of Forbes Africa’s ‘30 Under 30’.

Forbes ’30 Under 30′ is an annual listicle by Forbes magazine spotlighting prominent business and industry figures.

In the tenth edition of the list recently released, the business magazine featured Africans under 30 who are shaping the continent in entertainment, education, sports, technology, healthcare, art, and other industries.

Other Nigerians on the list include Josiah Akinloye, founder and CEO of Mainlogix Technology; Tobi Amusan, track and field athlete; and Abioye Oyetunji; founder and CEO FXKudi.

Africans on the list include Tyla Laura Seethal, South African singer; Peace Wutawunashe, founder of Trigershot Engineering; Kenneth Njeru, director and founder of Africa Afya Healthcare; and Calvin Usiri, co-founder and CTO of Ramani, among others.

To curate the 2024 list, the finalists were drawn after a “rigorous vetting process” by the editorial team led by Under 30 curator Chanel Retief, alongside a panel of independent external judges such as Mo Abudu.

Other judges are Kate Kallot, Chris Maurice, Tlaleng Mofokeng, Helena Ndume, and Desiree Ellis.

Forbes said the evaluation process commenced in late 2023, with the support of its audit partner, SNG Grant Thornton.

Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Rema are among Nigerians who have made the list in the past.

The magazine earlier announced that Omah Lay, the singer, will be performing at the Under 30 summit in Botswana in May.

Below is the Forbes Africa ’30 Under 30′ list for 2024:

Alex Mativo, 29, Kenya, CEO and Co-founder, E-LAB, Nanasi and Duck, Industry: Multiple ventures
Ann-Kathrin Joos, 28, South Africa, CEO and Founder, Standard Beauty, Industry: Beauty
Vimbai Masiyiwa, 29, Zimbabwe, CEO, Batoka Hospitality, Industry: Tourism
Andrew Ddembe, 28, Uganda, Co-founder and CEO, MobiKlinic, Industry: Healthtech
Chad Jones, 28, South Africa, Social Media Content Creator and Brand Influencer, Industry: Social media
Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (Fireboy DML), 28, Nigeria, Singer-songwriter, Industry: Entertainment
Tyla Laura Seethal, 22, South Africa, Singer-Songwriter, Industry: Entertainment
Ayushi Chandaria, 26, Kenya, Founder, Design Thinking Program (Kenya), Industry: Education
Ama Qamata, 25, South Africa, Actress, Producer, Industry: Entertainment
Daniel Novitzkas, 28, South Africa, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Specno, Industry: Software development and technology solutions
Prisca Wegesa Magori, 29, Tanzania, CEO and Co-founder, TenTen Explore and Smart EFD, Industry: Software development
Luke Mostert,27, South Africa, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, CatalyzU, Industry: Venture Capital
Kenneth M. Njeru, 25, Kenya, Director and Founder, Africa Afya Healthcare, Industry: Health investment services Services
Arooj Sheikh, 28, Kenya, Founder and CEO, Beyond Kenyan Bars, Sector: Social development
Cayley Jorgensen, 29, South Africa, CEO and Founder, Ingage Support; Registered Counselor, Sector: Mental health
Hildah Magaia, 29, South Africa, Forward for Mazatlán F.C Femenil and Banyana Banyana, Industry: Sport-football
Victor Osimhen, 25, Nigeria, Footballer and Striker for Super Eagles, Industry: Sport-football
Tobi Amusan, 26, Nigeria, Track and Field Athlete, Industry: Sport – athletics
Damian Willemse, 25, South Africa, Stormers and Springboks Rugby Player, Industry: Sport – rugby
Ricardo Lognath, 29, South Africa, Co-Founder and CEO, Omninela Medical, Industry: Healthcare/E-commerce
Nicolas Lognath, 27, South Africa, Co-Founder and Director, Omninela Medical, Industry: Healthcare/E-commerce
Ruth Erikan James, 29, Nigeria, Founder, Veekee James, Industry: Fashion
Shaun Maswanganyi, 23, South Africa, Track and Field Athlete, Industry: Sport – athletics
Jeremiah Thoronka, 24, Sierra Leone, Founder and CEO, Optim Energy, Sector: Climate change and sustainability (Social Impact)
Calvin Usiri, 28, Tanzania, Co-founder and CTO, Ramani, Industry: Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Peace Wutawunashe, 27, Zimbabwe, Founder, Trigershot Engineering, Industry: Solar/Renewable Energy
Esethu Cenga, 29, South Africa, Co-founder and CEO, Rewoven, Industry: Fashion
Josiah Akinloye, 29, Nigeria, Founder and CEO, Mainlogix Technology, Industry: Automation and technology
Abioye Oyetunji, 29, Ghana, Founder and CEO, FXKudi, Industry: Fintech
Nadine Roos, 27, South Africa, South African Rugby Union (Springboks) and Sevens player, Industry: Sport – rugby

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others