₦airaland Forum

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donbenedict:
Sharap, the owner of nairaland supposed to be even paying us for keeping his business growing. Not the oda way round.

100 naira has just been deducted from your account, nobody is asking you to pay For comment I only want to know how some comments can be controlled

Let's just imagine that every normal comment on nairaland takes 50 naira of your air time while comment with insults takes 100 naira out of your air time how many comments will you be able to make in a day

NairaMinted:
Brainwashed black folks that can't celebrate anything of their own but would jump on anything foreign or white. Smh!

Give me the name of any Nigerian that is worth celebrating who is corrupt free

adorablepepple:
Let's wish my mummy a happy birthday! !!

Help me say hi to your mum say happy birthday to her on my behalf I better celebrate her 10 times than the ooni

Rossikki:
Do they celebrate the Ooni of Ife's birthday?

Who is the ooni of ife for his birthday to be celebrated world wide the people of ife can celebrate him and we Nigerians can always celebrate him But the queen can be celebrated worldwide but why must you use the ooni for reference what about the sultan of sokoto and the oba of Benin and the obi of onitsha

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(CNN)The White House moved to tamp down suggestions that ties with Saudi Arabia are fraying, with administration officials saying that President Barack Obama "really cleared the air" with King Salman at a meeting Wednesday.

Yet even as White House officials stressed that the leaders made progress, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family told CNN "a recalibration" of the U.S.-Saudi relationship was needed amid regional upheaval, dropping oil prices and ongoing strains between the two longtime allies.
Obama landed in Riyadh earlier Wednesday for a summit with Gulf leaders and spent two-and-a-half hours meeting with the 80-year-old monarch on issues that have recently strained the alliance, including the conflict in Yemen, the role of Iran, Lebanon's instability and the fight against ISIS, U.S. officials said.
Statements after the meeting made clear that deep differences remain on several of these points, with the two sides agreeing to disagree and a U.S. official characterizing the encounter as the start of a discussion rather than a venue for solutions.
But the two leaders glossed over some of the thorniest matters, including a Saudi threat to dump U.S. assets if Obama signs into law a bill that could make the kingdom liable for damages stemming from the September 11 terror attacks.

Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London, to Prince Albert, Duke of York (later known as King George VI), and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, became queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned on June 2, 1953. She is the mother of Prince Charles, heir to the throne, as well as the grandmother of princes William and Harry. As the longest-serving monarch in British history, she has tried to make her reign more modern and sensitive to a changing public.Early Life

Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London, England. At the time of her birth, most did not realize Elizabeth would someday become queen of Great Britain. Her father, Prince Albert, was the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. Elizabeth got to enjoy the first decade of her life with all the privileges of being a royal without the pressures of being the heir apparent.

Her father and mother, also known as the Duke and Duchess of York, divided their time between a home in London and Royal Lodge, the family's home on the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Elizabeth, nicknamed Lilibet, and her younger sister Margaret were educated at home by tutors. Academic courses included French, mathematics and history, with dancing, singing and art lessons undertaken as well.

Father Becomes King

In 1936, the course of Elizabeth's life changed with the death of her grandfather, George V, with whom she was said to be close. Her uncle became King Edward VIII, but he was in love with American divorcée Wallis Simpson and had to choose between the crown and his heart. In the end, Edward chose Simpson and Elizabeth's father became King George VI.

Service in WWII

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret largely stayed out of London, having been relocated to Windsor Castle. From there she made the first of her famous radio broadcasts, with this particular speech reassuring the children of Britain who had been evacuated from their homes and families. The 14-year-old princess, showing her calm and firm personality, told them "that in the end, all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace."

Elizabeth soon started taking on other public duties. Appointed colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards by her father, Elizabeth made her first public appearance inspecting the troops in 1942. She also began to accompany her parents on official visits within Britain.

In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to help in the war effort. She trained side-by-side with other British women to be an expert driver and mechanic. While her volunteer work only lasted a few months, it offered Elizabeth a glimpse into a different, non-royal world. She had another vivid experience outside of the monarchy when she and Margaret were allowed to mingle anonymously among the citizenry on Victory in Europe Day. Marriage and Accession

Elizabeth first met Philip Mountbatten (a surname adopted from his mother's side), son of Prince Andrew of Greece, when she was only 13, and was smitten with him from the start. Distant cousins, the two kept in touch over the years and eventually fell in love. They made an unusual pair. Elizabeth was quiet and reserved while Philip was boisterous and outspoken. Her father, King George VI, was hesitant about the match because, while Mountbatten had ties to both the Danish and Greek royal families, he didn't possess great wealth and was a bit rough in his personality.

At the time of their marriage in the autumn of 1947, Great Britain was still recovering from the ravages of WWII. Elizabeth in fact collected clothing coupons to get fabric for her gown. The ceremony was held at London's Westminster Abbey on November 20. The couple wasted no time in producing an heir. Son Charles was born the following year and daughter Anne arrived in 1950.

On February 6, 1952, King George VI died, and Elizabeth assumed the responsibilities of the ruling monarch. (She and Prince Philip had been in Kenya at the time of her father's death.) Her official coronation took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey. For the first time, the ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people from across the globe to witness the pomp and spectacle of the event.

World Traveler

Queen Elizabeth's long and mainly peaceful reign has been marked by vast changes in her people's lives, in her country's power, how Britain is viewed abroad and how the monarchy is regarded and portrayed. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth does not weigh in on political matters, nor does she reveal her political views. However, she confers regularly with her prime ministers, having had working relationships with 12 PMs during her reign, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and David Cameron.

When Elizabeth became queen, post-war Britain still had a substantial empire, dominions and dependencies. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, many of these possessions achieved independence and the British Empire evolved into the Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth II has thus made visits to other countries as head of the Commonwealth and a representative of Britain, including a groundbreaking trip to Germany in 1965. She became the first British monarch to tour there in more than five decades.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Queen Elizabeth continued to travel extensively. In 1973 she attended the Commonwealth Conference in Ottawa, Canada and in 1976 traveled to the United States for the 200th anniversary celebration of America’s independence from Britain. More than a week later she was in Montreal, Canada, to open the Summer Olympics. In 1979, she traveled to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which garnered international attention and widespread respect A Royal Family

Elizabeth had two more children—sons Andrew and Edward—in 1960 and 1964 respectively. She worked tirelessly to protect the image of the monarchy and to prepare for its future. In 1969, she officially made Prince Charles her successor by granting him the title of Prince of Wales. Hundreds of millions of people tuned in to see the ceremony on television.

In 1981 Charles wed 19-year-old Diana Spencer, with later rumors surfacing that he was pressured into the marriage from his family. The wedding drew enormous crowds in the streets of London and millions watched the proceedings on television. Public opinion of the monarchy was especially strong at that time.

The following year, Elizabeth worried about her second son Prince Andrew, who served as a helicopter pilot in the British Royal Navy during the Falklands War of 1982. Britain went to war with Argentina over the Falklands Islands, a clash that lasted for several weeks. While more than 250 British soldiers died in the conflict, Prince Andrew returned home safe and well much to his mother's relief. Threats and Scandals

Elizabeth, as queen, has seen the monarchy come under attack during her lifetime. The once-revered institution has weathered a number of storms, including death threats against the royal family. In 1979, Elizabeth suffered a great personal loss when Lord Mountbatten, her husband's uncle, died in a terrorist bombing. Mountbatten and several members of his family were aboard his boat on August 29, off the west coast of Ireland, when the vessel exploded. He and three others, including one of his grandsons, were killed. The IRA (Irish Republican Army), which opposed British rule in Northern Ireland, took responsibility for the attack.

In June 1981, Elizabeth herself had a dangerous encounter. She was riding in the Trooping the Colour, a special military parade to celebrate her official birthday, when a man in the crowd pointed a gun at her. He fired, but, fortunately, the gun was loaded with blanks. Other than receiving a good scare, the queen was not hurt. She had an even closer call the following year when an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and confronted Elizabeth in her bedroom. When the press got wind of the fact that Prince Philip was nowhere to be seen during this incident, they speculated about the state of the royal marriage.

The love lives of her children have caused Elizabeth heartache as well. The rocky marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana made headlines for years before the couple announced plans to divorce in 1992. Prince Andrew's union with Sarah Ferguson ended up in the tabloids as well, with photos of Sarah and another man engaged in romantic activity splashed across the front papers. And the queen's own husband has inspired numerous public relations headaches with his off-the-cuff, edgy comments and rumors of possible infidelities.

In 1997, Elizabeth went under intense media scrutiny herself in the wake of Princess Diana's death. Her incredibly popular ex-daughter-in-law, sometimes nicknamed the People's Princess, died from injuries in a Paris car crash on August 31. The queen was at her Balmoral estate in Scotland with Prince Charles and his and Diana's two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the time. For days, Elizabeth remained silent while the country mourned Diana's passing, and she was sharply criticized for her lack of response. Stories circulated that the queen did not want to give Diana a royal funeral, which only fueled public sentiment against the monarch. Nearly a week after Diana's death, Elizabeth returned to London and issued a statement on the late princess. Loss and Change

After the start of the 21st century, Elizabeth experienced two great losses. She said good-bye to both her sister Margaret and her mother in 2002, the same year she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, or 50th year on the throne. Margaret, known for being more of an adventurous soul than other royals and who was barred from marrying an early love, died that February after suffering a stroke. Only a few weeks later, Elizabeth's mother, known as the Queen Mother, died at Royal Lodge on March 30 at the age of 101.

Known to be a stickler for ceremony and tradition, Elizabeth has shown signs of softening her stance. She had objected to the relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, with the pair having been involved while the prince was married. When the two wed in 2005, Elizabeth and Prince Philip had a reception in their honor at Windsor Castle.

Elizabeth has also emerged as a devoted grandmother to William and Harry. Prince William has said that she offered invaluable support and guidance as he and Kate Middleton planned their 2011 wedding. That same year, Elizabeth showed that the crown still had symbolic and diplomatic power when she became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since 1911.

Elizabeth has modernized the monarchy as well. She had dropped some of its formalities and made certain sites and treasures more accessible to the public. As Britain and other nations have struggled financially, she has welcomed the elimination of the Civil List, which was a public funding system of the monarchy dating back roughly 250 years. The royal family continues to receive some government support, but the queen has had to cut back on spending.

Diamond Jubilee

Despite the occasional call to step aside for Prince Charles, Elizabeth has remained steadfastly on the throne. Some of her duties have been passed on to her eldest son, but she still maintains a busy schedule. Elizabeth handles roughly 430 engagements each year and supports hundreds of charitable organizations and programs.

Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, marking 60 years as queen. As part of the jubilee festivities, a special BBC concert was held on June 4 featuring the likes of Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder and Kylie Minogue. Elizabeth was surrounded by family at this historic event, including her husband Philip, son Charles and grandsons Harry and William. Then on September 9, 2015, she surpassed her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain's longest ruling monarch, who reigned for 63 years.

In 2013, Elizabeth celebrated another happy event. Her grandson William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, welcomed their first child, George Alexander Louis—known officially as "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge"—on July 22, 2013. Elizabeth visited her new great-grandson after William and Kate returned home to Kensington Palace from the hospital.

On May 2, 2015, William and Kate welcomed their second child, Princess Charlotte, who is also the queen's fifth great-grandchild.

Personal Life

Not one for the spotlight, Elizabeth likes quiet pastimes. She enjoys reading mysteries, working on crossword puzzles and even watching wrestling on television.

For much of her life, the queen has surrounded herself with dogs. She is especially known for her love of corgis. Also a horse enthusiast, Elizabeth breeds thoroughbreds and attends several racing events each year.

QUICK FACTS

NAME
Queen Elizabeth II
OCCUPATION
Queen
BIRTH DATE
April 21, 1926 (age 90)
PLACE OF BIRTH
London, United Kingdom
ZODIAC SIGN
Taurus
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was crowned in 1953. Her 60 years on the throne was celebrated in June 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee. She later became the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Let's celebrate her

Maputo Mozambique

CaptainRahl:
...Following

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Where did you started this journey from?

Just got my self into problem for not declaring the money on me I really felt so embarrassed by these officers question ..are you a Nigerian and I said YES with capital letters and next I heard we are looking for people like you and I said why? He said it to my face you Nigerians are criminal, I replied him and said we Africans are criminal not only Nigeria he got angry and decided to punish me for saying that, by asking for my documents of declaration but thank God for google my money was just 3500 dollar in equivalent

The image size is too high and am just on data roaming

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These is what the boarder looks like

Just got my passport stamped by the south africa immigration

Hello fellow nairalanders just want to share some beautiful and natural pictures of what South Africa looks like sorry am not good at writing so just bear with me

There is need to carry through the process of rehabilitation for the penitent terrorists to avoid the attraction of returning to old ways, as some of the mistakes in the Niger Delta amnesty programme have tended to encourage. Vincent Obia writes

In the North-east, the Boko Haram terrorist sect is still wreaking havoc on soft targets. Yet some members of the group are turning their backs on insurgency and surrendering to the military. The Defence Headquarters on Tuesday said it had established camps for the repentant members of the group, who laid down their weapons and embraced peace. Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-general Rabe Abubakar, said the setting up of the camps was a component of the military exercise, code-named Operation Safe Corridor, aimed at ending insurgency in the North-east, securing the zone, and reintegrate willing members of the terror group into society. He said repentant insurgents would be trained in various skills and equipped economically as part of the rehabilitation programme. Though, the leadership of the Boko Haram Islamist group has not commented on the capitulation by its fighters.
The military says more than 800 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered and shown repentance.

Details of the rehabilitation programme have not been made public. But initial indication points to an amnesty plan. Ideas designed to reclaim Nigerian lands and wean terrorists off the rebellion, which has killed an estimated 17, 000 people and displaced nearly three million from their homes, would certainly receive the support of the citizens. But the transition from terrorism to normal life in society for contrite Boko Haram members must be properly articulated and implemented to achieve the peace that the country seriously craves. Nigeria cannot afford to repeat the mistakes in the implementation of the Niger Delta amnesty programme, which have tended to turn a scheme designed as a solution to armed struggle into a motivation for the same problem.
Though, the context of the Niger Delta amnesty programme is different from the current Boko Haram rehabilitation process, there are uniformities in the two schemes that offer useful lessons, which need to be learned, particularly, to avoid repeating the same errors.

The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had declared the Niger Delta amnesty programme on June 25, 2009 as a five-year project of “Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Rehabilitation or Reintegration” for armed agitators who accepted the offer of amnesty. Before the acceptance of the amnesty offer, the armed groups had raised issues of development, environmental and economic justice, and land and resource ownership rights in the oil-rich region. They reached agreements with the federal government on the issues, which formed part of the core questions in the Niger Delta agitation. Some of the specific demands of the people included completion of the East-West road, the railway line and coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, construction and establishment of new towns with modern facilities in the Niger Delta, as well as establishment of tertiary institutions to bring education closer to the people in the coastal communities of the region.

Following the decision of the groups to lay down their arms, the amnesty project was meant to stabilise the security situation in the Niger Delta for development to take place. But while the security angle has been largely achieved, the federal government has generally reneged on its obligations in terms of development of the region under the amnesty programme.
Part of the implications of the lack of commitment to the development component of the amnesty scheme is the excessive focus on the former armed agitators at the expense of other people in the Niger Delta who, though victims of the agitation, were not combatants. There are several victims of the armed agitations, including whole communities that were destroyed, who are not covered by the amnesty programme. The concentration of effort on the former armed men has tended to create an endlessly repeated circle of arms surrender and demand for compensation, as rising unemployment cause people to increasingly view the programme as an unending meal ticket.
The government must deal with the problem of unemployment through the development of the economy to reduce susceptibility and incentive for violent crimes.
Besides the development issues, there is an emotional element of the transition from a violent background to peaceful life that is often ignored. The process of healing, which prepares the penitent militant for reintegration into society, appeared to be left out in the Niger Delta amnesty programme. This seemed to isolate many of the repentant men and expose them to the temptation of returning to violence.

It would certainly require more than just vocational training to prepare persons who had done things that are abhorrent to civilised society, such as killing, to be reintegrated into the community. An emotional healing process would be needed to make such persons feel comfortable in the community.
As one of the country’s worst sectarian conflicts appears to be thawing, the authorities need to have a cogent plan to take back those who have decided to renounce terrorism.

Manchester United – 670 Million supporters globally.
Manchester United has been ranked yet again in 2015 as the most popular team globally going by their fan base. From United States,Africa,Asia,South America and even Europe, the Red Devils remain the undisputed kings of the World.

They have not won a single trophy in two years since the departure of long serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson. This has not however affected their growth both financially and also in terms of supporters. It remains the biggest club world wide in terms of fan base.

2. Barcelona-290 Million fans world wide
European Champions in 2015, 2011 and 2009 but they still are not the most famous football club all over the World. They boast of one of the strongest teams in the World at the moment with stars like Neymar, Luis Suarez and four time world player of the year Lionel Messi. They however are not the most liked team globally standing at the 2nd place.

3. Real Madrid- 195 Million supporters globally
Despite the fact that the Los Blancos is the most successful club in the World, they still lag behind when it comes to their fan base all over the World. They are third world wide.

4. Chelsea -145 Million fans globally
The Premier League Champions fan base is the fastest growing in the top 50 clubs in Europe. The London side joined the big boys in 2004 after the acquisition by Russian billionaire Roman Abromavich. Chelsea won Champions League tittle in 2012 beating Bayern Munich at their own stadium. Their African fan base has also seen a lot of growth in the last few years. They are 4th globally.

5. Arsenal -125 Million followers fans globally.
They are known all over the World for their never ending noise about their great club. From Africa to Asia and America they stand and shout they will win Champions League this season but this have not worked for the gunners in Europe so far. Their numbers continue to swell year in year out especially in Asia and Africa. They stand at 5th World wide.

6. AC Milan – 105 Million fans globally.
Second most successful club in Europe with seven Champions League tittles. The San Siro giants have been in a drastic decline in the last few years since the departure of Carlo Ancelloti. Their fanbase however remains intact and stand at 6th globally.

7. Liverpool – 74 Million fans globally.
The Anfield side is known to have some of the oldest and most loyal fans all over the world. They are still in a celebratory mood after the dramatic Instabul Champions League comeback against Ac Milan in 2005. The Brendan Rogers side came close to winning the league in 2014 but missed out to continue what is now 21 years since they last won Premier League tittle. The Reds are known to be one of the loudest in the World. They lie 7th globally.

8. Inter Milan- 51 Million followers globally.
The San Siro side won an unprecedented treble in 2010 under the stewardship of the current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Their team has not seen any success ever since but their fan base is still strong standing at number 8th world wide.

9. Bayern Munich – 26 Million fans globally
Multiple Bundesliga Champions and Champions League winners in 2014. It is the biggest club in Germany and 8th biggest world wide in terms of supporters.

Juve

Here we look at football clubs with the biggest fanbase in the world….these fans really love their clubs!

10. Juventus -22 Million fans all over the World
Four time Serie A Champions. Champions League finalists in 2014/15 season. It is the 10th biggest club in the World in terms of supporters.

United Arab Emirates
The UAE city of Dubai first emerged as an important financial center when it found itself lacking in some of the oil and gas reserves that some of its neighbors possessed. As a result, it shifted its focus to the flow of massive amounts of money circulating among its oil-rich neighbors and beyond.
It serves as a politically and financially stable banking option, amid a region plagued with turmoil. It’s also situated strategically along an all-important East to West trade route.
Benefits to banking in the UAE include low taxes, a number of tax-free zones, and a level of privacy that rivals that of Swiss banks. Due to its ask-no-questions philosophy, it’s home to considerable illegal activity. Much of the industry’s incoming funds are in the form of cash or gold.

H. Michael Miley
Cayman Islands
The offshore choice of political candidate Mitt Romney, the Cayman Islands benefit from the added support of being a territory of the United Kingdom. So, while still essentially autonomous politically and economically, it has a safer feel for those who are skeptical of international markets.
Like many of its competitors, the Caymans offer a number of tax-free incentives and little financial regulation and oversight. The nation has long held the opinion that savvy investors are perfectly capable of taking responsibility for their own compliance and that the markets always know best.
Today the country is the world’s fifth largest financial services center, taking on business from the world’s biggest banks and corporations. It plays host to over 10,000 mutual funds (only Luxembourg has more), over 200 banks, over 90,000 companies, and 140 trust companies. It’s the world’s top home for hedge funds and captive health insurance companies.

401k
Lebanon
Lebanon is often hailed as the “Switzerland of the Middle East” for its tight bank secrecy laws. Banking privacy in Lebanon is “absolute” and guaranteed by law, with violations being subject to criminal prosecution.
It’s also a tax haven, much like most of its competitors. Foreigners pay no local income tax on interest and revenues earned in Lebanese banks. Likewise there are no inheritance taxes, stamp duties on contracts, corporate income taxes, or taxes on dividend distributions or capital gains.
The country has a stable banking system, as well as measures in place to prevent money laundering.
Luxembourg
With over 12 percent of the world’s market for offshore banking, Luxembourg is a major player in the global financial sector. Like other banking secrecy jurisdictions, it’s full of tax loopholes and loose financial regulations.
It’s also extremely stable due to it political neutrality and the strong influence its financial sector holds over the nation’s political leanings. It’s central (both politically and geographically) to the heart of Europe and was a founding member of the European Union, giving it better access to European and international markets.
Its tight banking secrecy policies are based more on the principle behind professional lawyer-client relationships, with even more privacy laws in the works. The country is also reportedly setting up a high-security storage facility where clients can keep assets like paintings and gold with no fear of having these possessions reported to tax authorities in their home countries.
Whether you’re looking for a place to stow a Picasso or simply wanting to transfer your self-directed IRA where you’ll have a better variety of investment options, offshore bank accounts can open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Belize
Although only in its 3rd decade of international banking, Belize has been steadily growing its financial services industry since it first emerged on the scene in the early 1990s. Today it offers a myriad of products and services to international investors from all over the world.
It’s a popular choice among North Americans,