₦airaland Forum

Zenith Bank comprehensive stock analysis for your info:

https://www.nairaland.com/6108701/zenith-bank-plc-comprehensive-stock#93759464

ZENITH BANK PLC
Stocks/Nigeria/Banks/NGSE:ZENITHBANK

Market Capitalisation: ₦530.6b
Data Last Updated: 09Sep2020 @ 00:38 UTC
Data Sources: Company Financials +

ANALYSIS
Price to Earnings Ratio: 2.4x (below NG market of 6.2x).
Earnings growth: 16.4% per year over past 5 years.
Risk Analysis: High level of non-cash earnings; Unstable dividend track record.
Snowflake Analysis Summary: Established dividend payer with adequate balance sheet.

Share Price: No significant volatility in past 3 months.
Market Performance:
7 Day Return @ -0.3% vs -1.1% for NG Banks vs 0.2% NG Market.
1 Year Return @ -7.4% vs -10.5% NG Banks vs -11.9% NG Market.

Return vs Industry: ZENITHBANK matched NG Banks, which returned -7.9% over the past year.
Return vs Market: ZENITHBANK exceeded NG Market, which returned -11.4% over past year.

SHAREHOLDER RETURNS:
ZENITH vs Industry vs Market
7 Day -0.3% -1.1% 0.2%
30 Day 0.6% -0.3% 0.9%
90 Day 1.5% -3.6% -0.9%
1 Year 8.6%-7.4% -0.2%-10.5% -4.1%-11.9%
3 Year 8.7%-25.7% -16.0%-32.8% -33.0%-43.8%
5 Year 84.5%-4.8% 22.0%-14.3% -17.2%-36.1%

VALUATION (SHARE PRICE VS FAIR VALUE):
Vs Fair Value: ZENITHBANK (NGN16.9) is trading above our estimate of fair value (NGN11.58)
Vs PE Ratio (Industry): ZENITHBANK is good value based on PE Ratio 2.4x vs NG Banks avg of 2.9x.
Vs PE Ratio (Market): ZENITHBANK is good value based on PE Ratio 2.4x vs NG market 6.2x.
Vs Price to Earnings Growth Ratio: ZENITHBANK is good value based on PEG Ratio 0.9x.
Vs Price to Book Ratio (Industry): ZENITHBANK is overvalued based on PB Ratio 0.5x vs NG Banks avg 0.4x.

FUTURE EARNINGS GROWTH FORECAST
Growth in 1 to 3 years: 2.7% per year
Earnings vs NG Market: Slower, @ 2.7% vs 14.5% per year.
High Growth Earnings: ZENITHBANK's earnings are forecast to grow, but not significantly.
Revenue vs NG Market: Slower, @ 6.5% vs 7.5% per year.
Future Return on Equity: High in 3 years time (20%).

PAST PERFORMANCE
Over the past 5 years: 16.4%
Quality Earnings: High level of non-cash earnings.
Growing Profit Margin: Current net profit margins (46%) are higher than last year (43.3%).
Earnings Trend: Grew by 16.4% per year over the past 5 years.
Accelerating Growth: Lower over the past year (11.6%) vs 5-year average (16.4% per year).
Earnings vs Industry: Lower over the past year 11.6% vs NG Banks 16.3%.
Return on Equity: High (22.6%).

FINANCIAL HEALTH
Asset Level: Low Assets to Equity ratio (7.7x).
Allowance for Bad Loans: Low (83%).
Risk Liabilities: Low (74% are primarily low-risk sources of funding).
Loan to Assets Ratio: Appropriate (36%).
Risk Deposits: Appropriately low (Loans to Deposits ratio 55%).
Bad Loans Level: High (7.4%).

DIVIDEND
Current dividend yield: 16.57%
Upcoming Dividend Payment: Interim.
Ex Dividend Date: 17 Sep 2020.
Dividend Pay Date: 22 Sep 2020.
Dividend Yield vs Market: Higher @ 16.57% than bottom 25% of dividend payers in NGmarket (4.31%).
Dividend Yield Rating: Good. Higher @ 16.57% than top 25% of dividend payers in the NGmarket (11%)
Dividend Stability: Volatile in the past 10 years.
Dividend Growth: Increased over the past 10 years.
Dividend to Earnings Coverage: Well covered, @ 39.3% earnings payout ratio.
Future Dividend to Earnings Coverage: Well covered, @ 44.4% forecast payout ratio in 3 years.

KEY COMPANY INFORMATION
Name: Zenith Bank Plc
Ticker: ZENITHBANK
Exchange: NGSE
Founded: 1990
Industry: Diversified Banks
Sector: Banks
Market Cap: ₦530.601b
Shares outstanding: 31.40b
Website: https://www.zenithbank.com

SOURCE (abridged): https://simplywall.st/stocks/ng/banks/ngse-zenithbank/zenith-bank-shares

Processing agric products (adding value by transforming them from basic commodities) increases their worth, appeal and market value. In the case of rice, processing is an important and distinct feature in its production. It involves changing harvested paddy into edible rice. Nigeria’s rice processing techniques are inefficient. This has resulted in processed rice that’s too expensive and of lower quality than rice from other countries like China, Vietnam and India.

Rice, one of the major staple foods in Nigeria, is consumed across all Nigerian socioeconomic classes. Still, only about 57% of the 6.7m metric tonnes of rice consumed in Nigeria annually are locally produced. This leads to a supply deficit of about 3m metric tonnes, which is imported.

Over 80% of locally produced rice comes from small scale processors with processing capacity of less than 100 tonnes. And these small scale processors are faced with financial challenges that inform their choice of equipment. Large scale processors, on the other hand, constitute less than 20% of processors. They face the challenge of inconsistency in grain quality and insufficient paddy. Both small scale or cottage rice processors and large scale processors depend on paddy from farm lands or purchase from neighbouring villages or towns.

Processing procedure entails parboiling raw rice to soften the husk, drying and milling it before selling to distributors or retailers. After milling, small stones must be removed using a de-stoner. De-stoning rice makes locally processed rice more appealing. But the majority of the small scale processors cannot afford this equipment unless they form themselves into co-operatives to purchase one.

We conducted research to establish why Nigeria’s processed rice was of low quality. We wanted to establish what drove the decisions of Nigerian rice processors, specifically their choice of techniques for processing rice.

We found out that, in many instances, Nigerian rice processors, especially the small scale or cottage processors, do not have adequate processing capacity. We discovered that choice of techniques and equipment used during processing was a major determinant of output and quality. The choices rice processors made were driven by a host of factors. These included budgetary constraints, social and economic factors as well as processing constraints.

In a bid to identify factors affecting rice processors’ decisions, we administered structured questionnaires to 410 rice processors selected from 4 states (Ebonyi, Ekiti, Ogun and Nasarawa) from 3 geopolitical zones in Nigeria – South-East, South-West and North-Central. We asked them about processing. We wanted to know about their experiences, where they sourced raw rice, their processing activities and techniques, if they had available credit to enhance processing activities and the distances from farm to processing centre and from processing centre to market.

Responses to the questions showed that choices were dependent on each processor’s finances and a number of social and processing characteristics. These included age (youth or elderly), sex, education, marital status and household size of processors. Economic factors also played a role, including access to loans to buy modern equipment, and size of the processing operation. Even if they could afford new equipment, most didn’t have the capacity to service it.

Consequently, there were instances where processors formed themselves into co-operatives in a bid to access loans and other financial aid from the government with the aim of purchasing processing equipment. But the time lag for loan applications delayed productive activities. The outcome was many processors became discouraged, and abandoned trying to use new processing techniques and equipment. There were also instances where processors couldn’t get spare parts and de-stoning machines required to sift raw rice.

Organised markets in the country present obstacles too. They opted for parboiled imported rice from countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, China and India instead of locally processed rice. This is because to process a 50 kilogramme bag of rice locally is more expensive and not economical. Rice processors also encountered challenges getting consistent quality and quantity of rice from local farmers all year round. They had to deal with fragmentation of the processing enterprise that makes it difficult to create quality brands and standards due to exorbitant cost of processing equipment.

In 2019 the Nigerian government restricted importation of rice into the country. But the directive failed to address the fact that locally processed rice is too expensive. In the case of low priced rice, the quality is poor. There is therefore a need for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to focus on how to get modern rice processing techniques to more processors. This would enable processors take advantage of the openings and opportunities made available by the Federal Government.

This should include providing machines and equipment to rice processors in a bid to ensure Nigeria can produce high quality rice. In addition, rice processors’ associations should be supported with input supply and credit. Female processors should be empowered with input supply, access to credit and proper monitoring. The research has shown that they are more likely to use traditional techniques than their male counterparts.

Finally, stakeholders such as the federal and state agriculture ministries, local governments and the private sector, should invest in modern rice processing equipment. This equipment should be situated close to rice processors with good access roads. This will ensure that processors aren’t burdened by the extra cost of transport and rice processing fees which most rice processors are not willing to pay.

By Omobolaji Obisesan, a Visiting Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Interconnections for Making Africa Great, Empowered and Sustainable Initiatives, University of Ibadan

Culled from www.theconversation.com

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/why-quality-of-nigerian-homegrown-rice-is-poor/

Do you sometimes wonder what data speeds you can get on your smartphone when you see symbols like E, 3G, H, H+, 4G and 4G+ on the phone? In this post, we will look at data rates that can be achieved through key 2G, 3G and 4G technologies.

1. GPRS
Introduced in GSM networks to add mobile data capability so people could use mobile phones also for the internet. GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service and was an enhancement to existing GSM networks in order to provide mobile internet services. GPRS is sometimes also referred to as 2.5G and can offer peak downlink speeds up to 171.2 kbps. For clarity, the downlink data rates help with the downloads and the uplink data rates help with the uploads.

2. EDGE
Was an enhancement to GPRS networks to improve data speeds. EDGE stands for Enhanced Data for Global Evolution and it increased peak downlink speeds to 384 kbps. EDGE is sometimes referred to as 2.75G and is shown on your mobile phone as symbol ‘E’.

3. UMTS (3G)
After the 2G technologies GSM, GPRS and EDGE, the 3rd generation of mobile networks were launched with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). UMTS was the 3G migration route for those 2G networks that used the GSM standard. The other 3G technology was CDMA2000 which was for 2G networks that used IS-95. UMTS is shown on your mobile phone as the ‘3G’ symbol and offers peak downlink speeds of up to 2 Mbps.

4. HSPA
The need for speed was always there which is why enhancements in mobile communications continued. One of these enhancements in the 3G era was High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) which was followed by High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA). These enhancements are collectively termed as High-Speed Packet Access or HSPA. HSPA is shown on your mobile as the ‘H’ symbol and can offer peak downlink and uplink speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps and 5.76 Mbps respectively.

5. HSPA+
Is an upgraded version of HSPA and stands for Evolved High-Speed Packet Access. It makes enhancements t spectral efficiency, peak data rates and latency. Resulting data speeds can reach up to 42 Mbps in the downlink for downloads and 11.5 Mbps in the uplink for uploads.

6. LTE (4G)
4G uses the LTE technology for meeting its requirements and is shown on your mobile phone as the ‘4G’ symbol. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and provides the 4G migration path to mobile operators using key 3G technologies including Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and CDMA2000. LTE can enable peak speeds of up to 300 Mbps in the downlink for downloads, and up to 75 Mbps in the uplink for uploads.

7. LTE-Advanced (4G+)
While LTE is the key technology for 4G, there have been some later versions of LTE that can offer even higher download speeds. With LTE-Advanced you can get data rates of up to 1Gbps in the downlink which can go as high as 3Gbps with LTE Advanced Pro. LTE Advanced is shown on the mobile as the ‘4G+’ symbol. In case you are wondering, 5G can take these speeds to even higher levels which you can check out in our 5G post.

You may also be wondering where technologies like EVDO fit in? The concept of EVDO is similar to HSPA, and it is a 3G technology enhancement used in the CDMA2000 networks.

So, in summary:
MAX. DOWNLOAD SPEEDS
GPRS: Up to 171.2 kbps.
EDGE: 384 kbps.
3G UMTS: 2 Mbps.
HSPA: 14.4 Mbps.
HSPA+: 42 Mbps.
LTE: 300 Mbps.

MAX. UPLOAD SPEEDS
3G UMTS: 128 kbps.
HSPA: 5.76 Mbps.
HSPA+: 11.5 Mbps.
LTE: 75 Mbps.

Now you may be thinking that speeds like 300 Mbps or even 100 Mbps are hard to get when you are out and about. You are right, these are the peak data rates or maximum achievable speeds. As you would expect, a mobile base station does serve many people simultaneously, so the available data capacity is shared among multiple users. In addition, factors like the distance between the user and the base station, and obstacles like buildings and trees etc can all impact achievable data rates.

SOURCE (abridged): https://commsbrief.com/data-speeds-with-gprs-edge-umts-hspa-hspa-4g-and-4g/

[mrsage:
How can we take advantage of this?]

Good question.

Here are some examples of jobs in the video game industry:

Games Designer
Software Developer and Game Programmer
Games Artist
Interpreters and Translators
Game Play Tester
Professional Gamer
Audio Engineer
Games Animator
Analytical Manager
Project Manager
etc

Depending on which area of work you have interest, here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Join gaming blogs or discussion boards.
2. Take a related professional course e.g. Training schools like Aptech offer courses in Animation etc.
3. Join a gaming syndicate. This will enable you to participate in multiplayer competitions and win cash prizes.
4. Get a related University degree or Polytechnic diploma.
5. Think up ideas for interesting video games and write them down.
6. Download and use game development Apps.
7. Develop a game (no matter how rudimentary) and then post it on your social media pages / forums like Nairaland.
8. Get an internship at a video game company or related (design, animation, coding etc) studio. Mid-range studios with about 10 to 20 employees are usually the best.
9. Learn at least one game engine e.g. Unreal Engine or Unity Engine.
10. Learn some relevant practical skills e.g.:
Artist: Learn how to use Photoshop, Maya, Illustrator and other gaming-relevant tools. Make some nice paintings and show them off online.
Audio Engineer: Learn an instrument, especially the piano. You don't have to go to music school; just attach yourself to any good Keyboardist in church and learn improvisation ("playing by ear" ).
Programmer: Learn at least 2 of the following - Visual Studio, C++, Python, C#, Php or Java.
Analytical Manager: Learn Excel, Maths, Statistics, SQL, Big Query.
Project Manager: Learn team skills, time management, collaboration, presentation.
etc
11. Etc.

You don't need professional experience to break into the industry. What you need is interest, passion and diligence.

Best of luck!

There was a mild drama Friday evening during a debate organised by BBC News Pidgin for candidates in the Sept 19 Edo State Governorship Election as Governor Godwin Obaseki excused himself from the debate just at the beginning. Obaseki, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had featured briefly in the virtual debate but stepped out to attend another meeting.

The governor asked the moderator and his co-panelists to allow his deputy, Philip Shaibu, to continue the debate in his stead. This development drew the ire of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who objected to the idea, insisting that he would not debate with Shaibu.

Obaseki said, “First, I wan’ thank una say una invite me come this programme, make we debate among ourselves, make we fit talk wetin we wan do for the people of Edo State. But make I first start by apologising. You see, as I dey now, I no dey Benin. I had to travel on emergency this evening come somewhere. And the meeting dey very important. But abi tell una, so my deputy dey on ground. E no get anything wey I dey do wey im no know. So, I say out of respect, make I first do this opening round, I will rush go the meeting, and hopefully my deputy go continue.”

Reacting, Ize-Iyamu said, “Abeg make I talk small for wetin Governor Obaseki talk. This debate na for governorship candidates, no be wetin den dey delegate. If he no go fit stay, he no go fit stay. But say he wan’ comot make im deputy go come dey follow us debate, I no get hand for that one. If he no dey ready, make im no say, he no wan’ debate with us. But if he wants to debate, he has to stay but me no go sit down with im deputy. If na deputy own, I go call my deputy make im come talk with im deputy. No be me and im deputy dey debate, na governorship debate.”

Obaseki later left Ize-Iyamu and Jones Osagiobare of the Young Progressives Party to continue with the debate. His deputy, Shaibu, did not, however, feature at the debate but the governor resurfaced after about an hour, towards the end of the debate. The two major candidates in the election had on Sunday shunned a governorship debate organised by the Esan Development and Transformation Initiative which was moderated by the Senior Pastor of Lagos-based church Trinity House, Ituah Ighodalo.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/drama-as-obaseki-ize-iyamu-others-attend-bbc-debate-2/

When one mentions the entertainment industry, most people would think about films and music. Many people watch the Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes, MTV Video Music Awards, BRIT Awards, etc. Of course, there is a lot of glitz and glamour in the film and music industries. But would you be surprised to learn that these two are not the top-grossing sectors in entertainment?

As a matter of fact, these two put together do not even match half the revenue the video game industry is earning. According to the latest figures, the video game business is now larger than both the movie and music industries combined, making it a major industry in entertainment. In 2019, the global games market was estimated to generate US$152.1 billion from 2.5 billion gamers around the world. By comparison, the global box office industry was worth US$41.7b while global music revenues reached US$19.1b in 2018.

Consider the top blockbuster movie to date, Avengers: Endgame. When it premiered April 16, 2019, it raked in over US$858.37m during its opening weekend. It even surpassed 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, which generated US$678.82m in gross revenue. But while these films received so much attention and hype from the general public, they failed to outperform the highest-grossing entertainment launch in history, Grand Theft Auto V’s release back in 2013, which earned US$1b in just over 3 days.

Glitz and glamor, after all, don't directly translate to bigger profits.

SMARTPHONE BOOST
The video game industry can be classified into 3 main categories – PC, mobile, and console gaming.

Mobile gaming, which includes smartphone and tablet gaming, is the largest segment, accounting for US$68.5b of total estimated revenue in 2019, up 10.2% from 2018. Console gaming is estimated to generate US$47.9b revenues, up 13.4% from 2018, while PC gaming is seen earning US$35.7b, up 4%. Mobile gaming is expected to take up 59% of the global video game market by 2021, while console and PC gaming will have 22% and 19% respectively.

Clearly, mobile gaming has gone a long way since its birth in 1997 when the addicting Snake was pre-installed in over 400 million Nokia phones. Although mobile gaming was interrupted for several years when the trend switched back to what was known as the “console wars”, over the years, the development of the smartphone, coupled with advancements in the internet and connectivity, has paved the way for more exciting gaming experience with the RPG (role-playing game) and MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-paying game) becoming more accessible to mobile phones.

THE BIRTH OF E-SPORTS
E-sports stands for “electronic sports”, a type of competition that involves the use of video games. A typical e-sports tournament takes the form of multiplayer video game competitions between teams of professional gamers. The most common genres played today are multiplayer online battle arenas, first-person shooters, battle royales, and real-time strategy games. A few of the highest and most prestigious e-sport competitions today are Dota 2, Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, StarCraft II, and Overwatch. With its growing popularity, e-sports has raised casual gaming into a professional and competitive game of skills, strategy, and team play.

Today, being a professional gamer can be a lucrative career as numerous competitions are being organized in different parts of the world and tens of thousands to millions of dollars being given away as prizes. The prize pool for the most recent Dota 2 tournament, for example, reached over US$34 million.

Gone are the days when gaming was just an activity to pass the time. The rise of e-sports has drastically changed the picture, growing the gaming culture from a niche community to what is now a spectator sport that brings in different profit-generating channels from merchandising to live events, streaming services, online advertising, and even brand endorsements. It has become an international phenomenon, literally taking the game to the center stage with a much larger global audience.

Although e-sports is now a billion-dollar industry, not many mass media companies have been covering its growth and expansion. Nonetheless, there is no question that e-sports is largely contributing to the exponential growth of the video game industry, silently taking over the entertainment world.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE
Gaming is no longer just a hobby, and to describe it as a niche market is an understatement. It’s a booming industry with very wide room for growth. And with continuous innovation and the launching of more game offerings, we can only envision a very bright future for the gaming industry. The rapid rise of technology will bring the industry to other realms such as cloud gaming, VR (virtual reality) gaming, and AR (augmented reality) gaming.

SOURCE: https://www.ejinsight.com/eji/article/id/2280405/20191022-video-game-industry-silently-taking-over-entertainment-world

Rare and valuable plants that naturally “mine” large quantities of nickel are thought to be hiding in Indonesia’s forests – but it is a race to discover them before they are wiped out.

16 years ago, Aiyen Tjoa was exploring a small mining town of Sorowako in the heart of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Sorowako once had been a home to immense diversity of plants, and most of them were found nowhere else. But then the small town became the hub of one of the largest nickel mining areas in the world, with one company alone extracting 5% of the global nickel supply.

When Tjoa, a soil biologist and lecturer in Tadulako University in Central Sulawesi, arrived Sorowako in 2004, most of the lush vegetation had already been cleared for mining, leaving barren soil and dusty roads in its place. But some bushes and young trees survived. Back then, Tjoa was eager to find those rare plants that were adapting well to their new, nickel-rich surroundings. These, she reasoned, could be “super plants” capable of taking up high levels of nickel from the soil and storing it in surprisingly high quantities.

As well as cleaning the soil, these nickel-rich plants could be “mined” to provide an alternative source of the metal, allowing nickel to be harvested without destroying the ecosystem. The plants Tjoa was looking for are known as nickel hyper-accumulators – a group of rare plants able to concentrate at least 1,000 micrograms (mcg) nickel per 1g of dried leaf.

Most plants draw up tiny amounts of heavy metals to activate some important enzymes, and nickel is needed to activate one crucial to plants’ flowering process. But even slightly too much nickel can poison and kill most plants. Nickel hyper-accumulators, however, have evolved the ability to withstand this excess by binding the metal inside their cell walls or storing it in their vacuoles – a storage organelle inside the cell, says Tjoa. They mainly store the nickel in their shoots, leaves, roots or sap.

Some nickel-loving species like Alyssum murale, native to Italy, can take up to 30,000 mcg nickel per 1g dried leaf. Some, like Phyllantus balgoyii, found in Malaysia, have such a high nickel content that their sap is a remarkable bright blue-green colour. So far, around 450 species of nickel-loving plants have been documented worldwide. Most of these plants grow in countries with less plant diversity and lower nickel deposits than Indonesia, such as Cuba (130 species), southern Europe (45), New Caledonia (65) and Malaysia (24).

Curiously, very few of these plants have been found in Indonesia, which is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and also has the largest nickel deposit in the world – just where you might expect to find a nickel hyper-accumulator. Tjoa says that this is largely because very few people have spent the time looking.

THE LONG SEARCH
When Tjoa secured a permit from the mining company that holds the concessions in Sorowako, she quickly packed up her gear to scan the area. She had to fund her own explorations, and for 4 years she came back to Sorowako time and again to look, without success. The work was painstaking and, at first, disappointing.

Part of the reason her search was slow was that to the naked eye, such plants look rather ordinary. But, when a likely suspect is found, there is a simple on-the-spot test to identify whether it is a hyper-accumulator or not. Antony van der Ent, a plant ecophysiologist from the University of Queensland who studies nickel hyper-accumulators, describes using a white circle of detection paper to test for nickel. “The paper instantly turns pink when leaves are pressed against it. It’s foolproof, easy to do and fast,” he says.

But just because nickel is present doesn’t mean the plant is a hyper-accumulator. To analyse how high the nickel concentration is, a sample is brought back to the lab, dried and examined using X-rays. A hand-held device shoots an X-ray beam at the sample, which reacts by emitting a specific amount of energy that is characteristic of nickel atoms.

After 4 years of exploration, Tjoa at last spotted 2 species of indigenous nickel hyper-accumulators in 2008: Sarcotheca celebica and Knema matanensis. In the lab, she found that both of these native plants could store between 1,000 and 5,000 mcg nickel per gram dried leaf.

It was a start, but Tjoa was still hoping for something more. Compared with nickel-loving plants found elsewhere, these two showed fairly modest powers of hyperaccumulation. “We’re looking for plants that could accumulate at least 10,000 mcg [per gram],” she says. At that threshold, it becomes economically viable to cultivate the plant for mineral extraction – or “phytomining”.

Tjoa’s research on these plants drew the attention of Satria Bijaksana, a professor of rock magnetism from Bandung Institute of Technology. Bijaksana was looking for relevant research on the relationship between Sulawesi’s geology and ecology, when he became fascinated by the phytomining studies conducted by Tjoa and by van der Ent. He wondered if his own expertise in magnetism could help speed up the search.

As hyper-accumulators have very high quantities of metals, so do their ashes once they have been burned – and some of these metals are magnetic. A number of studies have shown that nickel uptake in hyper-accumulator plants happens at the same time with the uptake of iron – a highly magnetic metal. Together with Tjoa, Bijaksana designed an experiment to see if magnetic susceptibility increases when the plants accumulate more nickel. By comparing the ashes from two species of well-known hyper-accumulators (Alyssum murale and Alyssum corsicum) with 10 indigenous plants in Sulawesi and Halmahera, they found another positive result – one of the native plants was high in both iron and nickel.

“We think using magnetism could speed up the process because it only detects high concentrations of nickel,” says Bijaksana, leading to fewer false positives as a result. Their study, which was published in May 2020, identified two further species of nickel-loving plants from Sulawesi: Casearia halmaherensis and another that was a type of pepper. Both could accumulate 2,600-2,900 mcg per 1g dried leaf. While the research is still preliminary, Bijaksana hopes it could convince people to take phytomining seriously in Indonesia.

A NEW WAY TO MINE
The beauty of nickel hyper-accumulators is that they collect something that is both a toxic pollutant if left in the soil, and a valuable material (nickel is used in making products from kitchen taps to electric car batteries). Collecting the nickel from plants is a relatively easy process.

The University of Queensland’s van der Ent has calculated that a hyper-accumulator like Phyllantus balgoyii can produce an estimated 120kg nickel per hectare every year. That translates to a market value of around $1,754 (£1,300) per hectare. Extracting the nickel involves pruning the shoots – which hold the highest concentrations of the metal – and burning them, after which the nickel can be separated from the ash. This involves releasing carbon dioxide through burning, but the continuous cultivation of nickel hyper-accumulators can be considered carbon neutral, says van der Ent. “All carbon released from the burning will be ‘captured’ again by the newly growing crop in a few months,” he says.

Phytomining has considerable environmental advantages over traditional forms of mining. In Sorowako, nickel is extracted through open-pit mining, to access nickel embedded inside laterite rocks. To get the nickel, the rocks need to be crushed, which can release radioactive elements, naturally occurring asbestos-like substances, and metallic dust. Open-pit mining also produces waste materials in the form of a toxic semi-liquid waste known as tailings. If not properly managed, arsenic and mercury-laden tailings can leak into surrounding environment. More broadly, traditional mining as a whole is a considerable carbon emitter, releasing at least 10% of greenhouse emissions in 2017.

As well as offering a more environmentally friendly way to mine nickel, these plants could help rehabilitate land that has already been mined. Tjoa says most mining companies in Indonesia ignore a requirement to replant disused sites with vegetation. When they do, they often try using ordinary plants, rather than nickel-loving species.

But that undiscerning revegetation process is flawed, says van der Ent. “Most of these plants are common weeds that are highly undesirable for rehabilitation,” he says. Nickel hyper-accumulators could do it better, he says, by improving soil health by removing the nickel and bringing back the major nutrients needed by normal plants. “Eventually, normal crop plants can be cultivated on these soils after phytomining has finished,” he says.

It could also give an economic benefit for the mining company because the nickel residue that has been accumulated in their shoots could be harvested. Currently, only soil that consists of at least 1% nickel can be mined in the traditional way. “But a hyper-accumulator can achieve high levels of nickel accumulation in a soil that consists of just 0.1% [nickel],” he says.

In Sabah, Malaysia, van der Ent has been conducting phytomining field trials since 2014. “We found out that phytomining really works,” he says. This could also be applied in soils that have not been mined but have naturally high levels of nickel. But van der Ent underlines that the technology is not aimed at replacing open-pit mining. That would be hard, given that Indonesia is the largest nickel producer in the world, with around 73 million tonnes of nickel exported last year. Instead, phytomining could be done in parallel. Most importantly, unlike traditional mining, which often clashes with indigenous communities, “we envisage it will be implemented by smallholders in rural communities living on nickel-rich areas as an alternative form of agriculture”, says van der Ent.

Despite the potential, Tjoa has been frustrated at the slow pace of development of phytomining in Indonesia.
The situation is an irony, says van der Ent. “No other country has a greater potential for phytomining than Indonesia,” he says. Given the extraordinary plant diversity and geological history, he is convinced that the country has a huge potential for the discovery of nickel hyper-accumulators.

Sulawesi and Halmahera, the neighbouring island, has the largest ultramafic bedrocks, which can be rich in nickel, in the world, at 23,400 hectares (234 sq km/90 sq miles). As well as having high nickel concentrations, soils that originate from this bedrock support a high level of plant endemism. “That brings the minerals industry capitalising on nickel resources in direct conflict with biodiversity,” says van der Ent.

The researchers believe many potential hyper-accumulators could be vanishing in rapid land clearances before they can be discovered. Between 1990 and 2018, Sulawesi lost nearly 19% of its forest cover. “We have lost such a big chance to find these plants,” says Tjoa.

SHOOTS OF HOPE
But Tjoa has not given up her search for hyper-accumulators. In central Sulawesi, a pristine rainforest sits on nickel-rich soils that make up the mountainous region in Morowali natural reserve. This greyish soil, which forms above a bedrock called serpentinite, is thought to be the perfect place for nickel-loving plants to grow. “Our survey in [the Indonesian island of] Halmahera has shown that nickel hyper-accumulators are common in this category of soil, but people haven’t looked for it in Sulawesi yet,” says van der Ent. “It all comes down to concerted efforts to find them.”

In the meantime, an overseas mining company has expressed interest to experiment with phytomining locally, says Tjoa. In 2017, she was contacted by a US-based investor who intends to fund her 5,000-hectare (50sq km/19.3 sq mile) trial in Sulawesi. For this project, she says, she would like to use Alyssum murale, the nickel-hyperaccumulator plant from Italy. It might not be ideal to use foreign species in Sulawesi’s ecosystem, but it is at least a sure bet. “Maybe we have to use it first to convince Indonesian government that phytomining works,” she says.

Tjoa hopes that phytomining could become a part of every mining zone, with firms required to reserve a portion of rainforests in their concession area. Using plants rather than heavy machinery to mine would create less waste, preserve the ecosystem and produce less toxic waste. “That,” says Tjoa, “is extraordinary.”

The emissions from travel it took to report this story were 0kg CO2. The digital emissions from this story are an estimated 1.2g to 3.6g CO2 per page view.

If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200825-indonesia-the-plants-that-mine-poisonous-metals?xtor=ES-213-[BBC%20Features%20Newsletter]-2020September4-[Future%7c+Button]

Policemen from FCT Criminal Investigation Dept have allegedly threatened a surveyor, Bayo Benson, over a report by PUNCH, where he claimed some officers extorted money from him. Benson told our correspondent that one of the officers, Bimbo Oyewole, bombarded his phone with calls and threatened to deal with him.

PUNCH Metro had reported that the police arrested Benson on Friday, August 14, 2020, at Lakowe, in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State. His house and office in Itamaga area of Ikorodu were also ransacked by the policemen, who claimed to be acting on a petition against a company he worked for. Benson, in an interview with our correspondent, had alleged that the policemen collected N300,000 from him before he was released, adding that his apprentice was also detained for recording their activities, while his cars and some documents were seized.

The victim said after the report was published, the Investigating Police Officer, Oyewole, who had not been taking his calls, started making threats against him. “After the publication came out on Friday, the IPO called me around 11am. He said I must write an apology in the newspaper that published my story or else they are going to deal with me. He called me back around 5pm that they were waiting for me at Area G, Ogba, and I told him I had not returned to Lagos and that I could send my lawyer to them the next day if they wanted to release my two vehicles and documents to me.

“I sent my lawyer to the police station the next day, but he was told they could not ask him what they wanted to ask me, and that I must come. I told them I could not come because that was the tactic they used when they wanted to detain my apprentice. When I told him I could not come, he started threatening my surety that if he did not bring me to the station, they would arrest him; but I told them that if they wanted to release my cars and documents, they should give them to my lawyers, and if they did not want to release them, they should charge me to court and I would appear.

“I have written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the gross abuse of power by the policemen and order the release of my vehicles and documents.”

FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, said Benson was under investigation for malicious damage and attempted murder. He said, “The subject of the petition against the man in question is malicious damage and attempt to commit murder and when the command was carrying out investigation, he was mentioned by other persons arrested as the one that led the thugs who went to carry out the act. The vehicles impounded are the subject of the crime because they were used to convey the thugs to the location; one other vehicle impounded in his house has a siren that does not have a licence.

“On the issue of extortion, he has every right to approach the complaint unit or write to the Commissioner of Police for investigation.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/police-threaten-surveyor-for-reporting-extortion-to-punch/

The naira exchanged to the dollar at the parallel market at N420/$ on Wednesday, following interventions made by the Central Bank of Nigeria in the Investors and Exporters window. Prior to CBN’s renewed intervention in the I&E window on Monday, the naira exchanged for as high as N480 to the dollar.

Speculators in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market would count huge losses as the naira continued to surge against the dollar, experts have said. CBN said that it would also resume sale of foreign exchange to operators of Bureau de Change from September 7. Speaking on the issue in a statement entitled, “Forex: Speculators set to count losses,” Director, Corporate Communications Dept at the CBN, Isaac Okorafor, said the bank had concluded plans to inject liquidity into the forex market by selling to licensed BDC operators.

He said the sale to BDCs would be gradual and be done twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, and that BDCs had been directed to ensure that their accounts with their banks were adequately funded to ensure seamless transactions. While warning speculators to desist from what he termed unpatriotic tendencies, Okorafor urged registered BDCs to comply with CBN guidelines as the bank would not hesitate in sanctioning any erring dealer.

He also assured that those requiring foreign exchange for purposes of travel, educational fees and other invisibles could obtain such over the counter from their respective banks.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/naira-rebounds-exchanges-for-420-speculators-count-losses/

Forex speculators are apprehensive that a slew of circulars issued by the central bank during the week could lead to a strengthening of the naira against the dollar. The CBN said it will sell $10,000 per Bureau De Change operator ahead of the reopening of the air space.

For most speculators who bought forex at less than N400/$1 just before the first round of devaluation in March, they are pondering whether to sell at the current rate of N475 in time before panic sets in. This apprehension is reminiscent of 2017 when the CBN announced the new Investor and Exporter Window for trading forex at market-determined prices. The move led to a strengthening of the naira from N500/$1 to N360/$1 piling huge losses on speculators who betted for more depreciation.

SPECULATORS SHOW PANIC
Nigeria’s exchange rate policy has meant many businessmen have had to resort to crude ways of hedging against foreign exchange rate risk. As rumours of devaluation swirled in March some quickly converted their naira into dollars sending the parallel market exchange rate rocketing past the official rate.

For Mike a businessman who deals in luxury fashion wear, the fear is real and he is pondering whether to sell now and book his profits or wait to see if the exchange rate will depreciate further. “I bought forex at less than N380 earlier in the year just before the black market rate started depreciating. At N477/$1 my margin gain is close to N90 so selling now means I remove my profits rather than let it disappear” he explains preferring to go by his first name.

Another FX street trader Musa, feared that the exchange rate could strengthen if the CBN pumps in forex to the BDCs on Monday as anticipated According to him, “buyers are running from buying forex now because there seems to be panic selling at the moment. I lost some money between Friday and Saturday and would definitely avoid buying forex at the moment.

Predicting the direction of the exchange rate has become easy for some speculators. All they need to do is watch the price of oil which is perfectly correlated with the direction of the exchange rate. Another major factor as many have come to learn is what decisions come out of Plot 33, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Way, the head office of the Central Bank.

Last week, the apex bank issued a slew of circulars culminating in an order warning that it will go tough on exporters who are guilty of forex non-repatriation. It also directed banks to submit the names, addresses, and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) of all the exporters who have failed to repatriate their export proceeds. Necessary ‘action’ would be taken against such defaulters, the CBN said in a statement.

A BDC operator Ismail of Ango Gold expressed concern over what could happen this week in this forex market if operators do not comply with CBN’s instructions. “We are worried about the CBN’s latest warnings as sellers will be arrested if caught hiking the price.”

WAITING FOR CBN
This week is likely to be a defining moment for what could happen to the exchange rate. If the central banks sell $10,000 to half of the nearly 3,000 registered BDC’s we could see a turnover of $15 million in the first week. Add to a daily average of $42 million at the Investor & Exporter window (NAFEX) and we could finally start to gauge what the true value of the naira against the dollar really is.

There is also the wired forex transfer market which caters to people trading in hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single transfer but circumventing the official exchange rate market. The exchange rate in this market is typically sold at a premium to the official black market price trading in the streets of Lagos Island.

But even this market is under threat from the CBN’s hammer, with banks instructed to report BVN linked accounts connected to export proceeds not declared in the official market. The CBN also booted out third parties from accessing the Form M, a document required for accessing forex to pay for imported goods.

These are all red flags to Mr. Peter Afolayan a Private Investor who trades in Equities, Commodities & other financial instruments with foreign currency-denominated holdings in the UK and Nigeria. He believes the announcement of the opening of the airspace to travel and the announcement of the sale of forex to BDCs is bad news for anyone holding the dollar. According to Mr. Afolayan, “I planned to sell off my holdings last week but will do so this week… I see the rates crashing to N410-420/$1 because of the recent circulars of the CBN”. However, if you are long on the dollar and perhaps use it as savings then I suggest you keep it”

But not everyone is this optimistic about the Naira strengthening. A recent report from Goldman Sachs, “a significant devaluation of the naira is likely in 12 to 18 months to stabilize Nigeria’s external accounts. An exchange rate of 500-550 per dollar should bring about the desired balance…. compared with a current rate of about 407”.

Nigeria’s balance of payment, a tool used to determine the value of a local currency’s value against the dollar is in deficit, leading to speculations that the CBN probably needs to devalue once more to achieve the right balance.

The true test will happen this week and all eyes will be on two markets. The black market and the BDC market.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2020/08/31/in-panic-forex-speculators-prepare-to-dump-dollars/

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has demanded that the management of Media Trust Limited (publishers of Daily Trust and other publications) enter into a negotiation with him for possible settlement of N6bn for defamation of character.

Fani-Kayode said this in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Daily Trust, dated August 31, 2020 and titled, ‘Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu.’ The letter, which was signed by the former minister’s lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, was in response to an article titled, ‘FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’ dated August 30, 2020 and published by the medium.

In the article, which was published in the newspaper, the writer lambasted Fani-Kayode for his conduct during a Press conference in which he described a Daily Trust reporter in Calabar, Eyo Charles, as ‘stupid’ after the journalist asked question about the identity of persons “bankrolling” his current tour of southern states. Gadu, the writer of the article, claimed that Fani-Kayode, who attended Cambridge University, was once “a drug addict” and had sought rehabilitation in Ghana, but “till today has not been cured of the habit.”

In his pre-litigation letter, however, Fani-Kayode described the article as libelous and demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies. The former minister also demanded that negotiation be entered into for possible payment of N6bn due to the irreparable loss the article had caused him.

It reads in part, “Be aware that our client has not only suffered immeasurable loss of goodwill, he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans, followers and colleagues across the globe. Our client is alive to his rights both in law and equity but is disposed to an opportunity to undo the evil you have done by retracting the said insalubrious remarks on the same platform it was published and apologising to him in two other national dailies.

“You are also advised to enter into negotiations with us for the sum of N6bn being a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our client’s nobility.” The newspaper was given 14 days to comply or face legal action. Fani-Kayode also wrote a similar letter to Gadu, who authored the article.

The former minister drew the ire of several Nigerians recently after a viral video showed him talking down at a journalist, an incident he has apologised for. However, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, as well as many other civil organisations, have continued to criticise Fani-Kayode, while many reporters have boycotted his ongoing tour of the southern states.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/fani-kayode-demands-n6bn-apology-from-daily-trust/

Things are presently not going in favour of foreign exchange (forex) speculators in Nigeria as the value of the Naira against the Dollar received a significant boost at the black market on Monday. In recent times, speculators have had a field day pushing the value of the foreign currency higher at the parallel market and causing panic. This made the local currency to trade close to N500.

But the announcement of resumption of forex sales to Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators from next week seems to have done the magic, as the domestic currency is gradually getting back on its feet. At the black market yesterday, the local currency pulled N12 gain on the US Dollar to trade N465/$1 vs N477/$1 it traded last Friday. It also gained N10 against the Pound Sterling and Euro to sell for N605/£1 and N545/€1 respectively compared with previous rates of N615/£1 and N555/€1.

At the BDC market, it appreciated against the Dollar in Lagos by N14.30 to close N462/$1 vs N476.30/$1 previous, data from Association of the Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) indicated. Against the Pound, it gained N3.50 to sell N615/£1 compared with N618.50/£1 previously, and against the Euro, it gained N9 to trade at N543/€1 vs N552/€1 traded previously.

At Kano BDC market, it gained N14 against the Dollar to trade N463/$1 vs N477/$1, while it dropped N2 against the Pound to close N610/£1 vs N608/£1 and gained N12 on the Euro to close at N540/€1 vs N552/€1. However, in Port Harcourt, it was flat against the Dollar, Pound Sterling and Euro at N472/$1, N617/£1 and N560/€1 respectively. This same scenario occurred in Abuja, where value of the Naira against the Dollar, Pound and Euro remained unchanged Monday at N474/$1, N617/£1 and N560/€1 respectively.

At the interbank segment of the market, the Naira/Dollar exchange rate remained flat at N379/$1. It was same at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment, where it closed flat against its American counterpart yesterday at N385.67/$1. This occurred despite 18.9% or $2.28m rise in demand for forex at the window, as transactions worth $14.37m were executed in contrast to previous session’s $12.09m.

SOURCE (abridged): https://businesspost.ng/economy/panic-grips-forex-speculators-as-naira-gains-at-black-market/amp/

There are 8,132 people on France’s security watch list for persons suspected of terrorist leanings, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday. Working out which people on the list were at risk of actually attempting acts of terrorism was a “very difficult and delicate task,” Darmanin acknowledged.

France suffered a series of major Islamist attacks in 2015 and 2016, mostly claimed by the Islamic State extremist group, which cost the lives of more than 230 people. Darmanin’s comments come 2 days before the trial of 14 people accused of links to the first attacks, in January 2015, in which 17 people were killed.

The suspects face various charges, including terrorist conspiracy and complicity in murder, related to the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a kosher supermarket, and police officers. Darmanin said Islamist extremists, such as the Islamic State group, remained the main terrorist threat in France, although there were also worrying signs of far-right activity.

In recent months, he said, suspects appeared to be acting more often on their own initiative rather than in concert with Islamic State, which last year lost the last territory it controlled in Syria. The minister said 61 planned attacks had been foiled by French authorities since 2013, including 32 since 2017.

Authorities were preparing for the release of persons convicted of less serious terrorist offences, of whom 45 are due to be freed this year and another 63 in 2021, he said.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/france-has-over-8000-people-on-terror-watch-list-minister/

Dear esteemed NSEMPA members,

see stock recommendations for this week in attached link:

https://www.nairaland.com/6088781/nigerian-stock-exchange-recommendations-week#93425354

See attached for your info/ possible use.

CAVEAT (by me): This is NOT a solicitation for purchase or sale of shares. Public securities are not risk-free and you are advised to exercise caution / due diligence before making any investment decision.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/31/gti-stock-recommendations-for-the-week/

Thought for the week...

When little Josh Chapman found his mum lying unconscious on the floor, he picked up his toy ambulance and found the number on the side. The five-year-old called 112 and was put through to a police operator. The number is the European emergency line but also works in the UK and puts the caller through to the same place as 999.

Josh was able to tell the operator that his mum wasn’t well and they needed help. Officers were then able to locate Josh and his younger brother at their home in Telford, Shropshire, and paramedics arrived to treat Caroline. Caroline had slipped into a diabetic coma and needed help quickly, but thanks to Josh, emergency services were able to treat her. Brave Josh was later invited for a tour of his local police station, where he was shown round by officers.

Telford local policing commander Superintendent Jim Baker said West Mercia Police were full of admiration for Josh’s heroic actions. He said: "This was an incredible thing for Josh to do, his quick thinking saw him ring the number on his toy ambulance as he was worried about his mum. He was very brave and stayed on the line while we were able to get to the family’s home and make sure his mum got medical assistance.

"Josh has already proved he would make a brilliant police officer in the future. Hopefully we’ll see him again when he’s old enough as a new recruit."

SOURCE: https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/26/five-year-old-saves-mums-life-dialling-number-side-toy-ambulance-13183072/

1. WORLD'S LONGEST ROAD TUNNEL IS IN NORWAY
At an astonishing 15 miles (24.5 km) long, the Lærdal Tunnel is the world’s longest. Costing 1 billion Norwegian kroner to build (that's about USD $110m or N42b) the tunnel connects the small communities of Lærdal and Aurland. Its design is admired all around the world, as it incorporates features to help manage the mental strain on drivers. Every 6km there is a cave to separate sections of road. The lighting varies throughout the tunnel and caves to break routine and provide a varied view.

2. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IS AWARDED IN OSLO
The Norwegian capital has been the proud venue of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony every year (with just a few exceptions) since 1901. The other Nobel prizes in Chemistry, Literature, Physics and Physiology or Medicine are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. That's due to the wishes of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist who bequeathed his wealth to create the awards upon his death. No-one's quite sure why he chose Norway for the Peace Prize.

3. WORLD'S MOST REMOTE ISLAND IS A NORWEGIAN TERRITORY
But it may surprise you to learn it's not in the north! It's actually on the other side of the world. Administered by Norway since 1929, Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean is Planet Earth's most remote island. It is located approximately 1,700km north of the coastline of Antarctica and 2,600km away from the South African coast. The closest inhabited land is the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha, more than 2,000km away. Tristan is also an extremely remote place, with no airport.

4. HAS A LAND BORDER WITH RUSSIA
Altough there is just one road crossing, the Norway-Russia land border is actually 120 miles long. The Storskog crossing on the E105 highway is the northernmost road border crossing in Europe. In September 2017, a new tunnel and bridge opened on the Norway side of the border, decreasing travel time for those crossing the border.

5. NORWAY IS HOME TO HELL
Yes, really! A little over one thousand Norwegians can say they live in Hell. The small village is within walking distance of Trondheim's international airport and even has its own train station.

6. NORWAY INTRODUCED SALMON SUSHI TO JAPAN
While sushi is absolutely a Japanese invention, they did not use salmon in the dish until it was suggested by a Norwegian delegation in the 1980s.

7. INCOME & WEALTH OF ALL RESIDENTS IS ON PUBLIC RECORD
Everyone living in Norway has three figures taken from their annual tax return published: their annual income, income tax paid, and total wealth. Yes, really! Prior 2013, this data was completely open and searchable by anyone. That has since changed though, and now a person is able to see who has looked up their own data. The thought behind this concept is that tax evasion becomes much more difficult. If you're recording a low income and/or wealth but are driving around in a brand-new Tesla, the authorities are going to get suspicious.

8. FIRST U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL WAS NORWEGIAN
In fact, Norway was a founding member of the United Nations back in 1945, when 850 delegates from 50 nations met in San Francisco. Those delegates discussed the proposals worked out by the representatives from China, the Soviet Union, the UK and the USA from August to October the previous year. The pragmatic and determined Trygve Lie, who served as Norwegian Foreign Minister during the Second World War years of exile in London, took up the post as Secretary-General during the post-war years from 1946 to 1952. He passed away in 1968 at the age 72.

9. NORWAY ROCKS THE WINTER OLYMPICS
Norway is the world's most successful nation at the Winter Olympic Games. Despite having little more than 5 million residents, Norway has won more medals than any other country in Olympic history. Following the 2018 games in South Korea, Norway's total medal haul stood at 368, including 132 golds, from the 23 competitions. Their closest rivals in the table were the USA (305/105) and Germany (238/92).

10. NORWAY HAS A VOLCANO!
But don't panic, it's nowhere near the country's biggest cities and won't impact Norway's mainland if it were to erupt. That's because Norway's only active volcano is on the island of Jan Mayen in the Norwegian Sea. It's about half-way between Norway and Greenland, north of Iceland, and is considered together with Svalbard for administrative purposes by the Government. Although no permanent residents live anywhere near the 7,306 feet (2,227 m) Beerenberg volcano, research scientists regularly visit the island and even some cruise ships stop by.

11. NORWAY ISN'T CALLED NORWAY!
At least, not in Norwegian. Norway is the name of the country in the English language. In Norwegian, the country is called Norge. In the lesser-used nynorsk variety of Norwegian, the spelling is Noreg. In fact, the full name of the country is actually the Kingdom of Norway. In Norwegian, this is written as Kongeriket Norge, or Kongeriket Noreg in nynorsk. Other names for the country include Norwegen (Germany), Noruega (Spanish & Portuguesre), Norvegia (Italian), Norvège (French), and Norja (Finnish). Meanwhile, the Norwegian language is known in Norway as norsk.

12. NORWAY ISN'T POWERED BY OIL
Sure, Norway's oil and gas industry has powered the economy, but it doesn't power the nation's homes. Around 98% of Norway's domestic power usage is drawn from hydroelectric power plants. Although Norway is only ranked 9th globally based on the percentage of domestic power sourced from renewable sources, the country actually generates more electricity than all of the 8 countries ranked above them – combined!

13. NO-ONE KNOWS HOW LONG NORWAY'S COASTLINE IS!
It's known throughout the world for its jagged mountains and stunning fjords, but believe it or not, no-one knows for sure just how long Norway's epic coast is. The somewhat counterintuitive observation that the coastline of a landmass does not have a well-defined length is known as the coastline paradox. Because of the fractal nature of a coastline, you can only define its length by using units of a specific length. When the unit length differs, the total length differs – and the difference can be massive.

Stretching all the way from the Oslofjord down to the sunny south, in and out of the many western fjords and then stretching out for many, miles northward before bending around the top of the Scandinavian peninsular to meet with Russia, only one thing's for sure: It's very long!

14. NORWAY WAS NEUTRAL DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
After WW1 broke out, Norway declared its neutrality. Despite this, Norway still made trade agreements with Great Britain and in 1917 allowed them take control of Norwegian sea vessels. Norway’s impartial position was in place until April 1940, just two months into the Second World War, when the Germans invaded. The Scandinavian country was an attractive location for Adolf Hitler, who was interested by its many accessible sea ports and the extraction of iron ore from nearby Sweden.

15. NORWAY'S CAPITAL WASN’T ALWAYS CALLED OSLO
Founded in 1040, its name was originally spelt Ânslo or Áslo. In 1624, after a great fire destroyed large parts of the city, the decision was made to move and rebuild it closer to Akershus Fortress. The move also involved changing the name to Christiania in honour of the ruling monarch, King Christian IV. Between 1814 and 1905, the city existed as a co-official capital of the union between Norway and Sweden. In 1877, after the spelling reform, the city’s name was altered to Kristiania. It remained that way until 1925, when it returned to its origin name, Oslo.

The city also has a nickname, Tigerstaden (the City of Tigers). Named so in 1870 by Norwegian writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson who referred to the city as an inhospitable environment (cold and uninviting). There is statue of a tiger outside Olso Central Station in honour of the reference.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norway-facts/

WHAT EXACTLY IS ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY?
Have you ever met someone who seems to act like the whole world owes them? Someone who is not satisfied unless their own needs are being met? Trying to deal with someone who acts this way can feel frustrating. In society, this type of behavior typically attracts strong criticism and condemnation.

If this sounds like someone you know, you may be dealing with someone who has a sense of entitlement. A sense of entitlement is defined as "an unrealistic, unmerited, or inappropriate expectation of favorable living conditions and favorable treatment at the hands of others."

SOURCE: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/personality-disorders/the-psychology-behind-sense-of-entitlement/

This article was originally written by an Australian woman, Miranda Devine.

Sometime ago, a wave of female umbrage greeted a research study which found there are health risks for women who put off having children till after age 35. "Older mothers slam age shame" was one angry headline about the Monash University research into 133,000 women in Victoria, Australia, which warned that older mothers posed a "greater potential burden" on the health system.

No one was telling older women not to have babies or saying they won't have a perfect delivery. The study simply reported the unavoidable fact that fertility declines with age, and that the risk of some complications doubles. Knowing the truth should help women inform their life decisions, and avoid heartache down the road.

But the irate reaction suggests some would rather bury their heads in the sand. The hostility was symptomatic of a female entitlement mentality (FEM), which means always getting what you want, when you want it, even in defiance of reality and other people's wishes. Increasingly in our narcissistic age we see this deluded self-belief and inflated sense of importance, from baby boomers to 13-year-old princesses.

At its extreme, it manifests in stars of reality shows such as The Real Housewives of Orange County, women whose lives are an epic monument to selfishness. FEM is the end product of a culture that places self-esteem and empowerment above fairness and common sense. For 3 generations, women have been told growing up that they are can have it all, do anything, and have unlimited freedom of choice. This was terrific for women to break free of oppression and achieve equality.

But along the way we forgot that some restrictions on freedom must exist, if you are not to trample on the rights of other people and if you accept certain biological realities. Now, an inflated sense of entitlement means you lash out and blame others when you don't get everything you believe you deserve.

Take the case of the woman suing Geelong Grammar School because she did not get a high enough mark to get into the course of her choice. Most people might accept the disappointment as bad luck, a sign of their own limitations or a spur to work harder. But not Rose Ashton-Weir, 18. She felt entitled to a place at the University of Sydney law school.

Or the case of the Australian woman who divorced her Italian husband and took their 4 Italian-born daughters back to Australia, where she now wants to live. She defied a Family Court order that the girls, who are in their teens, should return to Italy, and has now been feted in the media, and championed by her local Liberal MP. The father says he loves his daughters and wants them home and the full bench of the court agrees. But the mother wants what she wants, so she's sent the children into hiding.

Then there are those women who insist on having home births, even in high-risk pregnancies, ignoring medical advice that the baby could die. Their entitlement to a personally-fulfilling experience trumps the right of their unborn child to the safest possible birth.

But it's on the dating scene where the entitlement mentality hits a brick wall. "A lot of women have a materialistic, shopping list mentality," says dating agency owner Della Cory. "It's true women have to know their rights and get their needs met, but they also need to be aware with men that if you come across with an air of haughtiness and entitlement, bordering on arrogance, it's a turn-off."

Veteran match-maker Yvonne Allen, after connecting professional singles for 37 years, is at her wits' end to find partners for women with inflated self-esteem. "I'm so concerned about what I see happening with relationships; men are feeling deballed," she said.

One typical client, a businesswoman in her late 30s, complained about 3 men the agency had introduced her to.
"They weren't suitable in her mind because none of them called her back. It was our agency's fault," she said. Allen has found success for her clients by telling them some home truths . . . she has taught them humility! Life is a lot more pleasant when you are honest about its limitations.

SOURCE: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/miranda-devine-women-believe-they-live-in-the-age-of-entitlement/news-story/e4a1b901c0e55baa2517887ff8bbb072

John Obi Mikel scored his first Stoke City goal in their 5-1 hammering of Shrewsbury Town in Tuesday’s pre-season friendly match. Mikel who joined the Potters on a free transfer earlier this month, made his first start for Stoke City at the club’s Clayton Wood training ground.

The 33-year-old restored the hosts’ lead just before the break after Oakley-Boothe’s opener was cancelled out by Shrewsbury Town. Mikel was in action for 45 minutes before he was replaced by Tom Ince while DR Congo’s Benik Afobe was introduced for Lee Gregory, 9 minutes after the hour-mark, Goal reports.

Afobe joined the party later in the 2nd half as goals from the Congolese star, Ince and Tyrese Campbell completed the rout for Stoke City. The encounter returned Stoke City to winning ways after they suffered a 1-0 loss against Burton Albion in their last friendly outing on August 22.

Following Tuesday’s convincing victory, Mikel will be eager to steer the Potters to victory when they host Blackpool for their League Cup fixture at bet365 Stadium on Saturday. Meanwhile, O’Neill has lauded the former Nigeria captain for showing an instant impact in the team with his hard work.

“John’s been great in his first few days. You can see his quality, there’s no doubt, people in the group see his quality,” he was quoted by Stoke Sentinel.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/mikel-scores-in-first-game-for-stoke/

Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has warned Nigerian parents against sending their children to universities in Northern Cyprus over the incessant and mysterious killing of Nigerians. Chair/CEO of the commission, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who gave the warning on Monday, said it was too risky to send children to school in Northern Cyprus as hundreds of Nigerian students had been killed there mysteriously without any conclusive investigations carried out.

Dabiri-Erewa said this when she received in her office, a delegation led by Justice Amina Bello, mother of a Nigerian student, Ibrahim Khaleel, who was allegedly killed in inexplicable circumstances in that country. She stressed that the death of Khaleel, a 3rd-year engineering student, had brought to a tipping point the incessant killing of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus under baffling circumstances.

The NIDCOM boss, who read out 15 names of Nigerians from a list of more than 100 who were killed in Northern Cyprus, said it was difficult to employ international diplomacy in investigation as the country is only recognised by Turkey.

“The death of Ibrahim Khaleel should be the tipping point to a stop in the killing of our children anywhere in the world, particularly Northern Cyprus. It is not only Ibrahim. Kennedy Dede, 28; Augustine Ngok, Gabriel Sorewei, Osabanjo Owoyale, Augustine Wallace, Stanley Eteno, Hassan Babatunde, Temitayo Adigun, and Kubat Abraham are just a few of the ones that we even know.

“The problem is that most Nigerian parents do not know that Northern Cyprus is not recognised by any country in the world. It is not a UN-recognised country. It is only recognised by Turkey. That is why we have not been able to do much. Who do you report to? Thousands of Nigerian students are schooling there and I tell you that hundreds have been killed. Who do you take these cases to?

“And they are killed in similar circumstances. The school just tells you, ‘Well, they committed suicide,’ and nothing happens. We are going to list all these names of Nigerians that have been killed and we demand justice. There has been no prosecution and no compensation. No Nigerian parent should send their children to any university in Northern Cyprus – there is a collaboration which we do not understand that makes them kill blacks, particularly our Nigerian students,” she said.

She assured the mother of the deceased student that the commission would work with her to demand justice, not only for her son but also for other Nigerians who have been killed while studying in Northern Cyprus. She said the case had already been transferred to INTERPOL through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The NIDCOM chairman recalled that when she was a serving lawmaker and Sorewei’s killing was on the front burner in Nigeria, the school which seemed unapologetic about the killing had already sent its agents to lure more Nigerians with juicy scholarships. While acknowledging that Nigerian schools needed improvements, she gave assurance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s dedication to improving the education sector and insisted that many Nigerian schools were better than some of the acclaimed foreign universities in spite of the odds.

She said there were already reports that many of the courses being offered by the “shoddy” universities in Northern Cyprus were not accredited, pledging that NIDCOM would work with the Nigerian Universities Commission for a possible blacklist of certificates from the country.

“Yes our universities have challenges. There are strikes and you don’t (always) know when you are going to finish but there are some of these universities that you will regret you even went to, including some in Africa. It is better to go to a private university here than to some of these places we go to in the name of ‘our children are in Europe’.

“We have written the NUC. The key thing is to blacklist Northern Cyprus and to stop our children from going to that country to study. We will be working with the NUC to list all the universities in Northern Cyprus and blacklist them. We cannot be letting them kill our children.

She said NIDCOM had met with the Ambassador of Turkey to Nigeria, who being new, said he was unaware of the killing but promised to look into the matter. She added there were plans by NIDCOM to visit Northern Cyprus after the COVID-19 Pandemic to see things as clearly as they were. She admonished Nigerians schooling abroad to make it a point of duty to always report to the Nigerian mission in that country upon arrival.

Speaking earlier, the mother of the late student said she was yet to come to terms with the death of her son whom was reported to have committed suicide but circumstances showed otherwise. She said autopsy reports and investigations which she had requested in the past 7 months were yet to come, adding that the school authorities were being evasive.

She said whereas she was told by authorities that her son jumped from the 7th floor of a building, there was no visible injury on his body or head to suggest that.


SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/stop-sending-children-to-schools-in-northern-cyprus-nidcom-warns-parents/

A woman in Uttar Pradesh filed for divorce in the Sharia court against her husband because he was not fighting with her and was being too kind to her. She went to the Sharia court after being married for 18 months. As per sources, the wife was tired of her husband showing her so much love.

Woman filed a divorce against husband for not fighting and being too kind to her.https:///BYdwtfjYA9
— News18.com (@news18dotcom) August 22, 2020

She even claimed that they rarely ever had any fallouts. The woman added that he helped her with housework and even cooked for her. "Whenever I make a mistake, he always forgives me for that. I wanted to argue with him."

The court has dismissed the wife's plea as they thought it to be impractical. After that, she sought help from the local panchayat (village council). But even they couldn't resolve the situation.

The couple has been asked by the legal bodies to solve the problem between themselves. This is after the husband asked to withdraw the case stating that he only wants to see his wife happy.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.scoopwhoop.com/news/up-woman-files-for-divorce-as-her-husband-loves-her-too-much-doesn-t-fight-with-her/

Can you answer this?

The Federal Government has given approval for investment by manufacturers in local production of bitumen and other construction materials that are being imported for roadconstruction. It was gathered on Thursday that the Federal Executive Council gave approval sequel a memorandum presented to it by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Government also directed the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Mines and Steel Development to develop strategies to enhance, stimulate and encourage local production. The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing stated this in a statement issued in Abuja by the Communications Assistant to the works minister, Hakeem Bello. It said the memo, which originated from an initiative President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would boost job creation and preserve foreign exchange.

The ministry said the President had made inquiry about sources of the major components in road construction and possibility of producing them locally. In the policy memorandum entitled ‘Approval for the local production of bitumen and other construction materials in Nigeria’, Fashola drew the attention of council to the fact that bitumen and other major road construction materials were currently being imported.

He submitted that when produced locally, bitumen was expected to be sold at about N125,000 per metric tonne, which, according to him, was 48.8% the cost of the imported one which stands at N285,000.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/fg-approves-local-production-of-bitumen/

He has been declared wanted after absconding with billions of Naira meant for buying weapons for Nigerian government...


SOURCE (abridged): .com

Following the military coup in Mali, the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States will today (Thursday) hold an extraordinary summit on the situation in the country. This is coming as the ECOWAS suspended Mali and directed member countries to close their borders against the landlocked West African nation.

Recall that soldiers arrested the Malian President, Ibramin Keita; and the country’s Prime Minister on Tuesday. The President resigned on Wednesday.

According to a statement on Wednesday by ECOWAS Commission titled, ‘Heads of State to hold Extraordinary Summit on the socio-political situation in Mali,’ the summit would hold virtually through videoconference. It read, “The Extra-ordinary Summit was convened following the military coup d’etat in the Republic of Mali. ECOWAS has strongly condemned the undemocratic change of government as it is against the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.”

Earlier, ECOWAS in a statement said the military action would impact negatively on peace and stability in Mali and in the sub-region. It reads partly, “ECOWAS Suspends Mali from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies with immediate effect, as per the Additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and this, until effective reinstatement of the constitutional order; Decides to close all land and air borders, as well as to stop all economical, trade and financial flows and transactions between the ECOWAS Member States and Mali, and encourages all partners to do the same.”

In the same vein, the Federal Government called for the activation of the Economic Community of West African States standby force. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated this on his official Twitter handle on Wednesday. Onyeama’s tweet read, “The Nigerian Government unequivocally condemns the coup d’état that took place in Mali Monday and demands immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order. We welcome the urgent activation of the ECOWAS Standby force.”

Meanwhile, The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday ordered the Malian mutineers to release the country’s President, Ibrahim Keita, other detained officials and return to their barracks. AFP reports that the 15 members of the council, in a statement released on Wednesday before a closed-door security council meeting requested by France and Niger emphasised on the urgent need to restore the rule of law and to move towards the return to constitutional order.

In a fresh development, a Malian army officer, Colonel Assimi Goita, on Wednesday announced himself as the coup leader who overthrew President Ibrahim Keita. AFP reports that Goita announced his new position after a meeting with top civil servants on Wednesday. He said, “Let me introduce myself, I am colonel Assimi Goita, chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/ecowas-suspends-mali-blocks-borders-soldier-declares-self-president/

A Chinese businessman who hired a hitman to off his competition in 2013 was sentenced to prison along with 5 other people as the court case wrapped up on Friday. Tan Youhui, a real estate agent in Nanning, China, hired a hitman in 2013 to erase his competition, surnamed Wei, who had filed a civil court against his company, according to Sohu via Shanghaiist.

Tan paid a man named Xi Guangan to carry out the hit for 2 million yuan ($282,700 or N109m) in cash. He also provided the hitman with Wei’s information, such as a copy of his identity card, cell phone number and license plate. However, instead of doing the job himself, Xi hired a man named Mo Tianxiang to do the deed. Xi then returned to Tan and demanded another million yuan ($141,360 or N54.5m), but the latter only agreed to pay after the job was done.

The cycle repeated as Mo went out to seek another person to finish the job. He hired a man named Yang Kangsheng to kill Tan and was offered 270,000 yuan ($38,160 or N14.7m) upfront and another 500,000 yuan ($70,760 or N22.3m) once it’s done.

Meanwhile, Yang handed the task to another person, Yang Guangsheng, with an upfront payment of 200,000 ($28,272 or N10.9m) and a promised 500,000 yuan ($70,760 or N22.3m) after killing Wei. The cycle continued as Yang Guangsheng hired Ling Xiansi to kill the competitor for 100,000 yuan ($14,000 or N5.4m).

However, Ling came up with a plan to make it look like Wei died as he realized killing someone for that amount of money was not worth it. He then organized a meeting with his target in April 2014. Ling tried to convince the man to go with his plan, but it backfired as Wei went to the police instead of faking his own death.

Six men received jail time for the murder plot. Tan received a 5-year prison sentence, while Xi was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months. Kangsheng and Guangsheng both received 3 years and 3 months, while Mo was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Ling received the lowest jail sentence with 2 years and 7 months.

SOURCE (abridged/expounded): https://nextshark.com/chinese-businessman-jail-time-assassins/

A trader, Damilola Osilulu, on Tuesday told an Ile-Tuntun Customary Court in Ibadan that she beats her husband because he orders her around on how she should live her life. Testifying before Chief Henry Agbaje, the President of the court, Damilola countered her husband’s accusation, claiming that her husband complains a lot and also makes senseless demands from her.

“Sometimes, Akinkunmi orders me to do senseless things and I don’t obey him. However, if I see wisdom in his demands, I try as much as possible to come down to his level. If I can’t take his nonsense, I hit him straight away because Akinkunmi feels he is the husband, and that he is also lord over me,” Damilola said.

Earlier in his account, Akinkunmi a printer, said that he filed the divorce suit to bring an end to his wife’s domination over his affairs, NAN reports. “My lord, Damilola does not want me to have a say in the house as she challenges my authority. If I ask her to do anything, she questions my authority and violently attacks me.

“This is to the extent that people keep coming to our matrimonial home for settlement of rift every now and then. Only God knows what would have happened if I had reacted to her frequent attacks against me. Enough of Damilola’s nagging; I cannot continue to stand her disrespect. Besides, she doesn’t take proper care of our three-year-old child” Akinkunmi added.

In ruling, Agbaje prevailed on the couple to exercise more patience. He advised relatives of both parties to do the needful by settling the matter. Agbaje then adjourned the case until Aug. 31 for judgment.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2020/08/18/i-hit-my-husband-whenever-he-makes-senseless-demands-wife-tells-court/

Blind love is not the way to choose a spouse. Here are practical tools for keeping your eyes wide open.

With divorce rates over 50%, too many are clearly making a serious mistake in deciding who to spend the rest of their life with. To avoid becoming a "statistic," try to internalize these 10 insights:

#1. EXPECTING HIM/HER TO CHANGE AFTER YOU'RE MARRIED.
The classic mistake. Never marry potential. The golden rule is, if you can't be happy with the person the way he or she is now, don't get married. As a colleague of mine so wisely put it, "You actually can expect people to change after they're married... for the worse!" So when it comes to the other person's spirituality, character, personal hygiene, communication skills, and personal habits, make sure you can live with these as they are now.

#2. FOCUSING MORE ON CHEMISTRY THAN CHARACTER
Chemistry ignites fire, but good character keeps it burning. Beware of the "I'm in love" syndrome. "I'm in love" often means, "I'm in lust." Attraction is there, but have you carefully checked out this person's character?
Here are 4 character traits to definitely check for:
-- Humility: Does this person believe that "doing the right thing" is more important than personal comfort? Do I want to be more like this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her?
-- Kindness: Does this person enjoy giving pleasure to other people? How does s/he treat people s/he doesn't have to be nice to? Does s/he do volunteer work? Give to charity?
-- Responsibility: Can I depend on this person to do what s/he says s/he's going to do?
-- Happiness: Does this person like himself? Does s/he enjoy life? Is s/he emotionally stable?

Ask yourself: Do I want to be more like this person? Do I want to have a child with this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her?

#3. NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT A WOMAN NEEDS MOST
Men and women have unique emotional needs, and more often than not, it is the man who just doesn't "get it." The unique need of a woman is to be loved - to feel she is the most important person in her husband's life. The husband needs to give her consistent, quality attention.

#4. NOT SHARING COMMON LIFE GOALS / PRIORITIES
There are 3 basic ways we connect with another person:
-- chemistry and compatibility.
-- sharing common interests.
-- sharing common life goals.

Make sure you share the deeper level of connection that sharing life goals provide. After marriage, two of you will either grow together or grow apart. To avoid growing apart, you must figure out what you're "living for," while you're single - and then find someone who has come to the same conclusion as you. This is the true definition of a "soul mate." A soul mate is a goal mate - 2 people who ultimately share same understanding of life's purpose and therefore share same priorities, values and goals.

#5. GETTING INTIMATELY INVOLVED TOO QUICKLY
Intimacy before the commitment of marriage can be a big problem because it often precludes a fully honest exploration of important issues. Physical involvement tends to cloud one's mind. And a clouded mind is not inclined to make good decisions.

It is not necessary to take a "test drive" in order to find out if a couple is physically compatible. If you do your homework and make sure you are intellectually and emotionally compatible, you don't have to worry about it. Of all the studies done on divorce, incompatibility in the intimate arena is almost never cited as a main reason for divorce.

#6. NO DEEPER EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH THE PERSON
To evaluate whether you have a deeper emotional connection or not, ask: "Do I respect and admire this person?"
This does not mean, "Am I impressed by this person?" We are impressed by a Mercedes. We do not respect someone because they own a Mercedes. You should be impressed by qualities of creativity, loyalty, determination, etc. Also ask: "Do I trust this person?" This also means, "Is he/she emotionally stable? Do I feel I can rely on him/her?

#7. CHOOSING SOMEONE WITH WHOM YOU DON’T FEEL EMOTIONALLY SAFE
Ask yourself the following questions: Do I feel calm, peaceful and relaxed with this person? Can I fully be myself and express myself with this person? Does this person make me feel good about myself? Do you have a really close friend who does make you feel this way? Make sure the person you marry makes you feel the same way! Are you afraid of this person in any way? You should not feel you need to monitor what you say because you are afraid of how the other person will view it. If you're afraid to express feelings and opinions openly, there's a problem with the relationship.

Another aspect of feeling safe is that you don't feel the other person is trying to control you. Controlling behaviors are a sign of an abusive person. Beware of someone who is always trying to change you. There's a big difference between "controlling" and "making suggestions." A suggestion is made for your benefit; a control statement is made for their benefit.

#8. NOT PUTTING EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE
Anything that bothers you about the relationship must be brought up for discussion. Bringing up the uncomfortable stuff is the only way to evaluate how well two of you communicate, negotiate, and work together. Over the course of a lifetime, difficulties will inevitably arise. You need to know now, before making a commitment: Can you resolve your differences and find compromises that work for both of you? Never be afraid to let the person know what bothers you. This is also a way for you to test how vulnerable you can be with this person. If you can't be vulnerable, then you can't be intimate. The two go hand in hand.

#9. USING THE RELATIONSHIP TO ESCAPE PERSONAL PROBLEMS & UNHAPPINESS
If you are unhappy while single, you'll probably be unhappy when married, too. Marriage does not fix personal, psychological and emotional problems. If anything, marriage will exacerbate them. If you are not happy with yourself and your life, take responsibility to fix it now while you are single. You'll feel better, and your future spouse will thank you.

#10. INVOLVEMENT IN A TRIANGLE
To be "triangulated" means a person is emotionally dependent on someone or something else while trying to develop another relationship. A person who hasn't separated from his or her parents is the classic example of triangulation. People can also be triangulated with things as well, such as work, drugs, Internet, hobbies, sports or money.

Be careful that you and your partner are free of triangles. The person caught in the triangle cannot be fully emotionally available to you. You will not be their number one priority. And that's no basis for a marriage.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.aish.com/d/w/48955756.html?mobile=yes&tab=y#