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By Aaron Cooper - @intuboxingfm
Eddie Hearn is a smart man. No doubt you've all heard me say that before.
Nothing stays a secret for very long, the world of boxing is no exception. Now, I'm sure you, like me, are all eagerly awaiting news of unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua's next fight. Well, I'm afraid we must continue to wait.
However, Hearn's 'announcement' is a pretty big deal, and it shows a real statement of intent that Matchroom means business. Hearn's statement about Matchroom being one of the biggest promotions on this earth is no exaggeration, and his next move highlights this.
Earlier this year Top Rank's Bob Arum announced a partnership with ESPN+. For those fans outside of America, essentially it a direct to consumer app which will showcase Top Rank's stable of fighters in their fights for just $4.99 a month. Hot on the heels of this announcement, Eddie Hearn is following suit.
IntuBoxing has been told that Matchroom Boxing USA is set to announce a partnership with fledgling streaming service, DAZN (pronounced Da Zone apparently, but I'm not very 'street' so I'll just go with it). It's a four year deal with a four-year option. The contract will call for Hearn and Matchroom to show 40 fight cards per year. That quota will be filled by allowing American audiences to see 24 fight cards from the UK and 16 from the US. Each fight card will carry a seven-figure license fee that will allow DAZN to compete with Showtime, HBO, and ESPN becoming a fourth major player in the US boxing landscape.
DAZN is being referred to as the 'Netflix' of sports. Its already made huge strides by having exclusive streaming rights to bring the NFL to Canada.
The big licensing fees should allow Hearn to attract major US talent, he's said he wants to make Matchroom the biggest promotion in the world, and this is one hell of a start. It remains to be seen as to who these signings will be. Joshua has an exclusive deal with Showtime and Hearn's only US star, Danny Jacobs is aligned with HBO. So neither man will be on the platform for the time being.
Hearn wont be short of options. There are a bunch of Al Haymon-managed fighters who are promotional free agents. Jermell Charlo, Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter are but a few names on Hearn's shopping list.
Hearn is ready to take over the world. So sit back, grab your popcorn and enjoy the show. Because if this comes off, it is us the boxing public who will win


When we think of 1970s interior design, a few key pieces tend to spring to mind. Macrame hanging baskets, spider plants, rattan furniture, avocado bathrooms and lots of tones of browns and oranges. The style of the decade was greatly influenced by the back-to-nature movement, which stemmed from the hippie notion of rejection of materialism and being 'at one' with nature — hence all the earthy tones. Interior designers at the time went crazy with the 'nature' ideal turning everything possible into earthy tones and bringing the first real indoor gardens and terrariums inside the living rooms of a suburban house.
Ok so we realise you may not be ready to bring back the avocado bathroom suite just yet, but there are elements of the 70s look that work brilliantly in today's home.
Using planters made from wicker or rattan brings back a rustic element to the living room. If you're ready for it, we are also seeing a lot more macrame hanging baskets creeping back onto the market. Styled in a Fake it way, we say make sure your hanging basket is filled with a sumptuous large fern or architectural succulent... avoid anything too delicate. This look is for the bold and can be truly stunning if styled with confidence. Try grouping three hanging baskets in a corner at varying heights filled with large leaf faux plants for real impact.
Macrame hanging baskets are back!
Large architectural plants and trees are back and live happily in the corner of any lounge or bedroom. Make sure your tree or plant in oversized, has really unusual large striking leaves and sit them in an oversized statement planter. As in the original 70s lounge, don't be afraid of lots of greenery in the lounge. Sit groups of succulents on the coffee table, maybe a small tree fern on an occasional table and a large strelitzia tree in the corner. The effect of the greenery guides the eye around the room and gives a calming more natural feel to an indoor space.
Give your containers a homespun/handmade feel. Small pots and containers should feel homemade and unique, sat together in groupings of colour with varying height plants.
We love the 70's styling elements and we have worked with our manufacturers to design the best quality faux trees and plants to give you this look. Here is a guide to some of the many plants and trees available from Fake It to really adopt this look with style.
Say Cheese! A lovely glossy leaf cheeseplant is perfect for the 'big leaf' trend.
Spider-tastic. Yes, we are even seeing the faux spider plant creeping back onto the market!
What a stunner! If you do a hanging basket, why not make it enormous and striking like this amazing faux fern.
So why not give it a go yourself. We reckon this look is here to stay. When done well it's a fresh, contemporary take on the indoor garden look. That said, with all style-trends, it's important to know when enough is enough. If you have adopted indoor greenery in your life as illustrated in the below picture, you may have gone just a tad too far!
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular styling updates.


If you are in the habit of restricting the ability to comment, in your blogs, to members only, you may want to change that policy, when setting up a private blog.
Setting "Who Can Comment?" to "Only members of this blog" will leave your Designated Readers unable to comment.
When we setup permissions, we're told that the blog membership list, which includes Administrator, Authors, and Readers, is limited to 100 entries. There, "Readers" are implied to be "Members". In this example, we see that "Readers" are apparently not "Members".
I'll explore this oddity further, in Private Blogs And Designated Readers. It's possible that this is an intentional decision, to give blog owners an additional level of control.
Thank you! Exactly what I needed to know... good grief. Here I've had all these frustrated students, and frustrated myself, for half a semester for no reason.
Google doesn't think of the over all picture. That's my job.
I just wish they would tell me more details, so I could write about the overall picture more.


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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Bauchi SDG executes N500 m projects in 1-year
General news3 years ago
Bauchi SDG executes N500 m projects in 1-year: Bauchi State office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), says it has executed N500 million projects during the 2019 intervention scheme.
Mrs Maryam Bagel, the State Director-General of the SDG, made the disclosure in an interview with the Nigeria News Agency , on Monday in Bauchi.
Bagel disclosed that the state office had constructed five comprehensive Primary Health Centers (PHC) at selected communities in Misau, Giade, Alkaleri, Ganjuwa and Dambam Local Government Areas of the state.
She said the health centres were provided with solar powered motorised boreholes; perimeter fence, staff quarters and VIP toilets to ensure comfort of the communities.
The DG said the SDG recently trained 1, 000 youths on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in 10 secondary schools, adding that 100 students were carefully selected from each of the participating schools.
Bagel noted that her office had developed a four-year strategic plan on project implementation which was forwarded to its national office for approval.
All the 17 targeted SDG goals are implemented based on the release of 50 per cent counter funding between Federal and State Government. We will religiously implement the our projects,'' she said.
Bagel added that the project implementation were being monitored and supervised by 29 desk officers deployed to local councils, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to her, the programme is working in collaboration with willing international donor agencies to diversify investment opportunities as well as identify social protection issues to attract investors to the state.
She further identified some challenges facing the programme to include consistent and regular demand for intervention from local communities.
Bagel urged benefiting communities to protect facilities provided in their domains to achieve sustainable development.
Nigeria News Agency reports that SDG also focuses on interventions to improve girl-child education in its programmes.
Edited By: Chinyere Bassey/Rabiu Sani Ali
Group holds youth talent hunt in Kano
: A group,
Arewa Youth Entrepreneurs (AYE), says it has organised pioneer talent show in Kano to discover and nurture talents in the state.
Uba Abdullahi, the organizer of the show, said the season tagged:
"Hangout Arewa Talent Show" is designed to showcase different talents and technology breakthrough by trainees under (AYE).
Abdullahi, who is a photojournalist, said the show also aim to source and groom talented youths in the arts of photography, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), pastry, manufacturing, perfumery making among others.
According to him, it is pertinent to source for youths who are passionate about photography, catering, IT, soap making, manufacturing and pastry.
Abdullahi noted that the industry was fast growing, recorded rapid transformation and offered opportunities to accommodate millions of talented youths.
He said: "There is need to create a platform to source and groom the youths in their areas of talents and I personally trained hundred of youths on photography in Kano".
Also speaking,
Prof. Ibrahim Yahaya,
admonished the youths to believe in themselves, develop their talents and engage in productive activities to enable become self-reliant.
Yahaya, an investment consultant, added that:
"I want you to set your mind and believe in yourself, then you will be useful and add value to the society".
While calling on the government at all levels to support the youths to move the nation forward through effective utilisation of science and technology, Yahaya said the show would play critical role in shaping the mind set of the youths and nurture them to successful entrepreneurs.
NAN reports that highlights of the event included exhibition of a fabricated tricycle machine by one Aliyu Haidar, and some IT intelligent devices as well as drone fabricated by Sa'id Muhammad.
Edited By: Rabiu Sani Ali

Plateau Govt. trains 300 girls in ICT to bridge gender gap
The Plateau Government , through its Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, said it had trained 300 girls on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to bridge the gender gap in the communication sector in the state.
The government also gave them computers to achieve the objective.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Rebecca Sambo, disclosed this on Monday in Jos when the ministry marked the International Women's Day.
Sambo said the government had in August 2019 picked vulnerable young girls and trained them on ICT.
She said apart from bridging the gap in the ICT , the initiative would also enable the girls to have the required hands-on training to write the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board computer based tests.
She further revealed that the State Government, through the ministry, had trained over 279 widows in various skills and gave them start-up packs to enable them to be self reliant and financially empowered to look after their families.
The commissioner said that the blue print of the ministry for 2020 was to scale up advocacy and sensitisation of key stakeholders and to acquire a Rescue Center for survivors of violence for the purpose of rehabilitation, empowerment and reintegration into the society.
She, however, lamented that the cases of child trafficking in the state were on the increase, and that it was worrisome that the parents were the ones who were giving out their children to the traffickers.
She disclosed that the state government would be going to get 10 girls trafficked to Enugu back to the state.
Sambo said the ministry had held various sensitisation programmes for parents and stakeholders in the 17 local government areas of the state to educate them on the ills of trafficking their children.
She said the state government had identified poverty as the factor responsible for parents giving out their children in return for stipends, and had therefore, gave them some money to enable them to start up businesses.
She said gender inequality in Nigeria had to do largely with cultural, structural and religious practices and not the woman's intellectual capacity.
The commissioner called on stakeholders to support efforts to bridge the gap between women and men.
She commended the plateau government for striving to bridge the gender gap by increasing the role of women in the administration of the state through numerous key appointments.
She said that Plateau was the first state in the North to gazette the Child Rights Law .
Edited By: Abdullahi Yusuf
ITF trained 700 youths on InfoTech in 2019 to bridge skill gap in ICT – DG
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) said it had in 2019 trained 700 youths in InfoTech as a means of bridging the skill gap in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
The Director-General of the fund, Sir Joseph Ari, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Jos at the 2019 ITF Merit Award Ceremony, said the beneficiaries were drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country
Ari said that due to the evident gaps in knowledge and skills in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the Fund initiated the InfoTech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP).
He said the trainees whom were mostly degree holders, were carefully selected and equipped with specialised ICT skills, and that they were trained in advanced computer networking, computer networking certification and computer hardware maintenance and repair.
He also disclosed that 80 per cent of the trainees that the fund trained passed the certification examination, adding that with the international certification, the beneficiaries could compete for jobs outside the shores of the country.
The director-general said in 2016 the ITF in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) conducted skills Gap Survey in six priority sectors of the national economy and it showed that vacancies existed in the service, agriculture, construction and transportation sectors.
He said that the survey showed that vacancies were filled by non-Nigerians because of the absence of Nigerians with the requisite technical skills.
He said in an effort to bridge the gap, the fund initiated a number of skills acquisition programmes particularly targeted at the sectors with manpower deficiency.
Ari further disclosed that the fund had disbursed the sum of N2, 094,407,000 for the students Industrial Training Work Experience scheme (SIWES) in 2019 as student and supervisory allowances.
He said that N1,645,454,000.00 was disbursed as student allowances for 142,462 students from 325 tertiary institutions.
He said that SIWES which was the brain child of the ITF was initiated to provide students of engineering, technical and allied disciplines with practical experience of the real work situations they were likely to find after graduation.
Gov. Simon Lalong in his remarks, commended the fund for training and empowering many Plateau youths.
The governor, who was represented by his Commissioner for special duties, Mr Irimiya Werr, said that the ITF was the federal agency in the state that had contributed most to the state in various aspects.
Nigeria News Agency reports that the ITF Isolo Area Office emerged the best Area Office in training activities in the Category A, while the Abeokuta Area Office emerged as the best training Office in the category B; and the Akure Area Office emerged as the best in Category C.
Similarly, the Abuja Area Office emerged as the best Area Office in revenue generation in category A, while the Lagos Area Office and the Gwawalada Area Offices emerged as the best Area Offices in revenue generation in the category B and C, respectively.
The Abeokuta Area Office emerged as the best performing Area Office and Training Centre in category A, while Lagos Area Office and Gwawalada Area Offices emerged as the best performing Area Offices and Training Centres in category B and C, respectively.
The director-general urged the awardees not to relent in their efforts, but should work proactively for the betterment of the fund.
Group seeks more leadership positions for women in energy sector
A group, Women In Energy Network (WIEN), has urged government at all levels to promote women leadership in the energy sector by appointing more of them to head agencies and institutions at sectional, regional and international levels.
WIEN also called on the federal and state governments, specifically, to strengthen existing policies that would attract more women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The Nigeria News Agency reports that Mrs Funmi Ogbue, President, WIEN, spoke at the group's Breakfast Session held in Lagos on Monday to commemorate the 2020 International Women's Day.
Ogbue said that the theme of the session, "Closing the Energy Gap", was very apt because statistics indicated that women and girls were at the receiving end of the gender gap in Nigeria.
She said: "For instance, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators compiled from officially recognised sources, the percentage of women participation in the labour force (i.e economically active) in Nigeria was reported at 45.57 per cent in 2019.
"Also, women in Nigeria earn less than 60 per cent of what their male counterparts earn for similar work.
"Another World Bank study also showed that while the rate of establishment of women-owned businesses is quite high, these businesses are usually smaller, in the informal sector, in low value-addition sectors, and regularly under-perform those owned by men.
"When narrowed down to the energy space, the industry remains historically male-dominated at all levels, from leadership roles in major corporations to jobs working in mines and on oil rigs."
Ogbue said in order to bridge this gap, women need to take leadership positions and develop their capacity to lead effectively, while inclusive financing options for women should also be created.
She said: "Every effort must be made to facilitate access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as women become more successful when they have access to technology they can leverage.
"Men must become champions for women by creating a new conversation which will ensure sustainability of empowerment for women and girls.
"For us at WIEN, we plan to reach out to more women and leverage on what other women networks, associations and groups are doing.
"We want to support women to get better businesses, trainings and make better connections.
"We are looking to champion more programmes like this, devoted to networking and empowering women, mentoring young women professionals, promoting STEM for young girls and strengthening women-owned enterprises in the energy sector."
On his part, Mr Moses Olamide, Chief of Staff to the Minister of State for Petroleum, said Nigeria was on course to achieve its target of making "2020 the year of gas'' by deepening Liquefied Petroleum Gas penetration in the country.
Olamide said the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill was also being vigorously pursued, adding that such reforms would create opportunities for more women to come into the sector.
He commended the organisers for coming together on the platform of WIEN to champion the cause of women, stressing that such collaboration and synergy was needed, particularly with decline in crude oil prices.
Edited By: Edwin Nwachukwu/Oluwole Sogunle
FG tasks ICT beneficiaries to create fortunes, wealth
Metro3 years ago
The Federal Government, through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), on Thursday advised participants of the 2018 Infotech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP), to take advantage of the opportunity to create fortunes and wealth.
The Director General, ITF, Mr Joseph Ari, who gave the advice at the "National Graduation Ceremony of the 2018 ISEP", in Abuja on Thursday, said that over 80 percent of the enrolled trainees passed their certificate examination.
Ari noted that the huge success by the candidates was due to the quality of monitoring and evaluation strategy put in place by the ITF in the course of the training.
According to him, with the acquired international certification, the employability of the youth is beyond the shores of Nigeria.
He said that the ITF had been in the forefront of actualising the federal government's agenda of employing youths with employable skills and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Ari explained that the implementation of the InfoTech Skills Training Programme became necessary due to the discovery of gaps in knowledge and skills in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), sector of the Nigerian economy.
He added that the programme had also become imperative in view of the overwhelming evidence of the yet-to-be tapped potential economic benefits derivable from ICT.
"According to the Nigeria Digital Economy Diagnostic of 2019, published by the World Bank, Nigeria is capturing only a fraction of its digital economic potential and will need to make strategic investments to develop a dynamic and transformative digital economy.
"The ISEP is one of the many skills training programmes that the ITF has so far deployed to train thousands of youths, women and the physically challenged in line with its mandate," he said.
The Nigeria News Agency , reports that 100 participants were trained from the FCT and a total of 700 from across the country.
Edited By: Modupe Adeloye and Ephraims Sheyin (NAN)
C'tee says ICT will generate biggest revenue in Nigeria
Science & Technology3 years ago
The House Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the National Assembly says that ICT will generate the biggest revenue in the country if the Federal Government harnesses the potential in the sector.
Chairman of the Committee, Mr Lado Suleija, made this known when the management of Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Ltd, made a presentation to the committee on Thursday in Abuja.
Suleija said that the country was now in the 4th Industrial Revolution, which was advancing through digital transformation.
Suleija said that the government company was saddled with so many responsibilities on ICT, especially in the area of centralising data base of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government.
The Chairman promised to look into the GBB's challenges, do amendments and enact new laws that would give them a conducive environment to deliver quality services to their customers.
"Actually, based on the submission of the presentation of the managing director, galaxy backbone, we are able to notice the challenges galaxy backbone is facing and why they are not giving available services to their customers.
"It has to do with some laws and also policies.
"We will look into that with the view of due amendments and enacting new laws that will give them a conducive environment to give quality services to their customers.
"We will work together and make sure we look into the laws and also policies so that they will be able to discharge their responsibilities creditably," he said.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Mr Solomon Adeolu, urged the government to establish a synergy amongst MDAs by giving them the necessary attention in view of the roles they play.
Adeolu said that the document read during the briefing was impressive and revealing, adding that the GBB had the responsibility to drive the 4th industrial revolution in the country.
"The responsibility in this era is to drive the 4th industrial revolution; we have gone through the 1st, 2nd and the 3rd industrial revolution," he said.
"The 3rd industrial revolution was the `dot come' era and a lot of people made so much money, countries, cooperations, individuals; and right now we have the 4th industrial revolution.
The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Mohammed Abubakar, who did the presentation, noted that in spite of the state of art infrastructure, it was increasingly difficult to compete with private sector companies because of compliance requirements that were peculiar to public sector institutions.
Abubakar appealed o the Committee to intervene in the area of funding and legislation to make the company more viable.
He also urged the Committee to support proper enforcement of the SGF's circular on GBB's mandate directing all MDAs to consolidate and centralise government Data Centres, transversal applications and Communication networks.
"Constraints posed by the government include process compliance obligations; Budgetary provision fails to match steep rise in demand for Galaxy's services, internal infrastructure readiness issues with some MDAs.
"Lack of access to LANs and other internal infrastructure of MDAs by GBB staff; Internal IT capacity issues within several MDA affect uptake and utilisation of Gallaxy Services; Foreign Exchange Volatility.
Edited By: Nick Nicholas/Donald Ugwu (NAN)
FIRS targets N4 trn tax from oil, gas companies
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it would rake in four trillion naira as tax revenue from the extractive sector of the Nigerian economy in the 2020 fiscal year.
The FIRS made this known in a statement issued by Abdullahi Ahmad, Director, Communications and Liaison Department in the service in Abuja on Tuesday.
The statement said the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami, disclosed this when a team of the Nigerian office of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) paid him a courtesy visit.
Nami solicited the support of the OECD in stemming the tax evasion scheme of oil majors and multinationals operating in Nigeria through the illegal act of transfer pricing under which these foreign companies dodged tax and transfer their profit offshore.
The FIRS boss underscored the need for capacity-building, information sharing, data interpretation, usage and related technical synergy with the OECD in order to meet tax revenue targets in the extractive industry and the newly emergent Digital Economy.
He observed that revolution in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had made physical filing of tax returns obsolete.
Nami, however, stated that ICT had also made tax collection more complex, especially in trans-border trade and trans-continental commerce.
According to him, in such trade big players like Amazon, Google, facebook, Alibaba and other e-commerce corporations do big business around, drive the digital economy and yet countries find it difficult to take due tax from the huge economic activities these online giants engage in.
"This is more so for developing countries like Nigeria where our people buy luxury goods more and more online while these big online stores don't pay any tax to us.
"The complexity of the digital economy to the tax authorities also extents to the telecommunication and financial sectors, including the emerging trades and the exchange carried out using digital currency," he said.
Similarly, Nami when he received the Comptroller-General (CG), Federal Fire Service, Dr Liman Alhaji Ibrahim, commended the service for its prompt response during a fire incident that occurred at its building in 2019.
He called for more synergy and collaboration between the FIRS and the Fire Service.
Edited By: Wale Ojetimi
Association president urges ICT professionals to become certified
The President of Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Prof. Charles Uwadia, has charged Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals to become certified before practising.
Uwadia gave this charge in an interview with Nigeria News Agency on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that ICT certification separated quack ICT practitioners from the experts.
" We currently have just over 5,000 certified IT registered members in our database from all over the country and we have more than the registered number who are practicing without any certification whatsoever.
"As a government establishment saddled with the supervision of the computing profession in Nigeria, we have non-professional and professional certificate examinations that come up twice in a year in accredited centres.
"We also have various refresher training that take place in various states across the country.
"By becoming a registered CPN member, you will become certified to practice, and this is what separates the quacks from the professionals,'' he said.
Uwadia also urged employers and managers of labour to request evidence of registration with CPN from their IT staff before employment.
He said that if personnel managers would hire only certified IT experts, it would improve the number of IT members certified by the council.
"We are working hand in hand with government and private establishments to ensure that only certified IT experts are employed and awarded IT-inclined contracts.
"We must commend government establishments because you cannot be awarded government contracts if you are not registered with CPN,'' Uwadia said.
The council president said that if only certified IT experts were hired in companies and organisations, it would reduce the number of quacks and non-professionals practising the profession.
He said that the council would be going into various partnerships in order to make its mandate achievable.
Edited By: Abiodun Esan/Oluwole Sogunle
FG approves N7 bn to support creative industry
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed says the Federal Government through Bank of Industry (BoI) has approved facility of about seven billion naira under its creative industry group.
Ahmed said this at the Greeners Business-to-Business Annual National Economic Dialogue 2020 held in Abuja on Saturday.
The economic dialogue has a theme "Positioning Nigeria's Creative Industry as Growth Engine of Africa Continental Trade Agreement (AFCTA)".
Represented by her Special Adviser on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Dr Armstrong Takang, the minister said the fund was approved to creative group of 35 firms in content production, content distribution, production equipment, digital transmission equipment among others.
Ahmed said in order to continue to build capacities among Nigerian youths, the N-Power Creative programme was created to train and develop 5,000 young creative talents.
According to her, the strategy is to put the creative industry on the global radar as exporters of world-class services and content.
She disclosed that the beneficiaries were trained and certified in Animation, Graphic Design, Post-production and Script Writing.
She added that all beneficiaries received computing devices that enabled them to master their skills during and after the training.
Speaking on AFCTA, the minister said the major areas which Nigeria had comparative advantage in the creative economy were Music, Film, Information Technology Industries and Fashion.
She stated that in 2016, the film industry sector contributed N239 billion of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Nigeria's music industry grew by 9 per cent in 2016 to reach a value of 39 million dollars.
Ahmed noted that the music industry was set to grow by 13.4 per cent by 2021, with an estimated worth of about 73 million dollars adding that the gaming industry in Nigeria was also growing.
"The gaming industry is benefitting from a widening customer base, mostly the large and youthful population. UNICON values Nigeria's video game industry at 150 million dollars.
"It also estimates mobile gaming to surpass 147 million dollars by 2020".
In his remarks, the convener of the dialogue, Dr Mustapha Popoola said this year programme was the fifth economic dialogue which aimed at mentoring people to develop their businesses.
Popoola said that a lot of Nigerians mainly youths had registered under the platform.
He disclosed that the business to business which was a hub was being taken to creative hub and would be expanded to major cities of the country.
He stated that plan had been concluded to open centres in Lagos and Kano with a view to help develop people with business ideas across the country.
Edited By: Sadiya Hamza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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EDUCATION - FINANCE; EDUCATION - (GENERAL); FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
2010-R-0235
COMPARING NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND RACE TO THE TOP
By: Judith Lohman, Assistant Director
You asked for a comparison of two major education laws, the Race to the Top grant program and No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The Race to the Top (RTTT) program and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act deal with many of the same issues and have many of the same goals, but their approaches are different. One provides incentives for schools to change, the other mandates it.
The RTTT, enacted as part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is a competitive grant program that seeks to give states monetary incentives to reform their education systems in certain ways. The NCLB law, enacted in 2001, mandated various changes in state and local education systems as a condition of receiving Title I funds. Title I is the largest federal education grant to states and local school districts. It pays for educational programs for disadvantaged children and is distributed according to a federal formula.
States and local school districts that receive RTTT grants will receive additional federal funding. The NCLB requires states to make reforms in order to continue receiving federal funds they are already getting. But the two programs address many of the same issues. The NCLB provides a foundation for RTTT but, because RTTT is voluntary, it can encourage more sophisticated ways of measuring student, teacher, and school performance. It appears that the RTTT competition will, in turn, change the NCLB because its requirements are likely to be incorporated into a new version of that law when it is reauthorized by Congress. Meanwhile, the NCLB and RTTT exist side by side, with both laws currently in effect.
This report focuses on the four main parts of the NCLB Act and the RTTT grant: (1) standards and assessments, (2) data and accountability, (3) effective teachers and principals, and (4) ways of turning around low-performing schools.
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L.107-110) established an accountability system for states, school districts, and schools receiving federal education funds. It requires states and local districts to (1) have academic standards, (2) make annual progress towards having every student achieve the standards and closing gaps between all students and certain subgroups of students, (3) test students to see if they are learning, and (4) collect data on how they are doing. The law also requires states to identify schools and school districts that are not making enough progress and follow a step-by-step process for either turning those schools around or closing them.
The law makes its academic standards and assessment requirements a condition of receiving a federal Title I grant. Title I grants go through states to local school districts to help educate disadvantaged children. Title I is the largest federal education grant to states and local school districts. According to the State Department of Education (SDE), Connecticut school districts received approximately $123.74 million in Title I grants in FY 09.
Race to the Top Grant
As part of ARRA, also known as the "federal stimulus" act, Congress provided $4.35 billion for competitive grants to states to encourage education innovation and reform in four areas: (1) enhancing standards and assessments, (2) improving collection and use of data, (3) increasing teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution, and (4) turning around low-achieving schools. The RTTT scoring rubric awards states that apply for a grant a maximum of 500 points based on how well they meet the grant's various criteria. Points are awarded in six areas with many subareas. Winning states must use the grant money to implement the programs and plans detailed in their grant applications.
The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) is awarding Race to the Top grants in two phases. Phase 1 applications were due January 19, 2010 and awards were issued on March 29, 2010. Forty-one states applied for grants in the first round. There were 15 finalists and two winners, Delaware and Tennessee, which received grants of $100 million and $500 million, respectively. Connecticut finished 25th and was not a finalist. Phase 2 applications were due June 1, 2010, with awards expected in September 2010. Thirty-five states, including Connecticut, and the District of Columbia have applied for Phase 2 grants. There is no set number of state awards and no set grant amounts. The USDOE has issued nonbinding guidance for grant ranges by dividing states into five categories based on student population. The range for Connecticut is $60 million to $175 million. Grants must be expended over four years starting from the award date.
One of the key features of the NCLB law is the requirement that each state adopt challenging content and achievement standards in math, reading or language arts, and science to be used to carry out the law's assessment and school improvement requirements. States must apply the same standards to all schools and children in the state. Content standards must (1) specify what children are expected to know and be able to do, (2) have rigorous and coherent content, and (3) encourage teaching of advanced skills. Achievement standards must be aligned with state content standards and have three levels of achievement – basic, proficient, and advanced.
RTTT
The NCLB allows each state to develop its own standards and assessments and to set its own definitions for the three achievement levels. It sets standards for tests but does not measure states against one another on either standards or student achievement. The Race to the Top grant, on the other hand, requires a state that receives a grant to promise to adopt and use common K-12 standards for what students know and are able to do. These standards must be developed in a consortium with several other states and be internationally benchmarked. States must also commit to increasing the quality of their assessments and, with other states, implement common assessments. States receive higher scores for being part of a consortium with a significant number of other states.
DATA AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The NCLB requires states to have a single statewide accountability system to ensure that all school districts and all public schools make "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) toward having all students meet academic achievement standards while narrowing achievement gaps in the state, among districts, and among schools. The accountability system must (1) be based on the academic standards, state tests, and other academic indicators; (2) be the same for all public schools and school districts; and (3) include both sanctions and rewards for school districts and schools.
States must test each student in grades three through eight and grade 10 in specified subjects. Test scores must be reported by district, school, and by subgroups within a school. States must define AYP towards meeting the standard. The definition must:
1. apply the same achievement standards statewide;
2. be statistically valid and reliable;
3. result in continuous and substantial academic improvement for all students;
4. measure student progress primarily by test results; and
5. have separate, measurable annual objectives for substantial improvement of all students and students in each of the following subgroups: (a) economically disadvantaged students, (b) students from major racial and ethnic groups, (c) students with disabilities, and (d) students with limited English proficiency.
For secondary schools, the AYP definition must incorporate graduation rates. For elementary schools, it must incorporate at least one academic indicator specified by the state other than tests.
A state may also designate other indicators of progress that are valid, reliable, and consistent with nationally recognized technical and professional standards. States cannot use the optional indicators to reduce the number of schools, or to change the identity of the schools subject to the law's special requirements for failing schools.
Each state establishes its own AYP starting point based on the percentage of students that meet or exceed the proficient level on the state tests. States must ensure that, by the end of the 2013-2014 school year, all students in the state and in each of the four subgroups meet or exceed the proficient level on the state tests.
States must establish intermediate AYP goals for meeting the required achievement levels that (1) increase in equal increments over the state's timeline, (2) provide for the first increase within the first two years, and (3) provide for each subsequent increase to occur at least every three years. In order for a school or a school district to make AYP, both of the following must happen each year:
1. All students and the students in each subgroup must meet or exceed the state's measurable objectives.
2. At least 95% of both the school's total enrollment and the students in each subgroup must take the test (with allowable accommodations and alternative assessments for certain LEP and disabled students).
The NCLB measures progress by comparing the year-to-year performance of groups of students at the same grade level. For example, under the NCLB, schools compare the performance of the last year's third grade class with this year's to determine if the school made adequate progress in improving achievement of third graders. Though the law requires performance data to be disaggregated for particular groups, it does not require a school to use the individual students' progress to determine whether a school or district is improving student achievement.
The RTTT grant program builds on the data collected under NCLB, but requires that, to achieve a winning score, states use data in a more sophisticated way to follow individual students and determine the growth in each individual student's academic achievement as he or she moves through school. It also extends this so-called "longitudinal" data system to cover pre-kindergarten through up to four years of post-secondary education (P-16).
A state receives a total of 24 points on its RTTT application if its longitudinal data system meets all elements specified in the American COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69). This law awards competitive grants to states to enhance their statewide P-16 education longitudinal data systems to include 12 elements:
1. a unique statewide student identifier that does not permit a student to be individually identified by system users;
2. student-level enrollment, demographic, and program participation information;
3. student-level information about the points at which students exit, transfer in and out, drop out, or complete P-16 education programs;
4. the capacity to communicate with higher education data systems;
5. a state data audit system that assesses data quality, validity, and reliability;
6. yearly test records of individual students' performance on NCLB-required tests;
7. information on students not tested by grade and subject;
8. a teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students;
9. student-level transcript information, including information on courses completed and grades earned;
10. student-level college readiness test scores;
11. information on the extent to which students transition successfully from secondary school to postsecondary education, including whether students enroll in remedial coursework; and
12. all other information necessary to address alignment and adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education.
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS
The NCLB requires teachers working in Title I-supported programs to be "highly qualified." To meet this standard, the law requires teachers to (1) have full state certification or pass the state teacher licensing exam or, if a charter school teacher, meet the state requirements for such teachers and (2) not be teaching under temporary, emergency, or provisional credentials or any other kind of certification waiver. For elementary level teachers, to be highly qualified means the teacher (1) holds at least a bachelor's degree and (2) has passed a rigorous state subject knowledge and teaching skills exam in reading, writing, math, and other areas of the state's basic elementary curriculum. For a middle or secondary school teacher, it means (1) having at least a bachelor's degree and (2) either passing a rigorous state exam in each of the subjects taught or successfully completing an academic major, having a graduate degree, or completing coursework equal to an undergraduate major in the subject taught.
For a teacher who is not new to the profession, highly qualified means having at least a bachelor's degree and either meeting the appropriate testing requirements described above or demonstrating competence in all subjects taught based on a uniform state evaluation standard. The uniform state evaluation standard must:
1. include both grade-appropriate subject matter and teaching skills;
2. be aligned with state academic standards and developed in consultation with core content specialists, teachers, principals, and school administrators;
3. provide objective, coherent information about the teacher's subject knowledge;
4. be applied uniformly to all teachers in the same grade and subject statewide;
5. take into consideration, but not be primarily based on, the time the teacher has been teaching the subject; and
6. be available to the public on request.
The evaluation may involve many objective measures of teacher competency.
The RTTT grant moves beyond the NCLB to focus on teacher effectiveness as well as qualifications. It does this by giving higher scores to states that link teacher evaluations and student performance. In addition, the RTTT grant scoring addresses principals as well as teachers. It emphasizes teacher and principal evaluations and requires winning states to ensure that effective and highly effective teachers and principals are equitably distributed to high-poverty and high-minority schools and districts. Finally, it gives states points for providing high-quality teacher and administrator preparation programs, including programs that provide alternative routes to teacher and administrator certification. The latter programs seek to attract qualified candidates who did not graduate from traditional college teacher preparation programs.
As a condition of applying for the RTTT grant, the USDOE requires that, at the time the state submits its grant application, it have no legal, statutory, or regulatory barriers at the state level to linking data on student achievement or growth in student achievement to individual teachers and principals for the purposes of evaluation.
States also receive points towards a grant award under a criterion called "improving teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance." This criterion is worth a total of 58 points out of the maximum 500. These points are awarded based on the extent to which a state, with its participating districts, has a high-quality plan and ambitious but credible targets for assuring that those districts:
1. establish clear approaches to measuring student growth, and measuring it for each student;
2. design and implement rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation systems for teachers and principals that (a) judge effectiveness using multiple rating categories with data on student growth being a significant factor and (b) are designed and developed with involvement by teachers and principals;
3. conduct annual evaluations that include timely and constructive feedback and, as part of the evaluations, provide teachers and principals with data on student growth for their students, classes, and schools; and
4. use these evaluations to, at a minimum, inform decisions regarding:
○ developing teachers and principals, including by providing relevant coaching, support for new teachers and principals, or professional development;
○ compensating, promoting, and retaining teachers and principals, including by providing opportunities for those who are highly effective to receive additional compensation and responsibility;
○ whether to grant tenure or full certification; and
○ removing ineffective and untenured teachers and principals who have had ample time to improve.
For purposes of RTTT, "student growth" is the change in a particular student's achievement (on tests and other learning measures) between two or more points in time. States can also include other measures that are rigorous and comparable across classrooms. A "highly effective teacher" is one whose students achieve high rates of student growth (such as 1.5 grade levels in an academic year) and meet other supplemental measures. A "highly effective" principal is one whose students, both overall and for each subgroup, achieve high rates of student growth (such as 1.5 grade levels in an academic year) and meet other supplemental measures.
TURNING AROUND LOW-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS
The NCLB requires states to identify any elementary or secondary school served by Title I that fails to make AYP for two consecutive years. Identification as low-achieving school triggers a series of actions summarized in Table 1 below. For purposes of the table, Year 2 is the second year the school fails to make AYP. The process continues into subsequent consecutive years as long as the school fails to make AYP.
Table 1: Improvement Timetable for Failing Schools
End of Year 2
► State must identify any school that has failed to make AYP for two consecutive years.
► Three months after identification, the school must develop or revise a two-year school improvement plan that:
n incorporates strategies based on scientifically based research to strengthen core academic subjects,
n adopts polices with the greatest likelihood of helping children in each subgroup reach the goals by 2014,
n spends at least 10% of its Title I funds annually on professional development for its teachers, and
n establishes specific annual measurable objectives for continuous and substantial progress by all subgroups.
► The school must implement the improvement plan as soon as possible but at least by the beginning of the school year following identification (year 3).
► The school must give parents notice explaining the identification and what it means.
Year 3 (Improvement)
► Implement school improvement plan.
► As of the first day of school, give the school's students a choice to enroll in another public school in the district that has not been identified as low-achieving or in a charter school, with the district paying for transportation to the new school.
► Provide the school with technical assistance including help in analyzing test data, identifying and implementing professional development strategies, and analyzing its budget.
► Notify parents.
► Continue choice and technical assistance.
► Arrange for supplemental educational services (tutoring and other academic enrichment activities in addition to regular instruction) for the school's low-income students from a provider with a demonstrated record of effectiveness selected by the parent and approved by the state education agency.
► Provide money from district's Title I grant available to pay for the supplemental services.
Year 5 (Corrective Action)
► Continue supplemental services.
► Institute corrective actions, including at least one of the following:
n replacing staff relevant to school failure;
n implementing a new curriculum, with appropriate professional development;
n significantly decreasing management authority at the school level;
n appointing an outside expert to advise the school;
n extending the school day or year; or
n restructuring the school's internal organization.
Year 6 (Restructuring)
► Continue choice.
► Institute one of the following types of alternative governance (i.e., intervention models):
n reopen the school as a charter or other type of innovative school,
n replace most or all school staff (which may include the principal),
n bring in private management,
n let the state run the school, or
n institute any other major restructuring that makes fundamental reforms.
The NCLB also requires a state to identify a school district for improvement if it fails to make AYP for two consecutive years. The improvement timetable and actions for failing districts are the same as those that apply to failing schools. The state must choose from among the following required corrective actions if a district is still failing in Year 4:
1. deferring programmatic funds or reducing administrative funds,
2. instituting new curricula,
3. replacing district personnel,
4. removing particular schools from the district's jurisdiction,
5. appointing a state receiver or trustee or establishing other alternative governance,
6. abolishing or restructuring the district, or
7. allowing the district's students to transfer to schools in other districts.
Like the NCLB, the RTTT grant requires winning states to intervene to turn around low- achieving schools and districts but it specifically targets the lowest and most persistent failures instead of every school or district that fails to make AYP. The program gives states points based on the extent to which the state has:
1. the legal, statutory, or regulatory authority to intervene in its persistently lowest achieving schools and districts and
2. a high-quality plan to identify such schools and districts and turn them around by implementing one of the four school intervention models the NCLB specifies.
The program defines a persistently low-achieving school or district as a Title I school (or high school eligible for but not receiving such funds) in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring and that is:
1. among the lowest-achieving 5% or the lowest five of all such schools, whichever is greater, or
2. a high school with a graduation rate of under 60% over a number of years.
The four restructuring models the RTTT program requires states to use in such situations are detailed in the NCLB law. One option is to permanently close the school. The other three are:
1. The "turnaround" model, which includes, among other actions, replacing the principal and at least 50% of the school's staff, adopting a new governance structure, and implementing a new or revised instructional program with increased learning time. It includes continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction.
2. The "restart" model, in which a school district converts a school or closes a school and reopens it under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization, or an educational management organization that has been selected through a rigorous review process. In this model, it is anticipated that much of the school staff will not return under the new management, although that is not explicitly stated.
3. The "transformation" model, which includes, among other things, replacing the principal, implementing a new evaluation system that uses student growth as a significant factor, and identifying and rewarding staff who are increasing student outcomes and supporting and then removing staff who are not. It includes continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction.
RTTT grant requirements specify that a district with more than nine persistently lowest-achieving schools may not use the transformation model for more than 50% of its schools.
Separately from the RTTT grant competition, federal school improvement grants have been awarded to states to help turn around these schools. Connecticut recently received $26 million over three years for this purpose.
Additional information is available in the following OLR reports:
New Federal Testing Requirements (2002-R-0081)
Timeline of Requirements in the New Federal Education Act (2002-R-0168)
Race to the Top Grants
Race to the Top Grants and Charter Schools (2010-R-0002)
Online Courses in CT Secondary and Adult Education (2010-R-0070)
JL:ts


Site is under construction now but the first construction on Bakirlitepe was the pillar !!! of the test telescope (1982). The pillar was constructed from the stones around with a cement produced by mixing melted snow instead of water. No road, no electricity, only with man and animal power as seen on the left. Now it is partly operational and end of construction is expected to be on late 1997.
Thanks are due to architect A. E. SAHMALI (GUNARDA Ltd.) for a very good comprimise between our technical needs and architectural vision of him. Without him it would be impossible to finalize the construction.
Presently road to the site and the power is ready. Construction of guest house, machine shop and other buildings, including 40 cm telescope building, are completed. Construction of the tower and the building for the 1.5 m telescope started on July 1996. 40 cm telescope installed in August 1996 in a tower with 4.5 m dome ( Ash Dome ) and hope to be ready for observations in October.
1.5 m telescope building will be ready with 10.5 m double skin dome ( Observa.Dome ) by the end of April 1997. Final assembly of 1.5 m telescope will start on May-June 1997. We hope first light by 1998. Cross sectional view of 1.5 m telescope building shows coude room and the optic path. Fig.1 , Fig.2 show, south and north view. Fig.3 , Fig.4 and Fig.5 are plans for basement, coude and telescope room layouts.


text:
DRUG TRADE ENGULFS TAJIKISTAN, SPILLS INTO RUSSIA.
Publication: Monitor Volume: 7 Issue: 21
January 31, 2001 08:00 AM Age: 22 years
On January 26, a special, enlarged session of Tajikistan's Security Council acknowledged the explosive growth in the narcotics traffic via Tajikistan to Russia and Europe. President Imomali Rahmonov, chairing the session, made several scathing remarks about the authorities' failure to stop the transit of Afghan-made drugs. The carefully selected official information about the session suggests that the leadership is aware of the crisis, yet remains reluctant to expose its true proportions and the factors behind it.
The Security Council's secretary, Amirkul Azimov, reported to the session that the narcotics traffic has become pervasive, that an increasing number of Tajiks are becoming involved in the drugs business and in drug-related criminality, and that more and more citizens of Tajikistan are being arrested as drug couriers in CIS countries. Among those countries, Russia provides the main market as well as way stations for the Afghan-made drugs sent via Tajikistan to Europe.
Azimov's report admitted to the fact that many drug merchants and couriers are members of Tajik state agencies, including law enforcement bodies and security services. The report severely criticized the state authorities responsible for failing to implement presidential decrees, governmental programs and Security Council decisions against the narcotics trade. Those decrees, programs and decisions, issued in the last five years, have remained a dead letter. The report identified one cause behind this failure: "law enforcement officers themselves being involved in the drug trade and making it possible for the dealers to evade the law." Azimov's report concluded that the drug business has reached a level which "poses a direct threat to national security."
For his part, Rahmonov warned the heads of law enforcement bodies that "drastic measures would be taken against them if they fail to turn the situation around in the near future." The president's published remarks indirectly revealed the extent and level of official corruption. He warned the Prosecutor General's Office, the Supreme Court, the State Customs Committee and the State Border Protection Committee [border troops' command] to take measures against "unscrupulous staff;" and he announced an investigation into the operations of the Drug Control Agency, a body directly subordinated to the presidency. Rahmonov, furthermore, called for tracking down the Tajik drug money laundered and banked "in other states"–meaning primarily Russia.
The authorities, however, lack both the means and the integrity to carry out the president's and the Security Council's instructions. Rahmonov resorted to the Soviet-style method of ordering the State Committee for Women and State Committee for Youth to launch propaganda campaigns, and commissioned a five-year program of antidrug measures for 2001-2005, which may well turn out to be as declarative as predecessor documents of this type.
The Security Council itself includes heads of deeply corrupt state agencies such as those named by Rahmonov in his speech. The officially published excerpts, however, do not include references to the State Security Ministry, the staff of which is widely suspected to be complicit in the interrelated trades with drugs and arms. The president's Kulob clan is overrepresented in that ministry, and the Kulob area near the Afghan border is known as a major transit point for Afghan-made drugs. Kulob, moreover, is one of the country's few areas to which the writ of Dushanbe does extend.
In that presidential stronghold, the Tajik State Security Ministry and Russian military intelligence operate the covert Parkhar airfield, which lies beyond the jurisdiction even of the Russian army and border troops in Tajikistan. Helicopters and light planes shuttle regularly between Parkhar and Afghanistan's northeastern area which is held by the anti-Taliban coalition. According to Russian border troop officers in Russian media interviews, the Parkhar operation serves both to supply the anti-Taliban forces and to ferry Afghan drugs into Tajikistan for further shipment to Russia. Those Russian officers' allegations are generally considered credible, though they may partly be intended as an excuse for the border troops' failure to stop the bulk of the cross-border drug trade overland.
Two recent developments in the Afghan narcotics trade have made the situation in Tajikistan worse than it already was. First, the raw and processed drugs from the 1999 Afghan bumper crop of opium are now being moved to markets by wholesale drug traffickers via Afghanistan's war-torn northeast. And, second, following the Taliban authorities' measures last year against poppy cultivation and opium processing, those activities have tended to move beyond the Taliban's range to northeastern Afghanistan and to Tajikistan itself. Tajikistan is, by now, not only a drug transit country but also a drug producing country–a development not mentioned in the official reports of the Security Council's session in Dushanbe.
Meanwhile, Russian media reports help explain the Tajik leaders' hand-wringing about their citizens–state employees included–serving as the principal drug couriers to and in Russia. On January 27, a Tajik "former" security officer was arrested at the border while carrying 17 kilograms of opium. On January 29, two consignments of heroin–of 760 grams and 1.1 kilograms, respectively–were confiscated from three Tajik couriers–one of them a Dushanbe police officer–on arrival at Moscow's Domodedovo airport on the regular flight from Dushanbe. That same day, one kilogram of heroin was found on three Tajik couriers on a train bound via Uzbekistan for Russia. On January 30, a Tajik courier was arrested with 450 grams of heroin on him in the middle-Volga city of Samara. And in Astrakhan on the lower Volga that same day, Russian police arrested a Tajik courier with 280 grams of heroin in his possession. Russian media carry such reports on a daily basis and Russian police consider that the Tajik drug mafia now heavily dominates the narcotics trade in Russia's cities (Hovar, January 26; Itar-Tass, January 26-30; see the Monitor, December 13, 22, 2000, January 23).
The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected], by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions
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text:
#Chillventa2018: Part of the global family
By Ilana Koegelenberg
It was only during my third trip to the impressive Chillventa exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, that I finally realised why their theme of 'Connecting Experts' was not only accurate, but also invaluable for anyone working in HVAC&R.
Chillventa 2018 took place at the Nürnberg Messe centre in Germany from 16 to 18 October.
Image credit: NürnbergMesse
From 16 to 18 October 2018, Chillventa transformed the Nuremberg exhibition venue into the number one gathering place for the international refrigeration, AC, ventilation, and heat pump community.
The halls of Chillventa 2018 were packed to the brim with equipment and people — a happy sight for organisers and exhibitors alike.
Our industry is built on relationships and connections — Chillventa magnifies that on a global scale. With so much of our equipment being imported and so many of our standards and regulations modelled on international equivalents, it's events like Chillventa that truly give you the big picture of where we came from and where we are going.
Chillventa 2018 seemed even more amazing than any of the other ones I have attended. Looking at the official post-show report, it is clear that this sentiment was shared by the organisers as well. They have declared the event "a resounding success" with an impressive 10% visitor increase to 35 490 trade visitors. Add a 4% exhibitor increase to 1 019 (2% floorspace increase) and an impressive 20% delegate increase for the congress that took place the day before, and you can see why everyone is so positive about this show.
"It wasn't just the numbers that impressed industry professionals, but above all, the fantastic atmosphere in the halls where experts came together with other experts," says Daniela Heinkel, exhibition director Chillventa at NürnbergMesse. "Chillventa is therefore once again impressively underscoring its role as the most important gathering for the international refrigeration community including the segments AC, ventilation, and heat pumps."
That is the real essence of the tale that follows. This year, Chillventa was about a feeling, an excitement, an incredible energy in the halls of a happy industry. Things may seem tough back home, but the HVAC&R world is thriving out there. Hopefully it comes our way soon too.
Meeting Miss Chillventa during the press lunch. So stoked!
My version
My first Chillventa in 2014 was all about getting lost; 2016 taught me the value of over-planning and hard work; 2018 was all about the connections. It's people — and not companies — who keep this industry together.
Here follows my not-so-short executive summary of the people of Chillventa.
Thank you to everyone who made this year's show what it was. Our industry is filled with amazing characters. We're in good hands.
Is it even still necessary for me to add the usual disclaimer about how there will never be enough time (or enough pages in this magazine) for me to give a comprehensive report back on what I saw (or didn't see)? With so much happening at the same time, no two people would've had the same Chillventa experience.
Here follows mine.
Various forum events also took place alongside the show and were well attended.
A real executive summary
If I had to write a real executive summary, it would read:
Chillventa is an incredibly enriching experience and you should try to attend at some time if at all possible. It gathers people from so many areas of expertise and so many countries, all in one venue. You can see so much. You can learn so much. You can connect with your peers, benchmark yourself, and become inspired with new ideas for the future. Chillventa is what you make of it, but it has the potential for so much.
In terms of what I saw in 2018 in particular, the HVAC&R industry is spending a lot of money and manpower on R&D and coming up with incredibly innovative, efficient solutions and alternatives. Things are moving and it is impressive to see where it is going. It's all about refrigerants. It's about the cloud and IoT. It's about saving the environment. It's about a lot of expensive equipment that are truly amazing to be seen on display. R290 was the belle of the ball in 2018. The future does seem 'natural' indeed. And very, very high-tech.
Chillventa was all this and so much more.
My usual Chillventa arrival selfie — it's tradition now.
Image credit: Ilana Koegelenberg
Chillventa begins long before you walk through the large glass doors at the NürnbergMesse centre. On paper, the show (and its extensive number of co-located programmes) lasted only from 16 to 18 October 2018, but from 15 to 18 October if you include the congress. But for me, this time, it almost feels like it started when I first got into the industry …
During the show, different connections from different times crossed my path. Some I have met only briefly before, some I was meeting for the first time. It was amazing to be a part of it all. The 10th anniversary edition of Chillventa was a milestone in every way.
But a large chunk of the Chillventa story, is getting to and from Chillventa. It's not always easy and hassle free, especially not when you add visa drama and airport security.
But it's the bit in the middle, 16 to 18 October, when it's finally show time, that makes it all worth it. Because the industry has come out en masse from all over the world. And they were here to get the most out of those few days.
Events, launches, press conferences, forums, congresses, skills demonstrations, brunches and tours … you need a clear plan before you go into this because there is simply so much to see and do. So, you plot the non-negotiables and complete the rest as you go along.
Meeting Neil Everitt, Cooling Post founder and editor — what a privilege.
Skipping past the good bits
The elaborate account of the four days that followed will be published in the Cold Link Africa (CLA) January/February 2019 edition. It will include many tales of me taking selfies with people considered industry legends and key role players. There is a lot of walking, a lot of being impressed, and quite the compilation of all the South Africans I encountered at the show.
I'll share a few picture highlights, but for the rest, make sure you get your hands on a copy of CLA — whether it be digitally or in print.
The press lunch in progress — trade press around the world unite.
Trends and observations
Similar to 2016, this year was all about refrigerants. With the phase-down of HFCs in full swing in Europe, manufacturers have spent a great deal of time and money on R&D to keep up with the future. Wherever you looked, there were new equipment specifically designed to run on any designation of refrigerants you can name (and some you'll never remember).
R290 was the real star of the show and CO2 was still quite big. From unitary equipment to large industrial chillers, there really was something for every application. Natural refrigerant chillers featured quite strongly, while on the unitary side, R32 was still the golden child on every stand.
There was a big focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and ways to make products more intelligent without making it more complicated to use. User-friendly interfaces and controls were highlighted as suppliers try and make their products more accessible.
Smaller footprints and increased energy efficiency will always be in fashion and improved coefficient of performance (COP) was shown off at stands throughout the exhibition halls.
The ASHRAE Steves selfie, from left: Steve Gill, Ilana Koegelenberg, and Steve Comstock.
The 'Connecting Experts' theme pulled through to the stands where this year, more and more exhibitors set aside generous portions of their stands for meeting areas. A lot of business gets done at this international show and it's not just about displaying products, but also clinching those deals.
Chillventa boasted many products for retail applications specifically, but the entire spectrum was represented — from light commercial applications (some arguably domestic even), all the way through to heavy industrial.
So many product launches, so many exciting new ranges — after all, this is what the global industry works towards every two years.
I cannot wait to see what Chillventa 2020 will bring!
What was your Chillventa like?
Did you attend this year? What was your version like? What were your show highlights? What did you learn? Share your experience (and your photos) at ilana@interactmedia.co.za.
Click here to read the January 2019 issue of RACA Journal


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The Trump Family
Trump Golf Club Received Presidential Seal Markers
They Trump Organization Says Presidential Seal Golf Course Markers Were a Gift from Members
A report yesterday said that the company had ordered the markers, but a Trump spokesperson says "the plaques were presented to the club by a small group of members who are incredible fans of the President."
By Sam Dangremond Published: Mar 6, 2018
SAUL LOEB / AFP//Getty Images
Update: A Trump Organization spokesperson said this morning that "contrary to reports that have been published, we did not order the golf course markers."
"The plaques were presented to the club by a small group of members, who are incredible fans of the President, in honor of Presidents Day weekend," the spokesperson said in a statement. "They were temporary and have since been removed."
Original Story (3/5/18): The Trump Organization ordered tee markers emblazoned with the presidential seal for at least one of its Trump International Golf Clubs, according to a new report by ProPublica. There's just one problem—that might be illegal.
There is a specific law that governs the manufacture or use of the seal and its likeness, and violations are punishable by up to six months in prison.
In this case an Indiana-based metalworking company Eagle Sign and Design, which has previously made signs for Trump golf courses, "said it had received an order to manufacture dozens of round, 12-inch replicas of the presidential seal to be placed next to the tee boxes at Trump golf course holes. Two tee markers are placed on the ground at the start of a hole on golf courses to indicate where golfers should stand to take their first swing."
"We made the design, and the client confirmed the design," Eagle Sign's owner, Joseph E. Bates, told ProPublica. Bates declined to say who the client was, but a photo album on the business's Facebook page is called "Presidential Seal" and includes the text "Trump International Golf Course." (The album is now empty, but according to ProPublica it previously contained a photo of the markers.)
Donald Trump plays golf Trump International Golf Links course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on July 10, 2012.
Andy Buchanan / AFP//Getty Images
ProPublica also says it reviewed an order form for the tee markers that showed the customer as "Trump International."
The Trump Organization owns four golf clubs with "Trump International" in their names, and a fifth is slated to open in Bali, Indonesia "soon."
Kathleen Clark, a Washington University law professor, told ProPublica that the law governing the use of the presidential seal "is an expression of the idea that the government and government authority should not be used for private purpose," and added that it "would be a misuse of government authority."
Other presidents including Barack Obama and George W. Bush used the seal on custom golf balls, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan had a set of presidential china made with it, in both cases for their own personal use or as gifts. The difference in this situation is that a private company—the Trump Organization—is using the seal.
"If we had heard of a private company using it for commercial purposes, we would have sent them a nasty letter," Richard Painter, who served in the George W. Bush administration as associate White House counsel and is now vice chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told the publication.
The Department of Justice declined to comment to ProPublica about whether it was aware the seal had been used by entities outside the government. The White House and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment.
A Timeline of Donald Trump's Trips to Mar-a-Lago
Sam Dangremond
Contributing Digital Editor
Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, cocktails, travel, and the social scene.
Tiffany Trump Gets Married at Mar-a-Lago
Marla Maples Adores Tiffany Trump's Husband
16 Things to Know About Tiffany Trump
Inside Mar-a-Lago
Jared Kushner's Secret Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis
Everything You Need to Know About Barron Trump
Ivana Trump Dies at 73
Ivana Trump Passed Away
The Families That Could Have Inspired 'Succession'
Karlie Kloss Posts a Voting Selfie in a Biden Mask
The Rise and Fall of Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
Kimberly Guilfoyle Denies Harassment Allegations


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BROOKE USA RECOGNIZED AS THE 2020 HUMANITARIAN AWARD RECIPIENT
The EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) came together in 2009 to establish the Humanitarian Award to recognize the accomplishments of an individual or group of individuals in improving the health and welfare of the horse and promoting and expanding the general public's appreciation and respect of the diverse role of horses.
Brooke USA received the EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award at the virtual USEF Pegasus and Horse of the Year Awards Celebration on Saturday evening, January 17, 2021. Brooke USA, the sister organization to Brooke and a leading funder of its work in the developing world, is best known for improving and advocating for the welfare of working horses, donkeys, and mules and the people they serve throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Caribbean by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need. Less widely known is Brooke USA's commitment to America's horses.
The Work of Brooke USA Worldwide
Over 100 million working horses, donkeys, and mules provide invaluable support to daily life for an estimated 600 million people (eight percent of the world's population) in some of the poorest places in the world through haulage, transportation, and production.
Healthy working horses, donkeys, and mules help to put food on their tables, send their children to school, and build better futures for themselves and their families.
Brooke USA strategically invests in solution-oriented, community-based partner organizations that address the root causes of problems affecting vulnerable communities around the globe.
Working directly with animals, owners, health services agencies, and governments, Brooke USA supports growths in infrastructure, education, veterinary care, and funding for projects and causes positively benefitting and sustaining working humans and animals in the developing world.
The Work of Brooke USA in the US
Sadly, in the United States, many of America's horses who empower and heal us face an uncertain future. Tens of thousands become at-risk for abuse and neglect each year. Over 65,000 were shipped across our borders to be slaughtered in 2019.
Since 2016, Brooke USA has stepped up to fund US-based organizations during natural disasters and other emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic was no exception. Brooke USA came to the rescue in the United States by supporting the relief efforts of national equine welfare organizations, including the EQUUS Foundation, the Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and the Humane Society of the United States. Brooke USA also supported the disaster relief efforts of the United States Equestrian Foundation and the Equestrian Aid Foundation as well as other regionally based organizations.
"Brooke USA is thrilled to be recognized for our work in the United States. We have been building up our support of US-based organizations over the past few years, and COVID-19 made our national emergency our very own priority. To date, we have delivered micro-grants 24 fellow nonprofits. It has been about supporting day-to-day operations, providing feed, ensuring vet care, and helping owners. We thank the EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation for the honor of serving as the 2020 the EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award recipient," said John Nicholson, Immediate Past Chair of Brooke USA.
"During this time of extreme hardship, one thing is certain. We are grateful to our first responders and to the individuals and organizations that rise above their own priorities to work for the common good. Brooke USA is one such organization and is most deserving to be recognized as the recipient of the Humanitarian Award," said Lynn Coakley, EQUUS Foundation President.
To learn more about the EQUUS Foundation and their mission, please visit www.equusfoundation.org.
Posted in Horse Care and Management, Horse Community


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Q: Does the assignment operator make a shallow copy of an NSArray? Say I have two arrays:
NSArray *A = @[@"Red", @"Blue", @"Yellow"];
NSArray *B = A;

Is B technically a shallow copy of A? If I make changes to the data contained in A, B sees those same changes, and vice-versa. When looking at copying in Apple's documentation, simple equality via the "=" operator is not mentioned as a valid way to make a shallow copy. If this doesn't constitute a shallow copy, then what is it?

A: Assignment (in Objective-C) is not a copy at all.  That is, it's not a copy of the object, it's only a copy of the reference to the object.  There's a reason every object (reference) has to be declared as a pointer.  (Blocks are a special case.)
A shallow copy is done via the copy method, as in: NSArray *B = [A copy];
As it happens you can't modify NSArrays, but the principle holds for NSMutableArrays as well.
NSMutableArray *a = [@[@"Red", @"Blue", @"Yellow"] mutableCopy];
NSMutableArray *b = a;
NSMutableArray *c = [a mutableCopy];

NSLog(@"%@, %@, %@", a[0], b[0], c[0]);  // Prints: Red, Red, Red

b[0] = @"Green";

NSLog(@"%@, %@, %@", a[0], b[0], c[0]);  // Prints: Green, Green, Red

c[0] = @"Purple";

NSLog(@"%@, %@, %@", a[0], b[0], c[0]);  // Prints: Green, Green, Purple

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Universal Studios vs Warner Bros: What's Happening With Fantastic Worlds Park?
While Universal Studios has quietly gone about moving forward with its rumored third theme park Fantastic Worlds, Warner Bros. may be looking to object to the name of the Orlando, Florida, attraction.Universal Studios filed for trademarks last June, but Warner Bros. recently filed two extensions for a "Time to Oppose for Good Cause" regarding the trademarked name, according to Orlando Weekly. Warner Bros hasn't formally issued an objection to the name to date.
It has been speculated that Warner Bros. may be issuing the objection because the new theme park from Universal is rumored to have a "Fantastic Beasts" attraction which could cause some confusion with the name Fantastic Worlds.
Warner Bros. owns the rights to the "Harry Potter" films, but Universal features "Harry Potter"-themed attractions within its parks, including the plans for Fantastic Worlds.
Universal has likely prepared for the name issue, Lance Hart of Screamscape speculated to Orlando Weekly, and will have a slew of back up names at the ready.


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ACLU Files Religious Liberty Lawsuit on Behalf of Ninth Grader Facing Expulsion
DETROIT — The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit on behalf of a ninth grader at Old Redford Academy, a public charter school in Detroit, who is facing expulsion for his refusal to comply with a strict dress code requiring all male students to maintain "closely cropped" hairstyles. A hearing is scheduled before Third Circuit Court Judge Kathleen MacDonald on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 9 a.m.
Claudius Benson's mother strictly abides by various Old Testament provisions, including a passage in the Book of Leviticus that forbids the cutting of hair. Pursuant to her faith, Claudius, 14, has not cut his hair since he was 4 years old.
"Punishing Claudius for practicing his religion is both unnecessary and illegal," said Kary L. Moss, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan. "Students should never have to choose between remaining faithful to their religion and getting an education."
Claudius was enrolled in Old Redford Academy for only three days, when he was suspended on grounds that he was not in compliance with the hair provisions of the school's dress code. After his suspension, Claudius' mother, Alecha Benson, appealed the suspension to the school's governing board and Chief Executive Officer outlining her sincerely-held religious beliefs. Nonetheless, the school's board and CEO, have to date, refused to reinstate Claudius.
Before filing suit, the ACLU of Michigan sent a letter to the school's attorney stating that Old Redford Academy is violating Claudius' rights under the Michigan State Constitution, the religion and free speech clauses of the United States Constitution, and the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1969.
The ACLU of Michigan is asking the court to declare the school's action as unconstitutional and grant a special accommodation for Claudius in much the same way that Jewish students who are required to wear a yarmulke would be exempt from rules that prohibit the wearing of hats in the school building. In addition, the ACLU of Michigan is asking the court to force the school to erase this infraction from Claudius' school record.
"We teach our kids about the Bill of Rights, about freedom and about tolerance," said Alecha. "Today my son is getting a real life lesson. This is about much more than a haircut -- It's about fairness, equality and our religious beliefs."
Earlier this year, the ACLU of Michigan settled another case with Old Redford Academy involving a 5th grader whose hair was no longer than ¾ of and inch and deemed too long. Rodell Jefferson, III, was repeatedly punished with detentions, suspensions and was finally recommended for expulsion. Soon after the ACLU of Michigan intervened the school agreed to allow Rodell to come back to school and to clear his school records of this incident.
Claudius Benson is being represented by Moss, ACLU of Michigan Legal Director Michael J. Steinberg and ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Staff Attorney Mark P. Fancher.
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Alternative care experts from around the world, including many young people who have lived in alternative care, met in Geneva this week to discuss the way forward.
Sixty experts from 29 national and international SOS Children's Villages associations, including four youth experts, were among the alternative care professionals who gathered in Geneva this week to share knowledge and good practice at "Momentum", the International Alternative Care Conference.
The conference, hosted jointly by the International Institute for the Rights of the Child and the Centre for Children's Rights Studies of the University of Geneva, aimed to build on the momentum that has grown in improving alternative care policy and practice since the approval of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in 2009.
Youth participation was a key topic and strength of the conference, as young experts from many organisations shared insights from their experiences growing up in alternative care.
Akmal Akhmedov, 19, of Uzbekistan, spoke about his experience with the 'I Matter' campaign in organising with his peers to improve conditions for young people ageing out of care.
"The preparation to leave care needs to be considered from the beginning and 'entry' into care," he said.
On the topic of prevention, experts from SOS Children's Villages India and Colombia presented examples from the organisation's successful family strengthening programmes, numbering 542 programmes worldwide in 2015.
SOS Children's Villages' impact assessments have shown that these programmes are effective in preventing separation of children from their families, and in supporting the adequate care and social and emotional well-being of the children.
Angela Rosales, National Director of SOS Children's Villages Colombia, spoke of the integrated approach her country is taking to family strengthening and alternative care.
"There are two main achievements. One is piloting an experience of reintegration of children and prevention of their separation with 900 families. The other main achievement was that the state formally included the UN Guidelines in the state documents and guidelines for the provision of services for any child in the country," she said.
A growing child rights issue highlighted by participants was the need to protect and fulfil the rights of child refugees and migrants, and to fight against the common practice of placing unaccompanied minors in detention.
At a side event involving key partners, Richard Pichler, Special Representative for External Affairs and Resources, SOS Children's Villages International, noted the lack of awareness in many countries of alternatives to detention of unaccompanied minors who have crossed borders as migrants or refugees.
"After the meeting, many representatives asked me about the SOS programmes in Mexico as an alternative to detention," he explained.