The Governor of Anambra, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has sworn-in Mr. Izuchukwu Okafor as the Commissioner for Finance.
Governor Soludo performed the function at the State Executive Chamber, Government House, Awka.
The Governor asked him to prioritize the objectives of fiscal discipline, revenue expansion, investment attraction, accountability and transparency, and reminded him that his actions in the role will not only affect the present, but the also the future.
He tasked him on being committed to delivering on the objectives and leaving a positive legacy for the state.
Governor Soludo had last week sent the name of Okafor to the Anambra State House of Assembly for confirmation as Commissioner-designate for Finance.
Okafor is a seasoned financial expert with many years of experience in the banking and finance industry.
He has worked with some of the most prestigious financial institutions in the country and has also held key positions in the state government including as former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Soludo on Finance and Audit since July, 2022.
Okafor was also a Deputy Manager of Financial Operations and Audit, at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from July 2020 to June 2022.
Recall that the former Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ifeatu Onejeme, had on September resigned from his position.
Onejeme was appointed Commissioner for Finance by the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, at the beginning of the administration in 2022.
He had also previously served as a commissioner during the administration of the immediate past governor Willie Obiano.
It was gathered that personal and family circumstances warranted his resignation.
When Democrat Rebecca Cooke, a small-business owner and nonprofit founder, entered the race against first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden of western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District she led with a sharp attack:
“Derrick Van Orden is one of the only members of Congress who participated in the deadly January 6th insurrection,” Cooke said Sept. 1 on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He now serves in the building he tried to burn down.”
By now, the Jan. 6, 2021, mob action is familiar — thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters rallied and then hundreds forced their way into the Capitol building in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 presidential election.
According to the Justice Department, as of Sept. 5, 2023, some 1,146 defendants have been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In all, 623 federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity on Jan. 6, the Justice Department says. Of those, 378 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration.
Van Orden is not among them.
So, what’s the basis for Cooke’s claim? And how much validity is there to it?
Let’s take a look.
Cooke team responds
When asked for backup for the claim, Cooke spokesperson Charly Norton said in an email to PolitiFact Wisconsin the tweet is based on a television appearance by Van Orden in which he acknowledged “that he participated in the January 6th insurrection, was photographed on Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6th insurrection, and publicly disclosed using campaign funds to attend the January 6th insurrection.”
Now, that’s the Cooke campaign’s take on what Van Orden has said.
Let’s go back and check the record.
According to The Washington Post, Van Orden, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, was one of two newly elected GOP House members at the rally.
According to Newsweek, in a Jan. 13, 2021, column in the LaCrosse Tribune, Van Orden acknowledged attending Trump’s rally that preceded the insurrection but said he left when the riot began.
“When it became clear that a protest had become a mob, I left the area as to remain there could be construed as tacitly approving this unlawful conduct,” he wrote. “At no time did I enter the grounds, let alone the building.”
Two years later, in January 2023, Van Orden sought to reframe the issue, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he wished he had not attended the Trump rally if it would have prevented the public from believing he embraced the violence.
“I don’t regret supporting voter integrity,” Van Orden said. “But if you look in hindsight — like the volume of stuff, the way that it could be interpreted that I would support political violence — that is regretful. If that made people think that I support political violence, that is a regret because I don’t support political violence.”
Van Orden noted he tweeted that he condemned “all forms of political violence” even as the rioters were in the building.
Van Orden’s location questioned
That said, just how close Van Orden was to the Capitol attack is in dispute.
Although Van Orden told the La Crosse newspaper he and two friends “stood on the parapet that lines the perimeter of the grounds,” a report by The Daily Beast cited social media posts showing Van Orden in an area the news outlet characterized as being beyond police barricades.
The Daily Beast said it had recreated the photo Van Orden posted on Facebook and determined they would have had to cross police barricades to reach that area.
It is against the law to cross police barricades to reach a restricted area.
Van Orden disputes being in a restricted area and in January the lawmaker told the Journal Sentinel the wall he was on was “450 meters” away from the Capitol and he was only “standing there” near the wall.
A footnote: The Cooke campaign also accused Van Orden of using campaign funds to travel to Washington. According to a Sept. 2, 2022, article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the six-member Federal Election Commission decided unanimously to dismiss a complaint that alleged the money was used inappropriately partly because of the “small amount” of money used for the trip — $4,022.72.
Our ruling
Cooke claimed “Derrick Van Orden is one of the only members of Congress who participated in the deadly January 6th insurrection,” and “now serves in the building he tried to burn down.”
Van Orden acknowledged attending the Jan. 6 rally but said he left before any violence occurred, and later said he regretted being there since it would lead people to think he endorsed the violence that followed.
However, according to a media outlet, a photo posted to Facebook shows Van Orden and two friends in an area beyond police barricades set up at the Capitol that day. Van Orden says he was not behind the barricades but was “450 meters” away from the Capitol and only “standing there” near the wall.
All of that said, Cooke goes too far in making her claim, including the idea that Van Orden tried to burn the building down, which suggests there is evidence he participated in rioting.
For a statement that contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression, our rating is Mostly False.
Sweeping views of the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz Island and San Francisco’s skyline have dominated aerial shots for 49ers television broadcasts for years — after all, it’s the team’s namesake.
But it’s been nearly a decade since the NFL team played in the City by the Bay after its 2014 relocation roughly 40 miles south from Candlestick Park to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, and national broadcasts still pan San Francisco’s cityscape before and after commercial breaks.
Many South Bay Niners fans have had enough, taking to social media in recent weeks to bemoan the lack of Santa Clara aerial footage, particularly following comments made by sportscaster Al Michaels during a Sept. 21 Thursday Night Football game between the 49ers and the New York Giants on Prime Video.
“Have you ever noticed we come here and all of our aerials are from 44 miles away?” Michaels said.
The longtime play-by-play announcer called San Francisco “beautiful” before questioning what landmarks they could use for Santa Clara and its neighboring cities.
“We’d like to bring the aerials from nearby here, but what are we supposed to do?” he said. “The salt evaporator flats? San Jose Airport?”
South Bay sports fans immediately took umbrage, flooding social media that night to express their long held frustrations that the networks have long ignored the Mission City, along with its neighbor, and the largest city in the Bay Area, San Jose.
After 10 years of covering games on the South Bay, you would think they would have come across something in the area to shoot.
The complaints must have been heard, because during Sunday night’s game between the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, NBC highlighted Mission Santa Clara de Asís — one of 21 California missions — on Santa Clara University’s campus. Even so, San Francisco still got most of the air time going in and out of commercial breaks.
Mission Santa Clara de Asis at Santa Clara University, one of 21 Calfironia Missions, was highlighted during Sunday’s televised 49ers’ game (Gary Reyes/ Staff)
Former Mercury News sports columnist Mark Purdy said when outsiders — in this case, those who work for the networks — think about the Bay Area, their first thoughts are usually San Francisco and the Golden Gate or Bay bridges.
“I really think it comes down to the disconnect to the way the outside world looks at the Bay Area and the way the Bay Area looks at the Bay Area,” Purdy said.
The 49ers, though, have some power over what is shown during broadcasts, he added.
“If the 49ers wanted to, their president, Al Guido, could walk in and say ‘it’s great you show the bridge, but there’s a lot of things you can show here,’” he said.
Purdy, who became the first journalist inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2021, posted last week on social media his own list of South Bay landmarks that NBC could have used during last Sunday’s 49ers vs. Cowboys game.
His list included the Mission Santa Clara de Asís, Lick Observatory, the Pat Tillman Memorial in San Jose and the Great America Star Tower, where he noted team CEO Jed York took NFL Commission Roger Goodell to convince him Santa Clara was a good location to build a new stadium.
Other South Bay fans suggested San Jose City Hall, the Rose Garden, the Winchester Mystery House or the Olympic Black Power Statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on San Jose State University’s campus.
Silicon Valley is beautiful, just get an ariel shot at night
When asked about the nearly decade-long debate, the 49ers declined to pick sides of what the network should show.
“As the oldest professional sports team in the Bay Area, we are proud of our roots in San Francisco and our home in the South Bay,” 49ers Chief Marketing Officer Alex Chang said in a statement. “Above all, we feel motivated to succeed because of the support of the 49ers Faithful across the region and the globe.”
Santa Clara officials, however, are hoping to change their image — or lack thereof — when it comes to the team.
Discover Santa Clara CEO Christine Lawson said that the tourism group has already discussed putting together video packages for the networks that help showcase the city.
“I think that it’s understandable,” she said of the San Francisco aerial footage. “They’re the San Francisco 49ers. There’s a lot of beautiful things to show in San Francisco, but they are playing here in Santa Clara, and we really do have a rich and vibrant city and there’s a lot of passion for the 49ers that extend beyond the city that they’re tied to.”
Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker likened the situation to other NFL teams that play in different cities than their team’s namesake.
The Dallas Cowboys play roughly 20 miles away in Arlington, and both the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers play 12 miles south in Inglewood. The New York Giants and New York Jets even cross state lines, playing across the Hudson River at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
While Santa Clara itself may not get a lot of airtime outside of Levi’s Stadium, Becker said that sports commentators regularly point out that the games are being played in Santa Clara. He likes to think of it as “the San Francisco 49ers of Santa Clara.”
San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (85) prepares to spike the ball after scoring a touchdown last season against Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
“When they just say our city, I think that’s really a huge benefit not only for our city but our entire region,” Becker said.
The reignited debate over whether Santa Clara should be featured more prominently during NFL broadcasts comes at a time when the city is preparing for Super Bowl LX in 2026.
In 2016, Levi’s Stadium hosted Super Bowl 50, which raked in a $240 million boost to the Bay Area’s economy, according to the host committee. But only a small cut of that went to the South Bay.
San Francisco hosted most of the events during the weeklong celebration and put up many fans in its hotels, ensuring the city benefitted from 57 percent of Super Bowl economic activity. Meanwhile, the South Bay in its entirety snagged only 20 percent of the economic activity.
The 2019 College Football Playoff national championship game saw similar issues. Although Santa Clara saw a boom in its hotel reservations and restaurant bookings, many of the game-related events took place in neighboring San Jose.
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has asked President Bola Tinubu to reintroduce himself to Nigerians to clear the “lingering doubts and valid speculations about his true identity” once and for all.
Obi, who is one of the candidates challenging Tinubu’s presidential victory in court, made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, against the backdrop of fresh allegations of certificate forgery and alleged identity theft being levelled against President Tinubu.
The allegations became intense after Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, went through a United States court to obtain transcripts of Tinubu’s records from the Chicago State University, where the president claimed to have obtained a degree in Business Administration.
However, there are alleged discrepancies in the records released to Atiku by the Chicago State University and the one Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the February 25, 2023, presidential poll.
The most glaring discrepancy in the records was Tinubu’s recognition by the university as a female, whereas the president is a male.
In his speech at the press conference, Obi said that the allegations against Tinubu had further worsened Nigeria’s image internationally.
He said, “To the outsiders, the entire Chicago University matter, as well as Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s many other lingering identity question marks, have further worsened Nigeria’s less-than-glorious image internationally. Uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as a fraudster, certificate forger, or identity thief. The controversies are necessary, just as the implicit global embarrassment could have been avoided.”
Obi said that Tinubu owed the nation and the world an obligation to clear the doubts about his identity.
“Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu should have saved the nation and himself from this protracted embarrassment and undue anxiety. Even to this day, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu still owes the nation and the world an obligation that only he can discharge. I, therefore, humbly and respectfully call on him to immediately and personally mount the rostrum of his present high office to perform a simple task, once and for all time.
Obi called on Tinubu to reintroduce himself to the nation and the world, stating his name, nationality, place of birth, parentage, the primary and secondary school he attended with dates, as well as the actual universities he attended and certificates obtained.
He also called on Tinubu to indicate where and when he did his National Youth Service (NYSC), and whether he had ever had a change of name.
“This is a simple task that will take only a few minutes. It requires no affidavits, prolonged court process, spokespersons, agents or surrogates. The task is one that only Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself, through a direct personal statement, can perform.”
Obi said that Tinubu must perform this task urgently, in order to lay to rest, once and for the last time, the controversies surrounding his identity.
“A leader cannot outsource a clear or unambiguous personal statement about his identity to poetical surrogates, officials, spokespeople, lawyers, or any other person, no matter how highly placed. A mother of personal identity Of a leader is too sensitive and central to the function Of the office he currently occupies, to be trifled with, outsourced or disguised under the Cloak of officialdom.”
According to Obi, Tinubu’s true identity was a matter of grave national and international interest.
“In his present capacity as a leader of a nation of over 200 million Nigerians, his true identity is a matter of grave national and international interests. The people deserve to know with certainty the true identity of their leader, and this overrides whatever rights he may have to personal privacy. In addition, the international community deserves to know the true identity of the person with whom they will engage on Nigeria.”
The LP leader added that Tinubu had implicitly undertaken to cede the right of privacy of a citizen in favour of a life of open disclosure of his true identity, and other circumstances that might be of public interest.
“Having stood for an election of the elevated office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu has implicitly undertaken to cede the right of privacy of a citizen in favour of a life of open disclosure of his true identity, and other circumstances that might be of public interest. His personal integrity demands no less, the legitimacy of the office he currently occupies demands that much and even more. Respect for integrity and esteem of the Nigerian nation within the Committee of Nations makes it even more incumbent and compulsory.”
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Matt Bomer, 46; Emily Deschanel, 47; Jane Krakowski, 55; Joan Cusack, 61.
Happy Birthday: Look at the big picture and carve a path to help you reach your goal. Put an affordable budget in place and prepare to adjust your lifestyle to fit your dreams, hopes and wishes. Connect with like-minded people and settle into a routine to help you build your desired life. Implement changes that will deter anyone from interfering with your plans. Your numbers are 6, 17, 22, 27, 32, 41, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Assess relationships and determine who is for and against you. It’s essential to align yourself with people who get what you are trying to achieve and distance yourself from those likely to sabotage your efforts. 3 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stay on target, regardless of what others say. A passionate approach will lead to unique ideas that separate you from the crowd. By putting your energy and discipline to good use, you’ll outdo anyone who tries to get in your way. 5 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pay more respect to getting ahead. Set a target and push forward with thoughtfulness, courage, and the literary and educational equipment needed to get you where you want to go. Surprise others with your professionalism, skills and knowledge, and you’ll ward off competitive interference. 2 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be careful. Not everyone is on your side. Determine what you can and should do next. Stick close to home and avoid situations that warrant being in crowds. Choose to pick up additional skills or designate time to pursue something that interests you. 4 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t rely on others to do things for you. Take the initiative and make your voice heard. Put a strict budget in place and control your emotions if someone tries to push you in an undesirable direction. Don’t argue; pursue your objective. 3 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Stand up for your rights and make whatever changes are necessary to reach your destination. Educational pursuits, travel and being open to change will make you the go-to person. Trust and believe in yourself and shoot for the stars. 3 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A cordial approach to any situation you encounter will ward off an argument or impossible situation. Search for unique solutions to alleviate friction between you and anyone who considers opposing you. Flexibility will lead to progress. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take control and use your connections to further your pursuits. Be direct, show the value in what you want to accomplish and target your audience to suit your needs. Timing and positive input are crucial whether you are chasing a personal or professional goal. 4 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Observation is necessary to avoid interference. Someone will go to great lengths to disrupt or steal your plans. Protect your ideas and fight for your rights. Take the route that provides safety and longevity. Let your intellect and experience lead the way. 2 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t share information. Concentrate on honing your skills and getting yourself and your finances in line to ensure your success. A change at home must play into your long-term plans if you want to reach your goal and maintain your objective. Lock in your preferences. 5 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Distance yourself from temptation, pie-in-the-sky offers and situations that can cause institutional problems. Spend time ironing out any kinks that can interfere with your progress. Refuse to let others dictate what you must modify; change only what’s necessary. 3 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take a serious approach to life, love and happiness, and induce changes that will pave the way to success. Refuse to argue over inconsequential matters. Offer incentives regarding what’s vital to reaching your goal. Romance is favored. 3 stars
Birthday Baby: You are reflective, opportunity-driven and helpful. You are disciplined and assertive.
1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.
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Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has urged the people of Bayelsa State to vote for Governor Douye Diri and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in the November 11 governorship election, saying there was no need to change a winning team.
The Osun Governor stated that his Bayelsa counterpart had performed very well in delivering the dividends of democracy to the state in less than four years of his first tenure.
Adeleke spoke while inaugurating Section 4 of the Igbogene-AIT-Elebele Outer Ring Road in Yenagoa.
He contended that what Bayelsans needed in the governorship election was continuity, as his brother-governor had so far proved his worth among governors in the country.
“On November 11, come out and vote for the Miracle Governor. When you vote for him, you vote for prosperity, so Bayelsa will continue to grow from strength to strength,” Adeleke urged the people, according to a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday.
The Osun governor added, “That is why we are here to inaugurate this beautiful road. I know by the special grace of God, in his second term, he will do more.
“Democracy is at play here. Bayelsa will no longer be called a one-way-in and one-way-out state anymore.
“Like a football club, when the coach has a winning team, they cannot change him. So support him by going out there and vote for our Miracle Governor, and remember to protect your vote.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Douye Diri said completing the road project, initiated by his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, fulfilled his promises to the people of the state.
He explained that the Igbogene-AIT-Elebele Outer Ring Road creates an alternative route in Yenagoa while opening up the state capital to robust infrastructure development.
“This project was initiated by the immediate past government of Senator Henry Seriake Dickson. Due to paucity of funds, the project could not go on as planned. So when we came on board, we re-awarded the project for over N11 billion, and this Section 4 is the second phase we are inaugurating.
“This road is subdivided into four sections. The Bauchi State governor inaugurated Section 1 during our second anniversary. Today, the Governor of Osun is inaugurating the fourth section.”
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, in his remarks, noted that the 7.7 km-long section of the road, which was awarded to Lubrik Construction Company on January 4, 2021, runs across Opolo and Imiringi communities.
Teibowei stated that the road had a driveway of 7.5m with solar lights fully installed, adding that it would aid the delivery of goods and services to and fro the state capital as well as the Ogbia and Nembe local government areas of the state.
A video showing several people standing around camera equipment is being presented as an example of Hamas-produced propaganda following the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“These terrorists are dressing up as JEWISH soldiers to create fake videos about Israeli soldiers!” an Oct. 9 Instagram post sharing the video wrote. “Faking Propaganda!”
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
In reality, this video was shared on TikTok in April 2022 by cinematographer Mohamad Awawdeh. Similar footage shared in June by Awawdeh on Instagram clarified in the caption that this was behind-the-scenes footage of a Palestinian short film about Ahmad Manasra, who has been imprisoned since he was 13 after an attempted murder conviction.
The footage has been used in misinformation before. In 2022, Reuters fact-checked a similar claim that it showed Palestinians staging a fake killing by Israeli soldiers.
We rate claims the video shows Hamas militants making propaganda False.
Scoot over, Singapore Airlines, there will soon be a new sheriff in town, er, in the sky, as competition for the world’s longest nonstop flight is winging its way forward. The world is about to become smaller, its farthest-flung corners closer than ever before, and it happens all in one long, long, long flight.
Although ultra-long flights are nothing new, every few years or so, an airline embarks on a journey to stretch the limits of imagination and set a new record that makes traveling the globe nonstop easier. This time around, it’s Qantas, the national airline of Australia. Qantas is taking off in 2025 with a Sydney to London Heathrow route that will cover 9,190 nautical miles and take almost 20 hours to complete.
Before that flight takes off and you want to sample the current world’s longest nonstop flight, look to Singapore Airlines. According to OAG Aviation, the company that officially keeps track of aviation fun facts, the recordholder since 2021 for the world’s longest flight in distance is Singapore Airlines’ New York JFK to Singapore Changi route, clocking in at an extraordinary 18 hours and 40 minutes and leaving in its vapor trail a distance of 8,279 nautical miles, calculated using great-circle distance.
Its next competitor is, well, itself, with a flight from Newark Liberty International to Singapore Changi measuring in at 8,277 nautical miles, just two miles shorter than the blue-ribbon winner of JFK to Singapore. Both flights are operated by the comfortable ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900.
Rounding out the top five longest flights is Qantas’ Perth to Heathrow flight at 17 hours and 45 minutes and 7,829 nautical miles, followed by yet another Qantas flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Melbourne at 17 hours and 35 minutes for 7,814 nautical miles.
The list rounds out with a tie between Qantas and Air New Zealand for the Auckland to New York route for 7,671 nautical miles and clocking in at 16 hours and 15 minutes. Each of these flights is aboard the Boeing 787-9, a workhorse for international aircraft.
Nautical miles differ from land miles and are based on the circumference of the earth. A nautical mile equals one minute of latitude. The Singapore Airlines flight from JFK to Singapore, then, is 9,537 land miles as compared with its 8,279 nautical miles.
Consider this nonstop flight in perspective. A satellite-tagged bar-tailed godwit, a beautifully feathered, sandpiper-like wading bird equipped by Mother Nature for long-distance travel, flew directly if not tenaciously across the Pacific from Alaska to Tasmania, some 8,425 miles, without stopping for food or rest. The journey took 11 days and one hour, and not once did it complain of jet lag.
Also just for fun, consider that the International Space Station travels nonstop at lightning speeds of 17,500 miles per hour, meaning it orbits Earth every 90 minutes or so. Every day, the crew is treated to 16 sunrises and sunsets.
Whether aviation, avian or aeronautics of space, there’s always a record to be broken.
The upcoming Qantas flight from Sydney to London, part of the airline’s Project Sunrise program, takes off in 2025 with a specially designed widebody Airbus A350 that generously will have fewer seats than other long-haul aircraft. Instead of the 300-plus passenger count that is normal for long-haul flights, these marathon flights will have just 238 seats, which in turn means more legroom and cabin space. That means more comfort for passengers as the plane whisks across the continents.
Project Sunrise is, according to Qantas’ website, “the final frontier of aviation,” with the goal of delivering more direct routes to Australia and significantly reducing travel time of up to four hours as compared to one-stop flights. Qantas also promises a “second to none” flying experience inspired by medical and scientific research. With the timing of the flights, passengers could wake up to two sunrises within one flight.
The first-class lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is available to first-class passengers. Qantas has similar lounges around the globe that offer epicurean dining opportunities and quiet time to passengers before they take off on long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights lasting currently up to 18 hours but soon up to 20 hours. (Qantas/TNS)
Of course, if you pony up to fly first class for the epic flight, Qantas plans for extra-wide beds, a 32-inch ultra-high-definition television, a 22-inch wide recliner lounger chair and access to its sophisticated and snazzy first class lounges at airports around the world, all of which come complete with world-class restaurants in case you plan to eat before you fly to leave more time to sleep onboard the aircraft.
As a veteran of several long-haul flights — I’ve flown New York to Johannesburg on South African Airways, Newark to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, Atlanta to Istanbul on Turkish Airways, and most recently Los Angeles to Brisbane on Qantas — I wonder how airplanes can stay up in the air for so long and not drop out of the sky. In a nutshell, it’s because long-haul aircraft makers like Boeing and Airbus use more fuel-efficient, lighter materials and better aerodynamics.
Crew fatigue isn’t an issue, as flight attendants and pilots are swapped out and rest in private compartments hidden away behind secret staircases. Meals, of which you can expect two or three on most ultra-long-haul flights, are often overseen by renowned chefs. Qantas lounges and inflight meals, for example, are directed by Chef Neil Perry, one of the best known chefs in Australia, while Singapore Airlines’ International Culinary Panel consists of epicurean titans including Georges Blanc of France, Matt Moran of Sydney, Sanjeev Kapoor of Mumbai, Yoshihiro Murata of Kyoto, and Zhu Jun of Shanghai.
Rejoice, global nomads, rejoice. With nonstops that take as long as the Qantas and Singapore Airlines routes, you’ll worry less about missing a tight connection or losing your luggage and instead enjoy the time above the clouds and catching up on reading or napping, noshing on gourmet food and snacks, and catching a sunrise or two.
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For more info
For more details on Qantas Airways and Project Sunrise, visit www.qantas.com.
For more fun facts on aviation, including statistics and flight databases, visit OAG Aviation at www.oag.org.
For those who want to experience the current world’s longest nonstop flights on Singapore Airlines, visit www.singaporeair.com.
Two weeks after a disagreement between workers of the Ministry of Works and their Minister, Dave Umahi, the latter has threatened to deal with corrupt civil servants sabotaging his efforts at the ministry.
Umahi accused some of the civil servants of conniving with contractors to sabotage the government’s efforts.
He said those found guilty will be taken to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
“There are some elements within that are also fighting me, who are also benefiting from the system and that is the greatest problem we have and I just pretended.
“I will flush those elements out and send them to ICPC to handle them because nobody can hold this country to ransom,” Umahi said during an interview with journalists in Abuja.
Recall that Umahi had alleged a gang-up against him by some major contractors over his decision to construct roads with concrete instead of asphalt.
This, according to Umahi, was the reason for the plots within the ministry to frustrate his efforts.
However, while speaking the minister said he has the support of the President, which according to him is the most important to carry out his ministerial duties.
He also said that some have keyed into the policy as major cement producers have agreed to discount prices for government road projects.
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel, video games and old warfare footage are being mischaracterized to claim they show recent violence in the Middle East.
Among them is a video shared in an Oct. 9 Instagram post showing what looks like rapid rocket fire at night.
“Second night of missiles attacks against Israel,” text over the video says.
“Thousands of missiles are being fired by Palestinian Hamas at Israeli civilians from Gaza,” the post said. “Share this with the world — what mainstream media refuses to share.”
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
The video has been online since 2020.
On Feb. 28 of that year, a YouTube account shared the video and described it as showing Syria.
Other online posts from that year show stills of the video and similarly put the action in Syria.
What we know for sure: This isn’t a recent video of Hamas attacking Israel.
