Saturday 21 September 2013
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Boko Haram Storms Mosque, Kills 56 in 'Baffling' New Attacks
Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has killed at least 56 people in a new wave of attacks in Nigeria, including 44 worshipers who were slain at a mosque in Konduga – actions which some analysts have described as "baffling."
"We believe the attack was not unconnected with the cooperation residents are giving to security operatives in identifying and arresting Boko Haram members in their midst."
The attack on Aug. 10 at the mosque left 44 people dead, while another 12 people were killed at the nearby Ngom village a day later.
"If this was Boko Haram, it might appear baffling. Many churches have been bombed but why would a group that wants to impose Islamic law across Nigeria open fire on worshipers at a mosque?" BBC News Nigeria correspondent Will Ross asked, while noting that the armed gunmen might have believed the vigilantes opposed to their mission were praying there.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin," has killed thousands of people over the last few years. The extremist organization has heavily targeted Christian churches and their congregations, bombing worship buildings and killing pastors in plain sight. They have made it clear that their mission is to drive out Nigeria's Christians and establish Islamic law to rule over the African country, which is divided between geographic and religious lines.
"We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more," Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's leader, explained in a video in which he claimed responsibility for the attacks, reported.
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the Nigerian army to do all it can to counter Boko Haram's attacks, though Shekau claimed the group's strength has not been dented and it will continue in its mission.
"A lot has been said against us: that we are finished, they have finished with us. All these are lies," the Islamic leader continued. "We are alive. Nobody killed us, and we shall continue to kill until Boko Haram is accepted by the people."
AFP reported that the military has encouraged the formation of the vigilante groups who seek to help in the arrests of Boko Haram members, and they have been credited for reducing the number of attacks – though fears remain that the situation could lead to even more violence, such as the deadly attack on the Konduga mosque.
"Three months ago the military campaign was launched," BBC's Ross continued. "But the Islamist militants have not been defeated - over the past month more than 160 people have been killed in attacks on boarding schools, army and police bases as well as a Christian-dominated area of Kano City. Other attacks go unreported. So what is the way forward?"
Earlier this month, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) noted that Boko Haram is being accused of possible crimes against humanity over the death of thousands of Christians and Muslims in the African nation.
"The information available provide a reasonable basis for believing that in July 2009 Boko Haram launched a widespread and systematic attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 civilians, Muslims and Christians in different parts of Nigeria," wrote Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor of the ICC in a report.
Thursday 30 May 2013
GENDER DOESN'T MATTER
Amanda Duffy
.
Men Are Fitter
Owen Strachan is a contributing writer for the Gospel Coalition and
executive director of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
Recently, the Marine Corps Gazette
published a bold op-ed on a hot topic: women in combat. This essay was
not written by a patriarchal jarhead, however. It was authored by Katie
Petronio, Marine captain.
Petronio, a former college hockey player, shared that after five months
on the frontlines in Afghanistan, "I had muscle atrophy in my thighs
that was causing me to constantly trip and my legs to buckle with the
slightest grade change." Eventually, Petronio lost 17 pounds and was
diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. She concluded, "There is no
way I could endure the physical demands of the infantrymen whom I worked
beside."
This experience confirms the fears of evangelicals who have concerns
about women in combat. Scripture teaches that woman was made from man, a
truth that grounds her dependence on him (Gen. 2:21-22). It details how
Adam failed to own this responsibility and protect his wife. For this
reason, God addressed him first after the forbidden fruit was eaten:
"Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9). Adam was a self-crippled man.
This tragic pattern continues in different places in biblical history,
leaving courageous godly women like Deborah and Jael to lead in place of
men. When Barak quails at the thought of battle against the Canaanites,
Deborah promises that this abdication "will not lead to your glory, for
the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman" (Judges 4:9, ESV).
We hear her scorn loud and clear, even as we hear the pounding of Jael's
tent peg into Sisera's skull (4:21).
David, whose kingship begins with his stunning defeat of Goliath, is
supported during his reign by his "mighty men," something of an
Israelite SEAL Team Six (1 Chron. 11:10-47). David's sacrificial valor
anticipates the warrior-savior, Jesus Christ, whose death on behalf of
his people was an act of war against Satan (Isa. 53; Eph. 4:8). Jesus
was a self-sacrificial man.
Men receive their marching orders from this Christlike example. Paul
teaches that husbands "ought to love their wives as their own bodies."
In these and other texts, we see that the Bible consistently shows men
protecting women, whether in home, church, or broader society.
The Bible teaches textually what common sense tells us naturally—and
physiological study confirms scientifically. According to scientists
Anne and Bill Moir, authors of Why Men Don't Iron,
men are generally larger, stronger, and faster, and have greater lung
capacity, a faster metabolism, and roughly 11 times the testosterone of
women. God's design for men and women is good. We ignore it at our own
peril.
If men will not own this responsibility, then women will be forced to
take it on as did biblical women such as Deborah and Jael (and the
extrabiblical figure Judith). Many modern men fail to mirror Christ in
leading, providing, and protecting. In the cries of fatherless children,
the strained voice of working mothers desperately seeking "work-life
balance," and the Marine Corps Gazette, we hear echoes of the Bible's first question, addressed to a self-crippled man: "Where are you?"
Gender Doesn't Matter
.
THE GOLDEN FISH
Is
it possible for one's life to change literally overnight? In 1988 I had
a dream in which God spoke to me in what I have come to call "the
secret vocabulary of my heart." The next morning, all was new and
newness. Perhaps even newness-ness.
I had the dream around my 25th birthday, and if someone had
investigated my life at that time to determine who I was, they'd likely
have settled on three themes at the heart of my identity: first, that I
am Greek; second, that I loved freshwater fishing; and third, that I was
deeply committed to the life of the mind and the search for meaning.
My parents are European immigrants (my dad is from Greece, my mother
from Germany) who came to New York in the mid-1950s, met in an English
class in Manhattan, and married. I came into the world in 1963 at
Astoria General Hospital, and attended a Greek Orthodox parochial school
through fourth grade. In 1972, we moved to the relatively rural
environs of Danbury, Connecticut, where I went to a public school and
attended the Greek Orthodox church every Sunday.
Greeks in America prize their Greekness, and perhaps because I am only
half-Greek, it was especially important for my dad to instill this in
me. Once, when he saw the chrome fish on the back of a car, he was
excited to explain that this was from the Greek word ixthys, meaning "fish," because the early Christians used this word as an acronym—Iesus Xristos THeos Ymon Sotir. It stood for Jesus Christ Son of God Our Savior. It was their secret symbol.
My only hobby besides watching television was freshwater fishing. I
fly-fished, sometimes tying my own flies. I fished for bass, once in a
tournament, and of course I ice-fished a few times too.
As an undergraduate at Yale I was exposed to the intellectual life, and
I half-heartedly attempted to divine the meaning of life, with mixed
results. My Christian faith was essentially nominal; I never took
seriously the idea that our lives are meaningless, but neither did I
settle on any particular alternative.
Sometime after graduation I came up with a kind of answer, involving
the symbolic image of drilling through ice on the surface of a lake. It
was a vaguely Jungian/Freudian idea that said the goal of life and all
religions was to drill through this ice, which represented the conscious
mind, in order to touch the water beneath, which represented Jung's
"collective unconscious"—a vague "God force" that somehow connected all
of humanity. It was an Eastern and impersonal idea of God, making no
particular moral claims on anyone. How one went about doing any of this
was anybody's guess.
Graduation itself was like stepping off the top of the ladder I'd been
climbing my whole life. Good grades got me to Yale and through Yale. I
majored in English, edited the Yale humor magazine, worked in the dining
hall, and sang in some musicals. At graduation I was Class Day speaker,
preceding the main speaker—my future friend, talk-show host Dick
Cavett—and I received several awards for my short fiction. What but
success could lie ahead?
Instead I was launched into a step-less void, unable to climb toward
what I thought I'd wanted to achieve, which was success and acclaim as a
fiction writer. For the next few years I tried, mostly in vain, to
write short fiction, and eventually sold some literary humor pieces to The Atlantic.
I spent aimless and unproductive months at the elite writers' colonies
of Yaddo and MacDowell in New York and New Hampshire, respectively. I
lived in sublets in the Boston area and clung to a sad relationship. You
might say that I floated and drifted, which inescapably and inevitably
leads to that singularly humiliating cul-de-sac of moving back in with
one's parents.
Pope Francis Promises Redemption for Do Gooders?
VATICAN CITY– As part of his homily Wednesday, Pope Francis said that the Blood of Christ promised redemption for everyone engaged in doing good works, including atheists, according to Vatican Radio.
"The Lord has redeemed all of us … with the Blood of Christ. All of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!"
According to the Pocket Catholic Dictionary, redemption is the salvation of all humanity through Christ who bought back (redeemed) captive humanity from sin, paying the ransom by His suffering and death on the Cross.
But for many Christians, although Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for all, it's only efficient for those who actually accept it: until that acceptance, it's just an offer, not a guarantee.
Francis, however, emphasized the duty of doing good because it unites all humanity.
"We all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good … is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part … do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter. We need that so much. We must meet one another doing good.
"'But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: we will meet one another there."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that goods works can be a means of sanctification (2427) and that any work united to Christ can be redemptive (2460) by rewarding the effort spent in co-operating with grace in order to be delivered from sin.
But even if doing good unites us all (somewhere), according to St. Paul, we're still saved by grace through faith apart from doing good works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Please do you agree with this ?
Tuesday 9 April 2013
KENYATTA SWORN-IN AS KENYA PRESIDENT
Uhuru Kenyatta sworn in as Kenyan president
Mr Odinga did not attend the ceremony after his attempt to overturn Mr Kenyatta's victory in court failed.
Mr Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, face charges at the International Criminal Court relating to post-election violence five years ago.
They were on opposite sides at the time and both deny the accusations.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over the conflict in Darfur, was not in Nairobi for the inauguration.
Mr Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's founding father, Jomo Kenyatta, and is heir to one of the largest fortunes in Kenya.
In his inaugural address, Mr Kenyatta said he would govern for all Kenyans.
"We will leave no community behind... Where there's disillusionment, we'll restore hope," he said.
The new government would abolish maternity fees in its first 100 days and children starting school next year would be given laptops, he added.
In an apparent reference to the ICC case against him, he said: "I assure you again that under my leadership, Kenya will strive to uphold our international obligations, so long as these are founded on the well-established principles of mutual respect and reciprocity."
US and European diplomats attended the inauguration, despite warning before the election that they would have limited contact with Mr Kenyatta if he is voted into office.
'Blackmail' Among the African leaders present for the inauguration were South Africa's Jacob Zuma, Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.
Mr Odinga - the outgoing prime minister - did not attend the ceremony, choosing to be on holiday in South Africa instead.
Other senior members of his Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) party have also stayed away to signal their opposition to Mr Kenyatta's presidency, correspondents say.
According to official results, Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28% in March, avoiding a run-off by just 8,100 votes.
Mr Odinga challenged the result, but said he would respect the Kenyan Supreme Court's ruling in Mr Kenyatta's favour.
The election was Kenya's first after a disputed poll in 2007, which led to violence that left more than 1,200 people dead.
Mr Kenyatta is due to appear at the ICC for his trial in The Hague later this year, accused of crimes against humanity. He denies the charges.
Kenya is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty which established the ICC in 2002.
But like most African countries, it has refused to enforce the ICC warrant for Mr Bashir's arrest.
Earlier, Kenyan government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told the BBC that Mr Bashir had been invited and would not be arrested if he accepted the invitation.
After Mr Bashir visited Kenya in 2010, a Kenyan court ruled that the government must arrest him if he returned, in line with its international obligations under the Rome Statute.
The government is appealing against the ruling.
Thousands watched as Mr Kenyatta was sworn in as president
Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in as Kenya's new president, following his victory in March against Raila Odinga.
Dignitaries and tens of thousands of people witnessed the inauguration at a stadium in the capital, Nairobi. Mr Odinga did not attend the ceremony after his attempt to overturn Mr Kenyatta's victory in court failed.
Mr Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, face charges at the International Criminal Court relating to post-election violence five years ago.
They were on opposite sides at the time and both deny the accusations.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over the conflict in Darfur, was not in Nairobi for the inauguration.
Mr Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's founding father, Jomo Kenyatta, and is heir to one of the largest fortunes in Kenya.
As Uhuru Kenyatta took the oath of office it was both a new beginning and, in a sense, a continuation of the past.
He is the first president to be elected under Kenya's new constitution, which it is hoped, will put an end to the fierce tribalism that has bedevilled Kenyan politics. The fact that last month's poll passed off largely peacefully is perhaps a sign of its success.
But Mr Kenyatta is also very much of the established order, the son of Kenya's founding father, and one of the country's richest men. His challenge will be to persuade the nation that he will govern for "all Kenyans," and not just an ethnically based elite.
He could become the first sitting head of state to appear in the dock at The Hague. But with the case against his co-accused collapsed, he is likely to begin his presidency in a confident mood.
He is the first president to be elected under Kenya's new constitution, which it is hoped, will put an end to the fierce tribalism that has bedevilled Kenyan politics. The fact that last month's poll passed off largely peacefully is perhaps a sign of its success.
But Mr Kenyatta is also very much of the established order, the son of Kenya's founding father, and one of the country's richest men. His challenge will be to persuade the nation that he will govern for "all Kenyans," and not just an ethnically based elite.
He could become the first sitting head of state to appear in the dock at The Hague. But with the case against his co-accused collapsed, he is likely to begin his presidency in a confident mood.
He served as deputy prime minister, minister for trade, and finance minister under outgoing President Mwai Kibaki
The crowd, waving Kenyan flags, burst into rapturous welcome
as the 51 year old took the oath of office, becoming Kenya's youngest
president.In his inaugural address, Mr Kenyatta said he would govern for all Kenyans.
"We will leave no community behind... Where there's disillusionment, we'll restore hope," he said.
The new government would abolish maternity fees in its first 100 days and children starting school next year would be given laptops, he added.
In an apparent reference to the ICC case against him, he said: "I assure you again that under my leadership, Kenya will strive to uphold our international obligations, so long as these are founded on the well-established principles of mutual respect and reciprocity."
US and European diplomats attended the inauguration, despite warning before the election that they would have limited contact with Mr Kenyatta if he is voted into office.
'Blackmail' Among the African leaders present for the inauguration were South Africa's Jacob Zuma, Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.
Mr Museveni told the cheering crowd that he wanted to applaud Kenyans for rejecting the "blackmail" of the ICC.
He supported the ICC when it was formed, but it was now being
used by "arrogant actors" who were trying to "install leaders of their
choice in Africa and eliminate those they don't like", he said. Mr Odinga - the outgoing prime minister - did not attend the ceremony, choosing to be on holiday in South Africa instead.
Other senior members of his Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) party have also stayed away to signal their opposition to Mr Kenyatta's presidency, correspondents say.
According to official results, Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28% in March, avoiding a run-off by just 8,100 votes.
Mr Odinga challenged the result, but said he would respect the Kenyan Supreme Court's ruling in Mr Kenyatta's favour.
More than 60,000 people witnessed the colourful ceremony in Nairobi
Mr Kenyatta is due to appear at the ICC for his trial in The Hague later this year, accused of crimes against humanity. He denies the charges.
Kenya is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty which established the ICC in 2002.
But like most African countries, it has refused to enforce the ICC warrant for Mr Bashir's arrest.
Earlier, Kenyan government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told the BBC that Mr Bashir had been invited and would not be arrested if he accepted the invitation.
After Mr Bashir visited Kenya in 2010, a Kenyan court ruled that the government must arrest him if he returned, in line with its international obligations under the Rome Statute.
The government is appealing against the ruling.
MAGARET THATCHERS FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT
Margaret Thatcher funeral set for next week
In other developments:
- The Premier League and the Football League say they will not be asking clubs to hold a one-minute silence at forthcoming fixtures
- UK and international leaders continue to pay tribute
- Several police are injured and arrests are made as violence breaks out at events "celebrating" Lady Thatcher's death
- Former Prime Minister Tony Blair says such parties are "in poor taste"
- Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness urges people to "resist celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher"
She died "peacefully" after suffering a stroke while staying at the Ritz hotel in central London. Lady Thatcher had been staying at the hotel since being discharged from hospital at the end of last year.
An undertaker's van carrying a silver casket left the hotel early on Tuesday morning for an undisclosed location.
Parliament will be recalled from its Easter recess this Wednesday to enable MPs and peers to pay tributes.
But Labour MP John Mann said: "I do not know why we are wasting taxpayers' money on an additional session.
"It is perfectly valid that, when a prime minister dies, MPs can pay tribute, but this could be perfectly properly done on Monday."
However, a large number of Labour MPs are expected to pay tribute to Lady Thatcher, a senior party source said.
Respect MP George Galloway said he would not attend, as genuine debate was "not allowed". He called the event a "state-organised eulogy".
Prime Minister David Cameron has described Lady Thatcher as a "great Briton" and international leaders, including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have praised her global role.
But small gatherings happened on Monday night in various parts of the UK, notably in Glasgow, Bristol and London, with those taking part saying they were celebrating her death.
Seven officers were injured in Bristol, where violent broke out and bins were set alight. One person was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
The Metropolitan Police reported low-level disturbances in Brixton, south-east London, including missiles being thrown at police. Two women were arrested on suspicion of burglary after being found inside a shop.
Labour leader Ed Miliband "categorically condemns any celebration of Lady Thatcher's death", a senior party source said.
They added: "As he made clear yesterday she was a huge figure in British politics and on the world stage.
"While the Labour Party disagrees with much of what she did, we can respect her personal achievements."
Lady Thatcher was born Margaret Roberts, the daughter of a shopkeeper and Conservative councillor in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1925. She became an MP in 1959.
Having been education secretary, she successfully challenged former Prime Minister Edward Heath for her party's leadership in 1975 and won general elections in 1979, 1983 and 1987.
Lady Thatcher resigned as prime minister in 1990 and had been in poor health for several years prior to her death.
Tuesday 2 April 2013
RANBAXY
RANBAXY
Font size:
A healthy profit
India’s largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., is to open up a new Nigerian facility later this year in December: TABJ look back at the history of this pioneering company
Incorporated in 1961 and going public in 1973, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has a fine tradition of research and development (R&D) going back to the late 1970s when it was almost unheard of for Indian pharmaceutical companies to engage in R&D. This was due to the company recognising at an early stage the importance of research in meeting its global ambitions. It now has over 1,200 R&D personnel working on innovative medicines for the 21st century.
The company’s South African arm Ranbaxy
(SA) (Pty) Ltd started in 1996, allowing entry into the African market
for the by now global group. Ranbaxy today has a presence in 46
countries, world-class manufacturing facilities in seven countries and
serves customers in over 125 countries. The announcement earlier this
month that they are due to open a new manufacturing facility in Nigeria,
their second plant in Africa, signalled their commitment to expansion
worldwide.
‘We are setting up a greenfield manufacturing facility in Nigeria to supplement our manufacturing capability and consolidate our position as a leader,’ according to a recently released 2011 report from the company. It is expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2013.
The new Nigerian plant is to upgrade Ranbaxy’s liquid manufacturing capacity to circa 14 million units per annum and to have the ability to produce up to 100 million units of tablets and capsules per annum. Ranbaxy CEO and managing director Arun Sawhney was reported in the press as saying, “These are the important markets of continent of Africa and emerging markets is our story. It is important for us to be present there in some respectable measure.”
Ranbaxy and Be-Tabs
In 2007 Ranbaxy acquired Be-Tabs Pharmaceuticals, which made Ranbaxy the fifth largest generic pharmaceutical company in South Africa.
Melly Louw, Financial Director of Ranbaxy, says, “With Be-Tabs you are looking at a combined entity. The plant in South Africa is managed by Be-Tabs and they have a dedicated factory where they manufacture most of their products in South Africa. Some are imported from overseas and some are sourced locally.”
Currently the products that Ranbaxy manufactures in South Africa vary. “In the Be-Tabs portfolio there is a split between 60 per cent prescription and 40 per cent over the counter medication,” says Louw
.
Company goals
The company is already in very good standing with its South African operation, but Louw explains Ranbaxy’s ambitious goals for success.
“Ideally we would like to go to number four in the race to be number one. Ideally, you want to improve your market ranking and get to the higher echelons of the generics market,” says Louw.
Ranbaxy has nevertheless seen itself become an established quality brand in the South African marketplace and beyond. “We are trying to show that we are not just a generic company but an innovative generic company,” Louw told us back in March last year.
“We have operations all over mainland Europe and Russia and operations in Japan, Thailand and other Far East countries. In Africa we are big and the U.S. is a very big market for us,” explains Louw. “We are also in South America and Brazil is a very fast developing market.”
South African market
South Africa’s markets differ from that of other countries like India, for example, which has a higher emphasis on over-the-counter drugs. “South Africa’s biggest market is the pharmaceutical wholesalers. We supply to wholesalers who ultimately supply to doctors and pharmacies,” says Louw. Louw explains that Ranbaxy is trying to do more over-the-counter products but the main focus is on prescription drugs.
Last year Ranbaxy upgraded their old South African facility to make a brand new, modern one: “It has taken three years to compete. In terms of innovation this is a new facility that is much more efficient and innovative than before.”
Health and safety is something that is also very important, especially when dealing with prescription drugs and consumer health. Louw says, “On the Be-Tabs manufacturing side, we have strong health and safety guidelines in our factories. We take it very seriously and in the factory we make sure we adhere to all government guidelines and regulations.”
Market innovation
Ranbaxy may be known as a generic pharmaceutical company, but it has plans for advancement. The goal of the company is to be known as an innovator in the market place. “It differs in the sense that Ranbaxy has its own research and development unit which stands out amongst other generic companies. In India we have a research and development unit which is not common for generic companies. In our research and development unit we can ourselves develop new products, not just wait for the innovator to come up with something brand new and then create something similar,” says Louw.
Ranbaxy as a whole and Ranbaxy’s South African arm are trendsetters in the generic pharmaceutical arena. This company ethos results in room for growth with its new, quality pharmaceutical products and extensive research.
www.ranbaxy.com
India’s largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., is to open up a new Nigerian facility later this year in December: TABJ look back at the history of this pioneering company
Incorporated in 1961 and going public in 1973, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has a fine tradition of research and development (R&D) going back to the late 1970s when it was almost unheard of for Indian pharmaceutical companies to engage in R&D. This was due to the company recognising at an early stage the importance of research in meeting its global ambitions. It now has over 1,200 R&D personnel working on innovative medicines for the 21st century.
The company’s South African arm Ranbaxy
(SA) (Pty) Ltd started in 1996, allowing entry into the African market
for the by now global group. Ranbaxy today has a presence in 46
countries, world-class manufacturing facilities in seven countries and
serves customers in over 125 countries. The announcement earlier this
month that they are due to open a new manufacturing facility in Nigeria,
their second plant in Africa, signalled their commitment to expansion
worldwide.‘We are setting up a greenfield manufacturing facility in Nigeria to supplement our manufacturing capability and consolidate our position as a leader,’ according to a recently released 2011 report from the company. It is expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2013.
The new Nigerian plant is to upgrade Ranbaxy’s liquid manufacturing capacity to circa 14 million units per annum and to have the ability to produce up to 100 million units of tablets and capsules per annum. Ranbaxy CEO and managing director Arun Sawhney was reported in the press as saying, “These are the important markets of continent of Africa and emerging markets is our story. It is important for us to be present there in some respectable measure.”
Ranbaxy and Be-Tabs
In 2007 Ranbaxy acquired Be-Tabs Pharmaceuticals, which made Ranbaxy the fifth largest generic pharmaceutical company in South Africa.
Melly Louw, Financial Director of Ranbaxy, says, “With Be-Tabs you are looking at a combined entity. The plant in South Africa is managed by Be-Tabs and they have a dedicated factory where they manufacture most of their products in South Africa. Some are imported from overseas and some are sourced locally.”
Currently the products that Ranbaxy manufactures in South Africa vary. “In the Be-Tabs portfolio there is a split between 60 per cent prescription and 40 per cent over the counter medication,” says Louw
.
Company goals
The company is already in very good standing with its South African operation, but Louw explains Ranbaxy’s ambitious goals for success.
“Ideally we would like to go to number four in the race to be number one. Ideally, you want to improve your market ranking and get to the higher echelons of the generics market,” says Louw.
Ranbaxy has nevertheless seen itself become an established quality brand in the South African marketplace and beyond. “We are trying to show that we are not just a generic company but an innovative generic company,” Louw told us back in March last year.
“We have operations all over mainland Europe and Russia and operations in Japan, Thailand and other Far East countries. In Africa we are big and the U.S. is a very big market for us,” explains Louw. “We are also in South America and Brazil is a very fast developing market.”
South African market
South Africa’s markets differ from that of other countries like India, for example, which has a higher emphasis on over-the-counter drugs. “South Africa’s biggest market is the pharmaceutical wholesalers. We supply to wholesalers who ultimately supply to doctors and pharmacies,” says Louw. Louw explains that Ranbaxy is trying to do more over-the-counter products but the main focus is on prescription drugs.
Last year Ranbaxy upgraded their old South African facility to make a brand new, modern one: “It has taken three years to compete. In terms of innovation this is a new facility that is much more efficient and innovative than before.”
Health and safety is something that is also very important, especially when dealing with prescription drugs and consumer health. Louw says, “On the Be-Tabs manufacturing side, we have strong health and safety guidelines in our factories. We take it very seriously and in the factory we make sure we adhere to all government guidelines and regulations.”
Market innovation
Ranbaxy may be known as a generic pharmaceutical company, but it has plans for advancement. The goal of the company is to be known as an innovator in the market place. “It differs in the sense that Ranbaxy has its own research and development unit which stands out amongst other generic companies. In India we have a research and development unit which is not common for generic companies. In our research and development unit we can ourselves develop new products, not just wait for the innovator to come up with something brand new and then create something similar,” says Louw.
Ranbaxy as a whole and Ranbaxy’s South African arm are trendsetters in the generic pharmaceutical arena. This company ethos results in room for growth with its new, quality pharmaceutical products and extensive research.
www.ranbaxy.com
WORLDS YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRES
No. 1: Dustin Moskovitz
Age: 28
Net Worth: $3.8 billion
Moskovitz, Mark Zuckerberg‘s former roommate, no longer works at Facebook, the social networking giant that he co-founded. A signee of Bill Gates‘ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, Moskovitz bikes to work, flies commercial, and pitches his own tent at Burning Man.
No. 2: Mark Zuckerberg
Age: 28
Net Worth: $13.3 billion
Few CEOs of any age are under more media scrutiny than Zuckerberg (who’s only 8 days older than Moskovitz). Since taking Facebook public in May 2012, and getting married days later, the hoodie-wearing founder has seen his net worth rise and fall with every fluctuation of the stock price.
No. 3: Albert von Thurn und Taxis
Age: 29
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
Albert von Thurn und Taxis first appeared in Forbes’ billionaire rankings at age 8 but officially inherited his fortune in 2001 on his 18th birthday. The eligible bachelor is also a race car driver and tours with a German auto-racing league.
No. 4: Scott Duncan
Age: 30
Net Worth: $5.1 billion
Duncan is the youngest of the four children who inherited the massive fortune of late energy pipeline entrepreneur Dan Duncan, founder of Enterprise Products Partners. Today the company owns more than 50,000 miles of natural gas, oil, and petrochemical pipelines.
Age: 30
Net Worth: $2.2 billion
Facebook co-founder Saverin renounced his United States citizenship in 2011, news of which broke days before the company’s IPO and drew accusations of tax evasion. Saverin, immortalized in The Social Network as Mark Zuckerberg’s onetime best friend, settled a lengthy legal battle with Facebook, apparently receiving a 5% stake. A Brazilian citizen, he now resides in Singapore and invests in startups.
No. 6: Huiyan Yang
Age: 31
Net Worth: $5.7 billion
Yang, the daughter of the founder of real estate developer Country Garden Holdings, is once again China’s richest woman. Her father transferred his stake to the Ohio State grad before the company’s IPO in 2007.
No. 7: Fahd Hariri
Age: 32
Net Worth: $1.35 billion
Hariri is the youngest son of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He graduated from the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture de Paris in 2004. While still a student, he ran an interior design studio on the outskirts of the city, and sold furniture to clients in Saudi Arabia.
Age: 28
Net Worth: $3.8 billion
Moskovitz, Mark Zuckerberg‘s former roommate, no longer works at Facebook, the social networking giant that he co-founded. A signee of Bill Gates‘ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, Moskovitz bikes to work, flies commercial, and pitches his own tent at Burning Man.
No. 2: Mark Zuckerberg
Age: 28
Net Worth: $13.3 billion
Few CEOs of any age are under more media scrutiny than Zuckerberg (who’s only 8 days older than Moskovitz). Since taking Facebook public in May 2012, and getting married days later, the hoodie-wearing founder has seen his net worth rise and fall with every fluctuation of the stock price.
No. 3: Albert von Thurn und Taxis
Age: 29
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
Albert von Thurn und Taxis first appeared in Forbes’ billionaire rankings at age 8 but officially inherited his fortune in 2001 on his 18th birthday. The eligible bachelor is also a race car driver and tours with a German auto-racing league.
No. 4: Scott Duncan
Age: 30
Net Worth: $5.1 billion
Duncan is the youngest of the four children who inherited the massive fortune of late energy pipeline entrepreneur Dan Duncan, founder of Enterprise Products Partners. Today the company owns more than 50,000 miles of natural gas, oil, and petrochemical pipelines.
The World’s Billionaires
The names, numbers and stories behind the 1,426 people who control the global economy.
In Pictures: The Richest People on the Planet
No. 5: Eduardo SaverinAge: 30
Net Worth: $2.2 billion
Facebook co-founder Saverin renounced his United States citizenship in 2011, news of which broke days before the company’s IPO and drew accusations of tax evasion. Saverin, immortalized in The Social Network as Mark Zuckerberg’s onetime best friend, settled a lengthy legal battle with Facebook, apparently receiving a 5% stake. A Brazilian citizen, he now resides in Singapore and invests in startups.
No. 6: Huiyan Yang
Age: 31
Net Worth: $5.7 billion
Yang, the daughter of the founder of real estate developer Country Garden Holdings, is once again China’s richest woman. Her father transferred his stake to the Ohio State grad before the company’s IPO in 2007.
No. 7: Fahd Hariri
Age: 32
Net Worth: $1.35 billion
Hariri is the youngest son of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He graduated from the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture de Paris in 2004. While still a student, he ran an interior design studio on the outskirts of the city, and sold furniture to clients in Saudi Arabia.
Monday 1 April 2013
WORLDS RICHEST PASTORS
Forbes releases its list of the richest pastors in Africa, Below are the 5 richest pastors in africa.
1. Bishop David Oyedepo
Affiliation: Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel
Estimated net worth: $150 million
David Oyedepo is Nigeria's wealthiest preacher. Ever back he founded the Living Faith Apple Outreach Ministry in 1981, it has developed to become one of Africa's better congregations.
The Faith Tabernacle, area he hosts three casework every Sunday, is Africa's better adoration center, with a basement accommodation of 50,000. Oyedepo owns four clandestine jets and homes in London and the United States. He aswell owns Dominion Publishing House, a advancing publishing aggregation that publishes all his books (which are generally centered on prosperity).
He founded and owns Covenant University, one of Nigeria's arch tertiary institutions, and Faith Academy, an aristocratic top school.
2. Chris Oyakhilome
Affliation: Believers’ Loveworld Ministries, a.k.a Christ Embassy
Estimated net worth: $30 million – $50 million
Last year, the absorbing preacher was at the centermost of a $35 actor money bed-making case in which he was accused of siphoning funds from his abbey to adopted banks. Pastor Chris pleaded no atrocity and the case was eventually dismissed. His church, Christ Embassy, boasts added than 40,000 members, several of whom are acknowledged business admiral and politicians.
Oyakhilome's adapted interests cover newspapers, magazines, a bounded television station, a almanac label, digital TV, hotels and all-encompassing absolute estate. His Loveworld TV Arrangement is the aboriginal Christian arrangement to advertisement from Africa to the blow of the apple on a 24 hour basis.
3. Temitope Joshua
Affliation: Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN)
Estimated net worth: $10 million – $15 million
Nigeria's a lot of arguable abbey is aswell one of its richest and a lot of philanthropic. T.B Joshua active the Synagogue Abbey of all Nations (SCOAN), a aggregation he founded in 1987, which accommodates over 15,000 worshippers on Sundays.
The Pastor has remained arguable for several years for his baffling admiral to alleviate all sorts of cureless diseases, including HIV/AIDS, blight and paralysis. For miracle-craving worshippers, it's the absolute seduction. The abbey currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece. In the accomplished three years, he has accustomed over $20 actor to causes in education, healthcare and rehabilitation programs for above Niger Delta militants.
He owns Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network, and is abutting accompany with Ghanaian above President Atta Mills.
4. Matthew Ashimolowo
Affliation: Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
Estimated net worth: $6 million – $10 million
In 1992, Foursquare Gospel Church, a Nigerian church, beatific Ashimolowo to accessible a digital annex in London. But Pastor Matthew had added account and absitively to set up his own abbey instead. Today, his Kingsway International Christian Centermost is reportedly the better Pentecostal abbey in the United Kingdom.
In 2009, the abbey acquaint profits of abutting to $10 actor and assets account $40 million. Ashimolowo earns an anniversary bacon of $200,000, but his absolute abundance comes from assorted business interests including his media company, Matthew Ashimolowo media, which churns out Christian abstract and documentaries.
Ashimolowo's assembly did not acknowledge to a appeal acknowledging his net account and buying of all these assets.
5. Chris Okotie
Affliation: Household of God Church
Net worth: $3 million -$10 million
Pastor Okotie fabricated his aboriginal success as a accepted pop artist in the 80s. He begin the light, accepted the bible and set up the Household of God Church, one of Nigeria's a lot of baroque congregations. His 5,000 affiliate abbey consists predominantly of Nollywood celebrities, musicians, and association people. He contested and absent in the Nigerian presidential elections for the third beneath the Fresh Party, a political affair he founded and funds. An auto lover, he owns a Mercedes S600, Hummer and Porsche a part of several others
1. Bishop David Oyedepo
 |
| David Oyedepo |
Affiliation: Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel
Estimated net worth: $150 million
David Oyedepo is Nigeria's wealthiest preacher. Ever back he founded the Living Faith Apple Outreach Ministry in 1981, it has developed to become one of Africa's better congregations.
The Faith Tabernacle, area he hosts three casework every Sunday, is Africa's better adoration center, with a basement accommodation of 50,000. Oyedepo owns four clandestine jets and homes in London and the United States. He aswell owns Dominion Publishing House, a advancing publishing aggregation that publishes all his books (which are generally centered on prosperity).
He founded and owns Covenant University, one of Nigeria's arch tertiary institutions, and Faith Academy, an aristocratic top school.
2. Chris Oyakhilome
 |
| Pastor Chris |
Affliation: Believers’ Loveworld Ministries, a.k.a Christ Embassy
Estimated net worth: $30 million – $50 million
Last year, the absorbing preacher was at the centermost of a $35 actor money bed-making case in which he was accused of siphoning funds from his abbey to adopted banks. Pastor Chris pleaded no atrocity and the case was eventually dismissed. His church, Christ Embassy, boasts added than 40,000 members, several of whom are acknowledged business admiral and politicians.
Oyakhilome's adapted interests cover newspapers, magazines, a bounded television station, a almanac label, digital TV, hotels and all-encompassing absolute estate. His Loveworld TV Arrangement is the aboriginal Christian arrangement to advertisement from Africa to the blow of the apple on a 24 hour basis.
3. Temitope Joshua
 |
| Temitope Joshua |
Affliation: Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN)
Estimated net worth: $10 million – $15 million
Nigeria's a lot of arguable abbey is aswell one of its richest and a lot of philanthropic. T.B Joshua active the Synagogue Abbey of all Nations (SCOAN), a aggregation he founded in 1987, which accommodates over 15,000 worshippers on Sundays.
The Pastor has remained arguable for several years for his baffling admiral to alleviate all sorts of cureless diseases, including HIV/AIDS, blight and paralysis. For miracle-craving worshippers, it's the absolute seduction. The abbey currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece. In the accomplished three years, he has accustomed over $20 actor to causes in education, healthcare and rehabilitation programs for above Niger Delta militants.
He owns Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network, and is abutting accompany with Ghanaian above President Atta Mills.
4. Matthew Ashimolowo
 |
| Ashimolowo |
Affliation: Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
Estimated net worth: $6 million – $10 million
In 1992, Foursquare Gospel Church, a Nigerian church, beatific Ashimolowo to accessible a digital annex in London. But Pastor Matthew had added account and absitively to set up his own abbey instead. Today, his Kingsway International Christian Centermost is reportedly the better Pentecostal abbey in the United Kingdom.
In 2009, the abbey acquaint profits of abutting to $10 actor and assets account $40 million. Ashimolowo earns an anniversary bacon of $200,000, but his absolute abundance comes from assorted business interests including his media company, Matthew Ashimolowo media, which churns out Christian abstract and documentaries.
Ashimolowo's assembly did not acknowledge to a appeal acknowledging his net account and buying of all these assets.
5. Chris Okotie
 |
| Pastor Okotie |
Affliation: Household of God Church
Net worth: $3 million -$10 million
Pastor Okotie fabricated his aboriginal success as a accepted pop artist in the 80s. He begin the light, accepted the bible and set up the Household of God Church, one of Nigeria's a lot of baroque congregations. His 5,000 affiliate abbey consists predominantly of Nollywood celebrities, musicians, and association people. He contested and absent in the Nigerian presidential elections for the third beneath the Fresh Party, a political affair he founded and funds. An auto lover, he owns a Mercedes S600, Hummer and Porsche a part of several others
Friday 29 March 2013
THE TOMB WHERE JESUS LAID
(Israel)—In part of their "Celebrating Easter" special on CBN.com,
there is a video detailing the two Holy Land sites which are said to
possibly be the location of the tomb in which Jesus was laid, prior to
His resurrection from the dead. (Photo: CBN.com) One site is the Garden tomb, located—as the name suggests—in a "2-acre oasis" near the heart of Jerusalem, believed by some to have been a garden owned by Joseph of Arimathea from the Bible.
"Everything in those four Gospels matches what we show people here in the garden," Garden Tomb director, Richard Meryon told CBN.
The site that others believe the actual spot where Jesus was entombed for 3 days is at the Church of the Holy Sepulechre.
Regarding the Garden Tomb, guide Steve Bridge told CBN's
Chris Mitchell, "The tomb we have here is typical of first century
Jewish rolling stone tomb, it's dated as being at least 2,000 years old,
possibly older." (Photo: CBN.com) "It is carved out of the solid rock; it's a man-made tomb and that's how the Bible describes the tomb in which Jesus' body was laid," he noted.
"Finally," added Bridge, "the most important thing about this tomb, is that it's empty."
Thursday 28 March 2013
THE GENESIS
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