Business
LOCAL AND WORLD NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES FOR TODAY THUR. 3 MAY 2018


Tracking Times – headlines
LOCAL HEADLINES:
DAILY POST
Biafra: Zionists order mass return of Igbos May 30
Why Nigeria may soon collapse, break up – Gen. Zamani, Prof. Akintoye
Benue attacks: Why Buhari is giving killer herdsmen protection – Bishop Adeyemi
Police speaks on Dino Melaye’s rearres
More people killed in Zamfara than Taraba, Benue put together – Buhari
Police re-arrest Dino Melaye in court
2019: ‘My mind is made up about kicking Buhari out’ – Obasanjo
Police arraigns Dino Melaye in court
No PVC, no sex for men – Fela Durotoye charges Nigerian women
Dino Melaye: IGP snubs Senate invitation for second time
Senate raises alarm as over 70 percent of banned codeine syrups move into Sambisa forest
LEADERSHIP
The Social Contract, Leadership And The Journey Towards Infamy
Killings: Christians Should Fast For 200 Days ‘ Rev Ukpai
NICO: Achieving Its Cultural Orientation Mandate
Insurgent Attacks In Potiskum: My Traumatic Experience
Society, Divine Patterns And The Illusion Of Temporal Power
Quest For Value Creation In Nigeria’s Oil, Gas Sector
As We Mark World Press Freedom Day
Critical Analysis Of The AU CFTA
World Press Freedom Day: Criticise Me But Be Fair, PMB Tells Media
Lagos Moves To Increase Judges From 59 To 120
Benue Killings: Troops Arrest Herdsmen, Recover Weapons
Why We Passed Vote Of No Confidence On Okorocha ‘ Imo APC
Who Is Delaying Ex-Govs’ Corruption Cases
The Police, EFCC Are Not Debt Recovery Agencies
Drama As Police Rearrest Sen Melaye After Bail
THE HERALD
Obasanjo Reacts to Trump/Buhari Meeting
Even morons know Buhari is a failure ‘ Obasanjo
Maverick Barber Cuts Hair Using Fire
Snake Bite Victim Dies After Being Buried In Cow Dung In Healing Ritual
Man Robs Same Bank He Was Imprisoned For One Day After Release
Man Pours Acid On Wife For Flirting
Man Bags 20 Years In Prison For Beating Son To Death
GUARDIAN
Masked DSS operatives storm National Assembly
Killing pains with local herbs
Echoes of restructuring at Abraham Adesanya’s memorial lecture
Retooling the art of learning for emerging information society
The many travails of a parliament
No political campaign before December 2018, INEC warns
Lagos, Nairobi top holiday destinations for Brits in 2018
FG to tackle shortage of manpower in management of neurodisorder services
Investors stake N106b in equities in one month as bourse re-opens bullish
Dino Melaye’s custody uncertain after being granted N90 million bail
We must defeat insurgency in North East now, Air Force chief vows
PUNCH
Police arraign Melaye for attempted suicide
Obasanjo denies supporting Buhari says even morons wont describe Presidents mediocre performance as superlative
Again, IG shuns Senate, Saraki says Idris also disobeys Buhari
Declare killer herdsmen as terrorists, Bishop tells FG
40 bills seeking creation of new varsities before Reps
Ending killing of Nigerians in South Africa
NASENI workers, union disagree over DG appointment
Osun revenue agency seal off OAU over N1.8bn tax debt
Kachikwu asks NNPC, DPR, PPPRA bosses to reply Falana
Heaps of refusell go by rainy season LASG
FG okays fresh N80bn for Lagos-Ibadan road ‘approves N18.87bn for 3rd Mainland Bridge repair
THISDAY
Armed Herdsmen Kill Six in Guma
Gains of Buhari’s Visit to US, By Nigerian Delegation
FG: Air Pollution in Port Harcourt May Spread If Not Curtailed
Power Generation Stays Above 5,000MW Mark into First Days of May
Fayose: EFCC Must Probe N5b Earmarked to Buy Votes in APC Primary
Oando Reports N4.2bn Q1 Profit
Zionist Group orders Mass Return of Igbos May 30
We Have No Preferred Candidate, Says APC
University Non-Teaching Staff May Resume Strike
Army Warns Soldiers against Revealing Official Secrets on Social Media
Bill for Establishment of Fed Varsity Ogoja Scales Second Reading
WORLD HEADLINES:
CNN
Justin Langer appointed Australia men’s cricket coach
Analysis: Tariffs won’t slow China’s tech rise
Lawyer: Trump repaid Stormy Daniels hush money
Trump claims he had no knowledge of Stormy hush money
US slams ‘abusive’ North Korean regime
Release of Americans held in North Korea ‘imminent,’ source says
Iran on Trump’s nuclear decision: If US leaves, there’s ‘no deal left
Cambridge Analytica is shutting down
Opinion: The shocking viral reaction to a prom dress
Starbucks settles with black men over arrest
Xiaomi: Chinese smartphone giant files for Hong Kong IPO
Facebook dating service will be test of user trust in platform
Spotify hits 75 million paid subscribers; Wall Street unimpressed
The 5 weirdest things that happened on Elon Musk’s earnings call
Champions League final matchup is all set
#IfSlaveryWasAChoice marks bad week for Kanye West
Zimbabwe second country to legalize medicinal marijuana
Kanye West vs. Van Lathan: What to know about the rapper’s critic
Bomb blast in mosque in Nigeria leaves 24 dead
Kanye West just said 400 years of slavery was a choice
Could icebergs be the answer to Cape Town’s water crisis
AL JAZEERA
Malaysian opposition leader facing fake news probe
Misogyny ‘clear-cut’ in deadly Toronto attack
Protest over targeted killings in Pakistan ends
US: Two black men arrested at Starbucks settle in court
Who are the world’s biggest military spenders?
Nigeria mosque attack death toll rises to 86
Iran denies Moroccan accusations of supporting Polisario Front
ETA announces it has ‘ended its political initiative’
Who is Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan?
Armenia: ‘Just a matter of time’ for revolution victory
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Giuliani: Trump repaid Cohen $130K for payment to porn star
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi files for Hong Kong IPO
The Latest: Trump tweets ties with China will stay ‘great
Video Game Hall of Fame to announce Class of 2018
TV academy reviewing Bill Cosby’s Hall of Fame honor
Trump’s remarks on porn star payment differ from Giuliani’s
Blockbuster hopes Russell Crowe’s jockstrap helps business
Amazon halts Seattle construction project ahead of tax vote
Ex-‘Apprentice’ contestant wants tapes for suit vs. Trump
Officers injured after explosion at barricade scene
Spotify’s 1st report as public company flops on Wall Street
Comic Tom Arnold on the hunt for Donald Trump tapes
Tesla posts record 1Q loss as cash burn accelerates
CinemaCon shows more diversity, musicals coming to theaters
Marines investigate 130 for online misconduct after scandal
Small businesses grapple with maze of conflicting pot laws
Lawyer tells judge Harvey Weinstein is a ‘pimp in a tuxedo
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi files for Hong Kong IPO
Ingles career night leads Jazz over Rockets 116-108
Michelle Obama, De Niro, Zendaya fete college-bound kids
Facebook taps advisers for audits on bias and civil rights
BBC
Trump repaid lawyer’s $130,000 Stormy Daniels hush money, says Giuliani
Do not quit Iran deal, UN urges US
Australia’s Commonwealth Bank lost data of 20m accounts
UN leader tells US not to end Iran nuclear deal
Champions League: Mo Salah’s fans celebrate Liverpool win
Cambridge Analytica: Closure “will not stop investigation”
TalkTalk broadband worst for customer service, says Ofcom
Xiaomi launches $10bn Hong Kong stock market listing
China’s bungled drone display breaks world record
LG G7 smartphone shines bright and plays deep bass
Ford car window helps blind passengers ‘feel’ the view
Breast screening error ‘shortened up to 270 lives’ – Hunt
BBC podcasts will run adverts outside UK to boost income
TSB boss Paul Pester to give up 2m bonus amid IT mess
City worker jailed for fake porn posts of colleague
Cambridge Analytica: Facebook data-harvest firm to shut
North Korea-US talks: Who are North Korea’s American detainees
US releases Saudi Guantanamo Bay prisoner al-Darbi
Calgary police: Body behind women’s toilet wall ‘accidental
Eurozone growing faster than the UK
Scientists build ‘synthetic embryos
BUSINESS HEADLINES:
10 injured after bonfire explodes at Jewish holiday festival in the UK – Business Insider
100 Questions You Should Ask Your State Or Local Pension – Forbes
14 Everyday Habits That Drain Your Energy – Forbes
2019: Telcos jittery over possible tax increase – New Telegraph
3 Questions (& Answers) About Emerging Technology for CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, COOs, CFOs & CEOs – Forbes
3 Things That Could Lift Bitcoin Prices To New Highs – Forbes
3 Things That Could Lift Bitcoin Prices To New Highs – Forbes
4 banks pay N493.2m fines in 2 years – The Sun
4 REITs That Love Rising Rates And Yield Up To 5% – Forbes
4 Ways To Disrupt Insurance With Customer Technology – Forbes
5 details you may have missed on the latest ‘Riverdale’ episode – Business Insider
5 important things happening in South Africa today – BusinessTech
5 Smart Ways CEOs Can Spend Those $1.5 Trillion in Tax Cuts – Entrepreneur
5 Ways Thanos Improved The Marvel Universe In ‘Infinity War – Forbes
8 Easy Steps To A Healthier Workplace Culture – Forbes
9 of 10 South Africans heading for financial Day Zero – BusinessTech
A ‘Power Rangers’ Sequel Would Help Hasbro’s Cinematic Universe – Forbes
A black woman says she was removed from a plane because flight attendants believed she had a contagious disease ‘ and she’s accusing the airline of racism – Business Insider
SPORTS
2018 C’wealth Games organizers demand details of missing athletes from NOC – The Authority
2018 FIFA WC: Rohr ready to gamble with Ndidi’s fitness – Vanguard
5-Star Duke Commit Joey Baker Reclassifies to Join Loaded 2018 Recruiting Class – Bleacher Report
Adesanya faces tough UFC test – Punch
Aigbogun warns players against complacency ahead Djoliba clash – Daily Trust
An absolute joke!’ – Roma call for VAR after ’embarassing’ referee mistakes – Goal
An absolute joke!’ – Roma call for VAR after ’embarassing’ referee mistakes – Goal
Anambra: Association to give karate a new face – The Nation
Angry Di Francesco regrets Roma time wasting and lack of belief against Liverpool – Goal
Angry Di Francesco regrets Roma time wasting and lack of belief against Liverpool – Goal
Anthony Martial releases statement about Arsene Wenger – Daily Trust
Are you not entertained’! Get ready for a Champions League final epic in Kiev – Goal
Are you not entertained’! Get ready for a Champions League final epic in Kiev – Goal
Arsenal In ‘Do Or Die’ Clash At Wanda Metropolitano – Daily Independent
Asaba 2018: CAA Officials To Inspect Facilities – Daily Independent
Asaba 2018: CAA ready to inspect Keshi stadium facilities – The Authority
Asaba 2018: Okowa Orders Construction Of Roads Around Stephen Keshi Stadium – Daily Independent
Athletes arrive for triathlon championship – New Telegraph

Tracking Times – Entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT
#BBNaija: Alex Talks About Dating Tobi’Reveals Interesting Details (Video) – Information Nigeria
#BBNaija: I Am Ready To Marry Tobi Now ‘ Alex – Nigeriafilms
#BBNaija: Ifu Ennada hails Cee-C as the true definition of a strong mighty woman – Information Nigeria
#BBNaija: Lady calls out Miracle for showing off Benz after deceiving poor fans – Information Nigeria
#Headies2018: Organisers Withdraw Singer Nonso Amadis Nominations – Daily Times
#IfSlaveryWasAChoice marks bad week for Kanye West – CNN
“My Boo’s D**k is bigger than ur boo’s D**k” teen girl writes after having sex with her boyfriend for the first time – Linda Ikeji
29-year-old Blac Chyna cuddles with her 18-year-old boyfriend – Information Nigeria
3 Men Arrested With Weapons While Vandalising MTN Mast (Photos) – Information Nigeria
35,000 people watched all 331 episodes of ‘ER’ in just 2 months after they went up on Hulu – Business Insider
54-year old pastor arrestedfor raping a 9-year-old girl in Lagos – Linda Ikeji
A ticket to the Met Gala is around $30,000, but that’s only a fraction of what it costs for a night at ‘the Super Bowl of fashion – Business Insider
AbayaLagos Presents AW18 Collection, Cultured Arabica – Daily Times
Adura: Saeon Moruda releases second single off upcoming mixtape album – Daily Times
Alcohol: 10 things Bible says about drinking – Pulse
All Of Us Deserve Some Accolades ‘ VP Osinbajo Praises Hardworking Nigerian Youths – Information Nigeria
Another Killer Herdsman Arrested With AK47 Gun By Soldiers In Benue (Photo) – Information Nigeria
Another Nigerian man arrested for duping a woman in India by posing as American petroleum engineer – Linda Ikeji
Business
As Nigerians Battle Pains Of Soaring Petrol Price
This is more than just about fuel; it’s about the larger picture of governance failure. The fact that a country as oil-rich as Nigeria can’t provide affordable fuel for its people is a tragedy.

BY IFEANYI MOGBOLU
The Daily Times-The latest fuel price hike in Nigeria is beyond frustrating. Every time we think it can’t get worse, it does, and yet again, ordinary Nigerians bear the brunt of it.
It’s like a never-ending cycle, where the government’s promises of reforms or stabilisation always end up as empty rhetoric. The cost of living is already sky-high, and now, with fuel prices rising again, transport fares, food prices, and basic commodities are bound to follow suit.
It’s enraging because it doesn’t feel like anyone is truly considering the everyday citizen who is struggling just to survive.
This is more than just about fuel; it’s about the larger picture of governance failure. The fact that a country as oil-rich as Nigeria can’t provide affordable fuel for its people is a tragedy. The subsidies are gone, and now we’re left in a situation where the prices of everything keep climbing, while salaries remain stagnant or non-existent for many.
The disparity between the elites and the masses is growing, and it feels like nobody in power truly cares about the suffering of the people.
READ ALSO: NNPC Lied About Pump Price, Our Fuel Is 15% Cheaper Than NNPCL’s Imported Ones — Dangote
Hardship: ‘Suspend All Policies Impoverishing Nigerians’, NASME Begs Tinubu
Naira Hits Six-month Low In Official FX Market, Prof. Steve Hanke Slams Tinubu
The anger isn’t just about fuel; it’s about the entire state of living. Nigerians are exhausted. There’s no sense of security; power supply is erratic, basic infrastructure is crumbling, and inflation is at an all-time high. How do we live like this? Every day is a battle to make ends meet, and the government seems utterly disconnected from the struggles on the ground.
It’s infuriating that while politicians and elites live in luxury, the rest of us are left scrambling for the bare minimum. The state of living is unbearable, and the lack of empathy or real action from those in power only adds salt to the wound.
There’s a deep sense of anger and betrayal that comes with seeing your country’s wealth mismanaged, while the people continue to suffer. It’s hard not to feel like we are constantly being taken for granted, pushed further into hardship without any hope of relief. Something has to give, because this state of affairs is unsustainable.
QUOTE:
The anger isn’t just about fuel; it’s about the entire state of living. Nigerians are exhausted. There’s no sense of security; power supply is erratic, basic infrastructure is crumbling, and inflation is at an all-time high. How do we live like this? Every day is a battle to make ends meet, and the government seems utterly disconnected from the struggles on the ground. It’s infuriating that while politicians and elites live in luxury, the rest of us are left scrambling for the bare minimum.
Business
Nigeria To Receive $5.600,000 From Bill Gates, For Health And Agricultural Reforms, GMOs
Alongside the activities surrounding the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Vice President Kashim Shettima held a meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation leading to the announcement of the donation by the Foundation’s head of Global Development.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is giving Nigeria through Vice President Kashim Shettima, a $5.600,000 funds to speedy up health and agricultural reforms in favour of the GMOs in Nigeria, and flood relief.
Through the Foundation’s head of Global Development Programme, Dr Christopher Elias, Bill Gates pledged $5 million grant approved for Lagos Business School and partners to develop the agricultural economics they called “industrial cassava” and $600,000 for flood relief in Borno State and other health sector initiatives.
Alongside the activities surrounding the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Vice President Kashim Shettima held a meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation leading to the announcement of the donation by the Foundation’s head of Global Development.
Recall that on 4 September, Bill Gates had described the Nigeria’s economy as “stagnated” and proposed agricultural reforms for faster and increased growths in crops, fruits, vegetables amongst others to enhance nutritional values of the Nigerian citizens through the agricultural sector.
In that meeting Chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Bill gates urged Nigeria to adopt “innovative crop varieties with shorter growing periods, higher yields, and better pest resistance” pointing to the GMOs to address the food crisis.
READ ALSO: Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci and conspiracy theories (part 2)
Nigeria’s economy stagnated – Bill Gates
Nigeria Is Not Meant To Exist, A Collateral Damage And British Royal Niger Corporation -Burna Boy
Moreover, at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, VP Shettima reaffirmed to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prioritizing health, nutrition, and agricultural development in Nigeria’s national agenda.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “we are deeply committed to addressing the pressing developmental challenges facing our nation, particularly the significant malnutrition crisis”.
He emphasised the Federal Government’s dedication and urgently working to secure locations for maize production under the Telemaze programme.
VP Shettima, promising swift action to the Gate’s Foundation on import permits for certified seeds, the VP said, “We recognize the critical importance of food security and industrial agricultural development. The Cassava Accelerator programme, in particular, holds immense potential for our economy.
“We are pursuing a whole-of-government approach to digitisation and data exchange systems, which we believe will revolutionise our public services,” he added while reiterating the government’s focus and commitment to digital transformation.
“With the expertise” of Nigeria’s ministers, “and the continued support of partners like the Gates Foundation,” the nation remains confident in its “ability to drive meaningful change and improve the lives of all Nigerians.”
In his response, President of the Global Development Programme at the Gates Foundation, Dr. Christopher Elias, said the Foundation is burdened with worries of the severe flooding in Borno, and is “committed to supporting Nigeria in times of crisis.”
Speaking of Polio, the Foundation said, “We’re impressed by the national task force’s efforts to eliminate variant polioviruses by year-end,” Dr. Elias noted.
Also, President of Global Growth & Opportunity Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rodger Voorhies, detailed plans for scaling up drought-tolerant maize production and advancing the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator programme emphasizing that a $5 million grant has been approved for Lagos Business School and partners to develop the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.
In his words, “Industrial cassava presents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for Nigeria,” Voorhees stressed.
He requested import permits for 5,000 metric tons of certified GMO maize seed to build a foundation seed system in Nigeria.
Business
Managing, Leading, Building Institutions And Sustainability
The two primary tasks of a top-level leader are to exploit and explore the organisation with people for now and in the future.

By Babs Olugbemi
One of my concerns for leaders is their capacity to be ambidextrous. Regardless of years of experience, knowledge, and leadership capacity, the lack of a clear distinction between managing and leading on the one hand, leading and building institutions on the second layer, and ultimately focussing on sustainability is a significant threat to successful leadership change.
I have followed events and people at C-suites, coached some, and developed frameworks for leadership development. Based on the personalities and styles of the new leaders, I have confirmed my fears about leadership sustainability in most African organisations.
“Successful leaders can aptly differentiate themselves and their roles without necessarily seeing activities as performance, focussing on what is required of them with appropriate tenacity and influence.”
The challenge for leaders is how to lead for the present and future without losing sight of the stakeholders’ immediate performance expectations. Successful leaders can aptly differentiate themselves and their roles without necessarily seeing activities as performance, focussing on what is required of them with appropriate tenacity and influence.
READ ALSO: Leadership, not God responsible for Africa’s poverty
Afrocentric colonialism: The new face of African oppression
Health: Genotype And Compatibility, Phenotype, Blood Groups And DNA
In my walk as a leadership coach, I have keenly observed leaders who are managing rather than leading. Managing involves ensuring that processes achieve their intended outcomes. Leaders are above managing and should focus on creating an enabling environment for innovation, inventions, and team collaboration. The primary role in leading is not to monitor process outcomes, though critical to the company’s overall objectives, but to align corporate values with the people’s aspirations to create an engaged and ownership-thinking mindset ready to take on challenges and explore opportunities. An alignment of corporate and personal goals will not only deliver the present performance expectations. Still, it will also incubate innovations to adapt to future market demands and the sustainability of the business.
Unfortunately, the capacity for ambidexterity is rare and often marked by leaders’ exposure, approach and styles, perception, and perspective of their roles in the organisation. A leader with a wrong foundation in these areas is set for failure and awaits unfavourable decisions from the board of directors. A top-level leader might manage their teams instead of leading them. Not all leaders can combine leading for the present with building institutions. However, anyone able to submit themselves to an institution-building mechanism can champion sustainability. Aside from being a leadership coach, I help leaders achieve sustainability.
Mathematically, creating an ambidextrous organisation is beyond leading. It is to lead and build an institution that focuses on sustainability in all aspects of the organisation—employee fulfilment, customer retention, strategy effectiveness, performance evaluation, stakeholder management, process improvement, and goal congruence.
In a nutshell, the role of successful leaders in ambidextrous organisations is striking a balance between exploiting current assets and capabilities to ensure short-term success and allocating enough energy and resources to exploration to ensure future viability. The two primary tasks of a top-level leader are to exploit and explore the organisation with people for now and in the future. The two seemingly contradictory aspects—exploitation and exploration—encompass different strategies and processes and have different targets and outcomes (March 1991; O’Reilly & Tushman, 2004; O’Reilly & Tushman, 2013).
O’Reilly and Tushman described the two concepts as follows:
- Exploiting: Exploiting involves building on an organisation’s achievements and maximising returns on previous investments. It focuses on responding to current business demands to remain efficient and competitive within an established market niche, as well as on maintaining an existing customer base and stakeholder relationships. Examples of exploiting are activities focused on continuous improvement, benchmarking, and redesigning business processes.
- Exploring: Exploring focuses on expanding an organisation’s knowledge and capabilities, pioneering new products and services, and discovering and venturing into untapped markets.
The common area of practical bottlenecks in exploiting and exploring in organisations is a need for foundational trust and cohesion among the resources, especially the human capital, which are often treated as costs rather than assets to the organisations. Among all the factors of production, only humans can be ambidextrous with the capacity to think about changes in economic parameters and adjust their behaviours to match the time, content, and contextual requirements.
While organisations might have the resources to deploy in fighting competition, technology to obtain first-mover advantages, and production capacity to maximise output from input, none is compared with the potential of an engaged workforce.
Therefore, for leaders to be successful, they must refrain from operating in the realm of managing. They should operate in the capacity of institution builders, with the mindset of creating sustainable leadership and growth with people first and other factors of production second.
Consequently, only the leaders who prioritise their people over profits, pride, and organisational arrogance will be successful in the long term.
-
News5 years ago
$800m oil fraud: resign as Petroleum Minister – Frank tells Buhari, asks for probe
-
Biafra5 years ago
PROPHECY: Powerful Prophecies for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief John Nnia Nwodo by Pst. Maxwell Nnawuihe (Text & Video)
-
Biafra5 years ago
BREAKING: Dragon Flag Can’t Come Down, You Must Allow Our Brave Men To Do Their Job – Nnamdi Kanu
-
Business8 years ago
NEWS PAPER HEADLINES FOR TODAY THURSDAY 28 SEPT 2017
-
Business4 years ago
FUEL: PPPRA removes new petrol price post as NNPC insists no hike
-
Business7 years ago
Suspected Fulani militia kill two in fresh Taraba attacks
-
Biafra5 years ago
VIDEO: Powerful Prophecies for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief John Nnia Nwodo by Pastor Maxwell Nnawuihe
-
News6 years ago
A fatal accident along Benin/Auchi express way has claimed the lives of an entire family while traveling for Christmas.