Once Upon A Time – August 26 – 2013 – All 25,000 Applicants To The University Of Liberia Fail University Entrance Examination

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August 26, 2022

1346 Battle of Crécy, south of Calais in northern France; Edward III’s English longbows defeat Philip VI’s army, cannons used for first time in battle

1682 English astronomer Edmond Halley first observes the comet named after him

1873 First free kindergarten in the U.S. started by Susan Blow in Carondelet, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri

1924 The Catastrophe of Smyrna: known as the Asia Minor Catastrophe to Greeks. The Ottoman army expels Greeks and other non-Turks from Asia Minor. (August 13 OS)

1937 General Franco’s Nationalist troops conquer Santander during the Spanish Civil War

1959 British Motor Corporation introduces the Morris Mini-Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis, it was only 10 ft long but seated 4 passengers

1996 US President Bill Clinton signs welfare reform into law, representing major shift in welfare policy

HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1951 Film “An American In Paris” with music by George Gershwin, directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron premieres in London (Academy Awards Best Picture, 1952)

TODAY IN MUSIC

1968 “Hey Jude” single released by the Beatles in US (Billboard Song of the Year 1968, Billboard 10th biggest song of all time 2013)

TODAY IN SPORT

1971 Bobby Orr signs a five-year contract with the Boston Bruins worth one million dollars, the first million dollar contract in NHL history

2016 San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick kneels in protest during the US national anthem at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium while playing against the San Diego Chargers, objecting to racial injustice and police brutality in the US

MORE FACTS….

1907 Harry Houdini escapes from chains underwater in 57 seconds, at Aquatic Park in San Francisco, California

2013 All 25,000 applicants to the University of Liberia fail their university entrance examination

FAMOUS WEDDINGS

1926 Poet Arna Bontemps (24) weds fellow Seventh-Day Adventist Alberta Johnson

1946 “Gone With The Wind” actress Olivia de Havilland (30) weds screenwriter and novelist Marcus Goodrich; divorce in 1953

1965 Mobster and FBI informant Henry Hill (22) weds Karen Friedman in North Carolina; separate in 1989; divorce in 2002

Don’t Go To Northern Cyprus To Study, NIDCOM Boss Warn Students

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 26, 2022

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has cautioned Nigerian students against going to Northern Cyprus.

Its chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, handed down the warning on Thursday in Abuja at a ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team.

She said Northern Cyprus was not recognised by the U.N, adding that a lot of students had been killed there.

“There have been a lot of problems in Northern Cyprus; we have youths come to tell us, please tell everybody to stop going to Northern Cyprus.

“We did that some time ago and we were challenged at what rights we had to tell people not to go Northern Cyprus.

“I say it again; if you have to go to Northern Cyprus, think twice about it; no fewer than 20 students have been killed over the years and nothing has happened to the assailants.

“Students who had gone there earlier came to tell us that they had to embark on awareness campaign; don’t go to these places; Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey,’’ she said.

Dabiri-Erewa added that NiDCOM would continue to appeal that Nigeria took a strong decision about places like Northern Cyprus.

Champions League: Five Nigerian Players Seek To End 10-year Drought

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Emenike Agu

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August 26, 2022

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Only three Nigerian players have had the honour of lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy, the most recent being 10 years ago.

The stage is set for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Istanbul, and fans around the world are understandably excited.

The situation is similar in Nigeria, where the country’s player representation in the group stage has increased in recent seasons.

While the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent (unless he makes a late move from Manchester United), at least five Nigerian players are vying for glory with their respective clubs this season.

Let us spotlights these five Nigerian players who will battle to end the wait for another Nigerian Champions League winner after the heroics of Finidi George, Kanu Nwankwo, and John Obi Mikel.

Mikel was the last Nigerian to lift the Champions League trophy, and he did so with Chelsea 10 years ago.

While there are no Nigerians at Chelsea anymore, they are at other clubs that have a fighting chance of conquering Europe, although the odds are heavily stacked against them.

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Apart from being the most costly, Osimhen is the most visible Super Eagles player in this year’s Champions League.

Napoli spent big to sign Osimhen from Lille for big occasions like the Champions League.

Though Napoli missed out on the Scudetto after an incredible run in the league but Osimhen’s 14 goals in the Italian Serie A last season were enough to help Napoli return to the Champions League.

However, Osimhen and Napoli face a difficult path because they are in Pot 3.

Victor Osimhen

With two goals in two games so far, Napoli will be delighted to see Osimhen continue in that vein when the focus shifts to the Champions League.

Osimhen already demonstrated his quality last season with four goals in the Europa League, but he will need to do even more if Napoli are to win this highly coveted European club football trophy.

Zaidu Sanusi (Porto)

If FC Porto wins the Champions League this season, Sanusi will be the first Nigerian defender to do so, as none of the previous three Nigerian winners (Mikel, Finidi, and Kanu) was a defender.

While always doing his job at the back, Sanusi is also very effective in going forward, and he scored one of the goals that helped FC Porto win the title last season.

Zaidu Sanusi (PHOTO CREDIT: Goal.com)

Last season, Porto were eliminated from the group stage after finishing behind eventual runners-up Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.

Though they are not one of the favourites, Porto could get an ‘easy’ draw as they are in Pot 1.

Calvin Bassey (Ajax)

After a blistering run that saw him play in the Europa League final last season with Rangers, Bassey would hope to go all the way, this time, with Ajax in the Champions League.

Incidentally, two of Nigeria’s three Champions League winners Finidi and Kanu did so playing for Ajax and that should be a big motivation for Bassey.

Bassey, 23, also plays from the back like Sanusi; meaning the Champions League will be extra special as no Nigerian defender has ever won the diadem

Calvin Bassey

Ajax have enjoyed a great deal of European success with four Champions League titles to their name, but it is important to note their last title was as far back as 1995.

Alfred Schreuder’s men should get a ‘favourable’ path this season as they are seeded in pot 1 with the big boys.

Akinkunmi Amoo (FC Copenhagen)

After cutting his teeth in the Swedish league, Amoo will play on one of football’s biggest stages.

His Danish club FC Copenhagen qualified for the group stage of the Champions League following a 2-1 aggregate victory over Turkish Super Lig champions, Trabzonspor, in the playoff round.

Akinkunmi Amoo

Even though nothing suggests Amoo and Copenhagen can ruffle more feathers in the group stage, they will hope to give their very best shot.

Being placed in Pot four points to a potentially tough draw. It will be an enjoyable experience for Amoo to savour the Champions League moments for as long as it lasts with Copenhagen.

Samson Tijani (RB Salzburg)

Currently down and out with a severe injury, Tijani was in Salzburg’s Champions League squad last season, though he did not get any minutes.

Even if he would break into the Salzburg squad, the Austrian team must make it out of the Group stage for the former Golden Eaglets’ captain to feature in the Champions League this season.

Salzburg made it through the group stage last season before being knocked out in the next phase of the competition.

ⓘSamson Tijani

Meanwhile, Salzburg also have another player of Nigerian descent, Bryan Okoh, on their team.

Okoh, 19 was born to a Nigerian father and Congolese mother in Houston, Texas.

While he has already played for Switzerland’s youth teams, he is still eligible to play for four countries – USA, Nigeria, Congo, and Switzerland.

NFF Apologises For Tortuous Journey As Falconets Get Cash Gift From Sports Minister

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Emenike Agu

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August 26, 2022

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The undisclosed cash gift is said to be a personal donation by the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare.

The Nigeria U-20 Women’s team, the Falconets, are finally back in the country after their tortuous journey from Costa Rica.

The Coach Christopher Dajuma-led team, who were knocked out in the quarter-final of the 10th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, late Wednesday.

The Falconets made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Wednesday when photos of them sleeping on the floor of Istanbul’s airport surfaced after a glitch in their travel schedule forced them to be grounded for 24 hours.

But after almost 72 hours since embarking on the trip back to Nigeria, the ladies finally arrived Wednesday night and were welcomed by the NFF Secretary-General Mohammed Sanusi and the Sports Minister’s representative Toyin Ibitoye.

Mr Sanusi, who had earlier absolved the NFF of any blame in the predicaments that befell the Falconets in their return journey home, apologised nonetheless.

“We want you to know that Nigerians appreciate all of you but we are saddened that you have to sleep over at the airport because for a reason that is beyond our control,” he said.

NFF on Wednesday, washed off ts hands from the travel logjam as it was FIFA that booked the tickets for the Falconets.

“The NFF did not book the team’s tickets from Costa Rica; FIFA did. FIFA also did not envisage the hitches that saw the team delayed for more than three hours in Bogota, and another one hour in Panama. By the time the team got to Istanbul, the flight to Abuja had left. The NFF scribe explained in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Abuja International Marathon Confirms More Elite Runners

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Emenike Agu

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August 26, 2022

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A total of 200 elite runners are being targeted for the 17 December race

Determined to achieve its objective of becoming the first full marathon in Nigeria to have an elite field that will run a sub 2hrs: 10 mins the Abuja International Marathon, has signed more elite runners for its inaugural race slated for 17 December.

In a statement signed by the Race Director Olukayode Thomas, the Abuja International Marathon Managing Director Zsuzsanna Ogunmiloyo disclosed that the 17 December race will also include a 10 km fun race.

This is apart from the full marathon which will start at the City Gate and take runners through the most beautiful parts of Abuja and the 5km race for youths and children in their early teens.

According to Ms Ogunmiloyo, the newly signed elite runners are Emmanuel Naibei with a personal best of 2:08:27, Josphat Kiprop Kiptis with a personal best of 2:13:47, and Benard Sang with a personal best of 2:10:59.

They also include two women Beatrice Cherop with a personal best of 2:31:07 and Esther Macharia with a personal best of 2:27:15

Earlier, Ms Ogunmiloyo confirmed the signing of four gold labelled runners: two men and two women they are Andrew Kimtai, who boasts a personal best of 2:08 32. Gilbert Masai, with a personal best of 2:09:49, and two female runners, Caroline Jepchirchir with a personal best of 2:26, and Naomi Maiyo with a personal best of 2:30.

Ms Ogunmiloyo, who was in Birmingham, England for the 2022 Commonwealth to support the Team Nigeria contingent, said discussions are ongoing with some elite Nigerian athletes who won medals and posted globally acclaimed records at the Commonwealth Games to be part of the Abuja International Marathon.

‘”The weeks leading to the Abuja International Marathon will be a celebration of the best of Nigeria sports. Apart from the Marathon Expo which starts December 1 and ends December 16, we have so many other activities which include elite athletes from Nigeria and other parts of the world organizing clinics for pupils from schools in different parts of FCT.

“We are going to celebrate the best of FCT and a lot of positives about Nigeria,’’ she said

About 200 elite runners will participate in the Abuja International Marathon – 80 from different parts of the world and 120 from Nigeria.

‘’We are working closely with the High Altitude Club of Jos and other elite running clubs in Nigeria. Our aim is to see Nigerians excel in middle distance races, long distance, road races, marathons, and other aspects of athletics not only in Nigeria but worldwide.

“We have the potential to achieve this and the dream of Unicentral Resources Generation Limited, the licensee of Abuja International Marathon, is ensuring we achieved that potential soon,’’ said Ms Ogunmiloyo.

Railway Modernisation Project: Lagos State Government Announces Traffic Diversion

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Angel Gimalo

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August 25, 2022

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The Lagos State Government has announced that there will be traffic diversion at the Jonathan Coker Level Crossing in the Fagba area of the State from Friday, 26th of August until Sunday, 28th of August 2022, between the hours of 10p.m and 3a.m daily due to the ongoing Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project (Lagos-Ibadan section) extending to Lagos Ports Apapa.

A release signed by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said motorists can make use of Ashade Underpass, Adejobi and Toyin Crossing alternately.

The statement said the Level Crossing at Jonathan Coker will be closed off to vehicular movement during the five hours to enable the contractors work seamlessly.

Dr. Oladeinde gave assurance that the officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would manage vehicular movement along the axis, urging the motoring public to cooperate with the officers to minimise inconveniences.

After Crossing 52 countries, Rutherfot Becomes Youngest Person To Fly Solo World Round In Small Aircraft

By

Angel Gimalo

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August 25, 2022

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Mack Rutherford, a 17 year old teenager has become the become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft.

Mack Rutherford landed at Sofia in Bulgaria, after a five-month journey across 52 countries. The trip took him through Europe, Asia, Africa, the US, across two oceans, with his plane touching down in the UK at Wick in Scotland and departing from London’s Biggin Hill Airport earlier this week.

Along the way, Mack, who is British-Belgian, encountered sandstorms in Sudan and spent the night on an uninhabited Pacific island.

After completing the feat on Wednesday, August 24, Mack encouraged others to “follow your dreams, no matter how old you are”.

“Work hard and move forward to achieve your goals”, he added.

The previous record holder for flying solo was British pilot Travis Ludlow, who was 18 years when he completed his journey last year.

Mack’s elder sister Zara is the youngest woman to fly solo around the world.

She completed her own journey in January this year and disclosed that she had “given him advice on the route” and she travelled to greet Mack as he returned to the starting point of his trip.

Mack, comes from a family of aviators. He set off from the Bulgarian capital on 23 March, experiencing extreme heat in Dubai and unexpected airport closures in India.

Mack also said he had slept in a shed beside a runway on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean after a “hairy moment” passing through through rain and low cloud.

In an earlier interview with CNN while he was part of the way through his journey, Mack described some of the beautiful places he was able to fly past, from wildlife in national parks in Kenya to the New York City skyline.

He added always having “something I can look at” helped him maintain focus in the low-altitude flights – which took up to 11 hours at a time.

Asked what his plans for the future were, Mack said: “I’m going to keep flying. I’m thinking of something like the air force, but I’m nowhere 100% sure on anything.

“After I finish this I’ve just got to focus on school and try and catch up as much as I can.”

With the feat he has now broken two Guinness World Records – becoming the youngest person to fly around the world solo, as well as the youngest to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane.

Katsina, UNICEF move to End Corporal Punishment In Schools

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 25, 2022

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The Katsina State government has initiated moves to end corporal punishment in its schools, as part of measures to reduce the number of students abandoning their studies.

“Henceforth, any principals or teachers found administering corporal punishment on students and pupils will be dealt with,“ Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Lawal Buhari Daura, warned on Thursday in Katsina.

He spoke at a sensitisation meeting on ending corporal punishment in schools, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), for various stakeholders in the education sector including select students from across various schools in the area.

Daura said that corporal punishment had posed a great challenge for several years as that measure of correcting erring students contributes immensely to the rise in the number of children who abandon school in protest.

He defined corporal punishment to also include hard Labour, bullying and the use of abusive language on students and pupils.

In his remarks at the programme, the state Coordinator of the Teachers Registration Council, Lawal Sani Galadinchi, noted that studies on the prevalence of “school violence against children worsen school attendance, lower reading ability and lower safety when travelling to and from schools.

“These findings have a huge implication on the educational system in Nigeria and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Corporal punishment as commonly used in the school setting is the use of force on individual learners to inflict pain on them for correcting misconduct.

“The perpetrators are usually school leaders, teachers, matrons, bullies and the victims are usually the learners.

Zamfara: Group Advocates Compulsory 12 Years Free Education for Children

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 25, 2022

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A Civil Society Organisation, Connected Development (CODE), has called for the introduction of compulsory 12 years free education for Zamfara State children.

The call is contained in a statement issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation Hamzat Lawal, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Lawal charged the State Government to guarantee free and quality education for children in the state, following its domestication of the Child Rights Act 2003.

He recalled that Gov. Bello Matawalle on August 17, signed the Child’s Protection Bill into Law in the state.

According to the statement, the Act serves as a comprehensive legal instrument for the protection of the rights of every Zamfara child.

It lauded the governor and State House of Assembly for domesticating the Act.

It argued that the full implementation of the legislation would prevent violations and abuse of the rights of every child in the state.

“It is counterproductive, if children are hindered from developing themselves to become fully-fledged and successful members of society, due to a collapse of the education sector.

“To guarantee the successful future of every child, CODE urges the Zamfara State Government to commit to 12 years of free and compulsory education for every child,” the statement added.

The group urged the governor to be part of its upcoming Education Summit, where the challenges facing the sector and solutions would be extensively discussed.

“The platform is dedicated to assembling critical stakeholders to rub minds on ways to improve school enrollment and retention in northern Nigeria,’’ it said.

It maintained that a key provision of the Act was for every child to have access to quality education.

It noted that the state had recorded a decline in children’s enrollment in schools of late, with insecurity and poverty “worsening the already dire reality”.

The statement added that reports showed that at least 20,000 senior secondary school students did not sit for the 2022 West African Examinations.

It attributed the development to the State Government’s inability to pay examination fees and also clear a backlog of over N1.6bn owed to the examination council.

“This raises concern about the state of education in the state, which is home to over 9.2 million citizens, according to the 2006 census,” it stated.

Pres. Biden Announces ‘$10,000’ Student Debt Relief For Americans

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 25, 2022

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President Biden said Wednesday he is taking action to cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for millions of Americans and an additional $10,000 for low-income borrowers while extending a pause on monthly payments, delivering long-awaited relief just weeks before the midterm elections.

Under the plan, borrowers earning less than $125,000 a year, or less than $250,000 a year as a couple, will be eligible for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness. Recipients of Pell Grants, which are reserved for students with the greatest financial need, are eligible for another $10,000 in relief.

“An entire generation is now saddled with unsustainable debt in exchange for an attempt at least at a college degree,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “The burden is so heavy that even if you graduate, you may not have access to the middle-class life that the college degree once provided.”

Current students will be eligible for debt relief as well, although future students will not be, according to senior administration officials who explained the details of the plan on a call with reporters. Undergraduate loan payments will also be capped at 5% of monthly income.

Biden said roughly 43 million borrowers will benefit from the debt forgiveness portion of his plan. About 60% of those borrowers are Pell Grant recipients and thus eligible for the $20,000 in cancellation, and 90% come from households making less than $75,000 per year. Biden said nearly 20 million people will have their debt fully canceled.

The president is also deferring student loan repayments until the end of the year, and the Education Department and the president said this will be the last time the pandemic-era pause is extended.

The Education Department said nearly 8 million borrowers will have their debt forgiven automatically, while others will have to apply for relief. The Department of Education will provide a short application for borrowers seeking debt relief in the coming weeks, Biden said. The Department of Education says borrowers can sign up to be notified when the application is available.
Income caps will be based on either 2020 or 2021 income. If a person or couple’s income was below the cap in either year, they will be eligible, a senior administration official said.

The move to forgive student debt follows months of internal White House deliberations over the feasibility and cost of doing so.

Biden made student loan forgiveness one of his top priorities during his presidential campaign.

A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis concluded that forgiving $10,000 of student loan debt for those earning up to $125,000 a year would cost nearly $300 billion in the first year. It also found more than two-thirds of the debt forgiveness would aid Americans in the top 60% of earners.