New Zealand announced it will reopen its border to all international travelers starting Sunday after shutting it to almost all arrivals in March 2020.
The final part of the border reopening on Sunday night means the country will open for all travelers needing visas – including tourists, workers, families and students, Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said.
“This is great news to the tourism industry and economy as we approach spring and summer with people from the Northern Hemisphere booking their winter holidays.”
The maritime border will also reopen, allowing cruise ships to visit the country.
“We’ve heard optimistic messages from tourism operators who are ready to welcome back international visitors from all over the world,” Nash said.
“As we warmly welcome the world back to our shores, it’s the perfect time to showcase New Zealand to the world,” he said.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has committed over N500 million for research and innovations to tertiary institutions across the country.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta disclosed this at a two-day regional roundtable with academia, industry and other stakeholders held in Kano State
In a statement issued by the Director Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Muoka, Danbatta said research grants would promote developments in the Nigerian telecommunications industry
According to Professor Danbatta, the Commission is now focused on supporting the academia in the commercialisation of the prototypes from innovative researches as this is relevant to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s policy towards achieving indigenous technology for sustainable development
He explained that the roundtable organized by the Commission was to provide the necessary platform to support the commercialisation of locally- developed telecommunications innovations which NCC has been sponsoring.
“The Commission collaborates with the Academia in maximising the contributions of tertiary institutions to innovations and sustainable development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry as finance is needed to drive possible success of these endeavours. “ Danbatta said.
The NCC Boss noted that these efforts has enabled the Commission to contribute ensure the overall growth of the industry and create wealth for innovators, adding that they are fundamental to the objective of the NCC’s R&D-oriented programmes.
Danbatta said appreciable impacts had been achieved since the Commission reinvigorated research grants for telecommunications-based innovations from Nigerian institutions
NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Ubale Maska, also disclosed that the Commission, has so far awarded 49 telecom- based research grants to the academia out of which 10 prototypes were successfully developed and displayed to industry stakeholders.
He said the R&D efforts of the Commission were aimed at actualizing some of the 8-point Pillar Eight of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, which focuses on indigenous content development and adoption
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, on research and training towards enhancing maritime safety and security in Nigeria.
Dr Bashir Jamoh, the Director-General of NIMASA, said on Saturday in Zaria that the MoU was hinged on research and training with a view to enhance local content and boost the quality assurance of the institute.
The director-general noted that NITT and NIMASA have been together for over three decades.
“The MoU signing ceremony was to formalise and strengthen the relationship in terms of research, training and development,” Jamoh said.
According to him, activities of sea pirates had negatively impacted the sector in 2020 and dented the image of our country.
He however noted that the attacks by sea pirates subsided by 2021 and from January 2022 to date Nigeria did not record any attack by the pirates.
Read Also: NASO: Nigeria loses fortune to IOC’s engagement of unregistered stevedores
He said NIMASA achieved the success through strategic collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders in the sector.
He added that collaboration with the NITT would further support NIMASA with research to sustain the gains and strengthen the sector.
Jamoh said with the signing of the MoU, the NITT would assist NIMASA with either research or training in wherever it observed gaps.
“If it is gaps on individuals that drive the transport industry then the gaps would be bridged in terms of training.
“If it is in terms of infrastructure, the institute will conduct research to determine the type of infrastructure that would address the identified gaps.
“If the gaps were identified in terms of the general progress of the industry, the institute would also come-in,’’ he said.
He stated that NITT was established to develop not only the maritime industry but the whole transport and logistics sector, stressing that NIMASA will sustain its support to the institute towards enhancing growth and development in the transport and logistics sector.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded Abaa, a community near the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and abducted two persons.
It was gathered that the gunmen stormed the community located in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State on Thursday night and whisked away the victims; a hotelier and a female worker.
A source identified the female worker, Rachael Opadele, as a final year student of LAUTECH. Some LAUTECH workers and students were said to be living in the community located off the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway.
A resident of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told news correspondent that the hotelier, his worker and one other person were swiftly whisked away by their abductors.
The source said the community head, Chief John Adepoju, immediately sent messages to residents to remain vigilant and stay indoors after the incident.
The source said Adepoju called a meeting of residents of the community to discuss the next step to take.
The source said, “The hotel owner travelled and returned yesterday and the incident happened not long after his return.
The kidnappers were about 10 from what those who witnessed the incident told us. They said they also fired several shots to scare people away before whisking their victims away.
The LAUTECH student was working at the hotel because of the ASUU strike. Her father died some months ago. We pray that they will release them unhurt.”
Recall that this month, the supervisor of the late ex-governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s farm, Christopher Bakare, was abducted at Jabata in the Surulere LGA and the owner of a private clinic identified simply as Dr Rasheed was also kidnapped. Both were released by their abductors after ransom payment.
The state police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident to our correspondent. He stated that investigation had begun on the matter.
The Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, also confirmed the incident, adding that he got in touch with the police and they assured him that investigation had commenced into the incident.
The monarch also said the Security Adviser to the Governor Seyi Makinde, Fatai Owoseni, who is a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, had been helpful concerning security in the area. He called for reinforcement of security agents to the area to prevent recurrence of the incident.
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced that Gusau, the capital of Zamfara state and environs will suffer a one month power outage from July 29th to August 28th, 2022.
In a statement issued by the company’s Head of Corporate Communication, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, the company said the outage from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily is at the instance of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in order for it to carry out maintenance work at the 132KV Gusau Transmission Station.
The statement reads: “The Management of Kaduna Electric hereby informs its esteemed customers in Gusau and environs that there will be interruption of supply by the Transmission Company of Nigeria from Friday, 29th July, 2022 to 27th August, 2022, from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily.
“The outage is to enable the TCN engineering crew to replace existing glass insulators with new polymer insulators.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences this would cause our valued customers while assuring that electricity supply would be restored as soon as work is concluded daily”.
Prof. Sunday Bako, the Vice-Chancellor of Taraba State University, Jalingo, says the institution will establish an integrated farm that will provide a model ranch operation.
Bako gave the indication on Sunday while interacting with journalists in Jalingo.
He said that the integrated farm when completed, would produce some of the farm products locally consumed in the state.
He said that the university had engaged experts on the project which would also create employment and revenue for the university.
“We have already begun modalities to establish an integrated farm for the university.
“This farm, among many others things, will make a model ranch operation where it can produce pastures.
“The farm will produce animal feeds, especially for poultry and fish.
“This farm will also make available most of those agricultural products we consume locally,” he said.
Bako said that he would not relent on his efforts to attain his goal of making the university a world-class citadel of learning.
Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), says some of the newly constructed smart schools in the country will begin operations by January 2023.
The UBEC Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi, made this known when a team of Korean experts led by Professor Dae Joon Hwang of UBION Consortium paid him a courtesy visit at the end of their 4-week stay in Nigeria.
The Country Director of the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA), Son Sungil, stated that the 3-man team had been in Nigeria since July 3rd 2022 as part of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between KOICA and UBEC in October 2021.
The objectives of the MOU are to assist Nigeria in the development of the smart schools’ project, to increase the capacity of teachers in the development and use of ICT content and to improve the access of teachers and pupils to quality teaching and learning materials.
The Team Leader, Prof. Hwang, applauded the Executive Secretary for the warm reception and collaboration received from the Commission during their stay.
He noted that the three pillars of the collaboration revolved around the supply of sophisticated recording and broadcasting studio equipment in some of the smart schools, content development with particular reference to Mathematics and Science, and capacity building for teachers and education managers across the country in the use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the Blended Learning methodology.
Also speaking during the occasion, the Co-ordinator of the Smart Schools Programme, Prof. Bashir Galadanci stated that, during their one-month stay, the Korean team of experts had extensive discussions with officials of UBEC, NERDC and NTI on the Smart Schools Programme.
The delegates also visited the Smart Schools in Lafia, Nasarawa State and Tarda, Kano State and had discussions with the SUBEB chairmen and officials of Kano and Nasarawa states respectively.
In addition, the Korean officials participated in two workshops organized by UBEC; one for the critiquing of training course materials for teachers and principals of smart schools and another for the development of blended lesson templates for use by smart schools.
30 BC Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves minor victory over Octavian, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to Octavian’s invasion of Egypt
1620 Pilgrim Fathers depart Leiden, Netherlands for England on their way to America
1917 World War I: Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) begins, goes on to cause approximately 500,000 casualties
1961 Israel welcomes its one millionth immigrant
2007 Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end
More Historical Events
Jul 31 in Film & TV
1912 US government prohibits movies and photos of prize fights (censorship)
Jul 31 in Music
1959 Cliff Richard and the Shadows have their 1st British No. 1 single with “Living’ Doll” (biggest British single of 1959)
Jul 31 in Sport
1928 Halina Konopacka of Poland hurls discus world record 39.62m to win first gold medal in women’s Olympic athletics at the Amsterdam Games; American Lillian Copeland and Ruth Sveberg of Sweden take minor medals
MORE FACTS…
1970 Black Tot Day: the last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy (started 1740)
1703 Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers
Famous Weddings
1940 Actress Loretta Young (27) weds advertising executive Tom Lewis at the chapel of St. Paul’s Church in Westwood
1951 Musician Ray Charles (20) weds Eileen Williams in Georgia
1954 American television personality and songwriter Steve Allen (32) weds American actress Jayne Meadows (33)
Chinese rocket debris has crashed to Earth over the Indian and Pacific oceans, US and Chinese officials say.
China’s space agency said most remains of the Long March 5 burnt in the atmosphere, identifying the Sulu Sea in the Pacific as the re-entry location.
Earlier, space experts had said the probability of the rocket landing in a populated area was extremely low.
The uncontrolled return of rocket’s core stage has raised questions about responsibility for space junk.
There have previously been calls by NASA for the Chinese space agency to design rockets to disintegrate into smaller pieces upon re-entry, as is the international norm.
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake, which constitutes a series of lakes, part of the Rift Valley Lakes in and around East African Rift, located in Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
The biggest part of the lake belongs to Tanzania (46%) and DR Congo (40%), however, Lake Tanganyika is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake, and also second deepest in the world.
As it is very long, the name comes from the term ‘Tanganika’, which means ‘the great lake spreading out like a plain’, or ‘plain-like lake’.
It is 676 kilometers (420 miles) long, with an average of 50 kilometers (31 miles) width.
Covering an area of 32,900 square km (12,700 square mi), this lake can prevent ‘turnover’ of water masses, which means that much of the lower depths of the lake are so-called ‘fossil water’ and are anoxic (lacking oxygen).
The main inflow is from Ruzizi, Malagarasi and Kalambo Rivers, with some other small rivers, but the outflow is from the Lukuga River which empties in the Congo River drainage.
At first this lake was discovered in the mid 1800’s by the English explorers Richard Burton and John Speke, where they pursued it as the source of the Nile, arriving at its shores in February of 1858, only to discover that the Ruzizi River in the north, which they thought to be the Nile, flowed into and not out of the lake.
The fertile circulating surface water, although not tidal, provides abundant plankton for its inhabitants which in turn provides much needed protein for both the local and export markets.
The stiff winds that blow off the surrounding mountains aid the continual movement which inhibits the spread of bilharzia, the parasitic disease carried by shallow water snails.
Lake Tanganyika boasts over 350 species of fish of which most are endemic.
Like Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika is extremely old, and the combination of its age and ecological isolation has led to the evolution of unique fish populations.
Since new species are being discovered continually in these remarkable lakes, it is difficult to determine which has the highest diversity, but they at least share the distinction of being the top two lakes in the world in terms of biodiversity, whilst Lake Tanganyika has the highest proportion of endemicity, concentrated mainly in the Zambian waters of the lake.
Nowadays as an important source of food and revenue from the tourism, this lake plays an important role in the four countries sharing this amazingly alluring lake, which boasts the economies of the countries, and also it is one really beautiful jewel from them.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
