Archeologists Exploring A 1671 South Carolina Coast Town Lot

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October 16, 2021

Chinese astronauts began Saturday their six-month mission on China’s first permanent space station, after successfully docking aboard their spacecraft.

The astronauts, two men and a woman, were seen floating around the module before speaking via a live-streamed video.

The new crew includes Wang Yaping, 41, who is the first Chinese woman to board the Tiangong space station, and is expected to become China’s first female spacewalker.

“We’ll co-operate with each other, carefully conduct maneuvers, and try to accomplish all tasks successfully in this round of exploration of the universe,” said Wang in the video.
The three astronauts entered the station’s core module at about 10 a.m., the China Manned Space Agency said.

They are the second crew to move into China’s Tiangong space station, which was launched last April. The first crew stayed three months.

The new crew includes two veterans of space travel — Zhai Zhigang, 55, and Wang. The third member, Ye Guangfu, 41, is making his first trip to space.

The mission’s launch was seen off by a military band and supporters singing “Ode to the Motherland,” underscoring national pride in the space program, which has advanced rapidly in recent years.

The crew will do three spacewalks to install equipment in preparation for expanding the station, assess living conditions in the Tianhe module, and conduct experiments in space medicine and other fields.

China’s military-run space program plans to send multiple crews to the station over the next two years to make it fully functional.

Commonwealth Games: Sunday Dare Presents Queen’s Baton To V.P. Osinbajo

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October 16, 2021

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has received the Queen’s Baton for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Along with sports minister Sunday Dare, Osinbajo welcomed the baton at the State House on Saturday, on behalf of President Buhari.

Habu Gumel, President, Commonwealth Games Nigeria, received the baton at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and handed it to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, who presented it to Osinbajo.

Osinbajo reminded the Commonwealth of its strong bond of brotherhood.

“This is a much loved tradition which precedes every Commonwealth Games; a baton carrying Her Majesty’s message of goodwill to the Commonwealth goes on a 90,000 mile, 72 country journey to end at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“As the relay goes from one Commonwealth member country to another, in its journey across several continents, the two billion strong population of the Commonwealth are reminded of the strong bonds of brotherhood and friendship that bind us, across these continents, nations, races, tongues and faiths.

“This joyful event will end at this time in Birmingham, the city that will host the games in 2022.

“Nigerian athletes will join their brothers and sisters at the games, as we have done at several occasions of the games since we first attended in 1950, when Joshua Majekodumi won our first medal, in the high jump event;

”Since then, our athletes have won no less than 236 medals at the games! We are set to do much better in Birmingham,’’ he said.

Osinbajo commended the relay team for their cheerfulness and dedication to the tour covering thousands of miles, and the organising committees for all their hard work in seamlessly delivering the relay event.

He also lauded the athletes, who would bring excitement and thrill to millions at the festival of sport and culture.

Sports minister Dare described the event as another remarkable milestone of the Commonwealth Games Federation which signified peace, unity and love among the comity of nations.

He said it was exciting to be associated with the iconic event of hosting the Queen’s Baton relay being the very first African country to do so.

The minister said it was the equivalent of the Olympic torch relay.

Gumel, on his part, said that the baton, on tour of Africa, was launched from Buckingham Palace earlier in the month by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11, the Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

He said the baton would return to the UK on July 28, 2022, for the opening ceremony of the games.

Today In History – Oct. 16 – 1384 – Jadwiga Is Crowned King Of Poland, Despite Being A Woman

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October 16, 2021

1812 Henry Martyn Approached Muslims with the Gospel

1813 Battle of Leipzig, largest battle in Europe prior to WWI, Napoleon’s forces defeated by Prussia, Austria and Russia

1861 After four days of torture, Che Jinguang, an elderly Chinese Christian in Boluo, is ordered to renounce Christianity. When he refuses, he is killed and his body thrown into a river, the first-known Protestant martyr in China.

1888 Horatio Gates Spafford, who penned the hymn “It is Well with My Soul” passes on.

1900 Great Britain and Germany sign the Anglo-German Treaty, agreeing to maintain territorial integrity of China and support ‘open door’ policy called for by US Secretary of State

1934 Mao Zedong and 25,000 troops begin their 6,000 mile Long March from the south of China to the north and west

1962 Cuban Missile Crisis begins as JFK is shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba

1978 Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla elected Pope John Paul II

1998 Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a Spanish warrant requesting his extradition on murder charges

Today’s Historical Events
Today in Film & TV
1923 Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio founded

Today in Music
1912 Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire,” premieres at the Berlin Choralion-Saal sung by Albertine Zehme

Today in Sport
1968 Americans Tommie Smith (gold 19.83 WR) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power Salute on the 200m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans

Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
Findings published of neutron star collision that occurred two months prior on August 17, the first cosmic event seen in gravitational waves and light. Confirms heavy elements such as gold the result of such collisions, on this day in 2017

Would you believe this fact about today? Would You Believe? Jadwiga is crowned King of Poland, despite being a woman, on this day in 1384

South Africa, Mauritius, Nigeria Maintain Lead As Most Attractive Countries In Africa

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October 16, 2021

Nigeria has retained its spot as the third most attractive country in Africa for foreign investment in 2021 according to the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index 2021 report.

23 African countries were surveyed in the report which used six pillars to rank their openness and attractiveness to foreign investment with South Africa and Mauritius coming first and second respectively.

The report also noted that “South Africa, Mauritius and Nigeria maintain their lead in the index, despite having lower overall
scores than last year’s.”

“Nigeria continues to make strides in creating an enabling investment environment for foreign investors, with the necessary regulatory developments and policy initiatives.” the report added.

In Digital developments in financial markets, the report commended Nigeria’s effort in employing technology to help businesses understand regulations.

It read, “Nigeria’s SEC launched FinPort, a fintech and innovation portal to assist fintech businesses to understand the regulatory requirements for the Nigerian capital market. The SEC will also be rolling out a regulatory incubator for fintech seeking to conduct capital market activities.”

In the six pillars used in the survey, Nigeria scored 62 in market depth, 20 in access to foreign exchange, 86 in market transparency, tax and regulatory environment, 44 for capacity of local investors, 69 in macroeconomic opportunities, and 100 for enforceability of the standard master agreement.

However, the AAFMI report noted that Nigeria has continued to perform poorly in access to foreign exchange while it has imposed administrative controls that expanded the number of goods subject to import restrictions, enforcing existing export repatriation rules and restricting the supply of FX to certain windows.

“While these measures restricted capital outflows and helped keep reserves stable, market liquidity remained below pre-pandemic levels.

“Due to the control measures and global macroeconomic imbalances, foreign portfolio investors’ appetite remained subdued. The volatile FX market and the delays in the repatriation of foreign currency out of Nigeria caused further problems. Despite a rebound in oil prices and remittances, the FX shortage persists as imports recover faster than exports,” the report adds.

Federal Govt. Vows To Put More Nigerian Universities In Top 1000 In Africa

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October 16, 2021

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has vowed that the Federal Government will get more Nigerian universities in Africa’s first 1,000 list, stating its commitment to revamp the educational system in Nigeria and giving the public university system a pride of place (sic), so that when (the) next global assessment is done, more Nigerian universities will be in the first 1,000 in Africa.

The labour minister, during the reconvened meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ leadership and the federal government on Thursday in Abuja, Said “I am a firm believer in the public university system, that is why my children are there. I didn’t send them to private ones. One graduated from Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Awka, and my daughter from UNILAG,” Ngige said.

He added, ”My third child will also come out possibly next month from a public university again. I don’t believe that public universities are going to be abandoned.

He further assured the union that Buhari’s regime would not abandon the public universities despite dwindling resources.

Ngige added that the government would be happy to concentrate its limited resources on areas that would produce good effects.

“If the private sector can bring excellence to our universities, (the) government can as well do the same. So, working hand in hand with ASUU as we are currently doing is a model we must keep,” Ngige further noted. “We will not be going to war with ASUU all the time. We can do constructive engagement. If there is something that the government can do and it says it can’t, I am here to say no, you can because I am privy to some information.”

Lagos Lawmaker Awards Bursary To 600 Students

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October 15, 2021

Lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial district, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, has awarded bursary worth 30m to 600 students across the district.

The event, which held at the Lagos State Polytechnic, comprised of dignitaries from the Lagos State house of assembly, former deputy governor, vice chancellor, cleric and traditional rulere in the district.

Abiru, stating the objective of this scheme said it is to promote higher qualitative education and supporting brilliant students but who have challenges funding their education in furtherance of their academic pursuit.

“In this maiden edition, 600 eligible students across the 98 wards in the 16 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the Lagos East Senatorial District, were shortlisted and screened by the TACT Bursary Advisory Board.

“The minimum we can do as leaders and in fidelity with our social contract with the esteemed constituents who majorly fall within this demography is to provide support for their dreams to have full and maximum expression.

“I am passionate about ensuring ‘greater good for greater number’. This mantra guides my philosophy and strategy in giving a lease of life to our people as much as is within my power.

“The tactics to drive home this strategy is encapsulated in the resonating and reassuring ‘DOING GOOD’ drive.

“One of the major agenda on my social contract with the good people of Lagos East Senatorial District is youth development for global readiness.

“This, I have sought to achieve with multi-dimensional approaches, which include: collaborations; co-creations; funding; infrastructural interventions, capacity building; etc.

“It is a part of this that has given birth to the annual ‘’Senator Tokunbo Abiru Bursary endowment fund’’ to support and encourage our star students in their respective tertiary Institutions of learning- the reason we are all here today”

Abiru said he was committed to improving the skills of the youth to be relevant in the job and entrepreneurship spaces.

“In partnership with Co-Creation Hub, CcHub, Africa’s leading innovation hub space, we are setting a Community Innovation Centre in our district.

“This concept will leverage on social capital and technology in accelerating economic prosperity for our teeming youth population. It will be up and running in a few months from now.

He added that the 600 beneficiaries were selected on merit.

Nigerian Firm Highlights Importance of Education

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October 15, 2021

MLJ Marine Oil & Gas Limited has said education helps to produce patriotic citizens.

A statement by the company said educating Nigerians, especially the indigents would help achieve a stable and orderly society.

The statement reads, “Education helps people to become better citizens, get a better-paid job, shows the difference between good and bad. It also shows us the importance of hard work and, at the same time, helps us grow and develop.

“We have trained several persons who are less privileged over the years.

“We have assisted them and today, some are graduates. We have extended the gesture to others, through an open award of scholarship to verified indigent persons. It has been eight years now, and we have not relented in doing our best for people. This is our little way of giving back to the society.”

French Company Signs Shareholder Agreement With Angolan National Oil Company

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October 15, 2021

In Angola, the French company Total Eren has signed a shareholder agreement with the national oil company Sonangol and Angola Environment Technology (Greentech) to set up the company Quilemba Solar.

The special purpose company will build a solar photovoltaic plant in Quilemba, in the southwest of Angola.

A solar power plant will be built near the town of Quilemba in Angola. This is the goal of Total Eren.

The independent power producer (IPP), which 30% is owned by the French oil company Total Energies, has just signed a shareholder agreement with the Angolan oil company Sonangol and Angola Environment Technology (Greentech), a Luanda-based company.

The three partners are setting up Quilemba Solar.

The company will be responsible for the construction of the future Quilemba solar photovoltaic plant.

According to the agreement reached between the three parties, Quilemba Solar will be 51% owned by Total Eren, 30% by Sonangol and 19% by Greentech.

Ezekwesili, Among Stakeholders To Examine Business of Education

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October 15, 2021