Orisa Nears ₦100 Million After 3 weeks At Nigerian Box Office

By

-

August 15, 2023

Odunlade Adekola’s Yoruba-style epic Orisa is almost at ₦100 million gross profits within three weeks since its debut.

Although it has maintained the fourth position on the domestic box office chart, it still ranks as the top leading local title in Nigerian cinema.

The newly released figures by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) showed that Orisa recorded over ₦20 million between August 4, 2023, to August 10, 2023.

It opened with ₦40 million between July 21, 2023, to July 27, 2023, and between July 28, 2023, to August 3, 2023, it recorded another ₦28 million, which brings the total to over ₦88 million in just three weeks.

Orisa is still showing at all the cinemas nationwide and would most likely hit its ₦100 million gross within its first month at the cinema.

In other news, Barbie still stays strong at number one with over ₦37 million between August 4, 2023, and August 10, 2023, bringing its cumulative since its release to ₦160 million. In the second spot, we have Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One with ₦28 million. This makes it one month in the cinema with a total of ₦200 million in gross.

Newcomer Meg 2: The Trench comes in third in its first week in cinemas with ₦33 million.

With exciting new Nigerian titles like Mikolo coming to theatres this week, we hope to see more local movies dominating the box office.

Do Not Let Marking Strike Go Into New Term – UK Minister

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

August 15, 2023

1

The UK government has urged university bosses and a lecturers’ union to restart talks and prevent disruption continuing into the new academic year.

University and College Union (UCU) members have been boycotting marking papers since April over a pay dispute.

Negotiations with the University and College Employers Association (UCEA) have broken down without an agreement.

Education minister, Robert Halfon said the uncertainty faced by students was unacceptable.

The UCU has vowed to continue the marking boycott, which covers all exams and any assessment that counts towards a student’s final grade, until the dispute has been resolved.

The industrial action at 145 higher education institutions across the UK began on 20 April.

The union has a six month mandate from members to continue the action, meaning it will run into the new term, which starts in early September for some universities, without a resolution.

This means some students left university this summer without knowing what grade they have been awarded, or were unable to graduate at all.

UCU members voted to reject a pay offer for 2023-24 worth between 5% and 8%, with the union pushing for a rise of the highest from two options, the RPI measure of inflation plus 2%, or a 12% increase.

Senior union officials are due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to decide on their next steps.

Nigerians Spent N482m On Movies in Cinemas in July – Official

By

Emenike Agu

-

August 15, 2023

0

The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) says it generated N482m as revenue across all cinemas in Nigeria in July.

The CEAN National Chairperson, Opeyemi Ajayi, said this in an interview in Lagos.

Ajayi said total viewer admission in cinemas across the federation within the month under review was 218,395.

The chairperson told newsmen that cinemas experienced a slight increase in patronage in July due to the numerous public holidays.

He encouraged more Nigerians to consider visiting the cinemas during their leisure to unwind.

“We recorded a total sales of N482 million for July with 218,395 viewers in the cinemas. The cinemas are not doing bad, but we encourage more Nigerians to cultivate the habit of visiting the cinemas,” he said.

He said the movies to be exhibited in cinemas for August are Akudaaya, Meg 2, Teenage Mutant Minja, A Bag of Trouble, Blue Beetle, Mikolo, The Modern Woman, Retribution and Kesari.

It was reported that the amount generated in July is lower than the N567m generated in June.

Exploring Jubba River, Somalia

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 15, 2023

0

Jubba River is one of the longest river which flows through the Federal Republic of Somalia.

With the confluence of the Dawa and Ganale Dorya Rivers at the border with Ethiopia, Jubba River flows directly towards the Indian Ocean, where it empties at the Goobweyn juncture.

Originating via its headwaters streams in the Mendebo Mountains of southern Ethiopia, it flows about 875 km (545 miles) from Doolow on the Ethiopian frontier to the Indian Ocean just north of Kismaayo, one of Somalia’s three main ports.

The total length of the Juba River is about 1,808 kilometres (1,123 miles) of which 804 kilometres (500 miles) lies in Ethiopia and 1,004 kilometres (624 miles) lies in Somalia.

The Jubba River gives its name to the Somali administrative regions of Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba, as well as to the larger historical region of Jubaland. Jubba is the only river in the area with a reliable flow all year round, even though it has a low flow from December to mid-April and from June to October.

The Jubba basin region is primarily savanna, and is, ecologically speaking, the richest part of the country due to its fertile farmland.

Native wild life include giraffes, cheetahs, lions, leopards, hyenas, buffalos, hippopotamus, crocodiles, oryx, gazelles, camels, ostriches, jackals and wild donkeys. First spotted in 1624 by the Portuguese Jesuit missionary Jerónimo Lobo, today the river is marked as the most important one in the southern part of Somalia.

South African Education Department Urges Learners to Go Back to Class

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

August 15, 2023

0

The Western Cape Education Department in South Africa has called on parents to ensure their children go back to school after the taxi strike, which on day one saw 71% of learners miss classes.

Western Cape Education MEC, David Maynier said the province cannot afford to lose one more day of teaching and learning at our schools after the taxi strike in the province.

He said that teachers would evaluate the impact the taxi strike had on their classes, which would inform catch-up plans.

He added that the department will provide the support needed to do so.

Last week, learners, including matric pupils, were forced to go home after being chased from a taxi rank by people who threw stones at commuters hoping to catch public transport to work and school.

He said the second day of the taxi strike, 287,420 learners (24%) were absent from school, 8 August, the peak of the strike, 852,259 learners (71%) were absent from school and 11 August, the first day after the strike ended, 739,569 learners (61%) were absent from school.

Maynier said the metro education districts were most affected

Reps Query JAMB Over Secret Recruitment

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

August 15, 2023

0

An ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives has queried the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for recruiting about 300 staff without advertising the vacancies.

The paneĺ noted that by the documents made available to the committee, JAMB had been recruiting without following the due process of advertisement, shortlisting and interview of job seekers.

The committee is investigating ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), parastatals and tertiary institutions on personnel recruitment, employment racketeering and the mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS).

While appearing before the committee, the Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, told the panel that the board conducted the recruitment using a waiver granted to it by the government.

He explained that the board could not afford to go through the process of advertising the vacancies because of the exigencies of time.

While responding to the presentation, the Chairman of the Committee, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), rejected the explanation, noting that the process of recruitment adopted by JAMB would have denied several qualified people the opportunity of applying.

He noted that by the documents available to the committee, JAMB had been recruiting without following the due process of advertisement, shortlisting and interview of job seekers.

Once Upon A Time – August 15 – 1620 – Mayflower Sets Sail From Southampton, England With 102 Pilgrims

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 15, 2023

0

1461 Empire of Trebizond surrenders to forces of Sultan Mehmet II – last Byzantine Empire remnant to fall. Emperor David exiled and later murdered.

1620 Mayflower sets sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims

1900 The Boxer Rebellion: In China, the Empress, her family and court retainers flee while foreign troops move through Peking in an attempt to quell the rebellion

1947 India gains independence from Great Britain, remains a dominion until 1950

1998 Omagh Bombing in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles, kills 29 people and injures about 220

2021 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees the country as Taliban forces enter the capital Kabul and take control

Historical Events Today Events in 2023

Today in Film & TV

1918 Longest work of animation then produced – “The Sinking of Lusitania” by Winsor McCay

1939 “The Wizard of Oz”, American musical fantasy film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s book, premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood; directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor with cast featuring Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Jack Haley (Tin Man), Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion), Frank Morgan (Wizard), Billie Burke (Glinda), and Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch); songs by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

Today in Music

1969 Woodstock Festival opens in Bethel, New York on Max Yasgur’s Dairy Farm; performers include Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez

Today in Sport

1903 New Zealand’s All Blacks play their first Rugby Test Match against Australia’s Wallabies at the Sydney Cricket Ground; New Zealand win 22-3

MORE FACTS…

1635 1st recorded north American hurricane hits the Plymouth Colony

2015 North Korea creates its own time zone -moving its clocks back half an hour to GMT+8.5

Famous Weddings

1515 King Christian II of Denmark marriage ratified to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)

1958 American rock singer-songwriter Buddy Holly (21) weds Puerto Rican-American record company receptionist María Santiago (25) at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas

1985 Anti-apartheid lawyer Bulelani Ngcuka marries in South Africa

A woman spectator leaned over and kissed Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympic Games on this day. Hitler pretended to be amused, but his guards were to suffer – August 15, 1936

Students Tackle Varsity Over Withheld Results

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

August 15, 2023

0

Former students of the Olabisi Onabajo University have called on the management of the institution to release the results of their examination without further delay.

Some of the students said the result of the courses they wrote since 2006 had yet to be released.

The students claimed they had taken the necessary steps and written the examination again in the year 2015 but all efforts were to no avail.

One of the students identified as Babatunde Kotun, who was admitted in 2002 in the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education said all efforts to get his results released after completing his degree in 2007 proved abortive.

He said he completed the programme at Olabisi Onabajo University in 2007 and result is yet to be processed for collection since 2007 till date.

A student identified simply as Emmanuel, said he was supposed to graduate in 2008/2009. Immediately after he graduation, he commenced the process of our result collection but could not get it.

NBTE Launches One-Year Programme For HND Conversion to BSc

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

August 15, 2023

0

The National Board for Technical Education has unveiled a one-year online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma holders HND to convert their certification to Bachelor’s Degree.

According to the Board, the online top-up programme would be done with foreign accredited universities.

Head of Media Unit, NBTE, Fatima Abubakar, in a statement made available to newsmen, said this would facilitate the progression of HND holders to higher degrees instead of the postgraduate diploma programme.

She said the Board said this would also end the unwarranted prejudice, where HND holders after undertaking PGD to enable them to enrol for a Master’s degree would still be queried after proceeding to do PhD and wish to migrate to a Nigerian University, adding that such affected persons were usually asked by the University authorities to produce their first degree, even when they have acquired doctorate degree.

She said attempts in the past to get the National Universities Commission (NUC) to approve a two-year Master of Technology for HND holders in some Polytechnics did not see the light of the day.

She also noted that NBTE has created an HND admission portal for use by all Polytechnics for ease of mobilisation for the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Scheme.

The Board has accordingly appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent into law the Bill removing the HND-BSc Dichotomy in the public service as passed by the last National Assembly.

Only accredited Programmes shall be visible on the portal, and NYSC shall have viewing rights to know the admitted candidates to be mobilised.

This will hopefully bring an end to illegal HND admissions from unaccredited Programmes and, at the same time, ensure carrying capacities are adhered to for quality assurance.

Algeria Pulls Barbie Movie From Cinemas For Violating Morals

By

faith Jegede

-

August 15, 2023

0

Algeria has reportedly pulled the Barbie movie from national cinemas, joining many countries in the Middle East and North African region to ban the American blockbuster for allegedly “violating morality”.

“(It was banned) because it promotes homosexuality and other Western deviances that do not comply with Algeria’s religious and cultural beliefs,” according to local media Algerie24H.

After being screened for over three weeks, Algerian authorities have reportedly restricted national cinemas from withdrawing the American movie considered controversial by many politicians across the region.

Without officially communicating the ban decision, the Barbie film vanished this Sunday, 13 August, from the schedules of various cinemas around the North African country.

Scheduled for the opening of the new cinemas in the Garden City shopping centre in the capital, the film was discreetly withdrawn from the program.

Films are often delayed in the region to allow time for production companies to censor them or gather committees to review them.

Kuwait has already banned “Barbie” outright, saying that the film promotes “ideas and beliefs that are alien to Kuwaiti society and public order.”

Meanwhile, Lebanese officials who were in back-to-back meetings to decide on the movie ban have finally agreed to ban it.