2023 Projection: Qatar Expects More Than 5 Million Visitors

By

-

April 17, 2023

Qatar expects more than five million people to visit the Gulf state in 2023 despite a post-World Cup lull, its tourism chief said.

Akbar Al-Baker, head of Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism, admitted that hotels had fallen quiet after the World Cup final on December 19.

But he insisted that every World Cup host has the same lull after the tournament and that hotels were still 65-70 percent full.

Baker told a press conference there were 1.16 million visitors in the first quarter of 2023 and told AFP on the sidelines that he expected “at least” five million over the year.

In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, there were about 2.1 million tourists. By comparison, rival Dubai had more than 14 million tourists in 2022.

As part of a bid to end reliance on its natural gas riches, Qatar has spent billions of dollars on infrastructure for tourism and hosting major sports events.

The government has set a target of six million foreign tourists a year by 2030. “I think we will not be too far away from the target” in 2023, Baker said.

“Because of FIFA we built so much infrastructure in the hospitality industry and of course now it is our job to make sure that in the coming months we are making sure that occupancy rates go up.”

Qatar, which says there were 1.4 million visitors during the World Cup, is predicting foreign travellers will make up about one third of the three million people expected to attend an international horticultural expo that runs from October 2 until March 28, 2024.

JAMB Extends 2023 Direct Entry Registration by 1 Week

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

-

April 17, 2023

0

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday extended the closing date for the 2023 Direct Entry (DE) registration by one week starting from Friday, April 21.

In a statement, JAMB’s spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said that the DE registration exercise commenced on Monday, March 20, and billed to end on Thursday, April 20.

JAMB Sets New Guidelines As DE Registration Resumes

“The extension was partly to give all holders of Cambridge A/Level Certificates, who were unable to register for the exercise on account of some issues associated with the verification of their certificates another opportunity to do so,” Benjamin stated.

He said it would as well accommodate others, who wished to register but were unable to do so within the stipulated time.

“It should be noted that in its bid to ensure the Cambridge A/L Certificate is onboarded in the verification process, the British Council is partnering with the board.

“As such would be providing a verification portal for the seamless verification of its Cambridge Certificates as obtained with other categories of A/Level certificates.

“It is this provision of a verification portal by the Council that informed the board’s decision to reconsider its earlier stand on the non-inclusion of Cambridge certificate for DE registration.

“Consequently, all holders of Cambridge Certificates, who desire to register for the 2023 Direct Entry, can now proceed to any of the board’s offices nearest to them to register for the exercise,” he said.

According to him, the consideration did not in any way include candidates awaiting Cambridge Certificates as “Awaiting Results” would not be accepted.

Spacex Starship: Elon Musk’s Firm Postpones Launch Of Biggest Rocket Ever

By

Angel Gimalo

-

April 17, 2023

0

An attempt to launch the most powerful rocket ever into space has been postponed for at least 48 hours.

The vehicle, known as Starship, has been built by US entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

The uncrewed mission on Monday was called off minutes before the planned launch from Boca Chica, Texas.

The problem appears to have been caused by a frozen “pressurant valve”, Musk tweeted. But SpaceX could try to launch again later this week.

Starship stands nearly 120m (400ft) high and is designed to have almost double the thrust of any rocket ever.

The aim is to send the upper-stage of the vehicle eastward, to complete almost one circuit of the globe.

Before the launch was postponed, Mr Musk had appealed for everyone to temper their expectations. It’s not uncommon for a rocket to experience some kind of failure on its initial outing.

“It’s the first launch of a very complicated, gigantic rocket, so it might not launch. We’re going to be very careful, and if we see anything that gives us concern, we will postpone the launch,” he had told a Twitter Spaces event.

Exploring Kouris Dam, Cyprus

By

Angel Gimalo

-

April 17, 2023

0

Kouris Dam is the largest dam located along the Kouris River in the southern part of the island of Cyprus. Cyprus has approximately 180 dams, but this one is definitely the largest one, which is one of the most important for the people who live around it.

They need it not just to survive, but also, they are using the dam for recreation. At a height of 110 meters (361 feet) and a length of 550 meters (1,804 feet) it creates a lake of 3.6 square kilometers (1.4 square miles).

At the time of construction, in 1984, one village and one church had to be abandoned, since they were sunk in the lake.

The Kouris Dam was finished in 1988, and it was designed by the French company SOGREAH, with some help from the Cypriot company Hydroconsult.

So far, the dam has overflowed in 2004 and 2012, but with the bad policy the Government of Cyprus has about the hydrology of the country, the dam was emptied, and the volume of the water in the dam is at the minimum.

Whether the lake will continue to be as the government wants it to be, or will be it be again fully filled, the time will tell, with hope that the Ayia Napa sea monster, as the locals refer to the imaginary cryptid, will not show itself.

Once Upon A Time – April 17 – 1895 – Treaty Of Shimonoseki Is Signed Ending First Sino-Japanese War

By

Angel Gimalo

-

April 17, 2023

0

1387 Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” characters begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury (according to scholars)

1492 Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the “Indies” with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.

1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki is signed ending the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)

1961 1,400 Cuban exiles land in Bay of Pigs in a doomed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro

1982 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II sign ‘Proclamation of the Constitution Act’, establishes Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of the country’s new Constitution

Historical Events Today Events in 2023

Today in Film & TV

2011 “Game of Thrones”, based on the fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin premieres on HBO

Today in Music

1970 Paul McCartney releases his 1st solo album “McCartney”

Today in Sport

1976 NL greatest comeback: trailing 12-1, Philadelphia Phillies beat Chicago Cubs, 18-16 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field; Mike Schmidt hits 4 consecutive HRs

2012 The 8th century St. Cuthbert Gospel, Europe’s oldest intact book, is purchased by the British Library for 9 million pounds

1875 Modern Snooker invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain, a bored British officer in Jabalpur, India

Famous Weddings

1929 Baseball great Babe Ruth (34) marries 2nd wife Claire Merritt Hodgson (31)

1941 American actress Doris Day (19) weds trombonist Albert Jorden

1943 Actress Claire Trevor (34) weds Navy lieutenant Cyclos William Dunsmoore in Tijuana, Mexico

Murtala Muhammed’s Daughter Releases Book On Abducted Chibok Girls

By

Koko Lawrence

-

April 17, 2023

0

A daughter of the late Nigerian Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, has authored a book in honour of the abducted Chibok school girls.

She wrote the book through her Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF).

Mrs Muhammed-Oyebode, who is a development specialist, said the book was issued to mark the ninth year of the abduction of the school girls in Borno State in 2014.

She said women and girls, particularly in Nigeria, need security, education and a better future.

She said the book, titled ‘The Stolen Daughters of Chibok”, was released on 4 April in New York, United States of America (USA) by PowerHouse Books Inc and is being released internationally.

276 school girls were abducted from their school by Boko Haram in Chibok in 2014.

Muhammed-Oyebode said the book collected their families’ testimonies of loss and hope beginning in 2015 before any of the girls was found.

“As a collection of narratives, the book is a call to action for the restoration of balance in Nigeria’s Chibok community. It features photographs by award-winning photographer Akintunde Akinleye, interviews with the families, and chapters and excerpts by a team of experts, including journalists and psychologists, who have collaborated to create a comprehensive account and thorough examination of this tragedy,” she stated.

“The foreword for the book is written by the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation Former President Olusegun Obasanjo with essays on violence, gender, and more from writers, novelists, academics, public figures, including Nobel Laurette Professor Wole Soyinka, Mozambique and South Africa’s former first lady, Graça Machel-Mandela, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Professor Femi Oyebode and beyond. The result is a heart-rending portrayal of the cost of this tragedy, which has touched the lives of communities in Nigeria and across the globe,” she said

Muhammed-Oyebode said that her foundation is determined to work with partners to improve the status of women and girls, prioritising safety, education, and economic opportunity.

Sotheby’s To Auction World’s Largest Ruby In New York In June

By

Koko Lawrence

-

April 17, 2023

0

Sotheby's to auction world’s largest ruby — 5591CR-ART-AUCTION_RUBY_SOTHEBYS_ROUGH_CUT_O_

The largest ruby in the world to come to auction will be offered by Sotheby’s in New York in June, the auction house said at a preview in Hong Kong on Monday, and is estimated to achieve more than $30 million.

That would probably make the 55.22-carat gem, known as the Estrela de Fura, the most expensive ruby ever sold at auction, said Uni Kim, a specialist in Sotheby’s jewellery department in the Asian financial capital.

“It is from Mozambique, which is also one of the new and more popular origins that we see for rubies, apart from the more traditional and the classic Burmese pieces,” Kim added.

The current world record for a ruby sold at auction was set in May 2015 by “Sunrise Ruby,” a 25.59-carat Burmese stone that fetched $30.3 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva.

The new stone, whose name means “Star of Fura” in Portuguese, was unearthed from mining company Fura’s ruby mine in Mozambique’s northern region of Montepeuz in July 2022.

Kim said the ruby, to be offered at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale, was a 101-carat rough gemstone when first discovered, fueling excitement among many in the gem industry.

The quality and size of the gemstone “is almost unheard of”, Dev Shetty, the chief executive of Fura Gems, said in a statement.

“We estimate Estrela de Fura to be sold in excess of $30 million,” Kim added. “Hopefully we’ll be able to see it just setting a new record for Mozambique rubies.”

After being exhibited in Hong Kong, the gem will be displayed in Taipei, China, Singapore, Geneva and Dubai, before being auctioned in New York on June 8.

Malala Yousafzai Working On New Book, Her ‘Most Personal’

By

Koko Lawrence

-

April 17, 2023

0

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is working on a new memoir, the latest book by the young activist from Pakistan known for her advocacy for education for girls and for surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was in her teens.

Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced the memoir Monday. It is currently untitled and has no scheduled release date.

Yousafzai’s previous works include the million-selling “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” published in 2013, the year before she won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17. She has since graduated from Oxford University and married Asser Malik, a manager with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Her production company, Extracurricular, has a deal with Apple TV+ for a wide range of film and television projects.

“The last few years of my life have been marked by extraordinary transformation, and all the anguish and joy that accompanies growth,” Yousafzai, 25, said in a statement released by Atria. “This is my most personal book yet and I hope that readers will find recognition, reassurance, and insight in my story.”

Atria is calling the new book a “breathtaking story of recovery and search for identity, a candid exploration of her coming-of-age in the public spotlight, and an intimate look at her life today.” Young readers and picture book editions are also planned.

Young Woman Ignites 3D Printing Revolution in Gambia

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

April 17, 2023

0

Young Woman Ignites 3D Printing Revolution in Gambia

The United Nation in Gambia is supporting initiatives to bridge the gender disparity gap in STEM through raising awareness and capacity-building support to women-owned businesses.

In Gambia, a young woman, Fatou Juka Darbor is blazing a trail for women fueled by her fiery passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Her remarkable journey led her to co-found the country’s first and only 3D printing company – Make 3D Company Limited, breaking boundaries and inspiring future generations.

Fascinated by machines from a young age, Juka was determined to uncover their inner workings, taking apart radios and calculators with unbridled curiosity.

The young entrepreneur’s drive to build a career in STEM propelled her to overcome the challenges women often face in this male-dominated sector, brushing conventional norms aside.

Her unwavering dedication made her the only woman in her mechanical engineering class at the Gambia Technical Training Institute.

Reflecting on this journey, she said her experiences of the stigma attached to being ‘the woman’ in a male-dominated space made her realize how lucky she was to have parents that supported my decision to pursue sciences.

Ghanaian VP Inaugurates Library, ICT Hub At Akyem Oda

By

Nzubechukwu Anodo

-

April 17, 2023

0

The Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia has inaugurated a state-of-the- art library and Information Communication Technology Hub at Akyem Oda in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The facility, Christiana Akua Brago Diawuo Library and Technology Hub was built by the Minister of Communication and Digitization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful in honour of her mother.

The library would serve as a learning hub and valuable resource center for schools in the area and provide students with access to virtual learning experiences, help them improve teaching and learning as well as allow them to connect with others across the globe.

The initiative was supported by the Ghana Library Authority, MTN Ghana, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) and Huawei Ghana.

Commissioning the facility, Vice President, Bawumia said that education was essential to the development of the country, adding that through education and knowledge acquisition, the country would have the necessary human resource to help it develop.

He revealed that since the inception of the Free SHS initiative, about 400, 000 students who were previously not able to attend school, have been given the opportunity to do so through the pro-poor policy.

The Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said through the initiative, the ministry has also achieved gender parity between boys and girls in schools at the SHS level and appealed to parents to ensure that the children continued education from the JHS level to the SHS and tertiary levels so that they can emulate the kind gesture of the Ministry.

He said digitization was essential to drive the economy of the country, adding it was important to start teaching the future leaders of the country and improve them digitally to be able to drive the economy of the country.

The Vice President said the library has all the digital tools for the learning of the pupils and students and would help improve teaching and learning in both senior and junior secondary schools.