Author: David Great

The Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, on Wednesday announced what it described as a significant milestone, receiving the highest number of student loan applications within 24 hours since the launch of its portal on May 25, 2024. A statement released by the fund in Abuja and made available seen by Chronicle NG said, “the fund recorded 9,687 student registrations, with 7,975 completed loan applications on August 7, 2024.” The statement noted that the surge in “interest highlights the crucial role NELFUND plays in enabling access to higher education” for students facing financial challenges. It further noted that the high number…

Two suspected extremists were arrested in Austria on Wednesday, one of them appeared to be preparing an assault on an event in the Vienna area, such as an impending Taylor Swift concert, authorities said. The 19-year-old main suspect was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and the second person in the Austrian capital. Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, said that authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus by the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” the Austria Press Agency reported. Ruf said…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has auctioned a total of $876.26 million to 26 qualified banks through the latest Retail Dutch Auction System, conducted on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. This auction aimed to enhance foreign exchange liquidity, alleviate demand pressure, and support price discovery in line with the CBN’s objectives. The announcement, signed by Omolara Omofunde Duke, Director of the Financial Markets Department, was posted on the CBN’s website on Wednesday. Duke explained that the apex bank received total bids valued at $1.18 billion from 32 authorized dealer banks. However, bids amounting to $313.69 million from six banks were…

A recently released video by Oklahoma officials captures the moment a house caught fire due to a dog chewing on a lithium-ion battery. The Tulsa Fire Department shared footage from a house fire that occurred in May, showing two dogs and a cat in a living room. One of the dogs begins chewing on a lithium-ion battery pack used for charging cellphones, causing it to spark and eventually burst into flames. The department said it aims to use this video as a public warning about the importance of storing batteries safely away from children and pets. Robot suffers bullying from…

Spanish players Alvaro Morata and Rodri have been given one-match bans for their behaviour during a Euro 2024 presentation in Madrid last month, European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, said on Wednesday. The players sang “Gibraltar is Spanish” on July 15, the day after their 2-1 European Championship final victory over England, during a public celebration in the Spanish capital. Gibraltar is a British territory located at the southern tip of Spain. UEFA said the punishment was for failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, violating the basic rules of decent conduct, using sporting events for manifestations of a…

Chelsea are reportedly working on a deal to sign Spanish forward Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid for £20m. This will take the summer spending for the English club to £135m despite failing to land a marquee signing. Atletico agreed an £81.5m deal to sign Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez on Monday and selling Omorodion will help raise funds to buy the Argentine international. It is understood that personal terms have now been agreed with Alvarez, who will join for an initial £64.4m, with a further £17.1m in potential add-ons. Omorodion, 20, joined Atletico last summer days after making his La…

Atletico Madrid will offset the £81.5m signing of Argentina forward Julian Alvarez, 24, from Manchester City by selling 20-year-old Spanish forward Samu Omorodion to Chelsea. (Marca – in Spanish) Fulham have cooled their interest in Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, after a £20m bid was rejected by Manchester United for the 27-year-old who is valued at £30m by the Red Devils. (Times – subscription required) Brighton have made contact with free agent, former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, 35, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, although they could face competition from West Ham. (Sky Sports) Manchester United’s search for a midfielder could see them make an offer for Burnley’s Norway international Sander Berge, 26,…

Favour Ofili finished sixth in the women’s 200 meters final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 21-year-old Nigerian athlete recorded a time of 22.24 seconds, trailing the leading pack in the final held on Tuesday at the Stade de France. Gabrielle Thomas of the United States clinched the gold medal with a time of 21.83 seconds. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia secured the silver medal with 22.08 seconds, while Brittany Brown, also from the US, took bronze. Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Ofili had advanced to the final with the third-best time in…

Medical doctors in Ogun State, under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association have embarked on an indefinite strike following unresolved issues on pay disparity between federal and state medical workers. The State Chairman of the Medical Association, Dr. Azeem Kunle Ashimi, disclosed this at a press briefing held on Tuesday at the association’s secretariat, Abeokuta. He explained that the decision to proceed on an indefinite strike came after a failed 3-day warning strike. Ashimi said that the strike, which began on Saturday, August 3, 2024, is primarily aimed at addressing the pay disparity between federal and state medical workers.…

United States President Joe Biden has praised the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden, who had endorsed Harris for the US 2024 presidential race, took to his X handle on Tuesday, saying that the Harris-Walz ticket “will be a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class.” Biden tweeted, “The first major decision a party nominee makes is their choice for Vice President. And Kamala Harris has made a great decision in choosing Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate. “I’ve known Tim Walz for nearly two…