Football / Sports

Allegri in Pirlo Out

Massimiliano Allegri has signed his contract until June 2025 as new Juventus manager, done and completed. Salary around €9m net per season. He’s back after he decided not to wait for Real Madrid – official statement in the next hours.

Andrea Pirlo led Juventus to the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana titles but they finished fourth in Serie A and secured a Champions League spot on the final day of the season; Massimiliano Allegri is set to re-join the club two years after leaving.

Allegri departed in 2019 having secured the Serie A title by an 11-point margin, his fourth top-flight triumph in a row, with the Turin club’s Champions League struggles – that saw them lose out to Ajax in the quarter-finals – seen as a primary reason for his exit.

With Juve having failed to significantly progress under either Sarri or Pirlo, they have now elected to hand the reins back to the 53-year-old, with an official announcement to follow.

It is understood that Allegri will have significantly more freedom in the transfer market than before, which is likely to have played a part in him agreeing to return.

As well as potential incomings, the Juve boss will also have to consider player exits, with the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is contracted until 2022, appearing to be uncertain.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Lakers hold off Suns to take 2-1 lead in series

The Los Angeles Lakers took their first series lead of the NBA playoffs on Thursday with a 109-95 win over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. They now lead 2-1 after previously trailing 1-0.

The Lakers struggled in many of the same areas on Thursday as they have all series, and that was especially true when it came to the seemingly Herculean task of guarding DeAndre Ayton. Ayton, in his third game against the Lakers, scored 22 points on 11-15 shooting from the field. For the series, he’s shooting 82.1% from the field.

The Lakers also struggled to knock down their 3-point attempts once again, going 6-27 from behind the arc. Wesley Matthews led all Lakers in 3-point makes with two (huge) makes in four attempts.

Fortunately, they were able to compensate for most of those mistakes with their defense. Their defensive effort was there from the moment the ball was tipped, but they flipped the switch in the third quarter and broke the game open.

The Lakers will play one more game at home before going back on the road for Game 5. However, despite the fact that they’re going to play at home in Game 4, they’ll get two “travel days” to recuperate, so their next game will be on Sunday.…

Breaking News / politics

We’re targeting more 3m children for free feeding, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said his administration was expanding the homegrown school feeding programme by targeting additional three million children for a free daily meal.

He made the disclosure at an event to mark the 2021 Children’s Day celebration organised by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Social Development Secretariat in Abuja.

Represented by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, the President said the menace of out-of-school children was being given attention through a comprehensive programme where the affected kids are enrolled in school and supported to continue their education wherever they are.

He disclosed that a full range of social intervention programmes would be deployed across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to achieve the vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.

Also speaking, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rushnan Murtaza, urged Nigerians to see the occasion as an opportunity to commit to the wellbeing of children in policy and practice, as well as put enforceable measures in place to protect their interest.

According to Murtaza, children are protected when they are registered at birth, urging the government to make the process easier for vulnerable families.

RELATED to that, a group, Save the Children International (SCI), has sought innovative local solutions, strategies and International cooperation to redress the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on children.

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News / Security

SARS disbandment creating security challege, IGP cries out

Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman, yesterday, said the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had weakened efforts by the force to confront insecurity frontally in Nigeria.

 

This came, as he also announced that his men had arrested those involved in the March 20, 2021, failed attack on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.

He said the morale of his men had been seriously dampened by the #EndSARS protests and subsequent attacks in the South East.

The IGP, who spoke yesterday during a press briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House, Abuja, stated that the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) squad, established in October 2020 to bridge the vacuum created by the disbanded FSARS, was yet to take off.…

Breaking News / News

Sixty Bodies Recovered from 200+ Onboard Passengers in Boat Accident

The rescue operation in Nigeria’s Kebbi state has entered day three with 60 bodies having been recovered so far.

The authorities say the number of survivors still stands at 22 with some of them still being treated at the hospital.

Authorities say chances of finding more people alive are low.

Ngaski local government chairman Abdullahi Buhari Warra said five people had been buried.

A survivor said that the boat crashed midway through the journey and split into two.

President Muhammadu Buhari described the accident as devastating.…

Entertainment / Music

Femi Kuti Has Been Performing Live At The African Shrine For 20+ years Free

Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.

Femi Kuti began his musical career playing in his father’s band, Egypt 80. In 1986, Femi started his own band, Positive Force, establishing himself as an artist independent of his father’s massive legacy.

Last night at the African Shrine while he was preforming he stopped to tell some Truth about the things he has done for the people and announce that he has been performing free for twenty years and more for the people ,this brought a loud cheer to the already buzzing crowd as he continued to perform some of his hit songs live.…

Entertainment / Music

Burna Boy, Wizkid Both Nominated For International Act category at the BET Awards

Both superstars got nominated in the Best International Act category. French singers, Aya Nakamura and Youssoupha; Tanzanian superstar, Diamond Platnumz; Brazilian act, Emicida; British acts, the rapper Headie One and the duo Yung T and Bugsey are all nominated in the category as well.

Burna Boy has won in the last two years and Wizkid won it in 2012, when the category had two divisions for Africa and the UK. Earlier in the year, Wizkid and Burna Boy won the Best Music Video and Best Global Music Album categories respectively at the 2021 Grammy Awards. In 2020, Wizkid also won the BET HER Award for ‘Brown Skin Girl.’

Wizkid and Burna Boy also featured together in Wizkid’s video for ‘Ginger,’ which dropped earlier in the year.

According Business Wire, internationally, the show will simulcast on BET Africa at 2 am CAT and MTV Brazil at 9 pm BRT on June 27th, followed by international broadcasts on MTV UK on June 28th at 9 pm BST, BET France on June 29th at 8:45pm CEST.

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Football / Sports

Europa League final: Villarreal triumph in Penalty Thriller

Gerónimo Rulli was the hero for Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League final, saving the decisive spot kick from opposite number David De Gea,

 

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that their season cannot be classed as a success after they lost in the Europa League final.

Man United started the game well but it was Villarreal who took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Dani Parejo’s free-kick was converted by Gerard Moreno with the help of some shoddy defending from Victor Lindelof.

Solskjaer‘s side got an all-important equaliser shortly after half time. United were piling on the pressure as Villarreal could only clear it to Marcus Rashford on the edge of the area.

The forward struck the ball back towards the goal. It eventually found its way to Edinson Cavani, who tapped it home from close range.

Man United finished the half strongly but Unai Emery’s side held firm to keep it 1-1 at the final whistle. The finalists navigated their way through extra time to set themselves up for a tense penalty shootout.

It proved to be a high-quality shootout as the first 21 spot-kicks were all converted. The decisive moment came as De Gea stepped up to take the 22nd penalty.

His effort was saved by Geronimo Rulli, which handed Emery his fourth Europa League trophy as a manager. With this defeat, United’s wait for silverware under Solskjaer goes on.

As cited by BBC Sport, Solskjaer told BT Sport post-match that it is vital that learn from this cup final defeat:

“It’s quiet, a disappointed dressing room. That’s football for you. Sometimes it’s decided on one kick – and that’s the difference between winning and losing.

This was Villarreal’s first major title — and third overall after winning the now-extinct UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2003 and 2004.

 

This is the Unai Emery league! Emery has become the first manager to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League four times (thrice with Sevilla — 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 & now with Villarreal 2020-21), surpassing Giovanni …

Business

Naira falls to N490 on black market after CBN widens official window

The pressure on foreign exchange intensified on Wednesday as Nigeria’s currency has weakened to N490 per dollar on the black market. The naira depreciation followed the adoption of N410.25k as official rate by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The new official rate shows a 8.24-percent devaluation from N379/$ previously.…

News / Stories

King Alfred Diete Spiff Palace destroyed in Town brass

One person was reportedly shot when a mob protesting against the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) over years of neglect attacked the palace of the Amayanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff in Brass Council of Bayelsa State.

Indigenes of NAOC’s host community were protesting against protracted power outage, refusal to pay indigenous contractors and failure to meet its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Guardian learnt that the protest, which began on Sunday, May 16, 2020 and lasted till Tuesday, snowballed into chaos where some youths hijacked the rally and attacked Diete-Spiff, during a meeting with the protesters.

It was also learnt that after soldiers attached to Diete-Spiff, a former military administrator of old Rivers State took him to the palace, the mob still proceeded to attack there.

We learnt that the mob destroyed some property, while a soldier, who tried to disperse the mob, shot one of the protesters on the leg.

Responding to the incident, the Brass chapter of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) condemned the attack on Diete-Spiff, saying it would not condone any disrespect for the monarch from indigenes or foreigners.

In statement issued by its Chairman, Hello Richard and representative of the Ijaw clan, Benjamin Tustin, the group said: “Our attention has been drawn to the shooting of a protester by a military personnel during a peaceful protest by the people of Twon Brass Kingdom in Brass Council against Agip.

“From our findings, the protest, triggered into chaos after some persons hijacked it and started fomenting trouble in the process, which eventually led to the attack on Diete-Spiff.

“We further learnt that while trying to protect the monarch, a soldier shot one of the protesters in the leg and the situation generated tension in the community. The shooting took place when some persons hijacked the protest and destroyed part of the palace.”

The group stressed that it had become expedient that the leadership of Brass Clan of IYC should appeal to the people of Brass Kingdom to remain calm and urged security agencies to find

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News / politics

Zuma pleads not guilty to arms and corruption scandals

The corruption trial of former South African President Jacob Zuma began Wednesday more than 25 years after some of his alleged offenses.

Zuma, who was president from 2009 until he was forced out in 2018 amid multiple graft scandals, pleaded not guilty to corruption, racketeering, fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering at Pietermaritzburg High Court.

Among the charges, Zuma is accused of taking bribes from French company Thales to ensure that South Africa signed a multi-billion dollar arms deal with the company in 1999. Zuma was deputy president of South Africa from 1999 until 2005 when he was fired from that role amid allegations of corruption.

Thales, also accused in the trial, pleaded not guilty to racketeering and money laundering.

Zuma was first implicated in corruption by prosecutors in 2005 but charges against him have been dropped and reinstated several times over the years amid allegations of political interference. Most recently they were reinstated in 2018.

Some of the charges against the 79-year-old Zuma date back to the mid-1990s. Prosecutors allege between 1995 and 2001 Zuma and Thales were involved in an organized criminal enterprise. They also accuse Zuma of taking bribes from a former financial advisor as far back as 1995 in exchange for using his political power to advance the advisor’s business interests. That corrupt relationship lasted for 10 years, prosecutors said.

Zuma could be jailed for 25 years if convicted.

On Wednesday, Zuma’s lawyer filed papers calling for the removal of the chief prosecutor in the case, claiming he was biased and Zuma’s right to a fair trial was threatened. The judge said he would consider the application.

Zuma is also facing allegations of corruption while he was president at a separate and ongoing state inquiry into widespread government graft. Zuma has been ordered to appear and testify but has refused to do so, leading the judge overseeing the inquiry to ask South Africa’s highest court to jail Zuma for two years for contempt of court.…

Business / News / Oil & Gas

N320 billion earned by NNPC in Bonga PSC deal

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Bonga Production Sharing Contract (PSC) partners, have signed watershed agreements to unlock $700m (about N320bn) revenue to the federation.

The revenue is expected to be generated by way of gas revenue and lease renewal fees, adding that the pact would also unlock about two billion barrels of oil for Nigeria under the Oil Mining Lease 118.

Under the arrangement, the NNPC and Bonga PSC partners will be executing five agreements that will deliver about $700m of immediate benefit to Nigeria.

The five agreements signed include, dispute settlement agreement, settlement agreement, historical gas agreement, escrow agreement and renewed psc agreement.

It will also help to ensure $6bn savings of arbitral liability on the Federal Government and unlock 10 000 direct and indirect employment opportunities to Nigeria

This new agreement will also help to re-balance fiscal terms and address global competition in prioritization of investments by key players.

The OML 118 with its straddle fields, boast of the presence of the five Major Players in the deep water space not only in Nigeria but also globally.…

Music

Download DJ G Money Amapiano track called ‘ Fanta ‘

DJ G Money pops up with a refreshing Amapiano track called ‘Fanta’ Multi-talented Nigerian artist and disc jockey, DJ G Money is out with a spanking new single ‘Fanta’, distributed by Afri-sounds. The UK based turntables king collaborated with ace producer, Owen D to bring this masterful record to life. ‘Fanta’ is themed around love and feeling good. The production on the song by Owen D is world class featuring an impressive harmonization of synthesizer, trumpet, saxophone, flute, bass guitar, drumkit, organ, piano, steel drum and the trombone .When not on the turntables, DJ G Money has consistently released quality music, scoring major collaborations from the likes of top artists such as Naira Marley, Kwamz, Patoranking, Ghetto Boy, T Classic, Reminisce, LAX, Skales, Oladips, and many more in the past.DJ G Money is a diverse musical creative in the music scene with recent singles ‘Player’ and ‘Roll Dat’ showcasing his producing, writing and arrangement skills. DJ G Money incorporated his DJ and artistic artistry to create something incomparable for peculiar music lovers around the world; welcoming you to his sound, his world and African music; hence why there are flags representing Africa in a positive way. DJ G Money’s energy continues to evolve in 2021 and he will be delivering new projects that fans are eager to vibe to; both as a DJ and as an artist too. ‘Fanta’ is set to be one of the bangers of this year.

 

Download DJ G Money – FANTA Mp3…

Basket Ball / Sports

Rivers Hoopers record first win in Rwanda

After suffering back-to-back losses in their first two games at the ongoing Basketball Africa League (BAL) in Kigali, Rivers Hoopers secured their first win in the tournament on Saturday.

The coach Ogoh Odaudu-tutored side registered an 11-point win over Gendarmerie Nationale Basketball Club of Madagascar (80-69) to the delight of many Nigerians who have been longing for a positive result from the ‘KingsMen’.

Before Saturday’s win, Rivers Hoopers had suffered a 99-70 points defeat against Tunisian champion AS Monastir following the opening day defeat to Rwandan side Patriots BBC.

Like the Hoopers, GNBC had also lost their first two games and desperately needed something positive from Saturday’s tie. It was thus not surprising when they took an early lead but at the end of the first period, both teams were tied at 18-18.

Rivers Hoopers were slightly ahead by the end of the second period at 41-40 but at the end of the third period, both teams were tied again at 59-59.

It was in the final quarter that Rivers hoopers blew their opponent away; winning 21-10 to emerge 80-69 winners. Despite this win, the team from Nigeria still needs to wait to know if they will make the playoffs.…

Athletics / Sports

Team Nigeria beat Canada, Trinidad, others at U.S. relay tour

Team Nigeria’s relays tour of the United States yielded some positive results yesterday, as the country’s men and women 4x100m teams finished tops in their respective races in Texas.

Team Nigeria started the tour of U.S three weeks ago with the PVAMU Invitational in Texas, where the mixed relay team posted a good result.

At yesterday’s event also held in Texas, Team Nigeria defeated Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and some other American clubs in the women’s 4x100m, posting a time of 43.06 seconds, which puts the country at number 11 in the world and number one for the remaining spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Team U.S.A could not raise a complete squad for the relay events yesterday.

Joy Udo-Gabriel started the women’s 4x100m race and handed over to Grace Nwokocha, who handed the baton to Rosemary Chukwuma before Commonwealth Games and two-time African champion, Tobi Amusan, who arrived Team Nigeria’s camp a few days ago, anchored the race in lane 4.

In the men’s 4x100m relay, Nigeria also won, with Enoch Adegoke starting the race and handing the baton to Chidi Okezie, who handed it to Jerry Jakpa, while Godson Brume anchored in lane 5 amidst terrible weather.

Bad weather (lightening and thunder) temporarily put the event on hold. Before then, Nigeria’s long jumper, Ese Brume, was leading her event with 6.61m.

Meanwhile, former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, has praised the athletes for their performances despite the terrible weather condition in Texas yesterday.

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Business / News

Nigeria’s External Loans have caused CBN to adopts market-led FX rate

The burden of external debts on the country could worsen, as the Federal Government would need more amount of Naira than previously required for servicing or liquidating existing loans and others being processed.

The increase is occasioned by the adoption of the market-led Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange (NAFEX) window as the country’s official exchange rate by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The apex bank, yesterday, replaced the official exchange rate with the NAFEX, otherwise known as the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I & E) window. The action came over a week after the monetary authority yanked off the CBN rate from its home page, a decision interpreted as an indication of the adoption of NAFEX rate.

 

Yesterday, Vice Chairman of Highcap Securities Limited, David Adonri, insisted the most expedient option is a full liberalisation of the market, a policy stance that would allow a natural market clearance as obtained in other comparative African economies such as South Africa.

concern about rising external loans came a day after the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) disclosed the search for private sector funds for the financing of infrastructure.

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Basket Ball / Sports

Nba Playoff Updates

Nets vs. Celtics score: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving in perfect sync as Brooklyn takes 2-0 lead

 

In Game 1, Brooklyn’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving took eight 3-pointers each. In Game 2, they took 12 total shots each. The balance these guys are showing, the feel for playing in harmony, is incredible when you consider they only suited up for eight total games together during the regular season.

On Tuesday, Durant led the way with 26 points, while Harden finished with 20 and Irving 15. They shot a collective 20-for-36 from the field, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc and 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. Because the stars are playing such an efficient, balanced brand of offense, the Nets were able to get everyone involved in Game 2 to the tune of 31 team assists. When you have this kind of individual scoring and you’re still racking up 30-plus assists, you’re really onto something.

 

Through the first seven minutes on Tuesday, Harris was 4-for-4 from beyond the arc for 16 points. He finished the first half 5-for-7 from deep for 22 points in 15 minutes. He was a plus-29 for the game.

Harris would be a fantastic shooter and player on any team, but with all the attention that Durant, Harden and Irving command, he’s borderline unfair on the Nets. No shooter who hit 47.5 percent of his 3s in the regular season (as Harris did on over six attempts per game) should get the number of open looks that Harris gets, but what other choice does Boston, or any other defense for that matter, have?

Harris found his looks in a variety of ways. In transition:

Obviously, the Celtics need Tatum to do more than play; they need him to play like a superstar if they want to have a chance to get back in this series. Tatum finished Game 2 with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting. Suffice it to say, that’s not going to get it done.

Tatum

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News / Stories

21-year-old arrested for N2 billion fraud

21-yr-old Nigerian “investment expert’ arrested for allegedly diverting investors’ N2b.

The Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, has arrested one Dominic Ngene Joshua, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Brisk Capital Limited, for allegedly diverting investors’ fund worth over N2 billion.
Twenty-one-year-old Mr Joshua, an indigene of Ebonyi State but who operates from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, was arrested following petitions to the unit by several investors. Joshua lures his victims via social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as newspaper publications where he claimed to be a financial investor that manages funds for individuals and companies.


Victims were conned to invest in Bitcoin, FOREX trading, real estate and oil and gas, with a promise of quick and 60 per cent Return On Investment per month on every fund invested. Funds belonging to over 500 investors were diverted to sponsor extravagant lifestyle, exotic cars, luxury watches, real estates in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The suspect has confessed to the crime, but pleaded to be given time to return the money .The SFU said some of the properties and items purchased with the diverted funds have been recovered from him, and he will be charged at the Federal High Court soon.…

Lifestyle

5 Ways You Can Fix Your Relationship on Your Own

1. Unilaterally disarm. As human beings, we are full of imperfections. We have all been damaged and hurt in unique ways that impact how we relate in our interpersonal relationships. It is easy to identify undesirable traits in our partners. Ironically, the longer we are together and the closer we get to someone, the more we tend to pick them apart for negative characteristics.

When a couple enter, they are often brimming with complaints about their partners. The difficulties and dynamics have become so complex that it is hard to sort through the many offenses of which they’ve accused each other. Chances are, in most cases, both parties are right and both are wrong.

Thus, my first piece of advice to couples is simple, drop it. Stop the blame game and start taking responsibility for your own actions. In order to resolve real issues, it’s helpful to abandon the case you’ve long been building, address your part of the problem, and start fresh with a clean slate. When you are vulnerable you are more likely to achieve what you want.

2. Observe before reacting. Naturally, letting go of past grudges and grievances won’t prevent you from getting into trouble in the future. When a conflict does arise, it’s an important exercise not to always react automatically in the moment.

At a recent presentation I attended on mindfulness, someone described how, like a train, negative thoughts will come rushing by, but we can choose whether or not we get on. Take some time to step away and focus on something besides the conflict for a while. Since it takes two to tango, stopping yourself from being reactive in the moment prevents the argument from escalating into seriously destructive territory.

When you calm yourself down, you should sit back and observe what is going on. Times of conflict can be experienced as life-threatening, but in calming yourself down, you are in an adult, more rational state and can check in and see what’s real. You may realize you are projecting negative thoughts …

News

Super Blood Moon

Stargazers across the Pacific Rim can cast their eyes skyward on Wednesday night and behold a “Super Blood Moon”, as the heavens align to bring a rare celestial twin treat.

The first total lunar eclipse in two years is happening at the same time as the moon is closest to Earth, in what astronomers say will be a once-in-a-decade show.

If the skies are clear, anyone living between Australia and the central United States will be able to see an enormous, bright, orangey-red moon.

The main event will be between 1111-1125 GMT — late evening in Sydney and pre-dawn in Los Angeles — when the moon will be entirely in the Earth’s shadow.

The moon will darken and turn red — a result of sunlight refracting off the Earth’s rim onto the lunar surface — basking our satellite in a sunrise- or sunset-tinged glow.

Unlike a solar eclipse, the phenomenon will be safely visible to the naked eye.

This eclipse will be different because it happens during a “super moon”, when the moon passes a mere 360,000 kilometres (225,000 miles) from Earth.

At that point, it can appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than at its farthest point — a difference of around 50,000 kilometres (30,000 miles).

“Interest has been high,” said Andrew Jacobs curator of astronomy at Sydney Observatory, who is hosting a Covid-safe viewing event with telescopes and expert speakers. “I’m expecting a clear night.”

The event will also be live-streamed, and 20,000 users have already registered.

For those wanting to see the event in person, Jacobs predicted the best view will be in “Australia, New Zealand, and large parts of the Pacific. New Guinea also gets a good view.”

“The Americas see it in the early morning, but they don’t necessarily see all parts of the eclipse,” he said.

“Europe and Africa and the Middle East are missing out completely, on this particular one.”

According to NASA’s Bill Cooke, “folks in Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands will get to see the entirety of this eclipse

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