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What Nigerians In US, Canada, Mexico Should Not Do During Solar Eclipse In April 8

Published

2 years ago

April 6, 2024

As the total solar eclipse is going to happen on April 8, 2024, in North America, Nigerians living in Mexico, the United States (US), and Canada, are enjoined to take note of certain things to avoid.

The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean, which will occur when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking out the sun’s light partially or entirely.

The solar eclipse has always been seen as an important celestial event and has thrilled human beings for centuries.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon, in its orbit around the Earth, places itself directly between the Earth and the Sun.

Meanwhile, as the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepare for the solar eclipse, there are precautions for the people who will experience it including Nigerians residing in these North American countries.

A report said, “The Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean.

“Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT. The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

“Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.”

Meanwhile, below are the things to do and not do during an eclipse in the US, Canada, and Mexico:

Use eye protection

Staring directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause permanent eye damage. People to experience it are advised to use specially designed solar viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers to protect their eyes from harmful rays.

Take care of your pets

While humans now have access to abundant information, animals may become confused or agitated during an eclipse due to the sudden change in light. So, Nigerians in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, are enjoined to keep their pets indoors or in a secure location to prevent them from harming themselves or running away.

Take photographs with safety

If you have decided to capture the eclipse with your camera or your smartphone, make sure to take proper precautions with that too. Make sure you have a solar filter to protect your device’s lens and your eyes. Never look directly at the sun through a camera or binoculars without appropriate filters.

Enjoy the moment

A solar eclipse is a rare and awe-inspiring event. And so if your thoughts and beliefs allow you to, take the time to appreciate this beauty of nature and the wonders of the universe, but with proper protection.

What to NOT do during the eclipse

Don’t look directly at the sun
Citizens and foreigners like Nigerians in the US, Mexico, and Canada should not look directly at the sun during the total eclipse. Myths, beliefs and superstitions apart, staring at the sun during an eclipse, even for a few seconds, can cause severe eye damage or blindness. Always use proper eye protection or indirect viewing methods.

Don’t use unfiltered devices

Seeing the eclipse through smartphones, cameras, or telescopes without adequate solar filters can result in irreversible damage to the equipment and pose a risk to your eyesight as well. So, make sure to have the right equipment.

Don’t look for do-it-yourself options

While it is tempting to explore and experiment, try not to when your eyesight and your camera or other device are at stake. Homemade filters, such as smoked glass, CDs, or sunglasses, are not safe for viewing a solar eclipse and these makeshift filters do not provide sufficient protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

Don’t panic

Although there are many different myths and beliefs associated with the Solar eclipse, in the age of information, it is better to not panic. There is no need to panic or fear during an eclipse. As long as you follow certain safety guidelines and stay informed, no harm can happen due to the moon blocking the sun.

VANGUARD

Related Topics:#US Canada Mexico Nigerians US Eclipse

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Russia Insists Ukraine Must Cede Land Or Face Continued Military Push

Published

18 hours ago

November 27, 2025

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would end his Ukraine offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims at its own — otherwise his army would take it by force.

The Russian army has been slowly but steadily grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly battles against outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces.

Washington has meanwhile renewed its push to end the nearly four-year war, putting forward a surprise plan that it hopes to finalise through upcoming talks with Moscow and Kyiv.

“If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations,” Putin said during a visit to Kyrgyzstan. “If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.”

Russia controls around one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. The issue of occupied land, which Kyiv has said it will never cede, is among the biggest stumbling blocks in the peace process.

Another important issue in the talks are Western security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv says are needed to prevent Moscow from invading again in the future.

Washington’s original plan — drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies — would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.

The US pared back the original plan over the weekend following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but has not yet released the new version.

Putin, who has seen the new plan, said it could be a negotiation starter.

“Overall, we agree that it could form the basis for future agreements,” he said of the latest draft, which the US is thought to have shortened to about 20 points.

US negotiator Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow next week to discuss the revised document, Putin said.

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is meanwhile due to visit Kyiv later this week, Ukraine’s top presidential aide Andriy Yermak said.

– ‘Little can be done’ –

In his remarks Thursday, Putin repeated the claim that Russia had encircled the Ukrainian army in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region — the most fiercely embattled area and a key target for Moscow’s forces.

“Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov are completely surrounded,” he said, using the Russian names for the cities.

Moscow was also advancing in Vovchansk and Siversk, as well as approaching the important logistic hub of Guliaipole, he added.

The Russian offensive “is practically impossible to hold back, so there is little that can be done about it”, Putin said.

Ukraine has denied Pokrovsk and Myrnograd are encircled, insisting its forces continue to hold the enemy along the front line.

Putin also questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy and said signing any agreement with him would be legally “almost impossible” at the moment, a suggestion that has drawn groans from Kyiv and its allies.

According to data analysed by AFP from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have conquered an average of 467 square kilometres (180 square miles) each month in 2025 — a step up from 2024.

Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the worst armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.

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Morocco Jails French Rapper Maes For Kidnapping Bid

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2 days ago

November 26, 2025

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A Moroccan court has sentenced French rapper Maes to seven years in prison on charges including the formation of a criminal gang and attempted kidnapping, local reports said Wednesday.

Maes, who has roots in Morocco and whose real name is Walid Georgey, was arrested upon landing in Morocco in January after fleeing the United Arab Emirates, where he feared he could be extradited to France, the reports said.

French authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for him over a separate criminal case.

He appeared in court late Tuesday and was found guilty of “forming a criminal organisation, attempted abduction and unlawful confinement” of a rival in Morocco, news website TelQuel reported.

The rapper with over a billion views on his YouTube channel was accused of tasking a gang and hitmen with killing the rival, but the plot was foiled, TelQuel added.

Maes has denied all charges, with his lawyers calling the case “empty” and “arguing that no evidence linked him to the other defendants”, TelQuel added.

Ten other people were sentenced as part of the case, with terms ranging from one to 10 years, according to news website Media24.

AFP was unable to independently verify the reports as prosecutors were not immediately reachable for comment.

In 2020, when Maes was one of France’s most-streamed rappers, he fell victim to extortion attempts in his native Sevran, a suburb north of Paris, according to reports.

He retaliated by opening fire with weapons he had at home, leading to a shootout. He then fled to Dubai with his family, according to an interview with French YouTube channel LEGEND.

Following the killing of his manager in 2022, he was suspected of ordering reprisals against those he believed were behind the murder, according to reports.

AFP

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UK Court Clears Comedy Writer Of Harassing Transgender Woman

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2 days ago

November 26, 2025

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A London court on Tuesday cleared Emmy award-winning comedy writer Graham Linehan of harassing a transgender activist online but found him guilty of criminal damage to their mobile phone.

Linehan, who co-created the popular 1990s sitcom “Father Ted” but has more recently become well-known for his gender critical views, had been accused of sending Sophia Brooks “abusive and vindictive” messages on social media.

He was also charged with criminal damage after deliberately knocking a phone out of Brooks’s hand as they filmed him on the sidelines of a London conference.

Ruling on the case, District Judge Briony Clarke said she was not convinced Linehan’s conduct “was oppressive and unacceptable beyond merely unattractive, annoying or irritating”.

Clarke also concluded Brooks was not “as alarmed and distressed as they portrayed themself to be”.

But convicting Linehan of criminal damage, the judge ruled he was “angry and fed up” and did not use “reasonable force” when the phone was taken from Brooks.

Clarke fined him £500 ($655) and ordered him to pay costs of £650 and a statutory surcharge of £200.

The Irish writer, who also co-created the popular sitcoms “Black Books” and “The IT Crowd”, became embroiled in a free speech row in Britain earlier this year over his anti-transgender stance.

It followed his arrest at London’s Heathrow Airport by armed police over accusations of inciting violence with his X posts insulting transgender people.

The arrest sparked a backlash and claims of state overreach, including from US tech billionaire Elon Musk. But in October, UK prosecutors said they would take “no further action” in that case.

AFP