Any of his players who want to play for Ireland should focus on their club performances, according to Ulster head coach Richie Murphy, which will open up opportunities for international success.
In four autumn internationals in November, Ireland takes on Australia, South Africa, Japan, and New Zealand.
In Simon Easterby’s initial Six Nations squad in February, only three Ulster players were named, compared to 23 Leinster and 5 Connacht.
That was a reflection of Ulster’s poor season, which saw them finish 14th in the United Rugby Championship.
It is “off the back of performances.” Our boys must wear that white shirt and perform exceptionally well, Murphy told BBC Sport NI regarding those who are aiming for Ireland selection in the autumn.
“Don’t be looking for anything else; that’s the message we’re sending to our group.” Make us play really well, and look at us.
You will receive acknowledgement right off the bat, and people will notice.
The vehicle must be an Ulster team in order to be admitted to a green jersey, and the more successful we are, the more numbers we can be in that squad.
Ulster defeated Dragons 42-21 in Belfast to begin their United Rugby Championship campaign after a disappointing first season.
Murphy, who claimed a 47-17 win over Ulster in May, knows his side can improve in Friday’s second game in Edinburgh, where scoring six tries was a “good return.”
“Any game requires six tries, and that’s a good return.” There are many other opportunities for improvement as we looked at it.
This is the approach we are trying to take this year. How can we improve and improve, despite our best efforts to win and score five points in our first game?
“We see things in our game that we weren’t overly happy with, but we’ll try to fix them in training and incorporate that into the game.”
Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of diminishing what was once a promising nation at Nigeria’s independence.
READ ALSO: Independence Day: The Worst Is Over, Yesterday’s Pains Are Giving Way To Relief, Tinubu Tells Nigerians
He stated this at a press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja on Wednesday.
“In 1999, we overcame military dictatorship and restored democracy, beginning a renewed journey toward prosperity, freedom, and justice.
“That journey helped us build Africa’s largest economy and strengthen democratic institutions. But over the last decade, under the APC’s incompetent, divisive, and corrupt leadership, Nigeria has been greatly diminished,” said Obi.
‘Bleak Picture’
Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, said Nigeria had been poised at independence in 1960 to not only be the giant of Africa but a world powerhouse.
He argued that despite the polices of the current administration plunging over 15 million people below the poverty line in its first year alone, it still pursues a tax regime, demanding its citizens pay more to the government despite benefiting little or nothing in return.
“Today, the picture is bleak. Our total debt stands at about ₦175 trillion, nearly 50 percent of GDP, without any improvement in productive sectors. Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. Our democracy is now described as ‘undemocratic.’” he stated.
Insecurity
He also slammed the APC-led government for what he called reckless borrowing that has further impoverished the nation with its leaders feasting while the people are fasting.
“In just one year, this administration pushed over 15 million Nigerians into acute poverty. Today, more than 150 million Nigerians lack access to basic healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.
“This number grows daily under an APC government that pursues brutal revenue-driven policies while ignoring the welfare of its people. Nigeria now ranks among the lowest in the world on human development indicators.
“This government taxes struggling citizens and small businesses heavily, while indulging in extravagance. Billions are spent on new presidential jets, yachts, and luxury cars that cost more than the entire 2024 budget for primary healthcare,” the former presidential candidated added.
On insecurity, Obi claimed that billions of naira had been paid as ransom, with Nigerians increasingly unsafe in the nation due to an apparent lack of leadership and direction.
‘Old Politics Must End’
He is, however, confident that Nigeria can overcome these challenges with competent, compassionate, and people-centred leadership, drawing from examples like Indonesia, Bangladesh, and India.
“The current administration’s failures must not lead us to despair. They should instead fuel our determination to rebuild. Nigeria has the resources, talent, and resilience to become an industrialised nation in record time.
“With the right leadership, we can defeat terrorism, restore security, and guarantee Nigerians safe communities where enterprise and social life can thrive. We must end a system where leaders feast while the people starve, where politics enriches a few and impoverishes the many,” the former governor said.
According to him, the “old politics must end,” and a “new politics of prosperity” for all must begin.
President Bola Tinubu, during his nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, assured Nigerians that with the reforms carried out by his administration, the worst is over.
Leke Alder, a strategist, claims that intelligent voters are the only ones who can support democracy.
“Democracy only succeeds when voters are educated,” says the statement. There is no such thing as a game of numbers. Alder said on Wednesday at the event held by Covenant Nation in Iganmu, Lagos, that true democracy is a game of smart numbers.
The lawyer, who spoke at the event, presented a session on electronic voting and celebrated Nigeria’s Independence Day.
He claimed that adopting e-voting was neither difficult nor impossible for Nigeria.
It is not particularly sophisticated, and almost 80% of Nigerians are intelligent. That is very high praise for our nation, he claimed.
INCLUDES: [Independence Day:] Joe Abah’s 1966 Military Coup Was Nigeria’s Worst National Tragedy
He criticized the current voting process, arguing that the real issue is with elected officials’ ability to respond to the electorate.
They are on their own once you cast your ballot. They are stealing money. You are not entirely familiar with them. How well-known are their representatives? he inquired.
The people are given no more power. By spending eight hours at the polling station, he continued, “you are discouraged from voting.”
Why Is It Possible To Vote on Phone?
A ballot box
Alder claimed that Nigerians could vote on sensitive matters using both mobile and electronic means. He also urged young people to demand changes.
It is doable, they say. Why can’t we vote on our phones and still be able to do everything, even make payments to God with our phones? he inquired.
“EndSARS was organized by the youths. Why won’t they pass this legislation? My generation, who are primarily in their 60s and 70s, will continue in this manner if they don’t, which is not working. How many people are satisfied?
He questioned Nigeria’s contradictions, asking, “Why can Nigerians do so well anywhere but Nigeria”?
Ending Money Politics
Leke Alder
Alder urged urgent changes to end election rigging and vote-buying.
There must be electoral reforms in order to correct these anomalies. It must be avoided from spending a lot of money at the polling booth.
It’s not productive, they say. Why can’t we use a phone to poll voters? He inquired.
Alder urged a shift to true representative governance and argued that the government cannot solve the issue of unemployment alone.
The government is unable to employ every person on the job market. That number can only be significantly reduced by the private sector.
Every time Lauren Bell plays for England, she always sports two bracelets.
They are made at home; one word says “focus,” the other says “reset,” and they represent a small portion of Bell’s rapid progression from promising youngster to attacking leader in three years.
The 24-year-old is gearing up for her first 50-over World Cup, which will be played in Sri Lanka and India, and is a top-notch seamer.
With 24 wickets in 16 one-day internationals and an economy rate of just over five runs per over, she has been England’s most consistent pace bowler since the start of 2024. With 19 wickets won in nine matches, she also took the top spot in The Hundred.
Bell is incredibly clear about what makes her tick and has an infectious optimism about her career.
I quickly discovered in cricket that I must concentrate to get the most out of myself because I can be distracted and drift away quickly, Bell said.
A bad ball can suddenly make a bad over, and a bad over can turn into a bad spell as a bowler.
England vs. South Africa: Women’s World Cup
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Before Bell had made her international debut, Bell had won the previous 50-over World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, but after England A and England A met for the winter in Australia, she was chosen as a traveling reserve.
When the rest of the squad had returned home after contracting Covid-19, Bell became bored and alone in quarantine. She wants to make her mark on the most recent edition when England play South Africa on Friday, which is of little surprise.
When Bell was asked how her career had changed since that tournament, Bell responded, “It’s crazy.
Even as a reserve, “Looking back]to 2022” was way beyond my expectations.
Bell’s ability to swing the ball so intently into the right-handed batter was her main selling point when she first started playing international cricket, but she spent the majority of her 2024 refining her swings to add more weight to her bow.
Bell is England’s strike powerplay bowler, and her confidence when bowling during that phase, which is frequently thought to be one of the most difficult, demonstrates her faith and determination in her mental attitude. She now swings the ball both ways and with clever variations in pace.
You’re obviously hitting the best batters, Bell said, but I take it another way: I get to swing the ball, so you know it’s a big chance for wickets.
It’s the ideal time to bowl, in my opinion. I believe that this is a chance for me to start playing.
Instead of worrying that it will make it easy for them to score boundaries, I enjoy opening the bowling.
With Em Arlott and Lauren Filer serving as the other frontline seamers and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt playing all-rounder, head coach Charlotte Edwards removed veteran seamer Kate Cross from England’s squad, giving Bell additional responsibility.
As all teams experienced at the T20 World Cup last year in the United Arab Emirates, the conditions in Guwahati have been extremely humid and challenging.
This has been a factor for Bell, who might have had little time to rest because he could start the bowling with spinners.
Nobody would have seen what we did behind the scenes, she said.
Nobody will notice that we ran these long-running and top-up sessions after games during The Hundred.
I want to ensure that I can bowl as quickly as I can in the final over of the tournament as I can in the first one, especially for me as a seamer.”
Bell may be playing in Bell’s first World Cup, but she might be one of England’s most significant players.
After Congress failed to pass a new spending bill, forcing operations that were deemed inescapable to close, the United States federal government shut down at 12:01 am East Coast time (4:01 GMT).
President Trump has threatened to use the impasse to force widespread federal employee layoffs.
Republicans and Democrats continue to disagree on spending priorities as they push for cuts to social programs, foreign aid, and healthcare.
Washington has not experienced this level of hostility before. Every US government shutdown since 1976, including how long they have existed, and which administration was in place, is depicted in the graphic below.
(Al Jazeera)
A government shutdown is what?
Parts of the federal government must close until a spending plan is approved in the event that Congress does not pass a budget agreement.
Because the government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, shutdowns typically occur in October.
How frequently has the government been in office?
1976 was the start of the current budget process. The government has since experienced 20 funding gaps, which have caused 10 government shutdowns.
When Congress does not pass a budget or stopgap spending bill (also known as a continuing resolution), leaving the government without the authority to spend money, funding occurs.
If temporary funding measures expire before a long-term agreement is reached, a single shutdown may result in multiple funding gaps.
Only if the government’s operations actually cease as a result of this funding gap.
Prior to the 1980s, funding gaps did not typically result in shutdowns, and organizations continued to operate assuming funding would be restored soon.
Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti issued legal opinions after 1980 stating that agencies are required to spend money without the approval of Congress. Only essential services, such as law enforcement, air traffic control, and national security, could continue.
Since 1982, funding gaps have more frequently resulted in complete or partial government shutdowns until the standoff is resolved by Congress.
The last government shutdown occurred when?
After President Donald Trump, who was in his first term, and Democratic politicians reached a deadlock over the president’s request for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, a demand that Democrats opposed, the government shutdown occurred in December 2018 and January 2019.
What shutdown lasted the longest?
Trump announced he had reached a tentative agreement with congressional leaders to reopen the government for three weeks while border wall negotiations continued, making the shutdown 35 days long, the longest in US history.
What transpires during a shutdown?
Nonessential federal services are suspended or reduced while a government shutdown occurs, and many government employees are furloughed or given unpaid leave.
While essential personnel, such as those in the military, law enforcement, and air traffic controllers, are required to continue working, frequently without pay, until funding is restored.
How are government shutdowns ended?
When Congress passes a continuing resolution that provides short-term funding while continuing negotiations for a longer-term budget, shutdowns are typically resolved.
Every shutdown has come to an end with the passage of a continuing resolution since 1990.
What services are being discontinued?
Nonessential federal employees, as well as people and businesses that rely on government services, are the main victims of a shutdown.
The nation’s top employer is the federal government. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by the Pew Research Center, it had a little more than 3 million workers as of November, or 1.9 percent of the civilian workforce.
About 750, 000 federal employees could be furloughed each day, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and their lost pay would add up to about $400 million per day if funding runs out in fiscal year 2026. Because some organizations may increase layoffs as the shutdown drags on longer while others may re-establish some employees, the exact number of furloughed workers may change over time.
Numerous services and organizations have been impacted by previous shutdowns, including:
Monuments and national parks
Federal museums
Federal projects for research
Processing of a number of government benefits
IRS Taxpayer Services
What services are still in use?
Numerous essential government functions are still in operation even during a shutdown. Some continue because they are deemed necessary for public safety and welfare, while others are funded through self-sustaining or mandatory programs. Examples include:
