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Audio cassette tape inventor Lou Ottens dies aged 94

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Audio cassette tape inventor Lou Ottens dies aged 94

Lou Ottens, the Dutch engineer credited with inventing the audio cassette tape, has died aged 94.

An estimated 100 billion cassette tapes have been sold around the world since they were introduced in the 1960s.

Ottens’ invention transformed the way people listened to music, and there has even been a resurgence of the cassette in recent years.
The engineer died in his hometown of Duizel last weekend, his family announced on Tuesday.

The BBC reports that Ottens became head of Philips’ product development department in 1960, where he and his team developed the cassette tape.

In 1963, it was presented at the Berlin Radio electronics fair and soon became a worldwide success.

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Ottens struck a deal with Philips and Sony that saw his model confirmed as the patented cassette, after a number of Japanese companies reproduced similar tapes in a number of sizes.

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On the 50th anniversary of its creation, he told Time magazine that it was a “sensation” from day one.

image captionBillions of cassette tapes have been sold around the world since their invention in the 1960s

Ottens was also involved in the development of the compact disk, and more than 200 billion of those have been sold worldwide to date.

In 1982, when Philips showed off a production CD player, Ottens said: “From now on, the conventional record player is obsolete”.

He retired four years later. When asked about his career, he said his biggest regret was that Sony and not Philips had created the iconic cassette tape player, the Walkman.
Cassette tapes have experienced an unlikely surge in popularity in recent years. A number of artists including Lady Gaga and The Killers have released their music on them.

According to the Official Charts Company in the UK, the sale of cassettes in the first half of 2020 increased by 103% compared to the same time period the previous year.
And in the US, according to Nielsen music, sales of cassette tapes grew by 23% in 2018 compared with the previous year.

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JAMB Arrests Two, Parent over Result Falsification

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced the arrest of two candidates and a parent for falsifying 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results using Artificial Intelligence and other electronic tools.

The disclosure came as the board released scores for 632,788 candidates who sat the examination on Thursday, April 16.

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JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement, said the suspects were apprehended for manipulating official SMS result notifications to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to deceive others, including parents and guardians.

“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement read.

Benjamin warned that such conduct constituted a serious criminal offence and that the board would pursue all culpable persons to the full extent of the law.

He also cautioned candidates against tampering with result messages from JAMB’s official SMS platforms, 55019 and 66019.

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Group asks Governor Yusuf to appoint Ganduje’s daughter as Kano Deputy Governor

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A group has called on the Governor of Kano State to appoint the daughter of former Governor of Kano, Dr. Asiya Balaraba Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as Deputy Governor.

The group, known as Haɗin Kan Jam’iyyar APC ‘Yan Dangole from Kano State, expressed its support for Dr. Asiya Ganduje to become the Deputy Governor of Kano State.

According to the group, Dr. Asiya Ganduje is a woman committed to serving the people, especially the youth, through various programs that have improved their lives.

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They stated that she has demonstrated competence and dedication in politics, contributing to opportunities for youth and women in areas such as education, skills acquisition, and self-reliance.

The group also emphasized that Dr. Asiya Ganduje possesses compassion and vision for improving the lives of citizens, while encouraging women to participate in politics and economic activities.

Furthermore, they praised her cooperative character and loyalty to party principles, saying this has made her a role model for women and youth.

In conclusion, the group declared that her appointment as Deputy Governor would help bring progress, unity, and prosperity to the people of Kano State.

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UTME 2026: JAMB to Release Day 1 Exam Results Today Before Midnight

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the results of all candidates who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Thursday, April 16, 2026, will be released on Friday, April 17.

Spokesperson of the board, Fabian Benjamin, announced this in a post on X, noting that an announcement would be made when the results are available.

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“This is to inform all candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16th April 2026, that their results will be released today before midnight. An official announcement will be made to the public and posted on this page as soon as the results are available. Thank you,” he wrote.

Scheduled to run through April 22, the examination is structured into four daily sessions beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m., a framework designed to manage the large volume of candidates and reduce congestion at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.

This year, nearly 2.2 million candidates are participating across 966 accredited centres, each expected to meet operational benchmarks such as functional computer systems, stable internet connectivity and electricity as well as adequately trained personnel.

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