Author: Doris Emmanuel

Former National Vice Chairman North West of the All Progressives Congress APC, Abdukadir Inuwa is dead. Abdukadir, who passed away on Monday, July 6, was the former Minister of Youth and Sports Development during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. He was also a member of the APC’s national working committee that was dissolved recently. Although his death is not confirmed whether it is connected to Covid-19, multiple sources stated that the APC leader was sick in the early hours of Monday and later gave up the ghost.

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Nigeria’s confirmed cases of coronavirus reached 28,711 on Sunday night following 544 fresh infections, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in an update. Lagos recorded 199 of the 544 cases, followed by Ebonyi with 65, Oyo with 47 and Ondo 46. The rest are: “Ogun – 31, Edo – 30, FCT – 28, Katsina – 25, Plateau – 15, Bayelsa – 11, Kaduna – 10, Adamawa – 10, Akwa Ibom – 8, Gombe – 7, Kano – 4, Taraba – 3, Rivers – 2, Abia – 2, Ekiti – 1” The total confirmed cases so far in Nigeria…

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The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), Ebonyi State chapter, Comrade Tony Nwizi, has been reportedly arrested by the Police. The Nation reports that he was picked up on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu. According to a statement by the Police spokesperson in Ebonyi, Loveth Odah, ”agents came into Ebonyi yesterday from the Anti-Kidnaping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command. They wanted their papers to be signed so they could effect an arrest”. “We are still on the matter, in order to confirm if he was the one that they came for. The identity…

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Nigeria, on Sunday night, recorded 490  new cases of Coronavirus across the country. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control revealed this on its twitter handle. Data obtained from the NCDC showed that the total number of confirmed infections in the country is now 24,567. 9007 patients have been discharged in the country and 565 patients have died. The breakdown of cases, according to each state on Sunday is as follows: Lagos-118 Delta-84 Ebonyi-68 FCT-56 Plateau-39 Edo-29 Katsina-21 Imo-13 Ondo-12 Adamawa-11 Osun-8 Ogun-8 Rivers-6 Kano-5 Enugu-3 Bauchi-3 Akwa Ibom-3 Kogi-1 Oyo-1 Bayelsa-1

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Robots have been acquired for the processing of passengers at the Departure Hall of airports in Nigeria. The Federal Government of Nigeria recently made the procurement of the machines. The profiling robots can be programmed to identify unwanted items and check the temperature. The government via NTA News Twitter handle on Saturday disclosed this, as the test run was done at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. It tweeted, “It can be programmed to identify unwanted items and check the temperature. It is interactive and can lead to or direct passengers.” The robots would be used for passenger facilitation processes…

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Global coronavirus cases neared 10 million on Sunday according to a Reuters tally, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months. The figure is roughly double the number of severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organisation. The milestone will come as many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns while making extensive alterations to work and a social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available. Some countries are experiencing a resurgence in infections, leading authorities…

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Kelly Asbury, who directed Oscar-nominated films including “Shrek 2” and “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” has died at the age of 60.  The American animated film director on died Friday, June 26, in Los Angeles following a long battle with abdominal cancer, a representative for Asbury, Nancy Newhouse Porter confirmed in a statement.  Asbury, who started his career at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1983, directed five animated feature films during his career: “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” which was released in 2002; “Shrek 2″ in 2004, which he co-directed with Conrad Vernon; 2011’s “Gnomeo & Juliet”; 2017’s “Smurfs: The…

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Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO has called Jeff Bezos a copycat. Musk took to Twitter to bash the Bezos founder and CEO of Amazon after his company purchased Zoox, a self-driving technology company, for $1 billion. ‘Jeff Bezos is a copy [cat emoji] haha,’ said Musk in the tweet which also linked a report from the Financial Times about Amazon’s acquisition of Zoox. The comment is about Musk’s ventures with Tesla’s self-driving cars. Zoox, like Tesla, is focused on making self-driving cars and AI software. Musk’s critical tweet is the second public swipe at Bezos this month. Zoox is developing its…

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Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has emerged the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Edo State. Chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma disclosed this on Monday in Benin City, the state capital. Uzodinma said the election was a formality in accordance with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the other aspirants had already stepped down before the polls. Meanwhile, Victor Giadom, who’s tenure as Chairman of the APC, was recently extended one week by the court said the party’s primary to select a candidate for the…

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana has formally issued an apology to the Nigerian Government, following an attack on the Nigerian High Commission’s building in Accra. It can be recalled that some armed men broke into the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana, on Friday, destroying some apartments under construction. In a press statement, Ghana’s foreign affairs ministry said it views the act as a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations – an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between countries. It expressed regrets over the demolition, saying; “Investigations are ongoing to unravel the…

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Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki is currently at the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja for screening by the party’s screening committee. The screening exercise would enable him to contest the Edo state governorship election primaries. Obaseki arrived at the popular Wadata Plaza at about 2.40pm and was accompanied by his aides and some members of his party from Edo state. It could be recalled that the governor moved to PDP after being disqualified by the APC on the grounds of defective educational certificates.  Gideon Ikhine, Ogbeide Ihama and Kenneth Imansuangbon, were earlier screened by the…

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President Muhammadu Buhari has urged for patience in the military’s fight against bandits in north-western states. Last week in Katsina state 150 gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on residents, looting shops and stealing cattle in the village of Kadisau. In a statement tweeted by his spokesperson, President Buhari said he had approved a joint military and police operation to fight the bandits in the states of Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto. “President Buhari appeals to the people of Katsina State to be patient and supportive of the ongoing military operations in the state while sympathising with those who are…

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Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has formally announced his decision to resign his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress. He announced this as he updated newsmen on the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday 16th June. APC’s screening committee had earlier disqualified Obaseki over discrepancies in his HSC and NYSC certificates.  Rumours are flying that the governor might default to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a major opponent of the APC. 

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Beijing has recorded 36 new locally-transmitted coronavirus cases, amid fears of a second wave in the Chinese capital. Another 36 cases were also recorded on Saturday. The city had previously seen no new cases in more than 50 days. The country’s Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called on officials to take “decisive measures”, warning that the risk of further spread remained high. The outbreak has been linked to the city’s largest wholesale market. A total of 79 cases are linked to the Xinfadi market, said the Global Times. Three other provinces – Liaoning, Hebei and Sichuan – have also reported confirmed…

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Nigeria records 627 new COVID-19 cases, another high for two consecutive days, the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control(NCDC)  says. In a tweet on Friday, the centre said Nigeria has 15,181 cases of the COVID-19. The NCDC also said that as at June 12, 12 deaths were recorded. The however said that no new state had reported a case in the last 24 hours. NCDC said that Lagos state again led the state ranking with 229 new cases. Abuja trailed behind, reporting 65 new infections. Other states with new infections include Abia (54), Borno (42), Oyo (35), Rivers (28), Rivers (28),…

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday addressed Nigerians on the occasion of the Democracy Day. Read the speech by the President below: NATIONAL BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ON DEMOCRACY DAY, JUNE 12TH 2020 Fellow Nigerians, 1.  The 2020 celebration of Democracy Day marks 21 years of uninterrupted civil administration in our dear country. This day provides us an opportunity to reflect on our journey as a nation, our achievements and struggles. 2.  It is a day to honour our founding fathers who toiled to establish our republic and every Nigerian who has worked tirelessly to sustain it. 3. We are…

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Today, the term “digital asset” is increasingly used in publications about both economic development and new technologies. However, until recently, it did not have a precise definition due to the diverse interpretations. The word “digital” initially meant information expressed as numbers. In turn, from an economic point of view, the word “asset” means any subject of objective reality that has a certain value for its holder. The world, however, is ever-changing and the development trends of economic sectors, financial technologies and the reforms of legal regulations should be taken into account to define the concept of a digital asset. Thus,…

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Nigerian reggae musician Majek Fashek has died at the age of 57. He was popular for hits such as Send Down the Rain and So Long for Too Long. The musician died in his sleep in New York, his manager Omenka Uzoma told the BBC. Mr Uzoma, writing on Instagram, said it was “a time for us all to celebrate his achievements, and not mourn”. The musician, whose real name was Majekodunmi Fasheke, also worked with stars like Jimmy Cliff, Tracy Chapman and Snoop Dogg. “He’s done a lot for Nigeria and Africa,” his manager said. Majek Fashek has been…

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Kellie Chauvin, the wife of sacked Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck till he died, said she is filing for divorce after 10 years of marriage. In a statement issued by her attorney, Kellie said she is devastated by the killing of the 46-year-old. Her attorney said she filed for divorce as a result of this week’s incident. The former Minneapolis Officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged Friday in connection with Floyd’s death, which has prompted nationwide protests that have turned violent. He faces 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter charges. “She is devastated by Mr. Floyd’s death.…

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The World Health Organization is worried Africa could face a “silent epidemic” if its leaders do not prioritise testing of coronavirus, an official is quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. “My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack of testing is leading to a silent epidemic in Africa. So we must continue to push leaders to prioritise testing,” special envoy Samba Sow is reported to have told a news conference on Monday. There have been almost 3,400 deaths and almost 115,000 infections across Africa according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control – so far…

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Nigeria has fined British aviation company Flairjet after its plane contravened a ban on commercial flights imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the aviation minister has said. The FlairJet plane was impounded on 17 May for carrying passengers despite only having approval for humanitarian operations. The west African country has banned passenger flights into the country, except those repatriating Nigerian citizens or evacuating foreign nationals. Minister Hadi Sirika said on Twitter the company was fined for violating civil aviation regulations and had been reported to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Flairjet were found to violate our Civil Aviation Regulations…

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A TV channel in the UK owned by one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant evangelical pastors has been sanctioned by Ofcom, the broadcasting authority in London. The authority punished Chris Oyakhilome’s Loveworld Limited, which runs the Loveworld channel that can be viewed in the UK, “after a news programme and a live sermon included potentially harmful claims about causes of, and treatments for, Covid-19”. Pastor Oyakhilome has linked the virus to 5G networks and alleged that it was part of a plot to create a “new world order”. Such views have been widely condemned by scientists, who say the idea of…

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Thomas Thabane has announced he will step down as prime minister of Lesotho following months of pressure after he was named as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife. He did not say when he would leave office but his party said a new premier would be sworn in on Wednesday. The 80-year-old’s current wife, with whom he was living at the time of the murder, was charged in connection with the killing in February.  The pair have denied any involvement. “I decided to personally come and inform you that I am stepping down as prime minister of Lesotho,”…

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The COVID-19 has come with strict social distancing norms, but as people stay indoors at an unprecedented rate, relationships seem to be blooming, a survey by a relationship health app has found. While over three-fourths have learnt something new about their partners, almost half (47 percent) of married and engaged respondents and over one-third (38 percent) of those dating, believe that their relationship has grown stronger during this period, Lasting, a guided marriage counselling application from The Knot Worldwide has found. The ‘At Home Together’ survey was conducted with singles, newlyweds and married couples as well as those currently in…

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China’s Ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, has died in his apartment in a suburb of Tel Aviv, Israeli media report. Mr Du, 58, was found dead in his bed and the cause of his death has not yet been reported. He was only appointed ambassador in February having previously served as China’s envoy to Ukraine. The ambassador was married and had a son but his family are not believed to have been in the country. He was living in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya. BBC

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The governor of Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, has warned that coronavirus lockdown measures could be reinstated if its citizens continue to flout social distancing rules.  On Monday, Nigeria decided to ease restrictions, following a five-week lockdown in Lagos and the country’s capital, Abuja.  But Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu wrote on Twitter that it was disappointing to see crowds of people at banks and markets across Lagos state ignoring the ban on public gatherings. In the weeks ahead, there will be a change in our isolation strategy as we transition towards decentralization. We will be introducing community management of cases by accrediting…

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A father and son have been arrested and charged in the US state of Georgia for the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man. Gregory McMichael, aged 64, and Travis McMichael, aged 34, were detained on Thursday by the state bureau of investigation. They were both charged with murder and aggravated assault, investigators said in a statement. Mr Arbery, 25, was jogging in February when he was confronted by the pair. The failure to bring charges against the McMichaels, who are white, in the weeks after the shooting provoked widespread outrage. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced late…

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A team of scientists in Kenya and the U.K have discovered a microbe that completely protects mosquitoes from being infected with malaria. According to the team, the findings has “enormous potential” to control the disease and are now investigating whether they can release infected mosquitoes into the wild, or use spores to suppress the disease. The malaria-blocking bug, Microsporidia MB, was discovered by studying mosquitoes on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. It lives in the gut and genitals of the insects. Microsporidias are fungi, or at least closely related to them, and most are parasites. “The data we have so…

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Stir-crazy Italians will be free to stroll and visit relatives for the first time in nine weeks on Monday as Europe’s hardest-hit country eases back the world’s longest nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Four million people — an estimated 72 per cent of the men — will return to their construction sites and factories as the economically and emotionally shattered country try to get back to work. Restaurants that have managed to survive Italy’s most disastrous crisis in generations will reopen for takeaway service. But bars and even ice cream parlours will remain shut. The use of public transport will be discouraged…

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The South Korean official declined to provide reasons for believing that Kim did not undergo surgery, but said speculative reports that he may have had surgery, citing some differences in his leg movements, is not true, Yonhap reported. Earlier on Sunday, North and South Korea exchanged gunfire around the South’s guard post, raising tension a day after North Korean state media showed Kim visiting a factory, the first report of him making a public appearance since April 11. Multiple gunshots were fired from North Korea at 7:41 a.m. local time towards a guard post in South Korea that borders the…

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