Manchester United’s late swoop for Nigerian international striker Odion Ighalo was the most striking move of a quiet transfer deadline day for Premier League clubs on Friday. United looked set to miss out on cover for the injured Marcus Rashford when interest in Josh King was rebuffed by Bournemouth, but Ighalo, 30, will join on loan for the rest of the season from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua. The Red Devils were also responsible for the biggest move of the window with the signing of Portuguese international midfielder Bruno Fernandes for an initial 55 million euros (47 million, $61 million) that…
Author: Peters Okwudili
For law enforcement, iOS and Android encryption is a matter of huge concern. Smartphone data can reveal a lot about suspected terrorists, criminals and those being investigated for rather dangerous crimes like mass shootings tec. If investigations into these devices are conducted carefully, the data can be used in court as evidence. This whole issue of encrypted devices has been in the news for a while. It was first dragged up when the FBI asked Apple to unlock the iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino shooter. Apple had refused on the grounds that if they gave into FBI’s requests and…
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hail the “dawn of a new era” later, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union after 47 years. Britain officially departs the EU at 11 p.m. local time Friday, midnight in Brussels (2300 GMT, 6 p.m. EST). The departure comes 3½ years after the country voted by a margin of 52%-48% to walk away from the club that it had joined in 1973. It’s the first time a country has left the EU, and many in the bloc regard it as a sad day. In Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel and EU…
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of China’s Coronavirus a global emergency on Thursday after the number of cases spiked manifold in a week. According to the UN health agency, an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. The virus originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in the month of December. Since then, it has spread to eighteen other countries. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 204 deaths, according to news agency Reuters. “China has confidence and capability to win the war…
Africa’s economic growth remained stable in 2019 at 3.4 per cent and is on course to pick up to 3.9 per cent in 2020 and 4.1 per cent in 2021, the African Development Bank’s 2020 African Economic Outlook (AEO) revealed Thursday. The slower than expected growth is partly due to the moderate expansion of the continent’s “big five” — Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa – whose joint growth was an average rate of 3.1 per cent, compared with the average of 4.0 per cent for the rest of the continent. The Bank’s flagship publication, published annually since 2003,…
The death from the novel Coronavirus has climbed to 170, health officials said on Thursday, adding that more than 7700 people across China are now infected with the disease. China’s national health commission (NHC) said Thursday that at least 1,370 are critically ill with the infection and there are 12,167 suspected to have been infected with the previously unknown virus. Beijing is reported to have at least 111 confirmed cases and the number has also crossed 100 in the financial capital, Shanghai. More than 160 deaths have been reported from the central Chinese province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan,…
Jack Ma, Alibaba (BABA) founder and China’s richest man, has donated 100 million yuan ($14.4 million) through his foundation to help find a vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus. The donation follows an announcement on Saturday by Alibaba that it is setting up a 1 billion yuan ($144 million) fund to buy medical supplies for Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus outbreak. The company is also offering free AI computing power to scientific research organizations to support the search for a vaccine or treatments. “We know that the battle between humanity and disease is a long journey,” the foundation said in a post…
Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 30 people overnight in attacks on villages in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials and civil society leaders said on Wednesday. Four villages were raided by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group, in the west of Beni territory, which has seen a surge of violence since Oct. 30, when the army launched a large-scale offensive against the rebels. Local administrator Richard Kivanzanga said 32 people had been killed in the attacks to the west of the city of Oicha. Among the victims was an Anglican pastor in…
African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina reminded students of the important role they have to play in the continent’s economic development, as he was conferred with an honorary doctorate in his homeland. The Doctorate of Science was awarded by the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, on Tuesday, in honor of Adesina’s work in agriculture and food security across the continent. Lauding the choice of Adesina as the institution’s 2020 awardee, the Chancellor, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu, described him as a global household name whose exploits in promoting value chain addition in agricultural produce have remained unparalleled.In his acceptance…
The United Kingdom is the top donor to the African Development Fund (ADF), the Bank’s concessional lending arm for its next three-year cycle, ADF-15 (2020 – 2022), a position it has held for the last three replenishments. ADF-15 will focus its operations around investing in quality and sustainable infrastructure aimed at strengthening regional integration and human, governance and institutional capacity development for increased decent job creation and inclusive growth. The next cycle will prioritize bold and transformative projects with the view to achieving ambitious development results. ADF-15 will address the root causes of vulnerability by systematically applying a fragility lens…
Nigeria’s business capital of Lagos will ban commercial motorcycles from operating in large parts of the city, the state government announced on Monday, a move that could change the commute for thousands and threaten ride-hailing startups. The Lagos state government announced on Twitter that it would ban motorcycles, commonly known as Okada, from operating in most of Lagos because of what it described as their “chaos and disorderliness” and “scary figures” of fatal accidents. Companies such as Max.ng, Oride and Gokada have been aiming to capitalize on the congested Lagos roads and the city’s teeming population to expand their operations.…
Dr Mohammad Abubakar, the Minister of Environment has advised Nigerians to stop eating rats for now as 29 deaths cases have been recorded due to Lassa Fever outbreak in the country. Abubakar gave the advice while briefing the newsmen on the ongoing Lassa Fever outbreak in the country on Monday in Abuja. According to him, Lassa Fever is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with rodents (rat) urine or faeces. “Nigeria is currently experiencing a Lassa fever outbreak in several parts of the country with reported cases of fatalities. “The Latest report from the Nigeria…
At least 106 people have now died from the ongoing novel Coronavirus outbreak in China with 24 new deaths reported from the central Chinese province of Hubei overnight. The first death from Beijing was reported late on Monday as the countrywide infections breached the 4500-mark – the numbers are rapidly rising. “Chinese health authorities announced Tuesday that 4,515 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 30 provincial-level regions by the end of Monday. A total of 106 people died of the disease,” the national health commission (NHC) said in its latest report on…
The 2020 Grammys are shaping up to be a historic award show. At Sunday night’s event, Billie Eilish swept the categories and took home the awards for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. What’s more is she’s the youngest star to win Album of the Year, thus beating the record set by Grammy award-winning singer Taylor Swift. While her fans and the crowd were not surprised by her achievement, it seems Billie was totally shocked. Throughout the night, the 18-year-old recognized her fellow nominees, including Ariana Grande, who she thought was more deserving.…
China will mark the Lunar New Year for longer than usual to help stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus that has killed at least 80 people. Government officials are using the holiday, when many Chinese leave cities to return to their hometowns, to avoid having more than 3 billion trips contribute to the spread. The extension will be “to a proper extent” beyond Jan. 30, state media Xinhua News said Sunday, citing a government statement after a meeting led by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The risk-off trading that dominated U.S. markets on Friday continued Monday in Asia. The Australian…
American basketball star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and three others were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday, his sudden death at age 41 touching off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball. The chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Authorities confirmed that five people died, with no survivors. Bryant, an all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the victims, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. A different person familiar…
The Australian Open mixed double’s encounter between the number one seeded pair of Marcelo Melo and Barbora Strycova and American duo Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray (brother of Andy Murray) turned into a topic of discussion on the social media after the players indulged in an argument for over 10 minutes, causing a delay in play. The incident took place just in the second game of the first set when Mattek-Sands challenged a call from the umpire, only to see the play being continued. Melo and Strycova, who is known for her on-field outbursts, lost the point, argued with the…
Southampton held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday to force a replay, while Chelsea and Leicester both won. Sofiane Boufal scored his first goal of the season in the 87th minute to level for Southampton after Son Heung-min had given Tottenham the lead on a swift counterattack in the 58th off Erik Lamela’s pass. The replay will add to Tottenham’s troublesome fixture congestion as the club fights to climb above sixth in the Premier League and to progress in the Champions League. Tottenham already had to come through a replay to beat Middlesbrough…
Nigerian health authorities have begun conducting checks at Lagos airport amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, where many Nigerian citizens work. The move came shortly after the death toll in China rose to 26 on Friday. While the World Health Organization held off on declaring a global emergency despite confirmed cases in half a dozen other countries, some African countries have begun taking precautions. Amongst them Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Botswana. Emmanuel Johnson, a passenger who arrived via the entry point told the press: “It’s a viral infection and it may spread anywhere, no because, if we…
Delta Air Lines was Friday fined $50,000 by the US Department of Transportation to settle allegations it discriminated against three Muslim passengers who were ordered off their planes. In its consent order, the department said it found Delta “engaged in discriminatory conduct” and violated anti-discrimination laws when it removed the three passengers. In one incident on July 26, 2016, a Muslim couple were removed from Delta Flight 229 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris after a passenger told a flight attendant their behavior made her “very uncomfortable and nervous”. “Mrs X” was wearing a head scarf and the passenger…
A powerful earthquake struck eastern Turkey late on Friday, killing at least 21 people and collapsing buildings in towns near the centre of the tremor, which was strong enough to be felt in several neighbouring countries. The magnitude 6.8 quake shook Elazig province, about 550 km (340 miles) east of the capital Ankara, and was followed by more than 270 aftershocks, 12 of which had magnitudes over 4. Seventeen people were killed in Elazig and four more in the neighbouring province of Malatya, said Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD), adding 1,030 others were injured and in hospitals in the…
The men in naval uniforms charged into the Nigerian waterfront village of Okun Glass in the morning, chased out the residents, then called in the bulldozers. The de facto village leader, 75-year-old Dauda Musa, said he fled as the men fired guns into the air. “They demolished our homes,” he said, standing in the rubble of what was once home to 3,000 people down the coast from the megacity Lagos. Nigeria’s navy said it had moved in to clear an illegal settlement – and accused some of the residents of vandalizing nearby pipelines to steal crude. “This operation was not…
China has quarantined cities and shut major tourist attractions from Disneyland to the Forbidden City and a section of the Great Wall as it scrambles to stop a deadly SARS-like virus from spreading further. The drastic moves come as hundreds of millions of people crisscrossed the country in recent days to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday, which officially started Friday and is typically a joyous time of gatherings and public celebration. Here is a rundown of the measures taken so far in an unprecedented quarantine effort: Public transport has been stopped in 13 cities in central Hubei province, with…
Militants attacked a market in Burkina Faso’s Sanmatenga province, killing at least 36 people and wounding several others, the government said Tuesday. The gunmen then burned the market, according to a government statement. The violence is the latest in a surge of attacks in the West African nation’s north that led to the displacement of more than half a million people last year. The government urged people to collaborate with defense and security forces to restore safety. President Roch Marc Kabore called for two days of national mourning beginning Wednesday for the victims of the attack. For years, Burkina Faso…
An Iranian lawmaker on Tuesday offered a $3-million reward to “anyone who kills” US President Donald Trump to avenge the assassination of a top general, semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Ahmad Hamzeh, a little-known member of the Majlis, made the offer on behalf of the people of Kerman, the hometown and final resting place of storied commander Major General Qasem Soleimani. “We will give $3 million to anyone who kills Trump,” Hamzeh, who represents Kahnouj county near the southeastern city of Kerman, was quoted as saying by ISNA. He did not say who would pay the bounty offer, which comes…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Condition on Tuesday charged a former attorney general suspected of taking bribes to facilitate a $1.3 billion oil block sale, in the latest twist in one of the industry’s biggest alleged corruption scandals. An international investigation into the 2011 sale of the offshore oilfield known as OPL 245 by Malabu Oil and Gas has entangled two of the industry’s biggest players, Shell (RDSa.L) and Eni (ENI.MI), as well as an array of powerful figures from the previous Nigerian government. Mohammed Adoke, Nigeria’s ex-attorney general, was charged with receiving the U.S. dollar equivalent of 300 million naira…
US President Donald Trump arrived in Davos on Tuesday for the annual WEF forum, where he was to give a keynote speech just hours before his impeachment trial kicks into high gear in Washington. Trump’s Marine One helicopter touched down in the picturesque Swiss ski resort shortly ahead of his scheduled speech to the World Economic Forum, which this year is focusing on climate change. He was also due to meet separately with the president of Iraq, Pakistan’s prime minister and the head of the European Union executive body. Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump’s impeachment enters a new phase in the…
Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State is without electricity after Boko Haram insurgents cut off power supply from the national electricity grid. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), confirmed in a statement on Monday, that the insurgents had damaged the electricity equipment serving the state capital and its environs. Ndidi Mbah, TCH spokesperson said the agency was making efforts to restore electricity supply in the area as soon as possible. “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby informs the public that Maiduguri and its environs have been cut off from the National Grid since January 17, 2020, due to damages to…
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday brought British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, up to speed with developments in Nigeria, reeling out gains in different areas of national endeavor. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020, in London, and President Buhari told P.M Johnson of strides in agriculture, leading almost to self-sufficiency in rice and other grains, saving the country billions in foreign exchange, which are now deployed to other areas of development. On the war against insurgency, the President said things were a lot better, with the disabuse of the minds of the people on the…
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the election of Abdullahi Ganduje as duly elected Governor of Kano State. The Five-Member panel dismissed the appeals and cross-appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Abba Yusuf. NAN reports on Nov. 22, the court of appeal in Kaduna reaffirmed Ganduje as the duly elected governor of Kano state. The appellate court panel led by Tijjani Abubakar upheld the ruling of the Kano governorship election tribunal which ruled in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ganduje, its candidate in the March election. The panel dismissed the petitions filed by…
