AN emergency meeting of the Council of State, called by President Muhammadu Buhari will hold on Friday to discuss national crises including petrol and naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the general elections. The national crises had led to protests in various parts of the country. Our source gathered that the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is expected to provide an update on the new currency redesign policy scheduled to take place at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja, at 10 am. Credible Presidency sources told this paper that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral…
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THE Buhari administration under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not only invested heavily in infrastructure development, it has also laid the foundations of commitment to social protection and welfare of citizens, particularly the poor and most vulnerable. Prof. Osinbajo stated this Tuesday in his speech at the National Delegates’ Conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, where he was Special Guest of Honour. Speaking on the theme of this year’s conference, “Building People Power, National Unity and the Quest for a New Social Contract,” Prof. Osinbajo noted that when all Nigerians, especially its political elites, begin…
BODIES of people killed in the earthquake in southern Turkey on Monday are being left out on the street as the hunt continues for survivors. More than 7,850 people are known to have died in Turkey and northern Syria, which was also devastated by the quake. The United Nations warned that thousands of children may be among the dead. Monday’s 7.8 magnitude quake struck at 04:17 (01:17 GMT) near the city of Gaziantep. A later tremor was nearly as big, with its epicentre in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state…
THE South American nations of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay have submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will take place 100 years after the first tournament was held in Montevideo, Uruguay. Officials from the four countries came together on Tuesday with Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), to announce their effort to bring the tournament back to “where football was born”. “The 2030 World Cup is not just another World Cup, it deserves a celebration with recognition for 100 years,” Dominguez said during the ceremony at the Argentine Football Association…
THE Premier League’s decision to charge Manchester City with breaking its financial rules has shocked the domestic game. The Premier League champions have become a dominant force in English football in recent years, winning six league titles since they were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. But how have City got here? How significant are the charges? And could they really be kicked out of the Premier League? BBC Sport answers the key questions. Why are Man City being charged? After an investigation lasting more than four years, the Premier League released a statement on Monday…
TURKISH goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan has died following Monday’s earthquake in his home country, his club Yeni Malatyaspor has confirmed. More than 5,000 people have lost their lives in Turkey and Syria following the earthquake. “Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, lost his life after being under the collapse of the earthquake. Rest in peace,” the club said on Twitter. “We will not forget you, beautiful person,” it added. Turkaslan, 28, played six times for Turkish second division club Yeni Malatyaspor after joining in 2021 and also played for the national side 45 times. Former Crystal Palace and Everton winger Yannick…
THE company behind the Zoom video conferencing platform — which became a household name during the pandemic — announced Tuesday it is laying off about 15 percent of its staff. Zoom Video Communications chief executive Eric Yuan is also taking a 98 percent cut in salary this year and forgoing his executive bonus, he said in a blog post about the job cuts. He added that members of his executive leadership team are taking a 20 percent salary reduction and also forfeiting bonuses this year. While people and businesses continue to rely on Zoom “as the world transitions to life…
THE Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has restated the commitment of the Federal Government to the holistic inclusion of 28 million Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the country. Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister stated this during her presentation at the ministerial briefing on the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Score Card 2015 to 2023 on Tuesday in Abuja. The briefing was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Umar-Farouq said the establishment of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) was to enhance the lives of PWDs. She said the government of Buhari was passionate…
THE mother of Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, is dead. She died on Tuesday. The actress’ older sister, Olubunmi Akindele, announced their mother’s death in a statement on Tuesday. Details later…
RACISTS abuse directed at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr is a problem for the whole of Spanish football, says manager Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazil forward, 22, has been abused by fans on at least three occasions this season. Mallorca fans were filmed allegedly racially abusing him during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Real in La Liga. “Vinicius is the victim of something that I don’t understand. It must be solved,” said Ancelotti. “It seems that the problem is Vinicius, and it is not like that.” Real face Egyptian side Al Ahly in the Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco.…
TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst-affected by an earthquake that has killed thousands. Mr Erdogan said that the death toll in Turkey has risen to 5,022 people. More than 1,600 people are reported to have died in Syria. In a televised address, Mr Erdogan said the state of emergency is to ensure that rescue work can be “carried out quickly” in the country’s south-east. He said the measures would allow relief workers and financial aid into the affected regions, but did not give further details. The state of emergency will…
THE US Navy has released photos of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot out of the sky on Saturday. The US Fleet Forces Command posted several photos on its Facebook page showing large debris of the balloon being hauled into a boat. The post said the sailors retrieving the debris on Sunday were part of the Navy’s specialist explosives team. The device will now be examined to see whether it was indeed spy equipment. China has repeatedly insisted that the “airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an…
RUSSIA’S Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has promised continued military support for Mali, which has been battling a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade. Mr Lavrov was speaking at a news conference in the capital, Bamako. It’s his third visit to an African country in recent months. Mali’s military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, has formed a close relationship with Russia while relations with France have worsened. French soldiers were ordered to leave the country last year, and the Russian Wagner group has deployed troops. The United Nations wants an independent investigation into possible war crimes committed by Malian government forces…
A HIGH court in Malawi has lifted the government’s suspension of the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Martha Chizuma, paving the way for her to return to work. Ms Chizuma’s suspension was last week announced by the secretary to the president and the cabinet, Colleen Zambeen. The suspension was linked to a lawsuit against her following a leaked audio in which she allegedly made remarks suggesting that a number of senior government officials and some judicial officers were hindering the fight against corruption. One official who felt hurt by the suggestion sued Ms Chizuma and she was interdicted on…
FRANK Hoogerbeets, a Dutch researcher last week Friday predicted Turkey and Syria earthquake. Hoogerbeets, in his tweet on his verified Twitter page, said there will be earthquakes in Syria and Turkey very soon. His tweet reads“Sooner or later there will be a ~M 7.5 #earthquake in this region (South-Central Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon),” he tweeted last Friday. Mr Hoogerbeets’ tweet came three days before the earthquake which killed 2,300 people and counting. The quake fell several buildings killing at least 1,541 and leaving 9,733 injured in Turkey and 810 dead in Syria. The researcher on Monday sympathised with the victims…
FORMER Portugal and Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz has been appointed Qatar head coach, replacing Felix Sanchez. His contract lasts until the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Queiroz, 69, led Iran at the 2022 World Cup and has also managed South Africa, Colombia and Egypt. Qatar took part in the World Cup finals for the first time last year as hosts, losing all three group games to Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands.
UP to 23 million people could be affected by the massive earthquake that has killed thousands in Turkey and Syria, the WHO warned on Tuesday, promising long-term assistance. “Event overview maps show that potentially 23 million people are exposed, including around five million vulnerable populations,” the World Health Organization’s senior emergencies officer Adelheid Marschang said. “Civilian infrastructure and potentially health infrastructure have been damaged across the affected region, mainly in Turkey and northwest Syria,” she said. The WHO “considers that the main unmet needs may be in Syria in the immediate and mid-term,” Marschang told the WHO’s executive committee in…
A LATE morning fire, Monday, February 6, razed down about 200 houses at the unofficial section of the Muna Internally Displaced Persons’ camp on the outskirts of the Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State. Eyewitnesses, who could not ascertain the cause of the fire, said it flared up, sweeping across the all-thatched houses by 11am. The population of the IDPs affected could not also be immediately ascertained, due to the fact that it is an unofficial camp. “I lost everything comprising all my three rooms, wearing apparels, beds and beddings, and one sack of guinea corn,” Modu Maina, 70, who hails from…
THE Founder and Chairman Governing Council of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo has congratulated Prof. Mohammad Sanusi Magaji Rano on his appointment as the pioneer Rector of the newly created Federal Polytechnic Kabo in Kano State. Before his new appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Magaji Rano, held many positions including Kano State Director, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Dean, Post Graduate School, MAAUN, Maradi and later Acting President of MAAUN Kano. He was also appointed as the Secretary General of Association of African Private Universities (AAPU) by its President, Prof. Adamu Abubakar…
A LANDSLIDE in southern Peru has left at least eight people dead and five more are missing, as torrential rain washes through the region. Twenty more people were treated for minor injuries, according to a bureau for Peru’s Ministry of Health in the mountainous town of Secocha, where the landslide took place on Monday. Located on the banks of the Ocoña River in Camaná province, Secocha is among the areas in the department of Arequipa facing high water levels as heavy rain continues to fall. As of Monday morning, the Ocoña was flowing at a rate of 585.6 cubic metres…