Coronavirus
NFF gives out palliatives to clubs in Abuja
The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday handed out palliatives to representatives of 14 different clubs and two communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as token support in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic ravaging the entire world presently. The clubs, spread across Nigeria National League, Nigerian Nationwide League One and FCT League (academies) cadres, included Supreme Court FC, EFCC FC, Abuja Female United, FOSLA FC, Bimo Sporting Club, Wazobia FC, Setraco FC, Goodland FC, Fire Service FC, NYSC FC, FWC Champion Club, Abees Academy, Casmat Academy and WACO Academy. Garki Village and Karamajiji communities also benefitted from the package. At the presentation of packed items such as rice, beans, Indomie noodles, groundnut oil and tin tomatoes at the football bo...
California Governor Allows Some Retail Reopening With Limits
Some Los Angeles County retailers can reopen with curbside pickup only — including stores that sell music, toys, books, clothing and sporting goods. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued the broadest loosening of his stay-at-home order so far, allowing some retailers to reopen but not have customers in stores. The guidelines were made “with an eye on turning the page and moving into a new phase in terms of our economic recovery,” Newsom said. The announcement was the result of improvement in battling the coronavirus. It moves California into the second phase of a methodical four-step process to full reopening. It covers only a sliver of retail businesses as well as manufacturers’ warehouses considered low risk for the virus. Stores that will be allowed to open with curbside...
Ty, Mercury Prize-Nominated British Rapper, Dies at 47
U.K. hip-hop artist Ty has died, according to The Guardian. He was 47. The Guardian reported that he died from complications due to COVID-19. The rapper was born Ben Chijioke, to Nigerian immigrants in London. In 2001, he released his debut album Awkward, and his breakthrough sophomore effort Upwards won him a larger audience and eventually a Mercury Prize nomination alongside Amy Winehouse and Franz Ferdinand. Chijioke went on to collaborate with such kindred spirits as De La Soul, Bahamadia, and Arrested Development’s Speech over the course of three more full-lengths: Closer, Special Kind of Fool, and A Work of Heart, his final solo effort in 2018. Ty was also a member of the group KingDem along with Rodney P and Blak Twang. [embedded content] [embedded content] [embedded content]
Yaya Toure backs Didier Drogba’s bid for Ivorian FA presidency
Getty Images Yaya Toure is backing former Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba’s bid to become president of the Ivorian Football Association (FIF). The Chelsea legend announced he would be running for the post in September 2019, though his campaign took a major hit at the end of April. In a recent vote between former Ivory Coast players, 11 of the 14 votes went to current incumbent Sory Diabate. Drogba and current vice president Idriss Diallo won zero votes between them, with three former players withdrawing from the vote. “It’s time for change in our football. It needs modernity,” said Toure. “When I say I support Drogba, it’s also for the good of the country, to have a former player of his kind investing himself in Africa.” Drogba represented his country 105 times and announced his intent...
UK Rapper Ty Dies At Age of 47 from COVID-19
Nigerian-British rapper Ty has died at the age of 47 due to complications from COVID-19. According to The Guardian, Ty (born Ben Chijioke) was hospitalized in early April. He was subsequently put in a medically induced coma, and though he initially showed signs of improvement, his condition ultimately deteriorated. He passed away Thursday, May 7th. Ty’s 2003 sophomore album, Upwards, was nominated for the Mercury Prize, the annual award given to the UK’s best record. Other nominees that year included Amy Winehouse’s Frank, Belle & Sebastian’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Basement Jaxx’s Kish Kash, and Franz Ferdiand’s self-titled debut, which ultimately claimed the prize. Ty’s follow-up album, 2006’s Closer, featured collaborations with De La Soul, Zion I, and Speech of Arrested Dev...
T.I. & Killer Mike Partner To Give Hot Meals & Supplies To Atlanta’s Residents Affected By Pandemic
Source: Freddy O / Radio One Digital Atlanta rappers are stepping up in a big way during this pandemic despite Georgia being the first state to partially re-open. T.I. and Killer Mike teamed up with non-profit PAWkids to serve 500 hot meals and needed household supplies to their most vulnerable neighbors affected by the city’s COVID-19 shutdown. Setting up in the parking lot of Bankhead Seafood, the ATL rap icons stood mask and gloved up with PAWkids volunteers to hand out brown bags and household items to residents of Atlanta’s Grove Park community that raised Killer Mike. “In any crisis, Black people confront dual challenges. We deal with the challenge of racism, and we deal with the crisis itself. COVID-19 is no exception. What we saw today was an overwhelming sense of need, but also a ...
PDP rejects N108 ex-depot fuel price, insist on N70 pump price
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the new ex-depot price of N108 per litre of the Premium Motor Spirit insisting on a new pricing template that must accommodate a pump price of between N60 to N70 per litre to reflect the crash in the price of crude oil and petroleum products in the international market. The party described the N108 ex-depot price as fraudulent and a far cry from the appropriate pump price template that should not exceed N70 given the prevailing situation in the international oil market. In a statement issued by the national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP maintained that the N108 ex-depot price with a projected additional N9 per litre Expected Open Market “completely unacceptable to Nigerians.” The statement read: “The federal gov...
Iron Maiden Postpone All 2020 Shows Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Reschedule Many Dates for 2021
Iron Maiden have postponed all 2020 touring plans as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. The legendary UK metal band has rescheduled many of the European dates of its ongoing “Legacy of the Beast Tour” for 2021, but canceled festival appearances have not been rescheduled. The band was supposed to begin the first leg of the 2020 tour on May 1st in Perth, Australia, with shows in New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Dubai, and Israel to follow. Those dates have not been rescheduled yet, though the band hopes to return to those countries “in some guise, in the first half of 2022.” European shows in Moscow, Weert, and Zurich have also not been rearranged thus far. Iron Maiden’s manager Rod Smallwood issued a statement on the band’s website in regards to the postponements and cancellations: “I hope...
Activists press Morroco on fate of 39 political prisoners
Associated Press The fate of 39 Saharawi Political Prisoners in Moroccan jail have become the focus of a new regional campaign from African activists who are asking King Mohammed VI of Morocco to release the men for fear of their exposure to the coronavirus disease. The Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara, (NMLWS) issued a statement on Wednesday in Abuja through its Nigerian coordinator, Oladipo Fasina, a philosophy professor and noted advocate for academic freedom. According to the statement, the Saharawi prisoners, held for seeking independence for Africa’s last colony, “are in grave danger of contracting the coronavirus as a result of their underlying health conditions resulting from extreme torture and hunger strike they have undergone as prisoners.” Mr Fasina said, “this arb...
Not Even Journey Is Safe From the Coronavirus
Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” may have become the anthem for survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the band itself isn’t immune to the consequences of the global pandemic. With the live music industry shuttered for the foreseeable future, the classic rockers have called off their upcoming summer upcoming jaunt with Pretenders. (It seems like playing shows only in Missouri wasn’t a viable option). “There is no greater thrill for us than playing for our incredibly devoted audience, but their safety must come first,” Journey said in a statement. “Having seen what the world has endured during the last 45 days, and not knowing what the rest of this year or 2021 will bring, we knew the right thing to do was to make sure our fans’ health was not put in jeopardy and to provide immediate...
R.I.P. Dave Greenfield, Stranglers Keyboardist and Vocalist Dies at 71
Dave Greenfield, the longtime keyboardist and vocalist for UK punk rock / new wave band The Stranglers has passed away at the age of 71. The veteran musician had been hospitalized for heart problems, but then contracted COVID-19 last week and succumbed to the virus on Monday, May 3rd. Greenfield joined The Stranglers in 1975, a year after the band’s formation. He remained in the group up until his death, playing keyboards and providing backing and occasional lead vocals. He appeared on all 17 of seminal punk band’s albums, and wrote the music for one of their best known hits, “Golden Brown”. That tune won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for songwriting. The news of Greenfield’s passing was announced on the band’s official website: “We are deeply and profoundly saddened to announce the u...
