Spokesman
Chinese embassy says Australia ‘misread’ offending social media post
China’s embassy in Australia said politicians there had “misread” a tweet showing a digitally-altered image of an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an Afghan child, and were trying to stoke nationalism. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday called the tweet posted by China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, “truly repugnant”, and called for an apology. On Tuesday the tweet was pinned to the top of Zhao’s social media account, and China’s Global Times newspaper, known for nationalistic views, interviewed the Chinese artist who created the image. “The rage and roar of some Australian politicians and media is nothing but misreading of and overreaction to Mr Zhao’s tweet,” the Chinese embassy in Canberra said in a statement on Tuesday. Australia...
Boko Haram: Six Nigerian soldiers killed in Borno ambush
An ambush on Nigerian troops by Boko Haram elements has left six soldiers dead, 26 injured and many others still missing, according to a report. The post Boko Haram: Six Nigerian soldiers killed in Borno ambush appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Europe to pay less than US for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
The European Union has struck a deal to initially pay less for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate than the United States, an EU official told Reuters News Agency as the bloc announced on Wednesday it had secured an agreement for up to 300 million doses. The experimental drug, developed in conjunction with Germany’s BioNTech, is the frontrunner in a global race to produce a vaccine, with interim data released on Monday showing it was more than 90 percent effective at protecting people from COVID-19 in a large-scale clinical trial. Under the EU deal, 27 European countries could buy 200 million doses, and have an option to buy another 100 million. The bloc will pay less than $19.50 per jab, a senior EU official involved in talks with vaccine makers told Reuters, adding that partly reflected ...
Official: Vladimir Putin not resigning
Agence France-Presse Spokesman to Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, has debunked a report that Vladimir Putin is planning to resign due to health issues. Citing a connected Russian political scientist Valery Solovei, The Sun on Friday reported that Mr. Putin is considering to step down due to health issues. The tabloid said there have been claims that Mr. Putin has been nursing Parkinson’s disease and his daughters and 37-year-old wife are prevailing on him to stand down. However, Mr. Peskov on Friday said that Putin, who is serving a six-year term that will elapse by 2024, is in good health. “No, he is in excellent health,” Peskov told TASS, a Russian newspaper, when asked to react to report that his principal is planning to step down. “There isn’t much to comment on here. “This is pure n...
Police parade 27 ‘bandits,’ others in Katsina
The police in Katsina State, on Thursday, paraded a 30-year-old man, Idi Dila, suspected to be one of the bandits who recently launched an attack on Diskuru and Kadsau villages of the state, where no fewer than 12 people were killed. According to the police, Dila, from Mumunu village, Faskari Local Government Area of the state, was arrested on Sunday. He was paraded by the police alongside 26 other suspects arrested for various crimes ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery. The spokesman for the Katsina Police Command, Gambo Isah, who paraded the suspects at the police headquarters in Katsina, said Dila was arrested at Sheme on his way to Faskari. He was said to be a member of a notorious gang of bandits of Melaya Alhaji Gandu of Munhaye Forest in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfa...
APC insincere about restructuring – PDP
File Photo THE Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressives Congress of frustrating genuine efforts aimed at restructuring Nigeria. The party said this in a statement titled, ‘APC is frustrating genuine restructuring – PDP, insists on 2014 National Conference report’, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Tuesday. It alleged that the APC was trying to manipulate the system and frustrate the widespread clamour and efforts by the majority of Nigerians for genuine restructuring. The opposition party described plans by the APC to smuggle the partisan report of its committee on restructuring into the National Assembly to replace the 2014 National Conference Report, “as an unpardonable assault on the sensibility of over 200 million Nigerians, who...
Police: Baby survives, mother dies in Anambra building collapse
The Police Command in Anambra has confirmed the rescue of a six-month-old baby from the wreckage of a storey building which collapsed at Obosi near Onitsha on Sunday. The Command’s Spokesman, SP Haruna Mohammed, however, said in a statement, that the baby’s mother died in the incident while many others sustained injuries. Mohammed, who said the incident occurred at about 4:00p.m., could not ascertain the identity of the deceased as at press time. He said the corpse had been deposited at a morgue, while investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of collapse. According to him, the scene had been cordoned-off by the police and other security agencies while efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims suspected to have been trapped inside the building. He said: “On Sunday, one-storey buil...
Police confirm DPO, Inspector’s death in Sokoto
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and an Inspector attached to Gidan Madi Division in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state. The command’s Spokesman, DSP Sadiq Abubakar, told newsmen on Thursday in Sokoto that about 100 unknown gunmen invaded the town and engaged the police in a gun battle. Abubakar said the incident occured at about 1:30 a.m. and two officers, including Mr Aliyu Bello, the DPO, and Muhammad Abdullahi, an Inspector, were shot death by the the armed men dressed in army camouflage. He said another ASP Sani Abdullahi sustained injuries and was hospitalised, while the police have drafted senior officers to undertake assessment of the situation. According to him, emergency meetings were conducted by the police al...
Former Zamfara governor’s ally arrested over ‘secret meeting’ with bandits
Operatives of the Zamfara State Police Command have arrested Abu Dan-Tabawa, an ally of former Governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, after allegedly holding a secret meeting with bandits in Gusau, the state capital. The development was confirmed by the spokesman of the Zamfara State Police Command, Mohammed Shehu, in a statement on Sunday. Shehu said Dan-Tabawa was arrested along with 17 other suspects. He said: “The arrest was an intelligent driven and proactive action by the state police command to prevent a possible breach of public peace and ensure that the state continues to enjoy the relative peace that is been enjoying in the recent time. “The arrest was carried out in the overall interest of public peace, public security and public safety. “The Command wishes to warn all citizens ...
12 killed in Bangladesh gas explosion
A suspected gas explosion tore through a Bangladesh mosque killing at least 12 people while dozens suffered life-threatening burns, police said Saturday. Worshippers were at Friday evening prayers when the blast sent a ball of flames through the mosque in the central district of Narayanganj, emergency services said. Investigators suspected a spark from an air conditioner — which came on after a power cut — set off the gas. “Leaked gas entered the mosque,” Narayanganj fire chief Abdullah Al Arefin told AFP. “When they shut the windows and doors and switched on the air conditioners there was an electricity spark that led to the explosion inside the mosque.” The 12 who died were among 37 taken to a specialist burns hospital in Dhaka in critical condition, said hospital spokesman Samanta Lal S...
Kwara records three new virus cases
Three new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kwara, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, the Spokesman of the state’s Technical Committee on COVID-19, made this known in a statement on Monday in Ilorin. Ajakaye, also the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, said that this was the situation as at 9.30 p.m. on Sunday. Newsmen report that the state now has a total of 954 confirmed cases of the virus. According to Ajakaye, out of the 954 confirmed cases, 778 patients have been discharged, leaving 151 active cases in the state. He stated that 5,087 tests were conducted, while 5,103 tested negative with 25 deaths recorded so far in the state, and 30 tests were pending. Newsmen report that the virus has spread to 12 local government areas of the state. The local governments are;...
Leeds boss kicks against fans returning to stadiums
Marcelo Bielsa has demanded Premier League chiefs block fans returning to grounds until all 20 top-flight clubs can reopen their turnstiles. Under the new Covid tier system, half of Premier League clubs will still not be allowed supporters from Wednesday, while the other ten can have 2,000. Leeds are in Tier 3 and must keep fans locked out – with boss Bielsa saying: “If fans are not allowed in all stadiums, then they should not be allowed until everyone can. “Clubs shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of being in a category. It should be about trying to maintain the competition as equally as possible.” Arsenal will become the first Prem team to welcome fans back since March when they host Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday. While West Ham’s Prem clash with Manchester Uni...