Sunday
Tennis star risks three year jail for assaulting ex-wife
Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgian tennis star, ranked 27th in the world, was charged on Sunday with physically assaulting his ex-wife. A court in the Georgian capital Tbilisi charged him with perpetrating violence against a family member. Worse of all, the offence was committed in the presence of a minor”. After he was charged, he was then released on bail at a cost of $30,000. Basilashvili faces up to three years behind bars if found guilty, prosecutor Natia Guruli said. The tennis star’s ex-wife Neka Dorokashvili told the Mtavari TV station on Sunday that he “physically assaulted” her Friday. She said the assault happened in the presence of their five-year-old son. Basilashvili denied the charge, his lawyer Irma Chkadua told journalists. The 28-year-old won his second ATP title at the China...
Eid-el-Fitr: PFN congratulates Sultan, Muslims
File Photo The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria on Sunday congratulated the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III and all Muslims in Nigeria on the occasion of this year’s Eid-al-Fitr. The organisation prayed that the celebration would usher in healing and greater peace in the country. A statement by the Spokesperson of PFN, Simbo Olorunfemi, on behalf of its National President, Felix Omobude, also congratulated all Muslims on the completion of the Ramadan season despite the Coronavirus global pandemic. He prayed that the celebration would usher in healing and greater peace in the country. The PFN enjoined all Nigerians to “deepen the spirit of mutual tolerance and embrace understanding in their conduct, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender so that the country might be abl...
Abike Dabiri-Erewa: Communications minister used armed men to evict NIDCOM staff
The Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has disclosed that over 40 office equipment, workstations and files belonging to NIDCOM staff were still locked up at the Nigeria Communications Commission building, four months after the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, allegedly ordered the eviction of the diaspora commission. She stated that Pantami used armed security men, including policemen to eject NIDCOM from the offices it was given in the NCC building located at Mbora District, on the Airport Road, Jabi, Abuja. Speaking on an NTA Network programme, The Diaspora, aired on Friday, Dabiri-Erewa noted that she had complained officially about the ill-treatment by the minister. Findings indicate that the eviction of the NIDCOM occurre...
Akwa Ibom speaker hails President over executive order on financial autonomy
Speaker of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Mr Aniekan Bassey, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for signing into law Executive Order No. 10, of 2020. The law is for the implementation of Financial Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary. Bassey made the commendation on Sunday in Uyo while fielding questions from newsmen on the legislative autonomy. He, however, warned his colleagues not to take the autonomy as an avenue for legislative “rascality”, but as a means of cooperation among the three arms of government. He described granting financial autonomy to the legislative and judicial arms of government across the country as a means of ensuring smooth conduct of government businesses within the three arms of government. “Financial autonomy granted to the two arms of governme...
Eid: Sokoto governor felicitates with Muslims, salutes health workers
The Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has felicitated with Muslims as they celebrate Eidel Fitri. In a state wide broadcast on Sunday, Tambuwal urged them to imbibe the spirit of godliness, perseverance and intercession. He thanked Almighty Allah for His innumerable mercies which made it possible for them to witness this blessed day of Eid-Fitr 1441 AH, after fulfilling the mandatory Ramadan fast. “Fellow citizens, as we celebrate this memorable occasion of the Eid-fitr, may I congratulate all of us for successful completion of the Ramadan fast. Suffice it to say that it had been a soul searching exercise and a rejuvenation of our physical and spiritual dimensions which will strengthen us to face, with all sense of responsibility, our spiritual and worldly affairs”. “It is my ...
Two arrested for extorting money from motorists leaving Abia
The combined team of Abia State Government COVID-19 Joint Task Force manning the border between Abia and Imo States (Onuimo), have arrested two suspects extorting money from motorists entering Abia State with food items. The two suspects, Nwabueze Ibebuike and Ikechukwu Ekeke both hailed from Ekenaobizi in Umuahia South LGA. Before their arrest, the suspects in company of two others still at large mounted illegal checkpoint at Ekenaobizi extorting money from motorists leaving Abia State and assuring them that the Task Force will grant them exit from the state while those entering the state who were cleared by the taskforce team were not spared by the suspects thus creating the impression that there are working for the COVID-19 task force. Both suspects are currently at the Umuahia Central ...
Chelsea star arrested on suspicion of rape
Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of rape following an alleged incident at his west London apartment. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that both they and the London Ambulance Service were called in the early hours of Sunday, May 17 to a report of an unwell woman. The statement added: “When emergency services attended, a woman reported that she was raped. She was taken to hospital.“A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of rape. He was released from custody and bailed to return on a date in mid-June. Enquiries continue.” Sunday’s alleged incident comes just weeks after Hudson-Odoi battled the coronavirus, which he was diagnosed with on March 12 . The teenager was the first Premier League player to be diagnosed with the illness, coming short...
Presidency: Nothing wrong with taking more loans
There is nothing wrong in taking more loans to finance specific projects, the Presidency said on Sunday. It urged those criticising efforts in borrowing to develop the country, to desist. Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said Nigeria has more capacity to accommodate loans. He spoke while featuring on Southwest Political Circuit, a popular political interview programme on Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh F.M. Adesina called from his Aso Rock office to take questions on aspects of COVID-19 management and economic issues. He said that there was no need for Nigerians to raise concern about the country’s rising debt profile because the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is applying loans to the specific projects they are meant for. Although he pointed out that the huge debt, which th...
Emirates plans to cut about 30,000 jobs amid virus outbreak
Emirates Group is planning to cut about 30,000 jobs to reduce costs amid the coronavirus outbreak, which will bring down its number of employees by about 30 per cent from more than 105,000. A media reported on Sunday that the company was also considering speeding up the planned retirement of its A380 fleet. An Emirates spokeswoman said that no public announcement has been made yet by the company regarding “redundancies at the airline”, but that the company is conducting a review of “costs and resourcing against business projections”. “Any such decision will be communicated in an appropriate fashion. Like any responsible business would do, our executive team has directed all departments to conduct a thorough review of costs and resourcing against business projections,” the spokeswoman said....
Troops raid militants hideout in Rivers, recover cache of arms
Nigerian troops on May 12 raided and destroyed an identified pirates/militants hideout in Arugbanama Community in Bonny Local Government Arwa of Rivers State, Defence Headquarters says. The Coordinator, Defence Media Information, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, who disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, the troops were from the 146 Battalion deployed in Bonny Island in the state. Enenche explained that the troops engaged the militants/pirates in exchange of gun fire leading to the killing of two of the criminals. He added that there was recovery of one AK47 rifle and seven magazine, one pump action rifle, one pistol and magazine. Others are one round of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and 102 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, three rounds of 9mm ball ammunition and one live cartridge. He said that one camou...
Nigeria records 338 new coronavirus cases, total now 5,959
Nigeria has recorded 338 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 5,959. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known on Sunday. Newsmen report that six patients died of coronavirus-related complications in the last 24 hours in Nigeria. Data obtained from the NCDC’s website showed that there are no fewer than 4,183 active cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The centre said, “On the 17th of May 2020, 338 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. “No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours. “Till date, 5959 cases have been confirmed, 1594 cases have been discharged and 182 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory. “The 338 new cases are reported from 18 states- Lagos(177), Kan...
Morocco confirms 129 new coronavirus cases, total now 6,870
The Moroccan Ministry of Health on Sunday confirmed 129 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 6,870 in the country. Meanwhile, 192 people have died from the novel coronavirus so far, while 3,660 have recovered after 173 recoveries were added during the last 24 hours, Mohamed El Youbi, Director of Epidemiology at the ministry, said at his daily briefing. On April 18, Morocco extended the state of medical emergency until May 20 in an effort to strengthen preventive measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Get more stories like this on Twitter
