Times
British Airways suffers multiple bird strikes at Lagos airport
A Boeing 777-300, registration G-STBE belonging to British Airways, performing flight BA-75 from Heathrow airport, London to Lagos, suffered multiple bird strikes on December 30, 2020. A bird strike is a collision between an airborne animal and a vehicle, usually an aircraft. The flight was on final approach to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos’ runway 18R when the aircraft received a number of bird strikes in the flare causing a hydraulic leak. However, the aircraft touched down safely, rolled out and vacated the runway and was taxing towards the apron when the aircraft lost nose wheel steering, hydraulic C system indicated zero quantity and smoke was seen from the main landing gear. The crew stopped the aircraft on the taxiway. A ground observer reported that the crew dec...
British Airways suffers multiple bird strikes at Lagos airport
A Boeing 777-300, registration G-STBE belonging to British Airways, performing flight BA-75 from Heathrow airport, London to Lagos, suffered multiple bird strikes on December 30, 2020. A bird strike is a collision between an airborne animal and a vehicle, usually an aircraft. The flight was on final approach to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos’ runway 18R when the aircraft received a number of bird strikes in the flare causing a hydraulic leak. However, the aircraft touched down safely, rolled out and vacated the runway and was taxing towards the apron when the aircraft lost nose wheel steering, hydraulic C system indicated zero quantity and smoke was seen from the main landing gear. The crew stopped the aircraft on the taxiway. A ground observer reported that the crew dec...
Report: Jack Ma’s Ant Group considers overhaul due to regulatory pressure
Chinese financial technology giant Ant Group plans reorganisation that would allow it to be regulated more like a bank, Bloomberg reports. Jack Ma’s besieged Ant Group Co. is planning to fold its financial operations into a holding company that could be regulated more like a bank, according to people familiar with the situation, potentially crippling the growth of its most-profitable units. The fintech giant is planning to move any unit that would require a financial license into the holding company, pending regulatory approval, said the people, who asked not be named because the matter is private. The plans are still under discussion and subject to change, the people said. Ant declined to comment. The operations that Ant is looking to fold into the holding company include wealth managemen...
Nigerian singer BigLo dies of kidney failure
Popular Nigerian singer Lotanna Udueze, more popularly known as BigLo, has passed on. According to close friends, the singer who was down with a kidney ailment died on Christmas day. Biglo’s kidney ailment was diagnosed in 2018 and last year, he began undergoing dialysis at a nursing home in California, U.S three times a week. He also tried raising funds for treatment. His UK based cousin, Zuby Udezue tried to raise £50,000; about N23 million at that time. Biglo who was popular especially in the early 2000s with fellow musicians, 2shotz and StylPlus, shot into limelight with the hit ‘Delicious’ which featured 2shotz. Although the track earned him a HipHop World Award for Best Rap Collabo, the chubby rapper however, went underground after the buzz died down. Some of his colleagues have take...
Millions of Americans risk losing jobless benefits as Donald Trump refuses to sign aid bill
Millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people. Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on Dec. 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending. Without Trump’s signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labor Department data. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree a stop-gap government funding bill before then. Af...
Bandits kill PDP chieftain, kidnap three daughters in Niger
A chieftain of the Peoples Democractic Party in Kampala ward of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger state, Alhaji Ahmodu Mohammed, has been killed by bandits. Ahmodu’s three daughters were also kidnapped by the bandits. An eyewitness told newsmen that the murder of Alhaji Mohammed, a successful farmer, took place Thursday after the bandits had paid two previous visits to his community. The armed men were said to have previously attacked traders at the popular Beji market. Thursday’s raid by the bandits who numbered about 15 and carried dangerous weapons took place around 2.00am, it was learnt. A family source told newsmen that: “This is the third time that the bandits are attacking the man. They have been coming before but they couldn’t succeed because the man is very powerful”. “He was s...
Christmas celebrated under pandemic’s shadow
Hundreds of millions across the world celebrated pared-down Christmas festivities on Friday due to coronavirus restrictions, as Pope Francis called for vaccines for everyone, describing them as “glimmers of hope in this period of darkness and uncertainty”. The pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is still running rampant in much of the world, but the recent launching of mass vaccine campaigns has boosted hopes that 2021 could bring a respite. Like so many across the globe, the pope was forced to break with normal Christmas tradition, holding his annual “Urbi et Orbi” speech by video from the apostolic palace, to prevent a crowd from gathering in St Peter’s Square. “I call on everyone, on leaders of states, on businesses, on international organisations, to promote cooperatio...
Expert: Excess alcohol intake injurious to health
A medical practitioner, Dr Akintunde Ogunfeyimi, has cautioned Nigerians against excessive intake of alcohol especially during the yuletide in order not to cause havoc to their health. Akintunde, the Chief Medical Director of Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, in Okitipupa on Thursday said that excessive alcohol consumption had diverse consequences. He said that people tend to take much alcohol especially during festivities in expression of their happiness and delight, but that such acts pose great health risks. “Series of diseases ranging from hypertension, kidney problem, liver problem, heart-related diseases, accidents and outright death can be the result of drinking too much alcohol and drinks with high alcohol content. “Alcohol can also affect the brains and the person will no...
Nigerian government posts 35 firefighters to man new Treasury House substation
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on Wednesday commissioned a fire substation built for the Treasury House which houses the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. Speaking at the event, the Minister extolled the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Idris Ahmed, for building the facility which will help battle fire incidents in the building and its environs. She was also pleased that 35 firemen have been posted to man the facility by the Comptroller-General of the Fire Service. According to her, “the Treasury House is the key driver of the ongoing Public Financial Management Reforms in line with the desire of the Federal Government to bring the nation up to speed with other leading world economies. “In carrying out this enormous task, ...
Yuletide: NSCDC chief orders deployment of personnel to flash points
SIGNAL The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has ordered the deployment of personnel to all nooks and crannies of the country in order to maintain peace, order and effective security of lives, property before, during and after the yuletide season. This is done against the backdrop of various reports of kidnapping, bandit attacks, assassinations and other forms of criminal activities in recent times. In a statement issued yesterday, DCC Emmanuel Okeh, CDPRO, said Gana reiterated that the determination to make the yuletide season hitch free is upper-most in the scheme of things as lots of Nigerians will be traveling to different parts of the country to celebrate with family and friends hence, the need for citizens’ safety. H...
Tottenham boss ‘angry’ with Dele Alli for creating ‘problems for his own team’
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has hit out at Dele Alli, accusing the midfielder of creating “problems for his own team” in his side’s 3-1 win over Stoke in the Carabao Cup. Alli was handed a rare start at Stoke on Wednesday and looked dangerous on occasions in attack, seeing a goal-bound strike saved by Andy Lonergan in the first half. However, he was at fault for Stoke’s goal when a flick gifted possession to the home side – and it was an action that angered his coach. “For me a player who plays in that position is a player that has to link and create and not create problems for his own team,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference. “They got us on the counterattack, so yes I was angry. “First half we were solid. They didn’t touch the ball, have a shot, have a corner. Instead of ...
Bisi Fayemi urges Nigerians to stop seeking medical care abroad, come to ABUTH
The First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has called on rich Nigerians to stop seeking medical treatments abroad, saying the multi-system nature of Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) can rival any hospital in the world. Fayemi added that ABUTH is well equipped with personnel and instruments with indisputable capacity to offer quality healthcare delivery that any hospital in India, United States of America, Britain and other advanced nations could offer. The state first lady stated this at her office in Ado Ekiti yesterday, while playing host to the family of Miss Precious Sodeinde, who suffered brain tumour, and was taken to the hospital by her for treatment. The operation done on Precious, who had gone partially blind before the issue was reported to the first lady,...
