Alaafin of Oyo has a new beauty queen (Nation)
While many know the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamide Adeyemi, as a powerful and highly-acclaimed king in Yorubaland, many don’t know that he has beautiful children as well.
Recently, one of Alaafin’s daughters, Princess Adedoja Adeyemi, was crowned Miss Oyo State for the Year 2020.
At the annual event held at Jogor Center, Liberty Road, Ibadan, the 24-year-old lady defeated other contestants who represented the 14 federal constituencies in the state. The graduate of History and International Studies from Osun State University (UNIOSUN) went home with a Toyota Camry Car, among other prizes.
She also visited the palace of the king in Oyo to present the price and get her father’s blessings. Read more
Lagos schools not reopening now – Ministry (Vanguard)
Public and private primary and secondary schools in Lagos State are not reopening on Monday, January 4, 2021, as earlier announced, in fact, their reopening depends on how the second wave of COVID-19 goes, it was gathered on Sunday.
While prodded on whether the schools would reopen as earlier announced by the Ministry of Education, the spokesman, Mr Kayode Abayomi, noted that recent developments concerning the second wave of the pandemic would not allow that.
“Please, recall that the Ministry of Education earlier announced 4th of January as resumption date for the second term 2020/2021 academic session, but this has since been overtaken by the turn of events due to the recent waves of Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
COVID-19: Sanwo-Olu delays civil servants’ resumption (Sun)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered for the postponement of civil servants on Grade Levels 14 and below resumption to Monday, January 18, as part of the measure to check spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the move was taken to stem the tide of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic that has forced over 4,000 Lagosians to embark on self-isolation across the state and introduction of different preventive measures.
The postponement came hours before the expiration of 14 days work-from-home policy earlier announced last year by the governor to curtail community transmission of the virus across the state.
Sanwo-Olu’s approval was contained in a statement released on Sunday by the Ministry of Information and Strategy which was signed by the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, on Sunday. Read more
Rail project: Don’t demolish Apapa port exit gate, Importers beg CCECC (Tribune)
Some importers and licensed Customs agents at the Lagos Port Complex Apapa have appealed to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the construction of rail line at the port, to ensure that it does not disrupt the movement of containers in and out of the port with the planned demolition of the container terminal exit gate.
The port users believe that the disruption of the movement of containers at the nation’s busiest seaport will further increase the prices of goods in the market, worsen inflation in the country and compound the Apapa gridlock.
In November, the importers and clearing agents said they were unable to conclude their transactions while loaded trucks were unable to exit the port when CCECC mobilised to site, blocked the container terminal truck exit gate and began demolition of structures in the terminal. Read more
Military airstrikes knock down more terrorists’ hideouts, eliminate scores (Guardian)
The Defence Headquarters says the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has knocked down more terrorists’ hideouts, killing scores in two locations in Borno.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche,in a statement on Sunday, said the attacks were conducted on Saturday at Kote Kura and Bulama Isamari communities in Borno.
Enenche said the Air Task Force employed an appropriate force packages of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships based on credible intelligence. Read more
Woman arrested for alleged trafficking of 15-year-old girl to Ivory Coast (Punch)
A woman (named withheld) has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old girl to Ivory Coast.
The teenager, a student of Ugnomro secondary school, Ugnomro in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State was said to have been acting strangely before she absconded.
A family source told our correspondent that their daughter started behaving strangely in September 2020, before she ran away.
“Suddenly, the child started behaving strangely. She ran out of the house to Alaka area to stay and after she was brought back, she went there again. We were thinking something must have gone wrong as this was not ordinary. Read more
Another strike imminent as university workers issue fresh 14-day ultimatum (Tribune)
The long-awaited resumption of university students may be disrupted again as university workers, under the auspices of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), have issued a 14-day strike notice to the Federal Government over the disparity in allocation of N40 billion earned allowance.
The varsity workers vowed to go on strike if after the 14 days ultimatum, the Federal Government failed to attend properly to their demands and resolve their grievances.
They were protesting the disparity in sharing of the N40 billion earned allowance released to the four university-based unions, which include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and NAAT. Read more
Oyo Rep Shina Peller raises the alarm over rising insecurity in constituency (Nation)
The lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Abiola (aka Shina Peller), has raised the alarm over worsening insecurity in his constituency.
Abiola raised the alarm while featuring in an interview programme, Southwest Political Circuit, on Ibadan-based Fresh FM, Ibadan yesterday.
He said the wave of attacks and killings in the area calls for a serious concern and needs urgent action. He described the rampant cases of kidnapping, killing and robbery by suspected Fulani herdsmen as worrisome.
The lawmaker said the situation report made available to him indicated that some incidents took place in Iwajowa Local Government within the last eight days. Read more
Abia Police command recovers another stolen child – PPRO (Vanguard)
The Nigeria Police, Abia Command, has confirmed the recovery of Master David Okoye, who was abducted from his mother’s shop on Aug. 21, 2020, by an unknown young man.
The command’s PRO, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said in Aba, on Sunday, that the child, who was abducted by a member of an illegal adoption syndicate, was recovered on Dec. 29, 2020.
Ogbonna told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Abia Police Commissioner, Mrs Janet Agbede had earlier issued directives to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to fish out the culprits and recover the baby.
He said upon receiving the order, the RRS Commander, John-Bull Obioguru, and his men went to work and after some months of vigorous searching, located the child at Arochukwu local government area of the state. Read more
2 French soldiers killed in Mali (BBC)
Two French soldiers died in Mali on Saturday when their armoured vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.
The two were in the eastern region of Menaka collecting intelligence, the French presidency has said.
It comes days after three other French soldiers died in a similar way.
France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel region which has been a front line in the war against Islamist militancy for almost a decade. Read more
Pope Francis condemns travelers fleeing COVID-19 lockdowns (NYPost)
Pope Francis on Sunday criticized travelers who had gone on vacation to escape COVID-19 lockdowns, saying they cared more about “fun” than the suffering of others.
Speaking during a video address from Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, Francis said that he had read reports of people boarding flights during the pandemic to vacation elsewhere.
“They didn’t think about those who were staying at home, of the economic problems of many people who have been hit hard by the lockdown, of the sick people — only about going on holiday and having fun,” Francis said. Read more
Scotland must wait a generation for new vote: Johnson (Guardian)
Another Scottish independence referendum should not take place for a generation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday, as Scotland’s leader renewed calls for a fresh vote in the wake of Brexit.
“Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events,” the prime minister told BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
“They don’t have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once in a generation.”
Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom in 2014. Read more
Norway landslide: Sixth body found as rescuers continue search (BBC)
Six bodies have now been found in the search for the missing after a massive landslide that destroyed homes in Norway last week, police have said.
Four bodies were discovered on Friday and Saturday, and another two on Sunday. The first victim to be found was named as Eirik Grønole, 31.
Four people remain missing following the hillside collapse that sent mud into the village of Ask on Wednesday.
Rescuers are working to find survivors, but chances of this are fading. Read more
Saudi Arabia resumes international flights, reopens borders (AlJazeera)
Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the reopening of borders and the resumption of international flights after a two-week suspension aimed to stem the spread of a new Covid-19 strain.
The government ordered the lifting of “precautionary measures related to the spread of a new variant of coronavirus”, the Ministry of the Interior said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 363,000 cases, including over 6,200 deaths –- the highest among the Gulf Arab states – but has also reported a high recovery rate. Read more
Iranian general Qassem Soleimani remembered at vigil marking his death by US drone strike (CBC)
A mock funeral procession marked the anniversary of the assassination of Iran’s top general and a senior Iraqi militia leader in a U.S. drone strike that heightened fears of a military escalation in the region.
Thousands of mourners joined the march on the highway leading to the Baghdad airport Saturday evening where the strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis took place. Soleimani’s killing dramatically ratcheted up tensions in the region and brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war.
Posters of the dead men adorned both sides of the road, which was lined with tents that served food and drinks for those who walked the highway. The scene of the bombing was turned into a shrine-like area sealed off by red ropes, with a photo of Soleimani and al-Muhandis in the middle, as mourners lit candles. Read more
Biographer slams Prince Harry for following Meghan Markle’s ‘woke’ ways (PageSix)
Prince Harry’s biographer has accused the royal of “meekly” following wife Meghan Markle’s “woke” ways — tossing his “life as an action man to become an airy-fairy do-gooder.”
Angelia Levin said in an op-ed for the Sunday Telegraph that while Markle “has blossomed back in her native” California, Harry “has become a shadow of the prince I once knew.”
“Of course, he would not be the first man to be besotted with a beautiful woman with a different agenda that he then meekly adopts as his own,” Levin wrote, insisting Harry “seems to accept being second to Meghan.” Read more
Immanuel Quickley makes instant impact in return to Knicks lineup (NYPost)
Immanuel Quickley offered a 12-minute tease in the Knicks’ season opener in Indiana, then exited with a hip pointer.
A week and a half later, with the Knicks returning to Indiana, the rookie guard was finally back.
Quickley made an instant impact and finished with nine points in 15 minutes as the Knicks beat the Pacers, 106-102, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“A little rust, obviously, but overall, very pleased,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Good energy. You can see he’s clever in terms of drawing fouls, which is very important.” Read more
Kieran Trippier has betting ban suspended pending appeal (BBC)
England and Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier has had his 10-week ban for breaching betting rules suspended pending an appeal.
A Football Association panel found in December the 30-year-old had committed four breaches of a betting rule.
He was given an immediate worldwide football ban and fined £70,000 but this has now been put on hold.
Fifa said the postponement was due to “the request for provisional measures lodged by Atletico Madrid”. Read more
‘Disappointed’ Man City to probe report Mendy breached virus rules (Guardian)
Manchester City have launched an investigation into reports France defender Benjamin Mendy flouted coronavirus rules by hosting a gathering at his house on New Year’s Eve.
Mendy, 26, allowed a chef and two friends of his partner to visit his Cheshire home, according to a report in The Sun.
Regulations currently prevent people from different households in Tier Four from mixing indoors due to the continued spread of the virus in Britain. Read more
Lautaro hat-trick sends six-goal Milan top of Serie A (TimesofMalta)
Lautaro Martinez scored a hat-trick as Inter Milan kicked off 2021 in blistering form with a 6-2 win over lowly Crotone on Sunday to take top spot in Serie A.
Inter claimed an eighth consecutive league win to move two points ahead of AC Milan who travel to midtable Benevento later on Sunday with champions Juventus hosting Udinese.
Martinez and Romelu Lukaku proved decisive for the northerners, the strike duo being involved in five of Inter’s goals.
Antonio Conte’s side had been pegged back 2-2 at the break with Niccolo Zanellato breaking through with a 12th-minute header for the promoted Calabrians who are second from bottom with the worst attack in the league. Read more
Junior Stanislas: Bournemouth condemn racist abuse directed at winger (BBC)
Bournemouth have condemned “disgusting and completely intolerable” racist abuse directed at midfielder Junior Stanislas after the Cherries’ Championship win at Stoke City.
The club said he was targeted by one person on Twitter on Saturday.
“[The person] sent multiple tweets of racial abuse alongside vile insults about the midfielder’s family,” a club statement read.
The 31-year-old scored the only goal of the game in the 79th minute.
“It is both disgusting and completely intolerable that anyone could be subjected to the racial abuse that Junior has received,” Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake added. Read more
Wilder says ‘no hiding place’ for winless Sheffield as relegation looms (Vanguard)
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has said there was “no hiding place” for him and his players after they suffered their 15th Premier League defeat of the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Jeffrey Schlupp and Eberechi Eze scored a goal apiece as Palace heaped more misery on United with a 2-0 victory, leaving the Blades bottom of the table with two points, 11 adrift of the safety zone.
Wilder’s side have not won in 17 league games this season, the longest winless run from the start for an English top-flight side.
“We don’t look like an established club,” Wilder said. Read more