CBN asks BDC operators to apply for new licences (DailyTrust)
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all existing Bureau De Change Operators to re-apply for licences.
The apex bank gave the directive in a circular issued by its Director of Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Haruna Mustafa, on Wednesday.
The BDCs were also required to meet the capital requirements for their licence category within six months. Read more
FG apologises over hardship, defends economic policies (Leadership)
The federal government has apologised to Nigerians over the economic pains they go through as a result of the reforms embarked upon by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
The apology came yesterday from the minister of budget and economic planning, Atiku Bagudu, at a Ministerial Sectoral Update in Abuja
He, however, staunchly defended the policies of the Tinubu-led administration. Read more
‘FG has full confidence in Air Peace,’ Keyamo reacts to UK safety violation allegation (Punch)
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to Air Peace’s recent alleged safety violation in London.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported how Gatwick Airport in London reported the Nigeria airline, Air Peace to the UK Civil Aviation Authority over some violations indulged in by the airline during its operation at their airport.
The UK CAA also passed the report to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Read more
Ondo farmer arrested for allegedly defiling daughter (Nation)
A 40-year-old farmer, Abraham Achibong, has been arrested for allegedly molesting his daughter since she was eight.
The daughter, who is now 14, said she summoned courage to spill the bean to her teacher.
She spoke when officials of the Ondo State Primary Health Care officers visited her school on a sensitisation programme on Human Papilloma Virus vaccine. Read more
Police arrest 8 notorious armed robbers in Kaduna (Tribune)
Kaduna State Police Command has arrested eight notorious armed robbers, including three receivers of stolen items and a cybercriminal who specialized in unlocking phones and alteration of IMEI numbers.
This was contained in a statement issued by the police imagine maker, ASP Mansir Hassan and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The statement noted that the arrested notorious robbery suspects have been terrorizing the Areas of Barnawa, Sabon Tasha and Karji in the Kaduna metropolitan area. Read more
INEC chides SIECs over coronation of candidates of ruling parties (Sun)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lampoon State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) over their failure to conduct a credible, transparent Local Government elections.
The commission accused the State electoral umpires of coronation of the candidates of the ruling parties, charging the State Governors to allow SIECs to have greater capacity for independent action.
Commission’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the allegation in Abuja on Tuesday in his remarks during a courtesy visit by the Executive members of the Forum State Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (FOSIECON). Read more
Tinubu to attend Mahamat Déby’s inauguration as Chad’s president (Channels)
President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday, May 23, for N’Djamena, Republic of Chad, to attend the inauguration of President Idriss Mahamat Déby Itno.
The inauguration follows the declaration of President Déby as the winner of the country’s presidential election earlier this month and subsequent affirmation by the Constitutional Court of Chad.
According to the statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu will be accompanied on the trip by some senior government officials and will return after the ceremony. Read more
Bandit arrested treating gunshot wound in Plateau hospital (DailyTrust)
The police in Plateau State have arrested a bandit while treating gunshot wounds at a hospital.
Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, said one the arrested bandit was among those who attacked Zurack Community in the Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State
Alfred said men of the Police Force killed seven bandits in an “aggressive onslaught” by a combined team of DSS and other security operatives in Bangalala Forest of Wase Local Government Area. Read more
Lauryn Hill reacts to ‘Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’ being voted “Greatest Album Ever” (Vibe)
Lauryn Hill‘s classic debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, has been chosen by Apple Music as the greatest record ever made.
On Tuesday evening (May 21), Hill attended an intimate dinner held in New York City by the streaming platform, during which she was surprisingly informed of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill topping Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list as the best release of the modern era.
During the dinner, which was hosted by Ebro Darden, the New Jersey native expressed her appreciation upon hearing the news that her album was voted No. 1. “This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love,” Hill, who was joined by her mother, said in a short speech. “This is as much mine as it is yours. This is all celebration.” Read more
Coronation Street legend traumatised as ‘drug fuelled sex tape’ leaks (Metro)
Abi Webster’s (Sally Carman-Duttine) worst nightmares have been realised in Coronation Street as her ‘sex tape’ has been spread around Weatherfield.
But there’s a catch – it isn’t her at all.
She’s had a rough old week has our Abi, after discovering that a production company had made a documentary series following her son’s killer Corey Brent’s footballing success behind bars. Read more
As Brazil copes with floods, officials face another scourge: Disinformation (AlJazeera)
The floodwaters in southern Brazil lapped near rooftops, turning roads into rivers and engulfing entire towns. More than 2.3 million people have felt the effects of the rising waters. A total of 161 people have been confirmed dead, with more bodies expected to be found.
Officials have called the torrential rains and flooding in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul “the worst climate disaster” the area has ever seen.
But they have said the tragedy is being amplified by another phenomenon: disinformation, intentionally designed to mislead. Read more
After weeks of racist threats, a Black dog walker’s home was set on fire in San Francisco (NBC)
A Black dog walker’s home in San Francisco was set on fire weeks after he reported receiving racially threatening packages. He was not home at the time of the fire Tuesday, but his parents were trapped upstairs and had to be rescued by firefighters.
Police said they are investigating the sending of the packages as hate crimes, but have not identified a suspect.
The walker, Terry Williams, said he found two packages, one April 26, the other May 5, at the row house he lives in with his parents that contained racist threats against him. Read more
Rishi Sunak gets drenched as he confirms July 4th election with disastrous speech – drowned out on live TV by Labour anthem (Mirror)
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the General Election will be held on July 4 as he made an announcement in the rain drowned out by Things Can Only Get Better
Rishi Sunak has finally bowed to calls for a General Election – announcing the country will go to the polls on July 4.
The PM, getting wetter and wetter as he was pelted by rain, was drowned out by D:Ream hit Things Can Only Get Better – Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide anthem – as he brought months of speculation to an end. Read more
Canadian serial killer Robert Picton ‘between life and death’ after attack in prison (UPI)
Serial killer Robert Picton remains in critical condition and is not expected to survive following an attack in prison. The Canadian murderer was speared in the head with a broken broom handle while serving his maximum security sentence at Port-Cartier prison.
The 74-year-old Picton was attacked Sunday and was between life and death Tuesday after surgery, according to two sources including one police source cited by Radio-Canada.
Prison officials would not share information about his condition Wednesday. Read more
Ireland, Spain and Norway recognising a Palestinian state (CBS)
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.
The official recognition by the three nations of an independent Palestinian state will take effect on May 28, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told a news conference Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reports.
It was a lightning cascade of announcements. First was Norway, whose Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition,” adding that, “By recognizing a Palestinian state, Norway supports the Arab peace plan.” Read more
NPFL under pressure as CAF sets deadline for submission of club competitions reps (DailyTrust)
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) board will be under pressure to meet the deadline set by Africa’s football governing body, the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) for the submission of the clubs that have qualified for the 2024-2025 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
According to the deadline, it is expected that all the football leagues across Africa, which includes the NPFL, will submit their representatives for the two continental club competitions on or before June 15, 2024.
This directive from the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, means that all the leagues on the continent must round up their respective 2023-2024 league season before the said date as the preliminary round of the Champions League and Conference League will commence in August 2024. Read more
Toronto Blue Jays fan hit by 110 MPH foul ball gets own trading card (People)
A Toronto Blue Jays fan who was hit by a foul ball is getting a one-of-a-kind keepsake from her trip to the ballpark — her own trading card!
On Monday, May 20, Topps announced that it had produced the unlikely collectible, which features Liz McGuire’s face with a baseball-sized lump on her forehead.
“We produced exactly 110 copies, and we’re gifting them all to @lizzzzzzzzzzy. Liz, you’re a champ!” the company posted to X (formerly known as Twitter). Read more
Olympic champion swimmer Wilkie dies aged 70 (BBC)
British Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie has died at the age of 70.
The Scot won 200m breaststroke gold in Montreal in 1976, as well as two Olympic silver medals and three world titles.
His family released a statement saying: “It is with great sadness that the family of David Wilkie MBE announce that he died peacefully surrounded by his family this morning, following his brave battle with cancer.” Read more
Paris Olympics: Barbie launches dolls of female athletes (AfricaNews)
Barbie dolls will honor tennis champion Venus Williams and eight other athletes as part of a project announced by Mattel on Wednesday.
The others being depicted as dolls are boxer Estelle Mossely, paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez, soccer players Mary Fowler and Christine Sinclair, track and field sprinter Ewa Swoboda, swimmer Federica Pellegrini and gymnasts Rebeca Andrade and Alexa Moreno.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie’s mission couldn’t resonate more deeply with that ethos,” said Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles. Read more
2026 WCQ: FIFA replaces officials for Benin Republic vs Super Eagles (CompleteSports)
World-governing body, FIFA has made changes to the officiating team of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Benin Republic and Nigeria which is scheduled for the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in the Ivorian capital on Monday, 10th June 2024.
The changes have sent packing Ethiopian official Bamlak Tessema Weyesa, who was originally designated as referee for the encounter scheduled to kick off at 4pm.
In his place, Gabonese official Pierre Ghislain Atcho will now be the referee. Read more
Schumacher family awarded €200k in compensation over ‘AI interview’ (ABC)
Michael Schumacher’s family has been awarded €200,000 ($217,000) by a German magazine that claimed an AI-generated interview was actually an exclusive with the Formula One legend himself.
Last April, Die Aktuelle ran a front cover spread promising an exclusive interview with Schumacher, who has not been seen in public since suffering a serious brain injury in a December 2013 skiing accident.
At the end of the article, it was revealed to have been entirely fabricated by AI. The Schumacher family took legal action and have confirmed to ESPN the settlement, confirmed by the Munich Labor Court. Read more