Lagos installs 2,000 restricted route signs for okada, tricycles (Nation)
Lagos State government has commenced the installation of 2,000 tricycles and okada prohibited areas signs across the metropolis.
This is a renewed effort towards creating awareness on the Lagos State Traffic Laws on restricted areas for the operation of motorcycles popularly called okada and tricycles in the state.
Commissioner for Transportation Dr. Frederic Oladeinde said a good number of the road signs indicated areas where tricycles and motorcycles operations were prohibited, warning that any one that violate the law after this effort would be punished in accordance with the dictate of the law. Read more
Ex-banker defrauds 354 Nigerians of over N500m (Punch)
A former banker, Seye Onigbinde, has been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding 354 Nigerians to the tune of over N500m in illegal foreign exchange deals.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Onigbinde, who operates under the business name, Blueprint Business and Consulting, convinced over 354 Nigerians to invest in his foreign exchange business after successfully helping the first set of investors to make returns on their investments.
Onigbinde, while conducting the business, gave his office address as No. 13 Hughes Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos, but was operating from his place of residence on No. 7 Eyiowuawi Street, in the Pedro area of Shomolu, Lagos. Read more
Abuja court reaffirms order sacking Ifeanyi Ubah as senator (DailyTrust)
An FCT High Court in Kubwa has reaffirmed its earlier order sacking Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Peoples Party as the senator representing Anambra South in the Senate. Justice Bello Kawu, in a ruling on Friday, declined Ubah’s request to set aside the earlier order issued in a judgment delivered by the court on April 11, 2019. The judge had, in the said earlier judgment, sacked Ubah for allegedly submitting a forged National Examination Council certificate to contest the February 23, 2019 senatorial election. The judge had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ubah. Read more
IMF boss says global economy risks return of Great Depression (Guardian)
The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned that the global economy risks a return of the Great Depression, driven by inequality and financial sector instability.
Speaking at the Peterson Institute of International Economics in Washington, Kristalina Georgieva said new IMF research, which compares the current economy to the “roaring 1920s” that culminated in the great market crash of 1929, revealed that a similar trend was already under way.
While the inequality gap between countries had closed in the last two decades, it had increased within countries, she said, singling out the UK for particular criticism.
“In the UK, for example, the top 10% now control nearly as much wealth as the bottom 50%. This situation is mirrored across much of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), where income and wealth inequality have reached, or are near, record highs.” Read more
“Sugar Rush” is back, NFVCB Lifts ban (Guardian)
The Nigeria Film and Video Censor Board [NFVCB] has lifted the ban on the film “Sugar Rush”.
The Federal Government agency announced the approval of the film’s return to the cinema in a statement on its Twitter page:
“We are pleased to inform the general public that the movie has been classified and granted final approval for public screening.”
Musician cum actor Banky Wellington also confirmed the return of the film to the cinemas via a video he shared on his Twitter page. Read more
Cameron Diaz seen for first time since announcing birth of daughter Raddix with husband Benji Madden (Metro)
Two weeks after announcing she’d welcomed a daughter Raddix with husband Benji Madden, Cameron Diaz has been seen for the first time. Running errands in Los Angeles earlier this week, the Charlies Angels star was seen without her new bundle of joy, instead cradling a notepad, phone and glasses, with a tote on her arm. In a cozy sweater, jeans and boots, the star didn’t appear to be with her Good Charlotte rocker husband, 40, either, as she looked like a woman on a mission. It comes after the couple announced their happy news on 3 January with first-time mum Cameron confirming the arrival of Raddix on Instagram – surprisingly everyone as it was not publicly known the pair were expecting. Read more
Clinton prosecutor Ken Starr to defend Trump in impeachment (BBC)
US President Donald Trump’s defence team in his Senate trial will include special prosecutors from President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
He will be represented by Ken Starr and Robert Ray, who investigated Mr Clinton, and Alan Dershowitz, whose past clients include OJ Simpson.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Mr Trump’s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow will lead the team.
Opening statements in the Trump impeachment trial will begin next week. Read more
Missing Gustav Klimt painting worth £50,000,000 found in art gallery’s wall (Metro)
Art experts have confirmed that a painting found hidden inside an Italian gallery’s wall is Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady. The authentication brought to an end one of the art world’s unsolved mysteries, almost 23 years after the piece was stolen during renovation work. One of the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery’s gardeners reported finding it wrapped in a plastic bag inside a wall while clearing ivy on December 10. Piacenza prosecutor Ornella Chicca said: ‘It’s with no small emotion that I can tell you the work is authentic.’ Read more
Grieving grandmother calls for better road safety (BBC)
Kenyan Mary Wambui is still traumatised by the deaths of her daughter and three-year-old grandson after they were hit by a vehicle in 2016.
They were trying to cross a busy six-lane highway close to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, when the accident happened.
Ms Wambui’s daughter, Monicah Nyambura, died on the spot, but her grandchild, Brian, who was badly injured, spent much of the following year in hospital before he too died.
They were just two of the almost 3,000 people who were killed that year on Kenya’s roads, where safety rules are often poorly observed. Read more
Solicitor repeatedly raped graduate as she celebrated getting a first in her degree (Metro)
A lawyer has been jailed for 14 years after he dragged a student to a wooded area and sexually attacked her. Wilfred Marodza, 28, targeted the woman in the early hours of July 20 after she spent the night celebrating getting a first in her degree. He threatened to kill her before making her strip and raping her in woodland in Borough, south east London. She managed to escape, but he chased her and told witnesses they were having a ‘domestic’ before raping her again. She fled for a second time and got into a taxi that took her to a police station. Read more
New Chinese virus ‘will have infected hundreds’ (BBC)
The number of people already infected by the mystery virus emerging in China is far greater than official figures suggest, scientists have told the BBC.
There have been 41 laboratory-confirmed cases of the new virus, but UK experts estimate the figure is closer to 1,700.
Two people are known to have died from the virus, which appeared in Wuhan city in December.
“I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago,” disease outbreak scientist, Prof Neil Ferguson, said. Read more
D’Tigers Aminu bags Olympic honour (Nation)
Nigeria national team, D’Tigers forward, Alade Aminu has received Olympic Certificate of Recognition “OLY honour” from the World Olympians Association (WOA), NationSport reports.
Aminu, who plays for Polski Cukier Torun of the Polish Basketball League (PLK), represented Nigeria at the 2012 and the 2016 summer Olympic Games.
The 32-year-old, who was part of the 2015 Afrobasket winning team, was presented with the OLY honour by the National President of the Italian Basketball Federation, Gianni Petrucci in company of the Secretary of the federation, Maurizio Bertea and the CEO of Basketball Champions League Patrick Comninos just before the FIBA Basketball Champions League game between Dinamo Sassari and Polski Cukier Torun in Sassari, Italy. Read more
Fulham beat Middlesbrough to go third in Championship (BBC)
Fulham moved up to third in the Championship as Anthony Knockaert’s early goal gave them victory over in-form Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage.
Knockaert capped a blistering opening half an hour from the hosts with what proved to be the winner, meeting Joe Bryan’s low fizzing cross to tap home at the far post.
It was the least Fulham deserved for their relentless first-half pressure, with the absence of injured top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic perhaps telling as Scott Parker’s side squandered at least three guilt-edged opportunities. Read more
Africa Cup of Nations change a ‘catastrophe’ for Klopp (Guardian)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged football’s governing bodies to ease the burden on the sport’s top players, calling the decision to switch the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to January and February a “catastrophe”.
The European champions face losing African player of the year Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita for a significant spell next season after the AFCON, which will be hosted in Cameroon, was switched back to its former slot in the calendar.
The tournament was moved to June and July for last year’s 24-team edition in Egypt, in large part to avoid clashing with the European club season. Read more
How Daniil Medvedev has established himself as the biggest threat to Federer, Nadal and Djokovic (Metro)
At the start of a new year, the same question is always asked: ‘Will someone finally end the dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?’ 2020 is no different. But perhaps this season, Daniil Medvedev can provide the positive response many have long been waiting for. The Russian enters the Australian Open as a top-four seed for the first time in his career and make no mistake, he is capable of winning this tournament. Why Daniil Medvedev is one of the Australian Open favourites Play Video Loaded: 0%Progress: 0% PlayMute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time4:15 Fullscreen. Read more
Mourinho reignites Conte feud over Internazionale’s pursuit of Eriksen (Guardian)
José Mourinho has reignited his feud with Antonio Conte by accusing him of meddling in Christian Eriksen’s proposed transfer from Tottenham to Internazionale. Spurs are ready to sell Eriksen to the Serie A club, with the midfielder having indicated he will not renew a contract that expires in June.
But Mourinho is frustrated at the stories that say Inter are confident of signing Eriksen and he believes that Conte is behind them. He suggested his managerial rival, with whom he clashed on numerous occasions when he was in charge at Manchester United and the Italian was at Chelsea, had broken a managerial code that relates to speaking publicly about a player from another club and he also suspects that Conte has briefed about Eriksen in private.
Inter have offered €10m (£8.5m) for Eriksen and they are prepared to go higher, with sources in Italy claiming a deal has been agreed at €15m. Eriksen wants to sign a four-and-a-half-year contract, worth up to €18m a year. But Mourinho said Inter had not made an offer, perhaps meaning they had not made a serious one, and he added that Eriksen would be selected for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Watford. Read more
Inter confirm signing of Ashley Young from Manchester United (Metro)
Inter have confirmed the signing of Ashley Young from Manchester United. The 34-year-old has signed an initial six-month deal with the Italian giants who have the option to extend the former England international’s contract by a further 12 months. Young was out of contract in the summer and with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams staking claims for regular first team inclusion, his first team opportunities were likely to diminish even further. Reports on Friday claimed Young had stormed out of training in an attempt to force through a move to the Italian side who already boast two of his former United teammates in Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. Read more
UFC star Conor McGregor looks huge on scales as he weighs in for Donald Cerrone fight (Metro)
A hench Conor McGregor weighed in at 170lbs for his UFC 246 showdown with Donald Cerrone on Saturday night. The Irishman returns from a 15-month absence against Cowboy and opted to fight at welterweight rather than lightweight for his comeback bout. As a result, McGregor looked strong on the scales as he weighed in at exactly the same weight as his opponent, Cerrone. A relaxed Cerrone was the first to step on the scales at the early weigh-ins on Friday morning in Las Vegas, coming in at 170lbs. Read more
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City boss ‘100% staying’ with the Blues next season (BBC)
Pep Guardiola says he is “100% staying” as Manchester City manager next season.
After winning successive Premier League titles with record points totals, City look certain to finish second at best to runaway leaders Liverpool this term.
It has led to suggestions Guardiola will trigger a break clause in his contract, which runs to 2021. Read more
Tour de France: Chris Froome says he will go for a fifth title in 2020 (BBC)
Britain’s Chris Froome has confirmed that he will go for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title in 2020.
The Team Ineos rider is training again after being seriously injured during the Criterium du Dauphine last June.
Defending champion Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas, the 2018 winner, will spearhead the team at this year’s Tour. Read more
Mainz confirm Awoniyi’s Liverpool return (Punch)
Mainz’s Sports Director, Rouven Schroder, has confirmed that Nigeria striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, will be on his way back to Anfield during the January transfer window.
Reports emanated on Monday about the possibility of the Nigeria’s U-23 striker’s loan spell at Bundesliga side, Mainz, could be cut short by Liverpool following his inability to nail a starting berth.
Awoniyi joined Liverpool in 2015 from imperial academy but, has never kicked a ball for the Merseysiders because of work-permit related issues.
The development forced him to embark on loan spells at NEC, Frankfurt, Mouscron, and Gent. Read more