*Lagos rolls out guidelines to reopen businesses post-lockdown (Nation) *COVID-19: We won’t sack workers – Lagos (DailyTrust)

Lagos rolls out guidelines to reopen businesses post-lockdown (Nation)

Lagos State Government on Friday rolled out what it called ‘Register-to-open’ guidelines for businesses as it prepares  for the opening of the economy following  the ongoing lockdown.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking at a webinar organised by First Securities Discount House (FSDH) Group, with the theme: “A Global Pandemic: Local Realities and Peculiarities – A View from the Frontlines”, said government was  concerned about balancing the reactivation of economic activities and the continuation of the state’s response to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Under the four-page Register-to-Open guidelines,the state government is offering incentives which the governor said  will affect its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Read more

COVID-19: We won’t sack workers – Lagos (DailyTrust) 

The Lagos State Executive Council yesterday approved the revision of the state’s 2020 budget from N1,168.6bn earlier approved by the state House of Assembly in December 2019 to N920.5bn. The review was in response to the Coronavirus pandemic which has triggered global economic downturn. According to the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Sam Egube, the review represents 21 percent reduction in the previous estimate. While briefing newsmen at the state secretariat Alausa, the Commissioner explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has metamorphosed into economic pandemic which has necessitated the “reordering” of the budget. Read more

Lagos DPO arrested for shooting sergeant dead (Punch)

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the Divisional Police Officer, Ilemba Hausa Division, Yahaya Adesina, for allegedly shooting one of the police personnel attached to the station, Sergeant Onajide Onalaja, while dispersing a crowd in the Ilemba Hausa area of the state.

This is just as the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered a probe of the allegation by Onalaja’s family that Adesina shot dead the cop and attempted to conceal the crime.

Initially, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said two fake/deserter soldiers, Kehinde Elijah, 45, and Ezeh Joseph, were arrested in connection with Onalaja’s killing, adding that investigation was ongoing. Read more

Lagos cuts 2020 Budget by 21% to N920.5 billion (Nation)

The Lagos State government has revised downwards by 21 per cent its year 2020 Budget, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube, has said.

Egube, who stated this yesterday at press briefing with his Information and Strategy counterpart, Gbenga Omotoso, said under the revised estimates, the new year 2020 Appropriation is ?920.5 billion, as against the ?1.169 trillion hitherto approved by the State House of Assembly.

He said the Lagos Executive Council approved the  revised budget so as to help mitigate the economic and social headwinds precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic on the state. Read more

Eid-el-Fitr: Senator Tinubu congratulates Muslims (Nation)

The Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has congratulated the Muslim Faithful in the district, Lagos State and Nigeria on the successful observance of the Ramadan fast and commemoration of the Eid-el-Fitr.

In a statement released in Lagos yesterday, she commended the resilience, dedication and self-sacrifice of Muslims across the country, charging them to remain mindful of “the directives and protocols put in place to protect us and the society at large.”

“The exigencies of a global pandemic and the resulting lockdown have greatly affected a number of things, including our norms,” the statement observed. Read more

Malabu: UK court dismisses Nigeria’s $1bn bribery case against Eni, Shell (Nation)

A court in London on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against Eni and Shell brought by the Federal Government  alleging that the oil and gas supermajors knew about US$1.1 billion in bribes given to secure licence for oil block OPL 245 in Nigeria nearly a decade ago.

The court said  the United Kingdom  has no jurisdiction to try the lawsuit that is basically the same for which Shell and Eni are currently under trial in Italy.

Eni and Shell are on trial in Milan for allegedly knowing that an alleged payment of US$1.1 billion in bribes was made to Nigeria in 2011, for which Eni and Shell secured exclusive rights to develop oil block OPL-245 offshore Nigeria. Read more

Pregnant mother of one stabs lover to death (Nation)

Says I pray he makes heaven

Hell, says William Shakespeare, has no fury like a woman scorned. That much was proven in the life of Mr. Anyakwo Mohammed whose lover stabbed to death for impregnating another woman.

In a sensational confession to the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigerian Securities and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Veronica rendered an account of how she drove a knife into her husband’s chest during a quarrel, causing him to die before he could be rushed to the hospital.

Already, the NSCDC has vowed to charge her to court for murder. Read more

Housewife, 18, says she killed husband to avoid defilement (Guardian)

A housewife, Salma Hassan, 18, who allegedly stabbed her husband to death, has said that she did that because she didn’t know that sex was part of marital obligations.

Salma, who is being detained by the Police Command in Bauchi, told newsmen that she killed her husband, Mohammed Mustafa, because she thought he was “just trying to defile me”.

“I didn’t know that sex is a marital obligation. On that day, when he approached me for sex, I refused because I have never been involved in it before.

“I thought he wanted to rape me but he got angry and was trying to force himself on me. He started beating me.

“I picked up a knife to scare him away but he kept coming and I didn’t know when I stabbed him with the knife in his chest,” she said. Read more

Ramadan: German church opens doors for Muslim prayers (BBC)

A church in Berlin has opened its doors to Muslim worshippers unable to fit into their mosque under new social distancing rules.

Germany allowed religious services to resume on 4 May but worshippers must maintain a distance of 1.5m (5ft).

As a result the Dar Assalam mosque in the city’s Neukölln district could only hold a fraction of its congregation.

But the Martha Lutheran church in Kreuzberg offered to help by hosting Friday prayers at the end of Ramadan. Read more

Cuomo issues executive order allowing gatherings of up to 10 people (NYPost)

Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statewide executive order Friday night that now allows any gathering of up to 10 people, so long as social distancing is observed.

The surprise order permits “any non-essential gathering of ten or fewer individuals, for any lawful purpose or reason, provided that social distancing protocols and cleaning and disinfection protocols required by the Department of Health are adhered to.”

The law appears to now legalize such small gatherings as indoor house parties or outdoor barbecues, picnics and even mini-protests, so long as no more than ten people are sharing in the activity — and they all stay six feet apart while doing so. Read more

Biden: Black voters considering Trump ‘ain’t black’ (BBC)

Joe Biden is in damage limitation mode after saying African Americans “ain’t black” if they even consider voting for President Donald Trump over him.

Gaffe-prone Mr Biden made the remark in an interview on Friday with a prominent black radio host, Charlamagne Tha God, about his outreach to black voters.

Mr Biden later expressed regret for the “cavalier” comment.

The black vote has been key to the Biden candidacy. Read more

Potential COVID-19 vaccine shows promising early results (CBC)

An early trial of a prospective COVID-19 vaccine that will soon be tested on Canadians has found it to be safe and also prompted an immune response.

A study published Friday in the Lancet journal said the formulation from China’s CanSino Biologics Inc. needs more trials to determine whether it can actually protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

But it said early trials involving 108 adults in Wuhan produced neutralizing antibodies and a response in T-cells, which protect the body from pathogens, after 28 days. The most common side effects — described as “mild” and “moderate” — were pain at the injection site, fever, fatigue and headache. Read more

US billionaire wealth skyrockets to over $3t during pandemic (RT)

Over the last two months unemployment in the United States has risen to levels not seen since the Great Depression. However, US billionaires got even richer during the same period of coronavirus pandemic.

A new report by Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and the Institute for Policy Studies showed their fortunes soared by $434 billion or 15 percent during the nation’s lockdown between mid-March and mid-May. The billionaires’ combined net worth rose from $2.948 trillion to $3.382 trillion. Read more

UK arrivals will have to self-isolate for 14 days from June 8 (Metro)

Travellers arriving in the UK will have to self-isolate for 14 days from June 8. Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the new measures during the daily coronavirus press conference in Downing Street. She said: ‘We are following the science and introducing public health measures that are supported by SAGE. ‘This will require international arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days – that is the incubation period of the virus so that if people have become infected overseas, we can limit the spread of the virus at home. Read more

‘I won’t mind coming back to play in Nigerian league’ (Guardian)

Super Falcons striker, Desire Oparanozie, is worried over the long delay in appointing a coach for the senior women national football team since Swede, Thomas Dennerby, left the job. Dennerby parted ways with the NFF shortly after leading the Falcons to France 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Oparanozie said in Lagos that the situation was capable of halting the Super Falcons’ progression, adding that much attention needed to be given to the team.

She argued that the decision on a new Falcons’ coach should not be gender based, adding that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should only focus on getting a quality tactician to manage the Super Falcons. Read more

Oduduru targets Tokyo Olympic title (Nation)

2014 World Junior silver medallist Divine Oduduru is warming up to become  the first Nigerian to clinch World and Olympic titles in this era.

The four-time NCAA champion told AthleticHeat online that he was aiming to make a different with his performance to inspire more Nigerians to aim for the diadems at global level.

“I am not giving up on my dream of becoming world and Olympic title holders because my aim is become an athlete with a different who will take the baton from Blessing Okagbare whom I still considered my role model,” he declared. Read more

 COVID-19: Players, administrators differ on NPFL resumption (DailyTrust)

 Although it has been difficult to regain the passion and excitement that characterized the Nigerian Professional Football League in the 90s when clubs like BCC Lions of Gboko, Iwuayanwu Nationale of Owerri, Stationary Stores of Lagos, Abiola Babes of Abeokuta, Kano Pillars, Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, and Julius Berger of Lagos held sway, the interest of Nigerian football fans in the domestic league has refused to die completely. It is, for this reason, that in spite of the glaring shortcomings in the organisation of the league, enthusiastic football fans still throng match venues to render support to their darling clubs. Read more

‘I would love to see it’: oshua Backs Mike Tyson’s Comeback At 53 (Guardian)

Anthony Joshua has admitted he would ‘love to see’ former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson make a comeback.

The 53-year-old has caused quite the stir in the boxing world having recently teased a potential return to the ring.

Tyson’s talk of reviving his boxing career 15 years after his last professional contest – a stoppage defeat against Kevin McBride – has largely divided opinion but Joshua is supportive of him fighting again.

Speaking to British GQ, unified champion Joshua said: ‘If he’s back in the ring, I would love to see it, I would definitely be one of the viewers, that’s for sure. Read more

Naomi Osaka banks $37m in single year to smash Sharapova record for highest ever annual earnings for female athlete (RT)

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka, 22, has broken the record for the most a female athlete has ever earned in a year, according to Forbes, joining rival Serena Williams as the only two women on the annual list of the 100 top sport earners.

Despite not currently holding a Grand Slam title and slipping to 10th in the women’s tennis rankings, the former world number one registered the most lucrative ever year for a sportswoman in 2019, earning $1.4 million more than Williams, Forbes reported.

Osaka was a year old when Williams, who is now 38, won her first major title, and the newcomer only picked up her first Grand Slam trophy when she beat the American in the 2018 US Open final, causing the veteran to earn three code violations in a bad-tempered defeat. Read more

Inter Milan reluctant to pay £10.75m on Victor Moses (Guardian)

The dream of former Super Eagles striker Victor Moses joining Inter Milan on permanent deal when football activities return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic may not see the light of day. The winger may be dumped after his flop loan spell.

The Serie A side is said to be reluctant to pay the £10.75m valuation placed on Moses by his English side, Chelsea. The Frank Lampard’s side is looking to sell Victor Moses, with Inter Milan interested in bringing in the 29-year-old winger, according to The Sun. However, the sticking point may prove to be the price. Read more

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