Lagos seals medical laboratory conducting COVID-19 tests illegally (Guardian)
The Lagos State Ministry of Health on Saturday said it had sealed a private medical laboratory conducting COVID-19 tests inside a pharmacy at Banana Island in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The ministry, through its Twitter account, said that the lab; Acouns Medical Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, situated inside a pharmacy,
was carrying out COVID-19 tests without required government approval.
It advised residents to desist from patronising health facilities not accredited by the state government for testing or management of COVID-19 cases. Read more
Nigerian doctors stopped at Lagos airport promised millions by UK firm (Punch)
The 58 Nigerian doctors who were prevented by the Nigeria Immigration Service from boarding a plane to the United Kingdom were expected to earn between £51,384 (N25.1m) and £98,112 (N47.9m) per year depending on the experience they have.
This is apart from the special allowances and other perks such as free meals they were expected to get on the job.
This is according to the advertorial by NES Health Care, a UK-based firm that helps over 150 private hospitals to recruit doctors from all over the world. Read more
Obasa pens emotional tributes to late colleague, Tunde Braimoh (Independent)
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on Saturday penned an emotional tribute to the late Tunde Braimoh, the member who until his death, represented Kosofe Constituency 2 at the Assembly.
Obasa, in the tributes, which he titled “Tunde Braimoh: A Sudden Darkness Overtakes Our Sun”, said the demise of the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, hit him like thunder.
Describing the late lawmaker as one backbone of the House, the Speaker noted that late Braimoh was not just a lawmaker, but an ally, who never had ‘no’ for an answer. Read more
Policewoman, two others die as Lagos building collapses (Punch)
A yet-to-be-Identified Constable attached to the Ikoyi Police Division lost her life on Saturday when a three-storey building collapsed on Freeman Street, in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, gave the confirmation after emergency responders combing the scene of the collapsed building recovered three corpses and rescued no fewer than nine persons alive from the rubble.
While commiserating with the bereaved family, Elkana said, “A constable was part of the people that died when the building collapsed at Freeman Street in Lagos Island. The constable works with the Ikoyi Police Division but lives in the building. The building collapsed around 3am.” Read more
NIPOST workers kick against FIRS stamp, threaten nationwide strike (Nation)
Workers of the Nigerian Postal Service have protested against the printing of stamps by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, saying it is a usurpation of their duties.
The workers under the umbrella body of Senior Staff of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies issued a 21-days ultimatum within within which the Federal Government should facilitate an urgent meeting of stakeholders in order to arrive at an amicable resolution or risk nationwide strike.
The FIRS had on June 30, 2020 produced and launched its owned brand of adhesive stamp. Read more
Torrential rain floods Kaduna homes (DailyTrust)
A heavy rainfall that lasted over an hour on Thursday evening flooded many homes in some parts of Kaduna North Local Government area, one week after a similar occurrence led to the destruction of homes, trees and electrical poles.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that the downpour which commenced around 5:45 pm had overflowed river banks as well as blocked drainage and gutters, forcing water into homes.
As of Friday morning, residents in most parts of Badiko and Gwamna Road were seen evacuating their valuable and drying them under the sun. Read more
NAFDAC denies approving herbal product for COVID-19 treatment (Guardian)
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Sunday said it has not approved any herbal mixture for the treatment of COVID-19.
The director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye described as inaccurate, the reports that the agency NAFDAC has approved a Paxherbal product “specifically for treating symptoms associated with Coronavirus.”
Adeyeye explained that no clinical study has been done on any of the products to prove claims of efficacy, that until a clinical study is done in a scientific manner, no herbal medicine manufacturer can claim effectiveness to treat COVID-19 associated symptoms. Read more
Gunmen kidnap top govt official, two others in Ekiti (Nation)
Gunmen on Friday evening kidnapped three persons along Isinbode-Ode road in Isinbode-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The Nation gathered the gun-wielding assailants invaded a sawmill located along the route and dispossessed the workers of their personal belongings before abducting two at the scene.
The source, who confided in our reporter, revealed after the operation, the kidnappers numbering 10, waylaid a Hilux Van conveying a top government official and rained bullet it before leaving with one of the occupants. Read more
Woman gets admitted to psychiatric hospital after being unable to pee for nearly two years (Metro)
In December 2018, Anna Rachel Gray woke up, went to the toilet, and was unable to pee. She hasn’t urinated since.
Anna, 22, has Fowler’s Syndrome, a rare condition that means she retains urine and is unable to pass it due to the bladder’s sphincter muscle’s failure to relax.
Fowler’s affects young women and up to half of the patients affected have polycystic ovaries. Anna, from Bath, says that up until the day she suddenly couldn’t pee, she had been absolutely fine. Read more
South African church attack: Five dead after ‘hostage situation’ (BBC)
Five people have been killed after attackers stormed a South African church, reportedly amid an argument over its leadership.
South African police said they had rescued men, women and children from a “hostage situation” on the outskirts of Johannesburg on Saturday morning.
They have also arrested at least 40 people, and seized dozens of weapons.
Eyewitnesses say the men who stormed the International Pentecostal Holiness Church were part of a splinter group. Read more
How the world’s population tripled in 70 years (Aljazeera)
People across the globe observe July 11 as the World Population Day – as designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about reproductive health and achieve sustainable development around the world.
The theme this year is focused on safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the world, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The animation below shows how the world grew from 2.5 billion people in 1950 to 7.7 billion now. Read more
Teenage surfer killed in shark attack off Australian coast (Metro)
A 15-year-old boy has been mauled to death by a shark while surfing off Australia’s east coast.
Police said the teenager – named by friends as Mani Hart-Deville – was surfing at Wooli Beach, near Grafton, about 370 miles north of Sydney in New South Wales state, when he was attacked.
Several other surfers took the boy to shore, where he was treated for severe leg injuries but he died at the scene, they added. Read more
‘Butcher of Srebrenica’ still on trial 25 years after genocide (Aljazeera)
Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, the chief architect of the Srebrenica genocide, was still without a final verdict even 25 years after the massacre.
In July 1995, Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in a few days.
The episode – labelled as genocide by two international courts – came at the end of a 1992-95 war between Bosnia’s Croats, Muslims and Serbs that killed some 100,000 people. Read more
COVID-19 vaccine faces challenge of confidence (VOA)
The economy will not fully recover until a vaccine against COVID-19 is available, experts say.
But once a vaccine is available, polls show one-quarter to one-third of Americans don’t plan to get it.
That means bringing the pandemic to an end and getting people back to work is not just a medical science challenge. It’s a social science challenge, too. Read more
Microsoft Teams takes on Zoom with bizarre new feature (Metro)
Microsoft is adding a virtual auditorium view to its Teams communication platform in a bid to make video meetings feel more natural during lockdown.
The firm has developed AI technology that places participants alongside one another, digitally seated with the same background, creating the impression everyone is in the same room.
‘Together mode’ is designed to help people feel more connected and less fatigued by video meetings, which have become commonplace among those working from home since coronavirus lockdown measures came into place in March. Read more
NFF seeks to partner Barca Academy (ThisDay)
The Nigerian Football Federation through the Secretary, Lagos Football Association has written to Blaugrana Sports Group, promoters of the Barca Academy Nigeria, for possible sustainable support, if it meets the association’s requirements.
In a letter signed by Bitrus Bewarang, National Technical Director, on behalf of the General Secretary, addressed to the Lagos Football Association, through the secretary, stated that the NFF is gathering data and collating information on some specific football academies in the country with the aim of assisting them in their programmes. In Lagos State, only three football academies are on the shortlist-Pepsi, Buruj and Barca.
In a media chat, Chairman, Blaugrana Sports Group, Leslie Oghomienor, commended the impactful and visionary leadership of the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, for his tremendous contributions to the development and growth of the game in Nigeria. Read more
England World Cup winner and former Ireland manager Jack Charlton dies age 85 (Metro)
Jack Charlton, the former Leeds and England defender who won a World Cup winner’s medal in 1966, has died. He was 85.
Charlton had been diagnosed with lymphoma in the last year and was also battling dementia.
He spent his entire 21-year playing career at Leeds, making a joint club record 773 appearances, before retiring as a player in 1973 and going on to enjoy a successful and colourful career as a manager. Read more
Burnley end Liverpool’s 100% home record (BBC)
Burnley ended new champions Liverpool’s hopes of completing the season with a 100% Premier League home record thanks to Jay Rodriguez’s second-half equaliser.
Clarets striker Rodriguez swivelled and fired home from inside the box following a James Tarkowski header to reward Sean Dyche’s side for their resilience and persistence in the face of large periods of home dominance.
The visitors could even have left Anfield with all three points, but Johann Berg Gudmundsson fired an effort against the crossbar with just minutes remaining. Read more
Parma report first positive test since Serie A resumed (Guardian)
Serie A club Parma announced on Saturday that a member of its staff had tested positive for coronavirus and been placed in isolation.
This is the first case of coronavirus in Italian football since the competition resumed exactly one month ago.
“This person, who was completely asymptomatic, was quickly isolated in accordance with federal and ministerial guidelines,” the Serie A club said in a statement. Read more
Norwich relegated from EPL as Antonio lifts West Ham (Punch)
Norwich were condemned to a record fifth relegation from the Premier League as Michail Antonio’s four-goal blitz fired West Ham to a 4-0 win at Carrow Road on Saturday.
A seventh successive league defeat for Daniel Farke’s side sealed their fate as Antonio’s ruthless display boosted West Ham’s own survival bid.
Norwich are 13 points from safety with only three games left, meaning they are certain to make an immediate return to the Championship after last season’s promotion campaign. Read more
Hakim Ziyech pictured training with Blues for first time (Metro)
Hakim Ziyech has officially arrived at Chelsea following his £35million transfer from Ajax. The Dutch attacking midfielder was snapped in Blues training gear on Saturday as he prepares for life in the Premier League. Ziyech will not feature in Chelsea’s final four games this season but will get himself up to speed ahead of the quick turnaround before the next campaign. The new season will start in either August or September and Ziyech will hope to become familiar with his team-mates before the 2020/21 campaign kicks off. Read more