Lockdown: 78 violators sentenced to community service in Lagos (Punch)
The Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Yaba, on Wednesday, sentenced 78 persons to one month community service for violating the state government’s lockdown order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
It was gathered that 37 of the violators were arrested by the police while exercising on the Gbagada Expressway; 18 others were apprehended in the Ajegunle area of the state, while the remaining 23 persons were nabbed in others parts of the state.
The violators were arraigned separately on one count of unlawful gathering before Magistrate Peter Ojo.
While arraigning the Gbagada group, the prosecutor, A. A. Adegoke, told the court that they committed the offence on Tuesday on Bush Street/Gbagada Expressway/Ogudu area of the state. Read more
Police impound 13 vehicles over stay-at-home order violation (Guardian)
The Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) DCP Olatunji Disu Wednesday led a team of police operatives to impound 13 vehicles in Alapere area of the metropolis for not complying with the Federal Government’s directive on the stay at home order.
The team also dispersed a group of over 150 youth observing physical exercise in Ketu–Alapere.
The vehicles, which included three cars, seven buses and three 4-wheel drives were caught carrying passengers who did not have valid excuses of being on the road. Read more
How ‘Naira Marley’ fans stormed court in support of singer, as Lagos drops case (Vanguard)
In spite of the lockdown still in place, dozens of fans of singer, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, were at the premises of an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court to show support for their idol.
NAN reports that the fans, also known as Marlians and no fewer than 200, came to show massive support for Marley who was to be arraigned on Wednesday alongside a politician, Babatunde Gbadamosi and his wife, Folashade Gbadamosi.
They were alleged to have contravened the COVID-19 induced social distancing directives of the Lagos State Government. Read more
Lagos suspends loan repayment for MSMEs, tech start-ups (DailyTrust)
As part of its efforts to reduce the financial burden on 11,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and technology start-ups in the state, which accessed its loans, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has placed a moratorium on repayment of the loans by the beneficiary enterprises. The Acting Executive Secretary of the Fund, Teju Abisoye who disclosed this in Lagos described the moratorium as part of the relief measures by the state government to assist SMEs amidst the shutdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the LSETF boss noted that the pandemic had adversely affected trade and other business activities globally; resulting in SMEs and larger corporations seeking suspension of their loans repayment. Read more
COVID- 19: Lagos partners Naija FM, South Saharan for students’ audio lessons (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo has announced a partnership the state entered with Naija FM 102.7 and South Saharan Social Development Organisation to provide daily radio programmes for Junior Secondary School Students to keep them engaged pending the opening of schools due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In a statement by made available to journalists by Head, Public Affairs Unit, Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, the Commissioner explained that the radio lessons which will cover four subjects; English Studies, Mathematics, Basic Science and Civic Education, will run between 12 noon to 1pm daily. Read more
Cultists shoot OPC member dead in Ogun, spare pregnant wife (Punch)
Two suspected cultists have allegedly shot dead a member of the Oodua People’s Congress in Ogun State, Kolawole Ajomale, in the presence of his pregnant wife.
The suspects, identified as Korede Pariosho and Jide Afolabi, allegedly shot Ajomale in the head and stomach, and he died on the spot.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, stated this in a statement on Wednesday. Read more
Lockdown: Residents panic as food stuffs prices skyrocket (DailyTrust)
Prices of food stuffs and groceries have gone up significantly, putting fear in residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that food may be priced out of reach of the poor if the lockdown imposed by authorities to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic continues. City News conducted market survey at Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Kuje and in some neighbourhood markets in Karu, Nyanya and Jikwoyi and found out that prices of stables and groceries have skyrocketed. The food sellers who spoke with our reporters said the lockdown is beginning to create scarcity of food items. Read more
Discos offer customers two-month free electricity (Punch)
Power distribution companies on Wednesday announced that they were in support of proposal by the National Assembly and the Federal Executive arm of government that Nigerians should get two months of free electricity.
Speaking through their umbrella body, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, the Discos stated that modalities for the free power would be worked on and made public in due course. Read more
Five Nigerians test positive for coronavirus in China (Punch)
Five Nigerians have tested positive for coronavirus in China, according to Dailymail.co.uk.
Four of them had recently visited the same eatery, ‘Emma Food’, multiple times, announced the Guangzhou Health Commission on Tuesday.
The restaurant owner, alongside her daughter and another child, later tested positive for the contagion.
Wuhan, the former epicentre, on Wednesday saw all travel restrictions lifted after 76 days. Read more
Woman who revealed Clinton-Lewinsky scandal dies (BBC)
An American civil servant whose disclosure of an affair between Bill Clinton and a White House intern nearly brought down his presidency has died.
Linda Tripp, 70, passed away after suffering from pancreatic cancer, her family told US media on Wednesday.
Recordings Ms Tripp made of her conversations with Monica Lewinsky became central to the 1998 impeachment trial of then President Clinton.
She was variously praised as a whistle-blower and denounced as a partisan.
The former civil servant, who worked at the Pentagon and had a friendship with Ms Lewinsky despite their 24-year age difference, learnt that the younger woman had had a sexual relationship with the president and began secretly recording their conversations in 1997. Read more
Harry & Meghan’s website hit by trolls redirecting it to ‘Gold Digger’ (PageSix)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been targeted by trolls who are directing a website for their new Archewell charity to a video of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.”
Fans who type in http://www.archewellfoundation.com are diverted to a YouTube video of Kanye West’s 2005 hit featuring Jamie Foxx.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have just moved to Los Angeles, this week announced they are launching a foundation named Archewell after their baby son Archie. Read more
How people who live in tiny houses are coping during quarantine (Metro)
Feeling claustrophobic during quarantine? Spare a thought for those living in spaces not much bigger than your living room. No we’re not just talking about people who live in regular houses or flats, but those who are part of the ‘tiny-house movement’ – an architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in a teeny home. Many of those living in these tiny houses have chosen to do so for a simpler and happier life. But now, with the UK forced to stay inside their four walls for the foreseeable future, we asked tiny house residents how they are coping with lockdown life in such small spaces. Read more
La Luz del Mundo sex crimes case dropped by US court (BBC)
Sex crime charges against the leader of an international religious organisation must be dismissed over procedural errors, a US appeals court has ruled.
The La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) church’s Naasón Joaquín García faced a number of charges, including child rape and human trafficking.
Mr García was arrested in California last year and denies the allegations.
The judges ruled the case should be dropped over a delay in granting him a hearing after new charges were added. Read more
Pope Francis says coronavirus could be ‘nature’s response’ to climate change (NYPost)
Pope Francis likened the coronavirus pandemic to recent fires and floods as one of “nature’s responses” to the world’s ambivalence to climate change.
“There is an expression in Spanish: ‘God always forgives, we forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives,’” the pope said in an interview published Wednesday in The Tablet, a United Kingdom-based Catholic weekly.
The pope, 83, was responding to whether he believed coronavirus could spur ecological conversion, the idea for people to lead more environmentally conscious lives through the understanding that the natural world is a creation of God. Read more
Is this the language that links the world? (VOA)
It could be the most widely used, the most universal, the most commonly understood language on the planet.
Emoji.
While language barriers exist around the globe, almost everyone uses and understands the emoticons that express mood, food preference, occupation, nationality, sexual orientation, favorite TV watching, physical capability, hobbies, fashion choices, flora and fauna, sports, weapon of choice, weather and zodiac sign.
Emojis have gone beyond just punctuation marks, letters and numbers. Manicures, scorpions, planets, raw oysters, wrestlers and pixies are just a few of the available emoji. Read more
Disney Plus racks up 50m subscribers in five months (BBC)
Disney’s new video streaming service has hit more than 50 million subscribers since its launch five months ago.
When Disney Plus last announced viewing figures in February it had reached 26.5 million subscribers.
Since then, this has almost doubled as more people are online and stuck at home due to virus clampdowns.
Disney Plus, which rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime, rolled out to the UK and other parts of Europe last month. Read more
Beverly Hills Cop II star Allen Garfield dies of coronavirus complications aged 80 (Metro)
Allen Garfield has died aged 80, following coronavirus complications. The actor – who appeared in Beverly Hills Cop II and The Conversation – passed away in LA on 7 April. According to Associated Press, his sister Lois Goorwitz confirmed the news, explaining his death was due to complications from Covid-19.
The publication states he was living at the Motion Picture Television Fund Home – a retirement facility for those in the industry – when he died. President and CEO of the MPTF, Bob Beitcher, told Deadline that six residents had tested positive for coronavirus, as well as four people on the staff. Read more
Rohr’s preference for overseas Eagles devaluing home based players – Afelokhai (DailyTrust) Enyimba FC goalkeeper, Theophilus Afelokhai, has said Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr’s preference for foreign based players is seriously devaluing the market price of home based players. In a chat with the former Kano Pillars captain, the Edo born shot stopper said Rohr’s predecessors gave opportunities for local players to fight for shirts in the senior national team but the tenure of the Franco-German tactician has shut out NPFL players. He said “During Keshi’s time, he made the home based players to be really valued because he used them in the Super Eagles but right now, the market value of home based players has dropped drastically, and it is just too poor. “In the past, the home based players get signed up easily but now, they have to go through trials to get signed and this is very bad. This is simply because we are not recognized in the national team,” he said. Read more
Barcelona president seeks reshuffle of club board (Punch)
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whose tenure has been undermined by tense relations with players this season, wants to reform the club’s management because he distrusts certain directors, according to vice-president Emili Rousaud.
“Bartomeu called me and told me he wanted to change the management because he was suspicious of some of the directors, I included,” Rousaud, who had been tipped to succeed Bartomeu as president, told Cadena Ser radio on Wednesday. Read more
Liverpool legend John Arne Riise and daughter hospitalised after car crash (Metro)
John Arne Riise and his daughter Ariana are recovering in hospital after being involved in a car crash in Norway on Tuesday night. The former Liverpool defender was driving his 19-year-old daughter from Alesund to Tonsberg at around 2am when something caused Riise to swerve off the road and crash his car into railings. Riise and his daughter were conscious when they were taken to hospital and there is no suspicion of any wrong doing. Read the latest updates: Coronavirus news live. Read more
Nigeria suspendsWomen’s Cup of Nations (DailyTrust)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suspended their hosting rights bid for the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations (Awcon) amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 12th edition of the continental women’s showpiece is slated for November 23 to December 20 this year but no host has been named yet. Nigeria’s football governing body confirmed its interest to bid for the 2020 Awcon hosting rights, along with two-time winners Equatorial Guinea in January. Read more
Premier League to end season due to coronavirus uncertainty (Vanguard)
Premier League bosses are about to announce the season is being scrapped due to coronavirus, according to Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino.
Football chiefs released a statement last week saying they intended to finish the season but refused to set a date for its return as the pandemic worsens. They have reportedly been given a “tentative’”green light to resume in June behind closed doors if the situation improves as hoped. Read more
Real Madrid players to take 10-20% pay cut amid coronavirus pandemic (BBC)
Real Madrid’s players, coaches and “main directors” will take a pay cut of 10-20% this year as the club deals with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Football in Spain has been suspended indefinitely since March, when the country declared a state of emergency.
Real said the decision to reduce pay was “taken by players, coaches and employees” to avoid “traumatic measures that affect the rest of the workers”. Read more
Mets’ Wilson Ramos feeling pain of coronavirus shutdown (NYPost)
Three weeks at home when he normally would be playing baseball has given Wilson Ramos a new perspective on life.
“It’s the first time I have spent too much time off without a job, it’s crazy,” the Mets catcher told The Post in a phone conversation this week. “At some point you wake up and want to be in the stadium. When guys have played a lot of years and they retire, I understand why they are crying every time they retire, because it’s not easy to be out of a job for too long.”
As players in all professional sports leagues await a signal about the fate of their respective seasons following the COVID-19 outbreak, Ramos is spending time with family at his home in South Florida, playing with his three children and fishing in a lake behind his backyard. Read more