Mother who ‘drowned baby’ remanded at LUTH (Nation)
An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos Wednesday remanded a nursing mother Olufunmilola Adisa, suspected of killing baby, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for psychiatric evaluation.
Adisa, 22, is believed by the police to have drowned her 21 months old child in a bucket of water.
She is receiving free legal representation from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD). Read more
Lagos moves Agege-Pen Cinema flyover completion date (Guardian)
The Lagos State government has said the Agege-Pen Cinema flyover would be completed in September 2020. This is away from the earlier June 2020 announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructures, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye reiterated the government’s at the Year 2020 ministerial press briefing to celebrate the first year anniversary of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
She assured that all ongoing and uncompleted projects inherited from past administrations especially the immediate past administration will be completed to improve the living standard of Lagosians. Read more
Lagos records five new COVID-19 deaths (Punch)
Five patients have died of coronavirus-related complications in Lagos State, The PUNCH reports.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Lagos to 47.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Situation Report 88 published on Wednesday.
According to the report, seven other states recorded 11 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. Read more
LASEMA averts another collapsed building tragedy (Guardian)
In a swift response to reports on a distressed two-storey building located at Olaosun Close, by Abati Barracks, off Western Avenue in Surulere axis of Lagos, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Team in collaboration with officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, conducted a controlled demolition of the defective structure after due diligence, outcome of several tests and approval by the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning.
The said two-storey residential building which tenants were evacuated earlier today by the Agency’s and LASBCA officials, aside results of exhaustive tests, had shown visible cracks, distress signs and several other defects which led to the distress calls that generated it’s indept investigation by concerned government agencies and it’s subsequent demolition to ensure it no longer constituted threats to lives of occupants and surrounding properties before it was completely brought down. Read more
Children’s Day: Lawan calls for domestication of Child Rights Act (Punch)
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has felicitated with Nigerian children on the occasion of the 2020 Children’s Day.
Lawan noted that the Day was set aside to highlight the realities of children in society with a view to promoting their well-being and happiness now and for the future.
The Senate President, in a statement by his media office on Wednesday, said the surest route to a happy and fulfilling future for children was to provide them quality education and healthcare and to protect them against all forms of abuse. Read more
May 27: Emmanuel urges Akwa Ibom children to remain focused on education (Vanguard)
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state has felicitated with the children on the celebration of the 2020 Children day, urging them to remain focused on their education.
Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ekerete Udoh in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday said the importance of education in future of the children explained the introduction of the ongoing ‘School Radio programme to keep them busy as the state battles the COVID-19 Pandemic that has ravaged nations of the world.
His words, “Akwa Ibom State Governor has sent his felicitations to the children of the State on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day celebrations. Governor Emmanuel urged Akwa Ibom children to remain focused on their education. Read more
Children’s Day: Governor assures children’s welfare, sound education (Guardian)
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has reiterated that his administration will continue to prioritise children’s wellbeing and sound education for a brighter future.
This was contained in a statement to mark the 2020 Chairday day, the Governor described children as the hope and essence of the state and the nation, calling on them to look forward to a better tomorrow and remarkable future.
He said, “to build a better tomorrow, we must build our children, therefore, I wish to reiterate our total commitment to your welfare and also to acknowledge your importance as the future and essence of our dear state and nation”. Read more
Aare Gani Adams’ wife gives birth to twins (Vanguard)
Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, on Tuesday, welcomed a set of twins.
His wife, Ayinba Mojisola Adams, was delivered of a set of twins, a boy and a girl, on Tuesday night at a private hospital in Lagos.
In a statement by the Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, Adams expressed gratitude to God for the gift, saying it was purely a gift from God. Read more
Top vaccine scientist says coronavirus is ‘almost perfectly human adapted’ (NYPost)
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is “almost perfectly human adapted” — lending credence to the possibility it was man-made in a Chinese lab, a top Australian vaccine researcher says.
Nikolai Petrovsky was shocked when research found that the virus was more virulent in humans than any other animal, the Daily Mail reported.
He said it was like the new strain of coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, was “completely optimized from day one without the need to evolve” like other viruses. Read more
Italy and Belgium join France in rejecting hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 treatment (RT)
Italy and Belgium have joined France in moving to ban the use of the controversial hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 patients as questions continue to mount over its safety.
On Wednesday, France revoked its decree authorizing the prescription of the anti-malarial drug for the novel coronavirus following a decision from the government’s health advisory agency.
Now Belgium’s health body has warned against using the drug outside of ongoing registered clinical trials.
Italy’s health authorities also concluded that there is too little evidence to support the use of hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 and that the lack of proof means it should be banned outside of clinical trials. Read more
Investment banker fired over racist video of her shouting at black man (Metro)
A white woman who was filmed telling police that an ‘African American man was threatening’ her after he politely asked her to put her dog on a lead has been fired. After footage of the incident was watched by millions on social media and caused global outrage, Amy Cooper, 41, was sacked from her top job as an investment banker, which would be ‘effective immediately’ the company said. Ms Cooper’s employer, Franklin Templeton, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: ‘Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately. We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton.’ Read more
Trump tweets threat to shutter social media companies after Twitter warning (CBC)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to regulate or shut down social media companies, one day after Twitter Inc. for the first time added a warning to some of his tweets prompting readers to fact-check the president’s claims.
Trump, without offering any evidence, reiterated his accusations of political bias by such technology platforms, tweeting: “Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.”
He added: “Clean up your act, NOW!!!!” Read more
NASA set to resume human spaceflight from US soil with SpaceX launch (CBC)
SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, was set to launch two Americans into orbit on Wednesday from Florida on a mission that would mark the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was due to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center at 4:33 p.m. ET, launching Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a 19-hour ride aboard the company’s newly designed Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.
They were to blast off from the same launch pad used by NASA’s final space shuttle flight, piloted by Hurley, in 2011. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence were scheduled to visit Cape Canaveral to view the launch in person. Read more
China to launch digital yuan next year to replace cash (RT)
The People’s Bank of China has revealed plans to have its sovereign digital currency ready in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The announcement comes as the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a shift away from paper money.
Limited trials are already underway in Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu and the Xiongan New Area in the northern province of Hebei, said the central bank’s governor Yi Gang. He told reporters that China’s government plans to run pilot tests at Olympic venues, though there remains no official timetable for a release.
An unnamed member of the State Council with knowledge of the project told the Nikkei Asia Review that If the government is satisfied with the results of this year’s tests, the currency “will be issued next year.” Otherwise, “more tests will be conducted next year,” he said. Read more
Nigeria renews Gernot Rohr contract as Super Eagles coach (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday announced that it has concluded all contractual agreements with Gernot Rohr to remain the coach of the country’s national team.
“I’m happy to announce that the NFF and Coach Gernot Rohr have concluded all contractual discussions and he will stay on as Coach of the Super Eagles,” NFF president Amaju Pinnick said in a statement.
“We have always had confidence in his abilities and we are confident that the national team can only go higher from here.” Read more
Zidane targets Ndidi as back-up for Casemiro (Punch)
Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has been linked with a move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane a strong admirer of the Nigerian.
The 23-year-old, who has been linked with PSG, Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window, reportedly tops Los Merengues’ transfer list as they believe he is capable of filling the role of Brazilian Casemiro.
According to Spanish transfer market website fichajes.com, Zinedine Zidane has prioritised the signing of the Nigerian ahead of next season. Read more
US-based footballer Adi donates trailer load of rice to Benue (DailyTrust)
The deputy governor, wearing red face mask receives the rice from Prof. Jibo on behalf of the donor at the Government House in Makurdi on Wednesday. US-based Benue footballer Fanendo Adi on Wednesday donated 2,000 bags of rice worth over N10 million as palliatives to Benue. Each bag is packed with 10 kilos of rice. Professor Mvendaga Jibo, who led the delegation and made the donation on behalf of the under 30-year-old donor, described him as a committed Christian and a God fearing young man that has the plight of his state at heart even though based in USA. Read more
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho reveals how transfer window will change due to coronavirus crisis (Metro)
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho believes big-money transfer fees will be a thing of the past in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and expects the summer window to be extended beyond August. The Premier League has been suspended for over two months, since mid-March, though players have now returned to phased training with plans in place to restart the season next month. Even if the season is completed, clubs have suffered enormous financial costs during this period that are expected to dramatically alter the transfer window, with player swaps becoming more common, and Mourinho says Spurs, like most clubs, will have to act responsibly and sensibly. Read more
Italy set to decide on Serie A resumption Thursday (Nation)
After weeks of wrangling, with several U-turns on the way, Italy is due to decide on Thursday if and when its top-flight Serie A football league can resume after the coronavirus stoppage.
Possibly encouraged by seeing how Germany’s Bundesliga has restarted without problems so far, the Italian government appears to have relaxed its position recently.
Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora says the most likely outcome is a restart on June 13 or June 20. Read more
David Luiz set to leave Arsenal on a free transfer this summer (Metro) David Luiz could leave Arsenal this summer with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, according to reports. The 33-year-old was believed to have signed a two-year deal when he made the switch from Chelsea in August 2019, but according to Sky Sports, there was only ever an initial 12-month agreement in place. Luiz has been one of Mikel Arteta’s most trusted defenders since the Spaniard’s arrival at the club in December. The former Manchester City assistant and technical director Edu are both said to be keen on keeping the defender for longer, but no new contract extension has been agreed as of yet. Read more