Ramadan: Ex-Lagos deputy governor, Adebule, greets Muslims (Tribune)
A former deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Adebule, has urged Muslims to use the Ramadan period to pray and work towards finding a solution to the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.
Adebule said this in a message to felicitate the Muslim world on the commencement of the month-long fasting.
According to her, Ramadan is a period during which God accepts prayers and also a time for spiritual reflection and rebirth, sacrifice and kindness, as well as increased devotion and worship. Read more
COVID-19: Sanwo-Olu inaugurates 118-bed isolation centre in Lagos (Punch)
As the coronavirus cases in Lagos State near 1000, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, opens a new 118-bed Isolation Center in the Gbagada area of the state.
The PUNCH had reported that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said on Thursday during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja that there was shortage of bed spaces in Lagos, which has more than 50 percent of the total COVID-19 cases reported in the country.
“Across the country, we have about 3,500 bed spaces identified and available for COVID-19. But in Lagos, we are already struggling. Read more
LASG pays N1.03b accrued pension to 213 retirees (Guardian)
The Lagos State government has approved the release of N1.030 billion for the payment of the accrued pension rights of 213 public service retirees in the state.
Mrs Folashade Onanuga, the Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), made the disclosure in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Onanuga said that the commission had released the funds to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), which, she said, had credited the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) of the beneficiaries. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos directs reopening of govt offices, establishments (Punch)
Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, has announced the reopening of the State Secretariat, Alausa as well as other government establishments.
Muri-Okunola in a state on Friday said the offices would be reopened from Monday.
He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the reopening as part of the gradual easing of the existing lockdown in Lagos State.
The HoS said the approval was contained in a circular with the Reference Number CIR/HOS/’20/Vol.1/046. Read more
People without face masks in public will be prosecuted – FG (Punch)
The Federal Government has released new guidelines for the new phase of containment of COVID-19 from May 4 to May 17, 2020.
Part of the guidelines which were signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, stated that anyone without a face mask in public will be prosecuted.
The guidelines were also specific about information to the general public, guidance to states and security agencies and description of activities allowed under the new phase. Read more
Akeredolu approves car loan for Primary school teachers (Tribune)
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has approved the disbursement of car loans for teachers in the primary schools across the state.
Akeredolu who disclosed this while addressing the state workers on the celebration of Mayday also promised to pay the outstanding one month of the seven months unpaid salaries of workers inherited by his administration. Read more
Rape: We’ve been empowered to arrest, prosecute offenders – NSCDC (Independent)
As parents continue to express fear and apprehension over the safety of their children and wards as a result of the increasing cases of rape in Kaduna state, the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has assured residents of adequate safety.
The Command’s Spokesman, ASC Orndiir Terzungwe, gave the assurance while speaking with Independent. Read more
Donate your buildings as isolation centres, minister begs Nigerians (Punch)
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday, appealed to Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres.
Ehanire made the appeal at the press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
He said as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control aimed to test two million people in the next three months more buildings would be needed as isolation centres. Read more
May Day: Sirika regrets deplorable conditions of workers (Independent)
As aviation unions lament job insecurity, call for intervention funds for agencies, airlines Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, has expressed regret over the unpleasant conditions of workers and the reduction in the wages of staff in the Nigerian aviation industry occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken the world by storm.
This is as industry unions unilaterally called on the Federal Government to provide intervention funds to organsiations working in the country’s aviation industry, warning that without this, some of the workers in the sector may lose their jobs. Read more
Sisters jailed for spitting at police after being caught flouting lockdown rules (Metro)
Two violent sisters were jailed for spitting at police officers and hitting one with a crutch after they were caught flouting lockdown rules.
Danielle and Sarah Pryor were being loud and abusive when they were approached by two officers who spotted them while on patrol in Retford, Nottinghamshire. PC Oivind Merrygold and PC David Hauton warned them about their anti-social behaviour before telling them to go home at 11.25pm on Monday. Read more
Joe Biden denies sexually assaulting staff assistant Tara Reade (BBC)
US Democratic candidate Joe Biden has flatly denied sexually assaulting a former staff assistant, Tara Reade, nearly 30 years ago.
“I’m saying unequivocally: it never, never happened,” he said of the allegations during a TV interview on Friday.
He asked for a search of the Senate archives for any record of a complaint Ms Reade allegedly filed at the time.
Ms Reade made a criminal complaint to police last month. Read more
More than 1,000,000 recover from coronavirus as pandemic starts to stabilise (Metro)
The number of people who have recovered from coronavirus has now passed 1,000,000, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. This morning they reported that 1,014,931 who had tested positive for the disease were now clear of it. However, the true figure is likely to be much higher, with the UK only confirming 859 recoveries. As of 8am today, a total of 233,429 people have died with Covid-19, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins University in the US. Worldwide, 3,257,996 people have been infected. Read more
Swiss doc convicted for helping fit woman commit suicide (Guardian)
The vice-president of a Swiss assisted suicide association said Friday he had been convicted for helping a healthy woman take her life alongside her sick husband, and said he would appeal.
Pierre Beck, 74, of the assisted suicide provider group Exit in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, prescribed the barbiturate pentobarbital to the 86-year-old woman.
Geneva’s cantonal criminal appeals court said he committed a “serious offence” and “deliberately chose to break the law”, in a judgement issued on April 20, according to the RTS public broadcaster. Read more
Duchess of Sussex: Mail on Sunday wins first round in Meghan privacy case (BBC)
The Mail on Sunday has won the first round of a legal battle against the Duchess of Sussex over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father.
The duchess is suing for breach of privacy and copyright infringement after articles reproduced parts of a letter she sent Thomas Markle.
The publisher denies the allegations.
On Friday it won its bid to have parts of Meghan’s claim struck out. Her lawyers said the ruling did not change “the core elements of this case”. Read more
Sudan to outlaw female genital mutilation (Guardian)
Sudan looks set to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM), in a significant move welcomed by campaigners.
Anyone found carrying out FGM will face up to three years in prison, according to a document seen by the Guardian.
The council of ministers approved the new law on 22 April, but it still needs to be passed by members of the sovereign council, which was created following the ousting of former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Read more
Malibu launch new strawberry flavoured rum and it’s the perfect summer drink (Mirror)
Malibu has launched a brand new flavour of rum and it is looking to be a popular summer drink.
It follows the brand’s popular exotic flavours, including mango, pineapple and tropical banana.
Made with sweet strawberry liqueur, the new drink comes in one-litre bottles and has an alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage of 21%. Read more
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury talks begin over fight in Saudi Arabia (Metro)
Talks have begun over a unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia, according to reports. Fury won the WBC heavyweight title by beating Deontay Wilder in seven rounds in Las Vegas in February, while Joshua reclaimed his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO belts in December when he convincingly beat Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch. Fury is scheduled to fight Wilder for a third time as the Bronze Bomber has already said that he wants to invoke his rematch clause. Read more
Kiki Bertens on winning virtual Madrid Open WTA title on the PlayStation 4 (BBC)
Madrid Open virtual champion Kiki Bertens says her hands were hurting because she practised so much before ‘defending’ her title in a PlayStation battle between the world’s leading stars.
Taking on her fellow WTA professionals on a computer game was the nearest the Dutch player could get to returning to the Spanish capital, where she won the biggest event of her career last May. Read more
Raul Jimenez names the two clubs he would join amid Chelsea and Man Utd transfer speculation (Metro)
Raul Jimenez insists he remains settled in England but confessed he is all too aware of the speculation linking him to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Mexico international has thrived as the focal point of a Wolves forward line that has propelled the club into the latter stages of the Europa League and had been challenging for a top four finish in the Premier League. Read more
Formula 1 to create ‘isolated environment’ (BBC)
Formula 1 plans to create an isolated environment for competitors when it starts racing again in July.
Managing director Ross Brawn said they are working on a “kind of biosphere” in which teams and drivers would operate at races without spectators.
F1 aims to start the championship with consecutive races at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 5 and 12 July. Read more
Armand Duplantis, Sam Kendricks & Renaud Lavillenie to pole-vault in ‘garden’ event (BBC)
Duplantis will take on two-time world champion Sam Kendricks and 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie in a live-streamed pole vault contest this weekend.
The event, to be held on Sunday at 16:00 BST, will see each man attempt to clear 5m as many times as possible in 30 minutes.
Swede Duplantis will be vaulting at his American training base, with Lavillenie and Kendricks competing at their homes in France and the United States respectively. Read more
Boxing authorities release initial proposals for sport’s return after coronavirus crisis (Mirror)
Fighters will be quarantined and only five fights will be allowed on each card when boxing returns after the coronavirus crisis.
The sport was suspended in the UK in March and will not resume before July with bouts likely to be held behind closed doors for months.
The country remains in lockdown until May 7 but few meaningful changes expected to be announced by the government next week. Read more