Uber, Bolt drivers face uncertain future as Lagos begins new regulations (Guardian)
Respite for drivers on e-hailing services will end later in August when Lagos State Government’s new regulations for ride-hailing services take effect.
Under the new regulations, which were earlier scheduled to take effect in March, third-party operators like Uber and Bolt that have over 1000 drivers on their platforms will pay ₦25 million licencing fee and ₦10 million annual renewal fee.
Those that have less than 1000 drivers will pay a licensing fee of ₦10 million and an annual renewal fee of ₦5 million if they have less than 1000 drivers.
Operators who directly own their cars and employ their drivers will pay only the license fee of ₦5 million if such operators have below 50 drivers. Those who have over 50 drivers will pay ₦10 million for the operating license. Read more
Tanker drivers to begin strike in Lagos (DailyTrust)
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said that the planned strike by Petroleum Tanker Drivers in Lagos would begin on Monday by midnight as its meeting with Lagos State Government ended in deadlock.
The South-West Chairman of NUPENG, Mr Tayo Aboyeji, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
Aboyeji said the issues which forced the drivers to initiate an indefinite strike was not addressed during the four-hour meeting with officials of Lagos State Government on Sunday.
“They only promised to get back to us after we have told them what we want to avert the strike. Read more
Birth certificates issued by local governments not acceptable – NPC (Nation)
The National Population Commission (NPC) has said that all birth certificates issued by local governments and hospitals are not acceptable for official purposes in the country.
According to the Commission, only birth certificates issued by NPC is acceptable as the commission is the only agency legally authorised to issue such documents in the country.
The Ebonyi State Director of NPC, Edward Ogbu stated this during a review meeting and retraining of Ebonyi State health facility workers on birth registration service delivery. Read more
JAMB shifts 2020 admissions’ date, withholds prison inmates’ UTME results (Vanguard)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has shifted the commencement of 2020 admissions into tertiary institutions to September.
To this end, the board said post- Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) screening for the 2020 admission processes will now begin not earlier than 7 September 2020 in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.
The Board said the shift in the date of the admission process from the earlier announced 21 August, is to accommodate candidates who will be taking part in this year’s school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Read more
FG supports Imo farmers with 20,000 cocoa seedlings (DailyTrust)
The federal government, in its bid to help cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, has supported smallholder farmers in Imo State with 20,000 cocoa seedlings and other improved seeds.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, said this in a statement on Sunday by the Director of Information, Theodore Ogaziechi.
The minister said the Federal Government was committed to improving agriculture. Read more
Oyo discharges 95-year-old, two-year-old COVID-19 patients (Nation)
Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force on Monday said part of its success stories in the treatment of patients in the state includes the treatment and discharge of a two-year-old and a 95-year-old who earlier tested positive to the novel coronavirus.
This is as the Task Force also said the State Infectious and Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan where the novel pandemic is been treated has not recorded any fatality since the facility has been put to use in the state.
According to the Task Force, these feats were achievable because of what it described as ‘holistic approach’ adopted by medical personnel managing the COVID-19 situation in the state. Read more
Blasphemy: Court sentences Kano singer to death (DailyTrust)
The Kano Upper Shari’a Court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to death by hanging for blaspheming Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The court sitting at Hausawa Filin Hockey, presided by Khadi Aliyu Muhammad Kani gave the verdict on Monday after finding Yahaya Aminu Sharif guilty as charged.
Daily Trust reports that Sharif Aminu composed a song in March 2020, in which derogatory verses were allegedly said to have been attributed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Read more
Boko Haram: North East Govs tell Buhari to address root causes of insurgency (Vanguard)
Following the worsening security situation in the country, especially in the Northern flank, the North East Governors on Monday told President Muhammadu Buhari that there is the need to address the root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency in the zone.
This is the President and the governors from the zone as well as the nation’s security heads met behind closed doors at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Chairman of the North East Governors Forum and Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, flanked by his Adamawa State counterpart, Governor Ahmadu Fintri, said one of the root causes of insurgency was access to farmlands, adding that people of the zone need to go back to their farmlands. Read more
US wrestler James ‘Kamala’ Harris dies aged 70, WWE confirms (BBC)
Tributes have been paid to US wrestler James “Kamala” Harris, who has died at the age of 70.
He was described as a “great character” and a “tremendously nice man” after World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced his death on Sunday.
The 6ft 7in star was best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) era, in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
He fought Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Andre the Giant among others.
Later in life he suffered with severe health problems and had his left leg amputated in 2011 due to diabetes. Read more
Lebanon’s entire government resigns over Beirut blast, minister says (NYPost)
Lebanon health minister on Monday said “the whole government resigned” in the wake of last week’s massive explosion, which claimed at least 220 lives and injured about 6,000.
Speaking with reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Hamad Hassan added that Prime Minister Hassan Diab will head to the presidential palace to “hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers.”
The government’s resignation comes after seven Cabinet members stepped down after Tuesday’s devastating explosion, which is believed to have been caused by an accidental fire that ignited 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for six years in a port warehouse. Read more
Wild bear that sniffed woman’s hair is caught and castrated (BBC)
There is outrage in Mexico after a black bear seen on video approaching a visitor in a nature park and sniffing her hair was caught and castrated.
Some people are questioning plans to move the animal to a different state.
But experts say the move is necessary because it had become accustomed to being fed by humans in the ecological park where it lived.
They said the footage showed the consequences of feeding wild animals for the sake of a selfie. Read more
Egypt moves ‘dangerous materials’ from airports after Beirut blast (Guardian)
Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said that after Lebanon’s massive explosion last week it was moving “dangerous materials” held at airports nationwide to more secure locations.
The ministry is “taking precautionary measures with regards to dangerous materials, either immediately releasing them or transferring them to safe storage spaces well outside the range of airports and residential areas,” it said in a statement Sunday.
The statement referred to materials held in “cargo bays and storage warehouses in Cairo’s airport and all airports nationwide”, without specifying which kind of materials would be moved. Read more
Simon Cowell lucky he wasn’t paralysed in horrific electric bike crash (PageSix)
Simon Cowell is lucky not to be paralyzed after a horrific bike crash, breaking his back in three places, friends of the “America’s Got Talent” host tell us.
The 60-year-old underwent a six-hour operation Saturday, while his longtime girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, waited nervously. Doctors said he narrowly missed severing his spinal cord.
A source said: “He did a turn in his courtyard, changed gear, and then the bike went into a wheelie and threw him off the back . . . Simon was in complete agony and was stretchered out of his home and taken in an ambulance to hospital. Read more
Toshiba shuts the lid on laptops after 35 years (BBC)
The Japanese giant Toshiba has sold its final stake in the personal computer maker Dynabook.
It means the firm no longer has a connection with making PCs or laptops.
Sharp bought 80% of Toshiba’s personal computing arm in 2018 for $36m (£27m), and has now bought the remaining shares, Toshiba said in a statement.
Toshiba’s first laptop, the T1100, launched in 1985. It weighed 4kg (8.8 pounds) and worked with 3.5 inch (8.8cm) floppy disks. Read more
Baltimore explosion kills at least one, traps several in rubble (NYPost)
A massive explosion in a Baltimore neighborhood killed at least one person and left several people trapped, including children, according to reports.
Firefighters have plucked at least three people from the debris, all in critical condition, after the Monday morning blast near Reisterstown Plaza, WBFF-TV in Baltimore reported.
The explosion damaged several homes and leveled at least one, with Baltimore Gas and Electric now on the scene as well, the Baltimore Sun said.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined, nor have the total number of dead or injured. Read more
Ighalo makes Man Utd against Copenhagen (Nation)
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has been included in Manchester United 23-man squad to take on Copenhagen in today’s quarter-finals of the Europa League in Cologne as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer targets his first piece of silverware.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his staff have taken a 23-man squad for what could be 11 days in Germany if they reach the final.
The final was originally supposed to be held in Gdansk, Poland, but that has been pushed back to next year with Germany seen as an ideal country to host the new knockout format. Read more
Man City sign World Cup-winning USA midfielder Mewis (BBC)
United States midfielder and 2019 World Cup winner Sam Mewis says joining Manchester City “is like winning the lottery”.
Mewis has played 67 times for her country and featured regularly during last year’s World Cup, starting the 2-0 final win over the Netherlands in Lyon.
The 27-year-old has joined the former Women’s Super League champions from North Carolina Courage. Read more
Why Mike Tyson has asked Roy Jones Jr. to postpone their fight until the end of the year (Metro)
Boxing legend Mike Tyson’s hotly anticipated return to the ring in an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. has been postponed until later in the year, according to reports.
The 54-year-old announced last month he would take part in an eight-round boxing match against Jones in California on September 12, just a month away.
But Tyson v Jones will no longer go ahead as scheduled, with Ring Magazine reporting that Iron Mike and his team have asked for the fight to be pushed back until November 28. Read more
Man Utd target Sancho to stay at Dortmund, say German club (BBC)
England forward Jadon Sancho will remain a Borussia Dortmund player next season, says the club’s sporting director Michael Zorc.
The 20-year-old has been named in the Bundesliga club’s squad for this week’s training camp in Switzerland.
It comes on the day of the deadline set by Dortmund for any deal to be agreed for Sancho, who is Manchester United’s top summer target.
“We plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season,” said Zorc. Read more
Halep undecided on US Open but fears ‘tough conditions (Guardian)
Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep said Sunday she had not yet decided whether to play at the US Open but added she dreaded “tough conditions” posed by the journey.
“I haven’t made the final decision yet,” said the 28-year-old Romanian, who will be playing a WTA tournament on a clay court in Prague next week.
“The travelling from Europe is a little bit tough with changing flights — we don’t have straight flights — so it’s going to be tough for me personally, mentally,” she told a video conference. Read more
Eniola Aluko: Former England forward sorry for Barbados quarantine breach (BBC)
Former England forward Eniola Aluko has apologised for a quarantine breach in Barbados which resulted in a warning from a local magistrates’ court.
The Aston Villa Women sporting director, 33, was on holiday in the country but had to stay in a quarantine hotel while she awaited results of a coronavirus test.
After a delay to the results, she said the hotel allowed her to leave, and was then spotted on social media.
That led to a charge and a court appearance for Aluko, who earned 102 caps for England. Read more
