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‌The Federal Government has approved what it called “safe reopening” of schools nationwide in the next phase of the gradual easing of lockdown ordered to curtail further spread of COVID-19. However, only graduating students will resume,but all tertiary institution should remain closed. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the daily briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday. He said the reopening of schools was meant to allow students in graduating classes to resume preparation for examinations. “Safe re-opening of schools to allow students in graduating classes resume in-person in preparation for examinations; He disclosed that the latest developments were contained in the task force’s fifth interim report which was submitted to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), yesterday.

The US army  killed Iranian General Qassim Soleimani earlier this year It's not clear if Interpol will execute this proposal Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining US President Donald Trump and dozens of others it believes carried out the drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said on Monday that Trump, along with more than 30 others Iran accuses of involvement in the January 3 attack that killed General Qassem Soleimani, face "murder and terrorism charges", the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. Ali Alqasimehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends. Interpol, based in Lyon, France,  said in a statement that its constitution forbade it to undertake "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character". Therefore, if or...

More than 1,300,000 to miss out on 2020 admission   Students who used awaiting result mainly affected  Matriculation Examination candidates may lose their admission into universities and polytechnics in 2020 over the delay in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the category of candidates who used awaiting results to sit the 2020 UTME, which held between March 14 and March 22 – a few weeks into the COVID-19 crisis. Both the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council, which should have conducted their examinations in April and May 2020, have yet to do so due to schools closure since March due to COVID-19. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board at its policy meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in the country on Tuesday announced 120 and 160 cut-off marks for admission into polytechnics and universities respectively for the 2020/2021 academic session. It also said admission processes would b...

Foreign affairs minister blames officials of the High commission over its partial demolition Error committed 20 years ago Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama has said officials of Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana, committed an error that culminated in the demolition of a structure within the premises of the High Commission. The minister noted that the officials failed to take necessary action to get requisite documents for ownership of the parcel of land the structure was built on. But he emphasised that such error was not an enough reason for the pulling down of the building by a Ghanaian businessman last weekend. Onyeama said the Ghanaian government had assumed responsibility for the demolition and promised to rebuild the structure to its original level. The minister, who addressed reporters on the resolution between Nigeria and Ghana on the demolition, said the Nigerian High Commission failed to obtain legal title for the land, which it had paid for in Year 2000. Besid...

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday described death of former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi as a loss to the Yoruba race. In a condolence he titled: “Tribute to a great man: Senator Abiola Ajimobi”, Tinubu said: “I have lost a personal friend. “Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, passed away today. With his departure, Nigeria has lost an outstanding statesman and one of its most able politicians. Our party, the All Progressives Congress, has lost one of its leading lights. The Yoruba race and Oyo State have lost a favourite son. I have lost a dedicated friend, brother and ally. “The pain we feel at his passing is beyond what words can describe. This good and excellent man has left us but his energy, activism and commitment to Nigeria and its people shall always be with us. Read Also: Ajimobi dies at 70   “He was reputed to be the best and most productive governor Oyo State has had. In this assessment, I co...

Compiled by Lawal Shereef Title sealed after Chelsea defeat Manchester city 2-1 Liverpool win first English title in 30 years Liverpool has had to wait longer than anyone could have predicted, but the club can once again call itself the best in England. There have been years in the wilderness, a few near-misses and, just when Jurgen Klopp and his men were six points from securing the club's first league title in 30 years, a global pandemic brought this season's procession to a halt. But the return of football in England earlier this month after a 100-day absence revived a title bid which was only put in doubt when the season was put on pause. After Liverpool's impressive 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, Manchester City needed to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday to delay the coronation. But the defending champion's failure to claim three points -- City was beaten 2-1 in London -- ended the wait. Pep Guardiola's team must now pass on the c...

Embassy attacked by Nigerians protesting abuse by Indonesian immigration officers Protesters shred the Nigerian flag amidst chants of 'we no go gree' Barely a week after some persons vandalised a building on the premises of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana, some fellows have attacked the Nigerian Embassy in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta. It was gathered that the perpetrators were citizens of Nigeria who were protesting the alleged discriminatory practices and infringement on their fundamental human rights by Indonesian immigration officials. In video clips that surfaced online, the placard-carrying protesters were heard chanting, “Nigeria is not helping us in this country. We don’t have an Embassy. We no go ‘gree.” Some of them were seen vandalising a white bus on the premises of the Embassy building while others broke the windows and doors of the building. The mob also brought down the Nigerian flag and shred it after dragging it for some minutes. Minister...

BREAKING: Isolation centres mandatory for reopening of schools – FG The Federal Government has rolled out conditions schools and learning institutions in the country must meet before reopening. The conditions are contained in a 36-page document submitted to the Senate by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for their Information. The document obtained by our reporter is titled: “Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure.” The Minister, in his forward to the document, described the conditions as key strategies for implementing safe, efficient, and equitable plans for school reopening and operations. He noted: “Given that COVID-19 may be with us for a while, the guid elines also highlight the urgent need to maintain and improve upon distance learning programmes.” He added the guidelines were drafted in close coordination with health, environmental, education, and school safety experts who were tasked with the responsibility o...

News compiled by Lawal Shereef Indigenous rights to be discussed Crimea to be de-occupied in a set of reforms The Office of the Ukrainian President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in cooperation with the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on a strategy for the de-occupation and reintegration of the annexed peninsula, by the president's permanent representative in Crimea Anton Korynevych. "Now the strategy is being worked out. In fact, the mission resuscitated work in this direction. Our position is unequivocal - the state should have such a strategy," Korinevich said . He also noted the importance of the adoption of the law on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine to consolidate this concept at the state level and demonstrate that in Ukraine there are three indigenous people who are related to the Crimean peninsula: Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Crimeans. "The wo...

Leaders warn Israel over unilateral annexations of parts of Palestine They believe it will jeopardize peace prospects A "watershed moment" that will constitute a "most serious violation of international law" - that is how  United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has described Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley. Addressing a virtual meeting of the  UN Security Council on Wednesday, Guterres repeated a call for Israel to drop its United States-backed plans, which could be put in motion as soon as next week. If implemented, the UN secretary-general said, annexation would "grievously harm the prospect of a two-state solution and undercut the possibilities of a renewal of negotiations". "I call on the Israeli government to abandon its annexation plans." Guterres's call was echoed by other leaders and foreign ministers addressing the virtual meeting,  warning that Israel's unilateral action could trigger...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday cautioned that the ambition for Eco regional currency could be in ‘serious jeopardy,’ unless member states complied with agreed processes of reaching the collective goal. President Buhari also expressed concern over the decision of francophone countries that form the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) to replace the CFA Franc with Eco ahead of the rest of Member States. The President delivered Nigeria’s position on the new regional currency at a virtual extraordinary meeting of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). The meeting discussed the implementation of the ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Programme (EMCP) and the ECOWAS Single Currency Agenda. ‘‘Your Excellencies, you all are familiar with the history of the Eco thus far, so I will not bore you with that. We reverted to a single track approach, giving up Eco which is the original idea of the WAMZ so the ECOW...

Bloc considers recommending member states block entry of citizens from corona virus hotspots As European Union nations continue to ease coronavirus restrictions, the EU is considering recommending that member states block American visitors from visiting their countries due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the US, according to two EU diplomats. "The criteria will be focused on circulation of the virus," said one EU diplomat, adding that Brussels is looking to keep out travelers from countries "where the virus is circulating most actively." No final decisions have been made and it is ultimately up to individual members to decide who can enter each country. The New York Times was first to report on the possibility. The EU diplomats had not seen the draft lists of acceptable travelers reported on, but they said they are aware that discussions are ongoing. The State Department hasn't commented as of the time this news is compiled. It will be updated as events unf...

Protesters have targeted statues associated with slavery and European colonialism They were pepperspayed while trying to pull down the statue of former President,Andrew Jackson metres away from the White house US President Donald Trump says he has authorised the government to arrest anyone caught trying to tear down monuments or statues, threatening they could be jailed for 10 years. Trump said on Tuesday the new order applies "retroactively" so those who previously participated in bringing down memorials could be arrested.  "I have authorised the federal government to arrest anyone who vandalises or destroys any monument, statue or other such federal property in the US with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act," the president wrote on Twitter. Commenting as he departed the White House for a trip to Arizona on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his threat and said, "I will have an executive order very shortly, and all it's really...

Zuma faces trial on over $2billion arms deal brokered in the 90's Company denies any wrongdoing in the deal After a massive outcry over his failure to attend aprevious court hearing,South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has arrived in a high court in KwaZulu-Natal province for a preliminary session in a long-delayed corruption trial related to a controversial arms deal in the late 1990s . The multi-billion dollar deal was made between the South African government and French defence company, Thales. In a statement released in 2018, the company said that it had "no knowledge of any transgressions having been committed by any of its employees" and it has a "zero-tolerance policy on corruption". Mr Zuma denies wrongdoing. Tuesday's hearing is mainly for pre-trial proceedings, meaning parties are expected to discuss logistical issues ahead of the start of the actual trial. South African broadcaster eNCA has tweeted a video of Mr Zuma's arrival at the...

Phil Phoden and Riyadh Mahrez's double sees Man city whistle past Burnley David Silva completes 5-0 trouncing of the visitors Pep Guardiola made eight changes from the 3-0 win against Arsenal on Wednesday with Foden handed a rare Premier League start. It took only 22 minutes for him to justify his selection with a thunderous finish from the edge of the area. Mahrez scored a quick double before the break to put City in control, lashing home the first (43) before dispatching from the penalty spot (45+3) after Ben Mee was penalised for catching Sergio Aguero on the foot following a VAR review. David Silva (51) added another shortly after the restart before Foden (63) rounded things off with a close range finish to make it a third successive 5-0 win against Burnley at the Etihad in all competitions. The victory means Liverpool cannot win the Premier League title against Crystal Palace this week with City trailing them by 20 points. Should Guardiola's side also win against Chelsea o...

Engineer Ikhine steps down for the governor who defected from the APC Coast getting clearer for the Governor A frontline aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, Mr Gideon Ikhine, has stepped down from the governorship primaries for Governor Godwin Obaseki.  Ikhine, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), announced his decision on Monday, June 22 at his campaign secretariat in the state capital, Benin.  Governor Obaseki, the PDP state party chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi and other party leaders from across the state were in attendance at the briefing. Ikhine said Governor Obaseki’s defection to the party was God’s great answer to the party and his aspiration.  He said he and his supporters had resolved to work with the governor to ensure that a better tomorrow is achieved in the state.  Responding, Governor Obaseki said that with the political situation in the state, history was being made in the country. His words: “I appreciate my bro...

Following an attack on the Nigerian high commission in Ghana on Sunday, June 21, leaving some apartments of the embassy in ruins, Nigerians have called on the federal government to close down the commission.   In what came as a shock, a Ghanian businessman allegedly supervised the demolition of some apartments in the Nigerian high commission situated in Accra, Ghana's capital on Sunday. The obviously furious businessman, who invaded the embassy with armed men, had accused the commission of encroaching on his land.  The Nigerian government has since condemned the attacks on the building with Geoffery Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, describing the incident as "outrageous and criminal."  Meanwhile, many Nigerians believe that the condemnation is not enough as Ghana must be made to face the reality of its citizens' action.  In a Facebook poll , 71% of over one thousand Nigerians who voted firmly believed that the embassy should be closed down. 29%, however, sa...

Racism in Britain may attract less global attention than in the United States, but it is no less present -- and Black Britons say it is past time for the country to face up to its colonial history and act to stamp out racial inequalities. The police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis sparked global protests over police brutality and racial inequality despite an ongoing pandemic which has had a disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities in the UK and US. In Britain, where public trust in institutions has been eroded by examples of systemic racism over decades, thousands have turned out to join Black Lives Matter protests despite pleas from the government for people to stay home. And an exclusive poll by CNN reveals a divided nation, where Black people are twice as likely as White people to say they have not been treated with respect by police. Black people are also about twice as likely as White people to say UK police are institution...