Author: Chief Editor

The EU has concluded a deal with BioNTech/Pfizer for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of their Covid-19 vaccine, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday. “Happy to announce that the EU Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options) with BioNTech/Pfizer for 2021-2023,” she tweeted from an EU summit in Portugal. “Other contracts and other vaccine technologies will follow,” she promised. The contract, on top of the 600 million BioNTech/Pfizer doses the commission has already secured, aims to supply the bloc — population 450 million — with enough jabs for…

Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 to clinch a 3-1 aggregate success in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked an all-Premier League showdown with Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Stamford Bridge clash: Tuchel’s Midas touch Since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January, Thomas Tuchel has overseen a remarkable revival in Chelsea’s fortunes and this was his finest moment yet. Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge with a solid CV after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the French title and…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer criticised football authorities for Manchester United’s punishing schedule after his side advanced to the Europa League final on Thursday, calling it “physically impossible” for his team. United advanced to the May 26 showdown with Villarreal in Gdansk 8-5 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 to Roma in their semi-final second leg at the Stadio Olimpico. And now his players have to face the prospect of four Premier League fixtures in 10 days after Edinson Cavani’s brace staved off a valiant attempt at a comeback from their Italian opposition. On Sunday they travel to Aston Villa and by next…

Ayo Olukotun There is unanimous agreement that the cascading level of insecurity with boarding schools and universities reportedly closing down in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for fear of attack has reached emergency proportions. Given that Niger State, the FCT’s neighbour, now warehouses under duress Boko Haram settlements and flag, and with security institutions appearing overwhelmed, grandstanding is no longer possible or credible. Please note that tragedy such as the kidnap of one’s relation or friend is overwhelmingly personal rather than governmental. Given that political marketing is increasingly sophisticated, it is possible for government’s spokespersons to convey the appearance of…

Abimbola Adelakun Since the news of alleged child sexual exploitation by popular actor, James Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, broke, some Nollywood actors of the Yoruba genre have exchanged insults and rebukes among themselves. I have no wish whatsoever to litigate their differences but hope that this matter would be a wake-up call to realise they have more work to do as cultural ambassadors. I say this because there seems to be a profound ignorance among Baba Ijesha’s fans who think the manner he was apprehended was a “set-up.” Some of them even raised exceedingly dumb questions about the alleged…

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has suspended the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman, sources familiar with the development said on Thursday. It was learnt that a panel of enquiry had been constituted to look into the matter that prompted her suspension, as well as other concerns. The panel begins its work on Monday. It was, however, not clear what necessitated the suspension of the NPA boss, who was only reappointed in January this year by Buhari. Senior staff members of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the parent ministry of the authority, confirmed the development…

THE House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) said it would be forced to invite the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), if the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Melee Kyari, continues to shun its summons. The committee said Buhari, as Minister of Petroleum Resources, would be asked to come forward and answer questions on the oil sector. Chairman of the committee, Musa Sarkin-Adar, issued the threat in Abuja on Thursday at an investigative hearing on the recent revocation of four Oil Mining Licences, while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who had…

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, on Thursday handed over 74,600 HIV/AIDS capacity test kits to the Akwa Ibom State Government. The test kits were donated by Belemaoil to support USAID’S HIV/AIDS eradication efforts in Akwa Ibom State. The items were received by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, on behalf of the state. Speaking in Uyo during the handover ceremony, Leonard said she was delighted to celebrate the strides made by the Akwa Ibom State Government in the last two years to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. She lauded the contributions of Belemaoil to…

Manchester City and Chelsea will play off for the biggest prize in European club football later this month, but there is plenty on the line for both clubs when they meet in a prelude to the Champions League final on Saturday. City can wrap up a fifth Premier League title in 10 years with victory, cementing their place as the dominant force in English football over the past decade since money began flowing in from Abu Dhabi to build a dynasty on the field. Chelsea’s transformation under Thomas Tuchel has taken them to a third Champions League final since their…

Dethroned Juventus host AC Milan on Sunday in a clash of former Serie A title hopefuls now fighting to qualify for the Champions League. Juventus’ bid for a 10th consecutive title collapsed as Inter Milan sealed their first league crown since 2010 with four games to spare last weekend. Antonio Conte’s Inter host Sampdoria in the San Siro Saturday, their first game at home since being crowned champions, with fans only allowed to celebrate outside because of Covid-19 restrictions. Behind Inter, five teams battle for the other three Champions League spots. Atalanta, Juventus and AC Milan are all level on…