Author: Chief Editor

Jose Mourinho on Monday labelled Tottenham’s League Cup semi-final against Brentford as the most important match of his reign. Mourinho’s side host second-tier Brentford on Tuesday looking to reach the League Cup final against Manchester United or Manchester City. Tottenham are without a major trophy since winning the 2008 League Cup and Mourinho is desperate to end that drought. Mourinho, who has lifted the League Cup four times in his career, believes the significance of winning silverware this season makes the Brentford game more important than any other since he took charge in November 2019. “Yes, I think so. In…

Thousands of people lined up in Beijing Monday to receive a Covid-19 vaccine as China races to innoculate millions before the Chinese New Year mass travel season in February. More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital have received the first dose of the vaccine over the last couple of days, state media reported Sunday, including community workers and bus drivers. Health authorities on New Year’s Eve granted “conditional” approval to a vaccine candidate made by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm, which the company said had a 79 percent efficacy rate. An AFP journalist saw people being bussed into a temporary…

Four Bulgarians vaccinated against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine developed mild to moderate side effects, Bulgarian Drug Agency executive director Bogdan Kirilov said on Monday. Bulgaria’s vaccination campaign began on Dec. 27 among the priority group including medical workers. By Monday, nearly 5,000 people had been inoculated. “Side effects ranged from mild to moderate. The persons who experienced them have already recovered,” Kirilov said, as quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio. According to the official, the side effects included two cases of pain, one case of dizziness, and one case of insignificant temperature rise. Earlier in the day,…

Two weeks after suspending their nine-month-old strike, university teachers have accused the Federal Government of reneging on the agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The dons, in a statement, said the government was yet to pay their December salaries, while “illegal” deductions were still to be refunded. In the release, the union said the government had “again failed to honour its agreement on payment of not only outstanding salaries of members ranging from five to eight months; Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and check off dues illegally deducted before December 31, 2020.” The lecturers had embarked on…

The federal government has given assurances that the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive the country latest by the end of January. National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on Control of COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu told ARISE News, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, yesterday that there is a presidential directive to ensure that the vaccines are sourced as timely as possible. “In terms of when it is going to be available in the country, there is a lot of work going on with National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the president directed the Presidential Task Force…

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, is hale and hearty, his spokesman, Mr. Tunde Rahman, said yesterday. Rahman, reacting to reports that Tinubu had contracted COVID-19 and was flown to France for treatment, explained that his principal was in the United Kingdom resting after months of vigorous activities in Nigeria, including trips to Kano and Maiduguri. Tinubu’s son, Seyi, also dismissed reports that his father tested positive for COVID-19. The social media has been abuzz with reports that the former Lagos State governor is currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 in France. But Seyi, in a post via…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has said that while the out gone year 2020 came with lots of challenges, especially with the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria was further worsened by a poor, dwindling economy and insecurity occasioned by an inept leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) The Leader of the Caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, in a new year message yesterday titled, “We Must Remain Resilient and Patriotic,” said no doubt, 2021 new year celebration is devoid of the usual pomp and glamour- no thanks to the numerous challenges that Nigerians had to, and…

33 die in one week Doctors knock governors for reopening schools Another lockdown is likely in Nigeria with the rising COVID-19 cases, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Novel Coronavirus Control has warned. The ad hoc body working on prevention of the virus is worried that despite the second wave whose effect is deadlier than the first wave, Nigerians have continued to shun the prescribed protocols. National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the only way to prevent a re-introduction of a lockdown is by adhering to the advisories. Many business concerns and the generality of Nigerians…

Redeemed Christian Church of God General Overseer Pastor Enoch Adeboye has said Nigeria may not have money or resources to fight the monstrous COVID-19 pandemic, but the citizens have God. The cleric added that having God is enough to protect the citizens from the pandemic. Adeboye spoke on Sunday at the January Special Thanksgiving Service and Ground-Breaking Ceremony of the Coastline Worship Centre of the Redeemed Church of God National Headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos. The church’s general overseer said this while responding to a statement made by the Founder of Microsoft, Bill Gate, who said he was yet…

Pupils in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Sokoto states are expected back in the classrooms today. This is in spite of the Federal Government’s directive that all schools should remain closed till January 18 to monitor the spread of the new wave of COVID-19. Pupils in boarding houses in border towns in Sokoto State are exempted from resuming today. States, such as Kogi and Plateau, have fixed January 18. Lagos State is expected to announce the resumption date. Rivers The Rivers State government, in a statement at the weekend by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Chidi Adiele, said…