Author: Chief Editor

Andres Iniesta has described his struggle with depression while playing for Barcelona, which his mother says was a “bottomless pit” that caused her 25-year-old son to ask to sleep with his parents. Iniesta recalls his experience with the illness in a Rakuten TV documentary, ‘Andres Iniesta – The Unexpected Hero’, which was released on Thursday and covers his move to Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018. After winning the Champions League under Pep Guardiola in 2009, Iniesta was battling injury and then hit by the death of his friend Dani Jarque, the 26-year-old Espanyol defender who suffered a heart attack.…

Germany’s ministry of labour wants footballers to wear masks as protection against the coronavirus if Angela Merkel’s government gives the green light for the Bundesliga to return next month. The German Football League (DFL) confirmed Thursday that they are ready for the Bundesliga to resume from May 9, albeit without fans in stadiums and with strict player hygiene measures in place. The final decision will be made by German Chancellor Merkel and state leaders, who are due to meet in Berlin on Thursday. Germany has been less affected by the pandemic, but currently has 5,321 deaths due to the virus.…

Ayo Olukotun Governance in the sense of designing, implementing and following through policies in the context of a multi-stakeholder approach has never been our forte as a people. Our political landscape is littered with carcasses of abandoned policies, failed visions, unimplemented or partially implemented projects. We did not have a plan or strategy for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, although one was dredged up by a zealous Presidential Task Force, as well as the governors of Lagos and Ogun states, in the midst of the battle. As far as this columnist is aware, we do not yet have a plan…

Fola Ojo The onset of the government’s lockdown order felt like a crisp opportunity for me to catch up on some chores I had sluggard off on. After the announcement, I immediately settled to some writing; wrapped my arms around some return phone calls; took a jump yakking and chatting off on the phone and cyberspace with friends; and  freely caught up on some mundane things that wouldn’t have ordinarily seen the light of day in normal times of life. After all, now we have extra time on our hands that is not usually an easy buy in a pandemonium-free…

Experts on Friday dismissed as reckless and irresponsible US President Donald Trump’s suggestion of injecting disinfectant to treat patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside (the body)?”, Trumps asked at his daily briefing Thursday, having said that disinfectant knocks out the virus “in a minute”. “Because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs,” Trump continued, apparently referring to disinfectant. “So it would be interesting to check that out.” In interviews and on social networks, doctors…

The new coronavirus is quickly destroyed by sunlight, according to new research announced by a senior US official on Thursday, though the study has not yet been made public and awaits external evaluation. William Bryan, science and technology advisor to the Department of Homeland Security secretary, told reporters at the White House that government scientists had found ultraviolet rays had a potent impact on the pathogen, offering hope that its spread may ease over the summer. “Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in…

Nigeria Super Eagles Player, Ahmed Musa, has dismissed claims on social media that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Musa, who plays for Al-Nassr Football Club in Saudi Arabia described the rumour as fake news on his verified Twitter handle. “Please, ignore any false news about me or my family testing positive to COVID-19. “We are self-isolating for 14 days as we just got in from Saudi Arabia, as the law stipulates. “Stay safe! Maintain social distance,’’ he twitted. The Nigeria international also advised Nigerians to avoid fake news. The News Agency of Nigeria reports, quoting a WHO global figure…

The Premier League is considering screening some behind-closed-doors matches on free-to-air television in Britain when the season restarts, the culture secretary has said. Sky Sports and BT hold the UK television rights for live Premier League matches in what remains of the 2019/20 season, which is currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said there had been “productive conversations” with sporting bodies about how they would resume activity in the event of restrictions being relaxed. Discussing how the sport would be broadcast if held behind closed doors, he told the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport…

The global coronavirus crisis will not end any time soon, with many countries still in the early stages of the fight, health experts have warned as researchers revealed the first US deaths from the disease came weeks before the alarm was raised there. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 180,000 people and infected 2.6 million, and nations are struggling to check its spread with social distancing measures and lockdowns, while trying to repair their virus-ravaged economies. Some have started to slowly ease restrictions as pressure mounts on governments to find ways to reopen their societies after tens of millions…

Born on 21 October 1987 as Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun but better known as Dagrin, he was an award-winning Nigerian rapper from Ogun, Nigeria. The late rapper attended Meiran community primary school, Roseille Nursery and Primary School, Meiran Community high school and Egbado College. His style of rapping incorporated Yoruba, English and Pidgin English for which he gained prominence before his tragic death on 22 April 2010. The accident that claimed his life happened in the early hours of April 14, 2010. His car collided with a stationary trailer (heavy-duty vehicle) in front of Alakara Police Station, off Agege Motor Road,…