Author: Chief Editor

US President Donald Trump announced a shock 30-day ban on travel from mainland Europe over the spiralling coronavirus pandemic that has sparked unprecedented lockdowns, widespread panic and another financial market meltdown on Thursday. Trump’s unexpected move in a primetime TV address from the Oval Office pummelled stock markets, as traders fretted about the economic impact of the outbreak that is on a seemingly relentless march across the planet. The World Health Organization also sounded another global alarm bell on Wednesday, officially classifying as a pandemic the virus that has infected more than 124,000 people with 4,500 deaths, according to an…

The NBA has suspended play after a Utah Jazz player preliminarily tested positive for the new coronavirus, the league said Wednesday. The test result was reported shortly before Utah’s game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City was to begin, and that game was abruptly postponed. The league said the affected player was not at the arena and was being treated by health officials. “The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the…

Hollywood megastar Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the new coronavirus while in Australia for a film project, the Oscar-winning US actor revealed Thursday. Hanks and Wilson, both 63, are in isolation at the Gold Coast University Hospital after being confirmed with the disease, Queensland state health officials said. Hanks is the first major Hollywood star to publicly state that he has the virus, which has sickened more than 125,000 people worldwide and killed more than 4,600. In a message to fans, Hanks said the couple had felt slightly ill and wanted to get tested…

The ongoing Covid-19 outbreak can now be classified as pandemic disease, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. The WHO chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus, in his daily status briefing on the disease in Geneva, declared that the coronavirus has now attained an alarming status and therefore can be referred to a pandemic situation. “We have therefore made the assessment that COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” Mr Ghebreyesus said. It comes after the UN agency warned Tuesday the threat of the killer infection triggering a worldwide pandemic is now ‘very real’. More than 112,000 people around the world have now…

A second division footballer was on Wednesday the first player to test positive for coronavirus in Germany as RB Leipzig became the last Bundesliga side to announce that they would hold their weekend match behind closed doors. Hanover 96 revealed that defender Timo Hubers had tested positive for COVID-19, saying in a statement that they insisted that no further infections were expected, as Huebers had avoided contact with his colleagues. Their full squad and training staff were, however, being tested as a precaution. “As soon as he found out that someone with whom he had been at an event was…

Coronavirus has killed 168 more people in Italy in the past 24 hours, the highest toll in a single day since the start of the outbreak in the country. The whole of Italy – a country of some 60 million people – was placed under quarantine yesterday, as the government stepped up efforts to tackle the dreaded outbreak that has killed 631 people and affected more than 10,000. Globally, more than 4,000 people have died from Coronavirus and over 113,000 cases have been confirmed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). About 64,000 people have recovered around the world. The…

Arsenal has quarantined its players over possible cases of Coronavirus infection, thereby forcing the club’s game against Manchester City to be postponed indefinitely. Arsenal said players and four staff had been isolated at their homes after coming into contact with the owner of Greek club Olympiakos, who has tested positive for COVID-19. “We are strictly following the government guidelines which recommend that anyone coming into close contact with someone with the virus should self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact,” an Arsenal statement said. “As a result, the players are unavailable for tonight’s (Wednesday’s)…

Jerome-Mario Utomi It is general knowledge that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the suspension of the Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof Charles Dokubo, with a promise to set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the agency. As expected, this development has elicited reactions from stakeholders and the general public. While some people have hailed the action of the president, others view it with scepticism. The boundaries between both spheres have shifted back and forth for some days. In some cases, they have ended up igniting a lot of tension. Although I sympathise with Prof Dokubo on whose shoulder…

Jide Ojo On Monday, March 9, 2020, Nigeria’s Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire confirmed the second case of coronavirus infection in Nigeria. This was allegedly from the Italian index case discovered on February 27. I pray fervently that this Covid-19 will not get to epidemic level it has got to in China, South Korea, Iran and Italy. A scary news report yesterday in this newspaper shows that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued unprecedented nationwide measures, telling his citizens to “stay home”, banning public gatherings and suspending all sporting events, including Serie A football matches.  France’s Culture Minister Franck Riester…

It would be recalled that the President had last year ordered a forensic audit of the accounts and operations of the interventionist agency and had late 2019 ratified the constitution of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee the ordered forensic audit. According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, the President, the President said assets worth more than N6 billion have been placed under lien by government agencies. ‘‘To date, the EFCC and other agencies of Government have recovered over N3.7billion in cash as well as various assets worth…