Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Manchester United looking to move a step closer to equalling their bitter rivals’ record of 20 English titles. In a gripping title race, Arsenal and Manchester City will hope for a Liverpool stumble, while the top four battle and relegation survival fight is also heating up.AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of this weekend’s action: With memories of their painful FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester United still fresh for Alex Mac-Allister and his Liverpool team-mates, it would have been no surprise if the Argentine midfielder had branded their return to Old…
Author: GuruTrends
Sixteen days after the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnected University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, for owing N495m, power has been restored to the health facility. PUNCH Online gathered that electricity was restored around 6.30 pm on Thursday. IBEDC disconnected the facility on March 19, the third time in less than two months, over what it called “accumulated bill indebtedness.” While giving reasons for the disconnection, the Ibadan DisCo explained that it disconnected the hospital after failed attempts to engage with the facility’s management regarding the N495m debt, which had persisted for over six years. However, when our correspondent…
The anticipated arraignment of Tigran Gambaryan, who heads Binance’s Financial Crime Compliance, before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Abuja Federal High Court was postponed until Monday in a court proceeding on Thursday. Gambaryan, arrested in February, is accused of money laundering involving transactions totalling $35.4 million, violation of foreign exchange regulations and failure to file tax returns. “April 8 for ruling. If the ruling goes in favour of the EFCC, the defendant will take his plea immediately,” Judge Nwite said after the defendant’s attorney argued that Gambaryan was not an executive of Binance and does not reside in the country…
Imports of raw materials into the country rose by 25 per cent to N3tn in 2023. This is according to the Foreign Trade Statistics data published by the National Bureau of Statistics. The major raw materials imported during the period included cane sugar, other lubricating oils meant to be mixed further, preparations of milk containing vegetable fats and oils, mixtures of odoriferous substances, sheets for veneering, among others. Conversely, Nigeria could only export raw materials worth N1.8tn between 2022 and 2023, recording a N3.6tn balance of trade. Speaking with The PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion…
The British Council has partnered with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to design curricula for tertiary institutions. Chikodi Onyemerela, the Director of Programmes at the British Council, addressed attendees at a workshop titled “Enhancing Curriculum and Pedagogical Approaches in Nigerian Universities” in Abuja on Monday. He disclosed that this partnership was essential to align with global trends, highlighting the importance of transitioning from conventional teaching and learning methods to digital literacy in problem-solving. “NUC has since introduced the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which emphasises the cultivation of critical thinking, digital literacy, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills among graduates.…
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Thursday, failed to show up to open his defence before the seven-man panel probing allegations of perjury and leaking the government’s secrets against him. The retired Justice S. A. Omonuwa-led panel, which had its inaugural sitting on Wednesday in Benin, had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence. The Edo State House of Assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had on Wednesday opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him. However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, neither…
The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, on Thursday, said 141 terror cases, 214 kidnappings and 537 homicide cases were reported to the police in the last eight weeks. Egbetokun added that 3,685 suspects were apprehended for their participation in various crimes, while 401 kidnap victims were rescued. Egbetokun said this while fielding questions from journalists at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja. He said, “I am pleased to report a substantial advancement, propelled by the execution of diverse strategies aimed at mitigating the escalating trend of criminal activities across the nation after our last conference held on…
(231205) — CHONGQING, Dec. 5, 2023 (Xinhua) — A truck leaves Chongqing Fuling Comprehensive Bonded Zone in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, Dec. 4, 2023. Chongqing Fuling Comprehensive Bonded Zone has continued to improve its business environment in past years, promoting the stability and quality of foreign trade. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) China’s road logistics price index edged up 0.06 per cent week-on-week from March 18 to March 22, industry data shows. The country’s road logistics index came in at 1,025.06 points last week, according to a survey conducted by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and the Guangdong Lin’an Logistics Group.…
Madonna’s attorneys on Thursday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the pop superstar for starting a concert two hours late, arguing the plaintiffs didn’t demonstrate any clear injuries, court documents show. Plaintiffs Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden filed the lawsuit earlier this year after attending one of Madonna’s global Celebration Tour shows in Brooklyn in December, alleging they were “misled” by the 8:30 p.m. advertised start time. They also sued Barclays Center and Live Nation for “wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.” The plaintiffs argued they wouldn’t have purchased tickets if they’d known the concert…
The Israeli army has finally withdrawn from al-Shifa Hospital in the city of Gaza after two weeks since the start of its military operation there, according to Palestinian reports on Monday. Local media reported that the operation had caused severe destruction to the buildings of the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation at al-Shifa hospital on Sunday evening as a great success. He spoke of a “precise and surgical” military operation. More than 200 terrorists had been killed, and hundreds had surrendered, Mr Netanyahu said. According to Israel, the Palestinian Islamist…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms and sunshine across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Thursday in Abuja predicted a sunny atmosphere over the northern region throughout the forecast period on Friday. The agency envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, and Kaduna states during the afternoon and evening periods. According to the agency, sunny skies with few cloud patches are expected over the North Central region during the morning hours. “Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, and Kwara states. “The southern region should be…
CHICAGO (CBS) — What appears to be a dangerous trend reported among several women in New York City could also now be happening in Chicago. Several women have reported being physically assaulted while simply walking down the street minding their own business. One woman reported being a victim of such an attack while walking near State Street and Chicago Avenue on the Near North Side this past Saturday evening. The intersection is a busy one – with a high-traffic Red Line stop beneath it. CBS 2 went from business to business asking people if they had seen or heard anything when…
The Chinese Embassy in Zambia says it donated about $500,000 to the Zambian government to help the country fight against cholera. The contribution was part of the cholera assistance measures announced by the embassy in January this year, at the height of the outbreak. Wang Sheng, charge d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy, said the embassy has been working with Zambian authorities to implement the assistance measures in the past month. “We are delighted to see that the cholera outbreak in Zambia has been alleviated, but its eradication remains a long-term task,” he said during a handover ceremony attended by Zambian…
A leopard strayed into a residential area in Delhi on Monday morning and attacked three persons before local authorities caught it with the help of residents. The injured were admitted to a local hospital. According to a Delhi government official, the wild big cat entered a house at Jagatpur village in North Delhi’s Wazirabad area, prompting locals to call the police and other government authorities for help. Before the police and the fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene, the big cat had already attacked three men inside the house. The natives of the house locked it inside a room,…
Washington — The Israeli government has approved the opening of three humanitarian aid corridors that were specifically requested by President Biden in a Thursday call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Biden told Netanyahu the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza was “unacceptable” and warned that U.S. policy toward the conflict going forward will depend on Israel’s actions to relieve the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the White House said. The Erez Crossing in northern Gaza, which has not been open since the start of the conflict, will be opened. The Port of Ashdod will be opened for humanitarian deliveries, and aid…
A high-ranking official of the U.S. Department of Defence experienced symptoms similar to those of the so-called Havana syndrome at the NATO summit in Vilnius last year. The U.S. Department of Defence disclosed this on Tuesday. “I can confirm that a senior DOD official experienced symptoms similar to those reported in anomalous health incidents,’’ Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said. She told journalists in Washington when asked about a news report regarding the case. “This person was there at the NATO Summit in Vilnius; not part of the secretary’s delegation that was also there during that time,’’ said the Pentagon spokeswoman.…
Senate President, God swill Akpabio, has exonerated himself from the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi from the Red chamber.“Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central senatorial district, was suspended by the Senate on March 14, 2024, following an interview he granted BBC, where he accused the Senate leadership of padding the 2024 federal budget. Right activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to Ningi, had in a letter to the Senate president, asked Akpabio to immediately lift the suspension placed on him (Ningi). Akpabio, through his counsel, Chief Umeh Kalu, SAN, said: “We have carefully read through your analysis of the…
Former South African National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was released on bail by a court in Pretoria on Thursday, shortly after charges were announced against her. Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula denied any wrongdoing. However, South Africa prosecutors had accused her of corruption and money laundering the day after she resigned amid allegations of graft during her tenure as defence minister. As a result, investigators raided her home last month as part of the probe. Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula, 67, also stepped down from parliament on Wednesday. Lead prosecutor Bheki Manyathi informed the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court that she faced 12 corruption charges and one count…
The teenage midfielder has been fast-tracked into the senior squad at the VELTINS-Arena having been likened to Paul Pogba Germany fans haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years, with a last-16 defeat to England at Euro 2020 sanwiched between two embarrassing group-stage exits at successive World Cups. And as legends like Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer approach the latter stages of their career, it may be necessary for the German Football Federation (DFB) to bring the next generation of talent through early, if for no other reason than to provide a much-needed shot of energy that lifts the…
Eniola Ajao’s first cinema production, ‘Ajakaju (Beast of Two Worlds)’, has earned N101.2 million in just five days since its release. FilmOne Entertainment announced this achievement on Thursday through its Instagram account, @filmoneng. The epic movie premiered nationwide on March 29. The distribution company disclosed, “The Beast has conquered!!! Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds is dominating the cinemas nationwide, reaching 101.2 million at the box office in five days. “Nigerians are not playing on this one. Thank you for trusting every movie we dish out.”