Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s U.S. Open due to her torn hamstring that has not completely healed ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year, the American said on Wednesday. Williams, a six times winner at Flushing Meadows, has had an injury-marred season and limped out of her first-round match at Wimbledon in tears due to the leg injury. The 39-year-old, who has been hunting for an elusive 24th major, skipped the Olympics in Tokyo and opted out of the Cincinnati Masters. “After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
A Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) sitting in Lagos has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of cable television services, DSTV, to pay 50 per cent of N1.8 trillion tax backlog to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Mr Abdullahi Ahmad, the Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday. Ahmad explained that FIRS discovered the backlog through a forensic audit as it showed that Multichoice Nigeria Limited had failed to pay to the Government of Nigeria in past assessment years. He said the five-member TAT led by its Chairman, Prof. A.B.…
The Delta government has confirmed the outbreak of Avian influenza in the state, with 164,173 birds reported dead. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Julius Egbedi, made this known while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Asaba. ”Government has taken action to curtail the spread of the disease. ”So far, some poultry farms across seven local government areas of the state have been affected by the flu. “With reported figures put at 164,173, we know it may be more than this, but this is the official number from the reported cases. “On June 22, we got a call from some poultry farms in Ughelli…
Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom on Tuesday described President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst President in the area of security. Ortom said the way Buhari was handling insecurity and certain critical matters are disappointing. He made the statement while reacting to the President’s grazing policy on ChannelsTV’s Sunrise Daily programme. “Mr President is pushing me to think that what they say about him, that he has a hidden agenda in this country is true. “Because it is very clear that he wants to fulanise, but he is not the first Fulani president. “Shagari was a Fulani President, Yar’ Adua was…
The UK government has awarded Five Persons with Disabilities the prestigious Chevening Scholarship for the 2020 to 2021 session, to foster their inclusion in the society with equal opportunities as others. Ms Gill Atkinson, Acting Head of British High Commission in Nigeria disclosed this in Abuja, during a presentation to showcase the Cheveining Scholarship to Persons with Disabilities and putting them through the application process. Atkinson said the inclusion of persons with disabilities into the programmes is a way the UK govt. shows them that they were just like every other person, with great abilities. “Chevining gives real opportunities to…
Cuba has developed five COVID-19 vaccines with two already approved by the medical authority of the country, the Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Clara Escandell, has said. Escandell made this known when she visited Dr Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) to strengthen partnership with the Chamber. She listed the vaccines as Sobrena 01, Sobrena 02, Mambisa, Sobrena Plus and Abdala. She noted that three of the vaccines had been approved and had shown high level of efficacy. Escandell added that Soberena 02 had been proven with 91.2 per cent efficacy, Sobrena Plus 92.28 per…
President Muhammadu Buhari has met behind closed doors with Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday in Abuja. Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the governor said he updated the president on the security developments in Plateau. He said President Buhari pledged that support would be given to victims of the violent clashes in the state. “I also made a request to the President about relieve materials and also still re-echoed the issue of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). “We have a lot of IDPs in my State, we…
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says the army needs to become more tactful, ingenious and innovative in its operations to be able to tackle the current security challenges in the country. Yahaya said this when he declared open the 22nd combat service support training week at the School of Supply and Transport on Tuesday in Benin. The training has as its theme: “Providing effective combat service support for the Nigerian Army to accomplish assigned missions in a joint environment.” The COAS said, “Giving the volatile and certain complex operational environments the army operates today, our manpower is…
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says the review of the revenue allocation formula will be ready for presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari by the end of 2021. The Chairman of the commission, Mr Elias Mbam, made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja. Mbam said the review was one of the major responsibilities of the commission and was last done in 1992, which was 28 years ago. He said that according to the constitution, the formula, which has been accepted as an act of the National Assembly, would remain in force for a period of not less…
The creation of a Nigeria-Benin Republic Permanent Joint Commission will boost economic development and security in the two neighbouring countries. The Chairman of the Steering Committee on the proposed commission, Amb Kayode Oguntuase made this known when he led an advocacy visit to the headquarters of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission at the Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo state. “The joint commission will be charged with the responsibility of formulating the required basis to strengthen the relations between Nigeria and the Benin Republic, particularly in the field of, trade, economy, investment, energy, culture, human resources, skills science and…