The United Kingdom has imposed a ban on travellers from 11 African countries into the country for an initial period of two weeks. A statement posted on its website, explained that the decision was taken to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 variant identified in South Africa. The countries, which are in the southern African continent include Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, Seychelles and Mauritius. According to the statement, new evidence required urgent need to halt travel from those countries, adding that entry into England would be banned to those who have travelled from or…
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The Police chief of the US Capitol, Steven Sund has resigned. His resignation on Thursday, followed Wednesday’s invasion by a mob triggered by President Donald Trump, a source close to the agency told AFP. Steven Sund “is resigning effective January 16, 2021,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP, hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation, following sharp rebukes for what many criticized as a lack of preparation. AFP
Boko Haram woman suicide bomber on Friday, killed 13 civilians, including eight children, in a village of northern Cameroon, AFP reports. A traditional chief, Mahamat Chetima Abba in Mozogo village said the attackers arrived in the middle of the night, shouting “Allah Akbar” (“God is greater”) and brandishing machetes. The panicked villagers tried to run off into the nearby forest, and in the stampede the suicide bomber detonated her device, he said. The account was confirmed by a member of the local defence committee, who said his group had tried to repel the attack. “Thirteen civilians died, two of them…
Against the high daily cases of the deadly COVID-19 recorded in the three consecutive days, the federal government has threatened to lockdown the country if the number of infections continued as being recorded. The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVIF-19, Dr Sani Aliyu at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, said the rising COVID-19 cases had become source of concern. “If these numbers continue to go up and we start having significant deaths, we will have no option. If we do not want to lock down, now is the time to make sure that we…
The Milkmaid, a Hausa language-based thriller and Nigeria’s official selection to the 93rd Oscars, is set for an exclusive screening in Lagos. Its executive producer and U.S.-based Nigerian surgeon, Dr Oluseun Sowemimo, said in a statement that the event will hold at Terra Kulture on Jan. 10. The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is expected to be the special guest of honour, with ace comedian, Basketmouth, as Master of Ceremony. Written, produced and directed by Desmond Ovbiagele, The Milkmaid spotlights insurgency and extremism, especially as they affect women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Technically crafted to the…
The Head of Lebanese Order of Physicians, Abou Charaf on Friday said that while ten Lebanese doctors died from COVID-19, 15 were at the Intensive Care Unit and 200 in quarantine, Elnashra news website reported. “Citizens must deal with the virus in a very serious manner in a bid to maintain operations in the health sector and prevent its collapse,’’ Charaf said. Lebanese Order of Physicians is the largest medical organisation and physician group in the country. Charaf slammed practices by some citizens, who celebrated the festive season of Christmas and New Year without taking the necessary precautions. He called…
An 11-year old UK-based Nigerian school girl, Fodun Olanrewaju, has raised £200 through a fundraiser to support a hospital charity for disabled patients in her community. Olanrewaju, in a telephone interview on Friday in Lagos, said that she raised the fund by setting up a GoFundMe page with the help of her parents. She said that the money was raised to help the Lewisham and Greenwich National Health Service (NHS) trust charitable fund. “Since 2020, things have been difficult and I have been thinking about how some people will not have the opportunity to meet their families and friends due…
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says two suspects are presently in police custody for issuing fake COVID-19 test results with the institute’s name. Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Director-General (D-G) of NIMR, made the disclosure to newsmen in Lagos on Friday during a news conference to reveal NIMR’s findings on the alleged issuance of fake COVID-19 test results from the institute. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Government had on Dec. 29, 2020 raised alarm over sales of fake COVID-19 test results in the state. The state government said that processes were being put…
The efficacy of the Pfizer Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (official name BNT162b2) might sustain against the newly-detected mutant strains from the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa, a group of U.S. scientists said in a research paper.The paper was published on the BioRxiv website for biology research on Thursday. The research was conducted by scientists from University of Texas Medical Branch and funded by Pfizer and BioNTech, as stated in the Acknowledgments section.“Rapidly spreading variants of SARS-CoV-2 that have arisen in the UK and South Africa share the spike N501Y substitution. “We generated isogenic N501 and Y501 SARS-CoV-2. Sera of 20…
U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler said he supports immediate impeachment charges against President Donald Trump. “I am once again urging that the President be impeached and removed from office,’’ Nadler said on Thursday. “We have a limited period of time in which to act. The nation cannot afford a lengthy, drawn out process, and I support bringing articles of impeachment directly to the House floor.’’ Thousands of Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to prevent Congress from certifying the election results. The protesters attacked police with metal pipes and chemical irritants, damaged…