The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated the newly inaugurated Bayelsa State Molecular Laboratory, Research and Diagnostic Centre for COVID-19 testing. The facility, which was inaugurated by Gov. Douye Diri, brought the number of NCDC accredited laboratories in the country to 66 in 34 states. The Acting Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, announced this in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa. He said that the NCDC in a letter by the Laboratory Network Advisor, Celestina Obiekea, to the Bayelsa Commissioner for Health, stated that the laboratory had fulfilled the necessary requirements to test for COVID-19. He quoted the NCDC as saying that the state would be responsible for procurement of consumables, equipment and other mater...
Arsenal are prepared to sell goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the summer transfer window, according to reports from The Athletic. The 27-year-old has been with Arsenal for a decade now, but he is likely to leave in the coming weeks. He shone in the absence of Bernd Leno during Project Restart and has expressed to desire to continue to start regularly, be it at Arsenal or elsewhere. However, the Gunners consider Leno as their first choice. The German is fit again to resume his duties which leave Arsenal little choice but to allow Martinez to leave. Martinez has two years remaining on his current deal worth £20,000 per week. His agents have been looking to renegotiate his terms for some time, but talks have been delayed due to a number of factors. Should he leave the club, Arsenal would be ex...
Music venues across the U.S. will bathe their facilities in red light on Tuesday evening to encourage Congress to pass the Restart Act, which would provide much-needed assistance for millions of Americans who have lost income due to the pandemic. Spearheaded by the #WeMakeEvents coalition, the #RedAlertRESTART campaign seeks to bring awareness to the dire situation live music faces if Capitol Hill does not supply support for venues that have been shuttered since mid-March in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. From 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. PST on Tuesday night, music venues nationwide will be lit red to highlight that the live events industry is on red alert for its survival. The campaign is also coming out in support of ExtendPUA.org, which is lobbying for the continuation ...
Italy on Friday began the delivery of new school desks adapted for COVID-19 safety regulations, part of a large-scale effort to re-open classrooms after a six-month shutdown. A government commissioner ordered more than 2.4 million desks, and the first 799 were delivered to schools in Bergamo province, which was worst hit by the pandemic. Schools are being equipped with one-seat desks to facilitate social-distancing. Students are supposed to sit at least 1m apart; if not, they will have to wear face masks. he new desks are smaller than previously used one-seat models, and in some schools with older equipment, are due to replace two-person desks. Schools are scheduled to re-open on Sept. 14, but the government is struggling to put everything in place. The delivery of the new desks is for ins...
A former Oyo State House of Assembly member, Mr Wasiu Lafioye Akinmoyede, has been arrested by the police for allegedly assaulting a leader of the All Progressives Congress in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State. Akinmoyede, who represented Lagelu State consistency in the 8th Assembly, reportedly broke a chair on the head of a former House of Representatives member and chieftain of APC in the local government, Mr Remi Adebayo. He was reportedly arrested yesterday by one SP. Bolaji from Zone 11, Osogbo, Osun State. Newsmen gathered that the incident took place on Wednesday, August 13, during the APC elders meeting held in the local government. A source who did not want his name in print told Vanguard that, in the course of the meeting, Mr. Adebayo observed and mentioned the names of s...
Saving One Million Lives Programme for Result (SMOL P for R), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) has lamented some of the non challant attitudes of some beneficiary communities of the various projects it is implementing in Yobe state. Dr. Babagana Abba, State Programme Manager SMOL P for R expressed concern while receiving an NGO, Spotlight for Transparency and Accountability Initiative which paid him a courtesy visit in Damaturu. Abba said SMOL P for R had been implementing various projects for the benefit of the citizens of the state which include procurements and civil works. He further explained that benefiting communities were exhibiting attitudes of negligence over such projects cited in their communities. “Our people are very negligent. They never take the issue of ownership of p...
If you’re just waking up on this glorious Friday, you’re about to discover what much of Twitter already knows: Selena Gomez and Blackpink’s epic new collaboration “Ice Cream” has arrived. We know what we’ll be doing for the next few days: “Ice cream chillin’, chillin’, ice cream chillin’!” Plus, we’re heading into VMAs weekend, and you can brush up on your music video history ahead of the big night by checking out our list of the 100 greatest music video artists of all time. Take a look at all of that — and more of the week’s biggest music happenings — below. Taylor Swift’s Folklore ruled for a fourth week Swift’s latest set topped the Billboard 200 chart once again, with 101,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 20. Billboard’s...
Were COVID-19 not in the way, Jeannie Seely would have held court at the SOURCE Awards on Aug. 25, co-hosting an event that celebrates the women who are instrumental in the growth of Nashville’s music business. Seely would’ve swapped jokes and one-liners with Brenda Lee about height and aging, likely with a little sexual innuendo thrown in to keep the crowd laughing, handling the spotlight at age 80 as well as she ever has in over 50 years as a Music City artist. Seely has been a Grand Ole Opry member since 1967, the same year that she won a Grammy for her signature song, “Don’t Touch Me.” But her comfort and command of the stage have her living out her golden years as a veritable golden girl, country’s version of Betty White. “IR...
File Photo Two members of a surrounding community in Juji, Chikun-LGA of Kaduna State lost their lives as suspected kidnappers invaded the community at the late hour on Friday night. The raid in the community, which was said to have started at exactly 11.15pm, kept the residents of the area in fear. It was gathered from the youth leader of the community, Comrade Hosea Bawa that the dead victims came in from Baban Saura community to assist in keeping off the hoodlums. According to him, “They attacked our community yesterday at 11:15pm. They killed two Babban Saura boys but didn’t get away with anyone.” Residents in several communities surrounding Juji said sporadic gunshots reverberated for several hours. Juji Community has suffered several attacks from bandits in recent times, with the mos...