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Nigerians dying quietly from toxic preservatives in foods – scientists
Food processors and sellers across Nigeria are using toxic chemicals to improve the look of many food items, including cassava flour, beans and fish, scientists have said. The experts explained that with the practice, millions of people are subjected to the risk of experiencing kidney problems and cancer. They claim that weak government testing capacities and informal food supply chains leave traders and fishermen with little oversight and offer almost no protection to unwary consumers. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships), University of Ibadan, Professor Adenike Adeyemo, stated that many of the toxic chemicals are added as preservatives but are not safe for human consumption. Adeyemo, a professor of Aquatic Epidemiology and Toxicology, declared that the...
Manchester United halt summer transfer plans until season objective is reached
According to the MEN, Manchester United have shelved their summer transfer plans until the club’s Champions League fate is clear. Currently in the third spot, the Red Devils face off against fellow top-four hopefuls Leicester City who are just one point behind them. The Red Devils need to avoid a loss on the final day of the season to ensure a top-four finish. A return to Europe’s top competition will be a just reward for United’s brilliant form since the start of the year. The club has lost just once in the league since as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side went from strength to strength. It now appears where we end up will dictate the club’s summer activity. According to the report, United have made no more enquiries about their targets since discovering the transfer window was set to open on J...
Manchester United eye €25 million Ligue 1 star to bolster defence
According to the Daily Record, Manchester United have entered the race to sign Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes. The Red Devils invested heavily in shoring up the defence by bringing in Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka last season. Despite the improvement shown, there are still issues to be ironed out. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now considering adding the Lille star to his United roster. The Brazilian is valued at a modest €25m. Competition for the 22-year-old will be high with the likes of Everton, Napoli, and Inter Milan all keen. According to the report, Napoli see the young Samba star as a replacement for defensive lynchpin Kalidou Koulibaly – another player United are interested in. The fact that they view him capable of replacing the Senegalese is a testament to the promise he has sh...
Jürgen Klopp reaffirms praise for Thiago Alcantara as Liverpool rumours grow
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has once again responded to Thiago speculation, confirming that he’s a ‘great player’ but remaining coy on any potential transfer developments. The 29-year-old has refused to sign a contract extension at Bayern with just one year remaining on his current deal, and the rumours linking him to a Liverpool switch have only grown stronger in time. “I have no idea who will play for me next year, there is nothing to say at the moment,” he told Sky Germany. “Thiago Alcantara is a great player, but also a Bayern Munich player. That’s actually all there is to say. There’s nothing to say!” To further distance himself from the Thiago links, Klopp confirmed that Liverpool will ‘need time’ before they decide to make any summer transfers. “We have a really good squad, we have ...
Brazilian Funk Powerhouse KondZilla Launches Twitch Channel With Exclusive Deal
The arrangement — which involves exclusive music, video and gaming content — follows the Twitch deal with rapper Logic earlier this week. Brazilian funk music company KondZilla, which operates one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world, has signed a partnership with Twitch to operate a channel on the streaming platform, in one of the first major deals Twitch has done with an international artist or label. Under terms of its deal, KondZilla is providing exclusive music, gaming, video and podcast content, including live remixing of video game tracks produced by DJs on Kondzilla Records, Andre Izidro, head of marketing and intelligence at KondZilla, tells Billboard. The Twitch channel will promote games, chats and feature funk music and stars from KondZilla, such as Mc Jotta...
Chad army officers sentenced to prison for drug trafficking
Chadian army officers and intelligence officials were sentenced on Friday to up to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking, the state prosecutor and their lawyer told AFP. In January, a vehicle carrying 246 cartons of the opiate painkiller Tramadol, with an estimated value of 12.3 billion CFA francs (18.8 million euros, $21 million), was seized on its way to neighbouring Libya, a judicial source said. An army general, two colonels and a head of the National Security Agency were among 10 people sentenced in the capital N’Djamena. “Of the 11 defendants, six were sentenced to 10 years in prison and four to five years in prison, and one was released,” prosecutor Youssouf Tom told AFP. Those sentenced were also ordered to pay between $25,000 and $50,000, the prosecutor said. “The judge followed...
Olusola Oke: We’re not leaving APC
The consensus candidate of the Unity Group of the All Progressive Congress in Ondo State and the first runner up in the party governorship primary, Chief Olusola Oke, has said that himself and the group are not planning to leave the party but with some conditions. Speculation was rife that Oke was planning to defect to another party to contest for the October 10 governorship election after losing to governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the primary. But after a meeting with leaders and members of the Unity Group in Akure, the group gave some conditions to Governor Akeredolu which should be met within the next seven days and all terms agreed upon. Oke who insisted that he had no personal rift with Akeredolu, however, noted that they have a policy disagreement. “The group will take further decisions ...
NAHCON begins refund of 2020 Hajj fares to intending pilgrims
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced the refund of the 2020 Hajj fares to intending pilgrims who wish get their deposits back. The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja. Hassan said that the development became necessary following the decision of the Government of Saudi Arabia not to entertain any external pilgrim at Mecca this year as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that pilgrims who wish to rollover their deposits to the 2021 Hajj will be permitted to do so. He said that registration for the 2021 Hajj will commence in September this year. Hassan said: “Any intending pilgrim who desires to recover his/her deposit from the State Pilgrims ...
APC: We’re glad to have Yakubu Dogara back
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed excitement at the return of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, back to the ruling party. Yekini Nabena, APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, expressed the feeling of the party while responding to the call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Mohammadu Buhari to resign. The opposition party said the APC administration has failed on account of its inability to address the two planks on which it sought and received the mandate of Nigerians. However the APC spokesman said the PDP is ranting because of an impending massive defections that will hit the opposition party. The party said the return of Dogara to the APC is prelude to other defections to the APC The statement read: “The recent and unintel...
Congress Introduces Another Bill to Save Independent Music Venues
The ENCORES Act would provide relief in the form of tax credits on ticket refunds. A new bill in the House Representatives aims to keep struggling independent music venues afloat during the ongoing pandemic. Introduced Thursday by Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Mike Kelly (R-PA), the Entertainments New Credit Opportunity for Relief & Economic Sustainability (ENCORES) Act would allow venues to recoup some of the losses they have experienced from issuing ticket refunds for canceled events by providing a tax credit for 50% of the value of those refunded tickets. To qualify under the proposed legislation, venues must be in the business of promoting, producing or managing live concerts, comedy shows, sporting events and live theatrical productions and have 500 or fewer employees. They must ...
40 million Americans face student loan cliff
Alexander pitched the plan to reporters this week as “an extension of the deferment of monthly student loan payments until students have an income.” But his plan does not extend the CARES Act student loan relief itself. Alexander said his goal was to “change the system for paying back student loans so that you never have to pay more than 10 percent of your income — after you deduct rent and food — on student loans.” Under those existing repayment options — and under Alexander’s plan — a borrower who has no income would not be required to make a monthly payment, though interest on the debt would continue to accrue. “We’ll have a system of no income, no monthly payments,” the Tennessee Republican said. But Democrats are already turning down Alexander’s proposal. Sen. Patty Murray, the ...
Emirates offers passengers free coronavirus medical cover
Emirates has become first airline to offer free cover for Covid-19 medical costs for its passengers travelling via its networks to United Arab Emirates (UAE), and across the world, airlines chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed al-Maktoum said. In the medical package deal, passengers travelling on the airline can now claim coronavirus medical expenses of up to $173,799 and quarantine costs of $115 per day for 14 days if one tests positive for the virus. The carrier, which has restarted operations globally, says the move is meant to boost confidence among travellers. “We will be the first airline to offer free cover for Covid-19 medical costs for its customers when they travel in the UAE and around the world,” Mr al-Maktoum said. “We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gra...
