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Trump cautions Davos against heeding ‘prophets of doom’ on climate change
The president’s repudiation of climate change activists before the assembly of business executives and foreign leaders represented yet another high-profile break between his administration and other Western powers regarding the grave nature of the threat. “They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the ’70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s,” Trump said. “These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty.” Trump boasted that his administration is “boldly embracing American energy independence” and has been “so successful that the United States no longer needs to import energy” from nat...
Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane catches fire at Shanghai airport, no casualties
An Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 777 cargo plane caught fire while loading cargo at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Wednesday, the airline said, adding that fire has been contained and none of the crew or ground staff were harmed. The cause of the incident was under investigation, Ethiopian Airlines said in a Facebook post. The aircraft was on a regular scheduled cargo service from Shanghai to Sao Paulo-Santiago, it added. Pictures and videos circulating on Chinese social media showed heavy smoke pouring from an Ethiopian aircraft, and a large section of the upper fuselage appeared scorched. After the fire broke, flights bound for Shanghai Pudong International Airport were diverted to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, said aviation data provider Variflight. Get more stories li...
President Buhari, others honour Isa Funtua as FEC meeting begins
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, led other members of the Federal Executive Council to honour his late ally, Isa Funtua, with a minute silence as the council’s weekly meeting started. Although the meeting is virtual, some members are joining Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja from where he is presiding while others are attending virtually from their offices. At the commencement of the meeting, after the recitation of the National Anthem, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, called for a minute silence in honour of the late Funtua, who died on Monday. Funtua, the founding Managing Director of The Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, was a minister in the Second Republic...
Global shipping at ‘critical point’ as routes threatened by sailor shortage
The international shipping community is facing a major labour crisis, with sailors stranded on ships or at home because of visa and flight restrictions, maritime groups said. With crew changes down by 75 per cent, a humanitarian crisis is also developing, with sailors suffering mental health problems, fatigue and accidents from being trapped for months at a time on ships. With more than 200,000 sailors unable to leave their vessels and a similar number trying to get out to them, international shipping bodies believe the world economy is weeks from another disaster. Last week, only 13 countries including the UAE, Britain and the United States, signed up to an agreement to designate sailors as key workers, allowing them to fly home without quarantine or visa issues. But other major seafaring...
Bayelsa set to pay hazard allowances
The Bayelsa State Government has indicated its readiness to pay special allowances to frontline health workers combating the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Mr Doubara Atasi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, stated this in a statement on Wednesday. It would be recalled that Gov. Douye Diri, had given the assurance to pay the allowances on Tuesday. He said it at a meeting with the representatives of the labour unions including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Association of Resident Doctors in Government House, Yenagoa. Other unions represented at the meeting include the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Association of Medical Laboratory Sci...
Spotify and Universal Music Group Ink Licensing Deal, Expanding Label’s Role as ‘Early Adopter’ of Tools
Spotify and Universal Music Group have finalized a new and expanded multi-year global licensing agreement. As part of the arrangement, announced Wednesday (July 22), the label group deepens its role as an early adopter of Spotify’s marketing tools and other tech features that both parties hope will foster more impactful connections between fans and artists in innovative ways. “With this agreement, UMG and Spotify are more aligned than ever in our commitment to ensuring the entire music ecosystem thrives and reaches new audiences around the globe,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, UMG chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Given our commitment to innovation and early adoption of music technologies, and Spotify’s leadership in the development of forward-thinking tools, our ...
Senator Ngige: Suspended NSITF chief awarded N4.448 billion contracts in one day
The Minister for Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, on Tuesday, shocked the members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) when he alleged that the suspended MD awarded about 332 different contracts worth about N4.448 billion in one day. Senator Ngige who appeared on the second day of the investigative hearing being Chaired by Hon Miriam Onuoha further revealed that the controversial contracts were awarded just two days after he left office as Minister in 2019. The two times Minister of Labour and Employment also informed the Committee that the suspended management committed about 74 different infractions for which they were suspended. Senator Ngige who insisted that the action taken so far against the affecte...
Gunmen kill traditional ruler, nine others in Kaduna
Gunmen have killed the traditional ruler of Gora Gan village in Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State and nine others on Monday. The killings happened 24 hours after some youths were killed during a wedding ceremony in Kukum Daji village of Kaura Local Government. This was even when the leaders of the two warring groups have resolved to end the killings by committing themselves to a peace deal. Apart from the Village Head who was killed by the marauders, a six-year-old boy it was learnt was among victims of the latest attack, which also left many villagers wounded. Narrating the latest attack in an interview, the Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Zango Kataf, Professor Isaac Ango said the gunmen invaded the village around 7.10 pm on Monday and started...
FIRS clarifies stamp duty rates, others
Following several requests by taxpayers seeking clarifications on the current administration of Stamp Duties Act in the country, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has published detailed information to guide taxpayers and the general public on rates payable as stamp duty. The clarification guide, which is contained in a Public Notice signed by Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami, published on its website, stated that Stamp Duty is chargeable on both physical and electronic instruments in two ways i.e. Ad-valorem, where duty payable is a percentage of the consideration on an instrument; or Flat Rate, where a fixed sum is chargeable irrespective of the consideration on dutiable instrument or document. The notice described stamp duty as a tax payable in respect of dutiable inst...
Martin Braithwaite ‘likely’ to leave Barcelona
Martin Braithwaite is likely to leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 29-year-old striker joined Blaugrana from Leganes as an emergency signing in February after Barça had suffered long-term injuries to the likes of Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé. However, it now looks like the former-Middlesbrough man is set to leave Camp Nou. The report states that the club have had their use out of the Danish international and are now looking to receive a return on the reported €18m they paid for him. Braithwaite made just 11 appearances for Barça during the second half of the season, starting just four of those games. He was Leganes’ top goalscorer with six goals before his departure, and the club were relegated following the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Sund...
Canceled Virgin Fest Sues WME, Demands Agency Return $6M Artist Deposits
Virgin Fest is suing talent agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment for failing to return artist deposits paid in advance of the now-canceled June 6-7 event in Los Angeles. The deposits totaled $6 million for performers Lizzo, Ellie Goulding, Kali Uchis and others to reserve their availability for the inaugural festival in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, which was scrapped in May due to the coronavirus pandemic. The contract Virgin Fest signed with WME included a force majeure provision that outlined that the money would have to be returned in the if any “act beyond the reasonable control of the producer, which makes the performance impossible, unfeasible or unsafe,” according to court documents filed Friday and reviewed by Billboard. The concert promoters say that the...
Mitch Slater, Concert Promotion Pioneer, Dies at 59
The Delsener/Slater Presents co-founder was a longtime associate of concert business consolidator Robert Sillerman. Mitch Slater, an industry pioneer who helped shape the modern concert promotion business, died on Tuesday after an extended illness. He was 59. “Our bond was as strong as it gets,” Slater’s older brother, former Capitol Records CEO Andrew Slater, tells Billboard. “When he started out in music, I said, ‘If you could be half as good in business as you are as a brother, you’ll be a great success.’ And he far exceeded that mark.” In 1988, Slater partnered with Ron Delsener to form Delsener/Slater Presents, which became one of the most successful independent concert promotion companies in the U.S. “As brilliant as Ronnie was, Mitch brought some real business acumen to it,” s...
