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Colonizer Down: Mayor Lori Lightfoot Pressured To Remove Christopher Columbus Statues In Chicago

Source: DEREK R. HENKLE / Getty Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered crews to temporarily remove statues of Christopher Columbus from Grant and Arrigo parks in Chicago to thwart hostile confrontations between protestors and police.    Since July 18, protesters tried to forcefully remove a tarp-covered statue in Grant Park, sparking a violent clash with Chicago police. The demonstration initially started at Buckingham Fountain to protest defunding the police, but quickly turned hostile as the crowd grew.  Activists staged a protest in front of Lightfoot’s home overnight. As a result, the shook Mayor buckled to pressure and immediately ordered the removal of the controversial statue in Little Italy hours later.  And just like that – by the cover of darkness – Chicago’s Colum...

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 ...

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...

Private school teachers seek interest-free loan from government

The National Association of Private School Teachers (NAPST) has urged the Nigerian government to provide its members interest-free loans repayable gradually from when schools resume. The association said this is.to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on private school teachers in the country. NAPST, which is the umbrella body and voice of private school teachers in the country, said many of its members have turned to beggars for not being paid since the closure of schools over four months ago. The National President of the association, Akhigbe Augustine, made the plea in Abuja on Tuesday, Following the outbreak of COVID 19, schools were shut throughout Nigeria on March 19, leaving school authorities to adopt alternative modes of learning for students. The shutdown has been most felt by private ...

MNJTF: Why Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists are surrendering

The incessant power tussle, ethnic tension and failure to actualise the establishment of a caliphate in the Sahel in the top echelon of Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups are forcing their members to lay down their arms, the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has said. In a statement Friday, the MNJTF said 47 terrorists recently surrendered to its troops in the Lake Chad and surrounding areas. Timothy Antigha, the Chief of Military Public Information, MNJTF N’Djamena – said in the statement that the terrorists surrendered with their families in Sector 1 of the MNJTF. He said a member of the group, who admitted to have participated in various attacks on Banki, Fotokol, Gambarou Ngala, New Marte, Chikun Gudu, among others, had expressed frustration w...

Former Speaker Dogara dumps PDP for APC

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has dumped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Kebbi State, Mai Malla Buni, disclosed this after the duo met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Although Dogara declined to speak after the meeting, Mai Buni told journalists that the former Speaker “is now a member of APC.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, ...

Lenovo Unveils a New Gaming Smartphone – the Legion Phone Duel

Lenovo has launched a powerful, immersive and fast-charging smartphone – the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel which has been designed from the ground up for gamers. Lenovo is amongst the first to feature the next-level, flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus 5G Mobile Platform that delivers revved-up performance across the board for incredibly-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming, plus global 5G support. For enhanced power efficiency, 90W Turbo Power Charging takes both charging cords (from centre and side ports) to power up both batteries for a combined total of 5000mAh. Go from zero to up to 50 per cent power in only 10 minutes, and a full charge only takes 30 minutes. With six specially customized layout themes to choose from, each with distinctive design details, colours, and icons that resona...

Somalia Has the Lowest Mobile Data Costs in Africa, According to Research

One of Somalia’s largest telecommunications providers, Hormuud Telecoms has announced that it’s aiming to reach 100% of the Somali population with mobile money financial services. Telecommunications have grown substantially in Somalia over the past 10 years. With over 11 different providers now present in the market, the average costs of 1GB bundles have fallen to the lowest levels compared with any other nation in Africa or the Middle East. For a country long affected by civil war and unrest, the news offers a rare insight into the changing shape of the business community within Somalia. In Somali urban centres, mobile money penetration now stands at over 80%. Even in rural Somalia the mobile money penetration rate of 55%. A World Bank report published i...