business
‘Ghost Ship’ Organizer Pleads Guilty in Warehouse Fire That Killed 36 People
Thompson scheduled sentencing for March 8, when she will determine whether he will pay restitution, continue to be monitored electronically at his home in rural Northern California and be subject to supervised probation. Families of the victims will be allowed to give victim impact statements at that time. Prosecutors say Almena was criminally negligent when he illegally converted the industrial Oakland warehouse into a residence and event space for artists dubbed the “Ghost Ship,” stuffing the two-story building with flammable materials and extension cords. It had no smoke detectors or sprinklers. The Dec. 2, 2016, fire broke out at the warehouse during an electronic music and dance party, moving so quickly that victims were trapped on the illegally constructed second floor. Prosecutors s...
Osun: Coronavirus new guidelines are with immediate effect – commissioner
Osun State Government has warned people conducting themselves and their businesses in manners that contravene the new set of COVID-19 management guidelines in the state. According to Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, the new guidelines released on Wednesday are with immediate effect. She wrote; “Citizens are informed that every condition in the guideline, including the conditions for the conduct of business, for events, religious activities and the curfew, are with immediate effect. “The government wishes to reiterate that mechanisms are in place for strict enforcement of these guidelines. Citizens are hereby warned to adhere to these non-pharmaceutical safety protocols aimed at protecting them against the virus. Let us cooperate with the government to kee...
Niger governor: Incompetent leaders took over from military in 1999
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger state has attributed the failures recorded in governance since the coming of democracy in 1999 to incompetent leaders who took over leadership of the country from military. The Governor spoke just as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, blamed the nation’s educational system for the failure being recorded in leadership in the country, saying the system was not designed to produce leaders. Both men spoke at a youth summit organized by a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman Board of Trustees of Lead Generation Initiative (LGI), Shina Peller, in Abuja. The Niger governor said the that when the military decided to hand over power to civilians, a lot of competent people never believed in the process and therefore stood ba...
Believe in Music: What to Expect From NAMM’s First-Ever Virtual Gathering
Highlights of the five-day event, which is free to attend, include opening sessions with Garth Brooks and Melissa Etheridge at 9 a.m. PT on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, respectively; conversations with artists including Jackson Browne, Perry Farrell, Deadmau5, Nathan East, LZZY Hale , Anthrax‘s Scott Ian and Charley Pride (in one of his last interviews); a products preview on Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. PT featuring merchandise from C.F. Martin & Co., Roland, Yamaha, Avid, Gibson, Shure and more; and the Grand Rally for Music Education, an annual event that brings together music education advocates “for a celebration of the benefits and pleasures of making music.” The NAMM Show’s long-running annual events and awards ceremonies will also be incorporated. These include the 36th TEC Awards, whi...
Warner Music Makes a Play for India’s Regional Music Market
The partnership with Sky Digital is part of Warner Music’s mandate of “taking the Indian sound global,” Jay Mehta, Warner Music India managing director, tells Billboard. The tie-up follows a similar distribution deal with Bollywood label Tips Music and a licensing agreement with Punjabi music aggregator Ziiki Media, which were announced in May and October 2020, respectively. In addition to running an in-house label whose roster includes such Punjabi singing stars as Sunanda Sharma, Sky Digital currently serves as the aggregator for over 40 Punjabi music labels as well as several Hindi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri ones. Sky Digital also manages a suite of regional music YouTube channels in those languages that collectively have over 15 million subscribers. Among the recent big Punjabi hits distri...
Apple Mulls Podcast Subscription Push Amid Spotify’s Land Grab
Now, however, Apple’s position as the top platform for podcast listening is being threatened as the company faces heated competition from tech and media giants including Spotify, Amazon and SiriusXM. In the years since it first added podcast support, Apple also has placed an emphasis on its growing services business, through which it already offers subscription products for music, television, video games and fitness videos. But Apple will have to proceed carefully as it explores introducing subscriptions to podcasting, a business that has long been funded largely through advertising sales. Many longtime podcasters are vocal supporters of keeping the medium free and widely accessible, and listeners have yet to show a strong appetite for paid podcast services like two-year-old startup Lumina...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ Fast-Tracks to No. 1 In Australia
Rodrigo is all that stands in the way of The Kid Laroi bagging his first No. 1. The Sydney-raised rapper’s “Without You” holds at No. 2 on the singles survey. Also soaring on the national singles survey this week is Tones And I’s “Fly Away,” up 8-7 for a new chart peak. It’s the multiple ARIA Award-winner’s joint second-highest chart entry, equaling the best for 2019’s “Never Seen The Rain.” Tones’ breakout hit “Dance Monkey” is by far the longest No. 1 in the history of the ARIA Singles Chart, at 24 non-consecutive weeks, and it finished 2020 as the best-selling homegrown tune, ARIA reports. Meanwhile, Barry Gibb leads the ARIA Albums Chart as a solo artist for the first time with Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, a collection of Bee Gees classics performed as country ...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ on Track For Another Week at No. 1 In U.K.
It’s early days, but there is a challenge from Anne-Marie, KSI and Digital Farm Animals‘ “Don’t Play,” which opens at No. 2 on the chart blast and is on track to be this week’s highest new entry, at No. 2. If it holds its momentum, it would become Anne-Marie’s highest-charting single as a lead artist, following a No. 3 best for “2002,” and the best for both KSI and Digital Farm Animals. Another track that’s hit overdrive is Ariana Grande’s “34+35,” which is on course for a new peak. “34+35” rockets 11-3 following a new cut released last Friday featuring Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat. The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday local time. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begi...
The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Tame Impala Light up Australia’s 2020 Year-End Charts
Released in November 2019, “Blinding Lights” ruled the weekly ARIA Singles Chart for a full 10 weeks in 2020, longer than any other record during the year, earning him an ARIA Award nomination for best international act. When Aussies were keen to extend the mood, their album of choice was Harry Styles‘ Fine Line, which rules the 2020 ARIA Albums Top 10. The former One Direction star’s sophomore album spent just one week atop the weekly ARIA Albums Chart during the year, but critically, it had staying power. By year’s end, the LP had logged 48 weeks in the Top Ten, and Styles took out fan-voted best international act at the 2020 ARIA Awards. Aussies also loved Taylor Swift’s folklore, the No. 2 ranked album of the year, while collections from Billie Eilish (When We All Fall Asleep, Wh...
Dangote completes Nigeria’s longest concrete road
Makamba Online The Dangote Group has completed Nigeria’s longest rigid pavement located in Kogi State. It is the first of its kind, top engineers say. The 43KM Obajana-Kabba road constructed by Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), has been described by motorists as the country’s most strategic highway that is aiding travellers between the North and the South. Olatunbosun Kalejaiye, the Project Director, said he was excited that the Corporate Social Responsibility Project is being delivered for use by Nigerians, adding that while the rigid pavement has been completed, the company was dressing the shoulders. Site Engineer Samuel Obosi assured that the dual carriage way will be durable and less susceptible to potholes and repairs like asphalt road, adding that it would crash the rate of road acc...
WhatsApp delays data sharing change after backlash
WhatsApp on Friday postponed a data-sharing change as users concerned about privacy fled the Facebook-owned messaging service and flocked to rivals Telegram and Signal. The smartphone app, a huge hit across the world, cancelled its February 8 deadline for accepting an update to its terms concerning sharing data with Facebook, saying it would use the pause to clear up misinformation around privacy and security. “We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update,” WhatsApp said in a blog post. “This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook.” It said it would instead “go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15.” The update concerns how merchants using WhatsApp to cha...
SON: We have initiated more measures to tackle importation of substandard products into Nigeria
File Photo The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said it has devised more efficient measures against importation of substandard products to protect local manufacturers in the country. The Director-General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim stated this during a visit to the organization’s office in Awka, Anambra State, on Saturday. According to Mallam Salim, the agency will continue to discourage importers of substandard products from short-changing unsuspecting consumers. He also announced plans to improve workers welfare and increase engagement with stakeholders in the country, noting that the move by the agency would help protect the interest of the business community while also safeguarding life and property. The Director-General assured that the organization would work with stakeholders ...
