SABINEWS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE FOR JUNE 5, 2017
Former minister, head of UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin, is dead
The Executive Director of the United Nations Populations Fund, UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin, is dead.
Mr. Osotimehin, Nigeria’s former health minister and former head of Nigeria’s aids agency, NACA, died in the early hours of Monday, sources close to him have told PREMIUM TIMES.
Born February 6, 1949, the 68-year-old was also a former Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan. Read more
EU rejected 24 Nigeria exported products in 2016 – NAFDAC
The National Agency for Food And Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says European Union (EU) rejected 24 exported food products from Nigeria in 2016 for failing to meet standards.
The NAFDAC spokesperson, Dr Abubakar Jimoh made the disclosure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
According to Jimoh, the five major products are groundnut, palm oil, sesame seed and beans that were illegally exported to the EU. Read more
New Bill won’t lead to fuel price hike — Saraki
THE Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, weekend said the proposed National Road Fund Bill recommendation by the Senate committee on Works, would not lead to any increase in the current pump price of fuel. This came as Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, condemned the Senate recommendation for a N5 levy on fuel price, saying it would make the price of a litre petrol to sell above N145.00. Read more
Environmentalist calls for special funding to clean-up Niger Delta
The national president of Environmental Management Association of Nigeria (EMAN), Dr Emmanuel Ating, has urged the Federal Government to make budgetary provision for the clean-up of the Niger Delta region. Ating made the call on Monday in Uyo while speaking on the environmental challenges in the region caused by oil and gas exploitation. Read more
UNICEF female employee found dead in South Africa
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has confirmed that an associate director of human resources who was reported missing in March during a vacation in South Africa has been found dead.
Charlotte Nikoi, a New York-based and Ghanaian citizen, arrived in Cape Town on March 17 to celebrate her wedding anniversary with her family. She was reported missing on March 21 during a hike on Table Mountain at the Platteklip Gorge hiking trail. Read more
‘N167b annuity transfer order is a blessing to insurers’
Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) former Director-General,Rotimi Hussain, has urged life insurers in the country to accept the mandate given to them by the National pension Commission (PenCom) to transfer N167.84 billion annuity fund belonging to about 34,312 annuitants to Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), describing the transfer as a blessing to the insurance industry.
He made this call at the fourth edition of BusinessToday Insurance & Pension Awards in Lagos. It had as theme, The current Annuity fund arrangement – a threat or blessing to insurers. Read more
Stray bullets hit two persons as police, residents clash in Ikorodu
A clash has erupted between policemen and residents of Aga, Ikorodu, after two persons were hit by stray bullet from the police this morning.
It was gathered that the residents on Sunday night, caught a man suspected to be a member of ritual gang Badoo around Olomomeje Mosque at Oni-Ogunsanya Street.
The residents were said to have attempted to lych the suspect but were stopped by policemen who tried to whisk him away to safety. Read more
Why we brought Fiat to Nigeria, by Weststar
Enlivened by its success stories in the United States (US) and European market, Weststar Associates Limited has decided to introduce Fiat into the Nigerian market.
It rolled out the new Tipo sedan from the staple of an Italian automaker, Fiat, now known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).
Built with a rigid, lightweight body/chassis, the vehicle was introduced to the motoring journalists in Lagos by Westar Associates Limited, ahead of its official launch next month. Read more
Chelsea transfer rumours: Matic, Hazard, Icardi, Morata, Lukaku feature
Juventus are weighing up an offer to Chelsea for the Serbian midfielder, because of the uncertainty surrounding the future of Sami Khedira.
Reports in Italy suggest Juve, well beaten by Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final, could make a move for Matic but would likely need to see off competition from Manchester United – Matic’s former boss Jose Mourinho is interested in a reunion. Read more
Barcelona ready to make a move for ex Real Madrid star
Reports from France suggest that new Barceloan boss Ernesto Valverde is preparing a move to try to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Angel Di Maria. Le Parisien (via Don Balon) claims that the 29-year-old and former Real Madrid star is one of the names at the top of the new coach’s wish list this summer despite some confusion over an “anti-Barcelona” clause that may still be in his contract.
When the Argentine made his big-money move from Real Madrid to Manchester United in 2014, this clause was already in his contract, a subsequent move from the Red Devils to current employers PSG is thought to have seen that clause disappear but not according to Football Leaks, who claim that the clause remains intact until his current deal in Paris runs out in 2019.
Read more
British police identify London attackers, make more arrests
British police said they have identified the three attackers who mowed down and stabbed revellers in London, killing seven people before being shot dead by officers on Saturday evening.
The Met Police said the names of the attackers will be released “as soon as operationally possible”, the BBC reported, adding that the police is still trying to figure out whether the attackers were part of a wider network. Read more
Nine shot dead in Russian drunken row near Tver
Russian police are questioning a man suspected of killing nine people with a hunting rifle in a village 150km (93 miles) north-west of Moscow.
The bodies of five men and four women were found at the cottage (dacha) in Redkino, near Tver. One woman’s body was found in the boot of a car.
The suspect is an electrician who, reports say, turned up at a party uninvited and got into a drunken rage. Read more
Fox News distances itself from Farage and Hopkins internment demands
Fox News distances itself from Farage and Hopkins internment demands Nigel Farage nd Katy Hopkins made the comments on Fox News. Picture: TSPL KARL MCDONALD 12:2012:21Monday 05 June 2017 0 HAVE YOUR SAY The duo, who are regularly contributors to the right-wing US network Fox News, discussed internment camps. Fox News, the right-wing US cable news channel, has apologised to its audience after Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins discussed internment camps for Muslims in Britain. The former Ukip leader said calls for such a drastic move would grow unless the government takes “genuine action” to shut down the terror threat, but Hopkins went further, actually saying, “we do need internment camps”. Read more
Wonder Woman’s female director conquers box office
Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman took $100.5m (£78.09m) at the US/Canada box office this weekend – the biggest domestic debut for a female director.
Jenkins beat the previous record set by Sam Taylor-Johnson for Fifty Shades of Grey, which opened with $85.1m in 2015.
Wonder Woman, starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, has received largely positive reviews from film critics. Read more
US diplomat makes mansaf in real Jordanian fashion
Departing Jordan, the US Cultural Attache took Karaki jameed (hardened yogurt) back to his home state of Utah and made mansaf, Jordan’s national dish, with four generations of his family, from his grandmother down to her great grandson Read more
