La Liga can resume week of June 8 – Spanish Prime Minister

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday that La Liga can resume from its coronavirus lockdown on the week of June 8.

“The resumption of major professional sporting competitions and in particular La Liga will be allowed from the week of June 8,” Sanchez told a press conference.

More than two months after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season in Spain, players have begun training in small groups as they aim to be as ready as possible for the planned reboot next month.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has said the preferred date for games to resume is Friday, June 12 and Sanchez’s announcement means that plan has been given the green light from the government.

Clubs have 11 games left to play to finish the season, with the proposed final round to be completed by the end of July.

A compressed calendar would mean teams playing matches both in midweek and at weekends while fixtures will be held behind closed doors, with only 197 people allowed to attend, according to a protocol prepared by La Liga.

Players will also undergo tests for coronavirus the day before games and will have their temperatures taken before being allowed to enter stadiums.

La Liga’s staggered training programme meant players began working individually at training grounds on May 4 and were able to expand into groups of up to 10 players this week.

The top flight was first suspended on March 12 after Real Madrid went into quarantine on the same day following the positive test of one of the club’s basketball players.

But Tebas has been adamant the league must restart, having estimated that a cancellation of the season would cost clubs around one billion euros ($1.09 billion).

France’s Ligue 1 has been cut short, with Paris Saint-Germain declared champions, while the Bundesliga in Germany became the first major European league to resume behind closed doors last weekend.

Source: Guardian

World Bank to Decide Nigeria’s $1.5bn Loan July, Says Country Rep

The World Bank expects to make a decision in late July on a $1.5 billion loan to support Nigeria as it fights the novel Coronavirus, the Bank’s country director was quoted to have said in an interview.

The World Bank is working on packages that could provide more than $3 billion to Africa’s largest economy, which is facing what the lender says may be its greatest fiscal crisis in 40 years, set off by the Coronavirus pandemic and resulting oil price crash.

“We were hoping to present to our board by late July or latest early August, because the government will need the finance,” Shubham Chaudhuri, says its Nigeria country director.

“The immediate challenge is a fiscal one: How does the government marshal the fiscal resources to keep basic government functions going?” Chaudhuri said.

On Thursday, Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed said the economy could shrink as much as 8.9% in 2020.

The World Bank expects Nigeria’s economy to shrink by between 3.2% and 8% in 2020, and government oil revenues could fall by a third or possibly more than half, said Chaudhuri.

The Bank’s lead economist on Nigeria, Marco Hernandez, said even if the outbreak were contained, the situation was “unprecedented, shocking.”

Nigeria’s 2016 recession sent 13 million people into unemployment; this crisis might be “much more pronounced,” Hernandez said. World Bank loans like the $1.5 billion often have conditions attached to them – reforms that governments must enact to secure the money.

Chaudhuri and Hernandez declined to comment on any conditions for the loan, including contentious subsidies for fuel, electricity and propping up the naira currency that cost Nigeria billions of dollars a year.

“We have been recommending a move towards a unified exchange rate and a more flexible exchange rate for some time,” said Hernandez, adding that it would help the recovery and boost investor confidence.

Source: This day

Nigerian Fed.Govt. declares Monday, Tuesday Public Holiday

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Monday and Tuesday as public holidays to mark Eldi Fitri Celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in Abuja.

Aregbesola congratulated all Muslim faithful for successful completion of the Ramadan fast.

A statement by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mohammed Manga, quoted Aregbesola as calling on Muslim faithful to replicate the life of kindness, love, tolerance, peace and good neighbourliness as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

The Minister however expressed his concern about the spate of ethnic conflicts that has resurfaced in some parts of Northern Nigeria in recent times.

Source: Nation

Immigration queries sexy female officers for #BopDaddyChallenge

Some female officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) may have got themselves into trouble by partaking in the viral #BopDaddyChallenge.

The five ladies had appeared in the video challenge which involves appearing in two shots with different attires while Falz’s new hot single, Bop Daddy plays in the background. All the ladies first appeared in their official uniforms and removed their berets before transforming into new evening dresses.

But a statement signed by Iam Haliru, Assistant Comptroller General of the NIS, said that the ladies’ action brought a “lot of embarrassment” to the service.

“The attention of the Comptroller General has been drawn to a video clip trending on the social media in recent times which revealed a rather disturbing and embarrassing display of indecent flaunting of your bodies, desecration of service uniform/beret and the use of inappropriate language, thereby sabotaging the values upheld by the service.

“To state the obvious, your act has caused a lot of embarrassment to the NIS and in line with our standard as a paramilitary organisation, is considered scandalous and an act unbecoming of an officer and therefore a violation of PSR 030401 and 030402. This is a serious misconduct liable to dismissal from service.



“In view of the foregoing, therefore, you are requested to make a representation, if any, within 72 hours on receipt of this letter why disciplinary action should not be taken against you,” the statement read in part.

Corona virus: Reporter challenges Trump over Cuomo praise clip

The US president has raised eyebrows at a White House press briefing by playing a carefully chosen clip of one his most outspoken critics.
In the video footage, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo praised the US federal government's response to the coronavirus outbreak – in contrast to the recent exchange of criticism between him and Donald Trump.
A CNN reporter asked if the clip was appropriate given the US had reached the "grim milestone" of 40,000 deaths.

Aso Villa Journalists must self isolate

The Presidency has asked all Journalists who attended the burial of late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari to self-isolate for 14 days.

Abba Kyari who died in a Lagos hospital from COVID-19 complications was laid to rest at Gudu cemetery in Abuja on Saturday, April 18 in the presence of friends and family.

The social distancing rule was violated with the throng that showed up at the burial.

However, Attah Esa, Deputy Director of Information in the State House in a statement issued a directive that all Press officers who covered the burial of the late CoS  should undergo self-isolation as a precautionary measure to curtail the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The statement reads: “As a precautionary measure, all State House Correspondents and Media Office Staff who covered/attended the funeral prayer/burial ceremony of the late Chief of Staff, at Defence House and Gudu Cemetery Abuja, respectively, are strongly advised to work from home for the next 14 days.


“Please be careful to observe the recommended measures to prevent coronavirus transmission, including maintaining physical distancing and good personal hygiene going forward.”

This is coming after Presidential Aide Garba Shehu told pressmen to distance themselves from Aso Rock after they were refused entry into the presidential office building.

Source: Herald

Nigeria records 86 new cases of corona virus

Eighty-Six new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed this on its verified twitter handle on Sunday night.

It said 70 of the new cases are in Lagos, seven in FCT, three in Katsina, three in Akwa Ibom, while Jigawa, Bauchi and Borno States have one each.

The total confirmed cases in Nigeria are now 627 with 21 deaths.

 Sc: Nation