Author: straightnewsng.com

In an unpredictable manner, Olivier Giroud’s spectacular overhead kick gave Chelsea an outstanding victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 first leg in Bucharest. Though the linesman’s flag was instantly raised, the ball had deflected off Mario Hermoso rather than Mason Mount, which was spotted by VAR, and after three minutes of deliberation the goal was awarded. Giroud’s overhead kick – awarded by VAR – handed Chelsea a vital 1-0 away win against Atletico Madrid, putting Thomas Tuchel’s men in control of the last-16 tie. La Liga leaders Atletico were forced to play their home leg over…

The US surpassed the figure of 500,000 Covid-related deaths, the highest number of any country. Globally, Brazil follows with a death toll of 247,000; Mexico is 180,000, India and United Kingdom stand at 156,000 and 121,000 respectively. So far, the 28.1 million confirmed US infections is nearly double that of second-highest India (11 million) and Brazil (10.1 million), according to Johns Hopkins University research. But the US ranks ninth in terms of deaths per 100,000 population, behind countries like the UK and Italy. At least 90,000 more Americans are expected to have died with the virus by 1 June, an Institute…

Renowned Islamic Cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has unmasked the worsening security virus afflicting Nigeria. He has doused the security tension by describing what is ongoing in the country as ethnic war, waged by Fulani nomad over threat to his existence. Gumi, speaking on a Channels Television programme aired on Monday evening, said bandits either go on a killing spree as revenge for the killing of their kinsmen or kidnap to get money. In what he described as ethnic revenge, he said bandits usually attack persons and villages when they had discovered that a nomadic man was killed by people of…

Senator Rochas Okorocha is blowing over he sees as ‘witch-hunting’ in the hands of his successor, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State. Okorocha representing Imo West in the Nigerian Senate and some of the state government officials clashed for unsealing Royal Palm Hotel and Apartment owned by his wife, Nkechi, that was sealed by the state government. The immediate past Imo Governor was arrested by the state police command on the order of the state government but released later after intervention by South East Governors’ Forum and Ohanaeze. Yet, his 14 aides were not spared as they were paraded at Imo Magistrate Court…

The UK’s jobless rate climbed to 5.1% in the three months to December, figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown.   The rate is the highest for almost five years.   The figures show 726,000 fewer people are currently in payrolled employment than before the start of the pandemic.   BBC NEWS reports that almost three-fifths of this fall, 425,000, were younger than 25 years.   The ONS said 1.74 million people were unemployed in the October to December period, up 454,000 from the same quarter in 2019.   However, the UK’s statistics body said that there were…

Six Nigerian entrepreneurs have joined their counterparts across the continent to compete for the coveted 2021 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The prize, which was first launched in 2014, celebrates innovative engineers across Africa. The chosen Nigerians are Elohor Thomas, Faith Adesemowo; Jacob Azundah; Olugbenga Olufemi Olubanjo; Taofeek Olalekan; and Yusuf Bilesanmi. The entrepreneurs selected from other African countries are Armelle Sidje (Cameroon); Indira Tsengiwe (South Africa); Marie Ndieguene (Senegal); Eyram Amedzor (Ghana); Noël N’guessan (Côte d’Ivoire). Others are: Juka Fatou Darboe (The Gambia); Atish Shah (Tanzania); Pazion Cherinet (Ethiopia); George Boateng (Ghana); and Tshepo Mangoele (South Africa). Emma Wade…

The Federal Government and Siemens have signed a contract for the pre-engineering phase of the Presidential Power Initiative that seeks to generate 25,000 megawatts electricity for six years in the country. Our correspondent gathered that the award letters were signed last Thursday by Siemens Energy Nigeria and FGN Power Company, a special purpose vehicle created by the Federal Government for the project. The Federal Government and Siemens AG had in July 2019 signed a Letter of Agreement on the Nigerian Electrification Roadmap, now Presidential Power Initiative, with the aim of ramping up electricity generation in the country. The Federal Executive…

National Bureau of Statistics says that Nigerian real estate sector grew by 9.15 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020. NBS stated in its Gross Domestic Product report for Q4 that the sector contracted by 3.55 per cent in the full year 2020. The report reads, “In nominal terms, real estate services in the fourth quarter of 2020 grew by 9.15 per cent, or 6.64 per cent points higher than the growth rate reported for the same period in 2019 and 17.21 per cent points when compared to the preceding quarter. “Quarter-on-quarter, the sector growth rate was 27.34 per…

The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (Worldwide), Dr Daniel Olukoya, has won defamation suit against a United Kingdom-based blogger for libelous publications. Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has awarded N500 million damages against Maureen Badejo for libelous publications against Olukoya and the church. The court also granted “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by herself, her agents, servants, privies or other persons howsoever called or described from further making, publishing and/or disseminating defamatory stories and statements about the claimants or any one of them.” Justice Abiodun Akinyemi described the report as the worst case of…

Two policemen  were allegedly felled by the bullets of unknown gunmen at Ikpe Annang junction in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The incident, Straightnews gathered, occurred in the early hours of Monday, February 22. The suspected hoodlums also set ablaze a Hilux vehicle used by the deceased police officers, that belonged to Quick Response Squad attached to the Essien Udim Police Division and was usually stationed at Ikpe Annang Junction. An unidentified police inspector was said to have been burnt beyond recognition. However, it could not be ascertained if the gunmen shot and killed the police…