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Lifeline For Siasia As CAS Reduces Life Ban To Five Years

By
Emenike Agu
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Former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia’s life-ban from football for bribery has been reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

He was initially sanctioned in 2019 by FIFA for agreeing to “receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.”

The former Super Eagles’ player and later coach appealed against the ban with football’s governing body and Cas as he denied the charges against him.

CAS “determined the imposition of a life ban to be disproportionate for a first offence which was committed passively and which had not had an adverse or immediate effect on football stakeholders, and that a five-year ban would still achieve the envisaged aim of punishing the infringement committed by Mr Siasia.”

The ban has been backdated to start on 16 August 2019 as the court explained the background to the case.

“In 2010, a match fixer tried to involve Mr Siasia as a coach of a club under his strict instructions,” CAS noted.

 “With the promise of employment benefits, Mr Siasia would have had to always field several players under the control of the match fixer.

“The negotiations between the match fixer and Mr Siasia in relation to the conditions of employment were conducted by email over a period of two months.

“Eventually, the club did not accept or could not afford Mr Siasia’s requests and the negotiations ended.”

The court also cancelled a fine of CHF 50,000 (US$50,000) that had also been part of the sanctions imposed by FIFA.

“(CAS) acknowledged the need for sanctions to be sufficiently high enough to eradicate bribery and especially match-fixing in football.

“However, the Panel considered in the particular circumstances of this matter that it would be inappropriate and excessive to impose a financial sanction in addition to the five-year ban, since the ban sanction already incorporated a financial punishment in eliminating football as a source of revenue for Mr Siasia.

“And considering that Mr Siasia had not obtained any gain or pecuniary benefit from his unethical behaviour.”

A former international, Siasia won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and played in their maiden World Cup appearance later that same year. He played over 50 times for his country while scoring 16 goals.

As a coach he led his country’s under-20 and under-23 sides to continental success in 2005 and 2015 respectively.

He also guided the under-20’s to a runners-up finish at the 2005 World Youth Championships (as it was known at the time) in the Netherlands.

Siasia is the most decorated African football coach at the Olympics, winning silver at the Beijing Games in 2008 and bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio.

Russian Strongman Sets World Record Moving Ferris Wheel

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

A Russian strongman has literally put his shoulder to the wheel and set a new world record, spinning a giant Ferris wheel in the Moscow region’s Natashinsky park.

According to the regional authorities, “The strongest man of Kuzbass” Valery Ostapenko spun a 41 meters tall Ferris wheel weighing 141 tons at a distance of one meter 90 centimeters in one minute and 45 seconds.

The certificate was awarded to him by Vasily Grishchenko, President of the Russian Power Extreme Federation.

The champion prepared for the achievement under the supervision of Sergey Agadzhanyan, the author of several world records nicknamed “Russian Hulk”.

As the demonstration of power was complete, Ostapenko told the media he was happy, as he achieved what he wanted.

Tourists Return To Paris

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

Some of the first tourists of the season enjoyed a trip on the River Seine after a year and a half of travel bans and restrictions.

The flow of tourists to Paris, many of them from Asia and the United States, dried up almost completely last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and governments around the world imposed travel restrictions.

With infection rates falling, France is gradually easing curbs. A mandate requiring people to wear masks outdoors has been dropped, and an 11:00 p.m. curfew was rescinded at the weekend.

That has brought some tourists back, though still in numbers well short of pre-pandemic levels.

“I have bought tickets two months ago because I was so optimistic that it will come true. And it did,” said Olimpia Baranska-Maluszek, a tourist from Poland. “I am so happy. I am glad I am optimistic, you know.”

Bollywood Stars Plant Trees In Mumbai

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

Bollywood celebrities participated in a tree plantation drive in India’s western Mumbai city to promote tree conservation and greenery.

Bollywood actor, Ajay Devgn accompanied by his son planted trees at, “Mega Vriksha (tree) Campaign” of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), where he raised awareness about the conservation of the environment.

Indian Filmmaker, Ashoke Pandit who was accompanied by renowned musician Bappi Lahiri were also seen planting trees at another plantation drive.

India is aiming to increase its forest area and green cover to a third of its total land area by 2030, up from about a quarter, as part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions and meet pledges made under the Paris climate accord.

U.N. Experts Inspect Major Sri Lanka Chemical Spill

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

Experts from the United Nations Environment Program met with Sri Lanka officials to address the environmental damage, weeks after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast, in what is already the country’s worst ever man-made environmental disaster.

It was the country’s worst ever man-made environmental disaster.

And now experts from the United Nations Environment Program have met with Sri Lankan officials to address the environmental damage, including any connection to the graphic images of dead wildlife on its shores.

The Singapore-registered cargo ship that sank off the country’s west coast in June was carrying almost 1,500 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid along with other chemicals.

Fire erupted after an explosion on May 20th.

Sir Lanka’s state minister for coast conservation says U.N. experts addressed the flaming containers filled with billions of plastic pellets that tumbled into the sea.

“The second point they stressed is that most of the plastic pellets from 87 containers have washed ashore. They said this is the largest contamination of beaches with plastic pellets in the world. a couple of similar incidents have happened in other parts of the world but they were minor compared to this. Of the 87 containers, part of it may have been destroyed in the fire, part may have been thrown into the ocean, some may have sunk to the sea bed and the rest were washed ashore. Their opinion is that what ended up on the beach is about 40% of the total amount of plastic pellets from the ship.”

Footage from local media shows dead turtles and carcasses of other marine animals washed up ashore on a beach in Colombo.

The minister says an investigation was ongoing to find out whether the dead turtles and fish are connected to the pollution caused by the X-Press Pearl ship.

The U.N. experts say most of the chemicals onboard the ship had been burnt in the fire and evaporated into the air.

INEC introduces portal for voters e-registration

By
Henry Williams
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0

The Independent National Electoral Commission, in its bid to resume the Continuous Voter Education next week, has introduced an online portal for registration.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, disclosed on Monday this while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

In an statement released on Tuesday titled “Continuous Voter Registration: Media professionals, INEC agree to sensitise citizens,” the Chairman said that the online registration will help to reduce the burden of long queues during CVR.

Yakubu said, “In the next one week, Monday 28th June 2021, the Commission will resume the Continuous Voter Registration nationwide.

“In doing so, the Commission is introducing a portal to enable eligible Nigerians to commence registration as voters online before completing the exercise physically at designated centres nationwide”.

“This is the first time a major exercise of this nature is handled partially online, consistent with the Commission’s commitment to continue to deepen the use of technology in the electoral process in Nigeria

“Just like the expansion of voter access to Polling Units, the Commission appeals to the media for support so that this novel idea will also be successful.”

Several vehicles burnt as tanker explode on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

By
Henry Williams
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0

Several vehicles went up in flames as a tanker exploded on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday morning.

It was gathered that the fire incident happened around 6.20 am at the Romona trailer park in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

Ahmed Umar, the Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said the state Fire Service was attending to the fire at the moment.

Umar said, “The command got a report about a burning tanker around Romona trailer park Ogere. The fire is serious and as such, the number of vehicles involved cannot be ascertained yet.

“The Ogun State Fire Service was contacted and FRSC operatives are on the ground managing the traffic situation. The firefighters have arrived at the scene.”

National Assembly roof leaking

By
Henry Williams
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0

Morning downpour on Tuesday led to the leaking of the National Assembly roof with water splashing to the lobby of the federal parliament.

The leaking roof also spread to the Press Centre in the Senate wing of the nation’s apex legislative institution.

The leadership of the National Assembly had in 2020 approved N37bn for the renovation of the edifice, built about 27 years ago.

Cleaners had a hectic time scooping water from the floor while the development delayed the sitting of the senators who resumed on Tuesday after a one-week break to mark the end of their second legislative year.

President Biden Extends Sanctions On North Korea By One Year

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

For the first time since taking office, U.S. President Joe Biden has extended sanctions on North Korea.

In a presidential notice, President Biden said that he will sign an executive order extending sanctions for one more year, with the current order set to expire on Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the third-day sitting of the 3rd Plenary Meeting of 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea in this image released June 17, 2021 by the country’s Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS

In a presidential notice to the Congress, Biden wrote that “the existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

Had it not been extended, the more than a decade-long order was to expire on June 26th.

The presidential notice mentions a total of six executive orders… geared toward financially and economically isolating the regime through measures such as import restrictions.

It is the first time Biden has extended sanctions against North Korea since taking office as president in January.

The action comes during U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim’s visit to South Korea where he’s been discussing with South Korean and Japanese officials on ways to make progress toward the complete denuclearization and establishment of lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.

Biden’s sanction extensions are being interpreted as a sign that the U.S. will not appease Pyeongyang to try to bring Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table.

13% Derivation: Court Orders AGF Malami To Pay Bayelsa Govt N390.79bn

By
Henry Williams
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0

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) to facilitate the payment of a whooping 951 million dollars (about N390.79bn) to the Bayelsa State Government on behalf of the federal government.

The amount is the 13 percent derivative sum due as arrears of revenue and payable to the Bayelsa government.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, who delivered the judgment, held that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the sole defendant in the case, failed to enter his defense in the suit.

Justice Ekwo ruled that the development made the court declare the plaintiff’s case “unchanged.”

Ken Njemanze, SAN, filed the suit on behalf of the Bayelsa government.

The plaintiff, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/175/2012 and filed on Feb. 12, urged the court to compel the AGF to pay five percent of $50 billion recovered as additional revenue that accrued to the Nigerian government.

The judge noted that where a person issues s letter of demand on another person upon outstanding facts, the person for whom the demand notice was issued must take steps to react to same.

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