Once Upon A Time – June 5 – 1876 – Bananas Become Popular In US, At The Centennial Exposition In Philadelphia

By

Angel Gimalo

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June 5, 2023

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1873 Sultan Bargash bin Said under British pressure closes the infamous slave market of Zanzibar in modern day Tanzania

1947 US Secretary of State George Marshall outlines the “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Western Europe

1963 State of siege proclaimed in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini arrested

1967 Six-Day War begins between Israel and the neighboring Arab states of Egypt, Jordan and Syria

1968 Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan assassinates Robert F. Kennedy, shooting him 3 times and wounding 5 others at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Kennedy dies the next day.

1981 AIDS Epidemic officially begins when US Centers for Disease Control reports on pneumonia affecting five homosexual men in Los Angeles

1981 World’s first today in history program with editable data “TODAY”, invented by Michael Butler runs for the first time on a mainframe computer

1984 Indira Gandhi orders an attack on Sikh’s holiest site, the Golden Temple in Amritsar

Historical Events Today Events in 2023

Today in Film & TV

1987 “Nightline” presents its 1st “Town Meeting” the subject is AIDS and the show runs until 3:47 AM

Today in Music

1945 Benjamin Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes” premieres in London

Today in Sport

1985 Steve Cauthen wins aboard Slip Anchor at Epsom Downs to become the only jockey to win both the Kentucky Derby (1978) and The Derby

1988 Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its 1,000th anniversary

1876 Bananas become popular in US, at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia

Famous Weddings

1856 American industrialist and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt (41) weds American philanthropist Elizabeth Hart Jarvis (29) at Christ Episcopal Church in Middleton, Connecticut, until his death in 1862

1930 Actress Agnes Moorehead (29) weds actor Jack G. Lee (28)

1941 NBA coach Red Auerbach (23) weds Dorothy Lewis

Mobile Subscriptions Shrink By Three Million

By

faith Jegede

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June 5, 2023

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Nigeria’s mobile subscriptions dropped by 3.49 million subscriptions in the last three months, leaving a dent in the country’s march toward mobile inclusion for all.

Since mobile subscriptions hit an all-time high of 226.84 million in February of this year, it has been on a steady decline.

It first fell to 225.82 million in March, before slumping further to 223.34 million, according to new industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission. This is also the first time since June 2021 that mobile subscriptions have fallen consistently.

In 2020 and 2021, a Federal Government policy to link SIMs to National Identification Numbers affected the mobile industry and caused a steep decline in mobile subscriptions. Since then, subscriptions have improved, and risen to record highs.

MTN Nigeria is the only telecommunication firm to have lost mobile subscriptions in the period under review, losing 4.03 million (from 92.71 million to 88.68 million), while retaining its spot as the largest mobile network operator in the country.

Other telcos had better fortunes, with Globacom marginally growing by 172,867 from 60.76 million to 60.93 million; Airtel added 31,705 new subscriptions and grew from 60.30 million to 60.33 million; and 9mobile witnessed the largest growth, adding 330,003 new subscriptions to hit 13.40 million from 13.07 million in the period under review.

Within the three months, teledensity (the number of active telephone connections per one hundred (100) inhabitants living within an area) fell to 117.17 per cent in April from 119.01 per cent in February.

In MTN’s first quarter report, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, noted that global macroeconomic factors, inflation, and cash shortages, among others, were affecting its consumers.

He said, “We continued to experience headwinds in our operating environment in the first quarter of 2023. The impacts of the ongoing global macroeconomic and geopolitical developments on energy, food, and general inflation were exacerbated locally by petrol and cash shortages experienced during the period. This placed additional pressure on economic activity, consumers, and businesses.”

Nigeria’s mobile population is the largest in Africa and the prior steady growth in the number of mobile subscriptions had been attributed to increased productivity and efficiency in other sectors.

Workers in Shipping Companies Begin Indefinite Strike

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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June 5, 2023

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As directed by the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, employees of shipping companies in all ports formations today began an indefinite strike over poor wages and alleged dehumanizing working conditions.

The industrial action is also taking place across all dry ports, jetties, terminals among others.

It was gathered that Dockworkers, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, workers and Seamen/Nigerian Inland Water Ways, NIWA and Water Transportation employees would join from tomorrow in solidarity, should the shipping companies fail to address the workers’ grievances.

This came as the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, summoned a stakeholders’ meeting today in a desperate attempt to resolve the matter and ensure that the industrial crisis does not lead to a total shutdown of the nation’s ports.Subsidy: NLC to Begin Nationwide Strike WednesdaySubsidy: NLC to Begin Nationwide Strike WednesdaySubsidy: NLC to Begin Nationwide Strike Wednesday

The stakeholders’ meeting holding at the NSC premises, is slated for 8.30 am.Plateau Workers Begin Indefinite Strike

At the strategic meeting of leaders of MWUN and officials of the Shipping branch of MWUN including plant officials of each shipping company weekend, it was agreed that irrespective of the meeting called by NSC, operations of all shipping companies must be shut from today until further notice.

Recall that at a briefing Thursday in Lagos, President General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju explained that the strike was due to poor remuneration of workers and the refusal of shipping companies operating in Nigeria to agree on a minimum standards for working conditions and remuneration of staff.

Adeyanju lamented that the NSC seemed to have totally lost its control and regulatory powers over the shipping companies who have refused to obey the federal government interventions on the matter.

According to him, the matter had been dragging for the past six years, and the shipping companies have refused to implement a minimum standard for shipping companies’ workers.

According to him, “The former Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo had directed the NSC to midwife the process between MWUN and Shipping Association of Nigeria SAN.?

There had been meetings upon meetings at the instance of the Executive Secretary of the NSC,but the attitude of the SAN is nothing to write home about.

“Wednesday, we were at the meeting and it did not go well. This is an embarrassment to us and even the Ministry of Transportation who initiated the meeting. As it is, the remuneration in the Shipping sector is like a death sentence, the SAN are running away from its responsibility.

“This matter is not new to all the stakeholders, ultimatums had been given and they tried to talk us out of it. Because of the sensitivity of the ports, we always weigh the options. But the way it is now, there is no way we are going to continue issuing ultimatums.

“The former Minister did not make a mistake by asking the Shippers Council as an economic regulator to midwife this negotiation process. It is the the nonchalant attitude of SAN that is making us take this step.”

Heat Roar Back in Game 2, tie Nuggets in NBA Finals

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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Gabe Vincent,Christian Braun — Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent (2) shoots a 3-point basket over Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, right, during the second half of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Staring down a 2-0 deficit in the NBA Finals, as the visitors in a hostile arena where no road team had prevailed in more than two months, the Miami Heat decided to do what they’ve done throughout the postseason.

They found a way. Against all odds. Again.

The Heat tied the NBA Finals and had to overcome a monster 41-point effort from Nikola Jokic to do it. Gabe Vincent scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 21 and Heat beat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday night.

“Our guys are competitors,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They love these kind of moments.”

Denver lost at home for the first time since March 30, and for the first time in 10 home playoff games this year. And just as he did after a Game 1 win, Nuggets coach Michael Malone sounded the alarm after a Game 2 loss.

“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well. … This is not the preseason. This is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals.”

Murray had 18 points and 10 assists for Denver, while Aaron Gordon had 12 points and Bruce Brown scored 11.

2023 Annual Africa Construction Law Conference Holds In Lagos

By

Angel Gimalo

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June 5, 2023

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The 2023 annual Africa Construction Law (ACL) Conference, scheduled for 5 and 6 June 2023, is a gathering of practitioners working in the infrastructure and energy space across Africa.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Construction Law in Africa: Navigating Turbulent Times.”

The conference is holding in-person in Lagos, Nigeria and will see a confluence of construction law professionals experienced in African projects interrogate trends in construction law and infrastructure across English-speaking, Francophone and Lusophone African jurisdictions.

The 2023 edition builds on the success of previous editions which attracted a high level of interest, globally.

In particular, the 2022 edition had delegates attend in-person from various jurisdictions including London, Paris, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Senegal Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Cameroon and Angola. Delegates at the conference represented a cross-section comprising of contractors, employers, developers, banks and finance institutions, government institutions, law firms, Chambers and expert consultancies.

The conference is supported by leading law firms, expert consultancies, academic institutions, arbitral institutions, and other professional bodies from the continent and beyond.

The speaker line-up includes some of the most prominent legal and technical professionals in the field and will present networking opportunities with stakeholders from across the continent with sponsors exhibition stands permitting direct engagement with delegates.

The conference features full plenary sessions over two days, covering current trends and developments in construction law and the infrastructural challenges faced across English-speaking, Francophone and Lusophone African jurisdictions.

The agenda explores a wide range of issues, covering the full financing, contracting and dispute resolution spectrum.

The schedule includes sessions on the legal frameworks and standards in construction law and dispute resolution in Africa; mitigating the adverse effects of currency fluctuation, inflation, supply chain disruption and taxation on contracts and projects in Africa; alternative dispute resolution mechanism in the construction sector in Africa; capacity building and professional development in construction law and dispute resolution in Africa; managing construction claims or disputes in Africa.

The agenda also features perspectives and experiences from in-house practitioners and their insights on emerging issues including the management of disputes arising out of African construction and infrastructure projects.

Serie A: Osimhen Reacts After Becoming First African To Scoop Golden Boot

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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Victor Osimhen has won the Serie A Golden Boot for scoring the highest number of goals in the 2022/23 campaign. The feat makes him the first African to scoop the prize.

The Napoli star scored 26 goals in 32 matches, edging his closest rival Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez to land the highly coveted “Capocannoniere” prize.

Osimhen had already scored 25 goals before Napoli’s Sunday game against Sampdoria. He then scored from the spot to add one more strike to his tally as his club won 2-0.

“This season has been brilliant for me, for my teammates, and for Napoli. We deserved this,” Osimhen told DAZN before discussing whether he might leave in a big-money summer move.

“I don’t know, the president has to decide that. I love the people of Napoli, they have shown me so much love. For me, I don’t mind, the president decides and I will just go with the flow.”

The Nigerian’s goals were instrumental as the club clinched their first league title in 33 years and their third overall.

Earlier, the Super Eagle scooped the Best Striker award for the season for his efforts.

Sunday’s award comes after years of attempts by Africans to win the prize. While the continent’s only Ballon d’Or winner George Weah played in Italy, he could not win it.

Osimhen’s compatriot Simy Nwankwo challenged for the Capocannoniere in the 2020/21 campaign. He scored 20 league goals for Crotone but finished nine strikes behind eventual winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto’s appeared to be the closest to landing the gong in the 2010/2011 season.

He netted 21 league goals which were five shy of Napoli’s Edinson Cavani’s strikes and 7 behind the winner Antonio Di Natale of Udinese who scored 28 goals.

ITTF Rankings: Quadri Drops to 16th, Mati progresses

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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Following unsuccessful outings in recent table tennis competitions, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has dropped four spots in the latest world rankings for the month of May.

Though the 34-year-old maintains top spot in Africa, he dropped from 12th position to 16th in the latest ranking, which was released on Wednesday after he accumulated only 395 points during the month under review.

The 2022 African champion recorded 350 points at the 2023 ittf-africa cup, in Nairobi Kenya and earned 45 points at the ITTF world table tennis championships in Durban, South Africa where he failed to reach the quarter-finals.

His compatriot, Taiwo Mati, moved up 16 places from 91st position to 75th – the highest ever in the 19-year-old’s fledging career.

He recorded 180 points in the month under review.

Mati earned 90 points for reaching the quarter-finals of the ITTF world table tennis championships in Durban as well as the same points at the 2023 ITTF-Africa cup, Nairobi, Kenya where he reached the round of 32.

NFF Admits Failure to Pay Coaches

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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The Nigeria football federation says delays in paying several of its national team coaches are “nothing to be proud of”.

Some of the missing salary payments date back over a year and those affected include José Peseiro, head coach of the men’s senior side, and Ladan Bosso who is currently leading the male under-20 team at the world cup in Argentina where they have reached the second round. It is understood Bosso has only received three months’ salary in the past 15 months.

Meanwhile, with the women’s world cup in Australia and New Zealand less than two months away, super falcons coach randy Waldrum is owed more than $100,000, including bonuses from last year’s women’s Africa cup of nations.

“The NFF has been facing huge financial challenges and there is an ongoing effort to resolve all the issues relating to unpaid wages,” Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s director of communications, told newsmen.

It is unfortunately not something to be proud of and the new board of the federation is working hard to resolve the problems.”

Ibrahim Gusau, who replaced former NFF president Amaju Pinnick in September, inherited some of the debts from his predecessor and has been appealing to players and officials for patience, meaning the coaches are yet to make an official complaint.

Djokovic & Alcaraz through at Roland Garros

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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Novak Djokovic demonstrated his superior quality to swat aside Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas and reach a record 17th French open men’s quarter-final.

The Serbian third seed, 36, won 6-3 6-2 6-2 on the Roland Garros clay and moved ahead of Rafael Nadal to take sole ownership of the last-eight record.

Djokovic is also aiming to overtake Nadal by winning a record 23rd grand slam men’s singles title.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz also advanced by beating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.

Spain’s Alcaraz, seen as Djokovic’s main rival for the title in the absence of injured 14-time champion Nadal, won 6-3 6-2 6-2 against the 17th seed later on Sunday.

Djokovic and Alcaraz remain on course to meet in the semi-finals.

On taking sole ownership of the quarter-final record, Djokovic said: “I’m proud of it, but my attention is already in the next match.

“I know what my goal is here. I’m trying to stay mentally the course and of course not look too far [ahead].”

Two-time champion Djokovic, who won in 2016 and 2021, will play Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov next.

Khachanov, reached his third successive grand slam quarter-final with a 1-6 6-4 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 victory over unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego.

World number one Alcaraz, will meet fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas next after the Greek beat Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-5 6-3 6-0.

Real Madrid, Benzema Part Ways

By

Emenike Agu

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June 5, 2023

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According to reports, French footballer, Karim Benzema has left real Madrid.

Official statement confirms the player and the club’s decision to part ways after 14 years

The 35-year-old forward agreed a deal to end his glittering era at the club, the Spanish side said on Sunday.

He has also been heavily linked this week with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

Real Madrid and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to put an end to his brilliant and unforgettable era as a player at our club,” said Los Blancos in a statement.

“Madrid wants to show their gratitude and all their love to someone who is one of our greatest legends.”

The announcement comes after Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had said Saturday there was “no doubt” about Benzema’s future at Madrid, noting the forward had one more year left on his contract.

Madrid confirmed Saturday that Eden hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz are all leaving this summer too, leaving plenty of space for new acquisitions in attack.

Ancelotti avoided talking on Saturday about Madrid’s alleged interest in England and Tottenham striker harry Kane.