English National Opera Names Five Cities On Relocation Shortlist

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May 9, 2023

The English National Opera has narrowed down its search for a new home to five cities, after being forced to move its headquarters out of London.

The opera company has been told by Arts Council England to relocate from the capital or lose its public funding.

Birmingham, Bristol, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Nottingham are on the shortlist.

“All the cities have brilliant stuff going for them,” ENO chief executive Stuart Murphy said in an interview.

“But there’ll be different versions of the ENO depending on which city we go to.”

In November, the ENO was told to move its HQ from London after the Arts Council was instructed by the government to spread more money beyond the capital.

The Arts Council suggested Manchester, the biggest city in Europe without a resident opera company, as a possible destination.

Once Upon A Time – May 8 – 1660 – English Parliament Proclaims Charles II, King Of England

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Angel Gimalo

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May 8, 2023

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1660 English Parliament proclaims Charles II, King of England and invites him to return

1835 1st installment of Hans Christian Andersen “Fairy Tales” published by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark

1895 China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki

1902 Mount Pelée on the French overseas island of Martinique erupts, wiping out the city of Saint-Pierre, killing 30,000 and leaving only two survivors
German commander Wilhelm Keitel signs the final unconditional surrender of Germany in the ruins of Berlin
Nazi Germany Surrenders

1945 V-E Day: World War II ends in Europe after Germany signs an unconditional surrender

1980 World Health Organization announces smallpox has been eradicated

2007 A new Northern Ireland Executive is formed with Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party) as First Minister and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) as Deputy First Minister

Historical Events Today Events in 2023
Today in Film & TV
1958 Classic Hammer horror film “Dracula” film starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire alongside Peter Cushing, directed by Terence Fisher released

Today in Music
1979 The Cure release their debut album “Three Imaginary Boys” (Boys Don’t Cry in US, Australia)

Today in Sport
1984 The Soviet Union announces it will not participate in Los Angeles Summer Olympics in retaliation for the American boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics

1886 Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta sells the first Coca-Cola (contained cocaine)

1993 16 year old Keron Thomas disguises himself as a motorman & takes NYC subway train and 2,000 passengers on a 3 hour ride

Famous Weddings
1783 American seamstress Betsy Ross (31) weds (for the 3rd time) John Claypoole at Christ Church

1910 Film producer Samuel Goldwyn (27) weds first wife Blanche Lasky

1959 Aspiring American actress Raquel Tejada (18) weds high school sweetheart James Wels; divorce in 1964 – she keeps his name (Raquel Welch)

Aisha Buhari Calls for Strategic Support for Women, Children

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 8, 2023

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Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari has said all hands must be on deck to ensure that the crisis in Sudan is not allowed to escalate beyond what it is.

She revealed this today while presiding over the 10th General Assembly of the Africa First Ladies Peace Mission at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Recall that the 9th assembly of the mission held in November 2021 appraised the conflict situation in Africa and noted escalating threats of insecurity and violence pointing to their devastating effects on women and children who bear the greatest consequences.

The Nigerian First Lady who expressed concern over the huge humanitarian crisis caused by the war which has largely affected women and children, stated that the assembly is open to engage with all relevant bodies to advance support strategies.

Mrs Buhari also highlighted the impact of continuous challenges including banditry, and insurgency among others which according to her have festered and revived the need for more concerted action regarding the issue of women’s peace and security in Africa.

As the outgoing President of the 9th Assembly of the Africa First Ladies Peace Mission, she further reinforced the call to support women and young girls, to ensure they are not perceived or seen as victims of the war but as solutions, particularly through constructive engagements and peacebuilding.

She called for the adoption of other approaches such as constructive engagement with wealthy individuals to create deliberate opportunities for poverty reduction, engaging the media as a key player to be tasked with its agenda-setting role, emphasising that educational institutions must introduce a curriculum of peace studies and promote the development of peace clubs in secondary schools.

Women In Politics: Aisha Buhari Seeks More Foreign Support

The first lady is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union as the tenure of her husband, President Muhammdu Buhari ends on the 29th of May 2023, a new president and vice president have been elected during the closed-door session of the 10th assembly and they are the first lady of Burundi as the President AFLPM and the Vice President is the First Lady of Niger Republic.

Among those present at the event is the wife of the President-elect, Senator Remi Tinubu; wives of Presidents and governors from other African countries and members of the diplomatic corps.

It is worth noting that the assembly is dedicated to peace, security, and mitigation of violent conflicts.

Meanwhile, contributions at the event are expected to help transform the continent, promote a culture of peace and attain the Sustainable Development Goals.

APC Reveals Zoning Formula for National Assembly Seats

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 8, 2023

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The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee has nominated Godswill Akpabio and Abass Tajudeen as the next Senate President and House of Representatives speaker in the upcoming 10th National Assembly, respectively.

INEC Removes APC Alhassan Doguwa’s Name from Reps-Elect List

See the full list of nominated members and zone:

SENATE:

Senate President – South-South – Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-lbom).
Deputy Senate President – North West-Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

Speaker, House of Representatives – North West – Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna)
Deputy Speaker – South East-Hon. Ben Kalu (Abia)

NDLEA Intercepts 21,800 Tramadol Tablets, Others

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Cleopatra Okohai

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May 8, 2023

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted 21,800 tablets of tramadol in Adamawa and Edo.

This is contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

Babafemi said that a suspect, Sahabi Mohammed, 39, was arrested in connection with 8,800 sachets of tramadol tablets in Adamawa.

He said that N60,000 counterfeit notes was found on the suspect while another suspect, Bala Umar, was also arrested on Wednesday.

Also 2.850kg cannabis sativa and 825 litres of formalin popularly known as ‘Suck and Die’ were also intercepted at Anguwar Laka in Numan Local Government Area of the state.

Meanwhile, in Edo, a Toyota Previa bus marked NER 460 XA conveying 13,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam was intercepted along Ewohimi road en route to Ekiti state.

The driver of the vehicle, Femi Oluwadare, was taken into custody on Friday, the spokesperson said.

Similarly, another suspect, Ahmed Rafi’u, 34, was arrested with 84 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 43.200kg, by operatives in Kogi.

In the same way, 381.1kg of the same substance was recovered from three suspects travelling in a Sienna bus in Anambra.

“The culprits were Innocent Saturday; Sunday Asuquo and Akpan Asukuma.

“They were arrested by a combined patrol team of security agents comprising NDLEA operatives and other security agencies at Nnobi in Anambra,” Babafemi said.

Messi returns to PSG training after suspension

By

Emenike Agu

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May 8, 2023

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Lionel Messi returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain on Monday six days after Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain was suspended for going on an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.

His return makes it likely he will feature in PSG’s home match with relegation-threatened Ajaccio next Saturday.

PSG hold the whip hand in defending their Ligue 1 title, a six-point lead over Lens with four matches remaining.

He was suspended by the Qatar-owned club after failing to turn up for training last Monday.

Instead, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner travelled to Saudi Arabia without PSG’s permission to fulfill commitments as part of a contract with the country’s tourist office.

Messi subsequently apologized in a video posted on Instagram to his 458 million followers.

The affair has made it increasingly unlikely that Messi will remain at PSG beyond this season when his two-year contract with the club expires.

Experts Advocate Multidisciplinary Approach to Cancer Treatment

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Cleopatra Okohai

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May 8, 2023

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Cancer care can only be effective when all professionals involved in the treatment work as a team, according to a hematologist and the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Cancer Society, Dr. Saleh Yuguda.

Yuguda stated this at a cancer summit held in Lagos State with the theme; “Building strategic framework for strengthening cancer patients support group and breaking the bad news in the African region.”

He said, “Right from the doctors, the specialty and doctors, the nurses, the physiotherapists, psychologists, everybody in the hospital has a role to play.

“If you look at being in countries where the multidisciplinary approach is well practised, you will see that the survival of cancer patients is much higher than countries like ours where we are just trying to build up on the multidisciplinary care approach.”

Also, a professor of Radiology, Radiation Medicine Department, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, in her submission, said, “Research has shown that the three most common cancers in Nigeria are prostrate, cervical, and breast cancers. Of course, there are over 200 types of cancers.

“I am calling on philanthropists, the organised private sector, corporate entities, all hands must be on the deck. This is what happens in high-income countries. They don’t just leave it for the government.”

A cancer survivor and one of the organisers of the event, Dr. Denise Ejoh, said the summit was to bring professionals together and train them on how to break the news to patients and their relatives.

Ejoh, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Cormode Cancer Foundation, said the mental health of cancer patients is important and must be considered in the treatment of the condition.

Zelensky Vows Russia Will Be Defeated

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faith Jegede

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May 8, 2023

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While commemorating victory on Europe Day President Volodymyr Zelensky, vowed that Russia would be defeated in Ukraine like Nazi Germany was beaten in World War II.

In a video statement recorded in front of a war memorial, Zelensky said all the old evil that modern Russia is bringing back will be defeated just as Nazism was defeated.

His address came on the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender to Allied forces on May 8, 1945, and one day ahead of victory day in Moscow, celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory in world war ii.

Zelensky said he had submitted a bill to parliament to formally commemorate World War II in Ukraine also on May 8, which for years was marked on May 9 like in Russia and other ex-Soviet countries.

The move is just the latest in a series of steps Ukraine has taken in recent years to distance itself from Moscow, including by renaming streets and towns named after Soviet figures.

Zelensky said Ukraine would instead mark Europe Day on May 9, which promotes peace and unity on the continent.

The EU welcomed the move and said European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen would visit Kyiv for talks with Zelensky on Tuesday.

This comes as Brussels proposed a fresh round of sanctions on Russia. A spokesman said the measures would seek to tackle the evasion of sanctions.

The Kremlin has leaned on World War II rhetoric to justify its invasion, saying in February last year it was launching the war to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.

But the Ukraine leader said the Kremlin was responsible for “aggression and annexation, occupation and deportation,” as well as “mass murder and torture.”

“All of this will be answered by our victory — the victory of Ukraine and the free world,” Zelensky said.

The address came hours after Ukrainian forces said they had downed 35 drones launched by Russia in an attack that left five people wounded in Kyiv.

NAFDAC Alerts Consumers of Harmful Imported Pesticides

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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May 8, 2023

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is soliciting the cooperation of stakeholders and the general public to rid the country of hazardous pesticides.

The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said this in a statement issued to newsmen by its resident media consultant, Mr. Olusayo Akintola, on Sunday in Abuja.

According to her, pesticides are applied both indoors and outdoors for the management of pests, vector-borne diseases, and crop protection.

Adeyeye said pesticides are sometimes impregnated in textiles, paints, carpets, and treated wood to control pests and fungi.

She said what was worrisome was the toxicity associated with the misuse and abuse of pesticides as it affected food safety and food security.

Adeyeye said the dangers posed by pesticides were of immense concern to the agency and that there had been recent concerns from stakeholders about the situation.

“The report of the study conducted by Heinrich Boll Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, claimed that 40 per cent of pesticides used in Nigeria had been banned in the EU.

“There was also an alert received from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, cautioning on the possibility that the European Union and the United Kingdom were exporting banned neonicotinoid pesticides to Nigeria and other poorer countries.

“Emphasis was placed on chlorpyrifos and its variants due to their harmful effects on humans, animals, beneficial insects, and the environment.

“The mandate of NAFDAC, as established by Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, is to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, detergent and others.

“This necessitated the review and analysis of the list of registered pesticide and agrochemical active ingredients in the NAFDAC Registered Product Automated Database vis-à-vis actives banned, non-approved.

“The outcome of the review was shared with stakeholders at a three-day virtual stakeholders’ engagement held on November 22, 24 and 29, 2022,” she stressed.

Adeyeye said the core function of the agency of safeguarding the health of the nation was so paramount to the agency.

She disclosed that the reviewed meeting focused much on the proposed phase-out/ban of these active ingredients and it had in attendance, proponent holders of marketing authorisations and NGOs.

Others, she mentioned in the statement, were the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, CropLife Nigeria, Nigeria Agro-Input Dealers Association, ministries, departments and agencies, as well as research institutes.

According to her, at the end of the meeting, it was agreed that pesticide and agrochemical importers and manufacturers would be advised to institute stewardship plans such as post-marketing surveillance and research in their companies.

Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC would collaborate with research institutes in the conduct of research and scientific data generation on pesticides to enable the agency make evidence-based decisions and policies.

She said NAFDAC would also intensify post-marketing surveillance nationwide, adding that there would be continual sensitisation and education of relevant stakeholders on the safe and responsible use of pesticides.

The DG said NAFDAC would also engage with other sister agencies like the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Standards Organisation of Nigeria;

the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service

Petition: Atiku Seek Live Broadcast of Proceedings

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 8, 2023

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The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has approached the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) seeking an order allowing live broadcast of proceedings of his petition.

Atiku and the PDP in an application dated 5 May specifically prayed the court for an order directing the court’s registry and the parties on modalities for admission of media practitioners and their equipment into the courtroom.

The application filed by their team of lawyers led by Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is premised on the grounds that the matter before the court is a dispute over the outcome of the Presidential Election held on 25 February, and therefore a matter of national concern and public interest.

They also contended that being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, it was a matter of public interest where millions of Nigerians were stakeholders with a constitutional right to receive.

“An integral part of the constitutional duty of the court to hold proceedings in public is a discretion to allow public access to proceedings either physically or by electronic means.

“With the huge and tremendous technological advances and developments in Nigeria and beyond, including the current trend by this court towards embracing electronic procedures, virtual hearing and electronic filing, a departure from the rules to allow a regulated televising of the proceedings in this matter is in consonance with the maxim that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.

“Televising court proceedings is not alien to this court, and will enhance public confidence.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had in its communique at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Birnin Kebbi on 23 March made a similar call.

The NBA had urged the judiciary to allow live broadcast of the court hearings of election petitions, particularly the presidential election cases.

Also, a group, under the aegis of Leaders of Thoughts and Legal Icons, had supported the initiative.

The group had invited Nigerians to sign an appeal on an online platform in support of the initiative.

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, also backed calls for live broadcast of election petition cases.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the application.

NAN reports that the court held its inaugural sitting and conducted pre-hearing sessions on some petitions challenging the outcome of the 25 February presidential election on Monday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress polled 8,794,726 votes to win the election.

The commission declared that Atiku came second with 6,984,520 votes, while it announced Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the second runner-up with 6,101,533 votes.

But Atiku, Obi and some other parties had rejected the results announced by INEC and proceeded to the Presidential Election Petition Court to challenge Tinubu’s victory.

Both petitioners had urged the court in their separate petitioners to either declare them the winner of the election or nullify the poll and order a fresh one.