Kosovo citizens to travel to EU without visa from 2024

Kosovo citizens can travel to the European Union without a visa from 2024 after the European Parliament gave the green light on Tuesday.

The vote by the EU legislature in Strasbourg, France, was the last legal step required to grant visa-free travel to Kosovo citizens after member states gave their backing in March.

Under the new rules, which could apply even before 2024, people with Kosovo passports could travel to the EU without a visa and stay for up to 90 days in any 180 days.

Today’s “decision on visa liberalisation is a victory for the people of Kosovo, for democracy and European unity,” wrote Vjosa Osmani, the president of Kosovo, on Twitter.

Kosovo is the last country in the Western Balkans region to be granted visa-free travel to the bloc.

Last year, Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that his country intended to make an official application for EU membership by the end of 2022.

Coachella Festival fined $117,000 for breaking curfew

Coachella Music Festival has been handed a $117K fine for violating the City of Indio’s curfew. Pitchfork reported that the fines come after the festival ran for over 20 minutes past its approved curfew on each day from April 14 to April 16.

The festival ran 25 minutes past its curfew on Friday (April 14), 22 minutes on Saturday (April 15) and 25 minutes on Sunday (April 16). The fines are part of an agreement between Coachella organizer, Goldenvoice, and the city of Indio, California dating back to 2013.

According to the agreement, going five minutes past the curfew will result in a $20,000 fine for each day, with every subsequent minute costing $1,000. The fines allegedly go towards the city’s General Fund, which is used for operating costs, public works and police and fire departments.

Frank Ocean‘s headlining set on Sunday ran 25 minutes past curfew, thanks in part to the singer starting his set an hour late. His set was one met with multiple controversies, beginning with its scheduled livestream being cancelled just hours before he was supposed to perform. After starting his set late, it was abruptly brought to an end after being told that he was out of time. It has also since been reported that several last-minute changes were made to his set after he allegedly injured his ankle during on-ground rehearsals.

History was also made during the recent music festival as Bad Bunny became the first Latin artist to headline the festival, and Blackpink became the first K-pop act to headline.

NAFDAC approves R21 vaccine for malaria treatment

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has granted an approval to Serum Institute Pvt. Ltd. (SIIPL) for the use of the R21 malaria vaccine in the country.

At a news conference on Monday, NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye said the granting of registration/approval was in line with the agency’s mandate as stipulated by its enabling law — NAFDAC Act CapN1, Law of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.

She said the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAHs) for the vaccine is Fidson Healthcare Ltd, which had the agency’s Drug and Related Products Registration Regulation 2021.

According to Ms Adeyeye, the R21 malaria vaccine is an adjuvanted protein vaccine presented as a sterile solution.She explained that “a dose, which is 0.5ml, is composed of R21 Malaria antigen 5µg and Matrix-M1 50µg as an adjuvant filled in a vial as a ready-to-use liquid formulation for intramuscular injection.’’

The NAFDAC boss said that the vaccine is indicated for preventing clinical malaria in children from five to 36 months, adding that the storage temperature of the vaccine is 2-8 °C.

Ms Adeyeye said the agency received the dossier of the R21 Malaria manufactured by SIIPL and subjected it to independent review at two different levels.

She said that as a matured regulatory agency, it is expected as part of global benchmarking that an external advisory committee was put in place to advise on invitations on certain functions of the agency.

She said that as a new biological molecule being considered for full registration, the independent review by an external body became imperative to safeguard public health further.

According to her, the external advisory body known as NAFDAC’s Vaccine Advisory Committee (NEVAC) comprises four highly recognised and well-published experts from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Ms Adeyeye said the agency also had an in-house Vaccine Review Committee (NEVAC) extracted from different directorates of NAFDAC to oversee, evaluate, and carry out clinical trials on vaccines before approval was made.

She said that the R21 Malaria Vaccine dossier complied substantially with the best international standards with which the dossier was benched-marked.

The NAFDAC boss said it became necessary to approve the vaccine following the 2021 World Malaria Report that Nigeria had the highest number of global malaria cases of 27 per cent.

She said the highest number of deaths stood at 32 per cent of global malaria deaths in 2020, adding that Nigeria accounted for an estimated 55.2 per cent of malaria cases in West Africa in 2020.

“Malaria is one of the most important public health concerns in the world. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) Malaria Report showed there were 247 million cases of malaria in 2021 compared to 245 million cases in 2020,” she said.

She explained that the estimated number of malaria deaths was 619,000 in 2021 compared to 625,000 in 2020.

“Over the two peak years of the pandemic (2020–2021), COVID-related disruptions led to about 13 million more malaria cases and 63000 more malaria deaths.

“Children under five years of age accounted for about 80 per cent of all malaria deaths in the region.

Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide, with Nigeria, 31.3 per cent; the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 12.6 per cent; the United Republic of Tanzania, 4.1 per cent; and Niger, 3.9 per cent, respectively.”

16 killed, nine wounded in Dubai apartment fire

At least 16 people died, at the weekend, in a fire incident that swept through a residential building in an Al-Ras neighbourhood of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

The fire, which broke out on the apartment’s fourth floor, also injured nine other residents.

The Dubai Civil Defence Force said preliminary investigations showed that the fire was caused by “a lack of compliance with building safety and security requirements.”

A statement by the civil defence said,

“Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident.”

On Sunday, char marks could be seen on the apartment building, home to a grocery store, a smoke shop, and other businesses on its ground floor.

Illegal apartment partitioning has been a problem in Dubai for decades, worsened when the city-state sees real estate booms and economic growth like it is experiencing now.

Fires have broken out in skyscrapers in Dubai and other fast-growing cities in the UAE in recent years. In 2017, a large fire broke out at a high-rise under construction near the city’s largest shopping mall.

A fire engulfed a five-star hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve two years earlier, with several people injured.

Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the UAE and has a population of about 3.3 million, of whom nearly 90 per cent are foreigners.

APC guber candidate Sylva appreciate other aspirants

Timipre Sylva, former petroleum minister, on Sunday, expressed appreciation to the APC faithful after emerging as the party’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa.

“This is not a personal victory. It is a collective one. Our party has once again demonstrated what true democracy is and how elections should be – peaceful, credible and reflective of the people’s wishes,” stated the former Bayelsa governor.

“I thank the other aspirants. As a party and people, we owe them a debt of gratitude. I do not see their move as one of ambition. All I see, all that can be seen is true love and patriotism for our state and party.”

Mr Sylva enlisted the support of other aspirants who contested along with him and stated that they would work together to achieve the collective aim of returning to winning ways in Bayelsa.

“I will work with the other aspirants and party stakeholders, and we will create the Bayelsa we all yearn for. We will make every Bayelsa person proud of our state. Our brothers and sisters from other political divides must have watched how the APC elections went,” added Mr Sylva.

He called for “the same decorum in the general elections,” noting that “Bayelsa people deserve the right to exercise their franchise freely.”

“They must have a stake in their own state,” Mr Sylva said Mr Sylva was declared the winner of the APC governorship primary by Ahmed Jibrin, the chairman of the APC election committee, on Saturday.

He will face PDP’s Governor Douye Diri, who emerged unopposed for a second term bid.

The APC, in 2019, won the Bayelsa governorship seat in a landslide. But the Supreme Court, in a verdict on the eve of the inauguration, annulled the victory over irregularities in the deputy governorship candidate of the APC.

Man Undergoes Height Lengthening Surgery To Grow Taller

A man, Moses Gibson, from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States, has undergone a leg surgery to add five inches to his height after struggling to talk to women for years due to self-doubt about his stature.

Gibson said he had been insecure about his height since he was 15 years old, after witnessing other boys his age go through growth spurts that he did not, Daily Mail reports on Wednesday.

He tried medications and even contacted a ‘spiritual healer’ online who claimed to be able to help him in a desperate attempt to grow taller.

Gibson eventually decided to have surgery to increase his height after all other options failed.

Speaking of his struggles with his height, he said;

“I’ve struggled with my height. Even when I was in high school, I was always unhappy with my height.

“When I was like 15, I realised most of my peers were taller than me. It started getting to me gradually.”

He learned about a procedure that could lengthen his legs, and he began working extra hours to save up enough money for the surgery during college.

After working as a software engineer during the day and as an Uber driver at night for three years, he underwent surgery to add three inches to his height in 2016, but seven years later has had a second round and is using a height lengthening device.

Doctors broke Gibson’s tibia and fibula bones and inserted magnetic, limb-lengthening nails into them.

He must now use a height-lengthening device three times per day, pulling the cut bones apart one millimeter at a time.

Umrah: Buhari leaves Madinah, performs lesser hajj in Mecca

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Madinah for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in continuation of his eight-day official visit to the Kingdom.

While in Madinah, the Nigerian president visited historic religious places, including an extensive tour of the city’s International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilisation.

Also, as part of his engagement in the Holy City, Mr Buhari observed the five daily prayers, including Taraweeh, at the Masjid Nabawi before departing for Mecca via Jeddah on Wednesday night.

Mr Buhari, accompanied by some of his aides, is expected to perform the lesser pilgrimage immediately after arriving in Mecca late Wednesday night.

Jamie Foxx hospitalized after suffering medical emergency

Hollywood actor, Jamie Foxx was on Tuesday, April 11, taken to a hospital in Atlanta after suffering an undisclosed medical emergency.

A statement released by his daughter, Corinne Foxx, says the oscar award-winning actor had suffered a ‘medical complication’ that required him to be taken to the hospital.

Foxx, 55, had been filming ‘Back In Action’ in Atlanta with actress, Cameron Diaz, as recently as Monday.

The statement added that Foxx is now ‘on his way to recovery.’ The nature of the illness was however not disclosed.

“We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday [Tuesday]. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.’the statement in part reads.

China reports first human death caused by bird flu

China has notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) that a woman infected with the H3N8 bird flu died in March.

The case is only the third known human case ever and the first to result in death from the strain. The two previous cases were reported in China last April and May, the WHO said.

In the latest incident, a 56-year-old woman from south-eastern Guangdong province died on March 16 after falling ill in February and being hospitalised for severe pneumonia.

“The patient had multiple underlying conditions. She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of the disease and a history of wild bird presence around her home,’’ the UN health body said, citing information from China’s National Health Commission.

None of her close contacts has developed an infection or symptoms of illness.The WHO said a poultry market near her residence could have been the source of her infection.

Samples collected from the market were positive for the influenza A(H3) subtype.

In the two previous cases, one patient developed a critical illness, and the older one had mild symptoms. The WHO said direct or indirect exposure to infected poultry was the likely origin.The WHO said the risk to humans remained low.

“The available epidemiological and virological information suggests that avian influenza A(H3N8) viruses do not have the capacity for sustained transmission among humans,” it explained.

“Therefore, the current assessment is that the likelihood of human-to-human spread is low.”

NAHCON to revoke operational licences of states that distort Hajj fares

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has cautioned States’ Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions against distortion of the jointly agreed fares for the 2023 Hajj.

The commission also said it will not hesitate to sanction erring states by revoking their operational licences.

Deputy Director, Information and Publication of NAHCON, Mousa Ubandawaki, issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

“It has come to the attention of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) that there are a lot of distortions floating around in the wake of the announcement of the 2023 final Hajj fare by the Commission.

“Some states are announcing fares different from the ones jointly agreed by the States and NAHCON and as approved by the government.

“Therefore, we hasten to hereby reiterate that the total hajj fare remains the ones announced by the commission on April 7, 2023 which is less than N3 million inclusive of local charges for all categories of pilgrims under the state pilgrims welfare agencies.”

Mr Ubandawaki appealed to all stakeholders to work with NAHCON as a team in harmony and under a conducive and peaceful atmosphere to avoid exploitation of the pilgrims.

“While we are not unmindful of the financial situation in some states, however, we hasten to reiterate that the commission will not hesitate to sanction erring states.

“By either revoking its operational license and or withdrawing the 2023 Hajj Allocation with immediate effect.

“Once again, NAHCON wishes to reiterate its commitment to the welfare of our pilgrims and ensure that they have value for money in terms of the price and facilities they will enjoy during the pilgrimage.”

He reiterated that the commission would not hesitate to sanction erring states by either revoking its operational license or withdrawing the 2023 Hajj Allocation with immediate effect.

UN relocates more than 1,000 Somali refugees in Ethiopia

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says relocation of newly-arrived Somali refugees in Ethiopia has begun.

The refugees fled recurring clashes between security forces and clan leaders in Las Anod in northern Somalia, with 1,036 of the most vulnerable people transferred from border areas to a new settlement over the past three days.

The UN agency said thousands of people have arrived in the Somali region of Ethiopia seeking safety since clashes started in mid-February.

As of last week, Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnees Service had registered 91,000 people with the UNHCR’s support. Refugees continue to arrive, fleeing ongoing violence in their home country, the UNHCR said.

“Most of them are women, children, and older people; among them are more than 3,400 unaccompanied and separated children and adolescents,’’ it said.

According to the UNHCR, refugee families are biometrically registered upon arrival and provided with a tent and other essential relief items to set up a new home.

Ethiopia has generously allocated 400 hectares of land where refugees can settle and access existing services, such as health care, water, and education.

It added that while Ethiopian families hosted many refugees in their homes, others who crossed into Ethiopia remained in overcrowded shelters or were sleeping outdoors and requiring urgent assistance.

In March, the UNHCR and humanitarian partners launched an inter-agency emergency refugee response plan of US$ 116 million to address the immediate critical needs faced by refugees and host communities in this area.

Ethiopia has welcomed refugees for decades and currently hosts nearly 990,000 refugees from neighbouring countries like South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan, the UNHCR said.

Biden visits Ireland to mark Good Friday Agreement anniversary

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to fly to Belfast on Tuesday at the start of a visit to Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Mr Biden is expected to arrive in the Northern Irish capital on Tuesday evening to start his programme on Wednesday when he will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The U.S. president also plans to address a gathering of students.

The focus of the visit is to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict between the largely protestant supporters of continued union with Britain and the largely Catholic backers of a united Ireland.

Mr Biden will leave for Dublin on Wednesday to address parliament.The U.S. president, who is of Irish descent, also plans to visit the hometowns of his ancestors.

Jabeur wins Charleston Open for her first title of season

World number five Ons Jabeur secured her first title of the season on Sunday with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 victory over Belinda Bencic in the Charleston Open final.

Jabeur, 28, enjoyed the best campaign of her career in 2022 as she reached the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.But she was sidelined due to knee trouble following this year’s Australian Open.

The Tunisian returned with early exits at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, meaning she came into Charleston without consecutive wins since early January.

But she looked right back to her best at the WTA 500 event, not dropping a set the entire tournament.

Jabeur beat Lesia Tsurenko, Caroline Dolehide, Anna Kalinskaya and Daria Kasatkina to reach the final.

But she had to respond to early adversity against Bencic as the Swiss secured a break in the opening game of the first set.

Down 5-4 in the opener, Jabeur broke back at the last opportunity to keep the set alive. And after falling 6-4 behind in the tie-break, she rattled off the next four points in a row to steal it.

The second set was all about making the most of her chances, as Jabeur only had three break-point chances compared to Bencic’s five.But she was able to convert all three, while Bencic could only snag two.

The final was a rematch from last year’s Charleston Open title match, where Bencic prevailed over Jabeur in three sets.It is Jabeur’s first title since the German Open in June, where she again had to overcome Bencic in the final.

Jabeur now leads their head-to-head 3-2 in matches played at the WTA Tour level.

Drake wins $2.7million after placing two huge bets on Israel Adesanya to defeat Alex Pereira at UFC 287

Rapper Drake has won a whopping $2.7million after Israel Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira at UFC 287 to reclaim the middleweight title.

The Nigerian-born New Zealander won back the 185lb title just five months after he lost it to his bitter rival Pereira, who has previously beaten him twice in kickboxing.

Drake lost $1.6million after backing Adesanya to win in that fight but he made amends for the rapper in his rematch with Pereira.

According to Mirror UK, the Canadian placed a $500,000 bet on Adesanya to win which returned $885,000, and a $400,000 bet for him to win by knockout, which returned a massive $1.8million.

‘Stylebender’ was asked about Drake’s bet after his fight, to which he said: “Shoutout to everyone that bet on me but you have to realise that when I step into the octagon I put my life on the line.

That’s the biggest parlay you can ever do. I’m a betting man too so shoutout to stake, we are about to make another deal and get more money.”

Israel Adesanya knocks out Pereira, regains UFC middleweight belt

Israel Adesanya knocked out long-time rival, Alex Pereira, to regain the UFC middleweight belt in the early hours of Sunday at Miami.

Adesanya came out for revenge against Pereira who gave him a TKO in the final round last November, stripping him of his middleweight belt.

But Adesanya bounced back from his last defeat to become UFC middleweight champion again, brutally knocking out Pereira in the second round.

It was the fourth clash between Adesanya and Pereira with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Mike Tyson and UFC president, Dana White, and a host of others in attendance.

Police rescue two abducted victims from kidnapper’s den in Lagos

The Lagos State police command on says it has rescued two victims from kidnappers’ den in the Ikorodu area of the state.

Operatives busted the kidnapper’s hideout on Thursday night.

There was a fierce exchange of fire by the police officer and kidnappers, a member of the kidnappers gang was killed in the process.

Police spokesperson in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin said two abducted victims were rescued and ammunition were recovered at the scene.

“Yes, the incident is true; the Police are on top of the situation, and the tension has been calmed. Two kidnapped victims were rescued at the scene,” Mr Hundeyin said.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi diagnosed with leukemia

Former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukemia, according to Corriere della Sera, a top Italian newspaper.

Berlusconi, 86, a right wing politician, was hospitalized on Wednesday April 5, with breathing problems.

His spokesman, Paolo Russo, did not deny the reports of ill health when asked, and said he is “not authorized to give health info but the Corriere della Sera is the most authoritative Italian newspaper.”

A second spokesperson for the Forza Italia party leader did not deny the report when contacted by the publication.

The controversial politician has served three stints as Italy’s prime minister, most recently between 2008 and 2011, before being banned from politics for six years following a conviction for tax fraud.

Berlusconi returned to frontline politics in 2022 when he won a seat in Italy’s Senate, representing the northern municipality of Monza.

In 2021 he was hospitalized for treatment for the symptoms of long Covid-19, according to the press office of his Forza Italia party.

He also spent time in the hospital the previous year after contracting the coronavirus, and had a 2016 heart surgery to replace an aortic valve.

Federal Government declares Friday, Monday public holidays to celebrate Easter

The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 7 and Monday, April 10, 2023 as public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in Abuja.

In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Begore, on Wednesday, April 5, Aregbesola urged Christians to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace and patience which were attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by His ministry on the earth.

The minister called on Christians and all Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Easter celebration to pray for an end to the security challenges in parts of the country.

“Security is everybody’s business. I, therefore, urge Nigerians and foreigners resident in our country to display a high sense of citizenship and public spiritedness by supporting the efforts of all security agencies in bringing peace and security of lives and property of the citizenry”.

The minister assured that the Federal Government is doing all that is necessary to ensure a peaceful transition of government following the peaceful conduct of elections.

While wishing Christians at home and in the Diaspora a happy and peaceful Easter celebration, he enjoined every Nigerian to love their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, with the well-to-do sharing their substance with the less privileged around them.

Australia joins UK, Belgium to ban TikTok on government-owned devices

Australian authorities have banned the Chinese-owned social network TikTok on all government-owned devices amid growing security concerns and fears that the nation’s official information may fall into the wrong hands.

The ban, announced on Tuesday, will be effective “as soon as practicable,” according to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who added that rare exemptions would only be authorised on a “case-by-case basis” with “appropriate security mitigations in place.”

Australia was the last of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance’s five nations to ban TikTok on government-owned devices after the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand previously issued similar orders.

Countries like the European Commission, France and the Netherlands also banned the social network on official devices in their nations.

Lee Hunter, general manager of TikTok operations in New Zealand and Australia, said there was no proof that the social network was leaking users’ vital information to the Chinese government.

“There is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms,” said Mr Hunter in a statement.

Last month, the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, testified before the U.S. Congress that TikTok was not sharing users’ data with the Chinese government.