An official the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guizhen Wu, has said the coronavirus vaccines being developed in China may be ready for use by the general public as early as November, 2020.
According to france24.com, China has four COVID-19 vaccines in the final stage of clinical trials and at least three of those drugs have already been offered to essential workers under an emergency use programme inaugurated in July.
Wu, in an interview with state TV on Monday, said the phase three clinical trials were proceeding smoothly and the vaccines could be ready for the general public in November or December.
Wu, who said she has experienced no abnormal symptoms in recent months after taking an experimental vaccine herself in April, did not specify which vaccines she was referring to.
A unit of state pharmaceutical giant, China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and U.S.-listed Sinovac Biotech are developing the three vaccines under the state’s emergency use programme. A fourth Covid-19 vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics was approved for use by the Chinese military in June.
Sinopharm said in July that its vaccine could be ready for public use by the end of 2020 after the conclusion of phase three trials.
The global vaccine makers are racing to develop an effective vaccine against the virus which has killed more than 925,000 people.
Tears flowed on Umesi Street, Ado Ekiti, residence of a director in the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission, David Jejelowo, who was killed by gunmen around 1am on Monday.
As sympathisers thronged the house to condole with the family, co-workers at the commission were in shock and tears as they could not understand what led to the killing of the civil servant.
The Commissioner in charge of the General Administration Department of the commission, Mr Wole Olujobi, described the death as painful.
Olujobi said, “He was a complete gentleman. His name bears his character: Jejelowo; gentle in everything. He was not a person that pursued riches. My impression of him was of somebody always contented. He was not desperate for money. He followed the rules.
“He never compromised rules and he had excellent human relations – a very disciplined civil servant that would not compromise any rule. He was always at peace with others and ensured he did not inflict pains on others. These were the reasons for the tears and sadness at the commission today (Monday).”
He expressed hope that police investigation would reveal why he was killed.
“Remember, he was kidnapped recently. When somebody underwent that kind of trauma and at the end of the day still got killed by criminals, you can understand the pain of everybody that knew him.
“Nobody can answer why he was always a victim of criminals. I believe that with this killing, the police will unravel why he was murdered,” he added.
A source said the director was shot after he opened his window in response to an unfamiliar movement outside his house that night.
Another source, however, said the window was open before the assailants got there and shot him dead.
The Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident to journalists in Ado Ekiti.
He said, “He was killed in his room by assailants, whose intention we have not established as of now. Investigation will reveal whether it was a case of assassination or robbery.”
Abutu, who said the corpse of the civil servant had been deposited in the morgue of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, assured members of the public that his killers would be brought to book.
John Bayega has stepped down as a brand ambassador for British cologne company Jo Malone after he was cut out of the Chinese version of an ad campaign he originally conceived and starred in.
The “Star Wars” actor took to his Twitter page to explain the reason for his decision.
“I have decided to step down as Jo Malone’s global ambassador. When I joined the brand as their first male global ambassador last year, I created the short film we used to launch the campaign. It won the Fragrance Foundation Virtual awards 2020 for Best Media Campaign,” Boyega tweeted.
The original commercial is a short film titled “A London Gent,” which showed Boyega walking around his childhood neighbourhood in Peckham as well as a reference to his Nigerian heritage. It also featured a predominantly Black cast.
Boyega continued: “Their decision to replace my campaign in China by using my concepts and substituting a local brand ambassador for me, without either my consent or prior notice, was wrong. The film celebrated my personal story– showcasing my hometown, including my friends and featuring my family.”
Boyega found out about the new commercial after it was put on Twitter. The new ad kept major elements of the original’s script, but replaced Boyega with local actor Liu Haoran (star of the hugely popular Detective Chinatown film franchise), The Hollywood Reporter reported.
This is not the first time Boyega has been removed for promotional material in China. According to Deadline, in 2015, a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” poster for China left out the actor and co-star Oscar Isaac.
Boyega added: “While many brands understandably use a variety of global and local ambassadors, dismissively trading out one’s culture this way is not something I can condone.
“It’s back to back but I assure you this will be dealt with swiftly. I don’t have time for nonsense. We press on and strong. Stay blessed people.”
Jo Malone had earlier issued a public apology to Boyega stating that it was a “misstep”.
“We deeply apologize for what, on our end, was a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign. John is a tremendous artist with great personal vision and direction. The concept for the film was based on John’s personal experiences and should not have been replicated.
“While we immediately took action and removed the local version of the campaign, we recognize that this was painful and that offense was caused. We respect John, and support our partners and fans globally. We are taking this misstep very seriously and we are working together as a brand to do better moving forward,” Jo Malone said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
The headless body of Kim Jong Un’s executed uncle was displayed to senior North Korean officials, US President Donald Trump told the author of an upcoming book on the US President.
Jang Song Thaek, the North Korean leader’s uncle by marriage and a hugely powerful figure within the regime, was purged for treason and corruption in 2013, in what was widely seen as Kim mercilessly asserting his authority.
Kim “tells me everything. Told me everything,” Trump told the Washington Post investigative journalist Bob Woodward, according to his forthcoming book “Rage”.
“He killed his uncle and he put the body right in the steps,” Trump said, in an apparent reference to a building used by senior officials.
“And the head was cut, sitting on the chest,” he added in excerpts from the book seen by AFP.
The North has never officially stated how Jang was executed, although multiple reports say an anti-aircraft gun was used.
Trump’s account — apparently intended as a demonstration of the closeness of his relationship with Kim — is the first from any senior official to mention decapitation.
Nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have been at a standstill since the collapse of the Hanoi summit last year over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.
Pyongyang officials said they had offered to “dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area”, but analysts say the North has several other nuclear sites.
According to the book Trump demanded five sites be given up.
“Listen, one doesn’t help and two doesn’t help and three doesn’t help and four doesn’t help. Five does help,” he said.
Yongbyon was the North’s biggest site, Kim countered according to excerpts from the book seen by AFP. “It’s also your oldest,” Trump told the author he retorted.
Kim, though, would not offer further concessions, and Trump told him: “You’re not ready to make a deal.”
“I’ve got to leave,” he added, to Kim’s shock.
‘I am really, very offended’
The collapse of the summit came despite high expectations on both sides beforehand, but according to the book Trump continued to insist on full denuclearisation even after the pair’s surprise meeting several months later in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.
“It was an honour to cross into your country,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim two days after the encounter, when he became the first sitting US president to set foot in the North.
He urged Kim to strike a “big deal” that “sheds you of your nuclear burden”.
“Rage”, scheduled to hit the book stands this week, unveils 25 letters the pair exchanged, in which Kim repeatedly flatters Trump.
The DMZ meeting was supposed to restart the talks process but the US and South Korea held military exercises a few weeks later and Kim subsequently wrote to Trump: “I am clearly offended and I do not want to hide this feeling from you. I am really, very offended.”
Negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have remained at a standstill ever since, and ties between the North and South have plummeted, but Trump insisted that he still had a good relationship with Kim.
The Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) have insisted on the confirmation of Justice Akon Ikpeme as the substantive Chief Judge of Cross River State.
Twice, the NJC had forwarded the name of Ikpeme to the House of Assembly for confirmation, and twice it was turned down on the ground that she is from Akwa Ibom State and confirming her would constitute a security risk to Cross River State.
In the process, the state government went ahead to recommend its favourite, Justice Maurice Eneji, who is junior to Ikpeme, for the NJC to appoint as the acting and substantive CJ.
The NJC has appointed him twice in six months in an acting capacity but declined to appoint him as the chief judge despite serious lobby from the state government, as the act would amount to an abuse of the rule of law.
The office of the chief judge has remained vacant for about two weeks following the expiration of the second three-month tenure of Justice Eneji, who took office in an acting capacity in line with the 1999 Constitution on September 2.
The NBA, in a statement dated September 14 by its National President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, said: “The NBA is particularly disturbed by the reasons undergirding the refusal, by the Cross River State House of Assembly, to confirm the recommendation and appointment of Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme as substantive chief judge.
“The failure of, or refusal by, the government of Cross River State to complete the appointment of a substantive chief judge is, therefore, brewing a constitutional crisis and strikes at the very root of the rule of law. This vacancy is also crippling judicial activities and is undermining the independence of the judiciary in Cross River State”.
In view of this, Akpata said: “The NJC has unanimously agreed that the reasons adduced by the House of Assembly are untenable and unsubstantiated and has reinforced its recommendation of Ikpeme. The NBA agrees with the NJC in this regard and enjoins the governor and the House of Assembly of Cross River State to complete the appointment and confirmation of Ikpeme as a substantive chief judge. To do otherwise would worsen the present imbroglio and significantly diminish public confidence in the judiciary”.
He stated that the NBA “is working with the NJC to speedily resolve this issue before it does further damage to the public perception of the judiciary. It is our duty to defend the rule of law, and we will prod the government of Cross River State to appoint Ikpeme as a substantive chief judge in line with the recommendations of the NJC and the long-held judicial tradition of appointing the most senior judicial officer as chief judge.
“There is no doubt that the casualties of this unfortunate development are the residents of Cross River State, who rely on the judiciary for the resolution of their disputes and for the remediation of their grievances. The NBA, therefore, calls on the government of Cross River State to put the interest of its people and the rule of law first by speedily resolving this constitutional crisis.”
Sophia Tommey, sister of Barbara Tommey who was shot dead by her Pastor husband, Sylvester Ofori in US city of Orlando last week has recalled some incidents that reportedly occurred prior to her sister’s death.
In an exclusive interview with Franky5 on This is Gospel show on Hitz FM on Sunday September 13, Sophia alleged that Ofori initiated plans of killing her sister after she filed for divorce.
According to her, Barbara filed for divorce after she discovered that her husband who is the head pastor of Floodgates of Heaven International Ministries joined an occult group.
She said;
“Sylvester had denounced God after he visited a shrine in Nzema and was even convincing my sister to join him. But my sister later discovered her husband had joined occult and filed for divorce”
Sophia also revealed that her late sister moved out of her matrimonial home three months ago and only returned home for some documents when Ofori nearly choked her to death. She averred that it was her brother’s intervention that stopped Ofori from choking Barbara to death at that time.
The distraught lady who alleged that her late sister was very secretive, said Ofori initiated plans of killing her Barbara upon realizing that he will lose everything if the divorce process is completed.
Sophia added;
“Barbara was the breadwinner of the family and owned all the properties; Sylvester was just a pastor so the thought of losing everything pushed him to kill my sister.
“Barbara was a very quiet person so all the things we heard were from her friends; she never told us what she was going through until her death”
Sophia said Barbara will be buried on September 26, 2020, and is confident the police will do a good job and get justice for the family.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, says the Federal Government will from October begin converting the cars and generators of Nigerians to run on gas.
Sylva said this will be done free of charge for all Nigerians to cushion the effect of the hike in pump price of petrol.
The minister said this on NTA’s ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ on Monday which was monitored by PUNCH correspondent.
According to him, cars are capable of running on both gas and petrol.
The minister said the move would reduce carbon emissions as well as the demand for Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol.
Sylva stated, “The alternative we are now introducing is gas, which is definitely going to be cheaper than the subsidised rate of PMS. So, what we are trying to encourage Nigerians to do now is to convert their cars to dual fuel.
That means your car can use either gas or petrol and that will be done for free because the government is going to ensure that you are able to convert your vehicles for free.
“And when you convert your car for free, you go to the filling station, you see the price of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) you see the price of gas, you can decide to buy LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), you can decide to buy LNG (Liquefied Natural gas). These are all going to be available and we are going to have a roll out plan for this within October.
“Nigerians will have alternatives. It is like introducing a toll on the roads. When you introduce a tollgate, you are expected and required by law to also create an alternative. So, we are also creating that alternative so that you can go to buy gas.”
Sylva said the Federal Government launched a similar pilot scheme with commercial tricycles in Port Harcourt which they converted to gas and it was successful.
He said the initiative would be extended to small capacity generators colloquially known as ‘I better pass my neighbour’.
The former Governor of Bayelsa State stated that filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation would be the first to begin selling gas to vehicles.
Sylva said the use of gas is cleaner and climate friendly, adding that once this is achieved, Nigeria would receive funding from foreign donors.
He said, “We are going to convert ‘I better pass my neighbour’. So, you will have a situation where in your house, your gas cylinder will be connected to your generator and cooker. So, you don’t need any other fuel apart from gas to run your generators.
“It will become cheaper and cleaner. Of course, our carbon emissions will actually reduce and we are expecting to gain some money from climate change (sic) for reducing our carbon emission. This is going to be a policy direction that will create a lot of opportunities.”
He said all NNPC filling stations and also some private sector marketers had signed on to the initiative, adding that the scheme would start in one part of the country and then spread to others.
When asked how Nigeria could benefit from the free initiative, Sylva responded, “Your car should be in a fairly good condition. That is the only condition to be met because if your car is not in a very good condition, I don’t know how it is going to convert. We are already in discussion with the NURTW and they are already very happy,” the minister said.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, says the Federal Government will from October begin converting the cars and generators of Nigerians to run on gas.
Sylva said this will be done free of charge for all Nigerians to cushion the effect of the hike in pump price of petrol.
The minister said this on NTA’s ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ on Monday which was monitored by PUNCH correspondent.
According to him, cars are capable of running on both gas and petrol.
The minister said the move would reduce carbon emissions as well as the demand for Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol.
Sylva stated, “The alternative we are now introducing is gas, which is definitely going to be cheaper than the subsidised rate of PMS. So, what we are trying to encourage Nigerians to do now is to convert their cars to dual fuel.
That means your car can use either gas or petrol and that will be done for free because the government is going to ensure that you are able to convert your vehicles for free.
“And when you convert your car for free, you go to the filling station, you see the price of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) you see the price of gas, you can decide to buy LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), you can decide to buy LNG (Liquefied Natural gas). These are all going to be available and we are going to have a roll out plan for this within October.
“Nigerians will have alternatives. It is like introducing a toll on the roads. When you introduce a tollgate, you are expected and required by law to also create an alternative. So, we are also creating that alternative so that you can go to buy gas.”
Sylva said the Federal Government launched a similar pilot scheme with commercial tricycles in Port Harcourt which they converted to gas and it was successful.
He said the initiative would be extended to small capacity generators colloquially known as ‘I better pass my neighbour’.
The former Governor of Bayelsa State stated that filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation would be the first to begin selling gas to vehicles.
Sylva said the use of gas is cleaner and climate friendly, adding that once this is achieved, Nigeria would receive funding from foreign donors.
He said, “We are going to convert ‘I better pass my neighbour’. So, you will have a situation where in your house, your gas cylinder will be connected to your generator and cooker. So, you don’t need any other fuel apart from gas to run your generators.
“It will become cheaper and cleaner. Of course, our carbon emissions will actually reduce and we are expecting to gain some money from climate change (sic) for reducing our carbon emission. This is going to be a policy direction that will create a lot of opportunities.”
He said all NNPC filling stations and also some private sector marketers had signed on to the initiative, adding that the scheme would start in one part of the country and then spread to others.
When asked how Nigeria could benefit from the free initiative, Sylva responded, “Your car should be in a fairly good condition. That is the only condition to be met because if your car is not in a very good condition, I don’t know how it is going to convert. We are already in discussion with the NURTW and they are already very happy,” the minister said.
When asked how Nigeria could benefit from the free initiative, Sylva responded, “Your car should be in a fairly good condition. That is the only condition to be met because if your car is not in a very good condition, I don’t know how it is going to convert. We are already in discussion with the NURTW and they are already very happy,” the minister said
When asked how Nigeria could benefit from the free initiative, Sylva responded, “Your car should be in a fairly good condition. That is the only condition to be met because if your car is not in a very good condition, I don’t know how it is going to convert. We are already in discussion with the NURTW and they are already very happy,” the minister said.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the killing of two operatives on Monday by bandits.s
Ten other personnel were abducted when gunmen attacked their buses en route to the FRSC Academy in Udi, Enugu State.
Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, confirmed the incident in a statement.
The official said the operatives travelling from Sokoto and Kebbi States were ambushed and attacked at Udege junction, along Mararaban-Udege between Adoka, Nasarawa State, at about 8am.
A total of 26 officers were travelling in two buses, the spokesman said.
One died during the attack, another died in the hospital, four were injured, eight escaped unhurt, and ten others kidnapped by the assailants.
Kazeem disclosed that FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, has reported the incident to the relevant authorities.
