April 2020

Saudi Announces Ramadan Starts Friday Amid Virus Fears

Saudi Announces Ramadan Starts Friday Amid Virus Fears

April 23, 2020 6:19 pm

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, has announced that the holy fasting month of Ramadan will start Friday, as Muslims worldwide face unprecedented restrictions to counter coronavirus.

“Based on the sighting of the new month’s moon … it has been decided that Friday is the start of the month of Ramadan,” the royal court said Thursday in a statement cited by the SPA news agency.

King Salman said he is saddened that Muslims cannot pray at mosques because of coronavirus restrictions.

“I am pained that the holy month arrives amid circumstances that make us unable to perform group prayers …

Hundreds Willing To Be Infected For Vaccine Trials

Hundreds Willing To Be Infected For Vaccine Trials

April 23, 2020 2:43 pm

An initiative has attracted more than 1,700 volunteers who say they would be willing to intentionally be infected with the coronavirus as part of a controversial testing method that advocates say could speed the development of a vaccine. 

The group, 1Day Sooner, says 1,754 people have signed up as volunteers for a so-called human challenge trials as of Thursday, according to its website.

Advocates say the trials could vastly speed up development of a cure compared to a more standard approach, in which a large population is given potential vaccines or placebos and left to regular environmental exposures over a

…
China To Give WHO $30m After Trump Freezes Funding

China To Give WHO $30m After Trump Freezes Funding

April 23, 2020 2:42 pm
China has said it will give another $30 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), to help in the fight against COVID-19.

This comes days after US president, Donald Trump, said he would freeze funding to the health organization.

Foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, says the new donation would be in addition to an initial $20million and would help “strengthen developing countries’ health systems”.

Read Also: Coronavirus Not Reported To WHO On Time – Pompeo Insists

He added that China’s contribution to the UN agency “reflects the support and trust of the Chinese government and people for the WHO”.

The

…
Ramadan - Should Muslim Doctors Engage In fasting

Ramadan: Should Muslim Doctors Engage In fasting?

April 23, 2020 2:42 pm
New York City – Dr Ahmed Hozain intends to wake up around 4am on Friday and begin the first day of his Ramadan fasting. For 15 hours, the 32-year-old surgery resident and lung transplant researcher plans to abstain from eating, drinking, chewing gum and taking medicine as he goes through his daily routine, which now includes caring for more than a dozen COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit at the Brooklyn hospital where he works.

Hozain has been fasting since he was 10 years old, and although some days are harder than others, he generally feels good. He is

…
Biafra Youth Group Warns Govt Against Lockdown Extension

Biafra Youth Group Warns Govt Against Lockdown Extension

April 23, 2020 2:41 pm
A youth organisation, the Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, on Thursday warned that any “further extension of the COVID-19 lockdown could lead to the kidnap of government officials in coastal areas.

Read Also: FG Wants Everybody To Test Positive – Biafra Group

BNYL also warned that the lockdown extension may result in resistance against security agencies at state borders because of boredom among the people.

“People are already tired of staying idle and are no longer afraid of Coronavirus.” The group said

The group’s Deputy National Leader, Ebuta Takon Akor gave the warning while reacting to the decision of

…
COVID-19 Kills 1200 People In Africa, With 25,000 Cases

Africa: COVID-19 Hits 25,000 Cases In 24hrs, 1200 Deaths

April 23, 2020 2:40 pm
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, has said the number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa has risen to over 25,000 in the past 24 hours.

The UN’s health agency gave the update on its official Twitter account, @WHOAFRO, on Thursday.

Read Also: Coronavirus: Two Cats Test Positive For COVID-19 In US

According to the tweet, COVID-19 had killed 1200 people, while 6,700 patients have recovered.

“Over 25,000 #COVID19 cases reported on the African continent – with over 6,700 associated recoveries and 1,200 deaths,’’ it said.

The WHO African Region COVID-19 dashboard showed that

…
President Buhari Gets International Appointment

President Buhari Gets International Appointment

April 23, 2020 2:40 pm
President Muhammadu Buhari has been appointed the coordinator of the COVID-19 response in West Africa.

This was made known by Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Spokesman.

Adesina said the appointment was made during a video conference on Thursday.

Read Also: IPPIS: Buhari Surrenders, Orders Payment Of Salaries

He tweeted, “the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, leaders at an extraordinary summit held by video conference have appointed President Muhammadu Buhari as the Champion to coordinate the COVID-19 response in the sub-region.

“All the other Presidents will be available to support President Buhari.”

Meanwhile, according to the John Hopkins University,

…
Bayelsa Community Youths Threaten AGIP Oil Over Contract

Bayelsa Community Youths Threaten AGIP Oil Over Contract

April 23, 2020 2:40 pm

The people of Okoroma Clan in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have issued a 14 days ultimatum to a multinational oil company, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), to refrain from awarding contracts belonging to them to others in the state or consider shutting down their activities in the area.

The clan issued the ultimatum on the 16th April 2020 through a socio-political group, Okoroma Volunteers.

The people of the area also demanded that the company renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with them in 2006 that had since expired in 2011.

Read Also: Bayelsa: Chevron, Host

…
Lebanese Govt Arrests Man For Putting Woman Up For Sale

Lebanese Govt Arrests Man For Putting Woman Up For Sale

April 23, 2020 2:39 pm
Lebanese government has arrested its citizen, Wael Jerro, who announced the sale of a Nigerian woman on Facebook.

Africa Daily News had reported that Jerro, who resides in Beirut Lebanon, sent in an image alongside the data page of the 30-year-old Nigerian, Peace Busari Ufuoma to a Facebook group called ‘Buy and Sell Lebanon.’

The culprit had placed a $1,000 bill on the domestic worker.

Read Also: General Charged With Drug Trafficking Surrenders To U.S.

However, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) on Thursday announced that the suspect has been arrested.

She, therefore, commended the Nigerian

…
Stop Hiding Under Aso Rock Bed – Deji Adeyanju To Buhari

Stop Hiding Under Aso Rock Bed – Deji Adeyanju To Buhari

April 23, 2020 2:39 pm

The convener of pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, on Thursday challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to come out of hiding in Aso Rock and lead the fight against the Coronavirus.

Adeyanju enjoined Buhari to show leadership in tackling COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of many Nigerians.

Read Also: IPPIS: Buhari Surrenders, Orders Payment Of Salaries

In a statement he signed, the activist said Buhari’s alleged lackadaisical attitude of addressing Nigerians every two-weeks was unacceptable.

According to Adeyanju: “The President needs to show leadership. Every day, we watch the American President, Donald Trump, addressing Americans and meeting with his cabinet

…
States Govs Advised To Provide Square Meals for Nigerians

States Govs Advised To Provide Square Meals for Nigerians

April 23, 2020 2:38 pm

Following the demand for an inter-state two weeks lockdown, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has asked the 36 State Governors to give daily quality three square meals to residents of their states from their huge and unaccounted security votes.

HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko described the inter-State lockdown decision as ‘inhuman, wicked, atrocious and heartless.

The right group said that the 36 State governors whimsically reached an irrational and belated decision for a total lockdown for two weeks at the time that virtually all committed and civilized nations have managed to

…
COVID-19 - EU Leaders To Hold Summit On Recovery Plan

COVID-19: EU Leaders To Hold Summit On Recovery Plan

April 23, 2020 7:31 am

European Union (EU) leaders will hold a video summit on Thursday in a bid to agree on a shared fiscal response to a recession looming as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, though there is little hope of a breakthrough.

The best-case scenario would be for national leaders to agree on the broad of strokes of a long-term recovery plan, according to an EU official, while clarity on a strategy is likelier to emerge by June or July.

National leaders are expected to approve a 540-billion-euro (584 billion dollars) aid package already negotiated by their finance ministers to support jobs, …

TRENDING

Breaking

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

follow on social media

Facebook Twitter Youtube Telegram Linkedin

subscribe to newsletter

© 2018 - 2020 Africa digital news, New York
Powered by

People and Polity