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UK in Fresh Lockdown over Surge in COVID-19

Published

4 years ago

January 5, 2021

Eric

The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, imposed another lockdown on England as a result of a more transmissible variant of COVID-19, CNN reports.

Mr Johnson in a nationwide broadcast said, “It is clear that we need to do more to bring this new variant under control. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home.”

The lockdown is expected to remain in place at least through the middle of February.

During his televised address to the nation, Mr Johnson reimposed measures seen during the first lockdown, including closures of secondary and primary schools to all except the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

“People will be allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons like shopping for essentials, exercise, and medical assistance.”

Mr Johnson also said people could still leave home “to escape domestic abuse” — an issue that arose earlier during the pandemic, as isolation and lockdown conditions exacerbated barriers to escape for victims of domestic violence.

“Outdoor sports venues will have to close. But unlike spring’s lockdown, nurseries will not be shuttered, elite sports can go ahead, and places of worship will remain open on the basis that attendees adhere to social distancing rules.”

Hours before, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a lockdown that will begin at midnight, Tuesday, local time. Wales and Northern Ireland — the other nations of the UK — are already in lockdown.

CNN reports that the UK is back in crisis mode as new daily COVID-19 cases soared above 50,000 cases for nearly a week, and hospitalizations exceed April’s peak.

According to Mr Johnson, there were 30 per cent more COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England on Monday than a week earlier.

UK Chief Medical Officers and the NHS England Medical Director have advised that the country enter the highest coronavirus alert level for the first time in the pandemic, he added. The measure is in response to hospitalizations that could overwhelm the country’s National Health Service (NHS) in the next 21 days.

“Many parts of the health systems in the four nations are already under immense pressure. There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of COVID patients in hospitals and in intensive care

“We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days,” UK Chief Medical Officers said, adding that the new variant, believed to have originated in the UK, has led to rising cases “almost everywhere.”

According to a recent update, the United Kingdom has recorded over 2,713,563 cases and about 75,431 deaths.

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Suspect Who Killed, Butchered ‘Girlfriend’ Says He Has No Regrets

Published

4 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Eric

Alleged gospel singer, Timileyin Ajayi, 32, has admitted to killing 24-year-old Salome Adaidu, a corps member serving in Abuja.

Ajayi, arrested on Sunday, January 12, while conveying Adaidu’s severed head to an unknown location, claimed jealousy and infidelity pushed him to commit the crime when the deceased visited his residence in New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.

According to a video shared by Channels TV, Ajayi while speaking during his parade at the Nasarawa State Police Command headquarters in Lafia, confessed to dismembering the deceased body after the murder.

Ajayi, who lives in the Pablana area, was caught around Angwan Bako near the Kaja Estate in the New Karu LGA when conveying the severed head of Salome to an undisclosed destination on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as ‘okada’.

“Consequently, an angry mob descended on the suspect, and upon receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police directed police personnel to move to the scene immediately.

“They raced to the scene and rescued the suspect from being lynched. The suspect was then taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. A follow-up investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at the suspect’s residence, where the remains of the lady who was later identified as Eliojo Salomey, 24 years old of Yanyan, FCT, Abuja, and a serving corp member, were recovered,” the Nasarawa police spokesperson Nansel Ramhan, said in a statement sent to The ICIR in the evening of Monday, January 13.

According to the police report, Ajayi used a knife and machetes to kill and dismember her body, placing the parts in multiple polythene bags.

He was subsequently paraded at the Nasarawa State Police Command headquarters.

“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time. It’s not something I planned. It happened on that day and it happened. Not that I had the plan in mind, she was cheating.

“She hides most of the things from me most times. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided (to kill her),” he said.

When asked if he regretted his actions, he said he had no regret as he explained that the victim must reap the consequence of her infidelity.

Source: ICIR

News

Court Sacks Pro-Wike Rivers PDP Chairman

Published

1 day ago

January 14, 2025

Eric

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, sacked Chukwuemeka Aaron, as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Chukwuemeka is a loyalist of the former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Stephen Jumbo, in his ruling, nullified the PDP ward, local government and State congresses held in July 2024.

The development is coming barely one month after another High Court nullified the ward, local government and State congresses of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

The ruling sacked another Wike’s loyalist, Chief Tony Okocha, as the Rivers State chairman of the APC.

The court’s decision to sack the PDP chairman followed a dispute over the legitimacy of the PDP congresses.

The congresses were conducted by a faction of the party loyal to Wike.

A State High Court presided over by Justice Charles Wali had on July 20, 2024, stopped the PDP from going ahead with the ward, local government and State congresses.