Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa has been ordered to pay a fine of 543,000 euros ($608,000) after admitting to defrauding Spanish tax authorities of more than a million euros, judicial sources said Thursday.

Costa, 31, was sentenced to six months in jail, but instead agreed to pay an additional fine of 36,000 euros on top of his initial fine to avoid serving time, as is customary in Spain for prison terms of under two years for non-violent crimes.

The Spain international was accused of failing to declare payments totalling over 5.15 million euros from his move to Chelsea in 2014.

He also concealed more than one million euros in image rights.

The Spain international last year paid “1.14 million euros, fully repaying his tax debt, interest included”, which facilitated the deal struck with Spanish prosecutors, a court decision was seen by AFP read.

Costa, who rejoined Atletico in 2017, appeared in a Madrid court on Thursday wearing a mask due to the coronavirus pandemic, for a short hearing to finalise the agreement with prosecutors.

Spanish tax authorities have pursued a number of top footballers in recent years, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging
Governor Willie Obiano to direct the Anambra State Signage and
Advertisement Agency to as a matter of urgency, reactivate house
numbering in Anambra State.

The resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored to that effect by the
member representing Ogbaru Two Constituency, Sir Somtoochukwu Udeze
during yesterday’s plenary in Awka.

Throwing more light on the motion, Honourable Udeze explained that
house numbering will aid data collection, increase revenue for the
state, provide convenient, accurate and systematic means of property
identification for owners, residents and visitors among others.

On his part, the member representing Idemmili South Constituency,
Honourable Chuka Ezenwune noted that house numbers are not only
expedient for finding addresses but also necessary for emergency
responders to locate those in need, when responding to any emergency.
Lending his voice, the member representing Njikoka One Constituency,
Dr. Timothy Ifedioramma described the motion as a welcome development
as residents of unnumbered or poorly numbered streets or areas are put
at a disadvantage and even imperiled during emergency.

Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Uche Okafor, who noted that the
implementation of the motion will arrest the difficulties associated
with finding addresses in the state, read out the resolution to the
House, while the lawmakers supported it through a voice vote.

FEDERAL Government  has given indications of reopening schools on July 13, 2020, for final year, Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) students.

This was made know by Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha during COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja, yesterday.

According to the SGF, Federal Goverment intends to reopen schools for the final year students, SSCE and primary six students, contrary to his statement on Monday, that schools shall remain closed until further evaluations.

“This decision is imperative as these people that fall under this category will be able to take their exams so as to take a step ahead.”

This announcement came barely two days after the second phase of the lockdown ended.

The Task Force Committee said it was working in systematic and fact based way to ensure all its decision making was informed by the best public health data and global best practices that ensure safe re-opening.

He revealed that consultations to various stakeholders have already started and additional consultations on Memorandum of Understanding being dispatched to various learning institutions and other sectors for their views on the proposed reopening for safety.

Schools will however be re-opened for all students later when federal government is convinced that lives of students will be safe while at school.

Turkish Super Lig leaders, Trabzonspor has been handed a one year ban by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for breaching its Financial Fair Play regulations.

The European football governing body said this on Wednesday June 3 in a statement which revealed that the Turkish club “failed to be break-even compliant as required by a settlement agreement, which it entered into on 20 May 2016”.

The ban would be applied if the club qualifies for European soccer next season or in 2021-22, but would not be implemented after that. The statement reads in part;

"On 5 July 2019, the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) Adjudicatory Chamber determined that Trabzonspor A? (TUR) failed to be break-even compliant as required by a settlement agreement, which it entered into on 20 May 2016 and sanctioned the club with a conditional exclusion from participating in one (1) UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons," UEFA said in a statement.

"The sanction would not take effect if the club fulfilled certain conditions, including meeting a target with respect to its financial results for the 2019 financial year.

"The CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber has now determined that Trabzonspor A? failed to meet the target fixed for the 2019 financial year.

"As a result, the CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber has ordered that the club be excluded from participating in one (1) UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons."

The FFP rules were introduced in 2011 and were designed to stop teams spending more than they generate themselves, a move aimed mainly at stopping rich club owners from buying success with large cash injections.

AC Milan and Manchester City have both been barred from European football for breaking the rules, although the latter have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Trabzonspor who have not played since mid-March due to the Coronavirus pandemic, are level on points with Istanbul Basaksehir at the Super Lig summit with eight games remaining.

Ahead of the June 21 date for the resumption of domestic flights in the country , the Federal Government has said only five airports will be operational while others are to remain closed for further assessment .

This was contained in a circular to airlines signed by the Director - General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority , Capt . Musa Nuhu .

In the circular dated June 1 , the regulator stressed that the country’ s airspace was still closed to international flights while domestic flights could start from June 21 , as announced on Monday by the Presidential Task Force on COVID - 19.

Nuhu said , “ The closure of Nigerian airports to domestic flights has been extended to 2300 hrs on 20th June 2020 .

“ The gradual start of domestic flight operations will commence on 21st June 2020 with Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja , Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos , Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano , Omagwa International Airport Port Harcourt , and Sam Mbakwe Airport Owerri.

“ Other airports will be gradually added to the network after a review and assessment . ”

The country’ s airports and airspace were shut in March by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ), as part of efforts to contain the COVID - 19 pandemic .

Commercial flight operations , both local and international , had stopped forthwith but the President ’ s directive allowed the operation of essential flights , including those for medical and evacuation purposes.

However , during its briefing in Abuja on June 1 , the PTF asked the aviation sector to begin to develop protocols that would lead to the resumption of domestic flights any time from June 21.

PTF National Coordinator , Sani Aliyu , said , “ The aviation industry is requested to start developing protocols to allow for domestic flights to resume anytime from the 21 st of June onwards.

His Excellency Chief Dr Willie Mmaduabuchukwu Obiano Ebube-Dike Aguleri the executive governor of Anambra State

*Highlights of new Anambra State burial law*

1. All burial/funeral ceremonies of indigenous deceased persons *must* be registered with the town union of the deceased persons. Registration fee is NGN1,500

2. No person *must* erect any billboard, banner or posters of any kind of deceased persons in the State. 100k fine or 6 months jail term or both for violation.

3. Persons are allowed to erect only directional posts (such as the ones leading to the venue). Must not be erected before seven days to the burial date and must be removed not later than seven days after the burial date. 100k fine or 6 months jail term or both for violation

4. Corpse *must* not be deposited in the mortuary or any other place beyond 2 months from the date of death. 100k fine or 6 months jail term or both for violation.

5. No blocking of road/street because of burial except with the approval of the appropriate local govt authority.

6. No public display of casket for purposes of fabrication and sale. 50k fine or 1 month jail term or both for violation.

7. Deceased family *must* clear outstanding levies owed to the community or religious body before the funeral ceremony.

8. There *must* be no Wake of any kind for any deceased person in the State. All vigil Mass, service of songs or religious activity for the deceased person prior to the burial *must* end by 9:00pm. There *must* be no food, drink, life band or cultural entertainers during and after vigil Mass, service of songs or religious activity for the deceased person.

9. All burial/funeral ceremonies for any deceased person in the State *must* be for one day.

10. All burial Mass/services *must* start not later than 9:00 am and *must not* last more than 2 hours.

11. No preserved corpse must be exposed for more than 30 minutes from the time of exposition . It could be kept in a room under lock and key.

12. All condolence visits after any burial/funeral ceremony must not exceed one day.

13. During a condolence visit, no person must give to the deceased person’s family, as a condolence gift, any item exceeding money, one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drink.

14. No deceased person’s family must give out any souvenir during burial/funeral ceremony.

15. For Ibuna Ozu Nwa Ada, there must be no demand of more than 10k by the maiden family of the deceased woman.

16. Undertakers at any burial ceremony must not exceed 6 in number. There must be no dancing with the casket by the undertakers.

17. Wearing of special uniform/aso ebi is restricted to: (1) immediate family of the deceased person, (2) church groups, and (3) umunna, umu ada and iyom di, where applicable.

18. Provision of food/drinks is *not* compulsory. It is at the discretion of the bereaved family.

19. No burial on any local market day of the town. For Ifitedunu, no burial on Nkwo market day.

20. Umuada of the deceased person’s family must stay only on the day of the Wake and the burial/funeral.

21. No more custom of Ndi Youth demonstrating with the picture of the deceased person within the town.

22. No destruction of cash crops, economic plants, household utensils/ properties by Ndi Youth, condolence visitors, masquerade or any other person.

23. No use of any type of guns except Nkponana.

24. No brochure of the deceased person except for Order of Mass/service.

25. All condolence registers during any burial/funeral ceremony must be kept at a convenient corner on the premises.

26. There shall be no second funeral rites after burial except in the case of legacy.

27. Commissioner for Lands is required to create State burial ground in every community. Rejected corpses and unidentified corpses will be buried there. A “rejected corpse” is a corpse deposited in a mortuary for more than two months. Every mortuary attendant is bound to report to the Ministry of Health any corpse that has stayed beyond one (1) month from the date it was deposited. Failure to notify the Govt is an offence.

28. There will be Monitoring and Implementation Committees. Members will be paid such remuneration as may be determined by the town union of the town. The Town Monitoring Committee is responsible for (1) registering all deaths in the town, (2) giving clearance for every burial/funeral ceremony in the town, and (3) submitting records of the implementation of the Law to the Department of Town Union and Chieftaincy Matters in the State. The Implementation Committee must be present at any burial ceremony to observe the implementation of the Law. Obstruction of the Committee is an offence and attracts a fine of 50k.

29. Contravention of the provisions of the Law is an offence punishable by 100k fine or six months jail term.

30. Magistrate Court has jurisdiction to try offences under the Law.

The Anambra State government has said that it won’t risk the lives of children and students by reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 10,000 people in Nigeria.

The State Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, made this known while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Awka, adding that the decision not to open schools came from the Federal Government.

Omenugha also urged teachers to focus on online education and stop pressuring the state government about reopening schools as that won’t happen until the Federal Government gives such directives.

She said, “Government knows what it is doing. So, we are not going to reopen the schools and risk the lives of our children to the COVID-19 pandemic because some teachers are calling on us to resume.

“When schools were shut down on March 24 because of coronavirus pandemic, we decided to engage school children in something meaningful instead of leaving them to idle away.

Nigeria’s domestic airspace, shut in March in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is now set for a re-opening.

The federal government has asked the aviation sector to begin developing protocols that will lead to the resumption of domestic flights from June 21.

National coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, said during a briefing on Monday, June 1, that

“the aviation industry is requested to start developing protocols to allow for domestic flights to resume anytime from the 21st of June onwards.

“Airlines must ensure physical distancing by reducing passenger capacity and ensure the provision of sanitisers and personal protective equipment as well as carrying out temperature checks at the point of entry and departure and ensuring that airports are not congested by either travelers or airports staff.”

Legendary Reggae star, Majekodunmi Fasheke, popularly known as Majek Fashek died in New York on June 1.

It has now been revealed that he died after battling with cancer for almost a year, according to Vanguard.

The news of his death was announced by artiste manager Joy Tongo. Majek Fashek's manager, Uzoma Day Omenka confirmed the news on the singer’s Instagram page on Tuesday morning. According to him, he died at 11.45 pm June 1, 2020, Nigerian time.

He also confirmed the singer died in New York, not in London where he was previously receiving treatment. Uzoma said the doctors advised he should be moved close to his family, which influenced his being moved to New York where his wife and three sons live.

He said Majek was separated from his family for 10 years until last year September when they were reunited on the advice of his doctors that he should be close to his family.

“We moved him from London to New York last September on the advice of the doctors that he should stay close to the family. Majek reunited with his family last year after 10 years of separation. He died in their company, ” Uzoma said.

Majek, who was born on March 7, 1963, was 57 years old when he died.

Details of his funeral arrangement will be made available in due time.