2 killed, 5 injured in multiple crashes on Eko Bridge (Nation)
Two persons were on Wednesday confirmed dead and five seriously injured in multiple accidents on Eko Bridge, Lagos.
The accident was said to have involved six private vehicles and a truck with registration number T-1501LA.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, who confirmed the accident in a statement, listed the other vehicles as Lexus Jeep (LSP795EW), Toyota Camry (AKD606HH), Toyota (LND217GX), Mini bus (FKJ77YG and another vehicle with registration number LSR952HZ. Read more
NPC set for census, awaiting Tinubu’s directive, says Federal Commissioner (Tribune)
The National Population Commission (NPC) says it has put everything in place to conduct the 2023 population and housing census,
Clifford Zirra, NPC Federal Commissioner in Adamawa, disclosed that the commission was only waiting for instructions from President Bola Tinubu to start the exercise.
Zirra spoke on Wednesday in Yola during an interactive session with media executives on the status of preparations for the census. Read more
Naira inches towards N1000/$1 at parallel market (DailyTrust)
The naira plunged to a record low of N925/$1 on the parallel market yesterday as demand for foreign currency outstripped supply.
This is the aftermath of liberalising the foreign exchange regime, which is a clear departure of what obtained during the Presidential Muhammadu Buhari- led administration.
At a time during the last administration, the World Bank and other agencies, as well as experts in banking, finance and economy had at different times said having official and parallel value for the naira was hurting the economy and at the same time making a few privileged people pocketing billions of dollars without producing anything as they get the forex from the CBN at official rate and instantly sell same at the black market. Read more
Illegal checkpoint: IGP squad arrests Police, Immigration officers (Vanguard)
There was pandemonium and confusion along the Badagry-Seme Expressway, yesterday, as Police officers believed to be under the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Special Squad arrested some Policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, during a raid on illegal checkpoints on the Seme-Badagry Expressway.
Vanguard gathered that the IGP squad chased and arrested some police officers and other security agents found at some of the checkpoints, believed to have been created purely to extort.
The development may not be unconnected with the recent meeting between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi and IGP, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, and their resolve to free the axis, which serves as the Lagos-Abidjan corridor of illegal checkpoints. Read more
Why extension of UTME result validity is impracticable, by Oloyede (Guardian)
The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has faulted calls for extending validity of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result beyond one year.
Oloyede, who spoke during a courtesy visit with his management team to the corporate headquarters of The Guardian, said persons calling for the extension failed to consider issues involved.
The JAMB boss, who met with the editorial board of The Guardian, said: “The examination we are conducting cannot be banked because it is a ranking examination; it is not an examination that determines full assessment of the candidate. Read more
FG, Emefiele resume battle over bail today (Sun)
Suspended former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and the Federal Government are set for fresh legal battle today, as the Federal High Court in Lagos hears two fresh applications filed by both parties.
Emefiele had instituted a suit to halt his further prosecution over alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by the Federal Government. He is also requesting the court to discharge him from all offences preferred against him by the Department of State Services (DSS). Emefiele filed an application before the court through his lawyers, led by Joseph Dauda (SAN), seeking the reliefs before Justice Nicholas Oweibo. Read more
Uproar over Lagos LCDA boss’ N650k Aso-Ebi for 50th birthday party (Leadership)
Residents of Ikosi-Ketu area of Lagos have expressed their displeasure on the way and manner the Chairperson of the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) of Lagos State, Princess Samiat Abolanle Bada, was going about her planned 50th birthday celebration by introducing an Aso-Ebi attire worth N650,000 while the masses were still grappling with the effect of petrol subsidy removal by the federal government, which has increased almost the price of all commodities across the country.
This is even as a group named ‘Concerned Ikosi-Isheri LCDA Residents’ had reportedly filed a petition against the Chairperson of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA for allegedly selling N650,000 worth of fabric for her upcoming Golden Jubilee birthday bash. Read more
Niger Coup: Sanusi meets junta leaders, briefs Tinubu (Vanguard)
As Heads of States of the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, meet in Abuja today to take a position on the military junta in Niger Republic, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, 14th Emir of Kano, yesterday met with the coup leaders in Niamey, the country’s capital.
Sanusi’s meeting with the coup leaders came as Niger’s former rebel leader launched an anti-coup movement in the first sign of internal resistance in the country.
This is even as the French government yesterday rejected accusations by Niger’s new military rulers that it freed “terrorists” and violated the country’s air space. Read more
Knocks trail Akpabio’s statement on senators getting ‘‘holiday allowance’’ (Punch)
Nigerians have taken to social media to knock the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio after he revealed that senators have been sent money to enable them to enjoy their holiday.
In the viral video posted on Wednesday morning, Akpabio was heard saying the National Assembly Clerk has disbursed funds to all senators to enable them to enjoy their holiday.
“In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the clerk of the national assembly.” Read more
American nurse, daughter freed after being kidnapped in Haiti last month (CNN)
American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter have been released after they were kidnapped 13 days ago from the community ministry where Dorsainvil works in Haiti, the organization said.
“It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince, Haiti. Today we are praising God for answered prayer,” the statement said.
The organization asked that no one contact Dorsainvil or her family saying, “There is still much to process and to heal from in this situation.” Read more
The Band founder, Robbie Robertson, dead at 80 (FarOut)
Robbie Robertson, the co-founder, lead guitarist, and main songwriter for roots rock icons The Band, has died. He was 80 years old.
Robertson began his career as a side musician for Canadian rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. It was there that Robertson first met his future bandmates: bassist Rick Danko, keyboardists Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson, and American drummer Levon Helm.
Known as The Hawks, Robertson and his bandmates first joined Bob Dylan in 1965, just as Dylan was planning on embracing electric instruments. The Hawks accompanied Dylan at many of his most controversial shows that year, including his infamous “Judas” performance in Manchester in 1966. Read more
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 15th week (AS)
Morgan Wallen‘s hit song “Last Night” has again reached the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for its 15th week, tying Harry Styles’ “As It Was” for the longest-running No. 1 song featuring no accompanying musicians.
Other songs in this week’s Billboard Hot 100‘s Top 10 include two from Travis Scott, who just released his new album Utopia on July 28. Scott’s track, “Meltdown,” featuring Drake currently sits at No. 3, while his song featuring Playboi Carti is now No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
“Last Night” is a single from Wallen’s third studio album, “One Thing at a Time” which was released on March 3. American Songwriter talked with Wallen about his new record earlier this year. “As long as I’m being honest and true to myself, I feel like I can do whatever I want,” Wallen said. “This record represents the last few years of my life, the highs, and the lows.” Read more
27 Latino organisations unite in support for ‘‘Blue Beetle’’ during Hollywood strikes (Variety)
Latinos were optimistic about making a great stride in representation in the summer box office season with films like “Blue Beetle,” the first superhero movie directed and written by and starring Latinos. However, writers and actors aren’t able to promote their projects during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as guild members advocate for new contracts. So multiple Latino organizations have united and signed an open letter calling on the community to “amplify the work that countless Latino artists have worked so hard to create.”
Signed by 27 Latino Hollywood orgs – such as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), LA Collab, Latino Film Institute, National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) – the letter is a call to action with the hashtag #SupportLatinoCreatives proposed to back the creatives and their stories. Read more
Barbie no longer a go in Kuwait; Lebanon looks to ban pic for “promoting homosexuality” (Deadline)
Deadline has confirmed that Warner Bros’ billion-dollar grossing Barbie won’t be getting a release in Kuwait, and it’s skating on thin ice in Lebanon.
While local censorship authorities in Kuwait have deemed the Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling pic as going against the grain of their values; Lebanon, which is typically liberal when it comes to LGBTQ+ content, feels the pic “promote homosexuality and sexual transformation” and “contradicts values of faith and morality.” This is according to Lebanon Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada in a Reuters piece.
Mortada is reportedly backed by the powerful Shi’ite armed group Hezbollah, whose head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is against the LGBT community to severe degrees. Lebanon was the first Arab country to hold a gay pride week in 2017 and has been known as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community in the conservative Middle East. Read more
Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event (Fox)
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been killed in an armed attack at a campaign rally in the capital, according to the country’s president Guillermo Lasso and local media reports.
Lasso confirmed the killing of Villavicencio on social media Wednesday.
“Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. My solidarity and condolences to his wife and daughters,” Lasso said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Sixto Rodriguez: Searching for Sugar Man singer dies aged 81 (BBC)
Sixto Rodriguez, the musician and subject of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died aged 81.
His daughter announced that the Detroit-born singer died on Tuesday.
Rodriguez launched his career in 1967 but initially struggled to find success in his native US and was ultimately dropped by his record label.
However, his music gradually developed a cult following overseas, and his records enjoyed significant sales and airplay in South Africa and Australia. Read more
Amusan missing as AFN lists Ese Brume, others for World Championship (Leadership)
The suspended World 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan, has been left out of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) list of athletes that will fly Nigeria’s flag at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The athletics body on Tuesday unveiled 22 athletes for the competition that will run from August 19 to 27 with Amusan conspicuously missing even as all the athletes that made their mark and meet up with the required time during the AFN’s trial at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, were listed for the Budapest championships.
Recall that the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had handed Amusan a provisional suspension for allegedly missing drug tests. Read more
Waldrum missing as Super Falcons arrive Nigeria after World Cup heroics (DailyTrust)
The Super Falcons have arrived in the country after their second-round finish at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand/Australia.
They arrived in Lagos from Australia yesterday afternoon at Murtala Muhammed Airport without head coach, Randy Waldrum, who left the camp on Tuesday and returned to his base in the United States.
His contract expires after the World Cup, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to make any comment on extending the deal with the American manager. Read more
Rangers edge Champions League opener after last season’s horror show (France24)
Rangers gained a narrow advantage in their Champions League opener on Wednesday as the Scottish side returned to Europe where last season they suffered six humbling defeats.
Rangers edged out Servette of Switzerland 2-1 in the first leg of their final qualifying round tie at Ibrox.
The Swiss may be slight favourites to progress to the play-off round when the two sides clash in the second leg next Tuesday, but at least Rangers went some way to erasing the pain of their last continental adventure. Read more
Premier League chief admits mid-season break may have to be scrapped (Telegraph)
The Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has admitted that the league can no longer guarantee it will accommodate the mid-season break introduced in 2020, because of pressure on the expanding number of games played elsewhere.
Masters said that the concept – known officially as a mid-season player break – was now under discussion with the Football League [EFL] and Football Association. It has been accommodated this season, but with the football calendar to go through a transformation from the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, there is unlikely to be the space to continue with it. Read more
Daniil Medvedev wins Toronto opener, 1st match since Wimbledon (ESPN)
Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev returned to competition Wednesday in the National Bank Open, beating Matteo Arnaldi 6-2, 7-5.
The 2021 winner in Toronto, Medvedev played his first match since losing in the Wimbledon semifinals.
“I felt great,” Medvedev said. “I could have done a little bit better in the second set, but at the same time I saved breakpoints in two or three games, so it was a pretty good match. From here, I need to improve.” Read more
Pliskova, Azarenka win WTA openers at rain-hit Montreal (France24)
Former world number ones Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka advanced after rain delays on Monday’s first day of the WTA Montreal Open hardcourt tournament.
Czech standout Pliskova beat China’s Zhu Lin to book a second-round berth against current world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning US and French Open champion.
Pliskova, the runner-up at Montreal in 2021, needed two hours and 22 minutes to eliminate Zhu 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2. Read more