2023: Tight security as Lagos APC holds gov’ship primary (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, members of the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, state Executive Council, leaders and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are leading other personalities at the party’s ongoing 2022 Governorship primary at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly, Onikan Stadium,Lagos Island.
Amid tight security comprising men of Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Lagos State Neighbourhood and Safety Corps, as of 12. 50pm, only one governorship aspirant out of the three was present in person, Sanwo-Olu.
Though, all necessary materials and officials, including officials of the independent national electoral commission are on ground for the exercise.
Five delegates from 245 wards across 20 recognized Local Government Areas are expected to cast their votes, totalling 1,225 delegates. Read more
Lagos State partners with Finland to boost its comprehensive schools programme (Sun)
The Lagos State government has partnered with Finland to boost the Ministry of Education’s, comprehensive school programme which was launched this year.
The state recently sent a group of selected teachers and coordinators in the programme on a two-week training course at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) in Finland and during this time (18th April – 1st May, 2022), the group was immersed in the workings of an education system long ranked the best in the world. The aim is to pick up on teaching methodologies and strategies which could be incorporated into the State’s Comprehensive Schools Programme for the best possible results.
Finland is widely acclaimed for its student-centered approach to learning, and education in the Scandinavian nation is built on a guiding principle where teachers are encouraged to develop their inner skills; collaborate with other professionals to improve the national curriculum; and this makes for constant innovation.
Adebayo Sodiq, a teacher from Lagos Education District I1, alongside his colleagues, witnessed innovation first-hand when he sat in at a project presentation on recycling plastic to form rings, earrings, and other items at Ylojarvi Upper Secondary School. He said: “I was impressed by the confidence of the students and the obvious depth of their know-how. It was also an eye-opener on how learning can move from the pages of textbooks into practical and useful purposes.” Read more
Lagos Community laments three months power outage (Independent)
Residents of Ebute-Meta (West), Lagos Mainland Local Government of Lagos State have lamented three months of power outage in the area.
The residents said Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) totally disconnected electricity supply to their community.
They also lamented alleged extortion by officials of EKEDC despite the staggering electricity supply.
Chairman, Apapa Road and Ebute Meta Electricity Committee, Mr. Dapo Williams, spoke on the consequences of the power outage on residents and business owners. Read more
Alleged Pension Fraud: Court adjourns ex-HoS Oronsaye’s case until Oct 5 (Nation)
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the alleged pension fraud trial involving former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye until Oct. 5.
At the resumed hearing in the case on Thursday, Oronsaye was cross-examined by the prosecution counsel, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe.
The former Head of Service reiterated that he was both Principal Secretary and Permanent Secretary, State House and that he was appointed head of service in 2009.
When asked why he remained a signatory to an account he handled even while he longer worked at the state house, Oronsaye told the court that the then president asked him to continue managing the account.
The judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo thereafter adjourned the matter until Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 and ordered parties to obtain records of the proceedings in the case so far.
Oronsaye and his co-defendants are standing trial on charges of money laundering involving N2 billion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had alleged in the charges that the defendants siphoned the money through a biometric enrolment contract purportedly for the reform of the civil service pension system. Read more
Gunmen abduct foreign contractor in Ondo, kill driver and soldier attached to him (Channels)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a foreign contractor in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing his driver and a soldier attached to him.
An eyewitness said the assailants trailed the contractor, a Lebanese to the construction site at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, and killed his driver and the soldier, before whisking him away.
The source informed that the armed men who were masked and were about six or seven in number suddenly stormed the site, shooting sporadically into the air, while everyone else escaped from the scene. According to him, the remains of the driver and the soldier were later discovered at the scene.
The spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, SP ‘Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident to Channels Television in a telephone conversation. Read more
Nigerian Grammy Award winners Yemi Alade, Meji Alabi join global campaign against Malaria deaths (Tribune)
Yemi Alade and Meji Alabi join a stellar cast of international change-makers to turn up the pressure in the fight against malaria today, launching the second chapter of the multi-award-winning Draw the Line Against Malaria campaign.
In a world still reeling from the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with global health security and pandemic preparedness remaining at the top of world leaders’ agendas, the next chapter of the campaign aims to turn up the pressure on world leaders to commit to ending malaria at the Kigali Summit and investing funds totalling US$18 billion at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment in New York this Autumn.
Accounting for over half of global funding to end malaria, a fully replenished Global Fund is projected to enable countries and partners to reduce malaria deaths by 62 per cent, treat 550 million malaria cases, and eliminate malaria from six more countries by 2026, as well as unlock the potential of a Zero Malaria world, helping to strengthen equitable health systems and improve the lives and futures of millions of people.
Backed by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the second phase of Draw the Line is fronted by a stellar cast of young people, activists, scientists, and stars from Malaria No More UK Leadership Council founding member David Beckham and FC Barcelona striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, to marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and Afropop singer Yemi Alade.
Ex-Army General wins Kebbi State PDP governorship primary election (Guardian)
Retired Major General Aminu Mohammad Bande has been declared the winner of the Kebbi State Governorship Primary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Chairman of PDP Electoral Committee Peter Orubebe said that Bande scored 471 votes to defeat a former PDP national treasurer, Buhari Bala who polled 43 votes.
Another aspirant, a former Kaduna Electricity Commission Garba Haruna Argungu scored 22 votes while former Minister of Sports Dr. Samaila Sambawa had 21 votes and Ibrahim Abdullah Manga scored 126 votes.
General Bande thanked all the delegates and assured them of promoting unity within the party and the state in general. Read more
Colin Trevorrow wants Bryce Dallas Howard to direct a Jurassic World movie (FilmNews)
Colin Trevorrow wants his Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard to direct an instalment in the franchise.
In the dinosaur franchise, Howard, the daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard, plays Claire Dearing, who began as the operations manager of the Jurassic World theme park and has evolved into a dinosaur rights activist in the upcoming third movie.
Jurassic World Dominion aims to conclude Claire’s storyline and Trevorrow is keen for Howard to stay with the franchise, but in a directorial capacity.
“She knows I want (her to direct a Jurassic World film), so I’m not going to pretend,” he told Variety. “Bryce actually can direct whatever she wants, and if she would ever make that choice to come and make a Jurassic movie, we would consider that a tremendous privilege for us.” Read more
Jeff Bridges was ‘close to dying’ after getting COVID while on chemo (Variety)
Jeff Bridges revealed to People magazine that he was “pretty close to dying” after contracting COVID while on chemotherapy for cancer. The Oscar winner announced in October 2020 that he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Bridges told People that he had “a 12-by-9-inch tumor” in his body. “It was like a child in my body. It didn’t hurt or anything,” the actor said.
To fight the cancer, Bridges almost immediately started chemotherapy by infusion and then later oral chemotherapy. The chemo proved successful prior to the COVID diagnosis.
“They got a cocktail that worked, and oh man it worked fast,” Bridges said. “That thing just imploded,”
Bridges’ health nosedived in January 2021 when he contracted COVID. Because his chemotherapy treatments had severely weakened his immune system, Bridges’ body had no line of defense against the coronavirus. Read more
British model Kate Moss says Johnny Depp never threw her down any stairs (Alarabiya)
British model Kate Moss on Wednesday dismissed reports that her former boyfriend Johnny Depp once threw her down a flight of stairs, saying it never happened.
“He never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs,” said Moss, who was testifying as a witness at Depp’s defamation trial against his former wife Amber Heard.
The 58-year-old Depp filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Heard, 36, did not name the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star in the op-ed, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages. Read more
Justin Timberlake sells song catalogue to Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis for $100m
(TheWrap)
Justin Timberlake has sold his song catalog to the Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital, the company announced Thursday.
Terms weren’t disclosed, but individuals familiar with the deal told The Wall Street Journal that the former *NSYNC star’s catalogue was valued at just over $100 million.
Timberlake’s future music projects were not included in the deal, but as of close, he will no longer own any rights to past hits like “SexyBack” and “Cry Me a River.”
London-based Hipgnosis took on an initial $1 billion from Blackstone to launch music-rights management arm Hipgnosis Songs Capital late last year. Read more
Bob Dylan rerecords Blowin’ in the Wind for Christie’s auction (Guardian)
Bob Dylan has rerecorded his classic protest song Blowin’ in the Wind for the first time since it was tracked in July 1962. The new version is the debut release for Ionic Original, a new analogue format developed by Dylan’s long-term collaborator T Bone Burnett.
It is also highly exclusive: Ionic will produce one-of-a-kind aluminium discs painted with lacquer that features “a spiral etched into it by music”. Only one copy of the Dylan recording will be released, and is set to be auctioned by Christie’s in London on 7 July. It is expected to sell for between £600,000 and £1m.
Dylan recorded the new version of Blowin’ in the Wind last year, produced by Burnett. “Sixty years after Bob first wrote and recorded Blowin’ in the Wind, he is giving us a new recording of his song,” Burnett said in a press release. “One that is both deeply relevant for our times and resonant with decades of the artist’s life and experience.”
Blowin’ in the Wind was released on Dylan’s second studio album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, in May 1963. He had begun playing it a year earlier in Greenwich Village venues and first published the lyrics in Pete Seeger’s Broadside magazine, which was dedicated to folk and topical songs. Read more
Facebook owner Meta updates its privacy policy (BBC)
Millions of users of Meta products, including Facebook and Instagram, are to receive notifications of the firm’s updated privacy policies.
Meta says the changes are designed to make it easier to understand how customers’ information is used.
The company has previously been criticised by regulators and campaigners over its use of customers’ data.
WhatsApp and some other products are not covered by the update. Read more
Clinton campaign lawyer Sussmann will not testify for allegedly lying to FBI (NYPost)
The Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer on trial for allegedly lying to the FBI about his motivation for turning over since-debunked data purportedly linking Donald Trump to Russia will not testify in his own defense, he said in court Thursday.
As late as Wednesday, attorneys for Michael Sussmann, a former partner at powerhouse Democratic law firm Perkins Coie, said he was still contemplating whether to take the stand at his single-charge trial that’s spanned nearly two weeks in DC federal court.
Asked by Judge Christopher Cooper Thursday morning if he had spoken to his lawyers and decided not to testify, Sussmann replied, “Yes, your honour.”
The embattled attorney is accused of lying to former FBI General Counsel James Baker during a 2016 meeting in which Sussmann turned over data that allegedly tied the Trump Organization to a Russian bank with links to the Kremlin. Read more
Falcons’ Nnadozie wins top French Women’s league award (Nation)
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been awarded with the Bruno Martini Award for Goalkeeping Revelation of the Season in French women’s football, reports soccernet.ng.
The French Association of Professional Football Goalkeeper Coaches awarded the Paris FC goalkeeper for her excellent performance in the league. She helped Paris FC finish third in the league, as the capital team also qualified for a place in next season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The award is voted for by other goalkeepers, professional football goalkeeper coaches, and members of the goalkeeper coaches’ association.
Nnadozie was nominated alongside Stade de Reims goalkeeper, Emily Alvarado and Issy GPS goalkeeper, Colette Morche. Read more
NBBF stands by Kida’s mandate, denounces Interim Management Committee(Guardian)
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), yesterday, reaffirmed its support for the president of the Federation, Musa Kida, while denouncing the recent interim management committee set up by the Federal Government to manage basketball in the country.
The Federal Government, last week, pulled the country out of all international competitions for two years, citing the need to resolve the protracted NBBF leadership crisis. In NBBF’s stead, the government named an Interim Management Committee, led by Dr. Henry Nzekwu, to manage the sport for the two years.
But the NBBF, yesterday, rejected the arrangement, affirming their support for the Kida-led board as the only body saddled with administering basketball in the country. Read more
Real Madrid name Champions League final squad to face Liverpool with Gareth Bale included (Mirror)
Gareth Bale has been included in Real Madrid’s squad to face Liverpool in the Champions League final in what will be his final game for the club.
The Welshman is leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract, bringing an end to his nine-year stay in the Spanish capital. Ironically, his greatest moment for the club arguably came four years ago – when he netted twice as the Spanish giants defeated the Reds 3-1 in the Champions League final.
There are no notable absentees from Real Madrid’s squad for the final, with the club having a clean bill of health with no suspensions. Other players involved who look set to leave this summer include club captain Marcelo, Isco, Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz.
Bale has recently hit out at Spanish media outlet Marca as being “disgusting” for comparing him to a parasite over claims he is sucking money out of the Spanish giants. Bale concluded a rant against the reports by stating: “We all know who the real parasite is!” The forward had faced fresh criticism from the Madrid media after his starring role for Wales in their playoff win over Austria in March. Read more
Arsenal ‘close to signing’ Alvaro Morata as shock £26m transfer offer reportedly made (Football London)
Arsenal are close to signing former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata if reports in Spain are to be believed.
The north Londoners are in the market for a centre-forward after allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join Barcelona during the January transfer window, whilst Alexandre Lacazette is also set to leave when his contract expires in just over four weeks. football.london understands that Gabriel Jesus and Tammy Abraham are two names on the club’s shortlist of profiles, and technical director Edu has held talks with Jesus’ representatives in recent times.
However, Spanish outlet Sport have now reported that the Gunners are, in fact, pursuing Atletico Madrid’s Morata. Their report claims that Arsenal have lodged an offer of €30million (£26million) for the former Blues’ forward, and they are said to be ‘very close’ to securing his services.
AS have also reported that Mikel Arteta’s side are interested in the Spanish international. He spent last season on loan with Serie A outfit Juventus. It is so far unclear how concrete this alleged interest is but a move for Morata seems unlikely given his below-par goalscoring record. Read more
Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun (ABC)
Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone was arrested in Brazil on Wednesday for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane to Switzerland, local police said on Thursday.
The Brazilian police found an undocumented LW Seecamp .32 pistol in Ecclestone’s luggage during an X-ray screening, police said in a statement, adding that he was then arrested and taken to a facility at Viracopos airport in Campinas.
Ecclestone acknowledged owning the gun, but said he was unaware it was in his luggage at the time, police said. The Briton paid bail and was freed to travel to Switzerland.
Ecclestone, 91, is married to Brazilian-born Fabiana Ecclestone, an FIA vice-president and member of the World Motor Sport Council. Read more
Medvedev reaches 3rd round at French Open as 8th seed Pliskova crashes out (RFI)
Second seed Daniil Medvedev advanced to the last 32 at the French Open for the second consecutive year following a straight sets win over Laslo Djere from Serbia.
The 26-year-old Russian won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes.
He was solid rather than spectacular against an opponent who imploded at crucial points.
Serving to stay in the match, Djere served two double faults – the second bringing up match point – and then punched a straightforward backhand cross court drive into the net. Read more
Michelle Wie West decides to step away from golf at age of 32 (Guardian)
Michelle Wie West, who was once tipped to become the Tiger Woods of women’s golf, is stepping away from the LPGA tour at the age of 32.
Wie West told Golfweek that she will compete at the Women’s US Open next week and in 2023 but does not plan to play any other tournaments. She gave birth to her daughter, Makenna, in 2020 and says the rigours of the tour have affected her.
“At times, if I do play a lot of golf,” she said. “I’m just in bed. Or I can’t lift [Makenna] up, and that scares me.”Wie West first shot to fame as a 10-year-old when she became the youngest-ever player to qualify for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. More records followed as she won the Hawaii State Women’s Stroke Play Championship in her home state at the age of 11 and became the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA event a year later. When she was 14, she recorded the lowest score ever by a woman competing on the PGA Tour with a 68 at the Sony Open. She announced she was turning professional just before her 16th birthday and subsequently signed deals with Nike and Sony worth millions of dollars. Read more
