7 die in building collapse at Borno IDP camp (Punch)
Seven people were killed and two others injured when a building collapsed in a camp for people displaced by jihadist violence in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State, militia sources and a resident told AFP Tuesday.
A classroom sheltering scores of Internally Displaced Persons in the garrison town of Monguno caved in around 1930 GMT on Monday following torrential rains the previous day, the sources said.
“Seven people were killed in (the) incident and two others were injured and presently in hospital,” anti-jihadist militia leader Musa Kaka said. Read more
Cameroon notified us 7 days after opening Lagdo Dam – FG (DailyTrust)
The Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Clement Nze, yesterday said the notification on the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon came about seven days after the dam was opened.
He said this while featuring as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The National Emergency Management Agency had been informed about a note verbale from the Cameroonian High Commission that officials had resolved to open the floodgates of the Lagdo Dam in days ahead due to the heavy rainfall around the dam’s catchment area in Northern Cameroon. Read more
Rema’s ‘‘Calm Down’’ shatters records: 1 year on US Billboard (Guardian)
Nigerian singer Rema’s song “Calm Down” has made history by becoming the first song to spend one year on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart. The song, which features American singer Selena Gomez, was released in September 2022 and has been a steady hit ever since. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also reached number one on the Canadian Top Songs chart.
“Calm Down” is a blend of Afrobeats and pop, and its catchy melody and lyrics have made it a popular choice for listeners of all ages.
Rema’s success with “Calm Down” is a result of the growing popularity of Afrobeats music around the world. The genre has been steadily gaining ground in recent years, and “Calm Down” is a major milestone in its global success.
Rema is a rising star in the music industry, and “Calm Down” is just the beginning of his success. Read more
Report ranks Lagos as 5th best African city to live, work in (Punch)
A 2023 report by Brand Finance City has ranked Lagos as the fifth best African city with high desirability by people to live, work, and invest in.
According to the report, Nigeria’s commercial city polled 56.7per cent in a survey conducted behind Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Casablanca (Morocco) as the first four best African cities with 62.9, 60.7, 59.7, and 59.3 per cents respectively.
Meanwhile, Cape Town, Cairo, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Lagos, and Nairobi are the only six African countries that appear on the 100 world’s best cities as numbers 60, 67, 72, 76, 90, and 94 respectively on global rankings. Read more
Police arrest over 100 gay suspects holding wedding in Delta (Vanguard)
The Delta State Police Command has announced that it arrested over 100 gay suspects carrying out a gay wedding ceremony at a hotel in the state.
Announcing their arrest on Facebook, the state police said it would parade the suspects shortly.
“Delta State Command has arrested over a hundred gay suspects in a hotel carrying out a gay wedding ceremony. We will be going live shortly on Facebook to parade the said suspects,” it captioned. Read more
Hamzat calls for collaborative effort in funding university education (Independent)p
Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State Deputy Governor has called on all alumni associations in Nigeria to support their various alma mata, that the issue of leaving the funding of universities to the government alone is not realistic.
He stated this on Tuesday when the Vice Chancellor and management team of the University of Ibadan paid him a courtesy visit at the Roundhouse, Alausa Ikeja.
The visit was also to induct the Deputy Governor as the University of Ibadan @ 75 Ambassador. Read more
Court stops EFCC, CCB from probing Kano anti-graft commission boss (Channels)
A Kano State High court has issued a restraining order stopping anti-corruption agencies from conducting investigations into the affairs of the state’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCAC) and its chairman, Muhuyi Rimingado.
The anti-graft agencies prevented from probing Rimingado include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
The plaintiffs in this case include the Attorney General of Kano State, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Rimingado. On the other side, the respondents named in the order are the EFCC, CCB, and ICPC. Read more
Nigerian teen whose Christian conversion triggered death threats granted restraining order (CNA)
An 18-year-old Nigerian Christian convert has been granted a court order protecting her from her father and brothers, who have been threatening to kill her for leaving the Islamic religion.
Identified by the pseudonym Mary Olowe, the woman was smuggled to safety in a Christian community by her mother, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, the religious freedom organization that assisted in the case.
Following the threats, Olowe and her mother sought a restraining order against the father and brothers. ADF International announced the Nigerian high court’s order on Friday. Read more
African music legend sings tune of Mali’s coup leaders (BBC)
Shock. Bafflement. Scepticism. These were some of the reactions among a group of music fans when Mali’s much-beloved Salif Keïta – known as the Golden Voice of Africa – was appointed as a special adviser to coup leader Col Assimi Goïta.
The 73-year-old might be in semi-retirement and eclipsed nowadays by Afrobeats stars, but he was one of the pioneering giants of a generation that put African music on the global map.
After 50 successful years in the music industry, he remains influential, admired and well-known. Read more
Victoria Monét makes striking debut with Jaguar II (RatedR&B)
If anyone knows a thing or two about patience, it’s Victoria Monét. The singer and songwriter just dropped her debut album, JAGUAR II, on RCA Records, after more than a decade of hard work.
The 34-year-old cut her teeth in the music industry in 2009 as a member of Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins’ short-lived R&B girl group, Purple Reign. Following the group’s disbandment, Monét shifted her focus to songwriting and studied the greats such as the late LaShawn Daniels, who was pivotal in her writing and vocal production approach.
“He’s the reason why I understood vocal production, adding harmonies. Seeing him write from scratch, seeing him go in the booth and mumble things and then they become words. All of that comes from him,” Monét told The Associated Press in 2020. Read more
Russ accuses Billboard of cheating him out of thousands of ‘‘Santiago’’ sales (HipHopDX)
Russ has levied some pretty serious allegations against Billboard and Luminate — the companies responsible for overseeing the Billboard charts — accusing them of cheating him out of thousands of sales of his new album Santiago.
The Atlanta rapper made the claims on Twitter on Monday (August 28) after it was reported that his latest project had debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, opening with 42,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
While that figure would be a respectable tally for any independent artist, Russ felt it was a little low — especially considering he was initially projected to crack the top 10 with over 50,000 units — and accused Billboard and Luminate of robbing him of 10,000 sales in their calculations. Read more
Latin Recording Academy reveals honourees for 2023 ‘‘Leading Ladies of Entertainment’’ ceremony (Variety)
The Latin Recording Academy will be honouring Róndine Alcalá, Mon Laferte, Simone Torres and Ana Villacorta López as this year’s Leading Ladies of Entertainment in a ceremony taking place in Sevilla (Andalucía), Spain, during Latin Grammys week.
Leading Ladies is an initiative created seven years ago to “honour and recognize professional and socially-conscious women within the arts and Latin entertainment fields who have made significant contributions and inspired the next generation of female leaders,” per the press release. The ceremony will take place on Nov. 13, and the Latin Grammys take place three days later, on Nov. 16.
Alcalá is the founder of RondenePR, a music and entertainment public relations firm that has overseen the careers of several Latin Grammy winners and nominees including Juan Luis Guerra, Laura Pausini (who is being honoured as this year’s Person of the Year), Los Temerarios and Luis Fonsi. Read more
Michael Fassbender slays in teaser for David Fincher’s ‘‘The Killer’’ (UPI)
Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new film ‘‘The Killer’’.
The streaming service shared a teaser trailer for the thriller Tuesday featuring Michael Fassbender.
‘‘The Killer’’ is based on the Alexis Nolent and Luc Jacamon graphic novel series. The film adaptation is written by Andrew Kevin Walker and directed by David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club).
In the teaser, Fassbender plays an assassin who is seen carrying out a number of jobs as a voice repeats instructions like “Stick to your plan” and “Trust no one.” Read more
Martin Scorsese to mentor Mena filmmakers at Marrakesh International Film Festival (National)
Martin Scorsese will be passing on his tips and knowledge to emerging directors in the Mena region.
The Oscar-winning director will not only return to this year’s Marrakesh International Film Festival, but will also be the official patron for the event’s Atlas Workshops.
“I am always happy to be returning to my beloved Marrakesh Film Festival. When I haven’t been able to attend in person, I’ve always been there in spirit,” said Scorsese. Read more
Live worm found in Australian woman’s brain in world first (BBC)
In a world first, scientists say an 8cm (3in) worm has been found alive in the brain of an Australian woman.
The “string-like structure” was pulled from the patient’s damaged frontal lobe during surgery in Canberra last year.
“It was definitely not what we were expecting. Everyone was shocked,” said operating surgeon Dr Hari Priya Bandi.
The woman, 64, had for months suffered symptoms like stomach pain, a cough and night sweats, which evolved into forgetfulness and depression. Read more
Super Falcons star Ajibade propels Atletico Madrid to lift Women’s Cup (Sun)
In a tightly contested Women’s Cup final at the Wanda Alcalá de Henares Sports Centre, Rasheedat Ajibade played a crucial role in helping Atletico Madrid beat AC Milan Feminine to emerge victorious with a narrow 1-0 scoreline in the Women’s Cup final.
Nigerian sensation Rasheedat Ajibade played a pivotal role, providing the crucial assist to Santos in added time, who clinched the title for Atletico Madrid.
Fresh from her standout performance with Nigeria’s Super Falcons at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Ajibade earned her place in Atletico’s starting lineup. Read more
Olanrewaju, Atule tip Enyimba to bounce back after Champions League ouster (Nation)
Enyimba chief coach Yemi Olanrewaju said the entire players, coaches and everyone at the club was disappointed over the early ouster of the People’s Elephant in the CAF Champions League.
The former MFM coach however disclosed that the positive from their defeat is that Enyimba would be formidable to beat by the time they are at peak level.
He said the club began preparations for the CAF Champions League very late for obvious reasons but praised the players whom he said gave a good account of themselves. Read more
Everton bring in Portuguese striker Beto from Udinese (RTE)
Everton have signed Portuguese striker Beto from Udinese on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
Beto, 25, who scored 21 Serie A goals in two seasons with Udinese, is the Merseysiders fifth summer signing after the two clubs agreed a reported £25.75m (€30m).
Everton boss Sean Dyche said: “He has impressed in a top league like Serie A for the past two seasons and scored goals.
“As a powerful striker who can carry the ball, hold up play, is strong in the air and works hard for the team, he has a lot of attributes that we hope can see him prove to be a success with Everton.” Read more
Newcastle club captain Jamaal Lascelles involved in altercation outside city-centre nightclub (Sky)
Police are investigating an altercation involving Newcastle United club captain Jamaal Lascelles outside a city-centre nightclub.
The 29-year-old had been on a night out in Newcastle city centre with his younger brother and a friend on Saturday, August 19 and into the early hours of Sunday morning, when a fight broke out on Westgate Road near Chinawhite nightclub.
Mobile phone footage circulating online appears to show Lascelles involved in the altercation with a number of other individuals. Read more
US Open tennis: Gauff, Djokovic advance, Rune upset on Day 1 (UPI)
Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic were among the notable tennis stars to advance on Day 1 of the 2023 U.S. Open. No. 4 Holger Rune of Denmark and No. 8 Maria Sakkari of Greece were sent home after early upsets.
Gauff dropped her first set, but roared back for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 emotional victory Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y. The 19-year-old American, who got into a heated exchange with the chair umpire Marijana Veljovic, fired seven aces, but converted just 5 of 14 breakpoint opportunties in the win over No. 121 Laura Siegmund of Germany.
“I’m just happy I was able to overcome all of that,” Gauff told reporters. “I wasn’t playing my best tennis. Usually every Grand Slam you have one bad match. I was able to get that out of the way in the first round.” Read more
Ryder Cup: Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas among 6 wildcard picks (BBC)
Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas have been named among United States captain Zach Johnson’s six wildcard picks for the upcoming Ryder Cup.
US PGA champion Koepka missed out on the points needed to qualify automatically after joining LIV Golf last year.
Thomas failed to qualify for the season-ending FedEx Cup play-offs.
Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth are also picked for the match against Europe. Read more