Collapsed Building: NYSC debunks death of corps member in Lagos (Independent)
The management of the National Youth Service Corps has debunked in totality certain information peddled by an online platform claiming that one of the victims of the collapsed building at Ebute Metta Area of Lagos, Adekemi Zainab Adekunle, was a serving Corps Member.
A prompt release signed by Yetunde Baderinwa, the State Coordinator, NYSC Lagos has stated: “From our findings, and according to the deceased’s elder sister, the late Adekemi Zainab Adekunle who graduated from History Department, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State was yet to be mobilised into the National Youth Service Corps, as of the time of the incident”.
The release further explained that the deceased in reference was in the process of getting her certificate from her institution of graduation before the unfortunate incident happened.
“It was also discovered that the deceased was with her parents on a visit by the time the building collapsed. Read more
Police probe Lagos lovers’ death inside vehicle (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has commenced investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of two lovers, whose corpses were found inside a Sport Utility Vehicle in the Isolo area of the state.
The PUNCH gathered that the corpses of a man, identified simply as Koyejo, and that of his yet-to-be-identified lover, were recovered inside the vehicle which was parked around Double Star Junction, in the Jakande Estate area of Isolo, on Sunday.
The corpses of the lovers were said to have been discovered when people in the area observed that the engine of Koyejo’s SUV, which was parked on the premises since Saturday, was still running at the same spot on Sunday.
In a bid to ascertain what was going on, some of the concerned people moved closer to the vehicle and as they peeped through the window, they reportedly saw the lifeless remains of the lovers inside the vehicle. Read more
Despite opening of new MMIA Terminal, N14b reconstruction of old facility stalls (DailyTrust)
The planned reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) old terminal in Lagos, which was contracted to Julius Berger for N14bn in May 2019 may experience further delay over the ‘discrepancies’ in the newly commissioned new terminal, Daily Trust can report.
This is due to the difficulties in relocating airlines to the new terminal over the apron size, which is not wide enough to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777s, 747s, A380s, Dreamliner, among others.
Weeks after the commissioning of the terminal by President Muhammadu Buhari, only Air Peace has moved its regional and international operations to the new terminal.
Also, African World Airlines (AWA) is planning to relocate to the new airport since it uses smaller aircraft for its regional operations.
Our correspondent reports that most of the over 30 foreign airlines operating in Nigeria have refused to move due to the capacity constraint. Read more
Community laments attacks by suspected cultists in Lagos (Punch)
Residents in the Shaiba area of Agege, Lagos State, have lamented incessant attacks by suspected members of a cult identified as Awawa Boys.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the hoodlums, who struck on Sunday, robbed many residents of their valuables, and injured several others.
The attack was captured in a viral post on social media.
Our correspondent noted that the gang hacked a resident with what appeared like cutlasses and sticks. Read more
EYEFON Project sensitises Nigerians on migrating through legal route (ThisDay)
The United Nations released statistics in 2017 which showed that of over 602,000 Nigerians who attempted to migrate to Europe through the desert, 27,000 of them died in this course.
It is, therefore, to cushion the effect of illegal migration to Europe that the Nigerian Women Association (NWA) Verona, established in Italy and Nigeria, is sensitising Nigerians on the need to migrate to Europe through legal routes.
The association executed its plan at the recent EYEFON Project Road Campaign in Igando area of Lagos State, funded by the Ministry of Interior Italy.
The advocates admitted that going abroad is indeed their right as a people. The Programme Coordinator, Mrs. Abosede Mary Otukpe, however cautioned, “Migration is your right but do it right. When migrating, make sure you don’t go through an agent that will tell you there’s a job in Dubai and at the end of the day all is false”. Read more
COVID-19: Nigeria records 13 New Infections (Independent)
After three days of no reports, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 13 additional COVID-19 infections.
The latest update released Tuesday morning by the NCDC indicates that the infections were recorded on Eid day across three states of the federation.
With the latest figure, the total infections in the country have now increased to 255,766 from 255,753.
The disease control centre noted that the death toll still stands at 3,143 cases.
The breakdown of the NCDC data shows that Lagos state topped the infection chart with five cases, Kaduna and Rivers states reported four infections each.
NCDC also noted that a total of 249,914 have now been discharged nationwide. Read more
Army Chief visits Sokoto, asks troops to eliminate bandits (Channels)
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has charged troops of the operation Hadarin Daji operating in the North-West region to eliminate, terrorists and all criminals element operating in the region.
Yahaya gave the charge in Sokoto on Tuesday where he had lunch with troops in Isa Local Government as part of Eid-El-Fitr celebration with the troops.
He had earlier performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Nigeria Army Forward Base Operating Base located in Isa local government area of Sokoto State.
The eastern flank of Sokoto State has been an epic centre for banditry activities that has caused the destruction of lives and property. Read more
How Nigeria is frustrating local seafarers (Guardian)
Nigerian seafarers operating onboard vessels on the country’s waters have continued to face a harsh working environment, unlike their foreign counterparts who work alongside them.
According to the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, local seafarers face discrimination compared to what foreign seafarers enjoy onboard ships on the nation’s waters.
The National President of the senior seafarers cadre, Bob Yousou, who stated this in his May Day speech, fumed that while foreign counterparts in Nigeria’s territorial waters get preferential treatment in form of early payment of salaries, the Nigerian seafarers’ salaries are unnecessarily delayed.
He added that the average Nigerian worker’s standard of living is poor, noting that the non-existence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for seafarers in most shipping companies was discouraging. Read more
World Press Freedom Day: Ortom salutes journalists’ courage (Nation)
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has commended the courage and resilience of the Nigerian Press in the sustenance and promotion of the tenets of democracy.
Governor Ortom, in a goodwill message by his media aide Nath Ikyur yesterday, to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day said credit must be given to the Press for the enduring democracy and its resilience in the face of daunting challenges to continue to inform, educate and entertain the populace.
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3, every year to celebrate the media and appreciate the importance of press freedom globally. The theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day is “Journalism under Digital Siege.”
The governor noted the harsh environment under which the Nigerian media operates. He urged the Federal Government to consider subsidies and import waivers for media equipment. Read more
Lady Gaga releases new song from forthcoming “Top Gun” sequel (RTE)
Lady Gaga said she feels “blessed to sing, write songs, produce and perform” after releasing her new track from the highly-anticipated Top Gun sequel, Maverick.
The song, Hold My Hand, marks Gaga’s return to writing and producing following the success of the A Star Is Born soundtrack in 2018 – which earned her both a BAFTA and an Academy Award.
The track, which features a score from Oscar-winning musician Hans Zimmer and Harold Faltermeyer, was co-written and produced by BloodPop with additional production from Benjamin Rice.
On Instagram, Gaga, 36, said: “I wanted to say that I wrote the song for the INCREDIBLE movie #topgun #topgunmaverick but also for people who feel like they’re not gonna be ok or WE ARE never gonna be ok and that life taught me through hard times to have faith in humanity when it’s hard to have faith in yourself. Read more
Black Star share ‘No Fear Of Time’, 1st new album in 24 years (NME)
Black Star – the duo of Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli – have released their first album since 1998’s ‘Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star’.
After announcing the record last month, the Madlib-produced ‘No Fear Of Time’ is out now. It’s available to stream exclusively via the podcast app Luminary, which hosts the duo’s podcasts People’s Party With Talib Kweli and The Midnight Miracle, the latter co-hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle.
When they announced the album last month, the duo explained that ‘No Fear Of Time’ had been recorded in various locations, from hotels to dressing rooms, but never in an actual recording studio.
While the album is being paywalled via the app, the duo have made one of its tracks – opener ‘o.G.’ – available for listening with a lyric video on YouTube. Read more
Drake re-signs with Universal Music Group for estimated $400million payday (HipHopDX)
Drake has secured a major bag with his latest record deal. According to Variety, the 6 God inked a fresh contract to re-sign with Universal Music Group that could fetch him around $400 million.
UMG CEO Lucian Grainge described the contract as an “expansive, multi-faceted deal” during an earnings call that will cover Drizzy’s “recordings, publishing, merchandise and visual media projects.”
An insider described the deal as “LeBron-sized” when asked by Variety. Drizzy has dropped hints in his music when it comes to his new contract, which was reportedly inked in 2021 after completing his obligations to UMG from his previous deal after Scorpion‘s release in 2018.
“360 upfront, it all comes full circle,” he raps on 2021’s “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” in a possible reference to collecting $360 million or a 360-deal. Read more
‘Space Force’ cancelled by Netflix after two seasons (NME)
Space Force has been cancelled by Netflix after two seasons.
The streaming platform announced that the Steve Carell-led comedy series, which he co-created with The Office showrunner Greg Daniels, will not be returning for a third run of episodes.
This comes just two and a half months after the release of the second season, which has received middling to negative reviews from critics.
A parody of ex-president Donald Trump’s genuine desire to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the US military, Space Force centres on the everyday failings and absurd antics of General Mark R. Naird (Carell) and his team as they launch various space-related operations. Read more
Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff and ‘Spring Awakening’ team on reuniting for documentary 15 years later (THR)
Lea Michele says the idea to reunite the original Broadway Spring Awakening cast came in a dream.
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter on the New York premiere carpet for the new HBO documentary Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known — which is part performance, part reunion special — the actress, who played the leading character Wendia, recalled one other time the group had considered it: “Maybe during the 10-year anniversary” of the show from Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, based on the 1891 teen drama by Frank Wedekind.
But mostly, she said, the special event came together after a conversation between fellow cast member Laura Pritchard and Jonathan Groff. “Laura had a dream that we were all reuniting — like, an actual dream when she was sleeping at night — and she called Jonathan and was like, ‘We need to get back on the stage together again,’” Michele recalled.
That performance would be a benefit show for The Actor’s Fund during the pandemic. Beyond navigating COVID protocols and a live audience, the team had only days to rehearse, according to star Jonathan Groff, who played lead Melchior in the award-winning rock musical. Read more
‘Don’t Make Me Go’ with John Cho heading to Amazon on July 15 (UPI)
Drama film Don’t Make Me Go, starring John Cho and Mia Isaac, is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video globally on July 15.
The film is heading to Amazon Prime Video after it makes its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 8 to June 19 in New York City.
Cho stars as single father Max who learns that he has a terminal disease. Max then tries to spend as much time as possible with his teenage daughter Wally, played by Mia Isaac, and offers to give her driving lessons as they take a road trip from California to New Orleans.
Max is heading towards his 20th college reunion where he secretly hopes to reunite with Wally’s mother, who left them years ago. Read more
Bulgaria, where some are pro-Russian, divided after gas cutoff (Aljazeera)
Last week, Bulgaria and Poland became the first European casualties of Russian gas sanctions when Moscow cut supplies to the two countries.
Earlier, Bulgaria’s state-owned energy company, Bulgargaz, had said that the conditions proposed by Russian energy giant Gazprom were a breach of contract – and had refused to pay for the resource in roubles as stipulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fortunately for Bulgaria, gas makes up only 6 percent of its total energy consumption, but the move was seen as a warning shot to the rest of the bloc, particularly to larger consumers such as Germany and Italy.
More than a loss of energy supply, the cutoff has fortified a growing separation between the long-standing allies, which share an alphabet, religion and former communist rule. Read more
206 amateur clubs tussle for Bayelsa Governor’s Cup (DailyTrust)
At least two hundred amateur football clubs in Bayelsa State have registered for this year’s Governor’s Cup which kicked off yesterday in Yenagoa.
The Governor of the state, Senator Douye Diri, has called on the participating clubs to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship, fair play and ensure they give their best throughout the competition.
Diri, who stated this yesterday during the official kick off ceremony of the grassroots competition at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, urged the youths to display their talents in football as several international scouts will be on hand to select the best among them.
He described sports as an integral part of every society and expressed optimism that the tourney will not only curb youth restiveness, but create opportunities for exceptional players who may want to pursue a career in football. Read more
Mike Tyson has another angry interaction with a fan when woman tries to pick his nose (TalkSport)
For some reason, people seem to have forgotten Mike Tyson is a former heavyweight boxing champion.
Once known as ‘The Baddest Man on The Planet’, he has been the victim of overzealous fans in recent weeks.
Just days after Tyson had a physical altercation with a drunk fan aboard a flight, another stranger got handsy when ‘Iron Mike’ was posing for pictures with people ahead of the Shakur Stevenson vs. Oscar Valdez.
An unknown woman appeared to try to put her finger in Tyson’s nose as he was taking a picture with someone else, drawing an angry reaction from the 55-year-old fight legend. Read more
Heineken boost Enugu fans for Real, Man City duel (Independent)
The Coal City of Enugu is next on the cards for the Heineken Champions League magic as Real Madrid and Manchester City are fired up for a winner-takes -all contest at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Fans and loyal consumers of Heineken are set for an exciting live match viewing experience at the Villa Toscana, Enugu where the international premium brand has guaranteed a fun-filled night.
Manchester City and Real Madrid played out a seven-goal thriller in their first leg meeting at the Etihad Stadium and another explosive encounter is anticipated in the Spanish capital tomorrow.
Just as Nigerian star, Samuel Chukwueze will lead in FC Villarreal’s comeback bid of 0-2 first leg result against former champions, Liverpool this evening at the Estadio de la Ceramica in Spain. Read more
Jimmy Bell tributes pour in from Rangers players past and present after kitman’s shock passing (GlasgowLive)
Tributes have been pouring in from Rangers players past and present following the shock news of the sudden death of legendary kitman Jimmy Bell.
The Ibrox club said this morning they were “devastated” to announce the death of Jimmy, who has served the club for over 30 years and who had been “a friend and confidant to numerous generations of players and staff”.
They added that Bell, who had worked under more than 10 managers at Ibrox from Graeme Souness through to Giovanni van Bronckhorst, will be “so sadly missed by everyone at the Rangers Football Club”.
Rangers Chairman Douglas Park led the tributes, saying that Jimmy had “dedicated his life to Rangers Football Club” and was someone who had “experienced some of the greatest days in our 150-year history”. Read more
Mauricio Pochettino defends Lionel Messi as PSG boss makes prediction for next season (Mirror)
Mauricio Pochettino has launched a strong defence of Lionel Messi, saying that demanding Paris Saint-Germain supporters have judged one of the game’s greats too harshly during a difficult debut campaign at Parc des Princes.
Messi has scored only four goals as PSG eased to the Ligue 1 title with weeks to spare, while the club failed to progress past the round of 16 in the Champions League – leading to supporters airing their disgust with one of the game’s most expensively assembled squads, including the 34-year-old being booed by the club’s ultras.
Pochettino was last week linked with a return to Tottenham Hotspur after another season in which the French side fell short of expectations in Europe but he has played down the possibility, saying that he is “100%” staying in Paris.
And now he has made a prediction that his compatriot could return to top form next season. Read more
2-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson retires at age 35 (USAToday)
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson announced his retirement from professional tennis on Tuesday at age 35.
The 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) South African was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open in 2017 — No. 32 at the time, Anderson was the lowest-ranked finalist in tournament history — and to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2018.
Anderson won seven ATP Tour singles titles, most recently at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, last July. All of his trophies came on the speedier surfaces of grass or hard courts, which helped add oomph to his booming serves.
“Tennis carried me far beyond my roots in Johannesburg, South Africa, and truly gave me the world,” Anderson wrote on Twitter in posts about what he called a “difficult decision to retire.” Read more
Formula 1: Alpine recruit British racer Alice Powell for academy role (BBC)
The Alpine Formula 1 team has recruited female racing driver Alice Powell for a role in its development programme.
Powell, 29, who races in the female-only W Series, has been named talent identification and development mentor for Alpine’s driver academy.
She will act as a mentor to up-and-coming drivers, especially female racers, with racing and career advice.
Powell will work closely with fellow Briton Abbi Pulling, who joined Alpine last year.
