Court remands man for insulting married woman (Tribune)
A Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, on Thursday ordered that a man, Rabiu Usman, who pleaded guilty to insulting a married woman unprovoked, be remanded pending sentencing,
Magistrate Michael Bawa, fixed August 13 for sentencing.
The complainant, Jamila Yusuf, had dragged Usman to court for intentional insult without provocation and defamation of character in a direct criminal suit.
The offence is contrary to the provisions of sections 379 and 372 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State.
Yusuf alleged that the defendant called her a pig and a stupid illiterate who was born out of wedlock via a text message on August 7. Read more
Sustainable power supply key to greater Lagos vision ―Commissioner (Tribune)
The indispensability of a stable and sustainable power supply to the realization of the vision for a greater Lagos is premised on the six thematic areas of THEMES Agenda, Commissioner for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Olalere Odusote, has said.
According to him, THEMES is the acronym for Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism and Security and Governance.
Speaking at the Lags State Electricity Policy Stakeholder Consultation Session, hosted by the ministry on Wednesday, Odusote opined that the initiative would serve as a key driver for the socio-economic development of Lagos State.
He maintained that the fact that Lagos State is the commercial nerve centre and the most populated state in Nigeria, informed the decision of the government to develop a 30-year Development Plan towards the attainment of universal access to electricity, being one of the largest megacities in the world. Read more
Concerns as repairs of burnt Lagos Airport bridge begin (Guardian)
There were concerns yesterday over the planned traffic diversion on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway to give way for repairs of the burnt Lagos Airport Flyover.
During the planned six weeks closure, Ladipo market road and the service lane would be the only available routes for motorists going to Oshodi from Apapa.
But motorists are worried about the likely traffic bottleneck the closure would cause as Ladipo market road has been blocked for weeks by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
The blockade followed failure of the leaders of Ladipo Auto Spare Parts market to reach a truce with LAWMA on environmental issues that led to the partial closure of the market.
Also, as of yesterday, abandoned vehicles and trucks were parked on the service lane and roads in the market. Read more
BBNaija S6: Why I feel uncomfortable around Cross –Saskay (Punch)
Big Brother Naija Shine Ya Eye housemate, Saskay, has revealed that she gets uncomfortable whenever Cross is around her.
In a discussion between the duo on Friday, Saskay said that she feels uncomfortable around Cross because of his ‘bad boy energy’.
According to her, she said Cross is a sexual enthusiast and that does not match her energy at all. Cross, however, said that Saskay also has ‘bad girl energy’ and she went on to explain what her energy was all about.
Saskay said, “It’s that energy of being able to do whatever I want to do. That’s what I consider a ‘bad girl energy’, not really sexually. I’m not a sexual person in public so I feel uncomfortable around people that are so comfortable either talking or being all sexual around everybody. Read more
Kaspersky identifies top malware families in Nigeria, others (Independent)
Kaspersky researchers have identified the top malware families in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya as ransomware, financial/banking Trojans and crypto-miner malware.
In a report, Kaspersky researchers said when comparing the first quarter of 2021 with second quarter of 2021, Kaspersky saw a 24 percent increase in ransomware in the second quarter of 2021 in South Africa, as well as an increase of 14 percent in crypto-miner malware.
In Kenya and Nigeria, Kaspersky saw a large increase in financial/banking trojans in the second quarter of 2021 when compared to the figures for the first quarter of 2021 – a 59 percent increase in Kenya and a 32 percent increase in Nigeria. Read more
Nigeria’s unclaimed dividends increase to N170b –Yuguda (Guardian)
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday said the total unclaimed dividends in the Nigerian capital market stood at N170 billion as of December 2020.
The Director-General, SEC, Mr Lamido Yuguda, said this at the second post-Capital Market Committee (CMC) virtual news conference.
Yuguda said the figure had increased compared with N158.44 billion total unclaimed dividends as of December 2019.
He attributed the rising figure to identity management and multiple subscriptions of investors. Read more
Aregbesola inaugurates Enugu Immigration office burnt during #ENDSARS protests (Punch)
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has inaugurated the reconstructed office complex of the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service on Enugu-Abakaliki Road Emene.
The service’s Public Relations Officer, Amos Okpu, disclosed this on Friday in a statement titled, ‘Aregbesola commissions Enugu State Command Office Complex for the NIS.’
Aregbesola, who represented the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), described the edifice as a show of the government’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for the workforce in order to ensure enhanced productivity.
Recall that the Enugu State Command building was earlier slated for inauguration on October 24, but got torched by arsonists two days earlier during the #ENDSARS protests. Read more
CVR: INEC disowns fake registration portals (DailyTrust)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned Nigerians to be wary of fake Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) websites.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said on Friday in Abuja that the fake portal is not from the commission as it did not accredit any agency or organisation to capture details of intending voters on its behalf.
“The attention of the commission has been drawn to a post, which is currently being circulated on the social media, about a website for INEC voter registration which is different from the INEC CVR Portal.
He said that the INEC CVR online portal remains https://cvr.inecnigeria.org. Read more
NMA threatens to join resident doctors’ strike if… (Punch)
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), has chided both federal and state governments for the lingering strike action of the National Association of Resident Doctors which had paralyzed hospitals across the country to the detriment of the Nigerian people.
It warned that it would join forces if resident doctors were not paid all their due wages and the strike lingers.
NMA in a statement issued on Friday, signed by its Chairman on Inter Affiliate Affairs, Dr Rosemary Uzowulu, titled, “High cost of governance maintained yet payment of doctors to avert health sector destruction a failure from government”, described the ongoing strike as uncalled for if those in corridors of power were sincere.
The body of doctors accused the political leaders of playing a game with the health of Nigerians because they could afford overseas medical treatment. Read more
Kit Harington on his ‘Modern Love’ meet-cute and knowing Rose Leslie was ‘the one’ (USAToday)
Fair warning, rom-com fans: Modern Love Season 2 might give you PTSD.
Amazon Prime’s anthology comedy series, created by John Carney (“Sing Street”) and based on the New York Times column, features Anna Paquin, Minnie Driver and Garrett Hedlund in its second season (now streaming). The third episode follows two attractive strangers named Michael (Kit Harington) and Paula (Lucy Boynton), who strike up a conversation on a train in Ireland, which is preparing for a two-week lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being hopeless romantics, they forego exchanging phone numbers and simply decide to meet again at the same train station two weeks later, once the shutdown is “over.”
As we all know by now, the pandemic was hardly a blip on the calendar, and Michael and Paula debate among their families whether it’s safe to break quarantine so they can go meet their potential future sweetheart.
Paula (Lucy Boynton, left) and Michael (Kit Harington) are strangers who meet on a train at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Amazon anthology series “Modern Love.”
Harington, who starred as Jon Snow for eight seasons of “Game of Thrones,” recalls feeling similarly naïve in the lockdown’s early days. Read more
Cameron Diaz explains decision to quit acting career in rare interview (Metro)
Cameron Diaz has opened up in a rare interview about her decision to step back from acting.
The star, who is known for her starring roles in iconic films including There’s Something About Mary, Charlie’s Angels and The Holiday, was one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood.
However, Cameron famously quit acting in 2018, four years after her last movie, the 2014 adaptation of Annie, in which she played Hannigan. She later went on to welcome a daughter, Raddix, in December 2019, with husband, Good Charlotte star Benji Madden.
In a candid revelation, the 48-year-old revealed her career on the big screen was preventing her from managing other parts of her life. Read more
Tony Bennett cancels tour after “One Last Time” with Lady Gaga in NYC (NYPost)
Tony Bennett has cancelled his scheduled tour dates in the wake of an at times heart-wrenching appearance billed as “One Last Time” in New York City.
The 95-year-old music icon — who is fighting a public battle with Alzheimer’s disease — will not be performing his rescheduled shows, which were already delayed in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Variety.
The “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” crooner’s tour was originally set to relaunch in September in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The additional affected dates include New York, Maryland, Oklahoma and Canada. Ticket-holders are advised to contact the venues for information regarding refunds.
This latest development, sure to devastate loyal fans of the singer, comes on the heels of his pair of weepy shows with Lady Gaga — the perhaps presciently titled “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” — at Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 3 and Aug. 5. Read more
“The Suicide Squad” Set to Top Subdued Weekend Box Office With $25m (Variety)
Warner Bros.’ “The Suicide Squad” is poised to come out on top of the subdued domestic box office this weekend, with an estimated three-day gross of $25.65 million.
Though the R-rated superhero film is now expected to fall short of previous industry predictions that it would gross over $30 million in its first weekend, “The Suicide Squad” is still set to top the box office by a margin of $10 million. As the delta variant causes COVID-19 concerns to rise in the U.S., it’s possible that moviegoers are opting to stay inside this weekend and enjoy the James Gunn-directed film from the comfort of their homes on HBO Max, where it is also available to stream.
“The Suicide Squad” is the latest big-screen take on the DC team of anti-heroes, starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman and Sylvester Stallone. On Friday, the film opened to $12 million from 4,002 theaters, and has received favorable reviews from critics and audience members alike.
Disney’s ‘Free Guy’ Is Playing Only in Theaters. Can That Help Ticket Sales?
Coming in behind “The Suicide Squad” is Disney’s “The Jungle Cruise,” based on the theme park ride of the same name. Starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, in its second weekend the movie is expected to pull in an additional $14.9 million, bringing its overall earnings up to $64.5 million. Read more
Ningbo: Global supply fears as China partly shuts major port (BBC)
The partial closure of one of China’s biggest cargo ports due to coronavirus has raised fresh concerns about the impact on global trade.
Services were shut on Wednesday at a terminal at Ningbo-Zhoushan port after a worker was infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Ningbo-Zhoushan in eastern China is the world’s third-busiest cargo port.
The closure threatens more disruption to supply chains ahead of the key Christmas shopping season. Read more
Outbreak at sea: 27 people aboard Carnival cruise ship test positive for COVID-19 (NYPost)
A Carnival ship that set sail from Texas had 27 COVID-19 positive people aboard Wednesday, the highest number of reported cases on a US ship since the cruise industry opened back up this summer.
The Carnival Vista arrived in Belize City with 26 infected crew members and one infected guest, according to the Belize Tourism Board.
Officials noted that there were more than 4,000 people on the ship, and 99.98 percent of the crew was vaccinated, along with the vast majority of the passengers.
The infected crew members are now in isolation, but “most are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms,” Belize officials said. Read more
Kevin Costner leads Yankees and White Sox on to Field of Dreams (BBC)
If you’ve ever watched the classic 1989 American film Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, then prepare for the goosebumps you are about to experience.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball staged a match in a cornfield, with Costner leading an epic pre-match entrance through the corn.
Field of Dreams sees an Iowa corn farmer build a baseball diamond on his land after hearing a voice saying “if you build it, they will come”.
Costner led out the teams with the original movie score playing though the stadium speakers. Read more
Injured Ramos expected to make PSG debut in September (Guardian)
Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is expected to make his debut for new club Paris Saint-German in September when he has fully recovered from a calf injury, the Ligue 1 giants said on Friday.
The Spanish defender is only likely to take the field “after the international break”, probably for the home game against Clermont on September 11.
Ramos, 35, signed a two-year contract with PSG earlier this month after a storied career with Real Madrid where he won the Champions League four times.
He is also a World Cup winner and a two-time champion of Europe with Spain. Read more
UFC fighter Jordan Williams catches carjacker in wild video (NYPost)
Sometimes UFC fighters have to use their skills outside of the octagon.
Jordan Williams left his car running in a gas station parking lot in Denver as he went inside to grab a drink and snacks. When he returned to his car, he saw a carjacker climb into the driver’s side of his car and attempt to back it up. That is when his fighting instincts kicked in.
“At first I couldn’t really believe it,” Williams told ESPN. “And then I was like, ‘Holy s–t, there’s someone really in my car.’
The 30-year-old chased after the car, opened the driver side door, and threw the perpetrator out of the car. Williams then punched the driver managed to get a couple of knees in before the man fled. The carjacker was in visible pain as he ran away holding his head. Read more
Cavani, Fernandes, Moreno shortlisted for Europa League Player of the Season award (Punch)
Gerard Moreno of Villarreal and Manchester United players, Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes have been shortlisted for the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award.
Recall that the season was won by Villareal after a penalty shoot-out against Manchester United in the final.
Stats show Moreno to be the favourite to clinch the award over Fernandes who was named tournament’s Best Player.
The players were selected by a jury composed of the coaches of the 48 clubs in last season’s group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, one from each UEFA member association. Read more
Boost for Liverpool as talisman van Dijk signs new contract (Guardian)
Virgil van Dijk gave a timely boost to Liverpool on the eve of their first Premier League match of the season with newly-promoted Norwich City by signing a new long-term contract, the club announced on Friday.
The 30-year-old Dutch international central defender’s new deal is reported to tie him to the club till 2025.
Van Dijk’s absence due to a knee injury suffered in the Merseyside Derby with Everton last October cost Liverpool dear in their defence of the title last season and also saw him miss Euro 2020.
“Virgil van Dijk has today signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool Football Club,” read the club statement. Read more
Joe Willock: Newcastle set to sign Arsenal midfielder on six-year deal (BBC)
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce hopes to sign Joe Willock on a six-year deal by 12:00 BST so he can play against West Ham on Sunday.
The Arsenal midfielder, 21, completed a medical on Friday morning and Bruce said he would train before assessing whether he would feature in Newcastle’s game at St James’ Park.
The deal is in excess of £20m after a successful loan spell last season.”We had to be patient but it was worth the wait,” Bruce said. Read more