Dangote Foundation flags off food intervention in Lagos, doles out 80k bags of rice (DailyTrust)
The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the Dangote Industries Limited, on Wednesday flagged off its food intervention programme in Lagos State, distributing 80,000 bags of 10kg rice to the state government.
The donation is for onward distribution to the vulnerable people in Lagos State in the spirit of the Ramadan festival and to cushion the effect of hardship and cost of living crisis in the state.
The distribution of the items was flagged off at the Lagos House where the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, hosted the President of Dangote and Chairman of the Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and his team. Read more
Easter: FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays (ThisDay)
The Federal Government has declared Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1, 2024 as public holidays to mark the 2024 Good Friday and Easter Monday respectively.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on Wednesday on behalf of the Federal Government, urged Christians and all Nigerians in general to emulate the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ in dying for the redemption of man.
He said Easter, beyond religious significance, promotes values of love, forgiveness and compassion which are essential for social cohesion and harmony. Read more
FG sets to prune number of payable taxes to 9 (NewTelegraph)
The number of taxes to pay in Nigeria will be pruned to nine in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s instruction on a single-digit tax system for the country.
The Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms chaired by Taiwo Oyedele is working on bringing the maximum number of taxes in the country to nine, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue ( FIRS) Dr Zacch Adedeji disclosed Wednesday in Abuja when he hosted Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria, Adebayo Alli, who led the management team of the company on a visit to the Revenue House.
According to a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, the plan warranted the president’s directive that a conducive environment be created for businesses to flourish and grow the economy. Read more
Easter: Be God-conscious, Anglican bishop urges Christians (Punch)
The Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Dr. James Odedeji, has urged Nigerian Christians to always be conscious of God and approach everything with eternity in focus.
The cleric, in his message to celebrate Easter, which was contained in a statement on Wednesday, reminded the Nigerian Christian community to remember the self-sacrifice of Jesus that brought about the celebration.
In the statement titled ‘Celebrating the Lord’s Resurrection’, Odedeji said that despite the economic reality of Nigerians, believers must always strive to be righteous. Read more
Navy intercepts 193 bags of narcotics, arrest suspect (Nation)
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT patrol team has intercepted a large wooden boat carrying 193 bags of cannabis sativa, weighing approximately 7,443 kilograms, and arrested a suspect, Asamani Emmanuel.
According to a statement made available by the Base Information Officer of NNS BEECROFT, Hussaini Ibrahim, the contraband and suspect were seized along Badagry waterways, on Saturday during a routine patrol of the Navy Ship BEECROFT patrol team.
The operation was made possible through the effective utilization of Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facilities, including Falcon Eye Alignment and the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Centre, along with human intelligence. Read more
Tinubu, governors pay last respects at burial of 17 slain soldiers (Vanguard)
The remains of 17 military personnel, comprising four officers, 13 soldiers, slain by some irate youths in Okuama community in Delta State during a peace mission on March 14, have arrived at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, for burial.
The bodies, which arrived at about 2:30 p.m., were conveyed by the FCT Ambulance Emergency Services and other vehicles.
In attendance are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. Read more
Tinubu congratulates Senegal‘s President-elect Bassirou Faye (Leadership)
President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his election as the President of the Republic of Senegal.
President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday, noted that President-elect Faye comes with great promise and a sterling record, wishing him success as he takes on this important job of leading the good people of Senegal.
The President also congratulated His Excellency, President Macky Sall, for overseeing an election that has been widely adjudged as peaceful and transparent. Read more
Gov Fubara presents certificate, staff of office to Ateke as first class King (Channels)
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has presented staff of office and a certificate of recognition to Ateke Tom, a former Niger Delta Agitator as a first-class King.
Ateke was coronated as King of Okochiri, a kingdom in Okirika Local Government Area in 2017, and was recognised as a second-class King by former Governor Nyesom Wike. The stool was however elevated to first class by Governor Fubara this month.
Governor Fubara while speaking during the presentation ceremony at the government house on Tuesday, said he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool which Ateke is occupying in recognition of his efforts at promoting peace in his locality and the state. Read more
Jasmine Guy just made a big point about Bill Cosby and ‘HBCUs.’ (TheRoot)
Jasmine Guy is speaking her mind on Bill Cosby’s legacy—and she hopes that his infamous crimes won’t completely tarnish it. In a recent interview, the “A Different World” star remained adamant about things Cosby has done for the Black community—especially when it comes to historically black colleges and universities.
Guy told Page Six that Cosby, who has been accused of rape, sexual harassment and sexual assault by more than 60 women, has helped raise the visibility of HBCUs.
“I hope his work survives, the legacy of his work. The reason we’re on an HBCU campus is because of Cosby’s idea. He’s brilliant to set it that way because he’s sending out a message without saying it, or broadcasting it,” Guy said. On “A Different World,” students went to the fictional HBCU Hillman College. Read more
Sara Evans recruits daughter Audrey for powerful new ‘Pride’ music video (People)
Sara Evans is getting some help from a very special someone for her new music video — her daughter Audrey!
In the powerful new video for “Pride,” which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering, the country singer enlists her daughter to star in the clip, which features a storyline centering on toxic relationships and domestic violence.
“When I watch the video, it does evoke emotion in me every single time I watch,” says Evans, 53. “I never would’ve dreamed 10 years ago that I’d be sitting here with an album like this in and a video like that and this discussion going on. But all things work for the good, and so there is going to be good that comes from this. Read more
Jack Antonoff fumes over “clickbait” Taylor Swift question and abruptly ends interview (Mirror)
Jack Antonoff furiously slammed a question about Taylor Swift and abruptly ended an interview he called “clickbait”.
The 39-year-old has collaborated with the Shake It Off hitmaker on six albums, including the singer’s upcoming 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department, which is set to be released in April. Despite his involvement in the highly-anticipated release, Jack shut down an interview with Dutch news outlet NRC when they quizzed him about the album.
“You know I don’t talk about that. If you’re looking for clickbait, you’ve come to the wrong place. Thank you for this conversation,” he firmly stated, before hanging up. Earlier on in the interview, he did briefly discuss working with good friend Taylor, and how his work with the Grammy-winning pop icon differed to his work with his rock band Bleachers. “I don’t see it as producing. I create music with my friends. It comes as it comes. I’m not the kind of producer to bark commands from behind a mixing board,” Jack explained. Read more
Pierce Brosnan believes Aaron Taylor-Johnson “has the chops” to play James Bond (FilmNews)
Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan believes Aaron Taylor-Johnson “has the chops” to play the famed secret agent.
During a recent appearance on RTE Radio 1’s The Ray D’Arcy Show, Brosnan expressed his support for Taylor-Johnson, who has reportedly been offered the iconic spy role.
“I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so,” he said, before going on to praise the Kick-Ass star for his performance in their 2009 film The Greatest.
“One of the first movies we (his production company) made, one of the earliest movies, was The Greatest. And he was the greatest in it.” Read more
Thailand’s lower house passes bill to legalise same-sex marriage (CNN)
Thailand’s House of Representatives voted to legalize same-sex marriage on Wednesday, bringing the Southeast Asian nation a step closer to becoming the third territory in Asia to guarantee equal marital rights.
The lower house of parliament passed the bill following a third and final reading, with 400 representatives voting in favor. Only 10 members opposed the bill.
The bill still requires approval from the Senate and endorsement from the king before marriage equality can become reality in Thailand, a process that could still take months. Read more
5 Chinese nationals among 6 killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan (AlJazeera)
Five Chinese nationals and a Pakistani driver have been killed after a suicide attacker rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into their convoy near Besham city in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The incident happened on Tuesday when the convoy was on its way from Islamabad to Dasu, the site of a key hydroelectric dam being constructed by a Chinese company, about 270km (167 miles) from the capital.
“Our rescue team has successfully retrieved bodies of four people whereas recovery of two more people is still ongoing,” Bilal Faizi, spokesman for Rescue 1122 group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Al Jazeera. Read more
Rufus Sewell was hesitant to play Prince Andrew and wanted to show “light and dark’’ (RTE)
Rufus Sewell has said he wanted to show the “light and dark” when portraying Britain’s Prince Andrew in a forthcoming drama based on his explosive Newsnight interview.
The Holiday actor stars alongside Gillian Anderson, who plays journalist Emily Maitlis in the new Netflix series Scoop.
The series, which premieres on 5 April, documents the “high-stakes negotiations with Buckingham Palace” through to the BBC’s headline-making interview with the Duke of York about his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Read more
Why we lost against Mali – Finidi George (Vanguard)
Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George has provided insights into why his team lost to the Eagles of Mali in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Super Eagles suffered a 2-0 loss to Mali on Tuesday, with Finidi attributing the defeat to costly errors made by his team.
The Enyimba gaffer rued the missed chances in the game, but applauded the boys for their dominant performance. Read more
AC Milan’s Olivier Giroud verbally agrees move to MLS giants (SportsMole)
AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to join MLS powerhouses Los Angeles FC.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal attacker has entered the final six months of his contract at San Siro, leaving him free to enter pre-contract discussions with foreign clubs.
Giroud’s goal scoring powers have not waned despite his advancing years, as he has found the back of the net 14 times in 36 matches across all tournaments this season, in addition to chalking up nine assists. Read more
Pascal Struijk: Leeds United defender out for season after groin surgery (BBC)
Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing groin surgery.
The 24-year-old Dutchman has not featured since picking up the injury in the 2-1 defeat at Preston on Boxing Day.
“It was a pretty long and complicated surgery but it went well. He’s started rehab and he’ll be back for pre-season,” boss Daniel Farke said. Read more
Novak Djokovic splits with tennis coach Goran Ivanisevic (UPI)
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and longtime tennis coach Goran Ivanisevic decided to stop working together, Djokovic announced Wednesday on social media.
The duo teamed up for half of the Serbian’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, starting with Wimbledon 2018. Their last title came in September at the 2023 U.S. Open.
“I remember clearly the moment I invited Goran to be part of my team,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram and Facebook. “It was back in 2018, and Marian and I were looking to innovate and bring some serve magic to our duo. Read more
NBA bans Utah’s Dunn for 2 games and Houston’s Smith one (France24)
Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn was suspended two games and Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr. was banned for one game by the NBA on Sunday after they fought during a game.
The altercation took place five seconds into the second quarter of Houston’s 147-119 home victory over Utah on Saturday.
Dunn was suspended for initiating an altercation and throwing a punch at Smith, who received a one-game fighting ban.
Both players were issued technical fouls and ejected from the game.
Miguel Rojas on Jazz Chisholm criticism: “You don’t even know me’’ (ABC)
Miguel Rojas admitted being bothered by recent criticism from former teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr., saying “you don’t even know me” and implying that the Miami Marlins star should “respect everybody” in the clubhouse.
Rojas, in an appearance Tuesday on “The Chris Rose Rotation” podcast, responded to explosive comments that Chisholm made on a different podcast last week.
Rojas and Chisholm were Marlins teammates for parts of three seasons from 2020 to 2022, which were Chisholm’s first three years in the major leagues. During an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, Chisholm referred to that period as the “worst three years of probably my life” and took multiple shots at an unidentified team “captain,” an apparent reference to Rojas, who was the Marlins’ captain at the time. Read more