Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu dumps PDP for APC (Nation)
Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Nation reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, reinstated Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo state.
However, the Deputy Governor, who returned to the APC in Benin, the state capital, on Saturday, with pominent members of the Dan Orbih-led Legacy Group of the PDP, said he was back to add value to the party. Read more
Reps Speaker, others visit Dangote Refinery (Tribune)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and other lawmakers visited the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos on Saturday.
The visit was part of an effort to show support for the project and to investigate the allegations of conspiracy by international oil companies against the refinery.
During the visit, the lawmakers were received by Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and top executives of the refineries. They took a tour of the 650,000 barrels per day refinery and were briefed on the project’s progress. Read more
It’s delusional linking Peter Obi, others to EndBadGovernance’ protest – LP (NewTelegraph)
The Labour Party (LP) has said it is delusional for anybody to link its national leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, or any of its leaders, to the planned nationwide protest against bad governance in the country.
One of the presidential aides, Bayo Onanuga, had in a tweet, alleged that Obi and some notable figures in the Labour Party were behind the proposed protest.
But LP in a statement on Saturday by Objora Ifoh, said there is no truth in the tweet, describing it as “the author’s figment of his imagination.” Read more
Afinni Family urges Lagos govt to establish ‘‘History of Lagos Aborigines’’ (ThisDay)
In commemoration of the 110 years remembrance of their patriarch, Buraimoh Afinni which began yesterday, July 16, 2024, and is scheduled to end on July 25, the Afinni family of Lagos State has called on the state government to establish the ‘History of Lagos Aborigines’, so to preserve the history of the state and its traditional indigenes, while also putting to rest the belief that Lagos is a no man’s land.
Speaking to journalists at a press briefing held in Lagos, to relate the remembrance activities of their patriarch to the public, the Great Grand Child of Buraimoh Afinni, Dr. Sola Labinjo, noted that, “If we don’t know who we are, we are at the risk of extinction. If you go to Australia today and ask about the Aborigines, they are completely lost.
“It’s one thing to say they are lost. You also need to have records of the real owners. It is vital to have that and have it documented. Any cosmopolitan city, any centre of commerce, and commercial activities stands the risk of the population of the indigenous people being diluted. This is a fact. Read more
NSCDC urges youths to shun social disorder, vandalism (Punch)
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, has called on youths to resist social disorder and vandalism.
In a statement made available to our correspondent, the Deputy Commandant of the Corps, Dapo Fasae, made the appeal at the Lagos State Youths’ Multi-Stakeholders Summit on Crime Reduction and Prevention in Lagos on Saturday.
Stressing the importance of involving youths in community activities, Dapo added that providing mentorship opportunities and developing leadership skills will foster a sense of responsibility and commitment to societal well-being amongst youths in the country. Read more
FG fines Meta $220m for data privacy violations (Channels)
The Federal Government has fined the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta Platforms Inc., the sum of $220m for an unauthorised appropriation of personal data without user consent, discriminatory practices against Nigerian users, and the abuse of Meta’s dominant market position.
A statement by the the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday, said the decision was taken after its joint investigation with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), revealed extensive and ongoing violations of Nigerian laws, following a comprehensive 38-month investigation into its data privacy practices and market behaviour.
According to the statement, between May 2021 and December 2023, the investigation scrutinised Meta’s privacy policies and practices, uncovering multiple infringements of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Read more
Unidentified gunmen fatally shoot traditional leader, son in Taraba (Independent)
A traditional leader has been tragically killed in Taraba State.
The ruler, who served as the third class chief of Chanchanji in Takum local government council of the state, was murdered alongside his son.
Alhaji Tanimu Kunbiya and his son, Yusuf Kunbiya, were reportedly brutally killed by unknown gunmen on Friday evening. Read more
I’ll adhere to Supreme Court ruling on LG autonomy – Katsina Gov (DailyTrust)
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina state has said he would implement the decision of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy.
The apex court had granted LG autonomy following a suit filed by the federal government against state governors.
Sequel to this, the Senate had introduced a bill to establish a commission that would be saddled with the responsibility of conducting LG elections. Read more
Mali’s ‘king of kora’ Toumani Diabate dies at 58 (AfricaNews)
Mali’s celebrated “king of kora,” Toumani Diabate, passed away on Friday at the age of 58 following a brief illness, according to an announcement from his family on social media.
Diabate, a renowned master of the kora—a traditional West African stringed instrument—died at a private clinic in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Born in 1965 into a family of griots, Diabate was deeply rooted in Mali’s rich cultural heritage, serving as a guardian of the nation’s oral histories and traditions.
Throughout his career, Diabate was celebrated for his extraordinary skill and innovative approach to the kora. His ability to seamlessly blend traditional Malian music with contemporary influences earned him acclaim both in Africa and internationally. Read more
Adidas drops Bella Hadid from campaign referencing 1972 Munich Olympics (AlJazeera)
Adidas has dropped vocal pro-Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign that drew criticism from Israel over its reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The campaign was for the retro SL72 shoe, inspired by a design from the 1972 event, where the Palestinian Black September group took Israeli athletes hostage.
Eleven Israelis, a German policeman and five Palestinian attackers died after a standoff at the Olympic village and the nearby Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield as rescue efforts erupted into a gunfight. Read more
Armie Hammer denies being a cannibal in Piers Morgan interview (FarOut)
After establishing himself on the silver screen through roles in works like Call Me By Your Name, The Social Network, and, of course, Cars 3, Armie Hammer has been largely absent from public life over the past three years. Back in 2021, multiple allegations of rape, sexual assault, and even cannibalism came out about the actor, causing him to be dropped from multiple film projects.
The allegations against Hammer were first shared on social media in the early part of 2021, with various women claiming that the actor had been abusive towards them. One victim of Hammer even claimed that he had expressed cannibalistic desires towards her. Although no criminal charges were brought against the actor, due to a lack of evidence, the allegations caused him to be outcasted from Hollywood, and he has not appeared on-screen since the release of Death on the Nile in 2022.
Yesterday, Hammer made a rare public appearance, marking one of the first times the actor has spoken out since the allegations of abuse and rape came to light. During the interview, the actor fielded various questions surrounding the allegations, his career, and the years he has spent in the shadows since those allegations came to light. Read more
Anne Hathaway shakes it off as she dances up a storm at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in Germany (People)
Anne Hathaway showed off her best moves at Taylor Swift’s latest show!
On Friday, July 19, the actress, 41, was spotted attending Swift’s Eras Tour show at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins Arena in Germany, where she danced up a storm as she enjoyed the performance.
In multiple videos posted on X (formerly Twitter), Hathaway could be seen grooving to multiple tracks, including, “…Ready for It,” “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” from what appeared to be a VIP section at the arena. Read more
Revel Horwood says Strictly complaints a “shock” (BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has said complaints about professional dancers on the show have come as a “shock”.
The BBC programme has been hit by damaging allegations concerning former dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
Pernice has denied “any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour”. On Thursday, Di Prima’s spokesman admitted he made a “mistake” by kicking celebrity partner Zara McDermott once during rehearsals. Read more
Rights groups hail “historic” ICJ ruling on Israel’s occupation of Palestine (NewArab)
Human rights groups have hailed a “historic” Friday ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is illegal.
The ICJ, the United Nations’ top court, found that Israeli policies and practices amounted to “annexation of large parts of the occupied Palestinian territory”.
Premier Palestinian rights group Al-Haq hailed the court’s non-binding ruling as a “historic landmark advisory opinion”. Read more
Despite curfew, deaths mount in Bangladesh student protests over government jobs quota (WashingtonTimes)
Police imposed a strict curfew across Bangladesh and military forces patrolled parts of the capital Saturday to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government jobs left several people dead and hundreds injured.
The curfew follows what was likely the deadliest day yet in the weeks of protests despite a ban on public gatherings. Reports vary on the number of people killed Friday, with Somoy TV reporting 43. An Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, but it was not immediately clear whether they all died on Friday.
Another 22 people died Thursday as protesting students attempted to impose a “complete shutdown” of the country. Several people were also killed Tuesday and Wednesday. Read more
Female athletes carry Nigeria’s Olympic hopes —NOC sec Popoola (Punch)
The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Tunde Popoola, has said that Nigeria’s medal hopes at the Paris Olympics largely rest on female athletes such as Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume.
Despite participating in the Olympics since 1952, Nigeria has only secured a total of 27 medals, including just two gold medals, both won in 1996 in Atlanta.
This remains the country’s most successful outing, with Chioma Ajunwa winning gold in the women’s long jump and the football team, led by Kanu Nwankwo, clinching the second at the expense of superpowers Argentina and Brazil.
Injured Simon returns to training in Nantes preseason (Nation)
Nigeria international winger Moses Simon has joined FC Nantes in their preseason preparations for the 2024/25 campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.
Simon and Nantes are preparing for the new Ligue 1 campaign in their training camp in Zell Am See, Austria.
In a video posted on the club’s official YouTube account, the camera was trained on Simon and teammate Matthis Abline as they went through training drills and team bonding sessions inside the Nantes camp. Read more
Jesus and Smith Rowe score in Arsenal friendly win over Leyton Orient (Standard)
Arsenal eased to victory over Leyton Orient in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday, as Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe scored the goals in a 2-0 win.
The Gunners begin their pre-season schedule in the USA next week, flying out to face Bournemouth, Manchester United and Liverpool, but Mikel Arteta’s side first took on League One side Leyton Orient at their Sobha Realty Training Centre.
A number of first-team stars started for Arsenal, with Ben White and Jurrien Timber in defence, Martin Odegaard starting in midfield and Gabriel Jesus lining up alongside Eddie Nketiah. Read more
Argentina apologises to France in football-chant row (StraitsTimes)
Buenos Aires has apologised to France after Argentina’s vice-president called the European country “colonialist” and its people “hypocrites” in an argument over alleged racist chants by Argentinian footballers.
President Javier Milei’s office said on July 19 that it had sent a senior official to the French embassy to explain that Ms Victoria Villarruel’s angry statement on social media was made in her personal capacity.
World football’s governing body Fifa has announced an investigation into the chants sung by Argentina players, including Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, after they won the Copa America. Read more
Image of Caitlin Clark to be on hood of car at Brickyard 400 (ABC)
Caitlin Clark made her first appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — on Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford.
The rookie driver took his Stewart-Haas Racing entry to the traditional 2.5-mile oval with an image of the WNBA rookie star plastered across the hood of his car.
Speedway officials had hoped to get the top pick in the WNBA draft to the facility for May’s Indianapolis 500 festivities, but the Indiana Fever spent most of that time playing road games. This weekend, Clark is participating in All-Star activities in Phoenix. Read more
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz tops time sheets in opening practice session for Hungarian Grand Prix (IrishIndependent)
Carlos Sainz provided hope of a Ferrari resurgence after he finished fastest in opening practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Scuderia have gone off the boil in recent races, but a revised floor – introduced for the 13th round of the campaign here at the Hungaroring – propelled Sainz to the top of the time sheets.
The Spaniard finished 0.276 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third, one place ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell. Lewis Hamilton ended the first running of the weekend in 10th. Read more