Emirates flight touches down in Lagos after 2-year break (Leadership)
For the first time in two years, an Emirates flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier resumed operations after suspending flights in 2021 due to unresolved issues, including the airline’s trapped funds in Nigeria.
Flight EK 783, a Boeing 777-300ER, touched down at the old terminal of MMIA at 3:32 PM. However, the flight arrived with several empty seats, reflecting a subdued return to operations. Read more
FG begins emergency repairs on Lagos-Abeokuta road (Punch)
The Federal Government has initiated emergency repairs on the deteriorating 7 km stretch of the Lagos-Sango-Otta-Abeokuta road, a crucial route that has faced significant neglect in recent years.
This announcement was made on Wednesday through a statement issued by the Special Adviser Media to the Minister of Works, Uchenna Orji.
In the statement, Orji emphasised the government’s commitment to addressing the pressing infrastructure issues affecting commuters. Read more
Tinubu heads for UK, begins two weeks annual leave (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday, October 2, for the United Kingdom, UK, to begin a two-week vacation, part of his yearly leave.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the President “will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.”
According to the statement, “He will return to the country after the leave expires.” Read more
Reps decry alleged discrimination in National Honours, demand GCON for Abbas (DailyTrust)
The House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as discrimination against the Green Chamber.
This followed the conferment of national honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
During plenary on Wednesday, the House said it is unacceptable for Tinubu to confer the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), while reserving Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for Abbas. Read more
French envoy, others highlight investment opportunities in Nigerian movies (Nation)
Nigeria’s creative subsector, if well-harnessed, holds lots of promises and offers opportunities for foreign direct investment for the country, Mr Laurent Favier, Consul General of France in Lagos, has said.
The French envoy, who spoke in Lagos, during the delegation meet up and press conference ahead of the MIPCOM 2024 Cannes, the Palais des Festivals, scheduled to hold from October 21-24, 2024, said local content creators and creative have the rarest opportunities being offered old and prospective participants who will attend the epoch-making event.
Going down memory lane, Favier recalled that “After supporting a stand for Nigerian Animation Studios at Animation Film International Market in Annecy for the past three years, the French Embassy in Nigeria will be providing Nigerian industry professionals with an umbrella at MIPCOM. Coordinated with NIFS platform, this stand will be hosting more than fifteen studios who will sell their movies, TV series, TV shows to international broadcasters and platforms. Read more
Floods displace over 300 communities in Niger (Channels)
Over three hundred communities are flooded and an estimated five million locals were sacked from their homes in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State in North Central Nigeria.
Channels Television gathered that women and children are now taking shelter upland, converting schools into internally displaced persons camps they are also faced with acute water shortage.
During a tour of some of the affected communities, Channels Television visited Jifu and Muregi which are located at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Kaduna in Mokwa local government area. Read more
FG gazettes withholding tax 2024 regulations — Oyedele (Tribune)
The Federal Government has published in the official gazette the Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding Tax) Regulations, 2024.
The gazetting of the simplified and business-friendly withholding tax regime will relieve manufacturers and small businesses of the burden of multiple taxation and pave the way for a conducive business environment.
The Regulations grant a reduction in rates and full exemption from Withholding Tax to many businesses, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with an annual turnover not exceeding N25 million. Read more
Oyo to recruit 791 officers into state civil service (Independent)
The Oyo State Government has approved the recruitment process of about Seven hundred and Ninety-one (791) officers of various cadres into the mainstream of its civil service.
The Chairman, Oyo State Civil Service Commission, Alh. Kamoru Aderibigbe made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan.
The Chairman said the recruitment will encompass the absorption of two hundred and thirty Education Officers, and five hundred and sixty-one officers into the mainstream. Read more
ITV’s Lorraine Kelly celebrates major emotional milestone (DigitalSpy)
Lorraine Kelly has marked an emotional milestone of 40 years on TV.
During today’s (October 2) episode of Lorraine, the presenter was celebrated by her peers in a special edition dedicated to her four decades on screen.
Co-hosted by show regulars Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh, the special featured tributes from Lorraine’s brother Graham, as well as messages from Tom Jones, Gary Barlow, Brian McFadden, Aled Jones, Rylan Clark, Graham Norton and Ant and Dec. Read more
War-traumatized children in Kivu find hope through dance amid conflict (AfricaNews)
In the conflict-ridden region of Kivu, a group of children aged 6 to 18 has turned to dance as a means of expressing their pain and hope. The “Invisibles Kids Academy” is more than just a dance troupe—it has become a refuge for orphaned, abandoned, and street children traumatized by years of war.
Bush Séba, the project’s founder, explains, “With the ongoing war, conflicts, and the devastation of families, this is the only form of therapy we can offer as dancers. When the children dance, they forget their surroundings for a moment and can finally express themselves. This therapy helps them not only in their careers but in their personal lives as well.”
One of the academy’s dancers, 10-year-old Innocent Nyarubare, lost his father during the fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels. He, like many others, channels his grief into his performances. Read more
Pony Canyon looks to reshape global entertainment industry with anime and music (Variety)
For decades, Japan has been a powerhouse of cultural exports, with anime and music resonating with global audiences. Anime music, a soundtrack for generations, has been weaved into the fabric of global music culture and inspires artists across diverse genres. Iconic anime soundtracks and theme songs have found their way into playlists and created a unique cultural phenomenon that transcends borders — and there is a growing audience for Japanese music beyond the core anime fan base.
This wave of influence can be attributed to Pony Canyon, the entertainment company known for creative expertise in both anime and music. Pony Canyon is now setting its sights on global expansion beyond anime. As it ventures into new markets, the company, known for its long history as a music label, promises to reshape music and entertainment with an intriguing blend of anime and various other genres in pop culture. Read more
Jelly Roll was ‘‘so nervous’’ at the CMAs, the singer shattered his award (Fox)
Jelly Roll’s CMA award was beautifully broken, just like his new album of the same name.
The country music star, 39, told Jimmy Fallon Monday night about how, after becoming one of the oldest people to ever win new artist of the year at the awards show in Nashville last year, he immediately “fumbled” the glass award.
Fallon then played a clip of the sound of shattering glass during a live local broadcast from backstage at the show. Read more
Joe Bonamassa to bring his Rory Gallagher show to Cork next summer (RTE)
American blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and his band will play two nights at the Marquee Cork on 1 and 2 of July 2025 in a special celebration of Irish music great Rory Gallagher.
A lifelong fan of the Ballyshannon-born guitarist, Bonamassa will perform Gallagher’s Irish Tour ’74 set to mark the 30th anniversary of his death in June 1995.
Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday 4 October at 10am from Ticketmaster.ie. Read more
US bomb from World War II explodes at Japanese airport, causing large crater in taxiway (WashingtonTimes)
An unexploded US bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, causing a large crater in a taxiway and the cancellation of more than 80 flights but no injuries, Japanese officials said.
Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.
Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound U.S. bomb and there was no further danger. They were determining what caused its sudden detonation. Read more
Russian forces take eastern city of Vuhledar as Ukrainian army withdraws (UPI)
Ukrainian forces said Wednesday they had retreated from the stratgically key frontline town of Vuhledar in the eastern Donetsk region after two years of keeping invading Russian forces at bay.
The decision to pull out had been made to avoid being surrounded and limit troop and equipment losses after Russian forces entered the town Tuesday amid relentless assaults against the flanks of Ukraine Ground Forces positions, the Khortytsia Group said in a social media post.
“Having suffered numerous losses as a result of prolonged battles, the enemy did not stop trying to capture Vuhledar. In an effort to take control of the city at any cost, they managed to direct reserves to carry out flanking attacks, which exhausted the defense of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the group said. Read more
Ndidi makes EPL Team Of The Month for September (CompleteSports)
Wilfred Ndidi has been included in the Premier League Team of the Month for September.
The Team of the Month was compiled by whoscored.com and posted on their X handle.
Ndidi and James Justin are the only Leicester City players who made the cut. Read more
I am worth more than €100m — Osimhen (Punch)
Victor Osimhen says he is worth more than a €100m valuation, adding that there are a few like him in football, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Napoli striker who recently joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan continues to hug the headlines with his achievements on the pitch and was one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe during the last summer window, being linked with top European clubs, including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Liverpool.
Chelsea and PSG were close to signing the Super Eagles striker in the last hours of the window, but the deal fell through over his hefty €130m release clause, as a loan move to Turkey became the last resort. Read more
FIFA bans Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o for 6 months over misconduct (AlJazeera)
Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) chief Samuel Eto’o has been banned from attending the national team’s matches for six months after violating FIFA’s disciplinary regulations, football’s governing body said.
The former Barcelona striker has been president of Fecafoot since 2021 and will now be barred from all men’s and women’s games across various age groups.
“The sanction was imposed in connection with the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon played in Bogota, Colombia, on 11 September 2024,” FIFA said in a statement on Monday. Read more
Returning Hagi “set example” during Rangers exile (BBC)
Rangers manager Philippe Clement is pleased to welcome Ianis Hagi back into his squad and praised the attacking midfielder’s conduct during a contract impasse.
The 25-year-old Romania international last played for the Ibrox club in August 2023, before a loan switch to Alaves in Spain for the remainder of last season.
Since returning to Ibrox after the Euros, he has been training and playing with the B team because of a contractual issue. Read more
Carlos Alcaraz gets revenge on Jannik Sinner as worrying sign spotted in China Open final (Express)
Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Jannik Sinner in a scintillating China Open final. The Spaniard took sweet revenge on his rival after coming out on the losing side against him last year in Beijing.
It was straightforward for Sinner in the China Open semi-finals 12 months ago as he dispatched Alcaraz in straight sets. This time round it was a tight, tense, three-hour affair.
And Sinner not only has to deal with the anguish of suffering his first competitive defeat since early August, but also an apparent knee issue, as he was worryingly seen touching his right leg in discomfort during the first set. Read more
Davante Adams “keen on a reunion with Aaron Rodgers in New York’’ (DailyMail)
Davante Adams’ days as a Raider may be numbered as he is ‘keen on a reunion with Aaron Rodgers in New York’ as the Vegas wide receiver wants out Sin City via trade as soon as possible.
Adams’ reported agitation with his current team has gained more momentum with its 2-2 start and having Gardner Minshew as his quarterback.
The Jets are among the ‘many teams’ monitoring Adams’ situation, with the Cowboys and Saints also being listed as possible trade destinations, per ESPN.
Adams and Rodgers played together for eight seasons in Green Bay before Adams moved to Vegas. Read more